“I know,” the blonde mumbled, the teeth of her geta sandals digging into the dirt as she idly drew circles with them. She knew exactly where this conversation was headed, and though it was nothing new, the fireworks maker still found her cheeks flushing hot with embarrassment. It wasn’t like Sara was scolding her just for the sake of doing so– she was more reasonable than some of the Tenryou Commission members that way. Perhaps it was luck, sheer coincidence, or even fate that the General just so happened to be the one dealing with her cases. “I just… I’ll think things through better next time, and bring a bucket of water.” It would certainly be helpful during these times if she had a Hydro vision instead of a Pyro one, but without her current vision, she’d probably forget the lighter, and– well, maybe it would be better all around, actually.
She made a mental note: closer to the water next time. Sand is good for snuffling out fires.
But at the same time, Yoimiya often found herself mesmerised by the fire, perhaps in some part due to her Vision. The way the flames lapped at the bush, desperate to seize any sort of life– it was dangerously stunning. A primal form of fireworks, wild and unpredictable. Was that not a sort of beauty in itself? The flames, always shifting, its heat warming her all the way down to her bones.
Right. She was still in trouble. The girl reeled her thoughts in, setting it aside for later (in a more controlled environment). If the General caught her spacing out, she’d be in bigger trouble than she already was.
The timing appeared to be just right– upon hearing that the bake-danuki had appreciated her fireworks, her face lit up, the moment of gravitas that Kujou Sara had so painstakingly set up flew right over Yoimiya’s head. “They thought my fireworks were endearing?” If such was the case, then she would have to pay them a personal visit sometime: first to apologize, then to bring them some less explosive fireworks for them to enjoy. They had sensitive hearing, right? So maybe she should pick something quieter-
Something shifted in the General’s tone, and she perked up once more to pay attention. Sara sounded… nicer, maybe? While she usually seemed fairly stoic, perhaps Yoimiya had finally cracked that tough shell of hers (wishful thinking, obviously, but still).
A fine and three weeks of community service wasn’t too bad, really. It wasn’t anything too different than what she already did on a daily basis, so her life wouldn’t be affected much. As long as she avoided the jail cell, she was fine with whatever punishment she was given. Yoimiya returned Sara’s smile with a wide grin of her own, equal parts pride and excitement at the thought of the other woman potentially interested in her fireworks. “Speaking of my fireworks– do you happen to have some free time? I should probably be supervised for a bit during my punishment period,” she added, rubbing the back of her neck timidly.
Stop Touching Your Bow and Come Touch Grass Instead
(with @immovablewill )
Her frown only deepened as she noticed Yoimiya’s indelible grin. A stark contrast with the weight of their conversation, and a hint that perhaps some of her words had flown right over the woman’s head. She wasn’t surprised by such a response anymore, truly. She’d heard—and witnessed—of Yoimiya’s unparalleled happy-go-lucky attitude before and had long grown used to it.
Sara opened her mouth to reject the idea, to tell her she had duties far more pressing than supervising a pyrotechnician with a penchant for chaos, but... something gave her pause.
Free time was... something the General was rarely afforded. She had her men to command, after all, and the whole of Inazuma to guard and protect, but Yoimiya was right—it would be best that she be kept under strict supervision during the three-week period, and who else was better fit for it if not Kujou Sara? Her strictness had earned her a reputation, but the rest of the Shogunate tend to be... quite lenient. The people of Inazuma, contrary to popular belief, especially its soldiers, can be quite doting to their people. Which was no issue, mind. Except, well… That also meant they would often dote upon even repeat offenders like the fireworks maker. And though Sara didn’t relish the thought of babysitting Yoimiya, she could not shake the concern that without her oversight, another accident—one much more dangerous—could be on the horizon.
Indeed, typically, it took far more to convince Kujou Sara to abandon her post and take on a different task. As Kujou Takayuki often reminded her, tools of Eternity like herself belonged on the battlefield—to fight where conflict brewed and to safeguard Inazuma from all threats. Anything less was a waste of her purpose. But she found herself reasoning, much to her own surprise, that Naganohara Yoimiya’s fireworks were more than just fleeting sparks of light—they were symbols of joy. An expression of freedom that had time and again rekindled Inazuma’s spirit even in the most dire of times. That, above all else, deserved protection, did it not?
“Very well.” She allowed herself a long sigh before continuing, arms uncrossed as she weighed the idea in her mind. “I shall be the one to oversee punishment. But allow me to remind you this: I have no plans to indulge you in your whims. If I am to supervise you, then I shall expect you to follow my instructions when they are given. No buts, no questions. Is that clear?”
Despite her words, this did not mean that Sara planned on being too overbearing to the poor blonde, of course. Hearing her think of ways to improve herself earlier deserved a reward, not further torment. “In exchange, I can introduce you to the bake-danuki within the forest and see to it that they do not trick you into playing one of their endless games.”
There. This should surely be a sufficient compromise.
@romancandlelight
Kujou Sara fell into her trap, hook, line, and heckin’ sinker. She knew that the mentions of the punishment and supervision would catch the General’s attention, and that’s all she really needed. The concern about Sara’s supervision rules and whatnot could come later– right now, she had a plan to set in motion.
Nothing sinister, of course. She still needed to be on her best behavior, and she doubted that Kujou Sara would be all that amused by another mishap. If anything, it was probably on the forefront of that poor General’s mind, a very immediate (and admittedly valid) concern. However! Yoimiya did feel rather bad about the number of headaches she had left the other with in recent times– even without her antics, she could see the stress and exhaustion settle into the taller woman’s bones, no matter how subtle the change was. The bags were forming under her eyes, the light in her eyes just a shade dimmer than usual… She needed to get her to take a break.
Besides, it didn’t feel right to just leave her misdeed as is, so she cooked up a little something on the spot. A surprise for Kujou Sara, both as thanks for the kindness shown to her and as an apology for the trouble she’d caused. But the General didn’t need to know that yet!
“In that case, do you mind coming with me to Naganohara Fireworks for a second? I need to get a few things for a new thing I’m trying out, and I don’t think I could carry everything by myself in one go.” She paused, then added, “Not safely, at least.”
Her golden eyes twinkled with hopeful eagerness as she watched for Kujou’s reaction. Of course, it would be entirely possible that the woman would simply reject her offer under the pretense of safety concerns. If that was the case, well, maybe she’d have to think of something other than fireworks, which would suck, but it wasn’t the end of the world, per se.
Either way, she was determined to get Kujou Sara out and about, and she would make it happen. > @immovablewill
