keepsthefire | IC Contact

[ That reaction absolutely meant something was really wrong, and it wasn't just being ill. She wanted to ask what was going on, but her attention was more drawn to how he was shaking and covering his nose.

She wasn't sure if it would do anything to help (her heal spells were more suited for physical injuries rather than illness-related things), but she placed her hands on his shoulders, closed her eyes and murmured the incantation for her healing arte. Within the next minute a light covered Armin for a moment, and he would likely feel a rather warm feeling as the healing arte started to take effect.

After the light from the arte faded, she moved a little closer and gave him a gentle hug. She hoped that was okay. They didn't know each other very well, but she couldn't just do nothing when he was very clearly upset about something. ]

What's going on?

[ he flinches slightly at the touch, but he doesn't pull away, content to let her mumble incomprehensibly over his shoulder as he pinches his nose shut. but the moment light begins to spread from her fingers and envelop him in a gentle glow, he lets out a soft but startled sound. he isn't completely ignorant of the concept of magic, but having it used directly on him in such a capacity is something of a first. ]

[ but the feeling it offers is a comforting one in more than just contact. it's warm, soothes the pressure in his head and, if only for a moment, calms the flutter in his chest. caused by illness it might be, the bleeding itself is the result of a physically burst blood vessel, and as such, her spell manages to clot it before any begins spilling down to his chin. ]

[ with the shock of realization out of the way, hopefully he can avoid being roused to harm once more by the heaps of lingering dread. though he doesn't return the embrace, he leans his head against hers for a moment or two before drawing back to look at her straight. ]

You saw Rin dash out of the house, didn't you? [ not an uncommon sight, nor is it easily missed. ] Didn't you hear that thunder? [ less common, much harder to ignore. ]

[ Actually, she did remember seeing that. She hadn't had time to actually ask him what was going on, not to mention that with him gone, nobody was left in the house to look after Armin. She wouldn't worry about that ordinarily, but, well ... Armin was currently sick and all.

She knew Rin was worried about Armin as well, so she'd trusted that whatever Rin was up to, he'd come back soon enough. It seemed Armin knew what was really going on, though, and it was freaking him out. A lot.

And then he mentioned the thunder ... which, yes, she had heard. She hadn't exactly thought that was anything related to why Rin was rushing out of the house, though.

Now that Armin was talking about the two in the same vein, though, it was making her think about it.

And all she could do was facepalm. ]

He's running himself right into something dangerous, isn't he?

[ SHE'S HONESTLY NOT SURPRISED. Worried now, yes, but not surprised. ]

[ he lets out a long sigh as she turns the gears over in her head, not so much facepalming in kind as kneading at his temple. he'd dealt with enough in the past week, enough stress, enough loss, and now the only enormous idiots he knows to be left are butting heads in the biggest of ways. ]

[ he nods at her query, sitting up straighter. ]

Depending on where he is, he could very well be endangering a lot of other people as well.

[ not to mention the property damage... part of him imagined Bertholt to be far more mindful of his form than Eren might be, and with the two of them being friends without baggage, it's unlikely the colossal titan would be on the offensive. but it was all about location and situation. too many variables, not enough data. ]

[ pushing himself to his feet, he's quickly propping hands on knees as his vision swims. gods, he'd yanked Rin from the jaws of death feeling like shit before, the dizziness passes, maybe he could reason with them... ]

[ As he tries to stand, Kohaku quickly stands and grabs his arm to try and help steady him. ]

You're still recovering! You really shouldn't be moving too much!

[ She's going to be stern on this. She couldn't let Armin make himself worse, no matter how worried they both were about the idiot boyfriend.

She didn't know what to do about the whole thing, really. She felt she needed to stay here and take care of Armin, but there was also the matter of Rin ... who, as much as she wanted to smack some sense into him, would probably be stubborn about whatever he was doing and do it anyway.

And then there was the matter of endangering other people ... She was just hoping they wouldn't be endangering anyone else or causing too much damage. Though, in this place, hope seemed like such a silly thing to have. ]

I ... don't think there's any stopping him, Armin. If he's got his mind made up, he's going to go through with it no matter what we tell him. He's a stubborn idiot like that.

[ If he survives this, we are so going to have words with him. ]

It goes away...

[ more under his breath, more to himself than to reassure Kohaku; not that he'd exerted himself much in the past few days, but so far the act of standing is the only thing to really get the spots dancing in front of his eyes. ]

[ he knew long before the words left her mouth that it was hopeless. that even if he were perfectly healthy, trying to get Rin to back down from a challenge would be harder than tearing the moon out of the sky. ]

... He is.

[ and after a moment—he doesn't pull away so much as gently detach himself from her before moving for the door. it isn't quite ambling, but it's slow, outwardly calm, in no rush to escape her. all he wants is a look outside. ]

[ Regardless of whether it goes away or not, Kohaku is pretty concerned. As he starts to move toward the door, she doesn't quickly go after him. Instead, she watches him for a few moments before following behind him.

