Round 1 ;; Conclusion
[Slowly, a glow begins to build at the summit of the mountain. It builds and builds, until it suddenly explodes outward, encompassing everything in the battlefield.Whatever was happening to you in the battle, it is stopped abruptly by that brilliant flash of light. It surrounds you, and does not fade. Suddenly, you can feel a presence in front of
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[ And it's as if the voice calling her name gives the shadows some focus as the figure of Jill comes into view. ] Jill!
[ Because the sight of her form sprawled out on the ground was all that was needed for her feet to start moving, despite her own injuries and despite not getting a chance to play out her encounter with Count Doku cuz that would've been epic. And before the young woman could realize what was happening, she was already kneeling down beside the other. ] Jill, what happened?
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[A snort, sharper than she intends] ...I'm not good with domineering bastards.
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Touching her shoulder and constricting the muscles in her neck only to feel her veins twitch at the small jolts of discomfort, the young woman gave a weak smile. ] Looks like none of us are.
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That does catch her attention, though.] What--about you? Still in one piece? [Her optimism never really leaves, even if the strength to say it with a full smile does.]
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Everyone was out for blood this time. Everyone was giving it all they had.
Mos of her inuries, thankfully, are covered, so it was easy for Tifa to tell the little white lies she tends to give when such question scome up. Having Jill worry about her when she, herself, ws in that state was not beneficial to either party. and Tifa preferred to spend their final moments remembering their oddly formed friendship with a fond if not half0hearted smile. ] No worse than after a battle with you,
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[A pause.] ...It seems like this is it. ...I just wish I knew what it was... [And if Chris is all right, but he's tough -- injuries aside, he'll also live, and a part of her hopes that if this is really it -- if Cosmos upholds her end of the bargain -- that he won't find her before then. He won't leave her alone, and in the state she's in now... it'd be pointless to deny him that chance at freedom.]
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We're seeing this to the end and beyond together. [ Because they had seen so much already for it to end this way. ]
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[But that pressure in her chest is worsening; the burns... seem to be fading, though, not leaving as much as they are become a background element, slowly replaced by that steadily-alarming feel of not being able to breathe right.
If this is what dying feels like... well. It isn't her first time. There's just no Wesker to put her back together today.
The thought makes her pause.]
...Listen... if you could do me a favor... there's -- a knife -- on my left boot. Can you get it for me?
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[ There's something troubling about the idea of Jill asking her to retrieve a knife for her. Even though Tifa knew for certain that Jill wasn't so self-sacrificing and fatalistic about life and how badly her injuries were, there was still something unsettling about handing over a weapon to the other woman. Still, there were very few requests that the barmaid could deny to the other. And well... with her state being what it was and how weakened she appeared, Tifa was certain she was very capable of stopping something if it went too far.
Then again, there was something to be said about Jill's resolve when she wanted something done...
Tifa gave a nod all the same, and carefully shifted over towards where Jill had indicated. Very carefully, she glided her hand over the boot and pulled free the knife that was strapped to it, weighing it in her palm with a bit of curiosity to go with her wariness. ] What do you need this for?
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[Her next heavy exhale is largely a sigh. Her eyes drop to the ground she still can't entirely see.] It's just... [Her smile fades, the look thoughtful and her voice more solemn.] ...been a really, really long time... since my hands have really touched anyone. [She pauses -- there has to be a better way to phrase it, but it is an odd request either way and with how fuzzy her head is, better words just aren't coming. Saying that no one, for the most part, has touched your skin for years except the person you despise the most is a complicated story, and one she may not have time to tell.]
My gloves... are attached to the suit. [Her smile comes back a little, but more forced than before. She's unsure whether she has the strength to cut them off anyway, now.] I guess I just... want a reminder. Just in case.
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Lowering her head a bit and letting her brows curve upwards in sympathy, the young woman gave a single nod. ] ...Ok.
[ And with that came the meticulous process of actually... cutting off the suit at the wrist without nicking the skin underneath. ] Both gloves?
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And btw, that's another issue. Is it really safe to peel off part of the suit with her body looking like it did. Tifa was no medic, but even she knew that causing more harm could be potentially life-threatening... then again...
It's just like skinning a tomato, she thinks. And TIfa's done a lot of cooking since rebuilding the Seventh Heaven so she knows what she's talking/thinking about. And luckily, the glove comes off, no problem. All five fingers are accounted for, and the skin is smooth if not a bit red and irritated from the burning. Despite that though, she sets the knife down and takes Jill's hand between both of hers. It's what she wanted. It's what she'll get. ]
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It's not to say she didn't appreciate Chris' affections, his touches and his kisses -- but her hands are... well. She'd never noticed before just how important they were to her; they're how she does everything, and for three years she did nothing but cause pain with them, all while they were numbed from the warmth of simple touch.
Even Chris couldn't give her that.
She smiles, the expression in her voice. She can't hope to say enough to express how much the simple gesture means to her, so she'll only give a very tired- but genuine-sounding,] Thank you.
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[ Though she wants to squeeze back, the better part of Tifa refrains. The hand might look ok, and she might be strong enough to give the gesture, but there's no telling what's going on underneath or just below the surface. And the last thing she wants to do is cause more harm than good. Not to Jill. But that doesn't stop her from lightly rubbing at the skin, as carefully and gently as she can.
She's here, Jill. Tifa's here.
A small smile tugs at the young woman's lips and she greets the elder with her usual smile, though there's a hint of helplessness in the her eyes. Whether Jill can see it or not through her fog of pain and delirium, Tifa can't be sure about... ] Any time. But you gotta stay long enough to abuse that right.
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[She doesn't raise her eyes to Tifa's face again, but Jill doesn't have to; she knows all too well what it's like to be by the side of a dying comrade. Regardless of how long you've know a person -- two days or two years -- there's always that frustrating sense of being helpless, mingled with a bittersweet conviction that everything's going to be okay. It's a mutual comfort, one for both parties and one that neither side usually believes.
Jill isn't afraid of dying. She got over most of her fears in 1998 when she realized that there are worse fates than death, and expecting -- hoping -- every day between 2006 and 2009 that Wesker would grow tired of his games and finally kill her... needless to say, that took its numbing toll on her. She still doesn't want to die, of course, and there's always that anxiety towards the unknown -- and after everything she's been through, after everything she's survived and all the people important to her, she's never wanted to live as badly as she does now, but...
She's realistic. A soldier. Her last moments have been blessed by the company of someone she cares for; the least she can do is stay strong up to the end.]
Believe me... this once... was more than enough. [Her thumb sweeps gently -- or is it weakly? -- over Tifa's skin as her eyes flutter closed. Thoughts are getting ever harder to keep together, memories are blurring; her voice and her breath are slowing.] ...Even if we were all forced here... and made to fight like this... this was still my first taste of freedom... in a long time. [That sardonic quality comes into her tone again.] Just my luck, huh.
Still... people like you -- and Chris -- you made this worthwhile for me. [Another fleetingly brief squeeze.] I appreciate everything, Tifa.
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