Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head (D4, EE, Monkh's)

[Shinjo Monkhbaatar]

"That's not something I'd really like to bet on," he says with a smirk, setting down the brush and cloth so that he can refill her drink. "Seems like inviting bad luck to me."

After he refills her cup, he does so for his own and takes a drink before going back to work. "Who knows. Perhaps both of us will be picked before we get a chance in the end, and our standings won't even matter. I can't imagine that you don't have more admirers than myself."

[Usagi Tomoe]

"Jaa, who knows? I imagine you have more admirerers than I do, and you have many more choices before you too," she said with a smirk over her shoulder, accepting the full cup. "Thank you."

"Women must be nearly throwing themselves after you, neh?"

[Shinjo Monkhbaatar]

"Not really throwing themselves at me, but I've had many pleasant interactions," he replies. "I've been trying to cultivate friendships with potential matches. That way I'm likely to end up having a good relationship with whoever I end up with and have several friends among those I don't. Hopefully you are doing the same. I would like you to be happy when all is said and done. I hope that for everyone here."

[Usagi Tomoe]

"I like to think I've made friends, among both men and women here," she nodded slightly and took a sip of the kumis. "... I would like as many as possible to be happy when all is said and done, which includes you, Monkh-san."

"It is just difficult sometimes to weigh feelings of friendship with feelings of wanting to be with someone, and not get too attached to an idea since the future is uncertain. If that makes sense?" Tomoe laughed a little.

"A miai like this must be very unusual for the Unicorn, I imagine..."

[Shinjo Monkhbaatar]

"In some ways, yes. In others, not so much. We are very open to choosing someone to be with for the most part. The main restriction is that genealogy is looked into with matches to make sure that there is enough separation. Most of our arranged marriages in the past have only been with our kuge or other important samurai for purposes of good relations with other cultures," he explains.

"But the formality of it all? That is something new to us and the Ide worked a great deal with the Crane to figure all of that out. It's a similar amount of freedom that we are used to, with a restricted group to work with. Though it is for the clan and the empire and it's an excellent introduction to us for the formality that we'll be facing in the future."

[Usagi Tomoe]

"I've been told of the strict tradition around lineages and marriages," she said thoughtfully. "It is a little different than what's been the standard for some very important people in the Empire, but I can understand why it is the way it is."

She took another sip. "Do you find it to be very formal? I think some of us outside the Unicorn find it very relaxed and informal in many ways."

[Shinjo Monkhbaatar]

"Certainly more formal than how my parents met. My mother chased my father for months, they had catty back and forths, intimate moments of music and meals, long rides together avoiding the camps, sparring and training together, drinking contests and parties with mutual friends and close relatives. Eventually they met with an Iuchi friend of both families and were blessed with marriage. They've cared for each other a great deal, fighting and serving side by side on the great ride to protect me and the Unicorn. Compared to that, having options presented, told to mingle among them, and participate in tests to show off your talents is quite formal." Her hair was mostly dry now, and well brushed out so he set the brush and cloth aside. Taking up his cup, he downed it in one go.

"There we are. Now I can speak to you while looking you in the eye," he says with a smile.

[Usagi Tomoe]

"Thank you," she said as she turned, a hand caressing the smoothness of the brushed hair. "It is a chore for a maiden to maintain the long hair expected of a beautiful woman."

"Miai like these aren't all that common, but marriages are very often a formal matter, even when marrying inside the clan. Between clans, it is often a lot of formalities that must be observed, mostly because there will be different traditions that must be considered. For some clans, like the Lion Clan, it is not unusual for their samurai to enter contests of skills and dedicate their victories and winnings to their intended spouses."

She smiled fondly as she looked down at her cup. "For my parents, it was mostly a marriage of political convenience for their clans to ensure trade and friendship between their respective clans. But I remember the two of them being very kind and respectful to eachother, and I think father at least became very fond of mother."

[Shinjo Monkhbaatar]

"Another thing for us to get used to when it comes time for more politically important marriages. It seems we've just returned and the empire is spoiling us and taking it easy on us here." Refilling his emptied cup, he offers to top hers off. "But marriage between the clans and the Unicorn will make the strictures on intermarriage easier I imagine. Especially for the first few generations. Our record keepers will have to make sure not to become too relaxed."

[Usagi Tomoe]

Tomoe accepted the small refill to top her off.

"Who knows... I heard that some in your clan might not consider me suitable for marriage, since my lineage comes from the Fox Clan, thus all the way back to the Ki-Rin," Tomoe shrugged. "Though I was assured that such staunch traditionalists were not present here for this miai, and that this many generations separating us would be acceptable to those here."

"I just hope your record keepers won't have too much trouble keeping track of those who marry out, as I understand that this rule was set down by Lady Shinjo."

[Shinjo Monkhbaatar]

"Every clan has their own records of past marriages I'm guessing? Most samurai like to be able to honor their ancestors as I understand it. It's just an extra step in the process where the Unicorn are concerned I imagine, digging up records and such. And even traditionalists shouldn't have too much issue with eight centuries of separation. If they do they're just being unreasonable," he replies with a shrug. "You'll be fine."

[Usagi Tomoe]

"Most keep records of such, yes," she nodded. "But what makes records often complicated is when a samurai might lose their standing within their clan and become ronin, and then joins another clan later... or their children joins a clan."

Tomoe chuckled. "These pesky details make it so difficult for us who keep these records. How dare they?" she said, obviously jesting.

[Shinjo Monkhbaatar]

"Ronin is a new concept for us," he replies. "What is with that? Samurai without clan that serve no one? That seems... odd. You mentioned that ronin joined the Hare during your lesson yesterday. It's a bit confusing actually."

[Usagi Tomoe]

"Ah... yes, I hadn't considered that ronin might be a new concept for the Unicorn. Hmm..." there was something contemplative about her expression as she took a mouthful of kumis.

"Well, ronin are samurai without lords or clans, yes. Some lost their position as clan samurai and were punished by being stripped of their names and titles. Some are born ronin - bastard children of samurai... this is probably the most common type of ronin, but I can't say that for certain. Then there are some who decide to become ronin, because they either disagree with their lord or their clan so much that they feel they can't honorably stay."

"Lastly, there are those who are on a musha shugyo - a warrior's pilgrimage. Some samurai wish to devote themselves fully to the study of bushido and the sword, and following in the footsteps of the great swordsmen of old like Mirumoto and Kakita, they travel the Empire without the trappings of their social position and allegiances to test themselves."

[Shinjo Monkhbaatar]

"How strange. Anyone that does something to lose the respect of the clan would simply be expected to earn that respect back through service or would be cast out alone. Though we'd not take their name formally. I suspect most that have done so have lived among a different culture. And those bastards that are born tend to be raised and looked after by the clan, their family determined by their mother. But a warrior's pilgrimage? I suppose that our entire clan was on one of those for a few centuries," he smirks at that.