"Eh?" Yasei looked down as Kou was treating him like a frightened child and offering to hold his hand. He chuckled to himself and took her hand in his. She must have noticed his sudden discomfort. It felt silly to be escorted to the front door by someone he could toss to the other side of the mansion in front of him with hardly any effort, but it reminded him that he was also being silly by being so mistrusting of Aleaphe and her family just because he found out they were some fancy big shots. Aleaphe had been nice so far, so there was no good reason to be afraid. Kou clearly wasn't.

Yasei gave a small bow at the same time as Kou. Glancing over to her, it looked like now it was her turn to be a bit shy now that they were face to face with Aleaphe's brother. He seemed grateful for her return, though for some reason he also looked a bit apprehensive. Ah well, probably just a bit mistrusting of a couple strangers who showed up late at night with his sister in tow. He could understand that. Most of his apprehension seemed aimed at Yasei though. Also pretty understandable. Kou didn't seem like much of a threat, being a tiny old woman.

"Good evening! It's nice to meet you. I'm Yasei." He said with a big smile, putting on his best dignified and respectful act. Yasei looked to Kou to also introduce herself, his tail swinging around to gently nudge her forward.

Goodness! Master Yasei was far much stronger than perhaps he realized! Kou kept steady while she leaned on her cane, barely managing to keep upright. She was not as physically capable as she used to be! But Yasei’s gentle tap with his tail was nowhere near as strong as the one that had knocked Aleaphe out and so she remained standing. With a bow as respectful as she could manage with her brittle back, she lowered her head and smiled.

“Yes! I’m Kou Miyami.” If he recognized the name, he made no indication of it - not that Kou was offended. Her family had been locals in the community for ages, but mainly around the common folk. “But you can call me Mama Kou. My friend Yasei and I had the pleasure of helping your sister when she was lost in the city.”

Aleaphe nodded, not really understanding the contents of the words but catching her name at the very least. She flipped through her book as if to catch a few words of the conversation. Her brother still looked a little wary, but appreciative that someone had taken the time to aid his family member.

“I see. You have my gratitude, then. I sent an escort for Aleaphe, but it seems she wanted to explore the city on her own. That stubbornness could have gotten her into an unpleasant situation if it were not for you two. I am Kalifar, lord of this home - please, if there’s anything I can do to repay you for your kindness, do not hesitate to let me know.”

There was a sharpness in his eyes now, as if he truly had expected them to extort him for money now under the guise of being good samaritans. A reward was far from Kou’s mind at the moment, though she could not speak for Yasei.

Yasei's passing thought of getting some kind of reward passed even faster as he stood in front of the lord of the home and completely zoomed away when he saw the man's shrewd gaze. Nope, getting any more involved with rich people who were already suspicious of him just for bringing their lost sister home and probably judging him by his size and appearance than he already was wouldn't be worth the handful of solars they might toss him if he asked for some kind of reward.

Yasei waved his hands in front of him with a smile and spoke assuredly with a surprisingly more refined tone than he usually spoke in. "No no, that's alright. We were just helping someone who was lost. It's already late, so we should get going. Have a good evening."

Yasei gave a curt bow before turning to leave. He looked down at Kou, waiting for her to walk alongside him back to the street. He was glad for their business here to be over. Aleaphe seemed like a nice girl, but he didn't think he'd get the chance to see her again anyways. Rich people didn't often interact with common folk like him or Kou.

Kou needed no reward for her efforts - though the elderly woman had spent much of her life in poverty, the entire reason she’d been able to retire was because her grandson had made sure she was comfortable enough to do so. It was thanks to him that she could do good acts simply for the sake of it… she shook her head, ready to deny the noble’s seemingly generous offer, when Yasei spoke first. His voice lacked its usual boisterous quality, seemingly more clipped than it normally was. Kou’s eyes widened behind her spectacles, surprised at the sudden shift in demeanor.

