Her brows knitted with some concern. "Well... I hope they do not consider Rokugani faith to be opposed to theirs. I'd rather not that we become the source of fighting in the streets."

"I will have to try visiting the area eventually. They speak Merenaese there, yes?"

She tilted her head, “Many do. Particularly those interested in trade. They are generally a kind and compassionate people, just particularly defensive at times in regards to their faith. Their people have endured many hardships over the years, hardships they feel they were only able to overcome by virtue of their belief.”

She nodded thoughtfully, taking another sip. "I can understand how they must feel. I will keep it in mind, thank you."

Trade. Meh. It was never really something she engaged much in, but she had understood it seemed to be a lifeblood thing here in this place, where money seemed to matter more than honour and name.

"It will be difficult, this task, but I have belief we can do it as long as we keep our heads cool and think clearly. At least, from what I see, a shrine to the lady Sadahako should not cause offense to anyone at least?" Utsu shook her head slightly. "Sorry, it is a heavy topic early in the day."

She shook her head and smiled, “ it is lighter than some and far more pertinent than most. But what would you wish to speak of at this hour?”

Her voice had a welcome inflection to it.

"Hmmm..." she took a sip as she contemplated the possibilities.

"Ah, perhaps it is a little silly," she chuckled, "but I have now had the opportunity to see the many different fashions of this place now. Quite diverse from what I have seen before! But I feel with my kimono, I am the odd one out now."

She smiled, “We can do a sampling of my dresses if you’d like. We’re about the same height.”

"If it's no trouble, I would love to," she nodded with a smile. Cook was right, she needed something like this for her own sanity.

"About the same height, yes... I have noticed I am no longer one of the tallest women around, as I'm used to back home."

She smiled and walked over to lock the door. “You are quite average here mi amiga. Perhaps on the small side even.”

She walked over and lowered a lace curtain over the window before going to her wardrobe. “Lets see what we have. Are you looking for more formal or casual first?”

Based on the women she had passed, it was hard to determine if their attires had been formal or casual, as she could not look for the usual markings and standards she was used to. Following Bellena, Utsusemi pondered it a little.

"Casual might be better, no? I had the foresight to pack my hitoe-kimono, but even some of them feel a bit too warm for this weather. I do not know if I will need to consider formal wear yet, unless there is a likely chance that there will be some formal event...?"

She smiled and pulled out a relatively simple dress, "You never know. We do have the third most important person in the Empire just show up. There might be some type of formal occasion."

She held the dress up in front of Utsusemi and then pulled some undergarments out from her drawer, "The bust on this might be a bit big... I'm not sure. Kimono cover everything up so much. You want me to turn away? I don't know the customs for trying on clothes in Rokugan."

"Ah, it is alright," she said, though a little embarrassed as she wasn't sure about what the customs were in this place. They had spent quite some time on a ship recently, but ship-life and its lack of privacy was quite different to the usual norms of decorum.

"Trying on clothing is not so different from this; a few people of the same gender helping eachother." She looked over the garment with some curiosity... kimono with a few tucks and adjustments could fit almost anyone, but these clothing seemed more personalised, for a lack of a better word.

"You're right though, kimono tends to cover up everything very much," Utsu chuckled, "even I have a hard time achieving the traditional Crane style that the garments should not be showing any curves. Or rather, I could, before children."

"You did not have to wear kimono much before coming to Rokugan, yes?" she asked as she started to undo some of the knots that kept things in place.

She moved over to help with the knots of Utsu's kimono in an unobtrusive manner. She shook her head, "Not much really. Clothing in the Sands is very different than here... and much different from Rokugan."

"Hm, I see," she did wonder how different it could look. Utsu's physique did not really compare to the more naturally robust women local to Kameyama Jima, but her garments did hide how motherhood had filled out hips and chest.

"The women I saw yesterday and today, I could not see if there clothes were formal or informal, apart from how some of them seemed more embellished than others. And I can't remember seeing the differences in dress for married and unmarried women... if there even is one?"

"Not particularly, no. This one is relatively casual while still looking nice." She said as she helped take off some of Utsu's undergarments and help her slip into one of Bellena's older bustier she wasn't able to fit in anymore.

"We can do another more formal one next." She said with a smile as she tied the bustier in place.

Oh kami, it looks so scandalous... and apart from the top part there is hardly any patterns pleasing to the eye.

Her mental dissection of the outfit was paused by the bustier being tied. "With such revealing clothing, I can see why you must wear this."

She chuckled, being careful to not tie too tight, "Yeah? How so?"

"Kimono," she mused, "is very modest. Shoulders, arms, breasts... all covered, and it does not easily slip or allow for indecency. And as you said yourself, it hides the shape."

She gestured to the bustier. "More emphasis on showing the curves of the body, as you said before. Makes sense to wear this under, for modesty and for shape"

She nodded, "I suppose so; though I've always wondered what the real purpose is behind 'modesty'. Seems too restrictive for women, and easy on men for my tastes."

She smiled as she picked up the dress and rolled it in her hands to make it easy to slip on over her head, "I don't tend to dress too scandalously myself... but there are times when a woman needs to let go, no? Let her express herself in the way she feels best?"

"That is true... men tend to get away with most things," she smiled wryly. "From what I see, it's another thing that does not change from Rokugan and here. Though some men are even worse than others..."

Utsu shuddered. "Have you met Muhaki Zabieru?"

A burst of air came out of her nose in a condescending chuckle, "Yes, I have met him... And can easily make the connection to this conversation."

She chuckled, "I hope he didn't do anything too bad... the man's a cur."