"Mrrrfgghh." that's all Hino said when his eyes finally opened. Also. It was like three am. He was in a hospital bed. All bandaged up around his abdomen and then a nurse rushed in and questions were asked and Hinote had to make up a bunch of stuff about the giant hole in his torso that had become less of a hole and more an indentation over the past couple hours while he was sleeping. Maybe it just /looked/ that bad, the Doctors thought. Ahahahahha, Hinote thought.
Eventually He manages to reach over and grab his phone- though this uncomfortable, he sends out a text. "I'm awake. Sorry All." everyone gets that. Most of everyone is asleep though. Except for him.
And maybe Gao who is just getting back from checking the portal.
It's a long trip from Tokyo to the portal, even with magial jumping. Add in the time to talk with the others back in Waldia, and then more jumping (at a more leisurely pace) to return...
Gao's back in town, taking a break on a roof when Hinote's text arrives. He looks at the message, thinks for a moment, then types out a response: "Good to hear; where you at? You hungry?"
Hinote Kagari is all incoherent, but he replies. Response: "Hospital." is all he can say. Response: "Hurts to type. Not Hungry. Light." he says. Light? Maybe he's asking for something light to eat? He just seems to be an incoherent mess of thoughts at the moment.
Oh....OH!
'Rune ok?'.
"She's okay, but needs rest," comes the typed reply. "Tell me floor and leave the light on, and I'll be there in a few minutes."
While he waits for a reply, Gao heads down to street level to get some food. There's fewer options available at this time of night, but he does know of a place. Even better, he's seen a few magical girls eating there on occasion, so his Guardian Knight outfit might not attract too much attention...
Hinote Kagari turns his head. lights on already, since the nurses came in, he reads the sign next to the door, and replies "6th floor. Emergency." he replies. He sits back and waits and closes his eyes and ohs...!
Ugh, yeah he isn't here fully mentally.
"You? Vale? ok?"
Gaofele Doiru reads the text as he gathers up the food, then types up a response once he's away from the counter: "Both okay; portal okay. omw"
After a couple of minutes, there's a rustling of leaves outside of Hinote's window, and a knock on the glass. There's Gao, the vines on his quarterstaff crawling upward like ivy, and a pair of small fastfood bags in his other hand!
Hinote Kagari oh great, he's kind of bed bound at the moment. He puts the phone down and looks around and makes a motion for Gao to go hide in the tree.
He presses the call button. "Can I get the window open, It's a little hot in here...." he says. He gets an eyebrow raised. "But it's chilly out." she says. He shakes his head. "It's fine. Just. Fresh air. Please." he says weakly. She opens the window and leaves. When that's done.
"Okay you can come in now." he says weakly.
He sighs. "Well. That hurt a lot. What happened when I.. um. Passed out." he says softly.
There's some rustling as Gao climbs up on the vines he summoned, then once Hinote calls him in the forester swings in, walking over to Hinote's bed. "Valeria was able to stabilize Rune, and Akashimaru gave you first aid and called the healers," he recounts as he rummages in one of the bags. "Once things were in hand, I went to go check on the portal to reassure Rune; I hadn't been back in Tokyo long when your text came in."
Gao hands Hinote a small thing of fries and a cup of soda. "Lemon-lime, since people seem to say that it's better for when you're ill," he explains before starting to dig in the bags again.
Hinote Kagari nods. "Is everything okay?" he asks again as he sort of dazes. "Huh...? Oh...right."
He takes the fries and nibbles a bit, and Lemon-lime! That works. "Yeah but--that's when..you're sick. This isn't like that." he mumbles. Yeah he's still kinda in a pained daze.
"Woke up in a panic. Heh. I bet you guys think I'm silly." he says softly. "Couldn't let that happen thou..." he says with a pained breath. "I think I'll be okay. Healing fast. P. sure this should be a hole through me but isn't." he says.
He nibbles another fry.
"How'd...Vale stablize Rune?" he asks. He closes his eyes and just keeps them closed and reopens them.
"Dizzy. Thought I died. Hurt. Red."
Gaofele Doiru pulls out a double cheeseburger with all of the toppings, plus a large thing of fries and a milkshake -- all that travelling made him hungry, and staying in henshin didn't help! "Apparently Vale has a small bit of healing magic," the forester shrugs after taking a bite of the burger. "Not much, and her own magic was pretty low after finishing off that demon, but it did help; Rune should recover soon enough."
