Nakahama

With the sky clearing, the locals began to crowd the Nishi Beach, setting up their mats and towels around the pools of fresh water created by the downpour. Children ran by the sea and built sand castles under the watchful eyes of their caretakers, most of whom were servants. A few elderly samurai were enjoying themselves by playing cards, sitting cross-legged on a large tarp that bore the Yasuki mon.

Having managed to escape the rain by virtue of sleeping late, Iwane was enjoying his day off. He was sitting on a large rock, huddling a can of Blueclaw in his hands as he watched the kids play. Having spent the last three weeks working on a near-impossible deadline, the busy and slightly cool beach felt like heaven.

"Thinking of jumping down?" The Kuni hears a voice with a humorous hue. "If done with style, it could be quite the thrill."

Bayushi Senshuken in a black bikini, a red pair of shorts, black sneakers and a small backpack can be seen nearby. Once acknowledged she will offer a bow.

Startled, Iwane blinked as he turned to regard the Scorpion woman. "Ah, no." He shook his head, wiggling the beer can he held in his hand. "Just spacing out." There was a short pause, Iwane squinting his eyes. "Bayushi-san?" He had never been good with the invertebrates. "Mhmhm. And potentially land you in a hospital."

Or morgue He thought to himself.

"We do offer good medical care, should Bayushi-san feel brave enough." He glanced down.

"Pardon my manners." Pushing himself up, he wiped imaginary dust off his clothes. "Kuni Iwane."

Another bow. "Bayushi Senshuken. Pleased to meet you." She pauses for a moment and thinks. Then she waves her hand dismissively to her own thoughts. "Nah, it doesn't worth the risk. You are right. Without the right preparations and equipment, the effort will likely end up in an accident. If not a tragedy."

She takes another look to the large rock and her eyes return to the Kuni. "May I join you in spacing out? Kami, do I need it!"

"Pleasure is all mine, Bayushi-san," Iwane replied, offering her a nod. "They say that the Fortunes favor the brave. As much as there's some truth to that, jumping from here might not qualify as bravery." He looked markedly at the masked young woman.

"Be my guest, beer?" Iwane reached into his sleeve, pulling out another can. "I know it's early, but." He shrugged. "Then again, we are on a beach."

She reaches for the offered can and sits down nearby before opening it up and sipping.

"Beer is more of a beverage." She looks out towards the sea. "Or a loan. We recieve it, keep it for a limited time and before long we have to..." She waves her hand. "Not my best analogy. I better leave it there, but anyways. Beer goes beyond time and place. It's almost obligatory in the beach." She turns to look at the Crab. "Is talking allowed while spacing out?"

"Mhmhm," Iwane murmured in agreement, his eyebrow rising gently. "I am not one to judge Bayushi-san for her hobbies." He tried to sound tactful, but didn't quite manage. There was a common stereotype that the Scorpion were debauched, but he had never expected anyone to admit their interests in such a blatant fashion.

"I'd agree," he replied, taking a sip from his can. "I mean, I suppose it's easier if you don't talk." Turning his eyes from Sensuhken to the sea, he paused for a moment. "You have a reason to space out?"

"A hobby?" She chuckles. "What? The beer? Drinking?" She waves her hand. "Not a hobby really. I get drunk easily. Completely a light weight and who wants to be drunk. You can't drive and the aftermath..." A chuckle. "No, thank you very much."

She doesn't seem inclined to actually space out. Or stop talking either. "I don't think that I need spacing out. Just wondering. How about you? Do you need it? As an activity? To think, clear your head, meditate?"

"No. What follows, yes?" Iwane eyed Senshuken much like a Crane koi breeder might have eyed a particularly flashy fish. "Hangover? There's a cure for that." He patted his satchel. "Though you might want to take it slow, especially if you plan to take part to the welcome party later. There's no way Yasuki-sama won't serve spirits to her guests." Iwane expected spirits to flow freely, and he wasn't thinking about the kami.

"I meditate with this," he replied, tapping the can he was holding. "The Brotherhood might have objections to my practice, but then again, don't they always?" Iwane took another sip, tapping his temple. "I'm a bit too restless to sit down and think of nothing."

