First meeting?

[Elrowan Sabeur]

Alastor had been quiet. Too quiet. The average day and life of Elrowan was slowly killing him. It was difficult to face such boredom and stupidity on a day-to-day basis. Most of Elrowan's so-called 'crises' were little more than made up adventures. He could barely even handle a mission about saving cats without somehow turning it into a mission to save the world. As annoying as watching Elrowan was, Alastor let him be for the most part. Unless there were villains, the real kind who wouldn't blink about murdering others, Alastor saw no reason to take over. Those moments seemed to freak Elrowan out anyway, and as funny as that was, Alastor did try to limit how much he affected Elrowan's mental sanity. Assuming that there was any sanity left to save.

But even Alastor had his limits. He was starting to feel claustrophobic and progressively more depressed - his goal was barely in sight. Probably impossible. So he decided that today, just this once, he would be selfish. When Elrowan opened his eyes, it wasn't Elrowan, but Alastor. Assuming Alastor timed it right, he was fairly certain Elrowan wouldn't even notice the missing day. Now it wasn't like Alastor had many options - he didn't particularly want to bond with Blue Pegasus members. Besides, they already thought Elrowan was crazy... and Alastor doubted he could hold a normal conversation with someone when he was expected to be crazy.

So his walk took him to Shirotsume. Clothes, he needed some new clothes. This Medieval getup was absolutely ridiculous, but there was nothing else in Elrowan's wardrobe. Even without the cape, it just didn't look right. Clothes, clothes... He window browsed in Shirotsume, looking for a fashion that would blend in well with a more modern take... and also not be ridiculously expensive. The only money he had was from that mission with Crisis. Alastor stood at one particular shop, looking at the models... jeans and maybe a T-shirt, that would probably be best...

[Kayoko Sasaki]

It was a nice, cool morning. Life was very different in Blue Pegasus, and Kayoko found herself both finding things to do for herself more often, and that she was overall less busy than when she was traveling, or when she was learning under the tutors her family had hired for her. So, she decided to take a walk into town alone. Calico was still asleep, and she was more confident than she used to be, though that was strange when she stopped to actually think about it. She let out a contented sigh as she walked down the market area, looking at the various shops. She really missed having money to buy whatever she wanted whenever she wanted. It was one of the few perks she’d ever come to appreciate as formerly the richest seventeen year old in Fiore. She’d actually learned recently that her family had more wealth than the rulers. It was too bad she didn’t like them anymore.

Kayoko let out a surprised ‘meep’ noise when her orange eyes fell on Elrowan who was looking at clothing in a window. Since when was he interested in clothes that didn’t look like they belonged in a Renaissance fair? Kayoko wasn’t being mean about that in her own head, they just looked like it to her. Elrowan’s style was his and she liked that about him. “Um… Mister Elrowan?” she asked, trying to get his attention as he stared at things. She’d approached quietly. She was quite good at not making sounds, really. “Are you out on a walk too?”

[Elrowan Sabeur]

Alastor (in his opinion) was a lot more observant than Elrowan, but Kayoko still managed to surprise him a bit. He blinked a little, turning to face her - habit mainly, because no one called him Alastor, only Elrowan. Kayoko... he knew her, of course. Had seen quite a bit of her, as Elrowan and Kayoko got along quite well. And so Alastor knew as much about Kayoko as Elrowan did, or maybe even more, since Alastor paid more attention. She was the quiet shy type, often dwarfed by Elrowan's loud antics. But instead of being completely drowned out, she actually seemed to be adapting... relying on Elrowan's courage to step out more for herself. She was an interesting character, obviously with her faults, but clearly trying to make the best of it. Definitely someone that Alastor would step in to protect, if it ever came to that. It hadn't, which was good because it meant she was safe, but bad because they had never met. This was their true first meeting, even if Kayoko wouldn't realize it.

