sweetdevil | 13TH ♫ | do or die, you'll never make me

Rii.

[His voice breaks on her name and he's miserable, miserable and pathetic, but Prompto can't help it, there isn't going to be any more help ever again, this is the end. She dropped her shovel and she can't do that, she's coming closer and he turns his face away, burying his face in balled-up hands so she doesn't have to look at him crying before it's over.]

If you know I got bit, you--you know--you know what h-has to happen, before... before I...

[The word won't come, and he looks up at her a moment, helpless and terrified, before ducking his head again and scrubbing tears away with his knuckles.]

I--I don't know how long I have. I l-lost track of time, a-any minute now it could start and--

[He's fast. He's their runner. And before necrosis sets in, he'll be fast still, won't he? Faster than they're used to, and Prompto can't do that to them, the only friends he's ever known.]

Nothing else hurts yet but if I'm i-in the car and it starts then how--how are you gonna--it's too late already, isn't it? I'm one of them.

[ She almost doesn't want to tell him -- because telling him might lead to questions, the why of it all, and Yuuri's not sure if she's up to it yet, let alone Prompto. But she can't well lie to him when he's like this. ]

It's... it's been a few hours now. Long enough.

[ Long enough that if he was going to turn into one of them, then he should already be too far gone for them to talk like this. ]

But you feel fine, don't you? Apart from the bite and... oh, you must be so cold, I can't believe they didn't give you a blanket or anything!

[ She still has her cardigan. It's getting a little worn and the cuffs of her sleeves are starting to get a bit tattered. But it's still warm, still better than nothing and she takes it off, just to drape it carefully around Prompto's shoulders. If it gets sticky with blood or whatever else might weep out of that wound, she doesn't care.

Only then when she's sure he's not going to freeze does she take his hands in hers and give a firm squeeze. ]

Listen to me, okay? I don't know how, I don't know why but... you're not one of anything. You're still Prompto-kun and that's how you're going to stay. I promise.

[ She can't promise him that, not when they're all already in so much danger and she has no idea what that bite might do to him, even if he doesn't change.

But, holding onto his hands so tight like she's scared he'll disappear if she doesn't, she repeats herself quietly and fiercely: ] I promise.

[A few hours.

He lets her wrap her sweater around him, even though it's far too small even for him, the smallest of the guys. It's warm and scratches a little across the bite but he hardly notices. Rii-san's holding his hands and he blinks at her, trying to process through the panic that now, apparently, has been entirely unnecessary.

Hours of panic. Hours. And he's not sweating, not convulsing in pain as something changes him from the inside out. He's just cold and shivering and his knuckles are split and bruised between Rii-san's unafraid hands.

He opens his mouth, looking at her discarded shovel. No sound comes out because he's forgotten to to take a breath. He breathes.]

O...kay.

[He breathes again and his hands shake in hers, but even as he closes his eyes once more, he nods. Okay.]

Okay. I... I'm okay. M-my shoulder hurts, and my hands, and... they kicked me. But. I'm o-okay.

[One small thing at a time. He's so far from able to absorb what's happening, he doesn't even bother asking the obvious question. He just focuses on the deep, shuddering breaths he can get his lungs to take, and if they still stutter on the way out, if he's still crying, at least he's starting to uncurl from the corner, the bright coil of terror unwinding. Rii-san has his hands, so he just lets the tears fall without wiping them.]

Everyone else, are they... you, Yuki, the guys...

They're safe. We're all safe.

[ Seeing him like this, bruised and beaten, as if they needed to treat him worse -- Yuuri hopes with a vehemence that startles her, that whoever did this to him is dead. She has no idea if they'd actually killed anyone on the way in here and before now the idea would've made her stomach lurch. And maybe when they get out of here, it will again. But here and now, seeing Prompto crying just makes her wish she could go back and finish off whoever was left by herself. ]

Just... we'll take as long as you need, okay? I'm sure I can find something to clean and patch up the wound before we go. I'll see if I can find you something for the pain and if not, we'll stop off as soon as we find a store and get some there. We'll find some left somewhere, I know it.

[ She'll fix this. One way or another, she has to.

Her fingers brush over his poor, bruised hands and she tries as best she can to give him a smile. ]

I'll wrap these first and then we'll see about the bite. Okay? One step at a time.

