dumbshow | answer your god damn phone

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answer your god damn phone

[How many calls had he missed from Leorio alone?

Honestly, he preferred not to look at the number. It was wrong, but this wasn't something he could pull any of them into. He'd been wrapped up in his own little world, paying attention to the news enough when it related to his work and his end goal, and while he could have gone to the elections or even to visit Gon (his comrades had, after all), he decided against it. Visiting would have just opened up a whole can of other problems.

Maybe it went against what he'd been thinking before, but he had matured a bit since then. With the Spider desperately working to repair itself, and plenty of its members still on the move, Kurapika had to consider how to handle them-- but he was also sitting right on top of the location of the eyes of his brethren. He had to work up to it, and well... That's what he'd done.

There were a large amount of them recovered (he had to deal with a lot of people to get this collection) and given funerals, but it wasn't enough until he had every last set. There were still leads to follow, and so he continued to climb and gain Nostrade's trust.

Trust, though, is what leads him to pulling his cell phone out now. A strange illness was breaking out in the Nostrade organization, and it was worrying Nostrade himself. A few of his workers had already died, and panic was growing. He demanded that Kurapika find him someone to find out what was going on, but to be sure it was someone they could 'trust', because this could very well be an attack on them.

A doctor that he could trust? His first thought was that there was none. But after just a moment's more hesitation, he gives in and speaks his understanding clearly to Nostrade, hitting the call button on his phone and stepping away. His opposite hand curls at his elbow as he waits. This is pulling him in, but if it's just Leorio... It'll be easier to keep him in the dark about a lot of what he's been doing.

He'll use that to justify this selfish decision.]

Leorio?

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[Melody may have been able to hear the leading up to this (a distant conversation, calm at first but slowly rising in tension), but by the time it hits its peak, everyone can hear the crashing sound of a fight starting and the mansion trembling along with it, as well as a faint echo of Kurapika's yell.]

Is that all this is to you?!

[So downstairs, then, from the feel and sound of it.

They hadn't even made it down the stairs all the way. It was one of those long, unnecessarily winding ones. Initially, when he'd heard of this report, Linssen had told him that there was a man who'd spoken about finding a pair of crimson eyes that he was after. Kurapika had revealed enough lately to his comrades for them to understand that he'd be interested in such a thing. They hadn't known that it had been him he'd noticed for his eyes. (How? Kurapika wasn't sure yet, but he was intent on finding that out, as well.)

He'd showed up and gone over the situation with the team outside of the mansion, as they'd been doing well with stealth beforehand. It turned out that was all a ploy to draw him out, and this time, when they drove back to the mansion, they were met with combat. Linssen had been injured enough that Kurapika voiced a suggestion. They could leave together and have a one on one battle if he spared his comrade. He was right in thinking this man was the type to go along with it. Prideful.

And it had been going well until his questions halfway down the stairs got him answers he didn't like. "Why do you want them?" was met with a sneering, laughing response about it being the same as any treasure. About him wanting what he didn't have. Beating other collectors to the punch.

Naturally, Kurapika wasn't able to hold back at that. Not after his long week. Even if he couldn't use chain jail, on this man, he could use his chains, and so he'd whipped one out and swung at him, taking a good chunk of the wall out with him.

Would you guess that small spaces did not work well for whip-type weapons??? Wow.]

[Wow, okay, he can lift a few tons?? So there??? He'll go pick up that wrecked car and throw it. Later.

Moving is good. Leorio couldn't care less about most of the details besides where Kurapika could be and how stupid the things he's doing are - sounds pretty stupid, so far - and he's about to cut in again to tell Linssen to get to the point already when the whole place rumbles a little.

Oh.]

Bad time?! Say it, say it's a bad time!!

[He's looking down the hall now, trying to guess which way will get them to the stairs quickest. After that noise and the faraway sound of Kurapika's voice, Leorio considers this "agreement" ruined already, so now it doesn't matter what he does or if these mafia goons keep giving him that look, right?! Right??

