Private Tales Flowers are the Stars of the Earth

[Hanae]

Hanae loved spring. No season brought more joy to her heart than the season that was practically her namesake. For everyone knew, springtime meant one thing— or at least to Hanae it meant one big thing— flowers. And lots of them. The young woman was humming to herself as she tended to her plethora of potted plants in her greenhouse. Kneeling down on her knees, hardly caring for modesty at this moment, her long fingers were deft with their work. Checking the soil, making sure that the fertilizer and water wasn’t going to rot the roots.

Somehow, as some sort of sixth sense, the woman knew whether plants were happy enough. Not just from their silky-smooth green leaves unblemished by pests or those bright and gorgeous velvet petals. Something spoke to her heart, a feeling deep within her soul that resonated with all flora and only she could understand these vibrations.

It’s why it had only made sense that today was the day. Her cart was ready. Hanae had stayed up well into the early morning hours thinking about her floral arrangements and they were all set. Pieced together lovingly, her hands crafting bouquets of intimate wonder. All sorts of flowers had been chosen, all coming from her greenhouse or the rows of bushes or those vines alone the wall of her home or her blossoming trees or those gardens holding her beloved rows of flower after flower. From A to Z, there was a flower that she could name better than she could recite the alphabet.

And so, standing up to her feet and rolling her shoulders back, holding her head high, Hanae left her greenhouse. There was work to be done, a business to start, and the sun was beginning to rise.

---

A deep, heavy sigh escaped through her painted red lips, her dark eyes looking over at her flowers still left over.

There wasn’t much left, only a dozen bouquets and a few parcels same blooms for those that desired to make their own floral arrangement. On the outside it looked as if Hanae had had a successful day. However, the issue didn’t lie in her not having enough flowers left over but in the fact that she had made very little. Her profits, the thing that she had needed to focus on, were incredibly slim. A few coins.

A few coins worth no more than three or four bouquets.

Where had the young Hirawa gone wrong? Restlessly, she began arranging the flowers she had in her three-tiered cart, helplessly thinking of her entire day, from late morning to early evening. Well, she had given a few young girls on their way to school a flower each. But only one! So that couldn’t have been the problem. Oh, but then Akira had come by, lamenting over his relationship woes. So what was a friend to do but to give him a bouquet on the house— after all, everyone knew all women loved flowers and what was a better gesture of love (or an apology?)

But it didn’t stop there. The more Hanae thought about it, the more she realized that it was through her negligence and big heart that she had royally screwed herself on her first day of opening up “Pocketful of Petals.” Rookie mistake, perhaps?

 

[Hiei]

"That's why we gotta stick it to them, Hiei," Said one man in a golden over-shirt that loosely clung to his wide shouldered frame. "Those punks on the fifth level don't have the stones to hold on to their distribution if we just," he grinned wide, and pat a balled up fist into an open palm.

Hiei paid him little mind. His eyes on the road ahead of them, the narrow streets still busy as folk bustled across the market and went about their business. A few folks knew well enough to give the young men a wide berth.

"Look at you, Kenta," Hiei said, voice void of any excitement. "It almost sounds like you did your homework, this time,"

"Ha!" Kenta grinned wide, teeth showing in a show that almost felt threatening. "Look, you want to climb the ranks, right bro?"

Hiei stopped at a corner of a building, his gaze caught by a bud of red, amidst a field of pinks and purples and blues. "Of course," He replied.

Kenta stopped some strides ahead, turned around wide eyed and dumbfounded. "Hey, what's the hold up?"

"Go on," Hiei said as he met Kenta's gaze. "I'll catch up later,"

Kenta scratched his head, sighed and shrugged. "Sure man, whatever," before he turned around and went on walking away. "Catch you at the Grinning Cat," he called back with a raised hand goodbye.

Hiei approached the small cart of flowers labeled Pocketful of Petals, and picked up one of the smaller bouquets. Lift it up to his nose, and took in a long breath through his nose. "How much for this?" He asked the seller without looking to her.

 

[Hanae]

Hanae pursed her lips together in thought, realizing she had been her own worse enemy today. But there was a bright side, wasn’t there? Perhaps today had needed to be a day that she gave out so many freebies so that she would have returning customers! Then, if that was the case, what a brilliant strategy. Surely, tomorrow would bring much more coin into her gaunt-looking coin purse that was hanging off of the bar of her cart.

