Dark Edge Village

Akil was over the moon with happiness. His yurt was now completely packed, Setem prepped for the long trip to Doji provinces.

But there was something that was left to do here, and Akil wasn't going to leave regrets lying.

So he found his way to Kogo's yurt, taking a breath and clearing his throat. "Kogo?" Maybe she wouldn't be here? Perhaps he would be lucky and be able to just slip away? No. If that were the case, he wouldn't have been here in the first place.

Kogo sits inside her Yurt, having finished her packing some time ago. Noburu lies next to her, sprawled out and purring, as she has been for some time. Kogo strokes her, brushing her coat. "A little more for you now, my good girl. I am sorry to have neglected you so." Noburu nuzzles under her chin, sensing Kogo's mood. Kogo scratches at her, continuing to brush her coat slightly absentmindedly. She hears the voice at the door and her face shutters.

Ahh...I guess he has decided to say goodbye. There is that at least.

She comes to the door, after taking a few deep breaths and moving her hair back from her face. I am a lake. The clouds pass over me. They will be gone but I will remain. I am tranquil underneath.

She opens the flap. "Good evening Shinjo-san. I hope you are well."

The way she referred to him stung. A lot. But he bit his tongue and nodded. "I am, Kogo-san," I'll at least hold onto that as long as she lets me. "I do hope you feel well also. It has been... a whirlwind eleven days, has it not?"

She is slightly confused by his continued use of her given name. Perhaps the Unicorn are just wedded to informality. Or perhaps....No, likely not.

She replies, her face smooth as it has not been all these days. "It certainly has. I have learned a great deal in such a short time. I suspect I will think upon this time for quite a while after its end."

Noburu comes to stand at the front of the Yurt, plainly ill favored towards the man in the slight growl under her breath. Kogo puts a hand on her head and clicks her tongue. The lion ceases growling but does not cease staring.

"I am sorry Shinjo-san, I fear she has become grumpy after all these days of my neglect. I was just brushing her coat out. If you wish, you may step inside, though I have packed away most of my belongings. Still, I have a few sweets left and would be willing to share them, if you like. It is best they are eaten before I travel."

Sweet, then they would become sour. Like some things.

He nodded, "if you would not mind, I'd be honored to join you one more time," he smiled brightly to her, trying to pull at least one more from her. He looked to Noburu and offered her the best smile he could. Likely could comfort for the actual Lion. You had so much passion before. Had I been better, maybe this could have been avoided.

Kogo nods, not returning the smile but not ignoring it either. She clicks her tongue and Noburu moves out of the tent, brushing against Shinjo Akil as she does. What it means, any may guess. "Of course Shinjo-san. You are welcome here." She steps back from the flap, making room for his entrance. She moves bout the tent, making sure that the Yurt is clean if not perfect.

"Shall I order you tea from the servants?"

Akil stepped in, his face neutral until the moment he entered, in which case it softened. "I wasn't sure I'd get a chance to see you before you left to take care of affair in lion lands. I'm greatly relieved I could find you one more time."

Kogo listened to his words, though her face showed a slight distraction. "There are many things to do, it is true. I am glad to be of service to Shinjo-san. How may I help?" She says, utterly polite and courteous, if distant.

He frowned. "For starters, I would be thrilled if you stopped treating me like a stranger." His tone had a surprising edge to it, even to himself. "Everything that happened today doesn't change what happened these last eleven days. And I meant every word I said to you then, and still feel it now."

Kogo's On shatters, like thin ice that has cracked with a step too hard. "I am sorry Shinjo-san. I...assumed you would wish it this way, now that you are engaged." She pauses, swallowing her pride for a brief moment. "I have told only Shinjo Monkhbaatar of our meeting and even that, briefly. You will have no scandal to fear from me. A Lion is nothing, if not honorable. No shame will come of it. " Her face is calm, and stoic, a true Lion at last. One who accepts pain as her duty.

"Kogo..." His voice is a breath, hand reaching out to her a moment... Then returning to his side, fist clenched. "I..." He bit his lip hard. "...I don't want that, at all."

The deep water of the lake appears, underneath the cracked ice. "Then what do you want Akil-san? Tell me. "

She watches his hand reach and stop, realizing it is too like her own hands, clutching at what she cannot have.

"I have seen your face looking upon your love. There is no room for me there. What do you want?" Her eyes are hard as ice, with fire lurking underneath. Fire igniting within the lake indeed. The Moshi's prophecy is true, if not in the way she thought.

He closed his eyes. "I... I do not know." The frown deepens, "I know that my future does not allow you to be mine, but..." they opened, "but in this moment I could not tell you. I am elated that this spring I will be with Fukawa. But it shatters me that you were hurt for that happiness, as it would have shattered me were the tables turned."

Kogo's jaw tightens as she listens, trying to keep herself calm. "I am sorry my pain harms you. I wish it were another way. But I cannot lie to you. I have told you that I cannot smile and hide behind a fan as others do. " Though Kami knows I have tried to hide myself.

She shakes her head, as if trying to clear it. "I do not know what to say Akil-san. We are lost to each other in this moment. You will go one way, I will go another. Your loyalties must be to your new clan. I suspect we shall not see each other, except perhaps in passing. What we have shared....I will cherish, as best I can."

She looks at his eyes, intent. "What more do you wish for?"

"To know that those passing moments would be seen fondly?" He offered with a breath, his eyes opening again. He walked closer to her. "I know that you cannot hide behind a fan and smile, I understand." He took a breath, "but I want to be able to leave knowing that this, all of this... wasn't in vain. That I provided you with some happiness."

Another breath, and he looked to her. "I... have no right to ask anything of you after what I have done, but... may I embrace you, Kogo-chan? One more time?"