teahoused | general texting meme

[If the boy who had gotten hit or Maren had expected any apologies from Kazue, hopefully they weren't holding their breath. Between Maren's excellent aim and Kazue's ability to connect with the ball, their team slaughtered the other one. Well, a more tame and truthful version would be to say that they had did well, but Kazue happily hugged Maren as soon as the umpire called the game, grinning ear to ear.]

We won! The team wants to go celebrate! What do you say?

[ That Maren had even asked the question was something of a miracle. She hates confrontation. She hates conflict. She'd just as soon bite her tongue and turn her gaze down or away than breach something uncomfortable, but she does learn. She remembers, so the next time Kazue suggests violence in an activity that doesn't seem like it would be inherently so, she's likely to think twice before blindly trusting her on the subject.

That's less here, though, and more at some distant point in time, like tomorrow or something. Now, Maren's, well, blushing a bit at being hugged??? Also, what time is it? ]

Isn't it kind of late, though...?

[ She's a grandma, she goes to bed at six. Or she used to before Kazue entered her life, lbr here. ]

Is it past your bedtime?

[It was less a jab and more a tease, since Kazue was still riding off the high of winning and also because the looks of horror on the other team's faces had been priceless. Kazue should have had one of the servants filming from the stands, but next time. Though she would have liked to have all the boys on their team fawning over her great athletic abilities and Maren's cuteness, she could be a gracious overlord. She waved off the rest of the team calling for a rain check, arm still around Maren's shoulders as she started steering them off the field.]

I'll walk you home! Did you have fun?

[ Did she have fun? That's... a good question. After the, um, whole nailing a boy in his personals? ]

Y-yes, I think so. I don't think I was very good at it, though.

[ But they team did well? And Kazue seems happy, so she thinks that's good. Her nervous laughter might suggest as much. Also, as she has to lift a hand to cap a yawn, that she's very tired. ]

You did great! We won didn't we? Your pitches were very precise! Even the catcher guy said so!

[Kazue do you even know the positions...?

She grinned when Maren started yawning, snickering.]

If you're that tired, do you want to sleep over? My house is close by and I can get you what you need.

[It would be a reward in a way for today.]

[ Unexpected? Yes. Undesirable?? Not exactly. It's just that Maren hasn't had a sleepover in a very long time and it feels a little sudden that Kazue should pitch such a thing. ]

I-I wouldn't want to impose.

[ But also... that isn't entirely true, she realizes. Because Kazue is really very talented at fighting all sorts of monsters. Maybe she could sleep a little easier near her? But then, she'd find out about her night light... ]

You wouldn't be. You're so quiet I'll probably forget you're there.

[Considering the decision made, Kazue steered Maren towards the direction of her house, blase.]

Besides, it's getting dark and I don't think you'd be able to help me fight in your condition.

[Even though Kazue had only known Maren for a short amount of time, it was a bit disconcerting that she trusted her to be her eyes. To the point she was sure she was starting to become lax on her own senses. She should probably wake up early to train just to make up for that troublesome thought.]

[ Ah, that's right! The time -- Maren lifts her eyes briefly to the sky, pursing her lips at the purple hues streaming into orange now. She doesn't want to be outside when it gets dark. When twilight hits, everything changes. The feel of the air, the temperature, the scent -- she shudders in turn, unable to bring herself to protest, unwilling for all that it seems like Kazue's made the decision for her. ]

P-probably not.

[ She's still not sure she's much help at all, really, but Kazue seems to think so, so... ]

Good, it's settled. Should we order out for dinner? Or I guess I can see what we have in the fridge.

[Kazue took out her phone to send a text to her servants, easing up on her arm on Maren's shoulder since it seemed like she'd come around to her way of thinking.

It was weird to think that Maren was probably going to be the first person in her abode here in Tokyo who wasn't family or contracted to be there.]

[ Maren pauses at that, wondering. If Kazue is letting her stay over like this, it's only right that she do something nice for her, right? ]

I-I could cook if you'd like.

[ In most things, she isn't all that confident, but she has many, many, many memories of positive reception about her cooking. It should be okay, shouldn't it? ]

Are you going to be able to stay up long enough to complete the task, grandma?

[Kazue grinned teasingly, but she wouldn't turn down Maren's cooking. Though she'd been spoiled most of her life by more high brow food, she had to admit there was something charming about Maren's cooking. She couldn't put her finger on it exactly.]

[ Oh. She looks a little sad hearing that, turning her gaze to the ground to the side. It's some kind of miracle that she doesn't trip when she does so. ]

Y-yeah...

[If this was anyone else, Kazue would have let it go and not bother to pursue it. As far as she was concerned, other people's feelings were their own fucking business and she wanted nothing to do with them for the most part. Things got messy and complicated and unlike battles where she could see how the ebb and flow of it was going, conversations could take the weirdest turns.

But Maren was her friend, and her eyes to boot. If Kazue didn't keep her fine tuned, it would only hurt them in the long run.

So she turned to her with a small frown, a hand on her hip.]

What's with that response?

[ It isn't nothing and Maren can't bring herself to say that it is. Her grandmother isn't nothing. Not even her aversion to confrontation could cause her to fold on that, but it isn't an easy thing to explain, really, and Kazue had been in such a good mood... ]

C-can I tell you later? Maybe?

