( closed ) driving in the rain.
Who: Our one and only Princess Sakura (
passtave) and a Gundam...
When: Days after 20th Vallaria, post Grisela Towers and hot spring events.
Where: Road to Petrosian.
What: Delivering boxes for Enprise's Worst Airship Captain.
Rating: None.
[ Although Sakura and Setsuna are already back to Heroic duties, it doesn't feel like it. So far, anyway. Today, the pair of Princess and Knight are en route to the faraway direction of Petrosian on-board the Gundam Meister's motorcycle. It's been at least an hour or two ever since they left Gresser, so they've covered a great distance by this time. Surrounding them are nothing but magnificent landscapes, from the skies above their heads and down to the earths they're treading through.
Speaking of the skies, although mostly pleasant, it's far from a perfect sunny weather. Small gray clouds are indicating that they'll be coming across light showers eventually, but it's all right as Setsuna has an umbrella among his belongings. He takes a small glance upward, momentarily staring at the picturesque heavens spread beyond their eyes as the straight road continues on. Sakura is currently seated in front of him, in-between his arms — it's the safer position for the tiny princess, as having her sit behind him will quickly become uncomfortable during such a long road trip. ]
It seems that it will rain soon. Can you hold the umbrella out for us?
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When: Days after 20th Vallaria, post Grisela Towers and hot spring events.
Where: Road to Petrosian.
What: Delivering boxes for Enprise's Worst Airship Captain.
Rating: None.
[ Although Sakura and Setsuna are already back to Heroic duties, it doesn't feel like it. So far, anyway. Today, the pair of Princess and Knight are en route to the faraway direction of Petrosian on-board the Gundam Meister's motorcycle. It's been at least an hour or two ever since they left Gresser, so they've covered a great distance by this time. Surrounding them are nothing but magnificent landscapes, from the skies above their heads and down to the earths they're treading through.
Speaking of the skies, although mostly pleasant, it's far from a perfect sunny weather. Small gray clouds are indicating that they'll be coming across light showers eventually, but it's all right as Setsuna has an umbrella among his belongings. He takes a small glance upward, momentarily staring at the picturesque heavens spread beyond their eyes as the straight road continues on. Sakura is currently seated in front of him, in-between his arms — it's the safer position for the tiny princess, as having her sit behind him will quickly become uncomfortable during such a long road trip. ]
It seems that it will rain soon. Can you hold the umbrella out for us?
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He wasn't wrong. She starts out gripping the bike beneath her as tightly as she possibly can—well, first she starts out awkward and embarrassed, straddled across the seat with Setsuna wedged up behind her, his arms nearly encircling her as he holds the handlebars in front, but that quickly gives way to alarm as the bike lurches forward, and then the clinging. I-It's definitely... not a horse.
At least she isn't clinging so hard now that she's had some time to get used to it. In fact, she's actually kind of enjoying watching the world pass by, the wind kicking her hair up as the land around them blends from forests to farms to villages and back again. She almost didn't realize... this world is as huge as any other, isn't it? It's not so different from her own... ]
H-Hm? [ He startled her from her reverie, and she tips her head back to look at him without thinking. ] O-Of course! Where is it?
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Setsuna has that faith in Sakura, but he also will not let her be hurt as long as he could fight. As she's so safely seated before him, he still is a little restless. He knows that it's impossible of course, as they are after all, in a world surrounded by constant conflicts. War is one thing, then there's enigmas such as the dungeons... Even a veteran Hero such as him still hasn't witnessed enough. Even if this world is so beautiful on the surface, he all too aware that there's so much more waiting for each of them.
Even so, Setsuna will do what he can to keep her from harm. That's why he's here with her today, intending to do so. As she remains in his arms, this world will have to go through him first before anyone could think of touching her. Sakura reminds him too much of flowers... The very same ones that he swore to protect ever since from long ago.
Thinking about all of these, Setsuna realizes that he trailed off. It wasn't until the first drop of rain lands against him did he refocus in the moment. ]
Ah... This.
[ He shifts a little, allowing her to view the travel bag attached at one side of the bike. Among the belts, there's a folded umbrella ready to be picked up. ]
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O-Okay!
[ She shifts in their seat to reach down and grab the umbrella, glad for the safety of his arms, holding her steady so she doesn't fall. The umbrella pops open easily, and she holds it up over both their heads, her arms extended to accommodate his height. (Well... his height over hers.)
Even if it's something as small as holding the umbrella for both of them, she takes to it with a stubborn will, eager to do what she can, since there's... there's not much else she can do to contribute. Between this and the dungeon she'd done with Kija and Bolin, she's very painfully aware of how much of a burden she is as a Hero. In fact, she was actually a little surprised that someone would do a job with her at all, given how powerless she is. Even if nothing happened to throw them into a fight, wouldn't she just slow him down? Cause him trouble? She's not even very useful off the battlefield...
