faithfulflame: <user name=cupcake-graphics> (Priestess Terrible Visions)
火野レイ (Rei Hino) ([personal profile] faithfulflame) wrote in [community profile] estoria2016-04-10 09:44 pm

[Open] I find myself tryna stay by the phone...

Who: [personal profile] faithfulflame & You
When: 6/19-6/23 (Including Robot Event)
Where: Rei's Apartment, TEXT, and various places around Cerealia
What: Minako Aino vanishes and Rei Hino copes.
Rating/Warning: PG 13, for language/mentions of violence and blood




6/19: Introspection/Action Closed to Usagi Tsukino

[It'd been some time since Rei had woken up alone, not since before her birthday. Minako had been a steady, warm presence by her side as they'd slept these past months, right up until the previous night. Opening up had come more naturally, as she'd expected it might, with as comfortable as she'd become with the affairs of the heart. It still confused her a tad, but that seemed the sort of thing that was also natural. She loved her partner, loved everything about her, despite how the blonde vexed her so at times. That was just them, and she was so, so grateful for that soft, radiant presence beside her.

A presence that was, as of this morning, gone. At first when Rei woke up, untangling herself from the sheets she figured Minako had just gotten up early but that didn't track. Today was her day off, she'd said she was going to sleep in and if there was one thing Rei could be assured of it was that when it came to sleep Minako was not going to miss a wink. Rising quickly, she cast out her senses, feeling for the bond they shared.

And came up empty.

With a choked cry, she hopped up and looked around desperately for her CEREVice, or any sign that Minako Aino was still there. And again, she came up with nothing. Grabbing her own device, she ripped it open and searched contacts and a certain app, the bottom dropping out of her stomach. She had departed. The CEREVice tumbled to the floor with a clatter as Rei dropped to her knees, heart hammering in her chest as she clutched the fabric of her clothing.

She was gone. Just...just like that, the person she'd finally begun to really and truly let herself be totally open with was gone. Thoughts grew in her head like a wildfire, her entire body shaking as emotions welled up. She closed her eyes, slamming a fist down onto the carpet, a white-hot flash of anger shredding every single ounce of calm she had. Tears fell as she staggered to her feet, shambling over towards a nightstand and coming perilously close to pitching forward into the mirror in her distress. Her whole body creaked and wobbled while she mopped at her face with a handkerchief, the shock of seeing her face enough to trigger a reflexive attempt at maintaining her appearance.

Trembling, unsure of how to even process anything else, she heads out of the room and into the living area. Moments later, unsure of how she even got there, she wilted onto the couch with a mug of tea and sat there, quietly waiting for whoever might wander in. She had to break the news, she absolutely had to, but how to even begin. First Ami...and now...now Minako. Gone, when it'd been just hours before that she'd just fallen asleep next to Rei. Not even a full day ago they were planning to go out, Rei relenting and agreeing to go to a karaoke bar. And now?

Now, she was sitting on the couch in stunned silence. Completely and utterly unable to even sip at her tea.]


6/19: Text Network Post/Open Action

[The CEREVice broadcast is brief, and anyone who knows her will forgive that, she hopes.]

Minako Aino has returned to the Nexus Code. I will be unavailable to meet my social obligations for the next twenty four hours. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. If you need me for something desperately, I will be at home.

[After that, the message ends. Rei will NOT be answering her CEREVice at all, but visitors are welcome.]

6/21-6/23, Action around Cerealia

[After that 24 hours was over, Rei was again visible within the colony. She avoided any of Minako's haunts, places that might remind her of her partner, and instead stuck to places that were more her space. The trouble was that she had an abomination of a robot following her around, and while Rei bore this indignantly silently, she was clearly put out by the machine. A frown, an uncomfortably straight back, and occasional furious glances at the CERES Headquarters were telling pointers to her discomfort.

Each and every day Rei began with a trip to the gym for a strenuous workout, specifically the sections dedicated to kendo and martial arts. Her wooden shinai slapped against a practice dummy, or her robot's clumsily attempted blocks as she forced a spar. There was little pity in her voice the machine, devoid of a soul as it was, and if it was going to be “familiarizing” itself with her then it should get used to this side of her. The martial arts section of the gym would similarly be filled by the sounds of fists slapping against a punching bag, or the indignant squawks of a robotic Rei hitting the mat hard.

