60/Fe-lyin' Around

Fe-lyin' Around
Date of Scene:	11 July 2023
Location:	Radiant Heart Academy
Synopsis:	It's a meeting of friends and mascots when Usagi and Luna encounter Chiyo and Bonito on their way to the Animal Care Club! While there, Usagi is surprised to learn that Ikiko can speak to animals - and Luna is surprised to learn that Bonito the Cat can't. In the course of their conversation, secrets are teased and revealed. and friendships grow.
Cast of Characters:	Usagi Tsukino, Ikiko Hisakata, Chiyo Sakai

---

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
It's a beautiful afternoon, the sort where children should be up to mischief, eating sweets, ignoring their homework in favor of manga or naps. Usagi's *barely* been able to do any of that lately, thanks to Luna nagging her about finding the enemy and fighting the enemy and looking for allies. Maybe that's one of the reasons she's decided on today's course of action - to get back at Luna, and make *her* afternoon as unfun as Usagi's have been. But if that is one of the reasons, it really is only one of them - the others are very genuine, very simple: she actually does want to know more about taking care of a cat, even if Luna isn't exactly like any other cat. That's why she's walking across campus, heading from the dorms and towards the club building, hoping to meet up with at least one member of the Animal Care Club.

"This is a good idea," Usagi tells Luna sternly, the black cat begrudgingly nestled into her bookbag; all the books taken out, of course. "I've never had a pet! Mama always said me and Shingo were as much trouble as a puppy -"

"I am not a *dog* Usagi," Luna snaps, but with her girlish voice and sulky tone it sounds more like she's pouting.

Usagi rolls her eyes. "Yeah, but you're not a person, are you? If you *were*, you'd be trying to be my roommate instead of Naru-chan, so you could make me study more, or practice."

Luna just huffed, a more human sound than anything, falling tellingly silent.

"So we're going to the Animal Care Club! Ikiko-chan is very cute and very nice, and *she* says her club can tell me more about cats! And maybe we'll see that weird fox thing you said you found the other day, and you can make a friend."

As is her usual hopeless habit, she's just openly whispering to her cat, hoping no one pays attention, but barely trying to hide it.

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
The club building was somewhere Chiyo was often found, though rarely just standing out front. It wasn't one of the days Manga Club met so she was taking the opportunity to take care of something recently suggested to her. Which is why she's standing out front with her old flip phone in hand sending a text or two. The cute little Bao charm on her phone dangles and sways with every movement of her thumb over the keypad.

It doesn't take long before the familiar voice of Usagi reaches her ears though she can't make out what she's saying from here. Her attention shifts away from the screen of her phone to blink at the approaching Usagi only to grin, and lift her hand to wave in greeting. As soft spoken as she is she doesn't risk speaking out loud until she's closer.

"Hi, Usagi-chan! What brings you by today?" There's a pause before as she gathers her courage to blurt out, "If you're doing something, I could come along? I'm not busy right now." It was just a test of sorts, really, after that talk from Melona the other day about friends not just wanting to use her for what she could do. Surely Usagi was different though? Would she want to hang out, and not just eat treats?

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Usagi *had* been looking a little annoyed - conversations with Luna often lead to that - but at the sound of Chiyo's soft voice? Her face lights up, not just with recognition, but genuine delight. She turns immediately the greeting, a response on her lips before the request is blurted out, and she blinks in surprise. It's only a second of surprise though, before she smiles. "Chiyo-chan! Is the manga club not meeting today?" She remembered! The club! Because it's about manga, and *Chiyo-chan*! "I'm going to stop by the Animal Care Club! You want to come with me? That cute kid we met, Ikiko-chan, she gave me that pamphlet at the club fair, and I thought maybe it was a good idea to learn more about pets, because -"

Luna pops her head up at that exact moment, her red eyes squinting, her ears swiveling. She could hardly tell Usagi about it, but as usual with this school, there was something odd lingering about. The mark on her forehead itched.

"Well, because of Luna," Usagi continues, shifting so her bookbag - and the cat poking her head out of it - are more easily visible. "It'd be great if you came with me! We could keep each other company if they're busy, and you can meet Luna!"

