a wound like this isn't enough to kill me

[retraced]

Who: Gilbert Nightray, Oz Vessalius, Ahiru
When: Backdated to after the raid on the hunting grounds
Where: Gil's bedroom
Summary: Fake-canon updating is painful.
Warnings: Spoilers for recent Pandora Hearts chapters, graphic descriptions of blood/injury

Gilbert Nightray has been cut down before. He's no stranger to the sight of his own blood. For as weak of a personality as he's always had, his stamina has always been on par with that of Pandora's strongest fighters, even when he was still a child and he'd stepped in front of his master's blade to take, what should have been, a fatal blow in order to keep him from making an even bigger mistake.

The wound had bled, infected, but quickly healed into an ugly reminder of his pathetic failure to protect Oz down the front of his chest. He'd been poisoned later, and though he'd been close to death, he'd recovered. The Cheshire Cat had sliced him through with his claws just before pushing him back into his realm of Alice's hidden memories, and though he'd had trouble, he still healed quick enough to return to his master's side once again.

Break had told him...and then later, Vincent as well, that he'd once been carried through the Abyss, a child half-dead in, what he assumes, could only have been another failed attempt to protect what was most important to him. And no matter what lies Vincent has told him, he knows the truth. He remembers that warm feeling that Jack had given him, that feeling that he had a place to 'belong', something to protect, someone who needed him. He remembers...

He remembers this warm feeling of blood and pain erupting in his chest as the bullet hits its mark.

As soon as he collapses, pain shoots through his head as well. It's familiar, and familiarity is painful. The rest of the fight is chaotic enough that no one notices Gil crawl his way over to hide himself behind a bunch of bushes, hands shaking as he attempts to pull his cravat off and use that to staunch the bleeding. But the more time goes on, the more that he's sure that he must be bleeding out and getting to the point where he should maybe call for help, he...doesn't get worse. He's still bleeding, yes, but he's not feeling the symptoms of blood loss either. For a long while, the sound of fire and fighting turning to white noise in his head, he simply stares down at the wound as though he's expecting it to get worse.

Eventually his breathing evens out, the pain starts to dull, and he finds himself coming to his feet and...simply walking away.

The police and ambulances have enough to deal with that one more bloodied man escapes their attention. Others were injured far worse, and he's not asking for help. He's just trying to get home and keep whatever lost memory trying to surface in his head from actually becoming clear. It hurts too much; much worse than the wound in his chest.

He can't just walk in the front door like this, so he pulls a maneuver that he used on his brother only a few months prior when he was still here. He climbs up the side of the house and pulls himself through his own bedroom window in hopes that he's escaped notice from the other residents of the estate, despite the fact that he's been missing since early the morning.

He'll check his NV for messages after his hands stop shaking and the bloody clothes are thrown away.

[ooc - idk how you guys want to do this TIME PARADOX THREADING?!]

Comments

poor, unfortunate man. /hangs off him

[his_own_will]

[ Ah, but that's where opinion differs. It's not a map of failures, it's a map of success. Each mark, each sword slash is testament to them both making it out alive. Just as Gil is going to live to see another day.

Oz refuses to believe anything contrary to that. Otherwise he'd have to be guilty of getting Gil into trouble himself. Hah!

But he gently picks up a cloth and starts to scrub, biting his lip. ] How did it happen? [ he glares at Gil for a brief second, just in case he tried to weasel out of it again. ]

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[There's no sense in attempting to lie or come up with some other excuse, not with Oz looking right at the damage.]

I was shot.

[His tone is quiet, a bit questioning, but mostly confused.]

The newcomer hunt happened again. Yosuke was taken this time -

[his_own_will]

[ he rolls his eyes. Yes Gil. He can tell you were shot, but that eye roll softens ad he leans in a little closer. ] He's okay, isn't he?

[ he knows how close the two of them are. Even if Yosuke did turn Gil into a delinquent! ]

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I don't know.

[He stumbled away too soon, he has no idea what happened to everyone afterwards, and it shames him to admit that.]

[his_own_will]

[ Oz frowned ] Did you try his NV? We'll find him, even if he doesn't answer. There's still time before night. [ barely, but time. ]

[ After another swipe, he stops and then nods. ] The wound isn't too deep. It should heal in a few weeks. [ it already was, hardly looking more than a flesh wound although still sure to leave a tiny scar. Now where did those bandages go... ]</small.

