[ Cloud might want to rush back to the teahouse, but Ayaka had asked Chinatsu to keep Cloud here for as long she can. There may have been the idea of having Cloud to showcase his skills, and Chinatsu mentioned the slime toads. It worked out in the end!
There's a pretty satisfied smile on the lady's face. Oh, no one's going to "keep up", per see. Cloud's going to put on a show. ]
Grab a sword, then. Let me set up the program. It's what we use to train.
[ A program? Chinatsu's walked away to the other end of the room towards a panel on the wall before Cloud could even ask. A big slime toad hologram appears in the centre of the room. It's about four or five times the size of Cloud, and despite it being a toad, Ayaka had seemingly agreed to this plan because toads and lizards are... both slimy and gross. ]
Difficulty... should I set it to a 6?
[ Out of ten. 6 out of 10 difficulty!
The students have opened up the takoyaki box by now, munching on these hot as hell octopus balls and drinking their milk tea, as they get ready to watch the show. They're all aware of the situation of how this is for the proprietress of the teahouse, but they do want to learn a thing or two from this guy! He's got such huge arms just like what the proprietress told them, too! Surely he's good with them and with his hands... just like what the proprietress told them
"Set it to 8, Sensei!" one of them cheers, but Chinatsu waits to see Cloud's reaction before doing so. ]
[ All will become clear(er) in due time. Until then, Cloud's businesslike demeanor is at the forefront. But...he has to admit, hearing from others, local or not, how much Ayaka talks him up? It's another boost to his confidence. And as his day goes further on and on, it will become a more active thought sitting in the back of mind how he should do more of the same for her. Advertising the business for the proprietress was one thing, but if anyone were to ask him about Ayaka in any other capacity, he'd have nothing but glowing things to say about her— her swordplay, her attention to detail, even his ability to laud her looks would have improved! ... A little. Cloud's attempts at describing Tifa back in Midgar when Aerith and him were looking for her needed, uh, work.
Cloud hums as he follows Chinatsu just far enough towards the rack of various weaponry on the wall. He didn't bring the Buster Sword or Tsubaki with him today, but he supposes another Ōdachi would suffice. He claims the longer sword before walking past the students who are currently preparing to open up their takoyaki box and boba. Seems this wasn't just going to be a direct training exercise, but more of a demonstration. They'd better be keeping their eyes on him. ]
!
[ Just as Cloud had best keep his eyes upon the massive slime toad that'd taken up the centre of the room. A hologram, of course, similar to the kind of training that the Guilds can offer. It only makes sense they have their own equipment in a facility like this for it. And despite it only being a hologram, it's still something he needs to take seriously— otherwise, what's the point in even trying? He hears the instructor ask for a Difficulty level. And while Cloud has pushed the limits of that at various Guilds, he was content in 6 this time. Just a quick demonstration! Than he can get his pay, drop off the food at the theatre for the director, roll on back to Ayaka and— ]
[ —"Set it to 8, Sensei!" Great. He should have seen this one coming. Drawing his long katana, he keeps it idly at his side at first as he stares down the gargantuanly gross slime toad. Something about it reminds him of his first hunt back in Nippon. A Great Salamander... And as he raises his blade and gets into a Chudan-no-Kamae stance, he only shifts his attention over his shoulder to Chinsatsu once.
And he nods.
Difficulty Level 8, then. Cloud can handle it. With those huge arms of his. And those good hands. Just like what the proprietress likes. ]
[ Difficulty 8 is basically one Slime Toad that has the strength of 8 of its comrades. Chinatsu herself uses difficulty level 8 whenever she shows her students certain techniques, and hasn't gone up any higher than that. She doesn't think she can handle it given the location. If they were in an open area, it would be a different story.
With Cloud's nod, Chinatsu takes it as a sign to really amp up the level, then. After a few seconds, she walks away from the panel. The slime toad starts to blink a couple of times before it lets out a rather loud croak. It looks like the change in settings has been applied! Not that... Cloud would know.
And then there's the sound of a bell, like a countdown. ]
The fight starts in 3... [ 2, 1... the class counts along with the speaker. If Cloud doesn't strike first, the slime toad will, lowering its jaw to use its tongue to slap Cloud hard and fast.
It's just one strong enemy, but despite it being a hologram, it doesn't seem like it would go down quickly. Any blows Cloud might deal to the building would not do anything in real life, as the rest of the room has been protected by some sort of barrier alongside the training program. He won't have to worry about destroying anything... yay! The feeling of stickiness from the slime would feel real though ...
Until the fight ends and the slime toad is defeated, anyway. ]
[ It's still dangerous. But knowing that the confines of this terrain were safe to cut loose in? He could not only show the class how a real swordsman fights, but given that he was wielding an Ōdachi...! ]
...
[ The slime toad charges, lowering its jaw and preparing to slap him with its tongue. Yet Cloud doesn't charge or strike first as he was wont to do so, fighting like the SOLDIER he once claimed to be. Instead, he's patient. Unmoving. Like he was prepared to take the brunt of that slimy, grotesque tongue head-on when all of a sudden, ]
!
[ Cloud skips back, almost delicately so as he makes it look effortless in dodging the attack before he prepares his counterstrike, shifting seamlessly into a Ko Gasumi stance. Without looking back, neither to Chinatsu or the students observing, he calls just once. ]
Keep your eyes on me!
[ This is the Kamisato Art Tachi Jutsu. ]
⚡ ⚡ ⚡
[ It may not have gone down easy, and being such a high difficulty, he wasn't immune to getting a couple licks on his person along the way. And while his path carried more force behind his swings, the method behind it all remains the same. Still as the morning dew. Swift as lightning. And as the battle draws closer to its conclusion, the hologram beast staggered on its side, sparks of electricity trickle the length of Cloud's blade as he takes his position. It still wasn't the completed technique...but a stepping stone on his path to discovering it. He may not wield a vision, but by breaking his own limits, he still could harness a taste of that element. ]
Kamisato Art: [ He flashes a step forward, thrusting his katana forward! ] Raikiri!
[ With that thunderstrike, the beast bellows before ultimately (pardon the pun), croaking as the hologram and protected terrain is lifted. Loosing a sigh of relief, he spins the handle of his blade with a look of contentment in his eyes before sheathing it at his side.
[ Victory indeed! The students are hooting and hollering, while someone is lamenting that their milk tea spilled because the other person pumped his fists and hit their drink. Chinatsu heads back to the panel to turn the program off, especially since a few seconds after the monster's defeat means another one would spawn.
That definitely was a sight, though! Cloud's got a lot of fans now, and he'll find some students even running up to him to give him compliments, admire him, and even try to imitate some of his moves. ]
That was great. Thanks for showing us some new moves.
[ Chinatsu is more than ready to pay him now after that, so the students give way to their teacher by moving away from Cloud for a bit. What she hands the blond isn't money though, but an envelope. A blue and pink one, and he might just notice that it has the Kamisato emblem on it. . . Huh! ]
I paid online. This is for you, though. You can read it once you get out of here.
[ She assumes Cloud might want to read it privately since it is from his girlfriend. ]
[ Wherever Cloud does decide to read it, it is, yes, another Kamisato Ayaka special.
In her neat and beautiful handwriting, the letter reads:
To my dearest Cloud, my wonderful beau, my everything,
Happy Valentine's Day! You normally can read my mind, but I hope that this comes as a surprise to you.
By now, I assume you would have accomplished the task Chinatsu gave you. I had utmost trust that you would be able to, after all, it was with your aid that we were able to take care of the great salamander when we first met. Hehe, did the toad remind you of it? Because that was what I thought of when Chinatsu told me about it!
You are very strong and very skilled, and you have so many talents. Being able to get to know you after we met truly changed my life for the better. I can no longer see myself as the same girl that I used to be because of you. So many possibilities have opened up thanks to you, and I can finally say that I am living.
I am Kamisato Ayaka today because of you, my love.
There will be a next task when you deliver the food to director of the theatre. Hehe, I think you have an idea of what it just might be. The next ones after that will all relate to wonderful memories you have given me, as well. I thought that it might be fun to relive some of them on such a wonderful occasion- a day where I get to show you all of my love and appreciation.
I cannot tell you just how many tasks you will have to do, but please consider this practice for when you officially become part of the Kamisato Clan and serve the Yashiro Commission. It is a day I cannot wait for, and I have no doubts that you will have no difficulty with any of these that I have prepared. You are my beau, after all.
Oh, and I do have one request. You must not call or text me while you are away. Please know that as I am writing this now and thinking about how you might react, there is some pain in knowing that I will be missing you, but I believe it might also add to the excitement later on.
Do enjoy your day today. I will be waiting for you by the end of it all for our date.
[ Only when the immediate danger has been dissipated does Cloud begin to register the hoots and hollers of the class, unanimous in their glee in getting to see a swordsman that's been talked up so much actually put in the work. They're not so sure they could have handled the likes of such a big and imposing monster off the jump, but with this display of technique (and perhaps some aspirers of Kamisato Art Tachi Jutsu oops?) their self-confidence and coordination was surely to broaden thanks to his efforts! Just as a second hologram of that monster was preparing to digitize into existence, the battle simulation is shut off and the a good chunk of the students start running up to him. Forget what's left of the Takoyaki or their Boba (grateful as they are!) this guy was so cool!
If it were humanly possible, he could have sworn he'd start seeing stars in their eyes. Compliments. Asking him questions about how he did a certain step in his fight. How long did it take him to learn Kamisato Art Tachi Jutsu. Where did he learn to create lightning with his slashes! Was it an elemental power!? Others might have felt overwhelmed, but he keeps his cool all the same, unable to help the confident smile that crosses his lips before Chinatsu is approaching him. Right. Best he get back to business now that he fulfilled one end of the bargain. The food was delivered, and as far as he was concerned, he was halfway done with his route before he could get back to work with Ayaka. Still wearing that smile as he puts a hand on his hip, he idly holds his other hand out, open-palmed. ]
And I didn't charge extra to boot.
[ Just joking. But speaking of charging... ]
Hm? [ He tilts his head, brow cocking when instead of his payment, the weapons instructor offers him... ] An envelope?
[ Before Cloud can even register that there might be money inside, he's immediately redirected by the fact the color tones of said envelope were familiar. Soft blues and a shade of pink that reminds him of a certain somebody that was waiting for him at the teahouse, he thinks. More pressing and urgent is the camellia that seals it. It's the Kamisato Clan's mark. And his expression shifts from that of confusion to broader eyes, and a sense of curiosity and wonder. He hasn't even opened it yet, and somehow he can tell who this is supposed to be from. There his heart goes again, leaping to a conclusion before he can see the full picture. Only...like so many other times when it came to a particular White Heron Princess, ]
This is...
