(Day 7, LE) Mandatory Event: Gempuku

[Zashi]

A big part of Zashi wants to head over to his sensei from Hirosaka, Shosuro Tomoe, but there is the future to think of. Instead, he calmly presents himself to Doji Murashige, bowing with every bit of grace he can muster.

"I consider myself fortunate to me betrothed to Doji Sakura. If the Fortunes favor me, I will bear that family name in the future, but for now... "Zashi beams. "I have always thought of myself as Kitsune Zashi. I see no reason to change that now. Even if my family name is to change, Zashi won over his betrothed and her family, and Zashi will spend a lifetime protecting them"

[Matsu Qiang]

Once he had accepted the regalia and sword of the Topaz Champion, the young Matsu declared, "A new stage of life demands a new name. Henceforth, I shall be known as Matsu Tsuyoshi ... a loyal samurai of the Lion Clan!"

After bowing deeply, the new samurai stepped back to stand near Akodo Eiko. Bowing once again to the elderly general, the newly named Matsu Tsuyoshi turned to watch the rest of the gempukku ceremonies.

[Iuchi Prashant]

Dressed in new, even if similarly simple purple robes, and with his hear unusually tame, the Iuchi walks forward, eyes slightly down but a confident smile on his face. He nods to several of the others as he goes - comrades, close friends... future family. Hirosaka and the Topaz championship had taken his previous path in life and given it new directions and a new sense of purpose.

He bows deeply to Utaku Oichi as he approaches her. He can't help the feeling her own path has changed... but he greets her with a gentle, thankful smile. She had taken her decisions, and Dao... he was confused, even frustrated at his friends' actions. But the monk would be one of them soon. What happened would be on people's memory for some time, but in the end it was what they would do in the future that would define them.

Taking from her a curious-looking Artisan set with Chrysanthemum-themed decorations, and the ceremonial blades representing his official gempukku - his own blade already at his hip, now worn openly - he bows to Hida Goroharu, then Ikoma Ikehata, smiling at them and saying heartfelt "Doumo arigatou" to both. He then walks towards Kitsuki Tai Yu, bowing low to her as well. "Kitsuki-sensei. Your lessons helped me see the path before me; your words taught me to sense when my feet tread it true. I thank you deeply for the knowledge you shared, and I hope to keep sharing my thoughts with you as I seek myself - even in the strangest places."

With another look at the friends and companions he made since last year, and a slightly longer look at a certain Unicorn, he bows before them all.

"At my birth, my family honoured me with a name with different meanings, all of which they taught me to seek. "Tranquility", the first and most obvious meaning to my family, is something I've always strived for - and I feel I've learned at least how to look for it. The traditional rokugani reading, "Peaceful earth with leaves of ease and intention", is close, and peace, ease, intent, earth and nature are all elements that have guided my path to this moment. As a samurai now officially ready to serve the Unicorn and the Empire to the best of my ability, I take a name that will again honour my family and lineage... one whose meaning will guide my next steps."

His eyes shift to Nesrin for a moment as he says the next few words before he looks at the ground again. "I've learned to see the path of tranquility. Now I'll strive to walk it through summer heat and freezing winter, stalwart and unflinching as the 'tree of all seasons' - the Pine Tree. In a traditional Rokugani reading... I'll keep part of my name, and change another: the leaves of ease and intention now join the discipline and endurance of the Pine."

He writes down his childhood name in small letters, then his adult name in larger letters.

葉楽志安土 (Pa-ra-shi-an-to)
葉楽志寿鍛 (Pa-ra-shi-su-tan)

"I'll keep strong and steady through fire and blizzard as I serve this Empire and my clan as Iuchi Prashstam"