#taka blogs

[hubwalker1]

Answers

Lila and Taka were scouring the cave for answers. Tears had been cried and dried

"Where the Hel are we even?" Lila asked as she began rummaging through captors belongings.

"About a day north." Taka replied as he checked another.

"Wow you really got on it huh?" Lila said with a bit of a grin.

"Well, what kind of knight in shining armor would I be if I let them cart you off to God knows where."

She chuckled as she reached into the blonde's coat pocket. "I think I've got something." She pulled back her hand to reveal a folded up piece of bloodstained parchment. She grimaced as she unfolded it.

"Nezarine, your bounty is..." She trailed off as she read it. This wasn't quite how she wanted to reveal her secret to Takahara.

"The Queen of the Phoenix Sovereignty Lila Ericson." Takahara finished. "The bunny eared bitch has spurned me for the last time. It is imperative that you are not discovered and that she arrives to me alive, and in one piece. Your prize shall be a sum total of 20,000 gold pieces."

"Signed... Chief Vathir of Vansvindar." Lila scowls as she reads the all too familiar signature.

"Chief must be losing it in his old age." Taka replied. "You hire someone to kidnap people you don't sign your name on the missive and you definitely don't seal it with your signant ring."

"Let's just get the Hel out of here." She growled as she started heading out.

Taka led the way out of the cave and back towards civilization while Lila's mind whirred. This wasn't at all how she wanted Taka to find out. They needed to talk about it, but... That would come later. For now, she was just glad they were together.

~~~

Hours later night had fallen and the two had set up a camp for the evening. They had no tents but it was thankfully a cloudless night. They ate a meal of small game in silence. They had spent most of the trip like that too.

Finally Lila couldn't bear it anymore. She'd been in her head this whole time and Taka was being too damn respectful to pry. She cleared her throat before she spoke. "Listen... I'm sorry I didn't tell you-"

"What? That you're the Queen of the newest Kingdom on the continent?" Taka cut her off, a frown on his face and a little bit of an edge to his voice. He shook his head and took a deep breath. "It's fine. Well, it's not fine, but I forgive you. Besides, I can't be too mad. I've known for a while."

"Look, I wanted to tell you I just-" Lila froze as his words caught up her, her blood going cold. "Y-you knew? How long?"

He shrugs and continues to eat. "A few months before we started dating."

Lila's mind started to spin again. 'If he knew I was the queen before we started dating... Then did he only agree to get together because of my position?' Her foot began to tap rapidly as these anxious thoughts swirled in her head.

"Hey." Taka's voice pulls her out of her thoughts.

"Huh?"

"You okay?"

"I'm fine." Lila lied as she looked away.

"I've known you long enough to know your foot only moves that fast when you're stressed about something." He pointed out.

"It's nothing." She growled.

Taka sighed and set his food down and moved in that silent way he moved, sitting down next to her and wrapping his arm around her. "Look, I'm not mad. Not really. I just wish you had told me sooner."

Her thoughts calmed with him near. It gave her the chance to think straight and come up with an idea. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I was actually going to on the day those assholes kidnapped me. I... I wanted to tell you... Because I have something important I need to ask you." She took his hands in hers and looked into his eyes. "Konoye Takahara, will you marry me?"

His eyes went wide and he seemed to pale but he did not pull away. "I-I'm not- I-I don't think- Y-you were-" he closed his eyes and took a deep breath to calm himself. "Lila, I really care about you, and I could maybe see marrying you someday down the line but um... We've only really been dating for a few months, and you've been hiding most of your life from me for most of that." He said with a bit of mirth, clearly trying to lighten the situation. "I hope it's okay if say no right now. I wanna get to know more about you before we make any life altering decisions." He said with an awkward smile.

Rather than the frown and possible tears Taka was expecting, Lila cannot help but grin. "Absolutely perfect." She tackles him to the ground as she kisses him deeply.

"W-woah! Did I miss something?" He asked as he pulled back, confused.

"Don't worry about it." She said as she shook her head and pressed closer to him. "Just shut up and kiss me."

[hubwalker1]

Blood Red

Lila let out a soft groan as she tried to lift her head. She felt heavy and her movements were sluggish. Looking around she was in what looked like a large chamber in a cave system, several lit torches dotted the wall. Unfortunately there wasn't much she could see as she was tied to a chair, with her arms behind her back.

