Day 4 LM event-Brunch of Ages (rp thread)

[Jiyo Sora]

''The Ongaku? Why would that be?''

"Experience with heavy draft animals in the movement of their caravans, and the engineering you need to make a cart sturdy enough for a half-ogre, mostly..."

[Wu Zhe]

"Experience with heavy draft animals in the movement of their caravans, and the engineering you need to make a cart sturdy enough for a half-ogre, mostly..."

He seems to understand

''Yes...another point of view may help the bull charioteers...if that ever becomes a thing.''

He was doubtful of that though so he changed the topic

''So you have been there for the rescue of Hisomu-no-Kami? How was it? Was it like the Crane's tale or more like the Wu's records?

[Jiyo Sora]

He seems to understand

''Yes...another point of view may help the bull charioteers...if that ever becomes a thing.''

He was doubtful of that though so he changed the topic

''So you have been there for the rescue of Hisomu-no-Kami? How was it? Was it like the Crane's tale or more like the Wu's records?

Sora snorted.

"The Wu's records are absolutely more accurate. Unlike the Crane, your family founder struck me as a man more interested in reality than in some hare-brained desire to invent a version of events to make people he liked look good. I can also unreservedly recommend the tribal account, my wife's account, and any tale my old friend Saruko chooses to tell about it."

[Chai Kotsume]

Kyosei blinked at the movements of the backpack, and shifted over, so he could sit across from the one bearing it.

"Ah, I, ah, don't, ah. You have to know, right? Your backpack is, ah, shifting...?"

Still looking at the dishes closest to her trying to decide which one to try, Kotsume was caught a little by surprise by the comment, quickly shifting her eyes to the man and quietly (maybe not so much!) moving the basket from her back to a place right beside her. She then seemed to... pat the cover of the basket with some low hushing sounds?

"Ah! I'm... ah... thanks for alerting me, eh... "

She takes some time observing the man's garments, looking for a symbol of some sort, and even when she does find one she seems a bit unsure. "I mean... thanks, Imperial-sama!"

She looks at the dishes around, hand still apparently going through the lid of the basket for some reason. "Have you decided on what to try yet?", she asks, conspicuously not mentioning the basket that's now ... shifting a bit less, hopefully.

[Jiyo Ayumu]

snip

"I think the one who said it intended it as a dirty joke, but it's no less true: Humans would go extinct if they didn't indulge from time to time. There's even an argument to be made in favor of having a reasonable reserve of fat so as to not collapse at the first privation."

Ayumu tasted a bit of omelet:

"Well, if you're able to of course. My own organism has lost the ability to keep fat reserves a long time ago, so I'll sadly have to pass on the cheese to save myself an unpleasant digestion.

Actually, a weirdly high number of dishes have cheese in them. I didn't know the Dragon had such an emphasis on dairy products."

[Nozomi]

-snip-

She blinked as she listened to him go on and on about what ended up being some fairly advanced anatomy lessons before chuckling as much to herself as anything. "I will have to take your word for it in this, Jiyo-sama." She couldn't help it, but Ayumu was a far more scholarly person than she was in a lot of different fields.

"Like bears with their hibernation," her daughter said, piping up shortly afterwards, between swallows. "Cheese is getting a lot more popular these days. They don't have a lot of land for growing rice, so things like eggs and cheese are helpful to make sure they have enough for trade." Nozomi just smirked as she took a bit from her meal and let her kid yammer on.

(OOC: If I ever did play her later, I sort of assume the little brat's got Sage & Contrary, heh.)

[Jiyo Ayumu]

snip

"Makes sense. The Dragon population has been growing up a lot these last years, like the rest of the Empire, so they need more food for their people. And since the Dragon lands' topography is indeed inadequate for expansive agriculture, alternatives had to be found. I guess the Crab cuisine also went through a similar evolution?

The teacher in me is also wondering who has been teaching you all that Mayumi. Or maybe you got to visit these lands yourself?"

[Nozomi]

The teacher in me is also wondering who has been teaching you all that Mayumi. Or maybe you got to visit these lands yourself?"

"Oh, mother and I travel often between the Dragon, Spider and Crab lands actually. We spend most of our time with the Saru and I hear the farmers talk when we're helping the local towns. They grow a lot more millet over in Crab lands though. There's some big plains before you get to the high mountains, so they don't need quite as much..." And she giggled, just going on and on. "But they do like a lot more meat in the Crab."

Nozomi smiled and swallowed. "She is right. We tend to travel between those clan lands, and visit the Lion and Imperial, along with the Ki-Rin occasionally. Sadly, I have only gotten down south to visit the Stag and the southern Crane once."

Mayumi had the decency not to mention that they had not taken the Beiden pass that time, going or coming back.

[Wu Zhe]

snip

''Your wife's account? Both of you ventured there then?''

[Jiyo Sora]

"'Your wife's account? Both of you ventured there then?''

"Oh yes! It's where we met, as a matter of fact."

He chuckled.

"Which makes her the brave one... a warrior marching into danger is to be expected... a scribe, on the other hand? Not so much."

