[D5 EA open]Flute of time

[Toritaka Hanatsuko]

Hanatsuko smiled and Sari joined in howling at the high notes. Kuma just perched on a nearby branch listening to the music. Hanatsuko took out her own flute not joining in his playing but thinking about why she is drawn to this beach, hunting for the spirit. It was a melody name the Hunt.

Do you really believe that you will walk into the sea without us stopping you?

"No..."She whispered

Then why are you still thinking about it? Oh don't tell me... you still think it is too good to be true, huh? Oh... I don't think that Benten would curse a place like that.

"The possibility is still there." She whispered again.

When Masao finished the song, Hanatsuko just petted Sari. He could see worry on her eyes but her on was one of serious reverence.

"Perhaps is not Benten but Suitengu..."

[Kakita Masao]

Masao didn't catch her words as he focused on his playing, but he smiled around the flute -- as much as he could -- at Sari's support. That Kuma is not more animated gives him a strange tingle of suspicion. It is not allayed as he looks at Hanatsuko, seeing her serious contemplation.

The Crane walks over closer to her, guessing that the melancholy of this cursed place has snuck up on her again. He's still an arm's length away, but close enough to seem close.

"Yesterday you mentioned your sibling's upcoming gempukku. You'll have much to do after we leave here." There's that confidence that the curse is soon to be over. But she might see Masao biting his lip, not liking to conjure a future with them apart. Still, he keeps his voice steady. You're doing the right thing. There is much potential in the future.

[Toritaka Hanatsuko]

He must be a ghost or too good for me. He remembered Kiko's gempukku. "I did... but I must live in order for that." She whispered. "Kakita san... If tomorrow is same as today please come at night to the beach and find me... I may be part of the people walking to the water... As if the sea would call to me." She was serious about it. "Tomorrow would be the fourth day..."

[Kakita Masao]

The Crane's eyes get large as he's frightened, although he doesn't fully understand what she means. He kneels in the sand by the Falcon's knee, close but not touching yet.

"Walking into the... Toritaka-san? I think my clanmates may have mentioned... I... If you're in danger then I will be here. All night if needed. I..." Masao doesn't know what he's dealing with, but this is perhaps the first time he's considered that they might not survive until the curse is broken.

"Toritaka-san, it feels like there is something that you aren't telling me and you should." His voice is not unkind, but it's sharper than usual from the edge of his fear.

[Toritaka Hanatsuko]

She looked at the water not noting the Kakita on his knees. "It was was the night of the festival that I started investigating the beach. That is when seemingly the gears went into motion. The spirit that injured me... I wake up in pain during the time loop because she wants me to find her parents... 4 days... that is what she gave me." The Toritaka sighed. "Tomorrow will be 4th day and she will call me to sea... I must help to end it."

[Kakita Masao]

"Toritaka-san..." he exhales. "You have helped... You are helping... I, I'm sorry. I didn't realize you felt this so personally." He pauses for a moment. "You cannot blame yourself for this madness," he says emphatically. "This cursed place, the spirits... This would all have happened without you. But without you, would we be so close to breaking the curse?"

The Crane understands fairly little about the curse or what's being done about it, but his ironclad confidence in Konohamaru, Hanatsuko and the others makes it easy for him to sound strong for her.

[Toritaka Hanatsuko]

She gave it some thought taking a deep breath. Sari started pushing the Toritaka's leg making her awkwardly fall. "Sari!" The dog licked the Falcon's face. Kuma covered his face with his wing.
The spirit of Kuma laughed.

"You promised Kakita san." She looked at Kuma laughing. The girl straighten. "My apologies... My rowdy crew seem that lost their manners." She looked at Sari. "I know what you two are trying to do and it is not..." She looked at the Kakita. "Okay, their plan may work. Don't let them fool you." She whispered to herself.

[Kakita Masao]

Masao looks at her with bright eyes and a smile, relieved as always when she's laughing. As usual, he feels a bit like an outsider as she talks to her friends, but talking about anything other than disappearing into the sea is an improvement right now.

"Ah, Toritaka-san, I don't think Iunderstand what they're up to..." He smiles kindly, but she can tell he's confused.

[Toritaka Hanatsuko]

The Toritaka rolled her eyes at the dog and the falcon. "I will ask but you might be disappointed." She looked Masao. "Kuma san thinks of himself as my wing man. An Sari chan just follows his lead. Mother is a former Kitsune and well... she said to me that animals are good judges of character." Then she looked down and tried to advert his eyes as she spoke shyly to the man. "They like you... and... well... so does this one." She whispered that last part almost out of his ear shot.

[Kakita Masao]

Masao chuckles, but looks a little bashful himself. "Well, I think your friends in particular are good judges of character," he half jokes. "And I hope," he says a little quieter, but still easy enough to hear, "that it's clear that this one likes you too." Alright, fine, so you've said it out loud. And now what, hmm? You're no freer to pursue this now than you were before. And you heard what Otomo-san told you. Are you just going to keep torturing both of you?

The Crane closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. "This is a happy moment, and I think we should keep it for a while longer." He holds out one hand, and when he opens his eyes he looks at the offered hand, rather than at Hanatsuko, to not put any extra pressure on her.

[Toritaka Hanatsuko]

She looked at the hand and placed hers on top of it. She lightly blushed. "...let's add some happy memories to this day." She smiled.

