[Day 4 EA] If you could get under my skin (Expecting/Closed)

[Yūrei]

"Look, I'm just saying to call her, she's expecting me."
She puts on her best smile, but it swiftly turns into a grimace as another wave of pain shoots out from her shoulder
"It's highly irregular-"
"No it's not, she does this all the time, unless you are calling Kuni-sama highly irregular?"

Yūrei was not about to bleed out in the lobby of the Crab embassy because some receptionist wouldn't do their damn job.

"Call her room, tell her it's Yūrei and it's urgent, she'll buzz me up no problem. I don't want to be the one to get you in trouble buuuut."
With a graceless sigh the heinim nods and calls Koyuki while Yūrei rests awkwardly against the counter, keeping herself upright by sheer force of will. Her baggy pants and shirt hid most of the evening's wounds, although no amount of foundation could hide the black eye which stretched from brow to ear. The slow drip of blood down her left arm was masked by the counter for now.

[Kuni Koyuki]

When they finally made the call, the response was quick. Guiding Yurei through the establishment she would be brought through the building into the wing leading to the various personal quarters. There, she's asks to wait at a small seating area for what couldn't be more than two minutes but may have felt quite a bit longer. Given that time Koyuki herself appears into this small common area, thanks the staff, and then approaches Yurei.


"You caught me before I left. They tell me it is urgent, Yurei-san?" she asks. Koyuki's brow furrows slightly, looking at Yurei with more suspicion at first than concern.

[Yūrei]

Snip

It had definitely felt a lot closer to the eternity with the worry that Koyuki might be out of the building.

"Oh, Kuni-sama, hey."
Standing stiffly and doing her best sort of a wobbly bow, good arm propping her up on the seating.

"I apologise for dropping in announced, please don't tell the receptionist. But I needed to beg your help with something. I uh-"
Clearing her throat.

"-was shot, several times actually. I know the spirits might have better targets than I but it seemed worth a shot. Pardon the pun, it might be related to the blood loss."

[Kuni Koyuki]

What the fuck?

"What the fuck?" She said. Words coming out before she'd had the chance to stop them. Glancing over her shoulder toward the staff member, and promptly and properly dismissing them entirely. Stepping forward she got a better look at Yurei, the condition of her face was notable with the black eye but she was also checking for sweat, the condition on her skin. A good measure of how much someone had strained to get here. Not that it made a difference in her decision.

"Come with me," she says, reaching her hand out as if to take Yurei's but stopping way short. Just a non-vocal indication for her to follow, and hopefully quickly. Leading her through the halls Koyuki would bring the ronin back to her own chambers. Inside it was a small space, meant for two samurai but it seemed whoever else she shares the space with was long gone. Inside the decoration was minimal, a room clearly intent for the sole purpose of maintaining a individuals sleep and other assorted connected needs.

Leading her to a bed, she indicates it to have her sit down.

"Show me," she says, direct and commanding. However, not without that degree of care someone has for an injured individual, in fact emboldened by it.

[Yūrei]

What the fuck?

"What the fuck?" She said. Words coming out before she'd had the chance to stop them. Glancing over her shoulder toward the staff member, and promptly and properly dismissing them entirely. Stepping forward she got a better look at Yurei, the condition of her face was notable with the black eye but she was also checking for sweat, the condition on her skin. A good measure of how much someone had strained to get here. Not that it made a difference in her decision.

"Come with me," she says, reaching her hand out as if to take Yurei's but stopping way short. Just a non-vocal indication for her to follow, and hopefully quickly. Leading her through the halls Koyuki would bring the ronin back to her own chambers. Inside it was a small space, meant for two samurai but it seemed whoever else she shares the space with was long gone. Inside the decoration was minimal, a room clearly intent for the sole purpose of maintaining a individuals sleep and other assorted connected needs.

Leading her to a bed, she indicates it to have her sit down.

"Show me," she says, direct and commanding. However, not without that degree of care someone has for an injured individual, in fact emboldened by it.

There was a fine sheen of sweat across Yūrei's brow and her skin was quite sallow.

"Uh, sorry."
She grins weakly before following along behind the Kuni, inspecting her quarters with a quiet interest. It was certainly Crab utilitarian.

Seating herself down on the bed she nods and starts unbuttoning her tunic with her good arm. Once it falls open the ronin's injuries are obvious, 3 hastily bandaged but nasty looking gunshot wounds in the shoulder, a lighter wound on the back of her neck and a vicious cut in her side which seemed to still be actively bleeding.

