Swift & Merciless

Officer Kaien Kokubo - OC affiliated with AnimeUnleashed FC: Setsuna F. Seiei Tracking: cutthroatloyalty

[cutthroatloyalty]

Rewrite History ✍ Yue & Kaien

[lotuswings-blog]

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     { ❥ } — Immediately, he asked her things that she did not yet want to discuss. Was it fully, entirely necessary that he know what it was her visions entails? That he was one of the reasons why she had passed out in the first place? Overwhelming emotions and imagery of a future that was dark was almost suffocating and it was all too much to comprehend at once.

                              ❝I think I might have simply run myself tired is all,❞ she replied softly, placing a hand on her head, as if cradling a headache. She sighed, releasing her hand to lean back into the pillows. Yue regarded Kaien with an expression of amusement. ❝I’m fine, nothing hurts. Do not worry so much… I’ll be all right with some rest.❞ His suspicious behavior about how he would not look her in the eye caused an ache in her chest. Was this what it was like to keep a secret from Kaien? Was this what it was like when they didn’t become honest with themselves? All she wanted was for Kaien to love her the way she loved him and to live in a way that they would not have to worry about money. But with the way they are now, that’s all they have and her mind was clouded with worry about how they were going to get by.

                              She sat up again and placed a hand on his hand, making him turn to look at her. ❝You got another day off, Kaien…?❞ she asked softly. She withdrew her hand and leaned back into the pillows. Her eyes closed as she drew another sigh, ❝We can’t afford another day off…❞ Probably with the way how Kaien is, he most likely is looking forward to the next day, given how most of this day was wasted with him sleeping for a good duration of it. Fatigue had finally caught up with him and she was happy that he was getting the rest that he needed from working so much.

                              ❝Please don’t be unhappy with me come morning,❞ she said quietly, turning her head away toward the wall next to her bed.

[cutthroatloyalty]

Kaien felt his chest clench at the thought of Yue overworking hersself. Had he been too careless. Left the house in to much of a mess that she needed to clean up his messes? Yet, he could not remember leaving more than an unmade bed or some dishes in the sink. Kaien made a mental note to do his best to clean the house before falling asleep each night. He would help Yue by whatever means necessary, even if it meant getting less sleep than usual. 

"You know I can't help but worry, Yue. I want to make sure that you're okay." He glanced at her for a moment before he looked away. "Do you not want me to worry about you?" Had he been too overbearing? Too...clingy? But that was how they always were, was it not? They cared deeply for the other and loved each other unconditionally. ...Right? Kaien wanted nothing more than to be happy with  Yue for the rest of his life. 

With her hand on his he looked at her, his gaze wavering between her hand on top of his and her face. Eventually, he settled for looking down at their hands. "I did. I...I made some calls, and I managed to get another day off. We'll be okay Yue." His voice became softer. "We'll be okay. I'll make enough money for us to not have to worry about anything." 

❝Please don’t be unhappy with me come morning,❞

"Unhappy? I would never be unhappy with you, Yue." Not even now, when it felt like the were an ever growing rift between the two of them. Where did he go wrong? To create such distance between the two of them? 

[cutthroatloyalty]

Middlemist Red Meadow ❁ Yue & Kaien GoT AU

[lotuswings-blog]

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     { ❥ } — Once Mia left, Kaien immediately approached her and tugged her back into his arms. She hummed her approval, but it changed quickly when he began to kiss her along her neck. Her skin heated, immediately remembering the events of the previous night that her skin quickly flushed at his touch. She lifted her hands to cup his cheeks, gently kissing him on the lips before murmuring, ❝I do not think your mother or mine would mind waiting a little longer…❞ her voice laced with heat.

                              She watched as his eyes followed her neck to where his marks were and her cheeks darkened from the expression he made just then. A thought crossed his mind and he made the movements to pull away, but she stopped him, pulling him back into a hug from behind. Her two hands placed themselves on his chest, feeling the heat of his skin mixed with the gentle caress of her fingers. ❝Not yet…❞ she whispered. Teasingly, her hands slid down the front of his chest to the hem of his pants, grazing a part of him that she had become very well acquainted with the night before.

                              Then she pulled away so that he could face her. Yue appeared beyond embarrassed but she lifted her hand to hold his cheeks in her hands again. ❝It still feels like a dream,❞ she admitted. ❝That you are here, with me, together as husband and wife when I had… when I thought that…❞ Thought that you were another man, was the words that hung in the air. Who knew that she would marry the man she had fallen in love with the moment she came here? Her heart still raced in her chest at the touch, part of her wondering if this was simply an infatuation or what love actually feels like. Regardless, Yue felt that this is love and that she was going to try her best in becoming worthy of becoming his wife.

                              She kissed him again, this time, slow and tender compared to the heated exchanges that they had shared last night. This time, it was just affectionate as she pulled away, a giddy smile decorating her blushing visage. ❝Ah, I… I do suppose it is now time to go?❞ she suggested, her expression obvious with how happy and giddy he can make her. She was simply just a bundle of happiness that appeared to be unable to be contained within her.

[cutthroatloyalty]

The Lady of Kokubo was a tease, he decided as her hands ran down his chest. A terrible tease. Had he angered the gods in some way, to be given a wife who did not mind doing such things to leave him in an otherwise inappropriate state to meet his mother? He would need to have a cold bath without Yue. Of course, such thoughts were all in jest as he returned her kisses. He loved his wife dearly. 

"If this were to be a dream then I would not want to ever awaken. I would sooner want to encounter the wrath of each and every god rather than face a realm without you as my wife." Kaien did not doubt that he could do things that would easily anger higher beings. Perhaps converting to another god. The Drowned God of the Iron Islands seemed appealing. 

After their last kiss Kaien halted, pulling Yue close to him again. His head rested atop hers and he closed his eyes. "I will need a very cold bath after what you did." He murmured, voice soft as he then pulled away. Reluctantly, Kaien realized they did have to part ways. It did occur to him that bathing before meeting his mother would be for the best, and he told Yue as such. Besides, it would be quite some time before they would arrive the Kingswood. 

"I will see you soon, yes?" Kaien then stared down at Yue. "Unless you mean to join me in the bath, which I would advise against highly. Mia may...get impatient and force us to break our fasts in nothing but our small clothes." He then paused. "Or nothing at all, if my mother has input." 

[cutthroatloyalty]

Pond Ripples ◎ Yue & Kaien

[lotuswings-blog]

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     { ❥ } — He didn’t seem fazed by their touch and wondered if he really did not remember their night together. While it was hypocritical of her to want him to not remember and yet remember, she settled herself that he simply would not do anything more to question it. If anything, the best he’d ask is why she had disappeared the way she did and… would he admit the very same feelings he once said while sick?

