Report 7 [Accidental Video] (SUPER backdated to Jan 8th) (trigger: dying)

[holdnovirtue]

[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

Comments

[holdnovirtue]

[Tieria was disoriented further when Mercury covered his mouth... He couldn't breath again. Why? He needed air. So what if it hurt? He could finally breath again, so why...? He tried to struggle against her, but it was difficult. His body wasn't responding the way he wanted it too...

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...]

[aquaticbeauty]

[Now safe--from the fire at least--the adrenaline rush was gone, and Mercury's wits were finally about her again. The gravity of what she just did fell upon her with an unbearable weight. Perhaps it was the drain of the last attack she had unleashed. Maybe she had inhaled too much smoke, or maybe she just didn't get enough air before going in--but now, finally still, she moves forward onto her hands and knees and draws herself closer to Tieria.

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?

[lcied]

[ Hope knew Alexander wouldn't be there for them forever, but as the Eidolon calmed down the flames with ease, he figured the move would buy them more time than he had expected, which was good. It would be fine.

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.

[holdnovirtue]

[Ami's voice breaks through the haze of pain. Stay awake? He was trying. It was easier now, he could just focus on the pain without blacking out anymore. Breathing still hurt, but at least he was getting the air he needed.

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.

[aquaticbeauty]

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.]

[lcied]

[ The list of questions Hope wanted to ask Tieria was so long that it would probably take a few hours for them to go through them even if they had all the time in the world. But they didn't, they definitely didn't, and it was useless to voice his worries at the moment.

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. ]

[holdnovirtue]

[All Tieria could do to the stern reaction was smile, although rather weakly. He really couldn't express how appreciative he was of these two. Not just literally. Glancing between the two saviors he felt a pang of guilt, worry and weariness coloring both their faces. How had they even know where to find him?

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.]

[aquaticbeauty]

NO. [Mercury's coughing ceased long enough for her to voice her objection. She held up a hand, and looked back over her shoulder to hope.]

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?]

[lcied]

[ Mercury seemed to have forgotten that he also needed her as healthy as possible for their journey back to the shelter - or anywhere where it was safe, safer than here, at least. It was fine, really, he'd done that many times before when they fought in larger groups, but as she opposed the idea so strongly, he eventually gave in, though not until he shot a nervous glance in her direction.

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?

[holdnovirtue]

[Shaking his head, he tried to get across that he was alright, that he just couldn't stop coughing. He brought up a hand to cover his mouth, unaware that he could even move it again. Black with a mixture of red was appeared on his hand after another, stronger cough.

Tieria's breathing was a little sporadic after that, but his coughs die down, and he leans back against Mercury. Trying to breath lighter, so it wouldn't scratch his throat further, he looked at Hope. How was he suppose to tell them he was alright with his throat as raw as it was? All the screaming, smoke, and fire really had done a number to it.

Still trying to maintain eye-contact, he closed his eyes for a couple beats, then opened them again.]

[aquaticbeauty]

[Mercury's eyes were fixed on Tieria's soot and bloodied hand. She tried not to show too much concern, lest she arouse panic in him after they'd successfully pulled him through the roughest part of the recovery.

Instead, she brought one hand to Tieria's back, and the other onto the ground to keep herself steady against the weight of Tieria's body.]

Here. [Mercury lifted a hand up to Tieria, drawing from the humid, muggy air around them a pool of water to hover over the palm of her hand.] Sip this, but slowly. You still need to breathe.

[She looked to Hope, offering him a relieved smile. She hadn't expected this operation to go as it did, but she was glad he was here for it.]

[lcied]

[ At last, a moment of peace, even if so fragile and probably, rather short. The sight of blood did not quite help him relax entirely, but it was truly relieving to see that they had eliminated the risk of losing Tieria again. He would be given time to recover, once they placed him away from the flames and this terrible hell they experienced today.

The tears, cuts and little bruises were still fresh on his skin, but he returned the smile, feeling a weight being lifted from his shoulders. The moment Alexander finally vanishes, Hope sways a bit, eyes losing focus for a second or two, but he manages to gather up enough strength not to let them slid shut. He struggles with the sudden drowsiness, exhaling deeply, but... peacefully. They went through so much in such a short time, why would he give up now, when the end drew so close? Nonsense. ]

Don't ever... scare us... like that again, you hear? [ He strikes a weak smile, this time in Tieria's direction. And then, another healing spell. With their guardian gone, they will need to act a bit faster. ]

[holdnovirtue]

[Tieria gladly closes the small gap and takes a small sip. ...It felt akin to heaven, going down. Still he could only take in a little at a time, as he was still working on controlling his breathing. Softly. Steadily.

Looking between the two of them, he was glad for the moment's rest. Sure, he hurt all over, but it was nothing compared to the earlier inferno. In fact, he had felt worse at home once, then he did now, in this moment. Things were going to be okay. He was going to be okay. They were going to be okay.

But then the strange large creature looming on the outskirts disappeared... Tieria really wasn't sure where that had come from, but Hope seemed to visibly pale after it was gone. Was there something wrong with him? Was he over exerting himself? He shouldn't- Why would-

But the smile silences his thoughts. It was hard to argue with that face... Tieria swallows a little more water, the whispers tentatively.]

Sorry...

[aquaticbeauty]

Shh...[Mercury pulled her hand away for a moment to let Tieria breathe.] We're going to get you to where you should at least be able to stand. [Her tone was hushed, as though letting Hope and Tieria in on a secret just between the three of them.]

It won't be for long, but we need to get you to shelter so nothing more happens. [Mercury looked to Hope, who was looking pale after that exertion.]

I know it's going to be difficult, but I need you to stay with him in my place. Someone needs to watch him. [Pointed look to Tieria. There was no telling that once he was healed enough, he wouldn't run off again.]

[lcied]

[ Stay with him in her place? Did she have somewhere else to go? Mercury's request took him aback, not that Hope particularly minded being able to stay with his friend.

But what other answer could he give? ]

I will. I-It's alright, I'll handle it. [ A decisive nod follows. Because surely, nothing would be as difficult as the mission they had just experienced. Or rather, completed. ] ... A shelter, it is, then.

[holdnovirtue]

[Tieria listened to Mercury and Hope talk, eyes fluttering closed occasionally. He was definitely fighting consciousness again, but this time it wasn't life threatening. He just felt so worn out...

Should he still try to stay awake? Miss Mizuno had said he needed to... but that was earlier... Hope might worry if he drifts off now... No, it was better to stay awake for this. If they had to, so was he.

At that revelation, Tieria moved slowly to sit up, so that he wasn't resting on her anymore. Seems he was getting some strength back...]