[Earth]
Natsuko chats with her friend as they walk to their next class together, "...And then he said, 'I don't care what your mother thinks. You're the only one for me.'"
Her friend giggles and smirks. "You wish!"
"It really happened!!" Natsuko insists, turning red.
Construction equipment clanks obnoxiously outside, working on a set of new condos near the Infinity College school. It's been pretty constant for the past few months, since before school started for the year.
Rain starts up again, and there's a shout and commotion from the construction crew out there. Natsuko's friend turns reflexively.
"Hey," she says, "...isn't that Hotaru?"
Natsuko turns to stare with her friend as Tomoe Hotaru walks towards them, wearing her winter school uniform and holding her schoolbag in one hand. Her head is slightly hung, as if she has much on her mind. Her violet eyes are fixed ahead dully.
Natsuko's friend frowns, "Is she leaving early again?"
Natsuko draws her lips into a line of disdain, "She's pitiful, isn't she? She wears long sleeves and tights the whole year round."
The friend immediately makes a noise of agreement, "She's kind of creepy."
"...She always has that gloomy expression."
They stare, talking about her within earshot as if she doesn't hear them. For all they can tell she really doesn't. She keeps staring at nothing in particular with a dull gaze, coming closer to where they stand.
"Everyone says she's weird."
"Of course she is," Natsuko moves to intercept Hotaru's path, "Her dad is that strange Professor."
"Oh." Her friend's lips also curl in mildly concealed disgust. She follows after Natsuko. "Does she have any friends?" she asks - as she does so, Hotaru collapses to her knees, dropping her bag. When the briefcase-like bookbag hits the floor, its contents spill out, including a pencil case, which clatters on the hard linoleum and proceeds in turn to open and spill pencils, a ruler and erasers.
She struggles to breathe, supporting herself upright with one arm as the girls approach. They stand over her, glaring coldly as she sways from side to side on the floor. Hotaru's other hand reaches weakly for her things, collecting them in a little heap. She begins to reach for the pencil case, and Natsuko's shoe comes down on it, hard. It puts a triangular dent in the metal with a loud clunk.
Natsuko smiles and folds her bare arms as the other girl giggles.
"Oh, I'm so sorry, Hotaru."
Her friend joins in still giggling, "Shall we help you pick them up?"
Hotaru holds her breath, rigid, and doesn't speak. Slowly, she relaxes, and exhales. She is silent and unmoving - her face shadowed by her hair as she leans forward on her arms.
Natsuko tries again, "Hotaru?"
Hotaru reaches for the case, closed, and picks it up.
When she looks up, she is glowering at them with a cold glint in her eyes.
She crushes the pencil case in her bare hand. It crunches loudly.
They both gasp and jerk back, shocked. Hotaru collects the rest of her things quietly, breathing normally now, and stands.
"W-what the-" Natsuko breathes out, watching Hotaru turn and walk away. "She crushed that metal pen case?!
"I've never seen her glare like that..."
It's like she was a different person?!
Hotaru gets on the elevator with the same blank expression and pushes a button. She keeps her gaze directed downwards, and the doors close behind her.
[Taken directly in parts from "Sailor Moon: Volume 8." Copyright Naoko Takeuchi and Mixx Entertainment, Inc. All rights reserved; I make no profit from this reproduction.]
Her friend giggles and smirks. "You wish!"
"It really happened!!" Natsuko insists, turning red.
Construction equipment clanks obnoxiously outside, working on a set of new condos near the Infinity College school. It's been pretty constant for the past few months, since before school started for the year.
Rain starts up again, and there's a shout and commotion from the construction crew out there. Natsuko's friend turns reflexively.
"Hey," she says, "...isn't that Hotaru?"
Natsuko turns to stare with her friend as Tomoe Hotaru walks towards them, wearing her winter school uniform and holding her schoolbag in one hand. Her head is slightly hung, as if she has much on her mind. Her violet eyes are fixed ahead dully.
Natsuko's friend frowns, "Is she leaving early again?"
Natsuko draws her lips into a line of disdain, "She's pitiful, isn't she? She wears long sleeves and tights the whole year round."
The friend immediately makes a noise of agreement, "She's kind of creepy."
"...She always has that gloomy expression."
They stare, talking about her within earshot as if she doesn't hear them. For all they can tell she really doesn't. She keeps staring at nothing in particular with a dull gaze, coming closer to where they stand.
"Everyone says she's weird."
"Of course she is," Natsuko moves to intercept Hotaru's path, "Her dad is that strange Professor."
"Oh." Her friend's lips also curl in mildly concealed disgust. She follows after Natsuko. "Does she have any friends?" she asks - as she does so, Hotaru collapses to her knees, dropping her bag. When the briefcase-like bookbag hits the floor, its contents spill out, including a pencil case, which clatters on the hard linoleum and proceeds in turn to open and spill pencils, a ruler and erasers.
She struggles to breathe, supporting herself upright with one arm as the girls approach. They stand over her, glaring coldly as she sways from side to side on the floor. Hotaru's other hand reaches weakly for her things, collecting them in a little heap. She begins to reach for the pencil case, and Natsuko's shoe comes down on it, hard. It puts a triangular dent in the metal with a loud clunk.
Natsuko smiles and folds her bare arms as the other girl giggles.
"Oh, I'm so sorry, Hotaru."
Her friend joins in still giggling, "Shall we help you pick them up?"
Hotaru holds her breath, rigid, and doesn't speak. Slowly, she relaxes, and exhales. She is silent and unmoving - her face shadowed by her hair as she leans forward on her arms.
Natsuko tries again, "Hotaru?"
Hotaru reaches for the case, closed, and picks it up.
When she looks up, she is glowering at them with a cold glint in her eyes.
She crushes the pencil case in her bare hand. It crunches loudly.
They both gasp and jerk back, shocked. Hotaru collects the rest of her things quietly, breathing normally now, and stands.
"W-what the-" Natsuko breathes out, watching Hotaru turn and walk away. "She crushed that metal pen case?!
"I've never seen her glare like that..."
It's like she was a different person?!
Hotaru gets on the elevator with the same blank expression and pushes a button. She keeps her gaze directed downwards, and the doors close behind her.
[Taken directly in parts from "Sailor Moon: Volume 8." Copyright Naoko Takeuchi and Mixx Entertainment, Inc. All rights reserved; I make no profit from this reproduction.]