2026-01-13: Ten Weeks, a Tenacious Bond
- Log: Ten Weeks, a Tenacious Bond
- Cast: Yua Ijuuin, Miho Ijuuin
- Where: Rengedai - Fertility Clinic / Riverside
- OOC Date: 2026-01-13
- IC Date: Sun Sep 09 2012
- Summary: Yua and Miho attend Yua's ten-week antenatal appointment a little late, on account of the wedding, and Dr. Matsuhashi has some specialised experience around the trials they're going through right now. With some extra encouragement from the doctor, Yua makes herself an opportunity to talk about the obfuscation Kimitake wanted her to do for Miho's sake, a decision she made when she heard Miho's wishes after the wedding. Miho realises the danger Yua might be in, when she talks about the threat of consummation Kimitake was so scared of... and Yua affirms that even if Miho needs to date a man for appearances, the important thing is their own enduring bond.
<Pose Tracker> Yua Ijuuin has posed.
Yua's ten-week antenatal appointment was a little delayed... on account of her getting married. She couldn't come in yesterday, either; Kimitake needed to borrow her, that day, for a fundraiser luncheon. He returned her personally rather than Yua calling their driver; she was a little out of sorts, but he explained that they'd gone to Alaya Shrine to pray, and she'd encountered a woman who gave her an unsettling conversation when he had to step out to take a phone call for work.
He named her, even though Yua was reluctant to, with his apologies for not keeping a better eye on things: Tamaki Uchida.
... though Yua insisted, after he'd gone, that she'd done nothing wrong... just reminded her of what her life was like, before. Her friend... but she cut herself off, and said she oughtn't say too much about it, because she'd promised it would stay between them.
And it's a good explanation for why Yua is unsettled, after having spent the day with Kimitake, only returning after dinner.
Certainly, it couldn't be him.
But Sunday is still, mercifully, a day most people -- even salarymen, and women dressed as salarymen -- have off, and that means there's time to go in... because doctor's clinics don't have days off. (Don't worry. There are other doctors working here, so Dr. Matsuhashi does get days off...) Luckily, this ultrasound reveals no problems with baby's development, either: it's even graduated to being a real fetus. The problem isn't with baby, but with mama... Yua's even lighter on the scales than she was, the last time she came here.
"... I've been taking the fibre supplements you told me to take, so it's not that bad, since I'm exercising, too," Yua's explaining, one hand grasping Miho's as they sit on the couch beside Dr. Matsuhashi's desk. "And that gross water with all the electrolytes and stuff, I'm drinking that still... water's usually okay. Even juice, really? It's just..." She heaves a great sigh, looking down. "It's the food that's bothering me more, Matsuhashi-sensei. I know you gave me medicine, but... I've become more and more afraid of eating much when I'm outside. It's just... embarrassing, and... mainlanders can get quite offended I made them think about it?" It's quite frowned upon to admit one is ill with their pregnancy, in Japan. "Even when I'm at home, though... if I smell something bad, and there's all these things that smell bad, now... I'm afraid to eat anything."
Dinner has, indeed, been very bland, any time Yua makes the same meal for both of them.
<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
An unsettling conversation... The fact that Yua downplayed it is why Miho isn't making it a priority to go sort this woman out. Apparently kimitake really is trying to look out for Yua. That's... good. It's better than she expected. So why is she still so bothered?
Well, it's not important right now. The appointment is more important.
Yua is light... Miho frowns, hearing the news from the doctor, though it's not that she didn't know. The gross water. They're on the couch, and Miho listens.
"...And I cannot always be there to silence such unkindness," Miho sighs. Dinner has been bland, but that barely matters to Miho. Much more important is Yua's state.
"I am concerned," Miho admits plainly. "You do so much, and if you cannot restore your strength..."
<Pose Tracker> Yua Ijuuin has posed.
The real tragic thing is that Yua recommended Tamaki go challenge Miho, at the hall where she practices, before she got scared off.
... hopefully Tamaki doesn't have a training accident...
"It's okay, Mimi," Yua assures her, squeezing her hand. (She's not only holding on for her sake.) "No one's said anything really mean, they just... get kind of offended knowing about it?" Is that really a distinction worth drawing...?
"You should have gained around a kilo," Dr. Matsuhashi says, with a light frown. "Instead, you've lost several... you're still in a healthy weight range right now, but if you lose much more, I'll need to class you as underweight. Miho-san's right to worry," she uses their first names so that they can keep track, it's fine, "because being underweight can impact both you and the baby." It's putting the onus on Yua, a little, but... well, culturally, it's not unexpected. (Indeed, Yua looks quite harrowed, looking down.) "... you said you were coping with liquids more easily? I'd like for you to start supplementing your diet with meal replacement drinks... and I'll book you in to speak with our dietician about your fears around food."
"Another doctor...?" Yua wonders, a touch miserably.
"No," Dr. Matsuhashi shakes her head. "More like a --" but of course she's been warned away from talking about psychologists or therapists to Yua, so she switches tack, to suggest, "sonographer, like the woman who handles your ultrasounds." (Privately, she thinks she ought to receive an award for thinking of an allied health profession which does not incorporate the word 'therapist'.) "She's someone who helps people manage their relationship with food. I want you to see her because your fears of throwing up may be contributing to your poor nutrition."
Yua sighs, looking to Miho. "... okay," she says, though she's clearly worried about seeing someone else, too. "And... the meal drinks, they're not too gross...?"
"They come in a lot of flavours," Dr. Matsuhashi assures her, diplomatically. "I'm sure you'll find something you like. Just be sure to buy ones which are marketed as hospital formula. They'll give you the best support. Now..."
She turns away from her computer, back to them. "... I want to explore how the marriage has been affecting you. It's not uncommon for women of your nature to struggle with sham marriages, even if they badly wanted children. How have things been at home?"
<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
Miho won't necessarily harm her! ...She is a professional, after all. And Yua did say it wasn't her fault... But was Yua just being nice? That's what she'll have to determine.
But it's okay, Yua says, and Miho is not entirely reassured. "Hmn," she vocalizes, discontent.
But the doctor has things to say. Miho has no objection here to the use of her name. "That seems like a good idea," Miho agrees about the dietician, and looks quickly at Dr. Matsuhashi as she mentions 'more like a'--but she recovers well. "Yes," Miho says, encouraging Yua. "It is a fine idea. I have consulted dieticians for my training regimen before."
The flavors... Hm. "I've had some before, though not medical-grade," Miho says. Sometimes, she didn't have time or interest in eating, between training and looking for Yua. It's normal! Right?
"...Ah," Miho says. To explore the matter of marriage.
"...When Yua is home things seem all right," Miho ventures diplomatically. "It is not her fault, of course..."
<Pose Tracker> Yua Ijuuin has posed.
"Mm..." Yua frowns, seeing her reassurance de-assure. But she can't say no one's said anything... she'd be lying!
She tilts her head, though, when Miho shares her own view on dieticians. "You saw them? And they were okay? No one made you do anything?" Yua asks, exposing all her anxieties in the process. "Mm... okay!" Magically, Miho declaring something is safe makes Yua much more confident about accepting it.
"Then... you can help, Mimi!" Yua realises, with clear relief, when she hears that Miho has already tried them. "You know what I like better than anyone!"
Still... the marriage.
Yua leans against Miho, her other hand crossing over to grasp at Miho's arm. "... I've been having nightmares," she admits, looking at Miho's hand rather than the doctor in front of them. "I don't feel right at all... but I've been trying to fix it! Like, like I went to the shrine where he married me, a-and Kimi-san was really very nice about it, he came with me, so we could both pray to the Japanese Gods and tell them it was all a lie!" And Miho is diplomatic, but Yua is anxious, stammering on her words.
"Hmm..." When she's home things seem all right, Dr. Matsuhashi notes. "How are you finding Kimitake-san, now you've married him, Yua-san?"
"He's been very kind to me," Yua insists, though she feels a little ill, as she says it. (... maybe someone's eating tuna in the staff break room? Cans of tuna always turn her stomach now, even though she's always liked fish...) "It's hard for him too, you know? Since he doesn't like women, either, but he has to act like he likes me, too... but he's always tried to be considerate. He even said I shouldn't need to think of his house as a home, since my home's with Mimi... and when we were at the party, he took me out onto the balcony when it was getting too loud for me? You know, where it was quiet... he said he'd been studying how to make sensitive people more comfortable at parties." She takes a deep breath, a long sigh. "It's just... he says I should cook for him when I'm there, since everyone's expecting that, and... and yesterday, I couldn't make Mimi's dinner because I was cooking for him. I... I felt really bad about that..."
It might seem like a small thing, making someone food, but it's always been deeply meaningful to Yua. One of the things she held with greatest clarity, in her dreams for adulthood, was the desire to make lunch for Miho every day...
... but how could Kimitake know that?
"It sounds like you're all very pressured by the demands of society," Dr. Matsuhashi says, sympathetically. "It's a big change... did you expect things to change like they have?"
<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
"They were fine," Miho assures Yua. "No one made me do anything; they gave me recommendations to better my nutrition."
"I'd be glad to help."
But marriage... Miho supports Yua, stroking her hand. The nightmares. Miho looks sympathetic, worried.
"..." Doesn't 'like' women. When put that way, Miho doesn't want to be charitable, but she reminds herself that he is family, and that he is in a difficult position. Nevermind that not being able to think of a place you stay so often as a home is bad; Miho doesn't think about that. Instead...
"Obligations are obligations," Miho says. "I understand such things. ...Though I know that doesn't make you feel much better."
Miho doesn't love it; even when it's bland, she likes having food made by Yua...
"...No," Miho answers the doctor. "I didn't. I was under the impression that it wouldn't impact our day to day lives overmuch, except occasionally, when necessary."
"But I suppose that was naive."
<Pose Tracker> Yua Ijuuin has posed.
"Mm... that sounds okay," Yua decides, because of course Miho's talking about it like it's okay. And so, she promises to help, and Yua chirps: "Okay!!"
... Yua doesn't realise just how revealing she's being, of course. Isn't it normal to say that a man who dates men doesn't like women, just like she'd say she doesn't like men like that?
('Like that', Yua.)
"Mm..." Yua's hum is more sad, when she looks up to Miho, as she assures her about her obligations. "It just feels bad, Mimi... I guess I'm not really used to social duty like that? Grandmother has an obligation to the village, but... but we were always just normal people." She musters all her bravery, as she insists: "But I can learn, right?! Like... like you learned how to do it!"
And Dr. Matsuhashi observes the tension wound through her; a tension that carries over, as she answers her question, too. "I was upset... I didn't want to be taken away from Mimi. But I don't want anything bad to happen to her, o-or to us, or even to Kimi-san... so, so we have to keep up appearances! I don't... really know how Mimi's world works, or anything like that, so... it's just been hard, I guess."
(Miho feels like she's naive... but, Yua thinks, isn't she the one who's naive...?)
"It sounds like things have been a little strained," Dr. Matsuhashi surmises, still quite sympathetic. "I encourage you both to communicate your feelings... it's very difficult when partners end up doing things for the other woman's sake without consulting her. This will be a difficult transition, but finding some pair bonding activities you can enjoy together frequently will help you to reinforce how important your relationship is."
"Oh! Like the lockets?" Yua asks, looking from Miho to Himari, before she realises she needs to actually explain: "Mimi and me thought we could wear lockets with our photos inside, so we'd be close to each other even when I had to be on Kimi-san's arm..."
"Just like that," Dr. Matsuhashi encourages Yua, smiling. "Ah... can I ask how you're finding Kimitake-san, as well, Miho-san? I understand you haven't been as involved with him as Yua-san, recently, but he is... your cousin?" She asks, seeking confirmation.
<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
Like that.
"It's something one learns to accommodate," Miho says to Yua. "You can learn." But she doesn't really want Yua to learn, truth be told; she likes Yua as she is. It's probably necessary, though. Miho looks a little... well, if she were younger, and less rich, one might use the word 'sullen'. As it stands, she at the very least qualifies for grumpy. "Right," she agrees. "I don't wish ill on him. I suppose he's older and more enmeshed in these things."
But strained. Communicating their feelings... Miho frowns at that. Without consulting...
"The lockets will be nice," Miho agrees. "I'm glad that sounds like a good idea. There are other things when we're together, of course."
But how she's finding him?
"He's fine," Miho says. "As I said, older and more enmeshed in appearances. I'm accustomed to more freedom, given my athletic career... It's an adjustment, dealing with such restrictions."
Work continues to bother me about when I'll 'take my turn'. But Kimitake-san himself is... fine. He seems to be looking out for Yua, and that is something I appreciate. It would be... unfair, to blame him for the situation."
<Pose Tracker> Yua Ijuuin has posed.
"Mm..." Yua hums, a touch unsettled, hugging Miho's arm a little more rightly. "He's... trying to help me with it, too? Um, but I think he doesn't want to upset me or anything... he's very careful about me. I feel a little bad for making a lot more work, but it's a relief, too... since I really don't know how stuff works like Mimi's family does. Like how I can kinda tell Father's a lot more patient with me when I don't know the right thing to say, or not to say, or what expression to put on my face, or to not put on my face, or... or... there's a lot," she huffs, pouting, and she might still be able to pull off sullen.
