Dappled Blossom [Zenko]

Re: Dappled Blossom [Zenko]

feeds@yuku.com (The Department of Culture) — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 17:54:05 GMT

The atmosphere was almost overwhelmingly lovely, the scent of flowers and the feel of Itsuki's lips and skin, and the pearly moonlight seeming to smile down on them. He could have carried this on the whole night, he thought, or at least until sleep claimed him. But Itsuki was saying something, and what he was saying eventually permeated through the soft barriers of the alcohol and the rising lust packed around Zenko's brain like soft cotton. Someone might... Itsuki said, and...

Re: Dappled Blossom [Zenko]

feeds@yuku.com (Nakada Itsuki) — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 21:19:41 GMT

With what little semblance of what could be called self-respect Itsuki had left made him made a slight noise, his hand clasping Zenko's in his own. His kimono collar had already been pulled down passed his shoulder, to a point which showed off his collar bone and part of his healthy physique. His gaze futtered up to Zenko - he really was reluctant to stop him at all - his head felt thick, as if stuffed with cloth, but he didn't feel dizzy or ill at all, and was glad to continue. But...

Re: Dappled Blossom [Zenko]

feeds@yuku.com (The Department of Culture) — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 21:16:21 GMT

There was a part of Zenko which was faintly surprised at his own actions. Getting drunk in the office - really drunk, as opposed to creatively tipsy - kissing his boss, thinking about things like kissing at all. All were things which were almost totally out of character for him. He didn't know whether he ought to blame the drink or not, for he didn't entirely know what was happening. He didn't feel uncomfortable, for he didn't think of himself as particularly preferring men or...

Re: Dappled Blossom [Zenko]

feeds@yuku.com (Nakada Itsuki) — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 15:48:29 GMT

The kiss, although unexpected, was not at all unwanted on Itsuki's part. His head and chest were both pounding hard - whether on the part of the sake or not he didn't care as all that mattered was the warm, comforting feeling of Zenko's lips against his that seemed to promise everything would be alright. After a moment, when both...

Re: Dappled Blossom [Zenko]

feeds@yuku.com (The Department of Culture) — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 15:46:36 GMT

The unexpected feel of soft hair brushing against his neck made Zenko start, the touch both different and pleasant. His skin felt as though it was tingling, more sensitive than usual. He opened his eyes: Itsuki's head was on his shoulder, and he was very close. Zenko found that he was holding his breath. "Itsuki..." he murmured, an ink-smudged finger reaching up almost unconsciously to trace along the other man's jaw.

At that point, with the sake pounding in his...

Re: Dappled Blossom [Zenko]

feeds@yuku.com (Nakada Itsuki) — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 15:45:59 GMT

The feeling was most certainly mutual. Itsuki had lunch, but it was small and rushed and certainly had no time for dinner that evening. There was a vague question of what the time could be crossing over his mind, but he paid little heed to it. Content with the moon smiling down upon them both and the fragment petalled rainfall about them, he softly closed his eyes once more and shifted against the tree. His shoulder fell...

Re: Dappled Blossom [Zenko]

feeds@yuku.com (The Department of Culture) — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 15:45:15 GMT

"I understand," Zenko said softly. "It's the story of my life."

He found his eyelids feeling a little heavy, and he shifted so that his back was leaning against the tree, his shoulder pressed against Itsuki's. The other man was close enough that he could hear his breathing and feel the gentle rise and fall of his body. They had both drunk too much tonight, on not enough food at lunch time. In fact, Zenko couldn't recall when he had last eaten, because...

Re: Dappled Blossom [Zenko]

feeds@yuku.com (Nakada Itsuki) — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 15:43:47 GMT

The suggestion had caught Itsuki by surprise - so much so that he failed to see that Zenko was getting rather close between the two of them. "Oh no! There's no need for that!" he insisted. Office romances may have worked sometimes, but it just seemed so out of place or inappropriate that it confused him with the very thought! The...

Re: Dappled Blossom [Zenko]

feeds@yuku.com (The Department of Culture) — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 15:43:08 GMT

"It's alright," Zenko reassured, leaning over and pressing his hand on top of Itsuki's briefly. "Everyone tends to think that at first - we're a bit of a double act. But there's really nothing going on - I think we're too similar. And of course it would be nothing but work the whole time." He grinned, imagining he and Misato attempting to go out for a romantic date without getting excited and drawing diagrams with plans for future events....

Re: Dappled Blossom [Zenko]

feeds@yuku.com (Nakada Itsuki) — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 15:42:21 GMT

Opening his eyes quickly, Itsuki looked over towards Zenko with a hesitant look. "Oh - I'm sorry," he apologised, bowing his head. "It's just you both are always so close - I just assumed-" He had assumed near enough from the very beginning that Misato and Zenko were a couple. A shame, Itsuki had remembered thinking, as it meant any work relationship for him would have been non-existent, as...

