The New Winds

Time to take a bath — he was invited for a meeting, and the time spent in market and forge gave his appearance and smell a bad impression. This bath house was small but cozy, much cozier and prettier than the Wall's. The Crane knew what they were doing. Being the hour people should be active around the city, he was alone there.

Having arrived later than others, Asahi needed to wash away his travels. He scrubbed himself thoroughly and rinsed away the filth before approaching the bath.

"Konnichiwa, may I join you?" he asked with a bow.

(OOC: It's actually should be an uncommon time for bathing, not too early or too late.)
"Of course. That thing is public." He nods. "Never have seen you before. Well, there were no Dragon at the dojo. Who are you?"

"Kitsuki Asahi." he answered with a smile. "We Dragon can be very elusive and reclusive, contemplating the mysteries of the universe. I usually in the forge, though."

The gathering crowds amassed outside with the arrival of fresh faced samurai and different clansmen from all across the empire. Banners and colors all different shapes, colors, and sizes fly valiantly through the air in preparation for the tourament. Samurai from the far reaches Kichiro had only read about in scrolls now made material and so much more real than his studies. It was too much.

Kichiro escaped to the bathhouse at an uncommon hour to find solace and recenter himself. Entering the bathroom came a slender built man of the ideal age of a contestant. His eyes locked forward and mute of emotion with a slow deliberation to each step. A small bow is offered to the two individuals within the house and he slowly steps into the water.

No word or attention to others is given. Eyes closed Kichiro slowly sinks into the water until his face is nearly completely submerged and only a tuft of hair from atop his head remains above water. A few bubble rise to the surface in front of his submerged face. After a minute he rises back up so only his nose and eyes remain out of the water. Eyes locked forward, thoughts locked within his mind.

"That's something I didn't expect. A Kitsuki told me before that the Kitsuki school was of investigators, but that she was not. Neither you, apparently, heh? I was at the forge this morning. I'm both a weapon and an armorsmith at the forge, although definetively pending to the weaponsmith side. Making a tessen myself. What about you?" He looked to the boy who just entered, regal as a lion. He remembers something about the Crane not liking it when hair touched the bath water, but in the Wall they did not care, and neither did the Kaiu.

"Oh, I am an investigator." he grinned. "But, that includes investigating weoponcraft, specifically bladecraft."

Just above the water's surface stares Kichiro's light brown eyes daring back and forth between the two. Unraveling the mystery behind their identifies. An investigator? Even groomed future magistrate or dra- yep definitely dragon tagged yourself there Kitsuki. This other fellow... warsmith? Narrows it down some.


"Tessen." Kichiro speaks out as he slowly rises up and sits upright properly in the bath. "Signaling device used to convey instruction across a battlefield by a commander. Forward march, archored line, marching column..." Kichiro moves his palm imitating a warfan and proper signaling. Years of schooling rehearsed within his mind as he goes through the motions. "A little young to be commanding troops should your project be self serving. A worthy patron of your arts perhaps? "

The Kaiu nodded friendly at the Dragon. But This Samurai... This Samurai annoyingly had some ego. Unluckly for him, Aiichiro knew that if the dispute was knowledge, he could always win against some arrogant Crane or Phoenix.

He imitated the hand gestures in a similar fashion to the other kid. "Kanashiki and saiganki are two very important ones too, as you must be aware for the accute knowledge you have displayed. I am a nikutai and already have a single war fan. The other is intended first for self-defense, and after I get a proper daisho I will be able to deliver it to my daimyo as I have promised." He more or less stays in his same position, half-buried in water up to his chin.

It was Asahi's turn to watch. Warfare wasn't a subject he had much familiarity with, beyond the weapons used. This would be interesting and could be informative.

"Ah such a prestigious rank for one so young and a most incredible patron as well. Surely the heaven's smile down upon you." Kichiro lowers his head briefly as to simulate simulate a bow. "To already promise the lives of ten battle harden souls to one before the completion of gempukku?! Surely blessed." There is a hint of irritation. He's possibly an imperial... Wait I recognize that slang.

