[D1, LE] The Wedding Reception (Open, Event)

[Hisomu Fumi]

"There are many things that our cultures can learn from each other, I am certain." Her head bobs. "Perhaps each of us shall inform changes in the other. Who can be certain? But as I can see it, their society is somewhat older than ours. There is value in seeing what can be learned from them in any case. Still, they have something in their lands that seems similar to the Celestial Order. So if nothing else, we have common grounds to discuss from."

"There is value in an aged society. Look at the Nezumi. Mai learned the capability to work steel from them. Despite their short lives, they have skills we do not. We should learn all we can glean from their culture. The wise trapdoor spider lets its prey crawl into its home before feasting."

[Hisomu Ayeka]

"There is value in an aged society. Look at the Nezumi. Mai learned the capability to work steel from them. Despite their short lives, they have skills we do not. We should learn all we can glean from their culture. The wise trapdoor spider lets its prey crawl into its home before feasting."

"You are not wrong, though perhaps we should not refer to our allies as prey, neh?" Her tone is light despite the chastisement.

[Jiyo Sora]

"A mission to rescue Hisomu?" Viveki held her cup in both hands as she sipped at her drink. "That is the lord of the Spider family, yes? Was he captured by an enemy?"

"After a fashion. The great enemy. Emperor Shiba and his siblings fell to Ningen-do- that is, this world- from Tengoku, the Celestial Heavens. But Hisomu fell farther. He fell through the capital of the Nezumi Empire and landed in the Realm of Evil, which was trying to break him. Make him its slave. And nobody knew- they thought he'd died, like Ryoshun."

He drained his sake in one gulp.

"Lady Reiko had visions telling her of his plight, and she organized an expedition. So we went to get him."

[Viveki Doshi]

"After a fashion. The great enemy. Emperor Shiba and his siblings fell to Ningen-do- that is, this world- from Tengoku, the Celestial Heavens. But Hisomu fell farther. He fell through the capital of the Nezumi Empire and landed in the Realm of Evil, which was trying to break him. Make him its slave. And nobody knew- they thought he'd died, like Ryoshun."

He drained his sake in one gulp.

"Lady Reiko had visions telling her of his plight, and she organized an expedition. So we went to get him."

"Oh, the big-thing-falling-from-sky-to-destroy-empires? I was not aware that was one of your Kami. How interesting." She sips thoughtfully at her sake. "Ayeka of the Hisomu mentioned this rescue, though she did not wish to go into much detail, for fear of telling an important story poorly. Though, I question... when you mention the Celestial Heavens and the Realm of Evil, these are... places?"

[Jiyo Sora]

"Oh, the big-thing-falling-from-sky-to-destroy-empires? I was not aware that was one of your Kami. How interesting." She sips thoughtfully at her sake. "Ayeka of the Hisomu mentioned this rescue, though she did not wish to go into much detail, for fear of telling an important story poorly. Though, I question... when you mention the Celestial Heavens and the Realm of Evil, these are... places?"

"Well, I was on the trip. Hisomu-san wasn't."

He grinned.

"So I'm a bit less concerned with the myth and the tale than in the facts. For example, I doubt any of the plays or stories talk about our living arrangements during the expedition, but they were pretty damned important to us at the time. But yes, the Celestial Heavens and the Realm of Evil are... we call them Spirit Realms. Sort of... not places in our world, but other worlds layered with it. There are places where crossing over can happen- the place where Hisomu fell created one."

[Hisomu Fumi]

"You are not wrong, though perhaps we should not refer to our allies as prey, neh?" Her tone is light despite the chastisement.

She seemed a little flustered at being chastised by Ayeka. "I could refer to them as a potential mate, but..." she smirked. "Allies they could be, yes, but do not be too fast to trust."

She leaned in quite close, perhaps way too close, "you win this once, Ayeka." She dropped the suffix in range for only Ayeka to hear for the first time ever, "you made the bigger discovery for today for the clan." She smelled strongly of sake.

