Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Obaa-san! ❯ Chapter 4
[ P - Pre-Teen ]
By: Cloud 
Anime/Manga: Sailor Moon Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Comedy | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 08.30.2001 | Pages: 3 | Words: 2.0K | Visits: 634 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: Sailor Moon Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Comedy | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 08.30.2001 | Pages: 3 | Words: 2.0K | Visits: 634 | Status: Work In Progress
Chapter 4
And so, Haruka's internal battle continued. Five days into the first week, she had almost gone berserk because of Shiroko's unrelenting 'favors'. The old woman was always on her trail. Wherever she went, whatever she did, trust the old lady to suddenly appear out of nowhere and ask her if she was busy, and eventually talk her into running an errand in town or something as drastic like weeding the garden. She almost suspected that the old woman was up to something.
But what? The mere thought of it bothered her. Did she miss something? Was there a big conspiracy behind it all? Or did this just have something to do with her being blonde?
"You're paranoid, Haruka. I know my grandmother, she isn't like that." Michiru tried to comfort her partner.
That afternoon, the pair had decided to walk around the house, partially to familiarize Haruka with every nook and cranny while the rest to just relax and enjoy their much desired quality time together.
Michiru had taken her life-long partner around the orchard too, which Haruka found extremely beautiful. The place was a haven for orchids, roses, ivy, yellow bells, freesias, lilies, poinsettias, oak, maple, pine, and the proverbial sakura tree, which were littered sporadically within the area. Red-bricked arches graced the cobbled path that snaked its way through the coppice, creating the immaculate image of a romantic getaway.
That was what Haruka thought before the image of Shiroko came crashing back into her consciousness once again.
"...And I have this very strong urge to call her a pest, you know." Haruka frowned as she let her fingers dance ever so softly over the ivory keys of the grand piano.
Michiru sighed. "I'm very sorry about that, Haruka. I have to be honest, though. I love my grandmother very much, but like you... well, I've come to see how irritating she can be at times." The sea-maiden sighed as she sat beside Haruka on the piano bench.
The pair had come to rest inside the small theatre that served as a performance hall inside the house. There was a stage, of course, where the grand piano was positioned. Behind it was a semi-circular wall of glass that peered out into the garden.
There were no chairs in the audience area, but instead it was like one big dance floor, parquet and polished, where the audience could position themselves to their liking while somebody performed on stage. There were bleachers on the balcony though, to accommodate more people if there need be.
Over all, it was a warm, comfortable place where anybody can sit down and get lost in his or her thoughts.
"But planting beans isn't exactly my idea for a vacation, you know." Haruka complained. Her playing progressed into a crescendo, sharp and precise, perfectly mirroring her emotions while she played. Eventually, it later on died away to become soft, tinkling, teasing notes like dripping ice.
"She's lonely, Haruka," Michiru explained. "Grandpapa died a few years back, my father seldom visits her, and she lives alone, by herself, way up here with nobody to take care of her. With that kind of life, who wouldn't yearn for companionship?"
Loneliness... companionship... or a lack thereof... the words swirled around her head, taunting her. A pang of grief suddenly overtook her heart. Michiru had a point. After all, she herself was very well familiar with the feeling of lonesomeness.
Before Michiru came, she was a lonely, abandoned soul fighting to live on her own. Her parent's death was not an easy matter to overcome. Since then, she couldn't depend on anybody else but herself. And most people always said that she couldn't do it, she couldn't do anything.
They said she was young, she was blonde, and she was dumb. She was just trouble and most of all she was just a girl.
Hearing this, she changed her image: cut her hair to what it is now, chose to walk and talk and sometimes act like a man just to find herself a firm ground in a chauvinistic world in which she could plant her foundations; where she can reap the fruits of her toil and labor later on.
With this in mind, her fierce passion to succeed was virtually her lifeline. Eventually, she proved them all wrong. She made it. She was famous, she was rich, she was hounded by media and frenzied fans wherever she went. Not one person within a distance could not recognize that sandy blonde hair, that piercing hunter green eyes, and that handsomely chiseled face to be that of the legendary Tenoh Haruka.
She made it on her own. She was a survivor.
But the loneliness was still there. Even when she reached the apex of her accomplishment, not the sponsors or the pit crew or her fellow teammates, and especially not the admirers who cheered for her, were essentially there to share the real pride that she felt. And nothing could ever match the anguish that spread throughout her being when she received her trophy, which, for her, signified another victory over those who condemned her to be useless, but not over herself.
Until Michiru came...
"Haruka, are you alright?"
Haruka felt Michiru's hand on her own. Suddenly, she snapped back to reality.
"Huh? Oh... I'm fine."
"You spaced out."
"I did? It's nothing, just wondering about... things."
Michiru felt that she didn't have to pry any further. She had already sensed Haruka's momentary nostalgia even before she noticed her partner's distant stare. Their strong bond allowed them to understand each other even without saying how they felt. And that was no less than a blessing, mostly on Michiru's part because it permitted her to know what was going on inside her partner without having to wheedle it out of her, knowing Haruka's stubbornness when it came to personal matters.
