Chisato and Miina
After Behemoth“... Very well, Malina-san. It will be just a moment.”
If she requires assistance, then I won’t reject her request. She is unable to carry it out herself, after all. Even if I find the rest time requested of me to be frustrating, I can still walk and carry food despite the mild protest of my torso.
I’ve concealed myself as a server before, so it’s not like it’s unfamiliar to me, either.
I quietly shut the door and set about getting dressed.
… Well, okay then. There wasn’t anything that Miina could do except wait for the other girl to be done, just standing and watching the door the entire time. Obviously, she’d normally just go get things herself and not bother, but that wasn’t an option for at
least the next few days until she could maybe power through some healing magic.
How did normal people manage when they broke arms or something? She’d always just healed it, that was the entire reason she’d learned how to do this in the first place, but…
her first instinct would be to try and use magic to compensate, and ignore anyone who thought that was entirely overkill or morally deficient somehow. But that wasn’t the normal response either.
—Had there been a way to avoid Malina-san’s injuries?
As I dress, I consider the question.
If I had taken further harm instead, perhaps some of my allies would have remained less injured. Maybe I could have used myself as a decoy…
There is little point in the consideration beyond evaluating my own performance and adjusting my approach for the future. My allies are crucial to completing this mission, after all.
—And there’s no need for them to be seriously harmed if I can help it.
Having finished dressing, I return to the door and open it.
With Chisato back, Miina snapped out of her thoughts and led the way downstairs, stopping in what she assumed was some sort of communal area or kitchen – not her specialty, she didn’t really care. What
was clear was that someone had left food out for them… all local stuff, but importantly things that could be eaten
cold. Probably not Izayoi, then? She would still be recovering too, after all.
And then… she stopped, ears and tail twitching slightly. Right, she
couldn’t really do much here, if they wanted to take anything upstairs for multiple people it’d need to be some sort of board or platter, and she couldn’t carry – ah, over there, Miina raised her good arm to point it out to Chisato – it. She could put things on it here or there, probably…
—I don’t like this.
Her body’s functionality is failing her already? That arm is probably useless, probably forever.
I had retreated in that battle because I believed it was the best way to launch a surprise attack and assist my allies. Vanishing into the darkness and striking unexpectedly is one of my greatest skills.
But did that lead to her injury?
I silently nod to her and turn, approaching the tray she pointed out and picking it up. Assisting now is all that I can do.
The redhead picked out bits one at a time onto the tray, trying to keep it balanced – this did have to feed four people, after all; she assumed Chisato hadn’t eaten either. Not something that needed talking, but…
The look in the ninja’s eyes was annoying. Almost pitying, and with how inexpressive the other girl was, that could mean a lot. “I
c-c-can heal, remember?”
She hadn’t
yet, true, but it wasn’t like they had any specialised healers, and given how badly she reacted to magic right now…
—
Had I done something to offend her? It was not my intent.
“---Yes,” I respond, after a moment. I do not like uncertainty if it can be avoided, and at the moment that unpleasant sensation has rooted into my core. What do I say now? There is an acceptable amount of friction between allies, as long as we perform our necessary duties, and I am not certain what that level of friction is in regards to Malina-san.
“But, you are clearly in need of assistance now, therefore…”
I trail off as the words escape me.
Miina made an inarticulate grunt, drumming her fingers against the table. What could she do to get Chisato to stop… moping? Was that what she was doing? It was probably good the resident assassin was feeling guilt or the like but, at the same time, she didn’t want to be
pitied.
Even if she needed the help. But that
did give her an idea; this other girl was super into duty and doing her job, right?
“Are you g-g-g…” right, that was probably rude anyway, moving on, “D-Do you want to help
until I heal?”
“...”
I pause for a moment. Did she somehow pick up on what I was thinking? I did think it was suitable, as one of those who contributed to her current state, to assist as best I could until it was no longer required. I suppose I must have been more obvious then I thought.
“---If you would allow me to. I believe it would be for the best, in order to ensure your recovery.”
“Rrrrright, just… I think th-that’s enough…” The platter seemed plenty full, that would be plenty.
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It was halfway through undressing that Miina turned back to face Chisato, tilting her head and staring at the ninja with the uncanny unblinking gaze that mystrel alone seemed to possess, tempered somewhat by the redhead’s inability to stop swaying. “You d-d-don’t have to help any m-m-more. It’s not g-g-g-g… it’s
perm-an-ent.”
“---I see.”
The damage is permanent? I had never wanted to permanently harm one of my allies. That is not the way an Asakura shinobi is meant to operate. That is not the way I wish to operate. Even without that consideration, it’s permanent damage to the mission by weakening one of those who is carrying it out.
I—
What do I say?
I open my mouth and shut it, slowly.
“... I am sorry,” I settle upon my words after a moment, “Until you are used to it, I will continue to offer my assistance.”
Miina continued to stare, the words rattling around in her head… and then she slumped back onto the bed, unable to go through the effort of standing upright. Or maybe gravity had betrayed her and up was now back? She’d been used to it being side to side. Oh well.
“Why? I d-d-don’t understand.” Chisato didn’t even have Galahad’s level of culpability, so why was she acting like she had any reason to help? Besides – “Even if you
did… um… add magic? It was that or
d-die. An’ I knew c-c-controlling all that was hard.”
—What doesn’t she understand? She is not only my ally on this mission, but I was still involved with the incident that has caused her permanent harm. What else can I do, but volunteer my assistance until, at the very least, she has become used to her injuries?
If nothing else, it is simply a matter of practicality. I cannot simply overlook this, not with consideration to the duties I have been assigned and my involvement.
“... Even so, it is only right that I offer my assistance.”
The silence that stretched on was even more uncomfortable than before, Miina’s golden eyes boring straight into Chisato’s before the redhead just sighed and turned her gaze back towards the ceiling. ‘Right’ thing to do. What did that mean? The closest that her brother had ever taught her was that the good of the village came before what she
wanted to do, and ever since she had found herself with the Kirins, they had been an easy substitution. It was even close enough, Izayoi
was her cousin.
But something like this… she didn’t need the help, so what made it right? It wasn’t something they’d ever
covered.
Miina hadn’t realised all of this had been spoken
aloud.
“...”
—I don’t understand.
Did Malina-san learn anything about how to conduct oneself? No, she must have. She mentioned what they had ‘covered’.
But at the same time, for her to fail to understand the responsibility I now bear to ensure her wellbeing until she has adjusted to her injuries—
It isn’t that she thinks I shouldn’t have to burden myself. She would merely be incorrect in that case.
Rather, she doesn’t comprehend it at all.
Is Malina-san well?
“---Even if you do not understand, that changes little.”
Perhaps she needs more assistance than I realized, though I do not know what sort of assistance would help her best.
Miina’s brow furrowed, the redhead piecing together that she’d been talking more than she thought. That… oh, this was going to cause so much trouble in future… but right now, it didn’t seem like it was affecting Chisato, and there was no
point in understanding the ninja, was there? She was determined to do this…
Well, it was still helpful. And she
hadn’t been going out of her way to take advantage of the girl, she’d even been trying to get her to
stop, so it was fine.
Probably.
“Okay then,” Miina said, giving a sort-of-nod. She didn’t have anything else to say, and she was so
sleepy. Enough to fall asleep before Chisato could even formulate a response.
The morning was no less awkward for it.
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