Intervention. Was that what this was? Hmm, yes. Aurum supposed it was. Friendly chit chat, and drinking conversation between friends, he'd hoped it would be more than anything. Interventions had a tendency to involve tears.

As the waiter approached their table, Aurum turned to order a drink.

"Jack and Coke." He smiled.

Jack and Coke, Jack and Coke. That sounded like the manliest drink Aurum could think of. It even had a male name in the title. Shin stared innocently at the waiter, then looked to Kealey, confused. He hadn't really done much drinking, outside the honest-to-God beer, after all. If they were all ordering fancy pants 'titled' drinks, the least he could do was up his ante. He smiled weakly at the waiter, and asked his drink title.

"Apple... teeny?" If Kealey was getting something with chocolate in it, he could at least get a drink with a fruit he liked in it. Maybe as the night progressed, he'd extend his palette to try stranger things... it was his intervention, after all. He could 'try' if he wanted to.

Though, hopefully there wasn't any poison involved. He knew beer had always seemed to have somewhat of a toxic effect on his personality. Who knew what apples and alcohol combined could bring about?

After he'd ordered the drink, he turned back to Kealey with a frown. "You shouldn't be feeling what I'm feeling right now, Kealey... I'm sure it isn't pleasant." He didn't much want to burden her. He'd already burdened his friends enough.

Aurum didn’t have any trouble figuring out what kind of drink he wanted and Kealey tilted her head. That was a drink she’d never tried, maybe he’d let her have a sip. Something other than chocotinis would be nice for a change, but Kealey was afraid to try outside of what she knew she liked. Shin, on the other hand, had quite a bit more trouble figuring out what he wanted, and he ended up settling on the apple flavored cousin of Kealey’s own drink. An eyebrow raised, she knew what the chocotinis did to her…and quickly…she wondered what would happen to Shin with the apples.

The novelty of the situation wore off quickly, though, as soon as they got down to the business at hand. It was like talking about the way he felt flipped a switch in Shin, now he had to be sad again. Kealey sighed, casting a slightly worried look towards Aurum before looking back at Shin, ”It isn’t pleasant, and I’ve never seen you anything but pleasant. You didn’t even seem to be cheered up by the badger Shin…and you love that thing.”

Kealey frowned, thanking the waiter as he returned with their drinks and taking a liberal sip of hers before setting it back on the table. As silly as it made her sometimes, the liquor always dumbed down her powers to a degree that she wasn’t feeling the whole world. That wasn’t the goal on this night, but Shin seemed a little uncomfortable with the drinking, she had to help him out…right?

After the sip, Kealey studied Shin for a moment, then pursed her lips as she thought, then spoke, eyes fixed on Shin, ”What happened…you were gone for a long time, then you came back like…this. We’re here to help…if you let us, right Aurum? ”

Apple... teeny... easy on the 'tini' was it, Shin? From the way he'd ordered it, it sounded like the kid hadn't ordered a stiff drink in his life. Were they trying to get him to talk, or trying to get him drunk off his socks? If he was ordering fruity girly drinks with high alcohol content, Aurum reasoned 'both'. Hopefully, talking came before the wobbling.

He let out a sigh as Shin started out feeling sorry for himself right out the gate. Or sorry for her, that she had to feel sorry for him... either way was too soft. He let Kealey say her piece, then cut in with his own.

"Yeah. We're here to help. First, you've got to stop feeling sorry for yourself, Shin. What happened? I'm sure it couldn't be as bad as you're making it out to be." Had his parents died? That was rough? Girlfriend left him? He'd heal that broken heart. But if it was anything short of life-threatening, or life-changing... boo hoo. He'd get over it. That was what they were here for. To get him out of whatever 'stupid kid junk' funk that punk was in.

Aurum took a drink of his whiskey and coke, and offered Shin a friendly smile. "Let it out, kid. We're here for you."

Shin's eyes shifted dramatically from Aurum, to Kealey, to Aurum. Should he tell them? Should he tell them his dark secret? Could they handle it? Would Kealey's head explode at the drastic darkness of the black cloud overhead? Would they still want to drink with him, after it was out in the open? He knew he'd been pleasant before. He knew he was unpleasant now. To say the thought of what he'd been contemplating was anything but unpleasant... was like saying the blue badger was anything but a charmer.

His eyes fell to his drink, measuring the exact space the glass took up. A little quick mental math, and he could fill out the equation for how much he had left to drink before the first sip. It was a shame there weren't any houseplants nearby to be his designated drinkers.

