Micah Carrington: Dressed in his best and only suit, Micah arrives at the side door of the Concerto and buzzes.

Jody Yu: After a couple of minutes, and what is surely a looksee through the camera, the door opens, and one of the many Asian security men looks out at him. "Can I help you?"

Micah Carrington: "I'm wondering if miss Yu is available," he says, voice soft, a little hard.

Jody Yu: A nod, and the door opens to admit him. He gestures for Micah to hold his arms out, for a patdown.

Micah Carrington: He holds up one finger and unbuttons his coat, moving slowly. He turns and offers his side to the man so he can retrieve the glock.

Jody Yu: The man takes the Glock from Micah, and then does the quick patdown, before nodding. He and another of the security people move to escort Micah down the backstage area to the main office.

Micah Carrington: "Did she take over Pa-Karlos' office," he asks curiously, moving with confidence down the hall.

Jody Yu: The man nods. "Mister Basoalto turned the office over to Miss Yu when she became manager. Miss Yu and Miss Drake share the office."

Micah Carrington: He nods thoughtfully, fingers grazing across the wall.

Jody Yu: Micah is led to the office, and the Security man knocks on the door. "Come in," comes the voice from behind the door, quiet and polite. The man looks to Micah and nods.

Micah Carrington: "Thank you," he says politely. He straightens his tie and then steps inside, moving to the desk to offer his hand. "Miss Yu."

Jody Yu: She's rising from her chair behing the desk as the door opens. Small and innocuous...those would be the first words many would use to describe Jody. Standing at 5’4”, and weighing nary more then 110 pounds, her racially mixed blood is obvious, with a strong hint of Asian features in her caucasion face. Her ebony hair is cut short, making her look much younger then her 32 years of age. She’s dressed in a simple yet elegant black evening dress. Her eyes, a bright green with tiny gold flecks in them, carry a note of keen intelligence, worldly knowledge, and wisdom. ((Arcane 2; Always Suppressed While At Work.)) She smiles politely to Micah and extends her hand. "Good afternoon."

Micah Carrington: "I'm Micah Carrington," he says, smiling politely as he shakes her hand. "Though Saidah Rose might be more accurate as its my legal name."

Jody Yu: "Of course," she says with an inclination of her head in acknolwedgment. "A pleasure to meet you. How are you?"

Micah Carrington: "I'm good," he lies, because the lie is expected. The lie is polite. He smiles. "I'm actually here to inquire about employment."

Jody Yu: "Oh?" She seems politely intrigued at that. "We are always looking for new employees...even when they are old ones. What kind of employment were you seeking?"

Micah Carrington: "Twofold," he says softly, tongue flitting over his lips. "May I sit," he asks, gesturing to a chair.

Jody Yu: "Of course, please do. I'm sorry, please excuse me." She seats herself, when he does.

Micah Carrington: He chuckles softly and settles, crossing his long legs. "Thank you. I worked previously as Melody's assistant...I'm not looking for that type of position. I'd like to work on the floor. Matre d' perhaps...But I'd also like to work on the streets."

Jody Yu: "Of course. Pardon me, but you would like to work on the streets as...?"

Micah Carrington: "Your eyes and ears. A Liason of sorts, provided of course I get the necessary information about who's who...and what."

Jody Yu: "I see." She nods, her hands resting placidly on the desk as she considers. "I must admit, Mr. Carrington, or Rose, that this is a rather new concept of a position. You have skills that would work in such a situation, I assume...or perhaps experience in such?"

Micah Carrington: "I'm inocuous for one. People talk around me and I have contacts in a couple of the communities. I'm also willing and more then able to do anything that needs to be done." A pause as he studies her, debating something inside his own mind. "You used to have an Enforcer, of sorts..."

Jody Yu: "There was no official position of Enforcer, Mr. Rose." She watches him serenely. "There was an individual who was loosely associated with the Concerto at one time, who acted on his own as an Enforcer of sorts in his own right. But he did not work for the Concerto in a formal capacity, as I understand it. This was, I'm sorry to say, before I came here, as I'm sure you know."

Micah Carrington: He nods. "I'm not looking for a position like that...I just know that there has been precedence for other...more unique positions."

Jody Yu: She nods a little bit, considering it over. "For the Maitre d' position, of course, we have a standard application process. As for the other..." She smiles politely. "This is something I will have to consider. I fully understand the benefits you present in such a position...some things must be weighed a bit, is all."

Micah Carrington: "Such as," he asks, brow arching slowly, his smile cooly polite. "Though, I will admit that, when Karlos was running the Concerto I was expected to be out on the streets...Patrolling, as it were."

Jody Yu: "Each job has it's own level of commitment," she acknolwedges with a nod. "Our Security is, of course, ready to act at a moment's notice, and does regular sweeps of the Demilitarized Zone, as I'm sure you are aware. Mr. Basoalto was an excellent mentor in the ins and outs of the workings of the Club. I take the spirit of those teachings to heart."

Micah Carrington: "Karlos was an amazing man," he agrees though he's unable to stop that hint of bitterness in his voice. "We also made sure to patrol the neutral territories as well. And tried, when possible, to keep tabs on whose groups were where and what, exactly, they were up to."

