Sketches & Scribbles

It was so long ago that you couldn’t quite pinpoint the year, but your family had rented a summer house to get away from the routines of everyday life.

Boredom soon set in, away from all your friends and the amenities of home. Dust motes danced slowly through the rays of sun coming through the windows. The only sound in the air was the distant hum of a lawnmower. The heat had slowed time to a standstill. In a bid to beat the boredom, or at least get some air, you headed out to the woods behind the house. They were just large enough for an adventure, and just small enough that if you got lost, you wouldn’t be lost for long.

Under the canopy, the world outside fell away. A thousand shades of green, broken only by small cracks of sunlight between the foliage. The gentle trickle of water drew you to a little stream that wound its way between the trees.

On a rock by the edge of the stream, not too far from where you were, sat a boy. Hearing your approach, he turned to you. Wild silvery hair framed a narrow, almost fox-like face. "There you are." His voice was warm, the tone casual. As if you being here was the most natural thing in the world.

You looked over your shoulder, to see if the strange boy was talking to someone else, but there were only the two of you. “I think you’re mistaking me for someone else--”

“Nope, I knew you were coming. I’ve been waiting ages for you. You just arrived at the yellow house yesterday, right?”

“How would you know that?” Maybe he knew the owners of the house?

“I know many things.” He smiled, and held out his hand. “I’m Mitsuhide.”

From that day on, you became fast friends. Mitsuhide often appeared from seemingly nowhere, like a ghost. He only came when you were alone, soundlessly, or with the quiet tinkle of bells. Always in the forest.

You invited him to come for ice cream, or to go meet your family, or go exploring different parts of the town, but he always refused.

You told your family about him, but when you explained that he wouldn’t come by and say hi, and that he would only show himself to you, they assumed he was just an imaginary friend. Your imagination was vivid, but there was no way you could have invented an entire boy, was there? Imaginary friends weren’t supposed to be this vivid, were they?

“You’re real, aren’t you?” You asked him one day, after once again having tried to convince your family that he wasn’t just a figment of your imagination. .

“I suppose so, he shrugged.” He held out his hand, and you took it. “I couldn’t hold your hand if I was imaginary, could I?”

That made sense. His hand was warm wrapped around yours, and a strange fluttering filled your body. After that, you decided it didn’t matter what your family thought. You knew he was real, and that was all that mattered to you. He said strange things sometimes, and he would never talk about his family, or where he came from, or even why you could only meet in the forest, but he was undeniably flesh and blood. The mystery just made him more intriguing.

The two of you spent the summer bathing, running about, and talking about anything that came to mind in the moment. Being around him was so easy, and you loved every moment of it. He showed you the secrets of the forest. What plants were edible, what ones had helpful characteristics like healing, and what ones to stay clear of. He showed you how to find different animals, and you watched them together in silent awe. He even had a little fox that would sometimes follow you around. He was like no other boy you had ever met.

When the day came that you were leaving, you found him at the edge of the woods. He took your hand, and you walked for a while in silence before he stopped and gave you a hug. There was something final about the gesture. He then stepped back, and looked at you with an expression you couldn’t decipher. “When you go back, you won’t remember me.”

“I will, I promise!” You reached for his hand, but he took another step back, out of reach. How could you forget the person who had brought you so much enjoyment and excitement. Someone who, you now realised, had become one of your best friends.

He shook his head. “No, you won’t. Not until the time is right. But that’s alright.” His lips quirked into a small melancholy smile.

You opened your mouth to ask him what he meant, but before any sound could leave you, he had vanished into the woods.

That was the last you saw of him, and with no one to talk to about him, and so much happening in your life, the memory of him slowly faded into nothing and he once again became a ghost.

Back in the present, something told you that you had to go back to those woods, that there was a reason why you had remembered all this now. You weren’t sure what you were expecting, or even why you needed to go there. Memories were just memories after all. And even if Mitsuhide was real, what were the odds he would even be around that sleepy little town any more. But it was autumn, and the price of renting the old house was so low that you might as well head out for a weekend, if only just to get away from your everyday life for a bit.

The town was quiet without the holiday makers. Only a few cars passed you on the way there. Time had not been kind to the house. The owners had grown old, and so had the building, but it was dry, cosy and clean. You chose the same bedroom as you had as a child, a room stuck in time.

That night you didn’t dream.

The morning crept up, grey and misty. Looking out the window over the rim of your steaming cup, the trees loomed like quiet sentinels. The prospect of going for a walk in those woods was all of a sudden much less tempting than it had been just last night. But what were you to do? Sit and wonder all day? You shrugged on a coat and some wellies and headed out.

Just as you took the first step into the forest, the sun broke through the clouds. The woods felt like they were welcoming you back. You almost chuckled at the thought. The path, now sun-dappled and soft under your feet, wound its way towards where you had first met him.

The white slab came in to view, and your stomach dropped. It was there, an empty and silent witness to the stillness of the forest. Accompanied only by your disappointment, you advanced. Inexplicably pulled towards it even now.

The wind rustled through the leaves, and you could swear you heard the faint chime of bells. It must be your imagination, conjuring up the faint sounds of a dream, you thought to yourself. Just wishful thinking. The second time the sound came, there was no denying that it was real. Your heartbeat quickened, and when you turned around, he was there. His face had sharpened with age, and he had grown into a tall well-built man, but his silvery hair and golden eyes were unmistakeable. For a moment you wondered if this too was a dream, and you had to resist the impulse to pinch yourself. The wind picked up, sending leaves swirling around you.

He smiled, something indeterminable twinkled in his golden eyes. As he advanced towards you, it was as if the forest floor itself smoothed to let him glide effortlessly across it. As if he was a part of it, and it a part of him.

Now that you were here, standing across from him, words evaded you. His presence felt the same, even after all the years that had passed. All doubts you previously had about coming here evaporated like dew in the sunlight.

