Letters and kisses [Private]

[Shinrya Kitsune]

Kitsune smirked as she was headed for her aviary, home of her messenger falcons. Not a common sight after the telegraph system was put up, but Kitsune couldn’t transmit this via telegraph lines. The letter was addressed to the right honorable Hoshikage of Star, Nanasaki Ai. A while back, Kitsune and Ai shared a nightly adventure together following a party that went awry, and Kitsune hadn’t heard a peep from her since then. It was time to end that silence.

Spoiler

Dearest Ai-chan,

How’ve you been, my dearest? I’m assuming you’ve been insanely busy with your work because I haven’t heard a thing from you in so long~

I’ve recently become the newest Medical Sennin of Kumogakure. Hopefully, I’ll do a better job than my predecessors. They left pretty big shoes to fill, so to speak.

I hope to see you soon, my dearest Ai-chan, and I hope this letter finds you well.

Yours,
Shinrya Kitsune.

P.S. – Keep the key~

And at the bottom of the letter, next to the signature, Kitsune had placed a big red lipstick kiss. Something like that was sure to get Nanasaki Ai all riled up. If that wasn’t enough, Kitsune had enclosed a key within the tube on the hawks back. The key was for the front gates and front door of the mansion she lived in. Surely Ai would come running upon receiving that if the letter itself wasn’t enough.

 

[Takaki Saeko]

Nanasaki Ai, Kage of Star Village of Bear Country and sammoonryong of the ancient order of murim, realized that she was probably trespassing on Shinrya Kitsune's property.

It can't be helped. She gave me a key and it's not my fault if she isn't here to greet me, Ai thought. She paced around the ornately-appointed space where a year ago, she had been fatally poisoned during the disastrous banquet Hikari had hosted before the Tenouza Accords. Or at least the poisoning would have been fatal if not for Kitsune's quick attention. Ai owed the wacky, bubbly doctor her life, but the treatment had turned out rather... Stop! She only realigned my chakra coils. Any other competent mednin would have done the same...

Ai's cheeks flushed at the memory of what transpired that night and she had to exhale slowly to force herself to calm down. Controlled breathing was always a good way to bring an overexcited sympathetic nervous system to heel, and she sensed that she would need to do a lot of it while in the presence of a certain voluptuous physician. After all, she had come on business. Strictly business.

Since the signing of the Hayata Treaty in Tenouza, relations between Cloud and Star continued to improve, though suspicions about the actions of a certain Isaki Kushin had always injected an undertone of tension into any discussions. However, they now shared information and even performed joint exercises to shore up both villages' defense against the unpredictable situation in Fire Country. Visiting Cloud personally was part of Ai's effort to improve relations further. Never mind that when she had halfheartedly requested to see the Raikage, she had been told to wait. And wait. And wait.

Did that googly-eyed dweeb kick the bucket or something? she wondered. Still, she was definitely less annoyed at this situation than she should have been. Not having to endure Shin's typical, rambling interrogation meant more time to investigate why Shinrya Kitsune was taunting her over the mail. The lipstick was an especially irksome touch. What a wanton woman. Ill-mannered for such an otherwise outstanding clinician. Ai sucked her teeth and shook her head as she brought out the letter and stared at it.

Unconsciously, she brought it closer to her face. The paper smelled faintly of lavender and she inhaled deeply. Without checking to see if anyone was looking, she lightly touched her lips to the crimson imprint of Kitsune's.

 

[Shinrya Kitsune]

Kitsune hadn’t been expecting Ai to show up today of all days, and yet, here she was... Kitsune managed to catch a glimpse of the Hoshikage as she came up the tiled path leading to the house, and she stayed out of sight, and watched how Ai was reading the letter again. Wonder what she’s doing with that let-- she thought as her line of thought was interrupted by Ai kissing the letter right where Kitsune had left the lipstick imprint. Kitsune smirked and warped outside, standing right in front of Ai, but out of sight due to the paper covering her form.

”If you wanted a kiss that badly, you could just ask me, my dear” Kitsune said, a sly smirk plastered on her face. ”The key is for the front door as well, y’know~ You could’ve just entered. I’m sure you remember where things are.” Kitsune added the last bit with a giggle and winked at Ai, intentionally teasing her now. ”Come in, sweetie, instead of standing out here. As luck would have it, I’ve got lunch in the oven, and the tea should be just about ready now.”

