48 [Text]

[flameandpassion]

I'm going out for a couple of hours.

I'll be back soon.


ooc: If you want to offline her by stumbling across her, she'll be at the edge of the Wastelands.

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[Offline]

[flameandpassion]

But... mm. It doesn't feel like nine months to me.

[Offline]

[feel-nevermore.livejournal.com]

Does it feel longer or shorter to you?

[To Raven, those three months here feel like years. So much has happened within such a short time frame.]

[Offline]

[flameandpassion]

Both, sometimes. It depends.

[Offline]

[feel-nevermore.livejournal.com]

I wonder... what was the worst event you had to go through since you arrived here?

[Offline]

[flameandpassion]

[Rei is silent at the question.

There have been so many terrible ones -- so many. There are obvious answers and not so obvious answers. The event where she and Hitsugaya were tricked into thinking they were together -- that threatened their entire friendship. The event where Usagi was apathetic, where she didn't care, where she gave up -- that was probably the worst, if Rei were being totally honest.

But there is one obvious answer, and Rei glances away.]

There was an event where we all received memories -- and we grew older or younger to match them. That was... probably the worst. A lot of people were hurt that week, because we weren't ready to deal with what happened.

[She had spent the first night of that event making sure Hitsugaya didn't bleed to death.]

[Offline]

[feel-nevermore.livejournal.com]

Memories of the future for example? [Raven's eyes widen a bit. This event sounds quite dreadful to her indeed. She's not sure yet that she can face hers.]

What do you mean people were hurt? There were fights then?

[Offline]

[flameandpassion]

... there was man, named Aizen Sousuke, from Toushirou's world. He was a powerful shinigami, very dangerous -- and that event pushed him to his future, where he lost control of his powers.

I was on my way to rescue Negi, who had lost control of his own powers. I ran into Aizen instead.

[Her tone is very neutral and level.]

[Offline]

[feel-nevermore.livejournal.com]

[That name... She heard it before. It's the name of the man who killed Killua.]

Did he... kill you?

[Offline]

[flameandpassion]

[They died during the same fight.]

Yes.

[Offline]

[feel-nevermore.livejournal.com]

Why?

[Offline]

[flameandpassion]

[Because she fought back. Because Usagi got involved. Because she was powerful.

And, the worst possibility, the one she will never, ever, ever voice, is because she is Hitsugaya's friend.]

Because I was there.

[Offline]

[feel-nevermore.livejournal.com]

You mean he would have killed just anyone who happened to be there?

[Offline]

[flameandpassion]

That's who he is.

[Quietly.]

[Offline]

[feel-nevermore.livejournal.com]

How long did he stay here?

[Offline]

[flameandpassion]

I don't know.

[And she refuses to have her ask Hitsugaya.]

He never came back to life after he was killed.

[Offline]

[feel-nevermore.livejournal.com]

But I thought... all people who died here came back. [She pales. So she'd been right. Horst could never have come back.]

The one who killed him, was it Hitsugaya?

[Offline]

[flameandpassion]

Sometimes the price is to be returned to your own world.

[She pauses, then.]

No.

[It was Ulquiorra Cifer and Urahara Kisuke. Without them, Hitsugaya would have been added to the list of the dead.]

[Offline]

[feel-nevermore.livejournal.com]

That's news to me. [Though whether good or bad she cannot say.]

...who did it? I must have been another shinigami, right?

[Offline]

[flameandpassion]

[Good in that Hitsugaya isn't dead. Bad in that he didn't get his revenge. Again.]

Urahara Kisuke and Ulquiorra Cifer.

[Offline]

[feel-nevermore.livejournal.com]

Mr Urahara... Is he a shinigami captain too? [Because it's less than obvious when you look at him.]

Don't take this wrong, I don't have anything against him, but... I wonder why Ulquiorra decided to side with the shinigami instead of siding with an ennemy of theirs. Isn't he... a hollow?

[Offline]

[flameandpassion]

I don't know what Urahara is. [Which is the truth -- Rei has no idea of his history.] And as for Ulquiorra, not everything is so black and white.

[Offline]

[feel-nevermore.livejournal.com]

I don't know any of them very well but... Actions speak louder than words as far as I'm concerned. So I won't judge Ulquiorra based on what he is.

[Offline]

[flameandpassion]

I would be dead without Ulquiorra.

[Very simply and to the point. Rei will defend him to the grave.]

And he won't judge you, either.

[Offline]

[feel-nevermore.livejournal.com]

...You mean he saved you again since that time. [Because this is kinda confusing, Rei.]

Ah. [Thanks for reminding her that you always see her demon half first when you see her.] I'll have to get to know him better before he can decide about that anyway.

[Offline]

[flameandpassion]

Ulquiorra was with me when we went into the Inner City. I would be dead without him. I trust him with my life, regardless of what he is.

[Rei doesn't judge anyone upon seeing them, but it's a healthy reminder that Raven is in no place to judge Ulquiorra based on what he is when Raven, Rei assumes, has the same exact problem he does.]

And he won't. He holds pretty much the same opinion of everyone when you first meet him unless you prove otherwise.

[aka most people aren't really worth it.]