T/M 1.6

"Maybe so," Ming mused, pondering that. Of course she had no connection with plant life at all. Her powers weren't even good for them, it was a wonder that she got on as an apothecary so well. Certainly her and her mothers strength had been no thanks to their blood.

"She was blind, as the Hashi's tend to be, as said the smell of flowers reminded her of the colors she saw as a child. Such an awful bloodline to have, if you ask me, but maybe she was just so maudlin about it I've come to pity them all." She added, wistfully reminding herself that kiyo's secrets no longer mattered in death. What a pair they'd been before Yuii, Ming unable to speak and Kiyo unable to see. If it wasn't for tracing they'd have never been able to communicate. "I'm sorry, I doubt you want to hear of her. If I have noted nothing else of this country it is that the people here care very little for anyone outside their borders."

First she blushed under his look then disappointment flickered in her eyes at his explanation and she conceded. This didn't mean that Tatsu wouldn't be the  "Well, then I suppose your Anbu and I would probably have the same problem," Ming answered with a quirky little smile, "As my family is quite purely of Haku ancestory. My mother was main branch, my father and her were something like 6th cousins however times removed? I'm lucky not to have been born with extra toes!" there was no pride there but no scorn either, just a matter-of-factness that came with a person who put no great weight on their origin. She was who she was after all, everything before was pure luck and happenstance.

For one moment she hoped, perhaps, by telling Tatsuya at least that much she may be elevated from her self imposed lesser rank. If her mother hadn't wanted to avoid fussing, angry relatives, who perceived her as a selfish brat simply for choosing the man she would marry, Ming might have grown up in a very different world. Praise be that she had made the choices she had; there was no telling where the darker path may have lead.Though... maybe she and Ren could have grown up together.

"Alright, that works fine for me," Ming concluded, happy to have the food part out of the way. He was correct to think that he would be doing most of the cooking between the three of them. Ming had neither the desire nor drive to learn how to cook and she suspected that would not change. She did not want to admit it but must foods tasted like chewing on wet fabric to her and had for many years. It was likely a counter effect of the curse that had taken her voice for so many years. Food was a chore but tea? Tea was warm, comforting and had distinct aromas. They, and the memories linked to them, were so much better than food.

But she wasn't about to be impolite so with a bemused smile she answered, "I'll hold you to that, then. Cooking appliances never concerned me much. I've my own tool for medicines and

"Hold still," Ming chided, starting with a simple yet unintrusive measurement of his waist. The soft fabrc band wrapped around once no too tight and she hummed thoughtfully at the result. She'd come back and measure again once Tatsu had relaxed a bit but as it stood they weren't much different from one another. Tatsu still had more chest than her though. Not fair.

And of course Ming was must shorter. Could one really blame her for being so focused on the size of Tats's breasts when standing this close they were all she could see? Professionalism kept her from reaching out and giving them a squeeze and only then because she doubted Tatsuya would see the humour in it. There was a level of comfort women had with one another that she doubted, by the way he squirmed, had not come with the transformation.

Or maybe...

Ming ducked her head to hide her grin as she knelt to measure his inseam or rather the inside length of his leg. Purposefully she let the tip of her thumb glide along the tape and the side of his leg, touching ankle, calve, knee and inner thigh. Strictly speaking she did not need to be touching anything but she was looking for a very particular reaction.

"Your legs are really long, Tatsu-chan~"