lucetilogs | Happy Happy birthday!

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Happy Happy birthday!

Who: Close friends of Rei Hino's and one other guest
What: Birthday party surprise times!
When: April 17th
Where: Tsukino Shrine around 7pmish
Summary: Rei is getting a surprise birthday party!
Rating: PG

Helios had done all he could to make sure Rei was out long enough from the shrine to setup for what was indeed her birthday. With some help from her friends and close acquaintances Helios had decorated the shrine in some lights and lanterns for the occasion. It was nothing too outrageous because he knew Rei was a more subtle person, so the decorations are few but meaningful.

Birthdays are good for starting fresh, and spring is a time for letting go of the past and starting anew. The lanterns symbolize that but also help with the festivities. Even if its a small affair Helios puts a lot of hard work into it because of how helpful Rei has been these past few weeks. So to help ease out of the terrible feelings since the draft and to celebrate the birthday of a good friend Helios will invite whoever is close to the young woman.

((ooc; For the sake of not hurting my hands trying to juggle both a post and a log I'm just going to handwave Helios putting up the announcement over the journals to help set things up for Rei's party. If you're character is a close acquaintance/friend of Rei's they're more than welcome to stop by!))

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I know a few of them. [More than a few really, but they're people she's only lightly acquainted with. There are only a couple she's gotten closer to.]

Well you really should meet some of them. Nanasaki-san enjoys swimming as much as you do, perhaps you'd like a partner?

[This is Rei telling you to be social, Ami. Be ashamed.]

I'd like that, if she enjoys it.

[Read: Ami definitely won't be making the first move, aside from trying to notice who Nanasaki is and maybe introducing herself if the chance comes up.

Or getting Rei to introduce her.]

Then I'll introduce you.

[She knows that by now, but she does point out the other girl.]

[The quick smile this earns Rei is appreciative.]

Thank you, Rei-chan. I'd like to meet her if she's a friend of yours.

Well then, come on.

[Without another word, she takes Ami by the hand and leads her over to Ai.]

Ami-chan, I'd like you to meet Nanasaki Ai-san.

[Ami murmurs something politely appropriate, and somewhat privately takes stock of her new acquaintance - Rei's friend.]

I'm very pleased to meet you.

[Meanwhile, Ai had managed to refill her apple juice once again, eaten a few chocolates that she had found on one of the tables, and spoken to Max some. Now, though, she found herself quietly sipping the drink while leaning against the wall, enjoying the party atmosphere with a perpetual soft smile on her features.

When she saw someone heading her way, though, she curiously turned her head in their direction, noticing that it was Rei while also curiously taking note of the girl she was bringing with her as well. She had seen Ami around at the party, but hadn't quite spoken to her yet, so she bowed her head slightly when she was introduced.]

Oh, it is a pleasure to meet you too. [She then straightened her shoulders.] Thank you for helping set up this party for Hino-san... Everyone seems to be enjoying themselves. [The girl then flashed Rei a smile that she then directed towards Ami.]

[Rei smiles right back cheerfully.]

I know I am. Nanasaki-san, this is the girl I talked about. A friend from home. The one who swims.

Rei-chan and I were friends back home, too, so of course I wanted to wish her well on her birthday and be part of her celebration.

[It takes saying it for Ami to suddenly be hit by the realization: She's talking as if Rei is the Rei from her home. And in one part of herself, she thinks: and why not? But in another, she feels a little guilty towards her friends back in her world.]

I hope you're enjoying yourself as well, Nanasaki-san.

[Ai nodded her head as she listened; she had forgotten the fact that Ami wasn't just any friend of Rei's, but one from her version of Japan as well.]

I see... How did the you and Hino-san meet? [Upon reminded of that, she couldn't help but be curious, unaware of the apparent differences between their respective worlds.]

[She then gave a heartfelt smile.] I have. Everything is really nice. The decorations, the food, the atmosphere... [She was surprised with how much she was enjoying herself, really.]

[Remaining quiet, Rei sips at the drink she had, and starts to backstep away...slowly to not draw attention and detract from the conversation though.]

[How they'd met had actually been in a Dark Kingdom attack on Rei's shrine. Visitors had been trapped in the Dark Kingdom's subspace dimension, and Ami had broken a hole into that dimension to get them out, and Rei had become a senshi, their next comrade.

