Serj
The man stood at the edge of the dock, wind blowing about him. Dressed in his usual array of blacks and reds, the sea breeze billowing out his clothes. He had returned to his dormitory and carefully stowed the box she had given him among his possessions. The redheaded figure seemed... apprehensive. Waiting. His mouth was in a hard line as he gazed out into the waters, hoping that the messenger had found the Doji and passed on the simple message to meet him at the docks. She would know exactly where to find him there; where they had met previously of course!
Brenda
She makes her way to him.  The messenger found her.

She is wearing her best and most flattering dress - beautifully dyed silk that are white at her neck and shoulders and gradually shift to a deepening blue, with her usual sky blue at the hem.  White hair unbound, brushed to shining, hanging past her hips.

She is smiling brightly.  Eyes warm, looking at him.  At his back, since he is looking out over the water.

She walks out to the very place they met before.  She cannot help but think how he kissed her here.  That kiss!   How they ended, with her lying in his arms on this very dock.

She is a every so slightly flushed, just thinking about it.

He can probably hear her footsteps.

She waits until she is very very close to whisper:  "Shirou-san?"
Serj
Naturally at the sound of a familiar pitter patter he broke out of his thoughtful gaze into the open sea. He turned and before him a vision of loveliness met his eyes, flowing and majestic in the sea breeze. Her grace evoked the imagery of Lady Doji herself (although white hair instead) and how it was rumored she walked into the ocean before she disappeared. He was literally breathtaken for a spell. If anything inspired his artistic tendencies it was this scene before him.

When the demure woman had gotten close and whispered her name, a smile spread across his face. More than ever, he was grateful for his mask today. "Miyuki-san." A deep bow, straight and perfect for her, although he kept his head up to not lose a second of seeing her. She had not brought his cousin along, and he was grateful.

"You may be wondering why..." he allowed himself a dramatic pause out of habit, "why I have called for you to grace my presence today. It is a serious matter, one that has weighed on my mind heavily."
Brenda
She bows to him - a deep elegant bow.

"You need never have a reason to want to see me.  I am glad for the chance to see you."  She smiles.

"But, if there is something on your mind, I would be glad to hear of it.  And hope I may ease your burden, if only be being a confidant."

A flicker of nervousness.  What could be worrying him?
Serj
His smile faded ever so slightly. She was so eloquent, divine almost. "It is a difficult matter. I have been torn, trying to determine how to tell you. So just as any artist would, I shall show you." From his obi he pulled free his katana, still sheathed in it's saya. He held the weapon before her, flat side about eye level, and with a small shunk the wood peeled away to reveal about two inches of steel. Engraved into the steel was a mon, which the Crane may or may not have heard of. But it seemed this was the ever important thing he wished to discuss with her.

Roll Lore: Scorpion Clan TN10

Brenda
(19 on the lore roll)
Serj

She would recognize the infamous mon of the Yogo Clan, and know of the rumors of their cursed existence.

[ Do you need to get up to speed about the Yogo curse? ]
Brenda
[i have some memory of it from last game - but in short, they betray the one they love?]
Serj
[ That is correct. ]
Brenda
She looks at the blade curiously.  This was certainly important to him.  The mon.   She had seen it before.  Part of being a Courtier was training in recognizing mons.

Yogi.  Oh.  The curse?  It was a storied thing.  Any storyteller knew it.  They betrayed the ones they loved?

She looks up at him.  Eyes still warm.

"You are Yogo?  Not Shosuro?  Or you are both?"
Serj
"Both." She was smart as well as beautiful. "Otou-san was a Shosuro. My mother was a Yogo; they are forbidden from marrying within the clan normally. In her youth, she was hosted in Unicorn lands. It was there under the supervision of my grandfather, she broke her curse and was returned home. All of my siblings have also broken their curse." He stared at her and clicked the katana back into place, before returning the sword to his obi. "I have not been so lucky." His smile turned into a grimace at those words. "I have been nothing but unfailingly loyal, as a student in school, as a ronin in war, and as a samurai of the Scorpion clan. Yet it has never reared it's head. I contained myself, hoping it would wither and die without love to fuel it. But things have changed, ever since I have come here. And now I am afraid." His mask turned downcast, looking away from her as he revealed his shame.
Brenda
She nods.  Taking in the information.

"The curse is broken when it happens, yes?  Only one betrayal.  Not a lifetime of them."