She spun around, opening the door and stepping aside so Ai could enter first, with Kitsune following afterwards, headed for the kitchen. ”I hope you like varied food, because I’ve made quite a few things. Everything from ramen to pork dumplings.” she said as she slipped ahead of Ai, and led her to the kitchen. It was big enough to also contain a dinner table, so why not eat right where the food was? Seemed like a no-brainer to Kitsune. "Have a seat, Ai-chan. I'll bring the food over~" Kitsune said in a chipper voice as she grabbed an apron, and put it on, so as to not stain her clothes in the event of a spillage.

 

[Takaki Saeko]

Ai let out an involuntary yelp, hopped back, and drew her sword with perfect speed and form. She was ready to stab the living shit out of whatever warped into her path, but realized immediately that she'd been caught doing the most embarrassing thing possible in front of the worst person possible. Already, Kitsune was pissing her off. That damned doctor was always wearing the sort of bedroom-eyed smile that only appeared in hentai clips and harem anime. In truth, no woman actually looked at the object of her affection like that. Real women usually wore some sort of resentful scowl because the dishes weren't done and the house was filled with cat fur and smelled of farts.

"A k-kiss?" Ai let out a flustered laugh and hurriedly turned away to shove the letter back into her robes. "I want nothing of the sort! I was just -just checking to see if the signature was authentic, after all. There's been a crime wave, you see, where someone's impersonating shinobi and sending out false correspondence!" (A bald-faced lie, but the best thing she could think of.) "You can't trust the mail these days. And I didn't want to chance the front door. How would it look for a Kage to be caught breaking and entering? I wouldn't know my way around, anyway." (Another lie.)

She crossed her arms and sighed.

"Anyway, now that I've run into you, I'll have you know that I've been terribly aggrieved by your village, Shinrya-soensang. I've come here at great risk to visit your Kage, only to be told that Shin is simply not granting audiences to anyone. I'm pretty sure that his subordinates are being lazy and simply neglecting their duty to inform him of my arrival. If you're indeed one of his new Sennin, then I insist you make amends, or My Queen will take the appropriate action."

Wait, dammit, was she expecting me all along? Ai wondered as Kitsune led her into the mansion. She glanced at her surroundings. Still as gaudy as ever. I'll have to have a chat with her about the virtues of restraint. She settled at a table and gladly accepted a cup of tea. Despite her outwardly calm appearance, the sight of Kitsune donning an apron made her insides feel funny. Shashu had been an extremely cute maid, but Kitsune was something much more... lewd? She crushed the thought.

"You really didn't have to go through all of this trouble for me. I won't be held in debt to you," Ai insisted on seeing the spread. "I'm not even really hungry-"

A growling noise cut her off and she blushed in embarrassment. Right now, she felt like she could eat like a pig. The sensible thing to do would have been to go to a local restaurant before ever coming to the manor, but going solo to a family-style eatery always made her feel like a weird loner. From what she remembered, Kitsune regularly ate enough to satiate a starving Tyrannid, so perhaps this was simply her normal midday meal, and Ai wouldn't be imposing because of a few pork dumplings. "...Perhaps a small amount will do. After all, it is your duty to play host to visiting dignitaries, especially those who've been treated so rudely by your Council." (Actually, they apologized profusely and offered to house her in the best hotel in the village, with personal maid attention.)

Ai took a piece of shu-mai with a pair of chopsticks and gingerly dipped it into the ginger sauce nearby before eating it. As always, the cooking was good, and it seemed like Kitsune had greatly expanded her repertoire beyond pasta-based dishes. I should avoid things with too much garlic. I wouldn't want to smell bad, after all. Ai flushed again at the thought. Just who was she trying to look and smell pretty for, anyway? She needed to break out of this train of thought. As always, business and village gossip was the best distraction for the perturbed heart.

"Tell me frankly: Is there something wrong with Hayata-nim? Should I expect him to recover anytime soon, or will I be forced to return to Star without a trade agreement?" (Yet another lie - there was already a healthy trade accord in place between the two villages.)

 

[Shinrya Kitsune]

Kitsune grinned at Ai’s reaction, and then listened to her flustered explanation only to shake her head ”And how would they be able to impersonate my messenger falcon, dear? The harness even carries the Shinrya seal. And if it was a forgery, the key wouldn’t have worked in the front gate.” she said with a tone that only slightly masked how much fun Kitsune was having. ”Well now, let’s not make the sacrifice I made in Tenouza go to waste, hm?” she said, referring to what Ai had just said about her queen taking appropriate actions.

