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Post by Hino Rei on Dec 20, 2008 13:27:37 GMT -5
As usual, Rei was up before dawn. Unlike usual, the priestess allowed herself to lay in bed for five minutes straight and stare at her window. The light streaming in from it was the thick, misty grey of the early hour and a few birds whistled in the gardens beyond. She sighed and got up.
The priestess hissed faintly as she stood up and realized just how sore she still was. Yesterday had been fun but already it was having its consequences. Heat radiated off her cheeks as she realized that she'd even counted it as fun. No! Crazy! Insane; stupid! not fun! Shaking her head to clear it, Rei was still sleepy enough to allow herself to wince every step to her bathroom. A hot soak helped, but she didn't let herself linger too long; there were duties to attend to and promises to keep.
After dressing as quickly as she could, Rei flew about her morning rituals with more haste than she'd ever had before. It was probably blasphemous but today she just didn't care. Before she'd gone to bed the night before she'd left Makoto an e-mail reply saying that she'd come to talk with her. She'd planned, in her insanity, to talk to her about Hirkoi and... what had happened.
Halfway across the palace, Rei changed her mind. Already Ami was going to have to find out about her stupidity, which was bound to be bad enough. If she didn't have to admit her shame to anyone, then why should she? It seemed like a safe enough plan to keep her own counsil, and so she crossed the dining room towards the palace kitchens with a new resolve. At least by this time she was moving with her accustomed grace.
There was light and noise coming from the kitchen, even this early in the morning, and Rei knew they were likely going about their morning preparations. Hopefully, for mako's sake, things were going much more smoothly this morning. The Priestess pushed the swinging door open and paused to let her eyes adjust to the light and crowd beyond. She missed a few snickers and snide looks thrown her way by the castle staff.
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Post by Kino Makoto on Dec 20, 2008 15:40:01 GMT -5
Things still weren't 100% in the kitchen this morning, but it was a great improvement over yesterday. There was actually a light at the end of this long tunnel. Workstations were finally up and running, the refrigerators and freezers were stocked, as was the meat locker. For now, it all seemed to be running smoothly enough that she could settle down in the office and start working on inventories, menus, and everything else she was currently backlogged on.
As Makoto sat at her desk, she couldn't help but stare blankly at the computer screen before her. And it seemed the only thing that stared back were deep blue eyes. She blinked and attempted to shake it off. It wasn't enough that she'd had some pretty funky dreams last night. This one involved a man, wearing some kind of uniform. While she couldn't see his entire face, he had those blue eyes that burned into her memory and continued to haunt her even now, long after she'd awoken. 'Kino Makoto, what has gotten into you?' she thought to herself. 'Concentrate! You have too much work to do today!'
She glanced up for a moment and saw Rei enter the kitchen. Though she was on the far end of the kitchen away from the entrance, she could still see everything that was going on through the big glass window of her office. She got up from her desk and walked to the door. She waved and called, "Rei! Come on in!" and then gestured towards the office. While she waited for Rei to make her way over, she drew the blinds over the window. They were going to need some privacy for this little chat.
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Post by Hino Rei on Dec 21, 2008 14:03:49 GMT -5
At the sound of her given name, the Priestess's eyes flew to the small office on the other side of the kitchen. She hadn't wanted to have to cross the room full of people, but it seemed as if she was going to have to. The woman straightened her back and held her chin high as she crossed the room, gracefully avoiding being hit by any of the harried workers preparing for the morning meal. No, she wasn't imagining the snickers as she passed, but where they really about her? Rei's shame said that they were.
The sanctuary offered by Makoto's office was nirvana. The priestess shut the door behind her with a grateful, barely audible sigh. For a cool moment she lingered at the door, hand upon the wood of it and eyes staring through into space. Then she mentally shook herself and turned to give her best friend a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes this morning. Hopefully it would be good enough to pass Makoto's inspection.
"Good morning," She greeted her and crossed the room towards one of the chairs without further invitation--it wasn't needed among friends, really, and Rei needed a chair. She sank into it and masked her wince, bending slightly to arrange her robe a little. When she looked up again she'd controlled her body's response enough to keep it from showing. "The kitchen seems to be running much more smoothly."
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Post by Kino Makoto on Dec 21, 2008 14:32:38 GMT -5
Makoto had just finished lowering the blinds when she heard the door click shut. She turned and smiled at Rei and returned her greeting. "Mornin' Rei-chan." As Rei seated herself, Mako walked back over to her desk and sat in her own chair. "Yes, it is finally. There's still a few kinks to be worked out, but I'm not going to complain too much. Apparently my pep-talk with the construction manager worked." she laughed.
"I hope I didn't interrupt anything by asking you to meet with me again this morning. But after everything that happened yesterday, I just really needed to talk to you." She leaned forward and spoke a bit more softly but still loud enough for her friend to hear. "What can you tell me about that man that barged into the meeting? You said he'd sought your counsel on something. That he's some sort of psychic. He wouldn't take his eyes off me, and I had the strangest feeling about him. When I passed by him to leave the chambers, I caught his eyes and I had the sharpest pain in my head. It took hours to get rid of that headache! Do you think he might have done something to me?" She knew it sounded silly, but it was the only reasoning she could think of that made any sort of sense. "I even had crazy dreams last night, and I think they might have involved him, but I can't be sure. I'm just so confused, and I thought you'd be the best person to help me clear my mind."
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Post by Hino Rei on Dec 21, 2008 14:39:05 GMT -5
Rei frowned a little at Makoto's questions. Since she'd read Makoto's email, the Priestess had been wracking her brain about the strange, nosy psychic who had barged in on her the day before--the time she hadn't spent in complete shock over what she'd just done. A bit of information tugged at her brain, trying to call her attention to something that it deemed important. Unsure what it was, Rei let herself relax a little in the chair as she considered Makoto's questions. "I don't know much about it, Makoto. He came to me for help with some private issues concerning his powers and how to control them, but we were interrupted by the ordeal with Usagi before we could really discuss it."
That information nagged again and Rei frowned. "I don't think headaches are something that psychics will give you, really, unless you're especially sensitive to them. Even then, its unusual. ... Are you certain he isn't just... a little cute, Mako-chan? He does seem your type."
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Post by Kino Makoto on Dec 21, 2008 14:57:02 GMT -5
Mako sighed at the lack of information she'd received. It seemed he was just innocently seeking help, and became nosy when interrupted by senshi duties. She frowned.
"Maybe I am just sensitive. You know how I love my Tylenol!" She chuckled as Rei continued. "Regardless of how attractive he may or may not be..." she paused briefly and raised her eyebrow at Rei then continued, "something just seems 'off' about him to me. With the strange feeling I got from him in that brief moment, I can't believe you didn't notice anything yourself." She sighed again. If Rei couldn't help her, she knew nobody could.
She sat back in her chair while pondering Rei's last comment and raised her eyebrow again. That was definitely not like Rei to want to talk about guy stuff. "Rei-chan, are you feeling all right? Since when have you been concerned whether someone is 'a little cute' or my 'type'? That's so not like you. What gives?"
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Post by Hino Rei on Dec 21, 2008 15:13:27 GMT -5
Rei shook her head, "It isn't like that, Mako-chan. I was just suggesting that perhaps you were... captivated by him, is all." How could she say this in a way that wasn't entirely offensive? It was rare that Rei actually cared to be tactful, but with her dearest friends and with a topic so sensitive.
And then it happened: her cheeks went so hot that she even felt it. Since when had she considered boys to be a sensitive topic? It clicked, in that moment, what she was really wanting to address and the priestess tried to ignore the fact that she was blushing. "I did feel something off about him, Makoto," She covered very quickly. "The moment that I saw him I knew there was... something odd there. It might be dangerous, and I want to know that you'll be careful."
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Post by Kino Makoto on Dec 21, 2008 16:02:39 GMT -5
"Rei-chan, you know as well as anyone else that I have been 'captivated' by plenty of guys. But none of them have given me such a bad vibe. And with the headache to boot...something just doesn't seem right about him."
Makoto then noticed the blush in Rei's cheeks, and now she was admitting that she had felt something odd about this guy? Something was definitely up. "Trust me, I'll be careful. And by careful, I mean I am staying as far away from him as possible."
She was still curious as to what could have affected Rei in such a way, but didn't want to anger her by pressing the issue too much. She thought for a moment before continuing. "Well, now that we've got that out of the way..." she smiled, "Are you sure everything is OK with you? You seemed rather flustered after the Usagi thing yesterday. Then I received your reply that 'talking would be good'..." she trailed off and paused. She needed to think of the best way to approach the subject and went with the easiest route. "Care to vent?"
