| [Jul. 9th, 2017|10:15 pm] |
She stopped, staring. "Oh," she said. "Uh. I can see you've all been hard at work, too."
Genma rocked up to his feet and crossed to the door in four long strides. "We got the roof patched and the floor patched. So is everything good with the electrics?" His voice lowered slightly to a kind of stage whisper, still clearly audible. "If it's not, don't tell them. They already think I've moved into a haunted deathtrap."
"I didn't say haunted," Raidou objected.
"Um," Goto said. She was compactly built, not tall, and her eyes were about level with Genma's collarbones. She seemed to be having great difficulty dragging them any higher. "Yes, the wiring's good. The fuse box is from my grandmother's day though, so I've replaced it entirely, should solve the flickering problem. Did you still want me to look at the wiring up here?"
"If you've got time." Genma stepped back.
"Rain hasn't stopped yet," Goto shrugged. She followed him in, staring openly: at Raidou, at Ryouma, at the dog in the sink, at Raidou again. Her voice cracked. "Is that Raidou-kun? Ume's boy?"
Raidou grinned at her, casually cheerful as a chance meeting on the street. "She'll be thrilled you remember her. How've you been, Goto-san?"
"Can't complain," Goto said, sounding slightly dazed. "You were about shoulder-high last time, I think. Still a shinobi?"
"This is my team." Was that pride in his voice?
"They're very, um, tall," Goto said, staring at Ryouma's dragon tattoo. "Aren't you a little old to be doing genin work?"
Ryouma resisted the urge to flex. "We've off-mission. Helping with the lieutenant's new place."
"New place. Right." She dragged her eyes back to Genma's. "Wiring. Are you looking to change up the light fixtures, install fans, or just get a safety inspection up here?"
"Fans." Pakkun flopped over heavily in the sink, causing a miniature tsunami that sloshed onto the floor.
Goto stared. Genma said hurriedly, "Uh, yes, fans. All of that. I can move the dog if you want a drink." He plucked a grumbling Pakkun up out of the sink, held him awkwardly dripping for a moment, then fished a beer bottle out and splashed Pakkun back down. "I know it's hot up here."
Goto laughed. Hands planted on knees, head down, shoulders shaking, until finally she straightened and accepted the bottle from Genma, wiping tears from her eyes. "I am going to eat out on this story for weeks," she said. "All right, Shiranui-san. Let's get started on fans." |
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