Seishou Public High School. Known to a select handful as the home-away-from-home of three Sailor Senshi... and one Witch. And that's just in one class. ... Not that either knows about the other being there, but it could be worse.
The end of the school day finds Kyra Nygaard, sometimes known as Melanite - said witch - sitting out in the courtyard, on one of the benches. Apparently the Light Music Club isn't meeting today - a couple of members are out with the flu - so she's just sitting out in the open, noodling along on a cute little Martin Backpacker guitar.
She puts together a few chords, strums a bit, and nods, apparently finding the instrument finally in tune. That done, she starts picking out a soft melaody, that slowly grows louder as she plays.
Minako Aino/Sailor V is being a hero!
Or trespassing, depending on which member of the faculty you ask.
She makes her entrance quietly, as quietly as masked vigilantes can. Taking advantage of initial moments of confusion and hushed whispering to get into position on some piece of courtyard architecture, high up so she has a commanding view of the entire place.
"It is I! Sailor V! You mighta' heard of me, I'm pretty much a big thing! I'm here to let everybody know Kyra-chan isn't a drop-out. She's had a bad week!"
"I'd tell the teachers myself, but I probably shouldn't run around your school halls. So if all you good hard-working kids could spread this around about her so even the adults hear about it, that'd be great! A big favor for me! Thanks!"
'Spreads rumors about Kyra' isn't what she means to imply. But she's being helpful.
Kyra blinks and looks up. ... And sees the Sailor girl. Yep. Same one. The cute blonde one. "Er... thanks," she calls over, still plucking away at the strings. "I appreciate it."
Indeed, a few of the kids are already repeating the rumor, and wondering why Sailor V would take an interest in the girl. And of course, teenagers being teenagers, there's a nice little mob forming to seek autographs and whatnot.
Meanwhile, Kyra is turning over some verse in her head, considering an appropriate something to actually sing.
Minako Aino/Sailor V remains up on hi, initially giving out a bunch of bits of good advice or signing things. She stops when she hears Kyra yelling.
"You're welcome, Kyra! Don't be kidnapped and stuff. No walking home with strangers!" she says, as earnest advice and clever jokes.
It's probably not the sort of thing appropriate for yelling or reputation building.
"If any of your teachers don't believe what they've heard, I'll go talk to them in person! But I sorta' don't wanna run around in school. I might cause an outroar!"
Kyra nods and gets up, slinging her guitar onto her shoulder. She's certainly not going to get a chance to practice with the crowd hanging around. "You already have," she says to V. "I mean, just look at that crowd."
Indeed, one of the girls V gave an autograph to has practically melted into the ground with great big pink hearts in her eyes. Total girl-crush.
"So, thanks for dropping by, V. I think they get the message." There's her inner witch, let out to sneak in a bit of snark. She stuffs it back down, hoping to salvage something from the rather awkward moment.
"So, I hear they have karaoke at the Crown these days..."
Minako Aino/Sailor V takes a moment out of laughing and making wiggley-fingers at her fans to answer the question. "They do. Sorta' at the game crown, but more related to the fruit crown restauranty place. But whichever entrance you use, it's neat. It's fun. I've been there before!" she explains.
"Lotsa' places have karaoke. I bet you could karaoke...... right now!" she says, noticing a guitar and pointing right at it. It's like a challenge to the crowd.
"Somebody, sing a song! Make a request!"
It's almost inevitable. Someone shouts "Freebird!". Kyra considers flipping them off, but instead picks another song. And starts playing, a soft strum at first, growing louder as she starts to sing.
Blackbird, Blackbird, flyin' late
Grease in the pot and ash in the grate
They've barred the door, and they've shut the gate
They've got no place for me
The bottle's empty and my head is sore
I don't know where I've been before
Bar your gate, and shut your door
The blackbird's flyin' free!
"There's yer 'Freebird'," she shouts as she plays through a bit of instrumental, some folksy picking of chords and melody.