(You know. The cursed eternal youth of autism.)
Yua's bothered by the idea of hurting Miho by keeping things from her, too; she feels guilty, thinking of what Kimitake said they'd need to do. Miho said she wanted to know, too... and now the doctor's saying it? It's not that she thinks Kimitake is wrong, it's just...
Well, maybe he's not giving Miho enough credit...?
"Of course," Dr. Matsuhashi nods, understandingly, when Miho cites those other things. Yua, tellingly, does not elaborate; and Himari does not ask.
And... older. "It's particularly difficult when these marriages of convenience place people with different levels of experience together," Dr. Matsuhashi counsels Miho. "Though I'm encouraged to hear he seems mindful of his relative power. Unfortunately, it is quite common for the unwed woman of a pairing to receive increased pressure after her partner marries... but that's another area where you'll benefit from talking to each other."
Normally, Himari wouldn't do so much counselling of her patients herself -- she has psychologists on staff, for that -- but given the access needs of these patients in particular, she needs to go a little further for them. Luckily, her wealthy clientele leave her with plenty of time for these appointments.
"Now," Dr. Matsuhashi says, "is there anything else bothering you, this week?"
"Um..." Yua starts, and she looks up to Miho for support, before she leans forward. "I started getting these weird marks...? On my belly, and, um, other places, too... it's on my hands, too, see?" She releases one hand from Miho, to stretch it out; and Miho may note how tightly she grasps her hand, with the other. She doesn't like being touched by medical professionals, let alone offering herself to them.
"Let me see..." Himari wheels her chair over, a little, to inspect her hand. It's just for show, really; she can tell at a glance what's worrying her. "... there's nothing to worry about," she assures her, releasing her hand. "Those are just your veins, Yua-san. They're getting bigger so that your body can get your baby everything they need."
"So -- so I'm not sick?" Yua asks, a question she's fretted about to Miho more than once over the past few days.
"You're not sick," Dr. Matsuhashi assures her, gently. After a light pause to give Yua room to say anything else -- something she doesn't take, though she does take Miho's arm again -- the doctor looks to Miho, too. "And did you have any other concerns this week, Miho-san?"
<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
"Father likes you," Miho assures Yua. "...It's all right that you don't know it all. No one should expect you to."
But Miho does not know Yua is CONCEALING THINGS so it's fine. But Miho does not elaborate either; she assumes the doctor will understand.
But...
"Ah, I see," Miho says. "It's been... bothersome," she admits. "It brings up old partners..."
There was an incident in the news, some time ago, when she rejected the proposal of a boyfriend. That gets brought up more now.
But is there anything else bothering them?
Miho supports Yua; she squeezes her hand. She considers the mark; yes, she does notice it. Miho strokes Yua's other hand. She's doing very well, Miho tries to say without saying.
"I'm relieved," Miho says of Yua not being sick. "Your body is amazing," she says. "Already planning ahead..."
Then she pauses. For her...?
"It's all just..."
"More," she says, "Than I expected. That's all."
<Pose Tracker> Yua Ijuuin has posed.
"Oh, good!" Yua smiles, at Miho's assurance. "I want him to like me... I'm trying really hard, you know!!"
And Yua... will figure out how to tell Miho.
Dr. Matsuhashi is sympathetic, hearing about Miho's history, of course. "That does sound very bothersome." And so...
Miho is good at supporting Yua; she can see it in the way she smiles, to her. She giggles, as well, as she calls her body amazing. "Mmhm!" Yua hums, cheerfully, though she shifts to paying attention to Miho quickly.
"It's okay, Mimi," Yua says, stroking her arm, too. "It's a lot. It's okay if it's a lot... right?" She adds, with a glance to the doctor, a touch sheepish.
"That's right," Dr. Matsuhashi nods. "Now, I want you to continue those fibre supplements and electrolyte drinks, and add the meal replacements into your diet, particularly when you're away from home... you can take asetoaminofen if you keep having those headaches. I want you to be careful about that dizziness, too... not eating will make those worse, so be sure to stand up slowly, and sit down as soon as you feel faint. I want you to keep exercising, even though you're tired, too... it really does help."
It's a lot for Yua to put in her head all at once, but luckily, Miho's much better at remembering complicated lists of directives like that. So she just says: "Um... okay! T-thank you, Matsuhashi-sensei!"
