The Silence After the Storm

[vrdr_mods]

The Ken Amada who made certain threats, whom Igor didn't bring to the Velvet Room and didn't welcome, has been permanently contained within his other-world self. Many of the Velvet Room residents mobilized in the effort to neutralize the threat he posed, and now, in the moments after the devastating battle that sealed Ken away, perhaps you have business to conclude.

Maybe you're a fighter, left in the rubble the battle made of its surroundings—or maybe you were a noncombatant this time, left behind to wonder what's happening or prepare for the aftermath. Maybe you linger around the battle site, or maybe you have other things to do.

Or maybe you didn't survive. Maybe you're one of the glowing forms slowly coalescing in front of Igor's desk in the Velvet Room over the course of the subsequent half hour. Igor presides over them gravely, with no sign of his usual smile. Near his desk sits a box of snacks, familiar to anyone who's used the operation's training room.

[[ooc: This post is a general catch-all for the aftermath of the battle! It's backdated to February 26, the day Ken got got.]]

Comments

[willowandoak]

...Okay, well, whatever Maruki's thinking is his fucking problem. In the silence, Ren takes a deep breath, looks down at the blanket in his arms, and becomes fully aware for the first time of the position they've put Hamuko in.

"Sorry, Hamuko. Didn't mean to..." He gestures vaguely with one hand. The blanket almost falls out of his arms, and he quickly reestablishes his grip, before putting it down on the couch. "I think I'm gonna head out."

Can't make the recently-dead girl mediate if he's not there to get in a fight.

[wipingallout]

"Hey, Ren..." Hamuko interjected softly, just barely brushing his arm before he turned to leave to get his attention. And she smiled at him, sincerely, gratefully.

"Thank you again for being there for me. Thank you again for your leadership during all of this. I'm proud of us - take care of yourself too, okay?"

[willowandoak]

"...Thanks," he says, almost uneasy now at the amount of encouragement she's giving him. No one but Goro talks to him like that, and Goro is a weirdo, with compromised judgment. But he doesn't... entirely hate it. "I will."

It's not exactly a lie. He just doesn't know how to take care of himself after something like this, and he's not trying that hard to figure it out, beyond 'fuck, I want to sleep'.

[takutomaruki]

Thank you for your leadership during all this.

Maruki's finger digs into the juice box without him even realizing it. Just when did he start getting this bitter about someone else? It shouldn't matter after all. He was one person against a dozen or so Akechis, Akiras or Rens who may have been wronged by his hand or otherwise.

"I just...have one little piece to say," he starts as his gaze flickers from Hamuko, masking away his bitterness and frustration of the matter. "I acknowledge that me and Drake will never see eye to eye and...sometimes the only way you can combat the stress of dealing with an unpleasant presence is for the two parties to go their seperate ways." He's never working under or anywhere close to him ever again. In fact, he's never fighting in any large sorted battles like this.

He would have much preferred anyone's leadership over Drake's. Though maybe that may have ended up with him dying or...

Azathoth...he could still feel him gnawing at his nerves. Real. Warm with anger.

"My words probably don't mean anything but do seek some comfort from your support system. People have faith in you. Don't waste it."

"And...I will go ahead and apologize to anyone if I got in their way. That's all."

[wipingallout]

"I'll hit you up in a few days!" She added, giving Drake the easy social grace to just-- walk out, step away from what was upsetting. Get a breather. She's here to take over!

As Drake left, Hamuko went back to the sofa to scoop up one of the blankets, a little amused at the heft. She'd never seen one of these - for anxiety, Maruki had said? She wrapped it around her shoulders and it felt snug, almost... like a hug. A pleasant weight and warmth.

"Can I keep one? I kinda love how it feels."

[takutomaruki]

Maruki's gaze darkens as he looks on ahead- eyes narrowing at Drake as he sips on his trusty apple juice. It's really the only thing keeping him sane at this point.

If people need help in the future he's going to take... a far different approach. And probably start wearing actual guards so that he doesn't get stabbed at the wrong turn.

