mayfield_rpg | 4th Worm

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c: kariya matou

4th Worm

[Well, Rin's party was mostly a success, except for the part where Kariya's last regain ended up getting opened after everyone had gone home. Small blessing that only Rin and Kariya's housemates were really around to see it happen, but the package was indeed full of the Crest Worms he had carried in his body at home, and they wasted no time at all re-infesting every inch of his flesh.

Although it's been a few days, there's just no getting used to this sort of thing, especially when it happens all at once like that. And unfortunately, there are obligations that Kariya has to fulfill or risk being droned. He'd skipped work on Friday to plan Rin's party, and again on Monday while he recovered. And while being droned would be a temporary reprieve, he doesn't want to worry anyone - least of all Rin.]

[Action; Mayfield Elementary School]

[Hey there, Mayfield's brightest young minds. Ready for your writing and spelling lessons today? You might be, but your teacher is clearly not. Mr. Matou has definitely seen better days. It's clearly still him, but his hair has turned stark white and his left eye is completely clouded over. His face is gaunt, as if he hasn't eaten in days, and in a few places it's even possible to see the veins bulging underneath his skin. He walks with a heavy limp, favoring the right side of his body as he slowly makes his way to the front of the room.]

Class--

[And there it is - another heavy coughing fit. It's sickly and wet sounding, and his entire body shudders with the effort. It lasts a few moments longer than is probably comfortable for anyone in the room, and it's a few moments later still that Kariya regains control of himself with a few deep breaths.]

...Open your books to page 32.

[Action; Mayfield Streets; early evening]

[Somehow, Kariya managed to make it through an entire day of teaching. That's two more days he'll be able to go without having to come into work before he's forced into it again. Maybe in that amount of time, he can find someone or something to help him with this little problem of his. He's not holding out much hope, but Mayfield has people with talents he could only have dreamed of back home. The real problem is finding someone, as he isn't exactly in the shape to be walking all over town. But he's got at least enough strength to shuffle around for a few hours since he doesn't have the added strain of maintaining Berserker's summoning on top of dealing with the worms trying to eat him from the inside out.

...Again, small blessings.]

[Action; Salvation Church; night]

[And perhaps subconsciously, Kariya ends up at the church. He knows Mayfield's church isn't full of Executors like Kirei Kotomine, but it's a familiar locale all the same. Maybe he stumbled in here because the church is where he was headed next at home before passing out in an alleyway and waking up in Mayfield. Who's to say, really. But whatever the reason, Kariya throws open the front doors to the church, staggering toward one of the pews in the back row before collapsing into it, his breath heavy and labored.]

Tch... damn... pushed it too far...

[He can barely move right now apart from the motion of his chest as he catches his breath. Even the task of walking around town takes its toll in his current state. And while there are definitely worse places to have to spend the night, somewhere inside Kariya is kicking himself again for being so weak and so useless.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Ciel sees the cocoons, but barely pays heed. The second directive is to check Kariya's vitals and if any internal damage/bleeding is happening. She needs to get closer for that however, which might also trigger an attack from the escaped worms that've now materialized outside.

So be it, it's not like these posed any significant threat to begin with. Without so much as glancing down, she takes two steps towards the bed. One hand is now clutching onto three newly-summoned Keys, the other one is empty but starting to crackle with the faintest spark of lightning. If she can provoke the parasites to attack all at once, then she can get rid of them all at once too. Verifying Kariya's health is priority, but it won't take any longer than a few seconds to dispose of the remaining worms she's going to have to face anyhow. So if it's in the way, might as well - as long as she works quickly.

Still, no sense wasting even an instant. The summoned Keys are flung while she advances to take out three bulging cocoons in the back, and just as swiftly, a new set of blades is materialized to take the previous ones' place. She'd repeat the gesture if she had time, but if the worms are hatching and closing in now, then she'll be putting up a barrier of electricity and shift her body to slash through any that comes in close range. Her reflexes should be more than enough, to destroy any that manages to survive the jolt of lightning first. ...Unless any behaves irregularly, or manages to make through somehow nevertheless?]

[Kariya's breathing is heavily irregular, and he coughs up a few black, sickly looking spurts of blood in his sleep as his body begins to convulse. The worms were, after all, wired directly into his Magic Circuits by this point, and getting rid of them all at once seems to have shocked his system a bit. As for the ones outside, the remaining nine cocoons break open as Ciel advances, the Blade Wing Worms emerging from their shells and wasting no time in winging their way toward her. Caught unawares, any potential victim would be shredded in a matter of seconds, but a well-constructed magical barrier stopped them dead last time, so Ciel's strategy should be a sound one.]

[The worms would have to contend with much even if they got close. She might not have trained herself to the Master level, but Ciel was still very proficient in close range combat and martial arts. She wouldn't have any qualms punching the bugs through with her bare fists, possessing more than just the capacity and ability for it, but if they can be disposed of before getting near, then all the best.

