isleofavalon | [closed] we were at the table by the window with the view

[A spatter of blood sprays across Tifa's face, and she only flinches for a moment before she's looking around them for something—anything—to get this magic to stop, as if she'll find what she needs in the middle of a poacher camp in the woods. All her eyes see is a whole lot of nothing, so she'll need to think of the next best thing to do...

What is that? What is she supposed to do when there's blood shooting out of this boy like this, tearing his body apart and sending her into an internal panic? No one taught her this when she was practicing her magic...!

These guys are going to have to wait.

Her voice cracks, stiff with the guilt of having to let these poachers go this time. At least they won't be heading anywhere fast, especially as the ice begins to spread across the campsite, trapping them inside it. So quickly that she isn't even sure if she has any control over it anymore.

Doesn't matter.]

Hang on tight.

[She scoops up Izuku in one fell swoop and hurls his body over her shoulder, her hand wiping away the line of blood that splatters across the side of her face, and she carries him out of the camp, away and into the bushes where he'll be safe and can get this under control.]

N-hn??! No-!

[She scoops him up like a sack of potatoes. And Izuku immediately feels the panic rise in his chest. He flails without realizing it. Which makes a painful sear of blood rip his shoulder open even more. No- They can't leave the poachers here. What if they get away? What if they hurt something or someone else-?! Stop-!]

Tifa-san?!

[He'll pull away from her the moment he can get. The intent of trying to get back to the camp if it wasn't for the searing knives of built-up blood magic trying to burst out of his shoulder. Izuku gets an inch before he falls back against a tree trunk with a loud yell of pain.

Get it out... Get it out-!!

Izuku grits his teeth and tries to let out a sharp breath as he channels his magic. More blood tendrils erupt from his shoulderblade...]

[They can worry about the poachers after they've taken care of whatever is happening with him and Tifa's grip only tightens on him until they find a place she can set him down, stopping him with a hand on his chest when he tries to lunge forward, back in the direction of the camp again.

She tries not to be so put-off by the sight of all the blood, not wanting to cause any more panic than there already is. She reaches forward, grabbing his uninjured shoulder, and shakes him gently, trying to pull his consciousness back to the here and now, to this tree he's slumped against, to her face and the dirt beneath his feet.]

Get what out? The blood!?

[She can't help him like this!]

The- magic- blood magic-!

[He snaps his gaze up to her. Looking unintentionally feral for a moment. Izuku's boyish features now a clenched jaw and a pained expression as the magic ravages his body. It hurts like blades are cutting him up from the inside out. The magic trying to spear itself out of his body somehow.

Izuku takes a shuddering breath in and then looks down again. Trying to concentrate on something to pinpoint the source of the magic. The blood is still gushing out of his shoulder but it does seem to be slowing down as the moments tick by. He has to focus on the point. The singular point inside of him...

For a split second Izuku feels alone. Even with Tifa there trying her best to do something and anything to help him. He used to have a voice- multiple voices- supporting him from the inside of his soul. But entering this world has taken them away from Izuku. Now he doesn't know what to do. But he tries to focus. Slowly controlling his breathing and allowing the blood to trickle out until the tendrils soften and fall. Finally, a simple flow of energy and blood seeps from his shoulder and he lets out a gasp of relief.]

... Hgnn... It's ... slowing down.

[She's trying not to panic, keeping her expression taut as she holds onto him, hands gripping his arms to keep him from flailing too much, until it finally begins to slow...

Tifa has no clue what just happened, this being the first time she's ever seen blood magic before, so all she can do when he sighs with relief is stare at him, her eyes wide and brows furrowed. She's not sure she believes him when he says it's slowed down. Sure, whatever was happening before has ebbed, but... will it happen again if he tries to stand?

What kind of world is this that it gives this sort of magic to a kid?

Silence rings in the forest air, the only sound the light tapping of hooves on the ground somewhere in the trees.]

Are you—?

[Tifa looks around, searching for the source, worried that the poachers had managed to free themselves, but she spots it and her question trails off, just off in the shadows, big and bright and white as fresh-fallen snow, her golden horn glistening in the dusty rays of sunshine that filter through the tree canopies above. She's staring right at them, and Tifa nudges Izuku gently.]

... Look.

[He will feel absolutely terrible for putting her in such a situation later on. No one deserves to see someone go out of control like that. He would have been okay with her plain punching his lights out if it got any worse than that. His blood magic has been repressed for some time and since Izuku tends to rely on his alchemy magic more often it seems that his blood magic has built up to a dangerous level that it burst out. He has a lot of research to do now. He doesn't want this to happen again.]

I'm ... I'm okay...

[But he looks up at her nudge. His body stills as he catches sight of something gold. Something that sparkles a shining white.]

It's a ... unicorn.

