Chin Up, Buttercup! (Hatter & Lani; Raicheal & Crystal/Rose; M)

Rose's eyes were going harsh. She had very little patience when someone simply wouldn't listen; it was a wonder she was able to take care of Crystal, at all, sometimes. "Just because you could be stronger does not make you weak." She said, watching the girl, her tone just harsh and clipped enough to draw her sister's attention to her without angering her or making her lock up. "You ever heard of Harry Potter? Squibs exist, Raicheal. Sometimes, they don't transform because their DNA locks them out. Some of them just can't. They don't have the power, the strength, the will to do so. Hell, it's not always their fault-" That much managed to earn her an eye glare, as Crystal was a stickler against anything close to a curse, "-but in the end, those that do transform are stronger. More powerful." She gestured to the girl, "This school exists, in part, because people can't just teach themselves to control their powers. Not usually. You just said that you did. That's more than most students can do with help."

"There's always room to grow," Crystal piped in, "but that doesn't mean that you're weak just because you aren't where you want to be, yet. Most students never make it to the EAT courses, let alone start in them. You did." Her fingers stroked Raicheal's hand, a tender touch that seemed almost motherly, "Life's full of obstacles and challenges. The strongest of us get that way by facing and overcoming these challenges. They knock you back sometimes, of course --- nobody's perfect --- but living through them and moving beyond them is where the real strength lays. You survived your old life. You survived a clown. Most people go through their whole lives incapable of doing either, let alone both of those things, and you're still young."

"When you begin to believe yourself strong," Rose said, measuring out how she explained herself, "That's when you should worry, more. Because that's when you let your guard down. You get cocky. You forget your own limits." She waved at Crystal, who was smiling slightly, now.

"When you feel like you're not enough, you have your own advantages. You're more aware of where your weaknesses lay. The problem is, you feel like you're not enough. You under exaggerate your limits and overly stress your weaknesses."

"There's a balance," Rose began again, "There's a balance where you know yourself. You know your strength but you know where you're weak. You know where to defend but you know how to attack. It's not something that happens overnight. It's not something that happens suddenly and for some, it may not happen at all."

Crystal took over once more, speaking: "Look at me and tell me honestly; are you stronger, today, than you were back then?"

Rosaline laughed, stepping aside to allow the girl to see what they'd brought, though the bear was still discarded on the bed. "They are." She said, happy to see that Raicheal had finally understood what they had been trying to tell her. "We thought you might like something to brighten the room up a bit."

"Relaxing," Crystal said, standing from the bed and smoothing out her attire. Crystal was fond of loose, comfortable clothing that showed off more elegance than figure; Rose was the exact opposite.

Grinning from the side of the room, the teacher took out one of her debt cards, seeming a bit mischievous, at this point. "What will it be? Movies? Skate park? Bowling? The zoo? We're not training again until you're in tip-top shape and my sister here insists that includes you being on Cloud Nine."

"You lost the option already," she said, grinning as she folded her arms over her chest. "C'mon, let's get you dressed. If you don't choose then we'll end up in an aquarium and Crystal will never allow us to leave."

ooc: I can imagine that xD I've seen your posts.

Rose frowned slightly at this; clothes shopping was moved higher up on the list.

"Well, let's get to the car and we'll talk about it, there." Crystal said, retrieving the vase and offering the girl her hand.

Crystal beamed, "It's a magical place." She answered, opening the back door of the car for her. It was an expensive vehicle, but Crystal didn't remember what kind, off the top of her head, "I love it."

Crystal raised a brow at her from the front seat, curious. Rose at least pretended not to hear, for her part. However, she was directing them to the mall, which had a nicer movie theater in it. "Should I... ask?" The paler twin said, her head tilting as she looked at her from the passenger seat.

Crystal's face paled even more than it naturally was, which was saying a lot. "No, they aren't. Sometimes, you get the occasional teenage couple trying to dodge their parents' watchful eyes, but that's fairly rare." She smiled over at her sister, nervously. "Besides, the nicer the theater is, the less likely anyone will misbehave, at all.

ooc: Don't fret. If it tells you anything, Bliv and I just revived threads that have been dead since May. As long as you're okay, I don't worry about threads, themselves, too terribly much ^^;

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"It's more that... I'm uncomfortable for you." The Death Scythe tried to explain herself as best that she could. "I know it was a difficult time for you, and none of those memories seem like they'd be particularly pleasant. I don't want you uncomfortable."

Crystal shook her head; she'd done the same routine Raicheal was running a thousand times before. There was no fooling her with it. "You're a bad liar, Raicheal, but I won't dwell on it." She gestured out of the vehicle, as they had already stopped and were currently situated outside a large shopping mall. "We're here, after all."

ooc: Sorry for the inconsistency, I can't turn the lights on and can't see my notebook with everyone's color codes ><

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"It's the mall." Crystal said gently. "It shouldn't be terribly busy right now, and we'll be with you." She stepped from the car, closing her door before opening Raicheal's. "Come on, we have some things to show you." A reassuring smile followed up the words, "You're safe."