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
The uncertainty that had been instilled in her from the events of the prior days is quick to fade as Usagi replies to Chiyo. Her smile returns anew, perhaps a bit larger than before, and any lingering tension she felt melts away. See, she DID have friends that didn't just use her or make fun of her! "Oh, no it's not today, I was just checking on something in the club room," comes her simple explanation as she moves to put her phone back into her own bag. "I remember Ikiko-chan. We've met a few times now. Oh!" Seeing Luna pop out from Usagi's bag her smile brightens more. "You have a kitty!"

Before she can say more, or even worse attempt to pet Luna, the Bao charm apparently catches on something in her bag that causes it to pop off. It suddenly drops to bounce and roll *exceptionally well* into some bushes beside the door to the building. "Oh! Ah, let me just grab that...!"

Chiyo turns to the bushes without hesitation to stoop down reaching into the foliage fumbling for it urgently. Hopefully before Usagi might try to look for it, too.

On all fours, half stuck in the bushes, she calls out quietly, "Ah we can go visit the animal care club, of course, just let me..." Chiyo freezes staring face to nose with the chubby white cat that was suddenly there. This was not what she expected. What was he up to!?

"Bonito! Why did you change? Is something wrong?" Chiyo hisses quietly to her spirit mascot trying not to be overheard by Usagi. "J-just a second! I got it!"

Bonito gives the feline equivalent of a shrug, keeping his own voice quiet. "That girl said the animal care club *feeds* animals. I'm hungry. Take me with you."

Before Chiyo can wiggle out of the bushes fully, Bonito brushes past her to saunter out with a lazy sway of his tail. He walks over toward Usagi and Luna where he plops his hefty butt down with rear legs splayed sitting like a person. And in his deep voice says a simple: "Mow."

While Bonito stares up at the blonde teen and the black cat in a bag with his seemingly fathomless fiery orange eyes, Chiyo scoots back out rapidly to hop to her feet. Dipping down she scoops up Bonito in her arms hugging him to her chest so that he just kind of DANGLES there with her arms crossed under his forepaws, and across his stomach. "Ah I'm sorry! That's Bonito my cat--He must have followed me today! Um... All the more reason to visit the animal care club? Sh-shall we?"

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"That's nice! Maybe we'll see her then, and we can hang out some," Usagi is visibly even more cheerful at the thought, but at Chiyo's excitement to see Luna she - doesn't dim, but sighs a little. "Yeah, this is Luna. She followed me home the day I got accepted here, and she's been following me every since. She's a little annoying - you know she *bites* my manga if I read before I take my homework out?"

Yeah, that's right, she's going to complain about Luna right in front of Luna's face, because she can't defend herself!

But before much more can be said, the little phone charm on Chiyo's phone just - pops off, and rolls right into the bushes! Usagi starts to move forward - but Luna climbs half out of the bookbag, digging her paws into the nearest bit of Usagi's skin she can reach. She's not growling, but there's something focused and searching in her gaze as she looks down at the bushes, something that has Usagi blinking in confusion. "Do you need help Chiyo-chan?" She asks aloud, before whispering, "Luna, what's the big deal?"

But Chiyo says she's got it, even if she's digging around, so - but then. There's another cat - a huge, round white cat with bright orange eyes, that plops himself right down and... that's a pretty deep voice, for a cat, isn't it? But it kind of suits him, this enormous white cat with fluffy fur - Luna, black furred and sleek, slight of frame and with a light, youthful tone to her voice, was practically the exact opposite of this great feline. Usagi melts.

"You have a cat too! That's so nice Chiyo-chan! And he looks so sweet and cuddly! Luna barely ever lets me pick her up. She likes to ride around on my shoulder instead, and it's not nearly as cute... Let's let them both meet the club! This is going to be fun!" So saying, she starts leading the way, only not grabbing Chiyo's hand to avoid her dropping her cat.

Ikiko Hisakata has posed:
About at this point, the door to the club building opens up, and out walks Ikiko, holding a couple of cans of catfood. "Okay, just need to check on Mochi-tachi and see how they're doing," the young girl distractedly murmurs to herself, freeing up a hand to make sure the door closes properly before turning around.

At the unexpected sight of two of her friends, Ikiko blinks for a moment, then grins broadly. "Chiyo-chan! Usagi-chan! Hi!" she beams, moving like she's about to give hugs before remembering that she has multiple cans of catfood in her hands.

Still, that moment of 'oh, right' hesitation means her attention gets distracted downward, meaning Ikiko gets a look at both cats. "Oh, are these your cats? They're lovely!" she gushes.

