Another Chapter done, this one I liked more than the last one from a writing perspective. I was originally going to call this Chapter Kit Krafting Klub, but well... anyways enjoy!
Subaru and Rem find themselves alone in the main hall after the noisy and chaotic atmosphere had left, leaving behind a sudden, but not uncomfortable silence. Subaru turns to Rem, who glances back at him, a hint of shyness in her eyes. He can't help but feel a pang of nerves, but he pushes through it with a smile and a confident tone.
"Well, looks like it's just us now, Rem. Time to start crafting those uniforms!"
"Yes, it seems like it's just the two of us now. Let's get started on those uniforms."
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"Uh…"
Suddenly ,like a wave crashing over them, it dawned on them, they had to gather materials to make the kit. Fabrics of every colour, canvas of every colour, threading of every colour, leather, rubber, metal pieces, laces... there was a plethora of things they needed to search for in the mansion, before even starting their part.
Subaru looks around the room, suddenly lost in thought.
"Ah, crap... We need a lot of materials. A lot of materials..."
Subaru says, sighing as he rubs the back of his head anxiously, contemplating how the hell they're going to get everything they need.
"Yes... we definitely need a lot of materials. This is going to be quite a challenge."
Rem paused for a moment, thinking to herself, trying to come up with a plan to tackle this task. She turned to Subaru, a resolute look in her eyes.
"But with you, Subaru-kun, nothing is impossible! We'll need to make a plan, and gather resources from various places. Rem can help you with the organisation and planning part."
Subaru's eyes widened at Rem's belief and confidence in him, remembering himself, he felt a rush of conviction and resolve flow through him, his previous anxiety melting away. He gave Rem a beaming smile and a firm nod.
"You're absolutely right, Rem. With your help, we can make this happen. We can gather the resources we need and create these uniforms. Let's come up with a plan, get organised, and take on this challenge, toge-"
A light bulb flashed over his head as he found a possible solution to their material problem.
"Wait a minute, Rem. I just thought of something. We might not need to search far. We could gather some materials from our own rooms!"
"Our own rooms..?"
Confusion flickers across her face, curious as to what Subaru is suggesting.
Subaru, seeing the confusion on Rem's face, quickly explains his line of thoughts, excitement edging his words.
"Yeah! Our own rooms! We all have plenty of spare fabric, laces, thread, and other odd materials, especially Frederica. We can use those to start making the uniforms. It'll save us some time and effort in gathering everything from scratch. What do you think?"
"Impressive as always Subaru-kun! You have my respect!"
Subaru grins at Rem's compliment, soaking in her words of admiration. He puffs out his chest proudly, a satisfied look in his eyes.
"Hah, you're giving me too much credit, Rem."
He waved his hand dismissively, despite his earlier pride.
"But anyway, we should really start gathering the supplies from our rooms. The sooner we get started, the sooner we'll finish, and the more time we'll have for the actual crafting of the kit!" Subaru says enthusiastically, his excitement and determination growing with each word.
She chuckles slightly at Subaru's exaggerated display of pride at her compliment, but can tell that it is all in good fun. She nods in agreement with his suggestion, knowing that the sooner we start gathering materials, the better.
"Alright then, let's get started. Let's start with your room, shall we?"
Subaru grins, nodding in agreement. The thought of going to his room with Rem alone causes his heart to skip a beat, yet he tries to act cool and unbothered, then he remembers the fact that Rem watches over him as he sleeps daily, so it's not a big deal. He shrugs nonchalantly and responds with a nonchalant tone.
"Yep, that sounds like a plan! Let's head to my room and see what we can find."
He begins walking towards the door, opening it and gesturing for Rem to follow.
"Lead the way, Subaru-kun."
Subaru leads the way down the hallway, walking alongside Rem, their footsteps echoing softly in the empty corridor, almost in unison. He glances at Rem as they walk, and once again reminded that she watches him sleep quite regularly.
"Don't get any funny ideas, you get the privilege of watching me sleep, so consider us even."
He murmurs to her quietly, jokingly yet in a slightly sheepish manner. She chuckles at Subaru's words, realising that he is once again feeling self-conscious about the fact that she secretly watches him sleep, pretending to pout in faux irritation.
"Oh dear, it seems you've foiled Rem's dastardly plans with your superior wit! But Rem supposes she can't protest much, since she has already indulged in the pleasure of watching your adorable sleeping face."
Subaru feigns a hurt expression upon hearing Rem's playful response. He clutches his chest with a dramatic flair, as if he'd taken a spear to the heart.
