Who: Riza Hawkeye (firebornfidelis ) and Utena Tenjo (princely_calyx ) When: Directly after this. Where: The ruins Format: Paragraph What: Utena goes to find Riza after Kyuubi's attack. Warnings: Mentions of blood, injury.
Riza had not wanted Utena to come. She had wanted to fight, to tell her to stay safe in the city and not risk coming out when there was a monster out there. She just didn't have the strength. She could barely manage staying conscious, much less mount a convincing enough argument to stop the determined girl from running - once again - to her rescue.
It really was getting a little ridiculous if she thought about it. She seemed to continually need some sort of saving. She might have laughed had the circumstances had been different. Had she not just taken the worst beating of her life. She could barely turn her head for the screaming burn down the right side of her face and she knew she had a few cracked ribs in addition to the broken left arm. The blood soaking into her clothes, however, was from the two deep cuts across her body - one across the top of her chest and one over her abdomen.
She heard Utena from somewhere off to the right. She breathed in and tried to speak, but the sharp pain in her chest made her bite her tongue and all she could manage for the moment was a tiny wave of her left hand.
Utena ran over to the prone figure. She could see the gashes in Riza's chest and stomach. Mentally cursing herself for not bringing bandages, she crouched down next to her.
"Riza-"
She stopped short, staring at the burn on Riza's face. True, probably not as bad or life threatening as the gashes but it was quite angry. What had happened out here?
She breathed, shallow, short. It hurt, sharp pains stabbing through her body every time she inhaled. She hated to be this way, to frighten the people she cared about. Utena and Dawn and Jason. Scar and Mei. Priscilla. Voices that were swimming in her head now, through the red haze of pain.
Riza bent her knees, seemingly the only part of her to have avoided severe injury.
"I'm not sure," she breathed, voice almost too soft to be heard. "I. I can't pick myself up."
She had managed at least to straighten out the disturbing angle of her broken right arm and was cradling. But she didn't have the strength to withstand the pain she knew would flood over her if she tried to sit up without help.
Short tag is shortprincely_calyxAugust 29 2010, 08:42:21 UTC
"Okay." Utena moved to Riza's left side, not really wanting to bother the right arm that Riza was cradling. She gently placed Riza's left arm over her shoulders, wrapped her arm around Riza's back and prepared to lift.
"Ah, all right." Riza didn't savor the idea of actually moving right now, but she knew she had to get to the clinic. Her wounds were fairly serious. Not life-threatening unless she didn't do anything about them, but still.
On three, Utena pulled her up and, with a choked scream, she was on her feet, left hand closing hard on Utena's shoulder.
She felt the hand clench her shoulder. It hurt. Which was a good thing, Riza had plenty of strength left then. Utena had carried her before but she also had Jim to help her. She wasn't sure she could do that this time.
"Let's get out of here." Utena gave a glance to behind them, making sure the background was clear of anything. Nothing but ruins and a few whisps of mist looked back. The way ahead was clear as well. She took a cautious step foward, watching Riza.
Walking was alright. Or, at least, it was possible. Her breathing was ragged and she winced at the blinding pain of her face and chest and the arm she was trying to nurse. Thankfully, her legs had been mostly uninjured and she could move with comparatively little pain.
"Naruto," she confirmed, breathless. "He... changed. Turned into something else."
A monster. His skin had burned off and he had stretched and grew and he had looked so like Envy for a moment that she couldn't think.
Sorry, thought I'd responded already!princely_calyxSeptember 9 2010, 03:06:48 UTC
"What? How?" Utena couldn't really believe what she was hearing. People just turned into monsters like that? Sure, she'd seen those stupid werewolf films and the like. But they weren't real. And she knew Naruto. He wouldn't do something like this, he didn't want to hurt people.
She continued forward, still supporting Riza. Thankfully she was walking quite well, considering. She was also thankful they weren't that far into the ruins. Though this also meant that the monster - no, Naruto - was also close to the city. That sent a small chill through her.
Pain was creating a red haze behind her eyes and she couldn't really see straight, so she was grateful to have Utena beside her. She knew her fingers were probably digging in to Utena's shoulder uncomfortably, but she couldn't help it.
"I don't know," she hissed, trying desperately not to jostle her broken arm as she stumbled along. "He was... he was still that thing when he ran away. From Allen."
Because her bullets hadn't done anything. She'd been powerless against that thing, her guns useless, like so many other times. Only now, there was no fire to save her. And no flames to save. And she would have to learn to... deal with that.
Oh look, a wild tag appearedprincely_calyxSeptember 15 2010, 06:54:37 UTC
"Why did he change? Was it the mist?" Utena was still confused as to how something like this could happen. And what could stop something like that? She could only hope that Priscilla or maybe Byakuya and his shield-thing - or anyone - would be able to stop Naruto.
The city grew larger as they made their way across the ruins. Utena did her best to keep them moving at a quicker pace, though still keeping Riza as steady as possible. The idea of the monster still being out there, along with whatever else was lurking in the mist made her nervous.
/catches it in my pokeballfirebornfidelisSeptember 15 2010, 10:16:22 UTC
"I don't know," she breathed. "I couldn't tell. I don't know."
As she moved faster, she could feel her blood pumping as if every little artery and vein were magnified, and the blood flowing out of her wounds faster. She had a stray thought about how difficult they would be to repair and get clean now.
"I'll make it." She gasped a little. She hoped she could keep conscious until they reached their destination, but her eyes were beginning to lose focus. "Utena. I want you to. Take care of Hayate for me. He likes you." She was beginning to feel lightheaded too.
wild tag is trying to escape!princely_calyxSeptember 15 2010, 22:01:25 UTC
"It's all right, don't worry about it. I just hope others know how to stop him..."
