#kinships

"Oh, c'mon, I saw the look on your face when you challenged Cheval. It screamed 'heart eyes.' You don't have to deny it to me, I'm here to help."

Lulucion is an evolving city. Though it was mainly a Hunter's port town, this region's diverse number of riders' communities had prompted it to improve its stables to make it more accommodating to larger monsties. Public opinion was steadily improving thanks to the Scriveners' hard work, but some of the locals still cast wary and fearful gazes upon riders and their beasts.

"He can come and go as he purrrr-leases, at least!"

It was supposed to be a simple recon mission-- something he should've had no problem handling alone. But nothing ever went smoothly, not for him.

Perhaps he's gone soft, and this is the world's way of telling him. He couldn't just ignore that poor woman holding a newborn child being harassed by some bandits. Scaring off the thugs was no problem, what got him was the kebiishi showing up.

Needless to say, his efforts had been for nothing.

No one was supposed to find him when he returned to the citadel in the dead of the night, especially not the saniwa-- why is she even up at this hour--

Oh...

He can't help but realize...that woman had somewhat resembled Izayoi...

“What are you hiding?”

Coming back to base, he feels the other has been trying to keep something out of his sight. It's definitely not a vestige since there'd be no reason to hide that. Yakumo's curiosity was killing him as he tries to get a peek at whatever the other was holding.

"Is it a gift for Lu or Io?"

-- a closed thread with @kinships

    "I need you on your best behavior."

    "Why so, Oo-ee...uh, Wa-rii...um--"

    "'Foreigner' is fine. I'm meeting an old friend. She's...sort of like you."

    One benefit to owning -- or being owned by, depending who you ask -- a haunted motorcycle is its size. It's easy to park half a block from a cluster of bars and restaurants in the heart of Shinjuku even as the sun sinks behind the skyscrapers and the neon lights come to life. Another advantage, though arguably less so, is that Time's Arrow talks. It makes a good companion, though at the end of the day--

    "Oh. Foreigner...is she a car?"

    It's still a motorcycle.

    William Adams huffs a hint of a laugh and shakes his head as he sets his helmet on the seat. "She's part-yokai. I want to introduce you."

    If everything goes well, that is. If the years haven't been too cruel. If she's even here at all. William is no stranger to lonesome stints at various bars, but--

    "Don't be nervous."

    He gives Time's Arrow an incredulous look. It's looking back at him with its rearview mirror, he can tell. "Your hands are damp."

    A motorcycle used to picking its way through highways and busy streets is observant. Makes sense. William's palms are slightly sweaty. He could chalk it up to wearing a leather jacket on a humid spring evening, but who is he kidding. He doesn't know how Hide's changed since they last met. He doesn't know what changes she'll see in him.

    "If she is like me," Time's Arrow continues, "She will be happy to see you."

    He's being comforted by a possessed, sentient motorcycle. Not for the first time and certainly not for the last, William acknowledges his very long life has also been very strange. He gives the bike a grateful pat on the gas tank. "Or she'll try to set me on fire."

    Time's Arrow considers for a moment. "True. Sleeping now."

    There's only so long it can stay awake with its engine off. As its spirit slumbers, William takes a deep breath, fixes his ponytail. He's getting beers and yakitori with someone he's known for centuries, not going off to war. Calm down, he thinks. With his mind casting backwards, he hears the words in the voice of another friend from ages past. Everything has been taken care of.