Can't take This

Jami waited till night fall and ran as stealthy as she could to the counselor's office. She didn't want anyone to see her this way. Her cheeks were red and her fists clenched. Scars were flashing in an out of veiw on her body. Reaching the door she banged on it with ferce ergency. "Richard let me in!" Her voice was strained and cracked as she spoke. Sobs were rattling her. Leaving Owen like that had started tearing her up and she was out of control. Richard could help.

She had promised to come to him before doing anything rash, and she was keeping her promise. Just with some added side effects. Jami leaned against the door frame as she waited for Richard. She wiped at her skin with bright white magic as the scars appeared. She wasn't even thinking about Greer! Okay maybe a little, no doubt Petunia was messing with her as well. That caused Jami to give a mental finger the the monster in her mind.

...an important distinction between counseling and psychotherapy. Counseling is generally seen, especially in school settings, as a relatively low-intensity intervention. Counseling consists of strategies that take place withing a school setting rather than in a clinical or medical facility. Students who receive counseling are not considered to be mentally ill or...

At the sound of rushing footsteps and muffed sobs, the vampire quickly swung his feet off the edge of his desk and put down the book spine-up. Jami. He felt a twinge of guilt as he glanced to his watch. He planned to go look for her as soon as he could, but well, brushing up on the theory was important too. The previous nights he sought her out she was sleeping and he didn't see it fit to wake up somebody who needed all the rest they could get.

Richard got up and walked across the room. As he opened the door and glanced at the girl outside, he made a quick decision and stepped out, closing the door behind him with a soft click. His artifacts were far too... flammable to risk letting an upset Jami in.
"Shh, there. It's okay." he said calmly, but with concern. "What happened? I know it was something rather violent."

As Richard came out and clicked the door shut, Jami had a feeling he would rather not let her in. At least he had come out for her then. She sucked up her sobs and tried to be a little more calmer. She looked up at him and covered another scar that was appearing. "You know about the fight? Henry is here, and, Owen. He had a knife! Henry pissed of Owen and then Henry took the knife and stabbed me ! " All her words were rushed and panicky.

"So Owen went into shock and Leon took me to the infirmary after chasing Henry and Owen left the infirmary because of something with Leon when I was asleep! Now Owen's completely messed up and I don't know what to do. He is scaring me. Not only that but now i have freaky stuff going on!" She held out the arm that was acting up with her scars as they disappeared and returned. She took some big breaths and sunk to the floor.

When she went rather chaotically on and on, Richard found himself raising his hands as if in an attempt to stop her, but he didn't dare butt in. It was rather hard to follow, but he managed to catch the gist of it... or so he thought, at least. So she got stabbed? He frowned. This girl was a magnet for injuries. Good thing they didn't last. Or good thing that they were magically concealed, he realized as he watched the scars flash.
"First of all, calm down." he said, letting his voice fall a few tones lower into a comforting murmur. "Breathe slowly. And then you can tell me what happened."
He squatted down next to her.
"Everything will be fine. Just grab a hold of the reins again."

Jami tried breathing more like Richard said. She was going to listen to him for sure tonight. As he got down on her level she felt a little better and more equal with him. Jami flattened her hands on the floor. "I can't stop freaking out. I want it to stop!" At that she started to sob again but made sure to stop herself. Petunia was laughing in her mind and Jami mentally tried to lash at her.

The frustration lead her to holding her head instead of cooling down. She was an absolute mess. "She's laughing at me..." she spoke though gritted teeth.

He went over what she said earlier in his head. Henry stabbed her, and she spoke of him as if she knew him before... And Owen was 'completely messed up'. Well, no, he would do better to have her explain it once again after she cools off. He pushed the thoughts to the back of his mind and focused all attention on poor Jami, crossing his arms on top of his knees. Centuries of practice allowed him to assume a pose that distributed his weight unevenly and didn't aggravate the stupid hip.
"You can stop. Just keep breathing deeply at a slow pace, clench and unclench your fists, focus on right now. Don't think about her, she's not worthy of your time right now. You're stronger than her."
His voice was soothing, almost monotonous. The worse Jami was freaking out, the more serene he would make it sound.

Breath in, breath out, breath in, etc.

Her desire to blow something up was low now, which was good for Richard. Seeing he was the closest thing around. Jami's skin stopped changing from is state of confusion, and her breathing became steady. Her mind was clearing and she thought about Richard next to her. Jami didn't want to be so focused as to go in to a meditative state.

