moonlit vow.

And that fruit that Rachel had her eyes on was snagged. Kachina didn’t mean to take Rachel’s target, she just didn’t notice the blond soon enough. However, upon hearing her voice, when Kachina lands on her feet she turns to face her and smiles, “HEY!” It had been a bit since she had last seen Rachel. The last she saw was during the last event. The ones with the clones. This was a different one. AH, if only they could try and meet under better circumstances, right? “Rachel, how are you holding up?” It was only natural for Kachina to ask. She wanted to make sure Rachel had enough points to keep her on the safe side The more Rachel had the better it would be for her after all. 

            the other girl is jovial as always. it isn’t unwelcome in this situation, and rachel even finds herself feeling something akin to relief at the sight of a familiar face; though at the same time, what two girls their age could accomplish against the rest of the competition doesn’t seem promising at all to her.

there aren’t that many bullets, which means she can’t afford to waste a shot; but at the same time, there isn’t any room for caution, not when there’s countless others popping balloons without hesitation. she’d even seen someone with a machine gun run by—there isn’t any way she can compete with something like that.

she won’t give up, though. it’s exactly once she reaches that resolution, shoulders squared and about to take aim at what looks like a low-hanging fruit, that rachel recognizes the blur of white as a person. “ … kachina?”

in the immediate aftermath of the announcement, the crowd surges as if a single, inhuman force—and in the opposite direction, away from the white balloons, rachel pedals as hard as she can. by the time she manages to find a quiet spot ( everywhere, the balloons and desperate faces are everywhere ), sweat has beaded its way across her brow and she’s short of breath. despite being relatively unscathed, the flowers she’d been ferrying weren’t quite as lucky; several of the stems are bent now, and a frown passes across her features. “that won’t do… ” an attempt to press them back together, but even rachel herself can tell that the effort is futile.

for now, she should at least let her ‘boss’ know that the delivery won’t be made. taking a deep breath to still the trembling of her hands, rachel begins to text.

[To: A]

           [txt] Sorry. I accidentally broke the flowers.            [txt] I don’t think I can come back to the shop for a while. There’s something            happening in Golden Ward.

> HANDGUN OBTAINED.

❝Hm? How do ‘ya know my name..?❞ A face of genuine concern slowly turns into a look of confusion. The blonde girl did look a bit familiar, but he was perplexed as to how she was able to recall his exact name. It was quite obvious the blonde seemed to know him more than he knew of her…why was that? 

A faint image suddenly appeared in his mind as the young girl grabbed the knife from his hands. It was almost like her touch was able to trigger something deep within his (or someone else’s) memory. While the two stood in silence, he pictured the same blonde girl sitting by herself in a shop mending a dress. He then heard someone calling out to her. ‘𝐻𝑒𝓎, 𝑅𝒶 - ’ 

A sharp pain at the side of his head immediately snapped him out of his dazed state. He winced in pain as he held the right side of his head, but at least he was able to get something resembling a name. ❝Your name must be Rae…right?❞ 

           it’s as if her lungs are constricted when all she’s met with is blank unfamiliarity—not this again, whispers a voice in her head. it descends onto her with a heavy, prickling pressure, until she’s half-remembering that first encounter with zack. it’s the same; that same, terrible feeling of both wanting to run away yet wanting to shake him until whatever haze clouding his mind has fully evaporated.

but even to rachel herself, the source of this recognition isn’t completely clear. “ray,” she says out loud, then as an afterthought: “rachel gardner. that’s... my name.” words die in her throat in the moments that follow, until all that remains is a long pause while eyes trace circles against the ground. the unpleasant feeling isn’t going away in the slightest.

@deoath

      ❇ ❝ Dolls, huh… ❞ standing outside a shop’s window does the blonde peer into the store, looking at the many, handcrafted dolls sitting on display. Truthfully even as a young girl Penelo didn’t really have any dolls asides from a battered and old one or even some that she would make for other children on the street… But having a rather beautiful looking one; the kind that an aristocrat would have for all to gaze at… Well, she couldn’t say she wasn’t at least a little envious of how freely they could get them.

      ❝ I wonder how long it takes to make these ones? They seem really detailed… ❞

           perhaps from a distance, with flaxen locks falling neatly in place on either side of her face, a milky-white visage, and a near-unchanging expression, rachel herself could fit right in alongside the rows of dolls on display. truthfully, it’s a statement she’s heard on several occasions, though not once has she given it much thought.

