How do Close Calls End?

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Willoria
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How do Close Calls End?

Post by Willoria » Thu Feb 03, 2022 3:05 pm

Akari Ume lay in the hospital bed in silence. Breathing brought on a burning sensation in her chest, a wheeze that felt like it was deep in her throat rather than in her lungs. Her lips were dry and cracked, she felt as if they might bleed at any moment. Her head was pounding to the point that she could barely open her eyes, she spent much of her time feigning sleep if only to avoid any interaction as much as she could. She was hardly aware of the passing of time however, as just as she tried to fake sleeping she often did fall asleep and found herself constantly in and out. Whenever a medic came and spoke with her they assured her that she was healing well but her wounds had of course been severe. The knife would had been severe enough, but the worst of it had been healed by Iijutsu in the moment. She still hadn't spoken to Jinsai though she was certain that healing had come from him somehow. 'When did he learn it? Did he see me do it? Did he see me try? Was it that eye of his?' There was so much she had seen that she just couldn't explain, she just wasn't ready to see him yet.

For the moment, she found herself almost terrified of what she was certain had happened. It wasn't that she was scared of Jinsai, she was scared that it had all been in her fault.

As Ume lay in the bed with her head turned from the door, her eyes on the wall, Masako stood in the hallway. She herself was still bandaged up too of course. There was a chair beside her she was supposed to be sitting in, but she refused. The red-haired woman stood with her arms crossed and tried to hide her own pain from her expression as she guarded the door. She knew of only two people she'd ever let through that weren't medical staff, Jinsai, and the other was an Akari she had yet to meet herself, but she knew what he meant to Ume.
The Tales of the Aes Sedai Fukusha Reina - Iwagakure No Sato - Jounin - #EF2B2D Atsushi Cho - Tea Country - D Rank Samurai - #A34402 Hanzo - Sunagakure No Sato - Genin - #35C4AF

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How do Close Calls End?

Post by Kao » Thu Feb 03, 2022 4:07 pm

Kotaru had made it very clear that he wasn't to be disturbed. He had returned to Iwagakure a week prior, reluctant to do so even after having met with his informant's stand-in and gathering invaluable information. His intentions were to simply tell Tatsuo what had occurred and what he had learned, and then venture back out to the countryside to lose his problems in various women's beds. But after debriefing Tatsuo he found himself utterly exhausted and unable to drag his body out of the village again. So instead of disappearing beyond the village walls he went home. Initially very few people knew he was back, but once that knowledge had spread so did the very real threat that he would not tolerate any disruptions unless they were dire.

His house was huge considering he was the only person living in it. And empty. He had barely decorated any of the dozen above-ground rooms, and his literal man-cave-slash-grotto that lay a hundred feet below ground was hardly any better. But it was objectively cozy and warm at times considering the owner, and it was where Kotaru spent his time for almost a week straight, speaking to and seeing no one. When he was awake he often soaked in the hot tub and sulked, doing his best to keep his mind clear. When he inevitably failed he would saunter off to his room and bury himself beneath overstuffed pillows and listen to the chirping birds that were nesting outside his window.

He was in bed with his hair still soaking wet when he heard a knock at his front door, amplified by the relative emptiness of the front room. Kotaru had every intention to strangle the unwanted visitor until he saw it was a somewhat familiar face. One of his Jousai subordinates, Hideo, stood before him with his face pale and hands shaking at his side. Hideo had known Kotaru for years now and would never bother the bannin unless it was urgent.

And urgent it was.

"...She's what?" Hideo repeated himself, but the words still didn't quite reach. They bypassed his ears and went straight toward his chest, growing and thickening before cascading down to his stomach and settling there, heavy and thick like freshly poured concrete. Kotaru stared into the man's eyes with a gaze that slowly morphed from shock to fury. "Why are you fucking telling me this, huh? This has nothing to do with me!" But Hideo stared back, and although the jounin's entire body felt like it was being crushed beneath Kotaru very presence the man didn't budge. After all, Hideo was the person who had for years kept Kotaru updated on anything and everything that had to do with astrashiin wielders - and Ume, above all others.

Kotaru moved without thinking. In his mind he didn't immediately rush to the hospital. He first got dressed and grabbed his equipment, but at the speed he was moving it only added a few minutes to the journey at most. Once at the hospital's intensive care unit the room was easy enough to find, especially with the brutish Akari woman standing guard outside of the door. The sight of her in all her bandages and bruises made his blood boil. "Leave. You're not fit to guard anyone." Without giving the stranger the courtesy of eye contact he slipped into the room and made his way over to Ume's beaten form.
Last edited by Kao on Thu Feb 03, 2022 8:45 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Kao's CharactersShow
Akari KotaruBanninIwagakure no Sato Team 18 Jousai [color=#1fb8a3]
Komiya ShizuoJounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#209DD3]
Yanagida Yukino Special Jounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#a07ac2]
Ishiwara SetsunaChuunin Iwagakure no Sato[color=#E81D1D]
Enkouten Mai Jounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#CE5412]
Aisu Namie Chuunin Kirigakure no Sato [color=#5bc2d4]
Awai FusaeA-Rank MNKonohagakure no Sato[color=#D95FEA]
Important NPCsShow
Akari Kanehara Akari clan elder [color=#80A0FF]
Sakata KannaIwagakure Councilwoman [color=#3DA43B]
Hazuki Shuran Jinchuuriki researcher [color=#E854C0]
Enkouten Kaizen Iwagakure councilman, clan leader [color=#C65871]
Rock Country Daimyo [color=#AC4A4A]

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How do Close Calls End?

Post by Willoria » Thu Feb 03, 2022 4:55 pm

She knew who he was as soon as she saw him, even if she had never met him before. Masako knew Akari Kotaru by reputation, between his demeanor and description, he was easy to recognize. The way he spoke to her, if it was anyone else she might've challenged him. But between his rank, reputation, and her own state, it was pointless. 'He's not wrong.' she found herself thinking as she slumped into the chair beside her after the door closed behind him. She was still supposed to be in a hospital bed as well after all. She'd disobeyed orders to be on guard, and she knew Ume was probably safer with him at her side than with her at the door anyway. Still, it didn't make his words sting any less. All she could think about was how things had gone down, the way everything had frozen in that instant before she'd realized how bad it had really been. "Bastard." she muttered, and she wasn't talking about Kotaru either.

The sound of the door closing was enough to make Ume flinch, and her own movements caused her to groan in pain. She was hidden under the blankets, and her body under hospital gowns under that. But she'd been cut deeply, nearly gutted in a moment of poor judgment. Everything that could have gone wrong on that mission, did. Their intel had been missing data. The way she'd chosen to approach her target had only left her open and nearly gotten her killed. Her own companions had each paid their own price as well. Masako had nearly died though her wounds hadn't been quite as severe as Ume's, and Jinsai had been forced to make some kind of deal with a demon or an Oni, and Ume felt at fault for all of it.

