thebastion | Day 154

Entry tags:

Day 154

Who: Hikaru Hitachiin and anyone willing to help out
Open: Open
When: Day 154
Where: Open Plains
What: A rough landing, and a new arrival.
Format: I'll match whatever
Warnings: Someone's had a very unfortunate landing, and may end up quite antagonistic. Also, drama.

When Hikaru wakes, it's not to the sound of an alarm or the smell of breakfast being delivered. He's not surrounded by perfectly plush pillows, and he's not laying on top of the best mattress money can buy.

When Hikaru wakes, it's to a horrible, sharp aching pain in his arm. He fails to notice anything else - not the grass he's on, the clear and open sky, or the very distinct lack of the luxuries he's used to. Just the incredible pain, which immediately brings tears to his eyes and sets his body to gasping for breath. On instinct, he rolls onto his right shoulder to curl around his arm - broken, a perfect fracture of both the radius and ulna. He doesn't know that; all he knows right now is that something is terribly, terribly wrong and he's starting to panic.

"Kao--", he gasps out, his first conscious reaction being to call for his twin. "Kaoru!" Where was he? They were never far from each-other. He grits his teeth, trying to work past the pain. What was going on--?

And with a sudden burst, he remembers. They were chasing after Tamaki - he'd been driving the horse carriage. Kaoru had told him he was going recklessly fast, but they had to or they wouldn't be able to catch up. Then... he doesn't know what happened, but he remembers being thrown from his seat. Did the carriage hit something? Was Kaoru okay?!

With great effort, he heaves himself up with his left arm, panic for his twin overriding his own pain. His eyes quickly scan the land before him, searching for any sign of Kaoru. There are no roads in sight; he must have been thrown really far. Panicking, he quickly gets to his feet, stumbling but ignoring his dizziness and clutching his right elbow in a lame attempt to stop his arm from being jostled. He blinks rapidly, trying to clear the tears from his eyes, and looks around hopelessly - Kaoru could be anywhere.

His first few steps are hard to take; his entire body aches, and it's hard to keep himself moving when every step sends a shooting pain through his legs. He's scared, he's worried, and he needs to find Kaoru - these are the only things that keep him going.

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[He opens his mouth to ask why he would need to run, but closes it quickly. Getting to Kaoru is more important than getting answers.]

If you can lift me, then fine. [He's doubtful, and his stomach is turning at the thought of having his arm bouncing up and down with the movement of someone else's body. His left hand tightens reflexively on his elbow, every inch of him thoroughly dreading this.] You'll take me straight to Kaoru? [If she does, then any amount of pain or embarrassment will be worth it.]

I can. It'll be easier if you ride on my back.

[And just try to ignore the tail. If you can.]

I don't got any reason to take you anywhere else. 'cept maybe the hospital. Hang on, lemmie just...

[She trailed off oddly there, taking her pack off and rummaging around until she managed to find a folded up cloth of brightly striped colors. It almost looked and felt like silk, but wasn't exactly that. Luckily, though, it was just long enough to be made in to a make shift sling - a trick she learned from her sister years ago.]

Lemmie see your arm. This might help a little.

[He's not gonna ignore the tail, when it comes time to get on her back. First, though, that absolutely garish scrap of fabric. What does she want to do with it? His eyes dart from the fabric to her face and back again, and his jaw clenches in annoyance. He doesn't want to let her do anything, but--he's gotta.

With a deep breath to brace himself, he slides his left arm under his right to lift the broken forearm. Underneath his sleeve isn't pretty, but he hasn't removed it to actually check his damage.]

We're not going to the hospital. [He forces out from between his gritted teeth, breathing deeply again. Be quick with his arm, please; he's trying very hard to restrain himself right now.]

Eesh...

[Rin lets out a breath at the sight, grateful that she isn't easily bothered by things like that. Being around Yuki all those years helped, plus her own penchant for getting in to trouble that often resulted in injuries. She mutters 'keep telling yourself that', knowing damn good and well that the second Kaoru saw him like that, he was going to get dragged there anyway.

Being as gentle as possible, she moves the cloth in to place, putting it beneath his arm on either side and reaching up (with a bit of stretching - she's not very tall) to tie the ends off behind his neck.

