Not Again | Catch All for Kara

[applechemist]

words here later

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W1 - Friday

[applechemist]

[ Escha has actually been kind of scarce after the trial, but eventually she gets thirsty and has to go to the kitchen to get a drink. She's usually pretty sociable, but today is... Not feeling so cheerful, so when she sees Kara she just gives him a small nod and starts to brush past him to make herself some tea...

Sorry she is uncharacteristically rude today. Trial was A Lot. ]

[unfriendliest]

[ luckily, he doesn't mind rude. he simply watches her for a moment, before turning back to the cooking. with neither of them speaking, the silence stretches between them for a bit, before finally - ]

If you're going to tell someone else about your power, just one person... it should be someone you met here.

[ he's just. throwing that out there. it's fine? ]

[applechemist]

... Because it'll make it less suspicious for them to back me up?

[ She doesn't mean this in any sort of judgmental way. She just tends to think out loud.]

You're probably right. I'll... Try to be more prepared.

[unfriendliest]

[ it takes a lot to offend kara, so he doesn’t seem bothered by this. ]

That’s right. There will be people blaming you, or suspecting you from now on, even if we don’t have a lot of reason to. It will be easier to believe someone who hasn’t known you as long, and won’t be as inclined to defend you just because you experienced the same hardships before.

[applechemist]

[ Hm. Escha considers this for a moment, then. ]

My power is to dispel an ability from someone else. I used it on Ogata as soon as he was put in isolation so that he could speak freely.

... I would appreciate if you didn't tell anyone. If you're going to tell anyone, I'd appreciate if you could wait until next week, because you're the third person I've told this week. Dick, Ogata, and you.

[unfriendliest]

[ he stills, turning to look at her in surprise. ]

...I didn't say it had to be me. [ but. since that's done - ] I won't tell anyone, but I can vouch for you, if necessary.

[ . . . ]

My ability is poison. I have no intention of using it, but I'd rather you didn't tell anyone.

[applechemist]

[ She also looks surprised, since she wasn't expecting to hear his in return. THEY HAVE BARELY SPOKEN?? ]

I won't tell.

week 4, friday.

[unfriendliest]

[ wherever escha is, kara is coming to find her. and as soon as he does, he comes up to her to ask one very important question: ]

Have you used your power this week?

[applechemist]

[ Well hello, Kara. ]

Why do you ask?

[unfriendliest]

If you haven't, I may need you to do it after the trial tomorrow.

[ he pauses, obviously apprehensive. ]

Or during, depending on how it goes.

[applechemist]

I... Need a little more information than that. If it's something that's going to disrupt the trial...

[ she hesitates. ]

My power has an unpredictable side-effect. Sometimes it's better not to use it.

[unfriendliest]

It won't disrupt the trial. It's... to save someone's life, if it comes to that.

[ kara, usually so controlled, so carefully neutral, is clearly worried about something. ]

What side effect?

[applechemist]

That doesn't actually tell me much.

[ and - she shakes her head. ]

Like I said, it's unpredictable. It depends on what sort of curse I'm dispelling, and I can't know what it's going to be in advance.

W4 - Friday................ 2!

[applechemist]

[ Alright, in the evening, Escha is seeking Kara out again! ]

Okay. Sorry - I'm sure it was stressful to have to wait on an answer, but... I'll be holding onto my power to protect Lili, okay? I don't want anything to happen to her.

[unfriendliest]

[ ...haha. wow. kara has to wonder if he should feel so relieved. ]

And the side effects...? You think it's worth it?

[applechemist]

She'll only have to deal with them until the next week begins, and I don't think it will cause her any harm.

If it helps you guess at what might happen... When I restored Ogata's ability to speak his mind after his trial, he was only able to whisper. And... When I tried to help Asch... [ Well. Ookurikara probably knows what happened there. ]

[unfriendliest]

[ he blinks in surprise. ]

I didn't know that was you, with Asch. I thought...

[ ...well. doesn't matter. ]

Whatever side effects there are will probably be worth it, as long as she won't have to die for someone else's crimes. [ he bows his head to escha, a rare display of gratitude from ookurikara. ] Thank you.

[applechemist]

I know. It seemed like a second curse or something. It was just the side effect of trying to dispel the first curse... [ and then everyone was extremely mad at whoever had done that to Asch, so that was a fun time! ]

... I just want to protect as many people as possible.

[ ... ]

Please believe in me.

[unfriendliest]

...I do.

[ he lifts his head to meet her eyes. ]

If you do use your power for her, I'll owe you.

w4 saturday, post trial

[applechemist]

... I'm really sorry about Lili.

I didn't know what the side effect would be and I just - she was so upset... I felt bad for her.

[unfriendliest]

[ kara shakes his head. he's clearly stressed, but. so much happened today that could be it. ]

It's - fine. She'll be fine soon.

[applechemist]

Maybe I should have waited until the trial was over, after all...

[unfriendliest]

It's alright. She'll be angry with me, not you. I can handle that.

You were trying to help, and for that - thank you.

[applechemist]

It's not your fault, though.

If she does get angry with you, please tell her to redirect it to me.

[unfriendliest]

I'm not going to risk bringing down the consequences on you for this. I'm the one who asked for your help, and she'll forgive me sooner or later. I don't mind being the target of her anger.