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 Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2015 12:12 am
Would another person be disturbed by the idea of consumption brought up so casually like that? Regardless, Amarante seemed happy to play along. "I can't imagine that you'd taste bad." Illness and antiseptic with a dash of death? Hardly desirable. But whether it was her devotion or her status as a non-human she wasn't simply humoring him. Though the idea of that taste covered in cake was likely factoring in too. "But finding out for myself wouldn't involve consuming you, no. Other things." No need to go into greater detail. She was satisfied with telling him only that much, smiling all the while.
"You mean you couldn't just be kept in a refrigerator? There's plenty of room~" He could even have his own to be stowed away in so he wouldn't be disturbed! "Just kidding." It was a fun idea and all but it seemed more like something he did more out of necessity rather than wanting to do so. "I'd think something like a walk-in refrigerator or freezer might be more practical, in that case. With some extra soundproofing and security, perhaps. Just in case." More to protect him from the other residents of the house rather than implying anything unseemly. All conveniently leaving out the disclaimer of 'if that were even possible,' of course, but the lack of urging involved indicated that she understood that much. It was all right to have nice but impossible thoughts, she thought, if it wasn't to the point of torturing one or both of them.
And along those lines... the sudden silence definitely had her feeling guilty. She ceased in her wandering steps in order to walk by his side once more, with the intention of staying this time. She could only assume that again she'd gone too far. In her eagerness to reach out to someone she saw as a kindred spirit it seemed all too easy to overlook an assumed equivalency that would never quite meet up. She'd had how many lifetimes to adjust to her situation and could still be pretty touchy about it. She'd meant no harm by it, speaking candidly in private about something they both understood very well. Still. "Sorry." No dolorous appeals or hollow words of assurance that would just end up belittling his feelings. Just a simple apology. "Forgive me?" She was bound to continue to mess up here and there as she went along but she'd continue to learn, too; intent on becoming a source of emotional support for him if she could.
"I was serious about wanting to go on a picnic, you know." When had she said that? She didn't remember, but she remembered she'd said it. Seemed like it was as good of a topic of light conversation as any. "Though would it be strange to do that in cold weather, I wonder~" The cold wouldn't bother either of them. But the resulting inconveniences might not be worth it. "Or would it be a problem to be outside that long?" For either of them, for any reason. "The tea room would be a nice setting for that." Had he taken up her offer to see that after he'd been trapped in the basement for a while? She couldn't remember. "Though even there, it'd be difficult to control who might show up." Even in her house. Just where could they go to have a modicum of privacy or even any say in who might be there? That location seemed more and more likely to just not actually exist.
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Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2015 6:05 am
Oops, had he not spoken? "No, no, it's alright. I was just thinking about... walking around without someone breathing down my back all the time." Snide remark, and yes, taken offense to, thank you very much. "There's nothing to be sorry about, so don't think too much about it, okay?" Wait, he might be dismissing her concerns too easily! Rectify it! "I-it's not unimaginable at all." For the both of them, but perhaps sadly impossible? Like he would tell her that.
She had said that? If she did, well, completely forgotten again. He was going to need to make a habit of remembering every single one of her spontaneous ideas, if this was to go on. "Springtime might be nice for picnics, if you don't mind the rain, that is." Or the mud and the constant need for umbrellas. Or a sudden wave of butterflies, though she might find it pretty instead. Leave that to the person in charge. Besides, it was not like she was dragging him out to the beach in the middle of summer! Again! Again, right? His mind had been too much of a mush to think straight then.
Oh, the number of those who had mistaken him for human and taken a bite? Perhaps they would all still be gagging and retching if they weren't already dead by now. Yeah, she was not going to get poisoned, he knew that much. "All the better, then. Saves you the trouble of rinsing your mouth out later on." With a side helping of 'don't say I didn't warn you!'
"I... I could. It is essentially a living space. I won't touch your food either, too." Unless it was tomatoes. Or sugary stuff, like what she was very likely to put inside, unfortunately. How many times had that poor girl squirreled away a cupcake or two for homework snack, only to find that the fridge's frosty denizen had unknowingly eaten it all? But soundproofing? "That's okay, I don't mind the noise at all. There's no need to request for quiet, really." A perk of having removable ears! Just hide the lack of them under that unruly mess of hair if she popped in, too. That, and he had just about enough of sensory deprivation to last him a lifetime.
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Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2015 9:54 pm
She couldn't help but laugh some, self-deprecation coloring her words quite clearly. "What a terrible thing to have in common." That tiny bit of happiness couldn't be quelled so easily, though. "It's nice to have someone that understands, though?"
