soul_logs | I would walk five hundred miles [OPEN]

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I would walk five hundred miles [OPEN]

Characters:

faintly_smiles & OPEN
Location: The Park
Rating: PG - minor blood
Time: January 19th - Late Morning
Description: Teresa ventured beyond the city walls, and she returned to realize how debilitated she is and how this partnership system requires her participation.

Cross-posted to Dreamwidth

While she had heard the express instructions that wandering beyond the city walls was dangerous, Teresa had eventually given up making constant rounds in the city. There were patrols of people for that, and she had memorized the outside walls protecting the city by now as well as most of the streets. She was nomadic by occupation, and she couldn't well sit around all day. This slow decline into inactivity was unacceptable, and she hadn't found morning training all that interesting. The only reason she went was to observe other fighting pairs and to occasionally speak with Yuuri; his views on life and trust were fascinating.

So, she had finally acquired a large hunting knife and began to walk the desert. It was strange that walking fatigued her now, that while her stamina was great, she actually had to settle down to rest. The desert situation only seemed to compound that realization that she had been reduced to a well-exercised human without any of the benefits she remembered.

The desert was vast, and most of the common animals fled in her presence or watched from afar. When she had finally encountered a creature willing to engage her, she was curious of its healing abilities and the slow grinding drive towards thoughts that were forbidden. Her knife strikes were perfect as always, but it healed with each stroke of the blade for longer than she would have thought was possible. It was resilient, which was a surprise, and she was disappointed to realize that she was forced to withdraw and leg it back to the city walls before her human frailty forced her to deal with a greater humiliation than the deep gash to her thigh.

It was the first time she had ever had to retreat from anything before. It was a serious knock to the foundation of her beliefs that she was just plain stronger than anything she faced.

She had returned to the park lands where she made her 'home', ignoring the blood soaking her uniform leggings and eventually seating herself cross-legged near a tree. It had been a long time since she had bled without it stopping almost right away. This world had made her experience a lot of things 'for the first time', and she wasn't certain that she approved of it at all. Still, it was better than being dead.

Flexing her fingers, she laid a hand over the still bleeding wound, closing her eyes to concentrate on stopping the flow. She was again disappointed when all of her youki was sealed, and her lips down-turned into a frown of displeasure. "How bothersome."

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She watched as her blood settled on the blade, and she found it an odd sight. She had never successfully been struck with another's blade before, nothing more than a glancing blow at least. Certainly she had taken damage, but it was odd to see her blood on a blade.

Stranger still, she felt the warmth similar to forcing her youki to regenerate her body faster. She closed her eyes as she would while activating her youki, and she managed to get a flash of the forest around her, but her was no threat. She began to think it was a brief look into the future, since it had happened three times now.

Her eyes opened when she felt a wave of exhaustion seep through her limbs, she lifted the blade away from her wound. It had stopped bleeding, though there was still a tear in her leg. How long would that take to heal anyway? "Would you like to change back? The bleeding has stopped."

Yuuri focused his attention on healing the wound with what little energy he had to work with. It wasn't much, but Yuuri hoped that it would be enough to at least stop the bleeding. He felt a flash of disappointment when he couldn't heal the wound more than he could have.

Soon enough his energy ran out, and the young Maou had little choice but to change back. It seemed that Teresa was at least happy with the little work that he'd managed to do. Settling back on the grass, there was still a look of concern over his face. "We'll still need to get you to the clinic, but how is it feeling?"

The fact that she was no longer bleeding was pleasing, and she wondered how easy it would be to remove blood from her white uniform leggings. That would be a concern for another time, and for now, she was just content that her wound was sealed enough to allow her to continue on normally.

Setting Yuuri aside when he transformed back, she released her grip on him so he could settle nearby. She set her hands back on her crossed knees, watching him before noting that he had that odd look of concern on his face. She smiled reassuringly. "It feels just fine; thank you for your kindness in healing it."

The reassuring smile did little to actually reassure him. While the wound had stopped bleeding, it still needed to be tended to. That was why he shook his head at her smile. "You still need someone to take a look at it," Yuuri sternly said... well... as sternly as he usually could.

Grabbing the first aid kit, Yuuri didn't hesitate in reaching out to take Teresa's hand. "Come on, I'll take you there now." Moving to stand up, he gave every indication that he wanted he to follow. "You're alright to stand, right?"

She wasn't so certain why she needed to get up and go right away, but she could tell that Yuuri was probably going to insist. He seemed like that type, and so she reached up to take his hand and rose without much concern for her injury. "If you insist, but you know, it's not as bad as you think."

She set her weight on the leg without hesitation, and the soreness was entirely ignored as she looked at her blooded leggings. They would need repairs; it was too bad there were no retainers to provide new clothing. "What more is to be done with it? It will heal."

Once Yuuri set his mind to something, there was little that could stop him. The same went for this situation, but he was at least glad that she reached back and allowed him to pull her up. Of course he tried to hide the fact that he'd almost toppled himself over in the process, but he hid that small bout of embarrassment by focusing on what needed to be done.

