"I have not yet, Utaku-sama. I am sure they are all exemplary if they were selected, but on the specifics..."
A slight shrug
"I have spoke to Crane, Unicorn and Phoeinx. All of whom have been very pleasant. Although I have not interviewed any of them regarding future marital arrangements."

"Oh, you've met other members of my clan? I am curious which ones..."

Hopefully not Cricket. Damn Cricket.

"Shinjo Yul-san. I believe he is also a pilot."
As though ticking the points off on her fingers
"He rises and trains early.
He seems reasonably skilled as a bushi, although that may require further investigation.
He appears affable.
He and I have some similar views.
He is not unattractive."

There was a tension to the body and a twitch to the eye that indicated she knew which one this was.

"I see..." well, not even she would throw Yul under the bus. "I can attest that he is a skilled bushi, with his focus as a pilot - he is part of the same Sky Rider unit as myself."

Slightly strained, "I can't say too much about how attractive he is though. You kind of stop seeing stuff like that when you're in a unit together too long."

Shoan looks curious but is clearly unsure how to go about politely prying?
"Oh? I see. So you two have served together for some time? I was very close with my brothers and sisters in the company before my transfer, it sounds like you know him well?"

Now the Utaku frowned a little, as it seemed like Shoan implied that she knew Yul. But if she voiced her displeasure, she would also cast similar shade on Shoan from her own words...

"... I don't know him that way," she said cooly. "We were part of the same class, and graduated into the same squadron. We are very different people, but I trust him more than any other because of the trials we have faced as part of the same group."

"Oh...I wasn't meaning to imply anything of the sort Utaku-sama, I'm sure you do not know him, or indeed, anyone in that way. Thank you for correcting me."
She dips her head respectfully

"Oh... right... sorry, it sounded a bit... uh, like that." She backed off a little, realising she needed to calm down on her waspishness here.

"He and I don't get along much, but I will still say he is a fine samurai and a damned fine pilot." Most of the time. "Him and me are just different personalities. Fire and Ice, in a way."

Shona nods....before realising she didn't know which was which.
"It is quite alright, a corrected samurai learns while an ignorant samurai will continue to cause offence. I am fortunate to have such a candid description of Shinjo-san, and I am sure you are an equally good, if not better samurai and pilot Utaku-sama."

It had been a long day and after the rigors of being in a tent full of people Satoru could use a chance to relax and the hot baths sounded like an excellent place to do that.

He entered the cleansing area and stripped his formal robes securing his belongings in a locker and scrubbing himself so he was clean for the baths.

He emerged seeing others with the same idea and recognizing the Unicorn who had gone out of her way to contact him yesterday. He bowed to the two already in the bath "Utaku-san, samurai-san. It seems I am not the only one with the though to relax after the first day of the miai." He says as he approached the bath. Where as yesterday he had seemed bookish and possibly nerdy here in the baths without his nose buried in his densai one might even confuse him for a bushi he was so fit. And without his robes the green swirling lines of his jade tattoo that dominated his left shoulder stood out against his otherwise slightly pale skin.

He looked at the one he had not met "Hello I am Kuchiki Satoru." Then to both "may I join you? I'd hate to intrude."

"Good evening Kuchiki-san."
Shoan decides against jumping out of the pool and bowing, though it takes some suppressing of instinct
"I am Murame Shoan, and while I do not speak for Utaku-sama, I am sure she would not object?"
Her eyes focus on Satoru's tattoo for a brief moment.

Hyeon-ju looked up from her comfortable seat in the bath, surprised to see a... buff Spider doctor. Not that she was unused to shugenja who had good physiques, as many of the Iuchi she knew had bigger muscles than her, but this was a surprise as she had assumed he was just a stereotypical lithe nerd.

"Uh... sure. I mean, you're free to join us, Kuchiki-san." She nodded, scooting over a bit to give more space to all three.

This was the first time she'd gotten to see one of those jade tattoos in real life too. "It's no intrusion. I guess you too had the idea of a relaxing bath after the meet-and-greet."

He bowed again removing his towel and setting it near by before submerging in the waters. He took off his glasses and set them on the towel before relaxing against the side of the bath with a content sigh
"Thank you both this is exactly what was needed after such a day."

"It is quite a treat after a day like this, "she agreed, sneaking another glance at the tattoos. "...Ah... sorry... I've just never seen those jade tattoos in person before."

Then she remembered that Shoan had tattoos too. "Your tattoos are very nice too, Murame-san." It almost sounded a little bit awkward as she was trying to maintain being polite and proper with two of them at once.

seeing as both ladies seemed to be focusing on the tattoo he raised up a bit out of the water and looked down at it "Yes well though the law requiring spider to wear jade has been forgotten by many it is best to have some kind of jade in case you run into more...zealous samurai. This way I don't have to remember to grab it or put it on, its always there and if something is going to be on me my entire life it should be pleasing to the eye." the tattoo was just lines but they curved and swirled, flowing across his skin shining like the gemstone the ink was infused with light bouncing off it and flowing across the lines as he moved.

"Thank you Utaku-sama, many samurai pretend not to see them because of the cultural implications. I am sure if you chose to get tattoos yourself they would be equally nice."



"It has excellent line work Kuchiki-san." Despite the bath, Shoan's tone is quiet dry "And it seems to attract quite favourable interest."

"I do not think I want tattoos myself... some of the members in my unit do have them, but it has never been a personal interest for me to have it myself. However, I do admire the artistry to create the works that both Kuchiki-san and Murame-san have."

She wasn't quite sure about the tone or about Shoan's words, but she opted for cool neutrality to it all.

"I certainly see the practicality in Kuchiki-san's tattoo. I'm not sure about these cultural implications of which Murame-san refers to though..."

The source of the tone was a mystery to Satoru as well but he was used to people acting weird or hostile toward him so it rolled off him like water off a duck's back "Thank you Murame-san, the artist that did it was quite skilled in my opinion. Though your tattoos seem much more intricate works of art."

Looking to Hyeon-ju "Some traditionalists view tattoos as a symbol of criminal activity or defacing ones body. It is an old way of thinking and more common in the more traditional clans such as the Lion or Crane."

She nods at Satoru's explanation and his compliment
"Kuchiki-san is correct, although he is overly generous about the intricacy of my tattoos, his would have taken far more skill than mine, I believe."

"I was unaware of such connotations..." maybe she'd have to add something about that to her own notes. "But I wouldn't know which is most... challenging, of the two works of art. Jade seems like a difficult element to introduce to tattoos."