Jody Yu: "Of course," she agrees. "All important parts of maintaining the Treaty. When possible."

Micah Carrington: He nods and his smile warms just a touch. "Though, Papa was, occasionally, rather short sighted."

Jody Yu: She smiles a little. "Mr. Basoalto was an excellent Executor of the Treaty. Of course, from time to time, things must adapt, and flow toward a more appropriate Way."

Micah Carrington: "I sense change," he says, trying to put a little zen quality into his soft voice.

Jody Yu: "Only for the better. Everything changes, Mr. Rose. Even institutions." That polite smile remains. "It is their Way to change, or to fade away."

Micah Carrington: "Yes. Everything does Change, miss Yu." He nods and settles into the chair, fingers steepling beneath his chin. "I'd like to help you with those Changes."

Jody Yu: A little nod. "I very much appreciate the offer, Mr. Rose. We certainly welcome such help from those willing to offer it. If you will allow me to get some paperwork authorizing certain checks and evaluations, I will be happy to consider exactly who this...liason position can benefit us."

Micah Carrington: He nods. "Of course Miss Yu." He rolls gracefully to his feet, hands moving to gently smooth his tie.

Jody Yu: She rises from her chair, moving to a a file cabinet and opening it, withdrawing a packet of paper, and moving to him to fill out.

Jody Yu: ((moving to hand to him to fill out))

Micah Carrington: "If its allright with you I'll take this into the dining room and fill it out over lunch?"

Jody Yu -> Micah Carrington: There is, among there, authorization of a full background check, criminal record, credit check...a lot of the stuff Micah's used to. There's a few new things, the main one being a psychological evaluation or Mental scan, whichever the applicant prefers.

Jody Yu: "Of course." She nods. "Quite acceptable."

Micah Carrington -> Jody Yu: He flips through the papers and then slowly raises his head to Jody's. "Who does the scan?"

Micah Carrington: He flips through the papers and then slowly raises his head to Jody's. "Who does the scan?"

Jody Yu: "I do." She nods. "Under entirely safe precautions, of course. Nothing obtained is shared."

Micah Carrington: He sets the paperwork aside with a little frown as he notes his hands are shaking. "What else can you do?"

Jody Yu: She raises her eyebrow, seeming to not quite understand what he's getting at. "I have several dharmic tools at my disposal, Mr. Rose. Is there something in specific you require?"

Micah Carrington: He licks his lips slowly. "Maybe once you see inside my head you'll understand...I need it gone...all of it."

Jody Yu: Recognition seems to dawn at that, and she nods. "I see. Define...all of it."

Micah Carrington: "My father. Gone. The three years I spent on the street catering to peds...gone...Drabka Ver...gone...Trevor. Gone." He shudders. "Dawit...ohn gaia...dawit.."

Jody Yu: She's quiet, watching him with an odd, inscrutable expression on her face.

Micah Carrington: He sags back against the desk, staring at her with wide, desolate eyes. "I don't wanna remember...I want, just enough left to live a life...any life that you or Aerin gives me...I'll start over...I don't care."

Jody Yu: She considers, and nods a bit. "I understand what you are saying, Mr. Rose. I believe that I can help you...start over again, in a manner of speaking."

Micah Carrington: "I'll do whatever I need to...Please..."

Jody Yu: "Are you sure that this is something that you wish, Mr. Rose?" She stands there, behind the desk, soft eyes on the other.

Micah Carrington: "I'm turning into a monster, Miss Yu." He licks his lips and takes off his glasses with shaking hands. "I don't want to...I don't want to turn into Trevor Dunne."

Jody Yu: She considers a moment, then nods. "There is a temple a little over a mile nort east of here, on Canal Street." She removes a piece of paper from her desk and writes an address down, then hands it over to Micah. "Come there tonight, and I will do what I can to give you a new start."

Micah Carrington: He nods and takes the paper, his hand shaking like a leaf. "Thank you," he whispers, putting his glasses back on as he blinks over at her.

Jody Yu: "Of course, Mr. Rose." She inclines her head politely. "I will be there about 6:20; I would suggest arriving 20 minutes or so after that."

Micah Carrington: "Yes, Ma'am." He nods and folds the piece of paper very carefully.

Micah Carrington: "Should I bring anything?"

Jody Yu: "Whatever will make you more comfortable, Mr. Rose." She smiles a little bit.

Micah Carrington: "No teddybears for me I'm afraid." He sighs and bites his lips then nods. "Thank you."

Jody Yu: "You are welcome." She nods a little, and smiles, putting her hands behind her back. "Is there anything else I can help you with today, Mr. Rose?"

Micah Carrington: "No..." he shakes his head. "Just thinking that I need to go see Aerin and say good bye to Micah." He swallows and nods to her slowly. "I will see you tonight."

Jody Yu: She nods a little bit. "As a side note...I would not recommend eating before-hand."

Micah Carrington: "Sokay. I don't eat much anyways." He smiles shakily and thrusts his hand towards her.

Jody Yu: "Excellent." She sighs, and smiles to him. "I have things to prpare for...if you will excuse me, Mr. Rose, I will see you tonight."

