[IC] Of Steam and Souls

[Blue Demon]

((I apologize in advanced if Shigetoshi's personality changes this is the new normal for him.))

Shigetoshi froze as Tatsuki held out a covered apple slice. The innkeeper eyes the offered food warily. He knew Tatsuki couldn't mean anything by it. Couldn't because Shigetoshi had decided that Tatsuki was just oblivious. Anyways he had promised himself that he would stay distant and not do anything stupid like falling for his guest anymore.

"I.." Shigetoshi still eyed the offending piece of food. "I'm full." He finally managed. Shigetoshi grabbed his plate and hurried back to the kitchen. There he pinched himself hard. Fool. He was supposed to be a professional, yet a smile and a gesture was all it took to throw all that out the window. He carefully scraped the food off his plate and squirreled it away to eat later. He couldn't waste anything.

When that was done the young man washed the dishes and hesitantly poked his head back out into the dinning room. He hoped that Tatsuki was gone so he could return and continue his duties. Coward He mentally berated himself.

[PopeAlessandros]

The innkeeper gives the food a look like Tatsuki had just offered him something beyond bizarre and potentially poisonous. He isn't quite sure how to take the look, given how the young man has never used it before, but when Shigetoshi denies the offer and rushes off the shinigami feels that he must have done something to offend the young man. 'I was just trying to help him learn about foreign food. He seems to have an interest of what lay beyond these shores, or perhaps at the least beyond the mountain, but perhaps I overstepped somewhere. . . .' Popping the bunny into his own mouth he looks around the room, glad to see many smiling faces, however his mind quickly drifts to the man hiding in the kitchens and he finds himself standing, ready to pursue.

He walks slowly, trying to figure out how to address his faux pas, his eyes looking through the wall to see what the youth is up to. Seeing him at the sink, washing away, Tatsuki licks his lips, thinking. 'I could very well be keeping him from his duties, demanding too much time. I could be being a bother, however. . . I am quite sure he would tell me this. He is very polite, yet this does not stop him from stating his mind much of the time. . .' Pausing outside the door to the kitchens he sighs softly.

Turning his back he settles next to the door, crossing his arms over his chest to think. 'I may have done something wrong, ad I could check, a quick look, get my bearings, but I swore to stay out of there. I wanted to try and interact with me, just me, and no other weapons than my years and years of experience interacting with humans. . .' He shakes his head. 'My years and years are filled with my uses of the powers I have, so working without them is an entirely new experience since I took this job. I may have all the memories of what I did, however I must retrain myself to recognize with my eyes the way things are going, not just the powers. . .'

A moment later he is snapped out of his thoughts by the kitchen door sliding open and Shigetoshi's head popping out. With a gentle, apologetic smile Tatsuki murmurs, “Would you like some help cleaning up?” With a hand he gestures to the mostly empty dining room,t he diners having mostly left while the shinigami was lost in thought.

[Blue Demon]

Shigetoshi kept up the mental flagellation as he spotted Tatsuki. Of course, that was after the young man jumped at how close he was. Still, politeness won out. Years of drilled in manners asserted themselves and he had no choice but to go along.

"No. I've abused your help too much. You're a guest, the idea is for you to relax." He smiled at Tatsuki as if to say: yes, everything is fine here.

Shigetoshi didn't wait for the other man to respond before fully entering the dining room, instead of luring in the door like an idiot. He forced himself to move slowly and precisely as he gathered up the used dishes and chopsticks. All the while more than half of his attention was completely focused on Tatsuki and what he would do next. The rest of his attention wasn't quite on his menial task. But rather on the fact that the foreigners had all left the room. His mind conjured up images of where they might be, what they might be doing. And of course, that foreigner who had cast eyes on him. The young man found himself blushing again at the memory.

As Shigetoshi worked the rest of the guests left the dining room.