Missed Connections [D2 EM - OPEN]

[Kaiu Hiroji]

"Hm." Hiroji's brow furrows slightly. "At least I will do better than yesterday. My familiarity with languages is... Somewhat lacking, to say the least, but at least it is slightly closer to my comfort zone." He nods, as in to reaffirm this to himself.

[Yasuki Tomonaga]

Tomonaga returned the smile. "No, I suppose not. One thing less to worry about, eh?"

"Languages?" Tomonaga glanced at Hiroji, listening as he spoke. "I can't say that I've got any experience with other languages, either. You speak multiple languages?" His eyebrows went up ever so slightly. "Is that a Unicorn thing, or is that something necessary for your duties?" Once again, he began to mentally revise his image of Yue, and her role in the Unicorn.

[Shinjo Liu Yue]

"My sister and I speak Rokugani, Mekhem, and Yobanjin." She paused, wondering if either of them had picked up that Rokugani was not her strongest language. She always spoke slowly and deliberately, trying to get pronunciations correct. "We learned during our journeys. However, not all members of my Clan speak other languages.

[Kaiu Hiroji]

Hiroji looked at her, the curiosity in his expression slightly stronger this time. "Mekhem? Yobanjin?"

[Yasuki Tomonaga]

Tomonaga was perfectly content to let Hiroji ask the question. He turned to Yue, eyebrows raised.

[Shinjo Liu Yue]

Yue blinked. She did not expect them to not know about those languages at all. "Mekhem and Yobanjin are the languages of other peoples. My sister and I learned them to communicate with them on our journey." She gave a nervous smile and scratched the back of her head. "I could tell you more about those cultures."

[Yasuki Tomonaga]

"Other... human peoples?" Tomonaga asked, a touch hesitantly. He was pretty sure that the Naga had their own language, and he knew that the Nezumi did, although he didn't speak it.

For a moment after the offer came, Tomonaga looked strangely nervous, almost uncomfortable. It cleared quickly. "Yeah, sure, I'd like that. Sounds interesting." He said cheerfully.

[Shinjo Liu Yue]

"Human," Yue confirmed. She then regaled them on the peoples she had encountered over in the Burning Sands and elsewhere. She had done an adequate job covering the basics but a more in-depth report would have to come from someone else. Her stories were slow due to translation struggles, as usual, but by the end she was satisfied with her words.

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Lore: History/Intelligence Fluff Roll: 14
((Sorry for not going into exposition. I'm just not feeling typing out excerpts from the books xD))

[Kaiu Hiroji]

Hiroji nods, thoughtfully. "How interesting..."

[Yasuki Tomonaga]

Tomonaga nodded agreement. "Yeah, quite interesting, Shinjo-san. I wish we had an equal tale to share. Hmmm... I'm afraid I'm not the best storyteller. And there's only so many stories I can tell about sake..." He smiled. "Well, how up are you on recent events? There was a campaign in the Shinomen against the Naga a few years ago. Your gift with languages would probably be useful there, what with the friendly Naga, now."

[Shinjo Liu Yue]

"About sake?" she repeated. However, a much more prevalent topic came up. "Friendly Naga? I admit I am behind on recent events as a whole. 'Friendly Naga' sounds like something I need to know about."

[Yasuki Tomonaga]

"My family brews sake, Golden Carp." Tomonaga threw out absently, his expression already growing abstracted as he considered his next words.

"Ummmm, so, I'm not exactly the expert on this. But I can give you the basics. A few years ago, there was an expedition into the Shinomen forest. There were a lot of Crab; not me, I was too young. There were some Yasuki, though, I'm pretty sure. Anyway..." He interrupted his rambling, "-the campaign ended in a victory. But during the course of the campaign, they encountered some, well, friendly Naga. We made an alliance with them that still holds."

"So..." He continued, "-now we sorta share the forest with them. A new clan was created to oversee the Shinomen. The Piranha; you may have heard of them, although I'd be really surprised if there were any here." He shrugged. "Anyway, some of the Naga have come out of the forest, I've heard. I'd be really surprised if any of them were here." He smiled. "Anyway... I think at least some of them speak our language, but I know they've got their own, too."

[Shinjo Liu Yue]

Interesting. Must be why he's so high on the list. Maybe I'll ask him more on it later.

"Rokugan has changed with the Unicorn," she put it bluntly. She cupped her chin with her fingers as she thought on the matter. "I will see if I can learn this Naga language." She then gave Tomonaga a deep bow. "Arigatou gozaimasu. Your information has been helpful."

[Yasuki Tomonaga]

"Happy to help." Tomonaga said cheerfully.

His gaze on her sharpened. "Shinjo-san... it seems that languages are something of a talent for you, since you've already got three, and you sound confident that you can learn a fourth. Can I ask, in what capacity do you serve your Clan? You have the look of a warrior-" He inclined his head respectfully, "-like my friend here, but most warriors don't speak so many languages. I don't want to make any assumptions, though."

[Shinjo Liu Yue]

Yue perked her brow. She looked to her daisho and then back to him. "Hai. I am a warrior of the Unicorn Clan. I serve among the heavy cavalry." She looked to the Kaiu with a smile. "I can wield a tetsubo with one arm. I was told that the Crab would be interested in such a technique," she remarked, waiting for their reaction.