faithfulflame | Fourteenth Prayer: A Rekindling. [Video/Action]

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Fourteenth Prayer: A Rekindling. [Video/Action]

[It’s been a while since Rei could even find the time to make a broadcast over the network, and given her encounter with Anakin Skywalker the last time she’d offered to do flame readings she’s not going to be offering that today. Instead, she’s got a question, and now that her leg has gotten back to normal, there’s also a bit of housekeeping to take care of before some very, very important plans happen. As well as some admissions and requests to take care of.

So, early in the day, she addresses the journal with a forced smile, because one the questions is a little embarrassing. Normally she’d probably have just talked to Yukiko and Yu, but the Inaba teenagers have both seemingly departed now…which directly relates to the other subject at hand, in fact. Ami being gone didn’t help, of course.]

Video:

Hello everyone, this is Rei Hino. I’m afraid to say that most of the people helping me tend to Tsukino Shrine have departed Luceti. If there’s anyone who has free time and would be willing to help me maintain it, I would really appreciate the help. Some of the work that needs to be done simply needs more hands to be done. I’d be willing to repay anyone willing to help with things I’m able to make. If you’re interested, please let me know either here at the shrine or through the journal.

And secondly, I was wondering if anyone had some insight on some exercises for getting back a leg into shape after an injury? My leg was hurt badly recently, and I’m still a little shaky at times, enough so that I’m not comfortable with normal physical activity beyond walking. I don’t want to strain myself, but I would like to get back to normal as quickly as possible.

Thank you in advance for any help or advice.

[And then she closes the journal out.]

Action:

[Later in the day, Rei heads out to visit two very specific people. Raine Sage and Fayt Leingod can expect visits. Raine by Sailor Mars, and Fayt by Rei herself.

After that business is taken care of, Rei hits the shops and starts to gather up some things. Clothing, boxes of food, board games, and pastries in addition to food stuff and a bottle of wine. All the things one needs for an evening alone with her special someone.

And by nightfall, Rei’s got Tsukino Shrine all prepared for her promised evening with Fenimore. Some food, a present, futons, and all the things they might need for the next two evenings. Hopefully it will be a peaceful, uninterrupted night!]

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All right. I'll be right back.

[Except she's not right back; she spends quite a bit of time in Rei's room. There are a few seconds at first where she glances around the room with the realization that this is probably where they're going to be sleeping, but it's mostly because she's discovering the difficulties associated while being stubborn about trying to get it right. If Rei is close enough to the door and has good hearing, she might hear some muttering at some points in the process. Eventually, though, Fenimore emerges, hesitantly and maybe even a little shyly.]

So, um. How do I look?

[It's...not a disaster, at least. With a lot of work, she's managed to get the fabric to lie mostly straight and at the right height. Certainly not perfect, but quite good for a beginner. By chance, she'd also by chance folded it with the proper side on top without realizing there was any meaning behind it -- she'd just immitated without thinking about it. She'd even managed to figure out that the first cord should be tied around the top of the hip bone when she'd realized there were two such cords and that the extra fabric hangs over the top of it (she doesn't actually think the latter is supposed to happen, but she couldn't figure out what to do about it and eventually decided that the sash would hide it).

That's about the end of her successes, though. The second cord is tied too low, nearly on top of the first one, leaving the top of the yukata somewhat loosely secured. This is a pretty minor problem compared to the obi, though. Not only is it also too low, she'd tied it on with a bow more like a shoelace -- and a rough bow, at that, since she tried to tie it on behind her back rather than tying it at the front and turning it around. Despite some effort to straighten it after the fact, this has left parts of the sash bent near the bow as she tried to work it like a shoelace, leaving the first layer poking out from under the second wrap around. The first layer is occasionally poking just slightly out from underneath in other places as well, since she's just not used to it.

...She tried.]

[Rei does not laugh. She very, very pointedly does not laugh. But she does smile, already crossing the room with hands outstretched. She embraces Fenimore and gives her a quick kiss on the cheek, to soften the blow.]

