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

[Seppun Hideo]

"No Seppun sama. I am diviner and a florist. I also play the flute." She chuckled. "I heard that the Unicorn have met a culture that has some kind of divination. It seems interesting."

Hideo paused and examined the girl.

"A diviner you say? How interesting."

I'll have to watch this one...a shame, I normally like the Centipede.

"And a florist also. I've not met many that work with flowers, a very pretty art. You work with growing plants, or just Ikebana?"

[Doji Fukawa]

Butaj smiles wide as he takes the nearby seat.

"Ooh, has Doji Fukawa tried the goat cheese curds? Butaj likes them spicy, and always has a supply of southern spices to spice the curds up! Butaj also can return the compliment, the raw marinated fish was delicious, Butaj ate two plates, sprinkled with cucumin! And the lobster was a bit like pheasant, just more tender and juicy, it went down great with kumis. Butaj's palate is very inspired now, and his stomach full. Two great cooking traditions meeting together make Butaj happy."

Fukawa smiles a bit.

"Indeed, I think I did try the cheese. It's similar in shape, color, and texture to tofu, yes? It was a very unique experience with a very complex taste. I wonder how it would interact with other foodstuffs in the making of a meal? If one were clever enough to make it into an elegant and sophisticated dish, they could well earn a great deal of glory for their name at Winter Court." she muses.

[Otaku Chi-Pu]

Kogo pauses. "It is...complex, the relationship between the Lion and the Crane. We have some different ideas on how a samurai's life should be lived and sometimes, these can lead to conflicts."

Khulun likes complicated she adds while sitting with the Shimizu, “What are these different ideas?”

Chi-Pu looks at Khulun and then back to Kogo.

"Moto Khulun. And yes, Matsu-san, if you wouldn't mind, what are some of those differences? It helps if we know the general feelings of the Clans about each other if we are to engage with all of them here."

[Matsu Kogo]

Kogo pauses. "It is...complex, the relationship between the Lion and the Crane. We have some different ideas on how a samurai's life should be lived and sometimes, these can lead to conflicts."

Khulun likes complicated she adds while sitting with the Shimizu, “What are these different ideas?”

Chi-Pu looks at Khulun and then back to Kogo.

"Moto Khulun. And yes, Matsu-san, if you wouldn't mind, what are some of those differences? It helps if we know the general feelings of the Clans about each other if we are to engage with all of them here."

Kogo hides her face with a fan as she thinks frantically. The Doji is right there. It could create a stir. But it is an innocent question I think. How to answer without causing chaos or being untruthful?

"Our ancestress and one of the Crane, a Kakita, fought, along with many others, for the honor of being the bodyguard of the first emperor. But the Kakita defeated our noble ancestress and then refused to bow, though the Kakita had bowed to all previous opponents. The words said at this time caused a rift between our families that is still present. As for the other members of the Crane clan, there is politics at play here, as well as the history of recent battles."

She pauses. "As with lions, when there is something valuable to claim or meat to eat, there is fighting to prove dominance. Sometimes, with this fighting, scars come and alliances form. They can shift and move, but some scars are old and harder to surpass." Kogo takes a deep breath. Oh mother, maybe you should never have sent me here....

[Otomo Tenzo]

After spending much time feasting and conversing with those around him, Tenzo took one last bit of gyoza as a final treat before withdrawing his chopsticks for good, his stomach good and content with all the things he ate (even if there was that one teeny tiny moment where the rumbling started but just as quickly passed him by without further issue). After an outstretched sake cup was attended to by a nearby servant, the Imperial leaned a little in his seat, taking in the revelry and merriment going on around him - and, perhaps, taking one last, long look at the food plates being passed around juuust in case he had missed something new to try.

(Open for convo, PM to poke me!)

[Moto Khulun]

Kogo hides her face with a fan as she thinks frantically. The Doji is right there. It could create a stir. But it is an innocent question I think. How to answer without causing chaos or being untruthful?

"Our ancestress and one of the Crane, a Kakita, fought, along with many others, for the honor of being the bodyguard of the first emperor. But the Kakita defeated our noble ancestress and then refused to bow, though the Kakita had bowed to all previous opponents. The words said at this time caused a rift between our families that is still present. As for the other members of the Crane clan, there is politics at play here, as well as the history of recent battles."

She pauses. "As with lions, when there is something valuable to claim or meat to eat, there is fighting to prove dominance. Sometimes, with this fighting, scars come and alliances form. They can shift and move, but some scars are old and harder to surpass." Kogo takes a deep breath. Oh mother, maybe you should never have sent me here....

“I see, so great warriors have great blood feud, Moto have many such feuds. But all Moto fight the other no matter where we stand. Why not Crane and Lion have new battle to settle score?” she says calmly.

“Crane are strong clan and Lion also strong clan, yes? Yet must be equal strong for fued to last so long! We should make friends with both, then we can all be strong together and leave bad sand behind. I will marry Crane and Lion husbands, that should settle it,” she says with a wide grin.

