Mai Tokhia smiled as she left the office of the advertizing company she worked at, checking her watch before heading off down the quiet street. While Crystal Tokyo was large it was still sparely populated, many of the older structures preserved for historic value rather than being used. Still, she found the mix of crystal towers, ferro-concrete buildings and other structures homey, especially compared to the temporary nature of everything else. "Mai!" a voice yelped happily and she grinned as Mikoto Minagi hurried up the street, the black haired woman's black hair tied in a braid. "I'm hungry," she announced as she picked Mai up and twirled her around. "When aren't you hungry?" Mai laughed as the orange haired younger woman was easily swung through midair. Mikoto winked as she said with a leer, "Well, right after we..." Mai yelped. "Mikoto!" Mikoto and Mai were the last two survivors of the Hime, a band of young warriors who had fought each other to settle the destiny of Japan. Mai had her physical body destroyed in battle against Alyssa Sears, rebuilding herself out of ageless energy, while Mikoto was the only truly undefeated Hime and inheritor of immense powers, the crystal princess. With those powers Mikoto had made herself immortal, but hadn't realized she could do so until she was a bit older than Mai in appearance. "So how did things go with Nadesico?" Mikoto wondered as they walked down the streets together, Mai's hand resting on Mikoto's arm. Mai chuckled, liking how Mikoto liked keeping up with the gossip at her work. "Well, she managed to stay over at Jun's overnight..." she revealed. "All right," Mikoto cheered. "But she got the bed and Jun took the couch," Mai finished. Mikoto groaned. "She should have waited till Jun was asleep and climbed into bed with her," she said, shaking her head. Mai gave her a look, "Like you used to do with me?" Mikoto looked unrepentant, "You got the point eventually." Mai chuckled softly, "Well, it took me a bit but yes, I figured out your breast grabbing was not just being friendly." "For someone so smart you can be a little slow on the uptake," Mikoto teased. "What can I say," Mai shrugged sheepishly as she explained, "I always saw you as my little sister, sort of." "Well, I certainly didn't see you as a sister," Mikoto confessed with a salacious grin. "Mikoto!" Mai scolded, blushing as she remembered several of Mikoto's more perverted moves back when they shared a room. The full body breast glomp, bath snuggling and other moves probably should have made her realize something was going on... Chatting together cheerfully they walked closely, savoring the fading twilight as they made their way to a favorite haunt. Arisugawa's Locket was located in what was once the bad side of town, until city growth swallowed it up and the district changed. Still based in it's old warehouse it was a familiar sight to those blessed or cursed with imortality. The tall, green haired woman doing door duty was unfamiliar to both Mai and Mikoto, so they weren't too surprised with what happened. "You can go in," she addressed Mikoto then looked at Mai, "but I'm afraid I'll need to see your ID, miss." Mai sighed as she removed her ID card, "It happens every time..." The woman looked at it and blinked, "My apologies, Miss Tokiha." Giving a slight bow to Mai she said, "My name is Chachamaru Karakuri, if you need any assistance just ask." "Thank you," Mai smiled as the two headed inside, walking down a short hall and smiling at the greeter. In this case it was Excel Excel, the overly energetic immortal whom they asked, "Been a busy night?" "Eh, about average," Excel shrugged. The orange/blonde haired girl grinned, "Got ID'd by the new kid?" "Of course," Mai sighed. "Considering her mistress is a immortal 13 year old," Excel shook her head, "you'd think Chachamaru'd know better." "Could we get a table?" Mikoto gave them both a plaintive look, "I'm hungry!" A few moments later a blonde haired woman dressed in a mix of armor and a blue dress appeared, leading them to a table. "Here are your menus," she handed them each one, "if you're ready to order, just ask for Saber." "Thank you," Mai smiled as they took the menus. They quickly decided what to order and sat back, waiting for the food to arrive. "Is that Sakura and Tomoyo?" Mikoto asked, pointing to where the women sat together. The brown haired sorceress Sakura Kinomoto smiled on seeing them and nudged her wife Tomoyo, and both of them got up and came over to their table. "Would you mind if we join you?" Tomoyo asked politely, the black haired woman smiling gently. "Of course you can," Mai said as their orders arrived, everyone getting sorted out and digging in to the terrific food eagerly. Sakura ate with a youthful exuberance, she and Mikoto almost competing to see who could eat more faster. Sipping her drink Sakura looked over at Mai, "Have I thanked you lately for looking out for our Nadesico?" "It's my pleasure," Mai answered honestly, "she's a good kid." Tomoyo frowned slightly as she confessed, "I'm a little worried about her associating so closely with Jun Fudoh." "You mean chasing after her," Mikoto noted with some amusement. Tomoyo gave her a annoyed look, "Something like that. I mean... Jun is dangerous!" Mikoto shrugged as she pointed out, "So's Sakura, technically. I mean, I rather doubt that your mother would have been happy you were dating a girl who got attacked supernaturally every other week." Sakura smiled wryly, "Hadn't thought of it that way..." "It's not the same," Tomoyo protested. Mai put a hand on her lover's arm. "It's a mother thing," she said gently, "I remember when little Natsuki was growing up, I was terrified of all the things that could happen to her." "Me too," Mikoto admitted, nodding. "So," Sakura asked quietly, "how did you stop... worrying about her?" "Oh, I still worry," Mai said cheerfully, "Mikoto and I used to interrogate her dates, not to mention staying up till she got home." Mikoto nodded, "I still phone to check up on her every now and then, even tho she moved to Mars a few years back." "She's thirty or so," Tomoyo remembered. She sighed, "So you... let go of her?" Mai looked thoughtful, "Eventually, I guess you have to accept that your children will make their own decisions, and trust that you've taught them to make the right ones." "That's not very comforting when your daughter may be dating a bioengineered superhuman," Sakura sighed. "No one said motherhood would be easy," Mikoto pointed out. She shuddered, "I still remember giving birth..." Tomoyo looked startled, "I would have expected Mai..." "Living energy," Mai shrugged, "it was Mikoto or a surrogate." Sakura reached out to pat Mikoto's hand, "Remind me to share child bearing stories." "The idea of those two spending time together worries me," Tomoyo muttered. To be continued... Notes: The idea that Mai is energy rather than flesh & blood came about after re-watching the battle with Alyssa in Mai Hime. She's vaporized by a death ray, then pulls herself together out of fire energy... then proceeds to fly into space with no harm to herself. lol
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