((Aftermath of recent events, Nat and Kage speaking of what comes next. If you don't actually know what happened, it will be interesting foreshadowing at least. Or wait... postshadowing?!? Who knows.))
Natalie found Kage in the Quicksand, speaking to a large tanned highlander, a look of supreme sorrow flitting across his features. She waited a moment before clearing her throat and speaking. "Kage."
“Natalie.†He said softly then nods and whispers to the highlander, "Thank you sir." He turns to Natalie and tilts his head, "Want to go for a drink at the bar upstairs?"
"I do..." she shakes her head, "But let's skip the alcohol tonight."
He nods and they make their way towards the elevator, riding it to the top of the city. The two look at each other nervously as if each is afraid to speak first, the only noise the mechanical whirr of the device. The elevator stops and they head for the small bar which serves the small but constant trickle of airship traffic in the city. She speaks to the bartender, returning with two steaming mugs of coffee. “Here, for you.â€
He takes one of the mugs from Natalie, "Thanks."
She sits and cradles the mug in her hands, blowing softly on it, "It's all a mess, isn't it." Raising her eyes she gives him a wry look.
Kage holds his own mug and slowly rubs a finger around the cup lip. Sighing, bitterly, "I made it worse."
She smirks and sips at the steaming brew, "Somehow I doubt that's possible."
He laughs bitterly, shaking his head, "What does talking to Taeros -and- Commander Swift about the events of Wolfsong's freeing sound? Osric Melkire wants -you- to -hang- Natalie. I couldn't just let that happen. I -can't-." He speaks quickly, his words tumbling over themselves.
She blinks, "You... you told them we freed Gharen...? Kage..." she simply stares at him for a moment, "What did those people die for then?"
He blinks tears out of his eyes, "Melkire reported their deaths Natalie. Of course I found this out when I went to Swift... but they know. They already know."
Natalie puts her cup down and just stares at the ceiling for a long while. "Why did those people die kage..." she says softly.
He continues desperately, "Natalie, I've tried to keep your involvement out of it. I told Swift you were there but only as a witness. I did it." He starts weeping, whispering, "I did it." He watches Natalie close her eyes, "Would you have wanted Taeros to know we did it? I'm a fool. He knows now. I talked to him... to try and gain favor from him. I DON'T WANT TO SEE OSRIC MELKIRE HANG YOU!" He slams his fist against the table, sobbing. "What's happened to me?"
She shakes shakes her head, "I don't know what's happening to any of us Kage. I'm not sure what I'm doing anymore..." She exhales deeply, "Roen's out of their clutches... it's time to end this."
"I know I don't. I feel like I'll be drowned in my own blood. Soon." He takes in a deep breath, "As long as Roen is out of Ul'dah, she is better for it." He stares at Natalie, whispering, "I'd do anything to get you out of this."
She finally takes her gaze off of the ceiling and meets his eyes, "What if I don't want to get out of this?†Taking a deep breath, "I'm not going to fight this."
Kage furrows his brows, "What are you saying Natalie? Fight who? Taeros? Melire? All of them?" He tries to clear his throat, clenching a fist before closing his eyes.
She shakes her head, "Any of them." She looks down at her coffee before taking a sip. "I'm tired Kage. I'm tired of dancing to someone else's tune, and for what? Just so I can make it through another day, a little worse of a person I was the day before?"
He blinks tears away before nodding. "You're right."
She gets up and walks over, embracing kage, "It's ok..." as she nuzzles against his neck, "I know you've been fighting hard, but it's ok."
He leans his head against hers, "You're right. I've... I've faltered, Natalie." He starts to weep once more. Wiping his eyes with one hand before sighing, "... I won't fight it. I'm tired of this. I'm tired of the politics."
She shakes her head, kissing his tears, "No... you never faltered. She smiles bitterly, "I did."
Kage holds her face with both of his hands, cradling it gently. "I don't think you did, but if you have. I'm right here with you. We'll pick ourselves up."
She brushes off his hands gently, "No... Kage, I'm not going to let you take the fall for this. It was all my fault. I planned it, and I saw it carried out. Smiling softly and rubbing his cheek, "All you did was try to help me fix it."
He shakes his head, "I can't let you do this by yourself Natalie. Besides," he gives a wry smile, "I told you didn't I? I made a mess of it with Taeros and Swift."
She nods, "If you did, again, it was only because you tried to help me." she kisses his forehead, "I'll clean up my own mess Kage." she smiles and adjusts his beret, "You just need to figure out what you're going to do..." her smile flickers for a moment, "...after."
Kage closes his eyes, "Natalie... Natalie I love you. I can't... I can't lose you." He bites his lip drawing blood before exhaling, "But I won't... I won't stop you."
Natalie leans down, kissing him on the lips this time, "Thank you Kage. For everything."
Kage shakes his head before reaching up to cradle her face gently once more before pulling her into a deep, one would call it desperate, kiss. "Always."
Natalie closes her eyes and lingers for a moment. She pulls back slowly, "Well..." giving him a forced grin, "I have some people to talk to."
He returns her wry smile, definitely not reaching his eyes. "Always Natalie. Always."
