D0LM, Refreshments

[Moto Mitsuki]

Finally out of the woods and at the end of a long trip through half of Rokugan, Mitsuki allowed her mount and herself a rest in the gardens to rebalance the quantity of liquid in their bodies. She let Avel drink as much as he needed at one of the pools, and went to a tea house close enough that she could keep an eye on him in the meantime.

There, she took off her traveling coat, revealing the pale white dress underneath it, and ordered some basic green tea to the despair of the connoisseurs around.

[Kaikoga Koi]

Koi was sat in the garden, a glass of jasmine tea beside her and a small booklet of poetry she was working her way through but found the entire book nothing more than the angsty writing of a Mastu who has never enjoyed the passions of a woman before - perhaps Koi was just cranky.

Her jade eyes settled upon the pale white dream that slipped into her vision in a haunting manner. She was stunned, in all her life she has never seen someone so macabre and beautiful in such striking manners.

An Unicorn no doubt with the horse nearby.

Koi rose, she settled her purple kimono of silver stars, moons and moths that settled upon her frame following her almost delectable curves divinely - it was her favourite after all.

"Might I join you, Moto-sama? I am Kaikoga Koi, of the Moth Clan." She bowed humbly.

[Moto Mitsuki]

Mitsuki racked her brain, trying to remember what was the Moth Clan about, to no avail.

And, as the Ide would say: "If you don't know who you're talking about, better be too polite than not enough."

She refrained from putting her hand forward and bowed the Rokugan way instead:

"Of course Moth-sama. I'm Moto Mitsuki, one of the ten thousand blades of the Khan. Pleased to meet you."

[Kaikoga Koi]

Koi smiled warmly, it was something that met her eyes as she took the name in for a moment as if savouring it. "Moto-sama, it is an honour to finally meet on of your clan though our lands are relatively close compared to the rest of Rokugan I have yet to have the pleasure to formally meet one of your noble line."

I wonder what their dreams are like, are their baku different? Have they been changed too? She thought curiously, for a moment and realised she referred to her as 'sama' and that confused her for a moment.

"Thank you." She said, she brushed a finger in her hair as she took a seat. "Such a intruction, I have never heard of such a title. Would that come with an appropriate honour in Rokugan, Moto-san?"

Yes, let's settle for -san. She decided and settled down comfortably paying full attention to the Moto.

[Moto Mitsuki]

"The ten thousand blades of the Khan is one of the many names worn by the Moto troops patrolling beyond the western mountains.

You maybe know of us instead under the name ᠣᠷᠳᠤ..."

She uttered an unmistakably foreign word, down to the hard r in it.

"The horde. That's how people in the desert, both nomads and town-dwellers, usually refer to us.

As for honorifics, unless you've secretly joined my company and are now under my orders, you can keep it simple. Are you yourself holding a position that is of some relevant weight in the present context Moth-sama?"

[Kaikoga Koi]

Koi genuinely seemed interested, she wish she had her notebook and pen to write this down but she'll deal with that later. That sounds amazing.. She thought to herself, imagining riding on horseback surrounded by powerful women of the Unicorn.

Koi tried to pronounce the word once, and struggled and laughed softly at her mistake before trying again almost getting it but not quite again. "Hm, it's a tricky word to pronounce but thank you. Perhaps, it is the thundering of horse hooves as you valiantly battle enemies to your clan? It's not as creative as I would choose but it is simplistic to make it easy to remember - "the Horde." She shook her head in mild consideration, and sipped her tea before continuing. "What is the desert like? Are the nights as beautiful as stories are told?" She imagined the stars in their multitudes radiant in the inky black night before catching her imagination to the next question for the Unicorn.

"Oh me of status? By the stars and stones, no." She laughed softly covering her mouth as she did so, it was gentle and filled with mirth that came from the belly not something easily faked. "No, Moto-san I am just a Moth shugenja that dabbles in acting, woodwork and studies dreams nothing worthy of note beyond that."

Well, except for the lover of tall, powerful woman painted like they are about to bite the head off a bat. She thought to herself, before reeling in herself with another sip of tea.

[Moto Mitsuki]

"The desert has more than one night. The moon travels the sky up there like anywhere else, and of his mood depend the brilliance of the stars and the darkness of the land. The sands stretch for weeks and weeks of travel on horseback in all directions, and so the celestial pattern is not one but many, with a different design for each place and each day.

