Violet's head snapped back violently, and she felt herself contort once or twice before her muscles stopped cramping and she instead couldn't move because she was too exhausted.
The medic was over her leaning down and flashing a light in her eyes. "Welcome back, Miss Waterhouse."
"Fuck... Off." She said hoarsely, and used magic to puppet her own body so she could roll over. They weren't at Rin's house anymore. She was lying on the white floor of a clinic. Fallen from where she'd been suspended on a mana feed.
"Rasputin was called in yesterday. I'm afraid that the mage decided not to become involved. Something about you having it well in hand, but you were out for five days." The medic said in concern, "Your vitals haven't returned to normal yet."
"They won't." Violet winced, as her nose began to bleed. She pulled her body upright, twitching on the lines of mana. Her head jerked erratically as she looked around the room, "Five days. Fuck. Does that mean she's here? My sister."
"The other Miss Waterhouse is currently out, but she did visit briefly." The medic said nervously. A prerequisite for anyone that had encountered her sister.
"Rin." She turned slowly, placing a hand against the wall and confirming that the woman was on the other side of it.
The medic stared at her in shock, "That... Is her room. Can I ask how you know that, Miss Waterhouse?"
"I can always find what is important to me." She replied, before slipping through the wall, stepping passed all the magical defenses meant to keep the hospital rooms self-contained in case of illness.
She popped out the other side and gave the doctor helping Rin into a seat a shock that nearly made him black out. He held his chest and tried to calm down as Violet crossed over and curled up at Rin's feet, grinning up at her. "Hey."
The exhausted woman glared at her, "You... Suck. What the fuck was that?"
"Mild sleep demon. Dead." Violet replied innocently, lying her head in Rin's lap. "Dunno how the hell it got into your house, though. Can we just be tired and happy before you start screaming at me?"
Rin patted her on the head, "Like... I have the energy... To yell. Where are we?"
"Hospital. Magic hospital." Violet replied, and then glared at the nurse taking her readings, "That's just going to show you a whole heap of bullshit. Stop being annoying."
"We need to place you back into the mana feed, immediately." The nurse ignored her.
"Fuck off or die in a dark oblivion." Violet's voice dropped two octaves and shook the entire floor.
The entire nursing staff took a frightened step backwards.
"Violet... The fuck."
She winced and sighed, "Rin... We were out of it for five days. Five. Days. Dreamworlds don't follow normal rules."
Rin's hand on her head tightened and threatened to rip her hair out of her scalp, "Shit, shit, shit. Violet... You only had a couple weeks... What...? What does this mean? Stop sugarcoating everything! I hate it!"
"Means I'm dying. Just like I was. Just a bit more... Obvious." Violet reached up and held onto the hand gently. "More tired. More bleeding. More headaches, fewer pancakes."
"You've still got time, right?" Rin burst into tears.
Violet shook her head, "Getting out of this hospital is going to take some serious political wrangling. They'll try and save me, even though they know they can't. They're not used to sending people home to die. Don't have a policy for it."
Rin cried and cuddled her head, whispering to herself, "All my fault. It's all my fault."
"No. It isn't." Violet replied angrily, and pushed the woman backwards before climbing up and into her lap, one arm around her shoulders. She booped Rin on the nose weakly, "Someone tried to kill us both. That's who we get to be angry at, okay? Someone hurt my Rin."
The woman glared at her, "You are not wasting our last moments on some kind of revenge-y rampage!"
"Nope." Violet leaned against her shoulder, "I'm not wasting a single minute where I'm not being told off for touching you."
Rin laughed, "Oh, of course. You sneaky little bitch. You can stand, can't you?"
"Sorta. Not really."
The woman cuddled her, "I am not okay with you being my mother, by the way. That's really fucked. And I wasn't totally into you to begin with."
"Try being your own mum, if you want a fucked relationship." Violet yawned tiredly, eyes closed. "Technically, I impregnated myself. It takes two."
"I thought you were a war orphan."
Violet smiled, "That, too. Hard for a toddler to explain to an orphanage, right?"
Rin leaned her chin on Violet's shoulder, "You like secrets, Violet. I hate it. What about giving birth to yourself did you expect me to pick up, and was then really glad when I didn't?"
"Not telling." She stuck out her tongue.
Rin went bright red, and her breathing changed. The woman was repeating a series of numbers in her head as she tried to focus.
