That is Zack's first thought as he stares at the unexpected message in his inbox. He had hoped for the best, of course, even after Warriorhead had described how dire the situation was, but a mix of relief and something a little like happiness swells up inside him when his hopes are affirmed. ]
[ When Zack arrives, the door to the rover will open for him, but Armada will not rise to meet him.
She will be seated on the floor amid a pile of cushions. She is without her armor, wrapped in fabric in a similar fashion to the hot spring trip they had taken on Ajna. It reveals the state of her injuries, healed from what they had been but no less startling.
One horn missing, snapped close to her skull and leaving a vicious crack down the side of her face. Her chest is punctured and indented where it appears hands had pierced through the bone that had encased her and tried to rip her open. Outside these blemishes, she is unchanged, and lifts her chin when Zack crosses the threshold. ]
Stepping inside quietly (he wasn't sure if Armada would be up and about by now or not), Zack looks for his instructor. The sight that greets him isn't entirely unexpected (he has seen far worst), but it takes him a moment to just...absorb what he's seeing. Armada has always seemed so strong to Zack, so untouchable, it's strange to see her body damaged like this.
He blinks once and realizes Armada greeted him. It's a little belated, but he does respond. ]
Hi.
[ It sounds dumb, giving such a short reply, but he makes up for it by walking over to sit down next to Armada and her pile of cushions. The wounds seem more gruesome up close, as he realizes how brutal Armada's fight with Warriorhead must have been.
Still, it had netted the results Armada wanted. Good things rarely come without some kind of sacrifice, and even though he hasn't asked, he can't imagine Armada regrets the risk.
Either way, he is happy to see Armada is recovering. He smiles a bit. ]
[ Zack is close enough to touch, and so Armada does. Her hand reaches to set upon his knee. Zack Fair is a unique recruit. This has less to do with his capacity as a member of Green and more to do with Armada's own investment in him. His role in the Rejehejet'e's personal circumstance these past months has been significant, although Armada may not have made this clear. It is easy for her to assume. Just as the recruits have views colored by their own experiences, Armada does the same.
The hum of Zack's living body next to her and under her hand is soothing. ]
[ Honestly, whatever it is that Armada sees in him and seems to like mystifies Zack to this day. He noticed it over the course of the last year (especially these last few months), but he hasn't really known...how to define it. Still doesn't. It's important, very obviously, and even with some of the answers he got from Chidori about Armada and Warriorhead's culture, he still isn't quite sure how he fits into all of it.
The touch is light and unobtrusive. It doesn't bother him, and he thinks of how much Armada's other senses must tell her without in the absence of actual eyes.
After a moment, he rests his own hand quietly on top of Armada's and offers a faint smile. ]
I wanted to.
[ He has been concerned about his instructor's welfare -- he just didn't want to be intrusive. ]
How long will it take for your wounds to completely heal?
[ Her throat illumines when Zack returns the gesture, and she does not pull away. She gleans much from such a simple thing. His emotional state, the state of his health. The Rejehejet'e are not telepathic in any shape, but eons of evolution narrowing their ability to read those around them makes it seem almost so. This close, most recruits display a fissure of fear. Zack does not. ]
It will take time. It is no easy feat to pull a Euugá apart. Warriorhead is very strong.
But it will not slow me down. The worst of it is passed.
[ He's doing well. Though he doesn't and likely never will like the work they do, he takes care of himself and doesn't stress himself overmuch about things he can't change. At the very least, the mission statement of Green Team makes him feel like there is something positive he can focus and work on.
He watches Armada light up -- an expression of some kind, he's sure. It occurs to him now he's never asked what it means. That there are a lot of things he's never asked that he probably should.
It's true; he sees the evidence of Armada's battle with Warriorhead, and he doesn't feel fear. But then, he faced his own end without fear -- he walked to his death with a smile on his face and fought even though he knew he wouldn't win. Because he had something worth fighting for.
He gives Armada's hand a gentle squeeze. ]
I'm glad.
[ Quietly, he reaches back to pull something out of his pocket. ]
I've been meaning to give you something. For a while.
[ It's a small gift, wrapped in cloth, and he offers it to Armada. Inside it is a metal pendant the size of a man's palm. There's texture to it, it isn't entirely smooth, and in the center, there's an engraving of a creature with five heads. If Armada holds it up, it makes a tinkling sound -- a few thin metal plates dangling from the leather tie.
