Day 0, Mid-afternoon: Hot Lunch (Open)

[Kakita Konohamaru]

"Why not, if you beat them up then they have to do what you say," she responded.

Ah, this might be an issue - best try and plant the seeds to prevent problems early.

"If you want something done well, be nice to them. Our artisans aren't good because we beat them up, but because they like making art."

An oversimplification, but the start of an explanation.

[Daidoji Kio]

"Really? I thought it was because Lady Doji was the best ever, and therefore we are the best ever," she responded.

[Togashi Keigo]

"Why not, if you beat them up then they have to do what you say," she responded.

"Violence leads to more violence in the end," he replied. "Sure, someone might do what you say for now, but they will find ways to get back at you. If you find another way, everyone can benefit, and they can do what you want them to because they want to."

He nodded at Konohamaru. "As Kakita-sama said. Lady Doji was the best ever at what she did, and put her all into it, just like the artisans. It's hard to put everything you were forced into. IT's possible for people of strong will, but you probably won't get the best out of them."

[Daidoji Kio]

"A samurai must do what their Lord tells them to, everyone knows that," Kio responded.

[Kakita Konohamaru]

"A samurai must do what their Lord tells them to, everyone knows that," Kio responded.

"History tells us 'must' doesn't mean 'will'. But let's keep this simple -" he says, gesturing to the candy Kio was offered earlier.

" -How many types of candy are there?"

[Daidoji Kio]

"Five, and all mine," she replied eyeing the Magistrate.

[Kakita Konohamaru]

"Five, and all mine," she replied eyeing the Magistrate.

A dark thought crossed his mind, but demanding candy from a future kuge would be most uncouth and thoroughly dishonourable.

"Each candy - not just there, but across all of Rokugan - is different."

Out of his pocket, he pulled a bag of candy of his own. He revealed five sweets of different colours, keeping them visible but out of reach - one white, one white and pink, one red, one blue and one brown.

"Which one do you think is nice? Would you like one?"

[Daidoji Kio]

She narrowed her eyes and said, "Blue, please."

[Hiruma Ōguri]

The Crane bride to be listened and then responded, "Thank you, I feel ready to take the ring myself after such an instruction."

She produced her fan to protect her slight smile from view.

"Ha, that would be a sight to behold!" The wrestler chuckled, then after a sudden thought that distracted him dug into the meal served, listening to the other conversations. He chimed in on the sweets talk. "Namagashi are my favourite, especially those during springtime!"

[Kakita Konohamaru]

She narrowed her eyes and said, "Blue, please."

"If you close your eyes, open your hand and say "your lord demands candy" exactly, I will give you candy."

Slowly but surely, the trap was ensnaring.

He chimed in on the sweets talk. "Namagashi are my favourite, especially those during springtime!"

While his unmoving gazed was focused on Kio, he did nod at the Hiruma's input. Namagashi were a nice type of candy.

[Daidoji Kio]

Kio considered that and then said, "No, I don't want it anymore. Blue candy is icky."

[Kakita Konohamaru]

Kio considered that and then said, "No, I don't want it anymore. Blue candy is icky."

"Indeed - blue is sad."

Konohamaru puts away the rest of the candy, leaving only the blue, white and pink on the table and removing the pouch from the table.

"Now - the colour is how people feel serving their lord. The candy is what they must do. Pink is happy, and tastes the best."

Back into the bag goes the pink candy.

"White is feeling okay - it tastes only okay."

White disappears back into the bag.

"Now, if blue is icky, and your servants feel sad, you can only get blue candy."

White returns.

"If your servants feel okay, you will get white candy."

Pink returns.

"And if they are happy, you will get pink candy."

All three are placed into the hand.

"And if they're really angry? If they really don't like you?"

All three are consumed in one swift motion.

"Then even if they must, they won't give you anything."

[Daidoji Kio]

“Okay, but if being nice is so good then why does Auntie call you the Monster Magistrate that kills monks and scares children? Maybe you should be nice and then you could get more pink candy! Maybe if you were nicer than people would not be so scared of you, but I am not scared,” she said proudly.

She then grabbed one of her own candies and ate it. She narrowed her eyes and said, “If being nice is so good then why are you not so nice?”

