Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]
Destine Enormity
People who need to post today (9/2):
No One!
Photobucket
Escapism; Ricardo, Anya and open~!
Topic Started: Sep 21 2011, 10:02 PM (1,273 Views)
Riyna
Member Avatar
DERP.
[ *  *  *  *  * ]
CRACK.

Aryil couldn't muster a sigh of relief as the group of girls finally shuffled off, body hurting all over. Broken ribs, a broken nose, red flooding her vision--there were probably other damages too though she was in too much pain to catalogue it all. She twitched as their footsteps faded away, sucking in a few deep breaths and forcing herself into a sitting position. "A-ah..." she hissed with a grimace, readjusting her nose to let it heal properly, remaining in that sitting position to give herself time to recuperate.

How had this happened? All she had wanted to do was head out to Thea's Plaza, maybe buy herself a cute cellphone strap, mail that letter to her grandfather--but instead she got ambushed before she could even leave the dorms. Now she was hurting all over and probably needed yet another new uniform...

Gritting her teeth, the blonde pushed herself up to her feet, quickly giving herself a once-over. The pain was already starting to dull down and--ugh, she had blood all over her face now! Her hair was ruined too, though the uniform itself didn't seem damaged--if anything, it probably just need a good wash. Aryil sighed in relief at that tiny good thing, smoothing her outfit out--and her breath caught in her throat as she heard footsteps coming her way.

No no no, they were gonna find her again and go after her and hurt her and--

Aryil summoned what courage she had and ran blindly, turning into the first open room she could find and hastily shutting the door out of habit. With a tiny whimper, she slumped against the door, hugging her knees to her--and then realized she was in unfamiliar territory.

A clean room with a few beds and everything kept all nice and neat and--

The nurse's office?

That would explain it--she'd never needed to go to the nurse's office. And yet here she was.

And there were other people here.

Aryil could feel her face heating up, the small girl mortified, and her eyes welled up with tears. Part of her screamed to just run but the other part of her...

"I-I'm sorry!" she said, voice high and panicky as she looked up at the man who appeared to be the nurse, "B-but...b-but can I-I stay here? J-just for a bit...?"
My characters:
Aryil | Adam | Corinne
Photobucket Photobucket Photobucket
 
xoves
Member Avatar
Newbie Novelist
[ *  *  *  * ]
Ricardo had been pouring himself a refill of kratom tea when the door slammed. While a lesser (or perhaps just less sedated) man would’ve startled, SIN Academy’s resident nurse merely capped his thermos and turned away from the sink.

“Oh.” His brows rose at the sight. Though bloodied, battered students barrelled into his office several times a day, Ricardo didn’t often tend freshmen. Poor girl couldn’t be older than twelve. “You’re in a bad way, little lady.”

He waved off her concerns with a raise of his thermos. Her wounds weren’t quite visible, but the amount of blood on her person suggested she’d just crawled out of a brutal fight. “Look at you. If anything, it’d be wrong of me to let you leave.” He left the thermos on the counter and crouched to gather her in his arms. “Come on, little lady. Up we go.”

Saints and sons, she was light. He could’ve been lifting Temperance.

Calm as anything, Ricardo carried her past a curtain and set her down on a bed sectioned off behind it. The infirmary was divided into two ‘wards’ – one for the ill and one for the injured. Sheets here weren’t all clean – some sixth year had sprung a nosebleed all over the ward – but he’d given his new patient the most presentable bed.

“I’ll fetch you painkillers,” he said, already rooting about the cabinets. Normally he’d first ask what was wrong, but anyone could see she’d been beaten something awful. “Pills, syrup or injection? Up to you, little lady.”
Photobucket Photobucket Photobucket
 
Riyna
Member Avatar
DERP.
[ *  *  *  *  * ]
Aryil was fully prepared to be kicked out, bunching up her skirt in her hands and trembling lightly--so of course Ricardo's answer made her stare a little in disbelief. "I-it--I..." she tried to stammer out, attempting to assure the man that she'd be just fine, it wouldn't be long before she got better, when he scooped her up.

Oh. Well.