                              Her heart ached and her hands clenched tightly as she held them in front of her, hoping to hide her emotions further from him noticing. When he gestured for them to move elsewhere, she took pause and wondered if this was perhaps a good idea. Should she run? Should she avoid the confrontation that this will lead to? Or rather, would he ask her questions if at all? Meekly, she followed after him in spite of herself — she could no longer deny her feelings for him and avoiding him simply hurt while she still lived in the same city as him. In the end, she would always end up returning to him. She would simply just have to settle with the fact that he had another person in his life and that it was not her.

                              ❝I see,❞ she said with the nod of her head. So he came with that man that called her the other day to let her know about Kaien’s wellbeing? How thoughtful of him. But did perhaps he and Xue have some kind of connection to know to let them separate to let Kaien and her converse? There was no such thing as a coincidence and this was highly unlikely to be one. With her thoughts running in circles around her mind, she glanced up when he made mention that they should separate. Her heart lurched but she tried her best to keep a blank face. ❝K-Kaien—❞ She grasped at her hands more tightly. She took a deep breath and glanced up to him again with a smile that seemed too forced.

                              Her gaze diverted as she held her hands behind her back to hide her shaking. So he didn’t even want to ask her the questions she had expected him to ask. She supposed that it was her fault, since she did avoid seeing him for so long. Tucking a few strands of hair behind her ear, she barely managed to say, ❝I-I mean to say… I apologize for avoiding you for so long—I have been rather occupied with dealing with… some things. But, I have them settled now! S-So… I would like us to be lov-❞ She covered her mouth, almost having blurted out something that would have been the utmost truth. Being “lovers”… was a dream that she knew couldn’t come true.

                              ❝Ah, I mean, we can return to being friends, yes?❞ The word “friends” caused her heart to ache and she wanted desperately for it to not be so, but… Quickly, she waved her hands in front of her, ❝O-Of course, w-we do not have to if you do not want to. I- After all, I did avoid you for a long while now and it was not very friend-like so we can make this our real good-bye, and all if you want.❞

                              For the entire duration of the conversation, she had yet to make eye-contact except when they had first crashed into one another and when she forced herself to smile. Actually, she was forcing herself to keep a normal expression when she wanted very well to run home and cry at her stupidity for falling in love with a man like Kaien.

                              Yue lost the remainder of her courage and turned so that her back faced him. ❝Ah~ Maybe it’s for the best we go find our companions and part ways, no?❞ And she began to walk forward again to return to the crowd of festival goers.

[cutthroatloyalty]

Hearing her call his name made him swallow, another vision appearing before his eyes for a brief moment. She was calling his name again, but in a different way. A way that made him want to hear it again, over and over until the end of time. To hear it until he forgot about Alice, about Kardia, and the turmoil that had been orchestrated to hide his failure as a leader. A reconnaissance mission to gather intel? Please, he could easily send a lesser ranked soldier to do the job. Oh, how Alice care so dearly for him. 

Once her gaze was averted he stole another glance at her. The marks on her neck stuck out against her light skin. A deep red that all but screamed for someone to look at them. At least, that was how he saw them. Whether they were not as bright or noticeable to others did not matter to him. A vision flashed before his eyes again, a glimpse of pale flesh and light hair cascading over him. 

❝S-So… I would like us to be lov-❞

Kaien listened intently to what she was saying, and he tried to meet her eyes when she clasped her hands over her mouth. For a moment, Kaien went through any words he knew that started with l-o-v, but only came up with a single word. Love. Had she-? Did she-? No, he was imaginig things. Yue wanted to be friends. Right, friends. Friends were safe, secure. Friends do not want to press another friend to the nearest wall and take- Another headache was starting to form, steadily pounding against his temple. 

"I...did not realize we did not stop being friends. There are times when friends need time to themselves, no?" Kaien swallowed agai. That was all they could be, no? The pounding seemed to increase the more he gave the notion of lovers more thought. 

"I would rather spend my time at the festival with you," Kaien admitted as he looked anywhere but at Yue. However, he also quickly added, "my partner wishes to use me as bait for girls." A scowl then followed.Kaien had too much pride to be bait. 

[cutthroatloyalty]

Pond Ripples ◎ Yue & Kaien

[lotuswings-blog]

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     { ❥ } — Her skin warmed at the remembrance of their first night that she nodded quickly at his inquiry and shifted to sitting before standing up. After she had quickly dusted herself off, she offered her hand to help him up. Once he stood, Yue’s breath stilled again, her cheeks warming significantly as she tried to pull her hand reluctantly from his own.

                              ❝Are you all right?❞ she asked softly, shyly looking him over before averting her gaze. She held her hands together in front of her, as a way of means so that she did not reach out and touch him as she so often did before. Especially since he did not recall their night together, but it was all the more better, was it not? That he did not recall their time for he would only ask more questions and—and she wasn’t even sure if she could answer them right now.

                              She took a glance around, looking to see if anyone familiar had come with Kaien, but it seemed both her companion and his are now gone since no one else had come to check and see if Kaien was all right or not. ❝Ah, did you come here with anyone?❞ Her eyes look around again, ❝Since it seems that both of our companions have long since gone…❞ She was only trying to make small talk, her hands gently touching at her skin around her neck to make sure the marks that Kaien had left the night before still would not be seen. To him, however, some of the makeup she had used to hide them have smeared off, revealing some of the very marks he himself made.

[cutthroatloyalty]

Every moment that the two remained in contact meant more visions flashing before Kaien's eyes. They did not make enough sense for him to rationalize them, only knowing that they were connected to Yue in some form. A flash of her looking down at him, another of her skin against his. Even a few moments of her arm under his own, seeming to help him up in some way. Kaien blinked a few times, trying to see past them and back to reality. 

A few seconds passed until he realized Yue was offering her hand to help him up. Reluctantly, he took it, quickly standing and brushing off any dust or dirt that had gotten on to him. Yue's hand seemed to linger and another vision appeared, a brief instance of their hands intertwined, though he could not see where or when. Once their hands were separated, he nodded. "Yes. It was a clean fall, surprisingly, not enough to cause any harm." A moment passed and Kaien then motioned for them to move away from the crowd. 

Whether Yue chose to follow him or not was her decision, but when she saw that she did, he turned to look at her. He glanced over her, eyes lingering on her neck until he averted his gaze. "My partner invited me here. I do not know where he went." Nor did he want to find out. Rather, he would have preferred to just leave Tai behind and return home. "You came with someone as well? Perhaps we should separate, then, to find our...companions. I would not want to keep you from them." 

