karileex-blog

[karileex-blog]

fire-birds:

Li Hua watches Kari from the sidelines with a drink in her hand—watches her swim through the lights filtering in from above, watches her face light up when the man she’s dancing with smiles at her almost as if he’s seeing the real her. She watches him spin her around, not minding the missteps—she smiles at the picture unfolding before her, Kari deserved it even if it was for one night, even if it wasn’t going to last, no one should take that away from her.

But the second the man leaves her, Li Hua leaves her drink on the edge of the table she had been hovering at, letting her hand slip into Kari’s, settling back into her own feet. She doesn’t want the moment to end for Kari, and so Li Hua scoops Kari back onto the dance floor—the flush of her cheeks livening her up—“so, what was his name? He was cute and you looked completely swept off your feet.”

She smiles at Kari as she leads her across the floor, an easy box step, gentle, rocking, rotating themselves across the floor as they talk, hand in hand. “I doubt he’d have cared if you stepped on his feet, he could barely take his eyes off of you,” she laughs, bright, it shakes her shoulders as she tips her head back, twirling Kari around easily, watches her footing to make sure she doesn’t tip too far in any direction, “but I didn’t know you knew how to dance at all, who taught you?”  

She’s more than happy to dance with Li Hua, the skirts of their dresses swishing against each other’s. She’s letting Li Hua take the lead, and now that she’s had some practice, she feels more confident in dancing and it’s showing now, making less and less missteps. “His name was William Carver, but he just told me to call him Will. It was nice, he was nice.” She’s sort of hoping that he comes back again, she wouldn’t mind spending the rest of the night with him. 

Giggles still leave Kari’s lips as Li Hua spins her around, and she’s sure her face must be flushed. “Oh, I don’t know how to dance at all. But Noah taught me!” She’s ever thankful for Noah, and she’s going to have to do something extremely nice for him later on down the line. “It wasn’t an extensive training, but he managed to teach me a lot. I’m very glad that he did.” 

She’s giving Li Hua’s hand a squeeze, and because she cares so much about her, she’s switching topics. “Are you having fun?” She hopes that she is, because it wouldn’t be fair for her to be having so much fun and Li Hua to not. She knows that if she’s not, she’d drop everything just to make sure that she’s having just as much fun as she is. 

#{ & interactions; } #{ & i: li hua; } #{ & queue; }

[karileex-blog]

gigantors:

「 Janus Hotel’s Ballroom - Vegas, January 13th, 8:58pm | OPEN TO ALL. 」

Despite the events that transpired on the train. Despite the tailspin Metzger put him in to restore order and make sure everything was prepared for the big show that night. Despite having to be confined to his cage for three hours as if they were the sideshow at some dinner-theatre…

Jelani was excited to dress up. 

He doesn’t remember the last time he’d been in a suit. A proper one. One that fit him right – that wasn’t too short in the legs giving him embarrassing high-waters or too long where the sleeves pawed over his hands. Probably to his university interview, he thinks. It’s been so long that it shows in the way his hands fumble with his bowtie. Jelani knew good and well it was even more difficult to tie than the regular kind – but it certainly looked more simple to do on the television. A crooked tie and a semi-pleased grin later, he finds himself back in the ballroom, dozens of feet shorter than he was only moments ago.

The band begins to play. 

With glee, Jelani looks about, expecting some couple to grace the dance floor first and get things going. But as one song turned to two, and two turned into five, the boy began to feel for the orchestra, eyes once brimming with animated excitement, dulling as time ticked on. It was fear that kept them back, Jelani realizes as he scans the room again. The people…they see them, the cryptids, as monsters most fearsome. They can’t reach them when behind their gilded bars but now…they could reach them, they could harm them if they chose. 

I’ll just have to show them they’re wrong. 

He stands, his head a beacon over the masses. They move for him as he nears the center, a song a little more jazzy in tune, and Jelani dances. The beat picking up his feet, moving them in tandem. He does it so unapologetically alone, that when he’s finally joined, it’s a relief of a whisper as he says, “Isn’t this supposed to be a party?” 