He’d been okay moments ago… what in the world could have caused such sudden unpleasantness? Kou, who was woefully ignorant of Kalifar’s subtle dismissal and distrust of the two, didn’t have the full context of the situation, only understood that something had caused her friend a decent amount of upset. Nervously, she watched him go, before turning to Aleaphe and Kalifar; the latter of whom was stunned, to say the least, at Yasei’s refusal to take the bait.

The elderly woman bowed at the waist, affixing her best manners. “Please forgive us… it has been a rather long day. The only reward either of us need is the reward of knowing that Aleaphe has returned safely to your abode. Please enjoy your time together as a family, and good day to you.”

She turned away before either could say anything, hobbling after her friend. The last she heard of the two were their quiet mutterings before the door shut with a soft click, bathing them both in the shadow of dusk once more, the family content to celebrate in the safety of their glamorous home while Kou and Yasei returned to their own homes.

“Ah, Yasei, wait up dearie!” Kou called, hobbling as fast as she could to catch up to the rather large and surprisingly swift Komainu. Thankfully, he’d been so courteous as to wait for her! She huffed when she made her way to his side, years of neglect and hard work having taken its toll on her body. “Are you alright? They didn’t say anything… untoward to you that I missed, did they?”

Unfortunate as it was, she was not ignorant to the reality that you could be kind and charitable to anyone, and there still existed prejudice and ungratefulness. She would hate to think that this chance encounter and good deed might have ended on a sour note, simply because of the grim reality of the world. But that was life. And Kou hoped - she wanted to believe, anyways - that simply doing what she could with no expectation of kindness in return might make the world become a little brighter, until such prejudice waned and disappeared entirely. Wishful thinking, she knew.

At least the evening had not been entirely sour. She’d earned a new companion from it, after all.

That in itself was a treasure.

Yasei showed surprise on his face for just a moment before returning to his usual jovial smile. He spoke in an apologetic tone, sorry that he'd ended up making Kou worry about him. He laughed and then spoke in his normal, friendly manner.

"Ah, I'm fine! They didn't say anything like that. Did I look upset? Sorry, I was just trying to be polite. Stuffy nobles always get mad at me if I talk to them like I normally do. I guess it just doesn't suit me, does it?"

He didn't want to make Kou worry anymore, so he didn't want to say anything about his past experiences with nobles. The more important someone was, the more insecure they always became. He can't even laugh around them. One chuckle and they think it has to be at their expense. Everything's always about them in their minds. Even a good deed can't just be a good deed. It has to be some attempt to extort them.

Yasei saw how worn out Kou looked, huffing and puffing after just catching up the distance between him and the front door. He hid his concern behind a smile.

"Well, it's pretty late, isn't it? Where's your home, Koubaachan? I'll take you there. You must be tired after all that walking around. Are you still against me carrying you? I won't mind. You look really light." He offered.

Yasei’s attempts to downplay bad experiences with nobles was kind, though Kou was no less worried for what she didn’t know. She was no stranger to the cruelty of those who fancied themselves above others. She remembered all too well their visits to her establishment, mostly to try and ridicule and waste her food all because they could. If circumstances and time had been different, there was no guaranteeing Aleaphe and Kalifar may have been within those ranks.

Still. It was a tremendous ability to be the bigger person in the face of those who did not respect you.

Kou pat Yasei on the side, nodding in understanding. “I thought you were plenty polite. That’s what worried me the most.” She fell silent then, turning to stare into the dusk. “It’s quite noble to help those that have spurned you in the past. But sometimes no matter what you do to change yourself they will not respect you. Do not alter who you are for people who don’t deserve it. Do no harm, but take no shit from them either, you hear me?”

It had taken her a long time to learn to walk with her head held high despite it all.