That is what I like. You should be happy now.

"I am..."

[Kakita Masao]

Masao feels a sense of relief at her touch, more than he even expected. For a few moments he doesn't move, just finding peace in this contact, in a moment that wasn't necessitated by one of them falling apart.

After a time, the Crane raises his hand, carrying Hanatsuko's hand to his lips. He kisses the back of her hand briefly, gently, but with the hint of an intensity she might not have expected. He brings their hands back to where they started, holding hers lightly, and then he closes his eyes and takes a slightly ragged breath.

After another breath he says, eyes still closed, "I don't know what comes next for us, but I am so happy just to be here like this."

[Toritaka Hanatsuko]

She looked at her hand holding his, and nodded. She took a breath to steady herself. "Let's not worry about the future right now Kakita san. Let's just enjoy the nice breeze." She moved closer placing another kiss on his cheek.

[Kakita Masao]

Hanatsuko's kiss is both thrilling and calming, and Masao's mind sinks into that beautiful, comfortable world where everything seems right. He smiles, then opens his eyes, feeling so happy that he almost expects opening his eyes will wake him from a dream.

But the dream is real, still there with him, in Hanatsuko's shy but beautiful eyes. The smile remains, and he nods his head. "It is a... beautiful breeze," he says. He takes a breath to steady himself, then uses a finger of his second hand to slowly, delicately trace from one of her knuckles down to almost her wrist, then back up to a finger. The Kakita's touch is gentle, never probing, but has a controlled strength, as perhaps should be expected for someone good with their hands.

[Toritaka Hanatsuko]

"I need my hand... I... I want to play something for you." She smiled.

[Kakita Masao]

Unlikely to resist her even if she hadn't asked, the Crane lets go without fanfare. He turns toward her to see what she has in mind, but just quietly smiles.

[Toritaka Hanatsuko]

She took her flute and nodded. "This song is one my mother taught me. It is called Hana."
She took a breath and started to play
Kuma seemed to settle and Sari howled.
I like this song. Kuma started swaying.

[Kakita Masao]

The Crane smiles at her skill through the entire song, listening with rapt attention. By the time she finishes, he is moved. "It's simply beautiful," he says breathlessly. "I love it."

[Toritaka Hanatsuko]

"If you want I can show you the notes." She smiled. "If we are to part way after this..."
Oh no you two should stay together. You'll have little cute babies.

The woman grew pale as she was in shock by what Masao didn't hear. Probably it was for the best.

[Kakita Masao]

Just before she turned pale, Masao's eyes close and he bites his lip. He sighs unhappily.

You know that's how it has to be. Even if you find a way to marry her, you're going home after this and she's going... wherever, at least for a while.

He takes a heavy breath. "I will learn this song, so that--" and as he opens his eyes, he sees the Falcon's distress.

"Toritaka-san. Toritaka-san?" He starts to reach out to her, but his hands stop in between them and he looks around, wondering if she'd seen a ghost.

[Toritaka Hanatsuko]

The woman shook her head and glared at the falcon. "Stop that..." She turned to Masao. "He is a bird brain. And has started teasing me again. I am sorry to have worried you. I am fine." She smiled politely. "I will be honored to teach you the piece."

But but you... you glow when he is around and ...and I just want you to find someone like him can't you see he loves you?

She glared at the falcon. "I do? He does? You are doing this to confuse me." This must be something Masao might be getting use to as the falcon does respond to her talking with chirps, chatting and cries.

Tell him this... I understand that this seems odd... but Kuma wants to know... Do you think of me as a friend or something more?

She grumbled. Then looked at the Kakita. She took a deep breath. "I... I don't know if this is proper but... Kumawantstoknow. Doyouthinkofmeasafriendorsomethingmore?" She had to say them fast or else she might even regret it.

[Kakita Masao]

The Kakita tries to follow the conversation between Hanatsuko and Kuma -- because it doesn't seem that strange anymore -- but he still struggles. They are... talking about me? Of course they're talking about you, you idiot. That silly bird is smarter than you. Probably smarter than her, too.

At her rushed question, which he only catches parts of, he thinks carefully before he speaks. Don't do it, grandson. Don't! You're only going to hurt both of you. Don't do it now!

He has to take a long breath to clear his mind before speaking.

"Toritaka-san," he begins, though his voice is already shaky. "I am not sure that I understood all of Kuma-san's question, but," he musters the courage to sound strong, "I can be clear. I see Kuma-san as my friend." His voice lowers, but he sounds stronger than even he can believe: "And although I'm sure it's improper to say, I... I certainly see you as more than my friend."

[Toritaka Hanatsuko]

See I was right. I should be Nakodo now.

"I don't think they allow birds to be nakodo Kuma san." She giggled. She turned to Masao and nod. "So do I... Kuma want to be called nakodo Kuma." She chuckled. "I do understand that you have your duty to your family... I do not wish to pressure you do something that might affect your... status."

[Kakita Masao]

Masao smiles to hear her say it, and then the Crane's face lights up at her last comment. "Pressure me, huh? To do something I've been thinking about for days." He chuckles. "Please tell me, Toritaka-san, how would you pressure me?"

[Toritaka Hanatsuko]

She took a breath then a seat on the sand. "My mother traditions... they are... some what based on superstition."