2976/The Future Is In Two Weeks

The Future Is In Two Weeks
Date of Scene:	14 March 2026
Location:	Radiant Heart Academy
Synopsis:	Usagi and Wako start chatting about the upcoming end of the school year - and before long, Chiyo, and Amy join them. The future is coming, but with good friends (and Vice President) there's plenty to look forward to about it.
Cast of Characters:	Usagi Tsukino, Wako Agemaki, Chiyo Sakai, Amanda Faust

---

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
The half-day of Saturday classes is always either very busy with work and club activities, or very chill. Today, it's the latter, the whole campus quiet with students having either vacated to study or still in the cafeteria, chowing down before it closes.

Usagi has had enough food, and she's studied as much in her bedroom as she can manage, so she's planning to find a spot - any spot - that looks nice, throw down a blanket, and plunk along in a hope of keeping all the facts straight in her head. Ami had been very confident to the point of commanding when she said 'You will pass', and Mamoru was sure of it too, but Usagi, has, unfortunately, finally started to care about school.

She thinks the whole world should know that caring about school sucks.

Halfway around the campus and still not having found a spot that calls to her, she spots orangey-blond hair in the distance and brightens.

"Wako-chan!! Hey, Wako-chan!!"

Wako Agemaki has posed:
"Usagi-chan!"

Wako promptly breaks into a jog, hurrying over to where Usagi has set up her things. "How's it going? Having a picnic? It's a nice day for it."

Vice President had been riding along on her shoulder, but when she reaches Usagi the little fox hops down to snuffle around on Usagi's blanket for any sign of snacks or interesting things to play with. He lets out a disappointed sneeze upon encountering notebooks instead.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Arms are promptly thrown open and Wako is hugged by a very pleased twintailed blonde.

"Looking for a spot to study," Usagi admits into the hug, and then lets go m, grinning. The hug is normal. The studying - less so? New normal, now. "I was going to go crazy if I stayed in my room, I'm thinking of swapping to a single?"

There's nothing exciting for Vice President alas, just books and pencils and oh, oh there's a cute little stress ball that goes sproing! when squeezed?

Wako Agemaki has posed:
Usagi gets hugged back; when Wako steps back, her brows are lifted and she's smiling brightly. "Studying on the half-day? Someone's motivated! Getting outside sounds like a great idea, though, especially if you were starting to feel stir-crazy."

Fox paws aren't really equipped for squeezing, but Vice President bats experimentally at Usagi's stress ball. It rolls enough to be exciting, apparently; VP springs into the air and pounces on it, chasing it around the blanket.

"You're always welcome to come to Sugata's house, too," Wako says. "There's more rooms than anyone can use there, if you need a change of scenery for studying or whatever."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
A hand rubs the back of Usagi's neck at the surprise, but she shrugs, committed. "There's final exams next week, and... and it's going to be my last year, you know? Last chance to actually impress anybody with my scores so I can go to a good school."

She pauses, considering her friend for a moment, glancing down briefly at Vice President gleefully springing around the blanket, and smiles.

"You're graduating this year too, yeah? You and your boys?" She's not graduating, of course, but Mamoru is, and Kazuo already has, and - "Coco-chan is, too. I was thinking maybe you'd like a graduation party, all of you? And Kazuo-kun for honorary graduate too?"

Wako Agemaki has posed:
'A good school' snags Wako's attention momentarily, and her head tips. "Are you planning to go to college?" There's no surprise or doubt in it, just interest in her friend's plans.

She doesn't linger on it, since Usagi's asking about graduation. "All three of us are graduating this year, yeah! I definitely wouldn't say no to a party for everyone - Saito-kun included - but you should make Sugata-kun foot the bill." She says it with a laugh. "He's not even planning on doing anything after graduation. I think he plans to just be a rich dabbler."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"Yeah. After the stuff we saw in the future, I think studying like, political science and stuff is a good idea, before I end up way in over my head."

It's said ruefully, but my entirely bitterly, because - "My grandpa and great-grandparents are thrilled. They want me to go to law school too."

