I've Lied

[Katsuo Arai]

Coming clean about something meant a lot to Katsuo Arai. For the past eleven years, he adopted another name and got away from his family that just disintegrated. He found his grandfather but he shortly died after a year, but the Arai’s were officially no more after him, and his cousins that were basically blood banks. His uncle knew nothing about the spell he was under, and Katsuo wanted to break him from it, before the wicked Kiru family ripped him apart. Katsuo had no idea how to do that though. For now, he was sharpening one of the swords he crafted. As he looked at the shininess of the blade, he could see his reflection. His blue eyes, truly unique due to his lifestyle, stared back at him. He recalled the samurai training he received from his father, as the Arai family were originally in that social class as from their ancestors. His father was a proud one, sporting armor that remained locked away back in Japan. The family house was still gathering dust, as Katsuo had not been there in years. He did not see a reason to go back, and did not want to face his past.

‘Will I ever face my past?’ thought Katsuo as he sheathed the katana within the scabbard. He hung his creation on the wall, and stepped back to look at the collection of swords. He mostly made katanas, but sometimes he managed to make others. His best customers were the Zhefarovich Family, crossing from a far land to purchase his work. Katsuo remembered that he was supposed to be at Penchant’s five minutes ago. He put on a leather jacket and boots, before he apparated to her home. He strolled up to the front door and knocked a few times, before taking a step back. He brushed his hair over his shoulders, and out of his eyes. The mesmerizing thing about Penchant was her beauty, and everything she did was perfect. Graceful. More than likely due to her part-veela blood. By now, he was very resistant to it. He placed his hands behind him, as he waited.​

 

[Penchant Vanity]

Penchant Vanity was feeling something akin to bliss, it was such a beautiful day, and she'd just finished up moving properly into the brand new home, it had taken a while, since in the transition to France she'd had to move her stuff progressively, and working during the week had definitely hindered that a lot. Playing for the Kenmare kestrals which were an Irish team, but due to the fact she didn't have to be in Ireland, and a desire for something other than the rain, Penchant had therefore decided to move her life in part to France and more specifically a secluded spot in the south, quiet and peace enough, sunny enough and close enough to Ireland that time difference was barely an issue. She slipped out of the shower and put on a soft summer dress as she got ready for the day, which she hadn't anything really planned Sean was due to be round any minute and she was putting the finishing touches on her home, opening up the windows and allowing the air into the rooms. The young woman was pretty pleased in the end with how it all looked, the air of formality and grace, but the splashes of colour a clear indication that Penchant was anything but plain.

A knock at the door had Penchant smiling to herself, she and Sean had never really been as official as they could be, playing and having a little fun, doing what she could to ensure a little stability but with nothing official, however this had been going on a while, and she liked him a lot, more so than she liked most other guys she dated, or was sort of dating. It was easier and though she feared that forcing it to become official might cause it to end, she felt like they were ready to at least give it a try. She wandered through the house, brushing strands of blonde hair from her eyes as she opened the door to him and smiled happily at him, "Bonjour," she said, leaning in and kissing him on both cheeks before inviting him in, "What do you think? It's finally all set up," she told him with a bright smile as she invited him through to the open air kitchen, "Something to drink, or do you just want to get right to it," She smirked at him before waiting for an answer.
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[Katsuo Arai]

Katsuo placed his hands behind him, and thought that if the two of them should continue with… Well, whatever one would call this sort of relationship, then he needed to tell her what his real name was. And to do that, he would have to come through with his darker past, which was not something he wanted to do. He was a sword crafter in Europe for a reason, and that was because he was running, hiding. His paternal family, the Arai’s, were mostly gone except for the few of the pure-bloods that remained. A part of him wanted to rebuild what was lost, as it was up to him to help bring the family out of the sorry state that it was in. His thoughts were interrupted when he heard the door open, and his blue eyes looked up to see the beautiful girl that managed to help by being a stable person into his life. She kissed both of his cheeks, before he blushed. It was something that couldn’t be avoided on his pale face. He walked in to see how the home was set up, and it was definitely something he appreciated. The culture was so different to his own, almost like entering in another world, if he was not used to it that is.

"This place looks really good, Penchant," Katsuo spoke in a soft tone. But, where was he to begin? She opened the topic up to where they could get something to drink, or get right to it. Of course, he knew what that meant. However, Katsuo did not respond like he normally did. He reached for her hand, and led her toward the living room. Katsuo sat down on the couch, and placed his hands upon his lap. He sighed. How was he to begin? Katsuo placed his hands on his face, covering his eyes. Trying to find the proper words were something that he was not good with. He muttered, "Penchant, you know how hard it is for me to get close to anyone and open up. I think it is about time I do. Um, since we met, I've lied." Katsuo placed his hands together and stared ahead, as he was not ready to see her expression. The man she knew as Sean Meciar was not really that man. Sure, his personality and everything else she knew about him except for the bit about some family relations, that was true.​

