Soap on, soap off (Day 8 EE)

Kaiu Maiya · **Joined:** Tue Apr 14, 2020 6:43 am **Posts:** 878

While there was nobody else in the bath water as Maiya finished up her daily scrub, clean and rinse, she resisted the temptation to jump into the water. I'm not a child anymore. She instead walked with a modicum of grace over to the bath. Just nice and slow. No chance of slipping.

"Hello again wonderful baths." She whispered as she dipped a toe into the water. Trembling in delight she followed this up with the rest of her body, sliding down into the water and lazing back with her arms up over her head.

"This is so good."

Her guard dropped completely as she slipped down further into the water. She even blew a few bubbles and chuckled as she realised she was being a bit childish after all. Sitting up a bit she turned to look behind her over to the washing area.

"Hurry up cousin. The water's the perfect temperature."

Kaiu Amaya · **Joined:** Fri Apr 17, 2020 2:15 am **Posts:** 173

More slowly and deliberately, Amaya emerges from the washing area to join her cousin. Seeing Maiya already in the water, she skips the temperature check and simply steps in, to sink right up to her neck into the soothing warmth.

Letting out a deep breath, she settles down next the other Crab and closes her eyes.

"This is really comfortable."

Kaiu Maiya · **Joined:** Tue Apr 14, 2020 6:43 am **Posts:** 878

"Much better than scrubbing behind the wall, ne?" So, so much better. Maiya joined her cousin in the art of taking in a deep breath and letting it out contentedly.

"There is so much going on around this city, but it's so peaceful here. I will miss this." She adds while snuggling her back into the side of the bath until it propped her up so well she could close her eyes.

"I heard a rumour today about someone called Touki. Apparently they're a really amazing fighter." The rumour mongering had begun.

Kaiu Amaya · **Joined:** Fri Apr 17, 2020 2:15 am **Posts:** 173

"And much warmer then the rain." She agrees. "The water feels softer too, if that makes any sense."

Amaya lets out a little laugh at her cousin's choice of topic. "Are you going to try for a match with them?"

Kaiu Maiya · **Joined:** Tue Apr 14, 2020 6:43 am **Posts:** 878

"It does. It's not so heavy." She sighed gently.

Maiya was about to mention something else, some advice for her sister to wear her armour more as it was likely they'd soon be fighting, but instead she is ambushed by her cousin's teasing remark. Her cheeks pinked ever so slightly but the Crab bushi keeps her eyes closed and just clears her throat in as dignified a manner as she can muster.

"Iie, I have not met them Ama-chan. I was merely impressed at the chatter I've heard. Our sensei said not to believe every rumour you hear." He just never said anything about ignoring them completely.

The way Maiya spoke suggested Amaya may have hit a nerve. Certainly, the topic of a match was on her mind of late. It had been her elder sister's wedding a week before. With both her elder siblings married that meant Maiya was next.

Kaiu Amaya · **Joined:** Fri Apr 17, 2020 2:15 am **Posts:** 173

"Ah. So it was a rumour? They may be less amazing than people are saying? That is disappointing. We could well use more amazing fighters."

Amaya's mind is more oriented on the war going on around them. The returned spirits do not measure up to what lurks in the Shadowlands, but they are still a danger. There is a mildly amusing thought though.

"If all these spirits had returned at the Wall instead, I wonder what the other Clans would have ended up hearing about it in the end. Something like 'There were a few more enemies than usual last month'?"

Kaiu Maiya · **Joined:** Tue Apr 14, 2020 6:43 am **Posts:** 878

"We really could, hai. Imagine Hida-gunso right now. He'd hold the walls by himself for a good few minutes." She comments with a slight grin. Being able to safely talk about their unit's commander was fun.

The joke from Amaya blindsides the slightly older bushi and she is forced to sit up less her giggling drag herself under the water. Wiping her eyes she turns to her cousin and points to her merrily. "That was a good one Ama-chan. You can use that again. Please tell it like that when we travel back home." The younger Kaiu rarely made jokes so when she did her elder cousin had a habit of giving a judgment on them. This one had passed muster with flying colours.

"No doubt the Yasuki would be pleased. 'It wasn't a big deal as it didn't require any extra expenditure of jade. However, we will need more whetstones due to the extra decapitations required.' Ne, ne?" Maiya asked cheerfully, having done her best to put on a Yasuki's accountants voice. It was a horribly gruff and serious voice that went from uncannily accurate to a little too forced as she ended up trying to hard.

