Dark Edge Village

Dressed in an elegant kimono of blue, with small silver lilies about the wrists and ankles, a petite Crane woman looks at the cage before her.

My golden cage is made of leather and full of fur. she thinks.

Her gaze turns to her possessions which had been neatly stacked by the yurt. Fine silk kimonos, bottles of sake, books by talented Crane authors, and more.

How long until the weather makes them look like I feel inside? she wondered.

Hideo had arrived slightly after the Crane, after instructing where to send his supplies. He looked over the tents with an amusing smile.

I guess they didn't have time to prepare...

Noticing that he wasn't alone, the Imperial priest turned his gaze to look at the little flower gazing at her supplies.

She looks even less prepared for the Unicorn than the Unicorn are for us.

Moving closer, he bowed to the girl but didn't speak right away. She may not want company after all.

"Hey lady, you need help setting up your tent?" said a very young looking Unicorn... boy? man...? who was wandering by, and made to approach Doji Fukawa, showing none of the reserve displayed by the Seppun gentleman.

The Unicorn peered at Fukawa's pile of silk kimono doubtfully. "Did they forget to give you tent poles or something?" he asked.

Not far away the dulcet tones of a young Panthera leo matsu militarus-minimus * in distress could be heard from a nearby yurt.

Apparently fur was upsetting.



* Not to be confused with Panthera leo matsu militarus-shikyu which is minimus in family size rather than just size.

The delicate dance of court, even when one was not at court, was something the Crane were keenly attuned to. The Crane's body language read to anyone with a hint of courtly grace that she would of course submit to Imperial company. However, the formal verbal offer was pre-empted by a Unicorn cavalry charge.


"Tent poles...." she says, almost distractedly, reaching for one of the fans on the pile of things.

A graceful flick of the wrist unfurls the fan, a delicate work suggesting cherry blossoms in spring upon a lake.

"Doji Nishikawa would be cut quite to the quick to hear her creations mistaken for tents." she says with a musical, pleasant voice.

Her eyes consider the unicorn, revealing nothing on their own. Then, a polite bow is given.

"I am Doji Fukawa." she offers as a pleasant introduction. "Might the Unicorn ambassador of Sadane honor me with his name?"

As for the Imperial, and even the far off Lion, the Crane let them decided whom they would interact with. Hospitality sometimes meant letting things fall naturally.

Hideo had prepared himself mentally for how the Unicorn would be. Behind on etiquette perhaps, a little direct in their speech.

But to mix kimonos up for a tent? The man held back a frown as he took the final step into conversation distance, giving the Unicorn child a polite bow.

"Mina-san, good morning. I hope you are both well?"

Doji Fukawa wrote:A graceful flick of the wrist unfurls the fan, a delicate work suggesting cherry blossoms in spring upon a lake.

"Doji Nishikawa would be cut quite to the quick to hear her creations mistaken for tents." she says with a musical, pleasant voice.

"Oh, it's not a tent?" the Unicorn queried. "Huh! It seems like a lot of silk for anything else though?"

Doji Fukawa wrote:Her eyes consider the unicorn, revealing nothing on their own. Then, a polite bow is given.

"I am Doji Fukawa." she offers as a pleasant introduction. "Might the Unicorn ambassador of Sadane honor me with his name?"

"Oh yeah. I'm Moto Baatar," he said at this reminder. "I'm just a rider, though, not the ambassador of anything." Baatar stood a little straighter, though, at the thought that this obviously elegant lady must have mistaken him for someone important.

"Are you related to this Doji Nishikawa? Is she someone I should know?" he asked.

Seppun Hideo wrote:"Mina-san, good morning. I hope you are both well?"

"Morning," the Unicorn agreed. "I'm okay. I was just helping this lady with her tent. Uh...or whatever it is."

The now, thankfully, less audible Lion exited his yurt, with a small ball of equally annoyed live fur in his arms.



"How could they?" He said to no one in particular.

Apparently large cat furs were not appreciated in Lion accommodations.

Was there a smile behind the fan? If there was, it caught it utterly.