 

[Penchant Vanity]

Penchant smiled at him, still more than a little amused by the fact that he seemed to blush every time she kissed him on both cheeks as a greeting, it was a much more normal thing for her to do, so much more normal than it seemed it was for him to really get used to it, but that was just one of the cultural differences which the suffered, but it wasn't a huge issue, as long as he was happy, and she was there was nothing wrong with it. When all things considered they did far more than just kiss, but it his soft tone and the fact that it sort of seemed like he wanted to speak made her think that this visit wouldn't be like the ones she had much grown used to. The woman gave him an easy smile, as she lead him through her newly furnished house and to the living room, and he didn't even answer her offer of a drink which she thought was definitely an indicator that something was wrong with him, he didn't usually decline a drink and when she noticed that he sighed, was sitting on the couch with his hands on his lap, to only move them to cover his face.

In a moment of intimacy, the part-veela sat down next to him, and placed a hand on his shoulder, the only kind of comfort that she was sure that he would appreciate, a little thing that he might enjoy, help him speak the words that were clearly on the tip of his tongue. She nodded along as he spoke, since she did know that it was difficult for him to get close to anyone or open up, she knew that first hand, since the nature of their relationship, but she'd been about to interrupt him to say that she didn't need him to bare his soul to her, that this had never been a requirement to what they did, but instead as he continued she realised that this issue might be bigger than just developing some emotions or issues with what they were doing, and she didn't want to make him feel like he had to admit to anything, but she was curious, "What about Sean?" she asked him softly, feeling like they might really need that drink now, "I don't exactly expect you to be honest with me, all we do is sleep together, we've never even discussed being exclusive with each other," the woman reasoned with him, before just stopping and waiting to hear what he might have to say.
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[Katsuo Arai]

Katsuo had to remind himself of where he was at, since the cultural differences to him were still a bit of a shock. A part of him wanted to run back to Japan, and another part of him wanted to avoid that place like the plague because of the Kiru family. He did not even try to locate the rest of his family, and with good reason. He could be discovered by the Kiru family and killed. Just because of his blood status. Katsuo shoved those thoughts away, and forced himself to remain on task with the issue at hand. He had to spill who he truly was when it came down to his rather bizarre relationship with Penchant. Katsuo sighed, “I know. I was raised to be honorable and respectful. I have not been either and have let my father down because of it.” Katsuo had a great respect for his father and how he was raised, even if it was odd in its own right. Because of that, he did not always need a wand to defend himself. He could defend himself and that of which he loved, which would be his family if he had any. Sure, he let his cousins use his old house in New Zealand, but that was it.

“My name is not Sean Meciar. I changed my name to escape from my past. My actual name is Katsuo Ryuu Arai. I went by Ryuu for years. I am originally from Japan, which might be a little obvious. It is a long story about what my past is and why I chose to run from it,” Katsuo explained, before placing his head on his hand while his elbow rested on his knee. He stared at the ground with his pale eyes. There was a lot more to him than meets the eye. He developed deep trust issues since Merlina left him when he was in school. Because of that constant in and out of his life, he never opened up to anyone, except now. He felt an emotional connection to Penchant, which was why he also slept with her. He would not have otherwise. Katsuo looked to Penchant before saying, “The reason I tell you this because I like you. I trust you. And I wanted to be exclusive. But to do so, you need to know the real me.”
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[Penchant Vanity]

The woman wasn't really what she expect Sean to say, sure their fling had become quite extended in nature but she hadn't really consider anything further with him, he had always seemed quite clear that nothing with them would really advance and Penchant had always understood that and been okay with it. She had been considering asking them where they stood, just so she herself knew for sure what they were and to decide if that was what she wanted to advance with. When he sighed, she had the greatest urge to reach out and lightly touch his hand in a move of comfort, they might not have been people who tell each other their life stories but they'd spent enough nights together that she at least cared about him enough. She didn't quite understand why alll of a sudden he was talking about his dad, as far as she could remember they'd never really brought up family, he had been more closed off than her about it, and it certainly peaked her curiosity about what he was about to admit, and since her curiosity was peaked, she remained silent as he spoke.

