First/Last Flight (Open RP)

[Suzume Satoru]

((This RP is open to any who might be at Kyuden Suzume, particularly upon hearing the anointing of a new Champion and Daimyo.

Well, everyone save those showing signs of taint. The Sparrow, despite thier more liberal attitudes (for Rokugan) in some areas, are still very conservative on their views of such things.))


Suzume Satoru sat in his room, staring at and beyond the embers of burning incense. Hanging at the end of his gaze was a Haori, resplendent in warm and golden hues of browns and yellows, with hints of olive interspersed with the sparrows in blue, and edged in black. It was the Haori typically worn by the Suzume Champion and Daimyo,and others within the Sparrow had meant for Satoru to don the garment and the position.

Satoru was tired, though. His leg, never fully healed, ached, and months of debate, management, and dialogue with ambassadors and fellow retainers had taken a subtle toll on the man. He had felt trapped since returning to Kyuden Suzume, and his elder brother, now a Sensei in the dojo, did not help the situation. Lack of civility amongst family was not common, but Satoru's brother, Daichi, had always been treated superior by their father, and Daichi in turn had adopted a superior attitude. Satoru chose not to press the issue.

The whole situation was a trap, and the Haori was the sign of the jaws closing with sickening finality upon his leg.

One of the doors slid open, and with a quiet apology, Satoru Toshiyuki, Satoru's cousin, let himself into the room.

"You are not fully ready yet?" Toshiyuki said with barely suppressed shock after seeing the Haori not upon Satoru's shoulders.

"This is wrong"

"What do you mean, Satoru-sama? Everyone is in agreement." Toshiyuki moves towards the Haori as he speaks.

"The position should fall to you. He was your father."

"I am much too young and inexperienced."

"Then someone else better suited should be given the responsibility. Why not Guren-sama, or even Shinbika?" Satoru finally looks up at Toshiyuki.

"No one has seen them in ages," the other replies. "We need leadership now...and before you suggest it, your brother already is where he is best suited. Or at least, that is what the others believe."

Satoru sits and absorbs this for a while, and finally, with a sigh, he stands to don the Haori. Fine. Let us be done with this. We have business to attend to anyways.

With that, the two men head to the audience chamber to greet and welcome well wishers, ambassadors, and petitioners.

[Suzume Satoru]

Satoru, after spending a few moments of talking with various retainers and guests, takes his place at the head of the room. Sitting seiza, he cast his gaze about the assembled audience for a moment in silence. Finally, he settles upon Toshiyuki.

"Suzume Toshiyuki-san, as my hatamoto," Satoru begins, surprising Toshiyuki with the offhand announcement, "I want you to handle a matter for me as my first order of business. Send a recall order to all of our forces that are beyond the borders of Sparrow Lands. Tell our Samurai to come home."

This pronouncement visibly unsettles some within the room, and Satoru casts about again with his gaze. "Our duty first and foremost is to see to the welfare of our people, and then to see to the protection and sanctity of the Golden Sun Plains, as decreed by Hantei Kusada. ((OOC: I think this is the right one)) No Emperor presently has given us a new call to war, as such, our Samurai not being here presents a failure of our aforementioned duties."

Satoru pauses once more before continuing. "The Sparrow will not be apart of this travesty of a Civil War, nor will we be party to the madness and chaos it is inflicting upon the people and the land. If the 'Great Clans' wish to act in a manner unfitting of lords and protectors, then that is their prerogative."

"Rest assured, I know what is claimed and what is at stake. I know that some involved cite the will of the Heavens. We, the Sparrow, are not the Heavens. No clan is, and it borders on blasphemy to suggest that through tearing the Empire asunder that either side is acting in the will of the Heavens. If it is truly a matter for the Heavens, then let the two claimants decide between themselves as honorable Samurai do, so that the people of Rokugan do not become victim to this...bickering."

Satoru looks at Toshiyuki. "You have heard my wish. Make it happen."

