the second. [voice + action]

[daddyschewtoy]

[LOCATION: THE BAT CAVE. OUR HERO: THE BAT...MAN/GIRL/THING. HE CARRIES ONE (1) CONCUSSED AND UNCONSCIOUS DAMSEL IN DISTRESS. HE IS ALSO COVERED IN ROCK DUST (NO...COMMENT).]

Rosella is safe. [NOTE HOW HIS VOICE SOUNDS JUST A TINY BIT HOARSE. JUST A BIT.] I am taking her to the hospital.

[CUE BAT MUSIC If you would like to approach en route,

Comments

[Action]

[primrosella]

[Rosella is just kind of chilling and being unconscious for most of the journey, but as they near the hospital, she starts to come around a bit. Not a great deal, perhaps just a slight shift of her head or a twitch of her fingers, but certainly enough to be noticeable.]

[Action]

[daddyschewtoy]

[AND HE MOST DEFINITELY NOTICES. His pace slows a tiny bit, for fear of jostling her too much.]

Rosella?

[Action]

[primrosella]

[Nnngh. Whyyy does everything hurt like she's been sleeping on an uncomfortably hard cave floor? She squeezes her eyes more tightly shut for a moment, wincing a little, and then opens them halfway.]

Peter...?

[Action]

[daddyschewtoy]

[BECAUSE SHE HAS, OF COURSE! Nataku looks down at her, and he is hit with two emotions at once- relief, and concern. It is a strange thing, indeed. So strange that confusion eventually wins out, and it takes a moment for him to answer her.]

No. Kazuki.

[Action]

[primrosella]

[She blinks a little at him, as though trying to focus, and halfheartedly raises one hand to rub at her eyes.]

Kaz...ngh, how did you get down here?

[Naturally, she's a little slow on the uptake at the moment.]

[Action]

[daddyschewtoy]

We've almost reached the hospital. You were unconscious when I found you.

[While he doesn't have much of a range where his expressions are concerned, the one he's wearing now could be interpreted as protective. If he weren't afraid of hurting her, he'd cradle her closer about now.]

[Action]

[primrosella]

Found me?

[Hospital? But that's back on the surface, not--wait a minute. She's not underground anymore. How in the world did she get up here?]

What happened? Where's Peter?

[Action]

[daddyschewtoy]

[OH LOOK, THERE'S THE HOSPITAL.]

You told me not to, but I searched for you anyway. You were in a cave. How you got there, I don't know. I will go back and look for Peter once the doctors see to you.

[Action]

[primrosella]

[DANG, THAT IS A SWEET HOSPITAL YOU MIGHT SAY.]

That's...that's right, we found a way out. We were walking, and...there was an opening, and we thought it might be an exit...

[Action]

[daddyschewtoy]

[DOES IT HAVE KANGAROOS.]

It wasn't, was it?

[Action]

[primrosella]

[AT LEAST ONE BUT WHO KNOWS IF HE'S WORKING TODAY.]

No, I...I think it must've been. Because all of a sudden there was a great shout, and then there were monsters...

[Action]

[daddyschewtoy]

[GUESS WE'LL FIND OUT REAL SOON.]

Monsters? [What the hell. This city is full of crazy things.] Did any of them hit you?

[Action]

[primrosella]

[GOOD 'CAUSE KANGAROOS ARE AWESOME.]

They came out of nowhere. Peter got between them and me and he had the staff, and I tried to shoot over his shoulder...

[Pause. Something occurs to her.]

Did I lose my bow?

[Action]

[daddyschewtoy]

[YES THEY ARE. TALKING ONES EVEN MORE SO.]

Bow?

[THINKING, THINKING]

I did not see a bow near you.

[Action]

[primrosella]

Oh, rats...

[Great. Whatever happened, it made her lose important pieces of her inventory. She really liked that bow, too. Drat it all.]

I must've dropped it somewhere. But I remember trying to shoot, so I must've still had it with me then.

[Action]

[daddyschewtoy]

[pause. looking down, and then at her.]

When I go back, I could look for your bow as well, if you like.