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No, I...I'm sorry, I didn't think to -

[He hasn't thought to do much of anything except try and accept the fact that he's still alive. The bullet had gone right through him, and yet his back already shows little sign of anything ever piercing it. If there hadn't been a stream of dried blood there, it wouldn't be obvious at all.]

--The Core. [He gasps softly, as though he's finally figured something out, even though his words come out fevered and stuttered.] This must be because - the Core is able to give people different abilities. That must be it. It's possible that I - I never noticed until now, but that's -

[his_own_will]

[ Oz quickly captures Gil's hands to keep him from doing lasting harm to himself. And because he wanted to. Gil freaking out is not cool! (at least, not when Oz isn't the cause of the freak out session, that is) ]

What about the Core? What is it doing now? Gil? [ After Oz's incuse had ticked forward a notch after exposure to the darkness and now this, Oz was actually starting to feel some very real concern here! So tiresome. ]

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It can change people like this.

[He's never experienced a new ability himself; he figured it was just because he'd had Raven since he first arrived, but this makes sense. The Core has changed him. It's given him this strange ability to heal faster than he used to be able to. That has to be it.

His voice shakes, sounds uncertain.]

That explains it...right?

[his_own_will]

[ Oz furrows his brow, trying to gather up the thread of Gil's ramblings. Obviously, Gil's going into shock, but the rest might have some nuggets of worry in there... ]

We'll figure it out in the morning. You</> need to rest.

[ Oz takes a step back, not releasing that hand but looking Gil over with a critical eye. Hopefully there's a sleeping draft nearby to knock Gil out because Oz has some research he needs to do. ]

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[As Oz looks him over, he finally looks up into his master's eyes, not really seeing them at all. He's making that same face that he always does, like a lost child, eyes narrowed in confusion and pain. It's unfair to ask his master to be the one to tell him to rest, to concern himself with worry when his fragile body could hardly carry his own burden on it. He has no choice but to do as Oz tells him to.

Lowering his gaze back down to his feet, he nods and gestures towards the cupboard where the first aid kit is, wordlessly.]

[his_own_will]

Huh?

[ Oz furrowed his brow before getting down on his hands and knees to look in the cupboard, immediately understanding the second he laid eyes on the kit. There was just one problem; Gil didn't really need it anymore. Humoring him, however, was a must. Grabbing the kit,he wordlessly set out to disinfect (that might sting a bit) and wrap up the wound with gauze.

His poor, cute servant.

What in the world would Oz do without him? ]

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[Even if he doesn't fully realize that he's being humored, he's still okay with it. Because normalcy helps. His place is right here at Oz's side, and a bloody wound should be bandaged as soon as possible; these are the things that should make sense right now. He can't think about the Core and how it's affecting his body, it can't matter if he can't wrap his head around it.

He winces a bit at the feeling of stinging in his healing wound, but he recovers quickly.]

Thank you, young master. [He whispers, under his breath. The title slips in there by mistake, but he doesn't correct himself.]

[his_own_will]

[ Oz tugs extra hard on that bandage, tying it off with smooth, calm movements that shouldn't be as practiced as they are. Since childhood, since his coming of age cereomony, he's been in one scrape after another and Gil has always been there at his side.

This was no different then usual.

And nor was Gil's forgetfulness. ] This is nothing; you'd do the same for me, wouldn't you? [ Except Oz would be flat on his back on his back and strapped to the bed to keep him from moving if their roles had been reversed.

He can still arrange that.

Tugging on Gil, he (pushed Gil) motioned to the door. ] Rest. I'll clean up the mess. [ honest, he'll even do it all proper and everything and set things to soak. ]

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[Of course he would do the same; that goes without saying. He'd take every pain, every illness, every ache from his master if he could. Despite everything that has happened, the only thing that he knows for sure is that he wants to remain at his side and protect him. Always.

He's still shaking a little as he stands, but he feels strong enough on his feet as he's pulled upwards. He hums an agreement under his breath and rests his arm across his middle as he moves back to the bedroom. Hopefully he can get changed into pajamas before Oz is finished cleaning things up; there's no need for him to see any more of his scarred skin. That's the only reason that he doesn't just offer to clean it all up later.]