open Cultures Unite (1x1 with GeneralDirection)

[Samurai Equine 50,838]

@GeneralDirection

Fukami tries not to make too much of a scene, but if any kirins spot him, he does try to offer a friendly smile and wave.

They get to Silver's home. Despite being told to enter, Fukami hesitates a second. And as if on cue, the quick breeze goes by. His ears twitch and he faces the source of the breeze. "Hmm? No, I didn't forget. Thanks for reminding me." Fukami says to the wind.

Fukami only enters after he sees some kirin hugging Silver and then asking who he is. He smiles and gives a formal bow. "Ohayo, hime-sama deshita. My name is Fukami, the purple samurai of the wind. I came from Japone because Silver has been spending some time in our grand country. However, when he expressed a desire to return home, the shogun felt it would be necessary he returns with an escort."

[Silver Slate]

@Samurai Equine

Charlotte tilts her head a bit in confusion. “An escort?” She echoed. “What would he need that for? He can get around fine on his own, he travels all the time… is there some sort of problem going on?” She asked, sounding a bit concerned. “It sounded like everything was going well from the letters Silver had been sending to us.”

[Samurai Equine 50,838]

@GeneralDirection

"Well... Let's just hope it stays that way." Fukami says, running a hoof through the back of his mane. Looks like that is a question Silver can answer better, if he wants to. "The point is, as long as I'm around, this place will be under safe protection." Fukami says with a gentle smile. "Silver, should I wait outside while you reconnect with your family? I wouldn't want to be a burden to anyone."

Edited July 10, 2023 by Samurai Equine

[Silver Slate]

@Samurai Equine

“Yes, well, the reason you haven’t heard of it yet is because this just happened yesterday. I had a terrible dream that this entire village was under attack by some shadowy monsters. I had to come back here and ensure everything was ok. Thankfully, everything is fine as far as I can see.” Silver explained, looking quite a bit calmer now.

“Oh, no, you’re not a burden to anypony here, Fukami.” Silver says reassuringly. “Speaking of reconnecting, where is everyone else, Charlotte?” He asks, looking around.

“About that… well, mom and dad are out right now. So it’s just me here until they get back.” She explained.

“Oh.” Silver's expression dropped a bit. “Well, I suppose that is what it is. There’s no reason that we can’t chat for a bit here, maybe wait and see if they show up.” The two siblings sat down on some nearby plush-looking chairs. “You’re free to take a seat as well, Fukami.” He offers. ‘We’ve had a long journey today, have a bit of a rest. Did you have any questions for us? About our race, our home, our way of life, or maybe something else?”

[Samurai Equine 50,838]

@GeneralDirection

Fukami flutters over and finds a place to relax. "I'd love to know everything, really! I just got here, so I feel like I haven't even seen what this village truly has to offer. I've only gotten a quick glance so far, though the citizens here are all quite lavish in appearance." Fukami says, attempting a compliment.

[GeneralDirection 1,023]

@Samurai Equine

“Ok then, well, how about we start off with you telling us what you know, and then we can go from there!” Charlotte suggests. “About the village, I’m sure it’s nowhere near as exciting as the place you’re used to living in. We can certainly take a walk around the place a bit later if you wish to!” She nodded happily. “Aww! Well aren’t you sweet!” She giggled in response to his complement. “We’re definitely a bit… different from most ponies, so it’s nice to see you don’t mind us.”

[Samurai Equine 50,838]

@GeneralDirection

"Hmm... What I all ready know..." Fukami reaches into his sleeve, pulls out a paper fan, and uses it to fan himself off. "Well, Silver was the only kirin I knew up until now. As he explained, he has fire powers that are based on his emotional state. He's a traveler, though most kirins usually don't travel. And the most striking thing of all, he likes to hug! And he's quite good at it. I wonder if all kirins are so affectionate." Fukami explains, glowing with that last proclamation.

"That's the extent of my knowledge so far. I look forward to the tour. I would love to meet as many kirin as possible and learn more about kirin culture. Though, I imagine Samurai-san would have loved such a tour more than me..." Fukami adds.

[GeneralDirection 1,023]

@Samurai Equine

Charlotte nods her head. “Yep, that’s all very true!  Silver does love exploring while most of us have never left the jungle. Our fire magic is strongly tied to emotions, mainly anger and sadness. And oh yea, most of us don’t mind hugs here. I personally am rather affectionate.” She says with a playful expression. “But I don’t push that on anypony if they’re uncomfortable with it!” She quickly adds. “Our culture has a lot of singing, dancing, plays… basically theatre and arts. I don’t know if Silver told you but I’m an artist myself! I’m often painting backgrounds and stuff for our productions. I also have a small gallery in the village. Sorry if I talk too much, I’m just excited because we don’t get visitors here very often!” She giggles.

