Girls' Night Out

Written by Sailor Yavin IV

It was what Honouko thought a rather innocuous, innocent question.

Now, she learned, nothing was ever a plain old "question" when it was being directed to one Tomo Densetsu.

Honouko discovered this truth on what was promising to be an otherwise uneventful afternoon. She had just finished a quick shower inside the Jungle Crasher and had been ready to begin her normal sword practice session when, with absolutely no warning or greeting, Tomo skidded into the ship's hold, grinning like a madwoman who had just escaped the psych ward. Honouko barely had time to acknowledge the young woman's presence with a "hello" before Tomo started speaking.

"The protector of myths and legends is ready to fight!" Tomo announced, resting one hand on her hip and the other in a peace sign on her forehead. Honouko finally noticed what Tomo was wearing and raised an eyebrow at her friend.

"Tomo, what is that?" she asked, gesturing to Tomo's rather flamboyant new getup.

"Oh, this?" Tomo said, doing a small twirl. From what Honouko could guess, Tomo had just made her own Sailor Senshi outfit, modeled fairly heavily upon Honouko's own, with a brighter color scheme of bright blue and green, as well as gloves that had covered her forearms and hands, but not her fingers. Tomo skipped around the hold, heels clicking against the metal, and said, "It's a costume, silly! I've been designing it since I found out you- well, you know - and just finished it this morning!" She did another twirl, stopping with her front facing Honouko and her hands palm down upon her shoulders. "I figure I can be Sailor Techno, after the hangar and the mall. Gorgeous, don't you think?" Tomo pursed her lips, a finger to her mouth. "Though I still need some attack names. Think 'Mythical Rain' sounds any good?"

Honouko's mind hadn't been on the conversation since Tomo had begun waving her half-gloved hands around. Frowning, Honouko pointed to her friend's fingertip. "Why is your fingernail bright green?" She squinted, scrutinizing Tomo's face. "Are you sick?"

Tomo's arms immediately flew to her mouth, her dark blue eyes wide. "Wait, you don't know what nail polish is?"

Honouko frowned again, racking through her brain. Finally, she shook her head, knowing she was relegating herself to one of Tomo's lessons in city-planet life. "No. What's nail polish? Is it... bad?"

"It's wonderful!" Tomo said, grabbing one of Honouko's hands and twirling her around the hold. "It's like paint for your nails! You can get so many colors, and long nails if you can't grow yours out, and manicures, and-" Tomo stopped suddenly, releasing Honouko and nearly sending Honouko crashing into the wall. Her eyes were wide once more, but this time, they shined brilliantly, happily. "I know! I'll show you, Honouko!" She tugged Honouko out of the hold and down the ship's ramp. "We'll have a girl's night, just the two of us! Get a mani-pedi, get our hair done, the whole lot of it! It'll be great!"

Honouko looked rather wearily at one of Cia's cameras for some sort of assistance as she was pulled around a corner and out of sight. Cia merely chuckled and shouted after them, "Have fun, you two!"

Honouko heard this and sighed. Cia, you're no help at all. Relegating herself to being pulled along to somewhere else she wasn't sure she wanted to be, she tiredly requested one thing of Tomo before the two left the hangar:

"Can you at least change outfits first?"

That short sequence of events was how Honouko ended up in a cushy leather chair at the Lange Boutique, her hair piled atop her head in what Tomo had called an "up-do" and her feet and hands being examined and soaked in smelly liquids and perfumes. She wrinkled her nose. This was supposed to be pleasant?

Tomo, on the other hand, was gleefully chatting up her manicurist, giggling about the latest holos and deciding what color nails would look best with her new shoes. Honouko's manicurist, a woman with dark blond hair in small buns, had no such luck, and was currently getting the silent treatment from the confused and slightly irritated half-angel.

"So, dearie, you're new to the planet?" the woman asked.

Honouko blanched, wrenching her hand halfway from the manicurist's grip. "How would you know that?"

The manicurist didn't seem phased. She gently grabbed Honouko's hand once more and shrugged. "Your feet. Very callused and well-built, with some scarring," she explained. She started filing one of Honouko's fingernails. "That usually comes from walking around barefoot too much, and definitely not on this kind of a terrain." She glanced up at Honouko. "A forested planet of some sort, I'd wager, yes?"

Honouko looked away from the woman, her eyes staring at a stain on the tabletop. She didn't answer, but the woman didn't look bothered by the lack of response. "Sorry, dearie. I've seem to have hit a sore spot, yes?" she said a little more quietly. A grunt was Honouko's only reply, to which the manicurist offered a sad smile. "I know about painful pasts, dearie. You're not the only one escaping something by coming here."

Honouko's eyes softened and returned to look the manicurist in the eye. "How do you...?"

She simply gave another somber smile. "I did the same, dearie. A lot of people do. But don't worry," she said, patting Honouko kindly on the hand, "your past will stay in the past, I'm sure. You'll forget about it soon enough." The woman smiled genuinely this time and nodded at Tomo. "Especially being friends with one like her."

