The crowd cheered and stomped their feet. The roar of it filled her head.
It wasn’t enough.
The whole evening was a nightmarish miasma that stayed with her long after she left the Outback. The pleading eyes. “Daddy” she had called him. His not-so-idle threats. The thunk of his boot impacting with the little girl.
Her blue hair obscuring her face as she fell back.
Her blue hair.
Blue hair.
Blue blue blue
It invoked scenes even more terrible. The cries of her children renting the night air. The shrill scream of insatiable fire. Pleas for mercy unheard. Innocent blood spilled.
She punched her opponent harder. The crowd went wild. She relentlessly slammed her little fists into him over and over again. Because she was petite, she had learned to target and execute each blow for utmost effect and efficiency. To elicit the most amount of pain.
But no matter how much pain she inflicted on her opponent, she still couldn’t banish the blue hair child from her mind or the reproachful words and look of Lirssa.
Her ferocity drove the young man back against the chainlink fence surrounding the ring. She didn’t stop. She couldn’t. She hit him again. And again and again.
“Bastard! Why did you do that? Why? Tell me why!”
Beneath the Bruise
Moderators: Bailey Raptis, JewellRavenlock
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JewellRavenlock
- Legendary Adventurer
- The Empress
- Posts: 2473
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- Location: Little Elfhame, Old Market
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JewellRavenlock
- Legendary Adventurer
- The Empress
- Posts: 2473
- Joined: Thu Apr 13, 2006 5:26 pm
- Location: Little Elfhame, Old Market
- Contact:
“Ungh,” she picked herself off the ground slowly, glaring over her shoulder at the bouncer who had ‘escorted’ her out of the fight club. The establishment apparently frowned on people who came too close to breaking rule number three: No fighting to the death.
Jewell was pretty sure she wouldn’t have really killed the guy even if they hadn’t pulled her off him. And doused her with a bucket of water. That had seemed really unnecessary.
She pushed her soaked blue hair off her face and, incredibly disgruntled, turned for home. Ishmerai was waiting for her across the street, wearing a look of tired resignation. Jewell limped his way, “How’d you find me?”
“Instinct.”
“You’re supposed to be with Sapphire.”
“She is home safe.”
“How’d you know I wasn’t with Kal?”
“A hunch.”
“Whatever.” She rolled her eyes and shoved past him.
He easily caught up and offered his arm to her, but she proudly rebuffed the gesture. They left Dockside behind in silence and were approaching Old Market before he ventured to re-open the conversation. “I thought you had agreed to limit your visits to these establishments.”
“Yeah well, things change.”
“What happened?”
Her brows knit together. “Harris kicked a kid. I didn’t stop him. Lir tried to stab him. I stopped her.”
“I do not see…”
“The kid had blue hair.”
“Oh.”
“Mmhm.”
“Did you panic again?”
“Yep.”
When he offered his arm out to her again, she took it gratefully.
Jewell was pretty sure she wouldn’t have really killed the guy even if they hadn’t pulled her off him. And doused her with a bucket of water. That had seemed really unnecessary.
She pushed her soaked blue hair off her face and, incredibly disgruntled, turned for home. Ishmerai was waiting for her across the street, wearing a look of tired resignation. Jewell limped his way, “How’d you find me?”
“Instinct.”
“You’re supposed to be with Sapphire.”
“She is home safe.”
“How’d you know I wasn’t with Kal?”
“A hunch.”
“Whatever.” She rolled her eyes and shoved past him.
He easily caught up and offered his arm to her, but she proudly rebuffed the gesture. They left Dockside behind in silence and were approaching Old Market before he ventured to re-open the conversation. “I thought you had agreed to limit your visits to these establishments.”
“Yeah well, things change.”
“What happened?”
Her brows knit together. “Harris kicked a kid. I didn’t stop him. Lir tried to stab him. I stopped her.”
“I do not see…”
“The kid had blue hair.”
“Oh.”
“Mmhm.”
“Did you panic again?”
“Yep.”
When he offered his arm out to her again, she took it gratefully.
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JewellRavenlock
- Legendary Adventurer
- The Empress
- Posts: 2473
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“But he’s a scumbag! That little kid didn’t deserve to be kicked. I mean, who cares if she was annoying? You can’t just go around kicking everyone you think is annoying.” She paused. “Well, you can. But then you’re just being a total scumbag.”
