Her cheeks feeling hotter, Fubuki hummed non-commentative. Suddenly, she smirked a bit, "Well, I am sure that you will make a good parent as well, Akagi-Senpai. Especially as some of yours might have fluffy tails as well~"
Needless to say, that time it was the Carrier's turn to blush and to live up to what her name meant...
Sitting on the couch as the animated movie on the television was almost over, Fubuki noticed a weight against her arm and looked to the side to find a sleepy Fu-Chan leaning against her and fighting to keep her eyes open. A quick glancing around showed her that the Kitsune was not the only one which made her smile. They had all settled into their new lives well enough adapted to their changed circumstances. It brought to mind how Nagato had told her, years before when referring to Harry, that children were nothing if not adaptable as long as they had support.
Which made Fubuki also remember how hard the children were working as well. Not only did they keep their rooms clean, she had spotted them more than once cleaning parts of the house. Because if they were going to live there, they were going to keep it clean and tidy, unlike where they had lived when they were on the streets. It both made her proud and saddened at the same time.
Granted, she wondered why Yuudachi and the others had looked so amused when they caught her taking pictures of the children dressed in their cleaning outfits...
At the same time, they still kept some habits of when they lived on the street. Such as eating as fast as they could in order to make sure that they had food. Or the fact that they sometimes nearly ate themselves sick, so Fubuki and the others had to keep a close eye on them as they did eat. Just to make sure that they did not overdo it. And that was just a few of the issues.
Thankfully, they were slowly working it out with them. Fubuki, especially, showing a lot of patience with them. Recently, they had also begun getting tutored as well by Kashima in preparation for re-entering the school system. Most did not know this, but the Light Cruiser, before being awoken, was actually a paid tutor alongside her job at Lawsons. A large number of students had made use of her services and now she often helped out shipgirls who were studying and getting an educations. Which meant, she was more than willing to help out where the children were concerned.
However, at the moment, the Destroyer had another issue... or rather, a number of sleepy issues. Glancing at her friends and getting a nod, Fubuki smiled a bit, "Okay, Fu-Chan. Time for you to head to bed."
Rubbing at her eyes with one balled up fist, Fu-Chan frowned, "Mmmnot sleepy, Fubuki-San..."
One eyebrow raised, Fubuki chuckled a bit, "You're nearly falling asleep, Fu-Chan. Also, it looks like Natsuki-Chan is also falling asleep."
Said Neko was mumbling into her friend's tail which she was clutching to her, "Sorry, Fu-Chan..."
Unable to help herself, Fubuki chuckled a bit before standing up. Looking at the Oni twins, she got down, "Okay, you two get up on my back." Both Akari and Atsuko didn't need to be told twice and their arms went around the shipgirl's neck. Standing easily despite their weight, Fubuki then lifted Fu-Chan and Natsuki into her arms before smiling, "Now, let's head upstairs to bed..."
Mumbling a bit, the Kitsune mewed a little as she snuggled into the Destroyer, "Okay..."
What followed was getting the sleepy children all changed into their night clothes and brushing their teeth. Poking her head into the bedroom for the youngest members to find Mutsuki sitting on the bed beside them. The other Destroyer only gave Fubuki a glance before turning back to the storybook that was open in her lap, softly reading from it. Walking in, Fubuki gave both Nekos a kiss on their foreheads before following it with Kasumi's and the like, "Sweet dreams, you guys."
In return, she got some good nights of her own and walked out. She did poke her head in to say good night to Yoshi and Daichi, who thanked her and wished much the same back. Both boys smiling brightly at being remembered before they snuggled into their covers. Granted, part of Fubuki was amused at how there were a few shipgirl posters on their walls already. But then, she shrugged it off as there was no real issue.
Turning away, Fubuki made her way to where Fu-Chan and the others were. All four who called that room were already in bed and snuggled under the covers. Softly smiling, Fubuki made her way over and crouched down to see Fu-Chan holding Chicky close to her as she smiled up at the shipgirl, "Fubuki-San..."
Simply reaching out, the shipgirl brushed the Kitsune's hair out of her eyes, which made her sigh, "Mmm?"
With a yawn, Fu-Chan looked at her, "Um, I heard Yuudachi-San mention something about escort... Are... are you going to be leaving soon?"
Lips curling upwards a bit, Fubuki shook her head as she stroked the Kitsune's hair, "Not for at least another month, Fu-Chan. But I have already gotten several people that I trust willing to check in on you all while I am gone. And I know that they will be taking good care of you all as well. So don't worry... besides which, I will be calling you whenever possible, okay?" That got her a nod, she leaned forward and gently kissed the Yokai's brow which was followed by doing the same with Natsuki's. Going up the ladder, she did the same with the twins as well before coming down. Head tilted to the side, Fubuki chuckled a bit, "Is there anything that you might want?"
It took a few moments, but Natsuki looked up at her, "Um... can you sing for us?"
Only chuckling, the Destroyer nodded, "I can, though I don't understand why you all seem to like it. After all, my voice isn't that great."
However, Natsuki shook her head, "Uh-huh, it is really nice, Fubuki-San. And... and it helps me sleep."
Bemused, Fubuki sighed a bit before sighing, "Okay then..." Clearing her throat, she began to softly sing, "A twinkle in the night sky, far, far away... A golden star, I gazed upon in my dreams... On a sleepless evening, I sing alone... Tomorrow I'll sing with you, on the wings of a dream."
As she sang, the two Yokai's eyes slowly closed as they drifted off to sleep. Once they were asleep, Fubuki gave them a nod before getting back up and quietly leaving the room. Entering the Master Bedroom, she gave a nod to the others and got confirmation that they were all asleep as well. Getting into her sleep clothes, Fubuki paused as she felt a warm body embrace her from behind, two hands sliding across the skin of her stomach. When she looked over her shoulder, she found herself looking into the two red eyes of her friend who smiled at her, "You are really good at that, Poi. Being a parent."
Lightly blushing, Fubuki stole a kiss from her which made the other Destroyer's hair flaps waggle some. A reaction that never failed to amuse her and got a giggle like it did not, "Thank you, Yuudachi-Chan. And, well... Akagi-Senpai said the same thing."
Pulling on a nightgown, Kisaragi chuckled a bit, "Well, Akagi-San is right and so is Yuudachi-Chan."
