Author's Note: Haha not doing these in order.
Title: Little Gold Bands (Rings)
Summary: Thoughts are a bad thing
Characters: Minako Aino and appearances from the Inner Senshi
45: Rings
Minako wears rings. Small, gold circles wrap around every other finger. Some have intricate designs (the ones she pocketed from her mother), some are just boring gold bands (the one she found on the streets and the one that Ami gave her when she was cleaning out her jewelry box). She didn't used to be one for rings until she realized how much she popped her knuckles. In place of one habit she formed another; she spins the little gold rings around her long and slender fingers.
She spins mostly when she thinks. Which by the way, Minako hates when she thinks. It's too fast and she never makes the right decision any way. Even when she plans and plans, her ideas always fall through. She doesn't like the feeling of her wrists resting on a flat surface and her fingers idly spinning the small metal bands. It means something is happening. Something she can't improve or get over immediately.
Yet it's some sort of comfort. Twist right, twist right, twist right, left, left, left…fold hands…begin again…what was it she was thinking about?
Oh right.
Whenever the girls get view of her habit, they touch her in some manner. Makoto calls her name and places her hand on her shoulder. Her sturdy grip rocks her a bit. She pushes something, anything really even if it's one of Ami's textbooks, closer to her, as if to call her attention to that.
Rei's hand comes fast and hard down on her twiddling fingers. She barks to her to stop but Minako can see the worry in her eyes. If Minako is being serious, then maybe they really are in trouble.
Ami's response is a gentle touch on the twisting hand and a kind smile to match. It'll be okay, Minako. Please don't worry. We'll all be fine. Ami's wrong because they're never fine. But they all know that. The unspoken words between the guardians.
They put too much pressure on her, don't they…?
Usagi-chan. Oh little Usagi-chan. She grasps one of her hands tightly and it's obvious to Minako that she wants to wish her different thoughts. That in that moment, she feels the same. She wishes they could spend this time with thoughts of candy-colored clothes, dreams of romance, violent video game boss deaths, and ice cream dates.
Minako catches herself dreaming of the time before they were senshi. Not that she wants to return to that time exactly but she wishes she could bring them with her. She wishes they could have grown up together. Makoto climbing trees, Rei being too serious about playing house, Ami reading way before they knew the alphabet, Usagi and Minako collecting stuffed animals. Makoto was probably really big into dolls, dressing them, and posing them in the miniature furniture. Rei and Ami would've made sure everyone knew her doll's successful career path. They could've spent their days chasing each other in the hot sun. Ami and Usagi would've been covered in Band-Aids because they're so clumsy. (Ami when she's not paying attention. Usagi…just all the time.) Makoto and Minako would've been all over the place, wouldn't they have? Going to festivals with all of them, feeling at home at such an early age…
"Mina-chan." Makoto says quietly. "What are you thinking about?"
Minako's eyes are still glazed when her smile goes to her lips. She starts speaking still staring at her hands. "Oh nothing." Her eyes finally shift to Mako's worried ones. "Just kind of lost in thought." This time she smiles so hard it pinches the rest of her face. "I'm fine!"
Usagi and Makoto look to one another for a brief moment and sadly smile. Rei's eyes narrow but she decides it isn't worth it. Ami lets out a small sigh and resumes speaking about what they know about this mysterious villain.
The spinning begins again.