middaeg | [closed]

[ ... well. That's bad. Tieria may have threatened this boy, but he does not precisely want him dead. If he's alive and keeping his scret, that is really just fine.

Tieria wonders what he might have been doing up here, leading to him drowning like this - if it is drowning, anyway.

Not that it matters, the steps he needs to take remain the same. Theoretically. Though he is instructed on how to perform CPR, he has never actually had to do it.

But the upside is, Keith can't wind up deader than dead, so. Worth a try anyhow, even if his wet cold body is definitely gross.

He draws Keith a little further out of the water, places his head properly so if he feels like breathing again he can start anytime, really, and begins delivering compressions to his chest. ]

[ Keith has had a long time to contemplate his own death. At times that extended period of uncertainty, of walking around with a guillotine suspended above his neck never knowing when it was set to drop had seemed worse than the actual dying. If he'd been given some time to mull this over in peace, maybe he'd actually have some pithy quip about the end of the line, but as it is waking is a sudden and violent whole body experience as a weight repeatedly slams down on his ribs like something or someone wants him to spit out his soul.

What comes out of his mouth isn't that, of course, but water from the river that trickles from the corners of his lips and onto the ground. It's all purely mechanical, the way pressing on a water balloon would make water slosh out, and the realization that the sole effect of clearing water from his airway changes nothing about how well he is or isn't able to breathe is as jarring as the next time his ribcage is compressed.

Keith's eyes snap open, his vision swimming and unfocused before he spots the familiar sight of the sisters in the night sky. Questions like where the hell he is, how long he's been out, whether Allura was able to escape from those horrific monsters -- all of those are distant, hazy, seemingly inconsequential when his throat feels raw, and there's a warm body just within reach to soothe it. A living, breathing creature with a vivid pulse and warm blood in its arteries.

Keith's hand snaps out before he's even bothered identifying what or who it is. his grip is icy and vice-tight to keep his prey immobilized while he sits up and locks with... ]

...You?

[ What the hell is this guy doing here? He halfway wants to know, but it's not really conversation he's after right now. His grip tightens, making the joints in his hand crack and pop from the residual stiffness. God, he's starving. Perhaps that much will get clearer to Tieria as well when Keith yanks on his arm to pull the other boy closer. ]

That's fine by me.

[ For a very short moment, Tieria gets to experience satisfaction. It's not relief, because he doesn't care that much of Keith lives or dies, but Tieria is still pleased that Keith is waking up as he should – even with his lack of CPR experience.

This contentness is extremely short-lived however, as Keith graps a hold of him with a speed that catches Tieria entirely off-guard. Before he knows it, he's held in place by Keith and a feeling of dread spreads all through his body as he struggles to break free, shoving against Keith's damp chest, in vain. ]

Let go of me! Is this a way to treat someone who just saved your life?!

[ Oh is that what Tieria did? Saved his life? The corners of Keith's lips tug up into a sardonic grin. It's so funny, but he isn't laughing. Keith grabs Tieria's other wrist just as the pilot tries to shove him away. ]

My hero.

[ THe mockery is sof, spun like soft silk as Keith makes eye contact. The moment could almost be perversely tender under a different set of circumstances. But as Keith speaks his next few words, they're heavily laced with vampiric magic. ]

Be still. Let's be friends.

[ ... huh? Tieria feels his movements still and fear subside, and for a moment he has the good sense to be utterly confused by it. This is a non-sequitor, he's not meant to be comfortable with this person who is manhandling him so roughly.

Friends... To begin with, Tieria barely knows what that is. Are the members of Celestial Being his friends? Yes and no. More like comrades, maybe even family, an extension of his own goals and dreams.

Keith is not that, Keith is not a comrade, he's...

A friend, yes.

He's a friend and there is no reason to fight back against a friend. ]

... yes, of course.

[ That's much better. Keith releases one of Tieria's wrists and brushes a sweep of hair away to expose the boy's neck to the night. ]

Glad we finally understand each other.

[ Murmured like they're having an actual conversation, Tieria might spot a glint of fangs in Keith's mouth just before he closes the gap between them and buries his nose into Tieria's neck. ]

You're so warm....

[ And so pliant. So long as he can magically enforce his will on the other. Somehow a battle of wills only seems fitting for them. Wasting no further time, Keith opens his mouth and sinks his fangs into a pulse point. Vampire venom might be able to dull some of the pain, but that's never a sure guarantee and one way or another, the comfort of his prey is the last thing on his mind. As warm, fresh blood flows from the wounds, Keith can't help shivering at the taste. ]

[ Tieria flinches, though he doesn't resist. Keith is his friend and he can trust him, even as he bites into his neck, even as he sucks and there is a strange sensation of blood flowing out his neck at a speed that shouldn't quite be real.

It's okay. They understand each other.

Isn't that important? It's surely very important. Tieria lingers on that thought, this idea of understanding, as a more logical part of his brain screams that even if he isn't human, he still needs blood and it is vacating him far too quickly right now. ]

[ A bondless naga's blood isn't as magically charged as a witch's would be, but it's blood all the same and gulping it down brings immediate relief. All the dull aches and pains in his body, the injuries from the day before, and of course the all-consuming drive to feed all seem to come down in intensity when there's such an abundance of blood that the scent of it fills his nose and he can't swallow as fast as it's being pumped out by Tieria's beating heart. If Keith still had a beating heart of his own, surely they'd match each other's rhythm. Truly, the kind of bonding experience that they both wanted.

Even so, he can't help being greedy. Perhaps a little carelessly, he lets Tieria's other wrist go in favor of gripping his shoulders. ]

Edited 2020-08-10 22:30 (UTC)

[ Ah... he's getting dizzy. That's what comes with excessive blood loss, he knows this. It's not the first time he's experienced it, the feeling of passing out because your injuries are just too severe and you've just lost too much--

-- and last time that had happened, he'd been fine with it. Fighting to the very end, giving it his all, and finally getting to go to rest and maybe, just maybe, see Lockon Stratos once more....

This isn't that time.

They are no longer so hopeless. Celestial Being is standing up once more. Tieria has something that he desperately needs to return to. His fight isn't over. A-LAWS is still out there and they're down to only two Gundam Meisters. He can't afford it, dying in a place like this.

Not even for a friend.

And especially not for one who isn't a friend of all.

It's freeing to be in control of his own mind once more, and even though his body is starting to feel very sluggish, Tieria moves immediately. He never moves anywhere without his gun, and drawing it comes as natural as being. He is a Gundam Meister. He is made to fight.

So before he gives Keith any chance to react, the barrel is pressed to his chest.

Tieria pulls the trigger. ]

[ The sensation of something metal being pushed into his chest barely gets any time to be registered before the explosion of noise and then...

Keith jerks unnaturally backwards as the bullet makes an agonizing path through his chest and out of his back. The gunshot rings painfully in his ears, mixing with the sound of a choked scream. His scream that's partly muffled by the blood still in his mouth. Blood dribbles down his chin and neck as he coughs weakly.

Mind swimming in and out of numb disbelief, Keith reflexively gasps for air he technically doesn't need and looks down his front. Eyes round with shock, he brings a shaking hand up to gingerly touch the hole in the right side of his chest. At point blank range, the bullet's managed to go straight through him, cracking and shredding through bone and lung. If the blood loss didn't manage to kill, then an expanding tension pneumothorax absolutely would.

Under most circumstances that is.

Chest heaving, beads of sweat start to trickle down the back of Keith's neck as a wave of panic engulfs him whole. Can he die again like this? What happens then? What if? ]

Fuck!

[ This time he yells loudly, clearly. Much too clearly for someone who should theoretically have a collapsed lung. Keith straightens up, swaying slightly as he reaches to grab Tieria by the neck. Curiously, neither the hole in his chest nor the hand trying to crush Tieria's throat are covered in more than a smudge of dark blood. ]

Edited 2020-08-11 06:51 (UTC)

[ Whatever limited capacity for rational thought Keith had in this state, it's all but gone in a flash of further bloodlust. His other hand swipes viciously at Tieria's gun to try and dislodge it from the pilot's grip.

There's an damn near feral look in his eyes as he snarls. ]

That hurts, you know.

[ If the bullet had been made of silver or any other holy material said to actually be able to kill vampires it could have put a stop to both of their misery, but as it is Keith's entire world may as well be reduced down to burning pain and the instinct to drink even more blood to numb it. ]

[ That hurts? What a laughable concern. It hurt, having his blood sucked out. It hurt when Keith is propelled backwards and his teeth that were so firmly lodged in Tieria's neck are ripped out without any finesse, only widening the wounds. Where does Keith get off complaining about such a thing?

The strength of the hand that is choking him feels entirely inhuman, and the fact that pain has made Keith imprecise is about the only advantage Tieria has going for him right now as he manages to keep hold of his gun. Even so, he can't aim like this, and if he fires while trying to evade Keith's attempts to snatch it away, he might just hit himself instead.

He needs a Plan B, and he needs it soon, before his vision threatens to go dark from lack of oxygen.

So Tieria does about the only thing he can think of - propel his knee upwards. Crotch, abdomen, it doesn't matter, as long as he can only startle Keith and break free---!! ]

[ The knee connects with his abdomen, making Keith grit his teeth as another bolt of pain radiates from his torso. Being undead may come with some vampire perks of resilience to dying, but pain is something he can still very much feel and it only fuels him into further violence.

