Report 7 [Accidental Video] (SUPER backdated to Jan 8th) (trigger: dying)
[The PCD crashes to the ground and flickers on, skidding away from Tieria.
He looks ragged and out of breath, staring severely at something (or someone) off screen. His eyes weren't the only thing pointed in that direction, as it seems that he'd finally found something to waste his bullets on.]
God dammit.
[The video starts glitching, fuzzing out ( Read more... )
Or was there? While he didn't expect Mercury to come back in a flash, the stinging feeling in his chest led him closer and closer to the door encased with flames. Having renewed the magic barriers hastily, it was easier for him to deal with the fire this time around, despite the terrible heat.
No. No. No, he wouldn't just stay idle and watch, it wasn't like him. Not anymore.
Gritting his teeth, he enters the fiery ruins, reading multiple Water spells as his eyes try to adjust. Tears roll down his cheeks, and he's not even sure what's the actual reason anymore, not that he has time to contemplate, knowing the barriers might break any second. There's no air, just pure flame that deprives him of the ability to breathe, but Hope knows he had been right. It was impossible for Mercury alone to take care of the situation, how could he even think that--...
Suddenly, two figures come into sight - everything is a blur thanks to the fire, but Hope recognizes the silhouettes instantly, and a broken scream leaves his throat. ]
Tieria!
[ He runs as fast as he can in their direction, hearing only his own pulse echoing in his ears. ]
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But it wasn't. And he couldn't even tell that any time had passed when another painful shudder of a breath rips through his system. It was as if something broke, tore, then was back to being whole again. Whole, and able to burn again. Over and over.
Still burning, still hurting. But now he was disoriented... Was he moving? It hurt. He couldn't tell. More tears fell from his eyes, and even they felt like they burned. He had died and come back again. Why couldn't he just stay down? This was becoming too much. It hurt. It hurt. It hurt.
Another voice pieced the inferno. He knew that voice. No. Hope. He couldn't... Stay away. Hope, you have to stay away. It was hell here. It all burned. It burned, and it didn't stop. Over and over. Over and over.
He tried to find his voice again, but his throat was raw. He must have been screaming again. Shit, no. Nonono.
All he could manage was a small groan.]
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She didn't have time to acknowledge him, instead, she ended up barking an order.] Help me carry him! We need to get out of here before the entire structure collapses around us!
[As though to prove her point, the trusses that remained lurched, a loud groan urging them to heed its warning. With a fierceness usually deemed uncharacteristic of the usually gentle Ami, Sailor Mercury shouted out an attack, throwing a blast of ice to hold it in place.]
That should hold it. [She shoots Hope an intense look.] But I don't know how long.
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He doesn't need an order to help her carry Tieria, though, as he's there offering his support before she manages to finish the sentence. Although mechanical - because he doesn't dare to look at his friend, not yet - his moves are as careful and gentle as possible despite the shivers that run throughout his body. ]
It's going to be... fine. [ He whispers after her, dazed, before he finally gets to his original task. Leaving the flames for Mercury to deal with for the time being, he quickly places magical barriers on all three of them to keep the heat at bay for at least a little while. Muttering healing spells as they run through the piles of rubble, he involuntarily tightens his grip on Tieria's arm. Very lightly, not to cause any more pain, but enough to make sure he's still there. ]
We n-need to be-- [ The green light symbolizing curative magic is soon replaced by a purple one, as he proceeds with a Haste spell to buy them some time. They can do it. They have to do it, there's no other way. ]
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The tears kept a constant flow as he mouthed soundless words of protest. They shouldn't be here. It burned. It burned and it won't stop. Tieria was starting to panic, but moving anything hurt. He could still barely breath, much less push the people risking themselves away. It hurt so much...]
Pl...ease...
[Was all he could get out, and not with much strength either. His breathing was ragged and coming in in short bursts. It hurt, but at least he could get some air...
How? Probably Hope... Green. What was he doing? He should be focusing on getting out of here. And taking the girl with him. Sounded like Mizuno... They shouldn't be here, they shouldn't be here at all. It hurt. It'll hurt them. Burn them. No.
It felt like his chest was starting to tear open again. No. Not yet. Not again. He hadn't told them to get out... they hadn't left yet...
It burned.]
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There! [The door was in sight, thank heavens! If she could just muster what little strength she had left, they could get to clean air, and purge Tieria's lungs of the smoke. He was groaning, pleading--but other than clinging to the knowledge that he was still, in some way, conscious, Mercury had to ignore his delirious utterings, as much as it pained her to do so. It was a distraction, and they would have plenty of opportunity to listen to what he said once he was out of harm's way.]
Hold your breath! [She brought a hand over Tieria's mouth, counting on his fatigue to prevent any substantial struggle.]
