156/Revealed! The truth of Naota and Naoko!

Revealed! The truth of Naota and Naoko!
Date of Scene:	10 July 2015
Location:	Uminari City - Juuban Avenue - South
Synopsis:	Naota and Naoko... one and the same?!
Cast of Characters:	Makoto Kino, Usagi Tsukino, Naota Uneme

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Naota Uneme has posed:
It's late afternoon in Uminari city. Not Naota's usual stomping grounds, which is, in fact the point: Naoko wanted to make sure that nobody she ran into this time would go to her school, much less know her. This has to be far enough, right? The girl is window-shopping at the moment, wearing a pink short-sleeved blouse and a pair of white overalls (purchased online in a state of utter paranoia). She wonders if she'll be able to work up the courage to actually step into this store, as opposed to all the others she's walked past.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Naoko isn't the only one! Usagi Tsukino, for once not in detention, is out and about window shopping with a certain friend of hers!

"Maaaaako-chan! Let's go into this one! Look, that dress is just so pretty! You'd look great in it!" Comes the middle schoolers as she attempts to drag Makoto over towards the shop Naoko is currently window shopping at! Not that it'd be hard to resist!

She giggles a bit as she spies Naoko!

"Oooh, that one's pretty too! Are you shopping for dresses too?" Comes Usagi to the other girl. For all her faults, shyness is /not/ one of her traits.

Makoto Kino has posed:
Makoto does not require much dragging. She follows along where Usagi pulls her, laughing cheerfully. "It is pretty," she agrees, "but I wonder if they'd carry it in my size." Ah, the eternal struggle of an unusually tall girl in Japan.

Her eyes settle merrily on Naoko a moment after Usagi has noticed her, and Mako offers a friendly smile tinged with a faint sense of indulgence at her friend's antics. "This shop is a good choice," she observes. "They have a lot of cute things."

A moment later, her head tilts thoughtfully. Something about this girl looks familiar, maybe.

Naota Uneme has posed:
Naoko squeaks! "Oh! H-hi, Tsukino-senpai! Kin-" She manages to stop herself before she says Makoto's name, which of course she doesn't know! They've never met, after all. "Y-yes, I'm out shopping! I don't know if I'm going to get anything, though." She laughs nervously. "Who's your friend?"

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Makoto's words only egg Usagi on!

"Yaaay, let's go! I'm sure we can find something! Or have Ami-chan find us a tailor!" Usagi may sometimes be less of an airhead than one might think. She has her moments of clarity.

Recognition dawns! "Naoko-san! I'm sorry, I didn't recognize you. This is Makoto-chan! The best cook in Tokyo!" She laughs a little here, before grabbing both Naoko's and Makoto's arms again!

"Come one, come on! Don't talk like that! Let's find some cute dresses for both of you!" Zoooom! Into the shop! Then, she's rifling through dreses on racks!

"Oh oh oh! What about this pink one!? And this yellow sundress!?" There's dresses being held up to the pair, Usagi giddy!

Makoto Kino has posed:
Usagi certainly does have a way of sweeping people up in the sparkling energy of her enthusiasm. Distracted from trying to place where she knows Naoko from, Makoto just grins at the other girl, as if to say 'well now we're both in for it'. "Nice to meet you, Naoko-chan!" she says as Usagi sweeps them both into the shop.

Once they're all inside, she regards the yellow sundress with a wistful expression. "It's really cute, but I don't think I could really let it out enough... do they have it any bigger?" She starts to look through a rack, pausing as something else catches her eye and she lifts a hangar off of the rack to hold up towards them. "Ah, what do you think about this light blue?"

Naota Uneme has posed:
Naoko smiles and blushes, reaching out to touch the proffered dress. "It's... it's so pretty! I don't know, though: do you really think it would suit me?" She gives Makoto a shy little nod of acknowledgment and tries not to look as worried about being exposed as she feels. Which is to say, very.
Happily, Makoto offers a distraction. "I love it! I think that's a good color for you, senpai." She doesn't notice her slip-up, but maybe Makoto won't either?

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Usa ponders, and frowns just a moment. Then she's digging through racks, trying to find another one! The largest one is no where /near/ tall enough for Mako. Usagi droops for just a moment.

Luckily Naoko's little slip up certainly isn't notice by Usagi! Instead, she's suddenly back with a pair of pink frilled dresses! One is offered to Naoko!

"Here! Try this one on! You'd look so cuuuute!" Then she turns to Makoto!

"Oh! The blue suits you so well! Will it fit, you think?" Then she pauses, and rushes off!

When she's back, there's a matching hat suddenly applied to Makoto!

"Can't leave this out!"