"And it happens when you let yourself love?  So, you are confessing also ... the ... the possibility that you might care for me."  She cannot help but smile at that.  He hadn't been subtle, but still.  It was easy to doubt.  She takes a deep breath.  And he can see that she is happy.  At least at that thought.

"But there is nothing to be afraid of now.  If that is so.  You have told me.   Let us assume it will happen.  That it will happen to us.  There are still only two possibilities.  You will do something - and nonetheless, perhaps still want me, then.  In which case, we can move past it, and will never need fear it again.  Or, if you don't want me then, you will be free to find happiness with another, as you have never been before."

"Either way, it will be over, and you will have a chance at greater happiness."

"Which is what I would want for you.  Either way."
Serj
Once more she proved her intelligence, and he was ever grateful. "Hai, that is correct. The curse as laid out by the Dark Kami is that we will be forced to betray, and the longer one goes without breaking it, the more devastating it is to be." He shuffled uncomfortably before her. It was not so common for one of his clan to reveal themselves, lay their soul bare, and every instinct screamed at him to stop. "My mother accidentally slew her only friend in Unicorn lands, before her gempukku at thirteen springs of age. In contrast, I have nearly twenty." The intent of the story was clear: his break would not be so simple and clean.

And yet, she also caught on his confession. Not the most conventional, but one that suited a double purpose. "Before I came here my heart was firm, and I did not allow myself to love. I value loyalty and duty as all scorpion do. But..." He would reach out to take her hand- but withdrew. They were in public, anyone could have seen them. He would need to be more restrained.

"I do not know what I would do without you, if I caused you harm or chased you away." He swallowed the hard lump in his throat. "How could I find happiness after that? The night upon the docks was the happiest I have ever been in my life. But also the dawn of a new chapter in which fear swirls about my heart like a dark cloud."
Brenda
She clearly had not known how serious it could be, nor that it became worse with age.

Her eyes widened.  But were still warm, looking at him.

She saw him reach for her hand.  He can see that she moved also - would have taken it - if he had not pulled his hand back.

"It was the happiest night of my life, too.  I think about you constantly.  I care about you, Shirou.  I do.  And I want everything we have talked about.  Swimming lessons.  Singing a duet together.  More."  Things said.  Things hinted.  Things imagined.

"I am so sorry to have brought this fear to you, too."

"But... isn't it hard for any two samurai who love each other?  There is always the conflict between duty and love.   There is always the chance that the knowledge that you care about someone would be used to manipulate you, to harm you, to blackmail you, no matter the circumstances.  Nothing worth having is easy."
Serj
His heart was nearly aflutter when he saw her hand go forth; she did love him! Not that he doubted it, for her many subtle actions, from the way she looked at him, to her reluctancy to leave his side, had all been caught by his sharp eyes from beneath the mask, each one a small cause of celebration within his soul. "My heart yearns for those things as well, Doji-sama. All of those things and more, for we have only just touched upon the surface." More. Deep down, he had thought he had put down the thought of ever having children, to avoid spreading his curse. But the woman caused him at least, to rethink his position, for whatever she produced would be a gift to the world, not a curse.

He looked to her, the sun bearing down hotly on his mask and she could, perhaps almost see a hint of his eyes behind them. "It is not your fault, Doji-sama. Do not think that, you have done nothing wrong. It was I who sought you out, and hid my secret until after I realized it was too late. The blame falls squarely upon my shoulders."

The eyes became shadowed by the mask once more with a particular tilt. "Those things are true. Love is a difficult thing; no couple is without their problems. Yet... it is different. My chain is always attached, and when it's master pulls I will be unable to stop them despite my heart and soul screaming otherwise. And it will be pulled, someday, no matter how I fight. A normal couple," he smiled bitterly at those words, "at least has agency in their decisions."
[ Your yojimbo is having a marvelous time it seems ]
Brenda
He could hear that she was breathing a little faster.  Her own heart aflutter.

His heart yearned!  All that and more!

"Shirou..."  She took a step closer to him.  Wanting so much to comfort him in any way.  Not touching him.  But close.

"Then let us be happy.  As long as we can be.  Every moment.  It will be precious because we will not take it for granted.  I did not appreciate the sun enough until that storm."

"What else can we do?  Perhaps we can't have any of it.  Any of what we want.  But that is for sure true if we simply walk away from this.  And from what you've said, I doubt that tricks the curse either.  We might as well face it together.  One day at a time."
Serj
His breath quickened as she approached and spoke of those things. True happiness, with another? For more than half of his life now he had not allowed himself to imagine the possibility.

