The difference between Love and Friendship [Tetsuko]

Tetsuko had once wondered if movies, and entertainment as a whole, had always been intended to be this much of an 'escape'. But, as she held Eli's hand and the screening started, the Shindou girl began to realize that escaping their troubles was something they were perfectly capable of doing on their own. Of course, movies still helped somewhat. There was a refreshing, otherworldly air to watching the heroine so easily and humorously deliver justice to her foes, always being in the right place at the right time and humiliating villains like they deserved. Tetsuko snickered in her seat at the opening comedy, settling in with Elise for the film.

From there, the usual simple and self-aware antics continued. Being the straightforward girl she was, Tetsuko could admire the straightforward nature of the plot, where everything had a clear reason for being, an obvious beginning, and a predictable ending. It was silly, it was unrealistic, and it was amazing. Tetsuko had always found herself, since a young age, putting herself in the shoes of the protagonist, being a self-assured force who could protect their loved ones... Who was never too concerned with the wrongdoings of others, who themselves always seemed to find redemption. The swordswoman was so easily invested for that reason, although her reactions weren't quite as animated as Elise's. It was adorable, how the Germanic girl responded to each scene, so invested in the story and the characters... 

And of course, Elise only became more captivated once the romantic conclusion was reached. Tetsuko had never considered it before... But she could see the Germanic girl placing herself in the shoes of Miyu, and not just because of their shared German heritage. The Japanese girl kept sneaking glances toward the cute Elise, eyes fixed on the screen, until the scene ended with a simple, romantic kiss. Their held hands tightened, and Tetsuko couldn't help but get a bit fidgety. Then Eli spoke. Their eyes locked, Tetsuko tilting her head quizzically to see what it was Elise wanted...

"E-Eh?" Had she just heard Elise right? She wanted Tetsuko... To kiss her!? Tetsuko stared at her for a few seconds, red hue appearing in her cheeks as she processed this request. It explained why their seats were so far back. "A-Alright, just... Gimme a few seconds to prepare..." She stammered out, leaning back and beginning her mental preparation. She and Elise had only kissed once, er, twice, and both times Eli had been the one to initiate it! What was she even supposed to do?

Elise would feel the weight the seconds passing as Tetsuko wracked her brains for a plan of attack. Should she say something first? Caress her gently? Was there any technique to it? Ah, Gods, she should've studied for this test! Well, like anything, the Shindou girl did have one fallback strategy... Head-on, no matter the obstacles.

There would be no warning for Elise, just that after quite a few seconds had passed, Tetsuko would suddenly jolt up, pulling Eli in with their held hands and placing a firm yet chaste kiss on the Germanic girl's lips. It wasn't reserved, not wildly passionate, but the affection was evident. Eyes closed, mind blank, Tetsuko held the kiss for a couple seconds, before pulling back. Mouth agape in awe, she looked at Elise softly with flushed cheeks. Not a word was on her mind, she'd no clue what to say... Well, she did say one thing, a simple word association with the taste...

"...Apples..."

OWas it selfish to want someone to need you? Tetuko wasn't sure on the answer to that internally debated question, but she was sure that it certainly felt rather self-indulgent. Pulling back from their kiss, she felt lightning dance over her skin, gentle yet electrifying. It was a tamed energy, a force full of heart. To be able to claim that kiss was her right, and that realization was a ray of warmth from within the Shindou girl. She was trusted with that right, she was the only one who could be. And maybe it was wrong for her to enjoy that, but it definitely didn't feel wrong.

It felt so right, to have Elise follow up with her own greedy kiss. Words were simply insufficient to describe the feeling that struck into her by the tender touch of their lips against one another's. It was not passionate or lustful, but there was such a clear desire to the act, an unsatisfied want on both their parts. A need for that closeness, for that validation. For Tetsuko to know that Elise needed to kiss her, it was wonderful, it inspired awe and made her feel so much more blissfully aware of Elise's own feelings. Amongst it all, the Shindou girl even mused that all the 'pain' she'd felt was worth it for this warmth. It was a joy beyond happiness, beyond description, beyond classification.

