Week 8 - May 20th - May 24th

[cartesio]

Last Week

With the weekend's latest tragedy, a strange mood has descended over Cartesio. What happened was unprecedented, and perhaps that's why the already decreasing hostility from the townsfolk comes to a complete halt. Could it be the strange circumstances? Bolin's desperate plea? Last week's peaceful Wednesday? Some combination? Whatever the reason, it's clear that the Sergeant's iron fist around the town has loosened. While the residents aren't jumping to interact with you, there's no graffiti, no new broken windows.

Cartesio is confused...but open to explanation, for perhaps the first time.

Still, while the town seems amiable, almost accepting again, there's little to chase away the knowledge that the Sergeant's tasks for you are near their end, and that means those without medals are doomed to their fate.

Or does it? After everything that's turned around, is it possible for you to claw your way out of here as well?

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[Welcome to the final week! If you want to contact the Sergeant, please post here!. Also please remember to submit your activity check!]

Comments

[marmoron]

[Sakura may have gone quiet, but he is definitely not done talking here. On a different day, perhaps when he wasn't already stressed out this would all come out differently, but....]

If we end up in a situation where we gotta take them down in order to get home, and you do anything to sabotage us from doing what we have to ... I'm warning you right now.

I have to get back to my world to help the paladins fight to protect our entire universe, alright? If you're gonna put the lives of some assholes who shouldn't have brought us here in the first place over the lives of everyone in my world just because you don't want to see more people die then you can go straight to hell with them.

[protectandselfserve]

I'm actually in agreement with Keet here. At the very least, he should be... you know... arrested. I'm sure he is breaking a great deal of laws with this? Why is "arrest" not even part of the initial conversation here, even before we get into the necessity of killing the man...?

[quickpersuader]

[Kino's tone remains level.]

I think it's important to agree that we will try nonlethal measures if possible, but if the risks outweigh it, we might need to resort to force.

Can we at least say that much?

[marmoron]

[He turns to Kino with a scowl that isn't really directed at her.]

I'm not the one who you have to talk into agreeing here.

[protectandselfserve]

That's fine by me! We'll probably have to resort to force, but eh. I'm willing to at least try not to kill him.

[marmoron]

It's Keith.

[It's not that hard, gdit!!]

Things that are hard to kill are usually even harder to keep contained. How do you plan on keeping him arrested?

[protectandselfserve]

Oh, I don't have any issue with lethal force, even if I do think that it might be helpful if we take him alive given that he represents a larger organization. I was taking more issue with the "I want to help him find his friends and his face" thing.

[clearities]

Well, I'm not a part of the police, so I don't know if it would be right for me to arrest them... [ so there's Sakura's reasons, besides. you know. the fact that she's thirteen? her voice seems to be obviously quiet as she tugs at her arm, distinctly uncomfortable about this. she really, really doesn't like talking about this at all because she's so steadfast about the idea of being able to save everyone without having to hurt others, to end the murders and everything. ] I think if it would be possible to do that, it would be better than any worse alternative.

[protectandselfserve]

Hey, you're not a cop, but I'm a cop. Just leave the arresting to me, eh, Cherry?

[clearities]

[ once all's said and done, Sakura's gaze fixes seriously onto his; it's unwavering, unflinching, but there's no anger in it. her voice is firm as she speaks, even if it's slightly quieter now. ] I know everyone has a home to go to. [ she's the same way, after all. she has people to go back to, and while she'd rather not die because of it, she-- ] I'm aware of that. And maybe I'm wrong in thinking this, in doing it... but if you're telling me to make a choice between the lives of the few and the many like that, I want to choose to save the lives of both. If that doesn't work, then. . . [ she doesn't know what will happen. guess she'll have to deal with whatever consequences come with this choice. ]

[marmoron]

[And likewise, Keith's tone is unwavering in its harshness. Sakura may be just a little kid, but so was Pidge and that never stopped him from flipping a shit at her when she first threatened to leave Voltron because the lives of three people meant more to her than the lives of everyone else in the galaxy. Pidge didn't cry then, and neither is Sakura so contrary to the beliefs of everyone demanding that he tone police here, he's going to assume Sakura can actually handle herself. In a weird way, he's treating her like an adult, rather than some little kid who needs to be shielded at every turn. Respect, in other words, isn't always respectful.]

You seriously think any of us here wouldn't want to save as many lives as possible in an ideal world?

[He's exasperated through and through by her point here.]

You really think mercy for guys like this doesn't come with a price tag? You know they're going to keep pulling this shit again and again -- you really think they're gonna stop just because you asked them nicely? Give me a break, Sakura. You might be okay with the idea of leaving them all alive and risking them dragging your friends into this mess in the future, but I'm not risking that with any of the paladins. They need to be home to pilot the lions and form Voltron.

[A beat.]

Idealism is great and all, but you need to understand that it's a luxury that you can't afford. If we can't get them to agree to our terms, I'm doing whatever it takes to make it happen. So think real hard about what you're gonna do cuz I'd rather not have to hurt you in the process.

[clearities]

... [ she's listening pretty carefully here, hand on her chest as hand closes around her key that she wears around her neck. ] I don't know if they'll stop or not. I don't think that the things they've done here, to us, to the people I care about is good. And maybe you're right, Keith; that they won't stop just because I ask for it. But I want to at least try. That's all I can do. [ a beat, and then firmly: ] But I will.

