Boundless Curiosity [Valerie]

i am not interested in fulfilling borrowed dreams

❝

Komachi never considered herself the type to collect trinkets nor lose herself in books, yet as she sat in her bus seat to the outskirts of Fukui, the tailor felt rather excited. Through the window, she could see the facade of a Western-styled mansion slowly come into view. The facade was by no means run-down, but if it were not for the pictures that she had seen online of the interior and the personal recommendation of one of her closest friends, she would have never thought that a book store and curio shop would be located here.

In her excitement, Komachi was the first one off the bus, jogging briskly from the bus stop down the road to the gated entrance of the Mansion, where above a simple wooden sign bearing the name 'Select Fantasia' greeted her. But before passing through the gate, the dark-haired girl paused, turning around to look across the valley towards where she could see, in a faint grey speck, Fukui Academy.

While the lure of finding odds and ends and literature that may or may not provide artistic inspiration was undeniable, the clothier really just wanted to be somewhere a bit farther out from school. Thankfully, while she managed to finish all the costumes for the upcoming theatre department's show despite the absence of her senpai through her sheer force of will and limited ability to wrangle who every she could, it was an still unpleasant experience she was eager to wash away.

A mixture of impatience and worry washed over Komachi as she looked back to the bus stop. The others who had disembarked with her had finally caught up, passing through the gates and to the shop with nary a word or glance. Komachi took out her phone and sighed, looking at the current time, then to her text messages, scrolling to the ones she had sent to Valerie the day before, muttering softly in frustration.

"...early..."

A frown slowly spread across Komachi's face as a sense of worry began to creep in. She had invited Valerie to join her so they could hang out, managing to find a time in Valerie's busy schedule. That schedule was, while not murderously so, still very full for a high school student. Furthermore, the initial invitation was given while Komachi was in a half-dazed, exhausted state, and now the tailor worried if she was just selfishly dragging Valerie around. Valerie really was the first friend she had made a Fukui, and Komachi believed that some time away from school and her work would help, but now she had doubts.

With a sigh, Komachi leaned back against the gate and looked down the road, watching the next bus arrive.

Valerie Belrose ● notes: ● 000

MADE BY MIZO

 i am a flower quickly fading 

Valerie walked.

Admittedly, not all the way from school. But a small opening had arisen, and she... well, she decided to go get a small snack nearby before coming there. So from there, she walked.

Valerie spotted her friend from a distance, and smiled. Her pace picked up just slightly as she approached her. "Hello again." she mentioned, looking at her before gazing at the mansion, wondering if what they were about to do could get them in trouble.Though it was abandoned, right? Wrong. It was a shop now. Which was kinda a relief. As long as it was open to the public, it was probably part of the draw to get to explore there.

Had it been anyone but Komachi, she probably would have said no. Then again, Valerie didn't have a lot of friends, mostly because she kept herself too busy to make many.

She finally stopped, leaning slightly on the nearby fence, "I hope it hasn't lost too much of its allure to you. I suppose the forbidden fruit aspect of it all diminishes when it's not, well, forbidden." she mentioned, "I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long."

210 | @tagged | notes

ulla

i am not interested in fulfilling borrowed dreams

❝

Komachi blinked in surprise as she saw Valerie approach. The next bus hadn't arrived, and tailor was sure that the green-haired girl wasn't on the same bus. That left the only possible explanation being that she took an even earlier bus, and that prospect equally scared and confused Komachi.

"No, no, I just got here," Komachi replied, masking the last bits of her worry with a smile. "Well, I'm still rather interested in poking around, even if we're allowed to poke around for the most part!" She pushed herself off the fence and stood up straight, lifting her arms in a stretch. "Honestly, half of the reason we're here is just to get away from school and just...not do something school-related right?"

The tailor spun on her heels and pointed through the gate towards the front of the mansion, enthusiastically proclaiming, "Well...curiosity beckons!" She turned to look to Valerie and smiled, trying to encourage her. "C'mon, front entrance is there, and people are going in. So they're open!"

There was a slight skip in her step as Komachi walked through the open gate, gesturing for Valerie to follow. As she approached the front door, she could see through the windows; on one side she could see bookshelves filled to the brim with books, and even stacked in piles around them, and on the other were shelves lined with every kind of knack-knack. At the base of the steps of the steps to the front door, Komachi turned around again.

