"I don't know what you did yesterday Hida-sama, but your readings are just all over the place. It's going to take way longer than usual to tune your fleshcraft, especially if you want it in high-performance mode."
"I'm supposed to compete in a climbing contest in a couple of hours."

Kyoko did not sigh openly, but she definitely did internally:
"It will be ready in time. Just try to relax and to not move your arm unless I ask for it."
"Sure thing!"
"You also need to stay awake so I can check your responses to stimuli."
"Oh."

Thus, Akemi ended up sitting on the floor with her artificial arm strapped to the nightstand, plugged through multiple cables to Kyoko's monitoring tools, and partially opened so the mechanic could proceed to direct adjustments with that weird futuristic screwdriver of her.

Akemi herself was bored to the death as Kyoko was too focused on her task to be an interesting conversation partner, and there was only so little she could do in that position.

Atena had been doing morning prayers as custom to her priestly duties. She heard the ruckus and sighed. Then she noted that Akemi and her servant?!, and nodded. "Good morning Hida san. Seems you had quite the night neh?"

"Oh? Uh..."

Akemi blushed.

"Oh, yes, my night has been full of surprises."
"Hida-sama, your heart rate is rising and my measures are getting corrupted. Please relax."
"Ah uh. Sorry. Let's talk about something else would you? Our first encounter has been a bit chaotic, so I don't remember if I presented Kyoko to you. She's my servant and also the extraordinarily gifted mechanic that makes sure my fleshcraft works as well as my flesh arm or better."
"Hida-sama is too generous..."
"Nonsense. I would barely be able to function without you by my side."

Kyoko did not answer that and focused on her work.

"So Moshi... Atena-sama isn't it? How was your miai so far?"

"Let's see... I' have met a few people. Some are really nice some not so much. Got to ride the otori. They are really nice gentle creatures. Went to the library with a great guy. Then had dinner with an imperial. So it has been pretty good."

"Oh. Tell me more about this nice guy and this imperial. How did you meet them? Was any of them spouse material?"

"I met the great guy on my here... I mean the shuttle craft. He was very nice to talk to." The girl blushed. "He helped me realize what I really wanted to do in the future... I... I think he understands me a bit..."

Then she shook her head. "As for the Imperial we met at the party. I expected for a Spider girl to behave but one of such low standing as I could not compete with a celebrity so I think he felt bad for not being able to continue our talk, he invited me out."

Then she sighed really heavily. "I doubt they think I am marriage material Hida san."

"You're Kami-blessed Moshi-sama. The very spirits that make the world like you. What makes you think none of these guys might have taken a liking to you too?"

"Oh! please don't call me sama... you are older than me and really not even high status." She explained. "I don't know maybe the standards of the Phoenix... Makes me think I am not really good wife material."

"I dunno what the Phoenix are trying to do here. I haven't even been able to get into a real conversation with any of them – maybe you've been more lucky? – and the trials they've been dumping on us seem surprisingly and unnecessarily dangerous. Did you hear that people got poisoned during a goddamn ikebana event?"

"Hida-sama..."

"Sorry, sorry. No outburst anymore I promise. So, just saying that the Phoenix might have plans within plans. Wouldn't be too surprised if they were trying to make us look bad on purpose to get the upper hand in the upcoming marriage negotiations.

So, please, don't judge yourself in the light of these biased as heck contests. I mean, come on, Phoenix beating Unicorn in a mounting contest? Something fishy has to be going on."

"Today's trek event seems really dangerous... A really long walk to shoot and climb. I don't feel like going." She sighed. "I haven't been able to talk to them. I have been somewhat distracted to go out and ask."

"Worry not, you won't be the only one bowing out this one. Honestly, if, as a Hida, I couldn't refuse an endurance trial without dishonoring my ancestors, I would to. This is just likely to be a scene for the locals who know the terrain and its obstacles to show off."

She tapped softly the ground several times with the tips of her flesh fingers, not sure how to broach the next subject:

"Moshi-san... Might I ask what is distracting you? You... How should I say that... You seem weirdly unfocused on the event of this miai. As if you had a far more important issue to take care of first."

"Anoo... I have problems focusing in one task so I diversify. I go training the body... I continue training the mind... I should start training thenspirit... but the mind takes a lot of time."

"Training the body, that I get. I can easily help you with that or introduce you to people you are good at these things. But what do you mind my training the mind? Reading? And by training the spirit?"

"Reading for training the mind. Learning songs, learning new things." She gave it a thought. For the spirit meditation, prayers and communing with onself."

"That sounds great. What are you in the process of learning right now?

And you said you hadn't started training the spirit yet. Are your meditations troubled?"

"Psychology... trying to improve myself and help others." She nodded. "I just wish I had more time for prayers and visiting the temples. Meditations seem to take some time... when there is so much to explore."

"So much universe, and so little time once said a wise person. Can't remember the origin of the quote though. Might be from a children book. No less true.

My grasp on psychology is quite limited. What interesting things did you discover through the course of your studies?"

"The mind is a world of different aspects... some divide it in different ways and behaviors are base on social education. Sometimes void tries to separate one into different element making one more fire or more air... that the emotions that... anoo... I am starting to ramble... I find it so fascinating."

She chuckled nervously. "What about you, Hida san, any interest?"

"No, no, please continue with your explanations, I find all of this very intriguing. What does happen when a human is unbalanced?"

Akemi's interest was partially faked, but that was the first time she had heard some passion in the girl's voice, and she wasn't letting go that chance like that. Worth a white lie.

"The mental aspect of the unbalanced mind can be reflected in different ways. A high amount of earth might indicate depression, a high amount of fire might be anger issues, air seems sometimes to be anxiety and water might be related with changing emotions in an unordered way." As she opened the book. "Many advances in the field say that there may be other imbalances as well besides the elemental one."