But with her, he could begin to see it. Once more, he was grateful to his visor. "Then I cannot stop you, Miyuki." Ooh, they stood so close to each other. Scandalous. His voice was hushed; oh how he wanted to touch upon her cheek, to touch her hair. But etiquette and courtesy demanded he refrain. "I will savor every moment together as if it were the sweetest honey, for as long as I can." He really should be more particular with his On around her, but once more he flashed her a large smile. "It has been overcast for some time in my heart; but now the sun's brilliance cannot be denied as it shines through."

He had warned her. The path ahead was fraught with trial, and in store lurked at least one monster in the shadows. But she was brave; braver than the man who had faced down many enemies for years now. "Love conquers all, it is said. You would make a most divine lady conquerer, Miyuki. I would gladly join you on our journey then, as far as it can take us."
Brenda
She smiles.

"Shirou, I want so much to hold you."  Just the quietest whisper.  Which of course, means she must lean ever so slightly closer.  "Perhaps we should go somewhere else."

"I love you.  You are the sun for me.   It shines when you smile."  And he had!  A big smile.

"We will figure this out.  Or simply endure it."

"Is it not precisely the story of the frog and the scorpion?  The inevitable betrayal?  From our first poems together.  Who knows though?  Perhaps the frog survived just fine."

She offered it like a prayer.  And, equally inevitably, a poem:

Deep waters threaten
Any two who dare to cross
Risking betrayal
The scorpion lives - he swims
But so, always, could the frog
Brenda
(poetry 24)
Serj
[ Apologies; had to take my dogs out and put my wife to bed. May I ask, what does she mean with "perhaps we should go somewhere else?" ]
Brenda
[She means - could we possibly go some place private so I could give you a hug but feel free to interpret in some different way]
Serj
[ sorry; doing a poem for the last bit and trying to make it nearly as good as yours ]
Brenda
[indeed - take your time!]
Serj
A faint hint of redness simmered up his neck and to his cheeks. That sun, ooh boy it was certainly bright and hot on his exposed skin. He had to lightly fan himself with his hand from the heat prickling upwards. But in reality, the heat burned from within. "Perhaps we should get seek some shelter from the brightness," he would whisper back ever so faintly, almost losing his words to the gentle breeze that toyed around them. He was her sun? It could not be; he did not radiate warmth and light as she did. If it were not such a negative connotation, he would be her moon, gladly reflecting her light in the darkness of the night. "And I love you, Miyuki. Your very being radiates with warmth that rivals even Lady Amaterasu's and light to the dark depths within my soul."

He nodded at her words of enduring or perhaps even figuring this out; he would trust the woman wholeheartedly. It was, unfortunately, him that was the issue, for he could not trust himself. "The Scorpion had always known he would betray the frog. It was in his nature; perhaps you are right." Far better than a frog; she was a Crane. Although he could not recall the fate of the frog in the end...

He visibly perked up at her poetry. It had been too long since he'd allowed his creativity to flow. Although it was well done enough, it was not nearly his best piece he'd come up with. Perhaps later he could refine it but he would recite it to her before allowing her to drag him off where ever she had in mind...

Within a Crane's beak
Scorpion ascends skywards
Above the dark clouds
Never having known such heights
Discovering joy
Poetry 16

Brenda
She smiles when he tells her he loves her.  Calls her by name.

When he recites his poem, she smiles.  "Oh, that is very good.  Very beautiful.  Crane and scorpion can simply fly."  Discovering joy.  Ah, that was what she wanted.  To discover joy.  With him.

But she needed to think of some place they could go.  Where they would not be seen.

"Maybe if we walk down the beach, we can find a place that is completely out of sight?  Farther down the coast?"
Serj
"The Crane has shown the Scorpion the heights beyond the stormclouds, how wondrous the sky is near the heavens. Scorpions typically do not fly, after all." A contented sigh escapes his lips while gazing upon her. "A plan as good as any, Miyuki. Many hang about the village and the waters. Perhaps we can take a skiff; it would leave behind no trail to follow." But it would mean they'd be seen leaving the docks. If only he were an Iuchi, capable of travelling hundreds of feet in a single cast.
Brenda
A perplexing problem.

"A skiff is an interesting idea.  What if ..."  She knew plenty of stories.  Think like a Mantis.   Like a smuggler.  "I'm not actually the best in a boat."  But did you get seasick on a small boat?  Who knew?  "But it couldn't be leaving from the dock.  It would be more like ... like a skiff in a cave right?  A cove?  But that's what we need actually.  Not a boat.  A cave or something."

