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She had an ax!! Finally!! Not that Cela’s teddy on a string wasn’t threatening as ******** - but an actual weapon? A girl who could have a youma at her beck n call? Who could help Lilith with the heavy brain lifting? Albite never thought they’d get so lucky!

With all the loss — they needed a win. He was going to be nosy. Going to imbed himself in each and every one of his teammates psyches.

God, so help them if they left.

Now, if Jada was the ax? Then all they needed was — a sword - a bow - all of….. ********. Was the Negaverse Mordor or Gondor?

“Laurels is too hot to be an orc…sooo….The elf chicks place. Definitely.” he could totally see Metallia as some beautiful thing turned even more sparky by power — or something like that.

Even as he popped in nearabouts- he was kinda surprised to feel the power signature. How often he forgot that it was a thing he could totally do when he was paying any sort of attention at all. Like a lumbering bear that’d taken up skipping, he made his way through the woods — snapped branches, half frozen tree-bits, picked up a bundle of — and anything that was sodden got *tossed*, loudly, he didn’t care if he made noise tho.

Because who the ******** went camping in February!? He did. Seemed like the best way to build a bond that didn’t involve dragging Jada into the rift — which she might’ve said no to…..

Sooo — this!

“Hey, Jada!! Oh — ohman — did the boss upstairs give you heels too? Hell, whatever, we’ll make the best of it! You - me - the top of a tree! Have you ever slept in a tree — scrap that - do you want to!?” introductions could’ve been something, but albite never did well working in the shallows. It was deep-end squelching ‘hello nice to meet you meeting me’ or nothing at all.

Maybe he’d turn the capslock off and the volume down…

If she survived.

She was talking, she was pretty, her heels looked sad in all the mud. It was a shame. They could totally kick their shoes off over an open fire and roast their toes along with some marshmallows - there were drier patches of land that wouldn't catch and weren't trees.

Albite marked down 'afraid of heights?' - tiny mental note in his tiny mental file that was labeled 'people-I work-with-and-therefore-are-now-my-family-worth-killing-for', though Jada gave off more of an 'auntie' vibe, than a big sisterly one. Definitely not a little sister. Nor a 'best friend who is also girlboss'.

Yeah - Auntie. It clicked. Lit up that little space in his brain that made his smile grow wide while she spoke, until it tilted, and his eyes squinched at the corners while he looked confused.

She was talking, she thought he was interesting - totally cool! She'd brought a bed?!

There were beats of silence, like he'd hit pause on the conversation so he could replay some of the words in it... . . . "You brought a bed camping? Wh-wait..wait...Back that up, because - Hi, yeah, Albite is me. The bonding Senshi, thank you for coming - - - BUT! Can subspace hold beds?!" what a ******** revelation that was!

Oh, holy hell, could he move a whole damn house by shoving it in his inventory?! What were the limits of these things! She'd been a captain longer than him, probably. Maybe.

Definitely.

"I never even knew -- just --- ohmygod - Gimli. Gimme your axe and I will stack you on my shoulders and trudge you onto 'dry flat land', so long as you tell me more about how I can shove a whole a** bed into subspace!" because even if the mud sank and ate at his heels, even if it took a little extra effort? Even if he had to haul Jada's bags about?

Worth it.

In fact, he crouched down a little bit, as if to offer himself up for use packmule-wise.

He knew he'd like Jada. He just didn't know he'd like her instantly. They sooo sooo sooooo needed all the smart girls in smart suits that they could get, n she fit that bill to a T.

Albite's disappointment was palpable for a moment. A deep, lace stretching sigh heaved forth. A sheer wonder that the magical strings which ran his eyelets round his torso still managed to keep the piece of cloth whole. It was such a shame though! He'd really hoped that he could find a neat and easy way too move.

It all passed quickly as a cloud across the sun. hmm'd, squinted, ran forefinger and thumb over his chin while he stareeedddd --- for maybe a little too long, because really? He was so damn sure she'd make a great Gimli! She had an axe, she had hair? She wasn't too tall!

Couldn't be a golum, or a nazgul - orrr...

He registered her tone long after he'd registered her words, and his hands flashed up while his smile got wide; a slow placating thing that spread across his features. Like he'd been caught in his thoughts. Like he'd been caught in the *act* of thinking the exact sort of thoughts she was accusing him of.

"What!? Nooo, no, nope, nawh. I didn't invite you all the way out here *just* because your weapon is an axe. That's more of an 'also' kinda thing. I brought you out here because you 'also' have an axe. Which - I mean - when given an axe to use..." Albite made a small chopping motion with both his hands, added the slightest of sound effects, for good measure. "It's like 'When in Rome, doing as the romans do?', right? So when in the woods, bring an axe wielder?" hedged his bets, threw on a 'pretty please with marchino cherries' face.

A plea.

