[D7, LE, Kawauso's room] Woodcarving workshop

[Akodo Kawauso]

After an eventful day, Kawauso could certainly have justified heading to bed early. Instead, she was hard at work on something to commemorate some of the excitement of this great gathering of clans.

[Hantei Genji]

Genji was taking a walk, with his grandfather swapping places with his grandmother, when he noticed some curious sounds.

Deciding to be bold, e scratched a bit at the door.

[Akodo Kawauso]

Kawauso's face scrunches in curiosity, but she rises and walks to open the door, carving tool still in hand.

When she slides the door open and is looking into the eyes of Genji, she stops cold, mouth slightly agape.

[Hantei Genji]

"Ah, gomen Akodo-san. I did not wish to bother, I just heard scraping sounds from this room, and I was slightly worried."

[Akodo Kawauso]

"Uh, Hantei-sama, good, ah, evening," Kawauso says with a smile, giggling slightly but controlling it. "I hope that Hantei-sama won't be worried now that he knows it's me," she asks, raising the fairly small carving knife still in her hand.

There's an awkward silence.

"Um, which reminds me, you... had mentioned seeing some of my work." It's not immediately clear what she means by stating that fact.

[Hantei Genji]

"I am certainly much calmer and happier to know it is you." He smiled once again. "Neh? Sure? You practice with your spear here?"

[Akodo Kawauso]

"Nooo, my woodcarving," the Lion giggles. "I, um, was actually working on something for you. I hope that's not... weird." Kawauso looks uncertain. "You should come in. To see it. Unless that's, um... against the rules." Her eyes and posture -- already leaning away from the door a little -- clearly want him to enter, but she's genuinely unfamiliar with the protocol here.

[Akodo Kawauso]

"Nooo, my woodcarving," the Lion giggles. "I, um, was actually working on something for you. I hope that's not... weird." Kawauso looks uncertain. "You should come in. To see it. Unless that's, um... against the rules." Her eyes and posture -- already leaning away from the door a little -- clearly want him to enter, but she's genuinely unfamiliar with the protocol here.

[Hantei Genji]

"'Ah, gomen." Genji shrugged. There was a certain...energy to him, slightly different than during the day. "I wouldn't think so. We are two proper samurai, neh?" He smiled widely at her. "And...something for me? I appreciate it Akodo-san, but I cannot fathom for why."

[Akodo Kawauso]

She looks at him, a little disbelieving. "Because you're..." She giggles a little again.

"Alright, come in. Here, uh, have a seat..." Her small table was moved to one side of the room, where on and near it were what appeared to be several carving projects. A relatively tidy but not small pile of wood shavings was beside it. Kawauso hurried to set cushions in the center of the room, as far apart as they'd be with the table in between.

"I, um, don't have any tea... Just cold water," she says apologetically. "River people, never far from the water," she jokes lamely as she tries to think of how this should work.

[Hantei Genji]

Genji did not seem bothered by the clutter all around, and took a seat at a relaxed pace. "Hai, water is perfectly fine, Akodo-san." His smile remained as it was. "Oh, I'm...I see." His body stiffened a bit. "Because I am the heir to the stag, and we are good friends, and so should be our clans."

[Akodo Kawauso]

Kawauso pours water for them, then sits and sets the cups down. "Well... Good friends, yes..." She's looking at him curiously. "With, um, some special memories..." Her voice trails off as she seems to be trying to think through this situation while also living it.

"Oh, um, what I wanted to show you," she says, rising and walking to the table that had become her workshop. "It's, uh, not quite finished..." She blows a couple bits of wood shaving off the piece as she lifts it, then returns to Genji.

Kawauso kneels on her cushion and holds it out: a carved mask nearly identical to the one she'd worn when they first spoke, at the Stag Ball. This one is a touch more carefully done, and the antlers are more impressive than on the original.

[Hantei Genji]

"Oh." Genji seems to be taken aback as he looks at it.

"This is....very fine work, Akodo-san." His tone was sincere as he spoke. His eyes glanced up at her, a small smile forming. "Gomen...I might have misinterpreted what you mentioned."

[Akodo Kawauso]

Kawauso blushes and looks down. "I mean, it's not... fancy art or anything..." She takes a heavy breath. "I just, um... have really, uh..." She stops, giggles, then sets the mask on the floor. "I'm sorry." She picks up her water cup and takes two sips, steadying herself. She smiles at Genji, a little sparkle of light in one corner of one eye.

[Hantei Genji]

Kawauso blushes and looks down. "I mean, it's not... fancy art or anything..." She takes a heavy breath. "I just, um... have really, uh..." She stops, giggles, then sets the mask on the floor. "I'm sorry." She picks up her water cup and takes two sips, steadying herself. She smiles at Genji, a little sparkle of light in one corner of one eye.

"It's beautiful." He smiled. "Don't be sorry. For what? For this?" He obviously admired the mask, a wide smile on his face. This one seemed a bit unlike all his others. "I a msorry, I misunderstood your intention." He let out a slow breath. "Sometimes...I feel I am defined by my family and my duty, and that is what others expect of me. Or see in me. Well...I never had many friends, so you see...I...ugh." He was obviously embarrassed.

[Akodo Kawauso]

Kawauso smiles, another sparkle appearing in her eyes. "Um," she says nervously. "I'm sorry to smile. Please forgive me, but... That's... Both the duty, and the... Lack of friends, that's..." She forces herself to stop and form a sentence.

"I haven't had, um, a lot of experience, with the ways of the empire. I always thought my duty, and my destiny, was to be a river guardian. Help my father protect our people. That was all." She takes a deep breath, sounding steadier than she would expect.

"And I came here to do that. Resolve a river issue, for my father. But then... all of this... happened. And it... I think, maybe, I'm supposed to do more than just go back to the river. Like... maybe my duty is... doing more than just what I can do, back home by the river."

She's smiling at him, hoping it makes sense. Then there's a flash of worry. "I mean, um... I really..." Kawauso's empty hand waves vaguely in between them. "Connected," she manages to say nervously, before desperately taking another drink of water. She stares nervously over the top of the cup, anxious for anything he might do.

[Hantei Genji]

"Well...there are many rivers in the Empire. Perhaps not all have guardians." He smiled back at her. "Don't be nervous Akodo-san. You are sincere and forthright, and dedicated. Bushido suits you, and let it flow through you."

Wise words from a teenager.

"It seems we are in similar positions, in a sense."

[Akodo Kawauso]

"Yes, Hantei-sama, I think we are," she says, restraining a burst of excitement at what he'd said. "And we have so much in common, like the sumai, the wine event, and the battle scenario that you did so well in..." She takes an excited breath, finding him as easy to talk to as she has before.

[Hantei Genji]

Genji smiled. "Eh, it was nothing. It was a well thought out scenario, but my experience in Nezumi lands lent itself to it, thankfully." He shrugged. "Your wood carving is much more impressive, neh."

[Akodo Kawauso]

Kawauso blushes, unable to hold it back.

"Thank you, Hantei-sama," she says emphatically. "I, um, thought the mask would be a nice reminder. Of that first night we met. It... meant a lot to me. Your kindness... and everything since then..." She looks at him expectantly.