Tracy
Having been invited by Asako Sanumo for a tour of the Noble Quarter, Asako Kita had gotten ready for the day in her light orange kimono decorated with clusters of pink cherry blossoms surrounding the Phoenix and Asako mons. Her long, dark hair was pulled back into its customary ponytail, having yet to escape as was also customary. 
She had taken upon herself to explore some of the city but had yet to spend much time around the various embassies of the Noble Quarter themselves. Curious to see what the Karo would care to share with her as they went, she waited in the Phoenix embassy garden enjoying the spring sunshine.

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Mark
Kita did not have to wait for long before being joined by the Karo. He arrived in a simple moss green kimono with only the Phoenix mon visible on its front. There was no pattern or decoration; only uniform coloration. His hair was bound back from his face with a length of cord worn like a circlet.

He bowed to an appropriate depth, « Good morning, Asako Kita-san. I trust now is still a suitable time for our trip? » It wouldn't be the worst thing if she'd had to cancel, but wasted time was still wasted time.

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Tracy
"A good morning to you as well, Asako Sanumo-sama."
Kita turned her attention from the garden bed she had been surveying and bowed in return, a little lower than his, as expected. She appeared to be ready to start their walk his discretion, not wanting to rush him if there were things he wished to discuss prior to their departure.

"Yes, now is quite suitable. Thank you for your time. I'm sure I will find it valuable and hope that you are able to do the same, even if it is only to stretch your eyes and legs."

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Mark
He was enough of a professional not to outright smile at her quip, but his eyes did soften in mild mirth. « Were all the world's wisdom to be found in one's office, the Kami Shiba would not have been nearly as well-travelled. And please, you need never thank me for supporting our own. Let us away. » He gestured towards the gate and began walking, assuming she would follow suit. It wasn't until they had gone well past the ashigaru manning said gate that he spoke up again.

« Have you been settling in well? » The question was deceptively simple and could have been followed up with any number of clarifiers or leading remarks, but he felt that how she chose to respond would reveal a lot about what was at the forefront of her mind.

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Tracy
She followed the his lead out the gate and into the Noble Quarter of the city. At his question, she contemplated before giving her response.

"Yes, I have been able to settle in satisfactorily, and start work on my assignments. Most of my time so far has been spent at the embassy, probably as expected, but I've been able to venture out a time or two into the city. Notably for the appointment with the imperial secretary."

She seemed overall genuinely at ease as she answered, although the mention of her visit to city hall brought with it a sense of discomfort.

"I've been able to meet with a few of our fellow clansmen and make some connections that will hopefully prove useful in the future. I will say I'm surprised at the number of other recent arrivals. I'm sure we are all acclimating in our own way. The Isawa artist came by the library and helped me catalogue, as well as a few others that stopped by."

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Mark
Sanumo had set a comfortable path through this district that he knew very well and kept to it as she spoke. « You are not wrong to think the number of newcomers anomalous; I thank the Fortunes for their arrival, yours included, for that very reason. »

They briefly slowed not far from a nearby three story structure with very little surrounding it on the rest of its open, near-desolate plot. « The Dragon make their home here. They have been exceedingly quiet in recent months, though I'm sure they will emerge when they see fit. »

He snapped back to the previous topic as they continued on. « I'm very happy to see you integrating well among our fellows. The ties that bind often comprise the net that catches us when we fall. » He'd left the topic of her assignment alone for now.

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Tracy
Kita turned to take in the view of the neighboring embassy, the lone structure of the Dragon's home here a contrast to some of the other ornate architecture she had seen around. 
"So, they are secluded, even within the city... I have not encountered any of the Dragon yet, but that would be reasonable then. From what I have studied, they seem to act when they see the time is right."

She cast a brief glace at Sanumo as they readied to move on,
"It has been good to make acquaintances with the other Phoenix. I agree, it is good to know who we can rely on and has helped me feel more at home. I intend to try to meet as many of them as I can. Knowing the strengths at our disposal is also advantageous."