When she felt calm enough Jami went to wrap her arms around Richard, like a small girl looking to her father to get rid of the monsters in her closet. "I want to go home." Her voice was serious and stable. To the point and quick. There she had told Richard, she was free to go. That was the deal, yes?

Listening to her breath slowing down, he smiled. Well, that worked well enough. Richard was glad that he could help, even if in just this tiny way. But on second thought, maybe that wasn't such a small thing, considering what could possibly happen. He cleared his throat. Maybe he should give her a pamphlet on methods of controlling your nerves... He would, if he had pamphlets. Maybe that wasn't a bad idea...
The arms slinking around to embrace him didn't come as so much of a surprise this time... surprisingly. Was he starting to get used to people wanting to touch him? Interesting.

He returned her hug, idly stroking her back in a comforting way. It was okay. Really.

Considering her words, he frowned slightly. He didn't expect the promise he made her make to come to fruition so soon. He sighed, glancing down at the silver head of hair.
"Where is your home, Jami?"

when he hugged her back she could sense his resting heart. The surprise of a beat was interesting and creepy at the same time. She didn't expect him to have one. At least he was 'living'. Her own father was completely gone, and Richard could talk, move, learn teach, eat, and more. If only Richard had been her father. Well, literally she might not have half her issues.

Home. "I...it should be in my village but, I guess my home has been where ever I have these past 4 years. I would say it's here now but, I need to go Richard. Talk to my mother or... travel again, or something." She sounded distressed now. The flux in her emotion was different then upset or anger. How do you deal with confusion...you can't just breathe tho make it go away. She tried not to let go, finding comfort in his the beating in his chest, it was something to hold on to reality.

He took a moment to ponder over her words. As much as he hated to admit it, maybe it wasn't such a bad idea. Maybe she could use a break to sort out her feelings. Plus, Jami seemed to be the bone of contention between Owen and Leon, or at least... one of the major bones in the skeleton of their conflict. It could be easier to resolve without her around...
They needed to talk this over, but maybe in a pose more comfortable. Richard patted her lightly, indicating he'd like her to let go.
"Would you like to move inside? We can sit down there and have a chat." He smiled jokingly. "I have a feeling chocolate could be of some assistance."

Jami let go of him and sighed. She nodded as he suggested going into his room now. Chocolate sounds nice, yet fattening. Which wasn't something Jami had to worry about, so she stopped thinking about it. "I want Owen to get better, and what happened earlier just proved I can't do it, and it's all my fault." She was locking up again now. She could have a melt down later. Right now was for talking things out, without the emotions....Or Petunia's mental put-downs.

Jami went in and sat down at the chair she sat in once before and tried to hum the tune she had in her mind with Owen. She really liked it.

He followed her in, stopping on the way to retrieve an unopened box of chocolates from a chest of drawers. He figured she could eat some, then take the rest with her for later, if she felt like it. Handing it to her with a small bow and a smile, he then went to occupy his chair.
Just as he worked through his hesitation to ask what happened - it had to be awful - she started to hum and Richard stopped to listen. Strange. He tilted his head slightly. It sounded kind of like she was making it up on the spot, but at the same time like she was trying to remember it... Either way, it was a pleasant enough melody, if a bit unpolished.
"Wait a second." he finally said, interlocking his fingers. "Start at the beginning, please. I didn't really catch everything from your earlier explanation..."

Jami took a chocolate out of the box and let her tongue rub against it. The flavor was nice and it sent chemicals to her brain to make her feel better. She chewed and swallowed thinking about the order things happened again. "Well, first Owen and I were doing to dinner, and we were pretty happy I guess. We walk in and Leon's there,Owen wanted to go but i said to ignore him. Then a boy came over, which happened to be my ex fiance, and then things went crazy. Henry mad Owen mad and Owen pulled out a knife. Henry has metal willing powers so he made it fly from Owen's hand and it stabbed me. That's basically it. Owen went in shock and Leon went after Henry. Owen gave up on taking me to the infirmary and Leon found us and took me. Then Owen and Leon got in a fight when I was asleep. "

That was the end of that night. Jami took a breath. She was really a talker, it was funny how she forgot that. She wondered if she should continue with earlier today and decided to get it all out ib one go. "So Today I went to check on Owen, knowing he locked himself up. I broke hisdoor and tried comforting him after I told him I was leaving. At first he was fine, but then All of a sudden he snapped and was yelling no, over and over! So I ran away scared. Then all this freaky stuff was happening. That's about it." She took another deep breath and reached for the chocolates.

