A Crab Among Crane (Open)

[Hida Mei Xing]

Kyuden Doji was different than Mei Xing had expected. She heard stories of it from her mother before she met her father. Mostly the stories Hida Jiang Taelin told were of her days at the Kakita Academy and the brief time spent in Kyuden Doji before she went to Ryoko Owari. It was there her parents met and fell in love.

Hida Tanashi, her father, had been pleased when Mei Xing chose to study with the Crab. After passing her gempukku, she promised her mother to spend time in Crane lands. After all, both of her parents studied there and she had family there.

It still felt odd.

The graceful architecture and gardens were indeed beautiful to behold, but so different from the Wall. Mei Xing found herself longing for the massive Wall, the towering, boisterous Hida bushi, the rough rugged terrain of the south. Everything here was so quiet it was almost unsettling. A few Crane maidens passed by, staring openly at the quiet Crab woman from behind their fans. Mei Xing was a pretty girl, to be sure, like her mother, but bore the stamp of her father's features. Her plain dark blue dress kimono and decided lack of fan were conspicuous amongst all the finery.

After meandering through the gardens Mei Xing sat down under a cherry tree and pulled out her calligraphy kit. Her mother had practiced calligraphy with her, and she wanted to show that she hadn't been neglecting her studies on her journey. She stared up at the cherry tree and waited for inspiration.

[Yasuki Chad]

"......yes that would be most acceptable, Doji-san. My thanks." The words drift out from behind a spectacular hedge statue. Shortly afterward a tall, foreign looking man walks out toward the cherry tree. His kimono is exquisitely designed, dark blue with white highlights and pictures of tiny crabs and fish. It leaves his forearms exposed, revealing a myriad of scars. The Yasuki mon is prominantly displayed over his left breast. He sees Mei Xing sitting with her writing tools and bows respectfully.

"I do hope I'm not interupting. It's just that I didn't expect to see any other crab here. Outside of my own retinue, I mean. The Shogun's recent announcement has....strained.... relations somewhat. If I am not prying, might I know your purpose here?"

The Yasuki's manner is engaging, but you sense an underlying wariness in his voice as if he were carefully assessing a potentialy threatening situation.

[tadakasan]

On a bench, Tsi Karone watches the Crab milling not entirely comfortably with the Crane, barring some of the Yasuki. He had come here with the delegation of Kaiu sent for a sponsored content of weapon making. He had technically not come to participate, only to learn and watch. But it seemed he had over estimated the amount of Kaiu that would be here. In fact, there almost seemed to be more Tamori here as she looked around.

Karone grumbled lightly to himself; he was not unused to the more courtish setting like the Crab; with his Clan's largest holding being in Toshi Ranbo he was more to used to it in fact, even if Tsi Uchi itself wasn't particularly lavish. No, it was something else that bothered him, though something that being in Toshi Ranbo also should have been used to; the crowds. Still, he wasn't. Born a Ronin smith in what had been the former Hare lands at the time (and were once again), he had grown up in a small town. Even in Tsi Uchi there were relatively few people. No peasants came into the palace, and few great Clan samurai made it a point to tary long in the hot drab building that smelled of pitch.

Still, Karone showed no outward signs of his discomfort apart from his silence, and that was hardly unusual for a minor clan samurai in the midst of a Crane stronghold (it was well known the Crane had a habit of lording such things over minor clan members and especially artisans or duelists from the clans.) For now his hand relaxed it's grip on the elegantly carved bench and he relaxed, eyes drifting to a young Crab who seemed to be... painting, calligraphy maybe? 'Interesting...' he thought to himself, looking up at the tree she was looking at thoughtfully.

[Hida Mei Xing]

Mei Xing gracefully rose to her feet and bowed to the Yasuki. "Good afternoon Yasuki-dono, it is always a pleasure to see members of my own clan, especially this far north of the Wall." She straightened up, and suddenly felt shabby next to her fellow Crab in such fine clothes as his. "My name is Hida Mei Xing. I am here on a pilgrimage I promised my mother I would take after my gempukku, to spend time with her former clan. Whom do I have the pleasure of speaking to?"

[Yasuki Chad]

Yasuki Chad bowed again. A smile flashing on his face.

"I am Yasuki Chad, Daimyo of the Yasuki," he pauses for a moment visably thinking, "your father is Hida Tanashi, correct? I served under him several years ago at Shiro Kaiu. I had no Idea his daughter was all grown up. He always talked as if you were a little girl." He grinned as he speaks, then seems to realize his wording might cause offence. "A fathers perogative I suspect. Have our hosts greeted you yet? They have been having alot of private courts lately. I believe they are still trying to decide what emperor to support."

[Hida Mei Xing]

Mei Xing, still more deeply this time. "It is an honor to finally meet you in person Yasuki-sama. My father always spoke of you with respect. I believe you may have dealt with him in the courts rather than in battle - Hida Tanashi-sama's lame leg and poor health recommended him better the pursuits of courtiers but that didn't stop him from fighting on the Wall." She glowed at the mention of her father's name. "I suppose I will always be a little girl to him, as my mother will always be a delicate flower though she too has done her time on the Wall." Carefully she tucked a stray stranf of black hair back behind one ear. "I have not yet had the pleasure of meeting our hosts. What brings you this far north?"

