Dog and Dragonfly (day 8 early morning, Misa's room)

[Tonbo Misa]

Misa gave a soft laugh into her sleeve. "Don't. One of the benefits of having nearly nothing to my name is there's little I can have spilled. All I can really think of are my tea leaves, and those are simple enough to use with a quick sweep up." Even as she said that, Sanmi was over at the spot, shooing away both puppies and cleaning up the mess.

[Moto Baatar]

"Well, who knew that puppies even liked tea?" Baatar asked, sounding exasperated. "For shame, Gölöghime! The Crane will throw you out of Autumn Court for sure."


There was a sad little puppy whine in response to Baatar's scolding.

"I hope Tea Ceremony isn't one of the things they're going to test the puppies on tonight," Baatar confided to Misa. "A cousin told me that the dogs would be playing Fortunes & Winds, but I'm hoping he was kidding."

[Tonbo Misa]

"No, I don't believe it will be either. The Moto will most likely test them on things a dog is more prone to do." She couldn't help grinning just a little. "Though, perhaps I should try training Tenchi in tea ceremony..."

[Moto Baatar]

"So far Gölöghime's proudest accomplishment is not making puddles indoors," Baatar said. "It may not sound like much, but it's a pretty good first step! Tea ceremony does seem a logical next step. Or... maybe not. It might be too cruel to Sanmi, who just finished cleaning up the last spill."

"Besides, I'm not sure I really grasp the exact way you do a tea ceremony, myself," the Unicorn admitted. "It's not something you can really do from horseback. Maybe it's something you do a lot in Tonbomura though?"

[Tonbo Misa]

"Mhm, it is. It's really meant for the indoors, though I've done it outside before." She gave a warm smile toward Baatar. "It takes some practice to get right, but that's the same as everything, isn't it?"

[Moto Baatar]

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Baatar replied, sounding cheered by the thought.

"Maybe after two or three practice miai, I'll be able to get the next one right!" he joked.

[Tonbo Misa]

"Moto-san won't be leaving this miai unmarried, so unless you are aiming to become a nakodo, I think this will be your only one." She gave a bright grin.

[Moto Baatar]

"Ahhh, there's no time to practice, then," Baatar moaned melodramatically. "I guess I better hope this one works out right." The tone of his voice was light and joking, but a hint of worry could be heard behind that.

"I'm sure it will work out well for you, though, Tonbo-sama," he added. "It sounds like you'll have your pick of suitors for your match."

[Tonbo Misa]

Misa shrugged faintly. "Do I? I've hardly shown myself well in any of the competitions so far, and I've never been called a fair, noble maiden. If I am a good pick, it will be for my position I imagine, unlike Moto-san, who will show his talent."

[Moto Baatar]

"Eh? You must have something you're good at," Baatar said, a little thoughtlessly. "You have a fun spirit, if nothing else. What sorts of things do you like to do?"

[Tonbo Misa]

That caused Misa to titter into her sleeve, grinning. "Oh, there's much I'm good at indeed. They're just not very competitive things. Unless your clan holds some sort of tea ceremony or meditation ceremony, I doubt I'll show my talents. Well, that or perhaps iaijutsu."

[Moto Baatar]

"What? You're a duelist, like that woman that challenged Kitakuhime?" Baatar asked, sounding surprised. "Uh... how is that possible...?"

[Tonbo Misa]

Misa tilted her head curiously, still grinning softly. "Training?"

[Moto Baatar]

"But how can you duel someone if you can't see them?" Baatar asked, plainly skeptical. "In stories they always say 'show me your stance' and, well ... don't you have to look at them at that point, to know what to do next?"

[Tonbo Misa]

Misa shook her head a little. "I've been told there's something to seeing another's stance that can make a difference, but there's a lot more to it than that. A trained duelist will have a presence you can feel in their motions, hear in their movements. There's a spiritual component to it that's hard to explain."