"It certainly makes for an interesting competition of sorts," Hyeon-ju mused, as if she was already thinking along similar lines of Chiyoko.

"I would honestly think twice about working too much throughout all of this," she said with a knowing smirk, not that she was going to follow her own advice. She barely made it for the event tonight and there were a lot of things on the docket for the next few days.

"You're going to end up snatched by someone you barely know! Even with all of your efforts spent on cataloguing!" She giggled out loud at that idea.

"True enough." Hayato offered with a serious nod. "I mean our lords have all sent us here to be married after all. Might as well put our best into it." Which is something he was getting the impression some of the Phoenix here weren't doing.

"I mean. It does seem likely. So many bushi here, us courtiers are in short supply." He puts the densai away, content for the moment.

"Besides, there's no way I could get everyone to trust me well enough to catalog everyone." He nods at Hayato.

"You were sent here, which gives you greater prestige, Tsuruchi-sama. I'd like to think I was just folded into the festivities." She smiled sheepishly.

She gave the tent an evaluation, outside of everyone she was conversing with at the moment. "I guess there are more than a fair share of bushi here...but efforts here aren't made possible by just any one path. It is a combination of skills that make Shiro Yaoke what it is today. There's a bigger benefit to being flexible than focused, especially there still so much to unlock here."

A quick nod. "Hai, yes, that makes sense."

"Folded in and already you have caught at least one gentlmans eye." Hayato offered with an amused smile as he looked towards the Yasuki who had fallen silent.

"Agasha-sma is certainly right about flexibility." He said changing the topic back to what it was a moment later. "Though I admit to being a bit curious as to what most of the work is that bushi do here." At the moment he didn't have the feeling he would be staying here, but you could never tell.

"Frequent missions against the Mantis in the Crossroads system. Total deployments of almost two years, earning promotion to nikutai and then gunso, and earning my ace pin," Akihiko rattles off, as though he's used to summarizing his service record. He adds a warm smile at the end though, realizing that even a fellow soldier might find the description dry. With a tone of voice that's clearly less rehearsed, more from-the-heart: "Really, I've been very fortunate to serve alongside talented people. Against pirates or... almost pirates," Akihiko grins, "no one lives long in the navy on their own."

"That's quite a jump in two years, Akodo-sama. It must be spectacular to see you at work," she replied brightly. "Heh. That's a fact. I can't count the number of times my squadmates have gotten each other out of a pinch. Sounds like it's the same for you."

"Hai, absolutely. Combat is a team sport, even for the fighter pilot that may seem to fly to battle alone. Some fighter jocks forget the priests that appease the kami, their fellow samurai wing-people, even the heimin that help load ordnance and maintain their fighters. A dangerous thing to forget." Akihiko shakes his head.

"This place is very different. Not really a team environment, eh?"

"Perfect! I assure you that you will love the tea I have brought. As I am in Snow Maiden for my stay, I got acquainted with the Snow-Moon-Flower, Asako-san. I visited the temple in honor of Fukurukojin, took a stroll with my dog in the residential area and visited the YuRaku bathhouse, so far the things i saw were very lovely, but if you would like to give me a guided tour of the Shiro, I would be happy to do so."

"Oof... I guess there is a lot of glory involved in being a fighter pilot. I can see how some people might forget that they're part of a team. I'm glad that's not everyone, though."

At the comment that this environment is different, she balled her fists and raised them to chest height, matching her determined expression. "Anything can be a co-op game if you try hard enough!" Then she let out a small laugh. "Though this definitely isn't built for it. In the end, at least, the events are trying to sort out the people with the top priorities for this place. I guess it's natural that it wouldn't be. I think it can still be good to work together, since a happy, mutually beneficial marriage improves things for everyone. It may be a competition, but I don't think it has to be zero sum game."

"While we aren't a military stronghold, security is still very much appreciated and needed around here," she said while nodding toward the entrance where some guards stood. There was always the off-chance that some pirate or another Clan would think of forcing a takeover of the colony if they by passed orbital defences.

"I do go into the wilderness but I admittedly stick to the charted territories. Our bushi do the the real exploring, the more exciting bits that include looking under the earth, underwater and climbing every fungi-covered mountain! I just try to sneak a look with my drone," she snickered. "Our approach is meticulous and slow but considerate, so that we can preserve our findings for generations to come for others to research them."

