Opening Ceremony (Day 1, Early Afternoon)

[Doji Ameka]

Butaj, feeling bold, approaches chewing Crane with a radiant smile.

"Moto Butaj brings you greetings. Is Unicorn hospitality good for you?"

She looks up, apparently not chewing anything now, since her lips stop moving (at least until she speaks). The frail little thing bows. "Oh, yes. I haven't been here long, but your Clan is most hospitable, and your playing earlier was very skilled, as far as I am able to judge without familiarity with your instrument. I am Dojo Ameka. A pleasure to meet you, Moto-san."

[Seppun Hideo]

She shakes her head. "It would not be useful for the Family. A shugenja, or whatever they have that is closest. Even if only someone that could contact the kami, but is untrained would be best."

"A wise answer" Hideo was thankful for his sensible kins answer "I have also considered one of their more courtly types, if I intended to marry to bring back to the families. What if you were to marry in to the Unicorn though?"

[Moto Butaj]

"It's a pleasure for Butaj too. He's glad you find the music of the steppe to your liking. Please, inspect it then. It's topshur."

Butaj offers the two-string Ujik-hai lute to her.

[Matsu Kogo]

"Well, I am here safe and sound." he retorted "But yes it was a very uneventful ride. I had hoped to ride from Matsu Lands but instead chose to come with the Lion delegation."

"Perhaps the Unicorn are right though. Riding is really a fun activity."

"I had an uneventful time arriving. Noburu and I usually don't have much trouble in our travels." She smiled. " I am hoping to learn more riding while at the miai, particularly with the Unicorn's notably magnificent steeds. They are so much larger than ours!"

[Asako Hirase]

"They are Fortunes, but...they embody unfortunate truths." He, it seemed, was completely comfortable talking about this aspect of his religion. "Ekibyogami-kami, for example, is the one who brings illness. She is given her due, out of respect and out of the hope that, in so showing respect, we keep her from punishing us." Hirase paused a moment, then added thoughtfully, "Though even the generally kind Fortunes have a wrathful face, should you displease them. Suitengu-kami is known for his tempers, and Inari-kami's wrath, though rare, comes in the icy breath of a dragon."

"I see. So Rokugan worships the Kami and both the Fortunes and Dark Fortunes to keep from being punished. Is there any other gods worshiped?"

"They are not called Dark Fortunes. They are part of the Thousand." He corrected her gently enough. "There is also a practice of honoring ones ancestors. All honor them, but some Clans do so more fervently than others. The Lion are especially devoted. Then there are the Kami, of course, and their parents, the Lord Moon and Lady Sun."

[Otaku Chi-Pu]

"Amaterasu and Onatangu. Onatangu ate of his children and Hantei cut him open, thus bringing the Kami to earth."

She looks back down to the Phoenix.

"What of Shadows? Evil things that warp the very world around them? Or Jinn? Does Rokugan have or worship these?"

She pauses and lowers her voice

"And, what of the enemy the Thunders faught and defeated?"

[Asako Sayuri]

As she rises, Taichi bows to exactly the same depth. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Asako-san. I am Shinjo Taichi, a bushi and traveller." He pauses for a moment, realising that the last part probably can be applied to all the Unicorn.

"I've done my best to see the Empire since our grand homecoming, but regret that I have not had a chance to reach the Phoenix lands as yet."

"Bushido was one of the things that held us - the Unicorn that is - together through our long sojourn. A solid core helping to hold us all together. It... may not always look like it, but my clansmen do hold the tenets in highest regard."

Perking up a little suddenly, he raised his voice a little to help it carry and gestured dramatically to all those gathered; "We are all samurai, neh? We all do our duty. We are not so different, just different faces of the same whole." His smile widened. Perfect.

"Ah, Shinjo-san, what you say fills me with great hope for the future. Yet, tell me, are not the differences between two faces of the same thing among the most important?"

She indicates Taichi's shield.

"If there were to be a face on this side of your disc, and another on it's reverse, would they not see different things? Ask them what is before them, and the one would say a woman, and the other would say man. Neither is wrong, yet they do not agree. In the interest of harmony, how are they to reconcile?"

[Usagi Tomoe]

"Well, I am here safe and sound." he retorted "But yes it was a very uneventful ride. I had hoped to ride from Matsu Lands but instead chose to come with the Lion delegation."

"Perhaps the Unicorn are right though. Riding is really a fun activity."

