She awoke, like all other days, feeling alert. December 2nd.
Rei developed the habit young, back when Mirai used to climb into her bed and she'd awake, seeing that cheeky grin and then that hysterical laughter upon Rei jumping.
Even though she doesn't do it much anymore, the habit remained. And, even now, it served to help her be kept on her toes.
Especially when she was in the deep end of being an Executor.
Rei remade her bed, like a clockwork toy, and thought on the events. Technically, it had only been a few weeks, but counting the previous four timelines, and this one too? Roughly a year.
A year of trials and tribulations, of ups and downs… and even deaths.
But now, after her fifth rerun, everything has reached its conclusion. Yuri is alive, and so is Soma! As for the Demon Twins… their power had faded after the role of Manager was given to Nanana. It was oddly therapeutic, seeing them be so timid in front of the ones who defeated them.
"Good morning, Big Sister."
…And, finally, even Kuon.
"Morning," Rei greeted back, rubbing the sand out of her eyes as she gazed at the calm figure of her twin.
"…Coffee already?"
"Blame Kokoro," the short reply came, and Kuon drank from her mug. After obtaining Revival, Rei had finally gotten the chance to see what Kuon would have been like, in life.
Turns out, a coffee addict. Rei can only guess that this stems from how tired she must feel after being Revived after so many years of 'un-life'. Plus, Kokoro's former coffee drinking came back full force post Demon Twins incident (which, Rei will admit, does sound like a Touhou plotline), which then had her introduce Kuon to it. Thus, the current predicament. Even still…
Rei gave a nod, before taking her clothes and moving to the bathroom. No one was in, and so she entered and locked the door behind her. Again, another habit after years with Mirai.
She turned on the shower and, while waiting for it to warm up, checked the news on her phone. Nothing too important, or interesting. A new band appeared recently, focusing on rock music.
…Maybe it is interesting, then. Don't blame Rei. She just likes the genre, is all.
She entered the shower, and began to wash. And like all showers, one must have shower thoughts.
Thankfully, this one was revisiting old ground. Namely, one she discussed with Sen.
Idea is crystallised desires of humanity, and Alcea is the crystallised form of an entire timeline. But, what about tears? Given how Idea and Alcea appear as teardrops, the two agreed on tears being one of the most important points of strength, both literally and metaphorically.
…Maybe sobbing her heart out every so often actually was helpful…?
She turned off the shower, and stepped out.
"Here you go, Big Sis!"
"Thank you, Mi--" Rei's hand froze halfway to grabbing the towel, and instead fell upon Mirai. Who, very much, was inside of the very locked bathroom. "…Mirai, how did you get in?"
There was no point in asking about the when and the why. Only the how matters, which is something, unsurprisingly, Rei learnt from years of living with her adopted sister.
"The window. You left it unlocked." Rei noticed that, yes, she did. Fair…
"…Was it necessary?" Rei replied, her tone dry. It wasn't meant to sound rude, it's… honestly just the way she sounds.
"Well, yeah?" Mirai's tone suggested that this was common sense and knowledge at play here. "I haven't seen you all morning, Rei! I was getting a little worried about you…"
Rei sighed, and took the towel, smiling slightly. "Mirai, you could have asked, you know?"
Mirai looked away, and then nodded. "Can I--" she bit her own tongue, stopping halfway through. "…Please, can I see you the first few minutes you wake up, Big Sis?"
Rei gave a small nod. "Yeah. And, thanks for remembering, Mirai."
Ever since Mirai was Revived, Rei had taken steps to make sure that the relationship would no longer be as toxic as it once was. So far, it… actually appears to be working. So far, so good, as they say.
Soon, Rei finished drying herself, and dressed herself as well, stepping out with Mirai.
"Something tells me you really like that outfit, Big Sis." Mirai teased, looking up and down at the outfit Rei wore; her student outfit, that she's pretty sure she's spent a year in, counting all five timelines together. It was comfy, and easy to move around and lounge in; the perfect outfit, really.
Rei rolled her eyes, a faint smile on her lips. "And what about your choker, Mirai?"
Mirai's face went pink instantly, partly from embarrassment, but also from the fact she didn't expect Rei to actually shoot back.
The younger of the two attempted to laugh it off. "G-Geez, you can't just say that so suddenly…!"
"And you don't do the same?" Kuon's dry remark came from the side of them, her head now immersed in a book she found on Rei's bookshelf.
"Q-Quiet, you!" Mirai spluttered, pointing a finger at the orange-eyed twin.
Rei's smile didn't fade; in fact, it only got larger.
