lumberlady | Prismatica IC Contact

[His mind sure as hell has been running a mile a minute, that's for sure. But after he put some thought into the both of them being okay with whichever medium, he'd realized that maybe things like this could be observed by snoops...]

I'm- I'm comin' by. I should be a few minutes. ...A-and happy new year!

Happy New Year!

[That's right- Kanji would actually get a lot of her new year's traditions, right? Even though he was from the future Japan... They probably still ate mochi, didn't they? Why would anyone give up mochi?]

I'll be in the kitchen, so just come on in!

[Time to heat up some zenzai. And wonder what he wants to talk about.]

[He nodded and ended the call. He wondered how he could properly word this feeling he was having, this rush of everything all at once, but he had a feeling that Konoha would know precisely where he was coming from. When it came to love, who else to ask but your newlywed friend?

He knocked on the doorframe to announce his arrival before he stepped in. The smell that he caught almost immediately sent him to memories of back home, hunched over a warm bowl and enjoying that first sweet, fluffy bite...]

I'm here! Sorry to hit you up on short notice, but uh, thanks for the invite.

[She picks up on his footsteps before the knock comes, but she waits until the knock to stick her head out of the kitchen with a smile, two reheated bowls ("microwaves" were amazing!) of zenzai in her hands.]

Come on in! No need for a "sorry", you're always welcome here!

[Leading the way into the main room, she used a forehoof to slide a few cushions together for them before she lumbers to her belly, holding out a bowl for Kanji to take.]

What did you want to talk about? Now I'm curious!

[Microwaves were badass. But don't ask him how they work- he still can't wrap his head around 'waves an inch long all over the interior' or whatever he'd learned back in school. Kanji had a seat and accepted the bowl. He knew it...! Oh man, he was a sucker for mochi.]

I thought I smelled zenzai! Thanks.

[Don't mind him as he helps himself to one of the best goddamn things on the planet. He just needed a bite. That, and he needed that bite to get his thoughts in order.]

It... uh, w-well, so... I got a present for Naoto a few weeks ago. Pair of rings. The shopkeeper said to give one of 'em to her while kneeling. So I did. And I freaked her out.

[He ears turned red, and he rubbed the back of his neck. He paused, and realized maybe jinba don't do the same thing.]

[Konoha is all smiles when he takes the sweet red bean soup, generously topped with a dollop of grilled rice cake. It gives her a chance to take a bite, too, cheeks full and chewing as she settles in to listen, no idea whatsoever what it might be...

Oh! About Naoto?

Normally, Konoha would have no idea whatsoever about what could be significant about a pair of rings exchanged between lovers. That certainly wasn't any part of wedding culture in the early 1600's that she knew about. But conversations with a certain wolf-keeping man who'd recently left Lunatia and existed now only as a bromide photo she gave offerings of rice and sake to each morning give her an idea that rings could mean...

A lot. Apparently.

Enough that she pauses mid-chew, blinking in surprise to speak around her full mouth.]

Isn't that how some humans get married?

[Okay, so she didn't fully get the tradition, but.]

[Kanji's color darkened as he nodded quickly, grip tightening over his now-trembling spoon.]

R-right! So... so the shopkeeper was screwin' with me! So she freaked out and said 'proposal' and... and I explained that it was all a mix-up. And we talked stuff through. And everything was okay.

...

[He looked down into his bowl.]

But I ain't been sleepin' all too good since. Crazy dreams. I got this feeling like a hole burnin' in my gut. Humans usually wait a few more years or so to get married usually. Mid-twenties. Late twenties. A little further into adulthood.

[He paused, and stirred the spoon.]

...But I keep dreamin' about it. Y'know. Marryin' her.

[It takes a minute for Konoha to process what he's saying happened, but chewing her zenzai-flavored cud helps her through it. So... Basically... Miss Naoto thought that he was asking her to be his wife... But he hadn't been. And they talked about it...

But everything was definitely not okay. She knows that look.]

I heard "future" places don't let you do anything until you're eighteen... It's so weird...

[Because Konoha... is definitely not late twenties. Not even mid-twenties. And sure she knew some people who waited that long, but she also came from a world that considered men and women grown by far different standards. Maybe if she was older she'd have a better answer, or a better question, but she goes with her gut like she always does, and the gut says-]

Are they nice dreams?

Eh, yeah. Laws. Humans're kids until they're 18 according to the government. The way they see it, kids don't know what they're doin' and that's pretty much true. But a lot of it's bullshit.

[He felt he knew a lot by 16, let alone almost 19. He still had more to learn, but he wasn't the type to be coddled like someone who needed their nose wiped. It was a weird place to be, agreeing and disagreeing all at once.

He had a mouthful of beans when she asked her question. He fought to swallow rather than choke, but couldn't help the loopy little smile on his face.]

Yeah. They are. I, uhm... once or twice it's me meeting her grandpa for the first time, somethin' we wound up talkin' about actually, since she's already met my mom. Uh... even if my mom thought she was a guy at the time.

