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Continuation of the Haunted Manor thread

[songstressedout]

[ Puts this link here just in case.

Ochako's reaction, frankly, gives way for Yuzu's own fear. She's younger than Ochako, after all, so when she loses it... ]

S-SO AM I!! I-I DONT WANNA BE HERE ANYMORE!!

[ ...she holds Ochako tighter as they both scream in terror, both of them at the verge of tears. She can't handle this! She wants to go home! She wants her dad! Fortunately, she notices the trapdoor unearthed by Ochako's burst of magic. Considering the fact that there are hands and faces surrounding them on all the walls... it's not like they have many other options now. ]

I-IN THERE!!

[floatsaway]

[There's only do much one can take, even someone like Ochako. She can deal with villains and weird quirks, even blood and things like that, but...this is all something else entirely. Ochako is just plain scared, terrified, and she wants nothing more than to cry and get out of here as fast as possible. She wants to wake up from this godawful nightmare and pretend it never, ever happened.

But the thing is, she just...can't leave, either. She can't, even though she wants to so, so bad. Not until everyone is safe, and they find their guide and make sure that they're still...okay. Ochako doens't dare think of the possibility they could be killed, because...w-well. Given how this dumb house is, the probability is extremely high and she just...wouldn't be able to take that, mentally.

Through her tears, Ochako looks to where Yuzu mentioned and leaps upon the trapdoor, flinging it open. It desends into nothing but darkness, but...really? What option do they have?! Ochako's not about to stick around and find out what the hell those creepy faces and hands in the walls have in store for them. Grabbing Yuzu's hand, she pulls her toward the dark hole in the floor.]

On three!! One, two--! [And before either of them can chicken out, Ochako inhales sharply and jumps. Thankfully, her kinetic magic kicks in again, so they don't really fall so much as slowly waft down like two feathers, but...they're out of that one room. Where they are now remains to be a mystery, but...they're in one piece.]

[songstressedout]

[ Yuzu's clinging desperately to Ochako, even as they waft down through the trapdoor. Honestly, it's good that they're away from the creepy faces and hands, but now it's dark and Yuzu can barely stop her tears from forming. Heck, even her cat ears are pressed flat against her head. In any case, they're both equally terrified.

It's not that Yuzu didn't want to find their guide, but... ]

Imsorryimsorry... dad... Yuya...

[ She's started muttering names now... particularly names of people she would go to for comfort back home. ]

[floatsaway]

[Holding the younger girl close, the two touch down on the ground and Ochako releases her magic so they're no longer floating. It's dark as shit down...wherever the hell they fell to, but after shushing Yuzu gently, Ochako takes out her phone and turns on the flashlight. It's not much, but it's something so at least see by.]

Yuzu-chan...are you okay? [She's still shaking a bit, but Ochako reaches out and takes Yuzu's hand and squeezes it tightly, trying to reassure her. She takes a deep breath, in and out, trying to calm her nerves and steel her resolve again. She can't...do this. Even if she's scared, even if she's well and truly terrified, Ochako needs to stay strong, for the person next to her. She can't allow herself to simply break and panic like that again. It's...it's not befitting of someone who'd call themself a Hero.] It's alright now, I think. I-I don't know where we ended up, but...we'll be okay. I promise I won't let anything happen to you, okay? We're going to make it out, together.

[Just as she says this, there's a quiet groan from somewhere in the darkness, and Ochako jumps, fumbling with her phone and flashing the phone's light on...a body? She balks for just a moment before gasping when realization hits. It's their guide! Immediately racing to his side, Ochako crouches down and looks him over, biting her lower lip.]

His leg is broken, and he's suffered a pretty nasty head injury, and a few lacerations across the back and shoulders...probably from those gargoyles, or any other monster prowling this place... Yuzu-chan, can you heal him?

[songstressedout]

[ Yuzu squeezes Ochako's hand back, still trembling, but... she feels a little safer like this. So she squeezes back as tightly as she can, trying to do the same and steel herself again. She's been through plenty already, she can handle something like this...

Still, it's good that they found their guide... though his condition has Yuzu just as worried. ]

Y-Yeah, I can, but... [ She eyes his injuries. The head injury and lacerations should be fine, but she's never healed a broken limb before. ] It may take a while, I haven't healed something this bad before...

