Elsie
The scent of incense was heavy in the air as Daiki knelt in the dojo. Directly in front of him sat the painted image of Kakita himself, his O-sensei, the man whose name was passed down to both the duelists and the smiths who trained him. It was his fine traditions that tempered the unruly child Daiki had been into the disciplined youth that he had become. He bowed, pressing his forehead to the mat before rising. The sun was already setting, and most of the students would be off for their evening meals. It was the perfect time to meet uninterrupted.

At the center of the main ring were two features. The first was a complex array of soaked tatami mats, each rolled up and arranged on sturdy wooden stands to keep them from overbalancing and providing enough resistance to have a blade cut the mats while remaining upright. The second was a 3 tiered sword stand, each tier occupied by a different sized silk-wrapped bundle. These were Daiki's labors for the last week. The wakizashi and tanto each only needed a little maintenance and some detailed refitting, but the katana had taken him the entire week to prepare. He took one last stroll around, checking that each stand was solid and had its weight distributed evenly for ideal stability.

Once satisfied, he crossed to the entrance of the dojo and waited, taking up a position in seiza at the edge of the tatami floor. He was awaiting not only the owner of the blades, but also a member of his own clan. If Akodo Katsuhiro was pleased with the results of Daiki's labor, then Doji Masanari's presence would be indispensable in working out the details of future arrangements.

Daiki was clad in a paler blue than usual. Granted it was not the vibrant colors he had worn on his last meeting with Katsuhiro. Then, being noticed had been a top priority. His hair, usually free flowing, was up in a top knot, maintained and orderly. A lot was riding on this meeting.
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Shelley
Akodo slowly stepped out from across the street after confering with his runner. Nothing would happen once he was in Crane grounds, it would be too embarrassing for them if it did. He was dressed differently than he had been at his previous meeting with Doji, did not wear formal lion kimono, instead he wore his normal dojo clothing. Dark blue almost black hakama and a matching gi, as well as his obi, which had a spare pair of daisho in standard black saya. He followed the instructions Doji gave him to the letter. It was amusing to think that Crane were so about saving face that they couldn't even invite him in during daylight hours, but there was something he enjoyed about feeling like this was a clandestine meeting. 

As he approached the dojo he saw Doji waiting for him, with what seemed like something setup behind him, likely cutting mats. In spite of himself he felt himself getting a little excited about the new blades. It had been a long week waiting for them. 

The shorter sleeves of the gi showed more of the wear and tear of his life, with scars showing on his forearms. If was a common place to get cut if you were careless and your armor took enough damage... Or if you didn't have armor on when you were attacked. Akodo had learned many lessons the hard way. 

"Lord Moon graces us with a beautiful evening, Doji Daiki. Thank you for the invitation to see the beautiful Crane dojo."
Matthew
Masanari has been sat in the garden awaiting the arrival of the guest. He had been informed of the meeting earlier that day by Daiki and after taking a small meal earlier in the evening had positioned himself in a favourite sitting spot of his; shaded enough that most passers by would not notice him, but not too shaded that he wouldn't notice the one he was waiting for. 

Two figures approached, one clearly of samurai blood and the other smaller and most likely an assistant of some sort; this was most likely the man Daiki spoke of. 

Dressed in a fine silk kimono of nearly white blue, which depicted the mon on the crane clan, Masanari made his way inside towards to Dojo, leaving a few minutes so not to startle the guest or seem as if he were following. It paid sometimes to seem as if he were extremely busy, arriving last and putting in the show of a perfectly timed entrance, the truth was the day had been relatively quiet and having woken early Masanari had enjoyed the shaded seat for a few hours before the supposed guest arrived. 

His hair was tied up in several places. He wore both swords at his side (which ones unusual for him, yet the more he trained with them the less unusual it felt). And he entered the room, merely 2 minutes after the lion. Bowing deeply he greeted both samurai.

