"Is it okay if I clean up tomorrow?" Juri called, untying her apron and throwing it down onto the counter. Running a tired hand through her orange bangs to straighten them out, she reached behind her head to release the rest of her locks she had secured into a pony tail earlier in the afternoon when the Tokyo weather had become hotter. Slipping the hair tie onto her wrist, she reclaimed her apron, disappearing through the door to put it into her locker and grab her gray sweatshirt. Entering back into the main room of the Crown Arcade, she bumped into Unazuki, Motoki's younger sister, who smiled brightly at her.

"Sure!" the girl exclaimed, answering for her brother. "I bet you have a date, huh?"

"No, not exactly…" Juri smiled, bemused at the automatic assumption made by the girl the same age as her, "Just because I never leave until after I'm supposed to and now am, does not indicate a 'date', per se. Usagi Tsukino's just showing me around the Juuban district, as I haven't had time to before."

"Ah… I see. Well, I hope you two have fun! Usagi-chan's not one that doesn't enjoy herself." With a wink, Unazuki escaped into the kitchen, the door closing behind her before Juri had the chance to ask her what she meant.

Juri arched an eyebrow. "Is it just me, or is it a family thing to disappear into the back when I'm talking to them?" she asked herself. Shaking her head, she shrugged into her sweatshirt, pulled her hair out of the back, and grabbed herself the water she had retrieved for herself earlier. Taking a cool sip, she glanced at the clock, and seeing that it said she had a couple of minutes till the time that she actually had to meet Usagi at the front of the arcade, she went to find her brush.

"If there's one thing hard with having long hair," she grumbled to herself, acknowledging that she had let her orange mane grow even longer than she had during the last months of her time at Ohtori, "it's that you have to continually make sure it looks alright. Wonder if Usagi knows a good place to get it cut?" She mentally laughed, realizing that Usagi had even longer hair than she did.

She absentmindedly congratulated herself on not letting her mind wander to Shiori as she thought of Ohtori.

Using the mirror that Motoki had set up in the back, she looked into her own tired green eyes, and smiled lopsidedly. "You're doing it, Juri, old girl. You're doing it. You're living again. You may find someone to replace Shiori after all."

Her lips quirked up into a smirk, "Maybe Usagi has some friends…?" Instantly finding humor in her last statement to herself, she shook her head. "Nah… Not ready to go there yet. It'll just be nice to go out on a friendly outing with Usagi."

As if on cue, Usagi's voice piped up from the front, and with one last look in the mirror to see if she looked presentable, Juri went to meet the blonde.

***

Slightly embarrassed that she might have hurried Juri out of something she had needed to do, Usagi waited in front of the counter, half of her attention fixed onto Unazuki who chatted brightly with her, the other half waiting until the taller woman appeared from the back.

"I swear, this weather's getting stranger and stranger," Unazuki commented, sweeping reddish-brown hair away from her eyes, "Wasn't it strange how we suddenly got a heat wave in the middle of April? I thought it wasn't until May that it started getting warmer."

"Mmhmm," Usagi commented, "But you know what that means!"

"What?" the other girl asked, leaning in closer to hear what her friend had to say.

"We now have more excuses for the guys to buy us ice cream!" Usagi said triumphantly. "Nothing's more romantic than your boyfriend buying you ice cream and then walking you down around the lake as it begins to get dark, your arm safely held in his…"

The two girls sighed, hearts appearing in their eyes. "Ah… I wish I had a boyfriend," Unazuki finally murmured.

Usagi nodded, sighing wistfully, "I know what you mean."

"But you have Mamoru-san!"

"Yeah, but he's still in America!" she defended. "Besides, he doesn't send me as many letters as he once did. He's too caught up in studying for his finals." Bowing her head for a second, her whole demeanor suddenly brightened as she jumped up, pumping her fist into the air, "He's coming home this summer though! Three more months and then I get to see him again!"

"See who again?"

