![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
[closed]
WHO: Sakura and John
WHERE: Sakura's Apartment, somewhere in Tisse
WHEN: 9/19
WHAT: Sakura's ceiling is raining, plz fix it handyman
WARNINGS: tbd but probably not much
[If there’s one condolence to this whole mess, it’s that the water sloshed over the kitchen floor isn’t high enough to pose any threat to Sakura’s cookery. Her rice cooker is safe, thank the gods, and at barely an inch of water, the worst damage will be the presence of mold if she’s unlucky (which she usually is).
But for now the question is how long it’ll stay an inch; above her head the droplets leak out from a ceiling tile, small but steady beads that flow like a broken stream, into a bucket she’d hastily bought after coming home from work and realizing her one-bedroom apartment was trying to reenact a bible verse. If her parents had any idea the kind of living arrangements she’s made out of country…
--And like clockwork, that’s the only thought Sakura needs to shut out the voices, with a sigh and a shake of her head. Her mess, her problem, like she’s recited for a month. Best to leave it at that.
Besides, she called someone for help! That alone is proof she’s doing well, Sakura tells herself, and so spends the next 20 minutes bustling around until her living quarters look presentable. Chances are no one but herself cares, but it’s soothing to pretend fluffing up a couch pillow makes all the difference.
If worst comes to worst and the guy can’t fix anything, she’ll mop everything into the bucket and wash her utensils in the bathroom. Like a true adult.]
WHERE: Sakura's Apartment, somewhere in Tisse
WHEN: 9/19
WHAT: Sakura's ceiling is raining, plz fix it handyman
WARNINGS: tbd but probably not much
[If there’s one condolence to this whole mess, it’s that the water sloshed over the kitchen floor isn’t high enough to pose any threat to Sakura’s cookery. Her rice cooker is safe, thank the gods, and at barely an inch of water, the worst damage will be the presence of mold if she’s unlucky (which she usually is).
But for now the question is how long it’ll stay an inch; above her head the droplets leak out from a ceiling tile, small but steady beads that flow like a broken stream, into a bucket she’d hastily bought after coming home from work and realizing her one-bedroom apartment was trying to reenact a bible verse. If her parents had any idea the kind of living arrangements she’s made out of country…
--And like clockwork, that’s the only thought Sakura needs to shut out the voices, with a sigh and a shake of her head. Her mess, her problem, like she’s recited for a month. Best to leave it at that.
Besides, she called someone for help! That alone is proof she’s doing well, Sakura tells herself, and so spends the next 20 minutes bustling around until her living quarters look presentable. Chances are no one but herself cares, but it’s soothing to pretend fluffing up a couch pillow makes all the difference.
If worst comes to worst and the guy can’t fix anything, she’ll mop everything into the bucket and wash her utensils in the bathroom. Like a true adult.]
no subject
[ the building's, noticeably, definitely one of recolle's older ones—idly, he has to speculate how his rent compares to hers—floors creaking as he makes his way to her apartment, paint peeling from the walls, a few cracks on the hallway's ceiling. largely all superficial. not pretty, but liveable. ]
[ (except, you know, when it's not.) ]
[ stopping outside her apartment, a work smile in place, he raps his knuckles hard against the door. knock knock, yo ]
no subject
But she gets the door open, mop thankfully not angled in anyone's face. He'll have to forgive her reflexive, strained smile before stepping to the side to allow him entry, taking in his appearance in one glance]
Uh -- thanks for coming. It's this way...
[What was his name? Well, he's dubbed Handyman-san until further notice, for no other reason than she's tired and really wants that leak fixed.]
It started while I was at work. [She continues on while showing him to the kitchen] But the leak doesn't seem too bad... I put a bucket underneath to catch the water, too -- oh, but please mind the floor, it's a bit slippery.
no subject
... And your Landlord—maintenance, whoever—all been ignorin' you?
[ he'd think she'd know to put in a work order, or something along those lines? he imagines he's probably a last resort, just short of getting the heck out. it's best to clarify that, though, before beginning. ]
But— right, then! [ despite that line of thought, there's a note of optimism to his tone. ] Got a stool or somethin' I could borrow?
