One if by Foot, Two if by Horse [D2 LM, open/expecting]

[Shinjo Liu Fei]

'Generally', being as honest a term to use as it was caused her to raise a brow. Suddenly it seemed like she was just witness to a rather profound moment. Nearly made her want to clap, she didn't of course but the desire was there. "From just the short while we have been back, "Yasuki-sama. Imagining what it was like seems like an impossible task for you, for better or worse."

"But," she paused to steady Gokiburi as he started to want to wander a little, "for what it matters I think you got to the right place of mind by it regardless. Honesty is exactly what you need when the situation is as dire as life or death. Anything less and people can wind up walking into a situation they are woefully unprepared for."

[Yasuki Tomonaga]

Tomonaga acknowledged the first with a nod. "Yeah, I think I'd have as much chance of beating Gokiburi in a rematch. Although I was also surprised how much common ground there still is. Food aside." He smiled. "Although I did like the kumis. Can't want to surprise my family with some of that."

"Huh." He said. For a few moments, he was content to walk in silence. Then he chuckled. "I certainly hope that a miai isn't quite so dire as all that. Although I certainly imagine that people could be walking into situations they're woefully unprepared for there, as well. I guess the consequences for miscommunication aren't quite as serious..." He trailed off, uncertain in the accuracy of his own words.

Tomonaga shot Liu Fei a quick glance. Something about her direct honesty, and her appreciation for same, made him want to share more with her. "Um, I hope I'm not bothering you with my heavy talk, Shinjo-san." He said with an easy smile. "I guess you've just caught me at a talkative moment."

[Shinjo Liu Fei]

"Though wouldn't you think this Miai is even more dire than that?" she asked, tone humored. "Make a miss step here and you're saddled with someone you don't care for... or worse, someone who has no goals or ambitions. Nothing worse than speaking about something for half an hour," the way she said this implied how she thought that seemed like a long time, "only to find out you've been talking about different things."

""If you were bothering me with your heavy talk you would know Yasuki-sama, do not worry about that."

[Yasuki Tomonaga]

"Ok. Thanks. I'll keep that in mind." Tomonaga gave Liu Fei a respectful nod.

Followed by a grin. "But yeah, exactly! It'd take a pretty dire half hour conversation for me to prefer painful death. Although-" His lips twisted. "I can think of a few times when, if you'd asked me during the conversation, I might have said differently. Still, hopefully everyone realizes that impressing someone now isn't worth a lifetime of uncomfortable conversations and chilly silences."

Still walking, he looked back to Liu Fei. "Can I ask what goals or ambitions you have, then, Shinjo-san? As it certainly sounds like you have them, and know what they are."

[Shinjo Liu Fei]

"I do not," she replied unabashedly. Gokiburi's hooves marking every step with a small thud thanks to the power and size of the beast. "Perhaps that is why I cannot allow myself to be tied to a man who does not have any either. I am new here, we are new here, in this new world. Whatever ambitions I am going to gain are going to come from this new world I cannot hope to plan for. But I do not yet know enough of this new world to reach for anything higher than I am now."

[Yasuki Tomonaga]

"Huh." Tomonaga considered that for a while. "I guess unless you know where you are, you can't know where you're going, even if you do have somewhere you want to be. Well, I hope you get what you desire, Shinjo-san, and find a good match for your ambitions."

He is silent a few moments, listening to the sound of his steps, and Gokiburi's much more solid hoof-beats. "My family brews sake." He finally said. "It's a bit early, but, well, we're here now, and I have it, and a cup, if you'd like to try it. And then we could talk a little more about ambition, or something, if you like."

[Shinjo Liu Fei]

Having the Yasuki understand that was good, with Tomonaga being the second Rokugani courtier for her to approve of they were shaping up better than she had thought. They still all looked pretty squishy though. For a moment they drifted to silence with just the sound of hooves fading away as thought came to the woman. Thinking of.. well, a lot.

When he spoke again however, he had her attention. "Your family brews Sake?" she asked, despite the question's answer having been the very statement that inspired it. Continuing she clearly didn't expect a second response, "Let's find a place to set down, I'll give Gokiburi a short rest and we can taste this sake of your family's."

Good drinks and good conversation were often hard to come by you didn't exactly turn it down when the opportunity was afforded for both. Not that she knew how good this sake of his family's was yet, but judging by the simple fact he had already attached his name to it she was pretty optimistic there.

[Yasuki Tomonaga]

"Okay." Tomonaga smiled. "Yeah, that sounds good. Let's do it."

The fields were mostly flat, but not entirely so. It only took a little bit of walking to find a small hill, scarcely noticeable from the distance, but provided enough elevation for a good view. Tomonaga found a clear spot large enough, and sat in it carefully, leaving plenty of room for Liu Fei.