[Isawa Kyosei]

Having finished giving his gift, Kyosei steps into the swirl of topics. He looks around, then steps to the edge, finding a spot he can look at the crowd.

[Viveki Doshi]

"Well, I was on the trip. Hisomu-san wasn't."

He grinned.

"So I'm a bit less concerned with the myth and the tale than in the facts. For example, I doubt any of the plays or stories talk about our living arrangements during the expedition, but they were pretty damned important to us at the time. But yes, the Celestial Heavens and the Realm of Evil are... we call them Spirit Realms. Sort of... not places in our world, but other worlds layered with it. There are places where crossing over can happen- the place where Hisomu fell created one."

"My apologies, I did not know!" Viveki's smile brightens considerably. "What was it like? Why were the living arrangements so concerning? Did you actually travel to one of these Spirit Realms, then?"

[Hisomu Ayeka]

She seemed a little flustered at being chastised by Ayeka. "I could refer to them as a potential mate, but..." she smirked. "Allies they could be, yes, but do not be too fast to trust."

She leaned in quite close, perhaps way too close, "you win this once, Ayeka." She dropped the suffix in range for only Ayeka to hear for the first time ever, "you made the bigger discovery for today for the clan." She smelled strongly of sake.

"I would suggest you might be able to do better," Ayeka smirks gently. "I trust in those who have already dealt with them."

As Fumi leans in close, Ayeka takes a step back to ensure that propriety is kept. "Consider it one victory in an ocean of defeats, Fumi," She smiles. "though perhaps I am advantaged in that I have had less than half the sake you have had."

[Hisomu Fumi]

"I would suggest you might be able to do better," Ayeka smirks gently. "I trust in those who have already dealt with them."

As Fumi leans in close, Ayeka takes a step back to ensure that propriety is kept. "Consider it one victory in an ocean of defeats, Fumi," She smiles. "though perhaps I am advantaged in that I have had less than half the sake you have had."

"Mmm, yes. Perhaps, the sake was a bit much. Rarely do we get to celebrate this much." She eyed the uneaten peach mochi with a bit of regret, before reluctantly eating it with a slight grimace. "Though, it would be nice to spend time in our assigned room, later. I am sure Sho would love to visit with Shuri. I could get a little writing done, we could compare notes, I could prepare you tea or sake....we could..." She trailed off. "Only if you want, that is. I mean, for the cats' sake..."

[Doji Misaki]

Doji Misaki arrives in humble but well maintained clothing, her maiden's foxtail giving a short bob as she bows at those in the entrance before she makes her way inside. It is very lively and the young engineer smiles inwardly, though it barely touches her calm and graceful On.

Moving with short measured steps, she goes and finds a seat, more than happy to be off her feet after a long day.

((PM or Quote if approaching.))

[Hisomu Ayeka]

"Mmm, yes. Perhaps, the sake was a bit much. Rarely do we get to celebrate this much." She eyed the uneaten peach mochi with a bit of regret, before reluctantly eating it with a slight grimace. "Though, it would be nice to spend time in our assigned room, later. I am sure Sho would love to visit with Shuri. I could get a little writing done, we could compare notes, I could prepare you tea or sake....we could..." She trailed off. "Only if you want, that is. I mean, for the cats' sake..."

"It is a wedding," she says with a smile. "I would certainly be glad to allow Sho and Shuri the chance to play later. You could help me with my storytelling. Viveki asked about the expedition, and I felt bad not feeling I could tell the story with the gravitas that such a story deserves."

[Jiyo Sora]

"My apologies, I did not know!" Viveki's smile brightens considerably. "What was it like? Why were the living arrangements so concerning? Did you actually travel to one of these Spirit Realms, then?"

"Well. It was hard, dangerous, and frequently terrifying, when it wasn't just mildly unnerving. And the living arrangements..."

Don't talk about the latrines.

"We couldn't trust our surroundings, because the Realm of Evil was warping them. So we tended to huddle in our tents at night, and we had to rely on food we brought with us- well, apart from a stopover in a Nezumi city. White Moonrise was a good guide, though. As for the Spirit Realms..."

