Usagi had forgotten all about the rug she'd been out buying. Of course, with an attack and a sudden wild Mamoru appearing in the area, could she really be blamed?
Fortunately, the sales people were only a little guilt inducing. After all, she still had the receipt!
Now, though, she is able to fully enjoy herself, as her errand is taken care of, and she still has some money left over for a milkshake.
Maybe...half a milkshake?
Oh dear.
Either way, she is in the crown and all is right in the world!
Even Luna.
Okay, Luna is a ball of cranky kitty.
Is it Usagi's fault the feline doesn't like one of her dearest friends? Noooooooo!
"Whether or not he initiated the attack does not mean he is free from suspicion. You were stabbed in his apartment, Usagi-chan."
To anyone on the street, they may think she's talking on her cell phone, being rude with the speaker phone on.
Inside, they may think Luna's voice is part of a game.
Either way, Moon Kitty Magic!
Usagi, of course, is not impressed with Moon Kitty Magic.
"He saved me, you turd." There is an indignant kitty squawk. Turd?!"And how could he have known I was going to go there, anyway? Point is, be nicer. Please? Stop sitting on his homework? I'll cry and get your fur all wet if you do."
She is sitting now at a table upstairs, staring with longing eyes at a menu. Luna, allowed because she is both adorable and well behaved, is sitting on a kitty sized place mat.
"Hey, dad, it's me," Ami's voice, coming up her stairs. "I guess you forgot you said we'd go out to dinner, tonight. It's okay, I know your'e busy with your paintings. I can't wait to see your next one. I love you." The blue-haired girl hangs up the phone and sighs as she steps into the second floor of the Crown.
Her melancholy disappears just a little when she spies her friend sitting at the table with a menu in hand. "Usagi-chan," she says, joining Usagi at her table, right in front of Luna. "I didn't know you'd be here this evening." She leans forward to pet the cat while glancing over Usagi's shoulder at the menu. "You want a milkshake? My treat. And dinner, too. I'm hungry."
Minako Aino also has a cat who is well-behaved and sometimes visits the arcade (during closing times), but he's in a backpack slung over Minako's back with the top open just enough for him to stick his head out and peer around, like a tank commander. He stays hidden when others are about, or when Minako is screaming at boys in the arcade.
"It's a win because the victory screen says so."
"You're not allowed to touch my controls--"
"It doesn't count if it was an accident!" she says, flicking her hair around. "Sometimes, my hair has a lifetime of its own. Sorry!" she sings out, before dashing up to get a milkshake and eventually yell at her friends in a much friendlier way.
"Ahehhheeee! Good evening, girls!" she sings as she bounds right to your table, bouncing entirely too much for somebody hiding a living animal in her backpack.
Usagi is very happy to see Ami. And her eyes grow into hearts at the suggestion of treated food. "Really?" Oh, happy day!
Luna scoffs and pokes a paw against the rolled up rug in the booth. "She spent her money on this...thing."
Usagi pouts. "It's cute! It has moons and bunnies!" Luna is faced with a tongue sticking out in her direction. "If you're sure, Ami! I will gladly help you eat!"
Her happy fidgets turn into concerned fidgets. "Are you okay? I...kind of heard some of the things."
And then Luna is distracted and jumps on yet another arrival's shoulder. She sticks her paw in the backpack, batting at the Tank Commander.
"Minako-chan!" Usagi is happy to see the relatively new addition to her circle of friends. Maybe they can have Group Hugs! Or are they not there yet?
"Really," Ami replies to Usagi with a smile, before glancing up at the incoming Minako. The girl's exuberance seems to set Ami back a bit, especially when Luna runs off to see Artemis instead of staying nearby.
"Good evening, Minako-san," she replies with a faint smile. "We were just going to have some dinner and milkshakes. Would you like to join us?"
Minako Aino is intensely happy to have cats jumping all over her. As is Artemis, as it means Minako whispers requests to Luna to be a prop for her costume (instead of dipping Artemis into black tar, as happened last year). She's also intensely willing to give out hugs, especially in light of her newest, most extravagant gift.
"YAH! I'm absolutely willing to join. I'm gonna get a drink," she says, setting herself down in the booth and just SLIDING over people so she can be in the middle. She also shakes herself around enough to try and get double the cats in her backpack.
