MIRROR OF ERISED

[ringringring]

Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi

I show not your face but your heart's desire

1) Post your character with their name, canon and any preferences in the subject line.

2) In the body of the tag, write what they see in the Mirror of Erised, a mystical artefact which "...shows us nothing more or less than the deepest, most desperate desire of our hearts." If you want to, give multiple cases-such as ones more suitable for serious threads, crack threads etc.

Blank comments will be deleted.

3) Tag around and comment on other people's inner desires.

Comments

Mineva Zabi | Gundam Unicorn | OTA

[searchforpeace]

[What does Mineva see?

People. Hundreds of them, thousands. People stretching out as far as the mirror can give her space. Some in uniforms, some not. Some Federation, some Zeon. Some civilians. But all of them? All of them look happy.

And in the forefront? Well, it's little surprise to her. If this is supposed to show her heart's desire, a particular man and woman up front of the crowd couldn't be called shocking. Not even the other woman and man who joined them as well.

She glanced aside though, unwilling to look at the image for too long.]

Feda Gandamak | OC

[notbloodylikely]

[Teenage- Serious]

[Feda's desire is a simple enough one.

It is himself, with fully black hair and a mere year or so older. Doing nothing more than sitting in the sun on the side of a hill and laughing with friends (the vast majority of which are girls or women). He isn't the centre of attention, but neither is he on the sidelines. He's just one of a crowd that he cares for and who care for him. And without a hint of that damned curse that will soon kill him.

Attempting to kick the mirror apart fails and Feda falls over from the backlash.]

[Teenage- Not Serious]

[Dear god, it's like all the porn in there.

Feda is fascinated and drooling quite a bit.]

[Adult- Serious]

[Feda's hair is once again black as night in his wishes, but hardly the focus of the mirror's reflection. No, that shows him surrounded and adored by children. All of whom have the same black hair and red eyes. They are all in an ornate palace that upon inspection appears to be deep under the sea. Playing with his children, the only other adult in sight is a slender and short aquatic looking woman who is joining in their game.

Feda stares wide eyed and mouths 'seriously' several times at the mirror.]

[Adult- Not Serious]

[He's shaking hands with a space babe. Possibly with green skin.]

Amanda Perry | Stargate Universe

[miss_brilliant]

[either as a disembodied consciousness or in her own, wheelchair-and-respirator bound body--just make clear which you want]

Will Graham || Hannibal || m/m for anything smutty

[empathydisorder]

[What Will sees in the mirror is what most people see in a normal mirror; himself, but without all the damage and afflictions. He's stable, happy. He can relate to people without being overwhelmed by what they feel. He can have a relationship, and not just with his veritable pack of stray dogs and aristocratic, eccentric therapist. He's not plagued by insomnia and hallucinations and he doesn't lose track of time. Everything is simple, uncomplicated.]

Madoka Kaname | Puella Magi Madoka Magica (post-canon) | OTA

[sagittaspei]

[ what could a concept, practically a goddess, possibly want?

Madoka has no regrets, no, no reason to despair; but she does have wants, wishes, even if she knows now how dangerous a careless wish can be. of course she does.

she sees her family; safe and happy, unable to be touched by any of the world's dangers. she sees Mami and Sayaka and Kyouko and Homura, alive and well and happy, not even contracted as Puella Magi. she sees Hitomi standing by Sayaka's side with the rest, hand over her mouth as she laughs her refined laugh.

they all wave at her, from within the mirror. they all see her. they all recognise her.

they all remember her.

Madoka presses her hand to the glass with a wistful smile, enjoying the vision for what it is while it lasts. ]

And playing Amelia as a post-death AU because goddess!Madoka!

[gradosfinest]

[At first she's quiet. Afterall, what could she possibly say at a moment like this? Amelia quietly approaches the mirror as well (or as quietly as she can, armored boots not being ideal for being silent), her eyes slightly wide as she gazes into the mirror as well, quietly taking it all in...

She can see herself in it, in full armor. A proud knight of the Grado Empire, serving the noble Emperor Vigarde and protecting everyone. Her mother and father are there as well, faces beaming with pride at how far she's come. There's a full life ahead of her, and somehow although not shown through the mirror there's the distinct feeling that her daughter will go on to become an even greater knight than she was.

