ArchivedLogs:The Concept, Not the Feeling

The Concept, Not the Feeling
Dramatis Personae Marinov and Paige
In Absentia	2017-01-15 "None of you deserve any of this." (Takes place after Mai's arrest.)
Location <NYC> Chinatown
One of New York's oldest neighborhoods and the oldest Chinese enclave outside of Asia, Chinatown is a vibrant ethnic community, which draws throngs of tourists annually as well. This neighborhood is packed with Chinese-owned businesses, from restaurants to groceries to theaters to fashion. It's been two hours since a local Chinatown resident was placed under arrest, the scene having been attended to by gawking crowds, firefighters, and law enforcement officers. The MID was reportedly on site as they led a teenage girl into a police cruiser and headed out. Two hours since the incident. One and a half since Paige called her friend in absolute hysterics, her words barely coherent. Now, the horned mutant sits on a bench in Columbus. She's huddled into a ball as best she can be, what with her uncooperative digitigrade legs, wearing her ushanka hat and sweatshirt - the hood pulled over the former. While Marinov is usually pretty easy to pull off track on their travels, today they have come straight to where Paige is, not even having taken the time to change out of the track suit that they were wearing for their jog out in the woods. The teen's following the directions on their phone, running where possible, maybe touching the edge of where they might get in trouble for using mutant abilities. They slow upon seeing Paige and call, "Paige! I came right over." Paige's ears twitch beneath the hood and she looks up as Marinov approaches. A very sad frown seems to be etched into her features, skin red beneath her short, wet fur. It's clear that she's been crying and it is likely that the felinoid can sense her distraught state of mind, if not just from the way she had contacted them. Her jaw is clenched as she watches her friend through tired-looking eyes. "She's gone. They took her." The female mutant's voice comes out as a hoarse whisper. Marinov sits down next to Paige, offers her a hug and says, "I'm sorry Paige... I'm sorry that they took her. What... happened? I could barely understand you on the phone..." They shake their head and say, "And... is there anything that I can do for you right now?" The offered hug is accepted immediately as Paige practically throws her arms around Marinov and buries her head in their shoulder. Hot tears flow again from her eyes, though her crying is silent. "They came to the apartment. The--the M.I.D.? They're mutants, like us, and they--they took her." Ears flick up, then press down underneath the fabric of her hood. "They were really nice, aside from the one guy, but Sergeant Sutton made him go away. They took her to the police station. They had her in handcuffs. They think--Marinov, I think she -murdered- someone." Her voice is still quiet, but also frantic and unsure; confused and desparing. The other mutant's second question goes unanswered for the moment. "Murdered someone?" repeats Marinov, "Who would she have... ?" They seem rather confused by this assertion! They just rub Paige's back lightly, and rubs a cheek against her shoulder lightly to try and comfort her. "Why would she have murdered someone? I imagine... this is probably all some kind've misunderstanding? She didn't seem like the murdering type." "I don't know," Paige admits to her friend. "I have no idea. They wouldn't--" A sob, heaving, interrupts her words. "They wouldn't tell me. Mai wouldn't tell me. She wouldn't say she didn't do it. I wasn't--I wasn't listening. I was talking to the other officer. Officer Kelly. His first name is Keeley. He was really nice. I have his--I have is card." It seems the older mutant is trying to find some sort of bright side following the arrest, as fragile as it may be. "We talked--we talked about the assault. When I was attacked. But Mai--Mai was talking with Sergeant Sutton about something else. Then he told her she was under arrest for murder. -Murder-! Mai! She's such a sweetheart. Why would she ever murder someone? Why couldn't she just tell me she didn't do it?!" Her body is racked with silent sobs, voice barely rising due to its hoarseness. Marinov shakes their head and says softly, "I dunno why she didn't tell you. Maybe she was just... I dunno, using the whole right to remain silent thing. Sometimes cops can be pretty good at tricking people?" The teen speculates but sounds rather uncertain about the whole thing, "I'm sure that this whole thing is gonna get sorted out. They'll find the actual killer. But why do they suspect her? I haven't really smelled, well, guilt or anything on her? Like... the feeling, not the concept, right? 