お誕生日おめでとう~!

[sumarusfinest]

A day planner laid out on Katsuya's kitchen counter has a big red circle over the date.

October first.

The officer wipes his glasses clean with a cloth and removes the apron he'd been wearing until moments ago. Changes back into his suit and tie and resolves that his kitchen will just have to be cleaned when he gets home.

He has gifts for a very special someone to go deliver. He scoops up the cake box and his keys and leaves his apartment for the Nexus. A certain magi's tower in the Nexus, to be exact. He does have the courtesy to text her to let her know he's on his way.

Still feels weird to announce 'I'm here to see Miss Verity Willis' to a wall of solid crystal though. Would it still open if he spoke in Japanese? Experiments for another time.

"Verity?"

Comments

[sumarusfinest]

"Even more reason to avoid it." He nods in agreement. "You can detect like...poisons in food?" Katsuya looks impressed. "I didn't know your powers worked that way..."

She may be the only person in the world who could safely eat blowfish. She'd know if it was bad. That's a neat side effect of her gifts.

"Are you done playing with the kittens?"

[brave_heart_verity]

"Kind of?" Faerie food is like poison, right? Not that she knows why it would matter. Her dad was not good at explaining things.

"Never. But we can go now. I've got chao in my backyard if I need a fix of cute." She gives his shoulder a little nuzzle before she sits up. "This was nice. Thank you."

[sumarusfinest]

"That is true." Katsuya will sit there with her for another moment or two before gently disengaging so he can take care of their bill.

He holds the door for Verity when they leave and extends a hand for her to take should she wish to.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it. I really worried you'd refuse to go."

[brave_heart_verity]

He is not left in doubt of her delight in hand-holding for long. She is herself somewhat cat-like: easily irritated and extremely affectionate with the people she deems as hers.

"Why would I refuse to go?"

[sumarusfinest]

"Because I was fairly certain I'd mentioned my allergies before." Katsuya gives a nervous laugh as they head back toward the Konan district Whether its to the Nexus door or his home is impossible to tell just yet as both are in that district.

"Or perhaps you didn't like the idea of animals in a food service location even though they follow all the sanitary codes."

[brave_heart_verity]

"Okay, I have to admit, it's not something I would have chosen to do because of your allergies. But you're an adult, and if you're willing to risk it it's not my place to say 'no'." She pauses to look around for a moment because she always tries to keep track of where they're going. "It's probably time for you to go home and wash off all the allergens. And I don't want to track fur all over your apartment."

And there's why she's looking a little grumpy now. They get so little time together and she doesn't want it to be over.

[sumarusfinest]

"...Well." Katsuya ponders this while they walk for a bit, giving her hand a gentle, reassuring squeeze. "I could go back with you and we could spend some time in the Nexus. That wouldn't get my apartment covered in fur."

[brave_heart_verity]

"You'll be okay?" She'd like that, but, she has to ask. "Maybe we should leave some spare clothes with each other. For emergencies. Getting caught in the rain, or... surprise cats."

She's bad at this.

[sumarusfinest]

"I'll be fine." He doesn't ask her to stop worrying, knowing that he'd do exactly the same in her position. So many things he has to remind himself that he would act accordingly if it were him.

Another reason he thinks this has worked out so well.

"Heh. At that rate, we might as well just buy new clothes and leave them with each other." It would save a lot of time and effort of remembering to pack spares.

"I'm certain the nexus has a clothing store or two."

[brave_heart_verity]

"Okay." Well then, how'd he like to learn to walk with an arm around her shoulders? Because she'd like that so much.

"We could do that," she admits. "I do need to get a new coat."

Oh no. Sad thoughts.

[sumarusfinest]

He seems confused when she lifts the arm they're holding hands with but smiles a bit more when she loops it around her shoulders. If she needs a bit of personal contact he is shyly happy to oblige.

"Do you really need a new coat or do you intend to burrow into mine while we walk places?" He..he's trying to tease?

[brave_heart_verity]

It's a good effort and she will go along with it. "Tempting, but I should probably have my own for when you're at work." It is really tempting. "Otherwise you'd worry. Besides, you're too skinny for me to borrow your clothes."

[sumarusfinest]

"Why does everyone say that?" The officer frowns slightly, glancing down at Verity. "I'm not unhealthily thin...You could surely fit my clothes." Well, her curves rule out his pants. And her bust rules out his suit jacket. If she wanted to close it.

"...I would worry if you were running around without a coat simply because I'd taken mine to the station." He agrees finally, trying not to pout. Pouting is a petulant action that he is above. Entirely above.

...Not that skinny.

[brave_heart_verity]

"You're super healthy," she assures him. No need to pout, darling, she adores you the way you are. "But I'm a girl." He might have noticed. Some guys like that kind of thing.

Why is it the guys she wants to have notice her never seem to notice?

Oh god is she going to have to start wearing dresses? Has her life really come to that?

[sumarusfinest]

"Well obviously you are." Of course he noticed. It's rather difficult not to. She looks rather nice, Katsuya would argue.

"...Proportions and curves as they are, I suppose it would be rather difficult for you to fit into my clothes. Not to mention the height differences."

