Eccentric Crossroads [Nao/Misha]

❝

It was no surprise to Misha see the the numerous students in the French Garden. The weather was a gentle warm summer afternoon, perfect weather to be outside instead of working on homework or slaving away in the workshops and studios. Of course, some chose to bring the studio to the gardens, and there was faint music drifting through the air mixing with the sounds of Misha's boots and metal cane clattering against the stone paths.

Various members of the Gardening Club were making themselves busy, weeking and tending to the gardens, but along with the other students, still politely greeted Misha as she walked past them. For the most part, Misha had no itenerary; she walked largely to take her mind off all the planning and reviewing she was doing for the Student Council. With the two major summer events ahead, she was in charge of making sure coordination with the outside vendors who were helping set up the event was going smoothly - and thankfully, for now, things were proceeding as planned.

Misha paused a bit as her path took her beside one of the gazebos and smiled. The memory of her first meeting with Nao drifted to mind and put her at ease and for a moment the Russian mused over how many memories they had already made since then. After a few moments, Misha's fingers started to tap at her cane as she remembered that, even though her own family, that is the Kitamura family, was aware of Nao and that the author was her girlfriend, they were still rather eager to meet her. The plan was to visit Tokyo during the Summer recess, but even so, having to pull together the three families was always a task and a half.

Pivoting smartly in place, Misha continued her walk, heading towards the entrance of the Gardens nearer to the dorms in order to meet up with Nao. In the distance, Misha could pick out two figures, easily noticable by the fact that they were not wearing the school uniform. It was after school hours, so it wasn't necessary to wear the uniform, but as the baker got closer, it became much more readily apparent that the pair she had spotted were not students, but rather adults.

Visitors were welcome, if not common, and were often alumni, so Misha found their presence not out of the ordinary. Their appearance, while conspicuous, wasn't raising any concerns either. One, a black-haired women dressed in a somewhat masculine manner, hair tied akin to a Samurai of eld, the other a taller brunette dressed in very bright yellows and blacks - given the eccentricies Misha observed from her classmates it would be highly unsurprising if these women were past students.

And so, Misha conducted herself with that possibility. She took a breath before straightening her posture and changing her grip on her cane, trying to walk as stately as possible as she neared the pair who seemed to be looking over one of the flower beds.

"Good afternoon," Misha called out, her voice steady as she paused, holding her cane in front of her and resting both her hands atop its handle. "It is a pleasure to welcome both of you. Is there ought that myself can do for you today?"

tag(s): Nao Kaneshiro ━ words: 000 ━ notes:

by MIZO.❉ of ww

Indeed the couple were a bit out of place in that they were adults who did not work at the school.  Misha's assumption that they were past students was incorrect, but they did indeed have business here.  Unbeknownst to her this was the Kaneshiro family, of which Misha's own girlfriend was a member.  There was even a family resemblance in the brunette, though she was not the first to respond to Misha's greeting.  Rather it was the shorter black haired woman with the air of an old samurai about her.  She turned around to look the vice president of the student council straight in the eyes, as if sizing up a potential adversary.  As she did so Misha would notice that she carried a wooden practice sword at her side as if she truly were some living anachronism.  A moment later the brunette turned around as well, her expression lighting up pleasantly at the greeting.

The short one responded, "Verily there is, young lady.  We did not travel here to tarry in the gardens no matter how pleasant they might be.  There is quite the important purpose for which we've come here from the heart of Kansai.  I do believe that mayhaps you might be of assistance, for you see - "

At her old timey manner of speaking, the brunette rolled her eyes and nudged the shorter woman in the arm.  For her part the samurai woman sighed and nodded to her partner, realizing it was probably better for the other woman to do the talking.  The brunette bowed in greeting to Misha, which the samurai then did in turn. 

"Well the gardens are very lovely!  Is it true that the students plant and take care of the flowers here?" she asked with genuine interest, allowing Misha to answer her question before she nodded in contemplation.

