1588/Burned, Not Broken.

Burned, Not Broken.
Date of Scene:	26 May 2024
Location:	Mitakihara General Hospital
Synopsis:	As Ikuto recovers in the hospital from a horrific attack, two of his closest friends visit the burnt-out catboy.
Cast of Characters:	Ikuto Tsukiyomi, Madoka Kaname, Yuki Hoshino

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Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
The last thing Ikuto remembered was seeing Yuki rushing at the monster that called itself Hinoiri and himself, and then his attempt to bite what he could only describe as a demon of pain. In his sleep, he dreamt of pain and loss.

The staff at Mitakihara General Hospital believed "Taichi Suzuki" a student at Radiant Heart Academy, had been in an accident of some sort. What the nurses and doctors hadn't expected was that when their new patient regained consciousness he would begin struggling to get out of the hospital bed, weakly attempting to lash out in his rage. Exhausted as Ikuto was though, he could only push weakly at the nurses as they secured him to the bed amidst reassurances that he was okay, and was safe now. "Not me, Yuki! Where is she? Is she okay?!" His voice was weak and his strength nonexistent, but still he tried to shout; to all but beg for assurance that he'd been successful in the end.

"You were brought in by a girl; she seemed fine. Dark hair, pretty, and quiet. Is that who you're thinking of?" a nurse asked Ikuto. "Y...yeah...so she...okay. Good..." he replied, falling unconscious once more.

On his shoulder, a Chara slumbered as well. Yoru dreamt of darkness and fire closing in on his Bearer as he could only watch in horror. "Ikuto, don't! You can't...you can't beat her. Not the way you are, still trying to find your way nya!" he called out into the darkness. But the boy couldn't hear him, and the catboy Chara found himself weeping for the boy in his dreams.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Once in a while during his stay, Ikuto might have seen another Chara poke her head in: Medo, the nurse minidoka. She hasn't said or done much in the way of social interaction as there are several 'burn victims' here for her to fret over, but she's seen to it that Madoka knows about Ikuto's current condition. When Madoka finally does arrive, Medo follows her in along with Gretchen, both Chara floating over Madoka's shoulders.

    Madoka peeks in cautiously, to see if Ikuto is awake, and then starts softly stepping inside. When she speaks, it's with a gentle voice. "Hey... are you okay? I heard about what happened. This is Sunbreaker's doing too, right?"

    As she gets closer, assuming Ikuto doesn't send her away, she looks over at the cat fairy Yoru and tilts her head to the side, clasping her hands over her chest as she worries. "Poor thing. Has he been asleep this whole time?"

    With a smile she looks at the larger of two catboys and says, "How are you holding up? The others seem to have lost their magic, so I admit I'm a little worried about Yoru."

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
Ikuto's eyes shoot open when the door opens and he looks over to see Madoka, giving her the best attempt at a smile he can manage. "If I were 'okay' I'd be out there hunting down the demon that did this to me Madoka-chan. This wasn't Hinoiri-chan, though. It was..." A darkness clouds his expression as he remembers how she looked. The scales, the burns, the frenzied expression. "...It was a monster in Hinoiri-chan's skin. She tried to attack Yuki-chan. I made sure she got me instead."

He looks down to Yoru, giving the sleeping Chara a gentle pat on the head. "Yoru...he's been asleep, yeah. Whatever that monster did took everything but the Heart's Egg itself. I feel him, still. He's alive, and I think he'll be fine. He's just exhausted because there's nothing in me for him to draw strength from right now. As for me...I'll be fine. Well, mostly. The doctor said the burns on my shoulder and leg will heal well, but..." He raises his right hand a bit, covered in bandages. "You know how I've got that cool metal claw on my hand when I'm Black Lynx? Turns out that having someone grab it when they're as hot as the sun makes the metal really, really bad for bare skin. I was in Chara Transform and it still scorched me 'almost to the bone' from what I heard them say. Gonna have a nice scar at least."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    As Madoka looks down at Yoru, and hears Ikuto's explanation, she has... mixed feelings. Feelings that she wouldn't voice on her own, but that doesn't stop Gretchen from speaking her mind.

    "That could be either of us, Medo. That could be us if Doka got drained."

    Medo flails her arms and fusses at Gretchen. "Don't say things like that! Madoka-chan's not gonna get caught by her, right?!"

    Madoka glances off to the side as she tries to hide her darkening face, refusing to respond. Then she looks down at Ikuto's hand and frowns. "So... she burnt you even though you were Chara Transformed? She must be really strong. I wonder what happened to her. She seemed so happy at the birthday party..."