“I’ll take this yellow haired cub, for a start,” she gestures to the Shimizu.

[Matsu Kogo]

Kogo hides her face with a fan as she thinks frantically. The Doji is right there. It could create a stir. But it is an innocent question I think. How to answer without causing chaos or being untruthful?

"Our ancestress and one of the Crane, a Kakita, fought, along with many others, for the honor of being the bodyguard of the first emperor. But the Kakita defeated our noble ancestress and then refused to bow, though the Kakita had bowed to all previous opponents. The words said at this time caused a rift between our families that is still present. As for the other members of the Crane clan, there is politics at play here, as well as the history of recent battles."

She pauses. "As with lions, when there is something valuable to claim or meat to eat, there is fighting to prove dominance. Sometimes, with this fighting, scars come and alliances form. They can shift and move, but some scars are old and harder to surpass." Kogo takes a deep breath. Oh mother, maybe you should never have sent me here....

“I see, so great warriors have great blood feud, Moto have many such feuds. But all Moto fight the other no matter where we stand. Why not Crane and Lion have new battle to settle score?” she says calmly.

“Crane are strong clan and Lion also strong clan, yes? Yet must be equal strong for fued to last so long! We should make friends with both, then we can all be strong together and leave bad sand behind. I will marry Crane and Lion husbands, that should settle it,” she says with a wide grin.

“I’ll take this yellow haired cub, for a start,” she gestures to the Shimizu.

Kogo smiled politely. "Some might enjoy such an idea of battling again, it is true. But does not Akodo say, 'Samurai have no reason to be cruel. They do not need to prove their strength. A samurai is courteous even to his enemies. Without this outward show of respect, we are nothing more than animals. A samurai is not only respected for his strength in battle, but also by his dealings with other men. The true inner strength of a samurai becomes apparent during difficult times.'?

Kogo lifts her fan and smiles behind it. "Perhaps marriage is an excellent way to settle these things. But I suspect in Rokugani lands, you will find yourself hard pressed to arrange two seperate marriages. It would be seen as...unseemly."

She darts her eyes towards Shimizu-san. " That is a matter for you and Shimizu-san to discuss, obviously."

[Moto Khulun]

“I don’t know, did Akodo say that?” she asks honestly.

[Moto Butaj]

Fukawa's perfumes tickle Butaj's nose but he doesn't seem to be getting what the scent is about. In a legitimate Ujik-hai greeting custom he leans in and takes a hearty whiff of he Doji's hair, then withdraws with a thoughtful 'hmmm' while blinking and rubbing his nostrils.

"Butaj feels it holds true for more things that bring the Unicorn traditions and the traditions of Rokugan back together. Butaj imagines that strong community between Clans pleases the Emperor. If it is through cooking experiments, so be it! Butaj would volunteer to try fish with cheese!"

[Otaku Chi-Pu]

“I don’t know, did Akodo say that?” she asks honestly.

"She is quoting a book she has offered to let me read, Moto-san. It is called 'Leadership'. It seems to have many good words of wisdom for both life and combat. If you wish, you can read it with me when I borrow it."

Chi-Pu looks over to the Crane woman again for a moment.

"I am curious now as to what her take is on the matter. There is so much we Unicorn must learn..."

[Matsu Kogo]

“I don’t know, did Akodo say that?” she asks honestly.

Kogo smiles a little brighter towards the Otaku. "Yes, it is a very valuable text. The Matsu are required to study it extensively in order to pass their gempukku. I enjoy reading it even now, because there is always some fresh wisdom to find there."

[Usagi Tomoe]

...

"Always happy to help, Shinjo-san," the rabbit bobbed her head with a happy smile. "It's in the spirit of this gathering, is it not? To be kind and helpful to one another, as Ide-sama said."

"... Have the Unicorn had gatherings like this before in the past? Miai, I mean?"

[Moto Khulun]

Kogo smiles a little brighter towards the Otaku. "Yes, it is a very valuable text. The Matsu are required to study it extensively in order to pass their gempukku. I enjoy reading it even now, because there is always some fresh wisdom to find there."

She wrinkles her nose, “I will pass on the reading, I have no time for such pursuits.” Plus reading seems boring.

“So the book has wisdom, what else did Akodo do?” she makes a face of incredulity.

[Otaku Chi-Pu]

"Oh! I know one thing! Akodo was a Kami! He fell from the heavens along with Shinjo."

Chi-Pu smiles, clearly happy with her explanation.

She looks to the Matsu to expand further.

[Shinjo Akil]

"My apologies Shinjo-san, I did not know. That does seem like a worthwhile endeavor. I myself am an amateur storyteller in my spare time." She looked around among the gathered samurai-ko. "Is there anyone you would like me to... scout perhaps? I am happy to help my clan find their places.

"Hmmm," he considered, "maybe... her?" His hand motioned towards Doji Ameka calmly. "Or... hmmmm... what about her?" His hand then motioned towards Shosuro Chieri. And then his face reddened deeply. "This feels a bit weird."