"The badger..." He started. Then, he stopped. Shin shook his head. That wasn't how he wanted to start the dramatic reveal to his dark secret. "Never mind him. Yeah, I love him. Made him with my own two hands, but... her..." He took a swig of the alcohol. The vodka burned on the way down his throat. Did people actually like consuming fire? He knew a friend who had to steer clear of it, lest it consume her entire being. His mind wandered, to thoughts of flames, some old, some new. "Kasumi. My girlfriend... I'm thinking about leaving her, after what happened in Romania." There, it was out. He shook his head.

Kealey’s eyes widened as Aurum spoke to Shin. That simply wasn’t any way to talk to someone who needed help! Kealey was going to let him finish talking then she was going to give him a piece…she cut off mid-mental tirade. Aurum was a little heated, yes, she could tell by his emotions that he wasn’t trying to be mean. Quite the opposite actually. Kealey blinked. She’d never understand men. That required another drink. She took one. Chocotini’s were something Kealey had gotten used to, and the liquor went down smooth. Kealey was just about to ask about Aurum’s odd sense of machismo and mate ship when Shin started talking…and drinking.

A nod of the head followed the revelation that Shin loved the Blue Badger. Of course he loved the blue badger, it was impossible to see the blue badger and not love it. That’s what had brought Kealey into the Fully Circle in the first place, the blue badger, saying hello. She’d had a black eye then.

Kealey’s head tilted as Shin continued to explain, and her eyes tightened at the way he felt when he talked about it. It was intense, very intense. They were getting to the root of the matter, but Kealey was starting to miss the words. The emotions were too much. His girlfriend? Something about Shin’s girlfriend.

He hadn’t actually broken up with her…but was going to. That struck a bit of a nerve.

”No wonder….” she said quietly, ”You’re tearing yourself to pieces about it...why? ”

Kealey took another drink and looked around the bar, suddenly it seemed a little too familiar again.

“Just make sure you tell her before you do it.”

>>"The badger..." "Never mind him. Yeah, I love him. Made him with my own two hands, but... her..."

Aurum took another drink. So, it was about a woman. He was planning to break up with her. Not just dumping. Leaving. That was tough. He remembered how hard it had been with his first girlfriend, Viletta. They'd dated all throughout high school, but when it came time for college, they had very different ideas for what they wanted to do with their futures. Viletta... wanted to be a rocket scientist. Or... something big. And Aurum? Well, he just wanted to go to college, and become a defense attorney. There wasn't much else to his dreams than that.

But Shin.... wait, Romania?

"What the heck... were you doing in Romania, Shin?" Aurum's eyes locked on the Asian's. Hadn't there just been some sort of registration act in Romania? And American citizens going missing? He'd heard about it on Wolf News. What could Shin... possibly have to do in Romania then?

>>”No wonder….” Kealey said quietly, ”You’re tearing yourself to pieces about it...why? ”

Shin took another drink. The liquor went straight to his head. He opened his mouth, then closed it. Why was he tearing himself up, again? Triangle eyes measured the distance between ceiling and the ceiling-staring Shin for a moment as he thought to himself.

"Well, I worry about her. And," he fell short.

>>“Just make sure you tell her before you do it.”

Shin frowned. "I'm not even sure I want to. I--"

>>"What the heck... were you doing in Romania, Shin?"

Eep!

Shin's heart skipped like a record player. He slowly turned his eyes back towards Aurum.

"Funny story, that... see..." He looked around. Nobody was watching. Shin continued. "I'm with the X-men. ... And I got thrown in the camps because my head was in the clouds worrying about her, and then I was blind for 30 days, and okay... that wasn't so much funny as sad... sorry." He mourned.

Was Aurum mad at him? His eyebrow was arched, all funny-like.

"Ghost said I should do what I think is best," The Asian trianglemancer defended with a curled lip. "And I just think... that maybe... if I don't know, I dunno." He looked away from the uncomfortably. "I should be more decisive about it... what."

He didn't like the look Aurum was giving him one bit.

((OOC: Permission given to skip KQ for one turn. Aurum posts, are go!))

Worrying about her. That was... not something to break up with a girl over. And he wasn't even sure, so he had to be decisive? And whoa whoa whoa. Wait. He was with the X-men? Stop the train. Back this pony up! Aurum had known Shin was goofy, and could do stuff with his mind, but the X-men? Hadn't Wolf News also covered that? Something in Equal in Stupidity about police working alongside mutant vigilantes? +1 Humans? +1 Mutants? It was hard to take the rest of what Shin said seriously. Aurum was thinking of costumed heroes. Costumed heroes didn't get girlfriends. Costumed heroes had to keep their identities secret, and keep their heroism entirely separate from their jobs for just that reason. If Shin was worrying about her while he was on the job...

