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Limbo – Executor House

[ So with the Destroy Esme plan well underway, Rei's decided it's time for her to buckle down and get busy too. She's more or less fully recovered from Esme's last attempt to get rid of the group and knowing that makes her even more determined to actually help out, rather than just lay around being a burden. How she's actually going to do that, though...

Uh, she'll figure it out as she goes.

The fellow occupants of Executor House will find Rei's back in her usual spot in the room with All Her Idol Material and this time she's taking furious notes. She's got a couple of fashion magazines too, that she's tabbed and highlighted like a goddamn college textbook and she's muttering to herself over her notes as she goes. ]

[ Please get her out of her head. ]

Invidia – Mall

[ Rei's second least favourite place in all of Purgatory! Yay! But she's got to at least get an outfit together if they're going to perform as idols so here she is. She's got a little list in hand of everyone's colours and what she thinks they might look good in and she's hauling a whole backpack full of random crud from Limbo to trade for it. She's fully prepared!

... Except she's also a little paralyzed for choice. She's glancing back and forth between all the billion and one shops, list clutched in an iron grip, and starting to look a little panicked. ]

Invidia – Streets

[ So. Now she's all dressed up, Rei know what she needs to do. She's made up and photocopied a bunch of fliers for the group and now she's stood anywhere that looks busy and is doing her best to hand them out. What? They do it on TV! She's seen it herself! So it's certain to work.

... is what she's like to think, but even in her very cutest idol getup, none of the Spectres are paying attention to her, even as she tries to hand them fliers. It's maybe not helped by the fact that Rei... has anxiety. ]

[ This goes on for a bit, until Rei finally reaches the end of her patience. She sucks in a breath and then, without looking, she thrusts out a flier directly into a passer-by and just... yells at them. ]

[ This all comes out in a rush, like she's worried whoever she's managed to stop will just walk off before she can finish. A little out of breath, she looks up to see who it is that's finally stopped to pay attention and...

Oh. That's just one of her fellow Executors. ]

Invidia – Park

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[ Despite herself, Rei feels a little smile warm her face the more Beast talks. There's something fond and warm to his voice that suits him, somehow and she thinks – this must be how he'd spoken to and of his son when he was alive. And as sad as it is that she's only hearing it for herself because they're both here in Purgatory together, there's a gladness as well in knowing that warm hasn't disappeared forever. ]

I guess he was a princess. Aren't they supposed to have all sorts of suitors?

[ He laughs a little at that. ]

I suppose, but that’s just more reason to be critical of each one. So many care more about the title and politics than about the person behind the crown.

If he marries I would prefer it to be to someone who didn’t even know he was a princess.

[ Boy are you going to be happy with the dumbass Odile picked then huh. ]

[ ... Okay, NOW she has to ask this nagging question. She gets this is kind of an emotional moment, but she has to know. ]

... Beast, um... not to change the subject but... if your son is a princess, then doesn't that make you...?

[ A king?? A prince?? Who knows! ]

[ He stops walking when she asks that. ]

A king, you mean?

[ a pause ]

Either that or a former consort.

[ WOW JUST... GOING RIGHT FOR THAT ONE.

He shrugs though. ]

I wouldn’t be able to say for certain, either way. Cygnia is a queendom of swans - the only reason Odile’s title is princess instead of prince is because he was the late Queen’s only biological child. A crow like me would more likely have been taken into the royal harem as a refugee... and even if I had become the Queen’s husband I would have no real power as a king; merely a figurehead helping to run things until Odile was of age.

[ He thinks for a moment. ]

—Ah, but I do suppose the garments I wore before were on the more royal side...

Edited 2020-11-04 16:52 (UTC)

[ It's really not a funny moment at all – but Rei finds herself hastily covering a laugh. ]

It's really strange to think you might have been. You don't really seem much like a king... or I guess I haven't really met enough kings to make a comparison.

[ ... and then belatedly realizing what a backhanded insult that sounds like, she scrambles to correct herself. ]

Ah, n–not that that's a bad thing, of course...!

[ He smiles with a gentle laugh. ]

Don’t worry, I know what you mean. I feel the same - it’s not really a title that suits me, is it? An advisor role feels far more likely for me.

That and the idea of possibly being that woman’s husband fills me with an unspeakable disgust for some reason, so I have my doubts.

[ But then how would you have become a princess’ dad— you know what, it doesn’t matter right now. ]

I guess that would probably get in the way of a marriage.

[ i dunno rei, have you seen a straight people wedding lately?? ]

Um, it might sound strange to say it now, but... it sounds like you were happy. I'm glad. M–maybe it's not really my place to say it now it's... over, but...

[ She shrugs listlessly. ]

After Kingslayer and Lion... it makes me glad to know someone's getting back memories of their life that are a little happier. Even if it stings a little remembering them.

[ His smile gets fonder. ]

I suppose when you put it that way it is a relief, isn’t it? The worst I can do with a memory like this is gaze sadly at dresses and give you advice on looking like a princess on stage.

[ There might be a little bit of shade there. Just a smidge.

He frowns and furrows his brow though. ]

Though there is... one thing about this that bothers me...