A smile once again graced the young woman’s face. Even with the sky slowly beginning to change colors, the sun was still shining brightly, casting a warm glow onto Hanae and her flower cart. Her bundle of pink peonies seemed to pick up the light in such a way that it inspired Hanae right then and there. Plum blossom and magnolia, they would accent that pink as well as also reflect a warm orange rather nicely. But how to warm it up?

With a slight huff, Hanae went around her cart, kneeling down, going through flower stalks. Azalea would only drown the entire arrangement to be too pinky or red, even a violet azalea would cause the entire bouquet to focus on the “redness.” So then what? Yellow would stand out, and chrysanthemum was a something that added that pop. But, didn’t she already have that with the white magnolia? So then… her finger glossed over a piece of sweet osmanthus. A soft orange. Not too gaudy like purple or yellow, but just enough warmth to accentuate the light of a setting sun and—

“Hello, welco—ow!” Hanae gasped out softly, going to stand and hitting the crown of her head onto the wooden ledge of her cart. She whimpered for a moment, rubbing the spot of her injured head and leaned back, peeking out to see a rather glum-looking man looking over her flowers. She wasn’t sure if he seemed interested in them or was scrutinizing them. Until he took a small bouquet and inhaled it.

She couldn’t help but smile. The bouquet was indeed created to smell divine— layers of jasmine and camellia that framed a large yellow narcissus. She frowned. Wait. Only one narcissus? Shouldn’t there have been three, hadn’t she— And then he asked the question.

All of a sudden Hanae looked guilty. She had given two of those narcissuses to two pregnant sisters that she had gone to school with years ago. The perfect thing to cheer them up over their sore feet and aching bodies. Well just subtract the cost then right?

“Ah, yes, one moment!” Hanae said, looking down at her hands, and beginning to use them to count and calculate whatever it was. “You see, that bouquet is incomplete so give me some time to charge correctly.” She added when she had messed up and forgot whatever number she was on. “Okay, okay, so jasmine is only worth this much when there’s vines and there is… one, two, three… wait, but there’s seven. So…” she mumbled to herself.

Hiei

 

[Hiei]

Hiei watched with little concern for the young lady who clunked her head against the wood of her cart, or the heart warming smile she put on as her eyes fell to the bundle of flowers he held in his hand. Their sweet scent still lingering in his nose as he watched her bumble about the numbers.

Why did she tell him the bouquet was incomplete?

Why was she telling him the price of each individual jasmine, and why they weren't at peak value.

Hiei's eyes narrowed, and his brow twitched as a huff of hot breath was ejected from his nose. His freehand slipped into his purse, as he held the enchanting and imperfect bouquette of flowers in one hand, coins clinked quiet behind the fine silken pouch. Clink, clink, clink. He pulled three silver pieces from its confines and held them out to her.

"This should do," his eyes did not break from hers. "Right?" his steady tone left little room for argument.

Hanae

 

[Hanae]

Hanae was brought out of her dizzying thoughts the moment she heard the first clink. Her eyes widened at the second clink. Her mouth parted slightly, the most the young woman would ever dare to gape at something, from the third clink. Then his words followed suit and they rang far more stronger than those three little clinks ever could. A voice powerful enough to outshine money.

“Oh, no!” She said immediately, shaking her head and causing her short bob of dark hair to swish around her fair skin. Hanae was sporting a slight frown, not from unhappiness but rather because she was getting worried. Was this some sort of test? Didn’t he hear her when she said it was incomplete? Three silver coins? Unacceptable.

“While I suppose mathematics isn’t anything I am fond of, even I can tell that’s too much.” She insisted and took only two of the silver coins, her other hand going over to pick up that third coin and to then offer it back to the brooding man. “T-thank you for your purchase though, I am sure your wife will enjoy them!” Hanae said, brightly naive with a bright beaming smile.

Hiei

 

[Hiei]

His eyes narrowed at her response, their pupils fixed on the shining silver coin she held back for him to take. His lips turned down as she mentioned a wife. "Wife?" he did not take the coin back. "Do you presume so much of all your customers?" the question came hard and cold, still, he did not turn away from her. Roil that he felt in his chest, he could not seem to, still holding on to the little bouquet in his hand.

"For all you know my wife is seven years in the grave-" someone bumped into him, the force of it knocked him forward into the petite young woman, the small flowers pressed between them in a crush of petals and pollens.

