Nayto: They'd been walking for awhile. Too long, far too long. What had really been hours felt like days. The moon was high up; it was past midnight, possibly a few hours past. Daisuke Tetsuken had started to feel his wounds three hours ago, and those pains amplified over time--exponential amplification, to be specific, consistently growing with each push of his body, something required of him now if he wanted to get somewhere safe, somewhere he had to get another one, one Abari Rizuka.

He couldn't fully document his own injuries at the moment; all he knew was that a good half of his clothes were stained with blood by now. They had run into problems after escaping the city. Getting out was fine--tiring, but fine. A Kensai elite, a figure who masked himself with thick armor upon his face, had ambushed and nearly killed both of them. It would have been fine of that warrior had been normal, or at least close to it. Against the dual wakizachi wielding enemy, though, there was nothing Abari or Daisuke could do, except inevitably cause a distraction large enough to allow them to escape. Were it not for the fact that the man was completely blind, they wouldn't be on this path--but he didn't know Daisuke's name or his face.

So far, he didn't know of any threats that could track him back to his family. And so, they were on this path, a road to the Tetsuken estate. The weakened and fatigued Daisuke didn't know how far they were from it--only that they were on the right road . . .

Kevin: Abari, fortunately, was used to such beatings. As a one-armed and one-eyed warrior, he had inevitably received a fair amount of beatings. His legs, at least, still functioned, though the warrior had almost severed several of his fingers and delivered a good amount of pain to the rest of him. He knew only generally where they were and where they were heading: he had never been to either place before. It had been strange, as a one-eyed man, to have been beaten by a blind man. It violated an old saying...

"How far do you wish to continue?" Abari referred to the revolution, unsure if his ally was going to help further...

Nayto: How far was he willing to continue . . . Daisuke truthfully hadn't asked himself that question, not seriously--not yet. It wasn't until now that he really gave it any thought. What he'd been doing in the city was helping people. What he'd been doing at the Sensou was helping people. Both situation were the same: he was trying to make an opening so people could escape. He wasn't too picky on the people, either, not really helping individuals, but crowds as a whole. The only two he had individually assisted had been two occurrences today; one should have still been at his house, and the other one was currently walking by his side. He didn't feel like he was helping anyone, though . . .

"Until Gardini is dead," replied Daisuke lucidly.

That was right--Gardini was responsible for the suicide of Daisuke's father, and that debt had to be repaid. Of course, people were going to go farther. It wasn't until now that anyone even started to think about a serious revolution--but why not, now? With what happened in the last three days, it was becoming the only option left for these like minded people . . .

Kevin: Abari had considered the fate of Gardini, but in truth, he didn't expect the man to die. He was the emperor god of Cizok. However the country had faltered under his rule, he wouldn't be removed unless the spirits wished him to be so...

"And if Gardini does not die?"

He didn't like the idea of Daisuke going rogue, and risking himself to accomplish something he wasn't fated to do. Gardini's death without Maguro's ascendancy was pointless...

Nayto: "Then I'll stick with it until he does," Daisuke replied, pausing for a second to groan. This was beyond any pains he was personally used to. "Either by choking the son of a bitch to death with my own hands, he commits seppukku, a formal execution, or he dies of disease in exile--or not, if I wind up dying, still hoping to see the day that I can spit on his grave."

That was the unfortunate side of vengeful thought: there was always a chance that the avenger might very well die trying, and such was a potential possibility with this issue with Gardini. If Daisuke associated himself with everyone else against the Shogun, which he may or may not even do--he was always going to advocate against the Shogun, but he was still on the fence about personally involving himself with some sort of organized rebellion--but still, if he associated with that group, and they were all killed, there was a fair chance that he, too, would die. Such was the risk that one took with vengeance. The thought was broken as soon as he saw the light at the end of this god awful tunnel.

"Nhhhh--th-there it is," Daisuke muttered, trying to contain a groan of pain.

Indeed, down the road, even under the night sky, it was possible to see the estate; a track of land with a central mansion far too large for only a family of two--or three, during the rare times that Daisuke stayed there . . .

Kevin: "We do not wish to kill Gardini. We wish to protect this country. We would be happy to have you."

Abari would look up to the estate, wondering silently what he was getting into. This was a noble's home, and no noble had truly pledged loyalty to Maguro. They hadn't yet acheived enough successes. Was this how he was going to die? Daisuke seemed unlikely to turn him in, but if he had a father who was a noble...

Nayto: Killing Gardini is protection enough for this country, Daisuke thought to himself, but avoided saying it.

He was too weak to get into a dispute at the moment, and if he needed Abari later on, it was best not to burn that bridge right now--not that he actually thought ahead about those sort of things. Truth be told, Daisuke was usually pretty quick to state his mind, regardless of how many people that might have hurt or put off. It was testament to the situation when the stubborn young man refrained from saying something--especially something slightly antagonistic. He wasn't a bully, but he certainly wasn't a ball of sunshine. He didn't receive optimism well.

When they got there, he didn't bother knocking. He leaned his head--and the weight of his body--against the wall just to the side of the sliding door, and awkwardly with one hand, slid it open as fast as he could. It was just like barging in--essentially that, a pair of bloody messes barging into a home kept clean by professionals, no, artists of cleanliness. It was, indeed, a noble's home. Tetsuken was a noble name--but it was a fallen noble family . . .

"Shit, shit shit," he cursed as soon as he found no one in the vicinity of the vast main room--a comfortable place to sit, chat, and wait, unless one was beat to hell, "HELLO?! Nhhh--HEY!" he shouted, trying to get the attention of someone who could walk better than himself . . .

Manda: A noise rang through her ears. Terrible and loud, like a great beast was beating down the door. It frightened her, the skittish girl, little Taniko. She was in the hallway at the time, though when the noise came she completely forgot her reasons why. There was something in the house, something terrible, she just knew it. Taniko began to run in the opposite direction of the noise, run towards anyone who could help her, she was aiming for the nearest bedroom. But then, before she ran too far out of earshot, she heard a yell. A plead was more like it. A voice: his voice.

She stopped dead in her tracks, though her tabi slid her several feet forward on the well cleaned floor even after the fact. It was Daisuke! He had returned, and from the sound of it he was grappling with a great beast that had made its way into the home. Taniko resumed her running, but this time in the opposite direction. Towards the awful din from before. She wasn’t sure what courage was taking her there, but her feet moved all the same. She had to make sure Daisuke was all right. She wouldn’t be able to sleep soundly until she was sure. Taniko reached the main room, shivering with fright.

“D-Dai-kun!” she cried out “You came bac-“

Her voice was cut off by the horrible mess that he and his companion made. Taniko’s mind quickly wandered as it had a tendency to do in times of great stress. This new man who she had never seen before. What if it was the monster she heard? Taken a human form. It looked like the two had just come out of a hellish battle, both suffering great injuries. Without another word, the girl stepped backed and screamed as loud as he little voice had ever gone.

Kevin: Abari was certainly not intimidating at the moment, though scary was possible. He didn't even have his weapon any more, being unable to retain it with his damaged hand wrapped in the front of his shirt as much as possible. Daisuke hadn't really been in a shape to fix the wound, and Abari couldn't wrap his damaged hand with the same damaged hand. The man would wince at Taniko's scream, partially for just feeling tender, and partially for the indignity of it.

"I am not a foe."

Abari's statement was simple, his one eye casting around the room, as he suddenly and sharply took a sitting position on the floor. He wasn't really willing to move any farther, and this was the only way he could get his shoed feet off the ground, anyway. Injuries were no excuse for a lack of politeness. He wasn't bleeding excessively, luckily enough, and so wouldn't soil the floors of the house...

Nayto: Daisuke, on the other hand, was letting out more than enough blood to leave specks and drops on the wooden floor, and though he almost always followed the respect to remove his shoes before he entered, he couldn't--not this time. Right now, he needed some fucking bandages. Taking off his shoes could wait awhile. It wasn't like he was going to damage the floor with the dirt on his shoes anymore than he was going to with the blood he was dripping.

Taniko arriving first, before either his mother, sister, or any of the maids around the house (coincidentally, this became an all female estate when Daisuke was out), was a bit of a surprise, but not nearly as much as her scream, which nearly floored Daisuke. He had lifted his hand awkwardly to wave uncomfortably, and was about ready to speak, before he found himself hitting the floor rear first. Just about any surprise now was going to knock him over.

"O-ow--hey, HEY! T-Taniko, it's okay . . ." Daisuke muttered, trying not to sound aggravated or anything--but shit, he was in some serious pain right now.

It wasn't even a second before there was another body in the room--a somewhat larger, boisterous woman with bright red hair (likely contributing to Daisuke's hair color--dark red--meaning his father must have had black hair, or some other dark color) and a white kimono meant to be slept in.

"Taniko-chan! What's wrong?!" Daisuke's mother was quick to exclaim first, as her scream had been the most prominent sound she first heard--only to be surprised by two new bloody messes. "Heavens! Daisuke, what happened . . .?!"

Manda: Taniko’s scream broke into small sobs as she rushed to Daisuke’s side. She couldn’t stand the sight of bleeding, especially not Daisuke bleeding. Her hands covered her mouth as small tears streamed past her face. For the moment all she could see and hear with him, the other gentleman was a frightening mystery to her, and Daisuke’s relatives seemed just so far away.

“I-I-I” she stammered, usual shyness and meek voice returning to her. “I’m sorry Dai-da-dai-“ she couldn’t speak, actually, voice cut off by tears and horror. “P-P-Pleas-Please! S-s-some-someone help him.”

Kevin: "I apologize."

Abari would say little more, folding his arm respectfully over his lap as much as possible and waiting for Daisuke to be attended to. He didn't really explain what he was apologizing for, whether it was for the fight or bringing him back or being impolite in their home, but he just said nothing more for the time, his head bowed respectfully, eye closed.

Nayto: "Nghh . . ."

Taniko holding onto him wasn't particularly disliked--well, it was comforting, not that Daisuke really paid attention to things like that. Consciously, at least. Comforting, but she had her hand near one of his wounds, and now he was getting blood on her kimono . . .

"M-mom, nghh, we ran into some trouble--Rizuka and I," he groaned, unable to stop himself from leaning into Taniko, even if just a bit.

He had to lean his weight somewhere, what with his body threatening to fall back and all. With the next statement, he tried to play it off nonchalantly--and failed.

"We're pretty fucked up . . ."

"Y-yes, yes you are--oh, oh . . . ummmm . . ." Chizu, Daisuke's mother, was frantic, finding difficulty in making a decision for once. "Okay! Tan--Taniko-chan, can you do something for me? You remember where the bath is? I need you to take Daisuke there. I'm going to wake the servants, and I need him someplace clean. Riz . . ." she took in a deep breath, "Rizuka-san, no? I'll send servants for you, too."

"Ngh . . . mom, if I just had bandages, nhhh, I'd be able to take care of this--aghnn--m-myself . . ." Daisuke protested.

"No! Some of us here know what we're doing, unlike you!" Chizu displayed a bit of frustration--understandable, considering her son's current state, and the new stranger in the house.

Daisuke knew when to quit, too--he protested once, got denied, and that was that. He wasn't going to protest anymore against her word, and was just going to have to accept the outcome. There was no other option. His mother could be relatively overbearing sometimes. Sort of like now. But hey, it was for the best in these kinds of situations . . .

Manda: Through her sobs she heard her elder’s words. Take him to the bath; that was her order. She was still frozen for the moment though, focused on the bloody and beaten Daisuke before her. It was all a little too much for her to handle. She had built Daisuke up in her mind to be some sort of unstoppable hero, but seeing him like this made all of her dreams crash. How could someone be so cruel to him? He was so kind to her, he didn’t deserve to be in such pain.

Taniko sniffled and wiped her tears away with the bottom of her palm. She didn’t even know how she’d get him across the room, let alone across the building. The girl pushed herself back and stood up on her shaking legs, offering a meek little hand to Daisuke. She could lead him, she supposed, but there was no way she could carry him. She was completely clueless when it came to all of this. She didn’t even know how to properly wrap a bandage. Taniko was useless, all she could to was see that he made it down the hall safely, and even then she might have failed at that.

“P-P-P-Please f-f-f-f-f-f-ollow me Dai-kun.” Shivered the girl as quietly as she could.

Kevin: Abari would raise his head, watching Taniko's timid attempt to help Daisuke with an expressionless face. She was quiet and shy, qualities usually desired in a wife, but in this case, Daisuke needed some help. Abari was not in good shape, but Daisuke had borne the brunt of the attacks.

"Place his arm around your shoulder and do not try to force him to move."

The girl wasn't going to be able to force him to do anything, and it wasn't really her place, in any case...

Nayto: "I think I can . . . get there on my own," Daisuke muttered.

He knew the place like the back of his hand. It was the house he was born and raised in--without a doubt, he knew it better than he knew any other building in Cizok. How could he not get himself to the bath on his own? Really, he figured that he'd be taken care of by himself if he just had some bandages. He tried to stand on his own, using the doorway (the door still open, of course) as leverage, and for a moment, he could stand on his own--but the man had no energy left. As he should have expected, he stumbled as soon as he started to walk, into Taniko, but stopped his legs from progressing wildly before it was too late. In the end, he managed to stop himself right in front of her, and wound up with his arm around her shoulder, anyways--not really putting all his weight on her, but letting her support him.

"Guess . . . it ended up going that way, anyways . . ." he sighed.

Not being able to walk on his own was a serious pain in the ass; Daisuke rather liked the basic ability to walk. Some things couldn't be helped, though. It was just a matter of walking, now, even if that meant he had to depend on someone a foot (maybe even a couple inches more) shorter than he was. It wasn't like he was going to admit to it later--definitely not.

Manda: The girl winced, almost as if she could feel Daisuke’s pain from where she stood. She could certainly feel his blood. She hadn’t noticed it yet, but he was leaving his crimson mark all over her outfit and skin. It was better that she hadn’t, lest she scream again. The very sight of the viscous life liquid just her tremble, being covered in the mess might have sent her into shock. She took Daisuke’s weight upon her, struggling a little at first, but when she started to move, no matter how slow it was, she found it much easier. It was mostly about balance. Daisuke kept the brunt of his heavy weight to himself, she was there as more of a crutch than anything.

“Uhm…I…I…don’t…remember where it is…” she confessed.

Taniko hadn’t stayed in the house very long. And the manor was so large she lost her way many many times. Especially in the dark.

Nayto: It wasn't until they were down the front hallway a bit that Taniko informed Daisuke that she didn't actually know the way to the bath. Well, with all the lamps out, it was no surprise, but it was still unfortunate. His eyes were heavy and it was hard enough to see as is. He knew the place inside out, but he was starting to lose his sense of direction. It seemed that he really wouldn't be able to get there on his own. That realization was a bit humbling.

"Ngg . . . where are we, the main hall?" he asked, figuring as much.

After a short moment of thought, he had deduced this, and his question was almost entirely rhetorical--just in case he was wrong, if Taniko herself even knew where they were. He would have normally showed his aggravation, but he was actually being remarkably tame around the girl. Why, he didn't think about--or even notice any difference at all.

"Should be . . . to the right . . . first right--nggh--indoor bath, right? That's where mom used to keep--agnn--ointments and bandages . . ."

The indoor bath itself was a fairly small room with a small, one person bath tub, for which hot water had to be manually provided. It wasn't nearly as comfortable as the outdoor bath (albeit enclosed; the outdoor bath really just allowed one--or more, since it could fit more than one person--a view of the stars while bathing), and the room much smaller. There was a small desk on the opposite side as the tub with a mirror on it, and a pillow sat next to a rack of towels.

Minutes after Daisuke and Taniko's departure, Chizu returned to the main room with two maids in toe--both young woman wearing night kimonos just like Chizu, not having enough time to change. Matters of decency (though indecency hadn't actually occurred in the slightest) could be put on hold when lives were on the line.

"Mizou, start on examining and bandaging my son."

The maid to her right, a young woman with short hair, nodded quickly, giving a "yes ma'am," before rushing off.

"Faisung, help me with Rizuka-san."

The maid with longer hair, Faisung--obviously, just by name, from a different part of Cizok, one that central and southern Cizokians didn't really associate with much--nodded her head, "Yes, ma'am."

She first sat behind Rizuka, intending to aid in the process of disrobing his chest--and no further, as it didn't seem he took any injuries to the legs, hips, or anything. Chizu knelt down before him, hoping that he'd extend his wounded arm to her. She already had bandages, enough to make a sling and a brace, if need be.

In the meantime, she spoke to him directly. "I apologize if my reckless son brought trouble upon you."

Manda: The young girl winced and whined just slightly under Daisuke’s weight. She took each step slowly, pacing herself. She knew she could get there if she tried her hardest, but he was definitely more muscular than she was. She looked around frantically for the door he spoke of, momentarily loosing her sense of direction in the dark. When she spotted it she felt a rush of happiness and excitement that boosted her strength enough to drag him there. One foot in front of the other she carried him in measured steps, trying to keep them both balanced.

Once finally in the room she stopped close to the tub, attempting to kneel down so Daisuke could sit on the floor and prop his back against the bath. Once he was stable, she’d rush to grab the small pillow to place behind his head. He needed as much comfort as possible, after all. She also had a handful of towels to sop up his blood trail, and one cloth to wipe away the messy injuries. Starting with his face and working from there. Daisuke was covered in so much blood and dirt Taniko didn’t know where his injuries began.

“I-I’m so sorry Dai-kun.” She whimpered, softly rubbing the cloth against his cheek.

Kevin: Abari would remain silent while the mother of the house removed his upper clothing and prepared to deal with his hand and damaged arm. There was little he could do to help, particularly since his only hand was the one damaged, but he tried to be complacent and easy to work with. His hand would require fairly severe bandaging, while his arm would need a brace for a time, but his legs had only received minor injuries. He didn't have a weapon to remove any more, but he was still wearing footwear.

"Thank you for your concern. Your son did nothing wrong. I apologize for my feet."

Nayto: "E-eh--" Daisuke held back the urge to declare that he was fine and just needed some goddamn bandages (in those exact words--which was exactly why he refrained), "I-I'm--ngh--I'm fine. I'm just glad I didn't run into that guy when it was you and I. Ngh--y-you know . . . Rizuka and I t-together couldn't even take the bastard . . ."

It would have been hell trying to protect someone against the Kensai he fought, while fighting him, of course. If he had been with Taniko when he encountered (and lost the battle to) that Kensai, he'd have pushed himself even further in order to keep the girl safe, possibly nearly got himself killed. More than he had this time, and he wasn't even protecting Abari. The man may have only had one eye and one arm, but he was a hell of a fighter. He didn't need Daisuke's protection. If anything, during that battle, Daisuke needed Abari's protection (something he also would never admit to). The main entered the room with a pale of water, dropping the heavy bucket on the floor with a loud smack, but not spilling it. She was careful, at least. This made Daisuke jump a bit, and if he had energy left in him, he might have even been ready to start swinging.

"Daisuke-dono, how are you feeling?"

"Like shit."

She didn't really reply to that. Instead, she opened up the top drawer, gathering a wrap of bandages--two, particularly. Taniko, who had been cleaning the wounds on Daisuke's face, was handed one, since it seemed that she wanted to help. Daisuke's gi was a mess--torn up and tattered, and easily removed. The maid gulped before tugging on two parts of the cloth's shoulder, and unsnapped thread which was barely held together anymore. The same was done to the other side. It simply had to be torn in order to get it off--Daisuke was too hurt to expect him to lift his arms up any distance, and she didn't think either of them would be comfortable taking his hakama off. Like Abari, he hadn't received many wounds to the legs.

"Here--um, Chiba-dono, could you please continue cleaning his wounds?" the maid asked hesitantly, almost expecting Daisuke to get enraged at them both--but that didn't happen, he was holding his tongue.

This being the first time Taniko actually witnessed the man without a shirt (albeit cut, bruised, and bloodied up), it was worth note that he wasn't all the large of a man. Muscularly, he had developed muscle mass, but he wasn't a big guy--not overtly muscular in the least, but rather average for his age, if not a little less than average, as well was relatively thin. He would have probably been more intimidating fully clothed than he would without a shirt, at least; a shirt made him look bigger than he really was. He worked out and all, but considering his upbringing and minimal worries of money, he didn't do a whole lot of physical labor, therefore not conditioned nearly as well as someone his age working the docks of Akinai--or worked the docks in Akinai, rather. They were currently in a state of disarray, last he remembered . . . as in blown to hell.

Chizu tightly wound the bandages around Abari's fingers. There was nothing she could do to abate the pain; it was guaranteed, and the only way he was going to keep all of his fingers. She had to wind it tight and bunched up so his fingers would remain in place, and the new skin and muscle that needed to grow could adequately replenish at the right places. Unfortunately, there wasn't a disinfectant in Cizok. Only healers specializing in magic could do that, and even then, there was a chance of failure--of creating and spreading an infection within an injury. With Chizu's resources, if an infection was going to claim his fingers, there was nothing she could do about it--that anyone nearby could do about it, for that matter.

Fortunately, that wasn't going to be the case; his hand was going to be fine. She was less tight with his arm, but did resort to using a lengthy piece of metal she had--one of two--in her wild, bright red hair hair, keeping it up in a bun, which she used as a brace when she bandaged up his forearm. That way, the injury could also heal correctly. It was going to be a pain in the rear for him, though, having only one arm, and that arm being up in a sling.

"No, no, it is fine--it is fine. You boys are hurt, it's fine. I should be used to cleaning up messes like this by now, anyways--Daisuke's father came home injured like this every so often, too."

Manda: The younger girl was confused as to what she should be doing. She had never once had to deal with an injury before. Her mother kept her protected from even the slightest of scrapes. She had never seen so much blood in her life. It frightened her, and yet, she was driven by an urge to help her friend, despite being completely oblivious to everything. Taniko gave the maid a strange look when she handed her the bandages, but she didn’t want to admit how useless she was right away.

When asked to simply clean the wounds she perked up a bit; that seemed to be the easiest task. The job would go much better now that the maid had brought water for her to dip the cloth in. She had a gentle enough touch that Daisuke shouldn’t have been too bothered as she started to clean around the deeper wounds on his body, saying nothing as she did so, only timidly shaking at the sight of so much blood.

Kevin: Abari would hold his arm close to his body as the wounds were treated, his life about to get much more difficult. He was going to be useless in combat, as well as completely dependent for a while... For now, there was nothing he could do. He was still of use, but it would take him a while to reach that point...

"Where is the father?"

Abari had spent too much time working on the tactics of the revolution, completely missing some of the more important facts of the area...

Nayto: Of course, any touch on his injuries were going to be uncomfortable; Taniko just had a soft enough touch that she could minimalize the discomfort involved. Daisuke also refused to wince at these sorts of things, no matter how much his body felt as if he should. It just didn't seem like something a grown man--someone capable of being a warrior, if not one already--should do. The reasons were both that fickle and not that fickle, contradicting reasoning in his head that mirrored quite a bit of his other justifications.

Cleaning and bandaging his wounds was not nearly as bad as it looked. Unlike his companion, every injury he had were cuts. Granted, there were some fairly deep gashes in his body, many that were going to leave behind scars--one which even threatened to expose the tissue surrounding the ribcage, but after treatment with a wet rag and a towel used to gently dry the wounds, they already started to look better. Once he didn't seem so . . . covered in blood . . . he started to look healthy again--were it not for those gashes on his chest and arms. The pain came when they had to be tightly bandaged, resulting in Daisuke actually kicking and stomping his feet on the floor to abate the pain and avoid shouting. That hurt like a bitch.

Chizu relaxed as soon as she felt that Abari had been treated enough--that there was no more they could do for him. A splint, a tight wrapping of bandages, and excess attention to his fingers was all she could do. Faisung would begin to help Abari with reclothing himself, now that he was fine for the time being. She had faith in Mizou, as well, figuring that she would be able to take care of her son for the time being. Chizu was going to join her soon. It was a good thing her daughter hadn't woken up yet, though. If she was down here, with all of this commotion and such, it would've been impossible to concentrate.

Unfortunately, Abari's question was a bit difficult to answer. Chizu solemnly shook her head. She didn't mind talking about it, even with a stranger; that wasn't a problem. As far as society was concerned, her former husband was an honorable man. Likewise, it was an honor, for her, to be able to speak of him, even if it was an unpleasant subject matter.

"He is with us no longer," she replied, "But before he had to leave this world, he was an honorable daimyo--and before that, samurai. If he could help it, he would return home after battle, rather than an Imperial medical camp. I cannot tell you how many times I cleaned and bandaged his wounds."

Mandaz: Taniko jumped back as Daisuke started to thrash about almost violently. She gave out a small, frightened gasp and held her blood stained hands to her mouth. The sound of his pain drenched breaths burned her ears and made her want to curl up and hide away. There was nothing she could do to help, leaving her to feel useless as he kicked and pounded the floor. She was afraid. Afraid he would never heal, afraid he would never stop writhing, afraid that it was all somehow her fault. Taniko quivered against the washroom wall, holding her eyes closed and shaking her head slowly.

Kevin C: Abari looked down quietly as Chizu spoke, disliking the idea of imposing on the family of a noble man. At the moment, though, it couldn't be helped. He couldn't trust himself to return to the camp, not with the amount of skill it would take. Soon, perhaps he would have to have a message sent along- he was not yet so prominent as to warrant an announcement of his death (or escape). Maguro would have only fleeting witnesses and sparse information on his whereabouts. "He sounds honorable. He provided well and served truly. Daisuke is lucky to have such a father." Abari's own father, Maguro, was similarly honorable, and yet... It wasn't perhaps quite the same. Maguro was not a warrior, or a man who sacrifice in the name of another man. He was willing to sacrifice for his country, and providence would have to prove him right, but it just wasn't the same...

Nathan: "He was a very honorable man. Everything he did, he did for his family and his country. I only wish Daisuke would understand that," Chizu sighed. But that wasn't important right now. Right now what was important was the current state of these two men. Daisuke and Abari were essentially ruined for the evening, and were likely going to remain in a state of ruin for the next day or so, at least 'til their wounds healed a bit more. Chizu was especially not prepared to let her son leave, considering how bad of a state he was in. "Rizuka-san, I bid you to stay for now. You are not in the state to leave as of now. I can have a guest room prepared for." Once pressure wasn't on his injuries anymore, Daisuke calmed. The pain was undeniable, and he wasn't too willing to let that happen again. Well, he didn't actually have a choice, as Mizou, sighing, tightly wrapped a bandage around his chest, where it hurt the most. Daisuke let out a shout of pain and kicked his foot forward, paying Mizou a glare shortly thereafter. The only shrugged her shoulders. "Daisuke-san, you are a grown man, you should not flail like this." This didn't do much for Daisuke's ego. He grumbled incoherently, cursing Mizou under his breath. This prompted her to wrap one of the bandages around his shoulder, surprising Daisuke and spurring him to action: snatching the spool of bandages from Mizou. "Damnit, do you have to be so rough?! I'll do it myself." The tough ones were already done, anyways. Mizou released a sigh. "Daisuke-san, you are frightening Taniko-sama." It was something he hadn't noticed until just now, actually. That's right--she had stopped cleaning his wounds. His features softened as her turned his head to her. Perhaps he had gone a little overboard . . . The Tetsuken heir calmed his voice, "T-Taniko . . . hey--uh . . . s-sorry . . ."

Mandaz: “S-s-so you. You are all right?” She tweeted, opening her fingers slowly to let her small voice though. Daisuke still frightened her, almost as much as when they had first met. Just the site of him made her flinch. Even giving her a slight glance would have made her shudder. Still, despite her fear, she cared for his safety and wellbeing. No matter how much of a monster he looked like to her, she knew inside his frightening exterior was a sweet, kind creature. “I-I’m so-sorry dai-kun.” She whispered, still huddled against the wall. “I’m sorry I…I…hurt you.”

Kevin C: Abari almost felt guilty for his wounds not being so serious as Daisuke's, but it was simply a matter of style. With his missing arm and eye, Abari was unsuited to aggressive combat. He had to fight defensively and skillfully, and so had managed to avoid much of the damage that would have been caused to his body. Not that it mattered at this point. He had been injured enough to make his life difficult. Bowing his body to the matron of the house, he would accept gracefully. "Thank you. I will stay."

Nathan: Taniko was delicate; Daisuke couldn't yell at her, and he was going to have to try to avoid yelling around her, too. He lowered his gaze. How to approach her, now? Mizou half shut her eyes whilst she watched Daisuke; she had been a maid there for some time, and knew Daisuke well enough to tell when he was thinking hard. It seemed he was well enough, though. A few more spots needed taken care of, but he could get those on his own. Mizou quietly excused herself from the washroom. Daisuke continued to stare into nothing in thought, until he noticed something that was off: Taniko had his blood on her hands, and she was getting it on her face and clothes . . . It was a bit strange, to turn from the one getting cleaned off to the one doing the cleaning, but Daisuke scooted closer to her with the rag she had abandoned, dipped it in the pale of water, and reached it up to her cheek to wipe away his blood. "You didn't hurt me, I'm okay," he stated, refraining from sighing. Socializing wasn't his strong point, especially with someone who was meek like this--but he still felt compelled . . . "All right," Chizu declared with a nod, "Faisung, please arrange a room for our guest." "Which guest room shall I prepare?" "First one on the left wing, first floor." "Yes, ma'am." And it wasn't long that Faisung returned. She'd help Abari stand if need be, and even walk him down the leftmost hall--past where a washroom could be found, and to the first door on the right. It wasn't a large room, but it would work fine. A single futon lay in the corner, with empty dressers and an empty trunk--but there was one thing different about it that didn't make it seem like a spare bedroom: it had a shrine. Tetsuken Sengou. It wasn't very detailed, but the katana before it certainly wasn't there for looks. "This was once Uematsu-sama's great grandfather's room," Faisung would note, "The guest rooms of this house were once the living spaces of passed members of the Tetsuken clan. We only ask that you please respect the former owner."

Mandaz: She winced a little and gave a small whine, inching back as far as she could go as he moved forward. Soon she was completely pressed against the wall, face scrunched up and lips pouting, as if some great beast was about to devour her. She was a little surprised at the touch, simply for how gentle it was. Daisuke was one who looked like he had difficulty with being ‘gentle’, but it was a very welcomed change of pace. She leaned into the rag a little, a slight, silent gesture of her gratitude. She slowly opened her eyes to look at him, still a little scared. “I’m glad…that you are okay.” She whispered slowly, feeling very awkward sitting in silence.

Kevin: Abari would slowly push himself up with his legs, using his feet to force his shoes off. He wasn't going to be able to reattach them without the use of his hands, but he wasn't going to soil the floors of the house, either. He would follow quietly and slowly, until they reached the guest room, looking on the shrine, done in the old ways of things. The better ways. "Of course. Thank you." Bowing slightly once more, Abari would make his way to the bed, ready for rest...

Taniko recoiling almost had Daisuke do the same, but in his injured and fatigued state, his reflexes weren't quick enough to allow it. In the end, Daisuke wiped the blood from Taniko's face; there had just been something so wrong about that sight, this girl with blood on her, his blood or not. Daisuke didn't like it.

"Yeah . . . me, too," replied Daisuke, finally giving in to the urge to sigh. He readjusted himself, leaning his back against the tub. The rag was dropped into the pail of water. "I'm not going back into that city. Not for awhile . . . not 'til I can move."

He had done all he could, and now there was not much left. Not as he was. Once he was healed and rested up, he'd be of use again, but as it is . . .

That was a bit of an infuriating thought, though. Daisuke hated the idea of uselessly lounging in the estate. It was the entire reason he always wanted to leave home, even. For now though, the idea of rest sounded quite good. Later, he was likely to get fed up with it, but right now . . . any sort of soft surface was going to become his bed for the night, regardless of what it was. It didn't have to be his bed, and it probably wasn't. Daisuke didn't like his room all that much anymore, anyways.

"What about you?" asked Daisuke as he leaned his head back, gazing up to the ceiling, "You've been through more hell today than I have. Are you going to be okay?"

The smears of red on her cheeks, clothes, and hands were the most color to be seen on the small grey girl. Her skin was so light it was almost grey, and her hair was a very dark grey as well, her personal attire all sported dismal grays, but the Tetsuken family had been kind enough to offer her something to sleep in while her clothes were being washed and mended. Still, she looked undeniably dark, huddled against the wall. As deranged as it seemed, the blood on her cheek made them look more rosy and alive.

Taniko’s head drifted up slowly from its downcast position and turned ever so slightly in confusion. Why was he asking about her? It seemed very peculiar for a near dying man to even have thoughts of a poor little girl. Aside from some emotional trauma, she was perfectly fine. Was Daisuke just that caring? Or did he see something special in her? The thought that she might be special in someone else’s eyes made her cheeks naturally flush, though notably not as intense as the blood once was.

“Y-yes. I will be fine. I-I am fine. T-Thanks to you.” She whispered out, head down on her knees again.

Thanks to me, huh?

