"Oh yes, as I said its new. Mine was among the first squadron to be deployed with these new fightehs." She slips the densai back into her coat. A chuckle escapes her lips as she straightens her jacket having managed to fully bring her emotions into check, "Sadly we both have otheh duties tonight. Would not due to spend the whole night talking about fightehs and pirates when we are supposed to be meeting othehs."



"Oh! Yes I recall both of those actually, I am Kakita trained and we still studied the ancient art." She held her hand palm up near were her blade would have been. "They were both very well done, though I have not had much chance to really set down and watch."

Nozomi wasn't particularly interested in exploring, not with the present company at least. She made her way out of the conversation, grabbing onto some more food to take in. And maybe sneaking another peak at the Doji.

Satoru watched the lion leave with a small shadow of disappointment cross his features. He had wished to learn more about the Kitsu but it seemed not to be in the cards. He shrugged, such was the fate of the Spider, to be reviled out of hand.

As the Kitsu was out of ear range Satoru would give Hakka a rueful smile "Apologies Doji-san, it seems I scared away your company."

Hakka's fan moves as to wave away the apology, the Crane adding, "There is little need to be apologetic, Kuchiki-san. Please think nothing of what just happened, I do not." She stopped a passing servant and took another cup of alcohol, raising an eyebrow to as if to ask if she should hand one to Satoru as well.

Ichika, once more, giggled into a sleeve, "Well, I'm glad I can help you follow one of your hobbies then," another soft laugh, waving her hand passively.

"Well, I am something of a poet, myself. Been doing it since I was younger. Other than that I just try my hand at what arts I can, always trying to better myself at something. Sometimes I even mix stuff," she said, thinking to show her computer to explain it but didn't have it with her, so she just said, "Like music! Kinda..."

"Oh like Doji-Hakka-san?"
Those all seemed like good honourable pursuits to Shoan,who was for once relieved that none of her hobbies were directly related to the death of a conversation partner's family member. Now that had been an awkward meeting.

"I enjoy poetry and music, although I am held back by a lack of talent. You have heard me speak, just imagine me trying to form it into prose."
'Great Shoaness' a poem of love, loss and lion would remain firmly in Shoan's diary where she had written it at age 15

"I'm sure your talent will be much sort after here, it would be interesting otherwise to imagine a group of soldiers all attempting to write romantic poetry for the first time."

Satoru nodded "Thank you Doji-san, I am surprised there are as many courtiers here as I have seen given how the governor all but said he didn't want them at the miai." A foolish notion but he wouldnt insult their host out loud in public.

"Wow, and very true Daidoji-sama." He nodded calmly, mind still racing. It would be fun though.



"Honour in space? You worked on that? It's a great show." That he had only seen about twenty times. Not that there was much selection in Deep Space. The patronage of the Imperial Families had seen more imports, but he rarely had time.

A small shrug.

"My whole family has been blessed by The Wise Fortune." he admits. "My parents and older brother followed the call towards engineering, and my younger sister has a knack for computers. Of course the littlest two have shown to be sharp, though we're not sure which direction they'll follow yet. Medicine just sort of spoke to me. We've done some amazing things with metal and know-how, but we're still far behind truly replicating the wonders of our bodies which haven't changed that much in thousands of years. It's a fascinating system, truly."

He sips his drink.

"Speaking of families, Nakauchi-san, do you hail from a large family as well?" he asked.

Even a not terribly well-socialized minor clanner knows it would be rude to show surprise that the normal Fortunes blessed the Spider's children. So answering the question was a better idea.

Mumei shakes her head after another sip from her drink. 'Nah, just mom and I moving from assignment to assignment. Not a bad way to see the Empire, or at least the inside of a lot of its ships. Got to sit through public lessons with about half the clans that way." Some really interesting differences in the propaganda each one taught that you got to hear that way.

Another sip. Nope, not drunk enough yet to ask about replicating bodies.

"How little're the little ones? Twins? Or just little enough difference in age to lump em together?"

Shion smiles slightly. It was funny how many people had actually heard her work.

"... well, I've seen what I've seen while working on them, but I can't say I've watched the whole series either. Been running almost as long as Iai duels, ne?", she says, holding back a grin at her bad joke.

"Oh... Daidoji-sama is Kakita trained, then?" - some excitement does show through her impassive face this time. "Well... we're used to traditions, but I guess the Crane are even more so, ne?"



"Oh, I do like it!", she says, trying to remember the plot itself. She did remember and feel quite proud of the mix of instrumental jazz with min'yō work songs and honkyoku she and some coworkers had put together for the space combat scenes mixed with philosophical discussions, though...

After another sip of her tea and a last bite at her mushroom skewer, she speaks looking at the Daidoji and Hotaru.

"So... any other shows Daidoji-sama and Hotaru-san like? Miya Network or otherwise. Or any bands, or musicians?"

