Week 7: May 13th - May 17th

[cartesio]

Seventh Week

The tense truce that had covered Cartesio was over. The town, feeling betrayed after having given a chance to the outsiders, pushed back. Enraged, they started getting even more daring, starting to get into the tourists' only safe haven: their motel rooms. They don't manage to break in, but it's not unusual to hear thumping on the doors, someone trying to get in. The windows are almost perpetually broken, there's so much graffiti on the ground floor of the motel, both inside and outside, it's hard to know what each one is saying. Can't be anything good, that's the only thing that's certain. The lounge's furniture has been tore to pieces, the lobby only has the guestbook intact, and the planters in middle of the motel are broken, the soil and plants strewn around.

The residents of Cartesio are near their breaking point. The despair, fury, and desire to get rid of the outsiders so everyone can return to their peaceful lives, have covered the town. It won't take long before they reach their breaking point, and if they do...what will happen to the visitors?

The Sergeant's grip on the town is total, and next week is the one marked as END. It seems like there's no way out, like the Sergeant won.

But you can't lose hope. You have to remember: now that you're on your darkest hour, the only way lef to go is upwards. Things can get better, you have to make it happen!

In the lobby of the motel there's a few more brochures, and the maps have been updated once again. Don't mind that some of them have been damaged in one of the attacks on the motel.

Links

IC Rules
Guestbook
Room Assignments
Events
Locations
NPCs
Activity Check

Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday

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

Comments

[robitussin]

That doesn't tell me anything.

[And as such, as runs a hand through her hair, stressed.]

I was just trying to help, okay?!

[marmoron]

Natalie.

[His tone's utterly deadpan here.]

I'm not asking about your intentions. I'm asking what you helped him with. What you told him.

[robitussin]

What?

[She blinks, shakes her head.]

I didn't tell him anything! And - look, if I was helping him, it was only to make sure that none of us got arrested, okay?

[marmoron]

[He represses a sigh.]

Look. You don't get it.

I'm not asking because I think you're a traitor who sold us out. You don't have to keep defending yoursel. Just tell me what you helped him with so we can try and fucking figure out what he's up to.

[robitussin]

...It's not going to help us figure it out.

[She sighs.]

He wanted the cameras in the fire station broken because he knew if they were working, they'd record what we did to the diner. He wanted the spotlights from the casino moved to the graveyard so we could stop the townspeople easier. He said... If we got caught too early, that'd hurt his plans, too.

Okay?

[marmoron]

[There's quiet for a moment, his eyes never leave her face.]

Were you ever going to tell us about this?

[robitussin]

...He made it pretty clear what he'd do if I did.

[In contrast, she can't meet his eyes at all.]

But I'm guessing that changed, since he told you for whatever reason.

[marmoron]

He was mad that you showed everyone the device at the meeting yesterday.

[A beat.]

Said you were no longer welcome.

[robitussin]

...Yeah, that figures.

[She sighs.]

I was just supposed to plant it. I wasn't supposed to ask for input or whatever.

[marmoron]

[Another pause, then finally he does look away.]

You don't have to protect me, you know.

[robitussin]

...What do you mean?

[marmoron]

He said that it only hurts me that the deal's off.

[Connecting the dots, etc.]

[robitussin]

[After a moment, she blinks a few times, reaching up to run the heel of her palm against her eyes.]

I couldn’t... lose you, okay? And if I could make sure of that by doing something that could have helped everyone else, then...

[marmoron]

[For a moment he's quiet. It still makes him pause when she says something that he finds so weirdly relatable. He always thought it was more awkward when he couldn't do that with people, but he's finding he might've been wrong about that.

He glances up at her again, but doesn't really know what to say to that. Or rather, his go to response of 'knock it off' just isn't what he wants to say to her. He approaches wordlessly, and if she allows it, he'll give her a hug.]

[robitussin]

[She tenses slightly, but only because it isn't really what she was expecting. There's a pause, while she breathes in and out...

And then, as quickly as she tensed, she's returning the embrace. Muttered:]

I'm sorry.

[marmoron]

[He breathes out, holding her in silence for a moment. The truth is that he's sorry, too. Sorry for being a cause of concern... and sorry that he's not sorry. It'd probably mean a lot to her if he could just promise to stay put, but....

Eventually, he asks quietly:]

What are you apologizing for?

[Because if they're anything alike, he knows she's not sorry for trying.]

[robitussin]

[After a few moments:]

Aren't you angry...?

[marmoron]

Somewhat.

[No denying that. But then he sighs. It's hard to properly articulate any of this when he knows so much of what he could say about unnecessary risk taking can just be thrown back in his face.]

You don't have to... go so far, you know.

[robitussin]

What else was I supposed to do...?

[Other than literally anything else, but. You know.]

[marmoron]

[...]

Not make questionable deals with the guy forcing us to kill each other...?

[Seems pretty self evident??]

[robitussin]

And just let everyone get arrested?

[marmoron]

It's not the worst thing that can happen.

[robitussin]

That doesn't mean it isn't better than the alternative.

[marmoron]

Didn't he say that if we were arrested that it'd hurt his plans though?

[robitussin]

He said we wouldn't be able to do the whole... murder thing if we were all arrested. But I'm assuming he had some kind of contingency plan in case that happened.