"I've only met him once, but he seemed decent enough. Too early to give a proper verdict, I'm afraid." She seemed a bit more proper as she spoke. "I don't know him enough to say that I am fond of him. In fact, I don't think I can use such a stong word after only a couple of days..."

"Right, a bit early in general," Nozomi affirmed with a nod. She pushed up her glasses and tapped her foot a bit nervously. "What do Unicorn look for in general?"

"I can't speak for what each of my kin look for personally in a marriage, but as a whole our clan is looking for allies to trade with. We have many resources available, and ever since... recent political developments, our territories have been very peaceful and unbothered by pirate raids."

She gave a shrug. "Clans are preparing for war in the galaxy, and we have a great surplus of raw material."

"Oh. That's all well and good to know," Nozomi replied, fidgeting with the rim of her glasses. "But I was more wondering... If, well, a Unicorn did not have to worry about duty and only preference, that sort of thing."

"Well, we are samurai and have to consider how we can best serve," the question seemed odd to her, "but we are given the freedom to choose what we think is best, and what suits us to achieve a harmonious match."

She believed pretty much everyone had that freedom here at the miai, which also made it a challenge to prove oneself worthy of that honor by choosing well.

Nozomi shuffled in her spot. "I, yes, that is of course true. I was moreso trying to find out how one would appeal to a Unicorn as an outsider," she finally said, squeaking on her last words.

"Oh... hmmm..." Hyeon-ju softened her tone a little, reminding herself that Nozomi wasn't a fellow Unicorn she could maintain her military-voice with.

She didn't really feel like she could stereotype her people so broadly, but that seemed to be what the Kitsu was looking for. "I suppose we have a preference for honesty. We don't care much for false pretenses or fake niceties - we'd rather have someone honestly not liking us, than someone pretending to be friendly."

And then she remembered that she was talking with a Lion. "Not that I think that is an issue with yoursef or your fellow Lion, Kitsu-san. The Lion are good and honorable folks." Phew. Dodged that war.

"Simply... be honest, be truthful. Be yourself? We like to get to know the true person. Is this more helpful...?"

It was fortunate that Nozomi was never the sort to take the Utaku's words wrongly. "I'm glad that you know we think well of you," she said with a warm smile. "You have been very helpful."

She lowered her eyes, twiddling with her thumbs. "That's all well and good for your clan. What about for you?"

"Oh... me?" She seemed a little surprised at the question. "I look for a partner who will be my equal, to share in duties with. Honorable, and dependable. And if they were to marry into my clan, that they can also adapt easily to the life among the Unicorn."

"Someone I get along with too is preferable - a struggling marriage doesn't interest me. That they like music is good too. Good looks is nice, but not required, as long as they're not a slob."

"These are all good things," Nozomi squeaked. She looked around the arcade and then back towards Hyeon-ju. "What is life among the Unicorn like, actually?"

"Hm... I'd say it's a good life. We have a good variety of highly modern worlds balanced by more old-fashioned and wild ones, and people tend to move between those two as they feel - we have not completely abandoned our old nomadic ways, so being able to travel to many different worlds, especially those who are still not fully civilized, is a perk we enjoy. Our worlds are rich in spiritual activity as well, and some are truly a blessings to be able to visit. One of them, Rakuen, is a world said to be closely tied to the Realm of Blessed Ancestors, and many of us try to make pilgrimage there as duty allows."

It seemed like travelling was something to be used to in Unicorn daily life.

"We have a great appriciation for music, and of course good food and drink. If you want an impression of what some Unicorn food can be like, they have a Tian's at the mall here; they have milk tea, boba tea, and cheesecake as well as other Unicorn-related baked goods."

"That is a nice variety," she affirmed. She looked up at the ceiling in her own thoughts, a faint smile on her lips. "Do you think Rakuen would be, well, welcoming to people of different ancestry?"

She looked around idly at their surroundings. "Do you think this planet would have any Unicorn cuisine?" She kicked up a bit of dust. "Maybe we could search?"

"When married in? Yes. You are part of the clan and family then." Hyeon-ju had actually never thought about it, but considering how marriages were considered to be full adoption into the clan, she couldn't imagine why not.

"Proper Unicorn cuisine outside of the cheesecake and milk-tea? Probably not, but it doesn't hurt to look around. Maybe one of my kinsmen have heard anything about one."

"Oh I was thinking of the planet itself. It would be interesting to see if I could see mine there." She shuffled awkwardly, looking over her shoulder for a moment.

"Okay. Um," she said, offering her communicator forward. "Some time would be good?"

"It's possible, I think...?" she wasn't sure herself.

Seeing the offered communicator, Hyeon-ju took out her own, ready to exchange information with the Kitsu. "It would be nice, yes. We must let you try it before this miai ends."

She opened the connection that allowed for contact-info to be transferred.

"I will find out soon enough. Or I won't!" Nozomi offered as an inconclusive answer for them to take.

The Kitsu did her part and watched with a bit of anxious anticipation. "Thank you," she said afterwards, holding her own close to heart afterwards. "Um, is there a lot of dairy in Unicorn foods in general?"

"It is common, yes. Milk, butter, cheese, all of this is used in a lot of Unicorn food. And if not that, meat of various kinds - we tend to prefer our food heavily seasoned. One of the tents at the welcoming party the first day here had some barbeque that was very close to it, from what I heard."

She knew some outside of the Unicorn were a bit more sensitive to dairy. "If you're allergic, I'm certain it can be avoided, Kitsu-san."

"Ah, just a little allergic," she said, holding up two fingers as demonstration. "Not enough to make it unbearable but my body isn't used to it, is all."

Nozomi twiddled her fingers and then nodded. "Dinner does sound nice."

"Mm. How does Kitsu-san feel about spicy food?"

Some Unicorn dishes could be rather hot for those of a more refined palate, she knew, and it was best to avoid inviting someone to a dinner that would make them uncomfortable.

"I would need to bring a tissue," Nozomi answered sheepishly. As part of her answer, she pulled her travel packet around. "Good thing I'm already prepared, right?"