He opened his mouth to greet her, before realizing that a casual 'hey' was going to sound extremely odd for 'Elrowan.' Oh, screw it. Why should he care about those things anyway. "Hey, Kayoko," he went with his original plan, sounding oddly like a normal person without an archaic greeting or adding 'Lady' to Kayoko. That and he wasn't shouting. "Something like that," he grinned a little, although that was more because she was calling him 'Elrowan'. He couldn't help it. "I'm looking for a better pair of clothes, more specifically. Eh, when I say 'better', I mean casual. Don't suppose you'd have any ideas?" It wasn't like Alastor was a top fashion expert. Kayoko dressed a bit on the nicer side, but it was still closer to normal than freakish... which meant she could probably help.

[Kayoko Sasaki]

Kayoko would have raised an eyebrow if she were the type to make skeptical expressions around most people. Elrowan was being odd today. “I-is something special going on?” she asked him, folding her hands gently in front of her. Her head tilted a bit in confusion, seeing as how she’d thought Elrowan was only interested in swim trunks and replicas of ancient clothing. Part of her mind wondered if it was something big, or at least something important enough for him to try and tone himself down for someone. A girl, maybe? Kayoko could hardly imagine Elrowan ever dating, and nearly shook her head at the odd thought. Instead, she just stood there, blinking a time or two with that confused look on her face, her orange eyes flitting to his clothes after a moment.

“Um… as for clothes…” she took a tiny step forward, looking uncertain again. “T-to tell you the truth, you and Hector are the only boys close to my age I’ve ever spent time with, so I don’t know much about you or your fashion…” That was a long sentence for timid Kayoko. It was proof she was getting used to Elrowan. “I um… I can try and help though… maybe find things I like… and you can see if you do too?” she shifted her weight to her right foot as she asked, an apologetically earnest expression on her face.

[Elrowan Sabeur]

Something special going on... hmm, it seemed like Kayoko could tell something was amiss, but not exactly what. Alastor fell silent as Kayoko began talking about how she didn't know fashion. At first he thought it was just her polite way of turning him down... He was certain he was confusing her, in more ways than one. I don’t know much about you, she'd said. He offered her an apologetic smile. No, she didn't know anything about him. But to be fair, he knew very little about her, either.

"I'd like that," he said truthfully when Kayoko offered her help. Even if they didn't find any clothes, it was a chance to get to know Kayoko better. "They're more for something normal than something special. Even if we don't find anything, at least I'll know what kind of things you like, Kayoko." He'd let her take that as she would. He was going to take this freedom and run with it as much as he wanted. Well, within reason. This whole situation was somewhat infuriating, because he was limited to what Kayoko would believe him. For now, perhaps focusing on his original goal of new clothes was best.

Alastor turned back to the shop. This was as good a place as any. Fortunately the clerk seemed busy with another customer, so the two of them weren't heckled about their preferences as soon as they walked through the door. “I'm just going for more street clothes, something that wouldn't make me stick out as horribly as I do now. But to be honest, I'm not really sure where to start...”

[Kayoko Sasaki]

“Oh, are you tired of your costumes or something?” Kayoko asked Elrowan innocently, tilting her head. Her body language said she was confused. That’s probably because she was. She thought Elrowan wasn’t even aware how out of place his fashion normally was. At least he agreed to let her help even though she didn’t know much. Kayoko wanted to be helpful to her friends and allies in Blue Pegasus. They were her new family now, and it meant the world to her even though she wasn’t the best at showing such things. She spent a lot of time on her own, but she was trying to hang out with Elrowan, Hector, and Calico when she got the chance, at the very least.

The pair walked inside as Elrowan explained that he needed something casual, and just like him she was relieved no one was bothering them. Kayoko was so very bad with strangers. She was getting better… but they still scared her. “Um, well, I only recently started wearing casual clothes too. I always had fancy stuff at my parent’s house. But I think my hoodie is really cute and enjoy wearing it whenever I can. I wash it pretty often though!” she added quickly as if she would be judged for wearing a dirty hoodie, despite the fact that she generally kind of smelled like peach shampoo, so she obviously was a clean person.

Kayoko moved over and picked out a boy’s hoodie. It was blue, like the clothes Elrowan normally wore. “Well, this is in your normal color, right? And hoodies are comfortable… and it’s a little chillier out now…”

[Elrowan Sabeur]

It was like he'd been shot. Alastor managed to grin wryly, though Kayoko's words had struck hard. "...Heh,"was all he managed to respond to her question about costumes. Alastor absolutely hated this ridiculous thing, had hated it every moment he saw it. Then there was the blue clothes. Blue wasn't his color, not at all. If anything, he really needed to get away from it. He rubbed his forehead lightly; this was going to be quite the task in their current situation. To make it better, or worse, he wasn't sure which, Kayoko was somehow being cute while interspersing her own information.