[ he doesn't think she'd want him to stand on her counter, but hey. ]
no subject
I've left messages, but I suppose they're busy with other things...
[That said, her heart clearly isn't into what she's saying. Leaks in the ceiling test everyone's patience, go figure. But at least John's enthusiasm is infectious, and she claps her hands together]
I have a chair! That'll get you up a little higher.
[A rickety, wooden thing with bite marks all over - the previous owner probably had a dog - but it'll hold his weight, so Sakura drags it away from a table of equal quality and presents it to him] Will this work?
no subject
but anyway. he's a chatty thing, so as he stands atop rickety chair (extra careful with his balance, coupled with that slippery floor) and shifts the ceiling tile to get a better look at the offending pipe, he's going to continue talking. it can't be helped, really... ]
Y'know, reckon you can start witholdin' rent from 'em. Works kinda like a ransom!
[ he's pulling out a handkerchief to dry off the pipe as best he can before getting work. he doesn't really care if he gets wet, himself, even if it'd just be better if they could shut off the water valve in its entirety. but with a complex like this... ]
no subject
For Sakura, it doesn't occur to stop staring until the thought has already run its course, and then she feels so guilty she nearly falls back on some innate sense of nervous hospitality and asks if he wants tea. None of this is good for her heart.]
Uh-- [Her teeth clamp over her tongue, the pain used to reorient herself, and then she just... frets around the chair, trying not to tug at her hands] But wouldn't I get kicked out...?
no subject
Well, not to say it hasn't been done before, but that'd be kinda illegal on their part...
[ he's a little madder about this than his smile lets on? after drying the area best he can and setting the cloth aside, he retrieves a roll of tape from his pocket. he has to juggle things a bit, ducking to safely rest his bag atop his boots, but after moving things around a bit it's time to start taping that sucker closed. he's quick about it; the tape gets the water to stop, it seems. ]
Depends on how much you'd trust the justice system here with helpin' you out! [ a shrug. and now he's replacing the tape roll in his hands with a solid, insulated clamp. now which pocket did he put his screwdriver in... ] It ain't completely awful, from what I seen? Pretty sure they'd help you out, but I get not wantin' jeopardize yourself or thinkin' it worth the trouble.
[ even if a wet kitchen is pretty bad!! ]
no subject
And Sakura's thought bubble isn't even a word, or a stream of conscious, it's a motion picture of her kitchen steadily flooding until the water sends the glass panes shattering from the pressure, and the shot pulls back to show the entire apartment complex exploding from the force.
... But y'know she's just gonna keep. Smiling. This is fine. The bubble pops away seconds later]
I'm not very familiar with the system in this country... I only moved here two months back.
no subject
but, yes, it's probably for the best on her part- taking any sort of legal-esque advice from john is about one of the worst ideas possible. he's not even a hundred percent on his "kinda" illegal; he just wants effing justice done.
(that's would be big guys suffering, while the little people rejoice.) ]
Yeah?
[ after a few more moments of aligning it, using a few nuts and screws and whatnot, it looks like the clamp's been successfully installed. there isn't water leaking out everywhere, anyway. ]
Where did you move from, if you don't mind me askin'? [ one day, they will exchange names ]
no subject
And she'll get to his question, honest, but for now is staring wide-eyed because there's a conspicuous lack of drip drip drip happening in her kitchen. Given the hours she'd spent dealing with it, the silence is magical.
She can't believe calling a professional actually worked in her favor.]
Um-- Japan. Fuyuki City.
no subject
[ ah... ]
[ mr. handyman-san would be flattered to know she actually thought him a professional... he'll have to give her a few disclaimers later. after replacing his tools, retrieving his handkerchief to wipe the tile dry, the tile gets fitted snuggly back into its place. ]
[ bag over his shoulder, he steps down from the chair. hooray! ]
You miss it any?
no subject
[Does she have an answer for that? Sakura attempts one through a decidedly neutral smile, only for her thoughts to jumble into static, flashing through pictures - a house on a hill; a looming school with a large courtyard for sports; a small, neighborly street with grocers on both sides - faster than the human eye can follow.