[ He can tell that this is right. Now he's suspicious, as he's informed that the payment had already been delivered online. He could have just dropped the food off and left immediately if he'd known that. But then, if he did, he would have already failed this newly paved road down memory lane. Chinatsu suggests that he give it a read— once he's high-tailed it out of there, that is. And though some of the students seem bummed out that he was already preparing to take his leave, unclipping the sheathed katana from his person as he intends to set it back up on the rack he got it from, Cloud doesn't depart without at least giving the group one last call for attention. ]
Work hard! And pay closer attention to Chinatsu Sensei. Got it?
[ It's almost unanimous, the way they stand at attention. This was a training facility for all forms of weaponry, but they at least knew what a Sensei was! They acknowledge him, yes sir! And now it was time to finish what was left of the order from the teahouse so they can give their instructor the proper attention that she deserved. This time? With more confidence and discipline as a certain somebody left quite the impression on them. With a content huff, he takes his leave with the order for the Theatre in one hand, walking out and making his way back to his parked scooter in front of the HQ. ]
One stop down... [ He sets the bag for the Director on the seat of his scooter, but he hesitates to get on and get going. No. Now that he can take a deep breath, finally alone with the letter in his hand, he's going to take the instructor's advice. Even if he didn't have an inkling of a clue as to what could be inside, there's a thin smile that graces his lips as he slides his finger beneath the fold of the envelope, the timbre of his voice thrumming with a quiet affection. ] What are you up to now?
[ He opens the letter, tucking the blue and pink envelope into his back pocket for now before he opens it and reads by the side of the road. If anyone were to pass the blond by, he looked to be in his own world now, transported away from the hustle and bustle of the life they live...and he can swear he catches the fragrance of a great sakura tree. It's all in his mind. All in the memories in this very message to him as the picture becomes all the more clear as to how his day was going to go.
I had utmost trust that you would be able to, after all, it was with your aid that we were able to take care of the great salamander when we first met. Hehe, did the toad remind you of it? ]
Hahah...
[ His eyes soften, as if he could hear her voice resonating in his mind. As if she was right here, strolling down memory lane with him. She read his mind. It did remind him of tackling the great salamander with her. He even gave her the larger split of the commission because he deemed she did more of the work. Or rather, he was captivated by her Soumetsu technique that subdued and caused the beast to finally slide off and out of the perimeters of the city. As he continues to read and relive the day they first met, the realization strikes him like a bolt of lightning, his heart practically jumping as his eyes widen and he takes a hitched gasp.
The first order he delivered to the students...
Heheh... He just about burned himself biting into his first Takoyaki, didn't he? Before soothing that burn with his first Milk Tea. Cloud wasn't an emotional person. At least, his emotions were guarded well and kept safe and sound with those he cared the most about. And he doesn't cry, but...as he finishes reading her letter and his mission for the day, he can feel his breathing tremor as he smiles, her words upon a whisper: ]
'I love you, my sweet prince.
Your Kamisato...Ayaka...'
[ Cloud grabs the envelope from before, sliding the letter inside as he swallows, his throat tight as he takes a calming breath to compose himself. Lifting up the backseat of the scooter, he sets the sushi rolls and the letter inside for safe transportation before he straddles and ignites the little vehicle once more. Giving the handle a couple of revs as he lifts the kickstand, he raises his deep blue hues to the road ahead, and where this day was going to take him. He fondly shakes his head. ]
Really driving home how lucky I am to have you.
[ The amount of stops he takes didn't matter if it meant he got Ayaka at the very end of it. Like his promise to find her at the end of their journeys, no matter what.
[ Meanwhile, at the tea house, as Ayaka is wrapping up her work day, Chinatsu sends her a text. A message that Cloud's arrived and fought a slime toad hologram, and that the letter has been delivered.
Ayaka's not somebody who orchestrates things unlike her brother, but she hopes that watching him work has made her learn a thing or two to make this little surprise a fun one for Cloud. ]
🌸🌸🌸
[ The theatre is a pretty large building, and with there not being a show, the hallways are mostly empty! Cloud might have difficulty finding exactly where to go, considering he never really had any instructions beyond "give this to the director".
Fortunately for him though, a young lady, around the same age as him, passes by. She just came from the bathroom and is on her way back to the theatre where auditions are being held. Lucky for him too, because she just knows who this stranger is.
(That's a lie. She sees the shinrin-yoku logo on the bag he's holding.) ]
You brought the snacks! Come and follow me, then. The director's expecting you.
[ Because of course he is. After all, this task isn't just a delivery job. Ayaka's revealed the master plan to Cloud now, and he's in the director's hands now. Like the letter says. . .
"There will be a next task when you deliver the food to director of the theatre. Hehe, I think you have an idea of what it just might be."
The walk to where the auditions are being held is a long one. The doors to the actual theatre aren't open, so they have to walk aaaaall the way to the back, enter through the backstage where Cloud will see a couple of people up on stage, reading a script. Down the stage they go and up the seats where there's a table in the middle and a man who's in control watching his assistant and the blond through his sunglasses. ]
Director, the shinrin-yoku delivery arrived. [ Cloud is the shinrin-yoku delivery. Without even asking for the blond's permission, the assistant takes the bag from his hands to place on the table and open. Time to eat!
The Director, on the other hand, gets up. He's a lot taller than Cloud is, and a lot more. . . well-dressed than Cloud is! He doesn't even look like a director. One might think he works at one of the host clubs instead. ]
You're beautiful. [ He takes a few steps closer to the delivery boy, using two fingers to tilt Cloud's chin up to look at him, then to one side, then another. This might be familiar to Cloud, but Ayaka is none the wiser A few seconds later, he drops his hands as if he's just remembered something. ] Ah, right. No touching... You don't like that.
[ Or so he was told by the shinrin-yoku proprietress. ]
[ At first, Cloud hardly thinks anything of the destination. Almost as if he was expecting this to be easy. Just find a receptionist, ask for the Mayor the Director, follow their instructions, and bingo. He's on to his next task as assigned by his girlfriend. Except, there is one minute hiccup in his train of thought. That implied that there would even be anybody up at the front to greet him. Which...there wasn't. They were out to lunch, or not even attending today since there was no productions on stage. Regardless, after waiting at the front desk for a couple minutes, tapping his foot (impatiently), he shakes his head and makes down the hallway to his right, through a set of double-doors.
He's in the right place. That's all that matters to him...even if he can't help but feel a familiarness to this place as well. He'd have an idea of what his next task might be, huh? He can mull it over until he arrives and finds this 'Director' that he imagines is waiting for him.
For five seconds before passing a young lady by, the blond clearing his throat before addressing her. ]
Excuse me. I'm looking for the 'Director' of the—
[ "You brought the snacks!" ]
Snacks?
[ He...thought these were supposed to be for his client? Either way, there's solace in knowing that he's at least back on the right track. At first, Cloud thinks that this is going to be a quick route, but when he thinks that he can just waltz right through what appeared to be an even larger set of double-doors, a row of many that would lead into various parts of the audience where one may be seated, he's taken past them. Further down the hall. All he can do is place his trust in this lady. Or...more specifically, place his trust in Ayaka whose taking him down this path of memories. The first one, surprise as it may have been, is still fondly nursed in his heart.
Still, he's as level in expression as he was when he first got here, not showing much enthusiasm nor appearing downtrodden. ... In other words, his business face is also his resting bitch face.
"Director, the shinrin-yoku delivery arrived." Taken through the backstage area, the attention he gives the couple on stage in passing is also brief before he's back to business and his focus is centered on the Director, watching him from behind those shades of his. Who wears sunglasses indoors... Lifting up his bag of sushi rolls, he calls out. ]
Hey there. I— [ Yyyoink! ] Uh...?
[ There goes his delivery. ...or perhaps, rather, he was the package. That's when the Director stands up, immaculately dressed and nearly a good foot taller over him as he's watched down the line of his sunglasses. Cloud's posture hasn't changed, hands at his sides resisting the urge to ball into defensive little fists. Not because he anticipates a confrontation, but because he can't help but feel the strangest sense of Déjà vu once again. Only this time, the feeling doesn't stem from moments in Nippon.
And he's invading what little personal space Cloud has after calling him beautiful out the gate. That gets Cloud to blink, eyes widening as he doesn't break his gaze off him, looking up. And before he can either take a step back, or protest— ]
Ah-
[ His entire body stiffens when the Director lifts his chin in two fingers. Then to one side. The blond swallows while maintaining his resting bitch face expression, staring up at him with those baby blue eyes of his. Then to the other side...
Oh if only this man knew how much patience this delivery boy was exercising right now. Because if this wasn't for Ayaka's sake and how much trust he's placed in her?
"Ah, right. No touching... You don't like that."
Cloud might not have let him have a chance to get this close. He's released, and the tension in his shoulders laxes too as he crosses his arms. No touching... Was that a certain proprietress' instructions? ]
Glad you caught on, [ he dryly retorts. But at least Cloud's got experience in communicating with guys like this. ... He thinks. Though maybe it's less about how he talks to them and more how he gets down with them. On the dance floor. ] So.
[ What oh what could his task be, Kamisato Ayaka? ]
[ Ayaka had explained to the director her plan for her beau. He was interested in him, so she of course, talked about Cloud! How they met, how they became close and got roles in a movie and became practice buddies. Just like Ayaka, Cloud values his privacy, and she thinks that is one of the reasons why they got along so well to begin with. And because she is his beau, the director is allowed to look... She knows what he likes, he's mentioned it to her before, so she has to put her boundaries.
No acting overly familiar with Cloud. He would not appreciate that, and might even snap at you if you push him.
Like an angry cat.
The director places a hand on his hips and starts tutting. ]
Straight to the point. . . no foreplay at all. That would hurt, you know.
[ Poor Ayaka, he thinks, but maybe the girl likes it that rough despite how she looks.
He looks back at Cloud and shoves a script his way. No touching, but the script is pressed against his stomach. ] Follow me. Act 3. Those people on the first row are all auditioning for the hero of the story. You're going to show them what a hero actually should be like.
[ By which he means, start reading the act as they walk down. It's a very romantic scene... ]
[ And yet, once more, it is because of Ayaka that this angry cat did not whip out his claws. Though if the Director kept that up longer without any further explanation, it might have gotten to that point. Luckily, Cloud's at least not too uncomfortable; he calms down and settles in as best as he can to his new position at this theatre. The Director laments no foreplay, and...frankly, yeah. Cloud's been softened up by his tenure in Nippon on that front. Sexual undertones don't bristle or embarrass him as much anymore.
