[ We find Most of Our Heroes sitting outside a large traveler's inn, meatbuns and water at hand. Seylin's off doing aerial exploration of the massive, rolling canyon, while Kenji and Alci have gone off to a temple for some reason. ] [ But the rest of you are just fine! 'Scept Will, who's taking a nap at the moment. He has discovered that those round, slightly pointed hats are great for that. ] * JesseLman is now known as Istvan [ Until everyone gets back, it seems there will be some enjoyable relaxation. After that, you will probably all die. ] [ Session Start! ] * Takara , as one of your two guides, is with you. She is seated, though it's more like kneeling, in the shade of a tree and is chatting animatedly in Rokugani with Musa. * Takara has been nothing but polite to the foreigners during the few days they've been traveling together. * Musa is talking back to Takara, usually in shorter sentences and simpler terms. * Tia is delightedly cramming meatbuns into her mouth as fast as she can eat them, occasionally washing them down with a pitcher of water and beaming at her friends between bites. * Istvan is sitting an eating, with a bit more in terms of table manners than one would usually expect someone raised by dwarves to exhibit. He's still in street clothes, so to speak, though he has the Titan's Pick in the holster on his back. [ The waitstaff is dreading the moment that they have to tell Tia they're out of meatbuns. ] So...yummy...! * Istvan nods. "Ain't quite as good as a good steak, but it's pretty good." *smirks* "Not sure if the poor cooks are gonna be able to keep up with your stomach, Tia." Not likely. * Takara looks at the group at the mention of steak. "Steku," she says in Common, then switches to Rokugani. "Is that 'steak'?" * Tia belches happily, excuses herself politely, and grins before continuing her meal. Yeah, pretty close. Just cut off the 'oo' sound at the end. * Patrick nods. * Takara looks pleased at that. "It's possible to get that here, if you like. Most Rokugani can't stomach red meat, but the Unicorn are very fond of it." The unicorn have good tastes, then. * Istvan pokes at the meat bun he managed to snatch away before it got caught in the gravitational pull of Tia's mouth. "What he said. But this stuff's pretty good, so I'm okay." * Takara smiles and bows her head to Patrick. "If you like," she continues, "I can take you to the market while we wait for your friends." * Musa smiles a truly innocent smile as he pets his bunny. * Tia notices the bunny for the first time. "Ooh! A bunny! You have a bunny!" [ Stars sparkle around Tia as she says this, and lights dance merrily in her eyes! ] * Musa blinks at Tia, clueless. Uh, Tia, I don't know if he understands you. * Takara leans over to Musa and says quietly, "I think she likes Yoshi." * Tia, in the process, drops meatbun crumbs all over her nice, embroidered summer blouse. It, of course, has a cheerful butterfly and bunny motif. * Musa makes an Oh statement, and then looks again at Tia's... form. He side- talks to Tia. "She's really big, isn't he?" Yes. Yes, she is. Okay, it's not just me then. Not at all. Ooh, can I touch your bunny? He's so cute! Even back home, Tia's a bit... larger'n life. Great kid, though. I think she wants to pet it. Will she... crush it? Yoshi's kinda sensative to that kind of thing. Can I touch him? Can I touch him? She's surprisingly gentle with animals. Don't worry. * Tia bounces from paw to paw in her excitement. Istvan-san says that she's very gentle. * Musa nods to Takara, then holds out Yoshi, who seems rather content to stay where he is. [ Several of the inn patrons run outside, thinking that Tia's dance is an earthquake. ] [ Much confusion ensues due to this, but it doesn't really effect you guys. ] * Tia reaches out eagerly, then strokes the back of Yoshi's ears with as much gentleness as she can muster. Ohhh, soooo cute! I want a bunny! [ Yoshi is, indeed, quite cute. And fuzzy. ] * Patrick grins. "I think you attracted some attention, Tia," as he motions to the other patrons who are confused. * Takara blinks at this, then looks to Istvan, who she knows has a translation device and spoke for Tia before. "It wouldn't be hard to get one," she says, trying to be helpful. * Takara ignores the confused patrons. It's a samurai skill. * Tia looks up and around. "Huh? What'd I do?" [ Unbenknownst to all