[IC][Story][Arc 1] Time Away

[robkelk]

No, this wasn't on my posted list of stories that I was working on. This is that other story that I mentioned. For now, let's set the scene and introduce some of the characters.

---

Blossom Apartments, Ottawa, ON, Canada
December 27, 2016
10:14 AM


"We need to talk."

"What about, Ami?"

"Us. And Rob."

Mii looked up from her tablet. "You don't look happy. Let's go somewhere else to talk, though."

"Ruiko's out spending her holiday money; she won't overhear us. Funny how we get it a week early here."

"The sales are more than a week early, too. But you're changing the subject. And I want to stretch my legs."

Ami thought for a moment. "I suppose we could go somewhere. Where do you want to go?"

Mii grinned. "Some place where nobody knows us except as fictional characters. And I want to see more of this world."

---

10:23 AM


Rob hung up the phone. "They'll be ready for you in Windsor by the time you fly in."

"Thanks, Rob," Mii replied.

"We'll be back before New Year's Eve," Ami added. "But who said we were flying?" She transformed to Sailor Mercury, took hold of Mii's hands, and shouted "SAILOR TELEPORT!"

Rob blinked, then spoke to the empty room. "I was expecting you to take a plane, but that works. I guess they won't be ready when you get there."

---

Club Lofts, Windsor, ON, Canada
December 27, 2016
10:24 AM


The Good Neighbor System failed to go off, since it hadn't been installed yet. The only warning that the building's residents had to their visitors' arrival was a brief light show in the parking lot just outside their front door.

Ami quickly transformed back to her civilian identity, as Mii asked "Are you sure we're in the right place?"

"I'm sure. Why do you ask?"

"There's no snow on the ground. We didn't cross the border to the United States, did we?"

"Why, no," replied a young woman behind them. "You're still in Canada. You must be Ms. Konori and Ms. Mizuno. I'm Mahoro Ando. Welcome to Windsor."

Mahoro was wearing a white apron over a blue short-sleeved maid's dress - not as all-covering as an English or German maid's uniform, but far more modest than a French one - with a red ribbon with a brooch holding it in place as a tie. A maid's cap and a pair of sensible shoes over low socks completed the image of the quintessential professional maid... save for the yellow ribbon in her hair. Mahoro herself was taller than Ami but shorter than Mii, with black hair cut short except for twin bangs falling past her neck and short twin tails at the sides of her head. As Mahoro looked at her visitors, she noticed Mii's chest, causing her to frown in jealousy for a brief moment before she smiled again. But it was a very brief moment; she thought Mii didn't notice her lapse in professionalism.

A voice drifted over from one of the houses next door. "Hey, are you folks doing something weird again?"

Mahoro turned to the fence on the far side of the alleyway between the buildings. "I'm sorry! Mr. Ryuga was experimenting with the building's new lights, and I think he might have overloaded them!" she answered, more loudly than she had spoken with Mii and Ami.

"You better be careful with those big lights. They're expensive to replace."

"We'll keep that in mind! Thank you!" Turning back to the visitors, she continued in a more normal voice, "Let's go inside so you can make yourselves comfortable."

As they walked into the building's foyer, they were met by a tall, blond, handsome, very fit man. "Blaming me for the light show, Mahoro?"

"I'm sorry, Ryuga-san, but I couldn't tell them the truth."

He scowled, then nodded once. "I suppose not. But you owe me a favor." He turned to the visitors. "You're our guests? From what our landlord just told me, I wasn't expecting you for a few hours."

"I'm sorry," Ami replied. "Our landlord forgot that I can teleport. Ami Mizuno; I'm pleased to meet you."

"What? You're Sailor Mercury? Oh, wow!" A cute petite blonde girl who looked to be about Ami's age raced over from the far end of the foyer. "I'm Chizuko Oe; pleased to meet you!"

"Chi-chan, give our guests time to catch their breath. They just got here." Mahoro turned back to Ami. "I'm sorry about that."

"It's all right."

Mii decided she may as well make a chance to introduce herself. "I'm Mii Konori. Pleased to meet you."

"Hello," Chizuko replied politely.

"Chi-chan, where are the others?" Mahoro asked.

"Rin, Miyuki, and Mr. Norgarth are helping Minawa get a guest room ready. The boys are up on the roof. I don't know where anyone else is. I was going to go get some coffee - does anybody else want some?"

"No, thank you," Mii replied.

"Perhaps later, when I can enjoy it," Ami said.

Mahoro simply shook her head. Ryuga pulled a five-dollar bill out of his pocket and handed it to Chizuko. "If you're going to Taloola, bring me back one of those coconut-curry hot chocolates."

"Sure! See you later!" And she headed out the door, humming the Sailor Moon theme slightly off-key and slightly syncopated, with a smile on her face.

Ryuga watched her leave. "She'll be gone for at least a quarter hour." Without turning, he continued, "We understand you're looking for a place to talk."

"Ryuga! Be polite." Mahoro turned from Ryuga to face Ami and Mii. "I apologize for my housemate's lack of manners."

"You and your strange Earth customs," muttered Ryuga as he turned to face the women. "Sorry," he added, not sounding sorry at all. "How much privacy are you looking for?"

"Just enough to keep anybody from overhearing our conversations."

