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Post by Dusty Ghrian on Jun 23, 2016 12:14:51 GMT -6
November 10th
"Owww..."
Dusty groaned as he adjusted himself in the infirmary bed, his face twisted in a grimace. The nurse had told him that he had taken a pretty bad beating in Rift, most of which was blunt force trauma. Two broken ribs, a whole slew of bruises, and a large, jagged piece of wood sticking out of his leg, now removed and the ragged hole left behind bandaged tightly. It seemed like every part of his body was a throbbing, aching mess. This was the worst shape he'd ever been in in his life and, normally, it wouldn't be much of a problem. He would have used his aura to heal himself and gone about his life. Vytal Academy, however, had decided differently.
Dusty had been given an ultimatum: take a month of detention and natural healing for his injuries or heal his own injuries and spend the whole year in detention. While neither offer seemed particularly tantalizing, he had been informed that he should consider himself lucky to have not been expelled for lying to the school and involving himself in a non-Grimm fighting conflict. Dusty, of course, had accepted the first offer without hesistation, though he was now beginning to wonder if detention all year was preferable to lying in a bed with bruises and tightly wrapped, itchy bandages on his chest and leg. In the end, though, both options were better than having her find out...
If Mizumi finds out about this, this will be nothing compared to what she will do... Dusty thought as he scratched the bandage on his chest. He took a deep, painful breath, exhaling slowly to spare his sore chest. So long as Mizumi remained in the dark, everything would be absolutely peachy.
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Post by Mizumi Tai on Jun 23, 2016 12:36:16 GMT -6
"Dustyyyy!" Mizumi's loud voice came thundering into the infirmary, filled with both concern and anger with the giant woman following shortly after. She ducked through the door, the ocean blue rifle Blowback on her hip as she all but charged over to her teammate. Looking him over, her face floated between concerned, angry, and upset. She leaned down and crushed the boy, who was almost a foot shorter than her, in an almost deadly hug as she spoke in a voice almost completely filled with worry. "Oh I'm so glad you're safe! They told me you had fought in the siege of Rift, and I was worried you'd been severely hurt, or worse!" She released Dusty from the hug and immediately punched him in the shoulder. The punch didn't contain her full strength, as in his condition that might well have broken his arm, but it was still a hefty punch to add to the list of bruises. Her voice shifted to one filled with anger, and a tinge of worry, as she all but yelled at him. "What were you thinking? You could've gotten yourself killed! And worst of all you didn't decide I needed to know what you were up to until you ended up in the infirmary!" Mizumi sighed, sitting down in a nearby chair that was frankly too small for her. Looking at her teammate again, he looked to be in pretty bad shape. Bruises coated his body and there was a bloody bandage around his leg, and worst of all the staff said he wasn't allowed to heal himself, and she wasn't allowed to heal him. "If there's anything I can get you, just say the word." An accusing finger raised and pointed at her injured teammate, a sour look on her face as she did. "As soon as you get better we're gonna spar and I'm going to renew all those bruises." The threat, while friendly in nature, was still real. Sparring with Mizumi was truly a threat, as her massive war hammer and strength could very easily bruise even through aura.
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Post by Dusty Ghrian on Jun 23, 2016 20:37:40 GMT -6
Dusty's ears twitched when he heard his name being called, his skin paling since he knew the source of the voice. He slowly looked up from his bandaged chest to the door, half expecting Mizumi to break it right off of its hinges as she entered the room. She, thankfully, didn't, but his relief at that was quickly squashed by the giant girl's hug. Her worry wasn't helping her holding back in her enormous strength and the smaller boy felt his chest screaming in protest. "Crushing...me...Mizu..." he sputtered weakly. He sucked in a deep breath when Mizumi finally released him and massaged his chest, only for his hand to move to the spot where she punched. He grimaced again as he rubbed the new bruise. "Yes, I am pretty hurt and you didn't help that much with your death squeeze," he replied, shooting her a glare that quickly gave way to a smile, "But, I'm still breathing. That's what really matters, right?"
Dusty shrugged in response, taking a moment to adjust his glasses as he did. "I was thinking that it would not have been that one sided." he admitted, rubbing the back of his head with a nervous (and painful) laugh. "I didn't want to let you know because one, you would have tried to stop me, and two, I couldn't have my favorite girl following after me and getting herself hurt, could I? Should of seen me out there, though. Dodging rockets and bullets and smashing robots left and right with my shadow giant. It was pretty awesome, up until a Legion soldier smashed my face into the ground and caused all of this." He pointed up and down his body at the various bruises and the bandage across his chest. He stopped at the bandage around his leg and continued. "She didn't cause that, though. An explosion blew a chunk of wood into my leg and I didn't notice until it was all over."
