destinystrings | Farewell Happy Fields!

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Farewell Happy Fields!

Farewell Happy Fields!

☯

What: Aftermath of Anoli Attack: Hospital
Where: Leo Ward - Caduceus Hospital Headquarters
Summary: It is the aftermath of the Anoli attack on the Closing Ceremonies. The injured have been taken to Caduceus Hospital Headquarters, and it is time for reflection, visting, or old-fashioned escapes from the hospital rooms.
Warnings: Mild squick if people want to describe their wounds in explicit detail.

Caduceus Hospital Headquarters. It has a distinguished history within Hinoto-Ri, boasting of a staff of well-trained Healers, as well as possessing the most cutting edge medical technology possible. There was no limb they couldn't reattach, no organ they couldn't replace... - they even claimed to be able to bring someone back from the dead (with the small disclaimer that it could only occur under certain conditions and with an obscene amount of luck).

So needless to say, the hospital was more than well-equipped to deal with the aftermath of the Anoli attack on the Closing Ceremonies.

---

Nearly every hospital bed had been filled by an injured patient that night. The A&E room had been in constant chaos, with civilians crying and shouting, searching for loved ones, or demanding to see doctors or healers to help so-and-so...

There had also been plenty of reporters milling about, shouting and crying over the status of the Mayor's Secretary, and whether the Red Lion had really died at the scene, or if he was still alive and well within the safety of the hospital's ICU.

By the time morning broke, there was a false sense of tranquillity within the hospital. The healers had been pushed to their limits with the sheer number of patients being wheeled in and out of surgery, but otherwise, the situation had finally gotten under control. Now, both civilians and visitors were merely waiting for word of the conditions of their injured friends and family...

[Welcome to the winding down of the event! You are now at the hospital, where you may be visiting the injured, or be one of the injured yourself! Those with RED injuries will be in the ICU, and those with YELLOW injures will be in normal wards, for obvious reasons. Those with GREEN injuries wouldn't have had to go to the hospital at all, so they are free to come and go as they wish!

You may all start your threads and mingle!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

It's quite a bit to take in, and there's a pause as she processes all of this. A vampire...? She worries for all of a second before dismissing it. He's shown her nothing but kindness up until now, and he does not seem to have any malicious intent whatsoever, so she's inclined to trust in him. And not only that, but he seems to use his powers to protect - something she can relate to, even if her own abilities are quite different.

"I... see. I'm sorry, I realized you weren't human, but I didn't think--" Vampires are common enough in stories, but never quite blue... winged ones. "...But I do see what you mean, now. To have been given a name like that is a great coincidence."

It probably only helped that his current body language was shy, not quite submissive, but certainly self-conscious, the way he continued to hold his wings loosely around himself like that, head lowered subtly as he spoke with her.

Quiet, considering it, "Perhaps. But my brothers' names are largely similar in appropriateness. They're rather neatly split, between the well-suited and the greatly ironic, I think." He shook his head a little. "Names are funny, sometimes.

"But... what about me not being human?" He tilted his head a bit, curious. She'd started to say something, but broke off before she'd finished that thought, it seemed.

Ah, awkward. She looks somewhat embarrassed.

"...Sorry. It might be rude of me, but... When people describe vampires in my world, they never look anything like you. I wouldn't have guessed if you hadn't told me."

He actually giggled a little at that, putting a hand up to half hide his grin. "Oh. No, that's quite all right. The clans have changed rather drastically, over the last... thousands of years. I doubt that if I were to somehow meet my human self, I would recognize me for what I was. Or any of the other clans' members, for that matter. Why, what do they look like in your world?"

"I haven't actually seen a real vampire in my world." Which was kind of amazing, considering all of the other things she had encountered instead.

"But in the stories at least, they look just like humans but with pale skin and long fangs."

He nodded. "They did once look like that in Nosgoth. It was mostly while the clans were still young, though. And before the Empire, as well, I think."

"Nosgoth? And... the Empire...?"

"Ah... Nosgoth is where I came from. A very, very long time ago, the humans tried to kill all vampires. There were all sorts of wars and attempts at genocide... and then a vampire by name of Kain set about conquering Nosgoth for himself. When he finally did, that's... when his Empire was established. Each of his six lieutenants had their clans and established kingdoms... and my clan is the first-ranked of those, founded by Raziel. Or at least, it's what's left of it, rebuilt. Raziel himself is long dead now.

"And in the time between Raziel's execution, when the rest of the clan was killed... and now? That's when each of the clans evolved, to look... not like you described. All of my clan looks quite similar to me. Wings, blue skin, all that. And the other clans have become monsters. Most of them aren't even sapient any longer; it's one of the reasons why my clan does what we can to be rid of them.

"If your world didn't have to deal with such things, though... then congratulations, and I sincerely hope it never does." He was quiet a moment before peeking back up at her, putting on some little hint of a smile again. "What... is your world's history like, though? I would imagine it to be quite different, if you haven't met one vampire before...?"

She listens to the tale in fascinated silence. When he finally poses his own question to her, she gives a shake of her head. "Not quite. Well... Not with vampires, at least."

