Meandering Patrol [Moriko/Estelle]

This summer was Estelle's second summer in Fukui, and fourth summer in Japan. The days were warm, but nothing the old sailor could complain about. It was hard to complain about the heat after spending two years in a scorching desert wearing a hundred kilograms of gear. Besides, Fukui's location near the sea meant there was a bit more regulation to the temperature. That cozy climate meant that the academy's Gardening Club could maintain a garden of blooming flowers year-round, a venue which Estelle found herself in after finding that the news from home was getting too frustrating to stomach anymore. Being a boarding school, many students were still around during the summer break and summer atheltics were in full swing, which meant that Estelle still had to be around. Not that she minded it the least. For all of it's troubles, Estelle enjoyed working with the students, and with classes not in session, she could wear a more casual ensemble of jeans, shirt, and vest, instead of her usual blouse and royal purple jumperskirt. There were several students tending to the gardens as Estelle strolled through them, some waving back to her eagerly. It seemed like the students were a bit more relaxed around her, or perhaps it was the other way around as well. Of the gardeners, she could recognize a few faces, girls who injured themselves through sports or theatre, causing the nurse to breifly reach behind her out of instinct where an inconspicuous leather satchel rested. More than a few times during her strolls Estelle had been called to tend to an incident. As Estelle reached the end of the gardens, her eyes were drawn to the line of trees up ahead, or more specifically a student hanging around around the limbs of one of them. With an amused sigh, Estelle approached, raising her voice so that the student could hear from afar. "Deary, there are rules regarding climbing the trees," the nurse said, smiling brightly. There was a light chuckle before she continued. "As far I can see there is no other teacher around supervising, so I suppose this little escapade is just a little flight of fancy. I do think it is in your best interest to come down from there." Though the smile remained, the tone of Estelle's voice started to exert a bit of pressure.

Tags: Moriko Byrne Words: 399 Notes: She says "deary" in English coded by rem of WW

This time, Moriko has decided to follow her nose in her explorations. Sniffing the air, she's caught the lovely fragrance of a great many growing things. The closer she gets to the source of the scent, though, the more she hears voices. Arriving at what looks like an extensive garden, she peeks over a low fence, and looks around. There are actually quite a few people out and about in this area. Most of them seem to be students, but a few seem like staff. Must be gardeners for the school, she muses absently.

Well, she's not too much in the mood for interacting with people. All she wants to do is explore in peace. Skirting around the outside of the garden, she follows the fence line. The fence suddenly ends, only to be picked back up by some impressively tall and well maintained bushes. Staring up at them for a moment, Moriko grins. Gotta see what's on the other side! Shaking her head, she looks forward, following the curve of the seemingly one long bush. But not now. For in the distance, she can see a line of trees. And if there's one thing that she always feels like exploring, it's a tree filled area.

Somehow, she's able to make it to the trees without being spotted. Well, actually, she'd kind of made a game of it. Ducking, dodging and weaving through the various obstacles around her, she hits the treeline. The fact that she's not in uniform probably helps. The clothing she's wearing at the moment are some dark brown cargo shorts and an olive green, cotton tank-top. And of course, barefoot. On a fine day like today, who needs shoes? Or even sandals for that matter.

Now under the shade, she glances around. The trees and bushes are all obviously growing in regular intervals. Nothing is wild inside these walls! Sighing in disappointment, Moriko still decides that exploring is worthwhile. The sounds coming from the garden area are muffled by the distance and vegetation. This fact allows her to hear a sudden, faint sound. Tilting her head, Moriko moves carefully to her right. Pausing, she waits for the sound to happen again. "Tweet, tweet, tweet..." It's faint, and fades off quickly, but she's got it's location down now... and there!

Crouching down at the base of a tree right on the treeline, Moriko spots a baby bird lying in a patch of tall, lush grass. Snagging a handkerchief out off her left pocket, she gently cradles it inside of it. Looking it over carefully, she sighs in relief. Doesn't seem like it's hurt. Must have fallen from it's nest. Looking up into the tree, she spots a nest resting high up in the thinner branches. Tying the handkerchief around the little bird in the style of a loose basket, she clamps her teeth around the knot and starts climbing.

