[D4, LM, expecting] Not quite like hunting

[Matsu Ishioka]

When this woman lays her head on his chest, Ishioka's thundering heart doesn't explode. It doesn't stop. It actually slows a little, very gently. His eyes close for a moment, as a small feeling of relief settles over him. Maybe this is a little scary, but it's also nice. That moment of his eyes being closed stretches to two, then three.

Grudgingly, the Lion opens his eyes and does finally draw his gift for Inoshishi from his sleeve pocket. He tries to do it carefully, to not disturb the tiny realm of peace that they've found here, but even still she can feel a brief, gentle rub on the back of her right shoulder as he accesses the gift.

Then Ishioka has to find his voice again, which takes another brief time. "Inoshishi-san," he finally whispers, sad to break the spell. He doesn't want her to step away at all, but somehow he has to be able to hold out in the palm of his hand a charm in the shape of shichi [character for lucky number seven], the edges of the silver character not quite reaching the edges of his palm. On two of the arms of the figure are braided ribbons: one with yellow, tan and grey and one with green, gold and red. Although the colors are somewhat muted, the piece looks rather ostentatious here. With the ribbons tied around an obi and the silver shichi the most visible aspect, it would seem more conservative.

[Agasha Inoshishi]

Inoshishi presses into Ishioka’s chest for a brief moment, then breaths deep and steps backward. She bows deeply then stands straight, looking in Ishioka’s eyes.

“If you’re sure. I don’t…I don’t have to…” She fingers the Lion colors braided to the figure, her fingers tracing the pattern already. She bites her lip nervously for a moment. When she speaks again, she’s, for once, thinking carefully about what she says, the waterfall slowed to a trickle.

“I am…not a samurai of…of great renown. I…don’t think I ever will be. I am made of, of, of stories and sparks and passion. I can, and will, and have given you the feathers I wear to show where…”

Her eyes flicker and she stops, holding one small hand up in a warding gesture. She closes her eyes and speaks, her speed increasing as she says what she feels she has to say.

“I can give you my…self. You do not…do not have to do the same. You are a, a, a great warrior, a Matsu of stone, destined for great things. I…I am a storyteller who speaks with peasants and is so bad with money that I often can’t eat. I can, I will, I must find a way to follow. To be your shadow, to find my way to where you’re posted. But you don’t have to take me, you don’t have to…I can do my duty while following…”

She’s backpedaled and with that step clears the umbrella. The sudden deluge of water sluicing off the umbrella and the roof catches her full in the face, leaving her coughing, both hands clutching the charm.

[Matsu Ishioka]

Where the tall Matsu had calmed with her closeness, he feels a strain as she moves back. Her words are hard to hear, pulling at him as well as his head swims again, trying to make sense - trying to bring order to all the chaos and uncertainty that were suddenly in their lives because of this miai.

When she backs out from under the umbrella, he steps forward immediately to shelter her again. The look on his face is obvious worry, most of his claims to stoniness fallen away in this moment. When he finds words, they're from his cool, logical side that has always been his strength. But the voice that speaks is smaller, warmer, more encouraging.

"We, um. We don't know...' His speech is slow with the labor of finding the right words for this moment. "We don't know how this will turn out. It..." His voice catches, and he closes his eyes a moment. "It may be that you have a better match than me," he says, trying not to suggest anything negative about either of them. "You and I have differences, but... we have something else, too, which I... I don't understand," he says honestly, chuckling a little as he looks to the heavens for better words. He takes a heavy breath. "For that, I want you to have this," he says, gently pushing the charm in her hands toward her heart. "Whatever else might happen, we have this."

[Agasha Inoshishi]

"We, um. We don't know...' His speech is slow with the labor of finding the right words for this moment. "We don't know how this will turn out. It..." His voice catches, and he closes his eyes a moment. "It may be that you have a better match than me," he says, trying not to suggest anything negative about either of them. "You and I have differences, but... we have something else, too, which I... I don't understand," he says honestly, chuckling a little as he looks to the heavens for better words. He takes a heavy breath. "For that, I want you to have this," he says, gently pushing the charm in her hands toward her heart. "Whatever else might happen, we have this."

Inoshishi looks up at the big Matsu, her eyes shining as she listens to his words. She steps into his gentle push so that they’re once again standing scandalously close beneath the shelter of the umbrella, letting him press the charm against her heart. The deluge seems to have finally returned her to her normal senses, though the whirlwind of passion and anxiety have left her a little winded.

“Ishioka-san, I cannot imagine what it would be like with someone not as different as us. How would I get a word in? How would you start a sentence?” She giggles, smiling upwards then takes a steadying breath. “I demand nothing of you, save that you tell me if you must set me aside. If I am destined to change my colors, so be it. If not, my stories have prepared me.”

She chuckles again, quick mind darting around. “We both think ourselves unworthy. Perhaps that similarity is what makes this…this.” She reaches for the Lion’s hand. “I know I’m the one that speaks, and often in volumes enough to drown, but you were trying to speak earlier and I was, I’m ashamed to say, so taken by these,” she gestured at her lips then Ishioka’s face, “that I couldn’t hear what they were saying.” She in no way appears ashamed by her actions, and while there’s a blush on her face again, it’s subtly different, something she’s embracing instead of pushing away.

[Matsu Ishioka]

The Lion is not about to step away or draw his hand away now.

"We do have some similarity," he agrees, voice soft but warm, more comfortable now. "And perhaps in our differences we make the balance, the yin and yang, of a serene whole," he says, voice heavy with uncertainty. "That sounds arrogant to believe, but something improbable is not impossible." He pauses after thinking out loud like this, then takes a deep breath before leaning his head in close to her ear.

"This has been amazing," he says, soft and breathy. "I hope the weather permits a walk in the woods tomorrow or the next day." The man's warm breath might be felt just very softly near her ear.

[Agasha Inoshishi]

"This has been amazing," he says, soft and breathy. "I hope the weather permits a walk in the woods tomorrow or the next day." The man's warm breath might be felt just very softly near her ear.

Inoshishi’s eyes flutter closed as Ishioka leans his head in to whisper in her ear. She thinks about how easy it would be to turn her head into a kiss, or tilt slightly so their foreheads touch. But she won’t. Not today, not here. This is what she’s meant for, what she’s known she’d feel her whole life. Whether it’s delusion or fate, she doesn’t know and frankly doesn’t care. This will proceed as it was meant to, not cheapened by tricks or base sensuality.

As Ishioka finishes, she smiles up at him, rain still evident on her face from earlier.

“What fear have we of the weather? It’s a sunny day right here, whatever it’s like out there.” She gestures at the rest of the world. She slowly pulls away, stretching the moment for all it’s worth before bowing to the Lion.

“Until then, I will miss you, Ishioka-san.”

Her composure has improved dramatically, and her crooked smile acknowledges who assisted in righting her.

(/scene? Or does Ishioka want the last word?)