Her body had such a heat to it after that second kiss, that Tetsuko felt as though the iron in her body might just melt. It felt like Elise knew that too, such a gentle and delicate touch as they kissed, yet so secure and unwavering. It wasn't just an expression of affection, it was a promise, and a call to loyalty. Elise entrusted herself to Tetsuko, she needed the young swordswoman as much as the swordswoman needed the security and affection of her lord. Yojimbo and princess, knight and lady, samurai and lord... The details mattered not, only the trust and stability they held were important.

Still riding the high from that concentrated dosage of validation, Tetsuko would return Eli's sheepish smile as the Germanic girl lamented the taste of popcorn. "Well... At least I buttered it?" She'd say with a soft chuckle, feeling the heat become a soothing warmth, a contentment, though temporary, setting within her.

The day was saved, and the end credits started to roll, though Tetsuko could hardly pay much attention to them with Elise's little comment. Her English wasn't great, but even she recognized the warmth to those words. "Y-You're welcome..." The Japanese girl stammered out, looking down at her own feet with reddened cheeks. They could be so affectionate yet awkward, sometimes...

As the exited the cinema, Elise suddenly postured a question that Tetsuko would never have expected. "Martial arts equipment? Yeah, I think I know a few places... There's that sports equipment place on the other side of the station..." She pondered, a much greater curiosity nagging at her. "We don't have to go shopping there, y'know, if there's somewhere else you'd rather go." Tetsuko would say with a half-smile, wondering if maybe it was for her own sake that Elise suggested it. There was the possibility that Elise herself was interested in martial arts equipment, but... No, that just didn't make any sense!

Indeed, like Tetsuko had said before, she really didn't know her childhood friend as well as she thought she did. Or perhaps, rather, Tetsuko Shindou was just not as readily observant of the many changes the girl was undergoing. Because the Elise von Eisenberg of old would almost certainly have never wanted to search for a sword!

"Eh? You need to ask about swords?" Tetsuko repeated in disbelief. The same Eli, who so adamantly stood against violence, had become interested in the art of steel? It was initially baffling, Tetsuko's face showing all kinds of confoundment. The Germanic girl, however, quickly explained things. Apparently, she'd once read in a book that crossing blades with someone could convey emotions. Tetsuko indeed knew of this phenomenon herself, but was surprised to hear Elise had heard of it. It was said in Tetsuko's sword school that the blade was the most honest reflection of the heart, and that to understand one was to also understand the other. Naturally, it was a little strange at first, to hear Eli talk about this, but things became much clearer.

Elise was Tetsuko's lord, her lady, her princess. But within the von Eisenberg also lied desires not just to be protected; but to protect. That contentment became firmer as Tetsuko heard those words, as she heard that not only could she be a dependable beacon of security, but that Elise... Wanted to be the same to her... The trust Tetsuko valued was validated, and it brought a soft smile to her face.

Of course, Eli had her own, funnier little reason for wanting to take up a fighting art. Thinking back on the 'reflection of the heart' that came with swordplay, Elise managed to find it rather romantic, and wanted to use it to get closer to the iron-blooded girl. To be approached in something that she loved, it only managed to strengthen the foundation of Tetsuko's growing security around Elise. Bit by bit, the pain was healed, if not forgotten.

Things obviously wouldn't be simple, thanks to Elise's history, but Tetsuko had already made up her mind by the time Eli asked her that question. Her held tightly, Tetsuko gazed back into Eli's eyes with a soft and warm smile. "Of course I will. It'd be my honor." She said proudly, heart swelling with the thought of practicing the sword alongside Elise.

"I know it'll take a lot of bravery for you to learn how to use a sword, so I'll be by your side, OK? I... Want to see you get stronger too." She assured the Germanic girl. "And I gotta be honest... It excites me, getting to show you why it is I love the sword." Tetsuko continued as they walked along the street, an unwavering smile on her expression, even as her cheeks reddened and she elaborated more.

