[center] [color=#736AFF][b][h1]Ranbu no Izayoi[/h1][/b][/color] [h2]& Miina Malina[/h2] [/center] When Miina returned from hat shopping with Rudolf in the afternoon, she could find Izayoi in the safehouse's common room sitting at the table with needle and string, mending what seemed to be an extra pair tabi. Izayoi glanced up as Miina entered, offering her a brief nod before her gaze swept over the younger Mystrel. Her eyes narrowed. [color=#736AFF][b]"You've a hole in your coat. Right sleeve."[/b][/color] One hand extended out. [color=#736AFF][b]"Hand it over. I may as well mend it since I'm already here."[/b][/color] Miina blinked once, then twice, then looked down at her coat sleeve with a frown. A hole…? That was annoying, but it did sort of happen a lot… it was just a shame that she hadn't noticed it before putting the coat [i]on[/i]. And she'd only just changed back from something more inconspicuous, too! It did look like a spot she might've repaired at some point, too, so maybe it hadn't held as well as she had thought. She was definitely getting a lot of practice with an outfit that liked to get caught on things, so she was getting better… Oh, answer. [i]Answer[/i]. "Um… w-well… it's okay? I've g-got my own k-kit and…" And had spent far too long making sure that she had managed to get matching thread to make any repairs blend in as much as possible. Izayoi didn't let up on her stare. If anything, it grew slightly more forceful. [color=#736AFF][b]"I am here, and I am offering. If there is a concern, voice it."[/b][/color] The "or else" in her tone didn't go vocalized, but was very heavily implied. [color=#736AFF][b]"Otherwise, I see no issue in saving you the time when I'm already going through the effort at this very moment."[/b][/color] "S-S-Sorry!" Divesting herself of the coat as fast as possible, Miina nearly threw the coat at the older woman in panic. But if she did [i]that[/i] to avoid making Izayoi angry at her, then she'd just make the samurai angry for certain and she just seemed so [i]scary[/i] a lot of the time, especially given everything she had recently said about her teacher… Since she didn't have any longstanding affection to call on, the girl instead went for the "don't antagonise her any more" approach, neatly folding the coat and presenting it with both hands. "I'm j-just used to d-doing everything myself if I c-can…" It wasn't that she'd ever really [i]had[/i] to, if there was something she couldn't do then she could just have… asked one of the other villagers; she'd pay back the favour some day. But she'd hated the [i]asking[/i]. Izayoi resisted the urge to sigh. It was like dealing with an exceedingly skittish mouse. She wasn't adept at dealing with this type of person at [i]all[/i]. Nor had she really had to, for most of her life. Her experiences were with willing warriors. Most of the time, Lord Kaien had been the one to handle any sort of diplomacy. And before that, her master...who she'd been trying very hard to not think of for some time now. Damn it. [color=#736AFF][b]"And at the moment, you have no need to. Cease your apologies."[/b][/color] Izayoi gave a resigned huff, taking the coat and looking for thread to match its color. [color=#736AFF][b]"I assume you're of a tribe? Most of our kind I have met seem surprised when I state I never have been."[/b][/color] "Ah, umm… y-yeah, but it's not t-tthat surprising?" Miina said, looking around for another spot to sit in the room and then slumping into the seat, drawing the knife at her belt and starting to play with the slightly tattered wrapping around the handle. "I m-m-met a bunch in C-Costa del Sol who were born there… m-most knew what tribes their parents or g-grandparents came from, though. B-But I guess most of them could j-j-just ask, eh-heh…" [color=#736AFF][b]"Costa del Sol..."[/b][/color] Izayoi ran the name through her mind as she picked out a suitably red shade of thread to mend Miina's coat with. [color=#736AFF][b]"The seaside city? I see. Tell me,"[/b][/color] She started sewing, looping the thread into her needle and getting to work as she spoke. [color=#736AFF][b]"Has there been any word of that brother of yours? I imagine you've not much reason to remain once there is. We've no such hold to press-gang you into our war."[/b][/color] The girl let out a sigh. Had there been word? Of course. But just enough to give her even less reason to leave this jaunt to save the world. "Y-Yeah. Umm… it's a b-bit of a long s-story but I [i]j-just[/i] missed him, he's headed b-back to Drana Asneau a few d-days ago, and he's p-probably keeping a low profile…" Or at least, that would be (and had been) her plan in a similar situation, though her issues had been a bit more… neutered. "S-So I won't be leaving! He m-might want to help when we [i]do[/i] c-catch up." Or at least help [i]her[/i], but she was sure he wouldn't be against preserving everything they knew and had seen. [color=#736AFF][b]"Back to Drana?"