Tattin' it Up! [Oblivion & Lani; Enter upon request]

Jasmine knelt beside them, glaring, her fingers cracking as her hand threatened to shift. "Angel, it's okay..." she murmured, trying to keep her voice steady, though her eyes cast a strong, wild warning to the others around them. Before long, Antonio was there, standing off to the side and watching.

"Do I need to call anyone?" he asked, phone already in hand.

Sarah gave Claire a gentle shake, her voice becoming surprisingly gentle. "Claire? Claire, can you hear me?" Claire was shaking in her arms, eyes still squeezed shut. When Sarah gave her another shake, she finally spoke, her voice filled with pure desperation. "P-Please... I-I just want to go home..." Sarah paled at her request, looking hopelessly up at Jazz and giving a slight shake of her head.

Jasmine bit her lip hard, a trickle of blood slipping through. "What do you need of me?" She asked, coice tense, body rigid.

Sarah looked at Claire, looking defeated. She was quiet for a few options, eyes flickering all over her sister, trying to figure out what to do. Finally, her helplessness obvious by her tone, she spoke. "Help me... get her to the car... So we can get her home." Sarah stood, slowly helping Claire to her feet. The older Farron pulled her hood up, pulling the strings tight. Her cheeks were red, and wet from unheard tears. Sarah paused a moment, eyes full of pain, before looking to Tony. "Please... Grab the dress..." She pulled out her wallet, offering him a hundred dollar bill. "That should be enough for the dress... If it isn't, I'll pay you back. Jazz, please help me walk her to the car."

Antonio shook his head, tossing the keys to Jasmine. She caught them absently before leading them both, not risking touching the girl. Antonio merely walked through the store, mentally running through his funds before heading off to grab the dress and the tux he had been looking out.

Sarah led Claire out of the building and into the parking lot, guiding her to the car. Claire pulled on the door handle a couple times before waiting for it to be unlocked, simply staring at the pavement.

Jasmine hit the unlock button on the car keys, walking over to the front and climbing into the driver's seat.

Sarah opened the door for her sister, letting Claire slide in before slipping into the front passengers seat. Claire stared somewhat blankly at her lap before clearing her throat. "I-I'm sorry..." Sarah looked ahead, looking sad. "You don't have anything to be sorry about... I shouldn't have left you..."

Jasmine didn't say a word, starting the car in silence and heading back to their apartment, shutting the radio off the instant it came off. Her eyes stayed straight ahead, lost and haunted.

Sarah cast a few glances over at her, debating whether or not to try and talk to her. She then glanced back at Claire, trying to read her and failing. She let out a sad sigh, slumping in her seat and continuing the ride in silence.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

It didn't take long for them to reach the apartment complex at all. Jasmine pulled up, eyes distant as she parked the car and shut off the ignition, stepping out and going around to open both passengers' side doors. She was silent and appeared drained, her shoulders slumped down and forward, head tilted in the same direction with her eyes focused and yet unfocused on the blacktop at her feet.

Sarah slid out of the car, as did Claire. Sarah helped her up the first few flights before stopping her, turning and making her way over to Jazz. "Come up with us? Please?"

The girl looked over at her, having been about to hop back into the car. She nodded slowly, exhaling as she did so and following the younger Farron sister back up the stairs. Jazz wasn't sure what it was that she was expected to do, or if there even was anything that she could do, but if Sarah wanted her to help then she would help.

Sarah helped Claire into the building, leading her to the elevator. She pressed the up button, waiting a moment before the doors opened with a ding. Claire looked between the elevator and Sarah, unsure. Sarah smiled gently at her, taking her hand and giving it a squeeze. "I'll be right beside you..." With that she led Claire into the elevator, Pressing the button for Claire's floor once Jazz entered the elevator.

Jasmine remained silent, leaning against the opposite wall and staring at her feet, wiggling her toes in her sandles absently as though they wee now the most fascinating things in the world. She hadn't said a word, hadn't so much as breathed louder as they walked, her normal personality muted and all but snuffed out like an unwanted flame.

Sarah led Claire to her door, taking slow steps. Claire unlocked her door, slipping inside. Sarah followed, holding the door open for Jazz. She pointed to a small staircase set into a portion of wall. "You can head downstairs... I'll be down in a bit. I need to see if Claire has any Xanex left..."

Jasmine nodded, taking the stairs unquestioningly and leaving the two. When she arrived in Sarah's apartment, she slipped into the first chair that she saw and pulled out her phone. Antonio had sent her pictures of a few dresses he thought that she might like. She replied back telling him which was her favorite and that she was alright; she would pick him up later. Her phone buzzed after a few moments, the letter 'k' showing up in her inbox.

Sarah slipped down the stairs a few minutes later, sighing softly. "She's... She's resting... I'm sorry about that... I'm sorry..." She sunk into a chair beside her, rubbing her eyes. "I suppose... some explanation is in order... A full explanation..."

Jasmine merely shrugged, not saying anything further. Her eyes met the other girl's though, pleading, the eyes of someone long abandoned, left alone for far too long.

Sarah started twiddling her thumbs, looking not unlike her sister given her posture and disposition. "Claire got an ear infection when she was 6... She was already a little... different, but this... It was her first actual panic attack. Mom and dad did what they could from there on out, but when she was 12, she started secluding herself... She was diagnosed with agoraphobia not long after. She did well for a while, but when mom and dad died in the car crash... She broke. After their funeral, she said those exact words to me... I just want to go home..." She pursed her lips, staring at her lap.

Jasmine kept her eyes on her, focused and yet not, hollow and distant and yet understanding all at once. "When..." her voice was hoarse and she coughed to clear out her throat. "When was her last panic attack?"

Sarah leaned her head back, looking up at the ceiling. "She has minor panic attacks... You've seen those before. Her face flushes, her breathing increases... But her last true attack? Three and a half months ago. She was about to leave her apartment when someone tried to open her door. I mean like really tried. Shaking the frame and everything... One of our neighbors came home drunk, thought her apartment was his. I got him to leave, but... She didn't leave the house for a few days after. And that was a private one. She just had first public attack in years..."

"What happened then?" Jasmine asked simply, straightening a bit, the light beginning to return back into her eyes just slightly, a spark of recognition.

Sarah rubbed her eyes, seeming years older. "Our parents crashed not far from our old house... Claire saw the smoke, made her way over there... She saw the ambulance take our parents away. She collapsed right there. I managed to not be too far behind her, so I was able to get her home. After their funeral, we moved here to Death City..."

Jasmine nodded slowly, looking down at her hands. "How long was she inside?"