Yasei’s smile and attempt at normalcy, at the very least, was appreciated. Kou nodded, as if it had only occurred to her how long she’d been out. “Goodness! Tarou must be worried about me, I’m usually home by dusk.” She moved to hobble in the direction of her home when Yasei spoke. Only then did she realize how utterly drained she felt. The day’s activity had been a lot on her, loathe as she was to admit her own physical limitations. With a heavy sigh, and an anxious expression on her face - too nervous to admit her weakness - Kou nodded, barely an incline of her head.

“Your help would be… much appreciated, if it’s no imposition to you, dear.” She murmured before prattling off an address for a home just outside the market district. The two set off once more, Yasei helping Kou - their first adventure together fading into twilight, but with many more to come.

And how exciting that was!

"Me being polite worried you? Now I really know it didn't suit me!" Yasei laughed loudly.

"I already said I didn't mind, didn't I?" Yasei said jokingly as he got on one knee and picked Kou up as gently as he could. He lowered an arm to let him sit into his elbow and then lifted her up, holding her against his chest. The position reminded him of carrying his daughter when she had been as small as Kou was. It was funny to think the person he was carrying like his child looked old enough to be his grandmother.

He picked a direction and started to walk off, an oddly nostalgic feeling in his chest.

"Don't worry about me. I'll never change for anyone I don't want to change for. But changing for someone who does deserve it... It's not so bad..." He spoke softly, looking up at the sky, a warm smile on his face as he reminisced.

For a moment, he just walked in silence, feeling the breeze blow through his mane and the hardly noticeable weight of his friend tucked into his arm, but he suddenly broke out of his reminiscing as he came to an intersection and looked at Kou.

"Oh, right. Which way am I supposed to be walking to get to your house?"

Well, she was thankful that he wasn’t truly upset, at least! Kou would have been truly saddened if those stuffy nobles had upset him. As he laughed, his jovial nature was contagious, a spoonful of sugar after the bitter pill of having to swallow her pride and accept help. She was… grateful, though, that he did not belittle her for needing the extra assistance.

It did not escape her notice that he fell silent as they walked.

She opened her mouth to speak, the gentle rhythm of his slow walking swaying her every which way. Kou usually only let Tarou carry her, and Yasei was just as strong, if not stronger, than her grandson. And she was grateful for the moment to rest her aching legs. Oh, Kou did not regret setting off to travel so late in her life, but there were times that she… mourned. Mourned what could have been, mourned the function of her body at odds with her spirit.

Yasei spoke then, his tone thoughtful. Kou hummed, closing her eyes and nodding. She, too, remembered a time where she was ready to throw her entire life away for a man she’d thought had been worth it. Not that it was a bad thing, mind. She’d been young and foolish and in love. Her entire life had been spent conforming to others and never minding because she’d known in her heart of hearts that it had been worth it. Now, she was satisfied living the life she chose for herself, and nothing would take that away from her.

Her thoughts were brought to a halt as Yasei himself stopped. She blinked, realizing that they’d just been walking with no real direction - and then she, too, burst into laughter. “Here, it’s this way. I live just at the border of town…”

She would then gently direct Yasei the rest of the way to the humble cottage she called home with her grandson.

Yasei chuckled and gave an embarrassed smile. Asking what direction to go was usually something you should do before you started walking, so his confident stride had been a bit premature. And in the wrong direction. He turned and headed off in the right direction, now with Kou guiding him as he went. Soon enough, with Yasei's speed and Kou in his arms, they reached the humble cottage that Kou told him was her home.

"Ooh, it's nice! It reminds me of my own house. I always liked a nice little house like this better than a big stuffy mansion." Yasei said approvingly as he gently set Kou down, back on her feet.

He looked at the cottage with a sense of nostalgia. He and Hana had loved living in their small cottage together. They didn't need all those empty rooms or fancy gardens of a mansion. Of course, they also had to live within their means and Yasei's salary as a guard hadn't been that much, but it had always been enough for them to be happy.

Living in a huge mansion full of countless servants and guards had felt so much more lonely than their little cottage, with one other person. It didn't matter how many people you lived in the same house as, if none of them ever even said hello or smiled at you when you walked by.