Right, he's going to do whatever he wants, and what he wants right now is to find some goddamn stairs. For a second he considers using his nen to tap on the wall, but this mansion could be three times as big underground, it would take too long to find an exact location- they have Melody, she can do it, one of these directions has to go to the right place—

Ah, he's already making a break for it, sorry.]

[There are a few shouts and puzzled faces as Leorio leaves them in the dust, but Melody seems ready to calm them and explain something more logical. If they all rush in, it would be even worse. Leorio may be able to help Kurapika, and in the meantime, they can monitor things from above and keep control of the situation.

Leorio can likely find his ways from the shaking, anyway. Down the stairway, Kurapika is struggling to get into the open. One more jump back and off the curved wall leads him to some sort of over the top basement, and that gives him plenty of space to wind his arm up and whip with his chain.

This opponent's speed is memorable, though. He winds past the hit and ends up just inches from Kurapika, striking a punch towards his chest. It's blocked, at the very least, and while Kurapika does go flying backwards into a wall, he learns what he was aiming for. This guy's strength isn't anywhere near Uvogin's. Probably not any of the spiders. Good. Easier to deal with when he didn't have the advantage of all of his abilities.]

[It's fortunate (well) that the building keeps shaking, because it at least covers the sound of Leorio's running footsteps for anyone who isn't Melody. He swears a few times, too, which is also great to mercifully muffle - he might be running head first and blind into whatever fight Kurapika is in, but he'd like maybe half of an element of surprise.

He makes it to the bottom of the staircase in time to nearly trip over himself from the latest shake, and of course he looks up in time to see Kurapika fly into a wall.

Of course.

To his credit, he doesn't blow the whole thing then and there. If there's a sound just then that sounds like someone trying very hard not to yell, that isn't him- just like how if there's a suspicious movement of debris that isn't anywhere near Kurapika, that isn't him either.

And he definitely isn't the shape visible for a fraction of a second before he throws himself behind- something- a pillar? okay, weird- and flattens himself against it.

He's not here, he's seriously not here at all.]

[Leorio?

He'd been picking himself up from the collision with the wall rather casually when he spotted that "unseen" figure for just long enough. He'd forgotten in his rage that he'd called for backup. He'd forgotten he'd called Leorio for backup.

The thought is just long enough to be a distraction. His focus falters, and his opponent picks up on it. His speed brings him closer again, and Kurapika has to move even more quickly to bring his arm up for a block. He manages, and this time, he doesn't fly back. He skids a good distance, feet gripping the floor and shifting to a stop eventually. He lashes out with his chain again, but this time, he has to mind Leorio's position.

Damn it Leorio.

He'd honestly been hoping that Don Paolo had somehow missed Leorio's entrance or was choosing to ignore it, but on the contrary, he ducks and dodges from the chain, facing Leorio's Pillar of Choice more directly as he does.

The comment he utters is something like "I said no spectators." You know, right before sending a big fat fireball at the pillar. If it doesn't take care of Leorio, it'll take care of some of his mansion's support?? Great. Fantastic. Maybe nauticalnodes will be used when he has more to do besides be overly destructive for no reason.]

[He's not here!! Really, he tries to be as not-here as possible, as much good as that's doing right now. Which is none, apparently, as he has just enough time to flatten himself to the floor instead with his arms over his head before his hiding pillar is smashed open. By fire. Fire?! Really?

Really??

Well, now that everyone knows he's here, he- rolls, somehow gets back onto his feet without catching fire, and just picks a direction to sprint in. It's not into the middle of this fight, at least - maybe he'll make a circuit of the room. He's thinking about it, okay!]

Kurapikaaa!! [And he does have time to start yelling, yes.] Kick his ass already!!

