With the Morning Sun [Day 8, MM]

[Yoko]

Rising sun gleamed off the outstretched blade. Yoko stood where she'd started and the tide had retreated away from her. Solid in her stance the sand was dug around her feet, the water having washed over it some time before it pulled away and then kicked off once more. Yet, even that sand had settled given some time and molded itself into the rest, little bumps that no longer stood out.

Heavy rise and falls of her chest were credit to the effort she put into the practice, making up for lost time.

[Kakita Masao]

From the top of a sand dune behind her, a familiar voice carried on the wind.

"Good morning, Yoko-san," Kakita Masao called, his voice ringing with a timbre of optimism for the new day -- which, in truth, she may never have heard in his voice before.

As he approaches a more respectable range for conversation, she might notice that although his dress today is that of a non-descript Crane soldier, he has tied a small feather to the saya of his wakizashi.

"Good morning," he repeats, to accompany his bow to her.

[Yoko]

Hearing him approach she stands with her blade a moment, bowing her head to it as she speaks the words softly. Seeing the blade back away into it's saya she takes a moment to center herself. Glancing up over her shoulder she smirks, "Kakita-sama. Been a while, eh?" she turns, and returns the bow.

[Kakita Masao]

"Indeed. Feels more like half a lifetime than a matter of days," he says, smiling slightly uncomfortably. "Well, I guess it hasn't entirely been several days..." It seems for a moment he might stop there, but he adds, "Congratulations, certainly, on your appointment to the empress' guard. An honor well deserved." And he bows his head respectfully.

[Yoko]

Hooking one hand on her hip, the other neatly tucked into the front and center of her obi, "Thanks.. Kakita-sama," she nods over toward a spot that would be good to sit. Walking over and then turning, watching the water for a moment before she takes her spot. Relaxing back as she looked up to Masao.

"Strange- you know, thinking back on it all. Thought I'd walk out of here at the very least, and it seems I'm getting back on the boat," she chuckles, shaking her head.

[Kakita Masao]

Masao looks down. "Some things do feel strange, but they are for the best." He sits down beside her, not close, but not so far as to make things more awkward than they already are.

"And I'll be leaving on foot. So neither of us is leaving as we expected. But hopefully better than expected?" He turns his head to look at her, genuinely hopeful.

[Yoko]

"I think so," she paused, the wash of a somewhat distant wave. "Have.. friends? Friends in people I never thought I would have. Going off to a place I never thought I would go. About to start living a life I never thought I would live, whatever that life is. Honest? It's.. a little scary." she chuckled, shaking her head.

"But- it's an opportunity here, something real. Something I can really put myself into, to do something better with myself. Mom will be proud, I think. Hope.." she shook her head, waving off that thought. It wasn't one she much meant to share.

[Kakita Masao]

Masao smiles. "Good. Scary also means important. And if it's alright for me to say, I knew you would end up doing something important."

[Yoko]

"Well, that makes one of us, eh?" she chuckled, glancing over her shoulder a moment. Looking back over toward the rising sun she took a moment to breathe.

[Kakita Masao]

Masao sits there quietly with her for a bit, then starts laughing.

"We really have changed since that first day." He shifts so he's facing her.

"When we met out there," he points a thumb over his shoulder, "I was worried. About a lot. And I'm still worried some. But I think you're the one who's worried now. So, tell me about it. Let's see if I can be as good a friend as you are." This happy samurai is definitely not who she met out in the village hinterlands. His verb tense might also catch her ear.

[Yoko]

"Maybe a little, eh?" she said with a cocky grin, looking out toward the horizon a moment longer. "For what it's worth, you are right. Though, no offense," she said, looking to Masao; and raising her hand, sand falling from the hand as she did so, showing her palm," and I do mean no offense. Don't want you to get the wrong idea, cause I'm sure you can be a real good friend, but I think I'm gonna keep this one," she gave a conciliatory smirk.

"Close to here," she said, tapped her chest over her heart with the same hand.

[Kakita Masao]

The Crane smiles at her. Understanding? Maybe.

"Hmm. Some things don't change." He raises his own hand before she might protest. "It's alright. No offense taken. But I will tell you, I wasn't able to break from the worry, until I had friends, and I let them help me."

He stops, suddenly, remembering... "I'm sorry," he says, looking down. "I..." He sighs. "The last few days. They've been better. I wasn't trying to gloat. I didn't mean to..."

"I should just apologize for everything I said to you out here. I don't remember all of it, but I remember enough. And I at least apologize for the parts I remember." He's clearly embarrassed now, stubbornly keeping his eyes on the sand or out on the waves.

[Yoko]

Yoko gave him his time to speak, and gave even a little more time after watching the horizon for a while.

"Don't worry about it" she broke a silence with a typical smirk. "Best to just put all that behind, eh? Not gonna hold much against someone who tries to do right by me. Which seems like what you're trying to do, eh?" she glanced to him a moment before shifting and pushing herself up onto her feet again.

Looking down, "For what my saying so is worth, my worries not one that'll last long or go away much with talking, eh? Just gotta keep stepping forward until I can see mom again, ask her how I'm doing. After that?" she shrugged, "Sky's the limit," she pointed up toward it, chuckled a little.

[Kakita Masao]

That's the attitude that I lo--like to see on you.

"Sure. We've got some things behind us. There are... much better things to come in the future."

Masao's smile is a little too wide, a little too goofy, to be explained by friends just putting something behind them.

"So you'll be busy, but I hope you'll consider visiting Cold Wind City when you can. You know, once things settle down for the new empress."

[Yoko]

"If I can, sure," she smirked, shaking her head a little. Pausing a moment she reaches back to pat down the sand, clearing it from her clothing. Looking back up to him she gave a nod back toward the village.

"Think I should be heading back. Walking with or you gonna hang out here a little longer?"