Pasts Are Never Pretty (HellBreaker)

The sun was starting to set when XiFeng finally made it back to the apartment. She had flown her young charge Zee over to a friends house so that she could have a serious discussion with Yami that she didn't want Zee to overhear. Flying had kept her off the streets and out of harms way. And it was a moment of peace soaring with the vivid reds and oranges of the sunset that she really needed.

XiFeng opened to door to the apartment, organizing what she was going to say in her mind to her roommate. A small part of her was afraid he would think less of her for her past. That larger part hoped she knew that Yami wasn't that kind of person. Still, as unpleasant as it would be and as fuzzy the outcome seemed, things had to be said. She had put Zee and Yami at risk by being there and she was too selfish to leave. All that was left was telling every little secret she never wanted to think about again.

"What do you want to hear first?"

Yami patiently waits as XiFeng drops off Zee at a trusted persons home. While she's gone, he slowly relaxes, settling into his cool down mode. Laying his hoodie on the chair, he unwraps the cloth wound around his torso,steadily relaxing. She finally arrives back, and he looks at her."...Start where you feel most comfortable."

"Then let's start at the beginning." She offered, setting herself down in a traditional Chinese seating manner. "My full name is Sheng XiFeng. I was raised in a wealthy Chinese family. I used to be a pianist. I learned English for a concert that was supposed to help me break into the American culture at Carnegie hall. Do you want to hear more about my childhood or should we move one?"

She hadn't even begun to scratch the surface of what had happened in that big white house in ShangHai. Her mother, her tutor, both her childhood tormentors. Her father was never even there to stop them. But that wasn't important to Tolkien, so she had opted them out of the conversation unless Yami wanted to hear about it.

Yami listens closely, hearing her full name."..I...believe I recognize your name....Perhaps I've heard it somewhere." He shrugs, then considers her question.He didn't wish to burden her....He mage shakes his head." .....please feel to tell me only what you wish. All I need to know is anything that might help me analyze our foe."

Interally, she breathed a sigh of relief. That home was a terrible place to be. Maybe XiFeng would tell him another day, but not this day.

"I had an accident with my powers. I had kept them contained too long and I was too agitated in the middle of performing they just...exploded. So I ran away. Tolkien. At first he sort of kept me to the side, like a daughter, but one day he tested me. When I wouldn't let my powers out, he does me with chloroform and started storing heroin in my body as he shipped me back and forth between America and China. Two newbies decided that they wanted to have some fun instead of just accompanying a fake corpse, so they let me wake up from the coma Tolkien put me under and I somehow made my escape. I flew as far as I could and eventually collapsed in Jump City. I woke up on the mesa and I was in a bad way, powers out of control and my mind virtually absent. Eventually I calmed down, ventured into the city and the authorities found me. I was put into foster care, and, well, you know the rest."

Yami listens closely.This....this wasn't a good thing.Shed been through so much... His arms twitch, and the mage tries to keep up his persona.But, this time, Yami fails. He finds his arms wrapping around XiFeng, holding her gently." I'm......I'm sorry that happened to you..."

XiFeng accepted the hug, leaning into Yami's warmth. To her he was safety, comfort, dependability: everything she had never had before. She had tried speaking about it monotone, with no emotions. But everything in her life so far had just gone so wrong. She was keeping it all inside, no one like a person who was weak and cried over everything. But Yami's hug cracked her open. She cried, tears spilling out and rolling down her cheeks, shoulders shaking, legitimately bawling. What if she ruined this too? What if Yami was hurt or left her? She was so scared of everything going wrong again.

Yami closes his eyes, letting XiFeng let it out." Its okay....it'll be fine....Go ahead....you're not lesser for crying...Its good to let it out...."He patted her back gently, trying to comfort her. The mage wasn't quite sure what to do...He only hoped he could stop her hurting.

Swallowing her fear, XiFeng extracted herself from Yami. Crying wasn't going to change anything she already knew that. It was stupid to have started. She was just going to have to meet this problem head on. Fire burned in her eyes. It was determination. She wanted Tolkien off the streets. Not just for her. But for all those other girls, all those other families who lost someone to his operation. She wanted closure for every family Tolkien had corrupted.

"I want him dead." She told Yami. "I want him dead or locked up. He doesn't deserve to walk around free."

Yami looks into her eyes. Good..she may be hurt,but she was still standing.The mage listens to her request, nodding." Yes....of course...He will be neutralized, that much is certain." He lays a hand on her shoulder.,nodding. Yami will do what he could to make her happy, he swore it to himself.

Having Yami's assurance comforted XiFeng. It also stoked the fire that was burning to put Tolkien out of commission. She wanted him gone. Now. And she would work her wings off to get it that way.

"Do you think we can manage that alone?" she asked.

Yami nods." Were a phoenix and cloth mage.He won't know what hit him." He smiles, and nods." You...you wsont be alone in this." He looks around." So...should we go retrieve a certain little stinker?" The mages eyebrow quirks." As peaceful as it is, we probably shouldn't make your freindsuffer."

XiFeng smiled. She wondered her JiShu was doing with Zee. Knowing JiShu she had probably called over LingYi. LingYi was probably taking care of Zee and JiShu was probably hiding from him in a closet or picking up the hair she would have ripped out of her head in frustration. Good friends, good times.

"Yes, let's."

Yami nods." K, then." He chuckles at the thought of Zee causing havok. Ah well, that was what children were seupposed to do..Eh..why was he thinking like a old man? Disregarding it, he follows XiFeng to her friends house.

XiFeng led the way out of the apartment, keeping out an extra eye for anyone suspicious. Finding none, she slunk out to the back, leading Yami through a maze of alley ways. She had been exploring in her free time in case something like this ever happened. She knew the area around their apartment really well.

"When we get there, you might want to cover your ears or endure some really fast paced chinese ramble." XiFeng warned.