At the end of another Sat.u.r.day, I bring myself to relax at home under the warm glow of the fireplace. While everyone else is finishing their day, I get to enjoy wine and learn something by reading.I haven"t finished my ch.o.r.es yet, but taking half an hour for myself wouldn"t hurt anybody.
Madelyn: "Steven?"
She called out.
I turned to see her coming from the kitchen and figuring she might need something; I placed a wine bottle and a book on the coffee table. She was dressed in her nightwear, looking like she was ready for bed.
Steven: "Oh… hey, Madelyn. You want me to leave so you can sleep?"
Madelyn: "No, I was about to take a bath."
Steven: "Alright, then."
Madelyn: "Are you drinking today? You know there are better things to do."
She points to the bottle.
Steven: "I"m unwinding after a long day. Gla.s.s can"t hurt especially since I"ve cut back a lot."
Madelyn: "Are you reading too? What"s it about?"
Steven: "I started reading about how our contracts work. I should at least try to understand what we have running through our bodies."
Madelyn: "That"s neat, you learn anything?"
Steven: "Not yet…"
Madelyn: "How about that application for Omeo to be recognized as n.o.bility?"
Steven: "I haven"t started it yet. I need a little more capital."
Madelyn: "Cool, we"ll get there."
Steven: "Have you seen, Kanna?"
Madelyn: "I have."
Right on cue, Kanna enters dressed in her wine-red dress and green natural suede bodice. It was her favorite when she wanted to make an impression and her own sense of style that she knows I like.
Steven: "Beautiful as always, Kanna."
She sits right next to me and holds my hand.
Steven: "Did you need something?"
Kanna: "Kind of."
Steven: "Then?"
She looks to Madelyn, silently giving her a hint to give us some s.p.a.ce.
Kanna: "Can we talk?"
Steven: "We"re doing it right now."
Kanna: "I mean a serious one, with just the 2 of us."
Uh-oh…
The air in the room suddenly became heavy!
Steven: "Y-Yeah… is something wrong?"
Kanna: "We"ve known each other for 11 months, and dating for 3 of those."
Steven: "That"s right."
Kanna: "And we go on dates often."
Steven: "We do."
Kanna: "And if we"re alone, it"s never long enough."
Steven: "Right… what are you saying?"
Kanna: "Has anything changed between us?"
I certainly felt a change.
Kanna has been more open about her feelings and I"ve done my best to do the same. We"ve spent more time and experienced new things together.
Am I doing something wrong?
Steven: "…I do everything to make you happy. I cook your meals, I clean the house and I sometimes help Yuuna run the shop. Is it not enough?"
Kanna: "It"s not that it isn"t enough, it"s just that you"re still doing things like a servant and not a boyfriend."
Steven: "I"m sorry, but… what am I supposed to do as a boyfriend? I"m pretty sure it"s to make you happy but—"
Kanna: "All I want is to feel like I"m in a relationship. I want to help you cook, clean, and even run the shop. It hurts seeing you and Madelyn get home from the Academy tired and then doing everything around the house by yourselves. You guys are my friends; you"re like family to me."
Steven: "I think of you as family too."
Kanna: "You know what I mean! I don"t like feeling useless."
Steven: "Yeah… you know, you could always ask to help, Kanna. You"ve done it before."
Kanna: "I want to but you get so into it there"s a wall that keeps me from getting close."
A wall, huh?
I might be taking my duties too seriously.
I believed that I was making her happy, but it"s like I"ve been doing the opposite.
Geez, relationships can be hard to figure out.
At the very least, I"m glad she came to me and talked about it. Since I know the problem, the solutions seems clear as day.
Steven: "Hm, I guess that"s that."
Kanna: "What is?"
Steven: "I never thought about asking for your help, but if that"s what you want then I"ll start doing it tomorrow. Would that make you happy?"
Kanna: "Yes…"
She smiles and kisses my cheek.
Kanna: "…It does."
Steven: "Is that all you want to talk about?"
Kanna: "For now."
Now that she"s here, I want to spend the rest of the evening with her. I wonder if she"s up to go on a date tonight.
Steven: "Are you going anywhere tonight?"
Kanna: "No, why?"
Steven: "I hear there"s a couple"s special at our favorite bakery. I think it"ll be a good date, right?"
Kanna: "Then you better put on your good suit."
I got properly dressed before leaving. We held hands as we walked down the quiet street to the bakery.
Kanna: "How do you feel? About us…"
Steven: "About us? Like our relationship? I"m happy. How do I make you feel?"
Kanna: "You make me happy… though, it wouldn"t hurt if you relied on me a little more. But that"s what you"ll be doing tomorrow."
Steven: "Will it be enough?"
Kanna: "I know it"s a start."
Steven: "That"s great."