Once noon arrived, and Rei'd worn her knuckles almost to the point of bloodying them, she departed and made straight for the park to meditate. Disturb her at your own risk as she sits out beneath one of the safer trees under Phobos and Deimos's watchful gaze.

And after somewhere between three and six hours of meditation, Rei simply disappeared from the city. But friends that know where to look...or just people who frequently look up or hang out on rooftops. She and her servantbot both are darting from rooftop to rooftop in a head to head parkour style race. Long legs carry her easily, a path she'd run a thousand times. Calling out to her is the best bet, though stepping in her way will get her to stop as well and earn an annoyed glare. Yes, she's pushing herself, and yes she's doing something dangerous, but focus. Getting her mind off of it. That's what's got to happen, and she knows it.]


Wildcard

[As always, wildcard me bro!]
fingerbanged: (you should see my sweet ride!)

[personal profile] fingerbanged 2016-04-12 08:09 pm (UTC)(link)
[Part of him had actually expected her to get mad or just brush him off, so the fact that she had even stopped to talk was a surprise. They didn't get off on the best foot, sure (which was entirely Yusuke's fault, given the high emotions of the situation), but maybe there was some respect forged after that team-up they had? But maybe it was good she was in a mood to talk-- recent developments had him curious about how this place was run, and, from their last encounter, he could tell she was pretty spiritually keen.

His feet landed lightly on the rooftop nearby, a teasing grin starting on his face, but it quickly dropped once he got a better look at her. Oh. This... certainly seemed familiar. Something had happened, something bad, and while he was fairly sure it didn't involve eating people, it was obvious it hurt her somehow. Did he intrude on something private, then?

He rolls back on one of his feet, stuffing his hands inside of his pockets, noting that shift into her cooler persona.]


Well, considering there's a high chance you can fall off a building, I can see why most people don't like to have foot races up here.

You just didn't strike me as the adrenaline junkie type, that's all. [There's a small snicker, at an attempt to lighten up the mood.] But hey, if you are, care to give me some good pointers on crazy stuff to do around here? Considering I'm now a professional at this sort of thing, it'll be good to know for when I'm strapped on cash.
fingerbanged: <lj site="livejournal.com" user="redraven-icons"> (you know who I am)

[personal profile] fingerbanged 2016-04-15 04:31 pm (UTC)(link)
[Hmm... yeah, something definitely seemed off. He wasn't about to pry into her personal business if he could help it-- it'd piss him off if someone tried to do the same to him-- but it was a little concerning. It was up to her if she wanted to share whatever was bothering her, though it was going to gnaw at the back of his mind for the time being. He opts to squat on the ground, which probably wasn't the most polite way to sit (in fact, it really just drove the delinquent image home), but if they were going to stick around up here to chat...]

You already said it. [And there's a hammy grin.] Well... more like 'professional adrenaline junkie', if we're gonna go by the official name, but it boils down to about the same thing. I mean, hey, may as well make money doing something I like, right? Just wish it wasn't so vague...

Anyway, I think I might... pass on the ViViD roulette. [He makes a face, but doesn't really get into it further. If she has things she's keeping under wraps, so is he.] But I was kinda considering checking out the jungle, or at least... somewhere near it anyway.

[There's a pause, as he debates on the best way to phrase it.]

I sorta want to find those ghosts and see what their deal was here. You know about them, don't you? You said you've been here for a while, and... well, you don't exactly feel like a spiritual lightweight to me. Especially not with that fire show you did back in the game.

fingerbanged: <lj site="livejournal.com" user="tothe_slaughter"> (Girls hit your hallelujah)

[personal profile] fingerbanged 2016-04-20 04:00 am (UTC)(link)
[His eyes widen for a moment or so, momentarily thrown off his guard.]

'Girlfriend'? Huh.

[Well... that was unexpected, but probably not too far of a stretch. Girls probably flocked to the cool, elegant types like her, anyway. He just hadn't pegged her for the type to have a squeeze, but then, there were lots of things about her he probably didn't know. He does begin to crack up at the description of Minako's old job, however.]