"Oh Em Gee, Oo Sog Gi. Did you get that rug for me? It's got moons on it, which are perfect for the command center's theme, AND it's got bunnies on it, so I'll always remember my truest friend whose givin' it to me," she sings out, touching her own heart as if intensely moved by the gesture or she's suffering heart palpitations. She spreads her arms wide enough in appreciation - wide enough to hug three people and multiple cats.
Luna, rather quite perturbed by Minako's suggestions at being a fashion accessory, coolly and calmly hops back onto the table.
Where she hides beside Ami.
Usagi has at least one sane friend!
Usagi, for her part, was a sudden wall of red blush. "Eh?"
No! What! Huh! But!
"Can I get you something later? This is spoken for!"
Ami looks entirely embarassed as Minako pushes her way in between Usagi and herself. But it would be rude to make a fuss of it, so she just makes room and puts her arms around Luna, petting the cat gently. "Don't worry," she whispers to Luna, "I don't much care for trick'or'treating, either."
"Who's the rug for, anyways?" she asks curiously, leaning forward to inspect it. "It's very cute. Whomever it's for, they will probably like it, if they like you, Usagi." She pauses, then her eyes widen a bit, then she frowns, "Usagi, is it for Chiba-san?" There's a faint hint of scolding in her tone.
Minako Aino complains about Luna-escapes and stresses how much she needs a BLACK cat for her super-secret Halloween costume, and how her parents and the vet insisted that no repeats of last year are allowed.
"I also don't care much for trick or treats," she says, agreeing easily with Ami. "But costumes are another thing."
She seems intensely pleased to witness people blushing at her and claiming to be spoken for. "Calm down, Usagi-chan. It's just a hug," she says, patting her on the back and apparently misunderstanding the entire conversation, although she gives Ami a conspiratorial grin.
"Oooooh, you think the command center rug is for Chibi-san? Ooooh, I'm a fan of Halloween gifts. Go for it, bunny!"
At Ami's scolding, Luna's sharp glare is Very Sharp and Glarey.
Usagi holds up both her hands, very much Out Numbered!
(MINAKO'S IN ON IT ISN'T SHE!!!)
"I got blood on his floor!! I wanna hide it!"
She gives Ami Very Sad eyes, and even turns them to Minako. "He's a friend, okay? And-and I know things, and I shouldn't, so I'm not, I promise! I just..." Her blush probably reaches her toes. "HUSH IT DOESN'T MEAN ANYTHING!"
She points at Luna. "STOP SITTING ON HIS HOMEWORK!"
"I told you, blood cleans easily," Ami points out to Usagi with a faint sigh. She shakes her head, then touches the carpet gently before shrugging. "It is a very nice rug, though. I'm sure he will like it a lot." She glances over her shoulder, then says, "We should order. Cheeseburgers?"
Minako Aino follows Luna's glare, makes an assumption, and then tisks at Ami. "She's a grown ass woman, she can do whatever she wants to," she states, grinning stupidly, 'obviously' misreading the cat's expression.
"And... and.... bleeding on his floor? Sitting on his homework? Guuuuuys, stop using euphemisms I don't know about. Just use grown-up language. Our cats aren't kittens any more, their little kitty-ears can handle it!"
Then it's like someone flipped the 'troll music intro' switch or something, because the bell at the door rings, signalling someone's entrance, and Mamoru Chiba walks in on the tail end of Usagi yelling about his homework, and considering who she's yelling at, Mamoru freezes in the doorway with a tremendous sneeze.
He has, of course, a handkerchief.
And then Minako's going off the deep end again, and he stares at the three girls and the cat, and... starts edging right back out.
"Yes, cheeseburgers!"
But! It's not the end! And Usagi is even more unbelievably red and--
A jingle at the door. Hairs on the back of her neck.
Before she even realizes he actually is there and not just a figment, she rises to her knees in the booth and points and accusatory finger at the door. "YOU!!!!"
She's not sure if she should be relieved or embarrassed that it actually is him.
Ami gives Luna a brief squeeze, then abandons the cat as she slides out of the table and heads to the counter. She looks up at the sound of a sneeze and frowns, glad she's not at the table anymore. While her friends talk to Mamoru Chiba, Ami goes to order their dinner--cheeseburgers and milkshakes for four.
