Reincarnated Into A Dead Woman's Body In Another World-Chapter 246: Arc 4, Act II, - 91: An Awry Retrospective
"GYAH!"
"Stop making those noises will you?"
"Make your healing less painful will you!?"
"You know I don’t control how much pain exists..."
"Guess what my answer to pain is?"
"Fine, just yell softer. My ears are gonna bleed," Hotaru’s ears twitched. Glowing blue water drifted down her fingers across the scarred back of a brunette.
Fumeko was sat up on a medical bed, surrounded by curtains of white sheets. Gingerly, the soothing water went down till the side of her torso, "Okay, another one," the redhead warned.
"Give me something to brAAACEE FIRST!!!!"
Hotaru prodded and pushed a bone from the side of her skin, allowing the heal spell to permeate the surface and fix the broken rib. "Just grab your scarf-cloak thing."
"It’s, too, far," Fumeko half-heartedly reached for the garment by the side of the bed. Her body tensed and tears began to shed.
"Don’t grit your teeth, I told you I’ll come back to heal the rest of the fracture on the back of your skull, you’re going to worsen it." Hotaru removed her hand from her side.
Fumeko groaned instead, "Enchanted armour my ass..."
"Meko, you were flung against the side of a canyon at the speed of a tornado," Hotaru spoke while scanning the bottom of Fumeko’s undershirt, "That armour made sure you’re not a stain on that canyon right now."
"I know that. I’m just lucky I pulled my head forward fast enough," Fumeko turned right to see brilliant blue eyes glazing over.
"Then maybe you should’ve brought a helmet, but you need the best visibility to cast so," Hotaru shrugged and her hands went behind Fumeko’s head. "Now hold still."
"Yeah, yeah," Fumeko lowered her head. "At least give me your tail to hold or somethingGGAAahh..." the water went through the strands of dark brown hair.
Hotaru’s tail swished and the redhead pouted, "So you can rip it off? I’ll pass thank you. Jotou barely made a peep you know."
Fumeko’s vision became clearer, a sigh escaping her lips. The floor was not blurry and a relief went down her spine. She scoffed, "With the amount of times she’s been injured? At this point I think she likes it," she rolled her eyes.
"...Ehe..." Hotaru’s ears fell.
Fumeko side-eyed.
"Well," Hotaru cleared her throat, "You’re good to go. There’ll be a little soreness here and there, but it’ll be gone by the morning."
"Thanks for the diagnosis," Fumeko stretched her right arm.
Hotaru caught a better glimpse of the burn scars. She frowned. Her eyes darted away, "It’s only fair that I tell you this."
Fumeko glanced over.
Hotaru held her hand in the other and sat on the bed, her face stared off to the curtains. Her ears twitched to catch the sounds around her; not much but a few wounded still resting, some still needing attention.
"That night, or that morning in our house when Asobi and you found Jotou and I sleeping on each other. Well, there was more of a reason we were on that couch," she hushed.
Fumeko’s squint disappeared, "I figured as much."
"The reason being... I had this habit, before meeting you all of uhm, hurting myself and, healing it over... It, it wasn’t the best thing to do obviously and," Hotaru’s words choked.
Fumeko’s lips twisted to the side and she turned fully to Hotaru. Her eyes darted down, processing the info. She looked to her and her voice went much softer than usual, "It’s fine, you don’t have to say more-"
"No, I have to," Hotaru clenched her fists and shut her eyes tight. "You told me about your scars; it’s a matter of knowing me more.
It was a bad day and I, somehow forgot to close the door and Jotou walked in. She brought me out with a blanket and gave me a glass of water and we talked about it.
And, I felt very vulnerable, but comfortable... So we didn’t realize we fell asleep. But ever since then, I haven’t done anything like that to myself on purpose."
Fumeko waited till she finished... The two breathed in silence... "Yeah, cause I already pieced that second part together..."
Hotaru blankly stared and fluttered her lashes to the curtains, pursing her lips.
"B-but, I didn’t know that you haven’t done anything like that ever since and you wanted me to know you more," Fumeko salvaged.
Hotaru sighed, "Of course I do. You all make me happy; sometimes..." she smirked.
"Hehe..." The two sat and... sat. Staring and staring.
...
...
"I get that this was about me showing my scars that day, but does this have anything to do with the conversation after that?" the whisper broke the stillness.
"Maybe? I still don’t know what to make of any of that. Don’t-" Hotaru faced her, "-think this means more than what it is. I’m just sharing about me." She sighed, "I’m just glad none of us died today so I can say these things. Maybe it’s a bit selfish."
"Eh, you’ve been selfish before why stop now?" the soft tone disappeared.
"Excuse me?" Hotaru glared.
"How did you get into this party again?"
...The blue eyes shifted away, "I’d argue in doing so I also helped the both of you."
"Yeah, yeah. Besides, you’ve been way more selfless than selfish, a few moments here and there isn’t really something to cry about.
Open the curtains and look around, the evidence’s right there isn’t it? Half these guys would’ve taken days if not weeks and months to recover. Some of them might’ve never recovered.
