Lilac and Carol had been so wrapped in their argument that shortly after, as the others begun to react, they kind of realized the obvious. Namely, that they had made a scene in front of everyone.
It was amazing, really. One moment the duo took center stage and was impossible to ignore, the next they are practically hiding the corner, trying to make themselves as unnoticeable as possible. As they were led downstairs, they actually didn't say anything, just trying to compensate for the argument they had caused earlier ; they were obviously not proud of that outburst.
They had thought that their friendship was stronger than it obviously is. And well, it made the two realize that while they did move forward, working together, learning from their mistakes, they still have a long way to go. No wonder Spade still sigh when he see the two of them...
Still, they had to get energy and move on from the earlier drama so they did.
The two sat in a corner, making sure they wouldn't make a scene again. It was just so odd. It had been years since they begun doing missions in the Outer Nations and occasionally off-world and it still felt weird, eating actual food. It was just so odd, moving from a place where food was a luxury to places where it was essential. Then there was the talk about other things...
Hopefully, Lilac had her mind strictly focused away from this and so did Carol. Right now, they needed to clear their minds and think ahead. They were, yet again, in another insane stupid impossible-sounding situation with minimal info and resources. Yet again, their resolve and skills are being tested. Then there was the talk of a superhero... Carol scoffed internally. The world doesn't need heroes, just hardworking people. Heroes go and get themselves killed in a blaze of glory. What you need is someone who knows what is his or her duty and will perform it to their ability. Of course, one might argue that such a person might be a hero... but that is only a side-effect of following a noble cause and even then, not every duty can be glamorous.
Sometimes, things happen because they must, not because they're right or because anyone deserve them. And that leaves her best friend, Lilac.
Lilac has held up quite nicely since the Brevon Crisis. To be fair, therapy helped as did training and the reduced stakes of subsequent missions. A stable financial situation that demanded only minimal criminal activity was also good for their combined ego. Their ninja background also being shoved back into the shadows, where they belong, also helped. But now, here they are, in another global crisis affecting an entire world, up against an impossibly tough enemy. Will Lilac be able to hold it together or will her self-hatred and obsessive desire to prove herself better than Corazon cause her to go nuts again? And if she does go crazy again... will she be able to stop her best friend before things can collapse around them?
The green feline was not happy with those thoughts, with having to juggle and consider them. But she must. She learnt that if she doesn't face them, no one else will do it for her. Yes, Lilac's mistakes were her own... but she should have acted when Lilac started acting crazy, not when it was way too late.
Thankfully, she was not the only one considering the situation. It seemed like a simple affair at first glance. Do what's right, save a world, get home. But then, Torque lied to her about Brevon, claiming that he was simply a supervillain when he was on a journey to save his world. She had jumped to conclusions regarding Coral's death and Spade's involvement. She had assumed the best of people just because they looked trustworthy and then had assumed the worst of suspicious people because they looked as such. She lost her love, her adoptive family, her job, her honor, and almost her life because she wanted the world to fit neatly into good or evil labels. On one hand, the Brevon Crisis did eventually give her a happy ending...
... but it wasn't until she endure being tortured halfway to death, witnessing all her friends almost dying because of her, and having her pride and worldview thoroughly smashed up. She claimed for so long that she was not 'Sash', that she was not the assassin she had been trained to be. Yet, it was that way of thinking, those skills, those instincts that allowed her to prevail. And then there is the lesson she learnt from her ancestors, about how lying to themselves destroyed their lives and it was only by accepting their place that they became able to live with themselves.
She want to do what's right. But can she? She can't just discard her reluctance to use her assassination combat style or all of the tricks and ways of thinking she used to have. If she starts killing wantonly... she may end up like Brevon, like Corazon. That... wouldn't be much better. But then, she did act insane during the Brevon Crisis.
She looked over everyone. How do people like Coral and Shadow manage it? Carol's sister was a paragon of perfection, one who almost certainly saved the world several times. And she bet that this 'Shadow' guy on this world never had so many difficulties figuring out what's right...
Maybe... she just isn't cut out for this, like Carol said. But then, as Carol said, they're yet again stuck on a world in peril with no one else able to give help. She can't abandon all of the others, she won't. She can't, actually.
Once the meal is done with, it's time for everyone to meet up. She may not be able to figure what's right but she can help lead this group into surviving this crisis. Sure, the odds are insanely bad and Carol did point it out... but if they stand together, they may stand a chance. And the first part of this will be to figure a solid plan of action. She's sure Carol, Mox, Mugman, Vile, and all the others will have input of their own.
She smiled to herself. Things were already getting simpler ; sure, the situation is complicated. But once a situation has been boiled down to a plan, it become only a matter of execution.
While Lilac was planning ahead, Carol eventually got bored with staying in the corner and having finished, decided to do her thing. Namely, sneaking about. With surprising speed, she weaved her way between the chairs, not disturbing anyone, and eventually moving toward the kitchen. She thought of talking with Mugman but before that... she decided to stop by Vile.
@EternalStruggle
"Hey." she went, hands joined behind her head as she smiled. "How are you holding up? Oh and by the way... awesome arm cannon you had there. Reminds me of the arm cannon that a friend of mine. You got a Variable Weapon System on it too or single ammo type?"
