jigokucho | text; un: didnot / backdated to mini-event

[ there's nothing he can do for the state of the roads, which he weirdly would've thought might actually be better in hell, but clearly that's not the case. at least they'll be there sooner! at least they won't sit in silence because ryouma finds a way to fill it. ]

If you ever need anything in the future, you can always call, by the way.

[ since he doesn't expect her to know this unless he explicitly makes the offer here. ]

I'll send you an address later too. It's where I keep an office. Never know when you or somebody you know needs someplace to go, right? I work for the Alliance, but we're all Lost Souls and we oughta look out for each other. Otherwise, I intend to work with all the clans in the future, so it's just good business.

( It's hell, of course the roads would suck. But they're surprisingly clear, or at least, everyone's scared enough of this cabbie that they move out of the way of his car when he comes blaring down the road.

Looks like you're giving a hell of a tip, Ryouma.

Kate, meanwhile, gingerly pulls her phone out of her apron, deciding that it's probably easier to type a reply to what he's saying than risk the sharp pain that comes with speaking. Though, there's a moment before that where she rolls her eyes and fires off a snarky comment to a certain manslayer trolling her post.

Then she types out her reply and carefully leans it over to him so he can read it. )

there's a restaurant in tam district
fancy shit
lmk if you ever need a table
i'll hook you up

( She means: thanks. Not fully sure if you're genuine, and thus you get an offer to come to a place she can keep an eye on you, but thanks. )

[ ryouma can't complain — everything he's been saying about his strategy revolves around people being motivated by money. the cabbie is just being a great example~

he looks at the message when she holds it over for him to read, and he beams at her, happy to see it. ]

Might take you up on that. I've been trying to get a good idea of what Tamamo has to offer — especially the "fancy shit".

[ so thanks for the useful hookup, kate! he'll still send the location over anyway, but since it's up to other people to come to him, he doesn't expect anyone to show up if they don't trust him or don't have a reason to be there anyway. ]

( Ugh, if she didn't have to deal with this twinge, she'd smush your face into the window, Ryouma. Stop smiling like that. All she's doing is making sure she isn't owing a favour further down the line, clearly.

Though that cabbie is definitely earning his tip, screeching to a halt at the location Ryouma requested in possibly record time, with a less than elegant ending that has Kate swearing under her breath and clutching her side.

But this is it, huh? The answer to her broken ribs? )

[ too bad! you're just going to have to deal with it, kate~ ~~she can go commiserate about it with izō later.~~ it's also an apologetic smile given the abrupt ending to their ride. and now he pays his pricey cab fare and thanks the cabbie profusely before opening the door. ]

Alright! Just once more and then this problem'll all be over, yeah?

[ meaning as soon as she's ready, he'll go ahead and carry her inside. ]

( Here we go again. There's a single, stiff nod from Kate before she's hauled out of the cab and those thoughts once again twitch and stir, the itch to just get this over and done with loud and incessant.

She feels like a child. Perhaps that's true, in some ways, but it doesn't make it any more palatable a realisation. She can't get caught out like this again, because sucking at this means she might never get her contract fulfilled.

She doesn't want to go back to the reality she left.

So, for the remainder of this lift, Kate concentrates on that. On the things she needs to change, rather than the thoughts which seek to pull her back into memories she can't cut out of herself. )

[thankfully for them, the clinic is slower right now - always a relief to Emily, to see less people in need of help, for it means they're well. so she's at the front, doing paperwork, which means she sees Ryouma bringing in the girl, and stands up immediately. no visible blood, but that doesn't mean things are fine. no obvious broken limbs, either, but perhaps a fracture. there are just too many ways that someone could wind up carried in here.

to Kate, she'll see a woman that looks entirely unassuming, brown hair pulled back in a bun. no white coat of a doctor, but she talks like her word is law here, even with a kinder tone.]

Mr. Sakamoto - goodness, you better come to the exam room. Can you tell me what the matter is?

[as she turns away to gather something, there they are, the black wings folded snug to her back, as if they wanted to take up as little space as possible.]

Broken ribs. And that's about all I know right now.

[ because it's not his story to tell so he's only going to relay the most pertinent information. and since ryouma takes emily's word as law because it's not his place, he's just going to follow her right into wherever she wants them. ]

Bit of a trek getting over here, but I knew she'd be in good hands.

[ because, like it or not, you are a friend now, kate. ]

( The weirdest thing about hell, sometimes, is how normal it looks. This place? This is no exception. It's just a bog standard clinic with a bog standard medical professional (wings aside, and Kate does blink at them at least once, but it's starting to sink in that shit like that is probably more normal here than looking completely human), so normal you could mistake it for a place from home.

Of course, the bloom of pain at her side is a pretty damn good reminder that none of this is normal. Or even close to it.

Kate's decided that typing on her phone jostles stuff less than all the movement associated with talking, so there's a quick moment's silence as she hammers out a message before showing it to the woman in charge; )

what he said
got hit with a bat

( She'll leave the cursing his fluffy birdbrained head part of it until she's been treated. Or mostly treated. Instead quickly adding another sentence to her message; )

do i have to rest this shit off?

( Please say no. The thought of being stuck in her shitty starter flat, unable to do anything, sounds worse than the pain. )

[she has Ryouma lay the young woman down on the table - it's sturdier, and there is a pillow, a true one there. looking her over, Emily frowns, glad she can breathe but thinking about how to proceed.]

That's unlikely. However, I'd like to see the injury before I make my final judgements.

[looking back to Ryouma, she indicates with her head that he should leave, and close the door behind him - he can wait in the front, if he'd like.]

...Of course, that's by your leave, miss.

[her eyes take in the dress, but there's not a trace of judgement - just a simple analysis since she can't see the extent of the bruising without permission. it won't be hard to examine her, but she's in the habit of asking instead of being grabby.

if it's mild, she can simply rely on one of the concoctions - if it's deeper, she'll know that she should use her own power for it.]

Edited 2022-06-07 10:36 (UTC)

( Ugh. The dress really is the worst part of this whole thing, isn't it? Kate looks down at the mess of frills, considering just how to do this. There's a great big bow on the apron at the back, and a zipper on the side where Izō whacked her, neither of which make for an easy time removing this by herself.

Which means, when Ryouma's gone, there's a sharp hiss of pain and several swear words as Kate rolls herself to one side. )

Give me a hand.

( The bow is probably the bigger pain in the ass if she had to pick. )

Don't worry, I've got you. Just relax.

[true to her words, she does, and her hands are steady, gentle. if Kate goes along with her, she'll hardly have to lift a finger - Emily will do the work of getting the dress out of the way herself. she stays calm, and it's only when the bruising is exposed that her expression shifts into something that's a mix of concern and sympathy.]

That must feel ghastly. I'll have to ask you some particulars later, but for now...let's get this taken care of, hm?

( She's not going to complain, in this instance, about someone else doing a task that should be easy. That means less jostling about, which is fine by Kate. )

Shit— ( Though, she did shift a bit too much as the dress pulls away from her body. That fucking smarts. ) Gonna kill that bastard.

( Well. She's gonna fantasise about it, at least. )

... Go for it.

( She's reasonably sure Ryouma wouldn't take her to someone who'd make this worse. And hell, maybe if he did, she wouldn't be so bothered by the pain in her ribs, so win-win? )

[taking in a breath, she reaches for the power inside of her, and lays her hands on Kate's injury. a soft light blooms from them, and though they're inside, it feels like a light breeze is coming by, bringing fresh air through, wind that gathers to them. a warmth will spread through Kate - the pain erased with it, filling her up, and if she's watching she'll see the bruises lessen and disappear. her ribs, in Emily's mind, being brought back to alignment, reconnecting, growing strong again. things that are broken to be mended, back to how they would be with time, in proper places.

when she senses it's enough, she pulls back. the light and the breeze die down, and the warmth of the healing is left to dissipate. blinking, she removes her hands, studying where the injury was.]

That should do it. Good as new.

[not a trace it was ever there, except in her memory. no need to have to lay in bed in her apartment for any reason other than sleeping in.]

( It's one thing knowing healing powers exist — she's never personally seen them, but they're logical enough things to exist back home — but being subject to it is something else. Surreal, almost wrong in the way it so quickly puts everything to rights. A shiver trails down her spine despite the warmth, powers that aren't her own flooding her body. Calming, soft, soothing.

So many things powers never have been.

It's strange to move this quickly, this easily, to turn her head and examine the spot once the woman pulls away, twisting her body this way and that before she grabs the zipper of her dress and yanks it back up.

As if nothing ever happened. )

... Seems good.

( She swings her legs over the side of the bed and grabs the strands of the apron she's stuck wearing, fiddling with fabric before; )

What do I owe ya?

( It's easier to ask that than say thanks, apparently. )

[stepping back to allow the young woman her space, she busies herself with putting something away in a cabinet, back in its proper place, before answering, and names a number that will probably strike Kate as rather low for the level of work that just happened.]

Of course, if that's too much, we can work out some form of trade as well. We like to remain flexible here, to be able to treat as many patients as we can.

[this is why the clinic is half a charity project, really.]

And oh, everything happened so quickly, I didn't even introduce myself to you. Terribly sorry, to have forgotten that - I'm Emily Dyer, one of the resident physicians of this clinic.

( She's British, she has no idea what medical treatment would "normally" cost. Still, there's a moment where Kate opens up a banking app and frowns at the screen. Unsurprisingly, a few weeks of being here doesn't exactly make for a generous cushion of cash with which to pay unexpected medical bills.

Hm. Well, the introduction seems to offer a second distraction, and problem. Did she ever give Ryouma a name? Her brow knits. She doesn't think so, and unfortunately it's not like she can avoid the fact that her real name is on her accounts, so— )

... Kate.

( Now, as for the matter of payment; )

You need a cleaner or owt? ( She can work off the half she can't pay. That seems fair. And it gives her something else to do when Tamamo aren't making her work for them. )

Always, as it happens. But you needn't worry about needing to immediately do that - we'll sort things out once you've had some time to live without pain, and doubtless you're already busy.

[so, on her own time. Emily's only ruthless with debts when it comes to grown men she can command into service to move furniture.]

( This is a valid use of calling up debts, in Kate's opinion.

And she does have some revenge to plot, it's true. )

Alright. ( Her fingers reach to where the injury used to be and press against it. It's perfectly in tact, and that's still a pretty odd thing to get used to. ) Can I message you about it?

( And maybe send an injured birdbrain to her when Kate finally enacts her revenge 👿 )

Of course. I'm quite easy to reach.

[given that her handle on this digital network is merely her name.]

...May I ask how all of this came about? You said you got hit with a bat - it'd be helpful to know if I should be expecting more patients.

( She nods. Noted. )

... Dickhead bird were out breakin' shit. ( She could be nice about it, but the guy's a dickhead. ) Wanted him to knock it off.

( ... Well. Wanted him to stop being half naked around her. Same thing. )

A bird?

[she has a sinking feeling in her stomach about this.]

( Sorry, Emily, it's exactly who you think it is. )

Aye. ( ... Is it probably rude to address this guy as a dickhead bird when Emily has wings of her own? Nah. Emily isn't a dickhead. Well. So far. )

Some guy wi' fluffy hair who don't know how to dress himself.

...I see.

[she says it calmly, and manages to smile.]

I'll have to keep an eye out.

[or just simply call him as soon as Ryouma and Kate leave.]

( Well. Kate sees no reason to keep stuffing up this bed and taking Emily's time, so she hops off with a stretch that is blissfully easy. )

Um... ( There's a pause, an awkward silence before; ) Thanks.

text; un: didnot / backdated to mini-event

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