Walking u to Luna, Ikiko bows and says "Lady pretty hello" in Feline -- a heartfelt greeting, even if the syntax is a bit of a mess. Then she turns towards Bonito, and adds "Fellow greetings handsome" in catspeak as she gives him a bow as well.

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
Bonito was indeed a chonky cat. At least he had the appearance of one. He wasn't completely sure how to handle humans these days as he was actually a spirit sent by the Sanbo-Kojin to empower Culinary Guardians in the fight against evil. Which is why when Ikiko speaks to him in cat language he just stares blankly back at her with a side swish of his tail. Maybe he didn't respond because of being held by Chiyo? Or maybe it was that he was eyeing that black cat rather sharply as well? Hard to tell. He just remains silent. For now.

Chiyo smiles sheepishly at Ikiko and Usagi with a nod. "Oh he's very cuddly I guess, but he tends to come and go on his own schedule. It's hard to keep track sometimes!" Lightly clearing her throat she changes the subject. Abruptly. "So were you going somewhere, Ikiko-chan? Your hands look full."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"Ikiko-chan!" So they did get to run into her! That was great! Exciting, even, especially since there's a cute, fluffy cat, in addition to Luna - who is cute, but has worn off some of her cuteness points by nagging about homework and studying and good eating habits. "These are our cats! This is Luna, and that's Bonito, and he's so cute. A real <unit>!" She says the English word with an accent, but she still says it! Her English grades may be terrible, but she does see English memes occasionally.

"I was hoping to talk to your club about cat care! But you look like you might be - "

Is she talking to the cats? Directly? Eh?

Luna, meanwhile, blinks, just the once, at Ikiko, tilting her head u in curiosity, even as her ears are tilted towards Bonito, clearly keeping much of her attention on him. Eventually, she says, "Hello, little human," picking the words carefully, because Earth feline speak is very close to Mauian, but not entirely the same. To Ikiko's ears, she'll sound accented, which is in itself interesting. "I didn't think humans spoke this tongue."

Ikiko Hisakata has posed:
"Oh! Yeah, I was going to feed Mochi's clowder -- they're a group of cats and kittens that Koji-kun had been assisting for a while," Ikiko explains. "The club has made them a little shelter for now, and I'm heading over to deliver some food to them."

There's a slight pause as she considers a few things. "Well, I can probably spend some time with you four," Ikiko muses, nodding inclusively towards the cats. "This isn't super time sensitive, and I suspect Mochi and Macaron would prefer to not currently be visited by cats they're unfamiliar with." A good reason to take a short break here with friends, right?

Ikiko listens to Luna intently, her eyes glancing upward as she unscrambles Luna's meaning by resorting the grammar into something the young girl can actually parse. "Fluent am Canine more in I, manage but languages I other can animal," she finally responds, then ruefully adds, "Awkwardly."

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
"Kittens?"

Chiyo starts coughing immediately after the word comes out because it wasn't HER that said it. Bonito lashes his tail again looking aside all innocently while Chiyo tries to cover for it a few times, clearing her throat. "I-I mean... kittens? I think I got some dust in my throat," she offers awkwardly with a little nervous laugh that might be mistaken for excitement over the thought of kittens. "That's so sweet though! I'm glad they're being taken care of!"

Bonito looks again over toward the conversing Ikiko and Luna uncertain.

"Mow. Me-ow. M...ow."

<<Squid. Skeet-skeet. Potato.>>

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"Is a clowder... a group of cats?" Usagi tilts her head, thinking about that, and how silly and cute the word *clowder* was. "Taking care of cute animals... the Animal Care Club really *does* get to have a lot of fun."

She is definitely not considering the work of all that care, don't mind her. She is however looking at Ikiko as if to say, 'is talking to animals normal and I just didn't know???' over Ikiko's head, as the younger girl talks to their cats.

And then, when that deeper voice says, kittens, Usagi blinks and - "Do you need some water?" before "Do you have pictures of the kittens?" Asked with a hopeful face.

Meanwhile, Luna is now fully staring at Bonito, in full doubt and suspicion. That was *definitely* not the girl, who said that. How is Usagi even a little fooled by this?

"Certainly awkwardly," agrees Luna, who is Definitely a Cat and Not Awkwardly Formal in feline speak in a way she would not be in Japanese. "But much better than any human. How did you learn to speak our tongue?"

