For a beat, nobody moves. Everyone is too shocked to move.
The medic team, at their patient being assaulted right in front of their eyes. Merlin, at the audacity of one of the candidates–one of the friendliest candidates–assaulting their Vongola ally. Vanessa, at her own actions.
Her eyes widen and her hands fly over her own face in horror and disbelief.
Tetsuki tongues at the inside of her cheek, checking for blood.
Yes, she’s a Lightning Flame user and yes, she nearly always is reinforcing her own body and yes, it’s not as if it was a Sun Flame powered punch to the face–which she has been on the receiving end far too frequently to count–but still. She wasn’t expecting it.
“Adrenaline makes people act strangely,” she says, to put everyone at ease, which only sort of works.
Merlin at least, can be assured that Vongola won’t take this as a slight, and some members of the medic team stop fluttering around her to check on the other candidates.
“That was stupid and beyond reckless and suicidal!” Vanessa shouts–she probably means to be berating, but her breaths are hitching and she looks like she’s about to start crying.
Tetsuki shifts in her seat, uncomfortable.
Jamal leans against the stretcher, casual as can be, and says, “You didn’t have to go that far to win our race. Bit dangerous, innit?”
She shrugs, rubbing her hands over her knees which ache less than all the seiza from an archery tournament. “I had a parachute,” she responds instead. Actually, now that she thinks of it… “We all had parachutes.”
Now it’s Merlin’s turn to look uncomfortable.
“That’s not the point, Azuma!” Vanessa shouts, and it takes another moment for it to click.
Kyoko’s right: her social skills really have deteriorated.
“I’m sorry for worrying you,” Tetsuki apologizes, before reaching out and gently slapping Vanessa’s face. Blood for blood is a mafia custom, but this is far more benign than that. “We’re friends now, right?”
After another stunned silence, Jamal starts laughing.
~
A/N: just a small thing… I guess the Ask Box Author’s Cut event is over?
JackSGreyson Says 