thenearshore | Pining for the fjords

Who: Berserker of Black and YOU!
What: Berserker took a solo trip to Norway and got jumped by some local ayakashi, and is dragging her half-dead self home
When: October 21, evening
Where: The Far Shore

[Well, that's the last time Berserker takes a trip to the Near Shore on her own. She'd been doing some reading about Freyr - the god Soleil has taken the role of - and decided she wanted to see the homeland of his followers. There aren't any surviving temples to the Norse gods left in Scandinavia, but Asatru is spreading in recent years and there are a number of small shrines scattered about. Berserker hopped over to one, hoping to see the fjords, but got attacked by a group of troll ayakashi halfway to her destination.

Thankfully, she's a tough fighter possessed of remarkable reserves of strength and endurance, but a sneak attack like that was almost too much. So while she managed to beat back her aggressors and escape back to the Far Shore, she's definitely extremely worse for wear. Literally dragging herself through the streets using her mace as a support, there are a number of deep gashes in her body where the ayakashi's claws managed to tear her open. Curiously, though, instead of exposed bone and sinew there are only severed wires and tubes, periodically throwing off sparks and slowly leaking some sort of black viscous liquid.

She doggedly makes her way through the streets of the Far Shore, heading for Freyr's temple. Her thoughts are consumed only with returning safely to her goddess. Unfortunately, exerting herself is only opening her wounds further, and whatever's wrong with her beyond the obvious injuries is only getting worse as she goes along. It's questionable whether or not she'll make it all the way to the temple unassisted, but at the same time she's giving off the feeling of a gravely wounded animal that may summon its last reserves of strength to attack a would-be savior at any moment.

Approach with caution.]

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[Hey, look, it's probably the only person in the Far Shore that Berserker isn't immediately on the defensive around. Or rather, she's on a different kind of defensive when she sees Soleil come running. It's a futile effort, but she kneels down and curls into herself, doing her best to cover up her wounds. She doesn't want her goddess to see her right now. Not like this. It's not normal. She'll think she's a freak.]

[For all the relief she might feel at seeing her shinki up and moving still, watching her curl up on herself like that just sends Soleil right back into a feeling of high-alert. Did she succumb to her injuries, or run out of stamina...?]

Hey, hey, hang in there a little longer, we'll get you better in no time!

[She can't... say that for sure, but it's better to be reassuring and positive in a situation like this, right?

Reaching Berserker, Soleil kneels down. Her efforts work in making it pretty difficult to completely see what's wrong with her, and as a result Soleil looks a little lost in how much she should be be handling her. She's not a medic by any means, and having some degree of insight to Berserker's less-traditional physiology muddies things up even more. She doesn't want to make the situation any worse by mistake, so she just sort of... lets her hands come to a stop just short of actually touching her shinki.

Still, there's not even a small shred of concern in her heart that Berserker will live up to her title and lash out at her in retaliation.]

Ahh, something sure did a number on you, didn't it...? [For any and all weirdness that Berserker's wounds might present, Soleil doesn't sound that shocked, just... deeply concerned.] I'm sorry I wasn't there to help you, so, please, let me get you to someone who can patch you up.

[Berserker can't bring herself to look Soleil in the eye, far too concerned with trying to cover up her wounds. They're too deep and too numerous for her to conceal them all at once, though, so at this distance it's obvious enough that there are definitely some strange things in there in place of blood, bones, and organs. And even though she can hear the concern in her goddess' voice, she's still shaking with fear at the thought that she might still reject her now that she can see her true nature.]

Uuuuuuu... uuuuuuuuuuuu...

There, there.

[Very gingerly, she sets one hand to rest on Berserker's back, careful to avoid any obvious injuries. There's a definite temptation to scoop her right up off the ground and book it back to the temple without a second thought, but that strikes her as a potentially unwise course of action with her wounds being so much of a mystery still. Soleil may be a victim to her own spontaneity most of the time, but with someone as precious to her as her shinki, she at least can exercise that much caution.]

If I call you into your vessel form, it should be easier to carry you back. Is that okay with you? Or do you think I can lift you up to do that?

[Berserker flinches momentarily at the touch, but eventually just flops forward to bury her head in Soleil's chest. She's still making scared little crying sounds, though, and mercifully the liquid leaking from her eyes appears to be actual tears and not oil. At the suggestion of returning her to her vessel form, she gives a hesitant nod.]

[With Berserker so close, Soleil can't help but bring her chin to rest atop the other's head, a gesture she hopes is at least a little comforting.]

All right, just hang in there a little longer for me, okay?

Come, Kanki.

Uuuuuuu...

[The sound she makes is mournful, but she nods all the same. And when she takes her vessel form, the extent of the damage she's taken is evident in the condition of the typically pristine wedding dress. It's now ripped and torn in places, and even worse - Berserker seems to be having trouble modulating her electrical output. Soleil may be feeling an uncomfortable shock now and then as they make their way to the temple, each one punctuated by a painful cry echoing in her head.]

[There’s a small part of her that, perhaps selfishly, was hoping that she’d be able to gather a little more information about what happened out of Berserker through the bond they share between their god and vessel connection. It’s always been easier for her to communicate like this, after all, but it’s clear she’s too beaten up, too distressed to be in any position for it.

A fuller story can come when she’s better, Soleil figures. For now, all she can do is get her home to rest.

She carefully gathers the skirt of the dress up in her arms, making it easier to move around. The shocks, however, are probably negating any time saved from her efforts, though she does everything she can to keep herself moving fluidly, not wanting to cause any extra worry from her shinki before they reach the temple door and rush inside.

To her bed they go, a comfortable place to let her rest, though one where hiding those injuries will likely be next to impossible without the cover of the evening darkness.]

Okay. [Home, safe, smile in place, she calls her shinki back.] Berserker, we’re here.

Edited (Words are hard.) 2018-03-21 14:10 (UTC)

[It's a good thing Soleil's able to bite back the pain, because one thing Berserker does not need to feel right now is guilty. That would turn out poorly for both of them.

When they get back to the temple and Soleil calls her name, the transition back to her human form is quick and harsh. Rolling over onto her stomach, she crawls toward the head of the bed and turns over.]

Uuuuuuuuuuuu... uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu...

[At least now she can get a better look at the damage here, and with that... figure out what it is she might need to do for her shinki. Her eyes pass over the other briskly, as if trying to just get a quick look at her general state, but it's... hard not to linger on the parts that are so obviously not human in nature. It's not out of disgust or fear, just curiosity and concern.

Even so, she's quick to continue her efforts to comfort Berserker, stroking her hair and trying to catch her focus as she speaks soothingly,] You'll be safe here, and I'm going to do everything I can for you. I'm sure it hurts an awful lot, but try to relax as much as you can so that you don't hurt yourself more, okay?

[The nonhuman parts are pretty hard to miss, but Berserker appreciates the fact that Soleil hasn't said anything about it yet. She slowly raises the hand of her uninjured arm to gently run her fingers down her goddess' cheek, nodding slowly.]

[At the touch, Soleil smiles, warm and sincere, as she gently places her own hand over Berserker's.]

Just sit tight, and I'll be right back.

[With that, she straightens up, exiting the room and, once out of earshot, makes a quick plea to the rest of the heavens. The temple is stocked with some supplies for smaller injury relief, but nothing for damages of this scale, so upon returning, her arms are loaded up with various towels, gauze bandaging, water, washcloths... the goal here is to do whatever kind of cleanup she's capable of, hopefully making it easier for whoever may answer her call.]

Pining for the fjords

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