Kohala Coast, Hawaii | Morning & Afternoon | Tuesday | February 22nd

[ft_directory]

Everyone should feel sorry for the poor bastards left behind in Fandom where snow collected atop the ice that coated the ground overnight. But in Hawaii, everything was sunny, warm, and beautiful. It was paradise, and everyone there should take advantage!

[Guest Quarters | Resort Activities | Spa Without Walls | Beach Activities | Hawaii Volcanoes National Park | OOC]

Comments

Re: The Beach

[momslilassassin]

He shook his head, gnawing on his lower lip. "I don't really even notice them."

A lie, and a bad one at that.

Re: The Beach

[glacial_queen]

"That's not true." Her voice was gentle, even as she called him out on his lie. "If you want to me to leave it alone, I will, but we both know you're lying."

She gave him a hug, one made up of emotions alone.

Re: The Beach

[momslilassassin]

"Leave it, then," Ben said, barely loud enough to be heard.

Re: The Beach

[glacial_queen]

Karla nodded, spread some more unguent on his back, close to his hip, and then tugged his shirt down. "As you wish," she said and that did mean 'I love you.' Which she did, very much, if not entirely the way Jaenelle Mara would have preferred.

Re: The Beach

[momslilassassin]

Ben gave her a tiny smile. "For that you can finish the ice cream," he told her, making space on his towel for her.

Re: The Beach

[glacial_queen]

"You just know I was gonna do that anyway," she said, sitting next to him and resting her head on his shoulder. "You've finally learned to give in with grace, is all."

Or the ice cream was just incredibly melty. One of those.

Re: The Beach

[momslilassassin]

"With age come wisdom," he said in his best creaky old Jedi voice, then dropped a kiss on the top of her head. "How are you?"

Re: The Beach

[glacial_queen]

A mouthful of ice cream forestalled an immediate answer at least. "Better," she said after a moment's though. And swallowing. "Not great, but better."

And in the best matter-of-fact voice she could muster, she said, "Warren very nearly broke up with me three weeks ago. And had every right to do so. Hinata hates me now and Bobby's not all that far behind. I managed to really mess things up."

Re: The Beach

[momslilassassin]

Ben's arm tightened around her waist. "What happened?"

Re: The Beach

[glacial_queen]

Karla finished the rest of the cone quickly, mostly so she could cuddle a bit closer without having to worry about getting melted ice cream on them both.

"When we were fighting demons to get Raven back, I made a decision," she explained quietly. "It was tactically sound but a really stupid choice anyway."

She told him about Sebastian swallowing Raven's chakra, and him finding out her feelings for Warren and his plan to use her love against her. About pretending to beg for his release to get close enough to Sebastian and then snatching the chakra out of his stomach, even though she knew the demons would hurt Warren for it.

"I hadn't expected them to go that far...but then again, I wasn't letting myself think about it, either. It was like, uhh, moving pieces on a chest board. This was the most efficient way to bring about victory and the odds were very good that Warren wouldn't die, therefore, this was an acceptable move to make. But there's more to situations than whether someone lives or dies. I made the choice--but I didn't pay the price for it. I didn't even as Warren if he would."

Re: The Beach

[momslilassassin]

Ben's eyes were full of regret. "What did they do to Warren in retaliation?" he asked softly.

Re: The Beach

[glacial_queen]

Karla winced. "You...you don't want to know. Or, rather, I'd rather not say. Bad. Wasn't sure he would live bad."

Pause.

"Insides on the outside, bad." Funny how such a little voice would carry such a wealth of emotion. Well, maybe not so funny if the other person was an empath.

Re: The Beach

[momslilassassin]

Ben whispered a curse, but he hadn't loosened his grip on Karla. "Breaking up with you would have been a mild reaction, considering," he said quietly.

Re: The Beach

[glacial_queen]

"I know," Karla said, breath hitching. "Believe me, I know."

She felt a new wave of shame wash over her. Ben's good opinion of her meant a lot and she hadn't exactly covered herself in glory here. Excuses and mitigating circumstances leapt to her tongue, but she bit them back.

"There's nothing you can say that I haven't already told myself."

People had tried.

Re: The Beach

[momslilassassin]

"That's what I get for being at the back of the line," Ben said with a tiny almost-smile. "Is this why I didn't see you at the dance?"

Re: The Beach

[glacial_queen]

Karla nodded. "I spent over an hour waiting for him and he didn't show," she said. "Only to open my door and find him practically glued to the hall outside of it. But neither of us were much in a dancey mood--and I was kind of a wreck by then--so we ended up spending the who night talking. Trying to figure out what to do. I love him and he says he still loves me--but I betrayed his trust and I'm not stupid enough to think we can just...magically be okay again. I'd like that, but it's not going to happen."

Re: The Beach

[momslilassassin]

Ben bit his lower lip and was quiet for a long moment. "Would you like me to talk to him? I've kind of been where he is."

Re: The Beach

[glacial_queen]

"I...maybe?" Karla said. "I don't know how he's dealing with it. Or even if he is. I'd feel better knowing that there is someone he can talk to."

Besides Bobby, who was still in his well-earned 'hating Karla' phase.

"I am trying, Ben!" she said, lower lip trembling. "I am! I backed down when Rinoa got taken hostage and...and...please don't be disappointed in me, too. I couldn't bear it."

Re: The Beach

[momslilassassin]

"Hey, don't cry," Ben said, hugging her tightly. "I'm going to start thinking there's something about me that makes people upset. It's just going to take Warren some time."

Re: The Beach

[glacial_queen]

"I'm not crying," Karla said sharply and Ben would be well-served to ignore any waterdrops on his shirt that suggested otherwise. "I just don't want you to be mad at me. Or disappointed in me. Or...whatever!"

Re: The Beach

[momslilassassin]

"I'm not mad," Ben said, stroking her back. "You made the best decision you could with the time you had, right?"

Re: The Beach

[glacial_queen]

Karla nodded. "But it was a short-sighted decision. Only of the immediate goal and nothing else. And while that kind of thing would be acceptable back home, it's not here. I'm getting back at remembering that you guys are my friends. Not my Court."

Re: The Beach

[momslilassassin]

"Especially Warren," Ben replied quietly. "I've read Protocol--don't subconsciously shift him into a position he might not be ready to fill. We're not all Lucivars."

Re: The Beach

[glacial_queen]

"I can't--"

Karl shut her mouth over the rest of those words. She could help it, she would. Or else she'd lose them all.

"I know," she said instead. "It's just hard. Growing up with Protocol drilled into me year after year after year. And then going to a place where none of that holds true. It was easier before Fandom started feeling like home. But I'm working hard on not doing it."

Re: The Beach

[momslilassassin]

Ben gave her a sympathetic smile. "I know you are," he said, "and it's one of the really tough things of leadership to take people you love and put them into danger. Dad makes that choice every day, but everyone involved also knows what they've volunteered for."