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[ Kaito's eyes flit all over the interior of her home space. He's taking in Hibiki's words too, sure, but it's his eyes that file away every minute detail to memory.

Especially that nice-looking wok hanging alongside the other pots and pans... ]

I worked in a noodle restaurant. Real run-down hole in the wall kind of place. It felt like a third home to me, so I understand the sentiment.

[ Golds lock onto the first aid kit, and when it seems like he's finally about to let go of her hand, Kaito simply lifts the opposite and conjures a stream of silver energy to whip out and grab the kit. ]

It'll do. I'm pretty good at making things work with limited supplies, and I have just a little healing power with my water magic. [ Only now does he loosen his grip and pull away (and even then there's hesitance). ]

Which way to the nearest bath? And, uh... is there a change of clothes I can possibly use? If not, that's fine—I can just teleport to my Shroud after cleaning up.

[ So he says (and honestly, he probably could), but are you really going to let him wander off after all that? Is he going to allow himself to wander off? ]

[ It's the sort of space that's rarely seen in the 20xxs, a product of an era long since past lovingly maintained by its proprietor. It seems much smaller than the normal ryokan, judging from the size of the lobby and the kitchen, the latter appearing to be the only fully modernized part of the facility.

Watching as Kaito plucked the kit from a nearby med cabinet, it takes her a few seconds to realize, oh, right, he's going to want to clean up. He's going to need a change of clothes. Taking her hand back withsome reluctance, Hibiki jumps at the chance to busy herself. ]

If you don't mind wearing a yukata, I can grab you one.

[ And in the first glimmer that she might be returning to normal, she smiles pleasantly at him. ]

I'll help get you patched up. I should probably be able to cobble something together to eat after you're done with your bath.

[ Said sweetly, but incredibly firmly. ]

[ In other words, it's the sort of space Kaito's family would love to stay at. Hah.

Even with their hands separated, he's still able to vividly feel the smile draw onto Hibiki's features before ever seeing it. There's a touch of silence for a few moments. Kaito's eyes lid shut, and he seems to be contemplating something.

Eventually, he also cracks a tiny smile while holding the med kit close to his chest. ]

I'll remember this for the next time you try and pretend you're okay while pushing me away.

[ Oh. Ouch. Rude?

His smile grows. ]

It's going to be ugly, though. This is your only warning.

[ Hibiki can't help but stare at him as he makes such a bold declaration, blinking owlishly as her brain slowly tries to spin it some other way. Is he saying he would stay here with her if that happens, or..?

There isn't really another way to interpret this is there? Hibiki sighs in defeat. ]

Guess I'll have to make sure this place is better stocked then.

[ Not confirming nor denying that she won't retreat again, but if he's going to be pounding down her door next time it happens, it's better to be prepared. This isn't an actual ryokan, but her former boss would give her an earful if she wasn't equipped to take guests.

Gesturing with a nod of her head, she leads him further down the hall toward a sliding door. Opening that leads out to a wooden deck overlooking an open courtyard, a cherry blossom tree in full bloom sitting as a focal point in the center. Contrary to popular belief, Hibiki isn't taking him out here because of the view. She doesn't want those basilici bandages stinking up the place. ]

Go ahead and sit down, let's get you re-bandaged.

[ Kaito scoffs. ]

You're lucky that one of us has been hoarding foodstuffs since the very beginning.

[ She doesn't have to confirm or deny. He's here to stay. Shuffling along, Kaito's eyes widen a touch at the sight of the courtyard. Hints of similarity between the layout and that of his false Domain in his Shroud are painfully apparent—look at that tree. If he knows anything about big trees in these Shrouds, it's that they probably hold greater significance than almost anything else inside.

Minus one's Tethers.

Kaito shoots Hibiki a glance and almost challenges her one more time, but he eventually acquiesces—and steps forward to strip. If there's any hesitation in his movements, the reason becomes obvious with each layer of mangled cloth that he peels off. The sheer volume of scratches and gashes cover him from the chest down, with the worst of them concentrated over his abs.

