Outside 503, Wednesday Morning

[withoutverona]

As Romeo saw it, he had two choices: He could study for his ethics final, or he could find someone to bother.

The "finding someone to bother" was winning out as he tapped on Yurika and Jen's closed door.

Comments

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

"She was flickering. In and out of reality, she couldn't hold herself together and she was crying and apologizing, like it was her fault." Yurika took a deep breath, trying to relax into his touch. "She told me once...I knew she said she wasn't real, but I didn't understand, not really."

[withoutverona]

Stroke, stroke, stroke, and if it wasn't helping to calm Yurika it was at least helping him by keeping his hands busy. "She said the same to me," he said, trying to remember. "That she was only two years old, a bit of another person. And of course I told her she was real. What else does one say?"

"I hate it if she went away thinking it was her fault."

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

"I wanted to shake that other girl," she said bitterly, shaking her head slightly. "Standing there looking dazed and overwhelmed, and Naminé's the one who insisted we go rescue her right now. It's not fair."

[withoutverona]

"The witch, you mean?" Romeo asked, confused. "Shaking would be the least I would want to do."

"And no. Death is never fair."

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

"Kairi," she spat, making the name sound almost like a curse word. "I can't do anything else, not if I don't want to hurt Naminé in the process. That witchling is her other-self."

[withoutverona]

"And what's left of her is trapped inside this Kairi?" Romeo said, bile rising in his throat. "Faith, I cannot imagine anything worse. I know it's still a version of her, but even so, how horrid."

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

"It's creepy," Yurika replied. "Even worse, her poor artist had to watch it happen."

She looked up at him suddenly. "She made me promise to take care of Alea. Last week. She said that there was a ticking in her brain, and she was worried about the cat."

[withoutverona]

"Poor Valentine." Romeo took a moment to think on that, giving Yurika a sudden fierce squeeze as he did. He almost knew how horrible it would be for the artist; at least he'd been spared watching his love die.

Though Juliet, as far as she knew, hadn't.

"A premonition," he said uneasily, meeting her eyes. "She knew, then, somehow. Enough to worry about her cat."

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

"She said her time was running out, but I didn't think she meant now." The squeeze was appreciated, and Yurika calmed slightly, trailing her fingers along his shoulder. He was real and solid, and that helped. "I would think if they separated once, they could do it again, but I guess not. Naminé would have done it if she could."

[withoutverona]

Romeo shifted slightly, nestling against her more snugly. "It sounds like none of it is her choice. I wonder if it's Kairi's, even."

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

Yurika shook her head. "I doubt it, the witchling seemed even more confused than the rest of us. I don't think she even knew who Naminé was."

[withoutverona]

"You would think she would know a piece of herself," Romeo mused. "Is there anything we could do, to try to get a message to Naminé, or from her or ... anything." He had a pretty good idea what the answer was, but he needed to hear it.

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

"You'd have to ask Sokka, or Jamie or Valentine, they were all there, and know more about this than I do." Yurika rubbed at her eyes, trying to wipe away the evidence of her rather sleepless night. "Sokka was even said someone named Dizzy claimed Naminé didn't have a heart. How could anyone even think that? I just don't understand any of it."

[withoutverona]

"Maybe it's just too far from either of our worlds," Romeo said, going a little dizzy himself and dropping the 20 questions. It wasn't like he could fix it, anyhow.

He kissed her forehead. "Is there anything I could do?"

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

"Stay until I fall asleep?" she asked quietly. "I have to take my driver's test today, and I haven't slept at all. I need a nap before I can get behind the wheel and not kill anyone."

[withoutverona]

"I'm here as long as you need me," he promised, taking off his shoes to slide beneath the blanket with her.