[Suzume Shinbika]

After receiving orders to return home, Suzume Shinbika hastily made his way to Kyuden Suzume. Having spent a long time away from home, Shinbika missed the simple hills where he was born and raised. The usually quiet roads were busy with small Sparrow detachments returning from all over the Empire as well, and soon Shinbika was informed about the new head of the Clan and the reasons behind his first order.

Soon after a meager meal and bath at home, Suzume Shinbika penned a small letter to the new Daimyo of the Sparrow.

"Greetings, most honorable Lord Suzume Satoru, Daimyo of the Sparrow Clan. I am Suzume Shinbika, your humble servant.

In time of war, we need strong leadership and sound planning. Your lordship seems to hold a deeper knowledge of the current events to issue this interesting order in such interesting times. Surely my lord already remind us all of our legendary founder Doji Suzume, who is rightfully known for wise and enigmatic statements.

As your retainer and sworn defender of the Hantei, I humbly request an audience, so that I may share my tales and finally meet my esteemed Lord.

Most Respectfully yours,

Suzume Shibika"

[Suzume Satoru]

Satoru held the letter in his hand as he considered its words. With a sigh, he tossed it back onto his work table on top of a pile of other letters and reports, and began rubbing his temples. Much as he originally thought, this job would be the death of him.

He unrolled a fresh parchment and carefully readied his ink brush as he considered his words. Suzume Shinbika wasn't someone Satoru could simply dismiss off hand. He was well known and highly regarded amongst the Suzume, and while the Sparrow were not a divisive clan, it still would have been less complicated for Satoru if Shinbika had been one of the few Sparrow to not ever get, or heed, the recall. But that was just wishful thinking, not grounded in reality, and with a sigh, the Sparrow Champion began is reply.

Suzume Shinbika-san;
It would be my pleasure and honor to meet with you in person, and your tales of travel would be warmly received by this court and myself if you would do us the privilege to share them. Such seeds of glory should be planted within our hearts and minds.

If it so pleases you, I would invite you to a dinner I am holding for several other esteemed Sparrow, so long absent from these hills, who have graced us with their return. Your presence would be most welcomed.

-Suzume Satoru

Satoru looked over the letter once more, made sure the ink was dry, and then closed his eyes as he handed it off to a retainer to deliver to Shinbika, post haste.

[Tamori Manji]

A few days after the official celebrations to anoint the new Suzume Daimyo ended, a lone damsel of disquieting beauty strode alone through the streets of the city that surrounded Kyuden Suzume. She wore a beautiful white silk kimono, with black details, bound by an elegant black and carmine obi. On her hands, she had gloves of green silk, with golden motifs, and exquisite beads, akin to those used by the monks and shugenja for praying, involved her delicate ankles. She rested a pretty green bamboo umbrella with the Dragon mon upon her left shoulder, to protect her pale skin from the sun, and carried a scroll sealed with green wax in her right hand. A faint smell of cherry blossoms seemed to accompany her wherever she went.

The young woman walked with confidence, sure of her duty and skillfully faking to ignore the gazes her noble attire and aggressive beauty attracted. Even though she knew the Suzume lands were poor and by nature sympathized with the plight of the common people, she delighted herself in drawing attention and inspiring awe. She was not vain, but she was proud and painfully, at least for others, aware of her own gifts.

Upon arriving before Kyuden Suzume's entrance, she gave off a cute pout and swaggered slowly to one of the guards. She spoke in a low, sultry voice, guardsman-san, my name is Izaku Ayame and I am an envoy of Tamori Manji-sama, the hatamoto of the Tamori family of the Dragon Clan. He bid me deliver this message to Suzume Satoru-sama, she extended the scroll and delicately gave it to the guard, and compliment him personally for his office, if that is agreeable to him, she made a small curtsy and awaited for the guardsman to deliver the scroll to Satoru and return with his answer.