"So...which side do you want to start with?"

Valerie Belrose ● notes: ● 000

MADE BY MIZO

 i am a flower quickly fading 

"Right, well... let's go then." Truth be told, Valerie was a bit pleased it wasn't forbidden. True, it lost a bit of that forbidden fruit luster, but... yeah, it wouldn't lead to trouble later. Especially important, considering that she was there on a student visa, which made her presence there just a bit more fragile.

Valerie's pace kept a pleasant calm, with a gentle smile, though it kept up with Komachi's more obvious vigor. She stopped relatively close to Komachi, partly to take in the sight, partly because she'd expected Komachi to at least move into the building before they stopped to talk again. Glancing through the window and doors, she could see it was quite a well-stocked shop.

Her eyes, however settled on the knick-knacks first, mostly because, well, they were less common. The books though? Books were everywhere, right? She was a bit curious to see what kind this store had, but the knick-knacks would likely be far more varied.

"Perhaps the knick-knacks." she mentioned. She really didn't know what else to go about calling them.

186| @tagged | notes

ulla

i am not interested in fulfilling borrowed dreams

❝

Komachi waited with a rare sense of patience. Despite her own enthusiasm, it seemed that Valerie's sense of serenity was infectious, and though the seamstress still smiled, it was a more calmer expression. Even the nod that Komachi gave to Valerie when the green-haired girl made her decision was a gentle one . Komachi held out her hand reflexively at first, but then masked it as a gesture to follow into the front entrance of the mansion.

The small foyer was brightly lit and sparsely decorated, with a simple sign on an art easel pointing in two directions. The left-facing arrow was labeled 'bookstore' and the right facing labeled 'curios' in both Japanese in English. But behind the sign was a large staircase upwards, with only a small waist-high rope barring passage. With a soft and restrained chuckle, Komachi pointed at the rope. "Well...of course the entire mansion isn't open, but...there's no need to be reckless, right?"

With another gesture to follow, Komachi passed through a pair of double doors that the 'curio' arrow was pointing to. The ceiling suddenly became much higher, and the room more spacious, or would have been were it not for the tables and shelves that filled the room. Komachi deduced it was originally a dining room from the wallpapering and the shape of the room, but her attention was quickly drawn away from a series of kinetic sculptures a few steps away, mesmerized by the way the fan-like parts spun around to make patterns. Then another caught her eye, a few more tables down, then another.

Instead of keeping them all in one spot, the various trinkets were deliberately scattered across the room, and the adjacent ones. If one was looking for decorative china, then they would have to inevitably pass by one or more sets of brushes and combs. Between the hand mirrors and memoriability were toys and tools, and it would have sent Komachi pingponging about the room were it not for her growing worry over Valerie stopping her.

Komachi looked back to Valerie and smiled, hoping the green-haired girl was having fun.

Valerie Belrose ● notes: ● 000

MADE BY MIZO

 i am a flower quickly fading 

Admittedly, Valerie might have had the wrong idea when she was thinking of 'curios'. It struck her as a word that meant small antiques. Which wasn't always off - there were a few items she could see that clearly had some age to them; that, or they were just made to look old or old-fashioned. The kinetic sculptures in particular caught her eye, not that she could afford it. Even if she did, she really didn't have anywhere she could put it.

Val clearly wasn't 'ping ponging' with anything but her eyes, bouncing between items. Old toys she saw that some of her siblings would have liked... she tried not to think about that too much. It always just got her worried.

Komachi could see that Valerie was mostly quietly admiring the items. She made a few mental notes, maybe she'd eventually save to buy something here. Val being Val, it was mostly the items that had some sort of practical applications.

She smiled a bit wider when Komachi looked back, "Anything really catch your eye?" she asked. She knew Komachi wasn't exactly materialistic, but she also pegged her for someone with a bit of a taste for the eclectic. So while she might not want some super-high end thing, she could imagine her friend wanting some little one-of-kind thing. And now, she supposed she knew where she could search for her friend's birthday gifts.

She laughed a little, as her friend's interest in the kinetic sculpture caught her eye, "I'm sorry, I'm just imagining you eventually setting up a house with all these Rube Goldberg machines." She wasn't sure if Komachi knew who he was, but she got the feeling she'd get a bit of a kick out of finding out if she didn't.

