My Girlfriend Has A Hobby

My girlfriend had this hobby, as it turns out. She liked to buy statues and figurines of all her favorite movie/TV show characters and line the shelves in our room with them. If I asked about any of them I’d receive a long, in-depth lesson on the character and the series they came from. She really seemed to enjoy collecting them, as well as admiring her vast collection as it grew. Hell, once I caught her playing with some of the Transformers when she thought I had left for work (I’d forgotten my keys), and yes, she was making the transforming sounds. Luckily she hadn’t seen me….

That day, however, she’d gotten this complex-looking model kit of what looked to be a really big robot with flashy decor and jets. As I sat across from her at the living room coffee table, I felt a sense of amazement watching this borderline ADHD Kitsune go from squealing with joy after checking the mail to laser-focused on the delicate task at hand. The way she carefully constructed each limb, treating it with such care, I could tell she would be glowing with pride the moment she finished it.

As I watched her build I began to feel my curiosity grow more and more. Why did she buy all these? I mean, we weren't in any financial risk, but still, some of these were a tad expensive.

“May?” I asked after a moment of thought.

“Mmm,” she replied, not taking her eyes off the ankle of the robot as she slid another piece in.

“Why...do you collect all these, anyway?” I leaned in to get a good look at the detail on the back of the robot. She got quiet for a moment, looking over her work so far, but the look in her eyes suggested it wasn't the robot that was on her mind. After a moment she finally spoke.

“I… never got to have any toys as a kid.” She turned the model over in her hands, checking her progress. I raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to continue. “You met my mother. You know what she is like.”

It was true. Her mother was very strict from what I had gathered from the few times I met her. She had a no-nonsense attitude and was quick to snap at you if you acted out. Even some of May's sisters were starting to develop the same attitude, which seemed to make May uncomfortable whenever she spoke to them over the phone.

“My mom was real big on the old Kitsune traditions and beliefs, so anything outside of training to be a perfect wife was a big no-no. Luckily dad was much more lenient and easygoing than her.” She fiddled with a ball joint before looking at the manual and rolling her eyes. “I'll be the judge of that…fuckin’ manual...” she muttered under her breath.

“Your dad seemed pretty fun when I met him last summer,” I said, earning a grin from her.

“My dad is kickass!” She exclaimed, pointing the robot's arm at me. “When mom was at the shrine during the afternoon he would let me watch some old movies with him.” She pointed at the movie shelf behind me. “He's the one that got me into all the classics like The Predator and The Thing.” She paused. “The original, not the shitty CGI one,” she added, looking oddly serious. She got back to her model, looking rather annoyed at something near the hip.

I picked up one of the pieces and looked it over as she worked, noting the detail put into each piece. “My sisters weren't so impressionable when it came to dad, sadly. Mom got her claws in deep.” She smirked as she attached the ball joint to the hip. “Now I can't even talk to my own sisters about this stuff….”

“Hey, you’ve still got me and Clarissa!” I added, trying to keep the tone positive. That got her to smile a bit. Clarissa was a friend of hers from work who also likes model building and collecting. Heck, I could leave them alone for hours and they would go on and on about the models and figurines. Sadly it was usually too much for me to follow, so I'd settle for bringing them snacks and drinks.

She sat the parts down, a forlorn look in her eyes as she looked over her work. Her ears slowly lowered and her tail went still. Not good…. “I wonder,” she started, looking around at the parts scattered across the table. “If my mom is disappointed in me. Like, my sisters are all married and some even have kids and I-” she looked over at a few figurines she had on the mantle. “Well, you know….”

I couldn’t help but chuckle at the last bit, but I understood her fear. She was the Black Shoop, after all. “Honestly?” I leaned back against the couch behind me, hands behind my head. “Keep in mind she married your dad.” Her ears perked up somewhat, a smile slowly creeping up on her. “And I doubt she would have eight kids with a man she couldn’t stand.” she sat up more, the smile more apparent.

“You’re right!” she exclaimed, slamming her hands down on the table and sending some parts tumbling off onto the carpet. I picked up a couple of them and set them back with the rest.

She sat down and yelped, quickly sitting up some and reaching under her, producing a small plastic piece to the robot. “Fuckin’ found you, you piece of… but yeah! Mom had to put up with dad liking all this stuff! He had figurines all over the house even after mom moved in!” I could tell she was back to her old self again, her tail wagging like mad.

“Besides,” I continued. “She's your mother. I am pretty sure she loves you unconditionally, despite how she acts.” We jumped when we heard the rapid knocking on the front door. “We're closed!” I called out.

The door opened and a Gazer came in, dressed in her office uniform. She had a plastic bag at her side and she quickly made her way over to us, sitting next to me.

“Ey, Clare!” May said, her vigor now back with the vengeance.

“I came over as soon as i got your text! Is this the bad boy?” Clarissa asked, mirroring May's level of enthusiasm, being a fellow model kit fan herself.

“Yes!” May exclaimed,  hugging the box to her chest tightly. “The Master Grade Blitz Gundam!”

“Blitz!? I thought they were sold out!”

“They were! But Shen helped me get my order further up the queue! I only had to wait six months but hey! Totally worth it!” As the girls gushed about their plans for the figurine I got up and made my way to the kitchen. As I began to make some sandwiches for them I couldn't help but smile at the scene happening in my living room. Two friends laughing and enjoying their hobby without interruptions, what a sight.

Maybe i should get a hobby….