Cecil
Kakita Kiyoko padded into the onsen with the poise of a cat. It had been somewhat unexpected that there even *Was* An onsen in this city. She had fully expected to bathe in a small tub in the Crane embassy for the duration of her assignment here. The Kakita duelist had washed off in the anteroom and grabbed a towel after disrobing, and now took a deep breath of the steamy air as she made her way to the waters themselves. Kiyoko was somewhat tall for a Rokugani woman, with ice-blue eyes and porcelain skin that already glistened with sweat in the steamy onsen air, accentuated by a distinctive beauty mark to the right of her chin. She wore her platinum-white hair in a chin-length layered bob. The Kakita samurai-ko had a lean, athletic build, with toned abs and medium-sized breasts, and defined muscle in her arms and legs. Her skin was remarkably devoid of noticeable scars, though her hands bore the callouses that came with constant training with a sword.

She folded up the towel she had grabbed upon entry, placed it on her head, and walked over to the waters, scarcely paying any mind to anyone else who may have been in the bath with her. Kiyoko dipped one foot in, then stepped down into the onsen. She let out a sigh as she slowly sunk up to her neck in the geothermal bath, eyes closed in contentment.
Kevin
What in the world? Kaori stared at this invader, black eyes narrowed in suspicion. There were plenty of private soaking rooms, had the staff neglected to direct this Crane away from hers? Or was she being confronted yet again? She'd had no warning this time since Tori was off attending to her mistress's mending. 

Well, might as well make the most of this.

She stirred in the water, sitting up to nearly chest clear. Her shoulders and forearms were muscular, her breasts generous. In proportion she was stockier than the lean Crane, her coloring altogether more dramatic with milk-white skin contrasting her black hair and eyes, the heat bringing a healthy blush to her cheeks and chest. 

"Ohaiyo, Crane-san," She said, her voice dry and cautious. "What good fortune brings you to my pool today? Do you seek Bayushi Kaori of the Scorpion or is this just a happy accident?"

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Cecil
She heard a feminine voice. Kiyoko opened one eye to take in who had addressed her, determined not to let her good mood be ruined by the hackles her interlocutor had raised with her word-choice. She did not recognize her name, but the combination of the speaker's clan affiliation and the phrase *What good fortune* Could only set anyone with common sense on edge.

"Accident," Came Kiyoko's terse reply. She opened her other eye, and looked the Scorpion woman over. Kaori's tone may have seemed cautious, but her body language reminded Kiyoko of a snake poised to strike—or a scorpion warning the curious away. Perhaps her intrusion was unwelcome?

Kiyoko tilted her head in a nod of concession. "My apologies if I have intruded upon your privacy, Bayushi-san. I am Kakita Kiyoko. Your clan maintains such luxurious bathing facilities here that I could not help but sample them."

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Kevin
The scar that tore its way across Kaori's left cheek pulled her mouth into a perpetual smirk. She was leaned back, submerged to her ribs, her arms spread to claim the space to either side of her in a power pose. Had a painter been brave enough to capture the image, he might have entitled it 'Throne Room'. And for all that, this sanctum was the closest Kaori would ever come to anything like a throne room. 

She inclined her head regally, acknowledging the compliment. "Body and mind must be purified if we are to do our best each day. You are always welcome here, Kakita-san."

She lifted her left hand to wipe a lock of hair behind one ear. Her right arm never stirred. The scar that marred her soft skin across the biceps there marked where the spear-thrust had temporarily crippled her. "I had heard that several more Crane samurai had come to the city. Have you come to observe the summer's games? Or perhaps do you hope to engage yourself?"

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Cecil
"Perhaps I will take you up on that, Bayushi-san," Kiyoko replied, nodding again in thanks. She hardly moved, electing to remain covered to her neck in the onsen waters. The heat felt wonderful, soothing her sore muscles after the rigorous training regimen earlier in her day. The Kakita woman closed her eyes again and allowed herself a small smile. The waters rippled slightly as she took a deep breath of the steamy air.

"I was disappointed to learn that I missed the iaijutsu tournament," She ventured, opening her eyes and studying Kaori. She had recently been told that she had a habit of staring at people that made them uncomfortable, so she made a deliberate effort to not let her eyes linger too long. Given how many scars Kaori sported, perhaps she was self-conscious about them. Or perhaps not—perhaps she enjoyed the discomfiture her own appearance brought to others. It would not surprise Kiyoko if a Scorpion samurai thought thus. The duelist noted in particular the relatively recent-looking scar on Kaori's right arm, and wondered what sort of weapon had caused that wound. "Though if the poetry competition is still open, I might consider it."

