2025-07-08: Each Thinking Of The Other
- Log: Each Thinking Of The Other
- Cast: Yua Ooshiro, Miho Ijuuin
- Where: Aoba Penthouse
- OOC Date: 2025-07-09
- IC Date: Wednesday, June 06 2012
- Summary: Miho brings flowers home for Yua; Yua tries to cook Miho's favourite dinner. But her mind was so distracted, she didn't quite make it perfect... and Miho is able to make her comfortable enough to tell her about her fears in the hospital. With no option but to bear the Order's cruelty, Miho tells Yua tales of a perfect world, instead. A world where they can be happy...
<Pose Tracker> Yua Ooshiro has posed.
Yua wasn't scheduled to attend a campus, today. She'd sent Miho a message saying she was going to hospital, instead... and, later, that her brain wasn't damaged. ... then a third one, about how her hand got hurt.
She's at home again when Miho gets home. Just like normal, she's been cooking up a storm in a kitchen before Miho is due to get off of work; she can't be sure exactly when Miho will get home, so once everyone's ready, she puts the pan and pot on the table with lids over it to keep the heat in, setting up plates and cutlery to match.
Today's meal is Miho's favourite -- veal cordon bleu! On the outside, it looks fine -- except there's no hint of ham between the folds of veal. On the side, she's prepared rice, steamed vegetables, and scrambled eggs all mixed together, a meal full of everything Miho needs to keep her going through the night.
And Yua is dressed in her usual leotard, except...
Except for the ribbon she's tied around her neck, and the wrist brace around her right hand.
<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
Miho had some work to do, of course. But that didn't occupy her for the entire day; she had the chance to stop by a place while she was in Iwatodai... But more on that in a bit. Miho will arrive home on time, even with her extra stop, and soon:
"I'm home," Miho says from the door, changing into her house slippers from her smart shoes. She steps into the kitchen and dining area, and inhales the aroma. She scents the various sides and the veal... and not the ham, as she will find when she opens it.
That's fine. It's easy to say 'the thought is what counts' when the rest is still very good.
She presents the roses in hand to Yua first, looking her over. A ribbon... and a brace.
Hmmm.
"These are for you," she says, and extends them so that Yua can sniff them--but doesn't immediately let go. It may be best if she puts them in something...
"Dinner smells delicious," she comments. "It would seem I am not the only one who thought of the other." A smile.
<Pose Tracker> Yua Ooshiro has posed.
"Mimi!" Yua chirps, from the dining room, when she hears the door open and Miho announce herself. "Welcome home!"
Stressed and frayed as she is, that little call-and-response ritual is important to her. She moves to meet Miho, as Miho moves to meet her, and gasps as she sees the roses in her hand. "Oh, Mimi! They're lovely!" She exclaims, all but sparkling.
She sniff, sniff, sniffs the roses, lingering on the smell for a long moment. Looking to Miho, she reaches up to place her left hand at her shoulder, steadying herself as she rises up on her toes in an effort to kiss her for her thoughtfulness. (Miho will need to help her out. She's very tall, and Yua is quite short.) "I love them," she says, warmly, though that stress is evident in the slight redness of her eye, entirely beyond its natural colour. "I love you! Just hang on a moment, okay?"
She hurries over to a side-board, and plucks a stern, jade vase from it, filling it with some water and bringing it over to place on the dining table. "There! A place to rest their feet!" Roses don't have feet, Yua...
She pulls out a chair for Miho, perhaps for the same reason, as she dishes out the veal and decorated rice. As always, Miho gets quite generous servings; she needs to eat plenty in order to maintain her strength for the Olympics, and Yua isn't about to let her waste away with the normal amount of food. Her own plate is smaller, but as a dancer, she has to watch her figure; her daintiness is a professional feature.
Not that... she's going to be dancing professionally any time soon.
('Ex-dancer', huh...)
"I tried to make your favourite," Yua says, smiling, though she's a little troubled, "but I kind of messed it up. I forgot to put the ham in... I'm sure it's still good, though!" Yua isn't a perfect cook, but an omission like this is far more likely to be due to her mind being distracted than any lack of technical skill.
<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
"Yua," Miho answers warmly.
"For you," Miho confirms when Yua says that the roses are lovely. Sniff, sniff! Miho leans down to close the gap, and kisses Yua in turn. Yes, she can tell Yua is stressed. She will address that, too. But for now, "I love you, too. I happened to pass by a flower shop while I was in place... I met one of your students."
