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 Posted: Sun Jul 26, 2020 8:29 pm
Whisler couldn’t think. Couldn’t focus. Couldn’t breathe. Everything felt…wrong. Everything hurt.
When the General left, he half waited for the punch line. Half waited for him to come back…to apologize. To take Whisler into his arms and find a way to fix this. Not just the newly acquired hole in his stomach…but all of this.
He found himself lying on the rooftop after a few moments of numb staring, and as he looked down at his blood covered hands, he realized that he was in trouble. He couldn’t handle this on his own, and obviously…
Obviously Ashanite wasn’t coming back.
With trembling fingers, Whisler reached into his little pocket of subspace and withdrew a piece of paper and a pen, marveling at how easily the blood stained both his fuku and the rooftop around him. He wrote quickly, a note that had straggling writing.
‘Attacked. Top of the Laundromat on Fifteenth street. Stabbed. Help.’
He looked at the letter through pain fogged eyes and gave a macabre chuckle, drawing a heart with the blood from his wound and then writing the name of his fiancé—who he truly didn’t deserve. He sent the letter with a burst of magical power and lay back, pressing against the wound, trying to use his cape to do something—anything to stop the bleeding.
At least until Arias got there.
…He only wanted to apologize. Perhaps forever.
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Posted: Sun Jul 26, 2020 10:30 pm
Arias was at home tonight, finishing up some business receipts and doing his best to plan some updates to the bakery downstairs. Nick had told him that he was going out and while Arias had offered to accompany him, Nick was strong enough to take care of himself.
Or, at least, Arias had thought.
Until he felt a strange warmth from the ring around his finger. Until he was reading a letter from Whisler, written in trembling letters and smeared in blood.
He knew where the laundromat was, and even if he hadn't he would have found his way there. Arias was always safe; he never powered up in the apartment, or near the bakery.
Except for tonight.
He was barely finished transforming by the time he ran downstairs and burst through the exit of the bakery, into the alley behind it. He didn't lock the door; all he could think about was Nick. Bleeding, hurt. In pain. Alone.
Guilt twisted in his gut and adrenaline was pulsing through him. His blood was rushing so quickly that he could barely hear his own thoughts.
It was probably for the best.
It took him two minutes to make it to the laundromat after the letter was sent, but it felt like two hours. His legs wouldn't move quickly enough. He was going at full speed, reckless and determined. He could feel Whisler, so that was a good sign.
He was alive.
When he got closer, he could see the blood.
He had a first aid kid stored in his subspace but it wasn't enough for bad injuries. He landed on the rooftop and ran, full speed still; he skidded to a stop towards the end, sliding just in front of Whisler and dropping to his knees.
"I'm here," he said, because he didn't know what else to say. He was cautious about agitating any injury but was already trying to draw back his clothes. "Let me see, how bad is it?"
There was too much blood, no first aid kit was going to stop this. Wrapping it might not help; it was almost guaranteed that he had some sort of bad internal injury. His brain was numb, fogged by a white hot haze. He could hear his mind slowing, ticking loudly, like a broken clock.
Move. Do something. Don't let him die. Go. Go.
His lungs burned but he could barely breathe. There was a hospital nearby. He could get him there. He could say they'd been mugged. Whisler could power down. This was fine. He could get him there.
He could do this.
Things would be fine.
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Posted: Mon Jul 27, 2020 6:36 pm
Whisler was surprised to find that Newgrange was already there, surprised and a bit confused. He gave a forced smile, blood coming down the corner of his mouth. “Ah…You know, not…ah…so bad. I guess.” His vision was fading though, not that he wanted to admit it. Poor Newgrange looked sick enough as it was…ah, he truly hadn’t meant to worry the male…
He hadn’t wanted this.
“…We…need to set a date, you know…” The knight was still pressing down hard against the wound, trying keep the flow of blood as stilled as he could.
“For the wedding…I…I almost…messed up again but. I’m just a stupid fool and…didn’t go to my wonder fast enough…I’m so sorry…”
Whisler coughed weakly and hissed as pain wracked through his body. “…Hurts…like a b***h. Can’t…really see.” The sudden rush of pain, and the overwhelming taste of blood in his mouth seemed to have utterly robbed the male of his bravado. “…Sorry. Love you…you know…”
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Posted: Mon Jul 27, 2020 6:47 pm
"I know you love me," Newgrange said easily; Whisler was already in his arms. He didn't remember scooping him up, and he didn't remember drawing him close to his chest and he didn't remember leaping from the edge of the building to the next one.
His movements were mechanic. Necessary, but it hardly felt like he was in any control of his body. He was afraid to look at Whisler, afraid to see the damage. And yet, he had to. He had to preserve this picture of him, had to memorize every line in his face, because now more than ever he was afraid he'd never see it again.
It was a stupid thought that stabbed into his gut with guilt.
No, things would be fine. He'd said so already. The hospital was practically in sight and he could get there quickly. This would be fine.
