Don't be ridiculous! You just cut your own hand off - the least I can do is help with this. Sit there.
[ the idea of him trying to bandage his ghoulish new injury with a prosthetic skeleton of a hand is too pathetic to allow. Besides, she's here. There's no reason for him to do it himself other than pure stubbornness. And while Fiora's well aware that he has that in abundance, she's got plenty of her own to push back against it. She pats his knee again, then gets up to grab the bandages, moving at a fast clip to get back to his side at once. ]
[He hates being indebted to anyone. Their minds are both made up, however, and Fiora is swifter. Rufus watches her with heavy breaths, as if expecting her to drop the supplies in front of him and let him do the work on his own.]
[He has little in the way of choice. If he delays much longer, he'll lose all the benefits of applying a tourniquet in the first place. Pain is one thing; shock is another.
[ thank goodness he behaves when he needs to. She's more practiced here, thanks both to Dunban's Monado-induced burns from before, and from the general perils of living in Colony 9, where injuries from debris, Mechon, and monsters are common enough. Despite her metallic hands and current lack of sensation, she's surprisingly gentle, wrapping the injury with careful efficiency. ]
... There.
[ the bandages are fixed on, and her job is done; simultaneously, her adrenaline begins to ebb. She breathes out a heavy sigh, head dropping a little, hand still loosely holding his arm. ]
[Given her background, it's no surprise that she would know what she's doing. Between the two of them, it was never a contest as to who would wrap the injury better. The biggest difference is that she's gentle where he would've been prompt and rough, and his eyes twitch only once in the process.
His arm, throbbing from all that it's been put through, sits in her light grasp.]
Then you better try. Who am I supposed to trust here if something happens to you?
[ a bit more plaintive than even Fiora expected, but she looks like she means it, picking up her head to give him a hard stare before gently releasing him.
As the weeks go by, she knows less and less who she can trust - with Virid being the first to betray what she believed. Rufus, though, has been exactly as he seemed since day one - and while parts of that can be irritating, above all else, it's made him more reliable than anyone else. She's sure he doesn't see her as a friend, not the way she'd like him to, but she can be satisfied with having a partner. ]
... It's hard to trust a lot of people when they're out there stabbing each other in the back every week.
[ more honest than she usually is. Fiora's usually trying to keep everyone's spirits up. There's not really a point in doing that with Rufus, though; he'll be dour no matter what, and what's more, he'd criticize her optimism, too. So she won't pretend otherwise. ]
[He could tell her that he'd told her so—that having expectations of others will only lead to the feeling of betrayal in the end. He could, but he doesn't. She's already had a taste of that bitter medicine, and he has no interest in pouring salt over festering wounds.]
The removals can be attributed to the splintering of nova.
[He stays in position for a while longer before stowing his things, including the hand, for disposal in the near future. There isn't much time left on this night. Sparing no glance at Fiora—he's imposed enough—he settles against a large stone and closes his eyes, listening to the fire as it crackles, in anticipation of their oncoming unconsciousness.
It's time to rest. There's no telling if either of them will remain awake tonight.]
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[ the idea of him trying to bandage his ghoulish new injury with a prosthetic skeleton of a hand is too pathetic to allow. Besides, she's here. There's no reason for him to do it himself other than pure stubbornness. And while Fiora's well aware that he has that in abundance, she's got plenty of her own to push back against it. She pats his knee again, then gets up to grab the bandages, moving at a fast clip to get back to his side at once. ]
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Can you hold your arm towards me?
[ this, at least, she has some experience with. ]
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With some reluctance, he offers her his arm.]
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... There.
[ the bandages are fixed on, and her job is done; simultaneously, her adrenaline begins to ebb. She breathes out a heavy sigh, head dropping a little, hand still loosely holding his arm. ]
Rufus... Don't ever do something like that again.
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His arm, throbbing from all that it's been put through, sits in her light grasp.]
I can't promise that.
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[ a bit more plaintive than even Fiora expected, but she looks like she means it, picking up her head to give him a hard stare before gently releasing him.
As the weeks go by, she knows less and less who she can trust - with Virid being the first to betray what she believed. Rufus, though, has been exactly as he seemed since day one - and while parts of that can be irritating, above all else, it's made him more reliable than anyone else. She's sure he doesn't see her as a friend, not the way she'd like him to, but she can be satisfied with having a partner. ]
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What happened to trusting a lot of people?
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[ more honest than she usually is. Fiora's usually trying to keep everyone's spirits up. There's not really a point in doing that with Rufus, though; he'll be dour no matter what, and what's more, he'd criticize her optimism, too. So she won't pretend otherwise. ]
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The removals can be attributed to the splintering of nova.
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[ Fiora shakes her head. ]
Anyway... your hand, should we...?
[ what do they do with it now. this is a situation she never thought she'd be in. ]
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[And he swallowed some painkillers earlier. It does next to nothing, but it's something.
His gaze falls on the dagger he set down.]
Your blades . . . I will clean them.
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You don't have to, Rufus. You're already injured so badly. I can handle it.
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I wouldn't call this severe.
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You do know you just cut off your hand, don't you? If that's not severe, I hardly know what is!
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Listen. I appreciate the thought... I really do. But if you really want to pay me back, then you'll just rest for tonight. All right?
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[ she sits back again, resting her hands in her lap with a small metallic sound. ]
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It's time to rest. There's no telling if either of them will remain awake tonight.]