The living quarters on Futago Ranch were an ugly conglomerate of standard 'blocks', bolted together into a ramshackle sort of apartment building. Moriko's home was on the upper level, the ceilings of units below forming a small balcony for second story access, stairs at either end. Next to her door, a ladder had been bolted to the wall, giving access to the flat roof. Her door was open, and Ten sat across the threshold, sniffing the breeze as it carried scents to his nose, and quiet music could be heard from within.

The sun was slanting away on the horizon. It wouldn't be properly dark for a few hours yet, but the sky was painted in sunset colours, and the twilight was almost cool enough to be pleasant.

Ryuu found himself somewhat nervous. The doshin had opted for his full dress uniform, and he was extremely thankful that Hyeon-Ju was a roommate always willing to help with hair and make up. His hair was braided in the warrior style she had done prior, and his eyes had a slight smoky effect around them to bring out the blue even more.

He approached the door, and the scent caught his nose. Then the music. Seeing it open, he peeked his head in.

"Hello? Moriko-san?"

Ten stood up, wagging his tail in greeting as the familiar samurai approached. Inside, Moriko was stirring a pot of something on the tiny stove, her back to her guest. She was wearing black leggings and black equestrian boots, there were scuffs on the boots, places where they'd suffered knocked and scrapes, but they were otherwise in good repair and clean. Her leggings and shirt were brand new; the kimono-style top wrapped around her body, a slim obi about her waist and knotted casually on her right side. The knot was slightly askew, not sitting flat like it should. The fabric was floaty, a black pattern of flames over a yellow-and-orange background, a clearly Phoenix design; the wide, draping sleeves invoking the style of the traditional furisode.

Unlike Ryuu's pin-neat appearance, Moriko's hair was loose about her shoulders. The tumbled strands were not tangled, but refused to lie smoothly, swinging as she twirled around at his voice. "Ryuu-san!" she broke into a smile, her chocolate eyes bright, a little mascara darkened her eyelashes, but apart from that she wore no makeup. Blushing, she raised a hand, hiding behind her sleeve, "you look so handsome."


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"Thank you." He bowed to the Phoenix woman, then taking in the sight of her. "You are a vision, Moriko-san." Ryuu crossed the threshold, then knelt down to pet Ten. A moment, then standing again, he took in the scent of what she was cooking.

"Your home smells amazing. Thank you for inviting me. I have been looking forward to this."

When she lowered her hand, her cheeks were flushed. The small living space was redolent with the scent of spices from her cooking: she had made curry. There wasn't a lot of space for personalisation, but there were three photos fastened to the wall above the sink, each of the twins at different points in their lives. One showed the girls in matching furisodes, around 8 years old, with matching hairstyles, the folds of Moriko's obi were crooked, giving her away.

In the corner of the desk was a small terrarium, droplets of condensation clinging to the lid, scuttling movement detectable amongst the fungi and substrate. The place was tidy, there wasn't room for anything less. The table was still folded down, however, no place settings laid out. At Ryuu's feet, Ten wagged his tail before sitting up on his haunches, begging for attention. "You're right on time, it's almost ready," Moriko opened the fridge and withdrew an unopened bottle of sake that had been chilling.

The Spider knelt down, gently picking the dog up. A hand scritched behind Ten's ears, as he slowly looked through the home. "Is there anything I can help you with?" He turned to look to Moriko again, noting the bottle of sake.

Happily, "yes, there is, in fact." She held out the bottle of sake towards him, "take this, and," she picked up what appeared to be a scented candle in an amber jar, "and this. Did you see the ladder by the door?" Moriko indicated with a nod of her head, "take these up there." The young Phoenix had a cheeky glint in her eyes.

He took note of the items, then gently set Ten back down. Nodding, he cradled the bottle and the candle in one arm. "This I can do." Ryuu added, in his odd mannerism, before turning around, and heading up the Ladder.

The roof of the block was flat, just a few degrees off level so the rain wouldn't pool up there. A tatami mat had been laid out, the corners weighed down with what appeared to be industrial hex nuts. There was an Edo-inspired picnic set waiting next to the tatami, complete with matching bowls, cups, and slots for sake bottles.