The thought bubble pops again.]
Well, it's kinda fun being in a new country? I mean, without the leaking and the... yeah.
[Her graceless phrasing aside, Sakura's face is bright with relief once the tile is replaced, like a weight's been dropped from her shoulders. Lucky her, she won't be flooded out of home, or drown in her sleep.]
You already fixed it? Thank you so much!
no subject
hm. he does smile at her optimism regarding entrance into a new country, though... it's a good mindset, probably, as problematic as things are in recolle. ]
Yeah, no problem! [ even if his sleeves are a bit soggy from the leak, he's lifting his arms to casually lace his hands behind his head. ] I gotta warn you that it might turn out to be somethin' of a temporary fix, and you should probably look into gettin' it replaced, but...
[ indeed, the ceiling is no longer raining ]
no subject
Okay. I'll... look into that-- oh, though if you still have time, there's one other...
[Realistically, she could use someone to fix up this entire place (better known as "Sakura please move out of this dumpster fire"), but the area she points to is under the kitchen sink. He might remember her fussing about that through the texts.]
I know it's not a big deal, but it hasn't worked since I moved in.
no subject
[ he does recall the fussing now, yes... a clog. john blinks, stepping towards it and then leaning to the side so as to examine the area. ]
You think the clog's... deeper in the pipes, though? Or?
[ because he probably would honestly just stick his hand bare, minding the disposal teeth, into the sink's drain... and see what he could do ]
no subject
[B-because she might've already stuck her hand down there and came up empty. At which point she decided she better not touch anything else, lest she make the problem worse.]
no subject
[ thankfully, john does have the forethought to remove the bucket from beneath the previous leak and to beneath these pipes instead. john kneels next to them, apparently heedless of the water still, and fishes out a wrench from another overall pocket. they might not look great, but overalls are handy, okay...!!
annnnd he's going to begin going about screwing it. there are only two pieces to remove, so after a little struggle (they're kinda stuck, apparently, having been there a while), he's going to turn the freed pipe up on over the bucket. some excess water flows out (it... doesn't smell great, and might look mysteriously murky), but then it turns out he actually has to stick his hand in there instead because yolo it's a clog and apparently needs force. ]
[ great... ]
no subject
I-I can get you something! You don't have to go that far...
[Him getting dripped all over is one thing, but Sakura feels oddly responsible for the cleanliness of his hand. Especially because she noticed he doesn't seem to give that many damns about where he puts his hands afterward (Is that an American thing?)]
no subject
[ just let him wash his hands afterward, please god. gloves aren't something he thought to bring because, apparently, those are for wimps. ]
[ and he can pretty much tell that's a dead thing? in there? by the smell, which is pretty gross. but he manages to dislodge ~whatever it is~, forcefully turning the pipe upside down over the bucket.
and- plunk! out falls their dead, decomposed rat friend. ]
no subject
And doesn't scream so much as starts swearing in Japanese while tripping backwards, hands clutched by her throat, nose pinched from the stench and asking John what the hell is wrong with this country in a language he (probably?) doesn't understand. ]
no subject
[ but WOW he did not expect that intense of a reaction! he looks back at her, making sure she's okay— and he, indeed, can understand that. he doesn't mean to chuckle, not really, but ends up doing so all the same...
in response, also in japanese: ]
Ahh, a lot, probably! But no worries, it really is dead...
[ like, super dead. he has enough courtesy to pull his handkerchief out and wrap it around that tainted hand, so that he doesn't leave any traces of it on the pipe.... he does have to put it back together to wash it, right... ]
no subject
It's very brief, Sakura's expression smooths to the consistency of a sheet of ice, and her glance skyward is that of someone contemplating not if she's going to set something on fire, but when it would be the most cathartic.
John is ruled out because she owes him money. A lady always sees to her debts.]
It being dead wasn't my biggest concern... [Still speaking in Japanese. Partly out of petulance.]
Maybe I will take a glance at this legal system after all.
[... She might be a little bit mad.]
no subject
[ while his japanese still has a bit of an american, southern accent to it, he's happy to converse!! ]
That's the spirit.
