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A shoji door slides open, basking the room in the warm glow of the afternoon sun. It leads to a large oriental home decorated with potted plants near its windows and paintings of beautiful landscapes spread across the walls. It’d be impossible to miss the assortment of different types of katanas mounted in a similar fashion, most adorned with decorative sheathes that make the area look respectably distinguished.
After pushing the door open with one hand, Ryoma enters the abode with a bamboo basket in the other. He shares a calm smile with the lovely woman that steps inside with a similarly elegant look - Azura. They both wear kimonos of such quality that easily reflect their prestigious status, Ryoma’s being dark red while Azura sports a deep blue.
In her arms is an infant wearing a tiny kimono fitted perfectly to his size, his eyes and hair a striking color to his mother’s. He looks up to his parents as they share a lighthearted chuckle, tilting his head in curiosity.
“Hold, Shiro.” Ryoma calls out as their eldest son scampers into the house, no more than a few years older than the other. His resemblance is closer to their father’s in contrast to his brother. “You’ll drop your ingredients at that pace.”
The young Shiro hoists two baskets inside, one in each of his small arms. His face is red with strain as he dashes toward the kitchen. While lifting these is hardly an effort for most, they have enough weight for it to pose quite the challenge for him.
“Hnnngg..” He huffs, carefully setting the baskets to the floor. Shiro quickly spins around to flash his parents a broad smile as if he didn’t look like he was about to keel over. “I..I got it! Mommy, daddy, did you see?!”
The kid darts over and thuds into Ryoma’s leg, looking up at him with bright eyes. He returns a warm smile to his eager son and reaches down to rub the top of his head, ruffling his already-messy hair.
“I did! You’re quite strong for your age.”
“Well done.” Azura replies with a smile. ”You’re such a gentleman, Shiro. Thank you for your help.”
The young boy’s expression brightens with pride. While he basks in his achievement, a voice comes from the living space ahead.
“You guys took your time. Did something come up?”
The familiar figure of Hinoka clad in a stark red kimono appears, though hers is cut a bit shorter than the rest. Not too far away is Takumi who wears sky blue while he lounges next to a kotatsu, glancing over his shoulder at the new arrivals.
“Nothing to worry about.” Azura answers, gesturing over to the baskets. “We simply went to the market to restock a bit. Shiro heard that Auntie Sakura was interested in preparing some treats and he hasn’t been able to sit still.”
“I wanna make cookies!” The child in question shouts, practically bouncing in place.
“Heh, Auntie Sakura..” Hinoka repeats under her breath. She shakes her head in disbelief as if she’s still not used to it. “Yep, she’s been pretty excited waiting for you guys.”
“Hm..” Ryoma scans the large room. “Where’d she get off to, anyway?”
“Can’t say, she wanted us to keep that a surprise. Sakura didn’t go far, though.”
“Haha, I see. I’d like to apologize for taking much longer than intended.”
“No worries, it was fun watching those two bounce ideas around for things to do.”
“Those two?” Ryoma tilts his head ponderously. Sakura was the obvious first choice, but imagining Takumi sharing a similar energy was a little difficult to picture. In stark contrast, however, his wife smiles knowingly.
“Ah, I understand. I’m guessing that aloof posture is just for show, hm?”
“Yep.” Hinoka gives Azura a nod with a cheeky grin. “Trying to be the tough guy in front of the kids.”
“AHEM..” Takumi clears his throat from across the room as he rises to a stand. “You’re mistaken, sister. No need for me to try, since I’m always a tough guy.”
Shiro raises his arms, acting as a one-man cheering squad.
“Yeah, Uncle’s the toughest!”
“Ha! See?”
“Heh..” The eldest sister snickers at their shared enthusiasm. Seeing her reaction, however, Takumi quickly flattens his smile into a cool neutral look.
“Ahem. Anyway.” His gaze then shifts to look between Ryoma and Azura. “When are you two heading out?”
“In just a few minutes, actually.” The former replies. “You have my gratitude for watching them while we’re gone.”
“Don’t mention it. Luckily, I happened to be free today.”
“More like he called off his plans to make sure he’d make it..” Hinoka mutters just loud enough for her younger brother to hear. He shoots her a quick, squinted glance.
“Hey, knock it off! Are you trying to embarrass me?” Takumi hurriedly whispers. His older sister reaches up to pat his head with a bright grin.
“Of course I am! It’s a rare treat, you know.”
“Ugh..” He lets out an exaggerated sigh as he shakes his head, not attempting to stop her.
