ON:
It was already reaching later into the evening by the time Nyton arrived at Kotori's door. Unfortunately things had become much busier than anticipated. Not to mention dramatic. With the major duties accomplished he at least had some time finally. Time to at least find out if he would have to reschedule. With a hint of anxiety he rang the chime to Kotori's room.
It a long moment before Nyton heard the lock release of the door. Kotori slightly opened the door, the evening shift lighting of the corridor catching in her iridescent eyes as she peeked out. Initially, her brow was furrowed, though her expression softened when she met Nyton's eyes.
Silently, she stepped aside and opened the door wider to allow Nyton entry.
Nyton bowed his head a bit before entering. "Pardon the late hour, I could not pull away from my duties until now and I was uncertain if you were getting ready for bed or not." he said as he slowly walked into Kotori's quarters. "I had asked this morning if I could speak to you if you had a free moment."
As Nyton walked in he was still in his uniform. He carried a small box covered in plain paper, concealing it under his left arm.
"I suppose I'm not doing anything really important," Kotori said. Nyton could now see that Kotori had changed into the exercise uniform - complete with white ringer T-shirt and a black buruma - and tied her black hair into a ponytail. A tennis racket was hanging loosely from one of her three-fingered hands.
Nyton looked at the tennis racket and back at Kotori's outfit. "Oh, were you about to go play tennis?" he asked uncertainly. This was the first time he had seen Kotori with her hair tied back like this. He had never seen a 'sporty' side to her.
"Well, I wasn't actually looking forward to it," Kotori said before she turned and stepped toward her couch where she bent and picked up a tennis ball. "But Tom had proposed and I was dreading both being invited and showing I did not know how to handle a racket."
The nekovalkyrja tossed the ball in the air lightly before swatting it with the racket, sending it bouncing off one of the bulkheads of her room, to bounce once off the floor before she smashed it again with the racket.
The poor ball found itself banging against the durandium bulkhead a couple more times before Kotori caught the ball in her free hand on its return. She huffed and said: "I'm not sure this is tennis, but I was in a mood to smash things around so I suppose this wasn't a bad way to spend my time."
"Why not practice in an actual tennis court inside the virtual-reality chamber, practicing against an AI opponent?" Nyton proposed.
"That would have had involved leaving my room, which would in turn have people see me not sulking over my mother going away the way she did, which would then involve me having to silence them in a variety of painful ways," Kotori replied in mock severity before she carelessly tossed the racket and ball in a corner of her room - not minding the clatter or the abuse of the tennis-playing implement - before seating herself on her two-person couch.
"You could have gone invisible until you reached your destination." Nyton suggested, not seriously since this involved more than just being seen. It was no surprise that Kosuka's departure was still lingering. "If you need time alone though, then I don't think Tom could blame you. Perhaps a rain check would suffice?" he added, walking closer to the couch but not yet sitting down.
"Rain check?" Kotori asked in return, not sounding familliar with the term.
Nyton had not realized he used a Nepleslian slang term just now. "It is a term meaning to politely decline due to circumstances with the promise to renew the offer in the future." he explained. "I could have just as easily said 'rescheduled' I suppose."
"Ah. Alright." Kotori gave a nod before she moved her right hand up to undo the frilly black ribbon that had tied up her hair. The raven-black mass settled back as a dark curtain in her back.
The mass of hair caught Nyton's attention as it starkly contrasted against the neko's skin. "Well, I suppose someone should inform Tom as to the change in plans. Otherwise he may be standing there for some time unless he is alone."
Kotori shook her head no. "I don't think there's any need of that. I've checked and Miharu tells me Tom seems rather determined at playing the ostrich sticking her head in sand until the next day. Given the revelations he's had today... I cannot blame him."
"Is that so...?" the Nepleslian replied before looking down at the floor space between them. "Today was a bitter pill it would seem. Not at all what I was expecting." Nyton looked back up at Kotori's eyes. "Victory had been so sweet that I had not foreseen the confrontation even when you had warned about it."
"We knew the matter of the NH-23 was touchy," Kotori somberly replied. "Integrity, family and decency are core values for Tom. The heavy import of our predictament was nothing that ought to have him made very cheery by the end. The ensuing argument with my mother, however, that really soured things up."
"In hindsight..." Kotori's voice trailed off a moment and then she resumed more strongly: "We would have been better off with me accepting Kosuka's initial stance on the matter. It was foolish of me to seek a pledge of her that would in turn likely conflict with a pledge she had done previously. What's the point of making a promise to not keep an earlier promise? How is that a good assurance anywhere beyond just her word?" She made a nearly explosive sigh at the end of that.
"We already argued this so there is no need to go any further." Nyton said, raising up his right hand in a 'stop' gesture. "This just gives us all the more encouragement to complete our mission. Whatever it is Eve is planning has it's roots more deeply imbedded than we know."
Kotori eyed him critically and said: "I did not like how you implied that I needed to become Empress to resolve many of those issues, Nyton. It sounds preposterous to me. You know as well as I do that if I were to assume that mantle anytime soon that I would not perform better than any of my predecessors."
"Well you didn't see me promise that you would be assuming that mantle anytime soon. I just did not want to tell Kosuka-san that she may have a long wait." Nyton replied slyly, bringing his hand to his chin in a half-thinking pose. "Although I believe she was already be aware of that so there was no need to mention that anyways. We still have a ways to go to complete this mission and after that still a ways further before you would have the opportunity to legitimately assume the throne," he added.
Kotori drew her legs to her, folding them vertically at their knees before she encircled the legs loosely below the knees with her arms. Her eight toes curled up as she took a deep breath and exhaled. "Alright. Enough of this, then." She turned to regard him a instant and then asked: "You are the one whom wanted to meet me earlier when I had free time. What for?"
"Ah," Nyton hesitated a bit and then grimaced slightly. "Well it certainly was not to discuss all of that. Frankly I should have stopped myself sooner. We could all use a break from plots and worries," he started.
Kotori's only answer was to smile in amusement.
"I was hoping to start on a better note but here goes," Nyton said quietly before continuing. "I wanted to speak to you about something personal. I suppose the time never felt right to discuss this since I did not want to appear unprofessional. At the same time I wished to acknowledge something long overdue."
The neko nodded in understanding. He definitely had her attention.
"During the Species Restriction Act I was very grateful for your support in keeping me on along with your fighting for my promotion despite the regulation. At the time I had wished to show such but I did not want to appear as though I were seeking to buy my way up. Nor did I wish to make you appear to be so weak as to be susceptible to such," Nyton went on, slowly, evenly, but with a some effort.
"Upon the renouncement of the Act I again wished to convey gratitude since it had been reported that your words had held enough weight to consider it's revision. With all that went on along with further promotion I balked again because I did not feel as though I could do so without appearing unscrupulous. Maybe that is not what others would think but I have seen it enough that I could not help but worry I may give the appearance of such," Nyton continued.
"I wanted to tell you that I have long held a deep appreciation for your actions. It was not for my advancement that I accepted the position of your retainer but to remain close to someone whom I considered not only deserving of my loyalty but also my friendship," the man said with some determination in his voice. At that moment he began to present the box he had been carrying.
"I wanted to give this to you but it seemed there was never a right moment. I am not saying that nearly dying down on Bowhordia gave me any revelations but I figured I needed to stop being too concerned about appearances." Nyton then added before offering the box to Kotori.
The way Kotori's hand extended for the box was strange. The movement was slow and deliberate - not quite hesitant, but also very careful. She relieved him from the box, held it closer to her cupped in both hands and asked: "Can I simply open it, or is this one of these situations where I am suppose to tear and rip at it to reveal its content?"
Nyton stood there, a little tense now that the gift had been given. "I didn't have anything to wrap it with so I just used some plain paper. Feel free to tear off the paper and then open it." he answered as he placed his hands behind him. His eyes followed her movements as he anticipated her reaction to it's contents.
Perhaps reluctant to just tear off the white wrapping, Kotori instead expressly snipped it open in the places where it was fastened in a way that made it almost blossom around the box. She rested the box over her lap with a papery rusle of the wrapping and opened the lid, casting a curious look inside.
The removal of the paper revealed a fancy lacquered wooden box. Upon opening the smoothly polished box Kotori would see a brush and comb set resting inside a fitted slot within the box. The fittings were made of soft felt to protect the contents.
The comb was made of tortoise shell and had smooth pieces of amber inlaid on the edges where one would grip the comb. The amber itself had small intricate carvings of birds flying in formations which made the amber shimmer when the light reached it.
The brush was of natural wood harvested from what little forest Nepleslia still preserved. The hairs on the brush were from natural fibers while the body also contained its own allocation of amber pieces laid inside it with birds carved inside.