"Not punching me or smothering me with your chest again would be nice," Dusty replied, his hand back on the new bruise for a moment. He gave a joking shrug to the next statement, exaggerating the movement and grinning. "You can try, girly. You'd have to catch me first," he said cheekily. His eyes turned black for a moment and a hand rose up out of Mizumi's shadow, moving its fingers quickly along her back like a spider. His eyes shifted back to blue soon after as the simple use of his semblance had drained a lot of what little energy he had in him. He groaned and leaned back against his pillows. "If your offer still stands, a glass of water would be great right about now."
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Post by Mizumi Tai on Jun 23, 2016 22:46:55 GMT -6
Mizumi shuddered as the shadowy hand crawled up her spine. She hated that, the chill that came with it and that awful tingling sensation of something brushing against you. She pouted a little at Dusty once it dissipated, lifting Blowback off her hip and swinging it around. The rifle shifted, the body opening and elongating while the barrel widened and thickened. Soon she was holding the massive war hammer she was so known for, the one that was as tall as-sometimes taller-than some of the students at the academy. "You really think I can't? Plus I could just bop you on the head with this here and now, you deserve it for worrying me so much." Hefting the hammer as though she was going to swing it, instead she simply swung it back down into rifle form, slipped it back onto her belt, and got up. She walked over to a nearby pitcher of water and bent down to serve Dusty a glass. Once she did she made her way back to his bedside and handed him the now full glass. "Here you are, you big doofus." A soft smile lit her face, she wasn't really an angry person. Just really big, really strong, and really, really, worried. Sitting back down in the chair a little too small for her, she put her chin in her hands and leaned forward. Her smile turned curious upon her sharp features, her purple eyes becoming filled with inquisition. It was clear she wanted to know something, and what it was become clear with her next, inquisitive words. "So, what was it like? Being out in the field like that, fighting something other than Grimm in a real fight?" Mizumi's face lost a little of its want for knowledge, being replaced instead by a light blush upon her cheeks. "You're still an idiot for going, and I'm still upset at you. But, you know, since you were there. I want to hear the story." The last sentence was pretty much whispered. Mizumi turned away while she said it and spoke in a quiet voice, though not so quiet Dusty couldn't hear. It was clear that while she certainly wanted to know, she didn't want it to seem like that want justified his actions. That was because in her eyes, it didn't, just because she wanted to know more didn't mean it was the right thing to do.
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Post by Dusty Ghrian on Jun 24, 2016 7:19:31 GMT -6
Dusty simply smiled despite the threat of being hit with Blowback. He knew she wouldn't actually hit him, but he was genuinely touched that she cared so much."You' re too sweet, Mizumi," he said, reaching over to pat her leg. "It's nice to know that no matter what dumb things I do, I've always got someone who worries about me. I couldn't ask for a better partner than you, Mizu." The smaller boy leaned back against his pillows again, closing his eyes until Mizumi came back with a glass of water. He drank a few gulps from it, just enough so he didn't make himself sick, then put it on the table beside him. He adjusted his injured leg on the pile of pillows it was elevated on Bedford looking back at Mizumi.
Dusty blew out a puff of air from his mouth as he rolled his eyes towards the bigger girl. "Pffft, don't give me that. You and I both know how much you would have loved to get out there and fight," he said, crossing his arms over his chest and grinning slyly at Mizumi. "So, you want to hear about my heroic exploits, do you? I'll let you know now, fighting people and robots is completely different than fighting Grimm, mostly because Grimm don't shoot rockets at you or having a strategy. Though, Legion did seem to want to use a horde sort of tactic. There were tons of soldiers, especially at the beginning. I managed to bring down one of those big Guardians by shooting it in the leg and messing up its walking abilities. I then took out, like, seven or eight robot soldiers with a electrical water wave. They didn't even stand a chance!" Dusty continued to recount what had happened, citing the moment he thought the wood had punctured his leg and exaggerating how many soldiers he beat down with his shadow giant. He paused for a moment when he reached the part about Colquel, then continued, though not as excitedly.