"Oh darling," Michiru wrapper her arms around Haruka. "As your gracious teammates would always say 'CHILL'!"
Michiru was rewarded with a chuckle. "They've been flirting around you too often. I didn't know those guys were brave enough to even come near you."
"Are you jealous?" an eyebrow arched at Haruka.
"No, I just can't allow you to look at anyone else but me!"
"Why do I feel like I'm having a déjà vu?"
The two shared a smile before Haruka zeroed in on Michiru, taking the smaller woman's lips with her own.
******************
Seeing the lover's exchange of intimacies, someone somewhere quietly walked away, smiling.
******************
Saturday night, the phone rang in Haruka and Michiru's home back in the outskirts of Tokyo.
"Hai, moshi moshi?" Setsuna answered.
"Good evening, miss." The caller greeted. "Would you happen to know if a tall, dark, and extremely sensual woman by the name of Setsuna Meioh is living in that house by the sea? You know, unusually captivating green hair, smoldering garnet eyes, and killer curves?"
"Who the hell is this?" Setsuna's eyes narrowed into slits.
The caller answered darkly. "I am everywhere... I am everything... I am watching you, Setsuna!"
Setsuna's eyes were wide as saucers. "You better tell me who you are or I'll make sure that you will never see another sunrise!" she demanded menacingly, her grip tightening on the handset.
"Setsuna... what's you're favorite scary movie?"
Just as she was about to hang up and scream bloody murder, a recent memory came back to the green-haired woman, involving that one night when the four of them sat down and watched this particular movie...
"Haruka!!! You IDIOT!!! What is wrong with you?!"
"Damn! You should have heard yourself!" Haruka exclaimed, laughing her heart out on her end.
Setsuna grunted. "You are one SICK jerk! I really don't know why I put up with you! I really should have done something about you when we were still in Crystal Tokyo!"
"Aww, you wouldn't do that, Setsuna," Haruka taunted. "What would Hotaru think of you? Would you want her to think that you're a psycho-delusional-staff-wielding-time-travel-trigger-happy maniac who just sent her papa to the primordial soup of the universe?"
Setsuna eyebrows shot up. "Emotional blackmail!"
"I thought so, too." Haruka replied, grinning slyly. "Anyway, I just called to check how you guys are."
"If that's what you call it..."
'Since when did she get an attitude?!' Haruka thought to herself. "C'mon! Can't you take a little joke?"
"Whatever, Haruka." Came Setsuna's curt reply.
Haruka sighed. "Alright, I apologize."
"Good." Setsuna finally yielded.
"So, as I was asking..." Haruka continued.
"We're fine, basically. Hotaru's at Usagi's place, I dropped her off this morning because I had to go to the office for an emergency meeting with the Head Officials."
"That's nice. At least she gets to go out and enjoy herself. Can't say the same for you though, ne?"
Setsuna sighed. "God tell me about it. What about you guys? How are you doing?"
"Please, don't even get me started!" Haruka wailed into the receiver. "I'm not exactly doing what I was supposed to do."
"You mean..."
"Don't turn green on me now, Setsuna." Haruka remarked, knowing very well what Setsuna meant.
"Gomen... go on. Tell me what's wrong."
"Michiru's grandmother is here."
"Her WHAT?!"
"I said the same thing. Anyway, she's driving me nuts! She keeps asking these 'favors' from me and I end up being helplessly domesticated into her very own little chihuahua." The blonde twirled the telephone cord on one slender finger as she pouted.
"That's awful... why is she there in the first place?"
"Well," Haruka sighed. "Apparently Michiru's parents somehow managed to inform the old lady that we would be staying here for a while. She decided it would be a nice thing since she 'wanted to see her granddaughter again after such a long time,'" the blonde racer mimicked. "And she wanted to keep an eye on us, too. DUH, I think she's keeping her eye more on ME than on Michiru."
"And that's bad?"
Haruka raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "Your point is?"
"She wouldn't have acted that way if you didn't give her an initiative. Maybe you've been putting on more than you should."
"Yeah, half a roll of toilet paper to bind my breasts." The blond sighed, sinking comfortably into the chair she was sitting on.
"I beg your pardon?" Setsuna thought she didn't hear it right. 'Did she say half a roll of toilet paper?'
"You heard me right," Haruka reassured. "My dear girlfriend introduced me as a man, which of course I could see why," the blonde's free hand made a couple of gestures for added emphasis. "And now it is imperative of me to follow that particular protocol so as not to cause a major catastrophe in her poor little heart. I don't think Michiru has the type of family who takes on easily to our kind of relationship." she continued to rant.
"Geez, what have you gotten yourself into now, Haruka?"
