And then there were none...[OPEN]

[Kiyama Ryuichiro]

"...wake up! Can you hear me? Kiyama-san!"

That familiar voice echoed in his ears, and somehow, Kiyama felt like the sleep he'd been awoken from was a particularly deep sleep. Straddling that fuzzy boundary of consciouness, he tried to remember something. Something that seemed like it was very important. And though he didn't remember if he'd been dreaming or not, it seemed like when he woke up, whatever that thing was might be gone for good.

Tsuchiya? A thought pierced his mind from no where. That voice...

Partially annoyed, feeling that thing he was trying to remember slip away into nothingness, Kiyama relunctantly opened his eyes. The first thing he noticed that the first-year was leaning over him, hands on his shoulders, looking quite distressed about something.

Of course, seeing Tsuchiya Satoshi there in front of him made him nothing but distressed. In the cold and the rain and the harsh terrain, the prospect of the freshman navigating the mountain path on his own with that heart condition he had only made him feel angry... angry at the boy for coming out to get them, angry at whoever let him go, and angry that he found himself in a position that he needed to be retrieved.

Ignoring the shakiness of his arms, he pried the other's off of his shoulders. "What are you doing here?"

Kiyama knew that he'd mentally answered his own question before he even asked it, so he shook his head. It was then he noticed his hair was brushing against something. He looked up to see that there was a plastic cover over his head, blocking the rain. But for some reason, his scalp felt damp, though he his clothes felt dry by then... And he felt warm, really warm, even though he was still shivering.

Then Kiyama remembered something, though it wasn't that something he'd forgotten before he'd properly woken up a while before. He turned to his right to see Mizusawa sitting beside him. Before he got a chance to ask him anything, he felt a few coughs rise in his throat, and instinctively cupped his hand over his mouth. Looking at Mizusawa again, he got a sense of... what was the word? Déjà vu, like something had happened once before, or he should've remembed something... or wait, did that thing have to do with him?

Shaking his head again, he got back to task. "Mizusawa, you're okay, right? If you are... shouldn't we... be looking for--"

That was when Kiyama exploded into another fit of coughs. Covering his mouth once again, he squirmed internally when he noticed that this these seemed to be productive. That fit lasted a little longer, though not too much so. As he removed his hand, something caught his eye even in the near dark. His clammy palm was mottled with bright red spots...

Slowly, he lowered his hand to the ground, keeping the palm away from the others. For better or for worse, Kiyama never worried about his own welfare all that much, but what he'd just seen... Being all hot and cold and shaky; this wasn't just being sick. Digging his fingers into the mud and moss below him, he realized that for the first time in a very long time, he was scared... scared for himself.

He briefly looked up at Tsuchiya and then to Mizusawa. He was particularly worried about the first-year, but both looked to be doing as fine as they could be under the circumstances. A corner of his mind questioned why the others weren't as sick as he was, but mostly he felt glad that they did seem to be fine. Which made him feel terrible, because that meant he would be the one bogging them down. It was definitely a position he wasn't used to, and if he somehow failed to help the others, if something else were to happen...

Completely drained of any confidence he had in escaping the situation with his comrades in one piece, his gaze fell to his lap.

"We've got to... get back..." For some reason, his voice came out breathy, which confused him even more. His fingernails dug a little deeper into the dirt as it occured to him that he couldn't really breathe.

He closed his eyes, thinking about how where they were, and how they'd gotten there, and if they'd be able to get back. It was dark and raining, and they had Tsuchiya, he wasn't completely convinced that Mizusawa was alright, and he'd suddenly become a burden, and...

He took in a breath, that ended up sounding like a wheeze before he continued, only adding another single word.

"...sorry..."

OOC: And... I'm so sorry Kiyama! m(_ _)m Poor kid's caught pneumonia. I blame Ter Also bad post blah blah blah

[Mizusawa Taku]

Mizusawa saw the frown on Satoshi's face, but he didn't react to it. He didn't want Satoshi to be worried about him. It was bad enough that the younger boy had come all the way out here just to make sure two of his senpais were okay.

"We noticed you, Kiyama-san, Hino-san and Tsukimori-senpai were missing. Nippori-san and I went to look for you while everyone else agreed to meet back up at the base of the mountain. We didn't want to risk more people getting lost." He moved closer to Kiyama's sleeping form, "Mizusawa-senpai, are you hurt?" His eyes darted towards Kiyama's leg, "What happened?"

Mizusawa shivered and shook his head, despite the awkward tingling sensation that remained in his slightly-injured elbow. "I'm grateful you came, but the team shouldn't have sent you here by yourself. It's dangerous, Satoshi." He coughed and then continued. "I'm fine, anyway. Just a little cold...But K-Kiyama..." he choked, glancing back down at Kiyama's poorly bandaged leg. Blood was already soaking through the bandage. They seriously needed to get him to the hospital.

"Oh! Here," handing Mizusawa a protein bar, "in case you're hungry."

He looked up in time to see Satoshi holding out another protein bar. For a moment he only stared, wondering if he should tell the boy to save it for when they might really need it. But then, feeling his stomach rumbling loudly--and realizing his own backpack was nowhere in sight, his own selfish need for food won him over, and he gratefully accepted Satoshi's offer.