Lucky for her, the tree is an easy one to climb. The bark is neither too rough, nor too smooth, so is easy to grip with her feet and hands. It takes her no time to nimbly work her way to the nest. The only problem now, is that the branches she's currently on are a little too thin to easily support her. She can feel them bending beneath her weight. Careful...

Moving slowly, she manages to untie the loose knot, and cradles the baby bird in the handkerchief. Being just as careful, she manages to reach up and stretch herself to the nest. Almost there... Pushing up on her tip-toes, the hand holding the handkerchief hovers over the nest. From inside, she can hear the insistent peeps of more baby birds. Shaking her hand ever so slightly, the baby bird she found on the ground rolls out right into the nest. It gives out a loud tweet of protest, but it's in! Grinning in triumph, Moriko grips the hand holding the handkerchief into a fist of victory.

Suddenly a voice calls to her from the ground. "Eep!" Jumping in alarm, Moriko glances down, catching a brief flash of an unknown woman standing at the base of her tree. But it's only a brief flash, because suddenly, with the sound of snapping twigs and branches, she's falling!

A gasp is all that escapes her before the world turns into a painful blur of branches hitting her on the way down.

As the old sailor watched the girl fall, she spoke to herself. And that's why the rule exists, dear. Estelle couldn't say she was surprised, nor was she even incredibly concerned. As soon as the branches creaked and started to give way, Estelle was already running, a placid expression on her face and almost sighing. Two years since discharge, four years since combat, but her reflexes and intuition remained sharp. The branches that the girl fell into gave the nurse enough time to get in position. Taking a breath, Estelle braced herself. With perfect form, she caught the girl, carefully bending her knees to absorb the impact with little more than a huff in reaction. Carrying an entire person, let along catching them, wasn't an easy task, but Estelle found that her faith in her strength was still well-founded. "Well, that was quite a trip, wasn't it, deary?" Estelle asked, smiling as usual. "Anyways, let us make sure you are not too beat up before I dive into any form of scolding." With a soft chuckle, Estelle set the girl down, letting her sit beneath the tree that she fell under. As Estelle unslung her satchel and started to unpack it, she decided to have a little conversation. "In a past life I would get straight to asking where you were feeling pain, but since this is a place that does not, and really should not, have names proudly emblazoned on your front jackets, I must ask...what is your name, deary?" The question was more than just trying to be nice. As Estelle took out some instant ice packs and medical tape, she was watching and listening keenly for any signs of concussion.

Tags: Moriko Byrne Words: 289 Notes: coded by rem of WW

All the tiny twigs and leaves smacking her in face are pretty bad, but the worst part of her fall are the few larger branches. They bang into her body, hitting her ribs, jarring her arms, and one final branch clipping her brow. It's a hard enough blow to knock her head back, leaving a small cut across her right eyebrow.

Twisting in the air, Moriko crosses her arms over her face and draws her legs up, trying to prevent farther damage to her body. Bracing for a hard impact with the ground, a small gasp escapes her when instead she hits a much softer surface. Her body is curled up tight, tense with anticipation of pain. This makes her much easier to catch, especially with her small frame. She can feel the arms wrapped around her, holding her close to a warm body and wrapping her in a clean but unknown scent. She'd closed her eyes in instinct at the much softer impact. Cautiously, she opens them, tears of pain stinging their corners.

All she can see is a blur of dark purple in front of her. Apparently, when she was caught, her head had tucked into the torso of whoever had caught her. Arms curled at her chest and legs resting over one of her savior's arms, she tries to twist her head a bit, to see who has a hold of her. But before she's able to get a good glimpse, the person moves and then she feels herself being gently lowered to the ground.

She can feel the firmness of a tree at her back, it's bark pressing into her thin tank-top. Cool grass tickles her bruised legs, the scent of the soil they're rooted in grounding her a bit after her tumble through the air. Raising her head, which had been bowed slightly, she gazes up at the unknown person standing before her. Blinking dazedly, she tries to focus on the face of the woman. She's able to only briefly, before her vision blurs again. But that gives her enough of a look to at least get an impression of what her rescuer looks like. Long brown hair, twin pigtails. Calm eyes, sharp but not harsh features. Tall. Also, clearly an adult.