Minako Aino/Sailor V makes a big shout and a big scene during music time. It's hard for her to be quiet when she isn't the center of attention.
"Aww! That sounds cool. I like guitaring," she declares, now laying down flat on the wall piece so she can get her head nearer people instead of having them talk to her feet (or accidentally kick anyone in the face) and more easily sign things.
"If I woulda' known there was gonna be musical stuff here at Seishou, I'da' brought some instruments," she claims, drumming out shouts.
"Anyway, it's time for me to fly! But fans and friends and dropouts, it sounds like I might go to Crown! Since I got invited. I'm always invited to things!"
"That's true," Kyra adds, "She got invited to the Mayor's Christmas party, I heard." She keeps on playing, and decides to go ahead with another verse before taking off.
What's this song, the blackbird hears
I sowed my days and I reaped my years
A basket of sins, and a bucket of tears
And I can't come in to stay
My life's a tale that I don't tell
I did my worst, and I did it well
I'll never get to heaven but I stayed out of hell
And still I'm on my way
Then she slings the guitar on her shoulder again, and heads out the gate of the schoolyard. "Thank you, thank you," she calls, bowing to the applauding crowd, blowing kisses. "Don't forget to come to the Light Music Club's big concert for White Day!"
Minako Aino/Sailor V jumps from up on her perch. She almost kicks somebody in the face. She catches up to Kyra with the largest expression of confusion painted clearly across her masked face.
"Huh? Who? Me? Were you talking about me? I'm invited to the mayor's Christmas Party? It's a bit early for one of those."
"Or late. Really late," she adds, after a few moments of thought.
"Also, what sorta' concert is going on? Here? Brag about it!" she insists, but still demands mayor answers.
"Well, we're putting on a special little gig," Kyra answers, sauntering down the sidewalk, guitar slung over her shoulder to lurk there like a soldier's weapon. (And with a tiny shard of crystal embedded in the soundboard, it can be a weapon...)
"A little something to help keep the mood up for those who find themselves without a friend to give them chocolate, you know?" Which probably means lots of love songs and such. The club tends to like a bit of rock, but Kyra's been doing a lot of folky stuff lately. Mostly because it's fun.
"That's what we do, you know.. we're a music club, what would you expect us to do? Sell cookies?"
Minako Aino/Sailor V nods her head in agreement. "I guess you can sell cookies. If you need to. Raising money. Fundraisers. Important stuff. You gotta do whatever works.
There's a long pause. "So, uh, I didn't wanna say anything, but I'm pretty sure that isn't Freebird. I heard it once and it sounds TOTALLY different," she says, trying to break it to Kyra softly in hushed tones.
Kyra nods. "We did sell cookies, back in November. Ami-chan wanted to get some new recording hardware, so we did some fundraising. Managed to get a -sweet- deal on some nice toys, too."
She grins and air-guitars for a minute, then nods. "And, yeah, Freebird is, well, the single most over-requested song in existence. I think people only do it because it's supposed to be funny now. So whenever it comes up I sing that instead."
"Ohhhhh. I never heard it before. It sounded more like blackbirds instead of freebirds," Sailor V says. "I guess I thought you misheard or somethin'. What song was it?" she asks, kicking up the path in front of Kyra.
"Also, doesn't your school give you freebies? Or some discounts? Or funding? Seishou is a cheapy school. Seiyou is where it's at, though!"
"It's called 'Blackbird'," Kyra answers, her eyes lingering briefly on V's behind, then tearing away to keep an eye on the street. "It's about a man who's dying, looking back on his life and debating whether ir was worth it or not."
"So, do you play anything? Or sing?" she asks, casual, just trying to make conversation.
Minako Aino/Sailor V doesn't get around to answering questions about singing right away.
"Uhm. Are you sure? I don't think it's Blackbird either. I'm a little bit of a Beatles fan and it sounded totally different," she says, trying not to sound critical.
"No," Kyra adds. "It's by an American singer named Gordon Bok. Wonderful fellow, write a bunch of great songs."
