Post by toukaze on Feb 12, 2024 2:00:45 GMT
Rini surveyed her efforts at decorating Charlotte’s home, which was now hers as well. While she may have given Charlotte warnings to not decorate without her, Rini was glad that Charlotte had at least gotten a bed for her. It was even a style she liked.
“This is the last box, Rini, but it’s not labeled,” Charlotte called as she entered through the front door. Rini turned as Charlotte hefted the box experimentally. “Whatever it is, it’s light enough we could’ve brought it back on the plane…”
Rini grinned and stepped lightly to her friend, taking the box and bringing it to the small dining table. She frowned briefly, trying to consider the best way to describe why she’d kept it hidden from the person who best understood her in the world. She sighed, deciding that her English failed her, so she resorted to their common tongue. “I wanted to surprise you for our official debut as a tag team.”
Charlotte frowned, her shoulders almost jerking backwards. Rini smiled again, knowing this defense of her best friend. She’d seen it often enough whenever they’d been out shopping and Rini had insisted on paying for something for Charlotte. Rini wasted no more time, using the box cutter she’d kept handy to open the box.
It had taken a good chunk of the money she’d managed to save, along with a generous donation from Hannah, but she’d managed to get the costume-maker for Hachimangū Dojo to take on the project. Charlotte came around the table to stand beside Rini so she could see the contents inside.
Rini couldn’t help but grin as she pulled the pieces out and Charlie groaned. “Really, Rini? Really?” her friend demanded. Even though Charlotte was shaking her head, she was still smiling.
“Now we will be Maasu and Muun for real.”
Charlotte only sighed, but put up no fuss when Rini insisted on making sure everything still fit and hauled the taller girl into Rini’s room.
“I got Tsuki to send me your measurements, so it should be fine, and Yori knows your shoe size. He said it should not change so-”
Rini chattered in her usual way as she made like Charlotte was her personal dress-up doll, and Charlotte didn’t have the wherewithal to resist. It wasn’t as though they hadn’t seen each other changing back in their Dojo days. In fact, Rini had been the one to help Yori design the ring gear Charlotte had used before Neo-Honshu, and that outfit, in turn, had inspired Hannah’s friends with the skirt she now wore to the ring. The red skirt wasn’t actually hakama, and Charlotte wouldn’t have trusted anyone other than Yori to make such a thing. Yet still, it was the thought, the illusion that they were hakama that was important to Charlotte’s new role.
Finally, every piece was in place, the red knee-high boots laced, and bows straightened. Rini stepped back to admire her handiwork and nodded. “Perfect! I knew it would be!” she declared.
Charlotte couldn’t necessarily disagree either, but all this had made her think about the years with Neo-Honshu…
“Muun… Did Neo-Honshu ruin us?”
Rini froze, mid pose in front of the full-length mirror on the wall of her room. Slowly, the smaller girl turned to face Charlotte, her expression a mask of blandness made a lie by the war Charlotte clearly saw in Rini’s eyes. “What do you mean, Maasu?”
The question was deceptively simple, but with so many layers Charlotte was sure even Rini didn’t know how many there were.
“I mean… They took so long with you that your family disowned you, we had to hide our friendship for six years, and they wanted to ignore half of me while perverting the other half into some caricature of villainy that bore no resemblance to who I actually am.” Charlie cut herself off before she could tell Rini exactly what they’d wanted her to do, but the dam was breaking and she couldn’t, or wouldn’t, stop the torrent now. “And apparently it took me until recently to stop holding myself back because of them… I’m still not sure I’m worth the shots IWF is giving me and -”
Rini whirled around, her expression fierce. “You are worth your shots, Maasu!” Rini retorted, almost burning with vehemence. “And Fuck Neo-Honshu! Maybe they ruined things for us for a while, but they couldn’t ruin us forever! Look where we are now!”
Rini waved a hand around, encompassing more than just the room they were in. It seemed to take in the whole house, their new careers, everything.
“As for my family, there was always going to be something that would cause a rift between us. I wish they could understand but they don’t and that’s not Neo-Honshu’s fault. It’d be like you trying to blame Neo-Honshu for boys not liking girls who can beat them into the pavement without breaking a nail.”
Despite the heaviness of the conversation, Charlotte allowed herself a dry, weak laugh at the analogy. Rini had heard all about the boys who’s fragile masculinity couldn’t stand Charlotte’s strength and agility. “You know… This is why I always wondered why I was Maasu and not Jupitaa…”
Rini shook her head with a wry smile, the gravity of the moment easing. “Jupitaa always wanted a boyfriend, and took up more feminine things to offset her strength and height… You don’t care, like Maasu.”
Charlotte allowed that to be true, but idly wondered if there would ever be someone she wanted to cook for… Not that she could do more than boil water or follow instructions on a box anyway. Rini was more like Jupitaa in that respect.
