Forging the path

It may be true that a train car wasn’t probably the best place for a first kiss and that wasn’t what was in Estelle plans, but the situation and both women’s mood made that place and time an idyllic one, both of them looked more than ready to seal the deal with a kiss and suddenly everything crashed and went from dreamy to some sort of comical. Luckily the two of them managed to see the absurd in their situation and cracked a laugh at it. Estelle found herself smiling with a silly face as Rosemary was almost squeaking in laughter. The Swiss loved Rosemary’s air of elegance and mannerisms, but seeing all that crumble and the British losing control over it and be just a woman cackling with sheer laugh made her so happy.

Estelle was also enraptured by how even if the kiss didn’t get to fully materialize Rosemary was responding in a very positive way to everything that was going on. After their last meeting’s abrupt way of ending another slip like that incident with the school children could have been seen as an absolute disaster and a date breaking moment, but it seemed like Rosemary was there with an honest, true wish to see where all that could lead both women and Estelle couldn’t be more reassured by that. Not only was Rosemary responding with a shy blushing and slight tease, she was also taking Estelle’s glove and retorting to the Swiss’ jokes with some of her own.

When Rosemary slipped her arm around Estelle’s grabbing her hand and interlocking their fingers together in a tender motion the Swiss could feel her heart skipping a beat. That was only the beginning though as Rosemary leaned against her shoulder playing a bad joke about her falling asleep. Estelle liked that contact and that was the reason why she basked in the sensation of Rosemary’s touch, leaning herself towards her head, nuzzling the top of her head with her cheek while enjoying the sikly touch of her hair. With her thumb, Estelle would keep caressing the back of Rosemary’s hand. “Well well, who is Lady Dreamer now?”, she giggled. Ahead of them was a half an hour train trip, one that Estelle hoped never ended now that she was in rapture.

Rosemary was a bit of an innocent little cinnamon roll. In her eyes, laying her head on Estelle's shoulder and holding hands was almost scandalous! It was hard to believe she was in a career where she dove off or high places and threw people through tables for a living. For all her training though, none of it really included getting into a relationship, especially not with another girl. She had… some interesting encounters with a girl named Mackenzie back in Cutlass, the wrestling company she once worked for, but that was some very strange perverse obsession that blond had with her that she never really understood. This was different, in a whole different spectrum.

It was all in good fun, but when she felt the squeeze in her hand returned and felt Estelle nuzzling up against her it made her shiver, a fresh pink blush growing on her cheeks. "Still you." Rosemary whispered softly, still pretending to be asleep just to take in this moment for a bit longer. It wasn't until the train speakers chimed, letting them know their ride was underway that she finally lifted her head to sit up in her seat. She gave her date a smile before looking to the window, intent to take in the view of the trip. She kept their hands together though, idly caressing the top of Estelle's with her thumb.

It was a pleasant ride, the half an hour seemingly soaring by as they traveled from the ever burning lights of the city skyline into the rolling countryside of Japan. It was a small taste of home really, much of what was beyond the speeding train was very reminiscent of where she had grown up. She hadn't ventured this far out, had no reason to ever do it alone when so much of Japan was still unknown to her. She was excited to score something new though with Estelle at her side.

Along the way she shared some stories from back home, finally surrendering Estelle's hand. She tended to gesture when she spoke about personal things, slightly less rigid and proper in her nostalgia. She told a particularly lighthearted story of her neighbor's sheep that had gotten loose during a storm and she had been recruited to help find them. In the end she had only managed to locate one and spent most of her day chasing it around town to try and corral it for her neighbor… by the time she had gotten it back she found out they had already gathered them all up and she had been harassing a wild sheep that wasn't even his. He had paid her though for the effort. It had been the first time she had ever earned money for herself that wasn't from doing chores around the house for an allowance.

As they needed their final destination, the train stopped a few times, allowing people on and off. She had pulled her bag up from the floor and kept it in her lap now, patiently waiting for their turn to arise. Every time the trained slowed she would look to Estelle to see if this would be where they get off only to find they still had a bit more to go. By the time they finally pulled into their stop, the train car they were in was practically empty. From here on in, she was flying blind. "Ready to stretch my legs a bit."

