post-snek recoveries

[neonleon]

[You know?

That weird temple wasn't good, but it wasn't the worst. Not by far now that he's back in this dimension. He floats a bit aimlessly, body broken, shell cracked and falling apart, some bones and insides shattered. His head aches in a way that he can't think.

All he can really do is hope Prime doesn't find him immediately right now. The light off his ring catches his eye and he looks at it, not fully registering that it's lit up.

A promise.]

Comments

[pyrighteous]

[ Thanks Leo. Hunter will appreciate that once he's had a chance to calm down.

He finds Lucky safely tucked away under the bleachers; the act of coaxing the little palisman out is enough to calm him down a little too. When he returns with the tiny pine marten in hand, he just looks drained and sad instead of furious. ]

How ... how bad is it?

[neonleon]

[Leo's glad for that at least. He looks... tired, more than anything. Dejected, maybe.]

I mean... I-it's gone. Um. Much as that place sucked, it's good I picked up the healing from there or it would've been worse.

[pyrighteous]

For a moment you looked like you -

[ Could have died, is what he almost says, but he closes his mouth. ]

... Is it all gone? For real this time?

[neonleon]

...I think so.

[He has no way to tell for sure. He doesn't have Donnie's scans to prove it.]

I think, any that was there would've joined in with that bit. So I think it's all gone.

[pyrighteous]

[ Hunter nods a bit. And carefully holds the palisman out to Leo. ]

I should have figure it out sooner.

[neonleon]

Neither of us had any way to know.

[He looks at Lucky, tentatively holding one hand out to him. He doesn't know what the Palisman thinks of what happened. The poor guy didn't ask for any of this the first time someone was working with him.]

So just gonna go on a limb and say that's probably it. Nothing else left behind of it.

[pyrighteous]

[ he really didn't. And he looks a bit skeptical? but ... after a glance back at Hunter, the palisman delicately picks his way along Leo's remaining arm and gives his face a little lick.

Hunter, meanwhile, exhales deeply, trying to relax. ]

You've only got one limb left to go on.

[neonleon]

[Leo wasn't really expecting Lucky to climb on him, but he'll take it. He adjusts his arm so it's easier until Lucky gets to his shoulder and perches there. Even with everything going on, he can't help smiling a little at the lick, trying to pet at Lucky's head gently.]

Best limb then, right?

[pyrighteous]

Y. Yeah. I ... guess so.

[ Lucky leans into the pets, cuddling up against Leo's neck. ]

We're going back to the hospital for a while, okay?

[neonleon]

[Leo sort of sighs through his nose a bit at that, keeping up that little affection with Lucky. He's going to end up with a reputation on the Boiling Isles if he's not careful, if he hasn't already. He's sure there's already gossip happening at the edges of the field.]

Yeah. Good idea.

[pyrighteous]

And - and then you're going to rest again, and this time you'll really get better because there won't be anything left of that thing.

[ Footsteps - looks like the healers are here to whisk him away. Air transport back to the university. ]

[neonleon]

[They are, but he'll take the quick opportunity to take Hunter's hand and squeeze it.]

Exactly...

Hunter- ...Thanks. For all of that. And tell Darius I said thanks?

[pyrighteous]

[ Hunter squeezes back, trying not to cry. ]

I-I will. And I'll be there soon. As soon as they let me in.

[neonleon]

[Sorry about getting his blood on your hands, Hunter. But he didn't want to leave without some assurance. The healers are kind of definitely freaked out by the blood all over his side and where he'd ended up as they start escorting him away. He keeps looking over his shoulder at Hunter as they leave.

Darius comes to stand close by him, resting a hand on Hunter's shoulder.]

"That was an exciting game, I think. I should watch more of these matches."

[pyrighteous]

[ Hunter watches Leo go for as long as he can, right up until the healers have him carefully arranged on the hospital stretcher between a pair of staffs. And then off they go.

He trembles a bit under Darius's hand. Currently he's on the verge of breaking down into tears. ]

Y - yeah. When there isn't a ... a monster lurking in my fiancé.

[neonleon]

[Oh. Tears are definitely out of his purview, that's something for his friends to handle. He was definitely worried about the anger issues Hunter was showing though.]

"We'll make sure there's nothing else lurking under the surface."

[pyrighteous]

[ Those are still there, just currently overridden by tears at the moment. In fact...

Hunter looks back at that smear on the ground and his expression hardens up. Still struggling not to sob, he grips his staff tight and turns back towards it. ]

Yeah. We will.

[neonleon]

[Darius watches that. He can see it's building and goes to follow Hunter. The rest of his friends are still grouped around it though they were preparing another way to destroy it (fire, really) but not sure how to keep it from burning up the field as well. Luz was showing them about getting the grass around it wet but stops when she sees Hunter approaching.]

"Hey! We were just about to burn the last of this."

[pyrighteous]

Then just burn it already. Why are you still talking about it? I-it could come back at any moment!

[neonleon]

[Luz and Amity sort of startle at that intensity before looking at each other. Amity nods and sets to work finishing the water spell around the area.]

"We have to make sure we don't burn the whole field down, Hunter. We'll start in a minute."

[pyrighteous]

No! Burn it now!

[ He gestures with his staff, summoning a (thankfully small enough to extinguish) blaze with it. ]

[neonleon]

[Willow is quick to put it out while Gus comes by to put a hand to Hunter's arm.] "Hey. Remember that breathing exercise I showed you? Let's do that."

[Willow watches that and smiles, glad something she showed Gus is being helpful here too. She and Amity finish prepping the area before carefully lighting the Krang smear ablaze, not letting the flames go further than where Luz had wet the grass around it.]

[pyrighteous]

[ Sorry Gus, Hunter shoves his hand away. ]

I don't want to breathe! I want to make sure that thing is completely dead! That there's no possibility of it spreading to - to you, or anyone else ever again!

[neonleon]

[Gus does look a little hurt at that, looking at the rest of the group. The smell of the burning Krang mush stings nostrils, everyone else starting to lift their jersey over their noses. But Luz comes over to Hunter watching him carefully.]

"...Hunter, I get it. That thing- It hurt someone you care about. And you wanna make sure it doesn't hurt anyone else. But. Would he want to see you like this?"

[pyrighteous]

I -

[ Hunter can imagine Leo standing there, watching in horror. Or reaching out with concern when he’s the one who’s hurt. That thought especially makes him crumple in on himself. ]

There almost wasn’t anything left of him to see me. He could have died. You could all die too if that thing isn’t gone.

[ Seems pretty dead now tho. ]