"Heh~ Not at all." Not when there were sentimental things like shared umbrellas and scarves that came with rainy weather. She leaned in curiously to query him about the same thing. "How about you? Surely a little rain doesn't bother the likes of you, does it?" A bright smile appeared upon her face as she gave the conversation a sudden turn. "Ever ridden on the back of a motorcycle before?" And before he was totally confused by her subject shift, she casually explained it away. "Well, we'd need a way to get to some prime picnicking areas wouldn't we~?" So it wasn't an entirely random question. Totally self-motivated though. What kind of motorcycle enthusiast didn't want to take the person they were sweet on for a ride?
His practicality was incredibly efficient when it came unintentionally calling her bluff. She was left blushing and wide-eyed, as usual. But going a step further, she carefully caught him by the collar and pulled him in close. Close enough to show that she was serious; close enough to feel her breath. Looking him right in the eye, too, so neither of them could escape so easily. With the tightness in her chest and throat, things could've gone either way. But ultimately she released him, walking a short ways ahead of him with stiffened muscles. "Don't think that having to clean up afterwards deters me from doing anything with you." She ended up fumbling about her waist awkwardly with curled fingers, grasping for cigarettes or pipe tobacco or just anything to soothe her ragged nerves. To find nothing, of course. "I'm just not interested in rushing you. Or... myself." Her own experiences with his curious eyes and hands left her with the impression he wasn't wholly uninterested in such things. But underground, likely to end up with scattered papers and coffee spilled everywhere? "You're more than just that, to me." Of all the days to not have a cigarette.
His odd fridge-sleeping habit was a very welcome distraction. "Heh~ I can get you your own space, for both places." Probably an odd thing to be so pleased about indulging him with. "But I probably shouldn't fill it with nice things for you unless for whatever reason you'd be expected to stay a bit." How she'd love to keep him, for any length of time! But she knew the most she could expect at any given time were but fleeting moments here and there. "No wasting food, right?" The things she remembered from throwing a can at his head.
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Posted: Tue Feb 10, 2015 11:07 pm
Don't freeze, don't freeze, not even if he can see his reflection in her eyes, that's not the right thing to be thinking about, too surprised to say anything in any case! What was she doing, what did she wan - oh, free. Phew. Um, what was that sudden grab for again? "... A-Are you alright?" he stuttered, completely at a loss, original intention to clarify already forgotten.
Oh, a weakness to rain? Wrong person. "Not at all, it's preferable to the sun anyway." And he was used to it by then, surely the rain could not be as awful and dreary as the little girl's place! Motorcycles, however... ".... Not really. Sitting in a sidecar doesn't count, does it?" And yelping at the driver about the speed limit being half of their current speed? Maybe not.
"Certainly not if you want to have food to eat later." He was positive she was joking now. One fridge for a household, but two fridges? Okay, that was mostly an arbitrary concern, given that it was Amarante who came up with it, but then two fridges for one fellow seemed much to his too-practical head. Well, he could always play along, it was not like her ideas would get more and more ridiculous if he nudged them on a bit. Oh, hang on. What was that about baking cakes the size of houses again?
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Posted: Wed Feb 11, 2015 9:53 pm
Soon after he'd shown concern for her she'd turned on her heel, quickly returning to his side while looking quite bright-eyed and with a more steadied disposition. He hadn't actually rebuffed her, after all; she'd felt challenged by his words but lost her nerve at the last moment. And while she didn't regret her actions it was most certainly a relief that he hadn't frozen himself over as a result. Progress perhaps? She couldn't say. Though she was sure to answer him. "All right as I can be, considering~" They couldn't really be taken as words of upset when they were said with a dreamy sigh. Hardly upset about being so lovestruck, of course.
His answer caused her to look him over with a bit of a smile. "I'm glad. There's too many men all moody about the rain, anyhow." She didn't have much of a chance to think over her favorite very much indoor rainy day activities before she was blurting out some more of those words that made things awkward for the both of them. "I'd very much like to take you. Wherever. Whenever. You'll just... just..." Already her ears felt like they were burning. And what she was attempting to ask was only making it worse. But whatever she had to say couldn't be any worse than her aborted attempt to kiss him all of a moment previously could it? "You'll have to practice holding on to me tightly, won't you?" Would resembling the shade of a tomato help to make her suggestion more appealling? Well, the fluffy red hair kind of gave her that look regardless. The determination present in her face and her balled fists pulled down straight was definitely betrayed by that bright color showing up on her face, anyway. "I mean. I'd rather not be frozen in that situation. And... we're able to do that now, since we know it won't make me sick... right?" Always curious and enterprising, but always careful and yet clumsily considerate of the clueless target of her affections.
