Ninth Light

[curseu-reflexes.livejournal.com]

[In the wake of the most recent mission, you'll find a disheartening sight if you enter the hangar.  The HK-1138' Corona lies in a crumpled, ruined heap off in a side designated for unsalvagable wrecks, the entire machine nearly split in twain height-wise, a huge chunk of it just fucking gone.  Those parts from before?  Yeah, phoney.  All of them.  Danconias-Phillips imitation parts and completely incompatible.  You didn't actually think they'd HELP Julia, did you?]

Come on... move... move!

[And elsewhere in the hangar, Julia has been trying as hard as she can to use other machines.  Knightmare Frames.  Mobile Suits.  Everything and anything that currently isn't claimed by someone else just so no stone was unturned.  But it's all for naught.  Her hands fly wildly and clumsily at the controls.  It takes all of her willpower and focus to just a machine to stumble awkwardly forward, and all too often her machine stumbles and falls.  And finally after one failure too many...

[Well, everyone has a breaking point and Julia's just hit hers.]

I can't...

I can't pilot anymore...

Comments

[emorangerpink]

[Laura spends a little while looking over the wreckage of the Corona, in particular sadly inspecting the remains of the fist plating she helped Lowe assemble and install. After a few minutes of confirming to herself that, nope, that machine is beyond repair, she instead heads to the kitchen to put together whatever she knows Julia likes that's within her skill range.]

Julia. Come on. You need a break.

[And here she is, at the hatch of whatever machine Julia's currently trying, comfort food packed up and ready to deliver.]

[curseu-reflexes.livejournal.com]

[Julia was left speechless when Laura arrived, and she just looked down at the ground in embarrassment and shame.]

I don't... deserve that.

[emorangerpink]

You're worn out. I'm guessing it's been too long since you ate, too. If you keep pushing yourself in this state you'll just make things worse.

You deserve to take care of yourself. It won't do you or anyone else any good to keep beating yourself up. Come on. Eat. Rest. Get away from all this for a little while. Your problems aren't going to get any bigger in the meantime - but you'll be better able to deal with them.

[curseu-reflexes.livejournal.com]

But I mean...

[Time for every facet that made Irgelions unique to be material for angst.]

It's not worth it. I can't even pilot anymore, so why bother keeping up my strength? There's no reason to excuse my eating habits now.

[emorangerpink]

Julia...

I didn't make this to keep your strength up so you could pilot. I made it because you need it. You're my friend and I want to help you. That doesn't need a reason or an excuse.

I don't know what you should do now... but I do know you won't figure it out if you give up here. And not giving up means first making sure you have the strength to go on. Believe me. I know. It's hard... but you have to take it one step at a time.

And step one is letting your friends help you. Please.

[She holds out her hand to help Julia out of the cockpit.]

[curseu-reflexes.livejournal.com]

[The kindhearted moe was strong with that one... enough that even Julia in her depression was moved... no matter how faintly.]

Laura, I...

[Oh what was the use. Laura wouldn't be deterred no matter what she said, and Julia weakly reached out to take her hand.]

[emorangerpink]

[Laura gives the hand a comforting squeeze as she helps Julia out.]

Let's go for a walk, clear your head. [She lets Julia's movement turn them towards either the arboretum or the main deck.]

[curseu-reflexes.livejournal.com]

[It's not so much by choice but rather convenience that Julia move towards the arboretum. That side's closer and she's more shuffling along listlessly than anything else. She's also too unwilling to strike up a conversation on her own.]

[emorangerpink]

[Laura hands her the food once they're underway, and leaves her silence, too. Simple human presence is worth more than anything she can think of to say. Instead she just walks along with Julia, keeping them moving without hurrying her, still holding her hand if she doesn't pull away, trying to simply be there with no pressure beyond that.]