“Hehe. Here, he’s asking for you.” Azura giggles while she approaches the two. She holds her tiny Shigure out toward the redhead. The baby’s laughter brings a soft smile to Hinoka’s lips, before her expression shifts to an uncertain one.
“Er..wait, are you handing him to me? Are you sure?”
“I am.”
“Uh..well, I don’t really know how to hold him. I don’t wanna make him uncomfortable or anything..”
“You’ll do just fine, Hinoka.”
“Uhm..”
Before she can offer any more words of protest, she finds a baby being settled in her arms. She quickly adjusts with a brief flash of panic as if afraid she’ll drop him. Soon enough, though, she cradles the Shigure in her arms.
After a sigh of relief she looks back up to see that Azura’s walked back over to Ryoma’s side, who smiles warmly at the sight.
“Have fun, all of you.” He calls out. “Give Sakura my regards as well. I’d stay longer but we’re running a little late.”
“Daddy!” The brown-haired kid darts up to his father, tackling his leg. “If I’m good, can I use your sword?”
“Hm..” Ryoma crouches down to pat him on the head with a chuckle. “We can see if you can hold up the scabbard, alright?”
“Wow! Really?!” Shiro’s eyes brighten with awe.
“Indeed. I promise to keep my word if you keep yours.”
“I promise!” He exclaims not a moment later. “I’ll be the goodest!”
“Haha, great!” Ryoma holds his arms open for Shiro to leap into, hugging each other with a warm embrace. “I’ll see you soon, son.”
“See ya!”
Azura gets her turn shortly afterward, lowering herself enough for their son to bound into her arms next. After a lengthy hug, she gently sets him down. A tender kiss is delivered atop of his head before she stands back up.
Shiro throws his arms up to wave at the two while they step toward the door. A few goodbyes are exchanged, then everything quiets down once the parents leave the house.
It doesn’t take long for something else to catch the energetic child’s attention. He dashes toward his uncle and cranes his head up to stare at him with eyes full of energy.
“Uncle! I wanna use the bow!”
Takumi crosses his arms and smirks down at the young boy.
“Greedy, aren’t you? Didn’t your dad just say you could hold the Raijinto when he gets back?”
“I’m gonna do both!” Shiro declares proudly. “I’ll hold the sword and the bow at the same time, then I can beat you both at it!”
“Hah, in your dreams! One at a time, kid. We can go out in the yard and use the practice one. Sound good?”
“Yeah, let’s go!”
Shiro flings himself onto Takumi’s leg, clinging on as a monkey would. The uncle has a hard time suppressing his smile - instead, he opts to even it out into a cool and composed expression as he heads for the rear exit.
Hinoka watches as they make for the yard, shaking her head in amusement.
“Looking at those two takes me way back..they’re so similar.” She mutters. A glance is given to the baby in her arms. “I guess we should catch up, huh?”
Shigure’s arms stretch upward toward his aunt, reaching for her strands of hair. She takes a second to catch on before leaning closer. He happily starts playing with the red locks he gets his hand on, tugging and twisting them around his tiny fingers.
Watching him play nearly melts her heart. It’s not every day she sees an expression this pure - it was practically infectious. Before Hinoka knows it, she’s smiling ear to ear and giggling all the same.
--------------------------
A short while later, the four gather in the yard to the back of the house. It provided a nice, spacious field to do as one wanted, ranging from sparring, playing games or simply just running around.
Right now, a few targets were set out at varying ranges away from the shoji door. Shiro stands next to his uncle with a comically small toy bow suited for a kid his size. Not too far away, Hinoka and Shigure spectate as the young boy tries to adjust to Takumi’s instruction.
A light twang sounds from the bowstring as a plastic arrow flies through the air. It gently thuds against the bottom of the closest target and slides down to the grass below. He throws his arms into the air with a loud cheer.
“Woohoo! Yeah, I hit it!!” Shiro exclaims, spinning around toward his little brother. “Shigure, look! Cool, right?”
“C..” The younger sibling claps his hands together with a smile. “Cool..!”
Shiro beams with pride, looking like he’s on top of the world. Takumi smirks and delivers a round of applause for the display.
“Not bad, not bad. You wanna see cool? Let me have a crack at it.”
“Whoa..! Uncle’s gonna shoot stuff!” Shiro eagerly hands the toy bow to his uncle. He stares unblinking, as if the prestigious display of archery is the only thing on his mind.
Takumi slips three rubber arrows from the crate they brought out. Despite the awkwardly small size of the bow, it doesn’t stop him from doing what he does best. A rapid series of twangs rings out following three arrows that blur across the field.
