#WAAAAAHHH THEY MEAN THE WORLD TO ME

[spacedlexi]

it honestly frustrates me when i see people reduce the ericsons cast down to "just some teens in the woods" acting like theyre no different than any other group of lone teenagers from other existing properties and treating them like an overused trope

it is sooo important to acknowledge the "troubled youth" aspect of the whole equation. theyre not just some random teens in the woods clem stumbles across. these kids were abandoned by their families for their various "difficulties" and fucked up by The System before the outbreak even began. and then once zombies started roaming the streets their familes never came back for them and the adults that were in charge of taking care of them just left them there to rot in that old boarding school (except for ms martin who was like their lee 🥺 the only person who ever saw them as the scared traumatized kids they were and died protecting them)

the whole aspect of them already being fucked up by the adults that controlled their lives is like.....kind of important when discussing the whole "delta is stealing kids to force them to fight in a war they have no real part in and want nothing to do with" aspect of the season. and its important when comparing them to clem and her journey of also suffering at the hands of the adults around her forcing her to become self reliant. AND its important when discussing the "just trying to build a safe home (and future) worth fighting for in this world that wants them dead" aspect of the season as well

these kids were forced to come together to survive. and a Lot of them didnt... theyre the only family they have left and you can tell that even when they argue with each other theyre still a close knit group who looks out for each other. theyre a Real family before clem even gets there (and its why what really happened with the twins and brody and marlon hits them all so especially hard)

all of this is what REALLY makes ericsons such a perfect home for clem. its a Real community of her True peers. theyre not Just teens. they mightve had a layer of safety clem never had by at least having walls to keep them safe. and having the benefit of the school being hard to find. its the only reason theyre still alive when clem shows up. but theyre also some of the only people who can Truly understand where clem and aj are coming from. and its why it hurts so much when they vote to kick them out. but its also partially why she merges back into the fold so easily when she returns. plus the fact that shes Really the only one who has any idea what shes doing. shes their rock and she makes them feel safe because underneath it all theyre still just those scared traumatized kids ("EVERYONE is scared, clem..." vi was Definitely including herself in that 'everyone'), and on some level, so is clem

they saved clementines life. and she saved theirs. "the school was supposed to help them with their trauma, now they help each other" its about the LOVE the COMMUNITY the SUPPORT!!!! and thats the shit that makes good zombie media honestly 👌

[tigerlover16-uk]

One thing I like to think about is how kids that are growing up watching Dragon Ball Super are going to look back on the rest of the franchise and Dragon Ball stories made going forward, and how their experience watching Super is going to inform a lot of their views and opinions on the series.

Really think about it though, there’s going to be an entire generation of Dragon Ball fans for whom Beerus and Whis have seemingly always been mainstays for the series, and it’ll probably feel like Dragon Ball just wouldn’t be the same without them.

There are kids that are going to grow up with Caulifla or Hit or Toppo as some of their favourite characters. Kids for whom Goku Black and Zamasu feel like just as iconic villains for the franchise as the likes of Cell and Majin Buu. Future Mai being Future Trunks’ love interest is just going to feel like the way things are meant to be, same for the Pilaf Gang being kids in fact.

I’m eager to see what this generation of fans are going to have to say about Super when they’re older, and the previous series when they inevitably get around to them (Not that all of them will. There are still plenty of casuals out there that have only watched DBZ and not Dragon Ball), and whether they’ll like them as much as Super or they won’t appeal to them as much simply because Super is what they grew up on and it’s what Dragon Ball really is to them.

I’m a person that grew up on the Star Wars Prequels, and it’s Star Wars content from that era that I’m most interested in. Episode III is my favourite movie, I love the Clone Wars tv series (Mostly the CGI one though), and Star Wars just doesn’t feel like Star Wars to me without lots of Jedi running around, probably one of the biggest gripes I had with the Force Awakens when that came out being that after the end of the original trilogy where it looked like Luke was going to rebuild the Jedi Order, we suddenly went right back to the premise of “One force wielding hero and old guy on the heroes side, two dark sith users running the big evil empire” Because that just felt stale and limiting to me.

I prefer Anakin to Luke, Ewan Mcgregor IS Obi-Wan Kenobi to me. I prefer the Battle Droids to the Stormtroopers as the standard fodder enemies. 

Heck, if I’m being honest I also don’t care much for the Original Trilogy. I watched it several years after Revenge of the Sith came out when I got the movies on DVD and, yeah, they were fine, but they’d aged poorly in places and the stories and characters just didn’t interest me as much. I’d still prefer to re-watch The Phantom Menace over any of them, though I do enjoy all the original trilogy movies and appreciate them for what they are and their place in cinematic history.

But they’re still not really Star Wars to me.

For all the flak the Prequels got, and still get from some people, they were an important part of many people’s childhood’s in the same way the original trilogy was to older Star Wars fans, and as time has gone on more and more of us have come out of the woodworks to declare our support for the Prequels and make arguments in their favour, and even many people who hated the movies at first have either grown to appreciate them over time, or at least admit that they weren’t all that bad like they once made them out to be. At the very least, most of the “THESE MOVIES MURDERED MY CHILDHOOD!!! WAAAAAHHH!!” Nonsense has died down.

We’ll undoubtedly see a whole generation of Star Wars fans for whom Rey and Finn and Poe are more iconic heroes to them than Luke, Han and Leia are.

I think a similar thing is likely to happen with Dragon Ball Super going forward. It’s a very divisive series now, and it’ll continue to be so for years to come, but I think down the line we’ll see a lot more fans coming out saying how they grew up with the series and how much it means to them, and fans that are critical now being at least a bit more forgiving in retrospect.

Super is inevitably going to have a dramatic effect on Dragon Ball media going forward. FighterZ has already been made to take place at some point during Super, and we’ve seen it’s characters appear in various side media, like Fusions, Heroes and the big twist of the Reborn as Yamcha manga being that Beerus and Champa were behind everything as some sort of game. The upcoming movie will be a follow up to the current saga of Super, and it’s pretty much inevitable that there’s going to be a sequel series to Super down the line.

Like it or not, and it’s fine if you don’t I understand where you’re coming from and I can relate to some of the complaints, Super is going to be an influential part of the franchise that informs a lot of things going forward much like the Prequels did for Star Wars. There’s going to be more Dragon Ball series and other media made long after it, and it’s going to be a big part of many fans formative experience with Dragon ball as a whole.

I’m sure there are going to be some high and mighty fans resenting and lamenting that, going all “Oh those poor children, having to settle for trash instead of getting the quality experiences that we were blessed with. Oh, what a shame!” but as someone who had to see a lot of people put down or outright bullied and ostracized for liking the Prequels growing up (Not to mention harassing the actors, you ever heard what happened to the poor kid who played Anakin in Phantom Menace?), I just want to say... respect them. Disagree with them if you feel differently, that’s fine, but don’t try to dismiss or diminish their experiences and what it means to them.