Other times it's havin' a small ceremony, since we both hate huge loud deals. Somethin'... intimate, but kinda humble. But it's always different, y'know? And the last names, too. I dunno if she'd want my family name, but... I'd be totally okay havin' hers.

[He shrugged.]

When humans get married, usually the bride takes the husband's family name. But bein' a Shirogane's real important to her. I wouldn't wanna take that from her, so... why not be a Shirogane Kanji, right?

[No matter how many times she heard about it, Konoha definitely didn't get it. She wouldn't go so far as to call rules in other worlds bullshit, but... She's pretty sure even if you thought genpuku at thirteen was too young, there was quite sensible fifteen year olds... sixteen year olds...

She'd certainly considered herself an adult by fifteen. She'd had a job, she took care of her parents, she cooked and cleaned... some of the girls in her village married around then.

But it doesn't matter, really. What mattered is that Kanji's mother has met her son's potential bride! A good start! She certainly couldn't have had the courage to ask Gonta to marry her if her mother and father hadn't encouraged her. As for names-]

Mmm, I know. It's really common where I'm from to adopt your daughter's husband if you need someone to inherit the name.

[And Shirogane was a nice name. But more importantly, she finally swallows her mouthful of zenzai to properly ask,]

Did... Miss Naoto seem happy? When she thought you were asking to marry her?

[Adopt the daughter's husband... he had to imagine a scenario where Naoto's old man took him in and showed him around the estate. His stomach twisted at the thought that of the reality of it- seeing such classy opulence of a big home. He hoped he wouldn't fuck it up somehow.

Kanji moved to speak, but hesitated. Instead, he appeared rather stumped.]

She's the type to get quiet and excuse herself if she doesn't wanna be around a particular topic or person.

But she was the one who mentioned she'd like for us to talk to her Grandpa and formally meet my mom first. I think that's mostly why she was shocked, that it looked like I'd skipped the whole process of possibly announcing it to our families by bein' on a weird alien planet so far away from 'em.

[He sighed, relieved now that he'd said it all out loud.]

That's... that's just a part of why I love her, yeah? Even if I'm a total fuck-up with gettin' out what I wanna say, she just gets it.

[He then held up his right hand, revealing his ring.]

Then she asked to put hers on.

[Konoha is never one to ignore food when it's in front of her, but things are getting serious enough that she pauses in her decimation of the red bean soup, holding the warm bowl between her front knees and humming along, eyes slipping closed and smile turning up a little bit in the corners.

Like she knows.

And maybe she does. After all... What he's saying sounds pretty similar to her own experiences. Kanji had surely noticed that between Konoha and Gonta, one of them was definitely not a talker, and one of them definitely had to do the getting]

Mmm, I understand.

[She gets what Kanji means, as well. Until he shows off the ring, that is, and says Naoto put hers on, too.

She almost upsets the zenzai all over her forelegs in surprise, scrambling to hold the bowl properly as she leaps straight to conclusions using her very rudimentary and lacking knowledge of future human ring traditions.]

Wait- Does that mean you're Lunatian-style married?

[Maybe not by their world's standards, but, by this one's??!]

[He was mid-bite and nearly inhaled the dumpling with the question. Eyes wide as saucers, he had to wonder:]

H-huh!? L-lunatian-style married!? ...I-is there a Lunatia style!?

[Oh no. Oh shit. He needed to look this up somehow and get to the bottom of it. He hurriedly scooped the rest of the zenzai into his mouth before he went for his tablet.]

There's gotta be a law or rule or somethin' about prismal m-marriage or whatever, right!?

W- Wouldn't there be? People have to get married some way here...

[She's seen plenty of couples and families, and sure the families in particular were a punch in the gut ever since she'd found out she wouldn't be allowed children as long as she was in this place, but-]

Maybe you're just Lunatian-style engaged? With the rings and all?

[He'd said "proposal", so the idea is still in her head. Maybe his tablet has the answers???]

[To his building stress, he found nothing about marriage customs. Nada. Zip. Either it was omitted because it wouldn't matter to the Moonblessed, or there weren't really any sort of custom of the sort because everybody basically just fucked everybody.

He sighed and lowered the tablet.]

Shit... S-so... uhm... m-maybe I should talk about this with her more. The plan was to kinda 'put a pin in it' until we had a way to get home and we meet our families n' all.

[He sat up straighter.]

A-AND THIS STAYS BETWEEN US! Please? I don't- I don't wanna screw this up somehow by makin' a huge deal out of stuff when even I don't really know what anything means in this place!

Maybe that would be best...

[After all, as embarrassing as such straight talk could be, Konoha knew that sometimes that was what you had to do to get answers! And communication was key in relationships!]

When it's important, I even make Gonta talk about it...

[And as Kanji knew... Gonta was notoriously tight-lipped.

But at his request she can't help but stiffen up straighter as well, raising a hand to wave away the idea that she'd ever contribute to a romantic screw up. ... Even though she definitely has in the past.]

