"AAAHHH! It's a SNAKE!!!"
The shrill cry of a castle maid reached Mitsuhide's ears as he traveled along an outdoor corridor. The spectical made him smirk outwardly, but on the inside he was sure he was grimacing. While the overreactions of the handful of maids tending to the garden was a treat in itself, a part of him couldn't help but feel for the poor creature, so quickly shunned and hated at a glance. He was appropriately compared to them, he mused, watching the scene unfold with a tinge in his heart he'd never let show. By now one of the maids had picked up a rake and swung it high over her head, ready to deal a lethal blow to the poor thing when-
"Stop! Don't kill it!"
Much to Mitsuhide's surprise, the lovely Chatelaine came racing towards the scene, pushing past the maid with a rake.
"It's just a harmless rat snake. Look, he's too terrified to even move." Indeed, the snake, once surrounded by the maids, seemed to accept its fate almost immediately and had been laying perfectly still in anticipation of its doom. With great caution and care the Chatelaine reached out to the snake, a perfect blend of brown and green; it was almost impressive how the maids even spotted it in the first place. The snake didn't move until ___ pinned its neck, then it immediately hissed in fear, coiling all around her arm in some vague attempt of constricting her to let go- she didn't. With all the grace and tranquility of a princess, she carried the snake to a nearby gate, had it opened, then gave it a light toss into some nearby foliage where it was quick to slither away.
Dusting off her hands, she made her way back towards the walkway, earning cheers of admiration and relief from the maids as she passed by them. With the excitement over, the maids went back to tending the gardens, and ___ seemed to notice Mitsuhide for the first time. He was leaning against a wooden pillar, smirking with disbelief at the new side of the Chatelaine he never dreamed of seeing.
"Well, well, well, look who came to save the day. You're not scared of snakes? How peculiar." He'd be lying if he said there wasn't a glimmer of hope in his voice.
___ sighed before taking a seat on the edge of the platform. Mitsuhide quickly joined, intent on having a conversation with her, even if brief.
"Why would I be? Snakes are generally good to keep. I mean, they keep rodent populations down, they're surprisingly docile, and their main goal at the end of the day is to find someplace warm. They're like cats but with more scales and less legs."
Mitsuhide couldn't keep the smirk from forming on his lips at the Chatelaine's innocent description of one of the most feared animals on the planet. But it was her next words that made the smirk melt away instantly.
"They're a lot like you too, actually. I mean, the rodents you take care of are enemies to Nobunaga, you're don't go out of your way to harm anyone who isn't an enemy, and I imagine you like warmth like most people. Some might compare you to a snake because they think you're dangerous or untrustworthy, but that's just giving a bad reputation to snakes." She huffed at the end of her speal. Mitsuhide was stunned for a moment at the unexpected response but was soon to regain his composure before she noticed.
"So, that means you agree that I'm dangerous and untrustworthy." He teased.
"No..." She met his eyes, holding his gaze for good measure, "I think you're more like my first description. You can be dangerous and untrustworthy, but that doesn't define you as a whole. There's more to a person than what's on the surface, and that includes you."
Another lump had formed in Mitsuhide's throat (when had he formed the first one?), and yet again he was left without an immediate retort. Before he had the chance to deny any of what ___ said, she stood up, brushed off some dirt from her kimono, and turned to go.
