005 [Open- backdated to a day after the tower exploration]

[halfbrokenwings]

The first sensation she registered was a growing burning sensation in the middle of her back. It was uncomfortable and quite quickly growing unbearable. Eyes opened and she scrambled to a sitting position. She did not know why she was in the room, or even who she was, but she knew that something was wrong with her wings. Instincts made her unfurl them to ease the hurt, like an eagle spreading his in a stretch before a flight.

What came unexpected was the sudden explosion of pain from her left shoulder. There was the sound of bone grinding on bone and a scream tore it's way from her throat. Between one second and the next she very briefly lost consciousness and ended up on her side. Her wings were bound in some contraption and something was wrong with at least one of them. She didn't know why. Tears of pain clouded her vision and she clawed at the buckles of the bloodstained harness that bound her body and wings. The bone in her shoulder resettled at an unnatural angle and caused more pain-filled whimpers.

Frantically she yanked at the straps around her body, crying out occasionally. She fought like a wild animal that was caught in a trap- against a contraption she didn't understand but with the driving force to be gone and away from the thing that was causing her so much pain.

[[ _{ooc: She died ...if so inclined you'll hear a scream throughout the barracks and possibly right outside of her window.} ]]

Comments

[thii2ii22tupiid]

Sollux was still exhausted and sore after the trip to the tower, but he refused to stay in bed and rest like he should. Partly it was due to the guilt over the mess the whole expedition had become...most of them got out, but was what they got really worth it? Was Isabella's death worth it?

It took him a few moments to pause in his wanderings of the barracks' halls after she screamed. He didn't realize it wasn't just another voice in his head at first, or a memory brought up by his thoughts.

He doesn't actually know where her room is, but he was on the third floor and following the cries wasn't that hard. He pauses outside of her room, taking a moment to make sure that's where the noises originated, then knocks lightly.

"I...Isabella?"

[halfbrokenwings.livejournal.com]

Though the knock was light, it was still unexpected and her body jerked at both sound and voice. She does not know the voice, and does not know the word spoken. Hearing it though, was like tugging on the end of a ribbon that lead to something else. She found at the end of that ribbon that she too, had language.

She struggled with the pain and also with the only word that made any sense, "R-redu!"

[ _"h-help!"]

[thii2ii22tupiid]

Sollux has no idea what that word is, but she sounds like she's in trouble. He tests the door and, finding it unlocked, enters quickly.

"What's wrong?!"

Boy that was a stupid question. She just came back from the dead, he can probably guess what's wrong...but she seems to be struggling against the harness on her back. He moves around to try and help her get it off. She had that on before, but maybe it got turned wrong and fucked up her wings or something.

[halfbrokenwings.livejournal.com]

She squeaks between the whimpers when the door opens. There was no recognition on her face when Sollux enters. But the words that come out of the pointy toothed, grey skinned and horned boy make her stare- almost like she she should know what they meant.

"Repu'n!" She thinks she almost has this contraption figured out, but she can't seem to get the cloth out from under the metal that holds it tight. Buckles the memory came back, along with more words."Ry'xze!"

[ _{"Help me!" "Hurts!"}]

[thii2ii22tupiid]

Sollux moves quickly, undoing the buckles and removing the harness before tossing it aside. "There. That's better, right?"

He moves around to face her, obviously looking her over, somewhere between concerned and relieved.

[halfbrokenwings.livejournal.com]

Sollux moves to help her and she watches him with very wide eyes. As soon as the harness is off she sits up and both wings move of their own accords. The right wing stretches out- something is clearly wrong with it to her but it is pittance compared with her left. Involuntarily she bites down on her bottom lip as another scream threatens when she attempts to move the crippled wing. Something is broken in that appendage or dislocated in such a way that it feels like it is. It's better then not to move it and she breathes a sigh of relief at figuring this out.

Again, she heard that language somewhere. It hovered on the edge of her consciousness and he looked so concerned. "Zril'qu roy. Umm, mo'n qlop roy? Priz riuuelem? Pro ixe roy?"

[_{"Thank you. Umm, Do I know you? What happened?! Who are you?"}]

[thii2ii22tupiid]

Sollux winches as she cries out. "S-shit, did I do something wrong? I didn't hurt you more did I?"

Fuck, of course he must have. What was he thinking fiddling with that harness, it was clearly built for something he'd never even seen before. Why would he know how to take it off without causing more trouble?
Man he was just fucking her up left and right here. Sollux sighs and takes a step back.

"...Why are you talking like that?"

[halfbrokenwings.livejournal.com]

A look of concentration crosses her face, she does know the language! "Umm, I know don't?"

It sounds as uncertain as the other words had when they were first spoken. She has such a look on her face, brows furrowed together. Where, who, why, what- so many questions were begging to be asked.

[thii2ii22tupiid]

"...What?"

Oh god, that crocodile had done some real damage to her think pan, hadn't it? Sollux swallows, pushing down the traces of panic attempting to rise.