[Samurai Equine 50,838]

@GeneralDirection

Fukami readjusts his sitting posture. "Oh! Theater plays and arts? Sounds very traditional. I know some comrades that might enjoy that, perhaps more than me." He says in interest. "Don't worry about talking too much, little princess. I am learning, so I want to hear everything you have to say. Do you have a village leader? What about protection from invading forces?"

[GeneralDirection 1,023]

@Samurai Equine

“Princess?” She blinked. “Aww, you’re too sweet! Yea, you’re right, it is rather traditional compared to much of the rest of Equestria. The main reason is because we are rather far behind in technology, so there’s a lot of things that we just don’t have. About your next question, we do have a leader, her name is Rain Shine. Most of our protection here is what I believe you’d call… passive.  Our location, and the obscurity of said location, is what keeps us safe. Nopony really knows where we are and even if they did, what motivation would they have for attacking us? We are a peaceful bunch here.” Charlotte explained. “I suppose if we ever did have raiders or whatever, I think the sight of an entire village of nirik would be enough to turn them away. Wouldn’t you agree, Fukami?” She asks.

[Samurai Equine 50,838]

@GeneralDirection

Fukami rubs his chin. "Hmm... Rain Shine. Sounds like someone worth meeting." But then came the hard question. Fukami looks away for a second, then smiles at Charlotte. "Let me put it this way... As long as I'm here, I'll protect this place to the best my ability." With a wave of a hoof, a gentle yet focused breeze blows in and picks Charlotte up, cradling her and making her bounce a little bit in mid air, and brings her closer to Fukami. It is clear Fukami is controlling the wind with his hoof, and with his other, he sweetly pets Charlotte. "See? Between my wind magic, and the kirin's fire magic, what could ever harm us?"

Edited July 15, 2023 by Samurai Equine

[GeneralDirection 1,023]

@Samurai Equine

Charlotte gasps a bit in surprise as she is picked up by Fukami’s magic and is fascinated over the amount of control he has as he gently floats her over towards him. She closes her eyes and smiles happily as he pets her.

“Oooo! Fancy!” She giggles. “I had no idea this was even a thing!”

She turns her head towards her brother. “You seeing this!?” She exclaims gleefully.

Silver nods his head and smiles back at her. “Yes, Charlotte, I certainly am.” He watches with amusement for a few moments before a thought occurs to him. “Fukami, where do you suppose Samurai’s gotten to? I was kinda expecting him to be here by now. I hope he didn’t run into any trouble along the way.”

Charlotte nodded her head in agreement and looked to Fukami with a concerned expression. “Should we go look for him?” She asked.

[Samurai Equine 50,838]

@GeneralDirection

Fukami uses his wind powers to put Charlotte on the back of his head, as he's about to give her a lift somewhere. "If Samurai isn't here, then he must have his reasons. We need to trust that Samurai is doing what's best right now, no matter what that is. So... Are we going on that tour now?" Fukami says, excited to get going.

Edited July 16, 2023 by Samurai Equine

[Silver Slate]

@Samurai Equine

Silver nods in agreement. “Very well, then. We can show you the village. Just keep in mind, there is not a lot going on here, so it won’t be a very long tour.”

He leads Fukami out of the house and down the pathway. Each of the buildings is spaced out a fair distance from the next, with an assortment of lush grasses, bushes, and flowers decorating the space in between them. At this end of the village, a small river meandered its way through several small farms. A few stands are set up nearby showcasing the various crops. Unlike the markets found in Japone and most places around Equestria, there aren’t any prices posted, nor are there any salesponies.

“Everything on display here is grown locally in the farms you see behind us.” Silver explains as he stops beside one of the stands. “We have quite a large variety here, some of the crops we grow here include bananas, cashew nuts, corn, mangos, coconuts, cocoa, pineapples, and rice. Feel free to try anything you like.” He offers. “This is a community farm; we all play a part in running the village, so we don’t change anypony for anything. Since you are my friend and you’re offering to help protect us, there will be no cost for you, either.” Silver smiles.

