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Post By Anime Jason hopes this is good Sat Dec 30, 2006 at 02:05:31 pm EST |
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Destination, Part 7 | |
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Links: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Destination Part 7 Yuki quietly walked into Jay's office and noticed the sour expression he wore as he slouched in his executive chair. She tossed a package that just arrived on the desk and turned to leave. It was then she realized that he didn't even see her enter. "I thought I asked to be alone for a while," Jay pointed out. "Sorry, didn't get the memo. I was out." Yuki continued on her journey tot he door before she realized something and paused. "She told you, didn't she?" "This is the ManMan situation all over again," Jay grumbled. "No...it's not." Yuki turned and headed back to his desk, standing on the other side of it with arms folded. "Because this time there's no national coverage to embarrass the Lair Legion. No evidence at all. The only proof that it ever happened is Liu Xi's own word." "We can't just let her get away with this," Jay pointed out. "I know she's a friend, but think of the precedent it sets?" "Jay, you know what the biggest mistake you keep making as leader is? Whenever something happens and you think that the entire justice system is at stake you go psycho. You want to take everything 'to the people' to be decided and judged." "What's wrong with that?" "What's wrong with that is," Yuki replied as she leaned over the desk, "Nobody gives a shit." Jay winced at Yuki's use of language as well as her tone. "We're in the middle of a damn war, Jay, people are dying from it. And even before that, people are getting shot in neighborhoods in broad daylight, wholesale, and the perpetrators aren't being caught. Where is their crusader of justice? Instead, you want to haul every one of your acquaintences whose ever done anything wrong in front of a tribunal and turn the spotlight on 'em." "I see your point," Jay persisted, "But we can't--" "She's punishing herself," Yuki pointed out. "Have you seen her lately?" Jay didn't try to respond, looking almost ashamed as he imagined a very sad Liu Xi. "And even if you somehow find a way to make charges against her stick." Yuki continued louder to drown out Jay's objection, "A huge longshot since there isn't a shred of evidence, and any prosecutor would laugh at you...she would never go to court. She'd be sent back to China by immigration, and because China isn't an extradition country, she'd be set free as soon as she hits their soil. She'd be lonely, forced to start over with no friends and no home. Everyone loses." Jay frowned and sank in his chair, and then he sighed deeply. "Did you talk to Dream about this?" Yuki asked more calmly and quietly. He shook his head. "He'd...pretty much say what you did. Except he'd cite something from movies or comics instead of legal interpretations." "Well talk to him anyway," Yuki urged him. "And next time you want to hide behind 'the system' to solve your problems? Just remember...I hate it when Dominic does that." He cringed as he watched Yuki leave quietly, noting that she purposely compared him to Mr. Epitome just to make him squirm. The worst part was, she may be right. --- Jay sheepishly knocked on the door to Liu Xi's attic lounge. He tried her room first but she didn't seem to be there - or at least he hoped she wasn't hiding from him. Fortunately this time he heard someone stirring in the room. The door clicked open and Liu Xi stood in the doorway wearing a blanket over jeans and a sweatshirt. She was wearing socks but no shoes. For a moment Jay wondered how exactly she got there from her room with no shoes, but then he remembered that she could simply step through a doorway. For her the attic room was no more than an annex to her own quarters. "Hello," Liu Xi greeted him in a hushed voice. Her dark eyes were a little distant, and a little reddened. When he didn't reply right away she lowered her eyes, anticipating bad news. "I still care about you," Jay whispered slowly. "I just...wonder if you realize how serious this is." He watched her shudder in response to his words, and immediately regretted them. "Look, I know you gave everything you had to Mac, and that was--" He looked into her sad eyes, and they were just as he imagined them while talking to Yuki, which broke his heart. He spoke no more, and instead hugged her tightly. She closed her eyes and quietly accepted the hug, finally feeling optimistic about the conversation. "I was thinking about what Mac would say," Jay continued quietly. "Especially at this time of the year. That God can forgive all manner of sin." He looked at Liu Xi, and noted that she didn't really seem to understand that part. "So I guess I can forgive you. If only because I think it will encourage you to make amends if I'm behind you." When he let go of Liu Xi she stared at him blankly for a moment before finally saying, "It's snowing outside." Jay tried hard not to smile, even though he knew that sudden change of subject was Liu Xi's way of trying to make peace and defuse the tension between them. "We get these storms on the east coast called nor'easters." "Oh." She sounded like she didn't entirely understand that explanation but seemed satisfied for the moment. She walked over to one of the large windows and looked out, but couldn't see much through the falling flakes. This time he had to smile for a moment, watching the dark haired Liu Xi stare out the window wrapped from the shoulders down in a blue colored blanket. "It's good we visited Mac yesterday," he said, "today the shelter will be crowded because of the weather." She nodded. "I hope the money went to good use today." "I'm sure it did." Jay smiled again when Liu Xi turned around to look at him. It still hurt him a little, noting a sort of lost look in her eyes, like when she first arrived at the Lair Mansion. A look like she wasn't sure if she belonged. Only this time, it was for an entirely different reason. Liu Xi looked away from him again. "Will I ever stop feeling like this?" His smile disappeared again, and he began to understand why she felt so lost again. It wasn't just uncertainty over whether she belonged. She wasn't sure of herself anymore either. "It takes time," he replied. "You can't really will it away, or counter it. You have to learn to live with it." "I don't want to," she responded quickly. "I don't want to be like Exu." Jay gently put one hand on her shoulder, and she seemed to relax a little. "You can't possibly be like him," he said. "Not if this is still on your mind." Liu Xi bit her lip and considered that. It sounded so true, even though her still broken heart tried to reject it. "I want things to be like they were before," she complained. "I think you've grown too much for that," Jay suggested. "You have to face some difficult choices and difficult times now. After a while it'll get easier, and you'll become a better person because of it." "You're still trying to recruit me as a hero?" she asked, turning around to face him again. "I wouldn't try if I didn't think you had it in you." Jay smiled sligthly again. Liu Xi lowered her eyes again and sighed deeply and sadly. "Thank you, I needed that." she whispered, her eyes fighting back tears as she realized that Jay's words were making her feel worthy of her place at the Lair Mansion. "I failed you, though. I tried to get information from Exu but he wasted my time." "Oh, you got more information than you think. We can tell a lot just from his actions and from yours." She seemed happy to hear that, at least for a moment. She seemed more happy to hear that when she finally stood on her toes and hugged Jay. When she let go she asked, "Do you want to watch the snow with me?" "I am kind of busy." He looked into her hopeful eyes and felt like pushing all the work he remembered leaving on his desk aside. "Maybe for a little while," he said. "Xander thinks I am the cause of it," Liu Xi said as she looked out the window again. "The rain, and the snow. He says it's because I'm scared...for myself and for all of you. He called it...undisciplined expression of power." "He thinks you can control the weather?" She shook her head. "The air and the water. When they mix that makes rain or snow. I never tried to control them." She shrugged and added, "Maybe I can, but I think the atmosphere has to be right." "It's not doing any harm, I guess," Jay noted as he looked out the window too. "With any luck maybe this weather will give us an advantage against the Parody Master somehow." He looked at Liu Xi again and added, "And if you're the cause I guess we'd have you to thank." Liu Xi flashed a smile but didn't look away from the window. She seemed a little embarassed at the implication. "I've been dying to ask...what happens if you see Exu again?" She almost reacted angrily, but calmed down as she truly thought about it. "I'm...very angry at him for all he's done. But I think...I want to know what happened to him more. Maybe I can forgive him someday if I know I affected him positively." "What do you think you'll do now?" he asked. Liu Xi looked at Jay, and noted that he smiled encoragingly as he asked that last question. "I don't know," she whispered with a shrug. "I thought it was safer for me to hide but...that isn't working so well for me." "No kidding," Jay agreed. She paused again before continuing. "Maybe I need to do something...maybe not more, but better. Leave things I touch better than they started." That thought turned Jay's attention away from the window. "Really?" he asked. "Yeah." She nodded. "I think about what you said, and what Chiaki said. Maybe this thing...did so much damage to me because I didn't have enough positives in my life." "So what, are you going to make a costume and start fighting with us?" "No," Liu Xi giggled as she replied. "No, I don't have to make a costume or fight. I can help, and create, and be someone who will make things better." "Ambitious plan," Jay noted. "I hope it works well for you." "Me too," Liu Xi replied. "It beats feeling guilty or sad all the time." "Speaking of which, if the snow hasn't broken up the big party--" "Yes, I'd like to see it," Liu Xi agreed. Jay smiled and led the way to the door. TO BE CONTINUED? -- Story written and copyrighted (C) 2006 by Jason Froikin, and may not be -- reprinted without permission. -- Liu Xi Xian, Yuki Shiro, Lara Night, Chiaki Bushido (Psychic Samurai) (C) 2006 by Jason Froikin, all rights reserved -- All other characters property of their respective owners |
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