The scroll is sealed by two symbols engraved in deep green wax, one in the shape of a Dragon, the other in the shape of a Fox. It is also guarded by a difficult to detect and very effective magical warding that render its contents invisible to all but the one to whom it is addressed. Upon opening the scroll, Suzume Satoru can read the following message:

Greetings Suzume Satoru-sama,

my name is Tamori Manji, I am the hatamoto of the Tamori Family of the Dragon Clan and write to you on behalf of my brethren. With this letter, I wish to congratulate you for the honors and recognition acquired through hard work and service to the Empire. May the Fortunes continue to grant you wisdom and bless both your Clan and your new office.

It came to my attention the measures you have wisely taken in order to ensure that your Clan continues on the right path during these difficult times. With your policies in mind, I've decided to send you a messenger, Izaku Ayame-san, with both a plea and a proposal. Since the beginning of the civil war we now suffer through, I've been trying to protect the common people of various places directly affected by the conflicts. I believe I can help your Clan and we can help the Empire. I assure you no harm will befall your people from what I propose and that I have no wish whatsoever to see more innocents involved in this needless carnage.

If you agree to hear my offer, please grant Izaku Ayame-san an audience. She'll be able to convey you my best wishes personally and explain my ideas to you.

May the Fortunes bless and guide you,

Tamori Manji

OOC: Ayame is the cute girl right next to Manji in my signature.

[Suzume Satoru]

With plenty of time left before dinner, Satoru was still at his worktable, receiving reports and letters from seemingly all over Rokugan. The previous Champion had been waylaid by illness for much of the past year, so things requiring his explicit attention had piled up. Now it was falling to Satoru to work through, though he had done a lot prior to the becoming the Champion.

When an aide politely came into the room, the Sparrow Champion did not even look up. He simply waved the young Sparrow in.

"Pardon the interruption my lord, but a madam claiming to be the envoy of the Tamori family Hatamoto sent this scroll to you, along with congratulations for your rise to Champion."

Still without looking up, Satoru responds drearily, "Did Toshiyuki-san look at it already?" If it was a message from a hatamoto, it was only polite to let his own hatamoto receive it to measure its priority.

The aide lowers his head back to the ground, in apology. "Yes, my lord - Toshiyuki-sama said the scroll was genuine, but that it was odd, and that you should look at it."

That got Satoru to look up at the aide, who was still face down on the ground. "Stop that," he says calmly to the aide, who rises and hands Satoru the scroll. "You will never have to apologise for doing your job with me. Remember that." With another nod and wave, he dismisses the aide before reading the scroll.

After reading, he sits with the letter in hand, wondering two things:
1. What was so odd about the letter?
and
2. What could the Hatamoto of the Tamori family want with the Sparrow?

Some time passes as Satoru ponders that, then he raps his table loudly- a single sharp noise that has an aide scurry into the room.

"Extend our courtesies to this messenger. Allow her a room, and if she wishes, a bath and some food. When she is ready, you may bring her to me."

[Tamori Manji]

OOC: I've decided to explain the whole thing at once. Feel free to correct me, in case I've assumed anything wrong and to post reactions or comments to each of Ayame's statements. Fortunately, the next posts, will be much shorter

Ayame gladly accepted the Sparrow's hospitality. She nipped lightly at some food, took a quick bath to wash away the weariness of the road then prepared herself to meet with the Suzume Daimyo. Considering the place and situation, she opted for the natural beauty approach, thus applying only a modicum of makeup, to emphasize her peculiar emerald green eyes, and but a hint of perfume.

When ready, she called for the young Sparrow designed to tend to her needs and let herself be guided to Satoru's presence. After arriving into the room, she bowed politely and said, with an elegant voice, Suzume Satoru-sama, it is a pleasure and an honor to meet you personally. As you no doubt have read, my lord Tamori Manji extends his greetings and those of our Clan to you, she paused for a moment and her voice assumed a serious tone, unfortunately, our Daimyo, Tamori Koichi-sama is absent because of the war and was unable to send you a personal message.