Mercury Aqua Mirage! [There was no point in trying to waste any physical exertion downing the door. She needed what strength she had left to carry Tieria while Hope focused on healing him. She unleashed the only attack she knew of that could take down an enemy all on its own, washing it away with a fierce torrent of water. Instead now, though, she had the water submerging them for a fleeting moment and carrying them to an exit, courtesy of the forceful flood of icy water, quickly warmed by the fire sending them off to whatever awaited them outside.
As quickly as it was summoned, once outside of the house, the water drained away, leaving them drenched and surrounded by pools of water.]
I hope that wasn't hasty...[Mercury was counting on the fire to keep them warm, at least--as the fire was far from subdued in spite of the sudden deluge she had summoned.]
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Once they were outside - finally - there was no mistake - if it hadn't been for her attack, they roof would have most likely collapsed before they even managed to reach the exit. He throws one nervous glance in her direction to make sure the girl's okay, and still whispering curative spells - practically involuntarily by now - he scans their surroundings for a safe spot to lay Tieria on the ground. The other's pained groans don't escape his ears, in fact, he catches every breath and whisper, which only confirm his fears. It's no mystery that Tieria's state is critical, and even if only for a short while, he needs to get a well-deserved rest. And fresh air. Rushing seems pointless if he doesn't receive basic treatment at this very moment.
As much as he appreciates the warmth the flames provide, the fire is too dangerous of an issue for him to ignore. It's like all the paths he's cleared just a few minutes ago have already been claimed by the flames, and he lets out a desperate groan. They can't afford to waste any more energy on battling the elements, not when they're so close...--
And suddenly, it dawns upon him. ]
...I know. I know! [ He's clearly frightened, but a new kind of determination seems to have come into his voice. ] P-please, hold him for a second - carefully, it's...
[ Hope leaves the sentence unfinished as he takes a few quick steps forward just to stop suddenly, closing his eyes and bringing his hands together. Soon, he's enshrouded in a green light, a different kind this time, as he summons an oddly-shaped crystal that he throws into the air shortly afterwards, his gaze fixed at the sky. ]
Alexander!
[ A massive figure makes its descent from the ominous clouds above, and in a second, everything flashes bright. When the view clears out, it turns out that the boy is accompanied by a giant of a somewhat robotic appearance, yet it doesn't seem to be malevolent to the three... ]
I -- We need your help!
[ -- it's the opposite, as it seems to follow Hope's orders without a second thought, putting out the flames that surround the rescue team. It's not water or ice the creature is fighting with, however, but... something else. Resembling a light. Holy rays of light.
And most importantly, it seems to work. For now. ]
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But it was responding. It didn't feel like his heart was being ripped out again either. Why? What stopped it... Again. Hope. Hope and Mizuno... Were they not burning? Was it just him? If it was... then that was fine... But they should still get out of here. What if that changed? What if they started to burn? They needed to hurry.
Tieria was further discombobulated once the icey water hit them on the way out. That hurt, and he let out a pained sound. But the heat... it was less intense out here. The air stung, but it wasn't as bad as what he'd just been in.
He felt himself being passed so just one person was holding him. Maybe they were leaving? Saving themselves? Good. Now if only the other one would go...
But then there was a bright flash of light, and he didn't understand what was going on... He still hurt. Burned. But...]
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She looked up into the sky, watching in awe as Hope summoned forth some being of...of godly magnitude.
Truly, Adstringendum was filled with miraculous individuals...]
Tieria-san. [Mercury looked down to the seemingly unconscious man, layed out on the ground with little more than her hands to hold him up. He was without his glasses. She hadn't even thought to look for them while she was in there. Perhaps once the fire was put out. Could he even see without them? Could he even open his eyes?]
We're out of the fire. But I need you to stay awake, alright? [Her voice had returned to the meek tone that was no doubt more familiar. Not for the sake of it being more comfortable, but she wasn't sure, now that her thoughts had cleared, to speak any other way.] Can you open your eyes at all?
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Having thanked Alexander with a nod, Hope turns on his feet to return to Mercury and his injured companion, already feeling tears welling up in his eyes. Knowing it would only make the escape more difficult, he refused to look at him before, and now, as he drops to his knees on the other side, opposite Mercury... it finally strikes how much torture Tieria had to endure.
His breaths come out in short gasps as he tries to speak. ]
Y-you're safe. You're safe and... it'll be o-okay.
[ Saying it out loud, or muttering, rather, helps him finally come to his senses, because words aren't enough if he's not the one who will make things okay. There's no other treatment for the wounds but magic, and although worn out and approaching his limits, Hope casts one powerful Cure spell after another, praying it will lessen the pain. ]
... Don't speak-- [ It's too much to ask for, given the condition. He knows. ]-- just... g-give us some sign. Please.
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And it didn't burn quite as bad as it had before.
At her request, Tieria tried to open his eyes, going very slowly. The air hurt them, so he kept re-closing them. Biting his lip, he tried to focus on her face, but with new tears welling up, it was difficult.
