[True to his word, Takame followed right behind her acting as what was essentially a meat shield against anything else thrown their way. How much chairs and even pieces of the broken door his his back he didn't care, even as heavier objects seemed to drive that knife deeper.
Still he kept moving, kept running after her as he promised. Even as whatever force was attacking them saw fit to snatch the knife out of his back, leaving an open wound free to spill blood for as long as he ran.
Everything he saw before him besides the fading image of Rose's figure as it ran further began to blur, leaving only muscle memory to guide him out. At some point, he didn't know when, his steps began to falter until he dropped to his knees some few fulms behind Rose with his vision alternating between black and reality.]
Move... move... [Said entirely to himself in a voice struggling to come through.]
[As Rose waits, the minutes begin to feel like hours. Eventually, she turns back. She knows she shouldn’t, who knows how far away their attacker can stray from the house, but she’s worried.]
[She doubles back, and it’s a good thing she does. When she finds Takame, he’s more than worse for wear. He’s dying. The knife that struck him was pulled out, and there’s blood everywhere.]
Takame? Takame!
[Stay calm. Breathe. Rose focuses her mana and channels as much healing magic into him as she can. It’s hard to concentrate, her hand is still in pain, but she manages.]
[As far as what could be seen, Takame was not followed.
But by the time Rose reached him all he left behind was a trail of his own blood while he dragged himself pathetically along the Greatwood's ground.
"Move... move..." he could only mouth the word with faint hints of sound coming out, barely resembling his voice. Despite the knife avoiding more vital areas, he's lost a lot of blood. He could barely see in front of him anymore and only registered Rose's presence by the sound of her voice and the familiar warmth of her healing magic that worked wonders in mending the wound.
A balm he didn't deserve. One he wanted to decline with all his heart.]
N...ngh... ["No" he wanted to tell her. "I'm fine, it doesn't hurt" he wanted to say genuinely. "You must focus on yourself, not me".
He could barely look up at her, but he did.] 'm s...ry...
[The pain in Rose’s arm subsides, but only because it’s replaced with an overpowering rage. Of all the...did Takame understand just how stupid he was being right now? Of course she’s going to cure him, he’s her friend!]
Don’t you dare apologize to me. You were the only reason we got out, so I don’t want to hear it.
[It’s far too easy to imagine what would have happened if he hadn’t been there. Rose wouldn’t be here now, she’s sure. The ghost would have disposed of her after taking over her body, if they even would have bothered to do that. Everyone would be waiting for someone who wasn’t coming back.]
[Her voice is all he can register, he can't see her. Only a blur of her bright red hair and her yet brighter aether.
Normally he would oblige her request, cease his apologizing and accept that he helped in some way. But he couldn't this time, his logic was washed away by crushing guilt and overwhelming pain he kept telling himself wasn't there.]
...your arm... [He tried to reach for her injured hand but couldn't muster the strength. Tell her this truth now, Kesi, don't you dare lie to her about it.] ... I hurt you....
[Her arm...it was broken, wasn’t it? Come to think of it, they had been the only two in the room. She’s nowhere near strong enough to break it herself, so it would stand to reason that it must have been him.]
[But why would he? Sure, there were times she’d been terrified of him before, but every time he was in a blind rage. And she’d never seen him take his anger out on someone who didn’t deserve it.]
[She also doesn’t have any memory of the break itself. Just a vague memory of something else inside her.]
If you hurt me, I’m sure you had a good reason to do so. Now be quiet, and stop acting like it’s okay for you to die.
[He sensed someone daring to do him harm, that someone just happened to be Rose under the control of... whatever that was. Whoever...? He didn't know what it could possibly be... a sin eater or just some vengeful spirit.
It wasn't a good enough reason, it was still Rose. But he didn't have the energy to argue against her. He was baffled as to why she was being so kind to him here.
Baffled as to why someone aside from Zhian or Hina would say it isn't okay for him to die.]
...ok..ay... [There's the faintest hint of a nod before his vision went black and he fell to the ground stained with his own blood. He's lost too much of it and could stay conscious no longer.
For a mercy thanks to Rose's healing, he seems to be alive. If barely breathing.]
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no subject
Still he kept moving, kept running after her as he promised. Even as whatever force was attacking them saw fit to snatch the knife out of his back, leaving an open wound free to spill blood for as long as he ran.
Everything he saw before him besides the fading image of Rose's figure as it ran further began to blur, leaving only muscle memory to guide him out. At some point, he didn't know when, his steps began to falter until he dropped to his knees some few fulms behind Rose with his vision alternating between black and reality.]
Move... move... [Said entirely to himself in a voice struggling to come through.]
/slams back into this
[She doubles back, and it’s a good thing she does. When she finds Takame, he’s more than worse for wear. He’s dying. The knife that struck him was pulled out, and there’s blood everywhere.]
Takame? Takame!
[Stay calm. Breathe. Rose focuses her mana and channels as much healing magic into him as she can. It’s hard to concentrate, her hand is still in pain, but she manages.]
yeyeyeyeye
But by the time Rose reached him all he left behind was a trail of his own blood while he dragged himself pathetically along the Greatwood's ground.
"Move... move..." he could only mouth the word with faint hints of sound coming out, barely resembling his voice. Despite the knife avoiding more vital areas, he's lost a lot of blood. He could barely see in front of him anymore and only registered Rose's presence by the sound of her voice and the familiar warmth of her healing magic that worked wonders in mending the wound.
A balm he didn't deserve. One he wanted to decline with all his heart.]
N...ngh... ["No" he wanted to tell her. "I'm fine, it doesn't hurt" he wanted to say genuinely. "You must focus on yourself, not me".
He could barely look up at her, but he did.] 'm s...ry...
no subject
Don’t you dare apologize to me. You were the only reason we got out, so I don’t want to hear it.
[It’s far too easy to imagine what would have happened if he hadn’t been there. Rose wouldn’t be here now, she’s sure. The ghost would have disposed of her after taking over her body, if they even would have bothered to do that. Everyone would be waiting for someone who wasn’t coming back.]
Stay with my voice.
no subject
Normally he would oblige her request, cease his apologizing and accept that he helped in some way. But he couldn't this time, his logic was washed away by crushing guilt and overwhelming pain he kept telling himself wasn't there.]
...your arm... [He tried to reach for her injured hand but couldn't muster the strength. Tell her this truth now, Kesi, don't you dare lie to her about it.] ... I hurt you....
no subject
[But why would he? Sure, there were times she’d been terrified of him before, but every time he was in a blind rage. And she’d never seen him take his anger out on someone who didn’t deserve it.]
[She also doesn’t have any memory of the break itself. Just a vague memory of something else inside her.]
If you hurt me, I’m sure you had a good reason to do so. Now be quiet, and stop acting like it’s okay for you to die.
no subject
It wasn't a good enough reason, it was still Rose. But he didn't have the energy to argue against her. He was baffled as to why she was being so kind to him here.
Baffled as to why someone aside from Zhian or Hina would say it isn't okay for him to die.]
...ok..ay... [There's the faintest hint of a nod before his vision went black and he fell to the ground stained with his own blood. He's lost too much of it and could stay conscious no longer.
For a mercy thanks to Rose's healing, he seems to be alive. If barely breathing.]