[D0, EA, expecting] Exploring steps

[Kuni Mitsuko]

"Well....they're definitely more Akodoie...."
Rin looks around to make sure no passing Lion was tempted to decapitate her.
"But I guess Akodo...are the family of Akodo no kami....so I mean...you know...."
Small shrug

Mitsuko continues to look perplexed for a few more moments, then gives up. "Um, if they're more Liony than us, then they're Liony enough?" She suggests with a giggle. "I'm sure we'll see some real Liony types around here, especially if I'm in the dojo as much as I should be."

[Suzume Rin]

Mitsuko continues to look perplexed for a few more moments, then gives up. "Um, if they're more Liony than us, then they're Liony enough?" She suggests with a giggle. "I'm sure we'll see some real Liony types around here, especially if I'm in the dojo as much as I should be."

"Oh definitely! I mean, there are always Lion. And they're definitely more Liony than me, I'm really only sparrowy at most."
Nodding vigorously
"I bet you take your training real serious...maybe I should find the dojo as well. All I've been doing is meeting people and harvesting yams, and there normally ain't nothing wrong with that. But I've really only been practicing my kata by the road most evenings."

[Kuni Mitsuko]

"Oh definitely! I mean, there are always Lion. And they're definitely more Liony than me, I'm really only sparrowy at most."
Nodding vigorously
"I bet you take your training real serious...maybe I should find the dojo as well. All I've been doing is meeting people and harvesting yams, and there normally ain't nothing wrong with that. But I've really only been practicing my kata by the road most evenings."

"I explored it a bit earlier with this Phoenix I ran into. The whole academy complex here is... Wait... By the road? Like... By the road, as you traveled here from your dojo," Mitsuko says, a quizzical look on her face that looks rather sinister when accentuated by her facepaint.

[Suzume Rin]

"I explored it a bit earlier with this Phoenix I ran into. The whole academy complex here is... Wait... By the road? Like... By the road, as you traveled here from your dojo," Mitsuko says, a quizzical look on her face that looks rather sinister when accentuated by her facepaint.

Taking an unconscious quarter of a step back.
"Oh hai, it wasn't that long a journey and I was able to harvest enough along the way. I don't eat much so I hope it won't be missed. Most of my food goes to Ishi since he's a bit bigger than me and needs to keep his strength up."

[Kuni Mitsuko]

Taking an unconscious quarter of a step back.
"Oh hai, it wasn't that long a journey and I was able to harvest enough along the way. I don't eat much so I hope it won't be missed. Most of my food goes to Ishi since he's a bit bigger than me and needs to keep his strength up."

"Ok," Mitsuko allows. "And then Ishi is?"

[Suzume Rin]

"Ok," Mitsuko allows. "And then Ishi is?"

"Ishi's my horse Kuni-sama. He's um."
Rin tries to think of some appropriate descriptors
"Horsy? Uh, and strong, loyal too. Well I think he's loyal, he doesn't talk much."

[Kuni Mitsuko]

"Ishi's my horse Kuni-sama. He's um."
Rin tries to think of some appropriate descriptors
"Horsy? Uh, and strong, loyal too. Well I think he's loyal, he doesn't talk much."

The Kuni smiles, then stifles a giggle.

"Doesn't talk much, Suzume-san?" Mitsuko grins. "I'm sure I would like to meet him. Regardless of how much he talks."

[Suzume Rin]

The Kuni smiles, then stifles a giggle.

"Doesn't talk much, Suzume-san?" Mitsuko grins. "I'm sure I would like to meet him. Regardless of how much he talks."

"Well, I mean, he wickers sometimes when he wants more food. And if I've be gone for a while he gets a little nervous and he'll definitely let you know that. I never knew horses were so much work but it's been a good experience learnin'. You can definitely meet him though, he's staying at the inn. Well, next to it I guess."

Which reminded her
"Ain't the Inn really nice though? I nearly sunk into my futon and the servants there just keep handing me stuff to drink whenever I go to wave at them. Honestly I feel a bit spoiled by it all, I haven't even done anything yet."

