#shinono

Eyes fixed on her pocket watch, Itia grinned when she heard the young caregiver rush into the infirmary. Resting her book on the edge of the bed between the folds of the blanket, she brought her legs up against her, carefully following the large hand of the clock; it had just passed the number twelve again. Near the entrance, the wall clock accompanied the new hour with a few gleeful tinkles.

“I see you’ve made an effort to be on time, Kannavi. That’s good, ”she commented with delight.

His philtrum slightly sweaty, the young man leaned against the large cupboards, his back bent. His hands on his thighs, his half-open mouth was letting out his short, hoarse breath. After a few heavy breaths, he looked up at her and tried to articulate a handful of words before giving in, dipping his head forward. Amused, Itia asked him what frantic race he had just ran and if by any chance he had sprinted around the entire Whale. A few more gasps later, Kannavi replied that he kept forgetting instruments and that he must have ran back a dozen times over. By what miracle had he then managed to be on time ?, was a question Itia could not help asking him, his eyes widening with curiosity. The young man straightened up, going back to his nonchalant self. With his free hand, he took care of some of his locks, stuck to his moist forehead.

"I know it sounds like a lie, but I can run fast ...," Kannavi assured, tilting his head to the side, "Although I don't see the use of it except in case my life would be put in danger. But let's say that it is mainly thanks to the five alarm clocks that Orca gave me in addition to mine ... ”.

Itia gave a small laugh:

"Sure you couldn't sleep after all that racket," she added.

The conversation fell flat and, processing their short conversation, the young woman felt a strong sense of pride radiate from her. All those days spent in the infirmary had mentally worn her down and made her feel more helpless than ever. Knowing that her words had had a positive impact on her comrades soothed the desperate restlessness that weighed on her chest. She had the power to make a difference even locked in here and that was what she wanted to do more than anything from now on. Perhaps it was those suppressed emotions that finally resurfaced, but her freezing apathy on other people's feelings had started to disgust her; she would no longer deign to remain passive in the face of injustice. However, it went without saying that she could not fix everything... Despite the efforts of their two peoples, their reconciliation was still delayed and although it something was off between her superior and the prince of Amonlogia ... She could not force them to find a common ground...

It was unbearable to her. But she also knew it was inevitable. People with strong temperament tended to ram into each other and tread on each other’s toes and there could be no agreement without a little confrontation. Luckily, his boss had seemed little tormented by the exchange - or rather the one-sided taunting - of the incident from the day before. Itia prayed this would not last and that the damage could be lessened by those around them. No, rather, she was confident; Suoh had succeeded in lifting her spirits and in altering her way of thinking in considering only the favorable outcomes.

Suoh being the leader of the Mud Whale had taken her aback at first, but now she fully understood why all of his people respected and loved him. His boundless benevolence and the inner peace he managed to convey to his surroundings as well as his mental stability made him an ideal commander. If he ever allowed them to stay, Itia would be honored to pledge allegiance to him.

Pulling his sleeves up, the young nurse walked up to the sink and began the sanitary procedure. Little by little, the small prickling sounds of the hammering against the sink and those of the terracotta jars colliding with each other shrouded the infirmary in a cottony and reassuring atmosphere. Laying in her bed, Itia no longer knew where all these clicks and tinkles came from, but she noticed vaguely that a saucepan had just been put on the fire and was simmering gently. Water was trickling into the dishes and a scent of jasmine reached her nostrils, mixed with a faint scent of denatured alcohol. Her eyes gradually closed, struggling against a desire to stay awake that had no obvious purpose. The glow of the candles in their copper plinths seemed to have faded, the penetrating light of dawn already, and slowly, entirely eclipsing their glow.

She must have grown soft, she figured, on the threshold of a heavy sleep. She, who could not bear to remain still, now enjoyed remaining idle, snuggled under the saffron sheets, contemplating for hours the walls the ceiling, also saffron-coloured. Everything was a quiet yellow. It felt nice to stay there and not have to worry about anything for once, other than choosing meals or having conversations with other patients. Perhaps for the first time in her life, she was spending time with herself, following her own feelings. And that drowsy state was wonderfully soothing ...

“Ah Itia, don't fall asleep just yet!”, a voice protested above her.

Tediously opening her eyes, the young woman recognized Kannavi's face at her bedside, leaning over her, a roll of gauze in his hand.

"I have to change your compress," he gesticulated, looking a little puzzled and at the same time bewildered, making his face look comical.

“Of course, I forgot”.

The slats squeaked under her weight as she got up and leaned back against the headboard, still sleepy. Her gaze caught sight of two patients in the hallway which was parallel to the windows, sipping their teas in silence and a few bunks away, three more eating breakfast in large spoonfuls. A little unsettled, she asked what time it was.