It definitely suits you. The color brings out your eyes. And you did an alright job of putting it on properly...but you look very much like a gaijin who's putting one on alone for the first time.

[Which, Rei supposes she is...]

Here, let me help you. It's mostly right, very good for someone who doesn't know, you just got a few things not quite perfect.

[Rei starts with the obi, undoing it before starting to pull cords tighter and cinching it all up properly. An easy fix, Fenimore just hadn't tugged quite hard enough.]

But I think you look very, very beautiful.

[She blushes, a little embarrassed despite how much Rei has softened the blow with both the kiss and her choice of words, and even if a gaijin putting it on alone for the first time is true (even if she's not quite sure what a gaijin is). She lifts her arms to keep the long sleeves out of the way as Rei fixes things.

Her response to the first parts is a little mumbled.] Well, it is my first time putting one on....

[She does appreciate how much Rei has softened it, though.At the last sentence, Fenimore's blush turns into a pleased flush as she smiles widely. Hearing Rei call her beautiful -- or, indeed, very, very beautiful -- gives her a delightful warm feeling.]

Thank you. I'm glad you think so, though it's partially because you picked well. And it's really comfortable -- well, I'm going to have to get used to walking in it [with how short of steps she has to take comparatively] but the cloth feels really soft.

[As useful as it is for the Ferines clothes to be waterproof, it means it's kind of rough, and the only other kind of clothing she's worn outside of shifts has been partially armor. So comparatively this stuff feels heavenly.]

So maybe this won't be the last time I'll put one on, when we're alone together.

Edited 2014-06-24 01:26 (UTC)

[Glad to see that the words have had the desired effect, it takes Rei the work of only a moment to get it all fixed. Really, she hadn't mucked it up too bad, and the pattern had been a simple one. She had also somewhat expected that Fenimore might find it difficult to move, but it was something you got used to with time, she was right.]

It is, isn't it? Yukata are for summer, while the heavier kimono are for winter and fall. The fabric on these is meant to breathe, since a lot of people back home don't have a good way to get cool in the summer.

[Because Japan is stupidly hot, and electricity is stupidly expensive.]

And this one is for you, so you can wear it whenever you'd like. I'm glad you like it.

That's useful. [When Rei finishes adjusting, she swings her arm gently as though testing how the air might pass through the material or at least how light the sleeves are as they swing slightly. Another problem with waterproofing clothes is that they aren't noted for breathing and the ones that are relatively lighter-weight don't cover enough of her scars to feel comfortable in them these days. Score another for the yukata.] When I was younger, I could spend the hotter days cooling off in the water, but when I started to get more work to do...well, I can understand why people would want fabric that can breathe.

[She turns around and twists her head back and forth to get a better look at Rei's handiwork. Yes, that definitely looks better. When she finishes, she turns to Rei to give her a kiss on the cheek.]

Thank you. I'll cherish it.

[Less on the front that it's comfortable to wear ~~despite being doubtless awful to swim in~~, even if it is, and more because it's from Rei and a part of Rei's culture. Rather than hugging Rei, though, she instead links her arm through Rei's and takes her hand, giving a light tug towards the door where Fenimore had dropped her bag.]

Those muffins are surely cool enough by now. Grune might ask how we liked them and I wouldn't want to forget to eat them if I got [she grins] distracted.

[And the pair have a lovely dinner and several hours of talking and sipping wine and in general enjoying themselves, but as the evening wears on, they both start thinking of bed. And the other things that go with it.

Standing up, Rei looks pointedly towards the back room, and then down at Fenimore.]

Well...I...definitely think it's time for bed. How about you?

[And thanks to the wine? She's already got a bit of a blush going.]

[It had been a lovely evening that Fenimore had greatly enjoyed. She'd not been especially careful with the wine, what with how well things had turned out last time she'd had wine, so it was partially luck that she hadn't drunk too much. She'd been a bit more impulsive as the evening wore on, both in what she said and how cuddly she might have gotten, but she was otherwise fairly clear-headed.