    Finally making eye contact with Ikuto again, Madoka adds, "Moon-chan is on the war path. Her prince got hurt so... I can't really blame her. His magic was taken too, along with that of several others. Everyone's worried. We're planning on ganging up on her, but I'm not sure how to track where she is. I'm sure the others are working on it."

    She reaches over to finger pet the sleeping Yoru, saying, "It's gonna be okay. We'll figure this out somehow..."

Yuki Hoshino has posed:
Yuki had spent the night worrying about Ikuto, just as much as he worried about her. She had no nurse to assure her of her friend's status, however, and zombie-walked throuigh her morning classes as her imagination presented scenario after scenario of potential horrible things happening to Ikuto.

By the time lunch rolled around she'd worked herself into quite the tizzy. "To hell with it," she snaps suddenly, and breaks out of the cafeteria line and heads for the gate. A little stealth, a little flight, and she's outside the hospital, emerging from an unobserved alleyway to head in via the visitor's entrance.

Finally, she finds her way to Ikuto's room. Hearing a familiar voice from inside, she pauses a moment, unsure. Then she shakes her head and tells herself to stop being an eejit, silly!

*knocknocknock* "Hey, Cat," she whispers. "Kaname-san." She steps in and closes the door behind her, then walks over to take Ikuto's unbandaged hand. "Glad to see you're doing ... well, better than last night."

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
Ikuto looks at Madoka. "Moon-chan...Sailor Moon? I think I ran into her at one of Utau's concerts once. That was the first time I met Hinoiri-chan. Huh. So the demon has been going after more people. Figures. Just be careful. More careful than you've ever been, Madoka-chan. The way this...thing pretending to be Hinoiri-chan is right now, I'm pretty sure it's the strongest...anything I've seen. Even that Witch you brought Hotori-san and I to hunt that one time was nothing compared to it. Whatever you do, don't let her grab you. Trust me..it hurts a lot more than you'd expect." He looks down a bit. "I know this sounds stupid, but. I saw Hinoiri-chan at the party. That monster out there isn't truly her, even if it says it is. Even if she thinks she has to be that monster right now...don't let it take her for good."

When Yuki enters, Ikuto almost looks -normal- for a moment. His smile isn't an attempt for the sake of a visitor, but genuine happiness. When she takes his hand, he feels a heat rising on his face. But he makes no move to move his hand away, instead holding on as tight as he can manage in his weakened state. "Yuki-chan...you brought me here, huh? That was...well I would say 'reckless' but I don't think I'm allowed to lecture you after what I did."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka nods as Ikuto talks about Sailor Moon. "Yeah, that's her. She's pretty well connected as far as magicals go." As she listens to Ikuto describe the Sunset of Sora, she eventually decides to stop hiding her emotions. She's not crying or whimpering or anything like that, but she's sad, worried, and in an overall grim mood. It's plain all over her face.

    When Yuki walks in, she smiles faintly at the girl and says, "Hoshino-san. It's good that you brought him in when you did. It sounds like you both had a close call. I'm glad you managed to get out okay."

    She walks over to a couple of chairs against the wall and pulls them over to Ikuto's bedside, offering one to Yuki if she wants. When she sits down she leans back in the chair. "I can try to keep Easter's thugs away from here. Non-magicals are easy to ward off, and well..."

    She clears her throat, and waves her hand. Several Witch stickers appear scattered over the walls of the hospital room. "Magically speaking, this place is under my protection. I don't suffer the presence of Witches and youma here. You should be safe unless something really big comes along, and I doubt that Sunbreaker would come after those she's already drained."

Yuki Hoshino has posed:
Yuki nods, taking the offered seat, leaning in to continue holding his hand. "Yeah, you were in pretty bad shape. I managed to decoy her off, send her on a wild goose chase, and sneak back to get you to safety. You were in pretty bad shape... I've been worrying all day."

She sighs, squeezing Ikuto's hand tightly. "Glad to see you up and around."

Madoka's witch-stickers get a nod and a small smile. "Thanks for that, Kaname-san." It's definitely a relief to know that her friend will have some protection while he's vulnerable here.

"So how are you feeling now?" she asks of Ikuto. "That... witch.... drained you pretty hard, and it looked like there were burns... I didn't dare try to touch anything, I'm no medic..."

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
Ikuto shakes his head to Madoka. "Easter seems to have backed off for the time being. I don't know if maybe Hinoiri-demon-chan is going after them too, but over the past week or so they just...stopped hanging around."

To Yuki, he grins. "So we both did something dangerous, huh? ...Thanks, Yuki-chan. You- that means a lot to me. I'm...not great. No strength at all, and it feels strange not being able to just focus and listen to things multiple rooms away. I'd love to get out of this bed and try to help the others, but...not happening, heh. My uh. Other hand took the worst of it I think. That's gonna leave a really nice scar."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka's relief is visible at the news that Easter has backed off. "Maybe they got tired of running out of youma, or maybe they're going after something else. Either way, I'm glad they aren't bothering you for the moment."