One, two, and then three targets are struck straight in the middle. Despite their blunt tips, enough force went behind them to embed themselves deep in the material. Shiro’s eyes shoot open wide as his mouth hangs open.
“Awesome! That was so cool!!”
“Awe..awesome!” The tiny Shigure parrots, the two children showering Takumi with attention.
Their stares of genuine admiration are a bit much for him to handle. He looks to them only to quickly glance away to stare at the sky instead. Takumi expertly hides his reddening cheeks under an aloof facade.
“Well, of course. I am the best, after all. You’ve got a long way to go, but with me helping you out, you can be one of the best too.”
As they praise each other’s skills, the shoji door slides open to reveal the appearance of the youngest aunt. Sakura steps outside wearing a tender smile, her own kimono draping down her figure with a soft pink color.
“Sorry I’m late!” She inches closer to the group. A box clad in white wrapping paper and topped off with a pink ribbon is delicately held to her side. Her voice summons the attention of the gathering at large.
“Auntie Sakura!” Shiro sprints toward the young woman to fly toward her for a hug just as he’s done for everyone else. Sakura crouches to give him a warm embrace, her smile growing even softer in his presence.
“Hello, Shiro. Where’s mommy and daddy?”
“Uhhh..I dunno.” Once he pulls away from the hug, his arms raise in a shrug.
“Just missed them.” Hinoka chimes in. “They were running a little late for their plans so they didn’t stay long, but they passed their regards along to you.”
“Aww. I’ll have to make sure we prepare something for them too.”
“Sounds like a plan! What do you have there?” A gesture is made to the wrapped box.
“Oh, it’s the gift I forgot on my way over.” Sakura gently sets it on the ground next to her, drawing Shiro’s attention to it. He wanders closer with a curious gleam, fully intent on unwrapping it as soon as he can.
Unfortunately for him, he’s stopped by his uncle pulling him up by the back of his kimono. Shiro’s held in the air like a kitten being carried by their parent, pouting.
“I wanna see!” He whines.
“Be good, remember? Don’t go opening stuff you aren’t supposed to.” Takumi gently chastises, much to his nephew’s dismay.
“Hmph!” Shiro crosses his arms and looks away, trying to look upset.
“Hehe. It’s okay, the present is for you.” Sakura reassures while she neatly unravels the ribbon and peels off the wrapping paper.
She reaches into a cardboard box to retrieve a set of plush dolls; one is of a pegasus colored snow white, while the other depicts a Hoshidan soldier with an oversized spear. Takumi sets the boy down so he can dash up to his aunt, eyes gleaming with excitement.
“Whoa..! A spear guy!”
“Mhm! That’s a Spear Master, and it has lots of detail on the weapon. Isn’t it cool?”
“Yeah, he’s awesome!”
Once the Spear Master is set in his hands, Shiro begins raising him up and down in the air. He grabs the arm wielding the plush spear and swings it around while attempting to mimic the sounds of combat.
Sakura giggles at the enthusiasm, watching him play for a little while. Then, she stands to face the curious Shigure. A fond smile is shared with the young baby.
“And this one’s for you, Shigure. It’s a horsey, see?”
She imitates the motions of a pegasus trailing through the air in front of him, even flapping its wings using her free hand. To really sell the display, Sakura even starts making her own attempts at a horse whinny.
The young Shigure gives her all of his attention, watching the fantastical creature dance in front of him. His mouth remains agape all throughout as if entranced by it. Soon enough, he reaches his small arms toward it and grabs at the air.
“H..Horsey!”
His excited, high-pitched voice makes Sakura’s smile broaden a bit. She gently places the stuffed animal in the baby’s hands. Shigure’s noises of happiness nearly make her crumble from how cute he is. He toys around with its wings, legs and head while flailing it in the air.
“Aww..he’s too cute.”
“Isn’t he?” Hinoka gives her sister a bright smile. “Do you want to hold him?”
“I’d love to! But he seems really happy with you, sister.”
“Ah, really? I don’t know why, I can’t say I know what I’m doing..”
“You’re relaxing to be around, and I find it really comforting. He must realize it too.”
“Relaxing..?” Hinoka blinks in confusion. “Me? Are you talking about the right person here?”
“I am. Look, he’s even taken to a pegasus like you! I wonder if he’ll want to train as a Sky Knight just like his auntie.”