Hanae

 

[Hanae]

Hanae lifted a hand up to her chest, clutching at the fabric as she realized that she had just insulted a paying customer. Perhaps it was wrong of her to assume such a thing but… did men not buy flowers for their beloved? And while his face was handsome, Hanae could tell, either by the way he carried himself or his weathered gaze, that he was older than her. It wasn’t all the awful to assume such a thing, was it?

Although he did bring up a good point. Hanae turned her dark gaze downward, ready to apologize until she felt a horse collide into her. Wait. No. It wasn’t a horse. A wall perhaps? She felt her nose crunch, a large plate slamming into the very center of her face. Too late, she took a step back, feeling warm liquid cover over her lips.

She raised her hands to touch her nose and when she felt that slick wetness on her face, her suspicions were confirmed. Hanae looked at Hiei, saw a dark strain right where his sternum was and then glanced down at her lychee-flesh covered hands. Her fingers, dainty and small, were smeared in bright crimson. Suddenly, she began to grow dizzy.

“I… I’m s-so sor-sor… s-sorry, ssss… s-sir.” She whispered, her gaze hardly straight, unable to focus on anything as she began to sway on her feet, her knees beginning to shake.

Hiei

 

[Hiei]

The crush turned crunch. When the flower peddler came apart from him it was as if she were falling to pieces. Blood streaked down her mouth, and dribbled and dripped in a steady stream. Hiei looked on, eyes only just a bit wider in reaction to the turn of events.

His hand reached out and grabbed her, his bouquet of flowers, blood stained, fell to the road with a soft rustle. "Here," he said as he helped hold her up, "steady yourself now," he made sure she was firm on her feet before he brought one hand up to her blood soaked chin. "Tilt your head back," he said as he eased her chin up. "Broken noses tend to bleed a lot," his voice was cool, like a tranquil stream. "Let's sit down," he helped her toward the safety of her cart, and eased her weight down as gently as he could.

"What a mess," he said softly to himself. He examined her nose. "I can go and find a healer, to help mend your nose," he assured her. "Will you be alright?"

Hanae

 

[Hanae]

“I’m not good with blood,” Hanae blurted out, despite it being the truth she wished for this stranger to know that it wasn’t that she was fragile, it was just she had never been good with blood. Even when she was young and fearless and thought she could never get hurt, blood scared her, always. And if broken noses bled a lot….

Her pale cheeks became flushed as he inspected her face, lifting up her chin. His fingers were cool, but underneath there was a sort of warmth that Hanae could feel as well. His expression, however, unflappable. With a slight, short nod of her head, Hanae sat down on her little stool, one hand immediately going to grip the edge of her cart. She closed her eyes tightly as Hiei examined her nose. It felt strange being this close to someone, letting them observe all the things wrong with her face.

Somehow she was acutely aware that her skin was probably dry. The young florist resisted the urge to shake her head in case she would splatter blood everywhere. Why on Arethil would she care about dry skin when her nose was broken and bleeding? Perhaps her mother’s ideals of perfection never really went away.

“You don’t need to get me a healer, I’ll be fine. I’m not dying, r-right?” She asked, her tone which had been light letting in a edge of uncertainty.

Hiei

 

[Hiei]

"Few are," came the answer quick.

"Hold your nose tight, keep your head level with the ground," he instructed, his fingers still holding that bit of mishappen bone between her eyes. "You are not dying," he assured her. "But you risk having a mishappen nose if no healer comes to attend you," he looked to her cart and her flowers, and the little purse that hung on the handle of the cart. "And judging by how you run your operation, you cannot lose what advantages you still have," he looked back to her, and held his pinched fingers tighter, emphasizing a point. "Here, hold onto this spot," he said before he eased the pressure and moved his hand.

"I know one," he brought the point back, and stood up. Strode over to her purse, and snatched it up. "Never leave your purse out for the world to grab, mind you," he brought it back to her, and let it fall in her lap. "Hide it on you, or at the very least keep it locked in a box only you can open," he offered out his hand, and tilt his head toward the road. "Come, I can at least escort you to the healer before I take my leave,"

Hanae

 

[Hanae]

Hanae winced, partly at his hard words but also from the discomfort of his hard squeeze. She was vaguely aware of the backhanded compliment, almost felt compelled to say that her nose was hardly an advantage and there were plenty of other noses that were far better, but instead she listened to his instructions, pinching her small bridge.

She was about to open her mouth, to once again tell him that a healer wasn’t needed, but then he was grabbing at her purse. Her free hand reached out, as if to grab it herself, but even if she could snatch it away from him like he were some sort of thief, what could she do to keep him from taking it back? Suddenly she felt very, very small. Hanae pouted and slid off her little stool, clutching her floral-patterned coin purse close to her chest.

