Chapter 33:
Ura tended to his garden, slowly pulling up the weeds when he accidentally crushed a flower in his palm. The flower was nothing special, but something about the scent of its crushed petals triggered something in his memories.
The Night of the Party:
He was back at the night of the party. The young bodyguard had a lot to drink. For whatever reason, he had allowed the rest of the guys to goad him into numerous shots of whatever they could buy him. He could not say why he drank, just that he did. That was when she came to talk to him.
"Ura!" said Otohime, practically throwing herself on top of him.
"OTO!" replied Urashima, throwing his arms in the air. He almost ran his metal arms through her hair. At the last second, he pulled back, though. "No, bad Ura. Can't taint Oto; she's too beautiful." He hit himself in the temple. "Bad, bad, bad."
"Stop that," said Otohime. She reached out and grabbed his arms. With a frown on her face, she said, "I don't like you when you're like this."
The level four wrenched his arms away. "You don't get it!" He smiled, an expression of deep melancholy. "You're the sun, Oto!" His vision started swimming. "You'll always be too good!" His face twisted. "Which is why you don't get it! You don't get what it means to be like me!"
Now Otohime frowned. "You're drunk; you don't actually mean that." She reached for his glass. Thankfully, they were in their own secluded corner. "Give me that; we should put you to bed."
Ura pulled away. "No! You shouldn't talk to me anymore!" He hunched over. "I'll ruin you!"
Oto's frown deepened. She took a deep breath and tried to remember that he was unbelievably intoxicated. With her gentlest smile, she reached out. "I don't think that's true. I think that you'll make me even better!"
"No! You deserve someone good…and noble!"
Oto frowned. "Noble? What's that supposed to mean?"
"Be noble! Like…those people at home! You should've been with someone back home who deserved you!"
Oto felt her temper spike. "That's not true, and you know it."
Ura nodded. "Yes, it is! You should've found someone noble! Or let someone like your brother do it!"
She pulled away. Ura wandered off, rambling as only the drunk could. He returned to the guys and seemed to get into higher spirits. Meanwhile, Otohime sat there, dumbfounded.
He spent the rest of the night ignoring her. No matter how hard she tried to talk to him, Urashima Taro ignored Otohime Nakamura. So, that night, after he went to bed, she stole his arms. No matter how he woke up, he would have to talk. Come the morning, though, she realized that she didn't want to. She would be liable to hurt him otherwise.
In the Present:
In the garden, Ura cursed himself up and down. He tossed the weeds he was holding off to the side. Not caring for anything, he ran back inside. He tore through hallways and ran upstairs to look for Otohime. He checked her room, his room, and almost everyone else's room. When he didn't find her, he almost ran headfirst into the bathhouse. Then, he remembered that he was, in fact, a man.
"What are you doing?" asked a voice.
He whipped around to find Otohime standing in the hallway, her head tilted to the side. Ura let out a sigh of relief and grappled her with his arms.
"Hey! Ura!" spluttered Otohime, slowly turning pink.
Urashima didn't care, though. He held on tight and repeatedly said, "I'm sorry."
Eventually, Otohime stilled. She forcefully drew back and looked him up and down.
"I take it, you remembered what you said?" she asked.
Ura looked to the floor and nodded in shame.
"Why are you sorry?" asked Otohime. "I'm the one who's been acting stupid; it's alright!"
Even Ura knew the words were forced. They come off as stilted and awkward. She tried for a light giggle, but it came out like a strained choking sound. As if she was coughing something up. Afterwards, silence reigned in the hallway. Otohime bowed and walked away.
"Wow, that was something else," said Hestia, poking her head from the bath entrance.
Ura didn't look in her direction. His eyes were trained on where Otohime retreated. He was staring off into space, useless to the world.
"You know," began Hestia. "If you really want to apologize, the Holy Night Festival party is coming. You can try and get her a gift?" The Goddess frowned. "But like, a gift with meaning. Something she'd really appreciate." Her eyes narrowed. "And don't try to buy your way out either!"
