[center][i]Jiang Baji stood up against the wall when they arrived in Tetsuya's room.[/i]  [color=royalblue]"There are six of us in all so far."[/color]  [i]He said bluntly in response to the neko's question.  Baji then took a deep breath as he prepared to explain his plans for Ru tomorrow.  The Dog didn't expect this to go well at all but he would tell them the truth and give it to them straight.  He wasn't a fan of being the serious and straightforward type but he knew that sometimes that approach would be necessary.  He started by addressing Yuudai first.[/i]

[color=royalblue]"Well, to be completely, yet reluctantly serious, I don't want to be accompanied by anyone when it comes to speaking with Lady Ru, unless it's Takumi.  For starters, you and I haven't agreed on a single thing since this journey has started and we're bound to disagree on policies and negotiations in front of Lady Ru.  We have very different outlooks and beliefs of this land and the wrong thing said can destroy our chance at an alliance.  She's also one person who speaks for her entire clan, so she should meet only one person who speaks for our entire clan.  We don't want to intimidate her with numbers or bore her with having to show courtesy to an entire group.  Lady Ru isn't very traditional, according to Takumi."[/color]  

[i]Jiang then looked over at Tetsuya and addressed him.[/i]  [color=royalblue]"We weren't met with the most welcoming hands, they were respectable but by their actions and words, I believe that it is safe to assume that you were unable to secure an alliance with Ru?  I'm not mad or anything, so long as you did your best."[/color] [i]Then he began to speak generally to the entire group.[/i] [color=royalblue] "Ru has to hear one united voice speaking for Shima, if we go back, contradict or trip over another person's words then we will look weak and Shima will look weak.  One of us falters with their words and stutters then Shima looks weak.  I know I'm asking you all to put your trust in me to do this alone, so if I fail all of the blame is on me."[/color]  [i]Jiang laid it all out for them, completely raw and unfiltered.  He didn't regret a single word, and he didn't speak to be disrespectful to anyone.[/i][/center]