The Price is a Second Date (Tsumiko, PM to join)

[Gwain Darkson]

Just as he promised, the burdened king Gwain, took the illustrious songstrees Tsumiko, out on a second date. This time around, they were on the tranquil and beautiful islands that belonged to the world of Destiny Islands. After their first date, Gwain did some digging on the lore of other worlds and looked up what a Paopu Fruit meant. He managed to trace the legends closest origin to the Islands and felt it appropriate for their second date to be there. Much like the description in the lore, the islands of the worlds were beautiful. Clear blue sea as far as the eyes could see, a sun that kissed the skin with a warming ray of happiness and the winds blew a cooling breeze. The area was the perfect set up for everything.

Gwain walked slowly on the beach sands, wearing a pair of sandals, black swim trunks and a simple white t-shirt. He was accompanied by Tsumiko, who's hand he held gently, as they walked along the shore. The king made simple small talk with the woman, finding a lot to talk about with her as they strolled. Just being in her presence made the man smile happily and his heart fluttering ever so roughly. The feeling was nice, nonetheless and Gwain didn't complain. Not one bit. Only time he ever found himself complaining was when he WASN'T around the songstress. The man was truly in love with her.

"Feel and smell that sea breeze, Tsumiko. Isn't it lovely? Though, I must say that it doesn't compare to that gorgeous smile of yours." The man complimented and looked into the eyes of his love as he said so. He was quite overjoyed to be with her again and the slight bounce in his step would be confirmation of that. Gwain had hoped she felt the same during the time they spent together and the thought of it caused him to unconsciously walk closer to her. "How are you enjoying it all, my love? I hope I'm accommodating you well."

[Tsumiko]

It had been a few days since their last date. The king had arranged a day for them to meet again and the songstress took it without hesitation, eager to spend more time with him. She didn't know what he had planned, only that she needed to bring with her swimwear. It had her wondering, but she figured that there was only so muck one could do in a swimsuit. But being that she hadn't own one prior to a few days ago, she had to go out and buy one.

It was a cute, blue two-piece. The frilled top covered her bust in a modest fashion, tying at the back of her neck. The bottoms were reminiscent of tiny shorts, covering just a little bit more skin. These were covered by a long saree that she had tied at her waist, covering her legs in a thin fabric. As she waked, one of her legs peeked out from the slit the fabric made. It wasn't that Tsumiko was shy, but the woman had standards at least. On her feet, she wore... nothing. The feeling of sand between her toes made her rather happy. If there was ever a chance for her to be barefoot, she'd take it. Her long, silver-blue hair was tied up on the side of her head in a simple ponytail, a small blue ribbon tied around the top.

She hoped that Gwain liked it, wondering his thoughts in the back of her mind as she smiled up at him. Strolling hand-in-hand down the island's beach, Tsumiko was reminded of the last time she was on this world. She had met a blonde man, bonded over ice cream and dancing. It was a fun night that she enjoyed until it ended on a bad note. She wondered if he was nearby, somewhere close. They they ran into him, she'd apologize for what happened and ask if they could still be friends. But this thought was also in the back of her mind.

For now, she was focused on what was in front of her, and that was the handsome man standing beside her as they made small talk. Tsumiko took this chance to get to know some more about him, though felt somewhat bad for skirting around some of his questions with vague answers. They hadn't been there for very long yet, but the day was already starting to turn out well. The sun warmed everything it touched, setting the ocean twinkling in its light. The smell of the salt water waft past them in a gentle breeze, enticing the woman to jump into the calm waters. Which she was what she wanted to do upon first landing on the world and seeing the water. Her level of excitement was on par with a small child in a candy store.

Giggling at the king's seemingly second-nature trait of him giving her compliments, she nodded with a small hum in agreement. “I couldn't be any happier than I am in this moment,” she look up and into his eyes with a smile that expressed just how she was feeling. She tried to hide the light blush on her cheeks, the result of her thinking of how childish she was acting in trying to synchronize theirs steps. Gwain's long legs took steps that were just a little too wide for her shorter frame to look natural performing.

“Nay, nay!~ So why'd you pick this spot for our grand second date, hm?” she asked with a devious grin. Using her free hand, Tsumiko pressed the side of her body into the man's arm though not enough to debilitate their walk. One of her thoughts was that the red-eyed man just want to see her in a swimsuit, but she knew by now that he wasn't that shallow. So it made her curious.

[Gwain Darkson]

The king took a long moment to look at Tsumiko in all of her beautiful glory while the sun was still bright and shining. The way how she had her hair was very classy and reminded him of one of his older sister's past hair styles. Gwain felt that the songstress was absolutely stunning in her two piece swimsuit and showed that he wasn't shy of giving her body a couple of good looks. However, he always remained composed about it and never stared for too long. She was perfect in any sort of clothing she wore.

Gwain was asked for the reason why they came to the islands. The man feigned that he had to think for very long, but was honestly disrupted when she pulled herself closer to his arm. He blushed by the contact of her nearly half-naked body touching against his bare arm. There was another asset that he felt press on him, but he let that thought drift away out of fear of something embarrassing happen. Distracting himself from the rather perverted thought, the man instead focused on the woman's eyes again. His train of thought soon returned and he knew how to answer her, while also teasing at her.