The reason for his care became evident a moment later, as he reached into his kimono, retrieving a sake bottle and a cup; after that, he sat a bit more casually. "I gave some to Shinjo Akul-san yesterday, and he found it a bit too dry." Tomonaga said as he handed her the cup, and poured her a modest amount. "So this is one of our rougher ones. Let me know if that fits your taste better." He retrieved another cup, and poured himself a bit as well.

[Shinjo Liu Fei]

While Tomonaga was carefully settling down Liu Fei had been dismounting Gokiburi, swinging her leg over in a quick motion that showed off once again just how natural riding a horse was for the Unicorn, for her. Setting up her partner so he could graze, or wander as he desired before she joined the Yasuki.

Relaxing down into the space afforded her she took the cup in the same motion, sitting but not on her knees. Picking up on the word dry in there her lacking familiarity with the language, as it was current, showed. "Shinjo Akul-san found it... dry? That does not sound like it makes much sense, Yasuki-sama."

[Yasuki Tomonaga]

"Huh? Oh." Tomonaga frowned, blinking, as he determined the problem. "Oh, right. So, dry means that there are fewer impurities in it. Less sweet, mostly, but fewer other flavors as well. Impurities actually add flavor, you see. So this one-" He waves the bottle before setting it next to him, "-is going to have more flavors. It's stronger, too." He smiled. "After trying kumis, I think stronger is the right idea for Unicorn."

He lifted his cup. "Well then, shall we? To the future." He said, raising it in a toast. He drank, one eye on Liu Fei, gauging her reaction to his family's drink.

[Shinjo Liu Fei]

Fei looked down at the drink while Tomonaga explained, nodding when he reached his conclusion, "I think you will find yourself to be right then, Yasuki-sama."

"To the future!" she said, raising her cup with his. Draining the first shot quickly, as seemed to be her natural thing to do but the taste still crossed her tongue well enough that a sudden shift crossed her features. Even before she spoke, it was clear she had found it a pleasant taste with a strong kick as he had promised.

Taking the slight moment to recover, it was far better than anything she had tried at the feast the other day after all, she looked to him with a light smile, "That was pretty good, Yasuki-sama, your family knows how to make their drink."

[Yasuki Tomonaga]

Tomonaga returned the smile, pleased. His features seemed naturally expressive. "I'm glad. I did some of the work on that one." He said warmly. "Here..." Picking up the bottle, he refilled her cup; after seeing her down the first cup, this one is a little more generous. "Quite glad, in fact." This whole thing was turning out rather more enjoyable than he expected.

He sipped from his own cup more slowly; after all, he rather expected he'd have to do that a number of times today. "So, right, ambition. Ummm... since we were talking about it, I sorta want to tell you mine. My personal ambition, that is. Just between us though, eh?"

[Shinjo Liu Fei]

"You should be, it is the best of this sake I have ever had," she answered, now nursing her newly filled cup with a little less of a straight to gut approach. Which, of course, just meant it was better than the sake they served last night. Raising her brow as he admitted to wanting to share his personal ambition but quickly realizing she should also probably say something to that effect as well.

"I would be glad to hear it, Yasuki-sama. You have me curious with this need for secrecy surrounding it," she added, a bit amused.

[Yasuki Tomonaga]

Tomonaga grinned, even more pleased. "Well! You'll have to try some more, eh? Maybe next time, I'll even try out the really good stuff on you." He glanced at her, reading her reaction.

He shrugged. "Well... it's only secret as much as having personal ambitions can be a little looked down on. So... I don't generally share it, especially not with people I just met." He smiled at her. "But we're enjoying sake together, so that changes the rules."

He sighed, leaning back a little, one hand on the ground behind him. "So... I'm good at what I do. But so are my parents. And my brothers and sisters, all older. I'm the fifth and youngest. And we don't always see eye to eye." His lips twist. "I want to do things for the advantage of my family of course... but I also want to do my own thing. Really show myself. Or, if I stay with the Yasuki, I want it so that when people hear of Golden Carp, they say 'oh yeah, from Yasuki Tomonaga's family!'"

For the first time, he looked a little guarded, defensive. "I don't know how what a bushi thinks about the ambition of being a great sake merchant." He said. "But... it's how I serve my Clan."

[Shinjo Liu Fei]

"It is also how you serve every Bushi there is," she thought, or well, thought she thought but really just said aloud without even realizing it right away. Maybe it was the sake, maybe it was the company, maybe it was a little bit of both. Still, even after realizing it she didn't let that slow her down.

"I think that is understandable Yasuki-sama, but maybe things have changed with us gone for so long that allows me to think that more so than others. Nothing wrong with wanting to be known for the contributions you make toward Clan, right?" she asked, or said, or both?

"Anyway, I do think a Bushi is certain to be the type of Samurai most willing to accept your ambition of being a great Merchant of sake. As long as that is being known as such because you make great sake and not because you earned a great profit by selling really crappy sake," she said with a little nod, imbibing a bit more of that sake.

"If you want to bring me better sake to try, I saw any time. You give me a time, a place, bring the sake, I will be there," she said rather confidently. Which was, probably a bit more played up than needed to be.