[D1 LM] Visiting the Lonely Shrine

[Ide Amaya]

"I know little of what is planned," Amaya offers, "but as is befitting the role of my family, the Ide will be providing today's events. I believe there was some mention of food. There will be an announcement at high-sun, which is not far away now." She glanced upwards, noting the Lady Sun's position in the sky.

[Asako Yuki]

Yuki nodded at their answers, accepting them without question. "That makes sense I suppose." She paused to consider everything. "Ah well, it would ruin the surprise to figure it out, neh?" She smiled warmly to the two Unicorn.

[Ide Amaya]

Amaya laughs a little, "in that case I do hope it will be a nice surprise. I wish I could say more, but every time I tried to help I was shooed away and told that I had more important things to concern myself with." She looked at graceful ladies and felt like a Rokugani pony standing next to a proud Otaku steed, and smiled nervously, though it did not reach her worried eyes.

[Kakita Nanami]

"Indeed, I am curious as to what sort of events the families of the Unicorn have planned for us." The shugenja looked up to the sky slightly, a slight frown on her face, and replaced the hat upon her head; her fan snapped open and began waving, "Though I must admit I am... curious as to what to expect of Unicorn cuisine. It is my understanding from Monkbater - " try as she might, she seemed to mangle the name - "that you did not have large supplies of rice."

"And it would seem impractical to cease riding long enough to fish for so large a number..."

[Shinjo Monkhbaatar]

"We eat a lot of different foods picked up from many different cultures outside of the Empire. Meats, breads, cheese, and plants. Things that could be hunted and foraged before being stored for longer periods, or animals could walk alongside us as we traveled," he explains.

[Asako Yuki]

Yuki nodded at Monkhbataarar's explanation. "Anything that lasts is common in the Burning Sands as well. You won't be seeing things like fugu out there. Well, I mean, mostly because the fish doesn't live there, but also because freshly killed fish like that would be rare."

[Ide Amaya]

Amaya nodded thoughtfully, "foods that do not perish in the sand's dry heat are common, too; but I think it unlikely that the family will serve much by the way of dried fish and meat, it's hardly dignified. But we traded for grain and fish where we could, and many of our number remember a time before the Ride and the recipes that were favoured then."

"The Burning Sands can be a surprising place," she added, "one might ride for several days through what appears to endless rolling dunes and never realise that an oasis - where wild ponies gather gather to drink from a pool brimming with shimmering fish while birds of every colour imaginable squabble in the trees - was hidden from their sight all along, that they had only needed to shift direction slightly to find it."

[Kakita Nanami]

"Chiisu?" the Kakita frowned slightly. "I do not recognize that word, again. I will have to ensure I prepare myself for meals if there is such a wide variety of new meals I might encounter. And I hope our own ambassadors will provide you with a good array of tastes from across the lands..."

As many, of course, as could be provided this far from any center of culture, she thought.

[Shinjo Monkhbaatar]

"Yes. It is processed aged milk. Quite delicious. But I look forward to trying as much Rokugani food as I can," he says with a grin.

[Asako Yuki]

Yuki didn't have a courtier's training, but she still managed to mostly not make a face at the notion of aged milk being delicious. "I will have to, err, be on the look out for that one."

[Ide Amaya]

At Yuki's expression, Amaya murmurs. Carefully, "sometimes it's better not to think about how food is prepared. I think it's easier to taste something before you know what it is," she pauses and a solemn look comes over her, "unless it smells like feet."

[Asako Yuki]

Yuki wavered a bit with the explanation. "Hai, I'm sure Shinjo-san is correct. There will be many things we will all have to get used to." She murmured back.

[Shinjo Monkhbaatar]

"Well, not just get used to. There will be many things we all enjoy learning about each other too," he replies with a chuckle.