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

[Seppun Hideo]

She gave the man a nod of acknolegement. "Blessings of Amaterasu, sama" Then she gave the man a full bow trying to keep the dinner in. "This one is Moshi Asakiko."

There was more of a smile at that. I've always liked the Centipede...

"May Lady Sun continue to smile upon you Moshi-san. It is an honour to meet you, I am Seppun Hideo. I hope you are well? I would assume you have partaken in the generous feast we have been presented with."

[Shiba Kaizen]

Shiba Kaizen walked about wondering where the Unicorn shugenja from earlier had gone. He would not seek her out as he was more here to mingle in general. Finding most people already in conversation he rather just floated about. Like a banner waving in the wind representing his Clan without expressing anything in particular. His right hand reached to his side and idly touched the fan his brother had given him years ago as he pressed on.

[Usagi Tsukimi]

"Was it loaded? I did not mean for it to be. Perhaps I was just too general. I meant no offense," he says bowing his head in apology and blushing furiously in embarrassment. "I suppose what I meant more specifically was do you have any specific goals that you are pursuing beyond the miai. Is there a certain place that you wish to map for the benefit of the empire or something along those lines. But I'd really like to see your dancing sometime. I hope I get the opportunity."

She smiled.
"I think I most look forward to seeing the Phoenix lands, or that of the Crane. Two very different kinds of beauty, both ripe for exploration."
She paused, and a bit of colour hit her cheeks as well as she looked at him. "We shall have to make that happen, Shinjo-san."

[Soshi Taira]

"Hmm." Saksaha looks at Taira curiously, gives the clear liquid another sniff, and empties the cup. In a thoughtful kind of way, though. "My mother's cooking is comfortable, but all the same I know it is not as fine as this." She tilts her head to indicate the spread on the tables around them--the beads of her headdress clack faintly as she does--and sets the cup down. "Now that I am to live in Rokugan, I think I must learn to tell good sake from bad. Unless I can find among you Rokugani a husband who is content to drink only kumis and arkhi..." She spears a bit of fried cheese with her chopsticks and nibbles, ruminating on this possibility.

Oh... interesting.

"Perhaps it would be better if you could find one who helped you learn the good from the bad in Rokugan? After all, he would count on you to help him with these new wonders your clan has brought with you."

Taira fished about in his bowl with his chopsticks until he had a strip of grilled... something. He didn't know what precisely it was, but it was clearly the meat of some sort of... not bird or fish.

And it was fabulous.

"I've heard a little about this kumis, though I haven't tried it. Arkhi I've never heard of. Would you be so kind as to enlighten me?"

[Shinjo Monkhbaatar]

...

"The Phoenix are to the north east and the Crane to the east right? I think I heard it mentioned both have access to the ocean? That is something I'd love to see-a horizon made of water!" He pauses as he imagines it. "And we definitely will have to. I'm sure it will be beautiful and entertaining. You say you do so to make the kami happy so maybe out at the shrine one morning and perhaps you can even teach me a step or two so I can learn to honor the kami that way as well. I've still got a lot of Rokugani culture to learn about and it seems smart to learn about the portions of it that overlap and give me the opportunity to observe beauty in motion."

[Moshi Asakiko]

There was more of a smile at that. I've always liked the Centipede...

"May Lady Sun continue to smile upon you Moshi-san. It is an honour to meet you, I am Seppun Hideo. I hope you are well? I would assume you have partaken in the generous feast we have been presented with."

She nodded. "I have but my pallet seem a bit more sensitive to set spices, Seppin sama. I hope your meal was more enjoyable."

[Ide Samai]

Samai giggled behind her fan. "Oh? I wouldn't have thought to hear that from a Shinjo. Your family always seemed to enjoy the move..." Her smile faltered. Of course, the wanderlust of the Shinjo had consequences. "Though you are right... it's... strange to think. My son or daughter will not know the feeling of waking up each in a different place."