And ~~while you hardly need a reminder because of our PSL lmfao~~ he's a little jacked. A lot jacked, actually. How's this twunk been getting away with hiding his physique this whole time?

Past his open wounds, his body is riddled with scars of varying severity. There are almost too many to count. With his back still turned and just his underwear keeping him decent, the empath finally lowers himself down. A faint hiss escapes as he lands with a plop.

Spheres of water begin to pop into existence around his body, and he cocks his head back to turn an azure gaze up to the blonde. ]

I'll clean, you disinfect and dress?

[ For someone who is supposedly reasonably perceptive, she can be really fucking stupid. It doesn't occur to her that she would need to see his wounds in order to dress them until his starts undressing. The blonde whirls around, turning her back to him as he starts peeling off clothing. Oh Hibiki, you absolute fool, how did you expect this would go?

If he makes a big deal out of it, she'll tell him she's just trying to be polite. It isn't a complete lie.

She seems to realize how stupid she must look, so after a moment, Hibiki turns to look at him before taking a deep breath. The sheer amount of gashes covering him keep her from focusing on the fact that ~~she's friends with yet another twunk~~ he's way more muscular than she expected him to be. Seeing the punishment he's had to endure helps her focus, as she takes a seat next to him.

This is what happens if she disappears, if she tries to isolate herself. Burn this image, his pain into your mind, Hibiki. She cannot--will not--let that happen again. Meeting his gaze, she gives him a nod. ]

Yeah, sounds good.

[ It's okay. He'll tease her about that later. For now, he'd like the bleeding to stop on some of his deeper wounds.

At her nod, he gets to work. Fingers fiddle with some peroxide, and soon enough the liquid in the bottle takes on a faint teal outline as it floats out of the container and into his Scrubbing Bubbles.

This is a tedious but so-very-familiar process. Coming home alone in the dead of night, licking his wounds, then patching up and being out of bed the next morning for work. The only difference is also a very notable difference—now it's another pair of hands applying salve and wrappings to his injuries.

He doesn't dislike it, even if every brush of skin against skin sends surges of her emotions directly into his psyche. ]

So why do you know first aid? Was that a thing from the early martial arts days? Or did you learn it out of necessity later down the line?

[ To her credit, she tries to avoid directly touching skin as much as possible, to keep from undoing the work of cleaning and disinfecting the wound. There was the thought that he avoided physical contact, the gloves being a big clue. But considering how reluctant he was to let go of her hand, she may have just interpreted it wrong. Maybe he's just self-conscious about them? It isn't really her place to ask.

Giving her a task to focus on does a lot for her mood, however, with most of the turbulence he felt from her before tamped down. His question pulls a nostalgic smile from her as she works. ]

Mostly the martial arts. I was that kid who wanted to learn everything as fast as possible, and especially starting out that meant a lot of bumps and bruises. But I always wanted to take care of as much of it myself as I could; I figured if I'm the one getting hurt, I have to deal with the consequences. Which is stupid, but good luck telling teenage Hibiki that. ...Or anything, for that matter.

[ She's way over-simplifying and leaving out some details, but he doesn't need to know about what a terror she was before she fully figured out the whole temper thing. Or what she got up to immediately after moving back to Tokyo. ]

I'm guessing it's the same for you? Was it more for training, or out of necessity?

[ It's okay. She also doesn't need to know that he used to be the most fight-happy tsundere in Shibuya. ]

Teenage Kaito was equally stubborn, so I'm pretty sure I can relate.

[ Oddly, despite the last hour being perhaps the most stressful moment of his un-life, now that he's sitting here having his wounds treated Kaito wonders if he could feel any more at peace.

Well, maybe not at peace, but it's a lot more tranquil than anything else he's known since awakening in the Netherworld. ]

Also the former. My grandfather taught me everything I know about martial arts while I was a kid. He beat my ass. I also got into a lot of fights. I may not look the part, but I used to be Shibuya's most irritable delinquent for years.

