It was the smallest little thing, a round seed pod that had prickly thorns covering the whole of it. Nestled just within the folds of the fabric of her clothes, it could have stayed hidden for many sennights. If left alone, it would have eventually started to sprout out tiny tentacles, possibly crawling out of its hiding place from her shirt when it got hungry.
It was a fascinating prospect to consider, but Nabi knew if a purbol actually got loose within the port city, likely the Sekiseigumi would exile her for certain.
With a metal forcep, she plucked the small burr from her shirt and dropped it into the jar, adding it to the small pile that she had already collected there. She had rubbed the oil that she had prepared onto both Tserende and Kiyokage’s armor, to make sure any remaining burrs on their equipment were neutralized. She could only imagine their chagrin should seedings with flailing appendages started to worm out of their armor. Their aversion to the tentacled creature was clearly evident, especially on Kiyokage’s face, and who could blame the Xaela?
But she could not douse all of her curiosity, so she left one piece of her own clothing untreated, so that she could harvest a few viable pollen from it upon her return. She had counted at least fifteen individual seed pods already in the glass jar.
Nabi paused and brought a lock of her hair to her nose, to give it a good sniff. She recalled with much dismay the memory of being soaked head to toe in the purbol’s secretions along with Tserende. The two of them were conversing while Kiyokage charged another purbol that was crawling near by. While Kiyokage denied it, Nabi could not help but think the Xaela warrior turned the beast toward them at the last minute as it spewed forth its plethora of excretions.
Nabi made a face even at the mere thought of it, the smell was so foul that it had burnt itself into her memory. Luckily, she had prepared a solution for such an accident, although it had been intended just for the two fighters were putting themselves at risk. Who would have thought that she would be one of the ones steeped in the purbol goo?
A soak in the Yanxian natural spring managed to wash it all off, the bubbles effectively cleansing away all the burrs and the unsavory juice from their skin and hair. Nabi bit her lip as she thought back to the scenery that was afforded with the opportunity. Even though she denied that she would be taking advantage of the situation to gawk at their undressed bodies, Nabi could not help but at least glimpse at what was readily in front of her.
Kiyokage certainly was not the modest kind. She had already seen him at least half undressed to heal some of his wounds near his ribs. She was rendered speechless though that first time, at least for a few seconds, at the numerous old whipping scars that spanned his entire back. So she didn’t expect any surprises at the lake, but with the Xaela warrior taking everything off to change in and out of his armor, Nabi did turn her gaze away for the sake of some propriety. But it was a concept that Kiyokage clearly did not have any respect for.
Nabi also recalled glimpsing Tserende’s body as well. She had told him that the nature of the wounds and the scars they left behind always told a tale, and that she was curious about the stories of the marks that marred his frame. Although as they sat on the top of a tall cropping of an island to allow their washed clothes and armor to dry, his answers to her questions had slowly began to paint the picture of a man who had previously devoted his life to nothing but his job. She asked him if such a lonely life was a conscious choice for him. He had said that it might have been.
"Would you... still make that same choice? Now that you are here? Starting over?" It was a careful question on her part, but one that she felt a certain necessity in asking.
"What reason would I have to not make the same choice?" he answered her while he studied her carefully from the corner of his eye.
"What if someone came to care for you a great deal?†She had blurted it out before she could think. Before she could convince herself out of it. “What if... they didn't want you to leave?"
Nabi could not recall how long he had stared at her after that with those steely blue eyes of his. There was a silence that fell in between them, and back then, she thought he would never answer. The corner of his eyes crinkled in consideration, and then without any words, he leaned in and kissed her.
Nabi watched as her reflection on the glass jar become clouded over as she sighed. A dreamy expression had snuck onto her face, and her cheek had become flushed with the memory. She shook her head as if to clear her thoughts, her golden eyes focusing back onto the collection of purbol seedlings.
There was a nervous and yet joyous excitement that quickened her pulse. With a renewed vigor she closed the jar and turned to soak her shirt, when a knock came upon her door. It was a messenger, who poked his head in with a friendly smile.