Once the answer was given, she explained, "My name is Haruka, and this is my wife Takara-san."

Takara blushed at the term 'wife'.

Haruka continued, "We're here to visit our daughter, who's a student here.  She's told us all about the flowers, and about the school.  We seem to be lost, though, would you be able to give us a tour?  Hopefully we'll find our daughter along the way."

❝

There was a subtle amused expression on Misha's face as she noticed the shorter woman look right into her. It reminded her of her aunt Chifuyu, a stern and resolute womanm but far from unkind. The wooden sword did not escape the Russian's attention either, and the blonde-haired girl mused over the similarity to her own cane, how it was based on her great-grandfather's hidden sword cane. Add in the formal way the woman spoke and there was an almost nostalgic feel to the short-haired woman.

In contrast, the taller brunette was much more...modern and cordial, but no less amusing for her energy. The revelation that they were married encouraged the chef in a ways - she hoped that she and Nao would be in such a position. But the blonde's mind snapped back to the present.

Between the two it was clear that they were not alumni; they would have likely remembered the gardens much better. For a moment, Misha entertained the notion that they were part of the 'shadow patrons' of the school, those who anonymously yet kindly donated as to keep tuition fees as low as possible, but in the end, Misha felt that it didn't matter.

"It would be a pleasure to show you around, Takara-san and Haruka-san," Misha replied, bowing respectfully and matching Takara-san's formality, at least for now. "Though I will try not to keep you overlong from your daughter either. If you would, this way." Misha gestured down the path towards the center of the garden. She pivoted slightly to lead the way, once more her boots and cane clattering against the stone path.

"To answer your previous question, Haruka-san, the gardens are indeed maintained largely by the student body, from the planting to tending and even most of the arrangment," Misha explained, pausing to bow her head lightly to return the greeting of a few students who had looked up from tending a small secontion. "Any staff or faculty who help do so out of their love of botany and floristry rather than duty as a teacher. Occasionally one of the faculty will have a concept or theme in mind, but, the students are always free decline and choose their own designs."

Once more, Misha paused, stopping in front of a large circular flowerbed that served as the central hub for the gardens. The flowers were arranged such that there was a multi-coloured streak arching through the center, flanked by backround of light blue petals. Misha pivoted, standing at a resting position at first before flourishing with her left arm, keeping her hand on her cane.

"And here is this is the garden's centerpiece. By its size it is the most collaborative portion of the garden while being one of is most prestiguous assignments. Many treat it as the capstone project in the Gardening Club."

After explaining, Misha took a few steps to her right before facing the couple again, starting to gesture grandly with her left arm as she pointed down the various paths away from the central flowerbed.

"From here, I offer a choice. To my left is the Butterfly Garden, equally an ecological study as it is a resting place with its myriad of shelters and gazebos. Behind me, nearing the school campus, is the fountain. Smaller plots surround it, each maintained by their own group. Experimental arrangements." Without a pause, Misha shifted to gesture with her right arm. "To my right is the Sculpture Garden, the sculptures of course student-made. Do any of these strike your fancy?"

tag(s): Nao Kaneshiro ━ words: 000 ━ notes:

by MIZO.❉ of ww

The couple followed Misha around the gardens with decidedly different approaches.  Haruka walked casually, taking looks at all of the flowers which had been planted by students and admiring their handiwork.  What a lovely project for the students of this school to participate in!  She was certain that this would help engender a sense of responsibility and pride in their garden as they saw it bloom over the course of the seasons.  As she walked she wondered at whether her daughter had been in this very part of the garden at some point, pondering her writings.  When they arrived at the centerpiece of the garden she tugged on her wife's sleeve and pulled her closer.  Before Takara could react in her usual fashion, Haruka laced her arm around Takara's and smiled playfully.

