2332/Post Dunking

Post Dunking
Date of Scene:	16 February 2025
Location:	Mamoru's Apartment
Synopsis:	In Scene 2330, Zoisite set Minako's bow on fire. Good news? Usagi put the fire out. Bad news? She did it with hot chocolate. Now Minako needs a shower - and some comfort for the wounds to her pride and heart. Luckily, her princess can help with both.
Cast of Characters:	Usagi Tsukino, Minako Aino
Tinyplot:	The Demise of Bow-chan

---

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
    (Directly continuing from Scene 2330)

Timely. That sure is a word for it. Kazuo is given a look. Mamoru, is given a look.

The look communicates cleanly that she's not mad, but very disappointed, as she turns away from them and gives Minako a tight hug, and takes her own jacket off to drape over Minako's shoulders, so that her dripping hair can't ruin her outfit.

"I've got clothes upstairs that you can change into," she promises, and I'll come up with you, okay? Let me just take care of one thing."

And then, with a very gentle smile, she turns around, walks up to the table, leans across it so that she's staring Zoisite in the face, and says, just loud enough for the table but not the whole cafe to hear, "I don't care what she did, even if she probably deserved it, because if you ever use your powers on one of my Senshi again, we're going to see if hair grows back after you drop liquid nitrogen on it, okay?"

The smile drops off her face.

"Mamochan loves you, and Kazuo-kun and Ami-chan like you, so I'd never, ever, kill you, but I think we both know you'd rather I did than you have to rock the bald look, right?"

And then she straightens up, stalks to Minako's side, wraps an arm around her, and gently pulls her away towards the elevator that will let them go up to the apartments.

"We'll be back~"

Minako Aino has posed:
If Minako overheard any of the threat that she had leveled on Zoisite, it's certainly not mentioned. She just stands there, sopping wet with a jacket over her shoulders to help protect her attire as much as possible. She allows herself to be led away easily and remains oddly quiet as Usagi leads her up to the apartment.

Only once they're out of the elevator does she speak mumbling, "You'll have to show me where the shower is. I'll make it quick," she assures as her hands clench around the ruined ribbon she'd already pulled free from her hair. "Thank you, Usagi. I... I've made a bit of a fool of myself, huh?"

At least she looks up at the last but she's forcing a smile and laugh along with it as if she'd just been told a bad joke you couldn't help but chuckle at.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
With Minako silent and humiliated and dripping, Usagi leads her away with and is quiet with her, in the elevator. She's not exactly fuming, but there's a definitely annoyance on her face, along with guilt - the kind of guilt that comes with having seen a disaster coming, but not having tried to intervene.

She had, after all, figured that drama would be afoot. She just hadn't though the drama would be like this.

"Of course, but don't rush if you don't want to, you can take your time," she's saying as they enter the apartment, Usagi confidently pushing Minako along until they reach the bathroom -

And then Minako says that, with that forced smile, and she puffs up all over again, shaking her head sharply.

"The only one who made a fool of himself is Zoisite. I mean, Shingo-kun's nine and he's got better self-control!"

And Mamoru and Kazuo too. She's got eyes! She can guess what was happening! And she's making some assumptions, there, but considering what Kazuo had had to say about it... she's going to guess he wasn't necessarily displeased.

"...you really like Kazuo-kun, right?"

Minako Aino has posed:
"I didn't notice. I should have noticed. I'm the Goddess of Love, I *notice these things* but I wasn't paying attention when it was between *boys*," Minako blurts out a bit self-depreciatingly but at the same time just talking through it out loud. "Especially when it's someone that could be a threat!"

Trudging into the bathroom she pauses as she catches sight of herself in the mirror. Hair down, damp, slightly smokey but at least not burnt. Her hair was intact thanks to Usagi's quick thinking.

It's the question about liking Kazuo that snaps her attention back to Usagi allowing her friend to see her unguarded expression for a moment. "... It's okay. I like a lot of guys. I liked the guy that told me I'd look good with a red ribbon in my hair." She looks back down to the ruined lacy ribbon before finally dropping it completely into the sink. It was done for. "He turned out to be a youma but I *do* look good with it."

Her hands spread in a helpless shrug. "I fall for a lot of guys. None of them have ever been my fated love, of course. You're lucky you know who yours is in your life." A pause, and she continues on, already slipping out of her coat and shoes. She's not outright stripping in front of Usagi but she's divesting herself of the heavier parts of her clothing in preparation.

