A Letter for Hymn [Fuuen, Yugiri]

What a nice night, hmm? The perfect conditions for a date she thought. It felt only right after the exchange of poetic letters to each other. Admittedly it was most hardest to find what she wanted, a kimono most importantly to play on her haiku. Somewhere an envelope on her person with another letter which she had not been so forthcoming with, call it something of a trial. He was attractive and she liked him, more than she cared to admit but in her own round about way the young woman determined to play another game with him.

Could he get the letter off her before the night was over?

The spot that she had chosen was a small town, off to the wayside in Japan. A place that still retained their ancestral roots and had put in great lengths to maintain by the architecture and genuine piece of Japanese history. It reminded her of Soul Society and maybe that's where it gained a bit of affection from her. The older Edo-esque look that she had grown up with.

"I hope he won't be late."

She mused from her spot by a lamp post where she told him to meet her in a piece of paper sent with her coy poem. Yugiri reached up, a little conscious of her own appearance which was rare, her hand just kept going to make sure that the flower ornamentation to her hair remained in place. It had taken her so long to get this right, it would irritate her a lot for it to fall apart before he even saw.

It sure was getting to be a nice night though.The sun almost over the horizon as the night life began to spring up.

Naturally, when Fuuen was met with a letter of reply, he had taken it well to heart. He was hardly such a naive young man that he took this to be an immediate assurance of deepseated affection, but that had never been the nature of this exchange to begin with. Attraction, interest, certainly, but to discern anything more was not the domain of poetry, no matter how lovely it might have been. So, of course, he traveled to the chosen destination, a pleasant smile crossing his features as he looked upon the town. It reminded him quite a bit of his younger days, of his life. It was quite nostalgic, really.

Ah, but he did not let that dare to distract him from the reason for being here. As he came to Yugiri, waiting by the lap, he offered a courteous bow, as would naturally accompany a proper greeting in his day. If they were to be in this vision of the past, he felt it would only be right to act as he might have in those days.

"Good evening, Yugiri. I hope I've not kept you waiting long, hm? I did not wish to come ill prepared."

Indeed, his whole attire was more neatly considered, more ordered and composed than normal. Fuuen was always a man of aesthetics, but even compared to his typical appearance, there was more refinement, more careful adornment and accessory. Despite the subtlety of it, a trained eye could certainly have seen the meticulous care he had given for this evening. It would not do to give her anything less than his best.

Well, she was glad to see that he had taken as much care as she had in this date. Maybe not as elaborate but in the simple and subtle ways he had gone to the length of preparing. She could've been nervous, linger on how she had not really been on any kind of date in a long time but her mind felt pretty at ease. Relaxed and confident, it felt a little strange since she expected to shy away.

"Not at all, I believe you're right on time."

She adjusted her position and closed her eyes for a moment before taking a peek with one eye. Just to go back to looking at him with an impish grin.A little smug even.

"Since you're not ill prepared, what are your plans for me tonight, hmm?"

Ah, such reserved confidence, and ladylike assuredness in her expression, only reaffirmed what Fuuen had already known from the beginning, that this was indeed a lady a cut above the rest. With that in mind, he gave a small, coy smile of his own, as if he had already seen that very question coming and prepared an answer well in advance.

"My plans with you are dinner under the careful gaze of the moon, tea and confections from the hands of masters. But my plans for you?"

His eyes narrowed just a touch, a playful air to his gaze as he addressed her and her question. After all, he had certainly not forgotten the poem she had returned to him.

"Naturally, I intend to read the letter you have penned for me."

"I see, well that sure does sound lovely doesn't it?"

She gave a coy grin at his intention of getting the second letter, her eyes narrowing just a little while she took a deep breathe and took her voice to carry a much different tone. A far more sultry one which she had practised for the mere reason of being able to utilise the full scope of her vocal range but never any reason to use it.

"Oh? I wonder how you plan to go about getting it out of my kimono."

Yugiri gave a small chuckle as she finished, extending her arm just a little for him to take. She'd let him lead the night but she did have all the power here.

The tone of voice that Yugiri took, the grace which both elevated and clashed with the sultry presentation, Fuuen was quite confident that such elegance could not ever have been created by accident. No, she knew precisely what she was doing, though Fuuen would never have assumed otherwise to begin with. He took her arm confidently and carefully, leading the way forward through the antiquated town. He wondered if he ought to change his own voice, as well, but that was hardly a talent he'd cultivated. Better to be genuine, hm?