She wasn't sure who was coming into the room, didn't even turn her head away from the wall to see who it was. She wasn't sure if she was about to get a verbal lashing or if it was someone checking on her again but she knew it'd be hard to pretend to be asleep again the way she'd flinched and whimpered when the door closed so instead she settled for simply asking, "Who is it? What do you want?" Her voice was quiet and hoarse, as if she could barely get the words out. In truth, she was even surprised she could say that much.
The Tales of the Aes Sedai Fukusha Reina - Iwagakure No Sato - Jounin - #EF2B2D Atsushi Cho - Tea Country - D Rank Samurai - #A34402 Hanzo - Sunagakure No Sato - Genin - #35C4AF

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How do Close Calls End?

Post by Kao » Thu Feb 03, 2022 6:07 pm

With every step forward, he questioned himself. What was he doing here? Wasn't he done with her? What would he even say to her now that he was here? With a quiet sigh he pulled the heavy hospital recliner to the side of her bed and fiddled with the lever for a moment. When the foot rest finally popped out, the bannin climbed onto it and stretched out his legs. Now that he was here and the knot in his stomach had settled, Kotaru had no idea what to do or say. Are you alright? No, that was stupid. She was in the hospital after being cut open, of course she wasn't alright. What happened? would be less than genuine since he had plenty of details relayed to him. Every question that popped into his mind felt wrong.

So he said nothing. Kotaru crossed his legs at the ankles, laid down and let out another sigh, this one more audible than the last. Long locks of dark teal hair bunched up around his face and shoulders, but he made no effort to adjust. With his eyes straight ahead and glued to the stark white walls, he waited in silence for Ume to emerge from her blankets and acknowledge him.
Kao's CharactersShow
Akari KotaruBanninIwagakure no Sato Team 18 Jousai [color=#1fb8a3]
Komiya ShizuoJounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#209DD3]
Yanagida Yukino Special Jounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#a07ac2]
Ishiwara SetsunaChuunin Iwagakure no Sato[color=#E81D1D]
Enkouten Mai Jounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#CE5412]
Aisu Namie Chuunin Kirigakure no Sato [color=#5bc2d4]
Awai FusaeA-Rank MNKonohagakure no Sato[color=#D95FEA]
Important NPCsShow
Akari Kanehara Akari clan elder [color=#80A0FF]
Sakata KannaIwagakure Councilwoman [color=#3DA43B]
Hazuki Shuran Jinchuuriki researcher [color=#E854C0]
Enkouten Kaizen Iwagakure councilman, clan leader [color=#C65871]
Rock Country Daimyo [color=#AC4A4A]

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How do Close Calls End?

Post by Willoria » Thu Feb 03, 2022 6:18 pm

She heard him pulling the chair around, the scuffing of the floor as he did so. She could hear him sighing, even hear a hint of his voice in it as if he was on the verge of talking and yet thought better of it. As he fell quiet after more sighs, she eventually shifted her head to try and get a look to see who was with her. When she saw the shades of teal hair in the recliner she knew immediately who it was. She practically expected her heart to skip a beat when she saw him, but the skip never came. Instead her heart sunk. Before the mission she had hoped to see him show up at some point, there had been a true hope in her heart but now? No the timing was all wrong. Her mind immediately jumped to the conclusion that he had to be here by force, probably here to give her some verbal lashing on behalf of the Clan Elders. She was irresponsible, almost lost her shiin, yadda yadda. Something of that sort was probably what she would heart. Her lavender eyes focused on him for a few moments of silence as she waited but when the lashing didn't come she found she wasn't sure what to say herself.

'It's good to see you? I don't know, is it though? He never answered my gift, or my letters. That's answer enough isn't it? He wants nothing to do with me. So I suppose it isn't good to see him. That'd just be a lie.' she thought to herself, sighing quietly as her gaze dropped to the pillow on which her head rested as her mind wandered far.

"Medics say I'll survive, if that's what you came to find out." she suddenly said in her hoarse tones. She hadn't even thought the words before they came from her lips, they simply came unbidden. 'Well that's a hell of a hello, Ume.' she thought to herself. She took a deep breath, finding even the one sentence meant she had to catch it again. She wasn't sure if it was the wounds or the meds that kept her so short on breath at this point, she only knew it had to be one of the two. "I know what mistakes I made, if that's what the Clan wanted you to check on, too." she added. Another deep breath before she lifted her eyes to look at him again. She could barely keep them open between the headache behind her eyes and the meds. Everything just left her so tired.
The Tales of the Aes Sedai Fukusha Reina - Iwagakure No Sato - Jounin - #EF2B2D Atsushi Cho - Tea Country - D Rank Samurai - #A34402 Hanzo - Sunagakure No Sato - Genin - #35C4AF

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How do Close Calls End?

Post by Kao » Thu Feb 03, 2022 6:58 pm

The first thing she said made his brow furrow. 'Of course you'll survive,' is what he wanted to say, but instead his lips simply parted momentarily then closed again. Even though she was in the intensive care unit, she wasn't hooked up to machines that were breathing for her and keeping her alive. From the moment he entered the room he knew it wasn't as bad as it could have been, that her hospitalization wouldn't be nearly as long as others he had seen. All at once, he felt relief wash over him like a warm summer rainshower. She was plainly short of breath but she was still breathing on her own, well enough to speak. The fact that she could turn over on her own without immediately screaming in pain was possibly a testament to painkillers, but Ume could move even if it was just her head.

Her next statement was enough to get him to roll his eyes, but barely. "I'm not here for that. I haven't even talked to the elders yet." He blinked twice, slowly, all while keeping his eyes on the opposite wall. "I'm here because my underling came to my door, at my house, and told me you were half dead. Told me twice, actually." A strand of hair had gotten in his mouth when he spoke, so the man lifted his head and gathered his hair together as if making a ponytail. Since he had nothing to tie it with, he simply threw it over the back of the recliner and then laid back down. "What is it with you and getting yourself nearly killed? There's easier ways to get my attention."
Kao's CharactersShow
Akari KotaruBanninIwagakure no Sato Team 18 Jousai [color=#1fb8a3]
Komiya ShizuoJounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#209DD3]
Yanagida Yukino Special Jounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#a07ac2]
Ishiwara SetsunaChuunin Iwagakure no Sato[color=#E81D1D]
Enkouten Mai Jounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#CE5412]
Aisu Namie Chuunin Kirigakure no Sato [color=#5bc2d4]
Awai FusaeA-Rank MNKonohagakure no Sato[color=#D95FEA]
Important NPCsShow
Akari Kanehara Akari clan elder [color=#80A0FF]
Sakata KannaIwagakure Councilwoman [color=#3DA43B]
Hazuki Shuran Jinchuuriki researcher [color=#E854C0]
Enkouten Kaizen Iwagakure councilman, clan leader [color=#C65871]
Rock Country Daimyo [color=#AC4A4A]

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How do Close Calls End?

Post by Willoria » Thu Feb 03, 2022 7:11 pm

He mentioned her being half dead and the woman couldn't help a small chuckle under her breath, of course punctuated with a small cough. "I mean, he wasn't wrong." she commented. "I was when they brought me in I guess." she added, swallowing hard as she took a moment to try and catch her breath again. She shifted her gaze to look at him again, watching quietly as he fiddled with his hair. "Silly me, thought a target would be as easy to get with my rings as you were when I was playing the role of slave and prostitute... didn't realize he was trying to sacrifice me to some demon or something... didn't go as planned." she was rambling a bit and she knew it. Her brain was in a fog, information and random facts spilling out between half caught breaths as she watched him. Though watching him mess with his hair brought a smile to her lips, she wasn't really sure why.

