Safe For Work

"I..." Mia started to speak but then stopped, her mouth closing with a snap as she decided to focus on sewing. Muika would be happiest if Mia could get this done as soon as possible and wouldn't have to sit in that stupid blanket for long.

It probably was really weird to sit in it... She'd feel weird being naked around anyone but Masaru in just a blanket. Giving Muika a small smile, she quickly and efficiently sewed up the one spot and then trimmed the excess. Years before she'd had an automatic machine, she'd sewed entirely by hand so this was quite nice to do so again. Besides the material was too hefty for the use of the machine really, it'd dull the needle too much.

Finishing up the section that would fit against her chest, Mia moved onto the arms as she threaded a new needle. It was dulling these rather quickly but that was what she'd expected... "I-I... really haven't done this for many others. M-Masa, Papa and Zomi are about it... E-Even then only Zomi's ever... ever really been like this. S-So I'm sorry I'm so...awkward about it."

"I-It's okay... I-I've...never had something like this...done or...made before, but...but i-it's gonna be something that'll help I-Iyuki not worry as much...a-about my job, so..." They were both in awkward spots, in some sense, so...

Things were fine...

Mia had never really done this or made things for people that weren't...family, in a sense, so this was new for her, and she had never had something made for her like this so... they were both doing new things.

Muika was happy she was...able to feel she could do this, being undressed like this around anyone other than Iyuki was...odd, b-but Mia was here to help so...so she felt things were fine!

Soon they'd be done with it, it seemed so there was that...

"Mm...that's really good though. Y-You are doing your best to make him feel better too... And it should help! I-If I thought it'd...survive my powers... I'd have one too. Training with Masa is really intense but fun, though he's really careful and always worries about me." Masaru would die if she wore one to training...but if it'd help... Mia flushed, knowing it'd just be burnt off by her bankai though.

Finishing up the small details, Mia held it out and looked over the seams and additions with a careful eye. There seemed to be nothing wrong... "T-Try it on again please. If its too tight or anything... M-Mm you'd know, it'd pull too much. Um maybe try stretching or moving too?"

They both could get through this really awkward and silly thing... It was just weird for them both was all.

"M-Mm..." Muika nodded; she was definitely trying to help him be more comfortable with her job, she...she had the job because it earned decent money, it wasn't like she was attached or anything...she just...wanted to be able to contribute somehow when they still needed to be careful with spending.

They definitely were a lot better off, but it wasn't something to get too relaxed over! She knew Iyuki didn't like accepting money from his family, he'd been reluctant to even use the birthday money of his that'd been piling up after he'd gotten hurt...so...since this was really the only job she could do...she was doing it so they wouldn't have to worry!

"It's good...you're able to properly train with one another, even if you can't wear a protective suit..." She was able to keep her strength up, and it seemed her loved one was able to train her to a good extent... They were both shinigami, so they both had to keep strong...

When handed the bodysuit, Muika accepted it and gave a nod; it took a moment, but she uncurled herself and went about quickly getting changed. Her face was red, but that was unavoidable.

Alright...move a bit...

She did as asked, moving her arms some as if she were warming up before training.

"He's...too powerful for it to be useful for him or fair... So he worries if he hits a little too hard or something since he could...could seriously hurt me if he wanted... Or if he wasn't thinking." Mia pointed out why it would be useful, the extra protections... but well all she could use were her flames. It was useful for her honestly, she'd learned a few defensive techniques due to that fact. At least this could help Muika...

Looking away as Muika uncovered herself, Mia waited for the go ahead to pay attention again and blinked as she turned back once it was safe. Looked like no pulling... "Is that okay? No odd feelings? Itching? Anything?"

If there were any problems or irritating parts she needed to know now...

So they had to be extra careful with training then, but still...not so careful to the point where no progression could be made; it sounded...like it took a lot, and was probably difficult, but they seemed to have some layout for how to go about their training.

At least no one had gotten hurt, and hopefully no one would...

Muika finished the stretching as Mia had asked for, and looked down at the suit as she was asked questions.

"It feels fine..." She replied, "Doesn't feel odd, or anything... no itching..."

It felt how she'd expect a bodysuit to feel...

Mia still enjoyed their training quite a bit. It was honestly really fun when Masaru got going. Playful and serious and also really just...fun. He may have to watch himself a lot but really it was still enjoyable for both of them! After training was...was...something else and Mia blushed at the thought, trying to push away her embarrassment as she over thought things.

"Well...that was easy and quick. I-I guess unless...you have problems... I-It should be good to wear and use Muika..." Mia stood up and began circling her to double check herself, hand on her chin as her violet eyes took in all sorts of details Muika might have missed...

