week seven afterparty

[clearities]

[ so how is everyone doing today? pretty badly, I'd assume, but there's so little of them left, not to mention that Bolin is going to get executed because of an accident. on top of that, there's the confusion coming from the public.

so what's going on.

today's going to be a little different - as Sakura seeks everyone out. she knows it's tough, but given the circumstances, she wants to invite everyone to meet her in front of the police station.

yeah.

we're having a jail cell afterparty, apparently. oh, and she's brought pancakes because... you all probably need that after. All of This. of course people can always ignore her request and just go somewhere else, but where are you tonight? ]

Comments

[robitussin]

[Like previous weeks, Natalie doesn't attend the party. Unlike previous weeks, though, she can't be found anywhere else in the town. She's missing from the pond, the library, and any other place she tends to frequent when she needs to think. Anyone with good timing might run into her on her way from the courtroom to the motel or, much later, from the motel on a brief trip to the jail, but other than that...

Well, her door is available to be knocked on, at least.]

[marmoron]

[There is eventually a knock on Natalie's door, yes. It's a little later into the evening, after they've both had a little cool down time, but they clearly have a lot to talk about... so.]

It's me. You in there?

[robitussin]

[There's a pause before there's any indication she's heard him, but... After a minute or two, the door swings open. She's looking at the ground, and she doesn't say anything to him just yet.]

[marmoron]

[She's quiet and in turn that makes him quiet. He's not sure if this is a situation where she should get the first word and he should just take everything she says or just... say what's on his mind and let her respond to it. In the end, the silence just gets to be so stifling that he talks just to break it.]

I'm sorry, okay? I'm really sorry.

[robitussin]

[That gives her another pause, expression growing tighter, before...]

You don't have to... [Say that. Regardless:] I was just - scared.

[marmoron]

And I'm sorry for scaring you I was just ... [Deep breath.] .. trying to do what I thought was right.

Not saying I was, but...

[He rubs the back of his neck.]

Can I come in?

[Would prefer not to be talking about this in the hallway and all.]

[robitussin]

[She pauses and then nods, backing away from the door so he can come in. Once he's inside, she shuts the door behind him.]

I know you were. But I don't think you realize... How important you are.

[To everyone... But to her as well, definitely.]

[marmoron]

[He's going to hold off on saying the phrase because I'm not because he's realizing this is bad for Natalie's sanity, but he's clearly thinking it. Instead:]

More important to get us in better positioning for the end, you know.

[A beat.]

Look -- I don't. I didn't come here to argue that all over again. I'm sorry. That's all I wanted to say.

[robitussin]

...If it were really about that, you could have brought up someone who didn't have any combat experience.

[But she doesn't want to fight, either. Instead:]

I'm sorry, too.

[marmoron]

[He has thoughts on that, though again he didn't come to be distressing, so... instead, he breathes out and looks up at Natalie.]

... are you going to be okay? Going through with it, I mean.

[robitussin]

[She takes in a breath, moving back to sit on her bed before answering.]

...I don't know.

[It's the most honest answer she can give.]

[marmoron]

[He closes his eyes briefly. Her uncertainty is somehow more hurtful to listen to than bravado. Knowing that he's inadvertently driven her to that point has him sighing before he sits beside her a moment later.]

I'm guessing you'll only get mad if I tried to talk him into changing his mind, huh.

[robitussin]

...Yeah, I would.

[And besides that...]

I don’t think you could at this point. He already decided.

[quickpersuader]

[It's amazing what actual days of sleep will do for a sudden cold. Kino's exceptionally well rested now and fully intending to make a soup run when she sees Natalie walk into the motel.]

Ah... [Good. She survived.] How did it go?

[robitussin]

[She looks towards her, and Kino will probably notice that she looks... discontent is an understatement.]

It could have gone worse.

[But it certainly could have gone better, too.]

You feeling okay? I didn't see you there.

[quickpersuader]

Got sick.

[Somehow.]

I think I must have slept through everything... who died, and who was the culprit?

[robitussin]

...Glad you're okay, at least.

[As for her questions... She looks towards the ground.]

Kinzie. And... It was Bolin, but I don't think culprit is the right word. It was an accident. He didn't mean to hurt her.

[quickpersuader]

I'm feeling a lot better after all that rest.

[Her words bring a frown to Kino's face, however.]

...He didn't seem like the type to do something like that on purpose, no. What happened?

[robitussin]

They were trying to break into the lodge to save everyone the Sergeant had hostage... It went south, and she had a bomb that he accidentally detonated. He tried to save her after she got hit.

[But... It's probably obvious how that went.]

[quickpersuader]

...I see. So everyone voted for him?

[She presumes as much, but...]

[robitussin]

[There's a humorless laugh, a little bitter.]

Despite somebody's best efforts, yeah. Enough people did.

[quickpersuader]

...Sorry?

[Did. Did something happen.]

[robitussin]

Keith's an idiot.

[But that probably doesn't explain everything, so:]

He kept going on about how, like, Bolin has his earth powers and that could be useful, so everyone should vote for him instead because he's way more expendable or some bullshit.

[quickpersuader]

[...

......

Again, with more bafflement:]

Sorry?

[robitussin]

What part of that was confusing...?