but the bunny himself, Yoshi is the leader of the newly-formed Hare clan. ] Earthquake pounding. * Tia blushes a little, her ears drooping. "Oh. Sorry!" * Patrick smirks. "We understand. Just don't know if they do." ~_^ * Tia nods and grins again. "I'll be more careful!" * Istvan chuckles. "Tia usually asks for goblins or minotaurs as pets, so a bunny'd be no problem." * Tia turns back to Musa. "Thanks. I like your bunny!" She's thanking you, Musa. * Musa smiles to Tia and comforts Yoshi. Gotta remember that, despite her size, Tia here... *stands up; ruffles Tia's hair* is pretty young in drag- er, dracotaur years. Hence the enthusiasm. * Tia giggles. You sure? I thought all dracotaurs kept an extra pocket of spunk with them. * Takara looks a little confused, but she just nods. Think of it like an elf. She's as old as the rest of us in terms of how long she's been alive, but dracotaurs live a lot longer'n humans, so in dracotaur years, she's pretty young. * Takara processes that, then she replies politely, "I am sorry, Istvan-san, but I know very little about elves." * Patrick nudges Istvan. "They have little experience with good non-humans here, I think." Oh. Right. Hmm... okay, think of horses. Horses live, what, 15 years? So when a horse is 3, that's like it's 18 or so in human years. * Takara smiles and nods at that one. "That's about right." Tia's a dracotaur, and dracotaurs live a lot longer'n humans. So even though she's 19, because her life is so long, she's kinda still a kid. In human years. But she does not look like a kid. Physically, no. But in personality and stuff like that... * Istvan turns to Patrick. "How old would you say Tia is in human years?" * Tia wags her tail cheerfully as she returns to annihilating the meatbuns. * Patrick thinks for a moment. "She seems about five to seven years old." [ Apparently, Tia has free use of Great Cleave when eating. ] * Istvan nods at Patrick, then turns back to Takara. "What he said." I see. She's a very enthusiastic five to seven year old. That's pretty normal for children that age where we come from. My brother's a real handful. * Istvan nods. "Damn reliable when things get ugly, though." * Takara nods. "Shall I show you where she can get a rabbit?" * Istvan looks up at Tia. "Maybe when we come back. Doubt if where we're going is any place to bring pets." I'm sure they wouldn't mind. ^^ And Tia could learn some responsability if she had a pet. * Tia nods and beams. "Okay. I can wait." [ Yeah. The Shadowlands is a great place to learn how to take care of a bunny. ] (Given they're not going straight to the Shadowlands and can likely leave the bunny in care of someone else while gone...) (It will end up a Vorpal Bunny.) (Kevin told a story about a vorpal bunny as Musa in one of the L5R mods.) (Yeeees.) (And a bunny poem) As you like. Shall I see about more tea? * Takara looks to the rest of the group, too. Please. ^^ I'm fine for now. * Takara rises easily to her feet and walks into the inn. * Istvan turns to Patrick. "Can we trade Kenji in for her?" * Patrick snickers. "Sorry, I don't think that'd be a fair trade." What if we threw in a few magic items? You think they'd accept then? * Among the foot traffic passing in front of the small inn comes a scrawny-looking old man in one of those funny conical hats most travelers are wearing. He's dressed in a worn bluish kimono and pulling a large handcart, laden with odds and ends of all sorts, from pots and pans to small weapons and other fine merchandise. * Taka pulls his cart carefully up beside the inn, out of the path of traffic, and bows deeply to Istvan and says, "Herro, gaijin-sama!" * Patrick snerks. "No, no. Not that." * Istvan blinks for a moment, and bows his head back. "Hello, sir." * Taka bows deeply again to Istvan, at the waist. "Ai amu prease to meet yu." * Tia waves enthusiastically to the old man. "Hi!" * Patrick half-waves to Taka, grinning. * Taka bows deeply to Tia. "Herro, doragon-sama!" * Takara exits the inn with a tray of tea right about... now. She blinks at the scene in front of her, then smiles with faint amusement. * Istvan bows his head back. "Can we help you, sir?" * Tia giggles. Ai amu peddurer, gaijin-sama. Hav mani warezu. Peddler? * Taka nods eagerly. [ That means he sells stuff, Patrick. ] (Yes, I know. I'm just making sure.) (That he is, in fact, a buyer and seller of