Muika gave a nod, letting Mia double check; no problems then... That was good, it'd been an easy and quick trip to make. She didn't feel any problems with it...so then...she was good to go for her job then...when the time came.

"Mm... T-Thank you again; I-It...means...a lot..." Muika wanted to get...words out, not wanting to just thank Mia with a sound and that be it.

This bodysuit would be important, it would keep her protected from hollows, and keep Iyuki from worrying; it was important...to give a proper thanks, that was the right...thing to do.

"It'll...definitely help with w-work..." She added before...attempting a small smile for the woman.

Nothing out of place! Mia was pleased with the work, glad Aoi had asked her for once. It would be and had been good experience and she almost wondered if she should try to find a way to get one made fireproof.

She needed that... Startled though by Muika's words, Mia looked up from her final examination and blushed. She did smile though and nod, her smile soft. "Welcome... I am glad it'll help and keep you safe too..."

That small smile was sweet and Mia giggled, unable to help her exclamation finally. "Y-You are really c-cute!"

It...it was kind of silly and Mia clasped her hands to her mouth, flustered at that outburst but...but not taking it back...

"Mm... I-It will, I'm sure of it..." It would definitely help keep her safe... She was grateful...Mia had done this, it would make her job less worrisome even though she'd been somewhat against the idea of having a bodysuit like this before... Now that it was made it wasn't as bad as she thought it'd be, she could...cover it with her normal clothes and it would look like she had leggings on.

Muika felt better...now that it was made, it would be really use-

H-Huh!?

A squeak escaped her at Mia's comment; c-c-...c... "N-N...Not!"

Out of instinct she immediately denied the term, her eyes averting to the nearest wall; I-Iyuki had his ways of getting away with it...s-such as having her promise not to fight the term...b-but... T-This was different!

D-Different!

N-Not cute!

That was a real relief to hear the conviction in Muika's voice and Mia smiled more, before chuckling softly. "I-I disagree... B-But I guess that was really forward of me. I'm sorry."

Muika had responded quite cutely too and Mia lifted a hand to her lips, looking away to hide that amused expression on her features. It left her other free to begin putting away her supplies, since her work here was done for now...

She was being really cute, Mia wanted to say again and fought down.

"N-No; I-I-It...It's fine...I-I... It's...i-instinctual...to d-disagree to that..." With most people, while...instinctual may not be the right word, it...sure felt like it. Sometimes she still had to bite her tongue to keep herself from disagreeing when Iyuki made the comments!

M-Mia...was...was she trying to hide amusement!?

"S-So...So...y-yeah...i-i...instinctual..." She repeated, the fluster still evident on her face as her hands held two of the longer locks of hair that were settled over her shoulders, toying with them lightly due to not having her usual clothes on to toy with instead. H-How did people just think that!?

"Um, I'm not really good at this stuff... So that means you are...agreeing you are cute?" Mia tilted her head in confusion, quickly getting her sewing supplies put up as she blinked in confusion. Was Muika...accepting that she was cute? That was different, she wasn't expecting it... It was instinctive in some to say they weren't cute in reply...

Mia would if anyone but Masaru said it to be fair. But then she wanted to be cute to him, she wanted him to think of her as all sorts of things... That he rather obviously did.

Muika was obviously flustered as she played with her hair and the shinigami woman felt more amusement at this... She was getting so much more... more open with her true feelings. That crippling shyness was hard to overcome sometimes but her true personality was shining through more and more as the months passed. "Y-You have pretty hair and eyes t-too if that helps....

"A-A...a- N-No! I-I'm not agreeing! I-I'm not-!" Not cute! She was not agreeing to that! She had...had just been attempting to explain that...that Mia didn't need to be sorry or feel bad just because she denied it!

Mia didn't...didn't need to feel bad about t-that so...

!!

H-H...Hair and ey... The hair she could typically...somewhat handle, even if it was still hard, but...eyes!? She was quickly shaking her head; it wasn't true! "N-N...N-Not...t..."

Mia burst into more giggles as Muika attempted to explain, feeling bad for it but she was being super cute by denying it all! "Your dearest is really lucky. Very sweet and adorable... And cute and pretty!"

She was spending far too much time around her father, Mia was quickly realizing. Teasing others nicely was fun and Muika was so shy it made it easier. She felt more at ease with knowing that and thus allowed her to be honest with the woman. Mia meant her words and there was sincerity in them as she nodded as well.

Muika was really sweet and cute... Mia smiled as she finished packing her things up, her giggles stopping for the moment. "I'm b-being really honest Muika... Y-You are. I-Its nice to have others say these things... s-so I wanted you to know. That...those were my feelings."