There's something hovering around in Cloud's brain about how foreplay's getting skipped if they're turned on fast enough COUGH KYUSHU COUGH but. He's also not dignifying that with a response. He holds his ground, only sighing with a simple: ]
Right.
[ That's when the script gets shoved directly against his stomach, and he places his hand over it to prevent it from scattering to the ground. Cloud knew it. He wasn't about to exactly retrace the script by heart, the one from their time back in Nippon, but this is still all so familiar to him. The entire time, he keeps a calm, businesslike expression on his face, flipping towards Act 3 in advance while he pays attention to the Director's instruction.
It's...actually more familiar than he thought it'd be. He really did spend a lot of time going over the script with Ayaka, as well as spending a lot of time in the district of Gion for the movie. And that feeling was bubbling right back up to the surface. ]
"Hero", huh?
[ And sure enough...it's a very romantic scene, indeed. Pulling at the heartstrings, the music already crescendos at the right moment in his head, and this moment calls for a hero's tenderness as much as it calls for his boldness.
It's not so much the content of the act and his lines that causes color to creep back up to his cheeks.
It's the memory of catching Ayaka that day, and everything that would follow when they celebrated at the teahouse. Well. There he goes, then. Back on stage once more. If he were being honest? He didn't think he'd ever do this again. But, at the same time, once he'd taken a deep breath and sucked it up stifled his doubts, then it's just like what happens to his girlfriend when the camera starts rolling. He becomes an entirely different person.
He has experience doing that. For better or for worse.
Right, then. He has his lines. And whether or not he's going to be working alongside someone for this scene, or it's a monologue, he asks as he hangs on the Director's every word. This is his task. ]
[ The boy could use to use more of his words. The director interprets it in two ways, and it is with a flourish of his hand that he explains: ]
Why, of course you'd want to gain a new letter so you know where to go.
[ That should be Cloud's motivation to finish this task. Properly.
Up they go on stage, shooing away the other people who are practising so that he and Cloud can be at the centre. ]
Your character, on the other hand, needs to rescue his childhood friend played by yours truly. I've gotten sick, you see. [ Well, isn't that familiar? ] Act 3 is when your character finds out about just how sick I have become. You have the medicine to cure me, but because you took so much time...
[ It does not sound like a happy ending. But maybe that is familiar to Cloud, too. And so, the director does not even wait for confirmation that Cloud is ready. He should be ready. He should be able to adapt to his surroundings, and the director tests that by throwing himself at the blond.
[ Cloud has to bite back the "No shit" that threatens to bubble out when the Director flourishes his hand and explains the goal of retrieving the letter. Of course that wasn't what he was going for! His motivation for the scene. He's taken a read of the lines, but much like the first audition, there was also prompts to guide the actors through it. More than anything, he suspects that there would be another actor. Or maybe an actress? It didn't quite matter to him, since they were all just playing characters, after all. As the Director explains that he has to rescue his childhood friend, ]
...
[ He feels a strange weight settling in his chest. Even when the much taller, fashionable man mentions that he's gotten quite sick. That he has the medicine to cure him, but does he make it in time? Without so much as another word, as he prepares to fold up and stuff the script in his back pocket because he anticipates that he's going to need his whole body for this performance, he looks away as he takes a deep breath. In through his nose.
Out his mouth— ]
!?!
[ His senses work in overtime for him, quickly registering the Director in his peripheral as he throws himself at him!? NO WARNING?! But in that quick span of a second, it almost feels like time slows to a crawl for him. The stage disappears around him. The aspiring performers seated in the front row disappear. The young lady who took those sushi rolls to snack on down? Disappears. Only the man who throws himself at him, the spiky-haired blond's eyes snapping wide—
"I didn't think you would come for me,"
And as Cloud lets the script in his hand just fall to the ground, catching the Director like it was the most natural thing, he adjusts him in his arms, just managing to get an arm around the back of his shoulders for support as he starts kneeling down with him. Setting him down easy as he looks into the Director's eyes (is he still wearing those shades...either way, still doing it) ]
.....
[ The audience waits. The Director waits. It's Cloud's line. ]
[ The Director would feel the muscles in Cloud's arm around his shoulders hold him just a little tighter as he starts shaking his head, loosing a shaken breath. ]
Nono no... Come on. It's okay. You're gonna be okay. I've got it... I've got it right—
[ Right here. In his pocket. The medicine he pulls from his pocket, nothing but thin air for the scene but in this reality, it's everything that his childhood friends needs. He made it, right? He caught them just in time... Right? ]
[ The Director is most certainly still wearing those shades, yes. And the Director is a very skilled acteur, getting into his role of Cloud's heroine fairly easily. He does know the script by heart, after all, and he's very pumped to play the heroine in this case if it means being in the arms of such a beautiful man. ♥
He wears his mask very well, and the staff, the crew, the other actors hoping to get a role, are already to enamoured even when he hasn't said a line yet. It's Cloud who has the first spoken line in this scene, and the Director tries not to criticise him in his head. He'll have to keep the scene going, after all.
The heroine and hero find each other after some time apart. The hero had gone off to search for a cure for his friend's sickness, only to arrive a little too late when there's no way of curing the sickness already. And so, with a voice soft and weak, the heroine responds. She sounds happy even as she struggles to keep her eyes open, merely calling Cloud by his name and acknowledging his presence.
And the scene goes on with its dramatics, with the heroine being so grateful to Cloud just for being here and for changing her life, for everything they've gone through together, and she hopes he would forgive her and himself for leaving so soon... He's always been so stubborn, after all. . . and she just knows he would be angry and take it against himself for letting this happen.
If Cloud was expecting one of his Ayaka's lines to be recited to him? Well, he might not get the one that he was thinking of... Because the Director's last words aren't anything like it. ]
Please... can you smile for me one last time? You are much more handsome when you smile.
[ It's only the very back of Cloud's mind that finds the juxtaposition between the real man he's holding tenderly and the delicate heroine he's playing to be jarring. Luckily, thanks to that very theatrical tenure in Nippon (or just Cloud's penchant for getting into sticky situations by default,) it stays put— in the back of his mind while the forefront brings out a character desperately trying to hold on. Hold fast to what little emotional integrity he has left as the one person he couldn't stand living without was fading away in his arms.
She struggles to keep her eyes open, so heavy-lidded with fatigue as her final minutes are fast approaching. And Cloud can't stop any of it, even when he tenderly cups the side of his acteur's cheek in a bid to keep their gaze on him.
"Look at me," he pleads as they pour their heart and souls out. Cloud raises his voice during a couple of pivotal moments, mindful that this is a theatrical production. He's effectively begun to improvise at this point, albeit while keeping a key point lingering upon the fringes of those backstage thoughts. Lines to recite. How many things she loved about him. How he loved her too damn much to let her go. To please stay with him. And though Cloud doesn't put on the waterworks or cry (he can't do it like Ayaka can), his breath does tremor. He can feel his mouth going dry. And there's tension in his whole body as if he was fighting against very fiber of his being not to just break.
Keep it up, Cloud. You're almost there. You're almost there... ]
...what...?
[ The curveball almost breaks his immersion, blinking bright and wide-eyed down at his fading love, one hand resting in the center of the Director's chest with a gloved grip curling against his suit.
He closes his eyes, clutches her body closer as he bows his head as if to mourn as he comes to accept the pain that sweeps his entire being...
"You always were the stubborn one between the two of us."
Ayaka's words ring in his heart with a clearing resonance. And as her voice carries him through to the end of this scene, he's taken back with a flash of a precious moment he cherishes to this very day. From the day she gave him a tour of the first Kamisato Estate, the adorable way in which she peeked back out at him from behind a sliding door, trusting him with her 'secret'...
"But... I've always loved that about you."
He wants to see her again. It's only been a couple of hours and he wants to see her. Cloud opens his eyes, her guiding voice and the promise of what waits for him at the very end, and though his lips do curl for the Director... ]
I wanna keep smiling for you... [ It's somber. Bittersweet. A smile steeped in loss that he never wants to feel again. ] So please—
[ Cloud's smile is the last thing the heroine sees before she passes, and so, with a soft "Thank you", the Director closes his eyes.
For a whole of five seconds, which might be the longest and most awkward five seconds of Cloud's life. ]
End scene.
[ It is only then that he pulls himself away from Cloud's hold so that he can stand up, almost as if the whole thing never happened. What happened to the sickly girl? She's nowhere to be found now. The man Cloud is on stage with is the Director, one who is now being given applause! Cloud gets some recognition too, of course, with some of the people auditioning cheering for him and telling him that that was great.
They're going to use his performance as their inspiration for when they audition!
While the Director does not give Cloud praise for his performance, he does smile at the blond as he hands him yet another familiar-looking envelope. Where did he pull that from? Oh, somehow it came from his breast pocket inside his shirt. Don't mind him casually pulling that out and all. ]
I'm guessing you won't take up acting again unless the proprietress is involved. A pity, you're very talented. And she doesn't like the spotlight.
Do come and watch us when our production is on stage. I'll send tickets your way.
[ For now, with the job done, the Director heads back down the stage and starts to call the attention of those auditioning. They'll want to get ready soon, because he wants to see some fine acting as they get back to work!
No one pays Cloud any more attention after that, but the assistant does come back to show him the way out. She's very energetic, it seems, talking about how the Director met Ayaka at the festival she organised last year, and how they wanted to work together. It would seem that nothing has happened yet with regard to that until today.
Once they're at the entrance, the assistant waves him goodbye and repeats the Director's words that he and Ayaka should come watch them once they're on stage with the play. ]
[ And that's another task down for Cloud Strife! He's left with one more envelope and letter to go through, but that should be the end of his tasks now, right? Ayaka only handed him two bags to deliver, after all.
Celebrating might be a little too soon, though, as the letter reads:
‘I’ll be back soon!’ You said, and left; From that morn I’m sunk in gloom as lengthy as the cicadas’ Constant song.
Hehe, it feels like that poem encapsulates how I feel at this very moment. Even though I am writing you this letter well in advance, I know in my heart that at present, I would be missing you terribly.
We did not get to say goodbye to one another properly, after all. I would send you out on some deliveries, but I am afraid that you would no longer find me at the teahouse if you do go back there now.
The second task for you was at the theatre. That was when we saw each other again after our initial meeting, and to this day, it still feels like such a serendipitous moment. I know that we are in a relationship now, but when I think of the moment after the audition where we had sashimi and had tea together, it makes me feel very giddy.
