Claire's Apartment (Join with Permission, Mature)

He shrugged, resuming vacuuming, "Then don't. But, keep in mind that if you don't talk about it, you have to be able to handle it well on your own. If you don't think you can, then you better talk about it even if you don't want to. That's the way problems work."

Claire bit her lower lip, staring up at the ceiling. "Akira... I have... Never felt so alone."

He shut off the vacuum and sat next to her with his wine glass, "Why do you think that is?"

"Jazz..." She sucked in a quick breath and let out a slow sigh. "Jazz couldn't watch me shut down... S-Sarah couldn't... C-Couldn't fix me twice..."

"Is it her job to fix you?" He asked, "It's not. If something truly needs to be fixed, it'll get bad enough that you'll do it yourself. That's what makes a healthy, functioning adult. Independence. And to be honest, it made me uncomfortable seeing you shut down and I don't even know you that well. I can imagine it would be physically painful to someone who cares about you so deeply."

"I-I don't... I don't know how else cope..." She took a quick drink from her glass, trembling. "W-When mom and dad died, I-I couldn't... I couldn't handle it. It was so much... -Easier- just to step back..."

"Stepping back and shutting down are totally different." He corrected, "And very rarely is the easiest way. I think you need to learn some healthier coping mechanisms. And I think you know that without me telling you."

She stood, bracing herself on the arm of the couch as she tested her leg, then limped to the kitchen. She returned a moment later with the bottle, refilling her glass. "I don't want a lecture, Akira... I want the nightmares to stop. I want Jazz and Sarah back... I want what happened to have -not- happened."

"Well, it happened, and I'm not here to lecture you. I'm here to help you organize your thoughts enough to figure out how to fix it." He leaned back, "So what ideas do you have so far?"

"Right now? That wine is really good." She took another sip, sighing. "I can't... Mend bridges right now, Akira. Jazz won't come back yet... Neither will Sarah"

"Then fix what you don't like about you." He shrugged, "You're not going anywhere. Least you better not be."

"What if I were? I've... No ties, at the moment. I could leave, if I chose." She sounded wistful, but in no way resolute. An empty threat.

"But you wouldn't. It's too much change all at once for you." He said simply, "But you get you where you want to be, then go back to them for forgiveness. Or at least make progress toward a goal."

Claire pursed her lips, staring down at the glass. "Then do you think she'd look at me? I-It was... She wasn't Jasmine. It was like she wasn't there. She walked and talked like her, but... It was like her soul was gone. She would barely look at me..."

"If you're wanting to change for her, then you're doing it for the wrong reason." Akira explained, "Do it because you deserve to look at /yourself/ for once. To answer your question, though, I think if she cares about you like you care about her, you making yourself happy will only make you more beautiful to her."

She rubbed her eyes, letting a small sigh. "Thank you, Akira. You're help is appreciated."

He looked around a bit, "Do you have pen and paper?"

She pointed to the end table. "In there..."

He nodded quickly in thanks and drew out a T chart, labeling each side "good" and "bad".

Claire looked over at him incredulously. "You can't be serious..."

"It's cheesy," he looked up at her with a crooked smile, "But it works. For each thing you list off that you think is bad, you list off two that are good. Then from there we'll see what can change, and what's just something you'll have to accept."

She looked at the floor, looking uncertain. "I... I don't know where to start."

"You can think a bit. But this needs to be your list. Not mine. Besides, I barely know you." He shrugged, idly toying with the pen

Claire swirled the wine in the glass, watching the ruby liquid lick the edges. "I... I have no idea where to start, Akira. I could name the bads, but the goods elude me."

He stood, leaving the paper on the table and going into the bathroom. He came out a moment later with a mirror in hand, "Look at yourself. Truly look. Through the eyes is where you begin to really see."

Claire took the mirror, looking at her reflection for a few moments before setting it aside. "I-I... I can't do this right now, Akira. I-I appreciate what you're trying to do, but I don't have it in me to soul search right now. Please, just... leave?" It was a question, as she didn't have the heart or strength to ask or order him to go.

