Hot Yam Soup (Day 12, EN)

Suzume Chihaya · **Joined:** Wed Apr 01, 2020 3:29 pm **Posts:** 850

A soft chuckle, and then she rose.

Perhaps his upturned gaze would hide her from view, but eventually as she made her way over to him, entering his field of view, there would be a moment of disappointment, perhaps, to realize she was wrapped in a towel.

Perhaps she'd had enough of eyefuls handed out willy-nilly in previously crowded baths.

Sitting down by Degarashi, politely distant, but close enough that he could lean over and tell her something, she answered, simply, "There. No need to raise our voices, now."

Bayushi Degarashi · **Joined:** Fri Apr 03, 2020 7:02 pm **Posts:** 1027

Degarashi did not, as before, attempt to steal any wayward glances towards Chihaya, an effort he was making in honor of his agreement to behave himself in the baths. At the last moment, when he was given to choice but to see her, his eyes did drift momentarily, taking note of the towel.

Seeing Chihaya's curves outlined by a water laden cloth did not, as she might suspect, disappoint, and he had to avert his gaze despite the added layer of privacy.

Once he'd resumed his [i]On[/i], Degarashi turned to the Sparrow and leaned in as close as she would permit, whispering into her ear as quietly as he could while still being intelligible.

[PM incoming]

Suzume Chihaya · **Joined:** Wed Apr 01, 2020 3:29 pm **Posts:** 850

She leaned closer when he did, allowing him to almost brush her hair as he spoke, but when he had finished, she leaned away again, expression still bland, but now intentionally so.

After a moment of silence, she said, softly, "I fear I do not have such impactful secrets of my own to share in return, Degarashi-san... though such a thing sounds in character..."

She furrowed her brow in thought.

"I imagine this must cause some tension for your kin - I won't ask how you know this fact."

Bayushi Degarashi · **Joined:** Fri Apr 03, 2020 7:02 pm **Posts:** 1027

"And I'll not offer how I know it in turn. I didn't expect that you might have equivalent exchange to offer, but..."

Degarashi was thoughtful for a moment, then turned to look at Chihaya, real concern etched into his features. "A woman of your particular experience might want to know something like that, yes?"

He sighed, shaking himself gently and leaning back as he had before. "As for me, my skies are gradually turning crimson, and I'm left to wonder if I'm alone in that among my fellows."

Suzume Chihaya · **Joined:** Wed Apr 01, 2020 3:29 pm **Posts:** 850

"Experience, eh?"

She rubbed at her neck, and the new scar it bore, seemingly without thinking of it.

Her body was laced with a collection of scars, not so many as to be grotesque, but enough pale lines traced her skin to indicate a life spent in combat - or a terrifying degree of clumsiness. Most were old, however, perhaps speaking to a particularly violent youth, and they had, almost without exception, healed cleanly so as to indicate they were caused by sharp bladed weapons.

"I still feel I owe you a secret, Degarshi-san, though I know not which one."

Glancing toward him, she added, softly, "I just hope your clan can resolve your secret without... undue strife. The empire needs counterbalancing forces - now more than ever. Blue and red, gold and violet, green and orange."

A soft sigh slipped her lips, and she concluded, "Unfortunately... my place among these claimants was already decided, before any of this began - I cannot work against that claim, but I can offer aid against any mutual foes we face."

Bayushi Degarashi · **Joined:** Fri Apr 03, 2020 7:02 pm **Posts:** 1027

"Hai, I agree with you there, but there are far too many who might benefit from the instability me to be anything beyond wary. Your assistance against mutual foes is welcome indeed, as would any hints towards unseen allies that might not be so obvious among the press of colors clawing for the summit."

Degarashi took a beat to observe Chihaya and her scars, the many telltale marks of her hard life displayed openly and without shame, each a reminder of some harsh lesson survived, if not expressly overcome.