"Ah, finally awake I see." Came a familiar voice as the blonde from before stood in front of her.

She immediately began to struggle weakly against her bindings. "You." She spat with as much hatred and malice that she could manage. "Where are we? What did you do to me?"

"We're on our way to Vansvindar. And just a little bit of poison, nothing lethal of course. Wouldn't do to have you dyin' on us." He said with a superior smirk.

"Let me out now and I'll ensure that you receive life in prison." She threatened as she continued to struggle.

He laughed and his smirk only grew. He placed a hand on the back of her chair and leaned in very close, their faces now only inches apart.

"I don't think you're in any position to deal, your majesty." He said, a low rumble emitted from his throat. He slowly looked her over intensely. "You know, up close, I think I see what all the fuss is about."

She scowled at his appraisal and spat in his face. The blonde instantly recoiled and wiped away the spit.

"Fucking bitch!" He shouted as he back handed her across the face. "You're lucky we need you in one piece!" He said as he stormed off.

With him gone she started struggling against her bindings again, ignoring the sting of her cheek. She tried to burn the ropes away, but only managed to make her hands slightly warmer. She was a bit panicked. What was happening? Why couldn't she cast? If her magic was failing her, how would she manage to escape? She only had one hope. Takahara.

If Taka was able to find one deer in the forest, surely he'd be able to find her. That didn't mean she could stop fighting though. A damsel was the last thing she was. Time slowed to a crawl within the cave. There was no way to tell what time it was or even how much time was passing. She was trying to be patient but it was driving her mad.

After hours - it must have been hours, surely - she heard what sounded like... Almost a gasping for breath, accompanied by a soft thud. It sounded like it came from the tunnel leading out of this chamber.

"What the hel was that?" The blonde asked sounding exasperated. He moved towards the sound, behind her. "Carrie. Wake up you bum" The was a shifting of cloth. "Carrie...? Carrie!"

Suddenly the torches around the chamber began to go out one by one. "Nez what's going on?" An unfamiliar voice called out in the darkness.

"Maybe your little hideout is haunted." Lila called out from her seat a little smugly.

"Shut the fuck up!" The blonde called. "Everyone light up those torches!"

She heard movement around the chamber and the torches were relit and pulled off the wall as the group began looking around. There was a gasp. "John!" A higher pitched male voice cried out.

"What the fuck is going on?! Show yourself!" The blonde demanded.

Him and two others had moved in front of Lila now and were looking around frantically. After a few moments there was a clattering of rocks to her left and all three turned to look. Suddenly one of the blonde's cronies, the man, let out a cry of pain. Looking at him, it appeared that a kunai was sunk deep into his back. The chain that was attached went taut as he was yanked backwards into the darkness as he dropped his torch with an ear piercing scream that was suddenly silenced.

"Shit. Shit shit shit! I'm getting the fuck out of here!" The woman cried as she ran for the tunnel.

"Get the fuck back here right now!" The blonde demanded. But he was ignored, or perhaps his words never reached her. "Fuck." He murmured as he quickly moved towards Lila, pulling out a knife and placing it to her throat from behind. "Whoever you are, get the fuck out here right now! Or else I'll gut her like fish!"

"Don't listen to him!" Lila cried out as she felt the blade press to her soft flesh, a bead of blood form and slowly rolling down her neck.

"Shut the fuck up!"

After a few moments a figure appeared at the edge of the torch light. A very familiar figure to Lila.

"Taka no." She said quietly as the blonde pulled the knife from her throat and approached him.

"You killed my entire team. My friends. I'm going to enjoy this. And I'm going to make sure you feel every. Last. Second of it." He raised his knife high and brought it down hard, intent to drive it down into Takahara's chest, only for it to sail straight through him, the blade clean. "What?"

That was the last thing he said before Taka suddenly appeared behind him and drove his own knife into the blonde's chest. "You dared to touch my queen. This was the only possible outcome for you." He growled as he twisted the blade before shoving him off, leaving him to die his own painful death.

Taka quickly turned around and rushed over to check on Lila. "Are you alright?" He asked, desperation and panic in his voice as he looked her over.

"I'm fine. Get these ropes off me!" She said still struggling, desperate to hold him.

He quickly cut the ropes on her legs and reached around to cut the ones on her arms as well. As soon as she was free she wrapped her arms tightly around him burying her face in his neck.

