themainframe | Tenth Goal - File Not Found. [Video/potential Action later.]

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Tenth Goal - File Not Found. [Video/potential Action later.]

[Early in the morning, the feed clicks on, automatically. On it, is Cam, standing on the edge of a walkway, looking extremely distressed. He waits. He looks down, he steels himself...and he pulls back, quickly looking down as someone walks beneath it, completely unaware of his presence.

Again, he steals himself. Again, he prepares. He closes his eyes and pitches forward, landing hard on his left arm with a sickening crack. He wheezes in pain and tries to get his bearings. Someone rushes up to him, a young woman, a teacher--] "What happened? Is it your arm?" [He nods.] "I'll go get help." [She leaves, footsteps echoing. As she leaves, through his pain, Cam smiles.

Brief static. It picks up, in a hospital, with Cam, an older boy, and Maya, who some might recognize. Static flits through the conversation, until--] I'm not some loser who tries to hurt himself.

[The feed cuts.]

[ooc: The actual video can be reached by clicking the link in the cut, hitting "continue as free user," and jumping to 17:57 on the timestamp. It ends at 18:55. Warning for what you'd see, it's a kid intentionally falling from a high place to break his own arm. Short, not graphic, but unsettling to say the least. After the static, it picks up again at 20:48 and ends at 21:13 or so. The first scene is, under the cut, briefly detailed. The second is not as it has more dialogue, so it needs to be watched, and it is brief discussion of the previous injury with internalized ableism.

Last but not least Cam may or may not respond to people! This post can be used for action if they try to find him, hint he might be in his room.]

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[She wants to say something, but she doesn't know what to say. Everything feels like it's the wrong thing, so Maya false starts a couple of times and then breathes out, slowly.]

I like you no matter what. [It's said slowly and quietly.] Even if everyone else hates you, I don't.

[Her whole family is different kinds of messed up, but Maya's learned that people aren't the products of their actions. She knows Cam is amazing, knows that when he finally gets everything right then everyone else will know that too - they already do, probably.]

[Even Cam can tell she's having trouble. So, and their faces are so very close still, he just lets the strength leave him and leans his forehead against hers, maybe it'll make them both feel a little better.

He doesn't know much about this stuff, but right now he actually wants to be close to someone, so maybe she will too.]

Th, thanks... [He shuts his eyes tight.] I'm so, screwed up, I...

[This isn't fair to her. He knows that, and he hates it every time he breaks down. Maybe it was better when she didn't know about-- no, no. That's what got him here in the first place, what got him here--

Somehow he doesn't panic; maybe it's apathy setting in. Instead he just reaches his hands up and places them on her shoulders, as if she's the one who's going to break into a thousand pieces instead of him.]

I-if. If that does that again, if you see...me, there, at all, ever. From back home. Please don't watch. I- I...don't know what it'll show.

[That's simultaneously something Maya both does and doesn't want to promise. She hates finding things out like this, but at the same time it feels like puzzle pieces fitting together. Still, she nods slowly.]

One condition: if - no, when it happens again? You tell me. You tell me yourself so I hear it from your mouth. Please?

[Maya tries for a smile, but it's probably not the most effective.]

[To match her, Cam tries to return the smile, though it definitely fails.

At that moment, a soft, soft creaking draws his attention to the now-closing door. It takes him a moment to put it all together, but Lucette's empty bed and the little glimpse of wings makes it clear. He'd...forgotten she was even in there...

With only the two of them, very slightly, his grip on Maya's shoulders tightens.]

Then... M-my hand... [He's trying to tell her... Better from him, on his own terms.] When Dallas and Luke took me to do extra training...the day after I skipped practice. I-I did that. I didn't even, mean to, but I think, I might've...

[A rush of warm fear overtakes him and his palms feel weird, because he's thinking about a memory he doesn't want to think about. He really hopes...that one won't be open for everyone to see as well.]

[This Maya almost understands. It matches up with the way that Katie refused to admit her problems better, and Maya kind of gets how sometimes it's not that easy to see that you're hurting yourself. Still, she doesn't really understand, only gets vagueness from secondhand experience. She touches her hand to Cam's face and is going to say something when Hyokomon enters the room, feathers ruffled.]