Estelle breathed deep while she made herself comfortable, basking in the sensation of her date resting against her shoulder and whispering some words. If there was any doubt in the Swiss’ mind it dissipated into nothing as she enjoyed that little moment and realized she just didn’t want it to end, but after all it was just a fleeting instant before Rosemary would straighten herself and sit in a more formal position, so Estelle now knew that she wanted that to repeat over time, to have moments like that and even more intimate with that woman that had charmed her. Breaking their tender bodily contact of intimacy and complicity broke her heart, but she would have Rosemary for herself for all day so it was fine.

The train trip went by faster than Estelle expected as there was not so much time to gaze through the window but to share some more fun conversation with Rosemary. It was so hard for the Swiss to imagine that refined and elegant young woman running behind sheep as a kid, and in some part made her reflect on all those things she missed growing up in the big city. Her story wasn’t as interesting but she presented her point of view, growing at her father’s shadow, but she didn’t go into much details since her childhood was way somberer that her date’s. She would rather hear about Rosemary’s adventures in the countryside for all the trip.

The train started making some stops and some of the people stepped off. They were supposed to remain on until the very end of the line and that was how Estelle made it look with her relaxed attitude. In the end the speakers announced the end of the trip and Rosemary stood on her feet first, eager to stretch her legs. “Oh don’t worry, you will have time to do that...”, said Estelle. She hadn’t told the British every detail of their hike, but it was going to be a long one.

When they walked out of the train a very different kind of train station welcomed them. That was a rural space, and concrete was limited to the very essential. Green pastures could be seen and the feeling of fresh air was incredibly fresh. Estelle basked in the sensation of nature as she stretched like a cat. “Oh, I like trains, but I’m so happy to be out of it. This looks amazing and we haven’t even started our hike...” The Swiss walked towards a sign with a map that detailed the course they were going to walk that day. “You know, this route is pretty well-known so it isn’t difficult at all. Easy to follow and the chances of getting lost are impossible since the path is well marked. So, shall we go on an adventure?” Estelle smiled brightly as she was excited, hoping Rosemary shared her enthusiasm.


The hike started and some time after leaving the train station the dirt road led them directly to the middle of a forest. Trees surrounded them from all sides, moss growing on their trunks to mark the wilderness of all that place and how old those trees actually were, some of them growing so tall Estelle couldn’t even see the end of them as it would entangle with the rest of the leaves. That
snarled mess of branches and leaves made the sunlight above them spread through in a way that made all the scene look magical. Of course despite how far they appeared to be from civilization the route was safe enough for them to have phone signal in case they required some help, even getting some GPS bars if they felt lost, but that wouldn’t be the case since every kilometer or so a map detailed the route and how far they were into it.

Up to that point Estelle had been quietly humming a song to herself, letting the beauty of nature take the protagonism since she also wanted Rosemary to get used to the hike, the Swiss adapting her pace to that of the British woman. “This is impressive… You know, I hope we don’t run into any creature like tengus or kitsunes… I read they are common in these kind of forests.” She wrapped her arm around Rosemary’s as she would make some puppy eyes and pouted to her date: “If tengus arrived to take me, would you step up and defend me?”

It had been tempting to like and prod at Estelle when the two were exchanging stories. It was pretty clear to Rosemary that her date was keeping much of the details vague on purpose. While naturally curious, she could read the seriousness of the topic just by the Swiss woman's tone and body language and thought it best to leave it be. The last thing she wanted was to upset her, especially with the day they had planned today. Maybe another time once they were a bit closer it would be something she felt more comfortable with pressing. There was value to be had in sharing things that may be somber, just to help vent without bottling it all up. She put a pin in it for now.

When their stop finally came, she was eager to go. Ordinarily Rosemary kept a very tight schedule. There was comfort in having a routine and following it. Today, she had thrown out her usual workout and early morning not knowing full well she was in for a hike. It still felt strange and a bit uncomfortable to shirk her responsibilities but it was just a mental hurdle she'd have to get over. Spending the day with Estelle would be enough to shake the niggling feel in the back of her mind, she hopes so at least.

