So, the last one was short, but this one's extra long ^^
L
They walked up the many stony steps hand in hand, the torii gate ahead of them marking the entrance to their destination: Hikawa Shrine.
The shrine seemed as if deserted, the sound of crickets stridulating hung in the air, two crows were perched on the pavement a little ways beside the main building of the shrine, pecking at corn strewn on the ground.
He could see the shrine maiden they were looking for in her booth immediately. Sitting alone, no customers or helpers. She wore the traditional red and white garb of a Miko, and seemed to be quite pretty, if one went for the Japanese beauty standard. She sat in front of dozens and dozens of charms that, at least today, no one seemed to buy and looked a bit dejected, he found.
Usagi next to him suddenly gave off flustered vibes. Nervous and tightly bound, her heart sped up a little, her palm that was clasped in his hand turning slightly clammy. He looked towards her, a bit confused. Was there something he missed? Did she sense something about that girl he didn't?
He looked at her pointedly, expectantly, though not voicing the 'What?' he put into his look.
Usagi blushed. "Sorry, but she's like, the most beautiful girl I've ever seen." She said a bit sheepishly.
He blinked at Usagi, put off, and looked back at the priestess, brows furrowed. She was pretty, alright, but to him the thing that stood out most about her was the rather cool and closed off air about her. Attractive yes, but… no bubbly sunshine to be seen.
Usagi, though, was still blushing wildly. "Do I need to be worried?" He smirked at her.
She rolled her eyes at him and he could feel her heartbeat had returned back to normal.
"Let's just go talk to her, eh?" He said, still smirking.
They walked up towards the booth and stood in front of it. Usagi was about to address her, when he could feel the priestess suddenly freeze, her heartbeat accelerate, and adrenaline push to the surface. It took only a moment, and she was up on the display with one leg, reciting traditional words—
„— sha, kai, jin, retsu, zai, zen, akuryō taisan!"
— And with a yell pushed an ofuda forcefully towards Usagi's head.
Usagi stumbled, unprepared, and Mamoru could catch her before she fell over backwards.
His head whipped around and he growled at the priestess. "HEY!"
He saw the Miko's eyes go wide, and with an expression that seemed genuinely regretful she shook her head erratically. "Oh god, I'm so sorry, I thought—" Then her look turned somber, while Usagi had taken the ofuda off and looked at the other woman perplexed, yet open as always.
"What do you want." The Miko said coldly.
Mamoru set his jaw.
"Um," Usagi said, and he admired her a bit in the way she could still look so open and friendly towards the rude girl. "We… My friend recommended you for teaching, uh, meditation?"
The priestess said nothing, just looked at Usagi in this cold, calculating manner.
Usagi glanced at Mamoru, a bit unsure, and then back at the girl. "Um, I'm Tsukino Usagi" She bowed quickly, and then extended her palm, openly, pointing towards Mamoru. "And this is Chiba Mamoru." He didn't bow, and Usagi frowned at him.
The silence between them was so thick he could practically feel it looming in on them.
The girl frowned at Usagi. "Come back tomorrow." She said curtly.
"We're here right now, you don't seem so busy." Mamoru said, a bit harshly.
Usagi threw him a look.
A beat, then she tossed her hair over her shoulder and shot Mamoru a glare. "Fine." She bit, and turned abruptly. "Follow me."
They looked at each other, he a bit angry, she a bit befuddled, but they both followed the girl to the main building. They slipped off their shoes and hurried after her – she hadn't stopped to wait for them – into a big and open room, where, beside a great fire she stopped and pointed towards the tatami mats. "Sit." She ordered.
They both did, yet Mamoru's scowl turned darker by the second.
She sat as well and began to chant in a low voice, and then without further ado instructed them in their meditation. Mamoru himself was too riled up to really participate, and instead focused on what the priestess did: because to his surprise, on Usagi it seemed to have the desired effect. He felt her calm down and reach into herself more with every passing minute. He thought if he paid close enough attention to what it was the Miko was doing to get her there, maybe he could copy her and they would never have to return to this place again.
When Usagi's posture seemed to slip a bit the girl reprimanded her and Usagi tried to right herself but seemed to fall – while sitting, something that could only happen to her, he thought bemusedly – and tumbled forward a bit, then giggled and sat back into the cross-legged position.