[Samurai Equine 50,838]

@GeneralDirection

Fukami gets up, but as he follows, he puts a hoof on Silver's shoulder to stop him for a second. "I understand, but Silver, a word of advise. Don't do that. Don't downplay your home. Focus on the positive instead of the negative; what it has instead of what it lacks. This is your home which has your family. So take some pride in it, or else no one will, not even future visitors." Fukami explains with a wink.

Fukami seems to brighten up a little just from being outside. The simple nature of Silver's village does not deter his excitement or curiosity. "Really? Wow! This really is a whole new world. I can hardly believe this." Silver takes some rice and other ingredients, and starts making himself a snack. "But you said this place hardly ever has to worry about invaders or anything, so if there is anything else I can help with, please let me know. I am sure my wind powers can be used for something. Maybe I can help with the agriculture, the weather, or some other service. After all, a samurai is meant to be a servant, and there must be countless things I can do to help out around here. Isn't that right, Charlotte-hime?" Fukami says, including Charlotte in the conversation.

[GeneralDirection 1,023]

@Samurai Equine

Silver nods understandingly. “I see what you’re saying, Fukami. I will try to focus more on the good things about my home. I’ve just… never been a huge fan of it. I prefer to be out exploring, I find it’s not exciting enough for me here. Yes, I know it’s important to take breaks sometimes. But being here for too long, I get bored pretty quickly.” He explains. “About you wanting to help, to be honest, I’m not sure what is needed at the moment. I haven’t been here in the village for a while, best to check in with the others.”

Meanwhile, Charlotte grabs a pineapple with her magic and starts eating it. “Charlotte, whom?” She asks, tilting her head slightly in confusion.

[Samurai Equine 50,838]

@GeneralDirection

"Hime; as in Ohime-sama. In my language, that means Princess. So when I call you Charlotte-hime, I am actually calling you Princess Charlotte." Fukami explains. In fact, if Charlotte will recall, he did call her hime-sama when they first met.

Fukami finishes his snack. "I wonder what kirin music sounds like. Is it the same as other places or countries? Perhaps I could join in sometime. I play an instrument." Fukami searches himself and randomly pulls out some things. "Fan? No... Ocarina? No... Chakra stones? No... Ah, here it is! A shakuhachi, or in other words, a bamboo flute." Fukami plays a few notes just to demonstrate.

[GeneralDirection 1,023]

@Samurai Equine

“Awww, that’s so cute!” She exclaimed. “I love it! Nopony’s ever called me a princess before… I didn’t even think kirin could be princesses.”

Silver nods in approval as Fukami bring out an instrument he can play. “Well, as I mentioned earlier, kirin do put on a lot of plays, so the music we make reflects that quite a bit. I think you’d fit in well with the flute you have there, my friend. In fact, we can head to the theatre next.”

Silver leads his friend to the theatre, a rather humble affair that had simple wooden bench seating set up in tiers that led down to the bottom, where the stage was located. The stage was circular in design and had a door off to the side that led to the dressing room. There weren’t any fancy lights or machines even the curtains and backdrops were all moved by hoof. There wasn’t a performance going on right now, so they were free to explore the area as they wished.

“So, here we are.” Silver announced, taking the stairs up to the stage and stopping at the center. “I know you said you weren’t into plays much, Fukami, but for a kirin this is a very important place. I’ve spent a lot of time helping to build sets for the various shows we’ve had, and Charlotte has also spent many hours painting and drawing backdrops-”

“Uh hu!” Charlotte exclaimed, perhaps a bit too loudly. “Yea I have!” She jumps off Fukami’s back and gallops to the back of the stage. After a few moments, she pulls one such piece out from the back and pulls it out on stage. “This is the latest one I’ve been working on!” She explains. “I painted a meadow high up in a mountain valley, there aren’t many trees up there, but there’s lot of colourful flowers. I don’t know if you’ve ever been to one, Fukami, but they’re very beautiful.” She stands with a hoof pointing up at her piece, showing it off with a big smile.

[Samurai Equine 50,838]

@GeneralDirection

Fukami looks around the theater. "You have it backwards, Silver. I don't HATE theater. I just know ponies who enjoy it more than I do, but I still enjoy it. And this one reminds me of the outdoor theaters we have in my neck of Japone." Fukami sits on one of the benches.

He watches Charlotte race to the stage and bring her work up front and center. After examining it, Fukami gives a relaxed smile. "Charlotte-hime, I'm the only samurai soldier that travels constantly, both in and outside of Japone. And as a traveler, I can tell you... That is a very wonderful piece you've made." He gives his approval.