"I had an uneventful time arriving. Noburu and I usually don't have much trouble in our travels." She smiled. " I am hoping to learn more riding while at the miai, particularly with the Unicorn's notably magnificent steeds. They are so much larger than ours!"

"Like Matsu Kogo-sama, I hope to learn some while I'm here," she said, even if parts of her were dreading sitting on a horse. "But Matsu Nintoku-sama has his own horse then, if he considered riding here?"

[Shinjo Liu Yue]

Udo nods, completely missing the joke. "Sand and snow. So similar and so different. A fitting juxtaposition for the circumstances."

At some point, Udo was going to realize how he shouldn't use big words.

The Unicorn paused and then nodded. "Hai. They are different, Udo-dono."

She gazed at his arms. "How do you choose which tattoo to have? Is it affiliated with the other Clans?"

[Seppun Hitako]

"A wise answer" Hideo was thankful for his sensible kins answer "I have also considered one of their more courtly types, if I intended to marry to bring back to the families. What if you were to marry in to the Unicorn though?"

"Well, I wouldn't have a lot of choice then, would I? I suppose I could hope for a good marriage contract, with my children trained as Seppun, but that is something the future will have to decide."

[Matsu Nintoku]

"Like Matsu Kogo-sama, I hope to learn some while I'm here," she said, even if parts of her were dreading sitting on a horse. "But Matsu Nintoku-sama has his own horse then, if he considered riding here?"

"Technically." he furrowed his brow as the question did not have a simple yes or no answer "While I know how to ride I do not possess a steed. I also choose not to bring a mount since, quite frankly, our horses are dwarfed by the Unicorn stallions."

[Matsu Kogo]

"Like Matsu Kogo-sama, I hope to learn some while I'm here," she said, even if parts of her were dreading sitting on a horse. "But Matsu Nintoku-sama has his own horse then, if he considered riding here?"

"Technically." he furrowed his brow as the question did not have a simple yes or no answer "While I know how to ride I do not possess a steed. I also choose not to bring a mount since, quite frankly, our horses are dwarfed by the Unicorn stallions."

"Its a fair point. I did not expect those stories to be true, but they very much are." She looks around at some of the Unicorn on horseback or leading horses.

[Shinjo Taichi]

"Ah, Shinjo-san, what you say fills me with great hope for the future. Yet, tell me, are not the differences between two faces of the same thing among the most important?"

She indicates Taichi's shield.

"If there were to be a face on this side of your disc, and another on it's reverse, would they not see different things? Ask them what is before them, and the one would say a woman, and the other would say man. Neither is wrong, yet they do not agree. In the interest of harmony, how are they to reconcile?"

Taichi wasn't the fastest individual, and it was quite obvious when he was thinking things through. He was a careful person though, and not one to say something that he did not believe wholly in.

After a notable pause, he seemed to settle on a suitable answer with an almost imperceptible nod, his smile returning "Each can only know the one truth that they can see. If the truths do not align, I think there is wisdom in realising that the world is large enough to allow for more than one truth to any thing. Nothing of substance has only one side."

Another nod. "The solution is to trust. An open mind to accept other viewpoints unless they are proven false. That is part of the purpose of this miai, is it not? To trust, and to learn."

[Otaku Imane]

"I would believe that to be correct, Otaku-san," agrees Nonin. "While a samurai might ride a horse to battle, they expect to fight the battle on foot."

"But your tradition fights from horseback, ne? That must require considerable training.

Why would you ride to a battle then get off your horse?! What's wrong with these people?!

After a breath to calm her disbelief she nodded politely. "Most certainly it does. We begin to train in the saddle almost as soon as we can walk. The bond between a Shiotome and her steed is like that between family members. Almatar here will be 15 before she retires."

[Doji Ameka]

"It's a pleasure for Butaj too. He's glad you find the music of the steppe to your liking. Please, inspect it then. It's topshur."

Butaj offers the two-string Ujik-hai lute to her.

"Oh! Thank you." She looked surprised as he just casually hands over his instrument to her, bowing as she accepts it with her own tiny hands, looking over the craftsmanship. It was probably design to hold up to the long rides of the Unicorn, but it was natural for her to be a little ginger when handling the important possessions of others. "I have definitely never seen something exactly like it before. Here..." She hands it back with an understated smile. "Thank you, Moto-san."

"Oh..." Speaking of Unicorn. "Do you like sweet food?"