Katsuki: *He wrapped his arm Kairi as she hugged him* I'm glad that I could do this for you Kairi... You're my lady after all.... Speaking of..... There's one more thing.. Kairi, I know all the times I've called you my future empress.. Called you my future wife..... I've known all this time that it had to be you.. That's why... I'm ready... Kairi Akamine.. *He got a small ring box, opening it to reveal a sapphire ring* Will you marry me? As well as be by my side as my Empress?

"You actually....." The moment Kairi saw the ring, she felt her heart skip a beat and her eyes widened. She didn't even bother to let it all process in her head and she practically jumped onto Katsuki with a big hug. "Yes, yes, a million times yes!" The flowing, happy tears still in her eyes, she cupped his face. "To be your wife, your Empress, your everything... I will happily marry you Katsuki!"

Katsuki: *A grin came to his face as he hugged Kairi back* The lady of my life... I'm happy that I was given the chance to know you. Even if in that moment, I was scared you wouldn't forgive me, even if I knew what had to be done.. Yet, you got yourself sorted out for me... From the day we confessed, the first time you and I were intimate, I've known for a while... I want to marry her. That was the thought that went through my mind, and having it become reality... Even now, it almost feels surreal. But, I'm happy I'm not dreaming this...

"To be honest, when I was younger I never thought I'd experience something like this... It was always my sister who was interested in love.. But, that all changed when I met you, Katsu and there's no one else I'd rather spend the rest of my life with now." She smiled and held out her hand to Katsuki so he can put on the ring for her, "But, let's not start talking like the moment is over just yet..."

Katsuki: *He nodded* Right! *He then removed the ring from the box* [With this ring... I get one step closer.] *He then put the ring on her finger* A ring that truly compliments you... *He said, then kissing her hand* Perfect..

"Now I truly am all yours.." Kairi said, admiring the ring on her hand with a smile. "You really did surprise me well with all this. And the ring is so beautiful... The sapphire even reminds me of your flames, which makes it even better for me.."

Katsuki: You've got a good eye for details. Yeah.. That was the intention of the sapphire of the ring... The gem as blue as the flames... The diamonds around the band, shining as bright as the wearer. *He gave a kiss on her lips, breaking away not too long* There's one more thing.... You never quite got to meet Vin yet... Of course, I don't want to feel like I'm strong arming you.. If you need a bit more time, then I'll understand..

"You really have so many things lined up for today.." Kairi told him. "To be honest, I actually almost forgot about getting to meet Vin. I wouldn't mind finally getting the chance to! Could that meannn... I might be seeing affectionate Katsu tonight?"

Katsuki: Oh... I suppose so. *He blushed* Now you've got me wondering how far that affection may go.. Especially since the last time I was drunk... I was so into the future... I was already thinking about our daughter... Though, I guess with you in close proximity this time..

"When you came back from Vin's last time, I'd say you acted pretty fine around me. You think it's gonna be different now since I'll be with you the whole time?" Kairi asked.

Katsuki: *He looked up* To think about it.... It shouldn't be... I just want to make sure you have a good time while we're out.. Anything other than a good time isn't good enough for my now fiancée

Kairi poked the side of his head, "Stop worrying with that cute little head of yours. I've told you already that just being able to be around you makes me happy enoigh.. And if I'm ever uncomfortable, you already know I'll mention it to you first thing." She smiled, "So you don't have to be so worried about it."

Katsuki: *He smiled, looking at her with a grin* Alright then! *He got up, then extinguishing the flame from the candles with one arm swipe* Then let's get going.... I'm sure Vin will be happy to finally meet you. After all, me and Ren talked you up something nice last time.. Not to mention, my affection might've factored into it.. *He then reached his hand out* Shall we? Lady Akamine...

Kairi giggled and took Katsuki's hand, standing up. "Ready whenever you are. Making me even more excited to finally meet him."

Katsuki: *He then got her legs, holding her bridal style now* Alrivht, then let's get going. *He then slid down the wall with her, then jumping from the wall to land safely on the ground, then make his way to Vin's tavern, he then got Kairi on her feet* Well, in we enter... *He said holding her hand and opening the door* Yoo! Vin!