Takara meanwhile had been trying her very best to look graceful and strong, her posture remaining that of a proud woman of old samurai ancestry.  Yet she too was enthralled with the scenery and found herself reminiscing about her own days as a student.  It had been a school not unlike this, though in the Tokyo region -  a campus of three schools on one hill.  When she'd met Haruka it had been in a garden during the midday lunch break.  At the time the girl she'd go on to marry had been insufferably sweet and affectionate to Takara; she hadn't been used to that and at first rejected those affections.  Eventually though, Haruka grew on her and they became inseparable.  As she stood there with her wife in a display of their affection, Takara thought about what her daughter had explained about her own girlfriend. 

She looked over at Misha as she spoke of their options, Takara was half listening.  Given the information she had, Takara had already been guessing what this mysterious girlfriend would look like.  Clearly she would be a girl with an aristocratic way of carrying herself.  She supposedly spoke in a gentle manner that put Nao at ease.  Someone like this girl who was giving them a tour!  Though probably not this specific young lady - perhaps she might know who that girl is.  If that was the case she did not want to just bring the question up out of the blue.  Better to wait for the right moment ant then strike!  Of course she missed the options presented to them and glanced to Haruka with a look that said she needed backup.

Haruka smiled and then nodded to the left, "Takara-san loves butterflies, even though she wouldn't admit so much.  I think it would be lovely to go see a pace named after them!  Our daughter's mentioned studying in a gazebo from time to time, so it might be nice to see them first hand."

Takara chuckled, "Verily, that is where I would like to go.  But please, young lady,  might we know your name and a little about yourself?"

While Haruka shot her a look, clearly catching on to what she must be thinking, something else was happening as well.  From a nearby building the short brunette whom Misha was dating emerged, notebook in hand!  She was going to meet up with Misha shortly so she really didn't have the time to run back to the dorms to put away her things.  That was okay, though, since maybe Misha might like to see what she'd been working on.  Nao wasn't surprised to see Misha nearby since they had arranged to meet up in this general area and she almost called out to her girlfriend.  Then she noticed Misha's company and instantly ducked behind a nearby bench.  What were her parents doing here?  There was no doubt about it, that was them speaking to Misha.  This warranted further investigation!  So as the trio walked, Nao followed at a distance so that she could lunge behind something to avoid being noticed.

❝

Even while holding a pose and a smile, Misha continued to study the two women in front of her, largely out of curiosity. Takara-san's composure reminded the baker of her aunt Chifuyu with that very vigilant demeanor. Haruka-san on the other hand was more remisicent of her cousin Yuka, an infinite font of energy. A contrasting duo, yet they seemed to get along so well. For a moment, Misha made her silent wish, that she and Nao would perhaps be like that one day.

"Onwards then," Mishai said, gesturing towards the butterfly gardens with another flourish. "Though I must clarify, the gardens are not named after the butterflies, but rather one designed to attract them as polinators and such. So the arrangements are not quite for aesthetic purposes but rather ecological ones. Still, I would say the ensemble is quite lovely."

The blonde-haired girl lead the way down the stone path, her boots and cane clattering rapidly against the cobblestone pathway as they approached the arch that marked the start of the butterfly garden, continuing to speak as they walked. "I must apologize for not introducing myself earlier. My name is Shirayama Misha. My family runs a bakery in Hachiouji City. As such I am here in the Culinary Arts Department. And beyond that, I am, by strange fiat of the student body, the Student Council Vice President. Speaking of..."

Misha trailed off quickly and paused shortly after they passed under the archway, her attention diverted to a few of her classmates working in one of the nearby plots. Some of the girls she recognized and she politely returned their greetings, both sides thanking each other for their hard work before breaking off. Misha gestured for the two women to follow just a little further, once more turning around with a flourish as they reached the center.

"Apologies for the earlier diversion. But here we are, in the middle of the butterfly garden," Misha proclaimed. True to its name, more tha few butterflies could be seen hovering above the many flowers planted in more organic-looking arrangements. "Many of the students here use the pathways and gazebos for rest and artistic inspirat-"

The baker suddenly cut herself off, a mildly serious look on her face as she spotted a figure ducking behind a nearby gazebo. When she could see no other movement, Misha shook her head.