At Rei's question, Fenimore nods and starts to stand as well.]

Ye -- [-- okay that standing is going to take a couple of seconds extra, as she's still getting used to moving without making the yukata open and it's not any easier with the wine in her okay now she's standing nailed it --] Yes. It is getting late. We should at least start getting ready for bed.

[And if anything happens to slow us down as we are getting ready, that'll be fine...is what she doesn't say, because she isn't quite that impulsive. But she does think it.]

[Well, Rei is a bit steadier, her tolerance perhaps a hair higher...and after the incident with Cliff and the cider she'd learned to take things a lot slower. Her steps are light, and she reaches for Fenimore's hand as she moves towards the back room, slowly of course. Dignity even when intoxicated is important, and all the more important so she can not fall over and make a fool of herself. That'd spoil the mood.

Once there, she slides back the panel and shows off the room she'd set up for them. Two futons, right next to one another, all laid out nice and neat. Sure she'd already seen it when she'd changed...but Rei's not thinking that clearly. After all, it's two beds squeezed really close together.]

And...here we are. How does it look? Cozy?

[She had gotten a look and, while she'd not investigated too closely at the time, she'd at least seen the futons (which isn't what she's used to, but they're obviously enough beds). Still, that had been at the beginning of the evening, when bedtime was a ways away, and this is now, when it's now, so that has its own thrill of discovery.]

Cozy, for certain. They're close enough that they could almost be one bed. [She squeezes Rei's hand and moves closer to settle against Rei's side.] And I wouldn't want it any other way. I want to spend tonight as close to you as I can.

Me too. [She slides her arm around Fenimore's waist and takes the first step into the bedroom, still a little flushed from all the excitement and drink. Once there, she turns and presses against the other girl, kissing her softly.]

And I'm glad to have the chance. No distractions and no trouble. Just you and me. Because I love you.

[Those three words are still a new enough thing that they are enough to stir up the butterflies in her stomach -- which were pretty well stirred as it was, really. She's also flushed and she can feel her heartbeat quicken a little as she returns the embrace.]

And I love you, too. [She gives Rei a soft kiss as well.] I wish that I could spend every night like this, falling asleep in your arms, not thinking about anything other than being with you. But when I do have that chance...I'm going to take advantage of it as much as I can.

[She kisses Rei again, this time lingering a little longer before pulling back.]

[Smiling, she pulls back as well, her hands trailing down Fenimore's arms until they're able to link fingers.]

Well, there's always ways to make this more common. If Hajime-kun and Sophie-chan hit it off...who knows what could happen.

[Group sleepovers? Dropping them off with Ami or Grune or Minako? A lot of mischief could happen that way.]

But that's a thought for the future. Right now, we should probably...get ready for bed.

[And that renews her blush, as it's something she never thought she'd say ever.]

[She likes this thought for the future and is now really hoping that Hajime and Sophie hit it off. Really, really hoping.

But it is a thought for the future, and that gets second place to the thoughts for the present, which are even more pleasant. She squeezes Rei's hands lightly where they're interlocked as she blushes a bit as well.]

You're right. [She's feeling suddenly nervous, running her tongue over her teeth and briefly licking her lips, but she's also excited.] Do you...need anything first, or shall we settle in?

[She'd brought a nightgown in her bag, but unless Rei needs to get changed herself, Fenimore's not sure she could stand the increase in tension that might come from a wait brought on by going to retrieve it. And, besides, with Ferines clothing being made out of rougher material due to the waterproofing, the cloth of the yukata was the softest she'd ever worn, so she's pretty sure she could just sleep in this.

And, well. There's a little thought in the back of her head, driven by some of those things they'd talked about when Rei'd come back from the draft, that is wondering if she'll be needing it, anyway. Sure, they'd both said that they weren't certain if they were ready and they hadn't made any plans, but it's a hard thought to dismiss even so, especially with the wine in her.]