I have a predilection for the nights where ᠠᠩᠭᠠᠷᠠᠭ – the red one – and the moon cross paths... But I'm partial because they are the stars associated with my birth.

As for life under these skies... You'll have to narrow down your question a bit, as it's akin to asking me so about what Rokugan looks like in general. The desert has its plains, its mountains, its rivers and cities even. For nomads such as myself, our way of life changes to adapt to where we stand."

She raised an eyebrow at the very last sentence.

"Studies... dreams? Like, prophetic dreams?"

[Kaikoga Koi]

Koi listened with the interest of a child hearing a folklore, or a story it filled her imagination with wonder and amazement like nothing she has even imagined, she did not interrupt or even feign paying attention like some courtiers might do. She was transfixed with curiosity as the Moto spoke a new word different to the other. "Ah, how do you say that again?" She paused the Moto at 'the red moon' and tried with all her ability to repeat it but was unable to with mild frustration.

"Ah, apologies Moto-san forgive the generalised question, I find myself filled with a flurry of questions like I was a child again but I am holding the kami of water and fire from overwhelming my senses as we speak." She said with a beautiful smile that rested in her eyes. "Oh, the idea to roam and to travel is fascinating - I have spent some time on the road a few years a go with a troupe of actors, perhaps the most enjoyment I have experienced in my life." She mused. "Perhaps, if you may, can tell me more about the plains, mountains and rivers. Do you stretch forever? Do they go on for infinite until you loop back around? Ah, forgive my naivety I am a storyteller by trade and tales of somewhere other than Rokugan fill me with curiosity."

She thought for a spell, and nodded. "To some extent yes, I think that would be a fair description, we also are able to unravel dreams and understand them. We also learn about the beings within Yume-do, creatures called Baku. Do you understand what they are?" She did not say that to be offensive, or to be rude and that was clear enough in her tone and body language. She understood that Moto was from a different land, a different culture and a different belief system for all she knew so she did not want to presume the answer."

She waved at a waitress and requested further tea. "Jasmine please, and some citrus, please." She glanced at Moto if she wanted to add anything.

[Moto Mitsuki]

"To the west, the land eventually ends into another sea, and we know there are more lands and people on the other side as they sometimes visit us for trade. At the far north, cold mountains block the way. Legends have it that there is a way to go through them, and many marvels awaiting on the other side."

She smiled.

"Of course, all stories about unexplored territories contain a treasure, a monster, or both, so I wouldn't put too much weight into these tales. The only thing we know for sure is that, as the moment, no one in the Unicorn has managed to cross this natural barrier.

The far south is a mess. Jungles infected with monsters, real ones this time, likely because they're an extension of the Shadowlands. We stay clear of them.

All in all, if you stay on horseback, you'll eventually it a limit, even if it requires a months-long trip. If you add boats, ice axes and machetes to the equation... There are likely even more lands waiting to be discovered."

Mitsuki took a sip of her own tea in-between answering questions.

"I indeed don't know what a Baku is. Not under that name at least. May I ask for a more in-depth explanation?"

[Kaikoga Koi]

Koi's jade eyes perhaps had grown to the size of a melon as she listened to the Moto curiosity, and perhaps the Moto might see a soul that craves adventures of such things within the little Moth. "I have always believed the world was more than we surmised, expanding and changing depending on the territory but I never expected that our lands would be surrounded by such incredible things. You are truly blessed by Natsu Togamaru to have been abled to experience, and learn of such things."

She smiled for a moment, taking a sip as images of Koi on the back of a great Unicorn steed with a fierce gothic looking maiden riding in front hacking at monsters shined upon by the light of Amaterasu glorious seeking adventure and at night the most steamiest of sex. She collected herself as she realised that her cup was empty, and it had been a few seconds.

"Fuck my imagination" She grumbled internally and caught the question of the Moto.

"Ah, everything that existed in a dream has created Baku spirit, a beautiful creature that can have infinite forms of wonder and spectral. I, myself, have seen one the size and shape of a cat but with moth wings large yellow eyes. They normally are formed when one sleeps and does not survive the waking from the dream." She explained carefully. "Your Baku spirits might pose a different appearance than say mine, it's mostly harmless..." She said with a bit of a frown and she places her cup down and indicating she wishes for a refill. "Mostly being the word, things are changing and it has made me aware that I need to learn more about peoples dreams."

"What do you dream of, Moto-san? What do you think your Baku spirit would appear as before me if I was to weave your dream?" She asked curiously, it was a polite curiosity.