“H-huh?” The rare flustered expression of Hinoka surfaces. “I..I don't know about that. With a dad like Ryoma I couldn't imagine he’d care much for the sky. Although I could see him taking to pegasi fairly easily if he turns out closer to Azura..”
“Hehe, see? I’m sure he’d love some training from you.”
“Ahaha..well, er..” She’d rub the back of her head if her arms weren’t occupied. “I wouldn’t be against it..”
A short distance away, Shiro watches the women chat over the subject of his brother. He puffs his cheeks out in a pout as he watches.
“You know, you could benefit from a bit of spear training yourself.” His uncle comments.
“Huh?”
Takumi gives him a knowing smile as he turns around.
“You want to defeat your dad one day, right?”
“Oh! Yeah, I gotta!”
“Well, it just so happens that they have a bit of an edge against katanas. If you get good enough, that might just be enough to turn the tables on him.”
“Whoa..!” Shiro’s eyes light up in realization. He aspired to be like his father - powerful in all kinds of ways. If he could get closer to the level of strength Ryoma could output, that would mean he’s making big strides for his goal. “Yeah, let’s do it!”
“Hey, I don’t know how to use a spear.” He holds his hands up. “You’ve got to ask your auntie over there for help.”
With a target set on Hinoka, Shiro turns around to dart closer to his oldest aunt with that same enthusiasm.
“Auntie!! Teach me how to use a spear too!”
“A-Auntie?” She stutters, the title giving her brief pause. “Er..I can help, sure, but-”
“Yeah!!”
Before she can even finish her thought, he throws himself against her leg to give her a hug. Sakura giggles at the display of affection, finding the interaction simply adorable. Takumi, on the other hand, wears a smirk on his face while he watches the kids fluster his elder sister. He considers it a little payback for earlier.
“Hehe. You’ve got quite a few eager students, don’t you, sister?” Sakura comments while she gently strokes the top of Shigure’s head, idly watching him play with the plush pegasus.
“Haha..uh..” Unsure what to do with the attention she’s garnered, Hinoka loudly clears her throat. “Hey! Speaking of, don’t we have treats to make, Auntie Sakura?”
“Oh! You’re right, we do!”
“Let’s make lots of tasty stuff, auntie!” Shiro gravitates toward his youngest aunt, looking up at her eagerly.
“Cookies..!” Shigure squeaks out with glee.
“I brought a few recipe books with me. All we have to do is follow them and you’ll have so many your teeth will hurt!” Sakura happily claps her hands together, sharing their enthusiasm.
“Wow! That sounds awesome! Can we do it tomorrow, too?”
“Of course!” She answers without pause.
“Ooh, and can we go out to buy more plushies? I wanna fill my room with samurai guys!”
“Mhm! It’ll be more than you can even imagine.”
Takumi’s expression flattens into a deadpan as they go back and forth. The longer they do, the more ridiculous Sakura’s promises sound.
“She’s going to spoil them rotten..”
“I guess it’s not a bad thing every now and then, right?” Hinoka asks, unsure.
“It might be a little more often than that if she’s left unchecked. Let’s just make sure things don’t get too out of hand.”
“Right. I’ll follow your lead, Takumi.” As Sakura walks into the house with Shiro, Takumi pivots around to give his elder sister a raised brow. She blinks at him quizzically. “What?”
“Huh. Nothing, it’s just rare to hear that from you.”
“I just..don’t really know how to handle the kids too well. You seem like you’re a natural at this.”
“Shigure seems fine with you, see?” He gestures to the baby in her arms. “Don’t underestimate yourself. C’mon, let’s hurry inside.”
“Hmm..” A smile sprouts on Hinoka’s face as she starts to trail back inside with him, her thoughts briefly lingering on his words. Once the door closes behind them, they’re all ready to get started on making these next few hours count.
--------------------------
In a place much further away, another shoji door slides open to reveal a sight that’s equally grand as it is humble. A beautiful garden stretches outward, mostly consisting of freshly cut grass and trees that practically glow with health.
The natural ambience consists mostly of birds chirping and the rustling of leaves in the wind. Water constantly flows underneath a few small bridges between ponds, making a unique system of rivers in this one area.
A pleased hum leaves Azura’s lips as she casts her gaze on the area.
“This is where you wanted to take me?”
“It is.” Ryoma confirms, his arm joined with hers. “Not too dull, I hope?”
“Far from it, Ryoma! This garden is gorgeous, I don’t believe I’ve ever been here before.”
“Ahh, excellent.” A satisfied smile surfaces. “I was hoping that’d be the case. This is one of the countless zen gardens across Hoshido.”
