Some time in July

[willing_sheath]

I. MODERN MIRACLES

[Tomoe was out and about on a hunt for fabric and has found herself in Attleton rather than Fayren—she’s seen what the Fayren shops had time and time again and finally decides to look in the other cities. Oh if she had only looked sooner...]

[Here is one (1) flabbergasted Tomoe staring in open awe at a sewing machine being demo’d at a craft shop. She watches as the demonstrator sews a seam that would have taken her hours to sew by hand.]

[HOW HAS SHE BEEN HERE FOR TEN MONTHS AND NEVER KNEW THESE THINGS EXISTED????]



II. OUT AND ABOUT

[Things Tomoe did not think about when making a physically large purchase: carrying the damn thing all the way back to Fayren by herself. She’ll be making her way back through Attleton and eventually Fayren with a boxed up sewing machine and a bag containing yards of fabric and thread.]

[Quick! Send help!]



III. AMATSU CRAFT TIME

[One thing about living where you work... it’s hard to discern when you are and are not working... As such, during down time that may quickly turn to work time she will be in the corner of her office with her nose in a direction pamphlet trying to figure out how to work the sewing machine she just bought, the hum of the machine eventually escaping her office after she’s confident that she’s figured it out.]



IV. CLOSED TO KENSHIN

[She had intended to do this for him when he was here before, seeing the sad shape of his clothing, patched, re-patched and still threadbare in places, but hadn’t finished before he left. The kimono she had started by hand had been discarded. She hadn’t wanted to look at it, much less finish it after he’d left.]

[She was honestly amazed at how quickly she’d finished it with the help of the machine. What would have taken her weeks sewing by hand during her off time had been completed in two days. It was practically magic.]

[She came back into their room that evening, the bundle in her arms wrapped very loosely with paper.]

Anata... I have something for you.

Comments

IV

[deadly_oro]

[His clothes aren't that bad! He likes them just fine! He's been working around the inn, learning every corner of the property as well as he can, to the point he's barely even noticed she's been doing anything other than her usual job.

Tonight he's been checking on his sword, making sure it's back up to where it needs to be should he need to use it. So when she comes in carrying something, and saying that, he blinks up at her in confusion but carefully sets the sword and tools aside to give her his full attention.]

You did not need to go through such trouble!

[willing_sheath]

[Sir, you look like a homeless man >8(]

[She shakes her head and moves over to him, carefully kneeling down across from him.]

I did not need to, but I wanted to.

[She'll hold the bundle out to him. It isn't wrapped like a present, simply once around with brown paper to keep the garment from being seen as she was carrying it. It's clearly fabric of some kind. Inside is a charcoal gray kimono with a subtle vertical line design and a light gray men's obi that is almost silvery in color.]

I thought you could use a change of clothing...

[deadly_oro]

[He's been that for so long he's forgotten what it's like NOT to be homeless :|

Kenshin ducks his head a little, but still finds himself smiling gently at her.]

Thank you, Tomoe.

[...O-oh. He tries so hard not to blush, but that's exactly what he's doing when she mentions new clothes. Still, he takes the bundle from her, already trying to think of what he can do for her, and carefully opens it to examine the kimono and obi.

...No. She wanted to make this for him. Looking closer, studying the work, he can see her hand in every line, every stitch.]

...It is a beautiful kimono. This one would be glad to wear it.

[willing_sheath]

[bb...

[She hadn't meant it as an insult, just a statement of fact. He didn't need to continue wearing rags... especially now when it would be so easy to make more clothing.]

[A bit of a blush dusts her own face and her eyes warm, the corners of her mouth pulling in the barest hint of a smile before nodding.]

I'm glad.

[deadly_oro]

[Even if she had meant it as an insult, he wouldn't care. She can do and say anything, he doubts anything would hurt more than what his own mind's come up with.

...It certainly helps that the kimono is well made.]

Would you...help me change? I think my bandages can come off too...