This isn’t how she expected things to go. But honestly, she wasn’t sure how she expected things to go. Ideas had churned in her head, alternating between something good and something bad, but this? She wasn’t sure if she thought about this. She can’t remember. Everyone at opposite ends, afraid to mingle. The stares make her feel self conscious, and she’s wringing her hands, anxiously chewing on the inside of her cheek. She’d chew on her bottom lip, normally, but she remembers the lipstick she has on, not wanting to ruin it. 

It seems like everyone’s eyes are following the tall man’s form as he moves and she’s doing the same. Jelani. He’s the only one seemingly brave enough to start dancing. She’s watching for a moment, and when no one else seems to be moving, she finds the bravery to do so. It makes her heart pound and the nerves make her stomach twist, but she’s not going to let him be alone out there. No. 

“You’re right,” she says with a laugh, reaching out to grasp his hand. “We just have to show them how it’s done, now, right?” It’s easier now that she’s with him, just focusing on Jelani and no one else. It’s easier to block everything else out, focusing on the music and trying to dance with Jelani. “Seeing you being brave made me brave, too, you know,” she’s pointing out, giving him a smile.

#{ & interactions; } #{ & i: jelani; } #{ & queue; }

[karileex-blog]

date&time: january 15, 11:33 pm location: hotel ballroom status: closed for @shahrzada

She’s watching closely, watching as the guards are distracted, watching as the people she cares about slip out one by one. Kari knows what’s going on, of course, can see it happening, but she can’t seem to make herself follow. There’s the need for rebellion, of course, and the need to join the people she calls family, but her feet won’t move. She’s tempted to stay back, to make sure that it’s not completely suspicious, that everyone else can go out and have fun, but she wants to have fun too. There’s an inner battle in her mind and body, and she’s not sure what to do. 

Her eyes land on Shahrzad and without thinking, she closes the distance, hand reaching out to grab hers. “Shahrzad,” she’s whispering. “Are you leaving too?” 

#{ & interactions; } #{ & starter; } #{ & i: shahrzad; }

[karileex-blog]

vindictagloria:

DATE & TIME: January 14th, 9:00 pm LOCATION: Janus hotel lounge STATUS: Closed for @karileex

Marcella was… drunk.

Somehow, she ended up a few too many tequila sunrises over her limit and now was tipsy and as red faced as her dress was. She wasn’t surprised she ended up this way, but she remembered she had told Maia once that tequila makes her a slut so she supposed whoever she bumped into next got to be that lucky person. Actually Marcella was in the mood to perform again, specifically sing some shitty song from the 80′s whether they wanted to hear it or not. She stepped into the hotel lounge with the intention to do that when her eyes landed on Kari. “Kari!” She beamed, a goofy look on her face as she let herself stride over towards her. “Kari, have a drink with me, and sing with me. I wanna sing wind beneath my wings. Haha, get it?” She grinned, tugging the other woman along with her with no regards of her answer. 

“Marcella?” Kari’s blinking as she makes her way over to her. She blinks again at the words coming out of her mouth and then she can’t help the giggles that escape her lips. Marcella’s obviously drunk, and it’s... pretty cute. She’s letting herself be tugged, her own grin starting to match the one on Marcella’s. “Okay, okay, I’ll have a drink with you, but I don’t know about the singing!” She’s always a little worried about singing in front of people. It’s easier to just be quiet, not letting her voice be heard, but maybe if Marcella was there with her, it’d be easier. “How many drinks have you had?”

#{ & interactions; } #{ & i: marcella }

[karileex-blog]

date&time: january 15, 11:52 pm location: casino status: closed for @ceydran-aecor

She’s never been in a casino before, and she’s sure that everyone can tell. Kari can’t keep her eyes off of everything, taking it all in. She doesn’t like the way it smells, her nose wrinkling every time they pass someone smoking, but she can handle it. The sounds, the sights, it’s completely different from anything she’s seen before, and she’s not sure how to feel. Her eyes seek out Ceydran’s form, which is slightly ahead of her, and she’s picking up her pace just a bit, hand reaching out to link with his to make sure she doesn’t lose him.