[He's helping.]

let's do action nodes, I said, it'll be fun, I thought

oh an npc is necessary, yes, that's true, but why didn't I think of how i'D HAVE TO WRITE A FIGHT SCENE WITH MYSELF

OR HOW FUCKING DRAMATIC IT WOULD BE BECAUSE KURAPIKA IS A DRAMA QUEEN OF THE NTH DEGREE

laura help me I spent so long trying to work this out, thinking of what's easy to reply to and what's not, what I could do and what I couldn't, I actually can't plot and so there are no strings being tied here, what the fuck am I doing

I have listened to kurapika's theme song 50+ times now, there is no light here

"who would want to tag cheering lines between a fight scene" AND SO SINCE THAT'S TRUE I TRIED MY BEST TO MAKE THIS SOMETHING YOU CAN TAG TO....... I FEEL LIKE, IT'S STILL NOT THERE, BUT I TRIED

I wanted you to know I tried so hard I got so far but in the end it didnt even matter and I can't stop listening to this fucking character song that is so, angry, jesus

ah but yes this is just me dramatically crying about how hard this was and how dramatic it turned out (don't laugh just look at kurapika, laugh at him, ok), and also a warning, for that same thing

i'm in awe of all of these comments and i have been since like 9am

let these stand as testament to how i love all these tags DRIPPING WITH DRAMA shoves you!!! take this happy wiggle icon as proof of my insatiable thirst for melodrama it'S MY PLURK URL, LIKE DID YOU THINK

I WOULD REFUSE.... GIVE ME MORE

and lbr leorio's life is cheering lines between fight scenes, this seems really canonical to me

[Annoying, annoying, annoying! He was in the middle of business-- business he'd been working towards for weeks now-- and this guy comes out of nowhere to make a fool out of him?! Scowling, he scans between Kurapika and Leorio. Emotion. Heavy emotion is what activates those eyes, isn't it? And so, it's a simple thought that he has now. Killing this man would surely do something.

Kurapika catches onto it and both kick off at once. Leorio might notice them exchange a series of strikes that ends with Kurapika stumbling backwards. A slip up more than anything, but then Don Paolo is gone.

This man was a transmuter. He seemed able to transmute his nen into any sort of heat. That speed was probably a technique in itself. Heating up his own molecules enough to propel forward, wearing down himself but delivering a good amount of strength behind just bare fists. Using his own nen category for these attacks was much more reliable than the lesser strength emitter techniques he'd been using to shoot fireballs.

So this time, there's no long distance shooting. He comes at Leorio by appearing from the side, his fist charging up a fiery ball of aura as he's swinging. If it hits the arm he aims for, it should do well enough to send him flying into a wall, if those burns weren't enough. He'd been aiming to do this a few times before getting any results, but--]

Leorio!

[Screaming his name did little to help, but he had never meant for him to show up at this scene. Backup had meant backup, not for him to run in here like an idiot. His fists curl tight as he thinks on it. Leorio was here to help him, was staying to help him, and was considering reworking his whole setup towards his own goals, all for him. He was the most selfless person Kurapika knew.

But this man?]

Don Paolo!

[There was no time to check on Leorio aside from a brief glance over. The index finger on his chainfree hand hooks into his tie and undoes the knot. With one smooth tug, he throws it to the side, and his jacket follows. This clothing was restrictive, nothing like the clothes from the Kurta. He'd endure it for missions and business, but for a fight? It would only get in the way.

This man wanted to collect things just for the sake of collecting. He didn't think about the people behind the items, or the suffering they'd had to endure. There was no care for the Kurta or what their eyes stood for, no care for himself and how he was still alive and shouldn't be collected, and absolutely no care for his friend, who had nothing to do with any of this. (Nevermind that, again, he ran in here like an idiot.) Kurapika wasn't going to stand for that.]

These are what you want? [With a gesture to his eyes, his expression manages to be completely unfeeling despite the heartbreak in his tone. It was too bad that it would have to come to this. It was a side he couldn't stand himself. A necessary level of brutality to fight for what he needed to do. What he needed to finish, to avenge. And maybe, he thinks, with a strange, lighter feeling that just barely brushes the edge of his rage, what he needed to protect.]

Then your fight is with me! Or did you forget? [This time, when his chains lash out, they're a lot more controlled. The nen behind them is massive compared to before, and quickly, it begins to turn one sided.] I'll engrave these eyes into your mind for the rest of your life!

[It's both amazing and horrifying, really, how quickly this fight shifts. Don Paolo, too, loses the glint in his eyes and the excitement in his movements. Each of his punches do little, and when he manages to deliver an actual explosion to Kurapika's left side, he summons a chain and heals it up.

