Despair and Wisdom: Imperial March

"Arigatou Shosuro san." She bowed to the Scorpion. The Scorpion smiled brightly at the Crab. He bowed back to her, the sounds of tiny bells ringing audible to her. "Of cooooourse, Hida-san. We are comrades, are weeeeee not? If one must sweat, and another has a towel, should they not offer it up? If...

The bow was returned with a faint jingling of bells. "Think nooooooothing of it, Daidoji-san. I just happened to be passssing by with a towel and you had a neeeed for it." he said with a bright smile. He surveyed the work. "While you might be stuggggling, it would seeeeem you have motivated Hida-san...

It wasn't until Nobu put down the shovel that he heard the chime of a bell.

And then there was a towel being held out in front of his face from behind.

"If you truuuuly wish that, Shosuro-san, then it would help me greatly if you were to not die." he says with a smile. "The amount of paperwork duuue to family's to inform them of the loss of life of their next of kin, plus the returning of the daisho, the cleansing of effects...it is the wooorst."

It might've been a Lion for the brief flicker of color that the Shosuro did not notice. They were often involved in wars and difficult to spot in the tall grass. "What Indeeeed, Shosuro-san?" Fuwanan returned. "But I should perhaaaps ask Shosuro-san about his current assingment. Is everything procee...

"Perhaps so, if not for their mystery I would be of a different clan right now", Hikimasu said with a shrug. "Who can say what those above us are really thinking? Can you guess, chui?" "Were I to guess, I would say they are thinking only the most honnnnorable thoughts. Infused with the verrrrry spi...

"The marriage is harmonious so far, better so than other matches I had considered", he said. "Yourself?" "Aaaah, still dancing without a partner, Shosuro-san. Perrrhaps when this campaign is over that will change....perhaps it will not." he said. "The ways of the matchmaker are mysteriouuuuus are t...

Fuwanan grinned.

"Oh indeed, I met some people, we had a few laughs, this and that happened." he summarized deliberately poorly.

He looked over to the Scorpion.

"But you are recently wed are you not, Shosuro-san? Surely that is of note. Expected, yes, but how are you finding it?"

Holding up a hand, finger and thumb spaced so as if showing the size of a small rock, the Shosuro nodded. "A man might trip on a small rock and become entangled in a situation he is not prepared for, or it simply might make a ripple in water, revealing what is beneath as it disturbs the surface." F...

"That we are deeeefined by what we do, not what we are called." he replied back. "Even a small rock can serve a greater purpose, wouldn't you say?" While the Scorpion was all smiles, it would've been hard for Hikimasu to mistake his meaning...though calling the man Tsubute-sama in public would proba...

Ah. He'd heard about this man. It seemed there was no exaggerating. "We are Shosuro", Hikimasu replied. "I'm certain you know your way around the arts we're famous for as well." "That produced a slightly louder laugh. "My senseeeei has said that my artisic ability is on par with a small rock." he s...

Fuwanan clapped his hands together. "Aaaaah, you're out foraging. You are quite corrrrect, Kitsuki-san, an army on the move canot hope to pack everything it might neeeeed." he agrees. He turned to the approaching Scorpion. "Look, Shosuro-san, Kitsuki-san has been forrrrtunate enough to find medicina...

Edogawa had spotted a few useful herbs near the road and had separated from his Kaisha to gather them. They would be a relatively minor addition to the Legion's supplies, but there was no way to be sure of what they would need as the march progressed. As expected, he found his unit nearly out of si...

When he finished, Hikimasu, with every bit of trepidation that could be felt when greeting a new commander and fellow Scorpion, approached Fuwanan and bowed. "Good afternoon, Fuwanan-chui", he bowed, knowing the man by recognition. "I am Shosuro Hikimasu, transferred here recently like so many othe...

The army was on the move, like some great beast, eating up mile after mile of Crane lands. However, there were differences among the groups. The second Kaisha were definitely the early risers, out to Scout as soon as the first rays of Lady Sun graced them with the ability to see. Of course, they als...

And off he went on his jing jing jingling away.

/exit

"I'm no hero, but I'll certainly keep a weather eye out for any actual villains..." "Thaaaat's all that I ask, Usagi-san." the Scorpion said. He offered a other bow setting off another round of tiny bells chiming. "Then I shall wish you keen vision and keener judgement on your resuuuuumed patrol."

"Hnh. Might touch base with some of my fellow night owls. Unless Shosuro-sama has already done so..." "If Uuuuusagi-san feels that his fellow night owls are heroes such as himself, that would be well. You certainly would not wish to entrust such information to Villans , after all. Who knooooows wha...

"Possible trouble's what armies are all about, Shosuro-sama. Still, sounds like this could be something a bit dire. Anything particular I should look out for?" "Alas, were the whispers more concrete, perhaaaaaps something more official could be done to avert her possibly tragic fate. As it stands, ...

Well, that was certainly a potentially dangerous question. But having done absolutely no work whatsoever in Logistics, it took Kaigen a moment to remember who the hell the Chief of Logistics might be, which meant he could probably answer in safety. "It has not, Shosuro-sama. In truth, this one has ...