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 Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2023 6:20 am
She couldn't meet Hylonome in the hospital — there were laws against that, and while she was licensed, Haspira did not want to cross that boundary without Hylonome's consent to do so. She didn't have a civilian name to associate with hylonome, either, so even if she wanted to go digging through the EHR for similar injuries, she suspected she would have her work cut out for her. Instead, she gave it some time — a few weeks, enough that she thought wounds like that might be healed and hale enough that she could get around again.
Psilomelane sat in her tiny office with her tablet in her lap. It was a quaint space, with all the ancient, dilapidated furniture replaced with softer items that one might find in a normal therapist's office: an oversized. cushy chair with a soft faux fur throw, a few abstract paintings in muted pastels, a rounded bistro-style cherrywood table that she used for a desk (because the room was too small for a true desk), and a few plants sitting on an end table under a grow light. A white noise machine sat near the door, just on the outside. The only giveaways that she was located in the Dark Kingdom were the stony floors beneath her round Persian rug, and the small cluster of crystals overhead that added a cool tint to otherwise warm desk lamp lighting.
Sparing a few moments to think over her message, Psilomelane hummed to herself. Then she tapped out a short message addressed to Hylonome:
Hello Hylonome, it's Psilomelane. We worked together briefly during that mission into the Rift. I was wondering if you had a moment to chat? I was worried about you.
She touched send, hoping it wasn't too much to reach out like that. Soldiers often led hard lives, and lived with complications that most people wouldn't begin to guess or understand. The message might remind her too much of the incident and she would need some space before she could reply. Or, it might strike her as invasive and Psilomelane could understand that, too. If she got a response, she would be happy with that.
Only time would tell.
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Posted: Wed Jan 18, 2023 7:55 pm
At first Amora wasn't sure what had roused her from her light slumber. Her eyes were unfocused for all of twenty seconds as she took in the sight of the familiar trappings of her room before coming to the realization of what had woken her up. The tablet. The one that all agents of the Negaverse obtained had issued its sound that indicated that she had a message waiting for her. That in itself was strange. There wasn't many people outside of Reed's domicile that knew who she was so ... who then was messaging her? Reaching over for the device did the young woman wince at the slight pulling of the wound that she had sustained.
Never could it be said that the Negaverse didn't take good care of their own. It had been a fairly serious wound that she'd received in that mission into the Rift but because of the quick work of another senshi and then the talented individuals who stabilized her while in the field, she'd come out as best as one could. There had been some discussion of therapy, if it came down to it, but for the most part Amora had been more prone to keeping to the prescribed besrest in order to not stress the healing process.
It was what made the communication on her tablet even more interesting. Doctor's had kept in touch via the device but when she opened the newest message her breath caught in her throat. Psilomelane! Yes, she remembered the actions of the super senshi who'd come to her aid after she'd failed to dodge a weapon thrown at her.
Hastily she fumbled with the option to respond before pursing her lips together and blowing air out forcibly. How did one respond to such a message?
The tablet was put down for a moment while Amora nibbled on her lower lip. There was no denying that she was free for a chat and it would alleviate the boredom that had been settling over her since returning home - so she once more picked up the tablet and hit reply to Psilomelane before composing her response.
Quote: If there's such a thing as being too bored, then I am experiencing it. I do remember you Psilomelane and I owe you my gratitude for how exactly you helped during our mission. I'm able to chat as I'm just currently resting but how do you propose we do so?
With that Amora hit send and waited to see if Psilomelane had any ideas. She also fished out her henshin pen from underneath her pillow and held onto it tightly. If she needed to, she would power up instantly into Hylonome.
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Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2023 2:53 pm
Psilomelane was pleased to see that she'd gotten a quick answer. It made sense when she read the message — she supposed that, if she had sustained a serious leg injury, she would be pretty limited in how she spent her time, too. Added to that, she wasn't sure how mobile Hylonome could be at this point in her recovery. It might be some time before she could get back to her usual level of activity, and if she was an athlete? Then Psilomelane wondered if she was bouncing off the walls by now.
She took a moment to determine how best to respond. She could teleport as a Super Senshi, yes, but she found it far too exhausting to take someone anywhere other than the Dark Kingdom. Even taking herself into Destiny City felt extremely tiring. So, depending on where Hylonome was located, she could play ferry, but only to somewhere like the Citadel. If they wanted to meet somewhere else, Psilomelane was looking at begging a superior for help.
Which she wasn't above, but that decision wasn't entirely up to her.
So she typed back in the quiet of her office, once she determined how she could approach their little dilemma. She preferred the simpler solutions, so she offered one that followed suit.
I'm sorry you're so bored, but I am glad that you're recovering. I hope the Negaverse is treating you well.
