Feelings [Jazz]

[Rose]

Rose took in a breath of air, a smile on her face and amethyst eyes sparkling. The islands smelled exotic, of fruit and foreign food that Rose couldn't wait to try. Of course, she wasn't the least bit hungry at the moment, but a small taste wouldn't hurt. She walked up to a street vendor and bought some fruit to sample, handing him the money and set off again.

Women in bright kimonos walked along the streets, faces blank as a Yamani's should be. The men walked beside them, faces also blank. Rose loved the style of the Yamani women. The kimonos gave them a look of being fragile like flowers, but when threatened, the Yamani women could be extremely deadly.

Rose turned up a lane and found a bench where she could sit and finish her fruit, and catch a breather. She was still somewhat exhausted from the trip, though maybe not as much as Fhire or Katya. They had both used extreme amounts of magic, while Rose had had to use very little.

The birds that usually sang beautifully on the island went silent, and dogs and cats hid. Rose frowned. This wasn't right. Something was wrong. It was to...quiet.

[Jazz]

Jasmin stumbled out into the courtyard, blinking in the sunlight. Her sister had already run off to see to Claw, leaving Jazz to her own devices. She couldn't go back there. She couldn't. She had changed out of her blood-soaked clothes, barely aware of what she was doing. She had washed her hands, though she could still feel the blood... not even her blood....
Whenever she reached this point of thought, her emotions shut themselves down. She wasn't yet ready to face what was happening to her.

She walked, slowly, timidly down the street, following the strong violet thread that was Rose's magic. Katya was busy, Kitana was working so that left Roseanna... Jazz turned into a lane, numbly avoiding a horse and carriage. She was almost unaware of her surroundings. She caught sight of Rose, sitting lesiurely.
She walked up to her friends and mentor and opened her mouth to speak. Then... nothing. She just couldn't speak.

"Rose..." she manage to whisper, her voice hoarse.

[Rose]

Rose sat stalk still, listening intently. Something wasn't right...not right at all. Where was Fhire? Jazz? Claw?

"Rose..."

Rose's amethyst eyes snapped up and she saw Jazz standing over her, her lovely eyes glazed as though in shock. Rose paled, and she shot up from her seat.

"Jazz! Jazz whats wrong? What is it?" she asked, concerned. Her friend hardly looked like this at all, and when she did, it was a time to be concerned.

"Jazz, where is everybody? What happened?"

[Jazz]

"I..." she trailed off, then gently lowered herself onto the bench, not looking up into Rose's eyes. "They..." It was so hard to talk about it. It had barely taken an hour, yet had completely devestated her, and ruined her life. She just couldn't get the images out of her head. Claw and Fhire. Claw attacking. Claw's body... She shuddered, forcing the images out of her mind. She tried again, the words painful and hoarse, forced out of a throat clenched out of fear and tears. "I saw... Claw and... Sapphire..." she said, very carefully.

She looked up, into her friend worried eyes. This is easier, she said, speaking magically. It's.. hard to talk about it. Could you? Rose would know what she was on about. Given permisson, a powerful mage such as Roseanna could extract infromation from the mind of any given user. Today, about one and a half hours ago?
Jazz sighed, biting her lower lip. It was easy to see that she was keeping herself from crying. Though she'd changed clothes and washed her hands, there was still a streak of blood across one cheek. Her hair was a mess, and she was frazzled, stressed, angry, numb and miserable all at the same time and it was killing her.

[Rose]

"I...They...I saw... Claw and... Sapphire..."

Rose watched as Jazz struggled to speak. Something was very, VERY wrong. Jazz looked like she was struggling to hold back tears, and Jasminai of Carmine Tower hardly ever cried. Her hair, which was usually kept neat was now a mess. Through their magical connection, Rose could feel everything that Jazz was feeling at the moment. Anger, Stressed, Frazzled, Guilt, Sadness...Betrayal.

This is easier. It's...hard to talk about it. Could you?

Rose nodded. She knew what Jazz wanted her to do. If given permission, a mage such as herself could extract information from anothers mind. Granted, evil mages did it without even waiting for permission, but that was for personal gain only. What Rose was about to do was something totally different. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and carefully sifted through Jazz's thoughts.

Outside of Jazz's townhouse. Jazz locking the door and making her way down the steps. A large crowd of people outside the gates. Claw making his way through the crowd, then kicking a pickpocket, sending the pickpocket sprawling through a stall and knocking him unconcious. A heated argument between Jasmin and Claw. A HEATED argument. Jazz's sword was drawn in an instant. Claw grabbing a blunt sword from a nearby vendor. A fight. Magic spilling out from Claw. Claw pressing down with his full weight on Jasmin. An accident. Jazz's sword burried in between Claw's ribs. Claw yanking it free. Jazz looking startled, ordering people to the palace to fetch Katya, her sister. Sapphire coming down the walk way, pale. Heated words between two best friends.

Rose took in a deep breath, her eyes still closed. This wasn't right. What was going on? This was a peace delegation, and here they were in another country, not even for a full day and already people were at each other's throats.

