#kgetsu

●●●●○ | ATTRACTION ●●●●○ | AFFECTION ●●○○○ | INTEREST ●●●●● | LOYALTY ●●●●● | TRUST

Kagetsu of Elusia is no hunter. He is not capable of the extended silence of thieves and assassins nor their long stretches of patience; his hunts are loud even if his bites are quick, preceded by the vocal clamoring for attention and his many requests to duels. No hunter, to be sure, but a far greater finder with hawk eyes that few friendly faces can escape. Harmless and little applicable to true enemies and as much a useless talent as his one of premonition.

(or not harmless, depending on who one should ask.)

"Zelko—ooooov!"

A fly of steps thunders across the cobbles whipping up a storm of dust. When at last that storm subsides, a flying leap with open arms wraps the taller in a tight embrace - or attempts to. Always has Zelkov been good at dodging Kagetsu.

"What joyous reunion! Welcome, welcome! At last you have come, my friend. I knew you could not be confined to Elyos for long with your dear relations here. When the tree of Queen Ivy moves, it is the roots that need follow!"

The tall form wrapped in a cloak of obscuring midnight. . .that silent gait, ebon skin, and golden eyes of dagger-grade sharpness. . .it is him. Zelkov. At the sight of his friend, Kagetsu's heart shivers as does the steel in his scabbard, both beyond any figment of a doubt, for both know it cannot be anyone else. Neither man nor metal might ever forget the first force to serve them defeat and Kagetsu in his entirety, head to toe, mind and body, shall always remember his first defeat, his first colleague, his first friend.

But there is one problem.

He frowns and steps back, both hands nocked moodily upon his hips. The puffy pout of inflated cheeks another telling accessory to mood. "We are both roots and retainers of Queen Ivy, you and I, but also bestest of friends! Why did you not join the Knights with me? As you are, you will always be doing things by yourself, Zelkov! No, no, that will not do!"

Kagetsu is the tide. For a brief moment, irregardless of any enjoyment Zelkov could derive, the moon was empty and the tides fell enough to… to…

                                                   …to miss their constant presence.

Now, the moon is once again bright in the night sky, illuminating the dark, and for the tides’ inevitable return, for Kagetsu crashing violently into Zelkov’s immovable shore, Zelkov will let him.

His name being shouted is more than enough of a warning to give the former assassin plenty of time to dodge his colleague’s onslaught. Zelkov allows him this one strike. It would be enough force to knock a man off his feet, if that man weren’t so accustomed to and familiar with Kagetsu’s antics. Zelkov holds sturdy, and for the briefest of moments, his hands find Kagetu’s sides in a rather lacking return of the affectionate gesture.

The slightest flinch of Kagetsu’s body that signals his body pulling away from Zelkov’s sees the taller man’s hands returned quickly to his sides, though he can’t help but notice the way Kagetsu covers those same spots with his own hands as he gives Zelkov one of the most asinine scoldings he’s ever received.

“By myself?” he asks in response. “It is Queen Ivy that is an instructor at this institution. If we are to be the roots following the lead of her trunk, then does it not follow that you should be joining us as professor?”

If there had been a scant ghost of a smile on Zelkov’s lips, then Kagetsu’s complaint has scared it away completely. It’s likely the knight - as he so wishes to be called - would not have seen it at all.

30. A kiss to the palm of the hand As always, without failure, Kagetsu takes nothing into consideration but his goal-- a man with a one track mind is a statement that doesn't quite encapsulate how intense he can be at times, but Alear would never change any of it for the world. It doesn't mean that she hasn't learned things to pick up on, though, and as she watches lithe fingers gently return the blade of his katana to its sheath, she's already prepared a quick offering of his favorite lunch wrapped in a bundle. A vibrant smile and a quick wave that's eagerly returned, both of them meeting in the middle. It's so easy to be scooped into his arms, burying her face in his shoulder and breathing in his scent-- she doesn't care about the sweat that clings to his skin in this moment; perhaps she'd complain if she had just gotten out of the shower herself, but she won't pass up an opportunity to hold him close. "Kagetsu! I brought you something," She offers up the parcel when she finally manages to peel herself away from him, gently pressing it into one of his open hands. "I know you're hungry by now. You've been out here for hours- You are taking care of yourself, aren't you?" She already knows the answer before he speaks. But to be safe, she gently takes his other hand and forces his fingers to open, frowning down at the redness that stretches over the skin there. He's long since growl callouses from the repetitive motions of his strikes, but Alear knows well that it can still get irritated from too much... and she can't stop the sigh that comes upon seeing the tint to his normally pale flesh. "You should take breaks more often," Alear can't help but chide him, clicking her tongue as she makes sure there's no blisters. Once she's satisfied with the fact that he hasn't overdone it too much, she ducks her head to press a kiss to his warm palm-- and follows it with another, this time over the band of the pact ring he takes with him no matter what. Despite the nature of their conversation, she can't help but smile; she knows what such a gesture means to him, and she only hopes that she can continue to show her love in the days to come. "Why don't we find a nice place to picnic? After that, we can visit the baths-- Take some time to relax, just us."

"Ho! My friend, Mitama! It has come to my attention that today is your day of birth. That is a splendid matter. Very splendid, indeed. As all the monastery ought to, I have arrived to wish you well. . .and even to give you this!"

The samurai thrusts his parcel forward without extended fanfare: a gift that speaks for itself. Wrapped in a soft cloth decorated with painterly sakura blossoms, it is not so different from the fine apparel Mitama had worn during the ball. Within is a container sporting a medley of different onigiri, their variety spanning flavors of tuna, salmon, umeboshi, and tempura. Delicious—Kagetsu would know!

"I sense that you and I possess similar tastes not only in dress but in food as well. Rice as you are likely to know is hard to come by in these lands." A truly devastating fact, bespeaks Kagetsu's rueful shake of head. However, today is a date of celebration and he brightens in quick time. "With that, I wish to bestow upon you this delectable onigiri procured in no other way. Happy birthday, and may these nostalgic flavors bring your tastebuds to many happy tears!"

"Oh! Hello, Kagetsu." Now this is truly a surprise that she did not expect. Such a short time had passed since they had first been introduced to each other, she cannot imagine growing fondness for anyone so quickly. If the roles were reversed, she is not certain that she would be so quick to rush and find a gift to present to him for his own day of birth, and she is not certain if she should feel ashamed of that or not.

"I would rather not have the entire monastery's attention today. That seems like it would take quite a lot of time to sort through, and I would much rather spent that time with a select few." People like him, for example, whose surprise came as a delight rather than a burden to be handled. "I thank you for the sentiment, however."

And she accepts the bundle he presents her with. As he explains, she pulls the knot that holds the soft cloth together until it comes loose and reveals the container. As she reveals the familiar foods she has not seen since arriving in Fodlan, she gasps softly.

"Oh! Oh, it has been so long since I have had proper onigiri!" Delight blossoms across her face. She does not reach for them just yet, not daring to risk them falling to the floor and being lost forever. She carefully seals them away again before bowing to Kagetsu. "Thank you so, so much for this gift! The chefs here are talented, but they truly have no idea how best to prepare rice."