O- Of course! I won't tell a soul... Or- Can I tell Gonta? I talk to him every day it's hard not to say stuff, but I won't tell Miss Naoto, though, promise! Pinky promise!

[And there it goes, her pinky held out towards him for a seal on that promise.]

[...She... okay, she could. It'd be okay.]

I mean, if ya wanna tell Gonta, I won't be mad about it. J-just not to Naoto! I do wanna talk to her about everything.

I jus' don't want stuff like Valentine's Day to get weird or nothin'.

[With a firm jaw set, he offered his own pinky and linked it with hers. Pinky promises were legit, and nobody could tell him otherwise.]

Definitely not Miss Naoto!

[Pinky promises were indeed quite sacred, and Konoha's expression is serious when their pinkies link and she shakes his hand lightly.

Now that just left one more thing...]

But... what's Valentine's Day?

O-oh! Valentine's Day's a big romance holiday. In some countries people send flowers to their girlfriends or wives or they go on these big fancy dates together.

For my country, we get two days: Girls give giri choco to their co-workers, people they know that they don't have romantic feelings for. For the person they like, they make a fancier, sometimes made-by-hand honmei choco.

Then on White Day, a month later, the guys whip up an answer for 'em: We give white chocolate, marshmallows and cookies or whatever for the girls, but gotta give somethin' fancier in return than what we got.

...At least, that's what I know. Hell, I didn't learn much until pretty well into school since I figured people were just obsessed with candy for a day!

[He sighed, rubbed the back of his head.]

I, uh... never got chocolate on Valentine's. I figured it was because nobody knew I liked candy, lookin' like this.

A romance holiday...

[The idea is repeated a bit dumbly as Konoha just stares back at him, listening to the explanation of this strange festival day. She was used to the idea of praying for enmusubi, and certain rituals for matchmaking but a whole holiday for romance? Big fancy... "dates". (She knew what dates were now! Basically.) Sending flowers... no chocolate?

There's a second where she looks... a little queasy. Chocolate... and jinba guts didn't go so well together.

She can kind of see how people might not think Kanji liked sweet things, what with how tough a first impression his looks gave off... But, oh, no, what if he felt bad about it...]

Well... I won't get any either, don't worry! Gonta definitely doesn't know about Valentime's Days...

[... Wait, did that help or did it sound sad?]

[Uh oh. He may have made a monster. But that's okay. What the hell's wrong with being lovey-dovey?]

I mean, I could let 'im know. A little nudge-nudge, right?

[He smiled.]

Naoto ain't into chocolates, at least. She had tons of fans in school who gave her loads of presents... ain't much of a candy type.

So I got this idea of... of usin' Chroma. As we know uh... p-pretty well... Chroma makes stuff grow like crazy. My new dragon form pretty much gives off massive waves of it! So what if I planted a bunch of seeds, hang out with 'em on full moon nights, and make 'em grow real huge?

Then it's a unique ton of flowers, just for her! I-I dunno if she likes flowers, but she's definitely more into what a gift means more than anything else. She's... she's like me that way.

[It sounded rather nice, actually... And if Gonta knew about the holiday then... maybe he would want to do something for it? Go on a "date", or do something special... Konoha's brain kicks into overdrive contemplating if it was proper or right to do such a thing, but in the end...]

Oh, no, it's... That's fine... If I asked you to tell him I'd look pretty selfish, I think...

[A good wife is content with what she gets! It's a cute holiday, but what if he felt obligated to do something? What if it just came off that she wanted a present?

Kanji has come up with such a creative idea all on his own, though? Konoha can't help the romantic look that suffuses her expression, the way her fingers knit together as she clasps her hands over her heart. She's too taken by the concept to even blush much over the fact that the both of them knew very well what chroma did to plants.]

Your idea is really nice, though... It's so sweet, any woman would love it! Even if they didn't like flowers, if you put all that effort into it...

[Confused, he shrugged.]

Er... I mean, if ya say so? You could always just ask him to make himself available on that day. Then do some stuff with him you've always wanted but never tried before.

[He smiled.]

Y-yeah...? That's cool. I figure, if I'm ever stumped, I go with somethin' that I think I'd like if I were her.

But... didn't you say the man was supposed to do the inviting?

[So she may have gotten a bit confused on which holiday was supposed to be lead by which gender, in between Lunatian traditions and the one's he said came from his country. Stuff she'd always wanted but never tried before... ? That blush she hadn't been able to muster before springs up, better(?) late than never, trying to think of what kind of thing that could be while answering him at the same time.]

That's really smart... Because even if you mess up and pick something they don't love, then maybe they'll at least be happy because you're happy...

[And if it's one thing she's learned since her marriage... it's that she cared far more about someone else's happiness than her own.]

Well yeah, but a bunch'a different countries do it different. I say, if jinba don't do it... make it "Jinba Style"! Start a new thing you'll take home with the big guy.

[He nodded.]

Yeah... I mean, even if the flowers aren't huge, she's always into 'warm n' cozy'. We could read together and I'll bake cookies or somethin'.

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