Rini broke through Charlotte’s pensiveness to pull the taller woman in front of the mirror with her. Rini spent several moments adjusting Charlotte like a poseable doll, cajoling her to turn her body slightly without moving her feet.
Finally, Rini deemed herself satisfied and struck her own pose that Charlotte easily recognized as Sailormoon’s own pose. “Tsuki ni kawatte -”
Charlotte almost lost Rini’s careful positioning as she laughed and added, “Kasei ni kawatte -”
“Oshikiyo!” they finished together, then broke into gales of laughter.
The feed starts with a black screen before a line of text appears:
“I haven’t had the best run lately-”
“And I have not had a real match in six years-”
“But that doesn’t matter-”
“Because we have always been-”
“And always will be-”
“The best of friends-”
“The best teammates-”
“Because we are-”
“Sisters.”
The women move slightly apart, and the camera shifts back so they both remain in frame. Charlotte steps in front of Rini, seeming to command the focus.
“You can say we’re not really because at the end of the day, we don’t have the same parents… But Rini and I are the sisters forged in battle, tempered by trials.”
Rini steps forward now, and Charlotte smoothly cedes focus to the shorter woman.
“We have weathered the storm and the winds have brought us back together.”
The pair stand side-by-side again as Charlotte takes up the narrative again.
“Jolene and Dixie Winston… I’m sure you know what it means to fight alongside each other, even if those fights were not in the squared circle. As singles competitors, neither of you are anything to scoff at. Sure it’s been a few years, but you both were in the Heiress to the Throne tournament… I may be the Breakout Star for 2023, but even I didn’t make that cut.”
Charlotte offers a slight smile. “Just do us all a favor, girls… We’re here to do a job. It’s not personal… Remember that and try to not hold a grudge when I do a dive to take one of you out.”
Rini smiles broadly. “Let us bring a good fight to the tag team division. We do not need the viciousness shown by other teams to prove our worth. It is unfortunate that there are so few women teaming together, and the rules for intergender here are much more strict than we have dealt with.”
Charlotte turns to Rini, an indulgent smile on her face. “Exactly so, Muun.”
“See you Tuesday!” Rini adds with an overly enthusiastic wave. Charlotte seems to chuckle before her hand comes up to cover the camera lens.
The feed cuts. It is later released in Japanese.
“This is the last box, Rini, but it’s not labeled,” Charlotte called as she entered through the front door. Rini turned as Charlotte hefted the box experimentally. “Whatever it is, it’s light enough we could’ve brought it back on the plane…”
Rini grinned and stepped lightly to her friend, taking the box and bringing it to the small dining table. She frowned briefly, trying to consider the best way to describe why she’d kept it hidden from the person who best understood her in the world. She sighed, deciding that her English failed her, so she resorted to their common tongue. “I wanted to surprise you for our official debut as a tag team.”
Charlotte frowned, her shoulders almost jerking backwards. Rini smiled again, knowing this defense of her best friend. She’d seen it often enough whenever they’d been out shopping and Rini had insisted on paying for something for Charlotte. Rini wasted no more time, using the box cutter she’d kept handy to open the box.
It had taken a good chunk of the money she’d managed to save, along with a generous donation from Hannah, but she’d managed to get the costume-maker for Hachimangū Dojo to take on the project. Charlotte came around the table to stand beside Rini so she could see the contents inside.
Rini couldn’t help but grin as she pulled the pieces out and Charlie groaned. “Really, Rini? Really?” her friend demanded. Even though Charlotte was shaking her head, she was still smiling.
“Now we will be Maasu and Muun for real.”
Charlotte only sighed, but put up no fuss when Rini insisted on making sure everything still fit and hauled the taller girl into Rini’s room.
“I got Tsuki to send me your measurements, so it should be fine, and Yori knows your shoe size. He said it should not change so-”
Rini chattered in her usual way as she made like Charlotte was her personal dress-up doll, and Charlotte didn’t have the wherewithal to resist. It wasn’t as though they hadn’t seen each other changing back in their Dojo days. In fact, Rini had been the one to help Yori design the ring gear Charlotte had used before Neo-Honshu, and that outfit, in turn, had inspired Hannah’s friends with the skirt she now wore to the ring. The red skirt wasn’t actually hakama, and Charlotte wouldn’t have trusted anyone other than Yori to make such a thing. Yet still, it was the thought, the illusion that they were hakama that was important to Charlotte’s new role.
Finally, every piece was in place, the red knee-high boots laced, and bows straightened. Rini stepped back to admire her handiwork and nodded. “Perfect! I knew it would be!” she declared.
Charlotte couldn’t necessarily disagree either, but all this had made her think about the years with Neo-Honshu…
“Muun… Did Neo-Honshu ruin us?”
Rini froze, mid pose in front of the full-length mirror on the wall of her room. Slowly, the smaller girl turned to face Charlotte, her expression a mask of blandness made a lie by the war Charlotte clearly saw in Rini’s eyes. “What do you mean, Maasu?”