He commented about getting his attention and her smile split into a wide grin. "Apparently not, nothing else worked." she commented before laughing outright, and instantly regretting it. Her laugh quickly turned into a cough that wracked her whole body. Some machine seemed to go haywire for a moment with a series of beeps as she buried her face into a pillow and wheezed to try and get her breathing back to normal. As her breathing calmed and the coughing stopped, so did the beeping. She eventually turned her head to look up again, blood staining her lips and her throat feeling like it was on fire. She heard the door open and she didn't have to look to know. "I'm okay, Masako." she managed to call at the door.

The red-haired Akari had peeked her head in the door but before she could start to come in, Ume's words stopped her and the woman simply nodded before retreating out of the room again. She knew what Ume's tone really meant. That she wanted left alone.

Ume reached up a hand to try and push her own blue hair out of her face. "I'll be okay though." she finally tried to assure Kotaru, her tone genuine this time. "I'll heal... eventually."
The Tales of the Aes Sedai Fukusha Reina - Iwagakure No Sato - Jounin - #EF2B2D Atsushi Cho - Tea Country - D Rank Samurai - #A34402 Hanzo - Sunagakure No Sato - Genin - #35C4AF

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How do Close Calls End?

Post by Kao » Thu Feb 03, 2022 8:01 pm

Thanks to emotional exhaustion he kept his breathing steady when she mentioned being mistaken about someone being as easy as him. There were a less than a handful of things she could be referring to, but he didn't understand why she would be making jokes. Was she trying to get a rise out of him? Surely not, he thought, especially since it wasn't exactly working. Since he had been purposefully avoiding looking at her, Kotaru hadn't noticed her smile. Only when she began to cough and wheeze did he finally look at her.

Boy, she was a mess. Ume was sickly pale and her lips were cracked and bloody, and her hair was completely disheveled as if it hadn't been washed or brushed in days. The bannin sat upright with his lips pursed tightly throughout her coughing fit, and the frantically beeping monitors caught his gaze and attention. After spending week after week around a comatose Tatsuo, he had learned to make sense of at least some of these damned hospital machines. In this case, Ume's oxygen saturation dropped slightly and her heart rate increased due to the cough. Nothing too serious, but it warranted at least some concern. That concern was most evident in his eyes. Usually frigid, in that moment they could almost be described as soft.

That ended as soon as Masako opened the door. He stood up immediately, meeting the woman's eye with a gaze that clearly conveyed, I thought I told you to leave. But before he could gut her with his words, the door shut and the two were alone once again. Kotaru stood there motionless, momentarily paralyzed by the raw anger he felt toward that woman. "Useless," he spat, talking mostly to himself as he finally found it in him to move and turn toward Ume. Someone - a nurse, maybe - had left a pitcher of water and a glass on the bedside table. He filled it stretched out his hand, offering it to her. "I'd like to know what's so funny, Ume." Unlike her, he didn't crack a smile.
Kao's CharactersShow
Akari KotaruBanninIwagakure no Sato Team 18 Jousai [color=#1fb8a3]
Komiya ShizuoJounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#209DD3]
Yanagida Yukino Special Jounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#a07ac2]
Ishiwara SetsunaChuunin Iwagakure no Sato[color=#E81D1D]
Enkouten Mai Jounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#CE5412]
Aisu Namie Chuunin Kirigakure no Sato [color=#5bc2d4]
Awai FusaeA-Rank MNKonohagakure no Sato[color=#D95FEA]
Important NPCsShow
Akari Kanehara Akari clan elder [color=#80A0FF]
Sakata KannaIwagakure Councilwoman [color=#3DA43B]
Hazuki Shuran Jinchuuriki researcher [color=#E854C0]
Enkouten Kaizen Iwagakure councilman, clan leader [color=#C65871]
Rock Country Daimyo [color=#AC4A4A]

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How do Close Calls End?

Post by Willoria » Thu Feb 03, 2022 8:17 pm

She almost felt her blood run cold as he called Masako useless, freezing in place for a moment even as he offered her the glass of water. She didn't take it, and not just because she already knew from past attempts that she'd only manage to spill it all over herself. She simply looked up at him for a moment. She wanted to glare, but in truth she didn't even have the energy. "At least she was here." she said quietly. "That's what's so funny." she added, swallowing hard as if she felt like she was swallowing a hundred needles at once. "She might be assigned to me by the Clan... but she's done what she can since you vanished... helped me through the nightmares, what she can do on missions which no one can help me much on those really..."

She chuckled mirthlessly under her breath and rest her head on the pillow, her eyes fluttering a moment against the pain and medications. "Every time I convince myself you're gone and you don't care... you come running back. That's what's so funny." she closed her eyes briefly, her breathing evening out for a moment before she lifted her head with a start to force herself to stay awake. "And yet when I thought I was dying my stupid ass still asked for you... how pathetic am I?"
The Tales of the Aes Sedai Fukusha Reina - Iwagakure No Sato - Jounin - #EF2B2D Atsushi Cho - Tea Country - D Rank Samurai - #A34402 Hanzo - Sunagakure No Sato - Genin - #35C4AF

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How do Close Calls End?

Post by Kao » Thu Feb 03, 2022 8:40 pm

It would have been easier to slap him. Kotaru stood there, hand clenched too tightly around the glass, as Ume dared to utter at least she was here. Accusing him of vanishing wasn't entirely wrong but it also wasn't fair. He had left because of her rejection. Because of the way she still held on to guilt over something that had long been forgiven by both male parties involved. And then when he'd returned to a box and a letter, he didn't know how to handle that either. It had been like whiplash in his chest, and it was a lot easier to leave again and find comfort in women he cared nothing about. Kotaru's breath came out in a shudder as he pulled his hand back from her. "Excuse me for needing some space after you went from literally punishing yourself because of me, to sending me a letter saying the exact opposite."

He set the glass down on the table - perhaps too hard - and continued, "That's your problem, Ume. You convince yourself of shit. That I don't care. That I'm done with you. You must've forgotten what was in your own letter cause last I checked, I didn't send the box back." He realized it as he said it. A lump grew immediately in his throat and he had to look away. There was a straw on the table, so he roughly ripped away the paper, put the straw into the glass, and once again offered her the water. "Drink the damn water, Ume."
Kao's CharactersShow
Akari KotaruBanninIwagakure no Sato Team 18 Jousai [color=#1fb8a3]
Komiya ShizuoJounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#209DD3]
Yanagida Yukino Special Jounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#a07ac2]
Ishiwara SetsunaChuunin Iwagakure no Sato[color=#E81D1D]
Enkouten Mai Jounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#CE5412]
Aisu Namie Chuunin Kirigakure no Sato [color=#5bc2d4]
Awai FusaeA-Rank MNKonohagakure no Sato[color=#D95FEA]
Important NPCsShow
Akari Kanehara Akari clan elder [color=#80A0FF]
Sakata KannaIwagakure Councilwoman [color=#3DA43B]
Hazuki Shuran Jinchuuriki researcher [color=#E854C0]
Enkouten Kaizen Iwagakure councilman, clan leader [color=#C65871]
Rock Country Daimyo [color=#AC4A4A]

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How do Close Calls End?

Post by Willoria » Thu Feb 03, 2022 8:55 pm

Ume visibly flinched when he suddenly set the glass down hard on the table. She didn't know what to say to his comments at first, though he was right. He didn't send it back, but it also brought up what bothered her the most. "All I can do is guess with you. Maybe my problem is I convince myself of shit... but it's because you can never just say shit, Kota. You never just tell me anything... I have to guess..." she said quietly. She couldn't help at this point the tears that stung the corners of her eyes. It wasn't just that she was feeling emotional from it all, this was the most she'd spoken since she'd come in. Her lungs and throat felt as if they were on fire. She wasn't supposed to be talking as much as she had and yet she didn't particularly care.

He offered her the water again, with a straw this time and she looked up at him briefly. She shifted the best she could in the bed, grimacing as she tried to sit up enough to sip from the straw. She managed a couple of sips before letting herself rest against the pillow once more to catch her breath and blinking back the tears in her eyes. "Thank you." The words were but whispers, but her voice wasn't quite as raspy, and the burn in her throat wasn't as bad.

"I love you."

The words simply spilled out suddenly as she realized the tears tried to come again. Her eyes had been on him for a moment but not for long before they quickly went to her blankets once more, to her own hands. "For a moment there... I thought I was going to die without ever saying it I..."
The Tales of the Aes Sedai Fukusha Reina - Iwagakure No Sato - Jounin - #EF2B2D Atsushi Cho - Tea Country - D Rank Samurai - #A34402 Hanzo - Sunagakure No Sato - Genin - #35C4AF

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How do Close Calls End?

Post by Kao » Thu Feb 03, 2022 9:40 pm

Had she not been in a hospital bed on the verge of tears, she would have been met with a much different reaction. In the span of a heartbeat his anger burst within him and then simmered, and he managed to force every phase to remain internal. 'Because you don't ask, you just assume based on how you're feeling at the time,' he wanted to scream. At that moment he couldn't manage it. Exhaustion was potent and it left him unable to express himself, especially in ways that were sure to hurt her - no matter how honest they were. Unfortunately, she would have seen it in his eyes. He hadn't quite mastered how to keep intense emotions from flashing behind those seafoam eyes.

When she continued on and dropped a four letter word that had no business being as heavy as it was, Kotaru closed his eyes. That word was foreign. It was strange. Even after years of being emotionally and socially rebuilt by his friends and family, that was still a word he never had been able to use. Any therapist worth their salt would have contributed his emotional unavailability to his upbringing with it parents, but even that was only part of it. It boiled down to the most important thing to him.

Trust.

There had been a time where he would have been thrilled to hear those words from Ume. Those words would have made a younger Kotaru gather her in his arms and kiss her, injuries be damned. He may have even said it back, the words falling from his lips for the first time in his life. But the aftertaste of rejection and disappointment lingered, and it was bitter. Still, in her current state he didn't want to talk about the tornado of emotions that had been ravaging him for weeks. He felt something akin to love. The way he came running every time, as she helpfully pointed out, was evidence enough of that. But he also wasn't sure if he could trust that she would give her all to him after all this time. She had changed her mind for him once before, after all, and she had changed it back again.

For now, those thoughts and feelings were some that he needed to keep to himself. Ume was clearly recovering from something traumatic and there was no need to get her worked up further. Kotaru swallowed the lump in his throat and sat on the recliner, and for a moment he wasn't able to look at her. "I...."
Kao's CharactersShow
Akari KotaruBanninIwagakure no Sato Team 18 Jousai [color=#1fb8a3]
Komiya ShizuoJounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#209DD3]
Yanagida Yukino Special Jounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#a07ac2]
Ishiwara SetsunaChuunin Iwagakure no Sato[color=#E81D1D]
Enkouten Mai Jounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#CE5412]
Aisu Namie Chuunin Kirigakure no Sato [color=#5bc2d4]
Awai FusaeA-Rank MNKonohagakure no Sato[color=#D95FEA]
Important NPCsShow
Akari Kanehara Akari clan elder [color=#80A0FF]
Sakata KannaIwagakure Councilwoman [color=#3DA43B]
Hazuki Shuran Jinchuuriki researcher [color=#E854C0]
Enkouten Kaizen Iwagakure councilman, clan leader [color=#C65871]
Rock Country Daimyo [color=#AC4A4A]

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How do Close Calls End?

Post by Willoria » Thu Feb 03, 2022 9:59 pm

She definitely saw the anger. She was surprised he didn't say anything out loud, that it didn't come spilling out like it usually did. The pair of them had always been good at that, at yelling at each other it seemed. Unresolved everything between them seemed to be their ongoing theme all of their lives, since they were young. She wasn't sure it would ever change, it was definitely something she had felt in that moment with a damn sacrificial dagger in her gut. But at the same time everything had felt clearer, it was why those three words had come to mind for her instantly, and why she had felt like she'd regret it if she wasn't able to at least say them.

But now she had said them.

She watched a different struggle in his eyes, and a strange smile came across her lips. She watched him sit on the recliner and try to talk and she simply shook her head. "You don't have to say it back." she told him quietly. "You don't have to feel the same." she added, sighing to herself. Her smile turned almost sad for a moment. "I... I don't need you to. I just... I just needed to say it, at least once. I needed you to know I felt it." With a light grimace against the pain, the woman reached out a hand, her fingertips searching for one of his hands briefly. "Just... find what makes you happy, Kota. Or who."

The entire situation felt like she was watching from somewhere else in the room, like she was dreaming the entire interaction. It felt entirely unreal and strange to her, things she'd kept bottled up and couldn't express fueled by the closest brush with death she'd had yet. 'I guess next time if I come so close... or if its worse... nothing will hold me back at least... nothing left unsaid finally...'
The Tales of the Aes Sedai Fukusha Reina - Iwagakure No Sato - Jounin - #EF2B2D Atsushi Cho - Tea Country - D Rank Samurai - #A34402 Hanzo - Sunagakure No Sato - Genin - #35C4AF

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How do Close Calls End?

Post by Kao » Fri Feb 04, 2022 2:00 pm

Her reaction came as a surprise. Kotaru expected her to get upset, to cry and express disappointment at his hesitation and inability to verbally reciprocate her feelings. Surprisingly, she relented and even told him that he didn't need to feel the same. Were those really the words of someone in love? Of a woman who wanted to wait for him after finally realizing her feelings? It didn't make sense to him. None of it made sense. He could feel his heart thumping in his chest, every beat bringing on a new wave of emotion. Confusion. Nausea. Confusion again. Irritation. Anger. Sadness. Suddenly he felt a light touch, warm fingers searching for his own. Initially he remained still, but after mulling it over he allowed himself to take her hand.