“How do you even play anything?” She’s asking, leaning closer to him so he can hear her over the sounds. They’re passing the tables now, and she’s eyeing them as well, curious as to how they play them.

#{ & interactions; } #{ & starter; } #{ & i: ceydran; }

[karileex-blog]

date&time: january 15, 10:10 pm location: hotel ballroom status: closed for @ofhercs

There’s that man again. He’s dressed nicely, but he’s not so nice personality wise. Or smell wise, the cologne that he wears is overpowering and doesn’t smell good at all. But he’s here, and there are people sucking up to him, which means he must have a lot of money, which Kari doesn’t care at all about. It makes her uncomfortable, especially with the way he’s been seeking her out. He was the first one to ask her for a dance that night and he keeps coming back.

His words are cruel when he speaks while they dance and Kari doesn’t want to deal with him anymore. So when she sees him approaching her once again, she turns to high tail it once more, as she has been doing for the last thirty minutes or so. She doesn’t want to dance with the man for a fourth time. Once was already enough but Kari didn’t know how to say no for the other two times. But she can’t handle it anymore.

Her eyes land on a familiar figure and she’s heading over to him quickly. “Lincoln,” she’s whispering, and then she’s reaching out to grasp his hand. “Dance with me, will you?” She’s asking, eyes pretty much pleading with him to take pity on her and dance with her. And, to make it seem like she’s okay and not worried about the man hunting her down, she adds to her words. “I promise not to step on your toes too much. Noah gave me a few pointers.”

#{ & interactions; } #{ & starter; } #{ & i: lincoln; } #{ & queue; }

[karileex-blog]

date&time: january 16, 12:15 am location: somewhere outside the janus hotel status: closed for @fcxxes

Kari hasn’t gotten tipsy in a very long time. But she is now. Her face is flushed and giggles constantly escape her lips and she’s clinging onto Soren’s hand as if her life depended on it. And it sort of did. She was already bad at walking in her heels and she’s sure if she let go of Soren’s hand, she’s going to fall and never get back up again. Not to mention he was the one who was leading them somewhere. He wanted to take her somewhere, but honestly, she had no clue where he was going. She was just along for the ride and she didn’t mind one bit.

“Soren, hey, Soren,” she’s saying, stumbling just slightly before she manages to right herself. “Hey, did you ever think about how funny it is to dance like the way we did back there? Some of those people looked so bad! They couldn’t dance at all! And I had one guy step on my foot more times than I stepped on other people’s feet in just one dance!” She’s giggling, and then she’s pulling him to a stop. “Also, who does twirls?” She’s lifting his arm up into the air, and then she’s twirling underneath him, showing what she’s talking about and surprised that she managed to stay upright and not fall. “What’s the point of it all?”

#{ & interactions; } #{ & starter; } #{ & i: soren; } #{ & queue; }

[karileex-blog]

date&time: january 15, 6:07 pm location: kari’s room status: closed for @anoracle

Kari sighs, running her fingers through her hair. She’s anxious, nervous, and she doesn’t want to get ready at all for this. She doesn’t want to plaster on smiles, doesn’t want to put on make up, do her hair, and put on a fancy dress to be paraded around in. She just wants to sit on her bed and read. But she knows that she can’t do that. Not at all.

There’s a knock on her door, and she’s blinking, before her eyebrows furrow. She hasn’t been expecting anyone, and she’s a little confused as to who could be at her door. But she heads over to open it anyway, and she’s not surprised when she sees Emme standing in front of her. Honestly, she should’ve figured it was Emme anyway, seeing as she has a habit of coming to find her for help. And with what’s happening tonight? Emme probably needs some help.

“You need some help?” She asks, kindly, a small smile appearing on her face. There’s no judgment, just friendship, and she knows she’s going to drop everything just to be there for Emme. Maybe the two of them can figure this stuff out together. 