I enjoyed being able to spend time with you then. Never would anyone see me rest my head on someone's shoulder in public in Inazuma, but I was too comfortable around you that I had to make an exception. And now, when you are the one who knows me best, who has seen me for who I truly am, I do not wish to hide how I feel for you even in public. I love you, Cloud, and you are always in my mind and in my heart.
For your next task, I would like you to meet Thoma. Please do get in touch with him on your own, and do make sure you bring a gift for him when you do meet. It is only polite to offer a gift to someone, after all.
We shall meet soon. I am very excited to see you again and hear about your day. I do hope the Director was not too familiar with you. He is the same with me, but I had to let him know that he must respect your personal space. Won't you tell me about the task he had you do when we meet, as well?
... [ One second. ] .... [ Two seconds. ] ..... [ Three seconds. ] ...... [ Four seconds um is he supposed to put his "lost love" down now and get up or— ]
[ "End scene." ]
Ah—
[ Like somebody just snapped their fingers in front of his eyes, the mood shifts in an instant. He blinks, and Cloud is already loosening his hold on the Director as the man rights himself. Another shrug of his shoulders as the tension leaves his body, taking a couple extra breathes to calm himself and come back to reality. It wasn't until he reflected back on this later that it was going to hit him that he...really gets into his roles— that he really steps up to the plate whenever the time called for it. If he was uncomfortable, he didn't show it. And even if he did show it? He worked it harder than most would on the fly.
At this stage, if all the hard work he put into impressing Andrea Rhodea didn't do anything for this new olive branch of skills, nothing would.
He only offers a light bow of his head to the people auditioning that applaud and start murmuring about the blond hero before he's back to following the Director when he suddenly retrieves a familiar envelope from his breast pocket. It nets a blink and widened gaze from the semi-retired actor as he reaches out for the letter. Since the Director was in on this and the name of the game was Valentine's Day? Before Cloud can even read the letter, of how Ayaka did not wish to hide her displays of affection for him in public: ]
That's right. [ It's very likely he wouldn't take up acting like this if she wasn't involved. And that's because... ] She's my motivation.
[ "Do come and watch us when our production is on stage. I'll send tickets your way."
To that? Cloud nods. ]
We will.
[ Armed with his second letter, and liberated of the bags of food he's given her, he can only imagine that it was time to return to the teahouse. He's spent long enough out that their shifts would be ending soon enough. But if he hurries back quick enough... ]
— — —
...
[ After reading her letter, an echo of her voice trailing off his lips as they reminisce over sashimi and tea, it's starting to become clearer and clearer what this was all about. Absence made the heart grow fonder. And so Cloud finds himself unable to help but smile as he folds the letter upon finishing it. She's making him feel everything that she did in setting all of this up. As to where this was all going to lead and end?
Well... ]
Okay. What do you got for me, Thoma?
[ Cloud was willing to defy fate itself a hundred times over if it meant being with her again— crossing his way to Teyvat by any means necessary if it meant fulfilling that wish to stay with her. If he was willing to go that far, what was a few more stops down memory lane if it meant he had her waiting for him at the end of it all?
Right. Time to procure a gift before he contacts his fellow blond. With Task #3 soon to be under his belt, following these breadcrumbs was eventually going to take him farther and farther away from the teahouse. Farther and farther away from Sunwaning. But at this stage? Cloud was prepared. He had every letter she wrote him to keep him warm and guide him; he had every memory etched within her words to keep him going. ]
[ It may have been a trip down memory lane for most of the afternoon, but what Cloud has to do for his task with Thoma is a little different. Likely more challenging.
If Cloud has been keeping his eyes on Ayaka, like she asked him to when he witnessed her do her fan dance for the first time, though, then perhaps it might not be too difficult in the end.
The art of tea ceremony has so much history behind it all, and proper etiquette is such a big part of it. Learning tea ceremony and being a master of it is something Ayaka prides herself in, because of her interest in tea in general, and because it has helped her become who she is today. While she does not expect Cloud to follow all rules of tea ceremony, and merely just prepare matcha, she does believe in his capabilities of being able to mix a good version of it.
If Cloud and Thoma (and Ayato) become closer because of it, then that's a bonus!
By the end of it all, Ayaka hopes that it'll be close to sunset. It would give enough time for Cloud to prepare for his date and zoom on over to meet Ayaka. It is why she does not let him dawdle any longer. The letter Thoma (or Ayato...) would be giving him simply says:
A string of stars bright Wishes and promises made Winter moves to spring
He can figure it out, right? Right?????
By which Ayaka means, "please come to the observatory in Coldreach. I will be waiting for you."
Compared to their anniversary date, though? Cloud won't be finding the observatory with lots of people. The entrance will have a couple of sakura petals, indicating that he's in the right place, though. Meanwhile, the walk up there and once he reaches the top where the telescope is will be completely deserted. Not even the staff are around.
Did Ayaka rent out the entire observatory? Surely not, right? Haha.... ha................
Where's Ayaka? He might have some difficulty looking for her as he roams around. . . But if he does go outside to the open area that overlooks the rest of Coldreach, he might spot a picnic mat already set up. There's no food set up just yet, but there is a rather large basket and a rather large box which obviously looks like his present resting in the middle of it. She's hiding behind one of the pillars so she can surprise him ]
[ If he were being evaluated by a true master in the art of tea ceremony with no bias, there's a good chance that Cloud would have failed. Whether he didn't take enough time, or rushed particular steps by seconds; in the end, through his errors he passed his trial. If only because he did just that— kept his eyes on her. The teahouse in Gion that was now like an old haunt of their memories, was where he first witnessed her performing an abridged summation of the tea ceremony. At the time, despite his attempts at paying attention, he was watching the wrong parts... Her words, gentle as they flow from her lips as she explained, the way her lashes accentuated her silvery blue hues, only barely registering "wagashi" as she left him dazed with a sense of wonder before he could snap out of it. Yet it's because of this memory that he drives himself forward. And in the end? Whether it was truly up to standard or not when he finished preparing the matcha... ]
❄️🌸
[ He made it. Having the wherewithal to heed the final(?) letter's advice, it only took him ten minutes of mulling the poem over before he made his way back to their home in Sunwaning. Somehow, the closer he got on his scooter, the more his heart started racing and the hairs on his arms raised. As if he needed to get in and get out as fast as he possibly could. He was on a mission this time, and it's all thanks to a Haiku that might as well have been his map. His phone, warmer clothes better suited for the wintery segments of this realm (a navy scarf, black winter trenchcoat...), and the only thing he actively elects leaving behind are both his weapons. Although for this run...he was tempted to take Nagareboshi Tsubaki with him— a blade that symbolized his binds with the Kamisato Clan.
But for this special day, he won't need it. He's not worried about running into trouble when Ayaka has never lead him astray before. Not once on this entire scavenger hunt did he ever feel lost. He had a path. And he continues to follow it even now as snow gently falls upon a twilit Coldreach, snowflakes dotting his black coat like pure white dust. He can see it from here, the tallest point in the region; and he runs a gloved hand through his hair, brushing the snow that wets his spikes back before reaching into deep coat pocket for the Haiku. Or more specifically... ]
A string of stars bright...
[ His map. And what he can feel in his heart is the final destination. It's the only memory she's taken him down that wasn't from Nippon. It's of Ellipsa. It's this world. It's here. And as Cloud puts the Haiku away, he starts to run and slide his way down the gently powdered hilltop he once took Ayaka to, witnessing the quaint town that awaits them. No text messages. No calls. She hasn't read or seen anything from him, and every time he checks back, there's been no sign of activity on the other side. There, at the top of the observatory, he's looking for the brightest star he knows.
And it won't be in the sky either.
There's no one here, only sakura petals preluding and causing his breath to clip as he enters the emptied Observatory. With no one else's voice but his own to carry and echo when he finally...
Finally— ]
Ayaka?
[ —calls her name. There's no answer. But he doesn't stop for very long. It almost feels like he's in a dream. She didn't rent out the entire Observatory for them, did she? Was he getting ahead of himself? Was this even the final stop? Did she have anything else in mind to make his heart weigh that much more from not seeing her? From the day they first met, to catching stars in the sky a year ago...it feels like he's had to endure all of it again. All of that space of time, compressed into one single day. And for the first time since he began this series of trials on Valentine's Day?
He sounds slightly out of breath. Panting, gently huffing as he runs up the spiraling stairs, to the next floor...and the floor after that... ]
[ "So if we're making wishes... We don't hafta make them come true on our own." ]
[ Come on, Cloud. You're almost there. ]
[ "I will protect you, too. All your wishes." ]
[ And when Cloud finally reaches the top, swallowing for air as he calls her name one more time, ]
Ayaka...?
[ "I will make your wishes come true." ]
[ He roams, searches high, looks to the starry ceiling, searches low, sighs alone at the very top when he pulls out his phone one more time. Cloud taps her name, opening up her contact page... ]
[ "So... please," ]
[ He's about to call her. So close to the end— before Cloud can press the button, he hesitates. His saving grace in keeping him from giving up dangles from the end of his phone. Kamisato Ayaka's camelia, the one that she entrusted to him as he gave her his cherry blossom. He said it himself, didn't he? That he'd never fall. ]
[ "Continue to keep your eyes on me." ]
.....
[ Cloud puts the phone away, the camelia telling him to look outside. To retrace one final memory that further committed a girl from beyond the stars into his heart forever. So he finally steps outside, cocking a brow at the picnic mat with a large basket and equally big box settled in the center of it. Slowly, he approaches the mat, only sparing fleeting glances around just in case. But there's no one.
Just echoes of memories that have guided him back here all over again. None the wiser to what was about to happen despite the anxiousness that builds in his chest the closer he gets to the goodies, only to stop and take a deep breath as he closes his eyes. ]
[ With Ayaka being alone in preparing for this, she really did need all that time to get ready. She, too, went back home to get dressed. Perhaps to add to the surprise of it all, she put on a kimono instead of something less traditional. It is a date, after all, so she must look her best! And no doubt she knows that Cloud would want to look his best for tonight, too.
By the time the skies start growing dark and the sun goes down, Ayaka's picnic set up is all ready. All that's left to do is to wait for Cloud. Every now and then, she checks her phone to see if there are any updates from the people she's asked help from, and much as she appreciates it all, she cannot wait to see Cloud again and for him to tell her his side of the story.
No, scratch that. She cannot wait to see Cloud again. Period.
Every so often, she peeks from the top of the observatory to see if there is anyone walking towards the building. Once she spots her, she immediately goes into hiding.
She didn't even plan it initially! But in her giddiness and excitement, she thought it best to hide behind one of the doors leading to the open area of the observatory. She isn't even sure if Cloud would realise where she is, but she thinks her own heartbeat might reveal her hiding place because of how loud it was. It feels even louder than his footsteps!