We can continue texting like this, or I can call, or if you prefer to chat in person, I'm happy to meet you where you are. I can also bring you something from the store if you like.
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Posted: Wed Feb 01, 2023 2:17 am
All the offers that were presented sounded appealing but Amora was more the one to have a face to face meeting. There was something that seemed so right at a time like this to meet in the fresh air. But that would be an issue. Grabbing her tablet Amora shifted a little before wincing as the edges of her wound pulled before she settled. Her set of crutches lay within reach and she was getting fairly proficient at using them. Before she made the move to get up though she sent back another reply to Psilomelane,
Quote: I'm allowed a small amount of exercise so I wouldn't mind meeting up in person if it's relatively close to where I live right now. The place I reside is where the general who commands our team resides. I can give you the exact address or meet you at a nearby intersection, I'm not sure what Reed prefers when it comes to additional guests. Heck I could just sit outside on the steps and wait for you to arrive too. As for an offer for a store visit, that isn't necessary but I wouldn't turn up my nose at some Oreos perhaps or anything snack-food like. But again, its not a deal breaker if you come empty handed.
Making sure that it wasn't forgetten, Amora sent along the address of Reed's residence in her message. Amora did struggle a bit to get to the front door where she exited with crutches in hand before sitting down on the front steps. It was best to remain powered down unless Psilomelane had other plans. But for now she was content to sit on the stairs and breathe deeply of the fresh air. Hopefully this meet-up wouldn't be frowned at. She felt like she owed Psilomelane...
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Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2023 6:30 am
Psilomelane smiled when she saw the response. It was good to see that Hylonome was feeling up to meeting with her, and that she was able to get around after that spear had gone straight through her. It spoke to the resilience of the human body, especially with the power they commanded. Psilomelane just hoped that was the worst that Hylonome would have to face in her career as a Negaverse senshi.
Thank you for sending the address. I would be happy to meet you at the front steps.
Oh, before I forget: my name is Haspira. You'll be able to recognize me by the blue and green streaks in my hair. I'll be as quick as I can at the store, then I'll meet you there.
She touched send on her tablet, then breathed a relieved sigh. She understood it to be part of the Negaverse's territory, but did they really need to keep going down there if they suffered deaths or injuries? They had to find a way to make these missions less dangerous, or find more healers to take along with them if they were going to continue making treacherous delves into the Rift. Psilomelane had a feeling that addressing her concerns wouldn't be as easy as it was in her head, however.
She couldn't dwell on it now, and she didn't have a meeting lined up with the leading General to speak her mind about it, so she set her concerns aside.
Mustering the energy, she vanished from her office, and reappeared behind a convenience store that was attached to a gas station. She let out a heavy breath, feeling winded for how difficult it still was to teleport. It was like she'd sprinted the entire way, and Haspira needed a moment to force her legs to start workign again. Once she caught her breath, she dipped inside to pick up a few packs of Oreos. She figured it couldn't hurt to grab a pack for herself, too, since she couldn't recall ever eating them. Once she'd gotten her receipt, she was back out the door, and headed for the address that Hylonome sent her.
… Even if it would take twenty minutes to walk there, according to her GPS.
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Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2023 2:42 pm
As Amora read the description that she should be on the look out for did she wonder if she would need to return the favor but then again there wasn't many other people who were sitting outside holding crutches. In fact she was the only one doing so right now. And Reed's address had been given as well so there wouldn't be any confusion she guessed on Haspira's part. For now it seemed that all she would have to do was wait.
Thinking back to the event that led to her being on crutches Hylonome had to wonder if such things were common in the Negaverse. Her own accident that led to her losing memories of her life before maybe pointed that it was possible but how likely was it that she was experiencing multiple instances of bad luck? Was it just something in her life that caused such mishaps to occur? Amora sighed softly before setting her crutches aside. She needed to stop using the things if she wanted to get back on her feet and back on active duty.
Grasping the railing on the stairs that adorned the front of Reed's place did Amora attempt to pull herself upright. Without putting any weight on her injured leg did she stand straighter. With the choice made Amora began to put increasing pressure on her injured side before stopping when the pain began to flare up. For a few moments Amora winced as the pain grew before stopping. Her thoughts cleared before she sat back down. It was still too painful to keep up for longer than a minute but it was slowly getting just a little bit easier to make the smallest steps possible.
For now she could do nothing more but wait for Haspira to arrive.
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Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2023 6:38 pm
No matter how well-intentioned she was, or how early she left for a timely event, Haspira always found herself chronically late. Sometimes it was only by minutes, other times a half hour or more, but there was no escaping it. Thus, she stopped giving actual timetables. She was sure that, if she told Hylonome that she would be another twenty minutes, that time would stretch to twenty-five somehow.