She's got the idea that he isn't trying to escape her, or the house, so she feels pretty safe in letting him do what he wants there ... but her concern for him and his condition is definitely going to make it so she keeps an eye on him anyway. ]

He's our stubborn idiot, though. If he were acting any different I'd be concerned.

[ Rin is important to a lot of people, even if the dolt didn't seem to realize that sometimes. ]

[ once he's outside, he's quickly scanning the horizon out toward the mill; a logical first place to start if Bertholt has decided to recluse himself, and sure enough, there is a definite column of telltale steam drifting on the wind. whatever's happening, the colossal titan isn't at full height (or he can only hope and dream, the situation has already diffused and he's abandoned the form) but the smoke and thunder didn't lie, and neither did Rin. he'd awoken something. ]

It isn't as if I don't trust him to come back alive.

[ tentative as that trust is, weighted with bias and bitter memories. ]

I just wish he would trust me when I say this isn't something he should ever provoke...

[ Rin may be just as bullheaded as Eren, but the degree to which they take his word seems infinitely divided at times. it's the difference between a fast friend and a childhood one. he knows for all their similarities, they're entirely different people, ones that should never be held up to the standards of the other, but the revelations of the past week and frustration to boot make it an easy thought to harbor. ]

Mm ...

[ She sighs, standing, leaning against the doorway and watching Armin closely. Kohaku could definitely identify a little with what Armin was saying about Rin ... she'd definitely had her moments where she wished the same thing. Still, Rin was Rin, and when he had his mind set on something, there was rarely anyone who could stop him. Even Yukio was powerless sometimes. ]

We'll have to yell at him later, when he returns. For doing something stupid and worrying us like this.

[ not taking his eyes off the steam curling into the sky, Armin nods absentmindedly. it does seem to be dissipating, should it not be his imagination suggesting such; at the very least, it had been a brief encounter. whether or not it was brief on the merits of Rin actually managing to scale a sixty meter beast and slice open its neck, or if the latter had smashed the former underfoot in a single step, remains to be seen. ]

[ they're good friends, Bertholt is nothing like Eren in terms of control... it's all he has to keep telling himself. ]

For all the good it will do.

[ with a bit more conviction, he nods again, making his way back up toward the door and slipping past her, back inside. probably to go back to curling up on the couch. ]

[ She watches him, then follows him back in and closes the door behind them. If he's going to lay back down again, then that's probably for the better. He's still recovering and all. ]

Want me to get you some water?

[ It's been boiled and it's safe to drink, we swear. Rin makes sure to boil it. ]

[ he doesn't lie down, but he at least sits on the sofa and draws his knees to his chest, settling in close to the armrest. it's always been much more of a comfort, making himself small as opposed to sprawling out over any given space. ]

[ before Armin can put his head down, he nods in response to her offer. her spell from before had stopped his bleeding nose and quieted his little aches and pains, but it could do little to ease the tightness in his throat born of all the worry. a drink would probably be most appreciated. ]

[While Kohaku is absent from the living room, a knock comes at the door.

Well not so much a knock as a thudding. A foot being used in lieu of a hand against it.

Why?

Because Rin currently has several feet of unconscious sweaty no-longer-a-titan Bert in his arms and he's trying to not drop him.

After the "knocking", his voice will call out.]

Guys? Look, I know you're probably pretty pissed at me but I really don't wanna stand out here holdin' Bert all night. Please open the door.

[ You're lucky your girlfriend's nice, Rin. Mostly nice, anyway. Aside from the occasional trolling. She retrieves the water and wanders over to give the bottle to Armin before moving to the door and opening it for Rin and Bert.

Yeah, she doesn't look happy. She doesn't need to point out to him that he's in trouble, though, since he seems to already know that.

She'll be nice and wait until he's let go of Bert before she starts scolding him for his recklessness, though. ]

[ you're equally lucky your friend doesn't have a temper on him, Rin. taking the water bottle with a word of thanks, his eyes fix themselves sharply on the door as someone's foot thuds against it. ]

[ he doesn't stand to greet the demon boy as Kohaku lets him in, more to avoid losing his balance and causing a scene atop a scene than anything, but distance and the unconscious titan shifter are hardly enough to stop an affronted stare across the room. ]

What the hell did you do?

[Wow.

He was expecting this, sure, but it's different to actually be confronted with it. He makes a face back at both of them, though his expression is far more dogged and wary. Already chastised, he's not about to stack his own irritation on top of things either.

He shuffled in carefully, making sure to not knock Bert's poor head around any more than he already has, moving him to a safe corner in the living room where he sets him down carefully with a visual once over to ensure that he hadn't done irreparable damage to the titan.]

Y'mean before or after he got all giant on me? 'cause after was when I had to drag him outta there and knock his ass out so he'd stop strugglin'.

