Kaizen opened his mouth to respond when Shiori immediately denied knowing what Senzu Beans were. The sight of the small cat standing there, clutching the bag in a protective manner while trying very hard to look intimidating, caused him to pause. Then his eyes drifted down to the bag, then back up to her, a smile suddenly tugged onto the corner of his mouth.
"
Right."
"
Definitely not Senzu Beans."
His expression lasted all of two seconds longer before it dropped. Thankfully, it already seemed like Shiori came to the conclusion that he wasn't there to steal them from her. The moment she started gathering bags together and dragged the oversize messenger bag over, Kaizen's shoulders visibly relaxed. He hadn't acknowledged how worried he was until this point. As she was explaining the contents, his attention shifted towards the horizon again. Smoke still stained the skies in the distance. Even from up here he could feel the planet's unease. His gaze returned to the cat offering him what was one of the most valuable collections of resources on Earth.
He carefully reached forward and accepted the bag from her paws. The thing looked comically large next to her, he kept that to himself. Before he could stop himself, Kaizen found his attention lingering on the small cat standing before him. Between the oversized messenger bag, the nervous stuttering, and the fact that she'd just entrusted him with something incredibly important, she was adorable. His thoughts won, without really thinking, Kaizen leaned down and gently scooped the cat into a quick hug. It wasn't long or forceful, just an impulsive squeeze just an impulsive squeeze born entirely from the overwhelming urge to acknowledge how ridiculously cute she was. Her soft fur only reinforced the decision. Then reality snapped back into him, he slowly sat her back down and a hard cough escaped him as he immediately looked away and adjusted the strap on the messenger bag.
"
....Right"
"
Anyway! Things are probably going to get worst before they get better. So do me a favor, stay safe up here?"
He gave her a soft smile, before he turned his gaze back to the horizon, his energy began to amplify as he was engulfed in a white aura before launching himself from the tower and shot off in a rapid movement, disappearing into the distance like a shriek of light. He made his way back to West City.