#{ & interactions; } #{ & starter; } #{ & i: emme; } #{ & queue; }

[karileex-blog]

date&time: january 15, 9:38 pm location: hotel ballroom status: closed for @fire-birds

Kari’s hearts all a flutter and she’s sure that there’s a permanent blush on her face. Kari hasn’t had a romantic partner since David, but that doesn’t mean that she’s immune to the charms and looks of attractive people. It’s almost easy for her to have crushes, with someone smiling at her the right way or even paying the right attention to her. It’s foolish, something that she’s told herself that she needed to work on, but right now? As she’s leaving the arms of some handsome gentleman that’s pretty much swept her right off her feet? She’s just happy to play pretend.

Happy to imagine a life where it’s not so complicated. Where he’s not some handsome rich man who payed a lot of money to see the show, to see them perform, to see them like they are right now. She wants to pretend that she’s in some fairy tale, where he’s going to come save her from all the bad and evil in the world and protect her. She wants to go back into his arms, dance the night away and not worry about anything. But he’s off talking to another man, probably one of his friends, and she’s left to her own devices once more.

But not for long. A hand is on her arm, and she’s looking up at Li Hua, who’s grinning at her. She grins back, and a breathless giggle leaves her lips. “Did you see that?” She’s asking, before reaching just a bit to link fingers with her friend, dragging her away from everyone else. Once they’re away from mostly everyone, she’s grasping Li Hua’s other hand, excitedly. “I danced with a handsome man and he didn’t even care that I stepped on his feet a few times!” 

#{ & interactions; } #{ & starter; } #{ & i: li hua; }

[karileex-blog]

date&time: january 15, 7:03 pm location: noah’s room status: closed for @noctertv

She’s partly ready. All she has to do is change, as she’s still in a sweater and jeans, but she has her hair and make up done. It doesn’t take any time for her at all to apply anything, and she hasn’t really gone all out. She doesn’t feel like it, after all. She’s nervous, not wanting to act the way they’re going to have to act for these rich people. It makes her sick to her stomach. 

So instead of spending way too much time on her appearance, she’s here, with Noah, sitting rigidly on his bed. “Hey, Noah?” She’s asking, her voice soft as she stares down at the carpet. She needs some distraction, so she’s going to have to think of something to get him to help distract her. She feels a little bad, taking his time up when he should be devoting his time to getting ready, but for once she’s being a little selfish. “Can you teach me how to con someone?” It’s not like she really wants to learn how to do that, but it’s out now and she’s not going to take it back. 

#{ & interactions; } #{ & starter; } #{ & i: noah; }

[karileex-blog]

starter call/wanted plots!

okay, so im doing this again! like this post if you want a personalized starter! also bc im so far behind on replies and everything, let me know if its okay for me to drop it so we can focus on the event!

i also have some wanted plots and theyre located under the cut!! reply with what youd like if youre interested! otherwise if you just like it, ill come hit you up on discord so we can discuss what we can do!

one: if you’re a stratum three, then expect kari to come visit you. she’s going to bring blankets and things that’ll help, and she doesn’t even care that she may get thrown in as well.

two: who wants to dance with kari? we can have a cute little dancing thread!

three: who wants to take kari under their wing and get her drunk and take her for a night on the town?

four: kari is super worried about dancing and the ball, so maybe your character can help calm her down when they see her being nervous? 

five: convince her to do something wild!!! let her have fun for the first time in a while!

six: teach her how to gamble at the casino! 

#mrpg:plots

[karileex-blog]

anoracle:

She wants to be able to treat the world as if on a dial, a world built on the static of voices that crescendos among a crowd, as if whispers trying to speak above one another in the back of her mind, until it’s all that’s in her ears, behind her eyes that she has to strain not to listen to. Many are her own, her voice, her mother’s breaking its way through her chest, until all she wants to be is small. She thinks her face is neutral, or she’s just too far lost into her own mind to tell that her expression reflects the first few times she was forced into an unexpected crowd and noise. It’s just so much noise. When Kari’s there, she barely notices until she’s already whisked away, when Emme has to blink past the panic of a mind to see the other clearly, but she lets the woman lead her, sinks into her side even as they’re walking, letting the world be a blur.

