jikan_rpg | [closed] 🌠stars in the rain🌸

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[closed] 🌠stars in the rain🌸

⌛ Who: Cloud Strife & Kamisato Ayaka
⌛ What: Getting a lay of the land, shooting stars, firsto deito
⌛ When: The second week of June | TDM here
⌛ Where: The City of Nara
⌛ Warnings: ‎️‍🔥

[ The City of Nara, hailing from trees on high, with a more grounded world beneath it all. South of Kyoto, it'd crossed his mind to take a trip there eventually... The real question was when? While he deliberates, having spent the past couple days in Kyoto, his original plan was to take the next train to Tokyo after having lunch with Ayaka- at the teahouse they'd begun frequenting on occasion around Gion. When she mentions how she was taking a personal leave to Nara, it granted him pause, but the rest of their time at the teahouse went off without a hitch all the same.

Up until the time that they're prepared to leave, saying their goodbyes outside the teahouse. In one direction, the train station they'd once hurried to so they can catch the last ~~sane~~ train to Tokyo. The other, the way to the city in the trees. After waving farewell and taking a couple steps...he stops, looking over his shoulder to the younger Kamisato. The longer he watches her back, and the sway of her ponytail, the farther away she gets... ]

...

[ A low sigh under his breath escapes him as his eyes dart between the path he was going to take, and glancing back to the path he wants to. And sure enough, Ayaka would probably be able to hear the sound of hastened footsteps approaching as Cloud catches up. He wasn't lying when he said he was thinking of going to Nara at some point anyway. She just made his mind up for him. He'll get a lay of the land, he thinks. There were no plans to be had in Tokyo, but he still sends a message to Zack letting him know that he was checking out Nara for a few days. Call it spur the moment, but at least on the way the two were able to pass the time by catching up with their characters, contemplating depths of emotions or even humoring backstories that haven't even been written yet.

Even if Cloud was doing more of the listening, albeit with some ideas and what-ifs sprinkled in from time to time.

When they finally do arrive in Nara, he has to crane his neck far up as he takes in the sheer vertical scope of this place with her. But! So, in a completely new place, armed with only hearsay and buzz from civilians elsewhere (at least for Cloud), where do they start? With hands on his hips, ]

Start from the bottom.

[ From the larger businesses and shrines, and all the way up! ]

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Eh. He can deal with it.

[ Cloud is riding high right now. Not even Ayaka telling Ayato that they were dating was going to get him nervous. ~~Yet. askdjfh~~ That being said, he hums as they finally reach the top. It's just a short walk up and around a fenced pathway stretching out from the tree that leads out over the city below them. It's a clear view from above, but being so small, going to the park when they did was the better outcome still. ]

Knowing Zack, he'd try and jump in.

[ ...if he can sit long enough without doing squats. ]

Edited 2022-07-01 04:09 (UTC)

Then I will have two students.

[ Ha ha! Ayaka certainly doesn't mind, though she would hope to meet Cloud's friend in person than have him just be a little pixel on screen! Perhaps when Cloud is ready, he'd do the honours of introducing him to her, and vice-versa. ]

Mm... I would prefer to practice in person, but I look forward to it nonetheless.

[ It's not like it will be a permanent thing, anyway! Ayaka will do her best on her end, too.

For now, she looks around, finding the top of the city to be a good sight. It's unlike the peaks of the mountains in Inazuma. This truly feels like you're in nature.

It's very calming. ]

Master of Kamisato Art Tachi Jutsu... Teacher of Tea Etiquette... [ can he keep going? because he'll keep musing her resume and how impressed he was.

The only mistake Cloud is going to make upon returning home and talking to Zack about her? No picture. Or at least, he wouldn't think of showing him at the time. That being said, the longer this date goes on and the reality settles in that he's embracing feelings that are fully his, the more confident he starts to feel when he's with her. Not so much to start hugging her and proclaiming, "she's my girlfriend", but holding her hand? Even kissing in that little corner of the restaurant? Precious pieces of time like that were only going to get easier to repeat the more he wants to relive them.

As they reach the end of the path, only a couple other people up this high, he takes her to the railing that sees them looking out over the entire city of Nara. They're so high up, that it's even more difficult to make out the lower levels in this ancient, natural civilization. And as he takes his time to take the sight in, Cloud's gaze occasionally does lead back to the younger Kamisato at his side. From this high up, the breeze catches her ponytail as the sun captures her serenity in his eyes.

... Ah- He should...be checking out the view. The one they came up here for. ]

I'd take you higher up, but... [ There's no railing out there on the higher thick branches that may as well be extra roads. That and, ] Not looking to get in trouble again.

[ Wait. Again? asdjkhlf ]

It's beautiful here, isn't it?

[ There's a content smile on her face as she takes in the view. It helps that the sun is mostly covered by the leaves in the forest— not too hot, not too cold. Should Ayaka need a moment of peace away from the city, perhaps she'll travel here again. ]

I should tell my brother to go here, when he has the time.

[ ... yup. Nodding to herself once, she looks at Cloud, her attention fully on him, now. ]

Ah? What do you mean?

