Hong
The circumstances that led to Masanori riding down the streets of the Noble's Quarter with soldiers at his back were not those he had anticipated when he arrived in the city. He had been sent to prepare their forces for conflict—a great battle that would either see the city fall to the forces of the Unicorn clan, or be swept off the face of the empire in the attempt. His hope had always been the former, and that the honor guard accompanying him would be one of celebration, the parade of a victorious commander presiding over his conquest. 

Instead, his glorious march consisted only of a few bushi and a handful of ashigaru besides. He rode not on the ruin of the Shosuro Palace, but towards the Phoenix embassy, not to proclaim victory over the defeated Scorpion, but to demand justice for the actions of a stupid boy who had turned a sensitive investigation into a near-riot. His duties were to serve the Unicorn clan with distinction, not police the actions of other clan's shugenja, but there he was all the same, his steed bringing him down well-paved avenues with haste enough to shock the handful of samurai his entourage passed by.

The guards posted outside the Phoenix embassy must have been in for a shock. In a matter of seconds, thirteen horses raced down the streets before them, wheeling around and assembling in formation before the gatehouse. Ten of the riders dismounted, enough ashigaru to form a semi-circle around the entrance, standing to attention at the beckoning on the chui's hand. The samurai who had rode with Masanori remained mounted, as did he, but the silent menace behind their mempo undoubtedly added to the seriousness of the stand-off. 

"What business have you-"

"**Silence**."

High up in his saddle as he was, Masanori's words seemed to boom as loud as the thunder which had earned his ire so, drowning out the demand of the Phoenix ashigaru who dared ask his business. 

"Your ambassador. Fetch him. Now."

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Laura
The commotion coming up the street had been heard easily from the inner rooms of the embassy. Iemon had already grabbed his daisho, and had been making his way to the door when he realized the rapid hooves he had heard had stopped abruptly in front of the embassy. 

He noted that he was wearing a less formal kimono absently as he opened the door to the outer yard. He took in the situation at a glance. *Sizable force to casually enter a city with. Ashigaru alone outnumber us, and obviously mounted bushi.* 

"You will, I hope, pardon me for fetching myself." He recognized the color and mon of the Great Clan... And the same mon he had seen Kazuko wearing at their meeting. "How may I be of service, Utaku-san?" He bows, despite the threatening intent of the gathered troops effectively on his doorstep. *Propriety is necessary, of course.* He thinks to himself.

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Hong
When another party interjected, Masanori's gazed snapped from the ashigaru to its source, his eyes hard and flinty as he stared at the man. It seemed the suddenness of their appearance had brought the ambassador out of his own accord. At the very least, it would save him time, and keep the Phoenix from wringing their hands while he stood outside their compound with a squad of soldiers. The Utaku dismounted his own steed with all the practiced ease expected of his kin, though even on foot he managed to tower over most of those around him, and the fierce expression he sported undoubtedly made him seem all the larger. 

"You might have been in service hours ago, when one of the shugenja attached to your embassy nearly caused a riot in the Leatherworker's Quarter," The words were harsh, and though he tried not to hiss them so disdainfully, the throbbing in his back and head made the task of subduing his rage all the harder, "The idiot nearly set the whole neighborhood ablaze with lightning. Lightning he aimed at a small, sickly girl too weak to escape a handful of samurai, much less defend herself from them. Lightning that almost *Struck me* In the process."

It was for the better that the duo of guards at the embassy's gate stood between he and the Shiba his venomous words were aimed at. Not for the man's safety, as he had already found satisfaction in striking one Phoenix that day, but to keep Masanori from looming over him like some wicked oni as he continued to air his grievances. 

"It was only by the quick thinking of my magistrate that the hinin did not swarm over him like so many ants, enraged by the senseless killing of one of their own. Is this how the Phoenix conduct themselves? The Phoenix who so boldly declare my clansmen to be heretics, unworthy of practicing their gifts? Were this the first time one of your retainers saw fit to recklessly abuse the kami in my presence, it would be tragedy enough. But I cannot even say that much of them. You ask how you may be of service, Shiba-san? You can do your damned job and start policing your men, before *I* Am forced to do so in your stead."

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Laura
The man was certainly large, and well-spoken despite his clear anger. *Justifiable anger, no less.* Iemon looked him in the eyes as he spoke, his own face hardening, the normal hints of jollity wilting first to a stern, and then visibly angry expression. With a simple gesture, the two ashigaru between himself and the larger man moved to the side, and Iemon faced him alone. "What you say happened is truly abhorrent, and the injustice cries to the Heavens themselves. That a shugenja would be so... Irresponsible. So foolish. So..." His words, for the first time in his recent memory, failed him, as anger of his own bubbled up from within. He shut his eyes, shaking his head lightly to clear it. "I will engage with this individual in short order, you have my word. The fact that I have had to hear it from you, first, and not from this shugenja, disgusts me. Do me the service of naming them, Utaku-san, and it will be seen to."

