Iron and Rain

"You remind me of myself when I was your age, so eager to toss myself into a fight never thinking about what comes next." She picked up the tea cup and brought it to Ryoshis mouth. He ended up drinking it all before his mouth piece closed shut. "Let me offer you some advice." She said as she started to pack her things up. "If you race toward death it will find that you can't take in what around you. If you take things slow you'll find this world has a lot worth living for. " She stood up with a grunt. "He should be up in about an hour, until then just keep him safe. It was nice meeting you." She got back onto her stilts and walked off into the fog.
 
It was hard for Akane to imagine the old wrinkled woman being her own age... yet there had been plenty of elders at her village that had many experiences and therefore offered great wisdom after what they lived through. So the young woman was curious of what she had to say. Easing feet closer to that of her legs as she crossed them, she listened eagerly, curiosity getting the best of her. It was... rather simple advice, something that should be rather common sense, she would think. For if one was dead, they could not look to the future. Yet if one stuck around, they might find something worthwhile in this grisly world. Akane wished to ask the elder what she had found worth living for... but before she could, she stood up with her things all packed, looking ready to be on her merry way.

"I... thank you," Akane said softly and a little bow of head, although she would remain at the fire as she watched the woman go. "It was nice to meet you as well. Safe travels." And then she was gone, leaving Akane alone with that of a still sleeping Ryoshi, his softening breaths at least a little noise to break up the eerie silence around them.
 
Some time passed and soon Ryoshi awoke with a groan. He looked around "Fuck I'm still in this hell..." He looked to Akane. "Did you heal me? I remember sealing the cut and after that everything is.... Fuzzy... Are you okay?" He grabbed his head as it was still pounding. "If we hurry we can make it out of this damned place."
 
Too much time had passed for Akane's liking, sitting upon the ground and staring into the crackling fire in order to keep her fatigued eyes open. Randomly she found she would have to rise to her feet and walk about the fire just to keep sleep from overtaking her, knowing that she could not allow such a thing to happen if she wanted both her and Ryoshi to survive until sunrise. Which would make for a hell of a day traveling the following day...

She was beginning to look like a mere zombie herself, blinking eyes hard and flickering the dulled orbs to Ryoshi as he awoke and she felt a relieved breath escape her. "Finally... I was wondering whether or not I'd just been played the fool..." she muttered and reached up and over her head to stretch. Although she was rather relieved to see the man awake... of course she would never allow him to see such a thing. "Unfortunately," she replied to his mutter of still being stuck in this place of death.

Bracing hands on the ground, she rose with a groan herself and came over to check out his wound with a glance, everything appearing in order. "No. A strange woman found our fire and walked within it. She offered service for credits. I didn't think it would hurt." He couldn't see the state he was in while he was passed out. She was quite worried... she had expected infection and for it to overtake him by the sight that he was.

"I... could use some sleep. Otherwise, I'm fine. And I'd rather get out of this hell first. Then we can both get a proper night's rest."
 
"Mmmm.... Get some sleep." Ryoshi stood up with a wobble. "Thank you for... Saving my life." He said before going quiet.

-----

The next day came in the foggy demonic hills, and rain, heavy sheets, had set in. It was cold and the laughed of creatures echoed all around them. Lightning cracked and thunder roared as the two moved. "Fuck me..." Ryoshi grumbled.

"Akane? It's dad, please slow down! Help me!" A monster copied her father's voice.

"Come on we're almost out of here!" The samurai called out, and pointed. For the first time in days there was the orange glow of a fire off in the distance.

Then off in distance, amidst the raging storm, there was this loud ear piercing screech and Ryoshi froze and looked behind them. Then he took off in a dead sprint "RUN!" he yelled.

From the fog behind them burst this horrific monstrosity of bone and flesh. It was barreling after them.

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Akane looked ready to argue, narrowing dulled eyes in the man’s direction although he would not see behind her mask. “But I—” Yet he seemed pretty resolute in his answer. He wanted her to sleep… and she didn’t have the strength to argue. “Just a… quick rest then,” Akane finally agreed and would sink back to the grass, feeling as though it was the most comforting thing in the moment as she curled up and eased head down like a sleeping animal. Yet, her ears would perk at his words with eyes closed and unable to open once she had shut them.

