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Imperial Princess Rika Vice Captain
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 Posted: Fri May 29, 2009 2:18 am
Baikou was beginning to think that this was a horrible mistake.
While washing her hands, she had noticed that the large white basin on ground-level had the same sort of spickets and faucet as were attached to the sink. Although Hitsuga had not instructed her in the operation of that device, it appeared to be a bathtub -- and, even though the deep pains in her muscles were actually much less severe than usual, perhaps because she was surrounded by the odor of that man here, she could not resist the temptation to sneak into the workroom, pocket a bath oil stored in an inferior bottle (knowing Hitsuga's concern with presentation, it was certainly a rejected blend,) and then return to the bathroom to carry out her scheme.
... But once she had actually managed to kneel next to the tub to begin turning the taps, pulling levers, pushing at things that might be buttons, she began to realize she might have gotten in over her head. Not only was she not making much progress, but her fingers were starting to hurt from twisting and manipulating the small controls, and her knees and lower back were telling her that soon she might not be able to stand back up.
And now she leans back slightly, what had meant to be a small sigh of frustration becoming an audible groan as her legs object to the movement. Wincing, she tries to shift her position on the floor, and thinks to herself that maybe... she ought to call in some backup...
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Posted: Fri May 29, 2009 2:30 am
Oblivious to Baikou's plight for the moment (and likewise the missing bottle of oil), Hitsuga is in the storefront for the time being, once again puzzling over shelf arrangements.
Largely, Baikou had been allowing him his space...or rather, as much as could be expected, given their current arrangement. His work, however, had become his shield since her moving in. It was something she absolutely seemed to refuse to get in his way on, and so it was what he retreated into when he began to feel stifled by her.
....and the seemingly-expectant glances that kept wandering his way.
Childish? Perhaps. Productive? It was, at least, that. Another few days working at the pace he was, and he would be ready to open within a week.
Deciding he does not care for the bottles arranged by size, he pulls them all once again to try, next, shelving them by specific colors.
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Imperial Princess Rika Vice Captain
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Posted: Fri May 29, 2009 2:38 am
After sitting a moment, grasping her hand, staring at the contraption before her, Baikou decides to get up and get help.
... ... ... But finds, even grasping the edge of the bath and trying to push herself up using it, that it doesn't seem quite possible -- her legs just aren't cooperating with her. She lets her weight fall back to the floor, wincing again, and looks for something higher up to grasp... There's a towel ring, but Baikou isn't quite sure she wants to test its ability to support her weight.
In that case, there's only one thing to do.
"Hitsugaaaaaaa...?"
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Posted: Fri May 29, 2009 2:44 am
He immediately freezes, in mid-placement of a bottle on the shelf, at the sound of his name being called in such a way. It was not a tone of voice that said Can I borrow your attention when its convenient?, it was a tone that said Get over here. Now.
Absently setting the bottle aside, he hurriedly rises to his feet, scurrying back into the living quarters, worried projections preceding him.
Is Baikou all right? Did something happen...??
He pauses before, and then nudges open the bathroom door...
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Imperial Princess Rika Vice Captain
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Posted: Fri May 29, 2009 2:47 am
Baikou is... not in any immediate danger. sweatdrop
But... "... How do you turn this on?" She gestures at the bathtub. "I think I'm missing something because I can't even get water to come out."
She pauses as he enters, though, and nibbles a bit of her lip. ... She hopes she didn't interrupt anything important with this silliness?
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Posted: Fri May 29, 2009 2:52 am
He lingers in the doorway a moment, taking assessment of the scene for himself before breathing a sigh of relief when she doesn't seem to be hurt. Having at first seen her sprawled on the floor, he'd worried she'd fallen.
She is not interrupting anything, Hitsuga assures her...nothing important, certainly.
That depends, is Baikou hoping to use the shower or the tub...? sweatdrop
....and then tentatively offers his hands to her to help her to her feet.
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Imperial Princess Rika Vice Captain
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Posted: Fri May 29, 2009 2:59 am
"The tub -- hot water is the best thing for me other than lots and lots of analgesics," she says, joking a little bit. "... And I wanted to try that," she says, gesturing to the bath oil she had placed on the lip of the tub earlier. With a nervous little smile, "I hope you don't mind..."
