☆ Eighteenth Wish ☆ - [Action | Voice]

[bubblywishes]

[Waking was like bursting through a veil of frigid water. Gasping and jerking into a sitting position, Norma casts her bleary gaze left and right quickly, half expecting to see herself surrounded by ash, blood and cultist soldiers. Her chest burns with her quick movements (as well as other parts of her aching body) and her fist clutches the middle of it, digging her fingers painfully into the fabric of her clothes.

With each breath, Norma tries to get a grip on what happened and where she is. The air isn't thick with smoke and ash and the smell of decay like she remembered being in. Truth be told, the air now was fresh, crisp, fragrant... Pushing her hair from her face and just forcing herself into a calm state, she finally manages to make sense of where she was.

It was the Memory Garden. Snorting at the irony, Norma tries to get up, wincing at the cracks and pops of her stiff muscles and sore bones. She really does feel like she just came back from the dead... And as she thinks back on the memories right before it happened, her fingers brush insistently into her clothes, searching for any sort of bullet holes or marks that would give away what really happened. The others may or may not know...and she isn't sure she even wantsto tell them. Norma knows she has to, eventually, but she can't bring herself to even think of going home right now. So, as she gropes around, she finds her journal and shoves it under one arm without even thinking. Her mind's working automatically right now.

So, instead, she drags herself to the bar (it was the closest establishment, and the first she could think of), enters through the back, and just...collapses in a heap in one corner, head in her hands and tears welling up in her eyes. She can taste something sour in her mouth and idly wonders if she's going to throw up - wouldn't that be fun to explain to whoever finds her here - but thankfully the contents in her stomach remain there. But her ears are ringing and her head is a mess of thoughts and memories and fears. She died. It finally happened and she really died in Luceti. She got shot and died and now here she is again. Who knew? Would she have to come clean to her housemates? To Grune? To Sophie?

...No, Sophie shouldn't know. She has to bite her tongue and hope to high heaven nothing was told to the poor kid.

It's a good hour or more that Norma stays crouched in a corner in the back of the bar, shaking and letting the tears dribble down her face before she gets a grip on herself and decides she has to come clean sooner or later. Her intent was to write a written message, but as she presses her pen to the paper and tries to write, all Norma can see are weird shapes and sqiggly lines before it blurs together into one big mess. She thinks nothing of it - just post draft nerves and her own mental instability - and instead takes a massive gulp of air and puts on her well-practiced mask of cheerfulness and indifference.]

Everyone, I'm back! Tell me some good news, too. I could use a serious pick-me-up.

Comments

[savedtheworld]

[Aang had spotted Norma once or twice out on the battlefield. He had wanted to make a point of checking up on her later, but he was never able to find her. His heart had sank when he couldn't find her upon returning to Luceti, and it was all too easy to fear the worst.

And now he hears her voice again, over the journals. It feels so good to see and hear from her again! Looking so alive. But there's a bittersweetness mixed with that, too. An uncertainty, as he can't help but guess what she's returning from. He manages to put on a warm smile when he turns on the feed, delicately addressing her.]

There's some really pretty sunflowers growing near the house! Wanna see?

[bubblywishes]

[It takes a practiced ear to spot when someone's forcing themselves into a different mood than hat they're really feeling. Norma's doing it now, so of course she could spot when someone else was doing the same thing from a mile away. She knows the vocal cues, the shift in tone... Honestly, though? She's glad for a little discreetness. Her death isn't exactly something she wants to address, if she can help it. She'd much rather sweep that bad memory under the rug entirely.]

Sounds great! Near your house, right? Which one is it? [She might take a while to get there, her legs feel like they were glued down, but whatever. She could use fresh air.]

[savedtheworld]

It's House 56! Y-you'll know it when you see that statue of Sokka's head! [Aang definitely thinks some fresh air and pretty flowers can help.]

[bubblywishes]

Oh, I know where that is! That's right across the river from us. [Man, she had always been wondering whose's nutty house that was with the crazy statue thing. Now? Now it kind of makes sense...] I can head that way from here.

[Voice]

[lostinmyway]

[It's been quiet without Norma in House 34. Grune has been keeping busy--with so many of her friends damaged or recently returned from the dead, it isn't difficult--but...every evening, when she comes home, the silence is there.

It just doesn't feel like a home without her. She knows Norma will be coming back soon and she just has to wait, but--she doesn't want to wait. She wants her dearest friend back at her side.

It's when she's in the middle of drawing yet another picture of herself and Norma together on a picnic, her journal lying open so she can listen to this sounds of the village, that she at last hears what she's been waiting for.]

Norma! Where are you?