When Kria was in danger, I wanted to bolt, you called it your home. In the end, you still wanted to save your dad and the people of Kria, even though most people hated you for some stupid reason.
You take responsibility to arrange so many things and for the stupid shit we do all the time; even teach us spells, though your methods may be lacking," she snarked.
Hotaru narrowed her eyes.
"Point is, thanks," she smiled with her cheeks flushing red, "For every ounce of healing you’ve given me. That includes, helping me and comforting me..."
Fumeko flaunted her hair, "I’m sure Jotou’s already covering it, but if you’re ever having a bad day and feel selfish to ask for help, know that I’ll be here to heal you in return.
Not physically obviously... but if you want a second opinion or something," she faced away.
Hotaru tilted her head with a wide smile, "Thank you," she patted Fumeko on the head. "How eloquently put Fumeko Namora~"
Fumeko growled then pouted, "Now, just don’t tell anyone I said that..."
Hotaru continued to ruffle her hair with a grin, "I gladly accept your offer, but I don’t remember signing that last condition."
Fumeko grimaced till her nose scrunched into nonexistence, "AHH!!" she recoiled her head and bit the hand that was petting her. The glare Fumeko gave said, ’If you don’t agree I will bite down—hard.’
The redhead still hummed with a smirk, "And don’t worry about the healing me physically part. I have just the spell for it that you can help with~ Siphon-"
"PLEH!" Fumeko’s eyes ejected open before she spat out the hand.
"There we go," Hotaru looked to her hand and rubbed it across the bed. "In all seriousness, thank you for saying all that. Now, go find the others, I still have healing duties to get to."
_
The crickets chirped; the company at the bottom of the chasm rested for the time being. The sandy terrain had come to a standstill, some corpses of allies found—in pieces at the very least...
It was better than the splatterings of blood, which, who knew was who’s? The Encircling Gale’s final resting place after countless massacres; a sense of peace drifted in the breeze against the moonlit tents.
That sense of peace was only disrupted by the chatter of dozens upon dozens within a well-lit tent. Glasses clinked in merriment to the victory and in mourning to the comrades lost.
A nice table was sectioned off for four of the heroes to gather, unperturbed by any of the other soldiers though they would draw everyone’s gaze every other second.
Dinner and supper were being taken by the soldiers. "Told ya it was a good idea to supply beer," Daiyu took a large chug from her mug. She licked her lips, "Look at how happy they are."
Jotou stared at her mug, still foaming at the brim. "Yeah, who wouldn’t want wasted soldiers on the battlefield?" With a disappointed gaze she drew her lips close to the glass and took a sip...
She pouted and stretched, still sore from her fight, "Yeah no, I’d prefer some tea or something right now."
"It’s like you said, you just gotta get used to it. If you don’t want yours..." Fumeko had already guzzled down a glass and reached her hand. Jotou slid her glass over with an elbow to which Fumeko promptly took and began drinking.
Asobi stared to the glass of beer and took a big sip... Her face crumpled and she set the mug back down. "We’ll be going back by the morning, right?"
"Mhm," Daiyu set the mug down. "We’ll be going back victorious!"
Jotou grumbled a noise to the statement.
Asobi looked around whilst her beer was slowly being stolen across the table. She raised her hand, "I’d like some tea too please."
"It is not a restaurant Ms Asobi, you will have procure them yourself," Feyan’s voice came from behind. All four turned to see Feyan approaching with blisters, bruises, an arm in a sling and a bandage taped to the side of his forehead.
Walking in behind him was Arabella fully healed in a common soldier’s uniform and Hotaru, "Finally finished," she sighed.
"Feyan!" Daiyu furrowed her brows and got up from the bench, "The hell," she looked him over.
"I will be fine my lady, I am used to this, really," he put a hand up, his voice did not stutter nor squeak.
"I said I’d heal him, but he didn’t want to," Hotaru took a seat next to Jotou.
"There is no immediate need and a good night’s rest will allow me to recover from everything."
"My mana’ll recover too, but if you wanna stay like this," Hotaru shrugged.
Feyan walked towards the bench and lifted a foot over the other to take a seat, "Please, I will be fine. You all did a lot more than me today."
"Try tellin’ Jotou that," Daiyu rolled her eyes before she placed a gentle hand on Feyan’s back before taking a seat next to him; the hand immediately switched to the mug with half left.
Arabella tapped Asobi on the shoulder and pointed to the liquids brewing and the line of food being served before pointing to herself.
"Oh, thank you!"
Arabella departed to go get Asobi, Jotou and herself nice hot cups of tea.
"Is the housecat being grumpy again?" Hotaru leaned into her and gave a giggle. "What’s wrong?" her ears flickered against the blonder strands.
Jotou sighed, "I think this celebrating’s stupid and I think you’re looking at it the wrong way," she glanced to Daiyu.
"How so?" the princess smugly took another swig.
"You’re staring at the word victory more than what actually happened."