The jade vase is pleasing to Miho. Roses may not have feet, but, "Excellent," she says.
Miho will also rest her feets!
"It smells wonderful," she says. And the generous servings are quite appreciated; Miho indeed needs much to keep up her strength.
"The rest looks skillfully prepared," she says. "It is a good dish in its own right. I look forward to eating it." Miho has bad days, herself. Besides, "That after a hard time you still went out of your way to make my favorite... I appreciate it, Yua. I do."
A pause. "First, let me try it."
She carves off a piece, and takes a bite, savoring the familiar yet distinct flavor. "Mmm... It's very good."
She opens her eyes. "Now," she says, "Why don't you tell me about your day? Or, if you like, I can tell you about mine while we eat, and we can talk about yours in a moment."
<Pose Tracker> Yua Ooshiro has posed.
Miho helps! Yua closes her eyes, as she kisses her, and all her sorrows have to take a back seat to the moment.
The flowers are for her...!
"Oh!" Yua exclaims, when Miho says she met one of her students. "That's wonderful! Did you catch their name?"
She's visibly relieved to hear that Miho is still happy with dinner; surely she'd been beside herself when she realised she'd forgotten something so simple. But Miho's happy, anyway -- a thing Yua confirms as she watches her, carefully. "I'm so happy!" She exclaims, in the wake of Miho's enjoyment. "I was just thinking how this must be so hard for you, too... I wanted you to have something nice."
It's a little harder for her to carve a bite of veal off, with her palm unable to curve around the knife, but she manages without complaint. Nibble, nibble, chew... she smiles, too. It really is still good. Thank gods.
But... her day...
Yua looks down at her wrist brace, and sighs, looking back to Miho. "It's probably a longer story," she says, "so... tell me how your day was first, okay?"
It's probably better dinner conversation.
<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
"I did. Jun Kashihara. ...There was a young pianist there as well, and a courier." Pause. "Odd jobs woman, I suppose. An opportunity in any case."
Miho is not terrible at concealing things--but concealing her feelings from Yua is more difficult. She isn't trying in this case. So Yua is happy, and she is happy. "Hmm," Miho says. "It's harder on you," she insists, "But I do like nice things."
Miho considers stepping in, offering to help... but Yua doesn't complain, and so Miho won't offend her pride by doing it for her. Still...
"Very well," she says.
"Meetings and business," she begins, and then tells a brief story of meeting someone in Iwatodai. It went well; there were quirks.
Not one of those people--someone on the legitimate side of the business.
<Pose Tracker> Yua Ooshiro has posed.
"Oh, Kashihara-kun," Yua smiles, with recognition. "He's a kind boy. His father is a teacher, so he wants to become one, too... I was able to encourage another student to accept his tutoring." She pauses, and tilts her head: "Did I tell you?"
She certainly told her part of it, last night, at least. ... but keeping track of what she said when she was so upset is hard.
It is very hard on her. She can't argue with Miho about that.
But, "I'm glad they had you deal with a normal man," Yua exclaims, in relief, as they go on with their conversation. As she goes on, asking questions about whether particular coworkers were problems today, wondering whether that one kind secretary was doing okay after all those rumours, her veal and rice slowly disappear from her plate.
It goes slowly, though. Yua is terrible at concealing her feelings, and Miho can clearly tell she doesn't have that much of an appetite, even though the food she's cooked is tasty. Still, she tries to eat, because Miho would worry if she didn't.
There's still some rice, to the side of her plate, when she puts her fork down. (A knife and fork, today, not chopsticks; chopsticks would be fine for the rice, but they're really not designed for a French main dish.) "I think I'm done," she admits, a touch sheepishly. And then, just in case Miho is still hungry, "... do you want it?"
<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
"I see. A good wish." Miho pauses. "That's excellent. You mentioned some of it, but not all the details." Mysteriously, Miho isn't likely to recall the details on a certain Kawase... But it would be ironic if the connection came to mind now.
Still.
"It was preferable," Miho agrees, since Yua implies the opposite. Abnormal men. She shares about Yua's questions, though, answering gladly. And if it is slow, that's fine. Miho continues to eat--
"I'm fine," she says to Yua, and smiles. "You gave me exactly the right amount." Eating too much will lead to problems, just like eating too little. Still...
Hm.
She considers, and then, "Would you like some wine?" she asks. "Something to relax with."
Because they're going to talk about something difficult.
