ataraxionlogs | the small happiness that i shared with you

Entry tags:

the small happiness that i shared with you

CHARACTERS: Bardo, Heather, Soysauce.
LOCATION: Oxygen Gardens.
WARNINGS: None.
SUMMARY: Picnic food and canoodling.

It's good to relax, sometimes. Soysauce always has been, always will be a hard working -- diligently tending to his shift on security, spending plenty of time cooking, helping out with this and that, seeing if there's anything else little that needs being done. He's always been the type to feel like sitting still, waiting for things to happen is a bit of a waste of time, and he's happiest when he has something to do, something to keep his attention occupied.

But still. Sometimes it's good to just have a bit of time to rest and take a breather.

So one afternoon finds Soysauce trotting to the Oxygen Gardens with a little bundle of food in hand. It would be nice to have a basket -- like a picnic basket! -- but he hadn't been able to procure one. The best he could do was to find a rather large cloth and tie together the top; he'd packed up two sandwiches, a few pastries, a couple sweets in paper, all the ingredients necessary for a nice picnic lunch.

And now, striding between the tall tufts of grass, Soysauce kept an eye out for a certain, familiar, tiger-eared gardener that he knew would be here. Gladly giving anyone else he passed along the way a bright, cheerful smile.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ of course, when he spots a familiar face while trotting his way around a particularly large thicket of bushes, soysauce can't help stopping. ]

Ah, Miss Heather!

[ it's just a little stop along the way, and he gives heather a little wave of the hand before making his way near her. smiling brightly at her, his voice as chipper and energetic as always. ]

Good afternoon, m'lady! I hope you've been well?

[It's strange how much she's come to love working in the gardens. Loving the place itself is one thing - in the upper levels, things are so green and alive that they're a reassurance things aren't as bad as they could be, if nothing else - but there's also something pretty soothing about working in an area where she knows how things should be and can usually correct it with minimal trouble if it's not quite right.

It's a feeling that's in pretty short supply on the ship, so she's already in a pretty even mood that tips right over into happy at the sound of his voice.]

Don't you m'lady me, Soysauce. I'll never live up to it.

[It's said with a smile; it's always good to see him, and better when he's being a goof. Which is... always.]

I'm doing pretty great, actually. Gettin' stuff done. What about you? Stalking your next victim?

Eeh, but I think you're already a wonderful lady! Graceful and kind and beautiful. It seems a perfectly apt term! A lady doesn't necessarily always have to be --

[ all things considered, it's pretty convincing when he gives her a little curtsy, flicking the folds of an imaginary skirt. knees still bent, head slightly bowed, he sweetly imitates a ladylike, delicate tone of voice. ]

-- stalking? Whatever on earth could you be speaking of! I cannot possibly fathom doing such an awful thing!

[ soysauce laughs as he straightens back up, giving heather a little wink. holding up the little bundle of food. ]

As for myself, I don't have any such nefarious intentions! Just coming on a little courier job. I thought with all the hard work here, it might be good to bring a little picnic lunch for someone special. Ah, though I brought quite a bit to eat! Are you hungry, by any chance?

[See? Goof. She rolls her eyes at his description, a move that does absolutely nothing to mask the blush that is - to her mild horror - staining her cheeks. Of course even for her asking if he's met her and is sure they're talking about the same person would be ungracious, so she gives him her most gentlemanly bow instead and laughs along.]

Only when I'm breathing. But more importantly, how special are we talking here?

[Yeah don't think you're gonna sneak that one past her, old man.]

[ aha! it's not everyone that indulges him in his rather archaic mannerisms, his silly little gestures, and soysauce can't help laughing at that deep bow. and even before heather answers, soy's moving to fish through the fabric bundle and grab something sweet to give to her -- giving a slightly startled, wide-eyed blink at what heather's asking him. ]

Ah, well! Maybe 'special' is a bit of an exaggeration.

[ a slightly sheepish laugh as he rubs at his jaw. ] Someone I'm rather fond of? Who works hard, and is probably hungry?

[Watch her just take his word for it. Uncharacteristic, sure, but it's Soy and he's done something similar for her before, after all. Too darn sweet for his own good. She shrugs.]

Okay, okay. Point taken. If they're working here I should probably thank you for helping keep the troops' strength up anyway.

[ heather seems to drop the issue, and it's rather quicker than he expected -- not that he's complaining. soysauce doesn't exactly flaunt his relationships, and he's all too happy to change the subject. he fishes through his little picnic bundle as he smiles. ]

Aha! I tried to bring some food to Mister Netherlands last time, but I hadn't warned him beforehand -- he seemed absolutely convinced that I was trying to poison him! [ a soft chuckle as he finally pulls out a little paper packet of cookies. ] Have you seen Mister Bardo around here today, by any chance?

[That... doesn't actually need any explanation, she's already laughing on the second syllable of Netherlands.]

Oh no. Yeah, that sounds like him, alright. Did he make you taste-test it or just give you the death stare and walk away?

[OH LOOK COOKIES quick be more helpful]

Bardo's the cat-guy, right? Stripes? I think he's around. I only know him by sight, but... you know, cat-guy. Hard to miss.

