D1 LM - Strength in Harmony (Open)

[Aimi]

Having thoroughly stressed herself out with the initial courtly gathering, the exchange of gifts beneath the eyes of so many, Aimi takes the opportunity to head into the forest for a bit. She feels no fear of the spirits here, for they seem friendly enough to one of her gifts, and after a handful of brief conversations with wind and river she is guided through the trees to a small clearing not far from the walls.

There, the ronin sets down her pack and exhales, stretching aching muscles and dancing briefly from one foot to another to limber up. The air gathers around her as she begins moving through a few basic kata, jabbing and dodging an invisible opponent, striking with bare hands and sandaled feet as she practices. Soon she is lost to the whispers of the wind and the burn of her own muscles, unwinding properly at last.

[Seppun Unsei]

Forests were not Unsei's cup of tea. This was the furthest from a nice, comfy bed as they could possibly make it, but Unsei wanted herbs and to maybe pick a few flowers so out they came. Unlike most days, they wore no fancy robes. Instead, they were adorned in, *shiver*, plain attire. A simple black hakama and dark brown kimono with their proper mons... that were hidden underneath the haori they were wearing. Their long, black hair was braided and wrapped around their neck to keep it from getting caught on everything in this damned forest, and of course, their signature hat, though they didn't wear the veil or tassels today, was settled nicely on their head. Couldn't get a sunburn!

Of course, there was a price to pay for trying to walk in the forest when one was raised as a city slicker. That price was slipping, sliding, and eventually tripping out into a clearing. Their meager bag of herbs spilled out across the grass as Unsei just laid there, face first in the dirt, wondering if they could get away with cursing this entire forest along with the clan it belonged to.

[Aimi]

Blinking, Aimi broke off from her practice sparring. She was sure she had heard...

Of course, there was a price to pay for trying to walk in the forest when one was raised as a city slicker. That price was slipping, sliding, and eventually tripping out into a clearing. Their meager bag of herbs spilled out across the grass as Unsei just laid there, face first in the dirt, wondering if they could get away with cursing this entire forest along with the clan it belonged to.

Ah.

"Are you... well, samurai-sama?" The ronin says with a perfectly straight face.

[Seppun Unsei]

"I'm doing well. How are you?" They asked, face still firmly planted in the ground, now to hide their shame at falling so far from grace in front of another living being. "Assuming you've had rice?"

[Aimi]

"I'm doing well. How are you?" They asked, face still firmly planted in the ground, now to hide their shame at falling so far from grace in front of another living being. "Assuming you've had rice?"

"I have, yes. And having eaten, I came out here to practice moving with the wind," Aimi says idly, deliberately turning away from the fallen samurai, "It's a very meditative sort of exercise. The kind that makes it very hard to pay attention to anything else."

The embarrassing faceplant of a respected samurai, for example. Not that she would say such a thing. Or even think it. Ignore the twitching of her lips, it's just the pollen.

[Seppun Unsei]

With the ronin's back turned, Unsei worked on picking themself up, brushing off as much dirt as they could, fixing their hair, and then finally putting their hat back on. The herbs were still scattered around, but they could be picked up later or new ones picked... far, far away from this ronin and the embarrassment that happened.

"I'm glad to hear that. How is the wind today? Calm, I do hope. I take it then you're a shugenja?" They said as casually as they could while wiping away the dirt on their face.

[Aimi]

With the ronin's back turned, Unsei worked on picking themself up, brushing off as much dirt as they could, fixing their hair, and then finally putting their hat back on. The herbs were still scattered around, but they could be picked up later or new ones picked... far, far away from this ronin and the embarrassment that happened.

"I'm glad to hear that. How is the wind today? Calm, I do hope. I take it then you're a shugenja?" They said as casually as they could while wiping away the dirt on their face.

"I am, yes," the ronin says, bowing politely, "Aimi is my name, of no school save those found on the road and in the sound of the breeze."

She hesitates for a moment, looking to see how this strange interloper responds. She has seen Clan samurai applaud her naturalistic approach to the spirits, and others who grew mortally offended by the idea she had not sought out their schools and prostrated herself as an aspiring student already.

[Seppun Unsei]

"I am, yes," the ronin says, bowing politely, "Aimi is my name, of no school save those found on the road and in the sound of the breeze."

She hesitates for a moment, looking to see how this strange interloper responds. She has seen Clan samurai applaud her naturalistic approach to the spirits, and others who grew mortally offended by the idea she had not sought out their schools and prostrated herself as an aspiring student already.

Unsei did neither.

"Cool." That was their big answer. "I'm Seppun Unsei, of the Astrologers. Good to meet you." They returned the bow before starting to now pick up the few herbs that they had picked and had been scattered. "Guess you won't be just Aimi-san here soon though. Marriage and all. How'd you, uh, get here anyway?"

[Aimi]

Unsei did neither.

"Cool." That was their big answer. "I'm Seppun Unsei, of the Astrologers. Good to meet you." They returned the bow before starting to now pick up the few herbs that they had picked and had been scattered. "Guess you won't be just Aimi-san here soon though. Marriage and all. How'd you, uh, get here anyway?"

"...an honour to meet you, Seppun-sama," Aimi said, vaguely nonplussed. She bowed again a moment later, deeper this time, but the normal confusion and awestruck fear of meeting an Imperial samurai is somewhat blunted by the... well.

"Ah, one should have to ask the Deer that," she says a moment later, her mind catching back up to register the question, "I certainly did not seek out an invitation, for... well, obvious reasons... but they managed to hear of me and my humble exploits through some means, and sent a messenger some weeks ago. It is said that the Shika matchmakers are unparalleled in their insight, which I suppose gives me some hope that I might find a match."

[Seppun Unsei]

"...an honour to meet you, Seppun-sama," Aimi said, vaguely nonplussed. She bowed again a moment later, deeper this time, but the normal confusion and awestruck fear of meeting an Imperial samurai is somewhat blunted by the... well.

"Ah, one should have to ask the Deer that," she says a moment later, her mind catching back up to register the question, "I certainly did not seek out an invitation, for... well, obvious reasons... but they managed to hear of me and my humble exploits through some means, and sent a messenger some weeks ago. It is said that the Shika matchmakers are unparalleled in their insight, which I suppose gives me some hope that I might find a match."

They waved away the second bow. "Forget all of that. You just saw me eat dirt for a few minutes, so we can skip over all of the formal shit." They said casually before taking a moment to look directly into Aimi's eyes. "However. I would appreciate that you not tell anyone of this." Their words were low and calm.

Moments later, they looked away and smiled. "Little odd, but I suppose such is life. The stars do like to write odd destinies for some, so obviously it's a destiny that brought you here and one that will be completed soon."