"Yeah, yeah." She didn't sound as though she were entirely paying attention, but she knew what he meant. She'd heard him the first time, and fully intended to try her best to keep her hands to herself. "I'll keep my hands in my pockets or something..." Her voice trailed off as something else caught her attention, a pause in her step for just a moment as she watched a cat run across an alleyway.
Rhode wasn't really trying to fall so far behind; It was more an issue of Gin walking too fast. She wanted to see everything, and he was interested in getting there quickly. She finally skittered up beside him, falling into step and taking the bag carefully. "What's in it?" She just had to have her nose in everything, but it was just innocent curiosity- or something a bit closer to obsessive compulsion.
"Koraa- a kimono. And mochi," Gin said, shooing her hands before she could properly open the bag. Even with her fully caught up, Gin realized how quickly she fell back behind again and decided to humor her, slowing his steps slightly. "Macha and red bean flavored for our little mechanic. Perhaps, if he takes a liking to you he'll be generous and share, naa? Spanner has a sweet tooth; you have that in common."
The two of them rounded a corner into a small, insignificant alley way -- the same place that Gin had visited the first time he had met Spanner many years earlier. With a nod he motioned to the unassuming storefront at the end of the narrow passage. "Ara, here we are," he said with the faintest of sighs.
"Who doesn't like sweet stuff?" Rhode muttered the words, looking a bit disappointed that she hadn't been able to dig her way into the bag. She was concentrating on Gin and the gift more than she was on their surroundings, now, and so she actually managed to stay even with him until they reached the turn. "Doesn't look too special." It was an offhanded remark; Not really insulting, but a casual observation.
Surely the outside of Spanner's residence was anything but special. There was only two metal doors, one leading to the garage and one leading to the front of his shop. There wasn't any decorations or anything colorful of the sort that would draw one's attention. And really, it was just to Spanner's liking. He didn't want to be on the outlook for undesirable people - cops, for instance. The majority of his clients were mafia members, or else, neutral ones doing the dirty works.
Spanner could hear voices drawing near, and slid off of his stool, walking towards the entrance to greet his customers. "Good evening." His back bent forward in a bow.
"Spanner-kun," Gin said, his mouth spreading from a smile to a grin. He approached the young mechanic, leaving Rhode behind once again, and bowed fully in proper greeting as he stood in the doorway to his modest establishment. "These days find you well, naa? Though perhaps you should relocate." He gave the facade of Spanner's shop a quick once over then shook his head. "A man like you should have a place befitting his skill, naa?"
It was a topic that Gin had brought up several times in the past -- the possibility of upgrading Spanner's place, which required a shift off of neutral territory. Throughout the years, Spanner had never agreed and by now, Gin did it more out of habit then for an actual answer. Stepping to the side, presented Rhode to the young mechanic as she stumbled down the alleyway to there the both of them stood. "Koraa, Spanner-kun. This is Rhode Kamelot. She's the one in need of your services, naa?"
"Hi." Rhode knew that sounded just a little lame in comparison, but she didn't quite know what else to say. After all, Gin seemed to know this guy very well, and Rhode was just the tagalong. Well, until Gin decided to point her out so obviously when she tried to follow him.
Rhode looked a bit awkward as she tried to figure out what she was supposed to do, finally shifting a bit on her feet and looking to Gin for a moment. Was that her cue to give him the bag...? She decided to just play it safe and be quiet until she was sure.
Spanner chewed on his lollipop, glancing from Ichimaru's grinning face to the little girl's confused expression. "Maa, Ichimaru-san, you know it's hard for me to move around." He shrugged his shoulders, giving the silver-haired man a lazy grin then turned back to the girl. So the one needing a custom weapon was this kid? The thought was a little bit hard to believe, as she only looked barely over twelve years old. But that didn't matter, he supposed. Kids these days could be surprising. "Hello there." He greeted the girl, lips curling into a smile.
Looking at Rhode, Gin gave a nod of his head toward Spanner. "Yare yare, Rhode-kun," he said with an exasperated groan, "Don't be shy, naa? Spanner-kun won't bite." Wrapping an arm around her, Gin gave her the slightest nudge forward. "Koraa -- I'm sure he'd like to see what we've brought him for his troubles."
Stumbling just a bit as he pulled her forward, Rhode had a moment of something like embarrassment as she realized she should have offered the gift. Damn it, she'd tried-
She held it out a bit too fast, looking down as she did so. "I- We brought you a gift!" This was just awkward beyond belief, but she was trying her best. "Gin said we both like sweets and that you'll like this, so..." This was relatively pathetic, but she did her best not to act as stupid as she was feeling right now.
Arching an eyebrow, Spanner let out a sigh. "Ichimaru-san... I've always told you that gifts were unnecessary." His client had always done that in the past, every time he visited Spanner's workshop, he would have something to offer, sweets, trinkets, anything distinctly Japanese to strike at the mechanic's weak spot. Nevertheless, Spanner didn't refuse the gifts out of courtesy, and moreover, he really did not want to pass up the chance. His obsession was too large, after all.
Spanner took the bag in his hands and bowed to Ichimaru and that girl called Rhode. "Thank you," he said. There was no use refusing, since in the end Ichimaru would have his way because Spanner couldn't resist. "Let's go inside. I promise it'll be much more interesting in there than out here." A playful wink was sent in Rhode's direction.
