In a divided city, a first-year resident, an investigative journalist, and their neighbor join forces to unravel a web of corruption and secrets surrounding the death of their friend, leading them to confront an oppressive government, uncover dark p...
AN: alright so... I have a few warnings. There's a bit of an info dump in here, I tried to make it entertaining enough so I hope you don't find it dull! This is where it gets political.
tw: racism, very brief mentions of gruesome concepts/acts that I cannot spoil here
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FINN HAD INSISTED ON GETTING PIZZA to relieve the ache in his stomach.
The six of them were lounging in the living room and kitchen; Spencer had retired for the night, and Joe wasn't around. Christina didn't question it, but it relieved some of the tension off her shoulders. It was mostly silent after the groans that had erupted the moment they dug into the food, no one had realized how starved they had been until the hot cheese had melted in their tongues.
"So, what were you guys doing in Darwin?" Jeremy was the first to speak after a moment of struggling with the cheese slipping out of his mouth.
Christina froze. This. This could be her chance. Her eyes skipped to Finn, thankful he didn't attempt to answer. She wasn't sure whether to lie or to speak the truth - it was no secret she was investigating Violet's murder, but they didn't know about the note she left. She could say they were here for the candles, but the contents of the duffle bag could rebut her claim, especially since Kaden had seen the non-medical equipment Robin had packed.
"We were coming to you," she opted as an answer. "We were a bit distracted by the candles on the border."
"Ah the candles." A small smile danced on Jeremy's lips, and a puff of air escaped Lizzie's nose.
Christina frowned. "It was nice."
"It's cute and all." Lizzie's voice fell flat, tossing the bitten crust on Jeremy's box for him to eat them. "People present their stands in different ways. I personally believe statements like these shouldn't be displayed peacefully."
Christina slowly nodded; it would explain why only a small part of the population was present.
Lizzie cocked her head, arching an eyebrow to catch back her attention. "So, you were coming to us. Got more accusations you needed to make clear?"
She stilled, eyes meeting hers. Lizzie offered a tight smile, indicating she wasn't bitter. Christina didn't know whether she was making light of the incident, but she seized the moment regardless.
"It was wrong of me to say that, so I want to apologize. It wasn't fair to you."
"It was disrespectful."
"I know."
Lizzie paused, assessing her for a moment. Finn awkwardly chewed, caught in the middle. Jeremy and Ollie exchanged glances, while Kaden surveyed Christina's features from where he sat by the island on a stool.
"Okay then." Lizzie nodded, picking at the crumbs from the box. "Joe was a bit harsh though, so I get you were reacting."
"I get why she was harsh too," Christina admitted.