[cutthroatloyalty]

Pond Ripples ◎ Yue & Kaien

[lotuswings-blog]

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     { ❥ } — Tai only asked because all day, his partner seemed distracted with something he wasn’t entirely sure of why. It looked like he was balancing a headache mixed with worry that while he had never seen such an expression on his partner, it was one that called for more fun than staying in and doing nothing. Though, a good part of him wondered who that girl was that managed to change Kaien to become this… big ball of stress.

                              He laughed, “There will be some girls that are single, especially when they go in big groups together.” He wasn’t worried, he was just wondering why he wasn’t going to the festival with the young female that seemed to have magically made Kaien all better. He was sure he had quite the fever by the time he left the office and yet, it was gone? “I think your stoic personality will show what a guy I am,” Tai joked as he stood up and headed out the door. After he waited for Kaien to lock his apartment, they headed off.

                              They spent some time at the festival, both Tai and Kaien playing around a few games. Eventually, Kaien received a prize of a mask to wear on his head while Tai began to walk around, looking around for some foods that they could consume.

                              Yue didn’t want to miss out on one of the festivals that she had been looking forward to. The Tanabata is one of love and of how two lovers who are separated finally get to see one another after a year of being unable to. After finally deciding on an outfit, she end up wearing a casual white sundress, one that ended fairly high on her thighs. With her companion accompanying her to the festival, she doubted she would find herself in trouble as long as he was with her. While he voiced his protests of how this was going to be a rather unpleasant experience, Yue managed to convince him to see how the humans interact on a rather good day. He continued with asking why did she not dress up in a yukata, as was traditional. Averting her gaze, she simply reasoned that the yukata should be worn when… the occasion was special.

                              They headed off and they spent a good amount of time eating from the food stands. While Xue remarked that she should be readying for the night of the new moon, Yue said that it was nothing to worry about. While walking around, Xue noticed a familiar tall silhouette of a male whose scent had clung to Yue when she had come home yesterday. He growled within his throat but knew Yue’s habit of running from confrontation is probably led her to having a wavering heart and he knew that it would not do for her to have one. Eventually foreseeing what could happen in just a little while, he began to weave his way through the large crowd of people. Yue noticed his moving away a little too late and began to run to try to catch up. That is, until the force of her momentum crashed into someone that had just suddenly come from nowhere as they crashed to the ground.

                              Her hands were placed delicately on his chest, warm and familiar that her breath stilled as her head lifted, her voice breathless with surprise, ❝Kaien.❞ Her eyes grew wide as he readjusted.

[cutthroatloyalty]

With both of them outside and the door locked, the duo left for the festival. On the way, Kaien asked the occasional question about what would be going on at the festival. From what Tai had told him, there would be plenty of food and games. There was a possibility one of them offered something that would block out the annoyance that his headache brought on. "I am positive they will enjoy talking to you." Did large groups of girls readily talk to two males? His ventures out with Hideki proved otherwise, although his company was not the most...pleasant to be around when females were in the vicinity. There no was no doubt that his partner would be the opposite of his informant. 

Upon arriving at the festival, Kaien followed Tai as they neared different booths. The games were...minimally interesting, only requiring the barest of efforts for a prize. But he accepted the mask nonetheless, some sort of red demon figure with horns and donned it, wearing it until they came to the food stalls. He lifted it enough to have room for the food, though he barely ate more than a few skewers of yakitori and vegetables. 

Murmuring an excuse to throw away the wooden sticks, Kaien walked away from his partner to dispose of the sticks. It wasn't a complete lie, after all, though he let out a sigh of relief when he was away from Tai. He did not mind the other male, but his headache made being out in a large crowd more exasperating than anything else. Kaien wanted nothing more than to return to his apartment. As he turned and debated on outright leaving, he let out a grunt and staggered back until he toppled over as someone bumped into him. 

"Yue." All at once, it seemed like his headache disappeared as he looked down at the one person who he had wanted to talk to. Instead, another ache began to form, but unlike the others it was not clouded with pain. Rather, it felt...full of sorrow. "You are not hurt, yes?" Briefly glancing over her, Kaien motioned for her to get up so they were not on the ground in the middle of a crowd. As he waited for her to move, something akin to visions flashed before him. They only fueled the ache even more, giving insight into a time with her he could not remember. 

[cutthroatloyalty]

One Among Many ☀ Yue & Kaien

[lotuswings-blog]

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     { ❥ } — She glanced up as she heard the door open. Bookmarking her place with a flower she had picked up in the garden of the palace, she set the book gently down on her stack of books beside the bed before righting herself. Yue watched as he walked toward the bed, yawning. He appeared very tired and she wondered what it was he did during the day. With a slight nod of her head, ❝Evening, master,❞ she greeted him. However, his surprise regarding her still being awake made her tilt her head questioningly, ❝Was I not supposed to stay up for you? I thought that I had to wait for you… I might have misheard, apologies.❞

                              Yue remained where she was on the bed, not moving because he had not given the command to help him undress like the others had before him. But, she had found his change of sleeping clothes and moved to give it to him as she answered his questions, ❝Yes, I did… I found your books and have not been able to stop since.❞ Her eyes did not waver from his form, observing his form. ❝Yes, but a lot of your other courtesans asked me questions I was not sure of how to answer. Especially of ‘how I managed to ensnare your attention,’ as they put it. Master, why is it that I am here in the bedroom with you when the other courtesans have yet gotten this far? And even more, why is it that I am allowed to wait in your bedroom for you after you have finished your duties?❞

                              She remained properly sitting at the bed, her eyes now cast to the bed in case he would reprimand her for asking too many questions that made her too out of place for her position. Why she had asked them at all, was a question in itself. Was it perhaps he was giving her far more freedom than her other masters’ homes that she now felt able to ask such questions to satisfy her curious mind? Or was it because he simply seemed kinder than the others? Whatever the case was, she hoped that he was still kind enough that he would be able to answer her questions.

                              Once he moved to laying down on the bed, she moved to resting beside him. Her eyes followed the path of his features: a strong jaw, sharp eyes, long lashes, and the sort of hair she had always admired since she was young. After a pause, she whispered again softly when he seemed to be thinking, ❝Why me, but not the others…?❞

[cutthroatloyalty]

"No, you are not mistaken. I simply seldom see many people awake at this hour." Going through two candles meant there would only be four more hours until the sun would rise. There were very few people he saw awake at that hour, the guardsmen aside. As for the courtesans...he suspected some had returned from the city, but gave the matter no more thought. They were free to do as they wanted, provided they did not bring any shame to his own family or his name. But Mai had put into place rules to avoid such a thing, and he trusted the other women enough to know they would not bring slander to the royal house of Krugis. 

