faithfulflame | Thirteenth Prayer: A Flash of the Future [Video/Action]

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Thirteenth Prayer: A Flash of the Future [Video/Action]

[It's been nearly two years in Luceti, and Rei's come to realize that things are very different for her than they were initially. Then, she'd been so focused on getting home, getting back to the fight, and finishing what she'd started. But everything that'd happened since that time had given her other things to focus on, other people to care about besides just the Senshi, and a semblance of happiness she'd not had at home. People to trust, a shrine to call her own, and a way to grow stronger without having to rely in the power of Mars and that link to the past. It was nice, having that life, even the experiments and friends randomly disappearing were better than being dead.

Haruhi's departure had been a little shocking, but then...every time someone left it meant they were just going back to the life they'd been stolen from. Even as much as she'd grown attached to the place, going home still felt right, like it was the way things should go. After all, destiny could only be put off for so long. Which she knew all to well applied to her, that she shouldn't wish too hard to delay the inevitable, but all the same she couldn't quite bring herself to hope for that. Even if you knew you'd come back, and everything would be alright in the end, there was something oddly morbid about wishing for death.

Rather than dwell on it, though, Rei does what she does best: she moves on with her life with a sigh. Today is Setsubun after all, so inevitably, she finds herself in the shrine. After a while she decides to perform a flame reading of her own future, something she's been putting off for a while. Unsurprisingly the results are too much of a jumble to make much sense, though Fenimore is beginning to feature more prominently in them. Disappointed that she couldn't get more, she decides to set up a broadcast because even if she can't get a proper Setsubun ceremony going this year, Rei feels she should at least do something.]

Video

Good afternoon, Luceti, and welcome to any New Feathers that have just arrived. For those of you that do not know me, my name is Rei Hino and I run Tsukino Shrine, across the river from the Flame building. It's a peaceful place and it's open to visitors at any time, regardless of spiritual beliefs.

As today is a sort of traditional festival day in my world, I'll be offering fortune telling and flame readings to anyone who visits today. If you have an interest in knowing a bit more about your future, your luck, or other things, feel free to come by and I will be happy to help you.

Also, I was wondering if anyone knows much about carpentry. There are some parts of the shrine that are beginning to get a little worn and some improvements I'd like to make, though I need some help with that. Any assistance or advice would be appreciated. I'm more than happy to offer what services I can in return. Baking, limited enchanting, exorcisms, omamori and other charms, or even just help with yardwork.

[And she bows to the camera before turning off the feed.]

[As promised, Rei is at the shrine, and while she'll be replying to journals she'd prefer in person visits!]

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[And after another moment or two, her eyes as wide as they possibly can be, she begins to shake slightly. Tears begin to stream down her face and it's quite plain that she wants to pull away, but something seems to hold her there. Horrified, she begins to shake more at what she's witnessing, until finally a short gasp escapes her throat and she slumps forward, hair covering her face, not saying a word.]

[At first, Fenimore just watches in fascination as the fire shifts around Rei. She doesn't know what the chant means or, really, the meaning behind most of the actions, having no context for it, but even without that, it's undeniably awesome. A shiver goes up her spine.]

[She's so awed that it takes her a moment to notice that something is not right. While she does briefly wonder if the shaking could possibly be a normal part of the fortune-telling (she doubts it, but maybe it just takes a lot out of her), that thought is quickly discarded -- when considered with Rei's horrified expression, it's clear that something is very wrong, either with the vision or the ceremony. She leans forward, about to move to pull Rei away, but she stops. What if flame-reading is like the old superstition of not waking people who are sleepwalking? She has no idea, so she remains paralyzed with indecision until Rei slumps forward. Then she gets up to move to Rei's side, reaching out to place a hand on her shoulder.]

What happened? Are you all -- [Well, clearly Rei isn't all right, so she swallows that question to replace it with another.] What's wrong?