Micah Carrington: He nods and slips quietly from the office, retrieving his gun before he steps outside.

Jody Yu: She cancels her meetings for the day and heads into the bedroom, doing a purification and cleaning meditation fr the rest of the day.

 

MAHAYANA BUDDHIST TEMPLE

Micah Carrington: Micah arrives just a couple minutes early and waits uncertainly beside the door, torn between knocking and walking away.

Jody Yu: The Mahayana Buddhist Temple is on Canal Street, as stated. It's not a particularly grand building...in fact, the outside looks more like an elaborate storefront then a temple, in garish yellow and red with a golden Buddha statues just inside the open outer doors. A second door inside is closed.

Micah Carrington: Stealing himself he steps forward and knocks.

Jody Yu: The door opens, and a man in his mid-thirties, Asian, with sparse hair and traditional orange robes, opens the door. He looks at Micah, smiling in a kindly manner. "Hello," he says, his English a little broken. "How may I help you?"

Micah Carrington: "Um...I'm..."He pauses, brow furrowing as he slicks damp hair back from his forehead. "I'm looking for Jody Yu, please, sir."

Jody Yu: He nods a little and holds the door open for Micah. The inside is...astoundingly unimpressive, if Micah was expecting a very traditional style of temple. It looks more converted from a modern building, with a hallway leading to a large room that has a hardwood floor almost remniscent of a basketball court, but for the lack of freethrow lines and the like. A very, very long table dominates the center, with chairs around it. A very large statue sits along the back wall. The man gestures to a side room. "Cheng Li is in there. That is who you seek."

Micah Carrington: "Thank you, Sir," he says softly, glancing at the man's feet to see if he should remove his shoes before padding towards the sideroom with that almost lazy grace he possesses.

Jody Yu: The man's feet are sandled. He bows a little to Micah before continuing back about his business.

The door leads to a small, candle-lit room, about 10 feet by 10 feet. Theres a small altar in the room, and a couple comfortable pillows on the floor. Jody knees next to the alter inside, lighting incense. Micah might note rolls of silk by her side, a calligraphy set, and a wand that looks to have been fashioned out of a human femur. She's dressed in the traditional robes as well, with some ornate but simply drawn script down the edges of the robe. "Hello, Micah," she says without looking away. Though still polite, her voice is a bit louder...a touch bolder, and maybe...older?


Micah Carrington: "Hello, Miss Yu," he murmurs softly, closing the door behind him quietly, pressing his back to it as he stares across the small room at her, trembling.

Jody Yu: The incense she sets in is alternatingly sweet and acrid...one brazier smelling of Jasmine, Clove, Cardamon, Sweetflags, and Sang; the other smelling like Valarian, Holy Basil, Mugwort, Magnolia, and Mace. She turns to him, bowing her head with a smile, and gestures to a pillow. "Please, Micah...make yourself comfortable." She rises and takes the bone wand, using it to wave the insence around the room, eyes closed as she does so.

Micah Carrington: He drifts slowly to the pillow and sits, curling his legs beneath him, careful not to let his boots touch the fabric...And then, as an after thought he unlaces them and setst hem aside, his socks tucked into the top so he can curl barefeet againts the pillow.

Jody Yu: d10: Spirit Ward: 9,2,3,

Jody Yu: She continues to work for a couple minutes, wafting the smoke around, letting it fill the room.

Jody Yu: d10: Spirit Ward (WP): 8,2,4,

Micah Carrington: Micah struggles to relax but his heart is hammering in his throat and his stomach is twisting itself in knots. Shaking fingers rise to undo the top couple buttons on his shirt, loosening it.

Jody Yu: She finishes it off by moving around the room, that leg-bone wand marking off the barriers of the room.

Jody Yu: d10: Spirit Ward (WP): 8,3,5,

Micah Carrington: He watches her curiously, eyes following her motions jerkily.

Jody Yu: Her eyes open, finally, and she nods in satsifaction. She moves back to her spot, lowering herself with remarkably ease into a lotus position, facing Micah.

Micah Carrington: "I'm scared," he admits in a whisper, voice shaking as he meets her eyes, his own swimming with tears.

Jody Yu: She nods a little bit, eyes serene. "I understand, Micah. That fear is an illusion. It comes from attachment. When you realize that, fear is easy to let go."

Micah Carrington: "I just...I wanna be clean," he says, exhaling slowly. "I want the bad to go away.."

Jody Yu: "Good and bad...dirty and clean." She shrugs a little, smiling. "It is all just a state of mind. Forced perspective. All worldly life is unsatisfactory, disjointed, containing suffering. There is a cause of this suffering. It is tanha, desire rooted in ignorance. There is also an end of that suffering. This is Nirvana."

Micah Carrington: "Miss Yu...I don't have your...centeredness. I'm not like that. Inside there's want...coiled, hard want that I can't get rid of. I can't tame it and I CANNOT embrace it."

Jody Yu: "You misunderstand, Micah." She tilts her head to the side. Her expression, her stance, it's almost a little more masculine then feminine at the moment. "I do not suggest to you that you embrace this desire. I suggest that you divest yourself of it. That is why we are here, after all, at the core. To rid yourself of this desire."

Micah Carrington: He nods. "And the memories that cause it? The pain...I need it gone."

Jody Yu: "I will help you rid yourself of the pain, as I said." She nods, and reaches out with both hands, palms up, elbows and slightly obtuse angles so that her hands are extended toward Micah.

Micah Carrington: He blinks slowly at her and lifts his hands, settling them in hers slowly, his whole body radiating uncertainty.

Jody Yu: "Calm yourself, Micah," she says with a smile, as her eyes close. "Are you experienced in meditation?"

Micah Carrington: "No," he says, chuckling a touch. "I'm kinda...King of aggitation."

Jody Yu: She nods at that. "You will want to be calm for this. Allow me to help." She begins to chant in Cantonese, her deeper-then-usual voice starting soft at first, slowly rising in volume and durling around Micah.

Jody Yu: d10: Mind :Calm (Qnt,WP): 4,8,3,

Micah Carrington: He forces himself to exhale, eyes closing as he slowly settles towards calm.

Jody Yu: Micah feels his mind relax, that agitation fade away as her voice, that chant, resonates within him.

Jody Yu: And without stopping, she merely shifts the tone of her chant, the words. Her hands tighten just a little around Micah's, and she closes her eyes, focusing her mind and will into what she's doing.

Jody Yu: d10: Mind-Link (Quint/WP): 5,4,2,

Micah Carrington: He's passive, quiet before her, his fingers so soft where they rest in hers.

Jody Yu: The chant continues. She presses her mind forward, her body not shifting in the slightest as she builds her effect. Micah can feel a consciousness starting to approach his own.

Jody Yu: d10: Mind Link (WP): 4,2,4,

Micah Carrington: His breath catches and he tries not to fight it...to just let her in.

Jody Yu: d10: Mind Link: 7,4,4,

Jody Yu: Her mind makes contact, with his, brushing along the edges of it before sliding easily over it. It seems almost...familiar to Micah, as if it's his own.

Micah Carrington: He sighs softly. The memories foremost in his mind are from last night...The tub...Aerin...Josh...almost hazy as if he just doesnt' want to quite remember them.

Jody Yu: Micah is suddenly congnizent of the fact that he's no longer holding Jody's hand. He's standing.

Micah Carrington: He blinks and looks around slowly, eyes opening wide.

Jody Yu: He's standing in the bathroom in Aerin's apartment. Next to him stands a man, in his late 40's, perhaps, Asian. The man's black hair is closely cropped to his forehead, dressed in the traditional Buddhist robes. He looks to the door as another Micah steps into the bathroom, closing the door behind him and locking it.

Micah Carrington: He sighs softly and licks his lips. "I'm shaving...I ws...I was gonna kill the puppies," he says softly, voice filled with pain and shame.

Jody Yu: The man nods a little, watching serenely as the other Micah lays the knife in his hand on the edge of the tub, then turns off the tub faucet and slowly disrobes. "I see that," he observes, his voice quiet and calm, accented.

Micah Carrington: "I saw myself in the mirror though...After I started the tub and...i broke. I just couldn't take it anymore,' he whispers, shaking softly. "I wanted it all to be over. I wanted to just be done."

Jody Yu: And, as if on cue, mind-Micah moves to look in the mirror, staring at his own face, before grabbing the shaving cream and razor. He lathers up and applies the shaving cream to his face, then starts shedding his face of the hair, via the razor.

Micah Carrington: "I don't know why I did that. I guess I thought that if they were going to find me...That they should remember me how I was, not what I'd become."

Jody Yu: The man says nothing, merely watches. Mind-Micah steps into the tub, carefully, shivering at the tepid water, before sitting slowly and submerging himself.

Micah Carrington: Micah closes his eyes, tears sliding down his cheeks. "I thought it would be better for everyone. Aerin. Ita. josh...Everyone if I was just gone..." He forces his eyes open, forces himself to watch as he sits up in the water...the careful way he braces his arm, the slow press of the knife against his flesh that had stung so sweetly.

Jody Yu: "You had a choice," the man observes. "Do you think you chose wisely?"

Micah Carrington: "Yes," he says softly. "It was me or the puppies...or someone's child...or someone's family...Me or maybe even Tori."

Jody Yu: "Hmm," is his response. Almost as if he's just...mildly interested by the answer. He watches as the knife slides across...but in this mind version, there is no rescue. Aerin doesn't appear, and doesn't haul Micah out of the tub by his throat. Micah draws the knife across his arm, unhindered.

Micah Carrington: Micah whimpers, breath catcihng as the him in the tub moans, head falling back briefly. He passes the knife into his other hand and its so much harder to hold, so much harder to drag it across his flesh.

Jody Yu: Slowly, the Micah in the tub bleeds out, life starting fading from his eyes.

Micah Carrington: "I should have died," he whispers, voice catching. "That should have been me."

Jody Yu: The man's head cocks, curiously, deep brown eyes looking over to Micah a moment, appraisingly. A little sigh, and he shifts his position, to allow the door click unlocked. The door opens, the familiar sound of a heavy Scottish accent, tinged slightly with annoyance. "Micah...wha are ye doin'..."

