Just an otter morning (D5 EM, Expecting)

[Chai Kotsume]

Kotsume skipped from stone to stone atop the flowing water. She was quite agile, but had to do her best to keep the pace set by her sister, who seemed to hop as easily as a fish swims.

Oddly enough, this time the basket with Ki-rin's loyal sidekicks is not strapped to her back. The relaxed, even playful atmosphere of the sisters hopping through the stones, and their casual banter as they made their way here would suggest simply a pleasant morning excursion... but the absence of Kotsume's otter siblings is a clear indication that there was something else going on. Something worrying...

"Nee-chan, you said there was something you wished to talk about?"

[Akodo Kawauso]

The taller sister leads the way to a section of riverbank where they can sit to talk. Kawauso sits on a fairly large rock, although with her long legs hanging over the sides it seems rather unimpressive. She's takes a few moments to catch her breath, happily tired from the early morning activity, but looks rather serious as she gets ready to speak.

"Kotsu-chan, um. Does mom ever talk about getting married? I mean, about you getting married... Or, you know... me?"

[Chai Kotsume]

The taller sister leads the way to a section of riverbank where they can sit to talk. Kawauso sits on a fairly large rock, although with her long legs hanging over the sides it seems rather unimpressive. She's takes a few moments to catch her breath, happily tired from the early morning activity, but looks rather serious as she gets ready to speak.

"Kotsu-chan, um. Does mom ever talk about getting married? I mean, about you getting married... Or, you know... me?"

Kotsume sits on a smaller rock, but with her legs equally hanging the difference in height between the sisters is dampened, making their similarities all the more evident.

The Ki-rin sister is similarly joyful and jovial as they catch their breath, but on hearing Kawauso's words, she looks at her sister somewhat startled and abashed.

"Ah!... You mean, marry marry? Like, dad and mom married marry?"

She falls silent for a while, her mouth opening and closing again a few times.

"Eh... You see, mom talks about 'finding someone' at times. And as I said, she asks about you quite often. But..."

She shakes her head.

"I... I think what happened may have affected how she feels about that? Although she still seems to value love over... any of the new traditions some in the clans seem to favour."

She falls silent for a while again, legs swinging. "That, and..." She looks at Kawauso again. "You remember how that was back home? I mean... In the tribe? Many married for life, but... There was quite a bit of freedom, from what I remember. In choosing, I mean. And even..."

She blushes slightly.

"You remember not all families were...couples? It was rare in our village, but... remember Kawakoi, the pretty older girl who sometimes went canoeing with us and others to the creeks to the south? She... once told me she wanted a family like the ones in her cousin's village..."

Her face reddening even further, she shakes her head again, looking down, then looks at Kawauso again with a happy smile that manages to hold back at least most of the blush.

"Anyway! She does say I will surely 'find out who will be right for me', now and then. Says the same for you and Taro... Although she's mentioned a few times she worries you might let yourself get caught up in 'new customs' and end up unhappy." She lets out a bright smile. "She said it lovingly, though, like ' oh, it'd be such a pity! I hope dear pretty Tsugiko won't be stern in that at least..."

"But..." She grins and speaks a bit tauntingly "has stern Nee-chan 'found someone out', then??"

[Akodo Kawauso]

As usual, there are lots of thoughts and questions to respond to, so Kawauso takes a breath while she decides where to start.

"It, um... Seems like, around all these clan people, that planning marriages is a big deal. Which, like, for important people I understand, but... It seems like we need to pay attention to it. And dad..." She sighs. "He clearly isn't. Like, not even for Taro, even though he's said a couple t times it's about time Taro be married." She looks down at the rock, patting it absent-mindedly.

"So I'm... thinking maybe I should... figure it out? I mean, I've never... ever thought about it, but..." She looks nervous, a little lost even, but there's a little giggle and smile that hints at her having some ideas.

[Chai Kotsume]

As usual, there are lots of thoughts and questions to respond to, so Kawauso takes a breath while she decides where to start.