Both boys sat back against the tree silently, and Mizusawa began munching greedily on the protein bar. Food had really never tasted so good. It hadn't even been a day since he'd last eaten, but it sure felt long enough. He looked over at Kiyama, wondering if the other would wake up soon, and if he would be just as hungry. And as he thought about him, he felt his body subconsciously scooting closer and closer to Kiyama's again. He already missed being in the other's arms...

Despite the cold, he'd actually fallen back asleep, his head lolling to the side and nearly resting on Kiyama's shoulder. He was re-awoken by the worried sound of Satoshi's innocent voice once more.

"Mizusawa-senpai, Kiyama-san is burning up!"

For a moment, Mizusawa was stunned all over again, his brain trying to catch up with his now alert body. He watched as the other boy began shaking Kiyama and calling his name, and then realization dawned on him, and he realized what was going on.

He jumped to attention.

"This is not good," he murmured, sliding forward from the tree trunk now, shivers racking his body all over again as he felt his heartbeat quicken for the third or fourth time in this one day. Kiyama must have gotten sick from the sudden changes in temperature--it was Mizusawa's fault for asking for a hug in the first place. But he'd really thought it was important to preserve their body heat, and...

...Oh who was he kidding? His motives for that had been entirely selfish. And now Kiyama was sick.

The Yankee slowly opened his eyes, focusing on Satoshi and suddenly looking far more distressed than he had even in his sleep. Mizusawa could only watch as he suddenly leaned forward, removing Satoshi's hold on him and asking in somewhat angry voice, "What are you doing here?"

Mizusawa knew why he was angry. He'd been extremely concerned too to see that Satoshi had joined them. This wasn't an ideal situation for any of them, but it was Satoshi who had a weak heart. Mizusawa knew that didn't make Satoshi any weaker a person, of course, but it did mean that he should avoid something like this--extreme rain and extreme cold. The others had been foolish to send him out, and especially all by himself.

Mizusawa watched, shivering, as Kiyama seemed to become lost in thought for a moment, his eyes eventually falling back on Mizusawa. His shivers seemed to intensify. That was when Kiyama fell into an extreme coughing fit.

"Ne, Kiyama?!" Mizusawa moved closer, putting a worried hand against Kiyama's back, patting it gently, as if such a moment could keep Kiyama from choking. "Daijoubuka?" He looked at Satoshi, wondering what they should do.

"Mizusawa, you're okay, right? If you are... shouldn't we... be looking for--"

But Kiyama began coughing again, as though unable to control it. Mizusawa paled. Something was very, very wrong with Kiyama. And all he could do was look on, it seemed. Even his bandage had done little to help the other. He caught Kiyama looking at him again, and he had to look away. He couldn't shake this extreme feeling of guilt. But he needed to think of some way to fix what had happened.

Of all the times I could force him to hug me...

"We've got to... get back..."

Mizusawa could only nod. He knew they had to find a way back. But...which way was "back"? The last thing they needed was to get lost further. They could end up going in the completely opposite direction of the path, and if that happened, then...

Kiyama could die, finished an unwanted, but honest voice inside his head. He shivered again, stifling another cough.

There was another long pause between them, as though they were all pondering their situation, like Mizusawa had been. Then, unexpectedly, there came a weak voice--from Kiyama. Saying something Mizusawa had not expected him to have to say.

"...sorry..."

At how pathetic Kiyama sounded, Mizusawa had to fight back tears. Biting his lip, he breathed in sharply through his nose, trying to calm himself, before approaching the other boy. This had been a nightmare of an "adventure", and he was sure he would never partake in such a thing at Kashiwagi Sensei's suggestion ever again. Not if it was going to wind up with him and his friends close to death, with one of them apoloizing for it when it was hardly his fault.

"...What?" Mizusawa murmured, turning to look at the Yankee again. At the sight of the other boy, he felt tears spring into his eyes anyway. Kiyama looked so pitiful like this...He'd never seen the other boy's eyes so distraught, except when he was thinking of what had happened with his friend in middle school. But this...this was all his fault. Right down to the boar attack. He was the one who had attracted the animal. And Kiyama had saved him then, and had agreed to his stupid idea for a hug.

And then a plan seemed to pop into his head. It seemed perfect. He owed it to Kiyama, and considering that Satoshi had to take it easy, he knew he could do it.

Without a word to either of the other boys, Mizusawa stripped off what was left of his shirt, ignoring the intense cold that seemed to impact his body, and crawling towards the bandaged part of Kiyama's leg. "Satoshi," he began, slowly untying the thin, blood-soaked bandage that was already on Kiyama's leg. "If you have any extra, please feed Kiyama some of the protein bar." Tossing aside, the old bandage, he wrung out his shirt, before beginning to properly wind it around Kiyama's injured knee. Then he tied it tightly and moved back a little, admiring his work. It seemed like it would hold for a little while. And it was a lot thicker a bandage than the scrap of his shirt had been.

The entire time, he had been avoiding Kiyama's eyes. Looking at Kiyama was beginning to hurt, but of course he knew that was his fault. He just couldn't stand seeing the other in pain. But now he knew it was time he had to talk to Kiyama again.