"Don't be silly~" Said the person who already had two refrigerators. "I wouldn't keep you in the one with the food. You'd be better off in the one with the chocolate and the alcohol. But adorable as it would be to keep you in there..." Appropriate, too. All of her favorite things in one place! "That might have some rather unfortunate consequences~" She wondered what he was like when he was intoxicated. It had equal possibilities of being both cute and horrifying, didn't it? "All the better to stow you away in your own with many tomatoes, yes~?" Her glee turned into wariness as she carefully approached a related subject. "Besides. It isn't that strange, is it? The idea of making accomodations in my life for you." Shakiness again. And just why was her throat suddenly so dry? And still no cigarettes. Maybe she should just shut up until they'd arrived at their destination? Like that would happen. "I hope you'll remember that you'll always have a place with me." Too sad of a thought, that he would ever forget about her. Any further sad realities were just too difficult to consider. But. "Though, even if you grew into a little old man that forgot all about me... I'd never abandon my place by your side. Okay?" Was it a nice thought, for him to grow old even though his condition was as it was? She'd meant well, anyway, face flushed once more as she once again showed that closed-eye sunny smile to him.
Well, she'd certainly managed to unsettle herself rather thoroughly in a relatively short amount of time. She was happy, though, even if she was very aware of her own heartbeat for the time being. "We're nearly there. It's just down the street, of course~" Thank goodness!
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Posted: Thu Feb 12, 2015 12:19 am
Was that a good thing? Bad thing? Good, probably, she was happy again. Okay, he can stop worrying now. Something went right this time! Improvement! Still no smile though, to his own disappointment. So stiff.
He had better grab the least holey gloves he can find for that trip. And a helmet, if he could find one. "Gloves are still on, Ama. And long sleeves, just in case. Sorry." Poisonous or not, still a general rule lest he forget when handling someone who isn't immune! That and minimizing the risk of loose ribbons and calcium confetti. That would do really well for a trip with her, yeah. Or was it an excuse to not go on yet another clothes-shopping trip for summer wear?
Chocolate, he might eat. Alcohol, not so much. Unless said chocolate had alcohol content. Then... Well. ".... If you don't need the tomatoes for anything, okay." Not even going to defend himself from her cheekiness?
"....... Okay, I won't forget. I promise." A romantic answer with pragmatic intentions, oddly. Never mind the science that defied her imagination. Never mind how close he had been, but never knew, to a forced deletion. He just met her smile with a straight face, but lacking the steel he used so often with others. Right, that said, anyway....
Oh, so this place was underground, and they had not walked far at all. Phew. He was beginning to think he would get lost here if he tried looking for her himself. When she was not in the cafe, that is. Like that situation would ever come up, but still.
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Posted: Fri Feb 13, 2015 1:40 am
Wait, was that an option? Taking the gloves off was actually some point of deliberation? Without any build-up the unintentional presentation of the idea of encountering those gorgeously ghastly hands whilst unconstrained was apparently too much for Amarante, her poorly functioning head releasing the pressure through her right ear instead of her nose. The sensation of even a little fluid resting in her ear was irritating, but haphazardly wiping her own very much black blood away would be difficult to do without being noticed. No need to draw his attention to that, with the added possibility of her still-throbbing bruises being discovered too. All very easily covered with her hair, without the least bit of effort. She'd answer truthfully, if they happened to be noticed and questioned. But the truths of both matters were certainly humiliating. And on that note... how long had she been quietly plunged into her ridiculous crisis mode? Too long, too long! "Wh-whatever you're comfortable with." With cheerful nervousness she not only assured him that his caution was perfectly acceptable but was definitely pushing that mindset as her perspective towards similar issues in the future. Urging him to take off the gloves when it hadn't even crossed her mind as possible before made no sense. But, since the idea had been entertained... well. A seed had been planted. But still, no just asking him to just because. He'd need a deliberate reason to do so, wouldn't he? Hmm. Even if it was only as much as almost never... that was still different than just never.
Was she really so easily flustered or was it just that she was especially vulnerable to being flustered by him? Either way she was eager to flood her thoughts with tomatoes, not touching, but tomatoes, and definitely not hands, but tomatoes, not skin, tomatoes, and stop thinking about it. Tomatoes. "Any tomatoes would be used to make something for you, surely~ So, no difference!" It'd worked! Mostly. Time to delve a little deeper into the subject and steadily pry that clever mind out of the gutter for a while. "Wouldn't know if I'm much of a gardener, but~" Gardener of men? Surely. Gardener of plants? Maybe not so much. "I could make a tomato plot on the coffee farm, if you'd like. While it's unlikely that you could visit it yourself, you'd still benefit." He wouldn't want to stress his nerves and melt his body just to oversee tomatoes, would he? "All the better to have a good source in order to waste less, yes? Really just a matter of finding one or making my own~" A cafe hadn't much need for a surplus of tomatoes, but those involved in food service tended to network with each other quite a bit. Maybe she didn't know a tomato person. But if not, she surely knew someone that did.