Left unsaid was her attempt to recognize potential liabilities of those who's actions would reflect on the embassy and clan as well. She didn't dwell on the thought for the moment, but added,
"Coming from a place we all had the same primary work, where most would never dream of stepping beyond their lot in life, it has been enjoyable seeing so many people's different passions and skills."

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Mark
« It has definitely been eye opening for me as well, having come all this way from Yogen Province. There are many wonders to be seen so far from home. » It gave him pause thinking about his parents so far away and how different life must be for them right now.

His momentary contemplations were broken by the sight of the next embassy. « This-» he gestured at a large, dome-roofed structure surrounded by yurts, «- is the Ide Residence, home to the Unicorn delegation. » It was hard to get a good view of much of the grounds, if only because they were up a slope from here, much of the exoticism of the clan hidden from prying eyes.

« Wonders like that, for example. I might have gone my whole life without witnessing this, had the Fortunes kept me away. » He shook his head, as if dispelling the thought.

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Tracy
Kita's expression softened at the mention of home, while turning her attention to the span of the Unicorn's residence. She shook her head slowly in wonder at the sight trailing off up the slope.

"Yes, I had only read of such things before, it has been something indeed to see them
In person."

"I will admit, being here in Ryoko Owari Toshi feels entirely unfamiliar at the same time the same as I've always known-the books, and paperwork, the stone walls of our embassy."

She was silent for a short while, contemplating, before asking,
"If I may ask, how long have you been assigned here? Do you have family here or are they all back in Yogen Province?"

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Mark
« There is definitely something to be said for lived experience over secondhand accounts. » he nodded along with her words.

The quiet that she allowed to settle was welcome; Sanumo didn't expect that they would maintain a lively banter the whole time. When the silence was dispelled, her questions surprised him.

« ...Less than a half year. I am a relatively new fixture, all things told. And I am alone, Asako Kita-san. My family remain, last I heard, back home. » This was not a topic that he had expected, nor one he was overly keen on exploring. That didn't change that it was now upon them. « I called in quite a sum of favors to escape a dark fate. »

In the short time Kita had known the Karo, he'd borne a slightly worn appearance, as though he did not sleep as much as he should or was prone to melancholy. Normally it was a background detail; something that the alertness of his gaze and the insightful nature of his words kept at bay.

In this moment, it had come to the forefront. With rote motions and a hollow cast to his explanations, he drew her attention to the Crane embassy as they passed, it's exterior dojo and immaculately manicured garden on full display.

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Tracy
The response he provided initially was not different than she expected; he had been here some time longer than herself but not long in the grand scheme of things. Which made sense as young as he seemed to be, although the rest of his answer maybe explained the somewhat haggard appearance he seemed to fight. She raised an eyebrow, curious.
It was clear from tone of his response though, although not denying her a reply, that it was not a welcome line of questioning. She didn't press further, only mentioning by way of explanation,

"I see, I have been curious what has led those of our clansmen here that I've met. Each one of us is here for their own reasons."

She inclined her head briefly his direction in way of thanks and followed his change of topics as they stopped in front of the Crane Embassy. The manicured garden and covered walkways that surrounded the embassy were a contrast to their previous stop. Kita hesitated at the thoughts brought to mind a question she had been meaning to clarify.

"I don't mean to get distracted too far into business-after meeting Isawa Kashikoi-san, and our resulting conversation, I did want to ask; what are the proper steps to request a meeting with representatives of the other clans as we proceed with the Steel Talons project? I have not had much experience in inter-clan protocol, especially those that would be specific to the dynamics here."

She spread her hands in an apologetic manner, but her expression remained placid, not so much showing concern of a potential mis-step as an interest in learning the correct way.

