logsinthenight | I refuse to learn from my mistakes [Open]

Entry tags:

I refuse to learn from my mistakes [Open]

characters: Fjord and OTA!
location: Downtown shopping center; later the Invincible
date/time: 23rd Feb, spanning the next however long
content: Fjord thought infiltrating some crocodile spirits was a not terrible idea, and must face the repercussions
warnings: Some bodily hjarm, first aid thereon

[ 1. Closed to Soldat ]

It takes Fjord a bit more effort than he would have liked to make it clear of the water-logged bottom floor of the shopping center, and stumble his way out of the building completely and into the night. His lantern is still strapped to his waist, and a leather charm bounces with a tinny little clink with every laboured step he takes; the sound, as well as the bob of the lantern, is extremely irregular, as he clutches tightly to his left side with one hand and limps down the stairs and into Downtown proper.

He looks like shit. His entire everything is still completely soaked through, dripping with water; his breathing is laboured, grunting and wincing and cursing with every stumble as he tries to hold his blood-slick armour tight against his wounds. But there's a mindless determination to his form, nonetheless - where he looks like he's going to keep moving to find help, even if it kills him.

[ 2. The Invincible, OTA ]

After he's been rescued, and fixed up enough that he's not at immediate risk of dying, Fjord can be found at the Invicible again. He's not great about sticking to orders for bedrest, though: he's just as often found in the main living area, nursing some heavy-duty bandaging around his entire torso - which is visible even through his newest acquisitions, a plain grey t-shirt and black tracksuit pants - and also an ale at one of the tables in the corner, where he's propped himself up in a corner to keep his torso straight.

Until he gets banned back to his bedroom in room 203, or retreats there to give himself an actual proper break. The hardest part is making sure he doesn't leave to go on his patrol route; he doesn't like sitting still and doing nothing, and he's gotten used to having Jester and Caduceus around so that injures like this didn't happen.

(Those injuries are going to be a surprise for everyone, as well. He didn't tell anyone he was going to explore the mall.)

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Lucky for both of you, Sora was all ready to do some work on some Christmas presents for his friends (yes, really, it's a work in progress okay), then changed his mind and decided that he wanted to go get something from the restaurant and maybe chat with the Concierge on the way. He still has yet to go into fistbumping lessons with them! It's essential.

So he's bump bump bumping down the stairs to the lobby when he hears a very familiar Brooklyn accent. Soldat? Or the Sergeant? "Hello?" He's across the way, still at the door for the stairs and near the elevator. "Back already? Didja forget something?"

No Sergeant, just the echo of something they've said before, even if they don't remember it. Soldat smiles over in Sora's direction, and the accent sticks around long enough for another dry quip: "No, ran into an idiot who tried goin' after a couple dozen territorial spirits all by his lonesome." They jerk a thumb, the metal one, at Fjord.

Both smile and accent fades, though, when they say seriously, "I can't do shit for internal bleeding. Was hoping I could talk you into one of your healing magics."

Fjord isn't watching Soldat and Sora immediately; he hasn't even noticed Sora yet, he's gotten completely distracted by the somewhat horrifying visage of the Concierge.

It takes catching Soldat's motion to him out of the corner of his eye for Fjord to look up and notice Sora - which makes him sit up a bit sharply, and immediately grimace at the sudden rush of pain, gripping his injured side automatically with his right hand instead of waving.

Sora's cheer will slip away as soon as the soldier's does. Internal bleeding? Big no. Here's something he doesn't do often in front of either of them: he kicks off from the floor and glides into the air, flying over the desk and the various lobby chairs in the way and coming to a running landing nearby, summoning his Keyblade in a rush of light. Fastest route from point A to point B is a straight line.

Okay, those are punctures? Punctures? If Sora wasn't frowning before, he sure is now. What did Fjord try to fight, a giant stapler? "Hold still, hold still. Heal." And he's radiating green light from head to toe. Usually he asks if his patients are good with being treated - CPR training's hard to kick - but this seems serious enough that asking seems like a moot point at this point. No court of law to piss off, after all.

So Fjord will also start glowing even more radiantly green than he is, then flowers and leafy vines will curl around them both. The spectral plantlife melts into their skin and vanishes into the air around them, and while Fjord may only be a little less punctured, most of the bruising will recede and the cracked bones where applicable will be easier to move. Nothing's healed all the way, but most of the problems that aren't flesh wound related should be eased by quite a bit. Another three or four casts and he should be all right.

