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 Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2008 8:01 am
Why should Japan agree to meet with the Russian officials? Asmadai didn't know- or at least, didn't think he did. "For... the interests of Japan in the international community," he said. "I mean no disrepect-" although he thought he might be giving some unintentionally, he worried "-but a war, it would be very detrimental to the world over, especially in such... unstable times. No one would benefit from such a thing. To be able to put aside one country's ambition for the good of the people inside it would signal to the rest of the world that Japan may be isolated, but they are also concerned for the well-being of the rest of the world." Here he stopped and glanced at Shee. Had he said too much? Well, waiting for her approval wouldn't change the effect of his words on Hisanori, so he turned back to the other man.
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Posted: Mon Aug 25, 2008 6:06 pm
Shee really hoped Hisanori wouldn't be hostile. She wasn't sure Asmadai could handle a hostile little Japanese man. She wasn't sure she could handle a hostile little Japanese man.
"Riffael-san... you must understand this about Japan. It must put its interests above all others, as all nations do. The Shogunate is not much interested in the rest of the world. Our concern is Japan." Hisanori stopped, and breathed in inaudibly. "Your words hold truth. A war would be detrimental for the world. But it would not be so for Japan. Japan's army is undeafeatable; especially by the likes of the Russians."
Hisanori's derisive laugh echoed through the room. Lovely, Shee thought. They probably weren't going to get too far with this one.
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Posted: Mon Aug 25, 2008 10:48 pm
To be honest, poor Asmadai had no clue what to say. While thinking, he tugged at the wrists of his cassock. What could he say to that? Sorry, your country isn't as important as the world? or maybe, if he felt really bold, he could say But think of how many men and women would die. That might be the point, though; Japan truly was overcrowded. So overpopulated that, in fact, the treasury had begun to have problems taking care of all the people--
The treasury. "The army is certainly indomitable, sir, but sometimes it's not military might but moral might that determines the winner in a war," he said as tactfully as he could. "Already Japan's lower classes are having problems feeding themselves- through no fault of the government, sir- and a war would make the aid they're receiving now negligible. Supply lines into Russia would be-- unmanageable. Or very difficult to manage."
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Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 1:23 pm
Hisanori paused. The blonde man was not as useless as he had originally thought. What he had said, certainly, was true. Japan's lower classes were not worth the time it would take to think of them, but Russia was notorious for winning wars through choking out supplies and freezing enemy soldiers in it's deadly winters.
"Japan is the pinnacle of both military and moral right, Riffael-san. Your words concerning supply lines, however, ring true. This is something that Japan must weigh on very carefully."
"HISANORI!"
Hisanori's eyes opened wide as a deep voice rang throughout the room. "Ah... excuse me a mom--"
The doors burst open to reveal a red-faced young man, mid-yell.
"HISANORI!"
Hisanori sputtered and wheeled to face the young man. He sank to the floor in a pathetic act of subservience, and whimpered a soft apology.
The young man's attentions, however, had been caught by the two other people in the room. Now completely ignoring the heap of Hisanori, his head snapped up to look at the newcomers.
"And who are you, exactly?"
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Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 2:11 pm
He bowed his head, quite certain that since Hisanori was making obeisance to this person he should at least acknowledge that. "My name is Asmadai Riffael," he said. "This is Shee Sian." Would it be a bad thing to admit he had no clue who the boy was? He thought so, especially since he had his suspicions and most of them revolved around Hisanori's reaction. Maybe this was Tokugawa Ieyasu?
Since he didn't know, he said nothing.
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Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 4:02 pm
The young man nodded approvingly towards the priest, apparently due to Asmadai's bowed head.
"That means... nothing to me. You must be someone important if my father allowed you into the Shogunate."
These people were... interesting, Tokugawa Hidetada thought. They certainly looked nothing like the multitudes of Japanese people he was surrounded with everyday. They were... exotic. He decided he liked them, or at least they way they looked.
Kicking Hisanori lazily and drawing a whimper for his troubles, Hidetada continued. "What are you doing talking to this piece of garbage?"
