Ambassador from the Lion

[Kitsu Natsuki]

The bitter wind beats down, as the Dragon mountains are swathed in a sudden, fierce storm. A group of figures, swathed in multiple layers of clothes against the cold struggle against the biting wind.

Suddenly, the fastness of Shiro Mirumoto looms out of the murk. The leader of the small band of travellers breathes a sigh of relief, as she has finally reached her destination after long hours of travel.

A loud voice shouts from the keep, almost lost in the howling of the wind.

"Who goes there? Name yourself and state your purpose!"

The figure below seems to speak in a normal voice, yet the words spoken are clearly audible to all, even above the noise of the wind. Clearly the person below is favoured by the kami of the air.

"This one is Kitsu Natsuki, sodan-senzo of the Kitsu and ambassador of the Lion Clan to the children of Togashi. I have been dispatched by my Champion, Akodo Tomatsu-sama to serve as the representative of the Lion to the courts of the Dragon. I beg your indulgence in permitting me entry,honourable samurai. Here are papers authorising my passage to meet the Champion of the Dragon.

The guards scrutinize the papers carefully,and open the gates to permit the Lion and her servants entry. They are met by a functionary, who escorts them to a room where they may prepare to meet the luminaries of the Dragon.

(OOC: Am the new Lion ambassador, so feel free to contact me for anything regarding the Lion. Am always up for a spot of rp in this thread too!)

[Takezo]

Welcome, Kitsu-san, to Shiro Mirumoto.

I know the Kitsu well, having spent much time there in spiritual contemplation of the Ancestors in my youth (ooc: Takezo has emerald mastery in all Kitsu jobs!), when I was a devotee of the Void, and have always been humbled by the Kitsu devotion to Bushido. As the Lion are an honorable people, and as they embrace a life of discipline, martial spirit and straightforward morality, they are people who share many values with the Dragon, and we are pleased to house their representative within our walls.

Edit: to correct location!

[Kitsu Natsuki]

(ooc: I hope you mean Shiro Mirumoto, or else I've really gotten lost in that storm! ;D)

At the entrance of the Champion of the Dragon, the Kitsu drops into a low bow, showing all the respect such an important personage is due.

"Mirumoto-sama, thank you for your warm welcome, for it is a great honour to meet you. Indeed, the children of Akodo and Togashi share much, and it is my champion's wish that the bonds between our two clans are strengthened, especially in these days when the foul gaijin spill over our borders to pollute the Emerald Empire with their filth. May it be the Fortunes' will that they be driven back as soon as possible.

I too have spent time in the lands of the Dragon, though not as much as I would have liked. The alchemical experiments of the Tamori are fascinating, and their expertise in entreating the kami of earth is second to none, while the wisdom of the Order of Togashi is known throughout the Empire. The sword-skills of the Mirumoto and keen eyes of the Kitsuki are also justly famous, and I look forward to enriching both my mind and my body in the mountains of the Dragon.

But enough idle chit-chat. As a token of eternal friendship and brotherhood with the Dragon, I would like to hereby present this small gift. It is a painting, once given as a token of friendship to the Lion Clan Champion by the Dragon many years ago. In that same vein, it now returns to the hallowed halls from whence it came, to continue serving as a reminder of the bond between our two clans.

The painting is an exquisite one, done in the style of the 9th century and depicting Togashi and Shinsei underneath the plum tree, just as the plum fell into Togashi's palm. By the side of the painting, in bold calligraphy,the words "Neither will I" are written.

[Kitsuki Yuushahime]

Yushahime, observing thus far, stops smiling suddenly and slightly frowns at the gift. She recognises it as a lovely artistic piece, but to return a token of friendship usually implies that the friendship is being discarded along with the gift. She waits to see how her Champion will respond and whether he will turn down the gift twice as customary. She looks around to see how the other Dragon respond to this.

[Kitsu Natsuki]

(OOC: Crap, really? In all my research, I never came across such a statement. I was basing it off stuff from the fictions where they do indeed gift stuff back to the clans who originally made it, eg. War of Dark Fire 6. I don't have the 4th ed. book so wouldn't really know)

[Kitsuki Yuushahime]

(OOC: They do give gifts back but it's more unusual and often accompanied by a good reason and has a lot of significance. Yushahime will get over it if you can further point out what that significance is. When you give something back to someone who originally made it its mostly returning items too. If it was given to a clan as a gift then its theirs and they should respect and cherish that gift. How would you feel if next week the Dragon gave the painting back to you or if you gave Yushahime a broach and then she gave it back to you a few years later? It'd be fair if the Dragon were returning it to highlight an important point or if i returned the broach to Natsuki's daughter or upon her wedding "I hope this gift you gave to me that has given me so much courage and happiness can further increase your happiness on this fine day" - that kind of thing. Does that kind of make sense?)

[Kitsu Natsuki]

(OOC: That'll teach me to think choices of gifts through more throughly in the future! Thanks for the info, it's my first time RPing and most of my info comes from the wiki, various forums and the fictions. Not much access to AEG products in my corner of the world. Hope the stuff below works, best I could think of at short notice.)

The shugenja continues with her speech "This painting was presented to the Lion Clan Champion in the days of Hantei the 26th, at the occasion of the announcement of an alliance of the Dragon and the Lion. It is the hope of the Lion Clan that now, it will serve as a reminder to both our clans of the need to stand together, especially in these dark times, when those outside the Celestial Order would deign to threaten it."

[Kitsuki Yuushahime]

(ooc: ooo nice come back, I like)

Yushahime blinks as she realises the importance of the gift. She berates herself for her lack of knowledge at not having recognised the gift's history. She nods in personal agreement at the Lion's comments and notices other Dragon doing the same. Dark times indeed...

[Takezo]

(ooc: I'm bypassing the "twice-refused" bit in regards to accepting gifts, because it's kind of problematic in the time-frame of forum RP.)

Mirumoto Takezo regards the painting quietly, the silence stretching out to an almost uncomfortable length...

"I remember this painting from one of my long visits in Kitsu lands; I never payed particularly close attention to it - art, I confess, holds little interest for me - and I never bothered to make myself aware of its history. We accept the painting in the spirit it is given, and appreciate the thought behind it. We appreciate the boldness of the gift, as well... certainly, many courtiers might have balked at the idea of returning a gift from an earlier era, for fear that such a gesture might be wrongly interpreted. But then, Kitsu are Lion, after all, so a certain boldness is to be expected?

Nevertheless, we intend that Lion should still enjoy the painting, so we shall display it in our diplomatic reception hall."

Mirumoto Takezo gestures to a servant, who bows, accepts the painting from Kitsu-san, and withdraws to display it per the Champion's orders.