<Pose Tracker> Yua Ooshiro has posed.
They are fine youth, but Yua doesn't need to get into every detail. The ones relating to the boy she met are enough! She'll tell her about Kawase-kun when she meets her.
(Mysteriously...)
There are many abnormal men, in Miho's company. The sorts of men who make life hard for secretaries. The sorts of men who are happy to keep Miho busy. Yua has a dim view of them, though she knows few of them personally.
Yua smiles to Miho, when she praises her serving sizes. "Good!" She chirps, and picks herself up, collecting the plates to rinse them off and place them in the dishwasher. It's a little more complicated, with the brace, but she manages. (She slides her remaining rice into a tupperware, of course, and tucks it into the fridge; she can repurpose it into morning tea, tomorrow.) Eiko might be the one to actually sort them back into their drawers and cupboards, tomorrow, but it makes her work much easier if the dishwasher is run promptly.
She turns, once it's loaded, and her unbound hand comes up to clasp at her chest. "... yes," she admits, a touch quietly. "I think that would be nice. Can you get it ready...?"
It's not that Yua couldn't, but there's value, too, in letting Miho take an action for her. She goes to take a seat on the lounge, picking up a remote to turn the lighting down, a little, so it isn't quite as bright in her eye. Less for her to process. More room for...
Well, it is difficult.
<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
Many abnormal men. Are they really unusual? That's a philosophical discussion for another day.
Miho smiles back, and rises to get the wine. She offered, after all; it would only make sense that she'd be willing to attend to the matter of it. "I can," she says as she walks over to where it is kept. Two glasses; open the wine, let it breathe for a bit before pouring. The usual methods.
Miho will take much action for Yua. And as they attend to the lounge and Yua...
Miho brings all over.
"So," she says. "I would like for you to tell me about today. I see your new brace, for instance."
"If it is too difficult, I understand... but I would like to know."
<Pose Tracker> Yua Ooshiro has posed.
Wine needs to breathe, just like Yua does. And when Miho hands her her glass, Yua breathes it in, leaning slightly against her girlfriend as she focuses on the aroma of the wine. She opens her eyes, and gazes down to it, a rich red mirror reflecting her face.
It all might be agonising, except that Miho surely knows Yua's attempts to ground herself when she sees them.
"... Sachie-san was really worried," she admits, at length. "She wanted me to go to hospital... I went, but it scared me. I don't like places like that... I really don't." She doesn't say why; Miho knows. "There was this awful machine... I had to lie down inside it, and it made this terrible racket. Thump! Thump! I-I thought for sure something bad would happen."
She takes a sip of her wine. At least it tastes good. She can hold onto that.
"They were worried... I had brain damage, since he choked me. But they couldn't find any damage... sometimes they really scared me, though! One of them, they took this weird little light and tried to, to take my eyepatch off!" Her braced hand comes up, to clasp at the opposite side of her face. "Sachie-san stopped them, but I wanted to run away right then..."
She lowers her hand, looking down at the brace. "It took them longer to look at my hand," she says, sadly. "We were waiting for a long time... but eventually, one of them brought us in and told us that, um, the fluid around my joints was inflamed. Since I'd been jerking my hand, struggling... they said they couldn't see any evidence it was broken, though."
Yua frowns.
"It still hurts," she admits, a moment later.
<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
Yes, Miho recognizes those grounding exercises. Some of them she has in common with her, on her own worse days. But today, she is whole. Today, she can support Yua herself.
...Eiko is there, when they both have bad days.
But today.... "Reasonably so," Miho says. "She was right to have concern. ...I am proud, that you were able to go to hospital without incident. I know how difficult that would be for you. But Sachie-san was there to protect you."
The awful machine.. Miho can guess.
The wine is good; she also sips it.
"That would make sense, because of the bloodflow that was cut..." Hmm. "I'm glad that she was able to stop them. They were not equipped to deal with such things as your eye." This she is certain of. Perhaps some hospitals would be.. but who could trust any that were?
"I see..." She frowns, at the matter of a line. But perhaps others were more urgent. ...Still, it's bothersome. Money doesn't solve everything.
"The fluid... Yes, that would be painful. I am glad that it is not broken--but you must go easy on your hand, then, my love."
"I am sorry that it hurts. Thank you for telling me of it."
She considers the ribbon. "...And your neck?"
<Pose Tracker> Yua Ooshiro has posed.
