[That yelp and the glimpse of blood in his fur startle Shoka into focusing. Immediately, she feels a sharp pang of guilt. It was just too easy to lose herself in the thrill of battle—felt too good to force something beneath her, to shred and bite and feel the familiar sting of ice. They were supposed to be fighting together, but she didn't even see...]
L—like hell you are...!
[Seeing him injured, another Arctibax takes the opportunity to lunge at Ingo itself. The energy Shoka drained from the previous Arctibax gives her the strength to launch herself into its path, blocking its Bite with her tail-stick. Frost spreads through the grooves in the wood; she snarls.]
Bax—off—!
[An especially brutal Play Rough sends it flying. Fortunately, they aren't the only team present; the others can pick up the slack while they get away for a moment to recover. With a brief opening made, Shoka nudges closer to Ingo, trying to guide him out of the fray.]
[ Ingo nods, lumbering along in that direction. It truly isn't the worst that he's ever been injured, not at all, but he's not too proud to admit that he is still hurt.
Between the battle, the pain, and their attempts to escape, it takes him until they're clear to catch his breath enough to say much. ]
At least it was not one of my legs.
[ Though the bite, in his shoulder, is still hindering his movements somewhat. ]
[Shoka may not really breathe in the same way other Pokémon do, but she still sounds breathless when she replies,] I guess?
[At least it wasn't his legs, or his head, or his heart, but it still looks like it sucks pretty bad! She pauses, swiveling to search between the trees. Seeing no sign of the Arctibax, she slows to a stop and gestures for Ingo to do the same.]
Anyway, looks like we lost 'em, so just—take it easy for a second, okay?
[She takes a moment to look him over, then, eyes wide and fretful. It's probably immediately obvious in that moment that she has very little idea of what she should do in this situation. She was never well-versed in first aid, and she's since become so used to Oran berries as an easy cure-all and so used to being physically incapable of bleeding that she barely knows how to deal with an open wound. Some teammate she is.
But an Oran berry will still restore some of his energy, at least, so she fumbles for one anyway, extracting it from the hollow of her disguise-head and handing it over to him.]
Okay, Mr. Wilderness Expert... Please tell me you have bandages or something on you...
[ In lieu of response, Ingo turns rather stiffly to pull a small pouch from his travel bag, trading it for the Oran Berry. Shoka will find that it contains some basic first-aid supplies, including bandages. Once he's snapped down the Oran berry (in one bite, which he doesn't usually do due to how many sharp teeth it flashes), he goes on. ]
There is a small tin of salve in there as well.
[ It's some sort of medicinal herb paste. ]
If you could...help me, perhaps?
[ He might have been able to do it himself when he had hands, but like this? It's a no-go. ]
[Shoka is already searching the pouch for the tin as soon as he mentions it.]
Y—yeah! I got it...
[Her skeletal fingers soon find and draw the tin out. In her haste to open it, she nearly drops it, but eventually she manages to drip her claws in and move to apply the glob of salve to the bite, stretching her arm up to reach Ingo's shoulder. That part seems effortless for her, as if her arms are even longer than that, and her hands, savage as they were only minutes prior, are gentle now, deft and careful.
Guilt continues to gnaw at her. Without thinking, she mumbles out:]
[But she seems reluctant to explain herself, trailing off into silence as she draws her hand away, then closes up the tin and starts to unravel a length of gauze.]
[Her eyes don't meet his, glaring instead at the bandages in her hands.]
I mean we're a team. I—should've had your back out there—or at least noticed—but I was just...
[Distracted; lost in the sensation of hurting something weaker than herself—of being, for however brief a moment, in control again. And now she's clumsily trying to determine the right length of bandage to dress his wounds, nearly fumbling the entire roll when her overlong claws involuntarily flex. Could she be any more of a mess? She breathes out a sigh.]
[Shoka shrinks in on herself, static briefly flickering across the shadowy skirts of her form. Her plan is to say nothing, but all her stress—both related and unrelated to the issue currently at hand—is boiling over again. It slips out before she can stop it.]