"Then a woman snuck up behind me and knocked me flat. Poof, no more giant. I tried to get away, but she used some kind of sonic weapon and gave me most of my injuries. We talked for a bit, killing kids wasn't her 'thing,' she said, and I called her pretty just to get a rise of her. Get myself the last laugh, in some way," Dusty chuckled, though his smile went from one of amusement to one of quiet happiness. "After that, she picked me back up and told me to get home and cherish what I have and stuff like that. He paused again and looked up at Mizumi. "And right now, that's you and Vytal and all our friends here. I'm sorry for running off without telling you. Next time, I'll be sure to let you know." He extended his left arm out to her in a fist.
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Post by Mizumi Tai on Jun 27, 2016 2:14:10 GMT -6
Mizumi stared, enraptured as Dusty told his story of the events that went on in the siege. It was true, she would've loved being there, but she had been busy training in an attempt to improve her agility and aura, though hadn't exactly gotten very far. When her teammate started describing his encounter with the Legion huntress, her face turned to another of worry, though it turned into a smirking giggle at the fact he insisted on getting the last laugh. When he raised his fist, Mizumi lifted her right arm and responded to the expected fist bump, once again not putting all her strength into it. In fact, she actively tried to hold back the force of it, though the impact was still something that couldn't be missed. Shrugging she spoke in a slightly embarrassed voice. "I suppose, it would've been nice to be there. But that's mostly so I could've had your back." Her look turning to a slightly playful glare, she gestured angrily at Dusty. "Don't you dare go dying on me. You know that I work best in a team, and you know that had I been there we would've been more than the sum of our parts." Mizumi was, of course, referring to her semblance. The ability to share power between two people in such a way truly made the duo a terrifying force, though it also made them easier to take down because of the connection.
Mizumi stood, the chair she rose from giving a painful creek as it readjusted to the sudden change. Walking over to Dusty, she put a hand lightly upon his shoulder, a concerned and slightly sad look upon her face. "You know, if you really wanted, I could heal you. It wouldn't have to be much, I know I'm supposed to just let you heal naturally, but I could just heal you a little bit. Make this a little less painful." It was an honest offer, filled with sincerity, concern, and a want to help. Truth be told, if she were the one to heal him the punishment would fall most prominently on her, something she was more than happy to take to help her teammate and friend. "You were brave to help Rift in the siege. Stupid, but brave. Truth be told, I am a little glad I didn't go. Legion has access to such advanced tech, if they wanted to they could probably shut down, well, this." Mizumi rubbed her hand along the back of her neck, her hand passing over the yellow bulb of C.I.R.S.I. The AI was silent at the moment, preferring to only speak when she was needed, though her presence was needed to allow the giantess to simply move. It was a fact that Mizumi kept pretty close, lest someone use it against her, but she had trusted Dusty enough to tell him about it a few months back.
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Post by Dusty Ghrian on Jun 27, 2016 20:34:51 GMT -6
Dusty nodded in agreement as he took another sip of water. Looking back, he really did regret not having Mizumi, or even just someone to work with, with him. Mizumi would have definitely been the best, though. His shadow giant drained a ton of energy from him, likely the reason he was so tired right now. He smiled when his partner bumped his fist, though he let out a small grunt of pain when the impact from her fist jarred his arm a little. "Trust me, girly, I'm wishing you'd been there more and more," he admitted. "Would of been nice to have you and your hammer standing guard while I stomped Legion's forces to pieces. Plus, with your semblance, we could have shared the load for the giant. I had drained a lot of energy earlier when I walled off the streets. After it was all over, a stiff breeze could have knocked me out."
Dusty waved his hand dismissively at Mizumi. "Nah, don't worry about it. I broke the rules, so I have to answer to the punishment. I don't want to drag you into this, as well. He patted her hand before gently taking it off of his shoulder. He didn't want her to heal him even though he had said no. Knowing her, she'd own up to it if anyone ended up healing him, just to keep the blame off of Dusty. "You're too big of a sweetheart, Mizu. Don't worry about healing me at all. The nurse won't let me leave the bed, so if you could just keep me stocked up on water, that'd be just grand." He smiled again, giving another dismissive wave at her next statement. "Ah, you're making me blush with all this heroics recounting," he said jokingly, striking the most heroic pose he could make in his injured state. He relaxed again and nodded solemnly. "That's true. I'm no tech nerd and I'm no where near strong enough to lift you. It would have been really dangerous for C.I.R.S.I. to shut down, especially inside the walls I made."
