549/Possible Sleepover Situation

Possible Sleepover Situation
Date of Scene:	08 November 2015
Location:	Plot Room #2
Synopsis:	Ami is downcast, and Usagi tries to cheer her up.
Cast of Characters:	Ami Mizuno, Usagi Tsukino

---

Ami Mizuno has posed:
Saturday. School is out, and there's at least thirty six hours before students will be expected to return to that hellish place. Freedom! At least, that's what some students may declare the latter half of Saturday.

Unfortunately for Usagi, right as her 'freedom' is kicking off, she gets a phone call from Ami Mizuno. Okay maybe that's not so unfortunmate, but the taught tone in Ami's voice--is she crying?!--is the unfortunate part. "Usagi-chan, c-c-can you come over? I don't know what just happened and I think ... I don't ... Please?" There's car noises in the background. Is that a bus?

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Usagi, as always with after school on Saturdays, is full of happy hums and sunshine. Freedom! Let's see, the arcade, naps, food, naps, manga, naps, bumping into Mamo-chan, naps--

Her daydreaming of the POSSIBILITIES is interupted by the ringing of her phone.

"Hellooooo~!" She's cheerful because SATURDAY!

And it's Ami-chan, so CHEERFUL!

But it's an Ami-chan who isn't cheerful, and this right away is like a bucket of cold water on Usagi.

WHO DOES SHE NEED TO ESCALATE THE HEALS TO?!

"Of course, Ami-chan!" She tries to think if she made plans with Mamo-chan. She'll sent him a text to reschedule just in case.

Usagi hums in thought, keeping it light enough so Ami doesn't worry she's interupting plans, but not too light to where Ami-chan thinks she's being aloof. "Is this a casual hangout or a sleep over situation? A sleep over and b-movies situation? OR!!"

Dramatic pause.

"A sleepover, b-rated, ICE CREAM situation?"

Ami Mizuno has posed:
Usagi's constant cheerfulness and willingness to barge straight to the extremes draws half a chortle of amusement out of Ami, despite the girl's obvious downcast mood. "Oh, Usagi-chan," she says, then sniffles a little. "I love you so much. I think ... I think it might be the last. I'm probably ruining your plans with Mamoru, but ... I'm sorry. I'm sorry. If you do have plans, I'll just... I'll be okay. But I hope you can come."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"What? Psh psh psh. Plans? Psh psh psh." Then there's a small grunt. "Eh, I can't remember anyway. I'll text him just in case."

But still. That last one is like...a Holy 'Poop Has Hit The Fan And I Need Cuddles' Call. Her voice is serious for a moment. "I'm going home to change and pack and I'll be right over."

And then she's cheerful again, skipping her way home.

"What flavor do you want? Any specific B-Genre? Or has this escalated to Disney Princess movies?"

Her voice changed pitch, goes into a stage whisper. "I can bring Tangled, Ami-chan~!"

Ami Mizuno has posed:
"... I haven't seen Tangled," Ami admits to Usagi with a faint sniffle. "I do like Disney Princess movies. Can ... you bring some of those? I'll see you in a few. You're the best, Usagi-chan. Really," she says.

By the time Usagi arrives, Ami has managed to finish her own trip home and changed into something more comfortable: a frumpy blue sweatshirt with Dopey Dwarf on it, and a pair of black leggings. She's barefoot, padding around her house without even house shoes on. And she has a tissue in her hand, and red puffy eyes. Yep, she really has been crying. Almost immediately, she leans out of the door to put her arms around Usagi, clinging to the blonde for dear life.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Ami-chan is off the phone. Usagi hits Spead Dial number Two (Mama would be sad if she wasn't one!) and waits.

Ring. Ring. Answer! "Hey! I couldn't remember if we had scheduled something. Ami-chan is in need of a Disney Movie Marathon and some ice cream, so...I'm gonna go cuddle her. Can we rain check?"

"Aww, Ami-chan. Of course! I've got a lot of work to do on this project anyway."

Usagi gives a wistful sigh. She wishes she can see him being all creative and projecty! But later!

"Okay! If you need some...thing...that I know about that you're like 'eh maybe' just let me know?" Which is HIGHLY unlikely!

And then, her cheeks warm. And her voice becomes very affectionate. And a bit shy. "And. Um. Thank you. For...you know."

"Some... thing?" Mamoru asks blankly. "Okay... " He pauses, and then the smile's in his voice. "You're exceptionally welcome. I'd say 'anytime' but I might get caught."

There's a peel of giggles from Usagi. "I'm not sure which would be worse. Makoto catching you, or Papa."

She sighs, feeling warm and gooshy and squee.