"Pl-Plus that um... Reflection of the heart thing... S-Sounds kinda... Cool..." Tetsuko admitted, a dopey grin on her face. To take two of the most important things in the world to her, swordsmanship and Elise, and to be able to enjoy them both at the same time? It sounded almost too good to be true. She smiled wistfully, still in awe at this change in the Eisenberg girl.

"You really have changed, Eli." She uttered quietly. Not a lamentation at the loss of Elise's past self... No, the tone in Tetsuko's voice made it clear what she was saying. That deep down, she believed Eli had changed, and for the better.

"I'm kinda not surprised you'd think of it that way." Tetsuko mused with a smile at Elise's continued fascination with the romanticism of swords. The more Tetsuko thought about it, the more incredibly lucky she was, to have a girlfriend who found swordsmanship romantic. Tetsuko chuckled at Eli's suggestions of a wooden practice sword, lest they end up causing undue damage. "That's fair. Should be able to find a decent bokken or shinai at the place we're headed, they've got all kinds of stuff for Japanese martial arts." The ironblooded lass explained, already looking excited and eager to display to Elise the wonderful world of swordsmanship!

Tetsuko felt a certain softness against her arm as Elise pulled in closer, curious about the Shindou girl's words. Her cheeks took on a red hue, but she tried her best not to think too much about the burgundy-haired lasses touch as she gave her answer. "It just seems like... You're stronger now. Heh, the old Eli who couldn't handle the fight scenes of our old samurai movies would never have asked me to teach her to use a sword!" Tetsuko explained with a reminiscent smile, slowly giving way to a soft and secure expression. "I guess there's just... So much more to you now... Sorry, I'm not really making sense." She lamented quietly.

Indeed, there was so much more to Elise. So much that Tetsuko was learning for the first time. Some of it... Wasn't exactly warm revelations. To learn of Elise's selfish and unfair sides, it was a lot to accept. But with it came even more aspects of the Eisenberg girl that continued to surprise and elate Tetsuko, things that made her seem less and less like her childhood friend... And instead, like something... More.

Their grip returned to more tender handholding, making it a bit less taxing for Tetsuko to keep her focus as they neared the mall. On approach, Elise suddenly had a question to ask, regarding this being a date. Her brow furrowed in curiosity, the Shindou girl's eyes widened at both the questions asked. "U-Um... I... Guess it does... B-But I don't know if I have en-" She began, scratching her cheek bashfully until Eli's little giggle made things clear. Gods, she such a tease, but Tetsuko couldn't help but smile every time.

She smiled softly as she listened to the Germanic girl's request as she nuzzled into her. "A-Alright... We are... Yeah, I guess we are dating now, aren't we? Even if we're taking things steadily. So... You're my girlfriend..." It still hadn't quite fully sunk in for Tetsuko, that her childhood friend was now her prospective romantic partner. Elise, on the other hand, seemed to be quite eager for this change, embracing it fully.

Tetsuko smiled warmly as Elise talked about her own dreams of this kind of relationship, reddening the iron-blooded girl's cheeks, especially in regards to mention of her 'cuteness'. "S-Stop that..." She said bashfully, her dopey smile making clear she couldn't quite handle how happy such comments made her. "Y-Y'know I... I didn't dream of this kind of thing, but I admit..." Tetsuko said a little guiltily, thinking back to how she'd suppressed her feelings for Elise. "I'm a fan of the surprise of how nice this is." Her smile was warm, returning Eli's own.

She hadn't planned for this, but Tetsuko found herself drawn in more and more to this new Elise. A sensation not unlike floating, gentle and kind, toward something that was surely wonderful~

Moments after that tender moment was shared, they arrived at the store, Elise asking about Tetsuko's area of expertise. Right away, the Shindou girl's eyes lit up, excited by the chance to show off her knowledge. "Well, there's a lot of options. A bokken would be easiest to find, but for beginners... A shinai is probably better. The bamboo is more flexible and forgiving than wood... Although..." A hand was brought to her chin as Tetsuko continued to geek out. "There's more variety with bokken, depending on what length you're after. What kind of sword are you after, anyway? If you wanted to take on a Western style, a fukuro shinai would be best for that..." She spoke on with knowledge and passion, barely stopping to breathe. "Ah, you'll also want sparring gear too, arm and chest guards and the like... Maybe some focus mitts as well..." By this point, Tetsuko was hopelessly deep in thought, thinking of all the possibilites of how she might induct Elise into the world of swordsmanship.

