Ultimate Dogbee (D8-EA)

[Iuchi Batul]

Batul decided to prepare her final trick with Dibi. The samurai-ko grabbed a bucket and a ladle and threw water at little Dibi, making him catch the water with its mouth as it flew towards him. At the beginning it didn't seem like Dibi was getting the hang of it, and more than once he skidded away from the water when it seemed too much for him, or when he thought he was full, but Batul would then race up and down the field with him to get him thirsty for another round of water fetch.

[Otomo Tenzo]

"Heel, Taneji! Heel!" Tenzo called out as he was lightly jogging across the field after a small little brown puppy running quite quickly away from him. The little puppy did not seem to understand the commanding nature of the Voice of Heaven, however, for it continued to ignore the Imperial's wishes and ran through the field all the way to Batul, coming to a stop short of the woman so that it could happily take a leap in the air and bark. While the puppy stood there excitedly wagging its tail for a few moments, Tenzo finally caught up to the puppy, coming to a walk and then a stop as he arrived before the Unicorn. "Ah, Iuchi-san, a most pleasant afternoon to you. This one is Otomo Tenzo," he offered in introduction with a small smile and a respectful bow.

"My apologies for disturbing your training, but, as you can see, little Taneji here is still a little, ah... inattentive at times," he explained with a chuckle and a gesture toward the puppy. Taneji, for his part, spun around in place twice and let out a little yip before sitting down on the ground. "Very full of energy to be certain as well!"

[Iuchi Batul]

The barking called her attention to the little brown one running her way, and Batul continued her sight to the master of that one. The mon, at least, was one she knew, compared to all the new ones, and family ones. She bowed in great respect to the samurai of the Imperial as he introduced himself. "It is a great honor, Otomo Tenzo-sama" she said with her strong desert accent. "I am Iuchi Batul, briestess of the Unicorn clan." The samurai-ko brought out a bowl in which she poured some of the water for the dogs to drink out of while she and the Otomo could talk.

"Taneji seems to be an excited one indeed." Batul bent her knees to get to the level of the one called Taneji, and he stopped looking at her with his hind lifted and bent forward leaning his body to the ground. "It seems like he wants to blay." She added as the brown one pounced and started running in circles. The samurai-ko, in reply giggled and went back up. "I hobe Otomo Tenzo-sama has been having a good time among the Unicorn. Has he found everything brober?"

[Otomo Tenzo]

"A pleasure it is to meet you, Iuchi-san," Tenzo responded warmly before he looked down to keep an eye on Taneji to ensure he didn't run away again or do something too embarrassing. "Excited is putting it mildly, I believe: I do not know what the other puppies have been like, but this one has been a fountain of energy almost since he arrived this morning."

He too chuckled as he watched the little puppy make his little circles. "Lots of playtime for this one over the next few hours indeed! So long as he does not wear himself out too much before the course he needs to run," he said with a smile. "And yes, I very much have: your people have been most kind and accommodating to me and I have had a most wonderful time not only in listening to your clan's stories and learning of your traditions but also in being able to share some of our histories and knowledge as well. How has your experience at the miai been thus far?" he asked politely in kind.

[Iuchi Batul]

"These bubbies have lot of energy in them, energy that will bush them through their training and through the years to come in their duties." The samurai-ko scratched both puppies behind their ears as they finished up their water and started playing with one another. "I am habby that you have been enjoying your stay in Dark Edge Village, it is growing into an interesting city now that we are including our own changes to the village." The samurai-ko turned to the village to look at the slight changes that could already be seen, the new adaptations of the Unicorn to the village. New estates to the Unicorn families could already be seen, and the mixed architecture of these to the city enhanced their rarity.

"This is my first miai" she continued turning to the Imperial samurai "I have recently bassed by gembukku, it has been interesting, though I not understand most of what is habbening, and some of the behaviors of some suitors. Why does one show interest in one woman and then make boem for another?" She had not taken well how one of her suitors had proven interest in another woman of the Unicorn after their time together, after the special connection she had felt with him. "How has Otomo Tenzo-sama found the women of the Unicorn?"

[Otomo Tenzo]

"It seems a strange practice at first, but I assure that it is not meant to be an insult to one party or another. The miai is meant to be a time in which one might meet with many potential spouses and mingle with possible suitors in the hopes of creating a match with another person that will make for a harmonious household. It is difficult to focus on one's Duty to Empire, clan, and lord when there are troubles in the home, and it is hoped that such minglings would deter disharmony before it might emerge. I would point out, however, that the traditional miai that we practice closer to the Capital would find its participants much more... restrained, shall we say," the Imperial politely explained, still with a smile as he reached a hand down to brush Tenaji on the back as he ran by his side.

"Of those I have had chance to meet, I have found the women of the Unicorn to be most kind and sincere to this one, some of great strength and spirit, others of keen intellect and insight, all of them with beauty and grace in many forms and whose stories I enjoy hearing. But it seems I have not had chance to meet you yet, making this for me a most welcome occasion," he added, smile widening a little. "What might Iuchi-san share about herself so one might get to know her better?"