He had no such marks on his skin. Devoid even of birthmarks, Degarashi's body held like in the way of identifying qualities, every square inch a remarkably dull and unimpressive void of personality. Everything of who he was, scars included, lay inside where only those who cared to look long though might find them.

"You owe me nothing, Chihaya-san. No secrets, no favors, not even another instant of your presence in my life. If you would divulge a secret I would cherish it, even if that secret were only that you'd stolen some mochi from the nekohime." He chuckled at the image that created. "If you would share anything with me, I'd have you do so by freedom of choice, not with a blade at your back or heel against your throat. I'll not cage the bird for my own amusement or benefit. She flies only where she chooses, and is all the more beautiful for it."

Suzume Chihaya · **Joined:** Wed Apr 01, 2020 3:29 pm **Posts:** 850

That brought a little heat to her cheeks, but she rested, casting her gaze about the baths, seemingly so empty.

After a long pause, she said, softly, "Perhaps I could say a little of the story of one of my scars, since they seem to fascinate you so - if any in particular puzzle you."

A beat, and then, "Though you haven't seen them all. I could show you, but I fear doing so might be more than you can bear."

Bayushi Degarashi · **Joined:** Fri Apr 03, 2020 7:02 pm **Posts:** 1027

"A story from the Suzume might send others searching for cover, but not this one."

It took a monumental effort of will not to reach out and touch Chihaya. Such things weren't so offensive among Scorpions but it might cost an arm here. Instead he caught the Sparrow's eye calmly.

"What you see before you has been broken in a number of ways already. The more a thing breaks, the more resistant it becomes to breaking further. I may not bear the weight well, but I can bare much more than you might think. And besides, if sharing the burden could in any way help to lighten it, how could any friend refuse?"

Suzume Chihaya · **Joined:** Wed Apr 01, 2020 3:29 pm **Posts:** 850

"Hmm, if you're sure."

Rising from the water, she turned away and then let the towel slip until it was around her waist, cinching it tight around her hips. Her back was relatively smooth, with only a handful of white lines marked across the pale skin, and her physique was that of someone fit, but not overly muscular. The one oddity was the small, knotted scar just to the right of her spine.

With the towel secure, she turned, one hand covering each breast, so he could see her front, which showed a similar tracework of scars, and a matching, small knotted scar, off center on her right side between her breasts. There was also that fresh one on the left side of her neck, just above the collarbone, which stood out in part for how very pink and new it looked, compared to the rest.

The view was also was fair indication that, though she was not so voluptuous as some scorpion seductresses might be, she wasn't entirely devoid of womanly charms either.

A little bit more pink, she asked, "Well? Any tales you wish me to tell?"

Bayushi Degarashi · **Joined:** Fri Apr 03, 2020 7:02 pm **Posts:** 1027

Not even Iuchiban himself could have commanded Degarashi's blood to withdraw from his face and...other regions. Having been perfectly content in his blissful ignorance of the Sparrow's context, he'd allowed himself to relax into thinking she'd been about to express an emotional scar, not reveal the literal ones in such a brazen fashion.

His eyes slid across the dips and curves of Chihaya's body, drawing in every detail, convinced as they were that this would be their singular chance to memorize the image before him. Slow, carefully controlled breaths passed between lips that refused to fully close or even stay moistened among all the steam around them. They may have mouthed the word for beauty, if Chihaya was paying particular attention.

Eventually Degarashi's eyes began to follow a pattern across the scars similar to the strokes of a calligrapher, until they finally came to rest at her face, noting the soft pink hue present there.

He opened his mouth to speak, only to notice one of his hands has defied it's orders and was reaching towards her abdomen. No sooner than he'd noticed, his hand recoiled as if stung, and he looked down and away, ashamed at his near indiscretion.

"How did we even get here?"

It was obvious he hadn't intended that to be his question, because he spoke again, more clearly. "One wonders about the most recent of your scars, Chihaya-san..."