"I'm thinking something more along the lines of red or black, actually," he looked at the hoodie thoughtfully. The real trouble was going to be finding some kind of style... or should he worry about that later? There was also the matter of how much money he had. "It does look cute on you, hmm maybe matching what you wear wouldn't be so bad." He took a red hoodie where Kayoko had found hers. It was the same style, just a different color than what she originally suggested. With something like this, he could just pick out any plain shirt and wear it over. "What about pants? There's too many different kinds of clothe..." Even just looking at the displays, some wearing jeans, khakis, and others... there were too many options.

"A lot of people dress up in costumes around this time of year," he realized, turning back curiously to Kayoko. He seriously doubted she would wear anything like that by her own imagination. "Maybe we should look for a costume for you when we finish? Seems like I owe you something for this help."

[Kayoko Sasaki]

Kayoko didn’t catch Alastor’s reaction to her costume comment. It was much more subdued than Elrowan’s more likely “It’s not a costume milady!” or something like that. He was certainly acting odd, but then Kayoko was both incredibly trusting and had no reason to suspect her friend was currently someone else. “Red or black, huh?” Kayoko asked, putting her cheek in her palm as she thought. “Ah!” she walked over and picked up a red jacket, soon after pulling out a button-up shirt that was black and comfortable enough to be a ‘fancy casual, along with some tan slacks. “This is most of an outfit, right?” she asked, tilting her head. “Unless you want like, an undershirt for it or something…” She did have a flair for clothing, it seemed, despite not actually knowing much about what she was doing, even when it came to herself.

She had been talking quietly, and hadn’t realized that Elrowan wasn’t paying attention to her as he thought and looked at the displays. Suddenly, he turned around, exclaiming that a lot of people dressed up in costumes this time of year. “Y-you mean for Halloween?” she asked curiously, holding onto the clothing she had for Elrowan and blinking cutely, a confused look on her face. “W-wait… A costume for me? I… I’ve never had a costume…” she admitted to Elrowan, forgetting she was holding onto his clothing.

[Elrowan Sabeur]

When Alastor turned back to talk to Kayoko, he realized she had picked out more clothing. The jacket did seem more along the lines of what he'd originally been imagining, although he wouldn't quite match Kayoko this way. He was tempted to get both, but part of him didn't really feel like he had earned the money... so maybe not. So far doing this with another person was far easier than by himself. Without Kayoko, he would have been second guessing or nitpicking every detail. It was easier when he knew that she already liked the clothes.

"Yeah, for Halloween, or for fun," Alastor nodded. For girls especially, Halloween was a special opportunity to dress up in things that they normally would get strange looks at. He doubted Kayoko would be into something like that, but he thought she would have at least dressed up as something in her younger years. "You mean you've never tried dressing up or going trick-or-treating? It's not too late, you know. We're not that old." He grinned a little. Elrowan might be interested in the childish side of holidays and events, but Alastor had other ideas. "But old enough to access the better costumes, I think. Come on, we should go shopping for you, and see what we find." He put back the own clothes he was holding to the rack, instead opting for the other set Kayoko had picked out for him.

After Alastor finished paying, he immediately used the changing room to swap out of his current Elrowan-picked clothes. When he walked out of the dressing room, he felt and looked like a different person. Having clothes that fit him properly, instead of the overly-sized and Renaissance, costume, actually made him look like a resident of Fiore. "Thanks again for the help, Kayoko. I wouldn't know what to pick out without you."

[Kayoko Sasaki]

Kayoko shook her head a sheepish ‘no’ at Elrowan’s question about her dressing up or going trick or treating. She would have probably said something about it, but he had already decided that they could get some of the ‘better’ costumes, and that she should come with him. Was she going to be the one in a costume now? “B-better costumes?” she asked in a tone that suggested quite obviously that she was a bit worried by what that meant. She knew what some girls wore, and she was pretty sure she would die right out if she was ever stuck in something skimpy. That was for girls who were pretty and had self-confidence. In other words, not Kayoko, at least in her mind. Besides, despite being seventeen, she still felt a bit young for that kind of stuff, and certainly didn’t feel like she was anywhere near being an adult despite what her parents had last told her.