[Rei smiles even wider, squeezing Fenimore's hand in hers. Does she need anything? Not...really. The yukatas they're wearing are very good for sleeping in, after all. And she imagines that peeling out of them might be even nicer...really.]

Mmmm, I...think I have everything I need right in front of me.

[And then she leans forward for a kiss, her arms moving back around her girlfriend to pull her into a tight embrace...]

Mmhmm.

[She was going to say more in agreement than just that hum, but Rei has thought of a much better use for their mouths. Fenimore has no complaints about that, opening her mouth and letting her tongue flicker out. Following the pull, she presses closely against Rei and returns the embrace, her hands settling just above Rei's hips for now. After a moment, she will take a small step forward -- and if Rei follows by taking a step backwards, she'll begin to slowly walk them back in what she's pretty sure is the direction of the futons (as best she can determine with her eyes closed and her mind not functioning at 100% capacity on things that are not "this kiss" and "the feeling of Rei against her").

She's not entirely sure what to do if they make it so far as the futons, despite making a move in that direction. The sort of beds she's used to are a bit higher and could be transitioned to more smoothly, but futons are a bit too low to move to without either getting out of the embrace or tripping over the edge in an ungainly fall. She's not thinking farther than that they were talking about bed before. There's plenty she can think of that she'd like to do that can happen standing up.]

[As they kiss, Rei takes steady steps backwards, her arms tight around Fenimore. Once they finally do reach the bedding, she does know what to do here, at least. She gradually, slowly begins to lower herself and Fenimore into a crouch, and then rolls back onto her bottom. She doesn't let go, or let up from the kiss in the slightest, and it's really only through years of aikido that she manages not to fall on her butt.

Because that would be embarrassing, and not at all the elegant move she might have been trying for. Not that it would bother her right now, in the heat of the moment. Once she's down, and Fenimore is resting more or less on top, she rolls a bit too, so they're side by side on the futons.

All nice and neat. Mostly.]

[Fenimore follows Rei's lead down. There's a moment or two where she's worried that she's going to be the one to unbalance them into inelegance, but she had her own training in martial arts for a couple of years and she's kept practicing well enough after her instructor left to keep fairly good balance of her own.

She laughs a little when they make it down to the futon -- less that she finds it funny and more that the relative ease was unexpected -- but the sound is contained to the back of her throat, as she's no more willing to break the kiss than Rei. But, eventually, she does need air, so she eventually pulls back -- not very far, and probably not for very long. But as she breathes in, she grins.]

I didn't know you had such good balance.

Aikido, dear.

[It's a simple explanation she knows Fenimore probably won't understand...but that's not really the point. She just wants to kiss more. So that's exactly what she does, to cut off the possibility of a question.

And by the way, her hands? Are starting to unfasten that obi subconsciously.]

[Fenimore doesn't understand and she might normally be curious, but she doesn't care at the moment. She's much more interested in returning to the kiss.

Her own hands start slowly trailing southward down Rei's back before it really registers what Rei is doing with her hands. They are beginning to tentatively venture into below the belt (below the obi?) territory when she realizes what Rei is doing. She breathes in sharply through her nose -- as close to a surprised gasp, albeit a small one, as she can get while still kissing Rei -- but she isn't unhappy with this discovery. Her mind is too muddled to really process exactly where such a thing would lead; all she knows is that she likes where it is going and her heartbeat is managing to beat even faster in excitement. Moving more on instinct than thought, her hands reach up to do the same.

She's...not entirely sure how they're tied, though. Her first attempts to try to unfasten Rei's obi are smooth and gentle, but she's pulling on the completely wrong part of the bow. It's going to take her three or four attempts to find it, each try becoming a bit more fumbling and desperate, but left to her own devices she'll still eventually figure it out.]

[Well once Rei smoothly and deftly removes Fenimore's, using a gentle, practiced tug in just the right place, she slides her hands down her arm to wrap fingers around her hands. Leaning in for a little peck on the cheek, she guides those hands to the proper place, and letting her pull it free.]

