towerofanimus | A few days after the event [Open]

Entry tags:

A few days after the event [Open]

Characters: Taiki and all that stumble across him.
Setting: Room 2-18, corridors and finally the meadow on floor 25.
Format: i'll follow you
Summary: There is far too much blood in this Tower and the latest fight has made Taiki even more sick than before. But he is attempting to act normal ~~and failing~~
Warnings: Angsty self hating Kirin, mentions of blood and violence

Taiki had woken up with the others after the tower was put back together. Unlike the others though he promptly fell unconscious and remained that way for two days. When he finally woke up he felt awful. His clothes were still covered in blood and he felt nauseous.

He slowly pieced together what had happening, they had been attacked and mister Kirkland and Eridan had been protecting him. He hoped they were alright, he hadn't been much use.

Tears filled his eyes as he remembered. He had been so useless. He tried to sit up but a wave of dizziness hit him and he lay back down and cried. Everything had gone wrong, just as it had been going right when he had found his King and had done something right for once.

Now he was stuck in this tower, Gyousou was dead, Tai was being destroyed... he couldn't even help his friends that were here with him never mind the people of Tai who he couldn't even get to.

He felt a soft hand on his face and buried his head in the pillow, "Go... away... Sanshi," he sobbed and instantly felt bad. He sat up to apologies but the nyokai was silent. Taiki's tears came stronger and he got out of bed, barely able to walk without holding something. He wanted to be helpful though, he couldn't do anything lying in bed.

He stumbled his way to the bathroom to wash the blood off himself. He realized he was cut; as much as the infirmary made him fell even more ill he would have to go there to find some bandages.

He made it half way down the first flight of stairs before he remembered the rooms of blood and that he should use the elevator. He turned round but the movement made him dizy and he stumbled. He fell not onto the stone of the open floor like he expected, the one he and Eridan had flew from; but onto grass.

Tears streamed down his face as he realized he was too dizzy to sit up. He just wanted to go back home...

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Marceline had been intent on visiting the meadow, sun or not. She'd found her floppy hat and- regardless of whether or not it went with the sweater and jeans she'd thrown on that morning- headed up to that new level. Perhaps she could find something new to snack on as well...

That thought was driven from her head as she caught sight of Taiki, sitting on the ground. Something didn't seem right, but she tried to grin and approached, cautious. "Hey, ya okay?"

Taiki blinked at the voice. "Ma...Marceline?" He tried to sit up but couldn't quite hold his weight. "I... erm... I'm all right... sorry..." He didn't sound fully focused and if Marceline touched him at all she would feel that he was hot, as if he had a fever.

If she hadn't been convinced before that something wasn't quite right, the tone in his voice did it. She still remembered his sensitivity to blood and violence, and she'd recently fought those monsters (she wouldn't think of it, she refused to think of it), but she hadn't had blood in a long while. She floated over and tried to pull him to his feet.

"...no way you're okay, you're burning hot." Marceline frowned, landing. "Come on, we oughta get you some medicine, something..."

Taiki blinked as she flew closer and shook his head, "Sorry... I'm fine it's just... the fight... the blood..." He felt himself falling and grabbed hold of her. "Sorry..."

He wondered if everyone else was alright, had they managed to fight the monsters off?

Now that she was back, Aradia was intent on properly exploring the tower. She'd glimpsed each floor briefly on a very interesting trip down the stairs, once, but that felt like months ago and indeed maybe it had been. So down she went.

She didn't get far, of course, before catching a glimpse of someone falling down the stairs. With a concerned gasp, she hurried down the rest of the way, hiking up her skirts so as not to trip, and crouched next to the young alien, trying to help him up. "Are you all right?"

Taiki's eyes flickered open to see a troll. "Aradi... sorry," it wasn't the girl he had taught to swim, she was too old. He tried to sit up but had to reach out to grasp at the troll.

"Sorry..." He was feverish hot and unfocused.