"I'll see you both next week," Dr. Matsuhashi smiles.
And so, when they're out of the clinic, Yua turns to Miho, smiling brightly.
"Hey, hey, Mimi... you don't have to work today, right? Let's go! Let's go somewhere! Together, okay?! Let's go... mmm, let's goooo... let's go to the river! Yeah, the park by the river!!" She clasps her hands in front of her, because of course she can't hold Miho's hand in public. (Or can she?! She's married, now... if they think Miho's family, it won't be weird, right?!) "We don't have anything to fish, but it's still nice down there! Aww, not like we could eat any fish we caught in a city river, anyway..."
(Pollution. She's talking about pollution.)
<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
"You succeed."
It is bothersome! But Yua is more cheerful now, and Miho smiles at her. "It's all right," she says. But the doctor has her recommendations, and Miho memorizes them immediately. The exercise helps, too...
"I'll remember," Miho assures them both. "Thank you, Matsuhashi-sensei."
Yua is bright. She indeed doesn't have to work, so...
"The river," Miho repeats thoughtfully. "Very well. That sounds... fun."
Fun! She is warming up quickly to the idea, and does not reach for Yua's hand. Instead, "True. But just watching the river go by is lovely enough, isn't it? We can do that together."
Pollution...
"Yes, let's go."
<Pose Tracker> Yua Ijuuin has posed.
Yua's smile brightens, hearing of her success.
And with Miho remembering the doctor's orders, Yua is free to remember one order in particular, mostly because it's enabling the thing she wanted to do anyway.
She hums, examining her, for a moment. "I thiiink... it's normal if I hold your hand now, right?! Since if someone takes a photo, it's because we're 'cousins', now... isn't that fine?" Yua isn't going to RUIN MIHO'S CAREER in a DIRE SCANDAL if they think she's being warm to her family, she thinks.
... but she checks with Miho, first. Miho's the one who actually knows about scandals and stuff.
"Mm, mm! I want to see the water! And you!" Yua hums, happily, as she turns -- and starts prancing off to the river on foot, as if she's never heard about having a chauffeur.
Yua, Seiji could drive you to a much more secluded park!
<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
"...I..."
Miho shakes her head. "I think it's best not," she says. She doesn't really want to be considered that kind of family with Yua. And even then, cousins holding hands at their age...
Miho knows about these things. She hs a bad feeling about it.
But as Yua prances off, Miho smiles after all, despite herself.
"Yua," she suggests. "...Wouldn't you like to ride to the river? We could get the car."
<Pose Tracker> Yua Ijuuin has posed.
Yua, who has never really understood acting her age, sighs in defeat. "You'd know this stuff better... oh, well, let's go!!" Luckily, she isn't defeated for long --
And Yua turns, when Miho calls out to her. "Huh?" She blinks, and then -- "Oh!!" She lifts a hand, to veil her giggling. "Oops... I forgot..."
Yua holds Miho's hand the whole way through in the car, though. They have tinted windows, it's fine!! And so --
They're delivered to a nice little park out on the road towards Mount Katatsumuri; there isn't actually a bus which stops near here, shockingly, so it's really rather quiet. "Mimi!" Yua calls, waving her hand above her head -- she's run ahead, naturally. "Mimi, look! There's even natural river-bank out here!"
(Rivers inside the city are all made quite artificial, most of the time...)
<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
It's nice, in the car. That's different.
"I noticed," Miho says of Yua forgetting, with a small smile. But this nice little park will be lovely for their time, Miho thinks. As Yua steps out and waves her over, Miho follows along at a sedate pace, catching up with long strides that somehow feel unhurried. This, at least, is a day she can enjoy.
"It looks lovely," Miho says. "Let's watch the water..."
<Pose Tracker> Yua Ijuuin has posed.
Yua fetched a blanket from the car -- Yua keeps a blanket in the car! -- and so she spreads it out, over the sandy river-bank, and sits herself right down on the ground. (Can you do that? Just... sit on the ground, in the dirt, as an adult? Well, it's not like there's really anyone around right now, anyway... besides, that's what the blanket's for!!)
The sun's creeping down in the sky, painting the sky fabulous colours... and the river's reflecting all of them, broken up by the flow of the water.
"Look, look... there are river fish out there! You can see them if you look at the middle of the river, see?" Yua points, cheerfully. "Nets are good for river fish in slower areas like this, since the current isn't fast enough to wash them away... you don't want to fish in a fast river, it's really hard to catch anything, and the fish don't like to stick around!"
