004 ♂ video / action (in agrabah)

[burningstorm]

[Between her psychic abilities and the restless fires in her makeshift shrine, Rei had felt this darkness coming before it ever arrived. Her senses, however, paled in comparison to the actual chaos and darkness that the fog brought. So many people were hurt and suffering; she wanted to help them all, but it was a near impossible feat. Especially when she had her own fears and personal demons to deal with.

Not wanting to chance her identity being outed, she remains as Hino Rei, not calling upon the power of Mars unless it becomes absolutely necessary. It proves to be a good decision.]

Look who it is, girls! [Rei recognizes the voice as Usagi's and turns to face the source, only to freeze. It's Usagi, Minako, Ami, and Makoto to be sure-- but they have cruel looks on their faces. She immediately tries to dismiss the images, turning away. It isn't really them. They would never look at her that way.] Geez, Rei. Why do we even bother trying to be your friend?

I told you. She's so stuck up, she won't even say hi to us!

Yeah! She's such a weirdo. All she does is sit in her little shrine and probably put curses on people with her freaky powers.

[This isn't real. It's not. Rei keeps trying to tell herself that, even clasping her hands over her ears, but she can still hear their jeers clear as day. It still puts a knife in her heart, hearing all the things she's been mocked and bullied for repeated in her best friends' voices. She presses her mouth shut, staring pointedly at the ground, fighting hard not to let any tears through.]

Let's just go. We have better things to do than to keep putting up with her.

[No matter how hard Rei clasps her hands over her ears, she can't tune out the sound of their cold laughter and the sound of their footsteps walking away, leaving her alone and friendless again. Eventually, she just lowers to the ground, pulling her knees to her chest and her hands still over her ears, still trying to block out the mocking laughter she swears she can still hear. No amount of telling herself it's not real makes it better because it feels real; that sense of loneliness and rejection is suffocating.]

(OOC; Just for reference on the font colors! Pink is mist!Usagi, orange is mist!Minako, green is mist!Makoto, blue is mist!Ami.)

Comments

[action]

[moonbeams]

[Usagi has been doing her best to avoid the mist, mostly beause it's mega creepy and even if she's Sailor Moon, that doesn't mean it's not scary. But she's out in it tonight anyway, for one reason or another.

It makes her nervous. She's hurrying home as it is, hands clutched together with a bag hanging from her arm. It's as she turns the corner that she spots Rei's huddled form.]

...Rei-chan?

[action]

[burningstorm]

[Hearing Usagi's voice again just makes Rei draw in closer to herself, determined to block it out. This wasn't going to get to her. The Dead Moon Circus tried this trick-- it wasn't going to work again!]

Enough...! I'm not listening to this... It's not real!

[moonbeams]

[She hadn't expected that reaction, and for a moment, she hesitates to proceed any closer. That notion doesn't last long, as she shakes her head to clear it and closes the distance between her and Rei with a few quick strides.

Immediately, she's on her knees behind Rei]

Rei-chan...! It's me! It's Usagi! It's just me, really!

[burningstorm]

[There's just silence from Rei for a minute, as if trying to determine whether she should believe those words or not. These illusions are cruel, if any of the network videos are anything to judge by. Illusion or not, however, Rei decides to face it.

Finally, she lowers her hands and turns, half-expecting to see Usagi gone again. A trick of the mind. When she turns and sees Usagi seated behind her, looking worried, Rei can't quite contain her surprise or her fear.]

Is it really you, Usagi? I can't be sure...

action;

[soldierofloveandbeauty]

[Minako had been trying to drown out her own voice in her head. That she was worthless, that she couldn't help with love but damage it more. It's why no one will love her and she'll forever wander the rest of her life alone and unloved. Forever choosing what she deemed was necessary at the time.

The voices even questioned her as a leader, thinking that someone else could do a better job while she goes chasing boys and basically being as they dubbed her 'an idiot'. But Minako had been trying instead to focus all her energy on helping the others. She knew that Makoto and Hotaru were alright in that basement, though how they managed to fly a Gummi ship under these conditions was pretty much anyone's guess, but Minako had stayed behind and now was the time to help.]

Rei-chan, don't listen to them.

action;

[burningstorm]

[Among the mocking laughter and voices, Rei hears another. Instinctively, she starts to try blocking it out too, but then she realizes... it's Minako's voice. She struggles to trust it at first, but once she lifts her head and sees her standing there without cruelty in her eyes, she is more willing to accept those words. She doesn't let her guard down; in fact, her eyes narrow, unsure.]

Minako?

[She echoes her friends name, as if expecting her to prove she's real. The fire senshi doesn't trust anything in this mist right now.]

action;

[soldierofloveandbeauty]

[She nods slightly, making her way over.]

Whatever the voices say don't listen to them, okay? [She couldn't help but think that while she had managed to go out and get something people she knew were being effected. If she had known she wouldn't of bothered.]