Kotaru didn't simply hold her hand. The man turned his head to watch as he lifted her hand then pressed their fingertips together, one after the other, then dropped his fingers to intertwine with hers. She's alive. She's fine, I should be relieved. But she hurt me. Why is she saying this now? Is it just because of the near-death experience? But the letter. This isn't new. But she hurt me. I'm confused. Why now? Why now? Why now?

He dropped her hand. "You should get some rest, Ume."
Kao's CharactersShow
Akari KotaruBanninIwagakure no Sato Team 18 Jousai [color=#1fb8a3]
Komiya ShizuoJounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#209DD3]
Yanagida Yukino Special Jounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#a07ac2]
Ishiwara SetsunaChuunin Iwagakure no Sato[color=#E81D1D]
Enkouten Mai Jounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#CE5412]
Aisu Namie Chuunin Kirigakure no Sato [color=#5bc2d4]
Awai FusaeA-Rank MNKonohagakure no Sato[color=#D95FEA]
Important NPCsShow
Akari Kanehara Akari clan elder [color=#80A0FF]
Sakata KannaIwagakure Councilwoman [color=#3DA43B]
Hazuki Shuran Jinchuuriki researcher [color=#E854C0]
Enkouten Kaizen Iwagakure councilman, clan leader [color=#C65871]
Rock Country Daimyo [color=#AC4A4A]

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How do Close Calls End?

Post by Willoria » Fri Feb 04, 2022 2:18 pm

She watched his face and felt like she could see so much processing through his mind by simply watching his expression. But either through the fog of medications and pain, or her own ineptitude, she had no idea what to say. She didn't know if she could explain anything further to him, or what she might need to say or explain to him. She simply watched him as if marveling at something new. She was smiling, especially as he took her hand. Her eyes shifted from his face to their fingers and she watched. All fight had left her, she hadn't even realized it until he dropped her hand and told her to rest.

She realized she was done fighting with him, and even fighting for him in the moment. It hit her so thoroughly a new wave of exhaustion washed over her. Her lavender eyes lifted to look at him. "It's okay to be happy you know." she said quietly. She opened her mouth to say more but the words didn't come, she just smiled at him as her eyes fluttered closed. 'It's okay to sleep now, right?' she thought to herself. 'He's right here...'

Ume suddenly started as if waking up and blinked a few times, looking at Kotaru a moment. "Will... will you still be here... when I wake up?"
The Tales of the Aes Sedai Fukusha Reina - Iwagakure No Sato - Jounin - #EF2B2D Atsushi Cho - Tea Country - D Rank Samurai - #A34402 Hanzo - Sunagakure No Sato - Genin - #35C4AF

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How do Close Calls End?

Post by Kao » Fri Feb 04, 2022 3:03 pm

It wasn't the first time someone told him to be happy. Happiness had so rarely entered Kotaru's life that most of the time he wasn't sure what it meant, or what happiness really felt like. All he knew was that out of the few times in his life that he thought he was happy, Ume had been involved in most of them. Their eyes met, and for one brief moment his mind cleared. There was only those eyes, violet and expressive even now. If he had to put a word to her expression it would be exhausted, but within that was a sincerity that sent his heart spinning in circles. "Yeah. Yeah, I'll be here."

With that said he laid back, again adjusting his hair so it framed his face instead of falling in messy locks and blocking his field of vision. For now the tempest in his head was beginning to weaken, though the strong winds within still carried doubt and uncertainty. For now, she was there, he was there, and the knot in his stomach had, for the time being, settled.
Kao's CharactersShow
Akari KotaruBanninIwagakure no Sato Team 18 Jousai [color=#1fb8a3]
Komiya ShizuoJounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#209DD3]
Yanagida Yukino Special Jounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#a07ac2]
Ishiwara SetsunaChuunin Iwagakure no Sato[color=#E81D1D]
Enkouten Mai Jounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#CE5412]
Aisu Namie Chuunin Kirigakure no Sato [color=#5bc2d4]
Awai FusaeA-Rank MNKonohagakure no Sato[color=#D95FEA]
Important NPCsShow
Akari Kanehara Akari clan elder [color=#80A0FF]
Sakata KannaIwagakure Councilwoman [color=#3DA43B]
Hazuki Shuran Jinchuuriki researcher [color=#E854C0]
Enkouten Kaizen Iwagakure councilman, clan leader [color=#C65871]
Rock Country Daimyo [color=#AC4A4A]

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How do Close Calls End?

Post by Willoria » Fri Feb 04, 2022 3:38 pm

She smiled again, relief washing over her when he answered and assured her that he'd be there. She had been waiting so long to hear from him, fearful that she might never hear from him again that in the moment she didn't even care about whether or not she healed. She was simply happy for seeing him again. With a sigh she laid her head down again and reached out a hand. He might not have been holding her hand this time, but she didn't relax until she felt her fingertips brush against his hand again. Only moments later would her breathing slowly even out in the simple sign that she had fallen asleep once more.

By time she'd awake again some time later, though just how long she wasn't sure, she was sure she could hear someone arguing not far from her. It didn't take long for her to identify one of the voices as Masako. When she turned her head she could see the red-haired Akari standing in the doorway, clearly being careful to stay clear of Kotaru more than likely, but close enough to see what was going on. A medic was by Ume's bed checking vitals and apparently administering medications while having some kind of a whisper fight with Masako, which was the confrontation Ume was hearing.

"I'm fine. Would you just... quiet down and focus on her. Please."

"Ma'am. You should still be in bed too. You aren't supposed to be off the pain meds, much less out of bed like this. You were injured too after all."

"Not as badly as her, just... please." Masako sighed, leaning against the doorway with an arm around her waist, likely an attempt to cover the bandage over her own wound.

"You should let us get you back to your room."

"I'm fine, really."

"You're not needed here-"

"You two aren't as quiet as you think." Ume interjected with a light chuckle as both individuals froze, and both Masako and the medic glanced at Kotaru to see if he'd heard them as well.
The Tales of the Aes Sedai Fukusha Reina - Iwagakure No Sato - Jounin - #EF2B2D Atsushi Cho - Tea Country - D Rank Samurai - #A34402 Hanzo - Sunagakure No Sato - Genin - #35C4AF

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How do Close Calls End?

Post by Kao » Fri Feb 04, 2022 7:11 pm

As soon as he heard her steady breathing, Kotaru turned over on the recliner to face her. If it weren't for the beeping of the monitors it would be peaceful. The sound was a reminder that he was in the hospital with her, that she had nearly died once again, and despite everything that had happened between them and all the doubts he still had, he was still afraid to lose her. "Fuck.... he lamented in a whisper as he briefly covered her hand with his. What would his friends say about him being there? Tatsuo would probably grin and laugh and tell him to go get her. Mitsuo on the other hand would chastise him for being unable to shut the door on his past and walk away. He could hear the Enkouten now, lecturing him about how love isn't supposed to hurt and yadda yadda yadda. With this in mind he allowed himself to doze off, though as usual his sleep was extremely light.