In a swift movement, he drops to his knees, and bows, bringing his forehead to the dirt. "I apologize that such a horrendous thing has occurred, and has been committed by one of my retainers." 

He holds the position, waiting until the other man reacts, before rising to question further regarding the other retainer mentioned.

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Hong
The rage that Masanori felt was palpable. A raw, primal expression of incredulous frustration that cried out to be vented. He had expected enough resistance to warrant such an unbecoming display, vindicated that even if he would been seen as the barbaric plains dweller that some tried to paint his kinsmen as, that tearing into the Phoenix for their arrogance was the *Right* Thing to do. That he could feel justified in his outburst, necessary as it was.

Instead, he received no resistance at all. Though his gaze remained dagger-like as it followed the Shiba down to the ground, there was a small level of disbelief behind his flinty eyes. It was a difficult thing to reconcile with, being so prepared for conflict only to find himself disarmed in the face of a total lack of opposition to his claims. His fist clenched, his sore knuckles tensing as he stared down at the ambassador in his humility, carefully contemplating his next step.

"Isawa Taisei-san," The words eventually left his lips, and he allowed himself the satisfaction of speaking them with the venom he had intended to hurl the Shiba's way, "I believe that to be his name. If it is not, then I am sure you will have little difficulty spotting him—I struck him hard enough to leave quite a mark, I am sure."

It was not an elegant thing to admit, but they were far beyond elegance at that point. He allowed the fingers that had coiled so powerfully into a fist to slacken, and with them, gestured for the ambassador to rise from his bow of submission.

"But that will not be enough. Stand, Shiba-san. We have much to discuss and precious little time to do so."

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Laura
Iemon stood, his face a mask hiding the shame he felt. A layer of dirt clung to his forehead from his abasement, but he paid it little heed. A part of him cried out against having prostrated himself so, but the more logical side contained it, reasoning that he had little reason to doubt the word of the Unicorn, and having borne in mind the things Sanumo had reported to him regarding Taisei's conduct on the mission he had sent, it was not a difficult stretch to imagine carelessness on the young Shugenja's part. Let alone the display of force presented here, and this man's account was impossible for Iemon to question.

"Indeed, I would imagine we do. Will the girl live?" The rest of what Masanori wanted to discuss would no doubt be amply forthcoming from the direction this discussion had gone thus far. But this question he dared, to better try and frame the context of both what was to come, and what he must do in turn. 

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Hong
As the Phoenix rose before him and posed his question, Masanori took a deep, steadying breath, to calm the fires within him such that he could speak with a level of sense. It was particularly hard, given the the means required to see the girl pull through her ordeal.

"She will. Her survival comes at great personal cost, but she will live to see another day. I would not be half so merciful as I am now had she perished."

The dull throbbing in the back of his head made it just as difficult to array his thoughts as his wrath had, but he soldiered on regardless, his jaw tensing and untensing as if to chew the words before presenting them.

"You will discipline him for this. This is not a request. He lives now only because my magistrate promised the hinin he would see justice for his actions, and I will not see him be made a liar. In addition, Isawa Taisei-san cannot be allowed to leave these embassy grounds once he has returned: the crowd made it clear that they would meet his presence with violence if he was to be seen in public again, and the underclasses of this city are a very bold sort."

It felt both right and wrong to be dictating the flow of affairs to the leader of another clan's delegation. It was not his place to do so, and yet he could not fault himself for demanding what he did. It was the kinder of the options presented, that things be met with a swift and decisive response before news of the event spread.

"There will be further consequences in the days to come. When my—when *Utaku-sama* Hears of what has happened, she will see to that. This show of force," His hand reached back to gesture towards the assembled Unicorn soldiers, "Can be considered a mercy. Had I not ridden ahead of her to demand satisfaction myself, your embassy would surely be under siege by nightfall. She is not a forgiving woman."

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Laura
Iemon bows his gratitude for the news of the girl's wellbeing. "If there is anything I can provide to help offset the personal cost, you have but to ask, Utaku-san."

He considers the things Masanori lists off to him. "This is most amenable, I agree, and it would not do to damage the word of your magistrate to the underclasses. It shall be so."

The final statement, however, was not well-received. Iemon's demeanor seems to shift, the passive subservience and sympathetic anger shifting, his eyes suddenly growing steely. "Perhaps, Utaku-san, it would be wise to allow the Voice of the Unicorn to speak for herself. I will grant, I am perhaps not understanding you correctly, but you are speaking of the same Utaku Kazuko-sama who had graced us with her presence here not too long ago, assuring us of her shared desire for peace and prosperity in this city, would be so flagrant as to respond with greater force than you have already? Would lay siege to an embassy in an Imperial city, rather than attempt to resolve things through the laws the Emperor maintains? Surely, I *Must* Have misunderstood you."

