[center][u][h3][color=pink]Lyn, [/color] and [color=fff200][b]Alaira[/b][/color] Shimmerstone[/h3][/u][/center] [hr] Lyn ducked and wove through the crowds. Her bloodied arm cradled to her torso protectively. They were nothing but superficial cuts, but they still hurt nevertheless. Just like her heart right now. The thing rapidly thumped in her chest, pounding against her lungs and chest. She continued to put as much distance between her and her anxiety’s source, Henri’s threat. Silently she prayed it would make all her pain go away. Deep down, her logic reminded her otherwise. Hot tears began to collect at her vision’s corner before she ducked around an alley’s corner leading to an isolated and abandoned courtyard. There was a small, elegant fountain in its center surrounded by wildly grown flowers. Ivy trailed the stone walls along their gaps to the sun above. All of it appeared untouched by mankind on purpose to add a little wild beauty to the city. A fact lost on Lyn as she slammed her back against the wall, her face streamed with tears across the cheeks. She didn’t even care she was bleeding. Slowly her figure lowered into the ground where she wept freely for several moments. Gradually the sobs softened when the peak of her emotions faded, leaving her calm but feeling empty. Something better than before, she supposed. Lyn casually laid her head side against the time-worn stone, letting the chill seep into her and give her a cold comfort. At this point, she blamed herself for failing to pay better attention or step in between her father and Henri. If she had, maybe things wouldn’t have gotten so terrible. Gently she pulled her arm away from her body to examine it. Several vines worked their way along her skin, from fingertip to the middle of her forearm, leaving shallow scratches along the surface. While they weren’t dangerous, they bled pretty well. Realizing this, Lyn’s eyes glanced downward at her tunic finding a few lines of red staining. Frustration threatened to replace the numbness as she began to reach forward then pull the vines off her limb. They refused to yield to her desires. They held fast and merely turned the small budding flowers upon each one into a dark black. She paused, sighing at her lacking strength. [color=pink] “I’m so stupid…”[/color] Lyn whispered out loud. ------ Alaira watched her run through the streets, the poor girl definitely seemed upset... She was fast of course, but Alaira was faster, and the buildings gave her quite the view. Keeping up with her wasn't especially hard. She watched her duck into an old courtyard... it wasn't likely anyone on the ground would have been able to chase her this far, but nobody had pursued as far as she could tell anyway. She watched her for a while, just sitting against the wall. She seemed... hurt, and anger flared in her for the shortest moment before she saw the vines. The energy she hadn't even realized had been collecting on her arm dissipated with a sigh. Oh... she'd done it to herself... still. She jumped down, aeromancy slowing her fall as she gently touched down. She approached and simply sat beside her without a word, gently patting her shoulder. [color=fff200][b]"It's alright."[/b][/color] She said, nearly a whisper as she looked at her wounds. She sighed in relief, they weren't so bad. [color=fff200][b]"Here, I got it."[/b][/color] She said, drawing her small utility knife and cutting at the vines. She was very, very careful, she hadn't even cut poor Lyn once. Once the vines were dealt with, she reached into a purse of hers for a roll of gauze. She used to carry it in case the coverings on her scars came loose, but now... well, it was a force of habit. It looked like it had paid off too. Carefully, she wrapped her small injuries up... she had nothing to clean them with, unfortunately, but she only needed to stop the bleeding. [color=fff200][b]"There. Mar can fix those later no problem."[/b][/color] She said, looking to her. [color=fff200][b]"Do you want to tell me what happened?"[/b][/color] She asked. Her tone was... well, calm. She wasn't screaming at her to tell her 'who did this to her' or anything like that. Though Alaira was always rather gentle with her. ------ Lyn jerked, startled by Alaira’s abrupt arrival and her lacking awareness. Her head whipped about to give a loud warning hiss when it caught in her throat. The fear fell away from her intense expression as she sighed. She appeared to be slightly disappointed in herself at her reaction. She didn’t fight when Alaira began to wrap up her wounds. [color=pink] “Myself, isn’t it obvious?”[/color] Lyn explained, her head twisted about to face Alaira. Though it was with only a half-hearted desire to do so. When Alaira finished, she pulled her arm back to see the white gauze wrapped around it. She flexed her hand, then her arm to ensure nothing aside skin was wounded. After studying the wrappings, she set her arm down and pulled it into her lap. She didn’t appear ready to say anything else on the topic right now. ------ Alaira's expression remained thoughtful. Lyn's non-answer wasn't particularly reassuring; it was obvious what had happened to her, it was the why she was concerned with. Nonetheless, she couldn't exactly make her tell her. She smiled softly, crossing her arms as she watched her look at herself. [color=fff200][b]"I've dressed a lot of wounds in my time, those are nothing to be worried about."