Private Beneath Steam and Starlight

[Niijima Izumi]

The forest beyond Thule whispered with the cool breath of midnight. Crickets sang between the pines, and the moon hung low, an ivory lantern above a world wrapped in mist.

Niijima Izumi stepped lightly along the stone path, her geta clicking softly against the damp stones. The night’s silence felt heavier here, broken only by the gentle rush of water flowing down from the cliffs into the secluded spring below. Lanterns had been set around the pool, their soft amber glow mingling with the steam that drifted lazily into the night air.

Her body ached from the long hours under the gaze of others; the laughter, the songs, the careful practice and measure of every gesture. The geisha’s mask had been flawless, as it always was. But here, beneath the open sky, there was no need for masks.

Her face, free of the white powder and red paint, was softened by the moonlight. The black and red silk of her kimono clung faintly to her frame, the fabric carrying the faint scent of plum blossoms. Beneath her obi, her twin swords remained; habit made her keep them close, even now.

She knelt at the edge of the spring, dipping her fingers into the water. The heat licked at her skin, rising in small ripples that caught the reflection of the stars.

The bushido she followed spoke of discipline and restraint, of balance between strength and serenity. But tonight, she allowed herself to be simply Izumi—not the swordswoman defying tradition, not the elegant performer behind painted lips. Just a woman, breathing in the quiet, her heart finally still.

She exhaled, the tension of the day bleeding from her shoulders as she eased into the steaming pool. The world seemed to fade beyond the curtain of mist; no duty, no eyes watching, only the whisper of wind through cedar leaves and the sound of her own heartbeat.

TAG: Adelle Bastiel​

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[Adelle Bastiel]

Starlight. Adelle tilted her face up to the night sky, eyes staring as if she could see beyond the atmosphere of Thule. The quiet of night seemed to be the calmest time--at least when it was chosen. A gentle wind rustled the needles of the pines surrounding her, their canopy black against the dark blue patch of starlit sky. She adjusted the robe around her and continued down the path.

After a few nights of nightmares, Adelle had seen fit to find some suitable form of relaxation if only to give poor Phantom a break. She'd heard of these hot springs by word of mouth while on Thule and figured night might be the best option; the scarring on her body often drew unwanted attention at springs and bathhouses. Her feet took her down the stone path, while she let herself get lost in thought.

The feeling of another's presence startled her as she came upon the hot springs themselves. A woman with black hair, young to her eyes, sat in the waters, basking in the steam already. Adelle ground her teeth for a moment but her approach would've been noticed. It wasn't like she'd been trying to sneak her way to the springs. Better to acknowledge her intrusion on what was probably meant to be a moment of solitude.

"Forgive me," she said quietly. "I didn't think anyone else would be here at this hour. I can leave if you would prefer."



Niijima Izumi

 

[Niijima Izumi]

Izumi had heard the woman's voice before she could see who it was. Immediately Izumi's eyes snapped open, her golden brown eyes locking into the direction of where the voice had come from. Her eyes soften just a fraction at the brunette. She seemed a bit older than Izumi, the steam of the hot springs seemed to make her see the stranger having different colored eyes. Interesting, the woman mused, although she didn't really care about people's appearance. “There’s no need,” Izumi said, her tone low and even, touched by warmth but grounded in poise. “The springs are open to all who seek their peace. You will find no offense here.”

She turned her gaze back toward the shimmering surface, ripples distorting the reflected moonlight. “I find the quiet hours best,” she added after a beat. “The day belongs to duty. The night… to what remains of ourselves.”

Izumi shifted slightly in the water, resting her arms along the smooth edge of stone. “You look as though the world has chased you to its edge,” she said softly, her words neither judgment nor pity; merely observation. “Sit, if you wish. The steam hides more than scars.” Izumi's own eyes swept over the obvious scars that the stranger wore like badges on her body. Izumi had a few scars too, though they were on her back, out of view from the stranger's sight.

Her eyes flicked toward Adelle once more, the faintest smile tugging at her lips. “And if you truly meant to sneak, you would not have been heard.”

TAG: Adelle Bastiel​

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[Adelle Bastiel]

Tags:
Niijima Izumi​

The woman spoke with a calm and quiet authority, the kind of tone that Adelle had only heard from the women holding or wed to those holding positions of power on Corellia. Adelle inclined her head and disrobed, folding the garment neatly with the care that'd been drilled into her from CorSec and the Jedi, before entering the springs. She hissed appreciatively and eased herself further into the waters, a small smile at the corner of her mouth.