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Mark
*Ah, good. We won't have to dwell on that longer than necessary. The Fortunes' blessings are sometimes small, but always impactful.*

« Personally, I prefer to send a meticulously compiled letter to whomever I need to meet with. If you do not have a specific person in mind, you can always address the letter more broadly or otherwise indicate that you need to be guided to the correct representative. »

He was regularly grateful for Kita's eagerness to serve and better herself. It was rare to have a newcomer that he felt so confident he could rely on, at least for now.

A thought occurred to him. « In this case, however, I would recommend you arrange a meeting somewhere outside of both of our embassies. The Crane have extended an invitation to host Shiba-sama, but he has been too busy to accept. It could reflect poorly on us if you were to visit the embassy before he does. »

At this point, they passed the eggshell-colored walls of the Lion embassy. Every pore oozed tradition, from the many-candled shrine to their ancestors to the twin Lion statues that framed the entrance. It was severe, unyielding, and imposing... And also a place Sanumo found held fond memories of his time in the city.

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Tracy
"My letter-writing skills will be getting some additional practice then. Arranging a meeting elsewhere, that should easily be requested."

*Hopefully the Ambassador's pending visit will not cause any unnecessary complications. I suppose there's only one way to see...*

She let the thought trail off to be answered at a future time. 

The Lion embassy that now stood before them met the expectations one would have with any knowledge of the clan. The adherence to tradition and rigidity visible even from the exterior. 

"I have only met one Lion here so far,"
Kita admitted, showing a bit of hesitancy before sharing the story.
"I was in the Market District, past time for a meal, and was invited by a Lion Samurai-ko to join her for lunch. I did not put together until we were seated that it was their ambassador.
"It seems that she prefers to travel unrecognized through the city, although any who have made her aquaintance would find her unmistakable. I believe, hopefully, beyond the initial shock she dealt me, that I did not do anything disrespectful. She at least has not demanded my head from Ambassador Shiba-sama."

A shadow of the dismay she had felt crossed her face, although she was able to see a certain humor in the situation now. 

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Mark
"Ah, yes. This is not the first time that Kitsu Himiko-sama has done something of this sort. I trust that you handled yourself well enough. Had you not, I don't doubt that they would have notified us promptly. Our local Lions have shown themselves to be serious, intense people. Be at peace."

The anxiety of treading on uncertain ground was no stranger to him. Hers would fade with time as the bizarre nature of the city began to unfold to her senses. Or, at least, that was what had happened to Sanumo.

In short order, they had passed both the Mantis and Crab embassies ||I couldn't find a description of the Mantis one, so I'm skipping straight to Crab||. The treacherous 'samurai' of the South had a slightly U-shaped, four-story structure that seemed more utilitarian than anything else. Four supplemental buildings littered the grounds, each even duller than the last as maintaining appearances had clearly been the last thing on their minds.

Soft enough to be heard ideally by just the two of them, he spoke. "The placement of our embassy was fortunate indeed." In fact, someone paying close attention would have noted that the Phoenix embassy was farther from this one than any other they had passed.

A deniable insult, made clear in the context of recent events.

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Tracy
Past the Lion's home, they had moved through the north edge of the district in cordial silence. Kita was content enjoying the warmth of the sunshine until the view of the Mantis embassy set her thoughts a whirl again. They hadn't stopped their tour there, but continued on to where Sanumo mentioned the fortunate placement of their own embassy in an undertone that shook her from her train of thought. 

She looked from the non-descript buildings back to Sanumo, matching his volume, 
"Certainly... I understand there was a request to assist with the problems in the local countryside. Have they made any other attempt to reach out?"

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Mark
He shook his head, loose strands of hair swishing as he did. "No. Shiba-sama had a long discussion with me in which he resolved to help-" *Showing a reckless trust of the Crab* "-, but we have not received any related communications since their initial request. Troubling, to say the least."

They were on a more-or-less direct path to their own embassy now, but there was still the capstone of their tour: The Shosuro Palace. Situated at the top of a hill, it was a monument to simplistic grandiosity, a huge building that made any other in the district seem feeble in comparison. No small surprise that it had seen a number of winter courts throughout its history.