Working by the bar as usual, Vin hears Katsuki's voice, "Well isn't it my favorite customer! And I'm not saying that just cause' you're the Emperor." Vin greeted with a louder chuckle. "Welcome back, Katsu!"
As they walked in, Kairi glanced around, "I don't know what I expected but it's so lively in here."
Vin grinned, "Oh and I see you brought a special guest with you! Is this Kairi that I've heard so much about?"
Kairi nodded with a sweet smile, "Yup, that's me. Katsu's already mentioned that he's talked about me before."
"Oh, they've talked about you alright." Vin said. "Both sober and drunk it's obvious to tell how much love this guy has for ya."

Katsuki: You said it Vin.... But that's not all..... *He wrapped his arm around her* We're here on a celebration date... Kairi's officially my fiancée... Just hearing her say yes... One of the most heartwarming feelings ever...

"Fiancèe!?" A huge happy grin grew on Vin's face, "It feels like it was just yesterday I was listening to drunk Katsu call you his wife! Now you're just one step closer to it all... Congratulations, you two!"
Kairi smiled, "Thank you, thank you! It happened basically right before we decided to come here.. I honestly don't think I ever had a reaction as fast as that one."
"Ooh hold on, it happened right before this? Does that make me the first to know?" Vin asked.
"Well, unless Katsu already told anyone else beforehand, I think that makes you the first....." Kairi started to think about it and then it finally hit her. All of the preparation and Chelsea poking questions at her started to connect. "Hold on... Did you have Chelsea helping you ever since that one break I had??"

Katsuki: *He grinned, putting his hands up* Guilty.... I'm not sure how the question ever came to pass, but it was done in a way that kept you just enough in the dark.. After all, Chelsea is one of the best in terms of doing recon.. Once Chelsea told me, it was a matter of adding a bit of magic.. Getting that pendant crafted, not to mention finding the right ring..

"Oh wow... That break was so long ago at this point and you practically been planning it ever since.." Kairi sweatdropped, "And somehow it all went completely past my brain.."
Vin chuckled, "Well that's the good thing about it, eh?"
Kairi nodded, "Oh for sure, I'm not complaining about it. But, to think you've been trying to perfect it for awhile now.." She tightly hugged Katsuki, "I honestly don't know what'd I do without you in my life.."
"You two deserve each other... And.." Vin ruffled Kastuki's hair as if he was a kid, "It makes me proud to see the type of person you grew up to be.. and you have a lot of good people around you now. Whatever you'd guys like for tonight, it's on the house!"

Katsuki: *He grinned* You spoil us Vin... Still, thank you... Now that I think about it.. Ren mentioned your daughter was working with you... Novalee if I'm not mistaken.. *He then looked out, to see her serving the guests* That's her?

Vin nodded with a grin, "Yeah, that's her. My pride and joy... I don't think I ever got the chance to introduce you guys to each other, have I?"
Kairi shook her head, "As far as I know, I'd assume you haven't."
"In that case..." Vin called her over, "Novalee! Come on over here, I want you to meet the Emperor!"
(Would you maybe be interested in taking over Novalee? :0 I'm fine with taking her, but I think it'd be cool to split them btwn us. ^^ Also, I know you're usually understanding of this, but I'm sorry for such late responses againnn)

(Yeah, I can do that. And again, it's no problem. :D)
*Novalee finished up with the guests she served, then heading over to them*
Novalee: It's an honor to meet you Emperor Katsuki..
Katsuki: You too Novalee... It's good to see he's keeping his family close..
Novalee: Mhm... Dad mentioned you used to come here in your childhood..
Katsuki: I did..... Give or take the circumstances weren't the greatest..
Novalee: Still, up until recently, I never thought I'd see the day our Emperor would come here for a drink.*She then looked at Kairi* And you must be his wife...
Katsuki: This is Kairi, my fiancée.. Soon to be wife...
Novalee: That wasn't quite how it was worded last time you were here.