[/b][/color] She said, looking over her hand as little sparks arced between her fingertips. [color=fff200][b]"I used to burn myself a lot, you know. It's nothing to be ashamed of."[/b][/color] it was highly unlikely that that was what Lyn was worried about, but there wasn't much Alaira could do to press the issue without making it worse. [color=fff200][b]"You know I'm here to help you, you can tell me anything."[/b][/color] She told her. She was more careful than usual with her words, that statement held no demands of any kind if she still didn't feel like talking about it. ------ [color=pink] “Well, I use to put thorns in my parents’ bed,”[/color] Lyn commented, then she looked at Alaira. The expression said it all. No, she couldn’t or didn’t trust Alaira enough not to go do something rash. She sighed then pressed her back deeper into the ancient stonework. A calmness swept over her but she was flaring confusion and anxiety. [color=pink] “I think things have escalated enough for today. Henri wants dad to stay away from him, which I have to tell him. Maybe if I had gotten involved sooner then it wouldn’t be this way,”[/color] Lyn concluded. ------ Alaira chuckled softly, tousling her hair some at the revelation. [color=fff200][b]"That's not quite the same."[/b][/color] she said, leaning back against the fountain. She listened to her finally give her an idea of what might have gone on. From what she could tell, Henri probably said something stupid, Lyn got upset and lost control of her magic, now here they were. The boy definitely hadn't done anything to warrant retribution, far as she could tell. [color=fff200][b]"Some people... just don't like each other."[/b][/color] She said finally, looking off to the blue sky, only a cloud or two drifting along. [color=fff200][b]"Sometimes they'll butt heads, but don't ever think it's your fault, alright?"[/b][/color] She gave her a little boop on the nose, a little tingly bit of energy harmlessly arcing and making her hair stand up a little... She used to do that a lot when she was a kid. ------ Lyn didn’t react when Alaira booped her on the nose. Her expression was unchanged for the moment before it cracked into a weak, budding smile. The features softened in gratitude. [color=pink] “I know, but it’s starting to feel like everyone I love is butting heads with him. He’s not really that bad of a guy. Yes, he comes off as reckless, overconfident, and even defensive when you lecture him. Considering he didn’t grow up with parents like me, I would hesitate to make friends too. I just…”[/color] Lyn sighed, her smile drained from her then leaned her head against Alaira’s shoulder. Her eyes stared off into space. [color=pink] “The way he spoke, it sounded like he threatened my dad. I didn’t realize he was pushed that far. Then again, thinking back on the conversation… I can see how he could feel threatened. Dad’s humor isn’t exactly lacking when it comes to being morbid,”[/color] she let a bitter sigh, but continued,[color=pink] “However, my dad isn’t like that. I know he doesn’t like Henri, but he isn’t the type to kill anyone. Henri’s replies also didn’t help anything.”[/color] She groaned in her head as her legs curled up in front of her, her head shifted from Alaira’s shoulder to press against her knees. [color=pink] “I hate this.”[/color] ------ Alaira didn't really agree too much. She thought he was awfully full of himself, with a condescending insistence that he knew better than everyone around him. She'd only tried saying something because she thought his reckless, childish insistence on getting his own way could lead to disaster. But she'd keep that to herself, especially now. She put her hand on her shoulder, sighing. [b][color=fff200]"He just... I just want him to know he's not alone anymore. Things he could afford to do before he just... can't anymore."[/color][/b] She said, thinking on it. [color=fff200][b]"I used to pick fights with everyone."[/b][/color] She said, running her hand through her hair. That was certainly not news to most people, and while Lyn had heard other people talk, she'd never really... seen Alaira's violent side much. She'd never seen her just attack someone. [color=fff200][b]"Back then, it didn't matter. Either I didn't care what happened to me, or I could fight my way out. But now... things I do matter. If I just lash out at everything it won't just hurt me, they'll hurt you, and Athalus, even people like Leith or Ssarak. And they'll keep hurting us for a long, long time. And I have suffered for it."[/b][/color] She said, sighing. [color=fff200][b]"I had to learn that lesson the hard way. I'm not that good with... words, but I just don't want someone else to go through what I did when it can all be avoided. You... you know?"[/b][/color] She said... she thought he was a jerk, she wanted to punch him at least a few times... but she knew what horrors could be wrought with just a misstep in this world, and she didn't think Henri, for all his faults, deserved anything close to what she got. She looked over when she put her face in her knees, gently patting her back. [color=fff200][b]"I... Nobody's going to hurt Henri, okay? If anyone tries, I'll stop them. And I won't hurt them either. Okay?"