303 | @komachi | notes

ulla

i am not interested in fulfilling borrowed dreams

❝

"Hmm~ Ru-be...Gold-berg...Ma-chi-ne..." Komachi echoed in English, before tapping her lips in thought. "I feel like I've heard of something like that. Isn't the that spinning multi-coloured puzzle cube? Oh no, that's a Rubik's Cube. Sorry, Valerie-san, that isn't translating well for me."

Unfazed, Komachi walked back towards Valerie with a smile, her hand hovering over a table full clockwork toys. "I can't deny some of the novelties are catching my eye. Odd things that you generally don't see in everyday life," Komachi said as she kneeled in front of one of the toys, an owl about as large as the tailor's head made of unburnished metal. With a chuckle, Komachi reached around to the key sticking out of its back, winding it up briefly. As she stood back up, the owl came to life, swinging its metal wings up and down in tandem with its beak, its grinding gears emitting a shrill cry before suddenly freezing.

An amused sigh escaped Komachi's lips, but she shook her head and started to walk towards Valerie again, though she kept her eyes on the table and her hand hovering above it. "But if there is anything that I would like to buy and take back with me, it'd have to be something like this." Komachi stopped and picked up a large French barette, holding it up to the light. The barrette's back was a matte black, with thin silver engravings etched into it, accent lines weaving across its length, with a simple stylized flower a third of the way from the edge.

"Well, this is probably considered old-school. It's hardly elaborate, but it gets the job done, both in form and function. So, it very likely wasn't very expensive when it was first sold," Komachi said, a smile spreading through her face. She brought the barrette down in front of her, and tested opening and closing the clasp. The barrette responded resilently, proudly emitting a springy sound every time Komachi opened the clasped and snapping sharply whenever it was closed. "And most importantly, it's still more or less intact. A little faded maybe but...it's supremely durable. Heh...it's probably older than both of us."

Komachi looked to Valerie, her smile softer and more relaxed. "Sorry. Seeing something like this is just...inspiring. Durable, inexpensive, yet fashionable. That's...what my father set out to do when establishing his clothing line..." Komachi's voice faded a bit as her gaze became distance for just a moment before her expression turned back to excitement. She held out he barrette to Valerie, proudly declaring, "Also, I think this would look good on you. What do you think?"

Valerie Belrose ● notes: ● 000

MADE BY MIZO

 i am a flower quickly fading 

"I'll have to show you." Valerie took out her phone, and pulled up the Youtube app as she searched for 'Rube Goldberg Machine'. She shut if off for now, and put it in her pocket. She'd have to show her friend afterwards.

She smiled, as she looked at the clockworks toys, "You have to wonder, who thinks to make these though, much less mass produce them." Not in a dismissive way, more slightly curious than anything. It wouldn't be what most people thought to make, after all. She watched, as the small owl came, slightly startled as the gears screeched.

Her eyes went down towards the barrette, as it was brought up. She took a brief look at it, noting she liked the look of it, before her gaze returned to meet Komachi's once again."A little faded never really bothered me." she mentioned. She was used to used goods, but sometimes, used just made something look better.

She blushed just slightly when Komachi mentioned it would look good on her, "Well... I can't say it doesn't fit my style." she mentioned, her style leaning towards the orderly and professional, at least insofar as her limited budget could afford. And she could afford that, "I might have to get that, myself."

She smiled, as  she slightly leaned against a bit of bare wall, "You know, I don't think I know about any other manufacturer having a philosophy they apply as much to their own lives as much as their product." Which certainly wasn't a bad thing. It was even a bit refreshing.

But she did think. Komachi liked the novel, but practical. Something she could put into use. Something useful that meant something too. She felt she understood her friend just a bit better.

She looked over at what looked to be... clockworks clocks. Brass clocks with moving parts in view... and a little noisy. Definitely not dorm material. This place definitely had been interesting.

She nodded, "You know, it's interesting. You have as long a practical streak as you do an adventurous one. Not usually two traits I would have associated with each other."

364 | @tagged | notes

ulla

i am not interested in fulfilling borrowed dreams

❝

Although a wide grin spread across Komachi's face, she was very much relieved that her gut instinct was correct. As far as Komachi could tell, Valerie wasn't one for the flashy or the ostentatious, despite working in a theatre. But as Valerie said she would get the barrette for herself, Komachi instantly closed her fist, winking and shaking her head. This was going to be gift, whether the green-haired girl liked it or not.