    As to the question of Ikuto's burns, Medo is the one who speaks up. "It's a good thing that you got him here when you did, Hoshino-san. He's right about the scar, but the rest of him should heal up pretty well, given enough time."

    Gretchen crosses her arms and frowns at Ikuto, saying, "What's more worrying is the magic drain. It couldn't have taken it completely or else the Fade would hit you, but the other victims of this monster haven't recovered their magic yet. Hopefully defeating her will fix that."

    Madoka nods as she leans forward in her chair, arms wrapped around her waist. "As long as she's attacking us in small groups, she might not yet be able to take on all of us at once. All the more reason for us to stay in touch and keep together. We can't afford to get caught out in the open by her."

Yuki Hoshino has posed:
Yuki nods. "Yeah, we did," she agrees. "Just... have patience. You'll get better. The docs'll make sure of that." She squeezes his hand in both of hers.

She turns back to Madoka, nodding. "Scar... mrrr... are there any magic healer-types? Someone who could clear that up?"

She looks to Gretchen, listening to the minidoka elaborate on the magic drain. "She made a grab for Argent Dawn, too. I'm not sure what she thought she could *do* with her... "

"My function is locked to primary wielder Yuki Hoshino's linker core," a mechanical voice interjects in English. "Access by others is not permitted without primary wielder authorization or official override codes." Yuki blinks, filing away the mention of 'official override codes' as something to ask the Device about - later.

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
Ikuto nods to the Charas. "It could have been a lot worse. Here's hoping that beating up Hinoiri-chan will make everyone's power she's taken go back to the right owners. It'd be funny for about two seconds if everyone's powers just got all mixed up." He looks between Madoka and Yuki, thinking. "You two should definitely keep in contact as much as possible until this is resolved. No getting caught out alone, alright?"

To Yuki he grins. "Can't bear the thought of my hand having such an unsightly mark upon it, my Knight? I'd honestly rather...remember this. So I always know why I need to be strong."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    "I only know of two magical healers, personally," volunteers Madoka, crossing her arms and lifting her left index finger. "One of them... went missing a while back. I'm not sure where she is. She used to hang out at the hospital with me, but... well, there's no real telling where she is. The other..." she raises a second finger. "... is also at this hospital. As a patient. Who got hit and drained by Hinoiri. Sailor Moon's prince, to be specific. Sadly, we can't call upon either right now. Guardian Daifuku's food might have some healing properties, but they aren't nearly as dramatic as you might hope."

    Gretchen looks down at the scar and then up at Ikuto. "I mean, sure. Keep it. As long as it ends up being a cool looking scar and isn't some horrifying dismemberment. Kinda like with Madoka's left arm..."

    The pinkette reaches up to touch her left upper arm, and then grins wryly. "Funny... I haven't thought about that one for a while. It's not an outward scar, but sometimes it aches. I got that scar while protecting Kyubey. Ironic." Letting her hand set back down into her lap, she tilts her head and smiles at the catboy. "I can understand, though. Wanting a souvenir. For me, I kept it because I never wanted to forget what it meant to be weak."

Yuki Hoshino has posed:
Yuki takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. "I guess we'll have to wait and let the doctors do their thing, then," she admits. "And hope that it isn't too bad."

She settles back in her seat. "Are they feeding you alright? You've got to recover all the energy she stole, after all." She pauses a moment and adds, "Darnit, I should've grabbed something on the way here... " Her stomach gurgles, reminding her - and all present - that she skipped out on lunch to get here.

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
Ikuto smiles. "Dismemberment...? No, it's not quite that bad. Not like there's anything -missing-. It's just a reminder that I'm not invincible and have limits. What's uh...a Kyubey though? Some sort of breakfast food? Ugh. I slept through breakfast today, didn't I..."

He looks to Yuki. "It'll be fine, really. Give me a good excuse to wear a glove like some sort of cool idol, too. The food's not bad for a hospital. You sound hungrier than me, though- wait isn't school still on? Did you...ditch to come see me, Yuki-chan?" Now he's really blushing.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    At the subject of missing school, Madoka glances awkwardly off of the side. School would still be in for her, too. At least, until she remembers what day it is. "Today is a half day, so no we're not skipping class. We're just out early. It's Saturday, remember?"

    She clears her throat and says, "You probably forgot since... you haven't had a normal childhood."

    Gretchen laughs. "Hahaha. Imagine Madoka-chan skipping class!" The pinkette looks annoyed as her fairy mocks the idea.

