open Cultures Unite (1x1 with GeneralDirection)

[GeneralDirection 1,023]

Silver gives his friend an enthusiastic smile “I’d love to see the design that you’ve come up with! I would never laugh at you, my friend, you have my word.”

The blacksmith kirin nods in agreement.  

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Charlotte can’t help but shake her head as Fukami is literally asking for information she could’ve provided him, along with a lot more. Oh well, he wants to do things his way, let him have at it. She thought to herself.

“My name is Ayla.” The female kirin replied. “Just Ayla. What’s this you say about flying? I’m a kirin, we don’t fly. Personally, I’m not one for relaxing much. Silence actually bothers me… yea, I know, I’m weird. I’m a bit of a wanderer, you can ask Charlotte, I kinda come and go from this place. Seems like you know what you’re doing with your life, though. We all saw what you and your friend did back there, can’t say I’ve ever seen anything like it before. Pretty impressive. I’m guessing you’re not from around here, either. Where do you call home?” She asked.

[Samurai Equine 50,803]

@GeneralDirection

Samurai becomes a bit more reassured and takes a breath. He shows them the picture. It looks like a drawing of himself surrounded by happy, shadowy silhouettes of different shapes and sizes. And in this picture, Samurai is wearing his armor, but it's different. It has mechanical wings attached. "I don't normally go around saying this, but... I am envious of pegasi, alicorns, and flying creatures in general. I would love to be able to fly into the eternal blue skies~ I wanted to make artificial wings that would let me do it, but no one in Japone knows how. I dreamed of making friends with different creatures from all over Equestria. And maybe one day, they might help me make wings like this." Samurai explains.

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"Oh, I see. So you're friends with Charlotte-hime. As am I~! We are great friends." Fukami pets Charlotte's head to prove it. In his head, though, he is beginning to wonder if kirins are immune to flirting. "So, care more for adventure, huh?" Since everyone keeps forgetting what he is capable of, he flaps his wings and makes powerful wings swirl around them. Suddenly, Ayla doesn't need to fly; the wind is lifting her up and allowing her to do so! Fukami flies up to her and take her hoof, doing a sort-of formal dance in the air. "If it's excitement and travel you want, why not come back to my prefecture of Japone? We have a carnival there with plenty of fun rides and snacks you've probably never heard of. We could even take your friend Charlotte-hime with us, if you want. What do you say, Ayla-chan?" Fukami asks.

[GeneralDirection 1,023]

@Samurai Equine

“Oh wow, that looks really cool!” Silver exclaims. “I can’t say I’ve ever seen anything like that before. That’s an amazing goal to set for yourself, and I hope that one day you are able to get these made.”

“Nor have I.” The blacksmith says. “This looks incredible, Samurai. Though once again, I have to say that this is not something I am capable of producing. Perhaps there’s something a bit simpler you have in that book of yours that you can share with us?” He asks.

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“Ayla…chan?” She repeated very slowly. “What’s that mean? I’m just Ayla.” Her eyes went wide as Fukami used his wind magic to propel her into the sky. “Woah!” She exclaimed. “What is this?” She called out to Fukami. “I can’t say I’ve ever been to Japone before, count me in!”

Charlotte looks up at them from the ground. “I’d love to go to Japone, too!” She shouted. “We just… can’t leave my brother behind. He’s always wanted me to go on one of his adventures with him. I’ve just been too scared… I’m not much of a traveller like him and Ayla are.” She admits.

[Samurai Equine 50,803]

@GeneralDirection

Samurai looks through his book and finds the page he was looking for. He gives it to the blacksmith. It has the designs for many different Japonies weapons, including an axe. "I hope this will give you some inspiration to work off of. I know it's different than what you make, but since kirins have fire magic, there must be some similarities in how our cultures make fire-proof tools." Samurai says.

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"Wonderful~! And don't mine the honorifics, my dear. Japonies citizens love to add those to the end of someone's name." Fukami gracefully and gently brings himself and Ayla down to the ground. "I can't leave without Samurai, but I am sure our visit won't take too long. Silver-san will probably go with us. And since Charlotte-hime has shown interest, we might just bring her along too. I hope you don't mind having company join us along the way, Ayla-chan." Fukami says with a bow.

[GeneralDirection 1,023]

@Samurai Equine

The blacksmith takes the book from Samurai with his magic. “Very interesting plans you have here, Samurai.” He comments as he studies the page for a moment. “I am confident that I can make something works with these that will be to your liking. Not sure what your plans were, but this shall take some time for me to complete. So, I would suggest heading off for a while and coming back later.” He suggests before turning his attention back to his work.

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“Honorifics?” Ayla repeats, looking even more confused than before. “I, uh, I just don’t think I’m ever gonna understand your culture.” She says with a bit of a laugh. “Nope, I don’t mind the company at all, the more the merrier!”

“As long as you don’t mind putting up with me being scared and all…” Charlotte says quietly after Fukami and Ayla land. “Wouldn’t want to ruin your fun.”

[Samurai Equine 50,803]

@GeneralDirection

Samurai nods and turns to Silver. "Shall we go somewhere else to pass the time?" Samurai asks, all ready on his way out.

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With a bit of wind, Fukami puts Charlotte on his back and begins walking, leading the way. "Shinpai shinai, Ayla-chan. Honorifics are tags we put at the end of names. -San is very basic, like saying Mr. or Ms. -Chan is very feminine, cute, and sometimes a sign of closeness. -Sama is reserved for very important people, like lords and masters. -Dono is saved for a samurai lord, much like myself. -Hime is how you address a princess, both literally and playfully. -Senpai and -Kohai are ranking terms for someone who is immediately above and immediately below you. -Sensei means teacher. -Hakasei means Doctor or Professor. Heh. There is really a lot of different honorifics for different occasions." Fukami begins to explain.

[GeneralDirection 1,023]

@Samurai Equine

Silver nods his head in agreement as they walk out of the blacksmith. “For sure!” He looks around for a moment. “Hmm, I don’t see Charlotte or Fukami, I wonder where they went to. Do you think we should go look for them?” He asks Samurai.

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Ayla listens intently as Fukami explains honorifics. “Oh! Ok, I see. That makes sense, I guess.” She giggles a bit. “Are we gonna leave right away, or are you and your samurai buddy still wanting to explore this place?” She asks.

Charlotte is excited at the prospect of leaving the village to discover Japone, but at the same time, she hopes her timid nature when it comes to exploring doesn’t drag the group down.  

[Samurai Equine 50,803]

@GeneralDirection

Samurai nods. "I am sure they are close by. If we're even on assignment together, Fukami-san would never wonder too far away, as much as he might want to." Samurai explains.

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"The both of us seem to love it here. We'd love to stay as long as possible, but Silver-san may be eager to leave as soon as possible. It's up to them, really. By the way Ayla-chan, how long have you and Charlotte-hime known each other?" Fukami asks.

It isn't long before the two groups run into each other. Just as Samurai mentioned, Fukami was basically just around the corner. "Oh! Fukami-san. Charlotte-chan. There you are. And... A friend of yours, I assume?" Samurai asks. "Perhaps more! I finally charmed one, Samurai-san. This is Ayla-chan, and she agreed to go on a date with me." Fukami says proudly. Samurai bows to Ayla upon meeting her. Listening to Fukami explain, he seems amazed for a second, but practically puts his hoof to his face the next. "Oh, of course. I forgot to mention... Everyone, be very careful around him. Fukami-san is a noble and honorable pony, but he's also a notorious flirt. Always trying to score a date with some pony. Any pony that will give him some attention."

[GeneralDirection 1,023]

@Samurai Equine

“Oh, it’s been a couple years now since I wandered into this village.” Ayla explains. “As I mentioned earlier, I’m somewhat of a nomad. I don’t really belong anywhere, but despite this, Charlotte took me in and always makes sure I’m looked after. She’s like the sister I never had.” She says, looking over to Charlotte and smiling. Charlotte returns the smile, accompanied by a hug.

Once they all meet up, Silver can’t help but chuckle as Samurai explains about Fukami always looking for a date. “I see, I shall keep that in mind. Ayla, it’s nice to see you again, where is it that you two intend to go?” He asks curiously.

“Oh, he’s taking me to Japone, to his region or whatever he calls it.” She replied casually.

