Dark Edge Village

The lashing rain roared noisily on the roofs and sides of the yurts, and had driven everyone inside. She was already soaked and regretting coming out in the rain. Shaking her head, we were going to go for a walk, and obviously that isn't happening. But, as she neared the yurt she was heading for, she saw another of the Unicorn women. She'd scratched at the yurt and been warmly welcomed inside.

Oh. She paused, looking down at the ground.

She had intended to turn back for home, where a dry kimono and a her tea set waited, but her feet took her another way. Soon she reached the yurt she was looking for, drenched clear to the bone. Above the thunder boomed and she looked up, lightning crackled along the underside of the clouds and it seemed for a moment that she could see a dragon-like shadow chasing the purple-white sparks. Or was the lightning chasing it? She was anxious, doubting herself even as she reached up one hand and scratched at the yurt.

This is a bad idea, she thought, just go back, he won't even hear you over the rain anyway.

The rain had ended any late evening plans for Hideo, meaning her had time to examine the cuts and bites that were all over. His legs, his body, not even his face had been spared.

vile creatures he thought to himself I should go back and...

He paused in his thoughts. Did he hear someone at the yurt entrance? In this weather?

"One moment" he called out, rising and grabbing the first robe that came to hand and put it on quickly, having no time to put anything else but his priestly robes, a brilliant green garb. He tied it quickly, and moved to open the tent flap. His eyes opened widely at the person at the yurt.

"Amaya?"

A flash of lightning lit up the sky, lighting up the yurts and Hideos face, the cuts from earlier standing out.

He managed to remember to bow, the wind blowing the rain into the yurt slightly and dampening his robe.

"Fortunes, you're soaked! Quickly, come in come in. What are you doing out in this weather?" He stepped aside and motioned her in.

Her bearing suggests that she's unaffected by the weight of her wet kimono, or her muddied sandals, and she wears her hair in a Maiden's Tail to keep it some semblance of tidy.

When Hideo bids her enter, she does, gratefully, slipping out of her sandals so as not to track the mud inside. She turns and sees the scratches, "Hideo-San! What happened?"

"It seems the egg hunt drew in the attention of weasels, who liked clawing me and biting me in an attempt to get to the eggs" Hideo answered, looking around his tent "you need to remove those soaked clothes before you catch a cold, so undress all wet items" he was clearly focusing on helping her for now as he picked up two robes; one shredded to pieces, one a very quality silk kimono, the other not. He tears a large part of the shredded one, long enough to be of use. "You can use this as a towel for now to dry yourself and then put this on."

She blushes at the thought of disrobing, but moves to obey, accepting the silk he tore for her. "Weasels? Indeed I saw some, but they seemed quite calm when I passed by."

Hideo didn't turn away immediatly, distracted by her question. "They were vicious with me. So many of them too, I have bites and cuts all over. They even went for my face."

He then noticied how much she was having to disrobe, and blushed. "Ah...my apologies" he turned away, anything accidentally seen remaining in his mind, even as he tried to push the thoughts away

Only once his back is turned does she begin to undress. She removes the obi and folds it, followed by the sakura kimono, also folded and set to one side. She finally removes the nagajuban and, quite naked, quickly rubs herself down with the silk rag. She pulls on Hideo's kimono and ties the sash.

Sitting, she draws the comb from the pocket in one of her kimono sleeves and begins to draw the teeth through her maiden's tail, catching the drips on the towel. "I'm ready, Hideo-San."

Hideo turned back, and went silent for a few moments, examining the girl in the Imperial green silk kimono. "You know" Hideo said after finally finding his voice "that colour really suits you." His voice was soft, and it barely carried over the storm, but it was sincere.

It didn't matter to him that the robe was so much bigger on her, or that she was still likely damp under it. Seeing her in the Imperial colours had been a beautiful sight.

She blushed brightly at his earnestness and dropped her eyes, busying herself with drying her long hair. "Uh, apart from the weasels, did you have much success locating the eggs?" She could feel the fine silk of Hideo's robe against her skin, and it was smoother than anything she had ever worn before.

Hideo moved over to the girls side, holding out his hand. "May I assist with your hair while I tell you about the eggs? You can focus on warming thoughts "

She pauses uncertainly, but offers Hideo the towel and comb. "You're most kind."

Hideo accepted the silk towel and comb, and settled close behind Amaya. He held the towel below her hair and began carefully and softly combing through her hair. It would likely cause her hair to be loosened and straight instead of tied, but he could certainly do a better job from behind her combing and drying her hair than Amaya could.

"Your hair is lovely Amaya-chan" he commeted as he brushed "ah, you wished to know about how the egg hunt went, hai? I feel it went quite well, I had located ten eggs but one slipped from my grasp as I picked it up. I believe I took a slightly different route back, as I noticed something moving nearby. Suddenly there were dozens of them on me. I felt the first one bite the back of my leg, causing my leg to buckle slightly. The next one went for the basket, digging its claws into my sides as it climbed up me, as the others did from varying angles. It was quite a painful experience, it wasn't until this evening that I had a moment to assess my wounds."

She reaches up and unties the maiden's tail so that he might more easily tend to her hair. Wincing at his description, "perhaps it was the fault of the egg that was broken? I suppose the smell was stronger than the unbroken eggs." A pause, "does it hurt terribly?"

"I can only assume that the egg smell attracted them" Hideo said as he carefully ran the comb through the full length of her hair "I have continued my day without the wounds being looked at other than to clean the blood from them. I..cannot say I enjoy the feeling, but compared to the pains you and your kin have suffered I could hardly complain about weasel scratches and bites, neh?"

She turns, clutching one hand to the collar of the green robe, for it was large and though she had wrapped it as fully about herself as she could, the sash did not secure the garment as firmly as an obi, nor as closely as she would have liked. ""Hideo-San! You must allow someone to look at your wounds. Do they still bleed?"