But to his surprise, the Miko had also cracked a smile at Usagi, and looked at her with an expression that almost seemed a bit amused.
The scowl on her face didn't return after that.
She chanted and instructed Usagi a bit more – she didn't even bother addressing Mamoru, having obviously noticed he wasn't taking part, and after long minutes – they seemed endless to Mamoru – of silent meditation she guided Usagi out of her state of mindfulness calm and nodded curtly.
That seemed to be her way of telling them to go.
He looked back at Usagi and she looked at him, then at the girl. Usagi bowed deeply and thanked her politely and asked if she may come back sometime.
Mamoru sighed. So did the girl.
After a moment, she said to Usagi, "Rei. My name is Rei."
Usagi smiled at her, full sunshine beam, and Mamoru shook his head, a bit baffled by her smile. "It is very nice to meet you, Rei."
He noticed the girl, Rei, flush a bit and bow in farewell, and Mamoru led Usagi out by the small of her back. At the entrance, where they slipped on their shoes, Usagi leaned back into the big room and gave Rei a big and friendly wave.
The brunette Miko smiled at her tentatively, a bit guarded.
They exited the building and then the shrine. He slipped his hand back towards hers and they walked in silence for a bit. He really didn't know what to think of this experience, and he really didn't like the shrine maiden.
Usagi broke the silence first. "I like her."
He stopped abruptly and threw her an incredulous look. "What?" He said. "She was so rude to you."
"She reminded me of you…" She said in a quiet voice, and then looked up into his eyes. He opened his mouth to protest, but she hurried to explain herself. "Like, in the very beginning? She has that same haunted look in her eyes that you had…" She bit her lip, and then turned her gaze back up front, staring into the distance.
He looked at her, suddenly at a loss for words.
"And she seems so lonely, alone in that temple." She said, her voice adopting a sad hue.
He swallowed, looking at her sideways.
He stopped and turned towards her. After a pause he spoke. "I love you, you know?" His voice was carried by a very slight, almost unnoticeable tremor.
Her eyes snapped to his, a bit confused yet amused, obviously not knowing what she had done right now to deserve the declaration.
He slipped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her into a tight hug, and she let her arms snake around his middle in return.
They stood like that for a little while, in the middle of the street, his chin resting on the crown of her head, and he pondered how she must most probably be the kindest person in the world, it was almost unnerving. And how he'd do anything to keep her and that innocent smile of hers safe.
"Umm.." He started after a moment, not letting go of her in the slightest. "Do you, maybe, want to go on a date with me? Tomorrow? After my biochem meet-up?"
She turned her head upwards in their embrace, trying to peer up at him while furrowing her brow. She obviously didn't understand why he would be nervous all of a sudden. "I see you every day, you do realize that, yes? We go to the arcade almost daily."
"No, I mean like, a real date. A restaurant maybe." His throat was dry, and really, he didn't know either why he was nervous suddenly, but he felt that abrupt need to want to please her. "To take our mind off…all this mess, if you want?"
She sighed contentedly. "I'd love that."
He didn't let go of her.
After a while she tried to extract herself from him but he held on. "Mamo-chan?" She asked up towards him, mumbled into his chest.
"Mhm?"
"We need to go. We're gonna be late for dinner." She said into his shirt.
"Mhm." He mumbled as a confirmation, yet didn't let her go.
L
Makoto sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. Last period and if she had to take another second of hearing Seijuro mansplain the poem they were currently dissecting to Usagi she would flip.
'It's about love you dimwhit, not power, she got it right the first time, not you.' Is what she'd wanted to shout at him for the good part of this period, and she would have if it didn't mean she'd have to admit to eavesdropping on a conversation that was being held half a room away from her.
So she just balled her fist instead and growled a bit under her breath, making the poor little sweet boy who sat next to her (Umino? She couldn't remember exactly) a bit uncomfortable and skittish.
Outside, she noticed, the weather was mimicking her mood, as it sometimes did. A patch of big stormy clouds were forming over the school grounds.
