Seeking Refuge [Rose, Kitana] < p l o t >

[Jazz]

Jazz led Roseanna up Orchid Avenue, through Ruby Lane and up the moderatly busy street to the Golden Wok. It was the second time visiting her sister's restuarant in less than four hours, although now Jasmin sought comfort and help. This was not a casual visit, though perhaps that was made obvious by the state Jazz was in. Anyone who knew Jasmin well - and who knew her better than a sister? - could tell she was a mess, simply by looking at her. She was quiet, her face blank. Though not out of place among the native Yamani people, Jazz rarely kept her own face expressionless. Her hair was slightly dishevelled, a streak of blood was clear on her left cheek. Jasmin was in a right state, no doubt.

It was early evening, and the Golden Wok was closed, but the door was yet unlocked. Jazz could hear Kitana working inside, though, so she pushed the door open and stepped onto the wooden floor. Suddenly, she didn't feel so numb, so detached. Here, she could say whatever, and feel whatever without further detrimenting the peace talks. Here, Jazz could be Jazz, among family and friend. She stopped, gnawing at her lip. She felt weaker, too. She didn't have to be strong anymore, not in here. Somehow it was a relief, knowng that she had Kit and Rose to confide in. "Kit...?" Jasmin's voice sounded unsure to her own ears.

[Aster]

Kitana almost dropped the pot in her hands when hearing her sister's voice. It had surprised her, to say the least. Once again she had sent her meager staff home early due to lack of customers. She hadn't been expecting anyone to show, especially since the restaurant was supposed to be closed. Then she had realized that the voice belonged to Jazz. At first she had been unsure for it hadn't sounded at all like her older sister, but who else called her Kit? Only Jazz and Katya. There was something wrong, though, and Kit was almost too afraid to find out what it was.

Slowly she sat the pot down on a counter and removed the apron from around her waist. She sounds....broken, Kitana thought as she made her way out of the kitchen and into the dining area. What could have caused Jazz, who was one of the strongest people Kit knew, to be in so much pain? Kitana wasn't a violent person, at least, she rarely was, but at that moment she wanted to hunt down whoever had hurt Jazz. When she finally saw the sorry state of her sister, the feeling intensified.

"Oh, Jazz...." she said quietly. Kit wrapped an arm around her sister's shoulders and brushed her hair back to get a better look, then wished that she hadn't. Jazz was putting on a strong face, but there was defeat in her eyes.

"Come here." She led Jazz and Rose over towards the nearest table, then went to the kitchen. When she returned, Kitana placed three steaming cups of tea in front of each of them and then seated herself. She sipped at her tea to keep the hundreds of questions from spilling out of her mouth. Kit knew that when Jazz was ready, she'd begin to explain.

[Rose]

Rose followed Jazz up Orchid Avenue, Ruby Lane, and finally up a street that was somewhat busy to Kitana's restaruant, the Golden Wok. She hadn't seen Kitana for ages, though she knew that Jazz's sister was one of her closest friends.

Jasmin had stopped in front of the door. The restaruant appeared to be closed, though Jazz just pushed the door open and stepped over the threshold. Rose followed her, praying silently to the Goddess to give her friend strength. Goddess knows that Jasminai could've used it at that moment.

"Kit...?"

Jazz's voice sounded unsure of herself. Poor Jazz. She'd been through so much that past day, what with the incident with Claw and Fhire. Her hair was out of place and there was a streak of blood on her left cheek.

"Oh, Jazz...Come here."

Rose followed Kit and Jazz to the table. Kit placed three cups of steaming tea in front of them.

"Hello Kit. And thank you for the tea." she said calmly, keeping her composure.

[SORRY!!]

[Jazz]

"Oh, Jazz.... Come here."

Jazz smiled weakly as she let Kitana pull her into an embrace. She didn't feel fine - she doubted that would happen in a long time - but, oh, a weight had been lifted off her back. She didn't have to take care of herself, not anymore. She let Kitana lead her to a table, then she sat, mutely, waiting for her sister and friends to sit down before she started speaking. It was easier. She took deep breaths, calming herself, looking for the right words. She didn't want to speak about it, but she knew she had to. The memories were painful, but repression just made it all the more worse.

What a day.

"Hello Kit. And thank you for the tea."

Jazz took a long draught from the cup, then set it down. She didn't let go - she let the cup warm her hands as she searched for the right words. She looked up to Kitana and she could see the questions and comfort in her eyes. She brushed a lock of hair away from her eyes, and simply began retelling that day's events. She spoke in a quiet, matter of fact tone, not sparing herself. Jazz had a good imagination, but she didn't care for embellishment in this case.