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Post by Hino Rei on Dec 21, 2008 18:58:17 GMT -5
One lilly-white hand lifted to her temples to rub the suddenly throbbing area in slow circles. Why was she being so careless this morning? was she still so flustered? The answer was yes, of course, and Rei nodded slowly to Makoto's plan. Staying away from him would definitely be the best course of action.
Did Makoto think her agitation was due to Usagi? There was a certain amount of truth in that, once Rei had thought it over a few moments. She pursed her lips and considered the friend sitting across the desk from her. Shifting a little in her seat, the Priestess tapped her lips, "You wouldn't happen to have any tea available would you, Mako-chan? Or coffee, I suppose."
That was just a delay, of course. They would both know that--of all the girls, Makoto was the only one who could claim to have seen her in such a befuddled state before. The thought of that put a pang in Rei's heart. She glanced at the blinds behind her, considering the various little bits of laughter she'd heard as she'd walked through earlier. Would there be gossip about what that maid said? Would her friends hear it?
Not for the first time did Rei wish their lives were that of simple children once again. "I was frustrated, Mako-chan. Little more... Usagi should have known that if she'd come to any of us asking for help we would have given it. Had she explained that she need a few hours to herself, we would have helped her to find it.. and yet she couldn't seem to find enough trust for us to tell us, merely sneaking off on her own--and Minako helped her! Neither of them had the good sense to give us a call and just give us a warning so that we wouldn't be worried out of our skulls. I know I should think of her as the Queen, but I can't help but see nothing more than the same irresponsible little girl we met years ago."
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Post by Kino Makoto on Dec 21, 2008 21:05:46 GMT -5
Makoto's eyes widened at Rei's request. She mentally smacked herself as she jumped up from her desk. "Rei-chan I'm so sorry! I'm such an awful hostess!" She opened the door to her office and said "I'll be right back!" then closed the door behind her.
She grabbed a small teapot and two cups from one of the cabinets and one of her favorite blooming teas from a pantry. She poured some hot water into the pot over the tea and watched as the bloom seemingly sprung to life. She decided she'd grab some cookies from the pantry as well. As she was scanning the shelves for the box, she couldn't help but notice the sound of conversations filtering into the pantry. One in particular caught her attention. Something about Rei and a mysterious man... Nothing was making any sense to Makoto anymore. 'They must be talking about ol' blue eyes visiting the shrine.' She shook her head, grabbed the box and exited the pantry. She set everything on a tray and carried it back to the office. She opened the door and smiled at Rei before setting the tray on the desk. She shut the door behind her, poured tea into two cups, handed one to Rei then settled back down in her office chair. "Sorry about that! Please go on..."
She wholeheartedly agreed with Rei. Usagi could have come to any of them, and yet she chose not to. Mako cringed inwardly when she heard Rei mention Minako. She recalled the conversation she'd had with Mina the night before. Maybe she could help smooth things over now to keep Minako from receiving a full-on Rei bashing. "Now Rei, you know Usagi is under a ton of pressure these days. With all of the diplomacy and state business, dealing with uprisings, palace construction, and then the wedding on top...I can't even begin to imagine how she must be feeling. And while I completely agree that she could have come to any of us for support, I can't blame her for trying to temporarily escape." She took a sip of her tea, then continued. "Don't be too angry with Minako, please. She only did what Usagi asked of her. You or I probably would have done the same thing in the heat of the moment."
She reached for a cookie and took a small bite and chewed slowly, contemplating what to say next. "You know, Ami mentioned something about all of us getting together and taking Usagi for a girls' day out sometime next week. I think we all need and deserve that kind of break. I think we've all started growing apart ever so slowly with everything that's been going on. It'll be good for everyone to reconnect." She chuckled as she remembered all the whispers and giggles she'd heard over the past couple days. "Let's just hope we can go somewhere that we won't all be overheard. Yesterday was Ami and Mamoru, and I hate to say it but I recently heard your name being carried through the kitchen conversations just a while ago. Something about a guy from yesterday. Those people will find the craziest stories from the most innocent occurrances."
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Post by Hino Rei on Dec 21, 2008 21:18:55 GMT -5
Rei accepted the tea and cookies gratefully. She wasn't normally one to indulge in sweets especially for breakfast... She didn't complain, however--right now it looked really good and tasted divine. As she nibbled on one of the sweet confections, she listened to Makoto's explanation of Minako's behavior. The Priestess didn't quite agree with Makoto's assessment--she would have still answered. At least, that was what Rei wanted to tell herself.
