D3: EM: Congee and throwing sticks (Expecting)

[Kaikoga Koi]

Koi had to slip out of the room from the Stag's bedroom without making much noise. Sore, a little, but she had a good time. The Moth fluttered down to the Inn as quick as she could before dawn even rose (though the kami didnt wish for them to enjoy it) she began to painstakingly delicate work of applying her make up.

Koi took her time, each stroke careful as she took all attempts to present herself as radiantly beautiful as she could. Today's aim, a Moth to move a mountain, after all it had been a while since Koi had been on a date with another female.

Not since June left her.

So, she took her time and made doubly sure that her colours would compliment herself but are striking with pops of colour - perhaps more like a butterfly than a moth today Koi chuckled as she worked quietly.

Koi had the foresight to get her nicest kimono prepared and laid out, the one her sister gifted her. Elegant in current the latest Crane fashion, with small silver moths on a landscape of purple galaxies of Moons and stars. Additionally, Koi thought that she would try wearing her katana the very fine sword made by the ronin clan June had been from made to match her family colours of lilac and silver fashionings of small moths that seem to float downward towards the tip of the scabbard.

A very fine katana, but definitely not forged by any knwon clansperson. She obviously peaceknotted it with a rich deep purple cord that took a complimentary element to her total outfit. Finally, Koi would have just enough time to fix her hair comb it through, apply the oils that richly smelt of honeysuckle and pears Koi's favourite aroma before lacing silver beads and attach the Moth clip she was saving for a special day.

All in all, Koi wanted to be drop dead gorgeous even if she was just friends with Yasu she wanted to look the best for her.

Finishing with a quick prayer, applying a little more lipstick and grabbing her umbrella, divination cards and her gift.

Koi stepped out to the miserable morning, and waiting for the Kuni to join her.

[Kuni Yasu]

The Kuni had very little in the way of wardrobe compared to many here, but settled on her new yukata with its all-over, upside-down fan pattern in deep blue, accented with red and white. It matched the morning's freshly applied paint, nicely. The jade beads on her wrist matched nothing, as that was never their purpose.

Scroll case and wakizashi were settled at her hip, a priest's weapons. The case's waxed linen would stand what rain bypassed her borrowed umbrella, the grain of the fabric obscured with swirling patterns of paint, some symbols recognizable by anyone as protective, others more esoteric.

With the humidity, Yasu applies light oils before braiding her hair or there's going to be an annoying line of frizz stuck to the edge of her facepaint. A fine look on patrol, but not the impression anyone wants otherwise. The single long braid is pinned in short loops before weaving her prized ribbon through them. She tucks her own divination kit into the satchel to share notes on and joins the Moth in the rain.

"Good thing they didn't have outdoor activities planned today, or I hope they don't, or we'll be mud all over," she says upon approaching Koi. Her sandals would keep hems out of the mud, but dirty socks were going to be pretty inevitable today. "I hope you slept well."

[Kaikoga Koi]

Koi was just enjoying the sound of the birds, and the business of the city running about before her as her mind imagined zooming out and speeding up all those people becoming lights that move like ants.

After a second she turned as she heard someone approaching praying that it wasn't a kami be damned Imperial or Lion because it just could not make her life any worse.

She turned brightly, giving the politest and warmest smile she mustered. She wanted to make a statement, perhaps a subtle and a surprising one - consider me.

Koi mused. "It would certainly be a humbling experience for many individuals I expect but yes I am fond of remaining dry. Yes, I had a wonderful dream of chasing lanterns and securing a ship at sea. Filled with adventure, and excitement. Yourself? I have been looking forward to this."

[Kuni Yasu]

Yasu nods, grinning. "Humbling, that's a kind way to describe a courtier in head to toe mud."

"I've looked forward to it as well, Koi-san. And I rather like how the rain settles the market's dust and quiets the crowds. My night was..." full of the sounds of Kyuden Shika rumors proving themselves true, "peaceful, if not entirely quiet. My dreams oddly full of home, when the twins were still tiny."

"If I remember rightly, there was a shop with a wide awning beside the wicker merchant that looked to have basic fare, and a covered cart that took advantage of a side-eave with some sort of buns." They no doubt all served some sort of basic hojicha or genmaicha. Pretty standard.

