InsaneJournal

Who: Rei and OPEN!
What: Attempting to find a place of tranquility in a city she doesn't know.
When: Slightly backdated to late afternoon of Dec. 30th
Where: A church
Rating: TBA depends on who comes!



This whole situation was a little difficult to swallow, but Rei was slowly adjusting. Having been thrown into the middle of a war wasn't bothering her. She was a soldier and was used to fighting. What she was having a harder time adjusting to was the fact she was in America and she was completely out of her element. She'd never really left Tokyo, and on the rare occasion she had, it was to visit a Shinto shrine somewhere in Japan. So to suddenly find herself in America was difficult. Then there was the fact she was able to sense everyone's aura, and it was stifling. There was so much pressing against her mind that it was hard to focus sometimes. It helped that she had her sacred fire, it lessened the burden on her mind. But the room she was in was not Hikawa Shrine any longer. The wards here were different, which should be expected given they were up against a different type of evil. But that wouldn't stop Rei from putting up her own wards and luck charms when she could.

But for now, she needed to get out of the complex and away from some of the more dominant auras around it. Even the good ones were oppressive if she concentrated too long. Inwardly, she wished one of the other priests or priestesses was here to show her some trick to better clear her mind, but none of them had her gift, her heightened sense. This gift had a tendency to be a curse, though. It was the curse of awareness, of always knowing who or what was around her. She could use the sense to track people down, able to pinpoint a location if she focused in on one. However she was not tracking someone now, she was simply searching for a church or a cemetery where she could sit for a while and just focus herself. There was something peaceful about both that she liked. Rei wasn't the type to hang out in cemeteries or even be in one after the sun set, but sometimes she liked to walk through one during the day. In Tokyo, she frequented her mother's grave, taking flowers on the anniversary of her mother's death. Other times she'd simply go there to pray and meditate, able to not feel so alone for a little while.

After clothing herself appropriately for the weather outside, she headed out, glancing at both Minako's and Serenity's doors on her way, not wanting to run into either of them right now. She had no patience for Serenity and no doubt Minako would freak out at her going somewhere alone. Even though she was only fourteen, Rei could take care of herself, and she could sense if danger was going to approach her, so she could never be truly ambushed. Making her way out of the complex, Rei stood on the sidewalk outside, looking up and down the road, wondering which way she should go. It was a little daunting, but she figured no matter which way she went, sooner or later she'd find what she was looking for. Finally deciding on going right, she walked along, keeping her mind as clear as possible. However, she also kept it sharp to sense any approaching threat while she was walking.

Eventually, she came upon a church. She stopped and looked at the sign, taking a few extra moments to translate it into Japanese. A Christian church of some denomination. Even though she wasn't Christian herself, she always found peace in churches, so she walked up to the door, pulled it open and stepped inside. It was quiet inside, no one else around that she could see. She glanced around, taking in the art and architecture. The Western world had a far different viewpoint in both aspects, but she could respect both. She walked up the main aisle, then walked over to a statue to one side of the main altar. She lit a match, then lit a candle before she knelt down, closed her eyes, and began praying. She started going through her prayer and meditation rituals in hopes of them helping her calm down.