Creature Comforts?

[Takahashi Aki]

The Steward looked down at his shopping list. Bone for Number Seven check. New threads. Check. Sewing Needle. Check. Fluffballs. Check. Cloth materials. Check. Bolts. Check. Screws. Check. The Steward's eyes narrowed as he went back to the first item. Would Number Seven really like a bone? At the very least he thought that the ebony canine would enjoy a creature comfort. For Okibi, the Steward was going to construct her a new toy. Her old one was looking worse for wear each day. The Steward would try to fix up said toy, but then something would happen to it to put it in a worse state.

There was one last thing to get for someone - Tia. The Steward focused upon the name. What would she like? Flowers came to mind. Most girls like flowers right? Wait. What if she was allergic? The Steward thought back to his childhood. Did Tia ever sneeze in the presence of flowers? The Steward thought hard. He couldn't recollect Tia ever being in the presence of flowers ever. Best not to take a risk.

The Steward sat down on a bench and thought hard. Eventually he came to the conclusion of buying something musical for Tia. The Steward visited a music shop. He was no grand musican but he had an understanding of musical theory and the writing of music. His personal choice of instrument was the flute. After five minutes of deciding what instrument to settle on he selected a wood-wind instrument. The Steward emerged from the store with his purchase and was quite proud of himself, even though he had a deadpanned expression on his face.

The Steward returned to same bench from before. How best to distribute these creature comforts? The Steward was unsure of this, but decided for the moment it was best to construct Okibi's gift. The Steward first threaded the needle and began to sew together the chest piece of the toy.

 

[Hattori Kieren]

Moving through the various stalls of the marketplace, the senin hummed a soft tune. Gathering various assorted herbs, supplies needed to restock her medical stores, she placed the items carefully in a bag hooked under her arm. With her herb stores replenished, she moved on. Passing by an armorer, the woman couldn't help but think of Sousuke. It had been several days since she'd admitted her feelings for him. Days since she had spoken with him. She felt her heart race as she thought of him. Both hope and fear filled her. Hope that he would share her love, and fear that he would reject her. Moving along, she found herself at a flower stand. Picking out a small lotus she cut the stem shorter and tucked the flower over her right ear. A soft smile playing over her face, and a happy song in her heart, she continued off on her journey, until she saw him. As her eyes fell upon the Steward, the senin's heart skipped a beat. Moving cautiously towards him, she raised a had to wave and smiled in greeting, her voice failing her.

 

[Takahashi Aki]

The Steward finished the stitching of the body of the plush toy. He began to fill the body with plush to give it some size. The Steward figured out what exactly he was going to make for Okibi, he was going to make her a teddy bear of sorts. After finishing the body he began to work on the left leg. The steward concentrated as he made the paw pads of the bear. His stitch work was if anything intricate as he was accustomed to putting detail in the work. One large circle, and then tree circles around that forming the paw pads. The Steward once completed the sitchwork filled it stuffing to give it some shape. Once completed he sewed that to the main body of the bear. He looked up to see Tia present.

The Steward wondered how she would respond. Would she slap him again? No. Apparently not. She waved to him. The Steward waved back and spoke. "Good afternoon Tia."<i></i> He searched for something to 'break the ice with' in terms of conversation. The Steward's deadpanned face turned to the bag he had when he had exited the music store. The Steward thought about it for a moment. "Ah. I bought you something."<i></i> The Steward's gazed fixed upon the item inside the bag and slow it rose up. It was a cloth bag, but inside of it was an ocarina. The item floated over to Tia as the Steward exerted his psionic ability to control the movement of the item. "I hope you like it."<i></i>

 

[Hattori Kieren]

Accepting the object gently, the senin smiled sweetly. A gift was the last thing the senin had expected after their last meeting. Maybe this was a good thing. She could feel her worries melting away. You shouldn't have. Peeling open the cloth bag gently, the senin peered in with the reverence of a child. Reaching in, she drew out the small instrument. Tia didn't have to be a musician to know what the little device was, though that didn't mean she wasn't skilled with such instruments. Cupping the ocarina in both her hands, she sat gently upon the bench before bringing the instrument to her lips. Blowing gently, the senin began to play. As her song came to an end, the woman let the instrument seat in her lap with one hand keeping it from falling. With her other, she reached out gently, intending to place her hand on the stewards cheek. If he didn't recoil, she would then lean in and place a tender kiss upon his other cheek, blushing deeply as she did so. I love it. Thank you. Turning her gaze to her feet, the senin shuffled them nervously. She felt almost like a little girl again, just discovering her first crush. Brushing her hair over her ear, she cast a timid glance towards the steward before quickly resuming studying her shoes.