She opened her eyes. She wouldn't say anything about it. This wasn't the time nor the place to do that, and it wouldn't help anything either.

Jasmin, she said softly through their connection, We need to get someplace other than here. Where can we go to talk? she asked with compassion.

[Jazz]

Jasmin slowly let down her mind barriers to give her friend easier passage. Jazz closed her eyes as Roseanna sifted through her thoughts, slowly calming down and coming to terms with herself. She felt slightly better now, not so heavy, for want of a better word. It was almost reassuring to be able to just spill everything to Rose. She had been in... denail. No. Not denail. She had just wanted for everything to somehow not be true. But it was. Everything was. And Jazz felt out of it, in limbo. As if she was watching herself. She opened her eyes as she felt her friend and mentor withdraw her magical presence.

Jasmin, where can we go to talk?


She stood up, more aware of her surroundings now. She still looked a mess on the outside, but she was more assertive now. Not so lost. "I'm not fine," she said, ever straightforward. "But I'm not going to break down again, I don't think. I can talk about it. We can... we can go to Kit's perhaps." She nodded. "Yes. I would've gone sooner, but she was working. I think she's closed now. Yes. Kit's." She brushed hair out of her eyes, blinking several times. She was under control now.

[Rose]

"I'm not fine. But I'm not going to break down again, I don't think. I can talk about it. We can... we can go to Kit's perhaps. Yes. I would've gone sooner, but she was working. I think she's closed now. Yes. Kit's."

Rose nodded. She'd never met any of Jazz's family, save Katya. She looked forward to meeting Kit, but perhaps not under these circumstances.

"Alright then. We'll go to Kit's. And we'll sit and we'll talk about whats going on." she said with determination. This peace talk was not going to fall apart, not under her watch.

But deep in the back of her mind, a little thought was nagging her.

What if everything falls through? What if nothing goes to plan? I just hope that Sapphire has everything under control with Claw.

[Jazz]

Jazz nodded, tugging on the hem of her shirt. She could hear the... anxiety in Roseanna's voice, and it was only expected. She put a hand on Rose's arm, if only to comfort Jazz herself. She met her friend's eyes, and the silent communication was more than easily read. After being friends, closer than friends, for close to fourteen years, you do not need speech to talk. The gratitude was apparent in her glance, gratitude for having such a confidant.

"Alright then. We'll go to Kit's. And we'll sit and we'll talk about whats going on."

"Roseanna," she said calmly. She was more vocal now, though she sounded somehow older, weary. "I won't let this detriment our purpose here, I really won't. I have no idea of what's happening myself, but I don't think I'm going to fall to pieces." It had needed to be said. Perhaps not for Rose, but for Jasmin herself. The fears that the whole delegation would end up a mess were massive, and she wasn't going to let them become true. Yes, she was in a personal struggle. But she wasn't going to let down her duty because she had been too emotionally dependent.

[Rose]

"Roseanna, I won't let this detriment our purpose here, I really won't. I have no idea of what's happening myself, but I don't think I'm going to fall to pieces."

Rose's eyes sparkled with compassion. But at the same time something was nagging her in the back of the head. Why had all this happened? Sure, Claw had injured some bystanders, and was likely to go nuts at someone yelling at him, but the sudden outbreak of magic? It was to weird. Something was up.

"Don't worry about it right this second Jazz. Lets go to Kits and get something to drink and we'll talk." she said firmly. "Erm, Jazz?" she said tentivley, "Which way?"

[Jazz]

"Don't worry about it right this second Jazz. Lets go to Kits and get something to drink and we'll talk."

Jasmin once again smiled gratefully, but didn't say anything. Yes, the words were reassuring, but not very helpful. She couldn't not worry about it - everything at once was too much, and the only way that Jazz could deal without breaking was to look at it from a certain point of view. The point of view she needed was the one she usually adopted when she faced a problem; so now she didn't think of her personal problems, but instead analysed the whole problem that was now facing the misson. And it helped. Not to deal, but to help her come to terms with the problems at hand.

"Erm, Jazz? Which way?"

"It's down my the main..." Jazz abruptly cut herself off. The point plank refused to take that road, not today. Anywhere, just not that road. "You know what? Let's take Orchid. It's not as crowded." Her excuse sounded feeble, and she knew it. She just hoped that Roseanna wouldn't press it. She was having second thoughts. Perhaps going back to the Wok wasn't the smartest thing. After all, everything had happened just after she'd left... but, no. Regardless. She needed her sister. Both her sisters, actually, but Katana was saving Claw's life. She should care, Jazz. She really shouldn't give a damn if he died. But she did, and perhaps that was why she felt as if her whole world was crumbling down.

[Rose]

It's down my the main...You know what? Let's take Orchid. It's not as crowded."

Rose didn't object to the last suggestion. She didn't feel like shoving her way through a mass of people to get someplace, not to mention Jazz probably didn't want to deal with it all at one time.

"Alright then, Orchid it is." she said, turning down a side street with the name Orchid posted on it. The small street was practically deserted, but it served their purpose well.

"Alright then Jazzy, show me the way." she said.

[Jazz]

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Thread closed. Plot continued here.