Call Super bad all you want, but you can’t say it doesn’t matter.

In a way, all of this is one reason why I’m glad Super exists, even with all the ups and downs. Between it and Kai, a lot of people who otherwise might not have gotten into Dragon Ball have gotten to become fans of the franchise, they’ve been a gateway for many people, especially kids. Not to mention a way for older fans with children of their own now to connect with each other.

Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z, and the manga they were adapted from, are classic works of fiction, and the single most important landmark for Shonen anime and manga. They defined anime for many people, and they earned their place in history. And we should always appreciate them and try to share the experience of those stories with more people, I know I do.

But lets be honest, if the franchise had ended with them, how many then modern anime fans would pay them any mind come 2050 and beyond? I mean... the original Star Trek series is a classic and important work of science fiction that’s beloved by millions throughout the world... ... but would HALF as many people today be Star Trek fans if it wasn’t for Star Trek The Next Generation, Voyager, Deep Space 9 or the Abrams films? Heck, I’m pretty sure even Enterprise has it’s fans.

The original King Kong is a beloved classic, but a large amount of people today haven’t actually watched it, and mainly know it through Pop Culture osmosis. But many of those same people HAVE watched the 2005 remake and Kong: Skull Island, and have those as some of their favourite movies. Same goes for Godzilla, would the character be nearly as beloved or as ingrained in pop culture if not for the many sequels and remakes made for his franchise.

How many people today have seen the 60′s Spider-man cartoon or read the early comics, but did watch Spider-Man The Animated series from the 90′s or any of the various Spider-man movie series or Spectacular and even Ultimate Spider-man and became fans through those? Not a lot of kids today have watched the original Transformers or Ninja Turtles or My Little Pony cartoons or movies, but a lot of them (Many of which might even be in their teens now) sure have watched Transformers Prime, the Nickelodeon TMNT and Friendship is Magic.

For all the problems and missteps it has, one thing I do appreciate about DBS is that’s it and various media surrounding it like the Xenoverse Games and FighterZ, are helping to keep Dragon Ball alive for many people, not just old fans who grew up with the franchise but new people as well.

I’ll always love Dragon Ball Z and the original Dragon Ball to death, and I’ll be sharing them with my kids if I ever have any. But while I do see the missteps that have been made and hope things can be improved in various areas for Dragon Ball series going forward, and while it’s tempting to say we should just leave a masterpiece alone, I’m grateful Super exists and I hope many more new Dragon Ball series will be made down the line for generations of children to enjoy for many, many years to come.

Wow, this got longwinded and preachy. Didn’t mean for it to be this long, this whole post just sort of... happened. I dunno, I just wanted to get these thoughts out of my head and stuff just kept coming. Ignore me if I sound like a babbling idiot XD

[wordsturnintostories]

Of Tears and Flowers

Masterlist

Word Count: 2.669 Warnings: um. lotsa insecurities and worries Author’s Note: this was a request (my first - waaaaahhh) and besides tagging @mizzezm , I would like to tag @nataliarxmanxva (especially) and give this to her in the same way because I know she is having a hard time at the moment and I just want you to know I care and I want to cheer you up. Love you, my rose blossom.

Request by @mizzezm: Hey hun was wondering if you could do a Bucky x Reader where the reader is having issues with confidence and Bucky helps her out. I sure can and I sure did! Here you go, love, hope this works for you. :)

“What are you doing, Bucky? I told you I need to study and I need silence and you are everything but silent, in case you haven’t noticed. Mr. Mathematics already hates me enough, I don’t need another bad grade”, you complained when your boyfriend Bucky rummaged through your room. He might’ve been a pro-assassin, but he’d begun to be so comfortable with you that one day, he stopped sneaking around - which was awesome, seriously, it was progress and you were glad Bucky got better, but right now you just wished he was somewhere else. Instead, he just mustered you from the side. “Are you - no, don’t answer that. I know you’re not fine.” “I am, Bucky, I just nee-“ “Nu-uh. That’s not true. You are not fine, I see it in your eyes. Your stress level is up here”, he raised his hand somewhere above his head, “and you have been sitting in the same spot for at least”, he did a quick count of the used coffee mugs piling up on your desk, “four hours now? You, milady, are in dire need of a -“ “Of a quiet environment, I agree. So get your ass out. Just let me study.”

Bucky stood in the room for a few seconds, completely frozen. When your angry eyes met his', your heart skipped a few beats. His mouth was open and the expression on his face would’ve been the same if you had slapped him in his face. You noticed his metal hand pull into a fist. Concern was etched into his face, or maybe it was just the blank reaction to your rude attack. It left you with a cold empty feeling in your stomach. You shouldn’t be like this to him. He didn’t know Maths had risen to this level of evil in schools nowadays and he couldn’t know the teacher was an ass and he also didn’t know you still had five other assignments and that you hadn’t been sitting there for four hours but six. He knew these classes were absolutely not your idea of life, but he did not stand in your shoes. He was happy with his job, actually, he blossomed now at facing the possibilities opening up for him like elevator doors. But you were stuck in your stupid college seats, left with the bitter taste of inner yearns for more exciting matters. You were stuck with the nagging doubts that all of this was useless crap and turning to something else at this point into your studies was educational and occupational suicide. You just wanted to open your mouth to apologize or well, say anything, but he left. Bucky just left you, you and your miserable mess, closed the door. It took ten seconds until you heard something crash outside.

And that was it. Tears bubbled up, from your inside water reservoir of the last two months. Everything you’d pushed away violently pushed to the surface now and soon, you sank to your knees, seeking refuge under the desk, in some little corner where you could lean against the wall. They shook you, all those outbursts you should’ve had in the last weeks, all the tears and cries you should’ve let out when they were still fresh. But you hadn’t and now, they overwhelmed you. You hated it. Every time. This was what happened every time. Just because you let the entire stress get to you. Just because you thought too hard and decided too fast and regretted even the simplest things - things you would never worry about. Like skipping breakfast, like changing your bathroom routine. Like eating quesadillas for dinner, like letting all those dishes sit in the sink. Like buying a new potted plant or accepting that assignment with the guy sitting next to you in writing class instead of Wanda, who was sick right now. Like not calling Clint back, like not thinking of Scott’s daughter’s birthday. Like a thousand things, that were all important, and all not existential. But every of those things fueled your doubts, which in turn tried to suffocate you and your dreams - you didn’t even know which was worse. Every time before the exams you turned into an emotional wreck because they robbed you of every ounce of confidence you could muster and left you only with a discomforting sense of insecurity concerning your future, your present, and even your past. What would you do with these scores? No one cared. All this reading material was nonsense, why were they even trying to stuff that into you? Your future would be defined by these hours and all you did was cry over some stupid exams. What if you failed? No, what if you just switched classes, maybe? Every employer would see the last semesters as wasted time and decline your applications. You cried even harder, not seeing What would you do with these scores? No one cared. All this reading material was nonsense, why were they even trying to stuff that into you? Your future would be defined by these hours and all you did was cry over some stupid exams. What if you failed? No, what if you just switched classes, maybe? Every employer would see the last semesters as wasted time and decline your applications. You cried even harder, not seeing Every employer would see the last semesters as wasted time and decline your applications. You cried even harder, not seeing You cried even harder, not seeing any way this could turn into something good. Your future was a mess. Do what you love. What a crap. The world didn’t work that way.

