The air in the Stardust Garden was tense. Everyone stood in attention as Alise paced back and forth in the living room, arms crossed behind her back with a deep frown that was out of character for her. Then, she came to a stop and took a deep breath, straightening up her back.
"Alright girls, listen up! The day of reckoning has arrived! The day the prophecy foretold is here!" She raised her arm into the air, hand formed into a fist. "Ryuu is having a date!"
The Astraea Familia let out a battle cry, raising their own fists in the air. Haruhime and Solaris were a bit more hesitant, but were swept up by the mood. Meanwhile Arash just rolled his eyes in exasperation. Kojiro sure was lucky he left early this morning. And they were all lucky that Hestia wasn't here either, as she had an early shift herself. Of course that increased the risk that the goddess, who everyone knew was into Bell, would come across the date while they were outside.
"Now this is important! After all, it's an actual date! Not a mission! Which means that interference is not an option!" Alise declared with a tone she usually never used, sounding more like an army general than the happy go lucky captain she was. She turned to her goddess, somberly nodding at her. "Lady Astraea, I will have you deal with Lady Hestia." She put her hand on the deity's shoulder. "I'm sorry."
"It is my burden to bear." She adjusted her dress with a small smile before turning towards the door. "I should go, she won't be cleaning Hephaestus' shop all day."
With that, the goddess went on her way to prevent a certain Virgin goddess from ruining everything. It was then that Kaguya took a look around and frowned deeply.
"Wait, where's Kojiro?"
"Good question, I don't actually know. Any of you?" Lyra asked. Everyone shrugged, not aware of any plans the man had. Alise hummed before snapping her fingers and pointing at their archer with a small grin.
"Well then, Arash better be on the lookout for that wild card then!" Her smirk vanished and she raised her fist once more. "Remember! Anyone that could interrupt them, take them out by any means necessary!"
"Any means?" Solaris asked, raising her hand. In response, Alise nodded furiously.
"Even if we have to die! Or even if they have to die!"
"Ballin'." Solaris held her fist in front of her heart in a salute, grinning widely. "May the Sacred Flame be with you!"
"I swear on the sword and wings of justice!" Alise responded, drawing her sword and pointing it at the ceiling. All the other girls let out noises of agreement, already knowing their positions. Of course then Arash raised his hand, clearing his throat as he sent an uncertain look at everyone.
"Don't you girls think you are going a bit overboard?"
While he was always a fan of supporting romance and he agreed that Ryuu and Bell should have a nice day for themselves, this level of 'babysitting' went a bit beyond that.
"Hush, overwatch! Get to your rooftop!"
"If this day doesn't end with those pathetic lovebirds hooking up, I will stab them myself."
"One more day of seeing them waff around and I'll help. You have no idea how it was training alone with them!"
"I want them to be h-happy!"
One by one, the girls responded, with Alise causing the chain reaction. After Haruhime said her piece as well, her eyes weirdly sparkling in excitement, Arash turned to the last member of this operation. Solaris shrugged, more nonchalant than the others.
"Hey, I get a free excuse to tackle people and silence them. Go romance if I can do that more often."
Arash sighed, shaking his head, as he already felt a migraine creeping up.
"This is gonna be eventful... "
/
Honestly, as much as he respected Ryuu as a person, Bell was a bit worried about what their date would even entail. Normally dates in Orario took place in the Entertainment District as far as he knew. But considering that District was rather wrecked, twice in fact, once the Red Light District and then the Casino area, it was not exactly a place for a romantic outing. Not to mention that the Stardust Garden silently agreed that the place was essentially cursed to them. Which meant that a lot of options were cut down. There were always fancy restaurants, but there weren't a lot. The adventurer life style lends itself more to bars and taverns like the Hostess, but it was too early for those either. At least he always thought romantic dinners were done when the sun was down. So in the end, he was going into this date blind, wearing his usual casual clothes with its black and brown color scheme, covering his arms with its long sleeves. Ryuu on the other hand…
She leaned against the wall at the Hostess, eyes closed as she enjoyed the sun on her skin. She almost seemed to shine and utterly at peace as she smiled softly. Her outfit was different from her usual clothes she wore 'on the job'. A short sleeved blue jacket over a white shirt with short sleeves as well, revealing her skin starting just below the elbow. Her pants were long this time, light blue in color and secured with a belt. Her hair was done into a rather short ponytail. It was certainly less revealing than her adventurer outfit and yet it made Bell... more excited than usual. Maybe that Ryuu felt comfortable enough to wear such clothes for him? Or he was just a pervert that appreciated her clothes fitting her quite well. With a blush, he gulped and tried to calm his beating heart. Of course that failed completely when she opened her eyes, slowly as if teasing him, and turned to look at him. Her smile widened ever so slightly before moving away from the wall.
