[Closed]

[deus_ex_machina]

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.]

Comments

[onebadapple]

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.

[deus_ex_machina]

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?

[onebadapple]

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.

[deus_ex_machina]

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.]

[onebadapple]

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.

[deus_ex_machina]

[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.

[onebadapple]

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?

[deus_ex_machina]

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.]

[onebadapple]

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.]

[deus_ex_machina]

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.]