72/Friendship Sweeps In

Friendship Sweeps In
Date of Scene:	13 July 2023
Location:	Radiant Heart Academy
Synopsis:	A fateful collision ensues! Makoto Kino was minding her own business when Hurricane Usagi swept in... but she doesn't seem to mind, as the two strike up a conversation and fast friendship.
Cast of Characters:	Usagi Tsukino, Makoto Kino

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Makoto Kino has posed:
Makoto is moving through the halls of school. She stands out, because she's not in the uniform; they haven't been able to get one to fit her yet. Soon, she's been promised. Instead, it just makes her stand out. She's also stressed to the nines, because she's expecting consequences from her fight with Misaki. She wouldn't put it past the other girl to jump her...or to pay a bunch of people to jump her. But she also is the sort that might come at Makoto socially, or in ways she isn't used to dealing with.

Everything in her body is oozing tension. Posture straight, muscles tensed a bit, and well...ready for a fight. Unfortunately, it's not helping her delinquent reputation; while she's on the defense, she looks a lot like she might be ready to start trouble to a casual observer.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Luckily, Usagi is not the most casual observer, nor is she one especially beholden to rumors. Oh, sure she likes to hear the gossip, who doesn't? But she doesn't really pay heed to it, mostly because she doesn't bother to remember most of it. Sometimes, some little piece lingers, but it's rare it makes a deep impact.

That's true about this too, because she's moving through the halls casually, eating a snackcake in the break between her classes, and doesn't even notice the tall, pretty girl moving through the halls, ready for a fight. Not until she plows right into her anyway, turning into a new hall with her face buried in snacks to disastrous results. Makoto, tensed and braced for a fight, probably doesn't move much, but Usagi bounces down, falling on her rump with a little 'owwwwwww...'

Makoto Kino has posed:
Makoto comes round the corner...and then THUD. She saw Usagi coming, of course, but she expected the girl to turn, or look up, or...well, not just walk obliviously into her. Of course, despite her bad reputation, Makoto is a total softie. The combative posture fades from her, and she immediately looks apologetic. She leans in, offering her hand. "Sorry about that. Are you okay?" she asks, trying to help Usagi back up to her feet.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Oh, physically she's fine. She ran into something soft, after all, and she's politely trying not to think about it too much, because polite girl. Her rump, on the other hand, well, she pratfell on that. She blinks, though, and takes in the pretty girl leaning over her, offering her hand with such a soft expression and her heart squeezes a little.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine," she squeaks. Someone who doesn't know her might think she sounds afraid. Her poor snackcake has been abandoned after the fall, and she'll need to throw the remnants out. But for now -"Sorry! I wasn't paying attention to where I was going."

She takes Makoto's hand as she tries to scoop herself up.

Makoto Kino has posed:
Makoto helps her to stand, and then looks over to the destroyed cake. "Sorry about that." She hears the...sort of meek reply? "Are you okay? No one's been bothering you, have they?" She lets go Usagi's hand and reaches into her school bad, before coming out with a wrapped red bean bun. "It's not the same as what you lost, but hopefully this is okay." she says. "I love your hair."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Can you just blurt out that someone is really pretty? Yes. Should you? If not, no one told Usagi that. "You're just - really pretty."

And strong, too, she'd felt how easy it was for Makoto to help her up to her feet, and then, before she can even process any of that, on top of everything else, she's being offered a bun. She could cry. She's met an angel. Maybe Rei-chan's Catholic school had a smidgeon of a point about whatever they were on about. "Thank you. And! I like your hair too! Your hair curls so prettily, mine's just straight - oh! No, no one's bothering me, I was just clumsy, and - hey."

Something goes tock in her brain, a clue ticking into the place. "Do you interfere when people are getting bullied?"

Makoto Kino has posed:
Makoto blushes as Usagi complements her appearance. And then complements her hair. She looks a little awkward. "T-thanks."

She rubs at the back of her neck, embarassedly. "So, you must have heard about the fight, huh? Yeah, that was me. But it wasn't on school grounds, and she was harassing this poor girl. I just couldn't stand around and let it happen. I only hit her once."
    Not that she should have hit her at all, if she was a /proper/ student. But Mako has a very small bully tolerance.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"I did!" She's shameless. She won't keep complimenting Makoto, not when she looks awkward about it, but she doesn't take it back either. She grins, clutching the red bean bun. "My roommate, Naru-chan, is the one who was getting bothered by that girl, so!"

She air punches enthusiastically. "Bam! Far as I'm concerned, it's really cool that you stood up for Naru-chan."

Makoto Kino has posed:
"Oh!" Makoto sounds surprised. Honestly, with so many students, the fact that she just HAPPENED to bump into the one girl at school who's the roommate of the one she helped out is crazy.

That, and then there's the fact that she's feeling oddly...happy?...about the fact that this girl is happy with her. She's never met Usagi. She doesn't even know her name yet. And yet, somehow, on some level, it's important that they get along well. It's a very strange sort of deja vu.

"Wow! What are the odds! Well, I'm really glad to hear it. I didn't really get to introduce myself to her, with all the crazyness. I'm Makoto Kino." she offers to the tiny blonde girl. "Your roommate's an artist, that's really cool. Are you an artist too?"

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Coincidence is the name of the game, sometimes, but to Usagi - it just doesn't seem that surprising. Of course she'd meet someone who had such an impact on her best friend! And of course that girl would be nice. Usagi had been, a little, concerned when she'd heard how the fight rolled out, to be honest - even someone who was asking for it maybe shouldn't actually get punched right in the face. But now that she's met Makoto? She's totally fine with it, because Makoto is a nice girl (and beautiful) and she had been doing it because someone was being mean to Naru-chan!