Urashima nodded dumbly. Then, he went to his room to grab every bit of valis he had saved up. The bodyguard hit the streets running, in search for the perfect gift for his perfect woman.
In the Tower of Babel:
Up in the Tower of Babel, a Goddess of Beauty watched on. She had been irritated when her plan for Bell Cranel's expedition had failed, but it was also only one small step in a grander scheme. Her Odr would be returned to his final glory, and when he was, she would snatch him away. All this would be done before he could repair his bond with the cursed Sword Princess.
Freya also understood, though, that she'd have to separate the boy from the rest of his Familia. He needed to be isolated and cut away. Looking out over the city, she saw something fascinating. When those new Familia members came in, she took a look at their souls. The Goddess saw how the two from the Far East were connected and how it would let them resist her. But now, that connection has wavered, if only slightly. Something had happened between the two of them.
Freya smiled and gestured with her hand. "Ottar, go find that new member of ours. The girl with the special magic. Tell her I have a job for her."
"Yes, Lady Freya."
With the Princess:
In the Hearth Manor, Otohime tried to go about her usual business. Currently, that meant helping Bell and Haruhime put up decorations. They had wreaths, strings of pine needles, and many colourful ribbons. They were going to decorate the outside tomorrow, before the snow started to fall.
At the moment, Bell was at the top of the staircase, running a red ribbon in a swirling pattern. Otohime worked from the bottom up with a white ribbon. The young boy had a smile on his face but noticed that the ordinarily jubilant girl did not.
"Ummm, Otohime," began Bell. "Is there something wrong?"
It appeared as if she did not hear him. The young woman just continued to twine the white ribbon through and through. The sight made Bell's heart ache. This was the Holy Night Festival; they were supposed to be having joyful times! As the Captain of Hestia Familia, Bell felt personally responsible for bringing joy. Especially for Otohime, who always took the time for him.
So, Bell slowly walked down the staircase. He knew that creeping up on her was a bad idea, but something seemed off. He felt like he could sneak up on her this time. So, he tapped her on the shoulder. Otohime jumped and tried to get her hands on Bell to throw him. Thankfully, Bell knew this was coming and planted his feet. One of her hands went to grab his arm. He grabbed Otohime's wrist and stopped the other hand from coming for his shoulder. Otohime blinked in shock, surprised that she had been so disarmed.
Bell grinned sheepishly. "That wasn't like you, Otohime. Usually, not even Ryuu can sneak up on you."
"Oh, yes, I'm sorry about that…." The former Princess looked at the ground. "Things are a little complicated between me and Ura right now. He said some things…and I have been behaving…less than exemplary."
Bell released his grip on her arms. "Would you like to talk about it?"
Otohime nodded. Her hair fell over her face. She pushed it up and looked at Bell.
"Could we go for a walk as we talk, though?"
Bell smiled. He turned towards the door and offered his arm. Their walks and talks had become a tradition for the two of them. They would often sneak away. Originally, Otohime started the walks because she knew something was always bothering Bell. Eventually, though, she was feeling bad, and he had offered the same to her. Now, it was their tradition. Otohime took his arm happily, smiling honestly for the first time in a while.
"Shall we go, milady?"
Otohime giggled.
"We shall!"
With the Bodyguard:
In the streets, Urashima Taro wandered. He walked this way and that, not really aware of his surroundings. The people on the streets gave him a wide berth. Some did it because he was a member of Hestia Familia, who were known to be magnets to danger. Others did it because they saw the shining metal of his arms. So, he was left in peace. Well, almost.
"What do we have here? A dog let off its leash?"
Ura let out a long and deep breath from his nose. He recognized that voice. The young bodyguard turned to find the amazon Peito standing across from him. His opponent from the tournament's first match had her hands on her bare hips. She wore almost no gear. Instead, she wore pink wrappings around her chest and a dark maroon pareo skirt. She wore bangles around her wrists and a bright gold choker.