"Oh, you brought tea?" she said curiously to the Yasuki with a faint blush. "I didn't know that you were so prepared and you've been around the colony, that's good...Did you want to meet at the Shiro actual instead? I could show you around if you wish. Honestly, it's a bit drab compared to everywhere else here, but I'm sure my father might have flipped the place by now."

Nishida smiled.

"Don't hide your courage and sense of adventure under a bushel, as an Asako you fulfill your ancestral duty and you seem to fulfill it with great care and directness. The Bushi may eliminate possible dangers, but it is up to the explorers and discoverers to gain knowledge from the new frontiers. And yes, I have brought tea from Green Carp. My bloodline owns a small tea field. It is not very big, but it is enough for the family needs."

He fixed his glasses.

"And I look forward to learning about the Shiro with someone who grew up there. And honestly, it can't be more drab than crab houses. The Kaiu are the most brilliant engineers, but they sacrifice aesthetics for sturdiness, apparently that's an old habit of them." he said in a friendly tone.

"I guess I could be considered brave," she said with an abashed smile. "I would say that my brother and I both get it from our father. It is true that an Asako must always been up to the task of learning and studying. On Asakaze, it just happens that the wilderness finds itself to be a library of knowledge waiting to be discovered. Its proverbial texts live and breathe around us!"

"I'll take your word for it, Yasuki-sama, especially when you drop by," she nodded twice. "If my father went above and beyond the last few days, I might be discovering parts of the Shirof too."

Akihiko brightens at the energy from the Crane, nodding as she speaks.

"That's interesting. Yes, it could certainly be a cooperative game, a team game. We must all do what Bushido demands, but my duty is to do the best I can for my clan -- it's not my duty to prevent others doing well for their clans. And perhaps helping them do well helps me do even better." Akihiko's face has mirrored his words, transitioning from curious through consideration to thoughtful interest. "Daidoji-san, how do you best serve your clan in this game?" Akihiko's question comes out more gruff, more military command, than he intends, and he quickly clears his throat, "Ah... meaning... how do you... see your duty here?"

Well, at least the Asako woman was sounding a bit more excited about the date the Yasuki had asked her on, that was something of a positive sign. It did leave him something in the position of a third wheel though, or a fourth if you marked Mai-chin.

"That exploartion part does sound intresting." He mused somewhat to himself as he let his eyes drift towards the big cauldron of food. "And I believe I might do a bit of that myself now, I admit to beign a tad hungry, and that stew looks somethign like a local specility?" He offered a bow to the other three. "so I think I might try some. It was a pleasure speaking to the three of you."

"That's something we might share, studying and always learning. Admittedly I have to say that my studies were mostly more theoretical than practical. If you often travel through space, the only thing that usually keeps you busy is the company of the densai and the informator."

"Then it is a date. Tomorrow, early afternoon at the Shiro." he said with a smile

She broke into a grin. "Exactly! Our Clans gain more if the matches we make here are happy and cooperative, as well as politically beneficial. That's something we can all think about. Making a match like that... Since it does help everyone, I think of that as part of my duty here." The gruff military demeanor didn't seem to dampen her spirits in the slightest, and the correction brings out a small chuckle, fond rather than mocking. "I... haven't fully decided on specifics yet. Obviously, there's what I've already said, but I think a spouse with complementary duties would be ideal in my particular case, who I can be at least somewhat near, and one who can help keep me focused. I intended on trying to strengthen our current alliances, but after a lot of conversations today, I think the first part is more important, since a spouse of any Clan can help us in one way or another politically."

"What about you, Akodo-san? How do you see your duty here?"

"Oh! Of course, Tsuruchi-sama. Don't let me stop you from enjoying our hospitality," Chiruha said in return as she bowed deeply to the important Mantis who excused himself. "Have yourself a good evening if we don't run into each other before the night is through."

"It's understandable that everything starts as theoretical until you put boots on the ground. And, that's where the fun is found when you either connect what is in front of you to fact or discover new things that surprise even yourself. You can't help but win both ways when it comes to applying that knowledge," she smirked as she cast a glance to Mal-Chin to see if he was going to agree with her. "But hai, like our meeting tomorrow when we each other again. I'll see you then, Yasuki-sama."