The Welcome Dinner (Post-Event Thread) [D1, Early Evening]

[Kaiu Hiroji]

"It can be a strong flavor, if one is not used to it." Recognized the samurai-ko, and as she did she patted the man tenderly on the shoulder, rubbing his shoulder blade, on the last pat, with care. "Do not wory, our dishes not all have... well most do have milk, but not only we eat milk." He was going to have some hard meals in the Miai. "At least there is also rice."

"Great!" Tomonaga flashes a quick grin. "I bet you'll love it. Maybe you can help me find the dish that it goes best with." He doesn't quite wink, but his eyelid does shiver just a touch.

He gives Hiroji another sympathetic look. "Here. Trade you." He intercepts the milk-based drinks, nudging a small bowl of rice towards him instead. He drinks a bit of the fermented milk, his eyebrows going up. "Whoa! That's... that's good. And strong." Almost experimentally, he shakes his head. "Here, Iuchi-san, try one of our desserts." Towards her, he nudges a red-bean bun.

Hiroji gives Tomonaga a smile "Thanks" and starts eating the rice, rather slower than he usually does.
Hiroji nods at Batul's words and sighs. "Indeed. There is always rice."

"Until I try it, I cannot know" She replied with a bit of mischief hidden between her words. "Does it have any sbecific... no I better wait to try myself, other than asking. Don't want to ruin the surbrise."

The samurai-ko takes the bun, and moves it around her hand, checking it. She moves it close and makes a quick sniff of smell... she cannot smell the hidden beans, but gets a sense of sweetness. Without a second thought, she takes a bite, and a smile grows quickly on her, extending to her surprising eyes and brows, that raise quickly. "Wow! This, you have this hidden!? With this in the Sands you could be owner of your own herd in no time!"

Hiroji Gives Tomonaga a smile and accepts the rice with a "Thank you" and starts to eat it slower than he usually does.
He nods at Batul's words and sighs. "Indeed, there is always rice."

[Soshi Yuuru]

One of her new neighbours was barely taller than her and was currently half smirking at something unknown in the vista before him.

Finally someone else who was correctly proportioned unlike some of these giants! She smiled warmly at Yurio.

"Hello samurai-sama. I hope you are having a pleasant meal? My name is Otaku Imane and I am happy to meet you."

Her words were softly accented with a hint of the language of the Sands.

Sitting close by Yurio was Yuuru who turned to see the new arrival.

[Matsu Yurio]

Finally someone else who was correctly proportioned unlike some of these giants! She smiled warmly at Yurio.

"Hello samurai-sama. I hope you are having a pleasant meal? My name is Otaku Imane and I am happy to meet you."

Her words were softly accented with a hint of the language of the Sands.

Even with half a bottle of sake in him, Yurio remembered to bow, military precision tm, before responding.

"I am Matsu Yurio, a pleasure to meet you, Otaku-sama. The meal was nice, not that I recognised everything."

[Otaku Chi-Pu]

Seeing more and more guests arrive and partake in the food stuffs, Chi-Pu does her best to stand upright and watch over everyone. She grimaces in pain every now and then, and eventually permanently attaches her hand to her stomach.

"Did the Lion poison me?"

She asks herself out loud with a frown.

Seeing Imane approach a Lion makes the older woman grimace again and she walks slowly to the two

[Yasuki Tomonaga]

"Until I try it, I cannot know" She replied with a bit of mischief hidden between her words. "Does it have any sbecific... no I better wait to try myself, other than asking. Don't want to ruin the surbrise."

The samurai-ko takes the bun, and moves it around her hand, checking it. She moves it close and makes a quick sniff of smell... she cannot smell the hidden beans, but gets a sense of sweetness. Without a second thought, she takes a bite, and a smile grows quickly on her, extending to her surprising eyes and brows, that raise quickly. "Wow! This, you have this hidden!? With this in the Sands you could be owner of your own herd in no time!"

Tomonaga inclines his head, approving the attitude. "Yes, it's better as a surprise."

Then he watches, fascinated, as Batul examines the bun, raises his eyebrows as she suddenly bites it, and finally chuckles at her reaction. "That sounds promising." He says mildly, his eyes alight. He raises his sake cup, first to Batul, then to Hiroji. "This is a great way to start things off. Good food and drink. Maybe a few rough spots..." He gives Hiroji a covert smile, nodding approval as the man eats calming rice, "-but I'd say the Unicorn and the other clans are mixing well together, eh?"

[Moto Baatar]

She sat up quite straight suddenly, "I am shugenja, Bahtah-san. I speak with the kami." Though she spoke his name, it seemed like the words had trouble forming in her mouth.

"You can talk to the kami?" Baatar asked, his eyebrows raising. "Really? I thought no one could do that any more. Can you show me?"

[Yogo Yuichi]

Yuichi was here, Yuichi was disgusted by the red meat in front of him, Yuichi felt disturbed by the crowd. He did a good job keeping things civilized while discussing about theology with some people...People? I don't think these gaijin can be classified as people, whatever... he didn't remember who they were. Nor he cared.

...

He just sat there waiting for the moment when he can stand up and go away.

[Kaiu Hiroji]

"Until I try it, I cannot know" She replied with a bit of mischief hidden between her words. "Does it have any sbecific... no I better wait to try myself, other than asking. Don't want to ruin the surbrise."

The samurai-ko takes the bun, and moves it around her hand, checking it. She moves it close and makes a quick sniff of smell... she cannot smell the hidden beans, but gets a sense of sweetness. Without a second thought, she takes a bite, and a smile grows quickly on her, extending to her surprising eyes and brows, that raise quickly. "Wow! This, you have this hidden!? With this in the Sands you could be owner of your own herd in no time!"