Hi Kimi, I was your gift for the event! I had so much fun with this! I've always wanted to do a Hanahaki AU so when I saw it in your S-tier ranks, I knew I had to go for it.

She had been locked in the castle dungeons until Sariel appeared with the keys in his hand Now that the king was dead he was going to give her a second chance. She was going to behave in fear of being locked up again.

 She walked the palace grounds on a peaceful night when wind picked up blowing her hair frantically around her face. Thunder roared, and lightning illuminated the sky.

The next thing she knew she was in the Sengoku time period in Japan. How did this even happen? She wasn’t even in Japan, she was in Rhoadalite. Thankfully, she was versed in speaking various languages and could speak Japanese.

In a mess of events from that night she ended up in Nobunaga’s care as Chatelaine. 

It was beneath her she was no maid. Mostly she bossed around the other maids. 

While she was in her room a tile moved in her ceiling making her go into defensive mode.She grabbed her sword ready for an attack. It was a ninja named Sasuke who claimed he was also a time traveler in the same way she was. He had seen her before the wormhole appeared then it swallowed them both. He hoped that nothing awful had happened to her while she had been here. 

 He had been in Sengoku Japan a lot longer than she had. For some reason the wormhole had decided to release him a lot sooner than it had her. He saw her that fateful night that the wormhole opened for her. He idly waited till she was alone. He stated they had three months before they could go home.

Three months was a long time, or so she thought, but somehow within the weeks that went by one sharp tongued warlord made her heart flutter every time he came near. Never had she let herself feel for someone as she did for Ieyasu.

 Lustelle always told herself she could give herself whatever a man could. She didn’t need a lover and wasn’t interested in matters of the heart. She decided she would avoid Ieyasy as much as she could. She had no business having feelings for someone she couldn’t be with

On a night where all the warlords were gathered and food was served and alcohol was  flowing, She had hit her limit, 

“I’m going to retire for the night.” Lustelle announced as she stood to her feet.

Nobunaga nodded. “Ieyasu, walk her to her room, make sure she doesn’t stumble on the way, yeah?” 

“Yes my lord.” Ieyasu didn’t complain for once, which was out of character for him.

“You really don’t have to, I'm fine.I’m not drunk.” Lustelle said, wanting to avoid him.

“ Well here we are,” he said as they stopped outside her room

“So we are.” Lustelle said quietly.

They had been silent the whole way to her room, and now conversation was hard. Neither of them moved, seemingly rooted to the spot. 

She gazed into his eyes, and he lifted a lock of her onyx hair, and placed it behind her shoulder. His eyes were full of desire and longing.

 “Are you going to go in?” he asked, but with the heat in his eyes she couldn’t resist and leaned up and pressed her lips to his.

Ieyasu sighed into the kiss and they kissed from every angle until he slipped his tongue into her mouth. Their tongues danced together and he pulled her closer to him, so she was flush against his body. 

Breathless they pulled away from each other. He stroked her cheek with his thumb, and smiled at her, but Lustelle was conflicted, she wanted to be with Ieyasu so badly, but her time was limited. They could never have a real relationship, maybe fool around sure, but a relationship? She knew better damnit! Why did she kiss him? She was so stupid. 

He kissed her forehead. “I’ll let you settle in for the night.” He said as stroked her cheek.

She was confused, he had kissed her so fiercely. Now he’s going to just send her to bed? What the hell?! No, she wouldn’t have this.

“Come in, I’ll make some tea,” she insisted

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” He expressed, trying to be respectful.

Lustelle rolled her eyes.

“I just want to talk,” she explained.

“I suppose,” he relented.

She slid the door open and motioned for him to go in. She closed the door as she entered the room, and made tea as promised. The first sip brought a suprized expression to Ieyasu’s face.“This is good.” 

“I’m glad you like it, my little brother taught me.” A smile graced her lips as she fondly recalled Yves in the kitchen teaching her all about tea.

 Ieyasu lifted his head, suddenly interested. “I wasn’t aware you had a brother.”

“I have eight” She said, as she took a sip of tea.

 Ieyasu’s eyes grew wide. “Eight?! There’s nine of you?” 

She laughed. “I’m the oldest, conceived from a one night stand…My dad was an asshole.”

 He took another sip, and raised an eyebrow. “Was?” 

She nodded. “He passed away”

 Ieyasu immediately regretted asking, fearing he brought her pain. “I’m sorry”

 She laughed sarcastically, “Don’t be, I hated him, I’m definitely not losing sleep over it. If anything I’m glad he’s dead.” 

“I see.” Ieyasu didn’t know whether to feel releived that he hadn’t overstepped by asking about him, or feel sad that she had a bad relationship with her father.

They both sipped at their tea, and a silence fell over them.

“Ieyasu.” She finally spoke his name, breaking the awkward silence. “What is it that you want?” 

He shook his head and snickered. “You kissed me, remember so I should be the one asking you that.”

 She narrowed her eyes. “And you kissed me back.” 

 “Fine, you win.”  He set down his cup and studied her. “Isn’t it obvious? I want you Lustelle, all of you.” 

That’s what she was afraid of. 

“We can’t be together like that,” she said matter of factly

He felt conflicted. “And why not, you obviously feel the same.” 

She licked her lips.  “I do, but you see I’ll be leaving to go back to my home town.”

“You have a duty to Nobunaga now, he’s not going to let you go. You do know that don’t you?” he said bitterly.

“He won’t have a choice…I… don’t have a choice.” she confessed, her voice low.

“What do you mean you don’t have a choice? Explain Lustelle” He spoke firmly, he was baffled not knowing what was going on.

“You won‘t believe me,” she said quietly.

Now he was genuinely curious. “I’ll be the judge of that.” 

“You’ll think I’m crazy,” she added.

“I already think you’re crazy,” he took her hand in his.“Tell me.”

 She sighed nervously 

And so she told him everything from the wormhole appearing to the night when she was spat out and met all those different people. She told him about Sasuke, and how she only had three months. She held her breath as she waited for Ieyasu to say something.

