Seeing Red

[issie]

Liv Aldis

"I'm sorry." Liv had said to Erin.

"Me, too," she replied quietly, she seemed to relax a little for the first time in the whole conversation. "For what.. I said..."

"You have to live with my sister's ghost as much as I do." she said, knowing she was right. If Yukito had just now started to heal from what her sister had done, then how long were they together with that between them? She could see Yukito cringe at what she said. He probably felt guilty, he usually did. Erin nodded and Liv could see an unhappy man coming towards them out of the corner of her eye. Silently, she wondered if this was his place... or if this scene had just made someone angry. She didn't know. He came closer and she noticed Yukito looking worried, going to talk to the man.

"I'm glad." Liv choked out, her heavy Norwegian accent still very apparent. "He has you. He seems... better." And that was true for the most part. She forced herself to meet Erin's eyes and calm herself. "I just miss her."

When Yukito was done with his conversation with the guy she had never seen before, he walked over to his girlfriend and whispered something she couldn't quite hear. But one thing was pretty clear. The man he spoke to didn't want them there anymore. I didn't make him lose his job... did I? Her eyes widened as she turned to look at the angry person she didn't know.

He was still standing there... this was all her fault. Maybe she should do something? She bit her lip and without sparing a glance towards Yukito or Erin, she walked over to the man. "Please!" she began quickly, probably catching him off guard. "This is all my fault, don't let Yukito lose his job!" Tears were welling in her eyes again, which was surprising to her because she thought she had no more tears left in her after what all happened. "I came in here and started yelling. I hit him. He didn't do anything wrong. If you want, tell me not to come here ever again and I won't." She looked him in the eyes then, knowing that she must look beat up and broken. Tear stains on her cheeks and new ones falling down, the scratch and bruises on her face. Maybe this time all that would work to her favor? Maybe....

[GGJ5]

Erin Spenser

"I'm sorry."

The simple way she said it, and the distraught image Erin had seen in her a moment ago, were more than sufficient to break the dam and release the emotions hide behind Erin's anger. Now suddenly feeling awkward again, but for different reasons, Erin responded, "Me, too." She let loose her hold of Yukito and added quietly, honestly, "For what.. I said..."

"You have to live with my sister's ghost as much as I do." Another simple statement that hit home, and hard. Erin gave a brief nod. She'd never lost anyone that close before. She had no idea what it was like, and the times when Yukito tried to grieve, tried to revive a little memory of Natalie, she had no idea what to do. What to feel. In so many ways, she felt like Natalie had come in and stolen things from her-- so many different firsts, and different connections, and different secrets and words exchanged that she wanted to be special between just her and Yukito had to be shared with Natalie. Because Erin was second in those ways-- the ways of sharing real first kisses and saying 'I love you' and making memories and breakthroughs and... And it was all new to her, but Natalie had already set a kind of precedent, it felt like, and it hurt to feel that way.... On the other hand, she knew that Yukito had loved her, and they had helped each other in ways she didn't really know. And if it weren't for Natalie, Erin was pretty sure she and Yukito wouldn't be where they were now. In that way, she owed a lot to this girl she could never repay.

But there were times when Erin was furious with Natalie. Like a moment ago. When her selfish death caused Liv and Yukito to lash out and scream and cry so much, from pain. And it had hurt Erin in turn too. At times like that, if she could see Natalie and speak to her, she would want to scream, "Don't you see what you've done to them?! Is THAT what you wanted to leave behind?!"

Now she just saw the younger, wounded figure that Natalie had left behind. And Erin's heart wanted to reach out to her, but there were too many walls.

Yukito had slipped away.

"I'm glad." Liv's words surprised her, and her face showed it. "He has you. He seems... better." The words provoked a demure smile from Erin. "I just miss her."

Erin just nodded again. Saying "I know" would have been a lie. Instead she just repeated, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean what I..."

Yukito had reappeared, and whispered into her ear, "We need to go, now."