"Was Bayushi-san able to participate?" She asked, thinking that she detected a weakness—or rather, an injury—that the Scorpion samurai-ko was trying to hide.

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Kevin
She was watching the Crane's movements. If the woman's impressive fitness levels hadn't already given it away, she could tell by the way she basked in the heat that she was a disciplined student of violence. Most Kakita were, it was one of the few things she liked about that family. 

"The tournament was quite the affair," She said, scratching absently at her cheek and snatching her hand away when she noticed what she was doing. "Quite the turnout. I myself had the pleasure of competing. It was unfortunate that a *Ronin* Had to win, but I was hardly at my best." 

Her black eyes drifted to the ceiling. "You did have a cousin or two competing, I had the pleasure of crossing blades with one of them. I am afraid I couldn't give them a full demonstration of my skill, but I think I managed to do my best with my left hand. If Kakita-san is an accomplished duelist though I am afraid this will be a boring assignment—hardly anyone speaks boldly enough to provoke a duel in this city." 

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Cecil
Kiyoko raised an eyebrow. The Scorpion fought with her left hand? She had been taught since she was a child that that was *Dishonorable* In an iaijutsu duel. That had always irked her, since her left hand was the more natural to grip things like chopsticks and katana. It had taken a fair amount of negative reinforcement from her instructors to correct, but the end result had been that she was nearly as capable with her right hand as her left.

So the scar on Kaori's right arm must have been from a particularly severe injury, for the judges to allow her to draw left-handed. Perhaps she was a blade worth crossing, given time for her arm to heal. "I have resigned myself to the prospect. Although it hardly excuses complacency." Kiyoko met Kaori's eyes with a cold, level gaze. "I am sure opportunities will present themselves."

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Kevin
The black eyes stared back, all traces of good humor wiped away. "Then I pray for the spectators' sake that you have more skill than your cousin," She replied. "He left the top of his ear on the field. It was very disappointing."

She was still utterly relaxed, but now it was the loose coil of a whip ready to lash out in any direction. "Still, I cannot imagine the Crane would have anything to fear from me as long as you do not attempt to champion the Unicorn in their attempts to steal the city from us."

Now the veils were lowered, the warning given. Whomever the new Scorpion ambassador would be, the Crane would know they had weapons at their disposal. 

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Cecil
The Kakita duelist had not intended to engage the Bayushi woman in a verbal joust, and she was not about to start. She would answer diplomatically. "A samurai lives three feet from death, as they say," Kiyoko said simply, nonchalantly pulling a stray hair from the corner of her mouth with her hand. "And our daimyo direct us where they will."

Sensei had long chided her for being too eager to cross blades with anyone she met; it had taken a six-year-long *Musha shugyo* And countless duels, brawls, and skirmishes to drill into her head that only some fights were worth fighting. It was a wonder that she had no sizeable scars from the past six years.

"But Bayushi-san surely does not wish to speak of wars and rumors of wars in such an incongruously pleasant place as this onsen," She said, attempting to change the subject to something less tension-filled. Poor conversationalist though she was. "Tell me: Does your clan keep masseuses on-hand here? Or I have heard that some merchants in other lands have been selling a sweet milk-concoction called *Choco minto aisu* At their hot springs. Have the Scorpion done the same?"

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Kevin
Recognizing the attempt to resume peaceful conversation Kaori shifted in the water, letting her body resettle into a more comfortable position. Her black eyes became serene once more. Had the Crane been testing her? Or was it a genuine slip? Probably the former. Kaori had mostly abandoned her committment to her indolent facade, but now she wondered if that was the best of ideas when dealing with the Crane. 

Oh well, no use worrying about it now. She took the verbal olive branch and ran with it. "We do have masseuses here. They provide hot stone treatments, a delicious remedy for sore muscles after a day spent in training. I frequently make use of them. But we do not drink milk here." 

She had never heard of the stuff, and assumed that it was another nasty Unicorn beverage infecting Rokugani culture. 

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Cecil
Her de facto hostess having relaxed a little, Kiyoko likewise settled in a little deeper into the onsen waters. The Kakita duelist closed her eyes and took another deep breath of steamy air, then slowly exhaled. She partially opened one eye to glance at Kaori and said, "*Aisu* Is not a drink. It is like *Kakigori* Or *Shirokuma*."

The Crane samurai-ko didn't elaborate further. If the Scorpion clan did not know the one, they probably did not know the others, either, the ~~snob~~ Crane in her assumed. Although... Where had she last been served milk, anyway? Probably when she was traveling through Dragon territory.

