Who: Fluttershy and Tenoh Haruka What: Calming Haruka down and distracting her When: Jan. 30th some time after this. Where:Fluttershy's little cottage place Rating: G Status: Complete!
Fluttershy made sure that there were lots of pillows on the couch by the coffee table for Haruka to sit at, a blanket to get warm with, and had the tea started. She checked the messages on the computer again before setting the little tea cakes on a plate on the coffee table and put in really relaxing music to play just to help things. She may not be good at looking for doing things in the dark, but she could sure relax and get her mind in good shape to search properly.
She got the tea in the kettle off and poured it into the cups by the time she heard the door knocked on. She hurried over, and no sooner did she open the door did she wrap her arms around her in such a warm hug it rivaled Michiru’s. She ran her fingers through her hair to soothe her before taking her hands and leading her in.
“I have everything ready, and I have a little friend to sit on either your shoulder or lap or wherever.” She led her over to where the couch was, a little sugar glider climbing up onto her head to check out the new person. “And then my little Angel will come on to sit by your lap.” She got her seated down, wrapped in the blanket before going to grab cream and sugar, and the sugared berries she made.
She had a Fire going, her classical playlist going, and it was actually raining so everything together should work in at least getting her calmer than well... now, obviously.
Even though Haruka probably wouldn’t admit it, getting her anything close to calm again was going to be a bit of an uphill struggle. The link’s absence was getting to her more than she’d thought possible - where usually, there’d be something, now there was just... nothing. Complete and utter emptiness.
“You don’t have to do all this, honestly.” Even though the hug was nice. The animals were pretty adorable too. “I would’ve figured out a way...”
Probably a very harmful way, knowing her usual coping techniques.
“What better way than with a friend?” She said smiling with a tip of her head before dropping to her knees to pour the tea. The sugar glider pushed its muzzle to her cheek in a kiss before jumping off and tucking itself in Haruka’s collar. Fluttershy giggled and added the extra chamomile leaf into the bottom of her tea before pouring her own. It had already been steeped and everything.
She lifted the lid to the individually iced and decorated cakes, as well as to the berries and pushed a little plate in front of Haruka. “Get as many or as few as you want... Oh and Sugar, cream?” Brushed her hair behind her ear and looked up with bright and comforting eyes. She watched as Angel hopped his way over and up onto the couch to force his way under the blanket on her legs. Fluttershy only giggled. “Angel! Don’t be so pushy!”
Well, maybe she had a point. Friends were good, and even Haruka could see that pushing them away wouldn’t achieve anything. It’d probably also make Michiru launch a Deep Submerge at her head whenever they found her - however long that took.
“I don’t mind him being a little pushy. Shows he likes me, right?” Well, it was either that or the fact that she was always ridiculously warm. She put it down to a Senshi thing. “Not that I can ever resist bunnies anyway...”
It was a personal weakness. She couldn’t help it!
“Oh?” The blonde perked right up and she held out to fingers after putting just one sugar and a little cream into her tea. She rushed off, and when she returned, she was holding the three baby bunnies she was fostering for the vet school. She set them gently on her lap. “Be very careful with them but here...”
Fluttershy returned to her own tea after stirring Haruka’s till the sugar had dissolved. She set it on the coaster in front of the now bunny covered person and finished hers off before sitting in the seat beside Haruka and smiling. “I foster all sorts of animals, theres actually a baby dear out back I could bring in for you to see later. He’s with mommy though being kept all snuggly and warm.”
So many bunnies! “You just get more and more incredible.” And Haruka meant every word of that. It wasn’t every person who could so easily take care of so many different animals... and seriously, the tiny, tiny bunnies were beyond adorable.
It wasn’t the most manly weakness in the world to have such a fondness for tiny bunnies, but dammit, she didn’t care. Especially not when there was cakes and tea involved too, because those were also pretty awesome.
Fluttershy gave a happy noise when suddenly a rattlesnake came up into the room. She calmly set her tea down, bent over and grabbed behind it’s jaw so it wouldn’t bite, and picked him up. “Freddy. Just because you can get out of your tank... Doesn’t mean you should. I have a guest over.” Shook her head as he shook his tail. “And, no, I’m not feeding you yet. You’re still recovering from getting your toxin glands removed so you can’t eat yet. Give me one moment, Haruka.”
She walked off into the other room and put the guy away, making sure to wrap a bungee cord around the tank this time to keep him in there. When she came back Haruka’s jaw is dropped and she ducked her head in her shoulders. “...What... I’m sorry if he scared you. Not everyone likes snakes...”
Haruka hadn’t realised she was even doing that, honestly. She shook her head. “Not scared of snakes, trust me. It’s just... I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone deal with one of those quite so calmly.”
Fluttershy giggled and picked up her tea again. “He’s just a big baby. Like all the attention just because he got a booboo.” She shook her head and took a sip of the tea. She’s not going to ask about Michiru at all. This is about giving Haruka a few hours of just clarity to refocus her emotions and strength. “ And I wouldn’t have use plain hands if he wasn’t now without the venom glands. I’d get my chainmail glove for that.”
She grabbed one of the cakes and began nomming on it quietly, waiting for herself to finish before reaching for the berries. “He’s just been cranky anyway. So... The tea good?”
Still. It was beyond impressive! Even Haruka, with all her Senshi powers, would be hesitant to touch something like that thing... “It’s pretty good, yeah.”