Stepping off the train, Rosemary followed with her arms clasped behind her back, taking easy strides to follow beside Estelle. The quaint little train station was a small taste of home with the simple stonework and old hand carved benches on the platform. The architecture was different but the feel was much the same as she peered out across the hills they had traveled by. It smelled a bit fresher out here though, less traveled, no lingering livestock like out where she came from or the watchful eyes of nosy neighbors anytime she went into town. It stood in stark contrast with where they had started in the city, which made the prospects of their hike that much more interesting to her.

As they paused before a large sign posting, her eyes wandered over what was advertised. There were a plethora of photos with robust Japanese text below them detailing the history of certain key sites along the trail. She didn't pay them much mind, purposefully ignoring any would be spoilers for their day trip. There was also an old hand painted map of the area with rotted trail lines drawn into it that detailed the patches to take, several which didn't all lead to the same place. She couldn't help but be reminded of her first time trying to use the rail system in Tokyo with all it's interconnected train lines. Her ears perked at Estelle's words, glaring sidelong towards her date unsure of her exact meaning but willing to follow regardless. "I am all for adventure, Lady Dreamer. Forge us a path."

"I know you mostly grew up in the city but have you ever been camping?" As the two women slipped into the densely packed forest along the trial, Rosemary found herself actively scanning the surroundings. She could really help it, unable to switch off a survivalist part of her brain that absorbed every little detail she could as if they were stranded out here. That tree in the distance looked like standing dead wood… good for making a fire. Moss on the back side of that bark? They must be heading north. She confirmed their direction with the rays of light piercing through the canopy and recalling what time it was when they departed the train. These were things that were just drilled into her mind by spending time with her father back home. While she never really cared for hunting, wilderness survival was always very intriguing to her.

"Is that so?" Rosemary responded with a quirked brow, glancing over to Estelle. She was caught by surprise when her arm was claimed, slowing her pace slightly as the two women walked hand in hand. A fierce blush reddened her cheeks as the Swiss gave her a heart melting look, distracting her from applying much though to the question that had followed. "Yes." She blurted out her answer in an instant, that red in her face growing a deeper shade as she turned her head to the path ahead. "I… well, not all tengu are agents of evil you know. There is a wealth of folklore surrounding wise and benevolent Tengu too. Maybe you did something wrong to upset them… what then?"

The hike through the woods was entertaining and beautiful enough for Estelle to be amazed by the sheer beauty of all the nature surrounding her, but sharing those moments with Rosemary made the sensation even better. Having those small pieces of conversation as both women walked the path in front of them only made everything much more fun as there wasn’t any time to get bored. Also, the Swiss’ teasingly words were always well received by the British woman as she retorted in ways that made both of them smile and blush.

Rosemary’s hiking skills were impressive. The woman walked at a more than decent rhythm that made Estelle advance to the best of her abilities, dodging every little obstacle as she made her way. The woman obviously had spent much mote time out in the wilderness than Estelle, and it showed. When asked about this, Estelle retorted: “Well, being a Swiss girl I obviously went to the mountains now and then, but it was a much more stay-in-a-cottage like trips, or skiing ones. You don’t know how many business deals are signed in a skiing escapade. My father used to bring me on those, to be with the elites and such...” Estelle wondered why she was talking about her father now. She was opening to Rosemary by exposing some of the shadows lurking on her past, and it felt weirdly reassuring to let that woman know about her insecurities. She didn’t want the topic to get that dark and gloomy so she soon remained silent for some minutes, until a much lighter tengu conversation broke.

Seeing Rosemary blush and admit that she would step up to protect her against an evil tengu made her heart skip a beat. “Oh, my hero!”, she said while wrapping her arm with Rosemary’s and nuzzling against her reddened cheek. She released her soon enough since the trail was complicated and that position could ruin their balance and make them trip. “It is funny how I always fantasized about meeting mythical creatures but instead of fighting them I would talk with them and ask them to share their wisdom. I guess I read too many fantasy books as a child”, she giggled at the happy memory.


Time passed and the forest dirt path became a stone road that led to the next step in their trail: a long looking stone step that reached as far as the sight could go. Long stepways were common in Japanese culture and in rural areas leading to spiritual places since they were suppose to symbolize the patience and commitment needed to reach the peak. Slowly but surely, both women started ascending, but after some minutes of what it looked like it was going to be a long way up Estelle started huffing and puffing. She was feeling tired and needed some refreshment so she got her water bottle out and gave it some long sip. Rosemary, on the other hand, looked comfortable enough with the steps, giving away a very well toned physical form the British had.