[Isawa Kyosei]

Still looking at the dishes closest to her trying to decide which one to try, Kotsume was caught a little by surprise by the comment, quickly shifting her eyes to the man and quietly (maybe not so much!) moving the basket from her back to a place right beside her. She then seemed to... pat the cover of the basket with some low hushing sounds?

"Ah! I'm... ah... thanks for alerting me, eh... "

She takes some time observing the man's garments, looking for a symbol of some sort, and even when she does find one she seems a bit unsure. "I mean... thanks, Imperial-sama!"

She looks at the dishes around, hand still apparently going through the lid of the basket for some reason. "Have you decided on what to try yet?", she asks, conspicuously not mentioning the basket that's now ... shifting a bit less, hopefully.

"With food of this quality, especially if you aren't used to it, a bite or three of all is the best. Too much of something could bring... unluck on you. An unknown allergy, that is suddenly massive with a lot of something new, or rich food that your body objects too..." He shakes his head.

"So, a bite or two, to enjoy the flavor, then move on. Oh, yeah, I'm Kyosei, of the Isawa."

He cocks his head at her. "So, is it a pet, or an errant child? I think I heard a story about someone discovering a child had snuck into their pack, and it was too late to head back then."

[Jiyo Ayumu]

snip

"The trip between the Dragon and the Stag can easily take a trained messenger on foot a full month. Several for a merchant caravan that adopts a more leisurely pace and make a few extended halts to buy and sell products at markets. I would have been quite surprised if you had told me you visited every other day.

Simply cycling between the northern clans is already quite the expedition. You must be spending a good deal of the year on the roads.

But speaking of visits to the Imperial lands, I've heard someone passed by to display a few of the new techniques the Order of Heroes has pioneered from Shinsei's teachings. Was it you?"

[Nozomi]

snip

"The trip between the Dragon and the Stag can easily take a trained messenger on foot a full month. Several for a merchant caravan that adopts a more leisurely pace and make a few extended halts to buy and sell products at markets. I would have been quite surprised if you had told me you visited every other day.

Simply cycling between the northern clans is already quite the expedition. You must be spending a good deal of the year on the roads.

But speaking of visits to the Imperial lands, I've heard someone passed by to display a few of the new techniques the Order of Heroes has pioneered from Shinsei's teachings. Was it you?"

"A full month by the Beiden pass. Even longer by the Plum Blossom. I like to visit the Ki-Rin when traveling southward, to hear tell of Shinjo's health and her husband's. He is an old friend, after all." She didn't add that it skirted Scorpion lands neatly, but she imagined that was sort of obvious by lack of reference at this point. "We've long been accustomed to the roads of the empire. You get used to your favorite waystops when you make the trek."

"Ah... yes, about two, three years ago. Sometime just before the founding of the first monastery, the Teacher and I, along with Mayumi here, visited the capitol. It was a chance for the Emperor and Shinsei to speak at last. He has been extraordinarily busy." Again, she didn't specify who, but 'both' came to mind in that statement. "The teacher and I demonstrated some of the gifts that members of the order have been able to glean in the study of the relationship of the person in harmony with Ningen-Do and the elements."

"Uh huh. Mom's got eyes in the back of her head," Mayumi said with a snarky grin that got a raised eyebrow from her mother.

[Jiyo Ayumu]

snip

"Kuu told me about a kee-aw granting its user some sort of extrasensory sight not two hours ago, so I do believe it easily. I'll even hazard the guess that it was the highlight of your demonstration before Shiba and the Imperial Consort.

From his explanation, I mostly gathered that these new techniques are as mysterious as they're impressive, even for the people using them. Not surprising from something designed by Shinsei..."

Ayumu was interrupted due to having won at some sort of lottery apparently, and having chosen (through PM due to a misunderstanding on his player's side) the box, he got...

the rewards in the boxes: gold double rings

... A gaudy ring. Ayumu was a bit disappointed actually. He was expecting an empty box, or a box within a box, or a paper with a wise story within the box... Not jewelry. That didn't seem to fit the spirit of the Dragon at all.

"Uh, thanks Wu-sama. That's... Uh... Is there a particular story to that ring?"

[Nozomi]

snip

"Kuu told me about a kee-aw granting its user some sort of extrasensory sight not two hours ago, so I do believe it easily. I'll even hazard the guess that it was the highlight of your demonstration before Shiba and the Imperial Consort.

From his explanation, I mostly gathered that these new techniques are as mysterious as they're impressive, even for the people using them. Not surprising from something designed by Shinsei..."

She let him speak with the Dragon about the prize and remained at ease, thinking how to explain. "Yes. Kuu and I both know the same technique. It is an awareness of the void that is helped by focusing one's chi. It allows us to sense that which is close around us. It reminds me of the gift of a prayer that Shoji Haka once used, which was why I sought to further my understanding of the void in our early training." Another thought and consideration. "It was the Harmony of the Mind, however, that draw the Emperor's attention. I am... not as gifted with the sight that Shinsei used that day, long ago before we went into darkness and he spoke to each of us before selecting the champions. I may never be close to as good as he is. However, I have learned the basics of that same sight."

