The next morning Chrollo acted perfectly normal. He was good at hiding it when he was bothered. Always had been. Growing up in meteor city, trying to simply make his way, more than just survive...to live. It required him to learn many skills, one of such being the ability to cover up his own emotions From himself, from others.
So, despite the raging doubt clinging to the back of his mind, ringing with questions of why he, he of all people cared so much. Why what he had seen in the nen-stored memory had triggered such a reaction.
He shouldn't care. He really shouldn't.
But he did. He couldn't deny it any longer.
So Chrollo was there working away on making part of breakfast. Charred apples with fresh cherry syrup, for Azuma of course. It was one of her favorites. For a brief moment Chrollo wondered when he had begun paying so much attention to Azuma's small, almost irrelevant habits and tastes.
He was simply going to settle on a yam. Honestly, Chrollo had no idea how she hadn't died of diabetes yet. Cherries and apples were sweet in the first place, but when you cook them, you might as well be making pure sugar.
"Chrollo.~" Azuma chimed from the table. Not helping at all.
"Mmm." Chrollo absentmindedly hummed in response.
"What's bothering you?" She hummed in a light voice.
Chrollo froze like the arctic.
He quickly reevaluated his actions that morning. Gotten up early, maintained a reserved quiet, hadn't spoken much, maintained his normal expressionless face.
There wasn't anything out of normal. He hadn't done anything to possibly hint at his troubles.
A second passed. "Nothing." Chrollo answered, his voice passive.
"You won't tell me?" Azuma sighed.
Once again, Chrollo tried to remember if he had done anything strange. He had been emotionless as ever this morning, just like any other.
Emotionless as ever. The phase echoed in Chrollo's mind. Emotionless? Had...had Chrollo really been 'emotionless as ever' since he got here? Had he been stone faced will cold, blank, ghost eyes?
Ah.
No.
He hadn't.
-
When Azuma had first seen Chrollo that morning she had known something was wrong. To her it was quite obvious. She had, after all, been observing him for quite a while. In truth, she asked what was wrong Azuma had not been expecting a proper answer.
She had hoped, but when Chrollo refused to answer it hadn't surprised Azuma. She should just be happy bout her lovely, delicious, sweet, syrupy pile of pure sugar. And her upcoming plans. Those were also pretty damn important.
After a small silence over breakfast, Azuma finally broke the news. "Chrollo," He looked up. Why was it that every time Azuma looked at Chrollo, he seemed to get more attractive? Wait, off subject.
"I'm gonna be gone for a few days, look after the house when I'm gone." The statement was completely out of no where. A subtle flash of surprise briefly crossed Chrollo's face. Then it was gone.
"Really? Mind telling me why?" Grey eyes looked up in question.
"Of course I will! All in due time." A slight smile tugged at her lips. Azuma really, really loved to tease Chrollo.
And thus, right after breakfast Azuma dressed in some of her best clothes, took up a relatively fancy basket, a pouch of actual money, and went on her way. Azuma and Chrollo's goodbye was something along the lines of 'be back soon.' 'Don't you dare eat the honey.' and 'See you later.'
-
Now, to skip into present time, it had been a long tedious day and a half for Azuma. She'd had to catch a caravan to one of the larger cities. Any small village, even a town would certainly not have what she was looking for.
She needed a replacement, since last year some careless merchant had dirtied it...and...let's just say that try as she might, Azuma had been completely unable to wash it, and eventually decided to gift the garb to a nice woman she knew.
But alas, it was getting that time of year again, and if she wanted to attend the upcoming spring festival she'd need one. A Kimono.
Right, she needed a kimono. It was simply tradition to wear one to the annual festival. Azuma's head perked out as she finally spotted the large capital coming into view. It was the capital of her region(state).
Tall and ornate building came to view. The dirt road turned to cobble, and then they were in the city. High stone buildings with maple tiled roofs. Expensively dressed people bustled every which way and the air buzzed with life. Shops were open and celled out, vying for attention.
Hopping off the caravan, Azuma immediately headed down the street, as she went, the crowds got thicker, and primarily woman. It was undoubted, she'd find it here.
"Kimonos! Yukatas! Everything you could need for the festival!"
Quickly, Azuma steered her direction towards the voice. It was exactly was she needed. Eventually, she stood outside an open door, a lady beckoned her in.
The shop's interior is what you'd expect. Lit well by lanterns, expensive fabrics hung on the walls. Ornate kimonos were displayed on wooden figures. here were little shelves of ornaments and little decorations to put in your hair or attach to a sash. There were rows of makeup.
Towards the end there were a few doors. One leading to another room of fabrics and changing rooms. The other leading upstairs, presumably to the staff quarters. And the last leading to another staff only room, probably storage.
It was truly a luxury shop. Azuma, lived modestly. But that didn't mean she had no money. She had more than enough to buy herself some nice festival clothes.
A well dressed teen hurried over to her. She had light brown hair and pretty pink eyes, she was obviously an apprentice at the shop. "Madam is there anyway I might assist you?" The phrase was obviously well practiced.
Azuma nodded. "A kimono please, and a sash to accompany it."
The teen nodded. "Of course, right this way please."
The pair moved into the next room. There were so many choices it was almost overwhelming. Green ones, blue ones. Ones embroidered with cranes, others with flowers, clouds, they seemed to have everything.
What Azuma needed was something that would fit the festival. Meaning, while the top needed to be tight and secure like any kimono, the bottom needed to be different. It would need to be somewhat loose and short enough to avoid being tripped on. For you see, the festival involved quite a bit of dancing for everyone, not just the performers. Azuma needed something suited for that.