"What do you mean what more needs to be done?" Yuuri asked with a gasp in his voice. Tugging on her hand, the young Maou began to make his way out of the park. "You could get an infection, or worse without treatment!"

She noted the way he almost fell over, but she turned her face away to make it seem like she had been focused on other matters. He didn't keep his balance well when he was doing that concerned thing that he seemed to do often. He certainly was an interesting human.

She followed without complaint when he pulled her along. She saw no reason why she should go, but there was no reason why she shouldn't either. "I don't believe I've had an infection before," she replied thoughtfully.

He hadn't released the old on her hand as he quickly made his way through the park. The sooner he got her to the clinic the better, since then either he could take care of the wound, or one of the doctors if it was too bad. While he was fairly easy going with most things, caring over injuries was something that he was almost obsessive over after the incidents with Conrad and Yuna.

"You said before that you've got the healing rate of humans, right?" Yuuri asked as he glanced back over his shoulder to her. "Humans get infections, so we want to make sure that you don't get one either."

Teresa followed along at the pace that Yuuri set, not finding it particularly straining. It was still a nice day, though apparently it was going to rain at some point. She would probably have to find a tree to sit under when that happened to keep her from getting too wet.

"It appears so. The bleeding didn't stop without your aide," she replied, though she still was trying to think about when she last had an infection. Perhaps it had been when her hair was black? "You seem very concerned over the wound I have."

Well... that was true, but he still wanted her to get it checked out. Besides in order to even suture the wound, she'd have to take her pants off, and Yuuri would never ask her to do that out in a public place! He couldn't even ask her to do it in the clinic... maybe he should get Doctor Watson after all...

"Of course I'm concerned," Yuuri said with a gasp as he looked back at her in shock. Why wouldn't he be concerned? She was injured, and no amount of reassurance would make him less concerned either!

She was still not all that certain what the big deal with the injury was now that it had stopped bleeding. She was extremely healthy, and she figured that a simple repair to her leggings would be good enough to keep things clean enough for healing. He didn't seem to think so, which meant he clearly knew more about human healing than she did.

Tilting her head to the side at his shocked look, she didn't pretend to understand his reaction. "It's not like it's serious enough to kill me, so why be concerned about it? The wound will heal," she murmured as she continued to follow him towards the clinic.

Yuuri was frowning lightly at her persistence, but not because she was asking questions, but because he was worried that she didn't seem concerned with injuries at all. Dropping the hold he had on her hand, the young king turned around to face Teresa as he peered up at her.

"That doesn't matter at all. It could be just a small gash like you have, or one that's life threatening, it will still make me worried," he said before trying to look determined. "Besides, you're my friend, so of course I'd be worried about you!"

Teresa had the mind to keep walking, but the dropped hand from her own signaled that something was about to happen. She stopped when Yuuri turned to face her, and she was amazed by his odd logic. No one had chosen to care about warriors of the Organization before, not even the retainers.

"I don't see why," she offered in return. She stared at his claim that they were friends; she had never been called that before. Certainly Clare had indicated, but their relationship had had more maternal aspects as well. "Friends? I've never had a real friend before."

"Because that's what people and friends do for each other," Yuuri counted in return. It really was just as simple as that in his mind, and the young Maou would never change his opinion on that. He had seen how people had reacted in hatred towards others, and even towards himself, but that was something that he could never understand since he didn't hate anyone. Sure he may have disagreed about things or sometimes been annoyed or disliked things about others, but he never found himself hating anyone else.

"Eh? You haven't?" He blinked at that confession before his expression softened lightly. "I like to think that you're one of my friends, and I'm sure that you'll find lots of others here as well," Yuuri said.

She supposed that she would do such things for Clare, but she had never particularly considered it for another human. It wasn't that she particularly disliked humans; she always found their fear to be amusing but isolating. The fact that she wasn't constantly subjected to it in this place was a novel concept. "But this injury isn't anything to be too concerned about. It will heal."

Eyeing Yuuri in response, Teresa wondered how he could just... take her in like that. He trusted her implicitly, and that was very strange in her mind. "No, you are the first to call me that since I arrived here."

This was like talking to Conrad sometimes, and he found himself sighing while shaking his head. The fact that there was an amused, but fond, smile on his lips took away from the gesture, and he glanced back up at her while attempting his best to give her a determined look. "Of course it's something to be concerned over! Look at how much blood there was! How long had it been bleeding for before I got there?"

His expression flickered with surprise that no one else had, but it wouldn't distract Yuuri either. Gesturing her to follow again, Yuuri began walking as he spoke, "Give it time. Some people just take a little longer, but I'm sure that there will be others soon."

It appeared that her thoughts amused him, and that was oddly pleasing. She had spent so long alone keeping her thoughts to herself or finding other intimidated that this was refreshing. He was a stubbornly persistent one. "Perhaps an hour," she replied simply. It wasn't like she kept track of such things.