[You better believe he's become more and more pink, and trying not to hide behind his painfully messy and tangled hair as his voice gets quieter and quieter.]

[willing_sheath]

[Her own color rises a bit more with the request, not missing his blush or uncertainty in the request... and suddenly she felt like they were back in their little house in Otsu... making up excuses to touch each other.]

[She nods, that not-quite smile still clinging there.]

Of course...

[She stood then and moved off to get the first aid kit and a wash basin from the bathroom, returning a couple minutes later with the kit and warm soapy water.]

[deadly_oro]

[She has a gentle touch. He'd missed their closeness, even if they'd always been rather awkward. Until the last night.

Her agreement soothes his shoulders back down and he watches her move away.]

Thank you.

[She's always known how to settle him. He has his kimono open by the time she returns, but that's about as far as he's managed. Unwinding bandages that are wrapped all around one's body isn't the easiest thing to do alone.]

[willing_sheath]

[Tomoe kneels behind him, setting the basin and the kit down. She looks over his back, most of it covered with the bandages she'd wrapped a few days prior. She gathers his hair and pushes it over his shoulder and out of her way before opening the kit, taking the scissors from inside it. Her fingertips move lightly over the bandages before working under one section to begin cutting and rolling them away.]

[She takes her time with it, not wanting to rush just in case the lower layers were stuck to anything, but it seemed as though everything was shut and nearly healed, even the disturbing chunk taken out of his shoulder and the deep stab wound to his side. Really, the bandages were probably unnecessary the last time they were changed, but she had wanted to be sure with the sheer number of injuries he had sustained.]

[She checks the slice across his back, touching the skin around it with the backs of her fingers before repeating the motion for the gash and the stab wound, satisfied that they looked alright and didn't feel warm.]

Are any of them still tender?

[She turns to the water, dipping and then ringing out a wash cloth before bringing it up to wipe down his back and the remnants of the ointments she'd put on his bandages before.]

II.

[cool_skeleton]

[Wheeeee! Patrolling on dragonback sure is fun! He could almost forget he has an actual job in Fayren.

But that would be silly. Papyrus takes his Guardian duties *very* seriously, despite how goofy he and his Drampa look. If he's not mistaken--and when is he ever?--that appears to be a damsel in distress! He points its fiery snout downwards, then descends to help the downtrodden. Buckle up, he's making a landing!

He hops off, meeting her at the second half of her journey through Fayren just as she heaved her things through the archway.]

GOOD AFTERNOON, FAYREN CITIZEN!! YOU LOOK TO BE IN SOME TROUBLE! HOW CAN I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, SAVE YOUR DAY!?

Re: II.

[willing_sheath]

[;ASDLKGAJSDLKJ]

[It is only a sheer miracle that Tomoe does not drop everything she's carrying. Even if the occasional sight of dragons and other fantasy creatures isn't entirely unheard of in Fayren it still isn't common to have them swoop in an land right in front of you like that.]

[Tomoe just stares a bit wild-eyed at the walking talking skeleton as well until it clicks and she realizes that she has actually seen said walking talking skeleton on the network at least.]

[brb, she's still internally having a heart attack __@]

[which is why it takes her several long seconds before she actually answers him.]

I... No, I am not in trouble...

[Carrying heavy packages doesn't really count as 'trouble', does it?]

Re: II.

[cool_skeleton]

[He understands. It's perfectly normal to be stunned into silence at the sheer force of his coolness. She must be thinking "WOW, THE GREAT PAPYRUS MEETING ME?? IN THE BONE??? I'M NOT WORTHY!!!"]

FRET NOT!! YOU ARE NOT DREAMING!!! THE GREAT AND DREAMY PAPYRUS REALLY IS HERE TO SERVE!!

HMM...DISTRESS, PERHAPS? A BIT OF BURDEN?? A MINOR INCONVENIENCE??? NOTHING'S TOO SMALL FOR YOUR GRACIOUS GUARDIAN!!!