Jumping in shock at the low voice that came from behind her, Usagi shivered. "Don't DO that!" she uttered for the second time that day, rounding onto the amused expression on Juri's face.

"I'm sorry," the older woman amended, looking entirely different in the jeans and casual sweatshirt she had pulled on instead of the apron. Her green eyes twinkled, and she asked again, "Who are you going to see again?"

Usagi blushed, suddenly shy at the question her new friend had asked, and not entirely sure why she didn't want to answer the question.

Seeing that she wasn't about to answer the question anytime soon, Unazuki butt in, "Her boyfriend. He's coming home from studying in America."

"Ah," Juri nodded, "I see."

"Yeah, well…" Suddenly, Usagi burst up, standing straight. "What about you, Juri-san? Do you have a boyfriend?"

She watched curiously as Juri appeared to choke at her question.

"Uhm, ah, no," Juri cleared her throat, "Not…lately."

"Why not?"

"Uhm… Been too busy."

Deciding to take her word for it, and noticing that Juri was avoiding her eyes while in the process of answering, Usagi nodded her head, grabbed Juri's hand, and started to tug her out of the arcade, calling behind her shoulder, "See you later Unazuki!"

***

Walking the streets, Juri watched as eager expressions easily crossed her companion's face at each new place that she obviously had cherished memories at, pointing out locations and stores with childish glee and a permanent high note in her voice. Somewhere along the process, Usagi had grabbed her arm, leaning into her for warmth as the night grew colder. Juri didn't really mind. Why should she?

Chuckling at the face Usagi made at discovering that her favorite ice cream stand was closed, Juri offered a smile and said, trying to soothe her, "Hey. How 'bout that place in the mall you showed me earlier? We could go spring by there later and I'll buy a cone for you."

Usagi's eyes lit up, and she stopped, lifting her chin to meet Juri's gaze, "Really? Thank you, Juri-senpai!"

Senpai? Juri's eyes widened slightly, and she paused. "Look, ah… Usagi."

"Yes?" Usagi looked curiously up, taking her attention away from where she was looking at a family of ducks bobbing in the water of the lake.

"You don't have to call me senpai. I'm only one year older than you, and where I just…uhm…moved from, we didn't really use honorifics." Which was true, she rationalized, thinking that only the Rose Bride has used them in her address of her Prince. "So you can call me anything you want; I won't mind."

"So I can call you 'Ri-chan'?"

Juri blinked and her mouth dropped open. "…What?"

Usagi laughed. Reaching up a hand to shut her mouth, she winked. "Not really gonna call you that, mind you, but it's cute! Live a little." Looking altogether too young than she should, being a senior in high school, Usagi giggled again, looking like a cat that just ate something nice, and skipped ahead on the path through the park after dropping Juri's arm. "Don't fall behind too much, Ri-chan!"

Juri laughed and shook her head. Reaching up to rearrange her bangs, she took her hands out of the front pocket on her sweatshirt and hurried forward, her longer legs easily catching up to the energetic blonde. Tweaking a ponytail, she joked, "I wouldn't do that, Gi-chan."

She watched as Usagi spluttered. "Gi-chan!? Gi-chan!? Do you know how disgusting that sounds!? It's like a pet!"

Juri nodded, smiling broadly, "Exactly. Like a bunny."

"Argh! Fine, I'll only call you Ri-chan on special occasions if you swear you'll never call me Gi-chan again." Usagi turned pleading eyes up to her.

Looking into the deep blue eyes, Juri finally relented, "Alright." Unbidden, a similar time where eyes exactly like those had looked up to her flashed through her mind, and her good mood instantly vanished. Reaching for her locket, she stopped midway up her chest and instead rubbed her hand where her ring seemed to burn. Turning away from Usagi, she said tightly, her throat thick, "Alright."

"Juri-san?" Usagi's voice came quietly, and she tentatively put a hand onto Juri's arm. Juri couldn't stop her muscles from contracting under her touch, and she took a deep breath to steady herself.

She hated how her breath rattled even in her ears.