[marmoron]

[Trying is all they can do, really. Even though they're butting heads now and Keith is in no way in agreement with Sakura's pacifism here, he can acknowledge that she's doing her best. It's not something he would have acknowledged when he first took on leadership of Voltron, but even if he can acknowledge it now, that doesn't mean he appreciates it.

That said, it's not as though he's itching to kill either. It's simply the option that he thinks will be the surest way of getting the outcome he wants because he's not going to compromise on the safety of his entire universe as well as other universes, and he's fairly sure that the people running the show aren't going to compromise either.

When he speaks again, however, his tone is less harsh. Still no apology in sight that said.]

I'm not against trying to reason with them. But if that doesn't go anywhere, I also have to try.

[That's not a request for permission to act from Sakura or anyone else present in their group.]

We both want to protect what's important to us. Let's stay focused on that and how we're taking these guys down for now.

[relieable]

[he doesn't know what to say at first. he's been watching this whole meeting with huge eyes, people arguing about saving the Sergeant, or saving the rest of the people...

but when Keith tells Sakura she can go to hell, he winces]

C'mon, Keith. She's a kid. [be careful with how you speak. she doesn't deserve that]

[marmoron]

[Keith pauses, but it's clear enough from his expression alone that he's not backing down. Pidge was 15 when he first met her. He doesn't see a whole lot of difference between chewing out a 13 year old and a 15 year old here.]

Look. She needs to know how it is in clear terms. Just cuz she's a kid doesn't mean I'm gonna tell her that there won't be consequences if that's what she chooses to do.

[relieable]

[he knows Keith is right. but... HNNNG. the way he said it... Osomatsu's been so careful with the way he talks around Sakura]

You're not being fair to her. She wants to do what she thinks is right, just like you.

[marmoron]

It wasn't fair, huh.

Is that what you're gonna tell her if there's a situation where she blocks us from being able to leave by protecting the assholes in charge?

[relieable]

[don't make him choose sides. he pinches the bridge of his nose, but, otherwise, doesn't argue. he's scared to throw down with Keith because he'll lose]

......

[marmoron]

[He'll let that silence speak for itself for a few seconds, but he doesn't seem to be taking any joy in it.

Don't you think she deserves to know what the fall out's gonna be?

[relieable]

[Osomatsu continues to look down. he's not quite sure what Keith wants him to say. but, then, Osomatsu's the one who started this, trying to stand up for Sakura.

his eyes flick up and he fixes his gaze on the other man. his voice is tight]

I just think. There are better ways to get your point across than telling a little girl who believes in the good in everyone to go to hell. All right?

[marmoron]

[It's Keith's turn to go quiet for a moment. He knows Oso has a point here; he's never pretended to be good at getting his point across diplomatically. But he's also not any closer to apologizing.]

She needed a wake up call.

[That's something he's not backing down from.]

We almost lost our entire universe back home because the other paladins thought the same thing about give someone questionable a chance. If Sakura wants to act like the Sergeant's innocent because he's just taking orders -- fine. That's stupid, but I'm sure that makes sense to a kid who has no understanding of how responsibility works. But protecting the guy;s boss too? Even when we know they plan on repeating this bullshit and making even more people suffer for it?

You've got to be kidding me.

[relieable]

[after a moment, Osomatsu lets out a breath through his nose. Keith's right, and believing the Sergeant is innocent is dumb. he agrees! he's been gunning for the Sergeant since they first got here. the guy forced them to kill each other, and he had hostages, and...

but then Osomatsu looks at Sakura, and he doesn't know what to do. he doesn't think she is stupid. he doesn't think Keith is stupid. they're both trying their best in a horrible situation. the last thing they should all be doing is arguing.

if Keith stepped in to fight with Sakura because she was in the way? what would happen then?

he finally faces Keith again. maybe he's right. maybe Sakura did need a wake-up call. at the same time, Osomatsu doesn't want her to become jaded because of... everything that's happened here. he probably shouldn't be talking about this, it's not helping. so he just leans back in his seat, wanting to shrink]

[marmoron]

[Keith's focus remains squarely on Osomatsu until he sits back in his seat. He, too, remains silent for a long moment afterwards, letting the tension sit in the atmosphere. He knows this isn't how he should be acting. This isn't how you're supposed to treat the people on your side, let alone the people on your team.

Osomatsu called him their "leader" during that trial and he'd outright rejected the notion and this would be why. He doesn't have the ability to bring people together -- he's combative, he's bullheaded and he knows better than anyone else that he can't be these things because that isn't how you lead.

But for a little while, he thought maybe he could pull himself together to be the person the paladins needed him to be -- the person Shiro saw in him. One stupid argument in deep space later, and well.. there went that notion. He's a perpetual disappointment, even to himself and no matter how right he feels about this particular issue, the feeling that he's letting history repeat itself here bruises more than he'll ever let on.]

Look.

[It's said through clenched teeth, though he doesn't drop eye contact yet.]

I'm... [Sorry? ...why's that so fucking hard to say.] Let's just go back to talking about what we've learned so we can prepare for the end.

[relieable]

[Osomatsu is the first to look away. he's not disappointed in Keith, because he doesn't know him that well. but he is still upset about what he said to Sakura. he supposes that's as good as they are going to get out of him, apology-wise. it is what it is]

Fine.

[he's not saying another word]