Mahoro smiled. "Then we chose well when we gave you a room with nobody in residence on either side. From the comment that Ms. Oe made, I gather that you're from a world where Sailor Moon exists as a person."

"Ami's the only Sailor Senshi here," Mii answered. "I'm from a place called Academy City."

Mahoro and Ryuga exchanged a quick puzzled glance, then turned their attention back to Mii. "I'm not familiar with that place, Ms. Konori."

"Donaldson-san ... Mr. Donaldson tells me that the stories are rather popular in Japan. I believe he called them A Certain Magical Index and A Certain Scientific Railgun; Railgun - Mikoto Misaka - is a friend of mine."

"That's something I'll have to familiarize myself with later," commented Ryuga. "Right now, let me show you around the place. Mahoro probably wants to get lunch preparations started." She left to do so, and Ryuga showed Ami and Mii around the ground floor, then lead the way up the stairs and went through the doorway to the second floor. "This is the floor where you'll be staying. Let's see ... 201, 202, ... here it is: apartment 203." He knocked, then opened the door. "Our guests have arrived."

A man's voice, slightly panicky, came from inside the apartment. "They're here already?"

"Yes," Ryuga answered, "they're both here."

"There's only two of them? Oh, good. I was half-expecting all of the Sailor Senshi to show up." The owner of the voice walked out of one of the bedrooms. "Hi." He looked at Mii, then looked at Ami. "You must be Sailor Mercury."

Ami blushed. Mii frowned for a very brief moment, then smiled. "I suppose she must be, since everyone keeps calling her that. Her name is Ami Mizuno. I'm Mii Konori."

"Oh. Sorry about that. Hello, Ms. Konori and Ms. Mizuno. You can call me Norgarth; everybody else does." They shook hands. "Your room should be ready before lunch."

A blonde girl wearing an apron over a green maid's dress and carrying some sheets stepped out of one of the rooms near the far end of the apartment. "The beds are ready, Mr. Norgarth," she announced through the pile of fabric in her arms, walking toward the group.

"Thank you," he replied. "And it's just Norgarth, not Mr. Norgarth, Minawa. Why do you still have sheets? Do you have to make up another bed?"

"No. I took too many sheets out of the linen closet. I'm sorry." Her last sentence was almost a whisper. "I'll go put them ba-aAAK!" she finished as she tripped on the pattern in the carpet and went flying.

Ryuga caught Minawa before she could hit the floor. The sheets weren't as lucky - and neither was Ami. Minawa looked around, went pale, and said "I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry!"

Looking like a Halloween ghost, Ami said, "There's no harm done. It's all right."

Mii noticed that Minawa looked much less anxious after hearing Ami's reply. "Here, I'll help you help Ami get free of those sheets."

As everyone was helping Ami get free of those sheets, the door behind them opened again. "We brought the - what happened?"

"I'm sorry," Minawa answered with a bow. "I tripped."

Ami and Mii turned (Mii more easily that Ami) to see that two girls their age had walked in. One - the more tomboyish of the two - was carrying towels and a bottle of shampoo, while the other - the more ladylike and taller of the two - was carrying a vase of well-arranged flowers. The latter spoke, saying "As long as nobody was hurt, there's no harm done," (which made Minawa smile slightly). Casually putting the vase down at the exact center of the dining table, she continued, "I see that our guests have already arrived. My name is Rin Todoriki; I'm happy to meet you."

"And I'm Miyuki Sakura. Pleased to meet you."

The visitors from Ottawa introduced themselves. Miyuki reacted the same way that Chizuko had earlier, but with less blatant enthusiasm and hero-worship. While Rin controlled her own reactions, Mii noticed that she did recognize Ami's name.

"I hope that you find this room to be comfortable while you're here," Rin said once introductions were completed. "If there's anything that we can do you make you feel more at home, please don't hesitate to ask."

"And if you want some bath salts or oils, come straight to me," Miyuki added.

"Excuse me..." Everyone turned to Minawa. "Do you want my help with unpacking your bags?"

Mii looked at Ami. Ami looked at Mii. "I knew we forgot something." They both turned to Minawa. Mii smiled in that Japanese way of turning a bad situation into a joke. "We forgot to pack."

"I would be happy to lend you some clothing, Ms. Konori," Rin replied.

Mii took a closer look at her, and realized that the comment she was about to make about Rin's tops probably not fitting her wasn't accurate. She didn't wonder why Ms. Todoriki was hiding her figure; she had firsthand experience with the unwanted attention those measurements usually brought. "Thank you, but I couldn't put you to such trouble."

"It's no trouble at all."

"And I do have some holiday money."

Rin smiled. "Of course I know of a good place to go shopping for clothes after lunch."

Meanwhile, Ami and Minawa had been whispering to each other, mainly because Minawa was embarassed about discussing her sizes in front of Ryuga and Norgarth. Their quiet conversation finished with Ami saying "I appreciate that, Minawa-san. I would be happy to borrow your coat while I go shopping today."

Minawa smiled, then wondered why she wasn't nervous any more around Ami - Ms. Mizuno, she corrected herself. Maybe it was because she hadn't shown anything but happiness while they were together. The only other person Minawa knew who was like that was Mahoro.

---

to be continued...