Then the other person bends down and starts to rifle through what she presumes to be a bag. At least, from the sounds of it, since she still can't quite focus. Attempting to follow the other's movements, she squints her eyes. This causes her forehead to wrinkle, only now alerting her to the cut on her eyebrow. Wincing slightly in pain, she hears the question asked of her.

"My name...?" She pauses, her mind a brief blank. But then, she continues,"... is Moriko."

Her forehead has a smear of blood on it, from when her face was close to the other's clothes. Now that her head is raised and she's moved a bit, the blood begins to slowly drip down the right side of her face.

"Moriko-kun. A pleasure to meet you." Estelle replied, beaming brightly. Just dazed with no concussion, but an open wound. Thankfully, just a cut on the eyebrow, but still something that must be treated with urgency. Joining the ice packs was a set of alcohol wipes, gauze pads, medical tape, and a pair of latex gloves. "And I do mean it, this little tumble aside. But, you are young, you can still heal. Better to get all your cuts and scrapes and falls now when you can shrug them off instead of when you are all old and wrinkly." There was a hearty laugh as the latex grloves were put on with the requisite snap. "Now, stay still for a moment deary, this will sting," Estelle said, her voice becoming more focused and grave. Working swiftly, Estelle cleaned off the blood on Moriko's forehead, then the cut on the eyebrow with the alcohol wipe, covering the wound with a gauze pad and holding it there as the other hand deftly extracted strips of tape from its roll all on its own. "And...there we go. My apologies, unfortunately I did not bring a stylish eyepatch with me so that you can show off your battle scars." Estelle said as she secured the gauze pad above Moriko's eye, making sure that there was enough space in front of her that she can still see. "And, hopefully that takes care of the worst of it. Lucky you, having the head nurse nearby for this, no?" the nurse chuckled as she took the gloves off and stuffed them into a plastic bag. "Now for the potentially embarassing part. Anything specific that hurts the most at the moment, Moriko-kun?" the nurse asked, adding in clarification, "I see a bit on your arms and legs, but I'm not going to roll up your clothes unless you give me permission to."

Tags: Moriko Byrne Words: 319 Notes: coded by rem of WW

Finally, her vision clears up! Eyes slowly coming into focus, she's able to catch the motion of the latex gloves being put on to accompany the sharp snap! that rings in her ears. Frowning in confusion, her gaze darts over to a pile of items sitting next to a bag. From the looks of it, they seem like medical supplies. Good thing she has those, she thinks absently to herself, her gaze drifting back to the face of the woman who'd saved her.

Holding still at the other's command, she flinches slightly at the sting of the alcohol, but she doesn't say anything. After the bandage is applied, she gives a shy smile at the eye-patch comment. Before she can respond to it, the woman speaks again. The head nurse?? Surprise flits across her face, before a thoughtful expression takes over. Well, the bag and supplies makes more sense now, she silently muses as she nods her head in agreement to the lucky remark. She really had been lucky, after all. If the nurse lady hadn't caught her, she'd be much worse for the wear. Maybe even have a broken bone, or two.

At the question of further pain, Moriko hesitates. She hadn't moved much since the nurse lady had set her down at the base of the tree. She'd been a bit disorientated at first, so she hadn't really noted exactly where she was hurt. Only that she was. And she did hit quite a branches on the way down...

Shifting experimentally in place, a frown tugs her lips downward as her arms and shoulders protest the movement. She's got scratches and bruises aplenty. But it doesn't seems like she's hurt too bad... Emboldened by the lack of an increase in her pain, she leans forward in preparation to stand.

That's when the pain hits her, hard. Dark teals widening, she gasps, her arms flying around her ribs. She leans forward even more, curling in on the pain as it radiates up from her rib area and into her stiffening shoulders. Tears springing to her eyes, she slowly uncurls, her body trembling. Leaning back against the tree, she looks up at the nurse through her tears. Cold sweat beads her brows and she's breathing a bit heavily.

She murmurs, her voice strained, "Ah... my ribs..."