Rei shifted a little in her seat and tried to cross her legs. That was really uncomfortable and she crossed her ankles instead. The woman had just begun to think she'd managed to cover for herself and put her tea cup to her lips when Makoto mentioned the blossoming rumors. Rei choked.
The teacup clattered faintly on its saucer as she sat it back down and cleared her throat. Lavender eyes studied her lap for a long moment as her cheeks grew pink. "Innocent... Well, that would certainly explain why Ami was acting so odd around Mamoru yesterday. I didn't have time to question her about it during that whole ordeal."
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Post by Kino Makoto on Dec 21, 2008 21:34:26 GMT -5
Makoto chuckled. "Oh, I thought you'd have heard by now. Poor Ami, her first day home and she's immediately subjected to palace gossip. She'd gone for a swim to relax, Mamoru joined her at some point. They had friendly conversation between laps. Someone saw him as he left, saw Ami still alone in the pool and just ran with it from there." She shook her head. She still felt bad about it, even though it seemed she was right...they'd already moved on to their next target. Speaking of...
She looked at Rei again. Looking down and still had a slight redness to her face. Something was definitely amiss, and she definitely didn't want to talk about it since she didn't even begin to defend herself against the current rumor. The guy from yesterday. Rei knew more about him than she was letting on. Something had to have happened, no matter how innocent, for people to be talking this much. Her eyes slightly narrowed as she took in Rei's appearance. She better not have touched him...what the hell? 'Are you jealous, Mako? What is your problem today??!??!?!' She once again mentally berated herself. She needed to get to the bottom of this.
"Rei-chan, if you don't want to tell me, just say so and I'll leave you alone. I'm just really concerned and I want to make sure you're OK. Because right now, you don't seem OK. Something happened with that guy yesterday, didn't it?"
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Post by Hino Rei on Dec 21, 2008 21:44:15 GMT -5
Rei's brows rose to her hairline as she realized what poor Ami was going through. She hadn't known what was going on! Certainly there were always rumors going around the palace, but Rei had considered herself immune from them and above listening to them--until they'd had to do with her, of course. Inwardly she winced and made a vow to make certain that Ami was OK. "I really wish the servants would learn to keep their mouths shut," She snapped more to herself than at Makoto. And then it happened...
She had never been much of an actress, or even a liar. Rei groaned fantly and closed her eyes. One hand pressed to her face as, for one moment, Rei thought that Makoto really understood what had happened. "I didn't... I wasn't expecting to run into him--hell I didn't even know him! I was on my way back to the shrine and I was irritated at Usagi, he just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and..."
It sounded horrible, even to her own ears. Worse, in fact, than it had sounded in her own head. "He was smart mouthed, and sassy, and he kissed me--I don't know why, I wasn't expecting it but it happened!"
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Post by Kino Makoto on Dec 21, 2008 22:00:09 GMT -5
Just the look on Rei's face as she closed her eyes told Makoto exactly what she'd already guessed. 'That bastard! If I ever see him again...'
She rolled her chair around the desk and settled in front of Rei. She leaned forward and put her hand on Rei's shoulder as she continued to speak. All of her fury ('Fury? Ok why the frick am I this angry?') disappeared when she realized... That guy was still in custody when Rei left for the shrine. So...this is someone else? She felt ease at that, but was still extremely concerned for her friend who seemed to be quite upset over whatever happened with this new guy.
Mako let out a slight gasp at the last statement. This guy kissed Rei? No rhyme or reason, just kissed her? "Is that all, Rei-chan? You seem way too upset for just a kiss... He didn't hurt you did he?"
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Post by Hino Rei on Dec 21, 2008 22:04:22 GMT -5
Rei shook her head. She had no idea that Makoto had ever thought she'd meant the psychic from the day before. Her friend's hands upon her shoulders came as a surprise and she looked up to see that Makoto had come around the desk to her. That was it, the dam broke. "No, he didn't hurt me, Makoto, but ... there's something strange going on here. It was almost like I wasn't even in control of myself after that."
Rei frowned and swallowed heavily. "I got... the same sense from Hiroki that I got from that eavesdropper, only it was... stronger. Much stronger. And when he touched me." She trembled a little under her friend's hand, shaking her head. "I'm afraid I... The rumors that they're saying are actually true, Mako-chan." She blushed crimson and growled faintly at herself, "I slept with him."
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