It's not just this, it's—!
[It's everything. It's all of her—something rotten rooted deep inside her. This is just the latest in a long line of fuck-ups.
It's nothing she should be putting on Ingo, of course. He's seemed strung out lately himself. He's also literally still injured. She bites her proverbial tongue and tries to brush off the pang of humiliation, focusing back on his wounds.]
... It's nothing. Just—stay still, okay?
[Having finally managed to tame the bandages, she gets to work on dressing the punctures in his shoulder, stretching her arms out again to start winding the bandage around his upper arm.]
[ ...Ingo goes quiet for a moment, standing still as he's bid. He...didn't expect that. Maybe he's been a little too caught up in his own affairs lately. ]
[A snort escapes her. She doesn't know what she was expecting.]
Once in town, I think... Absolutely huge dragon, big fin on its back? Mean RBF? [There's no way he knows what that means.] Um. Kinda looks like it wants to tear you to shreds—and totally could—even when it's just relaxing, I mean...
Oh, they certainly can! It caught me right in the spine, deeply enough that I could not get back up! I would have died, no doubt, but there were some wild Blissey nearby.
[ War stories...he's pretty casual about it. This is one of the best ones any of the Wardens have! ]
You are doing very well! Do not worry about it overmuch - they will probably just unwrap it again at the clinic so that they can have a look.
[ It's still far better to have it properly wrapped for the walk back, of course! ]
Perhaps I ought to run a small course in field medicine sometime? I think we can all do this much by now, but I'm not sure anyone has had to set a bone or anything yet. [ DON'T. WORRY ABOUT IT??? ]
[With his approval, she finishes the bandaging job to the best of her ability, scuttling awkwardly around him to tie it off at his shoulder.]
Maybe. I'd try to show up, at least... In case it wasn't already completely obvious, I'm not exactly used to dealing with stuff like this. [She knew the common sense basics and had observed a few things during her extended stay at the clinic, but that's about it.] I mean, I don't even have bones...
Mmm, yes...there are certainly some Pokemon whom I could not provide much aid with. I'm mostly familiar with treating injuries of flesh and blood!
[ Anyway, there's so many different kinds of Pokemon. Ingo doubts that anyone could ever really know how to specifically treat every single one of them! ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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L—like hell you are...!
[Seeing him injured, another Arctibax takes the opportunity to lunge at Ingo itself. The energy Shoka drained from the previous Arctibax gives her the strength to launch herself into its path, blocking its Bite with her tail-stick. Frost spreads through the grooves in the wood; she snarls.]
Bax—off—!
[An especially brutal Play Rough sends it flying. Fortunately, they aren't the only team present; the others can pick up the slack while they get away for a moment to recover. With a brief opening made, Shoka nudges closer to Ingo, trying to guide him out of the fray.]
C—c'mon, we're getting out of here...
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Between the battle, the pain, and their attempts to escape, it takes him until they're clear to catch his breath enough to say much. ]
At least it was not one of my legs.
[ Though the bite, in his shoulder, is still hindering his movements somewhat. ]
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[At least it wasn't his legs, or his head, or his heart, but it still looks like it sucks pretty bad! She pauses, swiveling to search between the trees. Seeing no sign of the Arctibax, she slows to a stop and gestures for Ingo to do the same.]
Anyway, looks like we lost 'em, so just—take it easy for a second, okay?
[She takes a moment to look him over, then, eyes wide and fretful. It's probably immediately obvious in that moment that she has very little idea of what she should do in this situation. She was never well-versed in first aid, and she's since become so used to Oran berries as an easy cure-all and so used to being physically incapable of bleeding that she barely knows how to deal with an open wound. Some teammate she is.
But an Oran berry will still restore some of his energy, at least, so she fumbles for one anyway, extracting it from the hollow of her disguise-head and handing it over to him.]
Okay, Mr. Wilderness Expert... Please tell me you have bandages or something on you...
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There is a small tin of salve in there as well.
[ It's some sort of medicinal herb paste. ]
If you could...help me, perhaps?