The question was deceptively simple, but with so many layers Charlotte was sure even Rini didn’t know how many there were.
“I mean… They took so long with you that your family disowned you, we had to hide our friendship for six years, and they wanted to ignore half of me while perverting the other half into some caricature of villainy that bore no resemblance to who I actually am.” Charlie cut herself off before she could tell Rini exactly what they’d wanted her to do, but the dam was breaking and she couldn’t, or wouldn’t, stop the torrent now. “And apparently it took me until recently to stop holding myself back because of them… I’m still not sure I’m worth the shots IWF is giving me and -”
Rini whirled around, her expression fierce. “You are worth your shots, Maasu!” Rini retorted, almost burning with vehemence. “And Fuck Neo-Honshu! Maybe they ruined things for us for a while, but they couldn’t ruin us forever! Look where we are now!”
Rini waved a hand around, encompassing more than just the room they were in. It seemed to take in the whole house, their new careers, everything.
“As for my family, there was always going to be something that would cause a rift between us. I wish they could understand but they don’t and that’s not Neo-Honshu’s fault. It’d be like you trying to blame Neo-Honshu for boys not liking girls who can beat them into the pavement without breaking a nail.”
Despite the heaviness of the conversation, Charlotte allowed herself a dry, weak laugh at the analogy. Rini had heard all about the boys who’s fragile masculinity couldn’t stand Charlotte’s strength and agility. “You know… This is why I always wondered why I was Maasu and not Jupitaa…”
Rini shook her head with a wry smile, the gravity of the moment easing. “Jupitaa always wanted a boyfriend, and took up more feminine things to offset her strength and height… You don’t care, like Maasu.”
Charlotte allowed that to be true, but idly wondered if there would ever be someone she wanted to cook for… Not that she could do more than boil water or follow instructions on a box anyway. Rini was more like Jupitaa in that respect.
Rini broke through Charlotte’s pensiveness to pull the taller woman in front of the mirror with her. Rini spent several moments adjusting Charlotte like a poseable doll, cajoling her to turn her body slightly without moving her feet.
Finally, Rini deemed herself satisfied and struck her own pose that Charlotte easily recognized as Sailormoon’s own pose. “Tsuki ni kawatte -”
Charlotte almost lost Rini’s careful positioning as she laughed and added, “Kasei ni kawatte -”
“Oshikiyo!” they finished together, then broke into gales of laughter.
The feed starts with a black screen before a line of text appears:
Family is not an important thing…
The words slowly fade, replaced by another line:It is
EVERYTHING
The screen now shows Charlotte’s familiar face, and Rini’s less familiar one. Instead of Charlotte’s normal, relatively modest ring gear, she’s wearing a strappy bralette trimmed in red with a violet bow in front, and a red miniskirt, with violet bow likewise adorning the back. Rini’s outfit is nearly identical to Charlotte’s only differing in colors, a blue skirt and blue-trimmed bralette with red bows. Both women wear nearly identical expressions of determination. Between the higher angle of the camera, and how close the frame is focused on them, it’s near impossible to tell where they are.“I haven’t had the best run lately-”
“And I have not had a real match in six years-”
“But that doesn’t matter-”
“Because we have always been-”
“And always will be-”
“The best of friends-”
“The best teammates-”
“Because we are-”
“Sisters.”
The women move slightly apart, and the camera shifts back so they both remain in frame. Charlotte steps in front of Rini, seeming to command the focus.
“You can say we’re not really because at the end of the day, we don’t have the same parents… But Rini and I are the sisters forged in battle, tempered by trials.”
Rini steps forward now, and Charlotte smoothly cedes focus to the shorter woman.
“We have weathered the storm and the winds have brought us back together.”
The pair stand side-by-side again as Charlotte takes up the narrative again.
“Jolene and Dixie Winston… I’m sure you know what it means to fight alongside each other, even if those fights were not in the squared circle. As singles competitors, neither of you are anything to scoff at. Sure it’s been a few years, but you both were in the Heiress to the Throne tournament… I may be the Breakout Star for 2023, but even I didn’t make that cut.”
Charlotte offers a slight smile. “Just do us all a favor, girls… We’re here to do a job. It’s not personal… Remember that and try to not hold a grudge when I do a dive to take one of you out.”
Rini smiles broadly. “Let us bring a good fight to the tag team division. We do not need the viciousness shown by other teams to prove our worth. It is unfortunate that there are so few women teaming together, and the rules for intergender here are much more strict than we have dealt with.”
Charlotte turns to Rini, an indulgent smile on her face. “Exactly so, Muun.”
“See you Tuesday!” Rini adds with an overly enthusiastic wave. Charlotte seems to chuckle before her hand comes up to cover the camera lens.
The feed cuts. It is later released in Japanese.
Well howdy there pardner.