She makes a face but its more joke than sincere.

"Yeah? I mean, I will definitely plan a party for your fiance to pay for, so if you're joking, now's the time to call it off! I think everybody deserves a party after the time we've all had." She snickers at the mention of Sugata's future plans. "And you're going to focus on making it big as a singer, right?"

Wako Agemaki has posed:
Wako makes a drawn-out humming sound, thoughtful and impressed in equal measure. "I don't think you should feel tied to what you saw in that future, beyond what you want to," she says. "But it's not a bad thing that you're thinking about it, whatever you end up doing. I'll be cheering you on!"

Vice President continues to wrestle the stress ball, rolling this way and that over Usagi's notebooks. Currently, it looks like the stress ball might be winning.

A beat, and Wako blinks at Usagi, doing a pretty good blank innocent face. "Why would I joke?" she says, mostly managing not to laugh. "It's not like the Shindo family can cut Sugata-kun off even if they wanted to, so you might as well put him to work. And yeah!" A little bob of her head. "Going to try to, anyway. There's no guarantees, but - it's always been my dream, you know?"

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
The sounds of Vice President wrestling a ball was naturally a familiar-ish one to one of Wako's roommates. Chiyo had been out enjoying some fresh air and sun since her own after school activities had been mostly dropped by the wayside. Manga Club was fun but... Not as much anymore? If she wanted to see cute boys flirting she'd just go train with Takuto and Sugata. That would likely mean she had to train too though.

Absently following the yips, squeals, and grrs from Vice President was a safer bet right now.

Coming upon Wako and Usagi together she breaks into a smile at the familiar pair. "Hey, Usagi-chan! Wako-chan!" And a slight nod toward the distracted fox. "VP. Mind if I join you? It's a great day right now."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"I don't want to be tied too it too much, but knowing it could happen... I want to be ready for the worst!"

It would be great to be ready for the worst, actually.

Meanwhile, that innocent look does not phase her one bit. "You'd joke about a lot of things, but I think a party sounds more worth the money than all the fancy chocolate we gorged in for a month, so I believe yooh hi Chiyo-chan! Sugata-kun is going to pay for a graduation party!"

Wow she accepted that fast.

Wako Agemaki has posed:
"Chiyo-chan, come hang out with us!" Wako greets her roommate with an easy smile, and a nod to confirm Usagi's statements as she gestures Chiyo over. One eye closes briefly, giving her smile a rather cheeky cast as she adds, "He doesn't know about it yet, but there's no reason for him to object, especially since it's for him, too."

No commentary on being prepared for the worst - but she does give Usagi a measured thumbs-up of approval.

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
"Thanks!" Chiyo moves to sit down tucking her legs under herself while swinging her bag off her shoulders to her side. No need to carry books around right now. "A party for... Oh. Oh, right."

Her expression shifts slightly only for her hand to come up to rub over her face quickly. "Right. That's soon. I feel like it snuck up on me. I've been so busy with so many other things."

"A party would be good though," she agrees with a solemn nod. "And if Sugata is footing the bill it can be a really great one. Got any ideas for it yet?"

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Amy approaches the gathering with a smile and a wave, "Hey Usagi-chan! Agemaki-san, Sakai-san!" although as she gets closer she looks, with some surprise, at the spread of notebooks around Usagi and lack of Mizuno-san or even Luna. "...Did you get bodyswapped with Mizuno-san?"

    If she really thought that had happened, she would have said 'did you get bodyswapped with Usagi-chan'. But also if magic bullshit is up she gets to feel clever.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"Ugh, no, I'm just studying - well, now I'm planning a graduation party, because Wako-chan and Chiyo-chan and Mamochan and Coco-chan and Takuto-kun and Sugata-kun and honestly a bunch of people that I know but you don't are graduating at the end of next week - not this coming week, the one after! - but anyway I guess I was looking for a place to study, we have finals next week, remember?"

That was a huge run on sentence, and she's gasping for some air by the end, sheepish, motormouthed.

