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Post by emeralddragon on Mar 16, 2018 4:44:59 GMT 10
Tomaru's eyes widened and he instinctively reached for his fan, before restraining himself. When he speaks his voice is clearly controlled and neutral, his eyes glancing between the two Shiba as he said, "No, Nezumi-san. Although family owes a great deal to the Shiba family, our line did not exist in the time of Shiba-no-Kami, nor are we related to him. It is a coincidence that the name of them man who gave my family hope, is similar to Shiba-no-Kimi, nothing more. It is too much to compare our Ancestor to a Kami. Shiba-no-Kami was wise and knew what was required to save us all. Chiba-shiryo was a mortal man and thus more lucky then wise, and saved a family, not an Empire."
He swallowed, and considered how to answer the Nezumi's safer question. Finally he said, "Think of the Phoenix like a tribe. We all have roles to play. The Isawa, Asako and Agasha remember the past, seek new lore, and are show us who to pray to. The Shiba protect us all, catch us when we misstep and guide and balance the Isawa, Asako and Agasha when their wisdom fails and their eyes are clouded. The Chiba makes sure the tribe has food, a place to sleep, and the money to keep functioning. A necessary task, but one that limits our interaction with the Nezumi."
He then glanced at his audience, recognizing that he had been paying the Nezumi more attention then his fellow Samurai. After making sure no one was annoyed or offened, he stood and said, "If you will follow me, Minna-sama."
As they walked, Shinwa's mind turned to the mon. He couldn't be to sure, but he seemed to recall a Shiba Honami as being one of the Master Senseis of the Shiba Tejina school. Although the Sensei title more refered to actual skill rather then actual teaching what she had learned. If the stories were how Shinwa recalled, Honami was socially awkward, finding no enjoyment among others unless it involved her art.
Tomaru and Honami led party from the landing pad and into the building proper. The hallways were bright and decorated by art, one thing that did stand out was not a single holovid of the Tejina's artwork was visible. Whether this was due to humility, to aid inspiration, or to maintain artistic Impermanence, the quick walk shows that every piece of art comes from anywhere but the Shiba Tejina school.
Finally arriving at a small room, it was very clear far to much effort had been put into this, despite its haste. Ikebana pieces were placed carefully in the room, as were several other pieces of art. On the East wall was a large wall scroll, clearly telling an old Phoenix fable, and on the right wall was some sort of scupture, although of what exactly it was hard to say.
Overall, the room lacked the simplicity for any sort of Tea Ceremony of any kind... a choice that had to be intentional and trying to send some sort of message. The room certainly felt off, for no one would work in a room this crowded, and even given the Chiba's mercantile habbits, this seemed more. It almost felt like it was obscuring something by fitting the stereotype so closely, like a magician drawing your attention one way, while he did something elsewhere. However the room did have the promised tea and refreshments, with a pot of tea in the center of the table, along with Mochi, Daifuku, and Konpeitō. The Table itself was surrounded by multiple Silk Pillows.
As his guests entered the room, Tomaru poured each of them tea as they arrived, playing the proper host, but at this stage mercifully quiet.
((OOC: Roll Courtier/Awareness. If you have knowledge of or some specialization of art or the various other courtly languages, it counts as an Emphasis for the purpose of this roll.))
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Post by Shinwa on Mar 16, 2018 5:48:40 GMT 10
The room....the pathway is jarring, even to Shinwa's outdated sensibilities. And though he rarely shows it outside the privacy of his own quarters, he knows the subtle world of art in the broadest way, ancient and modern. The whole setup seems off to him. Though...maybe it's because things are different now? Even so... <Courtier/Awareness with emphasis from calligraphy (or any high art) = 38 or 33 with my normal -5 penalty> With exquisite etiquette <Awareness/Etiquette = 46 or 41 with penalty> he acts the gracious guest, however, introducing himself and making polite conversation with the hope of drawing the two Phoenix out.
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Post by Hida Tetsuko on Mar 16, 2018 6:48:12 GMT 10
Tetsuko sits and tries some of the sweets. She feels large and clumsy in this room of delicate things so she tries to limit her movement, choosing to say nothing. If they were playing a game with them she didn’t want to play, preferring people to say things outright.
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Post by M'thack-kir on Mar 16, 2018 9:35:21 GMT 10
(OOC: no roll from Kiru)
"Chiba Warren has many things, but not many people," Kiru observes conversationally as he sits down on a plump silk cushion. He accepts the offered tea with a nod of gratitude, but then places it on the floor beside him instead of taking even a single sip.
