[Jun Etsuko]

A FIRE INSIDE Blazing a bright blue and christening great power upon it's Kunoichi Etsuko having trained for some battle of epic proportion was quite tired, she'd never fought an opponent that could match her and Matabi prior. It was to no surprise that'd be the village leader who filled that role, she however wasn't able to match up toe to toe with the man's strength. She was able to fight with him though and hold her own in a spar, it was all she needed in her slowly fleeting youth. Her years weren't as many as the man's, her powers weren't as pure in content or control. She was simply not the stronger combatant, he also wasn't the one to end her. Her usually unwavering awareness till sleep was disrupted, she made it back to her village feeling almost half asleep. The copper eyed girl wouldn't walk to the center of her hidden village, she'd instead lean up near the exit of the village cavern. She only ever knew of her cell bed and her cell room. She only understood what a barely soft mattress and an often aggressive atmosphere felt to sleep in. The earth despite being firm and cold had an eerie sense of comfort to the Jinchuuriki. She could sit after her cellmates power had been drawn from the seal, it was almost like the seal was the perfect comforter for her homemade bed. The sound of the waterfall was so peaceful too, she'd levy more weight onto the wall she was leaning. Her eye lids heaved as she imagined the walk home with a huff, she knew there were her shinobi around, but it seemed at that moment no one really recognized her. It was nice to not be focused on, but still be in some line of sight. She got sick of the strange glares from time to time, but they vanished in her tired state. Her eyes would shut in the comfort of other's peripherals, as she'd slowly slide down the wall to the cold ground. Her mouth gasping open a tiny bit as she'd breath a bit more heavily, the rush of oxygen only helping her muscles relax. She could feel her whole body stiffening with the discomfort of stretched muscles, her body falling backward as she'd no longer lean on anything. She laid on the dirt her chest rising and lowering with every deep breath, the loud crashing of the waterfall next to her let her drift into dreams almost instantly. TAG , Notes , other cool stuff

credit to nat of adoxography and gangnam style.

[Uchiha Umetaro]

Man, what a day, what a day! Byakuren had been all over the village today. While she was fast and strong, even she needed to take a break. The sound of flowing water always helped soothe her mind, and so she came down to a quiet area of the falls to take a break. 

She brushed her pink hair out of her eyes as a strong wind blew it right into her face. She laughed, setting down her drink (something fruity and thin, melon juice?) and then sitting down herself. Byakuren breathed in slowly, and then exhaled as a contented sigh. Life was going so well lately, how could she be mad? Okay, the world had plenty of problems, but the sun is shining and the water is flowing clean and clear. What more could she want? 

She put her hands down behind her, palms flat on the ground. The air was pretty humid, but a nice breeze was still blowing by. It was a pleasant, ordinary afternoon in Takigakure no Sato, hidden by it's trademark Hero Waterfall, coming from a giant tree. Byakuren wouldn't want to be anywhere else on a day like today. 

She scanned the area, which wasn't super populated by this hour. Her eyes did alight on something she found very amusing. Someone was completely asleep a few yards away, bow atop her head in some mockery of cat ears. She was a very strange looking person, but Byakuren could have sworn she knew her from somewhere. 

The long hair, dark and wavy, rounded features.... Ah! There she is. That girl looks so much like one of her new coworkers. Jun.... Etsuki? Etsuka... Etsuko! Etsuko was her name. Byakuren had heard plenty of things about her, but she looked so harmless laying on the ground asleep. She didn't look to be hurt, so Byakuren figured there'd be no harm in letting her sleep. 

She sipped her drink, enjoying the rush of sugar it gave her. "Well, there's plenty of ways to spend a day like today," Byakuren said to the air. "I guess I'm no better." She chuckled at that, smiling broadly. It was too nice out to hate on herself. 