Ura grunted at her before resuming his walk. The amazon followed behind, arms crossed behind her head. All this did was push her chest out. She strolled up to his left side.
"So, where's the girlfriend?" asked Peito.
At Ura's silence, Peito nodded.
"Trouble in paradise, then? Possibly looking for a way to make it up to her?"
She skipped in front of him before turning to stand in his. When Ura tried to walk around her, she reached out with one hand. Her palm rested at the center of her chest, and her eyes looked him up and down. Biting her bottom lip, she tossed her hair back. With a wicked grin, Peito trailed a finger down his chest.
Leaning forward, she whispered in his ear, "We amazons don't like to lose." She pulled back. "In fact, whoever defeats us, well, we recognize that strength." She brought her other hand up to grab his hip. "And we find such beings…very desirable."
Urashima rolled his eyes and tried to shake her off. When her grip remained firm, he looked at her in confusion. Peito let out a derisive laugh.
"You're not the only one who's done some growing." Her fingers dug deeper into his sides, moving as if she was massaging him. "After you beat me, I decided I needed to be stronger. In fact, I needed to be strong enough to force you to love me. And to beat back that monster that hangs around you."
Before Peito quite understood what was going on, breathing got difficult. She felt a hand clench around her throat. She looked down, a teasing line already on her tongue. But it died when she looked Ura in the eyes.
"Call her that again, and I will gut you like a fish."
The level four adventurer of Hestia Familia dropped her and started walking again. Peito was quick to catch up.
"Not gonna lie, that was kind of hot. Can you choke me again?"
Urashima groaned.
"I'm kidding…sort of. Really, though, if you're looking for a gift, why not let me lend a hand? Who better to find something for a crazy female than another crazy female?" asked Peito.
Ura considered it. He looked over at her. He knew this was something he'd probably regret, but then he remembered the things he had said. Urashima remembered the tragic looks on Otohime's face and the painful space currently between them. So, the bodyguard let out a long breath but nodded.
Peito squealed in response and tried to link arms with him. Urashima pulled his arms away.
With the Princess:
During the night of celebrations, Otohime stopped to look around. She was only slightly intoxicated, having taken the time to limit her drinks. Affected by her light buzz, she took in her surroundings. She saw how happy everyone was. That bard, Dixen, was playing wonderful music. People were chatting and having a good time. The scene and atmosphere made her chest all warm and fuzzy. Then, she saw her beloved Urashima. Her whole body felt fuzzy then. Something bubbled up in her. The former Princess remembered the way he would look at her. And then, she felt ready.
"So, you were ready. You felt loved, and you were going to tell Ura that you were ready," said Bell.
Otohime, blushing, nodded. The two of them had strolled along the open boulevards, keeping to where they would be visible. She had explained what had gone down that night multiple times but had danced around about why it had made her so upset. Only now did she give the full explanation.
"I wasn't going to expect him to reciprocate," began Otohime. "But I wanted to let him know that I would be there."
Bell nodded. "And his drunk response was to…."
"Say that I needed to do better," began Otohime, again. "And that I should have let my brother match me with someone."
Bell flinched. Every time he heard the story, he flinched. Even drunk, bringing up Otohime's brothers was not a smart idea.
"I know that I was acting a little stupid and that he didn't mean it, but I couldn't help myself. Every time I look at him, I hear those stupid words," explained Otohime. "I know it's not reasonable of me to think that way."
Bell shook his head. "How you feel is important!" he declared. "Maybe it doesn't make…logical sense?" tried Bell. "But it's important to you!" Bell looked at the ground.
Otohime nudged him with her elbow. "You can be honest with me, Bell. I'll always appreciate it." She smirked. "Even if it doesn't make me happy."
