Dark Edge Village

She was nervous about the first Event the Iuchi had presented. Herbalism? Spirit walking? It seemed... well, dangerous. And it was certainly a very different mood to the previous days.

Her few belongings have been rearranged: Her bedding is still rolled and folded neatly in the same corner, but her kimono stand has been shifted to the right wall. In it's place now sits the tea set, on the chabudai, and the firepot next to it.

Hideo was curious - but not nervous - about the event. One part because he doesn't think the Iuchi would hurt the samurai gathered, and...because of the woman inside the yurt he was standing outside of.

He scratched on the entrance. "It's Seppun Hideo" he said quietly

She goes to the door flap and lifts it out of the way, "Hideo-san," she smiles warmly. "Won't you come in?" and she moves aside to allow him to pass.

Hideo smiled warmly as he entered the yurt, standing close by waiting for her to close the yurt and come to him.

The door flap fell back into place, she turned towards him, her hands folded primly in front of her. She appeared to be waiting for something, shoulders as tense as if she expected to be struck.

And Hideo...pulls her into his arms and kisses her.

Her hands fall to her sides as she is gathered into his embrace, and some of the tension falls from her shoulders.

He brought the kiss to an end after a few moments, looking upon her as he asked "were you concerned I would do something other than kiss you,
My love? I could see the tension in your stance."

Relaxing further, "no, perhaps," she equivocates, placing her hands on his waist.

"May I enquire as to what is concerning you?" Hideo stroked her back gently

She bites her lip and lets her hands slide around him; she considers waving the question away but, as he asked, she feels a duty to answer. "Those little voices have been hard at work once again, tittering like sparrows." A small frown, and a derisive snort, "I do not like how my name sounds when said that way, whispered at the edge of hearing when they think I am out of earshot."

"Ah." Hideo nodded with a sigh. "You do appear to have been a popular subject of quite poor gossips. Quite amusing though that apparently it took them eight days to understand that you are a young woman who is likely to marry out of clan. The gossips must be more unintelligent than I thought."

He gave her a gentle squeeze.

"Pay them no mind, they are beneath your notice."

"To be married is the purpose of the ma-ai, and I fail to see how it might be taken as insult that I will leave the Unicorn. Even if that were not always my assumption, would such gossips dare suggest that every spouse that joins their bethrothed's Clan was so similarly unwanted?" She shakes her head. "I would not be concerned, but..." she presses her lips together disapprovingly.

"I would not be concerned my love. You have been courted by an Imperial, it would be expected for you to join the Imperial families, neh?" He smiled "forgive me...however, I do have a question."

That didn't satisfy her unasked question, but she left it for now. "Ask anything you would of me. You will have my honest answer."