[The instant Rei feels Fenimore's hand on her shoulder, she jerks her own hands down and sits on them, because she doesn't want that vision shared with anyone. But the question...she can't possibly expect Fenimore to not ask it, and she can't reasonably deny it. Lying would just make it worse, and probably exacerbate the entire situation too. So Rei croaks out in a low rasp...]

It's...your future. It's...it's awful...and I...I don't want to tell you. But if...if you want to know, I will.

[Fenimore stills, the bottom dropping out of her stomach. With how strongly Rei reacted -- and Rei certainly doesn't seem like the sort to react this strongly over something small -- it must be really awful. She doesn't answer right away, but eventually:]

I -- I don't think I want to know, but...now that you've told me that much, I don't think I could stand not knowing. I'd like as not start jumping every time I saw my own shadow until it happened. [She sort of chuckles, but it's a strange, brittle sound, nothing like a real laugh. She's feeling a bit of panic edging in.] But, if you need a moment....

[She doesn't want to wait, but Rei is obviously in a bad way, so she's going to force herself to be patient if she needs time to work herself up to it.]

[Wordlessly, Rei reached out and took Fenimore by the hand, and began to share the vision.

It started simply enough, a small room with Fenimore and another girl talking two several others in similar outfits to the ones she usually wore. Nothing distinct, just talking. And then a darkness fell over the room, a candle appearing in the hands of everyone assembled. Then a flicker like a lightning bolt, and a man entered, shrouded in black. A blade appeared in his hand, swinging first at the others in the room. A shadowy hand grew from the blade, an omen of ill fortune reaching up to seize everyone in the room by the neck, and one by one the candles went out.

A hand darted out for the other young woman, but instead of her, it swerved at the last instant and grabbed for Fenimore. Her candle flared for an instant, and then was snuffed out, wisps of smoke visible in the murk cast by the light of the final candle.

And then, darkness, the vision coming to an end.

Rei pulled back immediately and fell forward onto her hands and knees, tears beginning to fall.]

I...I...I'm so sorry...

[Fenimore tenses as Rei takes her hand, knowing what's coming. But the tension relaxes somewhat at first as confusion overtakes apprehension: partially because knowing it was coming did not stop the vision from being such a new experience, and partially because she was expecting something much more terrifying. Instead, she's just...talking with Shirley? That much of a prediction -- that she'd be able to meet her best friend again -- could even be seen as a good thing. And there were more Ferines than she'd ever expected to see in Luceti. In fact...they did seem a little familiar....

But then the darkness comes and, with it, the man with a sword. She may be unaccustomed to visions, but, under the circumstances, the meaning behind the candles being snuffed out couldn't be clearer. She winces each time the hand grabs for another person, her expression growing tighter as the number of candles grows fewer in a vain attempt to mask her growing fear. By the time they're down to only a few, lower lip is trembling and her arms are shaking. When the hand darts out the final time, she gasps, and then, when it swerves towards the vision of herself, she jerks back as though she were actually being grabbed, nearly accidentally pulling her hand from Rei's early.

As the vision ends, her legs buckle and she also falls, landing with a thump on her behind. She feels light-headed and dizzy from the intensity of the experience, making Rei's words sound oddly distorted. So...she was going to die, and soon, by how young she looked in the vision. Actually, if anything, she'd almost looked like she was younger --

Oh. So that was it.]

I -- [Her voice croaks through a throat that feels strangely full. She swallows and tries again.] I didn't know you could see other worlds.

[Rei's hands ball into fists and she shakes her head, the tatami in front of her beginning to darken with teardrops. It's a long moment before she can even collect herself enough to speak, and even forming words is hard. What do you say to that? How...do you comfort someone when you've just shown them their death? And soon, by the look of things.]

I...I...sometimes I can.

[She looks up, staring at the other girl with reddened eyes.]

I...should not have...I'm sorry. I don't...I didn't...

[She trails off, suddenly unsure of what she'd meant to say. A lightheaded sensation settles over her, and she shakes her head once more.]