She’s too lost in her own mind to question what Kari does, too trusting of the older woman anyway, the warmth of a person she doesn’t need to try to look alive around. They’ve both known each long enough for Kari to be anything but an appreciative comfort.

It’s like she a confused ghost, watching Kari with knitted brows and held breaths, but follows, leans in toward Kari like she’s a sun-lit window. She only nods in answer before thinking that it’s not enough, “Thank you, Kari, thanks.” And Emme does tuck herself into the other woman’s side, head light on her shoulder among their cocoon made of blankets - things are better with blankets, both of them must have agreed once. “Were you asleep before, did the news wake you?” She doubts Kari was asleep, but if there’s conversation, she wants it on her.

“If someone doesn’t need you, do you think we could stay until morning?”

She wants to say that Emme doesn’t have to thank her. Because she doesn’t. She’d do this for her any time, be there to help her, hold her, care for her. It’s no issue at all, she cares so much about Emme and she just wants her to be safe. But she keeps quiet because she knows Emme would normally protest. Instead, she focuses on her question, knowing that she has to start up something to keep Emme busy.

“No, I was up. I was planning on making some tea, but then everything happened.” She’s shrugging, and then she’s tilting her head to press a gentle kiss to the top of Emme’s. It’s something to help her focus on the present, the softness of the blanket around them, the fact that they’re some place quiet, even if it is dark. She wants to ask what Emme had been doing, but she’s focusing on herself instead. If Emme wants to tell her, she’ll tell her. But at the moment, she just wants to help distract her.

“You know, you’re one of my main priorities.” She’s giving a smile down at the younger woman. “I’ll stay with you as long as you want, okay? I just want you to be okay.”

#{ & interactions; } #{ & i: emme; } #{ & queue; }

[karileex-blog]

fcxxes:

his eyes are drooping, the boy having spent the entire night up and running without a moment of sleep - save for a few quick naps, all restless at best. 

(he blames the cold, hard ground but there’s always been a haunting in the corner of his mind and sleeping in corners and floors of places that are familiar but not-home, places that he knows but doesn’t quite belong to - it never helps)

(it kills him to say it, but he’s comfortable in his sleeper, comfortable in the cramp of bodies and mess of limbs. he’s been trained to never sleep alone since he was thirteen, after all)

kari’s warmth is inviting, welcoming, and soren leans in easily to it. eyes closed and basking in the warmth of a blanket, in a soft couch, in a body next to his and kari’s never been anything but safe. 

his laugh to her question is soft, if not a little ragged. “did i ever.” he tries for a drawl. “’s like playing hide-and-seek in the dark with the guards. or tag. a little something before we get used to the big, bright lights of vegas.” 

a pause a bit too long and the boy dozes off for a split second before he jolts himself awake again. 

“and you? don’t tell me people were wandering around looking for you, trying to say that fear of the dark was a sickness you had to cure.”

Kari’s letting out a soft laugh, moving a hand up to gently brush through his hair. It’s comforting, to her, and she’s sure it’s comforting for him, and it’s what she’s aiming for. After the night everyone’s had, she just wants to be sure that he’s okay. That he knows that she cares about him, that he’s not alone. That she’s here for him. 

“If you end up playing again, I can hide you behind my skirt or something.” The idea makes her giggle, and it’s not like she has one of those huge skirts that would make it possible. She’s not sure she’d even be able to hide him behind her legs. But it’s more the point in trying to get Soren to laugh.

He’s quiet, and she’s sure that he’s fallen asleep, and she doesn’t mind. She’d be more than content to lay here with him, stroking his hair, keeping him close, letting him sleep. She’s sure she’d probably end up falling asleep anyway. But then he’s speaking again and Kari’s pursing her lips.

