It yurts so good (D2 EM) OPEN

[Shiba Kaizen]

Kaizen stretched outside his fine accommodations, finer than an actual tent for someone of his status, well more spacious at least. Regardless he felt more rested than sleeping in a tent would have produced he was pleased enough. Still he felt a bit stiff, perhaps it was the food from the night before? His stomach felt fine, though he had heard more than a little retching from some of the others.

The short and muscular Shiba continued to stretch and flex his limbs considering a visit to the dojo for a proper workout later in the day. As time passed he took in his surroundings and made some mental comparisons between this gathering of the Clans and the Topaz Championship. There was some event for the day involving puzzles, he wasn't all that sure what that meant. Still he would participate after all that was why he was here. To participate and hopefully be found worthy for a Unicorn bride. It was said that the Kami Shinjo and Shiba were close when they both walked among mortals. It would only be right that their Clans forge close bonds with the return of the Ki-Rin.

[Asako Hirase]

The sounds of a child crying came from a tent several down, one of the slightly larger ones. Other voices, one male, one female, followed, the male's low and calm, the woman's rather sharper. It went on for a few minutes before the flap shifted, revealing a shirtless male in the bottom half of a set of jinbei. He held a small child clad in a shapeless oversized tunic-style garment against him as he moved to one of the spaces cleared for seating, gingerly setting himself down.

All the while, the child continued to sniffle quietly, his head buried in the man's neck.

Seeing Kaizen, the man offered a nod.

"Shiba-san. I hope that we aren't the reason you're up so early."

[Shiba Kaizen]

Standing fully straight then offering a bow of greeting Kaizen said, "No, no Asako-san. I prefer waking early and since the food was good and I avoided the sake in favor of tea it seems my preference for greeting the Sun is not diminished." He looks at the small child, "Your son?" Kaizen arrived a little later than the other Phoenix and recalled one had a child, though no one said if the child was a boy or girl. The Shiba wondered if already having a child would be an advantage or disadvantage for this unusual gathering. Hard to say with the Unicorn as with everything else or so Kaizen had been told.

[Asako Hirase]

"Hai." He murmured to the child, who left off his misery to turn a tear-streaked face to pipe his own greeting to the Shiba before hiding his face again. "It seems that the diet of our newly-returned countrymen doesn't particularly suit our bloodline. We've had a rough night of it, though luckily Ichiro here didn't have it so bad. He just thinks he did."

[Shiba Kaizen]

The Shiba nodded to the child giving him a reassuring smile, "I have noticed, fortunately I seemed to make it through by the grace of the Fortunes." Having finished with his stretching Kaizen ensured proper placement of his daisho and picked up his samisen which had been resting against the yurt. He idly touched the strings without strumming them. "Speaking of our hosts I find myself only knowing the most trivial of facts, ancient tidbits, and scant rumors. If you have a moment Asasko-san is there anything of interest a scholar such as yourself could tell me that would be helpful in a gathering such as this?" After all Kaizen knew little about betrothal formalities outside the Phoenix, yet here he was.

[Asako Hirase]

"I found out that Moto have a tradition for carrying away spouses on horseback yesterday." Hirase considered it thoughtfully. "Though I can't tell if it's a universal practice or just for the more traditional. And if you want to learn about horses, most of our hosts are perfectly happy to instruct. Bringing a bribe for the horse seems to be helpful."

[Shiba Kaizen]

Kaizen had somehow expected more, perhaps the Asako considered them rivals in this task? Though the advice about the horses seemed legitimate to him, while the Moto tradition seemed suspect though likely could be a thing. Maybe Hirase-san didn't study in practical things a lot of scholars were like that. Regardless Kaizen would remember and see what came of it. "That is an interesting tradition did the Moto say why that was they rode off like that?"

Kaizen's imagination tried to fill in the blanks. Like perhaps the bouncing on the horse was considered a fertility enhancing practice? Maybe simple impatience? Who could say? Also who would be carrying away the spouse exactly the groom? The bride? Kaizen appeared deep in thought.

[Asako Hirase]

"She didn't." Hirase's brow furrowed a bit. "It was said in passing, actually, as she left the conversation between myself and an Otaku. The Otaku confirmed it's mostly the Moto who follow the tradition, though perhaps other Families might have the odd member who does as well."

Then, suddenly, he smiled.

"The Moto said something along the lines of "If you don't throw this one over your saddle, someone else will". A compliment, I believe."

[Shiba Kaizen]

Getting the... joke? Kaizen let out a laugh and said, "If they were referring to you then well done Asako-san. Hopefully I can make a suitable impression myself, though I am not so sure about being thrown over a saddle." While short the yojimbo was muscular and that compact frame would make such a maneuver difficult. "Perhaps with their return being so recent a scholar would be a great asset they have missed much over the years. Out of curiosity what are your studies of Asako-san?" Didn't seem like Hirase needed any help, but Kaizen would be remiss to not help his Clan where he could.

[Asako Hirase]

"I've been stationed in northern Isawa provinces, studying the Yobanjin." The smile retreated, though his eyes were still warm. "It was hoped that the flexibility in customs this inspired would be helpful here. And it has been...two of the Unicorn I've met even speak the language. It also helped, a bit, with a greeting custom of the Moto."

Carefully, so as not to disturb his son, he extended his right hand, miming a clasp and shake.

"They are much less inhibited in touching than you would expect. I think it's a good thing to go along with such simple things like that."

[Shiba Kaizen]

Flexing his right hand Kaizen made a similar motion he was not adverse to physical contact he was trained to fight in close quarters mostly. Still it did seem an odd way to greet a bow seemed much simpler and this hand clasping a bit more awkward. "Is that just a Moto custom or is that merely its origin?" That could be important, the oni is often in the details.

[Asako Hirase]

"I've met two Shinjo, one Moto, and one Otaku. Only the Moto has offered such a greeting. Whether this is systemic or simply a small sample size, I don't know." One shoulder shrugged slightly, the movement calculated not to disturb the child who had, finally, run down and was now sleeping again. "I hope to learn more of the customs as we go...there hasn't been much time for such in the conversations I've had so far."

[Shiba Kaizen]

"My thanks Asako-san, this has been helpful should I learn anything useful I will pass it along as well. Perhaps there is a way our fellow kin can share such information?" the Asako would likely know better than Kaizen about how to do such a thing that would be convenient. That is if it is possible.

[Asako Hirase]

"Well, there's the old fashioned way, in which we have a meal together and talk about it." The fact that a meal only amongst themselves would mean that the food was all safe for his stomach made that option very appealing just then. "Otherwise, we could leave each other missives in our tents. We could all designate a place for such to be placed, secret in the Clan, and then even if time grows busy, information will not be lost."

[Shiba Kaizen]

"Hai, I have heard tomorrow we are having a discussion about the miai so that may be something we should talk over. It seems your son is at rest I would not hold you up any further Asako-san." Kaizen bowed to the scholar waving off the need to respond in kind, "Take care of him, his future may be most interesting and rest will do him good." The Shiba grinned picking up his samisen.