[D8 LE, Tomoe's] Hare-mon, I chose you!

[Iuchi Dong-Ha]

"Uh... sure?" Dong-Ha fidgeted nervously, wondering what she could have on her mind. They had discussed openly so far, and he had thought that she had nothing to hide.

[Usagi Tomoe]

For some reason, it had been easier to tell Monkhbaatar, and Nintoku... perhaps because she didn't think she'd be such a great disappointment to them when they learned of it.

"I..." she turned the cup between her fingers as she tried to find the words. "... I suspect the reason why I was not so highly regarded to start with at this competiton, is because I have a medical condition. I'm not sure if it's one that is familiar to the Unicorn, but... uhm... I sometimes suffer seizures, where I lose consciousness and my joints lock up. It's why I couldn't be a bushi like most in my clan. It doesn't happen often, but..." Tomoe felt so ashamed now, thinking he would probably be angry or disappointed that she hadn't told him sooner, and she felt unable to look at him.

[Iuchi Dong-Ha]

Oh you too... Dong-Ha blinked. "Uh..." her announcement did change things a little. Such conditions were widely known to result from disfavor of heavens. Luckily for Tomoe, Dong-Ha's opinion of the celestial order was not entirely appropriate as far as Rokugani standards went. "Does it happen often?" he asked, more worried than curious. "How bad it is?"

[Usagi Tomoe]

"Not often, no," she shook her head. "It's not as bad as some others I know who suffers from it, or that I've read about, as I'm healthy otherwise." Unlike the many Crane she had read about suffering from it. "I keep myself with a rather strict schedule of meals, sleep and meditation, to avoid stressing myself out too much, so I rarely have incidents."

"... I understand if this is a disappointment to you, Dong-kun... I didn't think we'd grow so fond of eachother in such a short time, and with my standing in this competition being so low, I haven't exactly shared this with many."

[Iuchi Dong-Ha]

"Oh, that's good." he muttered, relieved. "Uh..." then man gulped, reaching to grasp her hand. "Tomoe...." compassion flickered in his eyes as he sat kneeling before her. "I don't care. It's nothing we cannot overcome. There are concoctions to alleviate the symptoms. You can... avoid stressful situations. You can do what you have been doing. I wouldn't want to think less of you because of this."

[Usagi Tomoe]

"Dong-Ha..." Tomoe squeezed his hand, feeling tears well up in her eyes. Were the Fortunes being kind to her, to have matched her with a man this kind and compassionate who would stand by her side, knowing this.

She leaned forward, not wanting him to see the tears of happiness she might cry, but wanting to feel close to him, to rest her head against his body. "... I'm so happy."

"I was so worried about telling you, but now, I'm just so relieved, and happy. Maybe the Fortunes have heard my prayers to meet someone like you."

[Iuchi Dong-Ha]

"Tomoe.." Dong-Ha whispered, his voice hoarse as he reached to gingerly grasp her shoulder with his free hand. Without a word, he pulled the small girl against himself. His other hand moved to gently on the back of her head, gently pressing her against his chest. "..." He wanted to tell her not to worry, but that would have been a lie. Instead, he merely eased his back against a traveling chest one the floor, allowing Tomoe to adjust her position in his lap. Fuck the Fortunes.... except Benten.

"Hush..." his calloused fingers moved gingerly to brush her hair. "We do not know what the future brings." Dong-Ha swallowd almost as if he was in pain. "But tonight, we have each other."

[Usagi Tomoe]

We do not know what the future brings... she thought bitterly. This stupid miai and it's stupid rules. She felt certain she could make a good wife for him, either as an Iuchi or as an Usagi, it didn't matter. Why would they make rules that didn't care if people liked eachother or not.

"We have eachother," she agreed in a quiet voice, even if there was some intensity in her words. She had said she would fight for him, even if it meant pushing herself to the limits in the next two contests.

"Nagaki yo wo
tanomete mo naho
kanashiki ha
tada asu shiranu
inochi narikeri"

("Though we rely on
love enduring forever,
the true sadness is
that we don't even know what
life tomorrow will be like")

Tomoe recited the poem with a soft cadence to her voice. She had read it many times before in the Manyoshu, but only now did she understand how it felt.

