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Nagumo clan estate.
Tosa, Japan, June of Bunkyū 1.

["I come as a messenger of the Princess of Yase. My mistress wishes for me to see the face of the child under your care with my own eyes."

Technically, it isn't a lie. She does wish to see the ward of the Nagumo clan, and she is acting as a messenger - on her own behalf, perhaps, but on the behalf of the Princess of Yase nonetheless.

Sen is well aware that after so many attempts have gone horribly awry - her messengers being turned away or being entertained within the house but never actually being allowed to see Kaoru for themselves - that this isn't going to be easy. She is prepared to be stubborn with the men who have received her, and so she does. It's a fact that the servants have orders to placate her and send her on her way, but that is something she won't allow.

She had arrived the day before, just after noon. Now it is noon again, and she still isn't gone. Currently she is kneeling on a cushion in the room for receiving visitors, and she thinks that perhaps she has finally succeeded - a servant is dispatched to go and fetch Kaoru. She would prefer a private conversation, but that same servant will most likely be instructed to monitor them as they speak.

That's fine. Now that she's here, she's sure she can figure out a way. Things have been quiet enough lately that she has a little more freedom to act on her own (and she is acting on her own - for once, Kimigiku has no idea where she's gone, though she's left instructions with a child in the village to tell her that she saw the princess going to Tosa if she hasn't returned within two weeks), and she is sure she's up to the task of bringing Yukimura Kaoru home.

She looks up when she hears the sound of a sliding door, and smiles.]

Ah... are you Kaoru-san?

[She swears to god if they've brought some random girl to try and trick her, the Nagumo clan will become very well acquainted with just how much damage Yase can do when she's been offended.]

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[Sen's first instinct is to shake her head, but perhaps this is something she and Kaoru will simply have to agree to disagree on... at least until a few years down the line, when he's been so soured by his experiences that he is every bit as depreciating about her efforts as she is.

When she feels his eyes on her, though, she raises her head to meet his gaze and offers him a fleeting smile.]

...what this clan has done to you is unforgivable. If I can, in some small way, contribute to setting things right... then I wish to do so.

[He has her backing, at least. And as long as she has some say in the matter should it come to an all-out slaughter, Kaoru certainly won't be punished for any actions he takes. He can't be punished without implicating Sen as well, now; even if it's out of her hands, anyone else who would make such a decision likely would not want to condemn her as well. It's the best protection she can offer him at present.

It's not like she can protect him much from the current dangers, anyway. Especially since he insists on putting himself in greater danger by helping her out. She sighs lightly.]

Very well... but, please be sure to take the opportunity to eat as well, when you are bringing food to me.

[She's seen those skinny wrists of his, however brief a glance it was. She truly doubts the clan is allowing him to eat as much as he needs.]

[AGREE TO DISAGREE and then their agreement will be just as tragic, wow. This is the demon life...

But Kaoru absolutely understands how important it is to have her backing here, since it's essentially a get out of jail free card. Not that the Nagumo have good relations with other demon clans to begin with, but this secures his ticket out of any possible retribution. He may even be able to continue functioning in public, which he had never before considered in his fleeting day-dreams of breaking free.

Her last statement has Kaoru's brows arching upward a little, though. All of these small shows of concern are so foreign to him that it's obvious he doesn't know how to handle any of it, as much as he'd like to (and as well as he'll be able to fake it in the future.) It's true that he isn't given as much food as the main clan members. On the other hand...]

I will when I'm able, as I always have, so please don't worry over that either. [He just doesn't enjoy eating. The days when he had favorite foods or people to share them with are fast-fading, and he has bigger concerns than re-learning how to like his meals.]

Then...

[Her voice trails off, and she casts a wary glance around the underground room. With nothing left for her to ask of him and nothing left for him to explain to her, the family members are surely expecting Kaoru back soon with the news that Sen has been properly secured. A small knot of anxiety tightens in her stomach, but there isn't much she can do about that; escaping now would only serve to land him in very hot water.

