Work Text:
Kujou Sara may have been many things, but she most certainly wasn’t a fool. Grasped in her palm was the object of her ire. One of the subordinates had claimed to have taken the head of Naganohara Fireworks’ vision after an altercation earlier in the week. At the time, she had just scoffed and tossed the damn thing on her desk, deciding to count it at a later time once she had caught up on the others.
Nearly three days later, she finally glanced at it. As stated before, Kujou Sara is not a fool. The vision she saw, she could easily tell, was a dupe. That’s not to say it wasn’t well crafted. The metal was pristine and shiny; the glass stone of the vision was perfectly clear. However, the fine details were missing, and the insignia was uncentered by a millimeter. Perhaps if she was not so well versed, she would have fallen for such a trick.
"They're certainly getting more and more clever." She spoke to the empty room before sighing and tucking the vision away. She would have to pay the Naganohara girl a visit. Peering out her window, she gauged that it was still early enough in the day for the shop to still be open. "Might as well make the visit now rather than later."
The trip to the shop wasn’t a difficult one, and thankfully, Sara hadn’t run into that damn oni. He always seemed to butt in when she had important matters to tend to. Once at the shop, she slipped inside easily and quietly, the soft click of her shoes barely noticeable despite the wood flooring. Sara spotted Naganohara Ryuunosuke first. He was sweeping off in one corner of the store.
Taking a quick sweep of the place, Naganohara Yoimiya was nowhere. With a shake of her head, she instead seeks out Ryuunosuke. "Naganohara-san." She greets him with a polite bow. The man smiles and ceases his movements.
"General Kujou." He bows as well, though deeper than the one she had given. "What brings you to Naganohara Fireworks?" He asked.
"I’m looking for your daughter. Perhaps you could tell me her whereabouts? "
Ah, I believe she’s in the back doing some craftwork for the shop. You're welcome to head back there. He gestures off to the leftmost door. The tengu gives a stiff, courteous nod and offers a bow once more. She heads to the pointed door and slips in just as quietly as before. This room is on the darker side than the previous one, with less light and windowing. From her spot, she can make out a work bench with a bright lantern and a messy strawberry blonde ponytail sticking up from behind a shelf, obscuring the rest of the view.
Despite her quiet entrance, the blonde turns around with an easygoing smile on her face. Her soft gold eyes are illuminated in the lantern light, and it washes the rest of her in a warm glow. "General, what do I owe the honor?" Her tone is playful as she asks the question. Before Sara can answer, Yoimiya gets up from her spot and crosses the room to stand a few feet away. From here, Sara can easily make out the vision on Yoimiya. It glows brightly in the dark room, much like its owner. As if feeling the tengu’s gaze, her hand falls over her vision gently.
"I came here to speak with you about an important matter." Sara pulls out the fake and extends it to the other in her palm. "My men said that they confiscated your vision, but the one they had been given was a fake." Straight and firm. Sara didn’t mince words when it came to work matters. After seeing the fake, Yoimiya seemed almost nervous.
"I’m not quite sure what you mean. Maybe they got confused. " She says innocently, but the grin that’s spread on her face says otherwise. Sara can’t help the scoff that escapes her lips. Yoimiya was many things, but she most certainly wasn’t a good liar.
"Yoimiya, you need to be careful. I can only protect you so much. If the Shogun-"
A palm was held up, and Sara stopped dead in her tracks. Meanwhile, Yoimiya tsked. "The Shogun enjoys my presence too much to do something so drastic." She stated the obvious.Sara purses her lips and then shakes her head.
"I only say this because I care, Yoi. If they had noticed this,"she shakes the vision in her hand. "You would be in deep trouble, trouble that I can’t protect you from." Yoimiya frowned, a look that was just downright off from her usual expression; it was almost unnerving. Then Yoimiya spoke in a quiet and even tone.
"I don’t need protection, General Kujou." Without waiting for a response, she turns to head back to the bench. "Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to make new stock for the shop." Sara's expression darkened as she became frustrated with being ignored and frustrated with being ignored.How could she be brushed off in such a rude manner? She had only meant well.