She worriedly followed Elrowan to the cash register to pay for the clothes, which, she’d actually taken out her jewels to pay for before he’d bought it. She was too sheepish to insist, so instead she quietly put her bag away and waited for him to go change.

When Elrowan did come out of the changing room, she couldn’t help but blush a bit at the difference. Was she really friends with someone that was considered handsome? And in a strangely roguish way? Not that she was trying to insult Hector…. He just had a lot of muscles and looked more bodybuilder than rogue. “Y-you look handsome..” she nodded, thinking about how she didn’t know she was so good at picking out clothes for people, which somehow managed to further perplex the formerly rich girl. She hadn't even actually known what to pick out earlier... At least it gave her something to think about while she absent-mindedly let Elrowan do the picking out of her costume…

[Elrowan Sabeur]

From someone like Kayoko, the compliment must have taken up quite the courage. Actually that could be taken as a bit more than a compliment, Alastor would dare consider it flirting. Whether Kayoko had realized it or not, it was sort of a green light to his own curiosity. On the unfortunate side, her words... or perhaps it was moreso Alastor's reaction... had the thunderous effect of awakening Elrowan. So much for this being a secret outing without him finding out. The other was not going to be happy about this. It was curious though; a sharp realization that the other was equally conscious. Just like how Alastor was awakened from his fog when Elrowan fought against true evil, it seemed that Elrowan had certain trigger points as well. Well, too bad for his own sanity. Alastor had no intention of changing anything what he was doing. This was far too good for him to pass up now.

"And I owe it to your fashion wisdom," he grinned at her, ignoring the mental battle his other self was trying to wage. "Here, let's see if we can find any costume shops on the way back to Blue Pegasus," he suggested. Even if they didn't, it would be nice to walk back with her. The leaves were turning the perfect golden color, the trees about to lose them soon. Along the way was a seasonal shop, one that Alastor was insistent that they at least browse. It was a classic Halloween shop, but Alastor had little interest in anything except the costumes. Particularly anything that would fit Kayoko.

Elrowan would no doubt prefer something childish, like a ghost or pirate, no a princess, he insisted. But Alastor was looking more along the lines of 'older' costumes. Nothing too extreme that would scare Kayoko in terms of how revealing it was... but certainly not the traditional costumes either. He took a pair of bunny ears off a stand and set them atop Kayoko's head. "What kind of costumes do you like? I was thinking something along the lines of this," he handed her a folded costume. On closer inspection it was actually a maid's outfit, one of the traditional ones with the long skirts and lace. It was kind of a trick question because he didn't actually expect her to like it... or try it on. But hey, if she did, it wasn't like he would complain about it.

[Kayoko Sasaki]

Kyoko blinked a few times, coming back to reality as she watched a pair of rabbit ears get placed on her head. She scrunched up  her arms to herself naturally as he got that close, but had a curious look on her face as she watched the ears dangle within her vision, if only barely. She then had a set of clothes shoved into her arms, which she held out. “… a m-maid’s costume?” she asked at first, blinking. It came with a rabbit tail. “A bunny maid?” She tilted her head, unsure what to even think about it for a moment before something seemed to click in her head.

She let out a slight gasp as her eyes opened wider. Didn’t people consider maid costumes s-sexy? And rabbit ears with them more so? She quickly drew the costume closer to her chest nervously after all that time holding it out, and looked to Elrowan with a nervous, yet curious look. “Y-you think I’d look good in this?” she asked. Literally anyone else she would have protested. Calico would have been considered too daring and gotten a slight lecture on modesty. Hector would have simply gotten a bunch of no’s in rapid succession as she backed away. Elrowan… well, she’d grown used to his more juvenile charm and her alarms telling her to be mortified at anything so potentially alluring didn’t exactly go off like they normally would have. “A-aren’t they something boys would want a really pretty girl to wear?”

