five -- ceremonials

[exorcistinbloom]

Who: Shiemi Moriyama and YOU.
When: After the Station Master meeting.
Where: Mostly around the Villa.
Style: Whatever works for you!
Status: Open

[ To say that Shiemi was feeling sick after finding out about what was going to happen in the future would be an understatement.

Between the news of their possible extermination and the fact that this was all going to be over soon, the young woman's been a mix of emotions; scared, anxious, worried, happy, sad... she's gone through the whole spectrum in her confusion so many times that she's not sure what to think or feel. And it scares her, too...

What's going to happen to them? It's that fear that worries her to no end, especially since she's painfully aware of how useless she is without Nii-chan... was there anything she could do? What if she was nothing more than a burden at this point?

Perhaps she was thinking over it too much, but...

Either way... their adventure was going to end, right? Despite being so scared, Shiemi's taking it upon herself to wander around the Villa. Looking to say words that were left unsaid, or perhaps hoping that the knot in her stomach would come undone... even she doesn't know why she's doing this.

But it's better than doing nothing at all. ]

Comments

[keepsthefire]

[Rin had already had an emotional roller coaster of a day, and he held more than his fair share of worries and fears about what was going to happen. But he had to go home eventually, even if the only idea on his mind right then was to drop in to bed for a few hours of sleep.

Entering the Villa, having no idea what Shiemi was up to, he kicked off his shoes at the entrance and put them in the cubby shelf that was inside the foyer, calling out more out of habit than any needed reason.]

I'm home...

[exorcistinbloom]

Ah... Rin?

[ Shiemi blinks as she wanders over towards the foyer; she's still looking slightly faint, but at least she doesn't look like she's going to fall over now that she's had some time to walk around and breathe. ]

Did you just come back from something...?

[ She's still out of it enough that she hadn't noticed that he'd left earlier... ]

[keepsthefire]

... y-yeah. I was with... with my family.

[Including Night.]

Is something wrong? ... b... besides the obvious, I mean.

[exorcistinbloom]

... not really. Other that, well... the obvious.

[ Tension doth hang in the air like heavy curtains, yo. ]

It's... I've been skittish ever since I heard about it.

[keepsthefire]

I don't blame you...

[He lets out a nervous laugh, rubbing the back of his head]

I... I know I need to go home eventually... a-and I know it's selfish but--... fuck. I don't wanna leave! I wanna die even less but if the other option is leavin' Maka and Kid--!

[The outburst quiets as quickly as it starts, a shaking hand dragging down his face]

Sorry...

[exorcistinbloom]

Well... I know I don't want to die either, but...

[ Shiemi trails off quietly, pursing her lips into a frown as she thought. ]

Maybe we'll see them all again? Knowing us, we'll probably end up finding our way into their world...

[ Trying to be encouraging and hopeful here, yep yep... ]

[keepsthefire]

I'unno. I wanted to believe that but...

[He's just filled with doubt and worry and too many other emotions to properly deal with all at once.]

... this is seriously fucked up...

[exorcistinbloom]

Rin...

[ Shiemi doesn't say anything as she approaches Rin and pulls him into a tight hug. ]

I believe that we'll be okay. It... may seem difficult to believe now... even I'm not sure if I believe it myself, but...

We have to believe that this will end happily, right? What else is left if we don't...?

[keepsthefire]

[He has his doubts, and his doubts eat away at her words even as she says them, but he knows if he doesn't cling to some kind of hope then he'll just fall deeper until he can't do anything to help what's going to happen.

Swallowing hard, he returns the hug.]

Th... thanks. Sorry...

[exorcistinbloom]

... it's okay, Rin. You're not alone...

[ Shiemi sighs quietly, looking down at her hands as she continues to cling to Rin. ]

I'm scared, too. Scared of what might happen... I don't like it one bit...

[keepsthefire]

Whatever happens... whatever happens we're gonna stick together through all of this. Our friends from home, our friends here.

No one... no one gets left behind.

