[D3, LA, expecting] Free the mind

[Akodo Kawauso]

Despite an eventful morning, Kawauso remains unable to stick to her room and wanders again. She returns to the gardens, which are as close to being beyond the city walls as the tall Lion is going to get today.

She's keeping her heavy woolen cloak close around her, but it's clear she's dressed warm but still comfortable underneath, with a pair of dark pants that look similar to the cloak visible near her ankles. The wind is pulling at the simple twist she's gathered her long hair into, but it's still holding at the moment. She stands, looking stern but hardly majestic, and surveys this stretch of the gardens.

[Doji Misaki]

Out in the garden, someone walks about, holding a board and paper with one hand while the other alternates between trying to keep the paper from blowing away, and adjusting something fluffy on their head.

The soft voice saying "Ara ara" in surprise drifts from the figure's direction.

[Akodo Kawauso]

Her face showing the curiosity of an otter, Kawauso walks over to the slightly fluffy and wind-tormented woman.

"Er, Crane-sama?" The Lion says hesitantly. "You seem to perhaps... need an extra hand, or two? Ah, and I'm Akodo Kawauso, if I might be of help?"

[Doji Misaki]

"Oh?"

Misaki looked up at the muffled voice and saw the Lion woman nearby. That free hand moved one of the mufflers off of her ears.

"Excuse me, I couldn't quite make that out, Lion-san. I could use a hand here, if you have a moment."

She held out the board with the notes on it towards Kawauso.

[Akodo Kawauso]

Kawauso looks at her strangely, or rather, at the eat Myra strangely, but steps forward tio take the board and papers.

"Of course, ah, Crane-san," she says kindly but slightly suspiciously. "Your, um, headgear is... Very intriguing?" Her voice was questioning, but she decided that was the phrasing she'd hoped for and gave a nod in response to her own question.

[Doji Misaki]

Board and paper taken, Misaki was finally free to put away her charcoal and adjust her earmuffs, "Ah, thank you, thank you... I wish the writing board had some way to attach the paper to it so it doesn't blow away other than holding it down like that... But, you think my ear mufflers are intriguing?"

The Doji woman seemed to beam proudly, despite the cold, "I was experimenting with various ways to keep the ears warm this morning, after a trip into town. Hats and hoods can be messy and inconvenient, especially at a formal event like this. So I took some small mufflers made of cotton wrapped in rabbit fur and connected them with a silk wrapped bent bamboo slat to keep them on my head. I was making notes when they started slipping a bit, unfortunately..."

She certainly seemed passionate about what she was talking about, if nothing else, despite her slightly runny nose clogging up in the cold.

[Akodo Kawauso]

The Lion smiles pleasantly at the enthusiasm, although the detailed explanation is really rather beyond her. Still the Crane is nice to look at, and the ear muffs do look useful if they could be kept in place.

"Your, um, writing board needs a cord, maybe a small string, to lash the papers down. Like I might use on a boat," she suggested, hands waving in a vaguely knot-tying-like movement.

Kawauso held the board facing the Crane, holding the edges of the papers with her fingers. "Unless you're always going to have a friend with you when you need help," she added with a smile.

[Doji Misaki]

"A string?"

One of Misaki's fingers go to her chin thoughtfully before her eyebrows went up, "Ah. I had not thought of that! It is a good idea. Oh, but I'd failed to introduce myself, being so caught up with my little troubles."

She bows, the ear mufflers staying quite well on her head despite the motion.

"I am Misaki of Lady Doji-sama's Crane. I thank you already for your help and the inspiration on the idea front."

[Akodo Kawauso]

Kawauso smiles and nods politely at the belated introduction. Her eyes narrow a bit in curiosity, like an otter spotting something shiny bobbing in the water.

"I like the way of your introduction, Misaki-san of the Crane. Is it to respect that you were not born a Crane, like I was not born a Lion? I'm also curious, if you'll indulge me, about whether your, um, creative solutions..." In the pause she smiles, seeming to approve her own word choices. "Is that your role in the Crane?" Kawauso concludes with a warm smile on her face, clearly genuinely curious about Misaki.

