[D4 LE] Freshen Up (Open)

[Hida Daichi]

After the party Daichi figured getting cleaned up from the day wouldn't be a bad thing to do. The big man stripped and cleansed himself, still feeling a bit of the heady buzz from all the drink he had at the Mantis party.

Daichi exited the cleansing area into the baths with his towel over his shoulder. He hung the towel near the bath and sank into the warm waters enjoying the feeling on tight muscles. He briefly closed his eyes and let out a tiny sigh of relaxation.

[Kitsuki Naida]

Did Naida trust the baths anymore? Not really. Did that mean she wasn't taking one? C'mon, this was Naida.

So it was that the Dragon woman walked out of the changing rooms with a towel over her shoulder and her lit pipe in the other. It helped her relax but, more importantly, it gave her some piece of mind; Sure, it was a weapon that probably wouldn't effect some weird spirit. Then again? It just might

All damp from rinsing off, Naida padded over before gingerly slipping into the water, making sure not to get her pipe wet.

"Good evening, Hida-sama. Fancy seeing you here."

[Hida Daichi]

The Hida looked up at the sound of another entering and his eyes locked on to the Dragin as she moved into the bath area. He didn't look away as she approached and nodded in greeting "Good evening Kitsuki-san! Its wonderful to see you again, you're looking as good as I remember." Even better with less left to the imagination he thought with a grin

"How has the day treated you?"

[Kitsuki Naida]

"Today?"

Naida slipped into the water before leaning back and closing her eyes, arms behind her on the bath rim.

"Let me turn the question back on you; Since you seem to be in good spirits, I imagine it should be an easy answer?"

[Hida Daichi]

"Everyday I am alive and breathing is a good day Kitsuki-san!" The Crab says in reply with a hearty laugh "and depending on how I die that might very well be a good day too!" He finishes with a grin

[Kitsuki Naida]

A slight chuckle and a smile with her eyes closed, "I suppose I can hardly disagree with you there. There is your answer then."

Her eyes opened and she smirked lightly, "Or were you hoping for more than a Dragon answer?"

[Hida Daichi]

"I wasnt hoping for anything Kitsuki-san, simply the truth of how you are. But I would leave it to a Dragon to make a simple greeting more complicated than it needed to be." He said thought his tone was jovial and slightly teasing.

[Kitsuki Naida]

"What can I say? I am a complex woman. I like to think that helps keep me intriguing."

[Hida Daichi]

His grin grew a touch "Ah Kitsuji-san I doubt you have trouble keeping people interested in you!" He said with another laugh, the water rippling a bit at the motion it caused.

"So have you been enjoying your time in the village? It's not much but it has its charms."

[Kitsuki Naida]

"It's had it's ups and down. I've met plenty of interesting people, had some lovely food, been to a few wonderful parties. Then again, the weather has been on and off, and I've had this sense of repeating myself. Maybe I just need to try something new."

[Hida Daichi]

Daichi nodded "ah yeah I understand what you mean, life in this town can feel that way sometimes for sure! Growing up here i remember feeling bored out of my mind plenty of times and just wishing for something to break the cycle. Usually resulted in mischief or a fight back in those days!" He said with a chuckle

[Kitsuki Naida]

A sly smile, "Mischief or a fight, hm? And I suppose Hida-sama has grown up and beyond such things, neh?"

[Hida Daichi]

Daichi scoffed loudly "much to the dismay of my mother I'm afraid not! Well maybe less mischief depending on you define it but certainly just as many fights."

He laughed a bit and looked to Naida "and what does Kitsuki-sama think she will try to break this cycle?"

[Kitsuki Naida]

A chuckle under her breath, "Hardly; I am not Hida-sama's mother. And I don't really disapprove of mischief. Fighting is perhaps a bit different, but not much, and it hardly matters; We all have our ways of unwinding."

[Hida Daichi]

"True enough!" He agreed with a chuckle "What is it Kitsuki-san does when she feels she needs to unwind?"

[Kitsuki Naida]

"I enjoy walking in nature, a good hot bath, or some good exercise. Dojo or bedroom kinds permitting circumstances. A drink or two never goes amiss either; I'm not even terribly picky in that front. It doesn't pay to be a sake snob in Dragon lands."

[Hida Daichi]

Daichi rose an eyebrow "not many samurai outside the Crab openly talk about a fondness for bedroom exercise Kitsuki-san." He said with a widening grin "and I suppose it makes sense for good sake to be scarce up in those remote mountains. Best enjoy good Crab sake while you are here. Perhaps take some with you."

[Kitsuki Naida]

"As a wanderer, I only want to carry so much on me. Besides, that way I have an excuse to try local, even if wouldn't be as good as here. As to the other part, I hardly see the issue. I know some people shy away from admitting as such because they are afraid of being seen as putting their passions ahead of their duties, but I'm no more likely to do that than I am with drink or gambling or geisha houses; Such things are just tools to help a samurai unwind, so that they may more fully devote their minds to their duties when they need to be done. I'm sure there are some Lion who would argue otherwise, but man does not live on honor and duty alone. We need food and drink and companionship. And if we ignore such things... it will show in one way or another. Better to reasonably fulfill such things and not let them effect you when you are acting in your lord's interests."

[Hida Daichi]

Daichi's hands came out of the water as he put his arms on the lip edge of the bath and held his hands up "hey you won't get any argument from me on that one, I tend to indulge in my desires more than other samurai find honorable or at least proper. I suppose the Dragon are more practical than some other clans. Or at least less judgmental if your ideas are common place in your lands."

[Kitsuki Naida]

"You're not wrong, from what I've experienced. The Dragon have a saying, that there are many Paths to Enlightenment. I think it causes us to be more tolerant of people's differences. Or the way they choose to follow their sense of honor. It doesn't mean we don't have codes of behaviour, just that those codes are flexible, and that differences in how they show are attributed to individual paths rather than being deviant."

[Hida Daichi]

Daichi nodded "very interesting, well it sounds like a thought process i can get behind certainly." He settled back a bit into the water with a sigh and flashed Naida with a smile "well if you ever need a workout partner while you're in town let me know I'm sure we could teach each other a few things."

[Kitsuki Naida]

That got a sincere chuckle, "I have heard things about how Hida bushi handle their tetsubos; I hear even the mightiest defenses fall before them. So a learning experience indeed, I should think. Color me interested."

[Hida Daichi]

"Tetsubos aren't the only thing I know how to handle well Kitsuki-san." He said winking his 'good eye' at her. "Im curious about the fruits of the Dragon myself seeing how this lead your own path style works and the kind of samurai it produces on and off the battlefield."

[Kitsuki Naida]

A small bow.

"And I would love to show them to such a strong passionate man before my time here is out."

She thought about the man's cousin that had been hitting on her at the party and wondered if Daichi had been more interested in saving face for them or interested in her. Maybe he'd been married or such.

"Providing you're not too busy; You seemed quite active with the family of the groom at the party."

[Hida Daichi]

"I fear Kitsuki-san has cut to the heart of me! Strong and passionate basically describes the whole of me." He said laughing

"And I dont really have much to do being the youngest brother with no land, title, or responsibility. All Kitsuki-san need do is call on me and I'm sure I can find time to meet. I stay in the castle anyone there can get a message to me."