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Post by Mizumi Tai on Jun 30, 2016 17:04:19 GMT -6
Mizumi sighed, instinctively rubbing the yellow bulb on her neck again. "Yeah, that's an understatement." Mizumi muttered, her eyes looking down in both sadness and mild disappointment. She'd always hated how useless she was without a computer attached to her spine. She'd lived, and adapted, but it was never a happy life until she started moving. Now that she'd started moving, fighting, and training, well she couldn't imagine going back to the life of lying in a bed or chair and having everything done for her because she couldn't do it herself. She smiled lightly, attempting to lighten the mood with a light smile and some strange humor. "You should've seen some of the professors, I got so chewed out for not stopping you from going. The only reason I didn't end up getting any punishment for it is because of how bad I am at lying, so they knew I was telling the truth when I told them you hadn't told me. Of course, then Professor Rose yelled at me for having a partner who didn't win, told me I needed to train you more." Mizumi giggled, finding the confrontation with the scorpion teacher not nearly as scary as most other students. But the teachers were really angry with Dusty from what she could tell, he was lucky he had gotten the deal to not get detention for the rest of the year. "So you better be scared, I made a promise I won't go easy on you in training as soon as you get out of here. I don't plan to let you lose another fight, so we're going to make sure our skills are much better." Mizumi's smile turned slightly devious, before she devolved into another fit of giggling. Sure she would keep her promise, but at the same time she never went easy on Dusty. Now she was looking forward to their next sparring match with even more anticipation, she wanted to see what he had learned in the siege. Then maybe after she could...no, that would be dumb.
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Post by Dusty Ghrian on Jul 5, 2016 13:41:25 GMT -6
Dusty studied the yellow bulb as Mizumi rubbed it, his eyebrows scrunching together in thought. After a few moments, he looked back at Mizumi's face and his expression softened into a smile. "Don't worry, Mizu. Everything will be alright. Someone could figure out how to really fix your spine or make C.I.R.S.I. completely unbreakable and unhackable. And you can bet I'll always be looking for that person," he said, his blue eyes shining brightly with determination. "You and me, Mizumi: we're going to be the greatest Hunters ever and nothing will stop us. That's the promise we made when we were freshman and it'll stand for the rest of our lives!" His smile broadened a bit and he nearly went to raise his hand for another fist bump, even though he knew it would jar his shoulder again.
Dusty rolled his eyes in mock annoyance. Only Professor Rose would say that. He figured as soon he was well enough, the scorpion teacher would sting him as punishment for failure. "She didn't see how many soldiers Legion actually had," the smaller boy protested, crossing his arms. "I doubt she'll even care that I was totally the MVP for Rift. I bet they'll change their tune when they find out how well I actually did against Legion's military might. Not a whole lot of students here can claim the same." Dusty wore a confident smile on his face, but he didn't really believe what he had said. The teachers here probably wouldn't be so impressed with his little show. Most could probably do what he easily did and do three times as much in half the time. He was no where near their level, not even the tiniest bit close. Only time will tell if Dusty ever became a great Hunter or stayed mediocre for the rest of his life.
"You're on," Dusty replied. "It'll be nice to finally move around and fight again after I get out of this place. Having to stay here and lie in bed all day sucks so much."
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Post by Mizumi Tai on Jul 9, 2016 8:55:45 GMT -6
Mizumi smiled at Dusty, he really was the best teammate anyone could ask for, especially her. Her reaction to him bringing up the promise they made caused a small laugh, and a quick nod before she spoke. "The best there ever was Dusty." Her smile only grew as he accepted her challenge, barely stopping herself from punching him playfully in the shoulder. After all, her playful is still quite strong, and no matter how much she's tried to limit herself she always ended up bruising him when she did that. She stood from the chair she was sitting in, the wood groaning as she did so, and paced around. "You get better soon, okay? I can't have my teammate injured at the start of the next semester. But until you do, I'll be here whenever you need me." Her pacing stopped, and she looked back at Dusty with a kind smile. "You get some rest big guy. You'll need it for the next time you go off to save a kingdom. And be sure to tell me next time!" She understood the irony of her, the massive giantess of a woman, calling him, the absolutely average-if a little short-boy "big guy". The fact made her giggle, and with that she went to talk to some of the nurses in the infirmary, staying close enough to hear Dusty if he ever called, but still wanting to know a little more about what had happened to him. More importantly though, Mizumi wanted to know how long he'd be here for.
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