Lexi's Bedroom

A beautifully crafted dresser stands in one corner of the room; a picture held in a crystal frame placed on it. Against the northern wall is a grand, luxurious bed; well kept with silken sheets neatly spread over it. At the southern side of the room, there stand four chairs orderly placed around a table. A cool, light breeze drifts in from the east; the sheer, sleek curtains blowing ever so slightly, revealing a glimpse of the balcony.

Razz's room is deathly quiet, save for some half-strangled sounds of heavy breathing, mostly emitted by the resident of the room, who's sitting with her back against the foot of her bed, her blurry blue eyes wide and unfocused. Her forehead is pressed against that of another, Shiroi to be exact, who also has her eyes open, but in a far more frightening gaze into the blind elf's eyes. Shiroi's hands are clutched tightly at the sides of Razz's head, like fierce claws, locking her head in place. They seem to be frozen, with Razz sitting against her bed and Shiroi on her knees, the fierce look in Shiroi's eyes and the cold sweat trailing down Razz's face as she gasped for breath.

Justin generally does not make it his business to expect, but the scene greeting him as he comes to bid Razz good night is /certainly/ not what he had expected. Taken aback as he is, he's quite appalingly slow at suppressing his combat reflexes, and as he regains himself he unfolds from a ready stance. His sword, he decides as he surveys the scene further, stays out, though. "You shall take your hands off of Razz and step away from her."

Razz's captor turned her head around slowly, and her eyes reachs Justin's, cold, and somewhat contemptous, even. Turning her eyes back on the elfling in question, she releases her death grip, and Razz falls back a bit, as close as her back is to the foot of her bed, and draws another shuddering breath, dazed.

Justin says: Yes, and step away from her, I believe that was specified.

Justin indicates a godd spot to which to step away with his sword. "And then I think you'll explain yourself."

Shiroi makes for a slight bow, her stance wavering a bit, almost. Restraining herself, she looked up at Justin again, her expression... somewhat curious, this time around. "Just having a little chat with my new friend, is all," she said evenly.

Justin says: /In detail/, if you please.

Shiroi says: It's rather personal, really.

Justin says: That's alright, I don't mind.

Shiroi gives the dazed elfling a glance. "She might, though."

Justin says: Explain everything that you believe you may, then.

Shiroi tilted her head, seeming to be pondering about it. "Oh, just looking out for someone who's going through what I once went through. Some advice from my personal experience, trying to make give her some tips, is all."

Shiroi gives Justin a hard look, though her mind seems to see another person in his place...

Justin gives Shiroi the same cold, calm smile that has been the final sight for more persons than he /ever/ wants to remember. "I would not think that Razz needs another person telling her how to live. It may be, but to judge from her reactions I doubt it highly."

Shiroi's face seems to mirror Justin's as she replied. "Doubt what highly?"

Justin asks: Must I repeat myself?

Shiroi says: If you don't mind.

Justin repeats his statement. Uncanny. Like it was tape recorded or something. "I would not think that Razz needs another person telling her how to live. It may be that she does, but to judge from her reaction I doubt that highly."

Shiroi gives Razz another glance. "Oh, she'll be alright. She just had a dose of self-revelation, and some of my life."

Shiroi gives Justin's naked sword a glance as well. "Planning on doing something with that?" She asked.

Justin says: In all probablilty.

Shiroi smiles. Not at all mocking, actually. It is more of a smile that you'd see on someone who'd seen an old friend behaving in a way that one'd know them'd always done. She gives Razz another glance, and curtseys, the passes by Justin to walk out the door.

Justin interposes his blade between her and the door. "No, you'll wait here until Razz says you may go."

Justin suspects that giving Razz some of her life would be like giving Razz some of his life, and he can think of few things she needs less than the experience of having been a thief, murderer, and liar since time immemorial.

Shiroi pauses, and lays a hand on the blade in front of her, caressing it, almost. Turning, she gave Razz a look. "May I go, Razz?"

Razz's head raised slightly at the adress to her, and she seems to regain her grasp on reality again. "What?" She asked, vaguely confused.

Justin is a statue, watching neither of them, and containing in his stillness the suggestion of terrible, boundless, murderous force.

Shiroi restated her question. "May I go, Razz? Justin here is rather unhappy with me."

Razz closed her eyes, and opened them again, even more awake now. "Uhm, okay," she replied, vaguely wondering at this requestion for permission, from her of all people. Bare with her for a moment, she's just had a lot dumped on her mind.

Flicking Justin's blade out of the way with one hand, Shiroi calmly walked out the door without waiting for a response from her murderous schoolmaster.

Justin's blade is present only long enough to be flicked aside by Shiroi. Beyond that, it might never have existed. The force is still there. A deep breath. Another. It fades.

Razz find the atmosphere extremely unnerving, to say the least. And she finds herself fearing Justin's reaction a little, as his intense restrain for certain violent emotions bleeds over to her senses.

Justin untenses slowly, in stages. "How do you feel, Razz?"

Razz is scared. "I'm alright," she murmured.

Justin crosses the room, slowly, to kneel in front of her. "Can you say anything more about...whatever you and she were doing? Please?"

Razz's heart rate speeds up as Justin approachs her, but there was something very reassuring about that 'please' Justin tagged onto the end of his sentence. But another thought at the request, and she finds herself nervous again. "She... we.... she came in here," she pointed at her head. "And she... said things.... and showed me things...." A flush crept up to Razz's face, yet it is certain exactly what kinda of an emotion that had invoked it.