[ he'll get to replacing the pipe into its proper place. turns out, putting it back together is something of an easier task than it'd been in taking it apart... don't worry, he does keep that hand contained. while going about this, he glances briefly to the bucket. ]
You mind if I just... toss it outside, or somethin'? The vultures could probably handle it.
no subject
Yep she's still mad. Though give it enough time and her restrained temper fizzles down without a proper target, shoulders falling back to a slouch. She can't take it out on a guest; after all, he's the one touching dead rats today. That deserves commission or something]
Don't concern yourself, I'll do it.
[Since yeah, otherwise her small apartment is gonna be smelling of decomposed rodents. Sakura climbs off the floor - half-wet, she'd been too busy being salty to realize her clothes were soaking through - and grabs the bucket]
I'll bring some soap from the bathroom, too. [That's where her cleaning stuff is since, yeah. Kitchen sink didn't work]
no subject
[ he has a vision of them living somewhere grand while cackling over their poor tenants.
but see, don't take any of his ideas, even if he does think the idea of dumping a dead rat onto douche landlord's steps is unarguably a fantastic one. but regardless! john will continue the pipe replacement; it should definitely be complete, with the sink functioning, by the time sakura returns from her venture. ]
Thanks!
no subject
That's terrible.
I'd at least hammer it in place so a cat wouldn't get to it first...
[Forget commission. She's adding hush money. Dear god, this is not a side of her people need to see. It's actually a blessing she goes to toss the rat into the bushes - gives her a moment to suck in a few deep breaths, clear her head, and by the time she returns to the kitchen, Sakura has forced herself back into her default composure. She also brought the soap as promised]
... Sorry. For the trouble. If I'd known what was in there, I wouldn't have asked that of you.
no subject
[ when she returns, he'll be standing near to the sink to gratefully accept the soap. its faucet runs, he'll begin to scrub at his hands— and the water drains, too. the magic of simple plumbing procedures... ]
[ at the apology, he glances to her, an eyebrow raised. ]
... Seriously, wasn't a big deal. [ a light shrug. ] Just some dead critter. It'd be weird if that happened again to you, at least.
no subject
[She mentions this like it's a shameful thing to have on one's resume. Maybe it is? She can't tell in this country anymore. Everywhere she turns there's a culture shock waiting to accost her and steal her wallet.]
-- oh, right. Let me pay you... do you prefer cash?
no subject
but then he focuses again because that's a pertinent question. ]
'S what's easiest for you. Cheque, cash, whatever.
[ it was such a basic job, he almost feels weird asking for payment? urg. anyway, he'll vocalize some amount to her. ... he recognizes that he was barely here half an hour, and he definitely won't be charging her a professional rate or anything, so. ]
no subject
Eventually her response falls to closing her eyes, hanging her head a bit, and trudging off for that wallet.
Naturally she'll pay whatever his rate is - though if he charges her anything she considers too low, she'll add extra with a certain stubbornness that dares him to argue.]
There, that should cover it, sir.
no subject
[ because wtf is that!!!! unfortunately, john's able to spot that's too much and he doesn't get it (wtf? a mistake? she's struggling, it's not like she's in a mansion wherein he'd absolutely take that ), so he's going to make the awkward move of... holding out back out whatever that extra is. ]
[ it's also stupid late, but: ]
—Name's John Becket, by the way. Good to meet'cha!
no subject
Consider it a deposit for when something else in this apartment leaks, Becket-san.
[Pulled that right out of her ass, yes she did, but the girl smiles like she believes it. That's what counts.]
And I'm Sakura Tohsaka.
no subject
what is that!! but fine. effortfully holding back a sigh, john pockets the payment. and he has his bag with him, so, tipping his hat to her and moving for the door to leave-- ]
Right, Ms. Tohsaka. [ see, even if he doesn't quite prefer "becket-san," he'll at least return the favor here. ] I'll see 'round, then!
[ ... well, actually hopefully not in the context of fixing her flooding apartment, but details ]
no subject
Yes, have a good day!
[... I still prefer Handyman-san though.
One last thought bubble to see him on his way as she waves at his departure.]