Tuesday night, on a late-night train from Tokyo to Natsuto. Yumi sits in a car completely empty of passengers, other than herself. No sound but the archived livestream playing on her phone, and the soft and steady clunk of the train. She'd be dozing if it weren't for the myriad bruises and cracked rib; even after Terra and Sonia's combat healing, she's aching. Even distracting herself with videos off the internet is only going so far.

    But in the very instant the train crosses Natsuto city limits, she's no longer alone in the car.

    "You are injured again," observes Vulpes ex Machina. The clockwork fox is simply there, on the seat across from her. Yumi lowers her phone, setting it aside. Her instinctive, mild annoyance at the vulpine Guardian of Natsuto isn't conducive to anything; she makes a conscious effort to put it aside. "There was a great big monster in Hyrule. Someone needed to stop it. I'm a front-line fighter, injuries are going to happen."

    Vulpes' gemstone eyes blink once, tail swaying idly. "When we heal our senshi, it is generally a result of injuries incurred while fighting youma." One shackled paw lifts up, absently scratching at the back of one ear. "You are the only senshi incurring significant injury off-world. Time spent dealing with crises unrelated to Natsuto detracts from your duties to this world. Likewise time spent by myself healing your injuries. I must ask that you cease or at least reduce such wastes of time and resources in the fu-"

    "No."

    Yumi's reply cuts across the guardian so suddenly and firmly that the gyroscope within his tail briefly halts in its ceaseless spinning. "You... refuse?" That strident voice sounds utterly baffled. Maybe he's not used to people telling him 'no', Yumi muses. "I refuse," she confirms. "Those are my friends, and I'm not going to stand by when I can save a life or stop an injustice." Tail swaying again, the Guardian turns around once on its seat and curls up, lying down. "Then if this continues I will be forced to withhold healing. Surely your offworld friends are capable of seeing to your injuries for battles outside your duties."

    Yumi leans back in her seat with a frown, crossing her arms. That, he's within his right to do. But just because you can do something, doesn't make it right. Or even fair.

    "No, that's not acceptable. Those people have come here to put their lives on the line for this city, when they have no gain in doing so. I owe them. You owe them. And on top of that, right now I'm the only steady senshi you've got. If I'm injured, I can't deal with youma. Are you really going to snub your debts and hurt your bottom line just to make a point?"

    Vulpes ex Machina has no response for several seconds. But finally, the gyroscope within his tail begins to spin faster, and the gemstone within the gyroscope starts to glow brightly. Slowly, her pain begins to fade. "Very well. I will continue to heal you. On one condition. I will require payment for any future healing related to offworld incidents."

    It's Yumi's turn to blink, in mixed confusion and worry. "Define 'payment'."

    "Human sweets and snack foods," Vulpes replies matter-of-factly.

    Yumi stares. "...I'm sorry, what?"

    Vulpes cocks one ear. "Human sweets and snack foods. Fast food is also acceptable."

    Well. She didn't expect that.

    "...deal, I guess?"