Astronomy Tower

[JadieLou]

The tallest tower. Where practical Astronomy classes are taken and where students can come to think, etc.

[Danika Peverell]

Danika crawled up the stairs to the Astronomy Tower, utterly exhausted. When she reached the cool air, she collapsed, dissolving into fits of sobs and tears. How could Kelly be like that? So ... insensitive. Dani's heart was breaking, smashing more like. Hardening. She didn't know who she was anymore.

[Krysta Hedwig]

Krys placed one foot on the bottom of the stairs and stopped. Danika's pain was unbearable and she had to build up a wall to defend herself from it. She'd be no good to anyone if she was a gibbering wreck. She slowly climbed the stairs and silently stepped through the door at the top. Dani was huddled aganst the wall weeping, trembling from both pain and the cold wind.
She hesitantly crept over to her and dropped to her knees. She reached out a hand to touch her shoulder but stopped an inch from it. She didn't think Dani wanted to be touched. She thought of wrapping the girl in a protective emotional blanket, but it seemed wrong somehow. This kind if pain should be free to do its work. It was all part of a natural process.
She sidled up close to Danika and just sat there.
"Dani." she said quietly, wondering if she was even capable of responding.

[Danika Peverell]

The pain inside Danika's chest was unbearable. She wanted to sink her hand into her chest and rip out her own heart. save herself from it all. She tucked her legs up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them.
She could feel someone else there. But she didn't turn to acknowledge them. When she heard her name, spoken in Krysta's soothing voice. The tears pouring from her eyes were burning her cheeks. She rolled over, facing Krysta, showing her everything, the tears, the vulnerability, the confusion.
"Krysta," she sobbed.

[Krysta Hedwig]

Krysta opened her mouth and her pity and sadness for her one-time lover overflowed
"Oh sweetheart, come here." she said through her own tears as she wapped Dani up in a nurturing hug, wrapping her up tightly in her arms, cradling her against her body. She stroked Dani's beautiful purple hair that seemed somehow to have lost its shine.
"Cry all you want, darling. Cry all you want."

[Danika Peverell]

Danika sunk into Krysta's arms, unable to object to being held. She just needed to cry. And cry she did. Sobbing uncontrollably, her tears running like rivers down her cheeks.
"How could she be like that?" she said in between sobs. She was still confused as to how Kelly could have been so horrible.

[Krysta Hedwig]

Krysta just held her, gently rubbing her back and resting her cheek on the top of Dani's head. For a while she said nothing, just allowing Dani to weep.

"Kelly has allowed herself to become consumed by her hate. She's pushing everthing she's ever loved, anyone she's close to as far away as possible. She thinks connections make her weak." she explained softly. "She loves you more than anything, Dani. That's why she's pushed you away." she said in a whisper. "She's afraid. Afraid that her love for you will be turned against her; that people will use you to get to her." she continued gently, speaking slowly. It was so hard to explain the insanity that was going on in Kelly's head. "She's convinced herself the only way to continue is alone...and she won't listen to anyone. I hoped you may be able to reach her...but she pushed you away before you could even try." she said sadly, tears rolling down her own cheeks.

[Danika Peverell]

Danika listened, her tears still streaming. "She still didn't have to be so horrible. This is the hardest thing I've ever had to do, and she just made it so much worse, but not responding. Well, she responded, but only to tell me not to run away, then accused me of not loving her, then told me go and not come back. I just want all this to end," she said, starting to sob again.

[Krysta Hedwig]

Krys sighed deeply and hugged Danika tightly. She spoke softly.
"She's trying to make it easier for herself. She's creating a wall around herself, convincing herself she doesn't care. I can feel it. It's terrifying. By being cruel she means to keep you away, fooling herself that she feels nothing. She's trying to replace the pain with anger. I think...I think it's the only way she could bring herself to do it." she explained carefully.

[Danika Peverell]

Danika nodded, trying to comprehend it all. Then Kelly floated into her mind. Making her break down in tears again. Why was this all happenening? Now? She couldn't deal with all this at the moment.