goods.) (For all Patrick knows, the guy was trying to say 'fish'.) (Yeah really.) He can speak in Rokugani if he likes. The translators will pick up what he means. ( Uh huh. ) O. I see. Very well, Gaijin-sama. I am called Taka, if you deign to use my name. * Patrick nods. "Thanks Taka, you don't mind if I call you that?" Be welcome, sir. I am but a humble peddler, and how can there be trust between merchant and valued customer without names? * Tia waves again. "Hi, Taka!" * Taka bows again to Tia. * Istvan sits back and lets Patrick do the talking for the moment. * Patrick nods. "The name's Patrick, then. These are my companions, Istvan and Tia. The others we were traveling with had other errands to take care of, and I suppose you've already met Musa and Takara, then?" I travel far and wide, all things come to Taka sooner or later. What you need, Taka has. What do YOU need, honored customers? And I am familiar with many samurai, Patrick-sama. All samurai, great and small, are known to old Taka. [ Will, who is nearby, begins snoring softly. ] * Patrick eyes Will. "Oh, and the sleeping one is Will." Aaah, I often feel like a long nap after an equally long ride, sirs. I like naps too! True, true. So what do you peddle in in particular? Anything anything, or is your list more limited than the cosmic imaginations of your customers? Oh... it depends greatly on where old Taka has been, and who has come to visit him. I have many things, great and small, wondrous and mundane. I am even possessed of some rare gaijin goods, from your own homelands. Hmm, well, what kind of magic gear have we been lacking in, Istvan? * Taka reaches back into his cart and pulls out a small case and flips it open, then withdraws a single glove. A gaijin shugenja deigned to part with this small token, for example. * Istvan hrms. "We were a bit short on potions last I checked, but that's not so much of an issue with Will and Alcinoe along." Made from pure hide of a creature known for carrying its young in a pouch, some of its virtue is retained in this glove, allowing you to store things unseen, sirs. I also have a fine selection of potions, both Rokugani and gaijin. I cannot account for the strength of the gaijin brews, but the Agasha use only the finest pure and all natural ingredients, picked from the slopes of the mountains of the Dragon. * Patrick smiles at Taka. "Similar to this glove?" He snaps his fingers in his left hand and suddenly a backpack's in it. Aaaaaah, I see you have been blessed with such a gift already, sir. Your gaijin shugenja, they are very tricksy. * Patrick nods, muttering an elven word to hide the backpack. "Yes, they tend to be very resourcefull when it comes to those kinds of enchantments." But... I think you would be most rewarded to consider... this. * Taka reaches into the case and withdraws a quiver of pure white leather, unstained by travel or time, imprinted with the mon of the Unicorn in two places, and embroidered with beautiful birds. A creation of the Iuchi, gifted to the Crane five hundred years past. * Patrick nods. "Interesting. If I may, what does it do?" Iuchi Annekusai, master archer and shugenja, crafted it from the hide of strange gaijin beasts, and embroidered it with threads from the Ki-Rin itself. The Quiver of Annekusai holds your arrows as a normal quiver would, sir... but in the truly unlikely circumstance that you miss, sir, it retrieves the arrows ere they ever touch the ground, walls, or anything else that would needlessly foul it. For generations, Unicorn and Crane archers of the highest caliber have been blessed with these quivers, for greater efficiency of killing. Guaranteed not a single wasted arrow, or your money back! * Tia eyes the shinies with great glee. "Wow!" * Patrick laughs. "You have a mean sales pitch." And that's a good thing. I thank you for your compliment sir, and note that you have a keen eye. But I think that perhaps that is not all. * Taka smiles and withdraws a small puzzle box, and pressing his fingers dextrously into twelve spots at once, opens it, revealing a small blob of silver inside. For the young lady, Daughter of the Dragon, I have a training puzzle, from the mountains of the Dragon. * Tia blinks, then jumps up and down excitedly. "I've seen a box like that before!" None is entirely sure what it is made of. Given once from a tattooed monk to a Lion who lacked