Cold Steel - Inazuma Gaiden

VII: Fool's Virtue

Nobutada felt like it's been too long since the last time he just sat down and had the time to contemplate for himself, yet even with his steady breathing and his amber eyes closed for focus, his mind was still scattered with rough thoughts and wild emotions. His face stayed still and didn't contort to form other visible emotions. Unfortunately for the thief, the zen he was hoping for didn't come to him and grant him even just a brief period of peace.

He thought that just by slowing down and having the time for himself, he would slowly but surely find an answer or at least a hint to the many questions he had inside - but the moment he let his mind wander, the thief just felt the irresistible urge to just move. He found that staying still for too long to be an extreme challenge. And that proved to be true, considering the situation he was in.

The sound of a razor's blade slicing one's locks echoed throughout the empty hall. Nobutada's head shifted ever so slightly, while his fingers and toes continued to reposition themselves every couple of seconds. A few locks of hair would occasionally fall down and brush over his nose, tickling his senses, yet he fought the growing desire to just let out the sneeze.

Eventually, he felt like he's had enough and opened his mouth to speak. "Umm... housekeeper-san...?"

The question was directed to the man situated behind him, the housekeeper and protector from afar, the head retinue for the Kamisato Clan - the blonde-haired man had busied himself with Nobutada's messy and overgrown hair, with a razor in his right hand and a traditional Inazuman comb on his left, the person deftly took note of any naughty strand of hair that he deemed to be untidy, and quickly shaved them off.

"I have a name you know," The man in question chided gently, his soft tone and friendly voice was a stark contrast to the incredibly hostile edge he had towards him when they first met. "It's Thoma, by the way. It's nice to meet you, Nobutada - was it?"

"Right, sorry... Thoma-san," The thief cleared his throat, feeling the awkwardness rising as he kept hearing more of his hair getting snipped off, feeling the cold air now touching his bare neck. "So- uhh... is there a reason why you're... brooming my hair?"

Thoma chuckled in earnest. "Well, just consider this a small payback for breaking your wrist and your sword..." There was even a tinge of genuine guilt in his voice as he said that. "Boy, we sure got off on the wrong foot. And it's 'grooming', by the way."

Nobutada hummed warily, vaguely remembering the monstrous spear throw he did that just instantly shattered his blade. "Mm-hm... I suppose we did..." He let the quiet take the scene for a few more seconds until he added, "Though I think it should be me doing you some favors after all that... you know, breaking and entering, stealing, threatening the lady and trying to burn the estate down, and destroying the balcony door..."

The blonde housekeeper merely waved his comb-hand off right in front of his face. "Nah, chill," He responded a bit too casually that it made the thief blink in surprise. "It won't be the first time we dealt with what's ultimately a misunderstanding. Besides, the Ojou seems to trust you, and I trust her judgement."

"That is... very kind of you to say..." Nobutada muttered, his brain searching for more topics to fill in the uneasy silence but ultimately finding none. Though he did have a question. "Wait, you said that Ayaka-san trusts me?"

Thoma's chuckle turned a bit awkward at that. "Well, maybe 'trust' is kinda too strong of a word - especially when I think it's too early to tell if you're really trustworthy or not," For all his friendly words, the housekeeper sure didn't mince his words regarding his personal opinion regarding the thief, not that he could blame the blonde anyway. "But as I've said, I trust her judgement, and she seems cool with you."