pullmeoutalive | Best of all best friends;

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Best of all best friends;

[ Being pulled from Haven is sudden, shocking, not at all like waking up there had been. Being sat down and told that her world was destroyed, that what she had fought so hard to protect was gone-- there had admittedly been some Blood and Thunder involved.

Now, half-blinded in the sudden light of what they called the gardens, Noire takes a few cautious steps forward.

And the sight of greenery is enough to make her eyes well up. ]

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[I wonder if there really are no ducks around here, it might be a weird thought to have, but it's one that's come today, one that got him on his way back and he'd been passing the gardens. It really would make Pekoyama happy if he were able to find something like that for her.

How mundane it is will strike him occasionally, like when he's doing things like these, circling one of the ponds in the gardens for a hopeful glance of a creature or animal that doesn't want to pull him into the water and eat his face. Sometimes, there's a disconnect from it, like this pseudo-normalcy can't be real, like he's somewhere else looking in and he's just bracing waiting for the moment it all goes wrong...

But it is real, still not a dream. Hinata straightens up with a frown, hand on the side of his neck to work out the cricks. Nothing at all. He'd come here on a whim, but now what?]

[ It's a few minutes before Noire spots him, across a pond (and she's still half-wary the pond will birth something hellish). And even when she does notice, it takes an additional moment-- before she takes a shaky step, shaking her head mutely.

No. No, it can't be him. She's seen enough Haven tricks, he had to be in storage-- ]

[Catching movement, not thinking much of it besides someone else who wandered to the gardens, Hinata glances up--

And in an instant, his eyes widen, his mouth opens and he wouldn't take himself to be one who can be rattled so easily but that's... She's just as he remembers her back in Haven, in that place, looking too pale and thin to be healthy, like he was months ago...

There's a small, thin sound before he realises it. A whisper of her name, before he thinks better of it,] No...ire...?

[No... No, even if it's Noire there's no guarantee she'll know who he is and he needs to calm down but even with all his justifications and the reasoning in his head he's staring at her, frozen.]

[ Noire pales instantly (no easy feat when she's already wan), because he's staring at her like he recognizes her, like he knows her--

And that's a sudden sharp pain in her chest, as she takes a deep breath, hands held out defensively in front of her. ]

N-no, you're not-- Hinata, you can't... trick me!

...

[She knows his name. She knows his name and she... thinks that he's tricking her.

Well, of course she would. Coming out of Haven, who wouldn't? But she's here, even as she holds out her hands, and he feels an overwhelming urge to move to her. One that can't be stopped, as he takes one step, another.] I'm not. I'm really here.

And you're...

No-- [ Noire repeats it shrilly, sounding slightly hysterical now in her panic, and she nearly trips backing away. This is too cruel, far too cruel, and she knows Yao did things exactly like this to get to them, so why...

Except then she really does trip and down she goes on her rump. ]

[Hinata lurches forward slightly, automatically--to catch her, but the hysterical note in her voice keeps him from reaching out to grab. His mind is wracking, trying to think of how he can show...

Ah.

He kneels slowly without coming closer, reaching under his jacket.] I won't come any closer, if you don't want me to. Hell, I'll even leave. [He pulls out a familiar hunting knife. Shaking off the sheath, he brings it to his palm, cutting in one clean motion (this isn't extreme). Then he lets it fall to the grass, spreading his fingers as blood starts to drip down his fingers...]

But I'm really here. I'm alive-- I'm me. And you know that I'd rather do this to myself a thousand times than do anything to trick or hurt you.

[ For a few seconds, Noire's eyes focus on the blood dripping down, and she looks absolutely stricken-- and then she's scrambling upright, reaching for his bloody hand as she stumbles closer, and now in tears: ]

You can't! D-don't hurt yourself for my sake!

[ ... Before she realizes this... really has to be him. ]

[Hinata's fingers twitch as she finds a grip on his hand... and his expression immediately softens as emotion wells up, even stronger now, his throat feeling tight from it. This is really Noire.] Oi, it's fine, it's not that deep of a cut.

[His free hand lifts up, pauses...

He's watching her, and there's a cautious hope in his expression. She's really here. She's not just a trick.]

[ Noire looks back, sniffling-- but she holds his gaze, searching his face, and finally, there's something like acceptance. ]

It's... really you?

