A/N: Hello and hey. S'been forever since I've uploaded anything here.
I've been wanting to explore and share my take on what the various friendships and romances are like between the many characters in Sailor Moon, particularly the friendships between the main ten guardians. If I'm able to, I'd like to dip into some romance as well. I'm not sure how frequently I'll be writing for this since I don't want to put any pressure on myself, I just want to do this for fun, but hopefully I'll provide more than one chapter for this. It's simply a serious of one-shots in no particular order.
I go back and forth on whether or not to use honorifics for fanfiction concerning Japanese characters, and in the end I decided to include them here. As I was writing I was trying to channel what the girls would sound like if I were watching an episode, and I couldn't quite edit out the honorifics in my head. I do like the nuance of them and how they can so simply say a lot about a relationship between two people. I'm sure I got a little carried away with it, but hopefully it's not too bad.
I'll be mostly going off of manga canon in terms of personalities and major events, but there will certainly be elements mixed in from other versions of Sailor Moon such as the original anime (and the new anime as well if I like some of its newer concepts, but that's following the manga anyway). Another thing I'd like to add is that while I am a multishipper, I'll probably be writing these with a consistency of sticking to canon relationships, barring Shittenou x Senshi which isn't technically canon, but there will be tiny hints of it anyway.
For this chapter in particular, I ended up diving into the POV of only one character when I originally meant to cover both, so who knows, I might have to explore this friendship another time from Michiru's point of view to make it fair. For now, you get to see this through Rei's eyes.
Thanks for reading!
~~~ Rei & Michiru ~~~
"Do you like it so far, Rei-chan?" Michiru asked, her voice ever the soothing, smooth symphony even now when she was shivering slightly. It wasn't freezing; in fact, the weather was quite tolerable and even pleasant from the presence of the hot springs all around that warmed the air. Snowflakes were drifting occasionally from the sky, but they only managed to survive in assorted heaps across the mountainside where the heat below the rocky surface wasn't so strong. It was too early for snow down in Juban, but up here the winter was only a breath away all year long.
"Mm." Rei nodded once, ever composed herself even as she smiled, her violet eyes roaming the countryside with great interest. Rei didn't chill easily. She was eternally burning inside with flames that would jump with passion or smolder in pensiveness, warding away cold that tried to brush her skin with icy fingers. "I can't remember the last time I've been to a resort like this..."
Truthfully, she almost could. Her father used to take her sometimes, but that was long ago, and she had been very little. Any hot springs she had visited since then had been more scaled down, especially when compared to the high class atmosphere of this retreat. That was Michiru Kaioh for you, always having the best fall right into her lap. That wasn't fair of Rei to think, especially when she didn't mind it. Some people were well off, that was all. And Michiru was talented and even famous. Despite surrounding herself by her more humble shrine all the time, Rei Hino also came from great money. But that money had always been her father's, and her father had always been so distant.
Rei went to an expensive private school. She had acquired expensive tastes. But as beautiful as it was out
here in the snow and the open mountain air, Rei had found her stomach twisting nervously as she took note of the crystal chandelier in the resort lobby, the personal wine cabinet in her room, the dinner menu with its items listed without prices because if one had to ask, one probably couldn't afford it. It felt like she was visiting her father. Even showering in preparation for the spring brought a sense of familiarity, like all resorts of this caliber must use the same scent of soap.
"You drift off in thought quite a bit, don't you, Rei-chan?"
Rei blinked in surprise, head turning a little too fast to glance at Michiru. They were already approaching the spring, and yet the young priestess could hardly remember her descent down the winding stone steps. "Oh, um...!" she began, wincing at her own rudeness. It was true; there was rarely a time when Rei wasn't meditating in some fashion.
To her relief, Michiru was smiling sweetly, amused and not at all offended. She brushed a tendril of aquamarine hair behind her ear with delicately manicured fingernails. "So do I," she explained. "Drives Haruka crazy, you see. But I can't help it. My mind wanders in and out of the mist. It can't be helped that we have such deep thoughts, can it?" Michiru winked slyly, and Rei found herself actually grin at that. Michiru was always so charming, so teasing. One could have so easily mistaken her for being aloof, and yet when Michiru wasn't daydreaming or listening to some unknown song in her own head, she was ever warm and engaging. Ironic that she should be so warm like fire and yet be made of water, and yet Rei struggled with being too cold even with all those flames raging inside.
"No, I suppose it can't," she replied, unconsciously mimicking the way Michiru had brushed back her hair by doing the same with a loose strand of her own raven hair. The two girls had already bundled their hair up into towels as they were still drying from the shower, protecting it from the cold evening air. "Something tells me you'd be a natural at meditation, Michiru-san."
"You think so?" Michiru asked with a sly grin. "I'm not sure I could really clear my head, even if I tried. There's always a picture in there..." The companions stopped now, having entered the ring of artfully arranged stones that shielded the spring from the outside world. The water steamed invitingly, its minerals swirling on the surface in an entrancing spiral.
"Well, that's the thing - " Rei had begun, but she paused as her eyes fell on Michiru's hands loosening the towel that wrapped around her body, until the fabric slid down the length of her pearly, perfect flesh in a nice little heap. Rei tried not to blush, but it was no good. All this time, she'd forgotten; no towels allowed in a nice bath like this. It wouldn't have been an issue with her usual companions, but she'd never seen Michiru before, not properly. She was just about as flawless as one could imagine, bearing all the traits one might expect from Neptune's treasured princess, right down to that pale mermaid complexion. Rei was confident in her own body, and yet she felt a sudden rush of inadequacy.
"Hmm?" Michiru asked, her brows raising, eyes sparkling with interest. It was as though she knew exactly what Rei was thinking about, yet wouldn't comment on it because her teasing gaze was sufficient enough. "You were saying...?"
"O-oh, yes, just that - " She paused, unraveling her own towel and rolling it up before she set it down. " - a lot of the time meditation can be about clearing one's mind, but sometimes...ahh..." She'd dipped a foot into the spring. It was pleasurably hot, especially compared to the chilly air, and Rei's flush deepened in scarlet. She slid all the way down, not having to approach the heat with much caution. If there was one thing Rei had mastery of, it was the heat. "...it's nice to just...focus your energy on something peaceful...like a picture..." Her eyes fell shut, her wet, warm hands poking out of the water to slide across her face and grace it with sweet-smelling, steaming water.
Michiru was taking the process far more gingerly, having to ease herself in in pieces, but she didn't look all the way uncomfortable. After all, the spring was her element too, and all water welcomed Michiru. It truly had been an ideal activity for the two of them. Rei had been surprised when she'd been invited by Michiru over the phone, but the reasoning had been sound and even sweet. Haruka wasn't one for taking it easy for terribly long, and when Michiru had thought about which friend she ought to invite, Rei had been the first to come to mind. When the two got together, it was clear that they were both comfortable with quiet hours, sophisticated places, and outings that required nothing at all but to share in tranquil conversation every once in awhile.
"Perhaps I could manage that..." Michiru replied, sighing as she sank down the rest of the way. Her head fell back and her eyes shut; she wore a blissful smile upon her face as her slender hands palmed the surface of the pool. "Meditating and picturing a beach with white sand, the waves rolling in and out..."
"See? You're a natural, I can tell." Rei smiled Michiru's way even though she wasn't looking before resting her own head back, violet eyes only half closing so she could watch the steam rise into the sky in ghostly patterns. "Tomorrow morning. We'll find a nice spot on the mountain and have a session..."
"I hope you mean after breakfast of course," Michiru commented, her voice carrying that ever-present tone of amusement.
Rei laughed, happy to know that no matter how impressive and superior Michiru seemed, she was still human, and her stomach would still growl even as she looked pretty as a painting, perched on a rock and meditating. "Of course. A traditional one! No toxic sugars and carbs, or you'll be restless..."