"Apologies for that. The gardens are an active project year-round and I had thought another classmate of mine was vying for my attention. 'Tis the nature of my work," Misha explained before resuming a more composed stance. "As I was saying before, students here use it as a place to relax. A sanctuary of sorts."

A soft piano melody seemed to chime from Misha's pockets that was swiftly silenced by a quick hand. It was an reminder, initially set to remind Misha not to dally overlong for the Student Council meeting. Still, it was useful cover. "Now, I do not wish to outright abandon you two, but, I do have an appointment soon, and I do believe so you do."

tag(s): Nao Kaneshiro ━ words: 000 ━ notes:

by MIZO.❉ of ww

Drat!  Nao couldn't believe her rotten luck to have come upon Misha just when her moms were visiting the campus.  Thankfully it did appear that Misha had not in fact seen her, which allowed the author to try and formulate some kind of plan to still meet up with her girlfriend.  Hopefully without any interaction with her parents, whose presence was unexpected and unwanted by Nao.  Not that she really hated them or anything.  They just tended to be more than she could handle in anything more than small doses.  Especially if the baker was involved; she had told them a bit about Misha in passing and she just knew they would gush all over the couple if they got to all be in the same place.  But what to do?  Nao slumped to the ground as she wracked her mind for some kind of idea for getting Misha away from her overbearing mothers.  Finally she managed to think of something - not let on where she was and ask Misha to meet her somewhere.  Then sneak off using the bushes and gazebos as cover!  A foolproof plan!

With an excited burst of energy she crafted a simple but effective message: 'Hey Misha-san, I'm ready to meet up!  I'll be waiting at the entrance to the dorms.'.  After hitting send Nao stifled an evil laugh.  This was an amazingly foolproof plan that had absolutely no chance of backfiring.  Now she just had to play the waiting game and see how Misha responded.  Meanwhile Nao began to map out a possible escape route to avoid being spotted by the combined power of her mothers.  As she did this, her mothers were very much impressed with Misha's short tour of the school gardens.  Haruka was quite busy observing the butterfly garden and even whipped out a notepad to take some notes for a garden at home.  Takara however was studying the student council vice president very closely, as if she were a potential foe on the battlefield.

From what she was able to gather by the girl's words, circumstantial evidence and little Nao's words about her girlfriend, Takara was getting a fairly good idea what kind of girl her daughter was dating.  This well spoken and aristocratic young lady was precisely the kind of person whom Nao's girlfriend must be.  In fact it was safe to say that someone of high standing who was also a baker must be in the same circles.  From there it was simple enough to reason that Shirayama Misha would be a valuable source of information on the mystery girl who had captured Nao's heart.  Though no spymaster, Takara decided it was time to move in and subtly go for the information she was truly after.

"We most certainly do, Shirayama-san.  Many thanks for your excellent care and informative tour of the gardens.  I have but one other matter to inquire with you about, and I'm afraid it is most direct," Takara remarked, her face growing focused and firm, "For you see, our daughter has told us but only a few things regarding the young lady who has captured her heart.  It occurs to me that as that young lady is of high standing and involved in the culinary arts and baking, you might know more about her.  Might I ask you a few questions?"

Just then, Nao's head poked up over the edge of the gazebo and she accidentally locked eyes with Misha.  A blush crossed her face as she realized she'd been found out!

❝

For a brief moment, Misha's pale grey eyes flickered to the side to catch the little bit of motion near the gazebo and quickly found themeslves looking into Nao's deep brown eyes. The dots connected quickly in Misha's mind - Nao had probably followed them into the butterfly garden, and Misha figured that Nao was simply remaining out of sight while Misha was conducting business. It was a relief in a sense, since Misha no longer needed to find her girlfriend, but there was still the matter of politely excusing herself from her current predicament. In the meantime, Misha nodded subtly towards Nao before addressing Takara-san.