Bell gave her a tiny smile. "I think you need to talk to him. And you should listen to what he has to say." He looked up to the sky. "I know you, and I know Urashima. You two are… you're good together. You make each other happier and better. I think that if you're willing to talk to him, he'll make you happy again."
Oto nodded.
"You know, I think I heard that he was out in the city right now. Do you want to try to find him?"
Otohime snorted. "Bit like trying to find a needle in a haystack, no?"
Bell smiled. "Isn't that kind of romantic, though?"
Otohime beamed.
With the Bodyguard:
Ura looked up at the great tower of Babel. Peito had essentially dragged him here. He looked left to where the Amazon was standing. She seemed to be quite pleased with herself. Suddenly, though, Urashima felt a pair of eyes on him. His head shot up to stare at the highest point of Babel that he could see.
"Someone is watching us," he said.
Peito blinked in amazement. 'Could he really feel the stare of the Goddess from so far away?'
Eventually, the gaze moved away, and Urashima felt himself relax. Then, he turned to his companion.
"So, what? You think we'll find a good gift in the Dungeon?"
Peito nodded. "A wild girl needs a wild gift. What's wilder than the Dungeon? It could be anything, but a jewel might be best. Could get it turned into jewelry."
Ura considered the thought but shook his head.
"Lady Otohime has never been one for jewelry. However, she adores flowers." He looked back at Peito. "Are there any flowers we could find above the Great Tree Labyrinth?" He felt that going that deep would be asking for trouble.
Peito nodded along. "I mean, Floor 18 is filled with flowers. Not to mention the monster feeding areas on the floors above it. "
Inwardly, she grinned. Her charm magic's greatest chance would be when he was alone with her and exhausted from fighting monsters. She could lead him on a roundabout trip around the Dungeon and let his fatigue build. Then, she could find a secluded spot and try her magic at its full strength. This stupid little man would end up wrapped around her finger, and then she would present him to Lady Freya! It would be perfect!
Ura nodded, unaware of the malicious plans. Usually, he would be better at catching such nonsense, but he had only had one thought on his mind right now. He had to find a way to also helped that he was still new to the Dungeon. If Peito led him in circles, he would never realise it.
With the Princess:
Moving through the streets, Otohime and Bell asked people if they had seen a metal-armed man. Rather, Otohime asked. Bell felt a little too embarrassed to question others. Unfortunately, their search was fruitless. No one had seen the young warrior in the streets, or they didn't seem to care. Otohime was about to suggest they turn in for the day and wait for Ura to come home. That was the moment they got lucky.
"Oh, what are you guys doing here?"
Bell and Otohime turned to find Lefiya and Elwin sitting on a restaurant porch. The two appeared to be sharing a small cake and a pot of tea.
"Are you two on a date?" asked Otohime, hopping up to join them.
Elwin gave a goofy grin. "Yeah, our first official date, actually!" He took Lefiya's hand, who was busy blushing. "It's pretty exciting."
"You don't need to tell them everything!" said Lefiya, squeezing his hand. She did not let go, though. She turned back to the two visitors. "Are you two looking for anyone right now?"
"Yes, I'm looking for Ura. Have you seen him?"
Elwin shook his head, but Lefiya tilted her head in thought. Looking up at the sky, she seemed to consider the question. Eventually, she looked back and nodded.
"I believe so. I think I saw him walking towards the Dungeon with another…adventurer," said Lefiya. The last word sounded like she was about to say something else.
"He was with another woman, wasn't he?" asked Otohime. Unintentionally, her entire body shifted towards violence. Lefiya withered under her glare and nodded.
"Hey now!" interrupted Elwin. "Take it easy!"
Otohime blinked and shook her head. When she looked at Lefiya again, she gasped and bowed low at the waist.
"I'm so sorry, Lefiya! I didn't mean to! I just…heard and tunnel visioned." Otohime gave an embarrassed smile. "Again, so sorry."