[Kaikoga Koi]

Koi smiled warmly. "I remember when I was younger my nephew Miko-san was practicing his kata with my Father, and Miko was never considered small. He pushed my Father back with his blows, they were training their Fire and Earth stances that day. Miko-san applied so much pressure my Father lost his footing and fell directly into the goose pen we kept. He laughed so much with feathers all around him, my Mother was not impressed."

Koi chuckled softly at the memory as a thought came to her. "I believe his great great grandfather I believe was the Father's side came from your Clan. A Yasuki, if I recall properly but this well before I was born."

"Twins?" She asked curiously blinking. "Silblings?"

A thought riffed through Koi's mind about them being her children, and a wave of sadness filled her mind but she waved that away as swiftly still she prayed that wasnt the case.

Koi motioned towards the market, and even if her socks got dirty it wasn't like she hadnt had that happen before. She walked here from her village by herself, she had plenty of dirty socks from wet roads - Koi did not mind in the slightest.

"Ah yes! I know the place, you've got to try their red bean bun they do. It's a little spicy but it has such a wonderful feeling that'll warm your toes." She chuckled. "That sounds wonderful. They do a nice matcha as well."

[Kuni Yasu]

'Hmm, humbling, hilarious, and not impressive. All things that go with being covered in mud, apparently." Yasu says, her tone amused. "Unless we're talking sumai practicing in the rain. Only saw that once, but it was...well, the opposite of all that." There's a faraway, and appreciative, look off into the middle distance at the memory before returning to the here and now to nod approvingly of even a distant Crab ancestor.

"Younger siblings, hai. Though not far from adult now," she adds with a fond smile. "I kind of miss them being little annoyances while I was trying to study, they've gotten so serious. Do you have any? Siblings, that is. Not twins!"

Yasu nods and sets out through the rain, umbrella high. It's simple and undecorated, as you'd rather expect of a loaner. No sense tempting anyone to keep it, after all. "Spicy red bean sounds interesting, and great for the rain."

"So the dreams you had. Do they mean anything? Or even with your duties, are some dreams just dreams?"

[Kaikoga Koi]

Koi almost burst into flames with a passionate gaze. "I very much enjoy sumai! Ho, I got to see one tournament when I was a young girl my Lord Aki-dono held one for his 25th anniversary when I was much younger and it was so exciting." Koi smiled amusingly. "I have never watched something so exciting. After the event, my cousin Fujiko-chan - who arrived yesterday - went out with me to catch fireflies."

It was Koi's turn to look far away as she thought, it was a memory before her Father's death and things are home were much more stable before...before...

Koi pulled herself back from the thought before smiling a grin at Yasu. "Ney, I can hide having twins quite well then? Ney?" She smiled before shook her head. "I kid. I have three younger siblings - my sister Eiko-chan works as a bushi in a familiee Inn in Kyuden Kakita and has taken up living there well - she is...uh...14 years old now and finished her Gempukku last month."

She had to think for a moment, and for a moment perhaps a single flash of concern slipped over her face as she thought of her sibling and the potential situation he might be experiencing her Mother but Koi pushed it away. "I have a brother named Gesshin, he is 12 years old and is training as a shugenja."

Then Koi truly smiled, a smile of pride and a little blush. "And the there is little Innko, she is 10 years old and I love her immensely. She has a heart that I swear is touched by the Fire kami for she is filled with so much life that I have never met anyone like her before." She smiled. "My Kaikoga-dono predicts that is why she is such a skilled medium."

"I being considerably older than them dont get to spend much time with them now, but I very much love making them laugh. Innko has already decreed I must bring her back something from some far of part of Rokugan and it would be unbecoming to disappoint her." Koi chuckled, and looked around as they walked. When was the last time did Koi speak about her family? Her siblings? By the Kami she barely spent time with them before leaving for the miai. She was such a terrible sister, she had missed so much of their lives.

Koi kept just the right amount of distance to show some sign of familiarity and to be polite. "Yosh, I am quite fond of food with spice so it's nice to find places that really use peppercorns like that. Good way to start a morning."

Koi paused the Kuni as they approached the market to buy a couple of flowers, nothing particularly special but it was noticeable. She asked if they could be sent back to her room in the Inn, and bowed. "Well, truth be speaking Yasu-san, I would say depends on the day and situation of how one sleep. I dreamt of a vision a few days ago in the temple when I was mediating and the spirits pulled me to Yume-do as sometimes that accidentally happens as its so easy for Moth's."

Koi mused. "What do you think they meant?"