"It's okay, you're safe now. I'm here. I'll protect you." He promised as he slowly began to calm her down, an arm wrapped tightly around her waist as the other ran through her hair.

There would be time to talk, time to understand what was happening and why. But right now, she just needed him.

[hubwalker1]

Flames

"Lila?" Taka spoke next to her.

"Hmm?" She responded, nose still in her book.

"Is everything alright at home for you?" He asked, sounding worried.

"Everything is fine." She replies as she marks her spot in her book and turns her head to look at him. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, you've been coming around more often lately, and you said you do it to relax, so I guess I'm just a bit worried."

"Oh." She said as she looked at the fire ahead of them as she began blushing softly. "What don't you want me around?" She tried to deflect.

"No!" He said quickly. His response struck a painful chord in her heart. "No, I mean. That's not what I meant." He sighed and scratched the back of his neck. "I just... If you're going through something, I'm here for you." There were a few moments of pause before he suddenly draped his arm over her shoulder, pulling him close.

Her blush only grew darker and the fire began to flicker and crackle as it got hotter. "Th-thank you Taka. B-but really, I'm fine."

"Are you sure? If something is bothering you you can talk about it. You're my friend, I care about you."

"Maybe I just want to hang out with you more often." She replied quietly.

He chuckled a little. "Careful m'lady, keep talking like that and you'll make me think you actually like me or something." He joked.

"Well maybe I do like you." Lila said quietly.

Taka's grin softened. "I like you too Lila. You're a good friend."

She growls at that and pulls out of his grasp as she stood up walking a few feet away. "No, no, no! We are not fucking doing this!" The fire was shifting and flickering.

Takahara quickly sprung to his feet. "Lila what's wrong?"

"What's wrong is we're not fucking teenagers anymore and I'm too old to be doing this shit. So we're going to settle this like goddamn adults!"

Taka looked very confused and lost. "I don't know what we're talking about."

"Do you have feelings for me?" She demanded.

It was his turn to blush now. "F-feelings?"

"Romantic feelings you dunce!" She marched up to him and started poking him in the chest. "Are you romantically attracted to me? Yes or no?"

"Yes!" He answered immediately, his face hot and flushed.

"Good! I feel the same!" She practically shouted at him. They stood there for a few moments in awkward silence before she spoke again. "I'm gonna kiss you now."

"Wh-." Taka barely has enough time to get half the word out before her lips crashed into his, the fire behind them flaring with blue flames.

[hubwalker1]

Stalking

"So, remind me again what we're doing." Lila whispered.

"You wanted to learn how I tracked that deer, remember?" Taka replied.

"Yes but I hadn't expected it to take this long." She said with a soft frown.

"Well, we're nearing winter, most of them are probably hibernating by now." He explained.

"That doesn't explain why you're sitting so close." She said with a soft blush painting her cheeks as they sat shoulder to shoulder in her blind.

"Well someone's gotta keep you warm m'lady." He said with a grin. Her cheeks grew darker at that. "No, but seriously, the less movement and noise we make the better. Don't want to scare them off do we?"

Lila let out a soft hum. "Fair enough."

It didn't take too much longer for a few more deer to arrive to eat the bait they'd placed. "Alright that seems like enough for now. Pick one out and study it closely."

She nods, selecting a doe. "Alright, I think I've got it."

"Make sure you memorize everything you can. If there are any spots, how many spots, any discolored patches in the fur. You'll only have one chance to take in all your target's details. Make the most of it."

Her brow furrowed at his use of the word target but brushed it off, taking in every minute detail she could. Not just it's physical characteristics, but the way it moved, how it looked around for danger before it dipped its head to eat.

"Alright I think I have it now." She said confidently.

Taka grinned as he stood. "Good, let's get started then." He drew one of his kunai and threw it at the center of the clearing. As it landed there was a loud popping sound causing the deer to quickly bolt away.

"What the hel?! I thought you said the less noise the better?!" She was reminded of their first meeting where he'd scared off her prey.

"Sure, while we were getting a bunch of them, and while we hunt it down of course. But we can't exactly hunt it down when it's standing right in front of us can we?"

She grumbles in response and climbs down the tree. "Alright, which way did it go?" She said as she looked around.

"I don't know, weren't you paying attention?" He asked nonchalantly, laying on a branch about 7 feet up from the ground.