Just shrugging, Fubuki shook her head, "Well, if you all say so than I suppose that it is true." Stretching a bit, she sighed and nodded, "Anyways, we all need to be getting to bed as well. What with the Summoning attempt tomorrow."
Mutsuki gave a nod of her own, "Hai, and maybe we can pull off what Kushiro did and get a few Carriers."
Softly snorting, Fubuki could only shake her head. It was not long after when her and the others were in a cuddlepile. As per usual, Kana was at the bottom of the pile and Fubuki was in the center. After a few good nights, they all fell asleep.
But, in the middle of the night, two eyes snapped open and their owner frowned. Shifting a bit, Fubuki looked this way and that before furrowing her eyebrows. As she got out of the cuddlepile carefully, Yuudachi blinked some as she woke up partway, "Fubuki-Chan...?"
Waving her off, Fubuki gave her a smile that she didn't really feel, "It is okay, Yuudachi-Chan. Everything is fine... I am just going to check on something."
Not feeling like there was any real danger, the blonde haired Destroyer yawned and snuggled back in, "Okay... Fubuki-Chan."
Opening the door silently, Fubuki made her way quietly through the house before she reached where the children's bedrooms was. Pausing, she tilted her head before her frown deepened and she looked at Fu-Chan's bed. Gently, the Destroyer opened the door and could see Natsuki look up at her while another rise in the bed shook a bit, "Fu-Chan?"
The Kitsune poked her head out from under the covers, "F-Fubuki-San?"
With a hum, Fubuki made her way over, "Hai, it's me. Is something wrong?" Chewing her lip, the Kitsune looked around, "Fu-Chan?"
Ears drooping, Fu-Chan sniffled a bit, "I... I had a really bad dream. A-about... about what happened with Kaa-Chan..."
Her expression softening, Fubuki reached into her shirt and pulled out a napkin which she used to clean the wetness from the Kitsune's cheeks, "Oh, Fu-Chan. Do these nightmares happen often?" It was a few moments, but she got a nod which made her sigh, "Ah, I see."
Wiping at her face, the Kitsune shook her head, "I-it's okay, Fubuki-San, I don't want to bother you."
A moment later though, she got a poke to the forehead which made her blink as Fubuki frowned, "You are not bothering me, Fu-Chan. None of you would about something like this. And if there is one thing that I know? It is all about nightmares of the past." Getting a mumble, the Destroyer smiled a bit, "Scoot over a bit."
Confused, Fu-Chan did so, only to be surprised as Fubuki slipped under the covers, "Fubuki-San? What are you doing?"
Lightly smiling, Fubuki pulled her close, "What else? Nothing like a nice cuddle after a nightmare." Gently, she rubbed her hand over the Kitsune's back, which relaxed the young girl even as the Destroyer kissed her on the top of the head, "I'm right here."
Taking a deep breath, Fu-Chan could smell cordite, oil, saltwater, and mint from Fubuki's favorite shampoo. Another deep breath, calmed her still more and seemed to wash away the lingering bits of the nightmare. From behind, the Yokai could feel her best friend hold her close and she could hear Fubuki's boilers. Soon enough, she drifted off to a more peaceful slumber as the Destroyer held her.
And that morning, as Fubuki held the Kitsune and Neko close, all three asleep, they did not notice Yuudachi tiptoe into the room to take a picture with a small smile on her face, 'Just like a real Kaa-San, Poi...'
Colombe looked at the Auror as he slid to the forest floor in bisected chunks of viscera.
Her eyes raised to the wide-eyed Masamune who had just killed him. Tokunotakai swallowed visibly, the only color on her face the bloodspray from the killing stroke that she had just delivered.
Then she looked over at the crippled piano-sized woman-spider...thing. Yokai was what Toku had called her. Right.
Finally she looked at the two Yokai children, one another woman-spider and the other one some kind of a fuzzy animal, maybe a badger-girl? Whatever.
Two corpses, but there had been three Aurors. Which meant that the third Auror was no doubt getting friends to hunt down the evil rapier that killed his asshole friends unjustly. Again.
At this point, there was only one heartfelt thing that could be said to sum up the situation at hand.
"Well, fuck me."
Colombe's voice was weary with the knowledge that the results of doing the right thing was going to all fall on her head. Again.
Automatically, Colombe walked over to the tree where her true body was pinning the first Auror and pulled herself loose. She turned to stare at the four others in the clearing by the stream with her. "Right, vacation is over. To-chan."
"H-hai?" The Masamune gulped as her point trembled minutely.
Colombe winced mentally as she steeled her voice to confident command when all she wanted was to hug and cradle her love. "Sheathe yourself for now and check on the kids. I'll get us clear."
Her head turned to the trembling jorōgumo woman. "I suppose that you can't walk, Miss?"
"iie..." A hesitant shake of her head and increased terror in her eyes at the whispered statement.
Colombe winced. "I'll use magic to lift you to the side of the stream to get you out, just relax. Wingardium Leviosa!" She gestured and carefully shifted the spider to the indicated spot. "To-chan. Have the kids take your hands in a chain."
She slashed through the two ropes at her waist and then swung her pack off, digging through the side pouch to find a small leather coin pouch. Thank you Del. You can be a smug insufferable bitch at times, but I owe you massively for setting up this emergency exit plan. Not that I will ever admit it. "Right. To-chan, you have the kids? Walk them over close enough so their mother can take her daughter's hand. Everyone hold on tight."
Colombe shrugged the pack on and then looped the leather thong of the coin pouch around her right wrist as she walked over to the group. She grabbed the spider-woman's free hand with her left one and then unsnapped the pouch with her right hand reaching inside to touch the gold coin inside.
With a flash the 20 franc antique gold coin discharged its portkey energies, leaving nothing but corpses behind.
------------------------------
Castle Moulbaix, Belgium
Ehren du Chasteler leaned back in the desk chair in the study and surveyed her successful last-minute sniper bid for a signed soccer ball and poster for Die Mannschaft on the computer tab for eBay. A smug victorious smile flickered around her lips that widened fractionally as she forwarded an e-mail from Jardine Shipping to her mother's inbox to be handled when Mother returned.
She spun the leather chair around to look out the window at the predawn stars and leaned back, propping her feet on the windowsill and humming happily.
