[27] Old scars die hard [Action!spam for Roiben]

[faeriewhocanlie]

[The last few days had been so strangely peaceful, hadn't they? At least, as far as the City was concerned. So Kaye was having a pretty restful sleep. She was curled up on the small bed she was sharing with Roiben, as per the usual arrangement

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[everyshadow]

[Ah, yes, it was peaceful indeed - but Roiben wasn't letting his guard down. He wasn't an avid victim of the curses, but when he was caught up and tangled into the City's "pranks"? Yeah, it always ended up interesting, so to say.

But he wasn't expecting something like this. No, he definitely wasn't, and when dawn broke the night, he awoke with a startled jolt and a shaky, shallow gasp. Silver eyes shot open and were wide, and he was aware that he was still in the bedroom, and Kaye was beside him, and it was just them.

But he almost felt like he was attacked. No, he was sure of it - otherwise, where was all the pain coming from? The blood seeping between his long fingers as he clutched at the gaping wound at his chest?

Roiben was never one to make a ruckus when wounded - he was battle trained his entire existence, and pain was something he had come to tolerate. To expect. But this? No, this was unexpected, and he could feel his archaic scars split open and the blood gush out.

This was not good.

His eyes were closed when Kaye had begun to shake him, and he was hoping she wouldn't wake up - irrationally unsure why, but all he knew is that he didn't want her to see him like this. And he was struggling so, so hard to not to slip into unconsciousness, to stay awake, and hell, alive, but it was becoming a struggle. A bit of a problem.

The shaking had evoked a pained hiss, and his eyes slowly cracked open - but they were open in slits, and his breathing was shallow. Too shallow. He wasn't sure if he could talk, but he was feeling something metallic and wet flood his mouth, and it gave him the feeling of drowning; suffocation. He turned to his side just barely, as painful as it was, and opened his mouth, and he just let the pooled blood spill out to splatter in droplets on the bed, and to trickle and drip down his mouth and chin.

This. Was. Not. Good.]

[faeriewhocanlie]

[Kaye's hands were red with blood after she touched him, but she barely noticed that. She was wide-eyed, staring at him unblinkingly and searching hard for any sign of life. He couldn't be dead.. it had to be a curse...

Despite knowing that, her heart was still beating too fast against her chest. She didn't know what to do. Kaye clumsily tried to check to see if he was breathing, or check for a pulse, before she noticed his eyes open up just a slither.]

"F-fuck.." [She wouldn't ask if he was okay. That was a stupid thing to ask right now.] "Y-you're still alive, right? I need to-- to get some bandages.." [She shook her head and cursed under her breath.] "No. That wouldn't-- We need to find a healer."

[everyshadow]

[Roiben tried his best to keep himself under control, to keep remotely quiet and calm so he wouldn't freak her out further or cause her to panic. He still couldn't find his voice to speak, to tell her something, to at least tell her he'd be fine - but he realized that telling her that would be entirely impossible.

Faeries couldn't lie.

His breathing was erratic and still shallow and his skin was clammy and frosty. He made a small sound, something of a pained grunt, and he reached over to grab her shirt, curling his fingers into a clutch.

He was beginning to gasp a little, and he tried to stay still, but his body was jerking up a bit.

He was losing too much blood, too fast.]

[faeriewhocanlie]

[Almost immediately after she said it, Kaye realized just from looking at him that trying to find a healer would take too much time. It would be too late-- No! It couldn't be too late..

Her attention was caught when she heard the slightest sound from him, and when he grabbed a hold of her she fixed his attention on him in case he said something. Anything.]

"R-Roiben-- Don't try to get up. Lie down." [As much as it pained her to see him lying down like that, instead of sitting, standing, living, she didn't want him to exhaust what little energy he had. Kaye stared hard at him and seemed to be lost in thought, as if she was trying to make some kind of decision.] "I-I'll bandage you up.. and then try to find someone to help..."

[everyshadow]

[His initial 'answer' to that was a succinct shake of his head. He pulled on his shirt, almost as if he was telling her to not leave, to stay.

What was the point of her leaving? He knew. He knew he wouldn't last long.

Roiben forced a cough and small splatters of blood clung to his mouth again, and he gave a small cringe, trying his best to steady himself. Trying his best to control every individual pain from every individual wound.

But his eyelids were feeling heavy, and he knew it was only a matter of time. But he tried not to let it show, and he tried to fix his stare at her. He tried not to look tired or hazy or just so out of it, and he narrowed his eyes up at her.

His mouth opened, but this time it wasn't for blood. He found his voice, even if it was just for a moment, and even if his voice sounded hoarse against his throat. He tried his best to sound sure, authoritive, with no stammering - and he was actually successful, even if were just for three mere words.]

"I will return." [That was the law he was told, right? Death by curse would return you the next day. He was coming back. He couldn't lie, after all.]

[faeriewhocanlie]

[Even though she knew she needed to get up to do something to help him, Kaye couldn't tear her gaze away from him when he bid her to stay. She knew he was going to say something, and she had to know what it was. If she could just hear him say something, maybe he would be okay after all.

Her pitch-black eyes stared straight at his, still unblinkingly. Kaye was hanging on to every second that passed by.

Tears didn't start to corner her pixie eyes until he spoke, but she didn't notice them. One long-fingered hand grabbed his chin urgently as she came closer to him, not caring about getting more blood on herself - by now, she was probably covered in it just from the contact with him.]

"N-No! Roiben!"

[She knew what he meant and she knew that it was just a curse, but she didn't care. It was still horrible. The blood - all of this blood from the years and years Roiben had fought. Seeing all of the scars and all of the blood together at once was a painful realization of all that had happened to him in his life, even though she was present for many of those scars.]

[everyshadow]

[If there was one thing that he didn't like, was the fact that she was panicking hysterically. He had hoped his words were calm her down some, give her some reassurance, but it looks like it had made things worse.

He didn't speak again. He just shook his head a little, as best as he could, and his bloodied hand released her shirt and slid down a little. His fingers slipped under her shirt just barely, and he started to stroke her side lazily - he was trying to calm her down. Everything would be okay. It had to be.

His eyes were half-lidded, and he tried to keep as conscious as he could, but he just started to slowly slip away.]

[faeriewhocanlie]

[Oh no. He was not trying to comfort her when he was in this condition. Kaye stubbornly moved his hand off her side and moved her hand over his, squeezing it hard.]

"Everything.. will be okay, Roiben."

[She summoned as much courage as she could to say that, as convincingly as she could, determined. And it wasn't a lie, or an untruth. She was just twisting the truth a little.

It had to be a curse. He would be back tomorrow, right? He said so himself.

Hungry for answers and desperate to help Roiben even if it was useless, Kaye fumbled for one of the communicator gadgets on the dresser near the bed, reaching with one blood-soaked green hand, while the other hand held on to his. She fumbled around with the electronics clumsily, glancing back at him nearly every few seconds.]