(Expecting)

Hyeon-ju wasn't the greatest fan of traditional wear sometimes. It was often restrictive in movement and wanted to squish her body into a weird shape most of the time... but on hot days, even she couldn't say no to a breeze yukata.

And if she was going to learn tea ceremony from Ichika, well, it was only proper to wear proper wear, right? Her yukata was simple yet bold; white but with red and black goldfish on it. Color-blocking her waist was a solid colored purple obi, with a splash of red on it in the form of a single camellia flower.

Properly poised, the Battle Maiden awaited her tea ceremony sensei...

"Utaku-san!" Ichika said with excitement, having just rounded the corner. Wearing her kimono, just for this little fun occasion, helped set the tone for the teaching after all! "You look so pretty," she said with a cheerful giggle, followed only by a bright smile.

"Doji-san," she gave a seated bow. The Utaku was good at looking prim and proper, but this was a little bit out of her comfort zone. "Thank you... I'm glad you like it. As I said before, I do have some traditional pieces in my wardrobe."

"It's fine for tea ceremony?" she asked, like a student asking their teacher a question.

"Of course!" she smiled brightly. Walking forward she circled Hyeon-ju a little, nodding as she did. "Very nice, Utaku-san!" popping around on the other side she spun about a little to face Hyeon-ju again.

"So! Tea Ceremony!" she clapped her hands together. "I've heard of a few far more formal ones but they've fallen out of use for most of the Empire," she waved a hand, dismissing them fully. "One which we still commonly use a lot today touches on the simplicity at the core of the ceremony from back when Lady Doji first handed it down to us," she recited, like the good student she was not all that long ago.

Gosh, she didn't even know there were variations on tea ceremony... she should have studied up for this more.

"I see..." her expression was serious, thoughtful. "Would Doji-san be so kind as to show me?"

"Of course! Now just.." she glanced around the room. With a little nod she gave Hyeon-ju a little beckoning wave to follow her toward one of the tables. With a smile, she turned and indicated a seat. "Alright.. this will be your seat, yea? Best thing is to see it first. Remember to respect the ritual and the other participants, yea? Which.. sounds off, maybe, to someone else but I just mean appreciate every moment. We partake in silence, and in unison. It gives a nice calming.." she rolled her head to either side, "joined kind of effect? Like we're all in this moment together," she waved it off, "you'll see!" she smiled with another nod.

"As you'll be participating it should be pretty simple to just watch what I do the first time and then later I can go into the big explanation of everything, yea?"

Rising, she followed Ichika to one of the tables. Her hand smoothed over the fabric of her yukata as she sat down once more.

"That... makes sense, yes. Harmony through a shared moment." A dutiful student at least, she nodded. "That sounds god. I've seen it done a few times before, and mother showed me once, but it didn't stick well to my memory."

"My mother taught me the steps first when I was little," she said, a soft smile. Glancing around, she started moving about the room and gathering what she needed. At a time she crossed back by Hyeon-ju, stopping for a moment, "Way it's supposed to be, yea? Well.. it wasn't till later in school that I learned of some variations to the whole thing over the course of.. well, history and area? There was apparently something like a coffee ceremony once?" she waved off the idea with her hand. "Silly, little bit of history, right?" she said with a small laugh.

Walking over toward one of the vending machines she popped in the zeni needed for the tea. "Now.." she said, returning with the already heated tea and seeing it into the proper pot. "I would never use something like this for a ceremony normally but.. it's not wrong to do? Just.." she laughed, "never do this with proper company, yea?" she said, looking up to Hyeon-ju with a light smile as she poured from one container to the other.

She smirked a little bit as well. "Mm, I suppose there is something to it - passing knowledge from mother to daughter, yes." With an attentive gaze she listened to Ichika speak, which was kind of calming and pleasant in itself. The Doji had a way of being just plain positive to be around.

"Coffee ceremony? I would like to check that up at the library later here, maybe they have something about it." Not that coffee needed ceremony, but it sounded strange. "Ah... proper company, you mean like, hmm... who I choose to marry?"

