(D3 LM hotsprings open) a kemari-induced soak

[Usogawa Emiko]

Emiko, after helping her kin back to her room, decided she needed to wash up and relax. It also help her cool off, as she was angry for her kin.

After cleaning, she slipped into the water with a sigh and closed her eyes, just soaking for a while.

(ooc - strife reduced to 50% as per rules)

[Moto Mitsuki]

Mitsuki wasn't surprised there was already someone in the bath. On the contrary, she was wondering why they weren't crowded to death with miai candidates having likely sweat to oblivion in their courtly clothes from surprise physical activity, especially the one less used to it.

As a trained warrior desert, she had it better than most, but still, since the place had basically infinite water compared to what she was used to, might as well make the most of it.

Hair tied up but still wearing her make-up, she first bowed and asked before entering the water. There was no mon in the bath, and better be too polite than not enough.

"Good day to you samurai-sama. This one is Moto Mitsuki, from the ten thousand blades of the Khan, come into town as the favor of the current miai. May I join you?"

[Usogawa Emiko]

Emiko opened her eyes when she heard some noise, and bowed in the direction while looking away to give some privacy.

"Oh, good morning Moto-sama. I am Usogawa Emiko. You're welcome to join me, the water is lovely! I hope you are well?"

[Moto Mitsuki]

"I'm not sure I've fully recovered from the surprise of what the Deer asked of us. I've had my share of unexpected physical activity through my life as a warrior, but that wasn't how I imagined a miai would go.

Otherwise, I'm fine, both mentally and physically. Even took the time to stretch good to avoid future soreness."

[Usogawa Emiko]

"It was very strange" Emiko nodded "I still don't understand the reasoning. Feels like it was just an excuse to make people play kemari, but I won't question them. I'm sure they had reasons to it."

She smiled a little more though, adding "other than that, how has the miai been for you? Have you been going to the plays?"

[Moto Mitsuki]

"Not really. Too overcrowded for my taste. I've taken the habit of going for a ride when they take place instead, exploring the forest under the moonlight. A fascinating place. I've never seen the like of it except for a very short foray near Shinomen. The Ivory Kingdoms have jungles of course, but they're not the same kind of forest.

So I won't be able to comment on the plays. Did you find them good yourself?

And my miai is going fine. Just not at all as I expected it would go. Schedule is weirdly relaxed, and I haven't gone through a single interview so far except for that genealogy test yesterday."

[Usogawa Emiko]

"The forest? I've never been there. I didn't think it would be good to wander through the woods and get lost" Emiko said with a chuckle "living on yakatabune crowding can happen when a lot of people move onto one boat at once, it's part of life in the Otter. Doesn't usually happen on my fathers boat but some of the others can be really full."

She took a moment to pour some water over her face before continuing.

"The first nights play was very good and quite funny. Last nights wasn't as good sadly."

[Moto Mitsuki]

"Yurt can be quite crowded, especially during popular events like weddings... But it's not the same type of crowded when it's with family and when it's with people one barely knows. Even very drunk family members.

But on the subject of the play, what went wrong? Not the same troop? Technical difficulties? Simply a weaker script?"

[Usogawa Emiko]

"I've heard yurts are really big, is that true?"

Emiko frowned remembering the play.

"The script unfortunately. An acupuncture leaves the woman acting weirdly and she comes across multiple people that think she's something she's not and then enforces clan stereotypes in how they act to the situation, finishing in a Miya proposing which didn't really fit the story at all. I'm not sure what the intention was really."

[Moto Mitsuki]

"Compared to a simple tent? Definitely. For the rest it depends. The traditional yurt can house about five persons, but we have bigger, more cumbersome, ones that can welcome more. Some semi-permanent encampments even have giant yurts that are closer to portable buildings and require specific logistics to be moved, but that's an extreme case."

She raised an eyebrow at the description of the play:

"That indeed seems quite weird. None of the elements of the plot really feel like they belong together. Was the initial issue with the acupuncture ever solved?"