Perhaps We Don't Belong (Enter Upon Request) Pt. 2

Justice could feel a steadiness in Claire's wavelength, could feel xir own usual calm, but something seemed so very surreal about it, now. Xe blinked, adjusting to the world after the explosion of light. Looking around, the meister began to notice the small, black water droplets around them and xe tensed, unsure. Where are they? Xe asked xir weapon.

Claire caught the flash, and then felt the resonance shatter. Justice!? What happened!?

Addy was furious, Arusa! What are you doing?!??!

The meister's eyes seemed to all but bug out of xir sockets, and xe stiffened completely. Claire fell out of xir hand and came crashing to the ground as xe jolted and raised xir arms. Suddenly, almost, though not quite, unexpectedly, Justice let out a scream that sounded surprisingly, clearly feminine, raising xir arms to cover xir chest as xir face burned.

For once in the nearly three years since xe had started attending the Death Weapon Meister Academy, Justice's secret was out, and she was less than happy.

Claire winced as she clattered to the ground, but something was more important. She began to glow, shifting back to her human form, her expression one of fury. She stalked up to Arusa, quickly grabbed him by the hem of his shirt, and slapped him across the face with all her might. "You unbelievable pervert! You NEVER touch ANYONE like that. EVER!"

Justice still looked completely and utterly mortified, xir hands wedged in each of xir armpits, arms still crossed in front of xir under-developed chest. Xe was shaking a bit, her mind elsewhere, eyes unfocused. Xe --- now revealed to be female for the first time since she'd left the neighborhood she grew up in --- started backing away, not entirely trusting. She looked up at him, blinking back tears but nodding her acceptance. She knew what he meant, understood him completely, but she had also enjoyed living in between the lines, no one knowing what was between her legs and judging her on her choice rather than what her body or society labelled her as.

After a few moments, Justice cleared her --- xir, she/xe didn't know what to refer to xirself as anymore, now that the secret was out --- throat, straightening and wiping xir eyes with one hand, taking his hand and firmly shaking it with the other. "You're right." Xir voice was hoarse and xe cleared it quickly once more. "I can't fault you for that." Xe nodded to Sid, who was watching them with barely withheld anger, trying to decide how to handle the situation that he'd just witnessed.

The meister's hand fell from the shinigami's as soon as his grip loosened, and xe wordlessly began to back away with a nod, intending on walking home and just skipping xir last three classes; the next one was gym anyway, and xe couldn't handle the torment and teasing, not today. Without realizing it, Justice's foot fell onto one of the Black Water pools and xe found xirself sinking. With wide eyes and a quick, cut-off scream, xe fell into Arusa's little pocket dimension, falling also to panic.

Claire's eyes went wide, and she wheeled on Arusa, starting to pound on his chest. "Bring her back! BRING HER BACK NOW!"

Addy shifted back, "Arusa, is she okay?"

Addy quickly closed her eyes, focusing on her trembling hands, "Come on, come on..." she muttered, a glow sparking from one finger to the next.

Justice gasped as he began extracting the liquid, xir/her heterochromaic eyes meeting his as xir/her fists balled from the pain of the Black Water. "What are...." the meister ground her teeth. "How........ wha-......"

Addy handed the glowing ball to Justice, "Here, it should numb the pain."

Justice coughed finally, tilting her head as she laughed in his arms, coughing the Black Water up and onto the ground. She blinked a few times, shaking his head, the substance in her hair and clothing. "What's," she coughed again, reaching out and taking the orb. "th...this?"

"It's something I can do when I really pray hard." she smiled, "It takes away the pain and fixes all your insides."

Justice nodded, taking the orb and staring at it for a moment before sliding it along xir/her skin, unsure of what to do.

Once the edge touched skin, it burst like a glowing liquid and seeped through the skin, warming and numbing the pain to a dull relaxing tingle.

Claire knelt beside her, worry evident in her eyes. She'd thrown her hood back up at some point, using it to hold herself together so she could be there for her meister.

ooc: I was waiting for Ace but he's being a butt again. He gets next post after me.

ic: Justice sighed as the orb spread, the rest of the water easing out of her from xir/her own 'vomiting,' Arusa's working, and Addy's strange music. Xe/she slumped a bit in Arusa's arms, relaxing. Sid came over slowly, walking around the puddles of Black Water and coming to investigate. He placed his hand on Justice's forehead before shaking his head.

"I'd like h-xir in the infirmary." The zombie teacher said, folding his arms across his chest, "And you, Mr. Biru, need to get this cleaned up before someone else gets hurt. He nodded to Justice. "Do you want me to take you?"

Justice shrugged, unsure, looking to the others, still in Arusa's arms. "Death- Well, Arusa should know better than the rest of us what it is that the Black Water does."

Claire held both her hands up. "Everyone just stop!" Once she was sure she had everyone's attention, she met everyone's eyes, stopping on Arusa. "It's Justice. Not 'Miss Abbey'. We don't have any right letting the world know what we learned to be. Justice is whoever and whatever xe wants to be, and we have to respect xir wishes on that. Nobody tells anybody, alright?"

Justice's smile shot across xir face instantly, and xe nodded to Claire. "I... would appreciate it if everyone would do as she suggested." Closing xir eyes, xe let out a deep breath and looked at everyone. "I... know that it is unorthodox, my choice, but I prefer it this way. I hate the gender norms, I hate being told what I can and can't do, should and shouldn't, just because of what's between my legs." Xe gestured to xir baggy, almost parachute pants. "I think that it's ridiculous. I had to stop playing sports because there either wasn't a team for girls or they tried to force me at a comparatively rookie one. I haven't played baseball since I was ten." Xe let out another sigh before nodding to Arusa. "Mixter Abbey or Justice, if you please."