[Elrowan Sabeur]

Honestly, the fact that the costume wasn't immediately refused just gave Alastor more encouragement. She actually seemed to be considering wearing it, which was much more than he expected. He was surprised, though didn't show it, instead retaining the same grin from earlier. Even better than that, Kayoko was practically setting herself up for compliments. Though she doubted herself, Alastor had complete confidence that Kayoko could pull off the costume. "You're right - pretty girls can definitely pull it off the best," he placed a hand under his chin. "Which is why you'd look perfect in it. You shouldn't be so modest, Kayoko. Not many can pull off that look, so you should use what you have."

Elrowan was getting more and more infuriated with each passing moment. Eventually, Alastor was going to need to tell Kayoko who he truly was. If he didn't, Elrowan might fill her head with some kind of garbage nonsense, and any future interactions would be ruined. Alastor was quite enjoying his time with Kayoko; would enjoy it even more if he could actually get her into the costume. "Besides, it's Halloween. Dressing up in a cute way is normal," he added, hoping that it might calm any of her trepidation. He was probably already pushing it with his bold request.

[Kayoko Sasaki]

"You're right - pretty girls can definitely pull it off the best, Which is why you'd look perfect in it.” Elrowan followed up his surprisingly smooth and flattering compliments by saying she should use what she had. By now, Kayoko was both blushing noticeably, and holding the dress close to her as she stammered out a response. “I… I’m that pretty?” she asked, surprised and confused enough by the compliment that she wasn’t able to argue against it, despite her lack of confidence. She blinked a few times as she stood there, looking cutely innocent and nervous. “W-what do I have?” she asked, honestly having no idea what Alastor/Elrowan was talking about.

She stared at him, being nearly an inch taller it would normally be from nearly the same height, but in her withdrawn posture she somehow seemed smaller, looking at him like she was as small as she felt a lot of the time. Her orange eyes couldn’t keep the eye contact for long, causing her to cast her gaze off to the side and slightly down. She swallowed involuntarily, her nerves getting the better of her after all of the compliments. Why was he being so nice to her? What did he mean with everything he was saying? Should she try on the costume, at least? She had all those questions and more running through her head as Elrowan had time to reply.

[Elrowan Sabeur]

Uh oh. Kayoko was staring at him like a deer caught in headlights. If this kept up, she was going to revert back to the old shy Kayoko. He could make a list of all the attributes he thought was attractive, but... somehow he guessed there was a better way to go about this. The last thing he wanted was to make her so scared that she couldn't talk to him... even if Elrowan was usually the one doing most of the talking. He wanted to see and learn more about her, not make her withdraw into a shell. "You've got that whole shy cute thing nailed down. It's perfect for cosplays." He laughed a little, trying to reassure her.

"Anyway, you see me in a costume all the time. It's not too far of a stretch to say I'd be interested in seeing you dress up for once, right?" Now he was fudging it a little. But surely she would think that fit into the realm of normal. Hm... maybe he needed something more, though. Another reason to get her to dress up beyond just the promise that she wouldn't look too silly. "How about this... I promise to tell you a secret if you try it on. You don't even have to buy it if you don't like it. You can just show me for a minute or something," he offered. Maybe that would get her curiosity aroused. It might be a slightly better transition into telling her his identity, than simply taking her aside and bringing it out of nowhere.

[Kayoko Sasaki]

Well, she did have the shy thing down, she couldn’t argue with that. Though she would have called it fear, not shyness. She wasn’t that nice to herself. In fact, poor Kayoko was probably meaner to herself than she could ever be to anyone else, partially because she’d always been told she wasn’t good enough. Though people were helping her get better, actually pointing out that she needed practice and such didn’t really help with that. She nearly asked what a cosplay was, but didn’t open her mouth when she told herself to.

The blush didn’t disappear in the slightest during the rest of what he was saying. He kept saying she was pretty and cute and things, and a girl like her would never miss such unusual compliments. They were appreciated, but she had no idea how to show that. “I um… I could try it on…” she decided when he tried to reason with her. She was interested in the secret, but she was more interested in appeasing her friend. Truthfully the promise of the secret wasn’t even needed.