The revalation about his name and the fact he had tried to escape his past were such interesting things, but she doubted he would ever really want to talk about what happened, and really Penchant would never push such a subject. She nodded at what he said, since there was nothing more that she could do in that situation, sure she felt a little frustrated that he had lied about his name, but everything else she knew about him, how he acted towards her, the little bits of what she'd learned about him weren't false. The woman met his gaze as he looked up at her, and at his words she couldn't help the small smile that seemed to touch the corner of her lips. She had been thinking about them a lot, and trying to be exclusive was something she was interested in being. With a delicaticy that Penchant not often possessed she reached out and took his hand in hers, "I'd like that Katsuo," the woman told him sincerely, "You'll just have to forgive if as I get used to your new name, I accidentally call out the old one in bed," a little smirk took over the smile on her lips, while he must've been feeling incredibly nervous about it, their relationship had never precluded that they needed to be honest with one another, now it did and she was happy that he'd told her before they'd decided to try being exclusive.
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[Katsuo Arai]

She would like that. She wanted to be exclusive with him. Katsuo felt like his heart was going to burst from his chest because he was simply out of his comfort zone. After years of being alone, he would finally have a companion. One thing he would have to look over was the bed calling. He couldn't help but smile at that one. She really was something else. He placed his other hand upon hers, and held it tight. He could finally move on from the one he lost so long ago, and look toward the future with someone else. Someone who possessed far more beauty as well, as much as it pained him to admit. "I hope you are in for a long journey." He stood up from the couch and a little smirk played on his pale lips. "Although, maybe we should get back to what we were about to do before my revelation." Honestly, all he wanted to do was lay with her, and spend the rest of time like that. It made him feel safe and at peace. Not many people could have that luxury. He did have his own ways of making money, so he didn't have the pressure of a boss hovering over his back the whole time. Just some of his customers were rather ridiculous.​

 

[Penchant Vanity]

Penchant didn't mind being in for a long journey, she had been thinking about getting serious since both her sisters now both had kids and had been in serious long term relationships, her relationship with Sean, or well, Katsuo had been largely physical, although she held affection for him, "A long journey, sounds almost like a proposal," she joked with a little smile on her fact, the part-veela didn't mind really, sure it would take some adjusting and she knew she'd probably get the name wrong a couple of times but this was a good thing, she'd be alright, they would be fine, "Oh yes, let's take this name for a ride," Penchant joked as she took his hand and stood up, leading him away from where they had sat down, "I've been working on my flexibility lately, gymnastics is great for quidditch," The woman continued looking at him with a smirk clear on her features. Of course this part of who they were was a lot easier, it was familiar and good. The woman understood that she and Sean Katsuo were going to have to talk about it, about what were truths about what he'd said about himself and what were lies, but she didn't think that needed to be done any time soon. For now, Penchant was more than happy to put away the unknowns and spend time with him.
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[Katsuo Arai]

Katsuo chucked when she said it sounded like a proposal. It really did sound a little like one. Katsuo just needed some time to let her into his heart, while it was still fragile from something years ago, something he recently learned to let go of. She led him to the bedroom, and a fade to black happens... Afterward, Katsuo was resting beside Penchant, cuddled in a way that made him feel completely safe and secure within her arms. Katsuo decided to break the silence that was very comforting. "Um, about what I said before and how it sounded like a proposal, um, I didn't mean it that way. I just told you my real name. I don't see you accepting something as big as that for a while." Katsuo hoped that they could end up like that, but he had the same thought with Merlina before, and well, things did not turn out that way. Of course, he was a student at the time and going by his middle name Ryuu. He was trained to be an honorable man, in the ways of the samurai so that the teachings were not forgotten in the family. "I'm good just being here, now." It was the light within the horrors of his past.​

 

[Penchant Vanity]

Penchant's laughter filled the room when he spoke, she didn't want to get married and not any time soon, they hadn't been in a relationship for long enough, their fling didn't really count, she rolled over to prop herself up on her elbows and looked down to his face, "Katsuo, I'm not interested in getting married just yet," she told him, "You have nothing to worry about," she liked him but there was a whole dimension of their relationship they hadn't yet explored. So much she still had to learn about him, and a whole amount he would have to learn about her. There was just so much left for them to explore before they decided to commit, and committing to Penchant was a finality, she wouldn't back down from it, not at all, so not yet. The girl filled back down on to the bed, strands of the blonde of hair flying all over the pillows, moving herself to be closer to him, "Right here is good," the girl agreed, it was an easy moment, an easy place to be, and though he had been lying to her before, she knew from here on out things would likely be more honest and resemble a fully working relationship, she leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "Plus, this bed is so comfortable,"
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[Katsuo Arai]

Katsuo breathed a sigh of relief as she said that she was not interested in getting married yet. He did not want that for a while either. He did not even plan any kids or anything. Considering his family, he did not want to risk the Kiru side getting ahold of their blood. Even if his mother did come from muggles, but was a witch regardless, he did not want to even try. “Thank Merlin,” Katsuo smiled to himself, although a very small smile. It was good, he had learned to smile through the assistance of Penchant. Something about her just warmed his otherwise cold heart. This was the happiest he had felt in a long time. He would have to agree with her, the bed was comfortable, and the affection he received from her, was the best thing he could have ever asked for. Now, they were in an honest relationship. Eventually, he would tell her about his school, the way he was trained, even how loving his grandfather was. Then, the girl that taught him to love, and also teach him loneliness and abandonment. His family and everything within his history would eventually be hers to know.

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Fin​

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