[Doji Misaki]

"Hm. I suppose you are correct; In the case of my parents, they moved from Kakita tribal lands to what are now Crane lands when I was very young. But I have never really thought of myself as anything but coming from Lady Doji-sama's people. I'm just used to introducing myself that way because this whole 'Clan' thing is new to some of the Heimin especially. So saying my Clan is that of one of the Kami tends to let people understand better, while not causing confusion. After all, some inevitably think me related if I introduce myself as Doji Misaki. And some are unaware of the different naming conventions taken on were I to say Crane or Bat or Spider."

Charcoal put away, she held out her hands to take back the paper and board from the Lioness, "As to my role? I suppose you could say this sort of thing is part of it. More directly, I am in charge of infrastructure planning in the area south of the Crane capitol, between the forest and the sea. Laying out roads, designing bridges, increasing crop yields, planning cooperative irrigation solutions, and occasionally cartography and building design. The inventing is sometimes part of that, if I do not feel like I have the proper tools to make something work the way I want it to, or think the results could be improved."

[Akodo Kawauso]

"You are very interesting, Doji Misaki-san," the taller woman says matter-of-factly, though the curious otter-like eyes are still in strong effect.

"Your work with... the word... infrastructure," she says with energy as she remembers it. "This reminds me of my friend, Makime Ayano-sama, who works with some similar issues among the Lion. But you also mentioned speaking with the common folk. Is that a... regular part of your role?" There was a small flicker of a proud smile as she avoided an obviously unnecessary pun.

[Doji Misaki]

"Makime Ayano-sama?"

Misaki seemed to brighten up momentarily at the mention, though that could have just been the cold touching her exposed cheeks.

"Hai, I have spoken to her a bit. Her own work with such things is similar in a way certainly."

All-be-it Ayano's own considerations were battle and trade. But that seemed a small quibble that need not be brought up at the moment.

"As to your question, it most certainly is. Doji Kokuro-sama worked with farmers and laborers in his journeys before meeting Lady Doji-sama, and he never stopped when he founded his engineering school with her blessings. It is a small, humble school, and I suppose the work is hardly to bring attention or glory to those of us who follow that path. But with his teachings and methods, it takes only a few people to make a large difference I feel. Not that the Heimin are incapable of farming or laboring on their own. It is simply helpful to them to have more specialized knowledge and larger systems of organization in order to think of the bigger and more long term picture."

[Akodo Kawauso]

The Lion nods with interest as she listens, though by the end her eyes hint at having waited a while to reach the end.

"You must tell me more about your work -- er, perhaps indoors, at another time? -- for I have had some conversations with other guests here about focusing the energy and resources for change in the areas where they are most needed -- food and shelter for the common folk being foremost. It is less important, if a kind Crane will forgive the example, that we determine a right way to drink tea." Kawauso's smile is warm and apologetic, genuinely hoping to not antagonize Misaki.

[Doji Misaki]

A small smile, "You are forgiven. I will say though, you would be surprised how much the commoners care about tea, even if not the correct way to serve it. Still, that is a conversation I would be interested in having. There is only so much the fifth apprentice to Doji Kokuro-sensei can do or help with, but I will always help how I can with such matters. That is the purpose in life I have given myself, after all."

Misaki looks at Kawauso as she speaks, looking more and more thoughtful. As she finishes talking, she tucks the 'clipboard' under her arm and walks forward, taking off the earmuffs and putting up her hood, holding out the fuzzy things with her free hand, "Is there any chance you can try these on? They're not adjustable I'm afraid, so I want to see how they work with someone they weren't designed for per say."

[Akodo Kawauso]

A small smile, "You are forgiven. I will say though, you would be surprised how much the commoners care about tea, even if not the correct way to serve it. Still, that is a conversation I would be interested in having. There is only so much the fifth apprentice to Doji Kokuro-sensei can do or help with, but I will always help how I can with such matters. That is the purpose in life I have given myself, after all."

"The most honorable purpose," Kawauso says with great sincerity, smiling happily.