“Sapphire..” Jewell sighed out her name, rubbing her hand across her face, “that is truly the most disgusting term to use for someone.”
“Well it’s fitting, isn’t it?”
“I guess.”
“You totally should have let Lir stab him!” Jewell sat up, frowning across the living room at her. “What? He deserved it.”
“That’s your father you’re talking about.”
“Pssh. Not in this time he’s not. In this time, he’s a class A jerk and totally deserved what was coming to him.”
Jewell pinched the bridge of her nose. “Enough! Enough with the ballsy, badass talk. If you had been there,” she pointed at her accusingly, “you wouldn’t have let her stab him, would you?” The teen hesitated. “Think about it, Sapphire. Really think about it. Would you?”
She answered quietly, “No.”
“Exactly. So get off my back about me stopping her.”
“But..” Sapphire frowned. “Now she’s angry with you. You need to fix that. You love Lirssa.”
“It’s not that easy! Of course I love Lirssa. But I can’t change the fact that she’s angry at me for defending someone else that I love, can I? I don’t care what Harris did or whether he deserved it or not. There are so few people I actually care about. I just can’t go letting them kill each other.”
She smirked. “Yeah. You’d probably be lonely then. Have to go through the whole process of finding new friends. Can’t have The Empress troubling herself so!”
“Sapphire..” Jewell sighed out her name, rubbing her hand across her face, “that is truly the most disgusting term to use for someone.”
“Well it’s fitting, isn’t it?”
“I guess.”
“You totally should have let Lir stab him!” Jewell sat up, frowning across the living room at her. “What? He deserved it.”
“That’s your father you’re talking about.”
“Pssh. Not in this time he’s not. In this time, he’s a class A jerk and totally deserved what was coming to him.”
Jewell pinched the bridge of her nose. “Enough! Enough with the ballsy, badass talk. If you had been there,” she pointed at her accusingly, “you wouldn’t have let her stab him, would you?” The teen hesitated. “Think about it, Sapphire. Really think about it. Would you?”
She answered quietly, “No.”
“Exactly. So get off my back about me stopping her.”
“But..” Sapphire frowned. “Now she’s angry with you. You need to fix that. You love Lirssa.”
“It’s not that easy! Of course I love Lirssa. But I can’t change the fact that she’s angry at me for defending someone else that I love, can I? I don’t care what Harris did or whether he deserved it or not. There are so few people I actually care about. I just can’t go letting them kill each other.”
She smirked. “Yeah. You’d probably be lonely then. Have to go through the whole process of finding new friends. Can’t have The Empress troubling herself so!”
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JewellRavenlock
- Legendary Adventurer
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Jewell finished tying her hair back, fidgeted with the buttons on her dress, and then stepped into the reception area for both The House of Summer and the Kids of Summer Foundation. "Afternoon Margo."
The half-elf teen smiled at The Empress. "Greetings Lady Jewell. Still recovering from Beltane?"
"Something like that," the Faerie laughed. She hadn't really slept much in the last two days, but it was worth it. "Is Lirssa here by any chance?"
"Yep. She should be in her office unless she snuck out past me. Girl is smooth."
"Thanks." Jewell took a deep breath as she moved past the reception desk and down the hall, pausing outside the open door of Lir's office before knocking on the frame. "Hey Lir, I got some great news!" She injected all sorts of ease and excitement into her tone.
Lirssa looked up from the medical files she was reviewing. She knew Jewell's voice as well as her own, particularly when she was being all easy-breezy. The woman had a gift for that, no doubt. Lirssa knew where she was, at the offices -- the work attire reinforcing that feeling --, and she could play the role. Jewell was her boss. She had, in fact, two of them now -- three if you counted Inferno. So, Lirssa managed a smile, closing the folder on the file, and said, "Oh?" Nothing said Lirssa had to be particularly verbose in her response.
Her nose wrinkled slightly. The response was just a setback. She smoothed the expression over with another smile as she stepped into the office and took a seat, her posture casual and relaxed. "I wanted to come tell you in person. We made more than double what we expected with the Kissing Booth yesterday."
Both brows rose, and the smile took a tone of amusement. "I'm truly amazed. I never thought you'd sell yourself short." With a nod, her fingers resting on the files of her desk. "That's wonderful news! I'm very glad of it and for you."