Man, what sort of gig IS that, anyway? Was she all over cups or something? Please tell me you at least kept some of those that have her face on it for kicks. [His laughter dies down a bit, though a few chuckles still hiccup up.] Man, I thought the other two options of mine were bad, but 50's boyband frontsman and zoo animal tamer sound tame next to that.

[He makes a face at her warning and the honorific-- polite language never felt right applied to him-- but he sobers up, shifting himself more comfortably where he was squatting.]

Guess I lucked out catching you when I did, then. Anyway, yeah, I got time-- loads of it, actually. The longer I can keep away from my freaky robot twin, the better. [And now there's a smirk blooming.]

After all, summer nights are the best time for ghost stories, right?
fingerbanged: (n-not sad shut up)

[personal profile] fingerbanged 2016-04-21 02:39 am (UTC)(link)
[Oh.

... oh.

He wasn't all that good with reading the information Athena had sent him and the others (lack of patience and a general distaste for reading being some factors), but he did get to the stuff about the Nexus Code. More specifically... what it meant for someone to return to it. He's quiet for a long moment as he stares ahead, letting it all click into place, before he finally turns back to Rei.]


... that sucks. I'm sorry.

[And he honestly, genuinely means it, too. If he was stuck with Keiko here, only for her to be ripped back to... home or the Nexus Code or wherever, he'd be a mess too. But he also knew that poking at those wounds when you wanted to get over them never did any good, so he leaves it at that for now, putting his entire focus on the subject of ghosts and not missing pieces of one's heart.

... though it is a lot to take in, and, while he wasn't one to take notes, he really wished he had something to record this with. There was no way he was going to remember this all.]


Uh... actually, I don't think I heard anything about these elemental things either? I... sort of remember something about it in that stuff Athena sent to people, but I also skimmed a lot of it, so nothing stuck. Nice to know this place got at least some form of supernatural order, though.

[His nose crinkles a bit as he drums his fingers on his knees, sorting through the info.]

Weird that they'd be able to screw with people's senses, though. I can get strong emotions rubbing off, or possessing someone, but... they must be stronger than normal ghosts if they can pull that stuff off. [And there's a bitter snort.] Though given what they've supposedly called CERES, no wonder they're so powerful. They must have one helluva grudge.

[He looks at Rei again, eyebrow raised.]

Any reason why you decided to let the dead suddenly roam around, though?
fingerbanged: <lj site="livejournal.com" user="thismishap"> (girl of my fantasies)

[personal profile] fingerbanged 2016-04-21 05:26 pm (UTC)(link)
[He was familiar enough with Shinto and it's terms, although he was more Buddhist than anything else (how could he NOT be, after seeing the Sanzu river with his own two eyes and being employed by Enma's son himself). However, the information about the spirits don't stick with him as much as the stories about the ghosts do, and by the time Rei had finished her tale, he had fell out of his squatting position and onto his rear, much to his surprise. The mark on her skin was as clear as day to him without using any specific senses, and a shiver rolled down his spine. There were times he absolutely hated being right, and this was one of them.]

Holy crap.

I knew it. I knew there was something seriously screwed up about this place! I thought I was being paranoid and junk, but this just seals it! I just thought they were being assholes with the whole 'shoving people into freaky video games' thing, but-- sacrifices? What the HELL? No wonder they have such a ghost problem, they're actually EVIL!

[Take a breather, there, Yusuke, no need to freak out just this much. But man, if Koenma got wind of what he had wound up into, he'd probably praise him for sniffing out cases on his own.]

Jeez. In that case, though, why even bother sealing them up again? It's just going to make their grudge against CERES worse, not to mention those who put them there in the first place. Let these poor people or whatever they are get their revenge on these screwed up assholes! They'll probably rest easier once they do. I know I definitely would want them gone if I had that crap happen to me.

[Of course, he knew about the other residents being affected and harmed during the attacks, and maybe not EVERYONE in CERES was responsible for the murders, but... he was livid. Shaking even. Why would they even DO that?]
fingerbanged: <user name=batonpass> (motherFUCKER!!!)