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Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 4:07 pm
Ah, not Ieyasu then. His son? Mention of the boy had been in the file, for certain, but he couldn't remember at all. Asmadai fiddled with his sleeves again.
"We were discussing this issue of Japan's overpopulation," he said politely, quite uncertain as to what else to do. He couldn't exactly tell the son of Japan's ruler to let the unfortunate Hisanori alone, but he didn't want to watch the man's humiliation. It seemed like it would be too much. So he averted his eyes, staring at a space just over Hidetada's head.
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Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 4:15 pm
Hidetada brightened. "Ah, talking about Japan? Why don't you join me instead, and we can have a real discussion?"
Hidetada loved to converse. Although most of his spirited conversations soon devolved into heated arguments, due to his rather brash lack of control, he was always happy to seek them out anyways.
"So, yellow-haired man, what do you think of Japan? Do you only see the overpopulation?"
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Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 4:24 pm
Why was his hair such a point of interest with these people?
His face stayed admirably placid and he was proud of himself for not reaching up to cover his hair with one hand. "Of course not. I see centuries of tradition and technological advancement," he said. "The number of people inside its borders, and their inability to leave, troubles me, but it doesn't detract from Japan's overall majesty."
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Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 4:43 pm
Oh, Hidetada really liked this one.
"You are a great man, yellow-hair. You can see Japan's greatness when other people," he sniffed, thinking of those barbaric Russians, "blindly refuse to. Japan does have too many people, though, you are right in saying this. What are we to do? We need more land; being an island nation, we cannot get more land. A Japanese citizen cannot leave his beloved country. We are stuck. My father, he does not know what to do. But he is too reserved; he never acts when the time is right! And now, the time is right! Russia does not have many people in it. Why, Siberia is uninhabited-- the Russians only keep to the left side of their country."
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Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 11:01 pm
"As I was saying before," he said, prudently not mentioning Hisanori, "war is not the best way to solve this issue simply because of the matters of supply lines. Russia would still act to protect its uninhabited spaces, and all they would have to do is hold out until winter. Japan's army is formidable, yes, but could it stand up to the force of nature itself? Many great armies have fallen in that country. Russia is willing to meet with Japan and discuss this matter." What else was there to say, really?
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Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 12:02 pm
Hidetada sat down heavily on a cushion and his chin sank into his hands. Why were things always so complicated? If it were up to him, he would have attacked Russia long ago. But he did realize that the problem presented by the yellow-haired man could, as much as he hated to admit it, have the potential to possibly hurt Japanese chances of success. And then there was his father. Father would no doubt agree with the man, in his caution. No, it seemed the time was not yet right to attack Russia.
"You say Russia will meet with Japan? And discuss the matter? Do you think that would help us resolve our issues?"
An idea struck Hidetada.
"Come with me. For listening to Hisanori, that donkey, I am sure you must think Japan, as a country, is too quick to act, and this lends you to think of us as foolish. I would like to show you that we are not either."
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Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 1:06 pm
He was glad he had remembered the supply lines. It certainly seemed to work wonders with everyone he had spoken to about the issue. "I think, with the right mediation-" Hidetada cut him off, and Asmadai fell respectfully silent. "Of course. We would be delighted," he agreed. Would we? He glanced at Shee again. Why was she being so quiet, anyway?
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Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 3:39 pm
Asmadai was looking at her, apparently asking for confirmation as to the validity of his response. Shee nodded wildly at him for a second and then stopped as Hidetada looked expectantly at the two of them.
Darn. Why had Wraith sent her on this mission? She felt bad for letting poor Asmadai do all the work, but there wasn't much she could do about it.
Hidetada stood up from his cushion and opened the door, standing in the hallway and waiting for Asmadai to follow him. Shee remained still behind Asmadai, waiting for him to move towards Hidetada.
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Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 3:48 pm
Maybe she was just there for damage control, he thought, feeling pleased that he'd gotten some kind of response. In case he said something drastically stupid. Asmadai followed Hidetada as expected, though he wondered what would happen to the unfortunate Hisanori. Was that a daily happening?
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