Pasting a tired smile on her face, she raised her head. "It's alright, Usagi. Just memories."She assured herself, putting more strength behind her voice, "That's all."

"You sure?"

Juri nodded. "Yes."

Usagi's mouth was set and her eyes were determined, but she finally nodded, and Juri understood all that Motoki had told her earlier.

Usagi really did care. Even with people she had just met. Their own conversation before just testified to that. They had easily fallen into a ritual of conversation where it seemed that they had been old friends, not having just met for the first time that day.

Smiling amiably, she gently took Usagi's hands into her own and squeezed. "It's nothing, really. Thank you for caring." She dropped the other girl's hands, noticing that when her ring gently brushed against the other's skin, it didn't seem as cumbersome as it once had. "Now, how about that ice cream? Have any other places to show me?"

Usagi smiled broadly, "I'm always ready for ice cream! Haven't you noticed at the arcade?" Skipping ahead, she asked, "By the way, what time is it?"

Juri shrugged. "Don't know; don't have a watch. Haven't gotten around to buying one yet. Why? Is there any place you have to go at a certain time?"

Usagi looked guilty. "Well…" she started, drawing out the syllables, "My parents like me back before eleven, and I just like to see what time it is from time to time. S'all."

Ah. Juri shook her head again. "I'm not that great at time, but it seems like we only left the Arcade, and that was around 5:30, give or take, so I don't really think you have a problem. We could check at the parlor. Why?" Juri grinned wryly, "You really think that we'll stay out that long? I don't know about you, but I tend to have short first dates before anything else."

She watched, amused, as Usagi's whole face erupted in a giant blush. "Juri no baka! You really think this a first date?"

At her tone, Juri chuckled and shook her head, causing her orange bangs to brush against her eyelashes, and she closed her green eyes momentarily to brush them away. "No, Usagi. I'm just kidding. What? You thought I was serious?"

Usagi let out a sigh of relief, and Juri couldn't help but add in before she got too comfortable, "You have a boyfriend, besides. I'd only go after you if I really thought I had a chance."

The blonde drew herself up straight and threw her hands out. "Sometimes I don't know when you guys are serious or not!" she postulated, "It drives me so crazy!"

"Guys?" Juri couldn't help but ask. This was interesting. Who else pretended to flirt with Usagi?

"My friend Haruka. I swear, you guys are so alike it's a little scary."

Hmm. Maybe Usagi was as open minded as she thought. To have friends that flirted with her and seriously enough not to know if they were kidding or not, that greatly added to the chance that Usagi wouldn't really care when –and if- she eventually told her. Or found out. Yeah.

Wait a second. Her mind traveling back to the scene earlier in the arcade with the other blonde and the whole group and how they had acted when Usagi had come up alone and everything, things seemed to click. "Oh. I see," she began, "That's why, earlier, at work, everyone hounded onto you after you talked to me, right?"

Usagi guiltily blushed. "Was that so obvious?" she asked in a small voice, and at Juri's nod, she sweatdropped. "Great," she muttered, "Gonna have to tell Minako to tone it down somewhat. She has that tendency, you know." A thought occurred to her, and she looked up. "Hope it doesn't offend you," she asked, her gaze showing nothing false in her question, genuinely concerned that Juri would dislike her.

"Usagi. No. No, it doesn't. I've been called worse." And some not so true, she thought, remembering everything at Ohtori and how loose the tongues were there. Too bad Shiori was not one to keep her mouth shut…

No. Squash that thought. Think of happy things. Happy thoughts.

She realized that Usagi was still waiting for her.

Resettling herself on her feet, she looked around, spotted a bench not too far from where they were standing, and suddenly said, "I'm getting tired of standing around. Let's sit."

"Oh. Okay," Usagi agreed, her voice making it clear that she hadn't been expecting that statement. Her unladylike sprawl onto the bench did nothing to help the image that she was unaffected though. Once again Juri was reminded that Usagi really was like no one she had met at Ohtori Academy. The unsettling realization that she remembered nothing before Ohtori Academy had nothing to do with it either. Usagi was unique. Hadn't she already allowed Juri to relax enough around her that she didn't seem as unapproachable as usual?