[Voice]

[bubblywishes]

[Ah, and here is one of the people she was absolutely dreading to speak with. Norma's lips close tightly, and her head races to find an answer to that question.She doesn't want to lie to Grune's face, but she doesn't...really want to see anyone right now. The wound is still too rough and raw, and she's a little ashamed to show her face in front of her dearest friends right now. She's cried enough already, and she doesn't really want to explain herself.

Nor does she want to make anyone worry about her. They've probably already figured it out by now, after all. She doesn't want to tell them, she doesn't want to relive her death. She wants to just brush it aside and pretend it never happened.]

...Back. [She pauses, trying to think of what to say.] I'm with a bunch of people right now, don't worry. I'll be home later on, G-Girl, I promise.

[Voice]

[lostinmyway]

[Grune is quiet for only a moment. As long as Norma isn't alone, that's all right. And she's promised she'll come home.]

All right. [Norma should be able to hear the smile in her voice.] I'm glad you're home.

[voice]

[frost_jewel]

[Mia's idle habit of listening for things over the journal pays off today. At first, she isn't sure she heard correctly. It could be someone else's voice. She doesn't want it to be someone else's voice.]

Norma? [So she grabs her book in order to respond as fast as she can.] Norma, is that you? Where are you?

[voice]

[bubblywishes]

[Norma should have known her return would gather people to her. She's not upset by any means - they're just worried about her and want to see her - but she's really...still a little shell-shocked. She's never been great about dealing with personal stuff with anyone but herself, and this kind of thing is something she'd rather try to forget entirely.

Brush it under the rug, so to speak. So she makes up an excuse. It's not the greatest, but it's an excuse--]

No one but me, Mimi, there's only one Treasure Hunter Extraordinaire~! And I'm gonna see some sunflowers soon.

[voice]

[frost_jewel]

[As much as Mia wants to see her, to know it's really real...it sounds like Norma already has plans.]

That sounds like fun. I hope you have a good time. [Norma goes well with sunflowers, come to think of it.]

[Filtered very badly to Norma]

[blessingone]

[Fenimore sits without replying for quite a while. She probably shouldn't lead in with telling Norma about the damage control around Sophie. She probably should give some pleasantries first and then mention it. But how do you lead into something like "we're lying to the kid about your death here's the story"? So she throws up a quick filter -- which is absolutely terrible because Fenimore couldn't make a good filter if she was given an hour, but even if Sophie read this (she won't if Fenimore has anything to say about it and she does watch Sophie's journal useage), she doesn't expect her to know how to do any form of hacking. She doesn't really care if someone else hacks it.

...So how to say this. She waffles a while before settling on kind of blunt.]

If Sophie asks, you went on a mission. I told her that you had to translate messages between bad guys that they'd found.

["Bad guys" being the Third Party and "they" being the Malnosso. The latter are unnamed because Fenimore is almost superstitious about catching their attention by saying their name, while the former are unnamed both because that's how she termed it to Sophie and because she doubts Norma wants to hear the name "Third Party" for months after that draft.]

[Bumping that filter to 60%]

[bubblywishes]

Seriously? That was the best you could come up with?

[For once Norma's happy about the blunt, quick honesty Fenimore saddles her with. She gave Sophie an excuse and a story, even if her opinion of it wasn't the best, and that was good. The kid didn't need to have something so heavy piled onto her when she was so little, and it'd just upset and confuse her. The story was solid enough, and definitely something Norma could work with. If there's one thing she's really good at, it's telling lies and making excuses.

That won't save her down the line if someone else blabs, but it'll at least buy the household some time. Honestly, Norma's keen on just forgetting the whole thing ever happened and never mentioning it again. She's alive and well, and she feels still as a board and sore to boot, but everything else checks out okay. She can see, hear, smell, walk...no missing memories...nothing out of the ordinary she found out just yet.

Whatever penalty they slapped her with can't be that bad if she can't even outwardly tell what it is, right?]

[Not so badly filtered now good job Norma]

[blessingone]

What else was I supposed to tell her? I needed something that needed you, or else she would have started by complaining about you leaving for so long.

[Her tone has a veneer of being argumentative, but her heart's not in it. She's only replying that way because it's easier to confront Norma than to confront her feelings about Norma's death. She probably should say something warm and friendly and such like welcoming her back. Eventually.]

[action]

[dissonates]

[When Asch heard the sound in the back room, he'd assumed someone was trying to break in and steal some of the stock- which was stupid but not unheard of, despite the fact that the alcohol was free. Still, he ran the bar, and he dislikes thievery (it interfered with his inventory, dammit), and the invasion would have him on edge all night if he didn't go to investigate. Thus, armed with a frying pan (because it's probably some drunk idiot so a sword would be overkill and Rapunzel's right, the damn things are versatile) he steps into the room.