[exorcistinbloom]

Mm-hmm... there's so many amazing people that I've met here. And our friends from home, too...

I don't want anything to happen to them. I won't allow it, regardless of whether or not I have Nii-chan...

[ Wow, Shiemi, you're... looking kind of fierce there... ]

[keepsthefire]

Whoa...

[hello Shiemi where did this come from?

Rin doesn't really know what to say to that, too busy staring in surprise.]

[twintailedtamer]

[Izumo was back from her talk with Bon, and was heading up to her room when she saw-]

... Shiemi?

[... when had she started calling her by her given name? Oh right, it was back during that talk they'd had... But really, that wasn't important, was it? Something was up.

Izumo cleared her throat, and tried to get her friend's attention.]

You okay?

[exorcistinbloom]

Ah... Izumo-chan?

[ Shiemi blinks a few times before she realizes that she's being addressed; was she really that lost in thought?

There's a sheepish pause before she turns to face her, looking away nervously. ]

Not... not really. I guess it was pretty obvious...?

[twintailedtamer]

[Izumo nodded, and then said something she never would have said several months ago]

Well, come with me to my room. We can talk about it...?

[exorcistinbloom]

A-ah... sure. If it's not too much trouble for you...

[ Secretly, she appreciates it. Shiemi quietly follows Izumo to her room, her mind going back to the announcement... ]

[twintailedtamer]

[Izumo nodded, and led Shiemi up to her room. Once she was there, she motioned for Shiemi to sit down next to her]

Is this about the announcement?

[exorcistinbloom]

[ There's a slow nod from her as she sighed quietly, looking at her hands nervously. ]

It's just... well...

I'm... kind of glad because... this means we can go home, right? But... if we fail...

[ She looks like she;s about ready to either cry or be sick, she's not sure which. ]

... and I don't even have Nii-chan with me, either... I can't... do much else otherwise...

[pretend I have an icon of Izumo smiling]

[twintailedtamer]

... If they don't try to kill us, that is.

[Izumo was being blunt, but there was no use softening the blow for Shiemi. She had to know the reality]

... and I don't have my familiars, either. But you can't give up... I mean, where's that weed-like tenacity you're known for?

[and she smiles... yeah, it was an insult when she used it first, but this time, it was actually meant to be encouraging]

[ oh, Izumo... ]

[exorcistinbloom]

...

[ sob. Well, one could count on Izumo for being truthful, at least. Regardless of bluntness. Still, even with her encouragement Shiemi's hands wouldn't stop shaking. ]

I... I know. And I'm trying not to--! But...

I'm still... so scared... and so worried about everyone, too...

[twintailedtamer]

...

[she reached out, and took Shiemi's hand]

Look. I'm not the type of person who says we'll survive if we don't give up. We may not. That's a risk we decided to take when we became exorcists, right?

... but that doesn't mean we should give up, either. Doesn't a weed keep fighting up until the point you pull it out?

[exorcistinbloom]

[ There's a quiet sigh here, as Shiemi finally lets herself mull over Izumo's words for several moments. ]

Mm-hmm... I know. We fight to protect others, even if it's at cost to our own lives... right? And I know to keep fighting, too! Even weeds are still fighting until they're pulled out.

[ Her energy disappears once she's done, leaving her with a quiet sigh again. ]

I guess I'm still frightened because it's... really the first time I've been in this kind of battle without Nii-chan, though. I don't... want to be completely useless when the time comes...

[twintailedtamer]

[Izumo nods, slowly]

I hear you there... I need to find some way to contribute without my familiars...

... But at the same time, I guess... we should both find a way to settle everything with everyone before it all goes down, just in case. I mean, I don't want to frighten you, but it's being realistic, right?

[exorcistinbloom]

Y-yeah... you're right. There's still so much that I want to say, that I should do...

[ There's a sad smile here as Shiemi looks at Izumo seriously. ]

I'm... I'm glad you're here, too... because there was something I wanted to talk to you about, too.