Minako Aino makes grr'ful sounds under her breath as nobody answers her perfectly reasonable questions about euphemisms. So she decides to figure it out herself through subtle interrogation.
"Chibi-san! Evening! Are you here for a study hall or are you more into sitting on your homework by yourself?" she asks, making huge, beckoning motions towards the booth.
"OH! What do you think of moon bunnies? 'cuz I think you're about to get one for layin' out in front of your fireplace!" she shouts.
Well, THAT'S at least an opening he can handle. Mamoru stops in his edging-out and squares his shoulders. It's time for the act which didn't used to be an act which is still as easy as breathing.
"Odango Atama! Talking about me?" he says slyly, tossing his head just enough to flip his hair perfectly out of his eyes, then sauntering over with his satchel over his shoulder and his other hand hanging from his pocket. He smiles blandly at Minako, glances at Ami wandering off to order, gives Artemis a completely sympathetic look, and eyes Luna warily. And then he sets his books down on the floor and gently kicks out a chair.
"What?" he asks Minako pleasantly.
Ami-chan, so beautiful and lovely! Usagi owes her a billion trillion zillion hugs for food!
BUT MINAKO IS TELLING SECRETS!!!!!
If Minako tells more, Usagi's parents will find her dead and buried in the floorboards! So she very much Not Obvious when her hand clasps around her new friend's mouth because 'OMG MINAKO SO WHAT EVEN!!!'
"Mamoru! Of course not!" She was, and will be when he leaves, and will likely scold Luna more, but he doesn't need to know that! "And no fireplace moon bunnies! Minako-chan is confused! Very confused!"
Her hands nod the Senshi of Love's head up and down.
She points at Luna, before clasping her hand back over Minako's mouth. "Apologiiiiiiiiiiiize."
Luna sulks forward, glares at Mamoru, and doesn't sit on any of his possessions, and holds out a paw. That's progress, right?
Minako Aino tries to elaborate more about what she is saying with some absolutely filthy substitute teacher/homework analogies, but only gets halfway through before being mouth-muzzled.
Mouth-muzzled for a long, long time. Long enough for even Luna to get in apologies.
She stays quiet, as Usagi seems to want her to be (or so she believes), but she does do one sneaky little thing - lick Usagi's palm without moving her head at all. No evidence.
Mamoru blinks at Usagi, taken aback by the particular tone of the scolding -- and the lack of honorific, no less -- but lets it lie there, filed away for later teasing. He gingerly goes to shake Luna's paw and admits, "I was actually just annoyed about the homework. You're perfectly right to be concerned about anything you don't have all the information on, and I don't even have all the information on me."
Then he sits back and eyes Usagi and Minako. "How are you doing with your homework lately, Mina-p?"
A few minutes later, Ami returns to the table with a trayful of food and drinks and french fries. She sets the plate down at the table and smiles at Mamoru. "Hello, Chiba-san," she says to him. "If you're hungry, there's enough here for you, as well." She reclaims her seat at the end of the table, far out of Minako hugging range.
Minako Aino starts to inch around to put herself into proper range for a belated promised hug she missed earlier, while chirping up something about how she is also always perfectly right and likes jumping to conclusions as a means of solidarity behind Lunacat. "And I'm always doing my homework. I'm the number one student in my school. I sit on my homework every night. Heck, some people ask me to do homework for them, that's how good I am at it," she says. She throws up some fingers to better illustrate that she's number one in her school.
"ANYWAY! What brings you around? Also, you should move that rug outta' your place, 'cuz I got the feeling you might be getting a prettier replacement," she says casually.
There is a lick against her palm. It feels like...a slug! A yeerk! A snail! AUGH!
Finally she can't take it anymore, hand now far away from Minako's mouth and -- since she's in Spar Mode with him -- wiping against Mamoru's sleeve.
Meanwhile, Luna leans close, finally glare free but all serious. And, low enough that Usagi can't hear, she speaks. "Either way you go, you can hurt her, deeply. Even without meaning to. And when that happens. Until then...I may allow you to act as a lap pillow."
Now Ami is back with food, and Usagi is two seconds away from proposing marriage!
She dives for her burger. "Ami-chan, I love you!"
This of course, is wholly meant with absolutely no strings hinging on the bought food, but it's the perfect way to show her appreciation! To reaffirm! To--
GOSH DARN DANG NABBIT, MINAKO!!!
