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Shedding her skin and becoming a new thing entirely wasn't ideal, and yet it was becoming second nature to Rat. She had learned fairly quickly on that being the woman who stepped off that boat into this country some time ago would get her killed sooner rather than later. Already was she an observant little thing — that trait had come in quite handy.
Tsurumi's office used to be a daunting place: one worth dreading a visit to, and it certainly was at first. The more Rat adapted and molded herself, the less scary the simple room had become. As she stands in it now, she feels not an iota of fear. Only a bit unsettled, but Tokishirou Tsurumi had that effect on people.
"You called on me, sir?" She asks, taking to the act of pouring a cup of tea — another thing that had become second nature: servitude.
"I promise you that you aren't trouble, little bird," he replies, and raises a hand to stop her once his desired amount of sugar cubes had been added.
"I imagine that you want a report of some kind, then." Rat's voice lacks any sort of tone save for a slight waver. That was an area of camouflage that needed polishing, but practice did indeed make perfect.
"Hm, have I asked you to keep tabs of any kind?" When Rat shakes her head no, Tsurumi hums in amusement. "Even a man such as myself wishes for some company, from time to time."
"Feminine company," she replies with a bit of caution. Rat smooths down her skirt as she sits, and brings her own teacup to her lips. Even the dainty sip she takes is calculated, as is the eye contact she maintains over the cup.
"Company that doesn't make me lose my mind!" Tsurumi chuckles, but there's a tinge of sincerity in his tone.
"A relief to hear, then. I would have kindly requested you call upon a whore rather than myself if such were the case."
"What an audacious thing to say, little bird." Tsurumi takes a sip of his tea without hesitation — he knows by now his little ward wouldn't be stupid enough to try and poison him. "Lucky for you, I have no interest in such a thing, not from you."
"Lucky for me," she repeats, setting her teacup down at the same time Tsurumi sets his own down. The clinks from the porcelain are in sync.
"You've been with us for some time now, you know I quite enjoy our little chats."
That much was certain. Rat found that on occasion, since her becoming more compliant, that Tsurumi occasionally called her in just for a talk — though she always imagined there was more to it than that. Always fishing for information of some kind, perhaps she could take a page out of his book.
"I suppose that is true," she murmurs, her gaze drifting towards the window.
"Of course, I should get the pleasantries out the way…" Tsurumi hums, thoughtfully, though it's clear he's putting on a show. "Things run much more smoothly now that you've really taken to your position! I must thank you."
"Perhaps you were right, sir," Rat replies, glancing back over at Tsurumi but unable to hold eye contact for very long. He does not ask her to elaborate.
"Sometimes it is hard to see the good in things, little bird, but you know now that I certainly keep my promise." Tsurumi rises, unexpectedly, which causes Rat to flinch and widen her eyes.
The lieutenant moves to stand before her, taking careful note of the slight tremor she has — she certainly has gotten better at making it more subtle. With an appraising hum, her tilts her head from side to side and back, his eyes narrowed underneath the headplate. From this angle, he looks quite sinister.
"It's nice to see the improvement," he comments, brushing the backs of his knuckles against the meat of her cheek while applying the softest of pressure. "You look much more healthy now that you've taken to eating consistently."
"Telling your men to order me to eat was smart, sir." Rat's voice shakes slightly but is not without conviction. That impresses Tsurumi more than her attempt at complimenting him.
"Nobody likes punishments, especially the effective ones. I, certainly, loathe to see such punishments dealt with in regards to women. Ah! But you can be quite the little beast!" Tsurumi laughs, and if it was disingenuous, he hid it well. With a single pinch to her cheek, he retreats back behind his desk. Only then does Rat try to reel in her breathing.
"Nobody likes…" She finds herself repeating in a low whisper, which does catch Tsurumi's attention. All he gives in acknowledgement is a quieted hmm! and nod.
"Beatings are such a depressing topic," Tsurumi cartoonishly groans as he picks up his teacup. This time he takes a hearty sip. "I do hear the inklings that you tell stories, little bird?"
"You have tasked me with the burden of entertaining, sir," she mutters, raising her hand to mirror Tsurumi but ultimately deciding against it.
"Oh! Such a burden it is! I suppose I could assign you something else if this is too much for you?"
Tactfully, Rat withholds her comments, only forcing herself to keep her eyes locked with Tsurumi's, even as she begin to feel as though she was melting into the room. Tunnel vision — she heard it called that, once.
"If serving tea and telling stories is too terrible for my dear guest, then I suppose you could entertain in different ways. The men here do get quite lonely." Though he wears a smile, Tsurumi's voice lacks any mirth and takes on the edge of a warning.
