(Untitled)

[lastnightswish]

[In a hallway, somewhere between the southern wing and one of the neutral wings, there is a Kanda sitting on the ground, propped unceremoniously against a wall. Her coat is in tatters around her - oh boy, that's going to leave scars, Dressing Room or not - and she's absolutely covered in dried blood.]

[Her eyes are also open, as if staring at the

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[cardio_swindle]

[Who better indeed. He'll even light a cigarette and sit down in the mess near her body. He can be patient.]

[lastnightswish]

[One of her hands - the cleaner of the two, but still rather caked with blood - is resting on her lap. The fingers give the faintest twitch - a spark of life.]

[It's a lot like one of those moments when you're stuck between dreaming and waking. Paralyzed, but partially aware.]

[The next sign of movement is the faint way in which her eyes seem to fall into focus. Any moment now, any moment...]

[cardio_swindle]

[He moves a hand to hover over her hair for a moment, then just pulls back and leans against the wall. Blood is so messy. It's amazing how much of it the human body holds. How it really does seem to get everywhere.]

[Doesn't seem to mind that he's sitting in the worst of it either.]

[lastnightswish]

[For all intents and purposes, it looks like she had bled out in the worse kind of way - there's blood everywhere. Dried, mostly, or at least still rather sticky, as blood tends to get. Whatever it was that tore into her, it tore her up bad, and it's likely the deeper scars won't fade.]

[Her fingers twitch again, as well as her eyes -- and all at once she sucks in a wet, gurgling sort of breath. Choking on old blood? Quite possibly.]

[cardio_swindle]

[He taps some ash from his cigarette, watching it melt in the sticky puddle next to him. He's debating what to do with her when she wakes up. It's a lazy internal contemplation.]

[He could kill her again, and that has a certain appeal. Especially surrounded by the gore of her own death. He hasn't had anything to direct his rage and helplessness on since he got back, and even little things are setting him off lately. And she just had to go die when he didn't even kill her himself. So. That's an option.]

[Then again, part of him doesn't want to kill her either. He likes her, after all. It's a bit of one instinct arguing with the other. He won't know who won the debate until she opens her eyes.]

[lastnightswish]

[It isn't like the woman is in any position to fight back; who knows where Mugen is (probably destroyed, but it isn't like it won't come back anyway, as she's learned). And hey, if killing her makes him feel better...]

[She leans over, however - luckily, in the opposite direction of her audience - and drags in another wet and gurgling breath before bringing up a nasty mix of blood and... well, whatever else was caught in her wind pipes.]

[Following it is a scream. An actual scream; the remaining fallout from the last dregs of pain. It's almost like death itself had been a sort of Novocaine, keeping her from feeling the sensation of actually dying before her body started to kick back into gear again.]

[cardio_swindle]

[He watches, twitching a little when he screams. Half sympathy--he knows too well how it feels--half eagerness. It's so much better when they scream. But he doesn't move from his spot, watching her clear her lungs of the blood and her mind of the pain.]

[lastnightswish]

[It's really difficult to catch her breath - between spitting out all the shit that had accumulated in her lungs, and trying to breathe through the pain of it all.]

[The worst of the pain is over, however, and so she spits again and slumps back against the wall, not quite ready to move yet, save for turning in his direction.]

[It has to be post-death delirium, because strangely, she's... rather relieved it's him there, and not someone else, if the look in her eyes has something to say for it.]

... Tyki...?

[cardio_swindle]

[He doesn't answer right away, blowing a long stream of smoke and watching it curl in the air before slowly dissolving as it rises away.]

My my, sounds like a nasty dream you had. [Another long drag on the cigarette.] You were in such a hurry to go, I suppose you took a wrong turn.

[lastnightswish]

[She leans back against the wall, fixing him with a gaze that isn't entirely there just yet. Her eyes flick down to his cigarette, though.]

The fuck are you on about?

[It takes a lot of effort - it still feels like those fucking gravity chains are tied to her arms, even if it gets easier to move the more she does it - but she manages to bring a hand up to his cheek.]

[A goddamn cigarette would be nice right now. Very fucking nice.]

[cardio_swindle]

[He raises an eyebrow and leans over, taking the cigarette from his mouth and placing it lightly between her lips. The gesture reminds him of something someone else did for him, right back to life. He leans back again, not getting himself a replacement.]

You. Took a wrong turn. [He says it clearly and calmly. Enunciates.] I thought you were in a hurry to get somewhere. Unless this was the intended destination.

[He looks at the blood-spattered walls.] Can't say much for your taste.

[lastnightswish]

[It's clumsy, trying to smoke without using one's hands, but she's going to attempt it. Because that nicotine is wonderful. Absolutely wonderful.]

[She rests her head against the wall, still meeting him with a dazed sort of look. At least until he looks around, and then she looks around as well.]

[Well shit.]

Stop... talking to me like I'm two.

[cardio_swindle]

[He looks back at her, clearly a little amused by her reaction.]

Just making sure you heard. There might be blood in your ears after all. Difficult to listen through.

[lastnightswish]

[You would be amused. Sigh. She looks down at her hands for a moment before attempting to push herself up]

My ears are... fucking fine.

[... trying to get up was not a good idea. Gurgles again, just a little bit, and flops down.]

[cardio_swindle]

[He laughs at her fumbling. Cruel. Amused. Not the least bit helpful.]

Language my dear. [He chides gently, teasingly, amid the gore of her own death. Really, who could ask for a better setting for sheer ridiculousness.]

You'll make the walls blush. [As if they could get any more red.]

[lastnightswish]

[Kanda resorts to just sitting back and finishing off the cigarette.]

Allow me to weep for your sensitive ears.

[Stills a moment, on the verge of clearing out her lungs again, but then relaxes.]