[ You can do it, just keep going - just like that.
the voice is encouraging, and the warmth feels like it's trying to guide him out. just a little bit further, he can get free of the vines, get out of this hell that they were all sent to. blood oozes down his neck, wrapped all the way around it, and stains the collar of his clothes, but he's getting out.
there's no ichika to find, but the presence is still there. nestled in the back of his mind. now, he's not so alone. now, there's a little more strength for him to be able to free himself from the remaining vines, slack around his waist, slipping off his arm with a rough drag of briars on fabric.
and real hands are reaching out for him, now, as it turns out. the craft has landed nearby him, and adrastea climbs up the massive tangle of vines, heedless of the corpses mangled amongst them. their helmet is off, but it's hard to make out their face - just that they have dark, short hair that's windtorn, now, and cybernetic eyes that are... sparking, flaring, and bleeding. the lensflare effect and the blood are the reason why you can't really see their face. ]
[ despite everything, ichika has always taken care of him. even when kazuki refused to acknowledge her, gave her hell for not taking a real interest in him as a person and what he cared about instead of making assumptions for him, she's always made sure he was as safe as he could be. she may not be here, but he can still trust that voice. he can trust neechan.
it's hard to move like this, with his arm hanging limp and so much of him losing blood, but he tries. he shoves away what he can with his good arm, drags himself over the vines that were just trying to crush him, ignoring the thorns in the rush to get out.
distracted as he's been, kazuki jerks back from adrastea out of pure reflex. it could have been another set of hands looking to drag him down, to use him as leverage to escape for themselves, but - none of the guests had eyes like this. it's slow to set in that it has to be adrastea, without the helmet for once, that it's their voice and not ichika's calling for him.
something inside him crumbles as he reaches back. ]
[ ichika's warmth doesn't ever fade, but her voice does - she supports him still, quiet, letting him do what he needs to do but guiding where she can. and he might flinch away, but adrastea doesn't flinch away when kazuki does. they wait until he's ready - though are glad that it doesn't take him too long - and then take his hand with one of theirs when he reaches back out.
their free hand lifts up, wiping away some of the blood. there's a small, reflexive flinch as the wetware in their eyes sparks again, but they've cleared their face, so when the hand comes away...
... the bloodied face of an older woman looks back at him, eyes trying to focus as they bleed from the tearducts and the skin-like panels on her face. ]
C'mon, let's get you on the ship. Temenos is looking for Owner, now, and Todomatsu is on the way. We've got you.
[ if their grip on his hand hurts, he doesn't show it - maybe it'll hit him later, once the adrenaline begins to wear off. for now, kazuki just stumbles out of the vines, glancing back at them once as if expecting them to rear back up and attack them both.
when they don't, he takes a deep, shuddering breath, throat stinging.
we've got you. adrastea isn't ichika, but they're here, they're helping, and ichika... he's sure that she'd tell him to go, too. that he'll be safe with them.
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the voice is encouraging, and the warmth feels like it's trying to guide him out. just a little bit further, he can get free of the vines, get out of this hell that they were all sent to. blood oozes down his neck, wrapped all the way around it, and stains the collar of his clothes, but he's getting out.
there's no ichika to find, but the presence is still there. nestled in the back of his mind. now, he's not so alone. now, there's a little more strength for him to be able to free himself from the remaining vines, slack around his waist, slipping off his arm with a rough drag of briars on fabric.
and real hands are reaching out for him, now, as it turns out. the craft has landed nearby him, and adrastea climbs up the massive tangle of vines, heedless of the corpses mangled amongst them. their helmet is off, but it's hard to make out their face - just that they have dark, short hair that's windtorn, now, and cybernetic eyes that are... sparking, flaring, and bleeding. the lensflare effect and the blood are the reason why you can't really see their face. ]
- Kazuki, Kazuki - [ oh, they're talking. ]
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it's hard to move like this, with his arm hanging limp and so much of him losing blood, but he tries. he shoves away what he can with his good arm, drags himself over the vines that were just trying to crush him, ignoring the thorns in the rush to get out.
distracted as he's been, kazuki jerks back from adrastea out of pure reflex. it could have been another set of hands looking to drag him down, to use him as leverage to escape for themselves, but - none of the guests had eyes like this. it's slow to set in that it has to be adrastea, without the helmet for once, that it's their voice and not ichika's calling for him.
something inside him crumbles as he reaches back. ]
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their free hand lifts up, wiping away some of the blood. there's a small, reflexive flinch as the wetware in their eyes sparks again, but they've cleared their face, so when the hand comes away...
C'mon, let's get you on the ship. Temenos is looking for Owner, now, and Todomatsu is on the way. We've got you.
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when they don't, he takes a deep, shuddering breath, throat stinging.
we've got you. adrastea isn't ichika, but they're here, they're helping, and ichika... he's sure that she'd tell him to go, too. that he'll be safe with them.
kazuki nods slowly, and follows their lead. ]
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