Before Kou retired, her home consisted of a room on the floor above the restaurant she owned; cramped as it was, and lacking the space for her to stretch her legs after a long day, it was hers. Tarou had been the one to secure their lodgings… a home for the both of them to share. Tarou called it small, but to Kou, it was the greatest thing she’d ever owned. Oh, before her parents opened up shop, she held memories of a simpler time, in a house by the ocean her father had built with his own two hands…

But memories had no place here when she was meant to be giving her time and attention to the present.

“Why, thank you!” She beamed, readjusting her robe while she gathered her bearings. The lanterns were lit, but Tarou’s wagon looked like it was out of the shed; a shame. She thought the two would have gotten along… another time, perhaps. Kou made her way up the path, nodding in agreement. “I would be inclined to agree. I’ve always found myself afraid of such large houses. I’d always feel like there was so much space that I would never be able to properly live in it, and the parts of the house I couldn’t touch would grow sad with neglect.”

She wondered if Aleaphe’s cousin ever felt the same way in his manor. She rather doubted it. In Kou’s experience - perhaps, with a touch of bitterness often uncharacteristic of her - those with an overabundance of money filled their lives with so much gold that the glint in their eyes prevented them from seeing how little love they had in their lives. They just didn’t seem to care.

It was a kindness to learn that Yasei felt the same way. If nothing else, it was nice to know that today had brought her closer to a man she considered a friend. The both of them forged from the same means, surviving under the will of the elite; there was understanding there.

Perhaps Yasei didn’t desire something as soulless as money from the people who meant nothing by the gesture, but that wouldn’t stop Kou from offering him what she could. Kou reached her door and turned back to face him, not missing the nostalgic expression on his face, as if something had dragged him into the past. She wondered where he would go after this.

He’d not mentioned any family of his own…

Kou cleared her throat, trying to catch his attention. It wasn’t much, but oftentimes Kou found that company was greater than any wealth. “Would you like to come in for some tea? I might even have a spare cot if you’d like to spend the night. It’s far too late for you to mosey on home… it’s the least I can do!”

"Oh no, I wouldn't want to impose." Yasei started to decline Kou's offer, holding his palms out in front of him and giving a slight wave and a smile. He'd already kept her out later than he assumed she was used to at her age, and they'd walked around so much that she probably would have collapsed if he hadn't started carrying her. Spending the night in her house was too much. It was a small house that she had told him she shares with her grandson, and he didn't want to make it too cramped.

And, he wouldn't have to mosey far home at all. He didn't have a room at an inn or a house, so he was planning to just go find a nice tree to lie down under and sleep. The weather looked clear so he wasn't worried about rain, and he was always plenty warm without even a blanket. Kou would definitely insist on him staying with her if he said that though, he was sure.

Yasei didn't know Tarou wasn't home. He didn't know about the wagon whose absence indicated her grandson's absence. He assumed he must be waiting for her, wondering where the heck his grandma was at this late hour.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine. You should get back to your grandson. He must be worried by now you know."

“Oh, no, no. It would be no imposition at all!” Kou beamed, dismissing the thought. Even if she didn’t have much in the way of material possessions in this world, Kou was often free in their distribution; things didn’t matter as much to her as people. What was hers also belonged to her friends. Besides, she wasn’t sure much about Yasei’s home situation, either. She didn’t want him going home to an empty room, or to feel alone.

“Ah! Tarou isn’t home yet.” She said. “He often works nights - so I doubt he’ll be home by sunrise.” That might have served as a warning bell that perhaps Tarou’s work was not as legitimate as one might think… what else would one need to do in the dead of night rather than the light of day? Kou was oblivious to all of this, however. She loved her grandson, eclectic schedule and all.

“Come along, come along!” She insisted, tapping her cane along the ground. It began to glow with a soft light, which allowed her to see while she began to shuffle inside and light the lanterns.^[1] “It is only right to celebrate a job well done on our first venture together! Of course, if you have folks waiting for you at home, far be it from me to stop you!”

