(no subject)

[etherealblast]

Who: Fayt Leingod, Albel Nox, and later Cliff Fittir, Okita Souji and Law.
What: A spar gone awry.
When: January 13th, afternoon
Where: Battledome
Summary: Fayt is tired of Albel avoiding them over lingering discomfort from the mistletoe shift, and tries to help him regain a sense of normalcy the only way he knows might work.
Rating: PG-15 for violence and heavy injuries.

Fayt had given it nearly two weeks. Two weeks of Albel sulking around, avoiding so much as talking to him or even looking at him. He'd barely seen the man, and even when he had it had only been for a second or two before Albel darted off.

He wasn't an idiot. That Albel seemed to be avoiding him was obvious enough, and he supposed he should have expected him to react this way-- Fayt had shrugged off the shift just fine, long used to the Malnosso messing with them by now, but Albel obviously didn't know how to. Albel avoided physical and emotional affection like it was the black plague, and shifted or not it had probably made Fayt's presence difficult for him to deal with.

It was more than a little awkward. Albel was eccentrically reactive at the best of times, but Fayt felt bad for making him so uncomfortable, even if it wasn't technically his fault. He had to do something.

A few messages sent Albel's way over the journals to try to smooth things over had gotten no response, though that wasn't surprising. Fayt finally just decided on the direct approach, heading to the battledome where he knew he'd find Albel training more likely than not.

When he finds the room the swordsman is using, he walks right in. There would be no running away this time.

Comments

[urallmaggots]

Really, he hated the battledome.

Albel would have much preferred a real opponent to all this computer simulation crap. Technology of this level was beyond him; even when they had breached realities to find out their existence was nothing more than a mere game, seeing and interacting with such vastly superior technology was beyond him. Still, it had one advantage, and that was only the fact that he did not need to deal with other humans in order to get some training in, which worked well for him at the moment.

He didn't want to deal with people right now. The blue haired maggot's grope session had left a bad taste in his mouth, leading to his current state of uncomfortable dress and even more excessive grumpiness than usual.

And then said blue haired maggot had to show up in the middle of one of his sessions and make it worse.

"Get out," he growled at him, not even bothering to turn around as he stabbed a virtual creature in the gut.

[etherealblast]

Albel should already know his attitude wasn't going to drive Fayt away so easily, and true to stubborn form, he walks further into the room, ignoring the angry demand. Two weeks was more than long enough of this charade.

"No, not this time. You've been avoiding me, haven't you?" He draws his sword since the sim is still active, keeping an eye on the simulated monsters. He wasn't sure if this scenario would identify a second fighter, but he'd rather not get interrupted by a sneak attack.

[urallmaggots]

"Oh, I'm surprised you noticed," Albel replied, the sarcasm thick in his voice. He had every intention of ignoring Fayt entirely, hoping he would act like the child he was and eventually go away if he didn't pay any attention to him.

That was, until he heard him draw his sword.

Albel spun around immediately at that, sword arm extended, as if fully expecting a rear attack.

[etherealblast]

"Whoa, I'm just keeping an eye on the monsters, alright?" He holds up a hand, frowning slightly at Albel's tense reaction. Did he seriously think he'd attack him from behind? Maybe he'd underestimated how uncomfortable Albel was.

"I wasn't sure how detailed the sim was."

[urallmaggots]

Albel let out an annoyed, "Tch," glaring at Fayt. He kept his sword arm extended, however, like he fully expected Fayt to attack him any moment.

"Even you should know not to draw a blade when a warrior's back is turned," he growled out.

The monsters around seemed to settle back, like they were just waiting for a good show to happen.

[etherealblast]

"Didn't used to be a problem out in the field." They'd fought plenty of groups of monsters together before, sometimes ones who'd gotten the jump on them, so this shouldn't be any different, besides these monsters being simulations. Combat wasn't ever the most organized thing.

Damn, how was he going to fix this...?

"....Listen, Albel, if this is about the last experiment...."