Thanking her for handing him his sleeping clothes, Kaien changed and adjusted his nightgown. It was little more than a large, long tunic that reached his knees. "I have found that many of the courtesans have taught themselves to read after arriving here. Did you teach yourself while in service of another?" As much as he did not like to admit, there were many rich men and women in Krugris that would refuse anyone in their service the ability of read. Several courtesans had told Mai after being placed under Kaien's service, and she had commented on different occasions that many were illiterate. 

The questions that Yue had asked him did not surprise him in the least. Rather, he should have been more surprised that the other courtesans would approach Yue on such a thing instead of Mai. Then again, Mai had told him before that some of the others grew...restless, in a sense, for him. He was thankful Mai was able to keep them at bay, however they may be. Kaien remained quiet until he settled in bed, his head resting on a pillow and his eyes on the tall ceiling overhead. 

"You are different," he said, sparing her a glance for a brief moment until he turned back to look at the ceiling. "If you could, kindly blow out the candles." Once it was dark, Kaien shifted to rest on his side, looking in the direction of Yue. 

"Keep in mind that it is a good different. You have a soothing voice and are able to rid my body of aches." More shifting came from where he lay, having moved onto his back yet again to try and find the best position to rest in bed. "I find you interesting." Kaien said no more afterwards, instead simply closing his eyes to fall into a dreamless sleep.

[lotuswings-blog]

♢ journey through life ♢ yue & kaien

[lotuswings-blog]

♢

    { ❥ } — Yue smiled when he showed the small picture of what she could only see to be his mother and his sister. Another pang of guilt riddled her for a moment longer before she sighed, seeing how the changes was going to affect the outcome of his future. Again, she could always try to make it so that they visited Kardia more than any other world, especially with the help of her companion.

                              She giggled as she watched Kaien run toward the dragon, his eyes almost glittering in amazement. She followed slowly after Kaien until she was close enough to put her hand on the white beast’s neck. A low growl rumbled within his chest that it vibrated along his throat as his head nodded in regard to Kaien’s inquiry of whether or not he was a dragon. Her hand petted his scaled skin as she watched the interaction between the two newly made friends.

                              [ Yes, I am, ] the dragon rumbled, the voice deep and almost seemed to echo within the confines of the boy’s mind. Brilliant golden eyes watched the boy raise his hand as he introduced himself. His head moved to have his snout gently touch his small hand, warm to his touch. [ I am Xue, Yue’s companion. ] His skin felt smooth, slightly ridged for the number of scales he had. Warmer than perhaps any animal he’s felt before, Xue emanated a certain kind of warmth that Kaien could almost feel against his cheeks like that of fire. And in the pale moonlight, it seemed to gleam ever so slightly like a pearl.

                              Yue moved toward Kaien, crouching down behind him to envelop him in her arms as she covered his hands with hers, teaching him how to pet Xue properly. A low rumble akin to that of a cat purring, Xue seemed pleased. ❝Yes, just like that…❞ She blinked when he remarked something about time for them to go, the time is now or never.

                              ❝Are you ready?❞ she asked the boy, turning slightly so that he could face her in their position.

[cutthroatloyalty]

Kaien jumped when he heard a voice in his head, but he continued to smile nonetheless as his hand touched the dragon's snout. It was warm, very warm, and the little boy looked up at the great dragon before him. "'Companion'?" His eyebrows then came together, the smile coming off his face as a look of confusion replaced him. Was that some kind of friend? A pet? He hadn't heard the word before, but before he could ask for an explanation Yue's hand covered his in a petting motion.

"Is this how you pet him?" Kaien asked, looking back at Yue as she asked if he was ready to go. "Go? On the adventure?" He then nodded rapidly, beginning to wiggle in excitement once more. "Yes! Let's go!" 

The idea of adventure began to fill his mind yet again. They could be like the stories his mother had told him! He wondered if being able to walk through a jungle would be possible. Or swimming in the ocean. That is, if he learned how to swim first. And visit the ocean for the first time. Would they be able to fly? His mother always told him about the creatures that could fly. "Where are we going, Yue?" 

[cutthroatloyalty]

Pond Ripples ◎ Yue & Kaien

Kaien still could not understand why he had accepted his partner's invitation to some festival. He was far from anyone's ideal wing-man and there were plenty of other officers more inclined to the opposite sex. It would simply be a waste of time from both parties if he were to assist Tai in any kind of flirtation. The most Kaien could do was tell some horrific pick up line from his previous bet with Hideki. But Kaien still found himself pulling a blue t-shirt over his head after excusing himself to his room to change. 

The offer was tentatively accepted, with Kaien murmuring that he would need to change before they left. After changing into much more casual clothes, he exited his bedroom. He left Tai waiting in the living room, where the other male seemed intent on looking around. To some degree, he supposed that it was...cleaner, after Yue had picked up his loose documents and set them aside on the coffee table. The ache in his head began to form again, and Kaien had yet to find his missing pills. 

"I fail to understand why you want me, of all of the choices, as your wing-man, Tai." Kaien's voice was gruff as he exited his bedroom while adjusting his belt. "You plan to flirt with girls while at a festival, yes? What good will that be?" From what he had seen on the television, females went with friends, family, or those they are in a relationship with to a festival. Seldom would go alone, or respond positively to flirting, for that matter. He also could not understand what Tai went by good down time. Kaien's own ideal time would be spent finding his pills, not gallivanting around some festival and surrounded by noise. 

"Regardless, we should leave now before it gets too crowded. Where is it being held?" Vaguely, Kaien recalled Tai mentioning some sort of park nearby. Grabbing his keys, Kaien motioned for his partner to exit the apartment so he could lock the door. 

[lotuswings-blog]

♢ guarded secrets ♢ yue + kaien

[lotuswings-blog]

♢

     { ❥ } — Returning home was something that she found with some difficulty. Knowing that her companion would give her that glance that gave her the feeling he disapproved, that he disliked this outcome, and that he wouldn’t help her out since this was something she had asked for. She supposed it was karma, or it was that she couldn’t help but want to help him out. She rigidly settled into a routine that called for normality and as the day progressed, she knew the time when he got off work came near. She heard the three knocks, and patiently waited for him to leave. Her skin heated in remembrance of the night before, of how she longed for it to linger more. So warm… he was so warm that it was difficult for her to resist in leaving.

                              Yue placed both her hands on her cheeks, feeling the blush that came with the memories. Kaien wasn’t persistent in wanting to ask about what happened the night before and he didn’t say anything… did that mean, he had forgotten? Or did he simply not remember…? She turned her head and stared out her window, looking at the dimming sky. No, no more… Their relationship cannot continue. She covered her face in her hands and whispered words, asking for forgiveness as the tears fell down her cheeks.