Erin pulled away a little at the tone in his voice that she couldn't identify. That worried her. "What? Why?" she asked aloud, then noticed Yukito's boss in the background. And it hit her. "Oh, no," she groaned quietly. If she'd gotten him fired because of her big, fat, stupid mouth then she'd never forgive herself.... Erin started cursing herself in her head, the loudness, the impulsiveness, the stupidity of causing a ruckus at Yukito's public work... When would she learn?

Liv suddenly walked up to the manager, and started pleading. She was the one pleading, when it should have been Erin, and--- No, no, no, that's not right, Erin thought vehemently. She left Yukito to try to get Liv's attention. "This is all my fault, don't let Yukito lose his job!"

"Liv!" she called, eyebrows knit in earnest. She was the one who'd already struck out once... what was Liv doing?!

"I came in here and started yelling. I hit him. He didn't do anything wrong. If you want, tell me not to come here ever again and I won't."

"Liv, stop," Erin said again, quietly, at her side. "It's my second time doing this," she told her in a low voice, feeling heavily leaden with guilt. She pushed away that feeling as much as she could when she looked up at Yukito's manager, and said, "Tell me to go and I'll go. I know you don't want me. But Yukito didn't do anything wrong, it was us-- it was me. Okay?" Biting her lip, Erin glanced back anxiously at Yukito. I'm trying, Yukito... I really am, to fix what I screw up for you... I wish it would work already...

[Elda Forever]

Yukito Maki

Feeling eyes on him from all sides, he leaned forward to whisper in Erin's ear, "We need to go, now."

"What? Why?" she asked aloud, then noticed Yukito's boss in the background. "Oh, no," she groaned quietly. He gave her a tight-lipped smile, tucking his hands into his back pockets and looking down at his shoes. They'd have to figure out something else. He was sure he could find someplace to work, he'd seen ads and thought about having a backup, or maybe a second job to make things a bit easier, and be able to put aside more money for their trip. But he was still worried...they had payments that would be due soon, and he wasn't good enough at stretching dollar bills yet.

When he heard Liv's footsteps leading away, he glanced up, finding her in front of the manager. ”Please!” What is she doing?! "This is all my fault, don't let Yukito lose his job!"

At the same moment as Erin stepped forward, Yukito frowned, uncertain, calling out quietly, “Liv, don't...”

"Liv!" Erin's voice overpowered half-muttered phrase easily.

"I came in here and started yelling. I hit him. He didn't do anything wrong. If you want, tell me not to come here ever again and I won't." Yeah, I kind of did do something, Liv...I got upset, too... And it's my workplace. I should have known to take it outside at least...

"Liv, stop," Erin said again, quietly, at her side. Yukito stepped forward, "It's my second time doing this," she added, making Yukito stop in his tracks at her unexpected words. What the hell are they doing?! "Tell me to go and I'll go. I know you don't want me. But Yukito didn't do anything wrong, it was us-- it was me. Okay?" This is kind of weird. Biting her lip, Erin glanced back anxiously at Yukito, who wasn't sure how to react to this. He was kind of nervous to look up at the manager.

”I'm sorry, ladies, but this is a place of business, and if the trouble is coming repeatedly from one of our employees...” He gave a sigh, and so did Yukito. ”I'm afraid there has just been too many fights.”

“I get it,” Yukito murmured, “I'm sorry.” He took Erin's hand, trying to reassure her that he would take care of things. “Let's just go, okay?” But thank you for the effort. Both of you.

[issie]

Liv Aldis

”Please!” Liv exclaimed, trying to get the stranger's attention. "This is all my fault, don't let Yukito lose his job!"

She wasn't surprised when she heard Erin step forward and start speaking too. "Liv!" She didn't turn away from the man, though. She tried to maintain eye contact and force him to know that she was sincere.

"I came in here and started yelling. I hit him. He didn't do anything wrong. If you want, tell me not to come here ever again and I won't." she said, her voice pleading and probably harx to understand with her heavy accent.