That out of the way, she closes the remaining distance between them without further delay. Extending an outstretched hand, she lays an open palm on Kariya's chest as she proceeds to get a better reading of his body and administer clerical aid - as well as a small jolt of electricity composed of mana, her only way to pass onto him a small amount of her own reserves in order to assist with recovery. He might end up coughing (out) more, but that's cleaning up his lungs of any clogging fluid after any freshly injured tissue has been mended shut. The shock itself is comparable to electrotherapy, in part to ensure the nerves and organs are transmitting/receiving/functioning properly, in part to spread the magical energy so that the body would better soak up healing. With this his condition should, in theory, stabilize.

So she'll just continue doing that: keep watch over him, while continuing to maintain the Healing rite. Not going to risk another jolt, though. The move shouldn't cause any damage even on a body like his, but no need to risk overloading the senses either there. Any shift in his condition should be easily observable now, so she'll just wait and be on the lookout for any irregular response.]

[The worms don't last long between the effects of Ciel's barrier and her superior martial skills, leaving Kariya's body unprotected and ready for examination. He does indeed cough up quite a bit more fluid as she's working, as his body is now working overtime to flush out the corruptive influence. It's no different from the reaction when Kotomine healed him after his fight with Tokiomi, and an unfortunate side effect based on his altered physiology. His heartbeat slows to a borderline dangerously slow level at one point during the process, but recovers with the next jolt of mana and begins to beat at a steady pace again as his breathing begins to stabilize a bit. His vitals are weak overall, but evening out by the moment.]

[...

And so it is, the entire procedure concluded without notable incident. His vitals are a bit weaker than predicted, but this is more or less how things were expected to play out, even if all went well. She'll stay by his side for at least another hour to keep watch and apply healing if need be, and only step out once it's looking that he'll be alright as long as he gets the rest he needs. She'll leave Seven behind though, her familiar has always made for a useful third party observer so that Ciel herself doesn't have to be constantly present. Kariya will be left to sleep undisturbed for the rest of the night, but she'll physically remain inside the Church, getting a report from Seven periodically while she minds her own business in the kitchen. He'll wake when he wakes, either sometimes during the night or once the sun's up during day. Either way, she still needs to debrief him about his status, what he chooses to do after is up to him.]

[Kariya manages to sleep through the night mostly without incident as his body takes the chance to rest and recuperate. Absent the corruptive influence of the worms, his sleep is much more restful than it would normally be, though he does still thrash about and scream every several hours - his body may be healed, but the scars in his mind are much deeper and longer lasting. Still, it's not enough to rouse him fully from his slumber for more than a few minutes at a time. In the morning, he slowly pushes himself up and off the bed, pausing as he looks around the room.]

[Ahh... PTSD and the likes are another story, Ciel's far from being a qualified doctor or psychiatrist ~~even if she might've gotten enough experience to possibly pass off a tip or few~~. Apart from what's already done, all she can offer for the time being...

Would be a water pitcher and a glass on the table, for starters. He's free to pour himself a drink if his throat feels too dry. Nothing else in the room looks out of place, the windows were closed and the curtains were pulled so the sunlight wouldn't sting and he wouldn't catch a cold. He's free to linger, or get up and exit the room. Seven'll nevertheless pass on the message to her Master once Kariya looks like he's awake for good, so Ciel's likely to come over soon.]

[He'll be going straight for the water, in that case. Even considering Ciel's level of skill and how relatively painlessly everything went down, he's been under for quite a while at this point and he needs to replenish some fluids. Kariya reaches over to pour himself several glasses of water in a row, gulping them down like a thirsty man in the desert. After that, he slowly rises to his feet, touching and prodding various locations on his body to see how they feel after the operation. It's immediately apparent that the worms are gone, and he's feeling a little weak without the diffuse energy provided by his crest, so for the moment the look on his face is one of quiet amazement.]

[He can take his time, there's no rush. There's a phone here somewhere in the building too, if he needs to call people up.

At any rate, there will soon be a quiet knock on the door.]

Matou-san? May I come in?

[She knows he's awake, but well, basic courtesies before further check-up.]

Ciel... yeah, come in, it's all right.

[The doorknob clicks and turns. Ciel steps in, clad in her habit like he'd last remember her, and proceeds to give a quick but thorough glance of his body from head to toe. His posture seems okay, and his footing is steady... Skin color isn't as pale as last night, too, it's a detail to note.]

Good morning. [A small nod.] How are you feeling?

Still a little weak, but I could tell right away the worms were gone. I guess everything went all right on your end?

[She nods, arms crossed over her chest.]

Yes, and you should gain more strength with sufficient rest and a good diet. On that topic, it would be preferable to stick by food that's easy to digest for now, like bread, cooked vegetables, potatoes, eggs, and the like. [at least until his constitution improves, but with how worn down his body is even after getting rid of the worms... she doesn't feel confident making any guesses, so let's skip over that.] ...Speaking of which, are you hungry? [her posture softens, and she offers a small smile.] It's okay if you think it's too early, but please try to get some nutrients down when you can. It must have been a while, since the last time you ate.

