week 6, post trial

[robitussin]

[Their numbers keep falling. Three people have died already this week, with two more on the way tomorrow. With the outburst the townspeople gave them once the results came through... If anyone were feeling downhearted, it's to be expected at this point. Things continuing at their current pace is a frightening thought, after all. Like last week, the offer to spend time together or meet in a central location doesn't come.

Hawks and Dabi wait for the morning in their cells, but the rest of the tourists are free to wander about the town as they please; free to rest, to talk with each other, and to try to gather strength wherever they can. So, where does the evening find you, Cartesio?]

Comments

[marmoron]

[As usual Keith can be found in the park with the space wolf after the trial. This time the two of them are near the pond where Cosmo is splashing around, snapping at the water with his jaws to try and catch one of the goldfish while Keith sits on the grass a little further back. There's a faintly amused smile as he watches this, but otherwise he's in a fairly solemn mood.]

[quickpersuader]

[It's Kino's turn to approach him this time, pausing to watch Cosmo for a moment before she calls out:]

Hey.

[marmoron]

[Looks over shoulder.]

Hey.

[He only sounds vaguely grumpy really.]

[quickpersuader]

[That's good, because Kino has something for him. She reaches into a pocket, holding out an envelope.]

Here. For you.

[marmoron]

[Okay, he wasn't expecting mail of any sort and that confusion kinda makes the grumping difficult to maintain.]

...What's that supposed to be?

[Kino, did you write him a letter apologizing for this confusion or something....]

[quickpersuader]

It's from Mr. Dazai. A parting letter, I assume.

[marmoron]

[How does that explanation somehow make more and less sense simultaneously.]

Why was he writing these things in the first place...

[Getting up to take this letter from Kino though.]

...And what were you doing in Dazai's room anyway?

[quickpersuader]

Looking to see what he left behind.

[What. What did you expect from her, Keith.]

And according to mine, he wrote it because he expected he might die.

[marmoron]

[Keith's going to mutter something under his breath that sounds suspiciously like that idiot, but there's no real venom behind it. He takes the letter from Kino, but doesn't open it right away.]

If I die, you better not go poking through my stuff.

[quickpersuader]

Why not?

[marmoron]

[...]

Because it's my stuff?

[quickpersuader]

The things from the hunting store could be really useful if we needed to launch an attack, though...

[marmoron]

An attack against who? The Sergeant? Kino you don't even believe that.

[robitussin]

[She assumed she'd find him here, and while she definitely hesitates before coming to find him, eventually she's walking towards his seat on the grass.]

...Rough one, huh?

[marmoron]

[He turns to look at her, but it's fairly obvious he's feeling about as hesitant as she is.]

Think I'm getting used to it.

[robitussin]

Well, that sucks.

[Regardless, even though that was indeed rough, she's fairly certain that they both know what she's really here about.]

Mind if I sit?

[marmoron]

[Well he didn't mind until two seconds ago because all the murders and trial stuff had him preoccupied, but now that this is happening instead, he'd almost prefer the murders and the trial. That's not what he says though, so instead she's getting a quick glance away back to the grass.]

I don't mind.

[robitussin]

Okay.

[Once he agrees, she takes a seat, but then there's a notable pause before she says anything. What she says, too, is not exactly helpful.]

So, um...

[marmoron]

[How is it literally easier to be a murder suspect than sit through how awkward this is already...]

....yeah?

[robitussin]

I thought we could maybe talk about... You know. The, um, the thing in the library.

[They're so good at this.]

[marmoron]

[Still not making eye contact, still looking at this very interesting patch of grass by his shoe.]

Okay.

[A breath.]

I'm sorry I made it awkward.

[robitussin]

[She shakes her head almost immediately.]

No, you didn't. I... shouldn't have reacted like that, probably.

[marmoron]

[That's so blatantly his line seeing as he's the one who kinda abandoned her at the library that it takes him a moment to wrap his mind around how to respond to this.]

...How should you have reacted then?

[robitussin]

[It's strange, how nervous she feels even when she already knows how he feels. Still, she glances at him for a moment before looking out towards the water.]

I shouldn't have immediately yelled "what", for starters. That probably wasn't the best.

[She runs a hand through her hair.]

Look, I...

[marmoron]

[He'll replay that moment for a second before cringing so hard he quashes the memory again. It's only some misplaced stubbornness that keeps him where he is to make some conscious effort to not repeat history here.]

Look.

[Bad start, bad tone. Trying again in a softer tone as he glances cautiously in her direction.]

It's fine. Really.