Still breathing heavily, his eyes -now that he could see a little- flicked over to Hope as he sat next to him. That... wasn't a good face. At least they both seemed alright. They weren't terribly burnt... Huh. Now that he thought about it he probably looked pretty bad... That's probably why he was making that face...
Now that he was focusing on these two the pain seemed to ebb away slightly. Was that because of the cure spells, or was he going into shock? He really couldn't tell. All Tieria wanted to do was go to sleep. At least there he might be able to breath without feeling it...
But they were there, asking him to stay awake. Rest will have to come later. Maybe when he actually dies and stays down... No. Nevermind that. Hope wanted a sign. Something. Do something. It still hurt to move though... So despite Hope saying not to, Tieria whispered.]
Ow.
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Listen to him! Your lungs aren't ready to speak. [Mercury hadn't meant to, but her urging came out more as a command. She couldn't bring herself to touch him, not when Hope was continuing to heal him and she could somehow be interfering.
What had he been thinking? Taking off on his own without any back-up? She never met someone with such keen intellect with such poor judgement. Under what circumstance was going out alone ever a good idea?!
Her eyes, typically cool blue pools of kindness and calm, were burning with her tears and frustration. She couldn't let them spill over, and lose what composure she had. Pulling her eyes away from Tieria's pitiful state, she looked up to Hope, soaking wet and focusing on his spells.]
It's definitely working. His breathing is improving. [Her words sounded choked up, and she turned away for a moment and coughed away from the two fellows, covering her mouth with a charred glove.]
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But why? Honestly, why? Why would anyone be so reckless when the world around them shook and burned and people died? Why was he playing a hero, despite not having any means to defend himself? Or - or did he come over here knowing he would sacrifice himself, that idiot? Either way, it was wrong.
The girl was quietly crying too, he noticed as he leveled his gaze with hers for a second. Hope was aware that all this time, she only tried her best to sound composed, and he was truly grateful for that. His own voice was a miserable mixture of broken sobs and with time, it was getting even worse as he let the wave of exhaustion wash over him. Conserving his strength for the big battle ahead would be a difficult task now, as he could feel the world around him blacking out and he hoped, he prayed that he would not just suddenly collapse.
Nevertheless, it indeed was working, just like she said, and there was no way in hell Hope would give up on his efforts now, when the results were so clearly visible. He had tried to challenge fate before, and he would do that once again, because he was not allowing Tieria to die ever again. ]
Breathe. Slowly - just b-breathe.
[ Out of all three of them, no matter how worn out he felt, Hope was probably in the best condition, the boy realized, the sudden cough catching his attention. ]
... H-hey, you okay?
[ It wasn't difficult to tell that not exactly, not when she'd used so much of her powers to get them out of the building. Wondering why it slipped his mind before, he quickly sends a green wave in Mercury's direction as well. Obviously, most of his energy is still focused on supporting Tieria's breathing, but it wasn't like him to neglect the other companion when she'd done so much for their sake.
There's this familiar stinging feeling in his chest, sygnalizing they've already used up most of the time Alexander could give to them. Fortunately, the Eidolon was doing a marvelous job, and even with him gone, they could probably keep going for a while, flames in their nearest vicinity gone for now.
Finally, Lady Luck could have been on their side. ]
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He closed his eyes, trying to focus on the warm feeling spreading through him. Not a burning feeling, but a much softer, kinder feeling. He was going to owe these people so much... How was he ever going to-
A sudden scratch in this throat and hitch in his breath catches him by surprise, eyes widening. Tieria bursts into a coughing fit, even though he tried to fight the urge. It was one of those coughs you couldn't ignore, or keep down. His eyes watered a bit, but no tears this time.
It didn't hurt as bad as what he had just gone through.]
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Just him. [Her look was stern. She was not prepared to argue.] I'm fine. There's a limit, and you need to use it on him.
[She could get healing later. She would find Sailor Moon, or at the very least, a first aid kit. Her wounds her superficial. It was her own foolish need to hide her tears that caused the coughing. Her own pride was doing more harm to the situation than good.
Why couldn't she stop thinking about herself?]
What--[Tieria's body started to convulse into a violent round of coughing. Instinctively, Mercury seized Tieria with both her hands and scooped him up to sit up straight.]
What's happening? [Her eyes shot to Hope with worry. Was he coughing up the last remnants of soot? Was this a good sign--indication that his breathing had fully resumed and could now clear his lungs himself? Or was there liquid in his lungs? Had her dramatic exit been a huge mistake?]
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Watching Tieria struggle with breathing, he lets out a loud gasp and works on strenghtening his spells even harder. Confronted by Mercury's gaze, he's clueless as what to say or do, opting to lean a bit closer to examine the situation. Placing one hand on Tieria's shoulder to help keep him in place, he observes him closely, his eyes wide from worry. ]
I don't-- [ Nervous, he squeezes the other's shoulder lightly. ] T-Tieria?
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