He shrugged, setting it all down, "Two conditions on that request. One, I'm coming back tomorrow. Two," he offered her a kind smile, one that was gentle and understanding, but in some ways didn't quite seem to fit on his face, "Don't do anything to yourself. Don't hurt yourself, don't write anything in that 'bad' column yet. Try to get yourself in a place where you can list off more 'good's. And if you start to feel like the room is too big for just you," he scribbled down a number, at first writing in Japanese, then crossing it out and writing it in english, "Call me."

She nodded, managing as much a smile as she could. "You don't have to do this... But thank you."

"Yeah, well..." he shrugged, "I don't like seeing people upset." he stood, gathering his things, leaving the wine. He held out a pinky finger, "Now, promise, or I won't leave."

She reached up a hand, wrapping her smaller pinkie around his larger one. She nodded once, catching his eyes for just a moment. "Promise."

He nodded, then pulled on his motorcycle helmet and gave her a thumbs up, "Alright then. See you around, kiddo." Then left.

Claire had returned to her apartment about three days after the abduction.

Two days later, Sarah left to stay with Tony and Rogue.

The next day, Jasmine left to return to her dormitory.

Akira visited the day after, as well as a couple of days after that.

On the tenth day after the abduction, a strangely melodic knock sounded against the door.

Claire lifted herself out from under her bed with a yawn. She'd been kind enough to shower the day before, even as her slump began to lift. She crawled from her bedroom to the door, not bothering to do anything other than put gym shorts on over her panties, leaving her in those and a tank top. She opened the door a bit, leaving the chain lock. "Hello?" Her voice was think with sleep, and she had to rub her eyes a few times to clear them.

Savannah smirked and laughed softly at the site of her, a cross-body bag at her hip. "You're aware that it's almost noon, sweet cheeks?" She shook her head, pressing the door open slightly. "You even eaten yet?"

Claire undid the chain lock, opening the door for her. "I slept late... Not the end of the world." She yawned, covering her mouth with her free hand and closing the door behind her. "How can I help you, Savannah?"

"You've locked yourself away again." She reached inside, tapping the girl on the nose. "I brought some stuff over, figured I'd keep you company for a while."

Claire nodded, looking around at the (remarkably) clean apartment. "Yeah... Let me go and put real clothes on, if that's alright."

Her eyes traveled along the girl's figure but she shrugged, "Do whatever you wish." With that, she stepped inside, closing the door for Claire behind her before proceeding over to the couch.

Claire slipped into her room, returning a few moments later in shorts and a t-shirt. She took a seat in the chair to Savannah's right, looking at her. "So what's in the bag?"

Savannah had already taken out a couple of to-go containers of salad and set them on the coffee table, as well as a few card decks, her ipad, and her song notebook. "Just... stuff" she said, shrugging as she offered one of the salads and a plastic fork to Claire. "What'cha been up to?"

Claire offered a simple shrug. "Not... A lot. I fill my days as they come..." She took the offered salad and the fork, taking a bite. "Thank you for this... It wasn't necessary."

Savannah shrugged, watching her before starting in on her own food. "I have more than enough money to spare, don't worry about it." Her phone buzzed and she glanced down at it in her lap; she'd already turned in on airplane mode as soon as she left her dorm to prevent Akira from tracking her. It was merely a calendar update.

Claire quickly finished her food, giving a small but content sigh. "That was wonderful... Perfectly hit the spot." Underneath a stack of papers, her own phone buzzed, but it went ignored as its owner simply lounged.

Savannah smirked, eyes continuing to trail over her. She set her things down, the bag leaning against the couch as she angeled herself more towards Claire. For a few moments, she merely studied, thinking to herself and wondering. Finally, she grinned before her face became a sympathetic mask.

"Are you lonely, Claire?"

Claire sucked in a short breath at the question, twiddling her thumbs. She looked away, obvious conflicted with how to answer the question. Finally, in defeat, she simply nodded once.

Savannah raised a brow, the double meaning clearly breaking through her words. Smirking just slightly, she leaned forward, cupping the girl's chin and meeting her eyes, her guise up once more. "What do you want to do then, sweet thing?"

Claire met her eyes for just an instant before her own dropped to the floor. "I-I don't know... I-I can't talk to Jazz or Sarah... I-I'm not strong enough yet."