word count:143

Horrendous. As much as Hattori was loath to admit it, he was just a wolf and thus had to deal with the same issues any of his kind might encounter. With the arrival of spring came unwelcome guests and they were plentiful. He gritted his teeth, glowering at the little hitch-hiker he saw wriggling its way into his fur. Would no doubt attempt to latch on if given the chance. A tick. Small and unassuming, but he knew they grew massive when gorged on blood, that once attached they were exceedingly difficult to pry loose. Not without tearing its head off, which would promptly dump the contents of its stomach right back into the wound it had bitten into his skin. Disgusting. And at a tedious angle, that he couldn't just itch it off as he usually would. He did not think the insect cunning, more of an unfortunate happenstance on his end.

With the change of the season and spring on its way in, Jiro was leaning into the healing side of learning. Hunting would take a back seat until spring babies had grown a bit and now that it was the perfect time to plant and tend to the gardens, it would be where he stayed most of the time. With his mother at his side, her gentle guiding ways showing him patience and humoring his lazy mannerisms, Jiro was able to learn quite a bit. She even began to warn him of the dangers of different parasites since their appearances were growing in abundance throughout the foliage of budding plants. Nasty bugs that had to be taken care of before they grew in numbers.

The pup was on his way to the gardens that morning when he crossed his father's path. Hanzo had a look upon his face that clearly stated something was wrong, more wrong than the normal scrunch of his father's brow. Stopping, he looks up at his father, a slight tilt to his head, eyes though not wide still held a curious glint to them. "Did you get bit on the butt or somethin'?" Jiro asks, though informal, he still speaks Hanzo's preferred language, Nihongo. He can't help but hide the humored smirk even if he does stop himself from chuckling.

wc: 224
total: 367/1500

word count: 187
total: 411

Jiro's attitude often rubbed Hattori the wrong way, and today was no exception. He grimaced at the young pup, not entirely in the mood to deal with him, Kiriko was far more patient and doting than he was perhaps he ought to- He exhaled sharply, the boy ought to make himself useful and Hattori knew he was trying to learn the healing arts. He had many talented teachers at his disposal, so it wasn't as if he didn't have the potential to become just as noteworthy himself one day.

"No, I believe I have a tick. I do not want it to latch on. Have you been taught how to remove them...hygienically?" That was the best way he could think of describing it. Hattori was not a squeamish man, but the topic was rather grotesque. Tojo was a place of civility and culture and this sort of topic was rather unbecoming as far as he was concerned. But so was life, it wasn't as if disliking it would make things any better. Action had to be taken, even if he was incapable of doing so himself. Frustratingly.

Jiro knew he got under his father's skin and perhaps he found fun in it. The grumpy appearing father of his was easy to disturb. One poke of the tongue, jab of a paw, and Hanzo was giving him sharp-eyed glare that always meant cut it out. Fun as it was, his father's words had his expression glazing over to a more serious note. A tick? Those were nasty bugs as far as he was concerned. Recently, Sedna had gone over with him about different bugs and parasites when spring had sprung. With the warmer, balmier weather taking over Tojo, it turned the bamboo and their fur into prime real estate for the little nuisances.

"Hy-hygenickally?" Jiro test the words out first, stumbling over the difficult syllables. After a moment, he perks up and nods in confirmation. "Hygienically. Yes, mama taught me how," he bares his teeth at Hanzo in a proud-like grin before taking a step back. "Means we can't do it here. Come, to the den. Mama has all the stuff we need there to do it," Jiro motions his muzzle toward the path that led them to the place they called home. Really it was just the private quarters since all of the bamboo was their home, but anyway, beside the point.

Turning to lead his father toward a more hygienic location, Jiro somewhat feels a sense of usefulness in him. At least his father could ask him for some sort of help without being totally annoyed by his personality. Isn't that what any pup wanted? To be accepted? But he had Kaizen and Shinrei and Kina to compete with and honestly, that was too much work. Being a literal black sheep was easier.

wc: 287
total: 698

word count: 249
total: 947

Hattori hummed low in his throat, he trusted Kiriko far more than most, so if she had been giving the boy lessons then he was learning well. Following his lead, Hattori padded after the boy, grimacing at just knowing what had attached itself to him. In the grand scheme of things, it wasn't world shattering, but it was unpleasant enough and he was sure most wolves would agree with him. He wasn't being difficult or stuck up- it was an issue that needed sorting, least of all because he knew full well of the risk of blood infections or diseases.

