Kyuden Shika

The tea house was fast becoming a local haunt for the young nakodo, and dark brown eyes took in the sights with invested interest. It seemed she was keeping an eye out for someone in particular.
Dressed in a fine kimono of light browns the colours of sand with dark blue ribbons woven through her hair, braided carefully to one side, Narumi waited patiently, sipping her tea.

With punctuality if not flair, Matsu Ishioka arrived and bowed in greeting. "Good afternoon, Usogawa-san. Pleased to see you again." He is wearing an almost butter yellow kimono today, which isn't exactly complementary with his sandy hair that perhaps better matches the Otter's attire. The kimono does, however, give him a bit of a glow, and make him look even a bit broader of shoulder than he already is. He sits politely and stoically, as she no doubt expects.

"The pleasure is all mine, I assure you, Matsu-san," she let that hang in the air a moment, before nodding to him. "Tea?" she motioned to a servant before he had the chance to say. "You look stunning this afternoon. How have you fared so far this day? The weather's a bit dreary, isn't it? Personally, it suits me just fine." she rambled on.

"I'm well, and thank you," he says, with a small indication it's regarding the tea.

"A stunning Matsu and a dreary Usogawa? Surely not," he says, a hint of warmth in the voice but little expression on his face. A twitch of the upper lip, perhaps, like the tiniest stone that might ultimately become a rock slide.

"Surely Usogawa-san is the one with the power to stun," he adds, as though it's a simple matter of fact.

"You humble me," she says with an uptick of her eyebrow at his expression. She considers, and runs a thumbpad along the edge of her cup in thought. "How do you believe your ...interrogation by Shika Pei Pei-sama went? You endured it with the grace and stature of a regal lion, I'm sure?"

A series of small sniffs suggests he's chuckling. "I don't know about grace and stature, but endurance, yes certainly. It is an interesting test. For a Matsu, 'Tell me about your favorite ancestors' is like asking a sculptor about their four favorite statues, or asking a wrestler about their four favorite bouts. So yes, I hope it was well received."

Ishioka realizes that moment of candor is the most words he's said in a row to this woman. Perhaps he's not as earth of her as before?

"And you, Usogawa-san?"

It's not lost on her that this is indeed the most he's said to her in one go, and she chalks it up as one point for her! She smirks at her own humour, but also at what Matsu-san says, and dips her head in concession. "I suppose you're not wrong!" she chuckles lightly.
"Oh, me? Let me let you in on a secret, Matsu-san," she leans in closer across the table, in conspiracy, much as she had dipped toward him at their first meeting, and the glint in her eye is back.
"This one is named after her family's genealogist, so perhaps she had an advantage during this particular first challenge."

A ghost of a smile dances around the Lions mouth.

"Usogawa-san, an expert in not just her ancestors but all her clan's ancestors... No, why would we call that an advantage?" It turns out that, with a little more warmth in his voice than usual helping to get the right delivery, Ishioka does sarcastic humor quite well.

"Doing well in these early tests will draw extra attention to your specific marriage prospects. Are you ready to become very popular, Usogawa-san?" This question is accompanied by one raised eyebrow and a sense that Ishioka is genuinely curious.

She drummed her fingers on her lower lip, deep in apparent thought, at his question, before delivering a light shrug. "Oh yes, everyone will be scratching at the paper door of this simple Otter, demanding her hand. I... don't know if I believe you, Matsu-san." The smallest narrowing of her eyes spoke that she was being sincere.
"I did well, but I would be surprised if I were striking."

"A simple bushi may not predict as well as a diviner, Usogawa-san, but it will not take long for success to draw attention," he says confidently. "Unless you think today a fluke of some kind?" Before she can respond to that, he adds, "I do not believe one so composed as yourself would put much faith in luck."