[hr][img]https://i.imgur.com/8mKDpEy.png[/img]

[center][color=fff79a]"Something something, blood and stones."[/color][/center]

[hr]

It was another club meeting day, and Haruna had been given a lot of things to think about, and a lot of questions to ask. Questions that could likely only be answered by the mysterious president of the Detention Club, the Demon of Hibusa, and theoretically her former partner. So, she went to find her, figuring she would probably be observing nearby, unless today was a day she deigned to make a proper appearance.

Nope, it seemed like she was observing nearby. And by observing, Rei seemed like she was trying to duck out of the school before anyone noticed her. She looked side to side before crossing any intersections and had made her way past some lockers and almost out of the school proper. Then she shrugged, looked over her shoulder, and finally turned to face the girl that was looking for her. 

[color=2e8b57]"Haruna."[/color] Her hands were shoved inside the pockets of her jacket. [color=2e8b57]"You’re going to miss the meeting if you don’t hurry."[/color] 

[color=fff79a]"I’m not the club president,"[/color] the light girl pointedly replied. [color=fff79a]"It’ll be okay if I miss a little bit. I try to keep up with everyone outside of club, so they can just fill me in on everything I’m missing later."[/color] Her shoulders shifted in a gesture that only made it halfway to becoming a shrug. [color=fff79a]"I just wanted to talk to you a little, I guess, since we’ve only spoken the one time, and we were theoretically partners for a little while."[/color]

[color=2e8b57]"Few things get resolved in a stuffy meeting room."[/color] She leaned against a locker, threw one leg over the other, and folded her arms. [color=2e8b57]"I was told to leave everything to those under me. They find interesting ways to solve problems, usually."[/color] Her grin grew a little bit. [color=2e8b57]"It’s interesting that you’re the only one that’s made an effort to track me down. Interesting things happen when I don’t attend meetings."[/color] She tipped her head. [color=2e8b57]"Mmmm, but you wanted to talk to me. I’m not in a rush to be anywhere."[/color] Though she did glance at the wall clock right after saying that.   

[color=fff79a]"If you do actually need to be somewhere, I don’t want to be the one who makes you late,"[/color] Haruna said. After hesitating for a moment, she continued. [color=fff79a]"It’d be bad if you missed a doctor’s appointment or something like that."[/color] Haruna paid close attention to her magical senses as she spoke; Rei was too inscrutable for her to reliably read her expressions, but it was harder to disguise the shifting of one’s desires behind the scenes.

Though Haruna’s powers were weaker when she was untransformed. Even Hizuki had difficulty getting much out of the enigmatic reaper, but she could sense that Rei did want to be somewhere. Though it was impossible to tell with what level of urgency, and there was an interest in what Haruna wanted to say. 

[color=2e8b57]"I can manage my time."[/color] Rei stated. [color=2e8b57]"If I didn’t want to talk to you, I wouldn’t have stopped."[/color] 

[color=fff79a]"I appreciate it, regardless."[/color] She thought for a moment; there were a few things she wanted to ask about, each with its own varying degree of awkwardness and necessary tact. [color=fff79a]"Honestly, it’s hard to figure out where to start,"[/color] she admitted out loud. [color=fff79a]"There’s been a lot going on, and I don’t actually get very many chances to talk to you."[/color] She thought back to their last interaction, and to her credit, managed to avoid visibly blushing at the memory of being princess carried.

[color=2e8b57]"You said as much."[/color]

[color=fff79a]"I guess I could at least thank you again for saving me against that giga miseria. I’ve never seen anything like that before, and I don’t just mean the monster."[/color]

[color=2e8b57]"It was nothing."[/color] Rei didn’t move away from the locker. [color=2e8b57]"You were interesting, that’s all."[/color] 

[color=fff79a]"Ah."[/color] Haruna’s face clearly showed that she wanted to ask more about that, but wasn’t sure if it would be too awkward. [color=fff79a]"Um. . . anyway, I should also mention, I talked to one of the GEMs. It turns out the reason any of them showed up in Hibusa was to ask for your help, actually, and I think that we can stop the conflict here from escalating any further. According to her, all they wanted to do was ask about a light girl named Glorious."[/color]