Although she is loathe to be left alone here, what else can she do?]

You had best return to them for now. [She smiles again, her fingers nervously twisting into the fabric of her kimono. Her expression stays pleasant enough, because she's putting on a brave face, but she really doesn't want him to go.] I'll be right here... until Kimigiku comes for me, I'll make no effort to escape. [So he doesn't have to worry about the clan getting pissed about her running away on his watch.] ...thank you, for the lengths you have gone to in order to help me while I am here.

[It isn't easy to detect the brave face that she's putting on, but Kaoru already has ample experience with masks and masking things even now. It's difficult to see her in this situation, but he knows that it's even more difficult to be in this situation. Once the door is closed, if there isn't any lantern left behind, there's nothing but darkness, stale air, and the oppressive feeling of being constricted and compacted smaller and smaller even though the space isn't as minute as it could be.

So he pauses for a second, and then smiles.]

You've gone to even greater lengths for me, so it's only right to return the favor. [He's massively in debt already. The kindness that she's shown him... He's fairly certain he'll never be able to pay it back.

He does what he can in small steps instead, hoping that they'll be enough.]

I'll be back in a few hours, then. Please take care not to let the lantern burn out... [And then Kaoru fishes into the space between his own obi and kimono, pulling out several more lengths of wicks. It's not something that he was supposed to bring along, but he couldn't stand the idea of someone being sealed up in this old darkness. He'll leave those on the floor next to the lantern and then head toward the door that leads back to the outside of the knoll. He gives her one last glance before stepping out to shut it behind himself.

He's also disobeying orders by not actually locking her in that other room, but like hell he'd do that, either.]

Mm, I'll be careful of the lantern. Thank you.

[She watches as he sets the wicks down and makes his way to the door. It takes a considerable amount of effort not to plead for him to stay - much more than Sen is really expecting, even knowing that she doesn't wish to be left behind in this room. It comes as something of a surprise, but at least it isn't so overwhelming that she actually begs him. Even if she holds Kaoru in a higher regard than she does the rest of the clan, she doesn't particularly want him to see her beg, either.

Once he shuts the door behind him, she bows her head and holds her breath for a few long moments. One, two, three... then she exhales, before repeating the process a few times to calm herself. It's alright. It's just fine. He is going to return, there will be food, and then she'll have more time to herself.

It isn't a bad thing, she tells herself. Hasn't she often wished she had a little more time to herself? She can take this chance to think without any interruptions.

For now, while she still has some light, she sets to unfolding the futon. It's then that she comes across the old top and flower crown; they get a puzzled stare, but despite her curiosity, she can recognize that picking them up to examine them too closely could result in damage - or at least could result in the crown crumbling away. She doesn't want that, so she gingerly sets it out of the way before laying out the futon.

She considers it, and comes to the conclusion that the clan members won't come here immediately. So she really does have a few hours, and in that case, maybe she can catch up on some of the sleep she didn't get the night before. With a sigh, she crawls under the dusty covers and lays down for a fitful rest, sleeping lightly and sitting up with a start if there are any sudden noises at any point.]

[She'll find her stay over the next few hours very quiet, save the occasional sound of woodland critters skittering around overhead. The lantern really is the only source of lighting down here, but luckily Kaoru isn't going to be an accidental murderer and left it in an area where there's plenty of draft. Not enough to burn out the flame, but enough to ensure that her air doesn't burn out, either.

It's actually a little longer than Kaoru estimated by the time she may hear a soft knock on the door - not the one leading outside, but the one across the "hall" that Kaoru had said lead to the compound. That alone is probably enough for her to be able to tell that it's him, but he announces himself soon enough anyway before opening the door.]

Princess Sen? I've brought you some food.

[He's changed his clothing, but that's outwardly the only thing that seems amiss. In his hands is a bigger cloth bag than he had left behind the first time, though the food within is essentially the same. It's just portioned a little more heftily.

The way he carries himself this time seems to be a little wary, that said. He's a little lighter on his feet than usual.]

