Dark Edge Village

Fukawa had done a mighty battle to try and arrange the yurt assigned her into at least a semblence of a proper living quarters. It had truly been an uphill battle. No sliding paper screens to wall off areas? No chests of drawers to store things in? No shelves? No tatami mats?

The daisho stand had got down first. Fukawa's wakizashi rested upon it, in a place of honor, as the first thing you saw when you came in through the...flap. It was a symbol of her family's honor, after all, so it deserved the best. The various corners had been organized into what would have been rooms, had there been screens. The 'library' held her pillow books, paper, and calligraphy set. The 'kitchen' held five bottles of sake, and a decent number of dry rations. The 'bedroom' held the pillows and blankets for sleeping. The 'changing room' held her kimonos, jewelry, and makeup.

In the center of the yurt, a rokugani blanket (from the 'bedroom') had been laid down, and upon it, a beautiful tea set (from the 'kitchen') had been arranged. Here Fukawa awaited, in yet another kimono, this one where the Crane blue was closer in hue to sky blue, and the white upon it resembled gentle clouds.

Shinjo Liu Yue arrived at the outside of the yurt and scratched at the post. Her outfit comprised of both leather and furs, her arm covered this time with the heat going down. She had no idea what she had done to earn this invitation. I wonder how the flute lesson went. Is that why she called me here?

Fukawa arose, and opened the flap for her guest.

She offered a polite bow.

"Thank you for accepting my invitation, Shinjo-san. I am Doji Fukawa. Please come in and be welcome." she offers, in her normal musical voice.

The Shinjo bowed in return. "Arigatou gozaimasu, Fukawa-dono." She went inside and looked around briefly. This is what they Crane are like, huh? And I thought I kept my yurt organized. She turned to her host with a smile. "For what do I owe the honor?"

Fukawa shakes her head.

"On the contrary Shinjo-san, I am honored by your presence." she says. "I have met some of your kin, and have been very impressed with what I have seen of the Unicorn. I found myself wanting to meet more of them, and perhaps showing them a little bit of the Empire's culture. I've seen in you in passing in the village, and not having had the chance to meet you in one of the larger organized events, I thought if I reached out to you, you might do me the favor of a private meeting."

Is she... no, no. Akil-dono said that politeness does not mean attraction.

Gosh, Crane are confusing.

"I am easy to notice," she remarked with a nervous grin. She scratched the back of her head, not meeting her eyes quite yet. "What did you want to show me, Fukawa-dono?"

Fukawa motioned to the ornate tea set that had been arranged upon the blanket.

"I thought I might perform a traditional tea ceremony for you, Shinjo-san." she offered. "It is a popular ritual among samurai of the Empire. By focusing on the perfection of the movements of the ceremony, one finds their focus. It's quite soothing, really."

Yue looked over to the tea set and nodded. This is not a gift, right? No, a ritual isn't a gift.

"I accept," she announced, even though she had no idea what it really entailed. She blinked, a thought occurring to her. "Fukawa-dono? Why invite me instead of a man of my Clan?"

Fukawa considered the question, but only briefly. One did need to examine one's instincts from time to time.

"Well, for a few reasons, Shinjo-san." she replied. "If I invited a man to my yurt, I would then need to also invite at least one honor guard, and given the difference in clans, perhaps a second or third. Not that I expect that they would be needed, but it only takes a hint of impropriety to find one's name dragged through the public as if tied to the back of one of your fine steeds."

She paused a moment, before continuing.

"Rather than host such a large affair, I wanted to host something very private. Where things we might say will not be overheard. I've talked to a few of the men of your clan, and learned some interesting things, but there are some topics that are better between samurai-ko I find." she concludes.

"Is a chaperone needed for all yurt visits?" she asked immediately. She scratched the back of her head, knowing that her concern was obvious. "I may have had a misstep earlier, Fukawa-dono."

She nodded at the rest of the explanation. "Sou desu ka. I was simply curious."

I guess I'll find out what topics she's speaking of further into the conversation. Even without the masks the Crane can be so mysterious and confusing.

Fukawa shakes her head.

"Not required, no. Advisible when meeting with a samurai of the opposite gender, perhaps." she offers. "With little to do in the village, courtiers have extra time to talk about whom they suspect is well...tying their obi in the front."


She gestures for the spot for the Unicorn to sit down.

"There's only a couple of things you need to know about the tea ceremony to participate in it, Shino-san. When you are passed the tea bowl, you rotate it slightly, so you are not drinking from the exact same spot as the previous person, and then pass it on to the next person after you drink. There is no talking once the ceremony begins until the ceremony completes. I'll talk first, so it's clear to you when it's over." she explains.

"Sou desu ka," was all she had to say on the matter.

The Shinjo took the seat as directed and listened to the explanation. I thought the point of me coming here was to talk to her! She nodded. "Do not drink from the exact same spot. Do not talk until you do," she repeated. "I am ready, Fukawa-dono."

Fukawa takes her seat and begins the ceremony. There is a precise set of motions as she takes each tool and prepares the tea and a special kind of rhythm as she uses each tool. The tea is prepared precisely in the bowl and passed to the Unicorn. All in all, it's very meditative.

Tea Ceremony: 28 vs 15, Pass.

For her part, Yue did as directed. She sat there in silence and watched the Doji's precise movements. She is right. It is a bit calming to watch her at work. The Shinjo took a sip from the tea and handed it back to Fukawa. There was a desire for her to talk for much of the time. But she is resilient in more ways than one!

---

Etiquette/Awareness Fluff Roll: 11

The Doji took the tea cup back, rotated it and had her own sip. Two new cups of tea were served to be enjoyed with the light snacks provided, and the tools were put away. Finally, she broke the silence.

"Hopefully, you found that refreshing, Shinjo-san." she offered politely.