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

[chases-aliens.livejournal.com]

[And yet they were similar in many ways. Right now, Julia needed her friend to cry on, to give her strength when she needed it. And Dita held her, stroking her back and letting Julia cry until she couldn't anymore.]

[curseu-reflexes.livejournal.com]

[Considering how far she'd fallen, it took a while for Julia to cry out all of her sorrows. And after all of that, she still just silently clung to Dita, too weak and self-loathing to let go of the support.]

[chases-aliens.livejournal.com]

Come on. You need some rest, Julia. [And without warning, Dita scooped her up in her arms, bridal-style and let her lean against her.]

[curseu-reflexes.livejournal.com]

Y-yes...

[Continuing to rest against Dita, Julia let her friend carry her away. She was tired and demoralized, and though her mind would probably find no relief in sleep, her body might.]

[chases-aliens.livejournal.com]

... where's your room by the way? [In all of this, she realized that Julia had never shown her the way to her room.]

[curseu-reflexes.livejournal.com]

U-uh- [She pointed down the hall.]

It's a two-person one... I share it with Mark.

[chases-aliens.livejournal.com]

Oh okay. [Privately she thought there wasn't much to go on but she carried her towards the room.]

I'll stay with you tonight, okay?

[curseu-reflexes.livejournal.com]

[Julia smiled weakly at that, in a totally hetero way.]

I'd like that...

[chases-aliens.livejournal.com]

[Oh so totally hetero. Dita smiles down at her as she heads into the room.]

Which ones yours?

[curseu-reflexes.livejournal.com]

[After getting her bearings, Julia points to a particular one before fumbling around with getting out her key for it.]

That one. Here, take it.

[chases-aliens.livejournal.com]

[Takes the key and lets the pair in, and once inside, Dita smiled.] You know I've never been in your room before. It's nice.

[curseu-reflexes.livejournal.com]

Y-yeah...

[She didn't have much desire to turn on the lights. Darkness was good; made her want to sleep, and sleep would hopefully give her a few hours' respite from the trauma.]

[chases-aliens.livejournal.com]

[Laying Julia down on the bed, she pulled the sheets up and said,] Scoot in. I'll tuck you in. Okay?

[curseu-reflexes.livejournal.com]

[Julia nodded weakly before sliding in under the covers. She rested her head on one of the pillows, her arms wrapping tightly around the other.]

I'll... try to make it so you don't always have to do this.

[chases-aliens.livejournal.com]

You know... it's okay to be afraid, Julia. In situations like this, it's natural to be upset as well. Just remember I'm always here for you. Okay?