“I can go there myself.” She said firmly, the first time she had used any sort of tone with Hiei. Without thinking, she began walking in the direction she was facing, gliding past Hiei rather indignantly— although in her head she thought she was just matching the expression he wore on his face. Hanae didn’t even care if she would get frown lines for it. “I know my height is lacking but I am not a child. I own my business and I grow all my flowers myself— by myself. Why I could be much, much older than you and if I am then… then… the disrespect.” She finished, feeling rather proud in telling him off.

Hiei

 

[Hiei]

"Is that the way to a family healer you know of?" he asked, placid as the surface of a reflecting pool. Yet, the corner of his lips curled, ever so. A hint. At laugh, or smile. But nothing quite so full. No. "If you grow these flowers yourself," he began, as easy as a gentle wave against sandy soil. "Then you would do well to respect your own efforts," he looked over at the bouquets that still remained, proud heads and bright petals all on display above.

Untouched by the commotion, and the dribbling's of blood that spattered about the street side.

Hiei strode over to the flower peddler, and showed two coins between his fingers. "I'd have paid you five for the bouquet, and thought it a steal," he pocketed the coins again, and walked in a different direction than her. "The healer I know, a real professional, is down this way," he looked back to her. "Judging by how many flowers you'll lose today, I'm sure we can work out some sort of payment plan to ease cost of care," he went off.

If she followed, or not. Well, what did it matter to him?

Hanae

 

[Hanae]

Hanae paused, one foot raised to take another step but none were taken. Well, she supposed walking off in any direction wasn’t the smartest decision one could make, and she tried not to think how foolish it was on top of it. Slowly, she turned towards Hiei, wincing as he insulted her yet again. She did respect her efforts! She shouted in her head, her dark eyes flickering over to the side. She loved tending to her plants, the schedule she had placed on herself to make sure that each plant got the water it needed, figuring out how to create bouquets that would incapsulate beauty better than nature itself could ever do.

She flinched, instinctively as Hiei strode over to her, revealing two coins. She pouted. Another insult. She bit her tongue, holding back her ‘so what if they’re more professional than me, there’s no school of artistry for flower arrangement.’ But she said nothing to that remark either.

Somehow, despite her thoughts, she followed after Hiei. It felt only natural to do so, even if she felt like a scolded child following after their babysitter.

“P-payment plan?” Hanae asked, looking up at the man— a man she had barely met minutes ago. “I’m sure I can afford it.” Hanae said defensively, even if inwardly she felt a twinge of anxiety. It was just a broken nose, it couldn’t cost that much to fix, right? She brought a hand up to her mouth, a finger sliding along her lower lip nervously, resisting the urge to bite at her nail. “But… I do appreciate your guidance in showing me where they are.” The young woman said softly, almost hoping that he didn’t hear it. She was certain he’d find a way to insult that part of her, too.

Hiei

 

[Hiei]

If he heard her, he did not show it. He kept his stride at an unbroken clip, weaving through the bustling crowd like a fish through river reeds. Natural and instinctual. The lower ring markets were part of his territory, and if he didn't know how to walk through their streets, what hope did he have in holding them?

"First ring of the Old Red Tower, in South Eastern Tortoise block," he said as he glanced back to her, stopping a moment to measure where she was. "That's where their shop is," he turned into an empty alleyway and the walls of the two squat stone buildings framed the iron rust red tower that loomed high above them.

Windows and balconies dotted its exterior like the honey comb cells of a hive, banners with seals and symbols flapped proudly in the cool evening air, their masts like little spines that spiraled up and up the first several levels of the Red Tower at sunset. Pretty decorations, to the eyes of the uninitiated. Valuable information to those who lived by the laws of the Syndicate.
----

A little bell rang above the door as they entered. The smell of spicy incense was thick in the air, and smoke haze hung about the cieling.

"We are closed," came a rumble of voice from the back of the room. A large figure, draped in smoke and shadow, sat behind a large and sturdy desk, and their broad form stayed stone still.

As they entered, the smoke swirled about him, and birds cooed their caged songs while cats perched all about the many shelves laden with jars of herbs and roots and dried-just-about-everything. "I didn't realize you kept normal hours, Kishi,"

The broad figure leaned forward, and fiery headed dragon-kin emerged from the swirl of smoke, his snaggle toothed mouth almost looked to be smiling. "Hiei," the dragon-kin's voice came like smoke as his green scales glistened in the low light of paper lamps and candle fire. "Come to get a new pet checked up?"