When he passes by the door where she's hiding behind, she stops breathing for a bit until she sees him pass. Slowly, she takes a few steps to the side until she isn't concealed anymore. It's just a few more steps to take, and she can wrap her arms around her beau and greet him proper. A true surprise! ]
My love? [ Even her own excitement gets the better of her, because she calls him and beckons him to turn around, unable to keep it to herself anymore. So much for surprising him... But when he does turn to face her, he'd better be ready because he has to catch her all over again. ] Happy Valentine's Day!
[ Cloud barely has time to register her voice, almost lost between wondering if it was still a dream or if he was imagining things like he did before. Yet every fiber of his being was telling him to just turn around. Quickly. There's not much time left. And just as he does, pivoting on his heel with hopeful, baby blue eyes, his heart leaps in his chest— out of surprise and also knowing that he finally made it to the end. Her stunning kimono, the articles in her hair, soft white silk and her arms thrown around him as he does just that.
He catches her again. Like their audition. Like at the end of racing to make the last train. Like he did when they were climbing down from their tree. Just like he would continue to do for the rest of his life as his arms envelop her tight and his breath shakes upon the chilled night air, laughing softly as emotions overwhelm him.
He braces himself for her, only stepping around on his feet to carry her momentum into one little spin before she's safe and sound in his hold.
But instead of saying it right back, Cloud has other ideas— one of which was something he'd missed doing far too much for his own good as he takes what little breath was granted them away with a kiss. He did this too, when she finished her fan dance for him and the only answer he could find was something words couldn't portray. And just like that, it feels like he's being released. He's set free, like his white heron who could fit through the opening of that opened cage.
[ They laugh at the same time, and there's something about hearing Cloud laugh that makes her heart swell.
He's happy. He's not one to be as emotional as she is, but any sign of his happiness is something that delights her, makes her feel even happier, like she was on top of the world.
Before she can ask him about his day, he kisses her, and this time? She's ready! Not because she was expecting it from him, but because she's wanted to kiss him from the moment they went their separate ways. She smiles when their lips touch, pressing herself against him even more, as if the distance between them was far too much despite being held by him now.
When he pulls away, Ayaka cannot help but let out a deep breath. ]
I'm so glad you're here... [ Somehow a little later than what she was expecting. Did he experience any hitches along the way? Ah, well. He'll tell her later. ] I missed you so much today.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
timeasmymeasure
2/2
Date: 2024-02-04 08:29 am (UTC)[ He crosses his arms. ]
Alright. If they can keep up.
[ Because he plans on making this quick before taking his payment and heading for the next stop. Sorry, Ayaka. ]
no subject
Date: 2024-02-04 09:18 am (UTC)There's a pretty satisfied smile on the lady's face. Oh, no one's going to "keep up", per see. Cloud's going to put on a show. ]
Grab a sword, then. Let me set up the program. It's what we use to train.
[ A program? Chinatsu's walked away to the other end of the room towards a panel on the wall before Cloud could even ask. A big slime toad hologram appears in the centre of the room. It's about four or five times the size of Cloud, and despite it being a toad, Ayaka had seemingly agreed to this plan because toads and lizards are... both slimy and gross. ]
Difficulty... should I set it to a 6?
[ Out of ten. 6 out of 10 difficulty!
The students have opened up the takoyaki box by now, munching on these hot as hell octopus balls and drinking their milk tea, as they get ready to watch the show. They're all aware of the situation of how this is for the proprietress of the teahouse, but they do want to learn a thing or two from this guy! He's got such huge arms just like what the proprietress told them, too! Surely he's good with them and with his hands...
just like what the proprietress told them"Set it to 8, Sensei!" one of them cheers, but Chinatsu waits to see Cloud's reaction before doing so. ]
no subject
Date: 2024-02-05 05:02 am (UTC)Cloud hums as he follows Chinatsu just far enough towards the rack of various weaponry on the wall. He didn't bring the Buster Sword or Tsubaki with him today, but he supposes another Ōdachi would suffice. He claims the longer sword before walking past the students who are currently preparing to open up their takoyaki box and boba. Seems this wasn't just going to be a direct training exercise, but more of a demonstration. They'd better be keeping their eyes on him. ]
!
[ Just as Cloud had best keep his eyes upon the massive slime toad that'd taken up the centre of the room. A hologram, of course, similar to the kind of training that the Guilds can offer. It only makes sense they have their own equipment in a facility like this for it. And despite it only being a hologram, it's still something he needs to take seriously— otherwise, what's the point in even trying? He hears the instructor ask for a Difficulty level. And while Cloud has pushed the limits of that at various Guilds, he was content in 6 this time. Just a quick demonstration! Than he can get his pay, drop off the food at the theatre for the director, roll on back to Ayaka and— ]
[ —"Set it to 8, Sensei!" Great. He should have seen this one coming. Drawing his long katana, he keeps it idly at his side at first as he stares down the gargantuanly gross slime toad. Something about it reminds him of his first hunt back in Nippon. A Great Salamander... And as he raises his blade and gets into a Chudan-no-Kamae stance, he only shifts his attention over his shoulder to Chinsatsu once.
And he nods.
Difficulty Level 8, then. Cloud can handle it. With those huge arms of his. And those good hands.
Just like what the proprietress likes.]no subject
Date: 2024-02-05 06:45 am (UTC)With Cloud's nod, Chinatsu takes it as a sign to really amp up the level, then. After a few seconds, she walks away from the panel. The slime toad starts to blink a couple of times before it lets out a rather loud croak. It looks like the change in settings has been applied! Not that... Cloud would know.
And then there's the sound of a bell, like a countdown. ]
The fight starts in 3... [ 2, 1... the class counts along with the speaker. If Cloud doesn't strike first, the slime toad will, lowering its jaw to use its tongue to slap Cloud hard and fast.
It's just one strong enemy, but despite it being a hologram, it doesn't seem like it would go down quickly. Any blows Cloud might deal to the building would not do anything in real life, as the rest of the room has been protected by some sort of barrier alongside the training program. He won't have to worry about destroying anything... yay! The feeling of stickiness from the slime would feel real though ...
Until the fight ends and the slime toad is defeated, anyway. ]
no subject
Date: 2024-02-05 07:44 am (UTC)...
[ The slime toad charges, lowering its jaw and preparing to slap him with its tongue. Yet Cloud doesn't charge or strike first as he was wont to do so, fighting like the SOLDIER he once claimed to be. Instead, he's patient. Unmoving. Like he was prepared to take the brunt of that slimy, grotesque tongue head-on when all of a sudden, ]
!
[ Cloud skips back, almost delicately so as he makes it look effortless in dodging the attack before he prepares his counterstrike, shifting seamlessly into a Ko Gasumi stance. Without looking back, neither to Chinatsu or the students observing, he calls just once. ]
Keep your eyes on me!
[ This is the Kamisato Art Tachi Jutsu. ]
[ It may not have gone down easy, and being such a high difficulty, he wasn't immune to getting a couple licks on his person along the way. And while his path carried more force behind his swings, the method behind it all remains the same. Still as the morning dew. Swift as lightning. And as the battle draws closer to its conclusion, the hologram beast staggered on its side, sparks of electricity trickle the length of Cloud's blade as he takes his position. It still wasn't the completed technique...but a stepping stone on his path to discovering it. He may not wield a vision, but by breaking his own limits, he still could harness a taste of that element. ]
Kamisato Art: [ He flashes a step forward, thrusting his katana forward! ] Raikiri!
[ With that thunderstrike, the beast bellows before ultimately (pardon the pun), croaking as the hologram and protected terrain is lifted. Loosing a sigh of relief, he spins the handle of his blade with a look of contentment in his eyes before sheathing it at his side.
Victory. ]
1/2
Date: 2024-02-05 09:03 am (UTC)That definitely was a sight, though! Cloud's got a lot of fans now, and he'll find some students even running up to him to give him compliments, admire him, and even try to imitate some of his moves. ]
That was great. Thanks for showing us some new moves.
[ Chinatsu is more than ready to pay him now after that, so the students give way to their teacher by moving away from Cloud for a bit. What she hands the blond isn't money though, but an envelope. A blue and pink one, and he might just notice that it has the Kamisato emblem on it. . . Huh! ]
I paid online. This is for you, though. You can read it once you get out of here.
[ She assumes Cloud might want to read it privately since it is from his girlfriend. ]
no subject
Date: 2024-02-05 09:03 am (UTC)In her neat and beautiful handwriting, the letter reads:
To my dearest Cloud, my wonderful beau, my everything,
Happy Valentine's Day! You normally can read my mind, but I hope that this comes as a surprise to you.
By now, I assume you would have accomplished the task Chinatsu gave you. I had utmost trust that you would be able to, after all, it was with your aid that we were able to take care of the great salamander when we first met. Hehe, did the toad remind you of it? Because that was what I thought of when Chinatsu told me about it!
You are very strong and very skilled, and you have so many talents. Being able to get to know you after we met truly changed my life for the better. I can no longer see myself as the same girl that I used to be because of you. So many possibilities have opened up thanks to you, and I can finally say that I am living.
I am Kamisato Ayaka today because of you, my love.
There will be a next task when you deliver the food to director of the theatre. Hehe, I think you have an idea of what it just might be. The next ones after that will all relate to wonderful memories you have given me, as well. I thought that it might be fun to relive some of them on such a wonderful occasion- a day where I get to show you all of my love and appreciation.
I cannot tell you just how many tasks you will have to do, but please consider this practice for when you officially become part of the Kamisato Clan and serve the Yashiro Commission. It is a day I cannot wait for, and I have no doubts that you will have no difficulty with any of these that I have prepared. You are my beau, after all.
Oh, and I do have one request. You must not call or text me while you are away. Please know that as I am writing this now and thinking about how you might react, there is some pain in knowing that I will be missing you, but I believe it might also add to the excitement later on.
Do enjoy your day today. I will be waiting for you by the end of it all for our date.
I love you, my sweet prince.
Your Kamisato Ayaka ]
no subject
Date: 2024-02-06 07:27 am (UTC)If it were humanly possible, he could have sworn he'd start seeing stars in their eyes. Compliments. Asking him questions about how he did a certain step in his fight. How long did it take him to learn Kamisato Art Tachi Jutsu. Where did he learn to create lightning with his slashes! Was it an elemental power!? Others might have felt overwhelmed, but he keeps his cool all the same, unable to help the confident smile that crosses his lips before Chinatsu is approaching him. Right. Best he get back to business now that he fulfilled one end of the bargain. The food was delivered, and as far as he was concerned, he was halfway done with his route before he could get back to work with Ayaka. Still wearing that smile as he puts a hand on his hip, he idly holds his other hand out, open-palmed. ]
And I didn't charge extra to boot.