"Your room looks nice."
Yup, heavy blood loss was impairing cognitive function

[Kuni Koyuki]

She'd seen far worse, but it certainly was no condition to be walking around with. A somewhat greater depth of a thought than might normally be conveyed with the furrow of a brow, but in the context it was as clear as if she'd said it herself. With a heavy sigh she breaks and then inhales, squatting beside Yurei she examines the wounds closely. Getting a good measure of what the wounds looked like before she would begin.

"Be quiet. Don't move. When I ask, answer honestly," she says, and begins softly chanting. Koyuki's words offered to the kami were brief, clearly spoken, and heavy with the focus she held on her task.

As the prayer finishes, Yurei has the memory of the events that lead to her wound recalled. As if a brief vision of her own memory was granted to her by the water kami. She could feel everything save for the pain of the impact, instead it became a dull this which had rocked her body and not a wound. As this vision played, quickly in a flash, Yurei's own body began to heal as if far more time had passed, days of healing in a matter of seconds. It was alike watching a movie of her healing process but left in super fast forward. Open wounds stitched themselves closed, flesh calling to flesh.

Following, Koyuki would examine each of the wounds once more. Checking each one, those that were no longer visible on the surface of the skin Koyuki would press her thumb into lightly at first but then harder until Yurei could confirm there was pain or none at all. Asking after each one, and preparing Yurei for what she was about to do.

Day 4, EA | Path to Inner Peace, Targeting Yurei. Free Raise on Yurei, lowering TN by 5. | 5k3 ⇒ 15 (TN: 5)

10 wounds healed.

[Yūrei]

Snip

Yūrei nods lips firmly pressed together as her mind flashes back violently to the previous night. Getting, caught, the chase. The staircase that seemed to go on and on forever, the sound of the guards behind her.

The ronin's heartrate skyrockets as she balls her hands into fists.

Yūrei doesn't seem to respond to the first inspection, but when Koyuki presses her thumb in the sharp pain causes her to yelp, nearly jumping off the bed.

"I'm sorry Kuni-sama, I was, uh." She blinks a few times. "It's still a bit tender there and there." There's a touch of awe in her voice at the kami's power.

[Kuni Koyuki]

"Let's not have you collapsing in the street, then," she says. Breathing in one long breath that she holds for a moment before letting it out slowly, twice. Looking over the wounds she takes a small blade and cuts free any of the dirty bandages that were no longer needed. This allowing her an opportunity to get a better look at the skin where the wound had been to make sure nothing had gone awry or was being missed by touch alone.

Again, she invited the kami with the same intonation and focus.

"And now?" she asked, checking the wounds once more in a similar fashion. Focusing far more on the ronin's health than comfort.

Day 4, EA | Path to Inner Peace, Targeting Yurei. Free Raise on Yurei, lowering TN by 5. | 5k3 ⇒ 22 (TN: 5)

[Yūrei]

Snip

She does her best to not wiggle or protest the prodding, although it's not easy.

"That..feels back to normal Kuni-sama, no more pain there."
Running a hand over the pink new skin.

"It's hard to believe there was anything there at all."
She moves her shoulder, shocked that it seemed good as new before hanging her head humbly.

"I cannot say thank you enough, both for your aid and for the healing of the spirits. I know I am not worthy of either."
Still looking down.
"But thank you."

[Kuni Koyuki]

"Do not mention it, Yurei-san," Koyuki says, giving one last look over the wounds before turning away as she stands. Walking through her room she finds herself a mirror to check for any blood on her face, her clothing, and of course her hands though that hardly requires the aid of a mirror. Anything that might have accidentally transferred during the process. Finding very little, if any at all, she commits to changing anyway and starts with a few selections of clothes while Yurei puts herself back together.

"And I do mean it," she says, half-way through both of their new tasks. "Don't mention it. This was a kindness, but I do not want to know what you were up to or how you were wounded. Simply try to do better to avoid getting yourself shot in the future, Yurei-san. I.. cannot be asked t involve myself if it would danger the reputation of the Crab." A breath. "You understand?"

[Yūrei]

Snip

"Of course Kuni-sama, I would not wish you to be caught up in anything untoward."
Averting her eyes respectfully

"I can only assure you the sole person hurt was myself and the cause was...personal."
A silence stretches out for a few moments.
"You're a skilled healer, have you had much experience putting samurai back together?"

[Kuni Koyuki]

With her own clothes collected, Koyuki would step behind a screen present within the room. Changing behind it with slow, practiced hands, a woman who bases her every action in a fair deal of intent. Hearing Yurei's voice poke back in after the silence furrows a brow, but the curiosity of why the woman hadn't left yet doesn't last long. It made sense, and yet, she expected differently.

Betraying little of this in her voice, save for the brief pause before an answer came, "I have. I once served among the expeditionary forces. I made sure that my squad survived many things that they perhaps should not have," there was an added evenness to her tone, a measured reply.

[Yūrei]

Snip

"It is fortunate we met then, that I could benefit from your years of experience."
With the Kuni out of view Yūrei starts poking at her healed wounds like a small child trying to understand a miracle. Shugenja healers were not easy to come by in the slums.

"I confess, I half expected to be turned away. It has happened before, when I needed help at an inconvenient time for others. You could have sent me off and nobody would have thought less of you."

[Kuni Koyuki]

"Someone would have," she said, and it held that ring of a statement that could not, or should not, be challenged.

[Yūrei]

"Someone would have," she said, and it held that ring of a statement that could not, or should not, be challenged.

Yūrei swallows dryly.

"A-ah you say. I'll just...be going then. If you ever need anything, you have only to call."
It was easy to forget how intimidating a Kuni can be.

[Kuni Koyuki]

There was no answer right away, and just when simply leaving without leave seemed like the thing she was meant to do Koyuki spoke again. Coming out from around the panel she was still tidying up the new shirt, making sure everything sat right, and was ready to return to her previous schedule as if naught had happened.

"Yurei-san. Do you know Hato? Another ronin that wanders these streets?"

[Yūrei]

There was no answer right away, and just when simply leaving without leave seemed like the thing she was meant to do Koyuki spoke again. Coming out from around the panel she was still tidying up the new shirt, making sure everything sat right, and was ready to return to her previous schedule as if naught had happened.

"Yurei-san. Do you know Hato? Another ronin that wanders these streets?"

Freezing on her way to the door.

"Hato-san...Hato-san. Woman about my age? Likes to sing? Similar line of work? We're not friends or anything but I've heard of her. She seems to get things done and hasn't died yet so...that's a pretty good recommendation in my book."
inquisitively
"Has there been some kind of problem?"

[Kuni Koyuki]

As if it wasn't even a thought at all, "No," she says. Koyuki walks to the other side of the room, passing in front of Yurei, and sits down on a nearby surface. Using this position to reattached her gunbelt to her thigh, the sidearm still resting in it. There is a sort of disconnection from her to the conversation, as if the two things were happening in wholly separate spaces. Giving that feeling that this kind of discussion was almost no different than grabbing your morning coffee, or more pointedly dressing for your day.

"Introduce yourself. You have been given a kindness by a twist of good fortune. Return it to her. Life is dangerous, for ronin particularly. Don't you think it would be best if you stuck together? Perhaps not professionally, but two ronin can certainly sleep more comfortably at night than one alone."

[Yūrei]

As if it wasn't even a thought at all, "No," she says. Koyuki walks to the other side of the room, passing in front of Yurei, and sits down on a nearby surface. Using this position to reattached her gunbelt to her thigh, the sidearm still resting in it. There is a sort of disconnection from her to the conversation, as if the two things were happening in wholly separate spaces. Giving that feeling that this kind of discussion was almost no different than grabbing your morning coffee, or more pointedly dressing for your day.

"Introduce yourself. You have been given a kindness by a twist of good fortune. Return it to her. Life is dangerous, for ronin particularly. Don't you think it would be best if you stuck together? Perhaps not professionally, but two ronin can certainly sleep more comfortably at night than one alone."

Yūrei closing a mouth which had hung open a little in surprise.
"Oh, then it will be as you say. I shall endeavour to pay it back to Hato-san."

Some part of Koyuki's statement seems to tickle Yūrei and she quickly hides a smile.
"I can certainly confirm that, Kuni-sama. Many of my deepest sleeps were in the arms of another...uh, platonically. We're friends. Ronin friends."

Looking over Koyuki's sidearm with professional interest.
"It's the least I can do. It is a kind thing, I think. To pass good fortune on from one another."

[Kuni Koyuki]

One singular brow raises at the first mention of the word 'platonic' and doesn't lower until 'least I can do.' A somewhat dumbfounded expression resting as she regards Yurei with quiet contemplation for a moment. Only to turn back to her task, and finally clip her gun-belt around her thigh. Standing with somewhat of a sense of finality to that moment.

"Good," she says, rather simply. "Be a good friend to her. You both will need it." Koyuki glances, noticeably, to one of the spots on Yurei's now covered body where the wound once was underneath. Saying nothing vocally on the subject, but surely she hoped such a gesture was enough. Already walking forward toward the door, and Yurei, when she says, "I will walk you out."