Story by SinisterMarmalade and LoveAntelope.
Standard disclaimers apply.
BLACK COFFEE
Chapter 1: Hindsight Is 20/20
Minako Aino had run out of hope. She looked back bitterly at her former self. She'd been so sure and so had all of her friends. When she announced her plans to relocate to America, specifically to New York City, they had all been speechless with surprise.
"What's in New York, Mina-chan?" Ami queried. Mina smiled at the intellectual senshi.
"Broadway!" she exclaimed. "I'm going to become an actress!"
Her friends had nothing but encouragement for her, besides which she was full of her own idealism and confidence.
Minako laughed bitterly to herself. It had seemed only natural to her that the goddess of love and beauty ought to be able to waltz into any studio and get a starring role in a major motion picture right away. She couldn't tell anyone about her past as a senshi of course, but that shouldn't matter.
At the airport everyone was there to see her off. There were tears, promises to call or write, more tears, hugs and above all the naivete of youth.
When she arrived she used her life savings to rent a penthouse and a car. She believed her life savings would sustain her until she made it big.
She didn't have those things anymore. The car had been stolen, and the penthouse had drained her life savings. Now she had a one room apartment in a bad neighborhood and little else. She couldn't call her friends because she couldn't afford a phone line. She couldn't even afford to write as all her money had to go towards living expenses. She had sent a letter to her friends about two weeks ago, telling them the reality of her situation. One week ago she'd gotten a letter back. It was a cheerful card with a cartoon cat on it. All of her friends had signed it and written things like "don't give up," "we believe in you," and "you can do it, Mina-chan!" It was clear that none of them had understood. She ripped the card up and threw it away.
To date she had been in one movie. Out of necessity she had "acted" in a porno flick. She prayed to God that her friends wouldn't see it. She used the name Jade Honey in the film, but she knew if they saw it they would recognize her. Her only consolation had been that all her scenes were with women. She wasn't gay, but it had seemed safer than with men. What had surprised her was the emptiness she saw in the eyes of her fellow cast members, even the men. Her own despair stared back at her from each of them. She had vowed that she would die before she acted in another porno. That night she sent one last letter home.
My dearest friends,
I write to you now to say goodbye. I know you won't understand; I wouldn't expect you to. You still see the world as having hope. I am free of this illusion, because for me, hope doesn't exist any more. I've come to see the world as it really is: A dark, cruel and twisted place. I hope you never lose your rose-colored glasses. I love all of you, remember me well.
Sincerely,
Minako Aino
Fifteen minutes ago she had put the sealed envelope into the mail box in the front doorway of the apartment building. Now she stood on the ledge surrounding the top of the apartment. Her hair was meticulously brushed out to its full length, soft as buttermilk and unrestrained. She wore a breath-taking red silk dress that she had bought to impress the first director she met. She smiled wryly to herself at the irony. She spread her arms and prepared to fall into oblivion.
"Are you sure you want to do that?" asked a voice from the shadows.
End chapter 1
Standard disclaimers apply.
BLACK COFFEE
Chapter 1: Hindsight Is 20/20
Minako Aino had run out of hope. She looked back bitterly at her former self. She'd been so sure and so had all of her friends. When she announced her plans to relocate to America, specifically to New York City, they had all been speechless with surprise.
"What's in New York, Mina-chan?" Ami queried. Mina smiled at the intellectual senshi.
"Broadway!" she exclaimed. "I'm going to become an actress!"
Her friends had nothing but encouragement for her, besides which she was full of her own idealism and confidence.
Minako laughed bitterly to herself. It had seemed only natural to her that the goddess of love and beauty ought to be able to waltz into any studio and get a starring role in a major motion picture right away. She couldn't tell anyone about her past as a senshi of course, but that shouldn't matter.
At the airport everyone was there to see her off. There were tears, promises to call or write, more tears, hugs and above all the naivete of youth.
When she arrived she used her life savings to rent a penthouse and a car. She believed her life savings would sustain her until she made it big.
She didn't have those things anymore. The car had been stolen, and the penthouse had drained her life savings. Now she had a one room apartment in a bad neighborhood and little else. She couldn't call her friends because she couldn't afford a phone line. She couldn't even afford to write as all her money had to go towards living expenses. She had sent a letter to her friends about two weeks ago, telling them the reality of her situation. One week ago she'd gotten a letter back. It was a cheerful card with a cartoon cat on it. All of her friends had signed it and written things like "don't give up," "we believe in you," and "you can do it, Mina-chan!" It was clear that none of them had understood. She ripped the card up and threw it away.
To date she had been in one movie. Out of necessity she had "acted" in a porno flick. She prayed to God that her friends wouldn't see it. She used the name Jade Honey in the film, but she knew if they saw it they would recognize her. Her only consolation had been that all her scenes were with women. She wasn't gay, but it had seemed safer than with men. What had surprised her was the emptiness she saw in the eyes of her fellow cast members, even the men. Her own despair stared back at her from each of them. She had vowed that she would die before she acted in another porno. That night she sent one last letter home.
My dearest friends,
I write to you now to say goodbye. I know you won't understand; I wouldn't expect you to. You still see the world as having hope. I am free of this illusion, because for me, hope doesn't exist any more. I've come to see the world as it really is: A dark, cruel and twisted place. I hope you never lose your rose-colored glasses. I love all of you, remember me well.
Sincerely,
Minako Aino
Fifteen minutes ago she had put the sealed envelope into the mail box in the front doorway of the apartment building. Now she stood on the ledge surrounding the top of the apartment. Her hair was meticulously brushed out to its full length, soft as buttermilk and unrestrained. She wore a breath-taking red silk dress that she had bought to impress the first director she met. She smiled wryly to herself at the irony. She spread her arms and prepared to fall into oblivion.
"Are you sure you want to do that?" asked a voice from the shadows.
End chapter 1