The smile faded in an instant as a bang of displaced air happened behind her. Ehren spun back around, tensing with her hand on her dagger hilt before relaxing.
Mother was bent over with her hands on her knees and vomiting. Next to her, a piano-sized giant spider-woman was equally nauseous, in addition to bleeding a bright blue over the carpet. Two smaller figures, a badger-girl and a spider girl were dry heaving in turn, as was a Japanese woman with a bloody katana dripping on the now-ruined Arabic carpet that was fast approximating a bad abstract painting.
Ehren stifled both a happy smile at the sight of Mother again and an attack of highly inappropriate giggles with a signal effort of Will. As she did so, she closed down her purchase history on the computer with her hidden left hand. Schooling her voice to chilly professionalism, she finally spoke in her driest possible voice.
"I see that I shall have to arrange for the carpet in here to be dry-cleaned. Guten Morgan, Mutti."
Colombe blinked at Ehren. "Ehren, get Kasuyu, this girl needs medical attention!" With that the rapier turned to the wall and grabbed a medical kit from where it hung between a set of African weapons and a bookcase.
"Jawohl." Ehren snapped her heels together and sketched a quick bow as she headed to the door at double-time.
-----------------------------
Tokunotakai blinked and swallowed as the world stopped spinning. Her hands shook as she felt suddenly weak in the knees and her eyes watered.
The room she found herself in was...cozy in a word. A unlit stone fireplace smelled faintly of smoke and ash, the walls were veneered dark wood paneling with bookcases and odd weapons and masks hanging on them. A blonde girl wearing a black T-shirt with incomprehensible writing around an American flag and white sweatpants who looked a handful of years younger than her Co-chan was staring at Toku with an expression of very well-hidden surprise.
"Ehren get Kasuyu, this girl needs medical attention!" Colombe snapped out the words in a crisp tone as she began to hastily bandage the jorōgumo's wounds.
"Jawohl!" The girl snapped to attention and headed for the door.
Toku swallowed hard. Her thoughts of protesting, warning Colombe that the jorōgumo was a deadly threat, a man-eater, died at the look of mixed disbelief and gratitude in the jorōgumo's eyes as she teared up.
She couldn't believe that anyone, that Co-chan, would treat her with basic human kindness; with Compassion rather than see her as a beast to be put down, as a means to test her sword....
Like she had killed that man to save her Co-chan. The hot salt spattering her face as the blood flowed....
Somehow Toku found her way to a chair and collapsed into it, her legs giving out. She shook uncontrollably, her bloody hand clenching on her hilt.
"MOTHER!" The door flew open and a black-haired missile in musical-themed pajamas launched herself upon Colombe's back.
"Bonjour, Claire." Colombe wheezed as the brunette girl hugged her tight. "I need you to do me a favor, summon yourself and play happy tunes for our new guests to enjoy."
The brunette girl's - Claire's - smile lit up the room as she nodded happily and walked to a corner, where she concentrated and began to glow gold.
With a crack of air a massive piano appeared in front of Claire. She slid onto the bench and began to play a mysterious piece of music that caused Toku's spirit to lift. The two children listened enthralled with wide eyes and Toku teared up at the beautiful sounds.
The door swung open again and a large bare-chested black man wearing duck pajama pants with an axe at his belt and a satchel over his shoulder headed in, followed by Ehren.
"Kasuyu, tend to her." Colombe snapped. "Damn Aurors were torturing her, and at least one of them knew the Cruciatus. Bastards." Colombe then looked and her eyes lighted on the trembling Tokunotakai. "Oh hell. I'm sorry, To-chan. Ehren, can you be a dear and fix some food for our guests. Ahh, I'm not sure what you eat Miss...?"
The jorōgumo blinked twice and softly responded, "Meat if possible, but we can eat anything a human can in need."
Ehren nodded her head. "Schweinswürste, Schlakwurst, Edamer Käse, und Weizenbrot kommt auf!"
As she left, Colombe called after her, "And coffee for everyone!"
The Muramasa then walked over to the chair where Tokunotakai sat and collected the Masamune in her arms. "God, what a morning. I suppose introductions are in order quickly. I am Colombe du Chasteler, my daughter at the piano is Claire du Chasteler, my other daughter fixing breakfast is Ehren du Chasteler, and the fellow splinting your leg is Kasuyu. O-namae wa nan desu ka?"
The jorōgumo hesitantly smiled, "Watashi no namae wa Fujii Miho desu."
Toku buried her head in Colombe's shoulder, shaking in shock and the aftereffects of her first actual combat.
Colombe looked at the others. "Kasuyu, I'll be cleaning To-chan... Toku up. I'll be back shortly. Take care of Miho Fujii and her children as if they were one of the family."
"Yes, Mistress Colombe."
------------------------------
Colombe half carried and half supported Toku down the corridor to the master bathroom and locked the door behind them with a gesture. Three more gestures raised the in-built privacy wards, lit the fire in the fireplace, and opened the taps with steaming water.
Colombe carefully removed the sheathed katana from Toku's waist and placed it on a waiting table with a sword maintenance kit, then hung her own swordbelt from a peg nearby. "To-chan?" she whispered gently as she began to undress the numb Masamune.
"H-hai?" Toku responded as Colombe threw her soiled and bloodied clothes in a waiting hamper, and followed them with the blonde's own.
Colombe looked at her with love and concern as she guided Toku into the waiting tub, and drew the shower curtain behind them, cleaning the Masamune's avatar of the dried blood staining her. "Do you want to talk about it? It helps... a little."
'Toku closed her eyes and shook her head slightly. "No... I mean... yes?" She leaned into the spray of hot water from the nozzle that the blonde was using to rinse her off into the now pink-colored water. "I... You must think me terribly weak."
Colombe turned her around gently but firmly and gazed into Toku's haunted blue-green eyes. "Not at all, To-chan. You are handling this much better than I handled the first man I killed. The fact that you can feel what you feel: the guilt, the shame, the regret, the pain, makes you human."
Colombe then shook her head as she spoke in a quiet voice filled with old pain. "Maybe I would have killed him before he got that spell off at me, I was trying to prepare a lightning bolt when you... did what you did. But maybe not. In that instant, when you made your choice, you held his life in one hand and my life in the other and you had to determine who lived and who died. It is... the greatest responsibility that anyone can have and perhaps the greatest burden anyone can possibly carry. I won't say that it gets easier. It never does and it never should. But it is a necessary burden to preserve what humanity we can when we are called upon to make that choice."
