Development
By Heavenly Grace
Stonewall Usagi: Don't let her scare you!
Usagi shut the light on her desk, and picked up her suitcase. It had been a long day of fine-tuning articles, and going through photos for tomorrow's paper and tonight Usagi was going to have the pleasure of looking through almost twenty-five photography portfolios. She wished Ami wasn't heading out to dinner with her boyfriend, and then she would have had someone to help her out. But Ami deserved a break, she put up with Usagi's nagging during the day so Usagi wasn't going to make her suffer any longer.
She walked past the cubicles of all the higher-level writers and came across something interesting. She walked into the extremely small cubicle and saw that this particular desk was covered in small cartoon drawings. Usagi always loved cartoons even to this day, you could spot her in the local bookstore buying her favorite Manga. She turned on the desk light and saw some amazing drawings. Then she came across a drawing of herself, with horns and a pitchfork. Did her worker's really hate her this much? She knew they didn't like her, but as of late it seemed like they hated her. But wasn't she suppose to be tough, she needed to run this paper effectively, and the only way to get that done was to be tough…right?
"Why are you such a crybaby Usagi?"
"You really need to grow up, you're such a baby Usagi!"
"You should toughen up Usagi, unless you want people walking all over you for the rest of your life!"
"Usagi, I can't deal with this anymore. You're too childish; I need a real woman who I can start a family with. I'm leaving for America, and I'm going to be back in about four years. If you haven't changed in four years Usagi, you can kiss Crystal Tokyo goodbye!"
She was suppose to be tough, she was suppose to be a working woman who would never get walked all over. She was going to be the woman that Mamoru wanted her to be, even though it got harder and harder every moment of the day. She felt like a sheep in wolf's clothing, even though that's not the correct saying. She hated her job, she really did, and all she wanted to do was becoming a loving mother and a good wife. But this was the obstacle placed in her way, and she needed to get through it no matter what the cost. She loved Mamoru with all her heart and would do anything for him.
She left the building without another thought of the negative feeling her employees had for her. They were her employees and if they didn't like it they could leave, and that's what was great about the Tokyo Times, it was the only large newspaper within most of Japan. None of her workers would ever find a better job anywhere else. She got into her car and headed back to her apartment.
Once she got in she noticed that her sister was sleeping on the couch with the TV still blaring the black and white fuzziness of when a movie had finished. Usagi knew that meant Minako had been watching Casablanca again, Minako loved that movie. Usagi did too, but she never got the time to sit down with her sister and actually watch it in its entirety. Usagi covered her sister with a blanket and kissed her on the forehead. She felt awful about firing her in the morning, but it had to be done. Usagi then turned to the TV, she shut it off and tried to eject the VHS. For some reason it only came a quarter of the way out. Usagi tried her best to pull it out but only managed to break the VHS in pieces.
"Oh no!" Usagi gasped as she tried her best of put the VHS back together.
It was impossible, it was broken, and that was the end of it. Usagi tossed the debris in the garbage and sat down at the kitchen table and tried to figure out what to do. She looked at her watch, it was still 11:30, and Blockbuster closed at midnight. This gave Usagi a brilliant idea. She ran for the elevator and once she got in she rapidly pushed the main level button.
"Somebody's in a rush." The young man next to her said.
"It's a long story, but I have to head to Blockbuster and get there before it closes or my sister will hate me for the rest of my life." Usagi said, her mind still on the Casablanca VHS that was now in her garbage can.
"Really? I have to return these DVD's by tonight or I'm going to get charged almost twenty bucks!" The boy replied, "We could carpool if you want."
"That would be wonderful!" Usagi said smiling, which was one of her more natural reflexes, "Only problem is, is that I don't know your name."
"Oh how rude of me," The platinum blonde hair boy replied, "I'm Quatre Winner, and you are?"
"I'm Usagi Aino." Usagi said, holding out her hand for a handshake.
Quatre shook her hand in return as the elevator door opened. Usagi was grateful that he didn't know who she was, or if he did he didn't make a big deal out of it.
"Let's go, we have a mission to complete!" Usagi said as she dashed out.
Quatre sighed, and chased after her to the parking lot. They both ran past rows and rows of Mercedes Benz and Porsche, and finally reached Usagi's Volkswagen Buggy Convertible. It was in neon pink, blinding neon pink even at night. Usagi hopped in and motioned for Quatre to do the same.
"You have quite the car, Miss. Aino." Quatre said admiring the leather interior, and navigational system.
"Thank you, but just call me Usagi. I get enough formalities at work to last me a lifetime." Usagi said, pulling out of the parking spot and heading towards the street.
"I know about that more then you could imagine." Quatre said, obviously he was referring too Winner Company. The Winner Corporation was a supplier of War goods, and technologies to the countries of Earth and recently the Colonies. Usagi knew everything about him, she knew who he was before he even said it. It was her job to know about people like Quatre Winner.
Usagi didn't say another thing and concentrated on the road, weaving in and out of traffic. Quatre was clutching on to the door handle for dear life, once they got there Quatre jumped out of the car, he was a bit in shock not expecting someone like Usagi to be speeding through Tokyo's streets at night.
"Let's hurry we have about fifteen minutes!" Usagi dashed into Blockbuster, while Quatre walked casually behind her.
Quatre smiled, Usagi was such a nice girl minus the whole speeding thing. But Quatre liked her, she was sweet, and very charming. He definitely made the right choice in moving to Tokyo…even if it was for a more serious mission then returning DVD's to Blockbuster at midnight.