At one point, your overwhelming tears ebbed away and there it was again, this annoying cold feeling you always got from crying. Maybe that was a default setting or a warning for All hope is lost. You still sat under your desk. You were alone. Bucky had probably left the house, most likely would’ve gone to hang with Steve. And you didn’t blame him. Well done, you scolded yourself, great job. And you call yourself an adult. Wiping your tears away, you slowly got back into your chair, turning to your papers. Great. The paper was drenched with tears and your calculations were smudged and useless. A blast of anger erupted in you and with one hot move, you ripped the page out of the notebook, crumpled it up and tossed it behind you, into the room. Only it didn’t land. Your eyebrows scrunched up and you turned around. There he stood, Bucky, with the paper ball in his hand. An almost shy smile was on his cheeks when he looked up to you and he waited as if to ask for your permission to enter the room. Bucky was a sweet guy, after all, who always tried to respect you in the ways he acted. “I’m - I’m sorry, Bucky. I just, I-“, you shuddered, embracing the feeling of awfulness that you deserved for being so mean to him. “I feel like everything I do is wrong and everything is just - crap. Like I can’t keep doing this and I also can’t do anything else because I’ll only make it worse and - and yeah, that’s it, basically.” He took that as a permission to enter because seconds later, he stood right in front of you, in his gray sweatpants and that hoodie you’d given him for his last birthday. He didn’t touch you, not yet, because he knew you were still processing your inner conflict and physical touch could go wrong at this point of time. “I know”, he suddenly whispered and you held your breath. Why? You weren’t sure yourself, but here Bucky Barnes stood before you, with a mimic that mirrored the exact way you felt on the inside. And then it hit you - your struggles were stupid because Bucky had gone through so much worse and that was the reason why you had subconsciously decided to not tell him the reasons behind your recent stress. “You know what; it’s nothing. Bucky, it’s okay. It’ll all be over in a few days and -“ “Don’t say that. You need to get better right now. Come with me.”
“And where are we going?” 
“And where are we going?” 
Bucky just smiled, but dragged you behind him, first into his room, where he went to his drawer, pulling out a second hoodie and another pair of sweatpants, which he threw at you. “Pull them on”, he said and left, again, leaving you with no choice than to follow his orders. Whatever he had in mind, it better be good, you thought while changing your clothes. Immediately, the only scent left was Bucky’s, from the moment his sweater was in close proximity to your head. You took a deep breath and spent an extra minute to pull it on. It felt good leaving your head inside his sweater, where all you could see was the fabric, where nothing else mattered and where his pleasant scent offered calm comfort. When you walked into the general living area, a rumbling sound came from the kitchen. Bucky made tea, you realized, and not just any tea, but the one you had gotten from a friend once and not opened yet because it was friggin’ expensive tea and which day was worth spending that kinda tea on? Not an awful day of (stu)dying, that was for sure. “What is happening, Bucky?” He turned around with a confident smile. “You are in a crisis”, he stated very matter-of-factly, “and I will pull you out.” “Is that so?” “Mh. It’s what you gotta do.” “What? Make her tea when she is rude to you?” He looked you in the eyes for a long moment before leaning against the counter and crossing his arms. Every part of his body was relaxed and he smiled a lopsided smile. Just for you, your heart chirped blissfully. That smile is reserved for you and only you. “You’ve seen me in way worse shape, doll. Don’t think I’m mad at you for that little outburst.” “I shouldn’t have freaked out.” “Maybe not. We all do stupid things when life doesn’t treat us right.” “What? Like punching Steve?” Bucky grinned and with one big step, he was by your side. Mischief was in his eyes. “Hey! I said stupid, not reckless.” “Oh, like hiding Sam’s wings is any better. 
Bucky tickled you, triumphing when you started to wiggle around and pant. Instead of shrieking, you resolved to little noises of distress, but to be honest, you welcomed this pleasant ease that your boyfriend handled you with. “Someone is asking for a real tickle fight”, he grinned, but when you shook your head, he stopped, taking you into a tight hug instead. You stood like that for a while, just basking in Bucky’s glorious presence. Some strands had slipped out of his man bun and tickled your cheeks now, but what was even better was the strong beating of his heart that calmed you. The rhythm of life, you thought, only realistically, life was more messed up. Full of choices, full of decisions you wished you weren’t expected to make and full of unforeseeable events that you dreaded. Bucky must’ve felt you tense up again, because he let go of you, pulled the tea bags out of the mugs and handed one to you. Then, he grabbed his phone, typing around, doing his usual annoyed face when his metal fingers clanked against the screen - a sound he hated but always forgot to avoid when starting to type - and looked up again.

You followed him outside into your small backyard with just enough space for a little table, two chairs, a tiny garden with some flowers sharing the ground with your first attempts of vegetables and some grass. “What now, Mr. Therapist?” Bucky sent you a half-amused, half-concerned look, but kept going with whatever he was doing on his phone. You took a sip of your tea and God, this was heavenly stuff. Made all normal tea taste like puddle water. A sigh lay on your lips, along with a smile. If this was Bucky’s plan to make you feel better, it was working without him being overly involved. “Okay, so, Steve showed me this method to feel better whenever I’m stressed and -“ “Steve? Blonde guy, tall, shield, World War Two- Veteran- Steve…?” “No, his therapist Steve.” “Didn’t think so. Wait, you’re telling me Steve - our big, beautiful Steve - has a therapist named Steve.” That sounded more like a question, but it was so absurd, you couldn’t hide your laugh. “Shit. I wasn’t supposed to say.” Bucky grinned wide, of course, he’d meant to say that. Just to get you to giggle. That was his craft, after all. “Are you sure it’s not just his reflection in the mirror?” “Very. Okay, so Steve-“ “Steve No.2”, you interrupted. “Yes, Steve No.2 taught me this. I know you have a lot on your mind, but this is gonna be perfect. Look, just sit on the grass, close your eyes, listen to the music, and breathe with me, okay?” “Okay, Bucky.”