"Lissn, Elfrond - it's a free ride to a dry spot in exchange for axe lessons. It's a good deal! I'll make you food, we'll chill under the stars! Pitch a tent, get to know each other...." they'd lost so many people. He was invested in Jada. They needed her. She was more than an asset to the team, she was a ******** necessity. He needed her to know that in no small terms, and? She knew his Girl. His bestest bossette that ever had been.

Maybe she'd know where Nemb's had gone.....

Holy ******** she had a sharp thing and he could play with it!! Jada might as well have told him that it was his birthday, or maybe hers? Double birthdays for the win. He eyed the handle like the holiest of grails, and then very gingerly took it out of her small hands.

If he owed her dinner, dancing, the whole nine on nine inches of heels and in some schanzzier than gods golden c**k ring kinda establishment? Then so be it. It was fair trade in exchange for getting a hatchet to play with. He was gonna have such a damn good time.

“I appreciate it, really, you have like. No idea.” The handle of the thing got shoved into the sashes tied about his waist, and Jada? Front row, first class seats all-aboard his broad shoulder, easy enough to lift if he wrapped an arm around her thighs and hoisted her there. Not a single ******** given to her muddy heels. He’d always thought he looked better a little bit dirty anyhow.

And her bags? Shoved into his own overfull subspace. He’d pull em out to unpack ‘em and share — after — later — once they were somewhere a bit more dry.

“So! Infiltration huh? Are you liiikeee, Axinites daughter? Wait — do you think he’s old enough to have a kid - or — oh, no, Lep is infiltration, yeah?” Still didn’t disclude her from being Axinites daughter. With a little baby hatchet, except she was sassier. He liked that, a person with some backbone and a bit of fire Meath her flat stare and passive sneers.

Guileless questions as he ent walked her though the clinging mud and mire. Maybe if all else failed he could try knocking down trees for them to sit on? That’d be so ******** cool!!

"Hmmmmmmnn…..” a slow slow bubbling thought of what was surprise that got cut off into a snort, because ‘nah’. Axinite n kids? “No worries Jay-bird, didn't think you were nepotism-lite. It'd be so cool if Axinite had kids tho, yeah? Or a family. He seems like the type who'd deserve it, yanno?"

His tone a shrug, while Albite scrunched his face and thought -- he didn't actually know 'who' he reported to anymore. Most of the time it was everybody? After Auro n Bob n -- okay Lepidolite had been the one to bring him in, guy had awesome hands. ******** -- but -- did he belong to a branch?

"I'm Faustites person, if ever that comes up? I suppose, wherever he goes I follow, yanno? Not that he isn't all, like, really good at pushing people to advocate for themselves, n climb ranks, n get - uh - subordinates under them..." and her axe felt good enough in his hand, solid build, sleek little handle, pretty - weighty. It had all the pretty filigree, but that was minimal compared to how sharp he imagined the thing to be.

"I mean - he's my General of choice n all, right? So I always just settle on telling people I came with him. Can't think of a better bonfire to have at my back when pick-a-thing goes down." and once he had her settled, locked n secure, it didn't take much to kick into a run. To leave the mud and squelch of muk with a leap; over dead log and patched grass grown-over. Thick with unthawed moss n oh-so-tripable rocks. They had moonlight filter though, just enough to see by.

He could be a big ol' tree Ent n she could be his little Pippin. They could have all sorts of fun! Especially since he had an axe! N he wondered -- how far could he toss it before she couldn't summon it back anymore? Could her axe live in subspace too - could he --- *he could*.

The ground slid from slip-slick frostbitten, to rocky, to dry. Albite slid to a sudden stop, wind-whipped n grinning right up at Jada. "Ohmygosh - I just had the best idea! Do you wanna see a trick I can do?!" hopefully vibrant, a very particular edge to his glee.

Jada was the absolute best. He knew it already, in his bones, even.

The best!

“What do you mean he’s on fire? Holy ********, Jada! Why didn’t you tell me *sooner*!” deadpanned ‘duh’ - and wide honeyed eyes as albite made the most shocked sort of sound. Hammed it up like the bone-head he was, n then gave the most exaggerated wink to show he was kidding.

He totally knew about the fire thing, even remembered that said fire was very hot…most of the time…kinda…sorta…

”I mean, there’s not much to know, yeah? He’s kinda — cloistered — mmh…like….reclusive? But not by choice…..” a rough little sigh and Albite hemmed and hawed between trying to dredge up words, and pulling his most faithful of glorbies from subspace, a snap and crackle of beings popping through planes of existence to be at their boys beck n call.

One - fat glowing ball that shimmered into ten smaller ones; they ringed a circle round like a target - outer - middle - and in the dead center some distance away - *tree*.

Half dead, full of branches, an easy target.

And he hefted Jada briefly, readjusted her to let her hang of her own strength and with one hand to squeeze his hold: as his magic unfurled, hungry and binding around the handle of the axe - three feet of snare that became six feet of choking squeeze. He wasn’t even thinking about the power at waste; how naturally it came to him to let it do it’s own thing, like walking his home while half-asleep. The magic knew, *always*, on autopilot - even if he was busy minding other things.