And, wait? Blind for 30 days... Aurum arched an eyebrow. Now, he was apologizing for it, too. Geez, kid. And quoting Ghost as if that made things better?

"You were in the camps?" Aurum asked him, after Shin had finished talking. "And you got thrown in there because of her. Okay. I think I'm following this. But Shin. Listen to yourself. What you're saying doesn't make sense... you don't dump someone because you aren't sure about them. You don't dump them because you're unable to fight crime..." Had the corner of his lip tugged upwards into some sort of amused look there for a second? He righted that. "Fight crime..." His voice fell as he repeated it. Aurum ducked low to the table to stand out even more, while attempting to look casual and discrete. "...alongside them... and is this really what you want to be doing with your life? Fighting crime? Shouldn't you look into, I dunno, college?" Okay, now he was ranting. Obviously. Aurum coughed into his fist.

"Sorry. But Shin... what Ghost said wasn't bad advice. Tell me, why do you want to break up with her? What is your reasoning behind that 'decisive action'...?"

Aurum took another swig. This was going to go real smooth.

Shin felt... faint... as Aurum lampooned him. Ugh. That wasn't just a lampoon. It was a National Lampoon... hadn't he storyboarded this fight scene for later in the night? Well, whatever. As Aurum owned him on every count, Shin's cheeks flushed.

"I--" In the camps, yes. He'd been in the camps. Why wasn't Aurum being a bit more sensitive about his blindness? He'd carried dead bodies to the incinerator. That was just a bit sick. And listen to himself?

Listen... to himself. Shin blinked. Now, where had he heard those words before? Sublime deja vu. Was Aurum taking manly lessons from Tarin Brooks? That was... actually, Aurum was making a whole lot of sense. Damn. He was right. Shin's reasoning... it wasn't very reasonable... he hadn't been fair to Kasumi, but darn it...

Hold the phone! Did Aurum just bag on the X-men, too? Telling him to go to college? College!??! Shin clenched his fist. Gee, Kealey was gonna feel his fistful of wrath for Aurum. His angry, slightly inebriated, fistful of... Aurum had stopped.

>>"Sorry. But Shin... what Ghost said wasn't bad advice. Tell me, why do you want to break up with her? What is your reasoning behind that 'decisive action'...?"

Aurum took a drink.

Shin took in a tempered breath, and eased his tempers on spirits. Appletinis were good for easing spirits... and just a bit of fire in his belly.

"Yeah, Aurum. I was in the camps. It was harsh. Getting caught was one of the biggest mistakes of my life... nearly a month of blind mistreatment and Hell. But that isn't important here. All it did was give me time to think on it... and second-guess myself more times than I could count... because, see, ultimately, I love Kasumi, but..." He paused, and took a drink to steady himself. To steady his thoughts. When he was ready, he continued. He looked from Aurum to Kealey, and back again. He really was sorry he had to go all out...

"I feel like I have to break up with her, because I'm worried I won't be able to fight if she's part of the team... because I'm worried I'll mess up, and I'm worried about worrying, and ultimately... I'm worried she'll get hurt. I know it's selfish. I know that I love her, and we could possibly work things out. But maybe... maybe, it's the liquor talking. I like a bit more teeny in my 'tini, but..." Shin closed his eyes, and shook his bowed head. "Everyone's telling me to go with my heart, here. To do what I think is best. And heroes have to keep their lives separate from the lives of their loved ones... they gotta protect... and I can't do that if I'm dating her. It's too uncertain... I hate indecisiveness. So."

He paused, and looked at them. "Tell me. Is it the right thing. I know I have to go with my heart, but dammit... is it right... should I just let her go?" His eyes wavered. All the emotions he'd bottled up and let sit for ages were carbonated, and just now, they'd been shaken up.

They were liable to explode.

Camps…Romania….X-men…Crime Fighting…Leave her…Leave her….Leave her. Out of all the words passing between Aurum and Shin, those were the ones that stuck in Kealey’s head the most. Kealey steadily sipped her drink as the two men talked, so much of what they were saying was new. Shin was a vigilante within the local group of heroic vigilantes. Kealey looked at him with new eyes…and consequently noticed his eyes. The pupils were triangles. She took another drink. Why hadn’t she noticed this before…surely it had come up in conversation at some point…and he’d been in a concentration camp?