There seems to be a heavy confusion from him on what nen category Kurapika could possibly be. It's exactly as he intends, and he uses it to his advantage. In just ten minutes, Kurapika has him on the ground, bloodied and covered in bruises from the whipping of his chains. He can't use chain jail, and so honestly, this is the most violent he's been (at least lately). Questioning his thinking the whole time (why do you do this without a care?!, don't you ever think of the people whose lives you're ruining to satisfy your own selfish desires?!, what do you feel when you kill someone for your rare collections?!), not a single answer he gets back is satisfactory.

He's forgotten about Leorio, even while being enraged for his sake. It's not that he doesn't remember he's there-- it's more that he's so lost in this rage, there's no concept of time. There's only the panicked urgency of questioning that continues to worsen the more answers he hears. He's yelling now, and his eyes are still so brightly red that he can feel the strain it's placing on him, but he doesn't let it register.

Instead, Judgment Chain readies itself, looming above the broken body of Don Paolo as he continues to smile wickedly like he's won. He told himself he didn't want to kill anyone other than the spiders, but that's forgotten as his clan flashes through his mind, as Leorio's selfless actions all come together and this man serves as a source for all of the blame, every bad thing that's ever happened, that he can project and deal with all at once--]

This is your last chance. [There's blood everywhere. On him, too. His face, in his hair.] I'm going to set two conditions. If you violate either of them, your heart will be crushed.

[This is too far.]

[Okay, Leorio would actually prefer getting punched by Hisoka again, all of a sudden. He's still running - like, yes, an idiot, he's looking forward to the shouting match they'll have later over this because at least that would mean they're not dead and on fire - and not paying any attention to Don Paolo paying attention to him, which— honestly, was the first mistake.

He notices it seconds too late, too wrapped up in watching what's going on with Kurapika to remember that he's not invisible in here, far from it- and so it doesn't occur to him that Don Paolo is going to change tactics and come after him as well until he's abruptly gone from where Kurapika is. Shit, Leorio thinks, and then Shit! when he catches movement in his periphery. He makes his second mistake: trying to twist and change direction instead of hope a burst of speed forward will take him out of there. The heat and force catch him at an angle as he's knocked back, acutely aware of his arm bending at an angle it shouldn't just before he hits the wall.

Dazed, winded, he drops to the floor a moment after that, aware of only Kurapika yelling before the pain blossoms from his shoulder to all over. His sleeve is singed and burned through in places and he can see the nasty burns throbbing there, and something in his shoulder is either pulled or broken, but he's not down and out. It takes him a moment then, finally, to realize Don Paolo didn't hit him as hard as he could have or somewhere more vital because he didn't want to kill him instantly. He wanted Leorio to survive that? But—

Oh. Oh.

He is an idiot. One hundred percent liability on legs. Damn it.

He's on his feet now, barely, but suddenly can only muster up the strength to slump back against the wall and watch grimly as Kurapika takes Don Paolo down. It's not that he truly lacks strength- he hurts all over, but enough adrenaline courses through him to make up for it- but he... he's an idiot. Nothing he's done since coming here has helped Kurapika, if anything he's made it worse somehow by not letting Kurapika deal with it without revealing his presence-

And also he was briefly on fire. There's that too.]

Kurapika. [He speaks, but his voice is low enough that there's no hope of being heard over both the yelling and the sounds of chains. He picks himself up off the wall, hissing through his teeth at the pain in his arm and shoulder and gripping it with his other hand as he starts to move.] Kurapika, hold on...

[This is presumptuous of him, to an extent. This man is a killer, isn't worth any pity for the things he does, and yet Kurapika isn't. Leorio pointedly squashes the part of him that turns a blind eye to Kurapika's actions for the sake of his people and would turn one to this. Let Kurapika to just do it, for everyone he's lost.

It's simple - if Kurapika does it, it's going to be bad. For him. For both of them- Leorio can make a lot of sacrifices and he can excuse away Kurapika's behavior toward the spiders, but this is too much brutality for someone who isn't worth it. It's too much for Kurapika to come out of unchanged, too close to Kurapika slipping away from him again, and it's that thought that propels him forward.

