Warriors and Priestesses. (For killcarrion)

Chuang hadn't felt this great in well ages, okay it was when he graduated from High School with pretty good grades. Him and Qi had mastered the balancing act of training with educational studies, the discipline that came from the former helped with the latter. But it left little in the way of proper romances for the Chinese warrior, he knew girls in his class sure. But they never really "Knew" him like the way Mikoto had done so, often the fact that he was so adept in combat was a bit of a turn off for them. Chuang didn't think he could blame them though, and simply just pressed on with his life.

Coming to Japan had been great, the people were so polite. There was a place where he could do what he did best and get paid for it, and now he had found a woman that could connect with him in more ways than one. Chuang thought about thanking Qi for convincing him to head to the land of the rising sun, he could afford his Sister the temporary smugness.

The walk that Mr Lingxian had taken with the Japanese priestess had been quite relaxing, perfect after the sparring match that had occurred earlier. If this was a dream then he didn't want to wake up, a sakura leaf fell on Chuang's hair. Using his free arm he held it in front of him and smiled to Miko, before releasing it and letting it continue in the gentle wind that occurred near the young duo.

As they walked however Mikoto brought up a valid and important subject, her Mother. Yes that was important, if the pair was to properly date then Chuang would like it to be that the parents approved. It made things much more easier he believed, when the priestess talked about what they did earlier Chuang gave a small and awkward laugh. Using his non held arm to sheepishly rub the back of his head, something told the young man that were Miko's Mother to hear about that she might not take it nicely.

Upon seeing the worried look on Mikoto's face however Chuang bit his lower lip, he would stop walking and move his body to face the young woman. Whereupon the Chinese warrior would look Miko in the eyes and say "Well hey Mikoto, it'll be fine. It might not be best to talk about when um....things got heated, but there's not going to be anything to worry about. I don't like to see you worried or sad, doesn't suit your uh...beauty. So come on, let's go." one of the things that people always liked about Chuang was his optimism. Some called it foolish and blind thinking, but Chuang simply thought of it as outward expressing.

As fastidious as Mikoto was in her studies, occasionally she would peruse a certain romantic novel that piqued her interest, inwardly losing herself in the fantastical daydreams presented throughout the provocative imagery of the book. To her it was a healthy form of escapism when her own relationship prospects were few and far between. It allowed herself to be swept up in the captivating scenarios and perhaps prepared her to an extent if the day should come when she would have her own romantic suitor...

...but now that the fateful day has come, even though the picturesque stroll was unfolding as if from those very same novels, the conflict between her pragmatic mind and fluttering heart almost made her incapable of enjoying it. The complexities of real life weighed heavily on her thoughts, in particular how best to let her mother know of their relationship in as tactful a manner as possible. Bringing a boy home to meet her mother now got somewhat more complicated. Especially for someone as shy and reserved as Miko was, who now found that the complexities of real life sharply drew a line between her dreamlike envisionings and the reality of the situation.

Though Miko's dour mood lightened up when Chunag's shining optimism help put things in perspective, the priestess maintaining eye contact and folding her hands together behind her as the reassuring words helped calm her nerves. "...*giggle*...Agreed, let's omit certain details for now and just try to enjoy ourselves tonight. I'm certain breaking the news to her will come naturally at some point~..." Miko smiled sheepishly as she began waltzing off and to the sides of Chuang towards the sliding doors that lead to the dining room. Now that they were so close to meeting back up with her mother, it was best that they kept some distance so as not to clue her in too early.

Spoiler:

Upon entering the traditionally designed dining room, the palatable aroma of freshly cooked beef broth with vegetables wafted pleasantly from inside. Two separate dinner plates had already been orderly placed on the shortened table along with chopsticks and glasses of Ryokucha green tea. Mikoto would politely allow Chuang to enter first before entering herself and taking her seat on the cushioned pillow before Mikoto's mother would reemerge with her own dinner plate in hand. "Ah, so they're the two of are~...I was afraid I'd have to eat this all by myself.~...That must have been some workout~...

Mr Lingxian hadn't really considered himself one really knowing of the way of romance, he knew about what happened with a man and woman of course. Namely because of how the women in his school thought of him as really nice, but were often turned off due to his martial arts background. When Qi wasn't looking Chuang would partake in those romance novels that she had, but left the stuff she created alone. He didn't trust it to be good enough to qualify as good writing. The young man inwardly was grateful he made that astute choice, but he might not need it seeing as how Mikoto had since the day they met accepted him for who he openly was.