“Only… returning the favor…” she murmured quietly, for he had saved her multiple times by now. And even if he hadn’t, well, they were partners in the moment. And she would not have been able to live with herself if she had not tried everything that she could to help him. The silence spread over them and in mere seconds Akane was asleep.

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As wondrous as those few hours of rest had been, it was not enough. But Akane figured she would get the best night of sleep of her life if they could only make it out of these damned hills alive! Yet, it seemed as though the place was trying its best to throw every last bit of hell at them as they neared their exit.

It was the worst weather yet. A whirlwind of a storm that ripped through her cloak and made her practically frozen. They should have left right away. They could have been out of here by now if she simply pushed through her drowsy stupor. “This is… incredibly… atrocious…” Akane gasped and wound her fingers tightly into that of fabric to wrap about her form as she shivered. And on top of that, the voices started back up, although she would not allow them to grasp her mind any further.

“Fuck you…” She hissed and kept moving, for they could not afford to stop in these moments. They were so close… and Ryoshi only confirmed it as he made her aware of the glow of a fire in the distance…

Although she would not be able to spare a moment to admire such a beautiful sight. As behind them, there was a roar that shook her to her very feet! And nearly the earth beneath them as well…

She merely glanced… and the sight nearly finished freezing the entirety of her body, but Ryoshi’s yell would shatter the buildup of ice as she broke into a run. She was entirely sick of this place throwing its surprises at them…

“Fucking hell!!” She yelled as she had never seen such a monster in existence before… not to mention she wouldn’t even know where to start flinging arrows!! It was entirely made up of what appeared to be dead flesh!! Although, with her being to pick out the small details… she felt she was too close for comfort if that was the case! This thought urged her to move her feet faster.
 
The monster was fast though as it ripped through the hillside. It let out another mighty shriek and cut the two off. Ryoshi pulled his gun and started to fire *Bang!* *Bang!* "Aim for the head!" He shouted as thunder boomed around them. One bullet hit and the monster cried out in pain. The maw around its face snapped shut to guard itself. The swordsman fire again but the bullets just bounced off the hard bone.

The monster ran at him, Ryoshi drew his blade and took a stance, it swopped down at him with it's bony claw. The samurai rolled out of the way as the claw burried itself into the wet mud, however the hand print it left behind was massive.

Ryoshi took the opening and ran at it. He slashed at its body, driving his blade into it rotting body. The monster roared on pain and yanked it's hand from the ground. It whipped around as all it's attention was focused on the human who hit it.

"We need that maw open!" Ryoshi called out. He sheathed his sword, leaving it to heat up, and pulled a knife. The monster gave a kind of laugh at the pathetic display.
 
It was a truly terrifying creature, making Akane's heart shudder in the casing of her ribs, although it was soon very apparent that they could not outrun the thing. It scurried along the hillside and cut off their escape. If they could not outrun it.... then they would have to fight it. Of which Akane was not the most thrilled about. Not when everything in this undead wonderland seemed to have some sort of dastardly trick up hidden from view!

She assumed the large ones were no different.

The head... aim for the head! She could do that. She drew her bow and clenched her jaw, sending off an arrow that soared through the air... only to clunk against the hard bone and veer off to stick itself in the grass. Fuck. "Ryoshi, look out!!" She gasped and nearly thought the man was about to be squashed by the massive hand before he dove aside, barely missing it.

They weren't going to do any damage by wasting ammo shooting at the head that was encased! And Ryoshi was clear to point that out... but when could she do...? She bent her brows and eased the bow over her shoulder, releasing the blades that she was used to fighting with. This was just the kind of enemy her grappling hooks were made for. "I'm on it!!" She called to him before she ran toward the monster.

With it distracted, it should be relatively easy... should be. Those were always the key words. As things were always spontaneous in monster fights. You never knew what could happen. When she was close enough to the monster, she let loose a grapple, aiming for the back of the monster between shoulder blades of which the pointed harpoon-like hook sunk in a wet sound of flesh tearing before she reeled herself in. The mechanism was powerful. It had to be to hoist her up and through the air, needing to respond to her at the turn of a second, otherwise she would risk serious injury or death.