[/b][/color] She promised. ----- [color=pink] “To be honest, I don’t think you put your best foot forward in letting him know that. Most of his reaction was self-taught and habit before he arrived at the college. The bad part, he encountered my god-father during his first visit and he was his charming, overprotective self,”[/color] She took a breath before continuing,[color=pink] “I just wish it didn’t get this way because I don’t want to tell my dad what Henri said or stay away from Henri. Usually, he’s more friendly then this and he reminds me of a younger version of my dad, not including the morbid humor.”[/color] She hadn’t considered the fact he might stay away from her, though it lingered at the back of her heart. ------ Alaira winced. Tyrael was... uh... [color=fff200][b]"That's, uh. Oof."[/b][/color] She said, looking off to the side and rubbing her neck some. [b][color=fff200]"Tough break."[/color][/b] She said with a shrug, taking a coin from her pocket. Well, it wasn't a [i]real[/i] coin, it was just a bit of iron in the shape of one. She flipped it, using her magics to make it hover in place in the air, spinning for a moment. [color=fff200][b]"Heads or tails, you reckon?[/b][/color] she said with a smile. She used to play this game with Lyn when she was younger. With her magic, she could make it land on whatever side she wanted anyway, and the girl was so mad when Mar told her. Of course, Alaira knew she knew and all. She didn't really know what to say... or rather, there was nothing to be added with just repeating something. She just wanted to cheer her up, if only a little. ------ Lyn lifted her head from her knees, her head turned to Alaira. She wasn't smiling, though her mood had lightened up with the burden lifted and secrets eating her up exposed. It didn't solve anything though, she knew. [color=pink] “I love my godfather, but sometimes… he goes a little overboard. Like he believes the world is out to kill me whenever he 'screens' everyone,”[/color] Lyn said as she pointed to the tails symbol. She knew that one would be what it hit upon since Alaira could control it. [color=pink] “Tails. You know I’m too old for this game, right?”[/color] She propped her hand on her knee while she rested her chin on it. ------ [color=fff200][b]"Hrm, I don't know..."[/b][/color] she said, pointing off towards... something. The coin dropped, landing perfectly balanced on its side, right on her fingertip. She chuckled a bit. [color=fff200][b]"Now, what do we call that?... Cheating, probably."[/b][/color] She said, pocketing the object. She sighed quietly, looking off to the sky again. [b][color=fff200]"Well, a lot of it is, ain't it?"[/color][/b] She said, in regards to her statement about Tyrael. [color=fff200][b]"That's why I'm around. 'Course, I don't threaten everyone that so much as looks at you with actual death."[/b][/color] She said with a little laugh, stretching her arms. [color=fff200][b]"Still... we should probably go 'fore someone shouts at us for trespassin'. You wanna head back and see if everything's okay, or do you want to see some of the festival first?"[/b][/color] ------ Lyn thought a moment over what she wanted to do. On one hand, she didn’t want to return and find everyone bickering or shouting. It didn’t help the thought of interacting with Henri right now just confused her. The other was she wanted to spend time with everyone, from her friends to her parents. It was a tug of war between the two options causing her arms to clench her middle tightly. She curled upright, then stepped onto her feet. [color=pink] “Honestly, I’m worried about them. I’m pretty sure someone lost their temper over my little incident and pinned it on Henri, putting him into an even more sour mood. Or worse, provoked him into a fight with them,”[/color] her mouth curled up into a frown at the thought,[color=pink] “I’ll be surprised if he wants to interact with me after this event…”[/color] She scratched her head back before making an official answer,[color=pink] “I want to spend time with everyone, but I’m scared of what I’ll come back to. Know what I mean?”[/color] ------ Alaira stroked her chin... Yes, wanting the truth, but also fearing it was something she was familiar with. She considered their options for a moment... It took a little longer than it might for someone else. She'd been going with her gut for so long that stopping to think was something she was simply not used to. But it had been working out lately, nonetheless. [b][color=fff200]"I understand. I think, personally, that we should head back first, if only so that everyone knows you're okay. You know how your father'll be when he hears that nobody knows where you went."[/color][/b] She said, stretching. [color=fff200][b]"Once we're there, and everyone's all on the same page, you can decide what you want to do next."[/b][/color] She said, holding her hand out. [color=fff200][b]"...Remember? You don't have to be scared of anything, as long as I'm here."[/b][/color] ------ [color=pink] "I guess. No point in putting it off as I will never address it if I don't face it,"[/color] Lyn said grudgingly as she gestured for Alaira to lead the way back to the group.