“Miss Nabi, Ushitora would like to summon you to the inn. It seems there is a patron who is in need of your care.â€
It was a fascinating prospect to consider, but Nabi knew if a purbol actually got loose within the port city, likely the Sekiseigumi would exile her for certain.
With a metal forcep, she plucked the small burr from her shirt and dropped it into the jar, adding it to the small pile that she had already collected there. She had rubbed the oil that she had prepared onto both Tserende and Kiyokage’s armor, to make sure any remaining burrs on their equipment were neutralized. She could only imagine their chagrin should seedings with flailing appendages started to worm out of their armor. Their aversion to the tentacled creature was clearly evident, especially on Kiyokage’s face, and who could blame the Xaela?
But she could not douse all of her curiosity, so she left one piece of her own clothing untreated, so that she could harvest a few viable pollen from it upon her return. She had counted at least fifteen individual seed pods already in the glass jar.
Nabi paused and brought a lock of her hair to her nose, to give it a good sniff. She recalled with much dismay the memory of being soaked head to toe in the purbol’s secretions along with Tserende. The two of them were conversing while Kiyokage charged another purbol that was crawling near by. While Kiyokage denied it, Nabi could not help but think the Xaela warrior turned the beast toward them at the last minute as it spewed forth its plethora of excretions.
Nabi made a face even at the mere thought of it, the smell was so foul that it had burnt itself into her memory. Luckily, she had prepared a solution for such an accident, although it had been intended just for the two fighters were putting themselves at risk. Who would have thought that she would be one of the ones steeped in the purbol goo?
A soak in the Yanxian natural spring managed to wash it all off, the bubbles effectively cleansing away all the burrs and the unsavory juice from their skin and hair. Nabi bit her lip as she thought back to the scenery that was afforded with the opportunity. Even though she denied that she would be taking advantage of the situation to gawk at their undressed bodies, Nabi could not help but at least glimpse at what was readily in front of her.
Kiyokage certainly was not the modest kind. She had already seen him at least half undressed to heal some of his wounds near his ribs. She was rendered speechless though that first time, at least for a few seconds, at the numerous old whipping scars that spanned his entire back. So she didn’t expect any surprises at the lake, but with the Xaela warrior taking everything off to change in and out of his armor, Nabi did turn her gaze away for the sake of some propriety. But it was a concept that Kiyokage clearly did not have any respect for.
Nabi also recalled glimpsing Tserende’s body as well. She had told him that the nature of the wounds and the scars they left behind always told a tale, and that she was curious about the stories of the marks that marred his frame. Although as they sat on the top of a tall cropping of an island to allow their washed clothes and armor to dry, his answers to her questions had slowly began to paint the picture of a man who had previously devoted his life to nothing but his job. She asked him if such a lonely life was a conscious choice for him. He had said that it might have been.
"Would you... still make that same choice? Now that you are here? Starting over?" It was a careful question on her part, but one that she felt a certain necessity in asking.
"What reason would I have to not make the same choice?" he answered her while he studied her carefully from the corner of his eye.
"What if someone came to care for you a great deal?†She had blurted it out before she could think. Before she could convince herself out of it. “What if... they didn't want you to leave?"
Nabi could not recall how long he had stared at her after that with those steely blue eyes of his. There was a silence that fell in between them, and back then, she thought he would never answer. The corner of his eyes crinkled in consideration, and then without any words, he leaned in and kissed her.
Nabi watched as her reflection on the glass jar become clouded over as she sighed. A dreamy expression had snuck onto her face, and her cheek had become flushed with the memory. She shook her head as if to clear her thoughts, her golden eyes focusing back onto the collection of purbol seedlings.
There was a nervous and yet joyous excitement that quickened her pulse. With a renewed vigor she closed the jar and turned to soak her shirt, when a knock came upon her door. It was a messenger, who poked his head in with a friendly smile.
“Miss Nabi, Ushitora would like to summon you to the inn. It seems there is a patron who is in need of your care.â€