Eyes widen briefly as he connects the dots. "I have not earned my fan yet crab-san. The tamahagane forged, hammered, and sharpened into an ideal tool but still.... Untested. With fortune's blessing I might rise to that challenge past this tournament and onward onto the summer fields of glory. An expectation I must live up to in adulthood." A tinge of reflection hits him as he reminds himself that it is his hosts of this festival he is most likely to meet on the field. A stinging thought.

"Do you feel tested crab-san? Ready to brave that mighty wall and hold back the tide? Many nights have passed me chatting with a Hida of your clan. Attempting to answer that same question." There is a hollowness in his stare. A horror that acknowledges that place but does not dare speak of it. His friend's stories fresh in his mind.

Thankfully, Aiichiro lacked enough social graces to recognize irritation in the man's voice. "I hope too to perform well on my adulthood. I yet have met no battlefield. For the last question, I reply only what I answered Kenji-kun many months ago. As any bushi should always think on their death, I should too always think on what awaits beyond the Wall." He felt more comfortable knowing the little man met before a Hida, and this one seemed to respect Crabs for that as he (or so he thought) noticed a drop in arrogance.
"But by the tests that will be held tomorrow and after? I must confess that I do not. My sensei knows I am both not a great duelist, nor have the sharp graces of the courtiers. This invite was probably sued to me as a member of the imperial dojo, which my sensei sent me over as she thought me a promising student. They also encouraged me to attend this week." Probably not because of what he thinks on the matter but because it is not quite the sort of thing you deny.
"I'll be no striking spectacle for the public view. I let Ginkarasu-san or Yotsuo-san hold this hole on my stead. I may only theorize I was sent here to bring respect over my name in the smaller avaliations before the great iaijutsu match. What about you, Kitsuki-san, Daidoji-san?" He tried to include the Dragon on the conversation. And guessed pretty wrongly the Lion.

"Much glory can be found in the tests, but it is honor we truly seek, neh?" the Kitsuki shrugged. "To forge our names and take our place as servants of our clan and the Empire. That is all I seek."

"D-Daijoji?!" Kichiro pinches his brow in disbelief. "Please.. It's Akodo. Akodo Kichiro." A mislabel that must not reach his cousins else he wouldn't hear the end of it.

"To being a lackluster spectacle I can relate. I may be a competent duelist, ready to settle any dispute of honor with a test of steel, but there are those among us with bred for the highest courts equipped with thunderous speed. I'll leave the glory to my cousins." Attention turns fully to the dragon. "Surely the brightest star among us shines atop the northern mountains. A humble answer Kitsuki-san but do not cut yourself short." Kami know that clan needs a win Kichiro thought to himself.

He laughed. "I like you Akodo-sama. You have quite the way with words. You both do. I, like both of you, am competent in many areas. I should do well enough. But, it is unlikely that I'll shine above many others, unless they test our ability to solve a mystery or forge a blade. Kaiu-sama can likely challenge me in the latter."

He smiles. "I once gained a gift from a kenku for being good at riddles. I wouldn't say I'm bad at solving mysteries!" He said. Quite a strange history. "And for your forgiveness I must beg, honorable Lion. One of our senseis is the Lion rikugunshokan. Perhaps you would be interested in talking with him."
...Now he should sound surely like lying to impress.

Past's Kichiro strict On he is moved by Asahi's joy. Although he chooses not to show it, he is happy to simply be recognized and converse with his peers. "You two will rule the day come the artistry competition for sure. You two creating great tools of destiny... I am much more comfortable repairing the past than forging the future. Kintsugi to be precise." He says with anticipation for the event.

"A rikugunshokan of the Lion firsthand?! N-No please I am in no position to request such an audience. If you have trained underneath a lion of such renown your lessons must far exceed my own." he says calmly even as his face goes flustered. The honor of representing the Akodo commander college in the topaz championship suddenly seemed more akin to a sacrifice.

Asahi grinned. "This should be a very interesting competition if the others are anything like us. Tales will be told, I am sure."

"If it is your wish, we may find Eiko-sensei together, Akodo-san. I may need to apologize for my poor performance at the imperial dojo anyway."

...

A long pause with Kichiro in deep contemplation.

...

...

"No thank you." Kichiro firmly decides. Strong belief that a samurai of his stature has no business bothering such a high ranking clansman.