“I believe you, it’d be unlike you to make up a story like that, and I remember what you were wearing the night we took you in. It’s nothing I’ve seen, even in the western countries.” 

She let out a breath in relief. He put his finger on his chin as he pondered for a moment.

“I see what you’re saying, you don’t want to get involved because you’ll be leaving. I don’t see it that way. I think we should make the most of what time we have to be together. At least we’d be able to love each other, even if it is for a short time.” He brushed her dark hair behind her ear.

“You still want to be with me even when you know it’ll bring you pain?” 

He stared into her crimson eyes with resolve and brought her hand up and kissed the back of it. “I still want to be with you.” 

She shook her head, “Ieaysu, I -“ 

He placed a finger over her lips, “let me love you.” 

She bit her lip, then finally relented. “Okay” 

“No regrets,” he said as he took her hands in his.

“ No regrets,” she repeated back to him

When that fateful day finally came, they had made love for the final time that morning. Everything seemed surreal. They had been so blissfully happy it almost felt like a sin. They spent the day together, going into town and enjoying each other’s company.

 He took her to a vendor who sold jewelry. “I want you to take something back to the future that’ll make you remember the time we spent together.” 

She put her hand on his forearm. “I want you to have something too.” They looked through the jewelry and finally she found something, she held up two stone necklaces in front of him.

“One green, one red. To match our eyes,” she suggested.

Ieyasu smiled, “I like it.” 

He purchased the necklaces and they helped each other put them on. He took the red and she took the green. Lustelle looked up at the sky and saw the sun setting. Her gaze settled on Ieyasu laced with grief. “I know, it’s time for you to go.” 

He took her hand, and they interlaced their fingers together instinctively. 

They mounted the horse and she sat behind him. Although, they were silent the whole way, she held onto him tightly placing her cheek against his back wanting to be as close to him as possible. He had his free hand interlaced with hers.

When they arrived to where she was meeting Sasuke they dismounted. Sasuke was already there, but he waited to give the lovers a moment to say goodbye. Ieyasu tied the horse to a tree, and noticed how the sky darkened and wind picked up. He turned toward Lustelle, and  traced the outlines of her jaw. Cupping the sides of her face with his hands he stroked her cheeks with his thumbs, and she put her hands around his wrists. Their lips crashed together in a needy kiss. Tears intermingled as they kissed. 

Sasuke cleared his throat. “ I don’t mean to interrupt, but it’s time to go” 

They pulled away from each other, and Lustelle combed her hand through his hair. Then she embraced him and he held her tight. When they separated she gave him a sad smile. 

“I’ll always love you, Lustelle” 

 “And I’ll always love you, Ieaysu.” She kissed him on the cheek.“I must go.” 

“I know” His voice was shaky with emotion.

“Goodbye Ieyasu. Be happy.” She turned to leave, their hands struggling to let go. Their fingers to slip away one at a time.

Sasuke walked up to them, and Ieyasu turned to him. “Make sure she makes it home safe.” 

Sasuke nodded. “of course” 

Then Sasuke held out his hand. “Ready Lustelle?” 

She nodded and put her hand in his. 

 She was leaving Ieyasu here in the past, she had to focus on the future the best she could with her brothers and son.

“We can always have another picnic, Abby. But these flowers…” Vincent let out a gentle sigh as he turned his face, his gaze softening as he looked at the field of flowers surrounding them. “These flowers won’t be here much longer. And I would like to paint my favorite flower amongst them,” he whispered, his blue eyes sparkling in the sun as he tilted his head, his eyes meeting Abby’s.

“That is,” he added, “if you will allow me this honor.”

“O-okay…” Abby replied. Filled with a warmth that did not come from the sun’s rays, she slowly uncurled her fingers from the hem of the sundress she was wearing.

“Could you tuck your hair behind your ear?” Vincent asked gently. “I don’t want a breeze to come by and your hair ends up covering your face.”

“Y-yes, of course.” She raised her hand and ran her fingers through her blonde strands, smoothing her hair before carefully tucking it behind her ear. 

“Perfect! Now stay just like that.”

“W-wait!” There was a rustle in the wind and Abby tilted her face; just as she had suspected, the thin shoulder strap of her dress had slipped down the slope of her shoulder. Her gaze was fixed on the flowers on her dress as she recalled the day Vincent purchased it for her. 

They had gone out for lunch and afterwards decided to take a stroll before returning to the mansion. There was a clothing boutique that had recently opened. Vincent loved spoiling Abby, and he especially loved seeing Abby wear more colorful outfits. 

Vincent had promised her if she didn’t like anything there that they could leave quickly. Not surprisingly, Vincent was the one to find the sundress she was wearing today. It was a bit bold in style – the skirt a bit shorter than what she usually wore, the bodice held up with thin straps tied into dainty bows – but when Vincent encouraged her to try it on, she couldn’t say no.

“H-how do I look?” Abby stepped out of the dressing room and twirled for Vincent, the flowers on the skirt twisting like the colors in a kaleidoscope. The way his blue eyes sparkled when she tried it on, Abby knew she had to have this dress.

“Leave it,” Vincent said with a smile, snapping Abby out of her reverie. “I like it.”

“O-oh...” Dropping her hand, the blush on Abby’s cheeks matched the petal pink flowers on her dress as a familiar warmth bloomed in her chest.

Not wanting to move from her pose, Abby stole quick glances of Vincent as he painted. While he was quiet for the most part, it was his expressions that were as colorful as the paints on his palette. His brows would knit together as he mixed colors, his face softening the moment he created the right shade. At times, his gaze would linger on his subject, and Abby would allow her eyes to meet his, a shared soft smile spreading across their lips. And when the rays of sunlight warmed Vincent’s face making his eyes crinkle, it was like staring at the brightest, most beautiful sunflower. 