[/b][/color] Izayoi quirked an eyebrow. [color=#736AFF][b]"Would that not mean he would return home, then?"[/b][/color] Thereby making Miina's entire quest pointless was the unspoken assumption within that question. Miina shook her head. That wasn't allowed; he might go somewhere else but not [i]home[/i]. [color=#736AFF][b]"Regardless, say we do find your brother. What would you do after, should he not join? Return home? Your talents have been useful thus far. Without you, I would be dead by now."[/b][/color] What would she do…? There wasn't much point finding where her village had gotten off to and going back while the Blight might destroy it all. And as meagre as her talents were, she was getting plenty of practice that would never have been an option if she'd stayed at home. Being praised for helping, even if it wasn't as impressive as proper healers… she also liked that, though she didn't want more opportunities if they could be avoided. "I g-guess I'd stay with y-you. No p-point in trying to g-go home if it m-might be destroyed." Izayoi nodded in satisfaction at the response as she continued to patch up the coat. Good. The party couldn't quite well afford to lose the only wielder of healing magics they possessed, no matter her esteem issues. [color=#736AFF][b]"Sensible. I won't have to try to convince you, then."[/b][/color] She paused, questioning to herself how to word her next inquiry. Then she decided to just push through with it. Subtlety in wordplay was never one of her strengths. [color=#736AFF][b]"Why [i]are[/i] you stammering, anyhow? I've no intention of harming you, girl."[/b][/color] The girl slumped in her seat, mumbling an inaudible reply and playing more intently with the knife in her hands. No, that reply would never do. Another attempt. "I j-j-just [i]do[/i] and always h-have. I c-c-can't m-make it [i]stop[/i]." And it only got worse when she was reminded of it and paying attention, tripping over her words more than usual all the while. [color=#736AFF][b]"I see."[/b][/color] Was all Izayoi said after a moment. [color=#736AFF][b]"Then I'll not press you further on the matter. Fortunate that my reputation doesn't precede me in this case, then. Dealing with fearful, slackjawed fools grows tiresome very quickly."[/b][/color] "Umm…" Well, she probably shouldn't admit that she thought Izayoi was scary because of her attitude and stories [i]since[/i] they had met. Got to go with something safer. "I had n-never heard of you b-before." It wasn't like a seaside resort got a lot of stories about old Ospreyan war heroes. [color=#736AFF][b]"And thank the gods for that."[/b][/color] Izayoi replied resolutely. [color=#736AFF][b]"Fame is far more of a hassle than what one would assume. It was one thing when I was [i]only[/i] a barbarian that happened to be one of the greatest swordsmen in the nation. Both Ciradyl's people and Lord Hien's still believe I can turn this conflict in our favor. Against a foe greater than the one I'd already failed Osprey against."[/b][/color] She smiled for once. It was a bitter, sardonic thing, completely insincere. [color=#736AFF][b]"They expect far too much of a broken widow past her prime."[/b][/color] "T-That's not true! E-Even working together, we weren't n-nearly as good at standing up t-to that thing," for perhaps the first time that day, Miina was looking directly at Izayoi. "And n-now we're going to p-protect the crystals, which needs more th-than just fighting…" "S-So, you might be rusty [i]n-now[/i], and underequipped, b-but that doesn't mean you're past your prime, a-and the experience and new perspectives are m-more important than ever." Izayoi's smile turned slightly less brittle and slightly more sincere at Miina's attempt to comfort her. Not that she quite believed the sentiment, but it would be somewhat cruel to outright reject it. [color=#736AFF][b]"Only so long as you keep that in mind for yourself. Unlike with me, you have little to nothing to be ashamed of. You are young yet, girl. More than enough time for these experiences to forge your strength and skill, magical or otherwise."[/b][/color] Her sewing finished, Izayoi handed Miina's coat back to its owner. "Th-Thanks…" Miina took the coat gratefully, knife safely put away. Both for the repair and the vote of confidence… even if it seemed so misplaced. She might get better in future, but that didn't make her any more useful now. And she still needed to work out how she was going to find her brother.