Yua smiles, a little, when Miho expresses her pride. "I knew you'd worry," she says. "So, I had to try."
And she nods, when Miho worries over her eye. "I didn't know how to explain it, so I panicked... but Sachie-san just said the light would hurt it, so they couldn't take it off. Maybe I should just say that..." It's not really a lie, is it? It's adjacent to the truth.
Money can't solve all problems, sadly, though it did at least make sure Yua got answers that day instead of having to wait.
"Mm," she nods. "They called it 'synovitis'... they said it should go away soon. They gave me tablets, but..." But she hasn't taken them, surely. Yua is deeply sceptical of drugs.
She tilts her head, then, to expose her neck for Miho. "... you can take it off," she offers, glancing down to her wine. "I just... didn't want them to see. If they saw what happened, they'd know I was... mm... a victim. I thought, if I could just hide it, no one would talk... but I can't hide this thing on my wrist, anyway."
Beneath that broad ribbon is a thin bruise, marking the place where that cord tightened around her neck. There's no mistaking whence it came. Something like that couldn't be an accident.
Though, "... maybe if I say I just shut a cupboard door on my hand, they won't ask too many questions..."
What can she do, but make excuses for the Order?
She still needs to go to work tomorrow.
<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
Miho smiles back.
"Hmm. That was clever of her." She pauses. "How would you feel about that?" she wonders. "I find..."
She doesn't say it immediately. Instead, she notes the diagnosis. "You can take them while I'm here with you," Miho offers. "So that I can step in, if there's something wrong." She wants her to take something for the pain and the inflammation--but she knows better than to think Yua will willingly take pills without some assurances, at the very least.
She does remove the broad ribbon, gently. She looks again... Hm.
"No," Miho says. "They will think you are hiding the truth, then. A poor lie is a worse shield than no lie at all. Simply say that you do not wish to discuss it. That is your right, as a teacher. They may wonder, but they will have nothing to go on."
A pause. "...I understand, though. I would have the same pride..."
To be injured in that way, to be assaulted, and have to live with it...
"I will find that man, though," she assures Yua. "...carefully. But I will find him."
<Pose Tracker> Yua Ooshiro has posed.
"I guess it's okay," Yua says. "It's... close enough." She lies frequently, about so many things, but that doesn't mean she likes to lie.
But Miho offers to keep an eye on her, and Yua smiles. "Okay. They're just in my bag..." And they're painkillers, not the kinds of sedatives that Yua fears most. They're made to ease that inflammation. That's all.
She exposes her sorrows to Miho, and when the ribbon is gone, she sips at her wine again. "But... shouldn't I at least hide my neck?" She asks, hesitant. "They'll talk... and how could I explain the Powers that Be?" They're scarcely explained to her, evidenced by the way she enshrines so much power in them, unknown and felt in every area of society. "They wouldn't understand... even if they did, it would be dangerous for them!"
She turns towards Miho, hooking her leg in around her shin. Her free hand is still occupied with her glass of wine, but the one more bound rests on her lap, as she looks up to her. "Can someone like that... even be sorry for what he did?" She wonders, and betrays her feelings in the process. "He was so unsettling..."
<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
"Hmm. ...No, I think it is your right not to make excuses." She nods. "If you need one, then by all means, say you are sensitive to the light. But most should take your refusal at your word."
A pause. "Good," she says, and rises to get Yua's bag--without leaving her sight, her wine on the table next to them. She pulls out the bottle, looks it over. "Water," she decides is best, rather than wine, and pulls a bottle for Yua.
"Yes," Miho says. "By all means, hide your injuries. But when they ask, simply say that it is your own business. If you simply say it was an 'accident'..." She trails off. "Women whose partners harm them speak in those terms. It will be more suspicious than saying nothing at all."
"We will not explain those powers to them, certainly."
A pause, then. She has returned to her seat, and now, Yua can reach her again. Miho smiles, and rests a hand over Yua's. The smile fades at the talk of that man, though, reassuring as it was meant to be.
"I will find out," she says simply. "...I wonder why someone of such skills would take on such a task, to hurt but not kill. I will gain those answers from him, as well. When we bring him into the light, he will be less frightening."
<Pose Tracker> Yua Ooshiro has posed.
"They should... but they don't," Yua pouts, clearly put out by the rudeness of it all. They might not question Miho, but they certainly question her.
