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 Posted: Mon Nov 08, 2021 6:19 am
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Takes place the early morning, before sunrise of November 2, 2021 after the events of the Velencya Meta.
At some point that night, Kamacite had powered down and powered back up. Vaguely he was aware that it was probably very disconcerting to be hugging someone while covered in their inky black blood. Faustite was, miraculously, in one piece. He'd learned that it was thanks to the efforts of Taenite and some other White Moon senshi using some strange magical item that regrew his limbs and put him back in one piece. Although he was lacking blood and energy.
Kamacite couldn't say much still. Every time he tried, his voice was hoarse and throat was painful. He suspected it would probably be like that for a couple days, given how tightly the hand had been around his throat. The bruises were darker now as they set in, and every so often he rubbed at his aching neck.
He knew Axinite was in his office by his aura alone. He knocked on the door out of politeness first, but reached down to try the handle as it was habit by now to let himself in. He was too anxious to wait for an answer that might not come, depending on whether or not Axinite was as distracted as he seemed at the meeting several hours prior.
And after quietly shutting the door behind him, Kamacite made his way to the other side of Axinite's desk to lean close and wrap his arms around Axinite's shoulders and hug him tight.
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Posted: Wed Nov 10, 2021 7:33 pm
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Axinite hadn’t seemed to register Kamacite was there when he knocked, not when he entered, and not when he walked across. His eyes were firmly on the sheets of paper, hand written notes, and he’d left the pen on the paper for so long that a puddle of ink had collected and stained the pages.
The General King didn’t look like he’d blinked for a long time; his eyes were red and distant.
Everything seemed to hit him at once when Kamacite hugged him--he blinked, he breathed, he turned his head to face him.
For a second, there was no recognition, and then he relaxed into something almost comfortable.
“Kamacite,” he greeted, little more than a whisper. The whole room was quiet, he’d been sitting in silence for a while. “I’m sorry,” he said, maybe before he even knew what he was apologizing for. “Are you all right?”
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Posted: Thu Nov 11, 2021 7:42 pm
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Kamacite wasn’t okay, which meant that whatever Axinite had going on was less important. It was something to focus on, something to ground himself with. He’d seen what happened to Faustite, and Kamacite had been there, too.
Axinite expected a summons from Laurelite any moment now, maybe because of his own paranoia on the matter, because he thought he’d failed. He thought he should have done more--even if he’d completed his task. No one had left the perimeter. But he felt like he should have done more.
He couldn't move then, but he could move now.
A blanket was next hung over the back of his chair, but he couldn’t remember putting it there and it wasn’t something he usually kept there. He shook it out and draped it over Kamacite’s shoulders. He didn’t get up from his chair, but he moved to face him just a little more. His hand rested atop of Kamacite’s head, gently, because he hadn’t waited for an invitation or asked for approval.
“What can I do?”
He had cookies, he had drinks, he had fruit. He had things but he wasn’t going to force any of them on Kamacite. Not yet, at least.
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Posted: Fri Nov 12, 2021 5:51 pm
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He didn’t move when the blanket was draped over his shoulders, nor did he move when Axinite placed a hand on his head. The weight of his hand, of the blanket, was comforting. But he couldn’t say so, even if he wanted to.
What can I do? -- There wasn’t much Axinite could do. Kamacite had been worried about him. He was glad that Axinite seemed physically okay, but there was a distance he felt between them. They were both suffering without any way of pulling themselves back up.
Kamacite scrubbed at his face with his robe, and then lifted his head just enough so he could pull out the pen from where he had it tucked into his waistband, and opened up the tablet. But he did so in a way that he hoped Axinite knew he didn’t need to move his hand.
Faustite is okay, if you didn't know. I just came from seeing him. I think he is with Taenite now.
It was typed into the tablet and sent to Axinite, before looking up at him sadly. He gestured to the bruises on his neck, and then to the tablet to indicate that it was difficult to talk.
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Posted: Wed Nov 17, 2021 8:43 pm
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For a second, when Kamacite began to move, the weight of his hand lifted as if he were going to draw away, but when Kamacite didn’t seem to be trying to put distance between them he didn’t try to either.
“I’m sorry,” he said instinctively, eyeing the bruises. “Do you want an ice pack?”
His free hand stretched to his tablet and he pulled it open, laying it in his lap so he didn’t have to move. He knew it was unrealistic to think that if he withdrew his hand Kamacite would disappear, but his mind said he should keep it there, just to make sure.
He had to blink twice to focus his eyes, and had to reread the message three times before it sank in. Four times, and then he remembered how to breathe. His eyes found Kamacite again, and his brows had scrunched up with confusion. “Faustite’s okay?” he pressed, uncertainty and doubt in his voice. “No, I just saw that he--how?”
Axinite might have jumped up to go see him if his body had been working with him; instead, he was fishing around in his desk and pulled out his first aid kit. “Take your time, you don’t have to answer quickly if you’re hurting. I have a heat pack, too. He’s okay?”
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Posted: Sat Nov 27, 2021 6:49 pm
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Axinite paused, squinted, and nodded, like maybe bits and pieces were coming back to him. He kept his hand atop Kamacite’s head, needing that connection to make sure he was real; with his free hand, he returned to his drawers to fish around. He opened a few and peered inside before just shaking his head.
He hadn’t found the one he was looking for, but it really didn’t matter, he supposed. He was focusing on all the wrong things.
