After their session together, Mei waved her cousin goodbye so they could meet back at the Castle tomorrow, the same time as today. Gen stood behind, seeing as how her mother lived there, Mei decided to go speak with her parent, at their family bakery. Messing with her hair so she could throw some of the water out of the mop over her head from the shower she'd taken before leaving, the chill from the summer night moving sent chills over her exposed arms. Pulling down the sleeves of her hoodie to cover her arms, she walked down the concrete road leading to the entrance of the Capital, now right at the gate where those authorized could enter.
She remembered earlier in the morning when protestors would yell and scream for the safety of their nation, crying about how their Emperor had failed and lied to them. Despite her views on her place in this world, it was clear that rebellion in his Empire was something her uncle hadn't predicted, he couldn't be blamed for other people's destructive actions. They were just lucky that they had Madi as a substitute for when he was gone, but with her gone too, part of her worried that someone stupid would come in her place and reign chaos in that powerful position. Luckily enough for the Empire, who was in charge following her aunt and uncle's departure was Miller, their old friend from when they were all younger.
And also luckily for them, the protests had begun to stop along with reports of riots on local businesses, just as a way to punish those in charge. It always seemed so self-righteous, she could feel her stomach turning at the thought, that people like those existed, just those who lashed out whenever they didn't get what they wanted; it was always so insolent and childish. Then again, who was she to object about anything? In this world, unless you were chosen, it seemed, you were useless and thrown to the side until those chosen needed you, that was the truth she'd come to learn.
Back then, when she faced that Japanese pawn of Kuno's, she destroyed half of Vegas in the process, and though her cousin was on the verge of death, that was the only time she truly felt she did something useful for once in her life. That, and fighting Kuno himself, then again, that led to basically nothing, in the end. Of course, she had her parts to play in every battle, everyone did, she fought at Heaven when Ben ambushed them, and she partook in the coup when they overthrow the governments of the world.
But those chosen were the stars of the universe, the protagonists of life itself, and while at times she'd try to feel self important, as if she were the protagonist of her life, it felt impossible. And yet, Gen's words echoed still, ever reverberating in the machinations of her mind. This was a man's world, through and through, those other Requiems, Claire, Emma, Gen, Mary, Blaire, none of them had a chance to shine the way Alex, August and Ben with his siblings did. To her surprise, Gen was okay with that, she was fine with living a life of leisure without having to fight every five seconds for the safety and preservation of the world.
Maybe that was the right way to think, or maybe she was delusional, she couldn't really tell. Thinking for herself was such a pain, and though she was old, she wasn't as experienced as others, so, as the bell rang once she opened the door, her mother came out from the back office,
"We're closed… come back again in the morning- oh, hey, baby, what's up?" Sammy greeted with a smile over her face, surprised to see her daughter coming into the bakery while not having her shift today, she took but one glance at her face before deciding to get some food for her darling girl,
"Want some chocolate cake or cupcakes or..?" Asked the mother of the Star, scrummaging around for delicacies to chomp on and eat, just to calm down her beloved child, tired along with overworking her brain about this theory of hers,
"Just chocolate cake, we need new cones," Clarified Mei with a clear tiredness in her vocals, head resting against the counter, eyelids shutting over her purple-colored pupils so she could rest while her mother prepared the meal.
The plate slid onto the counter, unzipping her jacket, she carefully placed it onto the stool to her left, sticking out her hand, she was given a fork by her mother, readying to demolish this cake right in front of her. Cutting off a piece at the front with the side of the prongs, she then dug them into the snack bringing it up to her lips so she could sink her teeth into the sugary good.
Chewing all around to savor the tastes, Sammy stood behind the counter scrolling through her phone to see if she'd gotten any texts from her friends or wife, and to her displeasure, she was just as lonely as Mei in front for her. For none of them had any friends, or rather, their friends were their family members, more accurately. Shoving her device back into her pocket, she sighed tiredly, just waiting for her girl to finish her eating so she could go on home.