But she's glad he's doing this all the same—grateful, even, because if something happened she's not sure how she'd be able to handle it. He's so kind... and she feels safer, knowing that Setsuna will look out for her.
With one hand, she pulls her jacket a little tighter around her, the slight chill in the air cutting right through her. The rain is still light, but... ]
A-Are we almost there?
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With Sakura's next question, Setsuna would have nodded as a response, but she's seated in front of him. Instead, he vocally responds with a quiet "yes" while keeping his eyes on the road. It's possible for him to go faster, but isn't doing so for the princess's sake. She's already nervous enough, so having her tense further due to overwhelming speed wouldn't do. It's dangerous during such weather either way, thus a more relaxed pace is still the advisable option overall. It's not as if their pace isn't good; like this, they can appreciate the sights and atmosphere more.
He hopes that it's helping her feel better. ]
We should be able to arrive within the next thirty minutes or so. When we finish the task, is there anything you would like to do afterwards?
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She'd been so focused on getting through this job without messing anything up that it hadn't even occurred to her to think about afterwards. (In fact, she'd spent half the night tossing and turning, worried about how today would go—thinking about Hoshido and her family and retainers, wondering what they were up now without her.) ]
U-Um... I hadn't thought about that...
[ At least she's honest. What would she like to do? Thanks to some exploring around King Hall and this ride between cities, she's just now opening her eyes to the fact that this place is a world onto its own, and there are as many things to do here as there is in her world too, many of them brand new to her. If she's going to be a Hero, then she's going to have to fill her days with something...
She worries her lip between her teeth—she can't think of anything! Maybe he has plans...? ]
W-What about you?
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It's not his first time there; he's been there several times in fact, so he's at least familiar with that town. So he considers, recalling the sights that he encountered during his past visits. ]
We could go back to Caissa right after. Or...
[ Traveling back immediately might be tiring however, especially since it's such a long way. They should probably take it easy first, rest a while. He has a feeling she will appreciate that, too. ]
We could stay there for a while and look around. Petrosian is known for its seafood.
[ This slow Knight, though. It's flying over his head — the fact that this sounds like an invitation to a date. But to be fair, he isn't thinking about that at all. He just really wants to help her adjust to this world. ]
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That... That sounds really nice!
[ She smiles brightly, her nerves just a little calmer now that she has something to look forward to. They haven't run into any problems yet either, so maybe they'll make a nice, uneventful delivery, then end it with some fun in Petrosian.
That would be...
Well, maybe she spoke too soon. As they turn a corner, their way is suddenly blocked—just up ahead, there's a pair of men standing in the middle of the road, and they don't move even though the two of them are approaching. Menacing-looking men, in Sakura's opinion, and she finds herself shrinking back into him and clenching the umbrella a little tighter, her knuckles white. ]
U-Um, Setsuna...
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Setsuna consciously grips the handlebars of the motorcycle more tightly, contemplating on how to respond to this development. He could disregard them and run over them, but what if a trap is waiting ahead? They likely are anticipating that response. He can't risk it, especially with Sakura here with him. On the other hand, completely stopping the bike would have risks as well. Still, it's the safer alternative. He can preemptively put distance between Sakura against them and ready himself at the same time. ]
Stay here.
[ And so, he gradually halts the bike until it comes to a full stop. He doesn't shut the engine though, and lets the girl stay behind as he steps forward to face their unwanted company. Now, it's time to assess their purpose. ]
What is the meaning of this?
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[ But she stays put as instructed, the handle of the umbrella resting on her shoulder as the bike rumbles underneath her. The hum of the engine and the soft patter of rain sound so loud to her against the tense silence, and she suddenly has a bad feeling about all this. They're thieves, aren't they? Are they after the box...? Her suspicions are confirmed a second later, and she glances nervously down at the bag attached to the bike, where the box rests.
If you give us the box, one of them says, then nobody has to get hurt.
This... this isn't good... she's mostly worried about Setsuna, especially since there are two bandits he's facing. As she glances back up, movement out of the corner of her eye catches her attention—was there something moving in the trees? She could've sworn she saw something... an animal? Or are there more...? Her bad feeling only grows. ]
S-Setsuna... [ Again, her voice is quiet, just loud enough for it to carry to him. ] I-I think I saw... in the t-trees...
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"Well? Too scared, you can't even say anything!? C'mon, we ain't got all day!" One of the bandits threateningly speaks with a loud tone, as well as a twisted expression. He's obviously taunting Setsuna, but even then the wordless Hero keeps his expressionless visage. ]
Sorry, but I refuse.
