hh_mirror | Day cruising (Open RP, Great Hall)

"Aaah," he readjusted his hold on the baskets to tap thoughtfully at his chin. "A request, a request... Oh, I'll have to think very carefully about that one..."

Kusuriyuri raised an eyebrow. "But not so carefully that you cannot be 'extra-special especially exceptionally helpful,' ne?" he teased. He led Kurama to the fringes of the Forbidden Forest, examining the ground cover and trees the entire time.

Kurama kept his eyes and energy tuned as well, looking for the signs of harvest-ready herbs and plants. "I will be careful to be helpful and to consider my options," he said with dignity. He spotted a plush clutch of witch hazel not far off the path (which was more like a vague indent in the undergrowth, even so little a distance into the forest) and bent to examine it closely.

"Here, this will serve nicely. I doubt we'll find better conditions for witch hazel further in."

Kusuriyuri bent to examine the growth and nodded approvingly. "Were you Deshi, I should ask after the use and preparation of this," he said, withdrawing his tools from his sleeve and carefully harvesting what he needed from the growth. When what he needed was within Kurama's basket, he thanked the plant and continued on.

He smiled, not only at the comment but at the thanks Kusuriyuri gave. Another surprise from his lover, though a small, gentle one. Not may felt the need to thank their tools. That Kusuriyuri did made his heart (ah, his heart! How casually he thought of it that way now) feel lighter.

"Would it gain me points towards helpfulness if I did?"

"Saa," Kusuriyuri murmured, reaching up to collect some changa mushrooms (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaga_mushroom) from the bark of a birch tree. "It would be interesting to see if Itoshii knows other uses or preparations," he said.

"Ah, chaga," he laughed softly, a nostalgic smile on his face. "Mother would drink chaga tea when she was ill, before it got out of hand. I know Genkai used it for ulcers when Yuusuke was being particularly irritating." He set down the baskets next to Kusuriyuri, then knelt at a particularly dense growth of calendula. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calendula#medicinal_effects) "And this, do you know anything about radiodermatitis?" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radiation_dermatitis)

Kusuriyuri looked at Kurama, puzzled. "Radiodermatitis?" he asked. This one has not heard of such. What is it?" he asked, moving to work the calendula with Kurama.

"It is an affliction of the skin, a sickness caused by radiation." He paused a moment, trying to think of an easy way to describe exactly what radiation was. "Radiation is light, different kinds of light and energy, that travels from one thing to the next. Depending on its intensity or its source, it can be absorbed by skin. Like, the energy in sunlight is a type of radiation. Too much of it will burn you, or cause sickness."

He arranged the little flowers as he spoke, pruning the plant with focused concentration. "There are other kinds of radiation as well, some used to heal cancer, leukemia, that kind of thing. Radiodermatitis is when a radiation of that kind causes lesions in the skin, bleeding, sometimes killing the skin cells entirely. Calendula, in the right hands, can help heal that." Another thing he learned from his mother. Chemotherapy had done just as much ill as good, but experimenting with the calendula had yielded good results.

Kusuriyuri listened, carefully filing away the information. "I see," he murmured softly, reaching out to touch Kurama's hand. "Itoshii is knowledgeable," he murmured. "His hands are well skilled, as well." It was unusual for him to offer such praise, but he felt that Kurama needed to hear it.

Kurama shrugged, but couldn't hide a faint blush at the praise. "It is what I studied, way back when. At first because of need, after out of curiosity. I might have gone into a sciences career, eventually." Calendula harvested, he stood and brushed off his knees, offering a hand to Kusuriyuri. "We'll likely have to go further in from here to find anything ready for harvest."

Kusuriyuri took Kurama's hand, letting his touch linger much longer than the need to rise would have caused. "The season is still young, but some are ready now that would be spoiled by waiting," he said, beginning along the path deeper into the forest.

Kurama carried the half-full basket under one arm, continuing to hold Kusuriyuri's hand as they walked. He listened to the sounds of life around them, the earth and the creatures that inhabited this place. "I wonder sometimes," he said at length, "why I was brought here. There seems to be no true purpose to this place other than bringing people together who otherwise would never meet."

"So it would seem," Kusuriyuri agreed softly. "This one is pleased, though, to have had the opportunity." He paused, reluctant to fully let go of Kurama's hand. He squeezed first before reaching up for some usena (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usnea") growing on the trees near the path they were taking.

