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celes chere: final fantasy vi

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Who: Celeste, and various
When: May 1 - 15
Where: The safehouse, and various places around town
What: Monthly catch-all top levels and social link threads
Warnings: None yet, will update if/when applicable

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[Locke is lying on his bed in a considerable amount of wholly expected pain, holding a cold compress to his head]

I told you about the cracked ribs didn't I? I'm not making this stuff up.

Edited 2018-05-03 04:08 (UTC)

I assumed that you did something to deserve it.

[ The words fall out before she has the opportunity to catch them, and she winces slightly. That's... not what she meant, and with a deep breath, she looks away. ]

What happened? Do you remember?

[Locke is pretty matter-of-fact, although his speech is slightly slurred]

We had a fight with some Neo-Nazis. I'm usually up front so I tend to get hit more.

You got into a fight.

[ It's not a question so much as it's an exasperated statement. He can probably hear the facepalming in her voice. She's not angry at him, even if that isn't all that obvious from the way she quietly huffs a sigh. ]

I thought that these protests were supposed to be peaceful, not an excuse for a few hot heads to take swings at each other.

I hope you gave him as good as you got.

[ That last bit said under her breath, but likely still loud enough for him to hear. Celeste heaves another sigh as she leans forward, her elbows resting on her knees. ]

If you're "usually up front," then who is there looking out for you if and when you take a hit?

Peaceful protests are all well and good, but some people only understand force.

[He smirks a bit at the other comment, which then makes his head hurt more so he'll leave that aside for now]

I'm up front on purpose, if someone's gonna get hit best be me.

[ Don't pick a fight, Celeste. Don't— ]

Because you feel like you have to make up for what happened. Because you couldn't do anything before.

[ Oh, well that went out the window fast. Adjusting in her seat, she looks at him dead on, lips set in a hard line. ]

I'm not stupid, Colin. What do you think that kind of mindset does to the people around you? Those of us who care about what happens to you?

[He's silent for a long moment]

Bringing that up really isn't cool, you know.

[ The intensity in her voice lessens, even if her gaze stays fixed on him. ]

But I'm not wrong. You do it in there, too. In Mementos. Don't think I haven't noticed.

[Another pause]

Being correct doesn't mean it's any less true. I've been in this longer than most of you. I can take it, and I have.

And you expect me to believe that that's your only reason?

[ How many times does she have to remind you that she isn't stupid, Locke? With a somewhat heavy sigh, she sits back, arms crossed over her chest. ]

It's all right to feel guilt over what happened, but I doubt she would want you to continually put yourself in danger to atone for something that was out of your control. That's no way to honor someone's memory—it's running away from it.

[His tone is sharper, kind of. He's still in a lot of pain after all]

And that's your opinion on a situation you by all rights shouldn't really know about. And it's not about atonement, because that sure as shit isn't coming. It's about preventing the next one.

[ This isn't the time and place, she should just let him rest. But it's been nagging at her for weeks now, and this snowball has already begun careening downhill. She should probably try to stop it... ]

You're right, I shouldn't. But whether you like it or not, I do know about it. But that doesn't change anything. An innocent girl died, and my father let her murderer go without so much as a slap on the wrist. I can't change that. Neither of us can change that.

[ But she's not sure that she wants to. ]

But tell me, if she was still here, would she want to see you get hurt like this? What do you think that would do to her? What do you think that does to us, to see you like this?

No, she wouldn't. Don't think I don't know it. But she's not here. And if I'm not out there, who is?

I will be.

[ She uncrosses her arms, frowning down at him. Don't be ~~stupid~~ stubborn, Locke. You're not the only one knee deep in this. ]

You aren't the only one willing to fight. And if you refuse to look out for yourself, then I'll have to do it for you and for anyone else unwilling to back down.

[This actually gets a laugh, which quickly turns into a yelp of pain]

Think you can keep up? Aren't you worried about your bright, moneyed future?

You wear scarves over your faces, don't you?

[ She's being 100% serious here. That and he might have wounded her ego slightly with that laugh (and the comment about her upbringing certainly didn't go unnoticed), so she sure isn't going to back down now. ]

We do, but they also tend to make you a target. It's a double-edged sword and the cops are definitely trying to crack down on it too.

You think that I believe that something like "the cops are trying to crack down on it" is going to stop any of you from wearing them?

[ Again: She's not stupid. ]

Not at all. Doesn't do much if they arrest you though.

If I was worried about that, then I wouldn't have kept in contact with you and the others. I know the risks.

Then we're glad to have you. We need as many fighters as we can get.

You're so much easier to deal with when you're like this, you don't put up nearly as much of a fight. I'll have to remember that in the future.

[ Can he see the vaguely smug smirk on her face from where he's laying? ]

Don't worry give me a few days and I'll be as cranky as usual.

That's unfortunate, I think I like you better like this. You're much more agreeable than usual.

[ Is she joking? Is she serious? It's hard to say. ]

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