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

[Bayushi Mitsu]

Bayushi glanced at the Crane, then turned back to Shiba across from him. Picking up a morsel of food, he gestured casually with it. "One seems unlikely to be around to contemplate the ancestors were it not for desire." Out came the mask, in popped the food.

[Aimi]

"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?"

"In the literal sense? A grass field by the road, with my pack as a pillow. Lovely view of the stars," Aimi says with a soft smile, "In a more general sense, the Akodo lands. There's always work for a shugenja there, as the peasants are as pious as anywhere else but the Kitsu have greater duties."

She frowns slightly. "I tried venturing into the Matsu provinces once. They were... I did not return."

She pointedly looks away as the talk turns to matters of the Three Sins and general good conduct. Nobody wants to hear from a ronin about such things.

[Shiba Raizo]

"In the literal sense? A grass field by the road, with my pack as a pillow. Lovely view of the stars," Aimi says with a soft smile, "In a more general sense, the Akodo lands. There's always work for a shugenja there, as the peasants are as pious as anywhere else but the Kitsu have greater duties."

She frowns slightly. "I tried venturing into the Matsu provinces once. They were... I did not return."

"How far have you traveled, Aimi-san?"

[Aimi]

"How far have you traveled, Aimi-san?"

"Ah, quite far, though only north of the Spine of the World," Aimi says with a rueful smile, "And not yet beyond the borders of the Empire. The lands of the Lion and Crane in the most cases, though I have ventured near the capital and across to the domains of Unicorn and Dragon once or twice. The lands of the Phoenix I always avoided - your kinsmen are quite polite and hospitable, Shiba-sama, but they have little need for excess shugenja, especially one of such rough training."

[Shiba Raizo]

"Ah, quite far, though only north of the Spine of the World," Aimi says with a rueful smile, "And not yet beyond the borders of the Empire. The lands of the Lion and Crane in the most cases, though I have ventured near the capital and across to the domains of Unicorn and Dragon once or twice. The lands of the Phoenix I always avoided - your kinsmen are quite polite and hospitable, Shiba-sama, but they have little need for excess shugenja, especially one of such rough training."

"You might be surprised, but no matter. Time enough in future, I would say. Never been to the Unicorn lands, but the Dragon's mountains are quite a thing."

[Kakita Akihiro]

Bayushi glanced at the Crane, then turned back to Shiba across from him. Picking up a morsel of food, he gestured casually with it. "One seems unlikely to be around to contemplate the ancestors were it not for desire." Out came the mask, in popped the food.

Akihiro freezes at the Scorpion's words and turned very slowly towards the mask. "Bayushi-san, I fear I must have misheard you. Did you just imply that my ancestors, my honored, storied, and very venerable ancestors, fell to the sin of desire? Making children has very little to do with desire as my parents will gladly attest to."

[Shiba Raizo]

Ooooooo, this is gonna be good...

[Bayushi Mitsu]

Akihiro freezes at the Scorpion's words and turned very slowly towards the mask. "Bayushi-san, I fear I must have misheard you. Did you just imply that my ancestors, my honored, storied, and very venerable ancestors, fell to the sin of desire? Making children has very little to do with desire as my parents will gladly attest to."

"Friend Kakita, I merely observed that none of us would be here without desire. Surely all of our ancestors must have had a desire for each other, a desire for children, or a desire to serve their family or lord by providing children. Perhaps even all three." The mask turned to face the Crane, its expression impassive. The tone was friendly enough.

[Agasha Inoshishi]

Inoshishi, grateful for the break and thoroughly disinterested in a theological debate, hopes the ronin will consider her invitation for tomorrow while wolfing down her rice. After all, she has a present to deliver!

[Kakita Akihiro]

Through the halfmask it is difficult to tell but both of Akihiro's eyes widen at the Bayushi's words. He takes a deep breath and looks down at the rice bowl in front of him. "Bayushi-san, I could be charitable and assume we are talking at cross purposes to one another. One does their duty to their lord to produce children regardless of whether they possess even the slightest hint of happiness at doing so. Physical attraction be damned."