empatheias | [Closed]

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[Closed]

Who: Machina and close CR
Where: Verens, around, KH Clubhouse
When: Tessa 1-7
Format: brackets plz
Open/Closed Closed
Summary: Aftermath of the Antiform Plot. Machina is not a happy camper with having his magic cut off by darkness.
Notes: Asuna is planned to find him, but any/all CR are welcome to encounter her hauling Machina home.

[This officially sucks.

Being found passed out in the ground was humiliating enough. But that's not the worst thing that's happened. Machina realized what happened almost the moment it happened. His magic has been severed. No, not just his magic, all his powers. Like when the crystal jammer was deployed in Rubrum, but worse. At least then he could tell the Crystal was there, but he was being prevented from drawing on it's radiance to cast. This? This feels like it's been cut out of his soul.

He doesn't plan to tell anyone. Not his friends, not his brother. No one.

However, it's not difficult to miss that Machina is being weird. Well sure, Machina being weird is like a day ending in -y. His behavior though is especially strange. He got hauled home with gouges in his wrist and a blast hole in his shoulder. Yet, he hasn't healed those for himself already? And that's just when he's home. He seems to avoid it as much as he can, except to check on his birds and sleep. When he can be found at the house, he is standoffish, curt, grumpy. But... isn't that just his default?

When he's not at work, and avoiding home, Machina's picking up every stray bit of side work and tasks that are available, with a hitch: nothing combat focused. That's particularly off. The guy fancies himself some kind of fighter, and is more than a little hot-headed.]

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MACHINA AKIHIKO KUNAGIRI!

[The scene in Sweetie Pies bakery might make anyone who visited on the regular think that they had stepped into an alternate dimension. Because that yell? That yell came from Snow White. It wasn't an illusion, it was actually Princess Snow "patience of a saint" White yelling at Machina hurrying over to him and grabbing him by the ear, making him bend down to her height.]

What are you doing out of bed? Izana warned me you were roaming around but I will not have it, do you hear me?

[Even with Mami, Arden, and Ventus all out sick, Snow White began exiting the bakery, Machina's ear still pinched in between her fingers as she started dragging him to... well her house since it was closer.]

We are going home right this moment and you will go to bed until Izana comes to pick you up. And you will stay there and rest or so help me Machina, I will use my keyblade to lock you into the bed! [She didn't think it could actually do that but she'd figure something out.]

[Izana, you rat. Just you wait. Machina knows where you sleep.

Honestly, no one's yelled at him like this since that time he blew the roof off a shed as a kid. He remembers the dressing down he got clear as day, even if he can't remember who gave it. Some things stay in your memory forever. Today is going to be one of those.

Not that he has much choice but to follow along behind Snow White, half-stumbling since she's got him ear-pinched and bent over. And to be honest, he's not entirely in the clear what he's done to earn her ire, but please elucidate because swear to Pulse, he won't do it again.]

I just wanted pie...

[Hungry boys gotta eat. Soooooooo maybe he's being a hypocrite about resting and healing, but he can take care of himself.

How'd she find the one and only place on him that doesn't hurt or ache? Ow.]

Ow ow ow!

Then I would have brought you some! But you! You are not allowed to be walking around when Izana told me the amount of injuries you got!

[She turned to look at him, still holding his ear.] You didn't let me out of bed for even a minute when I fractured my ankle but you think it's perfectly alright to be walking around in the state you're in? I think not, mister. I won't have it.

[Back to dragging.]

We are going home and you are going to bed, and if you so much as step out of your room without a good reason why, I will drag you back in there myself!

But you had a broken ankle. You couldn't be walking on it, it would make it worse.

[Yep. Complete hypocrite here. He's got deep gouges in one wrist, some weird darkness goop on the other arm, a lightning blast wound in one shoulder, and a concussion from falling backwards on the street when he passed out. All in all, she's right, he shouldn't be out and about.

Which isn't preventing him from pouting. Or crabbing. Haven't you missed grumpypants Machina, Snow?]

And it wasn't Izana's business to share in the first place.

[They both are, the difference is Snow White will acknowledge she's injured and try to hurry it along, Machina just ignores it entirely. But! Dragging dragging dragging! Snow lands him a flat gaze at that "but" the instant it came out of his mouth, as if he should even dare to argue with her.]

I beg your pardon? It most certainly is his business to tell me. [Is she your little sister or not, mister?] And I'm glad he did because you clearly needed to be reminded yourself about not leaving the bed when you're unwell! And don't think I won't find you wherever you are and drag you back by your OTHER ear if you keep this up, Machina!