The enemies that littered the skyway were getting closer, but they weren't so close that Rin felt the need to bolt right then and there. Her task done, she turned and crouched down.]

Alright. Hop on.

[He tenses at the touch, the pain intensifying, and a choked curse makes its way out of his mouth. It takes every last scrap of self-control to not jerk his arm away, and he's glad for it once the sling is actually in place. Not that it doesn't still hurt - in fact, it feels a bit worse now - but he knows it's a theoretical improvement nonetheless.

As soon as she turns around, his eyes zero in on the tail.]

You're a furry? [He asks bluntly, with no hint of consideration. He might be able to use the pain as an excuse for the lack of brain-to-mouth filter, but really, he's just always like that. If she weren't already crouching, he would be reaching out to grab the tail right now.

He hesitates before climbing onto her back. He's still not convinced that she can actually carry him, that she's trustworthy, or that it's actually better for him to be carried than to walk; now that his brain is starting to catch up with him, he's not actually sure what is even going on. He's still oblivious to the enemies, but with the shock wearing off, the panic slightly tampered, and having adjusted a bit to the pain, he's starting to realize that this place doesn't actually look anything like where he was driving the carriage. ~~Took him long enough.~~]

[Don't tempt her to hold you over the gaping chasm that is the drop beneath the skyway, Hikaru. :| ]

... no.

[Actually you're just lucky that you're Kaoru's brother and not just some poor lost soul out here. Because that keeps him from verbally tearing your head off.

For now.

She waits for him to get on her back before rising straight, with no falter or hesitation in her stance or position. In fact she behaves as though he weighs barely anything at all, which should be impossible for a girl of her size and physical build. A bit stocky she may be, there's little indicating beneath her clothing that she has the muscle to back this up, and yet... she is holding him like he is merely a part of her pack.

Her head turns, something catching her attention. Somewhere in the distance, there's guwushh... noise, faint but there. Whatever it is, it makes her set her jaw tight, turning back towards the path.]

Alright. Hang on!

[A foot dug in to the ground, knees bending before she took off running as fast as her feet would carry her.]

[Oh crap. He knew it would hurt, but he was not expecting this level of pain. Having his broken arm wedged between Rin's back and his own chest was bad enough, but the constant jostling is torture. He's going to spend this entire ride with his teeth gritted, his eyes shut, and with his arm very tight around Rin. He really, really cannot wait until this is over.]

[She can feel him tense even through her running, but all she can offer is a thrown back "I'm sorry!" before focusing on their exit. She can't fight like this. If she gets hit, they're both going down and he'll be even worse off. If she has to stop, there's no place safe to hide him.

It's run, and pray to whichever gods were listening right then that they'd live to fight another day.

Or rather that Rin would live to fight another day, and that Hikaru would live to see his brother again.

She tore around corners, practically hurdled over obstacles, throwing all of her energy in to moving as fast and sure footed over the broken, jagged route as possible. Thankfully, by some miracle, she doesn't ever trip, but that sound is certainly making it's way closer.

Should Hikaru even chance a look back, he might notice that a blue armored giant of some sort, floating with no discernible legs and wielding a massive axe is bearing down on them pretty damn fast.]

[He's pretty sure he's close to passing out from all this jumping, shaking, bouncing, and generally incredibly rough movement. He can hear that sound, though, and his curiousity drives him to throw a quick glance behind them through mostly narrowed eyes. He's now pretty sure the pain has just driven him mad, because what the hell is that?! The panic sets in again, but another jump has him jamming his eyes shut and gasping in pain rather than making any exclamations. He now understands the need for running, and just hopes that Rin is going to be fast enough to get them away from that thing.]

Keep your head down!

[She had heard it coming long before this, so she was ready. Her ears were trained to the sounds behind her, the ones not belonging to Hikaru's pained noises and her own thudding footsteps. The guwush sound started up again, and just when it seemed like the thing was going to charge at them and knock them right off that narrow pathway, Rin skidded to a sudden halt and went down as low as the load on her back would let her. The creature sailed over their heads, winding up disoriented and completely turned around.