It was easier to grin at the show of amusement. There was also the slightest hint of a blush across her cheeks. "I may have stayed longer than planned to make a bit extra." Jewell paused and now she was really grinning. "And charged Kal double."
"Mmm, I'm sure he earned his payments back later -- after the lantern lighting?" With a shake of her head, she held up one hand, palm out. "I actually shouldn't ask that. Not my business." Business. That's what they were here for. "But that is good news. Thank you for telling me."
Laughter was on her lips, born of the easy camaraderie between them, but it died as quickly as it sprang up when that wall rose between them again. Jewell sighed. "Lirssa.. I don't want things to go on this way between us. Strained like this. It's not.." She frowned. "It's not right."
The tension became alive in her shoulders, spreading down her arms until it manifested in the slow curl of her fingers. "It's. Not. Right?" She leaned forward, one hand lifted to press a single finger on the folders beneath it. "You know what's not right? I have children with broken arms, legs, ribs finally-- finally free of the people who hurt them, able to get somewhere safe because of your foundation, and you let him kick a child. You were right there. You turned aside. THAT..." she realized she was starting to shout, and her voice cooled, lowering, "is not right."
It was as much as she expected, but she still flinched. "You're right. And I deserve that." Jewell forced herself to remain calm, swallowing back the defenses that were screaming inside her head. "Is there anything else you'd like to say?"
Jewell took what she had to say unusually calm. Maybe what Lirssa thought didn't really matter, but why should it? She had her way of seeing the world, and Jewell had hers. They had been living a fantasy of friendship before those world views collided. "Say?" She shook her head. "Nothing more than a warning. Don't ever stay my hand from justice again." She looked down to the file, opening it, "That person? He is dead to me."
Her teeth worked at the inside of her cheek. It was a bad habit she had picked up again in RhyDin. "Well if you don't have anything else to say, then I do. So I'm afraid I'm going to have to impose upon your time a little more even though you are clearly very busy." She added that last part a bit archly since Lir had returned so quickly to the file in front of her.
She took a deep breath. "I'm sorry I disappointed you that evening, Lirssa. I truly am. And if you don't want to hear my reasons for why I didn't do what you clearly feel I should have.." The Empress hesitated, features twisting in pain, "well, I can understand that. But I'd rather you listen if you are willing to."
The half-elf teen smiled at The Empress. "Greetings Lady Jewell. Still recovering from Beltane?"
"Something like that," the Faerie laughed. She hadn't really slept much in the last two days, but it was worth it. "Is Lirssa here by any chance?"
"Yep. She should be in her office unless she snuck out past me. Girl is smooth."
"Thanks." Jewell took a deep breath as she moved past the reception desk and down the hall, pausing outside the open door of Lir's office before knocking on the frame. "Hey Lir, I got some great news!" She injected all sorts of ease and excitement into her tone.
Lirssa looked up from the medical files she was reviewing. She knew Jewell's voice as well as her own, particularly when she was being all easy-breezy. The woman had a gift for that, no doubt. Lirssa knew where she was, at the offices -- the work attire reinforcing that feeling --, and she could play the role. Jewell was her boss. She had, in fact, two of them now -- three if you counted Inferno. So, Lirssa managed a smile, closing the folder on the file, and said, "Oh?" Nothing said Lirssa had to be particularly verbose in her response.
Her nose wrinkled slightly. The response was just a setback. She smoothed the expression over with another smile as she stepped into the office and took a seat, her posture casual and relaxed. "I wanted to come tell you in person. We made more than double what we expected with the Kissing Booth yesterday."
Both brows rose, and the smile took a tone of amusement. "I'm truly amazed. I never thought you'd sell yourself short." With a nod, her fingers resting on the files of her desk. "That's wonderful news! I'm very glad of it and for you."
It was easier to grin at the show of amusement. There was also the slightest hint of a blush across her cheeks. "I may have stayed longer than planned to make a bit extra." Jewell paused and now she was really grinning. "And charged Kal double."
"Mmm, I'm sure he earned his payments back later -- after the lantern lighting?" With a shake of her head, she held up one hand, palm out. "I actually shouldn't ask that. Not my business." Business. That's what they were here for. "But that is good news. Thank you for telling me."
