And be what I want to be

@Izumi and @Julooke no need to post! Just tagging for visibility <3 It's a quick spree thread after all, I can make threads for us later ;D

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As soon as the mist hit over the horizon, the temperature dropped. All around the weather was warm with spring's breath, and here, it seemed to avoid the fields of hooting owls as due clung to the leaves even in the evening sun. The sun didn't dare to reach through the fog that crept over the hills, and yet it was oddly soothing as well.

Lulled by the cradling cool tough of mist, a perpetual scent of not quite petrichor but something more, or less, she couldn't make heads or tails of it. Rarely did she ever see a phenomenon like this, mist was not a natural thing to be found in the snowy terrain but she remembered encountering it once before... a time ago.

She brought Hotaru with her, away from the other women to treat her wounds once more with fresh herbs - unaware of the pack just neighboring the mist here. Some time alone with her newly found daughter was also a demand of the heart, without Izumi and Julooke watching regardless of how much she trusted the ladies. Some things just had to be done alone. “With this mist, there is bound to be plenty of herbs for us.” With how close she walked next to her daughter, Reiko may as well be a helicopter parent right about now.

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+2

the staff team luvs u

Each step brought a silent wince, pain shooting from her leg up to her hindquarters, but at the very least it seemed the swelling had not grown any larger. She walked carefully, ensuring that she need not press weight on her injured paw lest she worsens the bite. The woman of the forest had been no help, seemingly insulted that she even asked for help or a direction in which someone could do so. She had trespassed yes, but she was in no way a threat to them especially in her current state.

They managed to skirt around a river, passing the trees as evening fell. Rather the mist set in with night or had been there all along, she wouldn't know, but it seemed the grass had been wet for some time. Undoubtedly her mother would be right, though what kind of herbs they needed she was uncertain. She had scrapes and bruises before, but not this. The swelling had been a huge concern up till now, and frankly it still was, but she could only hope that it wouldn't get worse.

“What are we looking for?”

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the staff team luvs u

^^

She made sure to take as much time as Hotaru needed, to rest when she needed rest, to lean on when the princess needed some weight to be lifted off of her. Thankfully the swelling in her leg had not grown and there was no evidence of nerve damage... that only left clotting as the main venom used in this case. She would teach her daughter about venom another day, though hopefully with them settling in the Tundra that Reiko woke up in.. there would be no need to put that knowledge into practice.

But this alone was enough to push the Empress to teach her daughter regardless. Should it ever, by horrible chance, come across her or someone else, she would know how to deal with it. But to frighten the still young woman now was out of the question. She would simply teach through healing and the rest would come at a later time.

“Ginkgo biloba might be found here, they have funny fan shaped leaves. Feverfew look like small daisies, or even willow, they should all help bring down that swelling.” She hoped at least. By memory she remembered those were most likely to grow in a place such as this, and all of them had anticoagulant properties. But still, she was concerned about the leg... if they were lucky no clots would go to her heart or brain, but the leg was another story. They might even have to try and drain it if it doesn't go down soon.

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+0 no mention of the territory

the staff team luvs u

“Funny fan leaves and small daisies ok...” She let her eyes scan, but even with the small flowers that dotted the grass, she didn't see anything that matched the description. They looked more like pretty weeds, likely thriving now that the winter weather was disappearing, though that knowledge was still fairly new to her. How it had been winter in that sandy hellscape she had no idea, but she didn't want to see summer. Luckily she never would have to.

If her mother allowed, she'd peel away from her side to try and fan out and search more of the land, though even as she skirted the pasture and foliage that sprouted at the edges, she found more of what looked to be ferns and thin trees. The evening rays only made it harder with the vivid light that bounced amongst the fog. It was almost blinding to pick out the greens below and soon it would be dark. Hotaru sighed nosing through the grass and ferns as she held her swollen leg close. “I'm not seeing anything like that...is my leg going to be ok without them?”

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Watching as Hotaru peeled away from her side to search on her own gave a pang of pain in the woman's heart, in her general chest area as all she wanted to do was hold her close and not allow the fog to let her disappear in its grasp. Afraid that if she lost sight of the princess she would go once more, in an instance she would just merge with the haze and become one with the field.

Hesitantly she watched her go, letting her own eyes scan the grasses and trees for the signs of the plants she wished to use. Certain the mist would have given life to many different species here... and yet it concealed them all until she was nearly a nose away from them.

They had to be here, at least one of the tree.

A long pause silenced the woman as her daughter questioned the status of her leg. Nervously she chewed at her lip, in the moment glad for the mist to veil her worries. “Possibly, but it will make it that much faster and comfortable if we treat it properly.” Not wanting to lie to her daughter, she hoped the explanation given would be enough to push for a cure regardless.

Because if not, how could she explain blot clots and their dangers to one so young like Hotaru who shouldn't worry about such things?

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the staff team luvs u

The pale girl couldn't help but huff under her breath. She knew that these herbs would help her and she genuinely wanted to find the plants they needed, but there had to be an easier way. Somewhere that didn't restrict her vision to a few paces ahead of her. “Right...I think I'll try and get out of this haze and search where it's more open. It looks like the sun will be down soon, worst case maybe I can find us someplace for the night?” Perhaps a bit ambitious for the girl with a swollen snake bite taking up half her leg, but she seemed to have her mindset.

She'd wait though, looking back towards her mother to make sure she didn't outright disagree with her before she would try to go any further. When it didn't seem like she would stop her, Hotaru would turn, carefully hobbling her way north checking the undergrowth as she went just in case she passed the herbs they were looking for.

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the staff team luvs u

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As much as she wanted for Hotaru to be tied to her ankle, the new mother knew there was only so much she could do to stop her children from venturing out on their own. She hoped that Hotaru would have waited at least until her ankle was better before rushing off already. Especially in a place such as this where their pale coats nearly blended with the fog, making them one with the environment easier than most. “Okay.” The word came out hesitantly, regretting them almost immediately as they came out - even with the wound, Hotaru had survived this long without her, and so that alone gave her the right to be more independent.

Suddenly the chill in the air was no longer comforting, but suffocating as she thought of Hotaru going off on her own again.

“I will keep searching for the herbs and head back for miss Julooke and miss Izumi, please howl when you find a place so we can find you quickly.” Were her terms of the agreement, hopefully, they were enough to keep Hotaru pleased and safe enough all at the same time. As her daughter moved North and vanished in the haze, Reiko hastily kept searching for the plants with her nose as close to the grasses to see them properly that were necessary to help Hotaru's wound - once some were found, she would head back to the women in waiting before setting out to reunite, again, with her daughter who was now on her own self-given mission.

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last from me!

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the staff team luvs u