"I thought you were supposed to be teaching me." She said as she crossed her arms.

"First lesson then, be mindful of your environment. There are clues all around you. You just have to look and see."

She scoffs. "If you're teaching me how to track we're wasting our time."

"Prove it then. Find the deer."

"Hmph." She knelt down and felt the earth. The ground was soft and wet. Moving over to where she first saw the deer and found faint tracks and followed them, grinning.

It took about an hour to find the deer and capture it but she brought it back to the clearing feeling triumphant.

Takahara was sitting by a fire and stood with a big stretch as he came over to examine her catch. "Well, I'm impressed. You found the wrong deer much faster than I would have thought." He said with a smirk.

Lila's face fell. "What do you mean the wrong dear?"

"One too many spots." He pointed out.

She quickly counted them and found he was correct. "What the hel did I do wrong?" She murmured.

"You didn't see." He replied.

"You didn't explain." She shot back.

"You said you had it handled." He said with a smirk before it morphs into a kind smile. "But that's not what I meant. The world is teeming with energy. Everything gives off a different kind, but it's all there. As we go about our lives, our energy can... Brush up against others, leaving traces of it behind. All you need to do, is learn how to see."

She blinks, surprised by this information. She wasn't sure if she believed him, but Taka wasn't the sort to lie... Not that she knew anyway. "Alright... How do I 'see' then?" She asked

He chewed the inside of his lip as he considered this. "It takes time and practice to master it, but, I think I can grant you the sight temporarily so you can see what I mean, if you like."

"Please, I would like that." She was so curious about what it was like.

He nodded and stood behind her. "Close your eyes."

Lila cocked an eyebrow but did as she was told. She could hear him murmuring to himself as well as the quick movement of his fingers. She let out a gasp as she felt hands placed over her eyes.

"Relax, it's just me." He whispered.

A soft shiver ran down her spine and her cheeks flushed as she felt the heat of his breath on her ear. Slowly her drew his fingers across her face until they left entirely.

"Open your eyes."

She did as she was told and another gasp escaped her as she looked around. The world was colored... Strangely, to say the least. The grass was green, but very dull, almost grey. The tree was the same, a dull brown-grey. The leaves on the ground however were black, and the ones still in the trees were dark grey. The deer that was before them was brown and turning around to face Taka he was... Huh. There were a few colors swirling across his form. Black and dark blue, as well as pink and red. It was a strange sight to behold.

"Woah." She murmured. She felt the sight begin to fade and quickly took one last look around and she noticed the Taka was right. If she looked carefully she could see traces of browns of different shades amidst the grey.

Finally her vision returned to normal. "That was... Incredible." She said honestly.

He grinned. "Yeah, I know, I'm pretty cool."

Lila laughed and punched him in the shoulder. "Do the colors have different meanings? How did you learn how to do this? How can I learn? Why did-" she grunted as a sudden pain slammed into her forehead and she began to suffer a terrible headache. She went to lean against a tree for support but suddenly felt incredibly weak and stumbled into Takahara.

He quickly caught her. "Easy there. Shit I was afraid this would happen."

"What?" She managed to get out.

He carefully picked her up and carried her over to the fire he set up. "Your body isn't used to moving this type of energy. It put you through a lot of strain and drained you, but it should pass soon." He set her down and took his water skin. "Here, drink." She took it and with his help began to drink slowly. "Just rest for now. I'll cook up the deer. That should help."

Taka began to skin and prepare the deer while Lila continued to rest. Thankfully she could already feel her strength returning bit by bit. At one point Taka froze and stood up over the deer, holding his kunai tightly in his hand as he looked around.

"What's wrong?" Lila asked.

It took him a few moments before he shook his head. "Nothing. I thought I heard something but it must have been an animal." With his nerves settled her continued his work.

They ate and said their goodbyes, making plans to meet up another day before parting ways.

[hubwalker1]

History

"So, Lily, tell me about yourself." Taka said, glancing down at Lila from branch he was sitting on.

She raised an eyebrow. "Is that a guess?" She asked from the ground.

"Just working with what I've got." He said with a little grin as he hung down and pointed at where she had written down L-I-L- E------

She rolled her eyes but smiled. "Better than all the other ones you tried." She flipped the page in her new book, not answering his request.

"Oh come on. You've been coming out here for weeks. And I feel like I barely know you."

