Tag: hino rei

~ sittingoverheredreaming ~ Leave a comment

It would have been better if I’d written this yesterday, but eh. Here’s something inspired by Rei’s birthday, 800-ish words, and a different angle than I usually write from.

The cake had come out pretty good this year, Usagi had to
admit. She was no Mako, but the recipe was Mako’s and Usagi was getting much
better at following the finer details. Sure, the top was a little uneven, and
the sides had stuck to the pan, but the color was good and the taste was
better, and compared to last year, Rei would have to say Usagi had done good.
Or she would think it, maybe, and say something else. “Stupid Usagi, why don’t
you just buy a cake from the supermarket?”

Usagi scowled at the Rei in her mind as she got out the
frosting. “I can’t put love in a cake I don’t make, Rei-chan.” And they didn’t
make it right, anyway. Not for Rei. She liked simple spice cake with the
tiniest bit of frosting. Frosting was at least half the fun of a cake, but if
Rei wanted only a quarter of the fun, Usagi would let her on her birthday. On
Rei’s special day, Rei got what she wanted! Mostly, at least. Usagi still stuck
a big candle in the center of the cake. “I’m too old for candles!” Usagi could
hear her huff. “Besides, it gets wax all over the cake.”

They would bicker, and Usagi suspected that is what made Rei
happiest. Sometimes, she had to give her fuel for it. She had to let Rei yell
and stomp so that at the end of the day, they could have whatever moment of
tenderness that made its way through Rei’s façade. It made Usagi laugh at how
easy it could be. For all Rei’s bluster, for all she pushed and pulled and put
up walls, her warm little heart was as easy to unlock as Usagi’s cell phone.
Easier, even, because Ami had said Usagi should change every code and password
every few months, so Usagi put in the wrong numbers half the time.

The cake looked as good as it ever would, and so Usagi
slipped on her shoes and headed out.

The weather was better than it often was on Rei’s birthday.
Cloudy, but dry. It seemed to rain so often on her birthday, and Rei didn’t
much like the rain. Mina claimed it dampened her fuse and made her sputter. Rei
had still managed to explode then, but Usagi had seen some truth in it. Dry
days were better for Rei. Dry days were better for Usagi, too, and bright days
were best. A few clouds couldn’t get her down, though, not on Rei’s birthday.

As she got close, she saw Rei’s grandfather with his
caretaker. Usagi smiled to see him out.
He didn’t make it sometimes, as old as he was. “Hello, grandpa!” She
called.

“Oh, Usagi!” He beamed up at her. “Coming to spoil Rei?”

“I am!” She held out her cake for him to see. “I did a lot
better this year.”

“You do good every year.” He patted her arm. “Someday you’re
going to get married up, and Rei will miss your treats.”

“I don’t think so, Grandpa.”

“Oh, a pretty girl like you? If I were just a little younger,
I’d marry you myself.” He laughed, and Usagi laughed with him.

“I’ll always be here for Rei, even if I get married.”

He smiled more somberly now. “You’re a good girl,
Usagi-chan.”

“Try telling Rei that.”

“She knows.” He gave her one more arm pat, and then let his
caretaker lead him away. Usagi smiled after him for a long moment before
turning to head in.

“Sorry I’m late, everyone. You know your Usagi, never on time.”

She sat down and displayed her cake.

“It’s better this year, isn’t it? Soon, mine will be as good
as Mako’s!”

It wouldn’t, not ever, but Usagi would try. She lit the
candle. Really, even if Rei was worried about the wax, she had to appreciate
the flame harkening another year. It was probably symbolic. It flickered in the
wind in its own little birthday dance.

Usagi sat and watched the wax drip. It ran down in a little
red line, pooling on top of her carefully applied frosting. Rei would be
furious. Mako would be offended too, ruining her wonderful cake. Mina would
probably eat it, just to annoy the both of them, and—

Usagi shook her head. “We’re still together, aren’t we? Just
because I can’t hear your laughter, doesn’t mean you’re not here.” She breathed
in the calm, the way she’d been taught. “I’m happy I get to be with you on days
like this.”

The candlelight glinted on Rei’s picture frame. It gave her
eyes the illusion of life, and that made Usagi smile. She reached out to it,
and for a moment she could almost feel the warmth of Rei’s hand in hers. It was
enough. It was why she came.

The candle was burnt low now, the wax over taking the
frosting completely. Usagi blew it out and watched the smoke waft over the
grave.

“Happy birthday, Rei-chan.”

~ sittingoverheredreaming ~ Leave a comment

Okay I was a lot nicer towards Crystal in my first post but tumblr eating that instead of posting it has given my all the gumpy Crystal!Rei lacks, so whoops.

This moment is meaningless for Crystal!Rei. It’s not an unusual statement, and Usagi being different from Serentiy (or even the ideal of Serenity) hasn’t really come through.

SO I PROPOSE WE TAKE THIS MOMENT AND PUT IT IN ANOTHER CANON. ANY CANON. Even the manga, as much as Crystal is supposed to be faithful to it, would make this moment 1000x more meaningful.

Rei always has moments like this, where she admits that she loves Usagi the way she is (“We always fought, but it was fun,” anyone?). But for those to work, Rei and Usagi need their antagonism. We have senshi who Usagi clicks with right away (the rest of the inners, really, but most especially Mako. Mako and Usagi is the least complicated relationship, and that works). Usagi and Rei take time. Rei wants Usagi to be better and Usagi wants Rei to just love her already, and that causes friction. But when push comes to shove, Usagi, for all her crying and almost losing fights and reading manga instead of studying, is more than good enough for Rei, and for all of Rei’s gruffness and critical comments, Usagi knows Rei loves her. 

So let’s pretend this is Rei, manga!Rei or 90’s!Rei or myu!Rei or PGSM!Rei, who’s kept trying to push Usagi to be stronger, to be a better student and and better fighter and a better everything, saying no, you’re not the ideal princess. You’re you and you’re better than any princess. You don’t need to change at all. 

~ sittingoverheredreaming ~ Leave a comment

Okay but (sort of) on the subject of senshi body type interpretations.

Chubby Rei

Chubby Rei fighting with Chubbier Usagi. Chubby Rei being quite nearly a literal ball of frustration.

Chubby Rei strong-arming boxy, compact Ami early in their relationship into doing shit like go on the cruise with her. And then later becoming little Ami’s ultimate cuddle friend (Usagi does not know how to be quiet, and Ami likes to read while cuddling. Though eventually Rei will have to share this distinction with Mako).

Chubby Rei getting in an argument with Buff Mako one day and Mako just picking her up to prove a point. “You’re not supposed to be able to do that!” “But I did.” “I am big and strong and right!” “I’m bigger and stronger and righter.”

Chubby Rei getting tackled by curvy-but-athletic Minako. Chubby Rei letting her latch onto her back for all of about ten seconds before falling backwards. “Rei-chan you’re squishing me!” “Don’t jump on me in public.” “You only want me to jump you at home? Okay.” “Damn it, Minako.”

Chubby Rei using her size as a strength. She is unmovable dammit (shut up Mako.) Chubby Rei is a wall protecting her princess.

Chubby Rei being the crush of every girl at T.A. Academy. Chubby Rei the cool, mysterious shrine beauty. 

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ CHUBBY REI *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

~ sittingoverheredreaming ~ Leave a comment

So why does no one talk about Rei/Yaten?

I mean it’d be a train wreck but it would be a hilarious train wreck. They’d intrigue each other with their surface personalities long enough to get to dinner on the first date, but then each would expect the other to faun over them, and they slowly get more frustrated and less polished as the night goes on. Yaten slips in more and more passive aggressive jibes and Rei turns towards just plain aggressive but she really wants to rub it in Minako’s face that she can date a pop star so she doesn’t leave. And as much as Yaten is annoyed by the date they actually like Rei more than most people they’ve met because they have a mad respect for elegant fronts and they enjoy seeing Rei’s fall apart. And eventually theirs falls apart too much they insist it hasn’t and they and Rei are both just angry messes by the end of the night.

And then they agree to do it again soon.

Headcanon time!

~ sittingoverheredreaming ~ Leave a comment

So in this shot we can see only Rei has a purse:

Later, Usagi is shown to keep the pen in her cleavage: 

So then, where is Ami’s stuff? She doesn’t seem like she’d likely use her boobs as a pocket, and her dress doesn’t give her the same easy access as Usagi’s does anyway. 

The obvious answer is that her stuff must be in Rei’s purse.

And that’s cute enough on it’s own, because that’s such a real detail (back in the days of school dances, I was always the friend with the purse holding everyone’s stuff).

But it also got me thinking: what if Ami and Rei got ready together?

Now, I don’t imagine Usagi would be very patient after she transformed. She’s ready and Rei and Ami look amazing anyway, why do you need to put on tights Rei chan we’re going to be late.

Yet Rei and Ami look very put together. I think after Usagi left the arcade, they sighed and agreed that no matter what Rei said about having a bad feeling, Usagi would end up going to the party. And they would go with her, because god knows Usagi cannot go alone.