[Jun Etsuko]

A FIRE INSIDE Blazing a bright blue and christening great power upon it's Kunoichi Etsuko had a good background noise to drowned out most others, but her senses were still that of a veteran kunoichi. Byakuren wasn't so close she'd immediately wake the sleeping jounin, instead the girl was at such a distance she'd just not alert Etsuko. Etsuko was spared only a brief moments extra rest though, as the chuckle of the more hyper kunoichi startled Etsuko's ears. Her hair would twitch with her brow making her fake cat ears twitch, as her shoulder and feet would begin clenching. Her hand attempted to removed a blanket, but no such thing would occur. It'd confuse the still waking kunoichi, causing her to open eyes in a perplexed manner. She'd place one hand on her face and close her eyes, as her mind tried to rush through what'd happened. She remembered sparring with the Taki-Lord, as well as exhausting herself but dizziness blurred the rest. Her passing out by the waterfall was mixed with the memory of a dream, it was a strangely pleasant dream too. She was Matabi and she was trapped in a cell that was actually a massive fountain, she didn't know if she could jump through the water, but she didn't want too. In her dream there was also a beautiful woman dressed in a bright blue dress, she looked like a motherly type, but appeared to be diligently working outside of Etsuko's cage. The fantasy of an imaginary cage probably wasn't the sanest dream to label as happy, but Etsuko wasn't the sanest of individuals. She hadn't the raising of a mother and father, she also didn't have the comfort of a normal home. She didn't have the pleasure of normal day to day friends, she'd been appointed a team of genin, but even they seemed to not be regularly in her life. She figured proving herself to her point would of given her something, but only now Etsuko began to realize things would never just come to her. The name fortune's blade was a lie that gave her hope, but also a title which dragged her nose through a less than chipper story of her unknown life. She'd remove the harness which held her swords to her back, she'd ruined most in her earlier combat anyways. She only didn't take out before passing out because she didn't quite choose to pass out, it simply sort of overcame her all at once. "Wh-Who're you...?" Etsuko would asked tiredly with a half yawn, as she'd roll onto her side to face the pink haired kunoichi. Her back would ache with the discomfort of both sleeping on her swords sheathes and on the ground beneath that. TAG , Notes , other cool stuff

credit to nat of adoxography and gangnam style.

[Uchiha Umetaro]

Seeing this woman sleepily ask who she was made Byakuren laugh. She couldn't resist. It was not a mocking, mean spirited laugh, though. It was filled with mirth, like sunshine through tree leaves. Or, well, that's how Byakuren's father always described mirth anyway. It was a pretty image. 

"Tokonatsu Byakuren," Byakuren said, smiling broadly. "If I'm not mistaken, you're one of my new co-workers. You head Team... 3?" Byakuren said, putting one finger to her lips as her eyes looked up and she tried to recall the number. There were only three, so she had a fifty fifty shot of getting it right. But she was pretty sure three was the right one. "Pleased to meet you!" 

"Did you dream of anything interesting?" Byakuren asked, keeping the conversation light and friendly. Dreams were such a bizarre concept; she could never wrap her head around why they existed. Surely they must do something, but getting images of riding on top of flower horses through upside down cities didn't seem very productive to her. 

Byakuren had a bad habit of not shutting up once she got rolling. "It's such a nice day out today, too. I definitely can see the appeal of just napping out here. It's so nice out today! We've gotta soak it in while it lasts." It was usually relatively warm in Takigakure, but not every day seemed to sleepily pleasant. Many days ended up so humid, you could cut the air with a knife. And the mosquitoes would still find a away to bite you, even though the air was so wet it'd seem impossible for them to fly. 

[Jun Etsuko]

A FIRE INSIDE Blazing a bright blue and christening great power upon it's Kunoichi Etsuko's pupils would narrow slightly as she'd look over the laughing kunoichi. It wasn't the narrow eyes of someone angry, but the confused look a cat has when staring at the sun. A very calm partially vigil state of mind, as she'd make out the details of this other woman. She was quite the vibrant looking character it was hard not to stare, but luckily the woman seemed to keep her mind busy with a slue of questions. Despite the other woman having more than enough questions to have a conversation, Etsuko wasn't as equally worded and her responses would be swift and too the point. 'Tokonatsu Byakuren' Sadly the name rang no bells for Etsuko, but she'd never trained with this woman prior. She also didn't focus much memory to those who were above her in rank, she didn't even know how long this woman had been a squad leader. "Yes, Jun Etsuko." She'd state in a very dull tone, as she'd brush her hair out of her face, then make sure the back of it was neat. She'd lightly tap her fake ears making sure they were perked normally, she'd never woken to them being estranged, but she felt the strange necessity to check anyways. "You too." She'd add in a softer tone not used to strangers telling her it was a pleasure to meet her, she believed it was a mutual feeling between them, but it was also a feeling she didn't fully understand. 'Did you dream of anything interesting?' Etsuko would rub her eyes unsure if she was still dreaming now. She had in fact had a very interesting dream to her, it made the coincidence of the question perplexing to Etsuko. She'd roll onto her stomach and push herself up by her arms, bending at the knee's she'd stretch her aching back. "I did." Etsuko replied not thinking to explain her dream and not sure she wasn't still in a dream, if she was it was clearly another nice dream. On her hands and knee's she'd crawl over to the other jounin, then bloop her bottom down near the other woman. Etsuko would cross her legs and look out at the wall of falling water before them, she'd lean back a little so she could glance over the stranger again. She noted the cup and questioned it's contents lightly, but didn't vocally say anything at first. Etsuko happily didn't have to hold up a conversation this other woman had it down, it made Etsuko's awkwardness less noticeable or so she felt at least. "You're right. It is a nice day." Etsuko would yip a little more cheerfully as she'd get a kitten's grin, before leaning forward and cupping her hands. Extending them to the falls she'd fill her own 'cup' and leaning back wiggle her bottom into a comfortable spot on the ground. Etsuko as weird as always would then dip her head and with her tongue lap the water from her cupped palms. It was an inferior way of drinking, but Etsuko always saw it as the more enjoyably method. You never new when the water might just dry up, so it was best to davor every drop. Water supply was never a problem in Takigakure, but during a part of her raising rationing was included. She didn't get explained rationing that deeply as it was a simple concept, but she did get trained on it for a prolonged time. Her hands lowered to resting above her lap, as she'd look down at her reflection in the small pool of water in her hands. TAG , Notes , other cool stuff

credit to nat of adoxography and gangnam style.

[Uchiha Umetaro]

This girl really is like a cat. Byakuren had heard stories, filtered through many people, of this supposed cat-like ninja. She was apparently a big thing, some kind of "Spear of Destiny" or something. To see her recline so casually was nothing short of comical. Her replies were short and to the point- Byakuren couldn't tell whether she disliked small talk, or was just unused to the concept. 

The way she blinked, eyes full of sunlight, made Byakuren think not of a cat, but of a bird, alighting on a branch, chirping away without a care in the world. The fact that such a thing was happening above her somewhere surely didn't hurt the image. 

This Etsuko character... she was very pretty, but in a primal sort of way. Her body language was all fluid, all instinct and no refinement. She was nothing like Byakuren (and certainly not like Byakuren's family, who were fans of politeness and artifice), and that was certainly something she observed. Dark hair and amber eyes... quite the combination. She reminded Byakuren of one of the Asagao actually. They tended to pick the more traditional looking people for their house. 

She had power in her movements, and her legs were clearly honed for pouncing and running- strengthening the cat motif. If she had to guess, this girl was some kind of melee fighter- either hand-to-hand or weaponry. Perhaps they could spar sometime, see how the two compared. All Byakuren was good at was fighting, anyway. 

"You know, I had heard you compared to a cat before, but now I can see why," Byakuren said. "You have that whole look about you, from the way you dress to the way you move. It's very distinctive, very unique." She said, voice positive. She really hoped she didn't sound mocking, but these things could go either way. 

