[Gardens, Juramashi District, Otosan Uchi] WOW!

[Yasuki Ginkarasu]

"Dad thinks it's worth the risk." He looks to Aiichiro. "I think he hopes I'll someday follow in his footsteps. You have anybody you still dislike? Or are you good at being friends with everybody?"

[Kaiu Aiichiro]

Aiichirō smiled slightly with the explanation. Yasuki were really taught that early to use from any means. "You could be your own yojimbō then. That sounds... Strange"
Aiichirō noticed he was still carrying the fan and tucked it under his obi. "I can't say I'm good at this, but I try. It is good to have a lot of friends to hang with on weekends. Some people don't like my name, but that's all."

[Kakita Kenji]

Otosan Uchi isn’t that far away from Kyuden Kakita and Kyuden Kakita isn’t that far away from the little town Kenji lives in. But even though these places aren’t that far away, the differences between them are huge. Kenjis Hometown is nothing but a mere hamlet to the vast greatness that is the capital.
There are so many People, so much to see, so many different smells and noises. It is overwhelming, to say the least, and it will take Kenji some time to adjust to this.

After he settled in the hostel his Sensei has booked for him, he began to stroll around town. He heard about the great Asako library, and it was one of the places he wanted to visit the most. To arrive the Library he had to go through the vast gardens in the Juramashi District. The variety of all the plants here was outstanding. The flowers, trees and bushes were planted with a thoughtfulness that captivated him. Truly a testimony to a great artist, and if he had to bet, one from the Kakita dojo.

He took his time in this Garden and decided to just relax for a few minutes before continuing his path
A Guard told him that, if he wanted to reach the library, he needed to follow the brown stones and so he did. Still captivated by the beauty of the garden he really didn’t notice the kids in front of him.

When he almost ran into them, he exclaimed: "Who! ............ oh..."
He examined the two of them and found out from the condition of their clothes and their clanmons that they must be crabs. "I beg your pardon, I wasn't paying attention where I was going. Let me introduce myself, I am Kakita Kenji. To whom have I the honor of speaking, Crab-Sans?"

[Kaiu Aiichiro]

The city being huge and like a maze, the travel was truely taking way more time than it should be. Getting near to decide if a brick was brown or unkept red, Aiichiro scared himself when suddenly a Crane was in front of him, holding his left arm to his chest ever so slightly. Taking his fan again - it should have been his intuition saying to hold it on his hand all this time - he bows normally.
"You don't need to beg anything, it's all okay." His voice was calm and softspoken like a Kaiu's and unlike a Crab's, although the words lacked etiquette. "I am Kaiu Aiichiro. My friend is Yasuki Ginkarasu."
Knowing there was some sort of rivalty between the Yasuki and the Crane for some centuries-ago thing, he looked at Ginkarasu with the corner of his eye, trying to be discret but being everything but discret.
The Crane were near and in fact, he had seen some Crane adults more often than other clans here. He wasn't necessarily attending to the same dojo.
Ten seconds later, he remembered he had to ask for rice. "Have you eaten your rice today, Kakita-san?"

[Kakita Kenji]

"Yes, of course I already had rice today," he replied as he bowed.

So, a Yasuki and a Kaiu. Kenji's training had only roughly outlined the big clans so far, so he didn't know any real details, only that the Yasuki once were a family of the Crane Clan and then changed to the Crab and thus provoked the first war in Rokugan. Until today the Daidoji seem to have a real hatred against the Yasuki. He, and at least his closer ancestors, did not have a major quarrel against the Yasuki, so he did not feel obliged to adopt a hostile attitude.

The kaiu was another matter. In fact, he had hardly heard anything about this family of the Crab Clan. Just from his looks alone, one could think that if he would be put into a different kimono, he would pass as Daidoji. Either he was special in his clan, or the crab had more to offer than the big, brutal ruffians, as his sensei wanted to make them appear.

"What brings you here?" he asked with curiosity in his voice.

[Yasuki Ginkarasu]

"Our feet! Or sometimes the Wagon, Kakita-" He remembers to bow now, "san!" He smiles a bit. Mom always said to be nice to Kakita. Not, give free mochi nice, but nice.

"Also these brown stones, which are leading to the library, thanks to the guard we talked to. I heard it's the biggest in the Empire and a maze in and of itself! I hope you've been well!" Ginkarasu looks like he's grown up enduring a lot of attention from larger people.

[Kaiu Aiichiro]

"Put feet on that. I had to walk so much just to reach the river. Two weeks, I think." He says. "The wagon was a blessing. If you meant why we are in the city, we traveled together to study with the Ruby Champion! Also because Ginkarasu's-san parents needed to sell mochi."
"I have never read a book from another clan, I think. Aside from Leadership, that one is obvious. I'm really hyped to see what they get to talk about."

