(Day 1, LN) Midnight Tea - Unicorn

[Utaku Ichiro]

Ichiro continued to observe the apparition.

"What interest is a warrior of the Mantis to a shiryo of the Crane? If that is indeed who you are."

[Iuchi Prashant]

Prashant seems to ponder for a while, a slight look of confusion on his eyes. It was indeed... Odd that a shiryo - or a dream, or something like that? - from the Crane would be asking that a Mantis be helped...

But he still did not speak for now. Maybe the spirit would make things clearer.

If it was a spirit. And this was a dream...

He looked around for a moment, and tired to look for any sign that this was maybe not what it seemed like...

OOC: any roll I can make to try to get hints of whether this may not be a dream, or that the spirit is something... Different?

[Vutall]

((Not really. This seems as real as you know reality to be. The person before you is as real as all the others in the room))

[Iuchi Prashant]

Funnily enough, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Except for the fact that they simply suddenly found themselves there, and they were talking to a man who was supposed to be there... But in its own way, everything looked real.

Well, no use wondering about the path instead of walking it, right? , he thought, remembering some of the letters exchanged with Kitsuki-sensei.

He breathes in, lets his face slowly change to a more relaxed smile, and waits for the Crane's answer to Ichiro.

OOC: right! thanks : )

[Moto Ichiro]

"If he is good enough to rise the challenge he will pass. If he is not it will be because of his own shortcomings. To aid him in proving himself dishonor both ourselves and him."

[Vutall]

“There have been many cards dealt against him , and I only seek to correct some of the unfair hands he has be dealt”

Then, as suddenly as it began, there was another bright flash of light and the Unicorn all found themselves in Nesrin’s room, Satsume gone, the only reminders of the strange ordeal a single teapot still warm and full of fresh brewed tea.

[Ide Hazrat]

Hazrat considered the answer the Crane had given. The departed faced many judgments when they journeyed to their rest, all of which were all fair and just. If a spirit thought that there was unfairness in the affairs of the living, the matter bore due consideration at the very least.

But who was the Mantis that Satsume-san had spoken of? And why did it feel like his had not fully answered Utaku Ichiro-san's question? Hazrat opened his mouth to voice these questions, but he was overcome by a mighty yawn instead. Perhaps things would be clearer in the morning....

[Utaku Nesrin]

Nesrin blinked, looking around at her room...and everyone crowded into it. Still dreaming? She thinks she'd dream the room larger if that were the case. Reaching beneath a sleeve, she pinches herself, having heard that was one way to wake yourself if dreaming.

Should everyone still remain in her room with a pot of tea, she pulls her dignity closer and laughs, "ahh...so, everyone's sleepwalking into *my* room for tea? That's, um...gonna make some kind of rumors."

[Moto Ichiro]

Ichiro shrugged his thoughts did not change. People were not born equal into this world, nothing was fair. Just had to make the best of it through your own skill and determination. If success were easy everyone would succeed.

He looked to Nesrin and grinned "What Nesrin-san? You didn't realize you ran the most exclusive tea house in Tsuma?

[Iuchi Prashant]

As everyone sees themselves back in Nesrin's room, Prash looks around once again at least as confused as the others

Confusion or not, the visitor's words kept ringing in his ears. Who was the Mantis samurai he had mentioned? And... And what exactly did the spirit mean by "many cards dealt against him"?

He then pops back to reality as Nesrin laughed and spoke, and, looking at the still warm teapot and hearing the Moto's remark, he laughed as well.

"Entwe, ma parwe lyakur, ma?"*", he says, still laughing, then noticing he had fallen back to Tegensai. "Ah... Well... Considering we 'are' indeed awake and here, since Nesrin-san has already prepared the tea, should I go on and serve it for us, here or elsewhere?", he says, still smiling.

OOC:
*"Well, not the first time, ne?" - referring to rumours about the Unicorn Students' night of travelling tales last year.
That reminds me I haven't put together that Google drive! I'll do it tomorrow if I can : )

[Utaku Nesrin]

"The exclusive, Unicorn-only, midnight tea house? And us without a proper merchant to market it for us, alas," she laughs, pushing the teapot toward Prashant. "Pakril, may as well drink it after going through the trouble of brewing it in our sleep...or with a ghost. Can't imagine I'm sleeping again anyway."

And it's really sinking in with the others' words. Her tone is more serious as she asks, "so we all saw that? The same thing? Dead Emerald Champion with an interest in some Mantis boy?"

"Ancestors guide us, but, I don't know a lot of tales about ones who bother with those from other clans. Really odd."

[Moto Ichiro]

"A jerk of a Mantis at that more insufferable than Kokyou. He was making a scene at the inn earlier today when I arrived. Apparently his name had been removed from the book but he was yelling and threatening the old woman who runs the inn. Frankly I am not inclined to help him and I doubt he it inclined to accept my help after I almost threw him out."

[Ide Hazrat]

Hazrat took a sip of tea. It was very good, but he wasn't sure it would draw customers to an exclusive tea-house that was only open during the midnight hours. He kept quiet on that matter, though, so as not to cause offense.

"As a figure of justice, perhaps the Emerald Champion has taken it upon himself to right a spiritual wrong? Maybe the unfair cards dealt against this Hitoshi, so to speak, are karmic in nature."

He took another sip of tea and thought for a moment more. "Or maybe the interest is personal. He could have died owing a debt to one of the Mantis' parents. Many who pass on wish for a chance at a clean slate."

[Utaku Ichiro]

"This Hitoshi will certainly bear watching, that is for certain, if spiritual forces have decided to meddle in his life like this."

[Iuchi Prashant]

Prash serves the others dutifully and happily, although his face also turns a bit more somber as the conversation moves to the ghost and the apparently wrongned Mantis.

"Ancestors guide us, but, I don't know a lot of tales about ones who bother with those from other clans. Really odd."

"As a figure of justice, perhaps the Emerald Champion has taken it upon himself to right a spiritual wrong? Maybe the unfair cards dealt against this Hitoshi, so to speak, are karmic in nature."

He took another sip of tea and thought for a moment more. "Or maybe the interest is personal. He could have died owing a debt to one of the Mantis' parents. Many who pass on wish for a chance at a clean slate."

"It's... True that shiryo usually don't bother with those from other clans. Unfortunately, maybe - Shinsei has taught us the Empire can benefit as a whole from rightful guidance... But it's true nonetheless."

He takes a sip of his own tea, smiles at it, pleased, then speaks again. "But... If this is indeed a ghost trying to right wrongs, and the boy has indeed been 'dealt unfair cards', maybe..." He takes another sip of the tea, thoughtful "I mean...whose hands might have been dealing those cards? And for what purpose?"

[Utaku Nesrin]

Nesrin keeps her eyes on the cup and their hands as she takes it, lifting it for a sip almost immediately. Still, whatever her distraction, she is listening to the conversation.

"I suppose someone so powerful has more chance than most to harm others." All the more reason to ensure only the most honorable were in those positions, of course. "Maybe he has some responsibility for how unpleasant the boy turned out. I wonder if it's the only karma he's back atoning for?"

She looks at Utaku Ichiro. "I suppose not all potential heroes are nice people."