Justin shakes his head slowly. Damn it. In a way, he almost wishes she /had/ been trying to seduce her, or something equally straightforward. "With your permission, I trust?"

Razz's ears are filled with the pounding of her own heart. "Yes..." she murmured again.

Justin asks: And... can you tell me what she showed you?

Razz chewed on her bottom lip. "She... saw who I was... and she showed me who she was... and how we are the same... She said I was just like her... A much younger, more innocent... version of her, when she was like that..."

Razz bit down on her lip. "And she told me somethings... about... vessels like us... and feelings..."

Justin asks: 'Vessels like us'... I could tell you where this is heading... but, no, what does she say about vessels and feelings? If you can tell me?

Razz says: She said it's better to have no attachments...

Razz says: That being made as we are, emotions as strong as that would lead to our destruction...

Razz's head lowered as she said this, and she fell silent. There was a lot more... but... She can't possibly tell Justin about those...

Justin sighs, long and heavy. "...She's right, you know. Other people only get in the way. Whatever happiness you might derive from someone, in the end they're going to bring you far more pain."

Razz felt as if something inside her had frozen over as she heard Justin confirm Shiroi's words, and she nods miserably, not saying a word.... What else is there to be said, then? Shiroi was right...

Justin says: So that's really about it. Everything ends in pain one way or another.

Justin asks: ...Are you really ready to believe that?

Razz asks: What?

Justin asks: Are you really prepared to accept that there is no point in striving for happiness, that the end will be pain regardless? You think you should give up, like she has?

Razz doesn't know what Justin's trying to say, really. In any case, she's too intimidated by Justin's sudden questioning. So she kept her head bowed, and remained silent. At least no one can fault her for her answer if she never gives one... something that she'd just recently learned.

Justin knows, though, that silence is an answer too. "If that were correct, would I be here talking to you?"

Razz just cringed, and shuffled back unconsciously, trying to make herself as small as possible. "I, I don't know," she murmured.

Justin says: Razz... no.

Justin is doing this wrong, that much is obvious. Once more, Razz renders him utterly unable to put his thoughts into words. If, indeed, these thoughts can be.

Razz doesn't know what the right response is, everyone's saying all these different things, and she doesn't know who to believe, and Justin has the tendency to appear to say one thing but go back on it later... And she feels as if he was questioning her, and she's intimidated. Nothing's helping, as of late. Nothing is.

Justin is sure, now, having thought it over, that there /is/ no right way for /him/ to do this. "Razz... I'm sorry. I'm worried about you, is all. There are things about that girl that really frighten me, but... I think I should leave you alone about this? When you're ready, maybe, you can tell me about it."

Razz keeps herself huddled tightly inward, still. "What do you want to know?" She asked him, her head still bowed, her tone conveying some of the confusion that she felt.

Justin asks: ...she told you that she thinks it best not to become attached to anyone. Because loss is inevitable, and loss is painful. But, do you believe her?

Razz's mind was filled with the images that she had been shown, and the pain that she herself had felt... but... "I don't know... I guess so... maybe..." her voice died down to a whisper. "Or not... I don't know..." and she clung tightly to herself, as if guarding herself from some reprehension.

Justin has his answer now, really. Slowly he reaches out, for her hand. There's nothing for him to say. He wants her to understand he isn't angry with her, but there doesn't seem to be any way to say that that she'd believe. Shiroi had better hope she doesn't run into him any time soon.

Razz unwinds slightly at Justin's touch. It's how she knows that things are alright, really, when Justin touches her. It shows that he isn't mad at her, and wouldn't hurt her, somehow. Slowly she relaxes, and she takes Justin's hand tentatively. Suddenly, it feels as if she'd regain the right to breath freely again.

Razz pauses. "Are you going?"

Justin says: I can stay as long as you like.

The corner of Razz's lips twitchs slightly. "It's okay, you don't have to stay."

Justin says: Well... I think I might feel better if I stayed.

Razz's fingers twitched this time. "I... I'll be alright, you don't, have to."

Justin sighs, quietly. "Do I have to go?"

Razz seems to hear some echos of the last conversation, even now. :: For all the time I relied on him, I never once gave back, and I ended up sucking him dry...::

Razz worked her jaw, slightly. "Do you want to stay?"

Justin nods, slowly. "If I may, of course."

Razz releases an inaudible sigh of relief. "Please," she murmured, and held Justin's hand a little tighter.

Justin wonders what was so hard about that. But, really, he can probably guess. Mmmh... He would seem to have made it in time to prevent most of the damage. Time will tell.

Razz says: Justin...

Razz asks: What am I... to you?

Justin blinks. "You... are my focus." Hardly an exaggeration.

Razz asks: Your focus?

Justin asks: The first thing I worry about?

Razz says: Oh.

Razz couldn't help but think back to those words... 'just another person to worry about, another person to hold onto'...

Razz then checked herself. At least there's that much, she should be content. A small, bitter-sweet smile pressed itself onto her lips for a short second, and suddenly she felt very tired.

Razz turned and paced over to the head of her bed, her hand slipping out of Justin's as she'd done so, and she crawled beneath the covers of her bed, settling down for sleep.

Justin would hasten to point out, not 'just another person to worry about' but 'the only person to worry about', if he knew that's what she was hearing, but. Well. It's a minimal move to the side of the bed, where it would seem he'll be left to sit and brood.

Razz lies silent for a short while before speaking up again. "Justin?" She asked once more.

Justin asks: Razz?

Razz asks: Was this Lexi's room?

Justin says: Years ago, yes...

Razz nodded silently, and snuggled deeper into her pillow, saying not another word.