...Or if it did, she certainly hadn't heard any stories of it. It's hard to say which legendary creatures are real or not, now that she's seen a fair few of them herself.

"We've had wars, though. There was a time when many clans all fought with each other, and it only ended when the country was unified under one rule. And... I recently found out that some time after that was a war that involved the living dead." Her expression tightens a bit at this. Even though she hadn't lived through it herself, the aftermath had turned out to involve herself and her friends quite a bit.

"So your world needed some sort of political unification as well?" That was what Kain's vampiric Empire was considered? Really? But he wasn't asking it as a question to be answered, so much as merely making an observation. He was frowning a bit as he thought, his attention more on another point. "What sort of 'living dead' were they, if not vampires? Not wraiths, I suspect?"

"Not vampires, no." She shakes her head, quite certain of it. "I suppose the best word for it would be... zombies? They reanimated corpses of those who had fallen in battle."

"Zombies?" New vocabulary word, get.

"Were the bodies... changed somehow, to allow them to live again, or...?" Morbid curiosity talking.

She shakes her head.

"...I don't think so. Their bodies probably remained rotting, and were only animated to continue fighting." Since that's how it was when she encountered them herself...

"The only ones who might have changed were... people who may have been turned into demons."

He was quiet, lowering his gaze. "That sounds... a bit like the Melchahim, actually." A depressing thought there, it seemed; his wings were sinking a bit, slowly, as well as his shoulders, what little those would, in his stance. "What sort of demons did your world have? ....They weren't much like the ones here, I suspect?"

Aoi lowers her head a little in response. "...There were many different kinds, and they all had different shapes and forms. Some were like animals, or just monsters. Most of them were demons from the beginning, but... Others were like I told you. Humans or animals who had been changed into demons through the Dark Arts. But none of the ones I've seen here resemble them much."

"I'm glad, then, for at least that much. I don't know what I'd do if any of the demons from Nosgoth's old history books showed up here... or even the other clans, in their present states."

A little pause, a sad smile catching the corner of his mouth as he tried to look back up to her, as absolutely interesting as his nails had suddenly become to him... and was that a faint blush of purple hinting in his cheeks? "Though I must admit, most of the humans here remind me a great deal of the Rahabim of the Empire's era. And I..." He took a breath, but his voice was quieter. "I find that I miss them."

He shook his head, breaking away from those thoughts deliberately, to try again to look back up at her. "May the demons from your world, and those undead as well, never find their way here?"

He... misses them? She wants to ask, for a moment, but she also seems to understand that it is a topic he would rather not speak about at the moment. And so, she instead focuses on his last words.

"...That's what I hope." She... can't stand the idea of fighting any more of them, particularly the transformed humans. Those poor souls, twisted and warped by the Dark Arts and forced to slaughter... It's just too cruel.

"If they do, though... I'll just have to do what I can. To protect the people here, and also... To save them."

He nodded a little, quiet again a second before he trying to look back up to her again.

"I'd like to as well, and I'll try, but...." He shook his head, quiet as ever, perhaps a little sullen. "Honestly, since what happened... to the end of really helping, I think I'd rather it were one of my brothers here instead of me. Or almost anyone of the rest of my clan, truly. I can't fight. I've no Gift to heal others, though I know at least two of my brothers have it. Almost everyone else in my clan is a skilled warrior. Why I was chosen to come here instead of them, I can't begin to fathom. How would an architect, a mere artist, help save this city and its people? They already have someone competent to design their buildings, that much is clear from our apartments."

He sighed, still polishing one of his nails. "I'm afraid I'm a rather poor specimen of my clan, to come here as a representative of it, or of Nosgoth. I do hope no one will end up too disappointed, if I end up unable to do much."

((Aww. Perhaps once their social link's a bit higher? As it is, I'm sure her rank with this Star is going to be higher than the usual "just met" level. They seem to work well off each other.))

She listens sympathetically. In a lot of ways, his worries mirrored her own. Why her? Why not Tatsuma, or even Kyouichi? Even though she wants so desperately to help, even she can realize that her own powers may not be entirely suited for the situation. But at the same time... She can't give up without a fight.

...And it had been exactly like that when she first received the Power, too.

"I... don't know if it's the same in your world," she begins, her voice uncertain. "But... I've been told we are all born under a Star of Fate. It guides us on our paths, even if we may not understand how or why." Her right hand curls loosely, and she brings it to her chest.

"...I was born under a unique Star of Fate. I didn't realize until recently, but all this time, I've had a great power within me. But when it was first awakened, all I could think was, 'Why me? Why was I the one given this power?'" Her head dips for a moment, but only just; when she raises it again, there is a look of mixed acceptance and determination. "...It seemed like too much at first, but... I still wanted to do what I could with whatever power I had. I always wanted to be able to help people, so with that power - I tried to use it to save even more. Perhaps that is also because of my Star of Fate." That duty, and all of the sorrows and strains that came with it.