[Jun Etsuko]

A FIRE INSIDE Blazing a bright blue and christening great power upon it's Kunoichi Etsuko's eyes exploded open as she'd shift her slouch a little more forward, her mind slipping over Byakuren's words as they'd very quickly offend and shame Etsuko. The shame was a deep and personal scar that'd been sealed in her bottom years ago, but the offending came from the fact that it was so obviously true. Etsuko didn't like to admit it and she didn't even personally like cats all that much, she only liked the one she'd been stuck with all her life. She got her habits from watching Matabi and Matabi watching over her. Etsuko unable to hold her composure would further her embarrassment, as she'd immediately spill her remaining water into her lap. "Ehh..." She'd look down at her hands which slightly trembling, as she'd want to bash them beneath a rock for their failure. 'This couldn't get worst can it?' Etsuko would think to herself, as she'd try to compose her thoughts. She'd refocus on the water in her lap and the annoying wet feeling that was seeping into her pants. Her eyes would narrow as she'd finally fit it in her head to wipe rapidly at the stain with her hands. Her hands were wet though so it didn't do much, but make her look like she was thinking. "Drats..." She'd mutter to herself then solemnly look over to the perky pink head, her eyes had this glazed of expression of defeat about them. She'd take in a deep breath through her nose, then sigh just as deeply out her mouth. "Thanks." She'd state in a tone which matched her look of defeat, as she didn't mean it sarcastically, but she couldn't of actually been thankful. She appeared to be a mixture of ashamed and down-trotted, but this wasn't her normal composure it was all just in the moment. Her narrow eyes quickly beamed up and down the other woman for a second after. Etsuko would rest her hands on the ground behind her to either side, as she'd lean backwards and hum swiftly in a thought. "Hmm..." She'd then lose her defeated expression as she'd try to reply in the context she'd been addressed. "You're unique too; You remind me of a blooming cherry blossom tree." Etsuko would attempt to follow the observation of herself with an observation of her new friend. She meant the girl had bright theme about her and was pretty, but that wasn't the words Etsuko came too. Instead she saw the other woman's smile and it just reminded her off that peaceful and beautiful sight when a cherry blossom tree blooms in summer. TAG , Notes , other cool stuff

credit to nat of adoxography and gangnam style.

[Uchiha Umetaro]

Byakuren laughed once more. She was feeling rather euphoric today. She was in a good mood, and just tended to follow those until their end. A positive feedback loop of good vibes. Wow, Byakuren, you went from science to spirituality in one metaphor. Look at you go! She was rather proud of herself on that one. It even sounded nice to th ear! 

"I've definitely been told that before," Byakuren said. "Mostly by pretty girls," she added shyly, looking up to the sky. "It's a wonder they named me 'White Lotus' of all things. I know my clan really likes the whole floral motif naming thing, but c'mon, look at me! I am neither pale nor tranquil. Tenacious and willing to survive, sure. But I have the sinking feeling they were going for the more obvious symbology with that one. I like the name though."

What she was referring to, of course, was the common comment on lotus. They grow from the muck, up through the river, and bloom beautifully in the air. Usually it was a comment on spirituality and tranquility. "The lotus cares not for the surrounding flowers, only for its own ascension to the sky" or something like that. Byakuren knew all of that, but she tended to gloss over it now that she wasn't actively taking classes on it. She shuddered to think of all the various training the Tokonatsu had her do when she was younger. She could appreciate the look of a beautiful kimono, but she did not wearing them one bit. 

Byakuren could tell that something she said bothered the other woman, so she was trying to change the subject. She didn't want to alienate her new co-worker right off the bat. What a disaster that would be!

[Jun Etsuko]

