Cat and Mouse: L5R

[Wade Garrett]

The Face of the East Castle has a certain...reputation. They say it's a lawless place, where half the stolen goods in all the Empire change hands, and that you can buy or sell anything in the town that has grown around it..

So they say. Not that you would know anything about that. For you are proud scions of the Crane Clan, charged with upholding the traditions and culture of the Empire, even in pestilential holes of thieves and merchants. For your Clan would never stoop to such things. Your delegation is merely here to have some polite discussions with the Yasuki, who are, after all, wayward cousins of yours.

But that will come later.

For right now, you all need to unwind, relax after the long journey. And it just so happens that there are a few establishments in the city which come close to meeting your standards, such as the one you find yourself in, a quaint local eatery that goes by the name 'House of the Golden Dawn', specializing in cuisine which previous Crane visitors have described as "adequate".

A smiling hostess greets your group as you enter, seemingly genuinely pleased to see the mons and dress of your Clan.

"Greetings, my lords and ladies. Welcome to our humble establishment, it is an honor to play host to such esteemed guests. If you would follow me to your table?"

(Feel free to make IC posts interacting with one another, or possibly acknowledging this heinin lady's existence if you're into that sort of thing. If you have any questions about the other NPCs present or your surroundings in general, ping me in the OOC.)

@Mina
@Alectai
@Deadly Snark
@Choo Choo
@samdamandias

 

[Choo Choo]

Natsumi ignores the heimin woman in favor of studying her surroundings, her bright and curious eyes sweeping over the room. It is not up to the standards she is used to, she realizes after just a cursory look. That is only to be expected, nothing found in this area could possibly compete with the splendor of Kyuden Doji. Not that she minds the backwater quaintness; on the contrary, she is quite excited by it. She has never gone slumming before!

Turning her attention on her four fellow samurai, she regards them with a pleasant smile. She is quite proud that it does not waver even as her eyes fall on Kakita Hitomi-san. She does not know the other woman well enough to have formed her own opinion, so she should not judge her based on rumors of scandal and indiscretion, no matter how numerous such rumors might be. "I regret that our journey here spared us time only for perfunctorily introductions," she says in her light and lilting voice, bowing deep enough to convey respect, but not so deep as to show subservience. A bow made to equals. "Now that we are here, I humbly suggest that we rectify that, and so I will begin. I am Doji Natsumi, and it is my privilege to make your acquaintance. May I know your names?" Her eyes flick to Hitomi as she straightens. "And of course, Kakita-san, we have met a few times before."

 

[Mina]

"And of course, Kakita-san, we have met a few times before."

Click to shrink...

"So formal Doji-san! I should have dressed warmer tonight it seems. Hitomi-san is fine, unless you'd prefer -chan... but I think that would cut both ways."

Hitomi brushed her hair back after rising from her own bow and studied the courtier with a glint in her eye. The place looked nicer than many she'd been kicked off dragged out of, but it remained to be seen if the spirits matched her standards. Primarily volume, if she were being honest, but she wouldn't skimp on quality for a night out with such a beauty.

@Alectai @Deadly Snark @samdamandias
"And gentlemen, having a good time so far?"

 

[samdamandias]

Faro gives a slight tilt of the head towards the heinin woman, indicating that he has heard her. It would not do, after all, for her to feel a need to repeat the question.

bowing deep enough to convey respect, but not so deep as to show subservience. A bow made to equals. "Now that we are here, I humbly suggest that we rectify that, and so I will begin. I am Doji Natsumi, and it is my privilege to make your acquaintance. May I know your names?"

Click to shrink...

Faro matches her bow with one of his own. "I am Kakita Faro, and I hope that I may become better acquainted with my cousins of the Crane."

"And gentlemen, having a good time so far?"

Click to shrink...

"It was a pleasant enough walk, for a city, but the evening is just starting. I would not wish to speculate on how it will go until we have at least sampled the food."

 

[Alectai]

@Alectai @Deadly Snark @samdamandias
"And gentlemen, having a good time so far?"

Click to shrink...

Kazuki wiggles his hand noncommitally. "Ehhhh, I'd call it a decent time--but that's mostly because nothing's gone wrong, but nothing's also been so exceptional so as to be memorable just yet. Peace and quiet's definitely something to look forward to though, which has been a thing so far, so I'll happily drink to that state of affairs continuing."

 

[Deadly Snark]

As Yoichi saw down in his seat, he turned away from the Heinin, not even acknowledging or caring for her, his mind preoccupied with other more important concerns. He was about to get lost in his thoughts when his travelling companion's interactions brought him to his sense.

"Now that we are here, I humbly suggest that we rectify that, and so I will begin. I am Doji Natsumi, and it is my privilege to make your acquaintance. May I know your names?"

Click to shrink...

"I am Daidoji Yoichi and I am honored to be working with such a fine group." He returned as he respectfully mimicked Hitomi's bow.

@Alectai @Deadly Snark @samdamandias
"And gentlemen, having a good time so far?"

Click to shrink...

"Good enough I suppose. The evening has certainly be uneventful so far. One can only hope that this situation lasts for the rest of the night."

 

[Choo Choo]

"I feel like this journey has been, and will continue to be an event in its own right," Natsumi says and sits down, gracefully arranging the skirts of her fine kimono around her. "I have never left Crane lands before, after all. This is all very new to me, and I find discovery to be to my liking."

 

[Mina]

"I have never left Crane lands before, after all. This is all very new to me, and I find discovery to be to my liking."

Click to shrink...

"Oh is that so?" Hitomi nimbly interposed herself between the Doji and the rest of their party. She was utterly adorable, and the duelist made a note to but am extra round or two on top of the extra round or two she usually bought.

Peace and quiet's definitely something to look forward to though, which has been a thing so far, so I'll happily drink to that state of affairs continuing.

Click to shrink...

"Good enough I suppose. The evening has certainly be uneventful so far. One can only hope that this si

Click to shrink...

"Please, please! Don't curse is so before the night has even begun. These are Crab lands, there's so very much that could happen or go wrong. Hopefully nothing does go wrong you understand, but it still might.". And it will be glorious.

 

[Choo Choo]

"Ah, this is my first major assignment, Kakita-san," Natsumi says, not letting her pleasant smile slip an iota even as unease churns in her stomach. Certainly, she is excited to be here, but that does not make her stupid; she is fully aware that her superior intended this duty as a punishment. It does not sit right with her, to be punished for someone else's lies and missteps.

No. That is no way for her to be thinking about her superior, truth or not. She shakes it off, returning her thoughts to the present. "I only completed my gempukku a few months ago, after all."

 

[samdamandias]

"I feel like this journey has been, and will continue to be an event in its own right," Natsumi says and sits down, gracefully arranging the skirts of her fine kimono around her. "I have never left Crane lands before, after all. This is all very new to me, and I find discovery to be to my liking."

Click to shrink...

Faro tilts his head. "Never? You have been missing out cousin. At least tell me that you have traveled extensively in the lands sheltered by the Crane's wing. To sit around the same castle, day after day, it is ... strange to me."

 

[Choo Choo]

Faro tilts his head. "Never? You have been missing out cousin. At least tell me that you have traveled extensively in the lands sheltered by the Crane's wing. To sit around the same castle, day after day, it is ... strange to me."

Click to shrink...

"Some, but not as much as I would have liked," Natsumi admits, turning her pleasant smile on Faro. "But that is something that can be, is being rectified. After all, I am here!"