Chuang was feeling a little niggling thing in his gut, aside from a small pang of hunger. It was a small amount of dread, as he was going to have to try and dance around the issue of trying not to let Mikoto's Mother find out what happened during the spar session with him and her daughter. Things had become quite heated, and Chuang fought hard not to go back into those memories. More pressing matters had to be attended to. He knew that if he was to date Mikoto properly he had to have the approval of the Mother. Chuang was confident on that front though, he felt that Miko must have spoken about him to her in great detail prior to him arriving.

The warrior did admit that he was kinda sad that Mikoto was moving off and to his side, but he understood it. Chuang kept his usual smile on as he followed the priestess, till she would allow him to enter first. Chuang would nod to acknowledge the notion and enter the dining room, taking the chance to detect the smell of the brewed dinner. He would then sit at the seat near Miko before her Mother entered. When she did Chuang would bow slightly and say "Ah hello Kusanagi-san, it was..." Chuang didn't want to comment too much on the so called workout. But knew he had to continue and he recovered with "A nice time." smiling after it.

And inwardly the young man thought to himself with *Smooth Chuang, tiptoed around that one.*

"...Ah, w-well, that's...nice. I hope that you were able to make use of our antiquated equipment. I'm afraid it hasn't seen much use since we were forced to shutter the dojo doors some years ago." Chiyoko smiled warmly towards the young man's response as she sat herself on the cushioned seat across from the enamored couple. Chuang's succinct answer to Chiyoko's innocent inquisition preceded a lengthier moment of awkward silence before she answered, the Chinese warrior's initial attempt to strengthen their facade only casting even further suspicion upon them. Thankfully Mikoto's doting mother apparently was wholly believing of the Chinese Warrior and chalked up the lack of details as simply bashfulness on the young man's behalf...

"Haha...Nono, we didn't have any issues Oka-san. It was just a fun little workout...just something to keep us fresh and help us learn more about eachother...e-eachother's fighting style, I mean...Haha..." Compelled to add further detail once it seemed Chunag's wholesome and honest nature may be a detriment to their duplicitous cause, Mikoto's nervous laughter and slip of the tongue revealed herself to be no better at dishonesty than himself. Scratching her cheek throughout her jittery laughs, Miko hastily motioned forward to clasp her hands together in a prayer sign. Intending to move on towards the next topic of conversation as quickly as possible. Her mother mimicking the same movements before recanting "Itadakimasu~...", a Japanese prayer of thanks for the meal they were about to receive.  

"So~...Chuang-san, Mikoto has told me all about your adventurous trek from your native homeland to join your sister in bolstering and honing your fighting techniques. I have to commend you on being so dedicated to your martial arts training that you would travel abroad to test yourself. But if you don't mind my asking, how long do you intend on staying in Japan? Do you have any plans for the future once you've felt you're training would be better served by traveling elsewhere?" Chiyoko would motion toward the utensils and chopsticks on her side as continued with the casual table talk. Mikoto would do the same, though she would glance in Chuang's direction from behind one of her lengthy bangs of hair with a solemn, saddened expression. It hadn't occurred to her until then that Chuang visit's to Japan was, in fact, temporary...

Chuang was relying on his training to remain calm and composed here, inwardly he was dreading what Mikoto's Mother might do if she was provoked. The young man knew the sting of a rolling pin for sure back when he was a little runt trying to act out of his station, but thankfully Mikoto would assist here. By commenting herself on what had occurred, and the young woman was attempting to move the situation on. Which was fine by the Chinese warrior, that was handled better than expected. If there was one thing Chuang wasn't good at, it was bluffing. Chuang had known it given how he was often open with how he felt with things presented to him.

He knew that table manners were important, and so Chuang would copy the gestures that Mikoto and her Mother did while respectfully nodding. So far so good in the eyes of Mr Lingxian, now if he could only keep going on this he'd be sure to impress the priestesses Mother. Chuang then prepared to start eating and just relax, take the time when it was offered.

Although it seemed that Chiyoko had another question for the Chinese warrior, Chuang looked at her as she spoke. And it was a rather important question, was he intending to stay in Japan? Out of reaction the young man looked to Mikoto and caught her expression before looking back at her Mother, he would eat a little of his meal before biting his lower lip. A thoughtful expression graced his features before he spoke.

"I'm.....not quite sure, I mean....I....didn't give that much thought. I mean I followed Qi to Japan sure, although there's probably going to be a time where my parents will recall me back home with Qi. You know, to inherit the dojo, that won't be for a rather long time though. And they'd probably let me stay in Japan anyway if I asked, I like it here and it ain't that far off unlike say the USA." Chuang said giving a smile after it, he knew he had to be honest there. He knew that he'd probably go back home one day, but that didn't mean he couldn't have two homes. Chuang didn't like seeing Mikoto down, he had stated earlier that in his mind that didn't suit a woman like her.

