Of Bruises and Art Exhibitions (Kiku and Lili)

[Kiku Honda]

Kiku Honda was not one to show much emotion, even if said emotion was happiness, let alone pain. It generally took a lot for him to openly express how he felt to people, mostly because he tend to be rather shy around new people. A part of it also came from being raised by a father who was a samurai-bodyguard - A warrior hides his true intentions well, like a cat hiding its presence while stalking its prey.

So when he woke up this morning, the pain in his sides was enough to make him gasp a little, and that probably was a bad thing. The Japanese youth winced, and clutching his ribs, moved slower this time.

Nor definitely makes a better friend than an enemy, he thought grimly. Fighting with Norway reminded him that most people wouldn't hesitate to fight dirty, especially if they were thieves/ruffians/pirates. There was no code of honour to abide by, not when the quickest way to win is by busting your opponent's balls. Or ribs... okay, perhaps it was good he aimed for ribs instead, he winced again.

Sighing, Kiku forced himself to roll out of bed and head to work. He even valiantly tried to hide it from his master as he didn't want to disrupt their work schedule. Before half the day was gone however, the pain had not subsided and it was slowly starting to show on his face. When Kiku lifted a box of spare metal parts and tried put it unto a shelf, he felt a blindingly sharp stab of pain and stumbled, dropping the box unto the floor.

"Kiku! What's wrong?" his master bent over him worriedly.

"I-It's nothing, just a few bruises from the fight, that's all. I'm fine." Kiku gritted his teeth, trying to hide his discomfort, but failing miserably.

Before long, his master had forced him to take a day off work, and sent him to the hospital to have his injuries seen to. The hospital smelt of medicine, alcohol swabs and detergent. The Japanese youth sighed as he leaned gently against his chair, waiting for his turn and hoping that it was nothing too serious.

[Lili Zwingli]

It had been a while since she started to work at the hospital and to her surprise she really liked her job. She placed a folder in a pile that her doctor ordered her to place it. She was ordered to take the next patient and work with them while her doctor went off to do something that was for another case. Lili really didn’t mind so she grabbed the file and gave a wince.

‘Severe bruising,’ she thought. ‘Ouch! Well let’s see how bad it is!’ Lili walked from the desk to the waiting room. She looked over the information and started to think of things that were possibly wrong with him. She looked up from the folder with her patients name in mind. She placed the folder against her chest holding it as she peeked into the waiting room.

There weren’t that many patients in today and she looked around to see who could possibly be her patient. There was a couple with a baby and a few people to the side and they looked at one person who was holding their head. She saw a single person and she then thought that was probably was her patient.

“Japan,” called Lili. She saw some heads turn but went back to their own business except for one person. “Is Japan here?”


[I’m sorry if I messed up your name! I didn’t know if you used code name or your normal name. I can edit it if I got it wrong ]

[Kiku Honda]

[It's allright, I made some mistakes about the code name in my other threads. But yes, normally outside his circle of friends, Kiku goes by his code name. So could you probably just change it to "Japan" instead? Does Lili go by her normal name too? Sorry to confuse you earlier!]


Kiku was watching a spider climb up to a dark corner of the wall, studying how the insect methodically worked at spinning a web... yes, he was finding all manner of ways to distract his mind from the pain as he waited for his turn. Surprisingly he found that it worked, and he was so engrossed at watching the spider and mentally counting its vast number of eyes, he almost didn't hear his name being called out. His code name, that is.

"Is Japan here?" He looked up from his nature obsevation when he heard the nurse's voice.

"Yes," he answered, gingerly climbing to his feet, gradually being reminded of the throbbing pain in his side. He winced, following the nurse into a room. She was a petite young lady, and much like the other Europeans he'd met, had blonde hair and bright green eyes. Unlike the others though, she wore her hair in a short bob, with a single emerald-green ribbon tied at the side.

Once inside the room, Kiku sat down on the bed, and waited for the nurse to look him over.