Perhaps oddly, for Sora to see, Fjord is in fact wearing Soldat's shirt and very fine pea coat, leaving them with only two layers instead of the regular four, as well as Soldat's usual combat boots. He's been bandaged up tightly-- cracked ribs on top of the bruising-- but yeah, lots of bad bruising, and who knew what else further in. Hence the visit to someone who could possibly do something about that.

Soldat steps aside, not wanting to get caught in the magic, if that's even possible.

Also, because the plant thing is weird and they'd rather not wind up with flowers sprouting out of the arm, or something.

Edited (homonyms are fun) 2020-02-27 06:54 (UTC)

Fjord has only seen this kind of plant life in an actual living jungle, and never magical, so he is staying the fuck still in a bit of shock and awe and pain as he feels the magic knit him back together.

He's holding his breath until the spell ends, which he doesn't realise until he suddenly gasps a breath in, and realises it doesn't hurt anywhere near as much as it just moments ago. It still all hurts but now it's the old ache of a partially healed wound, nowhere near so fresh.

The relief on his face is palpable, and he sinks into the chair a fair bit. "Thank you, Sora."

Sora shakes his head and pulls a face, and this one is much less serious! This is comical. Now that he's certain that Fjord's not going to bleed all over the floor, he's down for more tough love than actual stress.

"No thanking me until I'm done. Now you gotta deal with me being real mad at you for like twenty minutes while I sit here and heal you until I'm sure all the fractures are gone." He's going to sit on the floor and make an even uglier stinkface. (He's supposing Fjord's wearing Soldat's clothes for, like, comfort maybe? Shock? Something like that? Anyway, it definitely looks funny on someone else.) "Next time, make sure Alisaie or somebody knows you're out there doing stuff. Sure she'll be mad too, but at least she'll only be mad at you for like five minutes because she's actually good at healing people."

"Kid, you don't need to heal him completely," Soldat points out, half-serious. "I need him out of commission for at least a week. To think about what he's done. And so I got time for the ferry to show up before he decides to do somethin' else stupid." They'd rather not hare off after green-eyes without the thermal scope on his rifle, thank you. Plus, they'd also rather Sora not wear himself out with powerful magics, when they know that healing magic doesn't work as well here anyway. "I already did the lecture thing, by the way."

"He did," Fjord echoes pleasantly. "He was very threatening." And very worried, which was touching.

The reason for the jackets becomes more obvious when Fjord starts stripping them off to examine his bandages; he's not wearing a shirt of his own at all, and up close Sora will be able to see how his pants are leaving a puddle on his chair, and squelch when he shifts in an attempt to get comfortable in the freezing garments.

~~It is not a fun time to go commando.~~

"Right?" They're like that. Sora's been on the business end of their tirades enough to know that. It's very nice tbh.

Sora wrinkles his nose. Aw, bro. "Okay, you're gonna need a towel." Sora pats around for his keys, revealing it from his pocket and looks up at Soldat. "I'll be right back. Make sure he doesn't go anywhere. I can't fix it all anyway, but I don't want him to go round two with Nessie or whoever he decided to 1 v 1. Not before I can fix whatever, anyway." And maybe he can see if Alisaie or some other better healer is around.

"The alligator spirits in the shopping center." Which Sora would surely have heard about, given Soldat had badly wanted to shoot them all in search of a towel of their own, when they were first discovered. Considering they'd fallen through some of the ice and had a Very Bad Moment of thinking it was cryo before the group moved on, they really don't think that desire was particularly unreasonable.

For now, they add, "Thanks, Sora. Nobody's goin' anywhere."

Possibly Soldat will sneak into the kitchen for some coffee for them both, Fjord could use a hot drink and Soldat always wants coffee. But that won't take long.

"I wasn't trying to fight it, I was sneakin' past it," he protests, leaning forward to rest one elbow on the table. "Only I think the lantern tipped 'em off."

...Fjord wouldn't say no to a hot drink, though, he is riddled with goosebumps.

Sora's going to hear that, narrow his eyes at Fjord, then put two of his fingers to his eyes, then turn his hand and jab them at him. You've already died once on his watch, mister, and that was really not great. Twice and he's going to get a child leash for him.