Maya! What was so important that you had to run out of the room without pants? [Looking over the scene, Hyokomon narrows her eyes.] Is Cam taking advantage of you?

What? Hyokomon!

[Oh, wow, hi, Hyokomon, it's this that jerks Cam into the realization that he's not wearing pants either, and therefore just how bad this could look. He withdraws from Maya in a flash, trying to stutter and stammer out some kind of explanation of the truth.]

N, n, no, never, not, n-no, she's, it's, there was a, thing.

[Lucette's angry form follows Hyokomon; looks like they just passed each other.] They are having a very important discussion!!

Yes, I can see that. [SHE'S SO ONTO YOU CAM.] A discussion that doesn't require pants, obviously.

No, Hyokomon, it's not like that! Something weird is going on with the D-Terminals, and I had to check and see if Cam was okay. I'm sorry for not letting you know. [A beat.] And for leaving without putting pants on.

[It's not like they're anything Cam hasn't seen before, but Maya doesn't tell Hyokomon that. "I showed Cam my lucky boxers once" isn't going to go over well at all. Hyokomon is already eyeing Cam suspiciously. The heroics got him pretty far, but untoward feelings toward aya are unacceptable. UNACCEPTABLE.]

[To try and satiate the raging Hyokomon, Cam immediately turns around, his face that's already a mess from crying now incredibly red from all the blood rushing to it.]

M-Maybe you should. Get those. [Beat. He turns back to face Maya and then immediately turns back around.] Wait, you'd have to walk back without-- um, mine are too big...

[CAM IS TRYING.]

[Maya looks down at herself.] Um, well. [She turns to Hyokomon.] Hyokomon could go get me pants.

Oh, I have your pants. [Hyokomon undoes her scabbard and sure enough: a pair of Maya's pants has been tied around Hyokomon's sword.]

Edited 2013-08-28 07:46 (UTC)

[Lucette, who has now re-entered the room and closed the door to give them privacy, just sort of stares at Hyokomon, trying to figure out how those pants fit in that scabbard.] . . . How.

[Meanwhile Cam might be scrambling to find a pair of jeans before Maya can see if he got a booty he dooooo any of the girls turn to look at him again. He's had enough mortification for one day, and he hasn't even had breakfast.]

Practice. A warrior must always be prepared. [Also a hammerspace scabbard, but no one needs to know that.] Maya, put your pants on.

Huh? [It's possible Maya was distracted ~~by Cam's booty~~. She looks back toward Hyokomon.] Oh, right.

[Taking the pants, Maya hastily pulls them on so they can all stop being mortified and maybe get on with the rest of their day whoops.]

[With his jeans half-on and the other side quickly being pulled up, Cam just kind of glances at Hyokomon, and for a moment he sees a very angry Katie Matlin, Maya's older sister, standing behind the chicken.

He's not sure which he's more afraid of.] I-I'm sorry, I... wasn't wearing pants. And Maya wasn't either.

[Apology abort. Ctrl + alt + delete, end process. Cam just pulls on his pants all the way and tries to wipe some snot from his face (oops).]

It's not your fault, it's mine really -

[Hyokomon cuts Maya off.] Just make sure it doesn't happen again.

Of course, cross my heart and hope t-- ...uh, cross my heart.

[Ow. Well, there's a phrase he can never say again.]

[Maya looks down when Cam pauses. Hyokomon doesn't seem to notice everyone's awkwardness. She just nods, arms crossed.]

Good.

[Hopefully Hyokomon also can't notice the sparks and fire likely coming out of Lucette's glare.

Cam, however, is a liiittle more observant. Especially since he kind of caused the awkward. Despite Hyokomon's observation he just kind of walks forward and touches Maya's hand.]

You okay?

[Translation: sorry. I'll be more careful.]

No more dying. [Maya looks up.] Only living, okay?

Okay. Promise. [Gently, he raises her hand and kisses it.]

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Tenth Goal - File Not Found. [Video/potential Action later.]

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