The very idea made Kealey shudder, hard, she’d read things about the camps and seen a few on TV as well. They had collars there that shocked people when their powers activated. The implications of something like that would have been horrible for someone like Kealey…and Shin…no wonder he was such a mess. Aurum didn’t seem to be very sympathetic though, and Kealey shot him a bit of a look.

Shin was kind of in shock during the other man’s tirade, and Kealey watched with wide eyes as that shock turned to anger. The physical signs were there too, in Shin’s clenched fist and lack of speech. Kealey shot another look at Aurum, while they paused in their testosterone talk to drink. Shin calmed a little and consequently Kealey calmed a little. Then Shin started talking and the uncertainty and misery with the situation was nearly overwhelming, and it hit just a little too close to home.

The whole time Shin explained, Kealey nodded dumbly, awash in the same emotions that had dominated her life for a solid month after she’d come to Jacen’s apartment to find him gone. This was different though, Shin was trying to do the noble thing…sacrificing himself for the good of a girl he loved. Kealey almost scoffed a little at the word. She was starting to feel a bit cynical towards that specific emotion, all it seemed to do was cause people hurt and anger. Now Shin was tearing himself to pieces over it.

He asked for help. Kealey didn’t know what to say immediately, so she finished her drink, looking almost desperately for the waiter. She was definitely going to need another. She caught his eye and gestured for another round…if the other two weren’t done…they could catch up later. The same could be said for the tab.

Kealey’s eyebrows drew together as she thought about what Shin had said, and about what she was going to say ho him. Aurum made a point, people didn’t break up simply because things got tough. Things always got tough. Wasn’t that what made lasting relationships special? That the people had fought so hard for them?

Kealey looked at Shin…he was so full of uncertainty and guilt, therefore she was too. It was almost painful, not knowing what to do, she caught his eyes. An idea had occurred to her, but Kealey didn’t know how she felt about it…or even if suggesting it was rude an inappropriate.

”Is there something in there…some emotion that’s holding you back from making the decision?” her eyes swung to Aurum and stayed there for a moment, ”And sometimes people leave for no reason. At least Shin has one.” there was no heat in the comment, just absolute, cold, certainty. Back to Shin, ”If there is something…I can help. You know that, right? I could make it go away so you could figure out what you really think outside the guilt…the emotions.”

Shin's reason. That's what Aurum had wanted to ascertain. Every drink, every tough comment had been to lure it out of him, because he hadn't seemed like he was being honest. Not to Aurum, not to himself. He was making excuses. X-men, this, Romania, that. They had to get to the crux of the matter. What was his reason? Why did he want to leave her? And so, Aurum played the Bad Cop, and prodded the kid for all he was worth.

Kind of sad how, for some, the prodding of the creator of the blue badger came off as 'badgering'. That totally wasn't his intent.

Okay, so he'd ranted a bit. Sorry for that.

Shin took a calming breath, and steadied himself. Aurum prepared for the answer. It had been unlocked.

>>"Yeah, Aurum. I was in the camps. It was harsh."

So, he had been in them. That was harsh. It was real rough, buddy. But, it wasn't important, and Shin knew that. Because, ultimately (Good choice of words, Shin), he loved her... but ultimately, he doubted he could be fair to her, and do what he needed to do. He wanted to do the noble thing. He wanted to end things, because otherwise, one of them might get hurt. That was what Aurum got from Shin's speech. The guy was soft. He seemed to understand his own weakness.

Aurum's heart went out to him. Dealing with one's own personal weaknesses was a tough thing to do. Was it right, though? Was it right for Shin to leave her to protect the girl he loved, and to protect himself from getting hurt?

If he couldn't live with the worry... if he couldn't handle knowing he was endangering her, every time he fought...

Aurum's eyes were focused on Shin. He totally missed Kealey's glares every now and then in his speech.

Was it right?

Sure.

Just so long as Shin thought it was.

Aurum looked to Kealey as she focused on him and dropped a comment. Perhaps, they focused just a hair too long?

Oops.

>>”And sometimes people leave for no reason. At least Shin has one.”

Aurum looked to Shin. "If you can't deal with dating her and working with her at the same time, then yeah. Maybe. ... And sometimes, people do leave for reasons. They just might not have had the chance to say their final good byes..." He kept his eyes tuned to Shin as he said it. "It's a lot harder to move on if you don't give someone that finality." It was kinder. Even if it hurt.

He didn't know right now. He'd said it, but he didn't know. Kealey hadn't been talking for a while. Aurum was pushing his buttons. All his emotions. He could hardly think outside the concise words 'is it right'. That was okay, though. It wasn't his turn to speak anymore. He'd said his part. Shin took a calming breath, and listened to what the others had to say to him.

Kealey was first.

>>”Is there something in there…some emotion that’s holding you back from making the decision?”

Suggesting... what was she suggesting? Some emotion that was holding him back? What could she even mean? Then, she looked towards Aurum. Shin looked to Aurum, too.

>>”And sometimes people leave for no reason. At least Shin has one.”

And back to Kealey.

>>”If there is something…I can help. You know that, right? I could make it go away so you could figure out what you really think outside the guilt…the emotions.”

He had no idea what she was talking about. Shin tilted his head, and bit his lower lip. "No, I didn't. What could you mean...?" What did she mean, 'help him'? Make what 'go away'?

His eyes rose back to Aurum. The guy was speaking again. Shin took a swig. More and more, the appletini was starting to taste more appropriate. More and more...

>>"It's a lot harder to move on if you don't give someone that finality."

Another swig. More and more...

Another swig. More and more...

If he couldn't deal with dating her? Final good byes...? Final. That was so... final...

"I don't..." He wasn't sure. His heart was telling him one thing, but his head... Shin looked back to Kealey. "Tell me what kind of emotions you could make go away." His voice was serious. Deadly-Spock serious. Because if she was removing his emotions... what would be left?

Aurum was more sympathetic towards Shin after hearing about his stay in the camps. Kealey was grateful because she’d nearly said something far more harsh than was probably necessary. The blond looked at her empty glass with a small sigh, perhaps this had been a bad idea after all. Aurum had allowed that maybe Shin was broken up over a failed relationship, but Kealey hadn’t realized just how close to home the situation would hit. She shook herself mentally, these were the things she had to learn to deal with. Besides, Shin needed her. Aurum’s words made that resolve hard to keep though. He didn’t understand, he couldn’t possibly.

On one hand, Kealey wished she could convince herself that Jacen hadn’t had time to say goodbye, on the other she didn’t. It had been her first thought, that something like Florida had happened and Jacen had been forced to run off without much notice. The thing was, even when Florida had happened he’d left a note. There was nothing this time. There hadn’t been signs of a struggle either…and if that had been the situation Jacen would have struggled. He probably wouldn’t have had time to take most of his clothes either.

The waiter returned with the second round of drinks and Kealey took hers almost too quickly. She made herself sip it instead of giving into the temptation to gulp, this one would need to go slowly. Kealey took her memories and emotions firmly in hand after the sip, though, she was here for Shin. This was not about her. She looked to him just as he spoke, questioning the offer she‘d made a few moments before.

He was surprised by her revelation about her powers, and that was understandable. Kealey nodded and looked a little sheepishly at her friends, ”It’s not information I freely share. It makes people uncomfortable knowing that I can mess with their emotions, and I don’t like that hanging over my interactions with people. I don’t do it without permission though, not unless it’s absolutely necessary.”

Aurum commented about finality being kinder, and Kealey nodded with another sigh. It was kinder, much kinder. Not knowing for sure was what rankled. Kealey took another sip, and turned to affirm that to Shin, but he was busy, he took a drink, then another, then another. Kealey’s eyebrow rose slightly, and she looked at Aurum. This was for the best though, the alcohol not only gave a modicum of bravery that may not have wormed its way in without it, but it would loosen up his inhibitions too. That was exactly what Shin needed. He finished with his drink, at least for the moment, and more questions followed. It was fair enough, what she did wasn’t easy to wrap one’s mind around.

”I wouldn’t want to make you into a zombie, even if it would only be temporary. I could take away the things that are keeping you from making a decision though.” The blond closed her eyes and concentrated for a moment, picking out the strongest emotions, ”I could make the guilt go away, and the pain. That would leave the logic…it might not make things easier once those emotions come back, but at least you’d know what you really think.”

Kealey had suggested what she was suggesting to Shin now, once before. He hadn't asked what she'd meant at the time. He hadn't needed special calming, and hadn't felt the need to find out what Kealey could really do. Knowing she could read his emotions was enough. But now, Shin was asking her. Shin, who was drinking heavily. Aurum would find out.

He finished off his drink, and set it down on the table with a 'klack'. Just in time for the cavalry, it seemed. Kealey snagged hers as soon as it had appeared. Aurum's hand snaked out after her, to take his own. It seemed they both needed one.

Dammit, Shin...

Kealey could mess with emotions. Not only read with them, but change them. A good-looking empath with those kinds of powers. She was a triple-threat.

He took another silent sip.