[ Still, there's no point in just sitting there worrying about it, so she places her hands on their guide as her hands start to glow with the same healing light that Yuzu used on Ochako's finger before. At the very least, the wounds start to close, and the swelling head injury starts to shrink. ]

Maybe adjust his leg so that it's straight... I haven't healed a broken bone before.

[floatsaway]

Just do what you can to stabilize him. I can use my qui--eh, magic to lift and move him as necessary, especially if he regains consciousness. The head injury is probably more of a concern than the leg... If it starts to hemorrhage, it could be bad for him without real medical attention. I'm also afraid of an infection on those scratches...

[Though she agrees to set the leg, and does so with ease. Ochako does have medical training - it's among the many thing she's taught to do as a hero, after all. It's not pretty, and their guide lets out a harsh yell of pain for just a moment before falling unconscious again from the pain of his injured leg having to be moved in any way, but it's a good skill to have.

Once that's done, Ochako keeps watch over Yuzu and their position, sighing happily as she finds a small pack their guide had brought with him, and it actually has a small medi-kit in it. Enough to wrap his leg and keep the bones set in place for the time being.]

[songstressedout]

Right...

[ Well, Ochako definitely knows more than Yuzu when it comes to this, so she puts a little more attention on the head injury while Ochako wraps his leg. Mind you, she winced when he shouted out like that, but there was no other option, was there?

Still, it doesn't take long for the scratches to heal, or for the head injury to subside. If anything, his leg was taking the longest... though it seemed to go easier now with the bones set in place. Yuzu's not sure how long she's spent healing, though, since she'd been focusing pretty hard and only stopped briefly to wipe some sweat off of her forehead. ]

[floatsaway]

[All throughout the healing process, Ochako both watches with quiet awe, and also keeps a lookout on the area. She can just feel eyes on them both, but nothing's attacked thus far. Perhaps the light was keeping the skulking creatures at bay? She can only guess, but is thankful that nothing's come their way just yet, even if it feels like, at any moment, something could lash out from the darkness and swallow them all up.

When she notes that Yuzu is getting fatigued, Ochako reaches out and places a hand on the girl's arm with a gentle smile. Honestly, she didn't expect her friend to heal that busted leg completely, so this should be fine until they get out of this godawful place.]

Don't push yourself, Yuzu-chan. That should be fine for now...I can carry him and when we get out, we can get him to a hospital, or a healer, to treat the wounds completely. You should reserve your strength.

[Because they still have a long way to go o get out, she'd wager. Standing, Ochako gently touches their guide with one hand to activate her kinetic magic on him, picking the man up easily, as if he weighed literally nothing at all. He groans again, seemingly coming in and out of consciousness as he flutters his eyes, muttering to the two in a hoarse voice: "Go...back. It's...here. Coming--"

Oh. That, uh... That doesn't sound promising.]

dreamwidth why did you delete my entire tag...

[songstressedout]

[ Yuzu looks up at Ochako for a moment. Truthfully, she doesn’t want to stop and leave anything unhealed. Still, Ochako is right... it wouldn’t be good to tire herself out right here. ]

Alright...

[ Still, as she takes her hand away and stops the healing so that Ochako can pick him up... she feels a shiver down her spine.

The feeling only gets worse as their guide manages to speak, and she huddles a little closer to Ochako. ]

W-What now...?

it's been doing that lately. 8\

[floatsaway]

[What now indeed. Ochako's already putting herself between whatever is coming and Yuzu, holding their guide close as he groans and mutters a bit more - unintelligible words that don't seem to make sense until one sticks out amidst the babble.

Banshee.

Ochako's blood runs cold. With her eyes wide she feels a sudden chill and the lights of the flashlights she set up start to flicker and go wild. There's a wheezy breath, a voice in the darkness, and something moves, something...breathes. No. Not breathes, it inhales. In a split second, Ochako moves, just as the first notes of that terrible scream start to echo in the dark. The brunette lurches toward Yuzu, in an attempt to grab her and cover her ears (probably a bit roughly, sorry friend, it's for your own good), but something else happens entirely. Ochako feels like she's being pulled in a direction very suddenly, and very quickly. Lights and shapes move at supersonic speeds, and she can feel like she's moving, but...not moving? Yuzu is there, too, she can see the blurred image of the girl she's holding onto, tears brimming in her eyes and--]

Haah!! [Ochako feels herself hit...grass? Yes. Grass. Dirt. They're outside. Outside. She can feel the wind, see the starry night above them, the moon in all its glory, and...and--] Ha....hah....h-how did--?

