”Now make sure to get behind the toilet deary!”
He grimaced at the nickname, but given the age of the woman Tenken was pretty sure she had no idea who he was. He just nods his head like a good little worker bee and gives an affirmative sound as he twists the towel over the sink, watching the water coalesce on the fabric before spilling free. And then he was back in the bathroom, getting behind the toilet as she requested. It wasn’t the nastiest place he’d seen, this woman was just too old to get around so she couldn’t really make major messes of that nature.
Granny Kumo, the other kids called her; because she wasn’t there mentally so they said her head was always in the clouds. Tenken had taken the mission as soon as he saw it, it was the thing a hero would do. Saving someone wasn’t always flashy actions and big battles and long speeches about friendship and kindness and the power of love. Most of the time it was this, showing that love for your fellow man by making their lives a little easier. Spending your time, a precious resource you could never get back, trying to male someone more comfortable or help them with needs they couldn’t handle on their own.
Tenken finishes clearing out the mess that was there, mostly loose hair that had fallen down and gotten attached between the toilet and the tile flooring it sat on. As he used the toilet to lift himself, he felt it shift and gave a soft groan. A quick shove proved that it wasn’t anchored properly. He checked both sides and quickly learned that one of them was missing the nut to hold the bolt in place, so it had worked loose. Tenken goes to wring out the towel once more before vanishing into the woman’s storage shed.
”Wrench, wrench, need a wrench.” His words catch as there’s a squeak behind him. Slowly he turns and finds himself face to whiskers with the Rat King. It had to be the biggest, ugliest rat Tenken had seen in his short lifetime. He keeps both eyes on the thing as it shuffles closer, reaching out and groping for a weapon. Something, anything to defend himself from this adversary. Finally his hand falls on it, a monkey wrench that he figured was here. ”Aha!” The exclamation triggers combat.
Granny Kumo would say nothing as Tenken rushes from the shed, slamming the door shut and leaning on it like a man possessed. Inside there was banging as his foe, the superior fighter in this situation, ran circles around the enclosed space trying to break free. Tenken could only assume it wanted to murder him in his sleep. He doesn’t let off the door until the squeaking inside ended, turning to look at the elderly woman and grinning sheepishly.
”Sou, don’t harass Whiskers like that. How many times have I told you that’s his room? Kids these days, I swear.”
She kept calling him Sou, apparently it was the name of her son, and from the pictured he’d seen around, Tenken figured Sou had died in the civil war. He looked to be an established mednin under the rule of the old guard. Tenken just nods, giving a profuse apology as he makes his way back into the bathroom and checks what size nut he needed. He leaves the wrench there and goes back to the door.
A deep breath and once more he was in his enemy’s realm. Tenken puts his stealth lessons to use here. Stepping down on the ball of his foot instead of the heel to give finer control over any noises released. Keeping aware of his surroundings so he doesn’t brush anything on accident and generate sound. Whiskers was here, watching and waiting and listening for the intruder to slip up and reveal themselves. Tenken wanted to be the one to land the first blow this time.
He makes his way to the tool chest without any problems and comes to a conundrum. If he opened it, it would make sound. And Whiskers would hear. But he needed to get in it. Tenken solves this with some string, tying a bit to each handle and slowly easing back to hide in an alcove between old paintings and books that were labeled with funny names like “Physiology of the Serpent Form” and “Anatomy of a Pear”. He didn’t even want to know.
He pulls open one drawer and waits. It squeals as he does so, and once it was fully opened he would toss the string away and watch. The Rat King shows up, sniffling around the tool chest before finding one of the strings. It would follow it back to the chest, and then begin gnawing. Tenken holds his breath, not wanting to anger his more skilled opponent. But the problem was it would chew through the string with ease, and left him holding useless strips of cloth in his hand.
He waits for the thing to wander off, then waits a little longer before walking over and checking the drawer he’d opened. It had some nuts in it, but not the size he needed. If he was guessing right based on the sizes here, what he needed should be about the middle of the one under it. Tenken takes a deep breath, then whips it open and stabs a hand out, grabbing the nut even as the splitting shriek of metal on metal fills the still air.
And he was off, the Rat King giving chase as he was far less quiet in leaving its domain. Tenken would try to hamper it, tossing some books in its way and zig-zagging through the enclosed room. Then he was free, once more leaning on the door as Whiskers attempted to burst free to kill him and then drag his corpse through town like a trophy.
Once the noise died down, he heads back to the bathroom and tightens the nut down, happy to find it was the right size. Tenken heads over to Granny Kumo, letting her know the house was spotless except for the shed which she didn’t want clean. He also explains his fixing of her toilet. As thanks, he is given a pat on the head and a sweet candy for his trouble. And thus he leaves her house, going to report the difference made in one elderly woman’s life. A difference she couldn’t appreciate in her state, but a good one nonetheless.