                              Meanwhile, a knock came on Kaien’s door. The male was slender, with dark brown hair spiked into a fashionable style while dressed in casual clothing. He had long since gone home and changed and was now checking in on Kaien. While the partner had seen his partner at work, he seemed more distracted than was the usual and he wondered if Kaien was still indeed sick. Did that girl he called before not really take care of him? She sounded… sad when he had called her and wondered what the reason was. Was Kaien not a good partner? However, it did surprise him that the ever stoic, indifferent Kaien had a significant other at all, given his workaholic state.

                              “Yo! Kaien! You home?” Tai called, knocking on his door a few times.

[cutthroatloyalty]

Upon returning to his apartment, Kaien was greeted by a stray cat he had picked up one evening. The cat was pregnant, he had found out after taking it to the vet for an injured paw, and he had taken it back home afterwards. It had only been a few days, but the cat seemed to have adjusted to his apartment and greeted him when he opened the door. Removing his shoes and reaching down to scratch behind the ears, he murmured a greeting in return before moving to the kitchen. Rejection aside, he could feel the ache begin to form in his head once again. 

He dug around, but found nothing. The bottle with the pills had been empty. Eyebrows furrowing, Kaien moved to the bathroom to check the other bottle. Nothing. Before he left for work, the bottles still had more than a week's worth of pills. Did Hideki stop by? No, the other male would have left some sort of indication that he had been inside. Kaien checked his room next, but found the same result. No pills and an empty bottle. Slamming the drawer with the bottle shut, he sighed and walked back to the living room. Pills did not suddenly disappear, especially in a sealed bottle that an animal could not open. Speaking of said animal, it had since made itself comfortable on the couch. He sat next to the cat, one hand idly petting the head while he thought about what could have happened. 

There was no logical reason for such a thing to occur. His apartment was always locked and no one knew of the pills, nor their various locations. The bottle in the kitchen was behind the few cups he had, the one in the bathroom inside of an otherwise empty drawer, and the one in his room buried beneath personal paperwork. Finding any of them would mean leaving traces behind, and he could not find a thing out of place. 

"I do not think you have seen them, have you?" His question was directed at the cat, who merely continued to contently purr instead of answering. "I thought as much. Do you know if anyone came in while I was at work?" Still no answer, only purring. He accepted the response and continued petting, only stopping when he heard a knock at the door. Kaien did not need to wonder who was at the door, for the voice of his partner was muffled but still came through. Standing up, the officer walked over to his door, unlocking and opening it. 

"I am." A home visit was not expected. In fact, Kaien was still in uniform. "Did you need something from me?"

[cutthroatloyalty]

Took some time to try and make both Kaien and Illeana with EVE Online's incredibly extensive character creator. Unfortunately, I could not get the level of detail for Illeana that I did with Kaien despite toggling the same amount of scarring for both of them. But this is how I envision them compared to their anime faceclaims. She also looks older despite being younger please ignore that.

[mizudoriii]

Get to know the blogger with personality tests results, or for your own reference. (take the tests and reblog with your results bolded)

MOTIV Materialist | Offbeat | Thinking | Intimate | Vital Spartan | Conventional | Emotional | Withholding | Depressive

GLOBAL 5 social | reserved | limbic | calm | organized | unstructured | accommodating | egocentric | non-curious | inquisitive

HOLLAND CODES realistic | investigative | artistic | social | entrepreneurial | conventional

R-DRIVE Narcissism | Unconventionality | Empiricism | Vitality | Othercentricism | Independence | Integrity | Intellect | Stoicism | Orderliness | Hedonism | Dynamism | Activity | Romanticism

ENNEAGRAM type 1 | type 2 | type 3 | type 4 | type 5 | type 6 | type 7 | type 8 | type 9

JUNG/MYERS-BRIGS enfp | enfj | entp | entj | estj | esfj | estp | esfp | infp | infj | intp | intj | istj | isfj | istp | isfp

ALIGNMENT lawful good | neutral good | chaotic good | true neutral | lawful neutral | chaotic neutral | lawful evil | neutral evil | chaotic evil

4 TEMPERAMENTS melancholic | phlegmatic | choleric | sanguine

ROSENBERG SELF-ESTEEM SCALE 1 - 3 | 4 - 6 | 7 - 9 | 10 - 12 | 13-15 | 16 -18 | 19 -21 | 22 - 24 | 25 - 27 | 28 - 30

[baboonchains]

It's a Strange World

[baboonchains]

¥

Tilting her head back, Saru managed to drain every last drop of the bottle she held within her grasp. Drop after drop, she let them touch the tip of her tongue until nothing was left and she could squeeze the bottle tightly until it crunched together. With a now empty bottle, there was no further use of it so she tossed it over her shoulder. With no further distraction, she was finally ready to turn her attention back to him. “You’ve got to be kidding.” The question he asked left her bewildered. 

"It’s really not that hard. The problem with you is that you’re thinking too much about it. Just look at me. I’m telling you like it is no problem." She was gruff the entire time she spoke. This was how she always was and nothing was going to change that. Her shoulders were slumped and she was completely relaxed though she couldn’t say the same for him. "Do you even know how to relax?" 

[cutthroatloyalty]

Watching the female throw the can over her shoulder with a raised brow, Kaien made no comment as he passed her to pick up the can. "I am quite serious," he said as he deposited the crushed can in the nearby trash receptacle. "Speaking without taking into consideration the possible outcomes can lead to unfavorable results." Many situations called for careful wording, especially when talking to one who had the possibility of being a superior. He had seen many recruits talk to their commanding officer in the same manner as they would a fellow recruit. How he missed the days of delivering swift and merciless justice onto the public. 

Relax? Kaien took a moment to think about the idea. There were instances where he felt at ease around a certain person, but he was not sure that would count as it involved another person. "I believe so, yes." Although, his posture did little to prove his point. The officer looked stiff as a rod, his back as straight as possible and his shoulders pulled back. "It is not difficult to relax." 

[lotuswings-blog]

♢ guarded secrets ♢ yue + kaien

[lotuswings-blog]

♢

     { ♫ } — His quiet confession made her cry out, to reach and to touch his heated skin. Her cool touch caressed both sides of his face, listening to each of the words he said that comforted and dulled the ache in her chest of thinking that he had intended to say these words to another, but rather, they were to her. He… He was happy to see her again. That was more than she could bear and her heart clenched tightly.

                              She tried not to read the feelings that was being sent across from his kisses, tried not to read if his feelings were indeed true. But instead, she felt longing, affection, and a need that didn’t seem to go away. She squeezed gently when he confessed that he had wanted to kiss her for a long time, her tears falling faster. Was what he was saying true? Was what he was saying something he had meant from the bottom of his heart or was he simply saying that because he was just childish and didn’t want her to go away, even though it meant it was better for him while he was still in a relationship with another. Yue could feel her chest ache at the words he had uttered next.

