[D2 EA] A Picnic

[Bayushi Suteichi]

Amaya's eyes glittered, hypnotised by the agile movement of his fingers across the strings. As he finishes, she clasps her hands, pressing them to her breast, "Bayushi-Sama, that was flawless," she recalled the word he had used the day before, "truly you honour us." She catches herself before she can insult the handsome samurai with a gushing complement.

"What is it that your father does?"

"I am honored that you liked it Ide-sama. My father is a magistrate for Ryoko Owari Toshi. May I inquire about you. Tell me of yourself, you family. Ide-sama. I would very much like to know about you."

[Bayushi Hotaru]

Hotaru's mind went on a tangent when Dong-Ha talked about being on a horse most of the time and the limits of their hobby. Not much to do on a horse, except for eating one too, apparently. I thought the Unicorn valued their horses enough to not turn them into meat...

"I wouldn't mind dancing sometime! Actually, it's something I'm planning to do here. I did a small performance for the local air kami this morning, but it is my hope that I can do a formal kagura for the local shrine sometime." She nodded eagerly at that idea. It would help to spend her mornings at the temple and greet the early worshippers who wished to pay their respects to the great ancestor there.

"Oooh? It sounds like to me that Ide-san went above and beyond when planning this meal!" She gave a deep nod in Amaya's direction to show her gratitude. Her chopsticks avoided the items that were made with milk apparently, now trying one of those meatballs that her cousin seemed to have taken a liking too. A part of her wondered it was flattery, but she shall find out for herself. She was quiet for a bit at the others talked, slowly chewing and not being rude to talk with a full mouth. Thankfully, Suteichi was there to answers questions regarding their traditional custom.

Hotaru nodded along with the song that was played. It clearly wasn't meant for her, but she was pretty impressed by it nevertheless. "That was very well done, Suteichi-san! An excellent piece with a lot of earnest behind it. Maybe history will find a way to repeat itself?" She gave her commentary in encouragement.

[Ide Amaya]

The implication of Hotaru's statement went right over Amaya's head, or perhaps she was so dazed by the male Scorpion' that she wasn't really paying attention.

She considers the question, taking a sip of tea, "nothing so important as that, Bayushi-Sama. My father has been a diplomat. He is a specialist in languages, and he speaks many to a greater or lesser degree. For this reason, he assisted whenever we made contact with those not of the Clan." She pauses before adding, "which was hardly an every day occurrence. He spent most of time studying language and teaching Mekhem to his students. What he will do now remains to be seen."

She waited to see his response before continuing to her mother.

[Bayushi Suteichi]

The implication of Hotaru's statement went right over Amaya's head, or perhaps she was so dazed by the male Scorpion' that she wasn't really paying attention.

She considers the question, taking a sip of tea, "nothing so important as that, Bayushi-Sama. My father has been a diplomat. He is a specialist in languages, and he speaks many to a greater or lesser degree. For this reason, he assisted whenever we made contact with those not of the Clan." She pauses before adding, "which was hardly an every day occurrence. He spent most of time studying language and teaching Mekhem to his students. What he will do now remains to be seen."

She waited to see his response before continuing to her mother.

Suteichi's eyebrow raised just slightly.

"Mek...Mek ham?! Forgive my lazy tongue. I am not familiar with this language you speak of. Please continue."

[Ide Amaya]

"Mek-hem," she repeated for his benefit, but it sounded almost like she was swallowing the hard K sound, or coughing it up.

"Mother was born of the Moto family. She played a vital role, guarding us with her Battle Maiden sisters, as we journeyed for Rokugan." She selected one of the crisp, fried dumplings and popped it into her mouth to indicate that she had said really all there was to say.

[Bayushi Suteichi]

"Ah. Fair enough. My mother was a Kakita before marrying my father. A student of the courts. You can say that law, order, as well as music are a part of me. As is the arts, such as poetry."

[Ide Amaya]

Cocking her head slightly, "duality." The word hung in the air for some time until it seemed like she wasn't going to explain. Law is like the stone, hard and unyielding, but it's strength is the foundation on which we build our lives. But the arts are water, fluid and endlessly malleable. They fill the spaces around us like the water fills even the smallest pocket in the stone. But water has a power all its own, even over the stone at times."

"It is a good thing. For the tree may reach the clouds, but the bamboo bends before the winds without breaking." In her soft, pleasant voice, her ramblings almost seem like a performance.

[Iuchi Dong-Ha]

"Not bad, not bad at all." Dong-Ha nodded to Suteichi as he finished his performance. "Cannot say I have heard the song before either, thank you!" Figuring he didn't want to dip his fingers into the meat ball sauce, he grabbed a pair of chopsticks to plop one of the meaty morsels in his mouth, humming softly.