[Kakita Kenji]

"Direct questions, bring direct answers, do they?" he said as he let out a slight chuckle. "It seems you've had quite a long and arduous journey, you must have quite a story to tell.”
He paused. What are the chances to meet his fellow Kohai while strolling around in Otosan Uchi?
“It seems that the Fortunes has brought us here together, because we share the same path. I was also on my way to the library and will study under the Ruby Champion, so we’re technically Kohai"

[Yasuki Ginkarasu]

"Then lucky for you, you've met two experienced travelers!" He proudly proclaims. "Are you interested in buying mochi?"

He looks to the Kaiu, "Although that's not important right now I suppose. Spotting the bricks and making it to the library before the close up shop is!"

[Kaiu Aiichiro]

"That's quite surprising. We will be glad to have you nearby." Aiichirō notices the look. Ruining a Yasuki's sellings was not his plan. "It is very high quality mochi!" He said, trying to give a helping hand to the negotiation. He had never tasted that mochi, it is true, but he heard (from the Yasuki) it was.

[Kakita Kenji]

"Yes, we should be on our way," he said and continued following the brown stones. "Well, Yasuki-san, I really like Mochi. I'm sure you are keen on showing the people what high quality they are," he said with a smile on his lips.

"I have read The Sword many times. I have also read some books on the history of the Crane Clan. My dojo puts more emphasis on the sword than on the writing, but I like scrolls and books, they smell good and the calligraphy is mostly beautiful. Besides, they contain the knowledge of our world. Through them, we are always in touch with our ancestors, don't you agree, Kaiu-san?"

[Yasuki Ginkarasu]

"I am absolutely certain of the quality. My family sells mochi across the Empire and I would never shame my family by giving away poor quality mochi." His eyes go wide at the idea and he shakes his head.

"I will admit, it is not the best mochi in the empire that I have, as I do not have mochi that is destined to be served to the Emperor and his family. What I have is the mochi a step below that." He is earnest, but sounds a little like he is parroting the words someone better at this has said.

"It is my hope that the Ruby Champion will enjoy it and if you do not take her word for it, then how could I hope you would accept mine?" He looks for some loose rocks, and sighs as there are none.

"I've read a bunch on Bushido! It can tell you a lot about how people act and how they view the world." He nods most assuredly.

[Kaiu Aiichiro]

"I consult more than I read, but I have read a lot too. The Kaiu books aren't the most beautiful, the ones not written for students but that we look into anyway not easy to understand, but they are good at being functional. Although I have to say I preffer the pages written with coal. For a reason, they usually smell less like oil even if we are not sure exactly why. For another, those are usually diagrams, and expert diagrams are magnific to look at. I still remember half of a 9th-century torsion powered-" He stopped, noticing none of the boys would know what he was talking about. Forcing a cough, Aiichiro swapped subjects. "They really do connect with our ancestors."

[Kakita Kenji]

It looked like those two had him cornered. "You got me cold, Yasuki-san, mochi are hard to resist," he said. "I'd love some". He noticed that the Yasuki looked around. " Have you lost something, Yasuki-san?"

[Yasuki Ginkarasu]

"I was just thinking, a good skipping rock from Otosan Uchi would be nice." He nods, but proceeds to get a wrapped Mochi from his pack. "How much is fair to you? And are you a red bean guy, or a green tea?"

[Kaiu Aiichiro]

Content to see Ginkarasu selling Mochi, he acted not to intervene in the negotiation anymore. The Yasuki should know those things way better. "But would it be a skipping rock if you were not going to skip it? I mean, it could be skipped, but then you would lose the rock."

[Kakita Kenji]

Kenji thought of the small bag of money in his kimono. He didn't really know anything about money, until now the adults had taken care of getting things. "I like green tea very much," he said slightly nervously.

His sensei had beaten them several times that one should not cling to money and material wealth, that it was beneath the dignity of a samurai, especially beneath a kakita.

He took some coins out of the bag, not knowing how much it was, wrapped them in a cloth and handed them to the Yasuki "I would like to give you this".

Kenji didn't know if the rule of three refusals would apply here but he would act according to his knowledge.

[Yasuki Ginkarasu]

"Okay! But only if you are certain!" He replies happily!

He wasn't being punched! Hooray!

He holds up the mochi for the Kakita.

Looking to the Kaiu, "I just bet it'll skip really well!"

[Kaiu Aiichiro]

"I probably overthought that. I... I didn't go a lot of stone skipping, just some, mostly before going to Shiro Kaiu. But I suppose the best stones would be thin and round ones?"

[Kakita Kenji]

Kenji was horrified by the lack of etiquette the yasuki displayed. "Thank you for this mochi" he said, while bowing. Absolutely flabbergasted Keni took the mochi and put it in his kimono for later. "It... it looks like we've reached the library," he said still flabbergasted.