"Well, that's one way to figure it out," Estelle said, trying to give Moriko a smile. "Ah, if only there was a much less painful way. Just relax, Moriko-kun, you are in good hands." Internal injuries. Estelle hated internal injuries. For as scary as bullets were, you generally could just pull the bullet out and patch up the wound. But internal injuries took a lot more care and a lot more procedures to deal with. It wasn't as if Estelle was lazy by any means, but at the moment, she wasn't in the mood to call for an amublance. Taking a small cloth from her back, the old sailor gently dabbed the sweat off the girl's brow, speaking softly. "If you could excuse me dear, I do have to roll up your shirt a little." With a gentle touch, Estelle rolled up the girl's tank top, stopping roughly below her breasts. Carefully, she pressed lightly against Moriko's abdomen, taking note of when the student flinched. Soft humming escaped the sailor's lips, her favorite hymn, 'Once to Every Man and Nation'. "Good news, dear. No internal bleeding," Estelle cooed. "While it is good to keep your blood inside you, as the saying goes, 'air goes in and out, blood goes round and round, try not to let the opposite happen. In any case, I hope you are not in a rush, because I am not letting you go anywhere untill you ice those bruises a bit, got it?" A hearty chuckle sounded out as Estelle activated the four ice packs, surrounded them in cloth, and then started to tape one to her arm and one one each leg. "So tell me dear, what were you doing in that tree? And do not worry, I am not the prefect or disciplinary officer." Estelle winked as she handed Moriko the last pack to put on her stomach.

Tags: Moriko Byrne Words: 322 Notes: coded by rem of WW

Now, normally Moriko would have tried her best to not show her pain. But it had hit her so unexpectedly, and rather intensely, that she'd reacted instinctively. The nurse lady turns away for a moment and gets something from her bag. Then she turns back and leans in real close to her.

Shifting uncomfortably at the proximity of the woman, Moriko flinches slightly when she raises a cloth to her head. But all the nurse does is wipe away the sweat that had sprung up at her brow. Peeking up through her bangs, she watches the nurse lady a bit warily. She's not sure what she's going to do next, but she wants to at least be prepared for it. At the nurse's gentle words, though, a slight blush touches her cheeks. It's the only way she can see if I'm hurt real bad or not, she explains to herself, trying to make herself less nervous. Giving a hesitant nod, she shifts a bit to make it easier for what's to come next.

Her tank top is rolled up and she can feel the breeze on her bruised midsection. Turning her head away slightly in embarrassment, Moriko still watches the other's movements from the corners of her eyes. The nurse's touch is gentle and professional. She winces and shies away from those seeking fingers whenever they happen upon the more tender spots. Still, she doesn't utter a sound, though she does grimace on occasion.

She's distracted from her discomfort by an odd tune being hummed. It's a song she doesn't recognize, but it sounds quite soothing. She turns her head to face forward again, her stare intently focused on the nurse's face. Suddenly, the nurse's touch vanishes from her skin and Moriko feels her shirt slip slightly over her ribs. A sigh of relief escapes her at the other's words. Well, at least she isn't seriously hurt. She shakes her head at the comment about her being in a rush. No, she'd just been exploring, with nowhere in particular to be.

Moriko bites her lip nervously as she watches her savior prepare a few ice packs. That relieved sigh had also, in part, been because the other woman had moved away from her. But now she leans in again, her soft, clean scent rolling over Moriko as she tapes the ice packs to the worst bruises on her left arm and each leg. Taking the offered ice pack, she tapes it to where the pain is the worst, on the right side of her rib cage. Silently, she rolls her tank top all the way down to the top of her shorts, once the pack feels like it's firmly in place.

At the nurse's question of why she was in the tree, Moriko tilts her head a back and looks up into the tree's branches. Wow, I fell a long way!, she thinks in amazement. She hadn't quite realized how high she'd been until now. Searching through the thick leaves, she finally spots the nest sitting in the thinner top branches. A small smile tilts her lips up briefly as she remembers the baby bird tumbling into the nest. I hope it survives to at least learn how to fly, she thinks, her smile fading a little. Being careful not to jar her injuries, she raises her right arm and points at the nest.

"Baby bird fell out of nest. So, I brought it back to it," she replies, her arm lowering and her gaze dropping to stare directly into the nurse's eyes.