Iemon glances to the forces surrounding him. "You have ample justification to respond with anger, as an assault to your person, and to your sensibilities has of course occurred. But to come to *My* Doorstep in such a manner, instead of as a samurai in good standing with the Empire, it makes me wonder, what would have happened here had I questioned your testimony? Would you have pressed with violence, put the embassy to flame, and attempted to rout us from the city?" Iemon drew himself to his height, maintaining a level gaze at Masanori despite being shorter.

"Further consequences can of course be discussed, and we will be happy to invite Utaku Kazuko-sama to return here. That will give us an opportunity to see if your impression of her is the correct one."

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Hong
Relief nearly graced Masanori's features. Nearly.

It would have been most impressive, had he managed to deal with the fallout of the afternoon's events so soon after his brush with Osano-wo. The girl's life had been saved when it should have been forfeit by every right, the Unicorn's retaliation had been measured by his own restraint, and the Phoenix made to understand just how favored they were by the Fortunes, that things had not been so bad as to see their dearly loved peace shattered by the very kami they claimed to serve. 

But that great victory was denied to him by the same means the city's conquest were: haughty words spoken out of turn. The fire in his blood might have cooled, had the Shiba not suddenly found his own. Instead, his eyes once again burned with barely contained fury as he listened to the Phoenix's rebuke. Only when he deigned to stop speaking did a response come.

"You misunderstood nothing, *Shiba-san*. Utaku-sama is committed to a long and prosperous peace in this city. But she has the sense to recognize that lasting peace must be enforced with a strong, guiding hand. Had you the arrogance to question my testimony? To continue to shield the irresponsible Isawa beneath your roof, as they called down lightning upon the underclasses, and probed the minds of clan samurai with impunity? She would have rode on you and seen them dragged through the streets to justice—with or without the consent of their guard dogs."

It took everything he had not to snarl the words like the very dogs he meant to compare Iemon to as he made his thoughts on the matter amply clear. 

"Consider it a mercy you decided to listen to reason and accept my testimony, then, Shiba-san. It will be the last mercy you receive from me, as I find my patience with the Phoenix's conduct wearing thin." 

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Laura
Iemon's mouth tightened into a severe line, his right fist curling into a fist at his side. "I can assure you, reason had nothing to do with my decision, it solely rested on the assumption that you were an honorable samurai." The insults to him meant little, but the implication, and doubled down *Assurance* That the very Utaku Kazuko he had met with would have lain siege to the embassy in such a short time after offering apologies and seeking a kinship with the Phoenix was... More than troubling. *Peace with a strong 'guiding' hand is clearly the peace of the grave.* 

The goodwill he had kept for the Unicorn dwindled with the final shot regarding this man's mercy. "In that case, I *Thank* You for the clarity you have afforded me, on these immediate matters, as well as others. Isawa Taisei shall be dealt with as we have discussed. I take your meaning to be that Isawa Kashikoi-san is the other in my household you refer to? I shall address him as well."

Iemon's gaze did not leave Masanori. "I trust, for now, we are done here." 

Two things in particular he had learned in this exchange: that the Isawa within the city needed corrected, and the Unicorn were not fit allies in the pursuit of peace. *Their true colors have been shown all too well.* 

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Hong
There was much and more Masanori wanted to say. Part of him wished that he had not bothered to give the Phoenix the courtesy of forewarning—that the consequences of their arrogance be allowed to consume them without his intervention. But he could not allow himself to stand aside and allow madness to fester unchecked. If the scorn in the eyes of the man before him was the price to be paid in trying to enforce order, then it would simply have to be that way. To sit idly by while there was something to be done made him no better than those he meant to chastise.

"See to it then, Shiba-san."

The Unicorn had said his peace, and it was clear enough that no further agreement could be reached between the two of them. The Phoenix seemed to desire the last word on matters, and for a time, he allowed that, turning his back on the ambassador and making for his horse. The chui's foot found the stirrups with practiced ease, and as he pulled himself up into the familiar seat of his saddle, he gestured to the ashigaru. With lock-step precision, they returned to the sides of their own steeds, mounting up such that they could depart in the wake of their commander.

"For now."

With a final, laconic statement befitting his kin's reputation, Masanori cast a final, dark gaze towards the embassy before tugging on Shiori's reins. The mare wheeled around, back in the direction of the Ide residence, and with a swift nudge from her master, began a hurried trot back to whence she came, the other riders following closely behind. 

The day had already been long, but there was still much to settle, and somehow, that which was to come promised to be even less pleasant than the ordeals before it. 

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