[Iuchi Batul]

"Maybe is wild lands of the Unicorn who seem to bring the most salvage bart of the samurai of the Embire. At least the Miai is a learning exberience. I have been able to talk and listen to the different clans, about their ways and their lands. This is good." Batul seemed to calm after the words of Tenzo. Despite his youth, a year over herself, it seemed as the samurai was wise and intelligent, one who understood the Bushido and Honor as she had expected from the samurai of the Empire upon her return.

"I am an Iuchi from father, but mother was Ide. I was already born during the travel back to the Embire, so I grew ub in a rush, learning very basics of Etiquette of Rokugan from mother and the Ide family as we exbected to come back during my generation, and learning the ways of Iuchi magic from father and his family." She cleared her voice as she entered the explanation of the Dark Ride. "Then we were near the Embire, and the darkness surrounded us for many many years. I saw many go insane, saw many disabbear, and tried to helb the clan endure. Father taught me the magic that would endure and brotect our souls, and sbells to make our movement faster, trying to get out of the darkness as quick as possible. When we arrived to the Embire, I was very habby, I had never seen such beauty. I felt blessed, and like this was my blace.

What can Otomo Tenzo-sama say about himself?"

[Otomo Tenzo]

"I am glad to hear it, Iuchi-san, and I have enjoyed just as much hearing of your clan's history and stories and people. We have had our own trials and tribulations in the time of your clan's absence, yet still I think it will take time for the unfamiliar to understand all that the Unicorn went through to return to us. Though you have been here for some time now, it still makes this one happy to be able to, as an Imperial representative, welcome you back home to the Emerald Empire," he responded, smiling as he scooped up Taneji and started to lightly scratch behind the puppy's ears.

"Mmm, my story. My father is an esteemed diplomat of the Imperial Families, one of many going back generations in the Otomo family tree, though he has performed other duties in the Bureaucracy and outside of it over the years. My mother was formerly a Doji artisan before marrying my father and turning to management of our home and family affairs, though she is still active in the arts and displays her works from time to time. I am the eldest of four children, my two brothers and sister ranging from just about finishing their time in the dojo to just starting, and I completing mine just a short year or so ago. Though I followed in my father's footsteps in my training as a seiyaku, I found myself with a fondness for the study of history and stories and events and it was after my gempukku that I became an archivist of the Imperial Archives, documenting important events and such across the realm... oh, I think he's done with that for now!" Tenzo said, laughing slightly as he got distracted by Taneji wriggling in his arms. He put him back on the ground, knowing full well it was time to let him go run around some more lest he start nipping at him.

"They can only sit still but for so long at that age. In any case... how have you adjusted to life in the Emerald Empire? I hope that there is much in the ways of our arts and culture and other things that one has found agreeable to them. What does Iuchi-san find of interest to her?"

[Iuchi Batul]

"I am most grateful for your welcome, Otomo Tenzo-sama." Replied Batul as she bowed slightly after his welcome to the Empire. To her it did seem like that was the rightful place of the Unicorn. They had fulfilled the duty of Lady Shinjo no kami, and now it was time to go back and report to the Empire about the world outside, and about the blessed Empire that they lived in. There was no place better than Rokugan, and now they knew for sure. "Out there it is all a struggle for survival, while here is the home that we come back to after a 700 year struggle. It is time for the Unicorn to come back home and rest for a while before our next struggle."

Dibi got jealous of Taneji and called to his master for a rest from his training. The puppy moaned as he looked at Batul with inclined face of sadness. She grabbed him and he wiggled into her arms, placing his face below her arm, where the sun did not touch his face, falling to sleep moments later.

"I am not one good in history, but I am eager to learn the history of the Embire. I have assisted some of Usagi-sama's stories, recalling the past years that we have not been through. They are great interesting, and helb to this adjusting to life in the Embire. For now all that I have been doing was regarding the adjusting to the Embire, settling down my barents into their new home in Shiro Iuchi. I do look forward to the Embire, and find the beauty of its arts and culture as something to look forward to."

[Otomo Tenzo]

"Usagi-san's history lessons have been quite good from what ones I have been able to attend. Were I deliver them, I may have chosen some... other subjects over others, shall we say, but as it is with the Unicorn history we must learn, there are struggles as well as triumphs to discuss and to learn from sooner or later," the Otomo acknowledged, looking down for a moment as Taneji brushed by before running off again.

"The Imperial Capital, the Painted City, and other smaller places across the land abound with theaters and gallaries and all sorts of artistic styles, traditions, and cultures. While I have an appreciation for many of them, I unfortunately did not inherit the gracefulness and skill of his mother's painting hand or her patience and care with the folding of origami, but I do practice and display my calligraphy from time to time. Is there an art that you practice or hold fondness for in particular, Iuchi-san?"