“Vincent…” Abby shivered as a stronger breeze blew by. Her gaze flicked up towards the sky, only to find ominous grey stormclouds looming in the once clear blue sky. “I hope you’re almost done…”

Vincent paused, his paintbrush held in mid-air as an audible groan escaped his pursed lips. “I need only a few more minutes…” he softly prayed, pressing his paintbrush against the canvas.

Abby held her breath until the first flash of lightning lit up the sky like fireworks. “H-hurry, Vincent, hurry.” 

“Almost done,” Vincent replied, his voice muffled by the deep rumble of thunder in the distance. He laid a few quick brushstrokes against the canvas before lifting the brush. He looked up at the darkened sky once more, just in time to witness another flash of lightning. “This'll have to do.”

He swiftly gathered his art supplies, tucking his brushes and paints back into their picnic basket. Abby stood and helped him with the blanket they had been sitting on.

“W-what if it gets wet and ruined?” Abby asked while watching Vincent place the painting in the center of the blanket, her voice strained with worry.

“It won’t,” Vincent replied, gathering the corners and loosely tying a knot. “The carriage is not far. If I carry it carefully, it should not smear or get ruined.”

“Why won't you let me see your painting?” Abby peered curiously.

“It's a surprise,” Vincent said with a small smile. “The sooner we get home, the sooner you can see it.”

–

“That wouldn’t be the formula nor the variable to allow it to manifest again." Sasuke tapped his pencil to the table while deep in thought.

“Sasuke, you are overthinking this too much." Yukimura stared at his best friend, who probably did all-nighters for the past three days.

“I know, yet there is something missing—"

“Take a break. You need it at this point. You're going to lose sleep, which means you lose some brain cells." Yukimura sipped his morning smoothie he made in their dorm.

“Really?” “Yes, really.”

The two stared at each other. In Sasuke’s defense, this was the first time that Yukimura, in all their history, actually made sense, somewhat. With a heavy sigh, Sasuke decided he definitely needed a break; he can just come back to it at a later date.

Standing up, Sasuke turned to Yukimura. “So, shall we head to our class?”

That caught Yukimura off guard, and he spit his smoothie out in response. “Wait… WE HAVE CLASS THIS EARLY!?”

“Yes…?”

“OH WE GOTTA GO! WE ARE GOING TO BE LATE!”

Thus, Yukimura made a sprint for it while Sasuke casually went for a detour. He didn't tell Yukimura about it.

–

Kate arrived at the lecture hall before taking a seat near the middle, taking her supplies out to take notes before reviewing them later on in the day. Minutes later, Sasuke arrived with Yukimura barely arriving in time before the professor came into the room. The two took a seat near Kate, as the majority of the seats were taken by others who arrived earlier.

“Why didn’t you tell me there was a detour… Sasuke…?” Yukimura placed his head down on the desk, exhausted.

“You never asked."

Yukimura could only stare at Sasuke out of disbelief. In their two years of friendship, this is how Sasuke treats him??? If he weren't in class, he would definitely smack Sasuke in the head for such behavior.

For Kate, she looked at their exchange with fascination. Despite so many eyes looking at them, they never bothered to acknowledge the eyes—just each other. Especially how, despite their banter may be to others, they understand each other.

Maybe… I could try to be friends with them.

–

Two hours. Two hours is how long the class lasted, with the professor talking about a group project to understand at the end, which… many wailed about with reasons that are understandable — they witnessed the horrors of assigned group projects in their high school years. Kate ended up being in a group with the two people that happened to be next to her.

"So… where do we start?” Yukimura asked, clearly not used to talking to the opposite gender.

“We can start with a layout, especially where we want to focus." Kate responded.

“Great idea. But where should we focus on, literature, movies, or games?” Sasuke asked, The topic is focused on the themes of how one conveys it.

“I say we should focus on literature; they have themes that are executed very well. Compared to… modern literature that seems to not be focused on anything,” Kate scratched her face, trying to not talk too much knowing how much she loves those three.

“Great idea. Let’s exchange contact info." Sasuke took his phone out and asked Kate to put her info in, which Yukimura copied onto his.

The first message from them in the group chat was a hello and a boar emoji from Yukimura.

“...boar emoji…?”

"Well, you look like–”

“Yuki, let’s not talk about that, especially in front of her,” Sasuke cut his best friend off to prevent him from making a bad decision.

“Alright,” Yukimura raised his hand up as an act of surrender.

Despite that hiccup that was caused by Yukimura, the three started off with a good start. Over time as the project went by, the three became quite close friends. With Kate showing a side of herself to them where she rambles about her obsessions with Sasuke following up on his love of astronomy. Leaving, Yukimura was forced to listen to their rambling, but he never bothered to interrupt them, as, hey, they are his friends now — best friends. Kate wouldn’t ask for a better start of the year with new friends who then introduced them to their group. Belonging is what Kate felt, and safe as time went on. With her and Sasuke dating months later, idiots in love, their friends call them but couldn’t ask for more. Except for one request, for them to be Sasuke’s wingmen when they end up getting married in the near future.

–

A year passed. A year flew by when they first started going out with one another. With it being their anniversary since they started dating, they decided to head to a spot that is secluded from most eyes on campus.

“I’m glad I met you, Sasuke,” Kate said as her fingers intertwined with Sasuke's.

“I too am glad to have met you. Not even the universe nor fate will make me want to leave you,” Sasuke said, squeezing Kate’s hand in hopes that he isn’t dreaming about this moment — a chapter of their life.

Speed Friending Dating

—----------------------------------- —-----------------------------------

  –  24 HOURS AGO – 

After placing her order at Lettuce Eat food truck, Katsuko stood by the delivery window next to a guy dressed as Mr. Fantastic.

(He’s in cosplay. And he looks fit. This is a good opportunity to try out my sales pitch for the photoshoot.)

The idea had come to her when she was prepping for ‘Fandom-Con’. What could be cooler than capturing kickass superhero action poses while doing urban parkour? It was the perfect combination of her interests. There had to be others out there who felt the same. A convention was the perfect place to find them.

