aah, your heart, aortic work of art

[liedol]

WHO: Ai, Waver, Diarmuid
WHERE: Ai's Labyrinth
WHEN: Backdated to like the 10th, tbh besties i have been fighting for my life out here
WHAT: Ai arrives in Kaisou and everyone has a fantastic time about it.
WARNINGS: Blanket heads up for canon typical CWs (& canon typical violence in this log specifically) and contextless OnK manga spoilers up to chapter 154

Comments

[liedol]

[ When she wakes, it's to the sound of a film reel clicking and whirring and the sallow light of a projector shining into her eyes. She doesn't know how long she's been out or even how long she's been awake. Just that awareness suddenly pours into her like water gushing to fill a vessel and with it comes the understanding that she's splayed out ungracefully in front of an empty sea of velvety seats, the room lit only by the flickering glow of the projector.

Oh, the part of her brain still able to think manages to supply. Of course she would wake up on stage.

On trembling, nearly boneless legs, Ai slowly climbs to her feet. As if from some great distance, she continues to keep a tally of all the things her senses are supplying. Her feet are bare, chilled by the stage under her. There's sticky warmth plastering her dress to her body and with a dreamy immediacy, she knows why without even having to look - blood plastering her clothes to her body, so much that her dress is sodden and heavy all the way to the hem hanging at her calves. Her hands and sleeves, nearly up to her elbows. She tastes copper in her mouth and realizes it must be on her lips, too.

She should probably be afraid. Panicked, even. But the feeling filling her veins is an odd, surrendering sort of calm, almost an absence of any feeling at all other than the relief that the wound in her stomach no longer hurts at all.

She makes her way off the stage and with no idea of what else to do with herself, drifts towards the exit of the screening room. The door swings open to a perfectly normal-looking movie theater lobby, complete with posters for unfamiliar movies, a concession stand overflowing with popcorn and... nobody else at all. There's no windows, but another set of double doors for her to leave through so she heads for those. They swing open at her touch and she steps through to -

The lobby again. She blinks in confusion, but sure enough, there's the concession stand with the popcorn spilling out of its bins and the posters of people she doesn't recognize. She turns back around to try the door she just came through, but finds that it's not there anymore - the wall behind her is blank.

She swallows convulsively and her spit tastes coppery.

It occurs to Ai to wonder if this is a dream. Or something worse.

With more haste in her stride than before, she makes for the double doors again. Once more, the same lobby. That's what she thinks when she takes a cautious step into it but when she casts around to look for any change, she realizes the concession stand is now packed full of glossy, freshly cooked white rice. She doesn't even realize she's bolted for the doors until they're already clattering open ahead of her and she stumbles back out into the lobby once again.

This time, the posters on the wall are all of B-Komachi - the advertisements for the dome concert. The concession stand is full to bursting with white rose petals.

For the first time, a hairline crack splits the shell of eerie calm that had surrounded her and a thin, inarticulate whine leaks out from her throat. She has no idea where she is, what's going on or even how she's here in the first place. She just knows she needs to get out.

She makes for the doors again, the first flickers of panic beginning to spark in her chest. Surely if she goes through enough times, she'll find her way out.

Surely. ]

[twofoldfury]

[The monumental feeling of uselessness and failure has weighed heavily on Diarmuid's heart this month, to think it's barely started. As much as his friends are there for him, as much as he did not want them to worry he couldn't show them how much the events of the month have taken his own spear to his already splintered heart, only not shattering because he can't.

He could with one person, but even then there was more to be done.

It's a quiet period all things considered when he spotted the tear in reality. The fearful whine on the other side. And his mind went back.

... It's been a year. A year since he was lost in his own labyrinth, confused, concerned, searching for the one he devoted himself to in a frenzy because he should have been dead.

How could he not want to lend his help so whoever was behind that tear did not have to be lost for long?

So the next door Ai opens, regardless of the surroundings that ripped her heart wide open, there would be a man at the other side as if he came through the doors she should exit. Strikingly attractive, immediately concerned at the blood that covered her but being unfortunately aware by experience that they likely weren't from injuries sustained here. But by wherever she was before this. She was horrified, clearly. Maybe moreso by this mysterious handsome stranger. So when he approached, it was slow. Patient. Like his tone.]

Are you alright?

[liedol]

[ She's so intent on the process of putting one foot in front of the other - getting out, getting out, getting out - that for a good few seconds, Ai looks at the stranger, makes a beeline for him even, but she doesn't really see him. It's not until his voice breaches the haze of panic in her head that she snaps into focus and the situation finally processes.

There's a man in front of her, one she's never met before in her life. He's dressed like he's ready to go to war and he's looking at her like she's something to be pitied.

She freezes on the spot.

For a moment, Ai can't speak - she doesn't know what to say, can't remember how to form words, let alone the pretty and polished ones she would want to dredge up when faced with a stranger for the first time. They'd have to be prettier and even more polished than ever to make an excuse for being in a state like this, but her brain refuses to supply her with anything of the sort.

And then finally, a noise dislodges itself from her chest. A laugh - shaky, a little too loud. Without her even meaning to, her hand finds the spot on the front of her stomach and grips it hard enough that the fabric squelches grotesquely between her fingers. ]

Ah... ahaha! I'm fine - I'm totally fine - aah, am I making a scene?

[ She smiles - bright and sunny and picture perfect and completely wrong. When her teeth flash, those too are tinged with blood. ]

I think I just got a little lost, that's all...

[twofoldfury]

[... That's a strange... tinge in the back of his mind at her words. It didn't take a genius to tell that she was trying to play whatever happened to her off. He moved closer, to stand just in front of her but not so close that he was completely looking down on her with their substantial height difference.]

I wouldn't go so far as to say that, but when I see a lovely young woman stained in blood it would cause alarm for most people to say nothing of a knight such as myself seeing it. I hope you'll excuse me for being so bold as to say as much.

[Strange for someone in this day and age to refer to himself as a knight without a shred of irony in his tone. But given his choice of attire, it sort of tracked.]

You may be at ease, I mean you no harm. In fact, allow me to offer my hand in helping you out of this place and take you somewhere safe. [Said doing just that, offering her a hand to either take or not. He didn't flinch at the blood at all, didn't mind it. He just held as much of a forced, but earnest smile as she tried to hold through her fear and pain.] If you were injured before, you'll find it healed but if you're unable to walk far I will help you with that as well. Suffice it to say for now that I'm familiar with the situation you're in, my lady.