Dark Edge Village

Samai was waiting for her guest to arrive... last time they spoke was before the contest of ballads, which changed a lot of things, all around. His singing was nice, and it was only polite to talk to him about expectations of the future, and truthfully, he was a nice groom to be.

So she waited for the Imperial Priest, dressed in colors of lilac and smell of roses.

Aramoro noticed the well dressed Ide. He dressed in his best jacket and kimono. He moved to her across the road. He approached her with a smile with his fan in hand. He could sense her rosey smell from across the road,

I could find you even were I blind.

"Ide Samai-sama, you look most elequent. Perhaps I should have had a yojimbo waiting for you, lest you be pluck from theese streets like a rose by a more forward suitor." He jests with a underlying compliment, trying to be charming.

He then takes a bow, "I dearly hope you did not wait long."

"Arigatou Seppun-san." She blushed at his praise. "Ie, I think there are enough bushi around so that my safety is for sure." She moved to meet him. "No, not for long."

She smiled in a friendly manner to him. "Airgatou for your song the other day. It was wonderful."

He motions for her to walk next to him as they start to stroll down the street. With his ear he listens to the lady whilst his eyes look for a Tea house appropriate for high ranking samurai.

He gives a shy smile "I wish the crowd shared your sentiment Ide-sama, but I guess a good tragic poem is lost on them. They seem to lack the deep heart you possess." He glances at her and then back to the shops "I am happy you at least enjoyed it, but I had a fear that the shame I caused might have let you feel otherwise."

(Pending GM question on finding a tea house)

Samai shrugged politely. "Worse things have been said of me and my kin over this miai. Sincere words misinterpreted are far from the vilest thing here." She flashed a smile. "Still, it was a decent performance. I am flattered Seppun-san. I... hope yo have not taken offense at my song of choice?"

He held his fan to his face to hide a smirk "I am glad you mention it Ide-sama, then I did not have to be rude in bringing it up." he gave a shallow sigh "I do not take any offence dear Unicorn-sama. It was still early for any of us to be able to have dedicated a song to one who knew we would end up with in marriage."

"However I have one bother and if I may be so blunt as to ask if who is this... Yasuki? Have you known each other long?"

There was a small blush appearing on her face as she recalled Tomonaga. "Yasuki-san is a merchant, whose family owns a sake brewery that is well regarded. We met at the miai, like with youself. He is... kind, and good at what he does."

She straigthened herself. "Hai, as you mention, love and marriage are separate concepts, most of the time for us. Duty and love are not the same thing, after all."

In spite of all his effort to find a proper Tea House, he realises there is none, and his plan fallen apart.

He nods in recognition "He sounds like a promising groom, one that can contribute much to your family." He could not help but be a little jealous, although that felt like the right response.

"Have you visited these streets before Ide-sama? I must admit, I had imagined something different, the dazed misconception of being a resident of Otasan Uchi, I fear." He smiles sheepishly.

"There are a great many good candidates for such a position." She smiled, hiding any emotions she might be feeling. "Speaking of which... can I confess something?" Her voice was tentative.

she gently opened her fan. "Hai, a little bit. It is still too strange for me as well... though from the other end. I am still unusued to waking up in the same location each day. I am sure Otosan Uchi is also a wonderful place... have you spent your whole day there?"

He gives an affirmative nod: "Most of my life in fact Unicorn-sama, my family have been part of the capital for ages, being imperial guards. Such is my honour."

He looks at Samai briefly: "I am no magistrate, but I will take your confession." He jests with a smile.

He looks ahead with smile unwavered "I am certain one of such a pure visage could not carry a secret dark enough to hide."

"It must have been beautiful." She smiled, before turning serious. "While I am flattered by your interest in me and kindness, I am a bit... perplexed, to be honest. I would've thought a shaman, gomen, shugenja would be more what you desire?"

She hastily raised her fan. "Gomen, I do not mean any offense. I am.. just curios. You would be marrying into the Ide, if your marriage goes forward."

He give a slight expression of surprise at her forwardness but looks away to preserve his on. He was not shocked or offended though, just taken off guard.

"Well I will honour your forward honesty with a direct answer as I can muster. The cold truth of my objective is to marry into the Unicorn, to strengthen the bond with Unicorn and the Emerald Empire. The Imperial families will not likely allow such a union if they would loose a apt samurai to a family in low stature. You and your family Ide-sama, would be more than worthy."

He then give a sincere smile: "I have brushed shoulders with many samurai of the courts in Otosan Uchi, I have grown to like the finer cast of samurai. I have trained amongst many other shugenja, they lack a sense of... exotic, that I might find intriguing."

"Doji-no-Kami, did not settle for a man that could master words like she could or the greatest of artists, but one that mastered other fields. He proved himself to her in tasks and not in manners that would make them equals. He was Kakita"

Seppun Aramoro wrote:He give a slight expression of surprise at her forwardness but looks away to preserve his on. He was not shocked or offended though, just taken off guard.

"Well I will honour your forward honesty with a direct answer as I can muster. The cold truth of my objective is to marry into the Unicorn, to strengthen the bond with Unicorn and the Emerald Empire. The Imperial families will not likely allow such a union if they would loose a apt samurai to a family in low stature. You and your family Ide-sama, would be more than worthy."

He then give a sincere smile: "I have brushed shoulders with many samurai of the courts in Otosan Uchi, I have grown to like the finer cast of samurai. I have trained amongst many other shugenja, they lack a sense of... exotic, that I might find intriguing."

"Doji-no-Kami, did not settle for a man that could master words like she could or the greatest of artists, but one that mastered other fields. He proved himself to her in tasks and not in manners that would make them equals. He was Kakita"

Samai nodded. "Thank you for your honesty Seppun-san. My family would be honored would for you to join them... " She opened her fan gently. "And a priest joining us would be an honor for sure... do you see what kind of duties you would do among my family? I am curious, merely."

She looked at him, with some fondness in her eyes. "So... you would like to choose me?" She asked tentatively.

He taps his fan against his chin: "I would find whatever my new lord would expect me to do. But I would offer them the ability to educate them on the lores of Rokugan and the etiquettes of court. Things that are still new to them."

"You have the makings of a bride I would chose irrespective of any arranged marriages." He mentions with a smile. "But I must choose what is best for my family I suppose, fortunately for me, that seems to be you."

He looks to the fields and how the wind plays upon it "I have encountered a curiosity earlier this morning. I was explained the matriarchal nature that is the Otaku hierarchy, and household for that matter." He glances at her "What is the Ide's practice on men and head of the household and rearing of children?"