“Can’t believe our luck in finding vegetarian options here at the con. Pretty great, right? Or should I say … Fantastic?”

The man turned around when she started speaking, head swiveling to see who she was addressing. It was just the two of them at the food truck. He pointed to his chest as if to ask ‘Are you talking to me?’ with a quizzical expression. 

“Oh! Because of my costume for Reed Richards? That’s a good pun!” A joyful smile broke out.

(Well, damn. That face contained the heat of a thousand suns. He should have dressed as Johnny Storm with a 500-killowatt smile like that, not Reed.)

The man continued, “Oh, I’m not vegetarian. But this one had the shortest line of all the food trucks, so my chances of getting back inside for the next panel were statistically better.”

Well, that was disappointing. Regardless, she was undeterred in her mission: Find out if he does parkour.

“Oh, that’s valid. Totally. But I gotta say that costume really is…” she mimed finger guns at him, “...Fantastic! The spandex fits so well; you’re like, really fit, too. What kind of training do you do to stay in shape?”

The minute the words were out of her mouth, she cringed inwardly so hard it felt like a blackhole had opened inside her gut. She wanted to crawl into it and disappear. 

(That is such an obvious pickup line! I should have practiced in front of a mirror. I hate talking to new people.)

She wished her Mockingbird eyemask was large enough to hide her discomfort. 

If the man had noticed it sounded like flirting, he gave no indication. In fact, it appeared as if he was oblivious of the connotation as he replied with an earnest smile, “Thank you! I don’t do much, but I do have an elliptical in my apartment that I use when I’m reading.”

They were interrupted by the window opening next to them, as hands held out take-out boxes. The man accepted one, she took the other.

“Ugh! Mushrooms?!?” came from her, at the same time he groaned, “Carrots? Whyyyy…..?”

The forlorn pout on his face was too cute. The food in his container looked like the stir fry she ordered. And hers? There was no way she would have asked for this many mushrooms.

“I think our meals got mixed up. Here.” 

The change on his face was instant, clouds clearing away to bright sunshine once more. He reacted as if she was doing him a huge favor. “Oh! You really don’t mind trading with me? I can’t thank you enough. You’re so nice!”

She would have argued that they were handed each other’s orders by accident, but he had already started jogging away.

(Shoot, I never got a chance to finish trying out my parkour photoshoot questions.)

—----------------------------------- —-----------------------------------

  –  8 HOURS AGO – 

Would this line ever move? The long queue in the autograph area snaked back and forth. Katsuko had been standing for an hour before being told that she was in the wrong line for her favorite celebrity.

After finding the correct line and being at the very back of it, time stood still. 

The line crept forward inch by inch. 

Another glance at the clock on her phone.

(Aughhhhhh! If this line doesn’t start moving faster, I’ll never get to the Star Wars panel!)

Besides this autograph session, that panel was the one thing that made her sign up for the convention. Why did they have to be back-to-back on the schedule? 

Her feet were falling asleep,; her legs were killing her. 

—----------------------------------- —-----------------------------------

  –  THE SAME 8 HOURS AGO – 

What a find! The vendor room had been crowded and over-stimulating, but at least Mitsunari had found something worth reading at the rare book dealer’s booth. A first edition printing of the schematics of the vehicles in the Star Wars trilogy! Now all he needed was a quiet place to read it.

Every square foot of wall space was occupied by bodies, and there wasn’t one open chair in the food court. After peeking into the large rooms, he found one that was empty. Taking a seat at the front, he began to read. The world around him disappeared as his brain absorbed the technical diagrams. 

—----------------------------------- —-----------------------------------

  –  6 HOURS AGO – 

Katsuko sprinted from the autograph area to the Star Wars panel at the other end of the convention center. Legs on fire, ankles still numb, dreaming of the chair she would finally sit on.

She opened the doors, only to be met with a room full of people. Every seat taken. Even the wall was packed. Exhaustion made it difficult to mask her frustration. 

(No-no-nooo… Could this day get any worse?)

As if on cue, her left calf spasmed with a cramp. A little cry of pain escaped Katsuko, to her chagrin. 

(Why did I ask that question? I jinxed myself.)

Putting her weight on the right leg, Katsuko hobbled forward as she scanned the packed room for any place to sit down, even on the floor.

—----------------------------------- —-----------------------------------

  –  THE SAME 6 HOURS AGO – 

(Oh boy, what a great book! Ahhhh.)

Mitsunari closed the cover and returned to the real world with all the smells and heat of a hundred people crammed around him. His nose wrinkled as Mitsunari noticed the empty room was now filled to the brim.

His ears picked up a tiny sound of distress in front of him, seeing a woman favoring one leg and looking miserable. Oh no! He had to help her.

“Miss? Ma’am?” What was the appropriate thing to say in this situation? He gestured to the limping lady as he stood up, indicating his chair, “You, with the pretty turquoise and brown hair? Please have my seat!”

He was oblivious to the grumbles of the crowd that had been standing for the past hour as this newcomer was given a chair. After seeing that she was comfortably seated, Mitsunari smiled at her and left.

—----------------------------------- —-----------------------------------

  –  1 HOUR AGO – 

“Give it a try? Please?” Hideyoshi had cornered Mitsunari, taken away his new book, and was now begging him.

(Why did he have to grab my book? He better not damage it!)

Mitsunari couldn’t focus fully on what Hideyoshi was asking, as his mind was on his precious rare book. Purple eyes were tracking the hand holding it, which was making erratic gestures. 

“You want me to do something for you and Mai, correct? Yes, of course I’ll help if I can. Now please give me my book. You’re creasing the cover.” 

“...I don’t believe he heard all of your request. Allow me,” Mitsuhide’s smooth voice preemptively cut off Hideyoshi’s frustrated reply.  “Hideyoshi is asking you to attend a speed dating activity to get a girlfriend so the two of you can go on a double date with him and Mai. It starts in one hour. It’s not a simple errand. You’re trying to find a date. Is that what you really want to do?” The sardonic tone suggested it should be the last thing anyone should do to help their friend. 

