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WHO: Eichi Tenshouin, Victor Nikiforov, Yuuri Katsuki
WHERE: Oros
WHEN: January 11th
WHAT: Gamma mission "WE ARE DREAMERS, SHAPERS, SINGERS, AND MAKERS"
WARNINGS: None

[Eichi had signed up for a research mission because it seemed the perfect choice. He wouldn't be left behind uselessly on the ship, but he wouldn't be thrown directly into the danger of the main mission. It's both lucky and unlucky that the two he wound up with are familiar with his condition, to an extent. They'll be more likely to understand that if he passes out, but he's already concerned about worry. He's kept silent this whole way about how the heat has his heart beating a little too fast to be comfortable, and how every step they take now over the dry land has him aching to take a break.

He's not sure if they called to stop because they noticed, or if it was simply convenient to stop in this small, shady section just at the base of a mountain. There's been no sign of what they're looking for yet. The tent is set up, probably a little sloppily, and Eichi is sitting on a larger boulder closer to the shade of the mountain, trying to subtly catch his breath. This mostly involves staring at the little O-7G7 plants, just two of them, pressed up against the mountainside and wondering when they'll be able to find signs of the creatures that are said to live on the east side of this planet.

Realizing that he's been silent for a little too long, Eichi lifts his head to give the tent a longer look now. He didn't help with it at all, so that was probably entirely Victor and Yuuri's doing. (Or one of them.)]

How exciting. Fufu, looking at a small tent like this, and how it's a little lopsided on one end... I feel like I really am adventuring. ♪ [They are adventuring. But nevermind that, he's pushing away complications to feel excited about living.]

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[Thoroughly chastised--he can't believe Eichi had to push him out of the tent instead of the other way around--Yuuri turns around and pulls Eichi safely out of the tent, keeping an arm wrapped around his teammate's shoulder.

They come face to face with the Fek, and Yuuri freezes in place. They're much more terrifying up close, Yuuri decides faintly. With them towering over he and Eichi like this and practically moving the earth beneath their powerful feet, it hits Yuuri suddenly: even if they lean toward peacefulness, the Fek could very easily crush them if they felt threatened.

Just like they could crush the tent that they're still dragging around--the tent that Viktor's still trapped in. Yuuri finds his voice.]

Hey! [Still clutching at Eichi somewhat desperately, Yuuri doubts he makes an intimidating picture to these giants, but that doesn't stop him from trying anyway.] Stop--please! We're just here to talk to you! [His eyes darts frantically between the tent and the Fek, heart beating a rapid pace in his chest.

Then, miraculously, the Fek slow their stomping until it comes to a complete stop, giving them some reprieve from the shaking. Judging from the way they're just staring at him, Yuuri doesn't think it's because they understood his plea and decided to sympathize. He shrinks a little under the intense scrutiny, wondering if he and Eichi should just try to grab Viktor and make a break for it after all.]

( He has his feet under him before the most recent slamming of feet against the ground sends him stumbling into the partially collapsed tent, running his hand along the material as he moves for the exit on his other hand and knees. The Fek staring down at Yuuri moves the twin antennae jutting out the back of its head, blinking large eyes and tilting its head to the side as if Yuuri or his strange noises will make more sense if they're observed for long enough.

It's a matter of seconds, Viktor almost finding the collapsed entrance. It's when he has an arm free that the tableau of frozen observation breaks; the Fek all step back as one, and the Fek with the line of the tent's support in mouth jerks its head and turns, trotting off in tandem with the rest. The ground shakes less severely under their silent retreat; if Yuuri and Eichi pay particular attention, they'll note some of the Fek remain in the near distance, still watching.

Viktor doesn't notice any of this. He's caught and tangled in the tent, half dragging on the ground before he bodily rolls himself so the tent itself is carrying his weight while he's bounced and jostled and pulled along with the oxygen unit banging away behind. No knife on him, nothing to cut away, and Viktor twisting around to find he's well and truly snagged around his thigh and ankle, working his fingers at the knots and tangle with grim determination.

