lavoragine | Baby, you're a firework

[The last time Slaine had attended any sort of festival, he'd been a small child. He can only vaguely remember the bright colors, the aroma of local foods heavy in the air, and the bustling crowds. At that time, he'd had to hold tightly to his father's shirt to keep from getting lost.

Now of course he's an adult...and of course he gets himself lost, looking away for just an instant only to find Kallen gone. At least with age he doesn't panic in a sea of strangers, but he's really not sure where to start looking.

How fortunate for him that Kallen waves him down like an airport flagger.

He starts off in her direction, having to slip through the crowd here and there to finally get to where she's waiting for him]

Sorry, I... For just a moment I looked away, and I suppose you were too swift for me.

[The crowd is only growing bigger and busier with each minute that passes. Kallen knows this, so once she sees Slaine emerging from his spot, she reaches for his hand and grabs it with a grin.]

Do you really think I'd let you get lost?

[She says with an eyebrow quirk, tugging him down to her spot. It'd be awkward if Slaine did suddenly disappear since he's unfamiliar with this area, unlike Kallen who knows it like the back of her hand.]

I had to reserve our spots right away before someone else takes it.

It does seem to be getting more crowded by the moment...

[Slaine comments as he glances around, once he's settled in the space Kallen reserved for them. It seems her forethought is a boon, for all that people are filling in the space along the length of the river.

His survey doesn't last long though, as he remembers to offer Kallen a box]

I got you some snacks...hopefully something is to your liking.

[The loud chatting coming from the various people settling down to their respective mats on the grassy area is difficult to ignore, that much Kallen is certain, but she focuses on the nice scent emitting from the box Slaine is holding. Her eyes widen in mild surprise, mouth slightly ajar.

Oh that's right, he promised that he'd treat her. To think that she almost forgot...]

Wow, Slaine, that's really thoughtful of you!

[Slowly, she takes the box from him, wondering about the contents inside before she offers a small smile.]

You didn't have to, but thanks. [Her eyes flicker over to the food in front of them.] You've seen some of these before, right?

But I wanted to.

[Slaine doesn't think too much of the gesture, himself. Kallen had already taken him out for ramen once, and while he doesn't think snacks are nearly on the same level, he wanted to do something in return. For now, what he had come up with here would suffice.

He doesn't remember all the names, but he tried to go for things that were both sweet and savory to give her some variety]

I'm familiar with a few, though not all...

[Without further ado, he hands the box off to Kallen. Hopefully she's fond of at least some of them]

[That does it, Kallen is convinced that Slaine is too good to her, for some absurd reason that only she can try to understand, watching the box in her hands. She carefully opens the flaps aside, discovering various snacks — from pocky to shiso sora mame, to even an assortment of savory chips of various flavors like shrimp, seaweed, and wasabi.

Then she snorts, pulling a random potato chip bag out of the box with an amused look on her face.]

You're really spoiling me, sheesh!

[Her blue eyes gaze upon the food in front of her, then back at Slaine.]

Which ones do you know?

Not at all, you've done far more for me than this.

[Something he says easily, because it's absolutely true. Kallen has looked out for him since the day he strayed into her world, which is more than he would expect from anyone under any circumstances, when someone appears out of clear blue nowhere with a foreign machine. That kindness isn't lost on him, and he's not bound to forget it.

He takes paused to glance down at the box, gesturing to a fish-shaped cake]

I recall that one is taiyaki. [Unless there are more fish-cakes and he's only seen the one] And I believe that one there is mochi...

Oh, shut up.

[She grumbles under her breath, looking a little bit bashful at his words. Lately Slaine has been having a peculiar effect on Kallen, to the point where she's enjoying his presence a lot more than she'd ever admit. Surely it's because he's her friend who's been through a similar ordeal like she does, or that he's also a capable fighter and pilot, but... it just feels very different.

She looks over at the fish-shaped pastry, then drops the contents of the box aside to pick it up.]

Want one, Slaine? [She smiles, lifting the fish cake up to his face.] It has red bean paste inside. It's really good!