WC: 1092
He grimaced at the nickname, but given the age of the woman Tenken was pretty sure she had no idea who he was. He just nods his head like a good little worker bee and gives an affirmative sound as he twists the towel over the sink, watching the water coalesce on the fabric before spilling free. And then he was back in the bathroom, getting behind the toilet as she requested. It wasn’t the nastiest place he’d seen, this woman was just too old to get around so she couldn’t really make major messes of that nature.
Granny Kumo, the other kids called her; because she wasn’t there mentally so they said her head was always in the clouds. Tenken had taken the mission as soon as he saw it, it was the thing a hero would do. Saving someone wasn’t always flashy actions and big battles and long speeches about friendship and kindness and the power of love. Most of the time it was this, showing that love for your fellow man by making their lives a little easier. Spending your time, a precious resource you could never get back, trying to male someone more comfortable or help them with needs they couldn’t handle on their own.
Tenken finishes clearing out the mess that was there, mostly loose hair that had fallen down and gotten attached between the toilet and the tile flooring it sat on. As he used the toilet to lift himself, he felt it shift and gave a soft groan. A quick shove proved that it wasn’t anchored properly. He checked both sides and quickly learned that one of them was missing the nut to hold the bolt in place, so it had worked loose. Tenken goes to wring out the towel once more before vanishing into the woman’s storage shed.
”Wrench, wrench, need a wrench.” His words catch as there’s a squeak behind him. Slowly he turns and finds himself face to whiskers with the Rat King. It had to be the biggest, ugliest rat Tenken had seen in his short lifetime. He keeps both eyes on the thing as it shuffles closer, reaching out and groping for a weapon. Something, anything to defend himself from this adversary. Finally his hand falls on it, a monkey wrench that he figured was here. ”Aha!” The exclamation triggers combat.
Granny Kumo would say nothing as Tenken rushes from the shed, slamming the door shut and leaning on it like a man possessed. Inside there was banging as his foe, the superior fighter in this situation, ran circles around the enclosed space trying to break free. Tenken could only assume it wanted to murder him in his sleep. He doesn’t let off the door until the squeaking inside ended, turning to look at the elderly woman and grinning sheepishly.
”Sou, don’t harass Whiskers like that. How many times have I told you that’s his room? Kids these days, I swear.”
She kept calling him Sou, apparently it was the name of her son, and from the pictured he’d seen around, Tenken figured Sou had died in the civil war. He looked to be an established mednin under the rule of the old guard. Tenken just nods, giving a profuse apology as he makes his way back into the bathroom and checks what size nut he needed. He leaves the wrench there and goes back to the door.
A deep breath and once more he was in his enemy’s realm. Tenken puts his stealth lessons to use here. Stepping down on the ball of his foot instead of the heel to give finer control over any noises released. Keeping aware of his surroundings so he doesn’t brush anything on accident and generate sound. Whiskers was here, watching and waiting and listening for the intruder to slip up and reveal themselves. Tenken wanted to be the one to land the first blow this time.
He makes his way to the tool chest without any problems and comes to a conundrum. If he opened it, it would make sound. And Whiskers would hear. But he needed to get in it. Tenken solves this with some string, tying a bit to each handle and slowly easing back to hide in an alcove between old paintings and books that were labeled with funny names like “Physiology of the Serpent Form” and “Anatomy of a Pear”. He didn’t even want to know.
He pulls open one drawer and waits. It squeals as he does so, and once it was fully opened he would toss the string away and watch. The Rat King shows up, sniffling around the tool chest before finding one of the strings. It would follow it back to the chest, and then begin gnawing. Tenken holds his breath, not wanting to anger his more skilled opponent. But the problem was it would chew through the string with ease, and left him holding useless strips of cloth in his hand.
He waits for the thing to wander off, then waits a little longer before walking over and checking the drawer he’d opened. It had some nuts in it, but not the size he needed. If he was guessing right based on the sizes here, what he needed should be about the middle of the one under it. Tenken takes a deep breath, then whips it open and stabs a hand out, grabbing the nut even as the splitting shriek of metal on metal fills the still air.
And he was off, the Rat King giving chase as he was far less quiet in leaving its domain. Tenken would try to hamper it, tossing some books in its way and zig-zagging through the enclosed room. Then he was free, once more leaning on the door as Whiskers attempted to burst free to kill him and then drag his corpse through town like a trophy.
Once the noise died down, he heads back to the bathroom and tightens the nut down, happy to find it was the right size. Tenken heads over to Granny Kumo, letting her know the house was spotless except for the shed which she didn’t want clean. He also explains his fixing of her toilet. As thanks, he is given a pat on the head and a sweet candy for his trouble. And thus he leaves her house, going to report the difference made in one elderly woman’s life. A difference she couldn’t appreciate in her state, but a good one nonetheless.
WC: 1092