At this, Honouko could only smile herself. Tomo did seem to have a certain affect on people. She glanced at the red-head across the room. Though I think it's usually by dragging them everywhere. Her shoulder gave a painful twinge at this reminder.

"Besides," the manicurist said slyly, returning to filing Honouko's nails, "if she doesn't help you to forget your problems with her... exuberant nature, her handsome brother most certainly will, I'd bet."

Honouko couldn't stop a blush from creeping up her cheeks, but did control herself from giving any particular answer. The manicurist giggled and gave a knowing look to her client. "A looker, that one is. Nice young man, too. It's a shame he works in that awful hangar. All that grease and metal is just plain horrible to his hands and nails. I've offered him a manicure before, but he always refuses." She stopped her filing momentarily to give a small sigh. "I wonder why?"

"Honouko! Having fun over there?" Tomo called from across the room. She stumbled over to Honouko, fluffy white cotton balls between her toes and holding her hands out in front of her. "Isn't this great?"

Honouko winced slightly, but nodded. "It's, um...nice."

"We were just talking about your brother, Ms. Densetsu," the manicurist informed her. Honouko's eyelid twitched as Tomo gave a small laugh.

"Oh, got an eye on Shinwa?" Tomo asked the manicurist. Tomo gingerly patted her on the shoulder, giving a wink to Honouko as she did so. "Sorry, Kima, but I think he's got someone else in mind."

Honouko looked up at Tomo, and was going to ask her to clarify what precisely she meant when the cheery atmosphere of the boutique suddenly turned into a panicked frenzy.

A humanoid creature with a mask over his face and blasters in two of his four hands had entered the shop, and had one patron in his arms, one of the blasters leveled at her head. The young lady was wailing and begging for help before being halfway gagged by the masked man.

"All right, this is a robbery!" the man shouted in heavily accented Basic. Some of the customers and employees in the shop went to try and escape, but the robber fired a shot into the ceiling, effectively freezing everyone in place. He kept one of his blasters pointed skyward and the other leveled at the young woman's head. "Give me the credits, ladies, else this girl gets it in the skull, got me?"

A shrill scream rang out, temporarily distracting the robber and giving just enough time for a several women to run out of the boutique and for Tomo to grab Honouko and pull her behind the main counter of the shop. The man fired off another few shots and the movement in the shop ceased once more.

"I said, give me the credits, or else!" he screamed, his voice breaking slightly from the volume of it. "Who owns this joint?" A woman with black hair shakily raised her hand. The man pointed his blaster at her for a second. "Get me a bag and fill it with the credits! Now!" The owner of the boutique stepped forward slowly, moving towards the register. Even from behind the counter, Honouko could hear the young woman in his arms sobbing hysterically, scared beyond belief.

As the standoff between the boutique owner and the robber went on, Tomo nudged Honouko in the ribcage, giving the girl what was most certainly going to be a bruise the next day. Honouko barely flinched, however, and instead let out a quiet and hoarse, "What?"

"Kick his butt, Honouko!" Tomo said at the same level, mimicking punching someone in front of her. "Do your Senshi thing and squash him!"

"I don't think I'm supposed to," Honouko said slowly. She peeped around the edge of the counter momentarily to take in the current status of the boutique, which now looked like it had been through a sandstorm from Tattooine. She quickly returned to the hiding place, frowning at Tomo. "He's just waving blasters around. He's bad, but he's not, I don't know..."

"He's bad, and that's enough," Tomo asserted with a firm nod. "You're a Senshi, right?"

"Yes..."

"And as a Senshi, you're supposed to fight for good and against evil, right?"

"I think so..."

"And he's evil, right?"

"...in a manner of speaking, yes."

"Then go and fight him already!" Tomo commanded, thrusting her fist into her open palm. She quickly seemed to regret doing this and winced as she looked at her hands. "Damn, I smudged my polish..."

I hope I'm doing the right thing, Honouko thought, grasping the jewel around her neck. "Yavin IV Angel-"

"All right! That's enough!"

Tomo and Honouko looked at one another, and then both jumped up to peek over the countertop to see who had spoken.

A humanoid young woman in a decidedly curious outfit that included boy shorts and a gauzy, see-through skirt currently had one gloved hand pointed towards the robber and the other on her hip. Her violet hair was mussed up, and the makeup around her gray eyes seemed to have smudged slightly. "Yeah you, jerk! You just completely ruined one of my favorite shops!" She did a double-take when she saw her reflection in one of the many mirrors, her fury doubling in her voice as she screamed, "And you made me smudge my makeup! How am I supposed to work when I look like a two-credit hooker?!"

The robber laughed. "Nothing wrong with lookin' like that!"

Tomo again rammed her elbow into Honouko's ribs, much in the same spot as before. "Honouko, you know what that is?"

Glancing from the young woman in the skimpy outfit, to the robber with blasters and a hostage, and back again, Honouko conjectured, "A woman with very little clothing and no common sense?"