He's going to get up, nod to the soldier and hustle up the stairs and back to his room for the towels, then. He'll be back in five - he'll take the stairs three at a time and fly most of the way back - but it's still enough time for them to get a small chat in while he's out. Go on, old people, gossip.

"If I go make you coffee, will you stay put for me to bring it back?" Soldat asks, fully expecting a "yes" because Fjord is clearly done being stupid for now, since he's letting them and Sora look after him. But it's best to ask, and also to explain why they're going to disappear into the restaurant for a minute.

"Only because you look like you're gonna break my ribs all over again if I do try and get up," he teases warmly. But he does smile, and let out a soft wince as he lifts his left arm to lean on the table fully. "I'd appreciate a drink, though. Thanks."

"I'm not gonna break your ribs again. Your head, maybe." But they're smiling as the head into the restaurant and past that to the kitchen. They sniff the current coffee pot, make a face, and set about making a new one, idly shooing curious and "helpful" spirits out of the way.

It takes a good three minutes before enough has percolated for three cups (since Sora will be back shortly, seems only polite), and then they add milk and sugar to their own, milk to Fjord's for extra protein and calcium to help with bone healing, and whatever Sora likes in his, since by now they'll know that.

Balancing all three mugs between two hands, they wander back out, bumping open doors with a hip and shoulder.

Pretty much as soon as Soldat's back is turned and he looks like he won't turn back around, Fjord lowers his head so his forehead is resting on his arms - the angle that puts his side on pulls in a painful burn, but its tolerable now, and he takes as deep a breath as he can handle, and gives a deep sigh.

Well, at least he's not dead. Like he might have been if he'd tried walking to the Invincible solo, one of his ribs would probably have detached completely and killed him.

He'll pull himself together and sit back up before Soldat gets back, but he's just taking a moment to pity himself.

Soldat catches sight of that through the crack between the restaurant doors, on their way back with the coffee mugs, and for a moment, softens into a smile. Aw, poor Fjord. They're both giving him such a hard time-- deservedly, of course!-- but he's gotta be tired and hurting. He probably knows just how dumb he was being.

To avoid embarrassing him by catching him at his slump, Soldat gives the restaurant door a good, loud bang with the metal shoulder as they push it open, giving him time to straighten up again if he wants to. "Coffee. I put milk in it. Hope you like milk."

The jarring bang makes Fjord jump, and he snaps back upright, a bit too quickly - something twinges and he goes poker-faced to keep from grimacing.

"Milk's fine." His voice is a little tight for a moment, before he unstiffens to lean back in his chair again. "Thank you, Soldat."

"And I thought I was jumpy, Christ," Soldat says with some amusement, setting his mug down in front of him. They slide into one of the other seats around the little table with their own drink. "Is your tablet back at the Invincible? Or did you fry it in the mall with your dunking?" Is there someone Soldat should warn about their eventual incoming, is what they're getting at here.

Fjord chooses not to comment on being called out. "Naw, it's in my bag," he says, and takes a moment to untie said bag from one of his belts - it's more of a sack, really, unremarkable and soiled with old stains and fresh water, but apparently water-proof - so he can dump it on the table, open it up and stick his hand in. Wrist deep, at first, then he frowns and goes to the elbow; then lifts it up so he can stick his arm in to the shoulder. The bag does not bulge in any meaningful way with this abuse.

"Where the hell... there." And Fjord pulls out his undamaged tablet to place on the table next to his coffee.

Right, the bag he could fit a glaive in. Soldat leans over to get a better look. "So what exactly is that? I saw it in your memory."

"Yep. That was where we found it, too." He lifts it and offers it to Soldat to examine. "Don't go punching a hole in the outside or it'll break the enchantment, but it's a bag of holding. They're supposed to be able to hold five hundred pounds."

They take the bag-- right hand, slightly less likely to snag and hurt something-- and peer inside curiously. Maybe it's like Somnus's magic portal space. "Can you put anything in there? Will it keep if you do?"

And this is about where Sora comes back with an armful of towels: Fjord with a cup of coffee, Soldat sticking their nose into a weird handmade bag. Perfectly normal Beacon things.

"Back. Magic's recharged." Sora walks up to Fjord first, holding out the towels and looking at Soldat a little funny. "What's that? A bag?"

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