Perhaps this was like the movie Usagi had watched, Tarzan -

And then Bonito speaks and Luna's face contorts into an expression of confusion, disgust, annoyance - "Idiot." Does he understand that? As soon as they are away from the humans, she is getting answers, in the name of the Moon.

Ikiko Hisakata has posed:
Ikiko furrows her brow as she tries to parse what Bonito just said, slowly going crosseyed as she realizes that, no, it's not her (lack of) grasp of syntax that's the issue here; he's just... not fluent in Feline?

Luna's snippy comment towards Bonito distracts Ikiko into a giggle. There's a brief pause as she considers how much she can explain, especially with her mess of syntax, but a solution comes to mind:

Since a cat undoubtedly can't tell things to its human, why not keep the explanation simple by sharing the truth?

"Werewolf a I dilute am," she explains to Luna. "Curse old awoke heirloom an family the, Tokyo I so girl as protect magical now a."

Being able to actually share that with someone, even if it's a cat she can't easily converse with, definitely feels good to Ikiko!

Anyway, there's other questions about. "Yeah, I have no idea why 'clowder' is the term for a group of cats, but it is!" she giggles to Usagi. "And I don't currently have any pictures of the kittens... but Koji-kun does!"

That last part was said with an encouraging glance (and a (mostly) innocent smile) towards Chiyo. ~Surely~ she would like to take a look at those kitten pics with Koji-kun, right? :3

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
The easiest things to pick up from any language are the insults, generally. Especially if you hang out in alley ways on occasion to hide from things you were stalking to fight. Though generally Bonito did linger around Chiyo as she was under his protection and guidance. So while he may not be fluent in feline, he certainly got the gist of what Luna said. With one upward lift of his fuzzy chin he declares, "Maou."

<<Spoiled indoor cat.>>

With that Bonito starts to squirm and kick demanding to be let down from Chiyo's grasp. Looking a bit surprised she lowers him down carefully with a sheepish expression at the two girls. "Ah, sorry he doesn't like to be held for long." She crouches down to stroke her hand over Bonito's back a time or two helping to sooth down some of his ruffled fur.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Luna's face twists with affront, but mostly, her eyes look smug. She'd goaded that strange not-cat into a response, and his words, thought impudent and also annoying, made it clear that he *could* speak. She was just quite certain he couldn't speak *feline*. And she would have said more, perhaps followed him down, but the human girl - the one who was most certainly not a Senshi, but was something nearly as interesting, perhaps, said - well. She said a lot of words. Luna, whose ear for Earth feline was slightly off as it was, her speech not quite right, had to puzzle over it. Werewolf, she understood. *Curse*, as well, and magical, but was she saying that she had been cursed to be a werewolf by magic, or -

"Short-sighted idiot, at that," she said to Bonito first. Like any cat, or any Mauian, she felt the need to address an insult before she carried on with other matters. "You are safe? This curse of werewolf does not hurt you?" If it does - the silver crystal *could* heal. The most powerful gem in all the galaxy could most certainly heal a single girl. Now if only Usagi would focus, perhaps they would find it...

A girl who could speak to animals here in Tokyo, as a result of being cursed by a magical werewolf... (It won't be until later that Luna considers an alternate meaning of these words - that Ikiko, who's family was cursed, had awoken an heirloom and become a magical girl.)

Still, the humans are distracted with that annoying false cat, which means that Luna herself may as well distract them further - she leaps up from Usagi's back to Ikiko's shoulder, making the jump as easily as anything, and from there, pounces down, landing neatly on her paws on the floor. She looks judgementally at Bonito, who seems incapable of freeing *himself*.

Usagi frowns. "I hope Luna didn't say anything mean to the poor thing!"

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
Bonito on his part watches Luna come down, now well aware that she was either an exceptional cat or something else. It was hard to tell but she didn't feel like the same kind of magic he was aware of--It was different. Not evil, just... annoying. The larger cat puffs up as if he were about to start hissing or laying into her somehow when Chiyo intercedes.

By quickly withdrawing and unwrapping a daifuku that she shoves in front of Bonito's nose.

Sniff. Sniff.

His eyes slide away from Luna toward Chiyo, and then very daintly and with all the grace afforded a spirit of his station, he takes the offered daifuku in mouth to turn and start sauntering away with tail uplift.