Not even an hour later, someone walked in. Then another person followed. Kotaru stirred but kept his eyes shut, listening as the two women argued. From the sound of it one was a nurse or something and the other...the other one was that woman who had been "guarding" the door. The man curbed his aggravation by inhaling deeply and then letting it out very, very slowly. Ume was asleep, so there was no reason to-

The sound of Ume's voice made his eyes flutter open. "I've been trying to ignore them," he revealed, his voice low and raspy with sleep. "Especially that one cause I thought I told her to get the fuck outta here." With his eyes fully open he glared at Masako, his displeasure radiating from him in waves. The medic shivered. "You heard her. You're not needed here."
Kao's CharactersShow
Akari KotaruBanninIwagakure no Sato Team 18 Jousai [color=#1fb8a3]
Komiya ShizuoJounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#209DD3]
Yanagida Yukino Special Jounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#a07ac2]
Ishiwara SetsunaChuunin Iwagakure no Sato[color=#E81D1D]
Enkouten Mai Jounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#CE5412]
Aisu Namie Chuunin Kirigakure no Sato [color=#5bc2d4]
Awai FusaeA-Rank MNKonohagakure no Sato[color=#D95FEA]
Important NPCsShow
Akari Kanehara Akari clan elder [color=#80A0FF]
Sakata KannaIwagakure Councilwoman [color=#3DA43B]
Hazuki Shuran Jinchuuriki researcher [color=#E854C0]
Enkouten Kaizen Iwagakure councilman, clan leader [color=#C65871]
Rock Country Daimyo [color=#AC4A4A]

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How do Close Calls End?

Post by Willoria » Fri Feb 04, 2022 7:31 pm

Masako returned Kotaru's glare with one of her own, in spite of how uncomfortable she clearly felt under his gaze. "I'm not here for you, I'm here for her." she returned coldly, nodding towards Ume. "And I don't answer to you either, I answer to Ume, or to the Clan Elders directly. My orders on that are clear." she added, bristling even as she said it. Masako had already received words from the individual who had assigned her to protect Ume in the first place and she had a feeling the words they wanted to have with her weren't good at all. She still wasn't convinced the night someone tried to rip one of her shiin out of her wasn't an order from them as punishment for disregarding another order. 'Who knows how much longer I'll be assigned to Ume after this? The whole idea was they wanted her and Kotaru pushed closer together again... looks like its worked...' she thought to herself.

Ume meanwhile was rolling her eyes. "I trust her, Kota." she said quietly, looking at him a moment. "She's injured because she was trying to save me." she added, taking a deep breath and letting it out slow. She knew Kotaru was less than fond of other members of the clan, and that was putting it mildly. Among other reasons, she imagined he probably hated Masako being nearby because of how weak Ume was right now. Most members of their clan would be eager to steal her shiin in her current state. "She's proven herself in the past, saved me when someone broke in to try and attack me before... hell she's let me experiment on her with Iijutsu."

Ume sighed, turning to look at Masako herself and saw a proud smile starting to spread on the other woman's face. "Though for your own sake you should be in your own hospital bed... your gut was slashed open too." When Masako frowned at her, Ume made a face at her. "At least check on Jinsai for me?"

Masako frowned visibly. "They sent him home already, he's been a recluse, won't let anyone in to see him."

Ume smirked. "But he'll make an exception for you.... bet he could use one of your signature teas right now..."

Masako blinked briefly and finally relented. She pushed off the wall and seemed to leave.

Ume turned to look at Kota and smiled softly. "She's one of those you have to make it about someone else. But she's been getting close to Jinsai lately so, she'll be just as eager to check on him, and I'd guess you're the only one she'd trust me to be alone with right now. She knows I'm safe with you."
The Tales of the Aes Sedai Fukusha Reina - Iwagakure No Sato - Jounin - #EF2B2D Atsushi Cho - Tea Country - D Rank Samurai - #A34402 Hanzo - Sunagakure No Sato - Genin - #35C4AF

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How do Close Calls End?

Post by Kao » Fri Feb 04, 2022 9:04 pm

Kotaru could have ripped this woman's throat out and he wouldn't have thought twice about it. It was an exercise in restraint and he nearly lost his temper. "I don't give a fuck about your orders. If you come in here again-" Ume cut him off with her declaration of trust for the woman, and Kotaru groaned internally. The man didn't want to talk about the clan or the Elders or their stupid orders. He was sick of the politics and the illusion of control within the Akari and he was reaching the tipping point. But he kept all of this to himself and listened to the exchange between the women in silence.

Once Masako and the medic were out of the room he turned to Ume with his lips turned downward in a deep frown. "Let me make something clear. I don't care if you trust her, cause as long as the Elders have her under their thumb, she can't be trusted. You might think she's on your side, but she said it herself. She's all about her orders, and I'd bet my shiin she's been told their orders supersede yours. And as far as I'm concerned, she didn't protect you well enough so she's shit at her job. Same goes for him. Don't bother defending them cause if they piss me off I'll make sure they won't be able to form coherent sentences for a month." He folded his arms across his chest, fully expecting her to continue defending her little friends even though he told her not to. So he added belatedly, "Tell them to train more or some shit and I might change my mind about them."
Kao's CharactersShow
Akari KotaruBanninIwagakure no Sato Team 18 Jousai [color=#1fb8a3]
Komiya ShizuoJounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#209DD3]
Yanagida Yukino Special Jounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#a07ac2]
Ishiwara SetsunaChuunin Iwagakure no Sato[color=#E81D1D]
Enkouten Mai Jounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#CE5412]
Aisu Namie Chuunin Kirigakure no Sato [color=#5bc2d4]
Awai FusaeA-Rank MNKonohagakure no Sato[color=#D95FEA]
Important NPCsShow
Akari Kanehara Akari clan elder [color=#80A0FF]
Sakata KannaIwagakure Councilwoman [color=#3DA43B]
Hazuki Shuran Jinchuuriki researcher [color=#E854C0]
Enkouten Kaizen Iwagakure councilman, clan leader [color=#C65871]
Rock Country Daimyo [color=#AC4A4A]

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How do Close Calls End?

Post by Willoria » Fri Feb 04, 2022 9:13 pm

"She's already ignored their orders in favor of me once...." Ume remarked almost idly, but she didn't expound on it. She had a hunch that Kotaru wouldn't listen or didn't want to know, or more than likely both of the above. He wouldn't want to hear how the Clan had ordered Masako to come between Ume and Jinsai, and refused to do so after she found out the two had stopped their physical relationship of their own accord. He mentioned them training and she almost snorted. "They train more than I do." she remarked, glancing down at herself. Her wounds were still hidden by blankets and the hospital gown but naturally she could feel them very well. "Clearly I need to fix that." she muttered, sighing heavily to herself. Of course she also knew something had happened to Jinsai during the mission. He had made a deal with something, some spirit, to get her and Masako out of there alive. But she doubted that information would make him feel any better either, if he didn't already know it anyway.

She simply didn't bother defending them to him, she knew even Jinsai would tell her not to bother if he were near enough to hear it anyway. She let silence sit between them for a moment before chuckling to herself. "Remember when I was supposed to be training Genjutsu with you?" she asked, turning to look at Kota again. "That move I did with my rings, the garrote? My dumbass tried it on a real target this time... that's how I got in this mess. I thought it would work, he was responsible for the disappearances of a lot of people, mostly women. I went in pretending to be some slave prostitute. Thought I could distract him long enough to kill him... didn't expect him to try and kill me as part of some sacrifice or ritual..."