[ Cwoud???? 🥺 ]

Yeah...

[ He nods in agreeance when she mentions her brother. Cloud already showed Zack pictures of this place, and how he should get here sometime. It's going to be a nice getaway spot if time allots it for him in the future. Though as she looks up to Cloud, he can feel her gaze on him in a different manner. She's hardly intimidating as far as personality was concerned. But now he can't help but feel like, knowing her? He's about to say something stupid. ~~And make her feel bad in the process.~~ ]

I, um...might have jumped the railing and got a little higher up.

[ Out where if he fell, he'd be either hitting something really far down or crashing to the bottom?!? HELLO??? And no, surviving a similar fall through a church roof wasn't a bragging right, Cloud. As he says this, he can't help the gut feeling that she...might...have a problem with that? He waits for it. Whatever "it" is. 💦 ]

[ She looks at where they are, what's protecting them from falling, and the possible path to go higher up. While it seems Cloud can handle it? There's no guarding him from tumbling aaaaall the way down if he ever stepped on a pebble and slipped, or encountered some pesky ayakashi, or something!

But he says he got into trouble, so she's assuming he got caught. Good. Put him back in his place for breaking the rules. ]

Please don't do that again... You could have gotten hurt.

[ Worse, he might not have made it in time for their... ah... not-date last night??? Now, her worry is very, very belated, but as she takes a step forward to look at what's below them? She can't help but frown. But... she doesn't think she's in any position to scold him, so instead? She just tells him what's most important. ]

I'm glad you're safe.

[ She's not mad, Cloud. Just disappointed. ]

Edited 2022-07-01 05:51 (UTC)

[ Everything that she's probably thinking? He thinks it's gone through his head, too. Granted, if push came to shove and he had to do it again? He would! But maybe...for a better reason than finding the sickest shot for his best friend. Her request for him to not do that again was one thing. But the worry in her voice when she says how he could have gotten hurt? That for some reason is what gets him. Before with the likes of Aerith or Tifa, he would have just shrugged it off all coolly because he was cocky but knew how to back up his talents. But it's when she frowns that he can feel the proverbial knife get twisted. ]

...

[ He sighs. The date's far from ruined! Just maybe a little bit guilt-tripped, albeit unintentionally. ... unfortunately that didn't rule out Cloud ever doing something crazy like that ever again, especially if an emergency occurred. Best not tell her the kind of stunts he pulled on a vehicle called a motorcycle. ...if those ever existed in Teyvat. ]

Right. [ He remembers now, the idle remark he made after catching her out of the tree last night. His frown lifts a little as he's ready to move on if she was. ] No climbing.

[ They can most definitely move on! So long as he listens and doesn't do anything crazy? She's fine! Though... if he did want to do something like that again, the least he could do is let her know instead of diving right into it. ]

In the island I live in has a very tall mountain. At the peak of Mt. Yougou is the Grand Narukami Shrine, and it is where the Sacred Sakura is.

[ It's nothing like this place, but... she remembers it for the trek they made to get up here. ]

Though... instead of deer walking around freely, [ Compared to here? ] there are many foxes free to roam the area.

Edited 2022-07-01 06:50 (UTC)

[ Cloud tries putting a picture to her words...the Sacred Sakura makes him of the great tree that they first had a snack under. The day they first met. Since then, he hasn't really been able to get the image of a cherry blossom out of his mind. The ones that dance and float about her head when she's most jovial with him only help imprint those falling petals into his memory. ]

Wish I could see it...

[ This place in particular was also quite the spectacle from so high up. But the way Ayaka paints every image of Inazuma to him... ]

Mt. Nibel sounds a little more dangerous. Once you cross the bridge from town, you better be prepared for monsters. Think I'll take deer and foxes over a dragon.

Then... what of civilians who wish to travel? Or is the mountain off-limits to them?

[ Unless escorted by soldiers, she imagines.

Still... what is Cloud's world like that dragons can live freely in it? Aren't dragons magical creatures that are to be worshipped? ]

If you stick to the main path through to Rocket Town, you won't run into too much trouble. [ It contrasts what he just told her, but as he leans against the railing on his forearms, Cloud continues to explain. ] Still, best to travel in groups. And stay away from the caves.

We were especially forbade from going as kids.

[ Which frankly, made sense. It's a small village and everyone's parents were looking out for their children. ]

Mom told me it never used to be this bad. Not till Shinra built a Reactor up in the mountains.

I see. I hope that where you lived was peaceful and free from monster attacks, though...

[ He's told her about reactors, so she thinks she understands? Or at the very least, she understands a bit of it... ]

I've never seen a dragon before. Ah... unless the creature we fought when we arrived here counted as one? [ Are salamanders dragons? She doesn't know! She closes her eyes and hums in thought for a bit. ] No... I don't think I've truly seen a dragon before.

Yeah. We were.

[ Explaining Mako Reactors in their entirety was going to be quite the task. But...if he was still willing to sit through an entire Tea Ceremony for her, to better understand her? Perhaps it would be another case of story time sooner than later. Like the tale aboard the train to Tokyo about SOLDIER. Her reasoning the poor Salamander they wound up bullying out of town does net another amused smirk out of the blond. ]

Think that was more of a lizard.