Micah Carrington: He frowns, biting his lips, licking away tears as Micah turns his face towards that voice.

Jody Yu: The door pushes the rest of the way open, and Ita starts to waddle in. She looks at the tub, and her face becomes shocked, a look of horror on her face as her mouth makes an "o."

Micah Carrington: "I'm sorry, mommy," he whispers, shaking, stepping forward as if he could hug the dream image...protect her from it.

Jody Yu: She stumbles backward, out of the room, slamming the door shut and out of view. A heavy THUMP is heard on the other side. Aerin's voice comes, panicked. "ITA? ITA!"

Micah Carrington: He whimpers, bites back the low keen of pain. "Mom!" He pushes at the door, scrabbling to open it, heedless of his own corpse in the tub. "mom! Mommy!"

Jody Yu: Try as he might, the door won't open. All he can hear is sounds from the other side.

"Oh, Goddess, oh, Goddess..." comes Aerin's voice, agonizingly near the door, where the thump sounded. The very faint beeps of a phone dialing. "C'mon, c'mon...shit...Ita, love, stay with me..."


Micah Carrington: "Noooo...Mom! Aerin please I"m here I'm right here," he screams, pounding at the door, scrabbling at it as he slides to his knees. "i'm sorry... I'm sorry."

Jody Yu: Out of nowhere, the door smashes open, the frame splintering as a Glabro foot kicks it in. Micah is thrown back, to the ground, and Aerin's Glabro form is there. As his eyes fall on the Mind-Micah's lifeless body in the tub, the color drains from Aerin's face. His hand goes slack, the phone slipping from his grasp and hitting the ground with a little cracking sound. Just past the door, Ita's lower body can be seen, prone on the ground. The carper is slowly soaking with red from between her splayed legs.

Micah Carrington: Micah is stunned...His eyes opening wide, glazing with a sort of dazed, numb pain as he stares past Aerin's legs. He begins to pant, dragging in short, painfull sounding gulps of air.

Jody Yu: Aerin's just...frozen with inaction. Micah is dead, his mate on the floor in the other room, bleeding out, his son...he reaches down, slowly picking up the phone and holding it to his ear. "Yes. There's been a suicide. And my wife has...ah...miscarried I think." He numbly gives the address and then drops the phone, turning and heading out of the bathroom...shutting the door weakly behind him.

Jody Yu: ((wife=mate))

Micah Carrington: "My fault," he whispers...

Jody Yu: "This was, perhaps, the wrong memory to begin with," the Asian man says, calmly. "It was...too new, I think. Although, not without gain?" He looks to Micah, inquiringly.

Micah Carrington: he closes his eyes, tears spilling down his face slowly. "I didn't think I mattered that much," he whispers. "Do you want to see the beginning," he asks softly.

Jody Yu: "I think, perhaps, the beginning would be a good place to start."

Micah Carrington: "My first memory...hazy one is of a woman telling me she loved me...and then she was gone...and then..." he sighs and closes his eyes, summoning up the first scene of many that would shape his life. A beautiful, black haired baby, no more then eight or nine months, laying naked on the couch...a handsome, bitter man with raven hair and pale water eyes. Hands big and strong touching him...Wrongly.

Jody Yu: The man frowns deeply, watching the memory unfold. Clearly, the scene he is seeing disgusts him...angers him. Still, he makes no motion, merely watches.

Micah Carrington: And then it changes. A little boy of perhaps three with long, soft curls and wide, sweet eyes sits on that same man's lap, is bounced there, rolled so that his tender, naked buttocks rubs against Jonathon's exposed sex. Micah's smiling, laughing, he doesn't know, doesn't understand just how wrong it is as his papa's hands move between his chubby thighs...

Jody Yu: A shake of his head. He turns, looking to the older Micah, watchhing his reaction.

Micah Carrington: He watches almost raptly, disgust and desire in his green eyes...Horrified but also aroused by it...Aroused even more so as the scene shifts, showing himself at ten, long and lean limbed, exquisitely beautiful in the way most children are, playing in the yard, getting thoroughly dirty...Jonathon watches from the door, beer in hand...He watches, leering. "C'mon Micah. Time to come in," he calls, his voice hoarse, rough...The boy looks up and smiles brightly, so damned innocent, utterly unaware that his papa was about to add a new element to their daily games. He's no sooner in the door then Jonathon is curling fingers around his throat, slamming him into the wall, pushing him to his knees to take the hard proof of his father's illness into his mouth. The man batters the small body with his thrusts, the hard crack of his fist that sends blackness across the boy's cheek, rings his beautiful green eye with red...And when he's done...oh he's not done, he just pulls out and drags the sobbing, aching boy to his feet, into the livingroom...He throws him down and with more slaps and growls...teeth setting in tender flesh, he shows the boy for the first time what it feels like to climax, sucking the smallness into his mouth even as he hurts him...

Jody Yu: The man watches this all, almost dispassionate. Almost. He looks back to Micah. "You could do nothing to stop it then," he observes. It's not an attempt to comfort, merely an observation. Perhaps one with a point.

