estoria | (Open) Come on, choose one. You mustn't be afraid.

Who: Rei Hino

faithfulflame & You! This is open!
When: 2/1-2/6 (7/10-7/18)
Where: All over Cerealia. Entertainment District, Shopping District, Residential District, Research District
What: Rei goes out to check on some people, take care of some business/be social, and spend time with various people.
Rating/Warning: None save maybe language? Will update as needed.

I. Residential District:

[Today there's a young woman walking rather briskly through the winding streets of the residential areas. She's got something on her mind, a focus and more than a few worries weighing on her of late. There are questions she has, and people she needs to talk to. If it happens that she brushes past you on the street, there may even be a palpable sense of heat following her despite the chill. Her control is slipping, and she needs to get answers and information.

She's heading for specific apartments, preceded by a simple text message request to speak. Athena Cykes, Nonon Jakuzure, Simon Blackquill and England can all expect to hear from Rei at some point, but there are other people she's checking up on. CR can assume they're on this list, I cannot list all of you!

II. CERES Gym:

[Rei's kendo training is coming along well, and she's showing up at the gym even when she doesn't have classes with Sousei to practice both that and her archery, sometimes late into the evening. Her hands are steady as she holds the shinai, and her eyes are focused on each target she looses an arrow at. To an experienced observer she's much more comfortable with the bow, but she's seemingly taking to the bamboo sword rather quickly. Sweat and hard work may not be particularly dignified, but given how insane everything's been lately? She's willing to just give up on that for now.

Hard at work, she may not notice observers until she pauses, or practically sinks down next to a water cooler. Grab her however!]

III. Research District:

[Realizing that her control is in fact slipping and has for a day or so, Rei makes her way to the hospital to get a quick checkup. It's not that she's worried she's overdoing it...but she is, and she's hardly foolish enough to let the signs of stress go unanswered.

After her checkup, she heads out of the medical facility wearing a very severe frown, looking around and hoping she's not going to run into anyone she knows. That's probably not the case, knowing her luck, but she can hope, right?]

IV. Shopping District/Auto Shop:

[This is a bit of a whim of hers, but one she's decided to indulge. It's not like she can't afford something nice, and after the scare with the buses and trains recently it has a bit more practical application. So, here she is, browsing the selection of motor-bikes available. She's actually considering it seriously, simply to have an alternate way to work.

Look out roads...]

V. Closed to Minako Aino:

[The Shopping District was something alright. The selection of things to eye-shop and possibly by rivaled and probably exceeded downtown Tokyo, but Rei'd never quite admit it. She'd also never admit to Minako that she was letting all this stress and worry get to her, but it seemed the blonde had picked up on that without prompting. At least, that was what the raven-haired priestess had assumed when she'd been told that they were going out that evening for shopping and dinner, so that Rei could 'Loosen up a bit!'

And with no choice in it and the matter settled, here they were, outside a large department store. Just before Valentine's Day...]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[The text message is unexpected, but not unwelcome. So Blackquill is already waiting for her as she arrives, answering the door with his usual grim demeanour. Apparently he makes no effort to tone it down, even when receiving guests.]

To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit, shrine maiden? If you've come to drive out evil spirits, you'll find they're rather scarce here.

[Rei simply smiles, shaking her head and drumming lightly on the cover of a notebook she'd been carrying with her.]

I had wanted to ask you a few questions, Simon-san. About a few topics not related to dark spirits. I've had quite enough of those for one month, as it is. And to thank you for telling me about Archer's little trick, with the swords.

Hmph, come in, then. It would be a discourtesy to refuse you, after you've come all this way.

[He shows her inside. Unsurprisingly for someone who passed the last seven years in prison, the apartment is sparse and plain in its furnishing.

There are, however, a few things that make the owner of the apartment obvious: an array of katanas and knives displayed along one wall, the occasional Japanese-style painting or wall scroll, and Taka's perch by the window. The perch is vacant at the moment, its occupier long gone, as the hawk seems to have been let out for some exercise for the day.

Blackquill turns to Rei.]