Yua loves fish... she's so upset that tuna makes her feel sick, now.
<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
It is what the blanket is for, though Miho does not immediately sit. She stands, looking out over the water and the beautiful scene before her. ...Really, Yua should be sitting down more, now. Miho is sure of that.
"I see," Miho agrees. Her eyes are very sharp; they have to be, detecting motion and more, in order to help with her fencing. "Hmmm, I see..."
Nets and river sizes. "That makes sense. How interesting."
She hasn't thought too much of fishing on her own; Yua is her main introduction to it.
"They are lovely colors."
<Pose Tracker> Yua Ijuuin has posed.
Yua turns her gaze up to Miho, though, as she hums: "Mmhm, mmhm. Pretty..."
Wait, is she talking about the river, or Miho?!
"Mimiiiii," Yua whines, reaching a hand up towards her. "Sit with meee! It looks much different when you're sitting down!"
And, indeed, it does: with the riverbank stretching out to the water, getting more on eye-level with it is strikingly immersive. "Moouuuu..." Yua pouts, looking out at the water. "I want to swim...!"
... but of course, water quality varies by area, and unsafe areas carry the risk of waterborne diseases.
<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
Could be either! Miho smiles. But as Yua whines, Miho lets her hand be grabbed, and takes a seat next to Yua. "Sure," she says, and is soon next to her. It does look different; it's impressive this way...
"It would be nice," Miho agrees, "But it's better to swim at home. We keep it clean and clear for that."
A river is Different, of course...
But Yua has to think of her condition!
"But it is lovely."
Miho remains a little disquiet, after everything.
<Pose Tracker> Yua Ijuuin has posed.
Yua sighs a deep sigh. "I knoooow," she says, and says it with a particular elongation which means Miho can be looking at the river and still know she's pouting. "I have to be careful... I can't get sick. Oh, but I still want to swim!" Yua is so free about what she wants...
Yua turns to Miho, and smiles. "Mimi, let's swim when we get home, okay? We can swim after dinner! Then you'll see how I'm just like a fish, too!!" Yua, Miho already knew that...
"Seeing the water makes me happy... but I'm even happier when I see it with Mimi."
Yua watches the water, and the fish feeding at the surface, falling quiet for a while; though her hand supports her weight near Miho's, and her leg drawn up to support her is opposite the side Miho's on, to keep them boxed in together instead of keeping her out.
"... hey," she does break that silence, though, after a while, "Mimi...? Can I tell you something...?"
<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
Miho absolutely knows Yua is still pouting. Being near her is soothing, despite her worries; Yua is so cute. So when Yua makes such a request, Miho inclines her head. "Yes," she says. "Both of us this time. ...I'll definitely see it." She knew, of course. But she doesn't mind seeing it again.
"...I feel the same," Miho says to Yua. The water is nice, but...
But.
"Mm?" Miho wonders, and turns her head from the vista before them to Yua's face. "...Yes," she says. "Always."
<Pose Tracker> Yua Ijuuin has posed.
"Both of us! Yay!" Yua all but sparkles, when Miho declares she'll swim, too. "We can float in the pool, too...!"
Of course they have a pool chair. Why wouldn't they?
... Yua feels better, when she's with Miho.
"Haa..." Yua sighs, as her weight shifts; it crosses a few of her fingers over Miho's, in the process. Surely a mistake which she just hasn't noticed, as she looks to her. "There's something I haven't known how to say... but since the doctor told us, it's not weird to say it, right? Um..."
She looks back and forth, to make sure no one's lurking on the riverbank, before she looks back to Miho. (She surely gets points for trying, even if it's pretty obvious Yua is making sure she isn't being watched...) "When Kimi-san took me back with him, mm... a few days ago..." On her wedding night, she means, though Yua's delicately trying to avoid putting it like that. "He said... he said I might need to be seen in his home sometimes, even if there isn't a party... because, they, t-they might get mad if they think he's just making fun of the thing we did. But... but he said... he said I should tell you there was a party anyway, because he was worried about... making you really worried..." And this, too, she's evasive about, though for a different reason; she doesn't want to refer to Miho's paranoia too directly in public.
