12/31PM Getting dressed senshi/Luna

[Neo Queen Serenity]

With another fluff of her hair, Usagi sat down on one of the couches, letting out a long sigh. She dismissed the maid with a thanks, glad that her hair was finally dry. It had taken over two hours to blow dry straight. She knew she needed to wash it, but having thick, floor-length hair meant that getting it dry was a very long trial. And she usually had to stand up, and stand still, for a very long amount of time if she wanted it straight. And Usagi was never good at that.

Now it was time to get dressed, and Usagi had invited all of the girls to come with her. It was so much fun getting ready for a party with friends! She grinned at the thought, pulling on a dressing down and waiting for the girls to come. The day's work was behind her and she was looking forward to the festivities ahead.

Giggling to herself, she put on some music, trying to get into a partying mood. It was about time they all got together, too.

[Hino Rei]

After making certain that everything had been taken care of in the ballroom, Rei had spent some time doing paperwork and making certain the shrine's business was all caught up. She had been trying to ignore the growing ruckus from without the palace, but eventually one of the shrine maidens had brought the television to her notice.

Upstairs in her room, Rei turned the tiny set on to find that they were interviewing some of the suitors. There were a few that were simply misguided, more that were horrendously "macho" about the entire thing, and still others that made her blood boil. But nothing prepared Rei for the idea that some of them were there to court her. The other three, especially Minako, she could understand. But... her?

If the sight of the men wearing an overabundance of black clothing, black makeup and black nail polish wasn't enough to turn her bones to rubber, their idea of "poetry" was. What was worse, their entire section (seperated by a good foot or two of pure distaste from the rest of the mass) was currently engaged in a poetry "contest" of their own device. They seemed to be the only judges and were currently shouting mutilated verse at one another by way of insults. Or what people could only assume were meant to be insults. The newscasters seemed to be as scared by the entire ordeal as Rei was.

She turned the television off and was suddenly aware that she was supposed to be meeting Usagi.

The priestess shook her head and gathered her wits--and clothes--and made her way over to the queen's quarters. No one tried to stop her.

After glaring the attendant into letting her in, Rei offered Usagi something approaching a smile and settled her dress bag over the back of an armchair. "Today's been quite a circus, hasn't it?"

[Mizuno Ami]

Ami did not have too much to do once they finished taking care of the ballroom, she had checked in a couple of times on the Hospital and did one inspection to make sure that they were ready and to thank those who were working on what was a holiday for most people.

Once she had been reassured that everything was going well in the hospital, she had taken a bath, knowing that the ball was sure to drain her. The bath had done her good, and while she had not had the same freedom that she'd have swimming, she felt recharged. Getting out of the water, she wrapped her robe around, and began to gather the stuff she would need to take to Usagi's.

Making sure she had everything that she needed, particularly her own make-up, she threw on a pair of sweats and a t-shirt, and gathered her stuff. Even knowing that there was a good chance that she would have to fight for the minimum make-up that she preferred, Ami was fairly certain she'd enjoy this part of the evening.

However, on the way, she passed a television, something she had managed to avoid all day. She gasped and came to a stop, careful not to drop her dress and accouterments, when she heard, "Apparently, Nicholas de Chateaub has advanced another round in the chess tournament. You might remember his boasting concerning Lady Mercury this morning."

As they replayed the interview with the man, Ami thought she was going to be sick. The color drained from her face, and she whimpered. It took her a moment before she managed to remember why she was in the hallway with a dress, and she had to force herself to continue moving towards Usagi's quarters.

When she got there, she managed to hang up her dress before dropping the rest of her stuff and looking at the other two, "I don't know if I can do this..."

[Luna]

Luna headed toward Usagi’s dressing rooms knowing that the girls would be getting ready for the party. Although she still believed that she wouldn’t be able to go to the festivities, there wasn’t any reason as to why she couldn’t enjoy the time spent while the girls got ready. It had been a long while since she had been able to spend any time with all of the girls together for something as frivolous as getting ready for a party.

She slipped into the room a few moments after Ami did and murmured, “Good evening Usagi, Rei, and ...” The moment she had glanced up at Ami, Luna had noted the paleness of her cheeks and immediately became concerned. “Are you alright Ami?”

[Kino Makoto]

Somehow, Makoto had managed to get her long list of preparations completed in a relatively short amount of time. She’d even been able to have a quick chat with her sisters earlier in the morning in one of the ballrooms without winding up behind schedule.

