[Day 1 - Late Evening] Not-So-Smooth Getaway

[Bayushi Hotaru]

Despite her quick departure from the dinner thread, Hotaru's getaway wasn't as smooth as she had hoped. After all, she couldn't run away from her discomfort she felt from ingesting that mare's cheese that seemed to be a big hit with the locals and visitors alike. A part of her wished it was merely something in her head, as she found the idea of milk and milking to be rather gross, but her cramps indicated otherwise. She made a slow walk back to her tent, her haori draped over her shoulders now as if it was a blanket than a coat and she was paler than normal.

Oh my Kami, I could swear those two slipped me something strange in that cheese...

[Iuchi Dong-Ha]

The welcome dinner had been exciting and while he hadn’t had exactly the best company Dong-Ha was still at high spirits. He had not made a fool of himself and had had the chance to observe some of the customs of the natives. He still could not quite bring himself to think as part of the Empire, even if the old oaths technically bound the clan to the Chrysanthemum throne.

Figuring he'd need a walk to let his meal settle he let his feet lead him to the northern part of the yurt town, humming an old traveling song as he walked among the tents. For the most part, the camp seemed quiet with mulled voices of discussion raising from the yurts filling the air.

Lost in his thoughts, the tall mystic didn't notice the short scurrying form of the Scorpion and duly bumped into her. "Oh, thousand pardons." Dong-Ha uttered as he took a stock of the situation, turning to look at the person he had collided with. "I wasn't paying attention..."

[Bayushi Hotaru]

Hey! Watch it, you idiot! Hotaru grunted as she bounced back from running into the Unicorn before her. It didn't help that she was covered in a black haori at night and her shoulders were slightly slouched to make her small form already smaller. Not that it wasn't something she wasn't used to, being short, but that was the last thing she wanted to put up with when suffering from cramp.

"Oh...uhm..." Her expression quickly turned from one of contempt to one of welcome as she mustered a small smile on her lips, bowing back with her arms folded around her obi. "That's quite fine. My fault for assuming you did."

"It was always dark too, makes it hard to find my way around here. All of these tents just look the same!" She cued a small laugh. "Anything...This one is Bayushi Hotaru, honoured shrine maiden of Tengoku's Path."

[Iuchi Dong-Ha]

"No. I should have been more careful." Dong-Ha bowed, frowning ever so slightly as he did so. "I am so sorry. I hope I didn't hurt you." Young man seemed a little bit flustered as he eyed the small priestess, though compassion was evident in his tone. Don't they have enough food in Scorpion lands? What else could have explained her small stature?

"Iuchi Dong-Ha, son of Iuchi Dong-Suk. Student of Meishodo, the way of the names of creation." His brief introduction followed the teachings of the Ide whom had had time to learn the manners and customs of the modern Empire. "An honor, Bayushi-san." Another small bow followed.

"Mhmhm, this must be quite the maze for someone used to cities." Having never heard of Tengoku's Path he had simply assumed it to be a sizeable city. "The cities feel much the same for me, with walls everywhere and no way to find my bearings."

[Bayushi Hotaru]

"Oh, no, no, no," she said with a strained chuckle while shaking her head. "You didn't hurt me." Only your cuisine did.

"I am pleased to meet you," she said in return without repeating his name. The last thing she wanted to was to offend another Unicorn around here with her butchery of his name. At first, a mispronunciation of his name could result in some gaijin phonic word that sounds like 'idiot' or 'bumps into short people'. With deliberately slow movements, she pulled the opening of her haori closed and hid the kimono she wore under. "I had the pleasure of meeting one of your cousins earlier this morning. She was delightful company and we were also acquainted with her goat, who was an important asset in your travels apparently."

"Unlike my siblings, I don't spend too much time in the cities. Tengoku's Path is a humble little town in the Scorpion lands. It would have been an insignificant rural patch of land if it weren't for the fact that it sits on the River Gold and leads toward the Temple of Hotei. My duty is among the humble residence and the pious visitors who visit my town. We don't have very much in the ways of walls but we have nowhere as near as many tents as you have here."