[The offer surprises him, though Slaine realizes quickly it shouldn't. Kallen often showed that concern to others around her, and he'd been a firsthand recipient of that. Still, he finds himself hesitant to accept that offer, generous as it is, for one reason in particular]

Those are for you.

[He feels the need to point it out, though he doubts Kallen's forgotten by any means]

It doesn't seem I'm doing much in return if I have it.

[Kallen doesn't let Slaine's answer deter her, so she quirks an eyebrow at him, keeping her hand on the taiyaki at his face level. He gave it to her as a gift, yes, but it's her snacks and she can still share them.]

I got all of this for you!

[She nods her head at the direction of all the gyoza and yakitori in front of them, as well as other savory foods such as takoyaki and chicken karaage.]

You don't expect me to eat all of that by myself, do you?

All of it...?

[There's no masking the disbelief in Slaine's voice and tone, staring back at her as though she's suddenly turned a festive shade of pink. During this outing, he'd thought he could repay her for taking him out to eat before, but here she's gone to all this trouble for him again...

It's really more than he deserves, and he ducks his head as he considers that]

You didn't need to go to such trouble on my account.

Okay, maybe not all of it, but there's no way in hell you're gonna starve on my watch.

[And Kallen will make sure of that. There's a quick eyeroll with a snort, relenting a little so she can take a large bite of the taiyaki. Slaine must've found the best kind because suddenly a long "mmm" sound emits from the back of her throat before swallowing.]

It's so delicious! Did you get the snacks from the stalls?

Edited 2016-08-12 05:23 (UTC)

[Slaine might've objected to the notion of starving, because he's nowhere near being malnourished and the Student Council has made quite sure of that, but the topic drops. He's relieved for that change of focus, shoulders releasing some tension he didn't know he was carrying to start with]

Yes, I asked for recommendations, and one was mentioned several times...

[And so Slaine could easily conclude that they must be the best of the available selection. He may not be the most confident in his Japanese, but looking like a foreign tourist occasionally works in his favor]

Not surprised, they're usually really good.

[If it's a certain stall Kallen's been hearing about from word of mouth, that is, though she's surprised that Slaine managed to obtain this many quality snacks for her. After taking a few more bites out of the taiyaki, she reaches for a piece of the chicken karaage and lifts it to his face level.]

You never ate this kind of chicken before, right? Try one.

I don't believe I have...

[Though it may be safe enough for him to say he hasn't tried a great many things since he was a child, it's not the sort of comment Slaine thinks to make. He doesn't remember too clearly much of what he experienced while traveling with his father, blurred into the muddy backdrop of a past too far gone for him to see with clarity.

What he remembers most vividly are the mundane things. The small ones that others might take for granted in their day-to-day lives. Moments like this, actually.

It takes him a delayed moment to lift a hand to take the piece of chicken she's holding up for him. Following that, a brief pause to give the food another thoughtful, assessing glance before he takes a bite of it]

[It takes a while for the realization to dawn on her, but this may be the first time she's offered food to someone like this. She can't recall even doing this for her brother or any of her close friends, just Slaine. Such a small moment in a festival like this, and yet so poignant. For now, Kallen inwardly shakes her head, pushing that thought aside.

Her curious eyes linger on Slaine for a bit longer, watching him take a bite out of the chicken karaage.]

Well? How is it?

[Slaine takes a few moments to assess after he's swallowed the food, trying to think of something he can compare it with. It's been a long time since he had fried chicken, but he imagines this is lighter...]

It's very flavorful.

[Is ultimately what he thinks to say, as someone far from a culinary connoisseur]

The sort of thing I'd expect you would like, actually.

[Kallen must be really content with Slaine's answer because her eyes suddenly light up, a grin slowly emerging from her lips. For him to try something new from her culture and enjoy it, that makes her genuinely happy.]

Well yeah, of course it is!

[The smell of the chicken karaage is too potent for her to resist, so she spares a second to grab a piece and bite it, then swallow it.]

Whoever made this put a ton of good spices in it. So good!

