10th Prayer: An Untimely Passage [Video / Action]

[faithfulflame]

Video

[The Rei that comes on the video feed today is not her usual self.  She looks drained, tired, older somehow, and every bit as somber as always.  There’s a pinched quality to her eyes, a faint hint of makeup used, and her outfit is the most formal kimono she owns.  Black, decorated in with scarlet and gold, a ceremonial Hino family head’s attire.  To those that are familiar with her family customs, or with Rei herself, there’s only one reason she’d bother to put on this outfit. Her voice is firm, steady, and obviously practiced, a Gardevoir at her side bowing to the camera.  But there are still cracks in her mask, little bits of her composure falling away.]

People of Union, I come before you today with more ill tidings.  As many of you know, my father, Councilman Takashi Hino, has been missing since the attacks upon our city.  I regretfully need to announce that late last night, his body was found in the ruins of a collapsed tower.   He has passed on from this world and into the next.

[Rei breathes in, breathes out, clearly trying to steady herself.]

His aide, Kaido Furukawa will temporarily assume Councilman Hino’s duties to the Council until arrangements for a replacement can be made.  However, despite his illustrious political career, he is not a Hino.  Therefore it falls to me to take his place as the head of the Hino Family, and as of now I will assume those responsibilities.  My residence will remain Hikawa Shrine in the Ninetales Vale, but all Hino family business will be carried out at the Hino estate.

[The Gardevoir bows again, passing Rei a notepad.  She taps it, and for the first time a smile graces her lips.]

However, I will also be organizing and funding a new charity organization and diverting some of the family capital towards funding it and rebuilding the city of Union.  Details on that will come later, but do be advised that I will not be entertaining offers of new business ventures at this time.  If you have preexisting business agreements with us, I will continue to honor them, as that would be my Father’s wishes.

Moreover, and on a more personal note, I will welcome visitors at the shrine, both human and Pokemon alike.  An open ceremony will be held in the Noble Quarter for my Father’s burial this evening.  All who wish to attend are welcome to do so.

[What she does not say is that she’s not attending, though she assumes anyone that knows her will already understand that.]

Thank you for your time.

[She closes out the feed and will not be taking calls for the remainder of the day.  Anyone wishing to talk should simply visit her via action threads.]

Comments

[action...ish]

[warriormouse]

[Martin isn't a friendly with Rei as he was with Eiji, but he does visit the Hikawa Shrine and he does know her well enough to want to send condolences.

So he does, via his Umbreon and Growlithe. A note explaining he was unfortunately too busy with some new arrivals to come himself and a huge pot of a thick, meaty soup with reheating instructions.]

[faithfulflame]

[This is a little bit of a surprise, but thankfully Rei can speak to them. She, alongside her Pyroar and Arcanine, step out to meet the smaller creatures with a strained smile and a deeply formal bow.]

Hello there. Thank you for coming.

[warriormouse]

[It's Tammo, the Umbreon, who speaks since Sunflash is...very hyper and probably a little insensitive]

Martin sends this. He couldn't get away, but he said his grandmother always sent food to wakes and funerals, so he would too.

[faithfulflame]

[Rei stoops to pick up the basket, inclining her head to the pair in the process.]

I appreciate it. I'm definitely going to need things like this for a bit. I doubt I'll feel up to cooking for a time.

video

[ruleoftwo]

Ah, Rei...

[Palpatine's voice is, as always, just the right amount of sad without sounding crushed. He is practiced at sounding consoling.]

I am truly sorry for your loss. I will attend, of course.

The next day

[faithfulflame]

[Rei had not checked her warp band, she'd had too much on her mind, and lots of visitations so it was just not feasible. But the next day, she responds.]

Thank you, Councilman. I apologize for not being prompt with a reply.

[ruleoftwo]

[Palpatine wasn't surprised when no reply was immediate. When he gets one, though, he is reasonably quick in answering:]

It's quite all right. Given your circumstances... I think it understandable. I remember when I lost my father.

It isn't easy.

[faithfulflame]

[Rei smiles sadly, nodding her head. With Palpatine, she can't be honest about her feelings. He'd worked alongside her father, and he probably knew they were estranged but likely had no idea of the extent.]

No, I can't imagine it was. Even if Father and I weren't terribly close, and he was rather aged it's still a surprise. He shouldn't have died like that.

[Action]

[allergictoloveletters]

[She's standing in the doorway as she watches her love. She had to make the announcement alone, but once it's over, and dressed in a black dress of her own, she came over to Rei and wrapped her arms around her, hugging her close but still careful of the kimono. She linked their fingers together and gave them a gentle squeeze.