Mercifully, it takes him significantly less time for him to think through all this than it takes Kurapika to get Don Paolo on the ground to set his terms, because Leorio remembers something much more immediately pressing and takes the last few yards at a stumbling run. He lets go of his own arm to reach out to grab onto Kurapika's and pull—]

Did you forget he explodes?!

[That JUST HAPPENED, KURAPIKA. He was on FIRE, more than one person was on fire!!]

[The man on the ground before him seems to smile wider at his suggestion, and Kurapika trembles in his anger. It's an unfortunate bit of timing when Leorio grabs him, since his anger is through the roof-- but it's probably just when he needs it the most.

Still, he pulls against it, resisting the tug backwards in order to raise his hand and his chain with it, pointed like a snake at the beaten man before them. Don Paolo has nothing to lose. Kurapika knows this could end in more violence any minute, and that only works to enrage him further.]

Shut up!

[Whether to Leorio or to Don Paolo's expression, Kurapika shouts it. His hand swipes out in his emotion, and he shakes his head a bit without thinking, bright red eyes glowing still, even with the amount of strain he's feeling on his body from them.]

This sick scene, and all you can do is smile?! Tell me, what do you gain from all of this! Why do you hunt people, why do you use their lives as if they're nothing!

[He's always the one asking these questions. It's something he can't understand ever since making his way into the outside world. Why were some people so cruel and so manipulative? Why did this sort of thing happen? Why would this man hunt him alive for the sake of collection, why would he harm Leorio to further this goal-- it doesn't make any sense!

All it is is disgusting.

And the only answer Don Paolo offers for that is laughter. Kurapika's face twists in reaction, and for the first time, he acknowledges Leorio is there by reaching back with his free hand to place against his chest.]

Stand back, Leorio. [If explosions are a worry, he'll handle this himself. He'll take care of this scum himself, if that's what he has to do--!]

[God DAMN it, Kurapika. Leorio barely manages to keep his mouth shut until he's finally personally addressed, at which point it's like a switch flips in his head and he's suddenly woken up. There's only one response left for him to consider—]

No! [He's as loud as ever, and realizes quite suddenly that on top of the guilt he feels for kind of, sort of screwing this up a whole lot more, he's angry. Don Paolo is one thing; he has an automatic disgust response for people like him, but he's actually angry at Kurapika for this reckless abandon. How many times does he have to say the same thing, how many times is Kurapika going to ignore him and do all of this really stupid stuff? If he's telling Leorio to stand back, then—]

Make me!

[Not that Kurapika can't, but it's the principle of the thing. Leorio has no convincing argument prepared to snap Kurapika out of it, instead falling back on the old tradition of just yelling at him. He'll give it a good try,]

Even if you go crazy and forget everything else, I'm still going to be here! So shut up and come on!!

["good try"]

[He's had Melody in moments of his deep rage like this before. She's yelled at him and scolded him and tried to snap him out of things, and sometimes it works. But having Leorio's booming voice right there is different.

It... distracts him. He turns back, shooting Leorio a look that's like he's caught between his rage and something more sad.

'I'm still going to be here?' 'Shut up and come on?']

Leorio--

[He's right. And he took too long to realize it. Judgement chain lowers itself and retracts back into his sleeve, but unfortunately, he doesn't get the time to relent in any way.

Don Paolo shifts, and Kurapika twists his body back to facing him, hand raising aggressively again. But no, he's not trying to move to attack. Kurapika had taken a beating on him a bit too much.

His nen was forming and concentrating around his chest. So he's willing to die rather than give in to Kurapika's demands, before they were even set--!]

He's charging up for an explosion! [Shit. Leorio was right, he was too slow, and now this put not only the both of them, but everyone upstairs (currently dealing with the rest of Don Paolo's men) in danger! He staggers backwards, gripping for Leorio's good arm. With a sloppy grasp, he tugs him, running for the stairs.

But he can feel the shift in nen behind him. A glance back tells him that there's no time to run up towards any cover.]

Quick, get down!