Toku slowly nodded as the words sunk in just like the heat from the steaming water. She then blinked as she noticed the faintly haunted look on Colombe's face under the concern for her. How long had her Co-chan carried that burden alone?
She opened her mouth slightly, then closed it, unsure what to say to help her love. Finally, she whispered plaintively, "Co-chan? Hold me please?"
Colombe d'Aubigny-Muramasa Du Chasteler gathered Masamune-no-Tokunotakai in her arms under the flowing showerhead as the bath slowly drained the blood washed off them both. Colombe leaned in and breathed into the Masamune of the Warrior's Virtues' ear. "As long as you need me to, To-chan."
A brief hitch in her voice and a tighter embrace as two hearts thudded as one. "as long as you need me to..."
You want the African Scary Black Dude to call Alcoholics Anonymous for a drunk jorogumo? Keep in mind only one member of the household knows what a Jorogumo IS.
You want the African Scary Black Dude to call Alcoholics Anonymous for a drunk jorogumo? Keep in mind only one member of the household knows what a Jorogumo IS.
To be fair, since she's the size of a Volkswagen Beetle, I rather doubt that one cup will do her in. Also to be fair, Colombe is not doing her best here either.
Colombe's thinking is "they are Japanese, Japanese drink tea, give them tea". Considering the alternative is coffee* (because Ehren is German and Claire is Austrian so both drink the Black Elixir of Wakefulness by the potload).
*Claire's preferred drink is Kaisermelange (strong black coffee, egg yolk, honey, and a shot of cognac), Ehren has an espresso machine to make latte macchiato which in her words is one of the few things that have came out of Italy that was worth it (Tony Potter and pizza delivery being the other two).
(usually about the time Ehren or Claire starts singing Heute noch, lieber Vater where they declare that they will give up coffee if their parent gets them a lover, Colombe announces loudly that she's grabbing the keys and going shopping for gourmet beans and asking if anyone needs anything else while she's out...)
Alright, the Colombe storyline is moving way ahead (Jeanne you crazy writer you) so despite it still being a few snippets short of fully finished, I am going to start crossposting my main contribution to this whole debacle, specifically the part where Colombe and Tokunotakai finally fell in love.
Alright, the Colombe storyline is moving way ahead (Jeanne you crazy writer you) so despite it still being a few snippets short of fully finished, I am going to start crossposting my main contribution to this whole debacle, specifically the part where Colombe and Tokunotakai finally fell in love.
To be fair, since she's the size of a Volkswagen Beetle, I rather doubt that one cup will do her in. Also to be fair, Colombe is not doing her best here either.
To be fair, its only very specific teas that will make spiders die on the spot/run for the hills. Not ALL tea.
On the opposite side of things, give that poor Jorogumo some coffee. She NEEDS to be a bit drunk to deal with the pain from being tortured as she was, plus just seeing two wizards butchered in seconds in front of her eyes - Toku's swing was literally flawless....and left the auror in two pieces. That makes a very big, very ugly mess, and like it or not, he probably was still alive, but failing fast when they portkeyed away, which is horrific to see (don't ask, other than I have seen similar)).
So just a little bit of 'spider whiskey' (a good cup of cold-brewed coffee + milk & sugar) to take the edge off, will help. As a bonus, coffee m/caffeine, while it has the same effects, doesn't have the same downsides as alcohol, for spiders.
On the opposite side of things, give that poor Jorogumo some coffee. She NEEDS to be a bit drunk to deal with the pain from being tortured as she was, plus just seeing two wizards butchered in seconds in front of her eyes - Toku's swing was literally flawless....and left the auror in two pieces. That makes a very big, very ugly mess, and like it or not, he probably was still alive, but failing fast when they portkeyed away, which is horrific to see (don't ask, other than I have seen similar)).
Yeah, not helped by Colombe's thrust splitting the pulmonary artery and spine on the first Auror. He very dead as well (albeit not quite as messily as what Toku did).
So just a little bit of 'spider whiskey' (a good cup of cold-brewed coffee + milk & sugar) to take the edge off, will help. As a bonus, coffee m/caffeine, while it has the same effects, doesn't have the same downsides as alcohol, for spiders
And yes, I suspect that the Jorogumo will get some liquid tranquilizer from Ehren's $1500 professional espresso machine. Ehren got hooked on her first Starbucks visit when she visited Brussels. Then she researched 'how to be your own barista' online, followed by a purchase with Mom's credit card of needed equipment. The Teutonic Terror has been scientifically testing beans, grounds, and all other factors to develop the perfect coffee for her tastes for over a year.
The rendition of Colombe and Tokunotokai's first time taking that next step in their relationship.
Set sometime around 4-6 months after the Butterknife Bastards Reunion.
=========
Something was wrong with Colombe D'Aubigny-Muramasa du Chasteler.
Even if she hadn't picked up on the rapier's mannerisms well enough to tell she was discomfited from the moment she'd walked under the shrine's gate for their weekly spar. The moment they'd crossed blades Tokunotokai could feel without a doubt that something was off. They varied their duels week after week, sometimes full contact with magic and melee together, sometimes limiting their own abilities by length of chant or destructive power. One week, physical enhancements only, the next a contest that restricted their incantations to single words, forcing each other to weave lesser effects into greater wholes. Some weeks they fought with nothing more than steel on steel, blades and bodies clashing in a contest of pure strength and skill and while it was a thought she could barely admit even to herself, Tokunotokai always quietly looked forward to these duels the most, not merely for the pure expression of the art but for the intimacy of it, for that little something more that would send a shiver up her spine were she not so focused on their duel.
They pushed each other in this way, constantly evolving, constantly improving, but this week Colombe was off, a story told in the shifting of her style, a change in her timing and patterns. Uncertainty, confusion, anger, hidden from view of most behind the ever-present smirk (that Toku was beginning to suspect was genetic to the Muramasas as a whole) but showing itself through the wild swings, the uncertain deflections, the mistakes born of distraction and doubt. It was oddly unsatisfying, to know that this moment was being tarnished by something the other blade had brought with her, something that disrupted the mutual bond of the two combatants.
Colombe was off her game, and Tokunotokai was -of all things- feeling faintly jealous that her sparring partner was so distracted.