"W-Well...w-while you're here in Japan, Ch-Chuang-san, you and Qi are always free to make use of our training facilities and have a warm meal as well...th-that is if you're ever in need of them..." Mikoto shyly stated as she perked back up with a demure smile in Chuang's direction, obviously so wound up in the feelings of the heart and her own romantic fantasies that the inconvenient truth of Chuang's temporary stay in Japan was easily forgotten. As distressing as it was that one day Chuang may have to bid her farewell, Mikoto fought to not let those thoughts sully the limited amount of time they may have had together. Though it was an issue that may need to be confronted one day...

"Of course, Chunag-san. It would be delightful to have such a well-mannered young man and his sister visit us more often...especially during the harsh winters when having an extra pair of hands could be quite useful~..." Chiyoko's warm and motherly aura cleverly masked her true intentions of enlisting the Chinese warrior's assistance during the brutal winter weather and all the snow shoveling and upkeep that entailed. Mikoto sighed to herself from the slight embarrassment of her mother blatantly asking her friends for help with shrine maintenance, still confident she could handle the workload on her own. She reached to the cup of tea to her side and began sipping it gently to quench her palate...a lingering silence in the air before Chiyoko would speak up once more with her chipper smile never leaving her face.

"...*giggle*...But I'm only curious about how long you're stay in Japan will be for the sake of Mikoto. I know how much she would miss having her boyfriend around. Though I hope you intend on making an honest women of my lovely daughter when the time is right~..."

"...*GURGLE*COUGH*..." Whatever tea that was left in Mikoto's mouth would be choked down after hearing the startling statement, the priestess blushing crimson from the idea of marriage as Chiyoko brought their farce to an end by letting it on she was fully aware of their relationship.

Chuang was thankful that he was able to relieve Mikoto of her worry, for now at least. There was that issue, but he was confident that when it happened his parents would be fine with whatever decision he made. After all they did say that he was a man now prior to leaving his home, but that matter was for far in the future when Chuang was older. With a long braided ponytail to go with it surely.

Mikoto's offer to visit again with Qi brought a smile to Mr Lingxian, it would equal more time spent with the priestess to be sure. Even if it did mean that Chuang would have to endure the sniggers of his troublesome Sister, but that would be fine. What had gone around would come around. "Sure Mikoto-san, if that's alright with you and your Mother. I bet Qi would love to hang out sometime, once she's gotten that marker stuff off of her." Chuang said with a happy flashback of when the young man got payback for when Qi ditched him following his burial at the beach.

Chiyoko's words however reminded Chuang that winter would soon come, and he nodded in response to her words. Chuang wasn't certain if snow was to be coming this year however, Mr Lingxian knew that Mikoto's Mother would try to coax him and Qi into pitching in to help Mikoto in that time. But hey that also meant maybe being able to share a mug of hot chocolate with Miko, so that sounded good too. The Chinese warrior made a mental note to look into buying a thick coat for that season before continuing with his dinner.

But Chuang wasn't ready for what Chiyoko said next, nope he really wasn't. They say Mother knows best, and Chiyoko had managed to deduce the relationship that the warrior had with her daughter. And was now expressing hopes of marriage as well, Chuang had just swallowed his food while at the same time his eyes widened in surprise. Mr Lingxian began to lightly quiver in his seat while giving a glance at Mikoto, he was feeling a bit bright red himself. The thought of it did seem rather enticing, and it could be totally awesome and......

Chuang needed to focus here, he politely coughed and quickly thought of whatever he could say that might work. After taking a deep breath Chuang would then say "Um I.....you needn't worry Chiyoko-san, regardless of whatever may occur I plan to do right by Mikoto no matter what." giving a small bow after it. Looked like the cat was out the bag, Chuang was at least thankful that the Mother didn't see the end of the spar between him and Miko. Otherwise he wasn't sure he'd be able to walk away from here in one piece.

Chiyoko's startling revelation came with a light chuckle from her daughters' flummoxed reactions and Chuang's unflinching dedication when faced with the idea of matrimony. The elderly priestess' suspicions about them having been roused the instant she saw them together, but only being proven with a certainty once she decided to have a little playful fun with the enamored youths. "Well, it certainly is a relief to hear that my daughter has chosen such a stalwart and devoted young man as her companion, Chuang-san. But please, there's no need to think that far ahead. I only meant it as a little joke to lighten the mood a little...*chuckle*...But seeing the both of you carry on like this reminds me so much of when I first encountered my dear husband. Sooo long ago~...Why, I was a practicing priestess myself actually, a young high school student training myself in judo at my grandfather's dojo. One day, when I was practicing my stances along with my sensei, some hot-headed teenager barged through our newly installed dojo doors and demanded to challenge...