Akodo Touki · **Joined:** Fri Apr 03, 2020 8:17 pm **Posts:** 628

In the next room, still scrubbing methodically away at his skin, Touki tilted his head, frowning, as the hairs on the back of his neck seemed to stand up. Shrugging, he went back to cleaning. Just one of those strange feelings, no doubt.

...

Finally ready, Touki stepped out into the bathing area. His eyes first narrowed, then widened ever so slightly as he spotted one samurai... and then, as his eyes shifted, quite nearly the same samurai. Sisters, perhaps? With the briefest shrug of his bare shoulders, he moved to the edge of the bath, briefly tightening the towel around his waist.

"Good evening, samurai-samas." Touki said, his voice a deep monotone. He bowed. "I hope that I am not disturbing you. This one is Akodo Touki." He straightened, his expression politely expectant.

Kaiu Amaya · **Joined:** Fri Apr 17, 2020 2:15 am **Posts:** 173

Imagining the commander punting some raging spirits off the wall, while they try to climb it, brings a small grin to Amaya's face as well.

"That would be an interesting equipment request included with that report then." The smaller Crab muses leisurely to her cousin's continuation of the joke. "Encountered additional aggression this month, requesting 500 extra whetstones."

She hears steps coming in their direction and opens her eyes to watch a tall man approach them. He has the bearing of a samurai, but with little else to go with, Amaya can't discern much more than that. He seems older, but not by too much.

His choice of honorifics is a bit puzzling, but the younger bushi decides to simply go along with it. "Good evening, samurai-sama." She replies and inclines her head, to return his bow as much as she can, considering that she is sitting up to her neck in comfortably warm water. "This one is Kaiu Amaya."

Kaiu Maiya · **Joined:** Tue Apr 14, 2020 6:43 am **Posts:** 878

"That's totally what one would sound like." Maiya agreed, chuckling a bit more until she also picked up on the footsteps and spotted Amaya paying more attention.

Turning around in the bath she looked up to the new arrival. It was a man. Even wearing a towel that meant she quickly looked away. In a dedicated bath house like this, with samurai from outside the unit she fought with, it wasn't the same she was used to. You couldn't just ignore the differences so easily. This wasn't the first time she'd been in this situation since leaving Crab lands, but it always took her a moment to mentally adapt.

And then he introduced himself and the sheer coincidence of having the same first name as the person she'd heard about (and that she'd been speaking about moments before) had her blushing ever so faintly. Good that her cousin took the initiative and gave her introduction first.

Continuing to face away the other Kaiu cooled down enough to add her own reply. "I am Kaiu Maiya. Good evening. You are not disturbing us Akodo-sama. Please don't get cold because of us." She turned to him again just enough to dip her head politely. Her facing then returned to the water and she sunk into it a little once again. It wasn't good for someone to be waiting around outside the hot water in this cold evening air.

Akodo Touki · **Joined:** Fri Apr 03, 2020 8:17 pm **Posts:** 628

Touki's dark olive eyes, with typical Lion alertness, spotted the faint blush, but thought nothing of it. There were any number of reasons that one might blush in the bath, from heat, to, well, the sudden appearance of a half-dressed man. "Thank you, Kaiu-sama." He addressed the second speaker. "I shall." His voice was a low monotone, and he seemed quite formal, even in a bath setting. Or perhaps especially in a bath setting.

Clearing his throat, and politely shifting his gaze, Touki discarded the towel and lowered himself into the water. His form was lean and muscular, with a number of little scars here and there. He sighed as he was submerged up to mid-sternum, eyes briefly closing.

After a few moments, his eyes flickered open again. "I hope you are enjoying the hospitality of the city. At least..." He grimaced, just a little, "-as much as might be done in these difficult times."

Kaiu Maiya · **Joined:** Tue Apr 14, 2020 6:43 am **Posts:** 878

Neither of the Kaiu cousins had brought a towel so they were all now equal in the baths after Touki had discarded and set down his. Maiya's gaze remained on the waterline even as the Lion entered the water. She wasn't the type to sneak a peek. However, when he was in the water and therefore decent she allowed herself a look to get a measure of what the newcomer was like. Being a Lion it made sense for him to be a bushi since the majority of Lion samurai were, just like in the Crab and most other Clans. However, he also had a few scars. That meant, like Maiya and Amaya, that he'd seen some kind of combat. This was worthy of some respect.

She glanced to her cousin as Touki asked his question, but it seemed she'd thrown the ball back into Maiya's court. "H-hai, we have been. The Lion have been very good and forthright hosts. That all this would happen during our stay could not be helped." She slowly turned to face him as her expression turned serious. "Ano, if it's not troubling to ask, can you tell us much about the enemy?"