"There" He pointed "Is the seat from which the Scorpion survey all that was once theirs. I can only imagine the sorts of plotting that goes on behind those walls."

There was no world in which the Scorpion failed to put up some form of fight to reclaim Ryoko Owari Toshi. He only hoped that the Phoenix could steer it towards a bloodless, or at least blood-minimal, end.

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Tracy
She narrowed her eyes briefly at the concern he expressed about the Crab's subsequent silence. Something to be aware of, but nothing that worrying about would change. 

Rounding a corner on a path back to the far side of the district, the palace in the center of the Noble Quarter they had been circling stood in front of them. 

"Shosuro Palace is the second largest building in the city of Ryoko Owari Toshi, second only to the Temple of Daikoku. It sits as the highest point in the city as well."
She recited, her gaze following where he pointed. 

"It's rumored to have a maze of hidden rooms and trick doors. The kind of place I would have loved to explore as a child, maybe even now if propriety allowed." 

The corner of her mouth quirked up at the thought. Although the thought of running into any of the residents removed it from her expression just a quickly.

"Plotting... Yes. I'm sure we only see the very fringes of it. Better still, I suppose, to be on one side than another." 

It was an odd feeling to think of working *With* The Scorpion, but she would trust the direction the Phoenix leaders here had set, with eyes open. 

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Mark
The Karo raised an eyebrow at her assertion that she would have liked to explore such a labyrinthine structure in her youth. "While I don't doubt that you'd have found many curiosities within, there are numerous safer discoveries to be made elsewhere. Not that I don't understand the allure." He added as an afterthought.

"It is a peculiar thing working alongside such an unknowable force, but we are in peculiar times."

It would not be long before they arrived back at their own embassy, Sanumo's feet treading the ever more familiar path between the Scorpion and Phoenix strongholds.

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Tracy
*Oh, that did came out aloud...* Kita thought to her chagrin at his subtle redirection.

"Of course, you are correct. Just a fanciful thought. Pay it no mind."

She replied with a flutter of her hand, as if dismissing the thought, which in turn served to bring back the question that had been on her mind since they had passed the Unicorn's holdings. 

The Karo had directed her to take charge of the Steel Talons project. While he had stated that he would not micro manage, she had heard that she needed to be able to figure it out on her own. The dam of pride that had kept her from the topic finally gave way as were once again within their own walls.

"There are ones here that take in, and sponsor, ronin? And the rest of the clans here-accept it? I don't understand.
The unicorn, they have employed a ronin, the ronin..."
She let the sentence fall incomplete, her distaste apparent. 

"You were aware of that, surely, when you made the suggestion to assign the tournament champions as the initial Steel Talons? The Scorpions are, fine. It's just that, including ronin, it won't do."

Her voice had started to trail off, hesitant to question him, but she finished her statement with a conviction she may or may not have quite felt.

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Mark
He'd always found a good walk to be a suitable way to clear his mind, this one having been no different. Despite some troublesome topics along the route, nothing had been confrontational - only delicate to talk around - and had brought about a clarity that he suddenly had cause to wield.

Kita's declaration gave him pause and he fully stopped in his tracks, the other samurai likely making it a couple more steps before realizing.

He pursed his lips briefly, his brow knitting together slightly. "Yes, Asako Kita-san. There are other clans that are willing to work with ronin and, in some cases, sponsor them to perform tasks above their station. Tasks such as, just to name one, *Dueling our Ambassador on the Unicorn's behalf.*" He said this with moderate exasperation, but no real venom.

"Even in the face of this fact, Shiba-sama was by no means unclear when he told me he thought ronin membership would be a boon to this project. Knowing that, are you still so keen to hold that stance?"

Kita had yet to strike Sanumo as unreasonable, but he also hadn't expected **This** From her. Now, however, it fell to him to get to the bottom of whatever it was.