'That's kinda how I want it.' She thought before letting out a sigh and closing her book. "Very well. We'll trade questions, but I'll tell you this I won't answer every question, I have to keep some of my secrets, otherwise you'll get bored." She teases. "But if I don't answer, you get to ask two questions in a row, sound fair?"

"Fair enough for me m'lady." He replied, flipping down to land in front of her. "I'll go first. So... Do you have any siblings?"

"Yes, two as a matter in fact."

"Cool! Older or younger?"

"That's two questions." She points out with a grin.

"Is that a refusal to answer?" He asked with a mischievous smirk.

"It's not a refusal if it's not a legal question." She shot back.

"Fine fine, ask your question." He said waving his hand dismissively.

Lila chuckled. "Let's see... Do you have any siblings?"

He grins proudly. "Nope, only child here."

"Oh you poor boy. Is that the only reason you spend time with me?" She teased

"Hey, you're not the only one I hang out with you know!"

She chuckled. "Just teasing, Taka. Your turn."

He hummed as he thought. "Why do you only come to the forest every so often?" He asked finally.

She frowns a little at that. After a few moments she says. "My... Work keeps me very busy. Sometimes I just need to come out here to just... Get away from everything." Takahara nodded, giving her a sympathetic look. "What about you? What were you doing out here when we first met."

"Just kinda... Exploring I guess." He replies vaguely.

"That's... Not really an answer."

"It's not even the full truth either." He said with a sigh. "My father and I got into an argument about my future."

Lila raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you like... A grown ass man?"

He laughed. "Try telling him that. Besides, he's getting too old and he wants to hand it off to me soon. And, like I said, only child, so it's not exactly like I can pass the buck."

"That's tough, I'm sorry." She replied with a sigh.

"Eh, don't worry about it. Family drama, nothing to concern yourself with. But now that I've spilled my guts maybe you can spill yours. You have anything like that with your family?"

"Not really." She admitted. "My father died when I was young... The anniversary is actually coming up soon." She said without even thinking about it.

"Shit, sorry. I didn't mean to bring up a touchy subject." He said apologetically.

"No, it's okay. It happened... A long time ago now. It still hurts when I think about him, but, it's a good hurt." She said with a small smile.

"Well, let me know when it is. Maybe we can do something to honor his memory." He returned her smile.

"Thank you, I might take you up on that." She hummed as she thought about her next question. "What's your birthday?"

"April 23, 1051. You?"

"September 17, 1047. So, where'd you learn to fight like that?"

"From my sensei." He replied proudly. "I've been training since I was young. It helps when we go on our walkabout."

"Walkabout?"

"That's two questions." He said smugly. "But I'll indulge you. When we come of age we strike out on our own for at least a year to prove our skills." He let out a soft hum as he considered his next question. "What do you do for work?"

She grimaced. There was no way she was revealing that. At least not yet. "I... Work in the government of the Sovereignty."

"Guess that means you live there too. City girl huh? Can't say I expected a city girl to be such a skilled hunter."

She furrowed her brow. "Thank you? I think." She clears her throat. "Um... Do... You have any hobbies?" She asked after struggling to think of the next question.

Taka smiled. "I'm actually something of an artist." He admitted.

A grin crept across Lila's face. "And you said my hobby was boring."

He scowled at that. "Art is not boring!"

"Maybe not for you. But it's interesting to see how the tables turn on you isn't it?" Her grin grew into a full fledged smirk.

"Okay, okay, point made." He said, simmering down a little. "But anyways, I love to make art. Mostly it's just painting and sketches but I have done some sculpting before."

"Well, perhaps I could see some of your work one day."

He smiled shyly. "Mm, maybe. I-I don't think any of it's very good. But, it's all really personal to me."

"Then... I won't pry." She relents.

"Thank you, Lily." He cleared his throat. "Alright then... Hm... Do you have a boyfriend? Girlfriend? Partner I guess would be the better term. Anyways I'd hate to get you in trouble with your significant other if they hear you're running around with an incredibly talented and dashingly handsome ninja." He started flexing trying to show off.

While Lila did blush at the question, she did laugh at his antics. "No, no. Nothing like that." She said tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Really? I would have figured a girl like you would be swimming in would be partners."