Sara couldn't just leave, so she headed to the work bench. The seat itself was long enough for two, and after a short internal debate, the tengu decided to take a seat. Yoimiya spared her a glance but nothing more before working on the bright object on the desk. Sara kept quiet, not wanting to overstep completely. The two had had similar fights in the past, not always on the same topic, but it had boiled down to the same issue. Naganohara Yoimiya was a free spirit, and Kujou Sara was a loyal worrywart. Two characteristics that clashed like oil and water. Instead of talking more about the issue, she watches as deft fingers weave in intricate patterns, the starting form of one of the trinkets Sara had seen in the shop prior.
I know it's just because you care, but I can take care of myself once in a while.Yoimiya seems at a loss for words. Her brows furrow and a frown tugs on her lips more before she speaks. If I get in trouble, I don’t want you to damage your own image and your standing with the Shogun." Her hands halt their movements in surrender. She can’t weave like this when she’s so upset.
Sara doesn't flinch or pull away when Yoimiya gently puts her hand in her own. Doesn't move when their fingers twist together. The blonde looks at their hands intertwined and then up at Sara's gleaming eyes. Her expression is difficult to decipher, but Yoimiya’s had plenty of practice. The tengu is simply worried.
She draws her other hand up and strokes Sara’s cheek before resting there softly. Sara can’t help but lean into it. They didn’t have many moments like these, both busy with their duties to indulge, so Sara would indulge because this wouldn’t happen again in the near future. "My loyalty lies with the Shogun but-" she places a kiss on the other's palm. "My love and affection belongs only to you." Another kiss. "If a choice has to be made in the future, I’m unsure of what my decision may be, but at the least, I just want you to be safe. Is that asking too much of my partner?" And another soft brush against the blonde palm.
The frown was gone from Yoimiya’s face, replaced with a warm smile that could melt snow, and Sara couldn’t help but smile as well. "No it isn’t. I’ll try to be more careful." Yoimiya giggles. Sara gives a quiet nod of approval. While she didn’t promise she would stay out of serious trouble, just knowing she’d try to, soothed Sara’s nerves just a little.
"Y'know, since you’re here," the blonde trailed off before pulling the General close. "We might as well make the most of it." Another giggle, but softer this time. Not deigning to answer, Sara ever so carefully presses her own chapped lips against the plush ones of her lover. The kiss is chaste and slow, the two chasing their own eternity together with one single kiss that just couldn’t last. They paused quietly to catch their breath, their foreheads pressed together. If eternity was moments like these with Yoimiya, then how could Sara not want to seek it out? How could she not remain loyal to the Almighty Shogun?
This time, Yoimiya’s the one that presses forward, more heated than the last kiss, and Sara can’t help but feel it’s ironic given her lover's affinity. But neither of the two dared to pursue anything more than this, not while Yoimiya’s father was present in just the other room. Sure, he might not hear the quiet noises, but the two found it uncomfortable, given the fact that he might just walk in.
Parting once more, Sara is the one who creates distance. She doesn’t want to, but it’s surely late and she has an early morning ahead of her and a meeting with the Shogun awaiting her. She can’t afford to be late. Yoimiya understands; she’d spent the last hour or so preoccupied with the tengu and had only finished half of her trinkets. She’d have to work late to catch up. She tenderly brushes strands of hair behind one of Sara’s ears and then strokes her cheek. "Don’t get into any fights on the way home." She teases.
Sara chuckles and nods. "I could say the same to you, but," she gestures to the half-woven item on the table. "I doubt you’ll be leaving tonight." The blonde grins before laughing.
"Yep, I’ll be a busy bee for a while. I won’t be up to any good, I can say that much!" She laughs, and Sara can’t help but equate her with the sun. Brilliant, warm and vibrant.
"I think I’ll let you keep this." She gingerly places the fake vision in the other’s hand. The blonde’s fingers curl around it and her smile dims just a little.
"Are you going to get into trouble?"
"No, I didn’t bother to document it."
Satisfied, Yoimiya nods and places it in the table's corner. With that, Sara stands ready to make her leave. "I’ll try my best to visit more often. I’ve missed seeing you." Her words are clear and honest. It’s been too long, and she realized it today.
"You don’t have to force yourself to make time. After all, you're a very busy woman, General." The title was thrown out playfully.
"I will always make time for you."
The blush on the girl's face was enough of an answer, and Sara turned and exited the room, bowing and thanking Naganohara-san on her way out, then making the trek home to have sweet dreams of a certain bubbly blonde archer that she adored.