Pausing for a moment in thought she finished pouring the tea into the other container. Capping the top of it she brushed off the spout with a thumb. "Hmmm," she brought the same hand up and tapped her chin with her index. "Maybe?" she said, a slight tilt to her head. "Depends on the relationship? See, I'd never use this kind of tea.. or this improper setting for anyone, but since it's a little practice run and not really the real deal it's fine yea? Suppose though if you've got a more.." she paused again, slowly as if she wasn't sure as she said it, "relaxed, yea, relaxed relationship with your spouse and neither of you mind it'd be alright."

"Anyway, definitely never do it with like.." she thought, the little furrow of her brow noting it, "a dignitary, or your boss," she giggled into the back of her hand at the thought.

"Oh, right... I don't think I'd ever be asked to do it for someone important like that, but in the off-chance it happens; yes, it would be good to be a bit surer of the basics."

Her hazel eyes followed Ichika's movements closely, as if each gesture and movement needed to be memorized.

"Always good to know just in case, yea?" she smiled, a nod. Bringing a finger up across her lips she winked, at least, it was probably a wink.

From there, Ichika performed the ceremony. Making her way around the table with soft graceful gestures that set out the utensils, poured the tea, and moved her back to her seat. With a glance from her side she looked to Hyeon-ju with a peaceful, neutral expression. Laying her hands down by the cup she prepared herself, waiting for Hyeon-ju to follow and then continued. Together they would sip from the cup, only a bit, and set the cup down once more. This process would repeat for some time until they'd had a rather relaxing little half hour.

Collecting up the last of the utensils Ichika set them all aside and looked to Hyeon-ju with a bright smile.

Hyeon-ju followed the movements, careful and precise in each one. And even as she was concentrating on being graceful and serene in the movements she was following, it was... surprisingly relaxing. The shared silence, the shared gestures, it brought a sense of inner peace.

As Ichika smiled at her at the end, the Unicorn smiled silently for a long time, seemingly enjoying the quietness that her far distant ancestor and founder was known for.

"That was very nice," she said softly after a while.

"Right?" Ichika matched Hyeon-ju's tone, ever a proper hostess even in simulation of the real thing. "I haven't done that in a long time," she breathed in a little, a warm smile on her face as she closed her eyes, and then breathed out letting her shoulders drop gradually back to where they naturally rested.

"Not since.. assessments probably," she laughed softly at that.

"Really?" she seemed a little surprised, that Ichika wouldn't be doing this often. It seemed like something the traditional Crane would do frequently to her...

"May I ask why not? It's such a relaxing experience..."

"I've been performing duties alongside others more.." she chuckled awkwardly, gave her a look. Young blood in the work force problems. "Well, I just haven't had the chance to lead them, yea? Once I took part as.. well, I was in the role of a guest, with this one woman who I was aiding with some minor tasks right before the invitation came through. Which.. well, when my mother and father told me about it, it all kinda made sense why I wasn't fit anywhere properly yet, yea?" she chuckled a little awkwardly, glanced down.

"Other than that.. most of the people I spent time with outside of my duties had already all gone off to their own. While I waited for a bit to get my own placement somewhere a bit more permanent. Then I came here so," she shrugged.

"I'm... not quite following, Doji-san." Hyeon-ju blinked. "You've been waiting for a work assignment, so that is why you haven't practiced tea ceremony more...?"

"Oh! Just that I haven't been meeting with anyone like.. as myself? I've either been in the position to be the guest, like you," she indicated her spot, "that one time or, I.. I was left back home while all my friends moved on to their own duties on different worlds and afar. So, I didn't have anyone to do it with in my free time," she said, looking to Hyeon-ju for that spark of recognition with a little smile.

"Mm." She nodded now. "I understand now. I suppose it's not something that is done often alone, or...?"

Picking up the teacup to give it a closer look, it felt a shame that they didn't have a proper locale to do this in. One with a peaceful garden and a proper tea tearoom.

"I suppose you could," she said, tapping her chin. "Though, well, you were here with me," she said with a little laugh. "Wouldn't have felt the same if you didn't have someone to mirror, yea? Alone it just kinda feels like you're only drinking tea," she added with another few little chuckles as she glanced around the space quick.

Just another little memory here to add to the pile, it was nice.