She made a curtsy, as to ask for Satoru's permission, then sat herself in seiza, before continuing, Manji-sama sent me with an offer and a plea, she bowed politely, as a priest of Inari, it has been my Lord's duty to look over the fates of the common people and he has been doing such since before the senseless war that now assails us began.

Now, because of the many conflicts that are quickly spreading throughout our beloved Empire, my Lord saw fit to try and help the population of the regions directly affected by the war. He does this thinking that, not only the common people is the base upon which our Empire is built, but, also, soon winter will be upon us and we will surely face disaster if the majority of our crops are looted, burned or simply abandoned, she paused for a moment, to allow Satoru time to think upon her words. Ayame continued, in a cautious tone, as a Sparrow, I am sure Satoru-sama can understand my Lord's concerns. His objective now is to find a place and honorable occupation for the war's refugees, thus reducing violence and looting in the country and assuring that enough crops will be harvested to avoid widespread plague and famine.

Since your Clan has wisely positioned itself as neutral, he wishes to ask if it would be possible for you to accept some of these people in your lands. As he see it, they could help the Sparrow during the harvest and the maintenance of your lands. No higher recompense than the opportunity for these people to have an honest work and a chance to provide for their families would be needed and Manji-sama is ready to redirect some resources towards your lands in case you accept. Of course, my Lord also assures you that this effort, in case you accept it, will not drag the war to your doorstep, Ayame breathed deeply, she sincerely wished to find a solution for this problem, but it was so hard. Lately, all the samurai of Rokugan ever seemed to want was blood and even the good natured ones were wary. Few were their allies and arduous the mission. She knew the Suzume faced hardships of their own, much like her and Manji's original family, the Kitsune, they were a poor Clan with very limited resources. But still she hoped that the blessings of Inari would befall these people, hardened as they were by life's trials. With a sincere voice, she said, Suzume Satoru-sama, that is the message I was sent to deliver. I am now at your disposal, in case you wish any clarifications about it and thank you sincerely for this opportunity, she bowed elegantly and calmly awaited the Suzume Daimyo's answer.

[Suzume Satoru]

When Ayame enters the audience chamber, Satoru shifts the work desk to the side, careful not to spill the piles of parchment and scrolls still needing tending to. He doesn't bother to check if his kimono is in order- he already did that after he sent his aide away to tend to the guest. He also donned the Haori that marked his position, so there would be at least a hint of formality. He bows to Ayame after she does so, and listens patiently.

Suzume Satoru-sama, it is a pleasure and an honor to meet you personally. As you no doubt have read, my lord Tamori Manji extends his greetings and those of our Clan to you, she paused for a moment and her voice assumed a serious tone, unfortunately, our Daimyo, Tamori Koichi-sama is absent because of the war and was unable to send you a personal message.

When she indicates a desire to seat, Satoru nods and motions for her to sit, casually as if she were a distant relative.

Manji-sama sent me with an offer and a plea, she bowed politely, as a priest of Inari, it has been my Lord's duty to look over the fates of the common people and he has been doing such since before the senseless war that now assails us began.

Now, because of the many conflicts that are quickly spreading throughout our beloved Empire, my Lord saw fit to try and help the population of the regions directly affected by the war. He does this thinking that, not only the common people is the base upon which our Empire is built, but, also, soon winter will be upon us and we will surely face disaster if the majority of our crops are looted, burned or simply abandoned...

Satoru nods when appropriate, but nothing new was being said. It was all matters that he readily agreed with.

...as a Sparrow, I am sure Satoru-sama can understand my Lord's concerns. His objective now is to find a place and honorable occupation for the war's refugees, thus reducing violence and looting in the country and assuring that enough crops will be harvested to avoid widespread plague and famine.

Since your Clan has wisely positioned itself as neutral, he wishes to ask if it would be possible for you to accept some of these people in your lands. As he see it, they could help the Sparrow during the harvest and the maintenance of your lands. No higher recompense than the opportunity for these people to have an honest work and a chance to provide for their families would be needed and Manji-sama is ready to redirect some resources towards your lands in case you accept. Of course, my Lord also assures you that this effort, in case you accept it, will not drag the war to your doorstep.