Silver’s eyes went wide. “Wow! That’s, uh, quite the first date. Does that mean you’re leaving now, Fukami? This is all rather sudden, isn’t it? I feel like it was just a few minutes ago we walked into the blacksmith.” He remarks.    

[Samurai Equine 50,803]

@GeneralDirection

Fukami rubs the back of his head with a silly smile. He may have been exposed as a flirt, but he's not apologizing for it either. "Like I just explained to Ayla-chan, I cannot leave when I am on assignment. Which means, I have to stay until both you and Samurai wish to leave. Though I do hope we'll be going soon." Fukami explains.

"We can't leave now! The blacksmith agreed to make something for me. I'm solidifying peaceful relations between our two cultures." Samurai explains. "Ah~! Taihen da. Forgive me Ayla-chan, Charlotte-hime. Seems we'll be staying a little longer. I hope that doesn't ruin the mood. We could always do other things while we wait. I know Samurai would never say No to putting on a show or doing something to entertain." Fukami says, dismayed at first, but then pulling his friend into some possible ideas to pass the time.

[GeneralDirection 1,023]

@Samurai Equine

“It’s fine, Fukami.” Ayla replied with a smile. “I have nowhere to be, and it sounds like whatever Samurai is doing here is important. I can just follow along with you all and we can leave whenever everypony is ready.”

“I’m all for putting on a show, however, there are still a couple of places in the village we haven’t visited yet. There’s my woodworking shop, and there’s also the kirin history museum, too. I’m fine with doing any of these things. You’ve both done your job here, so at this point, I just want you guys to relax and enjoy this place I call home.” Silver explains.

[Samurai Equine 50,803]

@GeneralDirection

"I personally vote for woodworking~!" Samurai chimes in. Fukami shrugs. "Doesn't matter to me. However, don't be surprised if I am tempted to wonder off and do my own tour. The wind is always talking to me, and I have a bad habit of going my own way. It's just my natural spontaneous self~! But even if we separate, we'll reunite when we need to. It never fails." Fukami explains.

[Silver Slate]

@Samurai Equine

“I see, very well, Fukami.” Silver said with a nod. “You’re free to do as you wish.”

Silver would lead them a small ways until they arrived at his shop. The whole way, various kirin would smile, wave, and give their thanks to the two samurai for saving the village.

Once they arrived, Silver got out a key from his saddlebag and opened the door. Inside, the atmosphere of the ship was a bit… musty. A small layer of dust could be seen on most surfaces. The front room was small and had a desk with some chairs set up, along with some of Silver’s projects he had worked on over the years. A large dining room table and chair set were placed by a window that looked outside, next to it, a large display cabinet. Inside of the cabinet, there was a candlestick holder, rings made out of wood, and some wooden hearts. Charlotte saw a rocking chair and went to sit down on it, only to sneeze from all the dust that was stirred up.

“Ah yes, apologies for the dust, it’s been a while since I left. I’ve been away visiting a lot more places this time, not just Japone.” He explained.

[Samurai Equine 50,803]

@GeneralDirection

As they travel, naturally Fukami cannot help himself. He lets Charlotte follow her brother while something else catches his attention. What is it? Just little tasks here and there. A young kirin is trying to fly a kite, and Fukami uses his wind powers to give them a helping hoof. He sees another kirin trying to pick some fruit from a tree, and uses a strong gust of wind to pluck all the fruit and put them in a pile. He also smells something in the breeze and chases it, finding a kirin brewing some kind of beverage. He really wants to see this~! Fukami really has trouble focusing, it seems. He likes the sights, but wants instant gratification rather than focusing on something too long.

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Meanwhile, Samurai goes into the shop with Silver. He takes a deep, satisfying breath. "Ah... I'd know that distinct smell anywhere. Even with dust collected, only a woodworking shop has this kind of smell. Do you work with multiple kinds of wood?" Samurai asks.

[GeneralDirection 1,023]

@Samurai Equine

Ayla notices Fukami wandering off and chooses to follow him as he goes around the village. He helps out quite a few kirin along the way, but it doesn’t seem to her that he has an end goal.