"You looked gorgeous in the outfit my sister gave you, so I was curious about a swimsuit. I have to say, you do nothing but impress with your beauty each and every day I see you. You look great in the outfit." The king said calmly and smoothly, as he walked closer to the shore. Gentle waves came up to where they were walking and the warm water would splash against their feet. Gwain rather enjoyed that feeling and let his feet get kissed by the soothing waters "Flattery aside though, Tsu, I came here because of the fruit from our first date. The Paopu Fruit shares its origins with these islands and seeing that it was a such a place of serene beauty and happiness, I had to bring you here. A place like this only compliments the stunning features you display with your presence." The man explained and gripped her hand tighter. He blushed very brightly at what he said, hoping that he wasn't being too mushy with his words. One of his weaknesses, was that he often became too poetic or complimentary with his words. Gwain hoped that this date wasn't the case.

[Tsumiko]

When she hugged his arm into her side, the songstress was pleased to see how bashful it made her date. His light blush was adorable on his face and she was sure that she'd never grow tried of it. With a light laugh, she lessened her grip and continued to walk beside him like that.

“Thank you!~” she said to him with a bright smile after his comment of her attire. She was glad he took notice of it as she debated the matter for a few hours in the store, much to the employee's disapproval. Though as long as the king approved, she was alright with that. Though what he said after that brought a blush to Tsumiko's cheeks. As she had hoped, there was indeed a deeper meaning to the two of them coming to the Isles. And the reason being the fruit that they shared on their first date. She was aware that the Paopu Fruit originated from this world, but had forgotten the fact somewhere along the line.

It was comforting to know that she wasn't the only one that was struck as bashful at the memory of the fruit. Looking up at Gwain, the songstress saw that he was blushing just as much as she was as she felt the grip on her hand tighten just a little bit. It made her all sorts on happy on the inside, and she voiced it with a light giggle.

With a small hop, Tsumiko made to stand before the red-eyed man with a wide smile. Taking both his hands in hers, she gave them a gentle swing. “The fact alone that I could be here with someone as wonderful as you makes me incredibly happy. This place has never looked as grand until I came with you. I'm glad I have this chance to share in this experience with you,” the songstress said with all the happiness she felt in her heart.

With the waves lapping at their feet, she turned her eyes out towards the expansive waters. Looking back at the king, she smiled at him. “We gonna set up shop and dive in?” she said with a nudge towards the water, grinning at him. Leaning forward slightly, she added, “Or we could sit here and talk a little longer, if that's what you'd prefer to do.”

[Gwain Darkson]

The reaction he managed to get from the woman was exactly what the king was going for. He didn't want to be some average guy who did things for the sake of them being romantic, but to have a meaning behind all the romance. Though a small part of him wished he wasn't as much as a sentimentalist in that aspect, mostly because it could drive him nuts doing something without having meaning behind it. Gwain sighed mentally in his head, but was cheered up nonetheless by the sunny smile that was given to him by Tsumiko. The day had already begun to show signs of it becoming perfect. All they really had to do now, was enjoy more of the water instead of letting it lap at their feet. Tsu was the first person to suggest hopping into the ocean.

"Tsu, I'm glad to have given you such a wonderful experience. All I do is aim to please you." He said with a smile as wide as hers and bigger blush on his face. Her compliment had really tugged on his heart strings in a positive way. Their hands swayed in tow, but the king released their hands temporarily so that he could remove his shirt and toss it off to the side. "But to answer your question, let's get in the water, shall we? There'll be plenty of time to talk more." Gwain said happily.

The man had always kept himself modest whenever around women. The only thing one could accuse him of doing, his showing off his arms, which was something he'd admit to wholeheartedly. Besides his muscular arms, however, he kept everything else under clothing or his armor. His body was rather muscular, but it wasn't cumbersome or an excess amount of muscle. Gwain was toned and cut for the most part. He turned towards the water and a feature Tsumiko would be able to notice, would be a series of scars that ran up is back in the form of what looked like a burn. The man himself had forgotten about the whole thing, considering it was on his back and he was never one to just turn and see if his back were fine. His scars didn't hurt him either, but he was more focused on another silly thought. The thought being that he songstress would no doubt be the first woman in the entirety of this new universe to see the king's half-naked body. That thought crossed his mind and caused him to burst out laughing suddenly, but he caught himself and held a hand up to his mouth and quickly let out any remaining laughter.

"Sorry, sorry, something funny just popped into my head. Let's hit the water though. I'm anxious to get some swimming in after several years of not going to a beach." Gwain said and took her hand into his, after kicking off his sandals next to his shirt. This time he came around to be in front of her, his smile wide and took her other hand into his, as he started leading her into the warming waters.

[Tsumiko]

Tsumiko had a creeping blush cross her cheeks as the king removed his shirt. After turning her eyes to him to give him a happy nod, she was having a hard time looking away from the well defined muscles. Her head turned away, yet her eyes still upon him, another feature had caught her attention as Gwain turned away to face the ocean. Upon his back were a series of burns. Visually, they seemed somewhat painful to the songstress, but with the way he handled himself they must have not bothered him any longer.

With her fingers untying the knot of her sari at her hips, Tsumiko paused to blink at the king. From seemingly nowhere, the man had burst into a fit of laughter. She cocked an eyebrow as did what he had to to contain himself and this only furthered her curiosity. With a grin, the sari was cast off to the side and landed beside Gwain's shirt and flip-flops.

“What's so funny..?” the songstress asked with her amused interest ringing in her voice. She allowed the king to lead her along into the waters as she asked this. The ocean was cold against her skin, but bearably so. It felt nice against the contrasting hot sun. And the scent of the salt water was refreshing, invigorating. Though none of this took away from her curiosity. Playfully taking his hand in both of hers, she swung it a few times. Not happy with this level of contact, Tsumiko had a shameless blush cross her cheeks as she thought of something.