Misaki looks at Kawauso as she speaks, looking more and more thoughtful. As she finishes talking, she tucks the 'clipboard' under her arm and walks forward, taking off the earmuffs and putting up her hood, holding out the fuzzy things with her free hand, "Is there any chance you can try these on? They're not adjustable I'm afraid, so I want to see how they work with someone they weren't designed for per say."

Kawauso looks a bit skittish, unsure and self-conscious immediately. "Um, I guess," she says nervously. "I mean, my hair is so..." She waves her hands vaguely, sure that somehow she's going to mess up Misaki's great idea. After some moments of hesitating, she looks at the ground and takes a step forward. Not raising her eyes is a relief in this anxious moment. She does speak up to say, "You'll have to, you know... Do it. I mean, I don't... know..." Her hands continue to gesture without clear meaning, but she reaches for the board and holds it, steadying her hands and allowing Misaki to experiment with the placement.

[Doji Misaki]

She gives her best comforting smile... which is actually quite good, despite the cold.

"Don't worry, Akodo-san; I will be gentle."

Misaki walks over and reaches up to the head of the taller woman. She is very careful indeed, and it is quite slowly that she places the fuzzy domes on Kawauso's ears. Once there, they were... incredibly fluffy. It was like having the bellies of two otters against her ears. The sound of the wind and such was instantly muffled, almost like Kawauso was in a closet.

"How do they feel? Is it too right? Too high?"

Truthfully, with the taller woman, the band would be slightly pressing into the sides of her head, though the silk wrap on the bamboo helped that. As to the rest, the flexibility helped with the mufflers themselves, the two pads adjusting to sit on her ears snuggly but not too snuggly.

[Akodo Kawauso]

Kawauso calms a little at Misaki's smile and tone, although there's a new wave of tension that the Crane can see as the ear muffs block out much more sound than the bushi expected. She straightens and concerned eyes flicker to Misaki, but after a few moments the Lion woman seems to be pretty comfortable.

Seeing Misaki's mouth moving but not really hearing her words, Kawauso realizes she probably needs to remove the ear muffs in order to converse. After waving for Misaki to remove the muffs, as Kawauso continued to carefully guard the design board with her hands, she smiles as the pressure releases from her ears.

"This is... most impressive work, Doji-san," the Lion says with a bit of breathless wonder. "It is very kind to the ears, although, um, a bit pushy for those of us with large heads," she says, looking down self consciously. "I wouldn't want it to be loose and maybe fall off, but I don't think I could wear it very long as it is." The Lion looks up with an apologetic smile.

[Doji Misaki]

"I suspected as much," Misaki said as she took the outheld earmuffs back, immediately looking down at the headband, "Bamboo is flexible, so it holds on well enough it seems. But it also means it's really only designed for one person. Still, I suppose that's not too much different than most hats or clothing; Made for one person with a little wiggle room, but not much adjusting that can be easily done. Working as a tailor, I know just how much work it can take to hem clothes or lengthen them. Still..."

She looked up again from her handiwork and bowed, "You've been of great help. Now I've figured out just how much wiggle room they give, and I have some adjustments to make; Add a felt pad on the inside of the mufflers so the don't block sound quite as much, and add a bit more padding to the headband than just a silk sheathe, if nothing else. Plus, I could see first hand that it did not mess up your beautiful hair, Akodo-san. If anything, it seemed to help keep it in place with the wind blowing about like it is."

[Akodo Kawauso]

Kawauso's eyes start to glaze as Misaki gets detailed in her explanation, but she's listening closely enough to hear reference to her beautiful hair. It fills the Lion with embarrassment, which is fairly clear from her face, although there's also a noticeable amount of pride in her smile at being complimented by a pretty Crane.

"Oh, it's, um, very practical then," Kawauso murmurs about the design. "I'm, um, glad to be of help, Doji-san." She smiles warmly but a little nervously still. "You'll have to let me know if I can do more."

[Doji Misaki]

"Oh? You're offering to be a test subject of sorts then?"

Misaki tilted her head with a sort of predatory yet still gentle look in her eyes.