"Of course, I do believe I have enough time for another question, Takara-san," Misha replied with a polite smile. A lady of high standing and a baker. Misha fit the latter, but never considered herself the former - the Sondrinov family went in hiding long ago, and likewise her mother Haru cut ties with her noble family when establishing the Shirayama Bakery. So her mind immediately went to three of her classmates.

"I must preface things, however. I do not track the schedules of any student out of respect for their privacy. Likewise...of my classmates who I have in mind who fit your description, I do not follow their intimate relations," Misha continued. Her tone was not cautionary or threatening but rather diplomatic and matter-of-fact. "From there, I do know of their current projects and can perhaps at least guide you to...a general area where they might be."

tag(s): Nao Kaneshiro ━ words: 000 ━ notes:

by MIZO.❉ of ww

Takara listened intently to each and every word which Misha spoke in the hopes of catching hidden hints of who her daughter might be dating.  Surely a young woman of such standing and aristocratic words would know who Nao's girlfriend was.  She tapped her foot impatiently as the baker detailed a lot of formal ways of saying that she could not reveal who the girl was even if she did know.  There was the promise of being led somewhere that such a girl might be, but Takara pondered whether this was indeed an authentic offer or simply a red herring to keep her off the trail.  In fact that was probably the case!  Misha was kindly doing her best to keep Takara away from her quarry so that she might have some time with Nao!  Just imagine what the two of them were doing even as they spoke! That would simply not do!  Without further ado she leaned in toward Misha and pressed the issue.

"Now of course, I truly respect the privacy of the students of this fine institution.  And in addition I verily admire your dedication to the duties of the position to which you hath been duly elected.  The students of Fukui Academy are truly in good hands with you as a leader," she opened, then smirked as she advised, "That being the case, I am certain that you must be concerned with the well being of the students who are entrusted to your care.  And thereby the well being of the parents of those students, who are quite invested in the daily lives and happiness of their children.  Perhaps even wishing to investigate the person their child has chosen to give her heart to.  Are we at an understanding?"

Meanwhile, Haruka continued to enjoy the scenery of the garden and was making mental notes about a bouquet to have put together for her dearest wife.  Much though Haruka might play up being tough and strong, she had a soft spot for many more feminine things than she let on. As she began to assemble one in her mind's eye, Haruka stepped toward the edge of the gazebo and looked out at the gardens once more.  A smile crossed her face as she finalized the arrangement and leaned onto the ledge of the gazebo.  Just then, she heard a rustling immediately under her - very curious!  What would be making such a noise below her of all places?  Perhaps a cat?  Haruka leaned down to see if she could spot the poor creature, then made a startled squeak as she found herself face to face with a girl instead!  Not just any girl, but her daughter Nao!  Nao was hunkered down up against the wall of the gazebo, clutching her phone in hand as she desperately not to be seen.  Without a word Haruka hopped the gazebo wall and gently took the wide eyed Nao's arm, then lifted her daughter off the ground.  As Takara prepared to elaborate further on her own matters, Haruka emerged behind her with Nao.  For her part Nao looked to Misha with a blush and an expression that said she'd been caught red handed.

Haruka let go of Nao's arm and announced, "Now dear, there's no reason to question Shirayama-san so much.  If you want to know who our daughter is dating, maybe we should just as Nao-chan directly.  Nao-chan?"

Nao bit her lip nervously, then walked over to Misha and sighed.  After sidling closer to her girlfriend, she looked up at Misha and asked, "So.. Misha-san.. these are my parents.."

❝

Ah, yes. The verbal jiujitsu. The formal and polite aggressiveness. Indeed, Takara-san was very much like Chiyufu Oba-sama. Perhaps from the same sort of backgrounds even. Yet for as much pressure Takara-san seemed to put on, Misha was more amused than anything else.