Lefiya shook her head. "No problem. But yes, I did see him. He was walking with a female adventurer toward the Dungeon."
"How come I didn't see this?" asked Elwin.
Lefiya rolled her eyes. "You were in the bathroom."
"Oh," said Elwin. He then looked over at Otohime and Bell. "You need him for something?"
Oto nodded. "I need to apologize and talk with him."
Lefiya began to stand up. "Would you like us to come with you?"
Oto shook her head. "No, I don't want to ruin your date." She glanced over at Elwin, smirking. "Besides, I don't think that one would ever forgive me if I did."
Elwin nodded seriously. "Damn straight, I wouldn't. Trying to treat this lady to a perfect time."
The two Hestia Familia members left them to their date. They turned their eyes toward the Dungeon.
"You have the knife, right?" asked Otohime.
Bell nodded while frowning. "But you don't have your bisento."
Oto shrugged and pulled up her outfit near her leg. Underneath, strapped to her left leg, was a short katana. She drew the weapon and gave it a couple of expert swings.
"This will do fine, though," she said, looking down the edge of the blade.
Bell blinked but nodded.
They made their way to Babel. Just as they were about to enter. Someone else shouted for their attention.
"Hey! Mister Argonaut!"
Bell and Otohime turned to find a beaming Tiona bounding towards them. Behind her was a smirking Tione and a surprisingly embarrassed Ais.
Bell tilted his head. "What are you doing here, Ais?"
The Sword Princess didn't answer, preferring to stare at the ground as she glowed red. Instead, it was Tione who chuckled and replied.
"Ais said that she needed to make some quick valis." With one hand, she ruffled the Kenki's hair while also winking at Bell. "She said something about getting a little white rabbit the perfect gift for the Holy Night Festival."
"Tione," said Ais.
The Amazon nodded. "No need to worry, I'm done." She looked at Bell and Oto. "What are you two doing here?"
Oto pointed to the entrance to the Dungeon. "My man is in there with some homewrecker, and I plan to protect his honour." She turned to Bell. "Those words made sense, right? I only used them because they popped up in a book I read."
Bell sighed. "Yes, they do, unfortunately."
Otohime nodded, satisfied. Ais just looked really confused and turned to Tiona. "What did she say?"
The amazon shrugged before looking to ask her sister. Unfortunately, Tione had jumped to take Otohime by the hands.
"How wonderful! Can I help you?"
"Oh boy."
Oto smiled. "Would you?"
Tione nodded vigorously. "Trust me, I know what it means to fight off a bunch of undeserving women!" She turned to Ais and Tiona. "We're gonna help them today while we hunt monsters!"
Ais frowned. "But Bell wasn't supposed to see this."
"Why not?" asked Bell.
For the first time, Ais looked over, face serious. "Because your gift is a surprise. You can't see how I get the money."
Tiona shrugged. "I think it's fine. But Mister Argonaut, while those two are man hunting, can you explain what they said earlier?"
Bell sighed again, already regretting many life choices.
"Sure."
So, they made their way into the Dungeon. Bell explained what a homewrecker is and what it meant to defend one's honour. He also explained the context of it. In the end, Ais made an 'oh' sound. She seemed to consider the situation carefully before speaking up again.
"So, Bell," began Ais. "Freya is our homewrecker, and I need to defend your honour?"
Bell's heart almost exploded then. He shook his head back and forth, desperate to explain the situation. Obviously, Ais didn't understand her words. Unfortunately, they weren't alone.
"That sounds right to me!" exclaimed Tiona.
And again, Bell Cranel sighed. These women might just be the death of him.
With the Bodyguard:
Down on the tenth floor, Urashima Taro was starting to get tired. He had been chasing monsters around on every floor. Now, he was exhausted from fighting. Finally, they had stopped to take a break in one of the monster's feeding rooms. Since the two adventurers were level four, they faced little trouble. However, Ura noticed that Peito didn't seem to be as tired. She always seemed to miss the monster fight by just a little bit. It was almost like she was refusing to fight.