A FIRE INSIDE Blazing a bright blue and christening great power upon it's Kunoichi Etsuko raised one brow as she'd lower the other, her head tilting slightly, as she'd mouth out 'pretty girls' in a state of confusion. Etsuko had always been a monster among men and didn't receive much in the form of flattery, she'd actually gone most of her life without even thinking about the looks of others. She used physical appearances to describe people or to find targets she'd been hunting, but she'd never referred to a man or woman as pretty. Jewelry and possibly plants had been described as pretty to her, but never had those same contexts been applied to people. Etsuko couldn't speak up though as the chatty pink haired kunoichi was quick with words, it was impressive to the swift footed Jinchuuriki as it matched her physical pace in away. Etsuko didn't have the ability to speak upon her thoughts this quickly, she was actually quickly overwhelmed as she'd get even more confused. Her pupils would shrink as her eyes would expand like a frightened animal almost, but she was merely just flabbergasted at the girls comments. She wasn't white or tall or other reasons Etsuko might compare someone to a white lotus. Byakuren was quick to explain the white lotus title, but Etsuko didn't understand that either. 'How can a white lotus be tenacious?' and 'What person doesn't have the will to survive?' She'd almost pout at how confused she'd gotten, her hand closes to Byakuren would slide closer, as she'd turn her head to completely face the other woman. Etsuko rested her chin on her shoulder as she'd clearly struggle with a tangent of thought. "Uh..." Etsuko was very lost for words at the moment. "Are you saying you want me to call you White Lotus, Byakuren?" Etsuko would manage as her first question, then with a strong squint and pulsing headache she'd add. "W-White Lotus; what makes a girl pretty?" It was the first matter of confusion Etsuko had, so she believed this to be the fine place to start her new friends unraveling. Etsuko easily could of made less facial expressions and kept in tune with the 'conversation', but she'd never been one for words and didn't realize how awkward she must of looked from the opposite side of the conversation. TAG , Notes , other cool stuff

credit to nat of adoxography and gangnam style.

[Uchiha Umetaro]

Call her White Lotus? Oh, Byakuren has to suppress laughing at that. This girl was clearly missing the mark, and Byakuren couldn't help but find almost everything she said funny. It was like talking to a child, except half the humor came from the disconnect between the person and the ideas. 

"No no no," Byakuren said, waving her hand. "White Lotus is the direct translation of my name. 'Byaku' is 'White' and 'Ren' is Lotus. Don't worry about it." 

What makes a girl pretty? Oh, Byakuren. You've done it now. Byakuren had met many pretty girls in her time. She had even been in love with some of them. Some of those even loved her back. Byakuren could (and had, matter of fact) written songs and poems of varying quality and coherence about these women. To articulate her words on the subject was impossible on the spot. But the question remained. 

"What makes a woman beautiful? Well," Byakuren began, "it's a hard question to answer. There are so many things that go into it, y'know? Like, first of all you can point to how she looks, right? Does her aesthetic flow the right way, does she mesmerize you with every move she makes?"

She sighed. Here she goes. "There's definitely more to it than looks though. Personality is always a thing that can be beautiful, though it's harder to quantify. It's things like drive and motivation and purpose and the way she stands and the way she talks, and the way her eyes light up when she talks about things she likes and oh..." Byakuren closed her eyes, lapsing into reverie. "It's so damn much, y'know?"

[Jun Etsuko]

A FIRE INSIDE Blazing a bright blue and christening great power upon it's Kunoichi The black haired kunoichi would stare at the pink haired girl blankly, her eyes veering right and her face lighting up red, as she'd realize just how stupid she'd sound. "Fuck." She'd whisper to herself quickly glancing back to Byakuren, it'd seem the woman didn't hold it against her. However Etsuko didn't expect such a prolonged explanation of what made a girl pretty. She assumed she'd hear something about some trait or another, so when the woman said it had to do with looks Etsuko would nod. The nod was short lived as she'd slightly question with the repeated un-explanatory explanations. 'Does her aesthetic flow?' She attempted to look at herself and see if she could spot flow, she didn't know what created this aesthetic flow. A quick glance at herself told her she didn't have it, then she'd hear the next little phrase of comparison. 'Does she mesmerize you?' She'd look up and squint slightly, as she'd try to remember someone mesmerizing her. Matabi did. However outside mythical beast she couldn't even think of a fight she had which truly mesmerized her. The Samurai duel was fun, but no mesmerizing memories. Assuming she simply hadn't bumped into this person, she assumed had to be an opponent now and was also flowy? It was a complex image to fabricate and it'd get harder when the pink haired kunoichi began to speak of it not being just appearance. How does something be pretty based on not appearance, Etsuko had never used the phrase romantically. To Etsuko this whole defining prettiness was simply to figure out what were people pretty features. A part of her secretly wondered if she was pretty, she had had some hope too when mesmerization was made a key feature of it. Standing, Motivation and Purpose were listed off as features to the pretty, it'd leave a very confused idea in the copper eyed girls mind. 'How'd standing effect prettiness and what was the appropriate standing?' When Byakuren finally paused with a question Etsuko couldn't answer, Etsuko's face would light up with a scared expression. Her lips forming into a frown her eyes slowly expanding, as her head retreated into her neck and her shoulder rose to help her hide. "No?" She'd blink a few times as even her fake cat ears had folded down, as she'd commit to a very honest and confused frown. "What's a flowing appearance, what's the right way to stand and how does one talk pretty?" Etsuko couldn't not reply especially after her new acquaintance had stated, y'know, more than once. She didn't know to almost all of them, they'd almost made her twice as unsure as she had been. TAG , Notes , other cool stuff

