[Day 5, Early Afternoon] A Slight Change of Pace (Open)

[Susaki Tanabe]

Tanabe nodded "sounds tough but sounds like good honest work. Helping control the population of bandits helps not only your clan but any who travel through your lands. As a clan that travels a lot I'm sure we've benefitted from those kinds of efforts plenty. Duty doesn't have to glamorous or glorious to be important."

He thought for a moment "Though you don't seem like you enjoy it much, which is understandable."

[Shiba Raizo]

"Think I'd like it more if people stopped talking about the glories of battle."

He shrugged.

"I mean, it's not all bad. Sunrise over the Dragon's mountains is the sort of thing that sticks with you, and you learn a lot, but... something about seeing ashigaru under your command get killed, or ronin sellswords who've saved your life get cut down and you seem to be the only one who gives a damn? Yeah, it leaves a mark"

[Susaki Tanabe]

Thought for a moment "Ah yeah, I, that must be," he paused "hard." He finally settled on the word "can't really say I know what that's like, I've lost people close to me to things like starvation, sickness and in fights but I don't think I've ever been in your sandals. Otter don't exactly have an army or anything."

"I think people talk about the glory of war to make it easier? Maybe?" He shrugged "I guess I'll stop trying to talk about things I know nothing about." He said with a little chuckle while he rubbed the back of his neck.

[Shiba Raizo]

"Eh, it's all right. Sometimes I just feel like I'm the crazy one, you know? Like I'm the only one bothered by it."

He went back into his form.

"And yeah, I imagine fitting an army onto riverboats would be a bit of a task..."

[Susaki Tanabe]

He shook his head "Nah I don't think you're crazy, I think you just say what a lot of people think. So much of out lives are hidden behind these like masks that people wear. I think you're just keeping it real Shiba-sama." Tanabe said while falling into the form as well, practicing the moves of the kata to begin committing them to memory.

He laughed a little "yes...the boats can be crowded enough, couldn't imagine one just full of soldiers. We'll just have to continue on hoping we don't pass off any if the Great Clans."

[Shiba Raizo]

"Well. If you do, I recommend a duel. It's no fairer than a war, and the outcome is generally foreordained, but it limits the bloodshed admirably."

[Susaki Tanabe]

"Oh yeah, if it came down to that I'd just duel it out. The Otter could be wiped out by basically any Great Clan and probably most of the Minor ones. Having no land and no fortifications is a real disadvantage. Not that I would fair much better in the duel but you're right if it avoids the conflict entirely its worth it."

[Shiba Raizo]

"Besides."

Raizo leaned into his form.

"Any Great clan that comes for you guys is nothing but a bully, and the more plain you can make it, the harder it is for them to justify what they're doing."

[Susaki Tanabe]

Tanabe nodded as he shifted his moves following along getting into the feel of the form

he shrugged a little

"Yes of course, but hey bullies exist in this world. But I'll worry about it if we ever need to cross that bridge." he said small smile ever present

"So how are you enjoying the Miai then Shiba-sama? a welcome break from your duties?"

[Shiba Raizo]

Raizo gave a bit of a snort at that.

"It's a Fortune-forsaken nightmare in most respects, actually. Crappy as marching around with a pack on my back looking for people kill can be, at least I know the rules- and I'm not ordered to demonstrate my incapacity in various skills in front of large audiences."