Letting go of Gwain's hand, she bounced a few time before making to jump up and onto the king's back. If he caught her, her legs wrapped around his waist, her arms around his neck. She leaned her head into his, laughing at the childishness that was her with the moment. It was strange. Ever since the day they danced in the rain together, she was so excited to be with him. He made her feel giddy, bashful, childish. When she was without him, time seemed to tick by at half pace. When she was with him, it went by to fast, and she was left wondering where the day had gone. It was a new experience that welcomed with open arms.

[Gwain Darkson]

Once more, Gwain couldn't help but peer upon the body of Tsumiko, as she untied the skirt and revealed more of her skin. A smile crept upon his lips and he was thankful that she was a bit shorter than him. He could look her in the eyes and still be able to get a grand look at her toned body. Another thing that really made the king raise his eyebrows, was how toned her body was. He always knew that she was curvy and had the looks to kill, but her body showed that she was no pushover. More than likely, should she ever had to get physical with anyone, she'd be able to hold her own no problem. That attracted Gwain greatly. He liked his women strong, who would have the ability to kick his ass.

What he wanted out of the girl though, was for her to get curious over what he laughed about. There was just something about the girl being curious that made her so much more cuter. Tsu's antics and how they even went into childlike states, was what he loved when it came to their interactions. She was so animated with how she went about things and that just made her even more vibrant in the king's eyes. Once they were in the water, the decided to tell the woman.

"Forgive me for sounding too vain or conceited, but you're the first girl in this universe who has ever looked upon my half-naked body. I don't know, the thought was funny, yet I'm glad you were the first one to see it." The man told her with a wink and turned around to go deeper into the water. Gwain hadn't noticed that she was planning something, nor the blush that was associated with it. The king took a deep breath, smelling the fresh sea salt and the taste of the fresh air. Suddenly, during Gwain's taking in of the sea, a wild Tsumiko had jumped onto his back.

He didn't miss a beat when it came to her jumping onto his back. Gwain caught and held her up by her thighs, his shoulders able to support the woman with ease. She was like a floating piece of paper to him, so it made him worry that if he were to do something too sudden, it may hurt her. However, his thoughts were more invested with how cute it was that the songstress came out the blue to do that. The king laughed and went out deeper into the ocean, looking up and over his shoulder slightly, to smile warmly at the woman. His eyes conveyed a feeling of love so strong, that it made him wish they could have all the time in the world to just be at peace like this.

"How's the view from up there, love?" The man asked with a small chuckle. He propped her up higher, so that she could be a lot more comfortable. While doing so, he had become waist deep into the water now and enjoyed the light tapping of the water against his skin.

[Tsumiko]

What the king had told her peaked Tsumiko's interest. The fact she was the first in this universe was comforting, but that meant that there had been others in the last. Which, in a whole other train of thought, his coming from another universe was rather amazing and had the songstress wondering what it entailed. Returning to her forethought, she was curious just how many lovers he's had, serious or no. Whatever the answer, she was happy to have his affections, happy to be so close to someone on such a level. Giggling as she was caught, Tsumiko held on tight as the king continued to wade through the waters. His laugh was something else, welling a giddy warmth in her chest. She wanted to hear it more and more.

As she was shifted a bit in his grasp, she was lifted up higher. Looking down a bright grin, she could see Gwain's loving gaze. Along with a light giggle, she looked up at his question and took a good look around. Had there been something other than endless, sparkling ocean, the songstress might have been able to see far more than usual. But that was alright. What she could see was still breathtaking, nonetheless.

“It's beautiful...” she said with a soft smile, turning her eyes back to the king. Nuzzling her cheek into the top of his head, she laughed. The air about them was loving, tranquil, happy. Tsumiko never knew how this kind of feeling felt, only speculated from a third-person point of view. But now that she got to experience it first-hand, she never wanted to let go. Resting her head atop his, she began to feel the cold waves on her toes as Gwain went deeper into the water.

Raising her head, she looked into the waves and a wide grin formed on her lips. She was suddenly eager to hop in and submerge herself. “Nay, nay!~ Go deeper!~” she bid to the king, splashing in the water a little with her toes.

[Gwain Darkson]

Gwain felt the nuzzle of the top of his head as the songstress complimented the beauty of the area around them. The thing about the king was that he was easily pleased when it came to places such as these. A world that was peaceful and beautiful, with the waters so soothing and gentle? That were the kind of things Gwain loved in the world. The kind of things that allowed the man to think about his world back home. The oceans were much like these in the right places. A wider smile crossed his lips and the man felt the happiness radiate off of his love. This in turn caused him to be on a higher level of happiness, as they spent their adorable time together.

"Deeper you say?" He asked with a soft chuckle, watching as her toes splashed in the water. Gwain made sure to accommodate and waded his way deeper into the ocean. Eventually he made it deep enough into the water that it was hard for his feet to stay at ocean's floor. The water was more or less chest level with him and that would have meant that Tsumiko's legs were submerged just as well. "Would you like me to let you go? I can tell since the beginning that you've been wanting to jump in. You really like the ocean, don't you?" The king asked with a smile.