[Leorio was right, frame that, remember this moment if they don't burn to a crisp in a few minutes. He has no time to be relieved that Kurapika has come to his senses with the threat of explosion building right next to them, and stumbles over himself as he hastily follows Kurapika a pace behind.

There isn't time to think about anything else but running, actually. If he hadn't been thrown into the wall he might have been able to go a little faster, and maybe they'd have more time if they weren't both in less than ideal shape, and- get down!

Down? Okay. Leorio moves on instinct the moment Kurapika says it, speeding up to close the short distance between them and hook his good arm around Kurapika's middle so they both go down, thank you. It's a pity his suit isn't fireproof and neither is he, he thinks, because there's absolutely no chance of him not rolling just enough to shield Kurapika with his whole body.

Don't yell at him for this!!]

[He ducks and tugs Leorio with him, but the hand behind him comes closer all of a sudden. He can hear the explosion, deafening as it is, but the heat doesn't come at all. He turns his head just enough from their position, his heart dropping at the realization.]

Leorio, don't--!

[Everything happens slowly. After the initial boom of Don Paolo's death, the building shakes and flames lash out with a great wind. The Nostrade family guards, just finished with the last of Don Paolo's men, fumble in their footing and Melody has to cover her ears.

Kurapika is gripped by a fear more intense than he thought it could have ever been, after what he's already been through, and what he's already lost. But no, he can't, he doesn't want to go through that again, he doesn't want to lose someone so close to him again!

He twists uncomfortably under Leorio, trying to grab at the front of his shirt as the brunt of the explosion dies down into the aftermath that is a blazing fire. He can feel the heat now.]

Leorio! Leorio! You idiot, get-- [He's managed to twist so he's on his back now, both hands gripping at him as he shoves, tries to get him up so he can see his condition.] Get up!

[He has to be okay. He's still there, right?]

[Leorio is officially banning people who can explode from the types of people either of them are allowed to associate with. He ignores Kurapika's protests and squeezes him tighter - shut up - and can't think of anything more useless to do just before the explosion hits than screw his eyes shut and hope for the best.

But he does it anyway.

After that, he's pretty sure he blacks out for a couple minutes. For a moment there's nothing but heat and force and nen - he didn't expect to feel that, but there's just so much of it - and then he's being pulled and shoved and Kurapika is yelling at him. He's not dead?

For one glorious second, he feels fine—then he coughs, and pain spreads over him just as quickly. Doctor or not, it's easy to see he's in bad shape; the most obvious being the burns all down his back and some of his legs, and ow, he rolled over on his busted shoulder- but he's breathing.

Well, he's mostly coughing. He was on fire, just now. The amount of smoke now starting to cloud the room isn't helping, either. As he comes to, his sense of urgency overtakes his actual ability to move, and when he tries to sit up he does it much too fast and nearly falls back down again. He finds his voice,] Ow ow ow ow—

[He coughs again, slumping onto his side and squinting at Kurapika.

Oh, good. He's okay. Leorio wants to say this and also helpfully explain that there's no way he'll be getting up without passing out in the next while and maybe Kurapika should roll him out, but what he manages is just,] —hurts.

[Those burns are terrible. His arm is messed up from before, from what he can tell, and he can barely manage words. He's alive, of course, and Kurapika knows he can use his ability to heal him the rest of the way, but it's too close. The room is on fire, the stability of this entire building is iffy, and his eyes have been red for far too long.

If he hadn't called... Maybe he could have dealt with this on his own. Maybe it was a mistake asking Leorio to stay. Of course he'd drop everything for him. He always did. But was this where it would take him?

The fear of losing Leorio still has him caught, and he realizes now that he's crying. He doesn't know when that started, but it hardly matters right now. 'Sorry' isn't going to cover it. Instead, he eyes their surroundings before deciding that he has enough time to do this, in this state, if he holds out for a little longer. On his knees beside him, he grips Leorio with one arm, slowly urging him to sit up and lean against him for support, and raises his chains with the other.]

Holy Chain. [He's done this for serious injuries one at a time before, but never for a whole body. Rather than try to push himself too far and risk it, he'll break it up-- one at a time. It should still only take a few seconds max per injury. The chain wraps around Leorio's chest, as those burns and injuries to his back seem to be the worst. The skin heals over completely, matched with a soft green glow, before his chain withdraws and he does his arm, next.

