Recuperation: A Shoujo Parallels Headcanon Short

 

Alpha Belt
Otherworld
Elythos

Astra was disappointed when she woke up to the sound of beeping machinery and an IV pumping medicine into her veins. The hospital was the very last place where she wanted to be. The lady cursed Raphael’s existence as a nurse walked in, mildly surprised to see the newest patient already awake and cursing.

“Ms. Erimentha,” the nurse greeted. Astra’s green eyes flickered over to her butter-yellow ones. “Are you doing alright?”

“Eri,” she corrected. “And I just woke up. There’s an IV attached to me. And I feel something on my back,” the lady noted, groaning faintly as she tried to move around despite being confined to the bed. The nurse nodded sympathetically, reading Astra’s vitals and checking the information the machine sent over. 

“That’s nothing compared to your injuries, Ms. Eri. It’s a good thing Mr. Raphael brought you here before you suffered blood loss–”

“Blood loss?”

The nurse hummed lightly. “He got you out of Spirare and told us you were injured after battling a loose Daimon.”

“Where’s Raphael now?”

“He had to leave, update the office on your condition.” She pushed a button and Astra yelped as the bed reclined, the nurse pushing her down with a gentle kind of force. “Just rest, Ms. Eri. Mr. Raphael would relax more if he saw you comfortable.” Plastering a smile (albeit forced), Astra nodded and the nurse left eventually.

Sinking into the sheets, she sighed heavily and closed her eyes.

“Why did I chase after Caprice,” she muttered, cringing and moving a little, feeling the puncture marks throb at the slightest contact. Astra attempted to make the lights flicker or a small spark arise, but none came. Deflated, she came to a realization that the thing sucked out a significant amount of Quintessence.

Shit.

“Knock, knock.”

Astra resisted rolling her eyes and glanced at the door. A man stood there, wearing a fresh outfit and carrying a coffee cup in his hands, along with a package containing Sceo-knows-what. “Feeling better?” Raphael asked, walking to her and setting the plastic bag down on the couch that was conveniently propped by her hospital bed.

“Considerably,” she muttered. She didn’t want to look at her savior. Not yet, at least.

“You worried the ever-living fuck out of me,” he admitted. Raphael sat down on the couch and took a drink from his coffee, “I found you nearly passed out because of that monster…”

“I hope you killed it.”

“I did. Ran my javelin through the fucker.” He tapped his side and Astra saw the javelin’s holster, holding the weapons securely against the man’s hip. Raphael’s forest-green eyes met Astra’s own lightning and he managed a small smile. “I’m glad you’re alive, Astra. Really. I didn’t mean that shit about killing you if you made it. I wouldn’t know what I’d do with myself,” he mumbled. 

Astra eventually smiled slightly. “You’d find a new partner.”

Raphael looked scandalized. “I’d never.” 

“‘All Worldly require partners’. But you’re stuck with me for the moment, asshole,” she finished and he managed a weak laugh. 

“But, really…please don’t do that again. I risked losing you today. I can’t have that happen again,” he told her. Astra nodded. “And I can’t bear giving some kind of transfusion; you know how I hate needles–”

“What the hell are you talking about?” she asked sharply. 

Raphael’s face paled a bit. “Ah – did I say transfusion? I meant transportation. Carrying you was a real pain in the back.”

“Cut it out,” she snapped. Raphael cringed but didn’t say anything else. “What transfusion?”

“Well, you…” he glanced around the room, “You were losing blood and Quintessence. Quintessence is present within the blood. You can do the math from that point,” he finished quietly, looking up at the IV, Astra’s face paling intensely. 

“You gave me a part of your Quin–”

This time, it was Raphael who spoke sharply. “It’s nothing, Astra. Really. Just need coffee and to take it a little bit easier before I reach hundred percent. And I couldn’t have forced Collette or Cissa to do it,” he added. 

Astra’s face fell. Somehow, the thought of Collette or Cissa providing her with life fluids made her less comfortable than with Raphael. He caught the look on her face. “You see? Even you’re uncomfortable with it.” But she shook her head, glaring up at the IV and eventually at the tubes connected to her arm. 

“Doesn’t mean I wouldn’t prefer it.” 

Raphael resisted the urge to argue more and exhaled slowly. “Just take it easy for the moment, Astra. You’ve got it worse than I do.” he thought of the puncture marks on her sides and cringed.

“Yeah, worse. Sure. I’ll keep that in mind,” she said dully. Astra was about to close her eyes when she noticed Raphael throwing anxious glances at the door. “The fuck are you–”

“Look,” he told her, voice tight, “I made a promise to someone. That if anything would happen to you, I’d tell.” Raphael cringed as the sky boomed loudly, darkening clouds threatening to rain. Astra could only watch in confusion (and irritation) before Raphael stood up, sending her a guilty smile. “I know you hate it when she finds out but I had to, Eri. I’m sorry.” 

The fact that he used her first name instead of her last threw her off-guard. 

And she realized who he was referring to.

“Raphael,” she said warningly, but he shook his head and turned as a new presence stepped in. Astra glanced away, wanting to throttle the man with every ounce that she had. 

She heard him speak again. “I kept to my world, Thyella. Do you want me to go?” 

Amaya Thyella shook her head, her scarlet eyes looking right at the person on the bed.