The girl tried to speak up again, but all that came out were panicky little squeaks and keening noises, the tiny blonde turning bright red and still flushed even though she'd been placed down on a bed. Fidgeting nervously, the girl attempted to calm herself, taking shaky breaths until her nerves settled a little.

“Pills, syrup or injection? Up to you, little lady.”

Aryil squeaked, looking up at Ricardo cluelessly. "...w-what?" she managed, finally able to speak properly again. A moment later, her eyes lit up with recognition--oh, medicine! Her grandpa had to take medicine sometimes. She shut her eyes for a moment, concentrating for a bit. Her nose was better and the ribs were still working themselves out--bruises were healing up and the nasty gash she'd gotten was starting to heal up too...

"P-pills, right? I-I mean...t-those make the pain stop, right?" Aryil finally answered, still somewhat lost--and then she blushed again, feeling like an idiot. This was something she was supposed to know, right? "I-I just sorta let everything h-heal up on its own..." she mumbled uneasily, gaze sinking toward the floor.

Then finally, hugging her knees again and too nervous to look up: "...um. T-thanks. For letting me stay."
My characters:
Aryil | Adam | Corinne
Photobucket Photobucket Photobucket
 
xoves
Member Avatar
Newbie Novelist
[ *  *  *  * ]
“Pills? All right, then.”

Ricardo retrieved a small chest from the painkiller cabinet and punched in its passkey. Pills, eh…? For her height and weight, one Extra Strength tablet should do. He picked a bottle, unwound the cap with his prosthetic hand and tapped a pill into the opposite palm–

“I just sorta let everything heal up on its own…”

That caught his attention. Brow creased with puzzlement, Ricardo turned back to the mumbling child. He was about to advise her against such bravado when the implications of her claim came together. So, the little lady could regenerate… Ricardo didn’t know whether to be relieved or concerned.

“…Um. Thanks. For letting me stay.”


“Not at all, little lady.” He dropped the pill onto a little saucer, smiling. “This wouldn’t be much of an infirmary if the injured weren’t allowed to come in here and catch their breath.” He pulled a paper cup from a dispenser mounted on the wall, filled it up with tapwater. “Sorry I don’t have anything sweet to wash it down with. Ran out of the little juice boxes yesterday. They seem pretty popular with you first-years.”

Careful not to startle her, Ricardo passed his new patient the saucer and cup. He worried for the girl. Regenerative abilities didn’t lend themselves to combat – hopefully she hadn’t been brutalized in the hall. Too many SIN students believed that beating down kids who couldn’t fight back was impressive.

“You know... When I was your age, people dueled fairly.” Ricardo eased into his wheeled office chair and rolled up to the foot of her bed. She looked so much like Temperance that her injuries roused his paternal instincts quicker than usual. “What’s your name, little lady?”
Photobucket Photobucket Photobucket
 
Riyna
Member Avatar
DERP.
[ *  *  *  *  * ]
Aryil instinctively shut her eyes as she could hear Ricardo milling about, biting back a tiny whimper before taking another shaky breath. He was the nurse! Nurses helped people, they didn't hurt anyone! He'd be a really bad nurse if he hurt people instead. Drilling these thoughts over and over in her head, the tiny blonde uncurled carefully, hugging her sides and keeping her gaze rooted to the floor.

It was okay. She was safe here, right?

The sound of running water was nothing out of the norm, but Ricardo's comment about "you first-years" caught her off-guard. Aryil, against her better judgement, sputtered briefly, face burning up once again in embarrassment. "I-I'm!" she squeaked out before she could stop herself, blushing even harder when she realized what she was doing. "...not...not a first y-year, mister..." she tried again, voice a little softer now. "I'm 14, r-really! I'm just...little..."

Little and small and pathetic and lower than low and bringing down the reputation of the illustrious academy and was never going to amount to anything and was a total crybaby and--

Despite Ricardo's best efforts, Aryil still jumped briefly at realizing there was a saucer and cup in front of her. Nervously she muttered a thank you and took the pill--her face scrunched up for a second, it was bitter--and drank it down with some water--again her expression scrunched up, she could taste blood, ugh, she needed to wash her face off--almost squeaking when Ricardo rolled up to her, mentioning something about people dueling fairly.

