TSW 32: Arina's and Robin's Dream

<@IcePickLobotomy> RobinE: You hear foot steps behind you.
* RobinE turns to see what it is.
* Arina is there, dressed in one of her performance costumes, with a battered old lantern in one hand and a spear in the other, which she holds up in a short salute. "There you are. Starting to get the hang of this place."
<@IcePickLobotomy> RobinE: A battered and worn coleman lantern, dented in a few places with the green paint worn thin or even gone in a few places but still functional if the subdued light spilling from it is any indication
<RobinE> "oh," Robin says disappointed. She turns back around, facing away from Arina.
<Arina> "She's somewhere here, isn't she? I came to offer you a hand getting her back."
<RobinE> "I told you not to help."
<Arina> "Consider this me just being selfish and doing what I want to."
<RobinE> "I'll do that."
<Arina> "As I said, I'll accept the risks."
<RobinE> "This isn't about you, /I/ don't want anyone else involved," she sounds frustrated.
* Arina sighs. "All right. Can you handle it on your own?"
* Arina rubs her throat.
* RobinE takes a deep breath, "I don't know."
* Arina nods. "Then it's up to you. Is the risk of failing worth it to keep it private?"
<Arina> "I can't make you tell me what's going on. I can't help if you don't let me. But you know, I don't like seeing you like this. And Lana's our friend too."
<@IcePickLobotomy> And that's when you hear the sound of a helicopter cutting through the sky, somewhere out of sight. . .
* Arina looks up. "A /helicopter/?! I've been walking across all creation and that was an /option/?!"
<@IcePickLobotomy> A moment later you hear a echoing boom of a explosion, a flash of light over the hill to your right. A pillar of oil smoke begins to curl up into the sky
* Arina glances at Robin to see if this is usual for her.
<RobinE> "We are done here," Robin states before walking away.
* Arina sighs, trailing after her at least down the platform (since there's only one way out of where they are at that moment). "Robin, we like /both/ of you. Is it really that strange to want to help two friends at once?"
<RobinE> "I DON'T LIKE HER ARINA!" she clenches her fists in anger, "I HATE HER! YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT'S WRONG!"
* Arina nods calmly. "You're jealous of her. Because she gets to do all the things you want to but don't feel up to."
<Arina> "But you don't really know how to manage without her either."
<RobinE> "WHAT A SURPRISE," Robin sarcastically remarks. She growls "Get away from me Arina."
<@IcePickLobotomy> The "water" beneath you two ripples as Robin speaks
* Arina glances down. "Is there something in this...?"
<RobinE> "..." Robin continues to walk away from ARina.
<Arina> "Robin... do you want her back or not? Honest question - do you want her out of the way so you can live the parts she took care of, or do you want her back so she can take care of them again?"
<RobinE> "Go away."
<Arina> "Robin, I'm probably saying a lot of things wrong here. I'm treading all over the wounds in your heart, because I don't know where they are. I don't know enough to help. That's why I'm asking."
* Arina literally can't go away, they're on a platform in the middle of the lake, Robin's blocking the only way 'away' that doesn't involve jumping in the lake.
* Arina does not, however, approach any closer.
<RobinE> "Arina, I'm done with this. When we started out you never cared about me. You never payed attention. Something changed, and it made you suddenly care. But apparently not much, as you would know how much I hated Lana. You would've tried to be interested in my stories. I don't know if you are just trying to help, or just trying to keep the team together. WHY DO YOU REALLY CARE?!"
* Arina sighs. "I paid attention. What I saw was that you weren't very comfortable with us. So I didn't push my presence on you. I waited for you to seek us out at your own pace."
<Arina> "I actually was interested in your stories, no trying required. But I do art myself, and I know how private it can be until you feel it's ready. How you don't want to expose the beauty hiding in your mind until you can make it strong, and firm, so that no one will laugh at it. So, again, I waited until you felt ready, and just encouraged you where I could."
* Arina looks out over the lake, in the direction of the oil smoke pillar. "It's true that we were never all that close. I regret that, honestly. But this is close enough that I'm willing to risk my life for you."
* RobinE goes silent for a second. Then she abruptly bursts out screaming, and she starts to run.
* Arina blinks. "Er, Robin?!"
* Arina runs after her. "Robin what's wrong?!"
<@IcePickLobotomy> Arina: you don't keep up and it doesn't take long to realize she's running from you rather than something else'.