"You look good."
Bell looked away, face turning red. Gods, he felt underdressed now.
"S-sorry, if I knew you cleaned up like that I... " His eyes widened, realizing what he was implying. He frantically waved his hands in front of him. "N-Not that you aren't clean when you-"
He was silenced when Ryuu put her finger on his lips. Her smile was a bit strained, but it still held amusement as she calmly nodded at him.
"I understand. Please calm down." She tilted her head at him, beckoning him forward with a finger."Shall we?"
The fact that she blushed ever so slightly only intensified his own. Yet again Bell cursed his own lack of manliness, as the girl once again took the initiative. With determination, he nodded and moved up to stand next to her. He resisted the urge to hold her hand. After all, this was to check if they were swept up by the mood in the Red Light District or if this was anything more. So rushing things was bad and would make things even more awkward than they already were. And boy, were things still awkward. Neither said anything as Ryuu led the way, the atmosphere strained between the two of them. Every time either would try to say something, open their mouth, they would catch themselves and awkwardly clear their throats. However, soon enough, Bell forgot about the air as he came to a stop when they finally arrived.
He has been to the market place many times before. Moved past it plenty of times when he returned from the dungeon with the others. But... He... never really came here this early, did he? When people were just building up their stands. When everyone was ready to face the day with wide smiles. When children were at their most active. Despite the chaos occuring in the city, this place seemed to try and make you forget about it. However, it was no trick. They just genuinely seemed to believe that everything was alright. As if they trusted the city's adventurers.
"I often come here. As a reminder."
Bell almost jumped, having forgotten about Ryuu's presence until she spoke up. He turned to her, seeing her smile gently as she looked at the ongoings of the market. He tilted his head, blinking in surprise.
"Reminder?"
"What I... we fight for." She gave him a warm look. "If the market is this peaceful in the morning... We are doing a good job."
Without further ado, she moved on, leaving Bell stunned before he shook his head and followed her. The reception they received was not something he was used to. He was a bit famous before, what with being the runner up. But after the War Game, the amount of cheers and smiles he received just by walking by. It was mind boggling as a food stand threw an apple at him with a hearty laugh. When elderly women tried to hook him up with their granddaughters before Ryuu quickly dragged him away. And then there were the kids that realized they were here.
"Hey, that's Albion!"
"Hello, mister!"
"Miss Royal Gale, morning!"
He felt his heart flutter as parents tried to pry their children away from the two adventurers. Suffice to say, after a while, his and Ryuu's clothes were a bit in disarray after having to play with the younglings a bit, as they tried to grab onto them and climb them. Not that he minded too much as he adjusted his shirt but he sent a careful look at Ryuu. However the elf seemed just fine as she lightly brushed her hair with her hands, giving him a small smile.
"You seem more popular than me."
Bell scratched the back of his head, laughing awkwardly.
"Ahahaha….maybe because I'm just more recent in their memory, what with the War Game."
"It isn't just that." Ryuu shook her head as she put a hand on her chest. "Unlike me, you are untainted."
"Is this about having a pure soul?" Bell asked, raising an eyebrow while feeling a bit annoyed that came up again. Nobody has yet to explain what that even meant. To his surprise however, the elf shook her head, smiling wryly.
"No, I meant untainted in reputation." She paused before shrugging nonchalantly. "The closest thing was the rumors of you sending Ishtar back to heaven, but that died down quickly."
"But you-"
"Have suffered many losses. Losses the public knows about." She let out a sigh, shaking her head as her eyes became a bit empty, as she seemed to recall certain things. "It... makes it hard to be as enthusiastic about me than about someone who never lost in their eyes."
Bell frowned at that. He hated seeing her like this. Putting herself down just because people's perception was terrible. Before he even thought about it, he put his hand on her shoulder and gave it a soft squeeze.
"Well, I'll stay enthusiastic about you." He nodded at her. "Losing doesn't make you any less capable."
Ryuu stared at him for a moment with wide eyes before blushing a bit with a small smile.
"Thank you."
