𝙳𝙾𝙶 𝙾𝙵 𝚆𝙰𝚁. — @ophiopagy said:   ❝ i can feel your...

@ophiopagy said:  
         ❝ i can feel your pulse. it jumped. ❞ / thane to ash 👀 

^{THE FIVE SENSES .        accepting .           @ophiopagy​ .} 

THE SCENE :      HUERTA MEMORIAL ,     ^{blinding under the white light of the citadel’s artificial ,    sedated sun .    the hospital hums with machinery and quiet conversation ,    all very respectful of the gory ,   wet ,    raw fact of the human condition .     or rather ,    the fact of being alive in a time of war .     occasionally ,    the peace is beset by a doctor’s muffled cry ,    hallways down ,     as survivors in bad shape are wheeled in    –    but where they reside lays dormant in itching serenity ,    an anti - womb of sterile walls and sharp corners .    as for her part ,    she juxtaposes the glossy pretense ,     unsoft in the permanent morning glow .    the worst of her bruising has faded from visceral blacks into a menagerie of sickly yellows and greens .}    

^{she’s fit for duty ,    or so she says , but with each minor complaint they remind her of the war - zone of her skin ,    of the fallible truth of her body     —    massive head trauma ,    internal bleeding ,     a broken rib   [   three others ,   cracked   ] ,    and a laundry list of minor wounds she couldn’t remember if she tried .     either way ,     she no longer argues now ,    one too many times with black spots scattering her vision and her knees shaky after standing too quickly .     her balance has been off since they’d let her walk again .     she cannot will the control of her body back ,     it will simply have to come with time and practice .     severe internal bleeding ,     and a hell of a lot of strings attached .     the fall that would’ve taken her down is halted by someone else’s leverage ,     righting her .}

^{krios .     shepard’s old squadmate ,    or so the commander had said .    an assassin .    has a lung condition ,   or something .        but she didn’t say much more ,    and ashley didn’t feel the need to pry at the time .    nice enough ,     but something about him sets her on edge .    it’s in the way he moves ,     slanted sharp and dark as a knife to the gut .}       

^{distantly ,    she notes the sensation of a hand still curled about the roll of her wrist ,    pulse drumming against the pressure .     her reactions are sluggish in a way they’ve never been before ,    like fighting through water to get the muscle to move .    a moment to register the timbre ,    the shape of his words ,    and she rips her arm away ,    fight or flight setting in in slow motion .      her brow arches ,     defensive and pointed .          ❝         okay ?          ❞         the word comes out harsher than intended ,    but she makes no immediate apology for the sudden rudeness .     her gaze levels into a severe scowl  .          ❝            that happens sometimes .     pro tip :     getting taken by surprise occasionally makes me jumpy .    just  —          ❞           a sigh ,    then ,     a sound like defeat      –     and perhaps concession .          ❝        look ,   next time i’m gonna fall on my face ,     just let me fall on my face ,     alright ?     …    but ,    thanks for the catch .      i’m    …    not used to being    –     ugh     –     useless .           ❞}