personavelvetroomdr | The Silence After the Storm

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The Silence After the Storm

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.]]

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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.

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?"

"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?"

"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."

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."

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."

"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."

"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."

"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."

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."

"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?"

"Fascinating. I didn't think you would come to that sort of conclusion about my past profession," He answers honestly, scratching his chin. His voice remained even, no offense obvious in his tone. "Every session I have counselled has been a great opportunity to learn more from others. The problems they face or how students still tend to prioritise their studies and relationships over the otherwise gaping crisis that the later years bring. Beyond school. Beyond college. You included, I am sure."

He fiddles with his thumbs, elbows resting upon his knees. "That said too many things are out of control. Counselling isn't enough- not for those who can't find the strength to speak up or approach me."

"And I will perfect that formula. Slowly but surely."

"Well... counseling is a tool, right? It's meant to be where... you go to someone with authority and entrust them with your sensitive problems. I think that's pretty different than talking to someone one-on-one, on equal footing. You need both - and a lot of people have a lopsided experience one way or the other."

It looked like he was getting in his head 'academically' again, right now, too.

"There's perspectives to be gained in all sorts of different connections. Having a mentor, being a mentor, having a peer, or having a friend... if you think you get too stuck in the academia of it all, you should remind yourself to expose yourself to the emotional side of talking to people too."

Ah, that's the catch, isn't it? That the students he connected with so closely over the past yea weren't actually connected to him. The emotional bond wasn't relevant in their conversation...he somehow isn't too convinced and it shows in the way how obvious the forced humming sounds.

"There's really not much to share on an emotional level," he clicks his tongue. "I am just an occasionally employed researcher who's looking into an abstract medium and while my goals stay quite magnamimous, I am not really in the position to burden others."

"That said," he turns to her this time- genuinely curious. "What do you think this is right now? A counselling session or us talking like old friends?

Edited 2025-04-14 23:13 (UTC)

"Ah-!"

He waves his hand. Conflicted. All too suddenly. "Words just slipped off my tongue like that again. Think the exhaustion of this battle is really getting to me."

Edited 2025-04-14 23:32 (UTC)

Between that and how defensive he was at Drake... Maruki really was stressed out. Felt isolated, maybe...

Hamuko gave a small shrug at the dismissive gesture.

"I feel as though I'm chatting with a friend. Someone I'm still getting to know, but someone whose ambition to do right by others is something I admire."

Akira would have crossed his arms and thrown him an amused look by now and he knows better judging from how the Akiras and the Rens treated him here that he should be careful throwing that word around to everyone.

His shoulders sagged, revealing just how at ease he felt at her words.

He scratches at the back of his head, feeling the dirt of the battle still clinging onto his curls- he really needs to shower away all his injuries once he's left this place.

"..."

He closes his eyes for a moment, chest swelling at the admittance like a man genuinely clinging onto any stray thread possible. "...Thank you for saying that."

Edited 2025-04-15 10:45 (UTC)

"You're welcome. It's my honest feeling," Hamuko answered softly, giving him a smile. The way he lost tension... she can only hope it's given him a little peace. "I think no one should go at all of this alone. I'm glad you stepped up to help, and came here to help," she paused to pull the blanket tighter around herself, "even with a possible confrontation. It is appreciated."

That said, she gave his arm a little pat.

"Make sure you take care of yourself, too. You fought hard and it was very scary."

I am never getting involved in these expeditions again. He practically vows to himself despite Hamuko's appreciation. Despite the smile and her honesty, it was clear he wasn't going to be welcomed here without a gun pointed at his forehead and he really really did not want to spend another second around Drake who carried the same face as the Akira Kurusu of his own world.

They couldn't be any more different.

"I will take your word for it then," he grins tiredly. "As a friend."

The pat on his arm does make him jump as he accesses her carefully, keeping himself poised normally and relaxed. "I am imagining myself in a relaxing bath right now. I might even order takeout for dinner with Morning...ah well." He gets up, letting her enjoy herself with the blanket and sets down some snacks.

"I am sure there will be multiple others you wish to check in but go easy on yourself. Even with the idea of dying twice...I am sure I am in no position to even comprehend what you are feeling right now. That said- I will go distribute more of these blankets before taking my leave."

"Tell Morning I said hi, and that we should hang out again," Hamuko insisted, patting Maruki's arm again after that jolt of surprise. Calm, calm...

"A bath sounds great. I might go for one too. I'm doing mentally okay, just a little..." Hamuko made a vague 'airy' gesture at her head with her hand, trying to find a word-- "not quite dissociated, just like I'm mentally and physically lagging. Like I woke up from a deep sleep and had to jump up and try to sprint."

"Sure will. As expected, you two got along- given what he told me last time," he nods. It was quite a while back to even recall said conversation.

He stretches his arms forward, as if attempting to get rid of the dull ache before he proceeds to pick off the rest of the pile of blankets. "That makes a lot of sense — you're describing a kind of cognitive and bodily fatigue or sluggishness."

"Given the circumstances of our situation- that can happen when we're under ongoing stress or when we haven’t had time to properly rest or regulate. Definitely go for a bath and maybe even spoil yourself a little."

He winks, playfully. "Doc's advice and all."

"I will if you will. I'm holding you to it, doc," Hamuko grinned, in good spirits.

For now, she'll relax on the sofa for a bit longer. Just a bit...

"I will text you with the major updates. Or the state of my houseplants that I have started to take care of again, stay tuned~!" he holds up the blankets and fingerguns with his held out indexes still.

With a slow smile he bows at her and in all honesty, means it as he prepares to give the other victims the needful. Like Phoenix..

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The Silence After the Storm

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♫♪ (rank 2 or 3??? unlocked)

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