[D4 LE] A Suitable Place

[Togashi Yoshiaki]

He huffed some air out of his nose in an amused fashion "To me, people's worth are much more than their family name or Lineage. You have shown to be beautiful of mind body and spirit. It comes through in your kindness, and your work. If he has failed to look past where you come from and misses who you are that is his loss." Yoshiaki says plainly

He thinks for a moment "a memento of your clan I am happy to do. You cannot help if it gives you secondary guilty pleasure. I was more concerned the amount you were motivated by spite. Something like this that never goes away would be unfortunate if you grew to resent it."

"A Ki-Rin makes sense but in truth it could be whatever you wish." His voice grew a touch softer "it does flatter me that you would want a reminder of me on your body."

[Horiuchi Sriyani]

"mmm, spoken like a monk who probably doesn't have to sit through marriage negotiations," she says with a low chuckle before plucking up one of the grilled dango. In that space, my skill and connection to the kami needed a somewhat favorable trade agreement and dowry to offset my defects." That part, she's fairly matter-of-fact about. Chewing on the sweet rice as she listens, and watches, him speak.

"I'm not sure which motivation was stronger, really, when I came to the idea," she confesses. "Doji-san and I'd talked earlier, and her advice was still fresh to hold things for myself and plan to find ways to enjoy life discreetly in the spaces around what's required." Her eyes widen a bit at his last words and her gaze shies away, free hand lifting to just rest fingertips on the skin at her collar. "That last hadn't occurred to me then, but it's grown since. You're also beautiful, graceful, kind...similar but different, it seems" She swallows, looking back up to him, and continuing in honesty as she always has, in a voice that feels barely louder than her heartbeat. "wearing your art forever, means getting to remember your touch just as long."

Her lips press tight on that confession, watching with a nervous, defiant sort of energy.

[Togashi Yoshiaki]

He is clearly taken aback his eyes widening a little but it does not seem in offense. There is a soft chuckle "I had heard you Unicorn are bold in your honesty. I am glad for it. But wonder if you can wish to remember something you have yet to experience." His smile was teasing in this and those cool eyes seemed to carry a touch of heat.

He sat and thought for a moment "I would like you to take some further time to think on this Horiuchi-san. Meditate if you are inclined to such things. Look inward and find what drives this. As I said it is fine if some part of you enjoys the thought of defiance in the face of unfair judgement but I don't want it to be your main motivating factor. If you find this more a moment than a badge of resentment tell me and I will be happy to do this for you." His smile is soft and warm.

[Horiuchi Sriyani]

Blinking a bit, a held breath releases slowly, accompanied by an equally slow nod. "I admit, I've been working so hard on presentations, I've really neglected meditation practice. Which would help with the presentations too, so I should get back to it." Her head bows in thanks and the relief of tension with that breath. "I'm...touched, that you would agree to share your art this way."

There's an amused twitch to her lips before they still as she looks up with a student's earnestness, "should I also meditate on that which I've yet to experience, Togashi-san?" Hands resting lightly in her lap, she does a credible job of maintaining the pose, with only those small twitches to betray withheld mirth. Her pulse flutters at the hollow of her throat, a far more subtle flush of heat, uncooled by moonlight.

[Togashi Yoshiaki]

He nods back "It is my passion to share my art Horiuchi-san." He replies "but I will admit I am more excited to share it with you."

His lips twitch up in a smirk of their own "If you wish to spend your nights thinking of my touch I will not stop you." That smooth voice gaining a small quality to it that she may or may not be familiar with. That touch of heat and undercurrent of desire that pitches the voice slightly deeper.

[Horiuchi Sriyani]

There's a moment of shocked quiet before her hand flies to her lips, smothering a flustered laugh. "Ah! Should I ask you for instructions to guide such meditation or just concede that I'm never going to best you at this sort of teasing?" Reaching for the bottle of tea to pour offers something to do with her hands, filling first her cup than his in her distraction. "Maybe...maybe tell me where you'd recommend placing your art when it is shared?." Her heavy, ink-black braid slithers over her shoulder as she bends to pour, brushing the grass between them.