At the bakery, it was just the owner and a couple of others working the shift. I had hoped Jesse would be working here, I wanted to say hi.
We jumped into the short line and waited for our turn to order.
Steven: "Good evening, sir. Jesse doesn"t work these shifts anymore, does he?"
Owner: "Jesse? He wanted to work fewer hours. Why? How do you know him?"
Steven: "We go to his Academy."
Owner: "I see… Steven and Kanna, right? He told me about you. You"re an odd couple, but he says if you"re happy it shouldn"t matter."
Steven: "What else has Jesse said about me?"
Owner: "About how you were kidnapped. It"s crazy."
Steven: "And now I"m back for the best cakes in this city…"
Owner: "I"m honored to hear that, sir!"
We got to order and sat down together right after.
Steven: "This bakery never gets old, huh?"
Kanna: "I"ve been coming here since I was little."
Steven: "How little?"
Kanna: "I was 7 years old when I came with mom."
Steven: "That"s a long time ago!"
Kanna: "I think that"s 12 years ago."
Steven: "Does the same Baker own this place? He looks h.e.l.la young."
Kanna: "Yeah, he used to be a writer from what I know."
Steven: "Heh. I guess they figured out he makes excellent synonym rolls."
I chuckled.
Steven: "Okay… that wasn"t as good as I thought."
Kanna: "Steven?"
Steven: "Yeah?"
Kanna: "Can you tell me how you got the scar on your arm?"
Steven: "Scar?"
My arm…
The scar from Meinu has almost healed fully. It"d probably be gone in another month. I"ve been forgetting it more often than I expected.
Steven: "Huh… it"s still there?"
Kanna: "Can you tell me? You said you wanted to wait because it was still too early to talk about."
Steven: "Yeah… I know…"
Kanna: "You don"t want to talk about it?"
Steven: "Yeah, I do… I think I"ve processed my feelings on it."
So, I went ahead and told her everything. Everything that happened before and just after.
Steven: "And then, after that… everything was just black and silent."
Kanna: "Were you scared?"
Steven: "No, I didn"t feel anything. Not a single, slightest emotion. I don"t want to die, but I"d like to feel like that again."
She fidgeted, not knowing what to say.
Steven: "Sorry... do you want me to keep going?"
Kanna: "Was it… was it Mei"s fault?"
Steven: "No, I don"t blame her for what happened."
If Madelyn was able to get me and Lilith to coexist, it should definitely be possible for Rayna and Kanna to do the same. Though, I"m not sure how I"d go about it.
Steven: "I know how you feel about Rayna… and Mei… however, I wouldn"t be here if it weren"t for her. You might not want her in your life and that"s fine for now, but at least forgive her, Kanna…"
Kanna: "Do you love her?"
Steven: "Why would you ask that?"
Kanna: "Because Madelyn said you 2 were really close."
Steven: "She did?"
Kanna: "Yeah."
Steven: "Well… I can"t say I"m in love with her, but Madelyn isn"t far off. Rayna is…"
I can"t say I"m actively seeking a romantic relationship with Rayna. Maybe in 100 years I might when the age gap isn"t so apparent.
But now?
How do I feel about Rayna?
Steven: "There"s a lot of words…"
Kanna: "List 3."
Steven: "Sensible. Devoted. Alluring."
Kanna: "Alluring?"
Steven: "That"s the best word I can think of."
Kanna: "Just how close is she to you then?"
Steven: "I never told you about her past?"
Now that I think about it, wouldn"t it be the future since Rayna"s a time traveler?
Kanna: "No."
Steven: "Well…"
I went ahead and told her Rayna"s background and how much she"s helped me so far.
Kanna: "Oh… I didn"t know she went through that. How come you never told me?"
Steven: "Because it should be between me and her. It"s personal and I would feel like I"m betraying her trust if I told everyone about it."
Kanna: "But… Do you know how much of it is true?"
Steven: "I don"t know how much of it is true but Twilight says there"s no way you can fake a memory spell."
Kanna: "Can they say that for sure?"
Steven: "Yeah, and they have ways to confirm it."
Kanna: "You wouldn"t do anything with her, would you?"
Steven: "No."
Kanna: "Is that the truth?"
Steven: "Yes."
I could feel her trust in me and she seems to be taking everything well but it wouldn"t hurt if I rea.s.sured her.
Steven: "If I really wanted to be with her, I would"ve chosen her over you and stayed in Elinila."
Kanna: "But you didn"t."
Steven: "Because I love you."
Blushing, her eyes drop to her slice of cake and smiles.
Kanna: "I know you do."
Steven: "So, let"s not worry about her or anyone else; it"s just me and you. What do you want to do after this?"
Kanna: "The first day of the Spring Festival started, let"s go check it out."
Steven: "Serious? Wasn"t there an Autumn Festival too?"
