[Day 1, Early Morning] The Breakfast of Champions (Open)

[Shiba Raizo]

"As I may have mentioned, her name is Aimi."

[Agasha Inoshishi]

Inoshishi frowns slightly.

“I’m sure you did! I’m equally sure I wasn’t there!”

[Kakita Akihiro]

"Thousand blessings, Agasha-san. I hope you have enjoyed the beauty of the Shika's home and land." A nod in her direction and then to the ronin.

"And Fortunes travel with you, Aimi-san. I hope you have found rest and relaxation in the walls of the kyuden." A nod. Akihiro should not be surprised but it struck him every time that all the people in the miai were young, beautiful, and largely carefree.

[Aimi]

She smiles broadly at the ronin.

“Sorry, I don’t know you or I’d introduce you. But I’d like to, ronin always have the best stories!”

"One can find stories anywhere, if they are but willing to listen," Aimi says demurely, ducking her head, "Perhaps we might share such tales another time?"

She doesn't want to talk too freely in front of the Scorpion. All those rumours, all those dark tales... she'd always assumed them to be exaggeration and hyperbole, and yet...

"And Fortunes travel with you, Aimi-san. I hope you have found rest and relaxation in the walls of the kyuden." A nod. Akihiro should not be surprised but it struck him every time that all the people in the miai were young, beautiful, and largely carefree.

"The hospitality of the Deer has been without fault or failing thus far, Kakita-sama," Aimi says politely, "And yourself? Your stay has been pleasant as well, one hopes."

[Agasha Inoshishi]

"Thousand blessings, Agasha-san. I hope you have enjoyed the beauty of the Shika's home and land."

“I have! It’s such a nice place. It’s a perfect place for a Miai, don’t you think? It’s romantic and isolated!”

"One can find stories anywhere, if they are but willing to listen," Aimi says demurely, ducking her head, "Perhaps we might share such tales another time?"

“That is so true! And even though I kinda talk a lot, when I’m not, I listen well for stories! I’d love to share stories with you. Maybe over sake at some point? Sake is great for getting stories to flow. I don’t have anything planned after the play tonight. We could go then?” (ETA cause late in the day ooc) “Or sometime tomorrow! I should be available most of the time!”

[Kakita Akihiro]

"The hospitality of the Deer has been without fault or failing thus far, Kakita-sama," Aimi says politely, "And yourself? Your stay has been pleasant as well, one hopes."

"It has been pleasant and entertaining over the past day or so. They make great efforts to maintain high levels of privacy and intimateness in every spot that one might feel obliged to sit down at. The design of the city has been...rather interesting to observe." Akihiro said to the ronin. "And before you arrived in the Kyuden where did you last put down your head?"

“I have! It’s such a nice place. It’s a perfect place for a Miai, don’t you think? It’s romantic and isolated!”

"One might suspect the Shika have deliberately cultivated this impression as part of their scheme to attract traffic to their kyuden." Akihiro said flatly.

[Agasha Inoshishi]

"One might suspect the Shika have deliberately cultivated this impression as part of their scheme to attract traffic to their kyuden." Akihiro said flatly.

“I suppose one could look at it that way. But there’s nothing wrong with adding a little romance to the whole affair! Haven’t you ever heard the stories of star-crossed lovers who meet in places like this yet are destined to forever be apart because of duty? How are you going to feature in one e stories if there’s no romance?”

[Bayushi Mitsu]

"...how fascinating," Aimi says, her smile fixed and almost wooden for a moment.

She says nothing else, allowing the Dragon's sudden outpouring of enthusiasm to capture the flow of conversation, all but physically fading into the background.

The Scorpion's head tilted slightly as the masked face continued to regard the ronin for some moments. Then, he continued to eat, lifting the bottom of the mask just so, concealing each bite that slipped behind it, following the conversation with a nod here and a glance there.

"We all have our different stories to tell, don't we?" He glanced at the Kakita, the Shiba, the ronin, the Agasha. "Adversities we have overcome. Romance, yes, but not all interesting stories are about romance, are they? Deceptions, sacrifices, gifts and bonds, motivations... I do find it all fascinating, my friends. The study of people."

Pausing, he shrugged. "Perhaps I should become a matchmaker."

[Kakita Akihiro]

“I suppose one could look at it that way. But there’s nothing wrong with adding a little romance to the whole affair! Haven’t you ever heard the stories of star-crossed lovers who meet in places like this yet are destined to forever be apart because of duty? How are you going to feature in one e stories if there’s no romance?”

Akihiro pointedly stares at the Agasha. "Desire is a sin, Agasha-san. As is regret. Those stories end in tragedy to remind us that our duty is to our lord first. If one is struck by Benten-no-kami and errs by throwing themselves into the arms of passion, they demean themselves and their ancestors by regretting the parting of their object of fascination. Such stories are a list of what not to do, Agasha-san."

[Shiba Raizo]

The tide of conversation had flowed over and through Raizo... leaving him free to polish off his food.

He briefly contemplated quietly slipping away, but...

But it's not THAT bad. And this Kakita who's too serious and this Agasha who seems incapable of breathing without speaking might be butting heads soon, and that... might call for someone to calm the situation.

Besides, I'm supposed to meet people.