(Thank youuu :,))
"Heh, Katsu could've fooled everyone and have us thinking we have an Empress already.." Vin said.
Kairi giggled, "Probably could've convinced you that we had a child together already." She rested her head on Katsuki's shoulder, "But it's cute knowing that's where his mind went to.."

Novalee: I can agree... It's not terribly often you can be in that kind of drunken state.. Usually when it happens, it ends up in them going deep into their problems.
Katsuki: Not to mention the emotions, anger and sadness...
Novalee: It's a welcome sight to see affectionate drunk.. Not to mention, it's my first time seeing you two together... I swear you're both so cute together, this is truly a match made in heaven.
Katsuki: Thank you.. Just let me know when you find yourself a little someone.... I'll be sure to give the marriage an Imperial blessing...
Novalee: F-for real?!
Katsuki: Call it the least I can do... Vin's been someone I can look up to... He was there for me in a small but significant way.. So, I'll give back...

"But to pay me back like this, I wouldn't even know how to properly thank you. Having your people visit us so often has already been such a pleasure in itself, you have no idea..." Vin placed his hand on Novalee's back, "I don't know if I've ever seen Novalee show much love interest... Unless there's been something I've been completely oblivious about?"

Novalee: Oh, there isn't yet.. But, hearing that I'd get an Imperial blessing from the Emperor himself... For one, it's unexpected, but appreciated nonetheless.
Katsuki: Between me giving back to Vin, I guess you could say it's another way of showing the new change to the Capital...
Novalee: You really are a good kid... Dad didn't lie about that.. I still remember when we first got the news.. It was such a shock. We'd always been holding on to the hope of a better Empire... But, seeing you become Emperor.. The same kid he hadn't seen in years, moving up like he did.
Katsuki: Well, I didn't get there alone after all.. *He said, taking Kairi's hand into his* I had quite the support by me...

Kairi blushed, "Well, I don't know if I really did that much..."
Vin smirked, "Heh, with how much love Katsu's grown to have for you, I could easily tell how much of a support you've been, there's no hiding it! Sober or drunk, this man always finds someway to show his appreciation for you. I'm sure there's a lot of things you guys appreciate each other for.. Just like how we appreciate all of you for making the Capital a better place."

Novalee: See? Whether you want to believe it or not, you've done quite a lot.. All of you in the revolutionary army did..
Katsuki: It's what we were striving for... I'm more than glad to see it paying off. Now I do have one question.... *He looked at Kairi* Last time you drank we had wine and a dinner date.. What kind of drink would Kairi drink in this setting?

"Hmm...." Kairi tried to think about it, "I used to sneak in drinks a lot when I was younger, but now I don't even know what I'd choose...." She looked to Vin, "Do you guys have like.. anything special?"
Vin already started grabbing some glasses for them, "Well, Novalee is usually the creative one and comes up with a lot of specialty drinks throughout the week. But! There was one drink I used to serve in the past that I called the Hypernova." Vin smirked, "I think you can guess who I named it after. It's a hard citrus-y cider that if you drink enough of em' you almost feel like you're glowing... Heh of course, until it starts to hit you more later." While explaining it, Vin was preparing the drink and placed it in front of them when it was ready, "Care to try?"

Katsuki: Hold on.... The hypernova? *He then looked at Novalee* You've got a drunk named after you.... Looks like I've still got a ways to go huh? *He said, jokingly and looking at the drink* Still... I recall saying you were the god of all things dribk.. So, now should be no different. *He said, as he then tried the Hypernova, showing a face of astonishment as he did* Incredible...
Novalee: You know, even if you did get a drink after you, coming up with ingredients is the interesting process.. Let's see.... Empire of Fire.... The last drink you had was gin right? Well, mix that with a bit of soda.. But the twist is.. Get a bit of dry ice to make the drink smoke... Get a bit of freshly squeezed lime juice and you'll be talking something.
Katsuki: ...... *He then looked at Vin* Permission to call your daughter the goddess of beverage..

Vin chuckled, "Permission granted! I don't think there's a single soul that would disagree with you."
Kairi took her first sip of the Hypernova, "Woah.. No wonder all of you seemed to like making this place a go to spot..." She looked to Novalee, "I know you just made up Katsu's drink on the spot, but is there any chance we could try that too??"