"I love you too. Keep talking to me. We can set a date later, when we have a calendar in front of us. Keep your eyes open, I'm right here. Don't let up the pressure on that thing. We'll be at the hospital in a moment. I'm going to need you to power down when we get closer, but I don't want you doing that until we're almost there."
He wanted every bit of power Whisler had going towards keeping him in one piece; he was stronger in this form, but there were too many questions he couldn't answer if they showed up powered. "Keep talking," he said again, insistent. "What did you almost mess up? --Who hurt you?"
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Posted: Tue Jul 28, 2020 11:50 am
Oh, it was warm in Newgrange’s arms. Whisler liked that. It was so easy to just relax. To close his eyes, to simply sink into that warmth. He was growing so cold, after all.
But, he was being asked to keep his eyes open, and he tried, though wasn’t quite sure the point of it. It was so dark anyway. “Keep…keep talking? All right…ah…”
Whisler blinked slowly, trying to keep the pressure on the wound, trying to do everything that was being asked of him. “…Ashanite. Said he loved me but…I was a weakness…so he wanted me gone. Rude, huh?” He gave a pitiful laugh. “…He messes my head up…would…I just wanted to go to Whisler…been feeling so sick again…”
Arias knew how it was. He understood. Arias understood everything.
“…He’s poison…” Poison on his heart, his soul. His starseed. Poison on everything
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Posted: Tue Jul 28, 2020 6:32 pm
Ashanite.
Newgrange hated Ashanite. Hated how weak Nick was for him. Hated how there were nights when he dreamed of Nick in someone else's arms. He wasn't happy that Nick was stabbed. He wanted to keep him safe, from things like this. There was no satisfaction at the heart that perhaps Nick would be more careful around him, now.
They were almost there. "Just a little longer," he heard himself say out loud. He had Whisler pressed tightly into his arms.
"Why did he tell you he loved you, did he want something from you?" he asked; his mouth was dry. The pit in his stomach was twisting, still with concern for Nick, but now it was tainted with another fear. Would tonight have ended differently if Ashanite hadn't stabbed him? Would Whisler be cradled in his arms instead?
They were almost there. They'd have to power down in a minute.
He just needed a little more time.
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Posted: Wed Jul 29, 2020 9:30 am
“Dunno…Was saying that I ******** up bad…with the glowing…said it made me sick when I didn’t…didn’t go to my wonder…”
It was getting harder to speak now. Harder to focus. Whisler felt so cold…so tired.
“Thought…he wanted to help me…but…guess I’m…not worth it, huh? I’m such…such s**t…” Slow tears began to leak out of the corners of the male’s eyes and he drew in a shallow breath. “…So cold, Arias…I’m so cold right now…Wish I had never…glowed. Then I could…give all of this up. Just have you…”
He only wanted Arias. This had been the final crack in his reservations of settling down. What was the purpose of loving so strongly when…all it brought was pain? Physical, emotional…soul crushing pain.
The male’s eyes closed and he shuddered softly. “Ah…Tired.” His powered form faded then, and Nicolae lay in Arias’ arms, looking pale, his hand covered in his own blood as he continued to press against the wound with what strength he had left.
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Posted: Wed Jul 29, 2020 12:36 pm
Newgrange's heart was in his throat when he made the last leap; he had powered down almost before he hit the ground and stumbled, barely catching himself. His ankle might have twisted under the weight of him running as he was, but it didn't stop him. He was charging out of the alleyway, running as fast as he could. The front door of the hospital was so close, he just had to make it across the road and through the doors.
They were so close.
"Just hold on," he said; he wasn't as strong in this form and he found himself quickly feeling the weight of fatigue. Adrenaline staved the weakness. He would be resilient, for Nick.
"If you want to break it, I'll help you find a way. Don't go to him again. Don't worry about him. Look, we're here, Nick," he said, as the bright light of the hospital rushed into view. "You've got me. Don't leave me," he said, almost demandingly. "...We'll figure this out. Just hold on. You can rest soon. I'll be here waiting for you to wake up. Just hold on, keep fighting. Just a little longer," he insisted.
The electronic doors felt like they took forever to open, even as he was rushing in past them.
Arias was a quiet man, he didn't like to make a scene.
He had never yelled louder in his life for anything than he yelled for help now.
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Posted: Thu Jul 30, 2020 7:15 pm
Nick was confused by the sudden light and shuddered slightly, but the words that Arias said seemed to get to his tired mind more than anything else.
Arias would help him break it? Arias would help him get through this…he…didn’t have to do it alone…he didn’t have to keep dealing with going up to his wonder so often…going into the city with temptations and things to worry about.
He forced his eyes open as wide as they would go, even though it was barely a crack. “Won’t go to him again…won’t leave you…can’t leave you.” His voice was quiet and it took a lot more effort to talk than he wanted to admit. “…Love you. Won’t leave.”
He wouldn’t leave if he could help it. There was no way that Nick could promise but…he would do his best. “Going to be okay…”
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