Even winning their spar decisively was little comfort. At first she'd pushed harder, trying to snap the Rapier out of her state but the mood proved intractable, and even after rallying some in the final few rounds, the score ended decisively in Tokunotokai's favor, with only a single point scored by her rival.
Tea afterwards was an awkward affair in a way it hadn't been for some time either. The first time she'd invited Colombe in after a spar the offer had been somewhat misinterpreted in the heat of the moment leading to a lot of awkward fidgeting in the silence of the shrine and flushed faces that lasted longer than the exertion should have really warranted. This time was oddly similar, if a little more calm.
Finally, the silence broke. "Is something troubling you Colombe-san?" The rapier jerked slightly, blinking at the abrupt confrontation and the word 'no' was barely out of her mouth before teeth clicked together as though to snatch it back. "Oui..." She admitted after a long moment's pause, the silence deepening in the spaces between the words. "Ta Soeur… Your sister was on my case again today."
It was another regular occurrence that the other Masamune blades had taken it upon themselves to remind Colombe time and time again (and in defiance of constant explanations to the contrary) that their precious shut-in sister was not to be 'toyed with' under pain of -depending on the Masamune doing the threatening at the time- death, torture, death and torture, shunning, and/or various forms of exile. Kotegiri and Fudo had even gone so far as to challenge Colombe, and while the former had been satisfied despite giving her a thorough thrashing, the latter had been rather grudging despite the much closer match.
"And?" There had to be more to it than that, Toku thought. She and Colombe had laughed about those incidents from time to time but even after she'd gone from angry denials to eyerolls, folded arms, and nodding along until whoever had cornered her was done wasting her time with this tired old thing already the French blade had never seemed all too affected by the accusations themselves. It was one thing to be enraged at the suggestion of a relationship between them, another to be exasperated at the constant assumption of romance, but this was something entirely different as Colombe's gaze flicked to one side.
Did… Was she actually looking bashful for a moment there?
Nope. Tokunotokai's mind shut that thought down immediately, Colombe simply didn't do 'bashful', it didn't fit the blade's personality at all really. Unaware of the thoughts racing through the Masamune's head, the blonde stood suddenly and started to pace in a somewhat uncharacteristic breach of decorum. "No 'and' really, I just got stuck thinking…" Several scenarios ran through her mind at that moment, fear that Colombe might want to stop sparring with her, that the lines separating their families were simply too much to stand any more. Wholly irrational fears that she might lose a friend due to her family's overprotectiveness, as if Colombe would be willing to give up on her after something like that…
Tokunotokai barely even realized that she'd risen to her feet herself, stepping around the table and towards a Colombe so lost in her own thoughts that she barely even noticed the soft footfalls. Instinct took over for a moment as she reached out, her hand entering the other blade's peripheral vision and prompting a reflexive response. Colombe jerked in shock, one hand latching around Toku's wrist as she closed the distance for a throw before stopping as she caught herself.
The Masamune blade might have laughed at how the motions left their faces so close to each other if it weren't for the intense look on Colombe's that stilled the mirth in her throat…
They were inches apart, close enough that the flush on the blonde's cheeks could no longer be mistaken for the orange light of the setting sun shining across the room. Her heart was beating in double-time, no… She could feel Colombe's heartbeat too, a half-step off from her own, but pumping to the same rhythm.
"What…" Her voice failed and Tokunotokai swallows, licks her suddenly dry lips, and tries again, her voice small. "What were you thinking of?"
"Ce n'est que... Just that all this time," Colombe's voice is breathless as well now, "your sisters keep harassing me about our relationship, always assuming, always pressuring, and I just…" Heart beating faster, fresh adrenaline, not the automatic 'fight' response of before but instead a fear response, because for all that she's done over the years, for all that she's the more 'worldly' of the two of them by far, Colombe can't help but be a little bit scared of what she's about to do, the step she's about to take. She feels vulnerable, and for Toku there is that momentary sense of vertigo that comes from knowing that this moment, this thing she holds in her hands, is precious...
"If I'm going to do the time, why not do the crime?"
The sentence takes a second to parse, another second as she feels her lips part, head tilting back slightly as their eyes meet again. Fear and Want and so many other emotions swirling in the shining blues, watching, waiting, answered with a faint nod as she realizes what comes next. "Hai…"
She means to say more. Tokunotokai has a lot of questions after all, but most of them are cleared up quite satisfactorily a second later as Colombe's lips meet hers.
The few remaining ones -she decides- can wait until later.
=========
@SisterJeanne let me play around in their sandbox and I made a lot of really really gay swords, this is part 1 of (so far) 4
Just to clarify, Spectral Waltz's arc is set before Honor and Devotion (Which happens the day after his arc concludes), Bread and Tea (happens after Honor & Devotion as a direct result of H&D), and Two Kinds of Fools... (Toku's first adventure outside the shrine). His work happens 4-6 months after The Hunt for Norimune concludes (and the follow on family reunion Butterknife Dumpster Fire).
Dove and Shrine Maiden - A Union of Bread and Butter Part II
Wakefulness comes for Colombe silently, without fanfare or salutation. Between one moment and the next, she comes to consciousness, awareness. A familiar warmth against her side, a pressure resting on her arm, a faint smell of skin and sweat and the sound of slow breathing. The faint reverberation of a second heart, unconsciously beating in time with her own. She opens her eyelids slowly to the semi-darkness of the room, a faint sliver of light coming in muted orange through the lone high east-facing window. Just before sunrise, she notes quietly, for all that she had been some time in actually getting to sleep…
It is a thought she allows to marinate for some time before finally she tilts her head, a slow and cautious movement as she brings her eye down and looks at Tokunotakai's sleeping face.
Well… Half of it at any rate.
The Masamune blade is pressed up against her side, one arm crooked atop Colombe's chest with fingertips resting just over her collarbone. Half of her face obscured by Colombe's own shoulder but the other half peaceful beyond even her typical tranquility, at absolute ease there and then in the rapier's arms.
Slowly, carefully, Colombe brings her head back to it's original position and lets out a long exhale.
Fuck.
