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

[Matsu Yurio]

Oh yes, lots of bowing! Imane reciprocated with a small bow and felt somewhat reassured by the response.

"Matsu Yurio-san. Oh this is lovely: I was thinking the same thing!" She smiled and saw the Scorpion looking over, who received a friendly nod. Her sister Chu-Pu got a small wave.

"Would you mind if ask you a few questions Matsu Yurio-san? I'm also finding many things unfamiliar. For example, I'm not sure what that is." She pointed at a bottle of shochu. "Quite fiery, but I think I like."

He half grinned.

"It is called Shochu. A drink the Crab are very partial to. Less refined than sake but often more efficient at obliterating memories."

In return he pointed at some of the gaijin cheese.

"What is that? I thought it was tofu, but evidently I was incorrect."

[Otaku Chi-Pu]

Oh yes, lots of bowing! Imane reciprocated with a small bow and felt somewhat reassured by the response.

"Matsu Yurio-san. Oh this is lovely: I was thinking the same thing!" She smiled and saw the Scorpion looking over, who received a friendly nod. Her sister Chu-Pu got a small wave.

"Would you mind if ask you a few questions Matsu Yurio-san? I'm also finding many things unfamiliar. For example, I'm not sure what that is." She pointed at a bottle of shochu. "Quite fiery, but I think I like."

Chi-Pu returns the wave and stands close to the conversing Otaku and Matsu, listening and watching, but not saying much unless addressed directly. Clearly she looks to be uncomfortable.

[Yuzuki]

"Something to be discovered in the future," she said, putting that particular avenue of conversation to bed. Looking about the people gathered for a moment. Giving herself enough time to manage a thought. Something to drag them down to equal footing again, "Mantis-san, how have you been enjoying the foods we've brought?"

"Uhm..."

There was a long and awkward pause as she desperately tried to think of something to say that wasn't an insult.

"...it's very different."

[Shinjo Liu Fei]

Liu Fei only barely managed to hide her twisted grin behind the rim of a cup at that, having equaled them out somewhat.

"Accurately worded Mantis-san," her tone, of course, did not hide any sort of amusement so well.

[Otaku Imane]

He half grinned.

"It is called Shochu. A drink the Crab are very partial to. Less refined than sake but often more efficient at obliterating memories."

In return he pointed at some of the gaijin cheese.

"What is that? I thought it was tofu, but evidently I was incorrect."

"Oh I see! Yes it was very effective at bringing me cheer after initial misfortunes with the menu." She gave a firm nod and reached over to collect a small piece of cheese.

"This? This is cheese. It is one of the many things that can be made from milk, and there are many different flavours and textures that can be produced. What did you think of it? Was it a pleasant surprise or did you wish for a large mug of the drink called Shochu?"

Imane pointed over at a nearby seat in case her sister wanted to join them.

[Shinjo Hanashi]

Hanashi kept paying rapt attention to all the stories people were sharing.

It was getting to be too much for him to keep up, but the food was good. Surely there would be some interested in sharing stories over the coming days.

[Yuzuki]

"I'm sure you're happy to be back in the empire though, with proper food."

Yuzuki put her foot in her mouth.

"You had rice, out there, didn't you? At least?"

[Yasuki Tomonaga]

Tomonaga smiles as the three of them share a toast. He, too, drinks the sake with practiced ease.

Only to find his cup newly filled. He glances first at Hiroji, clearly a little ill, and then at the slender Batul, a who was enthusiastically tossing back sake like a Hida Berzerker. Am... am I the healthy, responsible one here?

Nah, probably not. He drinks some more of the sake, nodding at Batul's words. "We're glad you're back, Unicorn-san." He says, using the more general Clan name. He smiles. "And I'm glad you brought all this food and drink!"

[Usagi Tomoe]

"Sumimasen... Shinjo-san, was it?" the Rabbit-girl approached Hanashi, having overheard him talk about the Unicorn's travels beyond the Empire's borders. She picked a cup of something to drink from the food-table.

"You seem to be quite the historian of your clan's exploits, eh?" she flashed a cheeky smile. "I'd love to hear more about what the children of Shinjo experienced in those travels. From what I heard, it seems you've seen all sorts of things."