[personal profile] fingerbanged 2016-04-26 12:15 am (UTC)(link)
[His blood went to ice when she mentioned what the sacrifices were for, his mind jumping to his own conclusions. Those spirits... could they be...?]

You mean... those people were killed for them to feed on? [He swallows thickly, the taste of blood and flesh emerging anew in his memory, much to his disgust.] I'm not against folks having their own diets they gotta stick to, but... couldn't they have stuck to criminals or something instead? Not innocent people? Presuming that whoever got the pointy end of the knife was innocent, anyway.

[Yusuke had to be numb not to feel the blistering energy radiating off of her, and that anger doesn't go unnoticed. For whatever reason, a compulsion he couldn't exactly explain, he reached over and pats her knee. Was a form of comfort? A thanks for the information? He wasn't exactly sure, but it felt like the right thing to do. His face was set in a grim mask, though, an odd juxtaposition to his previous action.]

... but I get it. I hate it, but I get it. Sometimes we gotta do something that's crappy for somebody else in order to make things better for the rest of us in the long run. [Like getting killed in order to drive someone else past their limits, that sort of thing. He lets out a sigh.] I just wish there was some sorta way to... I dunno, isolate the CERES folks in some room and have the ghosts have their way with them, or have the not-awful people here wear some sort of ghost spray that those shady jerks can't get their hands on.

Dammit, why is this stuff so complicated?

fingerbanged: (why are my eyes so fucking big)

[personal profile] fingerbanged 2016-05-05 06:28 pm (UTC)(link)
[Welp. That was probably the last thing he wanted to hear.]

Heh. That's just great. And here I thought the idea of us being kidnapped here for some energy harvesting plant was crappy enough. Good to know this place likes to sink to new lows of expectations!

[But there's a slight tremble in his hand that's placed upon her knee, mind reeling with whatever fucked up possibilities this may entail. Sure, they destroyed the altar, but what if that wasn't the only one? What if there were more means to kill off people like him for their horrible goals?

Rei's pat on his hand grabs his attention, though, and his eyes meet hers. Ah. Yeah, she's probably had to deal with this nonsense for a lot longer, didn't she? She already knew the scope of how twisted this place could be. Yusuke removes his hand, almost sheepishly, still not sure what had come over him.

He listens to her words, silently agreeing, although there's a sharp snort at her last comment.]


Seriously? As long as there's dead people and unfinished business, there's always going to be ghosts around, no matter how advanced or fancy a place could be. I'm surprised there isn't more of them, considering people have told me there's no proper afterlife here. Granted, it sounds like most people don't really stay dead in these parts, so it makes me wonder how exactly these ghosts became ghosts in the first place. Er... aside from CERES being jerks, and all.
fingerbanged: <user name=batonpass> (Lemme tell y'all)

[personal profile] fingerbanged 2016-05-08 04:14 am (UTC)(link)
Ah-- damn, that's true, isn't it? I keep forgetting about that. It's just everything feels so real, it's weird to think we're just... numbers and tech junk. It kinda makes me wonder where our actual bodies are, if our worlds aren't really destroyed like other people say.

[He was about to add in more, maybe some musings about who these spirits may have been, when her question completely blind-sides him. Yusuke turns to her, face in momentary disbelief, before the rest of it falls into place. Well, no duh she'd pick up on that sort of thing-- she was the one who handled the ghost stuff and radiated weird, blazing spirit energy. Of course she'd notice he wasn't completely human.

But did he want to come clean about it? The incident from his arrival was still a sore subject, but he also wound up treading too close to a fresh wound for her, so maybe it was only fair. He lets out a gusty sigh and props his head on his hand, ruffling his hair a little.]


Used to be, up until a couple of years ago. You know about atavism? Going back on the evolution scale to inherit junk from really old ancestors? [Clearly the term was taught to him by someone else, because it's way too sciencey for him to know on his own.]

Well, I had that happen to me, after getting killed by some crazy dude wanting to unleash literal hell on earth. But except for webbed toes and junk, it turns out my great-granddad squared was a super strong demon. Soooo that brought me back as a half-demon. Nuts, right?

I wish I could say that explains why I'm so wrapped up in spirit crap, but that's a story that'll probably keep us up here for a while.