Wedding at Fire Shrimp Village an L5R PbP

With what was certainly going to turn into a mess left behind. Yoko walked out along the beach away from the village. Nothing of a rush, just walked, one foot in front of the other as she looked along the shoreline and out toward the horizon behind it. Eventually she stopped in a spot and approached the water. Standing there for a while yet she started to step in toward the water with her thumb on her saya, holding her blade down so it was easier for her to draw, when...

A series of soft flute notes manage to find their way through the tumble of the waves, courtesy of a Crane who is more focused on his music than where his footsteps lead at this time. With only half a mind keeping him out of the waves, the other half kept a pleasant rhythm of warm notes spreading out across the beach as he unknowingly approached Yoko.

Ready just as she was to pull the blade and begin with some practice she heard the music. Following it, looking over her shoulder she saw Masao and immediately ducked a little. Far out as she was, unable to be hear, she chided herself a moment. Moving her hand from holding her blade to resting on her hip she turned to face him where she stood. Watching him while he walked down the beach.

As one song concludes, Masao pauses to think about what he might play next. Looking out toward the waves for inspiration, he spots Yoko in the water and not much more than 30 feet from him. He smiles a bit foolishly to see her, then catches himself. No expectations. Right, no expectations. He affects a more subdued and polite -- though still warm -- smile, and moves toward her, though staying above the waterline.

I can't believe I'm watching another round of this. You know she can't be a wife. You can't bring her home to Cold Wind City. You don't think your father would have her executed for bewitching you if it came to that?

Grandmother, none of that is going to happen.

"Yoko-san," he calls when he's close enough to know the words won't be swallowed by the waves.

"Kakita-sama, playing for the," she glanced behind her, the wave's were relatively calm. So, she looked back to land, nope. Glanced along the beach, "Crabs?" she suggested, but even she realized she took too long for that to be considered funny anymore and just let it go.

"If you want my honest opinion, you play well enough that you don't have to come out here to hide from others listening, eh?" she said with a cocky smirk.

Masao smiles at her trying, but it falls a little flat even with him.

"It's not so much to hide out here, although I suppose that is what I'm doing." He looks uncomfortable with the self reflection. "It just seemed about time to actually see the beach after being here a couple of days, and somehow I come upon you." He smiles happily now. "I have the good fortune that the highlight of my day should come so early."

"You're speaking of highlights of the day and it's only just hit morning Kakita-sama," she laughed, shaking her head. "Really, that's a bit much, eh?" she said, tilting her head a bit as she quirked her brow.

"Given how much I enjoy Yoko-san's company, I feel rather confident about it," he smiles.

"But you are right that much remains of the day. Yesterday turned out quite favorably, despite my apprehensions, so perhaps today also will have more highlights than just you." He smiles a little too wide, realizes it, and tries to control it better.

"Er, I wasn't interrupting a communion with the water kami or anything, was I?"

Yoko let out something of a barked laugh, shaking her head. "Strange thing to suggest, Kakita-sama. Isn't it?" she quirked her brow, waving it off with her hand. "Nah," she tapped the sword at her hip, "just a better place to swing my sword around in peace, eh?"

The Kakita looks at her seriously. "Is Yoko-san planning to spend more time at sea? This whole wide beach is a pretty safe place to swing a sword, isn't it?"

"Water creates resistance on your legs, tests the stance, eh? Even a gentle tug can give a little off feeling, something I can pick up on while I'm practicing," she said, shrugging.

"I understand. You're being prepared for the unexpected. It's... Good." His voice suggests that Masao understands but that he isn't happy. He looks down at the waves petering out a foot or two from his feet. "Uh, I have some news. Or at least, I think it's news. Just something... Something i wanted to share, to watch out for, if I saw you."

"I am-" she looked to him with a quirked brow, confused. As he went on she made a quick nodding gesture up the beach a bit more. "This something we should sit down for, Kakita-sama? Seems something's stolen your good mood and ran away with it a bit, eh? Whatever it is, easy enough to handle I hope," she said, not quite making it much of a question as she stepped out from where the waves came up and met her feet on occassion. Finding a nice spot in the sand away from the water she turned, marking it with her presence. "Good a spot as any, eh?"

He looks at her a little sheepishly and then sits where she's indicated. "My good humor is fine. Trying to be, anyway," he says a little defensively. "I was... I'm sorry." He shakes his head. "I know it's not my place, but thinking about... when you'd need experience like that..." He shrugs.

"It just worries me, ok? I mean, I know you can take care of yourself. Obviously. But... I have a bad feeling about this place. And I was worried anyway -- even though you told me that I shouldn't -- and I'm more worried now because I think little Kio has been visited by a ghost in the Blue Bird House, so..."

"I'm sorry," he says again. "I'm still glad to see you, I'm just getting too caught up in my worries this morning."

Yoko listened, falling into a seat in the sand, her brow quirked and her arms folded as she thought on what he said. Looking out toward the sea she tried to make sense of some things when Kio was mentioned and she looked over. Opening her mouth to speak but thinking better of her words. Shaking her head, "I hope she remains well, but that there are others around her I'm certain she will be. As she should be, eh?" she shook her head.