[Daidoji Yushoko]

There are moments in this life when the Doji bride wished she had the gift of invisibility.

Sadly she only had the Doji fan technique.

[Kakita Konohamaru]

She then grabbed one of her own candies and ate it. She narrowed her eyes and said, “If being nice is so good then why are you not so nice?”

Oh, so they were aware of him. If anything, a devil of a smile slips upon his face. Not the kind of smile of one who was trying to teach a child, but the kind of grin one would show an opponent they just defeated in a duel, if one were consumed by pride.

The monster does not fear being known, he revels in it.
The monster does not hesitate, but continues unrelenting.
The monster does not feel guilt, but pride.

"She's not wrong - I am a monster."
The satisfaction in his voice could almost be tasted. It was bitter like a lemon, yet sweet like a peach.

"But I am a monster because some people, no matter how nice you are, will simply..."
And in a simple motion, the child's candy is in his hands.
"Take."

He almost - almost - eats the candy.

For a thick, constrictive second it looks like he will, teetering on the abyss like Doji Tanaka on the edge.

Instead, he relents.

"And I remind people that they must not."

The candies are rolled back to a child, sliding across the table on a small mat with simple ease - and amongst them, a single, additional blue candy.

One last pouch, much smaller than the last and made of a fancy silk, filled with only with pink and pink-white candies slides across the table and ends up in front of Yushoko almost without thinking.

"So that the rest of society can keep making pink candy. I do admire your courage, however - if you are just and follow the tenets, you need never fear me."

[Togashi Keigo]

Keigo watches the whole exchange with interest as he explains, then illustrates his final reasoning, nodding with a small smile. "Interesting."

[Daidoji Kio]

Kio suffered a chain of emotions; surprise then anger tinged with sadness to admiration and then inspiration. Her eyes growing large then narrowing and then a look of surprise and then more narrowed eyes.

So being bad bad was good to make sure that others are also good and the bad guys are the cool people… that seemed to be the message.

Exactly what Night Samurai would do, be the bad guy so that others do good but being bad for good reasons.

Excellent.

Kio said, “You need never fear me, got it.”

[Kakita Konohamaru]

Kio said, “You need never fear me, got it.”

The devil's own smile grew further, to almost inhuman levels, before he stood and bowed to the young Daidoji.

"Then I look forward to serving you further, my liege."

After a moment, he looked around the table before being seated again, almost as if the man had never been there.

"Forgive me, we got sidetracked - where were we?"

[Doji Kintaro]

"Perhaps we can speak about this village, are you familiar with it Hiruma-san?" Kintaro asked, grateful that the child was suitably dealt with.

[Hiruma Ōguri]

"Not extensively, but its shrimp is known to any foodie!" The wrestler didn't know what to make of the exchange between the evil magistrate and the feisty kid but it left him with a sense of foreboding that he probably shared with some other people at the table. "It's Hida-run so things may be a bit spartan by Crane standards but the beaches are great for long walks with all their colours, and the weather is probably going to be great even this early after winter. Still, Crab hospitality is legendary, so you'll have all-you-can-drink evenings. And, hopefully, a lot of wrestling to do and watch!"

[Doji Kintaro]

"As I understand it, you are a sumai of some skill and name, will we see an exhibition of your talents? Daidoji-hime speaks highly of the sport in our letters," the Doji diplomat responded.

[Daidoji Yushoko]

She guarded her smile with her fan and said, "It was Doji-sama that brought the sport to my attention, it seemed only fitting I experience the spectacle in person. I was not disappointed."

[Kakita Yuuwaku]

Yuuwaku, whose player had been about and asleep, has followed the exchange.

Kakita-bugyo is quite the sensei, she thinks. No wonder our lands are so free of upset, if he patrols them.

But she does release a breath she had not realized she had been holding when the topic suddenly changes.

[Hiruma Ōguri]

"Most certainly! I love what I do, so I'll seek opportunities to wrestle whenever and whenever they'll present themselves! And if I can please my Clan's esteemed guests with that, all the better!" He brightened at the revelation that Yushoko actually was already a fan.

[Kakita Yuuwaku]

"What does one look for in a wrestler, Hiruma-maehashira?" Yuuwaku puts in. "I confess to being broadly unfamiliar with the sport."