"W-w-wait, adorable? Don't call me adorable! I'm supposed to be the cool, handsome, reliable knight, not cute!"
He whined, pretending to be deeply wounded by her words. It was hard to tell whether Subaru's theatrics had rubbed off on David, or the other way round, but they were definitely similar in that regard.
"Oh, come now. You can be a cool, handsome, reliable knight AND adorable at the same time, Subaru-kun! In fact, Rem thinks that combination is quite attractive."
"H-hey, don't say that kinda stuff so casually!"
"Oh, is Rem not supposed to say it casually? My apologies. Should Rem instead say it in a formal manner, like this?...Subaru-sama, you are quite adorable."
His face turned a deeper shade of red as he glances back at her, speechless for a moment.
"R-Rem, are you trying to give me a heart attack?!"
He sputters out, still dumbfounded by her sudden and unexpected switch. He composes himself and tries to regain control of their banter.
"My apologies, Subaru-sama. Rem had no intention of giving you a heart attack. Rem was simply expressing my deep and sincere respect for your cuteness in a more formal and respectful manner, as befitting a man of your… …adorableness."
"Eeeeeeeeh! Rem I swe-Oh!"
Subaru suddenly jolts to a stop, his deep crimson blush easing up, realising they had almost walked past it.
"Whoa, wait a second!"
He exclaims, interrupting their conversation as he points at a door down the corridor. Rem stops in her tracks, her gaze following Subaru's finger to a door a few steps back.
"That's my room, we almost missed it!"
"Ah, I see. We almost missed it, didn't we? Well, let's not waste any more time, shall we?"
Subaru rubs the back of his neck awkwardly, still a little flustered from Rem's compliments and formalities, but composing himself quickly. He nods, and strides up to the door, opening it with a slight creak. He stands, gesturing for her to enter.
"Y-yeah, let's get to it then..."
He mutters, his heart fluttering slightly as he waits for Rem to step into his room. Subaru's room, despite the extensive period of time he's spent living in the Roswaal Mansion, is still fairly basic, consisting of a single bed in the corner, a mini wooden drawer with a lamp on top, a fanciful table, with several drawers inside, and Natsuki Subaru's sheathed sword, given to him when he was knighted by Emilia, lay up against a Wardrobe full of multiple tracksuits, his butler outfit, and even his ceremonial clothes. A chair was set next to his bed, remnants of a certain blue-haired maid's morning routine. Subaru leans against the doorframe, watching Rem's gaze sweep across the room, taking in the basic, simplistic layout and furnishings. He notices the chair next to his bed, reminded of Rem's routine of watching him sleep. He can't help but feel a mix of embarrassment, endearment, and a hint of awkwardness as his eyes dart to the chair, then back to Rem. In a subconscious attempt to fill the potential silence, he finally speaks up.
"This is my room... Not much to look at, I suppose."
Rem shook her head slightly in response to his slightly negative comment, her smile growing slightly.
"No, it's not about how grand or simplistic the room is. It's about the memories that are attached to it. This room holds significance because it is yours, Subaru-kun. Now…let us begin."
"Yeah, you're right. Let's get started then."
He pushes off the doorframe and enters the room, gesturing for Rem to do the same, as he begins searching through his modest belongings. Somehow it seems that Rem already knows where everything is in his room, as if she'd memorised every square inch of it, even better than Subaru has himself. He watches in slight bewilderment, awe and discomfort, as she quickly locates a set of hand threads, each equipped with their own individual needle.
"It seems luck is on our side today, Subaru-kun. We've found the first set of supplies."
"Oh, Ehehe, Luck huh...Luck, right, got it..."
He scratched the back of his head, facing away, his eyes averted in embarrassment,
"...scary…."
Subaru glances around his room, realising that they've found all the supplies that he had in his room. He glances back at Rem, who is carefully holding the set of multi-coloured threads and needles, and speaks up.
"Looks like we've found everything here in my room. Should we move on to your room and see if you have anything useful?"
Rem nods in agreement as Subaru glances around the room, seemingly confirming that they have found all the supplies he kept in there. She runs her fingers over the threads, feeling their texture as she listens to Subaru's suggestion.
"Indeed, it looks like we've found all the supplies here. Let's head to Rem's room next."
Subaru nods and gestures for Rem to lead the way. Together, they leave his room and head down the corridor, making their way to Rem's room. Subaru walks slightly behind her, a mix of curiosity and anticipation as they walk, as he's almost never seen it before.
Rem then slows herself to a walk beside Subaru down the hallway, her footsteps making soft and almost inaudible sounds in contrast to his as they move towards Rem's room.