[ What was that about her not needing to know about his fightsexual tendencies...? ]

It's ironic that I grew up into someone who actively tried to stop conflicts. And now that I'm here... I can only really go off what I think is right.

So teenage you and teenage me would've either hated each other or been thick as thieves. Got it. Good to know.

[ Please never tell her, Kaito, even if she can see the results all over his body. Still, he's surprisingly relaxed considering everything, even as she blots and bandages him up. Probably has a high pain tolerance. ]

But no wonder you weren't too busted up about me going hard on you with training. I guess I really can take off the kid gloves, that'll be fun. [ Hey so about that whole fightsexual thing ] I'd be doing your grandfather a big disservice if I went easy on his star pupil, after all.

[ Oh admit it, Hibiki, you just want to see if you can kick this guy's ass. ]

This place does weird stuff to all of us, and that's before talking about the whole shadow and soulmate thing. I know that doesn't make it feel better, but... at least you know you're not alone in feeling that way.

Got a feeling it could be both in that exact order...

[ Indeed, he's rather resilient. Quivers and hisses make it clear that he does feel the discomfort that comes from wound treatment, but he's otherwise been still as a statue. It must be something he's quite used to, given all those scars.

...Actually, on closer examination, his back looks dark as all hell. Branching patterns scatter all over the surface of his skin from his right shoulder down past the band of his boxers. Lightning scars, if she's familiar with them. ]

When it comes to my aura and spellcraft, I'm still in my prime—minus the occasional hiccup. My skill with weapons is also well-practiced. It's my hand-to-hand and footwork that seem to be the slowest to "wake up," if that make sense. So don't go easy on me, or I'll put extra vinegar in your ramen.

[ A smile follows his very thickly-unveiled threat. It quickly wanes. ]

...Mm. [ There's a longer pause before he glances sidelong towards her. They're just about finished with the patch jobs. ]

Was it your Shadow that almost pushed you to kill the fae when we were in the Oakwoods?

[ No apology, no preface. Glowing blues settle on hers with firm intent. ]

Yeah, probably.

[ Maybe it's a good thing then that they seem to be from different Earths, Shibuya wouldn't know what hit it if the two of them had the opportunity to pair up. But it could have been fun having someone like him around while she was growing up, maybe it wouldn't have been as lonely at times.

It's possible she could have also done something about the network of scars on his back, since the only thing that she could think of that might be capable of that would be something supernatural. She's curious, but now's not the time to ask. ]

Oh, don't worry, I won't~!

[ Also oh shit he's making her ramen?! Well, all the more reason for this kitchen to stay reasonably well-stocked, even if she doesn't like cooking just for herself. She can probably just keep the non-perishables stocked and stick everything else in the freezer. He'll never know.

As she starts to disinfect one of the few remaining cuts, Hibiki pauses, blinking a few times at the pointed question and the intense stare. Holding her in his gaze, a voice that had been a dull mumble until starts to scream in her head.

D̶e̸n̵y̴ ̸i̸t̶.̶ ̸L̶i̵e̷.̴ ̷H̸e̶ ̴w̵o̵n̶'̸t̵ ̸w̸a̷n̴n̵a̶ ̷r̴i̷s̴k̵ ̴b̷e̴i̷n̴g̴ ̸a̵r̸o̴u̵n̶d̴ ̸s̶o̸m̸e̴o̸n̵e̵ ̸w̷h̵o̸ ̶i̶s̶n̶'̵t̶ ̵t̸o̸t̵a̷l̶l̸y̵ ̷i̷n̵ ̸c̸o̷n̵t̶r̸o̴l̸.̸ ̷A̶t̶ ̸l̸e̶a̸s̵t̷ ̴i̴f̶ ̸y̶o̴u̶ ̸t̸e̸l̸l̵ ̴h̸i̷m̷ ̴t̶h̵a̶t̷ ̴y̵o̴u̸'̸r̵e̵ ̸a̷ ̶m̵o̴n̵s̶t̷e̵r̶-- ]

Yes...

