Summer Lovin' [D1 LE, OPEN]

[Yasuki Tomonaga]

It was growing late, but there were still a last few rays of sunlight visible off to the west, reflecting off clouds. Summertime, after all, meant long days. And short nights, no doubt.

Yasuki Tomonaga stood, his arms casually folded across his solid chest, watching the sky gradually deepen from a deep red, to purple, and beyond. His expression was thoughtful, without crossing the line into melancholy. The path leading to and from the Horsemanship Field was clear enough that, even if he waited until the sun went entirely down, he felt comfortable in navigating it. So maybe I will.

[Iuchi Batul]

"Beautiful, isn't it?" She asked as she approached the samurai that overlooked the extensive fields of the Unicorn. "In a way it reminds of hom... of the lands of the desert outside the Embire. But the feeling is different. The other was a blace we traveled, this one is real home."

[Yasuki Tomonaga]

Tomonaga was able to avoid jumping at the unexpected voice, although his eyes were a little wide as he turned. Seeing Iuchi Batul, he smiled, giving her a casual bow. "Ah, Iuchi-san! Come, join me."

After a moment's consideration, he decided to not use the cliched line. "It is." He said, looking westward. He turned back towards Batul, his lips twisting in a quirky smile. "I've done a bit of travel, but nothing compared to the Unicorn. Memories of home were always fresh. Did you... have stories of it, while you traveled? Histories?"

[Iuchi Batul]

Batul closed the distance between her and the Crab. Her steps were silent on the soft sand of the plains. The evening lights reflected on her face, silhouetting her delicate features and fair skin. He looked to the Yasuki holding the gaze for a moment, and then towards the plains. Could he be the one? She wondered towards her marital duties.

"Well, I am young, and was born already when clan was traveling back to Emerald Embire" There was a sadness in her as she spoke, "but our return was not as easy as exbected. On the way we sbend many years in dark blace, wondering, searching way out. Many fell, many went crazy, we did not understand. But our leader, Shinjo Wakumi-sama, she found way and saved us all, brought us to Embire."

She held a moment of silence. "I had never been so scared in my life." Her voice was trembling as she spoke. "I was yet not samurai, all I could do was attend the beoble while my barents brotected me with charms."

[Yasuki Tomonaga]

Tomonaga turned slightly, watching as the young Unicorn woman approached. As she spoke, his expression grew more serious, more sympathetic. He blinked as he heard the tremor in her voice, his forehead creasing slightly in concern. "I'm sorry." He said, his voice soft. "That sounds really hard." His hand twitched down at his side.

He looked back to the sky. "A few years ago, I went to the Wall. It was actually the barracks and corridors that I had trouble with. I haven't liked being crowded like that since my siblings crammed me into, well, nevermind." He chuckled. "But... looking out on the bleak landscape to the south... it was scary, but at least I knew what was out there, sorta. And I knew I could go home, and I'd be protected. Not as bad, I guess."

After a moment, he turned back to Batul, giving her his quirky smile once more. "You're home now, Iuchi-san. I hope you feel safe again."

[Iuchi Batul]

The hand of the Yasuki twitched, and as it did, it touched the hand of the samurai-ko. Her hand did not pull away, or shy from the slight touch.

"This will be my home for now." She continued a bit more comforted now that she could see the lands of the Unicorn and recall the story as something past. "I know that this is out there near our border, and maybe my marriage would take me somewhere new, different."

She felt urged to ask him about what it was that was out there, south of the Wall, but it seemed as it brought him dark momentos of his own life. "There is so much that we don't know about this Embire. Not even of the dangers that are here."

[Yasuki Tomonaga]

Tomonaga allowed his hand to linger on hers for a moment or two. His hand was warm, his skin pleasantly dry. It was difficult to tell, but he may have shifted just a little closer.

He smiled at her. "Right, you just finished a journey, and now there's a fair chance you'll have another. In a few senses of the word, or so I imagine marriage. Nervous?" He asked.