C-C...Co...

Muika was nearly in compliment overload from all this, only able to manage stammers and squeaks as she attempted to shake her head at such words.

Even if she was beginning to even fail at that...

Mia was being serious despite the teasing nature she had about her at the moment. I-It... They were just things that were...hard to see with her!

Nice...to have others say these things... She listened to Mia's words despite her fluster on the subject; nice...hearing things... Even if she denied to almost the very pits of her being...she couldn't...deny what Mia was saying...

I-It was a sense of...reassurance even if it was natural to deny it...

"M...Mm..." She still held her hair in her hands as she looked off to the side, seemingly giving up her fight in this. "s'...It's natural...to deny it...s-since...before the past while...before I met I-Iyuki and other people I've just...always heard the opposite...s...So..."

It was reassuring, just not the easiest to fully accept...

"...They are liars and just wanted to hurt you." Mia's voice turned sharp as she heard Muika's tone and words, immediately recognizing bullying when she heard it. Lifting her bag up, she stood up and walked towards the taller woman a hand outstretched as if to pat her head or shoulder before she thought better of it.

Instead she smiled and tilted her head, trying to make her feel better. "It worked didn't it? It hurt you a lot to hear that, well they were very very wrong. I promise you that."

She hated bullies....she wanted to hug the human woman tightly to her and soothe her of that hurt but... but... it wasn't her place to. Instead she just smiled and hoped her words could help.

"..." Muika had had to pause as she heard the sharpness in Mia's voice; her arms were wrapped around herself as the woman approached her, her eyes looking downwards towards the floor as she began speaking again.

"...I..." It went...it was hard to explain, it was as Mia thought, but it cut deeper; it was only after she'd started...socializing that she started to truly receive kind words...after all of those years, and... It... It was hard to accept, and Mia was...was right... They had wanted to hurt her.

Wrong though, very...very wrong... Now she knew a number of people that would agree with her on that...

Mia settled both hands on her shoulders, softly just in case the woman jolted and jumped back or freaked. "People don't like things or others that are different. They feel better about themselves sometimes to put down things that aren't like them... They don't listen or care that it has its own merit and values."

"It...takes times to realize when people are being petty and hurting just to hurt. I heard... a lot of things when I was the Ghost. It...takes more time... to just learn to push it away." Mia's smile warmed more from the reassuring one into a true one. "You are pretty... But I think your heart is much prettier. You have a good heart and are sweet, that's way more important than your very pretty looks even so."

Muika didn't...deserve to sit there and...feel awful and Mia felt protective over the younger woman. Her maternal instincts were quite strong...

"M-Mm..." Muika gave a small nod, unable to really argue with Mia's explanation, her eyes briefly moving to look at the woman as she felt her hands on her shoulders.

With the life she had now...after everything...not as many people looked at her anymore with the eyes she was accustomed to seeing. Eyes that said scary, weird...all of those things...

In some ways, she knew it was just her past that was haunting her, and all those years of people treating her like that just...sticking with her permanently.

It was...hard to move on from that, but... Mia was right...in her words.

E-Even if she couldn't fully accept...the...c-compliments... S-She wouldn't...or would at least try to not outright deny them... I-It wasn't right to do so.

To at least let Mia know she was listening, and considering her words, she gave another nod.

Mia blinked and did something she never would have normally... Her hands moved from Muika's shoulders before one returned to her head and ruffled her hair quite a bit while laughing. "Just remember my words whenever you feel that way. I was speaking truly you know~"

... Maybe she was spending too much time around her father... Mia immediately turned red at that outburst and backed up, looking around quite worried that she had gone too far. She continued backing up before giving a nervous giggle.

"I-I should...g-go now! I-I hope you like the cake...and the suit... P-Please message me if...any problems... I-I... Bye!" She had done such a... Oh why had she done that! Mia was bright red as she finally broke, wishing for her cloak so she could poof successfully... And thus was out the door in mere seconds like a nervous cheetah...

Mia's sudden action and tone was a surprise to Muika, not having expected such from the other equally quiet woman as her hair was promptly ruffled.

!?

Before she had time to compose herself, to assure the now nervous Mia it was alright the woman had...

"I-I It's o-okay! Th-Thank...suit..." Muika, in a quick attempt to settle the nervous Mia's, well, nerves had gotten out as much as she could before the woman had fled fully from the apartment. It... She had vanished in seconds...

Muika was left to stand there for a good few moments, her hand eventually going up to rest against her hair where it'd been ruffled just moments before.