"No buttered croissants? Oh, that's mean, Rei..." Michiru pretended to pout. "But I suppose bacon and eggs - "
"A traditional Japanese breakfast," Rei cut in, her voice ringing with unreleased laughter. "Rice, fish, miso soup, nori..."
"Aha!" Michiru exclaimed triumphantly, sitting up slightly. "You said no carbs - so no rice! Don't tell me you've been eating rice all this time without knowing they were carbs?" Michiru started to laugh with that silky lilt of hers, and Rei was sitting up too, disturbed.
"I-I - o-of course I knew that! I was just testing you, that's all!" Rei lied, and not very convincingly at that. It wasn't as though she'd been oblivious exactly, it was just that she'd never given it any thought. Had she done so, she probably would have concluded that rice, being a grain, was in fact made of carbs, so in a way that made her words the truth, didn't it? Not exactly, but Rei's logic was founded mostly on emotions like pride. "Michiru-san!"
Michiru waved her hand. "Alright, alright - I'm only teasing, Rei-chan!" She giggled one last time before smiling more gently at her friend, her eyes squinting affectionately. "You're a smart girl after all. Say...when will I stop being Michiru-san, hm...? You're quite formal all the time. But in a nice way. Mysterious, elegant - that's you."
Rei blinked in bewilderment as she heard these compliments that could have, and should have, been spoken from her to Michiru. Maybe not so formal all the time, as Michiru seemed to have a fondness for sly innuendo, but she was certainly the epitome of grace and elegance. Did she really view Rei in a similar light? Rei had never called into question her own poise until she'd met Sailor Neptune, who seemed to move as though she were in an underwater ballet at all times, even just now when she was teasing and laughing, her face glimmering with sweat and steam. She made it look like a purposeful fashion, the way some girls wore makeup that glittered. Michiru could always glimmer all on her own.
Rei's lips fumbled, searching for the right thing to say. "Do you - I mean - you're just saying that, Michiru-san...you don't have to flatter me..." Rei's violet eyes directed themselves downwards, her averted gaze falling instead on the water with its swirling minerals and the odd leaf or two gliding gently like a boat on a placid stream. Since when was she so modest and self-conscious? Was it this place that reminded her of the father who never loved her, who only had empty compliments for her or birthday cards scrawled by somebody else's hand? Were Michiru's words as empty as a box containing a white dress and Casablanca Lilies said to be from one man who did not love her, but really sent by another who also did not love her? People weren't so genuine after all. Always so careless with the way they tossed their words around, their gifts, their affections. For what reason did Michiru have to even notice Rei besides their shared mission and experiences as sailor guardians?
"...I do have a bad habit of flattering and flirting more than I should," Michiru admitted after a pause. She was still smiling despite how earnest and quiet her voice had become. Her deep cerulean eyes were probing Rei now, studying her reaction very carefully. Then, Rei nearly jumped as beneath the water's surface, a sweet, soft hand gently held hers. Rei glanced up in shock, finding Michiru gazing at her fondly. "But I try not to speak untruths to my dearest friends. They're all so amazing that I don't need to tell little white lies in order to be nice. Rei...you're stunning." Rei opened her mouth, starting to speak, but Michiru didn't allow it. "Yes, you are. You're a beauty with a noble heart. Passionate. Brave. Witty. Probably the most graceful girl I've ever known, and that's counting sweet Setsuna who can be awfully stiff. And our beloved princess, who - it cannot be helped - is a bit of a klutz."
Rei couldn't help it; her lips quirked at that, a smirk playing at her face. "You're right on that," she murmured.
"So then I must be right about everything else," Michiru playfully concluded, giving Rei's hand a squeeze before releasing it. It was strange, but Rei felt as though she had dipped that hand into a cool, refreshing spring even though it was submerged in hot water. "So, Rei-chan...you can call me Michiru-chan if you'd like. But not Michi-chan like Minako and Usagi keep trying to force." Michiru wrinkled her nose in distaste, but not in a mean-spirited way. In fact she almost looked rabbit-like, just like the aforementioned Usagi, and Rei laughed into her hand.
