[D7 LA: Bath-House] Coal Miner blues (Open)

[Kaikoga Koi]

Koi raised two finger. "No names and no hunting down any further information just a story between friends."

Koi smiled as she sat back in the water. "About four years ago, I travelled with a small acting troupe travelling between Dragon and Phoenix lands without much issue. It was fun, we work all day and most nights but once a week we would find an Inn, sake house and geshia house that would accept 13 to 20 people at a time. It was fun."

Koi left out all of them were ronin but that didn't matter. "Well, after one of our performances I catch the eye of a Lord that had taken over after his father died from eating too much food. This child had a thing for beautiful women, and decides he wants to throw a party for his household, his court and our troupe after a performance."

Koi would describe a fine selection of food and alcohol each with their own quirk to them in weird flavour combination that progressive got nicer the more the alcohol flowed.

She chuckled as the memory came back to her. "We drank our body weight in sake that night, and danced. Oh we danced the night away, or would have. At about 4 am the party got more intense as more geisha's joined upon the Lord's command and suddenly the entire floor of the building shattered and collapsed inwards dropping all the dancing people into a mess on the floor. "

"The owner of the troupe was as big as a Hida, he had fallen in and looked around at how tired everyone was trying to get folks free." Koi chuckled. "He just asked for a pillow woke up there in the morning to a very disgruntled set of repairmen sent to fix the floor."

Koi giggled warmly.

D7 LA. Telling a story. Performance/Fire. Distinction. | TN: 2 | Success: 2 / Opportunity: 1 / Strife: 1

1 used to negate strife.

[Shosuro Hikimasu]

"The party that broke the floor", he nodded, chuckling along with her. "Artists know how to throw a fine celebration, it's something the Scorpion are rather prideful about", he said. "Everyone thinks Crab throw the best parties because they get loud and drink, but I've met Unicorn who could do for days without needing to stop having fun, and they held a toast to my clan over wearing him out."

[Kaikoga Koi]

Koi chuckles warmly. "Such is the life of the Great Clans."

For a moment Koi sunk lower into the water allowing her head to go under before she pushed back up with a sigh. Wiping her face after a momnet befoe she continued.

"Best party I have ever been too was a court held during winter in my village. We grow apples and each year we take a portion and allow them to ferment turning into alcohol. As the years gone on we most use the apples now solely for producing this cider." She explained. "During the winter the snow gets pretty back high up in the mountain's often we must share houses with other's for safety and warmth."

"My Lord on the start of the New Year gathers us into his home, and takes several barrels from the year before and we open them for a celebration." She said happily. "Sweet but with a tart taste, bubbly and light but potent with alcohol."

Koi moved to the centre of the onsen and moved in the water as if dancing. "We danced, ate, sang, played games and drank for 4 days during the worst snow storm we've had in years. Simply impossible to go out but inside it was like a winter market, with everyone just existing with one another even our Lord stayed amongst us and celebrated."

She laughed as a memory came to her. "This one year after we were able to return home these boys climbed onto a roof top and jumped into the snow banks like little foxes." She smiled, and perhaps for a rare moment Shosuro Hikimasu got to see the bright, joyful and happy Koi inside past all her trauma.

[Shosuro Hikimasu]

"That's a good memory", he said with a little admiration. He was glad she seemed to treasure it. "There are apple growers among the Bayushi, though I've not heard of them making alcohol out of it", he said thoughtfully and leaned back again, stretching out a bit. He quickly scooted his feet back, aware he might kick her by accident. "It sounds interesting though, how do you make it bubble? Some kind of boiling?"

He clearly wasn't a brewer.

[Kaikoga Koi]

Koi ponders. "Perhaps some sort of fermentation I wouldnt know personally. I have not be taught yet." She admitted smiling.

Koi did not in fact get kicked mostly as she had tucked her legs up.

"I think it might due to the thing in the apples that make it alcohol like sake? I dont honestly know but it is delicious." She smiled. "Especially with spices mixed into it. Cinnamon is the best."

Koi smiled softly. "Do you like anything particular?"

[Shosuro Hikimasu]

"Sake?" He pondered, deciding that's what she meant instead of reading her smile. "Usually I leave it to the servants when I go somewhere like Ryoko Owari that imports", he admitted. "Nihai tower doesn't have a brewery, but a close by village does and their brew isn't bad, a more raw type without much subtlety, but it gets the job done. I've brought a bottle from Friendly Traveler village I picked up when I passed thorugh crane lands to come here, but I haven't tried it yet."

[Kaikoga Koi]

Koi listened curiously. "Ah I see fair enough, I typically do as well but I enjoy learning new things. It's always interesting to sit back after you've made something and went 'Ah! I did that.' There are so many things I wish to learn how to do and make."

I wonder if I joined the Scorpion if I could learn how to make other things... She thought passively without any real signs that she was thinking it.

Instead the Moth shifted herself and looked at the Shosuro with a mischievous grin. "Have you ever pulled a prank on sommeone?"

[Shosuro Hikimasu]

"Not that I would lay claim to publicly... but as we're in the bath", he smiled. "One of my comrades was having trouble in a relationship. They were trying to romance a certain Matsu that was visiting our area for uh...diplomatic reasons, at the time a Moto was doing so as well, as they do, for purposes of checking our horses since the steeds of our unit shares ancestry with theirs. My comrade complained the Moto was taking all the Matsu's time and they couldn't find a proper angle to talk to them alone. So they asked for my help and I took the Moto out drinking with both of us, my conpanion had made arrangements to see the Matsu the following day, but so had the Moto. This Lion was rather foolish, gullible even, and worse had a weakness for those who had fallen on misfortune, which from what i could see the Moto took advantage of, claiming all us Scorpion were being rude, or schemeing to cause their downfall, which gained the Matsu's compassion."

He chuckled, remembering the whole thing and then leaned toward Koi to say the rest very quietly.

"So somehow, someone dishonorably slipped something my comrade's drink! And mine as well! Silly Moto, thinking they should get us before we got them. I'd never been so sick in my life, Inari's wrath is a most horrible concoction."

"In the end, the Matsu visited my friend while he was ill, leaving the Moto for that day, I heared she even personally cared for him while he rested. She didn't go drinking with the Moto again, and my comrade had some pleasing days before the Matsu returned home. I hear they still write one another."

[Kaikoga Koi]

Koi laughed very warmly but behind her hand to try at least to be considerate. "Oh, now that is a nice story! I love it."

She pauses to think on the story and ends up chuckling again. "I could imagine the look on the face of the Moto and you the next morning."

Koi didn't believe for a moment that Shosuro was sick the next day but at least she'd play the simpleton. "Ah that is good. I have never gotten up to such much mischief but in my youth I once put squid ink into my Father's bath when he dozed off. Woke up blue from the waist down for a whole three days, he chased me around the house for the best part of an hour before he ended up laughing with me."

Koi missed her Father, life was a lot sadder without him in her life. Koi smiled before rising in the water, for the whole time she only hinted to her physical form in this circumstance she revealed herself entirely. "Excuse me, I am going to head off now. I have enjoyed meeting you Shosuro-san."

Koi walked by him smiling the whole time.

[Shosuro Hikimasu]

Hikimasu's eyes made themselves scarce for a moment, at least in her direction, bowing slightly helped.

"You'll see me again, likely", he offered. "Enjoy your evening."