014 [action]
Dying hurt about as much as Hal imagined. It was all academic- as the blood loss became too great, the victim would start feeling less and less, the numbness pervasively coating all sensation, pain or otherwise. He never felt the felling blow of Larxene's knife, just the feeling of falling without moving.
And then nothing. Which was a relief, because considering his past's crimes, the alternatives could have been much worse.
But now... The nothingness shifted to blackness, and that in turn shifted to the not-quite-darkness that comes from staring at a light with one's eyes closed.
Hal opened his eyes to stare up at the lights of the Lobby and took his first breath in a little over a day.
Hal sat up slowly, wincing at how his skin pulled oddly. White, pale, thin scars crisscrossed his body- no doubt left by Larxene- all healed and faded enough that someone might not notice them if they weren't looking. His palms and cheek were free of stitches, the scars left there slightly dark and more vivid, but otherwise...
"I'm alive," Hal murmured, staring awed at his whole and uncut skin. Just to be sure of what he was seeing, he dried his glasses on his shirt. It seemed to be raining in the Home Plane. He felt no surprise at that. After pulling a phoenix act and rising from one's own ashes, a little indoor weather phenomena was easy.
"Impermanent death. Well, didn't see that coming."
And then nothing. Which was a relief, because considering his past's crimes, the alternatives could have been much worse.
But now... The nothingness shifted to blackness, and that in turn shifted to the not-quite-darkness that comes from staring at a light with one's eyes closed.
Hal opened his eyes to stare up at the lights of the Lobby and took his first breath in a little over a day.
Hal sat up slowly, wincing at how his skin pulled oddly. White, pale, thin scars crisscrossed his body- no doubt left by Larxene- all healed and faded enough that someone might not notice them if they weren't looking. His palms and cheek were free of stitches, the scars left there slightly dark and more vivid, but otherwise...
"I'm alive," Hal murmured, staring awed at his whole and uncut skin. Just to be sure of what he was seeing, he dried his glasses on his shirt. It seemed to be raining in the Home Plane. He felt no surprise at that. After pulling a phoenix act and rising from one's own ashes, a little indoor weather phenomena was easy.
"Impermanent death. Well, didn't see that coming."