Minagi sighed to herself softly, the blue haired woman brushing
her long mane of hair back as she cleaned off the top of the bar with a
rag. Arisugawa's Locket was bustling, her black haired co-bartender
Mahoro helping her keep up with the rush, but something still felt badly
off.
"It's a bit strange, not having Ryouko here with you," Arisugawa
Juri noted. With a gracious smile the orange haired owner and manager
accepted her standard glass of colored gingerale, then the tall woman
turned to look out at the crowd thoughtfully.
"She and Ayeka had to go with Tenchi back to Jurai," Minagi
shrugged, her simple bodysuit hugging her atractive body, "especially
with the Emperor's death."
"Hey," the black haired woman made her way through the crowd to
give them both a smile. Despite her age there was energy in her step, a
slight grin on her face. "Do you think Tenchi will take the throne?"
Tendo Nabiki asked curiously, "There's a betting pool of some of our
more glactically aware customers."
"I'm curious, too," Juri admitted.
"I think he will take the throne," Minagi said to them gravely,
"if only to help protect the Earth." At their confused glances she
continued, "Jurai's empire has continued to expand in this direction.
We'd be a target, eventually, for a try of conquest."
"Emphasis on try," Mahoro offered with a grin. Her long black
hair was tied back, the maid's uniform she wore crisp and neat.
"Point," Minagi grinned. "This probably would be the one planet
they couldn't take," she became more serious, "but it'd cost you."
Nabiki shook her head, a smile on her face. "Excuse me," she
waved as she walked off, "I'd better go place my bet."
Juri watched her walk away, for a moment her expression sad. She
and many of her friends were immortals, or at least ageless. But many of
them weren't, and as Nabiki aged in front of her she became more and
more aware of her friend's mortality.
"I always wondered why Jurai citizens rarely leave their
empire," Minagi said softly, "but I think I understand." She gave Juri a
slight smile, "It's hard, isn't it?"
"Sometimes," Juri agreed.
"Juri-sama!" Excel tackled her from behind, the blonde haired
girl wrapping her arms around Juri's neck and nearly sending the woman
crashing to the ground.
"Sorry, Juri," Hyatt said faintly, the black haired girl weakly
tugging Excel off Juri's back. Someone waved for an order and the two
bolted off to serve.
"Then again, this place has lots of distractions," Juri noted
with a wry smile. She looked through the crowd, frowning slightly when
she saw a familiar figure standing there alone. "Excuse me," she pushed
off from the bar, making her way into the crowd.
"Stay out of trouble," Mahoro added before moving to serve
another customer.
"Hello, can I get you something?" the brown haired woman smiled
at the ladies at the table. "My name is May, and I'll be serving you
tonight."
Juri waited until May delived the diner's order before flaging
her down to ask, "I thought you had the day off?"
"Well, yes," May frowned. "It's complicated."
Juri raised an eyebrow, "Care to talk about it? I'd be glad to
help."
May hesitated, then she smiled slightly. "Thank you, yes," she
said softly.
They went over to the stairway, past the dance floor and the
library, then up to the upper floor. The bedrooms were all occupied, but
they went right on past those to a simple unmarked office. "Would you
like something to drink?" Juri offered once May sat down, casually
reaching for a wine bottle up on a shelf.
"I'm a Cyberdoll," May reminded her, "alcohol doesn't really
effect me."
"Maybe," Juri agreed, "but it sometimes helps to have something
to do with one's hands." Instead of sitting behind her desk Juri took a
seat in a chair by May's, "What's wrong?"
May looked down, then up to meet Juri's compassionate eyes.
"It's Keiko," she admitted.
"I kind of guessed that," Juri agreed. Keiko and May had been
together for nearly fifty years, and the intense dark haired young woman
was nearing sixty. She sighed, "Keiko hasn't visited the Locket for
awhile now."
"It's not that she doesn't want to," May sighed, "but her work
as a cybernetics designer is keeping her so busy. Keiko and I were
supposed to be having a date tonight, but her manager called needing her
to help with the latest prototype."
"But you shouldn't have to come second to the job, May," Juri
reminded her gently.
May actually laughed softly at that, "Normally, I'm not." More
gravely she continued, "This project is top secret, she can't even tell
me about it, and all the work has to be done on site."
"And with your girlfriend kidnapped by her job you didn't want
to be alone," Juri said thoughtfully, "so you came over here."
"Pretty much," May agreed.
"You can work down there if you want to," Juri said to her
gently, "if that makes you more comfortable." A smile, "Or you can just
hand out with us, enjoy your day off."
"Thank you," May smiled, the two walking down stairs together.
They reached the bottom step when Juri felt a familiar presence.
She looked up, a slight smile appearing on her face as she saw the black
haired woman waiting at the bar. Juri gave May a smile, "You mind if I
go?"
May chuckled softly, "Have fun."
Juri made her way through the crowd, politely nudging people
aside to reach her target. "Setsuna," she smiled, and was welcomed with
a broad smile.
"Juri," Setsuna smiled back, her black hair shining an odd green
in the light. They simply slid into each other's arms, both seeming to
relax for the first time.
"Told you she'd be back," Mahoro smiled, wiping the counter.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, love," Juri sighed happily. They
slid apart most reluctantly, Minagi quickly producing Setsuna's favorite
drink.
"Thank you," Setsuna smiled at Minagi, taking a cautious drink.
She looked weary, her eyes dark as she leaned up against the bar.
"Rough day?" Juri asked gently as Mahoro handed Juri her usual.
Setsuna sighed, "I'm working on building the Senshi's new
identities, alongside the computer expertise of our Professor Mizuno."
"You've decided to go through with it?' Mahoro blinked at her in
surprise.
"There seems to be little choice," Setsuna made a face. "None of
us are aging, and makeup can only disguise that for so long."
"It can't be easy for some of them," Juri noted softly. Usagi
Tsukino had built a career as a manga artist, Ami Mizuno was a professor
at Tokyo university, Minako Aino was a well known idol, and so on.
Abandoning those lives would be difficult, to say the least.
"No, it's not," Setsuna agreed. She took a small sip of her
drink before softly continuing, "Have you and the other duelists
considered doing something similar?"
"Touga's already working on something like that," Juri sighed.
She swirled color gingerale around her own glass, "I won't be seperated
from you, Setsuna."
"Nor I, you," Setsuna said firmly. She took Juri's hand in her
own, the matching gold rings they wore glistening in the bar's dim
light, "We'll find a way."
Juri kissed her gently, "Yes, we will."
To be continued...
Characters in this Episode: Arisugawa Juri, Keiko and Touga are all from
Revolutionary Girl Utena. Minagi, Ryouko, Tenchi and Ayeka are from
Tenchi Muyo. Tendo Nabiki is from Ranma 1/2. Mahoro is from Mahoromatic.
Excel and Hyatt are from Excel Saga. Cyberdoll May is from Hand Maid
May.
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