After a long and boring day of completing commissions for the Adventurer’s Guild, you finally decided it was time for a much deserved treat. You made your way to the Kamisato Estate, where you knew Ayaka would been waiting for you. Together, Ayaka and you were planning to enjoy a dip in the exclusive Kamisato Onsen, to relax after a taxing day. Ayaka had been up to her neck in paperwork for most of the week, laying the ground work for a new festival she was planning to coordinate this summer.
You are allowed by the guards through the ornate gate of the Kamisato Estate, a large and sprawling manor with beautiful Japanese architecture. The guards patrolling the grounds bow slightly to you as you pass, at this point you had become a regular enough visitor that they no longer regard you with suspicion. You slip into the manor and into its marvelously beautiful entry hall, lined with meticulously carved sculptures and stunning paintings. Servants hustle and bustle through the mansion, carrying urgent messages, cleaning, doing laundry, and generally attending to the house and its many rooms. They regard you with a warm familiarity, giving you gentle smiles of recognition as you make your way to Ayaka’s bedroom. You knock lightly upon the door of her chambers, and after a moment you hear Ayaka say “Coming!” brightly from within. After a beat, the door slid open to reveal her. She’s wearing a beautiful baby blue colored yukata decorated with white flower print. "I see you didn't forget about our plan for tonight..." Ayaka whispers to you with a quiet intensity, and the faintest of giggles. She takes your hand in hers, and the two of you begin walking to the Kamisato Onsen.
“Did you get the gift of tea I sent you? It’s from Liyue, supposedly a favorite at Komore Teahouse.” You asked as the two of you walked lightly through the grounds of the Estate.
“I did. Your tea’s soft bitterness was a welcome start to my busy morning. I found the endnotes of cardamom and orange peel interesting, and very complex.” Ayaka replied thoughtfully, and you chuckled back at her.
“So did you like it?”
“My first impression was a pleasure, but I still haven't fully made up my mind... Tea leaves are similar to a blade. You can only appreciate their true qualities after sampling them many times.” She mused with a reminiscent air, closing her eyes as if to steal back to a precious moment.
The Kamisato Onsen is located at the foot of Mount Yougou, at the edge of the Kamisato Estate. On one side of the onsen lies the mountain the hot spring flows from, the other, a beautiful cliff that overlooks the dark blue, pelagic waters of the ocean below. It lies facing the setting sun, allowing its bathers to look out over the peaceful ocean as the sun drops behind the waves over the horizon. Ayaka leads you through the entrance, each servant bowing deeply to her as you pass through to a private bathing area. Ayaka slides open the door to her private onsen, and steps through with a satisfied sigh, keeping your hand held tightly in hers.
Ayaka's onsen is quite luxurious. Steam hisses quietly off the water of a large, open pool, and there is a small waterfall cascading down and into it from a crevice within the mountain. This pool overlooks the ocean, and you can see the sun suspended just above the horizon, about to transit beneath and usher in the night. There is a low table and cushions arranged at the edge of the pool, with a smoldering candle lit atop it. Ayaka takes your hand and guides you to one of the cushions, seating you next to her, before sliding the door closed behind her.
"I've missed you," Ayaka says to you softly, looking up at you with her deep, blue-grey eyes as she wraps her arms around your shoulder and lightly hugs you.