[Day 1 – Late Afternoon] Indulgence (Open)

[Bayushi Hoshi]

I’ll just indulge now and perhaps pay later. It’ll probably be a luxury I’ll have to forsake later.

At first, Hoshi fumbled her way through the bathing facilities as she was still used to the comforts of living in civilization. The commodities and space were limited but the most glaring fact was that fresh water came as a rare luxury here. Knowing that there would be little use is complaining, she made due with the situation as best she could. At least good consideration was paid to that.

A smaller portion of her water ‘allowance’ was spent on the bare scrubbing and watching, while the rest was used for bathing. She was likely given something that was barely more spacious than a barrel with the water being pre-heated than constantly so. Settling down into a seiza in her ‘tub’, she rewarded herself with the first baths of...very few.

[Usagi Zenko]

From behind a privacy screen, a masculine voice was singing in a low voice, a song from the western central provinces of the Empire about a samurai's love affair with, unknown to them, a Kitsune fox spirit. Like most love songs, this one was a tragedy, although surprisingly enough sounded almost decent. The sound of water splashing lightly could be heard, likely from where it was poured back over the singer's body.

[Bayushi Hoshi]

Never having heard Zenko sing before, and not badly at that, Hoshi didn't immediately pin the voice to the person just as of yet. She placed a hand on her neck and sat back in her tub, listening to the song to its entirety. "Aren't creative souls the most expressive when performing to an audience of one?" Was called out to the privacy screen once he was done.

[Usagi Zenko]

Likely unseen, the Hare goes a bit red..and not from the heat of his bath...which was a bit cool by this time, as the sun-heated water cooled quickly.

"H..Hai. My apologies, I did not know I had an audience." he offers, movement in his small tub ceasing.

[Bayushi Hoshi]

Hoshi placed the back of her hand over her lips to stifle a giggle at the reaction of embarrassment apparent in his voice, now knowing who the mysterious singer was. "-Ah...iie, iie Usagi-san. Maybe it should be me that should apologize really...I've given you the impression that you had something to be sorry for. You shouldn't be. That was not bad at all, really. I had thought the tales of the kitsune was all lost in the seas."

[Usagi Zenko]

Unseen, he shakes his head...then stops smiling at himself for the foolishness of the automatic action. "Well, I'm afraid I don't know many songs of the sea...so songs of the forest will have to come with me." He laughs a little. "Besides, before I knew you were here, I suppose my audience was these wooden walls, and so maybe they would like to be reminded of their onetime home?"

[Bayushi Hoshi]

Taking advantage of the water while it was still hot, Hoshi soaked a cloth in the bath water and placed it around her neck for a warm soothing effect. She flicked a curious brow as his direction, hm. "Mm? These wooden walls? You almost speak the same way a shugenja would talk of the elements Usagi-san. There are few here who likely share your appreciation of the Half Moon's walls...Let's hope they don't get homesick and run off on us ne?"

[Usagi Zenko]

He stops himself from nodding this time. "Oh, hai, I suppose so. Comes from being a part of a very shugenja dominated family. Two brothers, two sisters and my father all commune with the kami." He smiles, thinking of them.

"And you? Have you any family to write home to?" he asks warmly, using a cloth himself to insure that his possible last bath in clean, not salt, water was enjoyed by all of his body.

[Bayushi Hoshi]

"If shugenja aren't of great abundance in the Hare Clan, your family must easily be the centre of much glory within your lands." She pointed out as fact rather than direct praise.

There was a splash of water heard from Hoshi's side, along with a faint unseen smile. "Hai. I do. But nothing extraordinary like your family Usagi-san. I have parents. Two brothers and one sister. My letters...tend to be colourless ramblings of my daily life, so understandably I don't have too many fans waiting at home."

[Usagi Zenko]

He nods, forgetting the privacy screen again. He pours a bit of water over his head, enjoying the sensation a moment. "Sound a bit like my own, I admit. Although this is really the first trip, and so I haven't had much reason to write many before this."

[Bayushi Hoshi]

"Would this be your first time out of your homelands? It sounds like you haven't really begun until now. You won't know for sure until you realize how fast the responses are coming. Out of the temple and into a sea is a big deal to the Usagi, ne?"

[Usagi Zenko]

"Hai, the first time...for a lot of things, but yes, I suppose I haven't written many letters up until now." He frowns. "Although, how are we supposed to get letters home anyways?" He scrubs his back a bit, pondering the question.

[Bayushi Hoshi]

"Mm...pigeons are unlikely to survive traveling through the seas and seabirds are probably too fickle for that task. I think your only way is to become best friends with an air shugenga."

[Usagi Zenko]

"Hmm....you're likely right." He tries to be cheerful. "We do have a lot of shugenja on board. Are there any we know with such an affinity?"

He stretches a bit, making sure the recent injury to his foot is clean and the bruising gone.

[Bayushi Hoshi]

Hoshi took on an amused look as the Hare seemed to actually consider her idea, which she was only half-serious about even if it was a sound idea. "Hai, at least one. I remember seeing an Isawa flying in the air this morning. Are you in a hurry to tell plenty to your family back at home? Or merely feeling homesick already? ...If I may ask Usagi-san."

[Usagi Zenko]

"You may, of course." He laughs a little, stretching the other leg out. "Its not so much that I have plenty to tell...but knowing that it would be possible to tell them is a different story altogether." He pauses a bit, "But hai, a bit homesick. I miss the sunlight through the trees, I think..as well as having a surface under me that wasn't moving."

[Bayushi Hoshi]

"Is that so? Those are hard demands to find substitutes for on board a ship." Hoshi let out a small breath out. "Without knowing where we're going and when we're going to get there, you won't find it anytime soon. You could consider an...umbrella as a tree, not that any officer will allow you to take that up deck. The cargo hold likely has the most stable ground you'll find here."

[Usagi Zenko]

He nods at that and frowns, despite the body language not being needed. "Ah, I'll survive, although I thank you for the suggestions."

He looks over at the privacy screen, as if weighing options in his mind... "So tell me a story of Ryoko Owari. I feel as if I've said much about myself, and yet know little about the inquisitive Bayushi Hoshi." his tone is a merry one, without accusation accompanying the words.

[Bayushi Hoshi]

Hoshi lifted her brows at the request. If she had been rather inquisitive then it wasn’t something she noticed until now. She laughed lightly and gave a shrug as she managed her portion of water for scrubbing (since bathing was out of the question on the ship). “A story of the city? Mm. I’m not a very good storyteller nor talented in singing.” She said without modesty involved. “-Ah...I perhaps have only some offerings of local legends, if you’re fine with hearing one.”

[Usagi Zenko]

"Hai, I would. The Hare share at least one story with the city, but I don't know many of the others." He responds. How'd I get dirt there? Oh, right, the beach.