If you've a few questions to ask, feel free to take a seat.

Thank you.

[Rei enters and gives the place a cursory glance around. It is truly the home of a weeaboo, but she appreciates it all the same. An affectation for her home is never something that she'd say was a bad thing. He's respectful, and nice. That goes a long way towards earning her good graces.

Sitting, she smooths her miko's hakama out and nods.]

Right, questions. I was actually interested in a few different topics, so I guess I'll start with the heaviest one. Do you know anything about Ryuko Matoi-san's arrest?

[He sits across from her, arms draped lazily across the back of the couch. To her question, his expression darkens, and he gives an offhand shrug.]

She committed murder, and is now rightfully incarcerated for her crimes. What more is there to add?

[It's obvious he's being deliberately vague, given Ryuko was his neighbour and someone he saw frequently through Athena. It's just not something he really wants to talk about.]

[And Rei's eyes focus more intently on Simon. She doesn't want to press, but...]

And you honestly believe she would murder someone in cold blood?

[This is sort of a big deal.]

Edited 2015-07-12 05:59 (UTC)

As a prosecutor, I cannot offer you my professional opinion without having seen the evidence.

[Which of course will never happen, given CERES' inclination to bar outsiders from their criminal justice system. Even when an outsider is being punished by that same system.]

But if you would like my personal opinion? Yes, she is capable of murder. She has confessed to committing a rather gruesome act of mutilation before... Anyone with that capacity for violence could easily kill.

I was more interested in your personal one.

[And with that received, she nods. She partially accepts that answer, because while she could believe that Ryuko could kill someone, she can't believe it would be in cold blood. Much like herself. Rei was not entirely innocent, after all. She'd killed at least one person, possibly more, and that was before monsters came into the picture.]

My next question, somewhat related, were you aware she has an enemy from home here?

[This is more to settle her curiosity than anything.]

Yes. [That's a more straightforward and direct answer.]

As you're probably aware, Ryuko and Athena live together. Knowing that Ryuko is a dangerous girl, but that she cares deeply for Athena, she and I came to the agreement that they could remain together so long as she did nothing to put Athena in harm's way.

Therefore, Ryuko informed me once this enemy from home arrived, and entrusted Athena to my care for a time.

More than aware, that's how I met Athena-chan, through Ryuko-chan.

[All of that Rei takes in, nodding. And it's evident that he's not interested in discussing things. It makes sense, he's a prosecutor, but she has more on her mind.]

And I understand she's living with you now. How is Athena-chan holding up? I've talked to her a bit, but I've been worried that she's been avoiding work and going out.

She's a resilient one, and skilled in putting on a brave face to things, but she'll be unhappy so long as Ryuko is imprisoned. This time I suspect is doubly hard for her, because there is little she can do to save her friend.

[He's being vague and cryptic, if only because there's a lot Athena hides from others. He's not sure how much Rei might know already, from her conversations with Athena.]

As do I.

[Because she knows about how she helped you.]

I'd like to do something to at least cheer her up a bit, which is part of why I'm coming to you. Are there any particular things that she likes eating, or places she liked visiting?

Sweet foods tend to be her favourite, and she enjoys going for jogs with her friends and playing games -- ViViD, or even board games and the like. She also appreciates gifts of any kind.

I doubt it matters how you choose to spend time with her, so long as you're there for her. Any gesture of friendship and support should serve as a welcome reminder she has friends here, and she does not have to endure everything alone...

[Simon feels like he can only do so much. He's only one person, and his presence is entirely a reminder of the past seven years that she'd already endured. What she needs are distractions, not things from the past.]

Then I'll definitely make certain to check in on her regularly. Thank you for the advice. I've been worried, and I just...I guess I'd like to find ideal ways to keep her distracted and on her toes. So those sorts of suggestions help a lot.

[Simon, you really are incredibly helpful and she just wants you to know that.]

Are there any games you know of specifically that are her favorites? Something from home, maybe? I know I'm asking a lot, but I just want to help.

(Open) Come on, choose one. You mustn't be afraid.

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