His attention only drifts back to normalcy when he hears the gentle whisper of the blankets. Blinking back at Hamuko, he carefully pulls the drink away from his lips and offers a wrinkly smile. "Feel free to. I don't think it can compensate for everything you accomplished today."

He goes to the couch and falls back, exhausted for a moment before hissing at his wounds when he moves the wrong way. He brings one hand up to tend to his hair. "I was so sure I was going to get stabbed by him."

[wipingallout]

"For a moment there, I thought so too," Hamuko agreed as she settled into the couch. She let out a long, slow breath... the blanket was shockingly comforting. "But, so long as I'm here, I won't let a fight break out. We're all tired after giving our all - some of us might be a little frayed at the edges still."

And since she wasn't (or at least wasn't in a way that made her cranky), she'd take the responsibility of looking out for people until they got their emotional footing back.

"Battles are always exhausting."

[takutomaruki]

Maruki looks away from her, turning to the side of the couch. "Frayed at the edges...or just finding another excuse to humiliate me?" The corner of his smile sharpening.

"Oh well, I suppose it doesn't really matter now," he shakes his head as he straightens up and adjusts his glasses afer they become a little askew.

"How are you feeling? Outside the exhaustion? I did bring some snacks..."

[wipingallout]

"He seemed more angry and insecure than aiming for humiliation, to me," Hamuko hummed in thought, reaching back into the baggie from the corner store that Drake had run to for them. Ah hah, napkins.

"I still have a bit of... phantom pain, here," she gestured to her chest, right at her sternum - it'd been one of the harsher wounds she'd endured in the battle before deciding to sacrifice herself to stop that attack. "There were other wounds all over my arms and legs, but the chest really keeps sticking out in my brain, even though it's all gone."

[takutomaruki]

Maruki's reigns down to his expression to a neutral look, not sure to what extent was any of Drake's anger just there for the sake of funneling out his own frustration at him then. It could very well be possible- didn't mean he needed to attend to it.

"That could be more pyschological then physical," he says- turning the topic completely away from Drake because he wasn't interested in. "Your somatosensory cortex might still be registering the chest as 'damaged' or even the proximity of the attack being so close to the heart could have left a mismatch between old brain signals and your current body."

"Usually cognitive behavioural therapy goes further into reframing that pain in the right direction so that your mind catches up with the facts," he hums along. "I could suggest some aspects of encouraging mindfulness if you are interested in it."

[wipingallout]

Normally, Hamuko would've rejected all of the therapy chatter - she really wasn't interested in revisiting any of it from just how disappointing and ineffective it always was for her in the past.

But... Maruki needed to feel helpful, didn't he? It's why he came hoping to bring snacks and comfortable blankets. It was his own way of trying to do something in the wake of everything that happened.

"Sure. Got any exercises for me to try out for that?" she asked. "I'll trade you for advice on healing up when you're still wounded."

[takutomaruki]

Maruki tapped his fingers on his lap, letting her consider his request as he brought the juice box to his lips and sipped on it, fidgeting as he tried to ignore the dull ache in his muscles.

Azathoth was still regenerating away the damaged body parts and Fatalis really did not like having him around so he did suffer the worst of it and it made him more annoyed then he should be.

So when Hamuko turns to address him and agree to him, well she's going to see a naturally perked up Takuto Maruki, eyes glittering with excitement at engaging her with his specialty.

"Then we have a deal," he chuckled as he set aside the box and stretched his arms- hearing his back pop which made him release an incredulous sound. "...! Er- you didn't hear that anyways- you know there are studies which talk about how breathing is known to coordinate with your hippocampal activity. Helps in memory consolation."

"I will attempt to do the exercise then you can repeat it for yourself? Or you can follow me but for that? Get comfortable."

[wipingallout]

Despite him brushing it under the rug, the pop did have Hamuko giggling at him a little bit. But she left it without comment, nodding as she scooted and sat up straight, ready to follow along and watching Maruki dutifully.

[takutomaruki]

Maruki leaned forward slightly, his posture softening as he prepared for the exercise. He could feel his own body still adjusting to the dull aches, but he focused on the task ahead.