[color=2e8b57]"I see."[/color] Rei didn’t look surprised. [color=2e8b57]"I’d be more inclined to believe them if they hadn’t tried to capture our mascot, ambush us when divided, or any of the other ways they’ve tried to get my attention."[/color] The corners of her lips twitched, then she shrugged her shoulders. [color=2e8b57]"Maybe the Rulekeeper would like to hear that. I was asked to leave it to her, so I won’t get involved."[/color]  

[color=fff79a]"That’s more or less what I said, but if we can get them to stop invading us, I’m willing to let them make a couple excuses."[/color] That, and she didn’t actually want to lose her friendship with Morganite, despite their divergent approaches to life and magical girl-dom. [color=fff79a]"I don’t suppose you’ve seen or heard of her? She’s got strawberry blonde hair, around my height, foreign looking and likes to dress punky. Apparently she disappeared around a year ago, the GEMs thought she was dead until they spotted her over the summer and she ran away. My guess is that she fell because of the car accident she was in, and supposedly she was headed in this direction."[/color]

[color=2e8b57]"I was in the City of Light for a time, but I didn’t get to know the light girls very well."[/color] She tipped her head until her neck cracked. [color=2e8b57]"I’m unfamiliar with how everyone looked in their normal forms. If it was before the GEMs had been founded, I’d guess that she was part of some lesser light girl team. The city of Light was not always so safe for light girls."[/color] 

[color=fff79a]"I figured as much."[/color] Haruna shrugged. Rei in the city of light was an interesting thought. In her head, the infamous Schrade had always haunted Hibusa Town. Plus, it occurred to her, it could lead to some answers for Nyxia if she inquired. [color=fff79a]"If you don’t mind me asking. . . why’d you leave? Was it because of that lack of safety?"[/color]

[color=2e8b57]"It got boring."[/color] Rei unfolded her arms and stretched. [color=2e8b57]"Most light girls are boring, and irritating. I got tired of hearing their redundant platitudes. It was all such a drag. My parents weren’t having much luck in the city, so it wasn’t hard to convince them to come back here."[/color]

[color=fff79a]"Am I really that different from the others?"[/color] Haruna asked. [color=fff79a]"I didn’t think I was all that distinct from them, except for wanting to give dark girls a chance I guess."[/color] Rei’s apparent interest in her, as much as she appreciated it, also confused Haruna. [color=fff79a]"I do most of the same stuff."[/color]

[color=2e8b57]"I don’t think many light girls would go as far as joining the Detention Club."[/color] Rei tipped her head side to side. [color=2e8b57]"There was another, but she left some time ago. She didn’t last as long as you did."[/color]

Haruna remembered Willow mentioning this girl, too. [color=fff79a]"What happened to her?" [i]I hope she’s alright.[/i] "Did she just not get along with the rest of the club?"[/color] 

Rei’s smile became just a bit more mischievous. She was expecting this question. [color=2e8b57]"The detention club has two simple rules; We don’t kill anything other than miseria and we don’t reveal ourselves to the outside world. Notice how there isn’t actually a rule protecting the club from itself."[/color] She tipped her head back. [color=2e8b57]"If you’re too annoying, someone can do what they want with you. Conversely, someone could beat them up if they get too out of line. We split everyone up into squads with who they seem to get along best with, but you may have noticed that not everyone likes everyone."[/color] She didn’t mention Nyxia’s name. She didn’t have to. [color=2e8b57]"I thought she would be interesting too, but even I’m wrong sometimes. She saw herself out once she realized she wasn’t a good fit."[/color] Somehow, Rei had managed to talk a lot without saying too much about the girl’s fate.

[color=fff79a]". . . You know, you and Kiyo have a decent amount in common."[/color] She wondered if Rei was concealing her own set of anxieties - like the one Willow had asked her to look into. [color=fff79a]"Like being able to ask if you need help with anything."[/color] She paused for a moment. [color=fff79a]"Not to put too fine a point on it, but most dark girls become that way for a reason. I know the ones behind some club members, like Nyxia, and it’s not really hard to guess that the rest came from some bad places, too."[/color] 

[color=2e8b57]"Most dark girls? Which ones don’t have a reason?"[/color]

Haruna scratched her head awkwardly. [color=fff79a]"I mean, I don’t really know. I didn’t mean to imply that anyone didn’t, sorry."[/color]

