Feeling those fingers tighten against his back, Yul shifted. Gently, he bumped Mumei's foot with his own, giving her a quick sidelong smile. A tiny reminder that they were both alive.

Then he turned what was growing closer to a scowl on Nishida. "Akemi-san already knows who we're talking about. You can just ask her." He crossed his arms. "Are we almost done, or is there anything else I can do for our friends, the Crab?" A tiny reminder that they were supposed to be friends.

Akemi stood up and put on her shirt. Her back still tingled but the sensation was very bearable now.

"It's cool Yasuki-sama. It's probably for the best we don't know about each and every of our allies. Would make it too dangerous if one of us was to be captured by a tsukai – especially when we cannot rule out they might be several – and they used whatever dark magic of them to make us spill the whole list."

She walked forward, putting one hand on the door, in a very explicit invite for them to exit the room:

"You've got your first hand report, with a confirmation upcoming. Shouldn't the urgency of the moment be to warn the rest of the Crab delegation to watch out about that Shin?"

He sighs, "Alright then. We'll see us."

He joined Akemi to leave the room.

Akemi bowed to the shugenja:

"Thanks for everything Nakauchi-san."

Then she left the room with Nishida, closing the door behind her.

"You're welcome, Hida-sama. Glad I could help." Mumei bows as they leave, communicator slipping into a pocket.

As soon as they leave, she slips around to embrace Yul hard enough that he might wonder if she were capable of cracking ribs like this. Her hand remains pressed in exactly the same spot on his back. "I don't know what I expected, but I didn't think it would be that..." bad? painful-looking? distressing? She just lets her voice trail off without choosing an end.

Even though Yul had just started to slip an arm around Mumei, he was still caught off guard by her sudden embrace. Gently, his arms settled around her, a soft amused huff escaping him as she squeezed. After a moment, he relaxed into the hug, leaning against her, his face nuzzling gently into her hair.

"It wasn't as bad as it looked." Yul murmured, inhaling, closing his eyes as he took in that incense-scent of her; more soothing than the sweat and dried blood he probably smelled of, Yul suspected. Shifting, he kissed the side of her head almost fiercely. "Thank you. Mumei." He whispered, his voice thick.

Remaining as she is, she kisses his chest gently, hands beginning to stroke soothingly. "You're lying, it was as bad as it was, even if you've had worse, love." His sweat and blood are an oddly familiar scent, disturbingly so if she stopped to think about it. She doesn't.

"And...you're welcome, but it's the kami who do this work." She moves to leave some distance between them so she can look up into his face, searching. "But it's not that, is it? Are you ok?"

Each touch of Mumei's hands, and especially her lips, soothed Yul a little more. By the time Mumei stepped back, he was smiling again, the slightly crooked playful one that he gave to her so often.

"Yeah. I'm okay. Or, now I am." Yul sighed pleasantly. "But the thank you wasn't just for the healing. It's..." He chewed his lip a moment, "I just feel better now, you know? It's not the kami I'm in love with." He brought up his hand to brush gently cross her cheek.

His hands settling on the curves of her hips, Yul stepped closer... and paused, his gaze flickering to the door. "You know, I'd almost bet that that Yasuki still has his ear pressed to the door, just in case we say something incriminating." He murmured, smirking.

There's relief to see him smiling, even if she still wonders how he's really holding up under the past few days. Then there's the comfort and delight of a few private moments of unrestrained contact, hands moving gently across bare skin. And under those there's a bittersweet regret that it can only be a few moments in a not really terribly private room.

"Well, you do still need to tell me who needs to hear this voice thing, if Suzume-san can wrangle it," She smiles, lifting up a bit on the balls of her bare feet. "But if you need help with, say, not talking. I'm definitely here for you." One hand brushes up to the back of his neck, offering just a hint of pressure..asking if she's followed his lead as he intended.

"That sounds nice..." With the touch on his neck, Yul was already leaning forward, lips meeting Mumei's in a gentle kiss, his hands sliding up her back. And then, as happened so often with the two of them, a second kiss, and then a third, each near parting a chance to instead begin again, exploring further, a touch more passionate.

He parted with a deep breath, stepping back just enough to avoid getting carried away, but certainly not out of reach, his arms still gently around her. "The last two are Kuni Eriko." Yul grimaced. "And Matsu Hide." Yul's grimace deepened; Mumei would feel his hands on her back clench. "My messages last night gave away that her kinswoman had been killed. I wish... well, I wish a lot of things." Some of the expected weariness was present in his tone.

With each kiss, her fingers dig more firmly into his hair, from gentle to urgent, tensing for a moment as they part, almost pressing for more. But...this is only momentarily private, and she sighs, dropping her heels to the floor once more.

It's a pity this contentment can't last, as his clenching hands spark new concerns. "Yul? What is it?" The names are a surprise until she thinks about them for half a second, and then they're pretty much the most obvious choices for 'People likely to discover mushoom zombies at a miai.

Yul nodded slowly. "Send them the file. I'll let you know if anyone recognizes him. And you keep me posted on the thing you've been looking into, huh?" He took a breath. "It's nothing. Just a few regrets, there." He smiled again. "But only there, which helps."

He shifted again, taking Mumei's hands in his, smiling down at her. "We should get ready. The race is soon, and I need a shower." The smile grew, his hands giving each of hers a gentle squeeze. "It's gonna be a long day, but I gotta say, I'm really looking forward to tonight."

She brings a hand to his cheek. "Ok." One word responding to at least three things. "Yeah, and..." Her hand cups his cheek, thumb brushing lightly. "And you're right. A lot to get ready for. The day's going to feel very long when I'm thinking about the night."

"Try not to get into more trouble today, maybe? Because I'm never letting you forget if if we aren't dancing tonight because the magistrate has you on...I don't know...room arrest or something."

"You're telling me." Yul murmured. He tilted his head into her touch, kissing her thumb, lips just beginning to part...

With a deep breath, Yul took another step away, and then another, certain that if they kissed again, they wouldn't stop. His arm stretched out, holding onto her hand, then just fingers touching, and then separation. For now.

Picking up his jacket and ruined shirt, Yul moved to the door, flashing her a grin. "No promises on the trouble. But nothing's gonna stop me from dancing with you tonight. You've got my word on that, Mumei."

With one last smile, he slipped out.

/exit

Mumei smiles after him for a moment before the day's worries slip back in and she sighs, glancing at her communicator for messages before getting some kind of breakfast.

/scene