Rhode seemed rather relieved to have the bag off her hands, trying to step back ever so slightly. Standing in the middle wasn't very comfortable, after all. Her discomfort was rather quickly forgotten at the mention of something interesting, however. An angelic little smile characterized her sudden change in attitude, and once they were inside she would be off and looking at everything- Not touching, since she'd promised not to, but he hadn't said a thing about checking everything out.
Gin shuffled Rhode carefully into the front room of Spanner's place, finally letting go of her shoulder once Spanner had engaged the shop's security mechanism. He released her the way one would a butterfly into the air, and for a moment he did nothing by watch her flit around the tiny space, alighting on this piece of equipment or that. Satisfied that she would keep to her word and not touch anything, Gin turned sharply on his heel towards Spanner. He nodded towards the paper bag in his hand. "Ara -- this time I do not spoil you without cause, Spanner-kun. I have a very special request to make for your commission, na? No easy task, I assure you." He leaned in and added, "Koraa, I'd consider it a personal favor if the job could be made a priority. We cannot have our little Rhode wander without protection, naa, Spanner-kun?"
"Tsk." The mechanic clicked his tongue, looking torn. "Ichimaru-san, I really don't like being partial or any particular client of mine." A brow frowned. He felt bad, of course. Ichimaru had given him so much that it was a burden on the mechanic to refuse him anything. The trap had been strung, and Spanner had been foolish enough to let himself get caught. He paused for a moment, thinking hard about the schedule and the progress of which his other order was coming along. "... Depends on what it is that you want. I have about a month until my other client picks up his order, and the progress is going nicely. Maybe I could squeeze in some time for the little lady's."
Gin could see the discomfort spread across Spanner's face, taking hold of his young features, making them bend and twist towards a frown. In his head, Gin scolded himself; perhaps he had been a bit more forward, but with Rhode around he wanted to side-step their usual dance of compliments, barter, and idle talk. Moving to sit and gesturing him to take a seat across him, Gin made a small motion to the sword at his hilt. "Shinsou is no stranger to you, naa? I would like for you to make Rhode-kun something built upon her brilliance. Something clever...like always, Spanner-kun." Gin looked over to where Rhode was peering over the edge of a table sideways to study a small metal sphere. "Something appropriate for a young lady, naa?"
Glancing over at the girl absorbed in observing the many gadgets Spanner had on numerous shelves, how the little form twittered around like a bird, Spanner sighed. "I guess I could try." He pondered for a moment and took out several sticks of lollipop of different flavors from a pocket and waved the girl over. "Little lady, would you care for a lollipop?" Maybe it wouldn't get her attention, but little kids generally liked sweets. Then he could ask about her preferences.
That certainly caught her attention. Rhode was at his side in a flash, snagging the one that looked most enticing in color and unwrapping it before finally nodding. "Lollipops are cool." She barely glanced behind herself before sitting on the edge of the table, having to jump just a bit. She was rather petite for a sixteen year old, and the doctors had discussed her size as some side effect of her surgeries- She'd heard them, even though they talked about her as if she was too stupid to understand.
She'd much rather have her size messed with than the parts of her brain they had destroyed. Rhode sucked on the lollipop with a rather distracted expression, staring at something on the other side of the shop that had caught her attention as she pulled a knee up to her chest.
Rhode wasn't really trying to fall so far behind; It was more an issue of Gin walking too fast. She wanted to see everything, and he was interested in getting there quickly. She finally skittered up beside him, falling into step and taking the bag carefully. "What's in it?" She just had to have her nose in everything, but it was just innocent curiosity- or something a bit closer to obsessive compulsion.
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The two of them rounded a corner into a small, insignificant alley way -- the same place that Gin had visited the first time he had met Spanner many years earlier. With a nod he motioned to the unassuming storefront at the end of the narrow passage. "Ara, here we are," he said with the faintest of sighs.
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Spanner could hear voices drawing near, and slid off of his stool, walking towards the entrance to greet his customers. "Good evening." His back bent forward in a bow.
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It was a topic that Gin had brought up several times in the past -- the possibility of upgrading Spanner's place, which required a shift off of neutral territory. Throughout the years, Spanner had never agreed and by now, Gin did it more out of habit then for an actual answer. Stepping to the side, presented Rhode to the young mechanic as she stumbled down the alleyway to there the both of them stood. "Koraa, Spanner-kun. This is Rhode Kamelot. She's the one in need of your services, naa?"
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Rhode looked a bit awkward as she tried to figure out what she was supposed to do, finally shifting a bit on her feet and looking to Gin for a moment. Was that her cue to give him the bag...? She decided to just play it safe and be quiet until she was sure.
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She held it out a bit too fast, looking down as she did so. "I- We brought you a gift!" This was just awkward beyond belief, but she was trying her best. "Gin said we both like sweets and that you'll like this, so..." This was relatively pathetic, but she did her best not to act as stupid as she was feeling right now.
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Spanner took the bag in his hands and bowed to Ichimaru and that girl called Rhode. "Thank you," he said. There was no use refusing, since in the end Ichimaru would have his way because Spanner couldn't resist. "Let's go inside. I promise it'll be much more interesting in there than out here." A playful wink was sent in Rhode's direction.
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She'd much rather have her size messed with than the parts of her brain they had destroyed. Rhode sucked on the lollipop with a rather distracted expression, staring at something on the other side of the shop that had caught her attention as she pulled a knee up to her chest.
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