Lunchtime

[Iuchi Prashant]

After his morning meditation practice in the Shugenja training, some further Iaijutsu practice and interesting conversations, Prash gets to the cafeteria with an empty stomach. He felt much better after Asako-sensei's help, but that HAD been a rough night, so it would be good to replenish his energies before continuing the day's activities.

As he got his food, his mind kept going back to the night before. That those heimin would throw themselves so carelessly at them... and nothing had been stolen!

Also, who was that 'Watcher' person they kept talking about?...

[Doji Sakura]

Sakura always enjoyed lunch. Even more so when it was chicken and rice! Warm lovely food on a cold rainy day, delightful! The little Crane happily hummed along as she got her food and tea, before looking around for somewhere to sit.

[Iuchi Prashant]

The Unicorn tries to let his mind rest and focuses on the food - which was looking quite good today too. As he finishes, he too looks for a place to sit and sees a part of a table with two places free. He walks towards one, and seeing the small white-haired girl also looking for a spot, he bows a little awkwardly and says, gently: "Eh... Doji-san (assuming she has a Doji Mon)? Excuse me, there is a place free over there, if you don't mind joining me for this meal!"

[Doji Sakura]

Sakura looked up (and up and up!) at the person that spoke, before smiling and bowing. The small girl did indeed have a Doji mon on her clothes, if the brilliant blue eyes and white hair didn't give that away. She nodded to the boy.

"Hello! Sure, I'll join you. I'm Doji Sakura. Isn't the food lovely today?"

[Iuchi Prashant]

The boy smiled at her again. "It is! I didn't even expect something like this!", he says, looking quite happy with the steamed buns. He starts going towards the table, then remembers himself, stops and bows again. "This one is Iuchi Prashant, Doji-san. Nice to meet you!"

After they're seated and starting to eat, he speaks again "I don't think I've seen you much around the dojo, Doji-san! Are you training as a courtier?"

[Doji Sakura]

"Lovely to meet you too Iuchi-san!"

Iuchi plash? Plesh? Phibbit? Did his parents sneeze when naming him and took it as a sign? How mean! She frowned momentarily, then dispelled her thoughts with a shake of the head and a big smile.

"I'm an artist! I trained at the prestigious Kakita artisan academy as a swordsmith and jewelsmith. Sometimes both together! It's really fun. Is Iuchi-san a bushi then?"

[Bayushi Kaidan]

He got some food and noticed his sparing partner once upon a time. He nodded to the Unicorn and took a seat. He hasn't met the Crane girl but he has seen her in the training sessions. "Konichiwa, Iuchi Pura...san"

[Iuchi Prashant]

"Lovely to meet you too Iuchi-san!"

Iuchi plash? Plesh? Phibbit? Did his parents sneeze when naming him and took it as a sign? How mean! She frowned momentarily, then dispelled her thoughts with a shake of the head and a big smile.

"I'm an artist! I trained at the prestigious Kakita artisan academy as a swordsmith and jewelsmith. Sometimes both together! It's really fun. Is Iuchi-san a bushi then?"

The Iuchi keeps smiling, and almost chuckles as the girl changes from a frown to a smile of her own. He's seen odd reactions to his name some times since leaving Unicorn lands, and he usually found them quite funny.

"Oh, you're a Kakita-trained artisan then?", he says, excited. "I've heard great things about your school! And... both together, you say? Are you working on something during our time at the dojo, then?"

"As for me... I'm a shugenja in training", he says, smiling. "Although some seem surprised that I insist on keeping a routine of physical training too".

He then smiles towards the Bayushi. "Konnichiwa, Bayushi-san. How does this...fierce day find you? The storm has been raging for quite some time now, ne?"

[Bayushi Kaidan]

"Fierce?... I think Osano wo is moving his furniture. I am doing well. We should spar again sometime." He smiled then took a small bite of the chicken on his plate. "With classes I expect you have improved your anticipation of strikes."

[Doji Sakura]

The Iuchi keeps smiling, and almost chuckles as the girl changes from a frown to a smile of her own. He's seen odd reactions to his name some times since leaving Unicorn lands, and he usually found them quite funny.

"Oh, you're a Kakita-trained artisan then?", he says, excited. "I've heard great things about your school! And... both together, you say? Are you working on something during our time at the dojo, then?"

"As for me... I'm a shugenja in training", he says, smiling. "Although some seem surprised that I insist on keeping a routine of physical training too".

He then smiles towards the Bayushi. "Konnichiwa, Bayushi-san. How does this...fierce day find you? The storm has been raging for quite some time now, ne?"

"Hai! I'm currently working on a weapon made purely of Jade. It's only a tanto but it's going to be so pretty" Sakura said, a beaming smile on her face "only have a few more days to go until it's finished! It's hard work but it'll be so worth it."

She smiled to the other boy, bowing.

"Hello! I'm Doji Sakura. Lovely to meet you! Ooh, sparing?" she looked between the two.

[Iuchi Prashant]

The Iuchi laughs silently at the Bayushi's comment on the weather, but quickly recomposes himself. He then takes a bite at one of the steamed buns he got, then looks at the Crane girl as he answers him, his eyes widening as she speaks.

"Oh! That sounds fantastic, Doji-san! Jade is a remarkable material, isn't it? I feel it somehow... embodies the essence of Earth!", he says, smiling, then takes another bite of the bun. "Is this project part of your training here, then, Sakura-san? Or... maybe a request of one of our Crab students?"