Satoru forward slightly as Ayame spoke, the meat of her reason for being her being put at the fore.

Suzume Satoru-sama, that is the message I was sent to deliver. I am now at your disposal, in case you wish any clarifications about it and thank you sincerely for this opportunity.


When Ayame finished, Satoru straightened, and his brow furrowed. His head and leg were truly throbbing now, mostly from sitting and reading scrolls all day. This proposal was not helping. Taking in a random refugee or three was one thing, but throwing open one's door and letting the world know you were offering safe haven invited a host of problems, the least of which was trying to feed the many extra mouths that action would bring.

After a moment, Satoru clacked his fan in his hands.
"Would you care for some tea?" he asked Ayame as an aide entered and awaited Satoru's instructions.
"Some tea for our guest and myself," he called out to the aide, who promptly left.

Satoru took a deep breath before responding.
"Izaku Ayame-san, I give my utmost thanks to you and your lord for coming all this way to give me regards. I cannot imagine, given condition of the empire, that such a journey was easy, and you are to be commended for your dedication to your duty."

The aide returned with tea and two cups, and placed them before Satoru, who begins pouring a cup for Ayame while he continued.
"Furthermore, I must commend your lord for his honorable efforts in the matter of the people of the Empire." He offers the cup to Ayame, and then pours for himself.
"It is the position of the Sparrow that any of the people of Rokugan displaced by the misfortunes of war shall find shelter here within these hills. And while we have never been a wealthy clan, and will never truly care to be a wealthy clan, what meager resources we have shall be made available to the people of Rokugan. Feeding more mouths than what we normally have here will be a struggle, indeed, but Struggle is Life."

Satoru pauses, taking a sip of his tea, enjoying its simple and earthy flavors. Then he sets his cup down, and a bit of the smile on his face melts away. He is not frowning or scowling, but he is not as warm as he was before as he continues speaking.
"However, we cannot accept aide or help from anyone who has taken a side in this conflict, no matter how well intentioned such aide may be. To do so would make lie of our protestations of neutrality, and would invite jealousy and conflict from others." He holds up a hand to stall any protests.
"I and the Sparrow appreciate Tamori Manji-san's generous offer on behalf of his family and respect the nature in which it was offered, but we must adamantly refuse it. Furthermore, the Sparrow clan would appreciate if your lord and those he represents do not openly advertise our willingness to take in refugees. A pronouncement of such from one side or the other could also be seen as a violation of neutrality. "

Satoru takes another sip of his tea, then opens his fan and lightly begins to fan himself. He smirks a little and leans forward as he continues speaking, more softly. "That said, if the peasants want to spread by word of mouth such tidings, who are we to stop them. And if some 'unaffiliated' merchants passing through these hills happen to donate their goods or sell them cheaply to the growing market of refugees, then that too would be seen as a turn of good, coincidental, fortune."

With that, Satoru straightens, takes another sip of tea, and returns his face to its normal posture.

[Tamori Manji]

Ayame listened attentively to the Sparrow Daimyo's words, while delicately sipping from her teacup. The earthy taste was soothing and reminded her of simpler times, when her and Manji still were in the court of the White Fox in Chikushudo, unburdened by the responsibilities they now had.

Satoru's speech was cautious, but the fox girl felt that he was smart and had quickly grasped both her meaning and the seriousness of the situation they faced. After he finished talking, she calmly rested her teacup upon the low table and spoke, in a soft tone, your people is lucky to have a leader like you Satoru-sama. If all the Clan leaders demonstrated such genuine concern for the people of the Empire, we wouldn't be surrounded by war, she offered the Sparrow a graceful bow, I thank you for your kind and wise words. Rest assured that my Lord is of a mind with you and will take all the necessary precautions to avoid the problems you so ably described. As far as our Family is concerned, my visit here was strictly to wish you the best of luck with your new responsibilities and to minister the blessings of Inari to your people.