Kayoko looked over and saw the dressing room, nervously slipping into it. She looked at herself for a good long moment in the mirror before she even started to get undressed for trying on the costume. Cute? Was she? She supposed she might be kind of pretty… but she’d never thought of it. She was proud of her appearance, but it was more because she knew how to groom herself well than anything she actually thought.

Finally, she closed her eyes and sighed, unzipping her hoodie and getting into the maid costume, even putting on the tail and ears. She paused when she was done, looking at herself again. Was this cute? She was afraid she looked silly. Elrowan might have insisted she try it on, but surely he couldn’t help but laugh when she got out… but she’d promised, or close enough.

Finally, a pair of bunny ears followed by peach-colored hair and cute, nervous orange eyes poked out from behind the changing screen. “I-I’m changed…” she told Elrowan, slowly inching out from behind the curtain. She did a bit of a graceful, nervous spin followed by a curtsy that came with a complimentary nervous smile. She was honestly trying for her friend. “How do I… how do I look?” she asked. She was certainly stammering like she used to. She didn’t stammer this much around Elrowan anymore, but today was a special, nervous day full of strange surprises and lovely compliments.

[Elrowan Sabeur]

Alastor paused as Kayoko confirmed that she would try it on. Apparently he'd gotten through to her. Just a little push in the right direction, and it was easy to get her to try. He could see the faint blush, briefly wondered how she was taking these things. Dubbed as Elrowan, nothing he said was probably going to be taken too seriously. Still she was observant enough to notice the change in demeanor, enough to warrant the blush. He wouldn't say he had a crush, but he did think she was cute. The moments in the waiting room felt long.... maybe she was having trouble getting it on? He crossed his arms and willed himself to be patient.

Out of the corner of his eye, Alastor saw the bunny ears first, inching out of the curtain. When he looked up, Kayoko had emerged from the dressing room. She looked even better than he thought, the dress accenting her curves instead of hiding them like her normal hoodie. The little spin she did even showed off the rabit tail. And now she was even starting to stammer again. Adorable. Alastor made a mental note not to stare too long, one hand pushing his chin up to hide the fact that his mouth had been slightly ajar. "Wow, amazing, Kayoko," he complimented with his honest opinion. "Even better than I imagined. You could totally work at one of those cafes, and you'd fit right in. I'm guessing this wouldn't be something you'd wear normally for a costume, though," he grinned a little ruefully. “What do you think, though? Isn't it fun to dress up?”

[Kayoko Sasaki]

If Kayoko was blushing from nervousness before, She was certainly blushing after Elrowan opened his mouth to compliment her so enthusiastically. She looked even better than he imagined. Good enough to work at… one of those maid cafés? She’d heard of those, but she’d never had a reason to visit one. “N-normally I don’t wear costumes…” she reminded Elrowan when he guessed it’s not what she would normally wear for one. She had no idea what she might choose. “It’s um… a little tighter than I ex-expected…” she noted. What she meant was it was more form-fitting, and well, Kayoko had a lot better form than she gave herself credit for underneath her favorite hoodie.

Kayoko nodded an affirmative, grinning slightly. “Mhmm,” she agreed. In all honesty, more than anything she liked the compliment. Calico gave her compliments, but sisters and parents really weren’t the same… especially parents that tore her down instead. Any compliment was both unexpected and affected her more than they did a normal person. At the moment, she was both feeling encouragable with the costume, and happy to be considered pretty by someone. She did another, slightly slower spin. She giggled again, taking a moment to pull at the bunny ears. "It is skimpier than I'm... than I'm used to..." she admitted, still rather rosy-cheeked.

[Elrowan Sabeur]

Alastor was glad when Kayoko laughed. She really did seem to be enjoying herself; he wouldn’t have wanted it to be a one-sided venture. Of course she was having fun too. The incessant self-righteous speeches by his other half had actually made him doubt himself… for a second. Seeing Kayoko like this erased any last doubts. “Not exactly everyday clothes, yeah,” he agreed. Part of the charm was that these kind of things were reserved for special events. Like when Kayoko had gone swimming during the Tournament Isle. “I wouldn’t advise wearing it as street clothes. Your normal style looks plenty good enough anyway.” That and the thought of Kayoko wandering around dressed like that, with other guys staring… it wasn’t a nice thought. Even if she avoided harm, Alastor didn’t want her to get that kind of attention.