Aryil bit her lip. "If they hurt me really badly, t-they won't go doing it to someone else." she answered quietly--it was true, right? At least that's how she'd learned to deal with it. She finally did manage to look up when the man asked for her name though, clearing her throat briefly.

"...I'm Aryil. Aryil Caeren." she fidgeted briefly, but still managed to keep looking at him. "And you...?"

She almost kicked herself. She was supposed to know the names of the various staff, right? Ohhh, what if he got mad? Was she going to get in trouble? Nnn, that wouldn't be good...
My characters:
Aryil | Adam | Corinne
Photobucket Photobucket Photobucket
 
xoves
Member Avatar
Newbie Novelist
[ *  *  *  * ]
Whoops.

Ricardo chuckled, more at his own misstep than her clarification, and took back the empty cup and saucer.

“Sorry about that.” Still facing the girl, he rolled back towards the counter and left the saucer atop it. He disposed of the paper cup with a well-aimed lob at the trash can in the corner. “Shouldn’t have assumed. Hope I didn’t offend you, little lady.”

Her profuse blush suggested otherwise, though, and Ricardo rubbed at his stubbled jaw with his natural hand. How to make her feel comfortable? He liked to think he was good with kids, even the skittish ones like the little lady.

“If they hurt me really badly, they won’t go doing it to someone else.”

Now that jarred him. He didn’t want to put her on the spot by expressing too much concern – after all, he barely knew her – but that mindset never did anyone good. If she thought martyring like this stopped those teenaged brutes from victimizing other kids, she was tragically wrong. Ricardo swallowed a sigh and nodded. Someone ought to keep an eye on the little lady…

“…I’m Aryil. Aryil Caeren.” She seemed to have trouble holding his eyes. “… And you?”

“Ricardo Cordova. Good to meet you, Aryil.”

He made a ‘back in a bit’ gesture and rolled off to find a towel. Better get her cleaned up. “I’m not a fan of formality,” he said, running the little striped cloth under the tap. “You kids can call me whatever suits best.” He boarded the chair and drove it back to Aryil’s side, then handed her the towel with an implicit suggestion to wipe her face. “Hey You, Mr. Cordova, plainly Ricardo. I’m not a professor. I don’t need a title.”

A small silence settled between them. He capitalized on the moment to lock up the painkillers, glancing her way every moment or two. There was something very wrong about her situation. Now that he knew, he couldn’t pretend it didn’t exist.

“My door’s always open if you need a break from all the rough and tumble.” He grabbed his thermos and screwed off the cap, the familiar scent of herb-laced tea greeting his senses. “Sounds like you fight a lot.”
Photobucket Photobucket Photobucket
 
Riyna
Member Avatar
DERP.
[ *  *  *  *  * ]
Aryil shook her head to show she hadn't been offended, fidgeting again. "Most people say that, i-it's okay..." she softly offered by way of explanation. At least he hadn't teased her about it--considering what her peers said behind her back, Ricardo had been perfectly pleasant. She nodded briefly at his name, mumbling a "n-nice to meet you, Mister Ricardo", peeking with curiosity when the man rolled off again.

...hey wait, his arm...

The blonde peered at his prosthetic arm, fascinated--and then blushed again when he swivelled back around, jumping and looking down at the floor again. Bad, she was being so bad! Staring was really rude, she ought to know better than that! She mustered the courage to look back up when he rolled back to her, gratefully taking the towel. "...t-thank you!" It came out more as a squeak, but she'd at least managed a smile, cleaning herself up and shuddering a little. Blood everywhere! She never really got used to it, being bloodied up with no visible wounds...

...at least her uniform hadn't been ruined completely this time. Aryil was starting to think the front office was getting tired of her constantly showing up to order new uniforms.

