Never Feeling Clean (Open)

[Doji Sakura]

"I think Asako-san doesn't understand. Friendship is more than just social contacts. Friendship is people who can look past any burdens, and shortcomings, and just see someone for who they are really. Friendship reminds us that we're not really alone. Friends can study together, work together, and play together. Otherwise you risk becoming..." Sakura paused, trying to think of a nice word before settling on "...isolated. Nobody should be alone Asako-san."

[Asako Saburo]

He listened to her. Gods, but she sounded like his sister, though his sister only said such things occasionally when he was being particularly stubborn about some social point. He grunted, resting his head back at the lip of the bath, allowing the heat to leech in and to help continue cleansing his skin. "Of course we are no alone. We see a hundred, a thousand fellows on the fields of battle, standing side by side against the foe. No samurai stands alone in battle, though each dies apart from all, and meets Meido alone."

A small shake. "I have always been alone most of my life, Doji-san. I am fine this way."

[Doji Sakura]

"One can be surrounded by a thousand people and be very alone Asako-san" Sakura said, a slight sadness to her voice "it's the worst feeling ever. You shouldn't be alone, it's not right. I'll look after you Asako-san, so you never have to be alone anymore."

She gave him a soft smile, her blue eyes looking at his.

"You've got a friend in me."

[Asako Saburo]

"I have the kami. They are easy to speak to," he countered, shaking his head and raising an eyebrow. "You do not actually need to put yourself out of your way to assist in this." Kami, this girl was going to insist wasn't she? Gods, the last thing he needed was some ditz of a weaponsith in the making keep hanging on his every word. His head ached at the prospect, though he also supposed that he had no reason to refuse if she illogically insisted a third time. What was his life in this place?

"I am alone, but I am very much accustomed to solitude. I must assume you are not."

[Doji Sakura]

"Do the kami understand people though? I don't know the kami, or what they do, but I can't imagine talking to a kami being the same as talking to a friend" Sakura shook her head "you shouldn't ever be alone. I've been alone a lot before, and it's not as fun as being around nice people. You'll see!"

[Asako Saburo]

"Kami understand me just fine. The last fire kami had a perfect understanding of the exact temperature it would take to light my kimono on fire spontaneously and how long it could burn m..." He frowned, looking up at the ceiling, grunting in close to a growl. "Kami understand us perfectly well, in so far as they view the world. They do not see it as you do. I rather like their appreciation of reality. It is not so ... convoluted."

A second grunt. "I am not going to be able to dissuade you in this, clearly. Mother did say Crane are like this. Like to be friends with everyone." It didn't sound like an insult, more like calling water wet. "You may continue to socialize if you insist."

[Doji Sakura]

"Crane are friends with everyone. That's why we're lovely" Sakura beamed a big smile "now when the fire kami set you on fire a friend can put the fire out before it burns you too bad! How great is that?"

[Asako Saburo]

An eta with a bucket can do that too.

"Yes, yes. So I am often told." He refrained from mentioning that the Lion often had different opinions on that friendship. Same with the Crab. But that would have just been inciting things and he didn't need to be told. "I take that gives me leave to throw a bucket of water at you should a fire kami come looking for you?"

[Doji Sakura]

"I work in a forge all the time, I'm surrounded by fire!" Sakura laughed "however if I catch on fire then I would be happy it Asako-san put the fire out and saved my beautiful kimonos."

[Asako Saburo]

He frowned in confusion. "You wear high quality kimono in a forge? Are there not more appropriate sorts of clothing for that kind of work? I would think linen would breathe bett... yes, I will be willing to throw a bucket of water in the middle of the forget if you catch yourself on fire." He was definitely taking this one a little too seriously, but oh well. He always did that.

[Doji Sakura]

"I only own silk kimonos though" Sakura frowned "mother always said it's important to have pretty kimonos, and all of mine are pretty! Why would I have a not pretty kimono?"

[Asako Saburo]

"It is a practical selection for a situation in which one is not expected to be in the company of others, but rather the work and toil, so that one's sweat does not impact the fabric." He shrugged, unsure how best to put it, though that did get across the gist. "Do you expect to be seen in the midst of forging a blade?"

[Doji Sakura]

"i have had someone interrupt me every day I've been here working at the forge, so I'm glad I was looking presentable even if I was slightly focused and sometimes a little unclean. Silk is also a nicer material to wear while being at a forge, it's very hot and silk is very cooling in thin layers" Sakura explained with a nod "and the people that clean my robes do a good job too!"

[Asako Saburo]

Hmmm... Ok, she had a point. "Yes, I could see why it matters more right now. We are in the middle of a situation where there is a constant stream of interruptions," he said to one of his many interruptions. Her singing voice did like to cut into his study time after all. "So, being ready should you be required to be sociable is a thought... but I would imagine that you must prefer a certain peace when working on your various works of art and smithing under normal circumstances."

[Doji Sakura]

"When you work with gems, even the tiniest slip means you ruin it to the point of being potentially unusable, so I do prefer some quiet" Sakura nodded "last thing one would want is to destroy a precious ruby or sapphire because they were chatting away while working, ne? I've not worked with rubies or sapphires yet, I'm only on Jade and quartz, but even then I can see the delicate work needed."

[Asako Saburo]

"Any work with something as precious and valued as Jade is certainly going to be intricate work," he agreed. It was sacred after all. still, there was enough of it, was there not? And fine works of jade were seen in certain places as blessings. "I should definitely imagine that you would not want to craft netsuke or something grander without at least the quiet necessary for meditative focus."

He reached his hand out and looked at it. Starting to prune. "We should probably dry off at this point, Doji-san. Never good to linger too long. Bad for the humors."

[Doji Sakura]

"I'm sure once my tanto is done it'll be beautiful and useful, but hai it needed a lot of focus!"

Sakura looked at the boys hand confused.

"Lingering is bad for humour? I don't really understand comedy."

[Asako Saburo]

"Humors, blood flow, the chi within oneself, that sort of thing. Best not to retain too much water at any time. It overwhelms the earth and muddies it." Look, he actually hadn't passed his medical training, so it might be best not to take too much advice from him, though pruning could be bad. "See, wrinkles. Always a sign to depart."

[Doji Sakura]

"Ooh! Asako-san is so smart" Sakura looked at the boy with amazement "I never knew that! So if you get wet for too long your fingers turn into an old womans? Water really is impressive....does that also happen if you stand in the rain for too long?"

It was clear she hadn't got the hint.

[Asako Saburo]

He was slowly getting out of the water in any case, grunting and stopping to the side to make sure he didn't step on any more deadly deadly tree frogs. No? Good, no tree frog stepping for the moment. Her question made him blink and he shook his head. "Prolonged exposure directly to water causes it. Not the rain. Though I would not stand idly in the rain as a rule. That has its own disadvantages. One can catch their death of a cold in that. I always keep a wide brimmed hat and cloak for those situations." As he spoke, he began to towel off with the towel that hadn't had tree frogs on smacked by it.