Mitsunari processed that for a second, gears whirring in his brain. He weighed the concern for his friends and wanting to fulfill their wishes against the impossibility of convincing a woman to go out with him. Yes, he wanted to help, but was he able?

(Surely Mitsuhide was better at flirting than me.)

He looked between his two friends, the concern written on his face, “Me? Why not Mitsuhide? He’s more popular with the ladies.”

The words were barely out of his mouth before Mitsuhide closed in, wearing that scimitar smile and pointing a warning finger at Mitsunari, whispering a deadly “NO.”

At the same time, Hideyoshi gave an uncomfortable laugh, looking off to the side, “Yeah, no. Mai would rather it be you, Mitsunari.”

“But I have no ‘game’,” Mitsunari repeated something he had heard one of Mai’s friends say about him.

Hideyoshi sighed, “Yeah, buddy. I get it. It’s a lot to ask. I just wanted to make her happy…”

Guilt gnawed at Mitsunari, shoulders slumping.

“What if I sweetened the deal, hm?” Mitsuhide’s good humor had returned, “A $50 gift card to your favorite bookstore if you get a woman’s number. I’ll bump it up to $100 if you manage to secure a date.”

Hideyoshi, scandalized at the mercenary turn this conversation had taken, spun on his white-haired friend. “What? No! I don’t want to buy his agreement. I wanted him to actually make an honest effort in getting a girl. Mitsuhide, that’s … unconscionable.”

“Oh, but you’re not the one asking him to do it for a wager. I am. So you can keep your intentions pure. And I get to have a fun stake in it.” He turned his gleaming gold gaze on Mitsunari. ”What do you say? You can make an honest go of it for the sake of friendship, and you get books out of it. That’s a deal too good to pass up, Nari.”

(Those are all excellent points…) 

“I’ll do it. When and where?” He was already pulling out his phone to add the event to his schedule. 

—----------------------------------- —-----------------------------------

  –  NOW – 

The room looked exactly like Katsuko expected it to: small tables with a numbered placard and two chairs facing each other. A coordinator directed her to sit at table 17. Waiting for the first round to start, she mentally prepared her speech to make the most of the 5 minute time limit.

Mitsunari almost walked into the wrong room, but noticed the sign said Speed Friending. Close call! Next door was the sign for Speed Dating. Inside he was told to wait along the wall with the men. He looked at his number: 16. The girl sitting at table 16 was wearing a yellow wig. Then he looked to table 17. 

(Oh! It’s the limping woman! I hope she’s feeling better now.)

The first man to sit down at table 17 only wanted to ask about what Katsuko’s ‘type’ was. Whenever she steered the conversation towards her photoshoot goal, he seemed confused, and then was finally sullen by the time he left his chair. She rolled her eyes, thinking it would have been more efficient and less frustrating if she had made a sign announcing her intentions.

Meanwhile, the bubbly personality seated across from Mitsunari was trying way too hard to sell herself. It was two minutes before she took a breath. He grabbed his opportunity to ask for her number. She produced her phone instantly with a high-pitched giggle, exchanging contact info with supernatural speed. Mitsunari was stunned at how easy it was. That gift card was as good as his!

Soon the time limit was called, and the men were told to move to the table to their left.

Katsuko hid her dismay at seeing yet another man sit down, but soon recognized him from the Star Wars panel.

“Thanks again for letting me sit down,” she started at the same time he asked, “How is your leg now?”

She was the first to recover, giving him finger guns and a grateful smile, “Fantastic, now, thanks to you.”

Mitsunari grinned at their simultaneous talking, his mind flitting back to a similar situation at the food trucks. 

The finger guns and the word ‘Fantastic’ triggered enough similarities for him, while his solar-flare smile was unforgettable to Katsuko. They both leaned forward inquisitively, their movement mirror images.

“Were you dressed as Mr. Fantastic yesterday?” she asked – almost nearly at the same time as Mitsunari exclaimed, “You were the one cosplaying Mockingbird!”

They both chuckled at talking over each other again. 

Katsuko asked, “Are you into parkour?”

“...What?” Came his reply with polite confusion.

She explained the sport, hopeful when recognition dawned on his face. Turns out a friend of his, Sasuke, did that. And why yes, he would consider trying it some time. In costume, even. And take photos. He simply kept nodding and agreeing to every suggestion. So cute.

Keeping her cool, she pulled out her phone, “Great. Let’s schedule something. I’ll get your email address.” 

Mtisunari’s eyes widened. Wait – were they setting up a date? Had he fulfilled both Hideyoshi’s and Mitsuhide’s requirements without even meaning to? “I never thought the Speed Dating event would be this easy,” he hummed cheerfully.

“Speed Dating? No, this is Speed Friending,” she replied absently, opening her calendar app.

He shook his head gently, “Ah, that event is next door. The sign on this room definitely said Dating.”

Katsu: *breaks the fourth wall, looking at the camera with deadpan disappointment*

—----------------------------------- —-----------------------------------

It was a beautiful summer day in Rhodolite; around the time the roses fully bloomed in the country. Lady Aino had visited the country under the pretext of a political visit, which happened quite often to keep up relations with Rhodolite. 

Today, Aino sat in the garden of the grand palace of Rhodolite where their renowned flower grew in masses. The flowers lined the hedges; some hedges short, some tall, and even some trimmed into intricate designs such as birds and deer. The leaves rustled in the slight breeze of the day, which carried the smell of fragrant floral along with it. To some, this was a wonderful place to enjoy a tea party; this weather was perfect for this sort of occasion after all. 

However, to Aino, she felt terribly out of place.

It wasn't that she hated the outdoors; quite the opposite actually. It was the fact that a garden with beautiful roses was elegant; she however didn’t share this sentiment. Elegance was an unfamiliarity for her; spending days on a battlefield teaches you to be tough, not proper and poised like a delicate flower. 