Her brain seemingly free of its sordid chains for the time being, she expressed her apparent disappointment with exaggeration in the form of both a sigh and a shrug. "Not much of an adventure, right? Just a straightforward walk down... well. Under the street." Already she seemed to be forgetting that he was invited over with the intended focus being books and not the usual chaos they ended up trapped in unintentionally. "Nice for our purposes, though." Purposes which didn't necessarily include her many feelings for him but seemed to have taken a detour into that perilous territory anyway. Finally approaching the doorway of the intended destination she clutched to the door frame and was unnecessarily dramatic about doing so. "Beware! For the contents are..." She'd scarcely started in to her playful scene before she was already bored with it, voice quickly returning to its usual timbre. "Well, rather scattered and definitely aged. That's all." Rolling a shrug off of one shoulder, she went to tapping in the security code.
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Posted: Fri Feb 13, 2015 2:40 am
All he could do was nod quietly. completely missing the extended silence that dragged on. For the puzzle now was how to wear as much insulation as possible without ending up with a hazmat suit or turning into a sidewalk puddle. The rain might help, unless they were unlucky enough to get a sunshower, though the rainbow might look nice... Earth to Erhard! Enough fantasizing, or he might just end up with a rainbow of words disrupting that train if he banged into her. Right.
"Perhaps it'll be better to use the space for coffee, since it's a coffee farm." How amusing, no one wants tomatoes in their coffee beans! Sure, smiles don't easily come, but looks of confusion do. Perfect for showing her what he thought of that idea. That and... Well, not like he could help much, tending a couple of tomato plants and tending a plot full of them were different things entirely! If only he could be in two places at once and not compromise on concentration! "And you wouldn't eat that many, would you?" Still confused about her actual purpose in growing said tomatoes, since it was not cocoa or grapes or milkweed so she would not eat as much tomatoes as she would the others. Assuming, that is, if putting her in a room of chocolate would result in a constant rate of one chocolate eaten per minute or so. Why could he not keep the dry mathematics out of a social visit?
That was a warning to handle them with utmost care, right? He could do that. Good thing having gloves meant that absolutely no harm done to books, be it oil stains or sticky fingerprints or paper cuts! He would take it very seriously, oh yes.
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Posted: Fri Feb 13, 2015 4:44 am
Another lock disengaged, and another door opened. She gestured cheerily with both arms as she led him in. "Welcome~ Or should I say, welcome back?" Though he'd surely been in stranger basements, hers was still an unusual one to be sure. It gave off the impression of a store crowded with merchandise more than someone's basement, with aisles arranged full of things she couldn't be bothered with but was likely too sentimental to be rid of. Racks filled with what appeared to be costumery looked to be the predominant ware of the place. Every article was very much the real deal, however; with random time periods haphazardly stored together. There seemed to be an abundance of several themes in particular. The linen and jewels of ancient Egypt, the silk and brocades of the sengoku period, and the sheer and sumptuous fabrics of the 1920s. Nothing much for her to play dress-up with him though. Just her clothes. It didn't function only as a disorganized sort of closet however, with all sorts of random items lazily tucked into each aisle. Sculptures, globes, swords, toys, vases, instruments, masks, appliances, paintings, dishes, furniture. All sorts of fancy bric-a-brac scattered everywhere. Nevermind what could possibly be in the various boxes that were stacked inbetween. Though the whole of it wasn't the least bit spooky due to a detail in the walls, whether it was intentionally done or not. It wasn't enough to have a concrete basement like everyone else. No, this basement had been wallpapered in a textured metallic gold. Whether that made it more welcoming than the average basement was of course a matter of opinion only. But light reflecting off of said wallpaper certainly made it much brighter than the average basement; not blindingly so but making it comparable to any other room in the house. Its owner seemed to be quite proud of it, beaming back at him as she was illuminated by the soft golden reflections.
Carefully securing another door behind him, her cleared mind was finally able to savor the promise he'd given her unprompted. He'd promised! He didn't have to, and yet he did. Even if ultimately nothing came of it, naturally she was still enthralled. Not so much as to lose the deeper meaning of what she'd said, though. "If something happens..." Well, it was just her being honest with how she understood the way things went and were bound to go. The world wasn't a kind place to either of them. "And I hope it doesn't. But if it does. I hope you'll make your way back to me. Even if you don't remember why." It was the sort of thing that mysterious and altruistic heroines said. And rough around the edges as she could be, she could easily fill that role from time to time. "I don't think us meeting was a coincidence." She shot him a bright look, but averted her eye just as quickly. "But, I do not think it was fated to happen, either." Smiling enigmatically all the while, of course. Who was she to complain, either way?
