At The Place I'll Return to Someday [Closed]

[concealingeyes]

Date & Time: August 7th
Location: 1888 Japan
Characters: Kido & Kano
Summary: Mission here a.k.a. frolic around Japan, steal some dogs, spend time together, w/e
Warnings: THEY NEED TO HAVE EMOTIONAL TALKS AT SOME POINT




[It started with a text. Want to go somewhere? Let's go to Japan. Come on, you and me. Was she homesick? Did she just want to get out? Maybe she wanted to prove she could do this again; leading, fighting, being someone stronger. She'd had enough rest.

But it wasn't just that. She texted him for a reason. They were on the verge of...something. Just in the distance, she could see some sort of change waiting. There was a different future if she could grab his hand and drag him forward with her.

He agreed. Maybe he wanted to get away with her, too?

Kido changed into the clothes given - thankfully they let her take male ones - and pocketed their spending money. She listened to everything in their briefing, already focusing on the mission. They could easily hit up a few of those targets between their combined abilities. If they got done fast enough, they could enjoy themselves a little, too...

She walked down the streets that weren't familiar but closer to home than anything they had been given so far and thought out loud to Kano.]

This shouldn't be too bad. I can steal the artwork from the one member... we can probably both take the dogs from the other... Just get the one drunk and encourage the daughter to go out on her own...

[A beat.] We'd have to go with her though. I'm not letting her run off and get kidnapped or something...

Comments

[duplicitoussight]

[The ease of that compliment surprises him. But after that surprise passes, it makes his smile grow.]

I hope Leader's fine with takoyaki tonight.

[concealingeyes]

That sounds pretty good. It's been forever since we had food from home, huh?

[duplicitoussight]

Which is all the more reason to stuff ourselves, right, right?

[concealingeyes]

[She tugs on his sleeve to pull him forward, a sort of 'lead the way' gesture.] We should bring home some candy for the rest of the Dan. That should hold up well enough.

[duplicitoussight]

[He obeys, walking forward after a moment's hesitation to show the way.]

Do you want to stop by the market after dinners over? Ah, it can be a shopping trip with the two of us! Isn't that special?

[concealingeyes]

[She lets go but keeps close by his side as they walk.]

You're pretty excited about this, huh? ...I was surprised you wanted to go with me.

[duplicitoussight]

[He's excited at any chance to be useful or to get out of Exsilium, to be honest. But at her next words he tilts his head.]

... surprised? Huh, why's that?

[concealingeyes]

Well...

[Because they've had a rocky time lately. Because missions haven't gone well. Because things fell apart and got put back together in strange ways.]

I didn't think you'd feel up for another mission. [Especially being stuck with her for so long, with that uncertainty between them.] I've irritated you a little lately, too, right?

[duplicitoussight]

[He can't deny that she has with how she constantly pushes, but... she has the right to know on those sorts of matters. And if it was a choice between letting her take a mission alone or staying back, he'd rather go. They've always gone together. He shakes his head.]

That doesn't have anything to do with this mission.

[concealingeyes]

[Kido suddenly laughs, not at him but at herself, for the strangest happiness she just felt.]

Oi, you just admitted I irritate you!

[You were honest again.]

[duplicitoussight]

[He blinks, caught off-guard by that laugh. Suddenly feeling sheepish, he rubs the back of his head.]

Ah, I didn't say anything like that outright, did I?

[concealingeyes]

You didn't. But it's what you meant. "Even if you've been irritating, I didn't want you to go alone." That's what you said.

[duplicitoussight]

[Kano's rarely been called out. For his lies? It was rather frequent, especially when he made them especially obvious. But the quieter, smaller things he wanted to say, the ones he omitted and obscured weren't meant to be discovered. Nobody would listen, right?]

... it's honestly not a big deal. It's boring to stay behind, anyway.

[concealingeyes]

[Kido is trying to listen now. He seems a little flustered, so now is the best time to smile at him.]

You're kind of cool when you're honest, even if it's just calling me irritating. I'll have to listen closer, huh?

[duplicitoussight]

[He isn't used to Kido being so free with her compliments. It makes his heart beat a little faster than he expects.]

Listen closer? Eh, that just sounds like an excuse to let you get closer to me.

[concealingeyes]

[It's probably just a coincidence that the way she walks makes her hand brush against his.]

Hm, well, when you say the truth so quietly, of course I have to be close to you to hear it.

[duplicitoussight]

[It's hard to resist the temptation to grab onto that hand.]

All right, all right. It's fine for Leader to admit it. Did you get someone to teach you how to flirt? I bet it was Flora, wasn't it?

[concealingeyes]

I'm not flirting. I'm just telling you the truth. I heard once that hearts speak quietly. I bet yours barely mumbles what it wants.

[It was probably in a manga but shut up it's true.]

I think it'd be cool if you let yourself say what you mean more, that's all. But even if you don't, I'll try to hear it. I promise.

[duplicitoussight]

[Wow. She's really smooth tonight.]

I already say what I need to say. It's fine, so don't strain your ears like that. You're not missing anything if you ignore any mumbling, you know.

[concealingeyes]

"I say what I want to say but no one hears it. It's irritating that you figure it out. You should keep trying."

[She grins at him.] How was that?

[duplicitoussight]

... nope, that's wrong. [A lie.]

[concealingeyes]

Liar.

[duplicitoussight]

I'm not lying about anything! There's nothing for me to lie about~

[concealingeyes]

Is it really that scary to get figured out?

[duplicitoussight]

[In all honesty... it is.]

Kido already knows who I am. We grew up together and we know each other preeeetty well, I'd say. You should've figured me out ages ago, if we're talking about stuff like that.