It was then that he realized what he was doing and he quickly removed his hand, causing the two to awkwardly clear their throats, avoiding each other's eyes. However, something tingled on his neck and Bell turned around, narrowing his eyes. Ryuu mimicked him soon after, humming thoughtfully.
"Did you feel that?"
Bell nodded, frowning deeply. But as nothing seemed to happen, he shook his head with a sigh. Maybe being on sick rest for so long made him antsy.
"Must have been nothing."
Unbeknownst to the two of them, several events were occurring however, in order to keep their date uninterrupted. Solaris, in a dark alley, dragged her brother back just as he was about to greet Bell, pulling him back with her chains. She wasn't the only one struggling to hold someone back, as Astraea's veins were visible on her arms as she grit her teeth and kept Hestia in a choke hold. The latter seemed to foam from her mouth after spotting Bell and Ryuu together. They weren't the only ones seemingly suffering to a certain observer.
Haruhime was currently being used as a tool in a tug of war, with one side easily winning as the Hiryute Twins wanted to test the martial artist out, even with one of them still missing her legs. On the other side, the entirety of the Takemikazuchi Familia tried their best to spend some quality time with their friend, while being dragged across the ground. Lefiya and Filvis tried and certainly failed to mediate as the poor Renard cried tears at her treatment and the sacrifice she was making for the sake of Bell's happiness. Lyra and Alise had an easier time, relatively speaking, as they only had to focus on the executives and some others from the Loki Familia. Well, Lyra focused on Finn and Alise on everyone else, but they actually seemed to enjoy their distraction. On the other hand there was Kaguya, hands intertwined with Bete's, as they pushed against each other with barred teeth, with the Ganesha Familia trying and failing to pry them off each other. Most other Familia, like the one of Miach, seemed to be looking at the spectacle next to Hermes and his children as they ate sweet potatoes.
Suffice to say, Arash, who was leaning back on a lean back chair, raised an eyebrow at these events. It certainly seemed weird that practically everyone who knew them and could interrupt collectively decided to go to the market. At the same time. He looked at a certain spot and waved casually. Hans, accompanied by Lili and Ottar, the King holding a wiggling individual inside a potato back, flipped him off in response. Arash chuckled and focused back on the couple on their date, with Ryuu coming to a sudden stop.
"Ryuu? Everything alright?"
The elf blinked. Then she lowered her gaze, a conflicted smile on her face as she exhaled softly.
"Yes. Just... memories." She let out a small giggle as she pointed at something with her finger. "It's foolish, to be honest. I was once forced to dance, right on this spot seven years ago."
Bell blinked, trying to imagine it but failing. Seven years ago... during the Dark Age of Orario? He couldn't fathom dancing during that time. Nor imagine Ryuu doing the dancing. While she was very graceful in combat, that was different. It must have appeared on his face as Ryuu frowned with a small pout.
"What, do you think I'm a terrible dancer?"
"N-Not at all!" He tried to laugh it off as he pointed at himself. "Besides, I don't know how to dance either!"
Instead of placating her, his words only caused a glint to appear in her eyes as she smirked at him.
"Is that so?" She extended her hand towards him. "Come on."
He could only stare at her palm, blinking profusely as he processed what Ryuu wanted to do right now. He looked up at her, gulping nervously.
"What?"
"No time but the present," she simply responded. Bell stared at her hand once more before taking a deep breath. Alright. A dance. No big deal. He just had to be a man about it. That was his last thought when he grasped her hand and lost complete control over his body.
Ryuu led him with ease as their legs moved. Their dance wasn't romantic at all or anything he imagined one would do in a ballroom. This was a joyful jumping around one would do during a festival. It had a certain innocence in it that one had before adulthood. Because of that, Bell soon began to laugh, a laugh that the elf joined in.
"W-Who did you dance with, if I can ask?" He asked as Ryuu twirled him, leading him with her hand. She stumbled for a moment and he caught her before continuing on their dance.
"Ardee. She... was a close friend. Someone who motivated me to always search for justice."
Their dance lost a bit of its luster. Bell bit his lip before lowering his head. Great, he ruined the mood again. And once again, he felt the gap in experience between himself and the Astraea Familia. Sometimes he didn't feel like much of a hero when so many people had suffered.
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be." Ryuu frowned at him. "And stop."
"S-stop what?"
She smiled softly at him.
"Suffering, or rather the lack of suffering, does not diminish your feats. You don't need it to relate with me. Quite frankly, I prefer it this way." She patted his cheek before intensifying their pace. "My life has been gloomy enough!"