[He raises then with a tired sigh, trying to dust off his pants. It does little - he's filthy and bruised and it's going to take a full bath and a cleaner set of clothes to do anything worthwhile to the mess he is.]

... I wasn't gonna leave him there. Reiner would never forgive me if I didn't take care of him.

You realize how worried we were, right?!

[ Kohaku could understand wanting to take care of someone, but there were clearly better ways to go about doing it. ]

You could have gotten yourself killed! You could have gotten others hurt or killed, too! I can't even begin to-- Here, let me heal you.

[ She moves closer to him and takes his hands in hers, holding onto them just a bit too tightly as she murmurs the incantation for her heal arte. ]

I think I can picture what happened after better than most, Rin, what I can't fathom is anything leading up to that. Take care of him?

[ it's out before he can stop it. did he mean tend to him or put him down? it could really go either way at this point. ]

I told you what he was capable of, you know how... emotionally unstable he's been, and you still pushed him all the way to that?

[ this is the first time Bertholdt has shifted since his arrival here, and though he very likely knew next to nothing of the man's true persona, surely he wouldn't transform at the drop of a hat. there had to have been warning signs. his feet slip off the sofa and brace against the floor, though he still isn't electing to stand. Kohaku is too busy fussing with Rin to warrant his approach. ]

[Rin has perfected the art of the kicked puppy look, and he's wearing it fairly well right now. Any twitch of his lips that could turn in to a scowl fades within seconds, the chastised look remains complete with ears and tail drooping low.

He doesn't respond to Kohaku since she takes up his hands and begins healing his bruises without letting him get a word in anyway. It's only when Armin starts in on him that he even begins to muster some sort of conjecture to all of it.]

He's a friend, Armin. Reiner was, too. I didn't leave you when you needed me and I wasn't gonna leave him. He needs friends, not... lockin' himself away in that damn mill with no one around. That's a damn good way to lose your fuckin' mind, would you rather have that runnin' around?!

[He doesn't mean to raise his voice, and the second it comes out he visibly winces at his own tone, drawing his hands away from Kohaku, rubbing them together.]

I didn't want to push him, but when I tried to tell him that everythin' went sideways and I couldn't talk him down over the phone. I had to go out there and tell him I wasn't leavin' until he came with me...

[ She stays quiet and listens to the two of them. While she understood the gravity of the situation, she was beginning to understand a little more why Rin rushed into things the way he did. Still, she wished he could have found a safer way to help Bertholdt ...

Once Rin releases her, she turns her focus over to Bertholdt. She moves over toward the unconscious man and kneels beside him, checking him over for injuries before focusing and performing one more heal arte on him.

She remained otherwise quiet. Armin and Rin needed to talk more right now anyway. ]

Edited 2014-07-10 06:47 (UTC)

You couldn't leave me because I needed to be away from that place just as much as I needed you, Rin, it wasn't a leap that was ever under question. People grieve differently—some need distance, some need... familiarity.

[ compared to the other's rising tone, Armin's own stays level, though undeniably firm. but it does have him finally attempting to stand, steadying himself on the armrest as the room predictably bucks and smears like an undried canvas. it warrants a hunch forward and a soft curse beneath his breath, but that aside, he manages to mostly save face (if only by the fact he doesn't budge an inch until his vision stops sluicing.) ]

If you tear a child from its mother's breast, of course it will scream and fuss. You know it can't remain there forever, but that doesn't mean it doesn't need its time somewhere safe and comfortable, nor does it mean it has to be alone, you could've— Talked with him, stayed with him, encouraged him outside of his own volition, not... issued an ultimatum.

[ the argument peters out on a weak note as the little blond presses fingers to the bridge of his nose. it isn't bleeding, but his pulse is certainly thumping through his sinuses. Rin could've done a lot of things, but the situation had long since passed. beating someone already so precarious over the head with could'ves and should'ves wouldn't do him any more good in the moment. ]

I tried. I--

[Damn. Damn damn damn. He doesn't want this argument to be another reason for that blasted illness to rear its ugly head against Armin and cause him to begin bleeding again. He hates seeing him in such a state, constantly just a gentle push towards falling victim to it and the horrid symptoms that came with it.

There's a huff through clenched teeth and flared nose, hand diving in to his pocket. Phone out, thumb scrolling, then Armin's hand grabbed with the phone placed in it.

It was better than shoving the phone in his face, after all.]

I tried to talk to him, because he came to me first.

[And then, to Kohaku:]

You're not gonna wear yourself out, are you?

I'm not the one who was out fighting. Don't worry about me.

[ It sounds a little snappier than she intended it to be. She does look a little tired after using that heal arte so often in a short period of time, but it's nothing she can't handle. She makes her way over to Rin's side again and shifts her weight to one leg, crossing her arms over her chest. She's just going to let these two have it out ... and maybe give Rin a kick for being so reckless later anyway. ]

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