[GeneralDirection 1,023]

@Samurai Equine

“Hmm? I never said you hated it, Fukami.” Silver says with a confused look.

 “Awww, thank you!” Charlotte beams. “That really means a lot to me! It’s not very often that we get visitors here, so it’s really nice to hear your feedback.” She races back over to Fukami and proceeds to tackle hug him.

“You’re a traveler too, Fukami?” Silver asks, chuckling a bit as he observes his samurai friend get tackled by his sister. “I had no idea. Perhaps I missed something you said earlier in Japone, I had a lot of information thrown at me back there.”

[Samurai Equine 50,838]

@GeneralDirection

"Oh! Here it comes again!" Fukami says with a laugh before catching Charlotte and hugging her in return. "Thank you, Charlotte-hime. You, your bother, and so many others truly prove that kindness is a universal constant."

Fukami turns to Silver again. "It's true. Most don't travel without direct orders. However, I must travel, because of my special power. I don't just control the wind. I can communicate with it. The wind has lead me to some amazing places across Equestria. It tells me when someone is in danger. And it tells me random things too. Just this morning, the wind reminded me to spritz with peppermint water before leaving home. Really relaxes my throat muscles." Fukami explains.

An animal has wondered into the kirin village...

Edited July 21, 2023 by Samurai Equine

[GeneralDirection 1,023]

@Samurai Equine

“And so do you, Fukami.” Charlotte replies with a smile. “Silver has told me so much about you and the other samurai, what you all do, it’s good to hear that kindness and courage is well-represented in Japone, too.”

“I’ll bet.” Silver says with an understanding nod. “I shall let you pick what place in the village we visit next. We could visit where I work, at the woodworking shop. Or we could go see the blacksmith, the clothes shop, or Charlotte’s gallery. Totally up to you!”

[Samurai Equine 50,838]

@GeneralDirection

Fukami thinks it over. "Hmm... Seems there isn't a play today.  Too bad. Blacksmithing never interested me, so I may save that for last. The gallery sounds the most interesting. So let's do that!" Fukami decides with a nod.

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

The animal that wondered into the village is wearing some kind of cloak, but it looks like a llama. It sniffs around as it wanders deeper into the village. It sniffs a tree and eats some of leaves before wandering up to a random citizen. It sniff the kirin before patting its head with its front foot.

Edited July 22, 2023 by Samurai Equine

[GeneralDirection 1,023]

@Samurai Equine

Charlotte’s eyes lit up when she heard Fukami decide to visit her gallery first. “Yay! Let’s go, then!” She exclaimed.

It was just a short walk to Charlotte’s galley. From the outside, it looked very much like the rest of the buildings in the village, wooden construction with a grass roof on top. Inside, there was only one room, and it was painted entirely white. Several paintings and drawings were hung on the walls, and placed on stands throughout the room. Towards the back, a lone desk and a few chairs had been placed for Charlotte to talk to any potential clients.

Much of the artwork on display was like the backdrop she had painted at the theatre, the colours were bright and cheerful, and were of a nature scene. Several of them were mountain fields and lakes, while others were of jungles, plains, forests, and deserts. There was one piece that had a much different theme, however. The background was blank, and it had Silver and Charlotte sitting together. Silver appeared to have been drawn in Silver’s style, but Charlotte had been drawn in an art style that was much different.

“Well go ahead, have a look and tell me what you think!” Charlotte was practically vibrating with excitement at this point. “I will gladly explain more about any piece you see here!”

*

“Uhhh, hello there, I don’t believe we’ve met before. Who might you be?” The random citizen asks. “I don’t recall seeing a creature like you in the village before.”

[Samurai Equine 50,838]

@GeneralDirection

Fukami gladly follows them to the gallery. He seems a little confused at the kind of building housing the gallery, but just shrugs it off for now. As he is given the guided tour, he admires each piece, feeling his heartstrings being tugged when he sees the one of Charlotte and Silver. But he goes up to one that has as little field as possible and more open sky. "Tell me about this one, if you don't mind."

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

The llama doesn't say much. It snorts before taking its foot off the citizen.
Something glows under its cloak and instantly, the same citizen is gone. And so is the patch of ground they were standing on. Now it's just a completely different, perfectly square-shaped patch of exposed soil. Doesn't even look like the same soil in the village.
And the llama doesn't care who saw that or who runs off in horror. It just keeps on walking and exploring the village.