Violet blinked, "Um... Didn't expect that. But you are exhausted. We should get you home and tucked into bed. What's your sick food? Chicken noodle soup?"
"I don't wanna sleep. Ever again." Rin moaned.
"If you fall asleep eating my cooking, do you think I'd just let you stay that way?"
The woman laughed tiredly, "Do you think the doctors are going to be happy with me leaving?"
"No. But they don't normally treat mundanes, neither. You're fine. Just a little burned out. A week of oversleeping, and two weeks to fix your sleep routine after that, and you'll be fine." Violet stated, "Which is why we're not wasting it here. Ready to throw up?"
Rin screwed up her face, "The beads?"
"Actually, those got confiscated." Violet tugged at her hospital gown. "So... This is going to be rough. The beads make it less turbulent. And less effort on me."
"Aw, fuck."
---
"Ya know, technically, I'm a god."
It was, without a single doubt, the worst pickup line that Finn had ever heard in his entire life. It was made even worse somehow, by the utterly ridiculous cosplay the man was wearing just so he could show off his chest.
He took a moment to sip at his beer before turning slowly to look at the bright eyed bastard. "Fuck off."
"Cute. Predictable, but cute." The man laughed, and then flicked Finn in the head.
He hit the wall and grabbed at his screaming skull as the pain washed over him. Finn stared at the six seats between him and the cosplayer, and the four people who had been knocked aside by the flying welder.
He rubbed his fingers together, staring in shock at the blood from where he'd been hit. How in the fuck had the asshole, even with some kind of magic trick, managed to do that?
Why the fuck?
"Because you're cute. I wanted to let you know what you'd be getting into if you get inside these pants." The cosplayer shrugged.
Finn shook his head, "I am... Definently drunk. And leaving."
"You're not even tipsy yet, Lancaster."
He went very quiet, controlling his breathing as he wondered how many hits he could get in before the man pulled out another disturbingly violent half-assed attack.
"Zero. Sorry to say." The man answered his thoughts, and then made Finn's eyes water as he suddenly appeared so close that he could feel their breathing with the bristles of his beard. "I'd prefer talk to fighting, though. Especially pillow talk."
Finn took a shot at the man's face all the same. His shoulder wrenched as he punched thin air, and two strong arms reached around his waist from behind. "I am sorry about hitting you. I didn't mean to hurt you. I just... I really am a god. Dressed in cosplay. What's the harm in a bit of talk? I'm not exactly asking for a one night stand."
"Fuck." Finn swore and sighed heavily, "You're in a sorceror's bar, mate. Who are you trying to kid with this divine shit? You're a hard-ass spellcaster, sure. But not exactly Dyeus."
"Mres is my father."
Finn looked backwards at the man inappropriately cuddling him, "Motherfuck. Are you Hero fuckin' Kaida?"
The man grinned, "You know me!"
"The Cursed Child. Yeah, I fuckin' know you. Now, fuck off." Finn said angrily. "Mostly because you're a world renowned dick. Only partially because I don't even swing that way, mate. Lost cause."
"I'm really not a kid anymore." Hero failed to let go of him, "You're Finnigan Lancaster, though. See, I've heard of you, too. So... Nah. Not until you promise to have a drink with me."
Finn regretted that he couldn't kick the guy in the balls. "Don't want to know. Don't want to talk to you. I came here to drink by my fuckin' self, you cursed cocksucker."
"Was that a gay slur?"
Finn blinked, "Eh... Not intentional. Fuck off, motherfucker?"
"I'm in your head. I know it wasn't." Hero laughed, and then picked him up lightly and walked him over effortlessly to a table and put him on a seat. "But... We still need to talk. Need."
Finn shrugged, "Not like I can stop you, apparently."
"Oh good. He sees sense." Hero rolled his eyes and sat down across from him, waving for drinks to the bartender. Which was weird, considering that table delivery isn't what this place did. They didn't have waiters.
He rubbed his temples, "Look, man, I'm just a bloody welder. Can you get whatever this is over and done with?"
"Sure." Hero smiled sheepishly, "See, you're a sorceror. Part of the club who slept with someone to get better magic, right?"
"Dumb choice from my trade school days." Finn shrugged, "Only benefit is access to quiet pubs. Though, apparently, assholes with crazy magic still turn up to ruin my day."
Hero glared, "Oh, shuddup. I'm trying to help you out. I was just trying to make it less obvious, because people are watching. Wrong kinds of people. So look bored, like I'm flirting with you."