"It's twelve to twenty. You've been drowsing for three hours, I think, ”, Kannavi said nonchalantly, busy soaking alcohol in a piece of cloth and preparing a clean compress. "Could you lift your top up to the solar plexus, please Itia?" "

Itia did so and turned her uncovered abdomen towards Kannavi who knelt down and began to peel off the bandage. Shortly after, the young woman wiggled a little on the spot, inconvenienced. The nurse was not insensitive to her discomfort; Abashed, he rubbed his palms and fingers vigorously against his apron two or three times, hoping to improve the quality of his care.

"Forgive me, my hands are cold".

With delicacy, he began to peel off the adhesive part and collecting in a cloth the lumpy pieces from the previous poultice before making sure of its effect. Behind his long lashes, his deep-browned eyes were perched on the wound, forming the new diagnosis.

"Looks like the epithem has taken effect. It caused a slight scar keloid, but that did not turn into a general infection and we are lucky to have sterilized equipment here which also prevented nosocomial infection”.

"Uh ... In English, Kannavi?" Itia said, puzzled.

"Hm? Oh ... Well ... Everything is fine. You’ll be able to return to your daily tasks within a few days ”.

Quickly applying the disinfectant to the swollen skin, not sparing his patient from a few grimaces, he finished by placing a new strip of clean gauze on her. Itia thanked him for his work, feeling the compress with the tip of her fingers then readjusting her top on her bare skin. She had looked quite embarrassed some minutes from now.

"Say, Kannavi ..."

The young nurse now didn’t face her anymore, busy gathering his equipment on a medical platform. The velocity in his gestures was a warning sign to anyone who wouldn't even bother to notice that he was overwhelmed with this morning's chores. And yet Itia risked asking the question all the same. It couldn't wait any longer. She waited for him to turn to her and move closer to the edge of the bed to begin asking. Before uttering the words she dreaded, her eyes wandered over the hospital wing door and beyond. It was a calm morning, nothing it would seem, would come to disturb them in their conversation and yet, now that she had been granted the opportunity, she was seized with a violent temptation to run the other way and pretend she only wished a glass of water from him.

"I know you're really busy today but ... It's about Sir Orca."

The moment had arrived; she finally dived in. Kannavi raised an eyebrow, his fingers playing with the pen attached to the front of his white work coat pocket.

"You know him well, don't you?" He said you were his one and only friend ”.

Her interlocutor raised two fingers to his chin, lost in thought for a few seconds.

"… If he told you that, then it must be true," he conjectured, nodding sharply, "Now that you mention it, I have never seen him confiding or having a good time with someone else his age.

- Well ... Kannavi, that seems obvious to me. If he had another friend other than you, he would be here too, ” Itia retorted flatly, stunned by his lack of discernment. "Anyway ... Since you are close, I was wondering if he had let you in regarding ... Something about us ...

- Something about you–?

- Ah, forget it, I should have guessed that with you, I must go directly to the point. Tell me, did he tell you that he’s proposed to me? "

Kannavi looked genuinely rattled; his jaw unhooked and that stunned air now never leaving his face. From the pen his fingers were playing with, a sudden creak rose and the metal bar serving as a retainer and the pen both crashed to the floor.

" Really... ? He asked, after a long painful silence.

Itia replied in the affirmative. Filled with an embarrassment whose origin she did not know, she scratched her forearm lightly, her eyes looking away from Kannavi.

“It happened while we were in the invocation circle. He hasn't spoken about it since… This situation is very embarrassing. And besides, I'm sorry to have to get you involved in all of this. I'm just ... Clueless. And I was wondering if ... If you could ... "

Hearing her, the young caregiver raised a hand to his face, his thumb and index joined to signify that there was no problem and that he would gladly take care of the matter. Then he left quickly, leaving Itia to her thoughts; the day would still be long for him and he did not have time to devote himself to matters of the heart. Falling in love ... That seemed like a poor choice in these precarious times ... Didn't people have anything better to do? But maybe he was asking himself the wrong questions. People who fell in love seemed happy, at least for a while, and hardships were said to strengthen love. Younger, he would have liked to understand this feeling. But could someone find him attractive? The answer so far had been inconclusive...

He was about to go and treat another patient when the front door squeaked in the familiar creak and a silhouette entered the room in a small din of crumpled rain gear and growls. Taking off their shoes and sending their soggy boots waltz under the coat rack, the figure joined Kannavi at his counter as he was thinking sadly of his futile efforts to mop the hallway. Kannavi gave them a glance over his shoulder. The Prince of Amonlogia?