[Iuchi Dong-Ha]

The archaic Rokuganese made only so much sense to Dong-Ha, yet with Tomoe in his arms he cared little of such petty details. Instead, he tightened his hold on her, pressing his head against hers. "World us unfair, Kogitsune-chan." the young Iuchi sighed. "Regret... is a sin, right?" he asked without seeing her face.

[Usagi Tomoe]

"Regret is a sin," she nodded. "Which is why I do not intend to have any regrets about you... I will give it my all to be able to be with you, not caring if I will be a Unicorn or a Hare at the end of it."

The fox-rabbit sighed, hugging him closely. She wouldn't do anything that would cause him to lose his standing in this competition, even if it meant for her to quell some of the emotions inside her. There would always be one last night when all was said and done, and it would no longer matter for the Ide judges.

"These days, you seem more like the stone in the river, rather than the river you're named for. You're not being swept away by the waters, but you remain stoic as the waters smooth out the rougher edges."

[Iuchi Dong-Ha]

"I wonder how I'd fit among your kin. The Hare sound very different from the Unicorn." Dong-Ha mused, his voice quiet as a whisper. "I'm sure you'd look fetching in purple." he added with a smile she wouldn't be able to see. "My parents are kind... and as few libraries as we have, I am sure you would fit among us. My mother is a healer... I am sure you could learn much from her."

Dong-Ha was somewhat less disturbed by ungainly thoughts, content to merely keep her close. Content to feel her through their clothing. To simply be with her. "Mhmhm..." Dong-Ha murmured against her hair. "I would like to think myself like that." he sighed softly. "I am not sure I'm as stoic as I should be. For once, I probably shouldn't be doing this." His hand patted her shoulder as if to explain what he meant.

[Usagi Tomoe]

Her thick, dark hair seemed to have the scent of camellia blossoms and undertones of what could be plants from a forest.

She chuckled quietly into his shoulder. "Just holding eachother like this doesn't seem so wrong. But you're probably right." Not that she was pulling away yet, as she lingered to feel his warmth and his scent.

"The Hare have many people in their ranks from different walks of life and backgrounds, so we tend to be accepting of newcomers, and we have very few shugenja. I am certain you could easily find a place there you'd be happy with. My father is... he can be very stern, but he means well." And she imagined he'd be happier if she still remained with the Hare, rather than marrying out, but duty was duty.

"But I've always been fond of the color purple," she smiled as well.

[Iuchi Dong-Ha]

"It's not so right either." Dong-Ha murmured as he ran his hand along her spine, inhaling her scent as he held her close. "Not that I mind." he pressed a soft kiss on the top of her head. "I'm... very close to not caring at all." the young man admitted with a sigh. "Yet, we must protect your reputation." Fuck reputation and fuck... never mind. Dong-Ha mused to himself.

"You feel so... right there." he pecked an another soft kiss on her head. "I love your eyes. I've never seen a purple so pure." he trailed his hand up all the way to her chin, propping her face up so he could see her eyes.

"So, how is your home?" Dong-Ha asked, feeling like a distraction would not hurt the situation. In fact, such thing might be welcome. Her lips were soft and oh so close.

Theme!

[Usagi Tomoe]

"I am more concerned for your reputation," she looked up at him now as he lifted her chin. It was the Unicorn who had been punished most harshly with the last round of scandals, and the Ide were probably rather displeased after yesterday's events as well.

"For your sake, I will be strong now," Tomoe smiled, "even if my eyes try to lure you in." Her hand reached up and cupped over his. "Because... we can always find another time when this competition is over, no? So it won't hurt your standing?" She could feel her cheeks turn warm at the vague suggestion of a private meeting somewhere in the near future.

[Iuchi Dong-Ha]

Fuck my reputation and fuck me. he sighed softly. Yet he had never found a deeper meaning in a mindless coupling, preferring to seek connection with touch and words.

"Let's not... talk about that. It's just too sad." There was a pang of emotion in his voice. "I don't bear to think of it. Not now, now with you here." Dong-Ha shuffled his arms, pulling Tomoe snuggly against him as he leaned to press the gentlest of kisses on her lips. "There." His eyes gleamed with adoration as he regarded Tomoe. "Yes, yes we can. We can ride to the world's edge... and lady down with the stars as our cover."