[D5 EE Open] Food and Hanabi

[Hida Yoshiko]

Sitting on a tatami mat near a camp fire, Hida Yoshiko had obtained some festival food. It was a lovely plate of okonomiyaki and a bag filled with red bean taiyaki. The night show was starting, hanabi that represented the battle of the bridge. Yoshiko smiled at the pretty show.

[Otomo Hana]

Sitting on a tatami mat near a camp fire, Hida Yoshiko had obtained some festival food. It was a lovely plate of okonomiyaki and a bag filled with red bean taiyaki. The night show was starting, hanabi that represented the battle of the bridge. Yoshiko smiled at the pretty show.

While there were plenty of places to revel in the village, it was also nice to find a somewhat secluded spot to enjoy dinner and the fireworks. And if there was one place in the area that wasn't packed with throngs of peasant celebrants, it was the middle of the army camp. The camp was not left undefended, but it was somewhat more sparse than it had been on the march.

And so it was that an Otomo maiden dressed in her festival best made her way to the area where the Crab was enjoying her meal and a show.

"Good evening, Hida-san. This one is Otomo Hana of the sixth kaisha. Would you mind sharing the sky with me for awhile?" she asked.

[Hida Yoshiko]

"Good evening Otomo sama." The Hida gave a seated bow. "The sky is for all and company is always welcomed."

[Otomo Hana]

Gracefully the Otomo knelt down into seiza to watch the fireworks as a particularly brilliant gold and red firework went off.

"The villagers must have had a particularly good season to be able to arrange such a show." she offered.

[Hida Yoshiko]

"Probably but it is a festival and people tend to celebrate victory with all they got." She looked up to the sky and smiled brightly. "So pretty..."

[Otomo Hana]

Hana nodded taking in the display.

"Very true, Hida-san. Have you had many victories to celebrate in such a fashion? Any paritcularly good stories from your hometown?" she inquired.

[Hida Yoshiko]

"Well let me think." She gave it a thought. "There was this time where we went fishing and instead of fish we found a group of bandits." Yoshiko sighed. "I... guess it is a odd thing to celebrate. "

[Otomo Hana]

Hana tilted her head at that.

"That does sound like an interesting story, Hida-san. Might I press you for details while we enjoy the show?" she asked.

[Hida Yoshiko]

"Very well... We lived in a small fishing village near the river. My friends and I left to go and get some fish. On our way, we noted smoke near by and we became curious on what was happening." She ate a piece of her okomiyaki. "We found the fire and those who had made it as well. They had just raided a storage house. The bandits attacked us. We defended ourselves. I pinned down two of them. My friends pinned two as well. We decided to spare their lives and took them to the local magistrate."

[Otomo Hana]

"Very well... We lived in a small fishing village near the river. My friends and I left to go and get some fish. On our way, we noted smoke near by and we became curious on what was happening." She ate a piece of her okomiyaki. "We found the fire and those who had made it as well. They had just raided a storage house. The bandits attacked us. We defended ourselves. I pinned down two of them. My friends pinned two as well. We decided to spare their lives and took them to the local magistrate."

Hana looked to the side at the Crab while a bright blue and gold firework exploded in the sky above them.

"Ah, I see Hida-san. That was quite brave on your part." she commends the girl. "So what did the magistrate do?"

[Hida Yoshiko]

"Well punish them. They were to fix what they had broken and return the stolen goods. After they had repaired the damages they were to be flailed or join the ashigaru guards." She finished her food.

[Otomo Hana]

The next firework was a bloom of silver and gold, sparking four seperate times.

"I see, that is interesting Hida-san. Most magistrates would not be so leinient. I assume that the magistrate did not execute them because of your clan's particular need to conserve manpower?" she questioned.

[Hida Yoshiko]

Yoshiko considered the question. "Many are lost to the shadowlands. A good way to serve the empire is the protection of the Rokugani lands." She took out the taiyaki from the bag. "Taiyaki?" She offered the Otomo showing Hana the bag with the fish looking festival food.

[Otomo Hana]

Yoshiko considered the question. "Many are lost to the shadowlands. A good way to serve the empire is the protection of the Rokugani lands." She took out the taiyaki from the bag. "Taiyaki?" She offered the Otomo showing Hana the bag with the fish looking festival food.

"That sounds lovely, Hida-san." she offered....referring to the Taiyaki, which she accepted, not 'Losing yourself to the Shadowlands.

She looked curiously at the Crab.

"If you don't mind, Hida-san, I would like to ask you a potentially personal question. Given the Crab's constant need for strong warriors, it occurs to me that few of them join the Emerald Legions. Those who do, I would think, would not wish to march back to the lands of their clan."

She paused a moment savoring the Taiyaki.

"What are your thoughts on this? On your journey away and back again." she asked.

[Hida Yoshiko]

"The call of one homelands stay in our hearts." She looked at the display on the heavens with a serious face. "Some work well with protecting the empire from outside threats... others need to protect it from within." The Hida looked at the Otomo with a bit of curiosity. "Sometimes the souls are reborn in the wrong clan...what do you think about leaving the Imperial lands to go south?"

[Otomo Hana]

This produced a soft laugh from the Imperial.

"I've no delusions that I possess the soul of a Crab, Hida-san." she said amused. "I'd think a Daidoji would even be a stretch."

She looked towards the Heavens as it was streaked with fire.

"I suppose my take on it would be that I am leaving one kind of dangerous situation for another...but surrounded by the Empire's finest soldiers. Perhaps you think it's foolish to compare one to the other. But I think that while the people of the north understimate the dangerous of the south, the people of the south undestimate the dangers of the north."

She shrugged.

"Perhaps it is simply that one cannot appreciate a danger truly until they experience it first hand. But I'm of the opinion that in the coming months, things are about to get very dangerous up north indeed."

[Hida Yoshiko]

"There are many types of dangers. I am not one of courts but I have noted headed discussions between courtiers that have gotten into unsactioned duels. And I guess the situation with the heirs one side will rebel against the other." She sighed. "Why can't we just live along and let peace reign." Says the Hida to the Otomo.

[Otomo Hana]

Such a soft shelled Crab. I see why they sent you North. Hana thought.

"I would say it is because we struggle against the nature of reality itself." she suggests. "Everything came from Nothing due to the three great sins: Fear, Desire, and Regret. With Heaven's literal guidance, we impose Order in many forms such as our devotion to the Heavens, our belief in the code of Bushido, the ettiquette of Lady Doji, the Leadership of Akodo and more."

She looks to the sky once more, though this time not at the fireworks.

"And yet like Lord Moon, there is that voice that whispers to us. 'What if they try to kill you? You should kill them first. Why shouldn't you have the greatest honor? You deserve it. Why did you let that opportunity go?' The voice is charming and so, so subtle you might not even realize you are hearing it. And yet it's goal is always the same, to return Everything to Nothing."

[Hida Yoshiko]

Yoshiko considered the Otomo's words and nodded. "True we live and die and the Empire continues to exist. Those voices for some are strong for other may as well be inexistant... but who knows." The Hida shrugged. "I guess, that we aspire to harmony but without struggles how we know when harmony is achieved?"

[Otomo Hana]

The Otomo nods.

"I would say it is like swimming. You can swim swiftly or no, you can even float for awhile, but to stop is to drown." she offers.