Her smile became more earnest as a response to his usual confusion. "You're not used to anyone doing nice things for you, are you?" Even small efforts seemed to leave him either bewildered or overwhelmed. "Me neither." No reason to linger upon that, though. "It's a coffee farm built into an apiary. What harm could a little crop of tomatoes do~ Though, the harvest is likely to be a little more than simply exaggerated, let's say. So, perhaps not that many plants would be necessary after all. Would tomatoes as big as your hand bother you?" At least talking through it out loud had led her to that conclusion before she was completely overwhelmed with giant tomatoes.
She seemed to be more at ease upon her own turf, staying close but walking more casually as she went along. "Another elevator is just ahead~ A good day, I'd say. So many elevators and not a broken one to be seen." One'd hope so, being as they were her elevators.
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Posted: Fri Feb 13, 2015 6:05 am
Crowded, sure, but not a huge mess. At least she took good care of her items, that was for sure. He would question if the wallpaper is a bit much, but... Well. That probably did not need to be answered anyway. Except that the problem in itself was the reflections. ".... So.... Many." Oh, so many, and he found himself shifting a little closer to her, trying to hide from as many reflective surfaces as possible. Yet he was not even a vampire! Reflections would not do him harm, but he was unnerved anyway, and took to staring at the tray. Yeah, that would be better, staring at a shadow was better than staring at a mirror. Why had he not noticed? Maybe it was dark at that time? Maybe he had simply fallen asleep with his head between his knees so he would not have to see anything? Can't remember. Oh well. Now was a good time as any to learn that her basement was somewhere he would like to keep his eyes to himself. And better not say anything, she might just get offended if he mentioned something about her decoration. Oops.
Ah, she sounded so much like the tin can. And a little like his colleague and one of his patients but eh. Not straight to the point anyway. "You think it was staged?" he asked, for the lack of a better word among those he had received from them about this relationship. "It's nice either way. And it makes you happy." He had better step up for the responsibility, then, if he could say that without so much as batting an eye!
Does doing his job count? He could very well be socking people one in the head off the street and not give back to society if he very well chose, but here he was, going to work his hands off once he got back. His stare went from the tray to his hand. Hmm. How about an attempt at a joke? "... Depends on how big you define my hand to be." Aaaand it's already flat. Well. Maybe a better phrasing would help, but that was for next time. Although, if taken seriously, he could probably munch on one just like he would with a small cake. Every opportunity he had to take one from the pantry too, much to the probable annoyance of everyone else at work. They might open the cupboard only to have so many of these huge things drop on their head! Putting them in the fridge might end up with people getting red splats on their lab coats too, so there was that. And someone might be mad about a pile of tomatoes in the office, so... "Just one plant should be enough if it's going to be that big, anyway." One small plant. That didn't take up a lot of valuable space that could be used for her business instead.
Great, the hard part of the journey was almost over! But he'd keep close anyway, seeing as there was always the chance that it would break down while they were in it, as so many times proven!
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Posted: Sat Feb 14, 2015 6:42 am
'So many'... ? While she gave him a quizzical look she decided against questioning him over it, instead pressing one of her hands against his closest upper arm for a moment as she looked on assuringly. He seemed to be all right; just a little unsettled by something or other. She hoped it'd pass or if it didn't that he'd feel comfortable enough to speak up about it.
Her steps had taken a playful gait as she let herself feel happy over the matter. That was okay now, wasn't it? She wouldn't forget the strife and mistakes that'd been involved but what reason was there to hold on to to the memory of them so tightly? "Was it an unintentional kindness? Or a fortunate accident? Who is to say~" Still musing mysteriously, but soon to be overtaken again by that certain sense of vulnerability that he drew out so effortlessly. "I'm glad. That you think it's nice, I mean. And... is it? Is... my happiness important to you?" She'd gone from pondering over their crossed paths to being weakened by her own insecurities in no time at all. There was a distinct lack of wistful or bitter tones, though; just a timid curiosity that was bolstered with a quiet courage as she continued. "If at all possible I'd like to make you happy, too. But, you knew that already." A small smile showed that she was proud of that. Being able to speak her mind freely didn't make it any easier to discuss delicate matters. And on top of that, having to explain them several times over so the intended recipient would get the message. Trying to be sure, but still worth it as far as she was concerned.
