minutemen | 4 ❀ 花吐き病

Yes.

( Perhaps not physically but the information doesn't lie. Something is wrong and Chougi needs to be seen. What's more... The fox on his shoulder nudges against his face and leaps down, circling around his feet before going into the room.

After a short moment, Hakusan speaks again, )

Your condition is deteriorating, your performance is falling. It has been recorded.

( ... But not reported. Not yet. )

Dammit.

[ So much for the affectionate nickname tactic. He isn't too worried about the rest of the citadel noticing -- yet -- but if Hakusan has made a note of it, then he'll probably go to the saniwa about this soon. Chougi needs to find a way to cut him off before he does. ]

It's fine. It's annoying, but it's just a cough. Ask anyone, they'll tell you it happens.

[ Assuming he hasn't asked already. And shit, what if someone else has experienced this whole coughing up flowers thing? If Hakusan asks them-- He shouldn't have said that. Fuck. ]

It's just a cough.

[ As soon as he says that, he coughs again. It's not a long coughing spell like he sometimes has lately, but he still barely manages to cover his mouth in time. He carefully spits the two small flowers into his hand and closes his fingers around them so Hakusan can't see them. It's fine. This is fine. ]

( There's a long, probably very tense moment where it looks like he's considering Chougi's words very carefully. It's just a cough. Anyone can get it. He might not understand people very well but even he can see through a lie, right?

There's another fit and again, Chougi says nothing, only making a quiet observation for a moment. He reaches into his sleeve, drawing a folded handkerchief. Without a word, he offers it out to Chougi. He's clearly coughed something up so he'll have to wipe his mouth or hands.

But if Chougi looks at it, he'll see that there's something hidden within the folds of the handkerchief. Should he open it, he'll see flowers identical to the ones that have been plaguing him, some older and dried up but others more fresh. )

[ He accepts the handkerchief with a mumbled thanks, not really paying attention to it until he unfolds it to wipe his mouth and the flowers spill out. Hydrangeas, just like the ones he's been coughing up for days. Old ones and new.

Chougi pales. ]

...Where did you find these?

[ The game is up. This is pretty hard to deny. ]

The fox is is an observation device.

( As much as it is a communication device. It helps him gather information discretely and it's done it's job well. )

Hanahaki disease. Flowering cough, caused by unrequited love for another. Left untreated, it is deadly.

[ He knew it. Melon, you traitor. ]

Deadly to humans. Which we aren't.

[ He's been telling himself that since day one. Yes, it's getting worse, yes, it's getting harder to hide, but he's not human. It won't kill him. ...Right? ]

You can't tell anyone.

Our bodies are human.

( Perhaps not the same as an ordinary human but they're certainly human. It's why they need to rest and eat and maintain these bodies as well as their true forms. Chougi tells him not to speak and Hakusan barely considers it, )

This is a secret... ( He understands that much. That's why Chougi has kept it to himself for so long. ) Then it will kill you.

I'll be-- [ Cough. ] --I'll be okay.

[ See his reassuring smile, Hakusan? It's only slightly marred by another cough. He can feel the tickle of a fit about to start, but he's going to fight the urge as long as he can. No need to worry Hakusan unnecessarily. ]

( No. This won't do and he steps aside, motioning for Chougi to come into their room. )

I will perform a physical check.

( Get inside. )

I really don't think that's necessary--

[ There it goes. This one is worse than some of the others. Chougi actually doubles over coughing, flowers spilling from his mouth. Far too many to catch in his hands. It takes a while for it to stop and for him to straighten up again, blinking in faint horror at the pink and blue petals scattered on the veranda. ]

Ah... ...Fine.

[ A physical check it is. He scoops up as many of the fallen flowers as he can into the handkerchief before retreating back into their room. ]

( Once inside, he closes the door securely behind them and begins to clear a small area on the floor for them to sit. Nearby, the fox watches them from a cushion next to a low table before coming back towards Hakusan. With quiet understanding, he reaches down so that the fox can jump onto his shoulder and then he turns his attention to Chougi. )

Remove your clothes.

