A Tale of Emerald and Topaz (L5R)

[EtchedSteel]

"In some sort of encircling maneuver, spears and heavy cavalry. Drive them before us, ride them down, teach them the honor they so clearly lack with steel and...no?" Soko hadn't been able to change, but didn't really care. One wore what one had on, as Shinsei said. Maybe said. It sounded Tao-ish anyway.

"No--I suppose we must parley with them, though a guard and force enough to ensure their compliance wouldn't go amiss. Trackers too in case they aren't in the talking mood. What sort of thing would indicate to them we aren't intent on taking their heads Doji-san, Utaku-san? Or perhaps Yoritomo-san has some way of placating strange gaijin that doesn't involve an armored sandal on their necks?"

Click to shrink...

Sakura thinks for a moment, before looking up. "Ask hospitality- it is, to the people of the Hejaz, as sacred a duty to uphold the rules of hospitality as it is to us, although their customs of such are different in some ways that ours. If we take that route, we should bring up the important- and unpleasant- matters of their trespass on our lands before partaking of their food."

She pours tea for the others as she speaks. "It is a rather serious thing to bring up, and the response will be the poorer if we do so after accepting the rights of a guest- they do not share our view that it is considered more polite to wait for such matters."

Click to shrink...

Thanking the Crane's gesture of good hospitality, Shizuki voiced her thoughts. "To speak frankly, Doji-sama, these gaijins are intruders to the Empire. Even with we show ourselves in good terms with them, upholding our customs, the fact they wish to stay out of sight might imply their predisposition to remain this way."

She made a pause to appreciate her tea. "In my sincere opinion we shouldn't bother with hiding our intentions should things ever goes that way."

 

[horngeek]

Thanking the Crane's gesture of good hospitality, Shizuki voiced her thoughts. "To speak frankly, Doji-sama, these gaijins are intruders to the Empire. Even with we show ourselves in good terms with them, upholding our customs, the fact they wish to stay out of sight might imply their predisposition to remain this way."

She made a pause to appreciate her tea. "In my sincere opinion we shouldn't bother with hiding our intentions should things ever goes that way."

Click to shrink...

"I fully agree. I propose to act with as much politeness as is possible, but to make it clear to them that they have trespassed, and it must be answered for."

Sakura's eyes are hard as she sips at her own tea. "However, while their ways are strange and inferior, they can be reasoned with in my experience- and after all, if the Emperor's command was to simply slay the intruders, he could simply have commanded the Unicorn and it would be done. The Heika desires answers, and I propose the way I know best to obtain them."

 

[Alectai]

Thanking the Crane's gesture of good hospitality, Shizuki voiced her thoughts. "To speak frankly, Doji-sama, these gaijins are intruders to the Empire. Even with we show ourselves in good terms with them, upholding our customs, the fact they wish to stay out of sight might imply their predisposition to remain this way."

She made a pause to appreciate her tea. "In my sincere opinion we shouldn't bother with hiding our intentions should things ever goes that way."

Click to shrink...

"True, but that doesn't mean we need to buy more trouble than we need to." Miyu chimes in from her seat. "Of course, remaining in the position of strength is key, but cornering someone who's trying to keep their head down for whatever reason is a good way to convince them to fight to the death. As long as we can track them down, we should be able to make a decent show of strength without them thinking that we're here to crush their skulls--unless they've actually done something to warrant it but the reaction in that case should be telling in itself."

She accepted the cup of tea poured, thanking Sakura for pouring it, and considers it.

"Honestly, just walking up and asking might work, it depends on what they're actually doing here. If they're running away from something scary, then we want to know what that is. If they're just somehow--against all sense and reason--just lost, we can escort them out of our borders. Why make things more complicated than they need to be?"