"Akodo-san, Doji-san, I hope I have not kept you waiting," He said with a warm smile and his usual soft tone. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance Akodo-san, I hope you will find out embassy to be a pleasant and enjoyable environment, it is not home yet is home for now and we are most grateful to receive you here." He bowed again to Katsuhiro after speaking and then once more to Daiki, leaving his movement to do the work of his words in that greeting. 

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Elsie
Upon hearing the footsteps of the approaching loin, Daiki found his feet and stood, turning to face the entrance. Bowing at the waist, he pointed his face towards the floor. **"And let us hope Lord Onnotangu is more merciful to us with his weather than he was to his children,"** He quipped back with a sly little smirk. **"Welcome to our dojo, Akodo-sama,"** He continued, rising once the appropriate time had passed. Gesturing to the spot beside him, he invited the older samurai to join him.

**"I hope that the week has been kind to you,"** He said with a genuine smile. He was trying and failing to keep his eagerness from his features, but it would work well enough to turn it into friendliness. **"How go things with the Lion in the city?"**

As Masanari joined them, he turned and bowed once again. **"Doji Masanari-san"** He replied. **"Thank you for coming. I was pleased to hear you had agreed to join us."** Across the dojo, the three wrapped blades bore into the back of Daiki's head, but this was a formal occasion, and a true courtier was present. Decorum must be observed, and he must be patient.
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Shelley
Akodo bowed to the two Crane as they greeted him, he was there guest here, and a... Quietly invited in one at that, so he did not stand on ceremony or try to make a fuss of things. He did not know who exactly this Masanari was, but he was pleased with Doji's greeting of him. *The slight difference in honorifics is not a battle worth having with Crane on their turf when they are about to present you with a 'gift'*

The secret in his robes felt weightier for a moment at the thought of an exchange.

"You do me honor, Masanari-san. I shall take pride in being invited here for pleasing circumstances rather than the unfortunate ones that are typical for visits between our embassy. You have a lovely garden here. I plan to try and improve upon ours."

He turned to Doji and found the young man's excitement contagious, but he would not be a rude guest.

"I thank you for inquiring Doji-san, I have been learning the markets and the faces of the city slowly. Though I must admit it is refreshing to not eat in a command tent with army cooks. I cannot tell you the last time I had sushi "

He smiled and gestured inside, " I am very excited to hear how your week went."
Matthew
After the greetings Masanari strolled into the room, not immediately sitting, but wandering slightly. He caught sight of the wrapped blades. 

"**Are these your work Daiki-san, I look forward to seeing their magnificence, I am sure you do yourself and the clan proud with the craftsmanship as well as your presentation.**"He took a step closer to the display. Then looked up to the painting of Kakita, it felt almost as if he was unworthy to be stood in the gaze of such a master of arms, he was frail and not overly skilled with a blade, and here before him, the painting of a master, a craftsman of great skill, and a samurai of obvious skill. He tapped his katana at his side and smiled. 

Turning to the two samurai he spoke again. "**Tell me, I am very glad to be here, but how did you come to know one another, have you been in the city long Akodo-san.**"

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Shelley
"No, I have not been here long, barely longer than the week it took Doji here to do his miracles. However, I was enjoying a conversation with several Unicorn Samurai while arranging a hunting trip, and they both highly recommended Doji-san and offered to setup a meeting. I also had the Ambassador enquire about such things and his name came up more than once for his skill and artistry. All that was left was a meeting to see if a Lion and a Crane could work together."

Akodo kept his face an impassive mask, refusing to reveal anything beyond his words. It was dark, but who knew who else could be watching.
Matthew
Masanari let out a soft chuckle. "Indeed, if a crane and a lion can work together. There seems to be an idea that infests each generation, that our clans are unable to get along, I have had many a pleasant word with members of your clan and to me the generational tension seems queer." 

"How do you find this city, now that you are new to it? Have you have much time to look around? There are many wonderful tea houses that I could point out to you if that is something you indulge in?"