When Kayoko had changed and they finished with the costume shop, Alastor stepped back outside. Quite some time had passed, although there was still plenty of sunlight left. It was too nice a day of a cool autumn day to waste. “Want to take a walk through the park before we head back?” He suggested. The park would also be the perfect spot to talk without interruptions – there was bound to be a quiet place there.

[Kayoko Sasaki]

Kayoko knew costumes weren’t everyday clothes. At least, not if you weren’t one of those maids in shops. She was pretty sure she’d die having to be… sexy… for someone every day. In fact, the thought of being sexy at all to someone practically terrified her. Or at least… the idea of it was… she supposed she’d liked the positive attention from her friend, but… that wasn’t because… was it? Kayoko managed to stop herself from blushing… okay, no she didn’t. She just wanted to. It got worse though when she told she looked plenty good enough in her normal clothes. “Y-you really think so?” she asked before she decided to go and get changed before anyone else stared at her. She hated strangers staring at her. It tended to make her panic.

When she emerged, Elrowan asked her if she wanted to take a walk through the park. She was more than willing to walk with a friend, especially one that kept giving her strange compliments. “I’d like that,” she told Elrowan with a nod as she hugged her arms to herself. She was feeling just a bit vulnerable after the weird sexy maid thoughts for reasons she honestly couldn’t explain if she tried. She did feel better being back in her nice, secure, fluffy hoodie. “Do you go to the park often?” she asked him curiously.

[Elrowan Sabeur]

Alastor simply nodded when Kayoko asked for confirmation. He really did think her style fit her. It was humble, overly humble, similar to her. She didn't need fancy things to make herself look better, she was already fine. When she was back, getting her to go with to the park was easy enough, as he expected. This really was the perfect weather for walking, and Alastor was just enjoying the moment with Kayoko. Some other people were walking around too, but the two of them were left alone. "No, not really," Alastor answered her. He usually didn't have any control over where he was going. Elrowan wasn't exactly the kind of person to stop and enjoy the scenery, either. "I should definitely try to get out more," he grinned wryly.

They came upon a great sycamore oak, the trees spreading out far across the park. Alastor stopped, turning to face Kayoko. "Hey, Kayoko." Telling her... he wasn't opposed to people knowing who he was. But he hated the thought of someone thinking he was crazy. So telling her the truth... in a way it was frightening. But he'd never let fear stop him before. "I haven't been totally honest with you. I need to tell you the truth," he said. The moment felt painfully slow, the wind seeming to die and wait for his words. "I'm not actually Elrowan." There... he'd said it. He waited patiently, not really knowing what Kayoko would say or do; if she'd even take him seriously...

[Kayoko Sasaki]

Kayoko and Elrowan walked to the park, the peach-haired girl seeming perfectly happy as they walked among the people unnoticed. She wasn’t a fan of people she wasn’t close to paying attention to her, especially not when there were a bunch of people. The park was beautiful, and Kayoko was a bit sorry she’d never gotten to it with Calico while she was in-between the things she was managing to get herself into as a member of Blue Pegasus.

That was when Elrowan stopped them, looking a bit serious. Kayoko looked at him curiously. It would have been up at him, but… she was a bit taller than the boy, despite often feeling smaller than she was. He admitted he hadn’t actually been honest with her, which prompted the girl to tilt her head a bit, looking at him worriedly. “W-what is it?” she asked him, blinking almost cutely with a patient yet concerned expression on her face.

Then he told her. He wasn’t actually Elrowan. Kayoko drew in her breath sharply, but stayed in place. It was weird… somehow… it wasn’t surprising. “…I…I know…” she nodded as she looked the Not Elrowan in the eyes, searching his face. “Y-you are him… I mean… it’s complicated, isn’t it?” she asked him. She hadn’t really thought about it, but now that he was telling her… he knew her. He knew what Elrowan knew, or seemed to. But he didn’t act like Elrowan at all.

