don't you give me the reason

Ochi had been doing everything within her power to make herself useful. She had promised Hattori that she would pull her weight, but just doing the bare minimum wasn't enough. Not for her. Not for her upbringing or her sense of duty and pride. So, while most others were inside on a day where the skies came down in torrential rains, Ochitsuki was out doing what needed to be done.

The koi woman noted that a few of the closer streams were overflowing somewhat dangerously. If they received much more rain, the common areas would be at risk of flooding. Waking before the sun, Ochi had set to work building a retaining wall. The long-legged fae rolled whatever rocks and boulders that she could find towards the edge of the common area, placing them strategically along the edge. In between the boulders she packed mud, clay and whatever else she believed could hold against the onslaught of water.

It took her quite some time. Hours and hours, in fact. By the time she was finished, the fae's dark pads were cut and bleeding, as were her forelegs. She had almost been pulled downstream as well. Ochi was sore and tired, her normally pristine coat covered in mud, pieces of bamboo leaves with patches of blood like sprinkles on the cake.

After deciding that she'd done all that she was capable of, the monochromatic fae gave her muddied body a rinse, but it was pointless. There was no escaping the mud, nor the rain. The constant onslaught of precipitation kept her wounded paws and forelegs from clotting properly. Thus, Ochi's long front legs dribbled pink and red as the trails of rain gathered her blood and trickled down like little thieves, stealing her blood and taking it into the water below.

Mismatched eyes caught sight of Hattori through the curtain of grey rain. Brows furrowed for a moment as the woman considered just heading back to her den. The sense of duty within her prompted Ochi on another course, however. She followed the horned man towards his den. Before she even arrived to knock, he was snapping at her. Pale ears slicked back for a moment before clear, respectful vocals called out over the steady thrum of rain. "Hattori-sama, I wished to see if you required anything of me before I seek shelter against the rain." She was at his disposal, afterall.

"Speech"