Still fighting to keep his composure, he got to his feet, standing in front of the other two boys. "We don't have a lot of time. So, if you can get on my back...Kiyama...Satoshi can lead the way back to the path. And...I'll carry you down the mountain."

He didn't want to meet their eyes, because he didn't even know if his plan was possible. But he knew that the going would be a lot faster if he could manage this, and it looked like Kiyama needed as much time as they could spare him. In so many ways, he owed it to the other. And he was strong...He was an athlete, after all. Even if he was a little battered or bruised, he could do it.

He just hoped the others would agree. "OK?" he asked them, shivering as fat raindrops continued to cascade over him. In his haste, he completely neglected to notice the fact that he was no longer standing under the protection of the large tree.

ooc: Sorry for the drastic change! I hope this is okay. But I wanted to try to stay true to Mizu and keep things realistic! I actually got a shock that Kiyama was coughing up blood! THAT BOY NEEDS TO GET DOWN THE MOUNTAIN AND FAST!!! Our site cannot afford to lose LQTM!!! (That, and Kiyama's body heat could keep shirtless Mizu warm? )

[Tsuchiya Satoshi]

ooc: I still claim that Kiyama dying is NOT my fault. He was already dying WELL before Satoshi came into the picture.


It didn't take long before the older boy to open his eyes, Satoshi about to ask if he was okay when the look in Kiyama's eyes stopped him cold. His hands were pushed away, "What are you doing here?"

Satoshi gulped, his eyes blinking repeatedly as his cheeks started to burn. He turned away, not wanting either of the upperclassmen to see the tears welling up in his eyes. He knew it was silly, stupid, that he went off on his own. Kashiwagi-sensei, Yuta, even protested him running off to find them, they only agreed because Nippori was going with him. But now Nippori wasn't even there, Satoshi only hoped the second-year had successfully found Ryosuke and Hino.

The sound of Kiyama's voice made him lift his head, the Yankee's attention no longer on himself, but on... "Mizusawa, you're okay, right? If you are... shouldn't we... be looking for--" That was when Kiyama exploded into another fit of coughs. Covering his mouth once again, he squirmed internally when he noticed that this these seemed to be productive. Mizusawa rested a hand against the older boy's back, even asking if he was okay.

Satoshi stared at Kiyama, worry beginning to well up inside him. Was it possible that he had gotten sick? Kiyama glanced at both himself and Mizusawa, before looking like he was deep in thought. The manager opened his mouth, about to ask Kiyama... anything, when the Yankee's voice came out, so breathy it took him a moment to realize what he said.

"We've got to... get back..."

There was a lull in conversation as the rain continued to pour around them, the silence only breaking when Kiyama took in a breath, but instead it sounded more like a wheeze...

"...sorry..."

Satoshi swallowed, worry slowly turning into fear. This wasn't like the Kiyama-san he knew. A glance at Mizusawa showed that the third year thought the same. He lowered his head, not knowing what else to do, the confidence he had when he first started out suddenly drained by the reactions of his teammates, by the sudden illness of Kiyama...

So he was surprised when Mizusawa stripped off his already torn shirt, moving towards Kiyama's wounded leg, "Satoshi," he began, slowly untying the thin, blood-soaked bandage that was already on Kiyama's leg. "If you have any extra, please feed Kiyama some of the protein bar." Tossing aside, the old bandage, he wrung out his shirt, before beginning to properly wind it around Kiyama's injured knee.

Satoshi nodded, quickly taking the other bar he had taken out earlier and giving it to Kiyama. "Here, Kiyama-san. Eat some." He watched as the Yankee ate the bar, unable to stop himself from placing a hand on the boy's arm.

He heard someone getting to their feet, and turned his attention back to Mizusawa, "We don't have a lot of time. So, if you can get on my back...Kiyama...Satoshi can lead the way back to the path. And...I'll carry you down the mountain." Satoshi... did not expect this turn of events, he knew how Mizusawa acted around Kiyama, but... it wasn't like he himself could carry the bigger guy back down the mountain. Even if he tried to do anything similar, he was sure to be turned down. "OK?" Satoshi balled up his fists, giving his head a nod as he got to his feet.

"Okay." He held out a hand for Kiyama to take, hoping the ex-Yankee would take his hand. They needed to get down the mountain... and soon.


ooc: So, I took out the godmodding. Sorry about everything.

[Kiyama Ryuichiro]

Kiyama was at a complete loss.

He had no idea of what to do next. For some reason, his mind felt too weak and tired to figure something out a plan of action, or even something to say to Mizusawa and Tsuchiya to get them to move on without him bogging them down. Yet he had the feeling that anything he would come up with wouldn't fly, anyway, especially since Tsuchiya had joined them...

A big movement in his periphery vision interrupted his thoughts; he turned to the side and saw that for some reason, Mizusawa was taking his shirt off in the rain and the cold. If it was possible, Kiyama started shivering a bit harder, it looked to be just that cold.

He could only watch with tired eyes as his classmate started to work again. Mizusawa scooted over to him and unwrapping the makeshift bandage that started at his knee. Kiyama found himself nearly jumping this time. Though he was feeling pretty numb all over due to what he guessed was the cold, his leg was tender to the touch.