I'm so sorry...

It's not your fault. You didn't know.

[Fenimore tries to sound calm, but the best she can manage right now is dull and resigned. Even with that, there's some shakiness in her voice and she refuses to make eye contact with Rei. She concentrates on breathing in through her nose and out through her mouth, trying to keep herself under control, even though she's not able to stop herself from trembling.]

If either of us should be saying sorry....

[She doesn't finish the sentence as the feeling of pressure in her temples becomes more intense. She grips one hand in the other tightly as she tries to keep her emotions under control.]

[The calm and the resigned look are enough to draw Rei's attention. She's barely able to look at Fenimore, but she does move a little closer. When she does speak, her voice trembles slightly, because this is sort of a lot to take in, but the way Fenimore's talking it's almost like...]

You...knew...didn't you?

[Fenimore doesn't reply immediately. The first time she opens her mouth to speak, her chin is trembling too much, so she bites down on her bottom lip and breathes deeply until she can reply without so much shakiness in her voice.]

I...the summer before last, someone from my world's future arrived, and I met her before anyone told her that the -- [She stops abruptly, unable to refer to herself as dead.] people don't always come from the same time, so she...well, she thought I was my sister at first, but when she realized I wasn't....

[Subconsciously, she hunches her shoulders defensively and starts to look down, but she soon realizes that if she looks down, it will become harder to keep her eyes from overflowing if her control breaks, so she instead looks up towards the ceiling.]

I try not to think about it.

[Rei listens quietly, waiting for Fenimore to finish. When she does, she finishes sliding across the floor and sits beside her friend, slipping an arm around her. It's a hard thing to bear, really. Hearing that from her friend, a girl she's very much fond of...it's difficult not to just crush her into a hug. She knows all too well just how Fenimore must be feeling.]

Fenimore...[She drops the honorific, and it's deliberate.]

I'm sorry, that I caused this to happen. That vision...it's not something you should have had to see. But I understand. I know what it's like. That sort of...forewarning. [Her own voice cracks, and she stares down at the ground.]

It's a secret we have in common.

[and she hopes Fenimore understand the implication there.]

Edited 2014-02-14 21:17 (UTC)

[Fenimore stiffens at the touch. While she doesn't know enough about Japanese culture to know the significance behind the dropped honorific, she can feel the comfort behind rest of the actions and words. Which feels nice, but the way it acknowledges that there is something wrong starts to dissolve the lockdown on her feelings -- and she doesn't want to feel anything related to the knowledge of her death.

With her control over her feelings weakened, the best she can manage is to change from feeling hurt to hurting the first available target. She knows that Rei doesn't deserve any anger or harsh words, but, right now, she doesn't mind being unfair. She finally looks at Rei, ready to snap that she doesn't know anything when the last sentence sinks in.]

[Her eyes widen as her expression shifts almost instantly into one of shock. She was aware that there were others like her -- soon to die, or already dead. But the ones she'd known of before had been people she didn't really know, or people who she'd known were dead before she'd become friends with them. She would never have guessed she'd find out that someone she was close to held the same kind of secret. Rei, in particular, she would never have guessed after they'd talked about her dreams for the future.]

What...?

[Rei nods slowly, her arm moving up to wrap around Fenimore's shoulder. She's taking advantage of the shock to hopefully move things away from Fenimore getting angry to trying to make this into something good. There's no point in fighting over it, especially not when there's some commonality there. It doesn't stop the hurt, and it doesn't stop the fact that she's worried that Fenimore might just start snapping anyway. But she guesses that it may be the best way to deal with and diffuse the situation.]

Yes. At home, when I arrived in Luceti, I was in the middle of a battle. And I died. Look at my first journal broadcast, if you want.

[She bows her head slightly, and looks away.]

I...I know in the end that my friends and I win, and I...reincarnate. Ami-chan and Usagi-chan told me I do, but when I arrived here, I was dead. And I don't know if they're lying to me...or if they're telling me the truth.

[She presses one hand against her chest, trying to suppress a choking cough of sadness at the knot suddenly forming in her throat.]

So yes. I do know what it's like, Fenimore.

[Fenimore doesn't move immediately. At first, she almost does snap anyway, but, after a moment, her stiff pose relaxes and she leans against Rei -- not enough to put her weight on her: just enough to press against her. She's not exactly returning the hug, since she keeps her hands in her lap as she continues to squeeze them together, but she's at least trying to signal her acceptance and appreciation of the gesture.]

That's not fair.

[Her voice is choked up and she doesn't clarify what she is saying isn't fair. That someone like Rei died young in battle? That Rei gets to reincarnate, when Fenimore is going to stay dead? That Rei really understanding denies Fenimore the opportunity to take out her feelings on her? Truthfully, it's a mixture of all three, especially the first and last.]

I'm sorry.

[She normally is against people saying they're sorry over things that aren't their fault, even if it's clear that's not what people mean when they say that. But she doesn't know what she can say to that.]

[Rei pulls Fenimore a little closer, if she doesn't resist or seem opposed to it, and sighs heavily. Swallowing, she leans her head on her shoulder, trying to find words.]

It's...alright. I just try not to think about it. That's really for the best.

[She squeezes Fenimore's shoulder gently, wracking her brain for something to say or do to make these feelings go away. Because none of it's fair. Fenimore shouldn't be allowed to die, and Rei dying is just as unfair now as it was when she decided to give her life for the princess.]

It's fate. It's...what was meant to happen. But maybe we'll have a way to change that, here.

[She rather firmly believes that such a thing is possible. That's what the Senshi did: Changed destiny.]

Can I...tell you another secret?

[Fenimore doesn't resist being pulled closer, but rather welcomes it. There's still a part of her that wants to pull away, to deny that she needs the comfort, but it's currently being overtaken by the part of her that wants the comfort of closeness.

She does frown when Rei calls it fate, and tenses slightly.]

I don't want to think of it as what was meant to happen.

[To her, saying it was meant to happen makes it sound as though their deaths, and the deaths of other people she'd known and cared about, were for the best or at least right, and that was something she won't accept. But she doesn't say it in a particularly angry tone and she doesn't try to turn it into an argument. She knows that Rei didn't mean it that way, and she supposes that someone who can see the future sometimes would have a different idea about fate.

She also doesn't think there will be a way to change it, but she really doesn't want to argue that point. That would require her to acknowledge that she thinks she's doomed to die, so she doesn't even say anything about it as she lets some of that tension ease back out -- though she's still a bit tense.]

To be honest...I'm a little sick of secrets after the last couple I've heard today.

[It's supposed to be something of a joke, even if even she doesn't find it funny and the best tone she can manage is pretty sardonic.]

But I'll listen.

[Rei huffs a little laugh and shakes her head. Fenimore's right on that one point.]

You shouldn't. Even if something's meant to happen, destiny is never written in stone. That's something Usagi-chan taught me. And it's something that my friends and I change every time we fight. I've seen visions of people who's fate was to die, and I've stopped it before. I...sometimes think that's why I'm able to read the future.

[She reaches into her pocket, and pulls out a small red pen, showing it to Fenimore before pulling back and standing up.]

This secret is something I...should have told you before. But it's something I don't tell people I don't really, truly trust. [She smiles gently.] We met before, on a mission, about a year before Billy-san's dating event. You just wouldn't remember, because of this secret.

[She raises the pen into the air and shouts out]

Mars Power! Make Up!

[A flare of heat fills the room, and an instant later, after a transformation sequence, Rei is replaced by her alter-ego. Sailor Mars.]

Fenimore.

[Mars' gaze is somewhat intense as she comes out of the daze that is transforming, and she stares right into the other girl's eyes. There's a weight to her that wasn't present before, a sense of purpose, divinity, and power that's partly Rei, but someone else as well. The Goddess of War, Passion, and Flame. A superhero from Tokyo, and a warrior-princess from a paradise long, long gone.]

