[D14 ME Bath] Washing Away (Open)

[Susaki Tanabe]

The day had been an extraordinary one based simply off how it started. Throughout it was fairly mundane, a workout, a walk, and some drinking at the the sake house.

He cleansed himself and walked out to the warm waters and sunk into its depths enjoying the pleasant relaxing sensation a small smile creeping across his lips.

[Kitsu Murato]

Murato enters the bath with the big Otter. He gives a wave. "Good evening Tanabe-san. I hope you got a favorable letter this morning."

[Susaki Tanabe]

Tanabe returns the wave happily "That I did Murato-san. You seem as if you got some favorable news of your own!" He barks a happy laugh at the end of that as he sits up and looks at the smaller Lion.

[Kitsu Murato]

Perhaps surprisingly... from the first time they met and exercised, even though the Lion had done less working out he had made significant improvements. He was sturdier looking, more muscled and defined, and with thicker arms. Still nowhere near Tanabe of course, but for someone as into fitness as the Otter, he'd notice. He might need to get some baggier sleeves for his kimonos... he could probably only hide one or two steamed buns in there rather than 3 or 4.

And there are the scars of course that had been seen during training.

"I did get favorable news. I am happy for you and Yasu-san. It has been a long few weeks to get here, but get here we did."

[Kuni Yasu]

Yasu's also found her way to one last bath and soak at the inn. Washed hair hangs to back of her knees and she's wrapped loosely in one of the inn's towels, the curling edges of a tattoo showing along her left collarbone. She's coiling her hair up out of the way as she pads out to the pool, stopping as she spots the folks already soaking, her unpainted smile brightening to see Tanabe, and...becoming something a bit more complicated as she spots Murato. She pauses at the edge a moment. "Hmm, well that's not who I expected to find out here."

Another moment deciding and then she's stepping down into the water, slipping the towel at the last possible moment to avoid soaking it, leaving it puddled at the edge. "You and Kaito-san?" she asks Murato as she settles just about exactly as close to Tanabe as she can manage without impropriety...just about an arm's length.

[Kitsu Murato]

His heart flutters a bit. He is happy with Bai. He loves her deeply. But other emotions don't just disappear.

"Yes," he confirms and nods. "And I am happy for both of you," he says with a nod.

"I..." he looks to the water. Then speaks honestly. "I truly am. It makes it easier that I know you'll have each other. It makes it harder to have some memories. It makes it more complicated that I am that other guy, and I ended up with some other guy in my pursuits and being in both positions in two different situations. But when I look at the two of you together I can only think that the fortunes and the Deer have provided a blessing that I am glad I could not get in the way of."

[Susaki Tanabe]

Tanabe watched Yasu as she entered the bath, the Otter had little mind for modesty most of the time. As she sank into the waters he turned to Murato and listened nodding as the Lion spoke "Well I am glad you didn't try to wedge yourself between us. Then in many ways we would have two if not three hurt hearts." Tanabe couldn't relate to the rest he had never made room in his heart for another during these two weeks. There were some who were interesting and maybe could have been something if attention and time were put to them but as it stood he only had love for Yasu.

"Now we all get to walk away from here with both love and friends moving forward." Tanabe said with a smile "I do hope this won't be the last I see of you Murato-san."

[Kitsu Murato]

"I suspect not. Yasu-san likely wants me to visit the Kuni for spiritual discussion at some point. We'll get to spar and work out together then. If I am lucky I'll be studying with the Inquisitors before then and have even more experience to share with the Kuni," he says, revealing that he may yet become an even more dedicated hunter of spiritual threats.

[Kuni Yasu]

Settling with a sigh to the water, Yasu nods with a happy grin for Murato's news. "I'm glad, Kaito-san's got such a store of wisdom. You'll do well together." There's a bit of a pause at Tanabe's words and a small shake of her head. "There wasn't going to be any pushing." Which is both a certainty about the temperament of the two men here and about her own, which would have stepped back from that sort of nonsense.

"But yes, I hope to invite Murato-san to our winter gathering." The import of his words filters through. "Inquisitors? Then they're letting you join the Phoenix?"

[Kitsu Murato]

He nods at that. "I'll be Kaito Murato soon. Can probably start going by Kaimura with my friends," he says. "Has a nice ring to it I think. And Bai-chan is definitely going to be good for me I think. In many ways."