(D0, EE) Otter in the Water (open)

[Susaki Tanabe]

Tanabe decided since they were in town he likely didn't need to shadow Emiko twenty four seven, he was sure the Deer kept their town safe enough.

It had been a long trip and too much of it over land for his taste so the big samurai ended up heading down to the baths to wash off the road and relax a little bit.

He cleansed himself and strode out to the baths he was built exactly like someone might imagine a fit sumai to look like big and muscular but not incredibly cut he had a comfortable amount of fat on his body softening the edges of his muscles. He hung his towel nearby and sank into the warm waters with a content sigh.

[Kuni Yasu]

After a long road and longish day, it was good to rinse away the dust.

It was harder to wash away the protective paint, knowing there might be strangers and certainly strange spirits all around. So there was a fair bit of splashing, then a sigh before the sound of a cloth soaked and wrung out-that distinctive excess of water falling back into the bucket. After a long pause, there's more splashing and wringing out, all of which gets repeated two more times. Three passes to remove that mask of paint, never more, and Yasu is ready for a soak.

Towel wrapped loosely, and held with one hand, she heads for the steaming pools. Unbound, her hair is long enough to hit the back of her knees. The edge of a tattoo is just visible beneath her collarbone, though most is covered by the towel. Her pale face is at odds with arms darkened by time in the sun, and her dark eyes seem larger, and sunken in contrast.

Seeing that the baths are occupied, she pauses. At home there's never been any bother to separate anyone in the baths, but she's heard things are more...delicate among other clans. Then again, the build visible above the water? Odds weren't bad that this one was a fellow Crab, honestly. So it's only a small pause before continuing on and offering a small bow of greeting at the water's edge before beginning to fold the towel carefully while adding a verbal greeting as well. "Evening. Kuni Yasu, here for the miai. But...I guess that's probably true of everyone here that's not a Deer, eh? Hope the water's as hot as it looks."

[Susaki Tanabe]

Tanabe had closed his eyes and was resting his long arms on the side of the baths enjoying the soothingly warm water and letting the tension slowly leech out from his muscles.

Upon hearing the steps from the bathing room his head rose up and eyes opened to see the other joining him, he gave her a curious look at first but slowly nodded as he figured something out he nodded his head briefly and watched as she folded the towel "Indeed it is Kuni-sama! It is the perfect thing for relaxation after a long travel!" his voice was deep and rich but just a little rough from years of yelling onboard a ship his smile with wide and welcoming "The name's Susaki Tanabe nice to meet you and yes I would assume most people here are for the miai." he said with a rough chuckle observing the newcomer.

[Kuni Yasu]

There's a slight pause in the automatic motions of folding, surprise and the need to process his name stealing some dexterity from her fingers. Setting the towel down, she asks, "Susaki? hmmm...that's an Otter family, right?" Her own voice is pleasant, if perhaps too low-pitched to be fashionable in court. The tattoo curling beneath her left collarbone down to the rise of her breast appears to be calligraphy in a very flowing style, twined with less common symbols and three lush chrysanthemums of red, tipped with gold. What the calligraphy might say would be hard to say without staring.

An apologetically nervous smile brightens her eyes. "Not of a lot of river trade to Kuni lands to keep those families much to mind, I'm afraid. Thought you another Crab, honestly, at your size."

There's no apparent hesitation on account of the water's heat as she steps in and sinks into a seat that's about half again as far away as Tanabe's arm could reach casually. Only the long sigh released as she settles indicates that the heat is noticed at all. Yasu begins coiling her long hair into a bun at her nape as she asks, "Where've you been on the way here? Seems like I've seen folks who've traveled from all over for this." It's said casually enough, and something of that smile remains, but there's a sharp attentiveness to her gaze, watching his response as much as listening to the answer.

[Susaki Tanabe]

The tattoo certainly drew his eye, such a splash of color was certain to do that, he observed the tattoo trying to discern the caligraphy for a couple seconds and while he was clearly not ogling her lustfully it's proximity to other things that tend to draw the eye was noted. His resolve was only so much but he caught himself quickly and retreated to safer northern territory for his eyes.

At her statement he gave a large amused smile "Well I take it as compliment you thought me one of the blood of Hida! The Crab are known to have the biggest and burliest warriors in the Empire." He said jovially "As for where I've been, well a bit of all over! Us Otter are a moving people travelling the rivers of the Empire helping move people, entertain people, and stuff like that. Last few months I've been yojimbo to the heiress of the Usogawa, we've been around scorpion and Crane lands before heading here going up through The Spine and down through lion territory hit the Lake of Sorrows and then toward the Aokami and now here for a little miai."

[Kuni Yasu]

The recognizable kanji include those for Purity and Jade, with a short sentence that reads like the first line of some poem or prayer. Someone with a reasonable theological background would recognize some of the other symbols as protective, and might surmise that the other non-kanji were probably similar in nature.

The only indication made that Yasu notices the Otter's eyes roaming, was a slight flush to her cheeks--that might be attributed just as easily to the heat of the water--and one arm coming across her chest offering some modesty below the tattoo. Her own eyes only meet his for a a moment before showing some unease and dropping to watch the ripples on the water. She'd managed to avoid showing her face to strangers the entire journey here. Perhaps that had been a mistake. Surely it would feel less vulnerable with more practice.