She didn't regret it, not for a single instant, but as everything coalesced inside her head the rapier realized that even she hadn't quite been aware of how deeply her own feelings had run. Hadn't really come to understand her own mind until last night, the moment of frustrated desire that had boiled over, the many many moments of pleasure that had followed it. From kisses, to touches, to more and more and more… It had been a delight, of that there was no question, but now that she lay in the aftermath of that night she found herself more aware than ever.
This wasn't just a fling, or rather she didn't want it to be a fling.
Gods help me Masamune-no-Tokunotakai, but I think I am falling in love with you.
A dozen times over she examined that thought , prodded and poked at it, questioned it from every angle, yet every time the result was the same. They were so unalike in so many ways, a world of escapades compared to a single shrine in a single city, the one who fought to the one who waited and trained, a life of chaos to a life of order, and yet through every opposition there was understanding, with every difference came closeness. Why had she kept coming back here after settling things with her father? Because Tokunotakai is a good training partner. Why had she stayed after every bout, rested, spoke, drank tea with her? Because she is almost kin to you, because she brings you peace, and you bring her happiness.
The little slit of light had widened, a square of orange that was slowly shifting to yellow, crawling slowly down the wall as Colombe's thoughts turned over and over. It was no first love, yet it was a love that frightened her, a love that could last far beyond the single lifetime's measure of those that she had found in the past… With Ian and Lyra… Has it really been so long? It feels like no time at all… The two of them had lived for centuries already and might live for centuries or even millenia more, and while Colombe always maintained an awareness of how fleeting life could be and how many ways she could die a day, a week, a month from now, the prospect of a future like this, of a thousand sunrises like this one, years, decades, centuries, they all seemed plausible, real, tangible in a way that they had never been before.
She wanted that future, that prospect of never having to watch her wither and fade as she had others, of potentially never needing to walk away from a grave... The intensity of that want alone was terrifying because it all felt like too much too fast, even after nearly a year, it felt too soon to say such things. Logic told her that something like love couldn't ascertained in so short a time but her heart refused to be swayed from the notion.
"Mmh…" The whirl of thoughts and emotions froze in place as she felt the face resting against her shoulder scrunch and distort. Sometime in the whirlwind of self reflection the sunlight had begun to bloom, spreading warmth and light across the room all the way to the futon they shared. She looked over, over at Tokunotakai sleepily blinking at her, black hair still messy, utterly naked. The sudden lessening of the weigh atop her arm sent pins and needles through it as blood flow resumed normally but the sensations were lost as Tokunotakai's lips parted. "Colombe-chan?" She smiled… "Ohaiyo Gozaimasu~."
...Oh fuck me I'm definitely falling in love…
And then Tokunotakai leaned down to kiss her softly and Colombe just… Stopped thinking for a bit.
Her brain -having chased itself in circles for hours in her efforts to work her own thoughts through this- welcomed the break wholeheartedly.
========
She was late to sweep the Hachimangu's steps that day, but in light of the *ahem* 'events' of last night Tokunotakai felt only a little guilty over it. The company helped as well, Colombe along in a set of robes Toku had gifted to her after her third visit to the shrine, just as their sparring was becoming a regular event.
The early-spring morning was startlingly quiet, even with the sun now rather high in the sky, but a soft chatter of birdsong caught the ear, and Tokunotakai paused a moment to look up. The sight of a family pair of Japanese wood pigeons -resplendent in their black and purple feathers as they built a nest in the sacred gingko tree at the foot of the shrine steps- giving her pause. After a moment, Tokunotakai bowed to the kami of the tree, then to Hachiman's avian messengers, and received a bob of their heads in response.
Feeling lighter for the blessing, she resumed her motions, working just a little faster to catch up with Colombe until they found themselves meeting at the middle. The Muramasa blade tapped her broom on one hand to shake the last of the dust from it's bristles and then rested it on her shoulder, a melancholy smile on her lips.
That the smile broadened just a touch and her gaze lost a little of it's sadness when Colombe's eyes met her own made Tokunotakai's heart feel like it did a wonderful little flip in her chest.
For a long moment they stood there, "We should probably get back inside…" Colombe remarked, sniffing the air and catching the scent of rain on the cool breeze. "It's likely to ra-."
A series of rattling bangs drowned out the rest of Colombe's words and an instant later, the heavens opened up. This was no slow spring rain steadily setting in over the course of an hour. This was a storm, a full-on downpour with barely a handful of drops' warning before the rain was too thick to see more than a dozen feet. Both blades were soaked to the skin in less than a minute.
"You were saying?" Toku couldn't help but grin at the timing and she had to shout to be heard over the storm. Lightning forked across the sky and another roll of thunder rendered Colombe's attempt to reply utterly moot, stepping closer, Tokunotakai tried to repeat herself, only for a second roll of thunder to cut them off again.
Then Colombe grabs her hand and opts to show rather than tell, pulling her along as she runs for the shrine.
Tokunotakai follows, hand in hand with her, a point of warmth in the cold spring downpour.
Far overhead, Raijin offers Hachiman and Takamimusubi a thumbs up and all three of them exchange high-fives. A couple of minor favors in exchange for three well-placed spots of thunder to add that little bit of romantic spice to the scene? Completely worth it.
Even with less than two minutes under the sky both of them are completely soaked by the time they make it back the the shrine. Colombe wrenches the door aside and Tokunotakai stumbles as the other blade all but pushes her through the opening ahead of her before stepping inside herself. The stumble turns into a slip as her sandals hit the tile and she aims to control the fall only for Colombe to grab at her again in an attempt to help.
The end result is less than dignified, Colombe's grip on the doorframe slipping at the last moment to send them both to the floor in a tangle of sodden robes. For a long moment there is only the muted roar of the rain coming down and the sound of them both panting, flush with exertion from the run and the tumble. Colombe's is the first to get her hands under her and look up, her blonde hair is plastered to her scalp and mussed by the fall. Toku makes an effort to keep from giggling at the slightly ridiculous mess made of her partner's normally immaculate grooming while acutely aware that she herself cannot possibly look any better.
In the end, she laughs anyways.
It is like some moment of shared madness. Colombe looks at her as she desperately tries to hold back her mirth only for the Muramasa's own lips to twitch. As Tokunotakai's giggles turn into full-blown laughter Colombe starts to chuckle in spite of herself, and then both of them are laughing, at the absurdity of it all, at the perfect comedy of the moment. It is undignified, it is expressive, and it's a wonderful moment of release, the tension draining away with the sound of their joy.