Zack isn't a great jewelry maker by any means, but he did pour a lot of time and thought into this gift. ]
[ She withdraws her hand only to turn the palm up to receive the gift. Lifting the piece before her, she allows the the cloth to unravel naturally to spill from her fingers, seeking the prize beneath. With curiosity, she turns the piece over in her hands. It seems small in her palm, but she treats it with respect. She is careful to touch each side of it, observing the material the way only she can, touching the delicate engraving and the metal edges of the plates. ]
You made this.
[ Armada observes, lifting it to the middle distance before her. The tinkling of the plates sounds like a wind chime that is swallowed up by the walls of the rover. ]
[ There was a lot of trial and error, too. Doing things with Firaga and Blizzaga that he never expected. It's not an elegant piece of high fashion, but it seemed....fitting, somehow. The hydrocus engraving especially. ]
I asked Warriorhead before we dropped onto Macha if there was something I could give you that you might like.
I couldn't think of a weapon I could make or give to you that would work with your strength level, but she also suggested jewelry that makes sounds of some kind.
[ A beat, then- ]
I wanted to give you something to thank you for how much you've helped me.
[ Armada finds beauty in that which has intent. Without eyes, her perception of the world is beyond anything that those who can see would comprehend. However crude the trinket may be to human eyes is far removed from how Armada sees it. She turns toward Zack, and holds it back to him. ]
[ His face lighting up a little at the question, Zack nods once and smiles. Sitting up a bit, he takes the pendant and carefully lifts it over Armada's head. He's mindful of her injuries and tries to disturb them in any way.
Once it's on, Zack settles back down. He's happy and also a little relieved that his token has been received with favor, but there are other things on his mind, too. ]
[ Armada sits still as Zack adorns her with his gift. She dips her head only fractionally to leave room. Her remaining horns are softer than they normally are, arching smoothly downward. He will have no trouble slipping it over her head and his care lets him easily avoid her injuries. ]
[ It takes a moment for him to gather his thoughts.
He's not very good at this and never really has been, but this is worth enough to him that he wants to...express what he feels, as best he can. To work all of this out so he isn't walking blind or ignoring something important.
His voice is soft when he answers. ]
I've been thinking a lot. Since the hunting trip and while you were gone...
[ A brief pause, then- ]
Is there a word your people use? To describe...what this is.
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That is Zack's first thought as he stares at the unexpected message in his inbox. He had hoped for the best, of course, even after Warriorhead had described how dire the situation was, but a mix of relief and something a little like happiness swells up inside him when his hopes are affirmed. ]
FROM: fair.zack@cdc.org
Armada.
FROM: fair.zack@cdc.org
Is this the right time to offer congratulations?
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You've been speaking with my brother. I accept your congratulations. :)
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I talked to him when he got back a few days ago. He told me then.
[ He almost types, he was really worried about you, but he is sure Armada knows that. ]
FROM: fair.zack@cdc.org
I'm glad you're okay. :)
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She told me.
FROM: armada@cdc.org
I am sorry if I worried you, but it could not be avoided.
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FROM: fair.zack@cdc.org
She?
FROM: fair.zack@cdc.org
I was worried when Warriorhead said you were hurt. [ But- ] I believed you would be okay.
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Yes, Warriorhead.
FROM: armada@cdc.org
My injuries were severe. She had every right to be concerned.
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FROM: fair.zack@cdc.org
Isn't Warriorhead your brother?
[ Humans can't change their physiology like that, senpai. ]
FROM: fair.zack@cdc.org
Are you still recovering?
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She is my brother.
[ This is still difficult to explain. ]
FROM: armada@cdc.org
She has achieved a new status. To my people, Warriorhead is now she.
FROM: armada@cdc.org
Yes, but I am much better than I was.
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FROM: fair.zack@cdc.org
So she...evolved?
[ He hopes that's an appropriate word to use. ]
FROM: fair.zack@cdc.org
Would it be okay if I brought you something?
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She has not changed. For our race, the ability to create life is a great honor. And so they are she when it happens, if it does.
FROM: armada@cdc.org
I would like that, Zack.
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I see.
I'm glad for her, then.
[ For both of you. ]
FROM: fair.zack@cdc.org
Are you in your Rover now?
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I am.
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I'll come see you.
