Usagi sits hunched over a table in a small restaurant, looking a bit uncharacteristically mopey in front of an alarming number of empty soft-drink glasses. She's been here awhile
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'Minako' is on one of her rare trips to earth where she's not there for battle. Instead, she's there for a simple necessity; food. So it's not too much of a surprise when she walks into a restaurant and her princess is there. She does, however, immediately straighten up, her posture becoming more formal, strict, straightening her clothes as she tries to decide whether or not to approach. She doesn't want to interrupt her or taint her with her presence, but- part of her still longs to be close to her princess.
Eeps. She's been spotted. And, as usual, her princess is far too forgiving and naive. Her back straight, she moves slowly over to the table, standing just before it and halting.
"Usagi-sama." There's a tense, small smile here. "It's good to see you."
"Usagi-sama? You're being way too formal, Minako-chan. It's a little weird." Usagi puzzles over this for a moment before quickly motioning to the booth bench across from her.
She's still stiff as she takes a seat almost reluctantly; she can't disobey a request from her princess, after all. She's not looking at Usagi, instead her gaze directed down at the table, so she doesn't see or notice the different locket. Maybe if she did, she'd begin to realize that this isn't her princess, but for now...
"Thank you, Usagi-sama." Nope, sorry. Not losing the formal honorific.
"It's just Usagi-chan. Usagi-chan, OK?" She smiles, but she can't keep it up for long.
"Hey, Minako-chan, what's wrong?" That way she's sitting there without looking up, that way she's avoiding looking at her, that way she seems to really hate being around her and yet that way she seems so sad.
The concerned tone of voice makes her wince. She should be acting cheerful, instead of dragging Usagi down with her. It's so hard though, knowing all the pain she'd already put the other girl through, and knowing that the others are still trapped. Swallowing though, she struggles forward, trying to put on the brightest smile she can. Maybe it'll even look real.
"Right. Nothing's wrong. I was just coming to eat."
"Right! Let's have crepes and parfaits!" Yep, food does the trick. Usagi's smiling again, and rather eagerly looking forward to that prospect.
Still... She's sure she didn't imagine it, right? Minako-chan really looked sad. Maybe she can think of the right thing to say as they get their desserts.
Smilesmilesmilesmilesmile! See, all happy here! Not a hint of the true guilt she feels at tainting Usagi with her own dirty presence, at forcing herself upon the sweet, innocent girl that is her princess.
"Sure, Usagi-s-" Cut off! She can't bring herself to address Usagi so informally, but it's obvious that using that respectful honorific is only hurting her. "Eh heh. Yeah, that sounds great!"
"Minako-chan..." Usagi asks out of the corner of her mouth, "That was starting to be another '-sama', wasn't it?"
She laughs then, entirely as forced as Minako's, "I'm not really that great, you know. I'm lazy, I don't get good marks, I'm clumsy, I'm not good at cooking and I can't talk to Mamo-chan about the hard things he studies."
She's really, really trying to put Minako at her ease here.
"So don't worry about that. Or..." She becomes a bit more serious, but not sad quite yet. "Is it because I'm the princess? We talked about that already. You're my friend, too." She can remember Minako telling her it wasn't because of being the princess, it was because she felt ease with her.
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"Minako-chan! Over here!" She beams a huge smile at the other girl, oblivious to any of the tensions 'Minako' believes should be between them.
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"Usagi-sama." There's a tense, small smile here. "It's good to see you."
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"Sit down, sit down! Go ahead!"
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"Thank you, Usagi-sama." Nope, sorry. Not losing the formal honorific.
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"Hey, Minako-chan, what's wrong?" That way she's sitting there without looking up, that way she's avoiding looking at her, that way she seems to really hate being around her and yet that way she seems so sad.
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"Right. Nothing's wrong. I was just coming to eat."
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Still... She's sure she didn't imagine it, right? Minako-chan really looked sad. Maybe she can think of the right thing to say as they get their desserts.
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"Sure, Usagi-s-" Cut off! She can't bring herself to address Usagi so informally, but it's obvious that using that respectful honorific is only hurting her. "Eh heh. Yeah, that sounds great!"
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She laughs then, entirely as forced as Minako's, "I'm not really that great, you know. I'm lazy, I don't get good marks, I'm clumsy, I'm not good at cooking and I can't talk to Mamo-chan about the hard things he studies."
She's really, really trying to put Minako at her ease here.
"So don't worry about that. Or..." She becomes a bit more serious, but not sad quite yet. "Is it because I'm the princess? We talked about that already. You're my friend, too." She can remember Minako telling her it wasn't because of being the princess, it was because she felt ease with her.
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