“Oh, my. These are usually for helping people with meditation, right?”
“Yeah. It helps the mind and body relax by placing them in a calm environment.” He gestures to the vibrant trees decorating the garden. Then, his hand waves toward the series of ponds. “Here, you’re surrounded by all natural sounds. The serene flow of water combined with the voice of the sparrows makes for a very effective combination.”
“The wind here feels great, too.” Azura holds her hand in the air, twisting her arm about slowly. The breeze brushes against her skin in rhythm with the ringing wind chimes that hang from the eaves. “Do you go to places like these to meditate?”
“Not normally. I have no problem doing my meditation wherever I go. Instead, I like to visit these gardens when I need some time to myself. It’s easy to get lost in the atmosphere of this place.”
“Did you want me to leave you to your thoughts, then?” Azura asks with a playful smile. Ryoma chuckles heartily as he tugs his wife closer.
“Of course not! You bring me more peace than this place ever did. Besides,” He leans over to plant a quick kiss on her cheek. “My heart is open for you, now and always. You’d be the first to know of anything troubling me.”
“Hehe. You’re sweet.” She smiles prettily, then reciprocates with a soft kiss to his cheek shortly after. “I think this is a nice place for a handsome samurai to show a lady like me around.”
“Oh?” Another chuckle leaves his lips. “Well, you’re in luck! I happen to know a thing or two.”
“How convenient!” She happily leans against him with a giggle. It felt like they were going back to one of their first dates again. “Show me the sights, sir Ryoma.”
“With pleasure.”
As they share a doting glance between each other, Ryoma begins leading Azura down the stone path that trails throughout the garden. During their walk he points out various types of flowers and gestures to the birds along the trees.
Azura is completely rapt by the unique sights, nodding in understanding or asking questions whenever one comes up. Although the things here weren’t exactly exclusive to this place, seeing them together made for an environment she found fascinating.
Half an hour into their walk, Ryoma guides her to the largest pond within the entire park.
“This is pretty popular with visitors too. Take a look.”
“Hm?” Azura’s eyes follow his into the clear, rippling pond. She notices right away; a school of fish colored primarily white with a vibrant orange pattern along the body. Her eyes light up as recognition flashes through them. “Ah! Koi fish!”
“That’s right, many of these gardens have ponds dedicated to koi like these. They have such a gorgeous color, don’t they?”
“I agree, it makes the pond look so much prettier.”
“Would you like to feed them? I set aside some of the berries from our earlier trip.”
“I’d love to! Is there a specific way I should do it?”
Ryoma crouches down in front of the pond. As if his mere presence summons their attention, the many koi start to swim closer to its edge. Azura crouches down not long after, watching as he takes out a pouch stuffed full of berries.
“Not particularly. Just a simple toss into the water will do.”
He demonstrates by pulling the pouch open before flicking a blueberry into the pond. The active fish quickly swarm around the food, gobbling it up in mere moments. Azura observes with a curious gleam.
Ryoma offers the pouch out for her to accept. Once she does, she takes out a raspberry and carefully tosses it into the water. Yet again, the fish devour the fruity snack before she can even blink.
The next several minutes are filled with the sound of water splashing about as Azura feeds the koi. Not much longer after that, she finds herself tossing the final berry into the gathering of her aquatic friends.
“Sorry, everyone.” She announces. “That’s all I have.”
There’s a loud splash as one of the koi bound out of the water and leaps directly toward her.
“Ah!” She lets out a gasp of surprise and hurriedly grabs it with her arms. It flops about while in her hold. “Be careful, that could be really dangerous for you.”
“Haha! They’re very social creatures, I suppose it just got curious about you. I can’t blame it, honestly! Leaping into your arms is never a bad idea.”
Ryoma gives her a cheeky smile, prompting her to giggle in response. Azura gently releases the fish back into the pond and glances at her husband.
“Hehe, it goes both ways! What would I do without my big teddy bear?”
“Bear? Hmm..” He ponders. “Don’t you think a majestic lion would suit me better?”
“A really big and cuddly lion, yes.”
His grin broadens with another hearty laugh.
“That works for me! Now then,” Ryoma rises to a stand and reaches his hand out for her. Azura accepts it, standing back up to her full height as well. “Let’s continue, shall we?”
Their walk through the zen garden is as romantic as it is tranquil, letting them simply enjoy each other’s company in the beauty of its nature. An hour later, they’re seated together underneath the shade of a large tree.