[ He'll be there in about twenty minutes. ]
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She will be seated on the floor amid a pile of cushions. She is without her armor, wrapped in fabric in a similar fashion to the hot spring trip they had taken on Ajna. It reveals the state of her injuries, healed from what they had been but no less startling.
One horn missing, snapped close to her skull and leaving a vicious crack down the side of her face. Her chest is punctured and indented where it appears hands had pierced through the bone that had encased her and tried to rip her open. Outside these blemishes, she is unchanged, and lifts her chin when Zack crosses the threshold. ]
Hello.
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Stepping inside quietly (he wasn't sure if Armada would be up and about by now or not), Zack looks for his instructor. The sight that greets him isn't entirely unexpected (he has seen far worst), but it takes him a moment to just...absorb what he's seeing. Armada has always seemed so strong to Zack, so untouchable, it's strange to see her body damaged like this.
He blinks once and realizes Armada greeted him. It's a little belated, but he does respond. ]
Hi.
[ It sounds dumb, giving such a short reply, but he makes up for it by walking over to sit down next to Armada and her pile of cushions. The wounds seem more gruesome up close, as he realizes how brutal Armada's fight with Warriorhead must have been.
Still, it had netted the results Armada wanted. Good things rarely come without some kind of sacrifice, and even though he hasn't asked, he can't imagine Armada regrets the risk.
Either way, he is happy to see Armada is recovering. He smiles a bit. ]
Thank you for letting me come.
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The hum of Zack's living body next to her and under her hand is soothing. ]
Thank you for coming.
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The touch is light and unobtrusive. It doesn't bother him, and he thinks of how much Armada's other senses must tell her without in the absence of actual eyes.
After a moment, he rests his own hand quietly on top of Armada's and offers a faint smile. ]
I wanted to.
[ He has been concerned about his instructor's welfare -- he just didn't want to be intrusive. ]
How long will it take for your wounds to completely heal?
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It will take time. It is no easy feat to pull a Euugá apart. Warriorhead is very strong.
But it will not slow me down. The worst of it is passed.
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He watches Armada light up -- an expression of some kind, he's sure. It occurs to him now he's never asked what it means. That there are a lot of things he's never asked that he probably should.
It's true; he sees the evidence of Armada's battle with Warriorhead, and he doesn't feel fear. But then, he faced his own end without fear -- he walked to his death with a smile on his face and fought even though he knew he wouldn't win. Because he had something worth fighting for.
He gives Armada's hand a gentle squeeze. ]
I'm glad.
[ Quietly, he reaches back to pull something out of his pocket. ]
I've been meaning to give you something. For a while.
[ It's a small gift, wrapped in cloth, and he offers it to Armada. Inside it is a metal pendant the size of a man's palm. There's texture to it, it isn't entirely smooth, and in the center, there's an engraving of a creature with five heads. If Armada holds it up, it makes a tinkling sound -- a few thin metal plates dangling from the leather tie.
Zack isn't a great jewelry maker by any means, but he did pour a lot of time and thought into this gift. ]
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You made this.
[ Armada observes, lifting it to the middle distance before her. The tinkling of the plates sounds like a wind chime that is swallowed up by the walls of the rover. ]
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I did.
[ There was a lot of trial and error, too. Doing things with Firaga and Blizzaga that he never expected. It's not an elegant piece of high fashion, but it seemed....fitting, somehow. The hydrocus engraving especially. ]
I asked Warriorhead before we dropped onto Macha if there was something I could give you that you might like.
I couldn't think of a weapon I could make or give to you that would work with your strength level, but she also suggested jewelry that makes sounds of some kind.
[ A beat, then- ]
I wanted to give you something to thank you for how much you've helped me.
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Will you put it on for me?
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Once it's on, Zack settles back down. He's happy and also a little relieved that his token has been received with favor, but there are other things on his mind, too. ]
Would it be all right if I asked you something?
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Of course.
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He's not very good at this and never really has been, but this is worth enough to him that he wants to...express what he feels, as best he can. To work all of this out so he isn't walking blind or ignoring something important.
His voice is soft when he answers. ]
I've been thinking a lot. Since the hunting trip and while you were gone...
[ A brief pause, then- ]
Is there a word your people use? To describe...what this is.
[ Their relationship, he means. ]
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the noise I just made lmao
;)
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