psychedelica

ANIME

[ it turns out that Hikage proving he could carry Steph was actually foreshadowing. Once her wounds had been treated (as much as they could treat them without any real doctors around), he'd scooped her up into his arms once again and brought her straight back to their room in the water dormitory. Warmth has been restored, but a chill still lingers in the air as the cold stone of the castle slowly regains its heat. He does his best to ignore his numb fingertips as he lays her down on the bed. After a few seconds, he takes a seat on it, himself, sitting beside her, looking down at her face.

He still hasn't really heard the story. The others were probably talking about it, but all of his attention was focused on her at the time. Why shouldn't it be? After all, their lives were connected at the moment. If she'd bled out on the floor, he would have "died," too, somehow. It's only natural. He tells himself this as if he needs to justify feeling any concern for her at all.

Was that why he'd been so nervous when they were separated, too? ]

Oi. Stephanie. Are you awake?

[ despite his brusque words, his voice comes out softer than he'd intended. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ it turns out that adrenaline is one hell of a kicker but it does not change the fact that running around on stabbed feet is a bad idea. it hurts and she's exhausted, but like she said to fane, she's had worse. it's mostly the lack of real medical attention that's probably going to be the most frustrating part of this later.

later. she'll have to worry about that later.

when she opens her eyes, steph just looks blearily at hikage for a few second before actually answering. ]

Yo.

[ he's doing his best. once she's rested more and the bleeding's really stopped, they can try and clean her wounds properly, at least. Dying of an infection would be terrible. For both of them.

She'll find him staring down at her with a creased brow; the concern flickering briefly on his face vanishes, turning into disapproval bordering on motherly. ]

You're an idiot. [ JUST PUTTING THAT OUT THERE AGAIN ] You won't die. But, you're an idiot.

That I am.

[she at least looks apologetic. steph tries to sit up, but then immediately just lays back against the bed. it's pain, but also she's still groggy. ]

But missed you, too.

[ for some reason, that comment only seems to annoy him further; he turns where he sits at the side of the bed to face her more fully, hand twisting in the covers. ]

You think this is a joke? This isn't about missing you. If you died, what do you think would happen to me? [ Hikage's voice is stern, smoldering with anger that seems to be springing up out of nowhere. ] Were you trying to be a hero? You'll just get both of us killed!

[ at that, she does actually manage to sit up. it hasn't manifested yet in front of anyone, but steph does have a temper. and while nowadays she's pretty good at being able to not let things bother her, hikage unfortunately just hit her biggest trigger. ]

I didn't do it on purpose. I was minding my own business, and this castle's weird magic made me walk through a door. And then it made me and Fane go on some weird adventure that we didn't even know what the reason for was.

[ so it was the castle's magic, then. Truth be told, Hikage has an easier time understanding that than he lets on - but he doesn't relent. For once, he seems to be going off emotion more than logic. ]

And it also forced you to fight a rabbit and get your wrists slit, somehow? You should have just run, or let Fane do the fighting. I need you to survive.

[ yes, technically. while in the caverns, stephanie and fane were filled with one single urge: protect the lantern. and fane was the one holding it, so steph was compelled to protect him over herself. but, in all honesty, even if that hadn't been the case, she probably still would have done the same thing. ]

No. You weren't there. We had to fight it, we weren't going to escape any other way. And I wasn't going to let him risk himself while I just sat around and did nothing.

[ he has the urge to tell her that that's stupid, that he probably wouldn't have done the same for her - it's every man for himself here, partners excluded, and any one of the people around them could become a killer at a moment's notice. Unlike her, Hikage is innately distrustful. And Fane is half in the grave, anyways.

But he bites his tongue. Saying that would just make things worse. ]

I was going crazy looking for you, [ he growls. ] Just - tell me what happened. All of it.

[ yeah, please never say that out loud in front of her ever rip. ]

Adding a "please" wouldn't hurt.

[ she's still annoyed, but she also knows how the partner paranoia feels. the urge to get the lantern to safety was so great that it managed to null that in comparison. ]

Like I said, a door appeared and I was compelled to walk through it. I ran into Fane and we picked up a lantern, and were both filled with an urge to protect it. There were three paths, and we chose one of them to go through. I assume the other two groups chose from the remaining two. As soon as we walked in, the ceiling collapsed behind us so we had to keep going. We ended up in a cavern filled with flowers made out of ice and the temperature was dropping. There was a chest there, and then we got attacked by the rabbit. [ ... ] It was magic. Made of ice, I think it only looked like a rabbit to let our guards down. It kept going after Fane because he was holding the lantern. We managed to knock it away and tried to escape while it was down, but ice was attaching to us. I think it was trying to freeze us in ice cocoons? Anyway, it transformed to look like a child and attacked again, and latched onto Fane's arm and was trying to chew it off. I tackled it, got injured, but Fane managed to kill it.