Mmm, I voluntarily went through a taste test but he still seemed pretty suspicions when I didn't drop dead on the spot. Took a picture of me to send to someone, I think, to make sure I wasn't an assassin. [ he can't help laughing as he thinks back to then. ] I couldn't resist joking, of course -- said my stagename is an assassin's moniker. You should have seen the way he looked at me! Like he was ready to bludgeon me with a rake!

[ he's still laughing as he finally fishes two cookies out of the paper packet and offers them to heather. they're nothing fancy, just sugar cookies, but they look delicious. ]

Would you like a cookie? I brought them for Bardo, but I don't think he'd mind if you took a few.

[Soy Soy please she is twenty-one and that is too young for a heart attack.]

He wouldn't have used a rake.

[She scrubs a hand over her eyes and tries to rearrange her expression into something a lot less dude you were one missed dose away from dead and shakes her head.]

I would love a cookie. Thanks. So what's your deal with feeding people, anyway?

[ fairly oblivious to how rattled heather might have been by that offhand remark, soysauce just hands her a cookie -- keeping the other to nibble on himself. ]

My deal with feeding people? Aha! That makes me sound like some manner of caped crusader, wandering the halls at night ambushing people with food!

[ a little laugh before he gives a thoughtful hum, adding a little more sincerely, ]

I suppose it's just that I like being helpful. But given this place doesn't have much use for a gunman or a courier, and there's just so much I can do on SEC patrol, and there's a limit to how helpful my music can be -- cooking is best thing I can do? It doesn't hurt that I enjoy cooking, as well!

[ he looks around a few bunches of trees, peeks around a dense clump of saplings, perks up when he finally spots the person he was looking for. bardo has his back turned, busy tending to a row of little plants and soysauce approaches him slowly, quietly.

feet padding near-silently through the grass, soysauce makes his way nearer where bardo is before suddenly closing the distance between them with a few bounding steps. ]

Mister Bardo!

[ he throws his arms over bardo's shoulders from behind, nuzzling up against bardo's jaw. ]

[He's focused on his work, it's true. But it's not something that eats up all his attention, so Soysauce creeps closer and Bardo's ears twitch, tail tucking against his legs to keep out of the way as there's suddenly another body throwing itself at him. And really, what other response does he have but to laugh?]

Soysauce! [Totally tipping his head to the side to nuzzle back, hands stilling before one reaches up to press against Soysauce's fondly.] I wasn't expecting you today.

[But he sounds so pleased that it's clear he doesn't mind at all, even if Netherlands is probably off somewhere picking up "GARDENERS AREN'T WORKING" vibes somehow.]

[ a warm little laugh as bardo nuzzles him back with the tickle of facial scrub against his cheek, and soysauce eagerly butts his head into bardo's palm. hugging him tighter for a moment before draping himself over bardo's back, peeking over his shoulder and what he's working on. ]

I finished my shift on patrol and thought you could use a little break. And I brought along treats! It's impossible to work at full potential when hungry, yes?

[ he slides down to sit at bardo's side, pulling the bundle of food into his lap and untying the top. ] It's nothing that fancy, I'm afraid, but -- I hope you haven't eaten already?

[Bardo tips his head to the side so Soy can look over his shoulder easier, presses cheek to temple and hums happily at the touch. This is nice--but then Soy goes and says he's brought food and okay yeah that's definitely a good thing in his book. His ears perk up, tail twitching.]

I haven't eaten yet, that sounds perfect. [Surprise visits and food???? Soy you know the way to this Ribika's heart.....]

Excellent! [ he can't help giving a charmed little laugh at the way bardo's tail twitches, leaning up so he can nuzzle at bardo's temple and at the base of his ears. he opens up the little bundle as he sits back down, grinning as he pulls out the paper-wrapped packages. ]

I just made some sandwiches and a few pastries. I hope it's to your liking? [ he hands bardo one of the sandwiches -- meat, cheese and some vegetable slices neatly arranged on a toasted bun. ]

[There's a soft purr at that, head tilting against the nuzzling quick as it is. Even as Soy pulls away and settles down at his side, Bardo leans against him, tail curling about waist in the absence of another tail to twine with happily.]

I'm sure it would be delicious no matter what you made. [There's a quick grin, teasing, and then he ducks down to pull away the paper, careful to mind his claws.] How was your shift?

[ a small glance down and a laugh when he feels bardo's tail curling against his side. quite the comforting little touch.

and soysauce settles in comfortably at bardo's side, leaning against him a bit as he unwraps his own sandwich and takes a bite. chewing slowly and swallowing before answering. ] Mm -- nothing much to report, to be honest. Just the usual. [ he picks a bit at his sandwich, peeling away a bit more of the paper and taking another bite before going on. ] But that's a good thing, I think! Means nothing catastrophic's happening, yes?

[The tip of his tail taps gently against Soysauce's hip, the only hint that he's permanently restless as all cats can be. But for now he's working his way through a sandwich happily, ears swiveling slowly to listen to the quick little tale.]

For now at least! [He laughs a bit under his breath, because oh that might have jinxed them, oops.] Nice though, having some quiet time.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

the small happiness that i shared with you

for HEATHER ;

soy pls

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

for BARDO ;

wahhhh

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject