SDRA2 OTP Extravaganza

Portrait of Madame X (Kanaroha/Kanade Otonokoji x Iroha Nijiue)

Sidebloggable Prompt: "Defending Each Other"

Tumblr Prompt: https://otpprompts.tumblr.com/post/131408920758/person-a-of-your-otp-is-the-sondaughter-of-a-high/amp

"Person A of your OTP is the child of a high ranking government official and person B is their new bodyguard, hired following a death threat against Person A. "

Warning: mentioned abuse, spoilers for chapters 3/6

***

Iroha shivered as she curled up against her bedroom door. Her heater had broken in the dead of fall, and either no one had been sent up to fix it yet or no one cared. So for now, she had to read her manga up against the door for any warmth.

"I can't believe it!" she heard a man exclaim from the other side of the door. She recognized it as her father's voice. "Ever since I got that government job, more threats have been filling up my damn inbox than actual invoices!"

Iroha hated his voice. After so many years of being forced to draw by her parents, she resented both of them. But she kept that part of her hidden from view, she didn't know how to survive on her own. She was too cowardly to die or run away, so she pretended to be grateful to be accepted by her family.

"Calm down, dear. Problems can't be solved by yelling and complaining," she heard her mother say. In a way, she wasn't wrong. The boy Iroha had seen that night hadn't returned in years though.

"Then what can we do?! They keep threatening to hurt you, and those brats too!"

"I'll be fine. But we'll have to protect our legacy somehow..."

Iroha decided to tune out the conversation after that. She already knew that her 'talent' was just a means to get them more prestige in the art world, she didn't want to hear about her worth anymore. She decided to move away from the door and read in the cold instead. 

***

One day, Iroha was suddenly told to pack her bags and come down to the foyer. She obeyed and walked down the stairs with a luggage bag, though she was incredibly confused. When she reached the bottom of the stairs, she was startled to see her father talking with a young woman around her age. 

The woman was shorter than her and had straight, purple-pink ombre hair. She was wearing a fur-lined jean jacket over shorts and a T-shirt, and had a headband with a connected eighth note. Iroha had a feeling that she's seen or heard of this woman before, but couldn't remember where.

"Iroha," her father stated, "this is Ms. Kanade Otonokoji. You'll be staying with her and her family from now on for your protection."

"Fueh?!" Iroha let out a squeak at the news. Sure, she was glad that she'd be out of the house, but she wasn't expecting her dad to be handed over to a complete stranger, even if it was 'for her protection.'

"Don't worry, I don't bite," Kanade joked with a friendly smile. "He just paid me and Hibiki to take you and keep you guarded while we tour."

Finally, Iroha remembered. Kanade was from a band called Melody Rhythm, she had heard their music on the radio while she drew. She was now confused about the fact that she was being handed to a band, of all possible guards - she had been on enough fanfiction sites to know the 'sold to One Direction' trope.

***

"Wow, I didn't know your trailer's bedrooms were so nice!" Iroha exclaimed, putting her luggage bag beside the bed. The painter happily flopped down onto the bed, letting out a happy sigh. Once she had gotten into their large trailer, the vehicle began moving  without turning back.

Kanade watched from the door with a giggle. "Sis and I share a room, so we keep a spare room available in case anyone needs it. I guess it came in handy today!" she remarked. "Since we're always on the move with our charity concerts, you'll get to visit lots of fancy restaurants with us. Say, have you tried Italian food?"

"N-No, I've only heard of a few things...though I guess it was only on Ristorante Paradiso," Iroha admitted with a sigh. 

"Hm? You watch a lot of anime?" Kanade asked. "I like watching it sometimes, and some mangas are pretty cool too."

"R-Really?!" she exclaimed, sitting upright on the bed. "Which ones have you watched so far?!"

"U-Um, I've seen ones like Umineko When they Cry, Corpse Party, School Days, and Talentless Nana," Kanade recalled. "I've seen Madoka Magica too...I'm still debating on watching Magia Record yet, the reviews of it being a good sequel are mixed, but I think Rebellion is a good continuation."

"Anime that gory?!" Iroha squeaked in fright. "W-Well, I've watched Umineko and Madoka too, but the other ones are too violent for me..."

"Well, that's fine. People come in different shapes and sizes, after all. Tell you what: if I still need to look after you for a year or so, I'll take you to Walpurgisnacht: Rising when it hits the theatres. Sounds good?" the guitarist asked. 

"You'd really do that...?" the painter squeaked, trying to hide how flattered - or rather, flustered - she was in front of the other woman.

"Well, I need something to blow my money on, don't I?" Kanade asked rhetorically. "Ah, this conversation reminded me. I'll get my sister to set the GPS to an Italian restaurant for some dinner before our concert. We'll need to warm up our skills soon after that."

"W-Wow..." Iroha knew that they were always busy and planning things, as musical celebrities, but she didn't expect Kanade to be this organized at all. And even when the guitarist took in a shy painter, it was almost like she had planed for that too. Iroha thought she was very cool, much smarter than the painter could be.

"Next stop: Trattoria Dai Paesani!" Kanade called from the front of the trailer. "We should be there in half an hour, maybe less!"

Iroha decided to situate herself while she waited on their trip. Opening her bag, she began to unpack her clothes and put them in the small dresser. She also put her manga and other books under her bed, and set her toiletries on the bedside table.

Finally, she pulled out her sketchbook. There wasn't much else to do while she waited, but she knew that sketching of her own will could calm her a little. But what was she going to draw today? Something that brought her comfort? Or rather, someone?

Iroha knew that she wasn't good at drawing portraits like other members of her family were, but Kanade had practically saved her life by taking her father's deal, and showed her more kindness than she's received in years. 

So, for the remainder of the time until they reached the restaurant, Iroha kept sketching a portrait of the guitarist.