At first he smirked lightly, glad that at least one of the kids here didn't need special coaxing to get to talk. As she went on, though, the crease in his brow grew. After she was done, he paused a moment to think about what to ask first. The interpersonal troubles were important and sounded worrying, and Owen's breakdown sounded very much so, as natural as it was in those circumstances. But something else was more urgent.
"Tell me about this Henry." he said. Gesturing vaguely over her form, he cocked his head a little. "Did he know of your healing skill as he stabbed you?"

Jami stared at Richard silently. She didn't move for a bit. Really? Could this man not listen? Something wrong with his hearing? "Richard, you did hear me right? Henry is my ex-fiancee. Of course he knows! The Idiot knows everything about me up until 4 years ago. Well... except Petunia. " Jami crossed her arms and looked at the window. The dark landscape was eerie. Her thoughts strayed to the night when she woke up surrounded.

"Henry wants revenge, by the way. The first time Petunia escaped, she killed his father, but I bet you he thinks it was me. " She paused a moment and her face was depressed. "Is she me?" At that she took another chocolate.

Hm... So he knew. That made it somewhat more tolerable, but still the idea of people stabbing each other at his school didn't sit well with him. Even if it was revenge for deeds from the past. He would need to talk to Henry later...
He couldn't help but scoff in slight amusement at her words. "Jami, I hear everything you are saying perfectly well. I simply don't assume people know everything about each other just because they're engaged. I can assure you, that is very often very much not the case."
Richard shook his head, looking at her with sympathy. "Of course she is not." he said softly. "Don't even consider thinking otherwise. However... as unfortunate as it is, she is a part of you. A part that you must keep under control."

Okay maybe so, but maybe Richard didn't realize ow small village life really was. Anything someone did would be known across town in a matter of minutes. The gossips did their work well. It was likely for Henry to know everything about here this way of course. He didn't know how much she has changed though...it was an advantage for her.

Chewing on her chocolate she listened to Richards words in respective silence. "Control is something I'd love. I wish she could get her own body and leave me alone, wreck havoc somewhere else. " Jami pondered a moment about Petunia always being with her. Would it risk the lives of her future family? She knew with a family her emotions would level out, but Petunia had nothing to do with her emotions, she just worsened them. Thoughts strayed to Raye, and how she had killed her own babies, and not meant too.

A hand twitch towards her stomach but stayed on her lap where she had now placed them. No she couldn't be thinking about babies, she was 17, and her new life style wasn't like that... in a way she was happy she didn't have Henry's children, learning he was now a psychotic man with a traumatic experience, she wouldn't want that to effect her babies lives.

Get her own body... Would that be possible? He had no idea.
"Your father's demon took over his body completely... Right?" he said slowly, musing aloud. "Maybe it is possible to do the reverse? Banish the demon and retain full control?"
He looked to Jami with a furrowed brow. "I am sorry I cannot provide adequate advice on that matter. I have no knowledge of demonology whatsoever." He smiled apologetically. "Let's talk about the issue of your emotions then, shall we? Did you go talk to Owen? I assume you did, as you said you went to have dinner together and were pretty happy, as short lived as it was."
A brief moment of bliss that only served to provide sharp contrast with the misery afterwards.

A shrug was all that answered after his words. She'd rather just forget about Petunia having another body, getting her hopes up wouldn't get her anything. Jami felt like she was eating the whole box now, and it wasn't something she was too happy about.
"Me either, the only Demon i am on semi good terms with is a different kind."
Jami groaned a little as he mentioned talking to Owen. Of course she had.... But short lived was an understatement. The muscles in her hand tightened and loosened as she open and closed her hand. Owen had squeezed it pretty hard. "Yeah, I went earlier today, he broke or something. I told him I was going to leave and I went to go to my room and he started cry so i went back and held him a little. He was getting better but then I asked if he wants a gift and he freaked out..." Jami was a bit choked up at the end. It's had to see someone you love acting so strangely. A person gets so use ti the normal it's a shock when these things happen.

He frowned. A demon... That's right, it needed to be talked about as well before he went to try and get Owen to cooperate again.
"About that... Would you mind explaining to me what exactly is your relationship to Leon?"

Richard was disappointed. His advice worked fine, he had no way to predict Henry's sudden arrival throwing a wrench in the works, but he hoped to see some actual happiness between Jami and Owen. Lord knows they deserved it. Perhaps it was not meant to be, not yet at least... Sigh. He wrung out his hands in a tense manner, watching the poor girl.

"I... I suspect it was the fact that he couldn't protect you that shook him hard." He furrowed his brow. "And then seeing the person you hate succeed at doing that would be the final nail in the coffin, too."
Glancing briefly to the chocolates, he wondered if he'd have to produce another box. If that's what it took...

