1504/The Hard Questions

The Hard Questions
Date of Scene:	24 May 2016
Location:	Uminari City - Seishou Public School
Synopsis:	Makoto points out some aberrant behaviour to Ami, and Ami realises she's been a bit of an idiot. The greater good is served, but Ami's confidence is badly shaken.
Cast of Characters:	Ami Mizuno, Makoto Kino

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Ami Mizuno has posed:
May is an ideal time for physical education. Even at the hottest of the day it's not quite too warm for running, jumping, and playing. It is still a sweaty business, but for the more athletic students at Seishou, it's enjoyable.

Ami Mizuno counts herself among the athletic students. Sure, her preferred sport is swimming, but competition of any kind drives the girl to excel, and she always enjoys an opportunity for it.

As their class heads back into the locker rooms at the end of class, she spots Makoto and waves to her friend, then heads over to give her a hug. "Hi!" she says as she heads with Makoto towards their lockers. "I think you gave that poor boy a bruise with your fastball," she grins. "Serves him right for trying to step into your pitch, though. Hit or watch; don't go for sympathy points."

Makoto Kino has posed:
Athletics of all kinds have always come naturally to Makoto. Today, though, she couldn't take as much enjoyment as she normally would in one of the two classes in which she can really feel like she excels. It was not a good day for someone to try walking into a pitch. "I wasn't trying to hurt him," she sighs. There weren't nearly as many classmates giving her sidelong looks and carefully wide berth as there would have been back before she became friends with Usagi and Ami, but the memories still sting. "I don't know why people can't just play the game."

The hug that answers Ami's is a little distracted; there's something bothering her, and it's not the teenaged boy who felt the need to eat a fastball. "...Hey, Ami-chan," she begins, a little uncomfortably. "Can I ask you something?"

Ami Mizuno has posed:
Ami makes her way to the locker and takes a seat on the bench, then starts untying her shoes. "Sure, Mako-chan," she says, smiling at her friend. "You can ask me anything."

There's a brief moment where Ami simply pauses to study the brunette, then shakes her head and goes back to her shoes. "You're not upset about that poor boy, are you? I don't think you did anything wrong, and I doubt the teachers will, either."

Makoto Kino has posed:
Makoto shakes her head, ponytail swinging. "It's not that." She bites her lip, hesitating over how to start this conversation. Having to sit on something never makes it easier; not for nothing does Mako normally prefer to simply charge in, but, well...

It's not a conversation she really wants to have at all, but it's definitely not one she wanted to have in front of Takashi or Naru.

Nothing for it but to ask, she tells herself, and facing Ami she meets her friend's eyes straight on. "Were those Agera-san's chocolates that you had at lunch today?"

Ami Mizuno has posed:
Ami tucks her shoes into her locker and then tugs off her socks, then glances up at Mikoto again. Now she's starting to realise that this is somethng personal that's bothering her friend.

Furrowing her brow uncertainly, Ami says, "Chocolates? I don't kn--" pause. "Oh, I guess so? I had one of them after I finished my lunch. And then he just showed up. I didn't have anything to do with that. Apparently one of his teachers asked him to bring something over to this side of town. It was a little weird. Are you upset that he came on campus?"

Makoto Kino has posed:
"That's not it," Mako says quietly - mostly true. She certainly wasn't exactly thrilled to see Takashi on campus, but her personal dislike of the guy is her own problem.

Her hands are fidgeting in front of her, worrying absently at her fingernails. "Are they the kind with dark energy in them?" It's almost hopeful: maybe there's a reasonable explanation, maybe she's gotten worked up over a misunderstanding. Maybe.

Ami Mizuno has posed:
Ami blinks at Makoto, and sits back, gripping the bench. "Dark energy?" she asks, then furrows her brows. "I guess," she says, trying to think about why that's still a topic for discussion. "I never have more than one at a time," she had two at lunch today, "and I'm very careful to make sure they don't have any lingering effects."

Ami turns to look at Makoto again, still confused as she admits, "I know you aren't fond of the idea, but they're no more harmful than eating with slightly dirty hands. The risk to me is minimal, and I'm very careful."

Makoto Kino has posed:
...not a misunderstanding, then. Makoto's face falls as she listens to what Ami has to say. She wants to trust in her friend's judgment, she really does - of all people, there's nobody whose judgment she has more faith in, but this time it just doesn't add up.

"What about the risks to Naru-chan?" she asks, working hard to keep her voice soft and level and not accusatory.