Miho fetches her lovely little handbag and some water, though, and Yua puts down her wine so that she can read the box. "Two tablets..." She echoes, and pops them into her hand, downing it with a long drink of water. Miho, of course, will have noticed that the box specifies to take the pills with water and food; Yua didn't read that far, but luckily, they've just had food and Miho brought her more water.
She places the bottle back on the table, grasping her glass of wine, again. And when Miho makes her point about what it sounds like --
Yua promptly tips the bottom of the glass up and drains all that was left in it in a single gulp.
Putting her glass down, she shakes her head, turning back to Miho. "They," she starts, and stops again, her lips twisting up. Her point is plain: "Aren't they battering us?"
... as if the Order were their belligerent husband, angry from a day at work.
"I guess," she sighs, sinking in against Miho now she's here with her again. "I guess, at least, since we're hiding, people won't blame you for the things they do. If they thought you'd done this... that would be too awful." Would they pin the blame on Miho like that...? ... they probably would.
"I guess I'd better not make it look like that," Yua sighs, voicing her thoughts sadly, "in case they blame you."
Miho's hand is reassuring, even if her smile fades. Yua isn't smiling, either. "I don't know," she says, because she hasn't guessed that Rokuro asked him. "But... the walls have ears, right? Maybe he heard me being rude, and it offended him... maybe he would have killed me if he didn't know who I was." She grows ashen, thinking of that.
"Sachie-san said... they would've done it no matter what we were doing," she shares, unsettled. "Mimi... what if it was a warning to keep in line? Nishiyama-san told me to protect him when he stole something... maybe they're sick of letting me recover. Maybe they think I'm fine now, since I'm working..."
<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
"Hmmm." She can't just tell Yua to do it anyway; maybe she should go with her one of these times...
Two tablets. Miho did notice those things, and--
"...True," she says, and shakes her head. She doesn't think of it in those terms, of course, but there is no need to trouble Yua with semantics. Instead...
"Probably," she agrees. But, "...It is unpleasant, to hide and lie. I do not like it. But there is little option for the moment. We require what they have." Yua requires it. But...
"I don't think it's that simple. ...But we'll see. I will find out."
As for Sachie's words... "She is probably right. They wish to terrorize you. They wish to ensure that they get all that they want, and we get as little as possible. Because every ounce of power we wring from them is power that they do not wield themselves."
A pause. "We'll see. As to keeping in line..."
"That is not an option. To simply 'get by', to do as they wish and accept their tyranny as permanent. I will not. The dreams mean too much."
"...And they would hurt you even if you did all they asked. Yes, Sachie-san is right. The cruelty is the point."
<Pose Tracker> Yua Ooshiro has posed.
If Miho was with her, they'd surely listen to her.
And she does need the Suppressants. They made that much abundantly clear. "Yeah," Yua sighs. "Sometimes... I wish it could be like when we were kids. But they'll be weird about it... I can't stand that again." The curiosity.
(Well, that's one word for it.)
"I know you will," Yua says, and slips her left arm around Miho, hugging herself to her. "Thanks for protecting me, Mimi..."
She tightens up a little when Miho points out their cruelty, their reign of terror. "What if I can't bear it?" She asks, her voice tight. "I don't want to do what they want, but... it hurts, Mimi. I keep thinking, what happens next time? Will it be worse, next time...?" She bites at her lip, as she looks up to Miho. "How do I bear it?"
<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
Yes. Yes, they would. ...At least, most would.
"...I know," Miho says. "I'd prefer that myself, and damn the consequences. But... they would be." 'Weird' about it. More than that. What happened in high school would look literally like child's play.
"Of course," Miho says of protection, though she knows: that protection has limits, for now. ...It galls her, but it's true.
"I know it hurts," she says. "...But to bear it is all we can do. For now."
"Just remember that I've Seen what has to come. It won't be forever."
"Believe in that. And..."
"Stay with me."
<Pose Tracker> Yua Ooshiro has posed.
There are just... too many consequences.
Too much pain.
Miho promises it's temporary, though, and Yua tilts her face up, to place another kiss upon her beloved girlfriend. "I'm with you," she promises. "All the way."
Yua breathes out, then, her shoulders sagging. She braces her hand against Miho's muscular leg as she sinks down, swinging her legs around to lay flat on the couch, resting her head on Miho's lap.
"Tell me a story," she pleads, softly, "about our perfect world. The place where we can be happy..."
A world she believes in, though she's never once seen it. If it's a world without sin... surely they must grasp it from the sinners strangling them.