fishingforcompliments | [not again] catchall for yin yu

[flayn doesn't bother to roll up the sleeves yet, so when she reaches out to take his hand, both their hands vanish under the sleeve. her hand is cold in his - really, she should have worn gloves, at the very least - but... if she holds on, it will get warmer, won't it?]

...are you okay?

[she's pretty sure he knew nhs better than she did.]

[ oh, that's nice. the silk is still warm when it falls over his hand, and yin yu's fingers flex against hers. they're quite cold... threading his fingers between hers feels natural, now, so he does, slowing so they can walk side by side. ]

...I am glad we caught someone. [ he says, by way of an answer. this was an exhausting day. ] It is not enough, but it's something.

[ mmm... ] ...Sect Leader Nie is... I am not surprised. [ and that's all he really has to say on it, as he shakes his head. ] ...I am alright, my lady.

[ as alright as they can be. ] How about you?

...

[her hold on his hand tightens.]

I... I am not terribly surprised, either, I suppose. I— saw something in a memory of his, that made me a little concerned. But I had hoped, for Beau's sake...

[so much for that, though.]

[ it's a shot in the dark. ]

...Did you see what he did at the mansion?

...

[she shakes her head]

No... not that.

[ oof. ]

...I don't want to know, but if you and I can both corroborate separate stories of his character, it's best to leave it at that. [ as in, if this person can have multiple instances where he's far more dangerous than he seems...

well. it's rude to talk about people why they aren't there. (hi teej, reading our pc.)

yin yu lifts his other hand to look at it briefly, where the thin cuts from earlier are still pink on his fingertips. ] Nevertheless, I thought the same for Lady Beau, as well, but...ultimately, he was guilty.

[oh, hold on--

her eyes widen in concern as she follows his gaze to his hand, and without thinking, she reaches over to grasp his wrist so she can get a better look at his fingertips.]

...what happened?

[ ah, right.... ]

Sect Leader Nie’s fan was a weapon, in the memory I saw. I wanted to confirm it was the same one, so I tested the edge. [ very carefully, but still. he holds his hand still for her inspection anyway. ] It doesn’t hurt, it’s alright.

...

You knew it was likely that it could hurt you, but you touched it anyway?

[YIN YU, PLEASE.]

[ ............ haha. he winces a little because the has absolutely scolded people about such risky actions before..... ]

....I did, but very carefully. I thought it would be best to have concrete evidence.

...will you let me clean the wound out for you? It looks... like it was not that deep a cut, but I would still rather not risk it being infected, all the same.

[yin yu learn to not let yourself get hurt challenge.]

[ unlikely. also: he was careful! ok!! ]

If you insist, Lady Flayn. [ he has the distinct feeling that flayn will not let him pass it off as nothing, anyway. so. he gives their joined hands a little squeeze. ] Lead the way.

I do insist.

[she can't do anything about what happened today. she can't change that, whatever the reasons were, nie huaisang was guilty. she can't go back in time and prevent any of the five people who were killed from dying, and she can't magically divine who was responsible for the three whose deaths the person they caught wasn't involved in.

but she can, at the very least, take care of yin yu's wounds - however small they might be.

with that in mind, she steers him toward the nurse's cabin. onward.]

[ the walk to the nurse's cabin isn't too far. everything is blanketed in snow, making the world feel even quieter than usual, and yin yu doesn't have too much to say as they make their way over. it's nice to be able to walk to this place without having to worry about the dangers that once laid inside.

even so, that's something to reflect on, too. with three more members of their group gone, they have to avoid grievous injury. they have to be so, so careful in the week, and continue to try and solve everything that they possibly can, as quick as they possibly can.

he enters the cabin reflective and quiet, but will absolutely be the good patient, letting flayn direct him where to stand or sit, very obediently. ]

[with yin yu cooperating, it's a simple enough matter to get him into the cabin and get to work seeing to the cuts. sure enough, they're shallow - he was being careful, as he said - so all that really needs to be done is to clean them out.

she knows from experience, though -]

This may sting a little.

[- shallow cuts do sting while disinfected. her cooking mishaps have taught her that.

but it doesn't take long at all for her to finish up.]

...there. Thank you.

[for letting her fuss, just a little.]</small.

[ that's completely fine.

yin yu doesn't even flinch: he has had much worse. still, he stays still as she disinfects the three little cuts, long fingers resting gently against her hand while she works. lady flayn's touch is gentle, as ever, and he watches her unguarded for a moment while she's working, eyes soft, expression more gentle than he really knows. while he's been a recipient of lady flayn's kindness now more times than he really deserves, it never fails to impress him, to make him feel fond.

he dips his head politely when she finishes, staying seated for the moment, a little smile tugging the corner of his mouth when she thanks him. of all the things... ] I should be the one thanking you.

[oop, there's my hecked up html. that's what i get for being awake early.

anyway, flayn shakes her head as she turns away to return the supplies she's been using to their proper places.]