Serj
She had her honor to uphold. While he was from a clan not exactly known for their honorable ways, he was cut from a slightly different cloth. "I am no sailor myself." He had racked his brain, and while they could explore and try to find an isolated place, they were not explorers or seamen. Their desire could lead them to ruin, and while that was likely going to happen, it wasn't going to happen like that. Once more he reached out, to touch upon her hand and take it into his grasp. "For your honor's sake. Let us approach this rationally with the utmost care. An errant slip of the brush could ruin the whole painting, Miyuki. We shall be patient, and if opportunity arises then we shall seize it." Hug starved as he was, he could... hold it. He had many years underneath him without any real good hugging, and he could wait a bit longer as needed.
Brenda
She nods.  And holds tight to his hand.

"I understand.  I can be patient.  Perhaps it is enough to know that you know that I wanted to hold you."

"There are plenty of things we can do together in the meantime.  Same as any other two people here.  We could work on a duet.  We could go for a walk.  We could meet for tea.  We could even go to the hot springs.  People do that now."

"Are you planning to go out on the expedition to light the torches and push the fog back, or investigate the Crab ship?  I was thinking to help with the torches, but I am told it is too dangerous, and I would be more of a burden than a help."
Serj
He gave the Doji's warm, soft hand a hard squeeze to show how much he would love to hug her, right here on the docks if they could have. Shirou had no shame, but he would not bring someone down and potentially disgrace them. "Of course. We have plenty of time together, Miyuki. We can accomplish all those things. Perhaps I can teach you to swim in the hot springs later." If he didn't have his mask, she would've definitely seen him wink. "Let us go out in public; people will get suspicious at our long disappearance. We have a role to play, the aura of innocence, and our audience will seek out any chink in our performance." His grip would loosen, but for now she was holding it tight. Someday, they could hold hands as often as they wished. "Are you prepared for your greatest show yet, Miyuki?"

As for the expedition or the Crab ship, he pondered. "Likely the ship. I am an excellent swimmer, strong in body. The fog is said to hold magical evil creatures; who knows if my sword shall even cause a dent in their hides?"
Brenda
"I can be a good actress.   I can treat you like any other friend.  And we can see each other as much as we want."

She realized what that entailed and let go of his hand.  Reluctantly.

"Be careful.  I'll be thinking about you."

"Do keep an eye out on the Crab ship for anything dangerous or shameful to their Clan.  That would be of interest to me.
Serj
"I can only count myself so lucky, to be able to spend more time within your presence, Miyuki." Indeed, there would likely be a lot more of the two of them going about town, doing innocent things and definitely not couple things. His hand slowly fell away from her grasp, but even if they could not act upon their emotions for now... they would be together. And that was suitable enough for the red haired Scorpion. "I shall not be reckless, you have my word. For I shall be thinking of you as well, until the moment I return from the investigation." At her last words about being interested in the ruinous things for the Crab he could not help but find himself amused. "I shall do that; they are- were," he corrected himself, "our worst enemies at some point. I am sure you would have the best intentions at heart with such discoveries. Anything I see I will also pass onto you, within a painting, Doji-sama." The soft beautiful Crane had a bit of spice in her, eh? He liked that a lot.
Brenda
"It is a good plan.  A better one than my first.  Though I will take my original idea to my dreams.  Fortunes willing."

"See?  You are a good influence on me."

"Be careful.  And come find me when it is over.  When you are safe.  So I will know you are safe."

And she smiled at his offer to bring information about the Crab mission.

"We probably both need to do well here.  To have found some favor with our superiors here.  We may need their help.  To be together."
Serj
He allowed himself one more big smile. Somewhere Bayushi was spinning in the afterlife for someone saying he was a good, positive example. "We can always send each other letters, and allow our imaginations to fly together, Doji-sama." He did wonder, what did her dreams entail after all, especially if they involved him.

"After the mission you will be the first person I find. But I cannot foresee much going wrong on a fairly simple mission like this." What could possibly happen now that he jinxed it?

Oh my. The Crane had some talons on her. His eyebrows raised at her. "They would be a most appropriate sacrifice for our goal. You are far more skilled in the way of the courts than I." There was a bit of admiration in his voice. She was always so talented, and to discover more of her talents was like unearthing a diamond that only revealed itself to be larger than initially imagined.
[/scene as they wound down and he returned her to her dorm]