Just before he gets to the bushes he stops go whip his head over his shoulder staring directly at Luna, and with one final twitch of his tail...

*Poot*

Chiyo has already stood again sighing after the apparently annoyed 'cat' with a small shake of her head. "Ah, sorry, he gets very grumpy when he's hungry. I know I shouldn't be feeding him snacks but I thought it would stop any potential cat fights. I'm sorry Usagi-chan, Ikiko-chan. He can be a handful."

Ikiko Hisakata has posed:
Ikiko nods understandingly to Chiyo. Cats are very independent-minded, and prefer to do things on their schedule... and the awkward hold probably didn't help things, especially in conjunction with Luna's verbal barb.

Luna's decision to grace Ikiko's shoulders, albeit briefly, draws a beaming smile from the young girl. "Dilute very," she exlains. "One..."

Ikiko pauses. She knows the numbers from family lore, but explaining ratios requires precise language, and her syntax is not suited for that. "Tiny wolf very of amount, more much human," she clarifies. "Within fits my still soul me, no so overpressure, problem which no means."

Bonito's departing 'gift' draws a wry expression from Ikiko. "Well... I do have a few spare cans of cat food," she muses. "Luna and Bonito could each have one, and I should still have plenty for Mochi-tachi."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Luna would be taking much more than a threatening step forward, if not for Usagi swiftly crouching and scooping her into her arms, ignoring every protest - "No, Luna, don't go after the nice cat! You'd tear him apart, you meanie."

That was probably a bit crushing for poor Bonito's ego, honestly. She doesn't know he can understand her!

"Are you sure? I have cat food in my dorm, and Luna feeds herself a lot -" Fed herself mostly. She did *not* enjoy most cat foods, and Usagi didn't want to know what she fed herself on when she wasn't eating FreshPet and fish.

Meanwhile, trapped and irked about it, Luna grumbles to Ikiko, "That not-cat should watch his step. But you, if you are well, I will not press you. But if your werewolf blood becomes a problem, there may be solutions."

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
Chiyo Sakai holds up her hands to wave off the suggestion of cat food with a laugh. "Oh no, no, it's okay. I should be heading home now as it is. I've got food there for him. I'm so sorry he was making Luna uneasy," she adds glancing toward the darker cat of Usagi's. "She seems very sweet."

With a quick little bow to the pair (trio?) she offers, "I'll have to catch up with you all later. I'm sorry, it is starting to get a bit late and I should check in with my ojii-san. He forgets to eat when he's busy." Quickly a smile is offered to the pair. "Take care!"

Ikiko Hisakata has posed:
"You thank," Ikiko tilts her head towards Luna, speaking with as much formal politeness as her broken syntax can manage -- offer acknowledged, and its sentiment appreciated, but not expected to be necessary.

As both Usagi and Chiyo turn down the offer of snacks for their respective cats, Ikiko nods and settles the cans in her arms. "Take care, Chiyo-chan!" she smiles, then gives Usagi a grin. "Well, if Bonito The Hungry is heading home instead of getting a snack here, then I won't feel bad about not sharing with Luna as well," she confides, nodding to Luna.

Glancing towards the sky and noticing the change in the shadows, Ikiko lets out a small, slightly rueful laugh. "And I should probably finish heading over to feed Mochi-tachi," she admits. "But it was nice chatting with you, and getting to meet Luna! See you later, you two!"

As she turns to go, Ikiko gives Luna a small bow. "You to nice it meet was, Luna," she smiles. "Care take!"

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Usagi pouts after Chiyo and Bonito, but nods. "Luna's just fine. She doesn't deserve any treats after being mean to Bonito anyway - OW, Luna!"

The outburst is because Luna had most definitely scratched at her ankle - not enough to make her bleed, but enough to sting for sure. She scowls down at her cat. "And she thinks I'm a brat..."

But Luna is paying more attention to Ikiko now, looking up at her as she relies, "It was good to meet you too, little human. I look forward to seeing you again." She will be very curious to see this cursed human again, and she'll be puzzling over her words for sometime...

"Good luck with the kitties," Usagi adds, unsure of what Luna had said but assuming she'll be filled in later. "We're going to talk to the other club members, but please take pictures for us! Koji-senpai will probably only share them with Chiyo-chan, not us. See you later!"