"Okay, I should go. If I don't hang up now, I'll end up over at her place at midnight and you'll be up until dawn working on this. Take care, okay? Text me if you get bored."

"Okay! Have fun. And, Usa-- if you have nightmares again, you can always, always call me."

"You, too, okay? Remember~! You may catch me saying silly stuff~! Always amusing~!" Another sigh. And then, probably after a few more (dozen) goodbyes, she hangs up because oh look, there's her house. And Papa's car.

~*~*~*~

Usagi comes dressed to sleep. Well, not so much sleep. Just...pyjamas. But her pyjama top is instead a t-shirt from the concert she...stopped? Helped? Something! It reads 'IN SOVIET TOKYO THE FOUNDATION ROCKS YOU!'

Her legs are covered in bunnies and flannel.

She has a bag of ice cream (cookie dough! mint chocolate chip! A few others!) and a bag of movies.

Before Ami-chan can say anything, Usagi is in a spiel about her movie selections.

"Okay, so I didn't bring anything pre Disney Renaisance, because I'm not teh biggest Cinderella fan. But we have The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin (okay, he's not a princess, but Jasmin is!), even Mulan. But! We have to watch Tangled first please please please! And oh, have you seen Frozen? It does well in demonstrating a strong sisterly bond, even if it was believed to be weak but wasn't. While I don't believe it's as good as the hype, and there's some flaws in the story line and delivery, it's still a decent film and the characters have depth. BUT NOT AS MUCH AS TANGLED!"

She's setting the movies on the coffee table and goes into the Mizuno Kitchen to fish spoons out of a drawer. And then she's back in front of Ami-chan, movies momentariness forgotten.

"Okay. Whose butt do I need to kick, and/or, how many hugs do you need?"

Ami Mizuno has posed:
Ami watches in fascination as Usagi marches through the house, laying out movies and ice creams like it's a ritual. After a moment, she closes the door, then pads after Usagi, only to stop when the girl comes back to her.

Ami lets out a brief giggle at Usagi, then wraps her arms around the blonde again. "Just my butt," she says faintly. "I screwed up. Or maybe I screwed up a week ago and now I'm paying the price. Or maybe I didn't screw up. I don't even know. We can watch whatever you want first. I'm just so glad you're here."

She lets Usagi go, then goes to fetch bowls for ice cream.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Usagi is happy to return the hug. And she does, a happy hum and all warmth.

"Okay."

When Ami-chan comes back with bowls, she gently nudges Ami-chan's rear end with her toes. "Kick! Kick!"

While Ami deals with ice cream, Usagi works the media center. Oh my gosh this movie will be amazing on this...

She turns to Ami as the bluray starts up and then there's a tower and a menu.

"Okay, you remember the drill. The moment you want to talk, you say pause, we pause. Or, if you forget and start talking, it's okay, I'll pause anyway!"

She then fans out the other bluray covers.

"And we have many movies, in case you don't want to talk right away."

Ami Mizuno has posed:
Ami smiles as Usagi kicks her butt gently, then finishes dishing out ice cream for them both. She offers Usagi her bowl, then takes a seat on the floor (where she's already piled blankets and pillows) in front of the television. "Yeah. I just ..." she trails off, then nods to Usagi and puts ice cream to mouth.

And for nearly the first twenty minutes of the movie she really has nothing at all to say. It's not until Rappunzel gets Flynn tied up to a chair that she finally reaches for the remote and says, "Pause." Right in the smoulder, too! Ami takes a deep breath, then says, "I told Daisuke I don't think there should be an 'us' anymore, whatever 'us' was. I didn't mean to. I didn't ... want that. But ... I panicked. And I was so confused and upset."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Ooooo. The Smolder. He looks totally goofy and adorakable and--

Ami calls out for a pause, and Usagi is all Serious Business now. She turns to ignore the television.

As she listens, her eyes widen with sympathy, and then Ami finds herself in another hug.

"Oh, Ami-chan." Much petting of hair. "I hope my huehues didn't play a part..."

Usagi leans back, hands grasping Ami's. "Tell me?"

Ami Mizuno has posed:
"Huehu--" Ami starts, then blinks in surprise, "No, no, Usagi-chan, it's not you, it's me. I don't even ..." she tries to explain, then takes a deep breath and sighs. "Last weekend, when we first met him, I wound up not doing my homework until really late Sunday night. I almost didn't get it done in time before bed!" This is probably standard operating procedure for Usagi, but for Ami it's tantamount to alien mind control. "And then last Sunday, at my chess tournament, I got second place!" Oh the horrors! "And ... then before the dance ..." she sighs, then says, "I just wanted to understand what was happening between us. And I went to talk to him about it. And ... instead of talking to me as my friend, he instead tried to like ... diagnose me as if he were my doctor. And I got so mad and upset and I just ... I blew it."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Usagi nods as Ami tells her story, eyes widening at the homework and chess (because she knows this is not Standard Ami Procedure!) but that's it aside from the nodding.