"Nnn...Oka-saaaan..." Mikoto's half-hearted plea towards her mother would unfortunately be wholly muffled out by Chiyoko's lengthy reminiscing. Chuang would be obviously unaware of this having just met the motherly priestess, but her daughter would be uncomfortably familiar with how her mother has a tendency to take extended strolls down memory lane. Much to the chagrin of poor Mikoto, who is by now already intimately familiar with the expansive story of how her parents had met. The priestess slumping her shoulders in admitted defeat once she begrudgingly accepted the fact that the rest of the dinner conversation would be monopolized by another romantic retelling of how her parents came to know eachother...time ticking off the clock in the process...

~~~~

Several hours later, when the setting sun was casting an orange glow in the burgeoning night sky, the previously lively dining room would now be noticeably more subdued. Chiyoko having offered her fond farewells to Chuang and departed to shutter all the doors of the dojo and perhaps retire for the night. The priestess would collect the emptied dinner plates off the table and head towards the kitchen sink to give them a thorough cleaning. "...*sigh*...I'm sorry for my mother, Chuang-san. Sometimes she can be just as much of a handful as my siblings..." Miko spoke to Chuang on their way to the kitchen. "You don't have to come around during the winter if you don’t want to, I can handle things on my own..."

Chuang was at least thankful that he managed to avoid talking about how the spar between him and Mikoto had devolved into a passionate kissing session, if she had then chances were she'd have let the young man have a proper earful. But all in all it seemed that he had succeeded in his endeavour of earning the parental stamp of approval, which was fantastic. But there had just been one problem, Chiyoko was now seemingly going on a tangent about the days of her youth. Explaining how she had met her husband, seemingly while learning about judo. That certainly did have shades of himself and Miko, although Chuang wouldn't paint himself as hot headed. Lively and energetic sure, but he did try to look before leaping.

Mr Lingxian looked to Mikoto and realised what was occurring here, Chuang was polite as usual. But knew what was occurring, the young man listened politely and resigned to eating his meal. The better to look as if he was paying attention, time would go on and Chuang would cast aside glances to Chiyoko's daughter. The sun would be setting by the time that Mikoto's Mother said her goodbyes to the young man from China, Chuang knew he'd need to head home soon.

But he wanted to spend a bit more time with Mikoto, to try and make up for earlier. Chuang had followed Miko into the kitchen, leaning by the doorframe as he heard her words. Mr Lingxian looked at the dishes and then at the Japanese priestess, a smile gracing his lips. The Chinese warrior felt daring and would move behind Mikoto, gently wrapping his arms around her waist and saying into her ear "It's fine Mikoto I don't mind being here in the winter, it'd be fun now that I think on it. Your happiness is important to me you know, and besides think on it....we could have hot chocolate, maybe make snowmen and snow angels too." Chuang would then proceed to help wash the dishes with Mikoto from this position and give her a peck on the cheek, he earned the approval of the parent and wanted to enjoy his moments with Miko while he could.

Rolling up the sleeves on her lengthy kimono jacket, Mikoto began dutifully scrubbing away at the soup bowls and remaining dishes in the sink. It was the least she could do after her mother had gone to the trouble of preparing their scrumptious meal and for perhaps overlooking whatever the two of them may have been up to during their training session. Mikoto was fairly confident that Chiyoko knew more than she let on. Washing dishes was one of the first chores she remembered doing as a child and one she always found a certain inner peace from, handing Chuang the drenched dishes to place on the rack.

"...I think once you see the types of winters we have around here, you'll see that we may not have much time for all of that. Shoveling the sidewalks and salting the walkways may not be as fun as you think. The hot chocolate does sound delicious though~..." Mikoto playfully chimed as they scrubbed away, thinking back on their last frigid winter and how much more difficult it would be to manage the workload without her siblings around to pitch in. Though perhaps enlisting Chunag's aid for some of those tasks was Chiyoko's plan from the beginning once she saw how well the two of them were getting along. And perhaps her way of integrating him more into the fold of the family...

"Careful~..." Miko whispered with a smile while nudging Chunag in the side of his abs with her elbow before he could offer her the affectionate peck on the cheek. "I wouldn't be surprised if she was peeking in on us at this very moment..." The priestess was obviously now a little more cautious about showing their signs of affection now that the truth was revealed about them, not putting it past her wily mother to try and catch them unawares. Once the sink was completely emptied of all dishes and after drying her hands on a nearby rag, Miko looked up through the window in front of them to notice the night skies and street lights flickering on.

"Oh, I had no idea it was so late...Come on, I'll escort you to the bus stop." With the dish washing task completed, the priestess would fold her hands in front of her and politely lead the way out of their domicile and towards the main entrance of the shrine atop the mountainous flight of stairs.