Two Bodies, One Soul [Day 0, EA]

[Shosuro Yuuko]

Yet dressed in the finely made travel wear which has seen some use over the last number of days, with a heavy glove on her left hand. Yuuko walks with her sister along the rivers edge, watching upstream at the low soaring bird making its way underneath the canopy on the opposite side. Taking a knee by the waters edge she looks out under the trees to catch sight of the bird again. Giving up after a half minutes time she looks instead to the water, laying a couple of her fingers down into the water from the shore.

"Looks to be enjoying himself," she says, watching the waters flow.

[Shosuro Asako]

"That's because you're allowing him to fly free," Asako said, stick her head underneath a nearby tree for cover. "You should follow my example more. Animals are more my thing, after all."

[Shosuro Yuuko]

"I always take your advice to heart, Asako. Certainly when it comes to such things," she says, gazing across the surface of the water as it flows on. Finding herself enjoying the calm of watching the droplets from above touch down into the surface, unbothered by those that land on herself. Knelt near the waters edge she rests each forearm over her knee.

[Shosuro Asako]

The admittance brought a slight flush to Asako's cheeks. She turned away, pursing her lips, a surefire sign that she acquiesced to her twin's answer. "Have you thought on which one of us should be the holder of the title?" she asked, satisfied that she'd found a change of subject.

[Shosuro Yuuko]

"I do not think it matters. Whichever of us holds it, the other will be right beside," she brushes her fingers once more through the water with a graceful enough movement that it doesn't disturb it further than the necessary breaking flow around the tips. Rising up she turns and walks over toward her sister, seeking shelter from the rain.

"But, with that considered I think it should be you. I am not as concerned with the recognition that comes with the title so much."

[Shosuro Asako]

"Not at all?" Asako leaned forward and swatted away at the rain for her own little turn at touching it. "I suppose it's not super fitting for the vision you and the clan have for us, hm?"

She sighed. "I'm sure some Kakita will win this year. Who else but the hosts, after all?"

[Shosuro Yuuko]

"I do not think it would interrupt who we are to become. Whatever our situation, whatever prestige falls to us, we will manage as we have been trained to do so. I am certain of it," she says, a brief nod adding to that quality. Watching her sister for a few seconds in the time following. Wondering after her sigh.

"I do not believe so. Not if we are here to put our minds to winning. Who else but us could hope to merit the title," she says, stepping up toward her sisters side. Leaning to catch her eye, "Do you have doubts, Asako?"

[Shosuro Asako]

"It is not that I doubt our own abilities but rather the tests themselves." She shrugged. "Truly, I believe we'd have been the highest of our class back in our own lands. But leave it to the Crane to favor one of their pretty, white-haired fellows with their fancy sword forms."

[Shosuro Yuuko]

Yuuko is silent for a few seconds looking to her sister as she allows herself the time to consider. Recognition flashing within her eyes she nods, "We shall have to keep our eyes out for such jealously motivated actions, mm?" she says, meeting her sisters eye.

[Shosuro Asako]

Within Asako's eyes was the same flame that had possessed her since birth, such was her namesake. "I'm afraid there's not much we could do anyways. Starting a feud over such matters, even with evidence, wouldn't be in our clan's best interests, now would it?" She groaned, already regretting her next words. "And I'm inclined to agree."

[Shosuro Yuuko]

"Not so openly. Though I am certain many back home would be interested to hear of anything like that we uncover. However, there's nothing lost if we walk away with the title anyway, at least," she offers with that smile held in her eyes alone. "We will simply have to be at the top of our performance. Something I look forward to greatly in the coming days."

[Shosuro Asako]

Asako smirked. "Ah, yes, I suppose a great performance would be entirely impossible for them to overlook. Perhaps the title should belong to you after all." She tilted her head. "Surely our competition will be fierce, though. None of these clans would send someone to embarrass them."

[Shosuro Yuuko]

"I don't intend to give it anything other than my best. Though, should it come down between you and I, I would cede victory to you, Asako," she offers, giving her sister the rare curl of her lip as she smiles.

"As for the others, I would assume not. We will have to learn as much as we can about our competition to better prepare ourselves for these challenges."

[Shosuro Asako]

"Should you? I don't believe it'd be a very fair testament to our abilities, sister." She smirked, far greater than Yuuko's smile. "Perhaps we could alter it, though, to be of some other challenge. How much would they gawk if we had our hawks participate for us?"

Still, the talk of work... bored her. "Yes, I suppose we should keep tabs on any up-and-comers."

[Shosuro Yuuko]

"We cannot always rush into everything, sister," she gives, giving her a knowing look before retreating once more toward the tree. Taking up one of the dryer spots hidden close under the canopy. Sitting before the trunk in a space that appears clear enough to not dirty her clothing too much. Though she isn't overly worried due to the nature of the outfit.

"I am certain they would find it rather strange. Though, I do not feel compelled to match myself against you sister. My hope is they would not deem to match us early on, but perhaps to meet one another at the end. Where I could cede to you with no concern for leaving you to face the other competitors alone."

[Shosuro Asako]

"Yes, yes. Move too quickly and the hare will hop away." Were they ever to hunt down one of the eponymous samurai, she'd wonder so much if they were as skittish as their namesake.

"Knowing them, they'll put us in the first rounds against each other for that very reason. It really can't be helped."

[Shosuro Yuuko]

"From a certain perspective I can understand such an action. Place the samurai of the respective clans against one another, so that you might reveal the best among them before competing against opposing clans. However, there is certainly something cowardly in forcing you or I to be eliminated by the other," she says, glancing around underneath the canopy as they rested here and spoke.

[Shosuro Asako]

"Ah, well, certainly cowardice would be unbecoming of any proper samurai." She shrugged. "Courage and all that."

Resting besides her sister offered a slight reprieve. However, soon her burning passion overtook it. "We arrived too early. I'm so bored."

[Shosuro Yuuko]

Yuuko watches her sister, the shift from a peaceful moment to the overtaking passion. Glancing away from Asako she sighs lightly.

"Have you ever thought to practice meditation, Asako? Might help you enjoy quiet moments such as these," she says, there is never much inflection in Yuuko's tone but Asako knows well the slight change in it when she's teasing.

[Shosuro Asako]

Asako groaned at her sister's prodding. Still, she was one of the few people able to get away with just a groan. "Well, look at our hawks. When they don't need to rest or aren't following our commands, they're always soaring about, looking for the next meal. They always have a goal in mind." She grabbed onto a patch of dirt and tossed it into the sky to let out a bit of energy. "Otherwise, it's all just a waste. And don't give me that 'beauty in every moment' crap... We're not painters."