 

[Takahashi Aki]

The Steward's reaction to the kiss was if anything lacking. Tia of course was used to this since she had known him as a child. The Steward merely nodded his head. His facial features didn't turn red or anything at all. "Ah... yes. Quite.<i></i> He managed to say after a few moments of silence. The Steward leaned back on the bench and continued to work at the plushy he was constructing Okibi. "Remember when we were children. I believe it was when we were five and in academy. There was that one boy Akamichi Chou. He kept on calling me the robot, and I wouldn't rise to his taunts. Then he punched me in the nose, and then you tore into him for doing so."<i></i> The Steward paused. The ends of his mouth crooked slightly almost as if to form a grin of sorts. "At the time I couldn't figure out why someone would do that for me ... but at the time I hadn't realized that the Toraono clan and the Takahashi were close friends. Well then again apparently your Aunt Azame had everything planned out for me, which is slightly unsettling."<i></i>

The Steward was well aware that Tia doted on him, and that she had strong emotions for him. He started working on the arm of plushy, and as he did so he asked Tia a simple question. "Tell me. What is it that you see in me? I'm not what I would call handsome. I'm nothing like your cousin Kuro who is not quite twice my size, but he is a towering individual."<i></i> Well, perhaps simple was not the best way to describe the question. It was complex if anything. The Steward finished the stuffing and needle work and proceeded to attach the limb to the torso.

 

[Hattori Kieren]

Timidly brushing her hair over her ear, Tia gave a sidelong glance and smile at the Steward. She remembered the event he was referencing. The fatter boy had thought to use his size against Sousuke. Tia hadn't liked that. After he punched Sousuke, the now senin had stepped in. A shove and some insults had left her seated beside Sousuke in the sand, her own nose bleeding. Needless to say, Uncle Kuro helped her make sure he was the one on his ass the next time. Our fates are intertwined. For better or worse. Our clans histories weren't why I got involved all those years ago. I, I saw something in you. Twisting her hair around her finger, she gave a small sigh. Auntie Azame tends to be that way. Being a queen and all, she doesn't always ask permission when she makes plans. Then the steward asked a question she had been asking herself for quite some time. What did she see in him. Why was she attracted to him. A great many desirable people don't find themselves to be attractive. Self depreciation is a sign of a humble mind. A beautiful thing. Your mind possesses impossible amounts of such beauty. Your physical features are equally gorgeous. Despite what you might like to think, you are extraordinarily handsome. Especially your eyes. Shuffling her feet, the senin slid herself a little towards the steward.

 

[Takahashi Aki]

The Steward snorted, "Lady Azame does that quite often... but she has always been doing things for the greater good of all, or so I like to think."<i></i> The Steward continued to work along on the toys. The Steward continued on, "We Takahashi are King's Men. We don't marry into royalty of any sort, it's just something we've been told not to do since the elder days. Look what happened there of course, the One King died with no heir. The Sunahoshi have no heir, and now here we are a commoners leading a nation. Does it drive you mad that should the absolute worst occur that you may have a place at the throne? I speak of Lady Azame's throne. If you became Queen you would have to marry high nobility if not another monarch."<i></i>

Tia next went to talk about his appearance and how he was handsome and how he had a beautiful mind. "The concept of creation burns through my mind constantly, and even here I am in the act of creating something."<i></i> He spoke. He wasn't quite sure what to do about being complimented on his appearance. "Uh... thank-you?"<i></i>

 

[Hattori Kieren]

Running a hand over her neck, the senin sighed. Thank you? That's it. If you don't love me back, just say so Sousuke. I'm not a little girl anymore. Rising, she cradled the ocarina in her hands like it was made of china. I have no desire for Queen Azame's throne. Nor am I next in line for it. So don't think your petty excuses will protect you from answering me. There was clear hurt in her eyes. Most people would be able to recognize that the sennin was afraid. She wanted to Sousuke to return her desire, to share in her love. Yet Sousuke wasn't like most people, even at the best of times. Still, she had admitted her feelings, so now all that remained was to see if he would accept her.

 

[Takahashi Aki]

The Steward held out his hands trying to grasp at the immaterial. He was at a loss for words. Emotions were running thick here, and while he had a fuller understanding of them, reacting properly for him was out of the question. "I said no such thing."<i></i> He began, "I do not think this is just so simple as stating I too am very fond of you, which I can and will say: Yes Tia, I am very fond of you.. This is not the norm for me, this is not something I can easily do. It involves something more than just mere words, which is the easiest thing to do. Action is required ... and I lack the capacity to do said actions. More over I simply do not know what to do."<i></i> The Steward lowered his hands and picked up the sewing needle and his current project. "I could have had you stripped of your title and fired on the spot the day you slapped me in the hospital. Some say you acted out of love, and others have their doubts. I didn't, I think that says something."<i></i>

The Steward went back to the stitch work of the toy he was working on. "My ward of course isn't too fond of you, but I'm hoping that things will work out."<i></i> The Steward completed the leg and went to work on the head. "She thinks you're dangerous, but I of course know otherwise... mainly because we've grown up together. It must be a time thing, or the simple fact that when you two have ever been in the same room things merely do not work out. I wonder why is that?"<i></i> The Steward looked up from his work. "I agree that crashing through the roof of the kitchen wasn't the best means of introduction, but nor was calling her growler and nor was right for her to go stomping out of the room."<i></i>