"I wouldn't mind dancing sometime! Actually, it's something I'm planning to do here. I did a small performance for the local air kami this morning, but it is my hope that I can do a formal kagura for the local shrine sometime." She nodded eagerly at that idea. It would help to spend her mornings at the temple and greet the early worshippers who wished to pay their respects to the great ancestor there.

Not that much remained of the shrine. The fact that she was willing to perform her supplications outdoors didn't strike as odd to Dong-Ha, having literally seen little else during his lifetime. "I am sure that would be interesting. Pray tell me, are such dances common within the Empire or something your shrine is known for?"

[Bayushi Suteichi]

Cocking her head slightly, "duality." The word hung in the air for some time until it seemed like she wasn't going to explain. Law is like the stone, hard and unyielding, but it's strength is the foundation on which we build our lives. But the arts are water, fluid and endlessly malleable. They fill the spaces around us like the water fills even the smallest pocket in the stone. But water has a power all its own, even over the stone at times."

"It is a good thing. For the tree may reach the clouds, but the bamboo bends before the winds without breaking." In her soft, pleasant voice, her ramblings almost seem like a performance.

Suteichi nodded.

"The tree that grows must have the proper support in order to thrive. Without it, the tree withers and dies. A head is at the top of the body but it is nothing without a neck to support it. I am curious of the ideal man who would be honored to have your support Ide-sama." he met her eyes with a smile.

[Bayushi Hotaru]

Hotaru couldn't help but chuckle a little. "As wonderful as my shrine is, a bright spot in a small pilgrimage town, I can't say that we are the only ones to dance to appease the kami. To be truthful, such dances are perhaps more common place in the Phoenix lands, where the Clan is rightfully known for their devout nature. That isn't to say that they aren't found elsewhere in the Empire to some degree, a few in my Clan have adopted them. There are some shugenja who see the kami more as tool than a friend. Shugenja aren't obligated to such roots, if they wished."

She placed a hand on her heart to show a small gesture of pride. "I consider myself more of the latter, of course, and maintain such traditions in my duties as an honoured shrine maiden. Honoured the kami does give you an edge in appreciating the strings of fate from the Heavens, we must start small before realizing the grander aspects of life."

[Ide Amaya]

Unbeknownst to Amaya, this wouldn't be the last time she was asked that question today, though it was bound to come up again and again over the length of the ma-ai.

"I have little to offer apart from the binding of the Unicorn to my future husband. So long as he was kind to me and patient as I learn a life entirely new from what I have known, then how could I say that the match made me unhappy?"

[Bayushi Suteichi]

Suteichi sat back a bit after her answer. He maintained his smile of sorts but he did not let on that her answer was not a sufficient one, at least to him. There was a certain type of match he was looking for. Kindness and patience are fine but what about duty, sincerity, loyalty? How would she know how to deal with issues and matters that he himself faced? Could she show the same level of patience and kindness to a deadly creature that she would grow to love yet one day that creature would sting her and poison her?

Her innocence is as beautiful as she is. If she were my bride, that innocence would be unjustly taken away because of what I am and that is the best part about her. It would be a greater curse to rob the world of her innocence.

"Did you say that you sing Ide-sama?" Suteichi changed the subject.

[Ide Amaya]

The Scorpion's mask revealed nothing, but his silence did. She put the thought aside, be courteous, she reminded herself of her sensei's words, be dutiful.

She put her smile on for Suteichi, "I do sing, would it please you to hear a song?"

[Bayushi Suteichi]

"Would you grace us with a song or would you need some music to assist you?"

[Iuchi Dong-Ha]

Hotaru couldn't help but chuckle a little. "As wonderful as my shrine is, a bright spot in a small pilgrimage town, I can't say that we are the only ones to dance to appease the kami. To be truthful, such dances are perhaps more common place in the Phoenix lands, where the Clan is rightfully known for their devout nature. That isn't to say that they aren't found elsewhere in the Empire to some degree, a few in my Clan have adopted them. There are some shugenja who see the kami more as tool than a friend. Shugenja aren't obligated to such roots, if they wished."

She placed a hand on her heart to show a small gesture of pride. "I consider myself more of the latter, of course, and maintain such traditions in my duties as an honoured shrine maiden. Honoured the kami does give you an edge in appreciating the strings of fate from the Heavens, we must start small before realizing the grander aspects of life."

"I see. So many of the religious practices originates from the children of Shiba-kami then?" Phoenix had not been known for their piety, but their power, when the Ki-Rin had left the Empire. He had little to say about the kami as he did not hear the whispers. However, Donh-Ha mused, if one could command them, why bother taking all the time just to placate them?

Summoning his best Ide face, Dong-Ha nodded to Hotaru. "It must be so. Every landslide starts from a pebble, every storm from a gust of wind." He quipped done age old adage, musing yo himself that whoever married her would start their new life small in a very literal sense. "What else the maidens of the shrines do?"