Micah Carrington: "I could have told my teachers," he murmurs. "After that the beatings only got worse...I stopped going to school the next year because I was usually bruised or had things broken..." Fast forward...its Micah's fifteenth birthday. He's smiling, all that hair spilling down to his hips, framing his delicate, almost feminine face. He hangs on his father's arm, laughing...enjoying the Musical, the meal...everything peaceful. Perfect...amazing. And then the hotel...

They slip quietly into the room, Micah still thrumming with excitement, oblivious as he kicks off his brand new shoes and drops to the bed. Jonathon locks the door slowly, carefully and then follows, staring down at the boy.


Jody Yu: "You knew no better then. You had been trained to accept it, from birth. You really could do nothing...at that time." He turns his gaze from Jonathon, to look at the Micah he's addressing.

Micah Carrington: "I was happy. I thought it would be different." He sighs.

"Thank you, daddy! That was amazing!" He smiles up at the man but the expression falters, fear sliding into his eyes as he sees the hard, cruel curl of his father's lips. He makes some soft sound, scoots farther onto the bed as Jon advances, one hand lashing out to catch his foot, yank him back to the foot of the bed, other hand curling into a fist, smashing into his face with enough force to send blood spraying from his lips. "Fucking cunt," he snarls dropping his hand to Micah's throat, pressing against his windpipe as he worked to tear the boy's pants from his slender, delicate body. "Fucking little bitch..."


Jody Yu: "And now that you know it was not? If you could stop it, would you?" He lingers his gaze om Micah a moment, before directing his gaze back to the brutalization unfolding.

Micah Carrington: "No...He was all I had. Until this moment I...I thought it was normal." He shakes his head, trying to ignore his arousal.

The pants tear with an almost sickeningly meaty sound and the sight of Micah's unresponsive flesh seems to drive Jonathon into a further frenzy. He drags the weakly struggling boy off the bed with a hand tangled in his shirt and another at his throat, yanking him from the bed so that the boy's head cracks into the frame, staining it crimson. His eyes roll into his head as his father drops him. Brutal kicks land in his stomach, hip...a foot connects with his groin making the boy squeel breathlessly, makes him roll to his stomach to try and crawl away. He gasps as he's yanked upwards, slamming into his father's chest just before he's thrown bodily onto the bed, Jonathon following, his hard cock in his hand. He twists a fist in those glorious curls and uses it to pin Micah, to hold him as he shoves his impossibly large self into the boy, splitting him open, making him bleed...and scream...until finally his mind just goes blank, unconsciousness stealing him away.


Jody Yu: "You misunderstand me. If you could prevent it. Now. Would you?"

Micah Carrington: He blinks slowly and tears his eyes away from the scene as it unfolds. His tongue skims over his lips as he looks at Jody. "I don't know...I...Hated it when it happened but right now, watching it...I...I want to be part of it."

Jody Yu: "I see." He frowns a little, moving around the room, watching the horrific scene as it progresses. "There is a lesson here, in all that we have seen, Micah. What is it?"

Micah Carrington: He moans softly, watching as Jonathon begins scoring Dream-Micah's back with his nails...pounds him. "I don't know. I crave the pain...I...Its like I can't feel anything without it."

Jody Yu: "Think...broader. Consider everything we have seen tonight."

Micah Carrington: "I don't know...I don't," he breathes, tearing his eyes away agian to stare at Jody. "All I see is my life...except for earlier...the bathroom...All I see is how little control I've ever had."

Jody Yu: He stops, Jonathon and 15-year-old Micah between him and the older Micah, and raises his eyes to the kin, watching him. Waiting for him to reason it out.

Micah Carrington: d10: int+emp: 5,8,9,

Jody Yu -> Micah Carrington: Everything that he's seen tonight deals has had a cause and an effect. It strikes Micah as odd that the more recent memory had an effect that didn't really occur. The early memories shaped Micah, prepared him for this moment, his fifteenth birthday. And this had an effect, too.

Micah Carrington: He swallows softly, settling his eyes on his own bruised, damaged face, tracing the tears streaking down the mottled flesh. "Everything that's happened shaped me for the next thing...modified my reactions...and others...This, i should have been prepared for...and the bathroom..If I had killed myself...then that may have happend."

Jody Yu: "This is karma, Micah. Every action we make affects the world around us, often in ways we do not understand. Every action we make, no matter how insignificant it may be to us, leaves ripples in the Akashakarma. Just as your actions may have caused Ita to miscarry and then die as a result, would have driven Aerin into a deep depression the likes of which I do not quite understand...your father actions affected you in great and highly consequential ways. Action is what makes the world move. And your actions, even here and now, affect who you are, and who you will be."

Micah Carrington: "I was turning into a monster," he murmurs. "i don't want to be a monster...i don't want to be like him," he says, gesturing at Jonathon. "But I'm getting there.."

Jody Yu: "Who you are was shaped as much by what happened from this point back as by what happened after this. You and you alone have the power to stop this." He looks down at the scene unfolding in front of them. "If you want to."

Micah Carrington: "Yes..."

Jody Yu: He nods. And waits.

Micah Carrington: "How," he asks softly, looking back to the scene, his erection straining the front of his jeans. "I want it to go away...all of it."

