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Tensa was resting his weight on one leg, the shift in his hips causing his body to fall into a sensual curve. With amusement he noted Amikai was no longer spending as much time avoiding his person, and he didn't chalk it all up to his new status as 'employer.'

"Sundials are just a more measured way of judging the passage of time, other than just staring at the sun, though it uses it." Tensa said, "When lined up, the sun casts a shadow around the dial, and depending on where the shadow falls, that is how you tell what time it is."

Tensa motioned for the dark skinned Gehaka to pay attention to the hands of the clock.
"These are called hands, this thin one here that moves the fastest is the second hand. It. Moves. In. Regular. Seconds. Sixty to a minute, which is what the longest hand here measures." Tensa looked to make sure Amikai was following along.
"There are twelve notches here, for the hours in the day-- the shortest hand points to the hour, and it travels around the clock twice in a day... Now..."

Tensa explained how to tell time the simplest way he could manage, explaining as well the general times in which things happened, from daybreak, lunch, dinner, sunset, and mid night, as well as when he expected Amikai to arrive (Eleven) and when he was dismissed for the day, (Six) Breaks were up to him, after today.

"I don't know where else all this would be immediately applicable, but in this shop, I expect it to be followed. If you have any questions, feel free to ask." He looked at Amikai expectantly, trying to see how much of it he absorbed.

Amikai looked unhappy. Oh well, not all hanze saw the use in such precise measurements of time. Tensa smiled and placed a light hand on the gehaka's shoulder, bringing his attention back around. It was a lot to learn in one sitting, but he was pleased with how the gehaka was progressing.

"Come, here's the next task for you." Tensa said, retreating back into the now cleared workspace. He motioned for Amikai to sit in the chair before the desk.
"I also make music boxes here, they're a little more popular than the clocks, i'm sure you can imagine why. I want you to put these tic pins through this thin aluminum sheet on the dots I've marked out for you."

Tensa pulled out the little box filled with small pins that appeared like thumbtacks, short and stubby with a flat base. The aluminum sheet was thin and wavery, and had a multitude of black dots marked off sequentially on it. There were four sheets thus marked, but the boxes and the keys to them were out of sight somewhere.

"Amikai, leave the pins in the metal." He commanded softly, watching as the gehaka poked the pin through the aluminum and withdrew it again. The haka smiled softly before taking another set of slightly thicker metal pieces, and stringinging up a small metal file wire beside the Gehaka.
Drawing out small guidelines, Tensa began to shave down lines in the metal bit to create he comb the pins would hit to create the tinny musical notes the boxes were known for. Tensa's mind wandered as he worked, thinking back on the events of the day, when he should water the plants he bought, how to deliver the clocks in the room, and all manner of other practical ideas that eluded him normally. This work was tedius-- the real fun being in creating the tunes themselves, and the final motion of finishing up the box and watching it run exactly as expected. Many a haka's delighted face warmed his heart when they were bought the marvelous little boxes. A graceful smile remained on his face as he reflected the memories.

A-ha! Not quite the way he had anticipated, but from the rosy tint coloring Amikai's cheeks the hue of his ears, one curious thought was satisfied. He smirked to himself and settled back to his quiet work, unconciously sawing to the ticking in the background of the shop. The comb was halfway finished when Amikai spoke suddenly, gruff voice breaking the rythem of the shop. Tensa looked up from his work and glanced to the Gehaka, wondering at the meaning behind the small admission. He had the feeling he didn't routinely thank his employers, at least, he didn't hear a word to the flower shop owner. His left ear twisted in nervousnes, but he just smiled.
"You're welcome."

The sawing resumed unhindered. This time though, all of Tensa's thoughts hovered on Amikai.

Tensa finished the remaining sections of the comb quickly, and began plinking out the notes to test whether or not they were off key. Sometimes there was a flaw in the metal that caused the tone of the box to go off-- and it would be an embarressing mistake to sell an out of tune music box.
'plink plink plonk.' he tapped off with his nails, pleased with the overall tone. He reached beneath the desk to pull out the unfinished glass music box, opened the top and began to screw the comb into its final resting place as well.

