Overheard (breathlessly) in the halls of the Tenshu:
"Someone tried to kill Tatsuya last night!"
"I hope Ryunosuke's okay!!"
Overheard amid the Imperial delegation:
"I heard ol' Gorobei was gonna challenge Tatsuya. Maybe he thought it'd be a better idea to have a couple guys challenge him first...you know, back alley style."
Overheard in the dojo:
"Lord Ikoma wasn't too pleased to be hosting a ronin at court. I wonder if he tried to clean up the problem."
Finally met her match, did the old meddler? Took long enough.
"It was radiant, I tell you! I've never heard the like, and I never will again!"
So she just stormed over there and into the Crane House like she owned the place! I mean, nobody was going to try to stop her, but, still, damn!
"I'm kind of surprised the Crab had to bow out the way they did. You expect them to voice bad poetry, not that they can't hold their drinks."
"So much belligerence from them...but what else can you expect, really?"
“Did you hear about that scar-faced Dragon and the Crane punching down on monks at court over an old man spilling some tea?”
“Yeah! I heard the old man is a friend of the Imperial Adviser… And since they are all terrified of her, they’re too cowardly to take her head on. So they steal from an old man and the ones that will put it to best use.”
“Weird to like… give them the money and then take it to give it to someone else, no? Shouldn’t the Brotherhood deal with Brotherhood things, not the clans?”
“They want to give it to their toadies… Make themselves look important. They don’t do it to help people. They do it to help themselves.”
“These self-important types are just so petty… It’s just like that story the kid told a couple days ago… When the clans screwed over the Hantei and thought the monks weren’t doing exactly what they wanted… They started chopping off bald heads left and right.”
“They’re trying to take over again? When will these kids ever learn?” (TN 45)
"Bringing in this ronin has attracted bandits to the Court; what else will happen if he ascends further?"
"Teapots 'accidents', now money... Is it just me, or is the Four Temples' doctrine of direct involvement with wordly concerns going a bit too far?"
"Come on, you can't judge a whole sect of the Brotherhood just from the behaviour of one or two of their members."
"Even if they are the leader and his favourite pupil?"
"Shinsei's lessons may be convoluted! They certainly had good reason for that."
"For money? You don't tell. But what one really wonders about is the tea..."
"Shhh! Here, have a mochi. You can't blabber nonsense while you chew." (TN 40)
"Oh my! Heichi Batsuda could be the flagship poet in that pillow-book court anthology the Isawa wanted to sponsor last week."
"But will there be illustrations? I want illustrations..." (TN 30)
"Old Abbot Chou-sin was pretty anxious about getting his hands on those donations from the nobles yesterday. Does his palanquin need an upgrade again, you think?"
"If he had his choice, I reckon half of every coin you put in the donation box in the local earth spirit shrine would go for gold leaf on his chamber pot or something." (TN 35)
"Don't usually get to see samurai sleepwear fashions on display like that, some are awfully cute!"
"hmm..does that make it any less nasty washing the blood and guts off of them?"
"Not really. ...At least those cute dog print ones missed the shower of ronin bits."
"Until she catches who hired this batch at least."
"What? You think that's her arrest outfit?!" (TN 30)
"So anyone laying odds yet on Tooru getting hitched to the Boar next spring?"
"Take your pick of bets. The odds are better for a messy rejection before the new year. I think folks are just really hoping for the entertainment that'll offer. But a match'll pay out better. Maybe hedge your bets sweetening up the nakodo?" (TN 30)
"Tatsuya was amazing! He protected his son at great risk to himself, and survived against a horde of assassins long enough for help to arrive. He'd be a good man to have on your side." (TN 25)
Bayushi Kaguya is the hottest piece of ass in Kyuden Ikoma. (TN 25)