Once she’d retreated to her quarters, she promptly stripped down and ran a hot bath. Normally she would have gone for a shower, but decided that her muscles needed a good soak in preparation for all the dancing and moving around she’d be doing later. She sat on the edge of her garden tub while she waited for it to fill and flipped on the small television that was mounted to the wall above. She leaned over to test the water when she heard the commotion on screen. Some reporter was trying to shout over a rather raucous crowd that had gathered outside the palace. Makoto quirked an eyebrow as she saw several members of the crowd jumping up and down with signs. Her jaw dropped as the camera panned to zoom in on some of the flashier ones.

’I love you Serenity!’
‘Be mine, Minako!’
‘Marry me, Makoto!’

She nearly dropped the remote control in the water. ’What the hell is going on? Where is security?’ She glanced to the window beside the tub, thankful that the glass was frosted. With a sigh, she decided that now would not be the time to stress out over the news. There were much more important things to worry about tonight. She flipped the television over to an all-music station, tested the water in the tub, and hopped in.

An hour or so later, feeling fully relaxed she shut off the music and exited the tub. Having made quick work of toweling off, she dressed in a pair of sweats and a loose shirt figuring it was suitable enough to get her to Usagi’s dressing room. She grabbed her makeup bag and hair dryer and placed them in a bigger bag along with a pair of gold sandals. Slinging the bag over her shoulder, she took her garment bag from the hook she’d placed it on earlier and left her quarters.

Makoto smiled to the attendant outside Usagi’s chambers before letting herself in. She could hear voices in the next room over, and when she entered she saw the girls and Luna staring at a rather pale Ami. “Whoa. What did I miss?”

[Tomoe Hotaru]

Staring at the door to Usagi's chambers, Hotaru wished desperately to be back in her own quiet appartment, surrounded by her books and lamps for company. Maybe she would have put on a recording of Michiru's violin playing, lulled into a sense of peace surrounded by her mother's music even when she was not physically present at the time.

Her hands twisted, wringing so tightly together she winced. She felt horribly out of place already, and she hadn't even entered the room. It didn't matter that they shared the bond of being Senshi, she was physically still a child while the rest of them were young women in their prime. There was no place for her in the glamor and glitter of their adult world, no young man who would want to dance with a child at the ball. She would be as she always was- a small unobtrusive shadow on the edge of the event, always watching, never joining. Never belonging.

She shook her head, throwing her small shoulders back and lifting her chin. She was being silly- they were her sisters, her family. Never would they let her feel out of place. Letting out a slow breath, the raven tressed girl walked pass the guards and cautiously pushed open the door to the scene that lay before her, taking in Usagi, Rei, Makoto, and a pale faced Ami. Nodding in greeting to the others, she turned her attention to the young female doctor, moving a step closer to her.

"Ami-chan," she murmured, laying a small hand on the taller woman's elbow. "Are you all right?"

[Aino Minako]

Minako stood in the shower, letting the hot water run down her body. She wasn't looking forward to the New Year's Eve party as much today as she had a few days ago. To start, her fight with Rei still weighed heavily on her. She and Rei had been so close when they were younger, and while Minako couldn't single out any of her friends as being closer than any of the others, she had often felt deeply connected to Rei. Now, the relationship felt fragmented and Minako wanted nothing more than to avoid the dark-haired priestess.

But that wasn't going to be possible. As soon as her shower was over, Minako was planning to pack up her dress and her kimono and her make-up and whatever else she needed to prepare for the party and head to Usagi's chambers, where all the senshi had planned on getting ready for the event together. Minako hadn't seen any of senshi in days, and with the except of Usagi, she hadn't seen any of them since her fight with Rei. She hadn't mentioned the issue to Usagi either. With all the stress Usagi was dealing with, Minako didn't think her friend needed anything else to worry about.

The blonde finished rinsing her hair, then turned the shower knob until the water no longer poured from the showerhead. She grabbed her towel and patted herself dry, then stepped out into the main area of the bathroom. She pulled on a button-down shirt and a pair of sweat pants, then grabbed her already packed bag and her dresses. After slipping on a pair of flipflops, she headed for the door.

She paused in front of the television. She's watched some of the programming before her shower, while suitors chanted up and down about marrying the queen and the senshi. The attention hadn't bothered her; how many times had some crazy fan proposed to her on her blog, or at a concert, or an album signing, or on TV? To receive more proposals wasn't unexpected given the crazed nature of the crowd. What concerned Minako was how Usagi was handling the attention, because up until a few days ago, no one had proposed to Usagi except Mamoru. Minako sighed and flipped off the television. Time to head to Usagi's room and find out.