Novalee: I don't see why not.... You're honored guests after all.. *She got behind the bar, beginning to work her magic* Let's see.... Yeah, here it is.... *After using tongs for the dry ice first, she poured the gin into it make drink smoke then adding the freshly squeezed lime into it*
Katsuki: It looks amazing.....
Novalee: Of course, you'll have to wait a bit before it's safe to consume.
Katsuki: Dry ice is lethal to the human body.... Fun party trick at best, but a lethal substance at worst.
Novalee: Mhm.. *She did the same thing once more for Kairi's drink* Two Empires of Fire.
Katsuki: Lovely creation. For real, it's wonderful.
Novalee: Thank you, I aim to impress. And hearing those compliments from our Emperor is quite the honor.

"And hearing it from me all the time isn't an honor enough??" Vin joked.
Kairi waited a little bit until it was safe to drink, then taking her first sip. "Mmm, It tastes great and the smoke just makes it even cooler!! This is gonna be the closest I ever get to Katsu's ability." Kairi said with a giggle. "You know considering you have Aoi Hono, I would guess you might have a slight resistance to the burning effects of dry ice.. Of course, please never try that..... But, it's cool to think about! Kinda.."

Katsuki: Heh, if I were only so lucky.... Unfortunately, I think it's actually hotter than my flames.. Not to mention.. It's the sublimination of the dry ice that's lethal. Builds up pressure inside of you until it essentially ruptures your insides. Like I said, fun party trick at best, lethal substance at worst... *After it was safe to drink, he began to drink as well* Still, it's a wonderful creation..
Novalee: Some people think a drink needs to have lots of ingredients for it to be legendary.. But, even the ones that don't have a lot of ingredients, can be just as unique.
Katsuki: Well said... You're Vin's daughter alright..

Vin happily wrapped his arm around Novalee, "I raised the kiddo just right and I become more and more proud of her everyday!"
Kairi smiled, "You guys are so precious.. Probably would be the kind of relationship I'd aspire to have with our future child..."
"You two already plan to have a child together as well?" Vin asked.
Kairi nodded, "Of course probably not anytime soon but the idea's there.." Kairi then giggled, "If you really think about it, the idea of having a child together came before the topic of us even getting married.. Isn't that right, Katsu?"

Katsuki: Yeah... Honestly, it goes back to just after I became Emperor.. . Back then, I remember Kairi to one day carry my heir or heiress.. It was so on the spot though.. Then when I got back from my last time here, it's like she was already born..
Novalee: And you call us precious.. In reality, it's not often you see people drunk talking about the future. It's either the past or something else altogether. It's never impossible... But from the clientele I've seen, it is rare.

Kairi took another sip of her drink, "Yeah, Katsu's definitely on the more unique side.. It feels so weird to say that it's cute to see Katsu drunk... Like who else says that kinda thing??"
Vin chuckled, "Well I definitely wouldn't be able to say it for a couple of the customers here... We've had to make more repairs to this tavern than I'd like to admit."

Katsuki: It's more hostile than it is cute... Not to mention, apparently I actually gave some brotherly advice too.. Ever since that night, Ren and Najenda got closer.. I recall them sleeping in the carriage together..
Novalee: Uh... They didn't... You know?
Katsuki: Nah.... They were found clothed and hungover... They had fun, but not too much fun...
Patron A: But what's the fun without going a little over?
Katsuki: More than a person can handle..
Patron A: Come now Emperor, you shouldn't bring your lady to a tavern and not expect eyes on her.
Katsuki: I'm gonna have to ask you to refrain from using comments like that..
Novalee: You're being obnoxious sir....
Patron A: Mm... I can be whatever you need me to be..
Katsuki: *He sighed.. He then put a pouch on the counter* Here, for a new door..
Patron A: And why would he need a new door?
Katsuki: Because you're leaving through it! *He said he punched the patron through the door*
Novalee: Now you see why the repairs... But, thanks.

