[Moon 8, Morning, Sick Bay] Bucket Brigade

[Iuchi Rinzuki]

Rinzuki covers her mouth as she laughs. "I suspect that for many samurai, a few layers of silk are a much greater sacrifice than their lives. Though I am not sure why you are so worried...it's not as if walking around topless is a great sacrifice for a man."

[Agasha Qian-Fan]

"I am bothered that after the hours of work and dedication put in by the craftsmen that created my clothing, it is going to be destroyed in but a moment. I suppose it is my own fault for not inquiring beforehand. As for topless, as you say it is not a problem but semi-public bathing . . . "

He trailed off, unhappiness settling on his face like an old friend.

[Iuchi Rinzuki]

"It is rather distressing, is it not?"

She sighs and leans back against the surgery table.

"It's too bad we can't just haul a tub of some sort up into this room. It's not like creating warm water would be much of an issue for either of us."

[Agasha Qian-Fan]

"I think a bath in here would get in the way once we have injured crewmen to be concerned about."

He says it like it would be a certainty.

[Iuchi Rinzuki]

Rinzuki nods in agreement. "Hai, undoubtedly. If I thought that it were feasible, I would be in a tub right now, washing off all the sea salt."

She turns and pulls herself up into a sitting position on the surgery table. "Oh well. A little public nudity isn't too much to ask in service to the Empire, neh?"

[Agasha Qian-Fan]

"It's still not right. Next we'll have samurai throwing themselves at each other in complete contravention of proper tradition."

He shook his head slowly, and then finally registered where she was sitting.

[Iuchi Rinzuki]

"I don't think it will get that bad, Agasha-sama." She smiles warmly as she allows her feet to sway back and forth beneath her. "Even then, you can't try to protect the honor of other samurai if they don't care to protect it themselves. Propriety must begin from within, correct?"

[Agasha Qian-Fan]

"I would try to protect my clanmates from such inpropriety but, as you say, it must begin with the person."

That said he now proceeded to ignore her bare arms . . . . and legs.

[Iuchi Rinzuki]

"What about working out some sort of rotational bathing schedule by Clan? We could just clear out one side of the crew quarters, and use that for bathing?" She watches him with brown eyes full of interest. "There's already a curtain in place, and I don't see how it'd be much of an impact upon the officers."

[Agasha Qian-Fan]

"A suggestion we could make to the officers, but I would expect and hope they already have a plan in place. This can't be the first cruise of this vessel."

His attention turns to his own sleeves again. Fine orange silk stares back impassively.

[Iuchi Rinzuki]

"You've seen what the Mantis wear even in the courts, haven't you?" She raises an eyebrow in mild surprise. "Modesty is not a virtue they seem to be overly familiar with. Just last winter, for instance, we had a young Mantis woman at Shiro Iuchi who insisted upon having a snowball fight with another courtier. By the time they had finished..."

Rinzuki's voice trails away as she waves the story away. "Well, let's just say that neither of them was wearing quite as many layers of silk clothing as they probably should have been."

[Agasha Qian-Fan]

"I haven't frequented many courts, Iuchi-san. Temples and battlefields have been my home the last few years. Even my stay in Toshi Ranbo was marred with violence."

Was he smiling now?

"The Fire Dragon and Lady Ochiai put an end to that though."

[Iuchi Rinzuki]

"I heard about that," Rinzuki says with no small amount of enthusiasm. "I would have liked to have seen the fire dragon in person, but unfortunately I was quite preoccupied at the time. What was it like?"

[Agasha Qian-Fan]

Now he really was smiling . . . and lost in the past.

"Magnificent."

[Iuchi Rinzuki]

"I must admit, I am quite envious of you now, Agasha-sama."

[Agasha Qian-Fan]

It was magnificent. Curled around the spires of the palace. Qian-Fan almost forgot the Akodo he was healing. Fortunately the prayer had run it's course before the roar of the Dragon had distracted. In fact his entire unit had been distracted, as had the Moto they had been holding off while the shugenja saved what Lion they could. Then It roared again and all Qian-Fan could see was flame and two giant staring eyes . . .

"Just magnificent."

[Iuchi Rinzuki]

Seeing that the Phoenix has slipped into some sort of revelry, Rinzuki falls silent, her attention drifting up to the ceiling of the cabin as her feet continue to quietly kick in the air beneath her.

[Agasha Qian-Fan]

It didn't last too long and he was soon back in the present.

"My apologies, Iuchi-san, but a celestial being of that presence has a definite effect on those that see it."

[Iuchi Rinzuki]

"It is entirely understandable," she says with a nod of understanding. Her tone turns teasing as she continues. "I shall try not to mention it when there is a patient on the table. I wouldn't want to see you becoming distracted at a critical moment."

[Agasha Qian-Fan]

That earned her a cool stare.

"I am not so easily distracted once i have something to do, or an enemy to kill."

Sooooooo, not your average pacifist Phoenix this one then.