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

[Shinjo Liu Fei]

"I'm not a navigator myself. So I don't know exactly. But not too far. One can easily reach them from the Crane coast."

"Then it is not possible to swim, but not far enough that having never sailed on a sea craft anyone with something that can float on the water could attempt the journey?" she asked, working out the distance in her mind.

[Fairuz Kaiya]

Kaiya's part in the earlier conversation had died down, and he now busied himself with a shallow bowl of kumis. It was one thing to read about it, another to have it in front of him!

This one almost looks like a thin broth, but I don't see anyone dipping anything into it.

A shame.. that bread could really use something to flavor it up.

It was only several moments later that he looked up and.. were a number of guests having negative reactions to the food? He was still feeling fine, himself...

(OOC: Being a curious onlooker for now, PM if approached!)

[Kakita Nanami]

"Too... too much... bark?" Her eyes widened slightly for a moment before Nanami regained her composure, "Ah, no, no." She gave a polite smile and a bow, "I was just... it is unique compared to the blends I am used to drinking. Very... earthy."

"Oh, I'm sure you'll get used to it," the Moto assured her. "It's good for the digestion, or at least my ma always says so. But if you don't like it, I bet we can get you something else to drink; shochu, maybe, or kumis. Orrrrr maybe bark tea would be best if you're already sleepy."

"Where are you from, anyway?" he asked. "You're a Crane, right?"[/quote]

"Kumis?" Once again her eyes widened slightly, her head shaking as she regained her composure, "No, no, Moto-san. The tea is perfect."

"My manners, though, seem to be less so." She gave another bow, this one of apology, "This one is Kakita Nanami of the Crane, Moto-san. Though I have spent most of my life with the Agasha in the mountains."

[Yuzuki]

"Then it is not possible to swim, but not far enough that having never sailed on a sea craft anyone with something that can float on the water could attempt the journey?" she asked, working out the distance in her mind.

"Well, it's not like you wouldn't be able to find a ship to take you there. You don't have to be the one to do the work."

[Iuchi Batul]

Hiroji frowns for a moment, but quickly makes his face blank. "Yes, I had the pleasure to taste some of them. They were quite good, although I'm afraid I am not built for milk."

"It can be a strong flavor, if one is not used to it." Recognized the samurai-ko, and as she did she patted the man tenderly on the shoulder, rubbing his shoulder blade, on the last pat, with care. "Do not wory, our dishes not all have... well most do have milk, but not only we eat milk." He was going to have some hard meals in the Miai. "At least there is also rice."

"Great!" Tomonaga flashes a quick grin. "I bet you'll love it. Maybe you can help me find the dish that it goes best with." He doesn't quite wink, but his eyelid does shiver just a touch.

He gives Hiroji another sympathetic look. "Here. Trade you." He intercepts the milk-based drinks, nudging a small bowl of rice towards him instead. He drinks a bit of the fermented milk, his eyebrows going up. "Whoa! That's... that's good. And strong." Almost experimentally, he shakes his head. "Here, Iuchi-san, try one of our desserts." Towards her, he nudges a red-bean bun.

"Until I try it, I cannot know" She replied with a bit of mischief hidden between her words. "Does it have any sbecific... no I better wait to try myself, other than asking. Don't want to ruin the surbrise."

The samurai-ko takes the bun, and moves it around her hand, checking it. She moves it close and makes a quick sniff of smell... she cannot smell the hidden beans, but gets a sense of sweetness. Without a second thought, she takes a bite, and a smile grows quickly on her, extending to her surprising eyes and brows, that raise quickly. "Wow! This, you have this hidden!? With this in the Sands you could be owner of your own herd in no time!"

[Otaku Imane]

I don't know what I'm doing or what they expect of me, isn't this fun?

"Politely excuse my mistakes please samurai-samas. I will leave you to enjoy your food. Please try the bacon, it is delightful."

With a shy smile she rose from her seat and walked around to another spot with an empty space and no line of sight to where she had been before. A small exhale of relief and she looked to see who her new neighbours might be.