[Krysta Hedwig]

The barrier protecting Krysta's mind from Danika's pain faultered and the sudden barrage of despair broke through. Krysta wailed as it hit her and she moaned into Danika's hair, her new torrent of tears drenching the purple fibres. She gripped Danika tightly, burying herslelf against her so that the two girls were nothing more than a crumpled pile of limbs together on the cold stone floor of the turret.
The suddenly bitter wind whipped around them, but they didn't feel a thing. The last time they had been wrapped around each other the circumstances had been quite different.
And as Krysta ran the memory through her mind it gave her warmth. That one, single chance encounter that had brought joy to them both was like a beacon inside. She drew on its heat, expanding it with her mind as she had done for Sebastian. It swelled and spread warmth through Krysta's mind. Carefully, she reached out and touched Danika, sharing the warmth with her. She wrapped Dani's shattered heart in it, hoping against all hope that she would feel it through all the pain that beat away at her.
"You're not alone." she whispered.

[Danika Peverell]

Danika heard Krysta wail, and sighed, feeling rather sorry for her. She hoped it wasn't her causing the trouble. It probably was. Being an empath couldn't be easy. She felt them fall to the floor, in a tangle of limbs and tears. Danika felt her hair dampening. Krysta was crying as well. Now Danika felt even worse. But she couldn't stop. It was like there were two of her. The strong, arrogant Danika, the one that kept her alive all these years, telling her to suck it up, wasting a good opportunity lying up on the Tower with Krysta, and they were crying, wrapped around each other. And the weak, vulnerable Danika. The one that had emerged as soon as she fell in love. The one that was lying tangled hopelessly with Krysta, bawling her eyes out.

She felt warmth spilling into her body. One particular memory spread across her mind as the warmth filled her mind, spreading to her icy heart. She sighed. This is why she adored Krysta. She made her feel better. They didn't have to be doing things for Dani to feel good. She could feel her heart start to thaw. Not heal, it would take a lot to heal, but thaw, the icecaps breaking away, floating like icebergs through her bloodstream. She could feel the pain begin to subside, and she became more aware of things around her. She wrapped her arms around Krysta tighter, hugging her more now.

"Thank you," she replied.

[Krysta Hedwig]

Krysta felt a smile creep onto her face as she felt Danika's bitterness subside a little. There was hope here yet. She lifted her head and rested her chin on the top of Danika's head.
"I know it feels like the world's ending right now, and you can't possibly see a way forward...but eventually your heart starts to rebuild itself and you start to see the world like you've never seen it before. A whole new world opens up to you. It hurts, and it's hard, but you start again. And I'll be there, holding your hand. I promise." she said quietly a she soft stroked Danika's hair.

[Danika Peverell]

Danika rested her head against Krysta's chest as she rested her chin on Danika's head. She listened to Krysta speak, and felt her stroking her hair. She felt so much calmer now. Her tears were beginning to dry up. But maybe that was because she had none left.
"I've spent my life staying away from emotion. Staying cold. So I'd not feel this. I don't like it. I've seen people literally breaking apart, their souls being ripped from their body. Hearing their screams. That's what I feel like right now. I've never felt this bad before. Not even when my parents died. My heart has never ached so much. I didn't even know I had a heart until this year. It's stupid," she said softly, her arms wrapped around Krysta tight. She didn't want to let go. She felt so calm.

[Krysta Hedwig]

Krysta continued to stroke her friend's hair and smiled.
"I know it's sounds crazy, but it makes you a stronger person in the long run. And wiser. We learn from every experience we go through, making us a more complete person. Age doesn't make wisdom, Dani, it's experience. The trick is is to take the experience and use it to make yourself a better person...and not let it bury you. It doesn't matter who you were, or what you became. It's who you choose to become now. Don't let your pain pull the strings. Take control. You have so much to give, Dani. You're fun, you're smart, you're talented, and my god are you beautiful. Don't let this destroy you. I don't want to lose you." she said, turning her mouth towards Dani's forehad and kissing it softly.