[Togashi Yoshiaki]

He shared in with a good natured laugh "luckily these things are not competitions." His smile lingered for some time as he thought

"Well that depends on exactly what you decide you want done." He finally says "then we can adjust size and complexity based on where you wish it to be. How easily visible you want it to be, how easy you wish it to be hidden or if you care about such things." He explained going through his check list.

"Arms and front of legs make it easier for you to see but can be harder to hide when you want to. High on the thigh is usually a good balance usually covered even in the lightest fashion and still easy to glimpse."

[Horiuchi Sriyani]

Sitting back, the braid falls naturally into place, a dark line down the cluttered patterns of her haori. Her coloring and the moonlight make any flush hard to see as she smoothes the silk along her lap. "Hidden most of the time makes sense. Nothing hides in the bath."

"And I do want to see it. Not much of a reminder otherwise." At the mention of placing one on the thigh, her hand slips back down her seated leg again, resting on her thigh, fingertips curled over the bend of her knee. "Something like...here?" She asks, eyes flicking up to catch his, with a small quirk to her lips. He did say high, and she's given no indication of having trouble hearing.

[Togashi Yoshiaki]

"That could work" The quirk is reflected in his own lips "but not quite what I meant." He would say as he leans forward, the space didn't leave much between them. He reached out a long fingered hand to gently rest on hers and soft pressure is applied pushing the hand toward her.

He stopped about halfway up her thigh "at least here." He said looking down to his hand over hers and then back up to match his light eyes to her dark ones "the higher we go the easier to hide but eventually makes it harder to see." He spoke softer now that they were closer together.

[Horiuchi Sriyani]

Their hands slide easily on the smooth silk. She doesn't follow his glance down; she doesn't need to when she can feel everything clearly through nerves prickled to attention all over. As his eyes return, she nods, wordless, leaning closer with the motion as her hand slides a bit to the side of her thigh, bringing his along.

"Perhaps wrapping a bit? If it's that large?" She says, almost close enough that he can feel the words against his skin. "If you've that sort of time to devote to it."

[Togashi Yoshiaki]

He can think of little in the moment but the feeling of her hand under his but he keeps from getting too flustered "I cannot imagine a better way to spend my time here." He breathed, his eyes roamed her face settling upon her lips for moment

"though I may need to get a better look at the options before I could say for sure." He said his hands tightening a little over hers as he gave her a heated look that smirk growing a bit with the implication.

[Horiuchi Sriyani]

There's a small, cut off sound on an inhaled breath as his hand tightens, and a sudden grin lifts her lips. "Well, I certainly don't expect you to ruin my kimono tapping the tattoo _through_ it." The amusement is clear, and only a hair louder than they've been speaking. "I promise you as good a look as those silvered eyes need, Togashi-san."

Her free hand touches just beside his eye, shockingly hesitant next to the heat he can readily see in her eyes. Her whisper isn't hesitant at all, low and rough. "I'd seal that promise with my lips if you'd like?"

[Togashi Yoshiaki]

There were many replies that sprang to his mind, about samurai not needing to promise and about one's word being their bond among others, but they died there in his mind before even nearing his lips. The time for quippy teases had passed as he closed that gap between them pressing his lips against hers. His hand turned a little and his fingers curled around the outside of her hand squeezing it gently as they kissed.

[Horiuchi Sriyani]

For the first moments, everything beyond the soft touch of their lips is frozen outside of her awareness. Then her fingers slip back through that silver hair she's wanted to touch for a while now as one gentle kiss leads to another, longer one; leads to her fingers tightening around his as her eyes close; leads to fingers tightening in his hair to pull into yet another, deeper kiss.

It's only a stolen moment, maybe a minute, under Lord Moon's gaze, before she pulls back slightly, a bit breathless. "That's something to meditate upon, surely?' She continues stroking gently through his hair as she speaks.

[Togashi Yoshiaki]

The kiss began soft and gentle but pressed in with the urgency of long awaited broken tension. Her hand in his, his other landing upon her waist gripping and pulling her into that kiss.