Still shying away from the subject of his own happiness, as always... well. She'd allow him that much. No pressuring or insisting because, as she'd stated, he was already well aware that she had that intention in mind. Providing him with simple things like sugar and tomatoes wasn't too much, was it? She continued her attempt to be helpful, anyway. "A normal tomato on the large size would simply be around the size of one's palm, yes? If I'm right what I could grow would rest upon at least some of the fingers as well." Even in normal conditions tomato plants fared better with some support. Too big of a fruit would just end up in a messy disaster. "Though I suppose you're right. One is enough when it will likely grow into something akin to a tomato tree." She had to laugh a little. Regardless of the support system she chose it was definitely going to end up tall. "To blossom and bear fruit for time untold, inheriting immortality from its environment." The painful irony was too much to bear, more or less say. The average tomato plant was destined to killed off by cold or disease, after all. Cold, cruel irony. Better just to not say it. "It'll take the plant a few months to develop, of course. But before that, you should decide what kind of variety you'd like. Red of course, but anything in particular?" For someone that was unlikely to have had more than a few minutes worth of thoughts over tomatoes during the millenia of her long life previously she certainly seemed to be enjoying herself.
Being thoroughly distracted by him as she usually was, it'd taken her a while to notice that the art deco doors of the elevator were in motion as they made their approach. Closing and about to leave as a matter of fact, which didn't matter all that much but was just so inconvenient. "Ah, wait! Please hold the door!" She ineffectively reached out an arm towards the doors as she'd called out too, too far from said doors to really matter and because getting one's appendages involved with elevator doors was such a good idea in the first place.
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Posted: Sat Feb 14, 2015 8:44 am
Yeep! If that stone face could be moved, he would have done the same as a frightened teenage girl would have done at a haunted house. Which was why the only reaction being turning a little stiffer was a good thing. Less dramatic, but had the bad side effect of adding red to those cheeks. Oh, please let them just get into the elevator already...
Straightforward and to the point, eh? Well, he would certainly do that in return! "Yes. It is important. Do you think otherwise?" He did his best, trying to keep that clinical tone out of a social conversation, but well... Not very nicely done. Maybe she'd think of it as though he was regarding her as another patient, but then... Ah, he had failed himself. Again. This whole 'speaking honestly' thing was difficult so suddenly.
A-hey! He was joking! Really! She was going to go plant a real one, wasn't she... Serves him right for humoring her. How was he going to explain all the extra tomatoes that might be in his office or in the pantry? Or that they were that big, too. Fretting, fretting... "... Nothing in particular. Anything would do." Then again, he did eat it regardless of kind. Or state of cooking. Surely it wouldn't be green, at le - hey! What happened to not playing along anymore?!
Ears perked, ahoge at alert, someone else was here. Hooray, so much for being happy at not meeting anyone else on this visit! All the better to keep staring downwards, and brace himself for whatever judgement came next.
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Posted: Sun Feb 15, 2015 4:48 am
A skeleton-gloved hand shot out to stop the elevator. The doors opened to reveal Miyabi, certainly looking confused as to why they'd been in the basement in the first place. She wasn't alone, though, as a padded black case taller than herself had been propped up in one of the corners of the elevator. It was definitely an odd sight, though the uniform width indicated it was nothing unseemly. Just bulky. And while it'd proved an unsuccessful effort to try to bribe her to leave the house like the others, she was the least likely to trouble them. "Good morning Mother, Mr. Erhard." She'd greeted them, but... ultimately was uninterested in engaging them in any sort of conversation. She might've shot a suspicious look at that folder of his, but that had been all. A solitary effort to her own benefit only, regardless of how she'd felt being around both of them previously. Though before she turned to the side to indicate she wished to be left alone there looked to be some unvoiced conversation prompted by Amarante that was sure to look more than a little comical. The indifferent one shouldered shrug of Miyabi, who'd decided that she was unconcerned with why they'd bothered to come in through the basement. The bright-eyed realization and nodding of Amarante, who was quick to figure out just what Miyabi was lugging out of the basement and seemed to be excited about it. And lastly, Amarante's over the shoulder look and head tilt prompting Erhard to enter the elevator so they could be on their way.
And with a wary glance over the disinterested Miyabi, Amarante felt secure enough to answer his question. First with a brisk shaking of her head, then with some near breathless words. "I don't think otherwise. It's just... nice to hear so, sometimes." So 'nice' in fact she was just barely maintaining her composure. Because it was in front of the two of them, she was comfortable. But because it was in front of the two of them, she felt it was crucial not to embarrass herself. Even if his words had pierced straight through her. Though rather than resulting in pain it'd ended up as, well, elation. No avoidance whatsoever! So brimming with happiness that her natural response would usually be fighting back tears... but. The enthusiastic smile that met him wasn't concealing any tears. She'd been conditioned to bear many things in her time. Anguish, hatred, terror, desolation. All could be felt, but all could be endured. It was about time she'd started to learn to bear the weight of her own happiness, as well.