Azuma happily started browsing. she disregarded the ones that were to flashy, after all, even though Azuma was looking for something of good quality she had never liked anything that was to decorated or glamorous that it came across as pompous.
Finally, Azuma had picked out a few kimonos to try on. One that was maple leaf patterned red and orange, a white and black butterfly one, one with cherry blossoms, and so on.
The teen, who's name Azuma learned was Sher escorted Azuma to the changing rooms and she tried each on one by one. Sher carefully tightened each up to perfection, tied sashes, and everything.
Within the changing room there was a mirror. And although Azuma and Sher had tried every garb, they had both agreed none suited. Azuma sighed in distress.
Why was she being so picky? Why, why, why? Azuma was never this picky. I the past she would've been on her way home with a kimono in arms.
What was so different this time?
Azuma never cared about how she looked.
Azuma glanced at the mirror again. The kimono was beautiful, a light grey patterned with blue and white Morning Glories. But not good enough. She wanted to look her best this time. Just this one festival. Chrollo would be coming with her after all.
Chrollo would be coming with her.
She wanted to look beautiful.
Because Chrollo would be coming.
Another sigh. Then, when all hope had been lost, Sher seemed to jump of excitement. "I know! I know!" Then, realizing her manners, Sher quickly covered her mouth. "I...I mean I thought of a garb that would surly suit you m'lady."
Azuma laughed, "Please, no need to be so formal. What was that about a kimono?"
Sher nodded in embarrassment. "R-right...I thought of something I'm sure will look nice, it's just in back, may I bring it?"
Nodding in confirmation Azuma waved Sher off. Sher hurried out, and quickly returned with what was undoubtedly a reward from heaven for Azuma's patience.
Azuma's eyes widened a tiny bit. "That...perfect!" And thus the pair made quick to outfit the kimono. Turning towards the mirror, Azuma took in her reflection.
It was made of fine silk, clinging to her figure, yet not squeezing to tight. Dyed a teel blue the cloth was patterned with silver lotus flowers. They patterned the fabric like dusty snow. The neckline came a bit down, yet not to far as the appear immodest. The bottom came down to just above her ankles. Low, but not so much as to cause tripping. On her mid-stomach a sash sightly held everything in place. It was also silk, and colored a simplistic sea green.
Azuma twirled.
The silk caught the light, appearing almost to shimmer the surface of a lake. It flowed like a mountain stream.
Perfect.
She briefly wondered if Chrollo would like it.
"I'll...take it." Azuma grinned.
Then,on her way to the desk, where she'd pay, Azuma remembered something. "Ah!" She...still needed to get Chrollo a yukata...Haha...
"Sher?"
"Y-yes ma'am?" Sher's pink eyes looked at Azuma worriedly.
"I need to get a yukata for someone..."
"...Oh." Sher responded. "You're husband?" She inquired.
Azuma was about to deny it, but then she thought it through. A woman buying a yukata fro any man other than her husband, in this country, would raise far to many questions. "...Yeah."
Sher smiled brightly. "I completely understand! Men really never seem to be able to pick themselves any good clothing!"
And so they went back to the clothing and browsed. Again.
Finally, after far to many things that Azuma felt would not look good on Chrollo, she came across a black yukata. A garb that was practically the same as a kimono, except for its looser top and the fact that it was made for men and crafted from cotton. It was fine cotton, this one, soft and light. The blackest of black, like the night sky. Upon it's surface were white weaving designs. Almost like a spiders web. To accompany it was a white sash.
A small smile tugged at Azuma's lips.
It would look great on Chrollo.
She might or might not have a taste for irony.
Anyway, now that Azuma was finally and completely done, she made her way to the counter. Once she was there Azuma quickly bought the items, but just before the final transaction, one more item caught Azuma's attention.
A butterfly hairpin. It was an ornate little thing. Sculpted of glass and glaze, it depicted a butterfly landing on a lotus.
Azuma reached out. She had never bought a hair ornament before. She wondered why she felt compelled to do it now.
Holding out the hairpin, Azuma spoke. "This as well please."
The lady nodded.
Azuma tucked the items into her basket and pulled out her pouch, quickly paying, Azuma waved goodbye to Sher, and called. "I hope to see you at the festival!"
Sher's face lit up. "Of course m'lady!"
Azuma smiled to herself.
On the way out of the city, just before catching another caravan, a food stall caught Azuma's eye.
Steamed apple dumplings. A gift from god. Azuma walked over and bought an entire dozen. The owner smiled kindly at her. A grey haired lady in her later years. "Got a family to feed?" The lady chuckled.
"Yeah...of course...haha." Azuma decided not to mention that she was fully planning on eating them all herself.
Walking away, Azuma hopped on the closest caravan heading her way, and paid them to allow her stay.
Absentmindedly eating her delicious sweets, Azuma thought about Chrollo.
She missed him.
These past days had been fun. Yeah. But...There was no denying the longing in her chest. It felt lonely without him there to hold a conversation. Without his banter and clever comebacks.
She missed him.
Azuma glanced down at the last remaining dumpling. You know what? She'd save it.
She'd save Chrollo her precious dumpling.
----
What do you mean? It hasn't been like, two or three months I swearrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
Ahaha....
Oops.
So uhhhh. Right, since it's been so long since I last wrote this I might've messed up the characters a bit?
Well umm...How'd ya like the chapter? Azuma and Chrollo are developing feelings~ Hehe~
It's pretty nice to finally write more from Azuma;s perspective. I love me some Chrollo but Azuma is pretty great.