------------------<>------------------
Produced with the permission and assistance of @SisterJeanne .
Thank you, and this was great as I said back on SB. I used this piece of your writing as a bit of a template for To-chan thinking about Co-chan in Two Kinds of Fools I
You want the African Scary Black Dude to call Alcoholics Anonymous for a drunk jorogumo? Keep in mind only one member of the household knows what a Jorogumo IS.
To be fair, since she's the size of a Volkswagen Beetle, I rather doubt that one cup will do her in. Also to be fair, Colombe is not doing her best here either.
To be fair, its only very specific teas that will make spiders die on the spot/run for the hills. Not ALL tea.
On the opposite side of things, give that poor Jorogumo some coffee. She NEEDS to be a bit drunk to deal with the pain from being tortured as she was, plus just seeing two wizards butchered in seconds in front of her eyes - Toku's swing was literally flawless....and left the auror in two pieces. That makes a very big, very ugly mess, and like it or not, he probably was still alive, but failing fast when they portkeyed away, which is horrific to see (don't ask, other than I have seen similar)).
So just a little bit of 'spider whiskey' (a good cup of cold-brewed coffee + milk & sugar) to take the edge off, will help. As a bonus, coffee m/caffeine, while it has the same effects, doesn't have the same downsides as alcohol, for spiders.
Yeah, something to steady her nerves would not be out of line.
As to the Auror not being dead... I am reminded of how during the French Revolution you had a doctor testing how long the brain lived without oxygen. He would stand at the basket as the person was beheaded and then slap the face of the decapitated head to get reactions from it, taking notes the whole time. According to him, the eyes would open and the like for at least a minute or two after decapitation before he failed to get any response...
Colombe's thinking is "they are Japanese, Japanese drink tea, give them tea". Considering the alternative is coffee* (because Ehren is German and Claire is Austrian so both drink the Black Elixir of Wakefulness by the potload).
*Claire's preferred drink is Kaisermelange (strong black coffee, egg yolk, honey, and a shot of cognac), Ehren has an espresso machine to make latte macchiato which in her words is one of the few things that have came out of Italy that was worth it (Tony Potter and pizza delivery being the other two).
(usually about the time Ehren or Claire starts singing Heute noch, lieber Vater where they declare that they will give up coffee if their parent gets them a lover, Colombe announces loudly that she's grabbing the keys and going shopping for gourmet beans and asking if anyone needs anything else while she's out...)
Eyes fluttering open, Fu-Chan yawned a bit as she woke. Much to her confusion, her pillow was slowly rising and falling. It took the Kitsune a few moments to realize what was likely happening and opened her eyes fully before blushing. And sure enough, she was laying on top of a sleeping Fubuki, the Yokai's head on her chest with one arm around Fu-Chan holding her close and protectively.
Remembering the previous night, the Kitsune sniffled a bit as her eyes began to tear up. Before it could get too far, a small voice spoke up, "Desu desu desu?"
With a blink, Fu-Chan noted that one of Fubuki's fairies was now on the shipgirl's chest and looking at her in concern. Blinking away some wetness, she whispered to the small being, "Sorry, just... just remembering my nightmare last night. I am really sorry..."
The fairy though only shook his head and crossed his arms, "Desu desu, Desu. Desu desu desu desu desu desu. Desu desu desu." His expression became gentle then and he pulled out a handkerchief which he proceeded to use to gently dry Fu-Chen's face, "Desu. Desu desu desu?"
Lips twitching, the little girl gave him a smile which made him smile back at her. As he put away the cloth, she hummed, "Thank you."
The fairy only chuckled a bit and nodded back, "Desu desu."
With that, he climbed back into Fubuki's hull and Fu-Chan closed her eyes to enjoy what was happening. It had been years, not since her mother had been alive, that the Kitsune had such feelings. Not since then had she felt warm, safe, and protected as she did now. For some odd reason, she somehow knew that no matter what, Fubuki would protect her and the others. Making sure that their lives would be far better from now on. and so far, she had. That feeling of protection, of warmth and safety, of love was why she softly sighed and snuggled more into the shipgirl's body.
Also, Fubuki was really great to snuggle against, that was extremely important.
Granted, the others were great to snuggle up to. Kana being a close second behind Fubuki herself. The Battleship being very comfy to lay against for some reason, though all the children had decided that Fubuki was better. That said, they were confused about a few days back when the Destroyer had cheered about how she was catching up with someone named Lycoris. Or how she had become very flustered and chased Yuudachi around the house to laughter from the two Destroyers when she had claimed that it was because Fubuki was now a mother. When they had asked Kana, the Battleship had turned bright red and sputtered before holding her face in her hands.
Deciding to ignore that question for now, Fu-Chan closed her eyes and softly sighed as she could hear the boilers of her guardian in her ear at work. Everything had to come to an end and eventually, Fubuki began to stir. As she felt the hand of the shipgirl gently rub circles in her back, she opened her eyes and the golden orbs met the soft, gentle brown of Fubuki. The Destroyer smiled down at her before giving her a kiss between her two fox ears, "Good morning, Fu-Chan."
Brightly smiling as her tail swisher beneath the blankets, Fu-Chan giggled a bit, "Good morning, Fubuki-San."
Still rubbing the Yokai's back, Fubuki chuckled before her expression became soft and gentle, "How did you sleep after your nightmare?"
Fu-Chan bit her lip some and buried her face in the shipgirl's chest, "A lot better, Fubuki-K-... San."
Eyebrow raised, the shipgirl just nodded, "That is good to hear then, Fu-Chan." Sitting up, Fubuki let out a groan as she stretched. Her hair out of it's usual ponytail fell over her shoulders in waves as she popped various joints. Seeing the Kitsune staring at her, she blinked, "Is something wrong, Fu-Chan?"
Unsure, Fu-Chan twiddled her fingers a bit before looking at Fubuki, "Um... Fubuki-San? Do... do you think that one day I might be as pretty as you."
Heat rose in Fubuki's cheeks as she smiled a bit and scratched her cheek, "You think that I am pretty?" Getting a quick nod, she smiled slightly larger, "Thank you, Fu-Chan. And as to your question? I am sure that you will grow up to be a very pretty girl."
The Kitsune's eyes widened at that, "You really think so?"