And finds Norma there, crying.

.....Awkward.]

[action]

[bubblywishes]

[Norma anticipated being found at some point, but she had hoped it would have been a little bit after the whole scene she was making right now. She kind of wanted a bit of privacy to have her episode and the bar's back room seemed (in her mind) the perfect place. She's not entirely surprised to be found in general, but to be found by this particular person makes her stomach hit the floor, and with a loud sniff, she turns her face into her knees wordlessly.

She doesn't even flinch when she sees that frying pan of his. Caring would just take too much effort, and Norma doesn't have enough of that to spare right now.

Yeah, go ahead, big guy...kick her out or laugh. She kinda deserves it, doesn't she? Karma is karma, after all.]

[action]

[dissonates]

[Surprisingly enough, he does neither. He stares at her for a long moment, genuinely surprised, and then he silently backs out of the room, half-closing the door behind him. When he returns a minute or so later, he's armed instead with the bathroom's tissue box and a bottle of something reasonably strong. Still wordless, he crouches down beside her and offers them out.

There's no honour in kicking someone when they're already at their lowest, and it's really none of his business. He's not a complete asshole.]

[ Filtered ]

[generalflirt]

[ What do you even do with that. He'd sort of hope-assumed that some day he would come into the bar see that she was there, and somehow that situation would not be hard. But it is hard, right now. He's never experienced this sort of situation before, and so he sort of toys with how he'll answer as he makes the Filter. And finally... ]

I survived.

[ Was that seeming like it would be an "I am superior" thing? He hopes that. He just means to suggest it wasn't worthless ]

[ Filtered ]

[bubblywishes]

[The voice she hears is both shocking and reassuring. Norma's startled at first by the sound of it, but then heaves a sigh of relief. She had been worrying about Kida for a while now, hoping he had made it out when she did not. In the past she may have resent him, blamed him for her death, but now she's just so happy to hear that her efforts weren't in vain.]

Both of you? [She's not about to forget about that weird yellow mouse thing of his.]

[ Filtered ]

[generalflirt]

Yeah, the both of us.

[blackteriques]

[He doesn't approach her even though he sees her dragging herself towards the bar. After all, why would he? They weren't friends -- far from it. When he had heard from Fenimore than Norma had died during the draft, he had snorted sourly but otherwise kept his silence. They were supposed to keep that fact a secret from Sophie.

Just another thing to keep from the little girl. He had darkly wondered just how many deaths they would end up keeping from Sophie, and how soon she would learn about that additional layer of twistedness to what was already the complicated situation of her life.

Whenever Norma returns to the house, Walter will be around, watching her intensely for any physical signs of a death penalty.]

[bubblywishes]

[Coming home (and being accosted by Grune, of course), Norma rubs her face and heads right to her room. She's run down and exhausted, and frankly...she feels kind of sick. Her chest still ached, and she was sure that wasn't just from the guilt of worrying everyone. She's still half expecting to find bullet holes when she changes into her pajamas, and it gingers prodding at her chest, as if to try and search anything out.

Honestly, even Norma was wondering about her penalty - she couldn't find anything wrong with her at all! For all she knew, all her senses worked, she could remember things about her past...everything. Maybe she got off scott-free? It's doubtful, but Norma couldn't find anything wrong just yet... Her vision was a little blurry on the way home as she passed by the houses, but she just chalked that up to nerves and fatigue.

Out of the corner of her eye, she notices Walter's presence and sighs. Wally, she is not in the mood to deal with you, so please don't start.]

[blackteriques]

[Even if he could hear or detect her thoughts, Walter wouldn't have heeded them; in the face of Norma's recent death, he treats her almost as one would an unknown that had the potential of being a threat, as opposed to someone that was recognized as a threat and tolerated in being one.]

So what is it?

[As if it should be obvious what he's referring to.]

[Voice]

[knightofratatosk]

Good news?

[This actually gives him pause for a moment. What good news HAS there been lately with the draft...?]

Um... the weather's been nice lately? It was a little hot for a couple of days, but other than that, it's been pretty pleasant out.

[... that sounded pathetic and he knows it.]

[Voice]

[bubblywishes]

[Yes, it was pathetic, but it's something Norma can roll with easily. The weather is an easy conversation topic, and a simple distraction to get her thoughts away from the draft and, essentially, coming back from the dead. ]

Ooooh, awesome! Hot enough for a trip to the beach or not yet?

[Voice]

[knightofratatosk]

Definitely! In fact, that sounds perfect right about now.

[The relief in his voice is evident, his tone more genuinely cheerful now that he's realized she doesn't think it was a stupid thing to talk about.]

We could take some watermelon and set up the volleyball nets to play with.