"Odango-chan?" a deep, slightly husky voice asked from above them, surprise evident in the tone. Looking up, Usagi's expression brightened unquestionably and she squealed, jumping to her feet. Juri's gaze followed to the pair that stood there.

A slightly masculine looking young woman stood there, dressed pretty much the same as Juri, herself, her sandy-blonde hair cropped short enough that she could pass as a male. Next to her stood a shorter girl, shoulder-length aquamarine hair framing her obviously feminine face, a serene expression placed there, her blue eyes a little distant. It was obvious to Juri that they were together and the corner of her lips twitched up. This must be 'Haruka', she thought. They also seemed to be about her own age.

Wow, does Usagi have good taste in friends, she added, her eyes lingering a little bit longer on the aquamarine-haired one.

Her speculation proved to be correct as Usagi cried out, "Haruka-san! Michiru-san! What brings you out this night?"

The sandy-blonde haired one stepped forward, reaching out to affectionately ruffle Usagi's hair, before answering, "Enjoying the night air."

"It's always so peaceful at this time in the evening," the one named Michiru, Juri guessed, offered, smiling gently.

So that made the other one Haruka.

Haruka's gaze slid to where Juri still sat, content to sit back and observe, and her blue eyes narrowed a bit. "Odango," her voice was full of warning, "Who's this?"

Hmm. Juri's eyebrows wanted to rise. Haruka seemed possessive of the younger girl. Not that she could blame her, of course. It was just interesting to see just how much Usagi inspired in everyone, if Motoki and his sister were no exception.

Usagi, oblivious to the tension, turned to face Juri again and grabbed her hands, hauling her up, smiling brightly. "This is…uhm…" Usagi's brow furrowed, and Juri realized that she had neglected to give the younger girl her last name.

Butting in, she smiled amusedly. "Arisuguwa."

Usagi finally smiled, nodding her head as if she should have known in the first place. "Right. This is Arisuguwa Juri. She's the new waitress at the Crown Arcade. She just moved here, so I'm showing her around Juuban."

"Ah. I see. Konban wa," Haruka said politely, and bowed, "I'm Tenoh Haruka." She offered her hand, and Juri accepted, shaking firmly, bowing back. When Haruka let go a second later, she felt as if she had passed a test when Haruka's gaze softened almost imperceptivity.

"Well, that leaves me, I believe. I'm Kaioh Michiru. Nice to meet you." Michiru also offered her hand, and Juri shook that too, marveling at how elegantly she had managed to do so.

Seeing that everyone appeared to be getting along, Usagi suddenly snapped up, grabbed Juri's arm, and started to drag her down the path. As she did so, Juri could hear her muttering under her breath, "Ice cream, ice cream, ice cream!"

Chuckling, she called over her shoulder, "You're welcome to join us, Michiru, Haruka. I'm sure Usagi would appreciate the company!"

***

Over her ice cream sundae, Usagi watched as Haruka sized her new friend up, who appeared to not be affected in the least, calmly sipping her chocolate milkshake. Michiru, now used to Haruka's appraisal of everyone and anyone, just sat next to her partner, drinking from her tea, having elected to not eat ice cream at the moment. It was actually quite funny, the blonde thought, idly licking her spoon to get the last dredges of her mint chocolate chip, mentally squealing when she discovered a lone chocolate chip stuck to the side; she licked that too. Hmm, it was so much fun not acting her age, she thought, and ordered another sundae when the waiter came near.

Wow, she caught herself thinking when she glanced up, looking between Haruka and Juri, they really do sort of remind me of each other. They're about the same height, and tease me the same way! In fact, I could have sworn it was Haruka teasing me earlier instead of Juri, back there in the park. Well, her brow furrowed, that was until Juri suddenly grew quiet. Hmm. She must hurt awfully to have that amount of sadness cross her face.