'cause concepts don't..." Marinov trails off, sort of just rambling, "It's gonna be alright, Paige." As soon as Marinov finishes speaking to her, a stream of words come out of Paige's mouth. "I don't know why they think it's her, but she acted -really- weirdly. She didn't even seem surprised, Marinov. She didn't even seem -surprised-. When they were--when they were placing her under arrest, she just started walking away. She started putting her shoes and jacket on, Tay. She said--she said--why did she--why did she say--but then the doorway burst into -flames- -- why did she say they could say she got away? Why was she trying to get away? If she didn't do anything, Tay, tell me - why was she trying to -get away-? They were just asking her questions about New Years' and then she's being charged with -murder-. They took her away. They said I could--they said I could go see her in holding after a few hours. It's not--it's not going to be alright, Tay. It's not ever going to be alright." "Yeah, I mean, I know it's not ever going to be alright. But we gotta go on pretending that it's gonna be, otherwise everything seems just so much shittier..." says Marinov, speaking honestly. "I don't know why she said and did all that stuff and... I don't know. She might not have felt at all guilty about what she did, if she did it, and that's why I couldn't tell. Maybe she killed someone in self-defence, 'cause she's a mutant and mutants sometimes gotta deal with some shitty choices. I was ready to kill someone in self-defence before, and I'd probably be charged if I did..." They seem to be trying to reason with themselves as much as with Paige, "Maybe she'll be able to explain. They said you could see her in holding? I could... go with you?" Paige nods against Marinov's shoulder. "It had to be, right? That's probably why she didn't tell us about it. She was--she was probably scared the police would come and get her." Ears flick and her unseen brow furrows. "Right? I mean, she wouldn't--she wouldn't hurt anyone with a really good reason, right? She took care of me when I was sick. How could she be a murderer? I told them that she's a sweetheart. I told them that it had to be some sort of big misunderstanding. It -must- have been self-defense." It may be fairly obvious that Paige is not actually trying to convince her friend at all, but rather justify Mai's potential murder to herself. Then she pulls away from the other mutant, looking them in the eyes with a quizzical expression. "You could. Would you?" "Yeah, I would go with you for sure, just wanted to check if... well, if that's what you wanted, you know? 'cause sometimes, I dunno, you might've wanted to talk to Mai yourself or something," says Marinov, rubbing Paige's back gently. "Yeah, it was probably self-defence, so... well, we'll sort it out when we talk to her, yeah? We'll figure this thing out. I just... I mean, I hope that they try her as a minor. She's only sixteen, right? I know murder is... one of those things, but..." "Th-thanks," Paige stammers out hoarsely before pulling herself closer to Marinov again; she seems to really like hugs. "For coming with me." Her friend's rubbing finally seems to take effect as some tension begins loosening in her body. "Figure it out, yeah," she echoes, ears giving a flick. "And, yeah, she's sixteen, I think. She's so young. She's--she's--that's your age, too, isn't it?" Her brows furrow slightly at this realization. "She can't have done it intentionally unless it was self-defense, you're right. She's so sweet. I told them. I told them it was just a misunderstanding. But they didn't listen to me. I just...I just don't want them ripping my family apart." Marinov nods a couple of times, "Yeah, I'm sixteen too... I turned sixteen back in November." They tilt their head slightly and returns Paige's hug with some concern on their expression, "I know, but there's still more of us who will be here for you during all of this, and I know that you will be there for Mai. She should be better at explaining it all to you." They sigh softly and say, "But yeah, I am glad to go with you, Paige. We can go... well, whenever you want. If you want to start heading over... Mai will be able to tell us the full story." "November," the goat girl repeats quietly. "You're all so young. You don't deserve all the things that have happened to you." She releases Marinov from her embrace, her brows pinched and her expression concerned. "None of you deserve any of this. I've tried so hard to make it--to make it better. It's just so hard. Why would...why would she -murder- someone?" She lets out a sigh of her own, shoulders slumping and face relaxing. "Well, then," Paige comments as she begins standing up. "I think--I think I would like to head over. I want to see my friend. I hope they got her a good lawyer." A friendly hand is offered to Marinov in case they would like assistance rising from the bench themselves. Marinov takes Paige's hand for the handup, but they rise up pretty easily under their own muscular control. "Well, I dunno. Lots of people probably don't deserve the shit that they gotta deal with, but they gotta deal with it anyways. Even for mutants who don't look like you and me, there's a shitload of challenges that come right out of the box. But... we'll deal with 'em no matter our age." They glance about and say, "Alright, then, let's get on over there."