"Alright," he said, his tone calm and steady. "Let’s begin."

He straightened his back, placed his hands gently on his lap, and closed his eyes for a moment to center himself. He then took a deep breath, inhaling slowly through his nose. His chest expanded gradually as he counted silently in his head, ensuring that he wasn’t rushing the process.

"Inhale slowly for four seconds," he said, eyes still closed, trying to convey his calmness through his steady words. "Imagine your lungs filling up—slowly, but deeply. Don’t force it. Just breathe."

He held his breath at the top of the inhale for a moment, his chest rising gently. His eyes flickered open briefly.

"Hold it for four seconds," he continued, his voice gentle yet instructive. "As you hold the breath, visualize the moment before your death. Don’t be afraid of it. Acknowledge it as something that happened in the past. It is no longer who you are. You are here now."

He gave her a moment to process the thought as he demonstrated, holding the breath for just a few seconds more before continuing.

"Now," Maruki exhaled slowly, letting the air leave his body with a gentle sigh. "Exhale slowly, taking about six to eight seconds. Imagine the pain or tension in your chest floating away with that breath—like smoke, dissipating into the air. Let it go since our minds are made to cling to the true material. This is where we trick it."

He exhaled fully, his shoulders relaxing as he released the tension from his body, his expression softening with each breath.

"It’s alright to feel the memory of it, but let it be a memory, not a part of you anymore," Maruki said softly. "You are whole now. This breath is yours. Feel your body healing with every exhale."

After a few seconds of silence, Maruki opened his eyes and gave Hamuko a warm, supportive smile. "Now, you try it. I’ll walk you through it again."

[wipingallout]

She followed his instructions. She sat up straight, deeply inhaled and held it for just a moment. Visualize the moment...

Raising her hand to the sky. Pulling all of the strength she had into a single point, the faint echoes of her loved ones and their belief in her, even the hearts of those she'd only recently bonded with.

The Ken Amada before her, Fatalis, was an overwhelming presence of death. But this was for the best. She'd stake her life on stopping Nyx again and again.

In the split second that she felt her soul accumulated, flashing out from her - the blade punctured straight through her sternum like it was paper.

Exhale.

Visualize smoke, the tension uncoiling from the bottom of her lungs, flowing out with a steady breath. Inhale, feel the impact of the blade, and exhale it.

The memory could settle. She didn't mind it. The physical pain... let that slowly ebb.

Hamuko got so engrossed in concentrating on the visual, she forgot to keep listening, just focusing on her breathing and repeating through it.

[takutomaruki]

Maruki doesn't mind that of course! He simply looks her way, attempting to stifle the groan that threatens to leave his lips as he merely clutches his waist a little and presses against a vague ache. There's an actual genuine bruise there...somehow he doubts that he will be able to make it wither away with his own exercises.

After a while, the man turned towards her on the sofa as he sipped down on his apple juice box- the sound of it breaking the silence as he focused on the drink. Soothing. He could only hope that Arisato was doing a little better too.

"How are you feeling? Want to run it back again?"

[wipingallout]

"That worked wonders," Hamuko sighed in relief and nodded, rubbing at her sternum a bit. The tension had definitely soothed a lot...

She stretched her arms overhead a bit, taking a deep breath now that it felt a little easier to do so, and relaxed a bit to give Maruki a look up and down. He'd been clutching his waist, a little, right?

"Let's see... did you get cut at all, is it mostly impact bruising, or some mix?"

[takutomaruki]

"Did it?! I am glad to hear that," bless his soul for the way a smile just falls on his face the moment he pulls away the juicebox from his mouth and regards her. "Those exercises really depend on your prerequisite mental strength which makes sense- given your positive approach to things." Little encouragements that go a long way. As he would want for her.

When he feels her staring he eases up, removing his hand as he tries to appear relaxed. He's fine really no need to comment on-

Ah.

"Gave myself away, huh?" He chuckles. "I am afraid Fatalis wasn't happy with my little experiment, Hamuko-san. I got subjected to a lot of damage."