Another soft but amused chuckle escaped Estelle's lips as she packed up her bag. She had no expectations, but still was rather surprised by the answer, looking up into the tree. Though distant, she could make out the nest but not the birds. Not that she worried too much about it; as the nurse quickly sifted through her memories she could only remember seeng Moriko fall, meaning that at least the moment before she was able to complete her mission. "That was a rather kind thing you did, Moriko-kun, and I am sure that they would thank you if they could, but..." Estelle pointed to the sitting girl with an amused smile. "Right now, the most important person you need to worry about is yourself." With the bag all packed up, Estelle decided to take a seat next to Moriko, sitting directly to the girl's left but not in front of the tree. Instead, she simply sat down with her legs cross and without anything to support her back. "Normally, in a situation like this one, there would be a rather serious talk about proper injury assesment and not trying to panic and dive right into being a hero but...taking care of injuries is not your job. I will not blame you for trying to help, it is a trait that seems all to rare in this day and age, but I think asking around for a ladder would not have hurt, would it?" Estelle closed her eyes with a chuckle as nostalgia washed over her. "You remind me of a colleague I had in a past life. He was a good kid, very dedicated to his duty, but...I guess one would say a little to dedicated. While taking care of one incident, another one of my colleagues was injured, and instead of making sure he had a clear path, the kid just ran right through and hurt himself. If he only waited for three minutes, we would have escorted him safely. Instead, it all took fifteen minutes and a lot of heartache."

Tags: Moriko Byrne Words: 348 Notes: coded by rem of WW

Moriko finds herself surprised at the nurse's words. She'd not expected a compliment, not at all! Quite the contrary, in fact. She'd been waiting for a firm scolding and had resigned herself to that fate. Oh no, wait, there it is. Right on the tail end of the compliment. It's not what figures of authority usually do in a situation like this. At least, not the few ones that she's had to interact with in the past. The only other person who'd be nice to her, before gently reprimanding her, was her mother...

A pang of sorrow sweeps through her, a grimace tugging her lips down and the darkening of her eyes clear signs of her distress. Shying away from such a painful thought, Moriko forces her attention onto the other woman. She watches silently as the nurse lady lowers herself to the ground next to her and crosses her legs. The other woman settles into an oddly relaxed position, despite the distinct lack of back support. It's a struggle, but Moriko manages to wrangle her emotions into place. Unbeknownst to her, her face shows it all.

At the mention of the ladder, though, confusion enters her. Why would she ask for a ladder? The tree is perfectly climbable and she doubts that the school would have a ladder that could reach as high as she'd been. In her experience, there are few ladders that would be able to do so, outside of the ones attached to the backs of fire trucks. Trying to puzzle out the ladder conundrum, Moriko is distracted from her thoughts with the telling of the nurse's past.

Cocking her head slightly to the side, she asks, her tone and expression filled with worry, "He's all right, though? Your colleague? He got better?" Once again her mind turns to her mother. She leans forward a bit, her eyes locking onto the other's face, their usual bright teal shadowed with memory and dark expectation. Her stare is intense and unblinking, almost desperate in her desire to hear the answer. 

From the corner of her eyes, Estelle watched Moriko cycle through various emotions. This was the first time Estelle had met the girl, and thus had no way of telling what kind of nerve she had hit, and the old sailor wasn't exactly in the mood to be needling it out of her. And while Estelle hoped her story had an impact, perhaps it hit a little too hard, prompting the nurse to gently put a hand atop the student's head to try and calm them down. But there was a pause as Estelle looked into the girl's eyes, and for a moment, Estelle seemed to suddenly look right through Moriko, as if to focus on something a kilometer away. Time seemed to reverse itself as Estelle's memories seemed to blend into the present. Sure, the kevlar took the bullet that time, but it failed to save him from the shrapnel a month later. However, the moment passed quickly and Estelle seemed to return to earth. "He survived to see another day, deary, so do not worry about that. In fact, he was back at work just a week later, against my own advice. But...duty called." Estelle said with a light chuckle as she withdrew her hand. Only now did she realized that Moriko seemed to not hear of the rumour surrounding the Fukui Academy's head nurse and her past, but also that she had worded the story in an ambiguous enough way. Maybe it was for the better that Moriko didn't know the juicy details. "He did have some...safety equipment which took the brunt of the damage. But even then, the lesson of the day is more or less...not to be so hasty when coming to the aid of others, and don't be afraid to ask around for help. It is not the end of the world now, and trust me deary, I have seen close to what it would look like.