Bell lost track of time as they danced. Soon enough, even with their high levels, they were starting to work up quite the sweat and panted a bit for air when they finally came to a stop.
"Not half bad," Ryuu said, approval filling her voice. Bell smiled back, sheepishly scratching his cheek a bit.
"W-well, you were a good lead."
It was then that they paid attention back to their surroundings. Or in other words, realized the applause they received. The clapping and whistling. It was at that moment that the two realized that pretty much everyone in this area saw what they had done. The two blushed furiously, their heads turning into tomatoes. Quickly Bell grabbed Ryuu's hand and led her away with hurried steps, not wanting to be the center of attention any longer. Their escape was swift but short lived as they took a corner and almost ran into someone. Bell's eyes widened when he saw who it was.
"Hello there, young master." Kojiro rubbed his chin with a knowing look. "Here I was wondering who was causing such a commotion."
"K-Kojiro?" He then saw who was next to the swordsman and he took a step back. "Aiz?"
The Wind Princess, as she called herself now, stared at him and Ryuu with blank eyes. Then she glanced down. Following her gaze, they saw that he and Ryuu were still holding hands. At the same time, they let go, looking away from each other. Kojiro chuckled, nodding as if he ignored the current strained air.
"Oh yes, we were just on our way for training." He winked at Bell. "I see you are putting your charms to good use."
"Kojiro, p-please don't," he muttered, causing the swordsman to ruffle his hair.
"Jokes aside, I am happy you are clearing the ai-"
"Let's go."
Everyone but Kojiro flinched at the flat tone Aiz possessed when she spoke up. Without even waiting for him, Aiz pushed past them, not even sparing them a second look. It hurt more than Bell wanted to admit. Kojiro only blinked in confusion before shrugging.
"Huh. Very well." He nodded at them. "We won't hold you back any longer then."
"Don't overdo it, you are still injured!" Bell shouted after him, earning a casual wave from Kojiro as he hurried after Aiz. Looking at their backs, he frowned deeply. "I... didn't know they trained with each other."
"Are you... jealous?"
There was something off in her voice when Ryuu asked that question. She seemed worried when she looked at him, but in a different way. Anyway, Bell sighed, letting his shoulders slump. No sense in lying, if he made it that obvious.
"A bit." He cleared his throat, trying to shake it off as he put on a smile. "I-I mean, Kojiro can train whoever he wants and I don't have any special privi-"
"Wait, Kojiro?"
Her incredulous tone caused his brain to freeze up. He looked at her, with equally wide eyes. Wait, what else did she think... oh. Oooooh. Bell felt his face heat up. Right. She probably thought he was jealous of Kojiro spending time with Aiz. Maybe a part of him even did. But he focused mainly on the opposite... making him sound like a pouting child.
"Err... " Coughing, Bell looked away, covering his face with his arm. "F-Forget what I said, please!"
"Hahahaha!"
Her laughter sounded beautiful, but he couldn't enjoy it as it was at his expense. She wiped a tear off her eye, more at ease now. Then she nodded at him before twirling her hand at the sky.
"Well, we still got a long time. How about you pick the next location?"
Bell felt a shiver down his spine but he nodded with resolution. With that, their date continued on. Going to a few clothes shop he never went to. Trying out outfits for daily life, with some embarrassing situations where they accidentally entered more specific stores, like one's for amazons. A nice meal here and there, using some of his own savings to finance it. Before he knew it, the sun was long gone from the sky and they shared another laugh when Bell told her about his incident in the thermae with Welf and Kojiro. To be honest he didn't know when he was as relaxed as he was right now. He didn't really want the day to stop, but they soon were close enough to the Stardust Garden to signal the end of their date.
"Did-did you have fun?" Bell asked, fiddling around with his fingers a bit. Ryuu smiled gently at him and nodded. He let out a sigh of relief at that. But before he could get closer to their home, Ryuu tugged at his sleeve. He looked at her in confusion, seeing how she bit her lip and worry rose in his chest. She seemed to hesitate, conflicted even. In the end however she took a deep breath and looked him directly into his eyes.
"Do you still like Aiz?"
Bell's first instinct was to deflect as his eyes widened. To tell her he didn't like her. But then he thought back, to his behavior early on in Orario. Yeah, if anyone would figure out about his feelings at the time it was... basically everyone. He winced at the memories. Wow, he really needed to learn how to bluff better. Still, here he was, being asked by his date if he liked someone else. Logic dictated he should say no.
However, in this case, it would've been a lie. He still saw it, in his heart. The image of a peaceful grassland, the wind brushing against them. A tree, with two individuals waiting for him. One being Ryuu and the other one... despite everything. Despite the relative lack of interaction. There was Aiz. And in the end, Bell Cranel was not a liar.
"...Yes."
"Ah. I-I see. U-Understandable... I... "
The way she stammered, her eyes shimmering due to forming tears. The weakness in her voice as it cracked a bit. It tore at his own heart, to see her like this. He wished he could take it back, but if he began to lie to her, it would be an insult to Ryuu Lion. By all means, when the elf turned away from him and was about to walk off into the darkness, to avoid ruining the mood at home, he should've let her go. After all, one man couldn't love more than one woman.
The image of his grandfather appeared in his mind. Raising an eyebrow before letting out a scoff. And who decided that, he could hear him say.
The thought of losing Ryuu forever by standing idle forced him into action. He grabbed her wrist before he even knew it. The elf stiffened up by his touch. She didn't turn towards him, but she didn't run away either.
"I... "
"What is it?" Ryuu whispered, sounding a bit desperate for an answer. Bell had no idea how to phrase it. He felt himself suffocate from this situation. But he needed to get the words out before her patience ran thin.
"I feel like a scumbag... B-But I... " He wanted to disappear. Shrink away from the audacity he was about to reveal. But as weak as his voice was, he still uttered the words. "I-Is it wrong to...to have more than one…?"
He couldn't finish his sentence. But it was clear what he was implying. Ryuu tensed up once more... before actually relaxing. Slowly, she turned her head and to Bell's relief she was smiling. In what looked like disbelief and even a bit scolding, but smiling nonetheless.
"I'd say it depends on the people involved." She shook her head a bit before approaching him, holding both of his hands. "There are no guarantees in life but... who knows? If you try hard enough and promise we do this more often... I wouldn't be so against it." A faint red tint colored her cheeks as she let out a small giggle. "Who knows, maybe I even support you a bit here and there?
Bell was openly gaping at her. Was she serious?! What was even happening right now?! Before he could ask any of it however, he felt a soft, wet but warm feeling on his lips. It was short. An instance. Nothing compared to what they did in the Red Light District. But that peck was more than enough to stop any brain functions.
"Have a good night."
Ryuu left him alone, standing outside as she walked back into the Stardust Garden. He had no idea how long he was standing there before he slid down the wall, covering his face with a silent scream.
Ahhh... he really liked her after all…!
/
"What in heaven's name happened to them?" Ryuu asked when she entered the house. She pointed at the exhausted messes that were Solaris, Haruhime, Astraea and Kaguya.
"They had a busy day," Arash replied before tilting his head. "Where's Bell?"
"Outside, cooling off."
"Ooooh, did you make your boyfriend hot and bothered?" Alise asked, her voice teasing. Ryuu shook her head as she undid her ponytail, giving them a confused look.
"He isn't my boyfriend yet."
Dead silence. Dead silence beyond some muffled screaming that came from Hestia's room, sounding like a roar of victory. Ryuu could only assume she was tied up in there. Anyway, her entire Familia shot up, exhaustion forgotten as they began to grab her and shake her.
"Lion, why didn't you confess your undying love already?!"
"It may be entertaining in fiction, but you are just stalling."
"It's too early. I want to be certain that I will stay with him forever before declaring anything official."
Lyra and Astraea closed their mouths before they could say anything unlike Alise and Kaguya. Ignoring them she moved past them, utterly serious in her expression as she raised her eyebrow at them.
"A man should confess first, shouldn't he?"
With those words, she entered her own room and locked it up, leaving behind a stunned Familia. During that time, the entrance opened once more and revealed Kojiro entering. He looked aorund, blinking in surprise.
"Did I miss something?"
That woke up Ryuu's Familia as they laughed.
"Oh my, little Lion got a teasing side to her~!"
"I'm so proud of our little girl!"
"Didn't think she'd have it in her!"
"Children grow up so fast... "
Kojiro blinked before crossing his arms at them.
"Why do you all act like you are so experienced when none of you has a boyfriend?"
At once, the women collapsed to the ground, retching at the mental damage they received, as if they would cough up blood at any moment. Arash winced while Haruhime covered her mouth in horror as Solaris laughed instead.
"T-That was mean, Kojiro!"
"Nice one, Brojiro!"
