(D13, MM, Narumi's) Good for What Ails You

[Kuni Yasu]

Still in her less formal deep-blue, fan-printed yukata, and hair gathered loosely at her nape, Yuzu scratches at the Otter nakodo-in-training's door, a small tin in her large hand.

[Usogawa Narumi]

It's a minute, maybe 90 seconds of waiting when Yasu might realize Narumi isn't there.
Instead she hears from over her shoulder, "Ohayo, Yasu-san, good morning... Funny running into you here! Join me inside?" She motions to her door that the large Crab woman is currently blocking.
The Otter's kimono is fine, but her hair is tossed in a slightly messy knot and her makeup sparse and a bit smudged, so it's obvious to one who wears paint as Yasu does that it's been slept in.

[Kuni Yasu]

Her own paint is tidy, obviously very recently applied. She steps aside with a small nod of greeting. "I'd like nothing better." Considering her own mornings for the past week and change, Yasu wasn't blind to the small details and smiled a little. I could hear that crack across your knuckles from halfway across the room, thought you might like a bit of salve to take the sting out while those bruises heal. Did the Deer at least check nothing was damaged for good under the bruises?"

[Usogawa Narumi]

Colour touches the Otter's cheeks and she bites her lower lip in a quick sheepish grin. "I'd, um.. Of course, always a pleasure to entertain you." She reaches around Yasu and pushes the door open, motioning.
Once in, she flexes her hands and holds them up to look at. "I'm alright, but I know you won't let me argue so I'll concede in advance. Do your worst," Narumi says with an easy smile and plucks two cushions from her cold bed to drop on the floor.
Her cricket chirps, adding inviting ambiance to the room.

[Kuni Yasu]

"Hello cricket," Yasu nods toward the tiny creature's cage. "It's kind of cute to have something like that greet you every time you come in, isn't it?"

Dropping to an offered seat she adds, "Got no use for dueling, but I thought it showed determination that you headed up there anyway." She looks at Narumi's hands as she flexes them. "They're moving fine. Anything numb? Or just aches in the bruised spots?" Pushing the tin across, she notes, "it'll soothe that sort of pain a bit." She grins. "And the base for the herbs is nice for the skin if you care about smooth hands."

Whenever it's opened--now or later--it's a slightly oily salve with a sharp, cool scent that is almost minty, but not quite.

[Usogawa Narumi]

"Hm? Oh, hai. It helps a place feel more familiar, that much is certain, even when I disdain things to be the same over and over again."

Narumi lowers to the free cushion next to Yasu and accepts the box, opening it with the smallest of winces at the fine motor skills. "No I don't suppose I do, but after my trial by fire attempting kemari, I couldn't possibly do any worse, I imagined.." she says with a wry smirk.
A pause and she continues. "Yesterday, after the duel they felt as if on fire, and were a bit swollen from the shock of the impact. As the day progressed, my discomfort declined, and what I suspect might be long-term angry bruising began to bloom." Still, Narumi ain't bothered by the outcome of her duel at all. She does in fact open the salve now! And makes a sniff, laughing and wrinkling her nose slightly before taking a small amount to apply to each back of hand.

"Thank you, Yasu-san, you're always looking out for me. I'll miss you dearly when we part ways, and hope our paths cross again."


(seeing as no one brought up to narumi's player any nasty severity of injury, she's just rolled with something minor.)

[Kuni Yasu]

Yasu nods. "The bruises might take a few days to fade, but they're not looking overly swollen, which is good. You have instruments to play, and it wouldn't do to impair your hands. Bokken can do more damage than many expect." She laughs a bit at the wrinkling of Narumi's nose, which is awfully cute. "Wintergreen, mostly. It eases pains from the surface inward, much as willow does from the inside out." It cools at first and slowly causes the aches to ease.

"I hope these recent days have seen you well, other than," she gestures to the bruises.

Yeah, I figured it was pretty much cosmetic/rp level injury. Mostly an excuse to stop in

[Usogawa Narumi]

"My playing instruments wholly depends on the company I keep, not an absolute necessity," she says with a slight and ambivalent shrug but her smile stays.
Indeed, her hands begin to feel better! she eases.

"Oh! I uh.." she blushed furiously and candidly, "-I took to heart what you said. And I was sort of, um, pushed into searching my heart to find what it is I want. Things, um. They came to a head with Ishioka-san, although I am regretful at how it happened. He.." she pauses, considering deeply what she's been through the last few days. "He brought it on himself," she adds quietly.
"Bo-san agreed to travel the River of Gold with me, and be happier for it... So, if the Shika are willing..." Narumi gives a quiet, sheepish smile. "That's, um, where I was. With him." Bright red colour to her cheeks all over again.
"But..." she attempts to temper herself, "-it's up to the Deer of course, should they see fit for me to deserve him. And.... I don't know how likely that is, in the end."

[Kuni Yasu]

"Music isn't something you enjoy for its own sake?" Yasu asks settling back on her cushion as the medical portion of the conversation drifts closed.

She looks confused a moment at Narumi's reaction, but listens and slowly picks up the meaning of things, all of them. And while there's some sadness for her Matsu friend, Yasu smiles at the Otter happily. "That's lovely. Have you gone together to offer at the temple yet?"

And then something else in what she said makes a small crease appear between her brows. "Ishioka-san didn't...Well, did he do something I need to punch him for?

[Usogawa Narumi]

"No, I never really took to anything. Music has always been a means to an end, for me," Narumi raised her brows.

"No, there's a lot of things I haven't done at this miai that I regret, and I suppose I'll add that to the list."

She shifts her weight and sighs slowly. "No, I mean, yes, but if you're punching him you might as well punch me, too.
In discussing our shared future with the Dragon-ko Inoshishi, I brought up Bo-san and his recently returned feelings for me. Ishioka-san baulked and pushed me away immediately afterwards. The next day, instead of talking to me, he went to challenge Bo. From what I gather from each of them, it didn't go the way Ishioka-san thought it might.
I had dinner with Bo-san and he told me what happened... in his own way... but I know Ishioka-san well enough as to decipher.
So I went and got shitfaced at Uguisu’s Song." she laughs lightly and shakes her head, but has very little humour truthfully.
"To my understanding... and this is where things are hazy... Ishioka-san chose that night to come find me and apologize for ignoring me and seeing Bo instead? And I in turn said unkind things, but truths that needed said nonetheless.
He's since apologized for the apology, and again for his errors, and further, he's apologized for what I think I needed to hear him apologize for."