Truth be told, that Seijuro-guy gave her the creeps. Something about him – and that didn't even include the over-the-top and at the same time utterly condescending tone he held when talking to Usagi every chance he got and thus effectively keeping Makoto from getting a chance to talk to the girl most of the time – was just off. She couldn't pick her finger on it. But she didn't like him, that she knew.
And it wasn't because he was hogging Usagi all the time. At least she liked to tell herself that.
She sighed, listlessly taking down notes.
She felt this irresistible pull towards Usagi, and she didn't know why. She knew it wouldn't be attraction and yet… it was. There was nothing romantic about her feelings, but still she felt as fluttery about the girl as she'd felt about her senpai any day, and it made her feel even more confused. It was different, but it was there and she couldn't explain it.
It felt to her, unnervingly, as if her whole being called out to Usagi, wanted to be near her, care for her, keep her safe.
She shook her head, eyes wide. This was so crazy; she'd just met the girl.
Needless to say, never ever in all her life had she wanted to befriend someone as badly as this small little happy-go-lucky person.
It made her nervous, it made her flustered, and she didn't know how to act on it. Especially because Usagi behaved so very naturally towards her, had befriended her from the first second without any reservation or judging whatsoever. She wanted to be closer, but she didn't know how to approach her.
Also, Usagi had so incredibly many friends. She was sure the blonde didn't see it, but it was as if the whole class gravitated towards her. Everybody liked her, even the teachers, and from what Makoto could see, that definitely didn't come from Usagi's academical achievements. And Usagi treated everybody with the same cheer and friendliness, no matter how little or well she knew the person…
Makoto just didn't know how she of all people could compete.
The bell rang, signaling the end of a school day. She sighed, relieved.
She looked up. Usagi a few rows in front of her to her left was scrambling up her belongings happily. As if sensing that she was looked upon she turned around and caught Makoto's eye, broke into a smile and waved cheerfully.
Makoto blushed. She was about to get her nerve and approach Usagi, when the blonde was immediately surrounded by a group of her friends. Naru, whom she'd seen around Usagi a lot but hadn't talked to, but had heard her name said around the school ground nearly as often as Usagi's, a few other females from their class she couldn't remember her name of, the little boy with the glasses that sat next to Makoto, and that Seijuro-douche that lingered around her however much Usagi obviously tried to be nice but declining.
She was relieved when Seijuro got pulled away from Usagi by his catty sister and they left.
The rest of the group all left the building together at a slow pace, chattering away while Makoto walked behind them at a distance.
They stopped at the school gates and talked for a bit – some of her friends had already broken from the group and Usagi hadn't yet hopped happily into her boyfriend's usual waiting arms and now that Makoto thought of it, he was nowhere to be seen yet. Was Usagi waiting for him?
She felt awkward, wanting to participate but not knowing how to go about it so she started to pass them by and go on her way when Usagi looked up and straight at her.
"Mako-chan!" She yelled happily and waved her over.
Makoto flushed at the nickname and looked at her feet for a moment that made their way towards her voice, as if automatically.
When she'd arrived she stopped beside the group awkwardly. Groups of people made her nervous, however small the group, and she always felt she stood out like a sore thumb, usually towering over her peers one head taller than pretty much all of them, even some of the boys, just like right now. But Usagi was obviously having none of it and pulled her by the crook of her arm right beside her and into their small circle, and beamed at her and then at Naru. "Look Naru, here she is. I swear she makes the best bento in the world, like you wouldn't believe—"
Makoto blushed again, when she was formally introduced to Naru and Umino (so that was his name), and the two spoke with her in such a friendly matter she thought they wouldn't have if it hadn't been Usagi that introduced her.
They small-talked for a little way, strolling along forward –If she learned to cook professionally somewhere, if she wanted to be a cook in the future, where she got those cute earrings from. No talk of having been kicked out of school for once, but about something she really liked to talk.
Then Umino and Naru turned the corner and left with big friendly waves and Makoto was left alone with Usagi, strolling down the sidewalk.
Makoto realized with a start that they'd long left the school gates behind. She looked at Usagi. "Isn't your boyfriend picking you up today?"
The pout Usagi's face fell into instantly was so big and adorable Makoto almost had to giggle about it.
"No." Usagi mumbled. "First time since we got together that he can't, he has a late study group meet-up."