Even if, really, she was still getting vaguely distracted by... certain things. Much as she didn’t want to think on them, it was hard to ignore the glaring emptiness in her mind.
“Haruka...” Fluttershy sighed and out the cake down before moving to shift the animals around. Next, she wrapped her arms around her neck and pushed close. She was going to hug her if it was the last thing she could do to try and help her. And dammit, she wasn’t going to let go until Haruka hugged back and relaxed at least slightly.
“I know I’m not her... But.” hugged and to comfort ran her fingers through her hair again much like a mother would a child.
It was hard to relax! Especially around someone who Haruka could accidentally out herself around... true, she’d layered her clothes in such a way that the binder would be disguised, but it was always a risk. It was just how her life went.
“I can only try and get used to it...” She did relent and return the hug, forcing herself to not care about the risk. “I don’t think this is going to be easy. At all.”
She wouldn’t be able to tell, she wasn’t that observant. She kept rubbing through her hair, gently whispering humming under her breath. “She’ll be fine... She wouldn’t leave you. And wherever she is... I know she wants to be near you.”
She had damn well better be fine. Haruka didn’t want to face the concept of a world without her, a feeling she’d held long before she’d had the dream with the... creepy puppet thing. A world without Michiru simply wasn’t worth living in. That was part of what made the absence of everything from the link so terrifying.
“You’re probably right.” She’d give her that much. At very least.
Fluttershy pulled away and kissed her forehead before smiling. “ I know I’m right...” She poured her some more tea before taking the now empty plate from the tea cakes and set it away. Someone was obviously hungry. Not that she minded of course. “I have a little extra and I was going to order a pizza... Would you like to stay for it? You seem hungry... Considering the plate’s empty. That you found them really good...”
Wouldn’t that be imposing a little? Haruka had never been fond of doing things like that... she’d gone through life without relying on others, mostly because... well, relying on others was a weakness, something that could destroy her world and all she’d managed to make for herself all too easily.
Why yes, she was an absolute ray of sunshine today. “I’d feel like I was... imposing, I guess. Unless there’s something I can do for you in return...”
Fluttershy thought for a second, understanding why she’d ask it like that completely. She tapped her chin, trying hard to think. “Well... I have a few small things I can’t do and that Dashie has been too busy to?” Tipped her head slightly to the side, brushing her hands down to smooth her shirt of the wrinkles.
“There’s a bird feeder I can’t get to outside... And how are you with bees?”
Bees? Not something she often got asked, seriously. “I think I can deal with both of those. Well, with any luck...”
“I have the suit and everything, you slip it over your clothes. I just need to transfer the queen to a bigger hive!”Smiled from ear to ear, hopped a few times before rushing off and over to the closet.
Haruka chuckled softly, shaking her head, and got up (after dislodging the few animals that Fluttershy hadn’t already). “Alright. I think I can handle that, as long as you tell me what to do.”
The blonde nodded before pulling the suits on. She helped them both into the big and awkward white bee outfits before grabbing the smoker. She gently sprayed it over the hive to get them to calm down before lifting both lids. The one to the brand new larger hive, and the one to the old one. Soon as she did the bees began to just slightly buzz, mostly chilled out from the smoke. “Okay, I need you to take this center panel, and when I say so, lift it and carry it over and put it into here.”
She went over to lift the center panel in the new hive and set it aside.
This was definitely not what Haruka thought she’d be doing with her day when she’d woken up. What was life but an adventure, though? Paid to do new things, especially when you needed distracting.
And really, what was more distracting than bees? Bees were special.
Fluttershy smiled as she watched her inch closer. “Don’t worry. If they do get into the suit... It shouldn’t hurt too much. Unless you’re allergic. Then... Sorry. I really should have asked...” It totally spaced her! Honest.
It was nice that she’d thought of it now, at least! “I’m not really allergic to anything. I’m one of those rare lucky guys...” Or, well, at least when it came to things like that. In everything else? Terrible luck.
“That’s good...Be careful with her. I’ve been raising her since little and she got ill once...” She responded, flailing a little when she got too worried Haruka would drop it. “Ohmygoodness! Let me!” Went to take it but Haruka just gave her a face and she stepped back, regretting not being able to bite her nails through the mesh of the screen.
“Oh... Oh my goodness... Oh my goodness.”
“Don’t worry. I’m good at being careful.” Because hey, being a Sailor Senshi kind of meant she had to be from time-to-time. You know, in between the ‘let me throw this massive ball of energy at your head!’ moments.
“Okay....” Fluttershy trailed off, and as soon as the hive was settled, she went to grab the honeycombs and set them aside before beginning to scrape the fresh honey through the soft sift to get the impurities out. “Would you like some fresh honey to take home with you?”
Haruka could only shrug. “If you want to give me some, kitten, I won’t turn it down. Even if it’s something I don’t tend to have.”
“You can always use it. It’s good for tea and morning cakes and pretzels.” Used the scraper to peel off the layers of the golden liquid pouring it into jars as she worked quickly despite how calm she was. “ And it’s a mixture of orange blossom and red maple blossom nectar. The honey has a unique flavour...”
Well... she could hardly turn it down after that. It’d be a nice change, Haruka supposed, which’d probably help keep her distracted from the obvious. “Alright. Might be interesting.”