( Right now. )

[ Wow, Hakusan, so forward. ]

I'm pretty sure just the shirt is enough.

[ He'll pull that off readily enough and set it to the side before sitting down. ]

Come on. Let's get this over with.

( Wasn't that implied? Anyway, with Chougi's shirt off and him allowing the check up, Hakusan moves close to do his inspection. He places a hand on his chest, cool and smooth. There isn't any swelling or growths so outwardly, it seems fine but inside...

It isn't that he's particularly strong but sudden acts of force are rare for Hakusan. He presses back on Chougi, pushing him down onto the ground and leans in close, his ear on his chest. )

Exhale and inhale.

( The fox on his shoulder maintains perfect balance.... and is very close to Chougi's face. )

[ Chougi is too startled to resist, mostly because Hakusan has never been this pushy before. At least not that Chougi remembers? Maybe the training regimen has gotten harsher at their old citadel and Hakusan has gotten pushier to compensate.

A question for another time, because suddenly Hakusan's ear is on his chest and his heart leaps into his throat. This sets off another brief round of coughing (mercifully, he doesn't cough any flowers into Hakusan's hair) and he glares at the fox like it's Melon's fault.

Okay. Okay. Calm down. Deep breath in, slow breath out. ]

Good?

( He presses his hand against Chougi to try to still him so he can hear. He can hear a rattling in his chest and when Chougi coughs and once it passes, he stays there silently, listening very carefully while Melon watches Chougi with squinty fox eyes. )

There is a build up in your chest. ( A beat, ) Your heart rate is elevated.

( Sitting up neatly at Chougi's side, his hands folded in his lap. )

Your condition is severe.

It isn't that bad.

[ He sits up slowly, rubbing his chest. It actually is getting pretty bad. He's still managing to hide the flowers and the coughing for now, able to explain the coughing as "just some dust" for now. But it won't last forever and he knows it. The real problem is... ]

This can't be cured, y'know. That's why you can't tell anybody, Hime, you'll just worry them over something they can't do anything about.

[ Well, there is a cure...but he's not about to get his hopes up that it'll happen. ]

If it gets too bad I promise I'll go see Aruji and she can... [ Cut his heart out of him. ] figure something out. Okay?

The assessment is unfavorable.

( If he had more emotion, he'd emphasize it more but he says it as flatly as ever. He's really no good at arguing. He's too used to doing as he's told that when he's in situations like these, he can only state the facts and hope others will listen.

The idea that this can't be cured though... His eyes shift across the room, at his blade set neatly on display. So he won't... go to the saniwa even now? He can tell this is serious and it needs to be taken care of. He shifts in place, looking almost uncertain under his regular demeanor, and rises to get retrieve his blade. Holding it contemplatively in his hands, for a moment, he then holds it over Chougi. What follows is the familiar healing effect of his tsurugi-- a white light, a cool feeling, and hopefully, an improving condition.

He doesn't speak for a moment, still trying to sort out the right feelings and words, )

You shouldn't keep secrets from aruji-sama.

[ The feeling is cool and refreshing. Not the same as the saniwa's healing, but pleasant all the same. The tightness in his chest eases...but unfortunately begins to return almost as soon as Hakusan is done.

Chougi doesn't tell him this. ]

It's not like I'm avoiding it.

[ He's totally avoiding it. ]

I'll tell her. Just not yet.

( If only he could heal him for good.

He still isn't convinced but Chougi has always been someone he could trust in his time here so (perhaps against his better judgement) he let's it go for now. It sits with him uncomfortably, knowing that this still doesn't seem right. That it isn't right.