Seriously, that was the biggest puppy-eyed pout Makoto had ever seen, and so she did end up laughing about it and patted Usagi on the back sympathetically.
"He's picking me up for a date, soon though, so it's ok…" She said, as if reassuring herself, nodding to herself.
"So you guys like… spend all your time together?" Makoto asked in a way of making conversation.
Usagi nodded happily and then blushed when Makoto looked at her oddly. "You think that's weird, right?"
"No! No!" Makoto said quickly. Truth be told, she'd spend all her time with Usagi too, if she could. "Just… intense?"
Usagi's eyes became even warmer. "Yeah." She smiled. "You could say that…"
Usagi beamed into the distance and then looked back at Makoto. "Well, this might sound really weird and all, but we both like, are very aware that anything could happen? Like, an accident, or something else really bad, and so we want to… spend all our days like it's the last?" She said, looking at Makoto while scratching her head and scrunching one eye shut.
Makoto looked at Usagi peculiarly. It sounded sweet, and right, though… She sighed. She wished she had people in her life she could spend all her time with.
Lost in thought both walked a few paces in silence.
After a while she felt Usagi look at her oddly, as if she wanted to ask her something but didn't dare to.
"Mako-chan?" Usagi asked.
Makoto blushed. She wouldn't get used to be called so affectionately so soon. "Yes?"
"Can I ask you something?"
Makoto smiled. "Of course!"
Usagi bit her lip. "It would be a favor though. A big one."
Makoto looked at her encouragingly. It was weird, but she didn't think there could be anything in the world that this girl could ask of her that she'd think she wouldn't do for her…
"You said you're a black belt… Mamo-chan and I do martial arts, too, but we fight really differently, so I thought… Would you train with me, or sometimes with the both of us? Like regularly?" She asked, hopefully. "I realize that's asking a lot to spend so much time with me, but—"
"I'd love to!" Makoto interrupted her avidly and then flushed and resumed talking in a tone that was a bit more flustered. "We could start next week if you wanted? Monday? You can bring your boyfriend and I'll look at what I can do for you?"
Usagi squealed then, and threw her arms around Makoto.
And Makoto felt like it was her that was getting the favor, not Usagi at all.
The storm clouds that had previously gathered over the general vicinity of Juuban High had completely cleared away.
L
Usagi changed outfits three times, feeling ridiculous. They'd been together for almost a month now, he's known her forever, he knew all her clothes, he knew her without her clothes, and this wasn't their first date by a far stretch.
But she hadn't seen him in forever – practically TEN HOURS! since they parted this morning– which she realized wasn't much at all but it was the longest they'd been apart since they got together save for that one night last weekend that he spent cramming for that test while she had to help her parents prepare for Shingo's birthday party and so they ended up spending a night apart(and it was hell! They vowed to never do that again! Sleeping alone was for people who aren't them!) So she was missing him terribly, if ridiculously and it made her wonder if he missed her too and worry about what she should wear to their date.
She made her way downstairs, shouted a goodbye to her mother over her shoulder only to run straight back to the living room and tell her with the biggest smug smile she had going that they wouldn't be home for dinner tonight, that Mamo-chan was taking her out on a date.
Her mother didn't seem surprised. "Oh, I already know, honey." She didn't look up from her magazine but giggled. "He asked for permission. Left the business card of the restaurant he's taking you for emergencies and everything. It was very sweet and adorable."
Usagi blinked, surprised, and her mother continued.
"You need to tell him though that that's unnecessary. He wouldn't listen to me. He can take you anywhere you two would like to go, you two don't need to ask permission, just tell us in advance so we don't worry, yes?"
Her mother still wasn't looking up when Usagi fell on her and kissed her on the cheek, but blushed slightly to her daughter's murmured "You're the BEST!" and shooed her out the door.
So Usagi made her way across her part of the city towards Keio – wondering for a second why it took so long, hadn't Mamoru always claimed it was right around the corner? – and stood just outside the massive and beautifully arched main entrance of Keio University and its adjourning Library.
He came straight towards her, looking completely unsurprised of seeing her there even though they'd arranged a different time and place, and she glided seamlessly into his arms.