[A full-grown one is somehow so much more breath-taking. Izuku feels this catch in his throat. Suddenly awestruck.]

[Tifa has a hard time peeling her eyes away from it, so bewildered by the sight that she almost forgets for a moment what had just happened, but she turns her gaze back to Izuku, her hands checking on his wound, trying to think of a way to clean it and suppress any further bleeding...

But then the unicorn approaches, slowly, and Tifa remains both cautious and mystified by it. It could be that it's here to help, or here to kill them both, but... there's something gentle in the way that it moves and watches them, its ears twitching forward when it's only a few feet away.

She rises to her feet then, and she puts herself between the unicorn and Izuku.]

We came here to help. He's hurt... the poachers got him.

[Can unicorns even understand humans? ... Where's an animal mage when you need one?

But its black eyes turn to Izuku on the ground, and she pushes past Tifa to examine him, her nose coming down to sniff at the wound on his shoulder...]

Eh- Ahhh--!?

[Izuku's nerves flare right away. He's nervous as the unicorn blows past Tifa to start sniffing at him like he's a bale of fresh hay. He's still getting used to not being nervous around things like horses meant for horseback riding so he can't help the way he squeaks when a whole unicorn comes at him.]

Sorry- I- Please...

[But it seems that the unicorn isn't trying to stab him through with her horn, is it...? There is something warm about the unicorn. Something gentle and sweet in its eyes. It relaxes Izuku a moment later.

He always thought that even if animals couldn't understand humans... there's something universal about helping, right?]

[Tifa's stunned right back into silence when the beast moves in close to Izuku, but it's with an astonishing amount of gentleness, almost as if she knows that they're there to help rather than harm...

But what's more, that golden horn begins to glow, and its light cascades over Izuku's wound like a waterfall, basking it in its warmth—so warm that Tifa can feel it from where she's standing. A healing spell? She can't tell, but Izuku will certainly be able to feel it. Relief from the pain, and although it doesn't close the wound his magic had opened, it will at least stop the blood for a time, long enough for them to find their way back.

But then, there's noise from the direction of the camp again, and that brings the unicorn's attention back to it, before she looks the opposite way, back to where they'd found the baby. Is it... hers? She must be the mother.]

We need to go.

[They need to get her to safety, Izuku to safety, and the baby, even if it means leaving the poachers behind. And at that, the mother lowers herself to the ground between them as if she's waiting for them to climb on.]

T-T-T-Tifa-san??

[Is she seeing this? The unicorn is healing him with her magic and Izuku is reduced to nerdy awe as the spell takes place. The pain seems to ebb away with a soothing touch of something like sunlight and heat. Then the bleeding stops and the wound is but a dull ache on his shoulder. This is incredible and what are the chances of someone getting healed by one of the rarest mythical creatures in lore? He's a nerd in shock-

But then reality sets in. The poachers might be waking up or gathering themselves. If they're smart they would take their asses elsewhere and leave the forest alone should they get into trouble with people like Tifa and Izuku again. But it is true- they need to secure the safety of these creatures as soon as possible.]

R-right. We have to hurry...

[They're going to ride?? The unicorn???? Izuku gets to his feet without help and pats his clothing in place before stepping closer.]

Is this okay...?

Uh...

[Even Tifa is too awestruck to come up with an answer right away, even as the unicorn rears its head, beckoning them both to climb onto her back.]

I guess... so?

[She helped them, even when she could have easily skewered them both with her horn instead, especially after what the poachers did to the baby, so... it's probably fine? Tifa's never ridden a unicorn before, and has only been on horseback once, and chocobos are so different that—

The train of thought is interrupted by the unicorn pulling on her skirt with its teeth and practically hoisting her up on its back herself. With a low, surprised gasp, Tifa stumbles onto its bare back, and offers a hand to Izuku.]

Where are we going?

[There's a small whinny, and she looks in the direction away from the camp, towards the baby.]

Eh- R-right... We have to find her child, it was still injured...!

[Wow, this is really happening. Izuku is going to be riding a magical unicorn and what are the odds of that happening in his life? He thought this would only happen in stories and video games... This is his real life?

He awkwardly moves to grab the hand and hoise himself up onto the unicorn-back behind her.]

Hurry!

[Can the mother heal her baby as well? The unicorn seems to let out a soft neigh before it arches and takes off at a graceful gallop! And Izuku yelps. Don't mind him.]

[Tifa's not so experienced with horseback riding that she knows what she's doing, but she holds on where she can, almost wrapping her arms entirely around the unicorns neck as it carries them away from the camp, its gallop graceful but urgent when the noises from the camp grow louder. She picks up speed, skillfully weaving over the bushes and through the trees, while Tifa glances back behind her every now and then to check that Izuku is still there and hanging on.

