        yeah– it was sprained, alright, and there was a cut that went from his knee all the way to the knob of his ankle. this sort of thing ALWAYS happened, though, it wasnt like it would be anything different. he might have made a lot of noise about it or complained at first, but everything would be alright. it always was, no matter WHAT wounds he sustained.
                     ❝ y-yeah. it’s fine, we have to keep going. ❞
         it took everything in him to keep his mouth shut, lips touched together in a tight, thin line. his muscles were screaming with SEARING heat, each step unleashing a new agony upon the youth’s swelling ankle. there wasn’t enough TIME to be worrying about this now. it was sprained, not broken, and even if it was broken, he wouldn’t have the time to just sit around and do nothing. he had to SAVE everyone, to get to the four corners of this strange, distorted world and keep them all from dying! that was his job, that was his one and only job and already he was…
                       ❝ we have to keep going. ❞ he repeated.
              x. he was getting ahead of himself, taking three steps when only two were possible.
              “keep going and you’ll only be in my way.” sharp words given without hesitation. maybe the boy had time strapped to his back like a looming weight greater than the moon that hung precariously in the sky, but that was no reason to get reckless. it was written all over his face how much it hurt. that cut had every probability of gathering infection, being exposed to the open air like that. “alternatively, you could make it worse and you’ll only slow us down more.”
             he was no good to anybody dead.
             gathering a steady breath while closing his eyes, two gloved fingers push the frame of his glasses back to their appropriate place. he’d managed to come out of their recent skirmish relatively unscathed. as per usual, he’d reminded the boy that it was his own responsibility to protect himself, but this wasn’t exactly unexpected --- in fact, he’d been impressed that a boy half his age held his own so well. not that it was expressed, but the redhead was good for his word, having offered to bail him out of things got too tough. after all, he was the one to ask the boy for his knowledge pertaining to the area, he couldn’t let anything severe happen to him. his dignity was still set to a high standard.
              “sit down over there.” it’s less of a question and more of a directive, using the uplifted nod of his head towards an old wooden stump not more than ten paces from where they stood.