"I thought it might have, because you weren't talking about it - Mamochan doesn't talk about it too-too much either, but I want to celebrate! And Kazuo-kun gets a belated graduation party, too!"

Wako Agemaki has posed:
Vice President does a full roll, heels and tail over head, before he pauses in his assault on the stress ball to blink up at Amy. Then he goes back to wrestling with his nemesis.

Wako lifts a hand to wave in greeting at Amy's approach, and makes a chiding little 'tsk' sound, still smiling. "A party's a good reason to get excited, even though we have finals coming up," she observes. She seems fairly relaxed about both topics, all things considered, despite being one of the graduating students Usagi just named.

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
Chiyo Sakai nods a polite hello to Amy, before she ducks her head slightly with a hand half-raised to her mouth barely hiding a soft sigh. "Yeah. It's the busy time of year at the shop, what with Valentine's Day, Hinamatsuri, White Day. And the Spring Equinox is soon too. Plus rolling out the Spring flavors in time for Cherry Blossom season means pushing out the last of the Winter items. There's always a lot to do. Not to mention kendo practice."

The last in the list is stated monotone with a hint of dread because it was very, very exhausting. Yet she wasn't entirely displeased with it. It was helping her out after all.

"I *did* fill out some applications a few months ago for junior colleges, but I'm not sure yet if I should go to begin with." The talk of Usagi studying brings a smile as she changes topics back to that. "It's good that you're putting in the effort, Usagi-chan! I know it's tough."

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Amy does, after a moment's thought, think that was a little rude of her, and her expression goes from shocked to understanding to apologetic. "Sorry."

    And then she processes the rest of it. "Oh. Dang, I guess that is a lot of people." She looks to the other two, "Congratulations, both of you!" She looks like she's thinking about asking something... "Well, I guess magic stuff will keep us all in touch..."

    Still, she looks slightly worried. Usagi surely remembers her mentioning the fear of growing apart, months ago.

    But then she notices something else, and her eyes focus on Mr. Vice President. She dimply recalls seeing the fox around Koji at one of their planning sessions years ago, but they didn't interact at the time; So she crouches down and holds out a hand to him. "Oh! I don't think we've met before. I'm Amy Faust, a Puella Magi."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"It's fine, it's fine," Usagi flaps a hand - one apology, and the slight is forgiven. "It is! Mamochan is going to take classes here on campus until I graduate, and then we're both looking at schools - he wants social work, I want political science? And we'll definitely go to school here in Tokyo."

This part is easy to go over, and then she grins at Chiyo, smiling brightly.

"You could take classes here too, until you know what you want to do? Apparently the school has agreements for transfer credits for a few different schools, so you'd have time! Especially since the shop is so busy right now. "

At seeing Amy bend down to talk to VP, she grins, and pulls out her phone for a picture. Why has she not been recording all this cute, all along?

Wako Agemaki has posed:
"Thanks!" Wako answers Amy's congratulations, with a little bob of her head. "Although honestly, I kind of imagine things won't change all that much for me... except that I won't be in the dorms any more, and I'll be taking voice and dance lessons instead of school classes, I guess." She shrugs a little. "We'll definitely still be in contact through magic stuff if nothing else!"

She gives Chiyo a consoling pat on the shoulder. Meanwhile, VP pauses again in trying to get the stress ball into his jaws (a futile endeavor, given that it's bigger than his head if you don't count the ears and fluff), and wriggles onto his feet so that he can come give Amy's hand a curious sniff. Finding nothing edible on offer, he flicks his oversized ears back, sulks for a moment, catches the flicking over his own tail in the edge of his vision and nearly flips over backwards in an attempt to jump on it.

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
Chiyo Sakai glances over at Wako when she talks of her voice and dance lessons for becoming an idol. "At least you know what you want to do for sure. I've always helped Ojiisan with the shop but I'm not sure I want to stay with it." A realization spoken out loud that makes her consider Usagi's suggestion with a thoughtful hum as her head tips back to squint at the sky.