They're surrounded by fire, smoke, the shaking building, he's crying silently and his eyes are bright red and squinting in deep concentration, but he's not leaving until Leorio is better. There's no way he'd make it up the stairs in this state. So if he's going to heal him, it has to be now!]

[This hurts - it hurts staying still, pressed against the ground, and it hurts sitting up and leaning- heavily- against Kurapika. Leorio finds that he's in too much pain to say anything else, like urge Kurapika to just drag him out of there before the whole place burns down, and can only hiss through his teeth at the sheer pain of having to move at all.

Even the chain touching him hurts, until Kurapika heals the wounds in an instant. Spends more of his nen to heal the wounds in an instant, when they have to go, but Leorio shelves that with the rest of Kurapika's reckless actions he'll complain about later. He does appreciate it; it would have taken him an hour to limp to the stairs with his injuries still fresh.

It's a strange feeling, being healed instantly, and while he doesn't feel perfect he does feel considerably less like he's about to split open when Kurapika is done. He can make it out, he thinks, before he really does pass out and complains for days about "still being sore." It's then he notices Kurapika is crying, which makes something squeeze tight in his chest and he leans away from him to prove he can, that he's—better now.

And the building is still on its last legs, so unfortunately all the things he's about to say are going to have to wait. When he coughs this time it's only from the smoke, and then he speaks as he raises an arm to cover his mouth with his sleeve,] Let's go—

[Just give him a minute to sort of wobble to his feet, he's doing this.]

[Better. It's better, but he has no time for relief. There's no room for it in his heart right now. Letting his chains fade away with the color of his eyes, he stands weakly and turns to stare back at where Don Paolo had been.

Without bothering to wipe his face dry, he places a hand on Leorio's arm. It might almost be seen as an attempt to lean on him for support, first. But no, he caught that wobble. And while his own body could cope with the extreme healing he put it through, having someone else do it for you was startling.

Kurapika doesn't even have the spirit to joke about this. A hand comes around Leorio's back, and he has to duck just a little to bring that other hand away from Leorio's arm and under his knees, instead. Scooping him up, the image would be very comical if Kurapika didn't look dead inside and the room wasn't on fire.

He doesn't waste any time. He runs and jumps, heading up the spiral stairs at the highest speed he can muster right now.]

[He's on his feet, ready— or not? He starts to sway again and almost thanks Kurapika for the hand on his back until he realizes what Kurapika's actually doing and finds himself very much off the ground. The suddenness of it is dizzying in this state and he doesn't have enough wits about him to object, instead just boggling at Kurapika's face—

Not a good face. Damn—

And then they're on the move, and it's all he can do to hook an arm around Kurapika's shoulders at the last second so this feels somewhat less really embarrassing.

God, that mafia guy whose name he totally doesn't know is going to give him such a look (if he's not dead), he can't stand it. Maybe if he thinks about this, he won't think too hard about the look on Kurapika's face and how spectacularly he- really screwed this one up.

Just put him down to hobble weakly into a car and stare shamefully at the floor, please. Somewhere around the top of the stairs he says, too late to do much good,] Melody and those other guys are around here somewhere.

[Thank goodness Leorio hadn't come here alone. It was dangerous, too, but it meant that they'd get their help up here, too, while he was down there distracting Don Paolo.

He grips Leorio a little tighter, quickening his pace through the house. It looked like there had certainly been a tussle. He's about to say 'I'll leave you in the car and make sure the others are out' when Melody comes to a halt before them, looking both extremely worried and extremely relieved. She questions their safety, and Kurapika responds quickly enough.]

Leorio was injured, but he should be fine now. [He'll leave it to her to know that she shouldn't share he was able to do this. She stares for a moment (likely listening to their hearts) and then nods silently, gesturing out to the cars.

'Everyone's waiting.'

Unkindly to Leorio's poor pride, Kurapika doesn't let him drop back to his feet until they're right in front of the cars. He does it slowly, too, keeping his hand on him in case he wants to topple in any direction. Leorio was right. That one mafia guy does give him a look.]

