Work Text:
Souma knelt in the dirtbed, a mat beneath her knees and small flower starts in hand. Hiyori placed a bucket of tools beside the younger woman, then sat and relaxed in the iron garden chair nearby, happy to have her eyes shielded by her sunglasses whilst rubbing sunscreen on her arms and legs. Kanata approached happily, swaying a watering can at her side, before plopping herself to the ground and splashing a bit on her legs with the sudden motion.
“Soumaaa… I have this ‘watering can’ for you…” The spacey woman began, dipping her fingers in the water and rubbing the droplets along her hands. “Thank you very much!” Souma nodded firmly, beginning to diligently work at the dirt without another word. Hiyori sipped at her lemonade, watching contentedly as the samurai began to carefully re-plant a variety of flowers. Hiyori could, of course, recognize roses, but nothing else stood out very much…
“What are you planting there, Souma-chan? I see some roses, but that’s surely not all, by the looks of things?” She asked, leaning forward a bit and glancing over her sunglasses. Souma kept cautiously putting the flowers into the dirt, not looking up as she spoke. “Yellow roses, mysteriously colored gerbera, haibiisukasu, daria, and white roses. There is also a bush of wisteria here, and this is a small kameria , but Tomoe-dono can likely tell that much.” She replied, and Kanata leaned over the few that had already been replanted, looking over them with curiosity.
“I see… Do you know much about flower language, Souma-chan? It’s fascinating, isn’t it?” Hiyori took out a small book from her purse, a flower language dictionary– She didn’t usually carry it around, but knowing she would be overseeing the planting of a garden that FLAVOR frequented meant she packed accordingly. Really, all she had to do was make sure it went smoothly, and check up on the flowers again once a week until they bloomed… So she flipped through her book and looked into the meanings of them all while Souma continued with her relocation of the flowers, and Kanata watered them at her own leisurely pace.
After not very long at all, Souma stood and brushed her hands off, nodding with pride down at her work. “I am finished, Tomoe-dono! Is there anything else you need from me?” She asked, fidgeting with the hilt of her sword.
Hiyori looked thoughtful, then shook her head. “I’d just like to ask if you wouldn’t mind coming back once the flowers bloom, alright? I’ll have Kanata-chan keep up with the watering, I’ll ensure she stays on top of things– So I look forward to seeing you in a few weeks when this beautiful garden you’ve created comes to life, got it?” Without waiting for an answer, Hiyori simply beams at Souma before turning on her heel, lemonade in hand as she heads back to the kitchen nearby. The two other women watch her leave, Souma raising an eyebrow while Kanata simply smiles.
“Tomoe-dono is a fascinating woman.” Souma commented slowly, trying to word it in a way that wasn’t outright insulting.
“Ohisama-san lives by her own ‘rules’… It’s ‘cute’, isn’t it…? Chief-san sometimes says that she acts ‘quirky’…” Kanata simply kneels to look at the watering can again, then dipping both of her hands in and wetting them happily, seemingly having moved on from Hiyori’s eccentricity already.
A few weeks later, as agreed, the three of them (Kanata asked to come when she caught up with Hiyori later that day, and apparently it was a given) met in the garden. Hiyori had a servant from her family with her, preparing tea and snacks at the small table with chairs around it where she had been sitting just a couple of weeks prior. There was an umbrella planted firmly in the center of the table, rooted in the ground and rising high enough to provide ample shade in the sunny weather that beamed down on the garden.
Hiyori sat like a regal little overseer– Well, really, what else was she?– Happily keeping an eye on her servant as she picked idly at the underside of her nails to ensure they were impeccable. “You’ll make sure Kanata-chan and Souma-chan have enough space to sit and eat, won’t you? I know we brought out my personal fine dining set, but there’s surely nothing stopping you from dragging another table nearby, isn’t that right?”
She took out her phone, checking her messages– One from Rinne, asking if she knew where Kanata had gone. Funny, they were together when she’d left, so maybe Kanata slipped away without a word… Ah, yes, one from Souma! Saying that the two of them were on their way. Hiyori typed up a quick reply to Rinne, thinking fondly of her redheaded dormmate. She could be a bit of a noisy pain at times, but Hiyori figured she was likely just as bad, so she tried not to judge even despite the… Great lack of femininity Rinne displayed at times. Everyone was different, after all, and she was unlearning the idea of what made a woman that had been instilled in her since birth. Coming to live at Starmony had taught her many things…
“Ohisama-san… What is all of this?” Kanata interrupted Hiyori’s thoughts slowly, looking at the setup before them. She glanced at the two tables that were now covered with what appeared to be special tablecloths on each, embroidered neatly with a pale green thread at the bottom. There was a tiered silver serving tray set on each table, adorned with a variety of sandwiches, cookies, and even some fresh fruits. On the table Hiyori sat at, there was a tea set with steeping black tea in the pot, and intricately painted dishes for the sugarcubes and milk.
