oo5 ♇ quest ( video )

[courageousrider]

[The video cuts on early in the morning in front of the make-shift shrine to Pluto she's been putting up. She's quiet a moment, kneeling, before moving to stand.]

[It's been a while for her that she's been up.]

December 17th, I never thought I'd see this day again... I guess I can count this one.

[Glancing at the PCD, she gives a soft smile.]

So...

Comments

[buntails]

Count me in for helping with the party! I promised him we'd all make it special.

[And then her face falls to become more serious, because while true, this is not the most important part.]

Happy Birthday. It sounds like... something happened back home for you, is that right?

[courageousrider]

He's so young, I think he deserves it. [Wanely.] Let's make it as great as we can.

[Oh. Hazel's smile wavers and she nods, solemn but undeterred.]

A while ago, but thank you.

[buntails]

You were talking as if... that was what you didn't think you'd see again: your birthday.

[video//private]]

[courageousrider]

[Oh. Usagi. She smiles weakly and contemplates. After a moment she switches the feed to private. She figured it out, even if Hazel had been a little blatant.]

...I turned thirteen seventy years ago.

[video//private]]

[buntails]

[That's-

Not impossible. Not here. Not even in Usagi's world. Evidently, not in Hazel's world, either.]

Hazel... I'm sorry!

It must seem cruel to have a new chance, but have it be here.

[video//private]

[courageousrider]

[She shakes her head, batting off the urge to cry because hey, she told someone. It was a relief.]

It's alright. Nico... He brought me back so I'd have a chance at elysium, it was the best he could do.

[video//private]

[buntails]

[Usagi's far too much of a crybaby not to recognize the threat of tears.]

Hazel... I think you're really strong. [Her smile is still concerned, but encouraging.] And... I'm glad he was able to do that much. Because I'm glad we've been able to meet.

[video//private]

[courageousrider]

[That's the second person in a week who's called her strong. It's strange to her.]

[Tucking a strand back behind her ear she bit her lip.]

I'm glad we could meet, too, even if none of us really should have been able to.

[video//private]

[buntails]

Rei-chan... always says everything happens for a reason. Even if we wouldn't have met back home, there's a meaning to our meetings now. I believe that.

[video//private]

[courageousrider]

Maybe, but it's still weird. I don't mind being here, but none of us really belong here.

[video//private]

[buntails]

I don't want to be here. [It's taken a long time to be able to admit that so bluntly.] I want to go home, where I belong.

But I don't want to leave behind the people I've met here.

[video//private]

[courageousrider]

I understand, really. [She gives a weak smile. She understands better than anyone. Losing Sammy and her mother... And then going to camp and making friends...Knowing she'd be sent back to the Underworld eventually.]

[But she gives a smile.]

We belong elsewhere. We always will. Let's just have fun while we can.

[video//private]

[buntails]

Maybe it's not really that complicated. Maybe we belong where we decide to think of ourselves as belonging. Even though being here isn't forever, maybe right now we can belong. A little.

[video//private]

[courageousrider]

Belonging with people and being where you're meant to be... That's different. [A wane smile.] You can care about people as much as you want, but you're not really supposed to be in that place. Destiny has other thoughts.

[video//private]

[buntails]

But... Can you really be sure which one is destiny? [She thinks she knows. She knows her future, and surely that's the future that was meant to come about.

Except.. she also knows how fragile it is. It can change.]

[video//private]

[courageousrider]

This place shouldn't exist. The path laid out for us is already decided, isn't it? [She frowns.] At least it is in my world.