[Her entire body feels numb, but her fingers and muscles are twitching like crazy, clothes soaked with sweat like she'd just run ten miles in a matter of milliseconds. Her lungs burn, head spinning...white dots are dancing before her eyes. What even happened? How are they outside? I-It was like...l-like she just moved, and...and jumped through time or something. Like a warp gate - the ones in the science fiction shows she likes to watch. Did...did she just warp them out? I-Is that...something she can do?? Whatever it may be, her body is completely useless until she rests a while - all her muscles are screaming in agony, not cooperating despite trying to get up again. Nope. Just gonna...lay here a while.]

[songstressedout]

[ A banshee. Yuzu wasn't unfamiliar with that kind of monster... in fact, she's seen them summoned in duels. Still, this isn't a duel, and she feels herself freeze up as the light starts to flicker... and the presence of what was presumably the banshee becomes more apparent. She hears it inhale with her cat ears and she finds herself unable to move because of the panic. What does she do? Her hearing is definitely stronger when she has ears like this, and there's a banshee here.

She's snapped out of her silent panic as the scream starts, and boy does it pick up faster on Yuzu's end because of the ears she's currently stuck with. Fortunately, Ochako lunges at her to cover her ears before it can get worse. Her first thought is 'what about Ochako' but she fortunately doesn't have to worry about that (or any of this) for much longer.

The feeling of being pulled is felt by Yuzu as well, and her sense of direction frankly vanishes. She's definitely moving in some direction, but she's not sure if it's up or down or anywhere else.

And then they land on the ground. ]

Oof...!

[ She feels incredibly disoriented from the quick nature of their warp, and she struggles to figure out which way to push in order to get off the ground at first. Still, they're outside, where it's safe. ]

Ochako...?

[ She quickly whips her head around, trying to find the brunette... and she's both worried and relieved when she spots her sweat-drenched friend right next to her. ]

O-Ochako-chan! Are you alright!?

[ The twitching certainly doesn't make her feel any better as she's suddenly on her knees next to Ochako, leaning over her and brushing any hair out of her face to try and make sure she's okay. ]

[floatsaway]

[She looks...well. Unhurt, at the least, physically, but Ochako is definitely worn out. Whatever the hell she just did quite literally took all her energy, and she's panting and looking dazed, not able to really move much without her muscles screaming at her. She can barely keep herself conscious enough to gasp out, tired and fatigued--]

T-Tired... Body. Hurts...

[--between breaths. Her eyes are so, so heavy, and all she wants to do is sleep. Her fingers twitch again, but this time with purpose, arm reaching to try and fumble for her phone. It takes all of maybe two seconds for her to give up and drop her aching arm. Welp, there goes that idea of calling for help. She should be fine, now that they're outside and safe, but...it's still dark out. She can barely move, and their guide is still hurt as well. They can't rest here, they need to get back.]

Call...help. I'm t-too...tired... Don't know...w-what happened.

[songstressedout]

[ She lets out a sigh of relief, just glad that Ochako is alive at all. Yuzu got exhausted just from using her own magic, so whatever Ochako did must've drained her even more. Still, even if they're out in the middle of nowhere, it's at least safer than the inside of that manor. ]

R-Right! Okay, just rest, alright! I'll...

[ Still, the panic wasn't over yet. Considering what the place looked like, they must still be near the manor, just not inside it anymore. It'd be great if anyone could hear them, but...

Still, she has to try. ]

Hey! Is anybody out there!? We need help!

[ Even after yelling that out, she's not sure if anybody heard them. She'd like to at least get closer to the path... wherever that might be, but she can't just leave. Ochako's out of commission and their guide is mostly unconscious with a broken leg... and Yuzu was the youngest out of all of them. She could probably carry Ochako, or even their guide if she used some healing magic to boost her strength, but both at once felt like a stretch...

Her only other option is to try and do something with Animal Magic... but she barely had control of that, and where would she even start? ]

[floatsaway]

[Just rest, she says, as if Ochako's not already halfway to Sleepytown Junction... The sounds and sights around her start to blur and go dark as the young brunette just lets of a weary sigh and allows herself the moment to just close her eyes and let the fatigue really take her. They're safe now, and even their guide is with them, too. They...th-they probably saved his life, and that alone makes a tiny, tired smile appear on Ochako's face before she's claimed by sleep.

