The Welcome Dinner (Post-Event Thread) [D1, Early Evening]

[Mindshred]

The Ide have prepared a large welcoming feast for Unicorn and Rokugani alike. The tables are stacked with food both traditional and more exotic, showcasing a variety of foods from within the Empire and beyond its borders. Tea, sake, sochu, and a fermented milk drink called kumis are all available to guests, as are a variety of meats, breads, vegetables, and sweets.

Servants move between the tables, refilling drinks and bringing out new plates of food as necessary, while the Ide watch from a distance, quietly conversing among themselves as they watch their guests.

[You may only post in this thread if you have participated in the Welcome Dinner Event or if you are not participating in the miai (and thus do not have a Courtship Point value)]

[Shinjo Monkhbaatar]

Monkhbaatar was sitting and enjoying a cup of kumis and sampling some of the sweets of the empire that he had never tried before. It was almost too much new stuff for him to handle... almost!

[Shinjo Akil]

Akil was seated as well, enjoying the unicorn food as much as he could and saving the normal rokugani fair for as long as humanly possible. He knew eventually he would have to try it... but why rush?

[Suki]

Suki watched as the miai began to unfold, curiously observing the Unicorn and their guests. A plate of vegetables and a cup of water sit before her, the monk picking idly at her simple meal. While she was unconcerned with the more exotic foods, she was also in no particular hurry to try them.

Dressed in a plain robe and sandals, the latter out of respect for the formal event, she knew she stuck out among the numerous, silk-clad warriors. As such, while offering bows when necessary, she did her best to keep her head down.

[Kazue]

Kazue eyed the food and festivities with quiet politeness. Everything seemed to be going well so far, a good sign, though she hadn't been sure exactly what to expect. The various vegetables were interesting, some more common in Rokugani cuisine than others; she expected some may be found in the steppes and beyond, things that the Unicorn were more familiar with. Still, it was better than what appeared to be stacks of animal, which was apparently common for the newly returned clan to eat. It smelled...interesting. She wasn't sure if she liked the odor or not, though given the rules of the temple she wouldn't have consumed meat anyway.

The most confusing to her, though, seemed to be the strange smelling drink (it had a bit of a bite to the smell, like shochu or sake, was it alcoholic too? Another excuse not to try it) that a nearby unicorn was drinking. It was white too, like the slurry left over when the monks were making paper at the temples. Well, he seemed to enjoy it, at least.

...Was that another monk?

[Usagi Tsukimi]

Tsukimi was hunched over. Slightly paler than norm. A bit of sweat on her brow, she looked on in concentration, and watched the other samurai - looking for those the most interesting, or who might show a bit of interest in her.
Oh how her stomach hurt. But it was worth it. She was here! And this was fun.
She sipped some sake to dull the stomach pains, and looked on.
Ow.

[Yuzuki]

Normally, Yuzuki tended to have a single expression fixed in place: boredom. Right now she had a number of expressions flashing across her face though! Unfortunately, they were all primarily variations on disgust, though there was a hint of morbid curiosity as well.

It was all too obvious she wasn't thrilled about the prospect of eating the food. Though at the very least her reaction upon actually consuming the food was more one of neutral acceptance. It was food. It didn't upset her stomach. But it was all so... foreign.

[Suki]

Equally surprised to see another member of the Brotherhood present, Suki offered the young lady a polite bow. She glanced at the spot beside her, then back up at the monk; an offer to join her. She kept the gesture subtle, offering Kazue the opportunity to politely ignore it if she wished to speak with others, or to spend the meal in quiet contemplation.

[Asako Yuki]

Yuki was all smiles and blushes as she sat at the table, looking around at all the new and interesting food. Delicately she picked out a tiny piece of white something that the Unicorn explained was cheese. She peeled it carefully, squishing it softly as it started to crumble, and then quickly plopped it in her mouth, chewing a few times before her eyes started to sparkle.

"This is delicious."

Glancing around the table, the Phoenix maiden tried to sneak a few more pieces of cheese.

[Shinjo Monkhbaatar]

Tsukimi was hunched over. Slightly paler than norm. A bit of sweat on her brow, she looked on in concentration, and watched the other samurai - looking for those the most interesting, or who might show a bit of interest in her.
Oh how her stomach hurt. But it was worth it. She was here! And this was fun.
She sipped some sake to dull the stomach pains, and looked on.
Ow.

Spotting someone who seemed to be having a rough go of things, he decided to see if he might be able to take her mind off whatever had her in a sweat. He moved from his seat and found his way to join the young woman. "Good evening. I'm Shinjo Monkhbaatar. It's nice to meet you," he says with a pleasant smile and a passable bow, if not precise. "Do you mind if I join you?"

[Usagi Tsukimi]

Spotting someone who seemed to be having a rough go of things, he decided to see if he might be able to take her mind off whatever had her in a sweat. He moved from his seat and found his way to join the young woman. "Good evening. I'm Shinjo Monkhbaatar. It's nice to meet you," he says with a pleasant smile and a passable bow, if not precise. "Do you mind if I join you?"

She sat up straight! Ooo! Attention! she offered a smile that was sort of a wince, and patted the spot next to her.

"Please! Ohayo; this one is Usagi Tsukimi. All the exotic food is disagreeing with me, I think, but I relish the flavours all the same. It is nice to meet you, Shinjo-san. How were your travels?"

[Kakita Nanami]

The taste of the 'cha-iisu' still in her mouth, Kakita Nanami sipped at what could barely pass for tea (where were the complex aromas and flavours?). The fare put before them was unusual, she had to admit, and - despite the strange accents she heard around her - the conversation flowing around the tables seemed to be not far from the norm. She sighed, closing her eyes; perhaps this wouldn't be the hardship she had imagined...

[Kazue]

Kazue made eye contact for just a moment with Suki and offered a bow in return, giving a small smile and making her way over to the seat beside her, pausing for a moment before sitting.

"Hello, my name is Kazue, from the Four Temples of Kyuden Seppun," she said, taking just a moment to look over the various tables and the many individuals in the room, "So many things I've never seen before...this'll be a fun stay." she said as she sat down, though hard to say if she was trying to convince herself of it more than saying it as a statement. She was young, after all, and hadn't had much experience outside of the temples. This was certainly an interesting start to the outside world.

[Shinjo Monkhbaatar]

"Please! Ohayo; this one is Usagi Tsukimi. All the exotic food is disagreeing with me, I think, but I relish the flavours all the same. It is nice to meet you, Shinjo-san. How were your travels?"

"That's unfortunate about the food disagreeing with you," he says as he takes a seat. "But I've found that our time away from the empire hasn't lessened my lines ability to enjoy the local food. And I find it quite delicious."

"My travels? Well the last traveling I really did was on the ride to get here, which was all I knew in life before arriving. So I suppose that it really covered all the things that life could be for me so far." He smiles widely at that. "Arriving has been the real adventure. But I hope that your travel to Dark Edge village was safe and pleasant."

Usagi Tuskimi. Usagi... which one was that, he glances at the mon. Oh, that looks like a rabbit. Was there a Rabbit clan? It's not a big one... must be one of the little clans.

[Otaku Kitakuhime]

By the Great Desert, how have I lived before without all this food. It feels like Yomi... although I don't remember being there. But it certainly feels like it.

Nom, nom, nom. Kitakuhime eats. With pleasure. She also maintains her On, since she moves from table to table, and almost no one notices she's eating like sea dragon would. Sushi, sashimi, tuna, toro, teppan-yaki, shabu-shabu vegetables, shabu-shabu meat, shabu-shabu something else. Gyoza, more vegetables. So much rice. Soba. Ramen. More seafood!