"I-" she shakes her head, gets to her feet as she steps a few away. "I get it now, I think.. but," she sighed, her left hand hooked onto her hip and her right held the bridge of her nose. "Kakita-sama I'm going to suggest you may want to consider again what you just told me. Think it through nice and good, yea?" she let the hand come from the bridge of her nose and hang. Looking out toward the sea as she exhaled long, slow, and measured.

He looks at her, not understanding. "That I'm worried? It's just a feeling, Yoko-san. I mean, I'm sure things will be fine. You're right, we've got people..."

"Wait, that I'm worried about you? Oh come on, that's hardly damning. I mean, I have a pretty good sense--" You have a good sense? Ha! You don't have a half a sense-- his eyes squeeze shut as he gets caught up in his own head for a moment.

When he paused Yoko looked back over her shoulder, her brow quirking, "You uh- you alright there, Kakita-sama?"

Caught out, the Crane shakes his head several times. "Yeah, I'm... Fine."

"Sorry. Um. Where were we?" He looks at her, genuinely having forgotten where he lost track of the conversation. "I'm pretty sure you were disappointed in me for some reason." The voice doesn't sound angry, just... searching.

Turning about fully she shook her head. Putting her hand on her hip again, the other resting her thumb and index along her crown. "Not you, not really, myself, maybe, for not.." she shook her head. Letting her hand down as she waved her hand about a bit to figure out the phrasing. "Look, I'm- I'm gonna say something that sounds strange, Kakita-sama. Just.. I'm not interested in what you're interested in. We've got.. similar tastes, eh? One's that aren't compatible. Catch what I mean?"

Even the voice in Masao's head is lost.

Trying to be helpful, because this is clearly important to Yoko, Masao stands up and looks out over the waves. "So you're disappointed... because I want something... which isn't what you want..." He thinks for a few moments, stifling the part of him that's angry with her for being so mysterious and standoffish.

"So I want you to be safe... And to let people help you..." He scratches his head. "I mean you're stubborn, but I don't think you're really opposed to those things..."

"Wait, it's something deeper, isn't it? Like I want you to be safe, because--" he catches himself before he completes the thought. "Because you're my friend," he tries to shade by the truth, but he looks at Yoko and sees her disbelief.

"Ok, fine! But you are, really, my friend. I just... I just wish we could be more than that. And I know that's stupid, because we can't get married because of the ronin thing. But I get it now. You don't want to get married at all. Or maybe just not to me. So, ok. Because we're similar, maybe, but not compatible." He shakes his head. "I mean, I still don't really understand how you said it, but if I'm not... I'm... I mean, you're..." The Crane trails off. He's crossed his arms over his chest, flute held tightly, and blinking his eyes hard.

No, no no no, grandson, no! She's being mean to you. You should yell at her. Ronin don't talk to Cranes this way. You should-- Masao squeezes his eyes shut and stands there silently, facing the unending roll of waves.

"Look- Kakita-sama. You're.. you're moving way fast, you can live life a few steps at a time, eh? I'm just going to say this, damn me if I misstep, but I'm not interested in men, alright? You've a good enough heart but.." she laughs shaking her head. "Shit even when you're not aware of what you're doing you come on real strong. Never had anyone that concerned with me just walking around, eh?"

Yoko sighs, laying her hands down a little defeated, "And for the record- if you're really keen on some ronin gal someday, you do know it's only you and yours that would probably look down on it, eh?" she brought a hand to her chest. "I mean- that's not my thing either but I'm sure she'd appreciate the security, eh? Not that it will be something you cross again," she waved her hand off, dismissing that thought too.

The Crane forces his eyes open, and he listens to everything Yoko says. Then he stands a while in silence, staring at her, but at least he doesn't look like he's going to start blubbering. And he doesn't look angry, not really. He's maybe looking... through her?

"You know, for the record," he quotes, a bitter note in his voice, "I like you an awful lot for someone who isn't always nice to me. I mean, you don't... You don't even tell me the truth until you're angry with me? Waving away things you don't feel like talking about," he mimics her common gesture. "Ok, fine." He takes a heavy breath, then another.

"And just because you know more than me about a lot of things doesn't make you right about everything. Like, I am not crazy to want to protect you. You deserve to have someone who'll do that. And protecting people is my job. It's the thing that I'm trained to do. It might be the only thing that I'm good at, and--" his voice catches. Masao closes his eyes, then he shakes it off. "Not right now," he says, more to himself. "Not right now."

After another heavy breath, he continues, but he's down to a calmer, sadder voice now: "Look, I... I have been unfair to you. I didn't see it before, but I do now." He half-snorts, half-sighs; it sounds like defeat. "I'm sure you've figured out... that I don't have a lot of friends. Or maybe any." He shakes his head. "And I got way too excited about you being able to solve all my problems. That was stupid, and I'm sorry."