"THE RUG IS FOR MY MOM I SPILLED JUICE ON HER OTHER ONE!"
SHEESH!!!!!
It's totally for Mamoru but SHEESH!!!
The number of different things he's being called in this small group of people is already driving Mamoru up the wall, and he's just going to take it, because what else can he do? His smile's a little tight at Luna, his voice extremely quiet as he leans in. "I already told Rei-san and Mako-chan: you all can do whatever you like to me and I won't fight it, if I ever hurt her. But I would very much enjoy being a chair until then."
Only Mamoru. Only cats.
Then Ami arrives with food and he looks up at her, bright-eyed. "Thank you, Ami-san." He will firmly keep hold of prior permissions until he's no longer in trouble, or until she corrects him. He likes her -- likes all the Senshi -- far too much to do otherwise.
Then Mamoru blinks at Minako, sitting back and sliding a milkshake his way. "I usually come here after school or clubs," he tells her, a little puzzled. "I've been helping Usagi-chan here with her homework lately... and I-- what? There's wall-to-wall in the living room, you saw it... it's a little hard to move unless I tear the whole thing up, I don't--"
Usagi is yelling. He looks at her and adjusts his glasses.
With food provided, and her friends in a disarray, Ami sits very quietly at the table, opening her cheeseburger to eat. She quite literally has nothing to contribute, because anything she would say would likely only make matters worse. So she focuses on her cheeseburger. And her french fries. And her milkshake. And definitely not on talking. And if Luna wants some food, she will gladly offer it. But she is so not interrupting this conversation. Nope.
Minako Aino just chuckles and shakes her head. "Oh no no no, ha ha. I never saw any carpets. I just jumped to conclusions without seeing your carpets, 'cuz I assume you live somewhere with.......... floors," she explains.
It all makes sense.
Luna nods before padding toward Ami. It's almost an apology as she purrs and rubs against the sweet, sweet girl (and nibbles discretely on a burger) before she makes good on her 'threat.' She kneeds Mamoru's lap, perhaps with a touch more claw than necessary, and curls up, tail thwipping lazily against his thigh. There may even be purring, because comfy, but she will never admit to it.
Usagi, however, is groaning, because Lame Cover Story is so totally Lame, but the thought is there! She hugs Minako's arm.
Then talk of tutoring. And WHAT IF AMI THINKS SHE'S CHEATING ON HER?!
"Ami, did you know pi is like...six sour gummy worms if one of the worms was almost all eaten but not?"
See?! She remembers some things!
Mamoru's a champ. He doesn't flinch as there's claw in the kneading. Not even a little. (Okay, a little. Otherwise Luna might decide she needs to try harder.) But then he's working on the milkshake with one hand and absently scritching at Luna's head with the other. Basically, if Artemis came and sat on him too, his life would be complete and he could die satisfied. But he's pretty happy as things stand.
Albeit confused.
"I really," he tells Minako apologetically, "really have no idea what you're talking about, and I'm really confused, but I kind of think that was your goal? So you should feel accomplished!" It's in the middle of a sip of milkshake that Usagi proudly tells Ami about pi, and he almost chokes on it, then corrects, coughing behind his hand, "Seven. Seven if one of them were mostly eaten. Because it's six whole rads if one rad is one sour gummi worm, and then what's left over, which is the mostly eaten one."
Ami was quite content to eat her burger in silence, not contributing to the conversation. But Usagi is talking about pi, and Ami is not quite sure if she means pi or pie, because quite frankly neither explanation makes sense. So instead she just sits there, mouth open, burger almost in it, staring at Usagi for a very long time.
Until Mamoru explains it. Then her eyes widen, and she smiles sweetly. "That ... almost makes sense," she agrees quietly. "Did you come up with that analogy, Usagi-chan?" she asks, knowing full well she did not.
"Cakes are like twenty reese's peanut butter cups smashed together in the summer heat."
Minako assumes Usagi is playing a game of some sort and just invites herself right into the game.
She also invites herself right into french fries, offering hugs in exchange for food. Tank Commander Artemis is allowed out of his bag to silently join in lap-sitting (except it's shoulder-sitting, draped out like a cat-fur stole.
"And no, that's now how you measure worms, 'cuz worms don't roll." The 'duh' is implied. "I'm talking about rugs. Moon rugs. Also, cakes."
