kingdomdressing | (no subject)

[Oh what do you want now. She leans in enough to bridge the difference in their heights--hmm, she'd forgotten how nice those eyes are up close. She makes a note to look into his parentage at some point, possible Punnett squares and gene loci already assembling in her mind.]

Do you want my help, Riku?

[Of course she wouldn't want to lay waste to such a potentially valuable resource if she could help it.]

[Upping the creep factor with every sentence, are we? Riku suddenly doesn't look so sure about that.]

Don't want to die, but 's not like--

[Excuse that cough and sudden squirt of blood from his neck.]

It doesn't matter.

[Sadly, the creeping is completely unintentional. Warped standards, you know.
She straightens, crossing her arms. Not being too terribly fond of being covered in blood, if she can avoid it.]

No, it doesn't. This place will draw you back. I hear it can be dreadful--but I suppose dying is a personal choice if there ever was one.

[Not that she can say from experience.]

[It's funny how wide his eyes go, like nothing else about this entire conversation has been shocking.]

How did you-

[Oh, Riku, such fascinating reactions. I daresay she's beginning to like you.]

Is it not common knowledge?

[Completely missing the point is what she does best.]

It's not supposed to be.

[He's even struggling to put some distance between them, too startled by this little revelation.]

[She obligingly steps back to give him room. Also lessening her chances of getting bled all over.

Curiouser and curiouser, this one.]

Then it must be the worst-kept secret on the nexus, what with you children constantly trying to destroy one another.

[A disapproving harrumph. You crazy kids better stop dying in her hallway.]

[A pause, and one very confused look on his face. Not the same startled confusion from before, either, but like what she just said made no sense.]

What are you talking about?

[A puzzled frown, head cocked to the side. And she thought you were keeping up so well, too.]

...Who stabbed you, Riku?

[Fishing for the page he's on. She can proceed from there.]

[She's asking that now? He stops moving, at least, staring at her with a defensive look on his face.]

No one. It w's an accident.

[Hey, it just occurred to her.]

Oh.

[Like she'll believe that, but for the moment she'll let it lie.]

That would be the...brachiocephalic artery, yes? Or the right subclavian...

[Why is she even asking you. She traces the vein in her own throat, intent on searching out the origin of the blood still occasionally gushing from Riku's wound.

You'll know when she finds it, because she brightens considerably.]

I could ostensibly repair that.

[It's amazing he's still alive. What a lucky shot. But the way she's talking is getting progressively more unnerving, and the way he jerks back doesn't help.]

You a doctor?

[She attempts what she hopes is a reassuring smile. Knowing her, it isn't very. What are feelings anyhow--a decade without them and she's woefully out of practise.
Pity she seems to be your only shot.]

First Responder. Is that satisfactory?

[That isn't even a lie. She did receive certification under Ansem...twenty years ago, give or take. And she has managed to keep ~~Xigbar~~ her more reckless colleagues in one piece ~~mostly~~. So she'll just let you assume that includes advanced surgical training.

And no pressure, Riku, but you might be losing command of the right side of your body in a little while. Arteries are a touch important, you know.]

[It's just a flesh wound. Actually, he seems surprised to hear her say that. Why the hell hasn't she helped him yet, if that's the case? He motions with his hand for her to get to it, then. This is definitely not the worst he's been through, but hell, if it gets him out of one more death...]

Please.

[Of course, there's always the possibility that it could go ten times worse.]

[She looks at him like he's the one that's insane.]

In what kind of backwater world--

[She stops herself. Deep breaths, Vexen, these people aren't willfully stupid. Just obviously in desperate need of your guidance.
So she tries again:]

That object is actually blocking the majority of the vessels it has ruptured; hence why you're still standing here talking to me instead of down there.

[She waves at the floor--ugh, has she really been standing in a puddle of someone else's body fluids all this time? She needs to fix that.]

If I were to just yank that thing out of you carelessly...well, what happens when you unplug a leaky container?

I'm not asking you to yank it out. I'm asking f--

[Something seems to dawn on him, and it's very obvious by the slow realization on his face. He seems to stop altogether, then reaches for the fork.]

[Oh, give her a break. She didn't get invested in your little crisis for things to end like this.]

I wouldn't.

[If she can just distract him until he goes into shock...]

[Touching the handle actually disgusts him a little, and his hand moves back an inch. But he's eying her now.]

What do you care? 's less work.

[That ruffles her feathers a bit.]

I've brought down worlds, child--you let me worry about the work.

[She thinks for a minute.]

I was...fond of my Riku, where I'm from. Indulge me.

[Well, 'fond of' may be a stretch, though she is bitter she never had the chance to observe her Replica in action. 'Taking pride in her work' would be more accurate.

But keep talking, Riku, you can't stay vertical forever at this rate. You may not have a choice in whether she carts you off and patches you up.]

[He probably won't! All that stubborn teenage boy-ness of his is refusing to back down-- wait a minute.]

What do you mean your Riku?

[...and Vexen's notoriously big mouth takes her down yet again. You'd think she'd have learned to rein it in by now.
You'd think.

Shit, how to phrase this...]

I took care of her.

[~~Because 'I made her, and therefore know the inner workings of your body--give or take an X chromosome--very intimately' would be extremely awkward.~~
Nice save?]

[A very nice save! But is she ready for this plot twist? He backs up a step or two, which doesn't do very much good at all when he goes crashing into the wall.]

You're crazy.

[Fff, hardly a plot twist. Accusations of insanity are par for the course in her line of work.]

Am I, Riku? You seem to be the one willing to exsanguinate yourself by way of a plastic utensil.

[Goddammit, Riku, if you insist on being so difficult, she may just freeze the damn hole shut before she drags you off with her. Which would ultimately cause more harm than good.]

[It gets better.]

That's-- different. I'm not-- just because someone has the same name as me doesn't mean we're the same.

[He might be starting to freak out.]

[Well. That was not the conversation she thought they were having. Luckily, she's had to navigate Adolescent Identity Crisis territory before.
~~And she's getting too old for this shit.~~]

Of course not. Why would I expect that you were?

[Oh, brilliant. Someone remind her to start carrying Haldol.
And a syringe.]