[Yasuki Chad]

The grin on Chad's face darkens somewhat.

"Three years ago my Uncle and his entire family were murdered. I was taken from my assignment with the Emerald Magistrates to prepare for my new duties. Your father was one of those assigned with my training." He turns and walks to the edge of a nearby Koi pond. He stars into the waters for a long moment before turning back, all trace of mirth gone from his face.

"I am here to gather allies for the True Emperor, Hantai the 40th. I have not yet been seen but my purpose is known to my hosts. The Crane have not yet made an official declaration. The Daimyo looks regretfull for a moment and continues. "Our Champion disagrees with my position. He believes Kaneka should be leading the fractious clans of Rokugan."

He looks again into the water.

"The clans will be divided. There will be war."

[Yasuki Chad]

"But forgive me. This is not the time or place for such talk," he gestures to the lovely garden. "The Doji make it hard to reflect overlong on tragedy. It seemed to me you were about to write something," Yasuki Chad gestures to Mei Xing's calligraphy kit.

"Would you honor me with a Haiku? It has been years since I've heard a clansmen wax poetic, let alone one so lovely as yourself."

[Hida Mei Xing]

The color instantly rushed into Mei Xing's cheeks, turning them a soft dusky pink. "It would be my pleasure and my honor Yasuki-sama." She knelt under the tree again, loaded her brush with ink and held it over the scroll. It hovered there for a moment before it began to move slowly and carefully across the paper. The kanji were very simple, but pretty and serviceable as the words began to take shape and appear.

Storm clouds may threaten
Cherry blossoms honor spring
A perfect moment

The last kanji she painted on the bottom right hand corner was the one for "star". She dusted the ink with powder to dry and set it, blew off the excess and presented it to the Yasuki daimyo. "A gift for my fellow clansmen, in hope of better times."

[Yasuki Chad]

After making the traditional refusals Chad accepts the Haiku. He looks over Mei Xing closely and you can almost see the calcuations running through his head. Smiling, he bows low once more.

"I am very glad to have met you today. If, in the future, you require my ear you have only to ask. I shall be in Toshi Ranbo for some time.Now, please excuse me Hida Mei Xing," he nods behind her toward a Crane functionary. "It seems I shall be met with after all."

He walks away, humming to himself. Mei Xing turns her attention back to the Koi pond. Scant minutes later a Crane servent approches.

"Sama, the Yasuki Lord has sent this to you." She kneels and offers a long rectagular box. Inside is a Dark Blue fan with white edging. Tiny white crabs pair off with tiny white cranes over waves on one side, the other side bears the Mon of the Crab.

[Kakita Hiroshi]

As Kakita Hiroshi left the court and headed towards the gardens, he saw the Yasuki daimyo being led towards the inner court by a servant. At first, he frowned at his presence here, but quickly, he regained his composure and bowed slightly to the daimyo. Then he continued out to the garden.

At first, he wanted to go over to the Koi pond, but seeing another Crab there, deep in her thoughts, he stopped, not wanting to disturb her meditation, and started strolling along the winding paths.

[Hida Mei Xing]

Mei Xing gasped at the beautiful fan. It was practical but pretty. Delicately she snapped the fan open and began to fan herself slowly. The Crane maidens nearby giggled but Mei Xing ignored them. It was such a sweet gift. She wouldn't be able to reciprocate properly, but as she began meandering back to her room she mentally composed the letter to invite Yasuki-sama to a tea ceremony. It was time to do her Crane heritage proud.

[Kakita Hitoshi]

Kakita Hitoshi stepped out into the gardens, almost colliding with a Crab samurai-ko as he did so. He stumbled backwards trying to avoid her, frantically trying to remain upright, before giving up and sitting down hard.

He blinked a couple of times. "Err... welcome to Kyuden Doji Crab-san" he said. "Please forgive my clumsiness; I was somewhat distracted." Suddenly realising that he was still on the floor, he jumped up and bowed.

[Hida Mei Xing]

Mei Xing stifled a giggle behind her fan and bowed to the young Crane. Her dark eyes quickly caught the Kakita family mon over his heart. "Thank you Kakita-san. The Crane lands are every bit as lovely as I have heard tell, and the people are gracious hosts," she said with a bow. "My name is Hida Mei Xing. It's nice to meet you."

[tadakasan]

While Karone was sitting near by unobtrusively, a Kakita artisan asked to sit down next to him, snapping him out of his reverie. Acknowledging Karone made room, "Please, sit Kakita-san."

The man introduced himself as Kakita Nassen, and struck up a conversation about the gardens, clearly trying to see what an Oriole would know about such things. Karone found himself at somewhat of a loss, since even Tsi Uchi itself did not have much in the way of vegetation, let alone a garden. Eventually Nassen seemed to get that idea as well as thanked him for the conversation, excusing himself, giving a polite greeting Hitoshi on his way out of the gardens.

Karone stood up to bow back, dusting the flower petals from his brown kimono as Nassen turned to leave. Deciding to be more social since it was going to be a long afternoon anyways, he walked up to the three samurai standing near the cherry tree, arms folded in his sleeves*