The blonde paused in her cleaning to glance around--oh, there was a mirror! " 'scuse me, Mister Ricardo, j-just a second..." she said, sliding off the bed and scurrying over to the mirror, standing on her tiptoes--gah, why was she so short?--as she slowly cleaned herself off, making sure to get all the blood off. She frowned briefly at her messy hair, making a tiny noise of unhappiness at the fact blood had gotten onto her hair ribbons, before deciding to let her hair down.

“My door’s always open if you need a break from all the rough and tumble.” There was the sound of something being unscrewed. “Sounds like you fight a lot.”

Aryil could feel a lump in her throat and blinked rapidly--crying was the reason she got picked on! Among other things, anyways. "I...I don't fight back." she confessed, voice quavering a little, before she finally turned around, offering what she hoped was a grateful smile. "B-but! Thank you!" she curtsied--and winced briefly, ow, her ribs still hurt a little--before heading back to the bed, taking a seat again and nervously fiddling with her skirt.

"U-um!" she finally said as she looked over at him, "I'd...I'd feel bad if I-I couldn't help out though. I-I can heal too--o-other people, I mean! I'm not real fast at it yet b-but...maybe I could be an aide or a helper or something...?" It was a weak suggestion and Aryil was fairly certain it wasn't even allowed, but it was worth suggesting, right?
My characters:
Aryil | Adam | Corinne
Photobucket Photobucket Photobucket
 
Garaku
Member Avatar
MADAO
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
Anya's head rang as consciousness slowly reentered her mind. The last thing she remembered was seeing off Angela from the dormitories, and then... the floor.

Assessing the situation, she was now in a bed, probably in the nurse's office. The wet clothes which she had been wandering around with earlier, were now replaced with some sort of loose-fitting gown.

Achu!

She sniffled as a sneeze uncouthly escaped from her nose, confirming her suspicions that she had indeed caught a cold as a result of her careless behaviour, as well as the most likely explanation for her now in-bed condition.

She would certainly have to thank whoever it was that carried her off the floor later.

Voices could be heard from behind the drawn curtains, and Anya forced herself up, abandoning the warm comfort of the bed. Her hair fell above her eyes, and the redhead quickly panicked as she realized her scrunchie had been removed as well.

Her panic quickly calmed however as she looked to the nightstand to her right. There her scrunchie and scabbard were placed in a neat orderly fashion, although there was still no sign of her uniform.

Tying her hair back into her trademark ponytail, she grabbed her weapon and pushed past the veil of curtains.

On the other side, her green eyes spotted an older gentleman making conversation with a younger student, notably covered in blood.

"P-pardon me," Anya stammered, surprised by the crack in her own voice. "Forgive my intrusion, but would any of you have seen my uniform by chance?"
Photobucket Photobucket Photobucket
 
xoves
Member Avatar
Newbie Novelist
[ *  *  *  * ]
“I don’t fight back.”

Ricardo suspected as much. It was a shame, really, that Aryil felt this was the right thing to do. He held his paternal sensibilities in check and acknowledged her curtsey with a raise of his thermos.

“Um! I’d feel bad if I couldn’t help out, though.” He would’ve told her she didn’t owe him anything, but it felt rude to interrupt. “I can heal too – other people, I mean! I’m not real fast at it yet, but… maybe I could be an aide or a helper or something…?”

That wasn’t a bad idea. He could use her help, and the little lady might not have to brave her tormentors as often. All the same, Ricardo feigned deliberation – Aryil’s self-esteem wouldn’t appreciate his intention to keep her out of the halls.

A suspenseful silence, then:

“I like the sound of that.”

He sampled his drink and smiled against the lip of his thermos. “It can get chaotic around here, ‘specially on the weekends. I could use a pair of healing hands.” He motioned for her to leave the soiled rag in a hamper beneath the sink. “Is it just me, or do you kids like spending your days off scrapping better than getting some shut-eye?”

Before he could take in Aryil’s response, a rustling from behind drew his attention. Ricardo made a 180 in his swiveling chair and raised acknowledging brows at the girl.

“Glad to see you awake, Anya. No, I’m not psychic; the kid who brought you in gave me your name and student number.”