"I was upset, but... but what if 'they'... what if they thought we were mocking men and women, a-and they got involved, and, and really made me be his wife?" Yua asks, her voice tightening. "Even he was scared they might do that... he said it was a nightmare for him. S-so, I didn't know what to do... he was really worried you'd, have a bad time if you had to worry about what might happen? I told him it was a lie, but he just said it was a little less detail... but then, then you said you wanted to know, and I wanted to tell you, but I was scared I might make you think bad about your family if I told you... he wanted to support you, but you don't feel good when people know, and he said he wasn't supposed to know, he just saw you at a family gathering once... h-hey, don't be mad at him, please?" Yua's fingers curl around Miho's, as she looks to her, clearly unsettled. "I couldn't figure out how to say it right, but I'm no good at words..."
<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
"Yes, that will be nice."
Miho smiles, glancing at their hands, but doesn't make any move to increase the contact there. Instead, she looks to Yua thoughtfully, as she mentions there's something to say. No one is lurking, at least; Yua does get points for trying! ...Sometimes being obvious scares people off, in any case. But unless one of Shiryuu's little helpers is here, Miho is sure there's no one.
But a few days ago... "..."
Making fun. That's something they might believe. But Miho frowns when Yua says that he was worried about making her really worried. Does that mean--?
"...I see."
What if, what if? Miho thinks about that, and she doesn't like it. "It is a lie," Miho says, "But... it's a very Japanese lie. One told so that I do not have to concern myself with something. To ensure that uncomfortable truths are not spoken aloud."
As opposed to the way Yua is.
"I am not angry with him, now you explain," Miho says. "Perhaps it is better if you don't let on that you told me. That way, he doesn't have to know that his gesture was... not entirely welcome."
Two can play the same game, after all.
"It's just a way that our family is."
"Thank you for telling me. ...But I am concerned."
"Does he really think they are that likely to take issue...?"
"Has my staying independent opened you to more trouble?" she wonders.
<Pose Tracker> Yua Ijuuin has posed.
"He's a very Japanese man," Yua sighs, a touch sadly. "Sometimes I don't really understand him... but I guess I don't really know him at all, either..."
Still... "I'm glad you're not mad at him," Yua smiles, briefly, though it's a touch wan. "I know your family's really important to you, Mimi... I don't wanna make things hard for you when it's just because it's hard for all of us right now." She gnaws at her painted lip, as she contemplates another lie of omission. "Mm... he wanted to do that to keep you safe, so that means he'd be okay with it, right...? So it's not bad to let him think I didn't tell you anyway..."
It's a very Yua kind of logic, to assume that just because someone is willing to do something, that means they'd be willing to have it done to them. But isn't it the same game? Both Miho and Kimitake don't want to overtax their cousin... that's how Yua sees it, anyway.
Yua looks down, at their hands, and their concidental(?) mingling. "I'm worried, too," Yua says, quietly. "He said that since we were both, um, associated with them, they'd be watching us too... mm, we only get away with it 'cause they think you're controlling me that way, Mimi." Yua might be innocent, but she's not that innocent; she can tell what they think when Yua hides behind her. "If they realised you were really serious... maybe they'd be mad. They're... really traditional, you know...?"
<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
"I suppose not." Do either of them really know him?
"It is," Miho says. "And I appreciate that. But don't worry; you only add to our family. And it is our family, now." But he wanted to do it, and... "Yes," Miho says. "I'm sure it's fine."
It's very Yua logic. But it is a similar game; they both don't want to make the other worry. ...And indeed, that is... most of Miho's logic here. She assumes Kimitake is operating in good faith. And if he isn't, well...
It hasn't come to that yet.
Still, Yua is worried. "Mm," MIho answers. "Then..."
She sighs. "Yes, I'm aware of what they think."
"They are... very traditional."
"But what can I do about that...?" It's rhetorical, but Yua might try to answer anyway.
<Pose Tracker> Yua Ijuuin has posed.
"Oh!" Yua exclaims, brightening. "Our family! Mmhm, mmhm!" She can still happy hum...
Of course Yua thinks Kimitake is operating in good faith. He's... a bit of a nationalist, but... but that's not an unforgivable crime or anything! Yua knew that about Miho's family when she entered it!
It's harder to happy hum when thinking about the consequences of the Order, though. "Mmm..." Yua's humming is troubled, instead.
"Hrrrmmmmm..." And deeply thoughtful, as she looks out at the languid flow of the river for guidance.
"Well... they keep trying to send their men to you, but that's no good, right? But... there was that man oneesama got for your date. He seemed nice... was he really nice?" Yua wonders, looking to Miho, again. "Maybe if they saw you going out with someone... they wouldn't get so mad, but... but I don't wanna make you go out with someone just to make 'them' happy, Mimi," Yua frowns. "That's not fair to you one bit...! Mm... but I guess if oneesama found that man for you, she's trying to suggest something, too... maybe it's different if it's family saying it..." Yua sighs, again, a touch haplessly. "I dunno... what do you think, Mimi?"