[Iuchi Dong-Ha]

"That's good." He sounded genuinely relieved, perhaps missing the notion that she could have been merely sincere. "Hmm, who that might have been?" Dong-Ha asked, having a hunch he might knew the answer. "Yes." Dong-Ha replied eagerly. "They provide us with milk, wool and occasionally when the situation calls for it, meat. Though I assume my cousin explained all this." Especially if his hunch was correct. He did notice Hotaru closing her haori, but figured that the night air was colder than what she had used to. Scorpion lived further south after all.

"Hee, I see." Somehow he had expected that most of the samurai lived in grand cities. Well, at least grander cities than the tent villages that populated the Unicorn lands. "Retiring for the night I assume. I hope Bayushi-san enjoyed the evening?"

[Bayushi Hotaru]

"She's..." Hotaru murmured at first when questioned about the Iuchi in question, finding herself once again in the speed bump that was blocked by her rather foreign name. "She was welcoming and delightful, answering most of our questions. I believe her name was Iuchi Sakusaha. That sounds about right. I suppose I found out just now that milk, your meat and warmth don't merely come from goat either. It was quite a banquet tonight..."

"Oooh, the evening was delightful. How could it not be?" She fibbed. "I got the opportunity to talk to two more of your kin and learn about them. It was an interesting exchange, especially when it came to fashion. However, I unfortunately couldn't stay for very long and I had to excuse myself for the rest of the evening. From when I left, it looked like everyone was having fun too, so I would say that the dinner was an astounding success with everyone and fun was had by all. Your Clan has easily earned your compliments tonight!"

[Iuchi Dong-Ha]

"Ah, Saksaha-san." If Dong-Ha cared about Hotaru's pronunciation, he didn't show it. "We know if each other. She is kind as she is knowledgeable." At least when it came to habits of the Ujik-Hai. The fact that she had had rather predatory approach for the miai was not mentioned. "Indeed, and those small pinkish sea berries? They were delicious." The actual origin of the crustaceans had eluded him, but still, Dong-Ha seemed to have enjoyed the occasion. "Our habits must seem alien to you, but rest assured, inside we are much as you are." A tentative smile remained on his lips as he did his best to make her feel welcome. A mental note was made to check the following day how well she was regarded by the Ide.

"Fahsson? I am afraid I am not familiar with this term." Dong-Ha frowned. Yet he remained upbeat, happy that she had enjoyed the occasion well enough to praise his kith and kin. "Also, would you want some help finding your tent?" He figured that standing there among the tents did not actually help her solve her small problem.

[Bayushi Hotaru]

"Ah, hai!" Hotaru gave a short chuckle of confirmation when he said the name once more, which sounded pretty close to what she said in her opinion, but seemed like she didn't butcher the name badly enough that it was a similarly sounding word that meant offence.

"Eh? Pinkish sea berries?" She brought up curiously. Maybe she didn't stay long enough for the other courses to be brought out. "Could you elaborate?"

"They are, a little." She tittered with a strained edge. The milk poisoning wasn't exactly doing favours for her after an exhausting day of smiling and laughing with everyone she met. "It's just the first day too! So, I'm sure we'll find more things different right each other, but perhaps build on similarities as well. Dinner will take some getting use too, however."

"Buuut! I'm sure I'll get it down eventually!" She quipped in soon after her statement to make it sound like everything was all right, not that she was trying to find faults with the dinner. No faults here!

"Sure...you're more than welcome to help me." She nodded and gestured that they proceed with finding her tent. "Fashion? You're not familiar with the term, but it's easily something that your practice among your Clan to some degree. I'm sure a Crane can chime in on the trends but I mean it in the way your outfits are distinct from ours. In a good way, of course!"

[Iuchi Dong-Ha]

"The small curly, salty things? I was told you get them from the sea. Never seen anything like them before." Dong-Ha's hand drew the curved shape of shrimp into air. "Tasted like really moist, more savory then sweet. I thought they had them on every table." The two had not shared a table, so he couldn't quite be sure she had had the chance to try them.

"We aren't that alien." He tried to reassure Hotaru, not entirely aware how far off the claim was. Dong-Ha hadn't had the chance to see rest of the Empire, yet. "We too hope serve our lords and pray to the Kami and Fortunes." Not that the fortunes seemed to care about their prayers. "Dinner, hmm? I take that milk and cheese aren't that common then?" He was slowly catching on that the fact there might have been an issue with the Unicorn dishes.