[ He already knows.

Kaito's gaze never relents—not as she pauses, and certainly not as what he presumes to be her Shadow begins to make a fuss. In fact...

Y̵o̶u̶ ̵a̶l̸r̵e̸a̵d̴y̸ ̴k̶n̸o̶w̶ ̷t̴h̵e̴ ̵a̸n̵s̴w̸e̵r̴.̷ ̵H̷e̴r̴ ̵S̷h̵a̸d̸o̵w̸ ̴i̴s̶ ̵m̷e̷r̸e̵l̶y̷ ̴a̷n̸ ̴e̵x̸t̷e̷n̶s̴i̸o̵n̴ ̵o̵f̶ ̸h̸e̷r̵ ̵i̸n̷n̶e̴r̴ ̷d̴e̴s̶i̶r̵e̵s̷.̶

R̵e̷g̷a̴r̷d̵l̵e̸s̵s̸ ̵o̴f̴ ̸w̴h̸o̷ ̴s̷c̴r̷e̴a̶m̴e̸d̴ ̴'̷k̴i̵l̶l̷,̶'̶ ̵t̸h̷e̵y̴ ̶b̷o̶t̵h̶ ̸t̶h̴o̷u̷g̶h̵t̶ ̷i̸t̷.̷ ̴S̷h̵e̵'̴s̸ ̸o̸n̴l̸y̶ ̷g̶o̷i̷n̷g̷ ̵t̸o̶ ̵d̸i̴s̵a̵p̶p̶o̶i̸n̵t̶ ̵y̴o̴u̷.̴ ̵M̷i̶g̵h̵t̸ ̸e̷v̸e̷n̸ ̶s̷t̷a̶b̶ ̵y̶o̴u̴ ̴i̷n̷ ̵t̶h̵e̷ ̴b̸a̴c̴k̶,̵ ̴a̶s̸ ̷a̷ ̵t̷r̶e̷a̷t̴!̸

Even as his own Shadow begins to berate him for what he has yet to speak, Kaito maintains eye contact. The pause that follows her admission feels like it lasts an hour, but eventually he speaks up and looks down. ]

Thanks for telling me the truth.

...Dealing with that temptation must have been horrible. I think I'd know, and not because of whatever I've experienced with life and death situations before coming here.

[ Kaito slowly lifts his head to look at her again. The water around him dissipates, and his eyes return to their natural golden hue. Static begins to fill his head in the form of his Shadow hissing and yelling its curses for what he's about to admit. ]

I almost slaughtered a group of Basilicus...es... Basilici? [ This gag's never going to get old. ] It doesn't matter that they're monsters—they're still sentient. Sapient. It's against my policy to kill those of sound enough mind. And yet... I almost did, and it felt good.

I could blame my Shadow—it was the one who pushed me to make the decision—but in the end, I still made the conscious choice to harm them beyond what was necessary. It only fanned the flames that I was already harboring.

...What I'm getting at besides the fact that I can empathize with your struggle is that I'd like to propose we give this Soulmate thing a shot. If we've both seen firsthand the destructive potential our Shadows can have on our psyche, and if the Soulmate process will specifically silence their voices, then it's enough justification for me to go through with it.

You, uh. You obviously don't have to. But I'm asking you first, because you're the one person here who I trust above anyone else to take the responsibility on with.

[ The silence between the two of them speaks louder than the shadow screaming and berating her for her admission. Her eyes dart away as she mentally prepares herself for the worst (whatever that could be at this point)--only for him to try to reassure her. Hibiki's gaze snaps back to him as he looks up once more, golden eyes laser focused on her.