She steps back slowly, "See you around Kage†and walks towards the elevator.
Natalie found Kage in the Quicksand, speaking to a large tanned highlander, a look of supreme sorrow flitting across his features. She waited a moment before clearing her throat and speaking. "Kage."
“Natalie.†He said softly then nods and whispers to the highlander, "Thank you sir." He turns to Natalie and tilts his head, "Want to go for a drink at the bar upstairs?"
"I do..." she shakes her head, "But let's skip the alcohol tonight."
He nods and they make their way towards the elevator, riding it to the top of the city. The two look at each other nervously as if each is afraid to speak first, the only noise the mechanical whirr of the device. The elevator stops and they head for the small bar which serves the small but constant trickle of airship traffic in the city. She speaks to the bartender, returning with two steaming mugs of coffee. “Here, for you.â€
He takes one of the mugs from Natalie, "Thanks."
She sits and cradles the mug in her hands, blowing softly on it, "It's all a mess, isn't it." Raising her eyes she gives him a wry look.
Kage holds his own mug and slowly rubs a finger around the cup lip. Sighing, bitterly, "I made it worse."
She smirks and sips at the steaming brew, "Somehow I doubt that's possible."
He laughs bitterly, shaking his head, "What does talking to Taeros -and- Commander Swift about the events of Wolfsong's freeing sound? Osric Melkire wants -you- to -hang- Natalie. I couldn't just let that happen. I -can't-." He speaks quickly, his words tumbling over themselves.
She blinks, "You... you told them we freed Gharen...? Kage..." she simply stares at him for a moment, "What did those people die for then?"
He blinks tears out of his eyes, "Melkire reported their deaths Natalie. Of course I found this out when I went to Swift... but they know. They already know."
Natalie puts her cup down and just stares at the ceiling for a long while. "Why did those people die kage..." she says softly.
He continues desperately, "Natalie, I've tried to keep your involvement out of it. I told Swift you were there but only as a witness. I did it." He starts weeping, whispering, "I did it." He watches Natalie close her eyes, "Would you have wanted Taeros to know we did it? I'm a fool. He knows now. I talked to him... to try and gain favor from him. I DON'T WANT TO SEE OSRIC MELKIRE HANG YOU!" He slams his fist against the table, sobbing. "What's happened to me?"
She shakes shakes her head, "I don't know what's happening to any of us Kage. I'm not sure what I'm doing anymore..." She exhales deeply, "Roen's out of their clutches... it's time to end this."
"I know I don't. I feel like I'll be drowned in my own blood. Soon." He takes in a deep breath, "As long as Roen is out of Ul'dah, she is better for it." He stares at Natalie, whispering, "I'd do anything to get you out of this."
She finally takes her gaze off of the ceiling and meets his eyes, "What if I don't want to get out of this?†Taking a deep breath, "I'm not going to fight this."
Kage furrows his brows, "What are you saying Natalie? Fight who? Taeros? Melire? All of them?" He tries to clear his throat, clenching a fist before closing his eyes.
She shakes her head, "Any of them." She looks down at her coffee before taking a sip. "I'm tired Kage. I'm tired of dancing to someone else's tune, and for what? Just so I can make it through another day, a little worse of a person I was the day before?"
He blinks tears away before nodding. "You're right."
She gets up and walks over, embracing kage, "It's ok..." as she nuzzles against his neck, "I know you've been fighting hard, but it's ok."
He leans his head against hers, "You're right. I've... I've faltered, Natalie." He starts to weep once more. Wiping his eyes with one hand before sighing, "... I won't fight it. I'm tired of this. I'm tired of the politics."
She shakes her head, kissing his tears, "No... you never faltered. She smiles bitterly, "I did."
Kage holds her face with both of his hands, cradling it gently. "I don't think you did, but if you have. I'm right here with you. We'll pick ourselves up."
She brushes off his hands gently, "No... Kage, I'm not going to let you take the fall for this. It was all my fault. I planned it, and I saw it carried out. Smiling softly and rubbing his cheek, "All you did was try to help me fix it."
He shakes his head, "I can't let you do this by yourself Natalie. Besides," he gives a wry smile, "I told you didn't I? I made a mess of it with Taeros and Swift."
She nods, "If you did, again, it was only because you tried to help me." she kisses his forehead, "I'll clean up my own mess Kage." she smiles and adjusts his beret, "You just need to figure out what you're going to do..." her smile flickers for a moment, "...after."
Kage closes his eyes, "Natalie... Natalie I love you. I can't... I can't lose you." He bites his lip drawing blood before exhaling, "But I won't... I won't stop you."
Natalie leans down, kissing him on the lips this time, "Thank you Kage. For everything."
Kage shakes his head before reaching up to cradle her face gently once more before pulling her into a deep, one would call it desperate, kiss. "Always."
Natalie closes her eyes and lingers for a moment. She pulls back slowly, "Well..." giving him a forced grin, "I have some people to talk to."
He returns her wry smile, definitely not reaching his eyes. "Always Natalie. Always."
She steps back slowly, "See you around Kage†and walks towards the elevator.