Her mind flashed back to the numerous letters and gifts in her office from would-be suitors. "A girl like me?" She asked, again, unsure if she should be insulted or not.

"Yeah, you're really fun to hang out with. You're smart, you're funny, you're strong and beautiful. Honestly I could go on but I'd probably be here all day." He flashed her a cheesy smile before it became more genuine. "Point is I've really enjoyed spending time with you." He admits.

Her blush only grew with each word he spoke, and she could feel her heart beating faster. "Oh, um... Yes, well... Th-thank you." She cleared her throat. She looked up at the sky as it was cast in pinks and oranges. "Charcoal." She said as she stood.

He quickly fumbled with his bag and tossed her the stick in question. Lila stood and turned to face the tree where she wrote an A. "I-I have to go now, but I'll see you later, alright?"

Taka smiled at her. "I'll see you later then... Lila."

[hubwalker1]

Letters

Lila flipped the page in her book and continued to read. She was getting near the end and would probably have to bring a new one next time she went out.

"How can you just sit there and read the whole time?" Takahara whined from a branch above her.

Assuming of course that Taka could stop annoying her. "It's relaxing."

"Sounds like another word for boring if you ask me L."

"I didn't ask you to come, no one's forcing you to stay."

"Oh come on, I haven't seen you since last week."

"And what a quiet week it's been." She replied with a slight grin.

Suddenly her view was obscured by a pair of pointy Tanuki ears. "Keep talking like that and I'll think you don't want me... Hanging around." He smirked.

Looking up she saw that he had hung down from the branch above. "I'm seriously considering it." She replies but he just grins in response. Letting out a sigh she closes her book. "Very well, what do you consider fun?"

She flipped down landing on the branch in front of her as he scratched his chin. "Well... You're a fighter right? Maybe we could spar?"

She hums a bit intrigued by the idea. "It has been some time. Things have been peaceful but I'd hate to lose my edge."

Taka's grin grew. "How about we make this more interesting and play for a letter?"

She chuckles and rolls her eyes. "If you say so."

He falls backwards and bounces from branch to trunk until he reaches the ground.

She raises an eyebrow, intrigued. She had an inkling that he was quite agile, but this is more than she was expecting. Lila made her way down, albeit much less gracefully.

"So, what are we doing? First strike, submission, knock out?" Taka asked as he produced a small knife with a ring where the pommel would be and proceeded to spin it around on his finger.

"Let's go with first strike. Now, are you a magic practitioner?" She asks.

"I know a bit."

"No offensive magic then."

Takahara raised his hand as if he were in a classroom. "Define offensive."

"Anything that would hurt the other."

He nods and smirks as he draws a second knife identical to the first. "Shouldn't be too hard."

Lila returned the smirk with one of her own as she drew her Fenrir bone sword, engraved with stylized flames along the blade and cross guard.

Taka let out low a whistle. "Fancy sword L. Where'd you get it?"

Lila groaned. "Stop calling me that."

"Give me another letter then."

"Earn it."

"With pleasure m'lady." With that he charged straight at her with surprising speed.

Lila quickly sidestepped and parried the blow, knocking his blade. She took a slash at him but he quickly dodged back with an acrobatic flip before throwing one of his knives at her. Lila knocked it aside with her sword.

"You'll have to do better than that, Takahara." She said, giving her blade a flourish.

"You know you fight pretty well for someone so unassuming." He replied as they began circling the clearing.

"War will do that."

"So, you served?"

"Most of our kind did, especially near the end. I don't recall seeing you there though."

"Yeah, we tend to keep to ourselves."

"We?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

"You should focus on the battle not the conversation." He leapt up onto the trunk and began to bounce between them all, striking out at Lila with every few bounces.

Lila frowned and began doing her best to dodge, but Taka was getting closer and closer with each strike. That's when she realized he only attacked on the fourth bounce each time. She prepared herself, and on the next strike she caught his blade with her own, shoving him back.

Taka landed on his back but used the momentum to flip back up onto his feet, gaining some distance between the two of them.

"You're good, I'll give you that, L." He said with a grin.

"You're just predictable." Lila replied, her grin matching his own.

"Alright, let's see how you handle this then." Taka began performing intricate hand signs at a quick pace.

Suddenly Lila was surrounded by dozens of duplicates of Takahara, each appearing from a puff of smoke and identical to the original.

