Kyuden Shika

Having arrived and been assigned a quite nice room, Emiko had left to look around the rest of the place. She found a garden immeidately, which was very exciting! Slowly, she walked through, admiring everything she saw.

So pretty...

Walking in not long after her, having stowed his spear and yumi in his room, a Lion carrying his shamisen looked for a spot to sit and play. Noticing the Otter, he smiled lightly and greeted her. "Good afternoon Usogawa-san. Care for a bit of music while you enjoy the gardens?"

"Oh, hello" the Otter bowed "I love music, that would be wonderful thank you Kitsu-sama. May I sit?"

"Absolutely," he says with a nod. He finds a spot where she can sit comfortably and takes a seat on the ground nearby.

Taking a moment to clear his mind and let the song come to him, he wiggles his fingers over the strings before readying the pick. "A piece popular in Deer lands from my understanding, Shika Frolicking in Dusk."

He begins playing a light but bouncy tune. He was no master of the shamisen, but he is certainly skilled enough for a pleasant distraction.

Emiko watched intently, enjoying the music. It was the kind she'd dance to, but it wasn't appropriate now so she just drummed fingers along to it.

When it finished she gave some polite applause.

"Kitsu-sama is very talented. Thank you" she smiled brightly "I usually play a flute, haven't played a shamisen for a long while. It's nice to hear one again."

He bows his head in thanks, while continuing to strum absentmindedly while talking. "I enjoy the flute, but I was always more drawn to this."

""By the way, I am Kitsu Murato, and it is a pleasure to meet you."

"Usogawa Emiko" she lowered her head as a bow of greeting "wonderful to meet you too Kitsu-sama. Have you always played instruments?"

He looks down at his shamisen. "Not really. I learned in training, after I switched dojos. I enjoy it, and found that it helps with the cramps I can get in my writing hand after hours of paperwork," he says, looking back up with a chuckle.

Emiko brought a hand up to cover a chuckle.

"My parents both used to say finger exercises do a lot to help with hand cramps, and what better way to exercise your fingers than playing an instrument?"

She took out a pretty looking blue flute from her sleeve, bringing it up to her lips and started playing a soft lullaby. She was quite well trained it seemed, able to perfectly fit in with the gentle nature of the garden around them.

He listened thoughtfully to Emiko's song, and gave a light clap when she was finished. "That was lovely Usogawa-san. Perhaps we might spend some time practicing together and perform a duet as entertainment for others at some point?" It wasn't super subtle, but it wasn't really all that forward either he thought. Just seeking opportunities to potentially get to know another participant more down the line.