[ Right then and there, the bandit hiding behind the trees steps out and aims a hunting rifle towards Sakura. However, Setsuna has already sensed that presence preemptively thanks to the girl's warning. He responds faster than the rogue, immediately replacing the scene with him aiming and firing a gun instead. The heavy shot echoes loudly against the encompassing forest, followed by the sound of a body collapsing against the ground.
The two bandits on the road are baffled, not quite expecting that solid reaction. Staring now, they witness Setsuna shift his arm and points the non-magical handgun towards their direction this time. Eyes sharp, indicating that he's ready to fight if they choose to. ]
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The bandit falls to the ground and, in spite of everything, she hopes that he isn't dead. It just... doesn't seem right... for someone to die because of what's inside a box. It can't be that important... can it?
Apparently it is, because more bandits emerge from their hiding spots in the trees, motioned out by the two men in the road, their surprise segueing to visible anger. One of them says something about don't say we didn't warn ya, but Sakura's blood is rushing so loudly in her veins that she barely hears it. She's scared... there are so many of the bandits and only two of them. She doesn't know what to do...
Well, there's only one thing she really can do that isn't nothing. Removing her chakrams from her belt, she holds one in each hand out in front of her—a warning, even if it isn't a very intimidating one. Her hands are shaking, for one thing. ]
P-Please, don't come any c-closer!
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Setsuna immediately boards the motorcycle again, securing Sakura within his arms. Their umbrella falls off in that rushed instance, rolling against the road as it ends up forgotten. After making sure that the girl wouldn't fall either, he steps on it — accelerating in a faster speed that he's never done before. He's never done this when she's with him, but right now he has no other choice. The engine of his bike screams through the air, the mana emissions emanating from the mobile weapon doubles as he activates its magical ability. Blades of light form on the wheels, and he stands the bike up using the built momentum.
Right before the bandits closes in the remaining proximity, the motorcycle spins in place, creating a full circular slash which force is more than enough to throw the hostiles off. Several unlucky ones are painfully cut by the light, causing more noises to run through the forest range. The bike lands back right after, then Setsuna drives it backward to once again collect a defensive distance. ]
It is as she said. Do not dare come closer.
[ Otherwise, the two of them will do much more than this. ]
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In any case, that isn't at all what she expected him to do when he got back on the bike. When he slams the gas pedal down, a yelp escapes her as she quickly reaches for him, holding onto him as tightly as she can. His grip on her is sure, but she's so taken aback when they start spinning that she finds herself closing her eyes in fright.
But his control over the bike is sure too, and she opens her eyes to catch the tail end of some sort of light magic attack... coming from the bike? Many of the bandits cry out in pain and surprise, immediately backing away from the two of them. Setsuna backs away too, putting more space between them and their enemies, but Sakura is just sitting there in awe.
She angles her head to look back at Setsuna, her eyes wide—he's so calm! It's like fighting so many people is nothing to him... and whatever he did with the bike was impressive. He's definitely strong... much stronger than she is. Maybe... even with her slowing him down, they'll make it out of this one just fine... ]
Wh-What should we do now? [ Should they run? The outlaws are still blocking the road, but... they look more determined than ever as they ready their weapons again, some of them long-ranged. Sakura finds herself gripping her chakrams a little tighter... ]
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Either way, he has no intention of turning back when they've made it this far or much less allowing these bastards to keep terrorizing these roads. He can consider running for Sakura's sake alone, but after thinking about how these bandits could cause further harm to others... He can't just leave them now.
Setsuna doesn't respond yet, trying to study their current situation. Rather than thinking about what they should do, he's thinking about what they could do. It's then that he notices a thick, sharp tree branch high above the bandits. It's near collapse. The ancient tree must've been worn down for quite some time now, worsened by the recent bad weathers. He then faintly lowers his head, then speaks to Sakura carefully. ]
Can you aim? Cut off that branch above.
[ If Sakura can manage that... It will give Setsuna the advantage he would need to take the rest of them out. ]
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Maybe she'll get lucky? ]
U-Um... [ She sounds unsure. Very unsure. But he asked her to do something, and she wants to help! So... ] I-I'll t-try...
[ The way she says it definitely doesn't inspire any confidence, though. She only gets more nervous as the bandits ready their bows and guns—this is a high pressure situation! And she really, really doesn't want to let Setsuna down... he'll be so disappointed...
She flings one of her chakrams as hard as she can towards the branch, but it... buries itself in the trunk of the tree instead. A-Ah... no... she missed! The bandits look a little confused—maybe they thought she was aiming for them and missed wildly.
But she has one more chance—this time, she holds her chakram out in front of her, lining up the shot, before pulling back and throwing it with all her strength—and this time, it grazes the bottom of the branch. The repulsive ability of the chakram is what saves her—it pushes on the branch and breaks it off the tree, so that it crashes down on the group of enemies. ]
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But luck smiles upon them once Sakura successfully manages to do it. A dangerous sound cracks through the wind in the aftermath. And unprepared for the fall of that massive branch, most of the bandits gets taken out after being crushed underneath its brute force. Half of the affected ones pass out from shock, while the other half is left writhing underneath. The remaining bandits are quickly alarmed, but they're just as quick to respond with return fires. ]
Hold on!