And then suddenly, she herself is diagnosing Daisuke with a condition her mother told her about.

"Hmmm, yes. Sounds like he has a case of...Stupid Boy Brain."

She realizes how this sounds, and she lets Ami's hands go to wave her own.

"I don't mean it as an insulting bad thing, promise! Mama often accuses Papa of it! Like."

Usagi hums in though.

"Okay, sometimes Mama tells Papa a problem she has, and he tries to get all...fixy on it. Mama gets mad, Papa sleeps on the couch, and finally Mama goes," Her voice raises in pitch a bit, mimicking her mother. Not very well, either! "'Dammit, Kenji, I don't need you to analyze me like a f..rikkin story! I just need to vent!'" Goodness! A dammit was bad enough, but she almost let another, much worse, word slip!

Usagi sighs and shrugs. "And...it's new. It's okay to be scared. You're not used to...things. And stuff."

Ami Mizuno has posed:
Ami's eyes widen at Usagi's comparison, but she waves her hands in disagreeal almost right away. "But we're not married!" she protests hastily. Nor does she want to marry Daisuke. Does she? No, definitely not now. Probably (maybe?) not ever.

"I mean, that story sounds about like what happened," Ami says thoughtfully, "but he's not even my boyfriend, so it's not like I have any right to get mad at him for treating me that way. But I really am scared, Usagi. I don't know why I let him distract me. It nearly got me killed. And I don't know if I like the way he makes me feel."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Usagi is...hurting for her friend. Ami-chan always wants to be in control, at least academically. (Usagi has the reigns on social control, though she tries hard to keep in mind Ami's more introvertedness! Though sometimes she fails miserably at it.)

Usagi sighs again, and shrugs. Again.

"I think...sometimes we need...distraction. Sometimes it makes us stronger." She knows her own 'distraction' did that for her...

She sighs. AGAIN. But instead of shrugging, she leans back against the couch and pulls Ami in for a cuddle. "But it's okay, though. If you aren't ready to be distracted. Or if you only want to be...um, do you have a fancy smart word for a little bit distracted?"

Ami Mizuno has posed:
"Distracted is the 'little bit' word," Ami says, putting her head on Usagi's shoulder. "I still don't even know why he distracts me, though, and I'm worried that even not seeing him won't help. He's no different from Mamoru for me. Just some random boy that gives me periodic feelings of deja-vu. Why is he distracting me so much? I don't ... know why I keep thinking about him at the most inopportune times."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Now she's blushing, and she shifts a bit because Mamoru.

Heh! Heh heh!

She listens, though, and while she's not sure how deep it goes, it sounds...familiar.

Well. Time to come clean.

Well. Partly.

Deep breath in through the nose.

Slow Exhale.

"Ami-chan. I've been keeping something from you."

Inhale. Exhale. Red cheeks.

"And I'm only telling you this because I think it's the same thing you have. I..."

Wow this is hard.

"I have a crush on somebody. And I think you have a crush on Daisu-kun."

Ami Mizuno has posed:
Ami blinks at Usagi's admission of keeping something, then leans away to curiously peer at her friend. "Keeping something from me?" she asks curiously, eyeing Usagi's red cheeks with concern.

And then she admits to her crush, and Ami's blue eyes widen as far as a girl's eyes could possibly go. And then maybe a little wider. "U---usagi-chan," she says, blushing herself. "I know you like Mamoru Chiba, but .. b-b-b-b-but I don't think I could possibly have a crush on Daisuke!" Could she!~?

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Usagi's eyes widen. "WHAT?! MAMORU?! HOW! MAMO-WHAT?! WE'RE SO GOOD AT HIDING IT! WHAT?!?!"

How did Ami-chan DO that?!

Oops, she said 'we're.'

Maybe Ami-chan won't notice.

(She really hopes that maybe no one will notice a lot in regards to Mamoru!)

Then she is shaking her head hard, cheeks still pink.

THIS IS ABOUT AMI-CHAN!

"Do you feel fluttery in your chest? Doodle his name in your notebook (NOT THAT I DO THAT AHAHAHAHAHA)? Feel...floaty?"

Ami Mizuno has posed:
Ami just flatly eyes Usagi as she tries to deny everything, but waits patiently for the blonde to get over it. Once they've moved past that, her wide-eyed look returns. "N--no!" she protests, ssticking out her chin. But really, she has to admit to herself, "I did sorta try placing the UTF-8 representations of the kanji for his name on a prime magic square to see if it looked neat, though," she admits with a frown. "I can't be crushing on him, Usagi. I just ..." she trails off, then blushes. "Is this what a crush feels like?"