“A tea party! To celebrate the growth of Souma-chan’s friendship garden, isn’t that obvious?” Hiyori scoffed playfully, gesturing for the two to sit. Souma looked over at her flowers, fingering the hilt of her sword thoughtfully before she bowed to Hiyori, then sat at her seat.
“Thank you for this, Tomoe-dono! I appreciate the effort very much. But what do you mean, friendship gaaden ?”
“Well, don’t you know the meanings of everything you planted?” Hiyori asked, standing and pointing to each plant as she spoke, the bracelet on her wrist shifting and making the sun charm clink against the metal of the main part.
“These mean friendship. These mean loyalty. These mean platonic love, these mean longing and grace, and these mean gentleness.” As she gestured to each, there grew a smile on Hiyori’s face, seemingly proud of having identified all of this. Kanata clapped lightly, a small smile playing on her own lips before she grabbed a strawberry and took a bite of it. “It’s very ‘smart’ of Ohisama-san to identify all of the ‘flowers’ here…” She watched as Souma began to lift the teapot, offering it to Kanata who only nodded happily in response. Souma prepared the tea for them both while Hiyori sat, looking much more proud with the new praise.
“Yes, it’s admirable that Tomoe-dono did the necessary research to find all of this out. Though I was aware of the meanings, I hadn’t thought anybody else would draw those same conclusions as I did. Their colors are comforting, and I wanted to create an environment that would soothe the senses of all those choosing to spend their time here.” Souma added to the praise in her own way, causing Hiyori’s chest to puff up a bit with a feeling of great accomplishment. “Now, Tomoe-dono, would you like for me to prepare your tea as well?”
“If you wouldn’t mind, of course!” Hiyori nodded, her dangly earrings reflecting light. Souma was fascinated by how one woman could carry so much energy and act as such a bright presence, if not slightly confused by the way she carried herself at the same time. A nosy individual, Hiyori was known to enjoy gossiping and frequently caused a few issues alongside Arashi and Tori with their habits of ‘girl-talk’. Souma didn’t exactly mind, as the women were ultimately harmless, but she could never quite get the appeal of gossiping like they did. If they always gathered in this type of manner, though… She hummed to herself, passing the teacup and saucer over to Hiyori, who had been chatting idly with Kanata as the samurai remained lost in her own thoughts.
“Souma-chan, how do you keep your hair looking so luscious? It’s got to be the longest of anyone I know, really, and it never seems tangled!” Hiyori leaned forward, grabbing a biscuit off a tray and eating it with a content look on her face. Souma nodded firmly, a proud look coming over her features. “Yes, I take great pride in my hair! I use horse oil, handed through my family through the generations. It is made to help hair withstand anything, so it assists greatly in ensuring my hair remains soft and well-maintained.”
“Horse oil… Oil made of horses?”
“Absolutely not! Oil that we use on the manes of our horses.” Souma gestured a bit as she spoke. “As a family, we take the best care of our horses that we can, giving them a lavish life full of care, to ensure we get the most service from them.” Kanata nodded as she listened, whereas Hiyori simply leaned back in her chair, eyes remaining trained on Souma. Taking in her features– Her long hair, the original subject, drew attention easily. It framed her face in a graceful way, one that made her look as dignified as she acted. She was quite pretty, not in a way that made Hiyori attracted to her, but just in a way that made her want to admire the samurai’s beauty.