[ To dodge the upcoming barrage of projectiles, Setsuna immediately steps on the motorcycle once more. Its breathtaking speed makes itself known again to those upon it. He drives the bike to dash aside, safely escaping from the brutal arrows in time. But the bullets are slightly faster than him... He realizes that fact with his Knight senses, and by protective reflex — he thrusts one arm forward to cover Sakura. It's then that a bullet grazes his arm, tearing the surface of his uniform and flying past to leave a painful burn across the surface of his skin. He at least responded fast enough that the bullet didn't bury itself.
Despite the wound though, all Setsuna let out is a small, muffled voice. It's clear that he knows how to endure it, strongly implying this isn't the first time... It's proven further with how he unhesitatingly leaves the bike in favor of finishing off the rest of the bandits before they start shooting again. He runs forward without an ounce of fear, and with mere martial arts, he finally ends the battle. One by one, the last of their targets fall after being bashed by remorseless hands and feet. ]
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S-Setsuna!
[ She cries out in alarm when he's hit—the bullet moved too quickly for her to follow, but she watches his skin tear right in front of her, his arm suddenly leaking blood. But they're still very much in danger—her heart is hammering in fear as she follows him off the bike. He goes for close range attacks, but she stands back near the bike, her chakrams circling her steadily, protecting her.
But she doesn't get much of a chance to help... Setsuna is quick to take the bandits out, jumping into their fray while everything is chaotic and confused. A couple bandits go for her, the weaker target, instead, but she flings her chakrams at them to keep them at bay—and Setsuna always moves quickly to intervene. It all happens so fast... she doesn't know how he can keep track of everything and everyone.
It takes her a moment, the quiet around them stark against the chaos of just a second ago, to realize that... there are no more enemies. Setsuna has taken care of them all... she knows better than to believe she helped even a little bit. If anything, she probably just got in his way... and he was hurt protecting her! ]
Setsuna! [ She rushes towards him, her face wrought with worry. ] Are you okay?
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And it did. Once Setsuna made it to their side, some of them decide to run away from him and chase after Sakura instead. That immediately raises the alarms within him, his head turning and eyes widening. He visibly makes a frightening expression for a brief second, affecting those who saw it; it's clear that he's silently saying, "Don't you dare touch her." He faces against the targets nearest to him first before chasing the ones that are after the princess. Her move to throw her chakrams again was a good one, as the bandits were delayed enough for him to be able to catch up and stop them in time.
Now that everything is quiet apart from the rain and Sakura's beating heart, Setsuna is able to lower his shoulders and his arms. He moves a hand atop of his bullet wound, not wanting Sakura to see such a sight. ]
I am fine. More importantly, what about you?
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I'm all right... th-thanks to you.
[ Her voice is laced with guilt—but she shakes her head a moment later, determination settling over her features. Healing people and alleviating their suffering is one of the very few things that she has confidence in—even if she doesn't have the same healing abilities that she did back home, this is something that she can do! That she wants to do... the least she can do, really. ]
P-Please, let me see. I can help.
[ In spite of the fact that her voice wavers, she leaves no room for argument, holding her hands out palms up in expectation. ]
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Setsuna lets Sakura go now, kneeling slightly to pick up the umbrella. He allows the rain to cleanse it, shaking the excess waterdrops before standing it upright again. It's only afterwards did he finally offer his injured arm out to her. The wound is a scratch at most, but it still looks painful. It's almost sad at how he doesn't seem bothered by this at all, remaining with those icy pair of eyes that almost seems to say that nothing can hurt him anymore. ]
We should hurry on after this... There might be more of them lingering.
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[ She's determined, it seems. Her brow furrowing, she reaches out to take Setsuna's arm, pushing up his sleeve and angling his arm towards her so that she can get a better look at the cut. It doesn't look too deep... and most of the blood is starting to clot already, even, but she's still worried about infection...
After her first foray into a dungeon, she started teaching herself basic healing spells, so that she would be able to help in case someone was hurt. She doesn't exactly trust herself to get it right just now, when she's so new, but she'd also gone out and made her own little first aid kit to carry around, so that she wouldn't have to rely on magic she doesn't have any confidence in yet.
So she reaches down into a little punch attached to her belt and pulls out an antibacterial ointment, which she applies to the cut. Next is a small roll of gauze, which she wraps around his arm in neat little loops, her experience with this showing through in the methodical way she works. She neatly tucks away the end, then steps back with a satisfied nod. ]
Th-There.