So they stop by Ami’s apartment and she grabs an outfit; the closest thing she can find to a party dress is a simple blue oneshe wore last year to watch her mother receive an award for the advancement of medicine, but Rei promises it’s good enough. Then they head to the shrine and Rei picks a dress from the collection of ones her father sent her to wear for dinners with him (which she may or may not have attended) and lets Ami choose from the corresponding jewelry sets. They brush each others hair and awkwardly compliment how each other looks (because they’re beautiful, but neither is used to being opening about such things like Usagi is).

Usagi’s call comes right when they expect it. She doesn’t seem surprised when they show up already dressed to the nines, but maybe she’s just forgotten that they don’t have disguise pens. She slips tiaras into their hair (because of course Usagi has a little collection of tiaras, of course she does) and off they go.

~ sittingoverheredreaming ~ Leave a comment

I can’t decide on an interpretation for this moment.

On the one hand, Rei is completely new to the having friends thing. She has the children who come to the shrine, like Mii chan, who love her, but I don’t know if she’s ever had someone her own age play games with her and be so kind. So this could be Rei stepping back in her mind and having a moment of disbelief, a little moment where she questions how this is happening and if she should trust it. And then of course she can trust it, because Ami is probably the most sincere person in the world (perhaps tied with Usagi).

On the other hand, I really like the idea of Rei having a little crush on Ami right back. I definitely read manga Rei as ace, and am ready to see Crystal Rei that way too, but there’s wiggle room for me on if she’s aro as well, so I could definitely see her blooming admiration for Ami leaning towards a romantic crush.

But on a third hand (can I have three hands? Just for this?) I almost think this is a flash of Silver Milenium memories. With the game being tied to Senshi fighting and Ami/Mercury being their strategist anyway, I think Rei could have had a moment of recollection from when Mars and Mercury had a moment just like this one, perhaps early in their lives when they were training or fighting low-grade monsters.

~ sittingoverheredreaming ~ Leave a comment

I LOVE that they’re playing up how much Rei loves kids. I can’t remember if that’s in the manga, but it was definitely in PGSM. 

I see Rei as someone who doesn’t really want kids of her own, but she’s great with kids because she identifies with them (especially kids with family problems).

I think it’s cool, too, how Crystal’s choosing to show the break between people’s perceptions of who the senshi are and who they really are. Ami seems aloof and cold, but throw a cat at her and her exterior falls away. Rei can be intense and a little creepy, but she loves kids.

~ sittingoverheredreaming ~ Leave a comment

Probably my favorite thing about Crystal so far is how it’s making the girls so ready for Usagi and the princess, and how it balances those two.

First there’s the flashback, and how perfect is it that even though Ami has to touch Usagi for it, Rei just has to look? 

But interestingly enough, that’s where I see the princess-senshi connection ending for Rei this episode. The rest of what happens isn’t about Mars and Serenity, it’s entirely Rei and Usagi (whereas last episode I do think Mercury’s princess protection instincts played a role).

Usagi’s second encounter with Rei means the world. Usagi knows about Rei’s powers; she had them used against her on their first meeting. But she believes Rei is good. She doesn’t care about Rei’s powers, either to condemn her or demand she uses them. She just barges in and cares about Rei. That touches Rei, she’s able to open up for a second, but the thing is Rei is not entirely convinced her powers are good. She never asked for her abilities; she does her best to use them for good, but part of her believes that she might be the monster people accuse her of being. So she sends Usagi away. 

But she does care about this strange girl who for some reason care about her, so when she senses she’s in trouble, she runs after her. Maybe her powers can be good, maybe they’re finally giving her what she needs.

And then she recognizes Usagi is Sailor Moon. In the manga she seems to recognize Usagi’s voice, but Crystal takes it further. Usagi has superpowers. Usagi is already established as good in Rei’s mind. She’s sweet, she stood up for Rei, she tried to help. If this girl, this amazing, earnest, good person can have powers, maybe powers aren’t bad.  Maybe Rei isn’t bad. Maybe her powers can help this girl like this girl tried to help Rei.

And that’s what makes Mars awaken. Usagi helps Rei accept that part of herself. Last episode, Ami’s desire to protect Usagi calls to Mercury’s desire to protect Serenity and her powers awaken. It’s different for Rei. She attacks Jaedite physically and then consciously calls for the power she knows she has, but she has more than she knows. 

(Her wording when her powers surface I think *does* bring up Mars and Serenity, but that’s a different post.)