Before Ura went much farther with that thought, though, he spotted what he was looking for. There was a small bush of glowing golden flowers.
"What are those?" he asked.
Peito looked over and gave a small genuine smile. "Those are Golden Lilacs. They don't have many proper uses, and they don't sell well. They're often collected for their shine and beauty, despite their lack of practical usage. Even with how common they are in the Dungeon, most people have a bouquet or two.
Ura frowned. "I don't suppose you know what this colouring means?"
Peito raised an eyebrow.
Ura sighed before continuing. "Every flower has meaning, which can change based on the colour." He brought a hand out to brush against the petals. "Lilacs at their base are often associated with love and purity."
"We'll shoot; I guess I'll never get them then." Peito paused. "What do you think gold could mean?"
Ura considered the question. "Well, the closest colour in the upper world is white, which is purity and innocence. Gold is self-explanatory as riches and abundance. And lilacs are love. So, maybe an extravagant love? Or an abundance of it?" Ura smiled, and his eyes unfocused, lost in memories. "Yes, this is perfect."
The young bodyguard started to cut away flowers.
"Now hold on!" interrupted Peito. "Shouldn't you think about it! Does this chick really deserve flowers? I thought you two were on the rocks?"
Ura scoffed, not looking in her direction. "If you think I'd let a setback like this ruin the best thing in my life, you're even more insane than I thought. Now, if you want to fail at your charm magic, go ahead."
The bodyguard stood up, presenting himself to the amazon.
"I don't know why, but you're welcome to try."
Peito bit her lip in frustration. She felt her hands clench together. Amazon knew that failure was not an option. If she did, Freya would have her hide. She opened her mouth to begin her chant when a voice came echoing down the tunnel.
"UUURRRRAAAA!"
Urashima Taro's face lit up like a puppy.
"I'm over here, Otohime!"
Instead of one set of footprints, the sound of many came racing down the tunnel. In the lead was Otohime, who practically launched herself at her beloved former bodyguard. He caught her wholeheartedly, twirling her in his arms. When he put her down, she gripped his shoulders.
"I'm so sorry about ignoring you! I should have told you what was wrong! I should've talked to you!"
Ura shook his head. "No, I should've been more considerate. I behaved deplorably!"
The two gazed into each other's eyes. Behind them, everyone else watched on and made sounds of contentment. Ais looked at the two and then at Bell. For the first time, she wanted something more than just defeating the One-Eyed Black Dragon. She looked at the two in love, and she realized that she wanted that too.
A desire grew in her, and she asked, "Bell, can I hold your hand?"
Before Bell could respond, unfortunately, Peito made her presence known.
"Now, hold on!" She pointed a finger at Otohime. "You can't just show up and reclaim him like a lost puppy." Her finger moved to Urashima. "And you need to come with me! The Goddess demands it!"
"The Goddess?"
Bell and the executives of Loki Familia looked between each other. Meanwhile, Otohime stepped in front of Urashima.
"You can't have him," said Oto. "But, if you can beat me, I'll go with you. I'm guessing your Goddess would be happy with one of us, right?"
Peito gave a feral grin. She took out a couple long knives. "Sure, but I'll have you know I'm a level four now! And I've been training with Freya Familia's best!" She brought her weapons into a battle position. "I'll cut you down to size, you uppity high-class bitch!"
Urashima took three giant steps backwards. He motioned for Bell and the others to do the same.
"Should we be letting this happen?" asked Ais.
Before Bell or Tiona could agree with her, Tione raised her arm in front of them.
"No, she is out there fighting for her man!" The amazon turned to Urashima. "Will she be ok, though? I mean, training with Freya Familia is serious business. I know your Princess is good, but…."