Which was perfect, because another larger section of land was just above them, and on it, the way back to the Bastion - a single tile situated in a corner and a beam of light in the far, far distance.]

We're almost there!

[He doesn't have to be told twice; he tucks his head down as soon as the order is given. The sudden halt and decrease in height makes his breath catch, and he holds it on instinct. A part of him is terrified that releasing the breath will give them away.

He hears it flying overhead, and his heart is hammering so hard inside his chest that he's almost sure it would be audible. He can't tell what the creature's done - his head is still dutifully tucked down - but his left hand presses harder against Rin for a moment in recognition of her words. Speech is presently beyond him; he hopes that that's enough of a signal to get moving again.

On the upside, the terror and adrenaline running through his body right now has made his arm seem like nothing in comparison.]

[Rin doesn't mind the silence. In fact it makes it easier to detect the Gasfella's location. It's turned towards them, but a bare glance over her shoulder told her she had just enough room to bolt to the tile before it could reach them even with a charge.

It was going to be close, though.

She took off again, strides rapid as she carried them both over the broken land.

The Gasfella charged up behind her, and in what seemed like fractions of a second, it closed the gap between them...

just as her foot hit the tile.

And for a moment all Hikaru would be able to feel would be a tugging, like the wind taking him physically and pulling him along through the air. Not falling, not flying, just moving through nothing at all.

The landing was, unfortunately, a quite a bit rougher than that. Rin's feet hit the ground pretty hard, her not being used to landing with weight on her back. She stumbles, nearly topples, but after some difficulty she manages to right herself while panting heavily.

Where they landed was vastly different than the broken landscape beyond it. It was still a floating rock but it was a floating rock that was inhabited. People milled about, buildings showed signs of life, and sounds could be heard carrying throughout.

Welcome to the Bastion, Hikaru.]

[His head is still down for all of this, and his thoughts are a jumbled, horrified mess. He's shocked out of his terror by the strange tugging sensation - for a brief moment, his mind is clear and his fear is gone - then they land, and it's straight back to the pain and panic. He's breathing in short, sharp, quick gusts, gripping to Rin so tightly that his knuckles have long since gone white.

The sounds here are different - they sound like civilisation! - so he dares to sneak a glance. He doesn't fully comprehend what he's seeing; none of it actually registers in his mind. But he knows that they've stopped, and he can't hear the other thing any more. Still, he's too scared to turn around to look.]

Is it gone? [His voice is rough and dry, and more than a little shaky. This was not a very good introduction at all.]

[It's a good thing she's got a decent resistance to pain herself. She feels the fingers digging in, but she doesn't tell him to stop. She'll be a bit bruised for a little while later, but even those won't last long.

She nods, pulling in and letting out her own deep breath, trying to get her lungs to stop burning. She doesn't dare put him down, though. Not with how he's clinging to her.]

Yeah... lets find your brother, okay?

[Was he at Seimei's estate? That would be the best place to start, wouldn't it...?]

[He nods rapidly against her, not trusting his voice any further. Yes, straight to Kaoru, please - Kaoru will make everything better. With concentrated effort, he begins to try and reign in his breathing; he's starting to feel light-headed from the lack of air he took in during all that happened just now, and the short, quick breaths he was taking didn't help at all. He hasn't even considered getting off Rin's back - for all he knows, they might need to start running again at any second.]

... keep breathin', okay?

[This, at least, is much slower and less jarring than her previous trip. They were safe here, and she takes her path slowly and carefully because of that.

It was a bit of walk to Seimei's large estate towards the southern end of the Bastion, and Rin, for once, kept quiet. She knew he was in no state to hold a conversation and she wasn't about to press one either.

Soon enough she was crossing the threshold and checking the door, finding it unlocked. She called out loudly, hoping to get some one's attention.]

Kao-chan? You here?

[By the time they reach the house, he's got his breathing back to normal. Compared to before, this ride is a walk in the park, and he really has no complaints this time about jostling - any bumps that happen along the way are absolutely nothing compared to before.

It's not until she calls out for 'Kao-chan' that he raises his head, the reason for entering this building suddenly clicking in his head.]

