Created: 11/22/01

Day 2

Haruka quickly found out that transportation for her was limited. She had started to use her convertible, but then found out that extensions and convertibles really didn't mix. Michiru near to scolded her over it, but then held in her temper, and instead gave her a bill. Haruka could barely afford the amount of money that they costed.

That quickly struck out the convertible, since what was the point of it? If the wind wasn't in your face, and the sound of the wind in your ears, there was no point to using a convertible. Haruka had too much pride in her car to ever put the top up.

She couldn't use the motorcycle, because the extensions got matted under the helmet. (It was dangerous and a bad example to Hotaru not to use the helmet.)

She couldn't even use the helicopter, since it was too high profile, not to mention what the winds from the chopper's blades would do to her hair. That only left the bus, which was what she was taking today to get to the heart of Tokyo.

She only found all of those things out after trying to explain to poor Hotaru, who was young and impressionable what was going on with Haruka-papa and Michiru-mama. It was not easy. Haruka, still remembered her share of prejudice when she finally announced that she was gay to her close friends. She really didn't want Hotaru crying over what was a stupid bet. Well, two stupid bets. Michiru left Haruka to do all the work, while she went out to equip herself for what was now today.

Haruka also had a hard time dealing with Mamoru, who wasn't pleased to find out that his future daughter was being exposed to such a petty bickering bet. Odango reported that he wasn't pleased with Haruka either. Though, thankfully, none of them were really concerned over Chibiusa's sexuality changing. Sometimes Haruka wondered what the other senshi, of course, besides Setsuna, Hotaru, and Michiru, really thought of homosexuality.

Reading those shoujo magazines on the bus to defend from those sick salary men who thought that they could touch her, made her wonder about what Minako, Rei, and Usagi really thought of her and Michiru's relationship.

So, here it was, suffering through the second day.. and still no luck. Haruka had decided that the best approach was to do some research on it. She'd tried diving in, but several girls had looked at her as if she were a pervert, or even worse, a guy dressed up as a girl.

Haruka, or in this case, Haruko, was sitting miserably on the bus reading June magazine, a manga magazine for girls that liked homosexual relationships, especially in men. She was minding her own business, when a man in a suit tried to reach for her barely there breasts on the bus. She was utterly disgusted. What kind of person was this pervert? She realized it was a salary man, but caught his hand and was tempted to give him a fist in the face special, ala Haruka, when she realized she had to act girly.

Now, Haruka was too prideful to scream "ecchi", it was something she never did. It just wasn't her.

Instead the man looked up at her and said, "Hey, gaijin, come home with me. I like tall women, we can have some fun together."

This just boiled Haruka's blood, but she tried to be polite and say, "No thank you, I rather date girls."

She was rather insulted that he thought she wasn't Japanese. She was no foreigner, how was that a way to pick up women? Even she'd done better in her male guises.

He smirked at her and said, "Hey, maybe I can change that."

That just was enough. Haruka forgot the bet completely, and drew back her fist, careful not to hit anyone behind her, and just let him have it in between the eyes. His nose was bleeding badly, but Haruka felt no sympathy for him. He held his nose while he cursed at her. Some of the curses included "whore", "pervert", "gaijin" and "what kind of girl are you", but much more colorful.

Haruka decided to get off at the next stop.

Haruka thought everyone had seen her, but she was sadly mistaken when she found several sick men trying to slap her on the butt on the way out. She glared at each and every one of them. She was surprised to find them unrepentant and most of them the kind she would have even thought would do such a thing.

How could Michiru ever stand such a thing? Sadly, she knew that the train and the subway were out of the question for the same reason. She'd heard angry accounts from Rei on one occasion, where she'd sort of abused her powers. The calm miko was not prone to ranting on and on over such things, being used to such abuses. She'd complained about the subway and this particular sick man that wanted her to come home, just because she was dressed as a miko.

Haruka, finally, after an hour of preparing herself, since she still wasn't at the heart of Tokyo, decided that she was ready for the bus. She started to fantasize about manipulating her ki, so she could kiss any sick man with the edge of her space sword. Not so it would really cut, but so they could feel the cold of it run across their bare skin, and think twice about trying to fondle a girl ever again. Just to get them that bit scared. But then, she knew that the other senshi would not approve of her abusing her powers. Before she got onto the bus she never would have thought of abusing them before. Plus it was breaking the rules of the bet, though she still didn't regret the fact that she may have broken that man's nose, the perverted 40 year old.

It just boiled her blood.. she remembered the gold ring on his finger and it just made her feel sick. Even she would never go as far as to really go on a date, let alone think about another woman in that way. She loved Michiru fiercely, she just wished she could tell Michiru so, but it was hard for Haruka to do. It just cut through her pride to get so mushy.

The bus arrived, and Haruka tried to grip onto her dignity and pride as she continued to the middle of downtown.

Michiru had the freedom of actually using her helicopter to sneak to the middle of downtown, after she pulled some strings. She also new exactly how to approach this. The problem was trying to get into character. She had quite a bit of fun with it. One of her friends was into acting, and they'd helped her with arranging her hair under a really convincing wig. Haruka had made a bit of a fuss over her cutting her real hair, though Haruka did it meekly, which was why Michiru took some pity on her, and actually didn't cut it. Michiru liked the loose waves of her natural hair anyway.

