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“Hey,” Kel says, “Don’t freak out,”
“Hate that,” Ariel says, kneeling down next to Kel on the floor. “What’s wrong?”
Kel gestures to their knee, twisted at an unnatural angle.
Ariel hisses, sounding more like a cat than a human. “Are you gonna morph?”
“No point,” Kel says, “It’s just a loose day, it’ll pop right back out.”
“Oh,” Ariel says, because the statement is honestly troubling and Kel is unnaturally casual looking at the twist of their knee. “Anything I can do?”
“Help me to the couch?”
Ariel holds both their hands out and braces themself. Kel grabs their forearms, pushing up on the brick wall that is their friend. They wobble for a moment before they manage to settle their weight on their good leg. Ariel waits until Kel has both hands braced on the counter before she goes to grab their cane.
Kel is tired and annoyed more than anything else. It’s fine.
Ariel sees the sour look on Kel’s face as they return with their cane.
“Ah,” Ariel says, “Do you want to watch a movie or something?”
Sometimes people get weird when they see that their friends or acquaintances are disabled. People have tried to make Kel feel small before, like they’re taking up too much space by being disabled. Others have wanted them to pretend that they’re not disabled, like working around their illness is more of a hassle than the friendship is worth. Ariel isn’t like that. Ariel offers a hand up and is supportive without being overbearing. Ariel also claps when Kel hyperflexes their knee and tumbles ass over teakettle, cussing under their breath as they shove the joint back into place, annoyed but fine. Ariel is lightness and support and strength and righteous anger and grief and joy.
Kel is so, so glad that they’re friends.
“Do you want to watch The Matrix again?” Kel asks, because they know that Ariel is equal parts enamored with the combat scenes and enraged with the looseness with which the film treats the laws of physics.
Ariel lights up. “Can I tell you about the scientific flaws involved with the system as it’s portrayed again?”
“Of course.”