Talking about Pearls (D11, EE, Expecting)

The Shakanar · **Joined:** Wed Apr 01, 2020 9:04 am **Posts:** 218

He had spent a letter to the one he was expecting. He was curled up in a corner, waiting and pondering what was to come, and what he hoped to learn. He had a long spear like object wrapped in cloth across his back, but he was stone still, as if just meditating.

Yasuki Yukarin · **Joined:** Wed Apr 01, 2020 9:22 pm **Posts:** 802

Having had a sparse dinner, Yukarin made her way to the dojo. Despite the sun being out and temperatures warming up, she was in a much worse mood today than she'd been all winter. Yes, her time with the other Crab had helped. Yes, the play had helped somewhat. But really, both of them had just made her more cognizant of what she had to lose, how young she was and...

No, she'd not lose herself to such thoughts. Walking in she quickly spotted her acting partner and put her On on firmly, walking up with a soft smile, "Good evening, Shakanar-sama. I hope I am not interrupting anything."

The Shakanar · **Joined:** Wed Apr 01, 2020 9:04 am **Posts:** 218

He waved off her apology "Ie, I was waiting for you. You'd offered to let me view your necklace closer, and maybe I could answer some more questions about the naga, if you wish. I spent winter before this one at the winter court at Kyuden Hida, so I am used to the Crab" A faint chuckle. "I was apparently well received by being able to greet the crab champion when they visited Ryoko Owari, though the drinking after was.....harsh."

Yasuki Yukarin · **Joined:** Wed Apr 01, 2020 9:22 pm **Posts:** 802

She arched her eyebrows curiously, "Used to the Crab, hm? Am I what you've come to expect from your time in Crab lands then?"

The Shakanar · **Joined:** Wed Apr 01, 2020 9:04 am **Posts:** 218

He gave a brief laugh and a shake of his head. "No, you are.....very different. Much more cheerful and happy go lucky compared to most the crab I met, so I am curious, I will admit."

Yasuki Yukarin · **Joined:** Wed Apr 01, 2020 9:22 pm **Posts:** 802

"Hm... Though not as curious as about the necklace, I imagine. Not that I blame you."

Yukarin was wearing the necklace as usual, the six pearls flanking the gold magatama on its string.

"You... don't need to disassemble the necklace to examine it I hope?"

The Shakanar · **Joined:** Wed Apr 01, 2020 9:04 am **Posts:** 218

He shook his head a little. "No no, nothing like that. I just wanted to get a closer look. Were the pearls strung by your ancestor after retrieving them, or were they already made into a necklace? Could you tell me the story of how he retrieved them?" He sounded....almost eager, though he kept it behind a carefully restrained face.

Yasuki Yukarin · **Joined:** Wed Apr 01, 2020 9:22 pm **Posts:** 802

Somewhat reassured, Yukarin slipped off the necklace, holding it out gingerly with both hands, "I'm afraid I don't really know any details beyond what I said before; The necklace was made by a Ra'Shari craftsman for my ancestor, in honor of his help. I've no idea how he retrieved them, or evrn if he was the one who did so, since the bare tale passed down to me was simply that he helped the Ra'Shari defeat the Naar Teban."

The Shakanar · **Joined:** Wed Apr 01, 2020 9:04 am **Posts:** 218

"Who or what is a Ra'Shari?" He struggled a moment with the word as he gingerly took the necklace, studying the pearls closely, and the craftsmanship of the necklace. He was totally absorbed in it, his focus almost scarily singular.

Yasuki Yukarin · **Joined:** Wed Apr 01, 2020 9:22 pm **Posts:** 802

"The Ra'Shari? Um... well, they're a people that live out in the wastes in vast caravans of wagons. They travel between the Ivory Kingdoms and Medinaat al-Slalam... or however one pronounces that place. I suppose I don't know much about them beyond that, though they call themselves 'The Keepers of the Chronicle'. whatever that means. I didn't interact much with gaijin the times we ran into them; Not too many of the children in the Unicorn did or were really allowed to freely."

The Shakanar · **Joined:** Wed Apr 01, 2020 9:04 am **Posts:** 218

"Unicorn....oh! You married into the crab!" He looked very, very excited. "You're one of the first unicorn i've ever met! You'll have to tell me everything you can!" He actually swayed back and forth a moment, the necklace in his hands forgotten a moment, though he quickly turned back to it. "What about this Naar Teban that you mentioned? What stories do your people have of them?"

Yasuki Yukarin · **Joined:** Wed Apr 01, 2020 9:22 pm **Posts:** 802

Yukarin was surprised at the outburst of sorts. She hardly knew where to begin.