She sighed in relief upon contact, and he chuckled into her hair in response.
"I thought I'd be picking you up?" He smiled at her, voice tinted with utter affection.
She shrugged at him. "I missed you." She told his shirt.
They stood like this for a moment, until he broke away from her a miniscule amount to be able to bend down to her, bring his hand up towards her face and look her in the eyes.
He skimmed his knuckles gently along her cheek and reveled in the beam directed at him from her. To think that only a few weeks ago he wasn't allowed to touch her like this… "Hi." He whispered at her, smiling ever so softly.
Together they walked to the nearest Metro station – Mita – and made their way to Shibuya.
It took them a while, because they missed their stop where they had to change Lines because of cuddling and had to go back, and then he made a show of insisting she always be in front of him when they traveled up escalators and behind her when traveling down escalators lest she fall and break her neck which she found ridiculous at first, but then she promptly fell when arguing it (He caught her of course). So she made a show of making them go up and down and up the same escalator again and again to show him that that had been an accident caused due to his fault in the first place for distracting her, but on the way she found she rather liked the placement after all, cause it made their heads align and kissing easier, as she was almost as tall as him when standing a step higher on the escalator (almost, he was still taller, even then).
All in all, it took them a while to get there, but they ended up arriving in Shibuya.
The restaurant he brought her to was on a small uphill street in Udagawa, Shibuya, behind the tall towering Tokyu Hands building. It didn't look like much at first: a small glass door in between houses, fogged up from the inside. He led her up the steps to the first floor and into a small room and a soft gasp escaped her lips.
The place was magical. As if stepping into an Enid Blyton book – the entire ceiling was covered in waves of soft white see-through fabric that hung like a canopy, small wisps of ivy in between colorful lanterns with lit tea candles were hanging from them, emanating warm light. The tables – all mismatched and different, so were the chairs, armchairs, and couches – were separated by low white bookshelves, which in turn again were covered all over by candles. In fact – the candle light and the blinking neon lights from outside that shone blurry through the fogged up large window front were the only sources of light in the room, illuminating it in a warm, soft glow.
She stood with her mouth hanging open.
"Do you like it?" Mamoru stood smiling behind her, hands in his pockets, shoulders slightly raised.
She turned around, mouth still agape, looking at him incredulously, as if wanting to say, 'Do I need to answer that?!'
He chuckled at her. "I thought you'd like it. When you first took me to that cupcake place all those fairy lights there reminded me of this place here."
She shook her head, still in wonderment. This was the single most beautiful place she'd ever been to.
He grinned at her, leading her to a table by the small of her back. "Wait until you've tasted the food." He winked at her and her eyes grew wide.
He led her to a small table in the back where they both sat cuddled next to each other on a narrow but very comfy couch, and she ordered dessert first and 'real food' (as he called it) later, only to switch it with his dessert then halfway through her pasta (she had food envy, his chocolate mousse cake looked so much better), and then proceeded to top it off with another dessert (cause what's the point if you don't try them all).
They talked about this and that in a constant chatter, with their mouths full and while waiting for their food; about Rei ("I really don't understand why you'd want to go there again" - "She's nice underneath all that armor, you'll see.") and what Seijuro did again today (He really didn't like that boy), or about the people in his study group ("Well why don't you hang out with them more?"-"How would I go about asking them?!" – "Well, by asking them!"), and Mamoru kept having the same feeling all though-out: like any moment would forever only qualify as well-spent when she was near.
It made him afraid; so so very afraid.
He'd always been alone. He'd always hoped for someone to make him less alone. He wasn't prepared for this panic he felt at the thought she might leave him behind again.
He really couldn't stand the thought of her fighting. It made him nauseous just to think of it. And it wasn't even only the fear of being left alone: He knew without a doubt that he'd jump in front of any danger she might encounter, just so she would live. And he figured death was a very lonely affair, too.
It was just that he didn't want to imagine a world where Usagi wasn't in it.
He pressed his face into the crown of her hair for a moment, and she grew silent; feeling his sudden change in mood.
He sighed and turned to smile at her, he didn't want to think of this again, really, and he didn't want to bring it up again. At least not now. This was to take their mind off it all, after all.
"Do you ever think of the future?" He asked instead.