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Elsie
It was a relief to see that Masanari and Katsuhiro were quick to be so agreeable with one another. He had not known either of them to be otherwise, but it boded well towards the rest of the clan in the city being able to stand behind it and having a strong advocate on their side who had more established sway and influence in case of opposition.

Stepping to a space equally distanced between the two other samurai, Daiki gave the others a moment to finish their respective thoughts and bowed in apology. **"I beg both of your pardon for the trespass on courtesy, but I do not know how much longer we shall have the dojo to ourselves. If we wish to be uninterrupted for Akodo-sama's testing and for our discussion after, I feel the traditional pleasantries must be cut just a little shorter than usual."**

He gestured towards the daisho stand. **"Please, good lion. If you would."** He led the way towards the center of the assembly he had put together. The silk was still wrapped around each individually. While perhaps unnecessary, Daiki was not without a sense of showmanship. The extra barrier would add a sense of ceremony and mystery to the affair, building anticipation for the reveal. It was all a part of his calculus. 

*There is much riding on this...*
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Shelley
Akodo was about to answer Masanari's question when Doji made mention about the limited time. The elder Lion aquiesced. He could call attention to rushing him through pleasantries to be rude, but this was a mutually beneficial exchange, and doing so at this time would benefit no-one. Akodo was focused on the war, not the battle.

"Of course, Doji-san." Akodo said, giving him a slight bow.

The man in yellow and gold then walked up to the entrance of the dojo and left his sandles behind, stepping inside with clean tabi. He removed his daisho and turned them backwards, holding them in his right hand in a way that would be useless to a right handed samurai. He bowed deeply to the shrine at the head of the Dojo and to Kakita-shishou. Then he walked to the center of the ring of tatami and sat down in seiza in front of the rack of weapons. He set his borrowed daishou aside, and then admired the silk around each of the blades.

Doji had put great thought into everything which greatly pleased Akodo. That meant he had chosen the right person for the job. He bowed to the weapons, then reached forward and took up the tanto, pulling back the silk so that he could draw it forward. It was immaculately cared for and it looked better than new. Akodo slid the tanto back into his belt. He then bowed again and took the wakazashi, drawing the blade so that he could look at the polish in the bit of moonlight that came through the entrance of the dojo. The polish was so fine and even that Akodo was not sure if Daji had replaced this blade as well. It shouldn't have been needed, but who knows what the gifted smith had done.

Finally, Akodo took up the katana. It was certainly not more important than the wakazahi, but it had been what brought them together, and what Doji had the greatest leeway to work on. Akodo bowed to the new blade, then took it up and removed the silk.

"Wow..." Escaped Akodo's mouth without filter as he pulled the katana free of the saya and admired the hamon.
Elsie
The weapons shared the interplay of color that adorned them. The most dominant was a deep honey-gold, but the shapes and designs fell into shades of earthen brown and rose into highlights of lustrous gold. The paint beneath the matte lacquer had flecks of metallic sheen, and the layering of the colors gave the impression that the swords were each made from large, individual stones of tiger's eye. The tsuba had been replaced by new ones with hand engraved scenes of vistas from Lion lands - bonsai trees, shaped shrubs, each with backdrops of familiar peaks from the Spine of the World. Each of the kashira was identical - a lion's paw, seemingly wrapped around the base of the grip, a solid round construction of hard brass that would stand up to a beating.

Each of the painted patterns was unique, the tanto's saya had imagery of a lion's bared fangs in its golden hues on one side, while the other showed a close-up of closed and relaxed jowls. On the wakizashi, one side depicted a lion's extended fore-leg with claws fanned out from the paw, and on its reverse, a paw relaxed as a couching lion in the grass. On the katana, one side depicted a lion in full pounce, from nose to tail, all of its weapons bared - teeth, claws, and inset in its eye was a single black onyx from Akodo's chain. On the other side, a pride of lions at rest, each with calm green emeralds for eyes, also borrowed from the chain Katsuhiro had sacrificed for the work. Each was arranged so that when worn on the left side, as during conflict or times of war, the more dangerous depictions would face outward, while during times of peace and worn on the right, the peaceful imagery would be on full display.