She did not offer an "I'm sorry," though she wished she had been able to do more, no matter the relationship Rei had with her father. She would offer her support as best she could as much as she could. She would take care of all the preperations for the ceremony if Rei needed her too. She'd do everything she could for Rei, even if Rei did not ask. She had already taken off a few days from the clinic and they were aware she might need to take more depending on how things went.]

[faithfulflame]

[Rei, upon feeling Ami enter and reach out to her, just leans back and into her love. She knows that her beloved understands the whirl of emotions going on inside her right now, with her mixed and extremely negative feelings about her father warring with her sense of common decency. She wants to forget, to just...make it go away, but it's not going to change. Those bastards had taken something from her, in more ways than one, but that didn't make years of hatred easy to let go of.

She knots her fingers around Ami's, just letting her head rest against her cool clothing, slowly breathing in and out for several moments.]

I'm not going to the funeral.

[A statement, though one that should be obvious.]

[allergictoloveletters]

[She just held Rei while her free hand ran the lightest touch of her fingers along Rei's ear. She would let Rei move at whatever pace she needed, everything always went so fast that things got out of their control, but she would help Rei and dig in her heels to go slower if that was what Rei wanted and needed.

Her breathing is even, her heart beat is steady, slow as she lightly plays with a strand of hair.]

I'm not going to make you go. I can take care of everything if you need, Rei. The ceremony, the coffin, the plot and memorial service afterwards. I will take care of all of it.

[faithfulflame]

Ami...

[Rei leaned in closer, head lolling just a bit, thoroughly accepting the comfort and affection being offered. Fingers in her hair, touching her ears, those were welcome little intimacies that she enjoyed. It helped, truly.]

Kaido agreed to handle the ceremony, but...the rest fell to me. I'd appreciate that. [She sighs tiredly, a little irritated, whispering.] I really don't want to deal with his affairs.

[commissionergrump]

[Gordon hasn't exactly been an uncommon sight at funerals. He's tried to attend the funeral of everyone who passed during the attack on Union, though, logistically, that's simply been impossible. This one, though, he makes a special point of attending. He approaches Rei, a somber expression on his face.]

How you holding up?

[faithfulflame]

[Gordon eventually ends up at the shrine, if he's seeking her out. She wasn't attending, she couldn't, for the memory of her mother.

His approach is greeted by a Pyroar and an Arcanine, the two big Pokemon snuffling and turning away to lead him towards her sitting room. It's there that she'll be found, seated on a cushion in her ceremonial clothes still. His question draws a wan smile, eyes tired and pinched. There's a lot going on in her head at the moment, but stress is the obvious thing.]

I've been expecting this moment for a month now. I'm keeping it together, and that helps.

[commissionergrump]

[Gordon nods.]

You seemed very together during the announcement. A young lady any father wou--should be proud of.

[He carefully lowers himself into a seated position, legged crossed.]

Makes me a bit more confident about the upcoming generation.

[faithfulflame]

[She's grateful he caught his slip. She doesn't really think her father would be proud of anything she's done, to be honest.]

I tried. It wasn't perfect, but there's only so much control I have.

[What with the evolutions and all that.]

[Video]

[windyflower]

[Fuuka couldn't deny there was a pang of guilt when she saw this. As of late, with so many recent deaths from the Elite Four, she and Yukiko were lucky. They managed to fight off the dragon mostly unharmed along with their family members safe.

They were so happy with the start of a new business and everything was going to turn out great. And yet, to see so many others who weren't...]

I'm sorry for your loss, Miss Hino. If there is anything I do, please do let me know.

[Video] The Next Day

[faithfulflame]

[Rei does not initially respond. She can't, and won't subject anyone she doesn't know to her voice cracking. The response comes the next morning, and Rei seems a little bit more focused.]

Yamagishi-san, yes? [She'd seen your announcement.] Thank you, for your kind wishes. I truly appreciate it. Now, especially.

[video]

[windyflower]

[She expected as much. No one would be in the mood to talk after a family me member died]

Oh yes but how did...? [Oh right, that announcement]

It's not a problem! Mind if I ask how you are feeling?

[heartandsoul]

[Maka's father will attend the funeral. Maka will not. Maka will not present herself at the ceremony of a man that she didn't know and, frankly, didn't care for too much by virtue of how her found family felt towards him. Instead she will come to Rei directly, of course, at the shrine where the psychics can sense one another's presence without the confusion of a crowd. On her own, even without the company of Stella...she doesn't need the Meowstic to maintain her empathy and power anymore. She's fine.

