Party for 2 (D3 EE closed - Hideos Yurt)

[Ide Amaya]

She ponders this, "I believe it favours you, but green is a rare colour beyond the Empire. So little can grow in the sands, and what does tends to be hardy, not leafy. Most of the people of the desert prefer blue - the colour of life-giving water - to display wealth and taste. But green is the colour of the oasis, rare splashes of plant life spilling like emeralds on a golden blanket of sand."

[Seppun Hideo]

"I had meant as a colour for kimonos in the future" Hideo said with a chuckle "however that is an interesting piece of information. One of your kin, an Iuchi...Batul? She said the people of the sands fear the Sun Goddess, Amaterasu. Perhaps because something happened? If the lands are barren deserts, that could be caused by Amaterasu's wrathful gaze upon the lands?"

[Ide Amaya]

"i know," she flushed, "but I cannot quite picture how the colour will flatter me. Before coming to Rokugan, I don't think I'd seen a single item of clothing coloured green."

She nods, "the lands beyond the empire are scorched and harsh. The peoples there say that it was once a place lush and fertile, but that Lady Sun burned the ground until all that remained was the river Nahr'umar, though I know little more of the story than that. From one side of their mouths they say that there was some evil Lady Amaterasu sought to drive from the land, but from the other they call her fickle and fear her invoking wrath."

[Seppun Hideo]

"Hm...I could allow you to hold one of mine but it would not be an accurare image with our varied builds. My cousin Seppun Hitako is not too dissimilar, except in height" Hideo mused as he took a sip of tea, putting the cup down before he spoke again.

"I cannot see Lady Amaterasu being fickle and cruel for no reason. She is our blessed Sun, and while I can imagine her wrath being terrible I also believe it to be just. I cannot say I know anything of the sands though. I would love to study more on gaijin lore to understand them better."

[Ide Amaya]

Sipping her tea peacefully, she thinks back. "The tale goes that evil spirits captured Lady Amaterasu and conquered the sky. When the honoured Lady Sun awoke, with her grace she destroyed those who would keep her prisoner, and so in her wrath the lands were burnt."

[Seppun Hideo]

"Tales with gods and goddesses are so bloody, neh?"Hideo commented with a nod "with a tale like that though I can understand why they are afraid. Do you believe it though?"

[Ide Amaya]

Amaya nods, "I do. I believe Lady Amaterasu keeps the lands beyond the Empire, just as she does Rokugan. And I do not take such a tale to suggest the blessed Lady to be unkind. But those beyond the Empire are quite fearful of invoking her ire."

She indicates to the box of sweets, "please try the mahua."

[Seppun Hideo]

Hideo accepted the sweet with a warm smile at Amaya, collecting one and popping it into his mouth thoughtfully while he considered her opinion on Amaterasu...but she could tell he was caught surprised by the taste.

"What are these made of?" He asked once he finished his mouthful.

[Ide Amaya]

"It's a sweetened dough, fried in peanut oil until they are crisp. Not as nice as the boortsog, I admit." She helped herself to one.

[Seppun Hideo]

"You have brought many fried sweets home from the lands beyond the empire" Hideo commented with a chuckle "I can see one getting addicted to these sweets very easily is they are not used to them. I believe I also favoured boor...boortog?" He checked his pronounciation.

[Ide Amaya]

She smiled, proud of his attempt, "boortsog, with an S," but when she said it, she trilled the R a little on her tongue. "When you ride long through the day, it can take a lot out of a person. Fried sweets are essential to any hope of maintaining one's energy."

[Seppun Hideo]

"Boort-sog" Hideo attempted again, happier with his second attempt "so these treats are to assist with recovering energy and prepare for the next day? How practical, I shall ensure that the chefs learn how to perfect the boort-sog for after a long day. It would be quite lovely to have while relaxing with tea and conversing over the days activities. Don't you think so?"

[Ide Amaya]

"You mean, as we're doing now? I think that it should be quite delightful."

[Seppun Hideo]

"I had imagined it more in a large room in my home than in a yurt, but hai quite like this" Hideo chuckled "although in that situation you don't have to leave to go back to your yurt, we could stay until we retired to our futon for the night."

[Ide Amaya]

She blushed lightly at the thought of spending the night with the handsome Imperial, "would it truly matter where we were? I would rather take tea with you in a yurt than with Shinjo-Kami herself in the Imperial Palace."