"So where did you move from?" Michiru asked in her gentle tones, and Usagi brought herself back to the conversation, looking at her companion curiously to see what she answered.

Juri looked uncomfortable for a second, something Usagi had noticed she did whenever she asked a personal question. Her green eyes clouded over for a second as she appeared to disappear inside herself and she frowned, her fingers rubbing the ring she wore on her left hand. Her orange bangs swung in front of her face, obscuring her expression for a moment and her shoulders drew in.

Taking a deep breath, the older woman finally relaxed and she looked up, smiling reassuringly. Usagi, Michiru and Haruka exchanged glances over her head.

"Uhm…I don't know if you'd have heard of it, but I've spent some past years of my life in Ohtori." Juri paused, and her deep voice seemed hesitant to say more.

Haruka frowned. She exchanged a glance with Michiru, who was prompted to ask, "Ohtori, Japan?"

"Yes." Juri nodded. "I believe that it's about a hundred miles north of here – I don't know. I drove most of the way here. Well, my friend did, and I didn't pay attention to the land." Juri's lips twitched up and she appeared to find something she said amusing.

Tilting her head, Usagi, desperate to reach a topic that wouldn't send her new friend into herself, asked, "How long have you known Motoki-kun? He doesn't usually give jobs to people that, well," Usagi realized that she was beginning to sound rude and hurriedly ended her question, "that he doesn't know well!"

To her relief, the orange-haired woman laughed softly, grinning. Taking a sip of her milkshake before she answered, her eyes swept over Haruka and Michiru who sat across from her and then stopped her gaze on Usagi, who felt a little bit overwhelmed with everything and her faux pass. "No, it's alright. Actually, I met Motoki about two weeks ago when I went in to ask about the job they had advertised in the window."

"You should have applied, Odango-chan," Haruka teased up, "You could have eaten anything you wanted at any time. Sounds like paradise to me, eh?"

Usagi started to mock glare at her, but Juri butt in, "Actually, Motoki does have the tendency to feed me when I don't even know I'm hungry. I think he likes to experiment on me, Unazuki having told him to stop long ago.

"Anyway, surprisingly, Motoki hired me even though I didn't really have anything to my name, and even told me about an apartment not far away from the arcade that was pretty cheap. He likes to take care of people, doesn't he?"

Usagi nodded exuberantly, "Yeah! When Motoki-kun went off to college, I missed all the free milkshakes he gave me. And his company, of course," she added after seeing the indrawn giggle Michiru was holding behind her hand.

Michiru lowered her hand and smiled softly. Addressing the woman across from her, she tilted her head, and gently slipping some dark bangs behind her ear, she asked, "Have I seen you before? Like,"

"Like in magazines?" Juri appeared to look embarrassed, and Usagi leaned forward, her eyes narrowing as she realized that she was going to learn something interesting about her new friend. Juri coughed, her gaze roaming everywhere but at them, and she finally said, "Yeah. Probably. Maybe. I've, ah, modeled before. Sebastion Dior, you know. It's a side job."

"Modeling!? You're a model!?" Usagi screeched excitedly, and she latched onto Juri, who almost spilled her shake, "That's amazingly cool! How long have you done it? No wonder – you're so pretty. What magazines have you been in?" This new information made the enigmatic woman next to her even more interesting, and Usagi, being the person she was with the pop culture, wanted to know everything about the industry.

She found it kind of funny that Juri blushed when she inadvertently toppled into the woman's lap in her enthusiasm. Well, she would have found it funny if she hadn't been the one to fall. As it was, her nose slammed into her friend's chest on her way down, finally landing askew on Juri's legs, her face planted onto the hard bench of the booth and her arms stretched out straight in front of her. She immediately felt her face warm with a neon red blush, and realizing that there was nothing she could say that could pardon her, settled down to the sad task of being embarrassed.

