Just looking at that course left Mumei in need of a soak for phantom muscle aches. No...actually some of them were real aches. Maybe she'd shown off a little bit harder than she should have under the influence of that Energizer last night.

After a good scrub, she steps into the first pool.

And straight back out of the chill water. She glares at the traitorous tub and dips a hand into the next one, and then the next before slithering into the heat up to her chin.

It's more the sloshing shift of water pressure than any noise that alerts the Osprey as she runs laps in her own head reviewing the past few days, the days to come, what it really means to actually get hitched....

One eye opens, then the other, and Mumei shifts up enough for a return nod. No rank or mons in the bath, but this one could wring her out and toss her a pile with the rest of the towels, so she didn't really need insignia to indicate where politeness was due.

But then, there's curiosity. "Those tattoos are amazing..." she kind of sort of remembered her from the bird riding, maybe..."Lion-sama. Do you mind me asking who the artist was?"

For whatever reason, the Lion appears to find the question very amusing...or maybe she's just happy to be relaxing.

"Samurai only ever seem to remark on my tattoos in the bathhouse."
Sometimes she wondered if it was to prove they weren't looking anywhere else.

"I do not mind the question at all, Togashi Isoshi at the Dragon embassy on Matsu Prime was responsible for them. Samurai at that embassy have done all my family's tattoos, it is our little tradition."
Slightly more formally
"I am Shoan of the Murame who serve the Ikoma."

"Togashi? No wonder they catch the eye so, few clans can do tattoos with the same soul as the Togashi." She grins. "And, well...I haven't really met you outside of the baths. Nakauchi Mumei, most recently of the Far Winds trading ship."

"Your family still there then? Or do you have to travel to complete that tradition?"

"Well met Nakauchi-san, it is an honour to meet you, even if we are still in the baths."
Holding one arm up infront of her and turning it this way and that

"We have to travel for the work, but my whole family has always been schooled on the planet, so the journey is a short one. Do you have an interest in ink?"

"hmmmm" She really seems to consider the question, head tipping to side like a bird listening to worms just beneath the grass. "more in expression, communication. What does the art say...about the artist and the person who displays the art."

She offers a lopsided smile, "so hopefully you're not tired of people asking what they mean to you."

"Ah, that's a good reason to ask I think. Perhaps you'll tell me what my art means."
Shoan's expression is much more reserved but not unfriendly

"And I am certainly not tired of samurai asking, most pretend not to see them. It does not concern me, I might feel the same way if not for my family."

She chuckles, sinking back into the hot water. "I think I'd need to know you better to make any guesses. Well...assuming the artist was matching the work to the person, at least."

"But why pretend? It's not like they're some of the oozing fleshcrafts the Spider produce." Her nose curls at the thought.

_________
(assuming they are as depicted in the character art?)

Drily "In some of the more traditional clans tattoos are associated with criminals, at best. They would tell you I have the look of a ronin. Although I thank you for not comparing me to the Spider."
Who were evidently below a ronin in Shoan's estimate.

((Yup!))

"I guess I've seen some of that on ships, but...what do criminals on Dragon worlds do to distinguish themselves then?" She leans closer, fingertips tracing the dark lines of the tattoo from several inches away. "Can I?" she asks, closing the distance to the inked lines slightly.

Shoan makes a sound that's probably an amused snort, although it's quickly stifled
"That is a good question...doubtless Dragon criminals are the only samurai there not sporting tattoos."

She nods at the Osprey's question
"You may."
There's a curious look at Mumei but Shoan doesn't move away as she approaches.

Multihued, blue hair drapes wetly across one ship-pale shoulder, her face drifting into concentration as two fingers lightly touch the ink, moving to trace the ruffled outlines of the lush red flowers. Tracing, then almost...walking, one finger then the other, then dancing along one petal and crossing to another as her breath comes slow and even.

"These are lush and full of someone's passion. Huge blooms, overflowing petals, deep, rich colors. But all distinct. Not a riot of flowers. Disciplined."

She looks up, green eyes flecked gold in the light here. "You, or the artist? Both?"

Shoan resists the urge to try an analysis of the Osprey's hair. At best it would just be "Blue huh...you...like water?...Water is blue." Art wasn't one of her strong suits.

Firmly "Myself, maybe Togashi-sama as well, he told me he served on the frontlines before retiring."
The Lion tries not to look self-conscious, although she glances down at the tattoos on her other arm

"Is that where you serve too, frontlines?" Her hands have calluses, but not those of a fighter. She's fit, but it's the long lean muscle of a dancer, not the broad shoulders or bulk that soldiers put on. There's no real awareness of what front lines means.

"Hai, or I did, I'm not yet sure where my new posting will take me.....this is much easier with one's mons on."
Shoan leans back and points with the other arm to her neatly folded gear where a jade legion mon is just visible.

"If the Jade Legion is fighting on the frontlines, things tend to have already gotten rather...serious."
Raising an eyebrow slightly
"And yourself Nakauchi-san? How do you serve?"
Shoan tries to remember if ospreys danced.

"So you're one of the folks who actually do the kind of thing that's in the movies, where it's all very dangerous and dramatic all the time? Instead of the folks I've heard talking about how boring all the waiting around is?" She sounds genuinely curious.

"I'm learning to be a Navigator. But, since I'm not there yet, I earn my keep talking to a lot of the onboard equipment and seeing how everything's doing. I can alert technicians to cranky kami that way before anything actually goes wrong. If you ever see someone chatting up a drink dispenser aboard ship, that's what we're doing." Or they got a really bad batch of something planetside,

"Uh-" She blinks a few times
"It's not really like the movies, I mean, sometime it is dangerous and I guess dramatic but not in a fun way. People get hurt, you hurt people, and then you're bored and waiting and full of nerves the rest of the time. From what I hear special forces just means more waiting and faster hurting."

When Mumei mentions 'cranky kami' the usual taciturn Lion is visibly stunned for a good few seconds
"I....suppose spirits do have emotions too." Shaking her head slightly
"You must forgive me Nakauchi-san, I do not know much about the kami, cranky or otherwise. And I feel I have been remiss in not acknowledging you as a priestess, your position is an honoured one."
She turns the shake into a polite bow.

"Oh, well..." she gestures toward the clothing storage with a small laugh, "no insignia and all...but really, I'm very junior yet. I can't Walk the Way, so I'm training and communing with everything I can. The more stars I know the feel of, the better. So I'm just...making my Way, dancing up the dawns and planetrises where I can."

"And kami definitely have emotions. I don't know if you and you kin have like...little ritual for your onboard computers or the radiant kami in your weapons...burning offerings for them, or hanging charms. Those really are worthwhile. Mechanical failure still happens, but you don't need offended spirits adding trouble."

"Even the movies make it look dangerous and painful...but really well-lit and dramatic. It's probably not those things. You know ahead of time if a holovid is the kind of tragedy where the hero dies heroically, and I kind of doubt anyone knows that ahead of time in real battles."

"Sometimes you do......" She looks pensive for a few long moments

"Thankfully not often, least of all in the Lion."
visibly turning her thoughts elsewhere

"We certainly have our rituals, the spirits must be appeased. Although we probably dance less than in your Clan, everyone goes about it in their own way."

Looking over at the Osprey
"It must make it more challenging at a miai I imagine? Finding someone who understands spirits as you do? I do not know of many other shugenja present here."