“No,” she starts. “At least, I don’t think anyone was doing that. I kinda went out searching for people. Seeing if anyone was okay. Helping anyone that was not.” She’s silent for a moment, before letting out a soft sigh.”It’s been a long night. And I’m worried about what’s going to happen when we get to Las Vegas...”

She wanted to keep it sweet between the two of them, wanting him to sleep, but she can’t help the whispered words. Because she is. She’s incredibly worried, about what’s going to happen to the people she cares about. She doesn’t want the Stratum Three’s to have to deal with what’s been thrust upon them and it makes her sick. She’s biting her bottom lip, and she’s snuggling closer to him, trying to take comfort in his presence. 

#{ & interactions; } #{ & i: soren; }

[karileex-blog]

shahrzada:

“At last, someone speaks the truth,” Shahrzad said with a tired sigh of her own. It was clear to her, after years of watching the way he ran this sordid operation, that Metzger’s concerns did not include the wellbeing of those at the bottom Stratum. And why should it, when they performed regardless of how they were treated? And when they died, they were discarded so carelessly,

“I think he’d be happy, to know that so many people cared for him,” she murmurs, uttering a wish she hopes is true. “That he left such an impact.” Because that’s all she wanted - for him to be at peace, for his legacy to live on, for his vision of freedom to not die with him.

“Sometimes I wish it wasn’t the truth.” She wishes things were different, she wishes things weren’t like this. Sure, she had seen the cages when she first came here, she knew how things were, but she didn’t know how bad it was. She had had rose colored glasses on, wanting to help while also getting away from David. She still wants to help, but sometimes she feels like it’s not going to be enough. Especially now that Aladdin is dead and all the hope feels like it’s been snatched from her very soul.

Kari nods, feeling a pang in her heart. “Yeah. He had such a big impact on everyone. He was... special.” She hates that she has to refer to him in the past, that he’s dead, but she can’t change that. Even though she wishes she could. “Nothing’s going to be the same without him.”

#{ & interactions; } #{ & i: shahrzad; }

[karileex-blog]

ceydran-aecor:

It always surprises him when people come to him for comfort. He’s convinced himself he’s hard, that his emotions are hidden deep beneath the waves, that he doesn’t care about anyone but himself. That he’s done a good job of barricading and walling off everyone and everything else, that it’s okay that he only cares about staying alive because he doesn’t have anything else to care about.

But he’s lying to himself. And when Kari folds herself into his chest, leaning her cheek against his jacket, his emotions roil up like a tsunami, and suddenly he’s furiously fighting back tears. Her voice is so quiet. He can hear the way her heart is breaking and he remembers the first time life crashed itself into his preconceptions, the first time he lost hope, and how he clutched at the blankets on his bed, alone. He doesn’t want that for her. She should be able to remain soft, to leave her heart out for the world to see how beautifully it glows, and so he holds her tightly and rubs a hand along her back. 

“It’s okay,” he whispers into her hair. “It’s going to be okay.” He curls his metal fingers into her sweater and looks out over the water. He hopes, he so hopes, he hopes to a god he doesn’t believe in, that he’s not lying.

He’s curling into her, helping, even without words and that... well, it makes the tears tumble down her cheeks. She’s sniffing, burying her face into his chest, and she holds onto him for dear life. She doesn’t sob, but she’s sure he can figure out that she’s actually crying now.

She hates crying, she hates letting it go, and she knows that’s bad for her. Kari knows that she should be able to cry, should be able to release the feelings that she feels instead of holding them in, but she can’t do it. Instead, this is what she does. Holds it in until she can’t anymore and then lets it go on someone. She shouldn’t let it all out, she should hold it in so she isn’t bothering someone, but it feels good to be held, to be told that it’s going to be okay even if it’s not. 

“Is it though?” She’s whispering, hand raising up to grasp at his jacket. “It doesn’t feel like it is. It feels like it’s only going to get worse...”