His grip slackens, but only momentarily as his other hand comes up to yank at the back of Tieria's hair to try and force eye contact yet again. The thrall he can cast isn't perfect, of course, but he doesn't need it to be when Tieria is weaker from blood loss.

And really, what a waste. All that blood staining his clothes instead. ]

Stop resisting.

[ lance hadn't hesitated to be on his way when allura broke the bad news to the voltron house. he knew that this day would come but he was at least hoping to be present (or, well, generally around) for when it happened. turns out that's not the case, and keith's body has gone missing. allura mentions that he might be near the river banks at the wilde, and that's honestly the best place lance could've gone towards, being a merrow and all.

he's quick to enter the wilde, swallowing any fears he has of entering this area. his best friend needs him, and he's determined not to let keith down. no matter what it takes.

he gets in a little further, and that's when he hears the gunshot and the loud yell that follows it. there's no mistaking it -- that's keith's voice. lance immediately goes into panic mode and clutches onto his weapon as he follows the source of the sound.

and when he arrives....well. this was not the scene he was expecting to see. ]

KEITH!

[ he sounds pretty angry, but mostly panicked. ] Get off of him -- wait.

[ he catches sight of the hole in keith's chest, then looks up tieria with a look that's uncharacteristically filled with rage. but lance shifts his focus -- whatever he has left of it, what with his mind racing -- back to keith, and tries to yank him off. ]

C'mon, you two, cut it out!

[ Hearing his name yelled by a familiar voice splits his focus, diverting concentration away from casting a thrall. But it only takes a second glance at the gun still in Tieria's hands and the faint reminder of an old death threat for Keith to go right back to trying to grabbing the boy.

Except when he swipes again at the gun, his reach is off. Arms lock around his torso from behind as he's physically dragged back. ]

Lance-- [ He struggles, thrashes really, trying to pull himself free. Eyes wild, there's anger in his voice, yes, but a trace of fear as well. ]

He's gonna shoot! Can't let him-- let go!

[ Someone else is here. Normally that should fill Tieria with relief because he's clearly the victim in this scenario and should be getting saved, but... this person knows Keith, seems to care for Keith....

And that's precisely why he won't put the gun down for even a second, adjusting his aim as soon as he has enough freedom to do so. It's too bad his hands are shaking, because he's so dizzy and wheezing heavily, but... he can still shoot. Maybe a head shot is what it would take for Keith? ]

Give me... one good reason not to.

Because he's not in his right mind and he's hungry! He can feed off of someone else if he just comes home and nobody has to die!

[ lance is visibly shaking, what with tieria still holding onto his gun, pointing it right at keith -- which may very well go through him too, if he shoots. lance doesn't let go of keith, though. he keeps pulling as hard as he can, but his strength can't keep up with keith's and he's slowly letting keith slip out of his grasp.

he forces himself to look tieria in the eye. he looks angry and even more terrified, but he's going to do what he can to assert himself. this situation is out of control. it's up to him. and if he fails here... ]

Put the gun down. I'll deal with him.

Edited 2020-08-13 06:40 (UTC)

[ Having the gun aimed at his head only makes Keith struggle harder. The bullet wound in his chest continues to burn like it's been doused in kerosene and set on fire and the threat of having that happen to him a second time is enough to compel him to fight for his life.

Un-life?

Whatever the semantics of that are, Keith manages to wrest one of his arms free from Lance's grip. Why is he even being held back? Isn't it obvious that Tieria is a problem that has to be dealt with? ANd isn't it all the better if part of dealing with Tieria conveniently means taking care of his own needs? The enticing smell of the Gundam Meister's blood is everywhere, and if he can just stay focused on that then maybe he'll stop feeling so goddamn empty.

He's only half way paying attention through the fervor clouding his head, but there's a phrase that sticks: come home. In a more regressed state of mind, it makes Keith freeze. Home. It doesn't sound right -- he can't go back home to his dad's house with the tire swing out front. ]

What are you--

[ Yet he does still have a home here, right? A home with Lance, Shiro, Allura, Kolivan ... the cat and the wormipede. It's a different spot in his chest that's starting to hurt as some deeper seated longing to be with friends and bonded takes root. Is it really all so simple as just ... listening to Lance? Letting Lance "deal with him" as he's putting it? Or is that just Lance's way of getting him to be more docile and easier to hurt more? Delirious and panicked, Keith halfway wants to claw himself free and end everything right now.

Tieria Erde can't be trusted. Tieria Erde is a terrorist who just casually threatened to kill him. Tieria is someone who won't take unnecessary risks, so why the hell should he be given the same courtesy?

