[ Whatever reasonable thing Keith has to say about the possibility of her being a newcomer to the prison doesn't really reach James' mind. As soon as Mrs Robinson steps forward, even Keith himself becomes an afterthought to James' experience of the situation.
I've seen your body, I've seen your body, I've seen your body runs through his mind as he helplessly listens to a woman who sounds so very very alive.
Her fingers touch him and he yanks away in the very same moment, a movement so violent that it's hard to believe it comes from him. The James of the past would have never treated a teacher this way, but the James of the present feels like screaming.
The apparition of Mrs Robinson seems to be as shocked as the real one might have been in the same situation. ]
My, what's gotten into y--
It's gone.
[ James is going for 'firm reality check' but again, his tone is a little off. ]
The school is gone. I'm sorry. There's nobody to find.
[ the jerk back and away is startling even to keith who's never seen james react to anyone in a position of authority that viscerally. it's frankly disorienting all over again, for once being on the same page as mrs. robinson, but the thought is quickly quashed by the next outburst.
keith's never known sendak to be anything but a piece of shit who splits opposing defenses by targeting helpless civilians. sendak wouldn't target earth's military bases only -- of course not. why woul he even havee to when earth's technology is so far eclipsed by what's om board a single galra cruiser?
knowing all that doesn't soften the impact. if the school building is gone, then the group hohome and every other place keith once would have described as hell on earth might now exist as rubble and in the synapses in his brain. is his dad's cabin gone too? it'd be far enough out of the way that keith thought maybe it could have survived, but....
no. there are bigger things going on here than a delayed onset existential crisis. like griffin having an apparent meltdown. ]
Griffin, you're just agitating her!
[ agitating. confusing. perhaps neither. whatever's going on in mrs. robinson's head, her expression stays strangely blank, like a movie reel that's reached the end of the film. ]
I found you and Keith. The others can't be too far away now.... Come on, James. We must find somewhere safe. Then we can continue our lessons, wouldn't you like that? The Garrison will sort out the explosions. Yes, the Garrison... we're not too far from the Galaxy Garrison.
[ Being scolded by Keith of all people is a splash of cold water into James' face and it makes him ball his fists and will himself to calm down. When he evades Mrs Robinson's arm this time, it's with a firm step back rather than with a rapid motion.
He can't even explain to himself why he's so averse to her touching him - she's not trying to harm him, she is looking for support. Even if she is a ghost, doesn't she deserve that much? Hasn't she been enough part of his life that he owes her?
And still, her rigid hands make his hairs stand on end.
Mrs Robinson seems confused again, almost hurt,looking down at her own hands as if she is also wondering what is wrong with them. ]
Mrs Robinson. Were Keith and I in your class when the explosions happened? Please try to remember.
[ If she is a new prisoner, then this cannot possibly be true, right? There were no Galra attacks when the two of them were in school. She's mixing everything up.
The carbon copy of his former teacher still stares at her hands. ]
I... Of course, dear. You're the pride of our school. You've always been-- you're always in class, you never miss a day. Not like Keith.
[ "That's not the point," James thinks and it's a little funny because it used to always be the point.
Mrs Robinson turns to Keith, frowning. She seems to forget what to do with her hands, holding them unnaturally stiff in front of her even as she is no longer observing them. ]
[ there's a couple of words keith could use to describe this interaction. bizarre, for starters. creepy would be another choice. however, all it takes is another couple of seconds for keith to decide the only way to eescribe this whole situation is underwhelming. expression souring in nanoseconds, keith is somehow actually caught off guard enough to be affronted. ]
The hell are you on? Has Griffin ever listened to me?
[ forget the fact that he'd just been telling griffin that their former teacher is confused and disoriented and should probably be approached with greater care. no, all of that goes flying out the window as soon as the ridiculous accusation leaves her mouth.
as bulletproof as keith's argument is, however, it only seems to solidify whatever narrative mrs robinson has built up in her head as she turns her scowling face towads him, hands long forgotten. ]
You ill-tempered child. You mustn't speak this way. Come. To the pincipal's office.