She made contact, flesh sticky and wet beneath boots, although she was too into fight mode to think about it too much... thankful for that. "Open up, you piece of shit!" She snarled and reared arm back to stick her long blade into the base of its neck.
 
The creature let out a huge scream as Akanes blade sunk into it's neck and cut into it's spine. It went limp but still stood. It shook for a moment and on it's left side one of bodies on its front slithered up through the skin and tried to pull on the blade. The other body grabbed Akanes wrist and tried to pull her off.

"Hey asshole!" Ryoshi shouted and started firing his gun and got some body shots off on the one who was pulling on her. From the holes a black putrid smelling substance poured and seeped in through the seals in Akanes mask. It hissed and let go to grab its chest. "Just a little more..." Ryoshi looked down at his sheathed blade.

The one yaking at the sword almost had it out and the body was starting to shake.
 
Spontaneity… exactly what she wasn’t thinking.

With blade sunk into the creature’s neck, it was the only thing giving her grip as the casing of the monster was slick and oozing. If she would have had a free moment, she probably would have opened up her helmet and emptied the contents of her stomach… but she had other issues at hand.

“Get the fuck off me!” She snarled as a ghoul that should have froze her in place for how frightening the empty sockets stared blankly as it tugged with surprising strength at her wrists, but soon ceased as Ryoshi let out enough rounds from his gun to make the creature let go. She would have to thank him later. Now to deal with the one trying to yank out her sword… which was the only thing keeping her from falling! “I don’t think so!” With feet planted on the creature, she pushed off with the flat of her foot and brought the other up and around to swing into the other body’s head. Although whether or not it worked she would not know, as the movement of swinging herself about dislodged her sword and sent her sprawling to the ground…

But not before she shot out another grapple, connecting to that of its chest and making her swing about, just enough to break her fall before she released it and tumbled to the ground, although the lighter impact probably saved her a snapped ankle. Being out of immediate danger in the moment… she could tell something was wrong. Her throat began to burn and her eyes blurred, letting out an anguished cry and in response sought to tug her mask off her head as she coughed and grasped at her throat, peering through teared vision to see an ooze of black that had somehow made it inside her mask! How the hell…??

The smell was awful… but it wasn’t much better out in the open air, with the sting of death drifting about them. Her stomach rolled, bitterness swirling dangerously within, but still she rose shakily to face the creature with Ryoshi, her dark hair swishing about her neck.
 
"Don't be so damn reckless!" Ryoshi called out but in truth be was impressed by what she had done. There was a flash of lightning as the monster let out a huge scream, tired of its dinner fighting back so hard.

*Beep Beep* Ryoshi sheath made a small noise. "About fucking time!" Ryoshi quickly drew his red hot blade, steam rising off it from the rain, and he plunged it into the beasts tail. It let out a howl of pain. "Rah!" The swordsman yelled pushed his blade through the rotting meat until he had cut clean through.

Putrid black ooze sprayed onto his armor, and for a second he really did look like demon.

The monster didn't stop though it let out a frenzied cry and went into a blind rage. From the stump of its burst the two bodies that were on its front they grabbed and attacked Ryoshi keeping him busy.

The main top section of the body, with it maw still shut turned to Akane "You... Are... A... Failure..." It growled in a low raspy voice. Suddenly everything hit the woman. The feeling of when she saw her home destroyed, the guilt of not being able to save anyone, the loneliness it left her with. Everything kept bombarding her, her head throbbing with crippling pain, all the negative emotions inside of her racking her body.

Ryoshi was starting to lose the fight as the two bodies wrestled with him, every time he cut them down they just got back up. "Akane don't listen! Its another trick!" He called out.

"You are worthless!" The monsters voice boomed in her ears. The feelings and emotions pounding against her skull.

"You could have saved us Akane!" Her mother screamed.

"Why weren't there!" Her father yelled.

"Akane don't listen!" Ryoshi called out again but his voice was small and far off.

"You were supposed to die with us!" One of her friends shouted.

"Akane!" Ryoshi screamed. The bodies were beating him back, the fire in his blade started to go out. The monster turned to him and opened it's gaping boney maw as Ryoshi was tossed to the ground. "Im coming to see you... My love." The samurai whispered and waited for his time to end.
 
