694: It's all fun and games until someone loses an eye...

[misterbfc]

The Sensory Deprivation Meme

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ILU2. ONE.

[werewolf_hacker]

[Ben reels backward, blood spraying from his face. The demon sword just took him...

right across the eyes. Both of them. He can't...

He wipes the back of his hand across them while the demon screeches with laughter. Warm and sticky.

He can't see.] Guri...

EVIL

[guriel]

BEN! [It's a scream, agonized and horrified, and Guriel's stomach churns as he lunges forward, takes the demon's sword arm off at the shoulder and its head off at the collarbone, and then wheels and reaches for Ben's shoulder, screaming again.]

RAPHAEL!

YOU WOULD EXPECT NO LESS.

[werewolf_hacker]

[Ben's back hits a wall, and he slides down it until he's sitting on the ground. The sigil burns, his face burns, but everything feels like it's coming from far away. He's not processing at all right now.] Guri, what...

THIS IS SO.

[guriel]

No. Nonononono, come on, this can't be . . . ohmiGodBen, RAPH, where are you . . . [Guriel's babbling. He should probably see to that. He drops to his knees, tries to look at the damage, but there's so much blood, and the wound is so deep . . .]

[werewolf_hacker]

I can't. Did it.

Guri, I can't see. [And it's not just because blood is in his eyes.] "The blade falls, the eyes close..."

[guriel]

[Guriel's screaming himself hoarse in the heavenlies, and it's not that much longer before Raphael appears. "Guriel, what . . .

"Oh. Oh, Ben."]

Fix it, Raph, you have to fix it, make it better, he can't he can't he can't see . . .

[werewolf_hacker]

Wasn't fast enough, Raph... [Ben's hand keeps going up to his face, as though he can't quite believe what just happened. Well. He can't.]

It's bad. Isn't it. [He's dizzy and numb. His hand falls back to the ground with a thump.]

[stirsthewaters]

[Raphael's reply is graver than usual, and he lays a hand on Ben's hair while he passes the other over the injury.] Yes, Benjamin. It's bad.

[werewolf_hacker]

[At least it's not burning anymore, although the sigil still isn't happy. His world is black.] I can't see.

[stirsthewaters]

I know. [And there is something horrible, something final and despairing, in those two words.

Grace goes to work to stop the bleeding, set the shattered remains of the bridge of Ben's nose back where they need to be. But there's nothing he can do for the eyes . . .]

[werewolf_hacker]

[The pain fades to a distant memory, but...]

Raph. I can't. See. [He's having the beginnings of a panic reaction.] Please.

[guriel]

[Guriel makes a broken noise and wraps his arms around his ribs, doubling over like he's trying not to be sick.

Raphael looks pained, deeply and terribly pained. "Ben. Your eyes have been terribly, terribly damaged."

Guriel shudders. How, how did this happen, what did he miss, what could they possibly have done . . .]

[werewolf_hacker]

I know that. I'm not stupid. But you can fix them.

Right, Raph? [His hand comes up to his face again.] ...right? He made the lame to walk and the blind to see?

[stirsthewaters]

[Raphael is crying, tears running silently down his face. It's been a long time since Guri's seen his big brother cry like that.] I'm sorry, Ben. Please, forgive me.

[werewolf_hacker]

It's not. Not your fault.

[Ben can't breathe. He fists a hand over his heart.] But He promised. No undue harm...

[guriel]

[Guriel's head comes up from the huddle of arms and wings, and the next minute he's a huddle of arms and wings wrapped tight around Ben.] Oh. Oh, brother . . .