"If every lovely truth were laid bare for us to see, we would surely be robbed of the joy in discovering it for ourselves."

A response that was only accompanied by a faint uptick in his tone of voice, an almost songlike nature to the flow of his words that suggested not simply flowery language, but that he meant a touch more by it. Of course, even that secondary meaning was not some outright declaration of intent. It was simply a continuation of the banter already established by their poems.

"And, besides, would it not be poor form to think only on that single goal? No matter how magnificent a sight it might be, there is splendor in every step toward enlightenment."

It was not simple flowered language, of course, for Fuuen was not a man who simply peppered his speech with needless nonsense. No, it was simply a statement of intent, covered in all the elegance of poetic language. That he would enjoy this night to its fullest, in whatever manner it went. After all, her presence, under the light of the stars and the glow of paper lanterns, was something that he did not know if even he could replicate.

"Hmm. I suppose you're right, though when you fly through life as a bird flies through the sky, the world passes as a blur."

She chimed and let him lead, keeping stride while letting him think on her words. An admission that she missed the finer details in things when she was so impatient and liked to lead such a fast lifestyle. Flying from place to place, never lingering. That was the freedom that she'd discovered for herself and while this world was something she'd come to appreciate - something so vast that she could spend a great deal of her life to see every detail - it was difficult to slow down.

"I hope you're as well versed in surprising a lady to the same degree as your poetry."

Yugiri wasn't looking to leave the night a little let down, if he wanted to steal her heart then it would be a labour and more. She knew herself enough to acknowledge the fickle reality of herself, the difficulty of commitment. It would need to be a night that she would look back on her deathbed and smile fondly at.

"Ah, but there is beauty in such a thing as well. To see the myriad colors and shapes of the world form into something greater as you pass them by, as you come to know them all as more than mere individual memories."

Fuuen, after all, lived much the same life. A man who traveled with the breeze, who went where he felt he ought to go. It was that very understanding that, in his eye, simply added to Yugiri's charm-- but, of course, he was not simply here to fawn over her incessantly. That was hardly something any self-respecting man would do.

"Rest assured, I would never think to show you a simple night. How unsightly that would be, to make grand promises and fail to meet them."

Naturally, he had already made certain to familiarize himself with this whole area before the evening had come. He had needed to ensure that everything would be perfect, that he could make everything just as it needed to be. If he were an ill-equipped man, he might have simply brought her to the most luxurious and elegant place in the town, but Fuuen had done his research. So it was that, instead, he led her to a small ramen stand, overlooking the river that flowed through the town. It was a pleasant little thing, with a scenic view, but that was not enough to carry it in his eyes.

No, it was the food which had pulled him to it. One of the greatest bowls he had ever known, a simplicity and refinement to it that surpassed any degree of luxury. He imagined Yugiri would appreciate that, and if she did not? Well, that was acceptable. It would hardly be the end of the world, and he pulled a seat out for her with a smile.

"The lady first, of course."

Yugiri smirked as she was led to a humble spot, he did seem to have an idea of her. Growing up in luxury didn't make her care much for upper class spots, things where that was an expectation to behave a certain way. Those places were so annoying.

"Of course, Fuuen. What should I order?"

Was it another test or did she genuinely not mind? A little playful smirk on her features as she planned through what could happen through the night. Could she guess or accurately have an idea of where he would take the night?

She hoped not. Yugiri wanted to be as surprised as the haiku she received made her feel.

"It is said that the best dish here is their tsukemen, with a broth thick enough that one needs only two noodles to hold it. But, with that said, I find that popularity a touch curious."

Fuuen's smile grew just the taintest touch as he sat next to Yugiri, his eyes moving to look over the offerings of the humble little stand. He had done his research in earnest, after all, and this was an art like any other.

"Not because it lacks quality, of course. But this stand carries traditions from the south which are quite rare here in Nara, and the kurume ramen is in a class all its own. It is a quieter, less exciting dish, so perhaps that is why others do not flock to it, but I believe the owner of this place would agree that it is his masterwork. The effort he puts into the stock, the meats, speak far more than any popularity might. It is certainly what I intend to have."

Of course, that wasn't to say popularity was worth nothing, and he acknowledged as such. But there was far more beauty in the perfection of the craft for its own sake, rather than for glory in the eyes of others.