robowest | [ WEEK THREE ]

WEEK THREE

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It's a rather quaint town when you get down to it. At least, that's what the Sheriff would argue. Warm and dry in the mornings and afternoons with a brisk coolness in the evenings. The perfect type of weather to just sit out on your rocking chair and observe the comings and goings.

... Of course, there's not much in the way of comings and goings when there aren't any actual people here to watch. Nevertheless, don't let that get you down! The town is your oyster and those roosters won't stop crowing until everyone's out of bed. Up and at 'em, rise and shine, it's time to make the day yours!

Except there is, perhaps, a few things amiss.

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[ Well, Xion is one of the people who hangs around. Milla is a friend, so of course she'll listen. She honestly doesn't even suspect a thing, curling up in a chair to wait until Milla is ready to talk.

It's the list of names given that gets her to sit up straight. Four names, and only two of them present. Shock overwrites her expression as soon as the word "unfortunately" slips out, and her face stays that way for the entire story. Perhaps surprisingly to those who know her, she doesn't seem to really ... react. Not through expressions. She uncurls, sitting up straight and pressing both feet to the floor.

Ocelot and the other missing victim don't really register. Normally she'd be at least upset, but a screaming fear overrides anything else she might think or feel.

Perhaps the one real good tell comes when Milla explains why Natalie and Seizaburo aren't there. Xion's hands curl into fists so tight that her arms tremble. ]

They're just ... gone?

[ Her voice is soft and full of disbelief. ]

But...

[ Slowly she curls, pressing her hands to either side of her head. Her eyes are very wide. ]

No, I...

[ She's trying, trying so hard to just, just anything, breathe or speak or do anything and she-- she can't. She can't.

Xion doubles over, pressing her forehead into her knees while her hands twist into her hair to grip it so tight her knuckles turn white. There's quiet, for a moment.

And then, abruptly, she wails with grief before trailing off into quiet tears. ]

[Xion, by far, has the worst reaction out of anyone. Milla's own expression falters when the tears begin, and for a moment, she hesitates, uncertain on what she should do next. she is so bad at comfort. . .]

[and yet, there had been a few times in this place where she had succeeded, right? Yuna and Papika were partial to the hugs. Sara enjoyed drinking. so maybe. . .]

Xion. . .

[with a deep breath, she pushes past her hesitation and approaches, placing one hand on Xion's shoulder. she stays quiet, waiting for an opportunity to draw the younger woman into a small hug]

[ She can't stop crying. Why can't she stop crying? How can this possibly hurt so much? It's like her whole chest is caving in around the space where her two friends are now missing.

Xion flinches at the touch, as if she might move away from it, but after a moment of shivering she just settles instead, continuing to cry into her knees.

It may be just the fact that it's Milla saying her name that gets her to look up, wretched and heartbroken. She tries to speak, but all that comes out are two stuttered gasps before she lapses back into sobs. ]

[when Xion looks up, she'll find that the hesitant expression Milla wore earlier has been replaced with determination. it burns in her eyes, even more fiery now than it has been in the past. she gives the young woman's shoulders a firm squeeze]

We haven't confirmed that they're dead yet, Xion. Remember that.

Until I find their corpses, I choose to believe they're alive. And even if they have been killed. . . we owe it to them to discover the secrets of this town and stop this senseless slaughter for good.

[how is that for a pep talk?]

[ Milla...

For a moment, she thinks that she wishes she could be even half as strong as Milla always seems to be.

With a few more hiccups Xion makes a visible effort at stopping her tears, taking big gulping breaths and swiping at her face. They start to slow quickly, and though she can't quite seem to get herself to stop entirely, she's no longer sobbing. ]

You're right. [ Her voice is wet and shaky, and she hates it. ] I know you're right. We just have ... to keep moving. No matter what.

That's right.

And I believe you're strong enough to do it.

[Milla believes in you Xion!!]

We'll continue our path forward. For Natalie and Seizaburo, and everyone else who has died thus far.

[ Elizabeth is there with a comforting hand on her shoulder. Xion has been at the forefront when it came to looking out for others, trying to sooth her now is literally the least she can do, she wishes she could do more. ]

[ Xion does not respond. She doesn't know how. She just cries herself out into her knees, eventually hugging herself as sobs wrack her whole body.

Until this moment, she didn't even know she could feel pain like this. You learn something new every day. ]

[... Ah. He thought this might be hard for Xion—both because Xion is soft and because Seizaburo and Natalie were her friends. Seizaburo, whom Xion had bonded with even during grim times, in spite of their recent argument, and Natalie, who threatened Shinnosuke over not telling Xion happy birthday.

(This is part of why Shinnosuke doesn't want attachments. Why invest in something that'll only bring you grief in the end?)

A kind person would try and comfort Xion now, but no matter what Xion thinks about Shinnosuke, he knows that he isn't kind. He doesn't know how to reassure people, to begin with; it's not a skill he's ever honed. Besides, others seem eager to step up to the task. He has no reason not to leave it to them.

And so he watches Xion, before turning away to focus on the discussion.]

[ Does nothing because he's a sociopath.

Yet still, Xion's pain evokes something inside him that not many do unless they're friends or family. Xion is certainly a dear friend - hell, it wouldn't surprise him if Chane and him took her in by the end of this ordeal. But someone has killed her friends now, so that leaves Claire with one solution and one very important question.

How the fuck does one kill a skeleton?

#problemsolving ]

Xion!

[And Yuna's there the second she can be, doesn't even wait for Xion to start crying before Yuna is pushing her way through to her, gathers her up in her arms and holds her tight. One hand takes one of Xion's, trying to keep her from pulling at her hair like that, and the other rubs small circles on her back.

Gone. They're just gone, and Milla could have died, too, but right now Yuna has to focus on what she can do something about, so she tries to keep Xion steady.]

Don't--

[ She can't stop Yuna. She isn't sure if she even really wants to. She lets her friend pull her hands away and leans into her embrace and just cries and cries. Maybe she was never built to handle this much emotion. Her grief seems to be overwhelming her, and she's utterly at a loss as to how to handle it, or stop it, or ... anything.

Instead she chokes out her friend's name, like she might be about to try to say something, but the words never come. Just more tears. ]

[ WEEK THREE ]

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