“Ummm, where are you going, Fukami?” She asks after a while. “You just seem to be… wandering.”

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Silver nods his head in reply. “I work with whatever wood the lumberjacks bring me. Mostly jungle wood, which gives my pieces a bit of a distinctive look, or so I’ve been told. Here, I’ll show you.”

Behind the desk, there’s another door, which Silver opened and invited the others to follow him through once they were done looking at the pieces at the front.

Inside this room, there are various machines and hand tools strewn about the shop. Large piles of lumber were at the back of the room, and a larger door, used to bring in the wood from the lumberjacks when they made deliveries. There are a few different types of wood in the piles, some are dark, some have a red tinge to them, while others are more pale in colour.

[Samurai Equine 50,803]

@GeneralDirection

"That's just my style Ayla-chan! I'm spontaneous in all things in life. For example..." Fukami stands up on his hind legs and waves his hands. Ayla only feels a breeze before a spot in the clouds opens up and shines over a flower garden. The barely-open buds suddenly bloom! "How did I know that would happen?! Pure instinct, that's how! I barely even think about it. I just go with the flow, and I always find something awesome when I do. Is this too much, Ayla-chan?"

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Samurai follows and inspects the various tools and wood. "Is this the part where we make something?" Samurai asks, ready to get to work.

[GeneralDirection 1,023]

@Samurai Equine

Ayla listens intently and shakes her head when he’s finished. “I don't think it's too much, I can understand, at least to some extent. Maybe I can’t fly like you can, but… some ponies think it’s weird that I wander so much, or that I can’t stand silence. So I get it. You don’t wanna be tied down, and I don’t either.” She explains.

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Silver blinks for a moment. “Huh, didn’t think you’d be interested in making something, Samurai. But sure, that’s definitely something we can do. Was there something you had in mind?” He asked, before pointing to the wood piles. “And how about these different types of wood? Which one looks best to you?”

[Samurai Equine 50,803]

@GeneralDirection

Fukami floats in the air as if he was lounging on a couch. "When you're with me, Ayla-chan, you can fly. I can lift you up with my wind. I can carry you or give you a ride on my back. If you want to see the village from above, I can do that for you." Sliver flips over while floating. "But I sure would love to hear about where you've been and the things you've seen."

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Samurai doesn't waste a second. By the time Silver asks what he has in mind, he is all ready picking out two different scraps of wood and some various tools. He sits down at a table. "I may not be a woodsmith capable of using all the tools you have, but I can at least carve out something nice." Samurai gets to work, making sure to put some safety gear on first. He has a long piece of pale-colored wood, and a square piece of red wood. Before he carves anything, he quickly draws what he is going to carve. On the long piece of scrap, he draws a banana. On the short piece of wood, he draws an orange that is mid-peel. Once the images are drawn, he gets to work carving. "This is actually quite relaxing, but it's also a good exercise in focus."

[GeneralDirection 1,023]

@Samurai Equine

“Maybe I will get used to flying, then.” She muses. “As for where I’ve been, I’ve been all over Equestria! Appleloosa, Vanhoover, Yakyakistan, Manehattan, Griffonstone, even to the land of the dragons. There aren’t too many places I haven’t been. Japone happens to be one of those places. I never really have a goal in mind I just go with whatever looks the most interesting at the time. One of my favourite things to do is to climb mountains. Yes, I know you could simply fly up to the top, but for me, the journey to the top is just as important as the destination.”

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“It is quite relaxing, I’m happy you can have an appreciation for woodworking as I do. It’s been a while since I’ve done anything myself, been out exploring for quite some time. I should change that.” He decides. He selects a darker piece of wood for himself before grabbing some tools with his magic and sitting down beside his friend.

Charlotte sits at the end of the table and watches them both with wide eyes. “How do you have patience for that?” She asks.

[Samurai Equine 50,803]

@GeneralDirection

Fukami counts to himself while listening to her list places she's been to. "...Never went to the dragonlands, and the boarder near Griffinstone is the closest I got." Fukami stops floating and lands on the ground. "And that's something many ponies get wrong about me. I like to fly, I like to be spontaneous, but that doesn't mean I can't slow down when it's important. I can climb mountains too. You don't get to be a samurai by being a one-trick pony." Fukami explains.