Moriko joined Ryuu on the roof in short order, carefully carrying the curry in a serving container with lid and handle. She was agile and practiced, making her way up one-handedly, awkwardly, but without trouble.

Ryuu took the outdoor dining set up in, an appreciative gaze. As he heard Moriko coming up. He set the candle down, and the bottle of sake on the mat. He would move quickly, to help Moriko up.

"This is lovely, Moriko-san, truly."

Moriko accepted his help with grace, blushing a little at his touch, "I'm glad you think so; please, sit and allow me to serve you?" she placed the curry on top of the picnic set, producing a packet of long matches and lighting the candle. The scent of amber and smoke, deep and mysterious, wafted up from the candle, helping mask the fungal smell. A light breeze played across the farmlands, alleviating the worst of the heat and humidity.

The scent was relaxing, and being in her presence was soothing. "I would protest that I would not want you serving me, but I understand your meaning." His odd manner belied his meaning, as he moved to sit. His eyes remained entirely focused on her.

"I am honored that you would do all of this."

Humans were adaptable creatures, able to acclimate to almost anything. That much was demonstrated by the Phoenix who lived on Asakaze, able to ignore most of the smells the planet threw at them; and like the fungal stench, Ryuu's stone countenance could catch Moriko off-guard, a chill going down her spine. It wasn't entirely unpleasant, in the way a good jump scare in a movie wasn't unwelcome, but it distracted her for a moment.

"Such humble offerings are surely not sufficient, when your presence itself honours me." The young Phoenix knelt, managing to trap the corner of a sleeve under her knee, and she blushed as shifted to unpin the garment. Unlike the lacquer wood predecessors, her picnic kit was made of modern materials, and she opened the largest of the the tree food trays to reveal steaming fluffy rice, kept hot by the insulating properties of the container. She generously spooned rice and curry into two bowls, the curry was packed with cubes of otori meat, vegetables, and a fungal tofu substitute that was indistinguishable from the real thing.

He would seem perfectly at home on any rooftop, staring stoicly at a city he was charged to defend. Yet here, he was knelt before Moriko, his focus entirely on her as she presented the curry. The spices were aromatic, and her set up was delightful.

His face held a pleasant, if off, smile, those vibrant blue eyes half lidded as he silently watched.

Moriko offered the curry to Ryuu formally, both hands cupped around the bowl, her gaze lowered respectfully. Her loose hair fell about her face, brushing her cheeks. Below them, the bustling white noise of the other residents could be heard, a blur of murmured conversations and movement as other ranch employees made their own evening meals. The music from Moriko's unit could still be heard, just over the other noise, a Phoenix broadcast station playing the most recent Clan-approved pop songs.

He extended his arms, taking the offered bowl in his hands. He bowed his head to her. Finally looking up, he smiled, watching Moriko. "Thank you, Moriko-san. This smells and looks wonderful. I am excited to dine with you."

He sat up, prepared to dine in. "Itadakimasu."

Lifting her chin, Moriko pushed her hair back on the left, side, tucking it behind an ear, that short strand slipping forward again as it was wont to do. Picking up her own bowl, "thank you, Ryuu-san, itadakimasu." As she began to eat, she was watching Ryuu's reaction to her cooking. The simple recipe was made on curry powder and flour, it was difficult to get wrong, as long as you didn't let anything burn during the process.

He was deliberate, each motion with intention as he began to eat. The first bite, and his eyes closed. Thoughtfully chewing, and then, slowly, his smile return. "Fortunes... that is good." Another bite, savoring each individual flavor, every little morsel.

"Moriko-san... this us wonderful. On top of loving curry, this.. is satisfying." His eyes opened again, looking to her.

Moriko blushed cherry red, "you flatter me, Ryuu-san." Before he could protest, she continued, "I'm glad that you like it." Only three stories up, the rooftop was still one of the highest points outside the city walls, and commanded an expansive view of the surrounding farmland and the forests beyond. The sky was fading, graded from flame orange to deep indigo, the otori shuffling and making kweh sounds in their stables, the city behind them starting to glow even as the depth of the fungal forests darkened.

"It truly is excellent. Made all the more special with the company." His focus remained on her, before remembering himself, and looking out towards the farm complex.

"This view... is stunning. You are very blessed to have easy access to it, Moriko-san. Everything is so peaceful up here."