I got something that might help drown them out slightly. [Glaring at the mist version of herself, she stuck her tongue out at it.]

Some Goddess of Love and Beauty you are if you say horrible things like that! [Now turning her focus back to her friend she held up two small pieces of... something.] Put these in your ears, it should help.]

action;

[burningstorm]

[Minako's small show of retaliation to her mist counterpart brought a faint smile to Rei's face. She could say without a doubt that this was the real Minako. She takes the small pieces of something, rising to her feet, then pauses, studying Minako for a minute.]

We should get out of here, but... what about you?

[She can only imagine Minako has been having trouble with the mist herself and she's not about to block out her own demons if Minako is struggling with hers too.]

video;

[mynameisallen]

[Allen has watched the whole thing, it was kind of horrible to see even if they were hallucinations be so cruel to someone.]

Don't let them get to you. What they are saying isn't true.

video;

[burningstorm]

It's hard to believe that when it aims for your heart...

video;

[mynameisallen]

Hm, it seems to show what we fear the most in the world. But sometimes sheer determination can keep it away.

video;

[burningstorm]

Sheer determination? [That is something she can do, but her interest is piqued.] Do you know that from experience?

video;

[iscursednomore]

[Fai can really feel for what they are saying. After all he was use to that type of treatment when he was a lot younger. Being called various things all because in his case of was a twin and where he was from that had been considered the most worse of sins. So he had sympathy for her.]

I wonder, do you really believe what they are saying?

video;

[burningstorm]

[There's a rather distant, trance-like look in Rei's eyes, still reeling from the visions in the mist. She'll bounce back quickly, but for the moment, she's still stunned.]

...Sometimes. It's what I've heard all my life. When I look deep into my heart, I see things I don't always like.

video;

[iscursednomore]

[He pauses for a moment, eyes closing slightly, to think about it.]

We... always see things we don't like. But, isn't that something that makes a person stronger?

video;

[burningstorm]

Yes. [She doesn't even hesitate to agree, and yet...] It doesn't make it easier to face them. [The distant look is gone and now, she's staring at Fai with a focused look.] You know that yourself, don't you?

【 VIDEO 】

[decaying]

You're not going to fall for that, are you? It's all fake.

【 VIDEO 】

[burningstorm]

[When she hears that voice, Rei immediately lifts her chin, making herself look proud and strong, as she should be.]

Of course not. I can take care of myself.

【 VIDEO 】

[decaying]

Good. I don't think people would appreciate a guy back-handing a bunch of girls for acting like idiots.

[He's got your back. Like a bro.]

Video

[massiekur]

[Massie had witnessed the break up of many a clique.. and this, whatever it was was just like one of those. Of course.. she was usually the one causing the social isolation but.. the tables were a little turned in this place.]

Puh-lease. You're not going to listen to those things are you? [She'd seen enough of these shadow fiends over the comm to know this wasn't legit]

[Rei was just the sort of girl she wanted to recruit for HER clique... well sort of. Rei was female, and was beautiful... but nawt fashionable and nawt interested in being so. Plus.. the other times they'd spoken.. it never went well. Sigh. Rei wasn't exactly a GLU (Girls Like Us).. but maybe she could earn some brownie points anyway]

Do you awn-nestly think they could ever talk to you that way?

Video

[burningstorm]

[Having had some time to collect herself after the ordeal, Rei answers some time later, calm and reserved as she usually is. Still, there's a small part of her, shaken and disturbed by the vision.]

I thought the same thing, watching other people go through it over the network. It's so much different when you're the one having to deal with it.

Video

[massiekur]

I wouldn't know.

[I got inside and stayed there. She did experience the terrible tiredness though]

Video

[the_most_talent]

[In the background of Makoto's video, Rei might be able to spy some various boardgames, and people. She was still holed up in the bakery in Traverse Town with Hotaru and some of the other refugees]

[It was by sheer chance that she caught this transmission]

Rei? [Seeing her own double was disconcerting] REI! Whatever they've been saying to you, it's not true!

[She had hoped that the rest of the senshi had taken cover too, but... that wasn't the case. She kept the decibels up trying to get Rei's attention... drawing some funny looks from the other basement dwellers]

Video

[burningstorm]

[Amidst her nightmare, Rei thought she heard an echo of Makoto's voice. She started trying to ignore it, until she heard it repeat exactly what she's been trying to tell herself and in progressively louder volume. When she finally lowers her hands, she realizes it's coming from her communicator and that Makoto looks to be somewhere else entirely.]

Is that really you, Makoto?

Video

[the_most_talent]

[For a while, Makoto isn't sure that this is working. At all. She kept talking but it was almost to no avail.. until]

Rei-chan! Yes! It is me! [She smiled at her friend, to display her relief]

I got stuck over in Traverse Town... but that's not important right now. Are you all right?