open Cultures Unite (1x1 with GeneralDirection)

[Samurai Equine 50,971]

@GeneralDirection

Samurai and Fukami share a hoof bump. "What kind of concert are we seeing?" Samurai asks. "Ska music." Fukami says. "Ooh... I wonder if The Knights will be performing." Samurai asks as he follows their lead. "Who knows. It's a roundabout, so any band could take the stage, as long as it's ska." Fukami explains.

Together, they all take a sky box and watch the concert from above. They enter on the later half this song:

Spoiler

 

But they are just in time to hear another band perform this song:

Spoiler

 

Samurai seems to be enjoying it quite contently. "Ska can take all types. It can be more easy-going, it can be more punk, it can bluesy, it can even be a bit heavy metal. The only real constant is the dedicated horn section." Fukami educates. He watches to see their initial reaction; knowing that this genre doesn't always appeal to a wide audience.

[GeneralDirection 1,042]

@Samurai Knuckles Chao

The three kirin take a seat in the sky box along with their samurai friends. They join in the middle of one band’s performance, and the song has a lot of energy that Charlotte quite enjoys. Silver and Ayla enjoy it, too, just not as much. Then the next song starts, this is one that Ayla can get into a bit more than the last one. She couldn’t see herself playing this sort of music, but it had a nice rhythm to it. She nods and smiles as Fukami explains about how diverse the genre is.

[Samurai Equine 50,971]

@GeneralDirection

Seeing they are enjoying themselves is enough to put Fukami at ease. But when the song ends, the band switches out again into bring in another ska act. This time, they announce the return of the masked singer. A mare in a mask and feathery costume takes the stage and waves to her fans. You can just barely tell that she is a pony. "...Huh. I don't recognize her, and I'm usually pretty familiar with the acts that come through here. You, Samurai-san?" Fukami asks, but Samurai just shrugs and shakes his head left and right. "I have no idea. Never seen her before." Samurai says.

But soon, the band starts up. With a rap-style intro to kick things off, the masked singer soon begins her song:

Spoiler

 

 

[GeneralDirection 1,042]

@Samurai Knuckles Chao

The kirin look to each other and shrug; neither of them had any idea who this pony was. This would soon be forgotten as the song began and once again, they found themselves getting into the energy and rhythm of the song.

“This is great!” Ayla comments to Fukami. “I can’t see myself playing this style, but it’s a lot of fun to listen to!”

[Samurai Equine 50,971]

@GeneralDirection

The singer smiles and bows, waving to the audience. "Thank you. Hountou ni arigato~!" She says before leaving the stage.

"!! That voice!" Fukami says. "You're right! I know I've heard that voice somewhere before..." Samurai says. "Should we investigate?"

[Silver Slate]

@Samurai Knuckles Chao

The three kirin cheer and applaud as the masked singer finishes her performance and exits the stage.

“Investigate?” Silver repeats. “Does she remind you of somepony?” He inquires. “If so then I fully support whatever sort of investigation you wish to make. You know I’m always up for more adventures!”  

[Samurai Equine 50,971]

@GeneralDirection

"Then time doesn't wait. Let's go~!" Fukami says before rushing out, just as another band called The Knights takes the stage. "Aww, but The Knights!" Samurai pouts a little, but still follows anyways.

[GeneralDirection 1,042]

@Samurai Equine

“Umm, ok, let’s go then.” Silver blinks before turning to Ayla and Charlotte, who nod their heads and follow. “Alright, lead the way, my friends!” He says to the samurai. “We don’t have any idea where we’re going nor who we’re looking for.”

[Samurai Equine 50,971]

@GeneralDirection

Fukami proves them wrong. Seems he's been to this building enough to know where everything is. He checks the backstage areas and the hallways, nothing. He knocks on the doors of the very few dressing rooms; all empty. Lastly, there is an exit that only staff and performing bands use. He opens it and finds... Nothing. It's a completely vacant lot. "...How in the world did we miss her?" Fukami asks. "And more importantly... Why is the ground outside wet? You'd think it's been raining, but it's only wet in this lot. If you look around, it's completely dry everywhere else." Samurai says, noticing how wet the ground outside is.

