Disclaimer: The characters of the BSSM universe aren't mine, so don't sue. Umeko Tsukishiro, however, is. Why you'd want to use her is beyond me, but you can't.
*****
The next day Usagi exploded through the classroom door as if a cannon had personally shot her through. "Gomen! Gomen!" she panted, running to her seat and collapsing in it.
Sensei shook her head ruefully. "Chapter three in your English book, Tsukino."
"Hai, hai." Still breathing slightly hard, Usagi obediently opened her book and followed along with the rest of the class. She was interrupted abruptly by a sharp poke to the small of her back.
Usagi slipped her hand to waist level, and held it out behind her back, palm up, to intercept the note.
U*sa*gi!
Have you seen Mako-chan today? I'm worried she might be sick. Also, she was supposed to call me last night, and never did. I'd expect that from *you*, but not her.
Ai no megami, Mina-chan
Usagi made a face at the reference to her less-than-stellar attention span, but nonetheless she was worried. Makoto almost never got sick, and the last time she did, the Black Moon had pulled some stunts.
But there was nothing she could really do about it, except maybe call up the Tenoh-Kaioh-Meiou-Tomoe household and ask to borrow Hotaru for an hour or so...
Then again, she was pretty sure Hotaru's healing power only dealt with visible wounds, like sores or cuts. Colds most likely weren't in her range of expertise. And since she was so young, she was susceptible to the germs. Then there was the matter that Haruka was likely to kill Usagi for abuse of power.
So that was out, meaning that there really wasn't anything she could do.
The bell rang, and Usagi beckoned for Ami and Minako's attention. "I was thinking maybe we could drop by the grocery after school, and get some things for Mako-chan. If she has the flu or something, then she won't have much energy to cook for herself."
"Good idea, Usagi-chan," Minako said. "Maybe we could rent her some videos. The Sailor V movie just came out on DVD."
"Oh, the shameless self-promotion," Usagi said with a smile.
"Ohayo, tachi!" Umeko interrupted perkily.
"Ohayo, Umeko-san," Ami and Minako answered politely. Usagi greeted her new friend with an enthusiastic smile.
"What's this about the Sailor V movie? It's my favorite!"
"Mine, too!" Usagi cheered.
"We're taking it and some food to Mako-chan's after school," Ami explained. "She's out sick."
"Probably the flu," Usagi said.
"Hai, hai, that's going around," Umeko said, nodding sagely. "My little brother Shingo has it."
"Shingo?" Minako asked incredulously, raising an eyebrow at Ami.
"Hai. I call him Shin-chan after Crayon Shin-Chan."
"My little brother's name is Shingo!" Usagi cried out.
"You're kidding."
"Iie."
"That's the weirdest thing ever!" Umeko squealed. "You know what this means, right?"
"Nani?" Ami asked, the slightest bit of sarcasm tinging her tone.
"It's fate. We are *destined* to be friends."
"Oh, that seems unlikely," Minako remarked under her breath. She was a big believer in fate, and she knew for a fact that she was destined to be friends with Usagi and the rest of the senshi, but she just didn't trust Tsukishiro.
Usagi, however, didn't hear the comment, and responded with enthusiasm, "It must be fate!"
"You know, I brought some homemade avocado rolls," Umeko said, leading Usagi out of the room. "Want to have lunch together?"
"Hai!" Usagi said cheerfully, and the pair exited the room.
Ami and Minako looked at each other. "I don't trust her," Minako said decisively.
"Not at all," Ami agreed, with such vehemance that Minako had never heard from her soft-spoken friend before.
"Should we contact the others?"
"Rei-chan, obviously," Ami said, "but not the Outers. They'll say we're paranoid."
"These from the people who couldn't trust a pop group," Minako remarked with mild distaste.
"Well, you know, Seiya-tachi weren't exactly the most...er...*pleasant* people to be around, you know. And as senshi, they were a bit angry."
"They're a *pop* group, Ami-chan! They're on a different level from regular humans." Minako sighed exasperatedly and rolled her eyes as if the super-smart Ami was displaying less than normal intelligence for not realizing this.
"Oh, of course. I should have remembered that. Gomen." Minako didn't hear or chose to ignore the sarcasm found in the reply.
"We'll call a senshi meeting after school today."
"We're visiting Mako-chan after school, remember?"
"We'll have it at Mako-chan's house, then," Ami improvised. "But don't tell Usagi-chan. She'll go ballistic that we don't like her new best friend."