Though uninterested in whatever their conversation detailed, Miyabi found herself observing the two of them every now and then through her peripheral vision. They'd both looked fairly flushed when she'd stumbled upon them, hadn't they? Much like children. Not meant as a critical thought towards the two of them, but definitely one that interested her. Amarante, like Miyabi herself, had ceased aging at the age of twenty. And engrossed with concern for that man she very much looked the part; very young despite the thousands of years that had passed. It wasn't a sight that existed only in his presence but definitely seemed to be one that Amarante was afraid to acknowledge much previously; the winsome and gentle person that somehow still managed to exist under layers of bad habits and through rough times. A person that Miyabi'd seen fleeting glances of before but had been seeing much more of lately. Hopefully she'd continue to see that person become less fearful to be seen... he could stay around a while longer, couldn't he? The reason was selfish. Nothing but. Just what kind of person he was had become insignificant to her when she considered the end result matchless indeed. Though, they could both do something further for her. They definitely could. Could she convince them? Could she even ask? She probably couldn't. But it was the least they could do, both of them, providing her with some sort of adorable sibling. It really probably wouldn't be nice to ask them for one directly, though. No, probably not. Such a pity. She was sure her hypothetical sibling would be so cute, too. It was enough to laugh over, though. "Heh." Definitely.
"With only one plant the harvest won't be constant, but-- eh?" What was that sound that had interrupted happy tomato talk? She'd... laughed? She'd actually laughed. After how many months that Miyabi'd spent bearing through her unpleasant situation with quiet dignity the brave face she simply put on to get through it had begun to crack. And a too curious Amarante was eager to know just what'd done it. "What's funny? Tomatoes?" She turned back to Erhard, looking quite unconvinced. "I don't think tomatoes are that funny. Are they?"
Miyabi shook her head, oddly cheerful but unwilling to divulge the source of her quiet amusement. To their benefit; so very much to their benefit. Before the issue could be questioned further the elevator chimed in. "Oh~ The first floor would be us. Maybe next time, then~" So clueless, so helpful, not knowing that the joke was very much and very personally at her own expense.
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Posted: Sun Feb 15, 2015 7:42 am
He only managed to mumble out a "Good morning, Miyabi." before the pressing urge to plant his head in his folder called his attention. It would not do to have the tray of drinks suddenly spill on all three of them, would it? Meekly, he followed Amarante in, only to keep to the closest corner to the elevator door. Already he had forgotten the customary mumbled apology to them both, not for anything that might have happened, but more of in the case either of them got the shivers. Never mind, his face should be able to offset any drop in temperature with the amount of heat generated.
Good thing it was only one floor! And the elevator did not break! They arrived safely, and without er... much awkwardness, or extended waiting! Then again he was so easily pleased, and ready to follow behind Amarante again the moment the doors opened. Drinks, check, not melted, folder, check, nothing fell out. Okay, good to go for the next.
What a question out of the blue, what was he supposed to make of it? No, Miyabi could not be laughing at the both of them, no matter how likely it might be, and he should be ashamed for thinking that. Then what about tomatoes? Why was she.... Oh. This was that 'girl talk' thing again, wasn't it. Just to confirm, he turned briefly back to the elevator doors, trying to see if Miyabi would explain. Guess not, from her smile? Alright, he'd humor Amarante, if only to skirt around the actual subject of Miyabi's amusement. "Is flinging tomatoes at someone funny? It seems to be a common act of jeering, but people laugh at it, so...." Well, he tried. Can't say that it was a good guess though.
But even though he was supposed to be staring hard at the floor, noticing a large shadow in the elevator was not too hard. Dare he ask what it was? Amarante did not seem confused or upset about it, so likely she knew what that was, and what it was for. Oh yeah, she did ask him to say anything that bothered him. Time to put it to use! "What was that? That box she had." No sooner had he asked it out loud that it occurred to him that it might just be laboratory apparatus or a large piece of furniture, and now he felt even more stupid and unnecessarily nosy for asking that.
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Posted: Mon Feb 16, 2015 6:46 am
Once Amarante and Miyabi had exchanged their similar small smiles as a sign of parting, the elevator doors glided themselves shut and the two were on their way again. The reflective wallpaper seemed to be unique to the basement so other than sidestepping a decorative mirror or two her reflection-phobic companion could perhaps be more at ease. The muted colors of the hallway's wallpaper were printed with elaborate patterns but really not that out of the ordinary. The detail present in the intricate carving in the moulding showed that the house itself was in no way modern though, as did the ornately patterned accent rugs that covered what was far from the thick carpeting of modern home design. Some fading was present simply due to age but hardly noticeable due to only the minimum level of visibility for light making it through heavily-paned windows with thick drapery. Antique but modernized light fixtures dimly made up for the difference, casting light into the slight shadows to prevent it from truly being considered dark. The light sensitive Amarante probably would have preferred to shut out the light entirely, leaving it only as a consideration to visitors and what other residents she'd had over the years. There was the slightest scent of incense and plumeria in the air, more something residual than anything recent. And most importantly, there was a great deal of quiet. Due to the house's solid construction most street sounds and noises from the staff were no more than murmurs. Though hopefully it wasn't so quiet as to leave her visitor obvious to what sounded much like the sound of something breathing. Gigantic and faint breaths, so it'd be easy to write them off as nothing more than the furnace kicking in every now and then. Well, he already knew that the house had mobility. Was it resonating with what seemed like breathing really any more disturbing?