”Oh, don’t you worry about debts, Ai-chan. The fact that you’re here is more than enough~” Kitsune said chipperly. ”And, well. Your stomach seems to disagree on the hunger part.” she added with a giggle. ”I highly doubt that the council would’ve treated you badly Ai-chan, you are, after all, a very important person. I’m placing my entire household at your disposition, if there’s anything you need, just let me know. Okay?” she said and looked Ai straight in the eyes.

With a few swift movements, Kitsune had brought over all the various dishes, and arranged them on the table so they both could easily reach every dish there. ”And in case you’re still hungry afterwards, there’s dessert too.” Kitsune said, a twinkle in her left eye and a smirk on her lips. It’s highly likely that Ai would be surprised about what it was, but she’d have to wait and see~

”Hm. I was of the understanding that we already had a trade agreement with Star, Ai-chan. From what I hear from my province, we’ve exported at least ten barrels of wine every month to Star.” Kitsune said with a finger on her lower lip and a pensive look in her eyes, as she looked slightly upwards, remembering the monthly reports regarding her businesses. ”And I wouldn’t hold my breath regarding Hayata-sama. It’ll take a while before he sees anyone. He probably ran out of tea or lobster.” she continued ”But you’re welcome to stay for as long as you like~”

 

[Takaki Saeko]

Ai crossed her arms in consternation as Kitsune systematically refuted everything she brought up.

"Just... Just shush, Shinrya-soensaeng! You don't have to always be right, you know," she blurted, accusingly. Her cheeks flushed further. Raising one's voice to a host was a definite breach of protocol. Unforgivable no matter the circumstance. But Kitsune was no mere host, else Ai would never have slipped up in the first place. She cast her eyes down and fiddled with her cuticles.

"I'm sorry. It's just that sometimes, you just have to let others have their little white lies. Otherwise, it's hard for people to have self-control, you know?"

She looked back at Kitsune, and stood to calm her jitters.

"Oh, as long as we're talking business, and I am here strictly on business, I...wanted to present this to you." She skillfully phased an ornate, paper-wrapped roll into the physical plane and proffered it with both hands. "It's just a small state gift for the new Sennin of Kumogakure. Sorry it's so plain. I didn't really put much effort into it or anything, and I certainly didn't stab my fingers a lot doing the needlepoint for it."

Under the wrapping was an ornately-appointed hanbok, the formal women's wear of the Bear Kingdom. Made of heavy silk dyed brilliant gold, it had the crest of the Shinrya painstakingly embroidered on its back in brilliant lapis lazuli thread. It was fine enough to be worn in the court of the Haninozuka monarchs, and worth a fair bit more than most "small state gifts." Ai hid her still-bandaged fingers behind her back and looked away. Hopefully Kitsune wouldn't open it, because as much as Ai feared that Kitsune wouldn't be enthusiastic about it, she feared more that Kitsune would like it. Then again, a part of Ai wanted to hear some praise. Maybe even a thank-you hug would suffice. A more practical part of her consciousness worried that the bust area needed to be let out even more that it already had.

"Don't misunderstand, though! You're definitely not the only one I got a gift for. I mean, I think I meant to bring Akira Saito a sword...or something. And I meant to get Hikari-dono a hammer but they just haven't arrived yet in the post and they were too large for me to carry all alone." She laughed nervously. "Ah, what a pain your Raikage is being! We couldn't think of a gift for him, because we assumed he had all the tea and lobster in the world. I mean, what do you get the man who has everything? I suppose I could get him a coffin, right? Ah, that wasn't appropriate. Forgive me."

 

[Shinrya Kitsune]

Kitsune giggled, having managed to get the Hoshikage that riled up meant that Kitsune had gotten under her skin. ”Fine fine~ I’ll be nice” Kitsune said, laughing slightly. Then, when Ai stood up, Kitsune looked at her, wondering what was going on.

"Oh, as long as we're talking business, and I am here strictly on business, I...wanted to present this to you."

Kitsune accepted the paper-wrapped roll and raised an eyebrow at hearing that it was a small state gift. And she smirked slightly at hearing Ai deny stabbing her fingers doing the needlepoint on it. Kitsune quickly deduced that Ai had made this gift that that it was no simple, or small, state gift. It was a gift from Ai herself. Kitsune carried the package over to yet another table over by one of the windows, and placed it down, opening it slowly and gazing upon what was within.