Tags: Moriko Byrne Words: 333 Notes: coded by rem of WW

Moriko's intensity is tempered by a hand to her head. Surprised by the contact, she leans back a little, now sitting in a more relaxed pose. The nurse lady returns her stare with a firm one of her own. But then her gaze turns distant, and even though she's looking into her eyes, Moriko gets the feeling that she's not actually *seeing* her.

Shifting uncomfortably at the odd feeling of being stared through, she waits for the reply, still deeply interesting in it. Luckily, the other woman seems to come to herself after only a brief moment. At hearing of the person's fate, a sigh of relief escapes Moriko. Blinking a few times, the tension drains out of her. Slumping against the back of the tree, she directs a small smile towards the older female.

"I'm glad he's all right," she says, her relief quite evident. "I'm glad you didn't lose someone..." The last part she says quietly, almost as if speaking to herself. She looks down, her eyes drifting to her hands, which sit clenched in her lap. Taking a deep breath, she lets it out in a long sigh. At the same time as her exhale, she slowly uncurls her hands, forcing them to loosen up and straighten out. Looking up, she once again returns her gaze to the nurse.

"I'll try to be more careful," she says, her words sincere, if a bit muted.

Lance Corporal William "Grits" Hopkins. Born March 17, 1989, in Cedartown, Atlanta. Died June 19, 2011, in Al Mukalla from internal bleeding after being caught in an IED. One peice, triangular, six inches long, two inches wide, peirced his heart. Four others punctured his lungs, each peice cutting right through the kevlar. Countless other shards tore through his arms, where the armor didn't cover. Estelle could remember those little details from when she tried to stem the bleeding. But Moriko didn't need to know that. Billy Grits' tragic fate wasn't part of what the old sailor wanted to teach, and in the end, it looked like Moriko got the message without a problem and seemed to have loosened up a bit from the headpats and guiding words. And so, Estelle sat up again with a satisfied chuckled and a remark of "Good girl." The chuckled continued for a bit, until Estelle quipped with "but I suppose this won't be the last time I'll see you, right? I think I've met with every student at least twice, and that's outside of yearly checkups and examinations." Turning her head, she gave the new student a gentle smile. "Again, as I said before, now is the best time to make mistakes and learn. But enough about that." The old sailor waved her hand to change the subject. "You're a new student aren't you? What department will you be in?" Estelle asked, adding an airly laugh, "and department does matter, since I do tend to see a few departments more than others regarding....well let's just say that certain departments have me on speed dial."

Tags: Moriko Byrne Words: 281 Notes: How is this only 281?! coded by rem of WW

Moriko isn't quite sure how to respond when the nurse starts chuckling. She doesn't think that she did or said anything funny. So that means she's probably not laughing at her. Which only leaves the poor girl more confused than anything else. What's she laughing at? she ponders, wishing to figure it out. But before she can ask, the other woman starts to speak.

A light blush brushes Morikos' cheeks at the comment about seeing her again. Considering her curiosity, and her penchant to act on it with very little forethought, it's quite likely that she would be seeing the nurse lady again. At the question of her being a new student, Moriko gives a shy nod. "Yes, I'm new," she replies, her voice soft. "Just transferred in. I've only been her a few days. Haven't taken any classes yet."

Frowning slightly at the department question, she pauses. Does she mean my major? she wonders. Thinking it through, she decides that is indeed what is being asked of her. Fidgeting in place, she gives her answer. "I'm in the wood carving courses. Traditional Japanese wood carving, specifically." Her eyes light up, a small smile taking hold of her. "I want to focus on the Inami Chokoku techniques, but I'm still learning and not very good at it." Her enthusiasm is obvious, her head raised up and eye contact clear and unflinching as she speaks. Any previous nervousness seems to have vanished.

A transfer student, as Estelle expected. Though there still was the possibility that she had overlooked a student, the nurse found it far more likely that a student she had never seen before was a new one. Unlike other high schools, Fukui was a four-year academy like in America, and Estelle found that a lot of students transfered in in their second year, choosing to finish their three years in middle school instead of hopping midway. As for the art...Estelle reasoned that 'wood carving' would be somewhere in the 'sculpting' arts. A rarer art, but one that still had its own share of injuries, primarily involving hands and tool use that had gone awry. But the old sailor figured that Moriko already knew all about it, and the time had already passed to elaborate on the notion of Moriko's inevitable appearance in the clinic. Still, it was an esoteric art, and for that Estelle gave Moriko a rather amused expression. 'Inami Chokoku' as a set of techniques meant effectively nothing to the French-American, but seeing the student so passionate about it was a good thing in her eyes. "Well, deary, you have come to the right place," Estelle said with a chuckle. "Here, you learn, and you will go from 'not very good' to 'one of the best in this modern age', correct?"