"Yes, well, I have been known to startle some of my peers simply by walking up behind them," she said. Adelle found a spot next to the wall to sit, leaning her head back against the ledge. "As far as the edge of the world goes . . ."

She sighed, watching her breath form faint clouds before dissipating into the night air. "You're not wrong. It's been a long road back."

Silence fell but Adelle didn't think it was an uncomfortable silence. Nighttime seemed to invite reflection, a quiet that listened, and the waters of the springs were soothing. She could feel tension in her shoulders and neck easing, her lungs breathing deeper.

"You speak poetically," Adelle said after a bit. "Am I right in guessing the duty of day requires you to move in the circles of the powerful?"

 

[Niijima Izumi]

Izumi nodded her head as she listened to Adelle speak, though she turned her head as not to stare at the woman disrobing. Even though she was not at all shy of such things especially in front of other women, she understood that not everyone would share her sentiment. She waited for her companion to dip her feet in the water at least before Izumi's own eyes would turn to meet that of hers, still refusing to stare too intently. "I guess I cannot say that I am not surprised," the woman answered softly, as Adelle spoke of when her mere presence could and would startle some. In fact, had Adelle met Izumi as Sakurako, the geisha, perhaps she too would be startled.

At least Izumi was in her so-called "natural habitat".

At the mention of how she spoke, the raven-haired woman thought for a moment, assessing whether she should say much about her "profession". She had hid her identity as Sakurako from everyone, including those she called her closest...though admittedly those were now few in numbers. Allowing a minute of silence to pass while she chose her words carefully, she thought it best to assess the stranger a little more before making a definitive decision of whether to disclose what she had gone to great lengths to protect. It was a part of her that she was neither ashamed of nor proud of. It was simply that the geisha world had their own rules; rules which those who found themselves in the center dare not challenge. "You can say that..." she continued in the same tone "...I've had the luxury or the misfortune, depending on how one defines those terms to have met some politically powerful people..." This was perhaps the most vague she could be, given the circumstances.

It was at that moment that another person would enter the premise, a girl with large emerald eyes and light chestnut hair tied into two pigtails on either side of her head. She wore a plain robe of cotton and wool. In her hand was a wooden tray, with a bottle of sake and a matching porcelain cup. Izumi had come to this hot spring whenever she finished her geisha duties and was in the area. It was the only solace she found among the hustle and bustle of the city. The girl put down the tray behind Izumi and bowed her head. Izumi nodded her head in silent appreciation, before turning to Adelle. "In case this is your first time here, this place is run by a bar owner in the city. If you would like anything to eat or drink, just let Maki here know and she'll bring it to you." She nodded again to the girl, smiling at her.

It was the best indulgence to be able to relax in a hot bath and drink; the only two things that could take out all of the world's stresses.

TAG: Adelle Bastiel​

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[Adelle Bastiel]

Niijima Izumi​

"You can say that..." she continued in the same tone "...I've had the luxury or the misfortune, depending on how one defines those terms to have met some politically powerful people..." This was perhaps the most vague she could be, given the circumstances.

No specifics, no details of the nature of how such meetings came about. Fair enough, Adelle supposed. Not everyone that either got to or had to rub elbows with the high and mighty wanted their usual business made known to strangers. The CorSec ops she'd done to protect the Head of State or even the Prime Minister weren't exactly things she wanted to broadcast either.

"In my admittedly limited experience," she said, "misfortune seems more apt. The powerful tend to forget the reality outside of their own world."

A girl wearing a simple robe and carrying a wooden tray with a bottle and cup on it approached the springs. She placed the tray down behind the other woman, bowing, and the other woman addressed her again.

"In case this is your first time here, this place is run by a bar owner in the city. If you would like anything to eat or drink, just let Maki here know and she'll bring it to you." She nodded again to the girl, smiling at her.

"Thank you," Adelle said. She'd had "'fresher beers" before and always found it a revitalizing experience. A cold drink and hot springs sounded better: she wouldn't have to worry about water getting into the drink. "Maki, was it? I'd like a pint of Corellian ale if you have it, please."

She wasn't sure about the customs and social norms for Thule but figured that being as polite as she could never hurt. The heat from the water seeped into her muscles, loosening tension she hadn't realized she'd been carrying. This had been a good call.

"You come here often then?" she asked the other woman after enjoying a silent moment.