Her eyes widen as he admits his own sins openly and without hesitation. That he grappled with the same unseen demons; that he almost let them win. All this time, she had seen Kaito as someone who had it together, someone who would never struggle with that voice in his head.

The fact that the two of them are so similar is terrifying--yet reassuring at the same time. For the first time, Hibiki feels like there might be someone who understands her struggles even beyond what their shadows have forced them to grapple with.

D̸o̶ ̶y̶o̸u̴ ̴r̴e̵a̷l̴l̸y̸ ̸w̵a̸n̵t̵ ̴t̷o̶ ̴t̸i̴e̸ ̵y̷o̸u̴r̵s̸e̶l̸f̵ ̶t̶o̶ ̵a̵ ̷k̸i̴l̶l̴e̴r̴?̶ ̷W̸h̶a̴t̸ ̸w̶i̷l̷l̷ ̴y̷o̴u̸ ̷d̷o̵ ̶w̶h̴e̶n̷ ̷h̵e̶ ̶t̴u̷r̴n̴s̴ ̵o̶n̴ ̴y̴o̸u̷?̶ ̴I̶t̶'̵s̴ ̶k̶i̶l̴l̷ ̵o̸r̵ ̶b̴e̷ ̷k̵i̸l̶l̶e̷d̴,̵ ̵a̶n̵d̵ ̴I̴'̸m̵ ̵t̵h̷e̶ ̶o̷n̵l̵y̴ ̶o̸n̴e̷ ̸w̷h̵o̶ ̷c̴a̵n̶ ̶p̶r̷o̷t̷e̷c̷t̵ ̵y̸o̶u̵ ̵w̷h̴e̷n̷ ̷h̷e̵ ̸i̷n̷e̴v̷i̵t̶a̶b̶l̴y̷ ̸b̸e̵t̷r̸a̴y̷s̵ ̷y̸o̶u̸r̷ ̶t̵r̷u̶s̶t̵.̶

He isn't a killer. He doesn't want to be. He considers each life to be precious--even those monsters that most people would kill without a second thought.

D̶o̷ ̶y̸o̸u̸ ̸r̶e̸a̷l̶l̷y̴ ̶b̵e̷l̷i̴e̶v̸e̷ ̶t̴h̷a̵t̷?̸ ̷H̵e̷'̷s̸ ̴f̷u̵l̸l̶ ̶o̷f̷ ̶s̶h̶i̵t̸ ̴a̷n̸d̷ ̴b̶o̵t̷h̷ ̶o̸f̸ ̴u̴s̸ ̶k̴n̴o̶w̶ ̸i̸t̴.̴ T̵h̵e̵ ̸o̵n̸l̷y̷ ̶o̴n̵e̸s̶ ̶y̴o̶u̷ ̶c̷a̴n̵ ̶t̶r̶u̴s̴t̶ ̴a̵r̸e̶ ̴m̵e̸ ̵a̶n̵d̶ ̷y̷o̵u̸.̴

Well, her shadow is half right. Realizing what he's leading to halfway through his heartfelt confession, Hibiki will let him finish at the very least. She had already made her decision, but as he tells her that she's the only one he can trust with this, she feels her heart flutter briefly. It's easily one of the kindest things someone has said to her. ]

Kaito...

[ Placing her hand on top of his, she gives him a small, yet genuine and incandescent smile. ]

Let's do it. You're the only one who I can trust to have my back, so let's fight against this together, as partners. I won't let you fall into that darkness ever again, I promise.

[ This is why you have to be careful about who you idolize. They're only human, just like you.

Well, human with a big fucking asterisk(, just like you).

When he's finished speaking, Kaito immediately drags his gaze away. He expects her Shadow to react, but he also expects her to agree with it. His own Shadow is just popcorning away, figurative eyes a-rollin'.

So when she lays a hand on his and her smile quite literally fills his everything with warmth, he can't help but smile weakly in turn. ]

...What kind of dumb anime moment are we reenacting...

