| A girl stood poised on the edge of the building. The wind wrapped it self around her hair pulling and teasing the strands so that it flicked around her face. Below her moved silver air-cars crisscrossing though the buildings. It looked like an upside down sky with all the lights creating pinpricks of white, red and blue. The girl swayed her hand resting on the column. One of the true birds of that world flew by her and for a few seconds she wondered how easily it would be to let go. To fly away and not come back. All she had to do was to let go of the column and step into space then she would fly. Fly to eternity. She could leave all this behind her, the pain, and the emptiness. All she had to do was step out. In a moment she could leave everything behind the lies, her guilt everything that gave hurt her. How easily she could end the charade; she could simply fly away. Only her fingertips brushed the column. The wind lashed her tunic and her leggings outlining for a few seconds a slim figure. Her hair whipped into her face and she brushed it away. One step. One step and she would be flying forever. Her hand left the support of the column. It would just take a moment and then she could be gone. Gone forever, flying forever. She leaned forward. She wouldn't need to face up to the council in the morning. Hear their explanations as to why her Master left the temple. Wouldn't have to hear their excuses as to why it wasn't her fault when everyone knew it was. She wouldn't have to go home and look at her Master's room anymore, at the empty wardrobe and the few possessions left. She wouldn't even have to read that ridiculous note that her Master left her, saying that it wasn't her fault. It was her fault. She wouldn't have to do anything anymore. Nothing. All she had to do was take one step. One foot rose off the ground. "Juli." Juli shuddered and almost fell as the wind gripped her. She felt Xani's arms around her legs keeping her from falling. Juli glanced down at the streaming cars and shuddered again, how close had she come? The distance seemed to great and for a moment, dizziness gripped her. "Juli." Xani said again as he lifted her down. His voice gave her comfort; it was something to cling to. She buried her face in his shoulder without a word and let him stroke her hair as she cried. "Shhh," Xani whispered in her ear, "Shhh, it is all over now." Juli nodded into his shoulder. She wrapped her arms around his waist as he rocked her softly. "What happened?" He asked her. She glanced up at him through swollen eyes. "My master left the temple Xani. Not just for a mission, either. She left the order, and it is my fault." She only just managed to say it before tears overwhelmed her again. "Shhh." Xani whispered to her and held her close again stroking her hair until the sobs had quieted. Her Master had left the temple all because Juli hadn't been a good enough padawan, because she hadn't done the dishes the other night and because of a million other reasons that sprang to mind. Each reason was small and trivial but it was all still her fault, everything was her fault. Juli sobbed again and Xani hushed her. "I just want to fly away Xani." Juli said knowing that she sounded childish but clinging to his tunic with one hand as if to give her support. "I want to leave. It is too much...it's my fault." Juli sobbed eventually, "My fault..." For a long moment, she said nothing and then it overwhelmed her again and she turned her face into his shirt again. As Juli began to sob, Xani stroked her hair quietly, listening to the drone of the air-cars and the occasional noise of the girl in his arms. Master Tellia had been going to leave for ages now; everyone knew it except apparently Juli. He shushed her again and stroked her hair softly. Juli hugged him closer and Xani hushed her, making it look like he took her closer embrace for comfort instead of desire. He knew her feelings towards him but he didn't return them. Juli lifted her head out of his shoulder and Xani smiled in sympathy. In her present state Juli looked young and innocent. Her eyes were red and puffy and mascara had leaked down around the curve of one cheek. Her hair whipped around her face and Xanatos realized how vulnerable she seemed. He pulled a stray hair away that had caught to the edge of her mouth and smiled again. Juli leaned in as if to kiss him but Xani raised a finger and pressed it to Juli's lips. "You know that isn't the answer." He said referring to more then just the kiss. Juli's eyes narrowed and her mouth set into a line. She took a step backwards disengaging herself from him. He could see the hurt in her eyes and her own self-loathing. Without another word, she turned and marched back into the temple. Xani sighed as he watched her go and then leaned back on the balustrade casting a curious glance into the depths below him. He watched the air-cars flying underneath and around him. Xanatos noted to himself the desire in Juli's eyes when she had wanted to kiss him; he noted the vulnerability her master caused in her. Xani noted the hurt and pain he had felt briefly through the force. He noted her own guilt about her Master's leaving and the self-loathing that she showed. He noted the way that the shutters had dropped across her eyes to hide her feelings. Xani observed everything a slight smiling hovering around the edges of his lips. He folded his arms across his chest as his smile deepened. Everything about Juli he had noted down in his mind. Stored it away. Things like that were always useful later. |
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| A Moment By Kit |
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