He swept an appraising eye over her. The pink along her cheeks and the gleaming sweat at her brow suggested she’d come down with a temperature. Considering the state she’d arrived in, Anya didn’t likely have more than a cold, but Ricardo wouldn’t let her leave without basic treatment.

“Your uniform’s been taken down for cleaning by the janitorial staff. The medical gown’s scratchy, I know, but you’re better off in this than that soggy mess.” He waved her back behind the curtain. “Get in bed, now. I’ll need to take your temperature.”

As for Aryil… well, he might as well give her a head start on the assistant gig.

“See those drawers?” He nodded at a series of handled compartments beneath the counter he’d put the saucer on. “Third from the left you’ll find a thermometer. If you wouldn’t mind fetching it, Aryil, I’d be grateful.”
Photobucket Photobucket Photobucket
 
Riyna
Member Avatar
DERP.
[ *  *  *  *  * ]
Aryil felt like her stomach was twisting in knots at his silence. He was going to say no, she just knew it, of course he'd say no because she was tiny and clumsy and weak and wasn't good at anything and was scared of her own shadow and--

“I like the sound of that.”

What? ...oh. Oh!

"Really?!" To say that Aryil was happy was an understatement. Her expression was surprised for a moment--before she broke into a wide grin...and then she blushed again, letting out a tiny squeak. Oh, she was a total doofus for getting all excited like that! It was pathetic, he was probably going to make fun of her--still, those thoughts got cast aside when Ricardo spoke up again. She listened intently, flinching briefly at his mention that students spent more time getting into fights then catching up on sleep, but before she could make a comment, someone else spoke up.

Aryil jumped, nearly falling off the bed. Gripping the sides of the bed for dear life, the girl could only flush in shame and hope to god that no one had seen that. She was pretty sure even her ears had turned a vivid shade of scarlet and she scrunched her eyes shut, expecting someone to burst out laughing. When it didn't happen, Aryil relaxed slightly, taking in deep breaths again.

She really needed to work on her nervousness.

Timidly, she looked up when Ricardo addressed her, braving her shyness and nodding. "...right!" she squeaked out, skittering over to said drawers (but not before tossing the towel out.) She counted the drawers briefly under her breath to make sure she'd find the right one, carefully pulling it open...

...and staring at its contents cluelessly.

Oh.

Um.

She'd never really...been to the doctor outside physicals and even then, never had issues--she always had perfect health, after all. The blonde hesitated, not really sure whether to admit she wasn't quite sure what Ricardo was talking about--and then her eyes lit up. Oh! He had one of those...thingies the doctor would put in your ear...

...she'd never really asked what it was, come to think of it...

But it had to be important! At least she hoped so. Trusting her gut, Aryil grabbed it and hurried back over. "H-here you go!"
My characters:
Aryil | Adam | Corinne
Photobucket Photobucket Photobucket
 
Garaku
Member Avatar
MADAO
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
Anya hesitantly nodded as she turned back to her bed.

She would actually rather be out and about, resuming her patrol, than remain incapacitated within the confines of the ward. But the profesional-display of the older gentleman had caught her off guard, and by natural habit she found herself complying as if she was on another job.

"Take her temperature..." Was this man perhaps the nurse?

Upon further reflection, it was unusual for the redhead to actually be in the nurse's office as opposed to sending others into it. Although she had been sent here a few several times in the past, as a result of her compulsive-working nature she had never actually stayed long enough to be acquanted with any of the medical staff.

Sitting herself on the bed, Anya's head throbbed as she shifted impatiently. The moment the nurse was finished with her temperature, she intended to resume work as soon as possible.
Photobucket Photobucket Photobucket
 
xoves
Member Avatar
Newbie Novelist
[ *  *  *  * ]
Satisfied with Anya’s compliance, Ricardo turned his attention to Aryil just as she came bounding back. Goodness, she was flushed – if he didn’t know any better, he’d have thought Aryil feverish too.