She turns her gaze to Avitus, her mouth forming a small, encouraging smile. "I'm certain there must be a reason why you were brought here, too. Surely there must be something that only you can do. You might not have realized it yet, but... As long as you try your hardest with what you can, I'm sure you will come to understand your own purpose here."

((OOC: Indeed! They seem rather suited to each other if this conversation is anything to go by, haha.))

The little smile he gave her wasn't exactly a happy one, but it was certainly knowing. He nodded. "Perhaps... but if they had need of an artist, or an architect, why not find a way to take Winnoc, or Boyd, from the Empire's days? Either of them were far more skilled than I could ever be. I don't even have any unique Gifts, among my clan, that-- ah."

A little pause, his smile faltering a bit, bt he put it back on, deliberately. "Well... none that I can use.

"I just... I don't understand this." He shook his head, sighed... but looked back up at her, clearly trying to lighten the mood a bit. "But despite that, it's been a rather pleasant vacation from the Citadel, this last event aside, at least?"

((Totally. They should bump into each other and go out for hot chooclate or something later, perhaps? :) ))

"But Winnoc or Boyd... They aren't you. No matter what skills they have, it's possible there is some other quality only you possess, right?" She reaches out a hand, hovering it near Avitus without quite touching - she doesn't want to make him uncomfortable, but she hopes her attempt to be reassuring will be understood.

"You are a unique person yourself, Avitus. And I'm sure that Philemon saw that when he chose you."

She will draw her hand back as the conversation continues, her expression becoming concerned. "Are things... not well at the Citadel?"

If the way he was hugging his wings around himself was any indication, as he unthinkingly polished his nails by fidgeting with them... or perhaps more tellingly, the way the wing on her hand's side moved subtly, to lightly press its feathers into her outstretched hand, without him appearing to have consciously directed it to do so... maybe some physical contact wouldn't be unwelcome?

He didn't exactly respond to what she said at first, unsure of what to say. But the question made him look up again, blinking in surprise.

"Oh-- oh, it's not that. Things--" He smiled a little, embarassed. "Things are going as well as usual, I suppose. It's just... different, being here. The people..."

A second's pause, as he looked back to his nails, searching for the words he wanted to use. "In the Citadel, everyone knows about the correlation between plumage and age, and about how much my clan -- the humans' own elite hunters -- does to protect them, and... and how important the...." He made a vague gesture, "the ranks and... honors, and titles, and...."

He sighed, giving up on trying to explain it from that angle, and shook his head. He looked back up to her, eyes a little shiny with tears that hadn't yet built up enough to consider falling, which he probably hadn't even noticed for himself yet. "Here, where my clan isn't? People don't fall all over themselves with elder this, and yes sir that, and... and they speak with me. Not with the elder Razielim, but with me. Or maybe just with that curious-looking creature, but it's still a great change in approach." He was smiling as he said that, cheeks creeping subtly toward a more purple hue. "I don't believe that the extent of it was ever more apparent to me than after I'd been here for even a little while... and though I find myself missing my brothers, I don't think I'm ready to return quite yet. Besides...."

He leaned down subtly more, voice hushing just a little to compensate. "There's ice cream here. And hot chocolate!" Between that hint of a kid-at-Christmas expression on his face, the weight of those earlier thoughts clearly brushed aside for now, and the nearly conspiratorial delivery, it was probably safe enough to assume two things here. One, that he'd never had either of those sweets, back in Nosgoth. Two, that he was so enthralled with his discovery of them there in Hinoto-Ri, that it outweighed, or at least counterbalanced, his desire to see his brothers again just yet.

Yes, dessert was holding him here.

How old was he, again, exactly?

"You've tried those... haven't you?"

((Sorry for the TL;DR! Hopefully that last bit made you smile, though? :) ))

...Ah... Though she herself had never held a position nearly as close to Avitus', she can get a small sense of what he means. To many of her classmates, she is not Aoi Misato; rather, she is the "student council president", or at worst, "the little miss". The disconnect in the titles was... sorrowful to say the least. It's hard, being seen only for what, not who you are.

However, his excitement at hot chocolate and ice cream blows those thoughts to the wayside. She really can't help but smile out of genuine happiness at his obvious glee.

"I've tried both, yes. They're both very delicious; I should try them again sometime." She has to hold back a small giggle - his cheer is infectious.

((OOC: This is... the cutest darn thread, oh my goodness.))

"There are some places not too far from the hospital that sell them. I was thinking to get some, after doing what I could here... but that may take me until the hours for visiting are through, with as many people as are here." His smile faded a little again at that, but only for a moment. He finally pulled his wings back up behind him, straightening up his posture just a little bit more again.

"However, if it would help you feel better, I wouldn't be adverse to fetching some now...."

Thinly veiled excuse there, burdie. Thinly veiled indeed. That formality was a joke that wasn't going to last beyond her answer, and maybe not even that long.

((In other words, be an enabler here, Aoi! :D))

Another stifled giggle - even she can pick up on that much of a hint.

"If it's not too much trouble, I would like that very much." Hopefully the nurses won't object...

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