Hearing her name surprised her a bit, but it wasn't the first time she'd encountered someone who'd met her before she met them. Aradia gently helped him to sit up against the wall, smiling warmly as if to an old friend.

"Don't be sorry. What's wrong? Are you ill?" She paused to press the back of her hand against his forehead. "Good grief, you're hot enough to fry a grubroast on."

Taiki shook a little but sat up as she helped him and smiled softly back. "Thank you."

He nodded slowly at the question and was about to try and explain. But then she pressed her hand against his forhead and he growled and went to bat her hand away the nausea hitting him and making him double over. He couldn't go anywhere because of the wall but he was pressed as far into it, and away from her hand as possible.

"S...sorry..." Tears filled his eyes again.

Oh dear, that was an odd reaction. Had she done something wrong? A headache? Or was forehead-touching some kind of offensive gesture on his planet? It seemed like she had genuinely agitated him, one way or another.

Aradia withdrew her hand. "I don't mean to upset you, I'm just trying to help," she said gently, as if to a wiggler. "Let's get you to the infirmary, all right? Do you think you can stand?"

"No... sorry..." He wiped his tears away, he had not wanted to be rude or annoy her. He nodded and tried to get to hid feet, grasping on to her arms. "Sorry... my horn... it hurts if you touch..." He needed all his concentration for standing so he fell silent.

A horn? She didn't see a horn. Oh no, what if the poor boy was delirious? Aradia did her best to support him getting up, but soon gave up on the idea. There was no way he'd be able to walk that far, and she'd be cruel to force him to.

"It's all right. I said don't apologize, didn't I? It's not your fault if you're ill." She patted his arm lightly. "Tell you what, I'll just carry you, okay? Go ahead and sit back. I'll help you down."

She made a small, quick gesture with her hand, forming an invisible surface for him to sit on. Boy, telekinesis sure is convenient!

Marceline's eyes widened and she hurried to hold him up. This really wasn't good, and she was starting to panic, not just for Taiki but for the fact that she had no idea what to do. "It's okay, kiddo, just focus on putting one foot in front of the other. Probably oughta get you to bed or something..."

She cringed, remembering the fight against the monsters. "After that mess it makes sense you aren't doing good. But come on. If you rest and get some medicine, you should be okay, right?"

Aqua wasn't faring so well herself, but the extent of her physical damage was mostly contained to minor cuts and scrapes. The worst consequence of all of her fighting was the overwhelming fatigue, a weight she was consciously aware of on both her body and spirit all at once.

She almost couldn't even get out of bed when she had first woken up, but the thought that there may be others still down in the tower that needed help was motivation for her to manifest enough healing magic to be able to carry herself with dignity again. The trek down the floors was not going to be pleasant, but it was something she needed to do. People were still injured, and who knew what monsters were still lurking?

When she came upon the new floor, at first, she could only feel confusion. There may have once been pleasant surprise, but now there was only suspicion at its sudden appearance. Especially when she caught sight of Taiki on the ground. She wasn't well-acquainted with the boy, but she knew him through her magic lessons.

"Taiki," Aqua addressed softly, hastening to his side as quickly as she could without succumbing to her exhaustion. "Taiki, is that you?"

Taiki nodded slowly and then blinked but did as she said. Some sort of magic caught him and he brought his knees up to his chest looking at the troll in surprise. "You're a magic troll... sorry... is it magic like Sollux?" He didn't know much about troll magic, just that Willow had enchanted Eridan's ring to protect him from Sollux's magic.

Taiki nodded slowly, he probably should go back to bed. He couldn't even walk more than a few steps and was just having to rely on others to help him. Again. Tears filled his eyes as he silently berated himself for being so useless.

He didn't need medicine, there was no medicine that could help with this, it wasn't an illness it was just the way he had been made. "Blood," he whispered again, rolling up his sleeves to show where he himself was bleeding.

Taiki blinked at the woman who had been teaching him magic. "Miss Aqua?" He tried to sit up but a wave of dizziness hit him and he fell again, reaching out to clutch at Aqua.

Aqua caught him before he could fall completely, the Keyblade that had previously been in hand falling to the ground in favor of holding Taiki up. It was at that moment when she realized how tired she really was; Taiki's weight disturbed her balance more than it should have, for someone who had effortlessly carried Ventus on her back. She kept standing, though, for the young kirin's sake.

"Shh, it's okay," the keybearer assured soothingly. "Hold on, okay? You'll be alright."

Following that, she took a deep breath, closing her eyes. She could feel the magic buzzing around her, but it flowed at a very sluggish pace when she tried to harness it -- a sign of her weakened spiritual constitution. She kept a hold on it, though, focusing it all into her hands.

After a while, tendrils of glowing green light snuck out from beneath her hands, shrouding Taiki with powerful Curaga magic. A golden flower bloomed above his head and sparkling green clusters of light rained down on him, to heal his wounds and taper his fatigue.

Taiki nodded eyes filling with tears, he felt bad about leaving his room at all, he should have just stayed there where people didn't have to deal with him.

He blinked as he was healed, it made him feel a little better as the cuts where healed, though it couldn't help the sickness brought on by exposure to blood. "Thank you... but you shouldn't... erm... it was nice of you... but..." But it felt strange that someone should waste magic on him.

Aqua's vision swam a little bit when the spell dissipated and she opened her eyes again, but a few blinks cleared it up quickly. It didn't help the sudden pull of weight she felt in the back of her mind that told her there would be no more magic for her until she rested, though.

"You were in pain," Aqua said quietly. "You want to learn magic to help people, right? That's what I do. I help people." If she could protect someone, or alleviate their pain, then none of her effort was a waste.

The concern on her face deepened. "You should still go to the infirmary, though. I can't fix everything." She was just a mage, not a doctor.

Something in Aradia's chest cage jumped at the mention of her old companion, and she couldn't hold back a chuckle. So he was hiding out here somewhere, was he? That troll. Even if he wasn't the Sollux she knew, this was an unacceptable lapse, and he would need to be brought to heel for it, yes sirree.

She lifted Taiki a few feet into the air, maneuvering him safely up the stairs ahead of her. First order of business was the infirmary, which if she recalled correctly was just down the elevator and then up a few floors. Piece of cake.

"It's hardly what I'd call magic," she explained as she was doing this. "'Psionic powers' is more accurate, especially in his case. Mine are a little more utilitarian, but we're a lot alike, he and I."

Taiki nodded slowly, it was true, he was learning because he wanted to help people as best he could. "Thank you..."

He shook his head, "The infirmary... sorry the infirmary... there's lots of blood there... it makes me worse."

Taiki didn't know why she was chuckling but just sat very still, he didn't know how he was being carried and he didn't want to fall down the stairs again. He nodded, he had heard the words before, "Mind magic... he can make things move just with his mind... sorry... you don't hurt people with your powers do you..."

If he hadn't been so ill he probably wouldn't have asked such a question, but he had always seen magic as something that helped people. Mainly because the only magic he knew came from Kirin, and they couldn't harm people.

Knowing that some people used it to harm others worried him. But still it had been a rude question, "Sorry... I just..."

Aradia smiled sympathetically. He wouldn't be the first one to find a troll's unusual powers new and frightening, after all. "It's okay," she said. Then, after a pause, "It... wouldn't be the truth if I said I never have. But I'm not going to hurt you, and that's the important thing at the moment, right?"

Taiki blinked sadly, though he knew he shouldn't judge people it was what he was made to do, stop his king from being violent or unjust. So although he sort of understood that some people deemed some violence and hurting of others to be necessary it was not something he could understand or not dislike.

He nodded though, "Thank you..."

