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"Th-that's simple!" Hanari said in response,"If I take the soul of a wounded celestial, then there is no honor in that." It was a lie, but at least it sounded somewhat Logical. "Besides. If I do that now, I'd have to deal with The wolf and the rabbit. And I am not strong enough to deal with them."

"And maybe my boss would be happy... but not your friends. They really care about you, and they must be oddly happy about havin' to keep saving you. I don't know maybe those two are massochists or something." Hanari blinked as she saw Lumine cry, listening to the celestial break down all she had done for her. She was only slightly startled when Lumine leaned on her.

A bit of hesitation was all it took, before Hanari wrapped an arm around the celestial's shoulder, rubbing it sligthly before saying,"I won't then... But at least keep in mind, that you've influenced many's lives, right? I mean, the rabbit and the wolf are in a room talking decently.... I am sure that no one things you are a stupid girl."

"Bah. You should be resting. You heard the wolf. " Hanari quickly shook her head, though it seemed as if she didn't want to let go of the celestial now that she had her in her arms. As a great book once said, with this her 'material curiousities where reduced by one.'

"See? The two have stopped figthing because of you, I think that is an accomplishment right?" Hanari said, letting Lumine pull her arm a bit more tigthly around her. In a small impulse she wrapped both arms around her.

"Yah yah, just rest. I don't want the wolf thinking I am doing something to keep you from resting," Hanari said, trying not to sound bemused and content of the extent Lumine had just leaned on her. When the celestial muttered a few words, Hanari muttered,"What has been so long...?" curiously, but she decided to let it be and instead hold Lumine. She enjoyed the silence. It fact, it felt as if she missed it.

When Lumine spoke again, sounding so worried, Hanari tried to match eyes with the celestial's features. "Mh. I have." She tried to think of the answer she had rehearsed, but instead she just gave another of her signature excuses,"If Noroshi-sama is covering me from work, then I don't have to worry. It'll be interesting to meet Gensokyo, I don't really stray often from the banks and the forest."

Was that a yes or a no? Well the small blush seemed to indicate that she, indeed, wished to accompany Lumine.

"I guess, I'll be kidnapped for this one," Hanari said, pretending to grumble. As Lumine shifted in her grasp the shinigami, slide her down to rest on the bed competly,"Lay down, I'll, uhm, be here with you, don't worry..." Once Lumine was settled, Hanari laid down by her, wrapping her arms around the celestial. ".... You looked cold, it's all."

As her companion got comfortable , the shinigami pondered on the last words. What did she want? Since she was created she didn't pay much mind to it. She was a shinigami, and that was all there was to that. Maybe that was Noroshi-sama meant by telling her that she needed to live her life and not an outline of what she was expected to do. After a semi-long pause, she responded,"Yeah. I am scared of what I'll find, but Noroshi-sama told me that that was normal. Maybe if I go there my dreams will stop or at least they'll stop repeating. It'd be nice to have a different dream, but they won't stop unless I do something about them, right?"

"Noroshi-sama told me that if I wanted to change something I had to work on it. She was right to scowld me for being so stubborn. I was complaining about how I didn't know you, but the fault was mine for not giving you a chance to get close to me." Like she was trying punctuate 'close', the Shinigami gave Lumine a small squeeze, as if trying to assure herself Lumine was indeed in her arms now, where it felt so right for her to be.

"Mh? So close to what...?" Hanari seemed a bit confused, but a tone of amusement carried in her voice,"Ah, I can't see you as a hermit. You'd never be as grumpy as that wolf much less that rabbit."

Hanari tried to hide her own blush as she looked at Lumine big icy-blue eyes. "We will look for something we both are searching for?" As Lumine curled up a bit tigther, Hanari instinctly held her closer," You can't possible be that patient. Too much energy for that...." After a short pause she continued,"I believe you, don't worry. There is nothing that'd make me doubt you at this paricular point."

"Your worst enemy...?" Hanari frowned, but as Lumine wrapped her arms around her waist the shinigami's pale skin turned a brigther color of red. "I know what you mean don't worry,.... I guess."

Hanari's pinkish red eyes blinked up at Lumine, innocently tilting her head, not quite moving to get up. "W-well... I can guess at what it looks like!... o-or means..!" As if possible her cheeks turned a bit rosier.

Hanari pretended that Lumine had not completly found her, or not found her out more than she tended to. She was happy to comply to the celestial nuzzling herself against her, and she too wrapped her arms around the injured woman. She only smiled, and allowed Lumine to drift off into sleep.

Later, when Ochiba came in to check on Lumine, the little rabbit stood and stare at the two. Hanari had felt her eyes on her and as such, she opened her eyes to give a sheepish smile. Ochiba disappeared from the room to return with a small piece of paper.

"You better not make her feel Bad."

And once she was sure Hanari had read it, and she could feel Michiko curiously lingering at the door frame, flipped the piece of paper.

"Or Else."

The silent rabbit crumpled the piece of paper, and put a finger to her lips, as if telling Hanari to not dare gasp and disrupt Lumine's sleep, before turning and passing Michiko. The wolf blinked, a bit confused for once, but deciding not to question Ochiba, went after the rabbit.

Hanari wondered just what kind of guardians the celestial had. Well. self-proclaimed guardians but guardians nevertheless. She tried to shrug off the mild threats from the be-spectacled-bunny, and go back to resting by Lumine.

