Agasha Yuna was in court today, wearing an elegant green and gold kimono featuring cherry blossoms and butterflies.
https://ibb.co/rxPkB0v

She had her usual golden headdress.

She stood with the Dragon delegates.

She looked polished and elegant.

(pm to start a conversation)

And Ryusei was present- he had proven to be, for better or worse, one of the mainstays of the Phoenix at Court, and her wore a dark red kimono embroidered with sandpipersin gold, in addition to the insignia of his House, Clan, and School.

With the largest treaty out of the way and the second largest today, Eiji was, overall, relaxed. There was going to be a party tonight. And while he had heard far too many bad poems in the past, he looked forward to the sake.

Jihen was present as always… observing and chatting with the other members in acceptable tones.

Ryushi stayed on the galleries watching how his clan mate and the Scorpion stated their story.

//pm or quote if approached

Eiji did look up when the Emerald Champion took the floor to announce the declared duel.

Step 1: Tell the Scorpion to befriend your enemy
Step 2: Challenge your enemy to a duel
Step 3: ???
Step 4: Profit?

Sayomi was present for the court today as well, and watched with slight confusion at the declaration of a duel. The who and the what now? What's this all about?

Was it some clever ploy someone had orchestrated?

Honoka, who had been watching, managed to keep from frowning.

Kinuyo you're an idiot. If you lose you'll need to worry about more than just uncles wrath.

Kitsu Sayomi wrote: ↑

Mon Jan 27, 2025 9:24 pm

Sayomi was present for the court today as well, and watched with slight confusion at the declaration of a duel. The who and the what now? What's this all about?

Was it some clever ploy someone had orchestrated?

Perhaps picking up on the confusion, or maybe just seeing someone he hadn't talked to yet, Eiji approached the Kitsu.

"Kitsu-san, might I have a word with you?"

Agasha Sanjuro was at court again today to support Yuna's proposals and was with the Dragon delegation.

He was shocked at the announcement of the duel. He had not heard what precipitated it.

He also made sure to say a few pleasantries to other delegates he has met.

There was also some bustle about the poetry event as well. He had heard they are beautiful events and he looks forward to what some of the talented artists can present.

Daichi was not looming in his normal place to the rear of the Crab delegation. He was merely standing there waiting patiently in case he was needed for anything, which might look like looming but one certainly did not loom in court. It wasn't proper.

His eyes did look around for anyone interesting to chat with though. Court could be a little boring otherwise.

Chou-sin spills some tea and gets the Four Temples carpeted with bird shit.

There's probably a lesson here.

Ryusei was a bit torn... on the one hand, Chou-sin was an ass and had participated in Keihime's ludicrous overreach.
On the other hand, setting the Dragon and the Crane against the Four Temples was... ugly. It set a bad precedent.

What can I do that would do any damned good here...

Chou-sin and Jihen were being buried beneath a torrent of Crane verbiage, and Ryusei seriously doubted the Otomo would ride in to rescue the Abbot. Keihime and Tooru hardly seemed like the sorts to reinforce failure, and letting the Four Temples catch the backlash for their actions was was likely to be something they accepted with, if not happiness, then equanimity.

An ugly business I'll have to look away from.

Yuna listened closely to the debate over the donations to the Brotherhood.

She was certainly vested in the outcome. Ten units of Ageki wealth that she very much wanted distributed by the Brotherhood to those in greatest need.

Her understanding was that Abbot Do was a devout representative of the Brotherhood of Shinsei.

This was not a proposal to move the funds out of the Brotherhood of Shinsei's hands. Just ... from one Shinseist monk to another. From one temple to another.

Perhaps those helped most would be in villages closer to the one temple than to the other. But both temples would help those within their area of responsibility. Right? No place lacked those in need, alas. There was no bad outcome here. Just two different channels flowing into the same river.

Still, it was rather like the announcement that Lions were dueling Lions. Did it help to let disagreements become so public? Did it keep the channels clean?

Have the patience to let the mud settle and the water shall be clear again.

Any Brotherhood monk should be equally dedicated to the care of the most vulnerable. She just had to tell herself that. She believed that any devout follower of the Tao, of the Way, would use the donations wisely.

Still, she wished she'd had a chance to speak to both Abbots to better understand their goals and understanding of the Tao. This was a unique opportunity to be present in a place with two Shintao Abbots! Perhaps she'd make that a greater priority.

Ryusei didn't need to use his fan to hide his expression at Gorobei's interjection, but only because the past few days had seen so many shocking scenes.

That is... a solution.

A very bad one, however highly one thinks of the Miya.

Does he even understand who the Brotherhood work with?

Hearing the pronouncement of the Miya lord brings a pressing sadness upon Jihen's heart...

We can only pray for a swift return of an Emperor to put the clans back in their place... Clans dictating the protocols of the Brotherhood? What a fallen world we occupy...

His face revealed nothing of his internal sadness.

His only show of any change was a short spanning of his view across the various members of the Imperial families... his sight resting finally on his master...

...who is somewhat stony of expression as he gives his head a small shake.

There was a small brief frown from the small Lion. She had never been especially pious but this seemed like a strange overreach by the clans in question. She cast a small sympathetic look towards to the two monks who had unsuccessfully battled against it but otherwise said or did nothing.