He went back briefly back to memories of his homeworld. After the war and when Gwain was slowly recovering from the incident, the family took a vacation to the beach. It was Gwain, Marigold, Celia and Lily. His two youngest sisters who were around 15 at that time, hadn't ever been to the beach. The elder siblings felt bad for them and decided to take the trip immediately. Much like how the king held Tsumiko now, he held his younger sister, Celia, piggy-back style. She was so overjoyed to finally see the water that she couldn't help, but jump from his strong grip and began swimming like a pro. All the while he thought about it, he could see the memories of their happy faces bleed into reality, his little sister swimming before the two of them. However, when a wave had crashed against him, he was back fully into reality. A wider smile formed on his lips.

[Tsumiko]

Looking around, she giggled as the cool waters crept up her skin. It felt cold at first, causing the songstress to instinctively press herself against the king to try and steal his warmth. After a short moment, however, she grew accustomed to it and became excited once again. She couldn't remember a time where she went to a beach with friends, though there had been many in which she made them along the way.

Gwain offered to let her go when he stood at chest level in the water. With how high she was on his back, Tsumiko was about the same, despite her being shorter. “Mmhmm!~” she hummed her response, nodding her head and her grip around his shoulders lessened. “Who can be sad swimming in a wonder such as this? No matter how sad I am, I can always count on the vast blue to cheer me up.”

With that, she wiggled her legs free of the kings arms and dived backwards into the waters. She didn't dare open her eyes in the salty water, but Tsumiko managed to maneuver herself in front of the king. Popping up, she whipped her head from side to side to clear the water from her face. Facing him with a broad smile, he would most likely be able to notice how she could barely touch the ocean's floor, opting instead to kick her feet to remain afloat. The songstress could see his smile, and tipped her head to the side with one of her own. “See? It works for you, too!~” she giggled before reaching out to poke his nose.

Shortly after, she leaned away and allowed herself to float on her back. Staring up at the blue sky above, there were only a few puffy clouds that passed by. Other than that, the gentle, rhythmic motion of the waves began to caress her into a simplistic bliss and she closed her eyes with a soft grin. “Sometimes I feel like it can just wash away all my worries, right off into the horizon. But what about you? Do you have anything like that, Gwain?” she'd ask him, turning her eyes to look at him as she leaned forward again. By now, she was too far in to touch the ground, and so had to paddle to stay above water.

[Gwain Darkson]

The king enjoyed Tsumiko's giggling. She was always so happy ever since he cheered her up back in Radiant Garden, which in turn made him happy in the very end. He gently let the woman into the water, hearing the splash from her dive and trying to follow her body around when she attempted to swim around him. The songstress popped up in front of him and that was when he smiled warmly at her, enjoying the fact that she was just so cheery with him.

"Yeah, it's a good idea I brought us here then, huh? I happen to particularly like the ocean as well. Returns me to the happier memories of life and of my family, of course." The man explained and suddenly dunked himself into the water. He wanted to get his entire body wet, even his hair for some reason, but it was all in good fun. Just to be a show off, the man performed a hand-stand when he showed that he was able to touch the sandy floor. Of course, this was a little playful jab at his date's height, but he soon returned to the surface in due time. When he did, he was greeted by a soft finger from Tsumiko with a poke to his nose. The king laughed and gently poked her cheek in return. He went to slicking his jet-black hair back to get it out of his face

Afterwards, he watched Tsu fall onto her back, floating as she went along with the gentle currents of the wave. Gwain looked upon her face and trailed his eyes down her body. The water seemed to enhance her features, only making her much more beautiful than before. Everything she seemed to do, whether it was from smiling, giggling, to swimming, Tsumiko became more and more perfect to him. His heart swelled and skipped a bit. All he could do was blush brightly and watch her float.

"Simply beautiful..." He spoke softly, getting wrapped up in all of the fantasies of his. Gwain quickly slapped himself and found himself blushing when the woman had floated back up and turned her gaze to him. She explained what the ocean did for her and how it cheered her up more in detail, thus found it appropriate to ask what it was about the body of water that made him happy. The king closed his eyes, thinking back to the memory of the family outing and how he taught the twins to swim for the first time. A sweet smile formed on his lips and he slowly opened his crimson-red eyes to gaze upon's Tsu's own silver-blue orbs. "The ocean always takes me back to the time where my family and I went to the beach... After the wars, Marigold and I decided to take our twin sisters, Celia and Lily, to the beach. They hadn't ever been and when they arrived, their eyes brightened more than the sun above us. They were so adorably happy and I taught them to swim. My thoughts always drift to that moment and I can always picture my little sisters swimming to and from."

Gwain explained with a very subtle tone of joy. The man started to swim around Tsumiko with his back on the surface. His feet gently paddled against the surface of the water, as it propelled him around the girl. The king never once took his eyes off of her and he took in much more than just her appearance. He was honestly glad that she was here with him. Better yet, he was glad that she still said "yes" those several days ago. Gwain wanted her to swim with him and got closer to her, softly taking her hand into his and starting to swim around her again. He'd apply a gentle force to allow her to turn along with him as he swam with her hand clasped in his.

[Tsumiko]

The king's showoff tactics had brought a smile to Tsumiko's face. That wasn't the only thing, however. Getting to hear about his memory of the family outing, she couldn't help but wonder. If her family were still around, would she have similar memories? Of her father teaching her and her sister to swim on their first visit to the ocean? Recalling her first visit to the beach, she was very ecstatic, but very alone. While all the other people present were with family or friends, she was on her own, swimming by herself. But now, with Gwain there, she didn't have to go through that anymore. She didn't have to be alone. That is what made her smile.

But it also made her wonder. The songstress was aware of his older sister, but her mentioned two younger ones that she was unaware of. And they were twins! “You have twin sisters?” she asked with an eager excitement, watching him as he circled around her. “How old are they? Are they identical? Do they get along? I hope they do. Would be a shame if they didn't...” Tsumiko blasted questions at him, even after the king took her hand into his own and started spinning her in place.

Perhaps her interest in the twins was due to her formerly being one herself. She spun at Gwain's pace willingly, though seemingly paid it no mind as she pulled herself closer to him. She took both her hands to his one and pulled on it, drifting closer with a look of pure interest. “I would love to meet them. Do you think I could sometime soon?”

[Gwain Darkson]

The king hadn't expected such an excited response from the songstress, when she had found out that he had twin sisters. Usually, it wasn't always something that he got such a reaction from, but it did make him laugh softly when Tsumiko had done so in an adorable manner. Soon enough, he was bombarded with questions from his date and he allowed her to finish, before he went on to answer. When their hands intertwined and they were brought closer to one another, Gwain took that as the sign that it was his turn to speak.

"Celia and Lily are both 15. They are identical twins, but... Celia is a bit different physically because of certain events. They both get along rather well, but Celia, being the older twin, likes to bully Lily in certain ways. It's all playful and she always likes to make sure that she isn't seriously offending her younger twin. All in all, they love each other dearly. It can be seen when they bond through their fangs." The man had gone on to explain rather easily, often forgetting the fact that he was a vampire and the fact that Tsumiko was more than likely unaware of the fact. That is, if he didn't go into much detail about it on their first date, but he hadn't remembered that. More than likely, he didn't explain where his fangs came from on his lineage, only that he had them. Before his thoughts could trail off much more, the king shook his head out and started on answering her last question. "As for meeting them... I'd say it's possible. They more than likely followed behind Marigold and I out of boredom. Not only that, I can feel their energies from wherever they are. The two will probably end up in Radiant Garden soon, so keep your eyes out for two little twins. One with silver hair like Marigold and another with jet-black hair like mine, more than likely wearing a hood of sorts. Trust me, you won't be able to miss them."

Gwain had explained to Tsu how to spot them, in the case that he wasn't around to personally introduce them to her. He smiled warmly. Obviously talking about his little sisters put a bright smile on his face. Deep down, they were still innocent little girls, who had to go through tough times at a rather young age. When he thought about it, he wondered how much the twins were going to like the songstress. Celia would more than likely be eager since the king's scent would be on her body, due to how often they were together. She had a strong nose and would be able to sniff it off of her. Lily would more than likely be herself, quiet and merely monitoring the woman, as her sister did most of the talking and the interacting. Then again, Lily was always a wild card when it came to certain people and Tsumiko could have been an exception to her rule of silence. A small laugh escaped his lips once more, when he thought about all of them interacting.

"You seem quite eager to know about them. Any particular reason why?" Gwain asked with a tilt of his head and his warming smile remaining. He kept eye contact with her the entire time and had stopped swimming, opting to gently paddling his feet to keep afloat.

[Tsumiko]

Tsumiko listened to every word he spoke, picturing within her mind the pair of them. The more he sad, the wider her excited smile got and the more she began wanting to meet them. Though one thing the king said had her wondering. They bonded through their fangs? She didn't understand what that really meant, but the songstress remembered how she'd seen a glimpse of Gwain's on their first date. The memory had increased her curiosity on the matter, and she made a metal note to ask later what the fangs symbolized.

Her thoughts returned to the king when he continued to speak. He gave a quick description of the two, and that brought yet another smile to her face. They sounded much like how her and her sister were, visually, wherein they looked identical except their hair color. It brought back the fonder memories of her childhood, where the two of them would play in the backyard for hours, doing nothing but indulging in the others' company. They were vastly different in personality, however. Where Tsumiko was bubbly and energetic, and one to actively pursue a hands-on approach to her questions, her twin was quite the opposite. Reserved, yet mildly short-tempered, the dark-haired girl was very studious and preferred to learn through books and the like.

Tipping her head slightly at the sudden laugh that Gwain gave, Tsumiko listened as he spoke once again. His question was met with a wide, sheepish grin. “Ah, I'm sorry. Must have seemed a bit strange, huh?” she looked off to the side for a moment and chuckled as she gathered her thoughts. Looking back to the red-eyed man, she continued. “I'm a twin, too, believe it or not. I don't see to many very often, and so I get really excited when I hear about them. The fact that they're your little sisters makes it even better!~”

With the king no long swimming about, Tsumiko decided to take the lead and pull on his hand as she paddled out further into the water. It was a beautiful day, and so she found it odd that they were the only ones on the beach. Perhaps those who lived here had grown so used to days like these that it wasn't as much a thought to them as it was herself. Whatever the reason, the songstress enjoyed the feeling that the whole beach seemed reserved solely for them.

[Gwain Darkson]

"Not at all, it's rather adorable." He said in response and watched as she went off into thought. What he didn't expect, was for the young woman to explain that she too is a twin. The man beamed at her, excited with questions of his own, as he wondered what sort of person his twin was. Tsumiko was right in that regard when it came to the existence of twins. They were a rare occurrence in the reproductive system, but to Gwain, it was a miracle that his little sisters were born as twins. "You'll definitely enjoy meeting them then. Celia is a little monster though, so just be careful. Say no to any of her weird requests no matter what. Lily will usually come to your aid when that happens though, so just be sure to give the two big hugs after they know you've been with me." The king laughed and felt himself being lead out further into the water by Tsumiko. Since the topic of family was still up in the air, the man decided to ask questions regarding her family.