[Elrowan Sabeur]

Alastor didn't really know what to expect from Kayoko. Surprise, certainly, but a lot more than what she'd just shown. In fact, he was surprised at how little she was surprised. 'I know.' Not a string of questions, a laugh, or disbelief. It was something she had already suspected, already taken as fact, even when he thought she knew nothing. "Y-yeah," he blinked away his shock, remaining to regain some control. Her perception was extremely impressive. "My name is Alastor," he properly introduced himself for the first time. "I was going to go with a story that was easier to understand, like Elrowan and I are twins or something, but I guess you already know it's not like that..." He grinned and shrugged.

"Basically, we're sharing the same space. So... I can hear the same things as he does. I wanted to let you know, because... well, I really liked this day," he laughed. "And I wouldn't want Elrowan filling your head with nonsense. I hope you'll believe in your own thoughts and experiences, and not someone else's stories about me." Elrowan thought he was evil. Not pure evil, but certainly a spirit that was more than benign. "Maybe we can hang out together sometime?" He offered, knowing fully well that the chance was slim. There were many problems... but he could at least pretend and hope they would meet again like this in the future.

[Kayoko Sasaki]

They were… sharing the same space. Well, that made sense. She knew they were the same person. They’d been wearing the same clothes, though Alastor didn’t like the clothing Elrowan liked. He didn’t like the flamboyant style or behavior. He seemed much more calm and subdued and… smooth. Smooth? Kayoko nodded, giving Alastor a small bow, clamping her hands in front of her lap. “I-it’s nice to meet you Alastor,” she told him now that she had a name. “I-it sounds really confusing… b-but I think I kind of understand,” she nodded. She scratched her nose as she blushed, her eyes shifting from him to the ground. “You um… give more compliments than Elrowan…” She wanted to ask if he really thought she was so pretty and whatnot, but… she would have died even trying, so she didn’t. "Um... thanks... most nice things are people telling me I can do things I'm afraid of... I don't get many compliments... I'm too... broken..."

“I would um… I would like to see you again,” she nodded. “Elrowan is… scarily excitable sometimes,” she admitted. “I like you both though, I think.” She didn’t have the most ‘assertive’ way of admitting things. “Elrowan um… thinks I’m a cat girl because of my sister… so um… I know not to take everything he says quite like he does… but… I know he means well…” She blushed again, looking back up at Alastor, accidentally locking eyes with him for a moment before looking away. “I um… we can talk about you instead though… I don’t mind. Or um… do something else…” She felt bad talking about Elrowan if Alastor didn’t’ get to do what he wanted most of the time.

[Elrowan Sabeur]

Polite Kayoko was making the proper introductory greeting. It was a little unnecessary, but maybe that was a part Alastor enjoyed. He didn't understand what she meant though... too 'broken'? There was nothing wrong with her. A frown flitted briefly across his face, thinking how she'd even come to such a conclusion. "I'm a little more vocal than most I guess.... but even if they don't say it, you really do stand out above the rest, just in a different way. Well, I only know my own thoughts and Elrowan's, but I think that's a fairly good measure." Indirectly in a way, he was saying that Elrowan also thought she was pretty. He knew the other wouldn't say so out loud... at least, not after becoming about self-conscious for starting to like Kayoko... but it was still the truth.

He laughed a little and scratched his chin as Kayoko continued to talk about Elrowan. Easily excitable, indeed. The other could barely sit still. Watching his antics day in and day out was certainly frustrating. He was so closely tied to the other, talking about himself was nearly synonymous with talking about Elrowan. Maybe that thought was starting to show on his face, because Kayoko quickly added that they could talk about Alastor instead. "Thanks, Kayoko," he appreciated the thought. She was still considerate in more ways than one... which made parting her all the harder. Although he had nothing personally against Elrowan, outside of generally being annoyed... it was hard to be tied to him like this. "I think I've already used up more time than I should have, though. So I'm going to cut this short for now," he managed to laugh a little bravely. "And thanks to you... you can at least know me by these clothes. I'll see you later, Kayoko." He was feeling a little lonely just thinking about the near future... but holding on to her for any longer was too painful. With a light wave he turned, leaving the girl to herself. He knew it would be some time before they met again, but he hoped she wouldn't forget him.

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