damned_institute | Nightshift 36: M31-40

Entry tags:

Nightshift 36: M31-40

[M39]

Dinner finished, Zelnick grabbed his flashlight and settled down with his journal and a pen, fully intending to catch up on taking down notes-- and finding himself too distracted to do more than scribble out vague doodles in the margins, occasionally jotting down a word or two before becoming distracted again.

Well, supposedly, allies would come by and distract him. And until then, it wouldn't hurt to try and sketch out Talana's smile from memory, the way her eyes should flash, the curl of her hair...

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Everything you keep bringing up about family; it's clear enough that for whatever reason, you haven't connected with your parents in a long time." Raine was simply stating a fact, not being accusing. "Especially since you're asking me." She was less certain that her abandonment issues had to do with anything, but it wouldn't surprise her.

Actually, the combination of losing her parents at a young age and then being more of a mother than a sister to Genis might also have something to do with it, but she'd leave that for later.

"Yeah, you could say that," Sheena muttered to herself when Raine mentioned the ninja's parents, forgetting that the half-elf had better hearing than her.

"I'm asking you because you're my friend and generally more... worldly than me with all that book knowledge and stuff," Sheena shot back, almost clipping her words but not. It was pretty obvious the ninja was trying to derail the conversation. "Why do you care about my parents? It's not like they're around anyways."

Did Sheena just not listen to herself? "They died when you were younger, then?" Raine prompted. It did matter; as much as losing parents hurt, knowing they chose to leave you was worse.

Again Sheena's eyes went wide, but this time she turned sharply and started back down the hallway. She was practically stomping. Her parents died? Like she had any idea when or if they died; she'd been a baby when she last saw them. She didn't even know what her mother's face looked like or what lullaby she'd been sung.

The ninja's shoulders were hunched forward a little. She should tell Raine she was wrong, but Sheena couldn't bring herself to contradict the healer because of what she would be admitting.

This was probably not the best way to start their night, especially since she didn't know how Tamaki was doing. Raine caught up to her, putting a hand on Sheena's shoulder to get her attention--and hopefully stop her for a moment. "Believe me, I know how it can feel. I know it's not the same, but at that age someone dying feels like an abandonment too."

Not that she'd lost many people to death, but she figured it had to have one less sting; at least they hadn't wanted to go.

The hand on Sheena's shoulder did indeed stop the ninja. She was upset and a whole lot of things, but the hand helped. Raine's words, on the other hand, didn't.

The ninja's body went stiff and then she trembled a little. "No you don't," Sheena spat, her eyes rooted on the hallway before her. "You knew. Does it really matter what happened to me?" Of course, her words weren't making sense to anyone but herself.

"I'd say so." If nothing else, this wasn't something most people got over. They dealt with it, but it wasn't the same.

"What do you mean, 'I knew'?" Raine had been left wondering for twelve years if her parents were alive, and why they were abandoned. That wasn't her idea of knowing anything.

"Never mind," Sheena growled, jerking her shoulder out from under Rain's hand. "Doesn't matter anyways. It's not like it changes anything."

"Factually, it doesn't, but it makes a lot of difference emotionally," Raine pointed out. She was aware she'd hit a nerve, but she didn't think Sheena opened up to people very often. She could attest as to why this wasn't a good thing.

Maybe she was pushing a little too hard, but Sheena had the choice of storming off if she chose.

Sheena stared at a spot on the floor in front of her, the ninja's body trembling again. She didn't want to talk about this, so she did what she usually did; she irrationally lashed out at Raine.

"You think you're so smart," she said, her voice quiet but biting. "That you know everything. But you don't. You can't know what it was like. You KNEW."

Of course, she wasn't making sense, but she wasn't exactly being rational and clear.

Raine shook her head slightly; she didn't know "everything" by a long shot. For example, she had no idea what exactly was setting Sheena off--just that she probably hadn't talked about it to anyone in a long time. "I'm aware I don't know what it was like; my experience was different than yours. But I am guessing they had a few things in common."

Sheena growled, "Like what?"

"I don't know. Why don't you tell me?" Raine replied. Sheena was right, she didn't know how much their situations had in common, and wouldn't unless she was told.

If nothing else, she's likely to realize answering my questions is a good way to shut me up.

"Maybe I don't want to tell you how fucking horrible my childhood really was," Sheena snapped back, her voice still quiet yet harsh. Her breathing was increasing as she fought with her emotions. She didn't want to pop on the half-elf, but Raine just didn't know when to leave something alone.

"Believe me--I know what that's like." Part of Raine wondered if she was just being stubborn at this point, but if the topic of family coming up got Sheena this incensed after just a few questions, it was better that they talk about it than certain others.

To give a worst-case scenario, any of the supposed therapists here...

She knew what it was like? SHE KNEW WHAT IT WAS LIKE??? Raine may have had an idea, but she sure as hell didn't know what it'd been like for Sheena. The ninja exploded.

Sheena quickly pivoted, grabbed Raine's broom with one hand while a single card suddenly appeared in the ninja's hand. Rigid and sharp like a blade, the card went to Raine's throat, but stopped just short, the edge brushing against the half-elf's throat just enough to feel the card's deadliness. Sheena's eyes were locked on Raine's, a mixture of emotions in them.

"You have no idea what it was like," Sheena said, her voice hard but wavering slightly. "You KNEW who your parents were. You lived part of your life with them. I don't even know what my real family name is. I'm not even really Mizuho. Grandfather found me discarded and left to die as a baby."

The ninja's eyes glistened in the low light and her grip on the broom tightened. "Now, imagine what it was like for me, a Tethe'allan mutt who didn't even have a shred of Mizuho blood in her, to be raised up as the most promising ninja for the village's future, the one that could supposedly restore the village's honor in Tethe'alla, and then FAIL with Volt."

The card trembled for the first time during Sheena's reaction. "So don't tell me you know what it's like. You knew who your parents were. You know where you come from. You were never really an outsider in your own home."

Sheena turned abruptly around, letting go of the broom. The card hovered in place as the ninja walked a few steps away. "You'll wish I'd used that card now if I ever hear of you repeating what I just told you."

Leaving Raine where she was, Sheena stalked into the clinic, the card snuffed out in a small cloud of smoke as soon as she crossed the threshold.

[to here] (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/494158.html)

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Nightshift 36: M31-40

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject