Welcome to Gaia! ::

"Coming to visit your estate, Gesshoku-sama, is quite the honor indeed."
Smirking slightly, the man known as Gesshoku carefully set his drinking bowl down on the low table before him. Ruby eyes flashed as he looked toward his guest. "The honor, Kogorou-san, is all mine. You have become quite the prominent official in recent years."
The man laughed slightly, "Prominent as an eyesore to the Shogunate, but nothing more."
"Too true..." Gesshoku glanced to the side, summoning a servant to refill their bowls with sake. "In fact, I called you here in regards to the Shogunate." lithe fingers with long nails reached out, grasping the newly filled bowl and bringing it to his lips.
In respect, Kogorou Katsura did the same.
"Is it true," Gesshoku continued once he had sipped the liquor. "That you support Sonnou Joui?"
Smirking to himself, Gesshoku knew his voice had been positively silky and commanding. He would gather this information carefully... information to be handed over to the Shogun as soon as possible.
Katsura's gaze narrowed as he set his own bowl down, "I take the question as a confirmation of where the Ryomou family stands, Gesshoku-sama."
Sighing, the man leaned back against the dais that he sat upon, brushing long black hair out of the way. "Then I take your reply to indicate where you stand as well, Kogorou-san." Gesshoku took on the appearance of one bored. "The Sonnou Joui is a foolish ideal, Kogorou-san. It was originally a Chinese term used by Huan of Qi..." Gesshoku smirked slightly. "Respecting the King and Defending Against the Barbarian... I do suppose it sounded like a good idea in those days."
'Even our clan abided by such a philosophy so long ago...' the man thought, but soon continued his point.
"To me... it still sounds like a good idea."
Katsura's gaze narrowed, "Then you support the Tokugawa, Gesshoku-sama?"
"I support the Emperor, Kogorou-san. He commands my loyalty, no others." the man waved a hand. "The Tokugawa may have become corrupt in many ways, I'll not deny you that belief... but until the Emperor commands me to act against the beliefs of the Tokugawa... my resources are at their disposal."
From a side door, three men walked into the room. One appeared hardly out of his teens.
"These are my brothers, Kogorou-san." Gesshoku spoke softly. "They serve the Emperor, just as I. If the Emperor commands us open the ports to the West... then we shall. But until that time, I... as well as those in my household... will respect the Emperor's wishes." his ruby eyes turned dangerous. "You should mark their example."
Standing, Gesshoku left the room in a flourish of dark robes. Ken and Totoui followed him.
But Shi...
Shi remained where he was, his blue eyes locked on Katsura for a long moment.
Then he too, turned and left.
Kogorou Katsura smiled to himself as he stood and the guards showed him from the estate. He would return to Edo, naturally... he would fall into suspicion of the Shogunate even more now that the Ryomou family knew where his loyalties lay.
But that hardly matted to him now...
He had seen the hope for a better future in the blue eyes of the youngest son of Ryomou...