Hungry... now that you mention it, yeah, I'm starving.

[Which is no surprise, really. He never had much of an appetite while the worms were around, so now that he's actually feeding himself and only himself, the thought of food is suddenly far more appetizing.]

Good thing I went into work yesterday. At least I can take today and tomorrow to rest up.

[She'll give a small and approving nod to that.] Please, and I do have a few things in the kitchen. [By 'few' she means 'a lot', people have no idea how much the usual company she keeps at the Church can actually eat...] Should I go set up breakfast then, Matou-san?

[He smiles back, nodding.]

All right. Sorry if it's imposing on you. You've done so much for me already, Ciel.

Not at all, it's no trouble. I cook here far more often than you might imagine, so the pantry's always well-stocked. I'll go ahead, then. We're in the left wing right now, the kitchen is in the right one. There's a bathroom to your left on your way back to the front, feel free to make use of the clean towels. [Wash your face, rinse your mouth, stuff like that, etc.] Would there be anything else? I could take requests too, if it's nothing too time-consuming to make? [slightly teasing now, she'll confess, but it's always good to see people perk up. :>]

Whatever you want to make is fine.

[Which probably means he'll end up with a plate full of curry.]

I think I will wash up a little first.

[ajkhkhg you people are so rude, she might have an unhealthy curry obsession but she's not rendered completely callous and inconsiderate because of it!! She can totally cook normal stuff on the side for normal people, just expect the kitchen to SMELL like curry because she's making that for herself on the side. BESIDES, curry is definitely NOT food you'd feed someone recovering from an 'operation' like Kariya just went through, that's just not right!!

No really, what's on the menu is cooked vegetable stew, butter croissants, and mushroom omelets. She got some yogurt from the grocery store too, and is sitting on enough ingredient to make a bunch of other stuff. RE: the church kitchen is ridiculously well-stocked...]

Okay. There's no rush, so take your time. I'll be going now, please let me know if you need anything else.

[If that's that, she'll be leaving to continue working in the kitchen. See him there soon?]

[Yup, after washing up as best he can, he shows up where Ciel is fixing the food. Still limping and all, but it's easy to tell from his posture alone that there's been a big burden lifted from him, both body and soul. He's even smiling a little.]

Where should I sit...?

[She'll turn around at the sound of his voice, currently overlooking the soup pot while idly handling a ladle. Anywhere is fine, honestly, but...]

How about here? [Gesturing towards the table closest to the counters, since this is a communal kitchen of sorts. It's already semi-set up, admittedly, so there's that too. Including napkins, utensils, an empty glass, and a plate with 4 croissants, for starters. She'd have taken out something to drink, but with the stew done, she'll get on scooping a bowl of that instead.] I'll have everything ready shortly.

No rush.

[It's not like he could honestly complain much about... well, much of anything at this point. Ciel really saved his bacon back there, so he'd be happy with whatever she manages to cook up. Hobbling over to the table, he pulls out a chair before sliding down into it.]

Smells great.

[He'll get a faint chuckle from that.]

I've had a lot of time to practice. [Truth, she'd never get the chance to spend two years of her life honing housewife skills if not for Mayfield... Which is kind of terrible all things considered

With that said, she'll be pacing over to carefully set the bowl down in front of him.]

Please let me know if you'd like any second helping, there's more than enough to spare. I have a few things I'd like to go over with you too, but that can wait until after breakfast. [Now going to fetch the omelet that was sitting aside in a closed pan; preserving the heat after it was done cooking, etc. It's not THAT much, but admittedly there's only one person. In recovery, too, no matter how hungry he may feel. Either way! There's fruit juice, milk, yogurt, fruit puree, and some other various things that are fitting for breakfast, easy to digest, and already prepared, she'll idly go through the list with him and have some set up if there's anything he'd like. It'll be no trouble whatsoever, in any case. So while everything might take a while, this ordinary breakfast should go by peacefully enough.]

Right, lots of post-op stuff to talk about, probably. Nobody recovers from something like that in a day, I guess.

[Everything does look and smell pretty amazing, so Kariya wastes no time digging right in. It's been almost a full day since he's eaten, and nothing beats the sensation of food actually tasting like something again. Even considering his hunger, though, the recovery does limit the amount he's able to reasonably keep down, and he stops after finishing about half of what was on his plate.]

It'll depend on how your constitution holds out from here, as well as a few options that you can look into. [She'll nod at that, but re: it can wait.

How much he manages to down was never an issue for her, as long as he gets some nutrition in. It's not like she has much better things to do in this town other than cooking ~~it's among her healthier hobbies~~. No sense not taking advantage of the town's auto-supplying system either, especially when she can get away without paying. Really, everyone knows that Mayfield money holds no value.

Going to set down another pitcher of water on the table while she assumes a seat across from him, then.]

You can leave everything aside, I'll clean up after we're done. How are you feeling now, Kariya-san?

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