Jody Yu: In front of Micah's eyes, the scene resets.

They slip quietly into the room, Micah still thrumming with excitement, oblivious as he kicks off his brand new shoes and drops to the bed. Jonathon locks the door slowly, carefully and then follows, staring down at the boy.

Jody Yu: "Act." Is all the man says.

Micah Carrington: "What am I supposed to do," he asks, desperation edging into his voice, eyes widening. "I don't wanna see this again. I want it gone!"

Jody Yu: "Make it be gone." His voice is almost aggravating in it's calm.

"Thank you, daddy! That was amazing!" He smiles up at the man but the expression falters, fear sliding into his eyes as he sees the hard, cruel curl of his father's lips.


Micah Carrington: "Act? Act..." He whimpers and moves towards the man, hand sliding behind his back for the gun that should be there...

Micah Carrington: (the man=Jonathon)

Jody Yu: Micah reaches for his gun...but instead, he finds a blade there, in a sheath that is upside-down on his back. His hand grasps the handle. It's a katana...the blade of a samurai. A warrior of honor, a defender.

Micah Carrington: He draws it clumsily, blades not something he was trained with and he moves slowly to put himself between his Dream image and Jonathon. "No more...Even if I have to kill you both here to stop it. No more."

Jody Yu: The weapon actually seems to fit his grip surprisingly well, as if it were made for him, and he instinctively knew how to use it. Jonathon blinks, taking a step back. "Who the fuck are you?" There's a faint sort of recognition in his eyes, as if he recognizes the resemblance, but doesn't quite realize what's going on. Dream-Micah scoots further away from them, back onto the bed, huddling up.

Micah Carrington: "I'm the monster you helped make," he snarls, advancing on Jon, the sword held for a stab into the man's gut.

Jody Yu: Jonathon looks around, panicked, and grabs a chair nearby, weilding it clumsily to swing at Micah.

Micah Carrington: The kin knocks it aside with the sword, angry...so fucking angry. "YOu destroyed me...And its stops today...You die...I forget all about this...it never happened."

Micah Carrington: d10: block!: 2,7,6,2,4,

Jody Yu: d10: Chair Attack: 8,8,3,5,

Jody Yu: The chair flies aside, and Jonathon backs up, against the wall, cringing. The Asian man comes over to the bed, putting his hand comfortingly on the younger Micah's shoulder, watching with a calm expression.

Micah Carrington: He presses the blade against the man's throat and begins to push.

Micah Carrington: d10: : 3,6,7,5,9,

Jody Yu: It's amazing, how when faced with a real threat, the bullies of the world just kind of fold. Jonathon swallows and just...gives up, as Micah slides the point of the blade so smoothly through the skin and trachea, all the way through the back to hit the wall.

Micah Carrington: "I loved you. I trusted you...Even after all the beatings I trusted you," he whispers, twisting the blade before pulling it out.

Jody Yu: Jonathon sputters as blood wells up around the sword. He stares at Micah, blindly, as his body twitches and spasms, choking on his blood. The man opens his mouth to speak with a look of almost...acceptance in his eyes. And...almost apology. His body twitches once more as the blade is twisted, and then, Jonathon falls limp to the floor as the blade is pulled out, eyes staring sightlessly ahead.

Micah Carrington: Micah turns slowly towards the bed to stare into the eyes of his younger self. He moves forward slowly, his expression sad but pitiless.

Jody Yu: ((Roll me WP))

Micah Carrington: d10: : 9,10,5,3,5,

Jody Yu: As Jonathon dies, Micah feels all of that hatred, that self-disgust, the lack of control over his formative years, the anger...all the things that Jonathon did that helped make Micah what he was...all fade away. He has faced the man he couldn't face before...and stopped his own abuse. The effects of Jonathon's decade and a half of sexual abuse leave Micah's mind and soul...but the memories don't. He still remembers them, but he is no longer traumatized by them.

Micah Carrington: He falters, tongue flicking over his lips as he looks from himself to the man, torn. "I don't wanna remember."

Jody Yu: He looks at Micah, his expression calm. "The events of your life are unchangable, Micah. To block those memories off...they would only come back to haunt you later." He moves away from the younger Micah, approaching the older one. "All actions in the Akashakarma are remembered. Even my memories reside in Jody. Memories she never experienced in this life. Memories that have affected her. She does not let them rule her life...she merely integrates them into what she is, so she does not make the same mistakes I did."

Micah Carrington: "But I don't to live with it...I shouldn't have to close my eyes and see that over and over again in my head like a fucking movie. I want it gone!"

Micah Carrington: (but I don't want to live with it)

Jody Yu: "Then do not." He puts his hand on Micah's shoulder. "You've freed yourself of the memories. They may remain, but they do not rule you. Put them aside. Let them rest, Micah. But do not destroy yourself in doing so. Not like others have."

Micah Carrington: "BUt if he goes away...then the memories go away...Then I can be new."

Jody Yu: "Memories do not go away. Not even when we die. They will always be there, in you, even if I were to block them off from you." He smiles faintly. "You already are new, Micah. By choosing to act as you have, you've freed yourself. Look inside yourself...tell me how you feel."

Micah Carrington: "Scared." He sags, the sword tip dropping to the ground. "I had this dream that it would go away...that i would be someone completely different."

Jody Yu: He nods a little bit. "You want to die, Micah. What you ask for...it is a more passive way to do so then phsyically taking your own life. You must take control of your own life...not the lives of others. It is control of your own life that you truly have craved, but you felt you could not, because you have always been under someone else's. Trevor, Aerin, Joshua. They have all resonated with your father in some way. And you have wanted them to control you. But still, you hated it, because it hurt you."

Jody Yu: "It hurt you, back then." He watches Micah with those plaicd brown eyes. "And so it hurt you with them. Just not in ways you understood, necessarily."

Micah Carrington: He drops the blade and sits down slowly, pressing his face into his hands. "And what happens if I snap? What happens if I hurt someone?"

Micah Carrington: "I love Aerin and Josh...I loved Trevor..."

Jody Yu: "Why would you snap?" He tilts his head, watching the kin. "You are free. The trauma will hurt you no more. The memories now should be like remembering an old wound from running carelessly along a path. Will you remember to no longer run so recklessly? Yes. But the pain is not there, just because you remember the fall."

Micah Carrington: "This is..what was done to me." he sighs. "But what about what I did to dawit?"

Jody Yu: "I do not doubt that." He nods. "You have a great capacity for love, Micah. But you have also hated them, too, have you not?"

Micah Carrington: "Yes...Because I was never good enough...Never enough for any of them."

Jody Yu: "Just like you were not good enough, in your mind, for your father, perhaps?"

Micah Carrington: "if...If i'd been better...If I'd been prettier. Smarter...maybe he wouldn't have hurt me. I'f I'd learned what to do he wouldn't have beaten me," he whispers, voice breaking.

Jody Yu: "Do you truly believe that, now?" He looks at Micah. "Think about what you were becoming. Was it about someone not being pretty enough or smart enough for you?"

Micah Carrington: "No...It was about the fear...the control."

Jody Yu: "And he tried, whether he meant to or not, to create you in his image." He pauses. "Who is responsible for your actions? Do you blame Catie for what you wanted to do? The boy in Battery Park? The young lady at the lamp-post?"

Micah Carrington: "No...Me...Daddy. Trevor."

Jody Yu: "And who is to blame for what your father did to you?"

Micah Carrington: "He is,' he whispers.

Jody Yu: He nods. "Take control of your life, Micah. You have the opportunity. He is not hurting you anymore. The pain is gone...you have killed the monster you almost became."

Micah Carrington: "Thank you," he says softly, drawing himself slowly to his feet.

Jody Yu: He nods, smiling. "It is Jody's dharma to do so...which means that now, it is mine. You are most welcome, though."

Micah Carrington: He smiles then, softly, sweetly, that edge gone... "Here's hoping what she...you...saw didn't hurt my chances at a job."

Jody Yu: He chuckles a little. "I cannot say. I will say that overcoming this has certainly helped your standing more then if you had merely submitted to evaluation or examination." He pauses, and considers. "I think, if you like...we can deal with the other events that progressed you down this path at another time, Micah. If that is something you wish. It will not all be like this...they may be quite different. But if you like, I think we can help you."

Micah Carrington: "One step at a time," he says softly. "one trauma at a time. For now...This is enough."

Jody Yu: He nods, and holds his hands out toward Micah. "Shall we?"

Micah Carrington: He looks back at himself on the bed and smiles softly as he sets his hands in Jody's.

Jody Yu: As Micah takes the man's hands, he feels his eyes involuntarily shut...and then, the scent of incense returns, and he is sitting in the temple.

Micah Carrington: He sways, eyes fluttering, lashes sticky from the tears that tracked down his pale face. He opens his eyes slowly to regard Jody, a small, shy smile playing about his lips.

Jody Yu: All traces of the unusual masculinity is gone, and she sits comofortably, still in the Lotus position. Jody simply smiles back, politely as always, but with a genuine warmth there, and squeezes Micah's hands once before gently releasing them.

Micah Carrington: "Thank you, Miss Yu," he says softly, sniffing as he presses fingers beneath his glasses to wipe away the tears.

Jody Yu: She nods a little bit. "You are most welcome, Mr. Rose. Or Mr. Carrington?" She tilts her head. "My apologies...I don't know exactly which you would prefer."

Micah Carrington: "My name's Micah Carrington. Saidah Rose is the name that Karlos gave me when he got me paperwork."

Jody Yu: She nods. "I was just unaware which you would prefer. Mr. Carrington, then."

Micah Carrington: He nods and rolls fluidly to his feet. "So. Tomorrow then, I'll stop by the Concerto and actually fill out that paperwork."

Jody Yu: She rises straight up, feet adjusting easily so that she moves from the lotus into a straight stand. "Excellent. I look forward to it."

Micah Carrington: "Thank you." He offers her his hand.

Jody Yu: She takes his hand in hers, shaking it warmly, then offers him a nod, that progresses fluidly into a partial bow. "You are welcome. Good evening to you."

Micah Carrington: "And you." He nods gracefully, almost proudly and slips out.