As Valerie took her rest, Komachi continued to wander between the tables, kneeling every now and then when an oddity caught her eye, though the dark-haired girl's focus was still mainly on Valerie.

"Well, you need to balance the two, right?" Komachi quipped, spotting a traditional beam scale on a nearby table, starting to walk towards it. "That's the challenge isn't it? That's the niche I ended up in."

In front of the scale, Komachi kneeled again, taking a closer look at it. It appeared to be made of brass, and was rather tarnished, the beam listing to one side despite both plates being empty. Idly, Komachi tried to lift one of the plates, trying to make the beam horizontal again as she kept talking.

"I think I told you about Yuki, right? The reason why I ended up in fashion design in the first place. She talked to me about what she wanted in a jacket, even came up with a sketch herself. And it was..." Komachi trailed off and chuckled, shaking her head as a slight smile crept in. "...a hideous mess. Sure it fulfilled her desires, but I asked her...is this what 'Yuki' is? Is Yuki a hideous mess?"

With a flick of the finger, Komachi gave up on seeing if the scale could ever be balanced naturally again and walked slowly towards Valerie again, her hand hovering idly over the table.

"She said no, of course. So it became a constant struggle between finding a design that expressed her own personality while still having all the functions she wanted. And I'm sure that there are a lot of other people like Yuki, looking for that fabled intersection of avant garde and en garde."

Valerie Belrose ● notes: ● 000

MADE BY MIZO

 i am a flower quickly fading 

Val blushed a bit when Komachi offered to buy it for her. Normally she would protest, but she noticed a bit of 'and that's the way it's going to be' coming from her gesture. Maybe... well... she didn't want to take advantage of her. Perhaps... well... there's no sense getting in a modesty contest for it's own sake, "T-thank you." she told her friend, "I appreciate that." She gave a bow of thanks. She would make it at least evident that she was thankful.

She listened, to her talk about balance, regaining her composure as she continued to look at the details. She let out a laugh as her friend called the sketch a 'hideous mess'.

Many were quite detailed. She stopped, as an idea entered her head, "You know, have you considered looking into making outdoors wear? I'm not sure how much you're into camping and the like yourself, but it sounds like it would be a great fit for you." She could definitely see Komachi going on a hike some time, and she could see her taste for no-frills practicality translating into durable clothing that could stand up to anything Mother Nature could throw at it.

She wasn't quite sure how en garde worked with fashion though. All she could think about was some Three Muskateers-esque outfit in neon colors, which was almost certainly not what her friend had in mind. Her eyes had spotted a cat-shaped clock for a moment, with a tail that swayed side to side as the seconds passed.

She did just think of something, as she once again idly wound another clockwork toy. "So, what has she been up to lately?" She figured Komachi would keep up with her on social media and the like. She'd heard quite a bit about the heiress's partner in crime, but hadn't actually heard much about what she was up to lately.

324 | @tagged | notes

ulla

i am not interested in fulfilling borrowed dreams

❝

Outdoors wear.

Komachi froze in her tracks, her eyes narrowing before looking downward with a frown hinting at a sense of frustation. The dark-haired girl had considered the notion in the past, even going as far as pestering the Company's market research team for sales numbers. And every time the numbers were disappointing. There just wasn't enough of a market, even when taking into consideration the notion of 'if you make it, they will come'. She had no reason to doubt the brilliant minds behind the research team; it was through their hard work that her family's company stayed on top of trends, but she couldn't deny wishing that they were wrong, that the risk would be worth it.

"Mn...Yeah. I've considered it." Komachi finally said with a weak nod, her eyes looking back up to look into Valerie's. Eventually, she smiled again, tilting her head as Valerie asked about Yuki."

At first, Komachi sighed, then laughed as she shook her head. "Yuki's...calmed down a lot. She ended up as track team captain, along with Miharu. For better or worse, she's stopped poking around, looking for trouble. Or rather she doesn't go out of her way looking for trouble, just taking down the troubles that come across her path." The tailor paused, looked to the side out the window as she feebly leaned against the nearby table. "I suppose things change when you have a girlfriend right? You can't keep doing reckless things..."

