Tidal Florette - A Painted Soul I

Kaiya - 2

Beaten again... Kaiya lays on her back looking up at the cloudy skies, the ocean waves roaring down over the cliff's edge nearby. I don't think I even came close to landing a hit... It's fucking infuriating, how does she do that? Yumi flops down next to her and gives her a couple playful pokes, "you okay? You said not to go easy..."

Kaiya shoots a dirty look before biting at Yumi's finger, "shut up, if you didn't I'd have been dead years ago"

Yumi plays innocent and shy, "not my fault... I couldn't bring myself to do that when you have such a pretty face..."

Kaiya rolls her eyes, her side aches from the blow that took her down, might not think that when I tell her about today... "why do I even bother with this?"

"You're the one that asked Jin for some training"

"My father demanded it, I wouldn't have asked. I'm not one of you painted hearts or whatever you call yourselves"

"Painted Souls, love." Kaiya knows all too well what Yumi and Jin's ancient traditions are called, but facing what they offer to the people traveling from the mainland is too much to think about. Better to just play dumb and stay home when the sun sets.

"Yeah, I'm not one of you. So, what are we doing?"

Yumi pouts at her looking dejected, "oh... I thought it was just because you wanted to spend time with me."

Kaiya punches her shoulder, "no shit, it's not like Jin really agreed to it"

Yumi looks puzzled as Kaiya motions around them, "Yumi, she hasn't been out here with us once, YOU'RE training me. More accurately you beat my ass once a day and we call that training."

"I'll never be a teacher Kaiya... maybe if you beat me one of these days? It could just be a test, my training has always been really... rigorous... maybe she just wants to see you're ready for her kind of regimen."

Kaiya scoffs, flopping down next to Yumi, "You were, like, six years old when you started training with her and I'm twenty-four. Clearly she's not actually going to train me and everyone in Ukiyo knows I can't even hit you, let alone beat you."

"You could probably get away with acting like one of these scars was from you." She checks down her robe with an indecisive hum, "you can look around tonight and pick one out." Underneath her robe there may be more scar tissue from slashes than actual skin. Kaiya panicked the first time she saw them, and still she's unsure how Yumi's dealt with whatever it is Jin calls training. Over the years the shock and concern has faded, replaced with a familiar fondness.

Kaiya giggles, and sits up looking out over the ocean, a sadness washing over her face, "about tonight..."

Yumi interrupts her with a whine, covering her face with her hands, "If you stand me up again, I swear I..."

Kaiya turns toward Yumi, crossing her legs, "No, I'll find a way to be here, and I've never 'stood you up', you were two hours late because you got distracted painting. So, I went home; because it gets cold up here alone. And even then you STILL came over, so shut up.... Anyway..."

Yumi sits up and mirrors her, putting a hand on her leg, "what's wrong? Talk to me..."

Kaiya, she's going to hate me... "my father... 'zumi...", I hate me, for this... "he needs me to meet someone"

Yumi does not catch the hint, "Um, I know your father meets with rich assholes from the mainland all the time. He wants you in your family business, isn't that a good thing for you? You've always wanted him to take you seriously."

Kaiya sighs over the sweet sentiment of optimism. Yumi's not entirely wrong, but Botan Endo has never treated his daughter as his successor despite her remaining his only option following his wife's passing. Instead, Kaiya has become merely a bargaining tool. Giving me away will lose our name with his death, it's all fucking pointless... just tell her already... "He needs me to meet someone... that he needs me to marry."