"That is a bit much, isn't it?" Rei agreed. "Although...if it'll take you down a peg or two, I suppose I might start calling you that too..." Rei pretended to look deep in thought, finding her more playful side after being reassured so sweetly by her dear friend. This elicited the reaction that she wanted, as Michiru's eyes widened in delighted, scandalized surprise.
"Don't you dare!" she scolded, give Rei a little splash with the slap of her palm against the water.
Rei squealed, holding up her arms in defense. "No fair! Using water attacks without transforming!" Rei was laughing though, and she threw in a whine uncharacteristic of her, but she knew it would drive Michiru wild. "Michi-chaaaaaannnn..." Usagi and Minako had taught her that, how to grate on someone else's nerves. It was actually quite handy.
Michiru scowled. "Oh, you're really asking for it now!" And to Rei's great shock, a wave of hot water went crashing her way, and she might have imagined it, but it sounded an awful lot like Michiru's voice echoed while she called, "Take that!" as though she'd yelled Deep Submerge to an enemy. Rei snorted water up her nose and her towel was soaked through, and yet dripping wet as she was, she was already readying a counterattack.
The pool became a frothing mess of white water splashing and gushing over the sides as the two girls in it screamed and laughed and howled to their heart's content, uncaring over things like poise and etiquette. Even when a woman from the resort staff came hurrying out, eyes popping, and she hissed that they were creating a horrible disturbance for the other guests and that they must stop immediately, Michiru and Rei were still giggling into their hands. They took their leave then, feeling pruney and steamed like vegetables, wrapped in towels that had been soaked during their water skirmish, and tiptoeing like naughty children back to the showers and locker rooms.
Rei had known for some time that Michiru enjoyed desserts and luxurious tastes, but she only just now found out how far that went when they were back in the hotel room in fresh pajamas. Michiru dialed up room service and ordered many rich things, and something told Rei that this wasn't an exceptional instance, but rather one of Michiru's guilty pleasures. Rei wasn't usually one to order desserts for herself, but sure enough, she was stuffing her mouth with chocolate mousse and cheesecake with the same lazy enjoyment as Michiru.
After two awful but entertaining movies on the television and a stack of messily arranged plates, they talked long into the night. Michiru was brushing Rei's hair, asking with a twinkle in her eye about Rei's alleged hatred for men, and did that mean she preferred a woman's love instead...? Rei blanched at that at first, and yet, strangely enough, it quickly became so easy to prattle on about how she'd had the occasional interesting moment with Usagi and Minako, but that had been fleeting and she realized her love for them was something greater than romance altogether. She was actually telling Michiru about her spurned love for her father's assistant, something Rei tended to keep all to herself, to say the least. It was just so easy to tell Michiru; she was an exceptional listener. And then there were times in the fire or in her dreams when Rei would see another figure, a man with short hair and intense blue eyes, golden locks, a grey uniform...vaguely familiar and yet...
"You know what this all means, don't you?" Michiru asked her in a solemn, silent voice, setting the hairbrush aside. Rei looked at her with wide, interested eyes, when Michiru concluded, "It means you have a thing for blondes." Rei's mouth fell open, and before she could protest against such inappropriate ribbing, Michiru was winking and adding, "Don't worry. So do I." And then Rei had no choice but to laugh again as she thought of Haruka.
They fell asleep curled up in the same bed, listening to music and murmuring about memories they retained from the Silver Millennium, things they hoped the future would bring. And then they drifted together in a sea of space and shared dreams of the stars, until finally the sun peeked through the curtains, trying to rouse the two princesses from their slumber.
"Rei-chan...time to meditate..." Michiru murmured, her hair mussed up, half her face hidden in her pillow, blue eye opening halfway, preparing to wake up for Rei's sake.
But Rei only smiled, snuggling deeper into the bed. "Too much chocolate. Sugar. Not good for meditating. Let's sleep in...Michiru-chan."
Michiru grinned in agreement.