“I want more. I want you, in every possible meaning. To love and to cherish, to hold close in every single moment, to simply be with you, Yue.” 

                              He… He wanted more? H-How… While normally the confession of wanting her in such a way would make the easily flustered girl flush in embarrassment, she couldn’t now. The way he had spoken made it almost seem like a vow, ones that one would say in a certain ceremony that meant forever. But he loved her. He…

                              Kaien questioned why she was crying and she didn’t answer. She didn’t dare speak a single word for the fear she might break this illusion that this all might disappear. All of these things, all of these were words she had wanted to hear him say, wanted to feel, and accept to the very depths of her heart. But he was saying these things while being delirious and sick, giving her to question whether he had meant any of these words at all. Why didn’t he say these before? Why did it have to take for her to disappear for him to realize his feelings for her, if they were true? Why did it have to take her to leave his side for him to realize that he loved her at all?

                              He laughed though it sounded empty, realizing that he was the cause of her tears and she watched him, listening to each of his words carefully. She fought down the pain that welled up within her when he said he had used her and quelled the inner turmoil she felt at being used. He had… used her. Those words hurt far more than she realized and it made her question the extent of their relationship. So which part was real and which part was fake?

                              His words continued to make her cry, and she wasn’t sure why she continued to listen when she should have left, should’ve moved away, or at least, just refuse to do anything he asked while under his being delirious. But his quiet plea for her not to leave made her close her eyes before slowly reopening them again.

“I firmly believe that I love you, Yue.” With that said, he felt, very slightly, the corners of his lips move upwards.

                              Her tears fell anew, watching him smile while he said something heartfelt under the fever that it almost broke her heart. Why did he have to fall ill, for him to say these things? Why did he have to work to the bone for him to realize his feelings? Why? Emotions she had buried deep finally broke the surface and she fought to keep her tears under control, trying her best not let her feelings overwhelm her. ❝I love you too, Kaien, with all my heart,❞ she whispered hoarsely, her voice so quiet that it was barely even heard. Maybe it was selfish of her to do this while he was delirious and most likely wouldn’t remember any of this come morning, maybe it was selfish that she wanted to believe every single word he said but couldn’t, and maybe it was selfish that she confessed when she knew it was bad because he belonged to another. But… he won’t remember when he wakes… right?

                                                            … Right… ?

                              She didn’t want to hear anymore, kissing him back to the best of her ability to make sure he wouldn’t. Layers of clothing was quickly shed that soon, she could only see the look on his face that she wanted to keep forever as her hand caressed his cheek. Here, at this moment, he was hers as much she was his. Only at this moment, at this time, she loved him as much as he seemed to love her. After this, they had no more reason to be…

                              After watching him for awhile, she decided it was time to go… for good this time. She quickly dressed and bent down to kiss his cheek, and this time, she left without a word.

[cutthroatloyalty]

Waking with an immense beating inside of his head was nothing new. By now, he had become so accustomed to the sensation that all he had to do to remedy such a thing was reach over to the drawer of his nightstand. He had kept one of several bottles of the white pills Hideki had given him, in addition to many small bottles of water, for such an occasion. Partaking in the first step of his morning ritual, Kaien began his morning just like any other. Soon enough he was showered, dressed, and taking another pill as precaution once he was in the kitchen. Breakfast was quick, an apple that he would eat on his walk to work. 

Everything was done in silence. With not a single other living thing inside of the apartment, there was no need for noise that he would only block out. He had gotten used to a quiet apartment a month ago. But today, of all days, something had driven him to deviate from his morning routine. For nearly half an hour the male simply sat on the couch in front of the still empty cork board, staring at it. Sitting there brought back flashes of the night before - his anger, the throwing of the glass, and the faint sound of the front door opening and closing. But the glass from last night was no longer there, nor was there a trace of someone who had entered his apartment without permission. There was only so long he could work, however, and soon he left the apartment to head for the station. 

The day was slow. Without a case to work on, Kaien did little more than push papers and occasionally sign something. His office door remained opened the entire time, a change from what he typically preferred. No case meant no reason for privacy, and he had been passive-aggressively forced to open his door should anyone need his assistance. They never did. Kaien was left painstakingly bored every single day. Not even his lunch breaks and stopping by Yue's apartment could ease the boredom. Of course, such visits left him in a foul mood as a headache would set in. Another reason to take a pill before returning to work. 

He had quickly become tired of the routine. Even his time spent with Hideki provided little entertainment for the soldier. Although, he would not complain at the sudden increase in revenue the other Kardian had provided for him. Illegal trafficking could only go so far, however, and Kaien soon returned to letting his informant do all of the work while Kaien simply took a portion of the money for himself. It was a wonder the other officers did not suspect him of anything. Then again, none of the officers knew more than his name. Even his partner knew very little details about him, only being told where Kaien lived and how he did not own a cell phone. 

Once the work day was over, he found himself in front of Yue's apartment again. His hand tightened into a fist, the soldier raised it to knock on the door three times. When there was no answer after a solid minute of waiting, he simply left the area to return another time. By now, he was not expecting an answer of any kind. Kaien had long accepted that she no longer wished to see him 

[cutthroatloyalty]

Middlemist Red Meadow ❁ Yue & Kaien GoT AU

[lotuswings-blog]

❁

     { ❥ } — The handmaiden nodded her head, daring not to step inside the room, despite the fact she knew her mistress would be in state of undress. Instead, she opted to simply remain by the door until her mistress or her new sir would allow her to enter the room. However, a good part of the handmaiden wondered if her mistress was okay after the night, given the way he had treated her just moments before they had departed to the bedroom for their night together.

                              At first, Yue did not stir even when prodded to wake, but after he kissed her forehead, did she wake. His gentle call of his voice finally woke her and she moves to sitting, rubbing her eyes briefly before yawning. However, when she moved off the bed to dress, she winced and flushed, knowing the reason why. ❝That is fine… I will call her in to help me fix my hair in a moment,❞ she said, sitting on the edge of the bed with her long hair draping over her petite frame. As she moved to standing, she paid no mind as she slid on a thin silk gown. At his mention of her wearing the same Myrish wedding gown to Kingswood, she flushed anew, ❝Ah, I-I would think not… It would not be particularly comfortable to be in Myrish lace for the entire duration of our travel to Kingswood and back.❞

                              She moved to the door and allowed her handmaiden inside the room, a grey silk gown in hand. The handmaiden turned to Kaien, “Sire, would it be all right if you could turn for a moment while I dressed the miss?” After he had agreed, Mia helped Yue out of her gown and into the new one, while raising a brow. Quietly, she whispered, “I… I will have to sneak a new gown for you… to hide… ah… all of those marks Lord Kokubo has made…” Yue flushed, covering her face with her hands before her neck. She gave a look Mia understood as she sighed, “Don’t worry; I’ll find something that will help before you leave. For now, this will do.” After fastening the bindings in the back, Mia seemed pleased with herself as she helped brushed her miss’s hair, covering her neck with a matching silk scarf. “You can turn around, ser.”

