{Animus}

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[ there is a static hum on everyone's PCD, as the screen goes black. it starts to whisper, before ghostly voices seep through the communication lines ]


thicker than water
and harder to _clean

but true ties are on the inside
which makes them messy to ^connect
the spots we tried some didn't fit

do not forget

we tried to believe

Comments

[flameandpassion]

[Her tone is now icy cold, because if there is anything Rei knows, it's how well Usagi can take care of herself. But Adstringendum has not been kind to them, to Usagi, and Rei is sick and tired of people treating her so disrespectfully.

Someone has to stick up for her. Someone has to defend her when she simply won't defend herself. And that's her job.]

Maybe if people stopped treating her like a punching bag, I wouldn't have to put people in their place.

She isn't someone to be yelled at whenever you're feeling stressed off. Gain some respect.

[ahandsomedevil.livejournal.com]

You're one to talk about respect.

[flameandpassion]

I give respect to those that earn it.

[You had respect. And then you stooped to the level of treating Usagi like dirt simply because you could, simply because she, out of all people, will always, always, always forgive.]

[ahandsomedevil.livejournal.com]

[Of course the reality is more complicated than that, and he is even as he yells at Rei in the process of begging Usagi's forgiveness--had been before Rei even stepped in. But he won't admit that now.]

What a convenient answer.

[mirroredecho.livejournal.com]

Horst. Don't.

[He may not remember shit, but you will not talk to his girlfriend like that, dude.]

[ahandsomedevil.livejournal.com]

[He's this close, this close to snapping at Cloud too.

But he doesn't. Some of the anger seems to clear away.]

Cloud.

[mirroredecho.livejournal.com]

Leave her alone.

[His tone isn't as harsh as it usually is, because he knows why you're doing this, Horst. He knows. He also knows that he's on your side, for some unfathomable reason.]

You can find out what you need to know without Usagi.

[ahandsomedevil.livejournal.com]

[He flinches, looks away] No, I can't. There's nothing left to find out.

[mirroredecho.livejournal.com]

Do it anyway.

[Because now he has to go calm Rei down. Do you have any idea how had that shit is to do?]

[ahandsomedevil.livejournal.com]

[Deeeep breaths. Deeeeeeep breaths. Which says something. There aren't many people he would stop this for.]

This is--

Just get her to...stop.

[mirroredecho.livejournal.com]

Just stop provoking her.

[Because he can't do shit if you keeping egging her on, Horst.]

And leave Usagi alone.

[ahandsomedevil.livejournal.com]

Well I'm...meeting Usagi to apologize. But--yes I'll stop talking to Rei if--

[flameandpassion]

Do you really think I should respect people who haven't proved anything to me? I don't ask for respect unless I've earned it, but Usagi has earned every ounce of respect she deserves in Adstringendum. No one gives it to her.

[Except the senshi and the people brought along on the Inner City escapade. Even Hitsugaya, the most reluctant to trust out of any of them, was willing to give Usagi the chance to prove herself. Everyone else just yells at her, tells her what she thinks is impossible, shoves her aside, or manipulates her into whatever information they see fit.

And Hino Rei refuses to stand by and allow that to happen to her princess.]

There's a reason you weren't brought along on the Inner City. Consider that the next time you bring it up to Usagi or to anyone else again.

[ahandsomedevil.livejournal.com]

I didn't ask to be brought along, Rei! I didn't ask for you to take my fate into your clumsy hands, either! If you had asked, I wouldn't have gone!

And if you think I don't respect Usagi, stop deluding yourself. She's the only one of your little group that I do have any admiration for.

[flameandpassion]

So, let me get this straight.

[She holds up her fingers to tick them off.]

You didn't want to go yourself, but you're perfectly happy with having other people go for you so you can have the information anyway.

You admire Usagi out of all of us, but you still feel the need to make her feel like a terrible person over something that doesn't concern her.

You think my hands are clumsy, when I spent months upon months helping to plan this so no one would get hurt and no one would die, within the City or outside of it.

[She looks at him, with hard eyes.]

Did I miss anything or do you want to add to it?

[ahandsomedevil.livejournal.com]

I didn't want any of you to go, and I'm not sure why you keep insisting we all had some unspoken request for you to do it. I didn't, and I don't.

And we don't know yet when or if the Animus are going to retaliate, do we?

So let's add that you insist on getting involved in things you have no business being in, and you are dangerously short-sighted.

[flameandpassion]

[Every single word in that statement causes Rei's teeth to grind together. She could argue. She could bring up every single deeply personal reason why she had to go to the City. She could lay out every single plan and minute and drop of blood, sweat, and tears that went into making sure no one died, no one was injured, no one was hurt.

But Rei is tired of justifying her actions and she knows, deep down, that she did the right thing. So does Hitsugaya. So does Usagi. Even everyone else dear to her, like Cloud, understood, in the end, why she had to go.

So, in the grand scheme of things, Rei couldn't really give a damn what Horst thinks, because he isn't in her list of people she has to prove herself to.

Which means that Rei is now officially wasting her time.]

Whatever you say, sir. I'll be sure to alert every single person in the City the next time I decide to do my job.

[ahandsomedevil.livejournal.com]

Good.

[End feed. Because he has to go meet Usagi and he's pretty sure if he keeps talking, Cloud is going to kill them both.]

[mirroredecho.livejournal.com]

[He's already planning your death, Horst. And it's gonna be slow and incredibly, incredibly painful. You owe him so. fucking. much.]

[iceandivory.livejournal.com]

You won't. And next time any grievances can be taken up with me.

[And that's ... really all he's going to say.]

[flameandpassion]

[She's going to strangle the next person who talks to her like she's a four year old, Hitsugaya, she swears to God.

But she knows better than to argue with him.

So have an annoyed noise instead.]

I know I won't.

[mirroredecho.livejournal.com]

[Someone is gonna come and take the PCD away from your ass in about, oh, give or take a minute or so. Because seriously. He may not remember shit, but he knows enough to keep you two from tearing out each other's throats.]

Are you done?

Because yelling at him isn't going to change what already happened.

[flameandpassion]

[Except that Horst is yelling at Usagi, and now Rei, for something that has already happened.

So that statement just ticks her off more.]

I have no more interest in talking to a cowardly idiot.

So yes, I'm done.

[Click.]

[mirroredecho.livejournal.com]

[And that just pisses him off, because he's tired of your way of handling things is to hang up on him. Like that's going to fix anything.

He gives himself enough time to take a deep breath, enough to keep his voice in check before calling her back.]

Hanging up on me won't fix anything.

It won't bring my memories back. It won't stop people from being upset that you went into the Inner City and didn't include them or tell them or Shiva knows what else they're pissed off about.

It won't stop Horst from being an idiot and it won't stop Usagi from believing that everyone deserves a chance.

Save your energy for something that's worth it.

[He'd never say these things to her if he actually had the memories of those events. And at the moment, it's probably better he doesn't.]

[flameandpassion]

[It's a mark of great restraint that she holds her tongue and, instead, responds neutrally:]

I can spend my energy however I want to spend my energy.

Justifying myself, when I've already had to with you, isn't on that list.