After speaking, Ayame calmly refilled their teacups again and prepared herself for moments of pleasant conversation, before heading into the village to offer Inari's blessings to the crops. She smiled genuinely, thinking that Manji would be pleased to hear that another Minor Clan had agreed to help protect the people of the Empire.

[Suzume Satoru]

Satoru smiled and nodded at Ayame's compliments, though he really wanted to chuckle at them. I don't know if my people are lucky, but I know I am not so to be in this position, he thinks to himself.

"It pleases me that we are in accord," he says when she's finished, and after an exchange of pleasantries and a quick story about a traveling priest who was the embodiment of compassion from Satoru, he bid Ayame farewell, and extended an invitation to her to the large 'celebratory' dinner he was planning to welcome many of the wayward Sparrow home.

[Suzume Satoru]

At the dinner Satoru had arranged for esteemed Sparrow who had returned to the roost-

It was a grand affair, for the Sparrow, and those present were in their best clothes. Still, it was a subdued occasion, and lacked the pageantry some other clans may have put forth in their place.

After some mingling, and swapping of tales, Satoru, seated at the head, signaled for everyone's attention. Once everyone was quiet, Satoru gazed about the hall, catching everyone's eye. He knew there was a question, unspoken but on everyone's mind, as to why exactly he had taken the action as Champion to pull in the Sparrow.

He would not answer that question directly, but in the Sparrow tradition, would share a story.
"It is good to see all these faces once more," he says to the crowd, "And it is also good to see guests who have decided to join us," he says to all that it applies to.

He clears his throat lightly and folds his hands. "I hear stories being shared tonight, and that is something that always warms my heart. I, myself, have a story to share."

He looks once more around the room. And then he closes his eyes as he speaks, letting his voice carry his words.

There was once a woman, close to death, who had three children. As she lay dieing, she entreated her two brothers to look after and raise her children. The brothers, ever dutiful to their sister, agreed, and when she died, they took the three children to their home.

At first, they were a happy family, and the brothers each raised the children differently. One brother was strong, worked hard in the fields, and he wanted to pass this work ethic on to his sister's children. So he showed them the joys of hard work. The other brother was a scholar, and enjoyed books, and writing letters with others in the world, so he taught the children to read and write, and they too wrote their own letters.

But the sun is only up in the sky for so long, and each brother felt that they did not have enough time with the children. They both loved the three with all their heart, and only wanted what THEY thought was best for the children. They argued. The Stronger brother would bully the smarter brother to get more time with the children, while the smarter brother would in turn trick the stronger brother into giving him more time with the children.

This, too, proved to be an unsatisfactory arrangement for the brothers, and they came to blows. It was the first time the brother had struck each other, and the oldest child, shocked by the fight, interposed himself between the two in order to stop the brothers from fighting. However, a stray blow struck the child in the head, and he died.

The two brothers were horrified, but instead of coming to terms and mourning the horrible accident, they argued over whose fault it was. They argued non-stop for a week, without doing anything else. In their anger and determination to be right, they neglected the children, and the youngest child died of starvation.

Again, the brothers were horrified, but still they blamed each other and continued to fight. Eventually, a mad man came into their home, and watched the two brothers fight, delighting in their misery and rage. So incensed were the two brothers, they failed to realize the mad man was there within their home. Not until the mad man had seized the middle child and threaten to kill her unless the brothers handed over all their possessions did the brothers notice him.

And yet, instead of putting aside their disagreements, they still quarreled with each other. The argued over whose fault it was that the mad man was allowed into their home, and they fought over who would deal with the mad man, and they fought over who would replace all their belongings after paying the ransom. So long did they fight, that the mad man grew bored, and killed the daughter, and set fire to the brother's home, then left, cackling gleefully into the night.