[etherealblast]

It was a long while after Law finished his work that the drugs keeping him under let off enough for Fayt to wake up. And if someone asked, Fayt certainly could say he'd felt better-- his head felt like it was filled with rocks and his entire body felt heavy and had that odd, distantly dull ache feeling of heavy painkillers just starting to wear off. For however long he was asleep, he still felt far too groggy, and it almost felt like there were the beginnings of a fever settling in.

He felt like crap, to put it bluntly. His torso felt stiff from bandages, and he seemed to have fallen asleep on his front... An attempt to try to roll over sent a powerful shot of pain through his body, and it's more than enough to convince him that laying still is the better idea in spite of the lack of visual clues he can gather like this, staring blankly at what must be a hospital wall.

"What.... the hell....?" His voice comes out more of a hoarse whisper than anything. So speaking was painful, too. He was sick, then.

He tries to remember how he got here, piecing together the things he last remembered. Albel was being difficult... and... a spar?

..Oh. Oh damn it.

Nice going, Leingod. This was definitely up there on the list of stupid stunts he's pulled.

[deathsdoctor]

"Welcome back to the waking world. I'd ask you how you feel... but... I think I already have a good idea about that."

As a chart is put on a nearby table. Law steps forward. He was half expecting the guy to sleep through the next few days, but then overall, Fayt's injuries had been less severe than Law's own when he lost his own wing.

"You're going to want to stay on your front. Losing a wing is no picnic as you already know."

[etherealblast]

"....A wing....?" He didn't remember losing a wing, specifically. He remembered Albel unleashing a dragon roar, being thrown across the room, and then...

Pain. A whole lot of pain.

"So that's what happened." Damn it. He should have known better than to pick a spar with Albel when he was like that.

[deathsdoctor]

"A wing. Sliced off. Not the only injury you have." Aside from the fresh wounds, Law had found a number of half healed ones across the young man's body. More training wounds? Perhaps. "You'll be laid up for awhile."

"Your friend said training got out of hand." The word friend has a bit of a questioning lilt to it. He assumes due to the bedsheet incident, but then there was a near homicide or two when Albel had met up with Fayt's other friends. So... "Everyone has very worried about you."

[etherealblast]

"A .....week, right?" The words are a question. He couldn't remember clearly.

And as dazed as he was, he can guess what Law was wondering. With a wound like this, it would be a surprise to anyone that a friend had done it. If this was Earth, Albel would have been detained by the police for questioning. Then again, if it was Earth, a lot of things would be different. "Yeah..... it did. It was my bad, kind of."

He shifts carefully, gritting his teeth as he does, to slip an uninjured arm under his head. It was awkward talking almost face down in his pillow. "Everyone?"

[deathsdoctor]

"Yeah. Maybe longer." Depends on how everything was healing, even with the wing regrown.

"Everyone. Your friend, Mister Cliff, and Mister Souji." Eyes slide to the door and back down to Fayt, as if there were people waiting outside somewhere. His bad? "Though... your bad?"

Next day - midday

[ahappylie]

He'd had his talk with Albel, given him enough time, and now Souji was the one to visit the clinic recovery area - albeit with some trepidation. Seeing Fayt hurt could send him into a rage again, but not seeing him would leave Souji worried. He had no idea of the extent of the injuries beside the wing and the amount of blood, and so he braced for the worst as he headed inside and toward Fayt's bed.

"Fayt-kun...? Are you awake?"

Re: Next day - midday

[etherealblast]

Fayt was awake.... sort of. He had been drifting in and out of sleep most of the day, and he's lightly dozing when Souji steps in and speaks. He lets out a small groan as he opens one eye, blinking blearily from his position where he's been stiffly sleeping on his front since his arrival due to his injured back.

"Yeah, kinda. Hey." His voice is a little hoarse, courtesy of the sore throat that's developed along with his fever. Typical of a wing being removed, apparently, but it wasn't pleasant to say the least.

Re: Next day - midday

[ahappylie]

The hoarse answer the sight of the boy's bandaged back was enough of an answer to Souji's worries. He was alive, but the wing regrowth would take a considerable amount of time and he'd be ill for most of it. It wasn't easy to keep the worry from his face, but Souji made it to the bed and brought a chair with him, sitting close to Fayt's bedside so it would be easier for the boy to see him.