Nodding, he followed her as they waded further among the tents. "Do you remember if there was a privy or camp fires anywhere near your tent?" Such landmarks could prove useful in their quest. "Uh... fashiun is way of dressing oneself? I never figured there was more to it than adjusting your clothing to weather. Don't want to wear furs in summer." Calloused hand moved to pat one of the sleeves of his thin woolen robe. "Though, for what I can see you and the Crane dress much the same. Though might be hard to ride in one of those." He looked at her kimono.

[Bayushi Hotaru]

Assuming that shrimp were already small and he compared them to berries, also taking them for granted, she could only assume that he was talking about different sort of shrimp that were less than the norm. "Oh...did you mean dried shrimp then? I guess I could see how they could look vaguely like berries. We don't typically have too many of that around our foods, it's more of a southern thing. Our shrimp are typically bigger, if we get them at all. They taste far less salty than the preserved version."

"Oh, no! I didn't say you were alien." She was quick to hop on to correct that assumption. "If that were the case, we couldn't have a gathering such as this. The Unicorn is as much part of the Empire as it was since the beginning. It's just that some reconciling needs to be done but I think such differences will only evaporate in the future. Hai, this milk and cheese thing will take getting used to around here..."

She trailed off to let a bit of awkward silence set in. It probably didn't occur to her that she allowed things to linger before she caught it too late.

"...Oooh, I can't say really. I know how my tent looks like in the daytime, but I spent most of my time out that I haven't been acquainted with how the camp is lit at night. It's quite likely that I've could have gone passed it one already. Perhaps I'm too used to buildings, even if I'm not a city dweller. I suppose even straw huts stay standing for the season." She tittered a small laugh once more.

She nodded twice at the topic of fashion. "Hai, that is exactly it. When it comes to the basic concept of it. I'm sure many will tell you differently, I'm just talking in general. I'm not talking about dressing for the weather or in...furrs, but little frills and trims you add to your outfits to be more than functional! I know one of the Ide had some beaded jewellery she wore in her hair and on her wrist. There's also some of the dresses with the distinctive patterning. Hats, too, that's a thing."

[Iuchi Dong-Ha]

"Shrimps, is that what you call them? Delicious little things." A mental note was made to figure out where to find more and if they could be grown in lake. Especially if you could get them bigger.

"Mhmhm, no offense taken, Bayushi-san, rest assured." Dong-Ha for his part sounded still cheerful. "I am glad to that we have been welcomed in such a friendly manner." Presence of the other samurai at the miai was a proof of this, as far as he was concerned. "Milk's delicious.. and good for you though. Makes babies grow strong." Maybe that was why she was so small.

"Oh. I guess we have no choice but to wander around and hope to bump to your tent." Dong-Ha mumbled softly, cratching the stubble on his chin. "I guess in the worst case you'll have to find one of your kin and ask to share a tent with them?" That way she wouldn't need to sleep outdoors, at least. "I'd offer my own tent but it's quite be far from here..." Moments later he also realized that having one of the guests sleeping in his tent could raise also awkward questions.

"Frill and trims? We do that." His calloused fingers moved to touch one of the many charms hanging from his belt. "Though, mine are magical. So in a way, they are functional too!" Soft laughter followed the comment as he peered downwards, trying to spot if she wore any of the frills and trims mentioned. "Well, jewellery is also how we carry our wealth around. We are still getting used to measuring value of things in rice..." The concept of koku was still new to the Unicorn after all. "Hats... I have a straw hat for rain. In winter, fur caps are nice."

[Bayushi Hotaru]

Delicious, maybe. Good for you, nope. Makes babies grow strong? Let's not get ahead of ourselves yet! "Uh huh!" Hotaru nodded readily on the mention of milk, in a passing agreement more out of politeness than anything. It was likely true for the Unicorn after the centuries they were abroad in the Empire, but not true for her!

"I doubt I need to intrude on any of my kin, or you, in such a fashion," she said with a strained smile, politely assuming that he mean the gesture out of courtesy than out of any sort of scandalous implication. If the Iuchi was improperly introduced to the Scorpion and given strange ideas, she wasn't that sort of Scorpion! "I'm not in a hurry to find my tent, actually. I think I could really use the walk anyways, get myself acquainted with the air and a break from people. With that much conversation flying around the table, it does a number on your senses, especially when you're doing your best to stay atop of the topic at hand. Even the conversations across from you that you might not be a part of! The air kami is likely pleased with all of the chatter that's been circulating today at both the ceremony and dinner. Fleeting but its intention lingers in the winds."

