(D8, LA) Avian Tea

[Isawa Natsuko]

Natsuko had chosen to host this time, for a variety of reasons. The mushrooms had dried into frail, gray strips and bits that looked like old, dried leaves, and sat in a small Crane-blue bowl beside the tea ware.

She wore her nicer robes for what felt like a somewhat adult occasion...or maybe just playing tea party with more lively dolls. The flowing hanfu in warm orange silks had flowers embroidered along the hem and sleeves and trailing along the collar. Another layer of sheer golden fabric bore fewer, but more elaborate embroidered phoenix that shifted over the lower layer offering the illusion of something like flame and movement.

[Shiba Jiro]

Jiro stepped out of his room. He was far more timid than normal... it was obvious in his expression. But it also wasn't crushed and defeated like it might have been otherwise. He didn't know if the letter had been from her, but as he only knew two people that had anything to do with cats and he had never spoken with the Nakoma that was competing. It was her or someone he really was not considering. He wanted to believe it was her.

"Good afternoon," he says as he approaches the table, dressed in his formal ceremonial robes. He bowed properly but waited for a proper invitation to sit.

[Isawa Natsuko]

Natsuko rises, bowing with the same careful bend as always. The cat netsuke is visible holding her fan in place. The more elaborate yang carving is attached to her satchel, visible off to the side of the table along with the basket that looks to have padded spaces for all the tea ware and equipment.

"Shiba-san, I hope the Fortunes find you well, and the test today offered some ease."

[Suzume Rin]

There's a happy humming from outside the common room and some footsteps which probably indicates an approaching sparrow, but the couple have a few moments yet.

[Shiba Jiro]

"They are kind to me today," he replies after rising. Kinder than I probably deserve.

"The test was good. I found that it suited me reasonably well compared to most others. How was it for you?"

He had meditated before during after, so he really didn't know much about how anyone else did. The entire morning he felt passed him by in his meditations. He looked to her eyes wondering if she would meet his and what he would see there. This was a duty for her, likely maintaining appearances with an invited friend.

[Isawa Natsuko]

"My training involves a lot of meditation, carrying elements of it through well past the actual moments of sitting in actual practice." And indeed, her eyes reflect something of that, observing calmly, revealing little attachment to what is observed. "I am not sure how one judges such a thing, but I felt at peace with the task."

And there was a certain peacefulness about her. A quiet sense of arranging space and self for a comfortable experience for friends, while having little control over the discomfort her dispassionate affect might create. "Do you have paper with you?" She asks. "I have no skill, but a small gift for Suzume-san might be nice. She has been consistently pleasant, and very much the sort of samurai I think this tournament intends to create connections around."

It's a small thing. Rude to ask one guest to create a gift for another, but perhaps something one partner might ask of another.

[Shiba Jiro]

"I always do," he says with a nod, pulling out a sheet of paper from within the front fold of his robe. "She and I have worked on gifts for our hosts together. She is indeed quite pleasant. Is there any particular shape or creature you think would be more appropriate than a Sparrow or a Phoenix? Anything that you have discussed with her previously that might be represented with origami?"

[Isawa Natsuko]

"I'd like to let her have some of the mushrooms to take with, so maybe a box...with a bird of some sort." What with a meeting between two bird clans and all. "It that something one could do while drinking tea?"

[Shiba Jiro]

"It is, and I will," he confirmed for her, and gave a slight smile.

"Are... are you feeling well today?"

[Suzume Rin]

There's clap from outside the common room door and a slightly muffled

"Minna-sama, it's me....uh, Rin. I've brought snacks!"

[Isawa Natsuko]

"It is, and I will," he confirmed for her, and gave a slight smile.

"Are... are you feeling well today?"

"Of course, or I would stick to my bed..."

There's clap from outside the common room door and a slightly muffled

"Minna-sama, it's me....uh, Rin. I've brought snacks!"

Natsuko consideres other manners of wellness just as Rin announces herself. She nods before starting toward the door. "Were I stone, I would not settle so deeply today."

She slides the door open, the bows in all her orange and gold flutter. "Suzume-san, thank you for coming...and for snacks. The kitchen did not have more yams, so I just have mochi from them today."

[Suzume Rin]

Natsuko consideres other manners of wellness just as Rin announces herself. She nods before starting toward the door. "Were I stone, I would not settle so deeply today."

She slides the door open, the bows in all her orange and gold flutter. "Suzume-san, thank you for coming...and for snacks. The kitchen did not have more yams, so I just have mochi from them today."

"Oh you asked for yams? That's very sweet of you, they would have been lovely...but mochi is also pretty great though!"
Rin bows respectfully to both the Phoenix before fishing a wrapped package out

"They gave me this in the kitchen, dried and salted seaweed? Said it would go well with tea. Don't have much of it back home on account of the distance to the sea, but I hope it does the trick."

Entering and looking around, completely missing any lingering context
"I hope everyone's day has been swell. Gosh, your room is so nice. It even smells nice!"