[He nods, and his mouth trembles a little like he's trying to return her smile.]

There's... probably something. Not in here, but. I-it's a medical facility, right? And this part's like a hospital.

[But they made sure to lock him somewhere with nothing he could use either to treat himself or... to take matters into his own hands. There's just the bare operating table in the middle of the theater and little else.]

I can help you look?

[He asks it like a question, like he's not sure he actually can, like he needs her to confirm.]

Right. That's what I was thinking. If they were still using this place, they must've kept it well stocked. And if we find enough, we can probably take some with us.

[ He'll still be in pain while they're on the move, after all. They don't have the luxury of just being able to stop and let him heal and they're going to need supplies while they're on the go.

She gives his hands one last gentle squeeze and then slowly stands up, giving him the most careful of tugs, just to test if he can make it back up onto his feet. ]

I could use an extra pair of hands but -- are you sure you'll be alright? You must be so tired and if it's going to irritate the wound, then...

[A little hiss and whimper of pain escapes him as he gets his legs under him and makes his way up. Already, a heavy bruise is starting to darken across his side, where he was kicked. But he totters to his feet, extracting one of his hands from Rii-san's grip to tug her cardigan back up and keep it from falling off, and his voice is quiet but sure.]

I don't want to stay here.

[He'll limp or crawl if he has to, just don't leave him here alone again.]

Let's--let's go.

[ She almost tells him to sit back down. He's so bruised and hurt that she's scared there might be damage in places they can't see. But she can't leave him here alone in the quiet and the cold. So she forces another smile and nods. ]

Okay. Just-- just tell me if you need us to stop or slow down for a second. We've got time.

[ And if they don't, she'll make some. She'll make all the time in the world if he needs it.

With Prompto on his feet, she starts leading him to the door. True to her word, she takes it slow, more testing his pace for the moment than anything else. ]

I'm sure I saw, um... a--a supply closet or something on the way here. If there's going to be painkillers and bandages anywhere, it'd be in there, right?

Edited (WOW was that the wrong icon) 2017-11-12 18:11 (UTC)

[Hhhhhhh, it hurts--his side more than his shoulder now that he's up and moving. Prompto tries to tell himself it's nothing worse than the knocks he took when Cor was teaching him self-defense. The lie doesn't help very much. He just swallows the hurt noises that threaten to escape his throat and hobbles on.]

M--maybe. They moved a lot around. See?

[Removing his free hand from his bruise, he waves at the stark bareness of the operating theater.]

Think meds are usually... behind nurses' stations, in hospital-type places. [That's where his dad would get the things he needed, right? He remembers.] But the closet's a good--good place to look. Might be bandages. Other useful stuff. Blankets.

[Hopefully.]

Blankets... well, we'll start with that. You're still frozen... we'll find something to keep you warm and then see what we can do about the rest of it.

[ One step at a time. That's easy enough.

She eases the door open again, makes to start leaving -- and then hesitates, looking back at where she'd laid down the shovel earlier. She can't exactly leave it behind (Kurumi would have her head and she knows it) but she's not sure she can support Prompto and carry the shovel around at the same time. But it feels like she's inviting further disaster by not having something to defend them with.

She swallows before turning back to him and giving Prompto her best try at an encouraging smile. ]

Are you going to be okay to wait here, for just a second? I don't think Kurumi would ever forgive me if she heard I didn't bring the shovel along with us.

[Prompto blinks, then returns Yuuri's best-try smile with a natural grin of his own, even if it's not as broad as usual, even if he's still strung out and hurt.]

What? Of course we're not leaving Shovel-kun.

[His expression gentles, and his eyes are a little too shiny, but the smile's still there.]

...No one left behind, right, Rii? I'll be fine.

[He eases himself over to the wall and leans against it. See? He's got this. Standing, psht, he's been doing that for twenty years, standing's got nothing over him.]

[ Even with his ressurance, she finds herself hesitant to step away. It feels awfully like she's abandoning him, even if she's barely a few steps away and she's going to be back at his side in a few seconds. The relative ridiculousness of that thought is what finally spurs Yuuri to nod and go back to pick up the shovel.

It'll be an awkward task, she realizes, trying to support Prompto and carry the shovel at the same time. She could carry it one-handed, but if they run into anything she needs to defend them from, every single second is precious. She doesn't want to waste even a moment with having to let go of Prompto to swing the shovel properly.