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Tracy
The attention she was giving to the subject at hand had quite distracted her from following the Karo's lead as their walk had continued inside their gates. She only realized that he had stopped dead in his tracks when she heard him speaking from several steps behind her. She whirled around to face his exasperation head on. She watched him as he gave his explanation, her eyes wide. As he finished with the query she dropped her eyes to the ground beside him, but held her ground.

"I mean no disrespect to you or Shiba lemon-sama. And i understand the purpose of extending good will through this project, it's just..."

She fell silent, considering. No - bringing up her personal feelings would not be helpful here, and alternatively would likely only serve to cloud the issue. She looked back up, her expression passive, and spoke only to the facts,

 "The Second Secretary of the Ministries of Licenses and Taxation, Otomo Aoi-sama will not approve the Steel Talons to proceed with any ronin involved, as champion or competitor. Membership must be given to clan samurai only."

She didn't pause for him to reply before adding,

"I believe the titles can still be used as the intended boon to further our other efforts, maybe not quite in the same manner you and Shiba-sama had discussed."

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Mark
His expression softened as it became clear that this was an obstruction from without and **Not** An obstruction from within. "Ah. That does represent a bit of a problem, doesn't it?" He chuckled mirthlessly.

*Of course this couldn't have simply gone through without a fuss.*

"The effectiveness of this project is only improved by having ronin able to be involved, not to mention that it could look spiteful or cowardly of Shiba-sama to disallow them after his recent defeat - at least to those in the know."

"So what are you proposing, Kita-san? That we accept their offer as-is and try to change their mind later? I'm sure the Unicorn, and any other clan with an eligible ronin, would be willing to at least consider backing us in a bid to force the point - if we chose to do so now, rather than later."

It appeared that they could settle for a respectable victory with no fight or start applying pressure and aim for a grander success. Sanumo certainly knew what he was leaning towards, but wasn't above being persuaded otherwise.

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Tracy
Having been braced for the possibility of a sharp response, Kita was dumbfounded when he started chuckling instead. Granted, it was not amused, but it also wasn't directed at her. Her eyes narrowed at the suggestion of overriding the second secretary's demands. The thought of contradicting the Otomo woman did not displease her at all. If the others supported their original request...

"That would work. That would work?"

She rephrased the second time as a question, her expression becoming quizzical, 

"Forcing the matter with the support of other clans for our proposal? If that can happen, and would give us greater gains, then that should be the goal. What would we need to do?"

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Mark
He could feel the tone of the conversation shift, the waters of his mind adjusting to focus on the potential, rather than the present reality.

"I cannot guarantee success, but such a thing is certainly **Possible**, yes." He folded his arms and looked off to one side at the sky, as though perhaps the right path could be glimpsed there. "It's all about establishing incentive, either positive reasons for them to change their stance or negative repercussions to make it not worth their time to dig in."

*Assuming you don't just go over their head to someone of higher standing, though that brings its own concerns.*

He shifted his gaze down from the heavens and back to her. "If I were you, I would first seek to meet with whichever clans have ronin that would benefit from this being pushed through. Establishing common cause will help you determine the resources and tools at your disposal and give you allies with which to wield them."

"If external support proves inadequate, we can then consider more nuanced avenues."

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Tracy
As the Karo explained further about their options, Kita's glance followed his skyward, unsure if he was looking for something in particular, then returned her focus to him once understanding that he was looking for something as elusive as *Potential*.
Her thoughts hummed along as well, adding to the mental checklists as he spoke.

*Advocating for ronin, who would have thought.. But if this works out, it may serve its purpose even more than we originally anticipated*
The corner of her mouth tucked up in a wry grin. He looked back to her at the point of his suggestion, and she nodded,

"It sounds simple enough, establish a common cause and gain support, then present our unified case. I'm sure it may not be quite so straightforward when it comes to the implementation, but one can always hope. Although, I am curious what 'nuanced avenues' might consist of?"