(OOC: feel free to poke me with a PM if you want to discover a little Battle Maiden has just arrived beside you.)

[Matsu Yurio]

I don't know what I'm doing or what they expect of me, isn't this fun?

"Politely excuse my mistakes please samurai-samas. I will leave you to enjoy your food. Please try the bacon, it is delightful."

With a shy smile she rose from her seat and walked around to another spot with an empty space and no line of sight to where she had been before. A small exhale of relief and she looked to see who her new neighbours might be.

(OOC: feel free to poke me with a PM if you want to discover a little Battle Maiden has just arrived beside you.)

One of her new neighbours was barely taller than her and was currently half smirking at something unknown in the vista before him.

[Shinjo Liu Fei]

"Have your ships transported horses before?" she asked, though part of her held back from the question as she wasn't even sure if that was something she'd want to put Gokiburi through.

[Kitsune Kumahime]

Liu Yue looked down at the food from behind her fan. Even in her eyes it might have been obvious that she feared it. She paused, trying to find another excuse to not partake in the food. "The lobster broth was a suitable last course for me," she finally stated, closing her eyes and hoping that would work.

There's two, "No need to be so modest. A mighty warrior needs to eat plenty to keep her strength up!"

[Otaku Kitakuhime]

Yuki raised an eyebrow at that. "Butahj?" Her pronunciation on that one was a little off. "What do you mean by peculiar?"

The Otaku covers her face with her hand while giggling a bit, "Gomen. Asako-san will see. He's quite... remarkable."

[Moto Baatar]

"Where are you from, anyway?" he asked. "You're a Crane, right?"

"Kumis?" Once again her eyes widened slightly, her head shaking as she regained her composure, "No, no, Moto-san. The tea is perfect."

"My manners, though, seem to be less so." She gave another bow, this one of apology, "This one is Kakita Nanami of the Crane, Moto-san. Though I have spent most of my life with the Agasha in the mountains."

"Nice to meet you," the Moto recited, as if repeating a carefully memorized phrase. "Oh yeah, I'm Moto Baatar," he added as an afterthought.

"But why did your family send you away to live in the mountains?" Baatar asked curiously. "Don't they like you? You seem okay."

[Shinjo Liu Yue]

There's two, "No need to be so modest. A mighty warrior needs to eat plenty to keep her strength up!"

There were millions of curses spurring in Yue's mind.

"Very well," she said, tentatively. The Unicorn woman took the bowl and stared at its contents. "Itadakimasu," she stated, unsure if she needed to repeat it again. She took the smallest portion she could and then smiled. "It is good, Kumahime-dono."

[Kakita Nanami]

"Nice to meet you," the Moto recited, as if repeating a carefully memorized phrase. "Oh yeah, I'm Moto Baatar," he added as an afterthought.

"But why did your family send you away to live in the mountains?" Baatar asked curiously. "Don't they like you? You seem okay."

She sat up quite straight suddenly, "I am shugenja, Bahtah-san. I speak with the kami." Though she spoke his name, it seemed like the words had trouble forming in her mouth.

She calmly set down her tea, reminding herself that, perhaps, the Unicorn didn't have such customs - she didn't think they had shugenja from what she'd so far seen. "When it was discovered, I was sent to be taught how to properly commune and worship them. In my case, a long standing obligation existed between the Crane and the Dragon and I was sent to fulfill a portion of that obligation as my duty to my clan."

[Yuzuki]

"Have your ships transported horses before?" she asked, though part of her held back from the question as she wasn't even sure if that was something she'd want to put Gokiburi through.

"It's not common. The islands are pretty mountainous so we don't have a lot of use for horses. But I'm sure it's been done."

[Otaku Imane]

One of her new neighbours was barely taller than her and was currently half smirking at something unknown in the vista before him.

Finally someone else who was correctly proportioned unlike some of these giants! She smiled warmly at Yurio.

"Hello samurai-sama. I hope you are having a pleasant meal? My name is Otaku Imane and I am happy to meet you."

Her words were softly accented with a hint of the language of the Sands.