She continues walking along, glad to have someone to chat with. "So, Osaka-san seems well," she adds, with a pleasant smile. "Her friends were pretty happy to have her back."
Minako Aino/Sailor V makes the smallest of unhappy 'hfff' sounds. "I'm sure they were. My friends are never happy to see me," she comments.
"Maybe I just need to betray them in the Dark Kingdom a few times to get some love and appreciation. Hah," she adsd, laughing more mirthfully than she feels.
"But either way, I'm glad she's doing well. It's not her fault or her friend's fault what happened, and she sems really nice."
Eventually, she gets back around to talking about songs.
"I play lots. And sing lots. I do a lot of singing and posting it up for the world to enjoy. I can play instruments. Still, I dunno if any karaoke place can handle Sailor V in person and her illodious singing voice!"
Kyra shrugs as she saunters along, looking around or a likely place to stop in. "I'm sure the Dark Kingdom would love to have you..." she says, with a wry little smile. "They seemed like... well, they went to an awful lot of trouble to make sure we were... okay." She might have wanted to say something else there, but she leaves it at that, for now.
"I don't know that I like the idea of betraying my friends, though." At the least, she doesn't like the idea of a certain Senshi betraying her... "And yeah, Osaka-san has always been nice. It's seemed like her best friend's been kind of freezing her out, the last few months, though."
She seems to be happy to change the subject back to music. Or maybe she's just that good an actress. "Well," she muses, "I'm sure that they'd be pleased to say that Sailor V chose them. It's be pretty darn good advertising."
"Ahhh! Everybody would love to have me. I'm a classy lady!" Sailor V declares, to Kyra and the street at large! "I'm a good friend. I know that friends shouldn't freeze friends. They should be warm."
She's also happy to talk about more positive things like music. "Yeah. I sorta' get used a lot for advertising. My picture goes up on things. I don't get royalties, though. Despicable!"
Kyra nods and agrees. "You should get royalties, if they're putting your picture on stuff! They're stealing you! Why do you let them?" She shakes her head, pumping a fist in the air to punch the empty space in front of her.
"That's so unfair. I'd consider ... well, taking them to court's a little extreme, from what I hear around here, but you could certainly have a few words with them about it. They'd listen, I bet."
Minako Aino/Sailor V nods her head in agreement. "You're right. I should have a few words with them. Or set their place on fire. That'll get 'em to stop real fast," she says, approvingly.
"Still, we don't gotta be so extreme about it. Just have to reach out and speak to their sense of honor and pride! Since I can't, you know, sue 'em. Secret identities and all!"
"It would," Kyra agrees, cheerfully. Setting things on fire can be pretty fun, she's found. And very therapeutic. It certainly makes her feel better. So does blowing them up.
"Secret identities.. very useful things, those. I'm sure you and your friends guard them closely." She mulls it over for a minute. "Maybe that's what they were after. Clues to who you lot really are."
"Eh. Maybe? Still, random kidnappings are a terrible choice for figuring that out. They didn't seem to be trying to figure out identities. It was more an ambush," Sailor V wisely points out.
"Oh well. Just leave me some pictures or drawings and maybe I'll see something, get some insights."
Insights. That reminds her to ask Kyra something else.
"Was Naru-chan acting unusual at any time? Obviously, I'm gonna check up on her later again, so there might be some trick there. That's what I woulda' done if I were them," she comments.
After questions, she's eager to get to singing. And food if other people are stealing her limelight by singing!
"Sure, sure," she agrees, and muses on what happened. "She seemed... I dunno. A little out of it, sometimes... other times it was like she liked it there. The witch spent alot more time with her than with me..." She trails off, letting the implications go unspoken.
Eventually, they come to the Crown, which stands open and waiting for students like her to drop by and amuse themselves. It's a good place for singing, and for snacks and other games, as well. Kyra steps up to hold the door for the celebrity accompanying her, with a smile.