Elise wanted to learn everything about Tetsuko someday? For many reasons, that sentiment made the iron-blooded less exceptionally happy. After all, she herself wanted to understand her own heart, to find ways to come to terms with it without deluding and deceiving herself. So to know that Elise promised the dedication and commitment to discover the depths of the heart alongside her was no small validation. Tetsuko smiled proudly at Elise's compliment on her swordsmanship knowledge. "It's how I was raised." She declared firmly. Her father, her grandfather, and even her mother... Delicate and broken they she may be... Had all influenced Tetsuko's pursuit of the sword, a pursuit she'd now share alongside Elise.

Her heart swelled to the point of almost bursting as Elise proposed her own theory on why she'd changed. "I... I see. I'm glad and I can make you feel that way..." The Shindou girl uttered softly, unsure how much of it was true. To say that Tetsuko was behind Elise's growth and development... Surely that was an exaggeration, right? Tetsuko didn't see how she could have prompted the kindness and warmth of the Germanic girl to expand further, but at the same time, doubted Eli was lying to her. Memories of the past were brought up, and Tetsuko couldn't help but stifle a chuckle. "I remember that! You practically hid behind me for most of the fight scenes!" She recalled fondly. There was a unique solidarity, being able to share so much of her past with Elise, to whom she had no promised at least a part of her future, should they continue down this path. 

Recent events had forced them to bare their ugly sides to one another, the broken and vulnerable people they were deep down. And whether or not their reasoning was sound, they had found a way to resist it, to accept the flaws of one another. Even if Tetsuko wasn't completely comfortable with everything she'd learned, time would dull the shock, as would one another's company and the continued emphasis that was placed on their true, bright selves. There was a looming gloom to the current state of things, but they had faith that if they persisted through it, they'd come out stronger than ever.

Relationships weren't something to be half-assed, after all, and if they both really wanted to commit to one another, they'd have to endure these ugly times. Getting through them was what made their feelings real. Though it was still embarassing to say, Elise was Tetsuko's girlfriend, and the acknowledgment of that fact was more than enough to help her through this. A bond exclusive to them, one they didn't even know the full extent of, nor how it had become so strong. They were young and foolish, who could say it was love? Or rather, who could say it wasn't?

The 'truth' of emotions was hard to grasp, but their sensations were undoubtedly real. Tetsuko's romantic feelings towards Elise weren't doubted anymore, even if they were painful at times, they brought such joy to her, making them so clearly real. It was, as Elise said, an unforgettable experience. Tetsuko smiled softly, wondering if one day, this would become yet another one of their 'treasured memories'.

For now, however, all she had was the present, and would not let a single moment of it go undervalued.

Moving forward to the gathering of martial arts supplies, Tetsuko nodded along sagely to Elise's further clarification. "A one-handed Western style... Yeah, a fukuro shinai might work best. They're like regular shinai in that they use bamboo, but designed so you can properly hit with all parts of the blade, a better comparison for Western swords." She'd elaborate. Elise surprised Tetsuko with the revelation of a swordmaster from her hometown. "A German swordmaster? That's awesome! Germany is the origin of some of the most well-renowned sword fighting manuals that... Yeah, it's pretty cool!" Tetsuko would burst out, restraining herself from geeking out too much.

"You'll want some shinguards and armguards, and something to protect your head, but you don't need to get them fitted, just make sure they're comfortable... Oh, you, um, might want a chestguard too..." Tetsuko said, oddly finding herself glancing away a bit with a slight reddening in her cheeks. She was simply being concerned for her girlfriend's safety, that was all! 