Hiei's eyes narrowed. "Nothing so serious," he stepped aside to reveal the girl. "New acquaintance, broke her nose in an accident," the cold eyed man stopped before a grey cat, and offered out a hand to be sniffed. The green eyed feline blinked a slow blink, raised its chin, and sniffed at his fingers. "Figured you could help,"

The dragon-kin laughed, throaty and leaned back. "Broken noses are easy enough to fix," he took up a fine pipe from its long stem and raised it to his lips. Its bowl still trailed with smoke. He took a puff, and the ember inside it crackled and glowed hot. He let out a long stream of purple-ish smoke, its scent sickly sweet, like fermented fruit. "I'm assuming you are footing the bill,"

The little grey cat rubbed its soft cheek against Hiei's fingers, and he scritched at her chubby cheek. "Of course,"

A rumble, low and from the base of the dragon-kin's throat. "Right,"


Hanae

 

[Hanae]

Hanae tilted her head slightly at the mention of the red tower. There were many towers in Sonshan, none that Hanae would ever be familiar with other than how they appeared on the outside. While she was luckier than most, it wasn’t as if she could afford to not be frugal. Often, those in the towers, well, as Hanae liked to put it lightly, could afford to be frivolous. Whether a tower was old or new, they were all the same, weren’t they?

How wrong she was as she scampered after Hiei, doing her best to keep up with his long and brisk strides.

Stepping inside the red tower, still walking behind Hiei, she was first greeted by the acrid smell of smoke. It wasn’t entirely unpleasant, the strong incense giving her nostrils a bit of relief. She looked around, the place was clean— her mother had told her to always check the corners of the room to see if a person was actually clean, and yes, the corners were spotless— and a breath she had been holding finally released.

Finally, Hiei took a step to the side, revealing the small and timid Hanae. Her hands were clutching at the collar of her dress and she looked around nervously. Cats and birds? Well, the incense made sense, now, after all, cats and birds tended to be quite stinky. Not as bad as wet dogs, but they were still cute, stinky, little things.

“You brought me to a vet?” Hanae asked, looking over at Hiei with a raised eyebrow. She brought her dark gaze over to Kishi before looking down to the ground, blushing. How rude of her. Vets were considered a bit of a noble profession, she supposed, especially in Sonshan with the plethora of exotic beasts and pets. Without thinking she dipped down her head, the crimson still in her cheeks and so she waited a few seconds before standing up straight.

“I-is it expensive to repair a broken nose, sir? I am no… well, I don’t know the trade of being any sort of doctor, b-but! I would like to pay for myself and not to bother… him.” Hanae’ s dark gaze flickered over to Hiei. She knew his name now. She also knew Kishi’s name. Yet, as she nervously shuffled her feet, she wasn’t certain it’d be polite to either of their names. Not like proper introductions had been made.

Besides, she wasn’t sure if she wanted to figure out what Hiei had in mind for a payment plan. Perhaps she was supposed to be his verbal punching bag for a few weeks? Or maybe he’d ask for an exorbitant amount of money with crazy high interest? She blanched at the thought. Glanced back at Hiei and momentarily balk.

Her mother had warned her of loan sharks. Horrible men who constantly used interest to keep people in debt. They often went after those with gambling addictions. She looked back down at her feet, crossing her arms in front of her, doing her best to look small— and poor— in hopes the two strangers would take pity on her and not take everything she had.

Hiei

 

[Hiei]

Kishi stared at the meek young woman, his silvery eyes fixed on the bend of her nose and the swollen bridge that marked the break. He raised the pipe to his scaly lips once more, and took in another lungful of smoke. "No, not too much," he said with a choked voice, as tendrils of smoke curled and swirled about his just-open maw. He turned his head and blew the smoke away from the girl. "Just five gold," he said as he took another puff.

"Cut your rate?" Hiei asked as he let his hand fall from the little purring grey cat.

Kishi laughed, and the smoke billowed about his face in whirls of dark smoke. "Special price, for this poor thing you've got set in your sights,"

Hiei's eyes narrowed at the man. his gaze like darts flung across the room.