"It's alright. Azathoth’s regenerating my wounds as we speak. I will be fine."

[wipingallout]

She ignored his deflection, tilting her head and giving his middle a look. No way to tell what was going on with it... and Maruki probably wasn't keen on sharing. That's fine. She promised she'd trade the mental exercise advice for her wound treatment advice, so Hamuko decided to go ahead and explain herself.

"For impact bruises, I always would use a heat compress - nothing too hot or for too long, but improved blood flow helps an area recover and it's really soothing after the initial uncomfortable stinging. A bath is pretty good for that," she started to explain, matter-of-factly.

"And for something like a cut that has to be stitched up, it's important to give it time elevated if you can, above your heart, to reduce swelling. You'll want to be really careful to clean and replace your bandages. Oh, and for bruises I like to use aloe gel, and on cuts I just stick with petroleum jelly - both are good for keeping the skin in the area hydrated while it heals."

[takutomaruki]

Maruki's brows hike up past his glasses at her explanation and he can't help the slow sad smile on his face- as if he himself was very well aware of his deflection and yet Hamuko stubbornly answered back.

After a while he shakes his head. "You're quite used to getting bruised up, huh?" He does appreciate the gesture, believe it or not but he doesn't need the healing. Not with Azathoth simply repairing away his body without him even lifting a finger. "I remember using soda cans to numb my bruises back in middle school- wasn't exactly the most athletic or a jock by any means, so I am used to dealing with injuries as well. I know other basic first aid because I mostly resided in the nurse's office back in Shujin Academy but..."

"In the meantime I should still invest in some aloe gel. Given how clumsy I can get."

[wipingallout]

"Occupational hazard!" Hamuko winked, cheerfully. It used to worry her, but never that much and certainly never for long. By the end of her last year, she was just used to it.

"Aloe's great! And moisturizer in general - guys I talk to are always bad about actually taking care of their skin, but it is an organ, so you should give it care! It needs moisture to be healthy and elastic."

[takutomaruki]

"Ahaha you got me there! Aside from shaving, I usually stick with soap and water."

"That said it's also self-care, am I right?" He chuckles at that as he straightens up on the sofa. "It promotes good mental health."

[wipingallout]

"It sure does! I always think of it as..."

Hmm... how to put the feeling into words, exactly? Hamuko looked down at her hands in her lap for a moment, before finding how she wanted to explain it.

"...Taking care of the person that matters so much to the people I love. For a while it was hard to take care of myself, but part of getting friends was... realizing that I should care about me, too. They need me, in big ways and little ways - and I want to be there for them. Even down to little things like making sure I'm healthy, and hydrated, and take care of myself."

[takutomaruki]

Taking care of the person that matters so much to the people I love.

What a positive, self-soothing approach! If people prioritized themselves like that and shifted their narrative in order to promote good relations with the people they love- "And hence we secure a double win. There's no downsides to your type of mindset, Hamuko-san."

"Overcoming trauma when your own mind tends to seek the easiest answer twisted by your fears and past experiences is a very commendable effort. I say that but then again I have always been more of an academics over nearly everything else kind of guy, my friends mentioned its quite the issue." And it only seemed to get worse. "Still it's even little things like using cognitive pscience to make one aware of their actions and consider broader pictures like this without the cognitive bias of following a mental health pamphlet to the T which give it more weight."

It's when he's realizing that he started to ramble that he waves off his hand. "Ah- ah I mean, wow- like I said before. It can become a problem."

"I am glad you had a good support group. Encouraging healthy bonds after living years in the foster system takes a lot of strength. I personally couldn't, frankly speaking."

[wipingallout]

"Well... maybe not by yourself. I really didn't at first either - I kind of got thrust into the leadership role and that gave me the chance to get to know a few people and actually make those first few friends."

Still... more stuck in academics, huh?

"Well! Maybe you need to do more practical 'field research' - in this case, it'd just be talking to people and getting to know them, though, right? I don't think counselors usually get advice, which makes it a lot harder for you to actually learn from other people, don't you think?"