[Day 5, Late Evening] Three Amigas (Expecting)

[Kuni Mitsuko]

"No, no, he's too smooth a talker. Haru-san is the one who touched--er, um," Mitsuko catches herself and stops talking. Taking a breath and then a big drink from her sake cup.

[Yukikaze no Kasumi]

"I'm th'one hung up on th'artisan, who's engaged t'someone else who's here in Tsuma with us, so y'might see th'problem..."

[Togashi Shinko]

"No, no, he's too smooth a talker. Haru-san is the one who touched--er, um," Mitsuko catches herself and stops talking. Taking a breath and then a big drink from her sake cup.

"I'm th'one hung up on th'artisan, who's engaged t'someone else who's here in Tsuma with us, so y'might see th'problem..."

Shinko looks to one girl, and then the other. "Wait. Don't tell me each of you are hung up on a different brother? And you haven't decided to tag team then yet? "

[Kuni Mitsuko]

"No, no, he's too smooth a talker. Haru-san is the one who touched--er, um," Mitsuko catches herself and stops talking. Taking a breath and then a big drink from her sake cup.

"I'm th'one hung up on th'artisan, who's engaged t'someone else who's here in Tsuma with us, so y'might see th'problem..."

Shinko looks to one girl, and then the other. "Wait. Don't tell me each of you are hung up on a different brother? And you haven't decided to tag team then yet? "

Mitsuko looks as terrified as one can with demon-scaring facepaint all over her face.

"Wha... muh, no! I mean, I'm not hung up on anyone! I mean... Well. Maybe a little bit. But not... Well, not necessarily..." The studious Kuni starts to look befuddled, unsure how to articulate her situation.

[Yukikaze no Kasumi]

Mitsuko looks as terrified as one can with demon-scaring facepaint all over her face.

"Wha... muh, no! I mean, I'm not hung up on anyone! I mean... Well. Maybe a little bit. But not... Well, not necessarily..." The studious Kuni starts to look befuddled, unsure how to articulate her situation.

"I b'lieve Mistuko-chan's got more of thing with a different sort of bird entirely,..."

Some smiles were made to be punched.

Kasumi's... came very, very close.

[Togashi Shinko]

"Ooooooh" Shinko begins to prod Mitsuko with an index finger. "Who is the lucky target?"

[Kuni Mitsuko]

The overwhelmed Kuni bites her lip. Kasumi is too pretty to punch, although the image of smacking her with a nice bokken flashes to Mitsuko's mind and a grin flickers on her face. Then she notices the other girls still starting and raises she hasn't said anything yet.

"I, um... I sorta told Suzume Rin-san that I... I don't not like her... Like more than a friend..." And even getting that far requires Mitsuko to hide behind her sake cup. Which she realizes is already empty when she tries to take a calming drink, and so she very slowly moves it toward Kasumi, looking at the Mantis girl sheepishly.

[Yukikaze no Kasumi]

"Which is th'sweetest thing I've heard... possibly ever?"

She grinned and refilled the Kuni's cup.

"Haven't actually talked t'Suzume-san yet."

The grin turned into a frown.

There were, in fact, several gaping holes in her direct acquaintance with fellow competitors.

[Kuni Mitsuko]

"Which is th'sweetest thing I've heard... possibly ever?"

She grinned and refilled the Kuni's cup.

"Haven't actually talked t'Suzume-san yet."

The grin turned into a frown.

There were, in fact, several gaping holes in her direct acquaintance with fellow competitors.

"Oh, you should," Mitsuko's quick to say as she lifts her cup. "She's got so many stories, and she gets so impressed when I intimidate people and get things done, and..." The Crab realizes she's babbling and takes a drink instead, though a small one as she's realizing that first cup went fast.

"I, um..." She sets the cup on the table and stares at it. "I've never... felt... like I feel with her." She nervously looks at the other girls without lifting her head, clearly looking for help but herself intimidated to ask.

[Yukikaze no Kasumi]

"Oh, you should," Mitsuko's quick to say as she lifts her cup. "She's got so many stories, and she gets so impressed when I intimidate people and get things done, and..." The Crab realizes she's babbling and takes a drink instead, though a small one as she's realizing that first cup went fast.

"I, um..." She sets the cup on the table and stares at it. "I've never... felt... like I feel with her." She nervously looks at the other girls without lifting her head, clearly looking for help but herself intimidated to ask.

"Hell, 'least she seems open t'the idea, based on what y'said earlier. But she doesn't just get y'hot'n'bothered, 'zat what you're sayin'?"

[Kuni Mitsuko]

"Hell, 'least she seems open t'the idea, based on what y'said earlier. But she doesn't just get y'hot'n'bothered, 'zat what you're sayin'?"

"Ummmmmmmm," Mitsuko hums nervously. "Holding her hand felt... Really nice... And I, um..." She looks around nervously, the reduced inhibitions of the sake not teaching her any words for explaining her situation. "I... I really..." She trails off, then sighs. In a very content voice she says, "If she had touched my cheek, I probably would have fainted."

[Yukikaze no Kasumi]

"AWWWWWWW!"

Kasumi was delighted, her expression shifting back to radiance in a hurry.

She had, after all, been drinking since the early evening.

[Kuni Mitsuko]

"AWWWWWWW!"

Kasumi was delighted, her expression shifting back to radiance in a hurry.

She had, after all, been drinking since the early evening.

"Right, ok, so that's great, but what do I... What do I do now? I mean, I don't... I don't know what happens in a few days, I don't... My parents, like..." The confused Crab almost spills her sake as she starts to gesture with both hands at once, but she stops herself, holding the cup on the table with both hands. "What do I do," she hisses.

[Yukikaze no Kasumi]

"Right, ok, so that's great, but what do I... What do I do now? I mean, I don't... I don't know what happens in a few days, I don't... My parents, like..." The confused Crab almost spills her sake as she starts to gesture with both hands at once, but she stops herself, holding the cup on the table with both hands. "What do I do," she hisses.

"Well, naturally, you arrange for th'pair of you t'get kidnapped by scurvy sea-dogs! Think I might even know a couple..."

[Togashi Shinko]

"I absolutely agree with the AWWWWWW." Shinko can't resist a giggle. "Though if you are worried about propriety's sake with an engaged man, I don't know if you're going to have too much luck with the lovely Rin-san. Adoption is always an option, but families do rather get their backs up when there is a lack of blood link." Shinko bats her eyelids. "Perhaps you find the fairer sex more worth the trouble Mitsuko-san?"

[Kuni Mitsuko]

I need better friends.

You're in love with your better friends.

Shut up! I'm just...

Needing advice from these friends, so suck it up.

Urgh. Right... Ok.

Mitsuko's eyes don't entirely reveal the chaotic twirl of thoughts inside her head, but it's clear enough that she's conflicted - probably in several ways.

"Ahem," she finally says, somewhat weakly. "I... I am not sure," the Crab says slowly, deliberately, "what... level of feeling... is appropriate to have, and what level is... appropriate to show..." She stops a moment. "My parents have said nothing about any betrothal, even a theoretical one, so... I do not expect that I should have much choice, but perhaps... If I, um, present them thoughtful options?" She shrugs slightly, suggesting it's time for the other girls to talk again.

[Yukikaze no Kasumi]

"Oh hell, my parents're married an' they hate each other. Don't f- screw up a nice thing by tryin' t'bring marriage into it just yet. When'd this happen, yesterday?"

[Kuni Mitsuko]

"Oh hell, my parents're married an' they hate each other. Don't f- screw up a nice thing by tryin' t'bring marriage into it just yet. When'd this happen, yesterday?"

"Well yes, when we went out riding... But I felt... something... The day before, when we had tea, and I was sitting close, and... Oh, she held my arm that day," Mitsuko says, smiling like she'd defeated a Lion sensei at Go.

[Yukikaze no Kasumi]

"Well yes, when we went out riding... But I felt... something... The day before, when we had tea, and I was sitting close, and... Oh, she held my arm that day," Mitsuko says, smiling like she'd defeated a Lion sensei at Go.

"So spend some time t'gether. T'hell with anything else, just... be together."

Kasumi knocked her cup back.

It's what I've been doing, in my way.

[Kuni Mitsuko]

"So spend some time t'gether. T'hell with anything else, just... be together."

Kasumi knocked her cup back.

It's what I've been doing, in my way.

The Crab is glowing to think of time with Rin, but she's not missing the look on Kasumi's face, or her body language.

"Kasumi-san... Would it help you to, um, do the opposite, then? Because... Getting attached to something that's running out," she points to the sake bottle, making use of a really unsubtle metaphor, "is, um... Self defeating?"