(Do to A TIME PARADOX an Otori plushie materializes on the Daidoji....GREAT SCOTT WE HAVE CHANGED THE PAST!)

Ishiyo's smile grows more pensive. "I did not win a single game...but one of the other participants gave me one of the Otori plushies." She sets the stuffed bid next to Inu-tai. For a moment in time she considers how hard it would be for her to attach the two temporarily...

"Oh I have seen some of the other Minor Clanners as well. The Hare, Fox, and Osprey. The seem like a nice bunch."

Koseki nodded in sympathy. "At least you were rewarded by the power of friendship. Have you chosen a name for it yet?" He looked over at turned his plushy's head to follow.

"They are a very nice bunch, we have had some adventures together already! Oh, and you have met Suzume-san too, so I think you have the full set." The little otori nodded in agreement.

Nozomi shook her head. "There is one more Lion here for this miai. Ikoma Shoan no Murame."

She looked down to her own otori plush and smirked. "I believe these will be easier to manage than the actual thing."

"Oh...the real ones were very pleasant. I need to learn how to ride one though," Another light laugh, "I probably looked a fool hanging onto Uguisu in a dress uniform, but it was ratheh fun."

"Ishmael was quite boisterous as well. A real fighter, that one." Ganbold nodded firmly. "Did me proud, rollin' me like he did."

Looking at his companions prompted a sheepish grin. "Well, i guess you're in luck? I just finished this..."

A few buttons were pressed on his Desai and a document was called up on the screen. He passed it around.

The Otori Safety Manual
By Hotaru Koseki
Your guide to the riding birds of Asakaze
Version 1.0

There were little stick figures of otori and their samurai riders running around the cover page.

"Eh? You wrote all this so fast?" Nozomi said, peering at the densai. She smiled faintly and then dipped her head. "Very impressive."

The Crane was likewise impressed, "You must have had some time on you-eh hands...and a talent for both assessment and technical writing." She chuckled softly and gave an approving nod.

He gave them a winning smile. "Thanks. I guess I was inspired, it all came together pretty quickly. Blinky didn't seem to mind me taking all those measurements, and we had a Minor Clans otori race. So I got lots of data and worked out the rest."

He poured a bunch of sake for everyone. "We're a pretty safety conscious bunch, the Firefly. I guess it comes with the territory."