wisdom, the puzzle has passed from person to person, always going to those in need of its lessons. * Taka pokes the blob with one finger and it rolls up the finger onto the back of his hand. * Tia wags her tail wildly, "Kenji has a box like that!" Watch carefully, Daughter of the Dragon. * Tia watches carefully. * The blob of silvery metal forms into a tiny dragon, perched delicately on the back of Taka's hand. It takes flight, flying around Tia's head once, then comes back to rest on Taka's hand before melting back into the silvery blob. W-wow! What is it? It is the Void. It is everything, and it is nothing, all at the same time. Unlock its mysteries and it is anything you need, whenever you need it. But to those without wisdom, it is worse than worthless, a puzzle that draws their thoughts away from important matters at all the worst times. * Takara watches quietly, tea in hand. The Void? * Taka concentrates for a moment again and the blob of silver forms itself obediently into a lock, then into a hammer, then into a key. * Tia scratches her head. * Taka lets the thing collapse again into the blob and prods it gently back into the box, closing it carefully. Wow! That's so cool! How do you do that? Aaaah, that is the puzzle you must solve, Daughter of the Dragon. Isty, Isty, can I have it? * Istvan looks up at Tia, and grins. "You have your share of the party's funds, Tia. If you want it, you can buy it." I want it! I want it! Sure Tia. ^^ Aaaaaah, and the Warrior among you. * Taka bows deeply to Istvan. Your stout folk are quite the bargainers, and craftsmen such as only the Kaiu may rival. * Taka reaches further into his small cart and pulls forth a large plank covered in canvas. I think you may wish, honored customer, to consider this humble offering from the stout folk. "Stout folk"? Such power in an awakened is not often seen, and most useful for your style of fighting, I believe. dwarves, Tia. Oh! I get it. * Istvan looks at the plank. "What is it?" It looks like a board covered in canvas. * Taka visibly struggles with getting the plank upright, then pulls the covering off, revealing that it is no plank. It is a massive golden shield, covered in dwarven runes of power, with a space in the center ready and waiting for a bearer's heraldry. ... woah. Wow, another shiny! * Patrick whistles. "Nice shield." That's some fine craftsmanship right there. *pauses* But I use a weapon that requires both hands... *turns to Taka can see the war pick on his back* ... so I wouldn't be able to use it. Aaaaaah, but you see, your fine stout folk have already thought of this. The true virtue of this wondrous shield you see before you is not in its protection... * Taka raises the shield briefly and lets go in mid-air. The shield begins slowly spinning about him. ...but in its ability to protect any warrior, regardless of style. ... yowza. * Taka reaches out and gently pulls the shield from its orbit, setting it gently back on his wagon. * Istvan turns to Patrick. "What were the shares of the gear we sold off after the drow raid?" [ Will mutters something in his sleep. ] Fairly large, but I'm unsure how much Taka would want for these items. I've seen dancing shields back in Brightenhome before, but they're not usually designed with such an attention to detail. * Tia is clapping enthusiastically. Are we buying that too, Isty? Well, it's got my attention. * Istvan looks at Taka. "How much are you looking for for the shield?" Definetly interested in the three items Taka, you live up to your name for knowing what to sell who. But I've got little idea on how much such items would go for, except for the shield. For you, honored customer, I will be pleased to gift to you all three of them for the miniscule sum of three hundred thousand koku. * Istvan looks back at Takara. "Koku?" * Takara nods. "Our currency." In your gaijin lands, you refer to them as pieces of gold. * Patrick flips out a gold coin. "I think this is about equal to a Koku, if I'm not mistaken." Ah. * Patrick thinks for a moment. "Also, that's very rich for my blood. The quiver and the metal glob wouldn't be 100 thousand each, and the shield definetly wouldn't be more than that, unless you don't know your merchandise. Which I doubt." He smirks at Taka. So I offer 100 thousand koku for the three items. You would starve the Crab! We have a hundred miles of the Great