Then she's rushing to the changing room! A minute or two later, and she's back out. Spinning around, she wheee's as she shows off! It's utterly pink, but fits her well!

"Hee, what do you think? If I had some heels to go with it..." Grin!

Makoto Kino has posed:
The hat plops down onto her hair, and Mako laughs as Usagi vanishes into the dressing room, shaking her head a little before she looks back toward Naoko. "You should definitely try that on," she advises with the firm nod of one confident in the wisdom of her advice. "That's the best way to know if it'll work, after all."

She pauses for a moment, looks like she might be about to ask something - but then Usagi's back again, and she looks away to give her friend a few moments of consideration followed by an approving thumbs-up. "It's you, for sure!"

Naota Uneme has posed:
Naoko seems bolstered by Makoto's words and gives her a confident nod, disappearing with the two dresses Usagi has presented her with. She's in there for a little while - there's the rustling of fabric punctuated by long pauses - but eventually she comes out, wearing the first of the two. It's considerably simpler than the second, but it has a pure and tidy sort of look. She's half-ducked around the corner, looking at the two older girls. "D-do you want to see?"

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Makoto's belief only spurrs on Usagi's smiles and warmth! She's beaming, showing off to the pair. "Great!" Back to the dressing room, and back out, in her regular clothes. She pauses, looking to Naoko!

"Yes! Come on out! Show us! Show us!" Usa's somehow managed to nab a new dress. This one looks more Naoko sized. Seems she's Usagi's guinea pig today.

Then a look to Makoto!

"Your turn next, Mako-chan!" She points at that blue dress! The moon bunny wants to see!

Makoto Kino has posed:
"I will," Makoto laughs to Usagi, "I will in a second! I want to see how Naoko-chan looks first!" With the blue dress over her arm and the hat still perched lopsidedly on top of her head, she gestures for Naoko to step out where they can see the whole outfit. "I think the classic look should be pretty good for you, Naoko-chan, if that's the style you like!"

Naota Uneme has posed:
Naoko steps out from around the corner, hands intertwined in front of herself. "You think so?" She turns this way and that, then faces a handy mirror. She looks a little speechless. "Y-you should try that one on, Kino-senpai. Are you going to try something else on, Usagi-chan?"

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Usagi just grins to Makoto, and then the pair are looking to Naoko! The girl is over, looking Naoko over, walking around her before pausing.

"You look great! You're the perfect girl next door! You'll get plenty of love letters and confessions!" Gushes Usagi, blushing and giggling as she gets lost in thought.

Then she's being urged on. Yoink! There's another dress nabbed, a little black dress affair!

Makoto is pulled towards one dressing room, and in goes Usagi!

Rustle rustle change! Out she skips, bowing, and then doing a 'ball dance' around!

"Heeeeh! Next school dance, I'm going to...wahhhhhh!" She then trips over her own two feet, right towards Naoko!

Makoto Kino has posed:
"Okay, okay, I'm going, I'm going!" Makoto is, thus, hustled into the dressing room, and the rustling of fabric ensues within as she fusses with the blue dress.

Unfortunately, as is so often the case, it's not a great fit. She manages to get it on, at least, but... "I don't know if this is really--" she begins to say, only to break off at the exclamation from outside.

"Usagi-chan?!" A moment later, Makoto emerges hastily from the dressing room, holding the dress closed behind her. "Are you okay?"

Naota Uneme has posed:
Naoko yelps! She wasn't expecting to be ambushed by clumsy blond upperclassmen today! The girl goes tumbling, landing sprawled out underneath Usagi. "Ack! I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" She squirms, beginning to look just the teensiest bit frantic. Please don't let her find out, not now: we were getting along so well!

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"Oooh we really need to find a store that has things in your size!" Huffs Usagi as she looms briefly outside Makoto's dressing room! Frown!

Both hands wave! "Makoto-chan is cute! She needs well fitted dresses!"

The she's spinning, trip! Right upon poor Naoko! She just kinda lays there, eyes all swirly, before blinking.

"Wah! N...Naoko-chan, I'm sorrry! Are you okay!? I didn't mean to I hope I didn't hurt you!" Cue tears in eyes, and clumsily trying to drag up poor Naoko! This likely leads to much fluttering and general tripping /more/!

"Mako-chan, hellllp!"

Makoto Kino has posed:
Oh. Oh dear. Despite her current decent-but-disheveled state, Makoto hurries to her friends' side, placing her hand on Usagi's shoulder to steady and reassure. "Hey, hey, it's all right. Nobody's hurt, right?"

They are causing such a commotion in this unsuspecting shop, but right now Mako's concern is for the other two girls. "It's okay, so please don't cry, Usagi-chan. Let's get you up first, and then we can help Naoko-chan..."

