<Kal>	===Sidesession 21.2: Shochu Shenanigans===
	<Kal>	Kazuma and Ayano had agreed to go drinking later that night after dinner. Despite her better judgement, Ayano drags Yuuko along. Yuuko, happy to finally be treated like an adult (despite not being one), actually AGREES to come without complaint. Ayano wasn't expecting that, was she?
	<Kal>	Kazuma, on the other hand, brings his new bro Kiryu to celebrate his joining of the Tiger clan. Of course, that hasn't actually happened yet, but that does not mean that the drinks do not have to happen yet. Kiryu, after some decision, agrees. Ah, why the hell not? It's not like this will end in /tears/ or anything, right?
	<Kal>	Megumi quietly follows Ayano to The Red Monkey, citing her DUTY to DUTIFULLY protect Ayano, and comes along as well. She comes pre-stocked with sweets; just in case the tavern does not have any. Megumi is always prepared (with sweets). :| Ayano realizes that she hadn't actually gotten to know her yojimbo yet anyway.
	<Kal>	So the four veteran samurai (and Yuuko) head to The Red Monkey. The tavern is not as well patroned as the previous visit, and there is room for everyone to spread out. A waitress comes by soon, and leaves just as quickly. Kazuma! You had something you wanted to talk to Ayano about, yeah?
	<Kal>	Megumi! Yuuko is eyeing you with suspicion! Despite being almost half your age, she still manages to put on a more frightening mien than you think you could.
	<Kazuma>	"Say, Ayano-sama...is it true you beat an ogre to death with that tetsubo?" Kazuma takes a look at her biceps, then at the club. Not quite skeptical, but eeeeedging up on it. He ordered his usual sake, because why fuck with a classic?
	* Ayano	nods, taking a sip.
	<Ayano>	"Not all by myself of course, but it's true nonetheless."
	* Megumi	finds herself staring at the ground, doing her best to avoid the girl's ire, even though she can't think of any real reason for anyone to be mad at her. After a moment, she finds herself eating some daifuku to help calm her nerves a bit.
	<Kal>	"How old were you?" asks Kiryu.
	<Kazuma>	"Interesting! I would have thought you could just..." Kazuma makes a gesture sort of like what he imagines spellcasting looks like.
	<Kazuma>	Or more accurately shooting fire bolts because to Kazuma, "magic" is still somewhere between fireworks and fireBOLTS.
	<Kazuma>	Kazuma, rather than his usual stark black-and-white, has on a pine-green fencer's outfit, with camellias traced in black against it, and deep blue split trousers.
	<Ayano>	"I was thirteen at the time, tagging along with a few bushi out for their gempukku. And as for the ogre, well, sometimes the direct approach is best."
	<Kal>	Megumi's daifuku smokescreen disinterests Yuuko, just as the sake (and Ayano's shochu) arrives. The waitress sets the tray down in the middle of the table, and says that if anyone needs anything else to just catch her attention.
	<Kazuma>	Kazuma nods, "Good words."
	* Megumi	smiles hesitantly. "T-That...is very impressive, Tora Ayano-sama." she says, before getting herself a cup of sake.
	<Kal>	Yuuko pours Ayano a drink. "I saw that you made it to the semi-finals of the taryu-jiai tournament earlier today. That Soshi girl is very good at duelling."
	* Ayano	smiles as she gets her drink. "Well, I'd like to think I've done some things since then, not that I tire of the tale."
	* Megumi	downs her cup in almost-record time, eating another daifuku before pouring herself some more sake.
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	* Kazuma	downs his sake in one sip, "I don't have many impressive stories...but, well, I can tell you one about what happened on the way here."
	<Kal>	Kiryu chuckles; drinking his drink like a civilized person and not someone doing shots. "Oh boy, this will be embarrassing..."
	<Ayano>	"Embarassing?"
	<Kal>	"For me."
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	<Kazuma>	"Not that one. This is when I was on my way to the festival."
	<Kazuma>	"The sandalwood merchant incident can wait for another time."
	* Kazuma	refills his sake bowl, taking a long sip to wet his gullet.
	<Ayano>	"...sandlewood merchant?"
	* Megumi	finishes her second cup and fourth daifuku at near the same time. "Mm..."
	<Kazuma>	"Another time, that's the one that Kiryu's embarassed about."
	<Kal>	Yuuko quietly pours herself a cup of sake; keeping an eye on Ayano as she does. Then, looking at Megumi, she quickly downs the entire cup.
	* Megumi	looks at Yuuko, a bit confused. Gingerly, she pours herself another cup.
	<Kazuma>	"...I think I'll try the shochu next. Anyhow, this is a story about myself, Ryuji-san, and certain other Tora guards on our way to this very festival."