Kishi smiled, a toothy grin, and he took another drag from his pipe. It crackled and popped, and there was nothing left of the sweet smelling herb. "Well?" the dragon-kin asked Hanae, and he pealed his stare off of her as he removed the pipe from his lip, turned its bowl mouth down, and tamped the chamber against the scaled palm of his hand with a hollow cup sound, again and again.

"Does that work for you..." He asked as he gathered a small pile of ash upon his table. There was a clay bowl on his desk, full of the dark colored stuff. Kishi's eyes glanced up at her. "I didn't catch your name,"

Hanae

 

[Hanae]

Hanae felt her heart swell at the first few words. “No, not too much.” Perfect. She smiled thankfully at Kishi, her dark eyes glittering like obsidian held up in moonlight. Wonderful, now no payment plan was needed! She could handle five—

The warmth that was building up inside her, the thought of good people actually existing in this world, froze over. Hanae swallowed hard. Gold? Gold coins? And five of them? But the way the dragon kin had said. Just five gold.

Just? Just? Did he not realize how much that was?

She looked at Hiei, slack-jawed at his suggestion that this vet was giving her a deal.

She pulled at her little purse, looking inside. She did have more money at home hidden away in a old sock inside a small wooden box buried underneath the daisies, but…. Hanae could feel her lips trembling in frustration. Even if she did run all the way home to collect her savings, she still wouldn’t have enough.

Hanae sighed, just as a cat came up to rub against her small calves, purring and looking up at her. It sat down and then reached a paw up to pet her, it’s claws getting stuck in the fabric. Hanae could only imagine that the cat must have been attracted to her misery.

“My name is Hanae,” she tightened her purse, putting it back underneath the belt that tightened her dress. “I appreciate your goodwill, but, well… I can’t afford it. I’m certain you wouldn’t take flowers for payment,” she teased, trying to make light of the situation but her smile was more of a embarrassed grimace. She cleared her throat. “I’m sorry for wasting your time.” She didn’t look at Hiei, and knelt down, gently removing the claws from her dress. “Thank you.” She said as she stood up to turn.

Hiei

 

[Hiei]

"Hanae," the name rumbled out of the dragon-kin's maw, and all of his sharp teeth caught the low and hungry light of the orange candle flames. "It really depends on the flower," he said beneath his breath.

With his large reptilian eyes, he watched her bow and fiddle with the black and white cat at her leg. Kishi clicked his teeth three times quick, and the black and white cat turned its wide eyes onto the apparent vet. It meowed loudly, wide spread whiskers trembling some with the effort, and it scampered across the stone floor, hopped up onto the table, and rubbed its head against Kishi's claw.

Hiei moved to stop Hanae, "Wait," he said to both people. "Hanae," he said softly to the flower merchant, following her if he needed to "I work with Kishi," he confessed, and looked down at her with something like tenderness in his eyes. "It really won't trouble me to cover the expense," he looked away from her, and swallowed the lump in his throat. "And I'll make sure your business' earnings can pay me back comfortably, so don't worry about that,"

Kishi laughed. "So, Hiei, you will foot the bill?" he called out to them.

"Yes!" Hiei affirmed, even if Hanae said otherwise.

Hanae

 

[Hanae]

Hanae would have informed the dragon-kin that no, she didn’t grow tobacco, but she was focused on leaving. She wouldn’t mind having a ugly face for the rest of her life, maybe she could hide the bruising with a bit of make up? Oh, and when she got home she could try to numb it with that salve she had learned to make.

She stopped when Hiei called out to her. She had taken no more than two steps, but she would take no more. While Hiei had never raised his voice at her, this was the first time he had actually spoken to her gently. Not icily or exasperated or annoyed or hard-pressed like the other time. It was the softness and the way he gently formed the syllables of her name that made Hanae still.

When she looked up at Hiei, her dark eyes like lychee seeds against pale, translucent flesh, there was hesitation. But also something more, and much stronger that overpowered her distrust of this stranger. She held out a slim hand, a fierce look appearing as she tilted her chin upwards at Hiei.

“Then promise me you’re not a loan shark,” she said quite seriously, “and that you won’t do that interest-thing all the loan sharks like to do. I’ll pay you back in a reasonable payment plan until everything is paid off. I will pay you back, sir— I mean, Hiei.” There was a pause and then she grinned at him. “I appreciate this act of kindness, although I suppose you’re only doing this because it was your body that broke my nose. Nonetheless, thank you.” Her eyes crinkled up into joyful half-moons.

Looks like she wouldn’t have a ugly face after all.