"Ah, where are my manners. I'm Usagi Tomoe, historian of the Hare Clan."

[Matsu Yurio]

"Oh I see! Yes it was very effective at bringing me cheer after initial misfortunes with the menu." She gave a firm nod and reached over to collect a small piece of cheese.

"This? This is cheese. It is one of the many things that can be made from milk, and there are many different flavours and textures that can be produced. What did you think of it? Was it a pleasant surprise or did you wish for a large mug of the drink called Shochu?"

Imane pointed over at a nearby seat in case her sister wanted to join them.

"Chee-su? It was not unpleasant, just surprising when I was expecting tofu. A much stronger taste."

He picked up another small piece of the processed milk curd.

"No it did not make me reach for sake, or shochu. The red meat almost did, but that was much easier to spot and avoid."

[Soshi Taira]

Having long finished his abortive attempts at small talk, and having eaten a worrying quantity of cheese, Taira had eased back a little, now chewing slowly through a combination of rice, meat, and sauce, that was strangely compelling to him.

He let his gaze pass up and down those gathered, trying to take some estimate of what this new experience would mean, tomorrow, in a week... in years.

Oddly contemplative for a man in the midst of eating entirely too much, he chewed in momentary silence, pondering the fate that had placed him here, today.

(PM if you decide to chat)

[Shinjo Hanashi]

"Sumimasen... Shinjo-san, was it?" the Rabbit-girl approached Hanashi, having overheard him talk about the Unicorn's travels beyond the Empire's borders. She picked a cup of something to drink from the food-table.

"You seem to be quite the historian of your clan's exploits, eh?" she flashed a cheeky smile. "I'd love to hear more about what the children of Shinjo experienced in those travels. From what I heard, it seems you've seen all sorts of things."

"Ah, where are my manners. I'm Usagi Tomoe, historian of the Hare Clan."

"There's a Hare Clan?" He blinked a bit, then leaned forward. "Did the Sun and Moon have another kami? I'm sorry, the stories never mentioned it! We'll have to rectify that right away so we don't bring your kami's wrath upon us, Usagi-sama!" He bows deeply, surprised by her words and certain that the Unicorn would have to fix this right away.

[Usagi Tomoe]

The rabbit giggled a little, clearly not offended. "Oh, no no... there's no Usagi-kami, but our founder, Reichin-no-kami, was most recently elevated by the Son of Heaven to be the Fortune of Heroes. We're a rather new minor clan. Perhaps I shall have to rectify this by sharing the history on how the Hare Clan was founded in the coming days..."

"Many minor clans have formed while the Ki-rin were gone. Clans that hold special responsibilities within the Empire, but are not as large as those founded by the Kami themselves."

[Otaku Chi-Pu]

He half grinned.

"It is called Shochu. A drink the Crab are very partial to. Less refined than sake but often more efficient at obliterating memories."

In return he pointed at some of the gaijin cheese.

"What is that? I thought it was tofu, but evidently I was incorrect."

"Oh I see! Yes it was very effective at bringing me cheer after initial misfortunes with the menu." She gave a firm nod and reached over to collect a small piece of cheese.

"This? This is cheese. It is one of the many things that can be made from milk, and there are many different flavours and textures that can be produced. What did you think of it? Was it a pleasant surprise or did you wish for a large mug of the drink called Shochu?"

Imane pointed over at a nearby seat in case her sister wanted to join them.

Chi-Pu nods at the gesture and walks to the table, sitting down. She does not interrupt the conversation, listening intently. Her face almost has a green tinge to it, and occasionally a rumble from her stomach can be heard.

[Iuchi Saksaha]

Saksaha finds she's enjoying this "miai" thing more than expected. Certainly she's not turning any heads (at least as far as she can tell), but she's been able to listen in on all sorts of interesting conversations, and she can't remember the last time she'd eaten this well. Thanks to the secret teachings of her Iuchi ancestors (and the tough constitution of her Moto ones), she's also making her way through the sampling of drinks on offer with little noticeable effect on her habitually phlegmatic demeanor.

((would love to chat, but please drop me a PM if you approach so I don't miss you!))