"Satoshi." the boy started, as he finished unraveling the bandage. At this point, Kiyama was able to see the sliver of shirt that had once been an off-white color was completely soaked in dark red. He was still bleeding? Kiyama felt like he wasn't the best judge of time at that moment, but seemed like he'd been bleeding forever. He could at least make the connection that that was the reason he felt so weak and woozy...

He bit his lip as Mizusawa began wrapping something else -- the rest of his shirt -- around his leg again. Wait. Kiyama opened his mouth to protest, but was promptly cut off by Mizusawa.

"If you have any extra, please feed Kiyama some of the protein bar." The boy's voice carried that unfamiliar authoritative tone again.

Immediately, the first-year complied, placing the snack in Kiyama's trembling hand. "Here, Kiyama-san. Eat some."

Although the last time he ate was during the early lunch so many hours before, Kiyama honestly wasn't hungry at all. He briefly contemplated refusing the snack if he didn't think that he'd cause some kind of scene, which was exactly what the group needed right now. Reluctantly, he accepted the bar, and took a single bite. He was tough and flavorless as he expected it to be, making the sour, metallic taste left in his mouth all that much more unpleasant. He made sure to keep chewing that bite, hoping that Tsuchiya wouldn't notice that he really wasn't eating at all.

He only swallowed when he saw Mizusawa stand before the pair at the base of the tree, his eyes still averted. "We don't have a lot of time. So, if you can get on my back...Kiyama...Satoshi can lead the way back to the path. And...I'll carry you down the mountain."

It was quiet and still for a moment, save for that unrelenting rain that Mizusawa was standing in. Kiyama stared at the boy, who of course wasn't looking back at him.

"OK?"

Kiyama blinked.

No? No. This was not okay. This was the opposite of okay.

It was about the time he started middle school that he hit that growth spurt that left him the tallest person in his class since. At that point, he became every one's support, physically... and through the years he'd experienced enough to want to support others in a more incorporeal way. This was a new and different thing for him.

It is not okay.

To be this weak; to burden others like this... it's not okay.

"Okay." Tsuchiya suddenly jumped to his feet, contradicting his senior's thoughts.

He walked in front of the Kiyama, extending his hand to the taller boy.

No, it's not okay!

For a while, Kiyama didn't know how long or short it was, but he looked at the two boys before him. He was tired. As much as he didn't want to get up and make that trip he knew he needed to make, he just didn't feel up to it. He'd found a place under that tree, a place that was comfortable enough. But Kiyama was also too tired to cause any conflict with his teammates. So he figured he'd just go along and listen to them... after he was able to scrape up the strength and the willpower to get up.

However, another sudden round of coughing gave his waning sense of urgency a kick. This time, he buried his face in the dark fabric of his jacket, hoping that again whatever came up would go unnoticed.

He looked briefly to his outstretched arm as he pulled it away from his face, before finally reaching out to grab Tsuchiya's outstretched hand.

The younger boy pulled him to his feet, a bit more quickly than Kiyama was expecting. In that one moment, he was hit by everything that had gone wrong with him at once -- he stepped heavily on his wounded left leg, inhaled so deeply his chest began to burn, and felt so weak and dizzy that he nearly toppled over, taking his underclassman with him.

Luckily, Tsuchiya was able to steady him and guided him to his goal; staring at Mizusawa's back. After a minute standing there, he took a step towards the shorter boy with his good foot.

There was another moment of hesitation before Kiyama wrapped his hands around the shorter boy's neck.

Maybe it was good that Kiyama was so overcome with a sense of shame for suddenly having to rely on others, and to that humiliating extent. It was good that he was so tired, and had to concentrate so on staying upright, and pacing his breathing. He wouldn't think about the refreshing coolness of Mizusawa's bare, wet flesh against his own feverish skin. He wouldn't think about how despite the situation, how relieved he felt to be the one leaning on someone else for a change. He wouldn't think about how much it must've taken Mizusawa to extend such an invitation to a guy like him.

It was good, because pushed to the back of his mind were thoughts about how awkward everything was.

And somewhere quite a bit deeper was that thing he'd forgotten.

Kiyama's habitual sigh sounded like a wheeze as he tried to settle himself on his classmate's back.

OOC: lolz, bad long post. I was sooooooooo tired while writing most of this @_@ Kiyama-kun, ganbare~!

[Mizusawa Taku]

He couldn't read their expressions at first. The forest had seemed to go quiet, with the exception of the rain pounding over them. Mizusawa gathered up the courage to look over at Kiyama, but though there seemed to be a bit of surprise in the boy's features, he really couldn't tell what the other was thinking.

He felt some relief when Satoshi quickly moved to follow his commands, though it was hardly enough to settle the churning in his stomach. Looking at Kiyama like this was painful on so many levels. He knew it was just as bad for Satoshi. The poor little guy looked frightened of what was happening, despite how brave he was being and had been just to come all the way out here on his own to find them. Really, Kashiwagi Sensei was lucky if he didn't lose his job after this. Mizusawa liked their teacher a lot and didn't want that to happen, but Kashiwagi seemed to often have hideously poor luck in making good decisions.