... a far cry from the reality she'd been through. An orphan joining the army, then being forced to take a stand against her own country. Fighting desperately against the mad Emperor Vigarde, trying to end a senseless war that had no end in sight. Giving it her all to bring peace back to the world.

Even her own life. Even though they'd won in the end, even though peace had been restored she hadn't lived long enough to see that, another of many who'd given their lives on the battlefield fighting for a better world.

Despite that she manages a soft smile herself, commenting quietly.]

It's nice isn't it? [Even if she's not sure what Madoka's seeing in the mirror, just looking at the way she reacts... it must be a pleasant image.]

Edward Nygma | DC Comics

[questionslinger]

[ Edward craves one thing above all: respect. ]

[ He sees his father finally telling him the truth -- that he knew he wasn't cheating, all along. That it was him that was the liar, not Edward. That his mother stays and is proud of her son instead of finding some other man to take advantage of some other place. ]

[ He sees the other rogues, afraid of his intellect know. Batman, acknowledging his superior mind, using him to crack cases and protect the city instead of his computer, his Oracle -- anything. He's not incredibly wealthy, no. He's not got a beautiful woman on his arm, though perhaps Harley Quinn looks on with more adoration than respect, per se... ]

[ But he has what he wants. He's got worth and nobody can take it away from him. He's proven time and time over he has a place, and no one can pull him from it. He doesn't have to riddle, wrapping up the truth because he's afraid of the lies. ]

[ He can be his own man, and live with himself. ]

Veronica | Franken Fran

[stitchedupbodyguard]

[Something Veronica never wanted, but at the same time did, was to be normal. To not have all these swords or modification to her body. To not have to kill. It was a simple wish but one that would never come, or one that she really wanted if she was true to herself.

Still, her reflection in the mirror showed it plain and simple. Her as a normal human, all of her stitches and scars gone. She looked... happy.]

Legato | OC

[forgivemeforhiscrimes]

[Legato's vision in the Mirror is not a happy one. As he's seated there it might initially look like he's got a normal reflection. Certainly there's no additional people staring around him, no glorious scenes of victory or discovered treasure.

Just a man in a coat, sitting with his legs folded and his hands buried deep in his pockets, Legato's mirrored image. Save for his face. The features are the same, yes, and those too blue eyes are staring with the same sadness the actual Legato is showing.

But there's no markings on his face, only a smattering of perfectly ordinary freckles across his nose. His ears, drastically pointed on the real version, are normal, round, human ears in the reflection.

He sighs, shoulders rising and falling in the reflection as well. He runs a hand up through his hair and drops his head, closing his eyes from his heart's desire.]

[theytookmypants]

Y'know, if you stare any harder you'll melt the glass.

[Crmsn leaned back against the wall off to the side, watching Legato, not condescending, not chastising, just that same smile lightly playing along his face as it always did.]

Penny for your thoughts?

Mituna Captor | Homestuck

[8urn3d0u7]

[Mituna stares intently at the mirror. Its reflection is foggy at first, but then it starts to show an image.

It's an image of Mituna himself, only it's different. His helmet is gone, replaced with just a visor with the same colors as his. He's on his skateboard, doing amazing tricks, and surprisingly not messing them up. He even uses some psionic power to put on a little show while he does it. He smiles and laughs and seems to be having the time of his life.

There's others in the reflection, friends of his each one. He sees his palemate, his matesprite, all of them together and with him.

Mituna clutches his head in pain at the image and sinks to his knees, quietly swearing under his breath.]

Miles Edgeworth | Ace Attorney

[truthsnomiracle]

[What the mirror shows Edgeworth is a blatant impossibility.

At first glance, it doesn't seem so strange -- there's a courtroom, and he's prosecuting. The words can't be heard, but it's clear that as always, he's exuding his usual aura of confidence and fighting with his whole heart. The only thing at all amiss is his neckwear; rather than the white cravat he's actually wearing around his neck, there's a burgundy bow-tie gracing the neck of his white undershirt (a longer neck to accommodate the difference in fashion, he notes).

Across the way, however, is an older, bespectacled man -- a man who never had the chance to grow old enough to show the wrinkles and white hairs he has here. The family resemblance between himself and the defense is strikingly apparent; furthermore, as hard as he may be fighting, he occasionally pauses to half-smile with just a glint of pride in his opponent.

