Deerington Inbox

[incandescentfaith]

Hello, you've reached Rei Hino.
I'm sorry to have missed you.

Please leave a message and I'll contact you as I am able.

Comments

[incandescentfaith]

No? Why would it?

[She smiles, but it's muted.]

Max. I have a literal unborn star in my chest. I'm a god. I have power, and responsibility. I wasn't ever going to not have that double life. So I accepted it.

[mypartnerintime]

...

[Max sets a rather gentle smile in Rei's direction.]

For the record, I like Rei-the-short more than I like Mars-the-tall.

[It's true. She gets along with the human better than the martian.]

[incandescentfaith]

You just like being taller.

[Rei winks.]

I understand what you're trying to say though. Really. I'm not bothered by Mars. I'm just...it's who I am, in the same way that you are who you are.

[mypartnerintime]

[She laughs again.] I invoke my right to silence. [...It is nice being taller, though.]

And I guess I understand that. It's not like... like me and Mirror-Max. [She pauses. It's not a topic she wants to delve into. She looks Rei in the eyes.] You're a really good friend, Rei. Do you know that?

[incandescentfaith]

I do.

[Rei's smile softens, and she exhales a quick breath.]

I know that's probably an unexpected answer, but I know I'm a good friend. I've...tried hard to be good for the people here, though.

[mypartnerintime]

[One corner of Max's mouth picks up in a smile. That's a very Rei answer, isn't it? Well it's also the truth.]

Yeah. You were looking out for me. Even when I thought I was Mirror-Max. And what happened at the Glass with you and Chloe, I don't... I mean, I get it. I think.

[incandescentfaith]

[She's nothing if not confident.]

She wasn't in control over her own libido. I wasn't in control over my own actions, not completely. All the emotion swirling around that room? It was overwhelming, and strong emotions overload my extra sense...making me mirror them.

Nothing happened, though. We kissed. You don't have to worry about that with me, I don't want to date Chloe, or kiss her, or anything. She's nice, but I'm with Ouse. I am in love with her.

[In love with a ghost.]

That was totally the wrong icon lmao still getting used to my new ones

[mypartnerintime]

I haven't met Ouse. I'd like to.

[Someday. When Max feels okay enough to show her face in public again.]

Worry is the wrong word. Of course I don't worry about you and Chloe...

[Rei is a great person. Chloe is too.]

I guess I don't know what the right word is.

[incandescentfaith]

You can, one day.

[Ouse's not the most social. She's...strange...too. But mostly because of her power.]

And I understand. I'll be blunt: you got jealous, because I'm convinced that you have feelings for Chloe. And she returns them.

[mypartnerintime]

[One day she's going to have to dig further about Ouse. Heck, that day might even be today. But Rei cuts her off and...]

Uh.

[She rubs the back of her neck.]

I'm not jealous... [So convincing! She shakes her head, feeling like an idiot.] Jealous is the wrong word.

[incandescentfaith]

But I'm not wrong. You have feelings for her.

[Obviously.

Max, she can feel your emotions and she knows you're not being truthful. At least, not completely.]

[mypartnerintime]

[Curse this alien magic!

She shifts awkwardly.]

...Ugh.

[She punctuates that by grabbing a pillow on her bed and playfully flinging it in Rei's direction.

...But she didn't say no.]

[incandescentfaith]

[Rei ducks to the side, laughing slightly.]

I'm not sorry to call you out like this.

You make a great couple.

[mypartnerintime]

Is it that obvious? [Does the whole town know at this point? Max looks amused but also hella embarrassed.] We were. In Wonderland. It's different here.

[incandescentfaith]

I'm psychic. And Chloe's...really not good at not broadcasting her emotions like a megaphone.

[Yes. It's obvious.]

...But Wonderland?

[mypartnerintime]

Yeah. Wonderland. That's the place I came from before. Chloe was there too, for a year and... it was awesome. [The best year of her life.

She turns a questioning look on Rei.] But that's another time and place. I don't think she likes me here the way you think she does.

[incandescentfaith]

Wait. You were...like, Through the Looking Glass Wonderland...

[She actually needs a moment to mull that over...]

And what makes you say that?

[mypartnerintime]

Yeah. [Her questioning look turns into one of mild amusement.] It sounds crazy, but yes. Sometimes I wonder if it was all just some... loco hallucination. That's actually easier to believe. [But it was very much real. In a strange sense of the word, anyway.

She shrugs.] Anyway, here in Deerington it's... I dunno. It's a lot of things. She's not ready for a relationship, she's... uh, fooling around, I guess. [It's hard to hide how much that hurts.] She has a lot more friends here. Better friends... [She sighs and shrugs again.] God, it sounds like a humongous mess. I don't want to drag you into my dirty relationship laundry, Rei.

[incandescentfaith]

Max. I asked. If you aren't comfortable sharing, that's fine, but it's not imposing on me, in the slightest.

[she leans forward, reaching out to put a hand on top of Max's.]

So don't worry about me, if you need to vent.

[mypartnerintime]

[She seems caught between venting and not. She settles for something in the middle.]

I think February was enough venting already. I just dunno what to do about it all. I'm starting to feel like Wonderland was a one time deal, as far as Chloe and I go...

[It's really hard to admit that.]

Man, I don't even know if that's selfish to think that. Or selfless? Can it be both? [She huffs a humorless laugh.] Rei, you need to be ready to slap me the next time I go crazy like that.

[incandescentfaith]

It's both. Definitely.

[Really, it's fine, Max. Just relax.]

I will, though. I seriously worried you were possessed.

[mypartnerintime]

[She gives Rei a weak smile. Then she sighs, some of the tension leaving her.]

Tell me about it. Or, actually, don't, because I'm sick of talking about me. Tell me about Ouse.

[incandescentfaith]

Uh. Ouse is a bit of a complicated story, just so you know. A lot of it I can't tell because it's not my story to tell. But...

[Here it comes.]

She's a Miko that's from around the time of the Meiji Restoration. About the time America was finishing up it's civil war.

She's...very sweet. And not quite human.

[mypartnerintime]

[Max has a lot of questions right off the bat. And she's not hesitant to ask them.]

What's a Miko? And... not quite human?

[incandescentfaith]

I'm a Miko. It's the Japanese word for Shrine Maiden.

And Ouse's transcended humanity and become a spirit. She...really should have died, a long time ago. But she's got a duty to perform, so she stays.