RONIN
With their drinks full, the toast echoing in the air and their memories sealed safely way into Kaisel's gift for Flora, Ronin is about to ask whether the young man wants any further assistance when they are promptly being ushered into the adjacent room and told to sit and wait for dinner. "Far be it for me to argue with a man in his own kitchen," he says with a sheepish grin towards Remi (y'know, because if his idiocy last time), and he moves agreeably away to take his seat.
It doesn't take long for food to follow, and Ronin's eyebrows raise to see Kai with the plates arranged so steadily in his arms. "You should've opened a restaurant," he chimes, accepting his plate with a murmur of thanks and waiting until everyone is seated and happy before does as he's told and, yes, digs in. Unlike Kai and his nerves, the Knight's appetite is as healthy as ever, and he's forthcoming with his compliments on the alpina, the glaze, the vegetables, all of it.
Still, there's something else that seems to linger at the table, and it isn't long before Kai comes out with it - the second reason. Sipping slowly at his gin, Ronin sits up a fraction in his seat, his hand gently resting on Remi's knee beneath the table. Part of him can see the ask long before it leaves Kai's lips, but he does the soldier the respect of hearing him out in full, his blue eyes steady and serious, his expression almost grave.
He's quiet for a few long and awkward seconds before, blessedly, he can't keep a straight face any longer.
Ronin grins.
"Kai," he says warmly. "If you know Flora so well, you know that it's none of our business whether we think you're worthy of her. If she wants you, she'll have you, no matter what we have to say." It's one of the things he loves most about her. "But for what it's worth, yeah. You've got my blessing." He raises his glass.
It doesn't take long for food to follow, and Ronin's eyebrows raise to see Kai with the plates arranged so steadily in his arms. "You should've opened a restaurant," he chimes, accepting his plate with a murmur of thanks and waiting until everyone is seated and happy before does as he's told and, yes, digs in. Unlike Kai and his nerves, the Knight's appetite is as healthy as ever, and he's forthcoming with his compliments on the alpina, the glaze, the vegetables, all of it.
Still, there's something else that seems to linger at the table, and it isn't long before Kai comes out with it - the second reason. Sipping slowly at his gin, Ronin sits up a fraction in his seat, his hand gently resting on Remi's knee beneath the table. Part of him can see the ask long before it leaves Kai's lips, but he does the soldier the respect of hearing him out in full, his blue eyes steady and serious, his expression almost grave.
He's quiet for a few long and awkward seconds before, blessedly, he can't keep a straight face any longer.
Ronin grins.
"Kai," he says warmly. "If you know Flora so well, you know that it's none of our business whether we think you're worthy of her. If she wants you, she'll have you, no matter what we have to say." It's one of the things he loves most about her. "But for what it's worth, yeah. You've got my blessing." He raises his glass.
soft spoken with a broken jaw
we step outside, but not to brawl
we step outside, but not to brawl