"I hope you don't mind. They're technically illusions so they can't actually hurt you, so technically, not offensive magic." He explained, a different duplicate speaking each word. Or was it the original?

"Fair play to me." Lila replied with a shrug.

With a smirk they all began to move in different directions, jumping from tree to tree again, striking at different times. Lila swung wildly, dodging like her life depended on it, but it was no use. Each strike only hit air or a duplicate. This was getting her nowhere.

She took a breath to focus as she stopped swinging. Between her dodges she performed hand signs of her own as magic words slipped past her lips. In an instant she could sense the minds of all the creatures in the surrounding area discovering that the original Taka was...

"None of them?" She said to herself as she stopped and looked around.

Suddenly there was movement from above. None of the duplicates had attacked from there before. She drew up her sword, trying to dodge out of the way at the same time.

She stood there, sword in hand as she breathed heavy.

"Looks like this round goes to me, m'lady." Taka said with a grin as he stood, holding up a few strands of hair he'd managed to cut.

"Damnit." She cursed and fell on her ass, dropping her sword.

"Here, have some water." Taka offered his water skin which she gladly accepted and drank from greedily.

"Charcoal." She said with a bit of a huff as she handed it back to him, now mostly empty.

He looked like the cat who ate the canary as he handed it to her as she stood, writing on the tree.

"There, happy?" She asked as she tossed it back to him.

"Come on don't be a sore loser L- Hey! Come on that isn't fair!" He complained as he looked at what Lila had written.

She looked back at him with a smug smirk. "What? You said you wanted another letter."

"Well I didn't expect it to be the exact same letter in a different spot." She growled.

She shrugged looking unconcerned and victorious. "Not my fault that's how my name is spelled."

He rolled his eyes, a small grin pulling at his lips.

"I will admit though, I am impressed. I've never met someone who fights like you do." Lila said taking a seat against the tree. "That last move especially caught me off guard."

His grin grew wider at the compliments. "A ninja's greatest tools are deception and agility." He recited as if he'd been hearing it his whole life

"And apparently his big mouth being his greatest detriment." She said with a raised eyebrow. "You're a ninja? Like Kiri?"

Takahara quickly slapped his hands over his mouth and groaned before his brow furrowed. "How do you know Toshioka Kiri?"

"Well, to put a long story short she saved my dad's life. At least how he tells it. They fought together back in the first rebellion."

He sighs. "Well, since the cat's out of the bag, to use an archaic and cruel sounding metaphor, yes, I am a ninja."

"So, were you two from the same village?" Lila asks curiously.

"No no, you hit the nail on the head the first time, we ninjas just loooooove to talk."

"I get the feeling you're the exception, not the rule." She said with a smirk.

"Well maybe you'll find out some day Llllllll." Taka replied, really exaggerating the L.

"Oh for fuck's sake." She groaned.

"Hey, you want me to call you something else? Give me some more letters." He said with a grin.

[hubwalker1]

Tines

The next day, Lila came to the agreed upon meeting spot, this time by ground rather than by tree. She wasn't sure what Takahara had planned but she was honestly half expecting him to not show up at all. She leaned against her maple tree and waited patiently. It was about mid-day by now, and it was a bit tougher to elude her body guard. It always was when she snuck out 2 days in a row.

She waited a few minutes and cursed realizing they hadn't really set a specific time to meet.

"I'll give him an hour." She murmured.

An hour came and went and he was still a no show. She sighed in frustration and began heading back when her ears twitched as she hears a soft thump behind her. She turns to see Takahara setting a deer on the grass

"I hope you weren't planning on running off. We had a meeting planned here." He says with a grin.

"You're late." She replies with a frown and crossed arms, her eyes glancing around for some type of ambush.

"You can't be late if you don't set a time to meet up." He says, his grin growing wider.

She rolled her eyes as she approached, kneeling down to examine the creature. She was caught off guard as she saw it take a breath. "It's still alive?!" She asks in surprise.

"Well it would be a lot harder to carry it if it was awake."

"Why not just kill it? And how did you even manage to put it to sleep."

"Just some sleeping poison." He shrugs. "Besides, I figured you'd want the kill I denied you yesterday."

She hum and frowns as she looks it over. "Wait a minute..." She looks at its antlers, examining the tines closely. "Is this the same deer from yesterday?"