Hotaru managed to keep her fashion rather plain tonight, opting for a more formal look than one that would host her own personal taste in fashion. Her haori did have a subtle dark weave over the black cloth that should show branch-like pattern at the hem of her coat int her right light, but it was very likely lost at night. The day where Scorpions celebrated by punishing traitors at Traitor's Grove was just this month, actually. "Is that so? I would be interested in learning more about your jewellery. Where do you even find your precious stones without mines? And what do you carry in charms while abroad? If I had to go abroad for a long time, I would probably end up carrying all of the Fortunes on my belt. Or something to that effect!"

Ooooof. Ouch. She frowned for a moment when her reprieve in her abdomen was only temporary and she fought down the feeling of discomfort.

[Iuchi Dong-Ha]

Not that Dong-Ha was planning on making babies with anyone anytime soon. He had merely repeated what had his elders had told him. Everyone among the Unicorn seemed to agree that milk was an essential part of diet. But perhaps there was more pressing matters at hand than the nutritional value of milk.

Dong-Ha had never met a Scorpion before so his view of the clan was that of the legends. Cunning, sneaky killers that valued honor a little. Maybe Hotaru too was legendary minja in disguise? Then again, who'd would have sent someone as short as her to kill anyone. On the other hand, who would suspect anyone that small to be dangerous, Dong-Ha mused. She seemed mostly harmless though, even if she was awfully pretty for a short girl.

"Ah, they did tell me you still talk to the kami." He seized the most interesting part she had mentioned. "I command some powers myself, but none of us, that is, the Iuchi, can hear the spirits as far as I know. It must be quite peculiar thing." Dong-Ha sounded both curious and a little disappointed. Though both wanting to find one's tent and noting that one enjoyed a walk seemed a little bit contradictory. Not that he was going to point it out. He'd just ask the next Ide he met why someone would say something like that. "They say we lost the art... because there are no kami beyond Rokugan."

"Ah, mostly by trade. We trade furs and skins to metals, tools and precious stones." he explained, patting two of the amulets hanging from his woolen belt. "sea gold from Yodotai lands, lapis lazuli from the Sempet empire. Though the charms are actually just means to an end, used to store a word of power that commands the elements. Wherever we go, the words travel with us. That is the way of meishodo."

"Are you alright?"

[Bayushi Hotaru]

"Still?" She questioned him back with a big blink, thinking it was something that was rather natural around here when it came to matters of spirituality. A part of her thinking that he might have implied that form of communication was outdated, or out of fashion so to speak. "I suppose it's peculiar to others, even here. To the rest of us, including myself, it's something we can't deny once we are gifted to see it. We all know that there is much life around us, but to actually see it speak and pulse with life changes your perception to the rest of the world, seeing the truth for yourself. If it wasn't there anymore, it would suddenly seem lonelier and even sparse. I don't know how I could get by without the awareness of the company around us." With a hand, she gestured to the area around them and not the tents.

"Is that to say that there's truly no kami in the land beyond? I don't know what sort of powers you could draw from at all in this case." I thought the Iuchi were shugenja, are you shugenja? "I mean...now that you're back, shouldn't your sense be overwhelmed in a land where the kami should be screaming out, only in comparison to a place that might have been devoid of its call?"

Her eyes looked down to the trinkets he kept on them, perhaps only seeing them beyond what their potential worth could be for the first time. Perhaps in a way, they carried the kami with them? She could only imagine that must be the case for a nomadic Clan. If there aren't kami of not beyond these lands, then you can only have the kami do as you do to be there, take them with you. "...Those are very nice stones. I like the amber one, it almost looks like solid liquid. Are these hard to come by?"

"Aha, mostly!" She chuckled to attempt to brush off concern. "All of the food at the banquet was good, even the cheese and the milk...but maybe some combination of it with the shrimp cause some weird reaction together. It's not like shrimp swim in milk, so I could see some reason for the complaint my body may have for it."