When she saw the golden silk, and the Shinrya crest embroidered on the back, Kitsune’s eyes began watering. She quickly wiped the water away as if something was irritating her eye, and then turned around to face Ai, and with a few fast steps, Kitsune had embraced the Hoshikage, hugging her tightly and whispering ”Thank you, Ai-chan. It’s beautiful.” into her ear. Afterwards Kitsune planted a soft kiss on Ai’s cheek and stepped back, letting her arms side down to grab Ai’s hands. A bright smile was plastered on Kitsune’s face as Ai then suggested having gotten a coffin for Shin. ”Well. I suppose that would be the only thing remaining. Though I’m fairly certain he’d appreciate a good book more. Perhaps something with swords and an imperium. Or guns and a specific temple. I hear he enjoys the fantasy genre.”

With a shaky hand, Kitsune guided Ai back to the table and grabbed her chopsticks. She then proceeded to sit down next to Ai ”Open wide, Ai-chan~” she said cheerfully and held up one of the small pork dumplings, ready to gently place it upon her tongue.

 

[Takaki Saeko]

Want was a funny thing; having it satisfied was just as fearsome as being denied.

Ai stiffened involuntarily at the embrace. It wasn't the physical closeness to another woman that caused her shoulders to tense. Ai had hugged many women in her life, like any other well-socialized human being. But the outpouring of gratitude from Kitsune was perilously easy to drown in. It tempted her surrender with the gravity of a stare down a hundred-story drop where the sole, overriding thought was an incredible compulsion to pitch herself over the edge. What am I doing? Why does she - this vulgar, exhibitionist, flippant woman - cause me to lose all rational thought in her vicinity?

Defense was easy. Walls were simple to create. Block out the other, so that the self wouldn't take over.

"They're actually not published yet, despite all the buzz," Ai countered, glad to have the conversation returned to a lull of normalcy. "Besides, they're pretty controversial, anyway. I mean, guns? In Ryoma's universe? Perish the thought!" She laughed at the absurdity of the concept. "And it's obvious that the Oriental is simply the author's self-insert into an overpowered, dirty-old-man archetype based on the late Sennin Takaki. The character even has an eyepatch on the same side!"

Too late, Ai realized she had probably screwed up. In truth, she did not know if Kitsune had ever really recovered from the events of Tenouza. It was something Ai had felt guilty about, not being able to check on Kitsune in the aftermath of the assassination attempt. That abomination Deta had sequestered everyone into another part of the cathedral, and besides, Ai had to make sure that her queen was safe, first and foremost. Shit! Her hands are shaking. Oh, Kitsune, forgive me...

Honest Sound​

She smiled and accepted the little dumpling offering, knowing full well what it symbolized. The meat was sweet and salty and savory, just like the sensations swirling around in her head and in her heart. She grasped Kitsune's hand and nuzzled it with the tips of her nose and lips.

"I'm sorry I disappeared after Tenouza. I could make excuse after excuse, of course. Sennin Kuro's passing, signing the peace treaty, disarming Marsh troops, rebuilding our forces... But to be honest, it's because I wanted to escape knowing what truly happened. It was easier to pretend I was too busy than to get a letter from the Raikage confirming your death. I didn't know what I'd do if I saw that in the mail. I freaked out when I got the letter from your hawk. I almost didn't open it. I tried to shoo the damned bird away but it wouldn't stop. Isn't it funny? The Kage of Star, with the blood of hundreds on her hands, and I'm afraid of a goddamned piece of mail. But you probably know, more than anyone, that I'm a huge coward at heart, despite all appearances."

She looked up and gently caressed Kitsune's cheek.

"You don't have to tell me the details of what happened after, and I don't think I'm ready to hear them, anyway. We both lost people who were special to us, and reliving the memories is going to do more harm than good. You look like you've been through a lot. I know you can remove scars and don't really age, but your eyes tell a different story. It makes me want to protect you forever, so you don't ever have to feel such sadness again. But that would be an insult to your pride. You and I are warriors at heart. So, I'll just say that I'm glad to see you alive. To touch you, to share a meal with you, to..." She trailed off, her throat dry. "That being said, you could stand to wear more clothing and you're still rude as hell."

She looked away, feeling something stinging in her eye. The longer she stayed, the harder it became to leave.

"I should...I should go. The Council offered to put me up in the Dragon's Rest while I wait for the Raikage."

 

[Shinrya Kitsune]

Kitsune nodded. ”Well. We can always hope the author gets them out soon.” she said in a quiet tone, remembering all the random crap Masao and her had been through, she glanced away and a single tear rolled down her cheek and fell onto the floor. Kitsune tried to stay strong, to not show Ai the grief she hadn’t gotten past. And how could she? It hadn’t even been that long since they faced down a chimera in the frozen wastes of Naraka, or how they had rescued the Shogun from the nuclear-powered train, headed straight for Raiden’s Eye. And now Masao was gone. Kitsune didn’t exactly know how to deal with it all, so she mainly just focused on work, putting on a façade of being fully in charge of her emotions and everything else. But she really wasn’t. Now, that façade was coming apart at the seams.