"What do you mean?"
He leaned back and snaked his arm around her, leaving the rest of his (her) pasta forgotten on the table, while she happily munched on her third dessert.
"I mean- where would you want to live, what would you want to do… Do you have plans yet?" He said quietly, stroking the side of her hip with his thumb.
"Well, I wanted to be a housewife when I was 14, but now… now I want to help." She said.
He got the underlying meaning of that and sighed. But she only looked at him apologetically, and went to explain.
"I've wanted to help ever since it started… seeing Naru... But I couldn't. Still it made me think what I could do, like in the long run, you know?" She leaned back against him, bringing her plate with her.
"So I thought police first." He looked at her horrified, he couldn't think of a more dangerous job for her. At his look she hurried to continue, sheepishly. "But I'd be rubbish at that, I know. So then I thought social work? It's like… I mean I don't actually really want to fight exactly. I could do without the fighting part. It's scary and horrible,… But what I really need to do is help, does that make sense? I just want to protect the people that I love and this world, I need to do this so I can help…"
She looked at him and he urged her to continue. "So with social work…I could help families that need it the most… or kids that go into bad shit…or even orphaned kids…" She trailed off looking at him with eyes so full of emotion for him and he smiled at her.
"Anyway… You see, I thought of police first because they fight criminals – or the 'bad people'… " She made air-quotes with her fingers and talked on, "and I thought fewer criminals less suffering but then… The police can't do anything to prevent bad things from happening in the first place, but in social work I can help the victims and most importantly even prevent some people from becoming so alone and desperate and dispatched that they would do stupid things in the first place ... make them see there is good in the world."
He looked at her sideways. "So you want to help the bad people?"
She pursed her lips and thought for a while. "I think… I don't believe there are bad people. Not truly anyway… I think there are just people, and some of them do bad things - horrendous things - and behave badly because of reasons... but they don't come into the world bad, and maybe I could help them so they don't do these bad things in the first place or at least not anymore." She said, worrying her lip. "Is that so strange to think?"
"No." He smiled at her tenderly. "It's wonderful that you think this way…. Maybe a bit unique. It's a very generous world view."
She scrunched up her nose. "Is that really so unique? Aren't there other people who think like that, too?"
"Rousseau. " He said, touching her nose gently to de-wrinkle it. "Philosopher. He said humans are naturally peaceful beings, and it is society which corrupts them to aggression."
"Right." She nodded to herself, once. "Then I'm with that guy."
He chuckled at her, took her now empty plate from her to place it on the table and wrapped himself around her more fully.
She took a breath, thinking and turned in his embrace to place her head on his chest. "Well, all in all… I think I want to help people who are in need of help … and I always want to be the reason someone smiles. That would be what I want to do."
He shook his head at her, a bit amazed, and smiled. He shouldn't have been surprised. She was the kindest person he knew after all…
"Also, I know I can put people at ease some, everybody always says so. Shouldn't I use that?" She said, and then let her voice drop an octave."'With great power comes great responsibility' and all?"
He frowned at her, confused, and her eyes widened.
"What, you've never seen Spider-Man?"
He shook his head. "No?"
She looked at him with wide eyes that held some considerable pity and a fair share of disbelief in them, then shook her head slowly as if to scold him, but decided – it seemed a hard task – to let it slide and instead settled back into him.
"But I don't know. It's just a thought. I don't know yet. I could become anything." She said. "Also I want us to live here in Tokyo in a really cool apartment with an accessible roof top that we can make into a garden to share with all our neighbors so we can have huge get-togethers with a brilliant view."
He chuckled, and reveled a bit in the fact that she phrased it a 'we', not an 'I'.
"Are you still eating that?" She nodded at the pasta.
He raised his eyebrow at her. "They're cold now. And you didn't want them."
She threw him a look as if he was talking nonsense. "I never said I didn't want them. I just wanted your food more."
He snorted and waved his hand in a 'Be my guest, go ahead' kind of manner, then watched her sigh happily over lukewarm pasta as if she hadn't eaten anything yet. He smiled amusedly.
"Please let's always go on food dates, please?" She said with her mouth full and her eyes happy and he smiled at her and nodded and found her so adorable and ridiculous and so Usagi.