Yuki Hoshino has posed:
"Yeah, I had just gotten out of class and headed to lunch and I just couldn't take waiting anymore, so I headed straight here." Yuki shrugs. "maybe I should've at least gotten some food to bring with me first."

"So," she asks, turning to Madoka. "You didn't explain what a Kyubey is."

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
Ikuto blinks. "Oh, right. Saturday. Sorry, I was unconscious for part of the past day. Still...thank you. Both of you. Even half a year ago, I don't think I would have had anyone besides my sister come to see me. Speaking of Utau...she's going to be uncontrollably angry if she finds out Hinoiri-chan did this to me, so um. Maybe don't mention that if you see her."

He looks curiously at Madoka. "I am curious about what a Kyubey is, though. Some sort of magic thingy?"

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka looks up at the ceiling as she's reminded about the Kyubey question. "Well... he's... a jerk, basically. He's a small creature that offers those with karmic potential a path to magical power. You get one wish, but in exchange you will have to fight Witches for the rest of your life. It's... actually a pretty bad deal. The laws of the universe don't really like being messed with in that way, and so there's usually a backlash of some kind."

    She leans back into her chair and shrugs. "He's not really relevant to any of us, since he can't give magic to those who already have some, but if you ever see him hanging around someone you know it might be wise to warn them. Kyubey doesn't lie directly, but he has a way of twisting his words and leaving things out."

Yuki Hoshino has posed:
Yuki ahhhs softly, nodding. "So, no real explanations, just "Hey, here, have a bunch of magic power, go fight monsters"... yeah, glad I never ran into him."

"So, how long do the docs plan on keeping you stuck in here?" she asks, changing the subject. "I'm sure we're not the only ones worried about you."

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
Ikuto tilts his head. "That just sounds like he's cut of the same cloth as Easter, taking advantage of innocent kids for his own purposes. Remind me to give him a good kick if we ever see him. As for staying here...I'm not sure. They're definitely not letting me out while I'm still weak like this. So...hopefully once this mess is dealt with, I'll be able to leave assuming the burn is healed up enough by then.

A troubled expression crosses his face. "I just hope Hinoiri-chan can be saved...wants to be saved, from whatever is making her do this."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    "Yeah that's about how we fell," says Gretchen, in regards to Kyubey. "He's a meanie and I don't like him!"

    Madoka considers Ikuto's condition with regards to how long he'll be here. "For all we know, you're stuck here until Sunbreaker is stopped, and I'm just hoping that will be enough. Honestly, whatever she's done must be different than normal energy drains, since it seems like people aren't recovering right away."

    Glancing off to the side, Madoka looks grim as she says, "I don't know... I don't think that she's a bad person deep down, but she makes bad choices and this is one of them. All the negativity that she grew up around is now being brought to bear against all of us. I hope that she can turn around, and I know some of my friends really value her, but I don't even know what happened to her."

Yuki Hoshino has posed:
"Well then, I'll have to keep visiting," Yuki decides. "And next time maybe bring some proper food." Her stomach rumbles again. "For all of us."

Discussion of Hinoiri provokes another little sigh. "I never really knew her before... all this. Don't think I'd even properly met her before last night. Certainly never fought her." She shrugs. "I think you're right, though. Nobody would -want- to be the kind of crazy I saw last night."

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
Ikuto nods. "I used to be a 'bad guy' too. Caused a lot of harm for Easter. I could have made just as many poor decisions as Hinoiri-chan has, really. If I hadn't gone to Hotori-san when I did, to try and clear things up...if I'd just kept trying to do things myself without letting people help when they wanted to. Yeah...it could have gone a lot differently that way. I'm glad it didn't. Glad I've made good friends like you Madoka-chan, and..glad that I met you, Yuki-chan." He smiles, still holding her hand. "I'd definitely like for you to keep visiting, until I get out of here."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Medo tugs on Madoka's sleeve and whispers into her ear. "Oh! Ah... my Chara has just reminded me that I need to be somewhere."

    The pinkette stands up, and her two fairies settle down on her shoulders. "It was good seeing you again, Ikuto-san, Hoshino-san. I hope you get to feeling better. We'll... tell you how things settle out with Hinoiri-san, one way or another."

    She bows politely to the two of them, and then starts to leave at a brisk pace.

Yuki Hoshino has posed:
"Well, I'm glad you aren't a bad guy anymore, Ikuto-kun," Yuki says, reaching out to squeeze his hand again. "And I'll bet Yoru is, too."

She nods to Madoka as the pink-white declares her intention to depart. "It was good seeing you again, Kaname-san. We should get together more often."

The third departed, she turns back to Ikuto. "I think I'm going to go see what I can find in the hospital cafeteria," she says. "Maybe I can bring something up for you, too."