At his suggestion about how to get down the mountain, he saw Satoshi seeming to prepare himself, a determined though still nervous look on his face. Mizusawa felt a stab of pain in his heart. The poor kid was so ready to do whatever he could to help out. But Mizusawa knew they had to make sure Satoshi didn't overdo it too. They didn't need two of them to be dangerously hurt or sick. He knew he alone wasn't strong enough physically or emotionally to handle that if it were to happen.

"Okay." He held out a hand for Kiyama to take, hoping the ex-Yankee would take his hand.

"Take it easy, Satoshi," Mizusawa spoke softly, still dwelling on his previous thoughts. Looking at his two team mates, he felt a twinge at the sight of Satoshi helping Kiyama up. They would be able to do it, get down the mountain. They had to. He was beginning to feel even colder now himself, but his main concern was slowly becoming whether he would be able to get the other two down the mountain safely without getting one of the three of them hurt.

At the look on Kiyama's face as he got up, Mizusawa felt another stab of pain in his heart. This situation was so wrong, on so many levels. Why did this have to happen to them? It had been bad enough they'd gotten lost, and then separated so that he was alone with Kiyama...But now this? He'd never wanted to see a look like that on Kiyama's face--especially because Kiyama to him was...well, that guy that would protect him. The guy who was strong enough and tough enough that nothing could wear him down. Even if he was a Yankee, Mizusawa had always felt safe around him. There was a slight sense of danger too, of course, but that was only came from knowing that Kiyama was a good enough fighter to defend himself. And that slight sense of danger...he'd always found it a little exciting.

But he didn't want to feel any danger right now.

After all the times Mizusawa had silently looked up to the other boy, it felt weird and sickening to see him so weak now. Of course he knew Kiyama had feelings, that the other could probably cry just as much as he could. But that didn't change the fact that Kiyama was the one he looked up to, admired as another class mate, a team mate, a friend, and...

As the other got up and Mizusawa looked on lost in his troubling thoughts, suddenly Kiyama fell into another intense coughing fit, burying his face in his jacket sleeve, as if to stifle the sound coming from his mouth. Mizusawa's face scrunched up into a pained look, and he turned away. Kiyama needed to get onto his back anyway. He couldn't watch any more of this. They just needed to get where they were going, and without thinking too deeply about it.

There were some grunts from behind him, probably as Satoshi tried to help the other boy fully to his feet. Mizusawa considered turning again to help himself, but when he heard footsteps, he knew they were approaching already. The rain water had continued to sprinkle down over his head, plastering his hair to his forehead, and a large, cold drop of water made its way down the center of his bare back, causing him to shiver violently. He heard the footsteps getting closer and then tensed at what he knew was the presence of Kiyama behind him.

Another pause, in which Mizusawa held his breath and closed his eyes, waiting for the moment. A moment that he had not expected would be like this. Even compared to the hug Kiyama had given him beneath the tree, this would probably be the closest he would ever get to Kiyama in his life. And it was at such a wrong time.

A pause, and then...He felt the boys arms enclose around his neck, and he shivered again--but not from the cold this time.

Then he felt a sudden warmth, the warmth of Kiyama's body pressed against his back. His own body began to tingle with anticipation of so many different things--anxiety and fear and...something not so different. This was going to be a very long trek, and not at all an easy one. He heard Kiyama sigh, the boy's breath ruffling his hair, the sound whispering past his ear. He shivered again at their unbelievably close proximity, and looking down, realized his hands were shaking drastically now.

He needed to calm himself down. This was hardly the time or place to be feeling this way.

Reaching down and behind him, his heart skipped a beat as his hands made contact with Kiyama's thighs, and he quickly slid them down and under Kiyama's knees, taking extreme care to avoid the boy's bad injury.

"...Hang on, Ryu--Kiyama," he spoke, nearly speaking the boy's first name as he tried to steel himself mentally and physically for what he needed to do. He had no idea what Kiyama thought about all this, and he wasn't sure he wanted to.

"On three," he mumbled, more to himself than to Kiyama. "One...two......three." He grunted the word as he hoisted his own weight and Kiyama's up from the ground, keeping slightly bent over as he rose to his feet, in order to sustain Kiyama's weight.

The other boy was definitely heavy, an obvious fact given the boy's height and muscle. Mizusawa felt the other boy sliding from his hold and tried a little to hoist the other up.

"K-Kiyama?" He paused, training his eyes on the ground in front of him, feeling a warmth flooding his own body despite the absolute cold of where they were and what they were facing. "Can you wrap your legs around me? It might...help me carry you better." His own voice sounded weak and unsure, and he was beginning to think maybe his plan had been a bad one after all. But no, he had to remind himself, they had little other choice. Satoshi couldn't possibly be the one to do this. It was bad enough Satoshi was still even out here.

And speaking of Satoshi...

"Satoshi?" Mizusawa couldn't turn to face the other boy, but he wanted to make sure he was okay. "Will you be alright leading the way? We'll follow behind you. Just...be careful, okay?" He felt something resting against his shoulder and turned slightly to see a shock of black hair--Kiyama's head resting on him. The boy's feverish skin against his own skin, which was also quickly beginning to burn up. He turned away and tried desperately to control the pounding of his heart.

They could do this...they could make it out of this.

ooc: God-played Kiyama at the end, with the head resting and all. Only because I was trying to figure out a way that their skin is touching like you wrote? But you probably had a better idea, so just let me know if you hate it and I can take it out! XD

[Nippori Keiji]

Nippori suppressed a slight shiver, though whether it was because of the weather or because of the growing sense of dread, he wasn’t sure. Rain water dripped down his face, and he ran the sleeve of his hoodie over his face to wipe it away. By now his hair was tossled, and bits were starting to fall thanks to the rain soaking it and making it heavier with moisture – but that was hardly something he was concerned about right now, considering the situation.

No, he had to help Hino and Ryosuke out of there as fast as possible before anyone got any more worse off than they already were. He himself had been in the rain less than the other two, thanks to the plastic sheet that Satoshi had given him, and so he wasn’t worried about himself. The other two, especially Hino, needed to get out of here as soon as possible.

Ryosuke’s relief at seeing him was evident, but he seemed dismayed as Nippori relayed the information that Kashiwagi and the others were heading back down the mountain. “Nippori, wait, wait…Kashiwagi Sensei’s just leaving? Didn’t anyone even notice that we were gone?” Ryosuke said. Nippori raised an eyebrow at the last question. “Of course we noticed,” he said, feeling slightly hurt. “Only a few of us came looking… If all of us ended up lost though, then who would there be to get help?” he reasoned, figuring that would answer his friend’s question.

He was about to open his mouth and speak again when movement from Hino distracted him, gaining his attention instead. His eyes widened when he saw the red liquid on the other boy’s hand. This was not good, not good at all… Hino’s words practically went in one of Nippori’s ears and out of the other, but they didn’t really need to be said anyway. It was obvious that Hino wasn’t so good right now, and the faster they got out of here, the better.

“Nippori, come on, come on…help me get him up! We gotta find Kashiwagi Sensei…he has the first aid pack, right?” Ryosuke said, snapping Nippori out of his small state of shock. Nodding, he made to move, before thinking about first aid made another thought occur to him. “Wait,” he said quickly before Ryosuke could start to lift the smaller boy. There was no way they could move Hino without something to try and stem the bleeding.

Unzipping his hoodie, he pulled it off as quick as he could, resting it on his lap so that it didn’t get any wet or dirt from the ground on it, and quickly pulled off his dark blue shirt before throwing his hoodie back on before he got any more cold. He was going to freeze, most likely, but he was still warmer at the moment than Hino or Ryosuke, so he knew the worst that would happen to him would be getting a cold or something. The thought didn’t settle well with him, most likely because of work, but that hardly mattered right now.

“Help me with this,” he said to Ryosuke, now tearing his shirt into a makeshift bandage. After they had successfully tied the bandage, Nippori stood up, ignoring the damp that had soaked through his jeans and rain that was soaking his hoodie, and saying, “Now let’s get out of here.” He helped Ryosuke lift Hino and support him, before looking at the incline they had to now climb back up. It wasn’t very steep, but it was steep enough to cause them problems, especially with the rain. He looked at Ryosuke. “The way I came down would be easier to get back up,” he said, jerking his head to the side to show what way.

The way he had come down was almost path-like in the way a lot of it was dipped in the ground, but there were rocks to steady yourself on and tree branches to grab onto, the trees providing only little shelter but enough so that the ground wasn’t as wet there as it could have been. It would certainly be easier to get back up that way than the part that was in front of them now, which had near to nothing to grip onto and was soaked and running with water.

After slowly manoeuvring themselves over, not wanting to hurt Hino, Nippori took a deep breath to calm himself. “Alright… We can do this…” he said, partly to himself and partly to the other boys. Helping support Hino with one hand, he gripped onto a low-hanging tree branch with his other hand and used it to help pull himself up. With both himself and Ryosuke supporting Hino and pulling themselves up with branches and bushes, their progress was slow but sure. Nippori only ever nearly slipped twice, but he had managed to right himself quickly both times.

He wasn’t sure how long it took them to get up the slope - it could have been anything from fifteen minutes to half an hour, although honestly it felt like more - but finally the top was close. Gritting his teeth, Nippori had to steady himself as he nearly slipped for a third time. He was shaking a little, and the rain had soaked right through his hoodie, but he pushed on. They were so close now.



((ooc - sorry this took so long! >< I feel horrible about it! D: I kinda pushed things forward a bit, I hope that’s okay. And I hope it’s okay that I godmodded a bit… I just wanted to get us on our way. And feel free to godmod in your next post if you have to (that goes to both Marysa and Boe) so we can start to get them out of here and/or catch up to the other group.))

