[D8 LM] Walk among the woods

[Hotaru Sakura]

Sakura wiped away some sweat from her brow. It was a ridiculously hot day so far! Strangely, she was sivering...maybe for a different reason. Still, she kept glancing at her communicator, checking the time again and again.

[Yūrei]

Sakura wiped away some sweat from her brow. It was a ridiculously hot day so far! Strangely, she was sivering...maybe for a different reason. Still, she kept glancing at her communicator, checking the time again and again.

The next time she looks up a figure is approaching through the mists which coil and twist in the morning heat. Short...moving rapidly, toast in her mouth, yup. That's gotta be Yūrei

"mmmhmmmhm!"
She waves and takes the bread out for a moment
"Hey babe! Sorry I'm a little late, I got nervous so I got a second breakfast."
She pulls to a stop beside her friend and wipes some sweat from her own brow.

[Hotaru Sakura]

The next time she looks up a figure is approaching through the mists which coil and twist in the morning heat. Short...moving rapidly, toast in her mouth, yup. That's gotta be Yūrei

"mmmhmmmhm!"
She waves and takes the bread out for a moment
"Hey babe! Sorry I'm a little late, I got nervous so I got a second breakfast."
She pulls to a stop beside her friend and wipes some sweat from her own brow.

Sakura smiled, though her chest was still tight. "Hey Yu-chan." She chuckled. "And here I thought a second breakfast was an everyday occurance for you." She reached out to pluck a small bit of toast. Feeling cheeky today. "All okay with you?"

[Yūrei]

Sakura smiled, though her chest was still tight. "Hey Yu-chan." She chuckled. "And here I thought a second breakfast was an everyday occurance for you." She reached out to pluck a small bit of toast. Feeling cheeky today. "All okay with you?"

She pouts slightly at the loss of toast, but she'll recover.

"All okay with me, just...had a lot of thinking to do you yesterday. Lots of...stuff happened."
apologetically
"Not your fault at all, just- it's an interesting time in my life. But I need to keep moving forward, right?"

With just a touch of hesitation
"Everything alright with you, Sakura-chan?"

[Hotaru Sakura]

She pouts slightly at the loss of toast, but she'll recover.

"All okay with me, just...had a lot of thinking to do you yesterday. Lots of...stuff happened."
apologetically
"Not your fault at all, just- it's an interesting time in my life. But I need to keep moving forward, right?"

With just a touch of hesitation
"Everything alright with you, Sakura-chan?"

Sakura nodded with a smile. "No problem Yurei-chan. I understand. I...hope everything turns out okay for you. I really, really do." Her eyes searched for Yurei's gaze. "Yeah, I'm okay. Just busy, and..all okay." She did seem to hold her shoulder at an odd angle, but quickly rolled it, and voila, it was good as new!

[Yūrei]

Sakura nodded with a smile. "No problem Yurei-chan. I understand. I...hope everything turns out okay for you. I really, really do." Her eyes searched for Yurei's gaze. "Yeah, I'm okay. Just busy, and..all okay." She did seem to hold her shoulder at an odd angle, but quickly rolled it, and voila, it was good as new!

"It's...it's getting there. Probably. Maybe."
She matches Sakura's smile with a weak one of her own before frowning at the shoulder.

"You know I heard about a group of samurai going into the desolation..." pause "...I'm glad they got out alright."

[Hotaru Sakura]

"It's...it's getting there. Probably. Maybe."
She matches Sakura's smile with a weak one of her own before frowning at the shoulder.

"You know I heard about a group of samurai going into the desolation..." pause "...I'm glad they got out alright."

"Glad to hear. And yeah. Got out in one piece. No injuries at all. No major ones." She tried to play it cool.

[Yūrei]

"Glad to hear. And yeah. Got out in one piece. No injuries at all. No major ones." She tried to play it cool.

"Ah huh. Babe I know you hate going in there."
Gently, reaching out to rest a hand on Sakura's shoulder.
"I'm glad you're okay, but I hope it was worth it. I've been tracking all your worrying about me so now I can worry right back at you three times as strong."

[Hotaru Sakura]

"Ah huh. Babe I know you hate going in there."
Gently, reaching out to rest a hand on Sakura's shoulder.
"I'm glad you're okay, but I hope it was worth it. I've been tracking all your worrying about me so now I can worry right back at you three times as strong."

"It was for a good cause." She smiled. Maybe Kioku can get some closure finally.

"Uh-huh. Been waiting for this all week, haven't you?" She asked with a teasing smile.

"Speaking of waiting...I missed you babe."

[Yūrei]

"It was for a good cause." She smiled. Maybe Kioku can get some closure finally.

"Uh-huh. Been waiting for this all week, haven't you?" She asked with a teasing smile.

"Speaking of waiting...I missed you babe."

"Oh yeah, been ages since I got in a good 'told you so."

She grins, her eyes softening.

"I'm sorry about that, just...it was a lot. I needed to do some thinking, might still need to."

Okay, deep breath
"Upfront, you know Kazumi-sama? They also kind of like...me. And I don't know why anyone would, least of all two good people like you and they. So I'm trying to figure it out. I don't know what I want, and usually it's super simple since I just want something to eat but this is all complicated. I don't want to hurt anyone."