While he did save her from a horrible fate at the hands of Tio Masaga, Daisuke had failed to return her to her mother, where she may have been better off--and unfortunately, with him injured and already hesitant to leave though house (regardless of how often he wanted to leave before he finally moved out), it was unlikely that she was going to have an escort home anytime in the near future. Daisuke was, after all, the only male in the house, and the two maids, his mother, and his sister weren't up to the task of delivering Taniko to her house.

I suppose I can't win them all.

"I'm glad," declared Daisuke as he released a sigh of relief.

He paid another glance over to Taniko. She said she was all right, but the way she huddled next to him suggested differently. She was a lot bloodier than he thought, too; it seemed that now that he wasn't bleeding anymore, he was starting to notice more details. Go figure . . .

"Uh . . . you . . . you probably want to get washed up, don't you?" Daisuke muttered, "I can leave and let you be. I should be okay, now that I've got some actual bandages on me . . ." And the bleeding's stopped, thanks to Mizou. --which was something he didn't want to admit. Nonetheless, she might feel better if she weren't covered in his blood--Right?

“No no, I have already taken a bath today. Any more would just be a waste of precious water,” insisted the girl.

It was possibly the most vocal she had been for some time while around Daisuke, although her tone remained soft and near silent. She was insistent however, about not taking another bath. Partially out of her environmental concerns, partially out of fear that she would be wasting the resources of her all too generous hosts. She never took that many baths anyway, it was unneeded when one almost never did anything to get dirty. The gentle rubbing of the rag of her cheek and hands and the blood was off just enough for her to be comfortable again. The clothes however were another matter entirely.

She looked down to the wrinkled and forlorn attire that had once looked so nice and gave a very notable pout. All of her features dropped in an expression of utter hopelessness and sadness. It would seem as if she were going to cry, but when she spoke her voice did not crack, though it was thick with regret.

“I have ruined your family’s property. I am sorry. So sorry. Please please allow me to wash this!”

Daisuke watched Taniko's expression as she glanced down at her kimono. It was bloodier than the rest of her. Her hands could be washed and maybe a few more spots on her face, and she'd be okay--but Daisuke had effectively ruined that kimono. It wasn't really her fault; it was entirely his, and the last thing Daisuke wanted to let happen in any situation was for someone to take the blame for something he did. In fact, it was usually he that took the fall for his companions, and not the other way around--simply because he wouldn't let him.

Was Taniko one of his companions, though? He'd only known her for less than a day, but traumatic experiences usually brought people together much quicker than normal . . .

"It's fine, blood comes out," Daisuke did his best to avoid grumbling; he wound up sounding more tired than irritated, fortunately. "My mother gave you my room to sleep in, right? She always does that with girls when I'm not here. Just go in my closet and pick out one of my night kimonos."

Which was probably going to be huge on her, but it was better than him volunteering his mother's, sister's, or one of the maids' clothes. The last thing he needed was them lecturing him when he was too beat up to escape.

"And just leave that one with someone; either Mizou or Faisung or someone else to give to one of them. They'll clean it," Daisuke continued, pausing to shrug his shoulders. "That's why we have maids and all."

The whole notion of having someone clean up after her twisted Taniko’s insides. Her mother had always done everything for her, and she was the only one who ever could. Taniko’s life was completely run by her mother, and by escaping the small girl made a vow to become more self-sufficient. But here everyone insisted on tending to her every need. Though the sentiment was kind, she just couldn’t help but feel as if she didn’t deserve all of this.
“O-okay.” She hung her head.
Instead of voicing her displeasure she obeyed. Daisuke was the reason this was all happening anyway. If she disobeyed him then she felt as if she would be disrespecting the entire household. Trying to stay polite in front of so many people was exhausting. Taniko gave a small yawn and stood to her feet, bowing deeply to Daisuke and keeping her eyes at his feet.
“I will change. I am sorry once more.”

"Don't worry about it," replied Daisuke.

She had no reason to apologize as far as he was concerned. Taniko had helped him out, after all. Why be sorry for what happened because of that? Sometimes things had to be ruined to help someone out; Daisuke knew that from first hand experience--and sometimes, things would be ruined doubly--no, permanently--if no help was provided. Always an unpleasant memory . . .

Daisuke tried to get up to leave the washroom, but found difficulty in this. It was actually a good thing that Taniko opted out of taking a bath (in this room; the outside bath was still available), because he couldn't get up and get out to give her privacy even if he wanted to. He released a discontent sigh and hung his head and shoulders back over the side of the tub. This was all a huge pain in the ass, but it was going to be worth it in the end--if he could see things through that far. At current, he really had no plan of action . . .

Nonetheless, Taniko--upstairs--had full access to Daisuke's room, and was still permitted to sleep there. Daisuke himself slept downstairs in his father's former room (after receiving help from Faisung and Mizou to actually get there), where before attempting to sleep, he lit incense and said a prayer in respect to the man he respected above all others . . .