"As far as I can tell. Like I said I owed you." Takahara replied nonchalantly.

"Alright, I'll admit, I'm impressed." Lila says begrudgingly as she pulls out a dagger.

"Impressed enough to tell me your name?" Takahara asks as Lila drove the dagger into the beast's heart.

She grunts softly. She hadn't really thought this through. "No." She replies

"Oh come on! How are we supposed to be friends if I don't even know your name?"

"You want to be friends now?" She huffed softly.

"What? Am I not cool enough to be friends or something." Takahara asked with a frown.

"No, but it's not exactly what I had in mind when I came out here." She sighs. "Do you have some paper and charcoal or something?"

"Oh um..." She fumbles around in his pack for a moment before pulling out a short, thin, black rod. "Just this."

She took it and walked over to the maple tree that held her blind. She made a little scribble and nodded. "This will do." She drew 11 horizontal lines on the bark. Over the first one she wrote the letter L. "I'll write more letters as time goes on." She said as she tossed the charcoal back to him.

"So you just want me to call you L?"

She shrugs. "Call me whatever you want. For now help me with this deer." She said, going to prepare the animal.

"Whatever you say, Honey."

She groans in response.

[hubwalker1]

Maple Tree

Lila ran her hand over the wide trunk of one of the maple trees. They had planted it shortly after they had laid claim to High Central's territory. She had wanted a supply of lumber nearby should they ever have need. She also appreciated the game that had moved in.

Drawing up the hood of her plain looking clothes she began to climb. In the 15 years since High Central's final defeat she had found her duties as Queen to be... Stressful, to say the least. She loved her people, and she would never trade her responsibilities for anything. But it had gotten to the point where she couldn't even walk down the street alone, be it due to her body guard or the attention of her subjects.

She had begun taking to the wood in secret. To hunt, to admire, to relax. As she reached a sturdy branch she leaned back against the trunk with closed eyes and sighed. Alone at last. Opening her eyes she looked out across the sea of yellows, oranges and reds. The forest was always lovely this time of year

She gave herself 5 minutes before standing up and starting to jump from branch to branch moving through the forest as quickly as she can. She arrives at a makeshift blind she had created. She had some supplies stored here. Some corn she used as bait, some salted meats she'd sealed away, a book to read while waiting.

Scooping out some bait she tossed it to the forest floor and picked up the book opening the dogeared pages and catching up on her book.

Time passed and the sun progressed across the sky. Lila's ears twitched and she let out a soft grunt of frustration as she moved carefully into a crouched position. Her book was just getting good. Peering down she saw a few deer had gathered below and were eating the corn she had dropped.

She took a soft breath to prepare herself as she drew her bow. She didn't have a good shot from this angle but to move to another tree would likely scare away the deer. She wrapped her legs around the branch and carefully lowered herself, hanging from it upside down, a much better angle, although a slightly more challenging shot admittedly.

She drew back her bowstring, arrow nocked. She took a deep breath and slowly let it out as she prepared to fire and-

"Wouldn't shooting like that make it harder to hit?"

Lila quickly shifted her aim and fired at the voice that came from above her in the tree. She saw a man, probably in his mid-30's, his hair was light orange and black with fuzzy triangular white ears crowning the top of his head. His frame was lean and a scar adorned his left cheek below his dark brown eyes.

He threw both his hands up over his head as he yelped in surprise. "Hey easy! I come in peace! Trying not to leave in pieces."

Lila swings herself up onto the branch in a crouch, hand on the hilt of her sword. "I find that most people mean harm to those they sneak up on." She growls.

"There was no sneaking!" He replied defensively, lowering his hands. "I just move very quietly."

She scowled as she cautiously stood, hand still on her pommel. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same." He shoots back playfully.

Lila gestures to clearing where the deer had scattered after her first shot and the subsequent yelp. She cursed and shook her head. "Great. They're won't be back for hours, if they return at all."

"Heh. My bad. I'll make it up to you." He says scratching the back of his head in embarrassment.

"And how do you plan on doing that?"

"Meet me here tomorrow. You'll see." He winks.

She let out an exasperated sigh. "Very well. What's your name anyways?"

He grins. "Konoye Takahara, but you can call me Taka."

"Very well. Tomorrow then Takahara." She said as she crossed her arms.

He frowned for a moment before shrugging and jumping away almost silently from tree to tree.