Taking her senior's advice Sae had departed for the eye in what was for her, a fairly inconspicuous manner. That meant no outward signs of her office and a large hat, was that enough to past mostly unremarked among the bustle? It was hard to say.

The Daidoji waited calmly against a wall next to the mouth of an alleyway, slowly scanning the crowds surging back and forth. The burned building wasn't too far from here, but she didn't want to loiter nearby in case there were eyes.

For now she bides her time. Waiting to answer one report with another.

Where his cousin asked him to go, Ryu would go.

It was hard for any samurai to be unobtrusive, but Ryu did his best, dressed in a simple traveling kimono. They would still be two samurai, but at least they wouldn't stand out like sore thumbs.

"Cousin." Ryu said, managing a smile. "Let me again congratulate you on your triumphant return. That's quite the feat, fulfilling the Empress' final request."

(now sleeping for real)

Masumi's mood hadn't improved since the packages had arrived at her doorstep. Even the return of her superior wasn't enough to gladden her. Presumably she'd received some sort of warning about not sticking out. Otherwise she totally would have ruined it all by showing up in dashing green.

Something get torched was even less good for her. Handsome men with swords wouldn't improve her mood either! Beautiful women too... Just ugh!

"Daidoji-sama," she said, intending on it being an address for both. "Tragedy after tragedy. At least this one we will solve."

"Ryu-san, Matsu-san."
Sae bows, offering them both an almost smile.

"Thank you for meeting me on such short notice. I feel as though I should congratulate you. I leave the Kyuden for a few days and I find a great mystery solved. Or at least, considerable testimony to that effect."

Daidoji Ryu wrote: ↑

Sat Jan 18, 2025 3:45 am

"Cousin." Ryu said, managing a smile. "Let me again congratulate you on your triumphant return. That's quite the feat, fulfilling the Empress' final request."

"It was a simple enough matter, I had good samurai at my shoulder and a clear goal ahead. Thankfully we dealt with any incidents and were able to retrieve Tatsuya-san. I would ask you to extend him all courtesy should you see him. I am not sure the kind of man he is, but he is far from home surrounded by dangerous people."

Matsu Masumi wrote: ↑

Sat Jan 18, 2025 6:07 am

"Daidoji-sama," she said, intending on it being an address for both. "Tragedy after tragedy. At least this one we will solve."

"Mmmhm, indeed. The people here have suffered enough. Although we should not get ahead of ourselves, this fire I have heard about may simply have been an accident. They do happen...but the timing strikes me as odd. Still, with two investigators such as yourselves we will discover the truth one way or another, hmmm?"

Grey eyes narrowed, and flickered to study Masumi's mons a moment. "Please, Matsu-sama. I am no Yoriki." He said, bowing. "Daidoji Ryu, Daidoji-sama's cousin."

With that introduction done, he turned back to Sae. "We can certainly look around. Hrm. I expected that a certain number of fires would follow the earthquake. But that was in the immediate aftermath..."

He frowned. "What was it that burned?"

"Your cousin mentioned you as someone she places complete confidence in," Masumi said, leaving the rest unsaid. She had very high expectations for this handsome man with a sword.

The truth still vexed her. Well there was nothing to do except let the Bayushi shoulder the burden of truth. It was a taste of what might come.

"Do we have authority to examine the wreckage up close?" It wouldn't stop her from making observations, of course.

Calmly answer the questions.

"I am told it was merely a peasant dwelling and as such it is being treated as a local matter. We have the go-ahead to examine, but not to draw undue attention. Technically this is not within the Emerald's purview."

And now giving them a look.
"So we will have to be more subtle. But if we can confirm Ryu-san's query as to what exactly was burned and we can find out who if anyone set the fire, then my mind will be at ease. Shall we?"

She gestures in the direction of their goal.

Ryu gave a careful nod. "Indeed. If anyone asks, we're merely curious. Many people are curious about fire, and its aftermath. Why not us?"

With that, he would begin to slowly walk around the place, a frown on his face (of course), looking carefully at each item.

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D7EE, examining the fire aftermath, vp spent | 8k3 ⇒ 33

Subtlety meant no bone breaking, at least not yet. Masumi was comfortable with allowing Ryu to look first. All she needed to do was act casual... As much as a Matsu could. But hey, she was allowed to be curious about things that'd been burned!

The clearest conclusion about a fire that can be drawn tends to be about the completeness of the destruction. In this case, there is very little left. The foundation still stands, as does the central hearth (all stone), but the walls were pushed in and the house allowed to consume itself in keeping with the long-standing custom of firemen throughout the urban Empire. The first duty of a fireman, after all, is not to save the house, but to save its neighbors.

There are a few charred keepsakes among the ashes, but nothing of serious value. You see no human bones, so at least the family would seem to have escaped.

Ryu shared his findings, or rather, the lack of them.

He sighed, wiping ash off of his hands. "I'm afraid that whether this fire was deliberately set or not isn't obvious to me, although my initial thought is not." He looked at Sae, frowning thoughtfully. "This is one instance where a shugenja would have a significant advantage over my methods."