[Slaine is quite sure that Kallen favors savory foods, from what he's observed so far. In a way, concentrations of spices are still a little overwhelming for him, accustomed to the bland diet most Versians were limited to. Even the meals that Counts held as a luxury were no better than microwave meals.

But it's something he knows he'll adapt to with time, and it's pleasant, enjoying something that Kallen cares so much about. She takes great pride in her country, and he appreciates both that and her willingness to share aspects of her culture with him]

Would you say it's a favorite of yours?

Not really.

[Despite how much she's enjoying the karaage, it's not her favorite. She takes a moment to grab a napkin, cleaning her fingers with it as a pensive expression covers her face. There is only one food that captures her entire attention (as well as her stomach), a dish that she once ate often in her childhood.]

It's my mother's hamburger curry. [A small smile] I'll never forget the times she cooked it when I was a kid. Whenever I get a perfect score on a test, she'd say "tonight will be a feast!" She'd even put a sunny-side egg on top of it, and I'd get so happy over it that I screamed for joy—

[Oh... it occurs to her that she might've said too much in front of Slaine.]

[A little Kallen screaming for joy over food... It's a terribly cute image, and Slaine has to mask the amused smile it prompts behind a hand. He knows Kallen is a formidable warrior, but the thought of something so small bringing her such delight as a little girl is warming, in its way.

He takes a brief pause to collect himself before he lets his hand drop, expression composed once again]

I... [He hesitates, but he supposes it's only fair] I suppose my tastes were rather simple. What I always looked forward to were the sandwiches my father would occasionally make.

[Those rare instances of genuine warmth had meant the world to him]

[How embarrassing, for Kallen to admit all that to Slaine of all people. Sure she told C.C. about it long ago during one of their infiltration missions, but she's too aware of how she might come off in front of him, prideful as she usually is. And so, she averts her gaze.

It's only when Slaine begins to speak that Kallen glances back at him, owlishly at that.]

Your father made those? What kind?

[Her expression turns thoughtful after hearing him confess to a piece of his past. Kallen can't say she had an amicable relationship with her own father, but just hearing that even Slaine's parent made food for him as a child is rather, well... comforting.]

Peanut butter and jam.

[A wry smile twists his lips, because Slaine knows just how terribly mundane that must sound. How plain and unremarkable. But for him those instances of warmth, when his father actually looked at him and smiled, were invaluable. He could've made him anything; what mattered was that he'd taken the time to do so and shared a meal with him afterward.

At times he wishes those instances weren't quite so rare, but there's nothing for that now. He's quiet for a beat before he supposes perhaps he ought to clarify]

...Strawberry jam.

[Guess who likes sweet things, Kallen]

[Mundane? Absolutely. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are the most basic kind of sandwiches there is, the combination just as clichéd and a classic at once. Still, she can't help but laugh, a playful smirk on her face.]

Maybe I should make you that sandwich one of these days.

[She's joking, really. Unless Slaine really wants one...

Her gaze pans over to the strawberry mochi, and without a moment to spare, she plucks one out from a small basket and lifts it to his eye level.]

It's called strawberry daifuku. Eat it.

[It's a casual suggestion, and Slaine doesn't think too much on it. Kallen already feeds him far more than he thinks anyone should concern themselves with doing, but that likewise falls under the same category of things he doesn't find himself inclined to say.

Even if he had, he's rather effectively distracted by the object held in front of his face now. He's seen mochi before, and he thinks he recognizes it, but the name itself is foreign]

I suppose I've given away my preferences now...

[He does after all like strawberry, though there's a brief delay before he actually lifts a hand to take the daifuku from her]

You sure did.

[Kallen says with certainty, watching Slaine be distracted by the daifuku before he takes it from her. All this food seems so foreign to him, she's sure, but he seems to enjoy it so far.

Oh, but she has to eat more, too, doesn't she? Her hands reach for another strawberry daifuku, and she gives the snack a few quick bites while her eyes remain locked onto his, waiting for him.]