N he let the axe drop, let the magic unfurl and swung it, a dizzying little arc that gained speed: like readying a pebble in a slingshot. He aimed for the center of the glowing ring — fired — hissed when he felt the magic snap as it reached its limit.

Judging distances in the dark was a b***h when it wasn’t something close enough to grab — but maybe the axe would hit!! Hopes that died with the lack of a telltale *thunk* of metal meeting wood.

His orbies scattered wide and he heard in the distance a birds cry and the shatter of branches much higher above then he’d anticipated.

Well — if all else failed, they maybe had a bunch of extra firewood to pick from..…

“Ooopss…we’ll..s**t. Anyway! As I was saying! Ah, what was I - oh! Firebrand, so - we’ve got this open thing? Like me, n people, n — *I hope you can summon that back cause I can’t* - (it was definitely too far gone for his lash, a shame.) - but yeah. He’s good people, yanno? Give him a chance, oh! And don’t ******** *betray* him…” a brief pause in the rambling; as if albite remembered to breathe, to blink, to offer Jada a different sort of look entirely…..

“Or I’ll kill you.”

And the wisps broke the tension like a rock tossed into a pond. Made a halo of Jada - an angel all lit up by their glow as they slowly morphed back into one fat sack of blobby wisp.

Albite laughed for it, forgot the thought entirely.

“Maybe? I-dunno, you seem pretty cool, n I like you, and it sucks to hunt down people when they leave — like — it’s the worst Jada, really.”

And he seemed to test the ground, to scan between it and her and where the axe had disappeared into the distance, settled after he circled the place like a restless dog. Like he’d found terrain he deemed ‘flat enough’ and ‘not entirely mud’ to finally stand still on.

He smiled up at her like his stillness had meaning. He was having such a good time — he’d have to take her out to a really nice place in return.

"Ahem - *Huntsman* - Cause that's cooler, I think. Mmn - could you be a Snow White? Wait! Nah, Galadriel's more exciting." he accepted the axe with chagrin and a determined nod; knew he'd have to take her practicing. That it'd be a hell of a cool trick if he had half an idea of what he was doing. Cause, like, he tied things to his magic all the time, really! Turned trashcans into bludgeons, rocks n sticks into shotput or javelins.

An axe shoulda been easy - wasn't.

"Do you know if they ever gave the Queen who was after her a name in any of those movies? Or was she just 'Evil Queen'...n 'bring me her heart'. All that jazz." Centrifugal force n gravity could be a helluvathing, especially when those two things met an object on a body. He tried again, shorter leash, less of a tether and windup - the axe sunk into the mud on the off-swing, buried itself there inches deep, just before the tree. The wisps had a grand time of dancing around it's jutting hilt like a glowing fairy ring of lights. Gloating in all their mockery of his miss, even if it was silently.

Albite could totally feel it, though. Those brats.

"Whelp -- that -- that was a thing...heh...maybe we try in the daylight? On an enemy..or..uh...never again. We can totally just do that.." no way he was gonna risk trying to snag it back. Ending up with an axe imbedded in either of them was a terrible way to start or end a camping trip. Albite heaved a humm it though, tilted his head to Jada's tone, filtered her words in - out - in again.

"Oh, it's not even that. It's like....I just don't want him heartbroken, yanno? People just, when they leave without saying anything? It hurts. Him, me, the team morale. I get it - I do - but...." he wondered if he should kneel n let her down, if he shoulda scrapped the whole event instead of dragging Jada miserable through the cold n mud for the whole of the night. Hard ground n hot fires - she was a High-Elf though. It fit real well. Meant he shoulda been treating her a little closer to right than 'in the dirt', even if it was for fun.

"....I know I'm not anything like your superior. Right? Even if I hit General Manager Eternal Gordita-Supreme, or whatever, before you do -" n he did kneel, tapped her hip ever so gently to indicate this was as good as they were gonna get, spotwise. "- I want you to know I'm here. If you're having a hard time with anything? Jada. I'm available, and you shouldn't have to transfer, or disappear, or die in order to leave...There's lots of ways to make things work. Don't you think? Trading sides -- it seems like the most extreme sort of option. Not just cause people'r painting targets on their backs with their own hands, that's fine, s'fun even, but like...all the memory things, yanno? You shouldn't have to give half of yourself up to be happy."

Meant it. Albite hoped she knew, except maybe he could show her? Olive branches fulla leaves labeled 'options' went a long way for making people happy.

"Now ----- do you really wanna be out here camping with me --- or is there somewhere we could go where you'd be happier?"

Cause he did still wanna spend time with her, n find out her favorite color of nail polish, who did her hair. Ask for snippets of what she remembered of Nembus. If his best bossettee who'd ever been had always been as shy, lost and lovely as he remembered her to be.

If Jada was happy.

That suddenly seemed like a very important thing.