[ He won't cry. He'll hold those tears back. But his eyes are misty and a hiccup accompanies his laugh. ]

Yeah. Not just for our sakes, either. For those who need us.

[ F̴u̷c̵k̶i̸n̵g̶ ̷h̵e̵l̸l̴,̸ ̸w̴h̴o̷ ̴p̶u̸t̴ ̵T̷W̴O̷ ̵p̴r̵o̶t̵a̴g̶o̴n̷i̶s̴t̵s̴ ̴i̵n̴ ̵t̸h̷e̴ ̷s̶a̷m̵e̶ ̴g̷o̸d̶d̵a̵m̴n̴ ̵r̴o̴o̵m̷?̶?̵?̴ ]

[ Her shadow has yet to give up on this fight, but most of the ammunition that it uses is ineffective at best. That's the thing about Hibiki, once she has set her mind to something, she will move heaven and earth to make it a reality—and this is one such instance. Any barbs slung, no matter how dangerous, will inevitably miss their mark.

Shrugging her shoulder vaguely, the blonde laughs silently to herself. ]

No clue. Something super sappy, probably, by that one guy. You know the one.

[ Insert totally censored name here.

She is still, after all, extremely self-aware of certain things, even during an extremely heartfelt moment like this. He'll probably get a kick out of it as well. Her eyes focus on their hands instead of his face, because she's still genuinely worried she might lose her nerve if she doesn't. ]

But we should probably save hashing out the details until after you've cleaned up.

[ Because he probably shouldn't make such heavy declarations while only in his skivvies. Thank god for her S-rank ability to compartmentalize, because hoo boy. Certain things have definitely been etched into her mind that she's going to need to unpack later. ~~Godspeed, Hibiki~~

Standing up, she offers her hand out for him to take. It's probably unnecessary, but he's still been through the ringer. ]

The bath's to the left, at the end of the hall. There should be a change of clothes in one of the lockers, and if not I'll put some in there. They're unlocked, so you should be good.

[ Kaito Nagano is many things, but a coward is (usually) not one of them. He'll make as many heartfelt delcaration as he wants while WEARING whatever he wants!!!

...Anyway.

Her hand is gingerly taken, and it's easy to hide the wince of contact under the guise that his wounds are still tender as he comes up. ]

Thanks. I shouldn't be more than twenty minutes. It'll just a be a sponge bath anyway. [ He won't be able to properly enjoy the bath room until his next visit.

Y̷o̶u̷r̵ ̸n̷e̷x̸t̴ ̵v̵i̷s̴i̸t̸,̵ ̵h̸u̸h̶.̴ ̷T̸s̷k̵.̵ ̷Y̸o̵u̸'̵r̸e̷ ̷t̸o̷o̴ ̶g̷o̸d̸d̸a̶m̷n̶ ̶c̸o̷m̴f̷o̴r̷t̸a̶b̸l̴e̴.̴ ]

...

[ Smiling, Kaito lets go and shuffles himself away. He needs some time to think. ]

[ Hibiki will leave him to it, staying nearby only long enough to hear whether he needs her to grab a change of clothes. It's easy enough for her to go through the list of things she needs to do, and busying herself with menial tasks means she doesn't have to think about... well, a lot of things.

She packs up the med kit, does her best to fold and set aside the tattered clothes (Ritsuki's probably hiding from the smell of blood, poor thing), and when it comes time to discard the bloodied skin-turned-bandages, she heads toward her door to heave them outside.

But she pauses when she sees the packages outside. Her head a bit clearer now, she can make some educated guesses on who left them there. Lobbing the bandages out and away from any of the nearby doors, she takes a brief detour to wash her hands before bringing the packages inside and placing them in the kitchen.

By the time Kaito finishes freshening up, he'll find Hibiki sitting beneath the cherry blossom tree, a small bag of cookies resting in her lap, she quietly nibbles at one. Her other hand on top of Ritsuki's head, she absently scratches the large rabbit between the ears. ]

[ It's almost more of a chore to bathe himself than it is to sit through having his wounds treated. Almost. There are a few occasions where Kaito nearly falls forward into the waters from fatigue, but he manages to stay conscious. Somehow.

