Morning Has Broken (D9, EM, Dong-Ha's)

[Usagi Tomoe]

Dressed in her hanfu of white and red, Tomoe walked through the Unicorn camp to find Dong-Ha's tent, for the breakfast he had promised her.

The morning winds tugged at her clothes, and especially her loosely bound hair that whipped about her, but at least she found what she was looking for. "Ohayo gozaimasu, Dong-Ha-san!"

[Iuchi Dong-Ha]

Dong-Ha peered out from his tent, lifting the door flap out of the way as he did so. "Good morning Tomoe-san, I was waiting for you." A precious smile reserved for her flickered on his lips. "Please come in and have a seat." he beckoned her to enter. "You can leave the flap open, it's pretty warm in here." Also, that way no-one could question his or her honor.

Within the tent a small pot filled with milk simmered on a fire, the tendrils of smoke drifting out from the hole on the roof of the tent.

[Usagi Tomoe]

Following him inside, the Hare smiled brightly. She had certainly been looking forward to this moment. "Ah, you're right. It really is warm in here. It's not cold outside, but the wind is rather overly eager today," she laughed and began to smooth out her hair and robes, worrying that everything had been disarrayed by the stiff breezes of the morning.

"Did you sleep well?" Her grin was wide as her eyes traced the contours of Dong-Ha's body.

[Iuchi Dong-Ha]

Dong-Ha was wearing his usual robes and his charms clanked against each other as he moved. His eyes were bit sunken, perhaps suggesting of a night poorly slept, even if he seemed to be on a good mood.

"Mhmhm... Could have slept better." he nodded faintly, sitting down by the fire and dipping small ladle in the pot. Stirring the contents, Dong-Ha turned to regard his guest. "It's not easy to... not worry. I hope you slept better?"

"You look nice in that." Dong-Ha muttered shyly, dropping his gaze to prevent the red rising to his cheeks. "Really nice..."

[Usagi Tomoe]

"Mm, I slept well... pleasant dreams," her smile was oh so teasing.

Her hands smoothed out the skirts of the hanfu once more at his compliment . "You like it? I usually wear kimono, but hanfu are rather comfortable too."

The hands moved up the comb her fingers through her hair.

[Iuchi Dong-Ha]

"Oh..." Dong-Ha blushed, taking a mental note ask about them the next day. "You'd probably look just as cute in anything." he smirked, moving to lift the ladle to check on the milk. "It's milk and cheese... and there are few bits of dried meat there. Some salt too." Milk 'tea' was Unicorn staple. Warm, nutritious and composed entirely out of things you could get from a goat, the simple dish was well loved by the nomads. "Wait a moment."

He reached for a bowl, fishing few pieces of cheese and a smaller chunk of meat into it. Satisfied that her portion matched her size (small), Dong-Ha topped the bowl with the warm milk before handing it to Tomoe. "There you go."

[Usagi Tomoe]

Seating herself down, Tomoe accepted the bowl with a grateful murmur.

"It smells interesting... is this a common breakfast for the Unicorn?" she asked, eyes gleaming with curiosity as she took the first sampling.

[Iuchi Dong-Ha]

"Yes, you can say that. If we have the time to eat, at least." he nodded, moving to give himself a slightly larger portion. "Oh and this." Dong-Ha handed Tomoe the wooden spoon he'd forgotten by the fire. "Easier this way.. hehe.." the young man chuckled awkwardly. "Sometimes we'd just eat dried meat on the go. Having breakfast on your horse isn't the most comfortable thing, but it's better than getting killed."

[Usagi Tomoe]

"Sounds like a rough way of living... having to be on the go so much of the time," she chuckled and accepted the spoon.

"I don't think I could have managed to live like that."

[Iuchi Dong-Ha]

"it was all we knew for a while" Dong-Ha's voice low as he stared into his cup. "Run. run away from the Darkness. Ride south as if the Jinn were on your heels."

"Well, it's over now. We have returned, and as battered as we might be, we now stand at your side."

[Usagi Tomoe]

Knowing how dark that tale was, Tomoe knew better than to press further questions about it now this early in the morning. Having another mouthful of breakfast, she gave a small nod.

"It's good. Very... different, than Rokugani breakfast, but good. So it's all from the goat? Apart from the salt, of course... goat milk, goat cheese, and goat meat?"

[Iuchi Dong-Ha]

"Yes, though sometimes the meat comes from horse. Or the milk." He didn't even know why they didn't make cheese from horse milk. Somehow, goat cheese was all he had ever had. "It's nice on cold mornings. Puts warmth back into your bones. lets you ride for hours without getting hungry."

"So... how many dresses you have." Dong-Ha eyes her hanfu with curiosity. "This, and what you wore yesterday?"

[Usagi Tomoe]

"With me? I have four, and the gi I used in the dojo... I have some more sturdy and practical clothing back home, but, uhm... since this was to be a gathering to find suitable spouses, I brought the nicest ones I have," she blushed a little as she realised that it might make her seem a little snobbish. Had she been talking with either of the Doji, she imagined she'd probably be seen as unfashionable instead, for having so few with her.

[Iuchi Dong-Ha]

"Four?" he sounded impressed. "I only have these.." Dong-Ha spread his hands. ".. and the one I wore at the funeral." He had worn a slightly nicer and cleaner outfit for the ceremony. "Never figured I'd need perform my duties here, in that role."

"I think that." he waved his spoon in the general direction of Tomoe. "I think you should wear it tomorrow."

[Usagi Tomoe]

So few? she thought with a contemplative expression as she ate more of the breakfast.

"... Tomorrow?" it took her a few moments to connect the dots, but it was very obvious from her embarrassed smile and red color that she understood it now. "I'm glad you like it."