Chase Your Shadow [Elise] - Tetsu Saga

There was a certain uncomfortable feeling that washed over her as Elise's consciousness drifted between a state of dreaming and reality, the soft stirring of her body making it evident she was missing something, something precious, something very dear to her. Slowly opening her eyes Elise felt her hand gripping lightly into the pillow her head was resting on, and it was in that moment she understood why she was feeling uncomfortable. That hand that was meant to enjoy the warmth of resting on her beloved knight's shoulder, instead found only the soft fabric of the pillow and it made Elise realize that that pleasant warmth she had grown so accustomed to, that presence she had come to take for granted was gone. It was an unpleasant feeling, that emptiness she felt at Tetsuko's absence, and yet in recent days she had also learned how beautiful that feeling was, for the longer they were apart, the more intense the warmth of their reunion would be.

Heaving a sigh the pink-haired lass lazily pushed herself upwards, her hair disleveled and her expression still showing hints of drowsiness. Just by the way Tetsuko had departed Elise could have made a solid guess about the state of things: She was likely summoned on family business and judging from the lack of a warning or the decision to wake her up, Tetsuko must had been summoned on an urgent and serious matter.

It made Elise sigh gently as she muttered softly. "What am I going to do with you Tetsu~" She knew all too well that Tetsuko had done so with the best intentions, but it still was a mildly annoying feeling, to be left behind like this, even if she now had come to realize that she was the one Tetsuko would always return home to. Heaving a soft yawn she climbed out of the futon and made her way to the shower stalls adjacent to their guest room, allowing her thoughts to linger a bit more.

It was a heavy burden to bear, the responsibilities that came with being a Shindou, the sheer weight on Tetsuko's shoulders would have crushed most girls her age, and to think that now she likely was called in to deal with those responsibilities. After disrobing herself of her pajamas Elise stepped into the shower, turning it on and allowing the cold water to flow down her body, doing wonders to shake the physical drowsiness off her body.

There was no denying that it was a natural thing for Tetsuko to take on whatever obligations she had been made to carry, after all a hero was someone who was meant to shoulder those burdens, to make others able to remain protected from those hardships, and as her knight there was no doubt that Tetsuko was a 'hero', even if for the government she was still an individual in the midst of her training.

It also made Elise think: As much as she wanted to share Tetsuko's burden, to stand at her side Elise also acknowledged the sad truth that in this world, the world of the martial arts that the Shindou was so deeply rooted in, she was pretty much a foreigner, and even her training under Spymaster made her slowly come to realize the tragic truth, that for all her good intentions, Elise was simply too kind for this world, this world of violence, the act of harming others, to even kill in cold blood for the sake of a mission had made her hesitant, troubled even at the thought and it forced her to consider her own position, the awareness she didn't belong in that world steadily dawning upon her.

She was an Eisenberg, a family rooted deep in the medical world, in the act of healing, and perhaps that was her true calling or rather the thing she desired to be ever since she was little. To be someone Tetsuko could return home to, someone who could tend to any injury her knight suffered from, who could help her overcome any suffering, pain or grief. She wanted to be her guardian angel.

Shaking her head lightly to disrupt the train of serious thoughts she closed the water valve of the shower and stepped outside the stall, wiping her body with a towel and allowing her hair to dry while she mused softly. "Once this all is over I'll remind my adorable knight to spend some time spoiling her princess~"

Elise chimed softly as she stepped back into the guest room and changed in her spare clothes, taking the opportunity to skim her medical datapad again that contained notes of her recent research when all of a sudden the door slid open and Tetsuko entered with a grave look upon her visage, clearly in a panic.

With a swift stride she made her way over to Tetsuko, a hand raised upwards as she forcefully, albeit by all means lightly landed a little karate-chop on her lover's forehead. "Take a deep breath and calm down first~ Good morning to you too Tetsu~" She answered with a gentle smile as Tetsuko seemingly calmed down enough to provide her with a very rough explanation of the situation.

Of course Elise didn't hesitate to start packing her bag in the meanwhile, including stashing her medical datapad and med-kit and gently grasped Tetsuko's hand to be led outside.

"So a criminal, likely a villain has attacked Master Shien's dojo, and from the state of things I can presume that as the successor to the Shindou family you were given the responsibility to investigate, while asking for my help to tend to the injured?"

A gentle sigh escaped her lips, and inwardly she wondered if this was the time master Gai would have gone "Yare~ Yare~" but she decided to skip on the comment due to the sevirity of the situation, instead letting herself be guided toward the carpark where surely their ride would await back to Musutafu.

"And here I thought the opportunity for an adorably romantic time amidst the flowers would await us~ Guess it will be for next time."

Elise mused softly while turning her gaze toward Tetsuko, wow she had rarely seen her lover that anxious like she was right now, so she gently squeezed her lover's hand and whispered softly. "A smile better suits a hero~ And there is no hardship we can't overcome together, so how about you tell me a bit more while we are on our way?"

It was clear just how stressful this situation was for Tetsuko. Elise listened attentively to her lover's words, her hand gently grasping Tetsuko's own. "Of course, Master Shien isn't going to leave this to the police, his beloved students are in danger. I wouldn't be willing to sit idle either and let others handle a matter if you were in danger." Elise spoke softly, yet at the same time she thought a bit further on the matter, scooping up her cellphone and searching the name Tetsuko had mentioned. "hmm..." The girl pondered softly, it appeared the Dojo Hunter had made herself into a bit of an urban legend, terrorizing dojos, but there was one peculiar part to the story. For such a vile villain, it was odd there were no casualties. Injured people were aplenty, but nobody had been reported to have died.

Still, Tetsuko's revelation made Elise blink in bewilderment. She had been on the verge of asking if Tetsuko knew anything about this villain, but to hear there was a chance it was her aunt had left even Elise quiet for a moment. She had not heard anything about Tetsuko having an aunt, perhaps she had been too young to remember, or maybe her parents only met the Shindou family after the tragic events that had happened, but it was clear Tetsuko was tense, which meant it was up to her to soothe her lover's worries.

Gently pressing the palm of her other hand onto Tetsuko's own, she answered her with the same soft tone as before. "If the rumors are right, the Dojo Hunter's victims will still be alive, which means I can save them. but you Tetsu, you have to calm your nerves and focus, try to leave the worrying to me while you deal with this Dojo Hunter."

They had arrived at the car, Master Shien having allowed them to enter in the passenger seats while Elise gently lowered her head sideways against Tetsuko's shoulder. "Whether it is your aunt or not, you can figure how to deal with that once that time arrives. But you aren't in this alone Tetsu~ Just make sure to return to me once you're done teaching that hunter a lesson."

It was difficult, for her to allow Tetsuko to go in such a dangerous situation on her own, but she also recalled that Tetsuko was her hero, and heroes were meant to do this...