He grabbed another sake.

"I did go into the Realm of Evil, along with Hantei, Old Man Yamadono, Seppun Dawei, and White Moonrise. It was... pretty bad. Hisomu was still hanging on, though. So we had a kind of... sphere around us, anchored on Yamadono to protect us from what we encountered. Seppun Dawei picked up the trail to find Hisomu. White Moonrise guided and advised us. I spotted the real Hisomu among an array of illusions. Hantei got his brother out."

He knocked back the second cup.

"And then we ran like all hell was after us, because it was."

[Hisomu Fumi]

"It is a wedding," she says with a smile. "I would certainly be glad to allow Sho and Shuri the chance to play later. You could help me with my storytelling. Viveki asked about the expedition, and I felt bad not feeling I could tell the story with the gravitas that such a story deserves."

"Viveki?" No honorific? "I don't have any skill at adding flourish to a story but I can do my best to at least try help. Maybe we can try to make some kind of props of something?"

[Hisomu Ayeka]

"Viveki?" No honorific? "I don't have any skill at adding flourish to a story but I can do my best to at least try help. Maybe we can try to make some kind of props of something?"

"Oh! They could be like Mai-sama's puppet shows!" Ayeka's smile grew. "Though I don't know that an oni puppet would be great for storytelling."

[Viveki Doshi]

"Well. It was hard, dangerous, and frequently terrifying, when it wasn't just mildly unnerving. And the living arrangements..."

Don't talk about the latrines.

"We couldn't trust our surroundings, because the Realm of Evil was warping them. So we tended to huddle in our tents at night, and we had to rely on food we brought with us- well, apart from a stopover in a Nezumi city. White Moonrise was a good guide, though. As for the Spirit Realms..."

He grabbed another sake.

"I did go into the Realm of Evil, along with Hantei, Old Man Yamadono, Seppun Dawei, and White Moonrise. It was... pretty bad. Hisomu was still hanging on, though. So we had a kind of... sphere around us, anchored on Yamadono to protect us from what we encountered. Seppun Dawei picked up the trail to find Hisomu. White Moonrise guided and advised us. I spotted the real Hisomu among an array of illusions. Hantei got his brother out."

He knocked back the second cup.

"And then we ran like all hell was after us, because it was."

Viveki listens intently to the story, occasionally sipping at her sake. "That does sound like an adventure. Has the Realm of Evil gone away, now that you rescued Himosu? When you saw a sphere, you mean... you were inside a ball? As in, one made of steel?"

[Jiyo Sora]

Viveki listens intently to the story, occasionally sipping at her sake. "That does sound like an adventure. Has the Realm of Evil gone away, now that you rescued Himosu? When you saw a sphere, you mean... you were inside a ball? As in, one made of steel?"

"Oh, no, Spirit Realms aren't that easy to dispose of. It lost a chance to corrupt Hisomu and turn him against the world, but it's still there. And the sphere was more... kind of a spiritual barrier. The Realm of Evil had a corrupting influence. Makes slaves of what it can influence. So we needed protection."

[Viveki Doshi]

"Oh, no, Spirit Realms aren't that easy to dispose of. It lost a chance to corrupt Hisomu and turn him against the world, but it's still there. And the sphere was more... kind of a spiritual barrier. The Realm of Evil had a corrupting influence. Makes slaves of what it can influence. So we needed protection."

Viveki nods in understanding. "Is that how your eye became discolored?"

[Jiyo Sora]

Viveki nods in understanding. "Is that how your eye became discolored?"

"Hm? No, no."

He chuckled. Two sakes in rapid succession appeared to be having... no appreciable impact.

"I was born with that little gift, but it's related to the spirits in some way. Not really sure which ones, but not the Realm of Evil."

[Hisomu Fumi]

"I don't know how long it would take to make a few tiny armor sets. Maybe I could carve some out of wood if I borrow a knife. I am not too artistic but I am sure someone could draw us a background."