[ she lunges, grabbing at keith's wirst. the ice cold of her hand makes keith snap his arm away, but it isn't the only thing to snap. as he twists his arm free, there's a sickening pop as tendons snap in the older woman's wrists making her hand dangle uselessly .
keith blinks, horrified for a moment. mrs robinson stares as well, not quite comprehending the wrongness of her own body when she turns to james, flailing with her drooping hand. ]
He broke my hand......
[ and yet there's no cry of pain or anything else to indicate she's suffering in any real way. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
I've seen your body, I've seen your body, I've seen your body runs through his mind as he helplessly listens to a woman who sounds so very very alive.
Her fingers touch him and he yanks away in the very same moment, a movement so violent that it's hard to believe it comes from him. The James of the past would have never treated a teacher this way, but the James of the present feels like screaming.
The apparition of Mrs Robinson seems to be as shocked as the real one might have been in the same situation. ]
My, what's gotten into y--
It's gone.
[ James is going for 'firm reality check' but again, his tone is a little off. ]
The school is gone. I'm sorry. There's nobody to find.
no subject
keith's never known sendak to be anything but a piece of shit who splits opposing defenses by targeting helpless civilians. sendak wouldn't target earth's military bases only -- of course not. why woul he even havee to when earth's technology is so far eclipsed by what's om board a single galra cruiser?
knowing all that doesn't soften the impact. if the school building is gone, then the group hohome and every other place keith once would have described as hell on earth might now exist as rubble and in the synapses in his brain. is his dad's cabin gone too? it'd be far enough out of the way that keith thought maybe it could have survived, but....
no. there are bigger things going on here than a delayed onset existential crisis. like griffin having an apparent meltdown. ]
Griffin, you're just agitating her!
[ agitating. confusing. perhaps neither. whatever's going on in mrs. robinson's head, her expression stays strangely blank, like a movie reel that's reached the end of the film. ]
I found you and Keith. The others can't be too far away now.... Come on, James. We must find somewhere safe. Then we can continue our lessons, wouldn't you like that? The Garrison will sort out the explosions. Yes, the Garrison... we're not too far from the Galaxy Garrison.
[ again, she reaches for griffin's arm. ]
no subject
He can't even explain to himself why he's so averse to her touching him - she's not trying to harm him, she is looking for support. Even if she is a ghost, doesn't she deserve that much? Hasn't she been enough part of his life that he owes her?
And still, her rigid hands make his hairs stand on end.
Mrs Robinson seems confused again, almost hurt,looking down at her own hands as if she is also wondering what is wrong with them. ]
Mrs Robinson. Were Keith and I in your class when the explosions happened? Please try to remember.
[ If she is a new prisoner, then this cannot possibly be true, right? There were no Galra attacks when the two of them were in school. She's mixing everything up.
The carbon copy of his former teacher still stares at her hands. ]
I... Of course, dear. You're the pride of our school. You've always been-- you're always in class, you never miss a day. Not like Keith.
[ "That's not the point," James thinks and it's a little funny because it used to always be the point.
Mrs Robinson turns to Keith, frowning. She seems to forget what to do with her hands, holding them unnaturally stiff in front of her even as she is no longer observing them. ]
Did you put him up to this? Have you been lying?
no subject
The hell are you on? Has Griffin ever listened to me?
[ forget the fact that he'd just been telling griffin that their former teacher is confused and disoriented and should probably be approached with greater care. no, all of that goes flying out the window as soon as the ridiculous accusation leaves her mouth.
as bulletproof as keith's argument is, however, it only seems to solidify whatever narrative mrs robinson has built up in her head as she turns her scowling face towads him, hands long forgotten. ]
You ill-tempered child. You mustn't speak this way. Come. To the pincipal's office.
[ she lunges, grabbing at keith's wirst. the ice cold of her hand makes keith snap his arm away, but it isn't the only thing to snap. as he twists his arm free, there's a sickening pop as tendons snap in the older woman's wrists making her hand dangle uselessly .
keith blinks, horrified for a moment. mrs robinson stares as well, not quite comprehending the wrongness of her own body when she turns to james, flailing with her drooping hand. ]
He broke my hand......
[ and yet there's no cry of pain or anything else to indicate she's suffering in any real way. ]
Will you look at it for me?