Round 1 ;; Conclusion

[lufenia]

[Slowly, a glow begins to build at the summit of the mountain. It builds and builds, until it suddenly explodes outward, encompassing everything in the battlefield.Whatever was happening to you in the battle, it is stopped abruptly by that brilliant flash of light. It surrounds you, and does not fade. Suddenly, you can feel a presence in front of

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[lightning_fists]

[ Glancing around, she can't quite manage to see anything as clearly as usual. It's the sort of scene Tifa actually expects to witness in the Lifestream. And that was enough to give her initial alarm. Bnly... if she were dead and returning to the Earth... Cosmos wouldn't really be there, speaking to her and giving her thanks, now would she?

And although there are shadows of figures she can't quite make out, she knows that they'll be able to hear her when she speaks. ] ...Jill... Chris... are you alright?

I ASKED IT'S OKAY lol and you know I can't resist One More for these two |D;

[zerosuitjill]

[There's a bitter kind of satisfaction in hearing Chaos' rage -- enough that even through her pain, Jill can manage a low 'Screw you.'

And then she touches down in this new place.

And it hurts.

Her gasp and the way her throat locks up stifle a scream, but barely, the burns all along her body somehow managing to hurt worse as they're disturbed; she stays on her side, her gloved fingers digging into whatever ground this is as she tries to ride it out. Somehow, over the blood pumping in her ears, she hears her name.]

...Tifa? [Her own voice comes out stronger than one might expect in looking at her -- but it works considerably better than her eyes, because she can't exactly make the other woman out as she tries to look around.]

I HAD IT POSTED AND THOUGHT OH WAIT... lol, 'sgonna be sad if they forget eachother next round ;w;

[lightning_fists]

...it is D: Especially with the jackass-tastic plans I have for her next round. |3

[zerosuitjill]

[Shaking her head takes too much pain and effort, so she doesn't, instead focusing on remaining still.] ...Chaos -- I met him.

[A snort, sharper than she intends] ...I'm not good with domineering bastards.

Oh~? I am... intrigued

[lightning_fists]

[ Instincts and general tendencies have her wanting to reach out and at least place a comforting hand... somewhere so that Jill can be assured that she's there and she's real. Especially after hearing that she faced up against the God of Discord himself. Because sometimes the mind and the body can play tricks when it's in this much pain. But Tifa knows better when the other's whole entire body seems smoking with heat. And burning. She could smell it.

Touching her shoulder and constricting the muscles in her neck only to feel her veins twitch at the small jolts of discomfort, the young woman gave a weak smile. ] Looks like none of us are.

Indeed~ ...just keep in mind that I'm terribly predictable so you can probably hazard a safe guess.

[zerosuitjill]

[In turn, Jill wants to reach out and take Tifa's hand -- partly for comfort, partly for reassurance for herself. But she manages.

That does catch her attention, though.] What--about you? Still in one piece? [Her optimism never really leaves, even if the strength to say it with a full smile does.]

poor Jill, gonna bet beat up so many times

[tao_empress]

[ It was foolish hope to think that any of them would come out of the battle unscathed when Chaos himself was roaming the playing field. And then there were his men, just as determined if not eager to give one last blow to Cosmos' forces. And then there were those willing to sacrifice their own lives to protect the Goddess from danger and harm.

Everyone was out for blood this time. Everyone was giving it all they had.

Mos of her inuries, thankfully, are covered, so it was easy for Tifa to tell the little white lies she tends to give when such question scome up. Having Jill worry about her when she, herself, ws in that state was not beneficial to either party. and Tifa preferred to spend their final moments remembering their oddly formed friendship with a fond if not half0hearted smile. ] No worse than after a battle with you,

srsly. srsly.

[zerosuitjill]

[Smiling back isn't easy, but Jill manages it, along with a short laugh that's more than a little breathless and comes off sounding like a gasp in part.] Well--that means you'll live, then. I feel better.

[A pause.] ...It seems like this is it. ...I just wish I knew what it was... [And if Chris is all right, but he's tough -- injuries aside, he'll also live, and a part of her hopes that if this is really it -- if Cosmos upholds her end of the bargain -- that he won't find her before then. He won't leave her alone, and in the state she's in now... it'd be pointless to deny him that chance at freedom.]