Yet, here she was sitting before Licht Klein, the Sixth born Prince of Rhodolite, and the man she was betrothed to on a date-of-sorts that his older brother Yves had set up for the two of them under the guise of “spending more time together”. 

She was impartial to being here on this date. On one hand, this was to the man she was supposed to be with out of duty for the safety of her country. On the other hand… she knew quite little about the Prince, despite her many attempts to get to know him.

Now here they were, sitting in front of each other drinking tea scented like bergamot and peppermint with an array of freshly baked good made with love from the Fifth Prince of Rhodolite on three-tiered dessert towers, and Aino, figuring out if she should tuck her pinky inward or leave it out when drinking the tea and making sure not to chew too loudly or with her mouth open.

“Hold your pinky out, like this.” Lichi explained in his ever monotone voice as he raised the hand that held the teacup to demonstrate how it was to be held, bringing the liquid to his mouth, enjoying its contents.

“Ah, thank you.” Aino replied as she then followed suit, copying the movements shown before her, bringing the liquid to her mouth as well. The tea was warm, minty and slightly sour, but was quite a refreshing beverage to have on a sunny day.

Bringing the teacup down she quietly placed it back on the plate as a silence passed between the two of them.

“I’m sorry, I’m not the best at casual tea time banter,” she adds as an apology.

“It’s fine. I appreciate that.” 

He then reached over to the first tier of sweets tower to grab one of the many darioles scattered on the tray.

“Is that your favorite?”

The man before her answered with a nod grabbing another from the tower. Instead of eating it, he extended his hand over to her, offering the sweet treat.

“Here, take it. They’re good.”

Extending a hand forward to grab the small pastry, she raised the dariole to her lips, taking a bite from the velvety delicacy. The pastry had a rich creamy texture on the inside that simply melted in her mouth as the second passed.

Finishing the pastry, she made contact with his red eyes.

“You know Prince Licht, you’re kind of like a Rose; prickly to the touch, but you’re quite kind even when you’re trying to distance yourself,” She absentmindedly blurts between bites of the delectable pastry.

“Ah…” he let out as his eyes averted from hers, pink dusting his cheeks. Then, her own eyes looking away due to his lack of a reply.

Yet another bout of silence fell over the two royals. This time it was an awkward silence as they looked at the surroundings pretending a hedge was far more interesting than each other's presence.

“I’m sorry if that offended you.”  Aino let out an apology for the awkward air that was created between them, hand reaching behind her neck; a physical display of the discomfort of the difficult social situation.

“No. I appreciate that you felt comfortable enough to speak your mind.” A blunt, fast, yet honest reply from the Sixth Prince.

“You don’t think that it was unnecessary?”

Her eyes traveled back to meet his, already looking back at her own eyes.

“I do not. I honestly prefer that you’re honest with me.” 

A small smile formed on the Prince's lips, the first she had ever seen from him in the years she had known him. Her lips then formed into a small smile as well, mirroring the exact one he was adorning.

Elegance was never Aino’s strong suit. However, it is most certainly not her weakness.

Are you well? I miss seeing your smile. Something inside me hurts when I think I will never see your smile again. That the smile is brighter when you look at Kenshin. If he ever makes your smile fade, please come back to Azuchi and I will-

The letter had been abandoned at that point. Mitsunari gave up, realizing whether the words were on the page or locked in his head, they were only words. Because whatever emotions prompted this letter still had the power to cloud his mind, cramp his stomach, and stab at his heart. What was the use of writing them down?

It would have ended there. But Mitsunari was interrupted and in his absentminded way, he forgot all about that wayward piece of paper.

It should have ended there.

Then a new threat coming from the Mori clan, the resurrection of Motonari, and a message delivered by the ninja Sasuke invited the Oda forces to a summit, to a camp in neutral territory, to meet with the Uesugi-Takeda forces for a strategic discussion. Of course, as Nobunaga’s rising strategist, Mitsunari’s presence was necessary.

And because in his haste to gather his notebooks, references and papers, Mitsunari accidentally swept the forgotten letter into his pile, it did not end there.

Even then, disaster might have been avoided if the letter had stayed hidden amongst the scattered diagrams of formations, or if anyone else had been the one to notice the letter. Anyone but the one person who absolutely should not have found it.

Anyone but Kenshin….

There had been an internal battle within himself when Kenshin had allowed – no, not ‘allowed,’ for that suggested that she would have agreed if he had even hinted that he wanted to leave her behind at Kasugayama. He’d asked her to come from the start and bathed in her smile when she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and whispered, “I know how much it cost you to ask that. Thank you.”

He knew she thought he had conquered his easily roused jealousy, allowed the embers to fade on his fear of loss.  It wasn’t true, but he’d allowed her praise to settle around him like a warm cloak.

He’d pretended.

Pretended it didn’t hurt to see her bow to Nobunaga and call him ‘Ani,’ to be swung into a spinning hug with Masamune, to see her clasp hands and smile with affection toward Mitsunari. Still, he had tried to push past his jealousy when he’d seen how happily Marie was to be with her “Azuchi family.”

But he couldn’t push away that still simmering fire, a fire that had been banked by her daily affection but not extinguished completely.

Thus, when he and Mitsunari sat down to exchange strategic theories, Kenshin’s neat journals lined up against the young man’s explosion of papers, Kenshin had already been primed. Primed by his previous dislike of the man who everyone else described as human sunshine.

Hmph. As if that was something to be aspired to.

The genius, yes, Kenshin could see it. Also, he saw the waste. Why was such a mind bestowed on this clumsy, smiley, boy?

As if to immediately give example to Kenshin’s internal critique, Mitsunari clunked a large rock on top of his pile when the wind ruffled the papers, threatening to scatter them to all corners of the camp. “Oops!”

“How do you find anything?” Even if he hadn’t had Kanetsugu to help organize his days, Kenshin would have kept his papers and reports in order. This chaos was not acceptable.