[ Just joking. But speaking of charging... ]
Hm? [ He tilts his head, brow cocking when instead of his payment, the weapons instructor offers him... ] An envelope?
[ Before Cloud can even register that there might be money inside, he's immediately redirected by the fact the color tones of said envelope were familiar. Soft blues and a shade of pink that reminds him of a certain somebody that was waiting for him at the teahouse, he thinks. More pressing and urgent is the camellia that seals it. It's the Kamisato Clan's mark. And his expression shifts from that of confusion to broader eyes, and a sense of curiosity and wonder. He hasn't even opened it yet, and somehow he can tell who this is supposed to be from. There his heart goes again, leaping to a conclusion before he can see the full picture. Only...like so many other times when it came to a particular White Heron Princess, ]
This is...
[ He can tell that this is right. Now he's suspicious, as he's informed that the payment had already been delivered online. He could have just dropped the food off and left immediately if he'd known that. But then, if he did, he would have already failed this newly paved road down memory lane. Chinatsu suggests that he give it a read— once he's high-tailed it out of there, that is. And though some of the students seem bummed out that he was already preparing to take his leave, unclipping the sheathed katana from his person as he intends to set it back up on the rack he got it from, Cloud doesn't depart without at least giving the group one last call for attention. ]
Work hard! And pay closer attention to Chinatsu Sensei. Got it?
[ It's almost unanimous, the way they stand at attention. This was a training facility for all forms of weaponry, but they at least knew what a Sensei was! They acknowledge him, yes sir! And now it was time to finish what was left of the order from the teahouse so they can give their instructor the proper attention that she deserved. This time? With more confidence and discipline as a certain somebody left quite the impression on them. With a content huff, he takes his leave with the order for the Theatre in one hand, walking out and making his way back to his parked scooter in front of the HQ. ]
One stop down... [ He sets the bag for the Director on the seat of his scooter, but he hesitates to get on and get going. No. Now that he can take a deep breath, finally alone with the letter in his hand, he's going to take the instructor's advice. Even if he didn't have an inkling of a clue as to what could be inside, there's a thin smile that graces his lips as he slides his finger beneath the fold of the envelope, the timbre of his voice thrumming with a quiet affection. ] What are you up to now?
[ He opens the letter, tucking the blue and pink envelope into his back pocket for now before he opens it and reads by the side of the road. If anyone were to pass the blond by, he looked to be in his own world now, transported away from the hustle and bustle of the life they live...and he can swear he catches the fragrance of a great sakura tree. It's all in his mind. All in the memories in this very message to him as the picture becomes all the more clear as to how his day was going to go.
I had utmost trust that you would be able to, after all, it was with your aid that we were able to take care of the great salamander when we first met. Hehe, did the toad remind you of it? ]
Hahah...
[ His eyes soften, as if he could hear her voice resonating in his mind. As if she was right here, strolling down memory lane with him. She read his mind. It did remind him of tackling the great salamander with her. He even gave her the larger split of the commission because he deemed she did more of the work. Or rather, he was captivated by her Soumetsu technique that subdued and caused the beast to finally slide off and out of the perimeters of the city. As he continues to read and relive the day they first met, the realization strikes him like a bolt of lightning, his heart practically jumping as his eyes widen and he takes a hitched gasp.
The first order he delivered to the students...
Heheh... He just about burned himself biting into his first Takoyaki, didn't he? Before soothing that burn with his first Milk Tea. Cloud wasn't an emotional person. At least, his emotions were guarded well and kept safe and sound with those he cared the most about. And he doesn't cry, but...as he finishes reading her letter and his mission for the day, he can feel his breathing tremor as he smiles, her words upon a whisper: ]
'I love you, my sweet prince.
Your Kamisato...Ayaka...'
[ Cloud grabs the envelope from before, sliding the letter inside as he swallows, his throat tight as he takes a calming breath to compose himself. Lifting up the backseat of the scooter, he sets the sushi rolls and the letter inside for safe transportation before he straddles and ignites the little vehicle once more. Giving the handle a couple of revs as he lifts the kickstand, he raises his deep blue hues to the road ahead, and where this day was going to take him. He fondly shakes his head. ]
Really driving home how lucky I am to have you.
[ The amount of stops he takes didn't matter if it meant he got Ayaka at the very end of it. Like his promise to find her at the end of their journeys, no matter what.
Off to destination #2! To the Theatre! ]
no subject
Date: 2024-02-06 02:56 pm (UTC)Ayaka's not somebody who orchestrates things unlike her brother, but she hopes that watching him work has made her learn a thing or two to make this little surprise a fun one for Cloud. ]
[ The theatre is a pretty large building, and with there not being a show, the hallways are mostly empty! Cloud might have difficulty finding exactly where to go, considering he never really had any instructions beyond "give this to the director".
Fortunately for him though, a young lady, around the same age as him, passes by. She just came from the bathroom and is on her way back to the theatre where auditions are being held. Lucky for him too, because she just knows who this stranger is.
(That's a lie. She sees the shinrin-yoku logo on the bag he's holding.) ]
You brought the snacks! Come and follow me, then. The director's expecting you.
[ Because of course he is. After all, this task isn't just a delivery job. Ayaka's revealed the master plan to Cloud now, and he's in the director's hands now. Like the letter says. . .
"There will be a next task when you deliver the food to director of the theatre. Hehe, I think you have an idea of what it just might be."
The walk to where the auditions are being held is a long one. The doors to the actual theatre aren't open, so they have to walk aaaaall the way to the back, enter through the backstage where Cloud will see a couple of people up on stage, reading a script. Down the stage they go and up the seats where there's a table in the middle and a man who's in control watching his assistant and the blond through his sunglasses. ]
Director, the shinrin-yoku delivery arrived. [ Cloud is the shinrin-yoku delivery. Without even asking for the blond's permission, the assistant takes the bag from his hands to place on the table and open. Time to eat!
The Director, on the other hand, gets up. He's a lot taller than Cloud is, and a lot more. . . well-dressed than Cloud is! He doesn't even look like a director. One might think he works at one of the host clubs instead. ]
You're beautiful. [ He takes a few steps closer to the delivery boy, using two fingers to tilt Cloud's chin up to look at him, then to one side, then another.
This might be familiar to Cloud, but Ayaka is none the wiserA few seconds later, he drops his hands as if he's just remembered something. ] Ah, right. No touching... You don't like that.[ Or so he was told by the shinrin-yoku proprietress. ]
no subject
Date: 2024-02-07 04:49 am (UTC)the Mayorthe Director, follow their instructions, and bingo. He's on to his next task as assigned by his girlfriend. Except, there is one minute hiccup in his train of thought. That implied that there would even be anybody up at the front to greet him. Which...there wasn't. They were out to lunch, or not even attending today since there was no productions on stage. Regardless, after waiting at the front desk for a couple minutes, tapping his foot (impatiently), he shakes his head and makes down the hallway to his right, through a set of double-doors.He's in the right place. That's all that matters to him...even if he can't help but feel a familiarness to this place as well. He'd have an idea of what his next task might be, huh? He can mull it over until he arrives and finds this 'Director' that he imagines is waiting for him.
For five seconds before passing a young lady by, the blond clearing his throat before addressing her. ]
Excuse me. I'm looking for the 'Director' of the—
[ "You brought the snacks!" ]
Snacks?
[ He...thought these were supposed to be for his client? Either way, there's solace in knowing that he's at least back on the right track. At first, Cloud thinks that this is going to be a quick route, but when he thinks that he can just waltz right through what appeared to be an even larger set of double-doors, a row of many that would lead into various parts of the audience where one may be seated, he's taken past them. Further down the hall. All he can do is place his trust in this lady. Or...more specifically, place his trust in Ayaka whose taking him down this path of memories. The first one, surprise as it may have been, is still fondly nursed in his heart.
Still, he's as level in expression as he was when he first got here, not showing much enthusiasm nor appearing downtrodden. ... In other words, his business face is also his resting bitch face.
"Director, the shinrin-yoku delivery arrived." Taken through the backstage area, the attention he gives the couple on stage in passing is also brief before he's back to business and his focus is centered on the Director, watching him from behind those shades of his.
Who wears sunglasses indoors...Lifting up his bag of sushi rolls, he calls out. ]Hey there. I— [ Yyyoink! ] Uh...?
[ There goes his delivery. ...or perhaps, rather, he was the package. That's when the Director stands up, immaculately dressed and nearly a good foot taller over him as he's watched down the line of his sunglasses. Cloud's posture hasn't changed, hands at his sides resisting the urge to ball into defensive little fists. Not because he anticipates a confrontation, but because he can't help but feel the strangest sense of Déjà vu once again. Only this time, the feeling doesn't stem from moments in Nippon.
And he's invading what little personal space Cloud has after calling him beautiful out the gate. That gets Cloud to blink, eyes widening as he doesn't break his gaze off him, looking up. And before he can either take a step back, or protest— ]
Ah-
[ His entire body stiffens when the Director lifts his chin in two fingers. Then to one side. The blond swallows while maintaining his resting bitch face expression, staring up at him with those baby blue eyes of his. Then to the other side...
Oh if only this man knew how much patience this delivery boy was exercising right now. Because if this wasn't for Ayaka's sake and how much trust he's placed in her?
"Ah, right. No touching... You don't like that."
Cloud might not have let him have a chance to get this close. He's released, and the tension in his shoulders laxes too as he crosses his arms. No touching... Was that a certain proprietress' instructions? ]
Glad you caught on, [ he dryly retorts. But at least Cloud's got experience in communicating with guys like this. ... He thinks. Though maybe it's less about how he talks to them and more how he gets down with them. On the dance floor. ] So.
[ What oh what could his task be, Kamisato Ayaka? ]
What's the production?
no subject
Date: 2024-02-07 09:00 am (UTC)No acting overly familiar with Cloud. He would not appreciate that, and might even snap at you if you push him.
Like an angry cat.The director places a hand on his hips and starts tutting. ]
Straight to the point. . . no foreplay at all. That would hurt, you know.
[ Poor Ayaka, he thinks, but maybe the girl likes it that rough despite how she looks.
He looks back at Cloud and shoves a script his way. No touching, but the script is pressed against his stomach. ] Follow me. Act 3. Those people on the first row are all auditioning for the hero of the story. You're going to show them what a hero actually should be like.