Kiyoko rolled her shoulders forward, wincing slightly as she felt her shoulder blades pop. "A masseuse sounds good, though."

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Kevin
"They usually have a few standing by to serve," The little Scorpion heard the pop and winced inwardly. She'd had her own fair share of joint injuries during her time training. "They are reasonably skilled. If the pressure of the stone is not enough they can sometimes stack another on top. They are familiar with servicing those of us who ache with bushi training." 

She lifted a hand to wipe a bead of condensation from her jaw. "Will the Crane be hosting any more contests during the summer? I rather enjoyed the last one. If dueling is played out, I should love to see exhibitions of anything else. Art, perhaps? Or a series of performances?" 

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Cecil
Kiyoko smiled ruefully, lifting an arm overhead to—ineffectually—rub at the inside of her shoulder blade. "I do believe that dueling is played out. A shame to have missed it." After a few moments, she gave up and slipped her arm back under the waters. At least the heat from the onsen helped. "I am unaware of any more contests we are hosting, though I have not been in the city long. I heard about a jujutsu competition and a poetry contest one of the other clans were hosting. I take it Bayushi-san has an interest in the arts? Do you dabble in any yourself?"

Given the woman's heavily-scarred appearance, it seemed incongruous that Kaori might be something of an artist herself, or even have an interest in the finer things (not counting opium or the other hedonistic pursuits the Scorpion were suspected of dealing in). But then, all samurai were expected to be well-rounded, so it didn't really surprise her. Even the Kakita Dueling Academy had made her take classes on the tea ceremony, after all—not that she remembered most of it.

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Kevin
"I am somewhat competent in the art of kintsugi," The Scorpion's eyes drifted to the ceiling. "One of my masks was shattered by a crossbow bolt and the result was delightful. It hangs in the Shosuro Palace even now." 

She didn't specify that she had hung it there as she stormed from the place in a red rage. 

"I am also a noviciate in the art of shibari. The art was popularized by the Lion as Hojojutsu, the method of humiliating a prisoner with a binding that emphasizes their position while technically never tying a knot and completing their shame to the point of suicide." 

She grinned wickedly. "One of my ancestors discovered more *Interesting* Applications for the practice. It's not an art you'll find displayed in any public galleries, but there is a display in town if you know where to look." 

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Cecil
"I... See."

Kiyoko was of course familiar with hojojutsu, though she had never heard of any 'alternative' uses for it. She did remember one or two times that Sensei had forced her to hold still and meditate by tying her up, but that hardly seemed like the same thing as what the Scorpion samurai-ko was talking about. She was a bit curious what these other applications might have been. Rope statues?

The Kakita duelist narrowed her eyes at Kaori. "What *Sort* Of applications did Bayushi-san's ancestor discover, exactly?"

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Kevin
The Scorpion's perpetual smirk grew wider. "Can't you imagine the artistic expressions of rope, coiled and wrapped about a person? Can you not see the performance art in the piece, the act of submission illustrated so vividly? On the battlefield this is coerced of course, but I have seen a lovely display of captured prisoners brought before the generals, their bodies bent in respectful prostration by skilled binders. Such themes can translate to other arenas too. I have known of Mantis who would use intricate knotwork to bind back their sleeves before battle or secure a Kimono top... Simultaneously an expression of chastity and of power." 

She stirred the water languidly. "It is a very intimate art... One I cannot practice without another of my own rank."

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Cecil
Kiyoko could, in fact, see the artistic expression in it. She had found the rope-marks left behind on her skin after Sensei had tied her up *Fascinating*. Not that she would admit it to a soul. The Kakita duelist stared at Kaori for long moments.

She hesitated before she spoke again. "It seems to me, Bayushi-san, that such an art would require someone of *Lesser* Social standing. What samurai would let himself be demeaned in such a way? It would be willing degradation at the hands of one's equals."

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Kevin
"When it is a question of taking an enemy, of Hojojutsu, the *Point* Is to demean isn't it?" Kaori shrugged, sending ripples through the water. "But between peers it is a gesture of trust isn't it? Not all samurai are created equal, even in our caste there are those of more dominant personality. Would this not be a simple expression of that contrast? Relationships are complex, but we submit to the more dominant personality all the time. We put our trust in our leader, for the moment, for the campaign, for the marriage... This natural assumption of roles happens all the time. Even now, you are my guest and I the hostess of this bath. Just because the positioning is informal or unremarked doesn't mean it isn't real." 