What was Misha's alternative? To utilize a network of spies and cameras the way her cousin Yuko did? It equal parts impressive and terrifying how much pressure the eldest of the Kitamura children could exert by keeping tabs on everyone. Yuki and Ageha, her spymaster and spymaster's lieutenant respectively absolutely reveled in the power they weilded, even if they did wield it responsibly. Yet it was for that reason alone that Misha deliberately avoided trying to pry overmuch on her classmates.

"Oh, I understand clearly, Takara-san. But if I were to state a preference, I would choose wildflowers over greenhouse-grown," Misha replied, smiling and tilting her head to the side. It was the extent that Misha was willing to speak on the matter.

The sound of Haruka-san squeaking immediately caught the baker's attention and for a moment the grip on her cane shifted in preparation to intervene. But Misha only got as far as a few steps before Haruka-san returned with Nao in tow, annoucing that she had found her daughter. A momentary blink was the extent of Misha's outward reaction, and the facade held with only a sigh as Nao walked to her side.

"I see. So this is the prank that the heavens have deigned to perform," Misha said, smiling more naturally as she wrapped an arm around Nao's shoulder to try and calm her down. Her voice was a mix of amusement and relief, even though the blonde girl felt like ought to be mroe shocked. She then looked to Takara-san once more. "I do believe that this does resolve the matters regaring scheduling and finding who we needed to find?"

Misha raised an eyebrow in amusment briefly before resuming her more refined poise. "I suppose now that I do not need to wear the mantle of Student Council I can reintroduce myself," Misha said, letting go of Nao to pick up the edges of her dress skirt to curtsey. "Once more, I am Shirayama Misha, apprentice baker. I am blessed to call your daughter my girlfriend." Misha returned to a stnading pose to pull Nao in closer to her side, looking to Takara-san. "And to clarify - despite my countenance, I hold no claims to any higher station."

tag(s): Nao Kaneshiro ━ words: 000 ━ notes:

by MIZO.❉ of ww

"We understand each other then, Shirayama-san?  For I do believe it would be in both of our best interests for our joint tour to go over each of the places a young lady of a noble station might find herself, in order that we might find her.  'Tis truly an appropriate endeavor for one to undertake in order that she might ensure her daughter's happiness.  I must insist that you come with us to-" Haruka began to continue on as if she'd gotten an answer which she had been expecting the whole time.  She was cut off by a nudge to the side, which caused the more formal of the parents to look to her side.  There she found Takara, arms folded on her chest as she gave her wife a look that said 'really?'. 

It took a few moments for Haruka to realize that the battlefield had changed before her eyes.  No longer was she in a pitched conflict of polite words and negotiation, but rather a simple situation in which that which she sought was right before her.  At first she had just assumed that Nao's arrival meant that her daughter would be able to take her to this mysterious girl she had given her heart to.  Slowly she realized that this too would be totally unnecessary as the classy young woman who she'd been verbally sparring with was indeed the young woman she was seeking in the first place.  Slowly Haruka's expression grew more sheepish as she stood down from her aggressive posture.  To be honest she'd been utterly defeated by events around her, and now she had to yield the field of battle to the victors.

Nao meanwhile was just happy that her girlfriend was there with her to help resolve the situation.  While she'd been hiding by the gazebo she'd momentarily pondered a different approach to resolve the problem of her parents suddenly turning up.  Play it coy, act as though she knew Misha somewhat but pretend that maybe they knew each other from the student council or something.  Don't let her parents in on the fact that they were dating just yet, get a tour in and really get both of the parents to forget all about their reasons for coming here in the first place!  Then a big dramatic reveal and -  that was probably the worst idea she'd had today.  In addition to a lot of unnecessary misunderstandings and hijinks, it was the sort of thing that would be at place in a novel of the style she'd written when beginning her authoring pursuits.  Best to leave those in the past when it came to something this important.