"What a foul weather ...", began the Prince, in order to strike up a conversation, however formulating his request without further time-consuming transition. "Tell me, doctor, don’t you have any herbal infusions left?" "

The young nurse bit his lip for a second, thinking less about the potential they still possessed rather than where they might have been stored. Things went on like this every day, he had a little trouble getting used to the infirmary's tidying up methods, he who usually didn't bother tidying up ...

“I think so…” he said, tiptoeing up to search the cupboards over the sink, “There are several. Which ones would you need? "

"I have visitors, so it would be soothing herbs, preferably."

- How many guests for? Kannavi asked politely.

“Only one. For me, ”Rochalizo retorted, rolling his eyes, his nose wrinkled in annoyance,“ They're already getting on my nerves ”.

                                                         OoOoO

Rochalizo thought he had grown used to being in poor company. The monkeys on this island all had the same irritating idealism as well as a steadfast worship of rules and protocols. If these weren't followed strictly, they then gave in to a frenzied panic, perhaps expecting to be struck by the thunderbolt of their wrathful ancestors. Even if he had been relieved that he could escape for a few minutes the advisers who had come to squat at his house, he now wondered what mess they been causing and if it had been wise to leave them alone there. Well... Suoh was with them. But, no offense to Suoh, he believed he would not be the strong hand he needed to help get them out.

He crossed the threshold, holding little bags of herbs, pushing open the door and sighing hard. Dazzled for a moment by the fire burning in the hearth, he stopped in the middle of the entrance, blinking in the orange light. A slight hubbub filled the small room interrupted from time to time by the creaking embers in the fireplace and the wet sound of water flowing through the gutters under the skylights. The consultants conversed with each other around the oak table, talking with liveliness, surrounded by cushions and other comfortable assortments. They hardly noticed his presence. But at the end of the table, oblivious and inattentive to the conversation anyway, Suoh turned his head, sensitive to the noise and almost instantly, his gaze lit up when he met Rochalizo's. The prince greeted him back, waving his hand discreetly, a smile creeping into his frustrated expression anyway.

The island chief kept smiling at him, so Rochalizo waved vaguely with both his hands, a silent question on the topic of the conversation. The smile Suoh gave him was a heartwarming smile; looking close to laughing, he shrugged casually, the hair wrapped around his neck sliding like snakes down his humerus. Rochalizo wrinkled his nose in amusement too and waved his hand to ask him if it was really important and especially that it all looked extremely boring. A finger pinched on his lower lip, half-hiding a smile, Suoh gave him a fake disapproving look. With his other hand, wrapped in a bandage, he mimick for the prince to leave. "You, get out of here," Rochalizo moved his lips at him silently, his smile so big it hurt a little, then imitated a Suoh bored to death, tongue out. Suoh suppressed another laugh behind his hand and aped back at him that he was stupid before drawing an invisible zipper over his mouth, playfully telling him to shut up. Rochalizo huffed, more and more amused and with a nod, tried to get him to come to him.

"… That's a good idea, isn't it, Suoh?" Kuchiba said at that moment, turning to his boss.

His expression went through several stages of surprise, anger and exasperation within seconds when he realized that Suoh hadn't been listening for a while. Staring at the two young people exchanging inconspicuous signs, annoyance took hold and he crossed his arms, followed by Kanae, looking less accusing and more discouraged. Shinono appeared to be the most entertained of her peers but tried to keep a professional attitude.

“Hey, Suoh. Rochalizo. Would it be too much to ask that you focus a little ? "

The two leaders froze, in a very childlike manner, as if they’d been caught stealing treats. Suoh got out of it faster and smoothed his hair down with his fingertips, looking embarrassed.

"I'm sorry," he uttered softly.

Rochalizo's cheeks flushed a bit from the shame of being caught in such a ridiculous conversation, but categorically refused to apologize; filling the distance between them, he leaned his elbows on the table and gave the councilors a very annoyed look, an annoyed smirk clearly announcing what he thought of this small assembly.

"Kuchiba, and you guys... How would you like to get the heck out of here?" My home’s not a meeting room! ”

"Ah shoot…" Kanae grimaced, strongly expecting an argument to break out.

Beside her, Suoh sighed desperately, knowing all too well what was about to happen, his forehead in his hand. Kuchiba clenched his fists and raised one in the air, explicitly directed at the prince.

“Maybe I must remind you that we are in war times, there is a lot to do at the moment. And you're supposed to help us just as much as an advisor. We're not just busy escaping the enemy, we also need a plan to get ourselves out of this stressful situation and seek for a new hom, in case you’d forgotten”.