[Silver Slate]

@Samurai Equine

Fukami leads the kirin around the building, down several hallways, checking several rooms, but not able to find the mysterious singer. They head outside, but she’s nowhere to be found.

“I agree, that is very strange, Samurai.” Silver remarks as he looks around, confused. “Why would it only be wet here and nowhere else? I have a feeling there’s more to this than what we’re seeing, but I’m not sure what, exactly.”

[Samurai Equine 50,971]

@GeneralDirection

"All I can say is all these clues seem very familiar, just like the singer herself." Samurai says. "Well, we've got nothing else to go on, so... Would everyone like to move on and do something else for a while?" Fukami asks. For now, the trail has gone cold.

[Silver Slate]

@Samurai Equine

Silver nods his head in agreement. “Yes, I believe you and Ayla have a date to get to, so we won’t hold you back from that. I believe Samurai has a tour in order for my sister, and of course I want to be there with her, so perhaps we should part ways here for now. Unless, of course, there’s something else you’d like to show us all while we’re all still here?” He asks.

[Samurai Equine 50,971]

@GeneralDirection

"Well, I can give Charlotte a tour of my region. But when it comes to this region, Fukami is best suited for the job." Samurai explains. "Either way works for me. I can show you all around Shukoku, or if Ayla-chan prefers, we could have some alone time." Fukami says with a smirk.

[Silver Slate]

@Samurai Equine

(OOC: I think you meant Fukami in your last sentence, not Silver :3)

“Oh, yes, of course. That’s what I meant. You can give Charlotte and I a tour of your region, and that’ll give Ayla and Fukami some time for their date.” Silver replied. “Perhaps sometime later on we can come back to Fukami’s region and check it out, but for now I’d like to give these two some space.”

[Samurai Equine 50,971]

@GeneralDirection

(Sorry, my friend. It was later than usual when I typed that. I was sleepy. )

Samurai bows with a smile and leads the way to his region. "Kanto ikou~! Saisho ni issho!" Samurai says with a spring in his step.

Fukami bows and watches them leave. "So Ayla-chan, I guess that just leaves you and me. I'd like to save the carnival as the last thing we do today. So what would you like to do instead? Get something to eat? Tourist attractions? Extreme sports? Honestly, I'd love to know about what you do for fun."

[GeneralDirection 1,042]

@Samurai Equine

(OOC: No problem :3)

The three kirin exchange hugs before heading their separate ways. Silver and Charlotte with Samurai, and Ayla with Fukami.

“Food is always a good idea.” She says happily. “You can show me what’s good around here, I really have no idea about Japonies culture, but I’m always willing to try new things. Now, about what I do for fun… well, my touring schedule with my band keeps me pretty busy. But I love what I do so it hardly feels like work. On the rare occasions that I do get time to myself, I like to wander, explore, sing… I’ll usually just tag along with whatever my friends are doing. To me they’re the ponies that make things memorable, not so much what we’re doing. I don’t get to hang out with them as much as I’d like due to my job, so I try to make the most of the time we do get to spend.” She explains.

[Samurai Equine 50,971]

@GeneralDirection

Fukami nods and leads the way while Ayla talks. "Sounds very spontaneous of you." Fukami comments. Eventually, they make it to a place with a lot of food vendors and restaurants. While tempting, Fukami waves off the vendors and goes for an actual restaurant. "You'll like this place. It has everything the street venders have, but better." Going to a more quiet table, Fukami is more than happy to explain the menu. "There are many standards in here, and a few surprises. Some people like the katsudon, which is served in different sizes. Some like the oversized takoyaki. Maybe for dessert, you might like the candied fruit on a skewer. However, I think you might like their okonomiyaki. They make it gourmet here, with all kinds of ingredients. If there is a specific ingredient you like, you can ask for that as well."

----------------------------------------------------------

One bullet train ride later, Samurai and the rest are in Kanto. "Well, here we are in my region. Silver has all ready seen some of it. Although, we could mix things up and do something different. There's a very good kabuki play happening in town."

[GeneralDirection 1,042]

@Samurai Equine

Ayla followed Fukami as he leads them to a restaurant. She sat down at the table and picked up a menu with her magic.