***

Haruka raised her eyebrow at the display and decided to say nothing. The expression on Usagi's new friend said it all. Meeting Juri's gaze, she grinned and quipped, "I forgot to mention – Usagi-chan tends to get excited."

Juri nodded solemnly, and started to help Usagi up, wincing when Usagi bumped into the table on her way up.

Haruka could hear the blonde muttering under her breath, "I seem to spend a lot of time under the table. It CAN'T be healthy," and exchanged smiles with Michiru, already having heard about earlier that day from Hotaru, who had heard it from Chibi-Usa, who, in turn, had gotten the gossip from Makoto and the girls, who loved talking about everything. Haruka, in a way, missed that part of her and Michiru's self decision to not get that close to the group as a whole, preferring to stay in their complex with Hotaru and Setsuna. It really did not afford them the luxury of idle gossip.

Almost as if deducing her mood and thoughts, Michiru's hand snaked out and gently took hers in her grasp. Squeezing, Haruka looked into the cool blue eyes of her partner, seeing her love there, and answered back with her own emotion. She had always been blessed with Michiru, and she hoped that the young aquamarine headed goddess knew that.

Dropping her hand and turning back to see Usagi righted, one hand to her head, she grinned at the bright red hue of her face. Their princess really did not have that great a grasp on her blushes.

Her eyes narrowing again, her gaze centered onto Juri. She had realized, of course. And it only bugged her how Juri seemed to look at Usagi and Michiru a little. After all, Juri had to have exceptionally good taste. At least she realized that Michiru was taken. But did she realize that Usagi was…?

***

Bidding Haruka and Michiru goodnight and watching as they walked away into the night air, Juri sighed. At least SOME people could have the good fortune of actually ending up together… Shaking her head, she said softly, "Well, they seem like nice people."

Usagi, next to her and also looking at her friend's retreating backs, nodded. Absently taking Juri's arm, she snuggled in after a cool gust of wind blew past. "I can't believe it got so late so fast," she murmured, and Juri could feel the vibrations through her gray sweatshirt.

Gaily lacing her arm formally through the smaller blonde's, she cocked her head, raised an eyebrow, and asked, "Would you like me to walk you home, fair maiden? I greatly appreciated your tour of your fair homestead, but alas. I feel your parents will worry if we tarry more."

Usagi looked up, and Juri quirked a smile to show that she was teasing. Tossing back her hair arrogantly, she disengaged her arm only to kneel, and, in front of the ice cream parlor, offered her hand. Slightly surprised at herself, she paused, shrugged, and continued.

Maybe, she rationalized, that was the reason why Utena had wanted to be a prince. Who knew that at least even acting it could send her an energy rush? She felt slightly self-conscious, but that was to be expected. In the middle of the street, and doing something she had never done before… But somehow, looking into Usagi's shock-filled eyes, she felt that her actions were right, true…and something she had done before.

"Princess?" Her mouth twitched, and she waited.

Usagi stared at her for a second, and a high blush started to bloom on her face, but she finally offered Juri her hand, tentatively touching her fingertips. Juri smiled, and instantly all of her apprehensions disappeared. Rising, she let Usagi lead her to her home. Silence filled their already noisy afternoon.

Pausing at the gates outside of Usagi's household, Usagi suddenly turned and flung herself into her arms, hugging her tightly. Drawing away, she smiled brightly, stopped, wrinkled her nose, and then drew herself up straight. Saying haughtily, she sniffed, "Thank you, kind knight, for escorting me home. Verily, we should do this later. There are still haunts that we have yet come upon."

"Verily?"

"Verily," Usagi grinned, "I don't know if that really works or not, but so what. It sounds old talky like, doesn't it?"

At Juri's nod, Usagi brightened, and she completely de-morphed out of the princess act, giggling. "Oh, that was so much fun!" She playfully slapped Juri's shoulder.

Juri laughed, and she swept a hand through her bangs, "Really?"

The blond nodded eagerly, "Really! I admit, when you first started to kneel, I was embarrassed. I didn't think that was something you probably usually did."