- Oh I haven't forgotten”, Rochalizo stubbornly persisted, his voice dropping a few tones in the low," But your five-hours-a-day-councils is a big pain in arse. Especially if it is to talk endlessly as you do and not even finding a concrete solution. And if I'm hosting Suoh here, it's not so that you can come and piss him off ?! Got it? "

"Of course you don't care," Kuchiba retorted angrily, "You're just a kid. You shouldn't have any responsibility at all!

- What did you say ?! Do you think you are more useful, you old man !? "

Both had grasped the other's collar, determined to throw fists when, with a knowing look, Kanae and Suoh both rose from their chairs in an attempt to pull them apart. Suoh circled Rochalizo's waist and tried to forcefully pull him back. Kanae grabbed Kuchiba's left arm.

“Both of you stop !! The young advisor muttered, breathless trying to push her superior as far away as possible.

"Rochalizo, please," the young chef urged him, his whole face crumpled from the slightest physical effort.

“Suoh, let go of me. I'll give him a good beating! "

They struggled a little longer, to the protests of their comrades. When all at the end of their breath, collapsed to the ground, Shinono, who had remained seated without saying anything, took advantage of the silence that had finally settled down to show off his diplomatic skills.

"Are you all calmed down?" How about you all sit down at the table now? She offered, trying to sound cheerful.

Taking a few steps away from them, she picked up the small bags of herbs the prince had brought back from the infirmary.

" Oh ! I found some tea! Anyone wants some tea? "

Not waiting for an answer, she whirled around the kitchen area and hastened to heat some water in one of the large pots that hung on the wall.

“Hey…” Rochalizo grumbled, still breathless, his cheek glued to the ground and his side slumped to the ground, “The tea originally was for me… Because you all get on my nerves”

His last words were muffled in his throat as Suoh put an arm around his shoulders and declared, beaming:

"I would really love a tea".

Having had time to calm down a little, the small group had gathered around the table, all pressed against each other, this poor piece of wood not being used to welcoming so many people. Cups filled with tea let out thin miasmas of white steam and they all had curled their hands around the hot mugs - except Shinono who was telling a story - surprised by the coolness of the night which, despite the crackling fire, had infiltrated inside. Rochalizo had wrapped himself up in a blanket, a little sensitive to the climate of the Whale as soon as the sun went down. Suoh's head was starting to tilt down slowly, though he tried to pay close attention to the anecdotes that were being told. Rochalizo glanced at the window to his right, it must have been around seven o'clock. Their company turned out to be rather pleasant, unlike the first and major part of the day, but he had to admit that he wished for calm now.

"S’cuse me," he spoke up through the hubbub, leaping up from the bench which began stiffening his bones.

Suoh, who hadn't said anything for a while, his chin resting on his arms, looked up at him with a slight smile of relief.

“It was nice, really. But I am compelled to have you leave now. I'm serious this time, ”the prince continued. “You’re as funny as you’re invasive, and all good and bad things must come to an end”.

"What is this half-kind, half-passive-aggressive farewell speech," Kuchiba complained, laughing, extricating himself from his seat and meticulously combing his matted red hair.

"It's a respectable elocution dismissing you all home and strictly forbidding you to come back at least - and please don’t be afraid to abuse of this 'at least' - before eleven o'clock tomorrow morning", Rochalizo clarified, posing, one foot on the bench, arms raised in the air like a statue honoring a war victory.

" Eleven o'clock ?! Kanae choked as she picked up her rain jacket from the coat rack and slipped an arm inside. " It's late ".

The other councilors joined her one by one in the hall, donning their rain gear and soon said their farewells for the day. On the way home, as the small group of elders slaloming between muddy puddles, walking in a comfortable silence, Shinono turned to Kuchiba in order to convey her concerns.

"Kuchiba, are you sure we can let them tell us what to do? These are hard times after all ... "

The latter sighed, his eyes staring in the void. He too was wondering that same thing and had even thought of taking advice from the assembly of veterans and asking them to intervene to get the young leader to take better responsability for his role. Many incidents had started this way in the past and they could not repeat the disaster Dyo's reign had been; each leader had to be under control to avoid any upheavals and he had always revered this rule which for him was of an implacable justice and logic. So why loosen up now? Maybe it was because he was barely sixteen and ended up getting attached? Maybe because he wanted to alleviate his burdens out of compassion? No, it was rather ...

"I meant what I said earlier ... But not in that mean way. They are just kids after all, who have already been given so much responsibility. If we don't let the children live, they will live by force when we need them to be responsible the most... And I'm sure they know what they're doing. I will stop interfering ”.

Shinono's expression brightened, dumbfounded. Her comrade’s response was wise and she slowly nodded, cherishing that hint of comfort that had just dawned within her. Her lids closed over her eyes and let a glimpse of the raindrops that had clung to her lashes.