He frees his thigh from what had snagged his suit, finding himself as abruptly confronted with a second face of a Fek staring down at him. It keeps easy pace with the one dragging along the tent and machine and Viktor along, antennae on its head twitching. Water beads on the strange round protrusions on the sides of the Fek's mouth; no. Those are actually water, he thinks, hands clinging to material as the massive individual moves around to the back end of the dragging tent and bends down its head. A third Fek joins, and as suddenly as that, Viktor finds the tent being fully lifted from the ground and carried off by three Fek working in seamless harmony, Viktor carted along with them. He'd love to admire the artistry of that seamlessness, but instead he's trying to very carefully, deliberately work his ankle free. It's difficult, with how the material of the tent shifts and gives underneath him until he's wrapped back up in it again, a bundled curiosity being carted along to God knows where. )

[They are peaceful, it seems. But the idea of them being beneath these large, powerful creatures is still worrying. He remembers a conversation with Victor about elephants, and these remind him of them now. Large, powerful, peaceful but still killers. It would be so easy to accidentally step on any of them. He's ahead of Yuuri's thoughts just enough, placing a hand on his arm to try and snap him out of that worried staring as he leans back to reach for Victor.

It's just as that arm gets free, and just as everything shifts. Victor slips away, the Feks move to leave, and Eichi's body seizes up. He coughs more violently than before, his other hand clutching at his chest to try and get a grip of himself. He barely manages to croak out the words "Get Victor" before the coughing is too much.

With his helmet pressed completely against the ground as he's hunched over on his knees, Eichi can't see what's going on with Victor. He can't see if Yuuri decides to try and run after them or stays frozen in spot. He can only see sand, and even that gets obscured as more violent coughs send blood splattering on the inside of his helmet.

He hates this. He thinks this clearly in between every cough, and between every attempt he makes to try and move. He can't. What a useless body this is. Now, Yuuri needs help and support emotionally as well as in saving Victor, and Victor is in this predicament, and he can't do a thing. Now that he considered friends as more than just tools, now that he understood what they were worth, he still couldn't do a thing? He's so sorry for this pathetic body of his. He's sorry he can only cling to life and ignore the nauseous way his body is trying to force him to shut down.]

W-wait, where you going?!

[Yuuri barely hears Eichi's strangled words before he's taking off after the Fek, eyes on the bundle that they're carrying away. It isn't long before the sand that the Fek have kicked up from the ground form clouds that impede his vision, and he finally stops, gasping for air, eyes blurring with the strain of keeping up.

When his vision clears, the Fek are gone from sight, though Yuuri thinks he can still hear the ground trembling in their wake. Though the stubborn part of him wants to keep going, the more reasonable side knows that he won't catch up to them at the steady pace they're going. Besides...he'd left Eichi in a bad spot again, and Yuuri knows he can't keep being a terrible teammate like this. They got into this as a team, and he needs to remember that.

It's a short walk back to their original camping spot. The sheer terror of seeing Viktor carried off had cut through his anxiety and left him focused while he was giving chase, but it returns now in full force, making him tremble. Sinking down onto the ground beside Eichi, Yuuri tries to calm his breathing even as his vision starts to go dark around the edges in a very familiar way.]

Are...are you okay, Eichi?

[Voice small and thin, it's all he can manage to get out right now.]

Edited 2017-01-17 16:51 (UTC)

[He doesn't blame Yuuri for leaving him here. That's his one special person who's being carried away, isn't it? And he's just some boy, sickly already, soon to die regardless of what happens. Eichi doesn't blame him at all.

What he does blame is himself. He struggles to catch his breath, his own hands trembling as his helmet stays pressed to the sand. This is embarrassing. This is horrible. No one should see him like this, and yet Yuuri has come back to sink beside him.]

I'm sorry. [His voice is strained again, but he forces himself to sit up. He's as white as a sheet, blood on the inside of his helmet distorting the reassuring smile he tries to force.] We should be going after your fiancé, shouldn't we? You must be worried... But remember, the Fek are a gentle race. Even while we crawled between their legs, they were careful not to crush us.

I'm sorry to say, but I don't think I can move right now, you know?

[It isn't as satisfying to put your head in your hands when there's a helmet keeping your fingers from burying into your hair. Yuuri has this near-hysterical thought as he sits there in those ridiculous uniform suits, on some distance planet that is definitely not Earth. What had possessed him to volunteer for this mission? It had sounded so much safer than the alpha and beta missions and, spurred on by his own growing curiosity, Yuuri had signed up without really thinking. And now Viktor's been taken.