They left the way they came then, Usagi gushed about the interior some more, and as they already were in Shibuya and the night was still very young they decided to linger around. He watched her twinkling eyes when they browsed through the Manga section of Village Vanguard, and relented with groans and protests when she asked with this utterly hopeful, exited and gleaming look in her eyes "Purikura?".
And he found himself – he would so much like to hide it but he couldn't cause she could feel it and looked smug about it – somewhat enjoying the whole thing. The way she practically draped herself around him for the tiny miniature photos, got into all these weird kinds of positions that he had to outright laugh at her, the way she leaned up on her tiptoes and kissed him sweetly for that one photo. He won't say it but that last one was the nicest picture he'd seen of them together yet and he asked her to please not edit that one but leave it as it was instead and she smiled and only edited the others with sparkly stickers and font.
They exited the shop – it was underground, so they had to walk up its staircase – and he stowed the photos carefully in the woolen pockets of his cardigan. She was so happy she practically beamed and for that it was all worth it of course.
He took her hand and kept in step with her and together they walked back towards Shibuya station in relative silence until he broke it.
He looked down at her. "So what about these Cardians?" He asked under his breath.
Her gaze became questioning and a bit befuddled. "What about them?"
"Do you think they are bad?"
She scrunched up her nose again. "That's different… they're not people. They're just something the people need to be protected from." She said with a determined hint in her voice.
"But what if there're people behind them?"
She frowned. "Well, then it still applies. Only then we'd need to figure out why they do it so we can change it."
She sighed, cocking her head and looked up at him. "Also, I didn't say that I think everybody's naturally good per default, either… I just believe that no one is inheritably and irreversibly bad."
He nodded mutely.
They went down the tunnel towards the Ginza line (she didn't protest anymore to stand behind him on the escalator and instead slung her arms gleefully around him from behind immediately and sighed happily about the sudden yet temporary adjustment in height) and went forward to stand in line and wait for the next train to approach with what he felt might be half of Tokyo's population around them. Shibuya station was always so crowded…
That was his thought when suddenly he felt that tingling spark of danger deep in his gut, and, gripping Usagi's hand tighter in alarm, right in front of them yet further down the platform, a Cardian appeared.
Hell broke loose after that.
L
AN:
So, I might need to point out at this point that my favorite season back since the beginning in the 90s has always been Stars (luckily we did get that here back then) – both arcs, Nehelenia AND Galaxia, even THOUGH there's barely any Mamoru in it. And that was because those two arcs really drove the point home for me HOW incredibly deeply Usagi believes there can be good in ANYONE – even those who killed/kidnapped/brainwashed her loved ones. It shaped me a lot as a person to see her think like that as a kid and it's the thing I love most about her.
I know it might seem I'm channeling a lot of Manga Usagi here (especially because I AM channeling Manga!Mamoru and Manga!Rei a lot), but the Usagi I'm really thinking about here is the matured 16-year-old Stars-Usagi that believes there's always good to be found SOMEWHERE.
ALSO:
Someone I talked about this with a few days ago said I'd make them seem a bit way clingy, and that Mamoru especially wouldn't be so clingy.
Just to clear that up just in case: I write them like this for a reason, it's absolutely on purpose. Cause to me, it would make absolute sense that if you'd run not only into the love of your life but your *soulmate* whom you've got some back-of-your-head-knowledge of already having *lost once* in a previous life, to be a little or a lot-and-extraordinarily clingy.
Also, I know Mamoru isn't portrayed that way in the anime and Usagi is always made to be seen as the more clingy one, BUT HE'S A LONELY ORPHAN THAT ALWAYS YEARNED FOR SOMEONE TO LOVE HIM! If *he* wouldn't be clingy I don't know who would.
(Also a reason why it always irked me a bit that he'd so absolutely willingly go off to America without her. Like, not that he SHOULDN'T, but there was literally an episode in early R where he talked to Motoki how selfish he found it of Reika to go study abroad and leave Motoki behind. )
Anyway, /rant. ^^
Would like to hear your thoughts on that, too, though! And also on what you thought of this chapter. It's a cliffhanger, I know, I'm sorry, but I'll update soon!
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