Their lips connect under the light of the afternoon sun, basking them in warmth that shrouds the tender moment. The kiss lingers for a while before they separate, instead opting to gaze lovingly into each others’ eyes.
With one arm hooked around each other, they relax. Azura’s eyes close as she begins to let her beautiful voice free in the form of a mellow hum. Her singing never fails to entrance Ryoma - in mere moments, his eyes follow suit, dedicating all of his attention to her song.
It doesn’t take long for small, plump birds to fly down and nestle themselves along the couple’s shoulders. A few even get cozy in the mane of hair that the Hoshidan king boasts, and he doesn’t seem to mind one bit.
--------------------------
“That was lovely, Ryoma. Thank you for the wonderful time.” Azura comments, a warm smile lingering on her face. The two walk up to their home’s entrance hand-in-hand after being away for a few hours.
“I’m glad you enjoyed it. Perhaps we can make some time to visit the garden more often.”
“I’d like that.”
The peace they share doesn’t last long. Once they slide open the shoji door, they’re greeted with chaos raging in their living space.
Fire rages out of the stone oven, raising the temperature of the room to a concerning degree. Hinoka stares wide-eyed at the flames as she quickly looks around to search for something to calm them.
“H-Hinoka, there’s too much kindling in the oven! The fire’s getting too big!” Sakura exclaims.
“I know, I’m trying to figure it out!”
Not too far away, Sakura appears to be giving a dough-like substance within a bowl a taste test. Her face puckers up as she coughs harshly, pushing the bowl away.
“Ack..! I-I don’t think that was sugar, either..!”
“I grabbed the wrong thing?! Damn it!”
“Ah! Not in front of the kids, please!”
“Shoot, sorry!”
Takumi, in the middle of cradling a sobbing Shigure, shoots a glance over at his sisters.
“Can you two figure something out over there?!”
“Don’t worry, uncle!” Shiro exclaims, not too far away. He brandishes a large knife and hoists it into the air with a broad smile. “Watch this, Shigure! I’m gonna use..uhh..Astra! Whoosh, slash, pow!”
The young boy carelessly swipes the blade through the air in a sloppy recreation of Ryoma’s own swings. Takumi hurriedly reaches down to grab at Shiro’s hands.
“What the- where’d you even get that?!”
“O-oh, sorry!” Sakura calls from the kitchen. “I think I left a few utensils lying around..”
With a groan, Takumi begins his efforts to convince the eager boy to stop waving around the sharp metal. As the commotion goes on, they’re entirely unaware Ryoma and Azura stand at the doorway.
“Hehe, it’s quite lively here.” Azura fondly smiles despite the chaotic nature.
Ryoma places his hands upon his hips with a genuine grin of his own, watching the spectacle unfold.
“We have quite the wonderful family, don’t we?”
“Of course. There’s nothing else that even comes close.”
Gradually, the situation is brought back under control. The kitchen is left a mess and the place still smells of smoke, but everything calms down eventually.
When it’s all said and done, Sakura picks up a plate of cookies to deliver to the parents. She sheepishly smiles at them.
“H-hi, welcome home. We, uh..made cookies.”
“Seems like you all had fun!” Ryoma comments, reaching for the plate. “I’d like to give these a try.”
“Uh..” Takumi side-eyes the plate, but makes no further comment.
There’s a loud crunch as both Ryoma and Azura take a bite from a cookie. They visibly wince as their taste buds are blasted with a potent flavor.
“Ah..these are, er..” He trails off, trying to figure out how to finish his thought. “..tasty.”
“A little, um..heavy on the salt.” Azura chimes in, suppressing a cough.
“Sorry..” Hinoka rubs the back of her head.
“It’s okay, auntie!” Shiro pats her leg reassuringly. “Let’s just make more cookies!”
“Good idea, Shiro. We may have to clean the kitchen a bit first, though.” Azura comments, glancing at the mess. “It won’t take long if we all chip in. But first, didn’t you want to hold the Raijinto?”
“Oh! Yeah, I do! But..” The boy glances around. “I wanna make cookies while uncle and my aunties are here, I can hold the sword later!”
“Haha, a fine idea.” Ryoma nods. “Let’s make ourselves a spectacular batch.”
The family begins their project with high spirits. It’s a team effort to make the kitchen as sparkly clean as it was before - even Shiro and Shigure are held up with rags to wipe down counters. Though the effectiveness is questionable, there’s no denying the excitement in their eyes.
From there, they work together to make such a plentiful batch that everyone needs to take some home by the end of the day. The sugar isn’t the only thing that makes their treats feel especially sweet.