The katana, as the most serious repair, had been completely reforged, made from the married metals of two of Katsuhiro's foes as well as the traces of his original blade. Its edge was fine, sharp, and precise in its angles.

Daiki bowed. **"May they serve you well, Akodo-sama."**
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Shelley
"I have never seen their like, Doji-sama."

He took his time, admiring the workmanship on the blade as well as the artistry on the saya. The symbolism of the two sides had been immediately striking to him, and their uses particularly as a weapon of court was flawless. As he looked at the saya of the katana, he slowly ran a finger over the jeweled eyes, feeling the tangible history brought to life in the blade. For a moment, memories came flooding back to him. Days in his youth, struggling as a samurai, a name greater than he was, having to constantly prove to himself and to others. Always feeling like he was just barely holding on, and then one day finally earning recognition. Finally feeling like his hard work was paying off.

A slight wetness appeared in the corners of Akodo's eyes, though he dared not acknowledge them as they glittered in the moonlight coming through the entrance of the dojo. Slowly and silently, Akodo slid the blades into his obi and tied the saego off. He saw that Doji had moved the rack for the blades out of the circle to allow Akodo a moment to test them.

He closed his eyes, controlled his breathing, and sought the void inside of him. Earth was his bastion with Kenjutsu, but the void was his ally in Iaijutsu. He rose with fluidity and a surprising amount of grace, though not with the speed that youth often valued over everything else. The katana slid almost soundlessly from the saya and flickered through the light, severing the tatami almost perfectly until a return stroke freed the top half and showing that it had been cut twice. Akodo pivoted, spinning to face the opposite direction and his blade flickered again, this time a single cut as he continued to pivot wasting no movements nor moments as he sliced through all but the last tatami.

Slowly he went through the forms of noto, sheathing the katana and sitting back down in seiza. There, he controlled his breathing again, and then like a lion pouncing from hiding on its prey, the wakazashi flashed from his side, cutting the tatami in half, he then cut it again before it could fall and he rose, sheathing the smaller blade just as ritualistically until the soft *Click* Of the sword locking back into place was the only sound in the dojo. Once more, the Lion bowed to Kakita's shrine, and then he turned and bowed to Doji.

"I am sorry to say, that you reputation did not precede you adequately." Suddenly Akodo stood tall, taller than he had the day in the garden. Gone were thoughts of bad legs, or a tired man, and instead what stood before them was taisha of the Lion in his full power and command, a man who had survived battles that had taken the lives of thousands, and a man who had sent thousands to die.

"I shall make sure that I correct this grave miscarriage of your honor. Your skill is beyond what I had been led to expect."
Elsie
As the last pieces of soaked tatami fell to the dojo floor, Daiki gave an approving nod - this was both to acknowledge that the blades had done as they were intended, but also partially a recognition of the skillful execution of the Akodo's katas. Upon the praise that was to follow, he lowered his face towards the floor. **"Surely you exaggerate,"** He said in polite refusal of the compliment. **"I am pleased that you are satisfied with my work. Shall we-"**

Out in the courtyard, a set of voices drew nearer. Daiki clicked his tongue in frustration. **"Our time grows short. Doji-san,"** He said, a little hastier than he would have liked, but no slower than the situation's urgency demanded. **"Would you be so kind as to show our guest the exit onto the gardens?"** He said, indicating with a rough hand the back exit of the dojo. **"I am led to believe he enjoys good horticulture and it might be a better location to discuss the futures of our two clans in the city."** His words and his tone were asking, but the tone *Beneath* His tone was not. Hurriedly, he spirited away the empty daisho rack and as many bits of tatami as he could carry in one load. **"I shall see to things here, in the mean time."**
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