“Thank you.” He relieved her of the thermometer and smiled as if to say, ‘good job’. Wouldn’t help to patronize her by verbally expressing his sentiments. “Mind leaving my thermos on the counter? The cabinet above the saucer I put your pill on should house a box labelled ‘Cold & Flu’. I’d like you to hand me that once I’m finished taking Anya’s temperature…”

Realizing what he’d just requested, Ricardo trailed off. That cabinet was much too high for her. Aryil seemed so eager to please, though, that taking back the request felt like a low blow.

“You can stand on that.” He nodded towards a stumpy, three-legged footstool by one of the beds. “Please and thank you, Aryil.”

With that, he dismounted the chair and followed after Anya.

Her discomfort wasn’t lost on Ricardo. He knew a reluctant patient when he saw one, and Miss Anya here was a textbook example.

“Aha. The guy who brought you in said you might be antsy.” He kept his tone conversational, raising the thermometer by way of indication. “I know you kids have a lot on your plates, but you shouldn’t rush your recovery. You can aggravate the mildest cold with added stress.”

A push of a button made the thermometer beep. He waited until the LED flashed ‘OK’ before gesturing for Anya to tip her head to the side.

“This is going in your ear.”
Photobucket Photobucket Photobucket
 
Garaku
Member Avatar
MADAO
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
The redhead nodded, turning her head and pulling her hair to the side so that her ear was accessible to the nurse.

What was she doing?

She was of no use to anyone here. This fact chipped away repeatedly at the insides of her stomach like a sharp knife.

Still, the man was taking the time and effort to tend to her condition, and for that she was obligated to show him her gratitude.

"Thank you... for taking care of me," Anya said, her body feeling slightly warmer than usual.
Photobucket Photobucket Photobucket
 
Riyna
Member Avatar
DERP.
[ *  *  *  *  * ]
Aryil's shoulders slumped in immense relief, pleased she'd managed to get something right. It was a wonderful thing, feeling useful! Although now that she'd thought about it, she hadn't really said hello to the other girl in the room--she wanted to, but there wasn't a chance to! Inwardly, she felt a little guilty--had she woken the other girl up? Ohh, that wouldn't do...

Still, she perked up when Ricardo addressed her again, nodding and glancing over to the counter and the cabinet when the man mentioned it. Her smile faded a little at the same moment Ricardo trailed off, both of them realizing the same thing. Oh, um, maybe she could climb up on the counter or--

“You can stand on that.” Oh, there was a footstool! “Please and thank you, Aryil.”

Aryil nodded, wordlessly hurrying off and taking the thermos with her, carefully leaving it on the counter--but not too close to the edge, that would be bad!--before scooting the footstool toward the cabinet. The girl stepped on, reached up...

...nnn, just a little closer...

Aha! Getting on her tiptoes did the trick!

Proud of herself for being able to reach it--she was so used to asking Laura to get things for her--she took the box and headed back over to Ricardo and Anya. She waited for him to finish up before handing him the box, gazing over at Anya curiously. She seemed a little nervous...
My characters:
Aryil | Adam | Corinne
Photobucket Photobucket Photobucket
 
xoves
Member Avatar
Newbie Novelist
[ *  *  *  * ]
Ricardo withdrew the thermometer from her ear when it beeped and consulted the screen. 103 degrees. Definitely feverish, though not enough to warrant any excessive concern.

"No problem, Anya." He tapped the plastic shield from the earpiece and tossed it into the trash. "You're feverish, but give yourself a few days to recover and you'll be back on the beat like nothing ever happened."

Anticipating her disappointment, he made a 'hold up' gesture with one hand and turned to Aryil.

"Thanks kindly."

He set the chest on the nightstand and retrieved the ususal bottles: Ibuprofen for her fever, cough syrup for that gummy throat.

"These won't taste too nice," Ricardo said, tapping a purple pill into his natural palm. "I did have juice boxes, but the first-years keep depleting my stock." A small smile. "If you don't mind me asking, Ms. Mori, what got you so wet anyway?"

He handed the pill to Anya before glancing in Aryil's direction. "Could you catch a Anya here a cup of water? Same dispenser as the one I used for you earlier."
Photobucket Photobucket Photobucket
 
Go to Next Page
« Previous Topic · Dorms · Next Topic »
Photobucket

Destine Enormity