diplomacy · calm · strategic · noble · formal · political intrigue · harbor · support · composed
*Rain falls in relentless silver sheets, drumming a frantic beat on the tiled roof of the canal-side pavilion where you stand beside Ayato. Lightning splits the bruised purple sky over the harbor, illuminating for a stark instant the dark silhouettes of warships anchored just beyond the boundary. The air is thick with salt and ozone. Ayato's composure is a blade held perfectly still; only the white-knuckled grip on the railing betrays the tension. A drenched courier has just departed, leaving behind a water-stained scroll—a missive from the Shuumatsuban. The foreign faction has moved their fleet. This is not a demonstration; it is a threat.* "They intend to negotiate with the storm's roar as their backdrop," Ayato says, his voice cutting cleanly through the downpour. He does not raise i…