"Usagi Tsukino! Grade 9! I wish I was an artist like Naru-chan, but nope, I'm no good with art." She really has no shame admitting it! "She's my bestest friend, and we both started here a couple of weeks ago."

Usagi offers Makoto a considering glance, noting her unusual uniform. "Are you new too?"

Makoto Kino has posed:
"I'm Grade 9 too." Makoto offers, which might be a little surprising, given her height. She seems older than she actually is. "Yeah, I got kicked out of my old school. For fighting. I was fighting off a bully then, too. This is my uniform from there."

She gives a little bit of a sheepish shrug. "They didn't have one that fit me here. For height or um...well, other places." She sort of embarrassedly makes a faint gesture to her chest. She's proud of her figure normally. But not when it's literally stopping her from getting a uniform. "But yeah, I just started here. So it's really nice to meet someone who'll talk to me."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"We're in the same grade! We might share some classes, we could check! That'd be pretty nice, wouldn't it?" It would be nice, to share a class with Makoto and get to know her more. She knows a few of the people in her grade by now, and Naru-chan of course, but the people she's started thinking of as her friends are mostly in grade ten, or grades below her, so class can be a little lonely, where she and Naru don't have the same teacher. It would be nice to fix that with some friends.

Usagi blinks a little, learning Makoto had been kicked out of a school, but mostly she's impressed. "You really don't like bullies, huh? That's kind of cool! You're like a hero of the schoolyard."

Sailor Moon couldn't (or probably shouldn't) scare someone for being a jerk on the sports pavilian. For Makoto to do it without power - that's very cool.

And thennnnnnn she's blushing a little, trying not to let her eyes drift down to where Makoto is saying part of her uniform-less problem originates. Yes! She had noticed! She had noticed and has been trying very hard not too. "They should get you one soon then! But... the uniform's not required, or at least, you can dress it up and change parts out, if you want. So you can't get in trouble, at least!"

Makoto Kino has posed:
"That WOULD be nice. What clubs are you in? Or are you in any yet? Are you and Naru in any together?" Whoa, Mako. Rein it in. She still has a little embarassment. She's not sure why it feels important to bond here, but it does.

"No, I'm really anti-bully. I'm pretty sure there's going to be consequences for what I did last night, but as long as they just land on me, that's okay. It WOULD be nice to have a uniform just so I could...fit in a little more."

She shrugs slightly. "I really only have school as my place to talk to people and do things, so it would be nice to...have more friends?" It's finished a little awkwardly. It sounds lame, even to her ears.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
It's a lot of enthusiasm, but Usagi likes that in people, because she herself has plenty of enthusiasm, and plenty of energy. "I'm not in any clubs yet, but I'm looking out for one, but don't tell anyone, the clubs get scary when they're on the recruitment hunt! My friend Chiyo-chan is in the manga club, and Koji-senpai is in the gymnastics club, and Ikiko-chan is in the Animal Care Club and Naru-chan is actually in debate club but I still haven't figured out where I'd really liek to be. Manga club is tempting though, and not just because Chiyo-chan goes!"

It's a lot of names to get rattled off at you, and Usagi doesn't quite seem to realize it might be overwhelming. "Maybe we could look at some together! The clubs do recruitment drives a lot, I think the student council club gives them funding based on members?"

She thinks about it, then shrugs, happy to put aside the thought of funding and requirements. "There shouldn't be any consequences. I mean! It's not fair! You weren't at school and you don't have the uniform, so you can't make the school look bad, and that girl was being a jerk. You were the big hero, not the bully." huff!

"Well! Mako-chan, you've come to the right place! Or, I crashed into the right place! Something like that? Because I'm happy to be your friend! And I bet Naru-chan and Chiyo-chan and Koji-senpai and Ikiko-chan even Darien woould be too."

Makoto Kino has posed:
Mako lights up at Usagi's words. "I'm looking forward to meeting some of them. I like working with plants, and cooking. I love to cook and bake." And Usagi still has that bun. When she tries a bite she'll find out exactly how good Mako is at her baking. "But sure, I'd love to be in a club with you and Naru-chan. And probably those other people too. And I don't mean official consequences...that girl seems like the kind of person who's going to make trouble for me. And anyone around me."

She looks to Usagi. "Do you stay here at the Academy? If so, maybe you could show me where your room is and I could say hi to Naru-chan if she's there? That way I know where to find you here."

Again, that seems important for some reason.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"I definitely think there's a cooking club, I smelled really good stuff at the last recruitment day, and if there's Animal Care Club, there's gotta be a gardening club," these two things do not necessarily follow at all but okay, "And we can find out together! I'm still at risk of getting recruited until I throw myself to a club's mercy."

And then she pauses. "Wait! Does that mean you made this bun?! Mako-chan I'm going to treasure it, and also, eat it, but, I will treasure it while I do!" Awwwww how sweet, it's homemade gifts from a friend!

"Yeah, come on! I'll show you me and Naru's dorm; we live here on campus, she came up to keep me company! Are you living off campus? There's lots of space in the dorms, if you want - oh, when we get there, you'll probably see my cat, Luna, don't be worried if she ignores you, she'd kind of like that..."

And she'll happily grab Makoto's hand with her free one, and start pulling her after her, leading the way.