[Day 1, Early Morning] At Least The Day Started Well (Open)

[Makime Ayano]

The sudden water fight had been unexpected and Ayano wasn't sure whether to laugh or remain stoic in the Crane's example. Then of course the Doji had been drawn into the fight and it had ended just as suddenly.

Part of her militant mother's training actually kicked into to try and analyze this comical little war...but she banished it quickly enough. Instead her eyes focused on the Crane, curious as to her reaction. The steam heat had reddened her cheeks a little.

[Doji Misaki]

Misaki mostly managed to compose herself after opening her eyes and brushing some stray strands of wet, raven black hair out of her face. Her nose felt odd, but she said nothing about that, just shaking her head instead, "I thank Isawa-dono for the offer, but I will have to refuse. Perhaps that was merely my due for being a bit impertinent."

The stoicism was ruined a bit by the drips falling from the young woman's hair over her face, dripping in the water and on her chest a bit as she carefully got her seating again.

[Jiyo Sora]

"What's impertinent, Dad?"

"It's what Phi pretends she isn't, and Shirayuki admits she is, Soryu."

"Dad!"

"Come on!"

"Show me the lie, O Firstborn Spawn, and I will admit to it."

[Isawa Kyosei]

"Oh, you were not impertinent. And I am still not a -dono. Only a regular -san, most of the time. Occasionally a string of frustrated growls when I anger my wife or daughter."

He lets Soryu slip out of his grasp, once he is sure the boy has his footing again.

[Makime Ayano]

"Doji-san is gracious," Ayano responded with a small smile, her intent was to sound more merry in but her mind had been elsewhere so it might have sounded sychopantic.

"It seems the little battle is over, inconclusive. I fear Jiyo-sama has done not but delay the confrontation and give the combatants time to rethink their next attack. The peacekeeper will have to stay vigilant if he means to keep peace." That was more merry sounding at least.

[Jiyo Sora]

"Oh, eternal vigilance is the price of parenthood, Makime-san..."

[Makime Ayano]

"And the art of deception ever cultivated in childhood, Jiyo-sama." Ayano responded, with the sort of innocent small that every parent knew meant the kid was anything but innocent.

[Isawa Kyosei]

"Cultivated, but not yet grown, I think. So many think they are getting away with things, only to have it all come crumbling down upon them, when they are inevitably caught." He glances at the innocent looking twins. "Hear that, you lot? It is inevitable, always."

[Doji Misaki]

"Oh, you were not impertinent. And I am still not a -dono. Only a regular -san, most of the time. Occasionally a string of frustrated growls when I anger my wife or daughter."

He lets Soryu slip out of his grasp, once he is sure the boy has his footing again.

"Very well; I shall follow your wishes then when addressing you."

Fully straightened out, Misaki massaged her neck lightly before settling back.

"Doji-san is gracious," Ayano responded with a small smile, her intent was to sound more merry in but her mind had been elsewhere so it might have sounded sychopantic.

"It seems the little battle is over, inconclusive. I fear Jiyo-sama has done not but delay the confrontation and give the combatants time to rethink their next attack. The peacekeeper will have to stay vigilant if he means to keep peace." That was more merry sounding at least.

"Inconclusive, hm? If hostilities should continue, I would at least appreciate a warning before any collateral damage should come my way. Not to be the boring stick in the mud, but it would be a shame if I were to tire myself out at the start of what I am sure will be a long and eventful day."

[Isawa Kyosei]

"A good point. Different people relax in different ways - some with just sitting, some with soaking, some with playing, some with reading, others with crafting or the like. If her method is soaking, we should not overly weary her with inclusion in other methods."

[Doji Misaki]

"Oh, I am sure playing with young ones would be quite fun and relaxing; I do like children... My constituion isn't the best though, and I am afraid I would lose my towel in the process..."

A light but contained demure blush, perhaps all the more light since it blended in with the touch the heat gave Misaki's face.

[Isawa Kyosei]

"So, is soaking the only way you relax, or are there others?"

[Doji Misaki]

"Oh, no. There are many ways to relax I enjoy: Gardening, cooking, whittling, reading, flower arranging, cleaning, meditating, dancing... or did you mean in hotsprings? I... suppose I could do some of those at a hotspring like this one."

[Isawa Kyosei]

With a smile, he responds. "No, I was not limiting things to Hot springs. Some of those would be quite... difficult to do, if that were the case. Though, interesting to watch, from the outside."

[Makime Ayano]

Ayano turned an ear to the discussion between Crane and Imperial. "Doji-san seems to have many talents." She shook her head, "And I am not sure if any beyond cleaning and meditating could be done in a hot spring. Gardening would change the springs to a mud bath, cooking and the broth is ruined, reading and flower arranging...would the steam not destroy the materials..." She chuckled and then her eyes widened, Ayano might put on airs of maturity but she was still something of a young woman. "And...the dancing would be inappropriate I think."

[Isawa Kyosei]

"The whittling might work, if you were good enough to aim the chips outside the pool."

[Doji Misaki]

"I think I could do cooking, come to think of it; I know I have recipes in my pack that involve cooking using a hotspring; Boiling and steaming certain things like eggs. As to the dancing, I could wear clothes; Getting wet never hurt linen."

Still, the imaginative Crane writer's mind went there now that the Lioness had mentioned it and she found herself fanning herself with a hand.

[Jiyo Sora]

"All of my dancing is inappropriate. Perhaps I should demonstrate..."

"Dad!"

"Don't you dare!"

"Is Daddy gonna dance around outside the bath?"

"No, Soryu, he's not!"

"Hm, you sure about that Phi?"

"Dad, your two eldest children would die of shame."

"Oh, shame isn't fatal. High time you two figured that out!"

However, he made no move to make good on the threat.

Yet.

[Makime Ayano]

Ayano flushed with a different sort of embarrassment.

"That would be very inappropriate for a hero of the Empire." Her face reddened again, "Think of the stories I would have to tell my mother...or my children if I have them. 'The great hero Jiyo Sora who walked into the depths of evil alongside Hantei, who championed the very library in our city, gyrated as naked as the day he came to the mortal world...as a lark!' It's like mom's story about the wall all over again."

[Jiyo Sora]

"And she didn't even see the bad part of that story!"

"Is that the wall you, ah-"

"The very same, Shirayuki, the very same."

"I think you're right Dad, I don't think shame is fatal, because if THAT didn't kill me..."

"What wall are you talking about?"

"I'll tell you when you're older, Soryu."

"Aw, Phi..."