Edgeworth knows full well that he wouldn't have become a prosecutor or discovered the strength he now wields in court if the defense shown here hadn't died. And yet, this exact paradox is exactly what this computer screen, or whatever it is, is showing him: a world where he found his calling without any of the associated pain, loss, or regret. A world where he's not just sharp as steel, but pure as snow. A world where his father's not just alive, but proud of him and has every right to be.]

Hmph. I shouldn't waste my time here.

[Rather than being the firmly-muttered declaration he hoped to make, however, the waver of his voice betrays him as the words come out...]

[cynilogical]

_{[It figures he'd get lost. Ah well, he's bound to find an exit eventually. If anyone sees him wandering around, well, he's not lost, he's just taking in the general splendor. It's quite a shock to wander into a room and see a familiar magenta suit. He almost thinks he's imagining things but, no, he'd recognize that voice anywhere. He steps further inside the room, but keeps a distance between Edgeworth and himself, trying not to betray how excited he is to see his old friend.]}

Edgeworth?

Chris Kratt | Wild Kratts

[beingthecreature]

Regular 'verse

[What could Chris possibly see? He's regularly stated being very happy with his life, living his dream with the people he cares most about.

But he does have a vision, and it's not simply a reflection of himself. In the mirror the world around him seems rather vibrant and full of life, so much so you can almost hear all the birds chirping and wind rustling through leaves. Creatures are glimpsed moving in the lush habitat behind him, a healthy environment, one the world over even if the mirror's edges stop that from being shown. One free of pollution, of destruction and limitations, cohabiting peacefully with people.

Someone very well-versed in the animal world may also take special notice of oddities in the ones flitting through the image, among the more mundane creatures everyone is used to. That same person may think to themselves, "Wait isn't that one extinct? And that one?" And they'd be right. Every now and again something- the Western black rhino, the passenger pigeon, the California golden bear -passes through, all recent extinctions as history goes. Not everything, but a fair share of them, having gone extinct because of human involvement. And the more it goes on, the hundreds more that filter through.

Then a special little creature nudges its way into the vision, sniffing at and then plopping down into mirror!Chris's lap, and the reflected image promptly and affectionately skritches the Tasmanian tiger between the ears. The sight is enough to make the real Chris chuckle, at the same time it... all of it... makes his heart ache.]


Demon AU

[Anyone passing might be drawn up by the oddity of Chris's vision here, in that it's not himself at all. And that's not even because of some cockamamie myth about demons maybe not having reflections that's vampires, and you'd still be wrong.

The sight is of someone else entirely, a person taller than Chris and resembling him as much as not. It's Martin- everyday, regular human Martin -being his usual self. Laughing, going on creature adventures, sleeping, snacking on chocolate, you name it and he's seen at some point doing it.

It seems to be a perfectly ordinary thing... so why is Chris smiling through teared up eyes?]

Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore | Harry Potter

[fireandsong]

[Albus sees himself standing beside Gellert, the Hallows in their possession. The worlds are experiencing a time of peace and those with Magic in their veins are in their proper place - at the helm.

Everything seems perfect, right?]

[thegreatergood]

Are you seeing what I'm seeing?

[Gellert looks quite excited.]

Yuri Tsukikage | Heartcatch Precure

[fightbymoonlight]

[Yuri sees something she never thought she'd get to see. Something that could never be, no matter how much she wished for it. And she had wished for it, so, so much.

Yuri saw her family.

Her whole family. Not just her mother, no. There was her father, standing next to her, looking as young as he did back when he first disappeared. Cologne was sitting on her shoulder, actually alive, not transparent like the last time she saw him. Even her friends were all there. Momoka and Erika, standing off to the side, arguing. Itsuki, looking amused and exasperated all at once. Tsubomi, looking at all her friends with a gentle smile, while Kaoruko-san stood behind her.

And then there was one final girl, one she didn't recognize straight away. Standing next to her father, holding his hand, was a girl in the same school uniform as Yuri. Her hair was short, straight and dark and her eyes were blue. Blue, not yellow.

The sister she never even knew she had... and now missed more than she wanted to admit.

Clutching the Precure Seed around her neck, Yuri stood there silently, as tears fell from her eyes.]

[shadowofmoonlight]

What do you see in that mirror, Cure Moonlight?

[an unlikely voice speaks up from behind Yuri, as it approaches her from behind. It's the girl in the mirror... only as she appeared in reality, not as Yuri desired in her deepest dreams.