It won't take them long to reach where they'd found the younger unicorn, and Tifa immediately slides down from its back, beckoning for Izuku to join her. The mother wanders over, the baby's whinnies weak and pleading, and their faces nuzzle against one another while Tifa watches on, bewildered, as the mother heals her child's wounds the same way that she did with Izuku's.]

... Makes you wonder how this all happened. She must have chased them off and then found us. Got lost, maybe...

[Izuku does his best to hang on however he can. It's a bumpy ride but a unicorn is graceful enough that at least Izuku doesn't get bucked off at the wrong time. He is more surprised that the mythical-looking animal is able to carry both of them so effortlessly and move so fast. Unicorns are incredible.

When they slide to a stop Izuku also dismounts and comes to them with desperate worry in his eyes. He lets the mother and Tifa tend to the baby as to not crowd them and instead looks around in the immediate area for danger.]

Maybe... Somehow they were separated. I'm thinking it was the work of the poachers too. I think we managed to slow them down. But... We have to stop them and bring them in.

[It's not over yet. Izuku clenches his teeth.]

I'll go, you should stay with the mother and the baby, Tifa-san.

But...

[Tifa's eyes move to his shoulder, where she'd seen the long, violent tendrils of blood shooting out of him, and for a moment, her stomach turns over with concern... As the mother tends to the baby, she checks on him, pressing fingers gently to his injured shoulder to test it out.]

You'll be alright?

[She knows better than to question or try to stop anyone around here, even more so when their minds are made up, but that won't stop her from worrying.]

I can take care of the poachers, if you want to stay with them. Get them back to safety...

I'll be alright.

[Izuku says this with a determined nod and to try and gently dismiss her idea. He has to make up for his mistake and do better. As the person he is and as the hero he wants to be. He can't let the poachers get away and he can't let his magic get the better of him again either. He has to press on and prove he can do it. It shows in Izuku's face the resolve he has as he clenches his fists.]

I won't let them get away with this and I won't let my magic stop me again. And someone should stay with the baby to make sure it recovers. You've done a lot to help me, Tifa-san. Let me do the same.

[Seems she's right. It's hard to change anyone's mind. Especially a boy like Izuku who's whole dream is to be a proper hero.]

[His resolve does nothing to shake her worries, but Tifa relents easily enough. He's right—someone will need to stay behind with the mother and her baby, both to make sure they can recover safely and to fend off any poachers who either get past Izuku, or have already started making their way through the shadows of the trees.

She gives him a firm nod in return, and remembers the words she'd said to a good friend of hers.]

If you're going to play the hero... [Her lips quirk up into a smile.] Then you gotta be better.

If you run into any trouble, you call back for help, you hear me?

[Somehow those words really hit him where he needs it. A smile appears on Izuku's face. He looks determined but softer now. Ready, but careful now.]

I'll be better, Tifa-san. And I'll be back before you know it. I promise.

[He'll be sure to call if anything happens. But for now, he'll leave her here to take off into the expanse of the trees again. At a pretty fast pace for a kid, too.]

Edited 2021-12-13 01:14 (UTC)

You better be.

[Tifa wastes no time in trying to help the smaller unicorn, the materia in her gloves shimmering uselessly when she wishes that they would work. Even if she had healing magic here, she would be too afraid to use it, and so all she can do is put more pressure on the wound as the mother uses her magic to close it, and Tifa is right there at its side to help it stand on its legs again, wobbly as it is.

By the time Izuku comes back, neither Tifa nor the unicorns will be there. Not for a while, at least. She'll return sometime later alone after having helped them find refuge in the shadows of the trees, her own arms and legs a bit scratched up from the unruly branches that caught her on the way.

When she sees him, she brushes herself off.]

I got them to safety. Somewhere people shouldn't be able to find them.

[Izuku is a reckless force at his best and at his worst. He'll push himself to get through the trees and find those poachers before they can get too far. He knows he can't just let them off the hook because of his own injury. A hero wouldn't leave a job half done. Luck seems to be on their side since when he returns to the campsite where they had been found it seems a few of them are still knocked out from the fight and Tifa's magic. He lets out an uneasy breath but with a smidge of gratefulness for her quick thinking.

It'll be easy work to apprehend them from here. Izuku uses Alchemy magic to bound them safely and sends word to the authorities in the city of where they can be handled. He'll wait for the horseback riders to pick them up before heading back to where he could meet with Tifa.

He looks happily tired. A smudge of dirt across his forehead. Don't worry, he's looked worse than this before.]

I've got them handled too, Tifa-san. Thanks to both of us they won't be causing any more trouble around here.

[He smiles, a glimmer of a normal boy under it all. These two make a pretty good team...]

Thank you for your help.

[closed] we were at the table by the window with the view

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we can prob start wrapping this

wrapping! 🎀