[Hinata smiles now and moves his free hand, resting it softly on her shoulder. Slowly still, lightly yet to make certain she knows it's him, but there's a sense of relief that she doesn't disappear. Like she'd be a hologram or some hallucination--]

It's really me, Noire. I'm so...

[He feels choked up again, swallows against it firmly.] ...so glad to see you again.

[ Beneath his hand, she trembles; he looks better, healthier, and she probably looks like a wreck-- but that doesn't stop her from biting her lip as her eyes overflow.]

I missed you... I missed you so much!!

I... [That trembling, not flinching, and seeing her crying drives him forward, wrapping that arm firmly around her shoulders and pulling her into a tight hug. His head ducks down toward her shoulder, as though to disguise the trembling in his voice.]

I have too. I've missed you, Noire.

[ She can't force out much, not when she's choking on her tears, but he'll feel her release his hand and then the pressure of gloved palms resting against his back.

She hadn't thought she'd see him again. ]

[And Hinata's trying to choke his back, though the minute shaking of his back kinda gives him away. He moves his other arm around her too, forgetting about the blood on his hand, though he'll apologise for that one later.

He'd wondered about if he'd ever see her again too...]

You're... really okay?

[ Well, bleeding, but he wasn't in storage, he was here, and looking much better. This place... really wasn't Haven, then. ]

I'm really okay, [muffled, into her shoulder, and his arms tighten before he leans back to look at her. So she can see his face and, indeed, how much healthier he looks. Even though he hitches up his shoulder, to rub a damp cheek against it quickly.]

Are you okay?

I, er... haven't died recently?

[ But she's still pitifully thin. Thin and tearstained. ]

[Despite the reminder of how grim a place Haven is with those words, Hinata finds a smile, fondness overwhelming him as he looks at her, tearstains and all. She looks... as bad as he did when he arrived, except probably worse.]

Well, I'm always glad for that. [But. He shifts his weight slightly.] Wanna stand up?

... That.... mm, that should be a thing, yes.

[ Nice and slow, though, she's not the best at... well, much, these days. ]

Okay, come on--

[He'll take it slow! Like when he helped her walk. Shifting his feet under him, Hinata grasps at her hands with his, grimacing apologetically because of his one still blood-streaked hand, before moving to stand slowly.]

We should also treat your hand. [ Mildly, as she rises to her feet-- but there's still a level of firmness there. ]

It's not that bad... It barely even hurts anymore, [he says, perhaps unsurprisingly, fingers relaxing around her hands once they're on their feet.]

But it could still get infected--

[ FRET FRET FRET-- ]

[This is familiar... and it warms his heart.]

O-- okay. Okay, we'll go get it washed up and taken care of.

Good... [ With a sigh. ] And please don't do that again.

I won't.

I, er... it was just kind of the first thing that popped into my head that I could do... [Hinata...]

You could have done something much less violent!!

Sorry... [SHEEPISH.] I'll try to remember that if I ever have to do something like it again...

Edited 2015-04-16 13:40 (UTC)

Thank you for that much...

[ The worrying never dies. ]

[Hinata smiles sheepishly, and then he turns with a small tilt of his head.]

Come back with me, then, Noire? I've got first aid stuff at the apartment I've been living at. [Of course he does. Hinata "filches things from hospitals while he's working there" Hajime.] And we've... got catching up to do, I think.

We do... definitely. [ And it's why she'll follow him, trustingly. ]

How long has it been...? Since you last saw me?

[One can never be sure, with timelines.

But... ahh. She follows him just like that, and he looks over at her and Hinata's expression is amazed and soft still. She's here.]

[ Here and hardly believing it, to be honest... ]

More than a few months... I didn't think I'd get the chance to see you like this again.

[A small shake of Hinata's head, almost helplessly.] I didn't think that I would see you again, either, definitely not here.

[But here she is. He keeps looking over, as if to check that she's definitely still there, that this isn't just some kind of elaborate illusion.]

I was so sure you were in storage... [ And her voice grows tight. She'd thought he was dead. ]

...

[Hinata shakes his head, reaching over to grip at her hand with his own.] ...I was worried, that you might've thought that. I've been thinking all this time about you still being back there.

[ Hopefully not your injured hand, Hinata!! But no, she'll grip back. ]

... You thought of me?

[Nope!! He doesn't want to get her more bloody!]

Every day. [...] I've been thinking about you since I got here. Morgan and Sonia and the others too, of course, but...

[They've been through a lot of things. He has a lot of memories, and a lot of things remind him of her.]

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Best of all best friends;

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