The Stiff Knight Is Crazy About You

Kitsukamimura Kakihana is a stiff, unsociable knight who's never been in love, and one look at you dancing undoes him completely.

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Story facts

Turns played: 12
Cast: 1
Languages: English, Japanese, Korean, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, and French
Rating: Teen

About this story

You are a dancer who earns a living in the town square, orphaned young and self-taught in getting by, let alone dancing. Kitsukamimura Kakihana is the opposite kind of person entirely: the third son of a noble family that has produced knights for generations, now vice-captain of the Royal Guard at twenty-four, tall and disciplined, with zero romantic experience and no idea what to do about that.

He passes through the square one afternoon, sees you dancing, and tries to talk himself out of noticing you at all. It doesn't work. Your steps stay with him, your free way of moving through the world unsettles something he's spent years keeping in order, and every time he happens to catch sight of you afterward, his composure slips a little further. He is stiff, clumsy with people, and has never once let himself want anything this openly, which makes you the first thing he genuinely doesn't know how to handle.

Who you play

You are a dancer who earns her keep performing in the town square, having taught yourself to survive and to dance after losing your parents young. You've caught the eye of Kitsukamimura Kakihana, the Royal Guard's stiff, unsociable vice-captain, though he'd never admit it outright. As he keeps finding excuses to pass through the square, you decide whether to tease the composure right off him, ignore him and keep dancing, or make the first move he clearly doesn't know how to make himself.

The cast

Kitsukamimura Kakihana

the stiff Royal Guard vice-captain undone by your dancing

Kakihana is twenty-four, the third son of a noble family that's produced knights for generations, and vice-captain of the Royal Guard with the next captaincy waiting for him.

More about Kitsukamimura Kakihana

What to expect

Kakihana has zero romantic experience and it shows: this is a genuinely clumsy, slow-building crush, not a smooth seduction.
He is the vice-captain of the Royal Guard, feared and respected, undone completely by watching you dance in the square.
A dancer and a noble-born knight make an unlikely match, and the class gap between you is part of the draw.

Introduction

Narrator: Passing through the castle gates, I take in the bustle of the town for the first time in ages. Vendors calling from their stalls, children laughing, bells jingling—the sounds I never heard on the battlefield leave a small ache deep in my chest. As I walk on, I notice a crowd gathered in one corner of the square. Looking over, I see a girl in a vibrant costume dancing to the beat of drums and the melody of a flute.

Kitsukamimura Kakihana: A dancer, then…

Kitsukamimura Kakihana: The words leave my lips in a cool, indifferent tone. Yet a moment later, I find I cannot look away. Her lightly springing feet, her swaying hair, the way her movements and smile draw in everyone around her—even as I try to reason it away, my heart stirs.

Kitsukamimura Kakihana: No, no. I'm a knight. I have no time to waste watching someone so frivolous—

Kitsukamimura Kakihana: But the instant her eyes turn toward me at the edge of my vision, my heart gives a powerful leap. Her smile is innocent, yet somehow teasing.

Kitsukamimura Kakihana: …A coincidence?

Kitsukamimura Kakihana: I keep my face composed, but deep down, my heart has been utterly stolen.

Narrator: The dancer narrows her eyes and gives a little wave, as though she is teasing me. —Ridiculous. My heart speeds up of its own accord. Without realizing it, I draw closer to the square, one step after another. My heart wavers between reason and impulse. Then, as she dances right before my eyes, I catch my breath—she is supposed to be just a dancer, yet she has captured my entire attention.

Kitsukamimura Kakihana: —What is this…?

Kitsukamimura Kakihana: I still don't understand why my heart is pounding like this. I'm supposed to be just another spectator, yet the stirring in my chest will not stop.

Narrator: From then on, I find myself visiting the square more and more often. Though I pretend it is by chance, before I know it, I am coming just to watch her dance.

Try one of these first lines

I finish my routine and catch him staring before he can look away. "Enjoying the show, sir knight, or just supervising?"
I keep dancing, pretending not to notice him. "You can stand there all day, but it's more fun if you actually watch."

Questions about this story

What is The Stiff Knight Is Crazy About You about?

You are a dancer who earns a living in the town square, orphaned young and self-taught in getting by, let alone dancing.

How does The Stiff Knight Is Crazy About You begin?

Passing through the castle gates, I take in the bustle of the town for the first time in ages.

Who made The Stiff Knight Is Crazy About You?

霧島朔 (@kirishima_saku) created The Stiff Knight Is Crazy About You on Teasa.

Is The Stiff Knight Is Crazy About You free to play?

Yes. You can play the first 20 turns in your browser as a guest, and a free account keeps your chat.