"Hmmm, the dangers." Tomonaga frowned. "It seems like someone should tell you about that stuff. I mean, I know it's not something we like to talk about but if, say, you had a loose outside your home, it might be embarrassing, but you'd still warn a guest before they tripped over it, wouldn't you?" He shrugs. "Unfortunately, I can't tell you much about that, myself. Our Kuni would; that's one of the other Crab families."

[Iuchi Batul]

Did she come closer? She did think she did, though she didn't want to make an obvious movement, be it that there was also a specific way to come close to a samurai or not. So many new rules and customs to get used to. Her small, thin fingers made a soft movement up, caressing the palm of his hand delicately.

"Ei, marriage..." She looked from the peeking stars that started to dot the sky to his eyes with tenderness. "It is my duty to my clan. Among us we only have one rule for marriage, not marry someone of our family. I don't think any one here would be closely related to me." She joked as she could hear her heart beating quicker inside her chest.

"For now the danger is away, on the other side of the mountain. I don't think any among us will go over those any time soon. And if they did they would ask bermission, neh? And then be warned."

[Yasuki Tomonaga]

I haven't had that much to drink. This is a good idea. Tomonaga thought as he felt the young woman's fingers brush against his palm. Delicately, he allowed his fingers to close around hers, very gently, as though holding a bird that might fly away at any moment.

"Yes, good." He said. "It's important to know about the dangers that you could face, the dreadful possibilities, the terrors in the darkness..." He trailed off. "Umm, just to be clear, I'm talking about going over the mountain, not marriage." He shot Batul a quick smile.

"But duty, yeah." He turned as well, meeting Batul's gaze with his light brown eyes. "I don't think there's even the one rule for Crab. Or if there is, no one told me." Actually, thinking about it, there was one, but he didn't want to mention it. Try to have lots of strong babies. His cheeks reddened ever so slightly. "Do you, ah, have any hopes?" He asked, his voice soft.

[Iuchi Batul]

She permitted his hold. It felt good having his warm hand around her mildly colder hands, it felt protective, caring. She looked to the hand, indicating that she was aware and accepting, and then back at him.

"Yes, good." He said. "It's important to know about the dangers that you could face, the dreadful possibilities, the terrors in the darkness..." He trailed off. "Umm, just to be clear, I'm talking about going over the mountain, not marriage." He shot Batul a quick smile.

She giggled, with that rich laugh that she had, placing her other free hand to cover her laughter not to call any unwanted attention towards them. "I don't know which one could be more dangerous, Tomonaga-san." She jested back. "I've been over the mountain and survived, I have yet to say that about marriage."

She reddened slightly at his sight, she was still young, not used to such one looking at her in that manner, but she did not pull away, she felt drawn. "Hobes? Someone to travel with, someone to share same likes, someone who can brotect and care for me. What about Tomonaga-san?"

[Yasuki Tomonaga]

Tomonaga laughed as well, both in shared enjoyment at hearing her laugh, and in amusement at her joke. It was a pretty good one, after all. She was pleasant, and pretty as well... Tomonaga turned a little more to face her, angling his body towards hers just a little more.

"Mmm, that sounds nice." He said, his voice deep and soft. "Very nice indeed, Iuchi-san. As for myself..." He hesitated, frowning. "I'm... not actually sure. I want to help my family, and my Clan, but I don't know what that means I actually want for myself. Maybe I want..." His eyes went to her face, taking in her beauty. Taking in her youth. Taking in her blush. Oh, crap. She hasn't done this sort of thing before, has she? Tomonaga was suddenly reminded of, in his estimation, hiscouple of extra years, and his greater experience with sake. Among other things.

Tomonaga smiled gently at her. "Maybe, just like with crossing a mountain, the important thing is to go slowly, carefully, and make sure everyone is, uh, safe. I guess. Do you know what I mean, Iuchi-san?" He asked, his tone as gentle as his smile.

