Heart's Crucifixion [Johann, Violet]

As the young lady screamed in frustration, Johann gave a quiet sigh. It seemed that whatever had happened that made her question her own worth involved this friend, or, rather, from how she spoke, ex-friend. As she stood up, her purse slipped and fell to the ground, its contents spilling. Johann's lips parted and his eyes widened slightly at seeing the exposed drugs clatter to the ground.

Normally, and had he been in his younger years, the sight of it would have sent him flying into a rage. Part of him still felt that anger welling up that she was so brazen about ruining her life -- but, he was not that man anymore. At the very least, he was trying. Rather, the shock quickly turned into sympathetic, and with a quick flick of his finger, small threads of Reishi spiraled to life from his fingertips and coiled around the incriminating items, lifting them and setting them back into Violet's purse, zipping it closed so that such an incident would not happen twice.

Perhaps the more responsible thing to do in that moment was confiscate them, to destroy or hide them away so that she was not posing a danger to herself and potentially others with such alarming items. But, Johann knew better than most that it would likely only make the situation worse. So, as the threads of Reishi quietly slipped around her purse, the elder lifted it, setting it down on top of the still-untouched handkerchief between them.

"If I may, could you I ask that you explain a bit more? Who is this friend? What did they do? And, if it isn't too much...may I ask what your father told you?"

Someone within the Vandenreich? Johann's eyes narrowed slightly at the notion. It was a big organization, but, he knew many of the individuals, even if not personally. So, he listened with a keen ear, and disapproving frown coming to his face as he heard her tale. The poor girl's confidence was shattered -- so that was her reason for such behavior. He did, however, get the name. There weren't many people with the name "Solomon" within the Vandenreich.

"Hmm...would the individual in question be Solomon Richter, perchance? If you could, I'd like to know what he said to you. Regardless, I could not disagree more, my dear. You say 'strong enough,' yet, that would mean that you have grown, would it not? That is an accomplishment, regardless of what others may tell you. Perhaps you didn't meet the goal that you wished to achieve, but, that does not mean there was no progress at all."

Hmm, that certainly could have been worded better. While an exact account would, by all means, be for the best, it was far from something that any regular person should require. But, before he had a chance to correct himself, Violet still chose to recount what she knew, what she had believed it as.

His hands gently rested on the handle of his cane as he listened closely to her, noting the peculiar aspects of her recollection.

Solomon was one of the many members of the Vandenreich that worked under him. He was as flawed as any other man was, but, the idea that he wouldn't trust someone to fight alongside him felt...odd. He was a young man who loved his comrades as if they were his own brothers and sisters. Before his thought process could continue, he heard the young woman's breathing pick up.

"Oh, no..."

With that, he was quick to shift, standing up to kneel down in front of her. so that she could see him This wasn't something he had a tremendous amount of experience in, but, at the behest of his wife, he had thankfully learned of them.

"Miss, focus on your breathing and where you are. Take a deep breath, think of the smell of the sea."

Johann could only imagine how horrible something like this was to experience. As Violet reached out for her, the elder was slow, careful, and gentle in rising, yet quick in moving her purse to the side and sitting down next to her, gingerly resting a gloved hand on her shoulder, and, if she allowed it, went to comfort her, holding her as if she were his own child.

"It's okay, miss. Just keep focusing. You'll get through this."

He spoke in a low voice, seeking to give her comfort, no matter how small. Eventually, she was able to focus on her breathing, the heavy breaths slowing as she took control of herself. As she did, Johann carefully made space between them, keeping a hand gently rested on her shoulder, both to keep her aware that he was still there, as well as to help keep her upright, should she need the assistance.

"That...was a panic attack, dear. It's an episode of fear or anxiety based on a perceived threat, not any real, imminent danger. From what I understand, they typically can come about due to stress and...trauma."

It was good that she didn't withdraw. All he wished to do was to help a young lady that was very clearly in need of it. He leaned back as she went for her purse, allowing her to reach for whatever it was that she intended to get. But, as she started to retreat and put her hand back over her chest, Johann returned a hand to her shoulder, a gentle smile accompanying his aged features.

"Perhaps you should talk about it. If you'd like, we can go somewhere more private if I'm a suitable ear. But, for now, just be sure to breathe, and stay focused on the present. It might be scary, but, remember, there's no imminent danger."

Johann peeked into the folds of her purse, reaching in and retrieving the bottle of water from inside, holding it out to the young lady.

"Your name? I'd think it's far better to call someone by their name, rather than just 'miss' or 'young lady'."