He started to play the music from his phone and boy, this was it. You breathed and suddenly, breathing defined your body. The feeling was so foreign, but actually, this way of breathing consciously made you wonder if you had ever really breathed before. Every ounce of the heavy stress crumbled away like dry mud on moving skin and a wonderful kind of peace started to fill you. Your insecurity lost its ground, it just slipped away. For the second time of the day, tears rolled over your face, but this time, tears of joy. A new thought claimed your mind - maybe this was what you would’ve needed long ago. You weren’t sure what it was but felt blown away, literally lighter. It was gonna be alright, you would make it work. The song ended and your eyes landed on Bucky. “You okay, doll?” You nodded shakily and he awed you, quickly pulling you into his arms, cooing and rubbing your back, even massaging your shoulders gently, which left you with no options other than to sink into his touch. Bucky was a treasure, a real treasure. His eyes were gentle when they found yours, your cheeks resting in his hands. You cherished this moment, although you kinda wished you could put it into a little box and pull it out whenever you’d need it in the future. Bucky pulled you in, letting your head rest against his chest. “I’m sorry I didn’t ask how you were the last days”, he whispered into your ear while you found perfect shelter in his lap. “I realized you were stressed, but I didn’t help. I’m sorry. If you want to, we can do this together every day now. We’ll just start our days like this. And we’ll go back to this whenever you need it. But you gotta let me know how heavy your little heart is. Promise?” “Yeah, Bucky. Thank you.” “Anything for my sweetest little girl, who is so smart even the teachers should be afraid of her. She is so precious and so adorable and look at her, what a beauty”, he praised and you couldn’t stop the blush. You quickly covered your face with the oversized sleeves smelling like the wonderful man in front of you, who didn’t dare to stop.  “And awww she’s too cute. Just look. I love her when she blushes cause even her ears turn red. And that’s not even the best thing about her. Her true beauty is hidden inside and when you take care of her, she blossoms for you, blessing you with her beauty. But beware the princess when she studies! For the evil magic of Mathematics has turned her into a fire-breathing dragon!” Bucky’s voice changed into a deep narrator voice and made you giggle. He looked down amusedly. The dreamy look on his face was heavenly because he chose to shower you with his most genuine emotions and words. It amplified him, his breathtaking, hidden nobility. And it let you know he had chosen you with the intent on keeping you. For today, tomorrow and the future. Relief flooded you. The future. Bucky was your future and that was your game-changer, your lifesaver. “Dragons don’t giggle”, he noted. “And you are not the narrator.” “Oh? Who am I?” “The Prince? Duh.” “Oh, really? You called me the therapist a few minutes ago.” “Shut up. You’re my everything.” “Okay, doll.”

The Playlist for you

(Steve No.2’s advice actually worked for me, so I decided to put it into a drabble and share it with you.)

Tony Anderson: Ember

Ludovico Einaudi: Fuori dal Mondo

Sleeping At Last: North

Ben Howard: Promise

Brian and Jenn Johnson: You’re Gonna Be Ok

Comment, reblog, fill my Askbox and tag your friends! :)

Masterlist

Permanent Tags: @nataliarxmanxva, @aubzylynn, @inappropriatepirate, @buckysmusculararm, @coffeeismylife28, @mitra-k-w, @captainmomofoshosho, @sarahwroteathing, @engineeringgirlcve, @borderline-person-deactivated20, @tequilavet, @aquabrie, @221bshrlocked, @waywardpumpkin, @fanboyswhereare-you

[forkanna]

[AO3 LINK] [EF LINK]

NOTES: The Forkannukah celebration continues! I'm really determined not to slide on this; I want to put up a chapter a day of this SM fic until it's done!

Also, this chapter borders on NSFW (but isn't really).

Act 2. Rei: Royally Steamed

"Take that BACK, you stupid bubble-head!"

The way Usagi stamped her foot against the tatami, reached up to her head and touched her odango in annoyance pissed Rei Hino off even more than she already had been. They were talking about something at least semi-serious and all that dumb blonde could focus on was her hair! Where did it end? When would she grow up and stop acting like a spoiled child instead of the leader of the Sailor Senshi?

"I'm not gonna take it back! You're a jerky, annoying jerkface!"

"It's not 'mean' to say you need to train harder, Usagi! God, maybe if you did we wouldn't spend half of our time scraping your butt up off the floor instead of actually fighting the Dark Kingdom!"

"Well, maybe if you didn't yell at me all the time, I would get better sooner! SO not helping!"

"Please don't fight," Ami interjected. She actually looked highly uncomfortable, which only made Rei's temper ratchet upward by several more notches. "This was only supposed to be a planning meeting, not an argument!"

"See?!" she flung at Usagi. "You're upsetting Ami!"

"No, you are! You're the one griping at me like I'm messing up on purpose! Seriously, I'm trying my best!"

A scoff erupted from her throat as she folded her arms over her white haori jacket. "Right. Like anybody would believe that someone stumbling around as badly as you do and screaming like a baby was 'trying their best'. Get a grip!"

Finally, Usagi had reached her limit. That was one thing she could never quite pin down: when Usagi would keep arguing until she was blue in the face, or when she would break down in a fountain of tears. The way she was doing right now.

"Waaaaahhh! Rei, why are y-you like this? Why are you so m-mean all the t- all the tiiiime?!"

"That's enough!" Luna interrupted brusquely, hopping up onto the table on her soft kitty paws. Ever the voice of reason compared to the girls, which Rei thought was pathetic given that she was an actual animal. "Usagi, dry it up! We have important Sailor business, and this outburst is absolutely not going to help us fight the Dark Kingdom!"

"B-but-"

"Rei, I would like to speak with you out in the hallway!"

That took them all aback. Blinking down at her furry head, Rei pointed at her own chest and asked, "Me?"

"Yes! Out you go, come on!"

As they stepped into the hall, she noticed Ami patting Usagi's arm gently as she sniffled and blubbered. What a pathetic mess. Sometimes, she really wished she were a mere miko and could continue her priestess duties without having to worry about the forces of darkness, and the annoying pigtailed nuisance that she had no choice but to assist in fighting them. Lately, she wished that on a daily basis.

Once they slid the shoji door closed behind them, she squatted closer to the cat and whispered, "What is it?"

"I know it's difficult, given her attitude," Luna began with a long sigh, slumping in such a human gesture that Rei had to suppress a laugh. "But… you might want to go a bit easier on Usagi."

