melodiesoflife | Event || The Enemy Within

Entry tags:

Event || The Enemy Within

Characters: All characters who signed-up for the event.
Where: In their heads.
When: January 15th.
Summary: The Heroes of Light have a vision-- They are living through a hypothetical future where the Sage share his knowledge with them, and things went horribly wrong as some Heroes of Light became the villains in this timeline. Maybe they'll revise their thoughts on getting all of that knowledge.
Warning: The apocalypse, deaths, tragedies, overall a lot of very bad things.

Mingle Threads: The Antagonists || The Protagonists || The Others || General
Free Open Threads: The Two Years || Other Events

#01 Attempts at Negotiations || Trano Golsaucia
#02 Tactical Espionage Action || Aqures Ixen
#03 Judgmental Glares || Aerilon
#04 The Fight for the Crystallized Bodies || Aqures Tosf
#05 The Dusk of the Heroes || Mysidia
#06 The Fight for the Moon || Lunar Gate
#07 Conflict Above the Stars || Moon Base
#08 The Birth of a God || Crystal Life Tree
#09 The Death of a World || Moon Base
#10 Where Everything Ends || Pandaemonium

Conclusion || The Sage in Mysidia

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Minato was working hard as always with his assigned medical team. Even with the new helping hands and volunteers, it felt like their troubles never ceased. If it wasn't a lethal wound, it was illness, if it wasn't an illness, it was some other bitter reminder of natural selection. People died everyday, after all, even if you didn't directly see it. Working on the medical team was fulfilling work when they succeeded, but when there was nothing they could do, the hopelessness of the atmosphere continually shaved away at his spirit through the months.

On off-time, he wondered sometimes, if it was easier to feel like clockwork. Would it have been better if he was some sort of robot, and it was only his duty that he had to exist for? Check on this person's vitals, ask them for their name, about themselves, hold their hand and provide reassurance, even if you know how unlikely it is they'll pull through. Later on it wasn't part of his work anymore--and it wasn't recommended he get attached, but he wanted to do it, even if it hurt. Nobody should pass on feeling alone. He carried each experience, a new face, a new name, logged away into his memories.

He found that whenever he decided to pay attention, he didn't have an easy time forgetting.

This was where he was needed. And so, he had decided this must be where he belonged. In multiple locations and times of day through the two years, Minato could be found lugging around a hefty medical book he had bought in his arms, and might have either dropped it with an unceremoniously loud THUMP on the ground (thankfully, not on his foot... that was a close call), or at a table someplace he's leaned over, having fallen asleep between some of its pages. Could someone with so little regard for the healthy amount of sleep he needed become a proper doctor someday? It seemed like he never rested, anymore.

--

During his more presentable hours, Minato was doing healing duties as he always had, and on a nicer day he might ask how they got that wound, before casting the heal spell. Truly, no matter how long he worked here there were always new stories.

"Don't do anything that might be too rough on that, in the meanwhile. Healing magic may be effective but on principle I'd rather you not risk it..."

Edited 2016-01-23 16:04 (UTC)

"I cannot make any guarantees, but I will do what I can," Elsa said, working her shoulder in a few loose circles. She was glad he hadn't asked about this particular wound. She didn't mind sharing a few tales of wrangling great monsters on the crystal plains, or how she narrowly avoided being devoured by a stray t-rex.

But it was a little harder to explain that the glass shards embedded in her arm was the result of a furious widow who blamed Elsa for the financial ruin of their family and the suicide of her merchant husband. Perhaps in another time she might have bandaged the wound herself and accepted the possibility of scars as a sign of remorse. She wasn't proud of what she'd done as The Brigand Leader, but she couldn't deny it either.

There was no time to grieve the past, however. She needed her arm to fire her bow and swing her sword, and she couldn't afford the time to wait for her injury to heal naturally.

Flexing her fingers, she nodded, satisfied. "I feel no more pain. I am grateful for your service."

"You're welcome."

Minato returned a smile to his allied Hero, and leaned back, a raised brow in curiosity. He may not be asking about the wound origin, but this topic might still be a strange one to pursue after the advice he gave.

They were busy enough to not get too many opportunities to speak with one another, so he kinda just took it. It was one of the slower days, so spending a few minutes in a friendly chat shouldn't give him too massive a medical backlog.

"You're a really active fighter, aren't you Elsa-san? A lot of people really admire you."