The smile grows a little more confident when he offers her his hand, and she reaches up to grasp it, gathering her own legs underneath her as she does so -- she doesn't want to pull Hitsuga over, after all sweatdrop -- and with a brief struggle, gets back up to her feet.
That was a stupid idea, she scolds herself, ruefully joking. But the controls are all so low, she can't bend over to reach them...
... Or maybe those aren't the control at all, and that's why she hasn't been able to get it to work.
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Posted: Fri May 29, 2009 3:07 am
His eye falls to the unlabeled bottle of oil on the tub's edge and he blinks, knowing precisely where she'd gotten it from, and seems to, for a moment, be in debate over whether to feel upset at the intrusion into his workroom.
But then, shakes his head faintly. No, Hitsuga doesn't suppose he minds. Its only that he hadn't planned on using that one, the notes had come out all wrong, and is Baikou sure she would not rather have a proper one...? confused
Even as the mental banter persists, he has leaned over to fuss with the faucet spigots, turning them in the way he'd become familiar with. The shower hisses and then an anemic trickle of water emerges from its spout, making Hitsuga's brow knit in puzzlement.
....what exactly did she do to it...? sweatdrop
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Imperial Princess Rika Vice Captain
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Posted: Fri May 29, 2009 3:15 am
Baikou didn't want to steal from the stock for his shop... and these ought to be used up, right? As opposed to just poured down the sink? gonk
And, errr, "Sorry," Baikou thought she could figure it out on her own without disturbing Hitsuga. But... the state of the shower seems to indicate the caliber of minds that they allow into the Imperial Scholars, she supposes...
"I just seem to leave a swath of destruction in my wake?"
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Posted: Fri May 29, 2009 3:21 am
No, no, no....not destruction, just...
He hesitates and then steps over the rim of the tub to examine the issue from a more comfortable angle.
Hitsuga thinks Baikou is being far too hard on herself. He had trouble figuring these things out as well his first few days here. ....though admittedly has not used the bath yet.
Hrm...perhaps this?
He tugs a small lever that seems to block off the drain as the sprinkle of water from the shower begins to pool in the tub's bottom.
....all right, well, that's a start....
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Imperial Princess Rika Vice Captain
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Posted: Fri May 29, 2009 3:25 am
Clinging to the shower ring just in case, Baikou leans forward to watch what Hitsuga does, filing away this information for the next time she tries.
"Engineering is not my strong suit," she says, projecting a light-hearted attitude; "nor is it Rika's. ... Now that I think of it, that does imply that we are a little bit doomed..."
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Posted: Fri May 29, 2009 3:29 am
Doomed...? he inquires, twisting one of the spigots first one way, and then the other when that doesn't seem to improve anything. Projections of slight frustration at the current situation dart about him
Its....its inconvenient, yes, but he doesn't imagine its unfixable...
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Imperial Princess Rika Vice Captain
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Posted: Fri May 29, 2009 3:40 am
Nevermind Baikou, she is only making morbid jokes.
She watches him work for a while, the way that his long hair falls over his neck and back... Then points, indicating with her mind, too, some sort of little metal button or trigger that she had previously tried raising up and down. Maybe that one is in the wrong position?
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Posted: Fri May 29, 2009 3:45 am
Even as he offers reassurances to her, his eyes dart to the button indicated and he reaches for it without hesitation to depress it with his thumb.
...nothing. But maybe....
He tries again, a bit more forcefully this time....
.....and recoils with a startled yelp as the shower suddenly gushes to life, dousing him in a not-quite-freezing-but-still-pretty-cold spray.
gonk !!!!!
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Imperial Princess Rika Vice Captain
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Posted: Fri May 29, 2009 3:49 am
And Baikou, leaning down to peer over Hitsuga's shoulder, shrieks as the cold water hits the nape of her neck, nearly letting go of the shower ring and dropping onto the poor man -- but saving herself.
Trying to regain her balance and jerk away from the cold water, she cries, Turn it off!!! gonk
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