Still it would've been harder to get through without Misha.  Of course she handled it with the grace and tact which only Misha could manage despite the ridiculous circumstances involved.  Her moms randomly turning up on campus unannounced was the kind of thing which Nao couldn't have resolved on her own.  She'd ended up hiding behind plants and objects from them, and after being caught in the act it would've been easy to just put off telling them if she told them at all.  Misha on the other hand had just introduced herself and even taken Nao close to her.  Nao stepped closer to Misha and rested her head on her girlfriend's shoulder, letting the warmth of her girlfriend calm her nerves.

"Ha-chan's monologue aside, I think what we mean to say is that we're very happy to have such a well spoken, kind young woman as yourself as part of our family.  Because the person our daughter's given her heart to is without question part of our family.  It's nice to meet you, Shirayama Misha-san," Takara explained, then without warning strode forward and gave both girls a hug.  After a moment Haruka did so as well, though she was clearly still somewhat thrown off by the thoughts that'd sidetracked her. 

A long moment later the two adults stepped back and Nao remained speechless for the moment.

"So can we still get a bit more of a tour?  Or would you two prefer to have time for yourselves?  We'll get reservations for lunch or dinner so that you don't feel pressured to tell us your whole story right here and now," Takara offered, which made Nao smile just a bit.

Maybe, Nao thought, this would be OK.  She looked up to Misha and shrugged, "I'm fine with whatever Misha-san wants to do."

❝

Without question part of our family.

Misha couldn't help but blink in surprise. It wasn't as if she hadn't heard words like that before, but often it was said by her adoptive family. Even though she was not related by blood, she still had a legal connection to them due to her Japanese aunt being the one who married into the Russian family. But this? Misha had just met Takara and Haruka, and to be declared part of the family just like that was rather shocking.

The sudden hug was also another shock, but the baker was able to recover enough composure for her to return the hugs with a slight smile, after which she wrapped an arm around Nao and started to think. Lunch, dinner, a tour? Options, permutations, priorities. But Misha didn't deliberate too long.

"Frankly, mayhaps getting to know the gardens is less pertinent than knowing more about each other," Misha said, glancing breifly to scan for any other classmates nearby. "I am not sure what kind of story you are looking for. But my proposal is thus."

She turned a bit, one hand reaching for Nao's and the other, cane in hand, gestured to the side down the path that snaked through the butterfly garden and around to the sculpture garden. "Would you like to join us for a stroll? We can talk to our hearts content, and if needed, we can continue over dinner?"

tag(s): Nao Kaneshiro ━ words: 000 ━ notes:

by MIZO.❉ of ww

Takara nodded sagely at the suggestion of taking the time to bond through a walk and conversation.  Not even the aristocratic seeming young woman whom had attempted to parry her incisive inquiries had been capable of fending her off forever.  Whatever story there was to know behind her daughter's romantic partner, she would have her information regardless of the earlier resistance.  Victory had come to her!  At least, that's what was going through her mind as she thought about the proposal which Misha had made to her. Meanwhile Haruka could see that look in her wife's eyes and considered correcting her.  Ultimately, though, it did little harm to let Takara continue perceiving this as a major victory of some kind.  She didn't want to overstep her bounds with Nao, who was becoming a fine young lady all things considered.

"A grand proposal, Shirayama-san.  We've reached an accord then!  Let us traverse the grounds and become properly acquainted with each other here!" Takara proclaimed, hands on her hips as if she were about to laugh triumphantly.  That's when Haruka determined it was time to intervene just a bit.  She gently elbowed takara in the side and when their eyes met gave her wife a look that suggested she ease up a bit on her usual mannerisms.  After a nod, Takara added, "It would be very satisfactory to me to join you on a walk and in conversation."

As they began to walk, Nao gripped Misha's hand snugly while refraining from speaking for a while.  Her mothers' arrival had caught her so completely off guard, their presence so overpowering that she needed time to recover from the initial shock.  There was a reason she didn't often talk about them and had barely mentioned them since getting together with Misha.  Both of them had such big personalities that she felt as though she didn't really have any way to stand out and be herself when they were around even in words alone.  Had she been here on her own Nao would've avoided them as much as possible due to needing that space to breathe.  Misha had a calming effect on her as they walked near her parents, and Nao began to feel relaxed and open again.  Meanwhile Haruka looked to the younger women and smiled.