She shook her head slowly, and then pushed herself up on her elbows with a groan. "I'm tired of laying down." she muttered, stubbornly trying to push herself up in order to sit up. "I just want to get out of here, to go home..."
The Tales of the Aes Sedai Fukusha Reina - Iwagakure No Sato - Jounin - #EF2B2D Atsushi Cho - Tea Country - D Rank Samurai - #A34402 Hanzo - Sunagakure No Sato - Genin - #35C4AF

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How do Close Calls End?

Post by Kao » Fri Feb 04, 2022 10:27 pm

Ume was absolutely right in assuming Kotaru didn't care to hear about her history with Masako. They were lucky she had been able to leave the room with her mind intact considering the man's current mood. Luckily for Masako, Kotaru cared much more about the woman next to him and sorting out his feelings for her. And he especially didn't want to hear about Jinsai. It was a good thing that Ume had the tact to not mention the man by name, or else Kotaru's mood would have withered completely. The bannin hummed when she explained exactly what went wrong in her mission, and the ghost of a smile touched his lips when he remembered what she'd pulled with the garrote.

"Yeah, well, I guess I understand why you thought it'd work on some random asshole when it kinda worked on me." He turned over when he heard her shifting, and when Ume tried to get up he was immediately standing at the side of her bed with his hand out in front of her. Her forehead would meet his palm and he'd try to gently ease her back onto the bed. "Absolutely the fuck not. You'll rip open your stitches. Lie down. And you're not going home any time soon. That's out of the question."
Kao's CharactersShow
Akari KotaruBanninIwagakure no Sato Team 18 Jousai [color=#1fb8a3]
Komiya ShizuoJounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#209DD3]
Yanagida Yukino Special Jounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#a07ac2]
Ishiwara SetsunaChuunin Iwagakure no Sato[color=#E81D1D]
Enkouten Mai Jounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#CE5412]
Aisu Namie Chuunin Kirigakure no Sato [color=#5bc2d4]
Awai FusaeA-Rank MNKonohagakure no Sato[color=#D95FEA]
Important NPCsShow
Akari Kanehara Akari clan elder [color=#80A0FF]
Sakata KannaIwagakure Councilwoman [color=#3DA43B]
Hazuki Shuran Jinchuuriki researcher [color=#E854C0]
Enkouten Kaizen Iwagakure councilman, clan leader [color=#C65871]
Rock Country Daimyo [color=#AC4A4A]

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How do Close Calls End?

Post by Willoria » Fri Feb 04, 2022 10:42 pm

"Kinda? It was hard to tell if you were panicked or about to make a mess in your pants when I did it..." Ume replied, attempting to tease him about the day she had tried to strangle him. Of course, when he moved to stop her from sitting up she couldn't help groaning at him as a complaint. She glared up at him as he eased her back onto the bed. "It can't be that bad... even I was able to start using Mystical Palm on it before I passed out and I'm sure they've done more with it since." she grumbled at him. However, the woman hadn't personally laid eyes on her wound since she'd been injured and had no idea how bad it was. She started moving the blankets around to try and get a look at it herself. She was careful when she had to move the hospital gown to make sure not to actually expose herself and just get a look at the wound itself. But what she saw surprised her. There was a bandage over the stitches of course, but when she got a look at the size of it she paused and found herself blushing slightly before she covered herself again.

"I guess I didn't manage to stop him as well as I thought I did when he dragged the knife up." she muttered, shaking her head. She didn't even look up at Kotaru for a moment. "That's embarrassing... what a shit excuse for a shinobi I've been huh." She shook her head, her mind already going over the mission again as she thought about moments she had messed up. She even thought about how quickly things went sideways. 'The moment my target didn't match the description I was given, I should have changed tactics and not gotten so close to him...' she thought to herself.
The Tales of the Aes Sedai Fukusha Reina - Iwagakure No Sato - Jounin - #EF2B2D Atsushi Cho - Tea Country - D Rank Samurai - #A34402 Hanzo - Sunagakure No Sato - Genin - #35C4AF

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How do Close Calls End?

Post by Kao » Sat Feb 05, 2022 12:36 am

"I don't panic," the bannin replied with a smirk. When he was satisfied that she wouldn't attempt to get up again he sat back down on the recliner and kicked his feet up on the side of her bed. He watched as he examined her wounds. By the look and sound of it, she had no idea just how close she had come to dying. A lecture was in order, but for the time being he couldn't bring himself chastise her especially once she started doing it herself. He grabbed her blanket with one hand and tossed it upwards so that it would cover her up to her chin. "Don't worry about it, it's done," he said in an attempt to steer her mind elsewhere. "Sometimes things go sour. And you're not shit if you learned mystical palm. I gave up on learning it. But enough about the mission."

Kotaru adjusted the recliner so that it was almost completely upright again and then turned the chair to the left. In this new position he was facing her, and with his hands folded across his torso and his feet kicked up he looked something like a mob boss. "You need to move out of the Akari compound. At least temporarily."
Kao's CharactersShow
Akari KotaruBanninIwagakure no Sato Team 18 Jousai [color=#1fb8a3]
Komiya ShizuoJounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#209DD3]
Yanagida Yukino Special Jounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#a07ac2]
Ishiwara SetsunaChuunin Iwagakure no Sato[color=#E81D1D]
Enkouten Mai Jounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#CE5412]
Aisu Namie Chuunin Kirigakure no Sato [color=#5bc2d4]
Awai FusaeA-Rank MNKonohagakure no Sato[color=#D95FEA]
Important NPCsShow
Akari Kanehara Akari clan elder [color=#80A0FF]
Sakata KannaIwagakure Councilwoman [color=#3DA43B]
Hazuki Shuran Jinchuuriki researcher [color=#E854C0]
Enkouten Kaizen Iwagakure councilman, clan leader [color=#C65871]
Rock Country Daimyo [color=#AC4A4A]

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How do Close Calls End?

Post by Willoria » Sat Feb 05, 2022 12:46 am

Ume blinked a moment as he tossed the blanket over her again, flinching slightly before chuckling and shaking her head at him. "Well I learned it thanks to Tatsuo's wife." she commented. "I wound up learning a great deal about Iijutsu from her, and better control... she's good." It was strange to talk about. She hadn't even realized the woman's connection to Tatsuo until later, sometime between when she had trained with her and when she had helped her with surgery on the Tsuchikage himself. Though odd to discuss, it didn't feel as awkward as she had thought it would be when she first realized the connection.

Though as Kotaru made it clear he was planning to change the subject, Ume turned her head to look at him a moment in some confusion. If she had a hunch she wasn't going to like what he had to say, she was right. "And why would I do that?" she asked him, the words coming out a touch harsher than she had actually intended to say them. "That isn't just my home, Kota. I run a small medical clinic from my home as well. It's the only safe place for a lot of our clansmen to get medical care within the compound without fear of their shiin being taken. What I do is vital work, I can't just uproot that." She already felt herself getting more than a little defensive. It wasn't even just about the safety of members of her clan in truth, she was also learning a great deal about her own clan through her work. The more she learned, the better the chances she could change things in the clan in the future. Some of her patients were also willing participants in her studies and other work.