Amarante was eager to answer the question that had been presented and likely any others that might come up, anyhow. "It's a koto!" Could he even have guessed such a thing? He had knowledge of the fact that Amarante herself was quite musical but knew very little about Miyabi at all. "She wants to teach herself how to play it, so we can... so we can play together with more than just violin and piano, I suppose." Her uncertainty seemed to have to do with her own involvement regarding the idea. "I was trying to help her feel better, as she's been so quiet... more quiet than usual I mean, since she broke it off with that boy..." Another idea she'd been involved in, not in origin but definitely encouraging Miyabi to do what she thought was right no matter what the consequences might be. Seemed to be the usual sort of thing for her. "So I told her about when I was nearly cut in half and learned how to play a shamisen to keep myself occupied during the healing process." Something simple but involved enough to remove one's mind from the pain at hand. Having someone look to her for assurance was a feeling that was strange, but... nice. She smiled to herself, feeling rather content over what she'd done. "Maybe I did actually help."
Some doubt did eventually appear upon her face, but it wasn't related to any actions of her own. "Tomatoes still aren't funny, though." She was still convinced that's what Miyabi'd found funny, just because it was the subject at hand when it'd happened. "Surely we aren't funny." Such denial! Though even if that were the case... what did it matter? Smiling peacefully, she decided she could deal with that. "Whatever makes her happy, I suppose~" It hadn't been malicious laughter, anyway. She'd regarded them with the same greeting, even. Seemed he was settling into their motley group well enough.
They'd finally made it to their destination with scarcely a thing going wrong! It was definitely enough to be excited about. "We made it~ I wasn't worried, but... usually, we probably should be." She shrugged. A few mysterious and comical injuries to herself here and there certainly wasn't enough to discourage her from seeing him. Could anything? With a twist of the doorknob she let herself in. On any average day, the first thing to draw one's attention would be the gigantic stained glass window upon the far wall. Light filtered through its arched frame and pastel panes of glass. Accented with some jewel-toned panes and a floral design it let in enough light to read but was able to keep out a majority of any light-related heat. More wallpaper was here, cream-colored with a baroque pattern painted in pearlescent gold. The library itself was of course massive and bountiful. Between both free standing shelves and wall installations it very much resembled a printed maze but made from books. Nothing so complex for anyone to get lost, though it was impossible to see every nook and cranny of the place from any one perspective. Tucked away behind some of the free standing shelves were corners with red cloth-covered chaises, one on each side of the oversized window. Each had its own matching chaise at the opposite wall with a small wood and glass table inbetween, forming a corner of furniture on both corners of the windowed wall.
But as luck would have it, this was not just any average day. While her other 'guests' were certainly expected, they were quietly making more of a ruckus than she'd thought. Small creatures, both winged and tentacle-faced, scurried about with books. Said creatures seemed very stressed by the fact that similarly-sized white rabbits persisted in curiously following them around, noses twitching as they pursued with soft-pawed steps. Not all rabbits bothered with the librarians however, some playing with each other across the carpeted floor. The cats, one shadow and two automated, seemed to be tucked into one of the sitting corners, mewing as they themselves played and lazed. And nevermind the presence of several massive black tentacles poking out from inbetween the shelves, tensing with the irritation they seemed to share with their tiny winged counterparts.
With entirely too much going on, Amarante decided to take control of the situation. "Behave yourselves, please." Definitely not posed as a threat, as even the rabbits looked at her with curiosity rather than fear. All of her various familiars quiet and at attention, the most questionable of the lot took the chance to escape from the rabbits and into the shadows once more. The tentacle faces shuffled off with great speed, and the tentacles simply withdrew and seemed to disappear back to their place of origin. Wherever that happened to be. Face in her palm for a moment, she sighed. There'd likely be a great deal of explaining to do. Though she'd tell him anything he wanted to know, of course. Redirecting her hand into a motion to invite him inside, she directed him toward the corner where the cats had already settled in. "Come in, come in~" The adorable pile of roly-poly rabbits had already taken notice of him, advancing several paces of hopping in his direction before he could even so much as step inside.
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