Komachi voice trailed off distantly as her mind drifted back to Tokyo. For a moment, a wistful smile took root on the designer's face before turning into a smirk as Komachi turned to look back to Valerie. She pushed herself off the table she was leaning on, but the motion was slow and laboured, as if Komachi's body was suddenly a hundred times heavier.

"Actually...I got to meet Yuki's girlfriend," Komachi said, shambling slightly as she slowly walked towards Valerie. "I always wondered what she'd be like. The first impression was that...she was one of those super lady-like kinds. You know..." Lacking in words, Komachi attempted to do a cursty, awkwardly pulling at the hem of her jacket. "But...for all the dainty...-ness she had. She still had that sort of...firm and...threatening pressure behind her. Like she knew how to throw a punch. Like she could still handle herself in a fight. And...it kept Yuki...not just under control, but...stable and centered."

Once more, Komachi trailed off as her gaze became somewhat distant.

"Just like Miharu. Just like Miharu...and not...like me."

Komachi seemed to be walking in slow motion for a moment before she suddenly snapped back to reality.

"I'm gonna go pay for this, okay?" she said, not really asking for permission as her strides got faster and faster, rounding the table and heading to the doorway out to where she thought the cashier would be. "Want to take a look at the books next?"

Valerie Belrose ● notes: ● 000

MADE BY MIZO

 i am a flower quickly fading 

Valerie's smile faded slightly, as she watched Komachi. Years of watching children had given her a fairly strong sense of empathy. There was something... wrong. She listened to Komachi's labored breaths, as she continued. She feigned a slight giggle as Komachi did a curtsy. Eventually, Komachi trailed off, and had she stayed much longer, she would have asked whether she was feeling alright, whether she wanted to go back to their dorms and talk for a bit.

"Yes... that would be pleasant." she told her, her mind now on Komachi as well. She'd... definitely have to talk about this when they got back. For now though, she figured they might as well finish their trip. She took a deep breath, and waited for her, starting to walk towards the books.

138 | @tagged | notes

ulla

i am not interested in fulfilling borrowed dreams

❝

"<Alright!>" Komachi exclaimed in English, her mood seemly back to normal. Or was it to overcompensate her previous dip in mood? Either way, the tailor found herself with renewed vigour. Her guess regarding where the cashier was not exactly correct; intead of another room as she expected, the cashier was out in an enclosed garden between both the curios shop and the bookstore. A soft breeze met Komachi as she stepped into the garden though the seamstress could not tell whether it was trying to push her forward or hold her back as she approached the smiling woman sitting behind the desk.

The barrette turned out to be not as expensive as Komachi thought it would be, but she found herself without the heart to haggle lower. Not that brunette couldn't, but her sense of urgency was elsewhere. She handed over a few yen bills with a smile, declining any wrapping or bagging and just closing her hand gingerly around the accessory. Her composure held a little longer as she crossed the garden over to the other side where the door to the bookstore waited wide-open.

Only a few steps in, and Komachi was engulfed by a sea of bookcases that towered up to the ceiling. Most space seemed to be taken up by either the books of the shelves, leaving just enough room for one, sometimes two people to walk between. The books were arranged by only the vaguest sense of genre and author, and the shelves themselves were coordinated in no particular fashion, forming a maze of wood and paper.

"Valerie-san...?" Komachi asked into the silence as she walked between the bookshelves, trying to reunite with the green-haired girl. The towering walls around the tailor absorbed Komachi's voice that she had deliberately kept low, not wanting to make such a ruckus in a place she believed was to be kept quiet.

"Valerie...-san...?" Komachi called out again, walking faster towards what she thought was the other entrance to the bookstore. She caught herself missing the '-san' at the last moment. Valerie could take care of herself, and at worst, they had each other's phone numbers. So why was Komachi still so worried?

Valerie Belrose ● notes: ● 000

MADE BY MIZO

 i am a flower quickly fading 

It took her a moment to realize they had different plans. She wanted to look at the books,and figured they'd ring up afterwards. She spent a few moments out of vague curiosity, wanting to see how many books were written by a Japanese author, and how many were translations of the works of foreign authors.

She blushed a bit, feeling embarrassed, as she realized she'd wandered off without Komachi. She spend a moment retracing her steps, when she heard the voice of Komachi, "Komachi-san." she told her, as she heard her voice. Her pace picked up again, catching the sound of worry in Komachi's voice. She began feeling guilty. Her friend had just bought her something, and here she was, wandering off.

