Brian
As the duel had been concluding, Sanumo had taken the opportunity to rise from his seat and wordlessly slip away deeper into the embassy.

*Whether in minutes, hours, or days, it is my responsibility to help him to sort his thoughts out once he is ready.*

And so that was what he did. He'd bore witness to the result and then proceeded to give Iemon as much space as possible to have his wound tended to, engage in any isolation or introspection he might need, and visit the topic of the future as he was able.

Sanumo stood outside of the ambassador's office as he did his best to prepare for what would surely be another rough conversation. It was entirely possible that he would be told to leave - to save it for another time. But the ambassador had never struck him as the sort to put off important matters.

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Phillip
Iemon had departed the dueling grounds after thanking the Crab ambassador sincerely again for his service. He had changed, given his bloody kimono to Fuyuko, and had moved to go to his office. He wordlessly nodded to Sanumo, opening the door to allow them both to go in, shutting it behind them once they had entered. He moved to his side of the desk, sitting down heavily. 

"So. It goes without saying that could have gone better." He says, a thin line of grim humor crossing his lips.

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Brian
Seated similarly in one of the guest chairs on the other side of the desk, he initially only had one word to say.

« Quite. »

Normally more on the verbose side, he was painfully aware of how serious the situation was and he wasn't exactly in the mood to talk circles around it. More than anything, Sanumo looked tired and... Possibly bitter? Hard to place it for certain.

He considered asking about the wound before thinking better of it. Were Iemon to deem it problematic, he'd say as much. And so instead he inquired after what he hoped was on both of their minds.

« Where do we go from here? »

He had some ideas, but it felt important to sound out how the ambassador felt before getting into them.

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Phillip
Iemon gave a mirthless chuckle. "Preferably not Otosan Uchi, I would hate to repeat this spectacle in front of the eyes of the Emperor."

He sighs, growing serious. "Let us analyze the facts. Despite the offense they laid claim to, the Unicorn have given me the courtesy of shielding both the shame of my personal loss as well as the insult of dueling a ronin. In addition, Fuyuko's offering of service is likely a deniable way for them to give some small courtesy, which perhaps speaks of some reluctance at the course of events as they played out. 

"Hida-sama's willingness to adjudicate, as well as his quick action to call the duel reflect well of the Crab as a whole, and at least speak to some measure of respect he holds at least for both parties.

"As to the grander state of things in the city? That will likely depend on the rumors and how unfavorable they are towards us going forward." 

Iemon finishes his assessment dispassionately, nodding to Sanumo. "I am interested to hear your thoughts as well." *Anything to begin distracting me from the present outcome.*

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Brian
He hesitated, if only briefly.

*He did ask, after all.*

« I think the Unicorn made their stance clear the moment they put you up against a ronin. They could have chosen a new champion and redrafted the paperwork when they realized you would be our representative. Instead, they kept their choice - either because it did not matter or because they chose their pride as an alternative to appearing indecisive or weak. »

He leans forward in his seat, growing visibly incensed as he continues, « I appreciate Hida-san's arbitration, but I do not see purpose in how he performed his task. I believe the Crab was only fulfilling his duty in whatever light he believed it to be. »

« I think that we are being made fools of, Iemon. » he let his closed fist fall onto the desk - not heavily, but enough to emphasize his point. « We have grand aims, yes. But nobody will share in them with us if they think poorly of us. Before word of this spreads - and you can always trust tongues to waggle - we simply appear brash, possessed of poor judgement even. »

« After it spreads? They'll think us inept. Who will vouch for a Phoenix bushi at their side when our best is known to have lost to a ronin? »

He stops, taking a handful of slow breaths to help center himself. In a more measured tone, he says, « We have lost much today. I would argue that all we have left is something to prove. »

« So what do you want us to prove? »

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Phillip
Iemon gave a slow nod. "I'll take the indirect compliment, though I would not by a long stretch consider myself our *Best,* But your point stands. Optimism will not serve us in this situation."

He considers the question. "For myself, I will have to focus into a training regimen. Should others see this loss as a sign of weakness, I will have to be ready to *Firmly* Disabuse them of their mistaken notion. But for policy as a whole..." 

He sighs, rubbing his chin. "The Unicorn have made it clear that rebuilding between our Clans will likely be futile, yes. The Crab will remain neutral, I do not doubt. Reaching out to the other Clans to continue sounding them out may simply be our best option, now that we are back to square one. We must learn the layout of the board once again before we commit to any overt action towards our primary goal.

"What do we prove, then? We see this course of events through. I will take a role in helping with the civil unrest we are seeing creep into the city directly, to show our sincerity going forward that we remain committed to the good of the Empire as a whole." 

Iemon looks up again at Sanumo, his eyes having wandered down during his remarks. "We cannot suffer those who will cause such damage to the cause of peace to tarnish us further. Vigilance will have to be applied to any new Phoenix that enter the city, we can no longer afford to assume capabilities of newcomers." 

He gives a gentle scratch to the back of his arm, careful not to disturb the poultice and bandages. "I am... Conflicted, Sanumo. I thought first blood would be the ideal option. Had I chosen to the death? I would have won." It was not a prideful statement, but factual. That final pass would have been a death sentence. 

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Brian
There could be no place for regret in Iemon's mind, lest he risk falling into a spiral.

« You made the right decision. There was no way to know your opponent and it would have been a waste to condemn their champion to death over something that Kazuko also thought was suitable for first blood. »

« There is no scenario in which your decision was the wrong one. An ill fate laid down every path; we simply walked this one. »

He let the words hang in the air just long enough for Iemon to hopefully take them to heart.

« How do you propose we screen those who become newly stationed here? Surely you don't expect to meet with them all personally. » Sure, Sanumo had been given such an affordance, but he was also the ambassador's right hand. 