“Wow, remind me never to challenge you to a race...”, Estelle giggled at her joke while breathing soundly, trying not to look so tired and not to hinder the ascent.

It hadn't taken much affection to make Rosemary's cheeks burn a bit brighter, just having Estelle getting cuddly with her was enough to make her heart rate start to jump. She found herself slowing slightly, leaning in to invite more of those nuzzles as the two traversed the wildness. When she spoke again it was a bit softer and stream of consciousness. "I didn't have much in the way of rich folklore growing up. While yes, England does have a wealth of old tales and  exaggerations with some of its historical figures, most of what I was told were old wives tales that tended to always be cautionary stories to keep children from misbehaving… not that I was a rowdy child or anything of the sort." She hummed thoughtfully, adding one last bit. "I don't know if I would have wanted to talk to or fight any of them back then. I wasn't quite as brave as I find myself being these days… I was even smaller than I am now. Practically a teeny tiny speck of a girl."

---

---

Rosemary kept a relentless pace. Her training routine had been so intense that Scarlet, her rival turned friend, basically refused to participate. Rosemary had to keep on the top of her game, knowing full well she lacked the natural talent for most of what she had earned in life so made up for it by working three times as hard as other people. It showed here especially well as day in day out cardio made the steep winding stone little more than a stepping stone for the overeager Sky Captain. Estelle's own pace had slowed the two, while Rosemary had charged ahead a bit and now stood proudly atoo a higher ridge looking down. She beamed with pride, a faint sheen of sweat worked up on her body as she struck a heroic pose with her hands on her hips.

"Heh, remind me to race you all the time." She flashed a confident wink, taking a half step down to wave Estelle forward once she finished taking a sip. Rosemary extended a hand out from where she stood at the edge of a particularly steep rock she had hopped up on her ascent, now looking to help the Swiss girl over rather than make her do it alone. "At this rate we'll finish the hike by… hrm... next week or so?" She teased with a smirk. The normally very polite and self conscious Rosemary was not often known to joke at other people's expense, so it said quite a lot about how she felt when she was comfortable poking fun at Estelle. She was so comfortable with the other girl that she didn't think the lighthearted coMment would actually offend.

"Need me to carry you the rest of the way?" While the offer itself was a joke, there was a hint of genuine willingness in her voice. As outlanding as the idea was, it was almost certain that if Estelle actually asked her to, Rosemary would do it… or try at least. There was no way that the Sky Captain could actually manage a test like that given the length and complexity of the trail but she would have done it all the same.

As the conversation kept going with the women getting deeper into the woods, Estelle was surprised with how at ease she was while listening to Rosemary. It was as if that woman’s words were soothing for her soul. The Swiss found charming every little detail the British woman told about her early life, and only made her wonder how it would have been to grow up close to her. Estelle found herself drinking every word out of Rosemary as if they were water in the desert, basking in every little detail of how she selected her words, the tone she used and how she moved, how her face changed when remembering things, and that little hum that drove Estelle crazy. If the Swiss had any doubts about how she was feeling about Rosemary they were gone by now, and that was part of the reason behind all that trek/date.

With time, the walk became harder and Estelle found herself felling behind. Rosemary seemed to have no trouble with the pace, but the Swiss wasn’t in as good shape as the British. As far as Estelle knew, Rosemary had a very thorough workout schedule and it definitely showed. It wasn’t as if Estelle had no training at all, but her areas of expertise leaned to another kind of endurance and cardio. Still, even if Scarlet didn’t consider herself a pushover, the hike was getting her exhausted. Rosemary noticed this and waited for her while striking a heroic pose, which made Estelle giggle. Then, in a completely unexpected turn of events, Rosemary started teasing her by making small jokes about how she was falling behind.

Estelle wasn’t oblivious to Rosemary’s character, and knew at that point that the overly polite and gentlewomanly British would never crack jokes like that if she didn’t find herself comfortable with that person. That made Estelle feel better than any compliment, and she decided to go along with it. Estelle made an over the top grimace while was arms-akimbo and pouted at Rosemary. “I’m sorry for not being a true sporty type like you are! Poor old me isn't used to this exercise, that's why you should help me!”, she said before cracking in a small giggle.

