刀剣乱舞 - 自堕落

Mistakes Were Made

Something heavy was settled on your chest. Warm and soft. Not opening your eyes even as you began to wake, you trailed your fingertips along the curve of this strange...body pillow.

Fabric slid, a low groan filled your ears, and the something tightened its grip around you slightly before relaxing on a breathy sigh. Cracking your eyelids open, you saw...a red shirt, and a dark fall of auburn-tinted hair.

Somehow...apparently Kashuu had snuck into your room during the night?

Raising your hands away from him for a moment, you tried to think of how you should handle this. Except...well... It was kind of cute, wasn't it? Lowering your hands, you pat his back softly and shifted your weight over. Under the covers with someone else on top of you, it was uncomfortably warm. You were almost amazed that Kashuu hadn't woken from the heat as well.

Sliding slowly out from under him, you felt him tighten his grip. With just the slightest shift, he had pulled himself back to you and was holding on tightly - although, hiss eyes were still shut.

As you were beginning to protest and wake him, he mumbled something that caught your attention. "Please...don't throw me away..."

"No one is throwing you away, silly..." You muttered, stroking his hair as he nuzzled his face into the side of your neck. A bead of sweat rolled down your brow, after, and you sighed. "Ugh, but it's really hot like this."

Somehow, even so, you managed to fall asleep again.

Dreams passed swiftly, outlining the wide blur of your first day on the job as a Saniwa. The ups, the downs, the drags. Hiding from Hasebe who followed you doggedly, bantering with your swords, listening to Kiyomitsu offhandedly mention another sword - Yasusada - once or twice.

Somehow, you found yourself locked in a dream where you were carting Sayo around in your arms. The hallways were dark, the windows were gaping, all of the doors were off their hinges. Beside you was...a giant Uchiko!?

You two ran hand-in-hand, desperate to escape.

Knock, knock, knock.

The very earth quaked, wooden support pillars cracking and bending with each resonating strike. The source was indiscernible, resonating everywhere in your mind.

Echoing somewhere in the dark was an unhinged voice, calling out to you.

"Aaarrruuuujiiiii.... Your humble servant is here to bring your morning meal..."

And then a scream.

Startled awake, you looked around. Kiyomitsu had heard the scream as well, jolting upright and halfway shifting the covers off of both of you as he looked towards the door. Those crimson eyes widened, and his face paled - if that was even possible. He was already quite light-skinned.

Turning your head, you saw...

Hasebe. Tray of food in hand, shaking lightly. Shadows crossed over his face, and yet you could still see his eyes peering down at the two of you. His mouth was clenched. It looked like a smile turned to a grimace. His body quivered slightly, and you wondered if he was about to lose his wits.

"Eh...?" Kashuu looked from him, down to you. Blinking at each other, realization slowly began to bloom in his expression as he raised a hand to his opening mouth. "Ehhh!? Did I fall asleep here!?"

"Seems so!" You laughed at him, immediately causing him to quirk a brow and cant his head to the side. Covering your mouth with both hands, you sat up and drew your knees to your chest to rest your chin on top of your legs.

His attention immediately switched to the matted rat's nest that had become your hair over the course of the night. It was the worst at the back, but not a single strand looked properly as it should. "A-aruji, your hair."

Scrambling to a cupboard, he took down your hair styling supplies and opened the box up. Comb in hand, he slid in behind you and began tending to your hair. Combing from the bottom up, to prevent the tanglea from being pushed into each other and conglomerating into a larger knot.

Impressive for him to know to do that, as a boy. But, he did have long hair himself, so it made sense.

Sitting straight and letting him work, you turned your head slightly, just enough to look at Hasebe. "Did you say something?"

His features were still...in disorder. You peered up at him until his expression cleared. "Ahem. Yes." Straightening, he made his way into the room and set down the tray he brought. "The morning meal, lovingly prepared by your humble servant, Hasebe."

"Thank you. Though, you really don't have to be so..." What was the word? You peered up at him. It wasn't... A bad word, but it was definably...not-casual. "I'm not sure how to say. Is it formal?"

"My behaviour is fitting our differences in hierarchy, Aruji. Did it bother you?" Stiff, so stiff. And yet at the same time, he was...theatrical. You laughed softly, and saw his gaze momentarily dart over your shoulder. Did Kashuu do something? No, you could still feel him tending to your hair.

"Ah, well... Thank you, Hasebe. I'll eat." You gestured towards the tray, before blinking. "Ah, also, the arrangements list for today is on my desk. If you like, you can read out the assignments for everyone."

His expression froze for five seconds. In the next instant, he was on his hands and knees, bowing furiously. "Yes! I will do anything you ask, Aruji!"

Laughing him off, you watched him dart over to your desk and lift the paperwork before clutching it to his chest once he was out the door, turning and bowing to you. He was saying...something about a loyal servant. You nodded politely while waiting for him to finish, and then leaned forward enough to draw the sliding doors shut.

An exasperated sigh was expelled somewhere behind you, and you turned back to smile wordlessly at Kashuu. He was sitting with his legs crossed, just at the edge of your futon, propped back on one arm and resting his chin on an upturned palm. The other hand held the comb, which he was tapping against his knee.

While your time knowing him was brief...wow, he seemed quite the diva, staring at you with the subtlest hint of a wry smirk pulling at the corners of his lips. Eyebrow raised, he let his crimson gaze slide coolly away from you as he raised his comb-wielding hand for an inspectiong of his painted nails. "You just made his day."

Standing up, you walked past Kashuu and moved towards the tray of food. "Well, time to eat." The sound of a bell ringing just outside attracted your attention to the window before you could start towards the door to exit your room. "He's...certainly prompt. 'Right away!' he says. Well, he didn't bring enough for you, so let's go down to the kitchen and eat together."

Kashuu jumped up, making you pause as he quickly gathered your hair grooming supplies and tucked the kit under his arm. "Well, you're not quite finished with your hair, but alright." Falling into step as you made your way down to the kitchen, he looked at you. "Ehh, does this mean I'm not doing chores today?"

"Just because you're my secretary, doesn't mean you get to slack off." You giggled, watching him huff as you wrapped an arm around him and drew him in. Perhaps being so friendly with someone you just met wasn't normal. But...well.

You were in it for the long-haul with these guys, so you might as well embrace it.

At least, that was what you thought.

You forgot something important, in the midst of starting your day. Something that would haunt you for quite some time.