You probably did not need the help - but I appreciate that you allowed me to, all the same.

[it's a small thing, in the grand scheme of it all, but even though they did manage to catch a culprit this time, there's still so much they don't know about what happened thursday night that flayn really can't help but feel vaguely useless. in putting up with this, yin yu has allowed her to accomplish something.]

[ he didn't, really but... well. it feels selfish to want it, but isn't it nice, for a moment, to have someone else to rely on? even if it's just for such a tiny thing, a couple of little cuts.

he looks down at his hands for a moment. there's one other one that's already closed up on his other hand, just a sliver of a reminder that something happened. yin yu stays quiet for a little while longer as she's putting things away. ]

...Lady Flayn. [ he says, eventually, quietly. ] Tomorrow, if I end up being chosen for the duty of the duel... can I ask you a small favor? If I don't, it will be irrelevant.

[flayn freezes where she's putting the disinfectant away. what if yin yu is chosen tomorrow? is, unfortunately, something she's thought of and something she's feared. she knows he's highly capable, and nie huaisang doesn't seem like he would be able to overpower him, but -

he didn't seem like the type to kill two people, either.]

You can ask anything of me. [her voice is soft. he can ask whatever he wants of her, even if she doesn't like it - she does, after all, owe him her life.] ...what is it?

[ he isn't worried about winning a fight. over the past few weeks, yin yu has logically tried to assess each match up for himself, just in case. in ogata's, the randomized choice of weapon was the only real worry - if it had been him, and the weapon had been a firearm, he would have lost instantly. if it had been guy... that was complicated for an entirely different reason.

logically, if it is nie huaisang, with any weapon, he should be fine. yin yu is completely capable with most kinds of weapons, and the playing field would be even. he knows now from experiencing memories that nie huaisang is not a fighter.

(somewhere in his core, he knows, though, that it could easily mean the end of his life in the next week, if it was to happen.)

but that doesn't matter, not now. it's not really about him, and it never is. if yin yu needs to be the blade of the executioner, then he will do so, with swiftness and a righteousness, and succeed. but. ]

...Will you try to be near Lady Lili? [ maybe the request is a bit surprising. maybe its not: lili has been through much this week, considering. either way, he requests it with a seriousness anyway, looking at his hands. ]

Near Lili..?

[normally, she wouldn't be opposed to that in any way. but there's a small amount of hesitation in her question - the reason for which yin yu might be able to guess, given what he knows of her power and what happened to her, ookurikara, and ash after they spontaneously started hating each other.

but she wants to help, in any way that she can, and if yin yu is asking, it certainly isn't simply on a whim. she may have something she needs to apologize to lili for on monday, but on sunday, she can be there for her.]

...of course.

[ yin yu nods, curling his fingers back together into his fists and flexing them for a moment, just for something to do. he knows he's asking something of flayn that must be difficult, at least a little. he knows she must be worried, and perhaps guilty, too.

he looks a little unsure, just for a moment. yin yu doesn't think it will happen. it's a low possibility, but nevertheless, he just.

he wants to be sure. it's important to look out for the people closest to him, because... he has few that he is close to, indeed. ] ...thank you. [ he says, the word a little heavy, brows furrowed together. for the moment, he has no further explanation besides ] It's just a precaution.

[ (but if flayn asked, yin yu would tell her.) ]

[...she wants to know why. that much is written all over her face, so it's likely a good thing she's turned away from him, so he can't see it.

he probably would explain, if she asked - flayn isn't completely unaware that he tends to tell her more than he probably should. that had been how she'd learned his power and his team, after all; he'd offered it to her freely.

but he hasn't offered an explanation to this freely, and she isn't sure if she should push it.]

I see. [...she does wonder.] I will do what I can for her, I promise.

[ he won't be the one to bring it up--at least not now. maybe when the execution tomorrow ends, and they're faced with another week, a few days of peace (questionably) before everything goes to hell all over again. there are mysteries to be solved, in the meantime, too.

standing properly, he presses his hands together as he has many times before, and gives flayn a much more serious bow, the motion deeper than usual. ] ...you will have my deepest gratitude.

[ as always.

straightening properly again, yin yu mentally sets that aside. it's nothing to worry flayn about, especially not now--especially if it's a very very small chance, for so many reasons, but. this is something he can't really manage on his own, if it does happen. or, well - he can, but he wants to cover his bases.

it doesn't matter. he gives a small shake of his head to clear it, for now. ]

[if she's being honest - she'll worry anyway.

...but she won't ask. yin yu is choosing to rely on her, and that's no small thing. she has his reasons, and she trusts in him, so she'll trust in whatever those reasons are.

and it's a good thing, that he's concerned with looking out for someone else. lili has been such a support to many other people here - she deserves to have someone support her, in turn, and flayn is glad that she has yin yu thinking of her.]

...is there anything in particular I should be looking out for, as I am near her?

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