[ He might have been able to do it himself when he had hands, but like this? It's a no-go. ]
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Y—yeah! I got it...
[Her skeletal fingers soon find and draw the tin out. In her haste to open it, she nearly drops it, but eventually she manages to drip her claws in and move to apply the glob of salve to the bite, stretching her arm up to reach Ingo's shoulder. That part seems effortless for her, as if her arms are even longer than that, and her hands, savage as they were only minutes prior, are gentle now, deft and careful.
Guilt continues to gnaw at her. Without thinking, she mumbles out:]
My bad...
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Not at all! It only stings for a moment.
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[But she seems reluctant to explain herself, trailing off into silence as she draws her hand away, then closes up the tin and starts to unravel a length of gauze.]
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Whatever do you mean, then?
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I mean we're a team. I—should've had your back out there—or at least noticed—but I was just...
[Distracted; lost in the sensation of hurting something weaker than herself—of being, for however brief a moment, in control again. And now she's clumsily trying to determine the right length of bandage to dress his wounds, nearly fumbling the entire roll when her overlong claws involuntarily flex. Could she be any more of a mess? She breathes out a sigh.]
Ugh. Just sorry I'm so useless...
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[ Ingo's chiding, a little, but he doesn't really mean to scold her. The response is instinctive. ]
It was not your fault! It is a battle - things are always chaotic! These things happen from time to time, in spite of all of us.
[ Of course it isn't ideal, but you know. It is a risk of the work! ]
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It's not just this, it's—!
[It's everything. It's all of her—something rotten rooted deep inside her. This is just the latest in a long line of fuck-ups.
It's nothing she should be putting on Ingo, of course. He's seemed strung out lately himself. He's also literally still injured. She bites her proverbial tongue and tries to brush off the pang of humiliation, focusing back on his wounds.]
... It's nothing. Just—stay still, okay?
[Having finally managed to tame the bandages, she gets to work on dressing the punctures in his shoulder, stretching her arms out again to start winding the bandage around his upper arm.]
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....is everything alright, Shoka?
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[It's terse and definitely not convincing. She loops the bandage around his shoulder—once, twice, looking at it and not him.
Sarcastically, she fires back,] How 'bout you?
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I will be alright. It's truly not that bad. I've certainly wounded myself far worse through my own misadventures!
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She seems to be searching for a distraction when she asks,] So what's the worst you've lived through so far?
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Once I accidentally fell down a cliff and into a Garchomp's territory. Have you seen a Garchomp at all?
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Once in town, I think... Absolutely huge dragon, big fin on its back? Mean RBF? [There's no way he knows what that means.] Um. Kinda looks like it wants to tear you to shreds—and totally could—even when it's just relaxing, I mean...
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[ War stories...he's pretty casual about it. This is one of the best ones any of the Wardens have! ]
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Yeesh... You really weren't kidding. Did you manage to drag your ass back up the cliff after all that, or...?
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[ He was better by then! ]
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Right. Duh...
[With Ingo's upper arm and shoulder wrapped, she starts to draw the bandage across his chest to keep the wrapping in place.]
Am I, uh—doing this right, by the way?
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[ It's still far better to have it properly wrapped for the walk back, of course! ]
Perhaps I ought to run a small course in field medicine sometime? I think we can all do this much by now, but I'm not sure anyone has had to set a bone or anything yet. [ DON'T. WORRY ABOUT IT??? ]
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[With his approval, she finishes the bandaging job to the best of her ability, scuttling awkwardly around him to tie it off at his shoulder.]
Maybe. I'd try to show up, at least... In case it wasn't already completely obvious, I'm not exactly used to dealing with stuff like this. [She knew the common sense basics and had observed a few things during her extended stay at the clinic, but that's about it.] I mean, I don't even have bones...
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[ Anyway, there's so many different kinds of Pokemon. Ingo doubts that anyone could ever really know how to specifically treat every single one of them! ]
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[He was a trainer before, wasn't he? Even if he didn't come from the same time period as Emmet did...]
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I...did before the amnesia, apparently.
[ But that doesn't help him much now. ]