Board Thread:World-wide RP/@comment-31966106-20170715173058/@comment-28929139-20170716040840

Kideme was just about to take off when Shien grabbed and pulled her into a full hug. Naturally she hugged him back, patting at his shoulder blade with one hand and resting one against the back of his auburn head. She was silent through his talking but her expression furrowed into a frown.

"Of course, Shien." The answer was to both questions, but to interpret how would be something he'd have to think on. Her voice was pungent with ambivalence, torn between guilt and the temporary reprieve of emotional perdition.

When he promised to still protect her, she pulled back, smiling at him somberly. "Same to you, Shien. See you...out there." Lifting her chin in the harbor's general direction before looking back to him. When silence fell between them, she finally continued on.

~

After being dismissed from their first briefing, Kideme went straight to bed and fell into a dreamless sleep. Oh sure, she had been riddled with guilt for things went with Shien. She felt like a real twat for saying what she said, and perhaps she could have went about things better, but it was done. They'd hurt each other without meaning to, but it wouldn't have been fair to Shien if she didn't tell him the truth and continued to string him along. There was no winning either way.

When 5AM hit, Kideme woke up quickly and dropped her intrument case into her large scroll. Perhaps she'd get to play it another time when things calmed down again. If they calmed down. Either way, she was marching along with all the other shinobi that had been called to march. Three hours would pass fairly quickly and it wasn't long before she saw the huge ships sitting in the port. But more upfront and foremost, she saw the families of other ninja lined up to say their goodbyes.

Naturally, Mame was there with her husband, Yasu their kimono designer, Akane  the teahouse's next leading showgirl, and two geisha that were roughly her age. Kideme walked up to her implied family and hugged each of them, working her way from the geisha up to her mother. The geisha hugged her at once. Akane smoothed back her hair and smiled, "Not all battles are won by muscle and brawn. Be cunning." Yasu, despite being homosexual and constantly teasing Kideme for her odd behavior, was the closest thing she had to a father figure. And he hugged her like one, kissed her on the forehead like one. "Become a legend like Hua Mulan. Bring back honor AND a man." She narrowed an eye at him. "Not for you, for me!" With a chuckle, she moved onto her stepfather and embraced him as well, and then last was her mother. They didn't hug. Instead, she adjusted the lapel to her red and white doryung while sticking a rather ornate haircomb into her hair behind her right ear. and stroked her cheek. "Remember this, dear girl. Anyone will betray you."

Andddddd as if by clockwork, the call had been made. With one final glance to her family, she turned and went walking toward her future. For as much as  she loved them and may never see them again, the people she truly cherished were on the two ships ahead of her and Kideme walked with her head held high.