Yoichi snorted.
Kaoru shook his head. “Never that. If anything, Hiro may pour a drink for everyone and we all toast to those that died.”
“Oh no. We have to change that. I think afterwards. . .getting together is important. If only to. . .process as a group.”
Kaoru tilted his head to the side. “Process what?”
“Everything that happened.”
Kaoru chuckled.
“Hmmm.” Yoichi shifted against the wall and unfolded those big arms. "She's actually right."
Kaoru looked at him. “What?”
“Long ago. . .” Yoichi's gaze went somewhere far away, past us and the kitchen. "After a battle, samurai would gather and share a meal together. It wasn't about celebration. It was about honoring what had been endured. The living sat together and ate, and the dead were spoken of by name so that their spirits would know they hadn't been forgotten."
I smiled.
His voice dropped lower, quieter. "And the food was simple. Rice. Fish. Whatever could be prepared. But. . .”
He let out a long breath. “but it was the sitting together. . .that was what held us together."
He blinked and cleared his throat. "Or so I've read."
Kaoru laughed. "Ignore Yoichi. He always talks like he was around during the samurai times."
Yoichi rolled his eyes.
Kaoru waved a hand. "Who really knows what they did?"
Yoichi said nothing. Just turned back to the window and refolded his arms. But something in his jaw tightened, and the amber in his eyes caught the last of the light in a way that didn't quite look natural.
I studied him for a second longer than I should have and then let it go. “Well. . .whether the samurai did it or not. . .I love the idea of us doing that tonight.”
Kaoru leaned against the counter near me. His long pink hair fell around his face. “Hey. Like I said, they’ll love it regardless.”
“Good. And I won’t force it on them. If people don’t want to eat and just go back to their villa, that’s cool too.”
Kaoru smirked. “The Claws are attention-greedy psychos, they’ll stay and eat everything up.”
“Be nice. I love the Claws.”
“But not as much as you love the Fangs. We’re in your heart.”
“Wow. At least the Fangs are humble.”
“Exactly. We are the most humble of them all.”
I chuckled.
Kaoru pointed at my hair. "You really look beautiful. I like this a lot."
"Thanks."
Yoichi cleared his throat.
Kaoru sighed.