As Michirou, she went to a gay men's club and situated herself at the bar, but refused sake from the bartender. She never could stomach sake, it was too much alcohol for her taste.

Everyone so far had been convinced she was a man, with no problems. She found that talking like a man, wasn't as hard as she thought. Though her careful speech she sometimes thought gave her away. The only thing was that no man was really attracted to her.

Michiru sort of could understand why Haruka liked to dress in such loose outfits, and in pants. There were comfortable, and Haruka never needed to cross her legs or worry about how short the skirt was. Haruka never had to worry about make up, and she never needed to worry about a run in her stockings.

Despite this, Michiru still longed to dress up in nice clothes and feel girly again. It just didn't sit right with her that she had to act boyish. Even her mirror didn't have to tell her why. She knew who she was, and was proud of it. Michiru mostly missed wearing make up and playing with various shades of color on her face, her favorite lately was her fuchsia pink, and she really thought it enhanced her face, and most of all Haruka, before the bets happened, had commented lightly on it.

Sure it was Haruka's usual, "Hey, that lipstick of yours doesn't look too bad."

Michiru knew better. Haruka was horrible at making compliments, since it hurt her dignity a bit, so it really meant a lot to Michiru, which was why she'd continued to wear it, even when she was angry at Haruka just hoping that Haruka would notice and make a comment on it.

So far being a man was harder work than Michiru thought. She often had to remember to hold open doors for girls in front of her, just to convince them that she was really a guy, and she had to walk differently, pick up objects that the other girls dropped, and still look interested in the men at the gay men's bar. She wasn't used to doing these kinds of things for other girls. She occasionally did it out of courtesy, but it was much more demanding being a guy.

Michiru drank a bit of her whiskey, which was oddly enough, the only thing she could stomach from the bar, and wondered why she hadn't been hit on all night. She'd danced, and she'd sat here all night.

She probably shouldn't have gotten Mamoru-san mad at her. He could have helped, though she reflected, he really couldn't handle Usagi's outbursts that well.

Michiru had apologized to him privately, so Haruka wouldn't know about it. Though it really hadn't made things better, she thought that Mamoru was beginning to understand her motivations.

Haruka was the one that had filled that aching part of her heart that she'd known was missing for a long time. The brave, but secretly gentle spirit of Haruka really caught Michiru's interest. After getting to know Haruka for a long time, that interest blossomed into love, at least for Michiru. She often wondered if Haruka felt the same. Sometimes she could tell, but other times it was hard to decipher.

Sometimes Michiru felt that Haruka didn't notice her at all. Haruka was much more interested in convincing every other girl that she was a guy rather than realize who was always there to cover her back, and love her for all that she was. Michiru did flirt with guys, but she never seen guys as potential partners. Only Haruka. She sighed.

Admittedly, Haruka flirting with other girls made Michiru nervous, though she was quick not to show it because then Haruka would tease her. It really bothered Michiru with the way that Haruka flirted with Dousei.

Sometimes... Sometimes she thought that Haruka was in denial. Haruka was insensitive to flirt with Dousei like that. How could Haruka lie about the bond they shared? It was a bond that started long before they were Haruka and Michiru. Michiru wondered if Haruka even remembered. How could Haruka choose Dousei!

Perhaps this bet of Minako-kohai wasn't a bad idea. It would force Haruka to realize who she was and who was beside her all this time and loved her for all of her.

Michiru was far for letting her winning their shared bet. Michiru needed a bit of relief, and a bit of revenge on Haruka wasn't such a bad idea. It would drive Haruka insane to see her precious car being driven by Michiru. The thing that she sometimes seemed to love more than Michiru. Michiru wanted to drive for once anyway. Haruka never did, just because she was a race car driver (which made Michiru worry about her several times).

Michiru realized that she was being too girly again. She must think male. Reminiscing was not the way of a manly man. So she corrected her posture and looked across the bar. There was a man there. Perhaps he would flirt with the great Michirou.

As Haruka and Michiru started warming up, Minako, Makoto, and Usagi had all managed to beg Ami for a portable camera to attach to Michiru and Haruka just so they could prove who really won. None of them thought either could win on the first day. After all, they were just warming up!

Minako did receive a secret report from Chibiusa via Hotaru that neither had won during that time anyway. She was relieved to hear that, especially as she remembered that Haruka had that huge helicopter, and she'd have to spend a good chuck of the weekend cleaning it, which was the week of a convention. Minako just hoped that Haruka would, by chance, not win.

OK, Gaijin means foreigner. It's derogatory in Japan.

Yes, salary men often think it's alright in Japan to feel up a woman on the bus (which is why a lot of women advoid rush hour...), I won't go into greater detail than that.

I put it in as a trial for Haruka to overcome as being introduced into being a woman again. She's so rich that she usually takes a car, so I thought it would be more poignant to have her take the bus (though a lot of people in Tokyo walk but I doubt she would in heels.. O.o;). Also to de-glorify a few things here and there.