<div style="text-align: center;"><a class="postlink" href="http://s300.photobucket.com/user/SociallyToxicBeauty/media/f9baa897-e285-4e2a-92b5-e0eb263a67ea.jpg.html"></a><a class="postlink" href="http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn24/SociallyToxicBeauty/f9baa897-e285-4e2a-92b5-e0eb263a67ea.jpg">[ img ]</a><br/><br/><span style="color: #408000"><span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-size: 150%; line-height: 116%;">Alida</span></span></span></div><br/><br/>Alida's smile had faded once she noticed Izu's expression and bloodied towel. He dropped in front of her and the plate she had held out for him fell from her fingers in surprise.<span style="color: #BF0000">"What's wrong with me, Alida?"</span>he asked, clearly hysterical. Alida felt a momentary wave of panic, but forced it back as she realized Izu was likely receiving her emotions. She had not thought that he would have, since she only could vaguely sense how he felt. He reached for her hand and without hesitance she reached back, gripping his larger hand in her small one.<br/><span style="color: #BF0000"><br/>"There are so many emotions, thoughts and feelings running wild in my head. It's as if I've gone crazy and my mind is arguing with itself. Please make it stop!" </span>he begged, tears falling down his face. Alida wasn't very good at controlling her emotions, but she knew she had to figure out a way to do so now, if only to give Izu some relief.<span style="color: #408000"> "Izu! Izu okay. Izu not crazy," </span>she assured him, pulling him into a hug.<span style="color: #408000">"Izu feel Alida," </span>she tried to explain, hoping that he could understand her.<span style="color: #408000"> "Alida feel sad. Make Izu sad," </span>she tried to clarify.<span style="color: #408000"> "Alida sorry. Alida not know,"</span>by now, she had managed to bring her emotions down--though it was very difficult. She tried to only think of calm, happy thoughts, things that made her feel tranquil.<br/><br/>Izu's appearance frightened and worried her, as she didn't understand why he felt everything she did, but she could only get a vague feeling from him.<span style="color: #408000">"Alida fix. Alida fix,"</span>she promised as she pulled away some to wipe Izu's tears, though how she would fix it she wasn't sure. There was no going back on what happened. Izu and Alida were connected, that was all there was to it. She gently lifted his wounded hand, looking at it with a small frown.<span style="color: #408000">"Izu hurt..."</span>she said softly as she looked back up at Izu's face.<span style="color: #408000"> "Alida sorry. Alida not know. Izu make Alida his--Alida not know Izu feel,"</span>she said as she pulled him towards her once more into a hug, gently rocking him as one hand let its fingers softly run through his hair, while the other hand rubbed his back in soothing circles.<br/><br/>She wondered what she could do to help Izu not feel her emotions so strongly, or at the very least, realize that he wasn't going crazy. She had never seen someone react to the connection in such a manner. Perhaps it was because he was not from her world that made it more intense for him and weaker for her. She continued to think of only things that made her feel calm and content, humming a soothing tune as she stroked Izu's hair.<span style="color: #408000">"Izu okay. Izu not crazy,"</span>she whispered.<span style="color: #408000">"Alida sorry. Alida sorry..."</span>she repeated, kissing the top of Izu's head.<br/><br/>Carefully she stood, helping Izu up. He was rather heavy, but Alida was determined. She managed it and guided him to the bathroom. She turned on some cool water in the sink and put Izu's wounded hand in it, letting it wash away some of the blood. She then raided the small cabinet in the bathroom, finding the first aid kit Izu had shown her. She looked through it, finding some gauze and tape, then came back to Izu. She patted his hand dry carefully and then wrapped it just as cautiously.<span style="color: #408000">"Izu hurt?"</span>she asked, wondering what happened to cause such an injury.