Suzume Chihaya · **Joined:** Wed Apr 01, 2020 3:29 pm **Posts:** 850

Chihaya felt herself flushing as he gazed... longingly... all over her.

Still, she maintained her composure, though as his hand reached out, she felt a certain thrill... fear? Anxiety? Expectation? Her heart rate rose as she wondered if he would touch the scar on her chest - ask for that tale.

Then he pulled his hand back, saying something too quiet to hear.

And asked about the most recent of her scars - by which she assumed he meant her neck.

With a soft sigh, some tension left her body. "As you wish, Degarashi-san."

Turning her back on him, she raised the towel again, until it covered her more completely, and then sank back into the waters, hidden by steam and rippling surface distortions.

"Would you like the short, or the long, version of the tale?"

Bayushi Degarashi · **Joined:** Fri Apr 03, 2020 7:02 pm **Posts:** 1027

"Long," he said immediately, breathlessly. "I would... appreciate the time to...mull it over..."

He'd watched her expression for only a moment, right before he'd pulled his hand away, and wasn't certain what he'd seen in that instant. He'd glimpsed something, raw nerves apprehension maybe. What he might have lost in the moment of touching her he'd never know, be it his arm or his inhibitions (few though they were) Degarashi would never know, but his fingers still tingled as if they'd crossed the gap despite him

He lifted his hand from the waters to stare intently at it, closing his fingers slowly, but they moved as if caressing some unseen barrier before them.

"Let me know more of you in a proper way, Chihaya-san."

Suzume Chihaya · **Joined:** Wed Apr 01, 2020 3:29 pm **Posts:** 850

That last statement oozed innuendo, but she avoided with the simplest of solutions.

Starting the tale.

"Very well, - I shall tell you of it in full - I pray you will not find cause for offense, for the villains of this tale wear dun brown and scorpion red. The first, of course, is me - a naive soldier who blundered into trouble far beyond her depth. The second a Scorpion man who bore the emperor's trust - a magistrate of the Emerald office. The third, a woman, perhaps mad, perhaps an actress... who claimed to carry a message on behalf of your clan."

A slow breath, and then she went on. She was over the ledge now, and she would find out if this scorpion wished to sting as they flew.

"In the aftermath of the Naga War, I was dispatched to observe events in Ryoko Owari - as the Scorpion clan was troubled with bandits and unrest at the time - this being their reason for abstaining from the campaign against the naga. While I was there, it became clear that several candidates were vying for the popular political support to become governor... among them an Emerald Magistrate."

Her expression darkened. "I believed in the inviolability of that office - and when he requested my aid, I gave it. I didn't question the dubious nature of the request, the strange criteria by which the task was undertaken... I was a fool. For it, I made a visible fool of myself."

She grimaced. "In the end, the man died for his sins, but I had a different fate."

A slow breath. "The third villain entered here - assigned, by her words, to deliver a message. Punishment for my gullibility, my transgressions."

Her gaze had shifted to the man, trying to read his responses, to see if she had thrown herself into the abyss.

Bayushi Degarashi · **Joined:** Fri Apr 03, 2020 7:02 pm **Posts:** 1027

Degarashi was silent again, drumming his fingers across his leg as he often did when thoughtful. Unfortunately for the Sparrow, it wasn't a quick deliberation, some few minutes passing into silence between them.

His voice was very flat when next he spoke.

"I'm not a man who often suffers fools to live around him. Not that I've intentionally ended a fool for being foolish, but I care little for them in my presence. They usually require little assistance in finding the wheel on their own."

He casually rolled his head towards Chihaya, little to no hints of his lustful thoughts evident on his face.

"Sounds to me like the fools in that story have met the fate that they deserve, though it pains me that you come away from such a tale with so potent a scar."

A trace of a smile returned. "You might be interested to know that I hold a very unpopular opinion on the events at Ryoko Owari, among my brethren."