The trip to the queen's chambers was quick and Minako found herself pushing her way through the door within a few minutes. She wasn't surprised to find that, as usual, she was one of the last to arrive. She plastered a smile on her face, and greeted each of her friends, trying hard to ensure that her hello to Rei was a charming and polite as the words she gave everyone else.

"What a crowd we've got outside," she laughed, trying to keep her voice even and natural. "Welcome to the world of being a celebrity. Surprising that so many of thing really think that we'll tell them yes." She noticed then, that Ami seemed upset. "Ami-chan? Are you alright?" she asked, echoing the words Hotaru had spoken only moments before she'd arrived.

[Neo Queen Serenity]

Usagi grinned as Rei arrived, coming over to greet her sister with a hug. "Circus? You can say that again. Hopefully tonight will be more fun and less drama. Glad to see you here. I can't wait to see that dress," she added, glancing down at the garment, but didn't get long to gander at it when Ami entered. The look on her face banished any teasing thoughts Usagi had instantly. Frowning, she approached the blue-haired senshi.

They all seemed to arrive at the same time, because Usagi barely opened her mouth before Luna, Makoto, Hotaru, and Minako. She winced at Minako's mention of the crowd outside, not because she was bothered by it much, but because she was sure the topic wouldn't do much to improve Ami's mood, if indeed the crowd wasn't the cause of it. 'Not now' she mouthed over their heads to Minako. There would be time to joke about the situation later. She quickly turned down the music.

"Hey, everyone," Usagi greeted them calmly. "I'm glad to see you, Hotaru-chan," Usagi smiled at the younger senshi. "I haven't seen you for awhile, and I've missed you. Listen, why don't we spread out and give poor Ami-chan some breathing room, okay? We all sort of crowded her at once." Usagi backed up a pace. With as many girls around Ami was it was, she wasn't sure she'd be able to get an elbow in!

"Ami-chan, what happened?" Usagi asked kindly. "Please tell us. Why do you feel like you can't do this?"

[Hino Rei]

Rei had settled her things down in one corner of the room and begun to paw through them for what she needed when all the commotion began. At first it was just Ami drifting through the door--looking rather worse for the wear--then all the others in quick succession. The Priestess nodded a hello to each of them, but her eyes were for the ice senshi.

She tried not to snort at Usagi's question--and had succeeded, if barely. Wasn't it obvious? Rei understood only too well what Ami meant and she tried to catch the woman's eye to at least give her that sign of understanding. With everyone gathered about and doting over her, however, it wasn't likely that Ami would appreciate even more attention. So, instead, Rei concentrated on getting her things laid out and kept an eye and ear on the conversation. She'd jump in when she needed to.

[Mizuno Ami]

Ami was used to how very supportive her sisters could be, so she did not feel too suffocated as they all surrounded her, but she did stiffen at Minako's laughing comment about the crowd outside, whimpering slightly. She caught Rei's look and nodded slightly.

"I... I'm... ok... it's just... I..." She gestured despite the fact that there was not a television on in the room that they were in. Ami forced herself to take a deep breath. It was frustrating to her that she could be eloquent when it came to medicine or science or literature, but when it came to her own life, she tended to get tongue tied.

"That man wants to use me as a brood mare... and... they're having chess tournaments in an attempt to win me and they don't even know me! Why would..." She shook her head, words again failing her.

She was silent again and looked at the floor, "Am I really that cold?"

[Luna]

Luna slipped further into the room, leaping to a chair so that she wouldn’t be stepped on in the rush to comfort Ami. She frowned in concern as she heard Ami mention a man that had wanted to use her as a brood mare.

She really had no trouble figuring out which man Ami was referring to, that Nicholas de Chateaub. She had seen him the very first time the interviews had started. Luna had hoped that perhaps Ami wouldn’t have caught that particular man’s speech, but obviously she had noticed it during the many times it had aired over the day. There were times when she hated the media, as far as Luna was concerned they ought to know that it might bother Ami to have to listen to such things, therefore not show it. That was wishful thinking however and she knew it.

Luna sighed softly and shook her head in regret before saying, “Ami, don’t think such things. You are a very warm hearted woman that just happens to be able to control ice. That Nicholas guy is the cold one, to even be able to think such things is beyond my comprehension. Please don’t pay him too much attention, or any of them really. Those people outside are just idiots that want their shot at becoming someone important.”