"I did before I became a hero," he grinned.

Samai smiled. "Ah yes, I can certainly see that. So, you plan to be a good husband and manage your household then?" She asked curiously... hopefully she wasn't stabbing at anything sensitive.

[Shinjo Akil]

"If I knew, I'd gladly tell you," he smirked, "home isn't exactly a concept I know Well. If I have a choice, I'll do something that lets me travel some at least. But duty is what it is."

[Otaku Kitakuhime]

Yuki smirked a little and lifted her own hand to cover her face. "Is he handsome, then?" She asked with amusement sparkling in her eyes.

The Shiotome blinks, thinking before saying her mind. With proper words chosen, she replies, "Many would say so. I can only assure his presence is amusing, and brings open smiles to people's faces."

[Kitsune Kumahime]

Well, that's venturing outside her area of expertise. "I have direct experience with very few. Our clan deals little with outsiders, and we are few. I have general knowledge of most of the great clans' largest school, but it is the small ones that you should worry about."

Liu Yue tilted her head. "Do I need to worry about them? Those smaller schools, as you put it," she inquired, wondering if there were enemies among them that she was not aware of.

The question takes a moment to process, and when it clicks, the Fox can't help but laugh. "We are all friends here! Except when we're not. Politics is politics and my clan tends to stay away from them when we can. But if you want an interesting challenge, or just an interesting story, seek out some of those smaller schools."

[Yuzuki]

"I will always have my horse, Gokiburi, if you can still send word with another who has the same I can ride as far as I need to come see one. Just to see the results of an endeavor such as that."

"Wait," she said, and paused for an uncomfortably long period of time, "you named your horse after a bug? I don't understand. I mean I called Kon, well uh, Kon... but... is there a special meaning to it?"

[Ide Samai]

"If I knew, I'd gladly tell you," he smirked, "home isn't exactly a concept I know Well. If I have a choice, I'll do something that lets me travel some at least. But duty is what it is."

"True, Duty is a Virtue after all..." She smiled at him, her eyes once again wandering over the crowd. "One here will be my betrothed. The thought is... strange. And thrilling. What do you think Shinjo-san?"

[Usagi Tsukimi]

"The Phoenix are to the north east and the Crane to the east right? I think I heard it mentioned both have access to the ocean? That is something I'd love to see-a horizon made of water!" He pauses as he imagines it. "And we definitely will have to. I'm sure it will be beautiful and entertaining. You say you do so to make the kami happy so maybe out at the shrine one morning and perhaps you can even teach me a step or two so I can learn to honor the kami that way as well. I've still got a lot of Rokugani culture to learn about and it seems smart to learn about the portions of it that overlap and give me the opportunity to observe beauty in motion."

"Can you imagine it? The light as it shines on the sea... It calls me." She nods, wistful, and sips from her water.
"I think it would be enjoyable to try to teach you a few steps. Maybe you'll make a teacher out of me, Shinjo-san," she says with a playful smile curling her lips upward, and she takes a poignant moment to look at him. Assessing. Taking the Unicorn's features in.

[Shinjo Monkhbaatar]

"In time every student becomes a teacher. And anyone that's truly living is always a student," he says with a smile. "I think that's simply going to be more pronounced in coming years with exchanges between the Unicorn and the other clans." As she looks at his features he pauses for a moment as there eyes meet. For that moment he just looks with a smile wondering at what she's thinking about.

[Shinjo Akil]

"If I knew, I'd gladly tell you," he smirked, "home isn't exactly a concept I know Well. If I have a choice, I'll do something that lets me travel some at least. But duty is what it is."

"True, Duty is a Virtue after all..." She smiled at him, her eyes once again wandering over the crowd. "One here will be my betrothed. The thought is... strange. And thrilling. What do you think Shinjo-san?"

"Strange is a word, yes," he nodded, "exhilarating works as well. A bit intimidating, maybe," he laughed.