“I was scared of your rejection, y’know? People usually are so mean to me…” He said in a fake sulky voice, until once again, his facade changed into a sneaky smile. “Nah, never mind, that was a lie too. What is normal anyways? Doing things like anyone else would gets boring fast, dont’cha think?”

Honestly, her reactions to his insult was weird… Did she seriously not get it, or did she try to provoke him back with that kind of answer? Whatever, she didn’t ‘win’ yet. 

“Oh, I dunno, did you try the children section yet?”

           a deadpan stare. this time, she’s ( somewhat more ) prepared for his reaction, and replies with a new conclusion: “you like to talk a lot.” saying things without meaning them, then retracting the words a split second later—it’s the complete opposite of rachel’s own, concise nature, but she doesn’t quite hate it. it helps fill the silence, she decides, and not in a bad way at all.

blonde locks sway slightly as her head is tilted, and the boy is fixed with a quizzical expression. “childrens’ books wouldn’t have that kind of answer i need. if it’s to learn about who to trust, i should look in the self-help or psychology sections, i think.”

@deoath​ ✘ liked for a starter

❝Hey, I think you dropped this.❞ Kirishima tapped the young blonde with his left index finger while holding the handle of a knife in his right hand. He was walking down the street when he noticed the object fall out of her bag when someone bumped into her. He was quite surprised to see such a young girl carry a knife, but he was sure she had her reasons to do so. Curiosity overtook him, though, and he was intrigued enough to ask her about the weapon she kept in her bag.

❝What’re you doing with a knife, anyway?❞

           it’s the sound of his voice that first triggers memory; and when she turns to face the speaker fully, the thoughts of a stranger ( one wearing the same face, but one who isn’t her ) overwhelm her entirely. there’s a sewing machine; no, several of them, and apple juice, math problems, everything. it all rises to the forefront of her mind as a surprised gasp is uttered, followed by a name: “kirishima?”

rachel’s shock prevents her from immediately noticing the item in his hands. instead, she realizes what she’s said to essentially a stranger, and quickly takes a step backward. “oh. sorry, i mean... ” they haven’t met before, after all. these memories are the other rachel’s.

“Your face is gonna get stuck like that if you keep pouting.” The older girl looks amused by her junior’s pouting. “You’ll grow in your own time, so don’t overdo it.” She polishes the apple on her shirt before taking a generous bite, relishing in the subsequent crunch. Fresh fruit always helps to lift her spirits; it’s a shame she didn’t get hooked on that, instead. Maybe Rachel still has a chance in that regard.

“It means you’re smart.” Ryuko knocks her knuckles against her own forehead. “Your brain’s so big, it makes your head rounder. Like an egg – get it?” Her expression softens fondly. “It’s not a bad thing. Being smart is gonna save you from a lot of heartache.”

           the threat doesn’t do much to alleviate the look on her face; if nothing, it only makes lips twist into a deeper scowl. “no, it won’t.” this, at least, she knows is a lie. there’s a pause that follows, and she seems to muster her willpower—then her face is stretched into a grotesque attempt at smiling, though it honestly comes out as more of a grimace. when she speaks, it’s with some effort while still holding the expression. “ ... ish dis bettah, ryuko?”

He took a glance at Rachel’s answer and returned the smile she presented him with. ❝You got it! If you’re able to do this problem then I’m sure you can do the rest with ease, especially since this was one of the harder problems.❞ He then disappeared into the back room for a second, returning with two bottles of apple juice. Luckily his mother had invested in a small fridge to keep in the back to hold some drinks and snacks. Gently tossing one of the bottles to Rachel before opening his own, Kirishima continued talking to her. ❝You can try doing the rest at home and contact me if you have any issues!❞

❝Speaking of home…❞ He began, taking a slight pause in between his thoughts. ❝How’s your brother doing?❞ He never really conversed with the guy, only bumping into him occasionally when he would wait for Rachel outside of the shop. To be quite frank, her brother scared him— possibly due to his overprotective nature. But despite his intimidating personality, Kirishima knew Rachel was in good hands with his care.

           a grateful smile is turned upwards, and she neatly catches the apple juice before nodding; though the expression on her face is far from bright, it’s as close as rachel ever really gets. “thank you, kirishima. i’ll do my best.” she says those words far too often—it gets to the point where she’s afraid that they’ll lose their meaning, given how much she really does owe him and his family.

too bad she can’t say the same about her family’s relationship with him. from the start, zack had been wary of the flame-haired boy ( as he is with nearly anyone close to her ), to the point of nearly playing some mean pranks a few times. thankfully, she’d been able to convince him to back off, but that hadn’t changed his tendency to shoot glares and glowers in kirishima’s direction whenever possible.

