Out Of the Locket Rei Hino shrugged eloquently as she explained, "So they want to get married." "What, here?" Juri blinked. The last few customers were leaving and the staff had started closing up when Rei had flagged her down. "Belldandy and Linna want me to perform the ceremony, and they want to rent the Locket for the night," Rei smiled. Juri looked thoughtful, "Would they mind letting the regulars at the Locket attend?" "I don't think it would be a problem," Rei said, "I'd have to ask them, though. Why?" "If they agree," Juri grinned, "I'll let them have the place for half." Setsuna was wishing some of the staff goodnight, then she made her way to where Rei and Juri were standing. "Ready to go, love?" Setsuna asked. "I'll go talk to them," Rei grinned, "have a good night you two." Juri and Setsuna walked out of the Locket together, Juri pausing just a moment to lock up. "It's a beautiful night," Juri smiled. "Yes, it is," Setsuna smiled back at her. "Too beautiful to end too soon," Juri smiled. She paused, "Would you like to stop by my place for a nightcap, maybe?" "I'd love to," Setsuna smiled as Juri led her to Juri's car. She helped her in like any gentleman would, and they were off. The top was down, the breeze ruffling their hair as they drove through the heart of Tokyo. "I wanted to invite you over sooner," Juri admitted, "but I had to make sure the place was at least presentable first." "I doubt it was that bad," Setsuna chuckled softly. "Bachelor living," Juri shrugged. She was just glad she had used one of those cleaning coupons May had given her for Christmas. Setsuna laughed softly. Neon lights glowed around them as they coasted to a stop. "You live in the Shinjuku district?" she said, surprised. "Yeah, I inherited the apartment from my Aunt," Juri explained. She opened a garage with a key, then drove the car in before locking it up. She led Setsuna into the apartment building, nodding to a dark haired man walking outside, "Hello, Joe." Ryo Saeba nodded, "Hey, Juri." Once they were out of his hearing, Setsuna murmured softly, "Is that Joe Saeba, the infamous City Hunter?" "You always know more than you let on," Juri said admiringly. They stepped into the elevator, and Juri pressed the top floor button twice. The elevator rose smoothly, reaching the top floor but not stopping, going one floor above that. The door opened, and Setsuna stepped out, her eyes wide. "Wow," she murmured softly, looking out over the city. A small house was literally perched on the top of the building, a single floor cottage. Juri unlocked the front door and waved Setsuna inside. The living room was comfortable, a pair of sofa chairs and a couch, coffee table, and an impressive entertainment system. Two doors branched off, one clearly leading into the kitchen. "Wine?" Juri offered, stepping into the kitchen. At Setsuna's nod she poured two glasses of red, stepping into the living room to sit on the couch beside her. Juri picked up a remote and hit a switch, soft music playing in the background. "This rose is our destiny, it has lead us here..." it began, continuing on in Japanese. "This is a beautiful home, Juri," Setsuna said quietly, looking around her admiringly. "There's only one problem with it," Juri said quietly, "it's a little to large for one person. For a couple, it'd be perfect." Setsuna's eyes widened as she got her meaning, "Juri, I'm flattered, but..." Juri winced, "I'm sorry." She put her drink down and walked over to the window, looking out over the city. "Guess I'm rushing things," she said quietly. A gentle hand rested on Juri's shoulder and she turned to meet Setsuna's eyes. "You have no idea how much I want to," she said softly, "but I have a responsibility to Hotaru and the others." Softly, she said, "You could move in with me." They both thought for a moment of Juri moving into the Outers' home. Juri had to sigh, "I don't think that would work out." "So what do we do now?" Setsuna said quietly. "I don't know," Juri clasped Setsuna's hand in her own firmly, "but I do know that I'm not giving you up." She smiled, "We'll find a way." A few hours later in an apartment in another part of the large city, a rapid house cleaning was under way that morning. "Are