Akane would have laughed at Ryoshi’s words if she would have had sufficient time to do so. This was her element! Well, sort of… not exactly the whole undead type scenario, and her grapple worked much better in areas that had more things for her to hook to, like trees. Her technique was usually a sort of, dive in, get a few swipes in with her swords, before diving away and then doing it all over again. However, with nothing else high to latch onto, she was stuck in the position she was now with two undead grabbing at her!

All until she dislodged her sword and went tumbling to the ground while the world around her seemed to blur and suddenly breathes were harder to take in. With her mask removed, she wasn’t exactly helping her situation, but she figured it was better than breathing in the black ooze that had somehow managed to slip inside her mask!!

“Fuck..!” She gasped and clutched at her stomach, wiping back tears from bleary eyes with her forearm as she bent over herself, feeling sick, and to make matters worse, the voices started up again. Her vibrant irises snapped upward, meeting that of the creature as its voice forced itself into her ears, as though jamming physical matter inside and scrambling her very brain.

Ah—!” Her teeth clenched tightly together and her small form doubled over as her hands dropped her weapons and came to her head, pressing… pressing… pressing… trying with every ounce of her being to keep the voice from penetrating her thoughts! “Stop… please…. STOP!!” She cried in agony as her head burned, a sharp and painful throb that felt as through a building pressure was rising within, continuing until she feared the pressure would be enough to crack open her very skull.

Ryoshi’s voice was there… but merely a whisper as it was blown away to be replaced with the ferocity of the creatures voice, pulling at her chest, feeling the very organ pounding away at her ribcage until it too felt like it was close to caving in. “I didn’t mean… I wanted…” Her voice quavered through her mourning cries as the voices of those so familiar filled her head once more until her own fingers were digging into the skin of her arms, making them bleed. “I’m sorry…. I’m so sorry…”

Sweat trickled from her hairline as sh struggled with these vicious inner thoughts, but even through blurred vision, she could see that of Ryoshi not too far away, as though a dream, as he was loosing his current battle with the creatures before him. Time seemed to slow and she closed her watering eyes to the faces of loved ones before her, their smiles, their kind eyes, and then their hands as they waved goodbye and disappeared.

She missed them every day… but she could not help them now.

But she could help Ryoshi.

Perhaps she would see them all sooner than she thought.

Akane rose upon shaking legs, her head still feeling as though it were about to split open, but she forced through it, a fire of determination set in blazing eyes as the monster sought to take Ryoshi from this world…

No. She wouldn’t let it.

The one person through years of loneliness and self-doubt that she was worth anything… he saw something in her and cared for her. Ryoshi, a man whom she still figured she barely knew, yet knew enough that he was a tortured soul just like herself. He saw her as she was and cared for her enough to keep picking her ass up off the ground so she could trail along with him. To most, it may not have meant much, but to Akane, it meant everything.

Hands moved of their own accord, dropping blades and aiming her grapple at one of the bodies near Ryoshi, hooking in and jamming the reel up to propel her body forward.

“Ryoshi… thank you…”

Striking feet first, the forward momentum of her body lurched into that of Ryoshi—which couldn’t have felt amazing—but it sent him rolling out of the way only for her body to replace his as the target, although the trajectory of the bony maw was now skewed and instead of chomping down on the entirety of her body like it would have Ryoshi’s promptly bitting him in half, it instead took hold of her arm.

Pain wasn’t even a word strong enough to describe it. The bone gnashed downward, not sharp enough to cut, but instead crushed skin, muscle, and bone, as a scream unlike any other sounded from her lips as she dangled uselessly from the bony maw. Her vision swam and her breath became a stutter as she cried in agony, black crawling into her vision as white flashed behind her eyes, whirling color as nerves were nearly fried with the signal of pain zipping through her body.

End it… please end it… I can’t take it…!!
 
Ryoshi was ready to meet his end, to let the peace of death wash over him. *WHAM!* Instead a hard jolt to his ribs sent him rolling off to the side through the mud. It took him a second to register what happened as he cleared the mud from his mask. A horrific sight befell him as she saw Akane dangling from the monsters mouth, her arm was only held together by a bit of bone.