                              Yue was dressed in a slimming grey gown, one that revealed her middle chest and her back, a matching silk cloak-like appearance hanging from her shoulders to the lower part of her back, hung in a u-shape from behind as the rest of the gown clung to her tightly with a mix of Myrish lace and silk. Her hair was left down, a single long feather like clip holding up the side of her hair to reveal her neck, much like how her hair was done for the wedding. From the sleep, her hair was gently curled around the edges, giving her a sort of wispy look about her.

                              ❝Thank you, Mia,❞ Yue said as Mia finished up. She watched as her handmaiden headed toward the door. After the door closed behind her, she turned to Kaien. ❝She said that we should have breakfast together in the hall before we depart. Your… mother and mine insisted.❞ Her gaze averted at the thought of their mothers with a pink cheeks, who were seemingly very adamant and determined to see that their children would bear them grandchildren…

[cutthroatloyalty]

Kaien nodded at his wife's words as she began to wake. His eyes briefly looked over her until he looked away, giving her the privacy to dress. There was no reason to succumb her to...lecherous eyes. From their wedding night, he saw that she already had garnered enough unwanted attention. There was no reason for him to act in a manner near as similar as the other men. Yue was his wife and he would love her until the end of their days. He would not degrade her to the status of someone scarcely above the common whore. "I would want you most comfortable during our journey to the Kingswood," he said while reaching out to encompass Yue in a brief hug. He pulled away as she made a move to let in her handmaiden, retreating to the other side of the room.

Unlike Yue, Kaien did not have the need a hand in getting dressed. Rather, he simply put on a black doublet with grey trimming, although he decided to leave it open for the time being. Doing so left his torso practically exposed as he was given the cue to face Yue once more. He had stayed quiet the entire time the handmaiden was present, instead moving once more to another part of the room. This time, it was near where Yue's wedding dress had been tossed aside the night before, close to the nearly full jug of wine. The couple had barely drunken any before becoming too preoccupied with the other to pay the wine any mind. 

At Mia's words, Kaien looked back over at Yue. His breath caught in his throat. She was as beautiful as ever, and Kaien would spend days praying to the Gods that he would always remember what she looked like at that very moment. Yue would put every woman old in stories to shame. Her beauty and skills with a bow were unmatched. 

Once they were alone, Kaien approached Yue and pulled her into his arms once more. He lost control of himself, trailing kisses down her exposed neck. "They can wait a bit more, yes?" He managed to ask between kisses, pausing at the end to meet her eyes. "Perhaps they will...cease their questioning once they see us." Without meaning to, he glanced down at the red marks that were apparent all over Yue's exposed skin. Kaien had...lost himself the night before, becoming too preoccupied with marking Yue as his own. 

Realizing that he would soon lose himself again, the young lord reluctantly pulled away and turned to the door. "Shall we go see our mothers, then?"

[cutthroatloyalty]

Rewrite History ✍ Yue & Kaien

[lotuswings-blog]

✍

     { ❥ } — She couldn’t help the sigh when his arms wrapped themselves around her, embracing her in a hug that comforted her like no other, despite the anger she should feel at Kaien for taking another day off when the money wasn’t even that great in the first place. But she was only asleep for two hours? It felt like a lot longer, especially since her visions were only filled with a future that only riddled and hinted strongly at pain. At some point, she could only see nothing but darkness and she wondered if that simply meant the end. However, she couldn’t remain mad for long and simply snuggled close to him in his embrace before they parted.

                              He said that he was worried and she sighed, leaning back into the bed after propping up her pillows against the wall. ❝I’m okay, Kaien… I just tired myself out a little,❞ she said with a soft sigh, running her hands down her face. She looked over toward him, watching him warily before he continued to speak. She raised a brow and sighed again.

                              ❝What do you mean? What do you mean by, ‘we have enough to relax for a bit longer’?❞ she asked with raise of a brow. She was tired from more than one thing now — but money was the one thing that they couldn’t skip out on, payments and cost for food was always in demand and she didn’t want them to be so poverty stricken that they would have work even harder to obtain more coin.

[cutthroatloyalty]

Hugging Yue brought him great comfort. There were little things about Yue that always made him feel better, no matter what was going on in his life. A smile from her always eased his mind, simply being in the same room reminded him that he didn't have to face the world alone, and a hug...a hug told him that everything would be alright. But her laugh was his favorite thing about her, letting them know that she was happy. And when she was happy, he was happy. Yeah, her laugh definitely was his favorite thing about her. If only it hadn't been so long since he he last heard it. There were few moments now where they could laugh and truly enjoy themselves. 

Reluctantly pulling away from the hug, Kaien sat back in the chair, arms crossed in front of his chest. "What have you been doing that caused you to pass out like that?" He then paused, looking at Yue. "Are you okay? Is there anywhere that hurts?" There were some sparse medical supplies somewhere in the house. Finding them may take some time but it would be worth it to make sure Yue wasn't injured anywhere. 

Kaien then looked away from Yue, his eyes anywhere byt her face. "We just...we have enough to relax for another day, okay? Everything will be okay." It felt like he was keeping secrets from Yue again. The mere thought of doing so made his chest ache. He didn't want to lie to her, to keep things from her. But if it meant getting more money...maybe, just maybe, he would do it. 

[cutthroatloyalty]

One Among Many ☀ Yue & Kaien

[lotuswings-blog]

☀

     { ❥ } — She slowly shook her head, not expecting it and admitting to it. After all, to her, books were a luxury. Perhaps she would spend some of her free time today to peruse his library. Again, she nodded at his mention of asking the courtesan that was to show her around. It all seemed curious for her to experience all of these new things that her previous masters had never allowed her such privileges. This might take some time to get used to such luxuries, but she wondered just how long this would last however…

                              ❝Master Kaien seems thoughtful and considerate then,❞ she mused, glancing in his direction. Her eyes grew slightly distant afterward, as if thinking of some kind of memory that might have occurred from such words. ❝As he always seems to be…❞ she said quietly under her breath.

                              Soon enough, they arrived at the room where she could hear the assortment of conversations of the other courtesans. ❝Yes… good day, Master Kaien,❞ she said with a slight bow, watching him depart with the woman from earlier this morning appearing with a plate food and following after him. Part of her was curious as to what it was he did in his study, but another part of her knew that she was simply a lowly concubine and that the way he treats her was not going to be any different from any other concubine, as much as she would wish it so. A good part of her wondered if the boy she had met as a child even remembered her.