She supposes the small lie - evasion, really - won't matter...]

We met at Rei-chan's shrine, the Hikawa Shrine back home. A lot of people used to go there, especially for charms during exam times.

[A lot more peaceful description and version of what had actually happened, then, though Ai was too busy noticing Rei purposefully leaving their circle to really pick up anything, a slightly amused expression on her face even as she eventually looked back at Ami to answer her.]

Are you a shrine maiden like Rei, then? [A curious tilt of her head followed.] You probably also have magical powers like she does. Magic does not exist in the Earth that I come from, though. I was really surprised to see her use it for the first time.

[She took one more sip from her drink as she leaned back on the wall she had slouched on before.]

[And now...Rei's gone. Enjoy your new friend, Ami-chan!]

[She owes Rei one.

This is a thought she almost retracts the next moment, when her new acquaintance asks that. She doesn't want to lie, and it implies Rei's secret is already known - no, she'd said as a shrine maiden. She'd only meant Rei's spiritual powers, maybe. Still, what should Ami say?

The truth. Well, some of it.]

I've learned from Nala, a little, while I've been here.

[After one more entertained glance towards Rei, Ai then turned back to look and scrunch her brows a bit in Ami's direction with confusion.]

Nala?

[She then nodded back towards the birthday girl, now far away enough from both so that she wouldn't hear their conversation; in fact, she was probably talking with some other guest already.]

...Is this how Hino-san introduces people? [An amused smile played on the girl's lips as she inquired.]

[Ami's smile turns just a bit nervous.] Rei-chan probably thought it would be good to let us get to know each other on our own. [She personally highly disagrees. It's never been easy for her to meet new people comfortably.]

Nala is one of the spirits, the filial spirits. She has great healing power.

Ah, yes, that is right... I forgot the name. [Ai shook her head a bit as she recalled reading about the spirits in the guide. Perhaps as a result of not really discussing them with anyone before made some details about them slip her mind.] Being able to form a connection with a spirit is probably an exciting experience. [Personally, if she even had a predisposition towards magic, she would've been most interested in Sona among everyone else, if nothing else because she was the water spirit.]

But Hino-san told me that she had powers before Luceti... [She raised one of her brows as she held her gaze on Ami.] ...Is it something you would be uncomfortable talking about?

[Ami has more plausible evasive maneuvers left. She's clearly a bit flustered - she's not very good at lying like this, really - but the story holds together at least. Starting with choosing to believe they're both still talking only about Rei.]

No, of course not. She was a priestess back home, but even then her spiritual powers were rare. She's very devoted to her meditations and studies.

[Ami might've been saying "no", but her body language and apparent nervousness clearly pointed otherwise, and the continuous evasion of the actual question was not lost on Ai.

Her other query was answered, though, and Ami was clearly not comfortable talking about whatever she was hiding from her, so Ai dropped the matter, not wanting to pry or be too insistent. Perhaps, however, she would bring it up with Rei sometime, as she had been the person she had now known for much longer now and Ai was at least close enough to her to be invited to this gathering. Maybe she would tell her more.]

It seems like she does, yes. The fact that she had an actual shrine built in Luceti shows it, I think. [Even if she sometimes used it for things like setting up traps to bring other people closer together.] Most of the time it is a good thing to keep to your devotions even in this place.

It might sound strange, when I'm friends with Rei-chan, but I've never been very religious.

[Skepticism gets in the way a bit. But more to the point, she's never been good at faith. Not really.]

I am not religious myself, actually. But yes, being Hino-san's friend from your home world, I thought you would be... [Her voice trailed off as she awaited for some sort of indication as to whether Ami was willing to share more on the subject and whether she was as reluctant to do so as before. It would've been obvious that she was curious.]

I wasn't really brought up with it. [Oh, she observes the same festivals and rituals that have become national and civic holidays, and she's helped Rei at the shrine of course, but it isn't something she's delved into too deeply.]

I was not brought up with it either, so I guess that would explain it.

[Who knows what she would've felt if she was, but she hadn't concerned herself with religion that much in her life herself, even if she was still curious about some things regarding it. And she was, especially here, with them even being otherworldly most of the time.

Realizing that she would not get a lot out of Ami on these matters though, she decided to switch the topic as she looked at the girl curiously.]

Hino-san mentioned that you swim...

Happy Happy birthday!

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