"Sometimes I wonder if Ace was right, if I'm destined to never find anyone or be happy with anyone, and just continually move from one guy to the next. You know I've thought about that a lot. I wonder if I'd be okay with that. Most don't bother me when I think of moving on from them."

The question still hasn't been answered. Minako fumbles a moment as her hand falls to her chest clenching into the fabric of her dress over her heart. Looking back to Usagi again her expression is pained. "... But then why does it hurt so much when I think of Kazuo not being...?"

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
There's a lot of things Usagi could say - that Minako is not the Goddess of Love, that it's okay to have an off-day, that it's not her fault she wasn't thinking -

But is it really about any of that? When Minako is feeling vulnerable and humiliated, because of Zoisite, and her own probable faux pas? She leans against the bathroom door, watching Minako up until she starts to undress, catching that flicker of vulnerability on her face. Her own heart, already firmly on the side of her guardian, her friend, is softened yet further.

"Maybe you could have noticed you were at the 'everyone loves Kazuo' table," she says, tentatively, "But you're not actually a love goddess, and it's easy to miss things, sometimes."

It would absolutely not surprise her if Minako came on too strong, too hard, and admittedly, a part of her is wondering if all that played out just because of Minako and Zoisite, or because Mamoru would prefer to divide up boy time between two, instead of have to divide boy time and girl time and share - but she won't mention that.

Especially not when Minako is sharing the story of the ribbon, which Usagi has never heard.

"I am lucky," she agrees quietly, not in that bragging, way, but in the soft tones of someone who knows that for everything else life has thrown her way, she truly has been blessed to have found the great love of her life. The great loves of her life, really, because she could no more live happily without her girls than she could without Mamoru.

And then, there's the story of - of someone named Ace, who she knows precious little of, and a supposed fate of never finding anyone to settle with, of flitting from love to love without being rooted and anchored, and she closes the distance between herself and Minako, hugging her tight.

"I don't know about Ace, or destiny fates," she says, and has no fear of the chocolate in Minako's hair, that's smearing against her arms. "But you like him. You really like him, and that's different from a crush on a boy you watch for a few weeks, or go on a date with, or who turns out to be a monster but for real..."

"I think... when you really like someone, it hurts to think that they might not like you back, the same way. And maybe it makes you a little crazy, wanting their attention?"

Minako Aino has posed:
Minako Aino closes her eyes at the hug offered, and tucks her head down against Usagi's shoulder. They were pretty much the same height so it wasn't as if it was uncomfortable to do so. She even finds herself gripping her friend tightly in return not realizing how much she did need a hug.

"I... yeah. Yeah," she mumbles quietly in agreement. "Ace was... I never told you about him. He was before any of 'us' were all together, back when I was just Sailor V." When she was alone.

"He was. He was one of my men. One of my soldiers, back when I was the Princess of Venus. On Earth he became Danburite."

Mamoru was downstairs. This was his apartment. He might be back up soon, and as much as she might want to just spill all the details right now this was as much his story as it was hers. Today had already been one big screw up because she hadn't thought of the emotions of others.

Instead she gives a little laugh. "I shouldn't listen to such negative thoughts anyway." A pause, and she adds quieter, "I do like Kazuo. I've liked him for years. Not just in our past lives." Awkwardly she clears her throat. A step is taken back. "I should clean up, Usagi-chan, before I get you messy too. I'm sure they'll all be up soon as well."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
They're just about the same height - Minako has some centimeters on Usagi, but it's close enough. It's easy to just tuck in, and be close to Minako, to wrap her arms around her tight and her let her fingers grip.

Minako had been alone for a long time. The Mysterious Heroine, Sailor V, who took the world by storm, with her comics and her games and her reputation. All the while, just a girl like herself, but all alone.

Usagi had only ever had the one fight, alone. And even then, Hemachan had been there.

"I didn't know there was anyone else... like us." Reincarnated, back in this life, with a memory from - before. But she doesn't press further, sensing that this is - a wound, maybe. A sore spot, a secret, from those lonely days.

She would push, but she doesn't think Minako is ready for a push.

"You shouldn't ever listen to the negativity," she agrees, instead. She doesn't know what to say, about the torch Minako carries for Kazuo, because she doesn't know where it will go. She doesn't know if there's a place for it to go. If it came down to it, she's sure he would pick his men over anyone else, as he had once before, and between Minako and Zoisite, she can't imagine an agreement on sharing. It would surely be a choice, and he would never pick a one of hers over one of his.

A poor, charred bow is a good testament to that.

Stepping back, she turns on her heel, so Minako can have privacy, and says, "I'll brush your hair when you're out, okay?"