Tags: Moriko Byrne Words: 227 Notes: coded by rem of WW

Moriko fidgets uneasily a the nurse's last comment about being "the best in this modern age".

"Don't know about being the best...," she murmurs, glancing away. She wants to be good, but the best? That might not be possible. Her mother was the best. She just wants to be able to get good enough that her mother would have been proud. At least, that's how she feels at the moment. The hardest part is trying to figure out at what level that would be.

More than anything, all she really wants is to get closer to her mother. And the best way to do that, is to learn the craft she had so adored.

She returns her eyes to Estelle's own, her determination clear. "But I do want to get better. Better than good." She punctuates this statement with a firm nod. Sudden realization hits her, and she freezes. She hasn't thanked the nurse yet! Not just for saving her, but for helping to take care of the bumps and bruised she'd gotten from the fall too. Mortified by her lapse in manners, she suddenly gives a quick bow from her waist, her movement causing twinges of pain to radiate from her rib area. But she ignores it, only wincing slightly at the sudden motion.

"Sorry for saying this so late... but thank you for saving me." She looks up from her bow, her voice solemn and her expression serious. It would have been a disaster for her if she'd seriously hurt herself before she'd even taken a class! Especially if she'd hurt her arms or hands. In fact, she feels like she should do more to thank her! But what could she do...?

Rising from the bow, she pauses as a thought strikes her. She then asks, her expression turning a bit apprehensive. "Do you... do you like wood carvings?"

Estelle never expected any thanks beyond the usual courtesies that was expected whenever a service was render. Her job was to treat injuries and maladies of the students and staff the best she could, and that is what she did for a year, what she had done for today, and as long as Estelle could be bothered to care about, what she will be doing for the future. So there was no expectation for doing the job she was supposed to do, and even with the extra bit of catching falling students, it never occured to her that it was something above and beyond the call of duty. People disappearing without a word after being patched up and healed was nothing new to Estelle, and it rarely bothered her when it happened. But any form of gratitude was accepted graciously, and perhaps the old sailor held onto the little gifts she was given with a little more sentiment than she was willing to admit. Still, Moriko's simple words were was more than enough for the nurse needed to here, but the ever-present smile on the nurse's face relaxed into something more genuine as she listened to Moriko speak passionately about her goals and her gratitude towards today's mishap. Then came a question that Estelle found herself feeling like she should have seen coming. For the most part, she was never much interested in art, despite the small collections that her family and its wealth have accrued. But, she was still able to come up with an answer. "Wood carvings? I cannot exactly say I am a fan of wood carvings per se," Estelle said, starting off her explanations. "From my previous job, I got little trinkets, tokens of gratitude from patients of all walks of life. Little dolls, and talismans and charms, of glass and wrought metal and of carved wood. I suppose I never looked at them as works of are, but instead as keepsakes, memories, embodiments of the gratitude they could only show in this way." With another chuckle, she looked to Moriko directly. "I can speak a few languages, but never enough. But there are some things, some actions, that transcend languages, right deary?"

Tags: Moriko Byrne Words: 370 Notes: coded by rem of WW

Moriko's expression drops a little in disappointment when the nurse says she's not a fan of wood carvings. It's what she's best at, after all, and if she can't make something as a thank you, then she's not sure what she can do. But a spark of hope flickers in her when Estelle explains that her outlook is more for the sentimentality attached to objects, not for the actual artistic value that may be found in them. She nods in understanding, her mind darting to the image of the last statue her mother had been working on. It had sat in her mother's workroom, unfinished and untouched since she'd passed away. That statue is much more to her than any of her mother's other pieces. Much more than the mere workmanship put into it.