A soft moan slipped between their lips as her hand closed into his snow white locks pulling him deeper into the depths of this feeling.

It somehow both felt like forever, and not nearly Ling enough when their lips finally parted and they both sat there, indeed indecently close hand on each other as their breath came in heavy inhalation.

He murmured incoherently at the gentle stroking of his hair. He smiled "that is something that will intrude my meditations for a long, long time." His own hand gently stroked her side as they sat their in a partial embrace, the various foods and tea the only barrier between them.

[Horiuchi Sriyani]

A tension resolved, and almost immediately raised again in this secluded, but not entirely private place, as one desire is met but the desire for even more takes its place. She keeps stroking her hand through his hair, unwilling to part entirely. Brushing it forward to fan across his shoulders with a smile soft and wondering, she nods. "I'll treasure the intrusion of these memories... and want more."

She brushes fingertips from his temple, along his cheek, then gently brushes his lips. "So beautiful...and unexpected." The warmth of his hand at her side soothes as much as it excites. "What image would you make to reflect this memory?" Still the artist, even in a moment she's loathe to leave. If it can be captured in art, maybe she doesn't entirely need to.

[Togashi Yoshiaki]

"On that we can agree." He said smiling to her leaning into the touch in his face his eyes closing briefly before opening again.

"Always the artist aren't you?" He said with a voice equally amused and warm "hmmm the Dragon winding about the Ki-Rin comes to mind, obvious but not inaccurate." He thought some more "a sun rise. Cliche I know." He said with a soft chuckle that settled into an equally soft smile as he looked down to their locked hands

"a moment of perfect beauty, a promise of more, warmth, the end of dark night. But an ephemeral beauty that must be cherished." He spoke quietly as he looked back up to her "yes a sunset captures this well."

[Horiuchi Sriyani]

A stifled snort of a laugh ducks her head a moment, her hand squeezing his as she keeps herself from anything louder "A Dragon wound about a Ki-Rin might be too much to present my husband to be with unless I want him to try burning it off." She leans in to kiss the corner of his lips. "Though I'm enchanted by the idea."

"But...something ephemeral. A reminder to cherish moments that are never found again." she nods, eyes on his, warm and a bit sad with the awareness of how fleeting some things must be. "Sunrise colors for the Ki-Rin? And if there's a subtle hint of winding dragon in the colors, or clouds about it, that'd be harder to be upset over." She brushes his hair back from his shoulders. Letting the small, tender touches stand in for all she'd like them to spend the night doing. Like getting through the day on small sips of water, knowing there's a feast nearby.

[Togashi Yoshiaki]

Each touch electricity rippling through him he smiles softly "A Ki-Rin the colors of a sunrise? Yes I think I could manage that." He said quietly voice both content and hungry, a study in duality. When she meets his eyes she finds a mirror for her warmth as those pools of silver peer down to her, moonlight only drawing out more of the silver color. One could be excused for thinking his eyes shone with silvery light.

"I will bring you sketches tomorrow, to your room? I believe I still owe you some poses." The question is laced with another underneath it, to truly meet in private to take more than these nibbles of intimacy.

[Horiuchi Sriyani]

"No sketch or craft of mine is going to capture this." Hand along his cheek, her thumb brushes across, a bit beneath the eye. "Cool silver with such heat in them is for poetry, maybe paint." She knows the excuse of art will only barely blunt the gossip of meeting alone and in private, but it's what they'll have. Someday, she'll develop her skills in court enough to layer greater discretion into such trysts.

"But you do owe me those poses for a chance to at least try. And you'll have the chance to see how _your_ sketches fit to the canvas." Her hand squeezes his again, resting upon her thigh, anticipation shivering along each touch.

Her free hand leaves his cheek to pluck up a bit of dango, forgoing the skewer and simply accepting sticky fingers as a consequence. Raising it to just a bit before his lips, she says, "But for tonight, we should finish our snacks, lest the kitchen think we didn't appreciate them."