"What?! But she's such a-"

"She's a girl. Barely old enough to be making her own decisions! I agree that she needs training, and maturity, but we can't expect them to come merely because we demand it. We have to help her mature. Do you understand what I'm asking of you?"

She thought she did. It was annoying, and she pursed her lips in an effort to keep from snapping back at Luna due to her anger with someone else. Then she finally said, "Alright, I'll try. But she doesn't make it easy!"

"Believe me, I know." Shaking her purple-furred head for a moment, she glanced back at the door. "I think it would help if you went to fetch us some drinks. Give both of you a moment to master your emotions."

"Probably. Okay, I'll be right back."

After letting Luna into the room again, Rei sighed to herself and made her way to the kitchen, her red hakama rustling around her legs. Familiar steps, familiar surroundings. The Shinto shrine really helped bring her peace in times like this, when her fiery temper got the better of her. She did the breathing exercises her grandfather taught her as she prepared tea, making sure there was plenty of sugar in the bowl for Usagi. Which annoyed her, but it was going to be far less annoying than hearing her complain, "Hey, why isn't there enough sugar?"

Why did she get under her skin so easily? She was a brat. Most brats she would simply scoff at and ignore. If she were to hazard a guess, it would be that it was being forced to work alongside her. There was no easy way to walk away from the temptation to get angry when that option didn't exist. They had to get along. They had to fight against Queen Beryl's forces, or the world would be in danger.

And like it or not, 'they' included Usagi Tsukino. World's whiniest superhero.

                                                          ~ o ~

Training that afternoon went better than usual. Usagi threw her tiara and hit more targets than she normally did, though only by one or two. The sparring never yielded excellent results, but at least Usagi didn't fall on her tailbone very often. Ami's movements were really coming along, and so were Rei's; she definitely wished she had taken martial arts at a younger age to have more knowledge stored up, but Luna was quite encouraging, and a capable teacher despite not being able to show them many of the moves herself.

Rei didn't see the girls the next day. Sometimes, she regretted that they went to a different school, but it came in handy when she was upset with Usagi to simply attend classes and not worry so much about her. They could go to the public school, and she had T-A Academy as a safe haven from her 'leader's' ineptitude.

That night, she lied awake for far longer than she wanted to admit, trying to figure out what to do about the situation. Luna was right; Usagi wasn't evil, and she wasn't being stupid on purpose. Just ignorant and not as mature as she and Ami were. And even though it was difficult to admit it, she could see some potential in Usagi as a leader if she ever worked through her shortcomings. But she had to figure out a way not only to get past her impatience with her, but also show Usagi that just because she couldn't stand her on a regular basis didn't mean she 'hated' her, or that her admonitions were groundless due to said imaginary hatred — if Usagi thought she was only saying those things because she didn't like her, she definitely wouldn't listen.

But what could she do that would show her that she didn't want her to go jump in an active volcano?

It was only the next morning when asking her grandfather for advice that she got a hint of what to do. It was a little iffy, and she had to admit that it made her a little uncomfortable, but the old-fashioned coot might have a point. There were certain activities that fostered more closeness than others.

                                                          ~ o ~

"A sento?!"

"Yeah," Rei sighed, feeling awkward enough for both of them without Usagi adding to it with her wrinkled nose and furrowed eyebrows. "You know, check it out? I've never been."

"But isn't that a little… old-fashioned? I mean, nobody uses public baths anymore; we all have them in our houses, so there's not much point."

That had been exactly what she first thought, so she couldn't fault Usagi for thinking it, too. Shrugging her shoulders, she leaned back against the telephone pole, playing with the hem of her fuku skirt. "Yeah, I know, I know. But to be honest, the shrine temple basically just has an old wooden ofuro tub and like, that's about it. So even if it's a super-traditional sento, it'll still probably have more modern facilities than I usually get to use."

"Well… why don't you just come over and use my bath? Mom probably wouldn't mind." Usagi's voice was reasonable, and she leaned slightly to one side, trying to catch Rei's gaze. "A-and I wouldn't, either! I'll just stand guard so Shingo doesn't poke his weasly little nose in."

Against her will, she laughed at the idea. "Your little brother isn't at that age yet, is he?"

"Maybe not, but he's still a boy. Can't trust 'em." Another laugh, and Usagi laughed with her. "What do you think?"

"Nevermind. Just wondered if you would be interested in trying it with me, since that would be less weird than going by myself. Forget it."

"Wait, wait!" she protested when Rei turned away to start off toward home, skipping a little so that she could get in front, then walk backwards in front of her with her school satchel held in the small of her back. "I didn't say I'm not interested! Though I'm kinda surprised you'd ask me to go… but I mean, you're right, I've never tried one. An onsen once or twice with my family, sure, but that's more about soaking in the hot springs and playing ping pong."

Snorting at the idea of Usagi trying to play ping pong — and failing — she nodded her understanding. "Okay. I wasn't saying go right this minute, anyway."

"Cool. And hey, it could be fun! Not that I know what to expect… I mean, are they still coed? Do I need a bathing suit?"

"NO! Don't be ridiculous, I don't want a bunch of guys drooling over me!"

Leaning a little closer with a playful gleam in her eyes, she whispered, "You think they'd all be drooling over you, huh? Wow, someone sure thinks she's hot stuff!"

"USAGI!" But the blush only made it worse, and Usagi was laughing loudly and freely. Even if it was at her expense, maybe this was the right way to go; she definitely had cheered the bun-head up.

                                                          ~ o ~

They didn't wind up going that day, but the next. Ami and Naru were asked along by Usagi — which Rei bristled at, but there was no way for Usagi to know that this was supposed to be so the two of them could understand each other better and stop squabbling so often — but they both declined. Ami because she was studying, and Naru because, in her words, "that's kinda gross." So it all worked out in the end.

They stood in front of the sento with wide eyes. It was highly traditional, at least from the outside; tall pillars and curved tile roof, with a banner over the door proclaiming "hot water" in hiragana. It put Rei at ease, since the classical aesthetic of it was so similar to her home. The only thing that marred the experience was the soda machine a meter from the entrance.

"Yep, this is definitely gonna be interesting," Usagi said with a little nod, hefting her bag of clothes.

"Yeah. I mean, you can still back out…"

"Hah! No way, then you would win!"

Rolling her eyes, she said, "I wasn't daring you to do this, you know. But fine; if either of us chickens out and wants to leave, they have to pay for ice cream. Deal?"

"Deal," Usagi laughed, and they pinky-swore on it. Then they went inside.