Until he can figure out the best course of action, he'll continue to tend to Chougi to the best of his ability, in the morning, at night, whenever he can whether it be by healing or offering tea. This time, after what feels like too many ineffective sessions, he holds his tsurugi in his hands, looking at the blade thoughtfully and then at Chougi. It's after dinner and getting late, the air will become cool and that won't help. )

Requesting to administer direct healing. ( Stabbing, he means stabbing. The fact that he asks first is proof of some of how he's grown since being at this citadel. The fact that he offers to explain is even more, ) Current methods are ineffective.

( From his shoulder, Melon watches curiously. )

[ Not just ineffective. After some of them, Chougi even seems worse than he was before them. Which is probably why he hesitates at the request. ]

Direct? Are you serious?

[ Haku, where exactly are you planning on stabbing him? Nope, Chougi doesn't like this at all. He's not a huge fan of the thoughtful look on Haku's face, either, not entirely sure how to translate it. Nor how to translate the fact that Haku actually attempted to explain, when he's never needed to before. Not with Chougi anyway. ]

...Fine. You haven't tried it yet so fine.

[ He shrugs out of his jacket and starts unbuttoning his shirt. ]

But I don't want to turn the direct method into a regular thing, okay? Getting stabbed in an emergency is bad enough.

Yes.

( He's serious.

He frowns, watching Chougi remove his shirt. He doesn't like that he can't see what's wrong. He can't now the full extent of the damage. How far as the infection spread? How bad is it really?

Sword in hand, he kneels down next to Chougi and touches the ground next to him, motioning for Chougi to lie down in front of him so that he can work. He doesn't make any promises that this won't happen again. It's getting harder to keep these secrets and promises.

Once Chougi does, he raises his blade over Chougi's chest, closes his eyes in what looks like prayer, and brings the blade plunging into his chest. It cuts through but not like an ordinary physical blade. It's cold like steel and sharp like a knife. Like being plunged into ice water, feeling the shock and then nothing from the cold. It isn't a pleasant feeling but sometimes you have to suffer to grow stronger. That's what he was told back then, at least. )

[ It's awful. Really awful. He's never been a fan of the feeling, but right now it's somehow so much worse. It's like a shock of cold water directly to his lungs and his lungs hate it. ]

Haku--

[ He grabs Hakusan's wrist. This is bad. Let him go. It's not helping, it's making it worse. He doesn't understand how, but it is. ]

( He draws back the knife, the wound it leaves behind heals but slower than it would have if he was in healthy condition. It doesn't take long for Melon to come over either, placing a paw gently on Chougi before climbing onto his chest. For a no good communication device, he's soft and warm.

Chougi looks down at his wrist, still held by Chougi and at the blade in his hand. )

Ah...

( There's something on the blade and with his other hand, he traces the flat with his finger, holding it up to see. Hydrangea flowers. Small and stuck to the steel. )

Why...?

( Why is nothing helping? Is there really only a certain way to cure this? His hands tremble, his fingers curling into a fist, the other holding his sword tight. )

[ There's a distinctly threatening rattle when Chougi sucks in his next breath, but at least he manages not to start coughing. He releases Hakusan's wrist and tentatively pets Melon instead. The circumstances might suck, but hey, he's never gotten to pet Melon before -- he'll take his victories where he can find them. ]

It's okay, Hime. You tried.

[ Ugh, okay, he has to cough a little bit. He manages to rein it in, partly because Melon is on him and partly because he's trying not to upset Hakusan any worse than he obviously already is. ]

You did the best you could.

[ Looks like he might have to tell Aruji about this and go see Yagen after all... ]

... It's not.

( Okay. This is the opposite of okay and thinking about it makes his chest twist as if he can feel some of Chougi's pain. But it's true that he's done the best he can and he shakes his head. That can't be true. There has to be something more. There is something more and he holds his sword tightly, speaking quietly, )

The one you love. ( He knows the stories. He'd thought they were just stories but that's all he has to go on for now. ) Who is it?

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