Her eyes clouded over again, and the smile faded. "I thought it would be easier," she admitted, not looking at him. "I thought being a taika would mean that I would suddenly remember how life works here. But it's not like that."
"Of course not," Rakushun said kindly, "since you were only a baby when you left Kei - barely that."
She nodded, closing her eyes for longer than a blink. "I know."
Rakushun looked around for a moment, then spotted an empty chair. He dragged it over and sat down. He wanted to make sure she knew that he wasn't going anywhere, and that the time he had right now was earmarked just for her. She watched his moments with a trace of wariness, but relaxed when she saw he was comfortable. She had changed a lot, but she still didn't enjoy being a burden on people.
"But?" he pressed.
She cracked, resting her head on the desk and shutting her eyes. "But," she agreed. "Keiki is a great support, and so are the other ministers, and now that the government is more or less stable, it has gotten much easier, but..."
He leaned in closer and smiled. "You're still confused, huh?"
She opened her eyes and smiled again, which made him feel accomplished. "Pretty much."
"Youko, you know you can do this," he said gently. "You were born to do it. It's just going to take some time, but you will be able to do it."
"Even with the new law in place, people still feel the need to bow or sigh. It's like I'm filled with a bunch of people-shaped electric fans."
That comparison puzzled him, but he chose not to ask. "It's an adjustment, is all. You're proving far better than the previous women-kings. Maybe they'll hold you up as a new example."
She chuckled drily, but then met his gaze, her eyes warm. "Thanks, Rakushun. You know, I can always count on you. You have so much kindness, and you never ask for anything in return."
"Well, that's not true," he replied truthfully.
She raised her head. "What do you mean?"
"I ask that you make sure Kei is well-looked-after," he answered automatically. Then, seeing her eyes darken a little, he realised his mistake - it was a nice thing to say, but it laced a personal touch, which apparently she craved. "And," he added, "that you keep some time open for me."
The smile returned, as warm as her eyes. She placed her hand over his paw, and he felt the warmth, there, a warmth that spread up his arm. He twitched his whiskers, feeling all at once shy and giddy. "Thank you," she repeated, and the warmth touched his chest.
Youko/Rakushun - Friend-shippy, Part Two
"Of course not," Rakushun said kindly, "since you were only a baby when you left Kei - barely that."
She nodded, closing her eyes for longer than a blink. "I know."
Rakushun looked around for a moment, then spotted an empty chair. He dragged it over and sat down. He wanted to make sure she knew that he wasn't going anywhere, and that the time he had right now was earmarked just for her. She watched his moments with a trace of wariness, but relaxed when she saw he was comfortable. She had changed a lot, but she still didn't enjoy being a burden on people.
"But?" he pressed.
She cracked, resting her head on the desk and shutting her eyes. "But," she agreed. "Keiki is a great support, and so are the other ministers, and now that the government is more or less stable, it has gotten much easier, but..."
He leaned in closer and smiled. "You're still confused, huh?"
She opened her eyes and smiled again, which made him feel accomplished. "Pretty much."
"Youko, you know you can do this," he said gently. "You were born to do it. It's just going to take some time, but you will be able to do it."
"Even with the new law in place, people still feel the need to bow or sigh. It's like I'm filled with a bunch of people-shaped electric fans."
That comparison puzzled him, but he chose not to ask. "It's an adjustment, is all. You're proving far better than the previous women-kings. Maybe they'll hold you up as a new example."
She chuckled drily, but then met his gaze, her eyes warm. "Thanks, Rakushun. You know, I can always count on you. You have so much kindness, and you never ask for anything in return."
"Well, that's not true," he replied truthfully.
She raised her head. "What do you mean?"
"I ask that you make sure Kei is well-looked-after," he answered automatically. Then, seeing her eyes darken a little, he realised his mistake - it was a nice thing to say, but it laced a personal touch, which apparently she craved. "And," he added, "that you keep some time open for me."
The smile returned, as warm as her eyes. She placed her hand over his paw, and he felt the warmth, there, a warmth that spread up his arm. He twitched his whiskers, feeling all at once shy and giddy. "Thank you," she repeated, and the warmth touched his chest.