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Things would have been different had Amikai ditched him on purpose, Tensa would have been upset then, but since it was his own lack of skill, Tensa would rather avoid any more talking on it. He brushed himself off, checked his parcel to make sure everything was still as it should be.

Though-- the sheepish expression on Amikai's normally impassive face was just about worth it. He wondered absently what it would take for the exotic gehaka to blush. It was this thought he was pondering on when Amikai straightened, no doubt seeing the almost naughty expression planted on Tensa's face.

"Hm? Oh, take your time." Tensa wandered in with Amikai, looking around the small shop with interest. He was actually more looking toward something he could keep for a while-- a potted plant, as opposed to a bouquet that would wither and die in a week. He also went inside if he needed to interject on Amikai's behalf.

((Sorry about taking so long-- just had finals week))

So, this haka's name was Nazuro? Tensa made a small note of it as he looked around the shop, seeing freshly cut flowers out for display in containers of water, and even nearly identical sets of flowers constructed from silk-- they never withered either, but neither were they alive.

Tensa finally found the potted plants, and crouched, looking them over, and reading the instructions for care. He finally selected some bamboo shoots, and a type of climbing vine. They were both bright green and healthy, something he needed in his rather dismal and uncolorful shop.

He approached the counter with plants in hand just as the shopkeep was setting out Amikai's pay.
"Good morning, Nazuro-san." He chirped, setting the plants down. "How much for these?"

Tensa set down his parcel to dig in his sleeve, withdrawing two thousand yen pieces and dropping them on the counter, sliding them with a slender hand toward the more judgemental Haka. These two were more or less equals as far as social and financial status went. And if this was the treatment he got as an equal...

He nodded briefly as a shallow bow, scooping his items up in his arms, looking a little overloaded. He tsked lightly, and awkwardly maneuvered the vine plant, holding it out in one hand.
"Amikai, can you carry this for me?" He asked, flashing an open smile toward the dark skinned Gehaka. He admired gehaka, really he did. There was just something so appealing about their physical stature, and something unique to gehaka. Though, he hoped Amikai wouldn't mind...They were both going back to his shop, and it really wasn't all that large... Tensa's brows knitted together as doubtful thoughts began to creep up on him.

Tensa was just as pleased as punch with the way things were progressing. So far he was very impressed with Amikai's attitude and behaviour, curiosity not in the least biasing his opinion. The golden skinned Hanze waited for the exotic Gehaka to return before heading out of the flower shop and taking the route back to his own repair establishment.

The trip was short, rather uneventful considering what had happened on their way to the flower shop to collect his companion's pay. This time however Tensa was leading the way, though he was probably walking slow for the gehaka's tastes. Realizing it, he tried to step up his pace, veering off the main road to his shop front.

First impressions upon walking inside revealed a very busy worker. Clicking and soft whirring filled the warm interior of the shop, with the smells of oiled woods and cut metals giving it a sort of unusual, but not unpleasant ambiance. However, the entire shop was pretty much in shades of brown, punctuated by glints of silver, and gold or pieces of glass.
While the shop was full, it was not messy. The shop front was well kept, at least, his workspace however left something to be desired.

Tensa turned to Amikai as he entered.
"If you don't mind my asking, what are the wages you are generally paid per day of service? Or is it on comission?' He asked, setting down the shoots by the frontmost counter. He hmmed to himself as he looked around, finally deciding on a spot for the vines.
"Next to the grandfather clock please. It will be by the window that way. I have yet to finish it, I...I cannot get the springs in on my own."

Tensa retreated back into his workspace, dissappearing from the shop front. When he returned, it was toting a toolbox, awkwardly waddling with the weight. He tottled to the center of the shop front, setting the box down, and withdrawing linked chains and coils from the recesses of his sleeves.
"If you don't mind then, I'll pay you based on the quality of the work you provide. I neither want to overpay a slackerly worker nor underpay an excellent one." He said quietly, flashing his mirror like eyes at Amikai with a small smile.

"First!" He exclaimed loudly, pointing to the largest clocks framing the shop walls. They were eerily still beside the hanging clocks.
"These are of foreign design, overseas. They're called grandfather clocks, and I'm very eager to finish a few of them, I do like the design. However..." He stretched out toward Amikai the coils. "I cannot myself place most of the parts."

Setting them down, Tensa crouched beside the box and withdrew a few oddly shaped pieces of metal. He opened the front, and stepped inside the clock after pulling free the metronome. For a few minutes only clinking could be heard before he stepped out, pulling the clock mechanics free from the underside of it. Exposed, it looked horridly complicated, though there were a few obviously unfinished spots.
"Do you think you can manage? It's exactly like the one you did for me in the meadow." He explained, turning over the mechanical box to expose the notches.

"You look nervous, is everything alright?" the haka asked, regarding his new employee with calm silver eyes. His sooty dark ears twitched slightly as he watched him. "I'll instruct you through the first one, if you don't know exactly what to do." He said, motioning for Amikai to sit with him. The grandfather clock pieces were too big to assemble in his small work area.

First Tensa began by separating the parts by the order which would be easiest to insert. The cables that wound the gears together were easy to wrap around the gears but hard to connect it to form the finished loop was tough.
"Breathe easy, and take your time." He said quietly, laying his smooth golden hand over Amikai's dark one. He ran his thumb lightly over the gehaka's knuckles with a smile before shifting to hold the mechanics steady while the gehaka fitted the cable.

He disregarded the twitch of the older hanze's hand. While a little suprised at the stregnth of the reaction, he made no note of it. Perhaps Amikai was used to being struck, as opposed to comforted in times such as these. He turned his eyes to the clock in his lap.

Tensa's lips pursed as he watched the task being completed. Any rough jerk, or a slip from straining arms and the entire piece of machinery could fall apart as easily as if it had been constructed from paper. Hours of work could be disintegrated, but no, under the strong hand of the gehaka, the cable complied with relative ease, ends clipping together without fuss.

"Next, slip the mallet into place here and fasten it with this screw, then set these springs here and here."

Tensa motioned to the proper areas he mentioned, the mallet being the chime to the hour bell, and the springs the last components before the metronome. As hard as the young haka tried, he couldn't do it on his own, and he tried, such was his reasons for falling so behind in his work. The idea of having an employee to speed along the process to free him to the inventing delighted him, and he hoped dearly this Gehaka wouldn't mind the unusual work. He'd have other things for him to do as well, though it had to be much easier than pulling lobster traps.

Clearly pleased, Tensa moved to the side to lift the piece of metal he used as a screwdriver out of the toolbox and it to Amikai. When that task was completed, he flipped the piece over to examine the metronome holder, shifting it back and forth experimentally with the new resistance of actually having parts connected together properly.

He withdrew the large key that fit into he notch at the back of the clock from his sleeve and inserted it, setting first the time to ten seconds before the hour. It wasn't the actual time, but needed for the testing purposes. "Good, now turn this key to your right until it does not give anymore, then let it go."

When the action would be completed, the clock would whirr for a few seconds as the gears turned and aligned properly and finally release a long low 'bong' when the mallet struck it to mark the hour. Twice it would strike for two o clock, not too loud, as hanze had sensitive ears.