ataraxionlogs | 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

[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!

the small happiness that i shared with you

soy pls

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