Kotori looked at the comb and brush, her amber eyes devouring their details. A finger dipped in the brush to stroke over the brush's bristles, over the comb's teeth and caress over the pieces of amber and the depression in the wood where the likeness of birds was etched.
Then her lips pressed together and in a mute rasp of wood coming in contact with wood, she closed the box. Her head bent forward enough for her black hair to shadow over her face as she closed her eyes and gave a sigh.
Nyton maintained his solid expression, not going into any fit over Kotori's less than enthusiastic reaction to the gift. Well I certainly did not expect this. Maybe at least just a simple 'thank you' but...I guess the timing is just wrong. he thought. After a few seconds of watching her he finally spoke. "Ah, is something wrong?" he asked unsurely.
"Yes," was Kotori's soft reply. Nyton saw her smile slightly. "I am dismayed. I do not know how I feel. I feel like what I am beneath the illusion of being a woman is struggling to find some substance in the patchwork web of string and thread that is my ego, the sense of identity of a three-years old girlchild. Anything I return on impulse feels weak and shallow. Insufficient. You deserve more."
"I appreciate your concern but you have already done much for me. This is just to show my gratitude." Nyton replied while letting his hands hang loose beside him. "I am not certain I understand where you should feel lacking. I find you quite fulfilling even if you are still young. I measure your life on a different time scale than the one I am on though. So while I am aware of your true age I do not think of it as detrimental." he said before shifting his footing slightly to the left. "Unless there is something else I am missing," he added.
"Something is missing," Kotori lifted her head, a troubled frown creasing her brow. She opened the box again. "This is mine. It was obtained for me. It was obviously chosen with care, for me. I am..." her voice trailed off as she searched for the word. "I am touched. Yes, touched."
"I've long felt fondness and admiration for humankind," she continued. "But part of it still persists as an inferiority complex. The gift inspires into me how unworthy I should feel of the attention, but I should have more composure and arrogance than that. Various impulses tug upon me."
"Should I leash everything in, keep face and merely give a dignified thank you? That would be cold and not nearly so grateful as I'd like."
"Should I give thanks by offering one of the things that is given most naturally by the nekovalkyrja, my body? That opens a whole new can of worms, and I am not sure I should be so desperate to express myself."
"It's overflowing," Kotori raised her hand, clamped it into a fist and pounded over her sternum, the blow making her grit her teeth. "Here. I was given something I rank as more precious than my samurai swords, more precious than my ship, and I do not know how to convey my gratitude. I should! I should know how I would want to react to that!"
Nyton crouched down and brought his eyes closer to Kotori's level. He could see the struggle that Kotori was undergoing. It was indeed genuine as though some storm had blown into her. "It is alright not to know. Do not think yourself less for not knowing. From what you have told me and I have seen then you have already conveyed your gratitude. Even if it is not as graceful as you would have liked it to be." he said warmly. "I know this may sound selfish but I am glad my gift had such an effect even if it is proving to be difficult to understand."
Nyton then thought for a second. "Now, while I do find you attractive since I am not homosexual," he said humorously to try and help take some edge off, "offering your body is a lot more than what is necessary to express your feelings in this matter. So perhaps something a little less drastic."
Self-possession seemed to return to Kotori as he left her 'off the hook'. She regarded Nyton thoughtfully and frankly asked: "Are you pining for a kiss?"
Eyebrows went up at the forward remark. Along with a slight blush in Nyton's cheeks. "Only if you feel it a fit reply. I merely wanted to help you understand better how to express what you felt without doing something that goes against yourself." he replied.
Kotori contemplated Nyton a moment before she raised one hand and traced the tip of a finger over her lower lip. The hand lowered and suddenly Kotori seemed a lot more at ease with herself - the cloud of her previous dilemma having passed. She took the wooden box, still bared at the top, and extended it back to Nyton.
"Thank you for your touching gift, Nyton." She smiled. "I accept your pledge and trust that you will continue to take good care of me."
Nyton placed his hands over Kotori's on the box and smiled back. "As I trust you to do the same." he replied before sliding his hands securely on the box's sides. "So shall we see how well your new comb and brush work? A little work on your hair may help relax you after a long day of stress." he offered, just catching the hint.
Kotori gave a gentle nod of acquiescence and turned to show him more of her back, her hands arranging her hair a bit before giving up and leaving that work to Nyton. "Yoroshiku onegaishimasu," she quipped back to him.
END