"It's no problem at all, dear." Not that she liked violence either! But sometimes, you know, if someone wouldn't listen no matter what you said, or was getting violent themselves, or... well, a little fighting got the blood roaring, you know, very good exercise.

Okay so maybe she was a little violent now and again.

By this point they'd reached the elevator, and she filed into it with Taiki in tow. "Oh! How rude of me, I never asked your name, did I? You already know mine, I believe, but just the same."

Taiki was glad they were going in the elevator, most of the floors made him feel sick just walking through them and he already felt bad enough.

"Oh... sorry... it's Taiki. I am glad to meet you."

"Hey, come on, no crying." Marceline was using her best 'I'm the boss' voice, but even she could hear that thread of worry behind it. She didn't deal well with tears (not even her own), and she certainly couldn't deal with kids crying. "We're going to get you better, you--"

Her sentence cut off as he showed her the blood. It wasn't something she needed, wasn't even something she usually wanted, but the sight and smell of it reminded her that she was indeed a vampire, and it was something she was made to take. And it reminded her that she had hardly eaten breakfast. Marceline gritted her teeth and reached over to try and wipe the blood off, and push his sleeves back down. "We'll patch that up too," she said, trying to smile.

At the order to stop crying he did so, wiping his eyes and trying his best not to make her more annoyed than he thought she was at him.

Taiki blinked as she gritted her teeth, did blood make her feel strange as well? "Sorry," he whispered and nodded. "Thank you." He held on to her tightly as he continued walking. Determined not to fall again.

"It's okay," Marceline said, trying to ignore the smell of blood lingering, focusing instead on helping him back to his room. How was she supposed to help, she wondered. She hadn't been ill in years, and definitely not to this point. Blood had never bothered her. How was she supposed to do anything?

She tried to push those thoughts out of her head, it wasn't the time to think of that.

Taiki leaned on her as they moved back to the room. He was starting to feel bad about leaving it at all, all he had managed to do was become a nuisance.

""Thank you..."

Marceline felt a smile on her mouth- numb, out of focus, but she could feel it. She reached up to ruffle at his hair. "No, really, it's okay. You don't have to thank me."

She sighed quietly and focused back ahead. "In fact, you probably shouldn't. I might not be the best person to take care of you." It took a lot for her to admit she might not be up to a task, but it would be better to now than to regret it later, she supposed.

Taiki gave a small smile at the hair ruffling, feeling a bit better now he was back in bed. "Sorry..." he said looking downwards, misinterpreting her words, "If it is a problem... I will be fine alone... Sanshi will help me..."

Marceline shook her head, she hadn't quite meant it like that, and to know that Taiki would be alone twisted something in her chest.

"Aw, man, breaking my heartgut..." she sighed, and hovered by him. "Nah, I just haven't had to take care of anyone in a long time so I don't... really know how good a job I'll do." She decided she'd leave the weird sensitivity to blood she was finding lately out of this. Besides, it wasn't that bad. "So, I guess... if ya need anything just send me for it."

"I... I am sure you will go a good job, you are really kind," he gave her a shy smile, and closed his eyes, exhausted now that he was in bed. "Thank you," he whispered again.

'Kind' was not an assessment usually attached to the vampire queen. So it was hardly a shock that a blush rose to her face- after all, her reputation was staked on appearing big and bad and tough. But maybe in this case she could make an exception. She reached up to smooth his hair down (a faint memory of her own past, her mother or father or someone comforting her), pretending to be interested in something off to the side to try and hide her embarrassment.

"It's no big. Really, just get some rest." she advised, quietly.

Taiki managed a small smile and curled onto his side, he still felt embarrassed and useless but he felt safer now, Marceline might think it was nothing big she had done but Taiki did not have many friends, he didn't even have a king anymore and so those people that he did have were very important to him. Sleep came easily.

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A few days after the event [Open]

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Floor 25

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I am the worst at replying to tags, I'm sorry. ;;

No worries <3