[halfbrokenwings.livejournal.com]

She was so very confused, and it was baffling. She tried to stand, but sat back down hard with a hiss. The movement caused the injured wing to pull and put weight on the wrong parts of it.

"I don't know!"

She was angry that she couldn't seem to remember -anything-. She didn't even know why her wings were all screwed up. They shouldn't be. Frustration colored every line in her body.

[thii2ii22tupiid]

Sollux holds his hands up. He's not really sure what to do here, but since he figures he's responsible for whatever state she's in he thinks he should try to help.
Not that he knows how.

"Okay, okay, just stay there and try to calm down. Do you still hurt? Is there anything I can do?"

He's trying really hard not to let the panic that's still creeping up his spine show, but not doing the best of jobs. At least she seems a little more coherent.

[halfbrokenwings.livejournal.com]

Then the grey, horned person started talking.

She understood hurt, as a concept and nods enthusiastically. She points to her left wing. Why did it hurt so badly?

As for his last question, third time is a charm, " I don't know."

It was calmer if more plaintive.

[thii2ii22tupiid]

Shit, was that all she could say? He groans, but looks at her wing.

"...It looks the same as always. Did you move it wrong or something?"

[sanomorior]

Ever since Alex's rampage, Sycora began quick patrols of the Keep. She would cover a section and then return to the infirmary in case any new patients sprang up out of the woodwork. Thankfully, there had not been another rampage.

But in the barracks, she hears a scream.

Isabella.

She goes bolting down the hall. That scream was nearby - and if she kept moving, she'd find which door was Isabella's.

"Isa?" She calls, "Isabella?!"

sometime in the future....

[halfbrokenwings.livejournal.com]

Sycora would find Isabella on the third floor, rather easily since she's down in front of her room. She had tried to make the door, thinking that if she moved slowly she would be able to walk with it and leave the room. This might have worked if she hadn't tripped.

She's on her hands and knees with a few tears down her face. She is biting her lip, trying not to cry out again. There is some fierce determination on her face.

[sanomorior]

The sight of Isabella on the floor makes Sycora's heart clench. She drops to her knees at Isabella's side, one hand on her shoulder.

"Stop, stop," she says gently. "It's okay. What happened?"

[halfbrokenwings.livejournal.com]

At the touch on her shoulder she looks up to the lady kneeling next to her.

"I-I tripped." She takes a deep breath and nods her head to the crippled wing. "It jarred that up. "

Along with pain, there is puzzlement on her face. The lady looks very similar to herself but without the feathers. It's so very confusing!

[sanomorior]

"Okay. Calm down, let me look." Sycora looks from Isabella's face to her wing. Is it injured, she wonders, or is this just an old pain?

"Have you been taking the medication I gave you?"

[halfbrokenwings.livejournal.com]

She calms down and lets Sycora look at her back and the wings. The left one would be easy to tell that it's dislocated, which was not normal and can not feel good.

Isabella looks up at the woman, "I know you too? You gave me medication?"

[sanomorior]

She sees that injury and, at first, moves to further examine it. She's not terribly experienced working with wings like these, but she's certainly capable.

But after Isabella speaks, Sycora's eyes go wide and her body stiffens. She pauses a moment and then pulls back.

"...Yes," she says, cautious and concerned. "What do you remember?"

[halfbrokenwings.livejournal.com]

"Ummm. Hmmm. " She is thinking actually pretty hard, but again as with Sollux, she has no memory of this woman or the medication she was speaking of. "Not much. I know some about lycanthropes and music and um that I wasn't like liked very much when I was smaller."

There! That covers it!

She smiles at the lady. "I'm sorry I don't remember much more, um, what's your name?"

[sanomorior]

Sycora's expression falls. She comes to two conclusions: that Isabella was suffering very great amnesia, or that she had died.

She hopes it's the latter.

"I'm Sycora." She gets to her feet and offers Isabella her hands. "Here, let me help."

[halfbrokenwings.livejournal.com]

"Sycora. That's pretty." Isabella takes the offered hands and braces herself. Likely, it isn't going to feel pleasant standing. These wings and the pain they caused, how had she dealt with it before?

"Thank you. I would have a hard time of it on my own I think." She'll only let Sycora take any weight from being pulled to her feet if the non-winged woman has her footing.

[sanomorior]

A smile flashes across Sycora's face, but it's slightly wistful. Isabella was so rarely this candid - always with the honorifics and the shyness.

"Maybe." Once Isabella's standing and stable, Sycora nods her head towards Isabella's quarters. "Your wing's hurt. Come on, let's go into your room and I'll heal it."

[halfbrokenwings.livejournal.com]

Isabella stands with a grimace and a grunt against the pain.

Then she looks to Sycora with her eyes wide as saucers, "You can heal this?"

You mean she doesn't have to live with this pain the rest of the time? That's some very good news indeed! She'll walk to the room with Sycora- but you'll already notice the bed's been taken by a gray skinned youth. Pretty familiar face by now, and he's sleeping.