"That might not be a bad idea. I feel like I've just been in a pattern of 'study and pass' between work and everything else. I could take some classes and see what might interest me otherwise. Plus," she adds with a chuckle, "I'd still be around to help out with things."

"Oh right, dorms. Hm. Might have to look at apartments soon or moving back in with Ojiisan."

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Amy hopes the fox doesn't remember her assuming he was just a pet years ago -- if it's the same one? -- and then blinks when what she now thought was a mascot just acts like an animal after all. "...Oh. Well I mean," she makes an embarassed grin, "Who wouldn't assume an unusual animal could talk, in our line of work, right?"

    She moves from crouching to sitting on the grass, looks uncomfortable, and adjusts the back of her uniform skirt to be under her properly.

    "There's postgrad--high-school-grad, I mean--courses here?" Amy blinks. "I... huh. I guess... we'll see what things look like a year from now. I hadn't thought of a way to stay here besides trying to get hired..." Her posture slumps slightly. "...I guess I should start actually talking to the school about that possibility ahead of time, huh..."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"And you'll have us cheering for you at all your events, that you'll definitely get booked for," Usagi says, all encouragement, all joy. "And Chiyo-chan, you could definitely study while you figure it out. It feels weird to know what I think I'll do, but... since the future is coming up soon, it feels good to meet it, a little. This part of the future, anyway."

It feels normal, or as close to it as they can get, and she likes that. She really does.

Giggling at Amy, Usagi shrugs, "I mean, it's worth a try, right? But I think Vice President might just be what he looks like."

An adorable little cat. She digs in her pocket and pulls out a tube of salmon and tuna churu paste. She opens it, squirts a little out, and places the tube on the grass (so it doesn't stain her blanket). "Here, try this VP."

Maybe he won't like cat treats, but, they can try, right?

"There are! It's what Kazuo-kun does when he's on campus. He graduated last year! But I mean, I bet they wouldn't make any of us run off."

Wako Agemaki has posed:
"It honestly almost feels weirder that he doesn't talk, sometimes," Wako agrees with Amy and Usagi, making a momentarily wry face and aiming a side-eye at Vice President. Vice President blinks back up at her with his guileless black eyes - then is immediately diverted by Usagi's offer of churu. OM NOM NOM NOM.

Wako just sighs.

"If you wanted a room at Sugata-kun's house," she offers Chiyo-wards, "I doubt he'd even notice if we didn't tell him."

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
Chiyo Sakai can just imagine how that would go over! "Maybe," she agrees with Wako. "I'll consider it. But I'd also tell him!" She adds with a laugh at the thought of NOT doing so. "Though that might mean more practice. And his 'bodyguards' are kind of... Well. I'm sure they'd be thrilled at that."

It's here she pushes to her feet again as she continues. "That's probably what I'll do then with taking classes. Thanks for the suggestion Usagi-chan. For now I ought to go. I'll catch up with you all later!"

Amanda Faust has posed:
    The talk of where to live would bring its own stress, too, if there weren't such ready solutions. Thank goodness they know Mamoru and Shindo-san. "Well. They wouldn't run us off of campus for hanging around, sure, but would they have let us stay in the dorms?" Amy blinks.

    Another thought crosses her mind -- Shit, what's Taro-kun gonna do? He's gonna look like a teenager for at least another decade or two, I think he said. -- but Sakai-san's already headed off; Amy doesn't look that worried, though, surely they'll help him.

    "Ah, seeya around, Sakai-san!" She smiles a bit uneasily and waves.




    "So, what are you studying for right now?" Amy looks back to Usagi.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"I mean, they could just let you be an English teacher, or something... give you a job like Kyouka-kun at worst, if they wanted. But that's nothing to worry about!"

Taro has some problems, because of magic - slow aging, apparently - Usagi says, simply, "We've got friends who can help, so let's not borrow trouble before it's time, yeah?"

But then there's Chiyo running off, and Usagi waves, then turns to Wako and Amy, and gestures for the blanket. "Let's sit? I was going over Literature, maybe Wako-chan can share all her secrets from taking the class last year..."