As they inspected the equipment, Elise whispered such sweet words to Tetsuko, making more evident than ever her desire to give her all in this art. "It's familiar, yeah... But it really does make me happy, knowing you wanna give this your all..." Tetsuko whispered back fondly. Once they were done purchasing all the equipment - which Tetsuko insisted that she carry - the pair was off for perhaps another challenging part of their date... And likely an embarassing one at that!

The fact you had to take a bus to get to the Eisenberg residence was, to Tetsuko, the most immediate indicator of just how wealthy the German family was. They weren't exorbitantly rich, like some kind of caricature of wealthy foreigners, but they were definitely 'upper-class'. The Eisenberg home was certainly a lot fancier than anything you'd find in the tiny coastal town of Kashima, after all! Even now, Tetsuko felt a bit self-conscious about going there, about whether or not she could conduct herself in an appropriate manner for this high-class estate!

It had been particularly amusing when she was a child, trying to live up to the presumably high standards of the Eisenberg family. Always standing up straight and tall, extending her pinky whenever she had a warm drink in hand... Of course, that illusion was broken whenever she and Eli played outside, being nothing more than simple kids yet again.

Memories continued to underpin their journey to this familiar childhood locale, those that were set already and those yet to be forged. Upon entering, Tetsuko heard Elise call out to her parents, followed by the familiar mewling of an old foe. Stumpie. Tetsuko narrowed her eyes at the cat, a warrior's address to their opponent. She'd never gotten along with cats, especially not the Eisenberg feline. "Hi, Stumpie..." Tetsuko said lowly, glaring at the cat as Elise petted it so fondly, so affectionately... Wait, she wasn't really getting jealous of a cat, was she?

That thought was broken by the arrival of the Eisenberg matriarch, a youthful young German appearing nearby to great the girls. "Hey Mrs. Eisenberg, the trip was good..." Tetsuko replied casually, suddenly tensing up and becoming a bit more self-conscious. Only now did she realize... She was kind of visiting her lovers' parents, wasn't she!? She had dealt with the Eisenberg parents before, but now their interactions had an entirely different connotation! "O-OK..." Tetsuko uttered in response to the Eisenberg mother's request, before stepping over to the woman.

The sudden tight hug caught Tetsuko off guard for a moment, but she supposed it wasn't anything out of the ordinary for an Eisenberg."Y-Yeah, I've been good..." Wasn't this hug going on a bit longer than it should? 

Yes, yes it was, as Elise was quick to point out... And that's not the only thing she pointed out. Tetsuko had already foreseen that this wasn't exactly something that was going to be kept on the down low around Elise's parents. A blush was already settling into Tetsuko's cheeks, before Esperia's mother commented further and left the girl's face red as a tomato! She was flooded with embarrassment, both first-hand and second-hand: Poor Elise!

But, a devilish little part of her couldn't help but be slightly amused as Elise got flustered herself. Once Elise's mother ushered them into the next room, Tetsuko couldn't help but comment. "Looks like you've got a superior in teasing, hm?" Tetsuko teased, a sympathetic tinge to her tone. Elise lamented that they had to be doing this on purpose, to which Tetsuko just smiled empathetically at her. "If they're anything like my Grandma... They definitely are."

Entering the living room, they'd approach the dining table where the Eisenberg father sat. The kind German man revealed today's meal, even having something prepared for Tetsuko. "Ah, thank you, sir." Tetsuko said stoically, still feeling pretty self-conscious about her current situation. She didn't mention that it was just as easy for her to simply have a few more of her iron supplements in the evening, not wanting to discredit the kind man's considerate work. Taking her seat at the table, Tetsuko was about to reach for the 'cookie' when bigger matters suddenly arose.

No matter how kind and gentle a man he might be, it was natural to be nervous talking to your lover's father...

She hung her head, feet tapping anxiously on the ground as the Eisenberg father asked his question. "U-Um, n-no thank you sir I ... Um, don't need any tips sir and um..." Tetsuko had fought trained swordsmen in the past, and even than, she hadn't felt this nervous. "Y-Yes I did kiss her..." Honest as ever, Tetsuko admitted the truth, looking down at the floor with a face of scarlet.

Someone please let her hide...