A somber expression crosses his face. "You almost did," Gao notes bluntly. "Die, that is. Thank the Barrier you didn't, but if things had turned out even a little bit worse than they did..."
He shakes his head. "I don't want to think about it."
Hinote Kagari takes a deep calming breath, even thought that seems to hurt. What did he tell Rune about that before? About calming breaths?...
Stage Fright. Yeah.
"Yeah but...couldn't let.. my friend die--and.. take Waldia.. with her..." he mumbles. "That was a killing blow. Had to do something. Didn't even think. Just did it." he mumbles some more.
Another fry. It's helping. The fries at least.
He peeks at Gao's burger. Where did he get that anyways?
"So the demon was lying. Yeah. But. Knew that already." he looks down.
"Um. Can you tell Rune to come visit me when she's able?" he asks softly. "Seems everyone's resting. Don't blame."
Gaofele Doiru nods as he munches on his food. "Will do," he promises. "And your instincts serve you well, terrible wounds notwithstanding. You were closer, and faster; you had the best shot at protecting her, and you did."
He claps a hand to Hinote's shoulder, taking care not to jostle him too much. "You did well," he smiles gently. "I'd say that Waldia owes you a debt, but that's been true for quite a while now."
Hinote Kagari winces at that but smiles. "Gaofele, Please don't say that. I help. It's what I do. I took an Oath. I've been working really hard to keep that Oath. It's been so easy though for me to do that." he mutters. "When I came close to breaking it.... with that incident with the Puella Magi... I felt so bad Gao." he says weakly.
He looks down. "I wish Runealy could stop seeing herself as weak..." he finally says softly. "...you guys tell me stories of---the 'First Queen', but--- even she couldn't do it alone. She needed her friends.. the first Guardian Knights to do it. That's how the story goes... right? That's what's been told to me. I've heard it a couple times now..." he murmurs.
There's a thoughtful pause as Gao contemplates what Hinote said. "I think... that might be a good thing to remind her of," the forester muses. "There is greater strain on the Barrier than in generations past, which means that it's harder than it's been in the past."
He paces around. "The order of the Guardian Knights has been inactive because -- there was no need for them. The pressure on the Barrier was low enough that all it took was one person," he remarks, thinking out loud. "But this generation, there's more strain -- more than can be fixed by just one person."
He looks at Hinote. "Now we just have to remind her of that. And more challenging -- convince her to believe in it."
Hinote Kagari nods. "Just....something I was thinking... I dunno when. I've been awake for a small bit. Not very long." he says pained. "But maybe has something to do with...Runealy talking about Restoration Day before that thing came along." he mutters.
"I hope she can belive. We can't make her. She has to do that on her own." he says. He finishes up his fries and hands Gao the empty. "I can't have that in here. Too many questions." he says finishing up the drink.
"Mom and Dad are gonna have plenty as it is when they finally wake up and check voicemail..." he mutters. "No idea how I'm going to explain 'giant hole in my torso'." he smirks a bit with a pain.
"I think I'll be fine in a day or two though. Doctors seemed surprised I was up." he mutters.
Gaofele Doiru nods, putting the empty items into the empty bag. "Still, get well soon," he replies, a relaxed smile on his face. "I know we'll all be more relieved once you've fully healed -- especially Rune."
The forester walks over to the window, then pauses for a moment. "It's always an honor to fight alongside you, Hinote," he remarks. "I know it often goes without saying... but this is one of those times where it just needs to be actually said, instead of just implied."
He summons his viney quarterstaff, then pokes it out of the window and silently commands the vines to grow. Ivy erupts from the staff, latching onto the outer wall above Hinote's room. "Sleep well," Gao says as he climbs into the window frame. "I'll pass the word along for Rune to visit you, and I'll make sure she takes it easy while she recovers."
And with that, he pulls himself up onto the patch of ivy, then leaps away, a few leaves from the plantburst and the ivy fluttering past Hinote's window as the plants fade back into nothingness.
Hinote Kagari ughs and nods. "Right...he says. Same with you Gaofelle." he says with a smile. "Even if I can't think straight right now and probably would have something more flowery for me to say otherwise..." he smirks.
"Be well. Get some rest too." he finally says.
Ugh he rests his head against the pillow.
He still felt like trash physically. Maybe he'd feel better after a long sleep.