themainframe | 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.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Good. Thank you.

[He's hesitant about it, but he places a hand on Cam's shoulder, strong and steady. It doesn't feel quite as strange anymore.]

I can't say I'm much of a babysitter, but back home, we have some...children on the base. I say children, what I mean is they look more around your age, but when you get to be my age [much, much longer than a human lifespan by far], well, everyone looks like a child. They arrived by accident, and we felt...responsible to them. And it was rocky, but they've become part of our family. If one of them had hurt themselves, if any of them had felt so awful and not told any of us--

[He looks away. For a moment, all he can see is Raf's tiny body lying on a slab. It hadn't been his fault, had really been nobody's fault, but it's a haunting image that he can't help bring to mind.]

I'm just glad you have someone here to help you.

[As Ratchet goes on, Cam nods along, understanding mostly. Physical touch is nice, still. You're not alone, it says, and he doesn't like that, to be alone, so this is good. It's really good.

Campbell's slowly amassing more people that care about him, whether he's hurt or not, and maybe it means...maybe it means he's worth it, being alive, maybe he was before, maybe he can still get his second chance.

That's what each little touch means.]

Thank you...I guess... I'm some kid, you barely know, but...thanks. For it meaning...something.

I've seen a good many people who were practically kids I barely knew make the sort of choices no one should feel the need to. You, though...I think as long as you take advantage of the people around you being around, you'll be just fine.

[At least, that's his hope. Hope's always been something in short supply, so clinging to what little there is can't hurt.]

And I hope Maya told you a few times that you're not a loser.

[Hope's what Cam tries to cling to nowadays too. Just hearing those words spoken out loud helps. That he'll be fine.]

Ah... Yeah. She has. A couple people have. [It's been enough of A Day that Cam tries a smile. ...It's really more like a cringe, but at least he realizes that and shakes his head with a small laugh.]

Good, because I'm telling you that, too. And I am certain we are going to keep telling you that as many times as you need.

[Ratchet shifts his arm so it rests across Cam's shoulders and pulls him in a bit. In an awkward sort of little half-hug.

Look, he's learning, all right?]

[You know what Cam likes? He likes hugs. Even if they're a little embarrassing sometimes. He hunches his shoulders a little, but this really does make him smile, because the kid really does need more hugs.

Even awkward half-hugs.]

Thanks... I-I'm real glad you're my roommate, Ratchet.

[He'd cry (again) but he doesn't have any tears left.]

You are? [Unexpected reaction is unexpected!] I'm, er...I'm glad you're glad. I'm glad to be your roommate. Er... [No, really, how does he respond to that?] ...Thank you.

...It's, uh...been a long day. I should probably get some sleep?

[He actually feels like sleeping, that's a new one.]

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

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