Record: 37

[esoteric_rose]

*this is written furiously, in red ink. Exactly sixteen seconds pass and it is struck out.*

Yes. My power...my creation...I'm an artist, the most natural precious red my paint.

It works.

Flawlessly.

Like the Lady Lilith.

Giving me my second sight.

*the only legible parts are "artist", "flawlessly", "Lilith", and "sight"*

Comments

[ice_echani]

[...How he felt.

He doesn't want her to know that? That would be a very good basis for the bad feeling, yes. And while she isn't the best at reading words, she can make a guess as to what feelings he wants to hide. Especially remembering what she saw in the elevator.]

You enjoyed the killings.

[Oh hey there more revealing body language.]

What is the matter with your arm?

[esoteric_rose.livejournal.com]

I wasn't trying to enjoy them! It-

{At her question he pales. He's too freaked out to hide it.}

Nothing. Nothing.

[ice_echani]

[Something about this is... familiar. As though something had taken hold of him, caught him up before he could realize it and swept him into the darkness?

But his blatant lie about his arm comes first.]

It is not nothing. Do not lie.

[She steps close and takes hold of his wrist--gently because his arm may be injured--and pulls up his sleeve to see bandages.]

What happened.

[esoteric_rose.livejournal.com]

{...Bloody hell. She has his arm. And she saw.}

An experiment.

...And this was the price for my memory.

[ice_echani]

[She stares at the bandages, thinking. An experiment? Did he do something to a memory crystal? "An experiment" is really not a sufficient answer.]

Juliet, please tell me what happened to your arm.

[She really does want to help him fight off the darkness from his past, but she can't do that if he hides things.]

[esoteric_rose.livejournal.com]

{He wouldn't be so secretive if he didn't feel compelled to be so.

The inner fight shows on his face. He manages to speak.}

My scythe, it works like I saw it do.

It...brought back memories.

{He's afraid that she'll tell, and he'll be locked up again. And take away the scythe...

...why is he suddenly pinged by that?}

[ice_echani]

[...2+2.]

And you used it on yourself?

You are fortunate you did not lose a limb. But... I believe I can understand why you would do so.

[She's not sure what to do about the scythe, really. Using it on himself is a horrible idea in her opinion and she doesn't like the thought of him using it on others. But on the other hand, it's his, and she's sympathetic to that. And she isn't going to betray his confidence either--not until she has reason to do so.]

You said you did not mean to enjoy it. Was it... [She has to pause to figure out how to put it into words.] Was it as though the passion of the moment swept you along, before you could stop it?

[esoteric_rose.livejournal.com]

If there was a way...a reliable way for getting back memories instead of random crystals...I wanted to try. It's healing already. I can bear the pain for truth.

{At her question, he stares.}

...Exactly...

[ice_echani]

It seems a very dangerous way to me. But it is your weapon, and your past. Please be careful with it--and I do not think it would be a good idea to use it on another person.

[...Now if only she could remember what that's called. But she knows what it is, which is more important than the word for it.]

Passion is... dangerous. It sweeps in so easily, with so much power that you lose control. And that is what leads to darkness....

[She's not saying it like a lecture, but as something she both understands and does not understand. She knows that there is passion in her and in the life energy of this place, passion and darkness. But there is more about it, a specific warning that lies out of reach of her mind.

This would be so much better expressed through a fight, but obviously she can't do that with Juliet's arm injured.]

[esoteric_rose.livejournal.com]

{He manages to restrain a flinch when she mentions other people. What she would do if she knew that Tybalt had talked him into it...he had no idea, but felt it might be bad for his brother.}

If I can help it, I never want to use it for destruction.

{Her words on passion strike a chord...poetic, almost, and it fit exactly how he felt.}

...A high that you don't realize you're on until it's too late. You have your control slip out of your hands while you aren't looking at it. So you do things you wouldn't otherwise...like there's another person in your mind instead of you.

{He glances at the arm again. It'll be fine in a few more days. His healing confuses him, but it happens.}

...It's already knitting up, I'll just need a few days for it to fully seal.

[ice_echani]

[She wouldn't be happy, no. But the restrained flinch protects him from further questioning on this score.

Handmaiden honestly feels a little lost when it comes to this. She knows what the darkness is and why it is dangerous, but... she is young, and she knows so little of herself, much less Juliet. But she won't let herself fail.

She looks at the bandages again.]

That is good to know. Take care that it does not get infected.

[...all right, she thinks she has something now.]

What is important to you here?

[esoteric_rose.livejournal.com]

I won't.

{Losing the use of his arm would not be good. But with his bizarre healing, he figures it wouldn't happen.}

Important...?

{Many things are to him. Some things others might now understand.}

...My brother, those I consider my friends, the memories I have regained. And being able to have a second chance.

[ice_echani]

[The memories of Juliet's that she knows of are not pleasant ones, but she knows that any memory is important.

She nods at the other things she says, too. Especially the second chance.]

Then I believe you will be able to resist the darkness.

[esoteric_rose.livejournal.com]

...I want to. And that's why I value my memories-so I don't make the same mistakes again.

{It's true. Even though he feels his compulsions, he's been able to restrain himself and lead a decent life. And that's what he wants for now.}