The robes Hibiki picked out fit him near-perfectly, though they're a bit more form-fitting than he would like. Thanks, twunkhood. Slipping into a pair of straw sandals, the empath follows a pair of auras out into the courtyard proper, where the blonde has a little friend in tow as she munches on some of his cookies. ]

I see you finally got to my care packages, [ he announces once he's in speaking range. Golds flick down to the Bun. ] ...and picked up a pet? He's a big one.

[ Looking up when she hears him speak, Hibiki smiles a bit sheepishly at him as she moves the bag from her lap to her side. She gives the rabbit a quick pat on the head before rising to her feet. ]

I thought those might've been from you. You didn't have to go through all the trouble.

[ Instead of nosing curiously at the bag of cookies, Ritsuki turns toward the newcomer before staring at him. Where the hell did this twunk come from? ]

And you mean you don't recognize him? You almost ended up naming him, you know.

I don't have to do a lot of things. Doesn't stop me from g̸e̶t̴t̷i̷n̶g̷ ̴i̷n̴ ̶t̷h̷e̵ ̵w̴a̷y̵ regardless.

[ Eyes widen at the revelation, and Kaito's Shadow will be getting off scot-free for that little interruption. ] Wait, I forgot about him! The festival chaos and all, y'know? Ritsuki, huh?

[ No, he's not really bummed out that he lost the naming competition. Kaito slowly lowers himself onto his belly so that he's eye-level with the twunk-wary bnuuy. ]

Hi there. I bet your mom's been feeding you nicely, hasn't she? Even if she probably hasn't eaten that much herself in the last week?

[ He's all smiles, yes, but that was a snark and a half. ]

[ Hibiki blinks a few times, not quite adding up that that weird phrasing was his shadow interjecting. He's not getting in the way? It's a sweet gesture, and not one she feels she fully deserves. She counted four packages out there, which is four more than she would ever expect to receive.

As Kaito lowers himself to Ritsuki's level (she just bandaged those abs, what are you doing), the rabbit scrunches his nose at him before staring him down. It might look like he's just watching, but Ritsuki has his eyes locked on him.

Bro what the fuck are you doing in his yard.

Hibiki's smile spreads thin as Kaito politely calls her out, immediately putting her on the backfoot. She tries her best to laugh it off. ]

Hey, that's... not completely true.

[ Listen, Disney Princess Nagano knows better than to try and loom over a prey animal.

(It's okay his abs are probably on the mend anyway dw about it)

Although the bunbun looks cute as all hell, Kaito can read his aura like a book... He's half tempted to ask Hibiki if she knew she picked up a cross-breed between a rabbit and a mastiff.

Golds eventually flick up towards her, and he pulls himself to a kneeling position. All smiles, he counters. ]

The cookies don't count.

[ Disney Princess Nagano came in here without his permission, so he's lucky he's not getting The Thump. But at least this guy doesn't smell like literal death like whatever just left.

Because sorry Hibiki you're great but Ritsuki is not messing with that. Nope.

Speaking of which... ]

Y... yeah, I know they don't. But I'm fine—

[ The comically loud grumble from her stomach says otherwise. Her gaze shifts as far away as possible, as she tries her best not to look like she's been caught out. ]

I just. Haven't eaten anything else today.

[ Because she can definitely tell the passage of time in her world of perpetual spring. Yep. ]

[ Bring it on, kid. Thump at him. See what happens. He knows a swordsman!

...Or will know a swordsman in the near future.

Aaaaanyway, Kaito just gives Hibiki The Look™ when he hears her stomach betray her. ]

I'm going to make you something to eat after this.

[ "This," of course, referring to the Soulmate process. ]

So? What'd you name him in the end? He looks cute. Possessive, but cute.

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