[ We find Our Heroes (or, some of them) in an inn along what passes for a highway in Rokugan. The inn takes some getting used to for our heroic gaijin - there are no chairs, and the tables are so low to the ground that you have to kneel at them. Istvan and Tia have had a great deal of difficulty with this feature. ] [ Right now, it's pretty much just Kenji, Alcinoe, and Patrick awake. Will is asleep at the table; the rest have gone to sleep. ] [ Some have earned comment; people speak of Tia, 'the monster in the back room', and Seylin has gotten mixed reviews, with some commenting on her plainly evident beauty, while others comment on the fact that she must not be human to have wings. ] [ Other than that, it's just another night on the road. Session Start! ] (How many nights have we been on the road?) ( Two, now. ) * Alcinoe is there, kneeling at one of the tables. Her tea's probably cold, and she's looking at Will, vaguely worried. * HKenji sips at his cup, which does not hold tea. Since he got back to Rokugan, he's been drinking sake, though not in alarming quantities. * Alcinoe is wearing a short-sleeved orange shirt that fades into yellow by the shoulders, jeans, and her boots. Her hair's tied back sloppily, which means a few orange-red curls fall into her face anyway. She's probably gotten enough of those not-really-looking looks that come with being in Rokugan over the past two days to last a lifetime. Ya think someone should take him to his room? No. * Patrick is kneeling at the table, looking pretty bored. "Why not?" Watch what everybody else is doing. It's impolite to notice things like that. ... So we just leave 'im here. The servants will carry him upstairs later, when everybody is gone. Or not. A case of sore knees will be a good lesson. Yeah, that's gotta suck. [ Will murmurs in his sleep. ] * Alcinoe flicks one ear and glances around, taking in the number of not really staring stares. "Ah'd say that's weird, but it don't sound too different from when people get drunk at home, so all right." Yeah, except at home they'd kick'em out after the shop closes. Here, they will carry him upstairs. The local daimyo will settle affairs later, and he will have words with his daimyo, who will settle accounts with the Ikoma. Sounds like a lotta red tape 'cause of one blacked out guy. Not particularly. After all, he has done no damage. When drunken samurai start a brawl, things can get messy. People start killin' themselves, right? Nah. Nothing that dire. Usually. * Patrick blinks at Will and grins, barely containing his laughter. But it means there's more to account for, and sometimes the diplomacy can get a little tangled. The only time people start dying is when somebody -really- screws the Scorpion. Kills or seriously injures an Imperial, for example. Heads roll if that happens. Yeah, I'd expect so. Same if you happen to get in a dispute with the local daimyo's favored son, daughter, or relative. So don't. * Alcinoe blinks. "Ah don't plan on it." She makes a little grin. "No promises." * Patrick shrugs. "No plans, but yeah. Different customs and all." Good. Samurai don't promise. Don't need to. Get used to that. Be careful with your words. If a samurai says he will or will not do something, it's as good as done. Or not done. You'll hear a lot of possibilities. Leaves options open. * HKenji pours himself another cup of sake and drinks half of it in one go. * Alcinoe shrugs. She watches Kenji for a moment, then asks, "You okay?" Yup. Yer sure. Yup.. * Alcinoe nods. She doesn't look like she quite believes that. * Patrick snickers. "He looks okay right now." Good stuff, this. It's got apples in. * Alcinoe grins. "If it's better'n the food..." And what's wrong with the food? * HKenji eyes Alcinoe. * Alcinoe holds up both hands in a placating gesture. "It's really plain 'n' kinda boring." That's because you you people damage your mouth with Pat's concoctions. You can't taste food anymore. * Alcinoe laughs. Yer sayin' that like Ah couldn't damage my mouth on anythin' *else*. * Patrick grins. * Alcinoe 's eyes twinkle. "Ain't my fault y'all can't season." ( They're unseasoned seasoners. ) If your food needs help to be worth eating, you're not a very good cook. * Alcinoe makes a little psh sound. "Ah think yer people set their expectations too low." * HKenji shrugs. * HKenji drinks the rest of his sake, and pours yet another cup. ... That good, huh? Either that or he wants to get that drunk. * HKenji jerks a little, stifling a hiccough, and takes another drink. I... am not getting drunk. I... am training. * HKenji nods. * Alcinoe raises an eyebrow. "Trainin'." Training. Fer what? Alcohol Tolerance. For my most honored mother, Ikoma Chikako, who was once Matsu Chikako. * Alcinoe looks vaguely confused. "So you have ta drink?" It will dull the pain. You're not okay. Of course I am. But I am also realistic. Mother is going to be very, very angry with me. What for? * HKenji raises a finger playfully. "That... is a secret!" * Alcinoe sighs. "Kenji." You can wait until tomorrow night to find out. Only half a day of riding, in fact. * Alcinoe just shakes her head. She grabs the sake and pours a cup for herself. Have you practiced your litany of ancestors? [ The cups used for sake are remarkably small. ] [ Wonder why that is? ] * Patrick gets himself some sake and drinks. :9 Yeah, Ah've practiced. * Alcinoe eyes the little cup, then drinks. Have you practiced -today-? * Alcinoe makes a face. "A little. Mostly yesterday." I will expect a full recitation tomorrow. * Alcinoe sighs. "All right." [ Tia rolls over in her sleep; one of the patrons wonders if it was an earthquake. ] Don't sigh at me. The ancestors would not approve! Actually, they might, but that's just between you and me. Hey, the ancestors were people too. * Alcinoe chuckles. "Yeah, an' Ah bet they weren't too keen on memorizin' each other, either." I'll have you know that Ikoma Kenshiro, my great grandfather on my father's side, was capable of reciting his entire lineage while drunk, hanging upside down, unconscious. ( *snerk* ) * Alcinoe turns the chuckle into a laugh. "Unconscious? While he snored?" How do you think he recited it? I'm told it was a legendary feat, and the Imperial History does not lie. * Alcinoe nods and sobers right up. "It sounds legendary." It's hard to tell if she's totally serious, but still. * HKenji laughs. We should have another bath, and get to bed, Alcinoe. We are going to have a tiring day tomorrow. * Ciara is now known as Aaron * Alcinoe rubs at her face. "The mother Ah never had," she grumbles good- naturedly, but she gets up. * HKenji stands up and drains the last of the sake straight from the bottle. [ Kenji shows off his Weeble Stance; he wobbles, but does not fall down. ] * HKenji carefully does not shake his head. Right. Off we go. * HKenji turns and walks entirely the wrong way. You guys go ahead. * Alcinoe gets to her feet, reaches over, and grabs Kenji lightly by the shoulder. "This way," she says gently. ...oh. Right, then. This way. * HKenji walks this way. * Alcinoe chuckles. She waves at Patrick - some gaijin traditions never die - and helps Kenji towards the baths. * Patrick waves at Alci. [ Minisession End! ]