“Ummm, ok, I’m sorry, Fukami, but I have no idea what any of those things are.” She says with a nervous laugh. “You’ll have to do a bit more explaining, please.” She requests, smiling.

----------------------------------------

The two kirin step off the train, and Charlotte looks around with wide eyes as she takes in all the new sights and sounds. Silver stands beside her and smiles, happy to be able to witness his little sister experiencing Japone.

“Oooo, sure!” Charlotte says in response to Samurai’s suggestion. “A play sounds fun! Let’s go do that!”

[Samurai Equine 50,971]

@GeneralDirection

"Look closely. The menu has pictures." Fukami explains. So it does, and it's written in a 2nd language Ayla can actually read.

Spoiler

Okonomiyaki.

Katsudon.

Takoyaki.

Candied fruit.

Etc. For the meat dishes, just imagine meat substitute ingredients.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Samurai nods, happy that they are interested. He goes to the theater house, which looks very different than most theaters, and gets in line for tickets. "Hmm... According to the sign, the named of the play is 'Succession To The Throne', a historical play based on a time after Princess Luna became Nightmare Moon. Well I do hold Celestia in the highest regards!" Samurai says.

[GeneralDirection 1,042]

@Samurai Equine

“Oh.” Ayla looks back at her menu with a look of frustration and embarrassment.

There indeed are pictures and descriptions in the menu. After a few moments of perusing, she makes her decision and puts the menu down.

“I think I’m gonna go with the, um, oko-nomi-yaki… or however you said it. The one you suggested.” She holds the menu up and points to the relevant picture. “Which one are you gonna get?”

--------------------------------

“Oh wow! That does sound interesting.” Charlotte remarked as they stood in line with their samurai friend.

“That does sound like something you’d be interested in, my friend.” Silver comments. “I’m also quite intrigued, especially since you mentioned it was a historical play. Perhaps I’ll learn something from it.” He smiled.  

[Samurai Equine 50,971]

@GeneralDirection

However, Fukami doesn't judge. He's very patient, and gives a smiling nod when Ayla pronounces Okonomiyaki. "I think I'll have the same thing."

When the waiter comes around, Fukami orders for the both of them. As they wait, Fukami thinks of something to talk about. "...When I was young, my powers hadn't developed. I could make breezes happen around me more often. Some thought it was just coincidence, some were scared of how I could make it happen without using my wings. For a while, I never thought much of it."

-----------------------------------

Samurai rubs the back of his head and gives a nervous smile. "Eh... I wouldn't be so sure about that, Silver. These plays are mostly fictional. They have some layers of truth to them, but they are mostly flashy stories. Some are morality plays, some are cautionary tales, and some are based around myths and folklore. This play, if I remember correctly, gave a fictional account of something that happened after Nightmare Moon was banished to the moon. But I'll do my best to give context where I can~!" Samurai explains.

As they get closer to the front of the line, they can see posters of the play. There is also a chart that explains the seating. The stage is not a simple one. It is shaped like TT, a long regular stage with two different catwalks on the left and right sides. Seating wraps the stage and there is only ground-level seats.

[GeneralDirection 1,042]

@Samurai Equine

Ayla listens intently as Fukami talks. “So ponies were scared of you too, huh? I guess that’s something else we have in common.” She gave a weak smile. “I can’t say I ever cared much about what other ponies thought about me, but once they start threatening violence, that changes things a bit. I hope you never had to deal with that.” She says thoughtfully.

-------------------------------------

“Oh, ok.” Silver is slightly surprised but is otherwise unaffected by the information. “I look forward to it either way.” He says as he takes a seat in between Samurai and Charlotte.

[Samurai Equine 50,971]

@GeneralDirection

"Well, I wouldn't say it was an intolerant fear. More like confusion. When a pony can make wind occur without magic or flapping their wings, it's always a strange sight." Fukami says, trying to keep things jovial, though he is telling the truth. "Have you found anything important in your journeys? For me, it took a while before I realized I wanted to be a samurai. More specifically, that I wanted to use my talents to help other ponies. It took some drifting and trying out a bunch of things before I figured it out."