Wall to guard constantly against the Shadowlands, and you offer me so little! I cannot accept less than two hundred fifty thousand, sir! Hundreds of thousands of warriors to feed, every day! They stand three days watch on the wall, you know, without sleep the entire time. * Istvan lets Patrick handle the negotiations. * Patrick grins. "You drive a hard bargain, but we require the funds ourselves to fight our own demons and monsters, not to mention defend our homelands from attack. Even now the armies of the underworld are amassing to assault our lands. But I suppose I can manage to part with a hundered and fifty thousand to aid your armies on the wall in exchange for those goods." Ah, you will starve hundreds of samurai, gaijin-sama, but I will let these treasures go for only two hundred thousand. * Patrick nods. "We are at a conclusion then. I agree to the cost of two- hundered thousand gold pieces for the shield, quiver and... metallic-ball-thing? Do you have a better name for it?" * Togo is now known as Istvan It has no name. You may call it the Puzzle, if you wish. That's a fitting name for it. * Taka smiles broadly. "If you've the wherewithal now, we may settle up, otherwise, I shall leave these with you, and settle with Hosokawa Kenji at a later date, honored customers. Give me a moment, as I do have that much in worth on me right now. * Patrick snaps his fingers, drawing out the extra backpack and looking through it and pulling out a series of gem pouches. He takes ten diamonds out of one, ten rubies out of another, and twenty sapphires out of the third. pulling the knot tight on each back and putting them back in the haversack, he carefully inspects each gem one last time before placing them on a small tray he had taken out of the pack as well. This should be about equal to two-hundered thousand koku. * Taka points to one gem. "You missed a flawed stone, Patrick-sama." * Patrick eyes it a second time. "Let me draw out another gem, then." Taking it up and looking through the pack, he puts down a better specemine of a sapphire in the gem's place. Much better, Patrick-san. I thank you for your kind and enlightened patronage, and hope that we meet again, one day. * Taka bows deeply to Patrick. * Tia gives Taka a big hug. "Thank you, Mr. Taka!" * Taka breaks. * Patrick bows deeply to Taka after the exchange has taken place. "Thank you as well. We shall put them to good use." Peace be on you, Daughter of the Dragon, but these old bones are not so tough as all that. Oh. Someone tell her to- oh dear. Ooh, sorry! I didn't hurt you, did I? * Takara hurries over to Taka and Tia, tea still in hand. * Tia puts the old merchant down very gingerly. * Patrick blinks. "Hey, you okay? Tia doesn't understand her strength sometimes." ^^; * Taka brushes off his kimono. "I shall be fine, in time, child. It is for you to master the test of memory, and then the test of wisdom." * Istvan takes the shield and starts to inspect it. An observant person might notice that 'inspect' looks an awful lot like 'stroking it gently and whispering sweet nothings to it'. * Tia nods apologetically. * Taka bows deeply and closes up his wagon, and pulls it slowly off into traffic. * HKenji walks around the corner down the street, in step with Alcinoe. He's exactly as you remember him, which makes sense, since he hardly ever changes. Kenji! * Patrick waves to Kenji. "'sup Kenji?" * Alcinoe walks with Kenji, a bit flushed and pleased. She is... dressed almost exactly like him, in a brown and yellow kimono, with the Lion mon on her right breast. The Best Sword Ever is sheathed at her side. Wow, Alci! Why are you wearing a Kenji costume? * HKenji pauses as he comes near, and gestures to Alcinoe. "I am honored to introduce to you Hosokawa Alcinoe." * Alcinoe bows. "Howdy." * Takara's jaw... drops open. Just a little. But it does. * Tia stops in midstep and looks completely blank. "You're related? I didn't know!" * Patrick snickers. "Impressive Kenji. Alcinoe looks like she'd almost fit in." He checks Alci's ears. * Musa nudges Takara. * Alcinoe has pointy ears, still! They peek up under her curly red hair. * Takara clamps her mouth shut. Audibly. ... adopted? She does not "almost" fit in, Patrick. She -does- fit in. Alci! Alci! Where did you get the Kenji costume? I want one too! * Patrick nods to Istvan. "Probably." He smirks. "I suppose if she's part of your family now, she would fit in." I want one too, Kenji! 