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Samurai just smiles and winks at Charlotte, but keeps focused on his goal. In time, Samurai finish what he started to do. Soon he has a wood-caved statue of a banana and an orange. The orange looks like the peel is coming off, as if it was steamed or something. The banana a square crown on its neck. Each piece has different colored stains/varnishes to keep the wood grain patterns but still look somewhat like fruit colors. Still, neither of these look exactly like real fruits. They are too angular; too stylized. "I thought a toony design would make them stand out more." Samurai explains.

[GeneralDirection 1,023]

@Samurai Equine

Ayla nods. “Great! I’m glad you can slow down when it’s important. I think we could get along well, then. I just met you so there will probably be lots more moments like this as we try to figure each other out. So, tell me, how does somepony like you not have a special somepony? I’m curious~.”

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Silver looks up from his work. “Oh wow! That looks really good, my friend! I never would’ve thought of doing something like that, myself. It’s very creative, and I like the style you chose.” He smiles before returning his attention to his own project “Mine is… definitely not as interesting.” He admits, putting a piece of sandpaper down after a few moments. He chose to make a small, shallow box that was meant to put books in.

“I think both of your projects look amazing!” Charlotte exclaimed.

[Samurai Equine 50,803]

@GeneralDirection

Fukami just shrugs. "I suppose it's because I'm a samurai. It's such an honorable position, it scares some ponies away. Only certain kinds of ponies can handle such a lifestyle. There's also a subtle class expectation. You wouldn't normally expect a princess to date a commoner, even though we samurai are way more open minded to dating anypony of any class. And to be fair, I enjoy wandering and thrill-seeking so much, it is a lot for the average pony to handle."

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Samurai admires Silver's work. "Well it might not be an artistic piece, but a functional piece is always a wonderful thing." Samurai says before bowing to Charlotte playfully. "Why thank you, Charlotte-chan. I am sure you could make something great as well, someday."

[GeneralDirection 1,023]

@Samurai Equine

“That’s understandable.” She replies. “I suppose I should clear things up a bit, however obvious they may be.  I’m not a samurai. I’m not royalty. I don’t understand ‘class expectations’. But I’m glad you’re open-minded, because that’s all I really care about. I’m more than used to other ponies judging me because of my race, how I look, and the sort of lifestyle I choose to lead… you know, shallow things that I either cannot control or are not anypony else’s business.” She explains.

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“Thank you, both.” Silver says with a small smile.

 “Uhhh, nah, I don’t think I could make anything remotely as nice as what you just did.” She shakes her head. “I’ll just stick to art, it’s what I’m good at.”

“Was there anything else you’d like to do here, Samurai?” Silver asks. “Otherwise, I think we should make our way to the kirin history museum to finish off the village tour.” He suggests.

[Samurai Equine 50,803]

@GeneralDirection

Fukami scratches his chin. "Oh, I see. Is that a problem you've had to face before?"

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Samurai gives his carving to Silver, letting him keep it in exchange for a hug. However, after receiving that question, Samurai turns his head momentarily to yawn and cover his mouth while he does so. "I am still willing to finish this tour, wherever it may lead. The history museum sounds wonderful. Let's be sure to find Fukami-san and Ayla-chan on our way out." Samurai nods.

[GeneralDirection 1,023]

“Yes, yes it has been.” She replies after a few moments of hesitation. “There’s a lot of things at play… a lot of ponies are scared of kirin because they’ve never seen one before, or perhaps they’ve heard tales of our nirik transformation, which can also scare ponies if they don’t understand the context behind it. Then there’s the whole wandering thing, ponies don’t get that either. I don’t ‘settle down’. Sure, I return to places and ponies who accept me for who I am, that’s why I come back to this village when I can. I don’t really know how to explain it, I just, I don’t know, feel the need to change things up often. I get bored of being the same place for too long.”

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Silver blinks when he sees his friend offering him the carving he just made. “Oh, you don’t need to do that, you should keep it for yourself, to serve as a memory of the time you spent here.” Of course, he returns the hug regardless of what Samurai decides to do with it. “Sounds like a plan, let’s head out then and find the others!”