"So what about your twin, Tsu? You're clearly the sweet, patient and loving type. How was your sister? The opposite? Same?" He asked, looking curiously into the silver-blue eyes of beauty. The man honestly had a flurry of questions regarding Tsu and her family status. He kept them at bay out of politeness, not wanting to by accident, start up any bad memories or anything like that. From experience, Gwain knew the strain of having to talk about family that was either lost or no longer around. The thought didn't put a dampen on his mood at all and surprisingly enough, he was able to keep his warming smile up. All he did at that point, is wonder what sort of twin Tsumiko had. What he plotted, however, was probably a few playful jokes to prod at the songstress. The king stayed focus so he couldn't miss an opportunity to do so.

[Tsumiko]

Tsumiko was curious as to what the king meant when he directed her to say no to “any weird requests”, but the songstress kept it in mind. Whatever it meant, though, she didn't think it could have been all that bad. She was just a child, after all... even if she wasn't all that much younger than the songstress herself. In response to what he told her, however, she gave an attentive nod of the head, a small grin on her face to match Gwain's laugh.

His laugh turned to a curious expression shortly after, and he asked about her twin. The songstress blinked at him, her smile tensing for a moment. She did suppose that she was asking for it by mentioning her sister, and so she couldn't blame him for his curiosity. Thinking about it, she didn't know why she suddenly mentioned it. Typically, it was a topic that she evaded at all costs, and yet, the king seemed to just pull the information from her with incredible ease.

Recollecting herself, Tsumiko hummed as she looked off to the side. “My sister... was very studious, and played everything by the rules. When it came to the two of us, everyone thought that she was the older one, when I was. That was okay with me, though. The attention she received for being so mature at her age made her glow, and in return, made me really happy. We did everything together, before...” she trailed off, her eyes sinking into the depths of the water surrounding her. At this point, she had stopped dragging Gwain further in, believing the two of them to already be a fair distance out. Looking back up to him, the mask she hadn't worn for days returned to flash the king a small smile. “...before her and papa never came home from an outing.”

Before the king could further inquire, she continued, deciding to lay it all out at once to avoid having to discuss it again at a later date. She brushed aside the sadness related to the memories by keeping her focus on the king and how happy he made her. “It made momma so sad that she got sick. In the end... she didn't make it,” she gave a short chuckle as she tipped her head to the side, her eyes closed to avoid seeing whatever expression Gwain wore. Quickly after, she took in a deep breath and dunked herself into the water. Right under the king's feet, she swam deeper before popping up directly behind him and flopping onto her back to return staring at the blue sky above.

With a deep, relieving sigh, Tsumiko gently kicked her feet to return to the king's side. Grinning up to him, it looked as if she wasn't bothered at all by what she had said. “But that was all so long ago, it's kind of hard to remember details, ya know?” she fibbed the line with ease before diving backwards headfirst into the water. Truth was, she remembered all of it all too well. She breached the surface some feet away, turning to face Gwain with a hearty smile. “I really love the ocean. I feel like a fish...” she giggled, performing a breast stroke back towards the king. It was a sad attempt to change the subject, but an attempt all the same.

[Gwain Darkson]

Gwain's smile had never left, even when he saw the hesitation in Tsumiko's own joy. He listened closely, never once interrupting his date while she explained how her sister was. By the sounds of it, they had a lot of fun with each other and enjoyed one another's company. The king was pleased by that fact and had noticed that the songstress was no longer dragging him out to see. Another strange thing he noticed was how she trailed off, getting distracted by either the water or her mind had more than likely entered dark thoughts. The latter was confirmed when she stated that her twin and father hadn't returned from some sort of outing. Gwain predicted that Tsu wouldn't want to go further in what happened, but it was quite the contrary.

After everything was laid out before him, the king finally knew the reason why the woman always wore the smile, despite how down in the dumps she ever was. For a split second, he saw the mask appear on her face when she tried to shoulder the painful memories and brush them of as nothing but events that she recalled little details about. He knew that was a lie, specifically for the reason that he too, lost three good people in life years ago. Before he came to this new universe, five years to be exact, he had lost his ex-fiancee, mother and father. The losses were so powerful that it destroyed his mental and emotional health for years to come. Eventually, though, he managed to move on from the pain, but kept the memory of the events fresh in his mind. The purpose for doing that was so that he could prevent such things from happening to the family again, or others. Gwain's case this time happened to be Tsumiko.

The man continued to watch the songstress try and distract herself, by swimming deep into the waters. A metaphor appeared in his mind, as it looked like she attempted to drown out the feelings and memory of everything that occurred. The woman eventually resurfaced behind him. The king turned to face her and if she had noticed it at all, he never once stopped smiling. One of them had to be the one smiling, keep the mood up. Their mood would have been ruined, if both of them fell into sadness and the king wouldn't allow that to happen at all. When Tsumiko came back to him, Gwain instinctively pulled her close and gently planted a loving kiss upon her lips. The kiss lasted for a second or two, before he pulled away and turned his gaze to hers, smiling.