Laughter was on her lips, born of the easy camaraderie between them, but it died as quickly as it sprang up when that wall rose between them again. Jewell sighed. "Lirssa.. I don't want things to go on this way between us. Strained like this. It's not.." She frowned. "It's not right."
The tension became alive in her shoulders, spreading down her arms until it manifested in the slow curl of her fingers. "It's. Not. Right?" She leaned forward, one hand lifted to press a single finger on the folders beneath it. "You know what's not right? I have children with broken arms, legs, ribs finally-- finally free of the people who hurt them, able to get somewhere safe because of your foundation, and you let him kick a child. You were right there. You turned aside. THAT..." she realized she was starting to shout, and her voice cooled, lowering, "is not right."
It was as much as she expected, but she still flinched. "You're right. And I deserve that." Jewell forced herself to remain calm, swallowing back the defenses that were screaming inside her head. "Is there anything else you'd like to say?"
Jewell took what she had to say unusually calm. Maybe what Lirssa thought didn't really matter, but why should it? She had her way of seeing the world, and Jewell had hers. They had been living a fantasy of friendship before those world views collided. "Say?" She shook her head. "Nothing more than a warning. Don't ever stay my hand from justice again." She looked down to the file, opening it, "That person? He is dead to me."
Her teeth worked at the inside of her cheek. It was a bad habit she had picked up again in RhyDin. "Well if you don't have anything else to say, then I do. So I'm afraid I'm going to have to impose upon your time a little more even though you are clearly very busy." She added that last part a bit archly since Lir had returned so quickly to the file in front of her.
She took a deep breath. "I'm sorry I disappointed you that evening, Lirssa. I truly am. And if you don't want to hear my reasons for why I didn't do what you clearly feel I should have.." The Empress hesitated, features twisting in pain, "well, I can understand that. But I'd rather you listen if you are willing to."
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JewellRavenlock
- Legendary Adventurer
- The Empress
- Posts: 2473
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It was the way she was raised. Or the way she raised herself. The watching of old plays with courtly manners and esteem shown to those who held them. She looked up, and she listened, because it was the right thing to do, not because she really wanted to. Stubbornness was also a part of her; it had to be, or she would have broken long ago. She closed the file to make it very clear to the fae across from her that attention was being paid.
Oddly enough, Jewell felt like a young, inexperienced woman being chastised. She shifted on her seat, unsure of where to start. "You've probably noticed that I've been having some trouble lately. I do okay sometimes.. but seeing a little blue haired kid like that?" Jewell took a deep, steadying breath in through her nose. "It unhinges me. It's like suddenly, I can't think straight because part of me wants to grab the kid and never let go even though it's not mine and the other part of me wants to run away because it's like seeing a ghost."
One brow rose. She did not interrupt, but she thought on that reality -- Jewell's reality.
When Lir didn't say anything, Jewell forced herself to continue. She licked her lips, her mouth feeling filled with cotton. "And I know I should have stopped him. Done something. Grabbed that kid and pulled her away. I don't know. But I didn't. And I don't know why. But I didn't. And that's something I have to live with. One more kid I've failed." The bit of laughter didn't fit there. It was a desperate, broken sound. "That list keeps getting longer no matter how many promises I make. But it's also because of that that I couldn't let you stab Harris. He deserved it. Probably ten times over. But regardless of what he did, Harris is someone I love. He's.. he's Sapphire's father. And as terrible as what he's done, he's given me one of the only good things I have left in life and I don't know how to reconcile those two things."
That was confusing. The tension now newly formed between her brows, and it was creating a headache. "He's Sapphire's father?" She shook her head, "I mean, I knew A Harris was her father, but I didn't know it was that one."
"Well no.." their expressions were kind of mirror images at the moment. It was confusing! "It's a different Harris. But it could have been this one. I.. I don't know how to explain that."
"But it isn't this one." There's the stubbornness rearing its head. "This one isn't the Harris that gave you Sapphire. That's like saying....you should give a murdering twin a pass, because his brother is a good guy."
"Okay.." she agreed reluctantly. "I can't and wouldn't argue you about that. I'm not trying to defend him, Lir. I'm just trying to tell you why I acted as I did in the moment. I wasn't thinking of all the complexities of alternate dimension Harrises versus the Harris of this time." Shakes her head. "I was just trying to do the one thing that's still important to me, and that's protect the people I care about." She twisted her head to try and meet her eyes. "Whether they deserve that protection or not."