[Tsukimori Ryosuke]

ooc: Oh dear, it's been such a long time that I've forgotten most everything the post! >< I'm so sorry, and I hope it's okay if I godplay Hino and Nippori back to the bus, because Boe can't roleplay as Hino right now and I know everyone wanted this thread to be finished up! (And I apologize--my post is actually REALLY bad! >___<)

Ryosuke heard Nippori out and decided he was probably right, though he couldn't imagine why the others would have left just one kid to go searching for at least four more students on such a big mountain. To be quite honest, it felt like ridiculously good luck that Nippori had found him and Hino at all, and that didn't account for Mizusawa and Kiyama, both of whom Ryosuke still had no idea about. Even so, he didn't want to make things any worse than they already were.

Instead, he tried--and ultimately failed--to get rid of those qualms by helping his close friend turn his shirt into a makeshift bandage for Hino's injury. Ryosuke pondered taking off something of his own to hold the material in place on Hino, but he realized somewhat thankfully that it wouldn't be needed with Nippori's offering, and in consideration of the fact that Ryosuke's clothes were now stuck cold to him like a second skin, he doubted they would have been all that helpful anyway.

“Now let’s get out of here.”

Ryosuke nodded. He couldn't have agreed more.

Until the slope.

The blonde Yankee was almost ready to argue with Nippori about this one. He was asking them to go back up the way they'd came, possibly up the slope he and Hino had fallen down to begin with--he'd lost all sense of direction by this point and couldn't be sure. Not only was that idea the most unappealing of any he could possibly think of considering all their options, but heading up the mountain was the last direction he wanted to be taking. He--and he was sure Hino too--wanted down.

And yet, even as he opened his mouth, his jaw quivering in the cold, to protest against his friend's idea, he realized Nippori had had a point in choosing to go back up. The slope heading back for the bottom of the mountain was as nasty as the one Ryosuke and Hino had tumbled down in the first place.

Ryosuke closed his mouth, though his jaw didn't stop shaking.

Up it was then.

The trek uphill wasn't pleasant either, though. Nippori led the way, taking a lot of Ryosuke and Hino's weight on his own just by holding onto stray trees and branches and rocks and helping them up (Ryosuke wasn't sure he would have been able to do it otherwise, without his friend's help), and by the time they were mid-way, the 3rd Year had already stumbled a good five or six times, only just managing to catch himself each and every time by gripping madly for those stray rocks and branches that had been his and Hino's downfall coming down the first slope.

It felt like hours before they reached the top, and by that time, Ryosuke fell to his knees. There was a moment of shock at the realization that Hino was coming down with him, what with Ryosuke's shoulder having been one half of the support Hino was getting, just as there had been shock at the realization that he'd fallen at all. Ryosuke hadn't noticed he was on his knees until a good moment or two after the fact. They were in rough condition....

Glancing up at Nippori, the blonde Yankee gritted his teeth, blinking back the rain out of his eyes. "Nippori....I can't.....I can't make it. I just..." He stopped short in speaking, trying to urge himself back to his feet, one more time--he had to try--before landing on the ground again hard. Hino went down with him once more.

By this point, the rain hadn't relented, and Ryosuke was well aware that in addition to the fact that every second that passed meant every second wasted for Nippori, Hino, and himself, his close friend probably couldn't hear what he was saying anyway. He just didn't have the strength to try any harder, and yet he knew he had to. They'd made it up the slope. That was a start, right? "I'm sorry, Nippori...I'm so sorry."

He couldn't do it.

But...but....he hadd to. There was no more yes or no. Whether he wanted to do it or not no longer figured into the equation, because Ryosuke knew that if he didn't take the initiative to help himself and his friends, then in this unfortunate battle of man versus nature, nature would undoubtedly win.

Ryosuke struggled back to his feet, grabbing onto the coarse bark of another tree for the extra support. If it wasn't the harsh reality of everything else overwhelming him, he suddenly felt terribly dizzy. He grit his teeth against the pain and cold and fatigue and pushed onwards. Nippori was here now, so he was sure everything would be okay--if he passed out, Nippori would run and get help, they would make it out just fine--but he was still overwhelmed. This whole thing countered even the worst of the fights he'd gotten into in the past. But he had to remind himself.....in a fight against other people, there was always the odds that he could win, especially after all the experience he had with fighting. But here, Ryosuke had about as much experience surviving in nature as a cat living in the ocean, so he was pretty shaken. He was out of his element here, and he (and Hino and probably Nippori too) were definitely feeling it.

The blonde Yankee hefted Hino's weight back into position with his shoulder, took a deep breath, and then they were off again.

Seconds felt like minutes, and minutes like hours, and Ryosuke tried to pass the time just thinking one step at a time. His mind was racing, trying to recall any odd-looking trees or structures they passed as they moved down what he'd come to realize was the main path soaked and slippery under a coat of rain, but the pain in his body had begun to numb with the cold. Even though he was freezing and felt sick now, the pain was going. He was thankful for that, at least.

And then finally, the ground began to even out before them as they neared the end of their terrible adventure. Ryosuke had become so cold that his mind had become trained on his on goal: getting to the bottom of the mountain in one piece with the others and finding somewhere warm to just rest, recuperate. It was like instinct now--do or die. He suddenly understood all those scenes in the "man versus nature" style movies, when the man had given up all hope of being civil if only in order to survive against the harsh elements.

Through the curtain of rain, Ryosuke squinted and could see dim lights not too far off. Was it the mountain shop? The visitor center? Maybe their bus to take home.....The sooner he was on that bus with everyone else, with people who would take care of him and Hino and Nippori, Hino especially, with his wound, the better. Though....

Ryosuke turned his head to look back at the menacing mountain, which had become little more than a dark triangle rising all too high into the sky. Kiyama and Mizusawa....where were they? Had they even gotten out or been found? He'd considered himself and Hino pretty lucky--they'd landed in a pretty random patch of nowhere, as far as he was concerned, and yet somehow Nippori had discovered them. But he'd lost track of his other two classmates the instant they'd parted ways at the main path. And at that thought, Ryosuke remembered...

His phone.

He grimaced and pushed his free hand into first one pocket, then another and another, searching frantically for his beloved cellphone.

Nowhere. Gone. It seemed that in the end, even after it had been wrested from one of the mountain's freaky snake spawn, the large mound had become its grave anyway. Ryosuke briefly thought of all the girls he would have to apologize to, all his friends too, all the fun cell phone pictures he'd taken and now lost, then shook his head and continued on for the bus with Hino and Nippori, limping uncomfortably. Right now, he was too tired to care anyway, though he knew he would regret everything later.

Ryosuke waited until the three of them had arrived to the doors of the bus before he finally collapsed, sinking to his knees. He knew now that it was okay to rest a little. They'd made it off the mountain, someone would soon help Hino, and right now, he just needed....he just needed that moment he'd sought back on the mountain when he'd first fallen. And truth be told, if he didn't think it would make him look like an absolutely beyond-desperate guy, he would have loved nothing more than to kiss the blessedly even, steady ground below him now.

The blonde Yankee blinked against the rain, not entirely sure Nippori could hear him now either, but just so grateful to be in a place much safer than where they had been that he no longer cared. "Thanks.....thanks for...coming to get us, Nippori."


[OOC: Nonsense post, over and out. (=_=)]

[Tsuchiya Satoshi]

Kiyama was staring at the hand Satoshi held out for… who knows how long, and the first year was starting to get a little scared. They had to get out of the rain, the forest, the everything, and if Mizusawa was offering a safe way for Kiyama to get down the mountain…

The only Yankee in the group let out another round of coughs, and Satoshi felt himself flinch. But he kept his hand out, even as the cold nipped at his fingers, as he heard Mizusawa shiver a few feet away, before he felt Kiyama’s hand grab his. He instantly pulled the older boy up, almost buckling under the weight but managing to hold firm. He wrapped an arm around Kiyama’s waist, guiding him towards Mizusawa, who was still standing shirtless in the rain.

It felt like forever before Kiyama took a step forward, all the while Satoshi kept a steady hand on the other’s back, even once Kiyama was settled on Mizusawa’s back, only removing it after Mizusawa started to get a firm grip on the Yankee’s legs.

Satoshi didn’t know he was holding his breath until Mizusawa spoke his name, "Satoshi?" Mizusawa couldn't turn to face the other boy, but he wanted to make sure he was okay. "Will you be alright leading the way? We'll follow behind you. Just...be careful, okay?"

He felt his head nodding up and down, but, realizing Mizusawa couldn’t possibly see him, gulped, “Yes, of course.” Satoshi maneuvered around the two third years, scanning the area before tightening his fingers around his bag strap. He spotted the two trees from where he emerged from, moving in that direction, “Keep close, Mizusawa-senpai.”

Satoshi took another step forward, keeping his eyes away from where Mizusawa’s over-shirt lay over what he could only assume was a dead animal, pushing aside some foliage, “This way,” he let the two through, before taking his place at the front, holding a hand above his eyes. It was plenty dark at this point, and he grabbed hold of a tree when that darn puddle found his foot again. He glanced back at the two behind him, “Be careful, there are puddles everywhere.”

He turned back forward, maneuvering around a few more puddles, making sure no branches were in Mizusawa’s way, before he looked up.

And saw the trail.

Satoshi had to squint to make sure, but the closer they got, the more he was sure that he had found the trail and it would only be a matter of time until they reached the bottom of the mountain. He ushered Mizusawa forward, “Mizusawa-senpai, I found the trail, we’re almost there!”

He was so thrilled, he didn’t see it. The small patch of mud that settled right before the trail and Satoshi went down. He didn’t see it coming, didn’t anticipate, and toppled to the floor. He laid there for only a second, stunned at the sudden fall. He blinked a couple of times, before slowly sitting up. Satoshi stared at the other two, his eyes wide, “I’m… I’m okay.” Taking a deep breath, he raised to his feet, wiping the excess mud off his plastic sheet.

He motioned them towards the trail, and once they started to make the trek, things appeared a little easier. After a good few minutes, Satoshi dared to look behind him, just to check on the two behind him, and as he faced forward, he rubbed his nose, the cold numbing it.

The rain was slowly letting up, but the cold remained, even ask they safely made their way down the mountain. In fact, the only incident along the way was when Satoshi tripped, as far as he could tell, Mizusawa was having no real problem and Kiyama remained out of it.

By the time they reached the bottom, there was only a light drizzle, and Satoshi could see lights in the distance.

The bus.

They made it.

CLOSED