And they're gonna be so confused next round w/ their memories so screwed up like that xD;

[tao_empress]

Hey, you're gonna live too. [ Because she's determined to still believe that despite what her eyes tell her - so familiar, a dying body on the ground, her trying all out to ensure that their mutterings about it being too late is just a terrible lie - Jill had to live. ] You've been through worse, I'm sure of it. [ Because Jill was strong; stronger than all of them. She had to survive. ]

We're seeing this to the end and beyond together. [ Because they had seen so much already for it to end this way. ]

Ahaha so totally. |D IT WAS MY INTENTION~

[zerosuitjill]

[Her smile stays, her voice still tired but lighthearted.] I'm sure we will.

[But that pressure in her chest is worsening; the burns... seem to be fading, though, not leaving as much as they are become a background element, slowly replaced by that steadily-alarming feel of not being able to breathe right.

If this is what dying feels like... well. It isn't her first time. There's just no Wesker to put her back together today.

The thought makes her pause.]

...Listen... if you could do me a favor... there's -- a knife -- on my left boot. Can you get it for me?

MINE TOO! You know, since Tifa's only memory of Jill is of them fighting...

[lightning_fists]

I personally like to believe we're awesome for our evil deeds. <3

[zerosuitjill]

[Dying or not, she's still Jill Valentine; the small quirk in her smile has an element of teasing, even playful, but it's reassuring all the same. She's aware of how her request might have come off, but she's never been the type to cop out, as it were; she'll cling to life as long as she's able, even when it's hopeless.] Nothing stupid, I promise.

[Her next heavy exhale is largely a sigh. Her eyes drop to the ground she still can't entirely see.] It's just... [Her smile fades, the look thoughtful and her voice more solemn.] ...been a really, really long time... since my hands have really touched anyone. [She pauses -- there has to be a better way to phrase it, but it is an odd request either way and with how fuzzy her head is, better words just aren't coming. Saying that no one, for the most part, has touched your skin for years except the person you despise the most is a complicated story, and one she may not have time to tell.]

My gloves... are attached to the suit. [Her smile comes back a little, but more forced than before. She'

Agreed~ ♥

[lightning_fists]

[ Hearing that, Tifa just looks at Jill a moment. It had never occurred to her. True, she had seen the other enough times to note the full-body aspect of the suit; it was something that a person just couldn't ignore with each and every battle they had fought, both against each other and together. It had just never crossed her mind that Jill was unable to even take it off; to even take off the gloves...

Lowering her head a bit and letting her brows curve upwards in sympathy, the young woman gave a single nod. ] ...Ok.

[ And with that came the meticulous process of actually... cutting off the suit at the wrist without nicking the skin underneath. ] Both gloves?

<3~~

[zerosuitjill]

Just one's fine. [The material near her other wrist is melded to her skin, anyway; she can't tell anymore if it reached up onto her hand, but one's enough all the same.]

[lightning_fists]

[ Another nod. Words aren't really necessary for this.

And btw, that's another issue. Is it really safe to peel off part of the suit with her body looking like it did. Tifa was no medic, but even she knew that causing more harm could be potentially life-threatening... then again...

It's just like skinning a tomato, she thinks. And TIfa's done a lot of cooking since rebuilding the Seventh Heaven so she knows what she's talking/thinking about. And luckily, the glove comes off, no problem. All five fingers are accounted for, and the skin is smooth if not a bit red and irritated from the burning. Despite that though, she sets the knife down and takes Jill's hand between both of hers. It's what she wanted. It's what she'll get. ]

[zerosuitjill]

[She squeezes Tifa's hand at that, her grip surprisingly firm for her state.

It's not to say she didn't appreciate Chris' affections, his touches and his kisses -- but her hands are... well. She'd never noticed before just how important they were to her; they're how she does everything, and for three years she did nothing but cause pain with them, all while they were numbed from the warmth of simple touch.

Even Chris couldn't give her that.

She smiles, the expression in her voice. She can't hope to say enough to express how much the simple gesture means to her, so she'll only give a very tired- but genuine-sounding,] Thank you.