She didn’t want him to be alone, that much was clear - but there was an undercurrent of loneliness in her own tone, as well. Perhaps she, too, found herself lonely. At her age, loathe as she was to admit it, it was difficult to make friends.

---

1. Light

"Oh, he works the graveyard shift? Sorry." Yasei solemnly apologized to the absent Tarou with a bow of his head and his palms together in prayer in front of him. He had had to work through the night himself as a guard, and knew it wasn't something he liked to do. Having to go to sleep just as the sun was rising was just sad, even for someone like him who liked taking a lot of naps during the day. He just felt bad for the young man.

But, that did mean the house wouldn't be as cramped as he thought. Sleeping in a house was nicer than outside at night. He might be comfortable under a tree, but a cozy cottage had its own appeal. It also wouldn't hurt to make sure Kou wasn't left all alone until her grandson returned.

"Well, as long as it's alright then." Yasei agreed, following Kou and allowing her to lead him inside.

"No, I don't have anyone waiting at home for me." He said with a shake of his head as he ducked under the doorframe. He kept the "Not anymore." to himself, but couldn't stop the sadness in his eyes from showing through above his smile.

"We can celebrate plenty with just the two of us though, huh?" Yasei laughed. What he really meant was that he could do enough celebrating for a whole crowd on his own, and drink enough for them too. "Maybe we'll even still be celebrating when Tarou gets back!" He joked, laughing some more. He looked around from the doorway, taking in the interior of the cabin and also maybe looking to see if there was a liquor cabinet in view.

“Ah, it’s quite alright!” She insisted. “We still make time for one another.” She’d gotten into the habit of making breakfast for dinner so she and Tarou could enjoy at least one meal together, while her day wound down and his was just beginning. She’d not planned on being out all day today, though, so she hoped he got out the door alright…

Ah, but right now, she was focused on her guest! Her smile widened as Tarou agreed, so long as he wasn’t an imposition. “Excellent! I have a cot for you, and you’d probably fit some of Tarou’s clothes so we can find you a robe so you don’t feel chilly. Oh! And plenty and food and drink…”

She fell silent as Yasei spoke.

And her heart wept for him.

She didn’t know much of his past - nothing at all, really. But she was intimately familiar with the sadness with which he spoke. Loss did not discriminate who it targeted. Grief was the price for being the one to survive. Still, she could not help but be especially grateful that Yasei had elected to spend the evening in her cottage. She’d have to make him a warm meal. Even if just for a night, neither of them would have to suffer their losses alone.

“Well.” She pat him on the side, the highest part of his body she could reach. “You’re not along when you have friends, right?” He didn’t have to voice the not anymore - she felt it all the same. Quieter, she added, “I’m sorry for your loss. It is never easy to be the one to outlive your loved ones.”

But the somber attitude didn’t last for long. They could choose to wallow in their hurts, or they could keep enjoying their lives for the sake of the loved ones who could not. Kou beckoned Yasei in; her home was modest, but filled with antique furniture that gave it a unique warmth. Yes, it did smell like mothballs. But it was lived in, and quite comfortable. There was a small shrine depicting Solaria in the corner, with a portrait of a fellblood in full armor that bore a resemblance to Kou; a bowl of peaches sat in front of the shrine in offering.

There was indeed a liquor cabinet. One filled with sake and a couple of bottles of Tarou’s firewhiskey, imported from Sol City.

“Help yourself!” Kou chuckled. “It’ll certainly be welcome if we’re going to party until sunrise!” Liquor would be a definite must, yes. Back in her day Kou used to party with the Souz chefs after long shifts, and back then, there was no shortage of card and dice games to be had around a table while playing for scraps. You know, some good clean fun. “I’ve got scones in the pantry and plenty to drink. And I’ve even got cards to play… if you don’t mind wagering a bit of coin, that is!” She let out a good-natured laugh.