Ume sighed, she had a hunch he was going to dig in on this one as she shook her head. "I can't just leave... and where would I go anyway? Somehow I doubt you're going to suggest I stay with J-." She had to cut herself off to keep from using a name she knew would only piss him off more. "You're hardly going to suggest I stay with my mission partner for any period of time, and he's the only one I now who lives off the Akari Compound that has the space."
The Tales of the Aes Sedai Fukusha Reina - Iwagakure No Sato - Jounin - #EF2B2D Atsushi Cho - Tea Country - D Rank Samurai - #A34402 Hanzo - Sunagakure No Sato - Genin - #35C4AF

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Kao
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How do Close Calls End?

Post by Kao » Sat Feb 05, 2022 1:38 am

He expected she would push back on this, but he was prepared for that. The thought that she should move out of the Akari compound occurred to him when she was sleeping, and the idea solidified after seeing Masako at the door. Lurking. There was no other word he would use to describe it. Her presence reminded him that there were always other Akari afoot. Makaso's presence had been good for one thing: it temporarily pierced the veil of his conflicted thoughts about Ume and her intentions, and his mind was refocused on keeping her safe while she was vulnerable. He could strong-arm the medics into keeping her there until she recuperated completely, but that would take weeks and he was frankly tired of hospital walls and monitors.

The clinic and her work with it was news to him. After their last meeting he hadn't kept up with Ume's movements much. Kotaru hadn't been in the village much for the past few months, and whenever he had dropped by it was always for less than two days and without contact with any of his subordinates. Even the Elders went ignored. Frankly it didn't matter to him. Anything related to the Akari could wait.

When she nearly said his name, the bannin's eyes narrowed. Luckily she caught herself, and he decided to let the issue pass. At her question he stared at her for a moment, unintentionally giving the conversation a dramatic pause. "Where do you think I live, a cave? You can stay with me." His hand rubbed against the cheap leather, knowing she would probably try to think of a way to decline his offer. To avoid an argument, he added, "For some reason that's beyond me, you attract trouble. I'm pretty sure you're the most attacked or almost-attacked person in the clan. That won't be an issue if you're with me, on the other side of the village in a house that only an idiot will approach with even a little bit of ill-intentions. Besides, you won't be doing any clinical stuff anytime soon. Even with iijutsu to help, your body is wrecked. You'll be out for at least two weeks."

Once Kotaru made up his mind it was hard to change it. He held up two fingers and held her gaze for a moment. "Two weeks. Alright?"
Kao's CharactersShow
Akari KotaruBanninIwagakure no Sato Team 18 Jousai [color=#1fb8a3]
Komiya ShizuoJounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#209DD3]
Yanagida Yukino Special Jounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#a07ac2]
Ishiwara SetsunaChuunin Iwagakure no Sato[color=#E81D1D]
Enkouten Mai Jounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#CE5412]
Aisu Namie Chuunin Kirigakure no Sato [color=#5bc2d4]
Awai FusaeA-Rank MNKonohagakure no Sato[color=#D95FEA]
Important NPCsShow
Akari Kanehara Akari clan elder [color=#80A0FF]
Sakata KannaIwagakure Councilwoman [color=#3DA43B]
Hazuki Shuran Jinchuuriki researcher [color=#E854C0]
Enkouten Kaizen Iwagakure councilman, clan leader [color=#C65871]
Rock Country Daimyo [color=#AC4A4A]

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Willoria
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How do Close Calls End?

Post by Willoria » Sat Feb 05, 2022 11:49 am

Ume couldn't help a bit of a frown as Kotaru suggested she stay with him. She knew where he lived, Kantai had briefed her a bit on where she'd found him in the past to deliver messages and the like. But she hadn't expected it. Before she had fallen asleep they'd been so close to arguing she hadn't entirely believed him when he'd said he'd still be there when she woke up. Now he was offering her to stay with him. "Two weeks... at your place?" she asked him hesitantly. She also knew better than to try and change his mind if he'd really decided on this already though. 'It'd give Masako a chance to heal up as well without having to babysit me as well... and Jinsai would have time to get his head out of his ass and come to terms with what happened, and maybe Masako can help him along with that too...' she looked at Kota again as she debated things and finally nodded. "Alright." she said, sighing. "I mean, you're not wrong. Wasn't that long ago I had a nightmare that you tried to kill me and woke up to someone attacking me and Masako having to save me from them." She said the words idly as if it was any other day, just another testament to how often the women seemed to get attacked by her clan-mates.

She sighed as she thought it over, and her mind came to another issue as well. "I'll be sure to stay out of your way while I'm around as well. Hardly want to get in the way of your work or social life when you're helping me." She wasn't entirely ignorant of the way Kota spent his spare time, but she had meant what she said before. In spite of her feelings for him, she wanted him to find his own happiness, even if without her.
The Tales of the Aes Sedai Fukusha Reina - Iwagakure No Sato - Jounin - #EF2B2D Atsushi Cho - Tea Country - D Rank Samurai - #A34402 Hanzo - Sunagakure No Sato - Genin - #35C4AF

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Kao
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How do Close Calls End?

Post by Kao » Sat Feb 05, 2022 3:37 pm

When she agreed to stay with him for a while, Kotaru laid down and looked up at the ceiling. He bit the inside of his cheek, unsure whether he should smile or not. This arrangement could either go right or go left. Hours ago he wouldn't have thought he would even be talking to Ume, let alone offering her to stay in his house. But the bannin felt like he had thought it over enough and it wasn't the worst idea he'd had that month. "Good. If you don't do anything stupid like get up and rip your stitches then you'll probably get discharged in a couple days. We can uh...talk about your nightmares about me killing you at the house."

He closed his eyes and shrugged. "My 'social life' won't be an issue. Just focus on yourself, alright?" It wasn't hard to figure out what she was alluding to. The bannin did have a reputation, after all. "For now, just rest." For the time being Kotaru would rest so he would have the energy to deal with whatever would come out of this rather sudden decision of his.

'Who knows. This might not be so bad.'
Kao's CharactersShow
Akari KotaruBanninIwagakure no Sato Team 18 Jousai [color=#1fb8a3]
Komiya ShizuoJounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#209DD3]
Yanagida Yukino Special Jounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#a07ac2]
Ishiwara SetsunaChuunin Iwagakure no Sato[color=#E81D1D]
Enkouten Mai Jounin Iwagakure no Sato [color=#CE5412]
Aisu Namie Chuunin Kirigakure no Sato [color=#5bc2d4]
Awai FusaeA-Rank MNKonohagakure no Sato[color=#D95FEA]
Important NPCsShow
Akari Kanehara Akari clan elder [color=#80A0FF]
Sakata KannaIwagakure Councilwoman [color=#3DA43B]
Hazuki Shuran Jinchuuriki researcher [color=#E854C0]
Enkouten Kaizen Iwagakure councilman, clan leader [color=#C65871]
Rock Country Daimyo [color=#AC4A4A]

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