Hesitantly
"And I-I don't know about being with women. I know guys, pretty good at that. But this is different...but I...you know I know you. And I know how I feel about you, how you make me feel. So I was thinking, if you still wanted to I guess."
She rubs the back of her neck
"We could sorta give it a try? You know, the whole...non-platonic thing. Just test it out. Nothing super serious, no pressure. Just ronin friends being...very good ronin friends."

[Hotaru Sakura]

Sakura did not voice the obvious joke being with a woman and eating, but she could not suppress a small smile. She reached towrads Yurei, for....any kind if touch, really. "We both love you because you a beautiful soul who deserves love, babe. You don't have to pretend, and eat your feeings. "

She sighed. "You deserve this. Either with me, or Kasumi." She stepped closer. "I just want you to be happy."

Her eyes searched for Yureii's.

[Yūrei]

Snip

Yūrei takes her hand in both of hers and squeezes gently.

"I don't think my soul is very beautiful, or pure or shiny or anything. Pretty sure it's the folks who go around saying nice things about everyone else that have the good souls. But thanks babe, can't promise on the eating though. I mean, food has to be eaten, right? It's totally normal."

Raisng her gaze to meet Sakura's
"You make make happy. Always have, as a friend and now as a ..another type of friend, a friend+. You're the one who deserves the love and the romance and someone to pick you up and carry you away."

[Hotaru Sakura]

"Well, you better start working out theb." She started drawing in Yurei for a hug. "Not ready for the girlfriend label, are we?" She asked in a patient tone.

"I'll be your superfriend babe."

[Yūrei]

"Well, you better start working out theb." She started drawing in Yurei for a hug. "Not ready for the girlfriend label, are we?" She asked in a patient tone.

"I'll be your superfriend babe."

Yūrei hugs back tightly, looking mortified

"Hey-wait, you can totally be my girl friend...my girlfriend. Oh wow, saying it makes it seem so much more...girlfriend. Usually I'm the girlfriend."
Deep breaths, this is the Sakura you've known for years.
"Just, slowly, for me? I'm all about risking my life, not my social skills."

[Hotaru Sakura]

Yūrei hugs back tightly, looking mortified

"Hey-wait, you can totally be my girl friend...my girlfriend. Oh wow, saying it makes it seem so much more...girlfriend. Usually I'm the girlfriend."
Deep breaths, this is the Sakura you've known for years.
"Just, slowly, for me? I'm all about risking my life, not my social skills."

Sakura hugged her closely, the familiar scent soothing to her senses. "No problem Yu-chan. We can be slow." She waved a hand. "How about a slow walk kn the gardens, for starters?"

[Yūrei]

Sakura hugged her closely, the familiar scent soothing to her senses. "No problem Yu-chan. We can be slow." She waved a hand. "How about a slow walk kn the gardens, for starters?"

"Yeah, a walk's easy."
A little of her usual energy returning.
"I can show off my hot girlfriend. Actually, it's sweltering so I guess you have a hot girlfriend too."
At least the mists blunted the heat a little.
"Shall we?"

With an exaggerated gesture she starts on into the gardens proper, traffic was quite brisk as more than a few samurai had had the same thought.

[Hotaru Sakura]

"Yeah, a walk's easy."
A little of her usual energy returning.
"I can show off my hot girlfriend. Actually, it's sweltering so I guess you have a hot girlfriend too."
At least the mists blunted the heat a little.
"Shall we?"

With an exaggerated gesture she starts on into the gardens proper, traffic was quite brisk as more than a few samurai had had the same thought.

"Hey, if Rei says we're hot, we're hot. He has an impeccable taste, I gather." She smirked. She allowed the smaller woman to lead the way.

[Yūrei]

"Hey, if Rei says we're hot, we're hot. He has an impeccable taste, I gather." She smirked. She allowed the smaller woman to lead the way.

"But Rei says everyone's hot, he's sweet like that."
Clearing her throat.

"Good taste though, definitely."
She bobs and weaves through the crowd, dodging some gardener bots who just seemed to be...running in a circle?
"So, should we go on a date? Or dates? Do we have to sort of start from the beginning, or have we kind of already been doing it, for a bit?"

[Hotaru Sakura]

"But Rei says everyone's hot, he's sweet like that."
Clearing her throat.

"Good taste though, definitely."
She bobs and weaves through the crowd, dodging some gardener bots who just seemed to be...running in a circle?
"So, should we go on a date? Or dates? Do we have to sort of start from the beginning, or have we kind of already been doing it, for a bit?"

Sakura smiled, extending a hand to hold Yurei's. "I guess? Kind of? I mean, this is now a kind of date? Something...fun an dromantic would be nice, I guess. Not just the usual laze about and eat all the food." She smirked. "Not that there's anything wrong with that, but hey."

[Yūrei]

Sakura smiled, extending a hand to hold Yurei's. "I guess? Kind of? I mean, this is now a kind of date? Something...fun an dromantic would be nice, I guess. Not just the usual laze about and eat all the food." She smirked. "Not that there's anything wrong with that, but hey."

"Yeah, I guess it kinda is."
She takes Sakura's hand, to affirm this.

"Fun and romantic, and not eating." Not eating??!?!
"We got tonnes of options, clubbing, sneaking somewhere with a view...water-skiing? Water-skiing seems to be in these days."