​

Kitsune bit her lower lip as Ai took hold of Kitsune’s hand and nuzzled it, she really had to fight to keep everything contained now, and then Ai spoke. Kitsune took a short breath before she removed the choker she had been wearing every day since she had returned to Kumo, revealing the scar beneath it, right in the dead center of her throat, right where the fake Masao had stabbed her, and basically killed her. ”This is how I died…” she said in a shaky voice, clearly unable to control it. ”I was fully dead for quite a while, despite attempts to save me. From what I’ve been told… Masao tried saving me, using the Holy Grail… It didn’t work immediately. And now he’s gone, and he’ll never…” she paused, looking Ai straight in the eyes.

Her eyes were watering, and it felt like an eternity before she spoke again ”And he’ll never know that he saved me…” Kitsunes fingers were lightly touching the scar on her throat ”I can heal any scar… But I’m keeping this… It’s a reminder, of what happened, and of him…" A short pause "… A Kingslayer… Using his visage, killed me…” Kitsune explained with a shaky, almost breaking voice. A long period of silence followed.
Finally Ai then spoke and said she should go, that she had been offered lodgings at the Dragon’s Rest. That became the breaking point for Kitsune, and she just slumped down on the floor, tears streaming down her cheeks uncontrollably now as she grasped for Ai’s leg, trying to stop her from leaving. It was clear to both of them that Kitsune shouldn’t be left alone right now, or she could end up doing something that neither of them wanted, she had disappeared before, and she could just as easily do it again. Her entire body was visibly shaking, and

Through the silence of the room, small drips of water could be heard; they were Kitsune’s tears hitting the floor. ”Don’t go…” she managed to say. She was laid bare, there was no more façade, no more provocative Kitsune, no more “I’m in control of everything” attitude. This was Kitsune in her most vulnerable, raw state. Something she hadn’t shown anyone, ever. And now Ai, the head of an entire shinobi village, someone who Kitsune had been teasing for ages, saw everything. What would the woman think? The biggest tease in Ai’s life, at her feet and crying her eyes out over a man that wasn’t around any longer. Hopefully Ai would realize that Kitsune actually needed her there, and she’d stay. If not, then Kitsune would tell her as she fought to stand up, her legs clearly being opposed to it as they were shaky and likely to buckle at any time.

[MFT; WC: 614]

 

[Takaki Saeko]

"Oh, Kitsune." Ai let out a slow breath as she knelt and cradled her friend's face in her palms. "Oh, Kitsune. How much pain you must have felt. How it must have been to see your beloved betray you so." Ai drew Kitsune's head close and propped her chin against red hair and closed her eyes. Her fingers stroked deep rivets into wavy red and the two women held each other for a time, not needing to speak.

"If it is not an imposition, I would like to stay with you, rather than at the council's lodging," Ai said, finally. She felt hands tremble and squeeze at her and knew it meant yes. "We women have it tough in this life, you know. Always a time to kill, and yet never a time to heal. Unjust, is it not?" Ai laid her cheek against the top of Kitsune's head. "The core of our warrior pride is to suffer those burdens without complaint, but I am your friend and your sister and, in a past moment of drunkenness, your lover, so you can share these with me without slighting your honor. I will stay. I will stay."

Finally, Ai lightly pressed her kips to Kitsune's.

 

[Shinrya Kitsune]

Kitsune looked at Ai as she said that she’d like to stay here with Kitsune. ”Thank you…” she said and buried her face in Ais chest, trying to compose herself. It wasn’t going well, but it was a try. After listening to Ais words, Kitsune looked up at her, hearing the last of her words before the kiss. At first Kitsune was a tad surprised, but then gave in, closing her eyes and kissing Ai back, wrapping both arms around her. Thank you Ai… For being here for me… Kitsune thought before running her right hand down Ai’s back, pulling her a tad closer and deepening the kiss.

After what felt like an eternity, Kitsune broke the kiss and looked Ai directly in the eyes. ”Thank you Ai-chan.” she said, and gave her a smile before picking her up, and carrying her upstairs for a giant tub of ice cream to share, some chick flicks to watch, and some company to be had. Hopefully the other woman wouldn’t object to it.

​

[MFT; WC: 171]

 

[Takaki Saeko]

[Probably a good place to conclude this, so for record keeping, TLUS!]

Because Steve Perry is ALWAYS appropriate for a thread about love and loss​