Dark Precure stoically walked up alongside her counterpart, her expression unchanging as she herself stared into its depths]

Jim Moriarty | Sherlock (BBC)

[consulting_malefactor]

[Everything. Every single thing reflected in the mirror in front of Jim has at least two, if not three or four, superimposed images. Each of them move at a different rate, a different tempo of the song, a different arch of the phrase, a different articulation of the tale. It's dizzying and unfocusing and unravelling to the point of nauseating wonder.

Sherlock - alive - dead - broken - fixed - insanely confident - bitterly uncertain and two steps behind - having a civil exchange, a conversation in counterpoint - having a much less civil exchange, a blow-for-blow brawl full of fists and fire and blades and ballistics and battering rams (literal or figurative) - standing in Jim's way - ignoring him - breaking through the glass ceiling of the world - suffocating underneath the weight of it all.

John - stubborn and constant, continually marching to the same drum without so much as a momentary hesitation - capricious (just this once) and nonchalant, shape-shifting beyond the old and tired meter into something more complex and contrary.

Lestrade - naive and blind enough to fail noticing the wool as it's pulled over his eyes (even when Jim somehow finds a way for wool to be transparent) - cunning and clever enough to catch a single, most subtle clue.

Mycroft - everywhere, in an intricate balance of clockwork gears, each turning towards a thousand different goals simultaneously - nowhere, in the dull plod of singularity, moving all of his chess pieces into one, single, predictable goal.

Irene - sleek and sly and almost purely Machiavellian, mercurial, bending nearly everyone she meets to her whim, all with an unfaltering liquid smile spread wide across her face; still and meek and quiet, slipping into the shadows and leaving little more than the echoes of whispers in the night.

Molly - ever-present and faded into the background, a familiar portrait of a subtly smiling lady glancing just off to her left with her hands crossed in docility in front of her - suddenly loud and objecting and forcing her way into the foreground, letting people know that they're wrong and that she knows that they're wrong, the image of square shoulders and a tight-lined mouth.

Sebastian - in synchronicity and harmony, flowing along the very same wavelength in perfect pitch, uttering the same tale with the consonants articulating at precisely the same moment - in disphoric discord, clashing and arguing and amplifying the tension in the intonation, competing to spin their version of the story because different perspectives can only expand outwards in exponential growth.

But there's one thing that remains constant. The challenge. All of the stakes and chips and wagers, stacked as high as the tallest towers and skyscrapers. All of them, against him.]

[eidetikerwill]

[Among those shifting images comes one that isn't as impressive as those of he knows. Instead, there is only a blond man dressed in tatty clothing that gazes back at him. There is nothing of the looking away as those in the Mirror tend to do but a direct staring back. His lips move, but unless Jim can read them, his words are lost.]

He has to see more, be more. This place is where he comes back to like a cat waiting near a mousetrap.

[Will is unremarkable. Purposeful versus handsome if how he has often been described. There's a coldness to the blue eyes that lift to Moriarty's own, making himself be apart even as the background betrays a seaside place and his accent marks him as American.]

He needs attention. Craves it. Wants to be acknowledged as better or best.

Dorian Nymndemise | Cat Legend | OTA

[horny_troubles]

[What Dor sees in the mirror is what most would expect to see in one, himself. The differences came with what was missing from Dor that was on his reflection. There were small white horns coming up from his mess of long hair, sharp fangs where there were only gaps and pointed ears.

Then the most frustrating thing for Dor was this reflection was doing magic, passing lightning between his hands.]

[escapedbird]

[Elizabeth isn't quite sure how she ended up here, but she isn't questioning it too hard. Her reality ripping powers have left her a bit worn out and far too used to oddity just popping into existence around her. Somehow appearing in a castle is hardly the oddest thing she's seen today.

It doesn't nullify her natural curiosity though, it's why she goes through the door where Dorian is.] Oh! Excuse me- I must have-

[Her apology dies off when she sees his reflection looking much different than the boy sitting in front of it. It makes her pause uncertainly, holding onto the door with an uncertain frown.] Oh.

Mina Harker | Dracula | OTA

[wilhelminaharker]

[The mirror's reflection looks more like a portrait, or a staged photograph, of a group of friends. Quincey is there, and Lucy is arm in arm with her husband. Jonathan's hair is still dark rather than the white of sudden shock, and her own face shows none of the worry lines that have accumulated over the years. Mina reaches out to touch the reflection, but all her hand meets is glass; when Lucy waves at her, she is forced to close her eyes for fear of breaking down.]

