Heavenfall

Ayumu looked at the splendid rip on the left leg of his pants The forest had not been nice on his clothes, as a mix of his wear being slightly unsuited to such dense woods, and himself being unused to navigate them.

He should fix that, and maybe alter a bit the ensemble to make it more tight fit. Less floating parts means less chance of them getting stuck.

He arranged a bit his posture so I could get the most of the nice sunlight, reached for his needle and started working.

Not used to wear armor, and specially for such long hours like this, Kinsen moves around the camp with a rather sturdy kimono made for a different climate, offering people refreshments.

Hearing there was someone that could help her properly adjust her battle clothes to get a tighter and lighter fit, she walks toward the Imperial and greets him with a bow.
“Good afternoon! I hope you have had a good meal, today. Care for a refreshing tea?”

"Hi milady. With pleasure."

He carefully set aside his work, folding the cloth a bit to avoid it being damaged more, and hold out his now empty hands.

Kinsen kneels in seiza and takes the canteen in hand to fill up a cup, then offers the container with both hands to Ayumu. “Here you go. Enjoy!”

"Thanks. I'm Ayumu by the way."

The tall woman nods to him with a smile and straps the canteen back. She takes a glance at his work, and satisfied, introduces herself. “An honor to meet you Ayumu-san. Jiyo, from the Imperial Families, correct? I am Hantei Kinsen, of the Stag Clan.”

"The Golden Legend of the Stag herself?

I thought you might be her, but the huge amount of people with unusual appearance in this very expedition put a doubt on my mind. Also, I did hear a rumor that some of your followers are copying your look out of reverence for you, dying their hair and painting their nails similarly.

Jiyo indeed. I'm not used to the whole two-names thing yet. Please simply call me Ayumu.

On that point, would you rather I call you Hantei Kinsen? Kinsen? Lady Hantei of the Stag?"

“Is that so?!” Kinsen takes a bang of her hair and curls over her finger, looking at it for a while and smiling. “I’m happy people think of me so fondly.”

Back at Ayumu, she takes a moment to consider and nods, “Thanks for such a gift, Ayumu-san. Doji-kami-sama instructed us to keep formal naming while others of rank are nearby, but not necessarily in private conversations. As you allowed me to address by given name, I believe you can call me Kinsen, when it is just the two of us.”

"I prefer to always ask. Some people zealously embrace these blossoming naming conventions, and can become quite crusty when addressed the wrong way. That does not seem to be the case within this expedition though.

Alright then. How may I be of help, Kinsen?"

Her eyes gleam a bit as he offers help. Kinsen opens her arms, showing her silhouette, and how the kimono was leaving too much cloth around. Then she lifts herself and shows the where also leaving some considerable amount of, perhaps, unnecessary volume — way beyond she actually needed to cover up strategic parts in this kind of weather and terrain.

She shrugs. “I was told you were mending some peoples clothes and thought if you could help me trim down my kimono a bit to be more... let’s say... southern simple?”

"Certainly. I have two options there. I can shorten sleeves and tighten the fabric with strategical hems. You'll just have to unstitch them to retrieve your old kimono. But of course, the clothes will be as heavy as before.

Or I can bring in the scissors. But if I do, going back won't be nearly as easy."

“Oh, I don’t mind cutting unnecessary things away at all. Lighter will be better, I believe.” She mentions with a confident pout on her lips.

"Fine then. Should I leave room for some design update while I'm at it? If so, do you have something specific in mind? I won't be able to do as much as I could in a proper shop – I only have threads of basic colors with me, and pretty much no extra fabric – but I might be able to trick in some small embroideries."

Kinsen gets excited with the opportunities and mentions, “Well. Of course! If you can add Stag related motifs like antlers on the hems. Leave legs and arms free, maybe. Tighter fit around the chest area so I can lace the armor easier.”

"Fine. Please stand. Arms straight. Now loose. Can you bend one knee? The other now. Kneel. Raise arms as high as you can. Do your favorite gymnastic movements and check if this is comfortable. Still again. Still still. A little bit more. Almost done.

There. Is the result to your liking?"

“Holy Kami!” Kinsen squees in joy checking the flawless work Ayumu did to her outfit. It was much better than she had anticipated. She stretches left and right, doing her jujutsu stances, and all works out marvelously.

She bows to the tailor, thanking him, “This is an amazing composition and design. I actually feel younger.” The blonde check how everything was tucked in and safely stored, before a final nod.

“I imagine dear husband will enjoy the new wrappings.”

"Happy to be of service.

I can do other works would you need me too, within the limit of available materials.

That means the most delicate garments will have to wait unless you happen to travel with a bundle of silk.

And of course, I must also keep some time available for my other duties to the convoy. Reprising socks is not nearly as fun, but it is important in its own right."

She nods. “I would never abuse of your marvelous skills. Ayumu-san. I owe you a favor, after this. Let me know when you need.”

"Thanks. I'll accept your generous gift as you did accept mine.

If I may ask, do you have any trustworthy insights on what is awaiting us next? The organization of the expedition has been a bit chaotic, and I feel like some information have been lost or corrupted while going from one person to the next."

"The information that I have is to warn others that are not yet fully aware." She nods, and repeats Hantei's words, "We'll face horrors we never imagined before. It will scar our minds, if not our very souls."