Seeing how Rosemary offered her some help in getting on top of that ridge, Estelle grabbed Rosemary’s hand and was hoisted by the British. “My hero...” As she got on top of the ridge, Estelle lost some of her balance so she leaned towards Rosemary in order not to fall, their bodies pressing against each other as their faces were so close they could smell each other’s fragrances. Not sure of what to do next, Estelle remained like that, letting the sensuality of the moment sink as she looked directly at Rosemary with her penetrating green eyes and a seducing curve on her lips, as if enticing Rosemary to lean in and break the small gap that separated them.

Rosemary's relentless pace tended to be why her morning jogs were something best left to herself. While she likely would have appreciated the company, as far as her routines went she was very much a creature honed by the repetition of her workouts. It didn't bother her here, given the context of their hike, but if the Swiss woman had ever joined the British brunette she might have found her silently judging this inability to keep up if it never improved. So perhaps it was best it happens here where such appraisals of fitness hadn't come to pass, not would they.

Bracing her sneaker to the hewn stone, she took Estelle's hand in her own, leaning back to help pull the other woman up the tall stone step. Not particularly the strongest of women, she had put a bit of back into it, admitted perhaps too much as her date tripled forward into her. Rosemary let out a small squeak of surprise, it was a small scramble to catch her, arms wrapped around her, held close as Estelle's weight pushed up against her. Starting down at the Swiss woman looking back up to her, those crystalline bye eyes quivered a bit at the look they shared. There was something here, a silent spark lit that made Rosemary's cheeks redden.

The brunette audibly gulped, left to stew within this moment as neither made a move to shift away from it. She couldn't help but Estelle was looking at her expectantly, confused and flustered at this moment unsure what to do. Part of her was tempted by staring at those perfect lips to just… her eyes suddenly snapped away as the heat in her face reached a boiling point. Overcome with embarrassment over her thoughts, the brunette would lean in a bit closer but not down towards those awaiting lips, just pulling Estelle upright again so she wasn't half fallen over.

"Sorry, my fault." The brunette muttered sheepishly, sparing just the smallest of glances back to Estelle's emerald gaze. She couldn't stand to look for long, aware of the fierce blush on her face, so she turned on her heel, pretending to peer up the rocky path. The last thing she wanted to do was make things awkward between them. They still had a hike ahead of them and a train ride back later presumably after all. "We can take the incline a bit slower if you need. I'll try not to rush ahead this time."

At that stage in Rosemary and Estelle’s interactions it was starting to look like some kind of curse. Anytime Estelle and Rosemary got in a situation that pushed them towards sealing some “more than friendly” intimacy something happened, one of the two would hesitate in the moment of truth and the magic of the moment would snap into nothing. The bubble popped and it only left some sense of discomfort and dissatisfaction, and it broke the mood. The facts were undeniable, there was some really good chemistry between those two, but something was preventing them from achieving what it was obvious both women seeked, and it threatened with definitely breaking the spell if they didn’t find the courage or opportunity to do so. Estelle’s little trip was a plan in order to find the perfect moment, but once again a good train passed and they missed it.

Estelle decided to let that slide as it looked like Rosemary had taken too much of their flirting. The British had found herself unable to maintain the situation and in the end she felt embarrassed and had to look away, pinning on herself the blame for what was a fortuitous event. The Swiss decided to just keep going with their hike, even if now they had some tense moments of silence to deal with. Estelle tried her best to fill the void of their voices and laughter with some humming. Luckily they weren’t that far from their destination if her calculations were correct, and that would definitely make them awe.


At the summit of the small mountain they were hiking rested a little shinto shrine. It was a simple one, without any monks living there, just an offering site and some incense burners. “Should we present our respects on a safe trip? I don’t know much about it, but I think it has to do with clapping in front of the altar.” Estelle wasn’t into shinto religion but knew enough about it to have that knowledge, and offering respects after such a trip felt natural. That was the shrine’s place and not theirs, and they should be respectful for being allowed to be there. She got in front of the incense-scented altar and clapped her hands together once in a thanking gesture.