[The woodland creatures that this Kaoru did not befriend because he isn't a Disney Princess (yet)...

When that knock comes, Sen's gaze snaps to the door and she eyes it warily. Logically, yes, she knows it is most likely Kaoru - but it isn't until he speaks that some of the tension goes out of her shoulders. As he enters the room with his bag of food, she rises to her feet and bows to him in gratitude. It strikes her, not for the first time, how lucky she's been - as awful as this clan is, he is at least being very kind to her.

As she straightens up, she shoots the bag a quizzical glance.]

Ah... [Well, there are a few possibilities here. Maybe they're going to eat together? That's a little less likely than what she's thinking, though - ] Will it be difficult for you to come again...? It looks as though you've brought more than last time.

[Is he trying to help her stockpile...]

[That's just met with a baffled look, because Kaoru is pretty dead-set on visiting her as often as possible come hell or high water. No one should be left alone in a place like this for too long.]

It shouldn't be more difficult... I just thought that you might want a little more to eat, since I was able to have more time to pack this bag.

["A LITTLE MORE" it really does look like he's trying to help her stockpile. But the confusion seems genuine, so rather than trying to be sneaky and help her build up her food stash, it just appears that he has no idea what a normal portion is and has decided to go with what he knows best: grab as much as you can when you can and eat until you can't eat anymore.

But from what she's said, it seems like this is too much. He looks down at the bag, brow furrowed.]

Should I bring less next time?

Oh, no -

[She shakes her head. If it's just that he brought bigger portions, that's fine; she had been worried, but... in a situation like this, it's to be expected.]

I only thought that perhaps you were bringing more because you weren't sure when you would have the chance to come again... [She's not going to turn down more food. She does worry that if he grabs this much on more than one occasion, the kitchen staff will notice and start asking questions, but she trusts his judgment on this. (Maybe she shouldn't.)]

Bring however much you feel is correct. ...I really do appreciate it.

[SHE REALLY SHOULDN'T but he sure is glad that she does. He's taking a lot of risks for her, but nothing's blown up in his face too badly yet, so maybe he's getting a little too bold... But if it's for her comfort, he well thinks it's worth it.]

Ah... All right. [He seems put at ease by her reassurances, at least! As long as he didn't massively flub anything up by bringing too much food, somehow... He'd be the kind of person who would have a weird problem like that, okay.]

I was hoping that I'd be able to stay while you ate, too. Is that okay? Most of the family went in to town for a while, so I have a few hours to spare.

I am in no way opposed to your company.

[In other words, yes, please stay. Sen knows that she will have ample time to get used to sitting in this strange underground room all by herself as the days go on, but if she can put off getting used to it for just a little longer, she would like to. More than that, she would like the chance to sit an talk with Kaoru - their first conversation, after all, had been very rudely cut short by the demons calling themselves his relatives.

She gestures to what little space there is for the two of them to settle down, and sets the package of food in between them.]

Have you eaten already? If you're hungry, we could share...

[Kaoru seems pretty pleased to hear that, and he is! Mostly because he hasn't taken a meal in the company of someone he actually enjoys in a long, long time. He hadn't actually expected to be eating though, and seems a little surprised by the offer. Maybe he really did bring too much food and this is just her way of trying to politely pawn some of it off...]

Ah... Well, if you don't mind sharing, I can take a little. I'm not very hungry, though.

[Which is pretty par for the course. Kaoru's appetite is low most of the time, but when it's high he sure can cram in a metric asston of food.

EITHER WAY scooting in closer now!!]

I apologize, but I wasn't able to bring any dishes or utensils.

I don't mind at all.

[On the one hand, maybe she should be hoarding the food. The package he's brought her is certainly more than she was expecting, but even though he seems relatively confident that he'll be able to come visit again, if the family members return and are in foul moods, she wouldn't put it past them to keep the two of them as separated as they possibly can.

