linnet gets hurt. kestrel has a normal reaction to this.
(an alternate scene from rulebreakers! kestrel breaking rule 3 instead of linnet)
---
They had thought this dungeon would be easy. It seemed rather empty, not many traps, spirits, or even many valuables. All signs that other adventurers had likely been here, clearing out the early rooms.
No corpses of those fellow adventurers either. That was always a good sign.
It should've just been a quick trip. See if there was anything good in the first few rooms that others had missed, if not, leave. But, Kestrel had been stupid, overconfident, and just short enough on rent to think that going just a bit deeper could be worth it.
This was his fault.
It had happened too fast. A spirit barrelling down the hallway, a tangled mess of limbs and rusted weapons and screaming mouths. Linnet had jumped in front of Kestrel, seemingly on instinct, and now-
He's on the floor, blood dripping on to the dirty stones beneath him. His blue curls have fallen in front of his face, obscuring it from Kestrel's view.
(Where's he bleeding from? He just got knocked over, so it's probably just a scrape, right? He's not moving, is he unconscious? Did he hit his head when he fell? You can die from that. It's so easy to die from that. Is he breathing? He's on his side, I can't see if his chest is moving. Listen, just try and hear if he's breathing. Damn it, stop hyperventilating-)
Kestrel doesn't freeze. That would be stupid, that would get him killed. The smart move would be to grab Linnet, fire a blast to slow the creature down, flee, and reassess.
He elects to do something even stupider than freezing.
He launches himself fully towards the spirit, aiming to kill. He must be bleeding somewhere, right? A scrape from going through the dungeon? A hangnail he picked at earlier in the day?
Kestrel still isn't used to traveling with a healer, to not just constantly being mildly injured. As he tries to ready a spell, he finds that there's nowhere on his body to pull blood from freely.
Nowhere on his body. As Kestrel attempts to use his magic, he can sense Linnet behind him, crumpled on the floor. No, he can't sense Linnet, not really, just his blood that's dripping on to the floor, pooling in the spaces between the stone tiles.
The magic attempts to use what it has access to. Kestrel can feel it happening, the spell he had already been preparing trying to pull at Linnet's blood, to take it from him. In a panicked moment, he brings his right hand up to his left shoulder and drags his nails down as hard as he can.
He really should've only used one nail, and shouldn't have dragged as far down as he did, he knows that. He doesn't care.
(Monster. What did you almost do? This is why you travel alone. This is why you're not allowed near people. This is what happens if you don't think things through. You could've taken too much. Even if you didn't, you don't take his blood! You're the reason everyone thinks that blood mages see their party members as walking ammo. He's right to be scared of you, to be disgusted by you.)
Kestrel grits his teeth as he uses the blood flowing from his wounds to form a blade. He grips it too tightly, feeling the handle soak into his palms.
The spirit screeches at him. Disgusting, monster, only capable of hurting others. He'd stop it here and now.
---
Kestrel slumps down next to Linnet, the blade pouring out of his hands and on to the floor. He brings his bloodstained hand to Linnet's wrist, squeezing it gently.
Thump, thump, thump.
He's alive. He's alive, and that spirit certainly can't hurt him again. Kestrel doesn't let go of his wrist, even as he leans against the wall, eyes barely managing to remain open. Maybe he can just close them for a moment, now that things have calmed down-
"Kes!"
Shit, that was definitely more than just a moment. As Kestrel opens his eyes with a groan, he sees Linnet standing in front of him, leaning down. A pleasantly cool hand on his cheek keeps his head tilted up.
"There ya go. You with me?"
"Mm."
"Yeah. Wasn't expecting much more than that right now. Jeez you really got messed up," Linnet murmurs. "Coulda just used mine."
Kestrel doesn't even understand what he means. Used mine? What, his knife? His brows knit together as he stares up at him, his thoughts still feeling sluggish and disconnected.
"I'm not... good with your knife."
Linnet pauses for a second, head tilting slightly to the side. Was that not what he meant? After a moment, he lets out a huff and points to the floor. To the dark red stain on it.
"Coulda just used my blood," he clarifies. "It was already on the floor, ya know? Not like I was using it anymore."
Kestrel can't speak. He tries, he really does, but it feels like his throat has closed up completely. Linnet... can't be serious. No one would be so casual about this. Maybe it's a joke that he's too disoriented and exhausted to understand right now.
"...Kes? Are you passing out again?" Linnet pats his cheek a few times to make sure he stays awake, a rapid little taptaptaptap.
"...We never- we haven't- We-" Kestrel has to physically shake off the stammering, shaking his head hard enough that his vision fills with spots of light. Ugh, he needs some water. "We didn't discuss that. I'm not going to just use your blood without your permission!"
"Oh," Linnet rocks on his heels, going quiet for a moment. Good, he finally understands the seriousness of the situation. "Yeah, let's discuss it then!"
He loops his arm around Kestrel and slowly pulls him up to his feet. "Out of here, though. We're both pretty beat up."
Kestrel feels frozen. He forces his feet to move in time with Linnet's, makes sure to hold on to him as well, they're both rather unsteady on their feet right now, need each other to stay standing. But, his mind isn't there, he isn't focusing on the dungeon, barely can even think of which way to go.
He just... can't stop glancing at Linnet's face. Kestrel can easily read the pain and exhaustion on his features, maybe even relief at Kestrel waking up, at the two of them getting out of here... But he can't see any fear or disgust. Had he ever seen those things on Linnet's face when he looked at him?
Shit, he's getting blood on his clothes. Where Kestrel's hand touched Linnet's shirt, there was an obvious red smear. His hand shakes uncertainly for a moment, not knowing if it was better to pull away or continue helping them both stay upright.
"I'm getting blood on you."
Linnet glances down at the red stain, then up at Kestrel's face. He reaches one hand up to the back of his own head, right where he landed when he fell, ruffles his own hair for a moment-
Kestrel, seeing this from a mile away, quickly pulls back, leaving them both stumbling and Linnet laughing as he stretches his hand, now bloody, out towards Kestrel.
"Nooo! I gotta get you back, get over here!"
Linnet wobbles like he's going to fall, and Kestrel is entirely sure it's an act to get him to get closer, so Linnet can win this little game he's just decided they're playing. He plays his part, and quickly grabs Linnet to help him stand steadily.
Linnet, of course, immediately smears his hand across Kestrel's shirt, a lopsided grin on his face, his eyes shining.
God, Kestrel was so glad that he was alive.