"It's just beer." She comments and takes a sip. "I can handle it."

The word restless seems to draw her attention. "How so if I may ask? I have been called that a lot by my sensei and my mother. I'm not sure if they considered it a good thing. For a courtier."

"If you say so." Who was he to argue with a Scorpion? "I got more, should you be still thirsty after that." Iwane tapped his sleeve. "I had the seamstress make sure I could fit a six-pack here." He sounded all sorts of smug about himself.

"There's a lot to think about." He pointed at the sea. "Things one could do. Study. See, I am a scientist. There's always something on my mind." A short pause. "Now? Now I am thinking of beer, though. Sometimes, man has to think of beer."

"So what brings Bayushi-san here?"

"A whole six pack? That's... You are a genius, Kuni san." She smirks and takes another sip. "Honestly I am not much of a drinker, but I might take up on your offer."

"A scientist, huh? Truly a genius. May I ask your field of expertise? As for myself," she shrugs lightly. "Duty brought to this planet. Fondness for sea to this beach and a search for an interesting conversation to this rock."

"Am I not?" Iwane nodded, tapping his arm. "Now, you should see my summer haori that comes with a built-in cooling system both for me and my sleeves." Emptying the can he had been huddling, he reached into his sleeve and cracked open another. "Well, see how you feel after the first one, eh?"

"Well, yes," he agreed with her. "Though I study the local wildlife, not kimono." Iwane chuckled. "I suppose I could say the same. I've lived here for a couple of years now. It's not a bad place." He ran his long fingers through his dark curls. "It's not home, but the air here is much better."

She seems rather impressed with his... kimonos. Her expression is telling. Then she looks around her. "It is a nice place indeed. I come from the World of Dreams, but one of the backwater provinces. More industrial than most. Practicality over beauty. How is your own homeworld like?"

"Imagine a forge-factory? Now hold to that image. Now imagine another forge-factory next to the first one. Then, imagine a large habitation complex built for all the heimin who work at the factory," Iwane explained, licking his lips. "Then schools, creches, and all the other things humans need to live. Imagine that sight repeating thousands of times on a large continent that spans from pole to pole. And, Bayushi-san, that is how Kaiu Prime looks." He didn't quite want to explain just how awful Kaiu Prime might smell.

"As you can imagine, I much prefer it here. Even if I miss the smog sometimes." The way he smirked made it impossible to tell if he was jesting or not.

"I think that I get the picture." Another sip that empties her can. She places her mask back on.

"I had met a Kaiu from Kaiu Prime at my previous assignment. He was adorably intelligent and... stiff. We got along very well despite our many differences. Perhaps my interest in engineering helped. Or it could be his unique sense of humor."

"Well," she shrugs, "you are here now. What about the wildlife you are studying? Flora or fauna? Any particular species?"

"My Kaiu brothers and sisters can sometimes be a bit stiff. Nothing that some sake won't sort out." Iwane replied dryly. "Sometimes you just might need more than a bottle." The tall men and women he knew could drink like sponges and still keep discussing the intricacies of a spirit furnace. "Oh? Kaiu with a sense of humor. I take you got him drinking, then?"

"Fish and reptiles," Iwane replied. "The rest is confidential, alas. I suppose I can tell you I am working with pharmaceuticals."

"Oh I have a cousin that does exactly that. Confidential research about pharmaceutical substances coming from reptiles and fish. Unless we are not talking about either drugs or poisons in which case, please, pretend that I never spoke." She clearly jokes.

"I suppose you'd know what a non-disclosure agreement means?" He paused to wonder if the girl in a bikini and shorts might have been a ninja, and if the ninja also had to sign an NDA. Dismissing the frivolous thought, Iwane took a sip from his fresh can, the beer slightly too warm for his tastes. "No offense, Bayushi-san. I am sure you know how secrets work." Iwane smirked.

"Oh no!" She chuckles playfully. "That was a joke that had made me proud of myself. One of my best. It must be true then. You have to get a Crab drunk if you are to get a laughter out of them. Mission impossible."