"It, um... Seems like, around all these clan people, that planning marriages is a big deal. Which, like, for important people I understand, but... It seems like we need to pay attention to it. And dad..." She sighs. "He clearly isn't. Like, not even for Taro, even though he's said a couple t times it's about time Taro be married." She looks down at the rock, patting it absent-mindedly.

"So I'm... thinking maybe I should... figure it out? I mean, I've never... ever thought about it, but..." She looks nervous, a little lost even, but there's a little giggle and smile that hints at her having some ideas.

Kotsume seems somewhat frustrated for a while at Kawauso's words. Oh... will she do just as mom said? I sure hope not..., she thinks as she hears her mentioning more rules from clan people...

... then she hears the 'but' and the giggle, and she turns to her sister all cheery and bubbly. "Oh!...", she says with a grin. "Was it before you came here?" Her eyes then widen along with her grin "Or... was it here?? The bubbliness doubles, but she tries to hold it back a bit to not frighten her sister, as she knows how closed she usually is about such things... "Ah... do you wanna tell, nee-chan!", she says in a calmer voice with a kind look towards her - although it's clear in her eyes she's happy and curious.

[Akodo Kawauso]

Kawauso gives Kotsume the indulgent big sister look she's seen a fair number of times before. The Lion knew she'd have to answer this question of she brought the issue up at all.

"Ok," she says with a small groan, "yes, there's... something to talk about. From here. But, first, like... How do you... I mean, do you know... how... you know when you... might like someone enough to be married? Because," her voice suddenly speeds up and she looks very unsure. "Marriage clearly didn't work for mom and dad, and... I mean, if we're like them... And especially somebody from outside the tribe, because they're gonna be...different from us..."

[Chai Kotsume]

Kawauso gives Kotsume the indulgent big sister look she's seen a fair number of times before. The Lion knew she'd have to answer this question of she brought the issue up at all.

"Ok," she says with a small groan, "yes, there's... something to talk about. From here. But, first, like... How do you... I mean, do you know... how... you know when you... might like someone enough to be married? Because," her voice suddenly speeds up and she looks very unsure. "Marriage clearly didn't work for mom and dad, and... I mean, if we're like them... And especially somebody from outside the tribe, because they're gonna be...different from us..."

The shorter sister gives the question a lot of thought, scratching her head and looking at the sky. "Ah... nee-chan... I'm not sure?", she says after a long while, then follows it with more thinking while looking at the river.

"I wonder... can you actually know that for sure? I mean... I do think mom and dad thought they liked each other enough..."

Legs dangling, she bends down to reach a pebble and throws it in the water, making it bounce twice before it sinks. "I've told you mom still talks about dad from time, ne?..." she says again, not quite getting at Kawauso's question.

After some more time, she looks directly at Kawauso. "But... well, I think if you feel it, like, really feel it..."

She stops mid-sentence, looks at the river again, then back at her sister. "Sis... can you imagine yourself at this person's side? Like... ten years from now? Living with them at the riverside?"

[Akodo Kawauso]

Kawauso gives a sad bark of a laugh. "I don't know. I mean, four days ago I'd never given it a thought. Between the river and school and dad, when was I going to worry about it?" She squeezes her hands in her lap. "Then all of this happened, and now... Maybe I could? I mean, Hantei Genji-sama is so calming, and--" She freezes, looking at her sister with wide eyes because she hadn't meant to say it so soon.

[Chai Kotsume]

Kawauso gives a sad bark of a laugh. "I don't know. I mean, four days ago I'd never given it a thought. Between the river and school and dad, when was I going to worry about it?" She squeezes her hands in her lap. "Then all of this happened, and now... Maybe I could? I mean, Hantei Genji-sama is so calming, and--" She freezes, looking at her sister with wide eyes because she hadn't meant to say it so soon.