“Thanks, just make sure it won’t happen again, kay?” the prankster said in a lecturing tone in his voice, but couldn’t keep that facade up for long. How that girl fell super easily for his lie was almost sad. Really, teasing people like that wasn’t all that fun, or at least that’s the excuse he told himself to leave her off the hook.

“Nee-heehee, actually, I was just messing with you! Sowwy about t haat… Buuut you’re super naive, how did you even survive that long around here?” Even though he did admit that the book wasn’t ‘reserved’ for him, he still had no intentions of handing it back to her. “Maybe you better pick up a book that teaches you to be more careful with who to trust and stuff, just as an advice from little ol’ me!~”

           even his confession is met with confusion; although it isn’t that rachel doesn’t understand that she’s being messed with, there’s a more pressing question that spills forth: “what was the point of that?” a tilt of her head is followed by a blank stare. “you could have asked normally if you wanted the book... or you didn’t have to tell me at all that you were lying. i don’t get it.”

Was he hungry. Not really, in all honesty, although he’d never turn down food when presented to him. He just did what he did when he first resurfaced from the Shrine, which was to try everything that seemed at least semi-edible. Plants? Generally were, there’s never been a case where he consumed something that would potentially kill him. This place seems to be different, however. The Sheikah Slate provides no new information on these items, so he’s pretty in the dark where this is concerned. “No, I wasn’t…” He rubs the back of his neck, shifting his gaze to anything but her own, “I was trying it.”

Mistletoe, though. He’ll know better next time, but he’s thankful she was here to stop him before he finished it off. “Is it a tradition?” Not one he wants to take part in, to be frank. “I won’t eat more. Thank you.”

           this person is odd, but not in a bad way—it almost reminds her of zack, how his first thought had been so simplistic. no one else she knows would put something unknown in their mouth just to ‘try it.’ that alone endears the stranger to her, and rachel resolves to try a bit harder to talk to others for once: right now, the attempt is through mustering a ( strained, almost painful-looking ) smile.

     “That I do. I’m afraid I.. don’t exactly know how to use it, though..” He’s only had a simple flip-phone, after all, for necessity and nothing else. “I think I know how to text someone, but this.. ‘touch screen’ confuses me..” And it’s the genuine truth he’s telling. Still, he gives a small smile at Rachel’s question ( the twitch of the corner of his mouth hopefully barely noticeable ). “I think I’ll manage, though, how difficult could a simple phone even be?” Very, actually.

                  But that aside -

      “Rachel… may I ask you something?” Danny’s expression softens, the smile gone. “If you don’t mind telling me.. how come you’re so wary of me?”

           as always, rachel’s reply is straightforward ( though somewhat unhelpful ). “you touch the screen.” at least she takes out her own phone to demonstrate, first scrolling through the contacts, tapping on danny’s name, and showing him where the ‘text’ icon is. rachel’s lucky that one of the others she’d met on the island had shown her how to use it—just like the doctor, she’d also been at a loss initially. this kind of technology hadn’t been something her family could afford, let alone for her. “like that. it’s faster than the old one you used to have.”

It’s a reaction Kachina was actually expecting. She’s been around long enough, after all. Still, she greets with the same smile and the same familiarity, “I’m Kachina! Nice to meet ya!” She waves her hand in a friendly gesture. “You’re Rachel, right?” Again, they had met briefly, but it was a name that Kachina could remember. She’s usually good with names and faces, anyways. “You don’t know me, but I know you. Or of you.” It’s always good to explain what goes on right? That way there’s no confusion. She did the same thing with Majima Goro. 

           no matter how many times she’s greeted in such a fashion, rachel knows she won’t get used to it; dealing with energetic people like this really isn’t her forte. “oh,” is the initial reaction after being called by name—just as she’s about to reiterate her earlier statement, though, an explanation arrives.