Weak

[simplememes]

WEAK FOR [...]


What am I doing? Oh, nothing. Not a single thing. I’m certainly not rifling through a bunch of photos in my pocket-

NO NO WAIT STOP DON’T LOOK. I can't reveal my one weakness.

[1] Someone strapped a sign on your character that tells the whole wide world what they're weak for, what gets them biting their lip, blushing, weak at the knees, all that. Whether it's a specific person's name or particular words/actions (calling her a good girl, touching his neck, kissing their forehead), there's no difference in the end. They're exposed either way.
[2] All that matters is everyone can see it.
[3] That's it.

Do not post any blank top levels.

Comments

[erbe]

[She knows. She knows the moment when the mood shifts and the tone in Sakura's voice changes. Rin may have stuck her foot in her mouth, but she has enough awareness to be cognizant of when the line is crossed after it as been.

But that's fine. That's how things should be. A person in her position should have no regard for Sakura's feelings. After all, they aren't sisters anymore. They aren't even classmates or friends. Their families simply have a truce, and that is all.]

Perhaps that would be ideal, but my needs do not matter. I have no freedom in this regard, so it's best not to think about it too hard. When I have made a name for myself suitors will come to me, and I will have my pick of the litter — so to speak.

[imaginex]

Mm.

[Strangely? It’s that cold exterior that gives Sakura a sudden moment of solace. She was being stupid before, needy. Of course Rin would have little interest in bridging the gap between them. They are hardly family at this point.

Her head gives a nod, a polite bow. A lesser mage in the shadow of her better.]

I see. [Rummaging in the silence, looking for something to say.] … That will make you— [“happy”? No, wrong word. A short stop and a quiet breath] Ah, that will satisfy you, then?

[erbe]

[Was there satisfaction to be had in any of it? The life of a mage, especially when you do not choose it for yourself, is one of sacrifice and compromise. You discard your humanity for a higher purpose. You compromise your basic need for others to embrace life at arm's length. Satisfaction is the height because excellence isn't celebrated. It's expected. Excellence is the bottom rung of the ladder and you must climb up from there.]

No. It will satisfy my responsibility, and that's all it needs to do.

[Wild honesty for once, in the form of continuing to tell Sakura she is wrong. After all, even if she was raised as a mage in the Matou household they do not treat her as an heir. She and her father hoped that they would, but that is not the case. No, she's simply just a vessel, isn't she? They will likely encourage her to marry someone who will produce an heir for the family. Shinji is useless, and since she's not originally of the family she cannot dethrone Zouken from his hold on it.

A shame. Is there another world in which Rin and Sakura had a choice like their father did? In a million and one lives mirroring each other over and over, perhaps not.]

[imaginex]

[… Responsibility, is it?

Tension works through her shoulders like rigor mortis, threatening to turn her into a corpse. And that same relief in knowing exactly what type of mage she is dealing with ripens into irritation, agony. Bitterness swells in her mouth.

Her sister is beautiful. Clever, gifted. All she knows is the responsibility of being valued. The type of beauty that is different than Shirou, who glows because he is pure. But Rin, she burns bright as a star in the sky, distant and searing in her perfection — looking down on her sister for being as useless as a discarded piece of tissue.

She truly doesn’t hate them — mages. Throwaway mage that she is, Sakura understands what it means to cut the fat from your life in the pursuit of a greater purpose. They aren’t monsters, most of them; more akin to machines that have forgotten basic human expectations. In another world, maybe she would flourish as one, to such a point that even Rin would finally, finally concede some ground and praise her—]

I understand.

[That Rin is a model mage who did not appreciate Sakura’s meager contributions. That this conversation is done, and was a waste of time.

If nothing else, Sakura stands proud from the fact that her voice is a clear bell of indifference. She won’t allow it to waver an inch.]

Please excuse all of my questions. I only wondered because of the sign.






[Remember when this was a cute thread about shaming Rin’s preferences.]

[erbe]

[Every day it hurts. To watch the archery practices until she got caught. To follow her home from afar and see that the stupid high-jump kid is the only thing to make her smile. To hear rumors about the bruises on Sakura's arms and to know where they come from. Shinji is lucky. Were it not for the truce between their families she probably would have him be nothing but a smudge on the pavement a long time ago.

But it's supposed to hurt. She's not allowed to feel pride or success in any of this. Not when she's barely even a "good mage" to begin with. Starting off with lofty ideals of becoming a mage who uses their knowledge to protect the weak. Sakura would perhaps have been the better choice. Sakura would be able to make the decisive kill, Sakura would do what's necessary, Sakura wouldn't spend a part of her patrol stalking her sister.

Rin must embody the image of a perfect mage because she refuses to let all of Sakura's suffering be for a failure who can't even live up to the family name. Rin must be perfect for Sakura's sake. Rin must prove her father made the right choice and that everything was not in vain.]

Yes, it was misleading, wasn't it? Good thing we have that resolved.