--------------------------------

Samurai grabs some pamphlets before taking his seat with his friends. He gives one to Silver and one to Charlotte. "These plays are performed only in Japonies, but these pamphlets act as a translation. Makes it easier to follow along for those who don't speak it. If the play was being performed outside of Japone, I am sure they'd perform it in modern-day Ponish." Samurai explains.

The play opens with a live orchestra playing traditional Japonies music. The curtain opens. There are lavish set pieces that replicate the castle of the two sisters back in its prime. There is a silhouette of Celestia painted in the background, elevated and small to make it look like she is far away. The play's narrator talks about how Celestia has used her magic to defeat Nightmare Moon, but is weak because of it. Stage actors, dressed like servants, scatter about to help the princess however they can.

Samurai leans in and whispers. "When this play was written, nopony knew that Nightmare Moon was Luna. The rumor was she weak from battle, but really, she was sad that she had to banish her sister." He explains quickly. This time, mane actors come out on stage. They are all ponies, but they are dressed in lavish consumes. One pony is dressed in horns, a fuzzy brown wig, and a furry brown coat. He is playing the role of Prince Thorogood, ruler of the Yaks. Another pony is wearing a multicolored outfit and a fake beak; he is playing the role of Queen Starprose. Finally, there is a pony in traditional Japonies clothing and white face paint; he is playing the role of Prince Petal Spirit. All three of these characters have retainers and servants of their own. The narrator explains that with Celestia tired and her spirit weak, the various kingdoms are now discussing if Celestia is still fit to rule Equestria.

[GeneralDirection 1,042]

Ayla was quiet for a moment before responding. “I think the most important thing I’ve learned is to stop caring about what random ponies think about me, especially when it’s about things I can’t control. I can’t change that I’m a kirin, I can’t change my coat or mane colour, and I can’t change that I have spots. These are things that are a part of who I am, and I’ve learned to celebrate those things instead of being ashamed or embarrassed.”

-----------------------

Silver and Charlotte look over the pamphlets while they watch the play and listen to Samurai explain what’s going on. They’re both amazed by how much effort is being put into the production. The acting is good, the costumes look to be of high quality, the music sounds great, and the backgrounds are painted by talented artists.  

[Samurai Equine 50,971]

@GeneralDirection

By this point, the waiter comes around and gives them their food. Fukami thanks the waiter. "For me... I just want to see everything that I can. Learn as much as I can. And I'm willing to protect the amazing things this world has to offer. That's what's most important to me." Fukami says before he starts eating.

-------------------------------------------------------------

The narrator and the actors have a very stretched out, sing-chanting way of speaking. Really reflects the Japonies culture.

Prince Thorogood suggests taking the throne by force. He argues that if Celestia is so week against one opponent, then it's time to let a stronger ruler command the world, and the yaks are willing to do be the one to step up. Queen Starprose, ruler of the hippogriffs, can't seem to decide what to do. She had an alliance with Celestia, but then again, the hippogriffs tend to follow whoever is most powerful. And finally, Prince Petal Spirit is the only one willing to speak up against the leader of the yaks, but he is shy and demure, and not capable of matching against a yak's brute strength.

Clang-clang-clank!

Ascending from a trap door in the stage is another actor. This one is dressed in oversized, traditional Japonies clothing. He has crazy ropes tied around  his arms, a mane style that is spiked in several directions, and his face is covered in white paint with ominous red contour lines. "Ooh! It's the hero, Shibarock!" Samurai whispers with excitement, practically jumping in his seat. Shibarock's outfit makes him look just as big and imposing as a sumo wrestler, easily a match for Prince Thorogood's large stature. Shibarock will not stand for what Thorogood is suggesting, and accuses him of treason against the throne. Thorogood declares it won't be treason if he ascends as ruler of all Equestria.

Shibarock then challenges Thorogood to a battle of honor, stating that he can defeat any challenge in exchange for the yak prince stepping down. Thorogood accepts, on one condition... It will not be a battle, it will the yak's 5 deadliest challenges! For yaks, these challenges are fun. For a pony? They are life-threatening. Still, Shibarock accepts. His iron will is not so easily broken.