Ami Mizuno has posed:
That seems to catch Ami entirely off-guard. She doesn't seem defensive of the question, but utterly confused by it. "Naru-chan?" she asks, searching Makoto's face. "But what does this have to do with Naru-chan? It's my chocolate. I wouldn't give any t--"

When the memory hits her, it is obvious. Her eyes widen, and her mouth hangs open. "Oh, oh no," she says, then reaches up to cover her mouth with both hands. "I didn't mean to," she tells Makoto. "I didn't even think about it. I just ... and then ..." she trails off, worried. "What should I do?"

Makoto Kino has posed:
The moment that realization becomes clear in Ami's reactions, the breath goes out of Makoto and her shoulders drop a little. It's not quite relief, but there was a tension there that's begun to uncoil. "We should keep a close eye on her," Mako says, "in case she starts acting strangely. I'll ask Kunzite, too, I think they had some kind of plans for something I didn't get the details on..."

She sits down heavily on the bench next to Ami, looks over at her with worried eyes. "I know you didn't do it on purpose or anything, but - this isn't like you, Ami-chan. I really don't think you should have any more of those chocolates."

Ami Mizuno has posed:
The worry in Ami's eyes is more than a little evident. No, she really hadn't done it on purpose, and she isn't happy to know she screwed up. "Maybe you're right," she agrees worriedly. "I just ... they're really good, and they make it easier to deal with social situations." She sighs and reaches up to rub at her forehead. "I just didn't ... I wasn't thinking. He showed up, Mako-chan. I don't know what I was thinking."

Makoto Kino has posed:
Makoto promptly reaches to put her arm around Ami, a gentle squeeze around her shoulders. "I think the dark energy's been affecting you more than you thought it did. I mean, that's part of what it does to people, isn't it? Making them not realize they're acting differently. But this isn't okay."

Ami Mizuno has posed:
"No, I know," Ami agrees quietly. "I know it isn't okay. I just ... I didn't think it was enough to ..." she trails off, then sighs and puts her head on Makoto's shoulder. "I'm sorry. I need to tell Naru I'm sorry, too. And he's waiting to walk me home. What do I tell him?"

Makoto Kino has posed:
"The truth," Makoto answers without hesitation. "If he cares about you as much as he says he does, he shouldn't want to do anything that makes you act in ways you don't want to. I'll go with you if you want," she offers, feeling a little bolstered herself by the idea. "For moral support. When you talk to Naru-chan, too. She'll probably understand, believe it or not."

Ami Mizuno has posed:
Ami sighs and nods her head, then hugs Makoto again. "I'm sorry to you, too," she says quietly. "I should have better judgement. I'll seal them away," she promises, "so they can't hurt anyone else. I need to take a shower, but ... I don't know if I should have you go with me to talk to him or not. He doesn't like you," she notes.

Makoto Kino has posed:
Makoto pulls a wry face at that last addition. "Well, I guess that's fair," she says. "I don't like him either. Okay," she says, and Ami's shoulders get another supportive little squeeze. "If you think I'd better not go with you, I won't. But I'll have my Virtue phone ready in case he decides to be a butthead about it."

Ami Mizuno has posed:
A faint frown crosses Ami's features, at the idea of him being a 'butthead'. She knows what Makoto really means, and right now she doesn't really have a lot of reasons to object. Ami's shoulders slump, and she looks down towards her hands, which are wringing uncertainly. "Do you think I should break up with him?"

Makoto Kino has posed:
This, Mako doesn't have an immediate answer for. She sits quietly for a little while, thinking seriously about it, lips curving into a faint frown of concentration.

"I think..." she begins slowly, "...you don't have to be his girlfriend to save him. It might be better if you don't try to do both at once."

A moment's pause, and Mako offers Ami a lopsided smile. "I know I don't have a lot of room to talk, what with Neph and all, but... I don't know, Ami-chan, I don't think he's a good boyfriend like he is right now. Maybe he will be, once all that dark magic stuff is dealt with. And if he turns out to be someone you really want to be with then, that's one thing. But I'm a little worried that you're forcing yourself because you want to help him, and I don't like that."

Ami Mizuno has posed:
Ami hesitates at that response, then takes a deep breath. "I guess that's a lot to think about," she says, quietly. Another hug for Makoto, then she stands and grabs things out of her locker. Ami pads away towards hte showers, head hung, shoulders hunched, and clearly unhappy. Her confidence is thoroughly shaken.

Makoto Kino has posed:
Makoto almost calls out. Almost stops her. Her mouth opens, but in the end, nothing comes out before Ami has vanished into the shower. There's nothing she can say right now that will make this better.

So she just sits there for a while longer, shoulders sagging, feeling like a terrible excuse for a friend.