Riza was beginning to falter. Utena debated slowing down but being so close to home it seemed foolish to stop. And there were noises beginning to eke out of the mist that weren't friendly.
The way Riza's sentences came out halted worried her. Riza was strong but that wasn't a good sign.
"We're almost there. And I promise. Where do ou keep his food again?" She really did need the answer but she also hoped that maybe it might distract Riza enough to make the trip less painful. A vain hope but she had nothing else. She wasn't a doctor or a healer. All she could do was get Riza back safely.
Wake up, Bulba! I'm gonna lose!firebornfidelisSeptember 17 2010, 07:02:08 UTC
"Mnn. Twice, yes."
She clenched her teeth and her hand tightened further on Utena's shoulder. She knew it was the bloodloss and pain making her head feel disconnected, but she couldn't help it. Couldn't do anything about it.
"Make sure he isn't alone. Please, Utena. He'll. Worry."
And she only half knew what she was even talking about, but Hayate was at the front of her mind. The little dog who depended on her. If nothing else, she couldn't let him down. And maybe that was enough. She pushed on.
Zzzzz (Bulbasaur is asleep!)princely_calyxSeptember 19 2010, 19:45:16 UTC
"Twice. Got it." The city line was in sight, they only had a few more steps really. Riza wasn't going to last more than that, anyway. Her hand was gripping harder onto Utena's shoulder.
"He won't be. I'll take good care of him. I'll being him to visit you, too."
They finally crossed into the city. And not too far more the clinic. They'd made it.
It really was getting a little ridiculous if she thought about it. She seemed to continually need some sort of saving. She might have laughed had the circumstances had been different. Had she not just taken the worst beating of her life. She could barely turn her head for the screaming burn down the right side of her face and she knew she had a few cracked ribs in addition to the broken left arm. The blood soaking into her clothes, however, was from the two deep cuts across her body - one across the top of her chest and one over her abdomen.
She heard Utena from somewhere off to the right. She breathed in and tried to speak, but the sharp pain in her chest made her bite her tongue and all she could manage for the moment was a tiny wave of her left hand.
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"Riza-"
She stopped short, staring at the burn on Riza's face. True, probably not as bad or life threatening as the gashes but it was quite angry. What had happened out here?
"Can you stand," she asked hoarsely.
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Riza bent her knees, seemingly the only part of her to have avoided severe injury.
"I'm not sure," she breathed, voice almost too soft to be heard. "I. I can't pick myself up."
She had managed at least to straighten out the disturbing angle of her broken right arm and was cradling. But she didn't have the strength to withstand the pain she knew would flood over her if she tried to sit up without help.
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"Ready? On three. One..two..."
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On three, Utena pulled her up and, with a choked scream, she was on her feet, left hand closing hard on Utena's shoulder.
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"Let's get out of here." Utena gave a glance to behind them, making sure the background was clear of anything. Nothing but ruins and a few whisps of mist looked back. The way ahead was clear as well. She took a cautious step foward, watching Riza.
"...Naruto did this?"
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"Naruto," she confirmed, breathless. "He... changed. Turned into something else."
A monster. His skin had burned off and he had stretched and grew and he had looked so like Envy for a moment that she couldn't think.
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She continued forward, still supporting Riza. Thankfully she was walking quite well, considering. She was also thankful they weren't that far into the ruins. Though this also meant that the monster - no, Naruto - was also close to the city. That sent a small chill through her.
"Is he still...that thing?"
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"I don't know," she hissed, trying desperately not to jostle her broken arm as she stumbled along. "He was... he was still that thing when he ran away. From Allen."
Because her bullets hadn't done anything. She'd been powerless against that thing, her guns useless, like so many other times. Only now, there was no fire to save her. And no flames to save. And she would have to learn to... deal with that.
Reply
The city grew larger as they made their way across the ruins. Utena did her best to keep them moving at a quicker pace, though still keeping Riza as steady as possible. The idea of the monster still being out there, along with whatever else was lurking in the mist made her nervous.
"How are you holding up?"
Reply
As she moved faster, she could feel her blood pumping as if every little artery and vein were magnified, and the blood flowing out of her wounds faster. She had a stray thought about how difficult they would be to repair and get clean now.
"I'll make it." She gasped a little. She hoped she could keep conscious until they reached their destination, but her eyes were beginning to lose focus. "Utena. I want you to. Take care of Hayate for me. He likes you." She was beginning to feel lightheaded too.
Reply
Riza was beginning to falter. Utena debated slowing down but being so close to home it seemed foolish to stop. And there were noises beginning to eke out of the mist that weren't friendly.
The way Riza's sentences came out halted worried her. Riza was strong but that wasn't a good sign.
"We're almost there. And I promise. Where do ou keep his food again?" She really did need the answer but she also hoped that maybe it might distract Riza enough to make the trip less painful. A vain hope but she had nothing else. She wasn't a doctor or a healer. All she could do was get Riza back safely.
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She smiled. That lightheaded feeling was getting worse but it made the pain seem less bad. "He's a good dog. Thank you, Utena."
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Riza's stilted conversation was really beginning to worry Utena. They were so close, to give out out right now...
"Come on Riza, stay with me! We're almost there. Just a little further."
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She clenched her teeth and her hand tightened further on Utena's shoulder. She knew it was the bloodloss and pain making her head feel disconnected, but she couldn't help it. Couldn't do anything about it.
"Make sure he isn't alone. Please, Utena. He'll. Worry."
And she only half knew what she was even talking about, but Hayate was at the front of her mind. The little dog who depended on her. If nothing else, she couldn't let him down. And maybe that was enough. She pushed on.
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"He won't be. I'll take good care of him. I'll being him to visit you, too."
They finally crossed into the city. And not too far more the clinic. They'd made it.
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