Opening Ceremony (Day 1, Early Afternoon)

[Otaku Imane]

Well that was a lovely opening speech! Imane smiled and looked around at the many faces dressed in unfamiliar clan colours. Home was strange and foreign land.

Was it too soon to jump on Almatar and ride off? Probably. She threw a wistful look at her horse where it waited patiently with several other Otaku steeds. Imane supposed it would be expected that she stop and speak to someone.

She looked around for someone who appeared pleasant and her eyes settled on the man in the flame-coloured robes. With a quickness that belied her size she approached Isawa Nonin.

"Ohayou samurai-sama. Welcome to Unicorn lands." It was strange to think of them like that. "I am Otaku Imane." She began to offer a hand before remembering it wasn't something these foreign...ah, these cousins did. Her hand continued upwards to brush a stray hair away from her face.

[Yuzuki]

"Only in a strong storm. Like the one that killed my parents."

She said it pretty casually.

"Most of the time they're not as big as that."

[Iuchi Batul]

He shook his head, "You didn't do anything improper Iuchi-san I assure you. Your poise is a credit to your study. I assume it must be quite difficult to learn about all the ins and outs of the culture around here. Don't feel constrained when talking to me though, I'm not the biggest stickler for the rules."

He then smiled again and nodded, "I am indeed here for the miai. It should be an interesting adventure. My family too is known for their priests and priestesses, but I alas was not blessed with that special gift. Hopefully there'll be people who can find some use for me anyway."

He chuckled in a self-deferential manner.

There was a slight movement of the shoulders of Batul as she relaxed a bit after hearing that she needed not to be constrained, and even a sigh moved out of her. "My brotocol doesn't give me much more than that, actually. But I already feel strange looks because of my bigger eyes, and accent when I sbeak." She smiled as she thought he understood her well.

"You need not worry, Yuuru-san." She winked as she changed to the more informal form. "We all have a service to our clan, from the stable boy to the Chambion." Even a little bit more, Batul's shoulder and her full stance now seemed to relax. "Just follow the virtues of the samurai, and all will be well."

[Iuchi Dong-Ha]

"Only in a strong storm. Like the one that killed my parents."

She said it pretty casually.

"Most of the time they're not as big as that."

"I am sorry for your loss." Dong-Ha lowered his gaze, not entirely sure what to say. "Sea... sounds quite dangerous."

[Yogo Yuichi]

Liu Yue nodded at his name then kept her mouth shut. She was perceptive enough to at least keep quiet during the governor's speech.

"I believe everyone present is here searching for a spouse, Yuichi-dono," she replied, unaware of any Brotherhood onlookers. She paused. "The organizers may be the only exceptions."

'' Not me...'' He once again replied plainly, without looking at her.

another pause.

'' I mean, if it would depend on me, I wouldn't even be here... but I guess I have no choice'' He shruggs. Once again he turns to speak to her directly.

'' So... you are a descendant of Shinjo-no-kami. Are you trained to do something? Bushi? Courtier? Shugenja? '' He asked, his tone of voice was a bit rude. His eyes inspected her, again.

[Mirumoto Chou]

...

This begins to sound promising.

"Being a magistrate is a noble duty," Chou said with a nod. "I might not have minded such a role myself."

There.

"What did the Unicorn magistrates do in those far-off lands? What sort of laws did the gaijin have?"

[Isawa Nonin]

She looked around for someone who appeared pleasant and her eyes settled on the man in the flame-coloured robes. With a quickness that belied her size she approached Isawa Nonin.

"Ohayou samurai-sama. Welcome to Unicorn lands." It was strange to think of them like that. "I am Otaku Imane." She began to offer a hand before remembering it wasn't something these foreign...ah, these cousins did. Her hand continued upwards to brush a stray hair away from her face.

"Domo, Otaku-san," said the Phoenix with a bow, he seemed a little overwhelmed by it all. "I am Isawa Nonin, a shugenja of the Phoenix Clan. It is a pleasure to meet you and to be here."