Eichi's voice sounds faraway, like it's being filtered through water, and Yuuri can barely process what Eichi's telling him as he withdraws further into himself. He squeezes his eyes shut. (What was I thinking?)] I don't think I can move either. [Yuuri chokes out, head still bowed.

Eventually, Yuuri's breath begins to slow to a normal pace and he lifts his head to stare at Eichi with distress.] Do you really think they won't harm him?

[And then...it takes him some time to realize exactly what else Eichi had said about Viktor. His mouth drops open in shock, momentarily distracted from the problem at hand.] Wait. What did you say about Viktor? The...the fiance part?

[Eichi is becoming more and more aware that Yuuri is not exactly with it right now. In a way, it's relieving to know that Yuuri isn't hyperfocused on how Eichi's body is this useless. He's busy with his own problems, and so he didn't have to see how this sickly boy almost was going to cry and be sick. He's pulled himself together, and now he thinks that he might have to be more solid for Yuuri's sake in one way, and depend on him in another. That might work out.]

They won't. [Or, they might, and the information might be wrong, but he won't say that. Instead, he reaches over to place a hand on Yuuri's shoulder, trying to squeeze and pull him back to his senses a little. He can't manage the force of even a small grip, so it's more of a pat. Even with that momentary distraction, Eichi keeps speaking on his original point.]

And besides that, Victor will be trying with all of his might to get back to you, you know? I bet he'll be staring at that ring the whole time like he did before you showed up. Your bond is stronger than the legs of the Feks.

[He's smiling, but it's hard to see past the blood.] Your fiancé will endure and keep shining, just like the sun. He won't be stomped out so easily.

[Yuuri stares, mind racing. Is it ridiculous of him to latch onto the whole fiance thing when they clearly have other problems to be dealing with? Maybe. And yet, he can't focus on anything else at the moment.]

Eichi. [His voice sounds oddly calm to his own ears, despite the almost painful thudding of his heart. He feels a little dizzy as he tries not to think about Viktor staring at the ring so often that even a then-stranger would have noticed.] Has Viktor been telling everyone that we're engaged?

[That's... an odd reaction to say the least. Eichi blinks, his trembling hand dropping away from Yuuri's shoulder. Mostly, he's just still recovering from his heart. He still can't move much at all.]

I don't know if he's told anyone else, but it isn't difficult to see. Fufu, are you embarrassed? How cute. Don't worry, I don't think anyone will think much of it. I think you two are a wonderful pair.

[So that's a "yes". Oh boy. Did that mean, when Viktor had said they were engagement rings that night before the finals started, he actually hadn't been joking? At this point, Yuuri's just so overwhelmed with everything that's happened, and he can't quite process this yet. Rather than thinking himself into a hole again, Yuuri tries to put this to the back of his mind for now. He has his answer. He needs to focus on their more urgent situation now.]

Okay. [He breathes in, fighting back the worry that gnaws at him.] Okay. Even if we can't move right now, we can still figure out what supplies we have left. [Most of it was still in the tent with Viktor, but they could retrieve the few things that had dropped onto the ground. He continues shakily.] After that, we'll find Viktor and the Fek.

Wait. Eichi... [As much as Yuuri's trying to pull himself together, there's still something that nags at him, something he needs to ask. His voice is small, uncertain.] Did he...did he really look at his ring all the time before I got here?

[It's hard to sit up, even, honestly. The sun feels too harsh and his breathing is all over the place. The blood is disgusting and distracting but he can't take his helmet off to clean it right now. And Yuuri is a mess, so he's trying not to reveal any of this. He should be strong, like a lion...]

Hm? [What a surprising question. He blinks a few times to snap out of his tired thoughts.] Yes. It's how I noticed it immediately, and over a long talk and tea, he kept gazing at it. He's enamored.

Oh. [Yuuri's suddenly glad for the helmet, unused to it as he is, if only because it makes it hard to see the light blush spreading across his face. He shakes his head to clear it. Now isn't the time to be thinking about that.

Even if he's not at his best, he's no longer as rattled as he was earlier, which is a step in the right direction. Yuuri studies Eichi again, this time with clearer eyes, and he sees something that makes him frown.]

What's that on your helmet? At the front.

[Eichi can probably sense the blush just from knowing how drawn out Yuuri was in calling Victor his coach. But right now, he has other things on his mind, like staying conscious and wondering how to get to Victor. The question pulls him back again, but his reaction is more casual than it should be.]