'cause if you two eloped, I think Anastasia might be a bit angry. Sorry, Tia. Ah kinda had ta earn this one. * Patrick smirks at Istvan. "I doubt Kenji or Alci would do anything of the sort." I was not aware, Istvan, that it was permissible in your strange gaijin lands to marry your sister. Granted. Damn funny thought, though. *goes back to inspecting/petting his shield* Some people do go about doing that. ... It usually results in some pretty messy stuff. * Alcinoe rolls her eyes. "Tell me about it." Please. We should not discuss such things. We could attract Cranes. Can I earn one too, Kenji, huh? Pleeeeease? * Istvan looks up at Takara. "Is there a forge around here? If we have time, I'd like to put together a symbol to put onto the shield." The road is long and difficult, Tia, and you are not ready to walk it. Oh... * Tia looks slightly deflated, but she gives Kenji a hug anyway. * Takara doesn't notice Istvan, as she walks towards the pair, fascinated. "This... this is astonishing. Hosokawa Alcinoe." She bows fully, to the same depth she offered Kenji earlier. "It is an honor." * Musa bows to Alcinoe too, getting a good loooooooooooooong look at her. * Takara refrains from smacking Musa. * Alcinoe blinks at Takara. "Thanks?" Then she figures she's *not* being made fun of and bows back. * Alcinoe bows to Musa, while she's at it. Because... well, yes. She also doesn't smack him, but she might not have noticed. Well, grats Alci. ^^ * Alcinoe smiles. "Thanks, Patrick." Feels like graduation, doesn't it? Uh... no. * Alcinoe frowns a little. Actually, Ah wouldn't know. Never graduated. That'd be a problem, wouldn't it? That will be remedied shortly. It will also not be a problem. My sister is more than qualified, even after only a month, to pass gempukku. * Alcinoe shrugs a little. But she's smiling. That's like a Samurai graduation final? Essentially, yes. * Istvan tries to get Takara's attention. * Takara blinks at Istvan. "Hm?" It doesn't sound so bad. ... Ah think, anyway. * Alcinoe shrugs to herself. "Figure it can't be as bad as what Ah've already done for this." Sorry to interrupt, but is there a forge nearby? I wanna try and work up a... family crest, of sorts, to put into the shield. I have most of the materials, but I need a real forge to do it right. * Takara nods. "I can manage that, though it may be better to request someone do it for you." If you like, I'll see what I can arrange. * Musa looks plenty clueless. Except to the fact that Alci's hawt. * Istvan grins a bit. "I've been trained by some of the finest dwarven smiths in Moradin's Deep. I can do it myself." * Takara blinks, then she shakes her head. "You fail to understand. It is a..." She tries to gesture, then realizes she's holding the tea. "Ah. Patrick-san, this is yours?" * Patrick smirks and takes it. "Ah, yes. Thank you Takara." Istvan. You're welcome. I'm afraid it might be cold. Doesn't matter, I like iced tea. ... Oh. Let the smith resident do it. I didn't put any ice in it. I will provide a gift for his time, effort, and consideration. ... No, that's quite alright. ^_^ * Takara nods, still looking a little worried. "It wouldn't be any trouble at all, I'm sure." * Istvan frowns. "Is this some local custom that they don't let non-natives use their forges?" *pauses* "'cause if so, I understand that." * Patrick clears his throat. * HKenji clears his throat. It's because it's like saying their work isn't good enough if you ask to use their forges. It is as I said. If you wish the work done, it will be done by a resident armorer. * Alcinoe glances over at Tia, checking on how she's doing. And I don't got a problem with that. I'm just curious if it's a matter of what Patrick said, or if it's some tradition that armorers here don't let others use their forges. * HKenji steps in close to Istvan and says softly, "How would YOU feel if the local lord walked into your forge and demanded that you stand aside so he could have another smith do work you were capable of doing quite well?" * Patrick snickers. * Musa blinks at Takara. "What's going on?" * Tia seems fine, though she seems to be glancing at Alci once in a while to admire her new outfit. * HKenji continues, in the same soft, cold tone, "Don't insult my clan, Istvan. You wouldn't like the results." I think they're