(D7 MA) Swim Lessons

[Susaki Tanabe]

Earlier this morning before Yasu had to rush away they had made plans to actually go swimming like they talked about when they first met in the baths about a week ago. Thinking about that sent Tanabe into a bit of a reverie musing about how it had only been seven days since they first met but it felt like much longer. How through their connection he was already changed on some level learning things about himself he otherwise might not have.

Tanabe waited leaning against the gate to the city wearing a rather simple brown kimono as he waited for his date for the afternoon. He hummed a tune as he waited one she would recognize as the song they played this morning.

[Kuni Yasu]

In her simple traveling clothes, Yasu steers by the sound of his humming slipping through the general noise of people. The sun and chance to finally consider swimming without the risks of a surge of rainwater from someplace upstream making things dangerous had her in an excellent mood. Her smile brightened further as she spotted the tall Otter. "Hey, hope I didn't keep you waiting long?" She stops just a bit close, but not inappropriately so. "Thanks for finding a song I could follow along with this morning, by the way."

[Susaki Tanabe]

Tanabe smiled wide when he saw Yasu approach "For you? I'd wait till rivers ran dry and all the villages of man lay empty at the end of time." he said as he turned toward her more fully "But today luckily it was only a few minutes." he said with a chuckle.

At her thanks he made a small dismissive gesture "I trusted you to do well no matter the song, I picked one that related to how I felt about you and how I hoped you felt about me." he said looking with a smaller smile "Performances are always stronger with heartfelt emotion."

He motioned to the trail leading toward the forest "Shall we?" he asked with the gesture offering his arm politely

[Kuni Yasu]

"I hope I never leave you waiting *that* long, Tana-kun" She takes his arm, expression warming at even this small, public touch. There's little chance of a stumble on the uneven forest floor, but she'll accept the fiction of support for the moment of closeness. "I admit, I thought of the time we'll be apart after this when I was singing." Her hand squeezes on his arm. "Pretty sure that added something to the song, thinking of the time apart."

[Susaki Tanabe]

He nodded a little "Yea no matter how it goes there will be time apart after this is over Su-chan. Not excited about it but will have to deal with it. Probably good to get used to it, surely our duties at times will keep us apart." He gave her a grin as they moved through the forest "though I will take as many morning as I can that start as today did."

[Kuni Yasu]

But her thoughts catch up to what's actually being said soon enough and other memories bring a warm smile with them. "As many mornings--and evenings--as we can squeeze in. Being able to kiss you, before I paint my mask on...I feel like I'm.." she lifts her fingers to hover just over her lips. "Like I can keep the memory of that with me, and it's protected by my mask as well." She looks up at him with a thankful and radiant smile behind the hovering fingers.

Her gaze turns more thoughtful, "should we be matched though, they might want to clear up the negotiations fairly quickly. With so many prayers to Kisshoten-kami in the days we have here, it's not unlikely she'd offer her blessing, you know? And while it's known that first children often seem to come early, that's more like...a few months early, not 'goodness, what rites were performed to bring children only two months past the wedding?'"

[Susaki Tanabe]

The radiance of her smile was not wasted on him as he returned it in full his hand coming up to cover hers on his arm. The warmth in his look was not proper but they were far from prying eyes and he hardly cared in the first place.

At her talk of blessings and Kisshoten he grinned a little "Yes, we would have to hurry so you are not round with child at our wedding because my prayer to the Fortune is both numerous and vigorous they will surely bless us sooner rather than later." He agreed with her "I know at the Otter some elders would frown but most would not bat an eyelash at such a thing. How is it with the Crab?"

[Kuni Yasu]

"A little in between. All children are welcomed, but there's some fussing about that sort of thing." She shrugs slightly. "A bit of a head start is seen as proof that the match is going to be fruitful. A lot of it and folks worry about your self-restraint. More awkward if we're not matched up though." She doesn't sound particularly worried about the possibility or consequences of it. Though the thought of other matches reminds her of her only other trip into the forest and how differently that one had gone.

"And your folks? Are they the sort to frown or not bat an eye?" Now she sounds a bit worried. Even if she hopes to bring Tanabe into the Kuni, she'll be meeting his family...as the one taking him away from them. That seems like an uphill battle for acceptance right from the start.

[Susaki Tanabe]

Tanabe by comparison gets a troubled expression when she talks about what would happen if they did not match. It persists for a moment but he eventually gives her hand a squeeze and there is a subtle shake of his head as his expression returns to a pleasant one.

"Ah well they aren't the fussy sort. Father is like to make a crude but funny remark and mother would simply be happy for the child. As long as it doesn't endanger the clan or anything Otter are relatively relaxed and my parents fall into that." He said smiling.

[Kuni Yasu]

Her own hand tightens beneath that squeeze. "And how are they likely to take me, child or no? You saw me without my mask first. We're not...hmm... widely welcomed, you know?"

There's a pause. Quietly, "I know you make me stronger. I know that's maybe not going to ease their minds much, losing you to the Crab."