Flashes of a life long sense past ran across his mind. A woman that he loved torn to shreds right in front of his eyes. Now the past had come back to repeat itself.

The creature laughed in an almost human like chordal. *SNAP!* What remained of her arm was crush and devoured by the beast as it chomped down again, blood pouring from between it's maw. What was left of the poor girl hit the wet mud with a slap.

"AKANE NO!" Ryoshi yelled as he got up and grabbed his blade. A fire burned inside him as he rushed it giving a mighty battle cry. He took out his gun and started to fire off round after round at the monsters boney maw. Remarkably he hit the same spot every time until finally the bone gave and cracked!

The monster cried out in pain and sung at him with it sharp claws. Ryoshi blocked and dodged in a rage of anger and sparrow. He got up onto the undead creatures back, fighting off the bodies that guarded with ease. He wedged his sword into the hole in the monster maw and pried it open with a feat of strength. He got his hand and foot to pry it open even farther now standing in it.

The creature was panicking as it whipped around trying to get the human off of it. Ryoshi didn't let go, and it one felt swoop broke the boney maw open. It now hanging off the side of the screaming monsters face. "Go to hell!" Ryoshi roared and ran his sword through the monsters skull. It let our one final howl of pain before hitting the ground with a thud.

Ryoshi didn't waste time though as he quickly went to wrap his cloak around his friend to try and stop the bleeding. He scooped her up and made a mad dash for the campfire they spotted. "I won't let you die!"

Deep in the darkness of Akanes consciousness words echoed and bounced around. "Open the fucking gate!" It was Ryoshi... He sounded worried. Then the sound of... Foot steps against a hard floor. Images of a blonde man standing over her flashed. "It will cost you Ryoshi."

"Just do it!" Ryoshi yelled.

And then... Nothingness for a long time. Darkness gave way to... The sound of a clock ticking and a white ceiling looking down at her. The smell of cleaning chemicals filled her nose...

"You're awake!" A familiar voice said next to her, though the voice didn't seem to match the face she saw. "Thank the Gods." It was Ryoshis voice... But he didn't have his mask on.

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There was second of bliss as her body fell from the height of the beasts clenched maw, and even as her body smacked into that of the muddy ground, the pain from impact would be nearly nonexistent. Or at least, she could not consciously rationalize it as a sharp heat radiated from her arm… what was left of it anyway, it having been reduced to that of a ragged stump at her elbow. It took mere seconds, but somehow her mind was unfortunately still conscious enough for a second round of agony as it ripped through her being. And all she could do was lay there and take it, feeling too fatigued to even let proper screams escape her lips, dwindled down to mere whimpers as the amount of blood that had poured from her wound was already in dangerous abundance.

Her body laid in a puddle now of her own blood, continuing to steadily leak as her eyes drooped and she felt a numbness take over her mind and body. Was she… dying…? Was this what it felt like…? She felt tired… feeling as though she just wanted to sink into the deepest sleep. It wasn’t as horrible as she thought it was going to be…. not so scary…

Then her peacefulness was jostled, a weighty fabric coming to envelope her as a mystery set of hands easily hoisted her small limp form up to rest against hard body. With arms cradling, her head eased against his shoulder as eyes fought against the sleepiness in them, forcing them open to slits to see the white muscled arms that safely clutched her within. Her foggy mind wandered, stumbled, then found what she was looking for and murmured underneath stuttering breath.

R-Ry—oshi….

She could hear the pounding of his heart as he ran, finding it was something to listen to, to keep her awake for as long as she could. Why was she…. fighting this so bad? She should just let go… to be with her loved ones that had probably waited too long for her presence wherever souls go after the body passes.

Yet…

She hesitated. It was in the way the very man held her against his body, with a desperateness that willed her to keep breathing, to stay alive. He didn’t want her to die… but why? She was just a stranger… a burden for him to continue dragging along with him. Why did he care…?

Her muddled mind couldn’t come up with an answer, only that this is what she managed to think as she dipped in and out of consciousness, listening to the concern that sounded in his voice whenever it managed to reach her. Of which she grabbed onto as tightly as she could, determined to keep her head above the dark waters that wished to consume her.

