Spain - Osozaki Hana & Takeshi Kurotsuki

((Any minute now, for the Innocence to appear xD))

Once the bandages were applied, Takeshi applied pressure to his leg, to see how much his injured limb could handle. It was not a very bad wound: he could limp around with it for a while.

His hands shook from a lack of the warmth provided by blood that leaked from his circulatory system, and the would-be finder shakily got to his feet, using the rifle like a crutch. He looked around at the fallen wolves, wondering why they were here, of all places. There does not seem to be a flock of sheep or anything else within viewing range. However, they must hurry before the talisman fails. Their lives hang in balance on the durability of the tool.

((Actually, when the wolves died and nothing happened, I began seriously doubting it, but it doesn't hurt to hope. It's just because we haven't even gotten to our real destination, right? I just believe it best to be optimistic, and if there's no Innocence, at least I learned that I should never be the one to handle a gun.))

Hana felt a sense of calmness that, for some reason, sent chills through her spine. I hope this isn't the calm before the storm, since we just got through a pretty big one. She was still confused as to whether or not they would be moving on, but she also didn't want to serve as an annoyance, so she kept quiet. That didn't prevent her from looking around for any sign of life, or at least a place to rest. She looked up and saw that all her eyes met with were leaves. I forgot about this forest's veil. She blinked. I never realized until now, but I'm surprised we didn't die with the small amount of light given to us, though the Talisman may have proved useful as a makeshift light. Still, all things considered, it could have been worse. She gave a small smile, happy that her first 'fight' with an Akuma hadn't gone as badly as she feared it could have.

((I am suspecting the wolves to be of the Innocence influence. A pack of wolves never drops dead within 5 seconds of each other!))

His breathing heavy, Takeshi looked around. The longer they stay there, the more likely they would get killed. The talisman is not going to last much longer: they need to get moving really soon, or find an exorcist in the area. The latter would be unreliable, since they probably would have linked up with an exorcist before heading out in the first place.

Takeshi gritted his teeth, dropping himself to the ground. There was simply no way he could dodge a bullet in his current condition - he could only hope that the akuma was not precise enough to center on a small target.

Hana went into a fighting stance the moment the Talisman failed. This was a time when she really wished there were exorcists. Come on...We barely survive the wolves, and now this happens almost immediately afer. She decided to stop thinking about these unfortunate happenings, since the Akuma definately wouldn't wait as she sulked.

She watched as the Akuma fired. She turned to her partner and grabbed his arm, knowing about his current condition. She obviously couldn't lift him, but she could at least move him. Oof, heavy. Some of her blood was dripping onto his clothes. "Uh, sorry about the mess..." She knew that this wouldn't work too well, especially since moving wasn't the best solution for a wound like Kurotsuki's. If it's not one thing, it's another.

((Should've known fighting an Akuma wouldn't be that easy.^^; ))

((Aww... How sweet ^_^))

"Tch, just run," Takeshi muttered into Hana's ear.

He attempted to help the other finder move by using his uninjured limb to assist in moving, with limited success. The ground around the two erupted as blood bullets landed about them. Sooner or later, one will find the proper target.

"Run, for ___ sake!" he yelled at no one in particular.

((Yay! That makes me feel special. X3))

As Hana continued to run, she became relieved when she lost sight of the Akuma. The relief was short-lived, however, when a broken conversation could be heard. The whole conversation was inaudible, except for a few words she managed to single out, which she bearly even caught.

She didn't stop in her run, but she slowed down considerably, not only because the Akuma was gone, but there were still wounds to tend to. She turned to Kurotsuki, wondering if he wanted her to speed up again, continue with her current speed, or just stop altogether.

"Don't trust them," Takeshi muttered into Hana's ear, his voice shakened by a lack of blood. However, there was little he could do, otherwise. The akuma probably broke through the power of the talisman and in pursuit... Sort of: they are not exactly the fastest things on Earth.

Hana looked between Kurotsuki and the man. She told her partner, "We have no choice right now. Whether we go with them and they turn out to be enemies, or if we deny their help and just go off, we still have a large chance of dying. It's best to at least get your wound properly treated." She motioned to his leg to emphasize her point.