[magicpanchira]

[ What shows in the mirror can be described as... well, odd. Not to Trucy, though. No, the fact that her father Phoenix, Apollo, Klavier, Ema, and... well, everyone else that she's ever met are dressed in outfits similar to hers is actually a delightful scene, at least to her.

The fact that they seem to all perform AMAZING tricks is an added bonus. It's a simple desire, but it's a happy one. Happily, the girl claps her hands as she watches the reflection perform. ]

Nikolai Djerassi | Battletech/Mechwarrior

[littleshortforanelemental]

Nikolai has served on many battlefields. He's climbed mechs in his power armor, ripping his way into the cockpit to fell them. He's hunted strange beasts on savage worlds. He spent a decade as a Seeker on the most primitive worlds of the Deep Periphery, finding relics of the old Star League. He led his Clan as their Khan once. He is justly proud of his accomplishments. He is still on active duty despite his advancing age.

But what does he see? It's something that makes him groan and bury his face in his large hands in embarrassment.

The battle armor trooper, bred for battle, sees a retirement party for himself. He is blowing out candles on a cake.

Special Agent Dale Cooper | Twin Peaks

[tibetanpeople]

[It's a simple image. Friends all around him, a small cafe, coffee in hand and pie on the table. There's a newspaper placed next to the pie labeled "Tibet Returned to It's People: Dalai Lama Comes Home". There's a woman, of course, but her face is obscured, as if the man reflected couldn't decide which impossible dream he'd prefer.

To the observant eye, there's something more. A glint of freedom in Cooper's eyes. A general sense that everything is finally okay, he's finally free at last.

He's free from the curse of the Black Lodge.

But if you look to hard for it, a new image emerges. A old man, grinning evilly, licking his lips in anticipations. If you don't tread carefully, BOB will be there to find you.]

[8urn3d0u7]

[Mituna Captor walks by, grumbling angrily about things. Could be everything, could be nothing, or could be what he saw in his own mirror. Anyway he was pissed.

He stops though and stares at Dale's reflection.]

WH0 7H3 H3LL 4R3 7H3Y?

clary fray / the mortal instruments / scorchedverse opener closed ;; gen opener upon req.

[artem]

[ It's been three months since Jace left. Clary marks the days on the calendar, hoping he'll come back. That's no secret. She's been in a slump. Her time with the patrol, with Simon, trying to cheer herself up - it keeps her mind off of the fact that Jace is gone for the foreseeable future. She's found quite a bit of solace in the friendship and company of Draco Malfoy, as well. He has a lot going on, so does she - and they manage to balance each other out enough to distract one another. He's become a good friend. He's dreadfully misunderstood, she thinks. Clary seems to be drawn to those types. Misunderstood kids, nerdy kids, weird loners with blonde hair... Must be the reason for her entire existence or something.

She stumbles upon the mirror entirely by accident. At first, she simply admires the sculpture and definition in the frame. But after a few moments, shimmering into her view, comes the image of Jace. She and Jace, together. Her breath catches and she feels emotion well up in her chest and her throat, and her hand extends to touch the glass. Is it really him? Could it be? What is this mirror? is it a portal, like the one to Idris her father used to tempt Jace what seems like ages ago? ]

[alphaophiuchi]

[given all the ways that he and Clary had first spoken, Draco can't say that it ever occurred to him that she looked vaguely like a Weasley. Not enough, obviously, or else it might have been more of a conscious realisation instead of the back of his mind helpfully supplying one afternoon that she was indeed a redhead. Despite that, they've managed to find something decent. He's never had that many friends, mostly keeping to a select handful that he could count on one hand, and only thinking to replace one when two had already left. To say that he is a little bit lonely is an understatement, but not one he'd ever speak aloud; he's happier just drifting into people's company as he is. Clary's has been something of a breath of fresh air, in that she provides not only decent company - good company, he might even hazard - but she's actually around his age, and has something to say every now and then. She's not just a pretty face to keep around, though he's realised she's that as well; at this point, he's sort of come to the realisation that there are a number of reasons he enjoys her company.