A shiba inu steps out from behind the Nezumi, tongue rolled out of its open mouth in joy. It sits down in front of the teacup and begins lapping away at it with relish. "Everything tastes better here, woof!" it says.
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Post by Mirumoto Nanashi on Mar 16, 2018 11:23:14 GMT 10
Nanashi had acted accordingly while remaining silent. Where the Crab was just being quite he tried to give the air of the silent Dragon or at least the best he could manage. He took a seat next to his captain and even gave the dog a quick scratch behind the ear as he sat. He kept his ears open but his attention was mainly on the story told in the painting. (It’s better then my Origami. I’ll give it that.) Nanashi thought to himself. (I feel like he is going to try to sell us a nice bridge somewhere) unskilled Courtier/awareness (Origami): 3d10o10k3 23
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Post by Shinwa on Mar 16, 2018 12:58:29 GMT 10
Shinwa offers Kiru sideeye, but politely proceeds as if nothing were amiss.
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Post by emeralddragon on Mar 19, 2018 3:33:50 GMT 10
Tomaru eyes the dog briefly, but flicks back to the rest of the party, gauging their reactions. Seeing no one comment, or even respond, he in turn decides to ignore the dog. While Sakkaku's influence was barely felt this far from the surface, it was still not unknown for people to see small things that weren't actually there. Best to ignore them, rather then feed the trickster's desires. With the tea all served up, he sits, and replies to the Nezumi once again, his voice still tight, "This has always been more the Tejina's home then ours. We make use of it with their permision, and gift them what we can, although it is far below anything they create. One could wish we could convince them to let us capture their art digitally."
Finally the Tenjina speaks, "Again the Chiba miss the point when they request that. True beauty fades, art by its very nature is impermanent, and perfection is impossible. The longer something lasts, the more its flaws grow." Her hands move and she clearly mutters a quick prayer as a small flaming cat crawls out of her sleeve. She smiles at it, strokes it once, and as her finger comes away it shifts, becoming a Phoenix and taking flight, "To make each illusion unique, to give each their own show, to understand that each act happens once and is gone, a brief moment of beauty, to be reborn again and again, different each time....thats what makes our art special."
One, two, three times it flaps its wings, and then with a flash, the Phoenix is gone, "If it lasts forever Chiba-san, it is no longer an illusion. Take pleasure in what you have now, rather then the impossible."
The Chiba's nods, and then said, "Yes....well, of course you are right in this regard, Shiba-sama."
After taking a sip of his tea to clear his thoughts, he turns to the issue at hand....or at least part of it. "Forgive me for being somewhat direct, but given who organized this mission, originally I should probably ask if the Jade Magistrates need to be informed of anything? Normally I would not question the Asako or their Yoriki on such things, but as I understand it the Scorpion somehow claim jurisdiction when it comes to these issues. As you would imagine I would really rather not have a war we have worked so hard to avoid, started because a Scorpion Magistrate decided this was now his case."
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Post by M'thack-kir on Mar 19, 2018 6:09:44 GMT 10
Kiru, to the members of the crew who have known him a while, seems confused, so he remains silent, looking around the room.
(OOC: sorry Emerald, the Chiba is way too wordy for a non-Rememberer to logically be able to follow his point lol)
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Post by Shinwa on Mar 19, 2018 6:53:06 GMT 10
Shinwa looks around the room with a frank gaze, making clear he is admiring the decor...though he speaks as if he is admiring the Tejina's illusion. "Truly, a beautiful work of illusion, on a world similarly well named. It seems to me, between you, and the Scorpion, I can see that this planet is well named....the World of Dreams." He gives Mirumoto Nanashi a 'boys will be boys' look. "I wish that I, along with my crewmate here, could take some leave to investigate the beauties that I've heard occupy this world..." He waggles his eyebrows a bit, his tone suggesting an exploration of carnal pleasures.
"But the Warren is not here for pleasure, boring that it is." Shinwa is suddenly back to all business, looking meaningfully at M'thack-kir, now, hoping that the nezumi will trust him. "The Warren has excellent starcharts for current navigation, but we need a recommendation as to where we can find a skilled astronomer who can provide and analyze a variety of context clues for the location of some sites about which we need more information. I hoped the Phoenix might have one working here."
After a moment, he adds, for Kiru's sake, "Barring that, a really complete astronomical dataset would be most helpful."
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Post by Mirumoto Nanashi on Mar 19, 2018 8:13:30 GMT 10
Nanashi watches the illusory display without comment but a deep sadness plucks at his heart as the little Phoenix disappears.
At Shinwas words, Nanashi gives a small nod before sipping his tea.