Kanata was pretty as well, with hair as short as Hiyori’s curling in slightly around her jawline, bangs held back by cute sea-themed hairclips that Hiyori had bought for her dormmate some time ago. Her plain white shirt complimented her lightly tanned skin well, and matched the shade of blue in both her hair and eyes, almost as if the clothes were made for her. Hiyori considered herself lucky that Kanata wasn’t a fashion disaster like some people she knew, or she’d be working overtime on making-over everybody who wore ripped jeans and lame graphic tees to work…
“... Ohisama-san? You seem ‘distracted’...” Kanata waved her hand lightly, and Hiyori only laughed. “My apologies, Kanata-chan, Souma-chan! I was just thinking about how you two would be excellent models for a tea party-themed photoshoot, don’t you agree? With the right clothes and a little bit of makeup to truly bring out your features, you could achieve such a gorgeous look…”
Souma seemed unsure of how to take the praise on her appearance, but Kanata smiled and nodded. “Ohisama-san is so ‘sweet’... Maybe we could arrange a ‘shoot’ together, one just for ‘friends’, instead of work…”
“That would be lovely! What do you think, Souma-chan?”
“I– I am not used to doing a shuuto for personal reasons, but I would not be opposed to it. If Tomoe-dono wishes to arrange such a thing, I will do all I can to learn and grow in my modeling alongside those with more experience.” Souma nodded with determination in her eyes, and Hiyori giggled under her breath. What a cute kid she was– Well, only two years younger, but she reminded Hiyori of her little sister… So earnest and intent on learning as much as possible.
Sipping her tea delicately, Hiyori listened as Souma began to talk about her work with AKATSUKI and how it had helped her grow as a person. The older woman was unfamiliar with Souma’s unitmates on a personal level, but of course she knew of them, due to her involvements in the war and the role played by AKATSUKI during that time. Kanata spoke of the aquarium she ran, telling the others about Kaoru’s involvement and how she’d recently picked up a part-time job there, apparently wanting to make up for her lack of involvement in the marine life club’s activities during their time at Yumenosaki. Souma seemed unconvinced by this, but Kanata pet her head reassuringly.
“Kaoru is a ‘funny’ woman… She does as she likes, but means no ‘harm’, so please be less ‘doubtful’ of her…”
“Yesyes, Kaoru-chan is a fascinating woman indeed! She’s always been kind to me, even if she has a pretty flaky vibe, right? Seems like it’s mellowed out in recent years, wouldn’t you say? I don’t think she’d leave a debt unsettled like that, Souma-chan.”
“That former disgrace to our club…” Souma only sighed and shook her head. “Whatever Shinkai-dono and Tomoe-dono say, then. Perhaps it would be worth my while to see how that blonde is doing, as an unexpected visit… People behave true to themselves when they are unprepared for others to witness the way they act. Should I stalk her for a day…?”
“Ah, no, no, I don’t think that’s necessary, Souma-chan…? Just go pop by her dorm, I could organize to see Nagisa-chan at the same time, if you’d like company~?” Hiyori offered, and Kanata giggled at the noble’s attempt to prevent Souma from doing anything silly. Souma seemed thoughtful. “I shall consider your offer, thank you, Tomoe-dono.” She nodded, grabbing a swiss roll off the plate and eating it. Hiyori only smiled at them both, leaning back slightly in her chair and thinking.
“You two should join FLAVOR, I’m sure you would find it delightful! Or perhaps we could just organize to meet with one another for routine tea parties aside from club activities, would that be better?” Tapping the stirring spoon against her bottom lip, Hiyori hummed.
Souma shook her head a bit, waiting until she’d finished the bite in her mouth before speaking; “I do not think it would be wise for me to join another saakuru at this point in time, but I certainly would like to have tea with you and Shinkai-dono on occasion, if both of you find it agreeable.”
“It sounds ‘lovely’ to me… I would have to make sure RYUSEITAI has no ‘practice’, but I like to be with Ohisama-san, and Souma has a ‘comforting’ presence as well… Ohisama-san, you should ‘text’ Souma your ideas, and she can fill me in later… I don’t have my ‘smartphone’ with me…”
“Ah, I don’t, either. I still often forget to bring it around, even though Kiryu-dono and Hasumi-dono reprimand me for it at times… Worry not, I shall get it the moment I return to my room!”
Hiyori just smiled, nodding and stretching. “Well, then, I’ll figure it out and get back to you, alright? For now, let’s finish these delicious treats, and keep filling me in on the interesting details of your lives! Have you heard any good gossip lately? Word on the street is that Niki-chan’s got a crush…”
The women spent the rest of the afternoon like that, with Souma occasionally dissuading the gossip when she felt it was ‘slanderous’, while Kanata only giggled at her efforts. They spoke of upcoming unit plans, family life, what their dorms were like… Until the sun had begun to set, and they hesitantly parted ways, eager to do this again.