Vin grabbed the pouch and placed it under his side of the counter, "Unfortunately dealing with guys like that arr inevitable when trying to run a place like this. Heh in all honesty, if you didn't punch him out like that, I probably would've ended up doing it myself..."
Kairi got up from her seat, sitting on top of Katsuki's lap instead. She looked at him with a grin, "Maybe if I just sit here, you think they'll keep bothering us?"

Katsuki: Perhaps not...
*Novalee looked around the tavern, noticing the eyes avert from Katsuki and Kairi*
Novalee: I think after that display, no one will you bother you two..
Katsuki: Besides, hands such as yours aren't meant to get dirty Vin.. They're more suited to serve your patrons..
Novalee: I see where he's coming from...
Katsuki: Still, I'd be ready to do the same for my kid in a heartbeat..
Novalee: Knowing your luck, your kid will be old enough to throw their own punches.. .Maybe they'll have the same idea, that you don't need to get your hands dirty.

"As long as you're all looking out for each other, that's all that really matters." Vin said. "Remember that it still is my tavern and people like that only become worse problems... Worst comes to worst, I'll have to deal with them harshly. Especially if it's Nova they want to speak to like that."
Kairi took another sip of her drink, "As long as you think it hurts your reputation or you tavern in any way."
Vin shrugged, "Nova's protection matters most to me anwyays. But, at the same time these drunks enjoy the 'entertainment' than they hate it. So, if anything it boosts the tavern." He sweatdropped, "But increases repair..."

Katsuki: Well, I could always help with those repairs..
Novalee: Katsu..
Katsuki: I insist.. Besides, I'd like nothing more for this place than to see it stick around and grow even more.. This tavern's important to me. I'd do all in my power to ensure it stays around.. Make it the tavern that time could never kill.
Novalee: The tavern that time could never kill... It almost sounds like a tale.
Katsuki: A tale I'd be willing to make reality that is.

"And if there's anyone's word you can take, it'll always be Katsu's.."
"It's always just neverending love from you Katsu, I really do appreciate it." Vin said with a grin. "If you really want to chip in some support, I'll humbly accept it. But I'll never expect it out of you because you've already done more for me than you know. Moving past the tavern though, this is your special night together. The day of your official engagement! I think Nova and I bothered you two enough, I don't wanna be in the middle of your little night talking about tavern repairs." Vin poured the a few more drinks, "I'll leave ya few more drinks, but if you guys need anything you know exactly who to call. And thank you again Katsu, for everything."

Katsuki: I'm just paying it forward... But, it's no problem at all.. *He then looked at Kairi* Guess that'll leave you and I to our celebratory drinks..
Novalee: Enjoy you two, and congratulations once more!
Katsuki: Thanks.. *He said as he took a sip from his drink*

As Vin and Novalee both left to take care of the rest of the tavern, Kairi also took another sip of her drink. "I can see why you guys like being around here now and I'm glad I got to meet them! You know, besides the one little incident." She said with a giggle. "The drinks are nice here too.."

Katsuki: Always have been.. Alcohol or non, you're usually in for a pleasant taste.. From what I could say for sure, Vin's always had the best stuff... He certainly cuts no corners in terms of the inventory he has. *He said taking another sip from his drink and finishing his first glass* Even when I came here last, Vin was still apologetic from a while back... I could never fault him for what happened. The last thing I would've wanted was for Enzo to come down on Vin.

"Yeah I understand that... I guess it just bothered him knowing that he was oblivious to what happened in the background. If he knew, he probably would've stepped in..." Kairi said. "But everything just comes to an end at some point! Thankfully we're all in a better place now. You have a new circle you can comfortably call your family now.. The corrupt Empire is gone... And even look at us." Kairi smiled, "We're gonna get married."

Katsuki: *He grinned* Yeah! And I couldn't be happier for the present.. It wasn't easy getting to this point.. But at least, we've reached a new beginning.... *He then picked up his other glass* To our marriage, and our next big chapter.

Kairi picked up her class and held it up with Katsuki's, "To our marriage and our next big chapter!" She grinned, drinking the rest of her glass. Slowly she felt the alcohol starting to hit her. "Oh right.. I hope sitting on your lap isn't too bothersome for you... Considering you were a little concerned about how far your affection could go.."