(OOC: Yeah, Air 3 is nowhere near as good as whatever Air Shinsei has, HAHA.)

[Chai Kotsume]

"With food of this quality, especially if you aren't used to it, a bite or three of all is the best. Too much of something could bring... unluck on you. An unknown allergy, that is suddenly massive with a lot of something new, or rich food that your body objects too..." He shakes his head.

"So, a bite or two, to enjoy the flavor, then move on. Oh, yeah, I'm Kyosei, of the Isawa."

He cocks his head at her. "So, is it a pet, or an errant child? I think I heard a story about someone discovering a child had snuck into their pack, and it was too late to head back then."

"Oh! A pleasure to meet you, Isawa-sama!" She bows, blushing slightly. Of course they are in the heart of imperial lands, but meeting so many people of the lineages closer to the emperor is somehow not something she had wholly expected. "I'm Kotsume, of Chaihime's people. Eh... the Chai family, I mean", she adds, still bowing and stumbling a bit on her words, but she soon regains some confidence.

The woman nods at him with a happy smile. "Well, I suppose you're right... a few bites of different things then!" Old habits die hard, though, so the first ones she tries are the rock crab prepared by Misaki and the Crab and Cheese Omelette - although she soon seems quite interested in the other cheese dishes and the butter tea.

"Ah..." she looks around, a bit uncertain, but then opens the lid of the basket beside her. "They're family", she says, smiling as the heads of the three otters pop outside the basket for a quick look at things, which she tries to cover with her hands. "Uen, Saen and Chuuen-tan, say hello to Isawa-sama", she says, and the otters actually seem to look at the man and... nod, bowing their heads a bit in greeting, or something like that - the cub doing something much more awkward and almost falling off the basket, being quickly helped back inside by Kotsume.

"But... that's quite a story! Did they keep the child, then?"

[Wu Zhe]

"Oh yes! It's where we met, as a matter of fact."

He chuckled.

"Which makes her the brave one... a warrior marching into danger is to be expected... a scribe, on the other hand? Not so much."

''And yet both are invaluable. The warrior to win it, the scholar to make sure it is remembered. I do not wish to impose but I would be an honor to read your spouse's account of the journey.'' he bowed deeply to the imperial

... A gaudy ring. Ayumu was a bit disappointed actually. He was expecting an empty box, or a box within a box, or a paper with a wise story within the box... Not jewelry. That didn't seem to fit the spirit of the Dragon at all.

"Uh, thanks Wu-sama. That's... Uh... Is there a particular story to that ring?"

The dragon turned briefly to meet the other imperial, the one who won the raffle.

''They come from our nascent goldsmiths'' he replied ''We do not have much use for gold aside for ritual purposes but we have been told that jewelry is valued in the southern lands so our artisans fashioned these gold rings for that purpose. They are meant to symbolise the brotherly bond between the Emperor and Togashi-no-Kami''

[Jiyo Sora]

''And yet both are invaluable. The warrior to win it, the scholar to make sure it is remembered. I do not wish to impose but I would be an honor to read your spouse's account of the journey.'' he bowed deeply to the imperial

"Well, there should be a copy in every branch of the Imperial Library system now, but if you want a personal one, I'll see what I can dig up. Might give you the copy I wrote. My calligraphy's not so hot, but the story's there."

[Isawa Kyosei]

"Oh! A pleasure to meet you, Isawa-sama!" She bows, blushing slightly. Of course they are in the heart of imperial lands, but meeting so many people of the lineages closer to the emperor is somehow not something she had wholly expected. "I'm Kotsume, of Chaihime's people. Eh... the Chai family, I mean", she adds, still bowing and stumbling a bit on her words, but she soon regains some confidence.

The woman nods at him with a happy smile. "Well, I suppose you're right... a few bites of different things then!" Old habits die hard, though, so the first ones she tries are the rock crab prepared by Misaki and the Crab and Cheese Omelette - although she soon seems quite interested in the other cheese dishes and the butter tea.

"Ah..." she looks around, a bit uncertain, but then opens the lid of the basket beside her. "They're family", she says, smiling as the heads of the three otters pop outside the basket for a quick look at things, which she tries to cover with her hands. "Uen, Saen and Chuuen-tan, say hello to Isawa-sama", she says, and the otters actually seem to look at the man and... nod, bowing their heads a bit in greeting, or something like that - the cub doing something much more awkward and almost falling off the basket, being quickly helped back inside by Kotsume.

"But... that's quite a story! Did they keep the child, then?"

"I am no -sama. Just a -san." That seems reflexive. As is the nod of a head back to the otters, followed by a blink. Then a shake of the head.

"The story I heard, the man had to keep the child with them; turned out to be lucky for the child, as the village was attacked while the father and child were gone. So, the father, having lost all but his child, took to raising him. Another case, not so much hiding in the backpack, as following along, was in a journey on a desperate deed. The child, almost old enough to be an adult, refused to be sent home, arguing they would simply wait and follow the group, so was allowed to come. It ended up well enough, but was an extra mouth not anticipated for the journey."