Ruffling her hair, Fubuki gave a chuckle, "Think so? No, I know so, Fu-Chan. You will be a very pretty girl one day, though..." Leaning down, Fubuki tapped her on the end of her nose, "To be honest, right now you are very cute and adorable as it is."
Musical giggles escaped from the younger girl which made the shipgirl smile all the more. That, in itself was far more rewarding than anything else. As was the hug that Fu-Chan gave her a few moments later, "Thank you, Fubuki-San."
Gently patting her back, Fubuki gave her another kiss on the top of the head, "You are very welcome, Fu-Chan." Looking at a spot behind the young Yokai, she smiled, "And you are also cute and adorable as well, and will grow into a very pretty girl one day, Natsuki-Chan."
Blinking rapidly, Fu-Chan looked over her shoulder to find her friend there. When a lightly blushing Natsuki looked at her, the Yokai nodded, "Hai! Fubuki-San is right about that, Natsuki-Chan."
It was much to Fubuki's amusement that the Neko flushed deeply at that.
Lips twitching, the Destroyer swung her legs out over the bed and stood up. She cut a figure standing there in a tank top and shorts, but unknown to her, once more the two young Yokai wished that one day they would look as pretty as her. Meanwhile, Fubuki helped them both out of bed before reaching into a pocket and pulling out an elastic band. With practiced ease, she put her hair into it's usual hair style and smiled before holding out a hand, "Shall we go and get some breakfast?"
After a quick trip to the washrooms on that level, the three of them headed downstairs and into the usual chaos that occurred in the morning. Yuudachi and Mutsuki were both at the stove cooking breakfast as Kana and Kisaragi as well as any of the children who wanted to help brought them what they needed. Besides that, the room was filled with the sound of chatter from the amount of children there. Fubuki didn't mind the noise though, not at all. Rather, she enjoyed it and spent a moment just soaking it in before nodding.
Soon enough, the two young girls were seated at the table and Kisaragi set some plates in front of them with food. Patting their heads, she nodded, "Eat up now, but not too fast!" As she passed Fubuki who had a cup of coffee in one hand as a plate with toast, she giggled a bit, "Here, let me." Taking it, the Destroyer set it down on the table and then placed a plate in front of where Fubuki would sit, "Here's your breakfast, Fubuki-Chan."
Kissing her on the cheek, and getting smothered giggles from the children, Fubuki smiled and nodded, "Thank you, Kisaragi-Chan."
Just winking, Kisaragi returned the kiss to the cheek and nodded before heading back to the kitchen, "You're welcome, Fubuki-Chan~"
Bemused, the other Destroyer shook her head and took a sip of her coffee. Raising one eyebrow, she hummed a bit as she caught the looks of amusement on the faces of the various children there, "And what are you bunch finding so funny?"
Almost as one, they answered her back, "Nothing..."
Snorting softly, Fubuki shook her head, "Sure it is nothing." Only getting more giggles, she opened the jar of peanut butter and began to spread it on the pieces of toast she brought over before placing them onto Fu-Chan's plate as well as Kasumi's, both canine Yokai lighting up before they happily began to munch on their food. Lightly laughing, Fubuki spread jam and the like over the others before handing them out. It was only after that was done that she began to eat her own meal, though she jabbed her chopsticks at the Fu-Chan and the others first, "Now, I want you all to eat as much as you can, okay? I want you to grow up big and strong, but don't overdo it. Once you're full, you're full."
Once more, almost as one the children answered, "Hai, Fubuki-San!"
There was a soft smile on Fubuki's face as she began to eat herself.
Being as her meal was much bigger than the children's, it was of no surprise that they were finished before her. Part of her was happy though that they were not eating nearly as fast as they had been. It was still quick, but at least she was not worried about them choking. That said, by the time she was finished, Yuudachi and the others had joined them with their own food. Getting up, Fubuki poured herself another mug full of coffee and walked back over as she stirred in the milk and cream, "So, what are we all doing today?"
Mutsuki blew on her own coffee before taking a sip, "Well, we're going to the park in a bit to enjoy ourselves. After all, it would be a waste since it is nice out right now."
With a quick glance at the window, which showed that it was a sunny day, Fubuki nodded some, "That sounds good, Mutsuki-Chan. We can even have some fun in the fields and such... I think that I have a baseball or frisbee so we can play catch with it." The happy looks she got from the children warmed her at that, "Hmm... we could also go to Mamiya's later for a snack and go to the Mess Hall for dinner. I don't think that we brought any of them there yet."
Thinking it over, Kana shook her head, "No, we haven't brought them to either place."
Confused, the children glanced at each other. Head cocked to the side, Yoshi frowned as his monkey tail swished behind his seat, "Um, Mamiya's? What's that?"
Sipping her coffee, Fubuki smiled a bit, "She's a shipgirl, a Food Ship as a matter of fact. She runs a small eatery here on the base with all sorts of treats. I am pretty sure that you'll all enjoy what she has there."
More than one eye widened at that and they looked at the other shipgirls who all smiled and nodded. Something that got cheers that made the older girls laugh. Clearing her throat, Kana than spoke up, "We could bring them to the summoning as well that will be happening later."
Fubuki took another sip of her coffee and thought it over for several moments as she considered it. After a few seconds though, she gave a nod, "I don't see an issue with them being there." She then turned to the children there and laughed at seeing their excited faces, "Well, I don't think that I will need to ask if you're excited to go!"
Blushing, Akane glanced at her twin sister, "Um... we heard about it before, Fubuki-San. B-but are we really allowed to go?"
Gently, Kisaragi stroked her head and got a light purr from the Neko, "Hai, you're all allowed to go there. And no, you don't need to hide what you are once inside, but it would be best to do so anyways."
That got her nods from the others before lone blonde haired Destroyer got up. Walking over to the cupboard, Yuudachi brought out the bottle of vitamins and began to place some into her hand, "Okay, time for your vitamins, Poi! And these are the good ones!"
Chairs scraping against the floor, the orphans all got up and quickly made their way over. After all, they trusted Yuudachi... one of those whom they considered their new mothers. And the vitamins were not that bad either alongside the headpats they got with them.
Chairs scraping against the floor, the orphans all got up and quickly made their way over. After all, they trusted Yuudachi... one of those whom they considered their new mothers. And the vitamins were not that bad either alongside the headpats they got with them.