I am sorry, but I don't often reveal my secret. I am two people, in a sense. Rei Hino, and Sailor Mars. And I know it may be sudden, and it may be a surprise to see me like this, but I want you to understand. I'm sworn to protect a princess, along with three others. And together we've changed destiny time and time again. If there's any way to stop what we saw from happening, I swear to you, in the name of Mars, that we'll find it.

Edited 2014-02-15 09:22 (UTC)

[Fenimore is glad that she was slow enough to stand up after Rei, as she's not entirely sure how steady her legs would have been after that surprise. She'll stay on the floor for the moment, looking up at Rei, and that only makes the impression of weight and intensity behind Rei's gaze even stronger, making her seem taller -- and not entirely because of the heels. She never would have guessed this, as even the mention of battle passed her by without thinking how Rei might have been involved. Rei could have been involved indirectly, like Fenimore's own work in triage and running errands in a battle in her world, or involved somehow with her magic. She's rendered speechless at first.

If she was told this by most people, she would argue against it. If it was Rei alone, she would have argued, even though the speech would have felt comforting at first. To Norma, and to Shirley last she was here, and maybe to some of the others, her death had already happened. Even if destiny could be changed, how could the past be changed? To try to change it was fruitless and the promise to change it was just empty words.

But it's harder to argue with someone with this strong of a presence and this much apparent experience in changing destiny.

Once some of the shock passes, a flood of emotions rush in. There's a sense of awe at the intensity from Sailor Mars, a kind of remnant from the shock. There's a warmth blossoming in her chest at being trusted like this. There's some curiosity, with questions about things like how being two people works and what is a Mars. There's even a nagging sense that something about this seems familiar, since she has actually read magical girl comics before. And there's a tiny little feeling of hope.

But that hope brings its own problems. She starts to tremble again and she breaks eye contact with Mars, looking down to the floor and gritting her teeth as she tries to keep the tears filling her eyes from flowing over. Her voice is shaky when she speaks.]

I...I don't know if I can stand to hope it could change. It's -- easier, when it's inevitable. All I could do was be resigned to it. So I could ignore it. I could just think about here, because -- because no matter how much I missed home, or the people I left there...that part of my life was over. Because when I left here, I would --

[Her voice hitches, and she swallows hard. As she continues, she speaks more quickly, as though the words are tumbling out of her mouth without her really thinking about them.]

But if it's not inevitable, if I could be saved, then...it feels like it's something that's going to happen. It feels like a -- a danger hanging over my head, and I don't have enough hope to think it's not probably going to happen anyway, and it's like I can't ignore it now, and I --

[She stops. She hates admitting to weakness directly, and that she's already shown a lot of it today makes it worse. But, after bowing her head even lower, she continues in a small voice.]

I'm scared.

[Hope, even just small hope, brings with it the chance of that hope being dashed, and over the past several years she's come to think that maybe it's better to just not hope at all.]

[That reaction is generally what she'd expected, given the circumstances. Coming to terms with the fact that there may be hope is never easy, as Mars has learned in her own life. Telling people that the fate they see is inevitable may be altered by the intervention of a group of five very determined magical girls is generally met with disbelief, but the fact that Fenimore admits that she's willing to hope...even if it's just a bit...is something she takes as a sign. At least some sort of acceptance is only encouraging.

She'd never have guessed that Fenimore might be familiar with magical girl comics, but then, given the nature of Luceti she'd not be entirely surprised either. Kari's explanation of multiple realities, for instance, stands out.

The heat in the room rises for the moment, though Mars' gaze softens as she bends down to offer a gloved hand to the other girl. Confidence and power practically radiate from her as she speaks, and her voice is pitched in a low, hopefully encouraging tone.]

