Familiar faces

[Hazel Rosewood]

Hazel did not even flinch over the word bitch. She knew better than anyone, how her behavior affected people and it was not like she liked being that way. It was just her way of protecting herself from harm. She bit her lower lip as he kept talking. Yes. It was some pretty harsh words, but she knew he was right. She had gotten so use to building up her shell that she almost forgot how she was without it. It had been several years since she showed her true self on a daily basis.

”You don’t have to rub it in anymore. I get it okay? I’m a bitch, because I can’t get myself to reveal my past to anyone. I get it… But I can’t … I can’t do anything about it. It’s been a part of me for so long. I don’t know how to … stop being like this. I can do it for short periods of time, sure. But in the same second that someone comes close to finding out, my shell almost automatically comes up.”

She came to a stop, as he stepped in front of her. She almost fell over by the sudden movement, but stopped in just the right second without having to touch him. 2 journeys into her head was more than enough. She had no intention of letting him in again, until he began talking. Did he seriously want to see something like that again? ”Fine… But remember, you asked for it yourself…” she said and reached out for his arm.

When her hand touched his arm, all memories and emotions would show. All the times she had been crying herself to sleep. Her mother’s words about her not having a daughter. The fear about not being able to show her true self. The shattering memory when one of her brothers refused to speak to her. All of her fears, thoughts, memories and experiences came crushing down in her mind. He wanted to see it all and that’s what he got.

[Koty Hura]

In what may have been desperation.. or what may have been defiance, Hazel did decide that she would share her secrets with Koty.. and when she touched his arm there was a lot more to it than their initial contact. A lot more. Years worth of saved and stored misery and pain and sadness and disappointment.. Crying herself to sleep at night, cursing everyone around her, cursing herself, hating and still desperately clinging to love for her mother and family, the ups and downs with the rest of her family...

A very selfish part of Koty wanted to show Hazel real pain, real fear.. real misery. But it wasn't his place. Each person would hold the weight they carried as if it were the world, and that was how people were meant to be.. Except Koty. Koty could carry the weight of every person he would ever come into contact with. He had experienced horrors beyond imagining, and joys that few could relate to.. Sick desires and lost opportunities and love and hate and pain and.. so much more. But it wasn't Hazel's place to know these things, and it wasn't Koty's place to show her. It just wasn't meant to be. For any person to overcome their own demons and darkest hours was the goal they would spend their lives clawing to achieve.. Everyone except Koty.. who knew true demons and darkness that he would never come near experiencing for himself. No, not for Hazel.

After she was satisfied with what she had poured into his mind, Koty dropped his arm and let out the breath he hadn't known he'd been holding.. staring blankly for a moment before his eyes focused on hers once again. "One down, Rosewood-san.. Sharing with someone else will likely be much harder and take much more time, but it will be worthwhile if you can manage it."

He would turn to walk away, but catch the beginnings of a stare that.. almost accused him of being cruel. So he would turn back, only to cover his mouth and cough.. just before a stream of blood oozed out of his nose. Koty reached up and touched this with one finger, staring at it and sighing a tired sigh.

"I am not ignoring your pain or sorrow, Hazel.." He would tear another chunk of his shirt off and dab at his nose to clear the blood that seemed pretty intent on leaving his body. "Your struggles are the hardest thing you know. They are the hardest thing I hope you ever know.. but do not expect me to be shocked. I will admit my ability has brought with it certain .. less-than-desirable consequences. I have experienced physical pain beyond what you can imagine.. Mental anguish beyond description.. I have woken to my home on fire and my flesh melting from my very bones. I have been raped, I have been stabbed, I have been shot, I have killed, I have raped, I have removed myself entirely from existence for days, I have caused people's suicide, I have hated and been the object of hate.. I have memories of all of these things. I have experienced each of these things."

He dabbed at his nose again, swallowing and coughing lightly as he did. "Have you been dealt an easy hand in life? No, you have not. Has fate been fair to you? Perhaps not. But you judge people far, far too harshly. I do not believe for a moment that you need a shell of any sort. I believe you need a few good friends whom you can learn to trust in. Your faith in the people you trusted most was betrayed, and it will not be an easy task to learn to put faith in people once more, but if you cannot learn, I fear you will live an empty and pointless life. I am the first that you have trusted with your past. It is only a matter of time and a small risk to find another that will accept you as you are as well."

Koty lightly blew his nose into the cloth.. turning it blood red in an instant. Hazel had pumped.. a lot of memories into his head.. He tilted his head back and held his nose, swallowing several times before he held out his other hand in a gesture of 'I am okay'.. "Bleaze egkuze be for a bobet.. I bust sid dowd.." Read: Please excuse me for a moment, I must sit down and Koty would wobbily start to make his way over to the nearest set of benches...