She started walking again at her usual pace, which almost had her outwalking Yuuri easily. Her legs were longer she reasoned, and she was used to walking long distances. "Friends are a novel concept."

"An hour---" Yuuri muttered before he paused while his mind processed that. It didn't take long, and the reaction was instant. With his eyes widening, his arms threw out to the side in surprise as he half screeched, "An hour?!"

That was it! She was going to the clinic, and she was going to have Doctor Watson looking at her!

Teresa's gait had more speed to it until Yuuri had discovered that piece of information. Picking up his pace, he walked with dead-set determination as he marched his way through the city and towards the clinic. She had to see a doctor!

It wasn't that he didn't hear the friends concept, but the young Maou was more determined to get her seeing a doctor before everything else!

Well, that was simply an estimation based on how long it had been since she had encountered that creature in the desert. She was honestly used to her wounds healing on their own, so she hadn't been concerned over the blood staining her leggings red.

"You look like a dead fish," she replied, pointing at the expression on his face.

Still, she followed along at her usual pace, not about to hurry along just because he was antsy at the length of time. Of course, her pace was still rather brisk. She didn't say much more and instead hummed softly to herself as they walked all the way to the clinic, and she found herself walking the strangely quiet halls.

"Do I have to sit down?"

"Eeeeh? I do not!" Yuuri protested as a pout formed on his lips. He didn't think that he looked like a dead fish at all... or how anyone could look like one unless they cosplayed. Still, he schooled his expression into one of embarrassed stubbornness as he lead them to the clinic.

Heading through the halls, the young Maou surged for a bed area that was free of patients before sighting one up ahead. "Yeah you will, but there are beds in there that you can sit on," he offered while taking them to that curtained area.

Yuuri was still distracted with the worry he felt over Teresa's injuries. Maybe he'd have to try and find Doctor Watson?

She said nothing more on his expression, having said her piece. She simply kept pace with his apparent mad need to get her healed up, but she still wasn't concerned with the injury itself. She would let him worry over it and not waste her time and energy doing the same.

Of course, she had never been in the clinic before. She looked at the rows of beds and various people in them, but it hardly seemed like an interesting place to visit. Some of the drapes were pulled around 'room's to allow for privacy, which was an interesting concept. Usually they were just thrown in caves and bandaged up until they could heal.

She followed along to the area he indicated and began to relieve herself of her armour, setting it all in a nice neat pile next to the bed. She then shifted and sat cross-legged on the bed and watched Yuuri fret. "Are you going to make my wound better now?"

Once Teresa was through, Yuuri caught sight of Watson with another patient before he closed the curtain with a sigh. Aaaa why did that always have to happen to him? He could already feel his face beginning to heat up despite his concern for Teresa's well-being.

"Aaahaha well yeah, that's what I'm here for," Yuuri exclaimed as he spun back around to see that Teresa was already beginning to take off her armour. It took him a moment to compose himself, but that didn't stop him from blushing a deep red as he muttered quietly, "...You'll probably--- probably need to take off-- your pants..."

Her smile remained on her face as she watched his face take on more and more red tint. She thought that was a very odd thing for him to do, but then again, he was very innocent. Most men reacted the opposite way when she sat in her simple white outfit, and she knew better than to scar him.

"Leave," she ordered simply, shooing him with a dismissive hand. Only when he left did she rise and slip out of her blooded leggings, setting them neatly aside to deal with them while he worked on her leg. She could have sutured herself, but he needed the responsibility to gain confidence.

Settling back on the bed, she pulled the sheet around her waist so that only her damaged leg was revealed even with a dangerous amount of upper thigh. "Come back," she called simply, investigating the deep tear in her leggings.

There was an undeniable sense of relief felt within when she dismissed him. Yuuri didn't wait for her to ask again, and he almost scrambled over himself to get out of the small area. Face still red, he stood with his back to the curtained off area while trying to regain his composure. He didn't know what he would have done if Teresa had wanted him to remain!

Yuuri flailed lightly in surprise when she said for him to come back in. Pulling the curtain aside and slipping back in, he inwardly sighed in relief when he sighted that she had a blanket wrapped around her. Thank goodness!

"A-alright, we should get you patched up," the young Maou said as he moved over to get the tools from the tray. Picking up what he needed, he came over to roll the stool in front of Teresa before he set to work.

Teresa barely hazarded a glance back at Yuuri when he returned to the room, only sighting the remnants of a blush and leaving it there. She instead focused on her ruined uniform. She noted that the scratch was clean, which would make repair possible if she could remove the blood stains.

She ignored him as he sat with some supplies, not wanting to unnerve him more by paying close attention to what he was doing. "Don't bother with trying to numb the pain first," she remarked as she began to fold up her leggings. "It doesn't hurt me much, so it would be wasted." They were taught early to deal with pain tolerance.

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