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Usagi blinks and just stares at her friend for a moment. What on a what square?

Almost in awe, she strokes Ami's hair. "Ami-chan, you're a beautiful, beautiful nerd and I love your brain."

And then she shakes herself. "I...think so? I mean, I've only really had the one. And it's more like...I'm smooshed flat like a pancake rather than just...crushed?"

She shakes herself again. "You don't have to figure it out right now. You can take time. Sort out your feelings."

She's petting Ami's hair again, but for a more soothing reason this time. "And if you think you didn't really say things right to him, you can. Maybe take your ridiculously beautiful handwriting and hand him a letter so your brain isn't all mush?"

Ami Mizuno has posed:
A letter. That is a wonderful idea that could not possibly go wrong. Yes, definitely a wonderful idea. Ami sighs just faintly and settles in against Usagi, closing her eyes for a moment as she appreciates the soothing feel of Usagi's hand brushing her hair. "Usagi-chan," she notes quietly, "why are you so smart?"

Reaching for the remote, Ami puts the movie back on. Let the smoulder cont--oh man, she hit him with a frying pan! "That had to hurt," she notes with a snicker.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
She preens a bit, because she's called smart. "Ask me when Rei's around? I may have an answer then."

The rest of the movie is, of course, full of sighs and heart eyes and all that jazz.

Then the stab happens, and she's tense throughout the rest of the movie.

She may even be heavily focused on the throw pillow she's stolen from the couch sometime before.

Bad dreams are bad.

She should have expected this. Heh.

Ami Mizuno has posed:
Ami blinks in surprise as Usagi clutches the pillow quite so tightly, then turns to glance at her friend. She doesn't say anything straight away. Instead, she wraps her arms around Usagi and hugs her tight, comforting the girl until the movie's over. When the credits roll, she asks, "You okay?"

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Usagi just picks at the pillow. Well, for a little.

Then, she flashes Ami a reassuring (poorly so) smile before flicking the seam. "Do you dream about...back then? You know. Before. I do, you know. I don't usually remember it at all, but there's flashes." Another grin. "You're there a lot."

She hums a bit. "I watched him die, you know. Or, felt, or, well. I was there. I didn't know that until last night you know?"

Ami Mizuno has posed:
Ami continues to hug Usagi through her explanation, tilting her head just faintly. "I don't," Ami says with a faint shake of her head. "I mean, we were all there, I know. But I don't really know what happened back then. I barely understand it, much as it frustrates me. But you ... had a dream of it?" She considers this for a long moment, then hugs Usagi close. "What happened?"

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
She shrugs. "He just...was killed. Protecting...someone. And there was this snap. Thing. And he was gone." She rubs her temple as she leans against Ami. "Why was I there? Gah, I don't know."

She sighs, long and deep.

"I called Mamoru." Technically true, but without a cell phone... She gives a brief, gurgle of a giggle. "I'm surprised he understood what I said, but I guess he did. He calmed me down. After I, you know, all but threatened to kill him if he did that this time around."

She left out the part where he'd actually come to her house.

How how there were smooches under a tree.

And, well, he made for a darn good pillow.

Ami Mizuno has posed:
Ami kisses Usagi's cheek gently, then disentangles from the hug to wander towards the staircase. "Be right back," she says, then takes the stairs two at a time up to her bedroom. A moment later, she returns with a notepad and a pen, and offers them to Usagi. "I know you hate this stuff, but could you write the dream down when you get a chance? Every detail you can remember. Even if it's not much. I think trying to figure out what happened back then will help us to avoid repeating it, now. I think ..." she trails off, then sighs and flops down next to Usagi. "I think we're meant to stop it this time, Usagi-chan. We're supposed to fix everything. And I think your dream was probably not a dream, but a memory. And that we need to figure it out."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Usagi raises her eyebrows when Ami is back. "Homework?" Whine. "But Ami-chan, it's not Monday morning."

She takes the notepad anyway.

"I suppose I could try. I mean, I sort of honed in on the Cheer Up Ami Disney Marathon of...November."

She sighs and leeeeeans against Ami.

"Even if we're not meant to, I'd still save him."

She nods firmly.

"But first. Wanna watch Mulan? Only one person dies in it, and he's a badguy."

Ami Mizuno has posed:
"I would, too," Ami agrees with Usagi quietly, squeezing her friend's shoulders gently. She smiles, then looks to the television thoughtfully. "Sure, that sounds like a great idea," she agrees.