It was nice that they finally caught a break, and hopefully Noroshi-sama would not come in and scowld her for slacking off, even when she had said she'd cover the shift.

For now, laying there resting with Lumine was enough. She could easily enjoy the rhythm of the forest that seemed to synchronize to the celestial's heart as if to revolve around solely her. And she enjoyed hearing her breath at ease, her breath that seemed to be able to command the wind outside the house. The shinigami could not begin to comprehend what was so enchanting about the girl in her arms, but she wouldn't question it or complain. For now, they'd rest peacefully.

It was that beating heart that kept them looking at each other through a window,but Hanari would not have it any other way.

---

Hanari staid with Lumine through her rest not leaving her side. Meanwhile the rabbit and wolf busied themselves preparing their meals or simply going about the small tasks they had to take care of.

The two rivals where quite a good team.

Hanari slept through all of Lumine's movements. The shingami did not sleep much, or rather, had never had the chance. So in the night she had given in to her fatigue stacked during work filled days and drifted to an unmovable sleep. It was because of that that she hardly stirred when Lumine got up, kissed her cheek and left.

The Kazuko was the first to notice the celestial, her wolven ears turning like little receptive dishes that picked up the slightest noise. Michiko was cooking apparently," Ah, worry not. " The tengu turned to meet the celestial with a smile, her tail turning with her, in her hands a small wood platter with a humble meal for the ones she hosted,"I am sure you rested? That's what we were really hoping you'd do."

"Mhm." The vermin was hidden behind the couch she was moving, on Michiko's instructions of course. All that was visible where the rabbit ears that bobbled along as the couch was mysteriously moved.

When the couch was moved, Michiko came to set the platter down turning around to go retrieve the other dishes, meanwhile Ochiba scotted closer some simple chairs that would make it easier to accommodate the guests at the table. It was all so smooth, it looked orchestrated.

As Michiko came back to set down other things, Ochiba brought the remaining chairs as she had previously moved the other couch,"I guess you head isn't hurting anymore? I almost had to leash Michiko outside for taking such bad care of you!" The one in question threw her an usual glare, but Ochiba was happy to try her luck further,"You'd think a dog of all things would do a good job at guarding someone!"
"Excuse me. I did get us back."
"It was the Shinigami."
"Bah. I did okay for someone who had not stepped out of the Forest of Magic in Decades," She scoffed, though it almost seemed as if a blush threatened to come onto her face, with a gruff clear of her throat, she continued, "Breakfast is ready."
"You are sure you are fine, right Lumine?" The rabbit pushed her glasses,"If you feel sore or anything, tell me, and I will check. We don't want you to get hurt more than need be over a bump on your head."

Michiko simply turned from Ochiba at Lumine's request or rather, 'scowlding', but the wolf was rather amused herself. She would have never thought that the rabbit would be in her home at any time in her life time. But that was besidesthe point. Ochiba continued talking,teasingly and playfullu,"Oh it doesn't, but I was just saying it proves a few things~"
"Keep it up vermin, your next meal will be of charred bread and burnt vegetables." Michiko threathened, and though her tone was serious as usual, her glance was mocking.
"I've eaten worse things."
"Maybe some rabbit stew?"
"Okay that's just scar."

Ochiba looked at Lumine with a smile,"That's great! I am glad I was of help, I am sure a bit more and you head will be back to normal." The rabbit and tengu looked at each other as Lumine asked the last question.

"Well, of course we did,"Michiko said,"We were making sure you were okay."
"Perhaps that was a bit too okay?" Ochiba continued, "That shinigami is too young for you!"
"Eeeh.... I doubt those were the intentions behind the gestures, Ochiba." She then whispered to the rabbit," Lumine is a pretty Innocent Kid."
Ochiba laughed at Michiko,"Well, I really couldn't careless, I was joking around mostly. It's called sarcasm. Anyway, yeah we saw. So long as she didn't agitate you, it doesn't matter. Actually, I think you look rather jolly today, so maybe her prescence was productive."

Michiko and Ochiba exchanged glances from one to the other, wonderig what exactly Lumine was confessing too. Ochiba for one, knew it wasn't too weird for the celestial to express her feelings for the shinigami; it would have been weird if she didn't. Michiko, who didn't know all of the story or very acquantianced with the world was innocently confused. But, as Lumine pointed out, it seemed that neither of them minded the result of their interaction so long as Hanari did not worsen the situation, and as suh they simply let Lumine stutter over words who didn't cause much riot in their heads.

And so they left that matter at rest and for Lumine to chose for herself.

When the blue-eyed girl switched the topic, Ochiba's eyes looked to Michiko, who turned a rosie color with the attention. "T-the... ehm, the tattoo?" Michiko cleared up her stutter quite nicely, she talked more easily as Ochiba herself turned to attack a small baked good that seemed to have vegetables, particularly carrots, "As I said, its the seal of the Rouki Clan, my father had the same mark himself, but on his shoulder, almost his arm," she touched to the side of her shoulder indicating the location of her father's tattoo. "I got it... when I was young I suppose. My mother and father argued over it; she truly refused to let me be branded. But, in the end my father convinced her it was for better and for tradition, and since he had never pushed any traditions onto either of us before, she complied to letting us. I did agree to it, it was my father's tradition."

"So, I have had it for a while now. I got it not long before my father passed away and when the matter really bugged him," Michiko said. "As you know, i am not much for exposing myself."