Eventually, she turned a sharp corner, and came face to face with her friend. "Ah- K-Komachi-san." she mentioned, looking disproportionately guilty. She'd worried her friend, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have wandered off like that. I... was admittedly a bit confused." Her tone of voice sounded slightly frantic, feeling she'd made much worse an error than she actually had.

190| @tagged | notes

ulla

i am not interested in fulfilling borrowed dreams

❝

Komachi could hear another voice weakly echo off the shelves, followed by the sound of shoes against the wooden floor. Despite the maze, the Komachi was able to make a rough guestimate and began to run, deftly turning corners before coming to sudden halt in front of Valerie.

Finally, she had met up with Valerie, who, despite the look on her face, was still okay otherwise. So what couldn't Komachi say anything? Thankfully, the green-haired girl broke the silence first, giving Komachi some time to catch her breath and calm down even just a little, even having a small smile cross her face. For as strict and forceful as Valerie was backstage, it was rather heartwarming, somehow, to see her like this.

"No, no...!" Komachi replied, shaking her head with a weak chuckle. "That was the plan, my plan, at least, to meet up again. I just...underestimated how hard that would be and just...slightly panicked. Only a bit. Really, if anything, it's my fault for not explaining it and just...running off the way I did. Really."

The weak smile on Komachi's face could barely hold, and eventually fell in the ensuring awkward silence. A soft sigh proceeded a respectful bow. "My apologies, Valeria-san, for running off like that," Komachi said before standing straight up. She looked Valerie in the eyes, her voice waving slightly as as she asked, "Are you having fun? I...feel like I've been dragging you around selfishly, just for my own benefit. That's no way to treat a friend, is it?"

There it went. If the past had taught her anything, it was that keeping such worries in her head would cause more trouble that it prevented. Right? It still felt like a risky gamble, even the act of holding out the barrette to Valerie.

"Anyways...here. All yours. Do enjoy...please...?"

Valerie Belrose ● notes: ● 000

MADE BY MIZO

i am a flower quickly fading

Valerie closed her eyes for a moment, and took a deep breath to calm down, as the immediate embarrassment from losing Komachi started to fade. She smiled slightly, as she responded, "Of course. It's honestly pretty interesting here. And to tell you to truth, I don't think I've quite been to a shop like this." Part of it was money. She'd rarely had the time or funds to go to little shops like this, and looking at the odds and ends was quite interesting.

She bowed respectfully in return, as she gently took the barrette from her friend. She fastened it to her hair. It didn't match her outfit terribly well, but it was lovely, and a lovely gift, "Thank you."

"To tell you the truth, I'd probably just be watching TV right now if we weren't here. I'll admit I don't have a ton of hobbies. It's nice going around town." She gave her a genuine smile. Not one of her soft, mild smiles, but a genuine smile like you'd see on other people's faces. As she felt the contours of her face move, she noted she was having a genuine good time. Probably because it was from a friend, but it still felt a bit different for some reason.

"I hope I haven't been too bland. I'll have to think of something for us to do for next time."

240 | @tagged | notes

ulla

i am not interested in fulfilling borrowed dreams

❝

Komachi blinked, unsure of how to take Valerie's silence, but seeing the green-haired girl smile was an immediate relief. Komachi's stature corrected itself, standing tall and relaxed, smiling as she watched Valerie put the barrette into her hair. It wasn't a perfect fit, but it was workable - the compromise inherent of a 'versatile' accessory.

"Not bland at all, Valerie-san," the tailor replied, chuckling right after. "You've been good company, and...a really a joy to be around. So don't force yourself to think of stuff for the next time we hang out, alright? Please?" Komachi's chuckles became more and more nervous as she took a step back and looked to her side. Her eyes pored over the spines on the shelf in her immediate view, but none of the titles stood out.

"Anyways...this place ended up as...not the sort my old friends would be snooping around to find secrets. Too cleaned up, too well-run. And besides...I never was part of the sleuthing team..." the dark-haired girl explained with an embarrassed sigh. Her eyes fell a bit, speaking without looking at Valerie in vague embarassment. "So, I'm glad that you're still enjoying yourself."

