Fourteeenth Summoning || Voice || With all these things that I've done

[knew_anyway]

[The feed clicks on, and there's nothing but soft breathing for a long moment, before John speaks slowly, painfully.]

...the blame for this event falls solely upon my shoulders. Miss Rei, for all of her involvement, was only following my instruction.

I- I'm sorry. I know that my words don't mean much now, but I'm sorry.

[His voice breaks.

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[Voice]

[marsfireignite]

I was not.

[knew_anyway]

...you wouldn't have been involved in this at all if it weren't for me- none of this would have happened.

[His voice is soft, a little hoarse.]

If I hadn't been here, none of this would have-

[marsfireignite]

Stop talking.

[It's kind of a half-hearted order. It sounds like Rei is walking.]

This was just as much my idea as yours. You aren't the only one who has to pay their dues.

[knew_anyway]

[He sighs, and is quiet for a moment.]

I can't force you to accept your noninvolvement, but I wish you'd reconsider. People are going to be- justifiably- angry.

[marsfireignite]

I understand what I'm going to lose.

[Rei had taken the brunt of the criticism. She gets it.]

[knew_anyway]

Rei.

[Even softer now, genuine, broken.]

I'm sorry.

[marsfireignite]

[She's resisting the urge to tell him to shut up, and succeeds, carefully tapping on his front door. She looks tired, pale, and completely defeated, but at least she's in one piece and in clothes that aren't soaked in her own blood.]

Open your door.

[And the feed ends.]

[knew_anyway]

[He eventually does- singed and bruised and quiet, his eyes looking up to her face for a moment before lowering to the floor.]

...you didn't have to come.

[marsfireignite]

[She watches him for a second or two before she steps forward to slide her arms around him in a gentle hug. It's not very tight -- she's exhausted and lost a lot of blood that she never bothered to get replenished.]

It's better than sitting at home and waiting for the eggshells people are walking on to crack.

[knew_anyway]

[He's quiet for a moment, before leaning into the embrace, his shoulders trembling.]

...I can't believe this happened.

[marsfireignite]

I can.

[She hasn't stopped shaking since she woke up from death but her voice is wondrously calm.]

That being was never meant to be seen.

[knew_anyway]

Everything-

[Months of preparation, of work, of building a reputation.]

-it means nothing. It's gone.

[marsfireignite]

Yeah, it is.

[She's trying not to think of her own standing in the city -- a year and a half of being one of the most trusted citizens in the city was now ruined. But she lets go of him to force a small smile, sliding into the house.]

Which is why we need to figure out how to rebuild the city.

[knew_anyway]

[He lets her enter, closing the door behind her.]

If anyone will let us.

[marsfireignite]

That's up to them -- but I'm not going to stop trying.

[She pauses before abruptly sinking onto his couch with a sigh, her head falling into her hands as she let herself try to relax for the first time in three days.]

No one is going to try and kill us, that's something, but the girls that died --

[Mami. Kyoko. Yuma.

Rei would happily stand the firing squad for what was done to them.]

[knew_anyway]

Why wouldn't they?

[Try to kill us, he means. They had no reason to not try.

He pauses at the mention of the girls, glancing away.]

...I don't know what I can do anymore.