piper90 | [locked to new hires] post-babadon't

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[locked to new hires] post-babadon't

[ Adora fidgets with her communicator, staring at the screen, her brow furrowed as the video feed starts up. She's in a bed in the infirmary, with some bandaging on her head where she's was previously bleeding from the scalp. She looks tired, mostly. ]

Hey everybody. I just - I guess I wanted to say that I'm sorry. I shouldn't have let myself get taken out like that. Everyone had to deal with that because of me. I screwed up. I won't let it happen again. Uh - I guess that's about it.

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[Setsuna doesn't respond to this over the network, she just literally walks a few rooms over from where she's only minutes earlier been getting verbally berated by her own small mob of medial professionals for giving the on-call nurse a damned heart attack by going missing during all that and brushes right past the objections of the staff overseeing the section Adora's room is in, expression calm, steps businesslike, and very firmly bonks Adora right above the bandages.]

That's for being an idiot and worrying Catra, you ... idiot.

[ Oh, hey Setsuna.

Adora winces and rubs at her head. ]

I know, I know... I shouldn't have let myself get caught.

[She gives Adora enough time to respond but not enough time to realize what's happening before following up the bonk with an open-palm slap to Adora's cheek, as the tears break and start to fall down her face.]

And that is for blaming yourself for something none of us could have anticipated happening! Don't you ever blame yourself for something like this! Do you have any idea how much saying things like that hurts your friends to hear?! Do you have any idea how much it makes Catra feel like you don't care about her feelings?! Hasn't this thing hurt the two of you enough already? Why would you want to help it hurt her any more?!

[And then she just starts shaking in place, overwhelmed by her own emotions, one hand still outstretched and clawed in grief and mingled relief, as she sobs, trying in vain to cover her eyes with her other hand.]

[ Adora is just open-mouthed and staring at Setsuna, one hand raised to her cheek. She's trying to process this, trying to figure out what to do. She's angry and hurt and defensive and a dozen other emotions. ]

...I think you should leave.

[Setsuna inhales, sharply, nostrils flaring, still teary.]

No.

... no. I won't leave Catra and I won't leave you. That's what I can do for my friends and that's what I'm going to do. [She looks aside, cheeks hot, ashamed.] But ... I'm sorry, for ... for hitting you. I was just so upset, and ... and it was wrong to give in to that fear.

No. I don't - I don't want to deal with this.

[ Adora's voice is also a bit shaky. ]

You don't get to walk in here and hit me-!

I was afraid, Adora!

[Setsuna grabs at her chest with both hands like it hurts, because it does, gripping the fabric of her shirt and bunching it up in her fists.]

I was afraid of the things you were trying to do! I was afraid for you! I was afraid! ... I was afraid of what you were going to do to Catra, again. I'm sorry. I'm - sorry, I shouldn't have - I should have tried to talk, first, and -

[She swallows and looks up, eyes hard.]

But - no. I'm not leaving you. Especially not like this. You will have to make me.

[ Adora tries to disentangle herself from Setsuna, starting to push to her feet. ]

Then I'm leaving. I'm not in the mood to talk about this-!

[Setsuna tries to grab her by the shoulders and push her back onto the bed. Her hands ball into fists, shaking in panic.]

When will you be in the mood, Adora? When you're -

[Her voice catches and cracks in her throat like an eggshell, and she struggles to get the next words out in a pained, whispery croak.]

When you're dead?!

[ Adora doesn't budge. ]

Are you serious?

[ She's confused and angry and upset and stressed. ]

Just - leave me alone-!

No!

[That makes two of them, which puts them at a bit of an impasse, perhaps.]

Of course I'm serious, Adora! You remind me too much of myself for me not to be!

If - if the only way to make you understand how you make your friends feel about this is to fight you about it then yes, that's what I'll do!

I'm not going to fight you! I just want you to give me space!

[ Adora's yelling now and still trying to disentangle herself and walk away. ]

[Setsuna's technically been yelling, but she gets louder, too.]

Well, maybe you should fight me! Because I don't think you're being honest about your feelings to any of us!

Get out of my way!

[ Adora finally settles for shoving Sestuna as she tries to head for the door. ]

[Setsuna doesn't want to budge, and she tries to block Adora's shove instead, which will probably end up in them both in a grappling staredown if Adora doesn't try to slip away first.]

What is wrong with you, Adora? What happened to you while I was recovering in here?

What do you mean what's wrong with me? What's wrong with you?

[ Adora is wriggling away now; everything is stress and this isn't helping. ]

[Setsuna fights her on this, gripping her fast by the hands.] Adora. Adora, look at me - You can't save everyone, all by yourself, when you can't even save yourself!

And you can't! You, alone, never will! Why are you trying so hard to refuse the help? The Adora I met at the welcome party for everybody here wasn't the sort of person who gave up on her friends like that!

What part of stop don't you understand?

[ Adora tears herself away again. And this time she really is intent on just leaving. ]

[She grits her teeth and glares at Adora.]

The same part you don't.

[But she just - this is going to go nowhere, and even she can only be stubborn so long - sighs, then, and lets go. Lets Adora go, too.]

[And, whether Adora hears her say it on her way out or not, Setsuna hugs her arms to herself and looks off at the wall, face falling and troubled.]

... but I guess I haven't learned my lessons about when to do it anyway, after all, either.

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[locked to new hires] post-babadon't

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