where Michiru compared Rei and Usagi's relationship to her and Haruka's relationship.
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Vessels of Fate;
Blood of the Mountains
By Monikku
Chapter 7(a)
"Even with my friends, I cannot seem to control my heart; its writhing, it's
tidaling over me. IwanttobehappyIwanttobehappyIwanttobehappy. Why am I so
miserable? Why is my heart so unbearably gaping and gushing its lifeblood?
Makeitstopmakeitstopmakeitstop." Rei clasped her hands in her lap as she closed
her eyes. All around her, her friends were laughing, bursting with joy at the
comfort and familiarity of the company they kept with one another.
Rei closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and exhaled while brushing a hand through her hair. The young girl opened her eyes to find herself sandwiched between Hotaru and Chibi-Usa on the couch she sat. The two girls were eyeing her quite studiously, making the miko mildly uncomfortable.
Finally, one of the girls spoke, "You have beautiful hair, Rei-san." there was a short pause, "You'd be a really good candidate for a pretty girl soldier tv show." Hotaru spoke addressing Rei, though the comment was meant primarily for Chibi-Usa. "Yeah, she would." Rei looked at the girls with a bit of confusion. Picking up on Rei's confusion, Chibi-Usa explained, "Hotaru-chan and I were watching Sailor V and wondered what it would be like if they made a show about us!" Minako, walking towards the three girls on the couch, rolled her eyes and sighed exasperatedly, "Gah, I hate that show. That actress looks nothing like me and they always make it so ecchi. I understand the concept of fanboys, but so much service? I'm much more sophisticated than that."
"You? Sophisticated?" there was a shriek of laughter emitted behind the girls, as Usagi doubled over.
Minako whipped around to glare at Usagi, "I'm way more sophisticated than the likes of you, Usagi-chan! You trip over your own feet and always act like such a child."
"Yeah, she does." Chibi-Usa confirmed.
"Nobody asked you, traitor!" Usagi yelled in mock-annoyance.
Haruka stepped to Usagi's side and rest a hand on the girl's shoulder, "My koneko-chan has a warm, glowing heart. What's more sophisticated than that?"
Usagi blushed slightly, one could not tell if it was Haruka's proximity,
the compliment, or perhaps a mixture of the two.
Rei suddenly felt a sharp piercing sensation just above her eyes, as though
the motion of Haruka's hand pulled a string connected directly to her brain.
Rei's brow creased as she rubbed her forehead.
Haruka leaned into Usagi and whispered something into the young woman's
ear, making her slight blush darken immensely. Haruka straightened her posture,
"I should go help Michiru in the kitchen."
"Ah, Haruka-san is like a pop idol even amongst her friends," Minako sighed dreamily as she watched the young racer walk towards the kitchen.
With the warmth in her cheeks progressively lessening, Usagi finally found the courage to slowly pry her eyes from their starings at the floor. As her gaze gradually traveled upwards, it landed directly onto Rei. Seeing the expression of pain on Rei's face, she was abruptly overcome with worry.
Though her eyes were closed, Rei could feel the weighty presence of Usagi's gaze upon her, as if Usagi, herself, were pressed tight against her. Rei found the immediacy stifling and needed to escape.
Rei quickly rose to her feet and mumbled something about needing air.
Minako wanted to follow the girl, but was halted by the engagement of Hotaru
and Chibi-Usa into conversation about Sailor V.
Usagi stared at the raven haired girl's back as she opened the double doors
which led to the Outer's yard. Usagi ignored the conversations going on about
her, pondering the advice she had gotten earlier from Mamoru. "Should I wait
for Rei to approach me?" She asked herself this as she already began her
descent to the back of the house. Usagi knew well the impatience in her heart.
She could never sit and watch quietly as a friend so obviously suffered.
As Usagi stepped out the double doors, she stopped momentarily to watch Rei. Rei's arms hung limply at her sides while she stared up at the iridescent blue sky. Rei was trembling, even in the suffocating heat of the summer's afternoon. Rei looked so distant to Usagi, but something about her seemed wholly vulnerable.