I’ll stay… I want to stay…! With you…. Ryoshi…


And then she faded, unknowing whether she was ever to wake again…

Until her sluggish mind decided to start working.

It was small things at first, the tick of a clock, the sharp stench of cleaning chemicals, the softness of something beneath her… and a presence of which was too familiar for her to miss. The lids of her eyes struggled, flickering with the effort of raising the lids that felt as though they were stone. Not to mention she didn’t dare try to move any part of her body, it was like a trap, waiting for her, waiting to try, only for pain to consume her if she did.

She managed to open them halfway, with irises that seemed more dulled than usual… only fair as she was more than likely coming off of pain medication and god knows what else that they pumped into her body to try and save her worthless hide.

And then his voice, her pupils just being able to flicker to where she heard the familiar voice, but instead found a rather unfamiliar face. Eyes shut again only for her features to twist up as she squeezed them shut, trying to clear the blur in vision as she opened them once more, but the same man remained. Still… he seemed familiar and his presence was comforting. It could only be one person.

“Ry-Ryoshi…” She breathed, raspy, unable to turn her dulled irises away from him. He… managed to save her…? How… she felt as though she had been so close to death. That it was nearly breathing down her neck, figuring she would simply pass in his arms… Where were they??

So many questions, yet she felt a parched and dry throat unable to ask them. She swallowed thickly and suddenly felt a sting behind her eyes, whether remaining from the emotion she was feeling before she fell unconscious or because she was simply overwhelmed in this current moment, she did not know, but only felt a soft whimper escape her lips as the fingers of her right hand, still flesh, slowly opened up as an invitation for his own.
 
He brought a cup of water to her mouth and helped her drink. Then grabbed her hand "It's okay, I brought you somewhere safe to someone who can help you... Did help you." He motioned to her now missing arm all the way up to her shoulder. There was a grooved metal plate that capped her stump, and bandages around the surrounding area. "I'm sorry, but it was either this or you die." He explained.
 
Grateful for the liquid that was much needed, he helped ease her head up just enough to dribble some of the water into her mouth and down her throat, although it skewed her brows as it hit her empty stomach, making her feel instantly ill...

She swallowed hard and closed her eyes for a moment as she tried to get her bearings, yet eyes would flicker to his hand that found her own in which feeble fingers slowly closed around his. She tried to squeeze, only to find that there was barely any grip strength there. Her watery eyes found his face, still trying to memorize, nearly surreal since this was the first time he'd ever allowed her to see him without his mask. Yet, it wouldn't be long before her eyes found something else instead, as her ears took in his words, with head bobbing in the opposite direction to find her left arm just... gone. Her eyes widened in surprised, still feeling as though she was in this stupor where none of it felt real... it was strange too, because before he pointed it out, she felt as though it was still there, that what had happened during the fight did not happen at all.

"G-Gods..." She gasped and felt as though it was hard for her to sort out the emotions running through her in the moment. Perhaps when her brain wasn't so foggy and she felt like it was actually functioning properly....

She dropped her head back to the pillow that she had been resting on as her eyes bobbled back to the man in front of her. "Th-thank... you." For saving me... for a moment there she didn't know if she had wanted to be saved... but she was glad he did.

"How long...?"

How long have I been out...? Her mind wondered, feeling as though her body had been a rock upon the bed for far too long. Everything ached and her body felt frail, as though her fingers would merely snap if Ryoshi squeezed them too hard.
 
Ryoshi watched as Akane looked over her body, his heart sunk a little after she saw what happened to her arm. He laced his fingers with hers "Just... Returning the favor..." He offered a small smiled. "You've been out for three days." He explained. "And I-" he started before there was a knock at the rooms door.

A tall blonde man in a white coat came in with a smile "Ah you're awake. Welcome back to the land of the living." He walked over to her and started to take her vitals. "My name is Doctor Brenner and you're very lucky to be a live Akane." He looked down on her with deep green eyes. "As you've probably noticed I had to take what was left of your arm off otherwise you would have died. Thankfully Ryoshi got you to me in time. Once you're feeling better we can go over replacement options. Any questions for me?"
 