It's just a little blood. [A...little... or a decent amount.]

It's blood? [That makes Yuuri sit up, certainly. Though Eichi's always coughing whenever they've spent time with him, Yuuri doesn't remember him ever coughing up blood before.

He leans in, expression grim.] That doesn't look like a little.

[No, don't look at him. It's what he thinks immediately: don't look at me. Ashamed, both of his hands raise weakly to cup over that part of the helmet, shielding it from view. He doesn't want this to be the focus, even if everything feels heavy and he's trying not to be sick. Coughing up blood was one thing, but vomiting in his suit would bring a whole different variety of issues.]

Victor should have his wrist communicator, shouldn't he? [And so he attempts... a distraction. And also a solution, since they should contact Victor at some point.]

We'll try contacting him through the communicator. But first, we need to make sure you're okay.

[He doesn't say anything like "Viktor can wait" because even that would feel like a lie on his tongue. Yuuri reaches out to hold Eichi's shoulder, much like his teammate had done earlier.]

Do you think you can hold your breath long enough for us to wash the blood off?

Unfortunately not.

[He can't catch his breath even now, with full oxygen. He knows if he takes this thing off immediately, he'll end up passing out. That's putting too much on Yuuri. His hands stay in place, covering that blood and trembling. He still coughs every few moments or so, but they're light compared to the violent ones from before.]

Don't worry. It should pass if I rest for a few moments. [...] It's useless, this body of mine, isn't it? I'm sorry. I didn't mean to inconvenience you like this. Despite knowing this limitation of mine, I couldn't bear to stay behind. In the end, I'm still selfish.

It's not useless, please don't say that.

[Yuuri exhales, his hands curling tightly into fists in his lap. He hates that Eichi keeps apologizing for his health, when it isn't his fault.]

If you were selfish, then I was, too. I know I'm mentally weak sometimes, but I still wanted to volunteer for this mission anyway. [It had sounded like the less dangerous of the missions being offered, and the opportunity to visit another planet had been too much for Yuuri to resist in the end. He forces the words out, voice going soft.] We were both unprepared for this.

[His smile continues, even despite everything else. It's thin and tired, but it's there, and Eichi is determined to keep some part of himself together for this, at least. His heartbeat is settling. He doesn't have to get anxious and ruin his image further with panicked whispers about not wanting to die.]

Rather than taking turns finding out which one of us was the least prepared, why don't we decide what to do from here? It's getting dark, you know? We should probably rest here and contact him.

[Yuuri manages to muster up a tired, strained smile as he nods. With some effort, he pushes himself to his feet and stumbles over to the items had had been dropped from their tent.] Works for me. Anything is better than doing nothing.

We'll have to sleep on the ground. Our sleeping bags definitely are still in the tent. [Another pause as he studies what they have left.] We should have enough water to last us until we reach Viktor.

Fufu, sleeping on the ground... It really is a camping experience. This is unlike anything I've ever done before, so it's kind of exciting.

[You know, except for the almost dying part, but he's leaving that out. To be honest, his whole body feels heavy. He's not much help for Yuuri right now, moving slowly to curl on his side right where he is. The helmets make for horrible pillows, and there's no great way to rest his head, but Eichi tries to find the best position as his eyes drift closed.]

Don't worry, Yuuri. We'll make it to Victor.

I know we will. [There's no other option that he can accept right now, honestly.

Yuuri sluggishly gathers up all of the supplies they've been left with and then brings it all back to where Eichi is curled up, instead of making Eichi get up and move.]

Get some rest, Eichi. [Though he still sounds as worn out as he feels, his voice has stopped trembling, so he'll count this as a victory.] I'll try to reach Viktor with the communicator.

["Hopefully my heart won't stop in my sleep." That fear of his goes unspoken, even as a joke, and he keeps his eyes closed and focuses on breathing. Without something like an easy to access source of oxygen, this helmet is all he has. He has to rely on his own weak lungs, at least until they find Victor and his nerves can settle.]

Make sure you get some rest, as well. We won't make it anywhere if I don't have someone I can lean on come tomorrow. [If it really will be a "tomorrow" after their rest. The days here seem different.

Still, that's the last Eichi says, and he fades off to sleep just as he is, bloodied helmet and all.]

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