Rat allows her gaze to drop to the surface of the desk and imagines herself strung up as a marionette. The tunnel vision worsens, and her body feels as light as air. Tsurumi allows the implication and silence to drag on, to make both a point and await her reaction. When none comes, he clicks his tongue.
"You're above that, little bird, we both know it." Sympathy rings in his voice, seemingly genuine. "You're a good girl, it won't need to come to that."
Tsurumi takes another sip after sighing heavily. Rat has not moved an inch, and her face was pale. Her eyes were dull, again, he notes. Rigor mortis in the living, how fascinating.
"I heard you used to keep horses," Tsurumi says, pushing a fountain pen around with his index finger. He smiles when his change of subject works, and the light appears to return to her eyes. A scare does some good, but best not to overdo it.
"Back home," she murmurs.
"How many?"
"We— we had a small farm." Rat's brows furrow as she tries to recall the details. The fields and the sky… it's all a blur to her now.
"I see." It wasn't the answer to what he had asked, but he doesn't dwell on it. His goal wasn't the details per se, but rather he wanted her out of this little trance —he underestimated just how badly his insinuation affected her. Perhaps that was foolish of him. But, if he got information along the way, it was only a win. "I am told you do well with them."
"Horses like me," Rat nods, slowly and just the once.
"Beasts of burden," Tsurumi muses, lifting his teacup in some sort of acknowledgement. "I find horses to be very telling creatures — almost as well as dogs when it comes to sniffing out good people!"
Rat tactfully stays silent. Tsurumi nods to himself in admiration of her getting better at this skill of holding her cards. Still, she looks off kilter, and that would not do.
"Tell me one of your tales, little bird." Tsurumi says on a whim, and rises to his feet to take to refilling their teacups — mostly his own. Rat tenses, shrinking into herself as she ponders if this was a test of some sort, if she had failed in… pouring tea? It was hard to tell anything with this man.
"…Sir?" She says, meekly. Her hands curl into fists in her lap.
"Tell me a story, Rat." He sighs, his tone firm in that fatherly sort of way he sometimes took with her. Once he finishes adding the sugar to his tea, he looks at her with a warm smile, as though nothing peculiar had happened at all between them.
"… Of what kind?"
"Any story will do," he replies, seating himself back down at his desk, all the while stirring his tea. "Ah, tell me about this husband of yours."
"…Lieutenant Tsurumi, I never—" Her voice shakes as she tries to speak, and she flinches upon being cut off.
"Oh, dear! Too many blows to the head?" He chuckles, but shakes his hand in a wave. "Belligerently, you tried to give me your entire story back when we first met, have you forgotten? Go on, tell me about your husband, now."
Rat blinks rapidly, her brain wracking every memory for this alleged information she had given him. No… she never gave her legal name, and not a soul of importantance knew where she was, so there was no reason to suspect he had dug up her information. She has no choice but to believe him.
"… We weren't married for very long."
"I remember this!" Clap! "Divorce?"
"… No."
"Hm!"
"… I fled, sir."
"Fled, ran away…" Tsurumi slumps in his seat dramatically with a groan. "Such is in your nature, little bird, always looking to take flight when you get scared! Perhaps you understand how apt a nickname it is for you?"
"I wasn't scared of him," Rat sits up, her voice on firmer ground. Tsurumi grins as she takes the bait.
"No? Not at all?"
"… No, Ed was…" She shakes her head. "If he didn't have his vices, I imagine that he could have been a good man. If he only drank and gambled sometimes…"
"I see… a man has some troubles and you leave him?" Tsurumi once again pushes the pen around, watching with a calculating eye how Rat bristles. Fascinating!
"I was going to work just for him to waste my money—"
"Marriage is a union, is it not? It couldn't couldn't have been just your—"
"We were on the brink of losing everything! He took everything I made, that I saved!" Rat shouts, unable to control herself in time. She rises to her feet, her hands slamming on the desktop and rattling the teacups. It was an overreaction, that much was clear, but Rat never liked facing how stupid, selfish, and impulsive her decision was. Never did she like her faults and irrationality being brought to light. Thorns were her best defence.
How defensive! Tsurumi muses. At least now she was getting over that stupor!
"Now—"
"I didnt love him— it made no difference to me whatever he felt—"
Tsurumi slaps the palm of his hand against the desktop — Rat flinches and freezes in place. The porcelain clinks just the once, but the ripples in the tea go on for a good few moments.
"There you are, I knew there was still a fire somewhere in there," he deceptively lowers his voice. "Settle down."
Rat gawks at him, but does not move —the whiplash of the past few minutes has stunned her.
"Come now," Tsurumi repeats, and once more pushes himself up to standing. It feels as though he simply materialises behind her — with a firm and steady hand, he pushes down on her shoulders.