The shorter otter sister keeps a loving smile directed at Kawauso, although of course her last words produce a reaction. Her eyes widen slightly, and her mouth is taken by a grin, although she controls it soon. "Ah!..." She lets out, but after looking away to the river for a moment she manages to continue with a calmer tone. "Someone who makes you feel calm, and good about yourself, does sound good, nee-chan!", she actually says before commenting on the name Kawauso had spurted out unwittingly.

She then looks at the river again, and a small frown on her forehead is visible for a small time. "So... Hantei Genji-sama, eh, sis?", she says, and the worry is soon disguised by another grin. "Wouldn't have expected a Kami's child, sis!", she says with a chuckle. "He... is from the south, though, isn't he? You... think he'd consider moving north?", she says stupidly - and realising her hopes at keeping close to family are making her sound stupid. But since she's said it, she waits for the expected answer...

[Akodo Kawauso]

The shorter otter sister keeps a loving smile directed at Kawauso, although of course her last words produce a reaction. Her eyes widen slightly, and her mouth is taken by a grin, although she controls it soon. "Ah!..." She lets out, but after looking away to the river for a moment she manages to continue with a calmer tone. "Someone who makes you feel calm, and good about yourself, does sound good, nee-chan!", she actually says before commenting on the name Kawauso had spurted out unwittingly.

She then looks at the river again, and a small frown on her forehead is visible for a small time. "So... Hantei Genji-sama, eh, sis?", she says, and the worry is soon disguised by another grin. "Wouldn't have expected a Kami's child, sis!", she says with a chuckle. "He... is from the south, though, isn't he? You... think he'd consider moving north?", she says stupidly - and realising her hopes at keeping close to family are making her sound stupid. But since she's said it, she waits for the expected answer...

Kawauso smiles with relief at Kotsume's reaction, but then when she talks about the distance, she looks down sadly. "I... I wouldn't think so," she says sadly, it being one of the largest arguments against getting married in her mind. "So... It's probably not meant to be. I mean," she starts to laugh sadly. "What would I tell the other river guardians? And I couldn't... Like what would dad do? You know. And everything."

[Chai Kotsume]

Kawauso smiles with relief at Kotsume's reaction, but then when she talks about the distance, she looks down sadly. "I... I wouldn't think so," she says sadly, it being one of the largest arguments against getting married in her mind. "So... It's probably not meant to be. I mean," she starts to laugh sadly. "What would I tell the other river guardians? And I couldn't... Like what would dad do? You know. And everything."

Kotsume tries to keep cheerful, although there's clearly some worry in her eyes. "Ah... you know, maybe you could visit often, at least?" Leaning closer, she nudges Kawauso. "Dad... you think he wouldn't be happy? I mean... a Kami child and all?"

The worry and sadness get to her a bit as she says that out loud, but she tries to draw some cheerfulness again, at least.

"I mean... do you feel he might be the one, sis? That... in the end, it making sense as your life is what matters, ne? And... sure the Stag have rivers that need someone like you? Just..."

This time she looks at her sister with an almost begging face. "Promise you'll be back if you go... From time to time?"

[Akodo Kawauso]

Surprisingly, Kawauso reaches over to hug her sister. She doesn't announce it, and she doesn't say anything for a while after she's started the hug, but who eventually she says, "We'll figure it out. Whatever it is." There's an exhale and a little tightening of the hug. "I'm really glad you're here."

[Chai Kotsume]

Surprisingly, Kawauso reaches over to hug her sister. She doesn't announce it, and she doesn't say anything for a while after she's started the hug, but who eventually she says, "We'll figure it out. Whatever it is." There's an exhale and a little tightening of the hug. "I'm really glad you're here."

Kotsume is quite surprised at first as well, but she hugs her sister back, relaxing little by little. She takes a deep breath, enjoying the moment, and answers her sister with a nod and a kind smile. "You know I am as well, nee-chan.", she says, with a slow, surprisingly calm voice. "And we will. I'm sure we will!"

(/scene? )

[Akodo Kawauso]

/scene