When both women turned beyond the shrine they were welcomed by one of the most impressive sights Estelle had ever seen, and for a woman coming from the Swiss mountains that was quite the statement. The shrine acted as a wonderful viewpoint of all the city with Mt. Fuji as the cherry on top of it. Estelle couldn’t help but bask in the awe-inspiring vistas, and hope that had the same effect on Rosemary. “Wow… All the hike was worth it, don’t you think?”, she said with a warm silly smile on her face. She decided to enjoy that view in silence with Rosemary for some more time. She had some more surprises waiting, but that scene deserved some more of their time.

When the two women boarded the train, there had been a bit of nervousness about traveling out into the middle of the unknown for a small retreat with Estelle. They had sat down and chatted before, sent plenty of cute text messages, and even had their first "date", this had been a pretty bold leap in their budding relationship. A whole day excursion with just the two of them. Any number of things could have gone wrong but she had dove right in, willing to take the risks. Despite putting her body on the line in the ring with her daredevil high flying style, taking chances with her emotions had never really been something she had been great with but she had a feeling about Estelle… or perhaps feelings for her was the more appropriate phrasing. Smitten with a case of puppy love, she just wanted to be around the Swiss woman more.

When they finally crested the path and a man-made structure came into view it was a slight surprise, but a welcome one. They had been traveling for some time now and she could feel it in her body. Her normal routine while grueling, covered a different range of cardio. She could already feel the soreness settling in, a feeling she actually enjoyed. To her it meant progress. It also always felt far better to have a good sleep after a hard workout, something to look forward to when they returned she supposed. Perhaps a little nap on the train cuddled up next to Estelle… she cast her eyes to the side as a faint blush formed on her cheeks, trying not to give the other woman a chance to see her reddening at nothing.

"Oh… I know a little. It's actually a very particular process involved… mmm… oh, right here." Rosemary gestured to a large box set out in front of the shrine once the two had passed by where the incense burned. Jogging ahead, she circled Estelle and came to a stop to block the other girl's path. Unslinging her pack, she unzipped the top and started rooting through her belongings. A small blink at seeing the bathing suit in there, almost having forgotten she had been asked to bring it to begin with. Nudging it aside she found her wallet and felt around inside. Plucking out two coins, she zipped it all up and shouldered the pack again.

"Here." Rosemary offered a single five yen piece to Estelle, pinched lightly between her fingers. "I am sure I am going to forget something but this is what I remember." She took her own coin and held it out to the large box, dropping it down onto the top which was a series of rising and falling slopes. The coin slid along one of the angles, sliding down into a small slit to jangle into what sounded like more coins inside. "It's customary to make an offer. It's not like a large donation, but the value of the offering matters. Some values are considered good luck, like these five yen coins and others are bad luck… which I don't remember. But we are good with this. Just drop it in, gently."

Rosemary waited patiently for Estelle to follow her direction before waving her forward. After a cursory glance, the British woman leads them to where she believed they were meant to pray and stood before it. Her eyes scanned the rope and talisman adorned arch looking for something but upon not finding it, she looked back to Estelle. "This is quite an exact practice and I am going off of memory. If we do this wrong and are haunted by vengeful spirits later, I apologize. So first we bow twice… like this." Rosemary proceeded to bow twice in a very rigid and deliberate manner, dipping rather low.

"Then we clap." Rosemary fidgeted a bit, shifting ever so slightly to make sure she was in the right position. She clapped once in a very particular way, making sure to demonstrate it properly, then clapped a second time in the same manner. "After that, we offer a prayer…" She whispered softly, closing her eyes for a silent moment between them. Once she finished, she looked sidelong to Estelle, waiting for her to be ready as well. "When we finish, we bow again, like before." Rosemary turned to face the shrine again, keeping a straight back as she gave another rigid bow.

When both women moved past the shrine, she remained quiet for a time, slightly worried they might have forgotten something about the shrine. All of that melted away when they finally reached the real summit of their hike, everything opening up to treat them to a picturesque view that looked straight out of a painting. Her lips parted in silent awe, taking it all in. Back home she had nothing quite like this… her ears perked at Estelle who was first to break the silence. She found herself staring a bit, admiring the smile the Swiss woman had plastered on her face, perhaps too distracted by her date to fully admire the view. "Yes… it certainly was worth it." She stared for a bit longer before turning towards the mountain scene again with a healthy blush on her face. "You picked an extraordinary destination."