[She's waiting for a reaction, and it doesn't take Slaine long to realize it. He's not unaccustomed to being watched for a response, but the context was entirely different. In the past he had been observed by people looking for weaknesses to exploit or ways of shaking his resolve. Even before that he was watched for missteps he might be punished for.

So this sort of attention is markedly different. For his part, his gaze drops to the mat they're sitting on, taking a small bite of the daifuku Kallen had given him. Perhaps a rather dainty one, but being under this sort of focus is something he's unaccustomed to]

[For a man who used to possess a noble title, Slaine comes off as surprisingly shy at times. It's a side of him that Kallen has seen a few times, but she wonders if he'd eventually come out of his shell after living in Japan for almost six months.

Six months since the day they first met. Her perception of him has changed.

There is something about his face that evokes curiosity in her. Maybe it's the way he keeps his gaze down and away from her as he eats. Somehow, she wants him to look at her.

Without even thinking about it, she lifts up a hand to slowly cup his cheek, her fingers suddenly still upon contact with skin. Just— what is she doing?]

[Slaine's managed to focus quite intently on the mat, so he doesn't even notice Kallen lifting her hand until she's touched his face. It makes him jolt despite himself, staring at her for a beat before he can regain his composure. He can't remember the last time anyone touched his face that way...or if anyone ever had at all]

Is... [He flounders, unsure how to respond] Is something wrong, Kallen?

[She'd stiffened before he had, hadn't she? That might mean something was amiss, and she had simply intended to get his attention.

Though he would've expected her to say something instead]

[It's like time suddenly stops once her eyes meet his. Why does Slaine's skin feels so... soft? Soft like Lelouch's? But more importantly, why is she even touching it?

The moment Slaine notices, Kallen stammers and remove her hand from his face, wide eyed. It takes little time for her cheeks to turn pink as she looks away.]

N-Nothing is wrong! Nothing at all!

[Ignoring her own heart beat rapidly against her chest, she takes a rather large bite of her daifuku.]

[That reaction comes as a surprise for Slaine. For just a moment, he might've thought...no, surely Kallen had a reason other than that. Or perhaps it was just an accident. Accidentally touching someone's face is surely within the realm of possibility.

And he supposes, with a gesture that could be intimate, it'd be embarrassing making such a fumble]

My mistake then. I thought perhaps something had happened.

[Surmising this theoretical misplaced gesture to be the way of things, Slaine goes back to eating his daifuku]

[The daifuku that Kallen is eating tastes sweeter somehow, she notices, taking one more bite before she reaches for a napkin to clean her fingers. Her face still feels so hot despite the attempts to control herself. Just what is happening?

It's not even the first time that this happened, reminding herself of the last time they've sparred. Not that she'll ever tell Slaine this, no way. He might ask her questions for answers that she can't even give him.]

You got distracted, that's all.

[She mutters under her breath, keeping her gaze on her hands before she finally wills herself to look at him once again.]

Anyway, how was it? Was it any good?

[Slaine finishes the remainder of his daifuku before he answers, wondering if he really looked all that distracted. He supposes that he'd been looking at the mat rather than at her, but it was difficult to make eye-contact when she watched him so intently.

It's simply too different from the pointed attention that he'd once been so frequently subject to. And it's different from some of the looks he gets around Ashford as well, being a foreigner of some unclear origins.

A shame he can't quite place it, that look he's never gotten before]

It was, thank you for recommending it.

[Maybe she can give him more things with strawberry in it, if he likes the daifuku.]

... You're welcome.

[Kallen spares the rest of the food in front of her a lingering glance before she reaches for the small platter of takoyaki. Now she's back to getting Slaine accustomed to more Japanese food. If she can keep focusing on that, and not on the nagging sensation building up in her chest...]

Here. Try this, too. It's takoyaki.

[Slaine looks at the food, then to Kallen's face]

That's...octopus, right?

[He's still got a great deal to learn about Japan and Japanese cuisine, but he thinks he recognizes something popular like that. Granted he'd never tried it for himself, but he's seen people on campus eating it.