It didn't take long for them to get checked in, leave their shoes up front and go through the red curtain into the women's changing room. Usagi stopped to pee before they got on with things, and Rei took the opportunity to find them a spot along the benches to put their bags down. While slipping out of their clothes and shooting furtive glances around, a few old ladies laughed at them for being so modest. They chatted about that, and about the whole experience while moving through into the tiled bathing area. Which was not coed, much to Usagi's relief.

"I just feel weird!" she was hissing under her breath as they stood there awkwardly in the steamy room, holding towels in front of themselves. "Like, this bathroom's too big! Feels like I'm in the wrong place or something. Or worse… at school."

"Yeah," Rei laughed as she looked around for a suitable spot. "Except it's a school full of grandmas." When she spotted two unoccupied stools, she grabbed Usagi's arm and led her over to them, and they got rid of their towels and Rei's basket of soap and shampoo and settled in to start washing. "At least it's warm in here."

As she turned on her faucets and tested the water temperature, then flicked on the showerhead, Usagi glanced over and said, "This makes me feel like a little kid again. Y'know, with my mom washing me? Even though nobody's going to be doing that, like, I guess because I'm not alone in here…"

"No, I get it. Used to bathing on your own now." Belatedly, she started doing the same; her instinct had been to go to the baths and collect bathwater with a washbowl, since that was how she had been taught to do it at home. As they rinsed off, she asked, "Did you want to wash your hair? You'd better put it in a shower cap if you don't."

"What?" Her hair was already wet, and she blanched. "Oh… well, crap. Too late now, huh?"

"Dumbbell." But she didn't say anything more as Usagi quickly undid her buns, letting her hair fall loose down her back as she rinsed it out.

In that moment, as she watched Usagi close her eyes and let the water drench her long, golden locks, Rei was struck by something she hadn't spent a lot of time thinking about. That Usagi was a girl, and a pretty one. She spent so much time fixated on how dumb and annoying she was that sometimes, remembering that she was also a person was a lot harder than it should have been. Maybe it was the peaceful expression that she didn't often get to see on Usagi's face that made it that much more obvious now.

"Oh no…"

"Hm?" Rei said, snapped out of her reverie. "What's up?"

"I forgot shampoo," she whispered, looking embarrassed with her hair all damp and hanging around her face and shoulders. That definitely broke the spell. Rolling her eyes toward the ceiling, Rei reached into the basket for her own bottle and handed it over.

"Hopeless. Completely hopeless, you know that?"

Usagi clasped her hands on either side of the bottle in front of her face and bowed slightly. "I'm sorry! Really, I'll pay you back for it! Only… not right now, I'm kinda tight on money…"

"You never have money! Just… wash your stupid hair!"

And that was that. Or it was supposed to be. When she saw Usagi moping and scrubbing the suds into her hair, she began to feel bad for snapping at her. Normally, she wouldn't have, and she knew it was partly because this trip had been her suggestion that it affected her more than usual.

"Thanks," Usagi said earnestly when she handed the bottle back.

"Yeah. It's… no big deal, I guess. Just one little blob of shampoo."

As she lathered her own and watched her friend rinse hers out, then rinsed hers while Usagi began to wash, she felt worse and worse. Neither the borrowing nor the snapping had been too terrible, yet it stood out like a sore thumb in her memory. The point of this trip was to get closer to Usagi, to stop the bickering by learning to understand her comrade-in-arms. Maybe it wasn't enough to be in the same room; she had to put in actual effort.

So when she saw Usagi trying to reach around behind her back with her washcloth, she turned on her stool and said, "Here, I can do that."

"Huh? Really? You?"

"No, Akarenger," she scoffed, striking a heroic pose. "Super Sentai!" Catching her own ever-present sarcasm this time, she sighed and made herself say, "I mean, it's just an offer; if you don't want me to, that's fine."

"N-no," Usagi stuttered, surprised at the genuine response — even if it followed the random TV show reference. "I just… well, if you're sure you don't mind?"

When Rei shook her head and reached for the cloth, Usagi handed it over before she turned to face away from her and gathered up her hair atop her head, starting to gently wring out the water and then bundling it above her with her towel. Feeling a little weird but trying not to care, she began to gently scrub her back.

"Ahhhh… guess somebody's washing me, after all. Even if it's not my mom."

"Don't make it weird by moaning," she grumbled. This time, she actually felt Usagi tense, so she said, "Sorry."

"What are you sorry for? I'm the one that made the noise."

"Because it's a pretty normal noise; I just…" Sighing, she scrubbed a little harder. "Why do you care so much about what I say when I'm always on your case? I'm surprised you don't just flip me off everytime I open my mouth by now."

It only took a second for her to get over the question being asked in order to answer. "Well… y'know. You're my friend. I care what you have to say, I guess. Even when it's mean," she added in a more petulant tone.

Normally, Rei would have hopped all over that last part. The instinct was there. But hearing that Usagi still cared what she had to say, even when they were arguing like children, changed how she felt like reacting. "Really? I mean… wow. I don't know, I thought you hated me."

"I thought you hated me! Like, you're always the one yelling at me and telling me to be less stupid, or whatever, and I don't really know how to do that! I'm just… me, y'know?" Then she slumped a little lower. It was actually convenient, because Rei had been about to ask her to lean forward so she could more easily get her lower back. "Now I get to be a dumb Sailor Moon on top of being a dumb student and a dumb person in general. Like, how am I supposed to handle fighting the Dark Kingdom creeps if I can't even handle my classes?"

After a few stunned seconds, Rei lowered the rag as she whispered, "Huh."

"What?"

"Oh. I, um… I figured you didn't care about any of that. You always act like all you care about are boys, manga, and dessert. Since when have you cared about being a good Senshi?"

"Since always. Just don't know how to do it, that's all." Then she turned to reach for the washcloth. "Your turn."

Nodding, Rei put her own wet hair up and spun on the stool to face the opposite direction. It didn't take long for the soapy cloth to appear on her back, and she felt herself relaxing the same way Usagi had relaxed. Maybe there was something to her grandfather's insistence that "skinship" between young women was important; that being uninhibited physically might help them be uninhibited emotionally. In the back of her mind, she had worried that he was up to his usual perverted antics again, but he'd never done anything like that to her specifically since she was family so this time, she was willing to give the old letch the benefit of a doubt.

"Usagi-san? I, um… well, I'll do my best to help you. Be a better Senshi, I mean. It might not happen right away, sure, because you're a giant ball of klutziness. But if you really want to get better, I think you can."

"Whoa…" She didn't expect such a strong reaction, but she was smiling about it. That is, until she heard Usagi finish with, "I don't think you've ever called me 'Usagi-san' since we met. What's up with that?"

Huffing through her lips, Rei remained silent for a moment rather than snap something irritably. After all, progress was progress. And her patience was rewarded a second later in a way she couldn't have predicted in a million years.