Though Maka delays for a moment in order to sort out the ugliness clouding around her presence.

Anger. Anger is a strong emotion and it seems to have been present inside of Maka for weeks now--a great and terrible monster, curled up around her heart and squeezing tighter day by day. The girl takes this creature and pushes it out with breaths. Go away, you're not welcome here now is her message to the ugliness.

It's not a permanent fix, of course, it will come back. But for now Maka quiets her restless heart and soul as she makes her way across the courtyard to where she senses the older girl.]

[Yes, there she is.]

Rei.

[Maka actually brought a present, too. A small bouquet of familiar white lilies.]

It's not much but, um...I didn't want to come empty-handed.

[faithfulflame]

[Maka will find Rei sitting on the walkway surrounding her living space, feet dangling somewhat dejectedly near the ground.  It’s not her usual elegant self, her sense clouded almost completely by a sense of sadness and an ugly sense of boiling anger.  And perhaps more pressingly, self-loathing.  When she feels Maka approach, she looks up, reaching out to take the flowers.]

Thank you.  [Her voice is dull, flat.]  I appreciate them, Maka.

[heartandsoul]

...

[You have to be strong for her, Albarn, that's all there is to it.]

[Once the flowers are taken from her, Maka settles into a spot next to Rei, staring at her hands in her lap for a time--mentally tracing the lines and little abrasions from recent work. Huh. How long have those been there...?]

Oneesan.

[It's all she says at first until she gathers her thoughts together and finds her voice again.]

I'm not a Hino, either. So I can't take on all of your duties--as much as I'd like to--still...still, I'll do whatever you want. I'm here for you.

Action. Going with what we discussed on Plurk

[no_love_potions]

[It had been a day since Harry's last bit of employment had led to a rather awful discovery. It hadn't been his first experience with death by a long shot but there was still something unpleasant about following the trail of a spell to its destination and realizing he'd been tracing down a corpse.

Nearly as distasteful was the idea of having to go and get paid for finding that corpse the very day after the memorial service, before the earth had even settled on the coffin. It felt... wrong somehow, like he could at least give it a little more time but from what little conversation he'd had with the young lady who hired him he was pretty certain that when she'd said he could come collect his pay "tomorrow" she had meant tomorrow.

Plus that big fat zero beside his current funds left him with out much of an alternative.

So, early in the day he makes his way up toward the shrine, looking more than a little out of place among the quiet scenery with his long black coat and general unkemptness. Kind of makes him feel like he could have at least worn some nicer shoes. Making his way up to the temple proper he peered inside for anybody who might be home, Mouse following quietly at his side.]

Hello? Anybody home?

*nod*

[faithfulflame]

[Rei had indeed hired the newcomer to do the searching. She wasn't all that good with tracing psychic energy, and she'd have had trouble given that the man was dead. But that wasn't important now. He was gone, and she'd needed a little time to collect her thoughts before speaking with the detective again. Not long, just a day, but it helped.

So, when she feels his presence cross the barriers of her home, she's already mentally getting things together.

Now, Harry himself is met not by Rei, but by a Gardevoir. Deimos, her oldest companion, glides up and bows politely before making a gesture for him to follow, leading him towards the central shrine building where she's waiting. Dressed formally, Rei bows her head.]

Hello, Mister Dresden. I apologize for making you wait.

[Her face is a mask, perfectly neutral, not cold and not hot, no emotion at all. She just...can't...let a stranger see her break right now.]

[no_love_potions]

[It's a knack he'd picked up over the years, partially due to his line of work. It's also the only real piece of finesse he'd really developed, when all is said and done he's not nearly as attuned to the world as others of his Type. Not that he needs to be to feel the charge in this place as soon as he sets foot inside. It's only fitting, all things considered, but it's still something worth noticing. A much different feeling than the cold, detached energy flowing through Sanctuary.

He returns Deimos' bow with a small incline of his head and follows the Gardevoir through the temple. When he sees Rei, she's... off. Her expression is still, too still, a clearly and carefully crafted mask that ultimately gives away more about her mental state to the detective than she hopes. Not that he can blame her, considering what she's been dealing with. He's been there himself and at a much younger age.

But it's also not any of his business how she handles grief, so he does her the courtesy of keeping his own expression and voice professional.]

Miss Hino. [He returns her nod.] It's not a problem. I just wish I could've come to you with better news.