Suzume Chihaya · **Joined:** Wed Apr 01, 2020 3:29 pm **Posts:** 850

She sighed. "Hai, well... I admit. I have at times been foolish. At times, perhaps, I still am."

Hugging her arms around herself, for a moment she wondered if she worried losing his admiration, and then banished that thought.

"I'm sure there are many thoughts on those events - they were hardly unifying in nature."

Glancing at her reflection in the water, she added, softly, "The story didn't end there. I returned home. Was married, had twins... they came early and could not travel with me, so they remained with my in-laws, as my own parents had died years before, in the war with the armies of the bloodspeaker."

A slow breath. "That third villain followed me to the valley, murdered some of my kin. Tried to kill me, but failed. At that point... there was only one thing to do. Leave, to ensure no one else paid for my mistakes."

Looking over at him, she added, softly, "I spent 17 months trying to catch her - until finally, just outside Toshi no Omoidoso, I did. Her response was a suicidal attack on me." One long finger traced the scar down her neck to the collarbone, the tan skin contrasted with the pale white of her throat - her farmer's tan on display.

"I got her legs, so she couldn't run, but she got my throat. They thought I was dead, until the eta came to take me away - and found I clung to life. It was not the first time... Emma-O sent me back. In a way, I died for my mistakes, just as Shosuro Kontanko died for hers, for hounding me so long. In the end, her testimony was shared with the appropriate parties and the matter was dropped... and I recovered just in time to discover an army of ancestors at my door, thirsty for battle."

A soft sigh.

"I hope that the story... well... I would not blame you if you thought less of me now."

Bayushi Degarashi · **Joined:** Fri Apr 03, 2020 7:02 pm **Posts:** 1027

Degarashi watched in cool silence as Chihaya continued her explanation.

At least until she turned and traced a finger along her neck, leading to a array of thoughts that sent a shiver down his spine so violent it sent ripples through the water wherever it touched his skin. He only caught about half of what she said after that, and fixed her with a stare that left little doubt that he was still attracted to the Sparrow but very unimpressed with what she'd just done to him.

"I'm uncertain now if I could ever think less of you, Chihaya-san, and such a story allows me to know you all the better."

Then his expression grew very flat.

"I may, however, have to take my leave of the baths soon, I may have reached the limits of my restraint..."

The word restraint was more growl than any discernible language.

Suzume Chihaya · **Joined:** Wed Apr 01, 2020 3:29 pm **Posts:** 850

She looked concerned, not seeming to comprehend, and then slowly the brick of realization crashed through the dividing walls of her mind.

Oh.

Flushing scarlet, she turned away, saying, softly, "Gomen, I did not... I did not realize."

Her husky alto wavered, and she added, "I don't... I wouldn't want to cause you further distress. I should go."

She rose, and then wondered if that was giving him too much titillation, paused, and then committed to the motion, vaulting clear of the bath in a smooth motion.

"Good night... gomenasai!"

She didn't exactly sprint, but she did hurry toward the woman's changing room, wanting to give the man space... and avoid doing something she'd regret even more.

As soon as she was out of sight, in the room, she leaned against a bench, head in her hands, trying to make sense of the pounding in her chest and the heat she felt, all through her skin.

She was an idiot.

Bayushi Degarashi · **Joined:** Fri Apr 03, 2020 7:02 pm **Posts:** 1027

The air was practically rippling with Degarashi's failing sense of self control, and he very much watched as the Sparrow flew the coup at speed, if only because the act of watching her slowed the act of moving after her.

Once she was fully out of sight, he got up, unable to withstand the heat of the baths a second longer. Outwardly his own retreat was more controlled, but much faster in execution.

He didn't even fully dry himself as he dressed and stepped out into the night air.

/Exit
/Scene?

Suzume Chihaya · **Joined:** Wed Apr 01, 2020 3:29 pm **Posts:** 850

/scene

Hot Yam Soup (Day 12, EN)

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