Kanna: "There"s one for every season."
Steven: "Let"s go check it out after."
We finished our dessert and enjoyed a bit of conversation before heading out to the festival area.
Kanna: "You"re not trying to wrestle again, are you?"
Steven: "Oh no, I learned my lesson last time."
We ambled throughout the festival, trying each stand whether it be us trying a new food or playing a simple game.
When we got to the last of the stands, we came across a stable with 3 beautiful horses all of which were saddled up. I was curious and walked up to the people in charge.
Steven: "I love the horses, ma"am."
Stable Girl: "Thank you, sir. Would you like to ride one of them?"
Steven: "Serious? I won"t get bucked off, will I?"
Stable Girl: "Not if I"m riding with you. They"re loyal and smart."
This is different from the other stands.
Stable Master: "Sure is, we might close up soon because n.o.body wants to ride when it"s getting dark."
Kanna has never ridden a horse before, so this could be the opportunity to have her earn a new experience.
Steven: "Could my girlfriend ride with me?"
Stable Girl: "Of course she can. Pick a horse you"d like to ride."
Stable Master: "a.s.suming they don"t buck you off, heh…"
Stable Girl: "Dad..!"
Well…
I do hope I don"t get bucked.
From the 3 horses, the one on the left piqued my interest the most.
A fierce-looking blue roan Corian Breed.
As intimidating as he looked, I wanted to ride him. So, I slowly walked up to him and when I was within reaching distance, I held my hand out and patted him. The horse never took his eye off me and we stared at each other until I felt comfortable enough to get closer.
Steven: "You must"ve been through a lot of, haven"t you? It"ll be okay boy, you want to help me show my girl how amazing it is to ride a horse?"
He tosses his head up and looks away from me.
I took it as a sign of acceptance and placed one foot on his stirrups and mounted him.
He didn"t react and I leaned to pat him again.
Steven: "Good, good. Thank you."
Stable Master: "He"s not getting bucked off yet. Heh. Heh."
Stable Girl: "Oh, that"s surprising. Steven doesn"t let anybody ride him."
Steven: "His name is Steven?"
Stable Girl: "Yes sir, he"s also a warhorse."
Steven: "Well, s.h.i.t… I also happen to be named Steven."
The stable master fell into a chair and started laughing before quickly composing himself.
Stable Master: "Sorry, I shouldn"t"ve laughed. It just happened to be a funny coincidence."
I helped Kanna mount and she sat behind me, wrapping her arms around me as she seemed to be in awe with the horse.
Kanna: "This is so… awesome~ I"m on a horse!"
Stable Girl: "We can only take them a mile out before we turn back. Is that fine?"
Steven: "Yeah, it"ll be enough."
We trotted down the road, west onto the less developed and open part of the city. I stuck close to the Stable Girl as I"m only discovering this part of the city.
Kanna: "Wow…"
Steven: "You"ve never ridden a horse, Kanna?"
Kanna: "No, I never knew how much fun this was!"
Steven: "You want to do this again someday? With just the 2 of us?"
Kanna: "I"d like that. Where would we go?"
Steven: "Anywhere you"d like."
Stable Girl: "Hey, now that we have to turn back… why don"t we have a race?"
I"d be down for a race, but with Kanna, I don"t want to risk her falling off.
Steven: "Probably not the best idea if my girl"s riding with me."
Stable Girl: "Then we"ll do a canter. Is that fine?"
Steven: "Yeah, it"s perfect."
Kanna: "What are you going to do?"
Steven: "Kanna… I want you to wrap your arms around me and hold on tight."
Kanna: "O-Okay… what are you going to do?"
Steven: "We"re gonna move a little faster."
She moves her hands from my sides and wraps her arms around me.
Kanna: "Okay, I"m ready!"
Steven: "Let"s go."
When "Steven" started moving faster, I was worried about how he might start causing us to bounce, but his gait was surprisingly smooth.
Smoother than the horses I rode in Hei"an.
It also didn"t take long to get back to the Stable Master. He was sitting in his chair, patiently waiting for our return.
Stable Master: "Welcome back."
I rode the horse back into his stall and helped Kanna off. She was smiling brightly the whole time.
Steven: "How do you feel Kanna?"
Kanna: "Can we do that again, sometime? That was awesome!"
Steven: "We sure can."
I patted the horse as the Stable Girl fed him treats.
Steven: "Thank you for helping me, Steven."
Stable Master: "Well, I have to admit… I never thought you"d make it far with Steven. That old horse has some fire to him and he doesn"t like a lot of people."
Steven: "Maybe he understands me. How much do I owe you for horse riding?"
Stable Master: "20 Coin."
I gave the man the money and Kanna and I went back to the center of the festival where it really died down.
Kanna: "20 Coin seems like a little for something like that."
Steven: "Considering that we"re restricted inside a city, it doesn"t sound so bad. Besides, 20 Coin can go really far if you know what you"re doing and it could add up."
Kanna: "And the horse"s name was Steven."
Steven: "I"m surprised you didn"t say anything about it."
Kanna: "I was biting my cheeks trying not to laugh."
This girl...
Steven: "Oh? At least you could finally tell Cynthia you rode Steven."
She quickly jabs her index into my sides.
Steven: "…Hey… that hurts."
Kanna: "Never ever say that again."
Steven: "Okay, then. What do you want to do now?"
Kanna: "I don"t know, what do you want to do?"
Steven: "Let"s walk around and see if something catches our eye. If not, I guess we can take the long way home."
In the end, we couldn"t find anything that interested us and Kanna started to look like she was ready to pa.s.s out from exhaustion.
We slowly headed back to a quiet house with the shop closed and everyone relaxing in the living room.
Madelyn: "Oh, welcome back, you guys. How was your date?"
Kanna: "I got to ride a horse for the first time!"
Yuuna: "That"s great, kitten. Was it fun?"
Kanna: "Yes, I want to do it again."
Joan looked at me nervously and quickly away when our eyes crossed.
Steven: "Hey, Joan… what"re ya up to?"
I got closer and noticed a sketchbook on the coffee table. The page it was on was a detailed pencil drawing of Elinila Island and the castle.
I know Kanna likes being creative, but she never went outside the castle; I sure as heck can"t draw; Madelyn can"t at this kind of skill, and neither could Yuuna.
Joan? No, she"s way too young.
But why does she look so nervous?
Who could it belong to?
Steven: "Who"s sketchbook?"
Madelyn: "It"s Joan"s."
What?!
Steven: "Joan..? What the… that"s amazing… I didn"t know my little girl was an artist."
Madelyn: "I just found out too. Apparently, she had a hidden sketchbook under the couch. She was worried you wouldn"t approve."
Yuuna: "Something like this is truly amazing for her age."
Steven: "Do you like to draw?"
Joan: (SL) "I can speak my feelings through art."
That was unexpectedly poetic…
If art is her way of expressing herself then I can"t find myself forcing her to stop.
Steven: "You don"t have to hide it anymore. If you love making art then you can keep doing it… As long as you keep up with your studies, of course. Now get ready for bed."
She smiles brightly and scurries off to the room.
Yuuna: "That"s very supportive of you."
Steven: "I don"t want her resenting me, Yuuna. I can"t stop her if she wants to be an artist."
Just as we finished talking about her, she comes back out of the room and already in her pajamas.
Steven: "That was quick..."
Kanna: "Steven, could I ask you for another thing?"
Steven: "Go ahead."
Kanna: "Do—do you want to stay in my room tonight? I know my bed won"t fit us both, but we can sleep on the floor using a futon."
Steven: "In your room? I"d love to."
Madelyn: "Wait. Where is Joan sleeping? She can"t sleep on her own."
Steven: "Can you stay with her in my room tonight?"
Madelyn: "Sure, I don"t mind."
Steven: "Does that sound good, Joan?"
She nods happily.
Joan: (SL) "I like Madelyn."
With the day nearing the end, I went around the house finishing up the last of the ch.o.r.es while everyone bathed.
After it was my turn to use the bath, I cleaned myself up and finally went to Kanna"s room for the night.
She had already set out the futon and laid in it in her night clothes.
Kanna: "You coming?"
Steven: "Well, yeah…"
I get under the covers with her.
We were both a little nervous sleeping together, but I know this new dynamic could work.
Kanna: "We did a lot of walking today… I"m glad today is over."
Steven: "As am I…"
Kanna: "What do you think now that we"re sleeping in the same bed?"
Steven: "This is a nice change. Is this something you want to do from now on?"
Kanna: "Maybe."
Steven: "Maybe?"
I get her to lay on her side and spoon her.
Steven: "Maybe… this is what you"ve wanted."
Kanna: "Mm~ down boy. Did I give you permission to touch me?"
Steven: "You"re the one that"s starting to push your hips into mine."
Kanna: "I"m just reacting to you having your hands on me."
As she slowly grinds me, I reach in the blankets and grasp her tail firmly.
Kanna: "Mngh~ oh… don"t grab my tail~! It... will make me all hot "n heavy…"
Steven: "You sound like you"re enjoying it though."
Kanna: "Still... don"t grab it."
She holds my hand and interlocks our fingers.
Kanna: "I love you…"
Steven: "I love you too, Kanna…"
Kanna: "Do you… you know? Want to?"
Steven: "Want to what?"
Kanna: "You know…"
Steven: "Oh... Are you serious?"
Her grip slightly tightens on my hand.
Kanna: "…Only if you promise to be gentle."
Steven: "I promise…"