That's understandable. I certainly don't think you're wrong for it, because I'm scared too. The thought of going back scares me too. Because this stuff is scary, but it's something we can overcome. I know I'm asking you for a lot of faith, but trust me, alright? If there's a way, we'll find it.

[Fenimore will be some glad if she makes the connection that her Malnosso-experiment-induced stint at attempting to be a magical girl was long before Rei arrived in Luceti. Though the costume is still in the back of her closet. Alongside a pile of porn that includes a few examples from an unrelated magical girl series. Long story, Christmas elves hate her, and she hasn't read it. Just...don't look in her closet, Rei.

Fenimore looks up when Mars offers a hand -- not crying, but her eyes are still quite wet even when she blinks away some of the unshed tears. The aura of confidence and power does make her feel like, just maybe, things would work out for the best. At this moment, if Mars were talking about anyone else in Luceti, she would completely believe that she would save them, but Fenimore has seen a lot of hopeless situations and it makes it hard for her to not be pessimistic. She's heard about some of the amazing things people in Luceti have accomplished in their home worlds and has come to see a separation between herself, as someone "ordinary," and the "special" people that are so common in Luceti. Miracles are things that happen to other people.

Then again, there was one time that she'd been rescued from a seemingly hopeless situation. Maybe having someone "special" on her side changed things.]

I --

[She stops. She could just say that she will trust her, even with her doubts, but...she feels she should be honest. Her gaze flicks away to the side, not quite meeting Mars's gaze.]

I have a lot of doubt that there is a way. I want to think there is, but -- I can't make myself really believe it.

[She'd heard Shirley say something like this a long time ago, before she'd known that she was one of the people in need of saving. As before, she can't really believe that such a convenient solution exists in this world, but, also as before, there is one thing she can trust.

She meets Mars's eyes again and tries to give a smile. She doesn't succeed, but the effort is there.]

But...if you're asking me to trust that you'll find it if it exists...I guess I can do that.

[And she takes the offered hand.]

[~~And it's something Rei wouldn't mind seeing that outfit...~~

Mars hand doesn't waver, and it's warm to the touch, the kind of warmth one doesn't find in normal people. A gentle, pulsing heat that matches the mien of unshakable certainty and power, a soothing strength that permeates her entire self. She knows she can't ask for more than that, and she won't press for anything beyond that. She knows enough about Fenimore to understand that she's quite jaded, a trait that Rei herself shares despite the faith Mars displays. She may not have Usagi here to help with the Ginzuishou, or Serenity here with all her power, but there's got to be a way. A light of shining hope for her friend, and for her own...admittedly somewhat arrogant and selfish...happiness.

She gently tugs Fenimore up, and pulls the suddenly shorter girl into a tight hug. Her eyes shine with unshed tears of her own, as well as with a light of kindness. Leaning closer, the senshi brushes a hand down Fenimore's cheek. A mysterious smile flickers across her lips for a fraction of a second as she debates what to say. After a quiet moment, she speaks softly.]

That's all I'm asking. Trust me to find a way, if I can. Because you're someone important to me. If it can be done, it will be done.

[And then she leans just a little closer and brushes her lips against Fenimore's in a gentle kiss. If the other girl resists or pulls back, she'll freeze before reaching, because it's not meant to be forced, she just wants to show she cares.]

Edited 2014-02-17 08:21 (UTC)

[The warmth is comforting and when Mars pulls her into the hug, Fenimore returns it just as tightly. If she thinks about this later when alone in her room -- though she will try to return the thought of her death to something she ignores -- she'll probably return to her pessimism. But in Mars's presence, it feels like it could be possible.

When Mars brushes a hand down her cheek, the thought crosses her mind that they're nearly close enough to kiss and her heartbeat quickens. She dismisses the thought, so she's surprised when it turns out that it seems she wasn't the only one thinking it. Her eyes widen in surprise and, for half a second, she doesn't react, but after that moment, she closes her eyes and shifts to better return the kiss, matching the gentleness. She wants to show that she cares about her, too.]

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