Edited 2020-11-05 02:19 (UTC)

[ Her hand tightens just a little on his. ]

Oh? What is it?

There were two things that constantly plagued my son’s life and made his burden ever worse.

The first was... the state of his wings. Swan Feathereds like himself are supposed to have large wings at their hips that allow them to glide, a feat most other Feathereds like myself aren’t capable of. They take a deep amount of pride in this. But for some reason Odile’s never grew past the size they were during his infancy, and this brought him an unfair amount of scrutiny from people. This was something he could not change.

...Which made him all the more eager to try and do something about the second thing, which theoretically he could possibly change.

[ His frown deepens and he ends up turning his head away from Rei, staring at some of the book stores nearby that he’d been looking through before on his quest to try and fill the gap in his memory. ]

Some Fair, like my friend Orpheus, used to be able to see glimpses of possible futures - a gift from the Goddess for their assistance, supposedly. And they would at times share them with other nations. Cygnia had one from a long time ago that every citizen knew well:

[ He takes a breath to steady himself. ]

“One day, the Royal Family and Cygnia itself will fall... by the wrath of the Beast of Demise.”

Edited 2020-11-05 22:02 (UTC)

[ Rei's almost certain she knows where Beast is going with this. It'd be natural for a father to be worried about leaving his son behind and even more so, she imagines, if said son was going to be left responsible for an entire country. But then he starts talking about the future and prophecies and she finds her idea of what this could all mean spiralling further from what he's saying and then–

The Beast of Demise.

Rei opens her mouth to say something. Then closes it again. She doesn't think either of them need to further clarify exactly why a prophecy like that would have him so wound up. ]

Do... do you remember what this Beast of Demise is supposed to be?

[ He shakes his head. ]

Remember all those books I was reading? I was trying to discern the meaning of “Beast” as it seems to be the only thing missing from my knowledge of my world. Sadly this memory has not shed any more light on that mystery, and I don’t know what precisely a “Beast of Demise” is in this context either.

[ He looks down. ]

I just know “Beast” was the only thing that came to mind when I was trying to remember a name... and there must be some reason for that.

[ Just hopefully not because of this. ]

Edited 2020-11-06 22:33 (UTC)

It... has to be a coincidence, right? Even if you're still missing some memories, something that huge... y–you'd have some idea of what it would be, right?

[ But even Rei doesn't sound very convinced of that. If it's a coincidence, it's one hell of a coincidence and it's not like she knows enough about Beast's world to actually say with confidence one way or the other. But something about the quiet pain on his face as he says it makes her feel oddly panicked. She doesn't know what she should say to reassure him, but she knows she has to say something. ]

A–and in all those books you were reading, there's lots of different kinds of beasts, aren't there? So...

[ He realizes in that moment that he’s worrying her and smiles at her in an effort to put her at ease. ]

That is indeed true; there were many different kinds. [ None of which he’s sure are like what they are in Rhearth but sssshhh. ] Did you know there was even a story in many of those books about a beast who is loved and saved by a beauty?

[ She doesn't return his smile, but her expression softens a bit from the worried frown she'd been wearing as he spoke. She's not fully convinced he's as calm about this as he looks, but... Beast would know best about his own world, right? ]

... I've never read any stories like that. I actually don't think I remember any stories at all. Apart from the things I've read since we all woke up.

Really? You should have told me while you were laid up in bed; I would have been more than happy to read some to you, especially considering how much reading I was doing back then.

N–no, I couldn't have...! You were already doing so much to help me out. I really couldn't have asked for any more than that.

[ She still feels a little self-conscious, sometimes, of putting too much on her new friends – asking too much of them and she hasn't quite worked out what the sweet spot between 'too much' and 'not enough' is. ]

It wouldn't have been a trouble. If anything it would have been a good way to pass the time.

If you ever do want to hear some though there's many stories I could tell you: both from the books and of my own world.

... Mm. It might be a nice way to take a break from all this.

[ If she's got idols on the brain 24/7 like this, she's definitely going to burn out. ]

Maybe we can take a break together when we get back to the house.

That would be most pleasant. We can even pick up a little snack to bring back with us before we head home.

Maybe some of them could even give you inspiration for the songs you intend to sing?

Oh, jeez. I'd completely forgotten we still had to write a song to sing. But... two heads are better than one, aren't they? I think we'd be able to come up with something.

[ First on the agenda, though... dresses. She can give herself a headache trying to work out how to write songs later. ]

Okay... which shop should we start with?

Hmmm.... there is a shop with those fancier... "lolita" dresses around here, isn't there? Would that be a good place?

Or do you suppose dresses like that may be TOO much overkill?

Lolita are the frilly ones that have the prints on, aren't they?

[ She's trying to keep it chill but her eyes are kind of sparkling. ]

I guess it couldn't hurt to look...

[ Oh he spots that look in her eyes. ]

Then let's start there, shall we?

R–right...!

[ And off they go. It's definitely more towards the gothic lolita end that something more idol-y like sweet or hime lolita, but literally one glance at Rei will tell you which of those matches her preferred aesthetic better. ]

I've brought some things to trade... do you think it'll be enough?

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