As Kenneth laid in the infirmary bed, the young Captain had a complicated expression as he thought back to the fight between Kenneth and Eiden.
Though it looked like Eiden had a significant advantage over Kenneth mostly due to the fact that he wasn't using his full abilities, Lucien could tell that Kenneth was holding herself back as well which perplexed him. If Kenneth had fought with her full strength, she most likely would've gotten those two hits sooner.
Despite her exhaustion however, she fought like a champion and her last hit that couldn't connect with Eiden's face in time due to her passing out of exhaustion could've delt signifcant damage to Eiden. The boy was well aware of this as Lucien saw his eyes widened and a panicked expression took over his face at the last second.
How was this girl who should be inexperienced able to get a Venture to panic like that?
"You truly are a bundle of mystery." He whispered to himself.
Lucien took the time to observe Kenneth as she laid there still unconscious. She was finally started to look the part of a fighter, with her muscles becoming more defined. Her once hollow cheeks were now fuller giving her a youthful glow. It was the first time Lucien saw Kenneth as a young woman. He always thought of her as a good looking woman but he was now realized how much of a beauty she truly was. Most people noticed her strength instead of her beauty, which was often overlooked.
Her supple skin glowed beautifully in the infirmary lights, flawless and free of any blemish. Her usually tense face was much more relaxed now that she was asleep and her crimson locks that were usually tied back laid out on the bed, taking on an even more vibrant shade of red, matching her personality to a tea. She was bold, brave and fiery, nothing like the girls with whom he surrounded himself with. Though the female members of the Ventures were incredible in their own right, none of them had managed to capture his attention as much as Kenneth did.
Her red eyes that resembled the ambers of fire after being lit were always looking forward , her gaze unwavering as he recalled the first time he'd spoken to her. Her lips that were always in a tight line, rarely captured with a smile were lightly coloured, looking pinker under the lights, making it almost impossible for Lucien to look away.
Just as he was about to touch her forehead that had wrinkled from her frowning, Kenneth started to move. He immediately retracked his hand as his eyes widened with shock.
What was I about to do just now?
Lucien didn't have the time to question his actions as Kenneth was starting to regain consciousness.
*
Kenneth's lids fluttered open as her eyes adjusted to the light of the room. Looking around her, she didn't recognize the room she was in. Alarm bells immediately rang in her head as she quickly got up trying to take in her surroundings.
This was a mistake on her part since she had gotten up too brusquely, her head started to spin and she started to feel the inertia from getting up too quickly.
A strong hand gently pushed her back down and Kenneth darted her eyes towards the presence next to her, only relaxing when she saw who it was. Lucien was standing next to her as he gently laid her back down making sure to adjust the pillow that had moved from her sudden movement.
There was a mixture of concern and wariness in his eyes which deeply perplexed Kenneth. As she attempted to open her mouth to ask him where she was, she found herself having difficulty forming words. Her throat was parched and dry, making the sounds coming out of her mouth sound strange.
Lucien immediately handed her a bottle of water that had been sitting on a table and Kenneth graciously accepted the drink. Once her thirst had been quenched, she cleared her throat and tried speaking again.
"Why...why am I here…Actually where even is here?" She managed to croak out.
Lucien's eyes seemed to warm when looking at her and Kenneth started to feel conscious as she brought her hand to her hair making sure it wasn't out of place.
Lucien let out a low chuckle as he watched her fix her hair blindly, clearly missing the lump that had formed at the top of her head. Still looking at her, he answered her question.
"You fainted at the end of the fight due to dehydration and exhaustion, but more specifically you entered a state of deprivation. I brought you here and the nurse injected you with some electrolytes to help with the dehydration." He explained.
"I fainted?!" Kenneth exclaimed with surprise.
"Yes you did...I take it this has never happened before?" Lucien asked her curiously.
Kenneth shook her head.
"Well luckily it was nothing serious. The nurse said it's not uncommon for Empaths to experience deprivation. You'll make a full recover after getting some rest." He assured her.
Kenneth nodded her head once again. "What does deprivation even mean?" She asked him.
"The state of deprivation is what happens when your body stops producing energy. Usually Espers would train in these cases in order to have a stockpile or a reserve of energy whenever something like this happens. In your case, since you're not an Espers and you haven't been taught the proper technique for conservation, your Fera blood tried to make up for your lack of energy, but you ended up passing out before it could take full effect." He explained.
"I-I see." Deprivation, stockpiling and conservation, Kenneth thought.
These were all concepts that were unfamiliar to Kenneth, and yet she felt a strange familiarity to them at the same time. She couldn't put her finger on it at the moment, but she made a mental note to do some research at a later time.
"It's a lot of information to take in right now, but since you're not in any harm at the moment, you can worry about it later." Lucien finished.
"Um...Did I?" She attempted to say but couldn't bring herself to finish the question. A part of her knew that there was a huge possibility that she didn't pass the test. For some reason she couldn't remember what happened during the fight at all. It was as if she had blacked out and was now unsure of wether or not she was able to get those two hits in.
She really hoped that she did, or else she would never be able to live with the shame of her fainting. Kenneth just hoped she fainted with dignity.
Looking at her crestfallen expression seemed to stir something in Lucien's heart. For some reason he didn't like to see her looking so down. He much prefereed her confident and sometimes downright arrogant attitude. Heck he'd even take her impassive expression over this one.
"Although you did faint near the end, you were in the middle of actually striking Eiden and the hit landed before you ended up passing out, so we decided to count it."
Quite the severe hit I might add.
Kenneth looked up in surprise, the glow returning to her eyes. "Really?" She said while giving him a hopeful look.
"...Really."
"And that Eiden guy was okay with that?"
"Yes he was more than okay. Even if he wasn't I would've let you pass. You fought exceptionally well Greywater. You should be proud of yourself." He complimented.
Kenneth could feel her face burning with embarrassment as she wasn't expecting to be praised by the stoic man. Looking at him now, he didn't seem like the kind of person who gave out much praises. She felt weirdly happy about it.
The two stared at each other for some time, each lost in their own thoughts but were soon interrupted by the nurse.
"Sorry to intrude, but miss Greywater is free to leave when she's ready." She told Lucien, briefly glancing between the two.
Did I perhaps interrupt something? She wondered as she sensed a strange energy between them.
Lucien cleared his throat as he looked away while Kenneth quickly got out the bed.
Seeing that she wanted to leave, Lucien got to her side and help her get out of bed. The nurse who had been silently observe them, had a knowing smile on her face.
"Mr. Canmore, I believe it would be wise to accompagny ms. Greywater back to her lodgings since she might still be a little disoriented." The nurse advised.
Lucien didn't have to be told twice as he picked her up in his arms carrying her bridal style with ease as he thanked the nurse and made his way out of the infirmary.
Oh my! The nurse thought as she watched Kenneth and Lucien leave.
Kenneth on the other hand, didn't fully register what was happening until they were almost at the end of the hallway.