[He wants to argue, he really does. But let's face it, Machina has met his match for stubborn. Instead he half-growls in frustration.]

Fine. If I promise to walk, will you just let go?

[Izana is so in for it when he sees him next. Ratfink brother.]

[Met his match? Oh baby boy, you aren't even in the same league. She paused and eyed him very carefully.]

You must swear, Machina, or so help me, I will never trust your promises again.

I swear, I'll walk. I'll even rest.

[At the very least, he'll rest until she stops yelling at him to do so. Truth be told, a nap is starting to sound really swell right now.]

Can't we leave Izana out of this? He already worries too much.

[Although, who's fault is that precisely, Machina?]

You'll rest until I'm satisfied with how rested you are. And no, we most certainly cannot and will not leave Izana out of this, he's your brother for goodness sake. Would you want him to leave you out?

[She does relent though and let go of his ear.]

Come along then, can you walk alright on your own? [She gestures to the bear who is never far from her side.] Do you need to be carried?

The last time Izana got worried about me, he ended up with broken ribs and a punctured lung.

[Self preservation clearly does not run strong in the Kunagiri line.]

I can walk fine. I'm walking. See? Walking.

[Huff huff sulk. Although he gives that bear a dubious look and shakes his head. Which hurts. But he's not telling her that.]

Just fine.

It's almost as if you two are related with how you act about being injured.

Only I didn't have to drag him by his ear back to bed.

[She takes his arm, more to keep him steady than to actually keep him beside her.]

Well, then this won't take very long at all to get you home.

He shouldn't have been injured at all.

[It's muttered under his breath because Machina is still salty that Izana took a hit meant for him. One that he could have withstood much better.

Probably for the best that Snow does have him by the arm, as Machina's still struggling to walk a straight line. Izana's already gotten him with some healing magic, but his head continues to throb at strange intervals. Not telling anyone else about that though. No one.]

You're not going to make the bear sit on me, are you?

That entirely depends on whether or not you try to escape before Izana comes to pick you up. [Is she joking? No, probably not, not if that ear pinch is anything to go by.]

It's summertime so neither Bernard nor Frederick have put on their hibernation weight.

I promised you I wouldn't.

[Gosh, Snow, what do you take him for? Grumpgrumpgrump.]

I can't believe you keep bears as pets.

[Now that he knows what a bear is. His thoughts dance backwards to Sora dragging him and Hope off to battle a bear and only one of the three of them knowing what a bear even was. Thinking of both of them puts him in a gloomier mood than he already is. So much so, dark ominous rain clouds drift in over their heads. He couldn't even help Sora and Hope is gone. This sucks so bad. He's useless. Absolutely useless.]

They are not pets, they are friends. And they are no more dangerous than you are. The only difference is they don't try to pretend they're not injured and instead come to me straight away for help. You could learn a thing or two from them.

[Now that Machina's fallen into the doom and gloom spiral, he'll be stuck there for ages. It doesn't help that the darkness clinging to him is seeping in and fueling his grief and fear and insecurity. His steps slow, not quite reaching a stop, but pretty darn close. Meanwhile, the clouds overhead continue to darken and release a miserable drizzle.

Something Snow White says stabs him hard in the conscience. She says the bears are no more dangerous than he is. But... she doesn't know. She doesn't know the things he's done, the blood he's spilled. He's a lying, sneaking wretch taking advantage of her goodness.]

I'm more dangerous than you realize.

[It's not a boast. It's a painful truth. Or... it was.]

At least, I used to be.

Well, there's nothing wrong with not being dangerous.

[She smiled as she patted his arm.]

Why, I'm not dangerous at all, now am I? And you like me just fine, don't you?

Of course I do.

[He'd argue that sure it's okay not to be dangerous, but he can't make the words come. Because he feels powerless. Is powerless right now and it's horrifying to him. A low rumble of the earth settles in under their feet. a sure sign that he's more afraid than angry. Lack of fire around is a good hint too.]

We should get you inside.

[Machina is the one injured (and now exhausted), but she's the one he's worried about.]

And get you into bed. I'm not going to have to make Bernard or Frederick sit on you to stay put, am I?

[She smiled as they entered her home, the two bears in question looking up when they heard their names but she lifted up a hand, assuring them that everything was fine.]

No. I'll rest. I promise.

[If anything, a nap sounds exceptionally wonderful now that there's the prospect of crashing for a little while.]

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