[Kuni Mitsuko]

"Well, I mean, he wickers sometimes when he wants more food. And if I've be gone for a while he gets a little nervous and he'll definitely let you know that. I never knew horses were so much work but it's been a good experience learnin'. You can definitely meet him though, he's staying at the inn. Well, next to it I guess."

Which reminded her
"Ain't the Inn really nice though? I nearly sunk into my futon and the servants there just keep handing me stuff to drink whenever I go to wave at them. Honestly I feel a bit spoiled by it all, I haven't even done anything yet."

"Yes, it's very comfortable," Mitsuko agrees. "It... It isn't like growing up in the Kuni lands, or even the academy at Kyuden Hida. It's... Everything here is just more, you know?"

[Suzume Rin]

"Yes, it's very comfortable," Mitsuko agrees. "It... It isn't like growing up in the Kuni lands, or even the academy at Kyuden Hida. It's... Everything here is just more, you know?"

"I guess that must be the Crane for you. Although I'm sure they put an extra effort in for the Topaz with all the important being being here. Kyuden Hida is really more too though, isn't it?"
Spreading her arms
"I've heard it's one of the biggest castles in the empire. I'd really like to see it some day, even if maybe the futons aren't so comfy."

[Kuni Mitsuko]

"I guess that must be the Crane for you. Although I'm sure they put an extra effort in for the Topaz with all the important being being here. Kyuden Hida is really more too though, isn't it?"
Spreading her arms
"I've heard it's one of the biggest castles in the empire. I'd really like to see it some day, even if maybe the futons aren't so comfy."

Mitsuko nods, gently muttering "Very Crane..."

"Oh, Kyuden Hida is glorious," the Kuni says with great conviction. "It is a master work, well suited to everything the clan needs it to be." Mitsuko's pride is clearly evident. And she catches herself, and reins in the pride. "It, um... Yes. Perhaps if I'm assigned near Kyuden Hida, you could come visit after all of this." She makes the offer without thinking about whether it's appropriate.

[Suzume Rin]

Mitsuko nods, gently muttering "Very Crane..."

"Oh, Kyuden Hida is glorious," the Kuni says with great conviction. "It is a master work, well suited to everything the clan needs it to be." Mitsuko's pride is clearly evident. And she catches herself, and reins in the pride. "It, um... Yes. Perhaps if I'm assigned near Kyuden Hida, you could come visit after all of this." She makes the offer without thinking about whether it's appropriate.

"Oh I'm sure it is, does is till have the big skull over the front gate? That must be something."
Rin imagined it as as big as two skulls..no, three skulls! Three large skulls!

"Come visit you? Well that would be lovely if our duties allow. You're real hospitable Kuni-sama, but I wouldn't want to impose if it's a hassle. I'm sure you'll have some big important duty that will need seeing to."

[Kuni Mitsuko]

"Oh I'm sure it is, does is till have the big skull over the front gate? That must be something."
Rin imagined it as as big as two skulls..no, three skulls! Three large skulls!

"Come visit you? Well that would be lovely if our duties allow. You're real hospitable Kuni-sama, but I wouldn't want to impose if it's a hassle. I'm sure you'll have some big important duty that will need seeing to."

Mitsuko seems to get her thoughts scrambled for a moment.

"Er, well, I suppose we'll see. I'm, um... I've been a good student, so we'll see how all of this turns out. My parents haven't said a word about what might be coming next for me. I think they wanted me to focus on the championship." She sighs lightly. "So I'll try to do that. But it's hard to not think about what else is coming when this tournament is only a few days long..."

[Suzume Rin]

Mitsuko seems to get her thoughts scrambled for a moment.

"Er, well, I suppose we'll see. I'm, um... I've been a good student, so we'll see how all of this turns out. My parents haven't said a word about what might be coming next for me. I think they wanted me to focus on the championship." She sighs lightly. "So I'll try to do that. But it's hard to not think about what else is coming when this tournament is only a few days long..."