"It's… too nice. I don't deserve you acting like I'm that important."

"What? I mean, what do you mean?" After a second, a face was pushing into the back of her neck. "H-hey, don't-"

"Okay, so I kind of suspected you were gonna pull some kind of prank on me once we got here. So like, I was planning to wait until you started to act like a jerk, and then push you onto one of the attendants or something. Get you thrown out. Then you'd lose the bet and I'd get back at you for, y'know, whatever the prank was." The face shifted a little, and Rei felt an odd shiver down her spine. "But now… I'm pretty sure there's no prank. So that means I'm just a… suspicious jerk, and a bad friend for thinking you'd do that. I'm really sorry."

Their two spots were mostly silent, other than the sound of running water. Then Rei began to giggle. After a second or two, she felt Usagi draw away in mild concern and shock, so she turned around to smile at her over her shoulder.

"Can't lie, that's pretty hilarious. I'd be royally ticked off if you actually went through with it, sure, but like… the idea is funny. Could probably record it and get on that show 'Kato-chan Ken-chan Gokigen'." When she only got a lot of blinking in return, she went on, "And I get it, I'm kind of a bitch to you most of the time. No wonder you thought I invited you here as a set-up."

"I didn't think that for sure," Usagi hedged with an uncomfortable squirm. "And you aren't a B-word. Just…"

Hearing Usagi at a loss for another word to describe her personality made Rei's heart sink. "Alright… I'm sorry. I really am, Usagi, but you do drive me up a wall sometimes! And I just… react badly. I should learn to treat you better."

"Rei-chan…"

For some reason, the way Usagi said her name that time, with the overly-familiar honorific attached, made her more uncomfortable than the formal "-san" did. She knew it was only because Usagi wasn't used to hearing her be nice in such a way, but the fact that she was naked and washing her back made it come across a little differently.

"A-anyway," she finally said, clearing her throat. "Hurry up so we can go soak."

"Yeah… y-yes, you're right." Then she started scrubbing with renewed vigor, causing Rei to hiss from the harsh feeling. "Sorry!"

They rinsed off the soap thoroughly, then picked their way across to the baths. After some testing, they found one that was hot but not scalding and slowly lowered themselves into it, making yipping noises that caused the ladies in the nearby boiling-hot tub to chuckle at them.

"I'm glad we could come here and provide them with so much comedy gold!" Rei grumbled under her breath.

"Old women are funny," Usagi tittered as she settled in next to her. "And I'm used to everybody laughing at me when I trip and fall on my face or whatever."

"Hmph. We should send you to finishing school, right? Teach you how to walk with poise and dignity. And not trip over those clumsy feet," she added, poking one of Usagi's with her own underwater. It earned her a laugh and a kick in return, which she let happen this time instead of shoving back. "That plus our karate training, and you might not be uncoordinated forever."

"You're being mean again!" Rei butted her shoulder against Usagi's, and she shoved back, and they had a brief contest of strength that ended with Usagi nearly falling over. This time, unlike usual, she grasped Usagi's arm and kept her from getting her hair-towel wet by going completely under. It was weird how they were still squabbling but it was quite different than their usual squabbles. Gentler, and of a more friendly nature.

After a few minutes of playful splashing and teasing, which made a few of the women in the other bath move further away — their own tub was empty other than the two of them in the first place — they settled in to lean against each other slightly, recovering their wind.

"So how long do you think it's gonna take us to find Serenity?"

"Princess Serenity?" Rei asked, and she felt Usagi nod. "Hmm… no idea. Luna keeps saying she could be anywhere and we have to keep our eyes open, but like… I have no idea who we're looking for."

"Exactly! How are we supposed to find some princess we've never met, or even seen a picture of?!"

"She's bonkers! We could at least get a description! How tall is she, does she have a birthmark?"

Holding up one slightly-pruning finger, Usagi said, "Where does she live? What's her blood type, her measurements?"

"Now it sounds like we're making her a dating profile." They both laughed a little, then let it naturally subside. "Ohhh… yeah, I'm frustrated with that, too. If it's so damned important that we find her and protect her, then we could use a couple more details."

A few seconds passed in relative silence, save for the distant sounds of showering and other conversations. Then Usagi said in a quiet voice, "I… did think I found her once."

"Hm?"

"The princess." Shifting slightly, she went on, "I thought it might have been you, Rei."

"WHAT?!" she burst out, and she felt Usagi flinch away from the outburst so she lowered her voice. "What do you mean? Of course it's not me, I'm Sailor Mars!"

"I know that NOW!" she shot back defensively. Then she reluctantly leaned back again, and when Rei didn't shove her away her face settled on Rei's shoulder. "But like, the first time I saw you at the shrine… you were so beautiful and glamorous looking, and kind of… I dunno, elegant, but fierce? A little bit taller than me, even though you only had zori on and I was wearing shoes with actual heels… and I felt my heart beating faster, my head lighter, and I thought, 'Wow, she's so perfect. She has to be Princess Serenity.' Pretty dumb now, I guess."

"Perfect?" Rei couldn't help whispering. She didn't know what else to say other than asking about that.

"Sure. I mean, have you seen you?" Usagi's tone was clearly matter-of-fact, as if anyone looking at Rei would think the same thing.

"Y-you're right, that is dumb. By now you know I'm anything but perfect. All I do is keep being mean to you. Maybe you're kind of lazy and forgetful, but you're obviously trying your best, and I just…"

When the sentence was never finished, Usagi's face turned slightly to look up at her. Then she drew back in alarm. "Rei? Rei, what's wrong, what happened?"

"I d-don't know," she sniffled quietly, not sure why she was crying now, either. "Sorry. But what you said was so sweet! I can't believe you… really…."

"Hey, I didn't say it to be 'sweet'," she gushed ahead nervously, waving both of her hands. And she only continued to talk faster and faster. "It was just a thought in my brain! Like, you're really pretty, in a super glamorous, classic Japanese way, you have- like your hair is always so shiny, and even in a miko outfit with no makeup or anything y-you're way cuter than most of the girls I know! Or maybe it was the outfit that made me think you were the princess; like, I don't see any women wearing stuff besides normal boring clothes often, a-at least I didn't before I became Sailor Moon — and even that outfit is just a sailor fuku with-"

It was the stupidest thing she could have done. Rei only meant to shut Usagi up, but for some reason, with her arms underwater the way they were and Usagi so close, it seemed like it would take more effort to bring them up out of the water to push a hand over her mouth. Also, she was too flattered and dumbstruck to put into words the reason she wanted Usagi to be quiet, and her usual tactic of just shouting "SHUT UP, MORON!" would have been in poor taste after she had just got done reminding herself to be nicer to her teammate, especially when she was being so nice herself.