Suddenly, Komachi perked up as she spun around to face Valerie again. "Anyways...! Now we're here! Among the books! Ow!" She had thrown her arms into the air and to the side as part of a revelatory flourish but had forgotten the cramped space she was in and smacked both her hands against the bookshelves. Though the seamstress shook her hands to get rid of the stinging sensation, her countenance seemed to be unchanged. "I never was much of a book person myself, so, uh...any recommendations?"

Valerie Belrose ● notes: ● 000

MADE BY MIZO

 i am a flower quickly fading 

She felt herself getting a bit nervous in response, but she only gave a genuine, if slightly altered smile in return. "A-oh. Thank you, Komachi-san." They were apparently to the point where they could do that now. The young woman nodded, "I... won't force myself. But I will certainly keep my mind open." Her cheeks had just the slightest tint of red to them, "I certainly enjoy your company too." Her posture became demure, shrinking just a little as she looked at Komachi.

"I am." she mentioned, spending a moment scanning the book titles as well, "I don't quite go to places like this often. When I shop, I'm used to going to places more... practical, more mainstream, no-frills. This place is different. In some ways, it almost doesn't have a point. It sells what it wants to. An adventure of it's own. I guess it's different, and it's nice to see that occasionally." She scanned the books a bit more for a moment, before her head swiveled in the direction of the expression of mild pain.

An at that point, her pseudo-maternal instincts took hold. It wasn't until a moment later she realized she'd done anything. She blushed deeply, "U-um. I apologize. I... uh... overreacted a bit, I suppose."

In an almost reflexive effort to check for if she thought it would bruise, Valerie had taken hold of Komachi's wrist to check if it would bruise. As if Komachi had been one of her younger siblings. She gently let go of the heiress's hand, before both of her own were practically glued to her own legs, forbidding them to go closer to anything or anyone else, and Valerie had an expression of awkwardness stuck on her face.

297| @tagged | notes

ulla

i am not interested in fulfilling borrowed dreams

❝

The smarting in Komachi's hand rapidly subsided as she shook it. Or was the tailor only trying to ignore it out of a sense of pride? It was too late to figure out which as her wrist was immediately immobilized by Valerie's intervening hand. Komachi blinked in surprise, freezing up with the expression on her face clearly showing that she was caught off-guard.

And for a moment she could see a glimpse of Yuki where the green-haired girl stood. Reflex would have dictated Komachi to wrest her hand away forcefully, but instead her focus was on Valerie, standing still as if waiting for her friend to say something, perhaps even chastising. But the moment passed quickly as the seamstress' wrist was freed. Komachi tilted her head and frowned in further confusion, letting her wrist drop loosely at her side.

In a way, seeing Valerie so locked up was actually scary, so much that a pang of guilt shot through the dark-haired girl. Slowly, Komachi raised her hand again to show Valerie.

"It's okay, it's okay. See? It's okay. It'll be okay. No cuts or anything at least," Komachi said with weak smile, taking a look at her own hand for the first time to actually confirm it was okay. For some reason, it was hard to summon up the raucous energy from earlier, so the tailor abandoned that pursuit, simply putting her hands on her hips afterwards. "Besides. I'm not some fragile ojou, some <lady> who'd fall apart with a simple touch. I can take a punch or ten."

Valerie Belrose ● notes: ● 000

MADE BY MIZO

 i am a flower quickly fading 

Valerie took a deep breath. Not because Komachi wasn't hurt - her rational mind had pretty much deduced that the second she allowed one spark to get from one side of her brain to the other. It was because Komachi wasn't annoyed with her, or at least not annoyed enough with her to say something about it.

She let out a small chuckle in relief once Komachi reminded her that she wasn't fragile. "I'm sorry, I suppose I'm just so used to doing that for my brothers and sisters that it was force of habit." she mentioned, it a mildly jovial tone. The feeling of adventure admittedly faded, and Valerie wondered for a moment whether that might have been her fault. Whatever the case, it felt like the mood had changed a bit. Perhaps it was best to go somewhere else.

"So... do you want to go get a snack somewhere?" she asked. She was about to say 'my treat' but instead said, "If you're done here, that is." She'd let the chips fall where they may with payment, and see how that worked out. She'd be happy to pay, of course, but she wouldn't insist. Even though part of her wanted to 'make things even' still.

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