Ura grinned. "Tione, you are talented, correct? But you still have spent many years training. How many hours would you practice a kick before you decided that you mastered it?"
Tione, confused by the question, didn't answer. Otohime drew her katana up near her head. She placed her feet shoulder-width apart.
"I'd say five hours if I was doing them continuously," replied Tiona. Ais nodded along.
"And you are talented at combat, correct? This what you're good at?" pressed Ura.
Peito took off first, her leg kicking down. Otohime took a perfect step out of the way. As the leg came down, Otohime cut up.
"Otohime is not good at fighting," continued Ura. "She's perfectly average." He smiled. "But she's also stubborn." He looked at the first-class adventurers. "If one kick would take you five hours, it would take twenty. And then she'd practice for fifty." His eyes went back to Oto. "She works harder than anyone else, and she does it for the benefit of everybody." His smile grew. "How could I not fall in love with such a woman?"
Bell and the others watched on in awe of this simple expression of Ura's feelings. Then, a cracking sound drew their attention. Their eyes widened when they saw Peito slammed into the Dungeon wall. As she fell to the ground, parts of the wall fell with her. Oto marched forward, and the amazon drew back in terror.
"I don't want to knock you out and then carry you back outside. So, leave now," she said, bowing low. She brought her face close. "And if you ever threaten my man again, the dragon's coming out. Do you understand?"
Peito nodded.
"Then leave."
The amazon took off without looking back. After she fled down the tunnel, Ura walked over to where she had slammed into the wall. He crouched down near the debris.
"What are you doing?" asked Oto, drawing close.
Ura stood up, a gleaming gemstone in his hand. He nodded in satisfaction before slipping it into his pocket.
Oto rolled her eyes. "You don't have to get me a present anymore."
Ura shook his head. "It's not going to be your present. It's going to be part of your engagement ring one day."
He took off down the tunnel, leaving a stunned party behind. Ais looked at everyone's confused faces. She didn't understand; what was an engagement ring?
In the end, though, things didn't change too much between Urashima Taro and Otohime Nakamura. They still weren't together, but they were happy. They were not in an official relationship, but they didn't mind.
A little later:
A couple days later, Otohime was walking through the halls of the Hearth Manor. She was admiring the decorations when she spotted Urashima waving at her. He was the colour of a tomato. She strolled up.
"What is it?" she called from halfway down the hall.
He continued waving for her. So, the Princess walked all the way down the hall.
"So, what is it?" she asked. She also looked back and forth. "Is there something you need to show me?"
In response, the bodyguard pointed up at the roof. When Otohime looked up, there was a small sprig of green dangling from the top.
"Why in the world is a plant tied to the ceiling?" asked Otohime.
Ura finally found the courage to look up.
"It's called Mistletoe. Apparently, it is a tradition in these parts that when two people find themselves underneath some, they kiss."
Oto blushed.
"Well, we shouldn't be the ones to break tradition then?"
Ura nodded.
Slowly, Ura went to cup her face with his metal hands. He hesitated when they got close, but before he could pull away, Oto took his hands. She made sure to place his palms on her cheeks.
"Like I've always said, I love the way your hands feel. They make me feel so warm."
She closed her eyes and waited. Ura leaned forward and captured her lips.
Maybe things were a little bit better.
WEEEEE! The chapter is out on time! I hope you all enjoy, things will getting more complicated now the closer we get to Christmas. I hope you enjoy and thanks to everyone who favorites, follows and reviews!
Prince Tsukune Pendragon: In a way, every chapter has a focus on them in some way. I will say that they will be getting a bigger focus later on.
Kingkdiamond: hehehehe, the cannister is going to be fun
walkmanapprenticewordsmith: I love having the year there because it allows these characters to grow and shed some of their more annoying traits. I love so many of these characters, so writing like this is so rewarding.
Nillbu: Sort of...you'll see soon.
Tranadar: Thanks a ton! We'll see it soon!