So those were the reasons, strange as they were, that Rei kissed her.

And it worked. Obviously, having a mouth pressing into hers cut off anything else Usagi had been about to say. There were a few "MMPH!" noises before she relaxed into the contact, and the lips kneaded each other until the consequences of her actions began to catch up to Rei and she drew away, eyes wide as saucers and chest heaving with adrenaline.

Even as she watched Usagi's hand slowly raise up to touch her bottom lip in amazement, she heard a chorus of "UWAAA?!" floating up from the shocked ladies in the nearby bath. They began muttering shortly afterward, and then one of them said "yuri", which made Rei's face began to glow like a stoplight.

"R-Rei, you… I don't… what?"

"Shhhh!" she hissed, crossing her arms over her chest and turning to look away. "That wasn't a… that w-was only supposed to get you to stop babbling so much! I didn't know what else to do!"

"You kissed me. Oh my God, whoa, what…. It was so soft…"

"It was?" Quickly shaking out her head, she ducked it down lower until her chin was slightly under the surface. "Shut up! Seriously, w-we shouldn't talk about it! Ever!"

"It really does taste like lemon!"

Rolling her eyes, she rolled a little further away, trying to ignore both Usagi and the other ladies who wouldn't stop whispering and pointing at them. "You sound like a primary schooler."

"But why would you do that? Like… you were crying, and I was just talking like a weirdo, so I don't get it. That came out of nowhere!" Then Usagi's voice took on a teasing tone, which immediately made Rei's stomach drop clear to the bottom of the tub. "Or did it? Have you been thinking about that for longer than just today?"

"Usagi, enough! It was one kiss, no big deal! Don't they say most girls go through a phase? 'Class S' or whatever?!"

"Oh, so now you're saying you have a crush on me for real?" she kept teasing. But as Rei stewed, Usagi slid her arms around Rei's middle — and trying to pretend she didn't feel a pleasant thrill shoot into the pit of her stomach wasn't easy. "It's okay, don't fight it. Just show me that big rainbow heart of yours, PRINCESS REI!"

"Do you want to die by drowning in a sento, Bun-head? Is that really how you want to be remembered?!"

Usagi was still giggling when they heard a very loud clearing of a throat somewhere above them. They both slowly craned their faces upward to see the attendant of the baths with her arms folded over her chest, steam-coated glasses glaring daggers downward. She didn't seem to find the situation nearly so amusing.

                                                          ~ o ~

And that was the story of how Rei Hino and Usagi Tsukino got thrown out of a bathhouse and asked never to return. At least neither one 'lost' so nobody had to pay for the other's ice cream.

"I'll never tell another soul," Usagi was promising her as they walked back to the temple. "Even if I might tease you when it's just us, like… that's different."

"Thank you," she sighed, feeling oddly both refreshed and completely drained. "Especially not grandpa or Ami — or Luna! Like, no thank you, I don't need to spend the rest of my life explaining that!" When she felt an arm sliding through hers, she bristled. "Usa…"

"I want to be escorted by my beautiful, blushing princess," she whispered. Said blush worsened a lot. "I mean, maybe you're no Tuxedo Mask, but I could do worse."

"Do you want another kiss? Are you angling for that?"

"Maybe."

Rei stopped dead, turning to stare down at her as the breeze ruffled clean clothes around clean bodies. It felt chilly, even though it wasn't a very chilly time of year. "I'll really do it. Don't be an idiot if you don't want another kiss for real."

"Bet you won't." It was somehow even more thrilling because Usagi was teasing her so much, when normally by now she would have backed down or started whining about something. "Bet you that ice cream that you're all talk."

"Oh yeah?!" Once she had grabbed Usagi by the shoulders and pulled her in close, she hesitated. "Um…"

"Rei… oh my God…" But Usagi didn't complain further or try to push her away. When Rei bit her lip and swallowed hard, she whispered, "You don't have to. I'll buy the ice cream. Really, I mean it."

Forcing herself to breathe, she whispered, "Maybe I want to. Did you ever think of that? Did you…" Licking her lips, she leaned closer, "Just to see. Just to find out if I liked it, or if it was the steam going to my head."

After a moment of her own indecision, Usagi breathed, "Sure. If… it'll help…"

That was all the prompting Rei needed. This time, it was a lot slower, more real, and she was stunned by how sweet and perfect the moment became the longer it went on. While it didn't exactly taste like lemon, Usagi's mouth was so open to her, and soft and vulnerable, and she couldn't believe she was being allowed to try it out like this with little-to-no strings attached. The hands that slipped around her waist made her squeak into the mouth, but that only opened her up to a hesitant, curious tongue, which she surprised herself by welcoming inward right away.

Usagi was frenching her. In the street, in front of everyone! And she didn't care. Well, that wasn't true; she cared a LOT but she was too swept up in the novelty, the desire to explore this, to let anything else stop her at the moment. She saw something move out of the corner of her eye…

Once they broke apart, breathing hard and trying to ignore the clapping of a group of high school boys who had witnessed their moment, Rei pushed her hand to her mouth for a long few seconds. Then she finally whispered, "Your foot popped."

"Huh? Popped, wha… what? Oh wow, you're such a good kisser…"

"Mmm, yeah, you too. I m-mean- well, not like I have anything to compare it to…" Then she cleared her throat and put her hands in the small of her back shyly as they started walking again. "But during the kiss, I saw your foot pop up as you leaned in. It was really cute."

"I did?! And it was cute? Oh wow, it- like, I was so focused on your mouth that I didn't notice-" A little squeak floated out as she remembered. "Your tongue! I know what your tongue feels like, holy moonbeams!"

"Shut up already, don't say that so loud! Everybody already saw us!" Both of their faces were glowing red, so it barely mattered that Usagi took her arm again. This soon — minutes after they first kissed, that was beginning to feel normal, which she was fairly certain was anything but normal. "Usagi… do you think this is only a Class S thing, a phase, or are we really…?"

The blonde's shoulders rose and fell as she laid her head on Rei's shoulder. "Who cares? Let's just… go with it for now. I got to kiss my princess; it's like a fairy tale."

Though she wanted to protest, to demand Usagi stop calling her that or move away so they would be less conspicuous, she wound up putting her own hand on the one poking through her arm, her heart fluttering when she felt the little blonde cling right back. "Fine, granola bar brain. Just don't forget that so-called 'magical' first kiss was while we were totally naked."

Rei's plan to take the wind out of Usagi's sails backfired drastically. That thought helped neither of them stop blushing the entire way home.

                                                          THE END

                                                                 [Next: Naru!]