"This one hopes that you are well." He added.

[Bayushi Suteichi]

After the dojo, Suteichi went to a place where he would be most comfortable, a courtly setting. He made a quick scan of the room and paid due respect to the Ide governor. He walked through to find a place where he could observe what was going on. He maintained an approachable demeanor and was attentive to the conversations around him.

((OOC: If you approach; it goes down in the PM))

[Yuzuki]

"I am sorry for your loss." Dong-Ha lowered his gaze, not entirely sure what to say. "Sea... sounds quite dangerous."

"It can be. But it is also beautiful. The sea gives, and the sea takes."

[Soshi Bantu]

Yukarin arrives and does stuff.

Bantu too arrives, looking to do stuff.

And spots a Unicorn maiden who seems to carry herself with some poise and grace and doesn't seem quite as...exotic as the others.

A perfect entry point to ease myself into these waters, Bantu thinks as he approaches the woman and offers a bow of greeting.

"Soshi Bantu, student of the sword and a representative of the Scorpion Clan at this gathering. If it would please you, I would be honored if you could spare a few moments of your afternoon for conversation?"

[Iuchi Dong-Ha]

"It can be. But it is also beautiful. The sea gives, and the sea takes."

"I kinda want to see the sea one day. Though, maybe from a shore instead of of a boat." A short pause. "Sea monsters? Large green creatures with ghoulish wings and tentacles in place of a jaw, that sleep under the waves? Giant... fish that swallow entire boats? Flying fish-women who sing alluring songs?"

[Otaku Imane]

"Oh, thank you Isawa Nonin-sama. Very well thank you: I took Almatar for a gallop earlier. We both needed it." She laughed sweetly, there was a slight accent to her words that a scholar might recognise from the language of the Sands.

"You are the first Phoenix I have ever met. I suppose that makes you the first my line has met in 700 years or so... Would you tell me a little of your people perhaps?"

[Shinjo Liu Yue]

'' Not me...'' He once again replied plainly, without looking at her.

another pause.

'' I mean, if it would depend on me, I wouldn't even be here... but I guess I have no choice'' He shruggs. Once again he turns to speak to her directly.

'' So... you are a descendant of Shinjo-no-kami. Are you trained to do something? Bushi? Courtier? Shugenja? '' He asked, his tone of voice was a bit rude. His eyes inspected her, again.

The Shinjo swallowed her surprise. She was not keen on being here herself, given her injuries and such, but she made no complaint of it. For Yuichi to do so so openly was baffling to her. She saw it polite, though, to not press the issue.

"Bushi," she replied, plainly, a bit surprised that the man did not notice her daisho. Must be the mask. She did not dwell on it. "And yourself?"

It was lost on her the irony of her judging him for not noticing her daisho when she did not note his scroll satchel.

[Shinjo Monkhbaatar]

...

"Well, I only really heard stories mostly. I was born during the great ride so we only ever passed through gaijin holdings in my youth. But when we did, our magistrates mostly would do their best to make sure we didn't upset local laws and helped resolve disputes between Unicorn. The nature of the nomadic ride back to the empire and limited resources meant most people did not wish to do anything that would put the clan in danger," he says with a nod. "They would sometimes be involved when the Ide needed to discuss things with gaijin, to ensure that everything was handled according to our and their laws. They were really more for keeping peace and reminding people of the laws than enforcing them, but the would do so when it came up. Things like bandits and disagreements outside the clan were usually more of a military matter because any force big enough to harass us would have had to be a militaristic threat."

[Yuzuki]

"I kinda want to see the sea one day. Though, maybe from a shore instead of of a boat." A short pause. "Sea monsters? Large green creatures with ghoulish wings and tentacles in place of a jaw, that sleep under the waves? Giant... fish that swallow entire boats? Flying fish-women who sing alluring songs?"

"Sure. We have some of those. Orochi for example are giant sea serpents. But you don't really see a lot of them and they keep to themselves mostly."