Rubber duckie, you're my friend! Rubber duckie, my friend to the end!

[nosamurai]

Who: Haruno Sakura, Azure Kite, Sebastian Michaelis? TECHNICALLY OPEN if you... dare
When: Soon after reset, when Tasuki's set off the sprinklers, Sakura's declared spa-time, and Kite's catching colds. And Sebastian drools or something.
Where: Kite's Room --> Suite 10's Bathroom
Summary: Sakura hauls Kite to bath time so she can get some R&R,

Comments

[nosamurai]

She helped him down, keeping an eye on him to monitor his progress. He might have been in better shape than the last time she'd dealt with him on gold collar. That thought was comforting enough that she turned away for a moment to secure the door.

[little_stitches]

Kite still stumbled about but managed to stay on his feet. Progress! He took a few practice laps around the bathroom while Sakura busied herself with the door, walk reminiscent of a very small child just learning how to on its own. He eventually settled near the bathtub because, hey. Why walk if you truly didn't have to anymore?

Time to start peeling off some layers. He fumbled with the many straps and buckles on his patchy clothing, his last remaining dry set. Off went the vest and shirt. After taking care of those two layers he sneezed again and sat shivering, skin paler than usual due to the illness creeping up on him. Kite rubbed at the scar tissue on his back, the testament to Duzell's ego. Then another sneeze. His nose dripped and he didn't bother to sniffle.

[nosamurai]

Sakura had slid by Kite while he was in the process, saying nothing as she folded her towel neatly and kept it out of the water. It said something about her comfort levels with the AI that this didn't send her into either a blushing or a raging fury; he was, in certain respects, like a kid brother. It was novel, really -- she'd never had one of those herself

[little_stitches]

Easier said than done. Kite stared at the water intently, as if daring it to blink first. After losing that competition Kite peeled off the last few layers of clothing, leaving it all in a rumpled heap beside the tub as he slowly hoisted himself over the edge. One awkward slip and plop later, the ungraceful AI landed in the bath, coughing and rubbing his eyes.

"...a-aah, in I went," he confirmed, as if Sakura somehow didn't notice that displace of extreme clumsiness. That's what he got for trying to be independent. There! Now the worst part was over with. The future held nothing but happy splashing. And maybe some pruning of the fingers and toes. Only time would tell. Once settled, Kite drew his knees to his chest and traced figure eights on the surface of the water.

"Can just... sleep this waah... week. Am useless, aah... even more than usual now."

[nosamurai]

"Stop that." Her tone was curt, and she was regarding him seriously. Her patience was lacking, even if she understood insecurities about self-worth. Intimately. Perhaps that understanding is what bothered her most, after watching Kite react to -- well, to Kite.

"Why are you useless? You keep telling me that, so come up with a few explanations." A light shove with her hands sent a little of the water his way, splashing up his side. "Because isn't enough of an answer, so don't try that on me."

[little_stitches]

Kite flinched away from the water and the words, finding them both equally unpleasant. But she asked for it, so he felt compelled to answer. Strangely.

"Haah... here I am of no real use. No real function here. Nhhn... no virus. No Aura. M-made with aah... a purpose, but do not have real purpose here. The only virus is... Cloud's, and cannot extract that fully no maah... m-matter how hard I try. Not even with all my power," he started, initiating another staring contest with the water. The words kept tumbling out. No censorship is kind of a bummer.

"Original haah... h-here, and..." Well. He already covered that insecurity with her when Kite the First arrived, so no need to repeat himself. Kite's head hung lower, forehead going to make contact with the surface of the water soon at this rate.