[color=2e8b57]"Ah."[/color] Rei nodded. An uncomfortable silence hung between them. Things were starting to feel awkward when Rei spoke again. [color=2e8b57]"I have no issue airing my grievances when necessary. The boss delegates their problems to the top. Earthshaker and Evil Eye are my left and right hands. If you make their lives easier, you are making my life easier. Most of the time."[/color]   

[color=fff79a]"Well, that’s good to hear, at least."[/color] She once again scratched her head as the question of whether to push harder on her intended line of inquiry was considered, shied away from out of embarrassment, and then ultimately pursued anyway. [color=fff79a]"Uh, sorry if this is a weird question and out of the blue, but, er. . . have you ever like, uh, liked a guy?"[/color] 

Rei was not an emotional person, but that got her eyes to bulge a bit. She dismissed her surprise with a blink and a shake of her head. Her smiling lips parted just enough to show her teeth. [color=2e8b57]"An interesting question. Is there a reason why you’re curious?"[/color] 

[color=fff79a]"W-well, I heard there was a guy you were close to once,"[/color] she stammered, [color=fff79a]"a-and it seemed kinda weird to picture you as being anything but all mysterious and solitary. Plus I kinda, um, wanted to know [sub]if you were [sub]the type who [sub]goes out with [sub]only guys.[/sub][/sub][/sub][/sub]"[/color] The light girl wanted to jump in a hole and never leave after admitting that part, and it showed on her face.

Rei lifted an eyebrow. [color=2e8b57]"I didn’t hear that last part."[/color] When it didn’t seem like Haruna was going to repeat herself, she shrugged her shoulders. [color=2e8b57]"You aren’t the first one to ask me about such things."[/color] Her face hardened. [color=2e8b57]"Given how possessive Willow is, and how particular Oros can be, it might be best to talk about this with them present."[/color]

Well, that was probably a pipe dream anyway. [color=fff79a]"I wasn’t really planning anything, you know, like that,"[/color] she said with a wave, trying not to sound too disappointed. [color=fff79a]"Sorry, is it a sore subject? I don’t mean to be rude, but you haven’t actually answered the question."[/color]

She tipped her head. Her smile had been receding as they spoke, but now she looked truly bored. [color=2e8b57]"True Dark Girls know the value of a mysterious past, and won’t share it easily. But I’m curious."[/color] She pushed her hands into her pockets and stood up. [color=2e8b57]"This guy I was close to, did he have a name?"[/color] 

[color=fff79a]"Kaito,"[/color] she said simply, quietly lamenting the dark girl’s apparent boredom.

[color=2e8b57]"Hmmmm…"[/color] She lifted a hand up to her chin and looked away. She was in thought far longer than she needed for any of the other questions Haruna put forth thus far. She ran her hand through her hair and refocused on Haruna. [color=2e8b57]"I don’t like a lot of people, but I don’t think anyone hated Kaito. Not sure why he bothered with me, honestly. Everyone liked him though, and he liked everyone in return."[/color] She stepped around Haruna, but didn’t look at her. Rei kept her arms folded as she looked out a window at the end of the hall. Haruna was expected to follow her. [color=2e8b57]"He invited everyone to do things with him. Wasn’t a pushy guy. I’d tell him no, then get curious and show up wherever he was. He was always surrounded by people."[/color] After Rei was at the window, she looked out. After satisfying her curiosity, she turned back to the light girl. [color=2e8b57]"I started to like him. He’s one of the reasons I wanted to come back here so bad. But we weren’t in a relationship. He could have had anyone. Never showed a lot of interest in romance. And none of us ever asked him. We knew we’d always be second to his sister."[/color]

[color=fff79a]That explains so much. "He sounds like a really good guy. Or, sounded, I guess."[/color] She felt a brief pang of sadness, despite not knowing him. It was never good to hear that someone kind was gone from the world. [color=fff79a]"Do you miss him? I don’t think I’ve ever heard you say that many words at once."[/color]

[color=2e8b57]"I don’t think you’ve asked anyone else that many questions."[/color] Rei started to walk away. [color=2e8b57]"That meeting must have started already. Maybe it’s over. Guess I’ll be off."[/color] 

[color=fff79a]"Oh, uh, okay."[/color] She glanced down for a moment. [color=fff79a]"Oh, um, seriously though, if you need help with anything, let me know. Not just club business. Alright?"[/color] But the only response she got was Rei waving over her shoulder.