Lirssa took one slow breath in, and then released it the same way. There was a lot there she knew, she could understand, and she hated herself for understanding it. "Yeah," she sighed. "Nothing here is ever black and white." A headache in full force behind her eyes. "Ms Jewell, I'm...," was she? She had to be sure before she said it, "I'm sorry this got thrown into our friendship. I'm not saying it doesn't still hurt, but I'm glad you explained it to me."
She smiled. It wasn't an attempt to put Lirssa at ease or earn more goodwill. Jewell was pleased that the girl had listened to her at all. "I understand that it hurts. And.." she hesitated as she stood, "I understand that you're upset with me still. And I accept that and respect it. I probably wouldn't like you half so much if you weren't," she gently teased her. "I'll let you get back to work."
The Faerie stopped before she got to the door, turning back to say one more thing. She had been debating it the whole time. "Some people, when they've been hit and abused by the people they care about most? They don't always stand up when they see the same thing happening to someone else."
[]Much love for Lirssa for the play![]
Oddly enough, Jewell felt like a young, inexperienced woman being chastised. She shifted on her seat, unsure of where to start. "You've probably noticed that I've been having some trouble lately. I do okay sometimes.. but seeing a little blue haired kid like that?" Jewell took a deep, steadying breath in through her nose. "It unhinges me. It's like suddenly, I can't think straight because part of me wants to grab the kid and never let go even though it's not mine and the other part of me wants to run away because it's like seeing a ghost."
One brow rose. She did not interrupt, but she thought on that reality -- Jewell's reality.
When Lir didn't say anything, Jewell forced herself to continue. She licked her lips, her mouth feeling filled with cotton. "And I know I should have stopped him. Done something. Grabbed that kid and pulled her away. I don't know. But I didn't. And I don't know why. But I didn't. And that's something I have to live with. One more kid I've failed." The bit of laughter didn't fit there. It was a desperate, broken sound. "That list keeps getting longer no matter how many promises I make. But it's also because of that that I couldn't let you stab Harris. He deserved it. Probably ten times over. But regardless of what he did, Harris is someone I love. He's.. he's Sapphire's father. And as terrible as what he's done, he's given me one of the only good things I have left in life and I don't know how to reconcile those two things."
That was confusing. The tension now newly formed between her brows, and it was creating a headache. "He's Sapphire's father?" She shook her head, "I mean, I knew A Harris was her father, but I didn't know it was that one."
"Well no.." their expressions were kind of mirror images at the moment. It was confusing! "It's a different Harris. But it could have been this one. I.. I don't know how to explain that."
"But it isn't this one." There's the stubbornness rearing its head. "This one isn't the Harris that gave you Sapphire. That's like saying....you should give a murdering twin a pass, because his brother is a good guy."
"Okay.." she agreed reluctantly. "I can't and wouldn't argue you about that. I'm not trying to defend him, Lir. I'm just trying to tell you why I acted as I did in the moment. I wasn't thinking of all the complexities of alternate dimension Harrises versus the Harris of this time." Shakes her head. "I was just trying to do the one thing that's still important to me, and that's protect the people I care about." She twisted her head to try and meet her eyes. "Whether they deserve that protection or not."
Lirssa took one slow breath in, and then released it the same way. There was a lot there she knew, she could understand, and she hated herself for understanding it. "Yeah," she sighed. "Nothing here is ever black and white." A headache in full force behind her eyes. "Ms Jewell, I'm...," was she? She had to be sure before she said it, "I'm sorry this got thrown into our friendship. I'm not saying it doesn't still hurt, but I'm glad you explained it to me."
She smiled. It wasn't an attempt to put Lirssa at ease or earn more goodwill. Jewell was pleased that the girl had listened to her at all. "I understand that it hurts. And.." she hesitated as she stood, "I understand that you're upset with me still. And I accept that and respect it. I probably wouldn't like you half so much if you weren't," she gently teased her. "I'll let you get back to work."
The Faerie stopped before she got to the door, turning back to say one more thing. She had been debating it the whole time. "Some people, when they've been hit and abused by the people they care about most? They don't always stand up when they see the same thing happening to someone else."
[]Much love for Lirssa for the play![]
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