The streets of Sumaru are busy, but not uncomfortably crowded on a day like today. The trip back to the Konan district is problem and demon free, which means Verity gets no interruption of cuddly closeness. When they reach the Nexus proper, Katsuya gives a small chuckle and lets go of Verity long enough to make sure his door is securely closed.

"It's warmer here than it is in Sumaru. I hadn't noticed the difference in weather as much before."

[brave_heart_verity]

"Oh, I dunno about the height thing. Shirt dresses are very fashionable right now." But she's not one to reveal so much cleavage, so if it happens it'll be in private.

Not being interrupted on their walk is certainly nice. She'd always prefer that to having to watch him fight demons, or worse, having to try to deal with them herself. They'd both be in a lot of trouble if she had to borrow his gun. Police departments are so fussy about that kind of thing.

She does not like this letting-go-of-her business. Next time they can close the door as a team if it really takes two hands.

"Yeah, the weather here is..." She shrugs a bit. "I've been told that seasons are more like suggestions."

That icon creeps me out for some reason

[sumarusfinest]

He just needs to make sure everything is sealed and there isn't any demon presence leaking through. Mostly in involves a visual inspection of the door, tugging to make sure it's firmly shut, and waving a hand around the edges to feel for presence.

Once certain everything is fine, he's right there next to her again.

"That's probably good though, considering that means no natural disasters." Katsuya ponders for a moment before glancing down Verity's way again. "Do you know any clothing stores here? A preference?"

Sorry :(

[brave_heart_verity]

Well. At least she doesn't have to prompt him this time.

"Not really. I hadn't really thought that far ahead yet. It's... there's only so much I can deal with at once?" The move wasn't a problem, but the reason for the move was going to be a problem for a long time. Getting roped into going back so much with Amelia and Samus hadn't really helped. "It's not like I absolutely have to get one today."

It's like some Jack Nicholson The Shining look. Maybe just the shading.

[sumarusfinest]

He's trainable.

Also he rather likes that spot.

"Well, we can get clothes to leave with each other some other time then." Katsuya gives her a reassuring smile. "What would you like to do now instead?"

I've recolored it so many times. It's just. The artist did "artistic lighting" on the panel...

[brave_heart_verity]

Like her very own puppy? Awesome.

"No, shopping is fine. It'll be more fun with you." And he won't be trying on all the same things she does, so it won't remind her of Loki too much. "Sometimes I'm going to need you to push me, Katsuya. The shock and denial won't last forever."

All work and no play makes Verity bored and grumpy

[sumarusfinest]

"Really." No one's ever said that about shopping with Katsuya before. Then again, he doesn't usually take other people with him when he's shopping.

"While pushing you may be necessary, the wound is still fresh Verity. No one is going to push you so soon. We'd all rather you take the time you need and then push you, only if necessary." She'll get pulled somewhat closer to him as Katsuya steers them toward the shopping district.

"Sometimes you're rather much too hard on yourself."

Yeah, but no work AND no play would be worse

[brave_heart_verity]

"Really." She may be the Worst Girlfriend Ever, but at least she enjoys doing just about anything with him? That's got to be worth something.

She likes the part where he's pulling her closer, but the rest of that answer isn't great. "Why, because I'd rather not lay in bed crying for days?"

Much worse

[sumarusfinest]

See? So hard on herself. She's not the worst girlfriend. She's cuddly and sweet and positively adorable. Katsuya certainly thinks so.

"Because you're not dealing with it at all." He says gently. "Acting like everything is fine when it isn't won't work forever...and no one wants to see that other shoe fall. Especially if we're not there to help you when it happens." He doesn't let go of the closer pull, rubbing her shoulder while he talks and walks.

"As someone who has literally wasted years of their life doing exactly such....I'd hate to see you lie to yourself. Especially in your case." His voice is soothing, gentle.

And he's walking slowly in case this conversation justifies a change in plans to an isolated place in the park district instead of shopping.

So attentive.

[brave_heart_verity]

Wait, does letting her guard down mean all kinds of people can see how screwed up she is now? Have they been talking about her? Who's this "we" he's talking about?

...crap. He's right. Sort of.

She's going to be quiet for a while, letting him steer her wherever he wants to go while she thinks.

"I think it's because it hasn't happened yet. When it does I'll be. I'll probably." She sighs. How the fuck can she begin to imagine how she'll handle something on this scale? "That's when I'm going to need people to make sure I get up and eat and go outside sometimes. But everyone grieves in their own time and... it's not helpful when you make me feel like I'm doing it wrong. I know it's not going to be like this forever. I just said that. And I know I'm bad at talking about these things. So when I manage to, please listen."

[sumarusfinest]

"I'm not saying you're grieving wrong." Katsuya doesn't change his tone, nor does he change their destination yet. "I'm explaining why I've been loathe to push you. You tell me to insist on you doing thins when I listen, and when I insist, you tell me to listen."

No laughing, no edge to his voice. Just plainly explaining.

"All I want to do is do whatever will be best for you. I'm afraid I may make the wrong choice sometimes, or be unsure as to what to do. but I'll keep trying. it's the least I can do for you. I'll be here.'