There's more comfort without that eye contact, at least, and she matches his smile and raises with a short laugh. "Ah, even among the Hida, you'd stand out, assuming the rest of you matches shoulders that broad." It is, after all, hard to fully judge something like height when someone is immersed in a pool of water. "I'm only about average among my cousins there, and I'm guessing you've got at least an extra hand of height on me."

To the travelogue, she nods. "Saw some of the Otter boats on the way up the River of Gold. They always seemed rather good natured." Albeit in a different way from the Crab cheer aboard their Yasuki-piloted craft "Though I imagine you don't get to do much of the entertaining if you're acting as yojimbo? Is your charge here too then?"

With the question, Yasu brings her gaze back up, finally making the calculation that if he *were* a bog hag or otherwise meant any harm, it was pretty foolish to avoid looking at him just because her face was bare. She could damn well get over her nerves about it, or she may as well let the Deer marry her someplace quiet because she shouldn't be anywhere near proper research.

[Susaki Tanabe]

If he noticed her noticing him he made no mention of it as she joined him in the water. His open friendly smile never wavered as she spoke "Well you heap praise on me Kuni-sama! And I assure you everything under the water is as big as my shoulders promise!" He said boisterously, if he intended the possible innuendo was unclear. It didn't have the energy of lewd comment but rather just a prideful one as he flexed an arm to emphasize his point.

He does notice her unease at being looked at so directly in the face but she seems to overcome her own issues as she looks him full in the face "Yes the Otter like to keep things light, enjoyable, and fun. Appropriate for a clan of entertainers I'd say." He chuckled lightly "but I do a bit of entertainment myself indeed! I play the drums and the shamisen a little and sometimes in sumai you have to act a little to get the crowd energized." He explained as he sank slightly into the warm waters again.

"But yes my Charge Emiko Usogawa is here at the miai." He lowered his voice a little and leaned slightly closer to her "If you ask me they only wanted her here but they got me in the deal as well!" He ended leaning back with a full laugh causing the water to ripple further.

[Kuni Yasu]

The possibly unintended innuendo and boastful flex breaks some invisible tension with laughter. "I'm sure I'll see the truth of it soon enough! Can't stay in the pool for the whole miai, after all." She continues the trend of completely unclear, possibly unintended innuendo, relaxing back against the side of the pool with a wide smile. It's a conscious effort though, not to let her eyes dip reflexively as if they could check the truth of his claims through the ripples and distortions of the wter. "Can't watch your charge so well from here for sure. Does sound like the Deer've got quite a bargain then getting two great candidates off of one invite."

Reaching back, she adjusts her hair to provide some cushion for her back against the stone, defensive posture melting with heat and laughter. With his size, it really does start to feel much like sharing the baths with her consort-cousins at Kyuden Hida, strange but familial.

The mention of wrestling rather seals that sense. "Sumai? You compete at court levels? Or is it just another entertainment as you travel? The circuit doesn't swing through Kuni lands much, but I get some news from family elsewhere." Pretty much nothing entertaining routes through the disturbing wastelands of the Kuni, frankly.

[Susaki Tanabe]

He simply smiled the wide open smile as she made her claim she would see everything soon enough. How he had taken the possible implications of her words was a little unclear but regardless of what was going on in his head he certainly seemed happy. "I don't know might just take the week off and let Emiko fend for herself. Surely the Deer keep their city safe enough she shouldn't need my constant vigil." He countered back with a grin "us Otter are known for loving the water, our bushi school actually trains under water fairly extensively."

He chuckled a little "though if you keep complimenting me so i might get the idea we should just cut this miai short and heard back to Crab lands." He teased a little as he relaxed his head back against the rocks with his eyes closing.


"Sumai is what I was trained for, sure I do exhibitions on the river every now and again but not too many people like getting thrown into the waters." He said grinning cracking one eye and turning his head to look at her "I've done some matches in the court of the Badger and few smaller ones across the Empire. Nothing you'd likely have heard of but I'm pretty good at it." Clearly confidence wasnt really an issue for Tanabe.

[Kuni Yasu]

"I don't know, Susaki-san, staying in the water for an hour leaves your fingers and toes all shriveled. Stay in here a week and you might not be big enough to mistake for a Hida anymore." She clucks her tongue, shaking her head. "Such a shame they'd say. Poor Susaki Tanabe went to the Deer for a match and came out fit for a cricket cage. At least he sounds better than any cricket with the tiny shamisen the Deer had crafted in apology." There's just a hint of teasing behind the the deadpan delivery, darkly serious eyes fixed on his with sardonic sympathy.

His next bit of teasing though sets her back, blinking in surprise. "Is that...at thing you can even do? Just...decide and go?" Surely he's still teasing. If she ever tried such a thing, she'd find out he was a Pekkle or Tanuki or some such nonsense as soon as they crossed the river or something. Laughing a bit uncertainly, she adds, "Kuni sensei would be so irritated If I come back with a shamisen-playing cricket anyway... So I guess we're just going to need to see this thing through instead."

"Even a cricket who's done some impressive sumai matches way off in Badger lands." She settles, letting her arms float a bit as she sinks to her chin for a few moments, breathing deeply of the steam. Looking up through her lashes, still grinning, she asks, "Think you'll have a chance to show those skills here then?"