She gave a smile and added, "Besides, even if they are enemies, I'm not so hurt that I can't handle a few guys." She looked away for a moment. Though it would be a little more than unpleasant if they turned out to be more Akuma. She turned back quickly to hide her nervous thinking. She tried speaking with the man, making sure that he would hear her. "Hola. Necesitamos ayuda. Mi amigo perdio mucha sangre y necesita una cama."

((Are we actually supposed to speak in Spanish, or do we just reply in English and say it's Spanish?))

Hana nearly fell over when she heard the other man speak. They spoke English all along?... Hana saw the other man lift his torch and her eyes widened. Wow, actual Finders? That's a relief, though I wonder if we should tell them that we're not exactly Finders... She shook her head and replied to the man's question, summarizing their journey, "Well, we were sent her to find possible Innocence as our final tests before becoming Finders. However, as you can see, we ran into some problems. My partner is in great need of medical treatment and we may still have an Akuma chasing us, depending on its persistency."

Hana tilted her head at the other Finders. She really wanted to know why these Finders were here, but decided against it, thinking that there was always time for that later. They had more pressing matters at hand. "Can you please assisst us?" She asked, hoping the Finders would know of a place to stay and rest.

((Sorry, I should have asked first.))

This was the second time that Hana almost fell forward. They weren't kidding when they called that Supervisor a demon...Though I guess the rabies would explain the unnatural aggression the wolves showed towards their comrades. While that did explain why they attacked with such malice, they did not explain their sudden deaths.

"All those animals were foaming at the mouth, right? I must know if any of them suddenly died when you encountered them. We fought some wolves a little ways back, and suddenly they just dropped at the same time. I can't recall if they were foaming, though if they had rabies, they may have died of dehydration." Hana lowered her head, thinking. It's a stretch that they all died at the same time, but that's the closest thing I can think of.

Hana's head suddenly shot up. Her eyes showed great anxiety as she thought about their battle earlier. "Um--If those wolves did have rabies, then I think we really need to find a medical center of some kind. Both of us were bitten, and I'd rather not take the risk of either of us contracting the disease."

Hana lowered her head. She was slightly disheartened that there was no Innocence, but quickly lifted her spirits and smiled by reminding herself that no one had lost their lives on their first 'mission.' Except for those wolves, she added as an afterthought. She followed the men, more than happy to be with allies who were trained in this area, especially since having some Talismans present made her feel a bit more relaxed.

Her interest was piqued at the last statement made by one of the men. When she heard him mention the explosions, she could have just laughed at the irony. All the commotion which would have resulted in our deaths lead our saviors straight to us. She shook her head, smiling as she thought of the absurdity. The missions may be dangerous, but I have to admit that the Order looks really fun--for lack of a better word.

She snapped out of her little daze to look at one of the men and ask, "Excuse me. Exactly how are your lives at the Order?" She really wanted to ask if they regretted joining, but that question seemed too personal, and she barely knew these men. Anyway, if they answer that question, it may result in an obligation to reciprocate the action on my behalf. Truthfully, the only reason Hana asked the question in the first place was because she strongly felt like having a nonchalant conversation after all of today's--excitement...

((Sorry I did not reply sooner. Apparently, some of my email filters worked, and others didn’t.))

Takeshi slumped over while the finders talked, succumbing to a lack of blood. He would not be waking up on his own for hours, leaving the tending of his own wounds to someone else.
The future-finder dreamed of his youth of Hokkaido, embracing the cold of the outside and the enjoyment he found with his older sisters.

Hana suddenly felt more weight placed on her. Too--much... She ended up falling over, unable to handle the pressure. I seem to really like the idea of falling lately, she thought to herself, looking over to Kurotsuki to see what happened. Apparently he was unconcious, and that immediately snapped Hana to attention.

She needed to tend to his wounds--and fast. Hana knew that in order to treat Kurotsuki's wound--which was on his leg--she'd have to partially remove the pants. She blushed furiously. I've never treated a guy, so will this be okay with him? I could write him a sorry note and hopefully be in France by the time he wakes up... She knew she was overreacting, but there were plenty of people who would be uncomfortable in this situation. She slapped herself on the cheek.

I've got to look at this from a logical point of view. Given the injury, all surrounding circumstances must be overlooked, including the possible embarrassment of the patient--or medic. So, after that short battle of choices, she worked on treating Kurotsuki's wound; first she disinfected it, then wrapped it. She made sure the wrapping was just tight enough to stop the bleeding. "Phew, I hope that works."

((Sorry about any grammatical errors.))