Clicking her tongue against her teeth, Riley stepped forward so she could lean against the other side of the counter, palms against the divider. Inching her own face downward so she could test against her upturned knuckles, Sam analyzed the look on her girl's face, then pointing her finger to the forehead of the woman,
"What's going on in there? You don't really come to me like this, so what's wrong?" Worriedly asked Sammy of her child, running through all the possibilities in the back of her mind, awaiting for Mei to confirm about what she was troubled by,
"Emma was troubled by something when she and Gen were training. She felt she had responsibilities to Uncle, as a firstborn, she basically wanted to prove herself. That it was her duty to ensure that she could protect everyone, but I told her it was a man's world. Only those chosen would get their spot beside the Chosen Ones of this universe, that's just the way it worked. But- what Gen had said, it sort of made me think another way," Mei told her mother, digging through prongs to another part of the cake slice so she could slide the snack right off the utensil's edge then into her throat,
"Well, what was Genny's point of view?" Asked Riley curiously, to which Mei had to gulp down the contents of the food and then spin the fork around, informing her mother of what her cousin had said about the topic when she'd asked her about her sister's attitude during their training,
"I see. Well, there's some truth to what she said. You see, you believe that only those chosen when the time is ripe get to stand beside those who have the burden of protecting this world. That it's a man's world, something like that, considering that most of the male Requiems are important while the female ones don't get their time to shine. I believe you and Emma think this way because of the expectations put on you by yourself. You're the children of those icons so you want to live up to their legacies and be more than the basic everyday living girl who does nothing but relax. Mei, darling, I believe you should be grateful for the leisurely life you've lived up until now. You've never had to taste the trauma and horrors that they go through, Ben, August, Jason, Madi, Alex. In 10 days, that will all change, focus on your training and less about this, that's all I can say. Emma too, I'm sure Cecilia will set her on the course she's destined for," Sammy informed her daughter gently, to which Mei just stood twiddling the prongs inside of the snack plastered on the plate, right fist against her own cheek,
"So we just let them save us? Be grateful for the lives we've held and just go along blindly to their actions? Like we're just useless tools only used for their amusement, is that it?" Asked Mei, gritting her teeth at the information her mother gave her, to which Riley chuckled before shaking her head. Clearing her throat,
"This isn't a man's world, Mei. Though the men might have been chosen more than the women, if not for them, none of this would have been possible. Rose, Sunni, Madi, Ella, your grandmother, Celine, Cecilia, Charlie. Each of them had an influence on this world, and we're not helpless little girls who need men to save us. If you want to be a chosen one, protect the ones you love, and fight for the good fight, then I can send you to your mother. My suggestion, though, quit your whining and enjoy the luxuries while you have them. Like Miss Hana said in that note, Mei: in 10 days, they'll rise to action, everything will change…" Sammy clarified to her daughter, and just as she was about to part her lips yet again, Mei's hair was met with a gentle pat so she could stop in her tracks,
"We live in a time where chaos is normal, and order has lost its way, where it's a luxury. The residents are angry because apparently Ben didn't know how to keep his promise, yet he still fights with your mother and uncle to preserve their lives right now. You might not feel it, but more than ever, you're just stressing about something you don't need to. Mei, my girl, you're one of the Chosen Ones. You don't have anything to prove, put your affairs in order, train as hard as you can. You want to be special too, so does Emma, right? Then be greedier, find every bit of hidden powers inside of you, though it'll be horrible and feel like absolute shit- if you don't want to stay this way then fight for the people that do, like Gen or anyone else innocent, like your mother; me! Can you do that for me, Kireina? (綺麗な?)" Questioned Riley curiously with a smile painted over her lips, gentle and caring, moving her hand from side to side, fingers implanted, sliding between the cracks to rub her daughter's blackened locks.
But once again, she seemed to space out from the world around her, even with her mother's hand on her head, the life in her violet eyes began to vanish, as if it were never even there. Before a gentle flick came into contact with her forehead, leading Mei to remember where she was, the color returning as she scanned over that face of her mother's. The way her hair looked, brown strands braided into those pigtails, she knew that the second she'd get home and take her hair out and rest, she'd rest so easily, sleep so soundly. An uninterrupted slumber where no one would care if she were her or not, or rather, maybe that wasn't her mother, that's where she was.
Where you wake up some days, devoid of any meaning in your life so you stare right up at the ceiling searching- racking your brain for any reason you have of living. The way you were thrown off to the side as if you were never important while others beside her were given the luxury of being loved and praised for their actions, she could see all those despicable faces come into the Bakery, stuck behind that counter as if she were pinned down by chains. Was that really all she was worth in this world? Just a useless pile of bones, slaving away, working for an income when her mother was the sister of the goddamn Emperor of this place? It was work for the sake of work, but she could do that with anything, she could workout and tire herself out, but of course, she still had to come here, because it was inherited, or rather, that's what was expected of her.
'One of the Chosen Ones…' how could she ever live up to that when all she did, day after day, year after year, was nothing compared to anyone else in this world. Emma had her business, Azazel was a Detective, even those who find the simplest joys in their lives are so much more useful than her. What was she? The manager of this useless bakery where people come to eat, time and time again because their prices are low, and they can fill their sugar cravings? What a pathetic excuse of a job, how did her mother even bare doing it day after day like it was nothing?
"If I'm… One of the Chosen Ones, then what are you, mom? You stay behind this counter all day, serving- what? Cake, cupcakes, brownies, to just some random people? You slave away at doing your job, when you could be out there fighting, but they don't let you, isn't that unfair to you?" Quizzically asked Mei, head hung in shame to which Sammy couldn't help but smile at that ignorant inquiry. Relinquishing her hold on the peak of her daughter's head, she turned her head up using her finger so that young woman could look the elder in the eyes,
"I don't want to fight. Unlike most people, I value my life, but I still wanna help others. I don't have to fight in order to do that, though, there are tons of other ways to aid people in need. I see hundreds of people daily, some regulars and some I've never seen before. Sometimes just by… giving them a plate of food, I can make them happy. And if I can do that without dying, so I can live as long as I can, then my life is worth it. You're a strong kid, so help others, but do it in the way you want. You could be a suicide hotline helper or do community service, donate to charity, whatever. Okay? You are- One of the Chosen Ones-" Just as she was about to be finished motivating her daughter, both Sammy and Mei got an alert on their phones from a contact.
Labeled Blaire in different ways, their eyes both widened, and their glows activated right out of their chests to illuminate the room from the inside. The text was labeled, 'It's positive…' to which, halfway across where Paris used to be, up that Mountain, Azazel widened his eyes jumping right out of his seat in disbelief of what his father had just said,
"W-what? What did you just say? Blaire's what?!" Yelled Azazel, tears in the edges of his eyes to which Ryder smiled, standing up to match his son's hunched over posture- carefully placing his hands on the man's shoulders,
"Blaire is pregnant, son. You're going to be the father- to the next Requiem child."
To Be Continued!