On the other, the more she treats this like a vacation rather than an imprisonment, the easier it will be to keep her spirits up until Kimigiku arrives.]

Oh, don't worry about that. Maybe it will be a little messy, but the food will still taste just as good, won't it?

[That earns her a pale smile, which seems to be about the best Kaoru can manage barring very few circumstances. It seems genuinely happy despite what it lacks, even then.]

Thank you.

[And kneeling! I FORGOT WHO HAS THE FOOD but if it's him, he'll start to unpack it and if it isn't, he'll wait patiently. Glancing over toward the lamp either way, and after a pause, he'll add:]

I can bring you more wicks the next time I come, too. This should be enough to get you through the night, at least.

[SEN HAD IT BEFORE BUT SHE PUT IT DOWN IN BETWEEN THEM... so it's fair game. Let's say Sen is unpacking it since technically this is her prison right now, which makes Kaoru her guest. She has to take care of her guest, after all!!]

Mm... I was thinking I might let the wick burn out and try to get some sleep, once you've gone. Should any of those men come to check on me before you return, I doubt they would be very pleased to see the lantern burning.

[Considering comfort doesn't seem to be much of a priority for them.]

I would certainly be glad to have them for when you're sure the family members are not within the compound, however. So, thank you.

[WHAT THE HELL SEN you can bet Kaoru's hands are just sort of uselessly fluttering in the air between them while she does that then, because he's already eating her food and HELPING TO KEEP HER JAILED THROUGH INACTIOn the least he can do is serve a meal.]

Oh— [...Well, she isn't wrong about that. His lips purse briefly and he glances back to the lamp. He won't take it away, but he is worried that someone else might, if they catch her with more wicks than she should have.]

...I'll try to set up some sort of alarm so that you can tell when someone is approaching from the outside. That way, you can put out the fire and hide anything that you need to hide.

[HE WILL BE USEFUL!!!

At the thanks, he just blinks in his owlish way before giving a hesitant nod. He doesn't have to say anything for it to be obvious that he isn't comfortable accepting that sort of sentiment here.]

[No... not allowed... Sen can serve her own meals!! It's not like she has many opportunities to do that back home this is a blessing in disguise. A REALLY CONVINCING DISGUISE BECAUSE THIS SITUATION IS SO SHITTY, but there you go. There you go...

Her gaze wanders to the lantern as his does, but hers lingers on it even after he looks back from it. An alarm... even aside from using it to cover up the fact that she may have a fire burning, it has other uses, too. If she knows someone is approaching, she can mentally prepare herself for whatever might come. That, to her, is a more precious gift than being able to keep a light.

After a moment, she nods.]

If you wouldn't mind doing so, I would greatly appreciate that.

[She smiles faintly, then once the food is set up between them for easy access, picks up a small helping of vegetables with one hand before gesturing to the remaining food with the other.]

Go on, help yourself! Food tastes better when you eat it with a friend.

[THIS DISGUISE IS LIKE A CINDERELLA MIRACLE IN THAT CASE...

But Kaoru at least seems assuaged by the fact that she'll accept his help on the making weird home-alone style alarms front. He can't even ensure that they'll be foolproof, but they will work, at the very least. That's... that's gotta count for something.....]

I don't mind at all. I'll set it up when I'm on my way out.

[And then she's gesturing toward the food and he's midway to reaching out, but what she says next catches him by surprise so greatly that his hand freezes.]

—Friend? [He has yet to escalate to the "what is friend can I eat it" stage of his life, thankfully, but it does seem like a foreign concept to him nonetheless.]

Mm, friend.

[Sen doesn't seem too perturbed by his surprise, but maybe that's just because she has an inhuman amount of composure. She waits politely for his hand to unfreeze, apparently unwilling to just snake in and grab food before he can.

That wouldn't be very friendly behavior, after all!!]

I meant what I said when I was speaking as Kimigiku... I would very much like to be your friend, if that is acceptable to you.