[Lili Zwingli]

[ I get confused on the code-names as well. I'm going to use her alias for now but I'm not completely sure on the whole alias name thing ]

Lili looked at the boy and gave a weak smile as he walked over to her. She could tell that he was in pain but she wouldn’t be able to know how much pain he was in until she was able to examine him. “Please follow me,” she said walking to the room where he would be. She went slightly slower than normal since her patient was in pain.

She led him to the room and looked over the chart as he sat down on the bed. She looked at him with a smile and walked a bit closer to him. “My name is Liechtenstein and I’ll be your nurse for the day,” she said very politely with a smile on her face. She still wasn’t used to her alias, but she was given it when she got to be a better nurse and proved to everyone that she was going to remain a nurse. “I want this to be painless as possible for you! Could you tell me where in the general area are you in pain?”

She looked at the young man wanting to help him and make sure that she would take very good care of him.

[Kiku Honda]

The nurse was looking through her chart, before she gave him a smile and introduced herself as Liechtenstein. Kiku could feel genuine concern exuding from the look she gave him, and that sort of helped him feel less miserable.

"Could you tell me where in the general area are you in pain?" Liechtenstein asked.

He thought for a bit, trying to pinpoint exactly when he hurt the most.

"Mostly around my ribs. I got bruised in a fight... Well, there was a lot of kicking and punching, but I don't think I broke anything...,"

Well, at least he hoped he hadn't broken any bones, although that would explain why the pain seemed to be getting worst eventhough it'd been nearly a week since the incident. Kiku sighed to himself, and winced again.

Perhaps he should have his medical fees billed to Norway...

[Lili Zwingli]

Lili’s eyes went widen as she heard he was in a fight. She made her way over to him and looked over his ribs. Depending on how long he had the wounds if any were broken they could have punchier something. Her eyebrows went closer together in concentration as she gently touched his ribs. She heard him hiss in pain and quickly apologized.

She pulled away from him. “I believe you have some bruised ribs,” she said. “I didn’t feel any that were broken but a few might be cracked. I believe though that you have bruised muscles and bones, sometimes a bruised bone can be worst than a bone breaking itself.”

She looked at the chart then was confused before looking back at him. “How long were you in pain before you came to the hospital for treatment?”

[Kiku Honda]

Liechtenstein's eyes widen in mild shock when he mentioned the fight, and he didn't know why, but that made him feel a little bad. He'd assumed that working in a hospital meant the doctors and nurses were used to having patients coming in with all sorts of injuries, and were therefore less.... bothered by the extent of said injuries. However, it did seem he was mistaken. Tilting his head slightly, he regarded the nurse calmly.

Well, she is rather young. Perhaps this is all very new to her. He gave her a faint smile, trying to reassure her that the fight wasn't all that bad (even though it wasn't exactly a walk in the park either).

When he finished speaking, she moved towards to take a better look. Kiku held his shirt up for her so that she could examine his ribs, letting her touch and feel them. Although he could tell she was being as gentle as she could with her touch, he still felt twinges of pain as her fingers felt around for any broken bones. He gritted his teeth, his breath shallow as he tried his best to endure the discomfort--

Unexpectedly, her fingers brushed the spot where he hurt most and Kiku hissed painfully. Liechtenstein drew back, apologizing. He was still wincing when she explained to him how she thought he'd probably didn't break anything, although there was a possibility of a number of cracked or bruised bones.

"...sometimes a bruised bone can be worst than a bone breaking itself."

Ah. I didn't think it'd end up that bad. He sighed inwardly to himself.

The nurse was looking at her chart again."How long were you in pain before you came to the hospital for treatment?”

At her last question, Kiku winced again, this time not from the pain, but from slight guilt.

"Err... well, actually I've been having the pain for about a week... maybe a little more than a week." He gave Liechtenstein an apologetic look. "I just thought it was normal bruises and all, it wasn't the first fight I've had. But um, well, it started to get worst after three days or so, and today it was pretty bad."

He managed a small chuckle to himself. "Though, I probably wouldn't be here at all if my master didn't force me seek medical care. I guess he was right in doing so."