So far she'd asked a host of other samurai, but only one other Lion. Maybe this one would know more? The way he grimaced hinted that he had a better idea than many.

Akodo Touki · **Joined:** Fri Apr 03, 2020 8:17 pm **Posts:** 628

Although it may have been difficult to tell from this brief interaction, Touki seemed to be the sort to have a perpetually stern expression. His features, while handsome enough, were rather sharp, enhancing the effect. His shoulders were broad and scarred, and also carried a scar or two.

Toughtturned slowly towards Maiya, frowning thoughtfully. He nodded acknowledgement of her statements, but her question... "Have you ever fought Matsu before?" He smiled, just a little, a slight quirk of his lips. "I promise, I shall not take offense if you have. But it is like that. It is more than that they do not have fear; we are all samurai here, after all." He inclined his head to the two Kaiu. "But beyond having no fear, they have no regard for their own lives."

His frown deepened. "More than that... one of those who fought with me recognized one of them as her grandfather. And..." he hesitated a long moment, "-one looked familiar to me as well. Although... it could not have been her." His jaw clenched.

Another moment, and he looked back at Maiya. "Does that answer your question, Kaiu-sama?" He asked politely.

Kaiu Amaya · **Joined:** Fri Apr 17, 2020 2:15 am **Posts:** 173

"We both stood at the Wall and sometimes duty demanded of us to delve beyond." Amaya interjects with a hint of curiosity. "We never fought Matsu before. How do they compare to what we had to fight out there?"

Akodo Touki · **Joined:** Fri Apr 03, 2020 8:17 pm **Posts:** 628

Touki shook his head. "I don't know. I've never been to the wall."

He frowned again, considering. "But... Matsu are human, still. And despite the uncanny similarities our current foes had to..." his jaw clenched again, "... to those who we have lost, they still seemed as human to me. Just very aggressive."

Kaiu Maiya · **Joined:** Tue Apr 14, 2020 6:43 am **Posts:** 878

"I... see. Thank you... for the information." She responded somewhat stoically as she processed his words, especially those after Amaya's excellent question. Neither of them had fought Matsu, but they each knew a lot about fearlessness and having no regard for their own lives. She wondered if their enemy was really like that. If all Matsu were. If so, then why were there hardly ever any that helped fight the shadowlands? Or those that did and then fled afterwards to never return? Fighting a conventional battle with other humans was nothing like fighting the Empire's true enemy.

She could hardly say any of that to a Lion however.

So instead she focused on the part about them being similar to relatives. That was somewhat relatable. Maiya had heard stories from other Crab of them having to put down relatives who turned or who came back after dying. She shuddered involuntarily. They were one of the worst type of enemies to face.

"So, we may have to conquer our own feelings of familiar loyalty to best this enemy, ne? Thank you for the warning Akodo-sama."

Kaiu Amaya · **Joined:** Fri Apr 17, 2020 2:15 am **Posts:** 173

Amaya ponders the Lion's response for a moment.

"I guess that makes sense." She says and leans back to close her eyes again. "I guess all we can do now is experience it for ourselves. The better we are prepared, the less we will hesitate at the wrong moment."

Akodo Touki · **Joined:** Fri Apr 03, 2020 8:17 pm **Posts:** 628

Unaware of any of this, Touki simply nodded. "Yes. Although there are those that think that is a trick; that they have some ability to take familiar forms. I don't know." He shrugged. "Matsu-sama said that it looked like her grandfather, but did not behave like him. But other realms are supposed to leave an influence on those who they touch, or so I understand."

Still frowning, he leaned back, resting against the side of the pool, his arms coming up behind his head.

He looked back and forth between the two of them, eyebrows going up. "As guests, you may choose not to fight, of course. But if you wished to assist with the defense of the city, I would be honored to fight alongside Crab warriors."

Kaiu Amaya · **Joined:** Fri Apr 17, 2020 2:15 am **Posts:** 173

"We are defenders." Amaya states in a relaxed manner, basking in the comfortably warm bath. "We will defend."

Kaiu Maiya · **Joined:** Tue Apr 14, 2020 6:43 am **Posts:** 878

"We have the permission of your Clan to do so." Maiya adds, helpfully clarifying Amaya's comments. With her hands on her legs under the water she tries to relax a little more.

"Until then it's as Amaya-san has said. We'll have to experience it for ourselves. For now we can experience this nice bath, ne?"

Soap on, soap off (Day 8 EE)

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