Usagi began to close the distance between the two girls as Rei Spoke,
"Usagi, leave me alo..." before Rei could finish her protests to Usagi's
company... Usagi had wrapped her arms around the miko's waist and pressed her
body into Rei's back, holding the young woman from behind.
It was as if all oxygen on the planet had vanished before Rei's grasping lungs.
o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o
Michiru was arranging tea biscuits on a hand painted, European serving platter when she felt warm arms wind around her waist, pulling her into the embrace of a heated and inviting body. Michiru felt Haruka's face lean into her neck, inhaling deeply of her scent. Michiru tilted her head back and closed her eyes, accepting Haruka's invitation easily, wantingly. Haruka lightly nipped at Michiru's neck, leaving the barest sensation of teeth against her skin. "I love you," Michiru intoned in a faint whisper. At any other time, Haruka would have felt the inclination to make a joke, but at that moment, she basked in the intimacy and meaning of Michiru's declaration. "I love you, too." Haruka responded.
The entire afternoon, Haruka watched as her lover played the hostess to their friends. She knew how Michiru adored every moment, every compliment on tea, plates, silverware, furniture, atmosphere. She watched Michiru come alive, and found her glow ravishing. The weight of Haruka's adoration felt a thousand tons ready to burst.
"You'll make the perfect wife," Haruka spoke into Michiru's ear, tickling Michiru with the warmth of her breath.
"And who will my perfect husband be?" Michiru's words sang with a glimmer of laughter.
"A businessman, perhaps?" Haruka responded in kind, pulling Michiru closer to her, "though, he may never appreciate your wiles." Haruka paused, faking deep concern, "Maybe an artist or musician; someone creative."
"Mmm," Michiru began, "far too temperamental. Our creative flows would inevitably clash."
"Creative flows," Haruka paused, giving her coming prod the proper impact, "Creative tangents sounds more apropos."
"Haruka!" Michiru exclaimed in mock annoyance.
"Oh, you know I adore your creativity!" Haruka's tone became far more lascivious than playful, "Mmm, especially last night."
Michiru broke from Haruka's embrace, and grasped at the plate of tea biscuits. She turned to look at Haruka, rolled her eyes, and sighed deeply before speaking, "Incorrigible!"
Haruka raised her hands, feigning innocence as Michiru lifted her head delicately, pulling herself out of their flirtatious game, cloaking herself in the grace she had come to be so recognised and revered for, and walked out of the kitchen. Haruka marveled as her luscious hips swayed deliciously.
Haruka straightened her shirt, then pulled a strand of Michiru's hair from her shoulder. She took a moment to study the silken, aqua marine thread before her. "I will be your perfect husband," Haruka thought as she lifted the strand level to her lips, and blew it off her fingertips.
o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o
Usagi stepped higher on her toes and whispered into the miko's ear, "You don't have to do it alone. Whatever it is, we can go through it together."
"stopitstopitstopitstopit." Rei's throat was too tight to speak the
pleadings in her heart.
"StopitstopitstopitstopitstopitstopitstopitUSAGIITISKILLINGME!"
Tears began to drizzle from the stoic girl's eyes, as quietly she began to cry. Usagi's grip on the girl tightened as she felt the shivers of sadness tremble Rei's body.
The thoughts in Rei's head trampled one another, seeking desperately the exit they desired, "Youaresounfair!Youaresounfair!" Rei began quietly to sob as a musical voice began to echo in the back of her mind, "Your relationship with Usagi is similar to mine and Haruka's."
"No, it's NOT!" Rei gasped through a sob.
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I hope you all enjoyed the first part of chapter seven. I tried to do some mirroring and comparison scenes with the contrasting relationships in an attempt to perhaps give the situations some depth? Something like that, I dunno. lol
The plot will begin to unfold very quickly from here on in (I hope), so hold on to your seats!
Any questions, comments, or volunteers for beta-readers or editors can email for reading!
Monikku.