[ she stares at hikage expectantly, like she's waiting for him to lecture her on the explanation. ]

Edited 2018-06-15 12:05 (UTC)

[ luckily, he does listen - intently, even - despite the frustration he's obviously feeling. In truth, most of that frustration is purely emotional, driven by the unnatural (although not entirely unnatural, to his dismay) paranoia he'd felt when she disappeared. It's not like him to be anything other than practical. And that, too, makes him annoyed. But he's a logical-minded man, and he can't sustain that anger for long when the reasoning behind it is dissected in front of him. ]

... And? What did you get for all of that, besides injuries?

[ the lecture doesn't come. this is a game, and he doesn't think tiger and dragon would make her play that level without some goal in mind. ]

Well, first of all, you're welcome for the turning the snowstorm off.

[ it's still cold; the temperature is only gradually increasing, but at least the sick people probably won't die now. ]

... the chest had a mirror. It's, uh, broken. But I'm pretty sure it can change someone's abilities or objective? Fane has it right now, but again, it's pretty broken.

After all that, you broke it?

[ and gave it to fane?? He hopes Fane doesn't decide to use it against them. He seems smart, but trustworthy is another matter entirely. However, he doesn't bring that up, either. Hikage stares at her for another few seconds, but it's clear his anger has simmered now; he sighs heavily, bringing a hand to his face as he turns away from her. ]

...Honestly... At least the heat is back. [ he's too much of a Hikage to thank her for that, especially when he's still bitter about the fact that she left and got hurt at all. ] I hope it was worth it.

The mirror was an unfortunate accident.

[ she threw the chest and also fane fell on top of the mirror when they reentered the mansion. she... is purposely withholding that information, for obvious reasons. she doesn't have a single excuse for that. ]

And it doesn't matter if it was worth it, Hikage. It happened. I can't do anything about that now.

[ she's right, and he hates that. this whole situation irritates him for a variety of reasons, being wrong not least among them... but she's right. There's nothing he can do. The fact is that it happened, and even if it was stupid, she's at least alive. ]

Just... next time it happens, find me first and bring me along. I can't let anything happen to you. [ he knows she said it was a magical compulsion, he knows, but maybe if he really drills it into her, she'll be able to resist long enough to call for him, or something. he has a gun, he could help!! ]

[ she actually opens her mouth to say just that, but stops herself. he doesn't seem as mad anymore, so it's not really an argument at this point.

instead, steph just sighs, leaning back again. ]

I'll do my best. I wouldn't want something happening to you because of me.

Good.

[ there's another pause. he glances back over at her, silent; then he slides off the edge of the bed to his feet. ]

I'm going to get you some water. Do you need anything else? Are you cold?

[ she blinks, almost like she didn't actually expect the argument to end so quickly. she could have imagined this same conversation with tim or bruce, back then, although normally the ultimatum they would have given her would have been more harsh than just "try to find me first."

she has to snap out of it. there's no point in thinking about past mistakes now. ]

... water's fine. I don't think there's much else we can do about the cold for now.

[ being logical enough not to drag these things out is one of Hikage's only good points, Steph. please enjoy it. His dignity (and sense of security, for that matter) is a little bruised, but he doesn't think fighting with her about this would yield any better results than what he's already gotten. She doesn't bend easily, not like Beniyuri had. Which puts him in a bit of a pickle, since his life is in Steph's hands in a way it had never been in Beniyuri's.

He'll figure it out. Her stubbornness might be a good point, too. ]

... Don't be difficult. [ there is exactly one thing he can do about the cold. Hikage shuffles off the red mantle he's been wearing since they were outside earlier; then, rounding the bed so that he's standing on her side, he puts it over her instead. With that done, he turns to leave quickly before she can get in a comment. ] I'll be back.

[ and he's gone! ]

[ it's a good thing he left so quickly because she was, without a doubt, about to say something in response to the action.

well then. ]

That was cute.

[ she's talking to no one. ]

[ see, this is exactly why he ran away so fast. He doesn't want to hear it!! He needs to clear his head and cool off. It's pathetic, to be this afraid of dying again, to be this angry about things beyond his control, to be worried about some girl. All he is is a lost soul trying to move on in one way or another. All he needs to focus on is that goal.

Right.

He comes back not too much later with a glass from the kitchen and some water, as promised. It's practically freezing cold, but this time, there really is nothing he can do about it. Hikage shuts the door softly behind him, on the off chance she's fallen back asleep; he calls out in an equally quiet voice. ]

I'm back.

[ unsurprisingly, she's awake. he walks in on her examining her wrists, testing out just how much movement she has without pain flaring up. when she hears hikage reenter, though, steph drops her hands onto her lap. ]

Hey. [ ... ] Can I ask if you missed me now?

Don't you have more important things to worry about?

[ just casually gonna sidestep that one, thanks. He seems to have cooled down from before, thankfully, and he approaches her to hand her the glass, all business, as usual. Or, at least, he gets halfway to handing it to her, then stops, retracting his hand a little. ]

Wait. Can you hold things? I don't want to aggravate the injury.

Yes.

[ the response is automatic, and she even holds her hands out as if to take it from him. ]

I'm just tired, so it's fine.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

ANIME

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject