We're Friends [Isamu, Vanyel, Violet]

Compared to the outset, where he was relatively playful throughout, his expression grew far more earnest as he listened to Vanyel explain the situation. Accustomed to pickpocketing himself in the past, he would hardly judge the woman for attempting to secure some quick cash, but what was it for? Vanyel looked well off enough that he'd accommodate her, so was there a greater issue at work here?

Furthermore, whatever happened to her, no doubt bothered his longtime companion as he followed the man and observed him fidgeting around. To make him swear on his mother told him all he needed to know about the severity of the matter.

Firmly nodding in response, he lifted his hand as if to signify that he was wholly invested in promising his friend he meant every word. This would never leave this room. Even if faced with death, it would die on his lips.

"On Ruri Hagane, my mother's maiden name, I swear that whatever's revealed... will never leave this room. Even until my death."

Even with the gravity of the situation displayed, Vanyel still felt hesitant. Should he say it? He wanted to make sure that Violet was okay with it, especially with how she felt about the situation -- but, with how Isamu usually was, and what he ended up walking in on, he felt that...he should at least know the bare basics.

His lips parted, and, after a long period of contemplation, and a heavy sigh, Vanyel's voice maintained the whisper it had before.

"She...She was raped. I...I probably set her off with what I said. I don't know what it was exactly, but, just...be extra careful. And..."

Vanyel suddenly cut himself off, hands trembling as he thought back to the night she came back, bloodied and higher than a kite, and the fight that ensued after he took what remained of the heroin and hidden it away so that she couldn't shoot up again. Rather than speak, Vanyel slowly brought his fingers to the crease of his elbow, firmly tapping the area, before his fingers contorted to make it look as if he were holding a needle, pressing down on the plunger and pushing out its contents.

Isamu knew him. He'd know the anxiety-ridden expression, the wordless imitation -- as well as what a silent revelation would be asking of him.

"She's recovering, but, I'm scared, Isamu. I...I don't want that shit to ruin her life. More than anythin' else, remember: Not. A. Word. To anyone. I...I wanted you to know so that...you knew to be careful around her."

And, an unspoken hope was that Isamu might know ways to help her that he didn't.

"...Christ, no wonder she looked so tense when I first entered. Fuck... even if it wasn't my intention, I can only imagine the thoughts that might've been runnin' through her head when we were pressed together like that..."

At that moment, any notion of playfulness had promptly died in that moment. From Vanyel's current expression to the subsequent revelation and the wordless imitation, Isamu recognized that this matter was went well beyond the severity he initially expected.

Violet was not only a rape victim, but likely someone, from his perspective, who used that damnably familiar drug called heroin to numb the pain. His mind flashed back to the countless times where he used it, among other highly addictive narcotics, to numb his pain.

No, if he were being truthful to himself... at that time, he idly hoped one of those killed him. It would have been a fitting death for a man who had so blatantly dishonored everything he once stood for... but his reflection wasn't important right now. This was. Running a hand through his head, he contemplated his next moves, quickly coming to a decision as to what he intended to do to help. Of course, it required Vanyel trusting him to take the reigns, and to some additional extent - Violet as well.

"Knowin' how that shit was half of the fuckin' reason our own friendship ended up compromised, I don't intend on sayin' a goddamn word to anybody. That said, I can help. But only if you trust me with what I'm going to say right now. Call Violet down here, and let me talk to her. I might have just the right advice... to give her some perspective."

They both knew how dangerous and sensitive a situation like this was, particularly with their experience involving narcotics. Every single word, step, minor movement, all of it required the utmost care placed into them. But, at the confirmation that Isamu didn't intend on saying a word to anyone, Vanyel could breathe a little bit easier. His head lowered, his hands interlocking between strands of his hair, and he let out a quiet sigh of relief.

Right as he said to call Violet out, he heard the lock to the bathroom turn, the door open, and as he turned, seeing Violet sprinting down the hallway wrapped in a towel, then hearing the door to his room slam shut. She'd been in there for quite a while, something that Vanyel had been concerned about when he first started staying with her, but, had eventually gotten used to, only occasionally checking in on her to make sure that she was okay.

Taking in a deep breath, Vanyel nodded wordlessly, before standing up and making his way around the corner and down the hall. For some reason, it seemed a lot longer and darker than it usually did. But, he made his way to the door, gently knocking a few times, his voice just as gentle.

"Vi? I'm...I'm sorry for setting you off. I don't know what it was exactly, but...whatever it was, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to, honest. But...whenever you're ready, you can come out."

When Violet finished showering, she realized she walked in here without an extra change of clothes. Luckily, a shower towel was still hung up and she wrapped herself in it before running to Vanyel’s room to find something else to wear. She had glanced back for a brief moment to see they still had a guest before disappearing behind the door. The problem was she didn’t exactly have clothes… She had been wearing Vanyel’s stuff this entire time, refusing to let him spend that much money on her. He had done way more than enough.

After putting on a t-shirt, albeit a little tighter around the chest than she liked, she heard the knock. “Uh…” was all the noise she made until she heard Vanyel’s voice. Walking up to the door, she listened right on the other side, and then opened the door a crack.

Violet walked over to the door, opening it a crack so her lower body was hidden, clearly not completely dressed. "I... don't..." she hesitated, a sad tone in her voice. "It wasn't you... It was my fault. I shouldn't have let him in. He said he was your friend... It was stupid...I messed up again." Violet lowered her eyes to the floor.

As the door opened, Vanyel was quick to turn around, keeping his back facing the door, so as to respect her privacy.

"No, Vi, it wasn't your fault. I shouldn't have said what I said. You did what you thought was right, that's not a bad thing. I'm the one that didn't think all the way through with what I said. I...I should have thought more about how you'd react. None of what I said was meant to be a slight against you, or anythin' like that."

Violet reached out and placed her hand on his back. "Is... he a bad guy?" If this Isamu character was bad, but friends with Vanyel, she wouldn't know what to think. The thought was confusing.

Vanyel fumbled and grumbled a little at the question, unsure of how to respond for a bit. "He's not gonna hurt you. He might be a lecher, but, he's not a bad guy."

Violet took a deep breath, "I'll be out soon." And closed the door behind Vanyel. It didn’t take her long to find a pair of sweats to wear and she made her way back out to the lounging area. She stepped in slowly, giving a small, shy wave to both of them before taking her place on the couch and sitting in silence.

Isamu would patiently wait for the two to return as he relaxed against a chair, momentarily reflecting on the past, particularly when his bond grew strained with Vanyel. Sure, they started at each other's necks, but they grew to be as thick as thieves. Vanyel was akin to a brother to him by that point, and he confided in him to a degree he didn't quite wish to engage with others in the Kudo-Kai. His descent into the temptations that surrounded him all seemed so lovely at first.

The drugs, the women, the sex, the alcohol... if numbing the pain was his game, then this was his ideal. But it hadn't been his ideal in the end. Merely a temporary bandaid to a permanent wound. If he could prevent someone else from falling prey to that sort of life, he damn sure intended to throw his best efforts at assisting Vanyel with this issue. Turning his head to the returning Violet and back to Vanyel, he exhaled softly and carefully reflected on his next words. His onyx gaze eventually settled on Violet.

"First off, let me apologize to ya about the way I came across when we first met. I'm a shameless flirt at heart, but I didn't quite expect things to end up escalating to that extent, nor... for you to potentially feel guilty for lettin' me in. Now, I'm going to need you to listen to me. I have some advice I need to share with you, Violet. Vanyel told me all I needed to know, and I want to help. That okay with you?"

Isamu kept his eyes focused squarely on her. His tone was firm and direct, but there was the clear intent of care in his voice still. He didn't know what her reaction might be, and he wasn't going to hide what was shared. He promised he wouldn't share it with the world, but to address and nip this issue in the bud, he had to be honest with her.

Violet was quickly met with an apology that she did not expect. “Uh…” She couldn’t find the words, but she shifted uncomfortably and lowered her head. “I-It’s okay,” she said with a small nod. As he continued on, there was a quick glance to Vanyel, a look of pure confusion on her face. Curling her knees up to her chest, Violet pushed herself into the couch and just nodded. “Um… Okay.”

"Okay, good. Thank you for being trustworthy about this sorta thing. Though, I guess I should elaborate on what I want to talk about, huh?"

Isamu ruminated on his thoughts for a moment, shifting between which subject to talk about first. He glanced back at Vanyel before his eyes returned to look at Violet. There was confusion in her eyes, but that was to be expected. Sighing softly, he revealed a particular section of his arm, where one would no doubt notice light remnants of marks from his past. It wasn't immediately familiar, but he was overwhelmingly sure Vanyel and Violet would recognize what they were. It wasn't his proudest moment, of course, but that didn't matter. This was to prove a point, a voiceless way of saying "I know this experience."

"Let's get straight to it, then. I don't know if it's something you intend on doin' movin' forward, but you oughta leave any manner of drug use alone. Speaking from experience... I get it. It feels nice in the moment. The rush of euphoria, feeling numb to any and everything. For a while, you're happy. Blissful, even. Anguish, worry, and pain - all of that vanishes in the blink of an eye when ya shoot up, but..."

His gaze would grow somber as his eyes landed on Vanyel for a moment, onyx eyes somewhat regretful reflecting on their eventual fallout. Again, his eyes settled on Violet as he continued.

"It's little more than a temporary and horrific band-aid that hardly nurses the wound. Fun in the moment, terrible in the aftermath. It is never a solution, and it only serves to make things worse for the people around you who can notice when something's off. Don't get me wrong... Knowing what you've endured, I can't even begin to imagine what I'd do. No well-meaning woman deserves that, and neither did you. But, again, hear me when I say this, and do yer best to acknowledge it - this is not the solution. If ya have any intentions movin' forward, toss them out now."

His words were blunt, but he spoke from a genuine place

Violet glanced back to Vanyel because Isamu did. This was very unfamiliar for her, so she was stuck on how to react. She leaned forward to get a good look at what she was being shown. Her confusion faded and her face hardened. As Isamu spoke, Violet shot a quick, wide-eyed, eyebrow raised, glance to Vanyel, one that sort of read, “Oh, okay. Wasn’t expecting this.” She listened to all of what Isamu had to say, but she just couldn’t find herself agreeing with a lot of it.

“Another dose and it all goes away again,” Violet said, revealing that doing it again has actually been in the back of her mind. And then that line dropped. “Knowing what you’ve endured…” Violet’s stare got sharper, like daggers as Isamu went on. ‘He knows…? No… How… Only Van… There’s no way… He’d never…’ Violet’s mind went a mile a minute, barely even completing a thought, as her breathing got heavy.

“I-I-I-I…” Violet just began stuttering. Frustrated with not getting out a single word, she stood up and stared at this strange man. ‘He did… He told him, but why… I don’t understand.’ “You have no idea what I’ve been through, okay. I-I-If a little shot can make it all go away, I’m doing it. I don’t care how temporary it is. It’s not like I’m hurting anyone else. Just me, so… why is it such a big deal?”

"You're right. I don't have any idea what you've been through. I won't pretend I do. No one should ever know what that's like. I get it. Now, let me show you something..."

Isamu rose from his chair, walking over to her as he firmly and politely grabbed her, turning her around so that she was looking at Vanyel directly. It was an obvious breach of personal space, but that didn't really matter to him at all right now. No, this was a necessary length to go to prove a point. Sighing softly, he shook his head as he continued, observing the two of them as he continued to speak. He could tell she was likely frustrated that Vanyel revealed those painful memories, but it wasn't his fault. He needed to. For his sake and her sake, this needed to be addressed now. He would not leave this house until they addressed this.

"Take one moment to look at him and tell me you believe what you said just now. Does that look like the expression of someone who isn't hurt? The man was practically terrified to reveal what happened to me, to the point he made me swear on my mother that not a word would leave this house. To me, that might as well be an unbreakable oath."

To give her breathing space, he removed his hands, transitioning into the next phase of his speech.

"Ya know what bothers me to this day, Violet? The way our bond ended. The expression he has now is the same thing I'd catch glimpses of when I shot up when I took any and every manner of drug to numb myself to hell. Even if he wanted to address it, how could he? I never gave him a chance, and he wasn't equipped to deal with that. Looking at him now, he still appears to be somewhat out of his element here. I can't even begin to imagine how hard it is to talk about this without any experience, without any knowledge. It's frightening. And I can see that in his face."

And then his gaze settled on her finally, reinforcing what he said earlier.

"You've been through enough yourself, too, Violet. I won't be foolish and say you ought to face that wound head-on. I wouldn't dare tell someone who endured that shit to simply deal with it... but you have someone who cares about you, who would raise hell and high water to make sure you're alright. I know him, and I know how much he cares about others when they get him to open up. From what I can tell, you seem to have a positive effect on him."

Rubbing the back of his head, he finished with a solemn exhale, hoping his words bore fruit.

"Don't ruin that. Don't be like me. No matter what you tell me, no matter what you believe... this path's only gonna make ya miserable in the end, and those around you - especially him. It hurt me when it happened, and I don't think you could bear the thought of losin' a guy like this over temporary euphoria. Don't let a "little shot" be what breaks things apart."