	* Megumi	drinks her cup quite quickly, in one drink, after taking a bite out of one of her spicier treats.
	<Kazuma>	"As some of you know, of late we have had bandit problems on the Tora roads. Traveling together in a group made for a safer journey, and added merriment along the way. Our trip was reasonably lighthearted, we weren't especially worried, until we were about three days away. One of us had lived most of her life outside the capital, and was skilled in reading tracks and animal signs, and...
	<Kazuma>	...without her warning, we might all have perished...for she told us that we were being followed, and followed by rather a large group. Since they were taking trouble not to let themselves be seen, we immediately assumed the worst, and began discussing plans to throw off our pursuit or find a defensible place to turn and fight."
	<Kazuma>	"Although we were all worried, Ryuji-san's good spirits were undampened, and while I was trying to formulate a battle strategy to deal with an unknown number of assailants in a close-in woodland, my friend would not stop talking about the fine, silken kimono among the possessions of one of our recruits, coupled with speculation about who she was going to wear it for. While normally, I would...
	<Kazuma>	...dismiss such talk out of hand, if not out of mind, in this case...it gave me an idea."
	<Kazuma>	"Coupled with my reading of the memoirs of a certain Bayushi tactician, and taking stock of our supplies, we came up with a plan, and put it into action."
	<Kazuma>	Kazuma begins illustrating with his fingertip atop the table, "When our pursuers arrived here, at an uncovered, stone bridge, they did so to the accompaniment of music on the shamisen, and surprisingly lovely singing...all performed by a fully-attired geisha in her makeup, sitting alone on the bridge."
	<Kal>	Kiryu takes a drink; silent at Kazuma's story. Now, where he's going with this...?
	<Kazuma>	"Emboldened and confused, they approached along the road, invited by her warm words and warmer smile...now, back here." Point on the table, "On the other side of the bridge, and...here, flanking them, we were lying in wait. Each of us put three arrows on our bowstrings, which will ruin your accuracy, but it made us look as if we had greater numbers than we did when we opened fire and...
	<Kazuma>	...rained arrows on their heads. As they turned to flee, we waited until they got." POINT "To here before the flanking parties did the same, to avoid a crossfire, then charged them from the woods. Of course, they had suspected a trap from the beginning, and the shower of arrows had convinced them that our numbers were far greater than they were, and cut down well over three-quarters of...
	<Kazuma>	...their number before the rest fled in disarray."
	<Kazuma>	*and we
	<Kazuma>	"Of course, it meant I arrived at the festival with an empty quiver, but it's a small price to pay for turning the tables on them."
	<Kal>	Yuuko takes another drink, apparently disinterested in Kazuma's story, at least when compared to the sake. She returns to looking at Megumi.
	* Megumi	blushes a bit. With the sake and sweets in her system, though, she manages to build some courage. "E-Er...I-Is there s-something you need...?"
	<Kal>	"... No..."
	<Kazuma>	"Before someone asks, yes, we did make a full report on the incident when we arrived."
	* Megumi	visibly panics a bit and looks away.
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	<Kal>	"Hm," Kiryu murmurs, "bandits aren't much of a threat against disciplined soldiers. They use force of numbers more than anything else. No tactics at all. It's horrendous."
	<Kazuma>	"They also tend to know the terrain, and fight using any advantage at their disposal. Bandits are usually no real threat, but better cautious than dead." Kazuma drains another cup of sake.
	<Kazuma>	"...More sake, Kiryu-san?"
	<Kal>	He extends his cup. "That means nothing if you don't know how to use it."
	<Kal>	Kiryu looks at Megumi. "What do you think, Megumi-chan? You're a bushi too, no?"
	* Megumi	is surprised for a moment at the mention of her name. "A-Ah! I...I'm sorry, what were you s-saying?"
	<Kal>	"Have you dealt with many bandits before?"
	<Megumi>	"Oh...Y-Yes, I've fought bandits before. And Pirates. They are a threat where I come from, where trade is so important to our clan's income."
	* Kazuma	pours Kiryu another cup
	<Kal>	"Pirates? What is that like?"
	<Megumi>	"Pirates. T-They are like...B-Bandits, but they use ships, and attack shipping lanes to steal merchandise. They are a menace."
	<Kal>	"... I... I see."
	<Kal>	Yuuko snickers.
	<Kazuma>	"...Don't laugh, pirates are serious trouble."
	<Kazuma>	"Bandits are just starving, sometimes, but pirates have to be somewhat organized to work a kobune."
	<Kazuma>	*starving idiots
	<Kazuma>	"...And in sufficient numbers to overwhelm another ship, meaning they come in larger groups."
	* Megumi	nods emphatically at Kazuma's superior explaination.
	<Kazuma>	"Besides, pirates are in it for profit, right? That means they approach the situation with a clearer head, and plan out their attacks. It's easy for a group of bandits to see passerby and just decide to rush on them, but pirates have to put more effort into the pursuit and capture, since you can't really run away so easily on the open ocean...especially if your ship is damaged by fighting."
	<Megumi>	"Y-Yes, that is the p-problem with pirates..." Megumi says, finishing another glass of sake.
	<Kal>	Kiryu chuckles. "I see..."
	<Kazuma>	"Anyway, Yuuko-chan, now you know."
	<Kazuma>	"...That said, is something wrong? You've been giving Megumi-chan some strange looks. If you want some daifuku or something, just ask her."
	<Kal>	Yuuko's glare turns to Kazuma. "I don't want her stupid sweets."
	* Kazuma	meets it evenly because she's fourteen god damn who does she think she's talking to? "Well, then what do you want?"
	<Kal>	"Why do you think I want something?"
	<Kazuma>	"Do you?" Sip.
	<Kal>	"No." Siiiip.
	* Megumi	frowns. "A-...A-Are you sure you don't need anything?"
	<Kal>	"Yes."
	<Kazuma>	"So, are you from the Isles, Megumi-chan?"
	* Megumi	nods. "E-Er...Yes, that's where I'm from"
	<Kazuma>	"What are they like?"
	<Kazuma>	"...Do they really have birds that speak the tongue of men?"
	<Kal>	"Like kenku?" asks Kiryu.
	* Megumi	smiles a bit. "A-Ah, yes. It's not as impressive as you'd think..."
	<Kazuma>	"How are talking birds not impressive?"
	<Kazuma>	"No, like...bird birds, not...are kenku even real?"
	<Kal>	"If they're not, then who trained Kakita?"
	<Kazuma>	"...He was trained by a kenku? I sort of just assumed..." Kazuma looks carefully around for any sign of his betrothed or his charge, "...that his ego was just too massive for him to lose. Not that he wasn't a great swordsman, but reading 'The Sword' felt like every other line was 'and this will be easy if you are one-millionth as brilliant as me.'" He makes a sour face, "That it works is...
	<Kazuma>	...the most surprising thing of all."
	* Megumi	frowns slight. "A-Ah, but still, no. They aren't kenku...They are just brightly color birds, who imitate sounds. I-Including speech..."
	<Kal>	"What else can they mimic?"
	<Megumi>	"E-Er...O-Other bird calls, m-mostly..."
	<Kazuma>	"Ah, do they do it to lure prey?"
	<Megumi>	"N-No...I...I...They eat fruits and insects..."
	<Kal>	"Then why do they do it?" asks Yuuko. "It seems like a waste of time."
	<Kazuma>	"Maybe they do it to frighten away predators?"
	<Megumi>	"M-Maybe. I think they do it around mates, t-too..."
	<Kazuma>	"I wish I had one."
	<Kal>	"You can keep them as pets?"
	<Kazuma>	"...You've never seen someone with a pet bird?"
	* Megumi	nods a few times. "Y-Yes, my s-sister had one...Though, where I come from, many important people don't keep t-them. In case they r-repeat sensitive information..."
	<Kal>	"Not ones that can talk." :|
	<Kazuma>	"They only repeat speech, right? I don't think I even know anything that sensitive...although, I'm new to being a yojimbo, so that might change."
	* Megumi	nods. "I don't think they can c-come up with w-words on the spot..."
	<Kazuma>	"What colors are they?"
	<Megumi>	"T-They have red feathers m-mostly, with green a-and blue and y-yellow."
	<Kazuma>	"All at once?"
	<Kazuma>	"They must be like a flying rainbow!"
	* Megumi	smiles a bit. "Y-Yes...They are very pretty"
	<Kazuma>	"...It must be nice, being able to have a bird like that." Kazuma sighs, already picturing his rainbow-colored bird repeating snippets from Leadership.
	<Megumi>	"Well, p-perhaps you could i-import one s-someday...?"
	<Kazuma>	"I will teach it to recite wisdom and abstain from folly."
	<Kal>	Yuuko snickers.
	<Kazuma>	Kazuma politely ignores it.
	=-=	UboaServ has changed the topic to “Thursday, ~7:30 EST. Wounds = Earth x3. 90xp base, 91xp. Date: Goat 23, 1167 http://i.imgur.com/1sb1Q.jpg”
	=-=	YOU are now known as Tim
	=-=	Megumi is now known as Blaxploitation
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