Of course, all Mitsunari did was smile. “It doesn’t matter. I know where everything is.” To demonstrate, he shut his eyes, touched the stack of papers, thumbed part way down, and retrieved a diagram of the formation that they’d planned to discuss. “Here. See?”

He saw…

He saw more than Mitsunari realized. Underneath the page Mitsunari had retrieved had been a piece of paper with the name ‘Marie.’

Yes, he saw.

Kenshin slapped his hand on top of the papers and under Mitsunari’s confused gaze, he dove into them until he pulled out the errant letter.

Read it.

He wants to steal her away from me.

It took a moment for Mitsunari to recognize what Kenshin had in his hands. A moment for him to understand that this time, he had not known exactly where everything was. His blush… the shame, followed immediately after. “I thought I burned that. I only needed… I never planned for anyone… anyone at all… to ever see it.” The explanation was jumbled, stammering, honest.

Kenshin wasn’t listening. Could hear nothing beyond the roaring of a fire that swept through him as he read a letter meant for nobody. “We will spar.”

Mitsunari looked down at the letter that was now crumpled in Kenshin’s white knuckled fist. “Of course, that is your right, Lord Kenshin.”

“Until death.” And he would kill the boy. Kill him and any other who got in the way.

“I understand.” Mitsunari placed his hand on the grip of his sword, taking a deep breath.

“You understand, then, that I will kill you.” Daily, Kenshin threatened to kill his vassals, his ninja, his friends, and that Yoshimoto. This was not the same type of threat. This was a promise. The beast inside him roared for blood. The fear of loss blocked every other sound.

Amethyst eyes finally met his own. “You can try.”

His blood lust combined with battle lust. In recent years, there was only one person Kenshin had failed to best in battle. Mitsunari. They’d fought before, Kenshin and this boy. A battle that had lasted longer than expected. Neither had won. The fight had been stopped by his ninja, who had claimed, in his odd Sasuke dialect, that he could tell the fight would end in a draw.

We’ll see about that now.

In grim agreement, they marched to a flower decked meadow far enough away from the camp to attract attention. A meadow more known for peace, not battle. A flower filled meadow suitable for a grave. Kenshin’s internal vow – only one of us will return.

Underneath the roar of the dragon in his soul, he wondered if this had been Mitsunari’s plan after all? To lure him out, then finish him off in private. Was even now a team of archers or riflemen hiding beyond that cluster of trees? Just as that cheerful exterior masked the most complex strategic mind Kenshin had ever encountered, did that sunshine also hide a streak of hate? Behind the smile was there someone planning to murder for love?

You shall not have her.

They bowed to each other deeply, then ritual satisfied, there came the sinister whistle as two swords unsheathed. Kenshin struck out first, though Himetsuru Ichimonji was immediately greeted by Mitsunari’s nameless weapon. Their gazes met over the crossed swords.

For a moment, neither was able to push forward, as the strikes had equal strength, powered by equal determination.

Then finally, Mitsunari whirled away, his weapon already primed to meet the next attack.

As with that past battle, this match began slowly, increasing in intensity as the strategist anticipated his every move. Strike met strike, tempered steel met its counterpart in a deadly dance.

The sun reached its zenith then slowly reversed toward the horizon.

Something is different this time. The moves were no longer academic. Yes, Mitsunari anticipated Kenshin’s every movement, his sword in place almost before Kenshin’s, his body ducking and spinning away from every potential hit, but this time there was more strength and skill behind the moves.

He’s been practicing.

No matter. Kenshin was different too. He had someone he could not, would not lose.

Neither warrior faltered, even as it neared sunset and lanterns began glowing from the distant camp.

They fought on. Grimly. No words had been spoken since they began. The only sounds were the clang of swords and the grunts of effort. Kenshin smelled the sweat rising from both of them, a scent mixing with the scent of summer grasses. The taste of blood in his mouth as he bit his own cheek in determination. He felt the heaviness of Himetsuru Ichimonji in his hand, a comforting, familiar weight.

Panting breaths… his… the boy’s. His own heart drumming in his ears.

Then a scream. “Kenshin!” Marie rushed out into the flower-covered field.

“Stay back!” He turned his face to her. It was only a fraction of inattention to the fight. But it was enough.

Mitsunari saw the opportunity and swung his sword—

Only at the last moment did he alter the trajectory and step back, adopting a defensive position, waiting until Kenshin was ready to resume.

He could have killed me.

With a scowl, Kenshin paused. “You had an opening. Why didn’t you take it?”

“She will be sad.” MItsunari’s voice was a hushed whisper, and Kenshin had had to strain to hear him.

Kenshin looked over at Marie, her face a mixture of confusion and worry. “If you weren’t going to kill me, why bother to fight?”

“I did not want to die.” Mitsunari stated it as if it was the most obvious answer in the world.

Seeing that their fight had paused, Marie strode between them, holding her arms out as if to become a physical barrier. “What happened? Why were you fighting?”

He pulled her to his side, slinging his arm around her.  Mine. “Sparring. It was a good day for a fight.” The look he gave Mitsunari dared him to correct that statement. When no contradiction appeared, he added. “We’re done now. I’ll kill you tomorrow. Go!”

Mitsunari bowed. Kenshin wasn’t sure if it was an apology or a thank you. Or… with this strange boy, it could have been acknowledgement of a good fight. Then he turned and walked away, his smile dimming as he left Marie by Kenshin’s side.  

As Kenshin and Marie ambled back to camp, she rested her head on his shoulder. “That didn’t look like a sparring match.”

He contemplated the truth, then decided that his love for Marie aside, Mitsunari did not pose a threat to him. Kenshin realized he ought to have known that all along. “It was a misunderstanding. Now we have sorted things out.”

“Mmm.” Marie side-eyed him, the single syllable and her skeptical expression conveying the extent of the belief she had in his explanation, but that she chose not to press him further. As they entered the camp, she took his hand, leading him past the warriors enjoying their evening meal, and to the tent they shared.