What it is doesn't bother him, but he has to ask all the same]

[A quick nod!]

Right! Little octopus pieces inside them. It's been a while since I ate these, but they're so good.

[She remembers how they tasted from last time, anyway. With little time to spare, she grabs a toothpick to use as a holder, pokes a takoyaki with it, then takes a mouthful of it. Not the most ladylike of bites, really... which she belatedly notices and hopes Slaine doesn't comment on it.]

[Slaine nods in acknowledgement, following Kallen's lead and poking a takoyaki with a toothpick. He doesn't think critically of how she eats, though he takes a smaller bite himself, chewing thoughtfully.

Another savory dish...he's quite sure that he's got a good idea of what Kallen favors]

...It's good.

[He murmurs after he's swallowed, taking another small bite of his takoyaki]

I'm glad.

[Okay, so he hasn't commented on her bites. Good. Kallen lets out a quiet sigh of relief, both at that and at Slaine liking the takoyaki. Not that she has any doubts that he'll be fine with the snack, but it's the thought that counts.

Just as she's done with her takoyaki, her head abruptly turns up towards the sky, a heavy booming noise ringing in her ears before crackling sounds scatter about.]

Slaine, look!

[A gasp slips out before she realizes it, then she points up. Colorful displays of fireworks, each in different sizes and shapes, cover the sky, dispersing and reappearing in many spots.]

[Despite himself, Slaine starts, by far accustomed to such sounds meaning an attack or some sort of conflict. He has to remind himself that Kallen's world is a peaceful one, something hard-earned on her part and by others along with her, and he forces himself to relax. With any luck, she won't have noticed the way he tensed up...

The colors that litter the sky are cheerful, the display by far more gentle than what he'd grown accustomed to. It's something he wishes Earth and Vers could share, someday.

...Though perhaps such a thought is too fanciful. As he looks to the sky, his gaze seems to wander somewhere beyond it, silent with his thoughts]

[Kallen's gaze remains fixed on to the fireworks, so she doesn't notice the way Slaine tensed up at first. Such a beautiful display of colors that she can't help but be captivated by something so simple.

Months ago, she remembers watching the fireworks with the remaining members of the Student Council. Milly, Rivalz, Nina, Gino, Nunnally... even Suzaku— no, Zero was there. It's because peace now exists in Japan that such a thing is possible. Now if only Lelouch could see it.

Her expression softens, casting her glimpse at the man next to her, just as silent as she is. Slaine looks so engrossed that it'd be a shame if she were to interrupt him. But she's glad that he's here with her at a time like this, to even sit next to him and be a part of it.]

[Slaine can only vaguely recall the last time he'd seen fireworks. He knows he was with his father, and he knows he was in a foreign land where he didn't understand what people were saying. Loud crowds and cheering and the loud pop of fireworks overhead, shimmering color lighting up the sky.

The recollection is foggy, and what he remembers more about that occasion is the press of the throng around them. He remembers the thrill of panic that shot through him when he was separated from his father and crying. And he remembers the relief that washed over him when his father found him and took his hand.

Those are the things that Slaine thinks of, looking up at the sky. A world that is and isn't this one, and a time that had long since passed]

[Kallen remains silent on her end, just watching Slaine's gaze linger on the sky before she shifts her eyes towards her hands, now curling up on her lap. Quiet moments like these aren't common, but it's comforting even through the loud crackling sounds of fireworks looming overhead.

He looks so calm, so serene, far unlike herself. There's a sense of vulnerability from him that she can't help but notice, a strong emotion welling up within her that she can't deny. It's very warm, very noticeable.

'Slaine... I want to protect you.'

How long she's felt that way about him is something she can't really say. It's just there and figuring it out at a time like this, tempting as it may be, doesn't seem right. Nothing like the usual pent-up frustrations or outspoken tones that she uses. But she feels it.

Her expression softens up, the faintest smiles tugging at her lips. With her eyes closed, Kallen rests her head on Slaine's shoulder, a hand curling protectively around his.]

Baby, you're a firework

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