credit to nat of adoxography and gangnam style.

[Uchiha Umetaro]

Byakuren sat quietly for a few minutes, a bit dumbfounded. Weren't these just things people just got? Byakuren certainly did. How to explain it words.... Feelings and broad concepts like this just didn't work that way, especially not to Byakuren. It's like trying to describe the art of forging a sword. You can talk all day about the heat of the forge and the working of a blade, but it's impossible to just describe the feeling of art. The feeling of attraction was something she felt similarly on. 

"I'm just being unnecessarily flowery," Byakuren said. "Take... I dunno, yourself for instance. I can tell just by looking at you that you're a woman built for fighting. There's a certainly kind of... grace, a fluidity to the way you move." 

Maybe this would be easier to process. Byakuren had spent plenty of her life training and fighting, so she had plenty to expand upon. She had spent quite a while watching this woman move. 

"There's a certain beauty in motion," Byakuren explained. "Seeing the way someone fights, they way someone flows. Even in the way you sit casually, you can tell on sight alone. You're someone built equally for power and speed. It's like watching a river run, you know? There's a beauty in that."

Oh Byakuren, here we go with the nature metaphors again. She just can't help it! There's so much raw power and beauty out there, it's impossible to just ignore it for the sake of conversation. Water flows down the path of least resistance, always. Why should she be any different?

[Jun Etsuko]

A FIRE INSIDE Blazing a bright blue and christening great power upon it's Kunoichi Etsuko couldn't help fluttering her eyes in confusion. She'd really want to understand what her pink haired friend was explaining, it wasn't obvious to Etsuko as she'd mix messages throughout this woman's speech. Her face getting a slight blush as she'd raise an eyebrow unsure if she was hearing something right from the other girl, "Wait, so are you saying I'm pretty?" She'd consider the title not a bad one, but she wasn't sure how she was supposed to take the compliment. Etsuko didn't have the ability to read her companion by the waterfall though, so she'd look away from the other woman and towards the falls. Her goal to hide the slight embarrassment on her face, as she realized the other woman was probably just giving more examples Etsuko struggle to combine with human traits. "I-I think I know, but I prefer the waterfall to the river." Etsuko would bleakly say clearly only half understanding what was being said, but clearly proving she wasn't entirely brain dead. Etsuko would admire the waterfall over the cave entrance, it was to her an amazing wonder of the world. Even having left and seen more of the world, it just always poured and she loved it. Still wearing her smile but mostly losing her blush, Etsuko would look back over at the other jounin. This other woman had bright hair and clothes, she was sitting in a manner Etsuko could approve and seemed to have some physical might with her as well. "You're pretty Byakuren!? Right?" She'd tilt her head clearly trying to act like she now understood what a pretty girl was, but she was living in the fantasy Byakuren was in facting speaking about her as matching these need to be pretty feats. If Byakuren had truly spoken it like Etsuko believed, then it was only fair she returned the kindness. TAG , Notes , Sorry it's so short D:

credit to nat of adoxography and gangnam style.

[Uchiha Umetaro]

Oh no, oh no, oh no. Now you've really done it, Byakuren! Have a little subtlety, would ya? You can't just be going around, flirting with all of your co-workers, even if they are pretty, right?

"Well, uh- yeah," Byakuren said, had going to the back of her neck. Her eyes closed as she laughed nervously. "That is what I'm saying, y'know?" She turned a shade of pink darker than her hair as she laughed, face flaring up hot and tense. 