Nope. Certainly not, Juri thought. I mean, look at me at Ohtori. Appearance was everything. How could Usagi easily erase every wall she had built up surrounding her ego? Smirking to get herself out of her thoughtful mood, she reached out a hand and tugged one of Usagi's ponytails. "Not really. I usually don't do theatrical…uhm…events like that. I hope you don't mind. It just seemed like an amusing way to end a thoroughly entertaining day. Thank you for showing me around Juuban.

"Now," she looked away from the younger girl's face for a second, her gaze roaming curiously over the house that the blonde lived in, and stopped. "Uh… Is that your…father…? ...Looking out of the window…?"

Usagi instantly sweatdropped. Scurrying around Juri so she could peer over her shoulder without being noticed, having to do it, Juri found amusing, by standing on her tip toes. "Oh my God…" she muttered, expelling a breath. Relaxing back onto the soles of her feet, she sighed, "Does he really have to do this? It's just you!

"No offense," she quickly added, seeing Juri's raised eyebrow.

Juri didn't have one. In fact, she actually found the circumstances quite funny, to say the least. Surprising Usagi by bursting out laughing, she leaned against the concrete wall of the Tsukino Residence until she could catch her breath. Brushing bangs away after they swung into her eyes with the shaking of her head, Juri patted Usagi on the head, bowed, politely said good night, and started to walk away.

"Hey! Juri-san! Juri-san!"

Turning, Juri waited to see what Usagi had to say. The blonde stood there, her hands at her sides, and she suddenly grinned; Juri could just imagine devil's horns and a little waving tail appear on her body, "I had a fun time, Ri-chan!"

And she scurried into her house.

Juri laughed softly into the cool night air, absently hugging her arms to herself. Drawing up her hood to shield herself from the neutral wind that swept past, she began her trek to her apartment, her inner map telling her that she had about a ten minute walk from where she was. Taking one last look to memorize the surroundings of Usagi's house, for if she ever needed to go there again, Juri's thoughts ran to what had transpired that day, and its activities.

She smirked. Usagi was so cute. She reminded her of Wakaba when she first met Utena, and then the Prince Onion guy, Juri could never remember his name. And HOW could Usagi pack so much away into her small frame? Juri had watched her eat earlier that day at the Arcade, and she had figured that she would have been stuffed for a while after that, but, in total surprise for the orange-haired woman, Usagi had still found room for two double chocolate sundaes and a milkshakes afterwards.

Looking at the moon that shone overhead, Juri shook her head ruefully. How could she have known that talking with Haruka and Michiru would last so long? It had been fun, really fun, talking with the two sophisticated women, that, unfortunately, Juri felt rude for leaving Usagi behind a bit in the conversation. But, after hearing about Juri's work as a model and promising to bring Usagi along on the next shoot, the blonde had seemed content with just listening to their talk about college and the arts.

Both Haruka and Michiru had seemed pretty knowledgeable about the classics and music, and Juri had had a fun time discussing both those parts of class, that, coincidentally enough, she was studying at the local college.

Juri thought ironically to herself, idly kicking at some leaves that lay on the sidewalk, watching them scatter, sitting in an ice cream parlor talking about music theory and history was not something she had planned when she accepted Usagi's offer of showing her around.

And back to Usagi.

The energetic blonde, with a touch of nostalgic memory that totally infuriated Juri in that her mind would not give her a rest, somehow reminded her of Shiori before she had…changed. There were just so many things about them both that Juri couldn't help but notice. This, unfortunately, gave Juri an already tainted view of how she observed the younger girl. Their smile, and total concentration of you when they were looking at you… Juri's heart squeezed, and she had to stop, looking up into the moonlight, letting it bathe her face into silver.

But Usagi was totally different. Just because her demeanor was similar to that of… No. Juri's hand absently squeezed her locket. She had promised to herself that she would give herself a chance to move on. And she was darn well ready to try. Making friends with Usagi was just the first step.