Hiei

 

[Hiei]

It was the fierceness of her stare that caught him off guard. The way the dark stone gaze gleamed against the plum-petal white of her eyes. The delicate hand that reached out demanded his attention.

He could not explain it. As if he bore witness to blossoms come bloom in the dead of winter, his eyes wide, and his mouth agape.

"I,"

Kishi barked in loud laughter, and the little black and white cat on his desk startled away with a yowl, jumping from the desk and hiding behind a cabinet, laden with clay pots and glass jars labeled with the names of medicines and remedies. "A loan shark," he wheezed, and looked on through glee-squinted eyes. "She's got you figured out, Hiei,"

Hiei's gaze shot up and landed on Kishi, brows furrowed, his lip down turned. "I am not a loan shark," he said to them both, his eyes returning to Hanae and her outstretched hand.

The little black and white cat poked out fom behind the cabinet which it had retreated behind, and the chubby cheeked grey cat just yawned as it settled back into its curled up shape.

"Fine," he took her hand into his, and shook it with a firm squeeze. "I promise you, I will collect no interest on the loan I am lending you now, with Kishi as our witness," he didn't let go right away. Some part of him noticing how her hand fit against his.

"Yes," Kishi said as his fingers pinched apart dried herb and neatly packed it into the pipe. "So long as I get paid, I don't really care what happens between you two, but..." he packed the last bit into the bowl and then brought the pipe stem up to his mouth, puffing at it through the side of his lips as he held it to tall candle's fire. "I am your witness," the bowl burned with a happy pop and snap, and the big dragon-kin drew in a large lungful of fresh smoke. "So," he let out a large cloud of blueish-grey. "You ready to get your nose fixed?"

Hanae

 

[Hanae]

Hanae continued to look up at Hiei, ebullient and genuine all at once. Despite her prior suspicions, with Hiei’s promise, they had been filtered away. Besides, Kishi’s laughter led her to believe that perhaps it was comical for her to assume such a thing. She looked back at the dragon kin as he agreed to be their witness— hardly thinking that if Kishi and Hiei were business partners, and if they were both the seedy sort, that him being a witness would probably end up doing her no favors.

“I accept your deal, since you’re not a loan shark.”

The smell of smoke soon filled the room.

“Yes, please,” Hanae said with a small smile, stepping away from Hiei and thus pulling her hand from his. She hardly noticed how long he had held it, nothing struck her as strange. The only thing that she did notice is the fact that her hand felt the slight chill in the room, and so she clasped her hands back together once more as she went to follow Kishi.

“I didn’t know vets had business partners,” Hanae said naively, “do you heal larger animals as well?” Chitchat only felt natural in this instance, especially since Hanae wasn’t sure what to expect. And with the smoking dragonkin, there really was one question she was curious to ask but knew better than to ask it. “Or those peacocks I sometimes see roaming the streets in the inner circles of Sonshan? I’ve always thought that they would be pets, they seem so friendly towards everyone.” She paused, and tilted her head. “Does Hiei bring the animals to you?”

Hiei

 

[Hiei]

Her hand slipped away, and his fingers felt colder. A tingle there against his skin. A want for what small warmth his palm and digits had found. His hand fell to his side and his thumb rubbed at the pads of curled forefinger and middle. As if the friction he could make would ease the delicate pang he felt in his chest. A chilled thing. Born of absence. Hiei watched Hanae walk away. Watched her delicate hands fold over each other at the small of her back.

A huff of breath. Hiei pulled his eyes away.

A laugh, low and thick, shook the base of Kishi's throat. "Oh, we have all kinds of partners, Hanae," his silvery eyes gleamed in the warm light of the fire-lit lamps and candles. He pondered her questions. "All kinds, peacocks included," said easily and took another puff from his long stemmed pipe. "Though those peacocks are likely just street birds," he smiled. "You could say he does, yes," he stood up from his seat, and put his pipe on the table, a trail of blue-ish-white wisped and curled as it drifted up in lazy curls and turns.

Hiei's brow knit together. But he made himself busy, looking through the medicine drawers, and viles filled with herbs and powders.

Kishi roundd his desk, and stood tall over Hanae as he came to a stop. He was a good five fingers taller than Hiei, and near half-more wide. "Now, this shouldn't hurt too much," he said as he reached clawed fingers out to pinch her nose, his massive hand stopping just before. "I will grab your nose, and you will feel a pop,"

"The pain comes after," Hiei warned.

Kishi smiled, toothy and grim with humor. "We have medicine for that," he assured. "Ready?"