But he wants to go home and the offer of nobody needing to die is something he can't shake off as easily. ]

Lance, don't...

[ Even if it defies every instinct he has, Keith forces himself to stop struggling. He can trust his best friend to make things right, can't he? Closing his eyes, he grits his teeth and braces himself for another gunshot. ]

[ When Keith ceases his insistent fight to get back at Tieria, Tieria can finally take a deep breath and steady himself just a little more. He's dizzy, so incredibly dizzy. It's an awful condition to make any judgement call in. But he needs to survive. Whatever happens, he needs to live through this and eventually return home. Blood loss can't keep him from his mission. Nothing can.

Unfortunately, that means the gun stays up. He's just not firing.

Think, Tieria, think. Can he make it out of the Wilde alone? How far is it back to the city? His thoughts are blurring...

One thing at a time, alright. He can do that. ]

There is no reason you can't take care of him while the gun stays up. He tried to kill me. Pardon me for not trusting any friend of his.

[ lance is glad that keith finally stops struggling, but tieria's insistence on keeping the gun up is infuriating. lance doesn't move for a second, letting the gears turn in his brain -- well, trying to jumpstart them, rather. it's really hard to concentrate with a gun pointing in his direction. ]

Just -- don't shoot. Please.

[ his voice is desperate when he says it, and after a moment, he turns to keith. he moves so he's at keith's side rather than behind him now, pulling off his jacket and pressing it over keith's wound to try to stop the bleeding. ]

Keith, you have to listen to me, okay? Let's go home. Allura can heal this -- [ he has choke back a sob. he's so scared. he's scared that he's going to lose his best friend tonight to some random jackass who's refusing to back down. kolivan is trying to calm him down but lance is too stressed to feel it. ]

please. Don't do anything stupid.

Edited 2020-08-15 02:56 (UTC)

[ Keeping his eyes shut, Keith waits. Waits for another gunshot, another round of searing pain -- something. But when the worst that happens is more talking, Keith opens his eyes. The gun is still aimed at his head, and his glare is feral when he locks eyes with Tieria.

But before he can say or do anything, Lance presses the jacket to his chest and Keith looks down in tandem. The wound isn't bleeding much, oozing more than anything now that his heart's stopped beating entirely. Under a different set of circumstances, he'd find this jarring, but for the time being he clutches the jacket to his injury. Out of sight, out of mind. ]

I don't trust him..

[ Eyes snapping back up to Tieria and his shaky hands. ]

You can't even promise not to shoot accidentally. Put that down.

[ Tieria hesitates. He is shaking, and that is an undeniable fact. He will have to either make it to the city fast or somehow find a save place to rest up a little, because the way things are now, he simply won't last. That means he can't draw this situation out...

If those two won't move away while he has his weapon raised, then this standoff will only work to his detriment. It's that thought which motivates him to at least lower the gun, though he is certainly not letting go of it. ]

Get out of my sight or I will shoot.

[ He has... no idea if he'll really be able to make it back on his own, but like hell is he going to rely on the murder vampire and his buddy. ]

[ lance glances over at keith for a moment, shooting him a firm look -- listen to him -- before looking at tieria. the gun is doing nothing to put him at ease, though the feelings transmitting through his bond with kolivan are helping him center himself. it's enough to get lance to reach into his utility belt with one hand. he holds out his other hand towards tieria, palm up and out as if to say "don't shoot", and he slowly pulls out something that looks like a vial.

there's liquid in it, and lance slowly sets it on the ground. ]

Healing potion. Take it or leave it, your choice.

[ he's fully expecting tieria to leave it, but right now all he cares about is going home. ]

Keith. Let's go.

[ Keith catches Lance's expression, then looks away teeth grit. Home, yes. He wants to go home. And he wants to ensure that Tieria isn't going to take that from him. Mind swimming a little from pain, he puts his foot on the vial after Lance leaves it on the ground.

Stay focused on home, not on the blood. He can do that for a little longer, right? Fangs still sharp in his mouth, he leans a little on the other paladin as he speaks to Tieria. ]

Give the gun to Lance. Then I'll kick the vial over to you. We'll leave the gun on the ground for you to find when we've got a five minute head start.

I am not disarming myself.

[ Unfortunately for everyone involved, Tieria doesn't even need a moment of thought to shoot down this suggestion. The gun may not be pointed at anybody anymore, but it is still absolutely in his hands. ]

You can walk like this. Walk backwards if you must, so you can see I am not raising my weapon. That is all concession I am willing to make to one who frankly deserves death.

[ That's not at all an upsetting thing to say in this situation.... ]

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SORRY FOR TLDR

omg

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i'm so sorry about this tag

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