#{ & interactions; } #{ & i: ceydran; }

[karileex-blog]

fire-birds:

These sorts of things were easy—their fingers tangled, the open expressions, the simple laughter, sitting next to each other. “You a Stratum One? I wonder what you’d have to do to get there. I doubt lollipops are the types of things Metzger goes for,” it’s half a joke, a dumb grin on Li Hua’s face, pressing into Kari’s soft innocence, “but you know the types of things you hear around here.”

It almost feels as if they’re feeling their way backwards in time. If only they could continue backwards like this—would things be normal? Or just cease to be? These things don’t happen so easily, of course, forgetting, moving on. They both know this, have told each other so during late nights up—it always starts I remember…

How could it not start that way?

It’s a short response, dismissive, a laugh tacked on to the end, carrying the conversation forward with barely a stutter. But Li Hua’s not the type to let it sit, “surviving?” She echoes, as if she hadn’t heard her right. “It’s not just about surviving, Kari,” her hand grips around the other girl’s, tighter, almost hurt herself, before loosening, catching herself only slightly, “surviving is easy.” It’s easy for her, a phoenix, a self-healer, someone so sure of herself she couldn’t be hurt. Surviving was easy, death impractical.  

Li Hua looks at her before saying quietly, “don’t you want to live?” It’s not meant to be harsh, but it’s important. She thinks about Kari keeping herself busy, pacing around, like a bird having had its fill of nectar, but visiting the face of flowers anyways, as if it didn’t know what to do with itself. “You can scream or cry or—I don’t know—play fair games or punch someone,” the words rush out faster than she can think, “you can do anything you want, you know?” It’s almost like she’s talking to herself. She gives a small smile, trying to prove it’s not an accusation, but a suggestion, an invitation. It’s something they can do together, she thinks.

Kari lets out a soft laugh. “No, not lollipops. But words. Sickening sweet fake words would probably work.” She can picture the amount of work that she’d have to do in order to kiss up to Metzger. It makes her stomach churn just thinking about it, really. The untrue words, the agreeing with him when she thinks the opposite. She could never ever kiss up to him, but she does want to talk to him; make him see the light.

But then her own light fades. The smile drops from her face, slowly, with each word that Li Hua speaks. She knows that Li Hua is her friend, that she cares, that she wants to be there for her but at the same time, she’s... Kari’s pulling back in on herself. She’s letting go of Li Hua’s hand, putting her hands in her lap. She should keep the contact, she knows, but at the same time, she can’t. 

“I know.” The words are clipped, and she knows what Li Hua is saying is true. She’d say something similar to her or anyone else. But she can’t take the words to heart herself. Hypocritical, she knows, but she can’t help it. She’d rather work or focus on other people. It’s always been that way. Why focus on herself when she could help everyone else? 

She wants to leave it there, move on, but Li Hua is her friend. She knows she needs to give her something. Kari had tensed up, but now she’s deflating, letting out a huge sigh as her shoulders sag. “It’s hard. I’d rather just work, you know?”

#{ & interactions; } #{ & i: li hua; } #angst is what we do best it seems! lmao

[karileex-blog]

date: january 12, 12:16 pm location: hallways status: closed for @codecerberus

She knows it’s dangerous, exchanging whispered, sometimes heated, words with another stratum two in defense of the stratum three’s. But does she really care? Not really. Not when the person is bad mouthing them, insisting that they did it and that they deserve to be punished. And she just couldn’t sit by and let this person talk bad about them, her friends, the people she cares about. So even with the knowledge that Metzger could get wind of this and bump her down a stratum, she’s doing this anyway, sticking up for the people she cares about. Even if it’s just by talking to another person.

When they walk off in a huff, Kari’s sighing, running her fingers through her hair. She’s tired, frustrated, and hungry, and she wants nothing more than to just curl up and sleep for a long time, but that’s not going to happen. She turns around, and then blinks, eyes landing on Carter, who’s staring at her. “Oh. Hi, Carter!” She’s giving him a smile, trying to put enthusiasm behind it, even though it’s a bit lackluster. “How long have you been there?”

#{ & interactions; } #{ & i: carter; }