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Post by emeralddragon on Mar 20, 2018 5:02:46 GMT 10
The Chiba sips his tea, and glances in the Shiba's direction. The Shiba shakes her head, and the Chiba nods in return, before looking back at the rest of the group, "Astronomical data is not lacking here, and we can easily provide you with access to the charts, data and Samurai that are currently planning the Chiba's first mission to the Gaijin. The Tortoise's loss is your gain." There is a brief pauses, "Of course, context clues are not the easiest way to identify a celestial object. One Neutron star looks pretty much like another to most people. An idea of where you are looking or what type of celestial body you seek to find will make it easier to pick who should look into what you want."
His eyes glance over the room, as if seeking a flaw, before finally he said, "The lack of Red Spider Lily in this room is regrettable. You would think it would thrive here to be honest. At least we managed to acquire the Bonsai I wanted." There is a pause for a moment, as he considers what is safe to say, "I am sure some sort of arrangement can be made between yourself and your captain for shore leave. Of course, great care should be taken. Once a door is closed it is not always going to open again. Maintenance issues, so I am assured." He shrugged, and returned to his tea.
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Post by Shinwa on Mar 20, 2018 23:52:24 GMT 10
Shinwa's expression changes a little, to one of concern. "Red spider lily? I'm afraid I'm a simple ronin, and for us it is hard to tell a sweetpea from a bluebell, to be honest. Would you mind if I looked at these a little closer?" On their nod, he stands, going over to look at the ikebana. His hand touches a holly, then a white chrysanthemum. "These two are quite nice," he says. "Though if I were going to make an ikebana with them, I'd end up sticking them behind something foolish like...oh, a Cactus Flower, for example. You'd have to search to find them." He turns back. "Your offer of shore leave is pretty tempting, though, though the Warren has other places to be. I don't suppose the ship could leave us here for five days and then come back to pick us up after we've had some well-earned recreation? As for the kind of astronomer..."
He shakes his head. "A long time ago, the only people looking at the stars were called astrologers. They'd look a the stars and from their placement in the sky, use divination to get cryptic hints about a man's future. But nowadays, an astronomer takes cryptic hints about the stars and planets, within the Empire and without, and figures out from there the future of man, right? I'm sure you can find someone who can help us out and is trustworthy who is an astronomer. Maybe, if we could speak with them and they could go over our data, they'll be done looking at it at the end of our shore leave?"
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Post by emeralddragon on Mar 22, 2018 4:48:40 GMT 10
The Chiba considers it and then said, "I remember reading about such things. Not very knowledgeable about it myself. Historic, AND something mystical means its not my families focus. However I actually think I know the Samurai you need Ronin-san. You will need a gift for him. He is the very best at what he does. Although it will take a bit of time to find him."
Waving over a servant he said, "If you could, could you see if Seppun-sama is up for guests."
To those watching Shiba Tenjina, she raises an eyelid briefly and a small twitch of her lips is visible, although its difficult to say if this is in amusement or confusion.
Shiba Tenjina answered Shinwa's other question, "It could be considered unwise to come back here in a few days. As Chiba-san said, the Chiba family are planning a trip to Kyparixid worlds. A hectic period of memorization and air traffic is coming to the people of this tower. it would not be surprising if The Warren came back here it could be diverted elsewhere or stuck in a holding loop. Fortunately said traffic make it easy to find other ways off world....as well as having other benefits." Looking down at the Shiba Inu, the Shiba added, "I do hope the extra magistrates arrive on time. All the pilots, with their ambition to see the stars, the egos, the greed. This close to Sakkaku who knows who or what will sneak in and cause havoc."
As the servant leaves his eyes glance back and forth between the dog and the Shiba, his eyes clearing asking the question, 'Its real, right? I am not imagining you talking to an imaginary dog. Its clearly real, yes?' The Shiba said nothing, simply drawing her fan to hide a smile growing on her face.
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Post by Shinwa on Mar 22, 2018 7:07:19 GMT 10
Shinwa tries to sound crestfallen even if he doesn't look it?"Well, shoreleave won't be happening unless we manage to sneak way then..." He glances over at Nanashi, then at Kiru. "Please don't be angry with me, Sama, if I'm disappointed."
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Post by M'thack-kir on Mar 22, 2018 13:13:52 GMT 10
The dog loudly slurps down the rest of the tea, then says, "Woof, what magistrates, Shiba lady? Are they serious ones, with no sense of humour? Woof woof."
Kiru gnashes his incisors together in a concerted effort to refrain from laughing. Luckily, it works, and a faux pas is avoided. "What is a Sepoon, Chiba-Chiba?"
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