[The thing about Maren that was both admirable and annoying as hell was despite being a pushover when it came to almost everything, there were times she could be unreasonably stubborn. Like when it came to coming with Kazue onto a dangerous battlefield or insisting Kazue eat vegetables with her meals and not just sweets.

She eyed her partner critically for a few moments, before shrugging, letting it go for now.]

Fine. But you will tell me later.

[It basically bordered on an order, that tone.]

Y-yes, okay.

[ She offers a nod in turn, pausing to lift her eyes up to glance at Kazue, then the sidewalk ahead of them. There's something odd about the air, the scent of it... but that means it's getting closer to sunset, she thinks. It always smells a little odd to her, like fish. M-maybe blood. ]

How much farther, Kazue-chan?

[Maren’s easy agreement was enough to make Kazue happy enough to drop the topic, humming as she walked along, oblivious to any changes in ‘smell’. She did note Maren’s apprehension, which was the girl’s default state, so she didn’t think much of it.]

That big grey building over there.

[She pointed to a tall, fairly recently built structure, which was only a few blocks away. Washed in the light of the setting sun, it looked almost made out of brick or washed in blood instead. It wasn’t too far, they just needed to cross a few streets. She turned to Maren with a grin, eyebrow arched, about to tease when she thought better of it.]

Why, something wrong?

Smells bad.

[ It's getting later and later and the smell always seems to get worse and worse to her depending on what's around. She doesn't feel anything particularly malicious close by, she thinks. Nothing chasing them, but it still makes her uneasy. She knows they're out there. She knows they know they're here even if they aren't paying attention to them right now and the thought is enough to make her purse her lips except that -- did she imagine it just now? That building Kazue had pointed to... for a moment, she could've sworn something felt weird, weird in that bad way that makes the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. ]

It looks a little scary.

[ Also huge and very new. Her eyes are already moving over it rapidly, taking it in, breaking it down, collecting every little detail that can be discerned. This building... ]

Huh.

[If it was someone else, Kazue would have just dismissed it because they had just run around for a few hours, so it's not like they were going to smell like daisies. But Maren's insight was particularly good for someone who hadn't been trained. Maybe it was because she'd been thrown and forged into the fire so soon.

Kazue tucked her bat into her bag, untucking the necklace that she kept Kirimaru on from underneath her shirt so she could activate him at less than a moment's notice. She picked up her steps, scanning their environment.]

What, my building? It's safe. There are wards everywhere and it was purified before I even moved in.

It should be fine, then.

[ She thinks. She's been learning a lot off-handedly since she came to the Hidden Moon that made a lot of things woven into their culture make a lot more sense. Whatever that feeling was seems to have subsided, too, so it should be okay, she thinks. If it's not, it's not like Kazue will be far, but -- ]

Y-you really live in a building that big by yourself?

[She let her gaze linger for a few moments before nodding, hefting her bag over her shoulder since it seemed like Maren had dubbed it all clear. At the question, Kazue shrugged, entering the building without so much as glancing at the doorman bowing to greet them.]

I’m only renting out the top floor, and half of it is for the servants. The rest of it has occupants.

[She started up the stairs without thinking, glancing over her shoulder.]

It’s smaller than what I’m used to but it’s on a lay line so it could help with Awakening.

[Or at least that’s what she’s heard all of her life, and there’s little research to support the contrary.]

[ Maren spares the doorman a nervous nod, countering his bow a few times in trying to inch past him with a polite greeting, after which she's quick to join Kazue. She's not terribly far behind despite her slower pace. ]

The t-top floor of a building is small...?

[ Is she hearing right? Not that she hasn't gotten the impression that Kazue is well off, but that sounds mind blowingly spacious to Maren. Also -- ]

S-servants?

[ And that's without taking into consideration the talk of ley lines. ]

Yeah, our estate is five times bigger. Even my aunt's house is double the size.

[Since Maren seemed to be keeping up, she headed up the floors until they got to the top. A kindly looking servant in her thirties opened the door for the both of them, bowing deeply as Kazue dropped her bags off next to her and took off her shoes.]

Only two came with me here. Maren, this is Emiko. She can take your stuff too.

[She tromped into the house further, which was fairly immaculate and decorated in a more modern fashion instead of a traditional one.]

Did you want to shower or eat first?

[ She can't imagine living in an place as big as what Kazue is describing. Can anyone? Comfortably? Realistically?? With servants??? That sounds like something out of a fairy tale or something from bygone days maybe when there were lords and ladies living in castles and samurai were commonplace.

It takes her a minute to catch up with Kazue as courteous as she is toward Emiko in properly introducing herself. Please hold. ]

Sh-shower!

[ Because she was absolutely startled by the question. And overwhelmed by the size of everything and Emiko being so kind and -- it's a lot for her to process, really! And Kazue just lives here like this with Emiko-san and a whole 'nother person??? ]

Third door on the right.

[Kazue pointed the direction out helpfully in case Maren was having difficulty remembering her directions like she seemed to be with her words. She was already shrugging out of her outer jersey and handing it over to Emiko, non-pulsed.]

If you need anything just shout.

[In the meantime, Kazue was going to raid the fridge and see what she could drink.]

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