Hanae

 

[Hanae]

Hanae nodded her head as if she understood what Kishi was implying. Of course vets would have all sorts of partners. They needed medicine, did they not? Maybe they had to confer with a botanist and a alchemist? Of course, they would also want an accountant, wouldn’t they? Maybe a nurse or two? “Of course you would have all sorts of partners,” she said, “how silly of me to think otherwise.”

Her dark eyes moved over to Hiei as he rifled through Kishi’s things. Perhaps Hiei was one of the people to supply the medicine? He sure did seem quite interested in what Kishi had in his drawers after all. “Do you have catnip here? I grow my own— and then I turn it into a little tea. Although I like to call it catnip wine. It’s perfect if you have a lot of cats.” Hanae said, but then it was time for her nose to finally be fixed.

Hanae nodded her head, a little bit of pain should be expected, and she steeled herself— until Hiei informed her that it would hurt afterwards. Without thinking she leaned back frightfully, swiveling her head over to the man that had brought her here.

“Why would you tell me that?” She whined, turning her small hands into fists. Hanae couldn’t help but wonder why on earth it would cost five gold coins if it meant she was going to be in more pain? Too late to back out now. She turned her head back towards Kishi, tightly closing her eyes and holding in her breath. Soon enough, her cheeks would be turning red as she whispered out, “Okay, I’m ready.” Digging her nails into her palm, creating little, crimson crescent moons into her skin.

Hiei

 

[Hiei]

Hiei was caught off guard by Hanae's reaction. Her sudden worry struck a chord and his eyes widened, just a hair. "Isn't it better to know?" he asked, and a genuine concern coated his voice.

Kishi smirked as the young woman announced her readiness. His broad fingers grabbed the displaced bit of bone that was the bridge of her nose, and with a strong pinch and a slight jerk, he set it back in place. Tissue popped, and the bone ground, ever so, and his hands heated up with burn of healing light.

Tendrils of gold magic sprout from his fingers and sunk into her skin. She would feel the little lines span across her fractured bridge, and pull it together in the tiniest of pulses until it all set into place.

The rush of air being pulled into massive lungs filled the quiet of the room. "There," Kishi said, and let the magic dissipate. "Should heal up real nice," he let go of her nose, and languidly walked back to his seat behind the desk. "Maybe you can bring me some of that catnip wine, and I'll knock off one of the gold coins for you," He said as he picked up his pipe and took a puff.

Hiei lifted one of the vials off the counter. "This is part of the cost," he said with a little shake of the purple pellets inside the glass. He walked over to Hanae, and looked her over. "You still got blood all over your face," he said, as he bent lower to get a better look at her nose. "It'll probably start swelling soon," he said dryly.

"Nothing a little moon-herb-powder won't fix," Kishi added, and a fresh cloud of purplish smoke streamed from his mouth.

Hanae

 

[Hanae]

Hiei was right, moving her nose back in place wasn’t exactly painful. Or rather, the whole action of Kishi’s fingers moving her nose back was so quick that she hardly had time to register it. If it had ended there, Hanae would have been fine, perhaps a bit sore and bruised, but she wouldn’t have complained. The moment he began to actually heal her though is when Hanae could understand the sort of pain Hiei was implying.

Searing hot, her nerves were on fire. She could feel that healing heat radiating throughout her nose is rapid waves, and without meaning to, the young woman whimpered.

But just like that, it was over.

Hanae took a step back, bringing a hand up to feel her nose. She blinked, confused. It felt normal, as if it had never been broken. She looked up at Kishi with a beaming smile. No wonder why he could charge five gold! This was amazing! Magic was amazing! (Ah, if only she were lucky enough to have the aptitude for magic she would probably be at a much higher social status in Sonshan!)

Before Hanae could confirm to Kishi that she would indeed be bringing him catnip wine— as much as he wanted he could have at this rate— Hiei was back in her face. She held her breath, her eyes staring straight into his so she could see her own reflection, like a deer in the headlights.

“Oh. Yes. The blood.” She turned her head towards Kishi. “Do you have something for me to clean my face? I don’t want others to think I’ve taken a big bite out of Hiei when I walk back with him….” Hanae trailed off, cheeks reddening. What a silly thing for her to say. She cleared her throat, shyly looking up to Kishi. “Please? I know I’ve already been a trouble, but… I’ll bring you all the catnip wine you’d could want. Maybe a few other things? I grow almost everything in my garden.”

Hiei