"Of course, you could end up anywhere! With your training I bet they'll put you in charge of some folks. That's a lot to think about. Me I reckon I'm just heading back home unless something real strange happens. Haven't thought too much about what comes next, guess I'll find out when it happens."

[Kuni Mitsuko]

"Of course, you could end up anywhere! With your training I bet they'll put you in charge of some folks. That's a lot to think about. Me I reckon I'm just heading back home unless something real strange happens. Haven't thought too much about what comes next, guess I'll find out when it happens."

Mitsuko smiles, a jumble of emotions feeding that smile but probably not clear through the facepaint.

"We'll find out when it happens," she agrees. "And for now..." She shrugs. "We train and try to do well in the competition. Not a lot else to do, right?"

[Suzume Rin]

Mitsuko smiles, a jumble of emotions feeding that smile but probably not clear through the facepaint.

"We'll find out when it happens," she agrees. "And for now..." She shrugs. "We train and try to do well in the competition. Not a lot else to do, right?"

" 'Course, training is real important, gotta take that seriously."
Rubbing her nose
"But, if you wanted to Kuni-sama, there's more to Tsuma than just the Dojo. You got the shopping, the temples, the forest and all the samurai our age wandering around. Reckon that's enough to keep me entertained in between training."

[Kuni Mitsuko]

" 'Course, training is real important, gotta take that seriously."
Rubbing her nose
"But, if you wanted to Kuni-sama, there's more to Tsuma than just the Dojo. You got the shopping, the temples, the forest and all the samurai our age wandering around. Reckon that's enough to keep me entertained in between training."

The Crab looks for a moment like she'll argue. Training and studying make up the majority of each day for her - and have for a long time. But her new Sparrow friend makes a fair point. Especially if this is going to be over soon anyway?

"Uh. Well, Suzume-san, you're... right. Um. Maybe... You could pick something, and I'll tag along." Despite the evident internal conflict, Mitsuko looks as hopefully at Rin as a mask of white and red possibly can.

[Suzume Rin]

The Crab looks for a moment like she'll argue. Training and studying make up the majority of each day for her - and have for a long time. But her new Sparrow friend makes a fair point. Especially if this is going to be over soon anyway?

"Uh. Well, Suzume-san, you're... right. Um. Maybe... You could pick something, and I'll tag along." Despite the evident internal conflict, Mitsuko looks as hopefully at Rin as a mask of white and red possibly can.

"No tagging along about it, we'll go together! That way I know I'll have a partner to watch my back in case we get inta trouble."
Rin clearly believed nobody in that right mind would bother a face painted Kuni

"We could go enjoy some tea at the The House of the Red Lotus? I hear they put on entertainment like shows, so we'd enjoy some speciality Crane food while seeing some specialty Crane art."

[Kuni Mitsuko]

"No tagging along about it, we'll go together! That way I know I'll have a partner to watch my back in case we get inta trouble."
Rin clearly believed nobody in that right mind would bother a face painted Kuni

"We could go enjoy some tea at the The House of the Red Lotus? I hear they put on entertainment like shows, so we'd enjoy some speciality Crane food while seeing some specialty Crane art."

The Kuni's eyes get large and she almost balks at the potential overdose of special Crane-ness, but if Rin wants to go somewhere with her... Mitsuko takes a deep breath to steady herself.

"Alright, that sounds... That'll be great. Very... Oh, educational, right?" That additional justification dawning on her makes the Crab girl brighten. "Right," she says more warmly, grinning noticeably.

[Suzume Rin]

The Kuni's eyes get large and she almost balks at the potential overdose of special Crane-ness, but if Rin wants to go somewhere with her... Mitsuko takes a deep breath to steady herself.

"Alright, that sounds... That'll be great. Very... Oh, educational, right?" That additional justification dawning on her makes the Crab girl brighten. "Right," she says more warmly, grinning noticeably.

"Right! It's like research, right?" replied Rin, clearly happy Mitsuko was pleased with the idea.

"You know I've only seen the couple plays. Seeing professionals doing it should be something else, hope there's something exciting on. And I probably wouldn't have the nerve to go all on my lonesome, so I feel a lot better knowing we'll do it together."