you sure you want me here?" a busy May asked her softly. The beautiful Cyberdoll cleaned up with a relentless energy, scouring the place from top to bottom while not messing up her long blue and white dress in any way. "Yes, I'm sure," Keiko smiled. Her long brown hair was pulled back into a long braid, and she wore a simple white shirt and dark pants. "Does you're friend Nanami know about me?" May asked curiously. "Not yet," Keiko took a step towards her, "that's part of why I invited her today." She took her hand, "Sit down, rest for a minute." May looked around and nodded, "The place looks good." She and Keiko sat down on the couch together, "So this Nanami was your best friend in school?" May gently rested her head on Keiko's shoulder. "I'm not sure Nanami had a best friend, but I was probably the closest she came to it," Keiko admitted. "I was a bit surprised when she called yesterday asking to see me," she added. May sat up suddenly, "Does she know about you being...?" "She knows I'm working at the Locket," Keiko said, "but I haven't specifically told her." "I hope she takes it well," May said thoughtfully, "I mean, she did have experience with Juri, Utena and Anthy at your old school." Keiko shook her head, "Juri, Utena and Anthy were sort of a law unto themselves." The doorbell rang, and they both froze. "I'll get us some snacks," May quickly retreated into the suite's kitchen. Keiko took a calming breath, walked over and opened the door. She and Nanami both looked at each other a moment, and both had to grin. Nanami hesitated, moving to hug her, and Keiko reached out, grasped her hand gently and shook it. Nanami's golden hair was shoulder length, her clothes much more casual than anything she would have worn regularly. She looked Keiko up and down, "You look good." "So do you," Keiko grinned. Keiko led Nanami inside, and the young woman looked around with a smile. Nanami's eyes widened and she exclaimed, "You're living with someone!" Keiko looked at her in surprise, "How did you know?" "The way the room's decorated," Nanami grinned, "so who is he?" Keiko simply said, "She, actually." Nanami looked at her, a little smile teasing her lips. "I always wondered why you didn't date much in school," Nanami murmured, "when can I meet her?" May, a mistress of good timing, came out of the kitchen bearing a tray of drinks and snacks. "Hello, Mrs. Kiryuu, Keiko's told me so much about you," May beamed. "May, meet Nanami, Nanami, meet May," Keiko smiled. "Call me Nanami," she offered her hand to the good looking young woman with a smile. "And I hope you can forgive my misdeeds at school," she added with a smile. "The past is the past," May shrugged, "I'd rather judge on the now." "Thanks," Nanami smiled. Softly, "I should have brought Miki with me." "You and Miki?" Keiko laughed. "You finally got him at last," she smiled. They made idle chatter for a few moments, and Keiko was astonished by how much Nanami had changed. The hard, almost bitter young woman she had been at school was gone, leaving a much more warm, open woman in her place. Finally, Nanami got to the point of her visit. "I'm worried about my brother, Touga," she said quietly. "He was always a casual drinker, but he's become much worse in the past few months," she sighed softly. Keiko frowned slightly, "Have you thought about having Saionji talk to him?" "They've not talked in years," Nanami said. Keiko looked at her in shock and Nanami nodded, "I couldn't believe it either." "So you think Juri might be able to help," Keiko said thoughtfully. "If you could ask her to try, I'd be forever in your debt," Nanami said softly. "I can't promise anything," Keiko cautioned her, "but I'll try." Our Cast This Episode: Arisugawa Juri, Keiko, Nanami, Touga, Utena and Anthy are all from Revolutionary Girl Utena. Rei Hino and Setsuna are from Sailor Moon. Ryo Saeba is from City Hunter. Linna is from Bubblegum Crisis 2040. Belldandy is from Oh My Goddess. May is from Hand Maid May. The Linna/Belldandy reference is from my Bubblegum Crisis/Oh My Goddess fic, A Goddess comes to Call. The Keiko and Nanami sequence continues from the Juri's Tales: Part Four chapter.
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