[Draco is, in fact, looking for her when she comes upon the mirror. He's quiet at first, recognising both her bright hair and the mirror's frame almost simultaneously; he doesn't want to interrupt. He knows what he'll see in it - him and his family, the lot of them happy. Possibly himself married, with a child, some kind of well-respected job. Never with the Mark on his arm. But he finds quickly, as he enters the space a bit more, that it's not his own desires that he sees reflected, but hers. He isn't sure that's how the mirror typically works, but curiosity is winning out: he moves that much closer, until he's practically behind her, hands tucked into his pockets, and studies the reflection.

[There's a hint of jealousy that shoots through him, though he finds it a bit inexplicable. He gives no outwards reaction to the image, to seeing Clary and Jace together like that in the mirror's silver, managing to take just enough time to steel his expression to it. When he speaks, he seems almost bored, but that's practically a dead giveaway in and of itself:] That's interesting.

mikan tsumiki | super dangan ronpa 2 | {spoiler-free} | ota

[antipyretic]

[ Mikan sees herself! ...Minus all the bandages and bruises and tear-streaked face. She looks pretty - in a dazzling dress with an elegant up-do hairstyle instead of her plain nurse uniform and unkempt tangles of hair. And there are people on either sides of her. Not laughing at her, not shaming her, not hurting her, either! They're praising her.

She can't tear her eyes away from the image. She knows it's too good to be true, but... she wishes it wasn't. and the crybaby cries a lot after that ]

Tony Stark [MCU]

[maninatincan]

The silence was ringing in his ears....of all of the things he could possibly be seeing in the damn mirror. Of all of people Tony had known in his life the person who showed up was Howard.
Tony's stomach turned in disgust, but at his father...no never his father, but at himself. In the mirror Howard stood beside this fully grown son, smiling as if he was the proudest man in the whole wide universe. Tony didn't even know his dear old dad could look like that, he sure hadn't for all the time Tony knew him.

Feel free to ignore if you'd like...

[captsosa]

"Tony?"

Charisa had been waiting at least twenty minutes for him to finish getting ready, though she wasn't much of the fundraiser type she had agreed to go with him since Pepper was busy.

Moving back upstairs she entered the bedroom after giving a soft knock and stopped as her eyes connected to the mirror he stood before. She slipped her heels off and moved across the carpet closer to Tony while she stared at the image in the mirror.

Kushina Uzumaki | Naruto

[tinypepper]

[She hadn't expected to find a lone mirror hidden in such a dim and dusty room on her... unauthorized visit to the main administration building. Only moonlight streamed in through a dirty window to gleam off the mysteriously clean glass. Did the Third Hokage know about this thing?

She left the door open a crack as she went to get a closer look. Each silent step felt like it would alert anyone who might still be in the building. As soon as she stepped in front of the mirror, she was forced to stifle a gasp at what she saw. Whipping around, she saw no one behind her. An attempt to dispel genjutsu like her sensei taught her did nothing to erase the scene in the mirror before her.

There was a young woman who could have been her, but older. One foot was stepping on a pile of her academy bullies, a fist raised in triumph as what could easily have been the whole village surrounded her. They appeared to be hailing her as a hero. Wait... was that an older Minato at her side? Nah, couldn't be. He looked much manlier than the Minato she knew. And if she didn't know better, it looked like the family she left behind in Uzushio was in the crowd too. And somewhere in the background, the Kyubi was clearly out of her body and trapped in a cage. Roaring and struggling fruitlessly to escape.

Kushina's hand fell to her stomach instinctively. He was still there, she knew that. But how could he be there too? What a peculiar mirror...]

[tinyflasher]

Kushina!

[Her name was a hissed whisper from the door-frame, Minato surprised (not really) to find her hiding in the Hokage building.

He'd been searching for her for an hour, and waiting for her two hours before that- he'd thought the bribepromise of ramen after training would have been enough to get her to agree, to actually show up this time, but apparently snooping around where she shouldn't have been was more appealing.

Honestly.]

What are you doing in here?

[...It was kind of weird that she hadn't said anything back yet, even if he was keeping his voice low Minato hadn't been keeping his presence a secret at all and she should have heard him but-

A mirror? Why was she... what was she looking at, the reflected scene nothing like the actual room around them, his concern over her current actions finally replaced with curiosity at the strange sight. A genjutsu? No... a quick release! didn't seem to make any difference, the image of Kushina (but not... older? and all those people) still there.

They shouldn't be here. Whatever was happening they could figure out or ask about later, but if they were caught now... was it possible to be demoted back to the Academy? Maybe they'd have to take on even more D-Rank missions...]