Naota Uneme has posed:
Naoko shushes Usagi when she starts crying. "It's okay! Really, it's okay, Usagi-chan! I'm all right." She scrabbles out from underneath Usagi when Makoto helps the other girl up and stands: she's looking mighty disheveled, hair resuming its natural unruly state. She looks to Makoto, mildly baffled: "Does this happen often?" A shopkeeper is looking in the direction of the girls: she hasn't said anything yet but she's frowning.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
There's definitely people staring, some in confusion, some in amusement, but mostly concern! The shopkeeper isn't helping for poor Usa though!

Slowly Usagi is helped up by Makoto, still sniffling, and then she's leaning to Naoko.

"R...really!?" Sniff! She pauses, and then, arms wrap around Naoko! She hugs the other girl tightly if she doesn't get away!

"I'm so glad! I didn't mean to, I just keep tripping up! You're so cute and wonderful Naoko-chan!" There's less tears now, but she has to hug it out.

She offers a smile amidst the tears.

"Mako-chan, Naoko-chan...I'm so lucky to know wonderful people like you two!"

Makoto Kino has posed:
A quick, crooked smile flashes across Makoto's face at Naoko's question, as she helps to untangle the two and get Usagi onto her feet. "Sort of..."

Then she stops short, eyes widening, as the sight of Naoko with her hair mussed like this clicks into recognition and she realizes where it is she feels like she's seen this girl before.

She doesn't mean to say it, really; it just pops out of her mouth without a chance to think about it. "--Uneme-kun?"

Naota Uneme has posed:
Uneme-kun?

Two words and the girl goes chalk white. Naoko takes a step back, holding up her hands in a placating manner. "N-no, of course not! Y-you're mistaken, senpai!" She looks like she's ready to bolt, but at the same time there's the matter of not just running out the door wearing a dress she hasn't paid for yet. Or, for that matter, without her wallet, which is still in the pocket of her overalls, still in the dressing room.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
On her feet now, Usagi's tears finally die down.

She looks from Makoto to Naoko. She looks /confused/.

"Uneme...kun?" Comes Usagi, utterly not getting it. Her arms cross, and she stomps a foot.

"What's going on, Naoko-chan, Mako-chan?" Pout! Look look!

Then Usagi is over to Naoko! Hands on shoulders! She shakes the other girl a little!

"Naoko-chan is Naoko-chan!" She states emphatically, nodding.

Makoto Kino has posed:
Frankly, Makoto is looking almost as confused as Usagi right now. She's not at all sure of what's going on - except that Naoko clearly looks distressed almost to the point of fleeing thanks to what Mako just so carelessly said.

"Ah, sorry," she says, ducking her head a little and lifting a hand to the back of her neck. "That was rude, wasn't it? And I'm just standing around here and this doesn't even fit. I'm going to go change back, okay?"

Mako is not much good at subtlety, so the air of 'okay let's pretend that didn't happen just now' is fairly transparent. She ducks back into the dressing room to put back on her own clothes.

Naota Uneme has posed:
Naoko is shaken in at least two senses of the word, but now she's smiling a little, and now she's laughing. She laughs for nearly a minute before shaking her head. "Okay, senpai. I think I'll buy these two, myself," she says, indicating the one she has on and the one she's yet to try on. She likewise heads back toward the dressing room. After grabbing her things she pauses: then, with Makoto still there she opens up her phone and shows the other girl her number and mouths the words 'later' before heading back out.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Thankfully the shaking doesn't last too long! Poor Naoko is let go! Usagi does look between the pair, and even /Makoto/ gets things over her head.

Instead, she's back to the dresses, soon changed back into her normal clothes!

"I'm going to get a hat and find something for Motoki-kun! I'll be right there!" She promises her two friends, one old, one new, and then she's off: all none the wiser for what just happened! Given this is Usagi, that might be for the best given her ability to cause a scene.

No, by the time the group leaves the shop, Usagi will be asking for ice cream with her two friends!

Makoto Kino has posed:
Makoto's eyebrows lift when Naoko holds up her phone... but then, with a look of something like understanding, she nods silently and quickly takes out her own cell phone to program in the number (under 'Naoko-chan') while it's fresh in her mind.

She takes a little longer than she strictly might have to exist the dressing room again, and when she does she's smiling brightly. "I think I'm going to get this hat after all, even though the dress didn't fit. Maybe I can make something in the right color to match it."

A certain awkwardness persists at the checkout, but as always, Usagi's inimitable friendly cheer cures all sorts of ills. By the time they're leaving the shop, Makoto is laughing easily and all for the suggestion of ice cream, and that moment outside the dressing room seems almost to have been forgotten entirely.

Later, she'll try calling that number. But for the moment, Usagi seems to have it right.