"That's going to bite her in the ass later," Minako predicted with a sigh.
*****
The next day Usagi exploded through the classroom door as if a cannon had personally shot her through. "Gomen! Gomen!" she panted, running to her seat and collapsing in it.
Sensei shook her head ruefully. "Chapter three in your English book, Tsukino."
"Hai, hai." Still breathing slightly hard, Usagi obediently opened her book and followed along with the rest of the class. She was interrupted abruptly by a sharp poke to the small of her back.
Usagi slipped her hand to waist level, and held it out behind her back, palm up, to intercept the note.
U*sa*gi!
Have you seen Mako-chan today? I'm worried she might be sick. Also, she was supposed to call me last night, and never did. I'd expect that from *you*, but not her.
Ai no megami, Mina-chan
Usagi made a face at the reference to her less-than-stellar attention span, but nonetheless she was worried. Makoto almost never got sick, and the last time she did, the Black Moon had pulled some stunts.
But there was nothing she could really do about it, except maybe call up the Tenoh-Kaioh-Meiou-Tomoe household and ask to borrow Hotaru for an hour or so...
Then again, she was pretty sure Hotaru's healing power only dealt with visible wounds, like sores or cuts. Colds most likely weren't in her range of expertise. And since she was so young, she was susceptible to the germs. Then there was the matter that Haruka was likely to kill Usagi for abuse of power.
So that was out, meaning that there really wasn't anything she could do.
The bell rang, and Usagi beckoned for Ami and Minako's attention. "I was thinking maybe we could drop by the grocery after school, and get some things for Mako-chan. If she has the flu or something, then she won't have much energy to cook for herself."
"Good idea, Usagi-chan," Minako said. "Maybe we could rent her some videos. The Sailor V movie just came out on DVD."
"Oh, the shameless self-promotion," Usagi said with a smile.
"Ohayo, tachi!" Umeko interrupted perkily.
"Ohayo, Umeko-san," Ami and Minako answered politely. Usagi greeted her new friend with an enthusiastic smile.
"What's this about the Sailor V movie? It's my favorite!"
"Mine, too!" Usagi cheered.
"We're taking it and some food to Mako-chan's after school," Ami explained. "She's out sick."
"Probably the flu," Usagi said.
"Hai, hai, that's going around," Umeko said, nodding sagely. "My little brother Shingo has it."
"Shingo?" Minako asked incredulously, raising an eyebrow at Ami.
"Hai. I call him Shin-chan after Crayon Shin-Chan."
"My little brother's name is Shingo!" Usagi cried out.
"You're kidding."
"Iie."
"That's the weirdest thing ever!" Umeko squealed. "You know what this means, right?"
"Nani?" Ami asked, the slightest bit of sarcasm tinging her tone.
"It's fate. We are *destined* to be friends."
"Oh, that seems unlikely," Minako remarked under her breath. She was a big believer in fate, and she knew for a fact that she was destined to be friends with Usagi and the rest of the senshi, but she just didn't trust Tsukishiro.
Usagi, however, didn't hear the comment, and responded with enthusiasm, "It must be fate!"
"You know, I brought some homemade avocado rolls," Umeko said, leading Usagi out of the room. "Want to have lunch together?"
"Hai!" Usagi said cheerfully, and the pair exited the room.
Ami and Minako looked at each other. "I don't trust her," Minako said decisively.
"Not at all," Ami agreed, with such vehemance that Minako had never heard from her soft-spoken friend before.
"Should we contact the others?"
"Rei-chan, obviously," Ami said, "but not the Outers. They'll say we're paranoid."
"These from the people who couldn't trust a pop group," Minako remarked with mild distaste.
"Well, you know, Seiya-tachi weren't exactly the most...er...*pleasant* people to be around, you know. And as senshi, they were a bit angry."
"They're a *pop* group, Ami-chan! They're on a different level from regular humans." Minako sighed exasperatedly and rolled her eyes as if the super-smart Ami was displaying less than normal intelligence for not realizing this.
"Oh, of course. I should have remembered that. Gomen." Minako didn't hear or chose to ignore the sarcasm found in the reply.
"We'll call a senshi meeting after school today."
"We're visiting Mako-chan after school, remember?"
"We'll have it at Mako-chan's house, then," Ami improvised. "But don't tell Usagi-chan. She'll go ballistic that we don't like her new best friend."
"That's going to bite her in the ass later," Minako predicted with a sigh.