It took her roughly twenty-two minutes to walk to the address given, mostly because of inconsiderate drivers refusing to yield to anyone in the crosswalk. Even if she had gotten cut off several times from crossing, she didn't let it bother her; there was a sense of security that came from having power, and Haspira knew that if any driver pissed her off too much, she could probably trace their plate and drain them for everything they were worth. It wouldn't teach them anything without her explicitly stating her identity, but perhaps the uncanny proximity to cutting her off would make them a little more superstitious about it.
When she finally reached the area, she double-checked herself against the address plugged into her GPS, then confirmed the address twice. Looked like she was at the right place.
She didn't immediately register the girl hanging around the steps as Hylonome, mainly because she was standing without any crutches involved. After a few moments of staring quizzically at her, Haspira spotted the discarded crutches, then hurried down the remainder of the sidewalk to reach her.
Once she arrived at the foot of the stairs, lightly out of breath, Haspira dug around in her bag for the Oreos and proudly held them out to the recovering girl. "Found some," she asserted.
"So, how are you feeling?"
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Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2023 3:38 am
The sight of someone that matched Haspira's description of herself running up to the stairs had Amora backpedalling for a few seconds before she clutched tightly at the rail in order not to fall backwards. Wouldn't that have been swell? Closing her eyes in relief that she had avoided further injury did Amora finally glance down at the offering that Haspira held out to her before she gave the other woman a grin. Amora didn't know exactly when she had developed a sweet tooth but she suspected it had been sometime after the large battle on the hill. But she didn't mind. It was also that a lot of other things had changed too.
Realizing that she was still clutching at the railing did Amora gently release her grip on the metal structure before reaching down to gently pluck the package of Oreos from Haspira's hand before sitting down on the steps with her prize. At the question that she was asked Amora turned to give an evil side-glance to the crutches that she was supposed to still be using. "First things first. Thank you Haspira ... for the Oreos, and for everything else. I was told by the field medics and then later on in the infirmary that your actions probably made the recovery time lesser than had the spear shaft remained. At least that is what I understood from what they were telling me. I maybe can't remember everything that clearly but I know that I feel like I owe you more than anything. The wound is healing enough that the doctors are pleased but at the same time I still am under orders not to do anything that involves risk. Technically I might be overdoing it by abandoning the crutches but I'm tired of using them to get around."
At this Amora glanced down at the package of Oreos that still sat unopened before she gently peeled back the cover to snag one of the cookies. "I feel like I'm letting people down while I heal but I can't do much about it," Amora paused before she came to the realization that she'd not given Haspira a vital piece of information that was necessary. She placed the package of cookies at her side before she reached out her hand for Haspira to shake, if she wanted. "I'm sorry, I've forgotten my manners. It's nice to meet you finally Haspira, my name is Amora."
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Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2023 6:44 am
Haspira smiled. The gratitude was nice to hear, but mainly she was relieved that Amora was alright, and from the sound of it, there wouldn't be a lot of lasting damage. She was glad that Amora got competent help quick enough that she could avert some longer recovery times.
When Amora sat down, Haspira took it as her cue to sit with her on the top of the steps as well. She was happy to accept Amora's handshake. Hers was soft, if a bit cold for how her hands didn't take well to the frost. "I think people are glad that you're taking the time to heal. Besides, there are other ways to support our teammates. They don't just need someone physically at their sides." Though, she couldn't deny that it was terribly helpful in combat situations, or in situations like what they had just survived.
After taking out her own pack of Oreos, she joined Amora in crunching down on them in silence. After a moment, her wandering thoughts finally coalesced in a coherent few sentences. "You know," she began, and she kept her voice low as she glanced to and fro for open windows, "That was the first big trip I've had since that time on the hill. It was… A lot," she continued, then laughed at herself for her own understatement. "Not that 'a lot' adequately explains it. It just — surprised me. How, even in our own backyard, there could be so much danger around every corner.
"I can't believe it, sometimes. It almost doesn't feel real." She twisted open her second cookie, eating the plain cookie part before going for the one that still had frosting. It was amazing to her that they could spend time in what seemed like a foreign world, fight for their lives, uncover such a strange past, then the very next day, they were waking up to shower and go to work. Like nothing ever happened.
It was jarring. It was unusual. It was magical.
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Posted: Sat Mar 11, 2023 12:57 pm
Amora was content at first to continue working her way through the package of cookies before Psilomelane, no, Haspira was talking about taking the time to rest and heal as being a good thing. Reed had mentioned the same advice and while she was tired of laying around she had to admit to herself that there hadn't been anything pressing that had come up during this down time that she was aware of. It was also possible that no one was telling her of their plans in order just to make sure she wasn't being left out. But what good would an injured team member be anyways? If she tried going out like this she would be a hindrance, a liability, something that had to be protected. Amora scoffed at her own doubts before refocusing on what Haspira was saying.