[Kino Makoto]

Makoto nodded and smiled as Hotaru and Minako entered the room, but chose not to do anything more, wanting to hear an explanation from the others on Ami’s apparent distress.

On Usagi’s cue, she moved away from Ami to an empty chair and hung her dress over its back and placed her bag at its feet. With her belongings in place, she turned back to face Ami and the others.

Luna spoke first, and Makoto nodded in agreement. “Really, Ami. Don’t let things like this get to you. Anyone who would be in that crowd outside competing for our attention, aren’t worthy of it. If anything, it’s a bad show of character on their part. Luna is right. Don’t pay any of them any mind. It’s not worth the stress.”

[Tomoe Hotaru]

Usagi's genuine warmth made her cheeks flush, and she regretted her self imposed isolation, realizing just how much she has missed them all. She nodded and gave a small wave to Makoto, flattered that she had obviously been missed. She never would have guessed it.

"I'm glad to see you as well, Usagi-chan," she murmured softly, allowing a true smile to twitch her lips.

Realizing that the Queen probably did have a point, she took several steps back from Ami to hover shyly beside the chair where Luna sat, admiring the lovely gowns the other girls had brought with them.

Her head jerked up to attention though at the words Ami spoke, her eyes flashing and going dark. "No one will ever treat any of us like that," she said in a low voice, barely aware of how cold she had become in that moment. "I won't allow it. Don't give it a second thought, Ami-chan."

[Aino Minako]

Minako listened to Ami while she was getting dressed, slipping on stocking, arranging under garments, rubbing on lotion. She, and Usagi as well, were both far more accustom to the type of attention they were all receiving than the rest of the senshi. "Ami-chan," Minako said, joining in the conversation, "Part of the celebrity status gig, like it or not, is that all types of people come out of the woodwork. At first, it bothered me a bit too, but you learn over time to put up a veil when dealing with the public in general. They see a picture in a magazine, a woman or man walking across a dais, a story in the paper and all they can think about is how lucky they'd be to stand by that person's side, when really they don't even know him or her. For most of them, it's just a dream and they don't even think about how their words might impact you."

Minako gave Ami a smile, "You ignore them and you focus on you and your own heart and your own person. You aren't and will never be who they think you are or who the press portrays you to be."

Standing close enough to Hotaru to hear the tone of her words, she placed a comforting hand on the younger girl's shoulders, "Those people aren't in a position to treat us like anything. Let them be who they are, and you worry about who you need to be."

[Neo Queen Serenity]

Usagi listened to Ami, her eyes narrowing when she realized that Ami had heard what that horrible man had said on television. She should have said something, asked them not to turn on the TV-- she was somewhat used to this, now, but poor Ami-chan...

It seemed the other senshi had managed to adjust and were dispensing out wonderful advice. Usagi nodded along with them, waiting until all had offered their thoughts before speaking up. "They're all correct, Ami-chan. Please, don't make him more important than he is by giving him your time and anguish, even in your thoughts. It doesn't matter how many interviews he gives or how many chess tournaments he wins, that eugenicist piece of trash isn't getting anywhere near you. So don't fuss. Besides, Lucan and I both spoke with Minister Sawyer. We can't get them out right now, but I've requested they leave on the blog and will release a statement to the press later on today. Once that's out, we can clear that crap off of our lawn, on charges of harassment. Minako-chan is correct as well, this is an unfortunate side effect of being famous. At least 16-20% of the people who make inappropriate advances are going to be like that-- romantic or erotomanic. And much of the communications coming into the palace are of a similar nature, even before this occurred," Usagi pointed out. She didn't want to make it worse, but it was better that they knew the facts.

"Ami-chan, I had to learn this the hard way-- what is shown in the media, how the public reacts to the image that is projected to them-- you can't live like that. You can't look into that feedback and expect to see an accurate reflection of yourself. You'll waste away if all you care about is what those jerks are saying or doing or if that makes you cold, or whatever. It's one thing to care about public opinion, it's another to care about what Nicholas de Shutthefuckup has to say. And he's not coming to this ball, and he's not getting anywhere near you. You know we wouldn't allow that, and security wouldn't even let him in the door. Now, please... Focus on what does matter right now-- having fun together with us! I've wanted to just hang out with you! So cheer up?" she smiled brightly. "Why don't you show me your dress?"