Tomonaga inclines his head, approving the attitude. "Yes, it's better as a surprise."

Then he watches, fascinated, as Batul examines the bun, raises his eyebrows as she suddenly bites it, and finally chuckles at her reaction. "That sounds promising." He says mildly, his eyes alight. He raises his sake cup, first to Batul, then to Hiroji. "This is a great way to start things off. Good food and drink. Maybe a few rough spots..." He gives Hiroji a covert smile, nodding approval as the man eats calming rice, "-but I'd say the Unicorn and the other clans are mixing well together, eh?"

Hiroji smiles broadly, and slightly raises his rice cup. "Indeed, seems like a fortuitous start to this miai."

[Soshi Bantu]

Arriving a little late, to see the dinner party in full swing, Bantu helps himself to a small cup of kumis which he nurses gently while he takes stock of the flow of the room.

((PM If approach))

[Kakita Nanami]

"You can talk to the kami?" Baatar asked, his eyebrows raising. "Really? I thought no one could do that any more. Can you show me?"

"It is not to be done lightly!" the Crane said sternly, perhaps a little more than necessary - especially given that she had called on their power not long previously to ensure she didn't disgrace herself by disgorging the contents of her stomach. Again, she calmed herself. "The elemental kami must only be called upon and spoken to with utter reverence. Especially given that recently they have become more... displeased and harder to call upon."

She paused for a moment, "Perhaps in the morning when I have offered up prayers to them, I may be able to coax one of them to visit." She wasn't sure she dared call upon them freely again this evening.

[Kazue]

"Konbanwa Kazue-san," she offered, returning the smile in kind. "I am Suki of the Temple of Benten in Mamoru Kyotei Toshi. Nice to meet you." Looking out over the assembled samurai, and the exotic meal that sat before them, Suki maintained her smile. "There are certainly many new experiences to be found here. I suspect many of them will be fun indeed."

"How were your travels? You've come a long way from Kyuden Seppun." They had both traveled far, of course. But Suki seemed content to allow Kazue to talk about her new experiences.

Kazue let out a small laugh at the mention of the Temple of Benten, though blushed a moment later and gave a little apologetic bow of her head. Of course, a monk of the temple of Benten at a miai; it made perfect sense. She was going to be in her element. "Sorry, Suki-san, it's just...a monk of Benten at a miai is just too fitting, I suppose I should have figured."

She thought for a moment about the mention of her travels, giving a small shrug. "Erm, good I suppose. Very long, but interesting to see so much of the Empire. This is.." she paused, looking slightly sheepish, "...well, I haven't been this far from the temple before." she let that statement speak for itself, with all the excitement and weariness the travel likely implied. She was speaking a bit more candidly because it was another monk she was speaking to, she didn't feel like she had to watch her words or meaning as much. If that feeling was true would remain to be seen.

"Have you traveled far from your temple before?"

[Iuchi Batul]

Hiroji Gives Tomonaga a smile and accepts the rice with a "Thank you" and starts to eat it slower than he usually does.
He nods at Batul's words and sighs. "Indeed, there is always rice."

"Cheer ub, big guy. I bromise I will look for something among the Unicorn kitchen that will make you amaze."

Tomonaga inclines his head, approving the attitude. "Yes, it's better as a surprise."

Then he watches, fascinated, as Batul examines the bun, raises his eyebrows as she suddenly bites it, and finally chuckles at her reaction. "That sounds promising." He says mildly, his eyes alight. He raises his sake cup, first to Batul, then to Hiroji. "This is a great way to start things off. Good food and drink. Maybe a few rough spots..." He gives Hiroji a covert smile, nodding approval as the man eats calming rice, "-but I'd say the Unicorn and the other clans are mixing well together, eh?"

"It is understandable to find rough sbots in our first diner together, but that is why the Fortunes sent us with strong licor." She added with a grin as she grabbed the nearest bottle of strong sake and poured to the people around her, and then someone to her own glass. "What is imbortant is that we are back together again, all in beace." She was actually surprised by it, by the calm and happy spirit in the room. When her ancestors had met the other tribes in the desert, they had reacted in different ways, but never so close. "We really do share a sbecial bond among samurai." She lifted her glass and drained the liquid down her throat without a thought. Then she giggled as it made it's effect on her.

[Asako Yuki]

Yuki raised an eyebrow at that. "Butahj?" Her pronunciation on that one was a little off. "What do you mean by peculiar?"

The Otaku covers her face with her hand while giggling a bit, "Gomen. Asako-san will see. He's quite... remarkable."

Yuki smirked a little and lifted her own hand to cover her face. "Is he handsome, then?" She asked with amusement sparkling in her eyes.

[Otaku Imane]

Even with half a bottle of sake in him, Yurio remembered to bow, military precision tm, before responding.

"I am Matsu Yurio, a pleasure to meet you, Otaku-sama. The meal was nice, not that I recognised everything."

Oh yes, lots of bowing! Imane reciprocated with a small bow and felt somewhat reassured by the response.

"Matsu Yurio-san. Oh this is lovely: I was thinking the same thing!" She smiled and saw the Scorpion looking over, who received a friendly nod. Her sister Chu-Pu got a small wave.

"Would you mind if ask you a few questions Matsu Yurio-san? I'm also finding many things unfamiliar. For example, I'm not sure what that is." She pointed at a bottle of shochu. "Quite fiery, but I think I like."

[Shinjo Liu Fei]

"It's not common. The islands are pretty mountainous so we don't have a lot of use for horses. But I'm sure it's been done."

"Something to be discovered in the future," she said, putting that particular avenue of conversation to bed. Looking about the people gathered for a moment. Giving herself enough time to manage a thought. Something to drag them down to equal footing again, "Mantis-san, how have you been enjoying the foods we've brought?"