[ Amphibian, actually, Cloud. ]

It was so big, though...

[ that's what she said

But really, though, she thought lizards were supposed to be small? ]

What do dragons where you're from look like?

Hmm...

[ How did he describe them? He's actually trying to think of how to simplify it! But for Ayaka? He'll give her as good a visual as he can. ]

Well...most are really big. Scaly with tough hides, [ he makes a motion with his hands, palms facing up as he claws. ] sharp claws, [ and then he spreads his arms out as he tries to get an idea of just how far to spread them. ] and giant wings to help them fly.

[ His arms come flopping down at his sides. ...he didn't mean to make it look like a flap. ]

They can breath fire, too.

[ No, he's NOT gonna go "BWAH" to emulate dragon breath. ]

Are there dragons that are... [ Not necessarily tame, but friendly? How does she put it? ] part of your community? The same way that cats and dogs roam the streets.

[ Just wondering!! They'd be so big they'd be blocking streets and stuff, though... ]

Would make a heckuva sight. [ A beat. ] But, no.

[ Cloud's rather enjoying the peace and quiet up here with her. It makes him want to open up and relax more without having to worry about chatting around the hustle and bustle of lower levels. The fact she's taking such a deep interest in the little things about his world is also enough to encourage him. ]

Actually... [ Come to think of it, albeit this example isn't out in the 'wild', there is one dragon. ] Remember what I told you about Materia?

It is how people from your world channel magic, isn't it?

[ That is what she remembers, anyway. She hopes she's not wrong. It would be embarrassing to have misremembered something he said... :( Especially now that he's dating her. ]

You told me on the day we met for the first time.

[ That's okay to say, isn't it? She thinks of him too much, just as she's confessed... ]

That's right.

[ She really was paying attention... Not that he had any doubt when it came from the likes of her. There's even a calm little smile to accompany that affirmation. The next branch of this topic wasn't a heavy one, but it's still something serious in the sense that if what he tells her ever fell into the wrong hands... ]

There are very special Materia that are used to summon legendary creatures into battle.

They call one of them the King of Dragons. Bahamut.

So, the King of Dragons is summoned with magic?

[ That's interesting 0:! They don't have anything like that in Inazuma... just yokai and magic. Which is really not the same. But still! Maybe there's a giant dragon yokai that she doesn't know about. ]

Whoever is able to summon it must be very powerful, then.

Put plainly, yeah.

[ It's what Ayaka says next though that gets him to pause. Of course, he doesn't have it with him on this trip, keeping it safeguarded in his room in Tokyo. For good reason. Yet as he pauses in thought, the answer is a foregone conclusion. If they were to share the same world, he would have trusted her with the very same knowledge, faster if not as fast as he'd share with his travel party.

Ayaka's earned that and more. ]

About that... [ He rubs the back of his neck. ] I keep it hidden back in Tokyo.

Ah— it's you!

[ He's the powerful magic user! She's shocked for sure, but thinking about it when the feeling passed? Cloud is powerful! She shouldn't have doubted that.

Her voice isn't loud enough to catch the attention of nearby tourists, but she does look around consciously to make sure no one heard her. If he's keeping it hidden, then she has to do her best to take care of this secret he's trusting her with. ]

My apologies. I shall keep this between the two of us, Cloud.

[ Okay Cloud can't help it. He gives a little 'hmph' of accomplishment when Ayaka realizes who possesses the Materia, a smirk crossing his lips but fading away to another softened expression soon enough. He closes the distance between himself and Ayaka again, not because he's trying to keep it a secret (it is that too,) but so that he can take the initiative and go back to holding her hand again. He's come a ways from only doing so to be protective of someone on instinct. ]

Appreciate that. I don't plan on using it unless I absolutely have to.

[ And should the Materia fall into the wrong hands, someone who could successfully use it... ]

I'll show you sometime.

[ ... he huffs, his softer expression turning with a trace of a smile. ]

Not the dragon. [ The pretty red Materia itself! ]

[ The last bit that Cloud adds gets her to laugh behind her free hand. Swaying their joined arms slightly from one side to another, she makes sure that he's careful with this secret, too. ]

Yes. If you did summon the King of Dragons here, then it would not be a secret anymore.

[ So she gets it! :) Just the materia. Just like what he showed her last time, but she is thinking it looks slightly different. Cloud will need a way to identify which materia is which, after all. ]

So... you mentioned that you went to a higher part, didn't you? Was the view any different?

[ This is not, by any means, words of encouragement. ]

Nope.

[ Looking away towards the higher up branches in the distance beyond the railing, he thinks it over before pulling out his magi-comm, thumb padding along the sepia-toned screen as he brings up his photos. If Ayaka were to ever look through them...most are actually pictures of flowers. He hasn't thought of deleting anything because he hardly uses the camera otherwise.

But sure enough, ]

In hindsight? [ Her hand in his, their arms brush as he shows her a couple shots of the city below. It...looks similar to where they are now. Just a little higher. ] Not worth the trouble.

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