[ By which he means, start reading the act as they walk down. It's a very romantic scene... ]
no subject
Date: 2024-02-07 09:43 am (UTC)There's something hovering around in Cloud's brain about how foreplay's getting skipped if they're turned on fast enough
COUGH KYUSHU COUGHbut. He's also not dignifying that with a response. He holds his ground, only sighing with a simple: ]Right.
[ That's when the script gets shoved directly against his stomach, and he places his hand over it to prevent it from scattering to the ground. Cloud knew it. He wasn't about to exactly retrace the script by heart, the one from their time back in Nippon, but this is still all so familiar to him. The entire time, he keeps a calm, businesslike expression on his face, flipping towards Act 3 in advance while he pays attention to the Director's instruction.
It's...actually more familiar than he thought it'd be. He really did spend a lot of time going over the script with Ayaka, as well as spending a lot of time in the district of Gion for the movie. And that feeling was bubbling right back up to the surface. ]
"Hero", huh?
[ And sure enough...it's a very romantic scene, indeed. Pulling at the heartstrings, the music already crescendos at the right moment in his head, and this moment calls for a hero's tenderness as much as it calls for his boldness.
It's not so much the content of the act and his lines that causes color to creep back up to his cheeks.
It's the memory of catching Ayaka that day, and everything that would follow when they celebrated at the teahouse. Well. There he goes, then. Back on stage once more. If he were being honest? He didn't think he'd ever do this again. But, at the same time, once he'd taken a deep breath and
sucked it upstifled his doubts, then it's just like what happens to his girlfriend when the camera starts rolling. He becomes an entirely different person.He has experience doing that. For better or for worse.Right, then. He has his lines. And whether or not he's going to be working alongside someone for this scene, or it's a monologue, he asks as he hangs on the Director's every word. This is his task. ]
What's my motivation?
no subject
Date: 2024-02-07 05:08 pm (UTC)[ The boy could use to use more of his words. The director interprets it in two ways, and it is with a flourish of his hand that he explains: ]
Why, of course you'd want to gain a new letter so you know where to go.
[ That should be Cloud's motivation to finish this task. Properly.
Up they go on stage, shooing away the other people who are practising so that he and Cloud can be at the centre. ]
Your character, on the other hand, needs to rescue his childhood friend played by yours truly. I've gotten sick, you see. [ Well, isn't that familiar? ] Act 3 is when your character finds out about just how sick I have become. You have the medicine to cure me, but because you took so much time...
[ It does not sound like a happy ending. But maybe that is familiar to Cloud, too. And so, the director does not even wait for confirmation that Cloud is ready. He should be ready. He should be able to adapt to his surroundings, and the director tests that by throwing himself at the blond.
You know.
"Catch me." ]
1/2
Date: 2024-02-08 06:35 am (UTC)...
[ He feels a strange weight settling in his chest. Even when the much taller, fashionable man mentions that he's gotten quite sick. That he has the medicine to cure him, but does he make it in time? Without so much as another word, as he prepares to fold up and stuff the script in his back pocket because he anticipates that he's going to need his whole body for this performance, he looks away as he takes a deep breath. In through his nose.
Out his mouth— ]
!?!
[ His senses work in overtime for him, quickly registering the Director in his peripheral as he throws himself at him!? NO WARNING?! But in that quick span of a second, it almost feels like time slows to a crawl for him. The stage disappears around him. The aspiring performers seated in the front row disappear. The young lady who took those sushi rolls to snack on down? Disappears. Only the man who throws himself at him, the spiky-haired blond's eyes snapping wide—
"I didn't think you would come for me,"
And as Cloud lets the script in his hand just fall to the ground, catching the Director like it was the most natural thing, he adjusts him in his arms, just managing to get an arm around the back of his shoulders for support as he starts kneeling down with him. Setting him down easy as he looks into the Director's eyes (is he still wearing those shades...either way, still doing it) ]
.....
[ The audience waits. The Director waits. It's Cloud's line. ]
[ "—but... I'm glad." ]
2/2
Date: 2024-02-08 06:40 am (UTC)[ The Director would feel the muscles in Cloud's arm around his shoulders hold him just a little tighter as he starts shaking his head, loosing a shaken breath. ]
Nono no... Come on. It's okay. You're gonna be okay. I've got it... I've got it right—
[ Right here. In his pocket. The medicine he pulls from his pocket, nothing but thin air for the scene but in this reality, it's everything that his childhood friends needs. He made it, right? He caught them just in time... Right? ]
no subject
Date: 2024-02-08 08:23 am (UTC)He wears his mask very well, and the staff, the crew, the other actors hoping to get a role, are already to enamoured even when he hasn't said a line yet. It's Cloud who has the first spoken line in this scene, and the Director tries not to criticise him in his head. He'll have to keep the scene going, after all.
The heroine and hero find each other after some time apart. The hero had gone off to search for a cure for his friend's sickness, only to arrive a little too late when there's no way of curing the sickness already. And so, with a voice soft and weak, the heroine responds. She sounds happy even as she struggles to keep her eyes open, merely calling Cloud by his name and acknowledging his presence.
And the scene goes on with its dramatics, with the heroine being so grateful to Cloud just for being here and for changing her life, for everything they've gone through together, and she hopes he would forgive her and himself for leaving so soon... He's always been so stubborn, after all. . . and she just knows he would be angry and take it against himself for letting this happen.
If Cloud was expecting one of his Ayaka's lines to be recited to him? Well, he might not get the one that he was thinking of... Because the Director's last words aren't anything like it. ]
Please... can you smile for me one last time? You are much more handsome when you smile.
no subject
Date: 2024-02-08 09:29 am (UTC)She struggles to keep her eyes open, so heavy-lidded with fatigue as her final minutes are fast approaching. And Cloud can't stop any of it, even when he tenderly cups the side of his acteur's cheek in a bid to keep their gaze on him.
"Look at me," he pleads as they pour their heart and souls out. Cloud raises his voice during a couple of pivotal moments, mindful that this is a theatrical production. He's effectively begun to improvise at this point, albeit while keeping a key point lingering upon the fringes of those backstage thoughts. Lines to recite. How many things she loved about him. How he loved her too damn much to let her go. To please stay with him. And though Cloud doesn't put on the waterworks or cry (he can't do it like Ayaka can), his breath does tremor. He can feel his mouth going dry. And there's tension in his whole body as if he was fighting against very fiber of his being not to just break.
Keep it up, Cloud. You're almost there. You're almost there... ]
...what...?
[ The curveball almost breaks his immersion, blinking bright and wide-eyed down at his fading love, one hand resting in the center of the Director's chest with a gloved grip curling against his suit.
He closes his eyes, clutches her body closer as he bows his head as if to mourn as he comes to accept the pain that sweeps his entire being...
"You always were the stubborn one between the two of us."
Ayaka's words ring in his heart with a clearing resonance. And as her voice carries him through to the end of this scene, he's taken back with a flash of a precious moment he cherishes to this very day. From the day she gave him a tour of the first Kamisato Estate, the adorable way in which she peeked back out at him from behind a sliding door, trusting him with her 'secret'...
"But... I've always loved that about you."
He wants to see her again. It's only been a couple of hours and he wants to see her. Cloud opens his eyes, her guiding voice and the promise of what waits for him at the very end, and though his lips do curl for the Director... ]
I wanna keep smiling for you... [ It's somber. Bittersweet. A smile steeped in loss that he never wants to feel again. ] So please—
Don't go...
1/2
Date: 2024-02-08 02:24 pm (UTC)For a whole of five seconds, which might be the longest and most awkward five seconds of Cloud's life. ]
End scene.
[ It is only then that he pulls himself away from Cloud's hold so that he can stand up, almost as if the whole thing never happened. What happened to the sickly girl? She's nowhere to be found now. The man Cloud is on stage with is the Director, one who is now being given applause! Cloud gets some recognition too, of course, with some of the people auditioning cheering for him and telling him that that was great.
They're going to use his performance as their inspiration for when they audition!
While the Director does not give Cloud praise for his performance, he does smile at the blond as he hands him yet another familiar-looking envelope. Where did he pull that from? Oh, somehow it came from his breast pocket inside his shirt. Don't mind him casually pulling that out and all. ]
I'm guessing you won't take up acting again unless the proprietress is involved. A pity, you're very talented. And she doesn't like the spotlight.
Do come and watch us when our production is on stage. I'll send tickets your way.
[ For now, with the job done, the Director heads back down the stage and starts to call the attention of those auditioning. They'll want to get ready soon, because he wants to see some fine acting as they get back to work!
No one pays Cloud any more attention after that, but the assistant does come back to show him the way out. She's very energetic, it seems, talking about how the Director met Ayaka at the festival she organised last year, and how they wanted to work together. It would seem that nothing has happened yet with regard to that until today.
Once they're at the entrance, the assistant waves him goodbye and repeats the Director's words that he and Ayaka should come watch them once they're on stage with the play. ]
no subject
Date: 2024-02-08 02:27 pm (UTC)Celebrating might be a little too soon, though, as the letter reads:
‘I’ll be back soon!’
You said, and left;
From that morn
I’m sunk in gloom as lengthy as the cicadas’
Constant song.
Hehe, it feels like that poem encapsulates how I feel at this very moment. Even though I am writing you this letter well in advance, I know in my heart that at present, I would be missing you terribly.
We did not get to say goodbye to one another properly, after all. I would send you out on some deliveries, but I am afraid that you would no longer find me at the teahouse if you do go back there now.
The second task for you was at the theatre. That was when we saw each other again after our initial meeting, and to this day, it still feels like such a serendipitous moment. I know that we are in a relationship now, but when I think of the moment after the audition where we had sashimi and had tea together, it makes me feel very giddy.
I enjoyed being able to spend time with you then. Never would anyone see me rest my head on someone's shoulder in public in Inazuma, but I was too comfortable around you that I had to make an exception. And now, when you are the one who knows me best, who has seen me for who I truly am, I do not wish to hide how I feel for you even in public. I love you, Cloud, and you are always in my mind and in my heart.
For your next task, I would like you to meet Thoma. Please do get in touch with him on your own, and do make sure you bring a gift for him when you do meet. It is only polite to offer a gift to someone, after all.
We shall meet soon. I am very excited to see you again and hear about your day. I do hope the Director was not too familiar with you. He is the same with me, but I had to let him know that he must respect your personal space. Won't you tell me about the task he had you do when we meet, as well?
Your Ayaka ]
no subject
Date: 2024-02-09 05:35 am (UTC)[ "End scene." ]
Ah—
[ Like somebody just snapped their fingers in front of his eyes, the mood shifts in an instant. He blinks, and Cloud is already loosening his hold on the Director as the man rights himself. Another shrug of his shoulders as the tension leaves his body, taking a couple extra breathes to calm himself and come back to reality. It wasn't until he reflected back on this later that it was going to hit him that he...really gets into his roles— that he really steps up to the plate whenever the time called for it. If he was uncomfortable, he didn't show it. And even if he did show it? He worked it harder than most would on the fly.