"It's a Senshi! I know it!" Tomo exclaimed, pounding the counter. This brought the robber's attention to the two behind the counter, making him whirl around and fire two shots at them. Miraculously, neither of them hit their mark and the two girls once again shrunk behind the counter.

"Hey, look at me when I'm talking to you!" the young woman shouted out. "Sandcastle Bell!"

"See? See?! She must be a Senshi, I'd bet you my shoe closet she is!" Tomo said, grinning wildly. "You should go out there and help her!"

"I-" Honouko looked frantically around the shop, and seeing no one else was looking at her, quickly mumbled her transformation phrase. In an instant, she was in her Sailor Yavin IV outfit once more, and she wobbled to her feet in her buckled high heel boots.

"I, um...I'm Sailor Yavin IV, and I'm not happy either!" Yavin IV said finally, waving a finger at the robber much like the supposed Senshi had moments earlier. The motion of her hand made her nearly topple over, but she regained her balance quickly, trying to look imposing in the Senshi outfit. The man, now mostly embedded in a giant sand sculpture, grimaced and scowled at Yavin IV.

"Another one? Sith-" That was all he got out, for the other Senshi was suddenly at his side, kicking him alongside the head and knocking him a good distance into a mirror, where he fell, writhing on the floor, moaning and cursing. She helped the hostage out from the sand pile before sauntering over to the robber.

"That's what you get for ruining my hair! I hope they lock you up a long time!" the other Senshi said, kicking the man in the side. He let out another moan as she gave a satisfied nod and threw the blasters to the other side of the boutique. "That'll teach you to mess with a woman's looks."

Not entirely sure what to do, as the problem now seemed solved, Yavin IV slowly crossed the room towards the other Senshi. "I'd like to ask you something. Are you-"

"Sailor Berchest, at your service!" she said cheerily, extending a hand. Yavin IV hesitantly shook it, and nearly reeled back in shock when she touched the young woman's hand-it was cold as ice!

"Um, Sailor Yavin IV," Yavin IV said slowly. She stared at Berchest in wonder and her heart gave a leap. Another Senshi! "Where do you-"

Breaking the moment, an alarm went off from somewhere on Berchest's person (where exactly, Yavin IV didn't want to know, as there was very little room left on Berchest's scantily clad self for any sort of technology to reside), making the Senshi curse. "I've got to get going, sorry. See you around, I'm sure!"

Berchest took off through the broken doorway, looking right and left before jetting off down the long sidewalk to somewhere. Yavin IV still had her hand outstretched and was blinking slowly.

"But..." She trailed off, dropping her arms to her side and watching as the only other Senshi she had ever met got further and further away. "I finally found another Senshi, and..."

Tomo was suddenly at Yavin IV's side. "Hey, you'd better get going if you want to keep your identity secret." Looking around, Yavin IV saw that Tomo was probably right-the customers in the boutique were starting to rebound and come out of their hiding places. "Meet you back at the hangar?"

"Right." Yavin IV jogged out the door and found a back alley in which to change back to her normal self. Her mother's crystal safely around her neck once more, she quickly made her way back to the TechnoHangar.

She had finally met another Senshi, only to have that Senshi run off. Perhaps Berchest didn't really want to meet her? Honouko's pace slowed. But she had said 'See you around.' She wouldn't have said that if she hadn't wanted to meet up with her again, would she? Honouko shook her head and started running full tilt again. If that wasn't the case, she would find Berchest herself. She had to.

We'll meet again, Berchest. I know it! Honouko was back in the hangar and in her ship, recounting the story of the boutique and the other Senshi to Cia, when Tomo finally returned. She staggered into the ship looking slightly disheveled and a bit tired, but otherwise cheery.

"I helped clean up the shop. They gave us a discount for our next visit." Tomo grinned and sat down next to Honouko. "Kima hoped you'd come back soon. I think she's rather attached to you now." She released a long sigh before laughing, looking sideways at Honouko. "So, other than the minor incident of a small robbery and tiny assault, how'd you like the boutique?"

Honouko didn't answer immediately, instead holding out a hand to look at her painted nails - a shining silver color that gleamed in the ship's interior lighting. A small smile spread on her face. It had smelled like week old meat, took an incredibly long time, and it was pointless, something Gage would have laughed at, but somehow, despite all that...

"It was...fun."

At that point, Shinwa poked his head in, taking a glance at Tomo, then Honouko. He raised an eyebrow.

"What happened to you, Tomo?"

"Honouko and I got a mani-pedi. See?" Tomo roughly grabbed one of Honouko's hands and held it closer to Shinwa, pointing to the nails. "Cute, isn't it?"

Shinwa smiled, chuckling. "Pretty." Honouko blushed and pulled her hand away, shrinking into her chair. "The color suits you."

Tomo stood up and gave her brother a good thwack on the shoulder. "Oh, what would you know about color? You're hopeless."

"Hey, I grew up with you, how could I not learn something?"

"Oh, like you really paid attention..." As the two bantered, Honouko snuck another peek at her shimmering nails and smiled. Pretty... From that day onward, she was rarely ever seen without her nails painted in a bright, shining silver.

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