Kaoru! [He calls out himself, not a small amount of desperation evident in his voice. He usually wouldn't be so open around other people, but, well, this is not a time where he particularly gives a damn.]

[he had been piecing a few bits and pieces together upstairs - nothing particularly big or complicated, just something to help pass the time while Tama-chan dozed on his feet. His head had lifted when he heard the door open, but Tama-chan took more interest in it than he did, getting up and slinking off down the stairs when she heard Rin-chan's voice. If it couldn't wait, she could always come up and find him, right?

But the sound of a heartstoppingly familiar voice had him dropping everything and forgetting for a moment even how to breathe as he stumbled from his chair and leapt down the stairs and into the hall, his voice choked as he called back]

Hikaru- Hikaru!

[Oh good, he was there. Rin brightened a bit, though warily so, straightening as much as she could to give both brothers a good view of one another. They were in pretty awful states - Hikaru clearly injured and stained with probably blood and dirt, and Rin just dirty with her hair a mess from the trip to the skyway itself.

Still, they were there, and alive.]

Look who I found.

[As soon as he hears Kaoru's voice, he's scrabbling to get down from Rin's back. Not that he's not grateful to her - but there is another place he would like to be right now.

It's mostly his right side that's clearly damaged; the sleeve of his coat is covered with dirt and grass, and is fraying badly; the leg of his pants is much the same. His left side is in much better visual condition, with only the dirt and grass. Underneath his clothes, he's highly bruised with more than a few scrapes from his landing, particularly along the right side of his back and shoulders. He really didn't land great.]

Kaoru--[Everything about him is shaking. His body, his voice, his breath again. Kaoru's safe - they're both safe - there are monsters outside that want to kill them - but Kaoru's safe. That's the important thing, here.

He's incredibly grateful to Rin, for keeping her word in getting him here; for saving his life out there - but right now, he has no space in his thoughts for her.]

[He makes a soft choked noise, unable to speak, and gathers Hikaru into his arms, supporting his weight if he needs it, effortlessly, like he always had - god, he looks awful and he's shaking, what on earth happened? - but his eyes search out Rin anyway, because Hikaru is here, safe in Kaoru's arms and alive and that's all that matters]

Thank you.

[he buries his nose into Hikaru's hair after that, making soft hushing noises and trying to hold his tears in check. He should get him inside… make sure Hikaru is all right, but he barely dares to move for fear of letting Hikaru go again.]

[Ah. That was a familiar pain. Sharper than before, too. Watching them, seeing them but at the same time seeing two girls that have been separated for so long already.

But who is she kidding... ? Yuki is gone for good. There's no chance Rin will ever have this kind of reunion.

She forces a smile past her own internal pain, tucking a mess of black behind a pointed ear as she moved a little closer to Kaoru.]

I don't wanna interrupt but... I'm thinkin' he needs the hospital like five minutes ago. He just really wanted to see you first.

[He wraps his left arm around Kaoru, clinging tight and leaning heavily against him. His face is buried against Kaoru's neck, and despite trying his hardest not to, a few tears are escaping his eyes. He doesn't want to cry here, in front of someone not them, but he's so relieved. He was so scared that something had happened to his twin - but she was right; Rin was right. Kaoru was fine.

The hushing noises help calm him; he needs the audible reminder that yes, his twin is fine. The physical contact helps more, though - you're going to have a hard time making him let go long enough to get him to the hospital.]

[he nods a little to indicate that he understood, rocking slightly on the spot as his hand finds its way into his brother's hair.]

…do you want some time to calm down, first? [softly murmured near to Hikaru's ear - any louder and his voice will shake more obviously than he is comfortable with right now] Or can we take you right away? I don't want you having to bear with it any more than necessary… [because he can feel those tears seeping into his collar, and he's not sure Hikaru will want to be taken through the Bastion with a tear-stained face]

Rin-chan… would you mind staying with us? Just for a little while...

[She's worried about him getting treatment sooner rather than ltaer, but he's not at risk of bleeding out. Shock, maybe, but she could at least watch for that and hope to spot it should it start happening belatedly.

They could wait a little while...]

Y... yeah. 'course I can stay. Just lemmie know if I can do anythin'

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