See, there's the trick. No need to be so hasty, hmm?

[Alright, it's fair to say now that she's abandoned any attempt at restraint. She's far, far more interested in feeling Fenimore's hands on her and on touching her girlfriend than she is on...well...anything else. Her lips move down from Fenimore's cheek to her neck, heated kisses peppering a line all the way down.]

[She blushes, embarrassed to be caught fumbling where Rei is being so smooth about it. But she's grateful to being guided and the way that it so clearly is giving her permission to undress her has its own thrill, as does when it is pulled free.

Fenimore's own restraint is long gone by this point, but her plans for where her hands will go next are derailed along with the rest of her thoughts as Rei kisses her neck. Her neck is quite sensitive, as she's noticed when Rei's previously stroked it while they were kissing, but having it kissed is something else entirely. Her breath catches in her throat and she groans as she leans her head back to better bare her neck.]

Rei....

Fenimore...

[What else could she say? And even that was somewhat muffled by Fenimore's neck, because sensing that her girlfriend is really enjoying this...she's not letting up on the kissing. While her mouth works, though, her hands are not idle. They slide back up towards the yukata, beginning to slowly unhook some of the clasps, the soft rustle of fabric accompanying the motion.]

[Fenimore makes no secret that she is enjoying this, making quiet pleased sounds every time that Rei does something she particularly likes. There may be another good reason to do this in a place as isolated as the shrine rather than an empty apartment if Fenimore turns out to be so vocal about the entire thing, even if she has yet to be loud.

She wants to be able to do to her girlfriend what her girlfriend is doing for her, to make her feel as good of things as she is feeling, but her options are limited in this position and she has no desire to stop Rei doing what she's doing early. She does remember her hands again, returning them to motion as she works to remove what barriers remain between her and being able to remove Rei's yukata. Her fingers are a little clumsy, as distracted as she is, but the motions are sure. She may have not understood the obi when she'd first tried on her own yukata, but she'd figured out how to put on the rest of it well enough to know how to undo the procedure. When she reaches the collar, she slips her fingers underneath, stroking gently across the nape of Rei's neck before ghosting around her shoulders towards her collarbone. The motion begins to open up the top of the yukata just a little, and Fenimore hesitates in indecision for the moment between trying to open it more or merely exploring beneath with her hands. As she considers her choices, she continues to stroke from Rei's neck to a little below the collarbone.]

Edited 2014-06-27 07:49 (UTC)

[Feeling those hands against her neck is nothing short of a shock. The intimate touch, for the first time really...ever...draws out a gasp from Rei and her whole body rings with enjoyment. It, of course, only urges her onward. Her fingers continue to unhook things, and with a little brush of her hand, Fenimore's yukata starts to slide down a bit to bare her shoulders.]

Fenimore...

[Another breathy recitation of the name is followed by a passionate kiss, her lips pressing hard against her girlfriend's. If there was ever any doubt about wanting to go further tonight, it's gone now. She's not sure she can restrain her inner passion any more.]

[As the yukata slides down her shoulders, it will eventually reveal the mottled blotch of an old burn on Fenimore's right shoulder. There's a few spots between her collarbone and the beginning of the curve of her breast and one spot at the top of her arm that suggests that the burn used to cover a larger area, but the skin in between these spots and the main blotch has since healed.

Fenimore hasn't noticed this, no matter how much she had previously been worried about her scars since they'd talked about this being a possibility. She is far too distracted to think of that now, her mind clouded by the desire to feel as much of Rei as she can and the desire to have Rei do the same in return. She returns the kiss every ounce as passionately as she slowly moves her hands over Rei's shoulders to push aside the material.

She breaks the kiss only long enough to breathe:] I love you. [And then she is eagerly kissing down Rei's jawline and then down her neck. Partway, she stops just long enough to whisper Rei's name so close that her breath can be felt against Rei's neck before continuing towards where her neck meets her shoulder.]

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wow my iconset is so inadequate for this haha

Same for mine! Gosh, why so angry!

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