"Tsu, it's fine, you know? Remember, you don't need to act strong around me. You can be yourself without the mask, without having to be someone or something you're not. We don't have to go into details about it, if you don't want to. Just know, that you're not alone in that feeling. Not one bit." His words flowed much like the water that surrounded them. The crimson-eyed vampire was being honest as he spoke. The things she were feeling are not unknown concepts or incidents to him. She would be able to tell that he was able to easily see through her, able to see the hurt that she was going through. His smile was to let her know that she wasn't alone and that she had him for all the comfort he needed. Gently bringing her closer to his body, he softly nuzzled her. "I'm here for you, love. Forever and always, will I be there for you." The king said softly, his voice filled with love and confidence.

[Tsumiko]

Tsumiko's eyes widened momentarily at being kissed, though she welcomed it all the same with a warm smile. The comfort she found in the king's was enough to but her mind at ease for that moment in time. That smile faded somewhat, however, when it was revealed that Gwain has seen right through her fake mask. The fact he had been able to recognize it was astonishing, and somehow comforting. Though it did mean that she wouldn't be able to hide behind that safety mask anymore. He gave her a firm reassurance that it was alright to express what she really felt, and that he wasn't going to go anywhere.

For the first time in a very long time, she was going to entrust her true emotions to another. The last had been the elderly couple that had taken care of her after her mother's passing all those years ago. Though in their age, it was hard to tell them much of anything that they could remember the next day. So in a twisted sense, Tsumiko only confided in them with the knowledge that it was likely they'd forget after a time. Gwain, on the other hand, was still in his prime, and wouldn't be forgetting anything any time soon. With a soothing breath, the songstress looked up into his eyes with a content smile.

“Thank you, Gwain. Right now, in my life, all I really want is a constant that I don't have to be afraid of losing, or hurting... I hope that I can find that constant in you, for I've never felt anything quite like what I do with you … a-and I like it... but it kind of scares me, I think,” she looked away with a small smile for a moment before turning her gaze to look at him again. “It makes my heart race, and my face feel hot, and I have a hard time thinking straight when I'm with you. I thought I was sick at first, if you could believe that...” she chuckled, inching closer to the king as she did. “But after a while, I decided... that that wasn't the case at all. I was so afraid of bringing you sadness like everyone else, and I still kind of am, if I'm to be honest with myself and with you, that I debated not coming to see you again. But that thought made me so sad, it hurt. I wanted to give this a shot, to give love and all the wonders it holds a chance. And I have you to thank for that. So...”

Timidly, the songstress placed her hands on Gwain's shoulders, using them as leverage to close the gap in height so that she could put a sweet, simple kiss on his lips. Bobbing back down to her normal height in the water, she chuckled with a deep blush. The king made her so happy, and in every possible way. “Thank you for all the love and kindness you've sheltered me with.”

[Gwain Darkson]

The king had stood patient, listening to every word that the songstress spoke and watched her actions to get a clearer message of how she felt. What he understood from that, was a lot of doubt. Not of him, but of herself. True enough, Gwain didn't know much about Tsu's past, but that wasn't because he wasn't interested in knowing more about her, it was because he didn't want to ask a question that would overstep their boundaries. He was considerate and felt that in time, Tsumiko would eventually let him in on her past. The crimson-eyed man kept that rationale in his mind, allowing him to have the utmost understanding and patience with his date. She was venting lightly, letting him know how she felt when it came to letting the king into her life and all the things that came with it. Tsu wanted to protect him from the sadness, from the hurt. He, however, only continued to smile, knowing that she could never truly hurt him of her own accord.

The songstress wanted to thank the king for doing what he, himself, felt was right in the first place. He was going to let her know that thanks wasn't necessary, but was suddenly graced with the touch of her lips upon his own. A deep blush took to his face, for it was indeed an action that he truly hadn't expected. Even when the woman wrapped her arms around his shoulders to prop herself up, he only expected a big hug. Nonetheless, he didn't complain. No. Gwain enjoyed the fact that their relationship continued to blossom in trust between the two of them. That was always a good sign, because the more they trusted and grew honest with one another, the more they could confide in and face any challenge that came at them. After the kiss, the crimson-eyed man tilted his head at her and gave her a very warming smile.

"Tsumiko, listen... You don't need to thank me for any of this. I love you. I love you a whole lot. Giving you love and kindness is what I'm supposed to do for those who have stolen my heart. I only have one heart with a lot of love to give, so always be aware that no matter what happens, you'll have me to come back to at the end of the day. I'll be your king in shining armor whenever you need me to be." His words came out eloquently and soft, almost as if he were singing poetry to her. Truth be told, the words came naturally as the king spoke to the songstress. His arms wrapped around her, gently pulling her in for a warming hug that let her know he wasn't going anywhere. Should she feel close enough, the woman would be able to feel how quickly and hard his heart beat for her. Truly, he was in love with Tsumiko.

"You know... Now that I think about it, you're rather adorable. Feeling so happy that you couldn't think straight, therefore you thought you were sick. Such an adorable thought." Gwain commented on her statement from earlier and gave a light chuckle. A teasing smirk came on his lips as he looked into her eyes and let out an even louder chuckle, when his mind revisited the thought.

[Tsumiko]

The warmth she felt in his hug deflated all her concerns. Coupled with what she was told, Tsumiko felt as though there really wasn't anything to be worried about. His mere presents washed away her worries, much like the tide did. Gently, she let her head tip on to his bare chest, and she did feel his quickly beating heart. Through all of her nervousness, she felt the same as he. She was really, truly in love with him. It all seemed to effortless, which wasn't inherently a bad thing. Just made her wonder how much more she could possibly love him after getting to fully know him.