A call for help... Maybe it was sheer luck, or chance, that a messenger hawk was flying overhead when Yuzu cried out. While it's already done its task of delivering a letter to who knows where, it heard the cry and swooped down with a curious screech, not getting too close, but circling overhead and crying back. This may be your one chance, friendo...let that Animal Magnetism do its trick!]

[songstressedout]

[ It’s something, and though Yuzu’s not even expecting anything from it... ]

H-Hey! Over here!

[ She waves her arms, and unbeknownst to her... her cat ears and tail seem to vanish, and replacing it, her hair takes on a more feathery texture and appearance.

As if that triggered something, the hawk lets out another screech as it starts to descend... and actually fly directly at Yuzu. ]

E-Ehh!? W-Wait...!

[ It looks like the hawk is about to slam into her face like some kind of feathery hug, but as Yuzu shouts for it to wait... it actually flaps it’s winds and slows down, landing on the ground in front of her and looking at her curiously.

She can scarcely believe it as she blinks at the animal, but... there’s recognition in it’s eyes. It understood her, unlike every other animal she’s been swarmed by in the past.

And as it squawks at her one more time... there’s understanding on her end as well, albeit vague understanding. It’s... asking what the problem is, that would have her be so loud. ]

I-I need your help... can you bring other people—other humans over here?

[ The bird stares at her for a moment, contemplating her request. It was a messenger bird, after all. It had a place to return right now, so could it really take the time to do this? Especially when most other humans are incapable of understanding it the way this girl is. ]

Please...! [ Yuzu puts her hands together, pretty much begging this bird now. ] My friend can’t move, and one of us is injured...!

[ There’s another moment of contemplation from the hawk... before it squawks again.

Yuzu understands it as an acceptance. Reluctant, maybe, but in a Tsundere kind of way funnily. Who knew that a messenger hawk could be a tsundere?

In any case, Yuzu breathes a sigh of relief as the hawk flaps its wings and takes to the sky again, circling a bit before heading off in another direction. ]

Hah...

[ She sighs, her hair returning to it’s normal texture and appearance. It wasn’t exactly an intentional use of her magic... but this was her Animal Magic, wasn’t it?

In any case, she’s not sure how far they are from other people or how long it will take for the hawk to return, but... seeing as she’s not going to be able to move anywhere with two people out of commission, she sits down next to Ochako.

She’s glad that she’s asleep, the faint traces of a smile still there. She just saved all of their lives, after all. ]

[floatsaway]

[It's going to be a while before help arrives. Poor Yuzu, having to sit more or less alone with two unconscious people next to her. At the very least, Ochako does come to once or twice, just enough to make sure the other girl is still there, and not racing off on her own or something, before she's exhaling and closing her eyes once more. Thankfully, nothing else seems to come after them in the darkness - the only actually threat being the slight chill of the night.

It another perhaps thirty, maybe even forty minutes - painfully slow and agonizing - before a brilliant light flashes to life just a few yards away, and four individuals emerge from what seems to be a teleportation circle. They're adults, mostly, though there is a younger looking boy with them, maybe about twenty or so. The youngest, no doubt, but still skilled. He's the one that jerks forward, as if ready to leap into action, but is held back by what is probably his mentor, who approaches and asks questions of Yuzu first, to assess the situation.

Moments pass by still - all three of them getting medical treatment from the young male (a healer and alchemist) and another older woman, while the other two individuals move Ochako and their Guide onto stretchers, lifted up by kinetic magic. Skilled magicians are wizards, the final one ushers everyone back to the teleportation circle, to finally be brought back to Camelot proper. The young man places a hand on Yuzu's shoulder with a calming smile, reassuring her that she did a good job in calling for help like she did, and that the other two will be just fine. Ochako is just worn out, having used up an insane amount of her mana to teleport them beyond what she could handle safely. With rest, and a mana potion he fed her a while ago, she'll be perfectly fine probably within the next hour, actually. Furthermore, their guide will receive daily treatments to heal the bone. Having it set and healed even just a little bit truly helped the process of having it take far less time, and be less traumatic an injury to fix if left untreated at all.

'You two both did wonderfully. We're glad no one was truly hurt.']