"Could you wait for me to finish before saying anything?" she asked, "It's so much easier." She started from the beginning - when she was walking back from the Wok, when she came across Claw and Sapphire. She told of how she was out in the market two hours later, and how Claw called out to her. "I... exploded," she said, when she told her sister about how Claw had kicked the pickpocket away. "It was something to yell about, and I grabbed at it. I hate needless violence, but I overreacted. I know I did. I don't know what I expected. I know I wanted him to ask me what was wrong, why I was furious. But... he just shouted back. And then..."

She sighed, dropping her gaze to the now empty cup of tea. She looked up again, and ran her fingers through her hair. She somehow managed to regain her composure. She sped through the story, to lingering where it wasn't necessary. She almost choked on Sapphire's name, but she carried on with her tale, her voice level. "It was too much, Kit. I can't deal," she finished. There was an air of finality to the whole thing.

[Rose]

"Could you wait for me to finish before saying anything? It's so much easier."

Rose listened as Jazz recounted the tale, telling of her walk back to the townhouse, of Claw's act of needless violence.

It was something to yell about, and I grabbed at it. I hate needless violence, but I overreacted. I know I did. I don't know what I expected. I know I wanted him to ask me what was wrong, why I was furious. But... he just shouted back. And then..."

Rose listened quietly. She already knew all the details from sifting through Jazz's mind, but it was much different hearing them from her mouth. Something about saying the story made it so much different.

Rose mulled over her own thoughts. Why was this happening? Not even a day in and the Tortallans were at each others throats. This was supposed to be a peace talk, not an anger management vacation.

"It was too much, Kit. I can't deal."

Rose took another sip of her tea. She wished there was something in magic that could make the hurt go away, but this wasn't physical. It was emotional, and no amount of magic could make it right.

"We'll find a way to make this straight Jazz. I promise." she said, trying to reassure her companion and friend.

[Aster]

"We'll find a way to make this straight Jazz. I promise." she said, trying to reassure her companion and friend.

Kitana nodded in agreement. "Me too. We'll help out in any way that we can..."

She looked down at her tea and ran a slender singer along the lip of the cup. On the outside her face remained expressionless, but inside was a dizzying maze of thoughts. What was going on here?

What had happened was more than she could have imagined, and she wanted Jazz to know that they understood. She was angry at Claw and Sapphire for doing this to her older sister, yet at the same time, Kit couldn't see the two trying to keep their affair a secret from Jazz. It was true that she didn't know them half as well as her sister, but it had only taken a few conversations with them in order for Kit to know that they could be trusted. Now, Kit didn't know anymore.

[Jazz]

Jasmin almost visibly sank with relief as she came to the end of her rettelling of events. It was a load off her back. And easier, somehow, now that she'd told Kitanta everything. Almost as if she'd clarified everything for herself. She'd certainly come to terms with it. It wasn't eating away at her now, not so much. She could talk about it now. It was as if she'd accepted it, and was on her way to recovery. She wasn't okay - no, not that quickly. But she wasn't so much of an internal mess.

"We'll find a way to make this straight Jazz. I promise."

"Me too. We'll help out in any way that we can..."

Jasmin smiled, this time a genuine smile. She was lucky to have such people in her life. "Thank you," she said softly, meaning it. She frowned, though, a small frown that she wore when she was deep in thought. She sighed, leaning back in her chair.

"I just don't get it," she confided, "I mean, I'd have though I knew them well enough. If there was something going on, I would thought they'd tell me, but... She paused, thinking of the right way to phrase her words. "And everytime I think about it, I think there's been a mistake, but it can't be," she said flatly. "I felt their magic. Their prescence. I couldn't have been wrong."

Suddenly, a wave of panic spread over her level consciousness. This was unusual, for she was usually calm - even more so, when in emotional turmoil. She fought it back down, before looking at Roseanna, frightened. "Rose... we have the conference with the Emperor tomorrow. Oh, Goddess..." She bit her lip, deep in thought. She knew Claw as alive - by Gods, she could feel it - and was physically fine. But... what was she going to do? She couldn't face him. Another swell of rage had to be fought down. Idiot man. He ruined everything.

Very well. She could ignore him. This was now strictly professional. He'd attacked her, tried to kill her... was he dangerous? What about the Emperor? Had he heard about the day's problems? Problems they were indeed. Jasmin forced her face muscles to relax, until her face was blank, expressionless. She just had to remember not to talk to him, even look at him. The last thing Jasminai needed was to have a breakdown, let alone an emotional one in the middle of politics.

And she surely would. She was godsdamned close to it already.