Though a more savvy one might have picked up on the fact he was talking about the Dark Fortune Kinuye the Wise, rather than Fortune of Wisdom. it was best she didn't though. Phoenix got the vapors over them, who knew what madness it would drive a minor clanner to?

"Four and Five." he confirmed. "Not a lot of difference between them right now, but it's expected they'll blossom just like their elder siblings."

Another bite of the food. It really was good.

"Any particular place in the Empire you'd like to see either for the first time, or visit again?" he asked, making the seguing to talk of travel.

"Well prose is.." her hand seemed to raise, to protest, but she just chuckled awkwardly and laid it back down. Smiling along as she continued, "If I'm able to help anyone with it, well, I would certainly like to give it a try. That could be a wonderful thing.. helping bring people together," she smiled as she thought on it further.

"Though.." she came out from the thought, "you know, it isn't a lack of talent that really holds anyone back. Wasn't really ever talented with it I just.." she chuckled, awkwardly, "well, I guess I tried real hard to figure it out cause I thought it was really cool when I was younger. Still do.. I just understand it better than I did back then."

"I felt the same way about the Indomitable Mark 29."
Shoan just nods as though that's supposed to mean something, when it doesn't:
"The standard battle rifle we're issued when we first start attending a dojo. You might not know how to use it when you start. But talented or not if you work hard enough then by the end of your training you understand the weapon, thinking they're cool helps as well."

Chewing her lip slightly
"Um, I apologise, I understand discussing the intricacies of rifles is probably quite boring."

"Oh! quite little then! They're almost like puppies at that age, just curious and friendly and soooo energetic." she laughs, shaking her head in memory of various pods of younglings she's dealt with on this ship or that one.

The question about worlds to see though sets a gold glint in her eyes. "Seeing historic Rokugan would be the treat of a lifetime. Communing with mountains that saw the first families and seeking the beating kami heart of the place? Can you imagine?" There's a sigh as she finishes off her drink, letting the servants refill it as they circulate by. "But Shinjo's Grace was one of my favorites to have a chance to visit, just a few months back. Such a wild and beautiful place. The kami will spin your head around in the best way! There's this flower that blooms all at once in the high summer of the Skyscraper Mountains. Deep purple and the smell alone I'm told is intoxicating. But the honey the bees make is mind-altering."

"How about you? Anyplace you'd like to see?"

Tsugiharu looked a little bit surprised at the Osprey's answer.

"Huh, Shinjo's Grace? One of the people I'm sharing a room from is from there. But his description was much more...pedestrian. But perhaps it takes the eyes of an outsider to truly appreciate the beauty of a place?" he remarked.

He considered the question.

"Hm. Anywhere were they've got hot springs like they have here. The Hive is entirely man-made and self-sufficient...but that means luxuries like soaking in a tub of hot water are incredibly expensive." he admits.

"Well, raised on ships, a wild world with giant mountains look amazing, you know? I hung out with a Moto on the last assignment and he took me riding around there while we were picking up supplies and had some leave."

"They've got hot springs here and there around those mountains. Where there's mountains, there's springs. The fire kami excited by the earth and making out with the water. It's a very fortuitous and healthful combination of influences."

That elicited a small chuckle from the Spider.

"While an apt metaphor, Nakauchi-san, I think there might be a few traditionalist Phoenix on this world who would give you a mighty frowning for describing the mixing of elements as 'making out." They might even drop a paper scroll in shock." he said, amused by her attitude.

She shrugs. "Where do they think the fires of passion come from if not their inner fire?" She pauses, head slowly tilting in thought. "Oh. Do you think they might never have been in touch with that side of the fire kami? I guess it might be shocking then."

"But really? What's steam if not the visible response of fire and water's passion. I can tell you the air kami are often mightily put out by having to move all that soggy effluvia." There's a pause to finish her skewer. "I mean, obviously some enjoy it, but you notice how still the air can be over springs? Yeah...like who wants to walk in on your roommates like that and then have to clean up after them to boot?"

Holding up the empty skewer she asks, "Do you think these are local mushrooms from the forests outside?"

"I felt the same way about the Indomitable Mark 29."
Shoan just nods as though that's supposed to mean something, when it doesn't:
"The standard battle rifle we're issued when we first start attending a dojo. You might not know how to use it when you start. But talented or not if you work hard enough then by the end of your training you understand the weapon, thinking they're cool helps as well."

Chewing her lip slightly
"Um, I apologise, I understand discussing the intricacies of rifles is probably quite boring."[/quote]

Ichika waved her hand passively, "No no," she said, a smile. "I mean.. it's a little boring to me if you started going into the little details, but it's also interesting to see you connect the two things. You learned your rifle and.. well, I learned poetry," she said with a half-laugh.