At this stage, if all the hard work he put into impressing Andrea Rhodea didn't do anything for this new olive branch of skills, nothing would.
He only offers a light bow of his head to the people auditioning that applaud and start murmuring about the blond hero before he's back to following the Director when he suddenly retrieves a familiar envelope from his breast pocket. It nets a blink and widened gaze from the
semi-retired actor as he reaches out for the letter. Since the Director was in on this and the name of the game was Valentine's Day? Before Cloud can even read the letter, of how Ayaka did not wish to hide her displays of affection for him in public: ]That's right. [ It's very likely he wouldn't take up acting like this if she wasn't involved. And that's because... ] She's my motivation.
[ "Do come and watch us when our production is on stage. I'll send tickets your way."
To that? Cloud nods. ]
We will.
[ Armed with his second letter, and liberated of the bags of food he's given her, he can only imagine that it was time to return to the teahouse. He's spent long enough out that their shifts would be ending soon enough. But if he hurries back quick enough... ]
...
[ After reading her letter, an echo of her voice trailing off his lips as they reminisce over sashimi and tea, it's starting to become clearer and clearer what this was all about. Absence made the heart grow fonder. And so Cloud finds himself unable to help but smile as he folds the letter upon finishing it. She's making him feel everything that she did in setting all of this up. As to where this was all going to lead and end?
Well... ]
Okay. What do you got for me, Thoma?
[ Cloud was willing to defy fate itself a hundred times over if it meant being with her again— crossing his way to Teyvat by any means necessary if it meant fulfilling that wish to stay with her. If he was willing to go that far, what was a few more stops down memory lane if it meant he had her waiting for him at the end of it all?
Right. Time to procure a gift before he contacts his fellow blond. With Task #3 soon to be under his belt, following these breadcrumbs was eventually going to take him farther and farther away from the teahouse. Farther and farther away from Sunwaning. But at this stage? Cloud was prepared. He had every letter she wrote him to keep him warm and guide him; he had every memory etched within her words to keep him going. ]
no subject
Date: 2024-02-09 09:23 am (UTC)If Cloud has been keeping his eyes on Ayaka, like she asked him to when he witnessed her do her fan dance for the first time, though, then perhaps it might not be too difficult in the end.
The art of tea ceremony has so much history behind it all, and proper etiquette is such a big part of it. Learning tea ceremony and being a master of it is something Ayaka prides herself in, because of her interest in tea in general, and because it has helped her become who she is today. While she does not expect Cloud to follow all rules of tea ceremony, and merely just prepare matcha, she does believe in his capabilities of being able to mix a good version of it.
If Cloud and Thoma (and Ayato) become closer because of it, then that's a bonus!
By the end of it all, Ayaka hopes that it'll be close to sunset. It would give enough time for Cloud to prepare for his date and zoom on over to meet Ayaka. It is why she does not let him dawdle any longer. The letter Thoma (or Ayato...) would be giving him simply says:
A string of stars bright
Wishes and promises made
Winter moves to spring
He can figure it out, right? Right?????
By which Ayaka means, "please come to the observatory in Coldreach. I will be waiting for you."
Compared to their anniversary date, though? Cloud won't be finding the observatory with lots of people. The entrance will have a couple of sakura petals, indicating that he's in the right place, though. Meanwhile, the walk up there and once he reaches the top where the telescope is will be completely deserted. Not even the staff are around.
Did Ayaka rent out the entire observatory? Surely not, right? Haha.... ha................
Where's Ayaka? He might have some difficulty looking for her as he roams around. . . But if he does go outside to the open area that overlooks the rest of Coldreach, he might spot a picnic mat already set up. There's no food set up just yet, but there is a rather large basket and a rather large box which obviously looks like his present resting in the middle of it.
She's hiding behind one of the pillars so she can surprise him]no subject
Date: 2024-02-09 11:07 am (UTC)[ He made it. Having the wherewithal to heed the final(?) letter's advice, it only took him ten minutes of mulling the poem over before he made his way back to their home in Sunwaning. Somehow, the closer he got on his scooter, the more his heart started racing and the hairs on his arms raised. As if he needed to get in and get out as fast as he possibly could. He was on a mission this time, and it's all thanks to a Haiku that might as well have been his map. His phone, warmer clothes better suited for the wintery segments of this realm (a navy scarf, black winter trenchcoat...), and the only thing he actively elects leaving behind are both his weapons. Although for this run...he was tempted to take Nagareboshi Tsubaki with him— a blade that symbolized his binds with the Kamisato Clan.
But for this special day, he won't need it. He's not worried about running into trouble when Ayaka has never lead him astray before. Not once on this entire scavenger hunt did he ever feel lost. He had a path. And he continues to follow it even now as snow gently falls upon a twilit Coldreach, snowflakes dotting his black coat like pure white dust. He can see it from here, the tallest point in the region; and he runs a gloved hand through his hair, brushing the snow that wets his spikes back before reaching into deep coat pocket for the Haiku. Or more specifically... ]
A string of stars bright...
[ His map. And what he can feel in his heart is the final destination. It's the only memory she's taken him down that wasn't from Nippon. It's of Ellipsa. It's this world. It's here. And as Cloud puts the Haiku away, he starts to run and slide his way down the gently powdered hilltop he once took Ayaka to, witnessing the quaint town that awaits them. No text messages. No calls. She hasn't read or seen anything from him, and every time he checks back, there's been no sign of activity on the other side. There, at the top of the observatory, he's looking for the brightest star he knows.
And it won't be in the sky either.
There's no one here, only sakura petals preluding and causing his breath to clip as he enters the emptied Observatory. With no one else's voice but his own to carry and echo when he finally...
Finally— ]
Ayaka?
[ —calls her name. There's no answer. But he doesn't stop for very long. It almost feels like he's in a dream. She didn't rent out the entire Observatory for them, did she? Was he getting ahead of himself? Was this even the final stop? Did she have anything else in mind to make his heart weigh that much more from not seeing her? From the day they first met, to catching stars in the sky a year ago...it feels like he's had to endure all of it again. All of that space of time, compressed into one single day. And for the first time since he began this series of trials on Valentine's Day?
He sounds slightly out of breath. Panting, gently huffing as he runs up the spiraling stairs, to the next floor...and the floor after that... ]
[ "So if we're making wishes... We don't hafta make them come true on our own." ]
[ Come on, Cloud. You're almost there. ]
[ "I will protect you, too. All your wishes." ]
[ And when Cloud finally reaches the top, swallowing for air as he calls her name one more time, ]
Ayaka...?
[ "I will make your wishes come true." ]
[ He roams, searches high, looks to the starry ceiling, searches low, sighs alone at the very top when he pulls out his phone one more time. Cloud taps her name, opening up her contact page... ]
[ "So... please," ]
[ He's about to call her. So close to the end— before Cloud can press the button, he hesitates. His saving grace in keeping him from giving up dangles from the end of his phone. Kamisato Ayaka's camelia, the one that she entrusted to him as he gave her his cherry blossom. He said it himself, didn't he? That he'd never fall. ]
[ "Continue to keep your eyes on me." ]
.....
[ Cloud puts the phone away, the camelia telling him to look outside. To retrace one final memory that further committed a girl from beyond the stars into his heart forever. So he finally steps outside, cocking a brow at the picnic mat with a large basket and equally big box settled in the center of it. Slowly, he approaches the mat, only sparing fleeting glances around just in case. But there's no one.
Just echoes of memories that have guided him back here all over again. None the wiser to what was about to happen despite the anxiousness that builds in his chest the closer he gets to the goodies, only to stop and take a deep breath as he closes his eyes. ]
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Date: 2024-02-09 09:34 pm (UTC)By the time the skies start growing dark and the sun goes down, Ayaka's picnic set up is all ready. All that's left to do is to wait for Cloud. Every now and then, she checks her phone to see if there are any updates from the people she's asked help from, and much as she appreciates it all, she cannot wait to see Cloud again and for him to tell her his side of the story.
No, scratch that. She cannot wait to see Cloud again. Period.
Every so often, she peeks from the top of the observatory to see if there is anyone walking towards the building. Once she spots her, she immediately goes into hiding.
She didn't even plan it initially! But in her giddiness and excitement, she thought it best to hide behind one of the doors leading to the open area of the observatory. She isn't even sure if Cloud would realise where she is, but she thinks her own heartbeat might reveal her hiding place because of how loud it was. It feels even louder than his footsteps!
When he passes by the door where she's hiding behind, she stops breathing for a bit until she sees him pass. Slowly, she takes a few steps to the side until she isn't concealed anymore. It's just a few more steps to take, and she can wrap her arms around her beau and greet him proper. A true surprise! ]
My love? [ Even her own excitement gets the better of her, because she calls him and beckons him to turn around, unable to keep it to herself anymore. So much for surprising him... But when he does turn to face her, he'd better be ready because he has to catch her all over again. ] Happy Valentine's Day!
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Date: 2024-02-09 10:34 pm (UTC)He catches her again. Like their audition. Like at the end of racing to make the last train. Like he did when they were climbing down from their tree. Just like he would continue to do for the rest of his life as his arms envelop her tight and his breath shakes upon the chilled night air, laughing softly as emotions overwhelm him.
He braces himself for her, only stepping around on his feet to carry her momentum into one little spin before she's safe and sound in his hold.
But instead of saying it right back, Cloud has other ideas— one of which was something he'd missed doing far too much for his own good as he takes what little breath was granted them away with a kiss. He did this too, when she finished her fan dance for him and the only answer he could find was something words couldn't portray. And just like that, it feels like he's being released. He's set free, like his white heron who could fit through the opening of that opened cage.
They can finally fly together again. ]
Happy Valentine's, Ayaka.
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Date: 2024-02-09 11:18 pm (UTC)He's happy. He's not one to be as emotional as she is, but any sign of his happiness is something that delights her, makes her feel even happier, like she was on top of the world.
Before she can ask him about his day, he kisses her, and this time? She's ready! Not because she was expecting it from him, but because she's wanted to kiss him from the moment they went their separate ways. She smiles when their lips touch, pressing herself against him even more, as if the distance between them was far too much despite being held by him now.
When he pulls away, Ayaka cannot help but let out a deep breath. ]
I'm so glad you're here... [ Somehow a little later than what she was expecting. Did he experience any hitches along the way? Ah, well. He'll tell her later. ] I missed you so much today.
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