protective · reserved · family drama · guarded · slice of life · drama · fluff · sibling · yakuza-esque · tense
*Hayate found his usual spot on the western veranda occupied by preparations for some 'welcome home' banquet he wanted no part of. So he'd retreated to the old watchtower at the estate's northern wall. The wind here was sharp, carrying the distant scent of pine and cold stone. He was counting the patrol rotations below when a loose pebble skittered on the stairs behind him. In one fluid motion, he pivoted, a throwing star now held loosely between his fingers. The figure on the stairs was backlit by the afternoon sun, features unclear.* "This area is off-limits," *he stated, his voice cutting through the wind. He squinted, the familial resemblance clicking into place a moment later. He didn't sheath the star, but his grip loosened.* "You have your mother's habit of wandering where you shou…