[Shiba Jiro]

"Of course, or I would stick to my bed..."

Natsuko consideres other manners of wellness just as Rin announces herself. She nods before starting toward the door. "Were I stone, I would not settle so deeply today."

He nods to this, not entirely certain if she meant she was unsettled, but he believed that's what she was suggesting. Which would be more than fair.

"Oh you asked for yams? That's very sweet of you, they would have been lovely...but mochi is also pretty great though!"
Rin bows respectfully to both the Phoenix before fishing a wrapped package out

"They gave me this in the kitchen, dried and salted seaweed? Said it would go well with tea. Don't have much of it back home on account of the distance to the sea, but I hope it does the trick."

Entering and looking around, completely missing any lingering context
"I hope everyone's day has been swell. Gosh, your room is so nice. It even smells nice!"

Jiro bows to Rin, then rises a friendly smile in place. "I am glad to see you again Suzume-san. I hope that you are doing well today."

[Isawa Natsuko]

Natsuko slides the door closed behind their guest. "Salted seaweed sounds pleasant. I do not see it so much in our mountains either. Should enjoy it while we are still here."

She follows and gestures at the cushions. The Crane certainly had not skimped on decor. The cushions were comfy. Suitable for sitting on to meditate for hours if the mood took you.

"There is usually incense at the little shrine here every day. Does the Sparrow section not have any sort of shrine for morning devotions? It's been really nice to be able to start every morning that way even before stepping out into the world."

Dropping to her own cushion in a flutter of silk and instantly bruised knees if the Crane hadn't overstuffed the furnishings so nicely, Natsuko pokes at the tiny portable 'stove' that's busy heating water. "Between today's test and the work at the shrine, it feels like a very good day, honestly. I hope the tea will be soothing to your throat, Suzume-san, should protect a talent like that."

[Suzume Rin]

"Oh, our housing is a bit smaller...Probably since you know, there are so many clans they just didn't have space for everyone. It's still comfortable though! Everytime I sit down I dang near sink into the cushion, always a struggle to get out again."

Sitting down after Natsuko and looking down at the stove after the Isawa's praise

"Oh I was just letting my mood carry me, no great art there. Just seemed to happy is all, we'd done all that work earlier on the temple and now everyone's coming together to make this wonderful art. Just felt a song coming on...throat is a bit sore though."

Looking up sheepishly

"Event was interesting though, wasn't it? I always really like when thinking is the main goal, let's me think 'bout thinking...if that makes sense."

[Isawa Natsuko]

Natsuko nods, pouring the little gray mushroom bits into the solid little tetsubin, pouring hot...but not boiling...water over them. The scent that rises is reminiscent of the forest floor, incense, and rain.

"I find something calming in these more thoughtful tests, but also meditation is good for clearing the mind." She looks up toward Jiro with that calm and open gaze before pouring the tea into cups with a very elemental flavor to them, passing the reddish one Jiro's way, the blue to Rin, and retaining the speckled black.

"I have a few things that could sooth the throat, if you'd like to have some after this tea?"

[Shiba Jiro]

Jiro listened for now, smiling to their guest, and accepted the cup of tea. He then took the paper from the table that he had pulled out earlier and began folding, slowly and deliberately. It wasn't flashy or insightful, but it was a slow, steady, rhythmic and calming series of folds.

D8 LA, Origami | TN: 2 | Success: 2 / Opportunity: 0 / Strife: 0

Success, reduce Rin's strife by 3

[Suzume Rin]

Rin breathes deeply, the scent transporting her back to the forest...and there's lovely little origami animals everywhere...oh it's so soothing. The Sparrow's body visibly relaxes and her head starts to nod forward before she jerks herself back

"Hmmhm? Oh...sorry Minna-sama. Things just got so peaceful there for a moment...there were all of these little paper animals, and none of them were angry."

Truly idyllic.

"Something for my throat would be wonderful, but please don' go troublin' yourself, we're all busy as is. I think you said some truly insightful things at the test today...well, I think you did, truth is I didn't understand half of it. But that probably means its more insightful? Just because you don't understand something don't mean it's wrong, if someone wise says it it means you gotta learn."

[Isawa Natsuko]

Natsuko shrugs. "I think a Yogo judge voting down an explanation of...well, of the soul's place in the universe, given by even a young Isawa would probably be viewed as some kind of grudge. I think some of them still feel bad about Yogo leaving Asako in the lurch too." She sips her tea, which she'd described the other night as tasting the way temple incense makes you feel.

"You did quite well with your answers too. Which is not a surprise. You seem very grounded compared to some of the competitors here." She quietly watches Jiro folding. "I think most of the Phoenix did pretty well today, didn't they?"

[Shiba Jiro]

Continuing to fold, Jiro gives a nod of agreement. He does pause for a moment to sip his tea, but doesn't delay in getting back to work.

"Little paper animals everywhere? Sounds like my home. It's kind of like a paper menagerie."