Though any assembled question she had was tossed out the window upon hearing Gwain compliment her. Her eyes stared downward, into the depths of the ocean below her, as a bright blush formed on her cheeks. “I-I-I'm n-not adorable!~” she proclaimed, turning her eyes up to look at him. She didn't quiet understand herself and why she was so opposed to he compliment, but she couldn't say that she disliked it. She just found it natural to reject the idea and that was the first course of action she took.

With a light, playful pout, she leaned back and drifted a ways from the king, glaring at him in a cute manner as she did so. When she was a comfortable distance, and not too far, and with her hands under the surface, she prepared something to retaliate to the king's insistence on the matter should it happen.

[Gwain Darkson]

When Tsumiko turned her eyes up to meet his, she was met with a teasing look in his eyes along with a wide grin. He knew that snapped her into a high spirits, which made him chuckle a bit. She stuttered so cutely, which made him nuzzle the top of her head a bit. The songstress eventually pulled away from him, gently, with a pouting face that continued to scream adorable. The man was having way too much fun, that he wasn't privy on the fact that the woman was more than likely preparing to splash him with water. Gwain started to swim around Tsu, continually giving her a teasing look.

"With a cute pout like that, you're little stuttering bit and how you're running away, you practically are just one adorable woman." He snickered at her and gave her another grin. The king was making fun of her, but did so in a way to cheer her up. Gwain didn't want her to dwell on the bad memories. Not when they were currently having so much fun in the water. With a wink, the crimson-eyed man quickly dunked himself in the water to wet his hair again, before jumping up and shaking out his hair. The action spread water everywhere, but the sun glistened against his wet body, giving the female a more than likely dreamy sight.

[Tsumiko]

Tsumiko's eyes followed the king as he began swimming around her. In retaliation to his teasing expression, she playfully glared at him through squinting eyes. Her pouting lips only intensified as he continued to call her adorable. Her bashful blush deepened when the songstress received his wink. Right after, he dunked himself into the ocean and popped back up to shake the water from his hair. The sun reflected off the water coating his body, accentuating his every muscle with a soft glow. Tsumiko found herself giving him a once over with her wide eyes.

In order to mask her roaming eyes, Tsumiko raised her hands from the depths of the ocean to reveal a small, spherical orb of water that hovered between her palms. “I-I'm not ad-dorable!~” she yelled out after scrunching her face with a falsely displeased expression. At her cue, the sphere began ejecting a solid stream of salty water at Gwain, aiming to get him square in the face.

When the sphere had dispersed all it's water, it ceased to be. And for a moment, the songstress stared at Gwain with a blank expression. The first sign of movement on his end and Tsumiko would quickly dive into the waters to escape.

[Gwain Darkson]

"Hey, Tsumiko, what's that in your-" Before the king could even finish his question, he was blasted with an intense rush of solid, salty water. He had a finger pointed the entire time, his body not moving one bit to the force of the water. However, his hair was whipping every which way. Eventually, the stream stopped and his hair draped over his face. After moving it from his features, Gwain had a rather sinister smile on his face and watched as his date waited for a sign of movement. She had made a very dear mistake. "Oh... So it's a splash fight you're looking for, is it?"

Using just his strength alone, the king quickly pushed out a large torrent of water, that was like a wall in its height, as it came to crash down upon the songstress. Immediately after that, whether or not the wall actually splashed down onto her, the king had dove into the water. With powerful breaststrokes, Gwain was going fast across the surface of the water, pursuing his love and wanting to get some real revenge on her. There was something that the man had wanted to test out for a while now and it was in this situation that he was going to.

[Tsumiko]

That smile...sent a wary shiver down Tsumiko's spine. She had made a mistake. And she was going to be in for revenge. Big time. When it seemed as though he had accepted her challenge, a wide grin formed on her lips and the songstress raised her arms to guard her face from the oncoming wave. Without much hesitation after that, she took in a deep breath and dived into the depths. When she felt as though Gwain had passed by overhead, the songstress resurfaced and looked around, wiping the sea water from her eyes.

With a wide smirk, she spotted him and then began to swim away with brisk strokes. She laughed aloud, doing her best to swim faster than her date. Having carefree fun like this, even if spawned from a sour moment, was more than enough to get Tsumiko back into a happy place. She felt kind of like a child in that moment in time, without a care in the world except for how fast she could swim. And that was alright. Nothing could have made her happier.

[Gwain Darkson]

Gwain wasn't an expert swimmer, but he did have really great form. He also had the strength and endurance to easily propel him through the water, but once again, the songstress hadn't failed to impress him. She had the ability swim just as fast, if not faster than him. That meant he needed to kick it into high gear and work his arms and legs faster. He did so easily and began to use the front crawl as a way of getting the fastest speed out of all the strokes in his arsenal. The king had fun as he chased after the young woman and was extremely grateful on the inside that she had chose to go on the second date with him.

Gwain remembered how she contemplated not showing up, because she felt like it would have been better for her not to continue being in his life. The words that he should have said then had popped up. He wanted to tell her that it would have been a mistake if she DIDN'T show up, because that would have hurt way more than most ways she could probably hurt him. Nonetheless, the crimson-eyed man didn't dwell on such thoughts. What he had to do was capture his date and get her under his grasp, so he could unleash a surprise upon her, that would get her apologizing for her little prank. Just to add to the effect of everything, the man caused his orbs to glow as he chased her. It would give him the appearance as some sort of bronzed, muscular monster, trying to capture the beautiful sea maiden.

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