                              She entered the room and immediately the other courtesans converged and began to ask Yue all sorts of questions, ones she found she could either answer or could not remember. Some were about their master and others were about her singing ability. At any rate, the girls seemed to like her well enough and some even said that if she needed any advice, they would be happy to help out. Later, the tour that Kaien had promised came around, the courtesan named Maria gave her hints and clues about each of the places they visited. The kitchens, the library, the courtyard, the halls to the guest rooms, the main hall, etc., and a bunch of other places that Yue felt she might never need to venture into. At last, the tour ended at their quarters, ending at her room that was sparsely decorated with little to no belongings. “This is your room okay? Make yourself at home! I’ll see you around, okay?” With that, she was gone and Yue found herself wondering what to do for the rest of the day. Books? Yes, books sounded like a delight and she immediately left her room to the library.

                                                             ゜゜゜゜゜゜♥

                              Night fell and Yue sat waiting in her master’s room, waiting for him to come through. She had opted to carrying several of the books from the library and had set them in the room, reading at her own pace. It seemed that wherever she went, curious inquiries only continued to bother her and she felt unsafe wherever she went. Even though she was very well aware that she should not be considering so, she felt safest here, in the master’s room. It seemed he liked her well enough and hoped that the trend would only continue. It was the first time she had finally met with the man she had hoped to see after all these years and it seemed that she did indeed feel safest here, where he slept.

                              The candle burned for every hour, she recalled, and the candle was now half gone. Would he really come to bed soon? Actually, what was it about her did he want from her to request that she wait in his room? Oh well, she supposed she would find out once he entered.

[cutthroatloyalty]

Come nightfall, Kaien had felt his hands cramping as he finally set aside the last of the paperwork. The entirety of his day was spent inside the four walls of his study, surrounded by dust and little light as he worked. There was just enough for him to coherently read and reply to all of the papers he had been given but not enough to burn his eyes after hours of staring at the endless stack of papers. Leaning back against the wall, Kaien briefly closed his eyes. There was no end to his papers. But, there was an end to the day and he thanked every deity possible for it. Endless days would bring him to an early death. 

Organizing the papers the way Mai preferred, he set the brushes aside and stood up, arms stretching above his head as a yawn escaped him. He wasn't sure of the exact time, but Kaien knew it was late. He had already gone through two of his six candles and knew that staying any later would lead to a rude awakening. 

His paperwork settled, the prince blew out the candles and left for his room. The walk there consisted of passing guardsmen and the occasional courtesan who batted their eyes and waved at him. Had he not been as tired, Kaien may have done more than nod and wish them a full night's rest before leaving. Of course, there was little more he would have done, given his previous record. None ever made it past the door, after all. That is, until he was reminded of it when he opened the door to his chambers. 

Blinking a few times, Kaien thought he was hallucinating at first. Then he was reminded of his orders from that morning. Quickly shutting the door behind him, Kaien looked back at the courtesan on his bed. "Good...evening, Yue," he murmured with a yawn as he approached the bed. "I am," he paused to yawn, "surprised that you are still awake." The prince wanted nothing more than to fall asleep right then and there. 

"Were you able to find something to do with your day?" As he began to undress and change clothes to sleep, he glanced over at Yue. "Did the tour go well?"

[lotuswings-blog]

♢ coffee shop ♢ yue & kaien

[lotuswings-blog]

♢

     { ❥ } — It was strange, the next time she went into the coffee shop, she didn’t find the male she had met that rainy day. Ah, she supposed that she would never tell him the words she had uttered that same moment thunder had decided to crack across the sky. But oh, he was handsome. Yue knew that if she was an artist, one who drew pictures, she knew that she would simply end up drawing all sorts of pictures of him, sketches of all sorts adorning her sketchbook because she really enjoyed the angles and the look his eyes gave. Plus, if anything, she really liked his hair and the colors of his eyes. It wasn’t often when she found herself attracted to a male that she had barely spoken a word to, especially one she had met by chance on a corner one particularly rainy day.

                              Yue went back to the coffee shop continuously, finding that it was a good work place for her to focus on work and her passion, the quiet of it relaxing her. There, he didn’t bother her and she could work at her own comfortable pace — it was soothing and therapeutic. But it wasn’t until the next rainy day did she find her normally quiet and undisturbed coffee shop crowded with people. With a sigh, she managed to snag a table by the window despite the hustle and crowding, the one that had four chairs around it in a corner of the shop. Since the coffee shop was a corner shop, the windows stretched all the way around the corner, looking out to the streets outside. She set herself up, notebook in hand as she began to work.

                              She set to work, scribbling away her notes from a lecture of a class that she decided to take online. It had been weeks since she had seen the tall, model-like male from the first time she’s met here, but she did hope, she would see him again.

                              Yue blinked in surprise, however, when she saw him walk through the door at that very moment and resisted the urge to giggle, hiding her smile behind her laptop screen.

[cutthroatloyalty]

The next time Kaien returned to the coffee shop, it was two weeks later on a cloudy day. Rain was scheduled to fall by night time and he was enjoying the solitude away from his roommate and his roommate's girlfriend of the week. It would work in his favor to finish as much of his assignments as he could before returning to the apartment. A shiver ran down his spine as he sat down at an empty chair by the window. Walking in on an unwanted sight made him feel sick. Kaien hoped the snickerdoodle latte he ordered would be able to prepare him for the inevitable sight he would see upon going home. Another shiver went down his spine. Oh, the things he had seen.

Broken from his thoughts by his latte being set down in front of him, Kaien thanked the barista and reached for a his drink, taking a sip from it as he glanced around. The woman from before wasn't there. 

Every time he returned to the coffee shop, he didn't see her. That is, until his latest venture inside on a day filled with rain and late buses. Tugging his hood off of his head, Kaien patted down his hair and looked over at the quickly forming line. Tugging on the collar of his hoodie, he waited in line and looked around as it slowly moved. It was beyond crowded. By the time he ordered and got his coffee and muffin, there was only one seat open. A window seat...at the same table as the young woman from before. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he slowly approached her. 

"Is it okay if I sit here?" Kaien asked as he looked over at the open seat. Had it not been for the crowd of people, he wasn't sure if he would have ever worked up the nerve to approach her. Even after the constant push from his roommate to talk to the girl Kaien talked about every time said roommate was in earshot. 

Once he was given permission, Kaien quietly thanked her and sat down across from her, his coffee and muffin in between them. Right, now to focus on his work and not the girl in front of him. He could do this.