Kyuden Shika

Koi was exhausted, or at least her body felt like that. Her ribs on both sides were sore and damaged for two separate reasons as she slips into the bathhouses to deal with the aches, pains and the clean her wound from the day before. Entering the Bathhouse she stripped down to her natural form, and washed away the grim before peeling the wrappings off with a hiss of pain glancing at the healing cut on her stomach and the bruises from the platform jumping of the day before that.

Slowly, the Moth washed herself off before walking into the onsen and slipped into the hot mineral water allowing the heat of the water to soak away her pains, and fade into the murky waters below with a look of pure satisfaction. After a spell, she laid back in the water enjoying the peace of the bathhouse alone and comfortable however the silence that came with it made her uncomfortable.

Koi closed her eyes, floating in the water and stared to the roof of the onsen as an old melody of her Father's came to her mind. It was sombre melody, filled with the sensations she felt every day having to pretend, and fake, carrying her own baggage with her. It comforted her, and she allowed her soft voice carry the tune filled with deep and raw emotion that burned slowly inside her.

I spend all my days
Going down to the mines
Under the ground
Where the sun never shines
Breaking my back
I put heat in your house
I've got the roar of a lion
The breath of a mouse...

Black on my hands
Black on my shoes
Black on my heart
From these coal mining blues
Black on my hands
Black on my shoes
Ashes to dust
With these coal mining blues..

The man in the mirror
Looks nothing like me
Just a weary reminder
Of what I used to be
The sunken red eyes
And the lines in my face
A tired old man
Has taken my place..

Black on my hands
Black on my shoes
Black on my heart
From these coal mining blues
Black on my hands
Black on my shoes
Ashes to dust
With these coal mining blues..

I can't fall asleep
For the dreams that may come
When the walls cave in
And the coal fills my lungs
If life is a blessing
Then please let it be
That someday Sun's light
Will give these pour souls relief

D7: LA Singing a melody. Fire/Performance. | TN: 2 | Success: 2 / Opportunity: 0 / Strife: 2
The Song

The bath had been cleaned and he was hoping perhaps the rumors were true and he would come across Seppun Yuzu at this time. He'd been seeing the young imperial take part in the challenges and thought this would be a good opportunity to talk with him about his progess.

He slipped into the bath house, so caught up in thoughts about earlier, and what would come later that day he had assumed someone was singing elsewhere within the Sleepy Fox.

When he reached the water and went to disrobe and sit to scrub down he stopped. A woman, in the bath.

He thought about the last time that happened to him back home. Shosuro Mai claimed he wad violating her with his eyes and his captain had no choice (clearly) but to punish him with a week of stable duty.

He gulped and saw who it was. Koi. He couldn't just leave now, the teasing of here on would be epic. He couldn't stay though, he might die, somehow.

After a stiff bow, he sat down and tried not to look at her as he cleansed himself.

Crap.

Koi finished her melody as she saw who had joined her bath, she was fully reclined in the water only having her feminine wilds masked by the deep rich murky mineral water of the onsen. She smiled, and stretched out allowing all illusions of her fine figure to perhaps be seen in the water before she bowed her head at the Shosuro.

"Twice in one day, Shosuro-san. You seem to be following me, do I hold that much interest for the Scorpion?" She immediately tossed out as a baiting tease to see if he was game.

Was he sweating? Clearly just the water.

"Everyone has to get clean", he offered. "Though... you are interesting, I wouldn't deny that, Kaikoga-san." He absolutely wasn't looking over there. Just the sound of the water when she moved was a bit much. He had to hurry and get in the water.

"I hope your day has treated you well."

Koi swam closer to the edge to peek out at the Shosuro, perhaps getting to see rather if he had a tanto or a katana but moved back to giggle lightly in the baths. "I suppose that is true, though baths can only clean away dirt of the body..." She joked, and patted at the water with her hand. "Come join me!"

"Please, can you call me by my name at least when we are alone? I prefer it, honestly." She said gently but there was no clear pressure there.

"My day has been not bad at all, the performs was fine and it stopped raining. I think it's going to end better than last night." She chuckled. "I watched your performance, it was good. I like that little trick you did with the flute midway through, really impressive. I can hear the melody now."

Internal Hikimasu takes a deep, calming breath.

"I planned to, as soon as I finish here", he said, and was very careful not to be careless about his body in the washing. He did he let himself get into this situation? "And thank you, Koi-san", he said her name as she preferred. "I spent a lot of time practicing for that and the shakuhachi is a favorite instrument." He finished scrubbing his chest and started on his lower body. "Your singing voice was also quite nice, and just now as well. I think you did even better here, being relaxed is helpful when you perform."

Koi mused softly, watching him in the distances with curious eyes moving closer and pressing her chest against the edge of the Onsen. "Ah, I have to admit I am not quite good with the flute, I blow to hard you see." She said, raising a brow forever teasing.

"Thank you for the compliment, it is not my preferred method of performance I typically am an actress but I have always found singing goes hand and hand, plus the Kasuga needed assistance with the event." She smirked. "Imagine if he ended up singing with Pei-Pei-sama." She giggled. "Would you like me to scrub your back, Shosuro-san?" She called out dipping lower into the water enjoying every moment of this.

Inner Hikimasu had to be honest for a moment.

That actually wouldn't be half bad.

Yet still, she was teasing him...but something said she also wouldn't back down if he called her on it.

"If Koi-san is offering, I should refuse such a gift as is proper", the Scorpion said. "After all, I've yet to court you at all, and you are not my servant." He kept scrubbing. Maybe he could be finished before he's refused twice and is in a real pickle.

Koi giggled. "I'll let you off this time."

Koi sank back into the water, and sighed. "What are the onsens in like Scorpion lands? I find our onsens are a little cooler in Moth lands. It has this spectacular view that shows the lands for miles. During the summer time you can see the fireflies dancing across the tall grass."

"There are many", he told her. "Just about every castle has one, those in Soshi lands among the Spine of the World are probably the best though, much like what you deacribe."

He finished cleaning his toes and wiggled them.

"Though Ryoko Owari Toshi's are the best known, have you ever been to the city of stories?" He asked, eye wandering over toward her, looking for a gap in her vigilance of him he use to drop into the water.