(Untitled)

[stop_it_tewi]

Characters: hop_toit_udonge and stop_it_tewi
What: Eirin wants to have a little 'chat' with Reisen...
When: January 12th, sometime in the afternoon
Where: Eirin's house
Warnings: Domestic violence

Comments

[hop_toit_udonge]

"In here," came the voice of Reisen's master, cold and direct.

The voice originated from the living room, where Eirin sat alone in a chair, illuminated by the glow of the fireplace. Her expression was... stoic. It was a rock upon which a face had been chiseled finely. The woman there was obviously weighted with deeper thoughts, emotions, and concerns than Reisen could probably imagine. Any evidence that she had shed a single tear over the situation was gone.

[stop_it_tewi]

Reisen silently entered the living room. The moon rabbit's stance was entirely submissive and apologetic... especially now, finally in Eirin's presence after their talk over the phone, she couldn't help but shiver a little.

"... I'm sorry..." she mumbled, turning her eyes to the floor.

[hop_toit_udonge]

"Explain to me, Reisen... just how do you feel about myself and Kaguya? Spare no details... I know there are many thoughts there," She spoke calmly but still with that same frigid and purposeful air. It was a dark connotation... and she still did not turn to face her apprentice.

[stop_it_tewi]

"A-ah..."

Reisen took a step back... there was some fear starting to rise up inside of her. She wanted to just run, but then what...?

"I... t-that's... I-I care about you both..."

That was true. Even if Kaguya didn't seem to care about her that much, Reisen herself did care about the princess somewhat...

... perhaps not as much as she did for Eirin, though. Unfortunately, she knew she couldn't just leave it there. Eirin expected more explanations from the rabbit...

The rabbit took a good ten seconds to gather what she had to say next.

"I... I never really thought much about it... until recently, but... I... I'm... jealous of Hime-sama... when you..." she trailed off, glancing away, "... when you just became dead to the world... I felt abandoned..."

[hop_toit_udonge]

"Speak up. Do not stutter and speak with conviction. This is your truth, Inaba, show some pride in it," came a quick and brutal response from Eirin. It was like the slapping of a ruler on a student's fingertips, or the swift smack of the paddle against the palm in warning.

[stop_it_tewi]

There it was again... being called 'Inaba'. It hurt each time Eirin called her that.

"A-ah..."

There was nothing here she was saying that she had to be proud of. This wasn't something she wanted to be saying at all.

"I... I... felt abandoned..."

[hop_toit_udonge]

Eirin finally, and slowly, stood from her chair. She crossed her hands behind her back, her stance as firm and commanding as any military leader. It was a side of Eirin that the rabbit may not have seen in ages... but it was not unknown. And she began a deliberately paced walk towards the girl.

"You felt abandoned... because for a fleeting moment in the four decades we have spent together, I was not there to coddle you."

[stop_it_tewi]

Reisen took another step back, unconsciously tensing as Eirin started towards her.

"T-that's..." the moon rabbit took in a sharp breath, shivering a little, "... but you did, though... you really did... you just shut everything away."

That was right... Eirin had shown more weakness than Reisen had during that time. Getting drunk and spilling her problems over the phone a single day definitely seemed less weak than falling into a catatonic stupor for over a week. For some reason, that thought gave her a momentary surge of strength.

"But even if I felt miserable, I still took care of you."

[hop_toit_udonge]

"And yet you still held resentment towards Kaguya. You lost sight of your place in our household. You assumed that you were somehow less important because you were not the one causing my distress? What sort of twisted logic have I allowed you to develop, Inaba?" Eirin spoke each word as if injecting a needle full of poison.

"You ungrateful child..."

[stop_it_tewi]

"That's... no..."

Reisen took another step back, but there was a rare hint of defiance in the moon rabbit's expression. What Eirin was saying... it didn't make sense, in light of what she really felt.

"I... I wasn't going to say anything," she said, "I just... so I slipped up, but it was just a day... I wasn't myself, I just... felt so lost, suddenly, because you were gone for so long."

She couldn't help but wonder what would happen if it was Kaguya in her place, saying things about the moon rabbit. Eirin would have probably just laughed it off, if that was the case... maybe chided her a little. Certainly nothing like this...

Though, if it had been Reisen that had been droned instead, Eirin probably wouldn't have had nearly as severe a reaction. What was four decades compared to a millenia?

"... I'm sorry. I really am."

But...

"But you... you don't understand what it was like for me... to watch the person I respect and love the most fall like that..."

[hop_toit_udonge]

"Selfish... arrogant... I've spoiled you, Inaba. That much is apparent," Eirin's words were a deceptive calm that betrayed no glimpse of the turmoil behind them. "You claim I don't understand? Where did you get such a swollen mind? It's disgusting... Your presumptuous ways and resentment will earn you no place in my heart, Inaba..."

Eirin swiftly raised her hand, and with far more power than was likely necessary, she aimed to swipe at Reisen's face. It was hardly the worst she had in store...

[stop_it_tewi]

As Eirin kept talking, a strange sensation was dawning over Reisen... everything that was being said... it made no sense to her. Why was she saying these things...? It hurt, that Eirin kept talking like this, but

[hop_toit_udonge]

Eirin wanted to wring the rabbit's neck. Her anger coursed like a violent river. She felt betrayed. She felt like nothing she had done for Reisen mattered anymore. In the twisted world that was the Inner Eirin, she felt alone again

[stop_it_tewi]

"... I promised you that I would remain strong, no matter what..."

Reisen just stood there, looking ready to accept the next pain that Eirin was about to inflict.

"... so... if I'm going to keep that promise... I can't stay with you..."

Eirin's fist came... and the image of Reisen faded away as the punch struck nothing but empty air. The sound of the front door opening became audible, as the moon rabbit left the premises.

[hop_toit_udonge]

How true those words were would be, for that moment, lost on Eirin. But with Reisen's hearing, she could likely hear the sounds left behind in that house. The sound of a woman crying... and calling out the name of the only person who she felt could end her madness...

"Kaguya... Kaguya... Kaguya..."