Re: Dappled Blossom [Zenko]

feeds@yuku.com (The Department of Culture) — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 15:41:07 GMT

"Much the same really," Zenko said. He was vaguely aware, through the haze of drink affecting his brain, of his eyes being drawn to the petal on Itsuki's cheek. "It's hard to find the time."

Work and thinking about work claimed a hundred and one percent of Zenko's life. This was in no way something which bothered him, for he loved his job and counted himself lucky to have achieved professional fulfilment so young. But it did mean that he had no time...

Re: Dappled Blossom [Zenko]

feeds@yuku.com (Nakada Itsuki) — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 15:34:32 GMT

The question mildly surprised the head of the Department as he detached himself from the observations of the scene and turned to his second in command. In all honesty, back home before Erion City the thought of a bride had barely crossed...

Re: Dappled Blossom [Zenko]

feeds@yuku.com (The Department of Culture) — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 15:32:34 GMT

"Yes, it is," he replied. Each new thing Itsuki said tonight was proving a fresh surprise for Zenko, who was coming to realise how little he really knew his boss. Perhaps it was just the glory of the night bringing out the romance in him, but Zenko liked it. It was good to think that there was more to Itsuki than the eminently respectable.

Speaking of sharing things with someone reminded Zenko of something he (and the rest of the Department, for that matter) had been...

Re: Dappled Blossom [Zenko]

feeds@yuku.com (Nakada Itsuki) — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 15:27:58 GMT

It seemed Itsuki's agreeable mood felt that the idea of sitting beneath some low laying branches of a blossom tree in a sweetly scented Spring night was most welcome. Whether the mood was born from the sake or the general atmosphere of the scene or the sweet perfume of the blossom surrounding them Itsuki didn't care and gestured for Zenko to join him. The ground was warm and comfortable with neatly cut grass...

Re: Dappled Blossom [Zenko]

feeds@yuku.com (The Department of Culture) — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 15:26:45 GMT

"Yes, that's right," Zenko agreed, pleasantly surprised to find Itsuki so talkative this evening. He could not have been described as a man inclined to share details of his life, so it was very agreeable when he did. "I was born and educated here, and I've never lived anywhere else." He caught Itsuki's eye. "Perhaps it's very unadventurous of me, but I don't think I could be away from it. There's a special sort of heartbeat to Erion that I...

Re: Dappled Blossom [Zenko]

feeds@yuku.com (Nakada Itsuki) — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 15:25:11 GMT

"Oh no," Itsuki shook his head after smiling politely in thanks for having the flower removed from his hair. Zenko was right, even with him being with the DoC for a year the Head of the Department still showed a certain unwillingness to fall on par with the rest of the Department's sheer fabulousness. Though he had been open to new things - even Yasu and Misato's want to...

Re: Dappled Blossom [Zenko]

feeds@yuku.com (The Department of Culture) — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 15:09:43 GMT

"Understandable, of course," Zenko nodded sympathetically. He remembered being new to the Government and the Palace himself, and how overwhelming it had all been, even for someone who had lived in Erion City all his life. He had never felt so small and insignificant as on his first day with the Department of Culture, surrounded by the Palace's bustle and noise and the sheer amount of people who were either more important than him or assumed they were.

A sudden harder...

Re: Dappled Blossom [Zenko]

feeds@yuku.com (Nakada Itsuki) — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 15:02:58 GMT

It really was. A light breeze had caught itself in the branches of the blossom trees - which was sending a gentle cascade of delicate petals over the two. Itsuki was sipping at his sake as he glanced aside to his second in command. "Hm-?" The thought of referring to the rest of the DoC by their first names hadn't crossed his mind. However,...

Re: Dappled Blossom [Zenko]

feeds@yuku.com (The Department of Culture) — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 15:01:07 GMT

"Anything I can do to help is always a pleasure," Zenko replied, raising his eyebrows in slight surprise. It was unlike Itsuki to voice his approval of anything they did, although they all hoped that he was secretly pleased with their efforts. The Department of Culture had its quirks, of course, but their boss would find it hard to deny that they were efficient, and absolutely brimming with creativity.

"We're glad you're feeling more at home now,...

Dappled Blossom [Zenko]

feeds@yuku.com (Nakada Itsuki) — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 14:29:46 GMT

To think that on such a nice warm semi-Spring evening he was cooped up in the Department of Culture's office, sorting out files, filling in papers, and dealing with notes on matters of the next few months worth of festivals that needed looking over - as well as numerous letters to be sent off to varying other departments whom the DoC needed to get assistance from - most notably the Department of Finance (again).