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Mark
"Gossip and rumors, digging up evidence of wrongdoing by Otomo-sama - should it exist, attempting to get a samurai higher in the pecking order to overrule them, and the like." He'd tallied them off on his fingers as he went. "The sorts of methods that require an especially detailed approach."

"I don't relish these ideas, especially as this Imperial hasn't made a habit of being a thorn in our side, but they're feasible tactics nonetheless." He shrugged.

Nothing Sanumo had said was strictly illegal, but the matter-of-fact way in which he discussed it - albeit with some reservations, could potentially come across as unnerving. The young Karo had been thrust halfway across the empire into one of the largest urban centers; the cost of failure being getting dragged back so that he could wither away in mediocrity.

He'd had to play the field, as it were, to get out of there - and he'd continue to play it if that's what it took to stay in a position where he could make a meaningful difference.

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Tracy
It wasn't like she expected a much different answer at this point. It seemed like bribery and coercion were standard fare here. Again she hoped that, the same as he, it wouldn't come to that. But eventually she may have to be involved in such measures. The fact that he had rattled them off quite readily with accompanying tallies made her believe he had either given this thought, or had first hand experience. She wasn't about to ask...

"You know the persons in question that I would need to meet with presumably, are there particular things I could appeal to that would help smooth the conversation? Or, likely more important, things to be avoided?"

She changed the subject back, this time seeming much more at ease with the topic than at first, settling into the idea.

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Mark
After briefly inquiring as to the results of the Crane's tournament, and thus who she would need to appeal to, Sanumo tried to shed some light on things.

"So the Scorpion, Mantis, and Unicorn stand to gain the most immediately, with the latter two having the highest stakes insofar as ronin are concerned. For the Scorpion, I would entreat Bayushi Tomura-san. I've rarely had the pleasure of speaking with him, but you'll set things off on a good foot if you gift him a story - a tragedy of some sort. He prattled on about those quite affectionately once in my company."

"For the Mantis, I would urge you to speak with Moshi Kana-san. I suspect she'll warm to the idea if you emphasize that the alternative is the city quietly disregarding the successes of these wave men." The memory of their recent conversation sat fresh in his mind, the passion she'd had at the thought of not getting her own due wouldn't soon be forgotten. "She may still be recovering from some injuries she suffered. You would do well to be mindful of them without needling her."

"And with the Unicorn... Dealing with Ambassador Utaku Kazuko-sama is always a tricky prospect. She is quick to anger and slow to settle; very volatile - but she is possessed of strong character. I would write ahead and see if there is a delegate she'd like you to meet with on this issue. If the Ambassador sees to the meeting herself, be as careful, yet direct as you can be. Recent events being what they are, she will have a critical eye for any perceived insults or slip-ups."

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Tracy
Kita listened intently to Sanumo's suggestions, fingers twitching as if taking mental notes. This would help nicely. Of course, the Unicorn sounded like the most challenging. She would save that conversation for last and see what other support might fall into place before that. 

An amused look crossed her face at the mention of Tomura.
"Yes, I have met Bayushi Tomura-san. At the bookshop. We had quite an interesting conversation. I agree, a story would please him, especially one of a certain sensational sort."

With information in hand, she seemed to fully register now their presence back within their own embassy. The morning had passed and the sun had risen high overhead. She snapped her fan over her face to hide her sheepish look.

"Oh, I am sorry Asako-sama. I have taken our pleasant tour and turned it into work. I had thought I could figure it out on my own, but thank you for humoring me, and for the advice."

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Mark
"You needn't ever apologize for diligence, Kita-san. All it means is that this morning served its intended purpose - and then some." He bowed slightly deeper than he strictly needed to, so as to demonstrate his approval.

"Should the situation become... Further entangled, you know how to reach me. May the Fortunes ferry your words to sympathetic ears." With that, he wordlessly dismissed the two of them, turning on his heel and beginning to return to his office to assess his workload.

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