Kaori stood in front of a body length mirror in her bedroom, admiring her body. Not only was 2074 curvy, and busty, but she was toned.
She continuously gawked at herself, finally clean and out of the skin tight seal skin, wearing only a lace purple bra and matching panties.
Behind closed doors and wearing something more normal in comparison to lately, she felt like herself; but a bit better.
I've never looked so good!
She quickly twisted a final time before running the couple feet between the mirror and the bed, and jumping onto the fluffiest set of bright, red blankets she had ever felt. It was like she was hopping onto clouds.
While her room didn't feel like home yet, she felt like she was on another luxury vacation at least; a spaceship getaway.
She tucked her hands behind her head, staring at the fan swirling above her, lulling her to sleep. And as she began to doze off, she turned to her side, facing the small circular window that was a few feet away, but seeing nothing but darkness.
Finally.... peace.... She smiled. If a nap didn't bring her back to her world, then maybe sleep will.
She curled herself into a fetal position, the blankets shaping to her curves, hugging her body, as she tucked a cold pillow between her arm and face, and closed her eyes.
Though, if it wasn't for her extreme amount of exhaustion, she felt she wouldn't have been able to sleep. She was scared for everyone; like she knew something that could save so many people, but was forced to keep it a secret.
Kaori yawned, and as she felt herself falling to sleep, she heard the sound of footsteps approaching her.
Persephone?
Then she felt a presence near her, getting into bed with her; but it wasn't of a goddess. It was the exact opposite of one.
As she groggily turned to face the person in bed with her, she realized it was Jesse, who was lying underneath the covers with his back turned; wearing nothing but his boxers.
Sensing Kaori as she did him, he attempted to reassure her. "I'm not looking, but Enzo informed me of what's going on, and if you don't recall, we were engaged. Even though that's ended, we still share a home." His fatigue was obvious; his words slurred like he was intoxicated. "We have the night off tonight, but that doesn't mean we don't have work to do tomorrow. Get your sleep."
Right, she was too tired to fight him, but still trusted him. If someone with the persona of an angel was engaged to him, then she was sure she could trust him too; so, she lazily wiggled her near naked body about, until she was successfully underneath the comforter and sheets with him.
For a moment she stared at his nearly naked back, captivated by his physique; though she was quickly interrupted when he broke his promise and turned to face her.
"I figured when I promised, it was a mutual thing." He smirked, watching her act like she wasn't looking as she quickly flipped back.
"I wasn't looking," she told him, leaving no pause between words as she hastily informed him.
"Right," he had no energy to argue. "Before you leave tomorrow, though, be sure to put your implants in to activate your sable."
Sable, again?
Kaori closed her eyes once more, finally dozing off.
-------
She wasn't meditating, she knew for a fact she was sleeping, but yet she was in the Nucleus, sitting upon the solid, ripple-effect, floor.
"What am I doing here, Persephone?" she asked the darkness, no longer afraid of the room itself. Without a point to look at, everything but a few feet around her was black- like she was blind.
After only a few minutes, she heard a faint, ghostly giggle before the elegant, Greek goddess appeared just in front of her, sitting on the ground too, almost like a friend.
"I wanted to congratulate you on surviving your first day," she started, reaching out and grabbing one of Kaori's hands in hers. "For that, I shall grant you one thing I know you're more than curious about, darling."
The white-haired woman squinted at her, studying her for any hidden intentions.
She's tricked me before with something that seemed so innocent, Kaori was conflicted. "I'm not going to experience any pain, am I?"
Persephone giggled again, "I can't guarantee anything, though physical pain is off the table."
The 20 year old zombie, using her free hand, held a pinky out to Persephone, "promise?"
The goddess, her smile remaining, looked at Kaori's hand in confusion. "What's this?"
"A pinky-promise; A promise that cannot be broken." Kaori's face was serious about it too. So, Persephone went along with it, pinky-promising her adopted child that she would not experience any physical pain.
"I've been in therapy nearly all of my adult life- there's not much more available psychological damage you can do to me at this point." She tried to reassure the goddess, though her words were falling on deaf ears.
Persephone didn't truly care if she hurt Kaori or not.
"Do you know how I pair souls to reincarnate?" She began, asking Kaori rhetorically, as she folded her hands into her lap; her child mimicking her while shaking her head 'no.'
The Queen of the Underworld lifted one of her hands up slightly, palm up, just as a small movie like scene was playing out-though it was an obvious snippet of the loving bond between the new body's parents.
They were happily married.
"One of them must have come from happiness."
She then lifted her other hand up, creating another snippet, but of a much darker scene. In it, Kaori could see her mother alive and well, but her father was dead.
But they were together.
On a gurney in a dark hospital room as her mother conceived Kaori; nothing but a toe-tag on her father.
"And one of them must have come from anything but."
Kaori's heart felt like it stopped. She was utterly speechless.
Persephone, picking up on Kaori's shock, continued talking. "I wasn't able to reincarnate others until I married Hades, my dear. So, a power as such, comes with terrible prerequisites. It's quite unfortunate."
The 20 year old woman could only stare at the goddess blankly; She felt like she couldn't comprehend anything anymore.