<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
Happy hum. And, well, Miho's family is like that.
But...
"Right," Miho says. "I don't want another of their levers of control." But the man Ritsuko--her older sister--got... "...He was," Miho confirms. "He was nice."
But not fair to her? "I'm more worried about it being not fair to you," Miho points out to Yua. "But... she is, I suppose, trying to say that in her own way." Miho sighs. "I am unsure," she admits. "It is logical, but..."
"...I have doubts. And I wouldn't want to trouble you, above all."
"...An arrangement like yours and his is not easy to come by, in any case."
<Pose Tracker> Yua Ijuuin has posed.
"That's good," Yua smiles, though it's a touch pained.
It's not fair.
Especially since...
"I, um..." Yua hesitates, looking down at Miho's hand. "I guess... it would be different, if you saw him, right...? But... you like men too, so it's not like it is with me, either..." ... and there are some things Yua can't do, that a man could do.
... holding her hand in public, without pretending it's just an accident...
"I'm a little jealous, thinking about it," Yua admits, softly. "But... then I think about how you must feel, when I have to go off to those parties, or whatever... and... and it's fair, right? And it's safer, too... and even though I'm kind of troubled, that's not the only thing I'm thinking about. When... when I was gone, all that time... there were men who were kind to you, then. I was grateful they were there for you... when I couldn't be." She looks sad, looking up to the red sky, but in a contemplative sort of way. "So... so I think to myself, like... like, haven't I gone missing a little bit again? I don't want you to be lonely when I'm not around... and if Kimi-san's right about needing to keep up appearances, I was really worried about abandoning you. I think... I'd feel better if you weren't alone... right? I don't want Mimi to suffer alone again..."
<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
'Good'. But Miho listens to Yua; her pained smile, her hesitation... Miho continues to hear it. "...Right," she says. "There are a number of differences... There might need to be still more."
It frustrates Miho, to be having to think in these terms. But Yua admits to her jealousy, and that mollifies Miho's feelings somewhat. "It's reasonable to be," she says. "I'm jealous of you and Kimitake-san, even as it stands."
But... All that time...
"Some were better than others," Miho hedges. "...They had a harder time understanding me than you do."
Missing. Again.
"...Distance..."
"I do not object to solitude," Miho says first. "...But I'll consider it. I suppose it would be safer for you..." And for her, for that matter.
"Damn them," Miho says quietly. "It should have been simple, and yet..."
"...Well, perhaps they won't press me too much. Then I can avoid such a thing."
They already are, of course.
"..."
Miho settles her hand over Yua's, without making it 'coincidental' this time.
<Pose Tracker> Yua Ijuuin has posed.
"Mm... yeah..." Yua isn't any more settled, thinking about those differences.
But Miho admits she's jealous, and Yua nods. "I know," she affirms, softly. "You have every right to be... I'm really your wife, Mimi. But everyone thinks I'm his... it must be awful for you."
Still... at least Yua's the one who understands Miho. She's relieved, at least, hearing that.
"They're bad people," Yua grumbles.
"..."
Miho rests her hand over Yua's, and so a smile comes to rest over her face, soothed and reassured. "Mimi... it's okay if you can't avoid it. Okay? It's not your fault everyone's looking, and people expect things... if it's not my fault, it's not yours, either, okay? Just... just so long as we're together... so long as we're together, we can handle all this society stuff, right? Because we're together!"
She gnaws on her lip, a moment longer. "Hey, hey... what if I wear my secret swimsuit tonight, Mimi? Would you like that? It's just for you to see... especially now I've got Hiroki, I really wouldn't want anyone else to see that..."
<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
Yua knows, at least. The doctor did say they should share their feelings. "Yes," Miho says. "It is... unpleasant. While it isn't his fault..." She sighs. "Perhaps it would be different, if..."
Well, 'if'.
But Yua grumbles, and Miho agrees. She smiles back, but only briefly. "...Right," she says. "Even if it comes to that... We'll be together. And perhaps one day we'll avoid the need for all this secrecy. No... Not 'perhaps'. One day, we will."
But the secret swimsuit?
Miho smiles, and it's much less hesitant then. "I'd like that," she says. "That would be... very good."
"...No one else needs to see it."