The brothers were devastated that they had completely disgraced themselves and their ancestors, and that they had betrayed their honored sister's trust. Yet still they fought, amongst their burning house, until the fires finally consumed them, and nothing remained of their family or home.

People would pass the ashen remains of the house and shake their head, never fully aware of the tragedy, and eventually, the brothers, their family, and their home were forgotten by history, save by the mad man, who never stopped laughing.


Once finished, Satoru opens his eyes, and looks about the now still and silent hall.

[Tamori Manji]

Ayame had spent the whole afternoon travelling across the Sparrow lands. She visited rice fields and peasants' homes, met with the sick and the healthy, the young and the old. To all she ministered Inari's blessings, together they prayed for a bountiful harvest, for peace, guidance and wisdom. Wherever she went she did her best to soothe the hearts of those with whom she met. In exchange, she gladly heard many news and tales, troubling stories about a Shadowlands attack, sad news about conquered territories, famine and broken families. But she also heard about new marriages, love, new lives and the promise of new beginnings for those displaced by the flames of war.



While making her way back to Kyuden Suzume, under the moonlight, sadness overtook her heart. She knew that, given time, the Empire would recover from this tragedy but would they have time? Would they be able to create the time needed? She could only hope that Manji knew what he was doing.

Upon arriving in the humble Sparrow estate, she noticed that the dinner had already began. She let herself be guided to the hall but dismissed the young aide outside the room. Then she asked for the air kami to draw attention away from her presence, silently padded over the place reserved for the guests and discreetly sat in seiza. After she was comfortable, the fox girl dismissed the kami's assistance and prepared herself for what seemed to be another tale, this time told by the Sparrow Champion himself. It had been no more than a day since she arrived in Sparrow territory but she had already lost count of how many tales were told to her... they sure loved to swap stories and she was beginning to wonder if that gave them some weird form of sustenance.

She graciously hid her chuckle behind an elegant green fan and listened intently to the story, while calmly sipping tea. When, after the tale was over, silence befell the hall, she spoke softly while still concealing her smile behind the emerald green fan, such a sad tale Satoru-sama. Being a woman, I couldn't help but wish to intervene and save those poor children by myself, the fox girl subtly feigned ignorance, shivered and leaned forward, letting a piece of her kimono fall slightly out of place to strategically reveal a bit of skin without losing composure. Ayame moved her fan graciously and asked in a pleading tone, please, tell us, could nothing be done to spare the innocents from such an ill fate?

[Suzume Satoru]

Satoru turned to Ayame and regarded her a moment before answering. His expression was bland, inscrutable- much like that of a teacher hoping to provoke the answer out of the same person who asked the question.

Which is exactly what he wanted.
"What do you think should have been done?" he asks in response.

[Tamori Manji]

Ayame ably hides a sly smile with an elegant motion of her fan while thinking "tricky Sparrow, answering a question with another.". After a moment, she closes her fan, recomposes her seiza and speaks in a soft tone, I believe the manner of intervention would depend on the moment Satoru-sama. My first thought would be to contact another family member. Maybe an older, wiser brother, who was not involved in the conflict, would be capable of talking sense into his younger brothers and pacify the squabble before it turned into tragedy. What do you think?

[Suzume Satoru]

Satoru smiles a bit at the answer.
"I think, young lady, that is an excellent answer. Perhaps the older brother would be able to make the younger realize that they had fallen to the sin of pride, and through such realization, the house and family could be saved."
He raises his tea cup to Ayame in a small, impromptu toast that catches pretty much every one at the table off guard. A smattering of applause and follow up toast trail behind Satoru's actions from those who do not want to seem like they weren't paying attention, but who did not fully comprehend what was just exchanged.

Satoru, for the rest of the evening, kept a cursory eye on Ayame as he went about his business as Champion and host for the dinner. He was an amicable MC for the remainder of the dinner, but the majority of his mind was busy planning. Yes, a journey was just what the doctor ordered- a nice long trip to the other end of the Empire would suit his leg just fine.