He gave up on finding it and just reached up to rub at his face, a little harder than he probably needed to; his skin reddened from the action but he sank into his chair and looked like he was breathing a little easier.
“I’ll have to see how he’s doing,” he said, but there was a part of him that was very worried that when he did it would bring out something else in him. “...You should be resting.”
He should be resting. Or working. He wasn’t really doing either, just sitting at his desk and being lost.
Like seeing if Kamacite actually needed the first aid kit he’d pulled out. He gripped it harder than he needed to, if only to stop his hand from trembling like it was. “Will any of this help you?” he asked, not even bothering to try and pry it open. He was exhausted, still trying to come out of this fog. Or, maybe just trying not to sink into it.
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Posted: Sun Nov 28, 2021 5:25 pm
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Kamacite didn’t answer. Not because he couldn’t speak easily at the moment, but because his discomfort was not important. Cymophane was okay, Roselite was okay, and Faustite was alive and doing better. But Axinite…? He was so difficult to read sometimes. And other times Kamacite felt as though he was looking into a mirror. There was no way he could say he understood all of Axinite’s suffering, but he could see it on his face, and hear it in the way he spoke. In the words he said, or didn’t say.
Carefully, Kamacite reached up to take hold of Axinite’s hand from where it was on his head, before pushing himself up to stand. The tablet was reduced to a pen and tucked back into his robes. He rested for a moment against the desk, but then reached out with his free hand to gently take the first aid kit from Axinite and set it on the top of his desk.
He tugged at Axinite’s hand then, trying to get him to stand from his chair. Trying to lead him over to the couch to sit down with him. If Kamacite had it his way, he would get Axinite to lie down. He’d offer his own leg as a pillow if Axinite would accept. And the blanket would be removed from Kamacite’s shoulders and spread over the General King instead.
Kamacite prepared himself for resistance, but kept his eyes locked on Axinite’s face, wanting to catch any shift in his exhausted expression.
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Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2021 8:14 pm
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Axinite was quiet while Kamacite moved and he wanted to give him time to adjust himself, to compose himself. He didn’t mind the tablet being put away; he was used to moments of quiet with Kamacite. He was far from opposed to them, especially if Kamacite didn’t need to say anything right now.
He understood the appeal of settling into a comfortable silence.
The first aid kit was taken, but not used. It must have meant Kamacite didn’t need it. Axinite didn’t fight that.
He let himself be led to the couch, though he had his fair share of confusion at the gesture. He didn’t fight that, either.
He sat without protest, but he did hesitate when Kamacite seemed to want more from him. Axinite couldn’t read minds, but he had offered no resistance for anything else Kamacite seemed to want of him. He didn’t have it in him to fight right now. His mind was a constant haze of static and it felt like he had to fight to get a coherent thought through.
Faustite was alive. It should have cleared his head and let him breathe a little easier, but for what comfort it brought him, it didn’t drag him out of the mental trap he’d fallen into.
His brows had furrowed only slightly when he met Kamacite’s gaze, and for as little understanding as there was, he trusted him. He wanted him to be okay.
Axinite wanted to sleep, or to stare at the wall, or to go back in time and undo everything he’d ever done wrong. He was limited in what his body and mind would allow, but for as long as Kamacite was here he couldn’t drag himself any deeper, at least.
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Posted: Mon Dec 06, 2021 6:43 pm
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Kamacite didn’t try to force Axinite to do anything when he hesitated. Instead, Kamacite just sat quietly at the end of the couch, and pulled one of the pillows from behind him to rest in his lap. He opened his mouth, but paused. His throat still hurt, and he knew his voice would likely be hoarse. He didn’t want to worry Axinite more than he already had been.
So he lifted a hand to his throat, hoping a little pressure would help relieve some of the strain as he spoke.
“Let’s rest for a bit, okay, Justice?” he asked quietly, barely above a whisper. But the room was so quiet that he didn’t need to raise his voice. “When we get up, we can go see Faustite,” he promised, holding out his other hand to try and get Axinite to lie down.
“Everything’s okay. Your team is okay. You haven't failed us. And we're okay, Justice.”
His throat burned, but he would survive. Making sure Axinite was taken care of was more important than a sore throat.
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Posted: Sun Dec 12, 2021 10:55 am
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There was notable relief from Kamacite when Axinite finally relented and laid down on the couch. Kamacite pulled the blanket from his own shoulders so he could make an attempt at tossing it over Axinite. Just for a little while, he reminded himself, because he knew that Axinite would probably get restless with just resting.
For several long moments, Kamacite just sat there, feeling like he was slowly pulling shattered pieces back together. At least for himself. He had no idea how Axinite was doing, but for Kamacite? He got to make sure Faustite was okay, was alive. Rosie and Cymophane were okay too. And Axinite was consenting to lay down and rest for a little while.
He wondered if anyone else had bothered to check on Axinite. Or maybe they didn’t realize that he might have needed someone to make sure he was okay, especially not when they were all used to Axinite being the one to check on them.
Slowly, and with a touch light enough to draw back if it seemed like it was unwelcome, Kamacite brushed his fingers through Axinite’s hair, smoothing it back and out of his face.
“Thank you,” he said quietly, still just a whisper, but it was uncertain if he was agreeing to the tea, or simply thanking Axinite for being there with him.
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