"Since my dear warrior has interviewed you so in depth already, how about I tell you about our relationship?  It's been a long time since we first met, but I remember it like it was yesterday!  Both of us were on the school grounds, a grand forested hill just outside of Tokyo which had a reputation of being very fancy and upper class.  A lot of the girls on campus were from old upper crust families, so someone like me stuck out like a sore thumb.  My family only came into money in the last generation or so from a brewery, so it wasn't uncommon for girls to look down on me or shut me out of their activities.  Sometimes they'd just go silent when I walked by but.. then there was this crazy girl who insisted on speaking like a noble samurai from those NHK dramas!"  Haruka explained, her smile brightening with every sentence, "I was star struck.  She was so confident and pretty!  I had to get closer to her, even if she had no idea what to do with me when I walked up to her and stumbled over my words.  But she let me stay close to her.  When the other girls looked over at me like i was some alien life form, Takara stepped in to defend me."

"But of course!  I could not let such foppish women treat a maiden in need like a pariah!" Takara exclaimed, fist clenched as she remembered some very specific foppish women.

Haruka laughed, "She still gets fired up about it.  I kept coming to that same spot to spend time with her, and she kept letting me.  Then she started opening up bit by beautiful bit.. we became inseparable."

It was as she said this that her hand and Takara's became intertwined like Nao and Misha's.

❝

Misha lead the way, keeping a slow and relaxed pace as they walked through the butterfly garden. Her thumb brushed over the back of Nao's hand as if to try to soothe her girlfriend, noting the way she had tensed up earlier. Nao had never spoken much about her family and now Misha could see why - her parents were undeniably loving but that level of energy could have suffocated anyone with less fortitude.

Behind the soft smile Misha wore, she analyzed the firehose of details that were being thrown at her. An upper class school just outside Tokyo seemed vaguely familiar; her cousin Yuko several of Misha's friends attended one that would fit the description and if their stories were any indication, it was a suffocating hellscape. Moving on, Haruka seemed to be new money, a notion Misha was also familiar with. That left Takara-san - the Russian could deduce that is was possible Takara-san came from and old family but Misha felt it was best not to assume, simply nodding in acknowledgement at the end of Haruka's story.

"Quite a dramatic story, Haruka-san, Takara-san," Misha remarked with a soft chuckle, glancing over to the other couple just in time to see their hands entwine in a similar fashion. What a wild story it was, and a creeping sense of familiarily struck the Russian. She was acquainted with the notion of 'write what you know' from her friends and family, but as they turned the bend, another familiar sight jarred loose a memory.

Of course. Nao's earlier writing.

"I fear I may disappoint you with our story with how...rather straightforward it is," Misha said, sighing with a sense of nostalgia. "The day I met Nao-chan, I was walking along the gardens the same way we are now. I heard her sigh wistfully, so of course I had to swoop in. Wearing that stately and refined persona I use when being the face of my family's bakery or when performing the duties of my office." There was a hint of mockery in Misha's voice as she chuckled.

The way Misha was walking had changed. In fact, her entire posture seemed to shift - as she let nostalgia wash over her, a different sense of composure took over. The blonde girl relaxed without being too casual, fragments of her family in Russia seeping through as she waxed nostalgic. She paused, pointing her cane at a nearby bench.

"There we first met. We spoke a bit of oursevles and our work. A writer, a baker. I invited Nao-chan to bake with me. She accepted. Then we met for more than just learning about cooking. But to learn about each other. And somehow..." Misha trailed off and chuckled. "Bit by bit, she let me peel back the mask. I am...utterly grateful for it."

Rather than turning around, Misha merely glanced back to Haruka and Takara to signal the end of her story.

tag(s): Nao Kaneshiro ━ words: 000 ━ notes:

by MIZO.❉ of ww