♛accidential video;

[meritocracy]

[the feed blurs in, shaky and uncertain. there's grass, sky, and there's blood. there's golden curls and a familiar brown headband and there's blood.

the video screen is smeared with red fingerprints and there is suddenly white skin, spasming fingers reaching for the screen but there is not a single word. not a single sound.

it moves, slowly, the fingers twitching as if in agony before it moves to a face, blood smeared at the top of the chin, dirt speckled across the cheeks and eyes barely open. for a minute there's the flash of a horrible red, gaping wound beneath the chin but then it's back to a pale face, lips parting but no sigh coming out. then the video spirals upwards, once, twice, red fingerprints and all.

and the fallen woman hasn't uttered a single word. ]

Comments

[action]

[dissonates]

[He feels her fingers curl weakly around the material near his hand, and purses his lips, his body tense. It took that much effort just to hold a bit of fabric, to grasp something so small. She's always doing this to herself, isn't she? Trying too hard, forcing strength when anyone else might cave to their own weakness. It's an admirable and infuriating trait.

She should know better.]

Stop pushing yourself. Just get some rest.

[It's a quiet, chiding tone, more gentle than his previous words; he's still angry, no denying that, but his concern for her is subtly overruling that anger bit by bit. It's not alright, and she's not fine, and as much as her eyes might plead with him, he's not going to smile about this. There's nothing to smile about, not even to indulge her. He can't be happy.

Not while she's bleeding in his arms like this, unable to speak, barely breathing. Nothing about it would be real.

When he smiles at her he wants it to be real, always.]

[action]

[meritocracy]

[natalia hears that and her chest hurts a little. he's so upset--was he doing alright before he found her? had he been well..? she doesn't know. she doesn't know anything and it's been a so long--under those lights and those white coats and is it a dreamasch, asch--i'm tired--it hurts--asch--but she won't say that, she won't ever say that. instead she just drops her fingers as weakly as they had grabbed, falling back into her lap. she can hear everyone faintly..]

[action]

[dissonates]

[Asch speaks quietly into the journal a few times as necessary, falling silent at some point and pausing to lean against a tree for just a few moments about halfway, opening the link to connect with Luke. He can get supplies for her, prepare the house, tell Tear what she should be ready to do when Asch arrives with Natalia. He continues onward after the moment passes, trying to pick the pace up without jostling her too much. At least they aren't too far from the house.]

[action]

[meritocracy]

[As Asch begins talking to Luke, Natalia starts to blink in and out of consciousness. There's a hitched, gurgled sound escaping Natalia's lips though there is little but that. She's slipping.

Asch's red hair was always so bright wasn't it? Even when it was dark. It's a little dark now, and her eyelids are heavy. She must look a mess, she thinks again, with blood smeared over her throat, chin face--hair..I can't call myself a Princess, she thinks wryly, as her head sags backwards, into his arms. It's lights out.]

[action]

[dissonates]

[He notices her head loll, shifting his arm hastily to avoid he stretching her neck and tearing the wound open again. The healing he'd done was too delicate to risk that.]

Natalia? Natalia!

[...Dammit, she's out. Cursing under his breath, he cuts off the fonic link and picks up the pace, trading gentleness for haste. As long as she's unconscious, he won't concern himself with the jostling causing her more pain; what's important now is getting her to a proper healer.

Thankfully they weren't far off, so before too long he makes it to the house, kicking loudly against the front door to get someone's attention, since his hands are (obviously) occupied.]

[action]

[meritocracy]

[and she'll just continue leaking all over your clothes, asch. sorry. :(]