Don Paolo is dead. [Kurapika informs the rest of them, glancing across to make sure they were all here. They were. All the ones left alive, still here. Thank goodness. He's still crushed, but he puts on a more official face to finish things here. They're relying on him, after all.] ...Thank you, everyone. Let's get back.

[Leorio is relieved to see Melody is alright; there's that much. He's more embarrassed then ever before when she looks at them and does his very best to seem calm and collected and not - sort of a mess. It doesn't work, but his inability to calm the hell down is a good enough indicator that he's mostly okay, himself.

He's quiet from there out to the car, both hoping no one will look at him too long if he doesn't say anything and in response to Kurapika's abrupt switch into business mode. (Well he does catch that look, and he tells that mafia guy to Shut up!!) He makes a point to stand next to the car without getting in, straightening the pathetic remains of his shirt and jacket as if he's not about to fall over.

Shut up, mafia guys.

Once Kurapika says the word, everyone starts to disperse into the cars. Leorio foregoes the lingering thought that he shouldn't do this, in case that mafia guy is looking at him again, and reaches back out of the car after he's gratefully slumped in to tug at the back of Kurapika's shirt. He'll make a loud scene about needing that healing chain again if anyone questions him, just come here.

He's feeling well enough to yell again! Great!

And really, he's not leaving without Kurapika crammed in the back of this car with him. Don't even try to go ride elsewhere, or drive into something. He will insist. At least be next to him while miserable.]

[It's a good thing he does it, too. Kurapika had been set on returning to the other mess of a car, and while he was in no state to drive, too... But Linssen gives them one last look (what the hell is this tall guy's problem, does he want to go???) before nodding at Kurapika. He can drive... he guesses.

Kurapika frowns the slightest bit, turning back to face the tug before giving in and shuffling in to the backseat of that car.

It has Melody, too. Is this really a good idea? But he'll keep quiet on that front and stare out the window, instead.]

Is everyone okay? [That's the time he'll speak, once they're driving, and a slow glance to Leorio tells him he's asking him, too. Maybe most of all.]

[Honestly, that wasn't hard to predict... Leorio's suddenly pettily angry at everything; the backseat of this car is not made for people who are this tall, his back still hurts, his clothes are ruined and he'll punch that one guy in the face if he keeps looking at him-!! It's all he can do to just slouch down in the seat and stare glumly at the back of the one in front.

But Kurapika is next to him and not trying to drive. (Leorio realizes dimly, then, why that car from before is wrapped around a pillar. Goddamn.) He doesn't say anything other than making an irritated noise of acknowledgement, but under pretense of needing more room for his mile-long legs he fidgets and presses his leg against Kurapika's.

He's okay. Melody says something about how everyone's hearts seem to be in order, which must relieve the others more than those of them who know she's only slightly making that up. Everyone else's hearts are in order, at least.

And they can ride in silence after that. When they get back Leorio refuses to be carried again and loudly announces that he doesn't want to do anything but go to bed now, just in case anyone thought he was going to go help report to Nostrade even a little bit. Haha, no.

He really does need to just drop, though, which is where he'll be after he more or less abandons the rest of the group: face down on his bed, half asleep.]

narrates more tho ah

makes stupid choices all day every day

that sure is leorio

so is this, this was supposed to be dramatic and not stupid? leorio

no it always needs to be stupid, esp with leorio...

don't encourage me....

no subject

no subject

no look it's your job to be cute leorio and be ridiculous all over

and my job to play embarrassing levels of dramatic and make everything sad or horrible I guess

bathes in drama

ah, yes.... good, splashes it everywhere, look at my icons WORKING

is that ne...cessarily a good thing

I am done with you conan o'brien aLSO maybe. maybe... look at his drama faces, yes, anger

heaps upon heaps of drama, adds more

DRINKS IT UP

u thirsty

YEAH I AM SHUT UP

i'm not judging

good.............. good

i just realized kurapika's healing chain is kinda nodes, nodes chain

KINDA NODES............. help

it IS

nodes......

smells like a scene change