explaining some basic etiquette to Istvan-san. Things must be quite different in gaijin lands. * Musa makes an 'oh' motion and pets Yoshi. * Alcinoe looks pretty good! Gold and brown go well enough with red hair and dark skin. * Istvan starts to snap back at Kenji, then takes a deep breath and composes himself. "I wasn't insulting your clan. I'm a smith. I believe in doing my own work when possible. But I also believe in never disrespecting another smith. If you think the resident armorer would be insulted if I asked to use his forge, that's good enough for me." That's better. * HKenji turns on his heel and walks back over to Takara, giving her silent but obvious apology. * Takara nods to Kenji. She doesn't look offended. * Istvan mutters in dwarven. * Tia grins at Alcinoe. "You look pretty, Alci! I hope I can earn a Kenji costume someday, too!" * Alcinoe chuckles. If ya earn it, Tia, Ah'm sure you'll get one. * Tia cheers. But Ah really don't think of mahself as another Kenji, y'know? Two of me would be too many. * Tia giggles. * Alcinoe rolls her eyes. "Ain't *that* the truth." I like my sister the way she is, Ancestors bless. No shit. * Tia gasps. "You're Kenji's sister? You never told me!" * Tia scratches her head. "You don't look like Kenji, though." * Alcinoe blushes a little. "Ah... it's kinda recent." * HKenji looks up at the sun. "Approximately half an hour ago." * Tia looks puzzled. "Half an hour ago? ...Why are you blushing, Alci? Did I ask an embarrassing question?" No, it's jus'... Ah'm not quite used ta it yet. If I was wearing one of those, I'd feel weird too until I got used to it. * Tia beams. "Well, you look pretty, Alci." * Alcinoe smiles back. "Thanks, Tia." Welcome! * Istvan stands up and concentrates on the shield for a moment. It starts hovering in front of him. "This is gonna take some getting used to..." * Alcinoe notices the hovering shield and whistles. ...where did that come from? We met up with Taka. Excuse me? I didn't quite catch that. Taka? Taka? Of Taka's Treasures? * Patrick nods. * HKenji laughs. I think, anyways. Mr. Taka gave me a box like yours, Kenji! You'll be needing a bit more out of the coffers, then? It's been years since I've used a shield... * HKenji pulls two small gem bags from his sleeves and offers them to Patrick. Ya know 'im, Kenji? Everybody knows Taka-san. * Patrick snickers. "Well, I paid for it using some of the smaller change." He takes up the gem bags and looks through them a little bit, nodding. "Thanks Kenji. I didn't go burning all the coffer money, though." I expect a full report later, Patrick, but I trust your judgment. Look, Kenji, look! He gave me a box like yours! * Tia takes out her new treasure and holds it out. * HKenji looks down at Tia's box. Can you open it? Mmm, I haven’t tried yet. Mr. Taka showed me what was inside, though. It was something shiny that could change shapes! * HKenji smiles broadly. That must be quite a sight. * Tia nods emphatically. "It was! Have you ever seen anything like it before?" Personally? No. But there are always stories. He said it was called something like..."the Void"? * HKenji laughs. Well, that's as good a name as any, I suppose. Why is it called that, Kenji? It didn't look like a void to me. The Void is a special concept, Tia. The void isn't just the absence of everything. It's also the presence of everything. * Tia ponders that for a moment. "I don't get it." You'll understand eventually, Tia. * Tia nods and smiles. "I hope so!" Do you think someday I can earn my own Kenji suit? Maybe, Tia. But it will be difficult. And you have a lot of growing to do. * Tia nods again. "I know. I want to be smart and strong. Like Alci and you and everyone else!" She grins. * Alcinoe nods. "Ah think you will be." * Tia grins even wider. "Thanks!" * Takara has gone back to talking to Musa. What are they talking about? Who knows. They're Rokugani and therefore weird. * Musa talks about random Rokugani stuff with Takara! * Istvan moves around a few steps in various directions, and the shield follows along with him. "... gotta love that dwarven craftsmanship." * Alcinoe lets out a little sigh and looks around. She blinks at Will on the ground, then asks, "Where's Seylin?" [Tune in next session, when our Faithful GM switches back to decaf, and Kenji and Istvan discover they are really long lost 37th cousins, 23 times removed!]