He then eats some of his rice and looks at Sakura, then the Bayushi, smiling gently.

"Hai Doji-san! Bayushi-san and I have trained together some days ago. And... I should hope the classes have helped me improve a bit, Bayushi-san. Although I expect you will have improved with our training as well!", he says with a grin. "Maybe some training tomorrow after the morning class? I often stay after the training to practice some more before cleaning the dojo and coming for lunch."

[Bayushi Kaidan]

"Sounds like a plan Iuchi san." He turned to the Doji and smiled. "Bayushi Kaidan, at your service." She is making a jade tanto...interesting He remembered the Mantis boy getting some ores. "Did a Mantis approached you with some ores?"

[Doji Sakura]

"I asked sensei for the task. I always wanted to try and do something with gems, and this seemed like the perfect chance. I have bigger dreams, but started small just to make sure! Maybe next I'll do something with sapphires" Sakuras eyes lit up more, clearly excited by the idea "imagine a whole blade of sapphire. How beautiful would that be?"

She paused as Kaidan asked his question, thinking.

"Hmmm, ah hai! He asked me to make him a kama with a silver-coated blade, and brought all the materials. Kokyou-san was really happy with how it came out, as was I. It was really pretty."

[Iuchi Prashant]

The Iuchi nodded in agreement with the scorpion, then turned his eyes to the Crane girl again.

"Oh... Wow Doji-san. That seems like a great project really. Doji-san is quite an accomplished weaponsmith already it seems!", he says, smiling broadly. His eyes look like they are slightly.... surprised, maybe? Or confused?

"I have heard about the properties of Jade, Doji-san, but I don't think I ever heard about those of Sapphire or Silver! Could you tell me something about them, Doji-san?"

He drinks some water, then speaks again. "I was wondering about your jewelry works as well! This one is certainly not as accomplished as Doji-san, but due to the nature of my people's ways of dealing with the kami, I've tried to learn a bit about how to make simple, elemental-themed ornaments with natural materials. I guess our styles are probably very different", he says with a gentle smile. "Of course I wouldn't mean to compare my humble trinkets with the work of a Kakita-trained artisan... But from what you say, your work seems much more... permanent, I guess! And... grander!"

[Bayushi Kaidan]

So that is his name. Kaidan took a bite of his rice. "That must have taken some time to make. Are you planning on making something special for Agasha sama?"

[Doji Sakura]

"Silver isn't great for making a weapon, it's too soft and would break quickly. Sapphires however are really strong! Like, compared to other gems it would be really good. It's just really rare and expensive, and you'd need a lot of sapphires compared to steel which is quite easy to get hold of" Sakura explained "and you're an artist? Ooh! Can I see your art? I don't have any of mine on me yet but I'll have some soon!"

She paused at the Scorpions question.

"Ano...a gift for Agasha-sama? Hmm..." she clearly hadn't thought of it, but she was now "what would she like? Maybe I could make some earrings with little green Dragon gems on."

[Bayushi Kaidan]

"That sounds nice, you should put some rubies in the dragon's eyes so she can remember her time as Ruby champion." Kaidan suggested. "It should be a nice thank you gift for training with her in this dojo."

[Iuchi Prashant]

"Silver isn't great for making a weapon, it's too soft and would break quickly. Sapphires however are really strong! Like, compared to other gems it would be really good. It's just really rare and expensive, and you'd need a lot of sapphires compared to steel which is quite easy to get hold of" Sakura explained "and you're an artist? Ooh! Can I see your art? I don't have any of mine on me yet but I'll have some soon!"

"Oh, that is quite interesting, Doji-san! I don't think I've ever seen or heard of Sapphire weapons before. Do you think they would have any particular... spiritual qualities as well?"

He then lowers his head before continuing. "Oh, I am not sure I would go so far as to call myself an artist, Doji-san. Maybe in time I could improve enough to say that, but not with what I do now. My creations are quite simple really... I've been trying to work with natural materials and extract from them what I feel to be... In tune with their elemental essence, I guess."

He gets his satchel from his obi and takes out a hairpin made of dried petals pressed on wood, forming the shape of a different flower, holding it in his hands as to show it to Sakura, but he stops for a moment and looks at first Kaidan, then Sakura as he hears the scorpion's suggestion and waits for her answer.

[Doji Sakura]

"Rubies and emeralds might be too much to ask for at once" Sakura commented thoughtfully "I've kept to asking for one gem at a time. Hmm...maybe I could use steel and make it red, or perhaps I should just make the little dragon part of the earrings entirely out of rubies? Then it would be the ruby dragon!"

She paused to look at the the hairpins.

"They're pretty! I like them. The colour of the flowers would go really well with silver or gold though, then you could wear it as a hair ornament all the time and then use it when you need to. Silver is a precious metal after all."

[Iuchi Prashant]

Prash smiles gently. "'The ruby Dragon' sounds fantastic, Doji-san! I believe Agasha-dono would be delighted"
He then lowers his head a bit after Sakura's comments on the hairpin.

"Oh, thank you, Doji-san, you're too kind." He smiles again. "I can't but trust your aesthetic sense! But I... I think I tried to keep it to what I felt was essential and would help imbue the hairpin with 'the spirit of water'", he says, thoughtfully - maybe just a small bit intimidated for a moment. "Besides, I don't think I'd trust something as valuable as silver to my abilities! Not yet at least!", he says with a grin, seeming at ease again.