"Doji Nishikawa is the artisan who designed these kimonos." she explained casually answering both questions. "She wouldn't be a bad person to know if you are planning to attend a Winter Court this season. I'm sure there are many artisans who will be seeing who can do purple the best justice this season."

Fukawa bowed, as was proper, to the Imperial.

"All things considered, I am well, Seppun-sama." she replied. "Please allow me to introduce myself. I am Doji Fukawa. Have you had rice?"

Monkhbaatar found himself meandering by the northern Yurts on the first morning of the miai, mounted on Meushi. He had his supplies packed up on her just in case he might have something be able to help any guests he came across, going out of his way to be hospitable.

OOC: waiting for someone specific

Hideo managed to resist a chuckle as the Crane clarified the issue.

"The work of Doji Nishikawa is recognizable, and I am certain she would relish the challenge of working with the Unicorn for Winter Court season. I am Seppun Hideo. It is an honour to meet you both, mina-san."

He looked to the boy again.

"I haven't yet had a chance to partake in inari's blessing this morning, as I only arrived very recently. Have you both partaken in Inari's blessing?"

Shinjo Monkhbaatar wrote:Monkhbaatar found himself meandering by the northern Yurts on the first morning of the miai, mounted on Meushi. He had his supplies packed up on her just in case he might have something be able to help any guests he came across, going out of his way to be hospitable.

OOC: waiting for someone specific

A lonesome Moshi soaked the sun rays that the blessed Lady Amaterasu had bestowed this day. The little young lady said a prayers then continued her way to the market. She carried a basket and in it some sticks and a pouch. She stopped the Unicorn and smiled. "Blessings of the Lady Sun Unicorn sama. Can you help me?"

Doji Fukawa wrote:Was there a smile behind the fan? If there was, it caught it utterly.

"Doji Nishikawa is the artisan who designed these kimonos." she explained casually answering both questions. "She wouldn't be a bad person to know if you are planning to attend a Winter Court this season. I'm sure there are many artisans who will be seeing who can do purple the best justice this season."

"You have artists make your kimono?" Baatar asked, visibly impressed. "Are they painted or something? Like your fan?"

Seppun Hideo wrote:"The work of Doji Nishikawa is recognizable, and I am certain she would relish the challenge of working with the Unicorn for Winter Court season. I am Seppun Hideo. It is an honour to meet you both, mina-san."

He looked to the boy again.

"Oh, um, right," the Unicorn said at the Imperial's look. "Nice to meet you too," he recited, as if it were a memorized phrase.

"Do people really attend Winter Court in the summer?" he asked, continuing to barrage the two of them with curious questions. "That seems really odd."

Moshi Asakiko wrote:A lonesome Moshi soaked the sun rays that the blessed Lady Amaterasu had bestowed this day. The little young lady said a prayers then continued her way to the market. She carried a basket and in it some sticks and a pouch. She stopped the Unicorn and smiled. "Blessings of the Lady Sun Unicorn sama. Can you help me?"

"I'd be more than happy to try my best," he says with a nod and a pleasant smile. Hopping down from Meushi, he bowed to her in introduction. A not well practiced bow. "I am Shinjo Monkhbaatar. How can I be of service?"

"An honor to meet you Seppun-sama. I have had rice, thank you for asking." she responds.

She turned her attention to the Unicorn again. He was polite enough, but he didn't yet seem to grasp how much importance was placed on proper forms and exact words. But she was here to get married, not teach etiquette to Unicorn.

"Art permeates everything the Crane do, Moto-san. It is not enough to make a sharp sword, or a filling meal. Everything one creates is a chance to honor Lady Doji's gift of the arts and culture." she explains.

She flutters her fan a bit.

"As for court, the purpose of court tends to change with the season. Court in the summer tends to be about the business of government. While the armies of the clans are on the march, decisions still need to be made about matters of law and government. Winter Court, on the other hand, tends to focus a bit more on relationships between the clans, and the practical matter of passing the time when one cannot safely travel the Empire." she says.

It was strange, the Unicorn's odd questions were certainly drawing the Doji out of her shell of misery, but she wasn't sure why. Something about his honest nature perhaps.