"Leon?" She gave him a funny look. What the heck. Jami shook her head, Owen had talked to Richard about Leon. Not to surprising. "He is like the brother I never had. When we first met he actually tried to help me get Owen's attention...by shouting I liked him. I punched him and flew off. Leon followed me and I started to struggle with petunia against my anger. Leon destroyed my room after I already messed it up. Leon flew to find Owen, I guess for revenge and petunia escaped. Owen knocked me out to get rid of Petunia..back then we barely knew each other, just two people who had a picnic, because she had cried on his shirt for no reason." Jami smiled a bit remembering all those month ago.

She couldn't stop talking again, "Never mind that, Leon right? So I hated him for a while for hurt Owen, that was the night his foot was ripped apart. Slowly though my encounters with Leon weren't so tense. I think after the Halloween ball I grew to not hate him. It was only recently we were more friendly. I went shopping with him, and, oh, I remember now. On the field trip, Owen and I got into a fight and it didn't end well. Leon came to my side and comforted me. Ever since he has been like my brother. He takes care of me, but we still have issues. I'm an only child so its how i'd imagine siblings act."

She raised her eyebrows at her own words. Gosh such a short time and so much history already.
When Richard mentioned Owen again she sighed. "If Owen saw Leon just acting like a brother to me...maybe they wouldn't hate each other so much... Them fighting all the time it gets me deep. " Bye bye chocolates.

Unfazed by the amount of words spilling out of her mouth, he just listened patiently without disturbing. This was... something along the lines of what he expected, but it was interesting to hear it from her. The fact that she considered Leon an almost-brother complicated things for sure. For now, he was going to assume that the feeling was mutual, for all the doubts he had about the sincerity of Leon's motives. Brothers have a right to act selfish sometimes, he supposed.

Richard nodded slowly. "Maybe they wouldn't... Or maybe Owen would see Leon not as your brother, but instead as a rival... Things like that cannot be predicted. It's best to just talk it out."

He cleared his throat. She was open enough, so surely that wouldn't be too touchy of a question?
"And about Owen himself. Would you tell me about your feelings towards him now?" he asked softly, glancing to the now-empty box with a raised eyebrow. "And, would you like some more sweets? Or a drink, perhaps?"

hmp, Leon probably didn't even know what love is. To Jami it was clear Leon wasn't a rival in any romantic sense. Owen himself only just had confessed to her that he 'loved' her. It made her happy to think about it, Owen was such an awkward boy, and a confused one, but one she couldn't get off her mind for long, good or bad. It may have been obvious Jami was thinking about Owen before Richard even asked his question, but her pink cheeks gave it away in the end.

It really stunk when Jami was emotional cause all her emotions go overboard. Sadness aside and push away allowed other feelings to creep in and caught her off guard. She must ave seemed so bi-polar... "Uh, well... I think of it as love does what it wants. It happened to make me fall for him, not that I minded. He is a sweet boy when he isn't upset. He makes me happy enough, who would have guessed I'd love a human!" A semi-nervous smile and laugh appeared. "...Is it weird I'm older than him?" Yup, nerves, not cute girly hormones...just nerves. "It's not like I look for little boys! I'm not a ...." She covered her mouth, oh gosh. Her head firmly planted itself on the edge of the desk and after a quick 'ouch' she mumble , "sorry."

Truly embarrassed...

A sweet boy when he wasn't upset... When was he not upset? Richard was yet to see any of that sweetness. Ah, right - the cola smile. That was a pleasant moment, actually. It made it worth it for him to put effort into helping fix the poor kid.

Watching her emotional roller coaster was endearing, really. It was both adorable... and made him glad he didn't feel much of anything anymore. He looked at her with a friendly smile up until the question, at which point he quirked a brow in surprise. Wait... He explicitly remembered noting the unlucky pair as being the same age when he browsed the students' files... Did he memorize it incorrectly? Or did she lie in her application?
Well, that wouldn't be good, would it now?
"What do you mean, Jami?" he said slowly. "How old are you again?"

Gah, she was just freaking out, one year wasn't bad. "I'm 17 and he is sixteen. Don't mind me, I'm an emotional freak." Her head lay still on the edge of the desk and she groaned. Feeling like an absolute failure sucked.
Looking up she huffed out a big breath and seemed to look absolutely pathetic. She couldn't wait to leave. Yet she still didn't want to. She would write in her diary later. "Richard... I don't know what else to say. I did what I promised. I informed you of things. What now. Do I go pack?" Jami hadn't realized how much at a loss she was.