In his lap, he had a package wrapped in dark blue cloth, and he tried to smile at Fayt reassuringly as he opened it. "I'm glad to see you're alright. Cliff-san and your other--" He hesitated to use the word, but knew he had to. "--friend should be by soon, if Cliff-san has even left here for very long."

He pulled out a thermos of tea and a small cup. "I brought you some tea to help with your throat and the fever, do you think you can drink it?"

Next day - midday

[etherealblast]

"Yeah, think so." He moves a bit, wincing as he shifts his arm under his chin to make things a little easier. It would be hard to talk-- or drink, for that matter, face down in the pillow, but rolling over on his side would be painful at the moment. Something to drink right now sounded really, really good, though.

"Thanks...." A pause, at that hesitation. "Are you guys all right? Law said you were all fine, but..." Can't blame a guy for worrying, especially with how Albel had been recently. His whole goal with that spar had blown up in his face, and he knew he'd probably just made the situation with Albel's discomfort worse.

[aerialassault]

Cliff was in the room where Fayt was resting the very moment it was cleared-- the only reason it wasn't sooner was because of his respect for how medical facilities work and his own well practiced sense of restraint. Odds were that he wouldn't have left the building and, even if he were ordered to leave, that sleep wouldn't have been an easy thing for him in the interrim.

It wasn't often that he worried so much about something this badly, but the bare-bones details he had heard from Albel were enough to spark this low burning flame.

Odds were high that he had even slept there. Good job indeed, Leingod. You really worried everyone there.

[etherealblast]

Fayt would sleep for a while longer, but luckily enough for Cliff he won't sleep all day. When he wakes, it's to a raging headache, an achy body on top of an achy back, and feeling decidedly cold. Cold enough to shiver and try to curl into his blankets.... before he grits his teeth and swallows a yelp at the pain that causes his back and remembers he needs to stay still.

It's only after that he realizes he's not alone in the room. "...Cliff...?"

[aerialassault]

The sight his friend lying in bed like that, injured and shuddering in pain, bothered Cliff on a viceral level. The wing alone made him cringe internally, and everything else on top of that only added to the effect. He stood the moment he saw Fayt stir and moved closer, so that Fayt wouldn't jostle anything unnecessarily.

"Yo," he said, keeping his voice low. "Take it easy, there. I heard that you've been through hell."

[etherealblast]

"I've felt better." It's a joking response, though there's little humor in it, for all he wants to be reassuring. He felt so cold... Distantly, he knows it's a fever, but it doesn't really do anything to help his shivering.

"You don't look so good yourself." Cliff looked tired. Stressed, too, at least to Fayt's eyes, and there's a sting of guilt at that realization. Damn, he'd really screwed up....

[frost_jewel]

A few days later, Mia comes into Fayt's room. She has a bit of time on her hands, and while he isn't her patient, necessarily, that is no reason not to offer to help him if she can.

He's asleep when she enters; as quietly as possible, she moves to his bedside to check if he still has a fever, and how bad it might be. He was asleep the last time she checked on him, too, and she would hate to wake him when he needs his rest.

[etherealblast]

This time, Fayt's only lightly dozing when Mia comes in. All it takes is the sound of footsteps approaching his bed for him to open his eyes a slit, drowsily glancing up without moving his head from the pillow.

"Hmm...?"

[frost_jewel]

"Hello." He's awake, at least a little bit. Mia offers a gentle smile. "You can go back to sleep, I'm just checking in on you." So saying, she rests the back of her hand against his forehead, followed by her wrist.

[etherealblast]

"S'fine. I'm sleeping half the day away anyway." While his voice still carries a hint of drowsiness, some company is more than welcome in Fayt's opinion. He stays still as she takes his temperature, letting her go about that before voicing another question.

"What time is it?"

[frost_jewel]

"It's almost one-thirty." She looks at his wing next, touching it as little as possible. It's growing back at about the usual rate, at least. "You should at least drink something, while you're up."

She can't fault him if he doesn't feel up to much more than that.