She leans back a bit, her shoulders slumping as the image of the unfinished statue burns in her mind. The corners of her lips pull down into a frown, her eyes going slightly unfocused at the memory. Sorrow wells in her; sorrow, and a deep sense of loss. Coupled with a deep seated guilt. But before she can drown in the emotions she's never given herself the proper time to work through, the nurse lady asks a question of her.

Snapping our of her inner thoughts, Moriko forces herself to focus on Estelle. She'd been asked a question and she needs to answer. To not reply would be immensely rude. Trying to shake the emotions from the forefront of her mind, she straightens up once again and returns her gaze to the nurse. She pauses, trying to recall exactly what the question had been. Luckily, it's a yes-no question, so she doesn't actually have to speak to answer it. In reply, she nods her agreement.

Collecting herself, she swallows nervously. The hope is still in her, and so she asks, "Would it be all right I made you something?"

Anxiously, she watches Estelle for a negative response. She HAD said that she wasn't a fan of wood carvings, after all. Maybe this isn't a sentimental moment for the nurse. Moriko doesn't want to presume, after all. If she doesn't want a wood carving, she'll just have to come up with some other way to thank her.

The many changes in Moriko's expression did not go unnoticed, and for a moment, a feeling of frustration welled inside the nurse. She much preferred to be honest, but she knew that sometimes, a more tactful approach was necessary. But that was for disclosure of terminal illness or injury, not for declaring what kind of gift would be acceptable. And perhaps more frustrating was that her previous mention of 'it's the thought that counts' completely went over Moriko's head. Or perhaps her usual way of being roundabout was too roundabout. Still, the last question was enough of a means to salvage the situation. "It would be alright with me, dear," Estelle said softly. The smile that she wore was a simple one that perfectly hid that tapering feeling of frustrations. "I have no preference, save for what you think is best. As I had said before, I am happy to accept any keepsake, regardless of what form it takes. Though, bear in mind, my desk only has so much space." A light chuckle hopefully punctuated the notion that Estelle was making a joke regarding desk space. The nurse lifted her left arm to look at her watch, placed at the under side of her wrist. It was a carried-over habit from a past life, where she had a compass accompanying her watch and positioned where she could hold her rifle and still tell time. "I cannot say that I am in a rush nor that I am fond of working at my desk, but sadly, those papers will cry of loneliness if I do not attend to them. To say nothing of the administrators who seem to adore such drudgery." Estelle said in a cheery voice, even as mocked her superiors. Effortlessly, she stood up and turned around to face Moriko, reaching out and slinging her satchel over her shoulder in a single, graceful maneuver. "Can you stand now, Moriko-kun?"

Tags: Moriko Byrne Words: 325 Notes: coded by rem of WW

Relief washes over Moriko as Estelle says that it would be all right for her to create a wood carving for her. It shows clearly on her face, in the relaxation of her posture, and in the soft sigh that escapes her. Moriko may not say many words, but her body and facial expressions speak volumes.

Before she can ask if there's anything in particular that Estelle likes, the nurse says that she doesn't have any preferences. She frowns at that. What I think best? she wonders. She doesn't know the other woman all that well. In fact, all she really knows about her is that she's a nurse and very kind. Then the other woman mentions limited desk space, though with the smile and chuckle she can't be sure if she's joking or not. Just to be safe, she decides to make a fairly small piece. Now if only she can figure out what it will be of...

Lost in her thoughts, Moriko is startled out of them by Estelle as she stands. Head snapping up, she returns her full focus onto the nurse. Belatedly, the other's words about paperwork filters through her mind. Quietly, she watches as Estelle stands with a fluid motion and picks up her bag. At the question, she glances down at her battered body. The ice packs have done their job in soothing her pain. Moving cautiously, she tests each of her limbs and then bends forward a little. Her midsection twinges in disagreement at her movement, but it's not nearly as intense as it had been previously. Looking up at the nurse lady, Moriko gives a nods. She feels like she can stand now.

Removing the ice packs from her legs, arm and rib area, Moriko sets them to the side. Slowly, she rises to her knees and then to her feet, using the tree to steady herself. Her body protests her movement, but it's not anything that prevents her from rising on her own. She's sore all over, but that's to be expected. All in all, she could be much worse off.

Looking up from her concentration of standing, she turns a smile towards Estelle that's part triumphant and part grateful.