« Some delegation seems in order, don't you think? »

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Phillip
Iemon nodded, and visibly a small weight seemed to come off of his back after Sanumo's words of reassurance. 

"Of course, especially since focusing on city affairs will require more of my attention for the foreseeable future, delegating such a thing will be necessary. At barest minimum ensuring a timely processing in of travel papers, and cross-checking what resources we can for the points of origin of newcomers who have been allowed passage here will be vital. Making it known that any such troublemakers will be dealt with harshly will be another step we can take to hopefully convince less than proper conduct from future clanmates who decide to come and visit."

He paused, considering. "Am I overreacting in light of the most recent events?"

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Brian
Perhaps it was his anger at this Isawa-contrived situation. Perhaps it was him getting swept up in the moment.

Perhaps it was the truth.

« Even the mightiest shiro will topple easily if its foundation is faulty. Holding our clanmates to the same standards we hold ourselves is the only way to ensure we all stand together. »

*And avoid the sting of such failures...*

« These things you wish are more than possible. I'll make sure the entire embassy is aware and contact you if we need any additional resources. »

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Phillip
"Very well then." Iemon nodded, gratefully. Truly, Sanumo showed himself to be a wise source of council, a rock in an otherwise tumultuous sea of trouble.

"I doubt that the outcome of these events will be well received in our homelands. At this point, we will need some sort of positive news to report. Our next move will have to be a successful one. Perhaps more actively pursuing the friendship of the Lion? Or attempting to find an inroad of some sort with one of the other Clans?"

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Brian
« If fast results are what we seek, then I believe our highest likelihood of success lies with the Lion. Our efforts this far have met with much success. The circumstances for such developments don't often arise elsewhere in the empire. »

He stared into the middle distance, contemplating the paths before them. Then gave a firm nod and visibly returned to the present.

« Yes. I believe we should strike while the iron is still hot, so to speak. »

*Before some other disaster pries this opportunity away from us.*
Phillip
"Very true, the uniqueness of the situation here is something that must be acted on." Iemon agreed, actively considering options to move forward helping to pull him slowly out of the downward focus he had felt himself getting trapped in.

"This then begs the question of how much we disclose to the Lion of our overall change of situation, as well as whether we still attempt to move forward on the initial three-party council in light of our... Altered circumstances." It still was difficult to think of the Unicorn as a force of opposition for him, and avoiding giving voice to that was an unfortunately obvious tell. "I would assume, if we do move forward with it, we will consider altering the proposed members of the council?"

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Brian
« All of it. » he spoke without hesitation, then caught himself. « We tell them all of it. An alliance with the Lion brokered on half-truths and omitted information is doomed to failure. They will either take us as we are or not at all. »

He seemed to be in his element; the charting of a path through political avenues being second nature to him.

« I think... If the members change, then we need to make sure that whatever we assemble is worthy to dissuade those who are omitted. The Unicorn's claim will not simply disappear if they are absent from the table. »

« ...That said, we will do what we must. If peace requires new bedfellows, I feel we are obligated to pursue such. »

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Phillip
"Of course, you are correct. Better to let it stand fully on its own merits, or fall by them, rather than build on a shoddy foundation and risk greater loss when it fails." Iemon agreed, inwardly annoyed by what should have been an elementary question for this. *This loss must have affected me more deeply than it first appeared.* 

"Indeed the Unicorn's claims will likely not go anywhere. Our... Embarrassment will likely further embolden them, if what Kazuko stated was an indication. Removing the Scorpion from governance entirely as she proposed is not a horrible thing, if that removal can include the Underworld and illicit activities, I see that as a net gain. However, the likelihood of such success is... Unlikely, to say the least. If it is not successful, all it does is instigate both the Scorpion and their resources."

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Brian
« There are many things that would be ideal, but I'm afraid that they're out of reach at present. I do not doubt that we could dent the underworld in the short term, but I know precious little about the ramifications that could come along with such a success. »

He shakes his head, some loose strands of hair swishing as he does so. « Perhaps we could work with the Scorpion to do so, given their previous rulership and recent outspokenness regarding law and order. With as much as they have lost, I find myself doubtful that they would spurn our assistance. »

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Phillip
"The may not spurn our assistance, true. But we must ensure that their cause is true. It would be unfortunate for us to learn first hand how *Well* The Scorpion can swim." Iemon said, a cautious tone to his voice as he mentioned the famous story of the Underhand of the Emperor.

"I do not know what our path will bring us, Sanumo, but standing still will lead to us being ineffective, and looking behind us will only lead to regret."

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Brian
« Correct on all fronts. It is always better to choose than not to choose, lest our course be steered by all but ourselves. » He didn't directly address Iemon's concerns over the Scorpion's duplicity, but they both were smart enough not to take it off of the table.

« It seems as though we have a plan or, at the very least, an outline by which to guide ourselves. With your leave, ambassador, I would depart to consider these directives and how we may achieve them. » He bowed and awaited dismissal.

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Phillip
"I think we have discussed all we can for now, yes." Iemon said, then paused. 

"Sanumo, you are an excellent advisor, and I once again find myself exceedingly grateful for your counsel and willingness to engage more actively in the political arena. You serve our Clan well, and truly, were it not for you we would be in much dire straits than we presently find ourselves in. So... Thank you." He returned the bow, gauging it to match Sanumo's as a further sign of respect. 

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Brian
The ambassador's efforts at flattery certainly did not go unnoticed. In spite of his worn visage, he visibly brightened under the praise.

« Thank you, Iemon. Truly. But do not let yourself ignore the fact that I have only been afforded such opportunity by your astute leadership. I was not always so able to assist our kin. I aim to return this gift in kind. »

And with that, the young courtier slipped out of the office; the door softly shutting in his wake.

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