"Liv, stop," she turned then to see that Erin was standing by her side. It was her turn to plead. "It's my second time doing this," she added, causing Liv's eyes to widen. She had done this before? "Tell me to go and I'll go. I know you don't want me. But Yukito didn't do anything wrong, it was us-- it was me. Okay?" Liv looked back and forth from Erin to the manager, seeing if her words had more of an effect on him than her's did.

”I'm sorry, ladies, but this is a place of business, and if the trouble is coming repeatedly from one of our employees...” Liv grimaced. ”I'm afraid there has just been too many fights.”

“I get it,” Yukito murmured, “I'm sorry.” She watched him take Erin's hand and her jaw dropped slightly. He was just going to give up his job? Just like that? “Let's just go, okay?” Liv had no idea if he had any other jobs lined up that he could get into, most likely not. How was it fair that only two small incidents of fighting that he was barely involved with cost him his job? It didn't make any sense to her at all, and she felt a tremendous amount of guilt.

Squaring up her shoulders, Liv decided for one last attempt to win Yukito's job back, but she had no idea if it would work or not. She pushed her hair away from her face and neck, showing the extent of the damage that was done to her and walked up so close to him that even she felt uncomfortable. But it was necessary. She didn't want anyone else hearing what she was about to say.

"Do you see this?" she whispered gently in an oddly soft voice, gesturing to her grotesque injuries. "The people I lived with did this. Yukito has been giving me a place to stay. He helps me." she lied easily, her bright green eyes filling with tears, "If he loses this job... I have to go back..." She balled her fists at her sides and tried to think of the correct English words that needed to be used. "Don't help the people hurt me, mister."

She let tears fall as she did something she never thought she'd do in her entire life. She hugged a complete stranger as tightly as she could, hoping that this would give Yukito another chance. Even if she had lied to this man, if he got his job back then it would be worth it. And maybe if she did get his work back, then Erin would forgive her too.

[GGJ5]

Erin Spenser

“Let's just go, okay?” Yukito decided, taking Erin's hand even as she shot him a look of utter confusion. We can't go... I don't even know what just happened here! No, we can't go! But he said they were supposed to.... maybe if they did, it would work out...?

Looking back at Liv, she was talking lowly to the manager. And suddenly to Erin's surprise, and she had a feeling to Liv's own surprise too, Liv was hugging him. And was she crying, too? Going to see Yukito at work should never be this confusing.... She looked from Liv back to Yukito a few times, then, words failing her, Erin groaned and hid her face in his arms. Explain it to me later, she thought hopelessly.

[Elda Forever]

OOC: D: Sorry for the long wait! We really do need to wrap this up, especially since a lot has happened since this... BIC:

Yukito Maki

”I'm sorry, ladies, but this is a place of business, and if the trouble is coming repeatedly from one of our employees...” He gave a sigh, and so did Yukito. ”I'm afraid there has just been too many fights.”

“I get it,” Yukito murmured, “I'm sorry.” His hand on Erin's gave it a squeeze of reassurance. They'd been through things a lot more difficult and insurmountable than looking for a new job, and he knew despite her expression that she would follow him where he went to, even if she was as worried as he was. “Let's just go, okay?” But when he looked up, he saw Liv approaching the manager, brushing her hair away from her pale, and too-thin face. She was whispering something to him, and Yukito saw conflict in the man's eyes as he listened. Then, in a last desperate attempt, Liv threw herself against the man, wrapping him in what was probably a rare and weakly-held embrace, her thin arms unable to reach around the broad chest of the man.

“Liv, really, we should just--” he started, but neither of them seem to hear him. Yukito's eyes widened, wondering what she could possibly be telling the man. He looked over at Erin, seeing an equally befuddled expression in her eyes. Erin relinquished a groan and fell against him, his hands going up automatically to catch her as he watched the manager shaking his head at Liv, gently pulling her off of him.

“A pretty lie, miss,” the manager said at last in response to Liv's explanation, “But I'm afraid there are no exceptions.”

Yukito stepped up to her, abandoning Erin for a moment to touch Liv's shoulder with one hand. “Liv, seriously, it's okay...we'll figure something out, I promise. Can we just go..?” He gestured lightly toward the door, looking levelly into her eyes.