Her glistening eyes regarded the aged man, seeing emotion in the eyes that she was seeing for the first time and felt it touch the throbbing vessel in her chest. His fingers slowly interlaced with her own and she felt a pleasant warmth blossom, and for once in her existence since she'd lost everything, she did not feel so alone. Her lips parted to speak, but she didn't know what to say.... she'd done what she had willingly, to save him, and did not expect anything in return. She knew the consequences of her action would very probably lead to her death, and yet Ryoshi had did all that he could to save her in return.

She closed those emotion tortured eyes for but a moment, squeezing them, before lids parted to take him in full view once more, looking entirely grateful despite what had occurred. Perhaps the trauma of losing her arm would hit her harder later, but for now, she was just thankful for him, to have a genuine companion looking after her well being for no other reason except that he cared. Her eyes glimmered with a sort of curiosity at the words Ryoshi would begin, but not finish in the moment as attention was soon upon a man that entered the room after a knock upon the door.

With a slight constriction in throat, it made communication even harder for her, and so she would simply offer the blonde haired man a small tilt of lips. Although, she thought his voice was somewhat familiar. Probably having heard it in small spurts while she drifted in and out of consciousness. Her eyes flickered to Ryoshi once more appreciatively as Doctor Brenner confirmed the fact that it was indeed Ryoshi's quick action that saved her life. Kneading chapped lips together for a moment, she would give a small shake of her head as she cleared her throat softly before her hoarse voice sounded, "No... thank you, doctor."
 
"Of course, I'll be back in later." He smiled at the both of them. Ryoshi smiled at him then back to Akane. "You should sleep, we can talk more tomorrow."

---

The day passed and the next one came with the soft pitter patter of rain against the glass window in her room. Ryoshi came in but this he had some food ready for her. "The food here sucks so I made you something myself." He smiled. It's was eggs, toast, and bacon they were all a little burnt. "Plus some tea for you."

He sat down and helped her eat and drink a little "How are you feeling?"
 
"I... am not sure if I am capable of sleeping a moment longer," Akane said, but was quickly mistaken as she sunk back down into her pillow and closed her eyes, all the while feeling the pressure of Ryoshi's hand in her own. The comfort was pleasing, and perhaps it was that of which allowed her to drift back into a rather deep sleep.

~

Having slept through the entire day and into the night, Akane's eyes would finally flicker open once more the following day, hearing the gentle drip drop of rain against the window of her room of which was nearly enough to make her fade back to the solace of darkness... until the door opened and she blinked lids to at least manage opening them halfway. She spotted Ryoshi once more, carrying in a plate of food and smiled upon seeing her awake once more. She subconsciously wondered if he had always been smiling beneath that mask of his, but she was just never allowed to witness it. Not until now when he decided to be without it.

Her lips actually managed to quirk upward, if a little sleepily, but it at least didn't look like a grimace this time. "The Ryoshi classic? Slightly burnt breakfast?" She asked which split that smile of hers just a little further, as though her cracking a jest was enough to answer the question that he had yet to voice. "This is unnecessary but... thank you." It was rather touching, honestly, to have him think of her in such a way that he'd take the time to try and make her something better than whatever they were serving here.

He gracious helped her to eat as it was still a little difficult for her to grip as she was just so weak from blood loss and lack of nutrients for four days. It was probably why she was so lethargic, but she would grow strength back with time, especially after getting something within her aching and empty stomach. As hungry as she thought she would be though, the first bite of which Ryoshi helped slip between lips, twisted her empty stomach as if it was not used to such things. She had to bit him to give her a moment to make sure it would settle before she would try another bite. A slow and tedious process it would seem.

"I... better, I think. I just feel rather tired and fatigued..." Like she wanted to sleep for three more days, although that was probably not exactly what she was needing. She needed to get up and be on her feet. Sometime soon anyway when she thought she was able. Yet, she felt more talkative this morning which had to say something.

"Why do you... hide your face with such dedication, Ryoshi...?" The question had floated around in her mind ever ever since traveling with him... but she'd never thought it proper to ask. But now, with mask removed and being graced with his features for the first time, she found nothing unpleasant of its presence. She had thought perhaps a morbid scar over features or something of the sort from an accident, something rather common that could happen in their work, but he was just a simple man, if looking a little aged from a hard life, but as was everyone's usually that lived in these times.