She's still mulling over the problem when she makes her way back to him with Shovel-kun in hand and the look Yuuri finally gives him is a little probing. ]

Do you think you'll be able to walk by myself, if I carry this? If you can't, it's fine, you can still hold onto me, I just... I want to make sure I can definitely use this. If I have to.

[Ooh. Tough question. He moistens his dry lips and then chews on the lower as he measures his condition against the length of the hall. And that's just this hall. How far is he going to have to walk like this before he can stop.

The length of time he takes to respond might be answer enough, but he pipes up before she can retract the question.]

Yeah, I... that's fine. I-I can handle it if we go slow.

[After all, standing's already half the battle, right? Or, you know, something like that. Walking, all right, Prompto's done that for nineteen years, how hard can it be?

He wonders if any of his ribs are broken. Wonders how you can tell. Too bad Google's gone forever.]

I'll do my best.

[ She very nearly tells him not to bother. The shovel can't be that heavy to heft around, she's sure she'll manage. Some sort of fib like that. But he cuts her off before she can do more than open her mouth and Yuuri falls briefly into a troubled silence. Again, that niggling worry -- they don't know how injured he is. She doesn't think he'd be walking around if he was really that badly hurt. But there's a voice of doom concocting all sorts of nightmare scenarios in her head like maybe his ribs are fractured, maybe one's broken, maybe he's fine now but if they push too hard it could puncture a lung and they wouldn't be able to do a thing and--

(and maybe he'll be just find with some painkillers and some rest shut up shut up shut UP)

Worrying herself sick helps neither of them. He looks so woozy and shaken still, but who is Yuuri to act as if she knows Prompto's limits better than Prompto himself? She's going to have to take his lead.

Her smile's still there but it's strained and her concern is clear in her eyes. ]

... right. As slow as you need. And the instant you feel like you need to stop, just tell me and we'll take a breather. Don't push yourself too hard.

[ With Shovel-kun safely in her hands, Yuuri leans out and peers down the corridor. She doesn't expect anyone else to be down here but it's still a welcome sight to see the coast is clear. She glances back at Prompto then inclines her head in the direction she'd come hurrying to find him. ]

It won't be too far, I'm sure. And with any luck, we'll find some supplies and then you'll be too hopped up on painkillers to mind the rest of the walk.

[ It's a weak joke. But it's a joke, at least. Maybe if she can try and inject some normalcy into this, she'll stop feeling like everything is still going to go awfully, dreadfully wrong again. ]

[The fact that Prompto laughs has nothing to do with the joke's objective hilarity. It's relief and gratitude and fondness, and maybe a little bit of kindness, too. If Prompto Argentum won't laugh at your bad jokes, who will? No one, that's who. He's everyone's favorite sidekick for a reason.

The fact that laughing's a mistake, pain-wise, also has no impact on his doing it. It's wheezy, it's brief, and it still very much happens. Prompto keeps his hand on the wall and limps gamely in the direction Yuuri's indicated.]

Oh man, I can't wait. Painkillers.

[Just one foot in front of the other. Just do that a bunch of times, and he's home free, he and Yuuri and everyone else. Just keep walking and keep breathing, and don't drop her sweater on the floor, that's not cool.]

You know I've never had anything stronger than, like, Tylenol? This is gonna be a trip. ...Ahah, literally. [A beat.] Because drugs.

[But oh, does he ever want something to kill the pain. He almost doesn't care what it is, even if it'll knock him out again, even if he'll lose more time. Rii's got him, and he'll be with Noct and the guys again soon, and he's not a zombie, and things are going to be okay. They will. She said so, she said he'll be all right.

This... is pretty painful, Prompto's kind of an idiot for saying he could do it. Oh well, he's committed now.]

Wonder if they've still got the good stuff stocked. Haha...

[ He's practically dragging himself along. For the second time, just for a blip, she finds herself wondering if it was a mistake that it's not Noctis here, walking with him. But again comes that thought that both of them need this buffer that Yuuri's providing. Maybe it'd hurt Noctis more to see Prompto at his worst and maybe it would hurt Prompto to be seen like that by his best friend.

So the least she can do is make sure this boy is doped up on the good stuff before she makes him face everyone again. That's what a friend would do. Obviously. ]

I hope they do. Whatever they have, we're taking armfuls of it at least. It's not like there's anyone to stop us from stripping this place bare of everything we can fit in the car.

[ It's a bit of a novelty, the idea that they might end up with a surplus of supplies. ]

Do you think they'll have any vending machines for us to raid?

Vending machines. [He repeats it reverently, as a twenty-year-old metabolism machine might. Vending machines, or: manna from fucking heaven.] What I wouldn't give for. For a Snickers.

['You're not you when you're hungry' might as well be the motto of the zombie apocalypse. Prompto chuckles at the morbid joke, but has enough presence of mind to think maybe it's not the time to share it and presses on.]

Dunno if they'd still... have stuff in them, at this point, so many people here. ['So many.' It says something about life at the end of the world, when 'so many' means 'about twelve.'] But you know what they gotta have?

[He stops for a moment, leaning heavily against the wall, but he picks up his head with a breathless grin.]

Really. Big. Kitchen.

[Time to get their mamaheckin' RAID on.]

[ She tries not to make it too obvious that she's watching him, even though it's not like there could be anything else she has her eyes on right now. Even though Prompto's the one who's injured and she's perfectly fine, Yuuri still feels like she's the one following his lead and not the other way around. That's not right. But what else can she do?

She comes to a halt when he does, almost about to ask again if he's sure he can do this. But the sight of his smile reassures her, as weary and frayed at the edges as it seems and she feels her shoulders droop a little as some of the tension goes out of her. Prompto's just his usual self. So maybe she just needs to follow in turn. ]

Oh, can you just imagine what they're going to have in there? All kinds of cans and maybe some dehydrated food, too. I bet there's going to be more than we could carry. Do you think we'll get really lucky and find a bigger car to take with us, too?

Oh, oh man. Rii.

[It's a wheezy, unbalanced kind of laugh. Despite his unplanned nap, Prompto's had a long, long, long few hours.]

Let's take their tank.

[CHEW THROUGH THIS, ZOMBIE GOASTS!]

Their tank?

[ And... it's not funny. Not in the slightest, but the very idea of any of them piloting a tank suddenly seems hysterical. She has a vivid mental image of Kurumi and Gladiolus hanging out of the top of a tank, hard hats at odd angles on their heads and Kurumi joyfully declaring full steam ahead! and getting a salute in response and all she can do is give a helpless, breathless laugh behind her hands that she's pressed to her mouth. ]

I-- absolutely not! I don't trust a single one of you behind the wheel of a tank! Can you just imagine the sort of disaster it'd be?

[What? Come on, it's super funny, Yuuri. Laugh out loud for those whose ribs hurt too much for laughter!]

What if Iggy drives? Come on, Rii, live a little! Ha-hashtag yolo!

[It's so strange that ten minutes ago Prompto honestly thought he was going to die, and now his face hurts from grinning.]

Oh, well in that case -- maybe? But only so long as no one else even looks at the keys. And there's nothing to say we can't steal a few cars, is there? Maybe we'll set Ignis-san off ahead to scout things out and we'll follow along in the path he mows down for us.

[ Her voice is still wobbly and her eyes are a bit overbright but she's smiling, really smiling now. They're making stupid jokes and Prompto's walking and most importantly Prompto's alive and that's not going to change any time soon if Yuuri has anything to say about it.

Things are going to be just fine. Maybe if she keeps telling herself that, she'll eventually believe it. ]

Honoka Kousaka \| Love Live!: School Idol Project recolle cosmographia	Dia Kurosawa \| Love Live! Sunshine!! ryslig
Yoshiko Tsushima \| Love Live! Sunshine!	Maki Nishikino \| Love Live!: School Idol Project
Rin \| Shelter	Yuuri Wakasa \| School-Live! theairlock
Karin Miyoshi \| Yuki Yuna is a Hero	Miku Hatsune \| Vocaloid (World is Mine)
μ \| The Caligula Effect	Alalia Ridgely \| Intone (Original)
Hazel Summerhelm \| Intone (Original)	Caelina Gwynlaw \| Intone (Original)

13TH ♫ | do or die, you'll never make me

A POST-MURDERGAME CELEBRATORY CALL ME OUT POST

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