Minako Aino has posed:
"I'll tell you about him later. The topic upsets Mamoru-kun too," Minako offers by way of very breif explanation as she turns away to the shower because MAN yes she needed hot water like now.

"That would be great! I'm also using the good conditioner I see in here," she adds with just a hint of vindictive tone to her voice as she hurries to clean up.

It DOES take a bit with hair that long as Usagi is likely aware. A nice hot shower, fluffy towel, and quite a bit of shampoo later she's out looking as refreshed as one can be.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"And when you're ready to tell me, I'll listen," Usagi promises, and then slips out of the bathroom, back to the door where she is content to wait a good long while for Minako to scrub and clean and get her hair thoroughly cleansed for its unfortunate smoke and chocolate bath.

"You should! Mamochan can afford more."

It's her shampoo and conditioner, anyway, this is the bathroom she usually uses at Mamoru's place, which means the products are perfect for protecting and preserving long hair.

And when Minako comes out, refreshed and fluffy? Usagi pops up to her feet and grabs her by the shoulders - lightly - to pull her to the closet.

"Alright! Let's get you re-dressed."

Minako Aino has posed:
It's amazing what a hot shower can do to bolster the spirits of someone with wounded pride. Mina looks a bit refreshed at least when she steps out. Only to be ushered toward the closet before she even has time to suggest she could just put her red dress back on. It probably had seen better days by now.

"Okay okay! Just something simple though. I don't want to cause more of a fuss when I leave." That's the only hesitation she has to rummaging through Usagi's closet of clothes kept here though. Clothes were always fun to try on!

A few dresses are pulled out before she chooses one that looks very similar to one she owned as well if not for the coloring. It's the shirt with a square-necked overdress. "This will do I think. Thanks, Usagi. I don't really want to have to march out with that dress after everything."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"Like I'd let you march back out in that dress, after everything," Usagi snorts, but backs off to let Minako pick her own clothes, from the assortment of outfits she's moved to Mamoru's apartment. "Minako-chan, after all that, you deserve to march out in something cute and clean!"

Her priority, in a sitaution like this, will always be to boost the spirit of her friend. But that said? Despite her threat - which she very much means, because none of the Shitennou are allowed to raise a hand to her girls, not ever again - she doesn't actually want there to be any serious bad will between her girls and Mamoru's boys.

So she sighs, a little, and says, reluctantly, "I don't think he meant to do it, if only because I've always thought Zoisite would be a lot more like, subtle, in going out for a rival, but I still made sure he knows he can't do that again."

Minako Aino has posed:
Minako Aino runs her hand over the dress letting herself just feel the pattern of the fabric a moment while listening. "No, he probably didn't. He looked as surprised as the rest of us." It still sucked but she could admit that. Turning away she ducks back into the bathroom to get dressed while raising her voice to keep talking.

"I know we all need to get along and all but I'm not sure I can really with him! I mean. I'll TRY." Ugh. She'll also whisper catty things about him behind his back to vent her frustrations at having to. "He didn't really seem to think much of me even before I gave Kazuo-kun his gift though." Muttermumble, "What's wrong with nougat?"

Ducking back out newly dressed in the borrowed clothes she does a quick twirl around. "So how do I look? It's a good thing we're the same size!" Mostly. Close enough that it wasn't going to be noticable. "I'll just have to be careful not to flirt with him around." Yes. That's clearly the best way to go because giving up is not an option!

More seriously she flashes a smile toward her friend again, and reaches out to take her hand. "Thanks, Usagi. I know you've got my back."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"Just try," she confirms, "Especially because Kazuo-kun will probably pick his side over yours, if only because they're both Shitennou."

It's not a them vs us thing, except for all the ways it was, in two different lives, and that's hard to let go of.

"I'll try to get along with him too, because Mamochan really does love him, and I think he loves that he's bitey, too," she can and will question his taste, but also - his boys, her girls. If she can love Rei-chan when Rei-chan is at her most Rei-chan, how can she not see why he'd like snippy, snappy, Zoisite?

"Maybe he could tell you like Kazuo-kun," she shrugs, "Or maybe he just likes fancy candy? I don't really know him well. Maybe he just needs to get used to us, like the cats in the cafe."

Minako choosing not to flirt around Zoisite seems like the best option, honestly, and hopefully one that works for her. Maybe she'll have a miracle of love, after all!

"Always! You deserve the best, Minako-chan. I'm always gonna be there to remind you of that!"

Hand clasped, fingers interlaced.

"Now, let me brush your hair up. I don't think I've got any bows, but I've got ribbons!"