"Why, yes. I used to be a Unicorn. I did not realize that was relevant to you. Um... well... I don't know where to start if you ask me to tell you 'everything that I can'. ...I can tell you I cannot tell you anything about those creatures; All I know is they are some rare monsters that live out that way and can breathe fire. Anything beyond that would be the realm of tall tales and such that I'd struggle to remember at best."

While Unicorn tales hadn't exactly treated them as mythical or anything like that, the fact that Unicorn history was usually told rather than written down before coming to the Empire meant such things were often more about the emotion and people involved than details or facts.

The Shakanar · **Joined:** Wed Apr 01, 2020 9:04 am **Posts:** 218

He flushed a little, bowing. "Excuse my outburst. I was just eager to learn how people outside of the empire lived. Humans are just so facinating to me. The different cultures, the customs, all the new things that have sprung up since we went to sleep." He went back to studying the necklace, going from pearl to pearl carefully, looking them over closely.

Yasuki Yukarin · **Joined:** Wed Apr 01, 2020 9:22 pm **Posts:** 802

"I won't fault you that; I've loved learning about new people and places the past couple years, now that I'm here in the Empire and have access to the libraries and scrolls therein. Though... I'll admit, I haven't found a lot that's been really interesting. Certainly, Crab and Lion libraries tend to be rather... focused, that I've found."

The Shakanar · **Joined:** Wed Apr 01, 2020 9:04 am **Posts:** 218

"I've got a small collection of writings that most of the Empire considered important. The Blade, Ninten, Sensei's Tao and a number of others. I find that the clans libraries each have their own focuses. I've been privileged to traveling quite far and wide in gathering my knowledge. Some of the tidbits i've picked up have been amusing." A faint chuckle. "Travel is its own joy. though travelling in winter is....always a chore."

Yasuki Yukarin · **Joined:** Wed Apr 01, 2020 9:22 pm **Posts:** 802

A nod, "Especially without some sort of beast of burden. Traveling here from Toshi no Omoidoso was bad enough with the sleet and ice left in some places. I would think it would be even worse for a Naga, what with so much of you in direct contact with the ground all the time."

The Shakanar · **Joined:** Wed Apr 01, 2020 9:04 am **Posts:** 218

"Me and my travelling companion were further north. We had visited the Pheonix looking for information for something, and had been travelling south when we arrived in Toshi no Omoidoso in time for the news...." He shook his head a little. "We had to stop often to build a fire and warm. While we are warm blooded like yourselves, as you pointed out, there is much more of us that was in contact with the ground." A faint shiver. "We visited every hot spring we could along the way, for blessed warmth.

He paused a moment, looking thoughtfully at the pearl necklace. "Would you be interested in acquiring more pearls? I do have a few with me I could trade away, and with the situation we find ourselves in, i do find myself lacking a bit as far as gear I brought with me."

Yasuki Yukarin · **Joined:** Wed Apr 01, 2020 9:22 pm **Posts:** 802

After listening to the story of travel and the offer, she thought a moment, "...I do not see why not. There is certainly nothing around here I have need of, and I am as interested in pearls as anything. Perhaps a bit sentimental, in fact. I feel as though I've let you down with information and such though... are you sure there's no other way I can help you?"

The pearls may not have been magical, but they were indeed once cultivated by Naga, long ago. Just of the mundane variety. Not that Yukarin knew any of that, or anything about pearl magic in general. She wondered as to Shakanar's fascination with her necklace, but it still seemed to her that he'd wanted something she'd not been able to provide.

The Shakanar · **Joined:** Wed Apr 01, 2020 9:04 am **Posts:** 218

"My time among the crab taught me that the Yasuke are often able to get things that few others can. And the crab are well known for their skill with armor. Perhaps there are those among the crab who are here who could see to finding a spare suit of armor that could be acquired for a humble naga who's finding himself pulled into a war. While I hate violence, it does not always give us the satisfaction of staying apart from it." He handed the necklace back over, having been glad to have seen it and held something one of his ancestors might have.

Yasuki Yukarin · **Joined:** Wed Apr 01, 2020 9:22 pm **Posts:** 802

"You're not wrong... but it would need to be armor fit to your frame, no? Even standardized armor is fit for a normal person, and you seem a bit larger than that. ...I suppose your frame really isn't too much bigger than some though, so th there's a possibility. It being a siege will swing that back towards unlikely though. Still, that's all semantics; I will give a look to see what I can find, if you wish."

Talking about Pearls (D11, EE, Expecting)

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