She tries to fit a burger in her mouth, almost competitively.
Usagi is so very happy he's confused, because that means her secret is sorta kinda safe!
"Yes, seven! Sorry!" She grins at Ami. "And nope! Someone figured candy's the best way to get me focused. I'd kick him, but then Luna would bite me. He's made a new besty."
Luna would meow in protest, but oh goodness, scritches, what even, what sort of witchcraft, how was this, I mean, illegal, what, purr.
Usagi is half tempted to smoosh her hand on Minako's mouth again. "There are no rugs. The rugs are a lie. Just like cake."
Still.
"I'd think a cake, at least a sheet, would have more than that. Like...thirty-eight, maybe? For flavor, though."
Mamoru is now made of bliss and confusion, because cats and chocolate milkshake and Minako. But he gamely goes with it, sitting very still so as to avoid dislodging Artemis, and carefully continuing to scritch Luna. "Well, if we're talking volume, you can get the volume of a peanut butter cup -- which is really just a frustrum -- if h is the height -- with (pi*h/3)(R1^2+R1 R2^2+R2). So you take that answer and divide the volume of the sheet cake pan by it, and you'll have how many reese's peanut butter cups you'll need to make a sheet cake."
The conversation has turned back to Mamoru, and although Ami gives Luna a brief glance, she allows herself to fall silent again. Her friends are being normal (weird), and she doesn't really know what to say. Besides, there's food, and she's hungry, so she goes right back to eating her cheeseburger.
Minako Aino wrinkles her nose at Mamoru and stifles a gasp at the word 'frustrum', sharing shocked little glances with the girls and the cats. She nudges Ami on the side to try and pry something from her, ideally something justifying her extra-shocked expressions.
Usagi is suddenly completely unaware of her confused heart eyes. Confused, because math and equations, but heart eyes, because he's going full nerd and his face does interesting things when going Full Nerd.
Not that she'll admit it if caught. She and he are Mortal Enemies but not really, so it's Important to keep up appearances!
Luna, all of a sudden realizing she's been fraternizing with the enemy, bites Mamoru's hand. Not the CHOMP one would expect, but Teeth to let him know she's Done being worshipped.
She crawls over laps until she is curled on Ami-chan's, full purr like a tiny motorboat.
All of a sudden, there are teeth closed warningly on his hand, and Mamoru realizes Luna is Done. Immediately he lifts his hand, for he knows the unspoken language of Cats, and he lets Luna crawl away before shifting his scritchings to the Artemis on his shoulder. He gives Minako a wounded look. "What! Is it because -- look, the volume of a sheet cake pan is easier to determine, that's just length by width by height. And they usually come with those on the label when you buy them..."
He looks to Ami for help backing his position, then to Usagi, and he realizes that what he figured was standard participation in silliness was actually math. "I'll just be over here."
Suddenly, Ami has the attention of literally everyone at once. Well, except Usagi and Artemis, but they're busy fawning over Mamoru, and that somehow doesn't surprise her at all. The jab to her side draws a yelp, and Ami shoves the last bite of burger in her mouth to keep from having to talk. This leaves her mouth unnecessarily overfull. She wipes her hands off and begins addressing Luna's needs (a cat needs scritchings, after all), as she chews and eventually swallows.
"What?" she asks Minako, confusedly, once she's finally got an empty mouth. "He's right. That's exactly how you determine the volume of a sheet cake. Or a pyramid, for that matter. I don't understand what's confusing."
Minako Aino explains that nobody thinks anything is weird about math. She also says something simple but potentially scary, this comment aimed at Luna.
"Move over."
NO!!! HE'S STOPPED NERD FACING!!!!
"HOW MANY DO I NEED FOR THE CAKE!!!" She's almost across Minako's lap when she asks.
And then she realizes Math. And sits back. And clears her throat. "A girl must know these things. For science."
Riiiiiiiight.
She clears her throat and sits back, rifling through her pickets until she pulls out a Reece's cup wrapper. "Here. For science." It's crumbled, but still. Science.
Luna, for her part, is once again being worshipped by a human and is not about to let that go. So she does what any cat would do.
She hisses at Minako.
Usagi's eyes are wide at that.
Mamoru shrinks a little in his seat at Usagi's sudden fervor. His eyes dart to Luna, to Minako, to Ami, then back to Usagi. "Bring me a bag of peanut butter cups and a cake pan and I'll help you figure it out," he says under his breath. "Make that three bags. It'll probably need two. I'll need one." Also, Artemis' claws are in his neck, now. He looks longingly at the burger, then warily at Minako.
"You know what, I think I should go. You're all obviously busy, and I need to get my homework done. I'll be back in an hour. If you're still here and need help with what you've got left, Usagi-chan, I'll give you a hand finishing it up."
Ami /remains/ the focus of attention, and she continues to be uncertain how to deal with it, especially with the only person in the room who was actually making sense announces their desire to leave. "Ah," she tries to tell him he should stay, but really there are no words.
"Goodbye, Chiba-san," she decides on, although it sounds more like 'Oh God Help Me', the way she delivers it. But nope, all she has is goodbye for him, very politely. With one hand, she continues to scritch Luna, allowing the cat to decide whether to stay in her lap or 'move over'. With the other, she fishes for french fries.
Usagi's face is very sad. He's leaving?
The most dangerous part of Usagi's sad face is when it's not made on purpose. And it's not right now.
So he gets Full Blown Unintentional Sad Bunny Face.
"I'll bring four."
And somehow, some way, the 'if you'll let me be your friend' is pathetically implied. Or something else pathetic yet similar.
And again, sad bunny eyes.
Sad. Bunny. Eyes.
But she'll deny them to her grave, because Mortal Enemies and she doesn't want to annoy him.
Carefully helping Artemis off his shoulder by dint of leaning toward the table in Minako's direction, Mamoru gives Ami an apologetic look that also kind of looks like a deer in headlights - 'I have less idea of what to do here than you do' - and gathers his books and burger. He finishes off his milkshake with pointed relish, then nods firmly to Usagi. "Definitely."
And then he stands up and slings his books over his shoulder, and leans down next to Usagi and says very quietly, "Mahna mahna."
Then! Then he makes his escape. Out the door. Away. Awaaaaay.
Usagi's response is instant, born of society and media.
She perks up in her seat.
"DO DOO BE-DO-DO!!!"
Her eyes widen as she stares at the place he was JUST AT!!! "YOU FIEND!"
Minako Aino collects her cat and claims: "What a strange boy! He musta' had stuff to do," she notes, wordlessly scooping up a meowing ball of defiance into her backpack.
To calm Luna down, she explains she only meant to 'move over and make room' and not 'move over and leave'. Very reasonable and honest explanation.
Ami grins just a little at Mamoru's parting meme. Luckily, she is immune to such things. (honest; she's not sitting here singing the song in her head. Not at all.) She starts to reach for another fry, but her phone starts buzzing so she has to give up scritchings altogether to pull it out and answer it. "Hi hi?" she asys into the phone.
Ami blinks and stares at the door confusedly, then offers the phone to Usagi. "It's for you," she says quietly, then goes back to french fries and kitty scritches. "Make room for what?" she asks Minako confusedly.
Placated, Luna presses her nose against Minako's hand. Well, then. In that case.
Usagi is still just all grr. That song. That fiendish song. Of all the songs! WHY!--
The phone is handed to her. She is still Angry Face, but tries not to be and--
"Mahna Mahna"
AHHHHHHHHHH!
She resists! She won't! Never! Never eve--
"DO DOO BE-DO-DO YOU JERKITY JERK FACED JERK!!!"
She is this close to changing his contact info BACK from the new Not!Jerk-kun!!!!!
"Make room for me!" Minako Aino explains, as if this were obvious. She gives Luna a few nice pets and wiggles herself down on the booth to try and do her best lap-cat-curling impression.
"I'm a cat!"
Ami looks entirely confused at Minako. Make room for her where? None of this makes terribly much sense, and Usagi's face is distracting. "Usagi-chan," she notes with a sly grin. She reaches for her phone, "Your face is turning bright red, like a tomato. Are you alright?" she asks, trying not to laugh. Really, though, Usagi's distress is far too amusing, and distracting enough that Minako's antics go largely unnoticed, right away.
Usagi is practically eye twitching at Ami. She hands the phone back, otherwise CRUSH!!!!
(It would be an ineffective crushing, of course, but still, Ami-chan's phone.)
"That song." Eye twitch. "He will rue the day."
Now, hands free (har har) her palm slaps against the table. "HE WILL RUE THE DAY! Ami-chan, Minako-chan, you are witnesses. "RUE! HE WILL DO IT!"
Minako Aino isn't paying attention to weird phone antics. She thinks it is weird, confusing, and immature.
Meanwhile, she's slowly curling up in the booth and trying to slip onto Ami's lap parallel to Luna, while simultaneously 'pouring out' Artemis so there'll be a veritable hat trick of catcurling on Ami.
It's pretty ridiculous.
Ami covers her mouth as Usagi's vengeance speech grows in volume and determination, concealing a giggle behind her hand. "I guess you'll need to figure out something else to do with your carpet, then," she says amusedly, right up until ...
"... Oh!" There is a Minako in her lap, and Ami begins to blush /furiously/.
Ami sits very still for a moment, uncertain of how to deal with this situation. There is a /girl/ with her head in Ami's lap! Ami reaches down to very gently pat Minako on the head, still blushing furiously, before working up the nerve to ask, "Minako-san, isn't this um ... a bit inappropriate?"
Usagi's blinking and blushing, too, but more from vicarious blush?
Then, because it's the only thing she can think of, she points toward the entrance. "OH MY GOSH HE'S SO DREAMY!"
Of course, all eyes turn, and there's a blushing boy close to their age, not Usagi's personal definition of dreamy, but still. It seems to have made his day!
Minako Aino pops her head up over the edge of the table. "Hi dreamy boy!" she says, before catting right back down.
"You think this is inappropriate?" she asks blushy-Mizuno, peeking at her face. "Is it 'cuz there's a BOY cat on your lap?" she asks, giving Ami the weirdest of looks.
She doesn't wait for an answer, though, before swiftly collecting her backpack and menacing Artemis with it again. "I can fix that!"
As soon as Minako's head is out of her lap, Ami scoops Luna up into her arms and stands. "Let's go play some video games!" she says, abandoning drink and food and cell phone all in favor of getting the heck away from this situation.
Video games!
Usagi scrambles out of the booth, slinging the rug bag over her.
But!!
She droops. If possible, her hair droops.
"I'll...watch you?"
Because she has no monies. And she isn't sad she spent it on this For A Boy rug, she's just sad she can't spend it on video games, too.
Minako Aino also starts to scramble up, but doesn't rush off right away. Instead, she has a short but very serious talk with Artemis about respecting personal space before putting him back into his backpack and catching up.
"What games are we gonna do?" she asks, catching up with everybody else (with a mouthful of food she snatched).
Freed of the awkward situation, Ami is able to cuddle Luna up gently and resume scritching the cat. "I don't know, just about anything I guess," she says quietly as she heads towards the staircase down to the arcade. "Are there any good three-player games we could all play together?"
Luna is purring. Loud. It's the reverberation purr of a happy kitty wanting all to be happy kitties with her.
Even if she's not just a kitty. But still. Scritches. Purr, purr!
Sigh.
Beautiful Rug!
No game money.
Beautiful Rug!
No game money.
As she's waffling with her emotions, her hair perks back up as she spots Ami's phone still on the table.
Phone safe in hand, and she won't answer if a certain JERK FACE calls again, she hops to her friends.
"Racing games! But I always crash in a wall the first turn. Which is why I'm never driving Mamoru-baka's car ever."
Yes, for now, he is Mamoru-baka once again, but only because of the stupid song and only until the last syllable is out of her mouth.
Minako Aino suggests using the brakes! And driving other peoples' cars when practicing!
"Or, you can borrow Sailor V's official vehicle," she says, murmuring conspiratorially towards Usagi. "I'll show you it sometime!"
"Also, there aren't any three player games here, weirdly enough," she notes. "The games are mostly for one or two players. All the racing games are four or eight players!"
Ami looks somewhat crushed that there are no strictly three-player games. "Well, maybe we could play one of the racing games, and get someone else to play the fourth seat." She peers down at Luna and asks, "Luna, would you like to race a car?"
Minako Aino notes you can play with less than four or eight players.
Luna's eyes widen, then she beams. Then she gives a brief hiss at Minako, and is back to beaming at Ami. "Meow!"
She wants to play!
She was invited! Yay!