[Lili Zwingli]

Lili gave him a disappointed look for not coming in earlier but at the same time she was glad that her prediction was correct...but she had to make sure.

“Have you had any trouble breathing,” she asked. She really didn’t want him to have a broken rib, since if he did, it could puncher something and she really didn’t want that. “Or any other pain then the area’s where you were hurt at?”

She listened to what he had to say and she felt bad a bit when she knew her look might have upset him. She just wanted to make sure that her patients were always cared for to the best of her abilities.

She decided to explain why she gave him a disappointed look since she did care for her patients. “Since you waited so long, if you had a broken rib it could move out of place and pierce something important. That’s why I was asking if you were hurting anywhere else other than the injuries you obtained during your fight.”

[Kiku Honda]

The young nurse's disappointed expression made Kiku feel all the more guiltier. Eventhough he was probably many years older than her, the kind but slightly stern look she gave him made him feel like a boy being reprimanded for something he knew he shouldn't have done, but did anyway.

She'd asked if he had experienced any trouble breathing or if he hurt anywhere else and her face soften with concern as she questioned him. Kiku continued to listen as she then explained how she'd been worried about broken ribs, and the possiblity that the broken bones might have punctured an organ or two. Kiku hadn't realize that he was probably really lucky that wasn't the case with him, since he wasn't exactly gasping to breath all the time, and he didn't really hurt too much everywhere else but that one spot.

"No, I don't exactly have much problem with breathing, and I don't hurt as much elsewhere except for that one spot there." He looked back at the young lady. "Thank you for your concern, Lietchenstein-san"

He pondered for a bit before continuing.

"If it were bruised bones, what do I need to do to heal faster?"

[Lili Zwingli]

Lili had given a sigh of relief when Japan had said that he hadn’t had any trouble breathing. She had been worried that he could have had a broken rib. She gave him a smile and looked at the chart. “It is my job to make sure everyone gets better!” She placed her hands in front of her.

“I know that you may not like this but I don’t want you to do any heavy lifting for at least a few weeks,” she said. “That way the muscles around your ribs will become stronger and it will give your bones some time to heal.”

She lifted her hand when she saw him about to open his mouth to try and argue, she gave him a look that told him that he wasn’t going to win the argument and to not even try.

But she gave a smile and pulled a tube out of the pocket in her nurse apron. “Don’t worry; I’m going to give you something that will help.” She walked over to him with the tube in her hand. “If you rub this on your side a few times a day it will help your muscle heal along with the bruised bone.”

She took a step back. “Are there any questions that you wish to ask me?”

[Kiku Honda]

Brows furrowed ever so slightly, Kiku was about to voice his concerns about not being able to overwork himself for weeks, only to be faced with Lietchenstein's firm gaze. Kiku blinked, a little taken aback and decided against it. Admitting defeat with a tiny smile, he nodded at her instructions on using the prescribed medication.

"Thank you Lietchenstein-san. You are very kind. I shall do my best not to strain myself." he said.

Something behind the nurse caught his eye and he looked past her, trying to get a better look. He was pleasantly surprised when he realized what it was. As if on cue, he heard Lietchenstein's question and wondered if it would be impolite of him to ask something out of her workscope. He hesistated at first, only to be won over by curiousity.

"I couldn't help but notice the painting on the wall," Kiku began slowly "It is quite a famous ukiyo-e woodblock print. Are you also interested in traditional art, Lietchenstein-san?"


(Happy Birthday btw! Hope you have a good day and much fun :3 )

[Lili Zwingli]

She gave a smile and nod as she started to write on his chart to make another appointment so she could keep on his ribs later on. She was trying to figure out what would be a good day to come back when she heard his question.

She turned her head to look at the painting that was on her wall. The picture he was pointing too was one that was giving too her when she passed her exams to become a nurse. Her caretaker got it for her as a ‘congratulations’ present since she always loved the artwork.

“I am,” said Lili looking back at him. “It was given to me as a gift when I became a nurse.” She gave a smile. “I always found the artwork amazing and beautiful.”