Coming to a standstill, this idly reminded him of the treatments Kiriko had prescribed to him early on in their relationship, with her aid his aches had become more manageable, and he found himself still using the stretches she had prescribed to warm up before training or spars. Though it was something he knew little about, there was obviously always going to be a need for wolves who followed varying paths of healing methods. Some preferred to just rely on herbs and plants, mixing them into concoctions whilst others put their knowledge of anatomy to use. He idly wondered what approach Jiro would take, as he'd seemingly taken an interest in it.

"Do I need to sit down?" That way it might be easier to access, though it wasn't as Jiro was a short pup either. He would grow tall and strong, like most of his siblings it seemed.

Once they are situated in a more “hygienic” location (really, what place in a bamboo forest is considered hygienic?), Jiro wanders a bit farther into the den to gather supplies. Though his own teeth might be sufficient enough to pull the tick off his father, he didn’t want to risk swallowing any of the fluid in case the tick did burst. Nosing through his mother’s supplies until he found a pair of bamboo tweezers, a bundle of lint that had been crafted from vegetable fibers, and a small glass tincture bottle of peppermint oil. Depending on the size of the tick would dictate how much aftercare his father would need.

Turning back to Hattori when he questions if he should sit down, Jiro thinks for a moment. ”I suppose that will be easier,” he muses as his pale colored eyes wander over the large form of his father. Hattori had not informed him where exactly the tick was located, but it sounded as if it was at least not on his ankle.

Stepping forward with his supplies as he awaits his father to sit down, Jiro continues to assess the form of Hattori. There on his thigh, Jiro notices a small area where the fur has lifted and appears not as smooth as the other areas. His eyes narrow, wondering just how long his father had had this tick before requesting assistance. ”I hope this is quick,” Jiro teases as he waits patiently for his father to get comfortable.

Wc: 249
Total: 1196

word count: 149
total: 1345

At the instruction, Hattori lowered himself, ear flicking in disapproval. Not just at his son but all of this in general, Hattori loathed tedium and treatments at the best of times, so his unfavourable mood was understandable all things considered. And yes, he could have told the boy where it was, but the pup was observant enough to find it on his own surely, part of being a healer was just not treating issues but finding them as well.

Adjusting his stance a little, his tail flicked out behind him, Hattori watched as Jiro got to work with a pair of bamboo tweezers. Good for delicate movements, capable of grabbing such a tiny pest that teeth wouldn't be able to grasp in the same way. At least not without making a mess and considering the consequences, that was something they both wished to avoid if possible.

"Indeed." He agreed.

Once his father is comfortable, Jiro sets to work. Placing one paw on the ground beside his father's thigh for stability, he places the other one beside where the tick latches on, devouring blood as if it had no tomorrow. In reality, it didn't. Once the fur was moved away, Jiro takes the bamboo tweezers in his jaw and grasps the head of the tick. Careful not to squeeze too tightly, he pries the tick off without forcing it to explode. Instead of squishing the bug, he places it in a small jar of pure alcohol ensuring that it will drown and not spread any disease.

"I will clean the area now. It will ensure there is no infection or damage from the tick, it shouldn't hurt," Jiro speaks calmly, though he knows his father doesn't need it, but his future patients might. Working on his bedside manner, no? Grabbing a cotton swab with his teeth, Jiro dabs it in the bowl of peppermint oil and then gently pressed it to his father's tick bite. "The peppermint not only smells nice, but will help inflammation and pain," he adds before placing a paw over the cotton piece and then using his teeth once more to grab a piece of sticky bandage to place over it.

Once it is neatly covered and safe from bacteria, Jiro steps down off of his father's thigh and gives the larger man space. "You can take it off or have mama take it off in thirty minutes or so. The sticky sap from the bandage will probably pull your hair so best do it quickly," Jiro gives Hattori a cheeky grin and a few wags of his tail. He couldn't not get something in that might aggravate his father later on.

wc: 296
total: 1641