[Iuchi Batul]

"It is okay for you to want, Yasuki Tomonaga-san." She added, pronouncing his name slowly, letting it slip through her lips like a slow expiration. "As long as it does not go against the need of the Clan, having bersonal desires is not bad." The samurai-ko leaned closer to the Crab, her perfume of the desert aromas, subtlety surrounded the Yasuki.

Tomonaga smiled gently at her. "Maybe, just like with crossing a mountain, the important thing is to go slowly, carefully, and make sure everyone is, uh, safe. I guess. Do you know what I mean, Iuchi-san?" He asked, his tone as gentle as his smile.

She looked at him, slightly puzzled, unaware of the deeper meaning of the words of the samurai. Then it came to her. She had been an attraction to men before, but because of the Dark Ride, it had all been just praises and eyeing of her silhouette. It had never gone further, only the crazy ones during the dark days had tried to overpass, but they did not have the sweet look of Tomonaga on them.

"Slowly is good, Tomonaga-san," she shyly added, blushing away as her cheeks turned red, and her ears lightened up. She found the courage to turn back to the Crab, biting her lips with nervousness. She raised her head and kissed him softly under his chin, tenderly, rubbing her head to his neck gently.

[Yasuki Tomonaga]

It was a bit of a close thing. Batul's scent teased at his senses. He could feel her slender form move closer to him. He closed his eyes as she kissed his neck, and then came to rest her head against him, fitting rather nicely against the curve of his neck. He allowed himself a brief indulgence, bending his neck to brush his lips against her forehead.

But, even though he could feel his desire building, he knew that if he hurt her, whether socially, or in her heart, he'd never forgive himself. And so, still gently, he eased back, creating a bit more space between them.

After taking a deep breath, Tomonaga smiled at her again. "Ok, good, yes. Slow is good. I... I want you to be safe. So... let's watch the sky for a bit together, eh?" He turned his head, looking westward once more. "Or... watch the stars. There's more of them now then there were a few minutes ago." He shot Batul a wry glance. "They changed when I wasn't looking at them."

[Iuchi Batul]

"More stars?" She gazed up from her place, their hands still locked, but now they had come separated as she moved forward to look up to the night sky. "Yes, since Amateratsu no kami has gone to sleeb, the stars have come to bring light to us."

The samurai-ko stood there in silence looking at the stars, she had been a long time without being able to see them, so now that she could, she could stare at them for hours. But light breezes constantly seem to be blowing across the open plains, which bring a shiver to the Unicorn wearing silk. If she had worn the traditional fur of her clan, then she would be warmer, but she had liked the rokuganí style over her own. Normally she would had added some type of Unicorn traditional wear to the look, but tonight she had not.

"Night has come quicker than I thought." She looked at him as a tender yawn came to her lips, which she covered with her free hand. "It has been long day, and it will be long Miai. I should be getting back, but I hobe to see you more." She added as her hand held his tightly, as if she really preferred to stay there with him.

[Yasuki Tomonaga]

Tomonaga had, or so he felt, a reasonable collection of Moves that could be used in a situation like this. With great effort, he resisted doing so. Batul wasn't making it easy, after all. The fact that he didn't think she was consciously tempting him made it all the more difficult.

And so, when he notices her shivering, he doesn't put his arms around her, even though part of him wanted to. He does, however, move a bit closer once more, allowing not just their hands, but their arms to gently touch, his warmth tangible even through his fine kimono. He angled his larger body somewhat, trying to position himself between her and the wind.

"Yes." Tomonaga agreed with a sigh. "You're right on both accounts. Although I'm already getting curious as to what the future will bring..." His gaze dropped to her hand, noting just how tightly she held it. "You will, Batul-san. I promise." He smiled at her warmly. "You have to try some of my sake, remember?"

He straightened. "I'll walk you back. Partway." He amended. The better to avoid any last minute surprises that might make him rethink his 'take it slow' plan.