[Kuni Yasu]

"A cousin? Must be nice to have family here to support one another. Is she also an artisan of dreams?" Yasu sidesteps a puddle by a wide enough margin to both dodge it. " She listens to the recitation of family with evident interest, grinning at the description of the youngest. "I'm sure there are plenty of things here that would cheer little Innko, toys to books to even just sweets. I should bring some sweets back as well. It's a joy to have so much family, I think." About to say more, she pauses and simply watches the flower purchase rather than talking about how family reminds one of all there is to preserve and protect. The rain was gray enough without doing that to people.

And then there was the Moth's question to answer besides.

...which led in the same direction anyway. Yasu just bowed to Fukurukujin's wisdom and went with it. "What they meant? My dreams? All of family and home. I guess it's no secret I want to return. I'm suited for that Duty and every person taken from it weakens us. But all the family?"

Her steps remain sure on the mud. How treacherous can any ground be on this side of the Wall, after all? "One part thinking about family to come, maybe. Children. The future. But also, how much the family I have means. How rare it is to still have as many of them. But I'm the eldest, so that won't last as we all start doing more dangerous things, one by one. And how they're what we protect. They're why we take every precaution in our work." Ok, that didn't get _too_ far into rough topics.

[Kaikoga Koi]

"Yeah, she is the daughter of my Lord Kaikoga Aki-dono. She is a very talented artist, and yes she is wonderful with more talent than she likes to acknowledge." Koi smiled warmly. "She is also a Dreamweaver. I'll introduce you sometime."

Koi smiled softly at that before chuckling. "Oh yes, I think little Innko is going to make off like a bandit from this Miai. I found this stall on the other side of the market that does these honey covered nuts that are just delightfully flavourful."

Koi found her mind wander for a moment as she thought about her family again. All her nieces and nephews, her aunts and uncles, her siblings all leading back to her Mother. She couldn't remember a day when her Mother was kind and loving to her, always pressure to perform to do your duty. Push. Push. Push. She remembered the pain her Mother liked to deliever, harsh and the bruises...

A thunderstorm was brewing inside the Moth as she drifted down the rabbithole until a sharp sensation of water caught her attention as she was about to walk into a puddle but flowed around it quickly adjusting her footing. She glanced down at her feet and frowned before sighing mad at her own lack of vigilence. "Water kami snuck up on me." She chuckled but there was an air of annoyance at herself. "Must be in cahoots with Air today."

Koi listened to the comment about the Kuni's dream, confused at first with what she was talking about as she had been talking about her own dream but listened carefully. "Yasu-san, I think you've taken some classes in dreamweaving. The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other's life. Rarely do members of one family grow up under the same roof. You live in a Clan that strive to ensure each other witnesses the rising and fall of another day, you do this day in and day out. Your sense of purpose is like that a sea turtle, you have that urge to return home."

The little Moth smiled. "My dream I believe is a hope for the future, and the unconscious mind exploring ideas and themes of a young adult in a position that her whole world is a changing on a scale she cant imagine." She smiled. And sometimes dreams are the rambling of a young woman who becomes more soaked than a temple full of sumai after a run. Koi thought, smiling.

"Has the Hunt for a partner gone well?" She asked softly.

[Kuni Yasu]

Yasu's brows rose a bit. "Another important daughter from the minor clans then? Seems like a good showing all around. A lot for the Deer to work with." There's a smile at mention of the sweet nuts. She'd need to look around for such treats to bring home. Small things, a few zeni could be spared for it. Those little thoughts pulled at her attention, even as the Moth's wandered into darker territory until wet socks drew her back.

She takes a small step to the side, offering a rueful grin. "Ah well, water kami flow into the oddest places sometimes. Better than letting fire sneak up on you, neh?" Socks dry. Burnt was a bit more permanent. Listening to the quiet analysis of her dreams, she nods, ticking through remembered notes about the symbolism, and uses, of sea turtles for a moment.

But the Moth's own dream brushes up a more thoughtful look. "'On a scale she can't imagine'? Sounds like you expect to marry out then? Into the wider world someplace? Can you always tell if a dream is prophetic or...I guess just a dream, just stories pulled together from all the bits in your own head?" She nods respectfully to a pair of passing monks, their bare feet seeming rather pragmatic today. "Like, the boat meaning, I guess, that journey...instead of prophecying that you should be looking at coastal matches?"

As to her own prospects. "It's early yet, but there's promise. Mostly Lion and Otter so far. But there's a ton of people I haven't met."