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Cecil
"Interesting logic," Kiyoko conceded. What was the Scorpion getting at? "Yes, I suppose that makes a certain level of sense. Is it really a matter of dominant personality, though? I would think that one's *Daimyo* Is to be submitted to, regardless of how assertive she is. It is a samurai's duty, after all."

The Crane samurai-ko gave Kaori a sidelong look. "Where exactly do you even find someone who trusts you that much, anyway?" For her part, the encounter when she was younger had been less about trust and more about an imbalance of power—sensei and student. Not that she didn't deserve the scolding for ignoring the lessons that *Led up* To her bit of forced meditation.

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Kevin
"Do you truly know no one you trust so much?" Kaori's eyes glittered. "I pity you, Crane-san." 

She had removed her mask as a sign of displeasure with her ambassador, but she had a great deal of trust in her peers. Maybe she wouldn't have *Enjoyed* The intimacy with some of them, but she would have trusted Yuto in a heartbeat. 

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Cecil
Kiyoko smiled thinly at Kaori. She had been on a *Musha shugyo* For the past six years. Of course there was no one she trusted so much—constant travel and the standing of a ronin did not inculcate many opportunities for the building of trust. Nor had she kept in touch with any of her classmates at the Kakita Dueling Academy after her *Gempukku*.

"No," She said flatly. "Nor do I expect to find such people in the City of Lies. I would not mind being proven wrong, but it seems unlikely." 

Her thin smile remained frozen on her face as she added, "The city has a reputation, as do its caretakers." She almost said '*Former* Caretakers,' but thought better of it. After all, as Kaori pointed out, she was a guest in this bath; it would not do to insult one's hosts.

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Kevin
A condescending expression settled into the Scorpion's eyes. "Poor thing," She murmured. "I shall say a prayer for the sake of your clan. If the Crane have fallen so far that their own cannot trust their peers, the Lion shall rule us all in twelve months." 

She was deliberately relaxed once more, ready to move if her words provoked a violent reaction from the Crane. 

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Cecil
"Your prayers are appreciated, Bayushi-san," Kiyoko said drily. The Crane samurai-ko was quickly finding this conversation exhausting. Did this Scorpion truly find her so enjoyable to goad? Kiyoko refused to give her the satisfaction, and took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled. At least the steam from the onsen was still enjoyable. "So have you found someone willing to be the subject of your 'art'?"

Truth be told, she was curious how Kaori had come upon the practice herself.

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Kevin
"I have but to snap my fingers," Kaori said cheerfully, "And I have a line of eager subjects. I am sure that when you get settled in this city you will find yourself a friend or two as well." 

She dipped her face briefly beneath the water to rinse away the sweat, and wiped it dry once more upon a towel. "Perhaps another day I will escort you to the local exhibit of the art. Most of the displays are ropes bound upon statues, but on certain days they have live demonstrations of the technique that you would find most fascinating." 

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Cecil
It seemed that this Bayushi liked to keep her conversational partners off-balance, Kiyoko observed silently as Kaori's tone morphed again, from condescending to cheery. Even now though, she wheedled. The Kakita duelist looked past that, though, and she felt her face grow flushed—thankfully completely invisible thanks to the redness of her skin from the onsen, and just as likely caused by it—at the idea of seeing this art in person. How scandalous!

Kiyoko was careful to maintain a placid facade as she replied, "And *Perhaps* I would even take you up on that offer, Bayushi-san."

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Kevin
"Lucky me," Kaori said. She'd found that if she just spoke with enough confidence to direct the flow of conversation, she could come close to establishing actual propriety. The fact that the Crane hadn't challenged her for her clan's dignity spoke volumes. Was she really so unsure of her own standing within the clan? 

Well, she'd been entertaining, at least. 

"So what sort of artistic demonstrations shall I expect from you, Kakita-san? The summer is soon upon us, and if we are not to go to war yet we must have some sort of artistic demonstration to soothe our souls."

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Cecil
"Poetry," Kiyoko said, sitting up straighter so that her upper torso was clear of the water. How long did this Scorpion intend to cook in the onsen? She had been there longer than Kiyoko, and already the Crane was starting to overheat. The evaporative cooling felt nice, though. "I am fond of senryu. Are you familiar with the form? It is like the haiku, but its subject is never nature. Instead, it looks at human folly for its inspiration. You might appreciate it, Bayushi-san. It is often a bit dark and cynical."

Kiyoko paused, then recited one she knew from memory.

"Here is one:
'Catching him
I see the robber 
Is my own son.'"

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