"The air is good here," he said, referring to both how well the usena grew, and to the general atmosphere. Held out the basket with a little smile. "I feel like I can breathe without worry. I wouldn't change this."

Kusuriyuri draped a soft cloth over the usena before caressing Kurama's cheek. "It is pleasing," he murmured. "A few more, smaller harvests, then we shall return." He led Kurama to the side of the forest near the mangosteen grove, bending occasionally to check and gather a few smaller plants along the way, thanking each one as he did.

Kurama merely followed this time, holding the basket and arranging each plant carefully as it was harvested, sending a touch of energy to each plant to help it recover. Kusuriyuri had harvest down to an exact art, and any more interference than that would upset the delicate balance his lover had set.

He loved watching Kusuriyuri work like this, he suddenly realized. Being a part of it, being able to help, made it that much sweeter.

"St. John's Wort?" he suggested, noticing a clutch of the stuff clustering near a group of rocks Kusuriyuri had passed. It was common, but useful.

Kusuriyuri turned to look where Kurama had pointed. He then looked at the basket. "Thank you, Itoshii," he murmured, bending down to carefully harvest what he needed. He was aware of Kurama's assistance with his task and it pleased him as well.

When he was finished. He rose and turned to Kurama. "Shall we return and begin processing them?" he asked. Some of the plants would not be able to wait for Kurama's 'reward' before they needed to be started being prepared for medication.

He smiled, more focused now on the work and the general pleasantness of being in his lover's company. he wouldn't let his attention divert now, not after he'd done so well. "Basic preparation, or will we be doing mixtures? Should we stop by the greenhouses?" It was fun, really, doing this. Perhaps harvest wasn't so boring as he'd thought. perhaps, then, when it came time to bless the rice, he could suggest Kusuriyuri join him. It would be an interesting companion to this day.

Kusuriyuri was pleased with Kurama's interest and pleased that it now seemed genuine in the task at hand rather than the promised reward, though he knew they would both enjoy that. "Of these, basic preparations. They will be prepared for storage. There are others that may be made into mixtures and final preparations, if Itoshii desires to continue once these are taken care of. There is no hurry for those, but if it is desired, we may continue." He smiled softly at Kurama. Though there was much more that could be harvested, he didn't need to harvest a great store of herbs here. And, the season was still young. There would be much more work in the coming months before winter covered the ground.

"Let us see where our industry takes us," he said, suddenly realizing there was not even a hint of ulterior motive in his voice. His smile widened, and he thought perhaps to voice his previous thought. "Though, I was wondering... when it comes time again for the rice to be blessed and harvested, would you like to join me?"

"This one would be most honoured," Kusuriyuri murmured, bowing slightly at the invitation. He took Kurama's free hand in his and led him into the small workroom he'd claimed for his arts. There was just enough room for two to work in the room and the air smelled of prepared medicines and herbs that hung and rested in various states of preparation. Tools of the trade littered the counter space in an organized confusion that spoke of work as opposed to cleaning.

"It would feel more like blessing and less like a chore with you around," he said, wondering idly what Inari would think of it. The God would probably be amused, he was sure. Anyone she could get to help she usually accepted with open arms.

He used his elbow to gently nudge away some debris to set down the basket, and paused to take in the smells of the place. He went through each one, identifying the source, the use, the strength, and quickly filed it away and inured himself to it. Too many smells could be overpowering, without the right preparation.

Kusuriyuri squeezed Kurama's hand gently before releasing it to gather the tools they would need, twine to hang the plants that would need to be hung, a couple of knives, a tightly woven basket for those that needed to be salted dry and a jar half filled with alcohol. "Has Itoshii prepared herbs before?" he asked, looking at Kurama. There was a definite pleasure to Kurama's presence in his work room While he enjoyed teaching A how to prepare medicines, it was a completely different type of enjoyment from his lover's presence.

Kurama hummed an affirmative, arranging the plants in the basket in order of which should be prepared soonest, in his recollection. "Not for a long while, before I died, anyway. There was no need for making medicine after, when there are doctors and hospitals-" a slight coldness to his tone there; he hated hospitals with the passion one usually reserved for a loathed enemy - "readily available."

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