[ Thank you! ]

[Kiku Honda]

He continued to study the painting with keen eyes, listening as Liechtenstein explained how she came by it. Yes, it was as he remembered it; the picture of two young girls, sitting under a cherry tree, admiring the flowers in bloom. Memories arose from the back of his mind and he recalled how his mother had showed him her own collection of woodblock paintings, and how this particular painting struck him the most with its blend of colours. A tiny smile quirked at the corner of his lips, recalling how he had also pestered his mother thereafter to teach him how to draw and paint with a brush.

Kiku turned his gaze back to the nurse when she finished explaining, while absent-mindedly massaging at a small spot in his sides, which had started to throb again with slight pain.

"It is a very beautiful piece," he agreed. "My mother has that same piece in her collection, and I used to enjoy just looking at it."

He pondered for a bit, a new idea suddenly tugging at him. He remembered there was an art exhibition in Londinium next week, featuring artwork from all over the world. He had already planned to visit the exhibition by himself but now he wondered that perhaps he should invite the young nurse along? She had been very kind to him and he felt the need to show his gratitude to her for taking care of him. And it would be nice to have some company as well.

"There is an art exhibition that I was planning to visit next week. They will be featuring artwork from all over the world and... um, since you seem to be interested in art as well, would you like to go to the exhibition together?"

[Lili Zwingli]

Lili gave a smile as she turned to look back at the picture. She had several more at her own clinic but at the moment she had to do her hours at the hospital. She normally got tired of seeing the blank walls that made several people avoid the hospital. She found it highly annoying that she had to beg her head nurse for a single picture to be placed on her wall to make the room look livelier.

She turned her attention back to Japan as he started to talk about the art exhibition. She was actually tempted to go but she really didn’t want to go alone. She gave a thought in wonder if she had any hospital hours next week. She knew that she was always had hours open at her own clinic and people had been telling her to get out. When she didn’t think of any day she had to work next week she gave him a smile.

“I don’t have to work at the hospital next week,” said Lili with a warm smile. “I was interested in going as well. It would be nice to go with someone that loves the art as well. I would very much like going with you to the art exhibition.”

[Kiku Honda]

Liechtenstein gave an affirmative to his invitation with a warm smile, and Kiku was glad that he would have company and someone just as keen about art to discuss with. While he didn't mind the occasional solitude, it didn't mean he was a loner and disliked going out with people. He was just mostly reserved (and probably a tad bit shy at times) around strangers, and he tend not to be as loud or crass as some of the acquaintances he'd met off and on.

And while him being the quiet person that he is also didn't mean he disliked going out with boisterous people, he was somewhat relieved that Liechtenstein came across as someone a lot like himself.

He turned his thoughts back to the young nurse, and nodded at her, slowly getting to his feet.

"I'm glad that you're willing to go with me. Thank you again for taking good care of me." He paused, and chuckled softly. "And I'll try not to overwork myself so I can get better soon, like you told me to."


(Sorry for the late reply! Things had been rather hectic lately for me. Um, perhaps we can skip ahead in time to the exhibition day in the new posts. 'Cause it seems we're pretty done here for the clinic scene o7)

[Lili Zwingli]

Lili was glad that she was going to have company when going to the Art Exhibition. She was tempted to ask her caretaker to take her but she thought it would be rude to ask him to take time away from his work to look at some art with her. She remembered working with him and the workload that he would gain from people visiting his shop.

She gave a smile to Japan as she watched him get to his feet. She was still concerned about his injuries but she felt like she could check up on them when she saw him at the Art Exhibition.

She gave a soft laugh at what left Japan’s mouth. “I know that you will look after yourself,” she said. “But remember to use the cream on your injuries. You can work, don’t worry about that, but do the light lifting and not the heavy.”


(( It's okay! I understand things getting crazy in life. I don't mind skipping ahead o/ ))

[Kiku Honda]

(Finished thread, as Lili and I decided to do the art exhibition thingy as part of Frost Faire festivals)