Grabbing the finished sheet, Tensa slid it over the rollers that dragged it along, and fastened it with some adhesive. Pulling out a smaller key, Tensa wound this box, releasing it when it refused to give any further. Soon, the rollers began to turn and pulled the sheet across, the tiny pins hitting and pulling the teeth of the metal comb, the resulting snap as the pin released causing the tinny note of the melody to plink out. Success!

He set it out to play out the entire melody Amikai created, and began to work on another comb.

The work was a little tedius, but easy and distracting work. Tensa found his mind wandering pleasantly as he sawed, thinking about work, about commissions, about marionettes, about Amikai, about just about everything the haka could-- excluding himself. Well-- one thought, centering on the mysterious little device tucked away in his pocket.

The shop erupted into chimes again and again, marking the hours as they passed. Before too long-- the last box was completed, and it was high tide Amikai went home.
Tensa leaned back and stretched out his back, pops ringing out in quiet succession. Without a word, he got up from his bench and walked into the storefront, crouching behind the sales desk and fiddling around with a combination lock on the safe that held his funds. A tribute to his own cunning, the safe had no key to be swiped, and was constructed of steel, so a break in was highly unlikely.

Today was a short workday-- but he did recieve good work, even paced and level headed, Amikai made short work of the tasks that alone took Tensa several hours to complete. By himself he could usually get around two boxes completed a day, but that was without completing the numerous other tasks to be done.
Four thousand yen was withdrawn for today's labors.

With the clocks chiming in the background, Tensa walked back into the workroom, relenquishing a tired smile to Amikai.
"I couldn't have gotten this done without you." He said, reaching out to grasp a dark hand in his own, upturning it to drop the coins of payment into his palm and curling the fingers over it.

It did not come to the haka's attention that Amikai might have been in pain from remaining crouched over the desk for so long. Having grown up that way Tensa was used to such long hours in a fairly unmoving position, and never really had such a problem with muscle kinks. Besides, Amikai hid his discomfort with trained ease, making sure Tensa's back was turned before he grimaced and rubbed his shoulders.

The telling snap of the joint in his neck caused light eyebrows to lift. Amikai snatched his hand out of Tensa's own.
"Are you alr--"

"Thank you, Riyuyi-sama, I will see you tomorrow morning." Amikai said, in an obvious attempt to distract his attention. Tensa's smile morphed into displeasure with his discovery of his employee's attempts to elude his attention. Holding Amikai hostage with his reluctance to answer, Tensa looked him over, noting the very stiff, reclusive posture his employee had taken. Perhaps it was just because it was a long day, he'd see if this would become a pattern.
"Good day, Amikai."

Tensa waited and watched Amikai leave before he returned to the front desk, sketching some designs. He'd close shop at sundown and awaken at sun-up, and would be at the front desk when his employee returned.

(Moved to Riyuyi's Machinations))

A nice stroll, to relax his muscles from the morning's work. His mother had given him the day off, and once again some money for a piece of fruit. The only joys in his life, fruit and a good day's work.

His steps slowly took him to the meadow, slowly biting into the sweet red apple Yori held. His wings streched out behind him for a moment, before relaxing agaisnt his back once again. A lovely day, great for a walk. But he stopped, when his gaze fell on the site before him.

Another gehaka, with a knife lifted to his throat. Why was he doing this? There were no bracers on his arms, so he wasn't married. Maybe that was why? An unmarried gehaka could often feel shame if his mother nagged him about it. Yori did not have that problem, so even the idea was a little hard to understand. Or maybe he was discarded for some reason.

"Whatever it is, there is no reason to take your own life. You're just letting your problem, or whoever is causing it win." To the raven haired gehaka, giving up was the biggest shame. Why give up? What did you have to loose if you did your best and lost? The approval of some stupid haka? Yori didn't care for those things. So, what the heck was wrong with this gehaka before him?