Superhell: Zelgadis

[polyglotti]

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Week 5, Saturday

[hardrocklife]

[it takes a little longer than expected, maybe... but of course, zelgadis shows up this evening. there's no hesitation once he's at the entrance, he hurries inside to see her.]

Tuuri...

[polyglotti]

[Fun fact: She had been sitting on the floor of the cell and just greeting everyone from there, but for Zel she'll actually stand up and go over to the bars.

And make a frowny face at Zel. Immediately.]

Do not blame yourself for this.

[hardrocklife]

I...

[well, he hesitates at that. though he comes closer to face her, still.]

I'm sorry. But it really... it really shouldn't have been you.

[polyglotti]

[They can peer at each other through the bars then!]

Going by the verdict, it wasn't supposed to be me, you're right. But that doesn't mean it was supposed to be you instead.

[hardrocklife]

No... but still...

[Well, he knows arguing that he'd be a better choice isn't one that's going to go anywhere. Especially not at this point.]

Do you still not know what happened? How... another person was involved?

[polyglotti]

No, I don't. The only information I can really give is that if another person really was involved, I think it wasn't anyone in our curfew. I mean, I only physically checked you, but everyone else looked like they were asleep.

[hardrocklife]

[he nods, reluctantly accepting this.]

Okay... That narrows it down some.

[a pause...]

I'm sorry. As soon as I realized you were involved... I stopped thinking. About anything other than how to prevent this, so that you wouldn't have to be standing here now...

[polyglotti]

I know. You were trying hard to protect me, weren't you?

[She's not mad at him about that, at least.]

[hardrocklife]

... Yeah.

But I couldn't do anything. I just made it harder for you.

[polyglotti]

The reason I asked you to protect me yesterday was that I was worried about someone attacking me today. So I'd say you did a good job of protecting me from that.

[hardrocklife]

I don't think anyone would have done that, anyway...

[if anyone, zelgadis was probably the biggest violence risk today.]

Tuuri, I--

[he looks like he's about to say something...

and just turns away and coughs suddenly.]

[polyglotti]

[Oh.

She smiles at that sudden cough. She can guess what's wrong but she wants Zel to admit to it.

She'll reach through the bars to cup his face gently.]

If you have something to say, now is probably the best time to say it.

[hardrocklife]

[there's something in his hand. he lets it drop to the ground. it looks like flower petals.

don't worry about it. with her hand guiding him, he has no choice but to look at her.]

... I don't know where you plan on going after all of this.

[look, he does not know how to interpret that thing in the notebook.]

But I've been thinking, and... wherever it is, I want to take you there.

[polyglotti]

[Oh. That...honestly that's as good as a love confession where she's from. Which is why she's interpreting it as such. And it makes her so, so happy.]

I would like that, more than anything in the world. I honestly don't even care where we go, as long as it's together.

[And that is her answer to the confession.

But her face falls into a more bittersweet smile a few moments later.]

But...no matter where we go, it's not going to be a very long journey. Can you accept that?

[hardrocklife]

[There's a look of relief in his eyes at her answer, but then... he's faced with a harder question.]

It doesn't have to be like that. You...

[...]

... Look, I brought you something. It looks like we might get separated for a while, so...

[He might as well do this now. So he reaches into a pocket and pulls out... a compass. It's kind of silly-looking, but look. It's fine. He passes it through the bars.]

To help you get to where you want to be... Since you can't use stars as a guide here.

[polyglotti]

[She takes the silly looking compass, and she stares at it for a while.

And then she looks up at Zel.]

Where did you get this?

[hardrocklife]

It was when I found Aqua. She was holding it.

Don't think there's anything special about it, but... it points north.

[polyglotti]

[Something clicks in her mind, and she remembers the conversation they had before.]

Ohhh, THIS is the compass!

Are you sure it's okay for me to take it? You won't need it on this side?

[hardrocklife]

I'll find my way. I know that you'll find yours, too.

And I'll do everything in my power to make sure those paths lead us to the same place, in the end.

[polyglotti]

I would like that. Even if the journey ends up being a short one, I'd like to spend it with you.