Edited (i'M NOT AWAKE ENOUGH FOR WORDS AGH) 2015-01-19 09:25 (UTC)

[Rather than continue reaching, his hand is pulled back a little instead because Kaoru is a turbomoron, basically, and this is very baffling to him.]

But to be my friend... [What could possibly come of that? It's not like Kaoru has a lot of power. He has no place of political prestige. The only thing he has that really counts are his looks, but that's not something Sen needs.]

I have nothing to offer you.

[Sen totally needs his looks. Her companions have to be at least as beautiful as she is; Kaoru fits the bill.

...that's not actually why she wants to be friends, just so we're clear.

Anyway. Kaoru's bafflement is something that Sen wishes she could banish, but she assumes that after so many years with the Nagumo, such a thing is easier said than done. Nevertheless, she smiles and folds her hands daintily on her lap.]

You don't become friends with someone because you want something that they have to offer. You become friends with someone because you want to get to know them better. [There is a light giggle before she continues.] The Kaoru that I have gotten to know so far is a kind person who has gone out of their way to make me more comfortable in a rather terrifying situation. To be able to do something like that even after having lived here for so long... It is a very admirable thing. I hope that someday I can be as strong as you are.

Edited (hit submit too soon......) 2015-01-19 10:38 (UTC)

[HERE COMES KAORU TO GRACE HER HAREM...

He's watching her carefully as she speaks though, and it's because Kaoru is starting to hone people-reading skills out of some sense of necessity.]

I'm not very strong... but you're kind to say so. [Kaoru can still take a compliment without completely turning it down, at least!! He folds his hands together nervously, thoughts of food temporarily forgotten.]

I can't promise you that I'll be very interesting to learn more about, either. Even knowing that, you would still say that you'd like to be my friend?

[Sen's harem just became twice as graceful, thanks Kaoru...

Even watching so carefully won't make him notice any signs of deception, because, well, she isn't trying to deceive him. He can take that as he will, but she is hoping that if she continues to be honest it will sink in that he's much better than the Nagumo clan gives him credit for.]

I would. [She says it gently, although she's being rather stubborn about this.] Whether you believe it yourself or not, I think you would make a wonderful friend.

[The question is, will he still be a wonderful friend once he completes his descent into shitheadedness...]

[ANY TIME SEN... he's here to help, kind of like a party decoration that may also kill the guests.

That said, since Kaoru has yet to fully descend into the pit of shittery, his reaction to this is definitely much different than it will be in a few years (ie rude rude scorn). Instead, he's caught between gratitude and awe, because he really never thought anyone would genuinely want to be his friend, but he can't pick up on any lies, either. It's possible she's just extremely well-versed in the arts of deception, but...

He'd rather hope for the best, even if it's just this once.]

Then... I hope that I won't be a disappointment.

[Which is about as close as Sen's gonna get to a "SURE LET'S BE FRIENDS". On the plus side, despite the nervousness present, Kaoru seems somewhat pleased and excited, too. It's very tentative and faint, but there nonetheless.

After that, he'll finally reach forward for some vegetables to feed his dumb self with.]

I am certain you will not be. You haven't been so far.

[They're both going to look back on this conversation in a couple of years and wonder what the hell Sen was thinking, aren't they? For the moment, though, she seems happy enough, exchanging pleasant conversation with the ward of her captors in an underground room. Wow.

Once Kaoru has taken some vegetables, Sen helps herself to the same, munching on them and making sure to chew and swallow before she speaks up again, because she's a princess, not some ruffian with no manners.]

When you come to Yase, it will be my turn to treat you to a meal. ["When," she says, full of confidence that she's going to pull this off and Kimigiku is going to show up in a timely manner to carry them both home. If only she knew...] What would you like to eat?

[She's just going to mentally be planning it out... look, she needs something to do to take her mind of things once the family members come back and Kaoru has to avoid this area lest he get in trouble.]

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i tHOUGHT I'D RESPONDED TO THIS ALREADY. KILL ME.

LMAO WE GOOD... ill save ur viking burial for later....

god bless......

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