Daidoji Ryu wrote: ↑

Sun Jan 19, 2025 3:53 am

Ryu shared his findings, or rather, the lack of them.

He sighed, wiping ash off of his hands. "I'm afraid that whether this fire was deliberately set or not isn't obvious to me, although my initial thought is not." He looked at Sae, frowning thoughtfully. "This is one instance where a shugenja would have a significant advantage over my methods."

Sae had watched and waited for Ryu's report. She nods thoughtfully, glad at least nobody inside appeared to have been harmed.

"If we had priests to spare I fear the empire would be a more peaceful, and perhaps more lawful place."
She thinks for a moment, carefully keeping herself out of the ash as much as possible.

"Well, our next step should be to ask around to see if anyone saw something. If it was an accident maybe they saw anyone who escaped? But if it was lit, mmmhm, all the more reason to question everyone privately incase they refuse to talk. Do we feel confident in that plan?"

Pause. "And I really do mean just politely question them Matsu-san, forcefully if you have to but no crushing unless absolutely needed, they will likely be scared enough."

The absence of death came as a relief. Still she asked, "Where is the family then? They must be living somewhere."

There were plenty of shugenja who could assist. As to whether or not they needed to rely on them yet... Well it was not Masumi's call to make.

"I can be polite," Masumi declared, turning a bit pink in the cheeks. "I wouldn't be attending this court if I couldn't be."

Matsu Masumi wrote: ↑

Sun Jan 19, 2025 4:47 am

"I can be polite," Masumi declared, turning a bit pink in the cheeks. "I wouldn't be attending this court if I couldn't be."

"Then show me your strength of courtesy Matsu-san." Sae almost cracks a smile. "I shall race you."

Before Masumi can respond the Crane has strode off to start interviewing neighbours, nearby vendors, local tradsmen and anybody who might possible know more.

Day 7 EE, Courtier/Awareness to ask around about the fire, using a void point and calling a raise unless the Base TN is 25 or higher. | 7k4 ⇒ 34

Matsu Masumi wrote: ↑

Sun Jan 19, 2025 4:47 am

"I can be polite," Masumi declared, turning a bit pink in the cheeks. "I wouldn't be attending this court if I couldn't be."

This got a single raised eyebrow from Ryu. It was hard to tell from his expression, lips pressing together, if he was amused or concerned. Perhaps it was both.

"A fine plan." Ryu said. "And we can continue as we began. It is natural to be curious about a fire, and there is nothing wrong with asking questions."

He followed Sae, taking up his position as advisor by her side. With grey eyes narrowed, he watched those she spoke to, looking for any signs of deception.

------------------------------------------------------------------

D7EE, watching for lying! Per/inv | 7k2 ⇒ 28

Folks in the neighborhood are fairly compliant, particularly with a Matsu in tow. No one seems to have died in the fire, and though you do get a couple divergent stories about what exactly caused it (the child is impolite, granny dropped a lantern on accident), the stories do agree it was accidental.

One woman does initially refuse to discuss the matter, but ends up talking about how her husband, the second in command of the local firemen, never returned from fighting the fire. She thinks that he skipped out on her, and has mixed feelings about it.

Cearnach wrote: ↑

Sun Jan 19, 2025 6:37 pm

Snip

Sae is quite sympathetic to the woman, politely ignoring any initial reticence on her end. Perhaps this had all simply been an accident after all? A rather good result all things considered.

"Well Minna-san, no reports of dark figures in the night throwing fire, or of vast conspiracies. But that is a good thing at least. Let us find the commander of the local firemen and see if we can put this poor woman's mind at ease and if he confirms his number 2 has left then we can call it an evening."

Ryu nodded. "A fine idea. Perhaps this commander will know where the number two has gone off to." He glanced back at the ruin. "That strikes me as an odd time to vanish. It's not as though he were traveling to the next city, or out on a long voyage. He'd be expected back within a few hours at the most."

Daidoji Ryu wrote: ↑

Sun Jan 19, 2025 10:43 pm

Ryu nodded. "A fine idea. Perhaps this commander will know where the number two has gone off to." He glanced back at the ruin. "That strikes me as an odd time to vanish. It's not as though he were traveling to the next city, or out on a long voyage. He'd be expected back within a few hours at the most."

"Perhaps he needed the fire and the confusion? I confess I am no expert on abandoning one's wife. Still, I agree it is odd. Maybe he simply went drinking after a difficult night and got himself into trouble?"
Sae heads off for the head firemen (assuming such an important local figure wouldn't be too hard to locate).

He's an older man, but solidly built, waiting outside the firemen's hall.

He explains that the guy did, in fact, go missing, after the fire had been successfully contained. Everyone packed up and headed home, but they never heard from him again. It hasn't sat well with the firemen, because the guy had a fairly successful business at the pork store, and was well-liked by the guys, but he left without a word.