Byakuren was never good at this. Was anyone, ever, good at this? It's just casual flirting right? It can't be that bad-

I prefer the waterfall to the river. Oh! What an excellent change of subject!

"If you're one for waterfalls, you're in the right place," Byakuren said, abruptly changing the subject. "I guess the village really does live up to its name, doesn't it?" The sound of water flowing in the not so far away distance fills her ears. The Hero Waterfall was the village's pride and joy, after all. It was such a majestic feature of Nature's beauty, it was one of the reasons the Tokonatsu came to this village to live, after all.

Her?!

"Well-! I- Uh-" Byakuren turns bright red, eyes widening in surprise. By Kannon's mercy, just come out and say it, will ya?! Byakuren was never one to be so bold. This girl, this Jun Etsuko, she certainly was. It definitely caught Byakuren off guard.


"Well, y'know, I'd like to think so," she said, regaining her composure. "Beauty is all in the eye of the beholder, or so they say. My clan's pretty obsessed with the idea though, so I'd like to think that some people find me pretty."

[Jun Etsuko]

A FIRE INSIDE Blazing a bright blue and christening great power upon it's Kunoichi Etsuko as always didn't know at all what the white lotus was talking about, she'd however quickly misconstrue the flirt as re-assurance to the question. 'She thinks I'm pretty.' Etsuko would think to herself as she'd pep-up in her posture, her eyes closing as she'd find herself unable to shrug the comment off. Hopping in the hot puddle which contained her amazing Matabi, Etsuko would yip to her caged companion. "Matabi! Matabi! My new friend thinks I'm pretty." Matabi laid down resting with her head buried in her upper legs, as she'd slowly open one eye to blabbering Etsuko. "Pretty?" She'd cock an flaming eye brow, as she'd ask with genuine confusion. She'd snarl slightly to try to show a lack of enjoyment in the childish intervention. This wasn't to Matabi a time to be called upon, but Matabi was the closest thing to an anything that Etsuko personally had. "Hmm, I thought I was you're only friend..." Matabi joked with a teasing display of her fangs. "Y-Yeah, pretty Matabi, it means I have flow and personality." Etsuko would reply then with a blush kick at the water before adding. "W-Well you're my first friend and my best friend, but I can make new friends. I-I'm just not that good at it." Etsuko would add with her fingers poking each other, as she'd not look her Bijuu down. Matabi couldn't help snickering at Etsuko's response, "I'm sure the flow she's sensing is my own, so pipe down already." Matabi would roll her eyes before shutting them and burying her face further into her front legs, as she'd growl with distaste. "I was joking Etsuko; I'm not you're friend. Friends don't cage each other." Matabi growled lightly with disinterest to the prospect despite it essentially being true. "T-Takigakure locked me up though and they're my friends." Etsuko stated quietly. "They locked me up and are surely not my friends." Matabi replied coldly. "But they locked us together, I-I'd never be able to have a friend like you without them... A-And I'm sure they'd wanna be your friend too now. Ryu seemed to of liked you." Etsuko mumbled knowing in this state even if she thought it Matabi would probably hear it. Her excitement for being pretty had died, but as Matabi would glare down Etsuko, it'd be a glare of mix emotions. She'd be mad at Etsuko, but not because of her confinement, but for making her feel such a strange bond with each other. Etsuko came off as a child to Matabi sometimes, but other times it felt as if she were her child. Etsuko's smile slowly smoothed away as her expression turned back to her confused state, as she'd see her new friend struggling with a similar uncertainty of appearance. It was nice to have traded seats prospectively, so reaching out to Byakuren she'd run her fingers down the other woman's cheek. Her face looking both confident and happy, as she'd gleefully reply. "Don't worry Byakuren, you're the prettiest!" Her fingers trailing to under the other woman's cheek and lightly trying to push it up. A gesture to not be afraid to hold her head up high, Etsuko though only half got what had been spoken and replied almost completely out of touch. TAG , Notes Matabi conversation is all in Etsuko's mind / seal

credit to nat of adoxography and gangnam style.