Having paused with half an Oreo just being bit in two did Amora hold up a finger in a "wait a moment' gesture before swallowing the morsel down. She worked to gather her thoughts before picking her words carefully.
"I've had a weird off planet experience in which robots were trying to take starseeds for their own purposes. I was up there with another member of the small team I've found myself on. And besides being called to help with a pitched battle in the subway tunnels ... I just can't recall if there have been other instances before the battle on the hill though. Been told I was injured then and it kind of messed up my memories of things."
Amora thought to the mission in the Rift and glanced to Haspira before sighing. "Can't say though if I mind that somethings are hazy or just outright gone because as it is ... I feel that at times my powers aren't all that useful. But yet ... I'm told I'm helpful. As for the mission we were alerted that things could get dicey as this place hadn't been fully explored and that there was risk, but yeah, getting a speared was not anywhere on a bucket list of mine."
Amora carefully popped the other uneaten half of cookie into her mouth and relished the burst of sweetness before sealing the top of the package of the rest to save for later. Finishing the piece that she was working on did Amora attempt to stretch out her injured leg before she winced. Well, she mused, points for effort at least.
"I am admitting to being bored. Who knew that with all the free time in the world ... in which there are multiple things to do, that boredom still exists. I want to be able to rush through this period of convalescence but I know that would just make things worse."
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Posted: Tue Mar 14, 2023 3:35 pm
Haspira kept an even expression while Amora started to tell her about one of the many fantastical encounters one could have in space. She certainly hadn't expected what was to come — while Haspira had heard of agents or Negaverse senshi being taken up to other senshi's worlds or into Mirrorspace, she hadn't once thought that robots could be a part of the picture, or that robots could take starseeds. Normally she would be skeptical of a story like that. A certain amount of skepticism was important to her job, as she needed to recognize debilitating signs of illness like delusions of grandeur or hallucinations.
But Haspira had no reason to disbelieve Amora, who was otherwise in perfectly fine possession of her faculties. If she had encountered robots on another planet taking starseeds, then Haspira would accept her at her word. What was most perplexing to her, however, was that they shared a complete lack of memory past a certain point. For Amora, it was the battle on the hill. For Haspira, it was standing in Axinite's office with a few other senshi.
Slowly, Haspira nodded. She towed with the cookie in her grip, twisting it to and fro until one wafer came off the other. "Something like that happened to me, too. I can't remember things that most people can remember without issue. For example, I can't remember my family, but I couldn't tell you why. I know I must have been a little girl at some point, and I had to have been raised by someone. And even if I was raised by wolves, I should be able to remember that, right?" She broached a half-smile.
"So I've started writing down anything that had an impact on me. I don't want to forget anything else." Then she popped the wafer in her mouth, finding it more to her liking than the filling. Or was it frosting?
She nodded fervently when Amora mentioned getting speared. "I doubt anyone saw that coming. But for what it's worth? I'm glad you made it through the worst of it.
"How about we go inside? We can play some games together to give your mind something to think about. If you don't have anything in your apartment, I usually have a deck of cards in my purse." Mainly for solitaire, but she knew how to play Go Fish, and she had the power of Google to tell her how to play other card games, too.
She offered her hand in case Amora needed it, but she was careful not to overburden with assistance where assistance was not welcomed.tefla we can fin it on them going inside if you like!
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Posted: Sun Mar 19, 2023 3:31 pm
Haspira's idea of keeping a notebook handy to write down things that had an impact on her seemed like an interesting idea. Amora made a mental note that maybe she could try doing something like that as well. In the back of her mind though did she really feel like it was necessary to do so? The only reason it was bringing up a bit of conflict was that she genuinely seemed happy among Prehnite's small team and felt as if she had found a home here.
Listening to the suggestion of going inside did Amora nod thoughtfully. Although the day was fair outside she had to concede that just sitting on a set of stairs eating Oreos, while relaxing, was sort of the type of boredom that she was trying to avoid. Taking a moment to gather up her crutches Amora accepted the helping hand that Haspira had offered in order to steady herself before slipping the crutches into their proper position for usage before moving to open the door to admit herself and Haspira into the apartment. There was activities inside that could be pursued and the promise of a deck of cards meant that there were plenty of games that could be played.
Amora was happy that Psilomelane, no in this form it was Haspira, had reached out to see how she was doing. After all ... the change of company was refreshing.
Strickenized I think we could call this finished now.
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