Elsa carefully eased her sleeve down, just in case there were any lingering twinges. (There weren't.) Not wishing to take up too much of the busy medic's time, she pushed herself off of the cot and rose to her feet, then paused in surprise at his remark.

"It is true that I fight often," she blinked. She wasn't a braggart, but she wasn't going to play the modesty card either. "But I was not aware I was being admired by anyone. Who told you this?"

She was genuinely curious, since she'd always believed that public sentiment was more along the lines of 'begrudging acceptance' because of her usefulness, rather than warm admiration.

"Haha, new refugees are usually the more vocal about it. Mouths to feed, and all." Minato continued as he relaxed the tension in his own shoulder, then neatly cleaned up his work space while he spoke.

"Then, people who wish they could fight better so they can help more." If he was 100% encouraging of this or not, he couldn't say. It wasn't bad to have a goal to aim for, but... he hated seeing people get roughed up. It can't be helped, people can't grow without mistakes, and the end of the world is still coming regardless. He'd been less active on the frontline too as they needed him here, more.

Minato heard the bad things too, sometimes, not just about Elsa but also some other Heroes--but he was good at staying unfazed with whatever he didn't see with his own two eyes. Gossip was common in waiting halls, but he was getting better at focusing on the good things. Otherwise, he believed, he might revert to his old self that didn't care about anything, and nobody needed that.

"...I see..." It didn't sound like Minato was telling her a falsehood to boost her morale. Not that she really needed a reason to fight, as the need to survive and protect as a true hero was plenty of motivation in and of itself. But even so? It was nice to hear that there were some in the world who appreciated her efforts. It made her feel warm inside.

Elsa watched him curiously as he worked. "And you?" she bluntly asked, lowering her lashes faintly as she tipped her head to one side. "What is it that you say?"

She certainly hoped he wasn't one of the people who wished to fight better in order to feel helpful, but if that was the case, she would certainly do what she could to correct that viewpoint.

K'pandolu grimaced, trying to resist the urge to take her arm back. She knew he was right, of course- but if her strong arm was out of commission…

No. She shook her head, curling her fingers. With the deaths of Heroes become permanent… she couldn't afford to be so reckless. Not if she wanted to live and escape.

"I'll do my best to be careful," she said, and considered him for a moment. "What about you? How are you managing?" Surely, others were becoming more concerned about their injuries, too.

"Oh, me? I'm fine."

Minato seems a bit surprised by the inquiry, a bit touched, even. Lacking sleep, sure, but... there were more pressing issues than one medic's darkened eyebags.

"I haven't really had much time out on the field lately, so to speak."

She takes note of them all the same, ears pressing back against her head in concern. Maybe it's not her place, but all the same…

"I suppose you must have a lot of people coming in," she offered.

Cloud frowned as Minato bandaged his arm. He had been stubborn enough to try to treat it himself but the blood kept coming and he didn't want to have Terra see him like this. The last time he cut his arm it stirred a less than pleasant reaction from her. He knew why and he didn't want to risk putting her in another situation like that.

Still, he was frustrated. Even with Sephiroth's custom job, wielding his Masamune was proving difficult. The balance and range were far different than any blade he'd ever used before. He supposed there were limits to even the Jobs and he'd have to keep practicing. He glanced at the massive sword propped up against the wall before looking back to Minato.

"Sorry. I'll try not to let it happen again." He turned and flexed his arm, making sure everything felt right. So far it passed the test.

"... You're not planning to stick with something you're more familiar with?"

Minato doesn't miss the blond's glance towards his inherited weapon, and regards Cloud with a small smile--but there is a definite underlying concern from his eyes. Of course, it wasn't his business how people should train and what things they want to practice, and lecturing wasn't his intention; he just didn't want him getting himself hurt again. And that sword was certainly something, too, it didn't look like it would be an easy journey to master using that thing.

Edited 2016-01-28 06:48 (UTC)

"It's not that simple. Besides, the Jobs we have make it easy for us to get familiar with any weapon quickly. I want...I want the weapon I wield to matter. It's why the other me used the swords he did. He made a promise...and so did I. I have to use that sword if I'm going to protect her for his sake."

It was pretty easy to guess who he was talking about. Clearly he had made some sort of parting promise to Sephiroth. And since his death the blonde had been keeping close to Terra, acting as a bodyguard.

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Event || The Enemy Within

Working Toward A Path || Open

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Re: Working Toward A Path || Open

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