"How the hell should I know?! All I know is that this isn't exactly how I want to spend my vacation with Michiru. Never in my life did I plan to be an old woman's personal assistant!" replied a frustrated Haruka.
Setsuna chuckled. "You bet! I don't think you would look good in a nurse's uniform."
"Some friend you are," the blonde remarked. "Anyway, I gotta go. The 'ancient one' must be looking for me already with my bowl of Puppy Chow. I might miss my rations."
Setsuna giggled. "Alright. Take care now, ne? And can you please try to stretch your patience a teensy-weensy little longer?"
"At the rate I'm going, I don't think I can promise you anything... Give Hotaru a kiss for both of us, ne?"
"Sure thing. Oyasumi!"
"'Yasumi."
And with that, they hung up.
******************
The same wise pools of hazy blue that watched Haruka in the hall earlier watched her again as she lugged herself back to their bedroom. Somewhere in the comfort of the darkness, a faint glimmer sparked in those eyes as an idea struck.
******************
And so, Haruka's internal battle continued. Five days into the first week, she had almost gone berserk because of Shiroko's unrelenting 'favors'. The old woman was always on her trail. Wherever she went, whatever she did, trust the old lady to suddenly appear out of nowhere and ask her if she was busy, and eventually talk her into running an errand in town or something as drastic like weeding the garden. She almost suspected that the old woman was up to something.
But what? The mere thought of it bothered her. Did she miss something? Was there a big conspiracy behind it all? Or did this just have something to do with her being blonde?
"You're paranoid, Haruka. I know my grandmother, she isn't like that." Michiru tried to comfort her partner.
That afternoon, the pair had decided to walk around the house, partially to familiarize Haruka with every nook and cranny while the rest to just relax and enjoy their much desired quality time together.
Michiru had taken her life-long partner around the orchard too, which Haruka found extremely beautiful. The place was a haven for orchids, roses, ivy, yellow bells, freesias, lilies, poinsettias, oak, maple, pine, and the proverbial sakura tree, which were littered sporadically within the area. Red-bricked arches graced the cobbled path that snaked its way through the coppice, creating the immaculate image of a romantic getaway.
That was what Haruka thought before the image of Shiroko came crashing back into her consciousness once again.
"...And I have this very strong urge to call her a pest, you know." Haruka frowned as she let her fingers dance ever so softly over the ivory keys of the grand piano.
Michiru sighed. "I'm very sorry about that, Haruka. I have to be honest, though. I love my grandmother very much, but like you... well, I've come to see how irritating she can be at times." The sea-maiden sighed as she sat beside Haruka on the piano bench.
The pair had come to rest inside the small theatre that served as a performance hall inside the house. There was a stage, of course, where the grand piano was positioned. Behind it was a semi-circular wall of glass that peered out into the garden.
There were no chairs in the audience area, but instead it was like one big dance floor, parquet and polished, where the audience could position themselves to their liking while somebody performed on stage. There were bleachers on the balcony though, to accommodate more people if there need be.
Over all, it was a warm, comfortable place where anybody can sit down and get lost in his or her thoughts.
"But planting beans isn't exactly my idea for a vacation, you know." Haruka complained. Her playing progressed into a crescendo, sharp and precise, perfectly mirroring her emotions while she played. Eventually, it later on died away to become soft, tinkling, teasing notes like dripping ice.
"She's lonely, Haruka," Michiru explained. "Grandpapa died a few years back, my father seldom visits her, and she lives alone, by herself, way up here with nobody to take care of her. With that kind of life, who wouldn't yearn for companionship?"
Loneliness... companionship... or a lack thereof... the words swirled around her head, taunting her. A pang of grief suddenly overtook her heart. Michiru had a point. After all, she herself was very well familiar with the feeling of lonesomeness.
Before Michiru came, she was a lonely, abandoned soul fighting to live on her own. Her parent's death was not an easy matter to overcome. Since then, she couldn't depend on anybody else but herself. And most people always said that she couldn't do it, she couldn't do anything.
They said she was young, she was blonde, and she was dumb. She was just trouble and most of all she was just a girl.
Hearing this, she changed her image: cut her hair to what it is now, chose to walk and talk and sometimes act like a man just to find herself a firm ground in a chauvinistic world in which she could plant her foundations; where she can reap the fruits of her toil and labor later on.
With this in mind, her fierce passion to succeed was virtually her lifeline. Eventually, she proved them all wrong. She made it. She was famous, she was rich, she was hounded by media and frenzied fans wherever she went. Not one person within a distance could not recognize that sandy blonde hair, that piercing hunter green eyes, and that handsomely chiseled face to be that of the legendary Tenoh Haruka.
She made it on her own. She was a survivor.
But the loneliness was still there. Even when she reached the apex of her accomplishment, not the sponsors or the pit crew or her fellow teammates, and especially not the admirers who cheered for her, were essentially there to share the real pride that she felt. And nothing could ever match the anguish that spread throughout her being when she received her trophy, which, for her, signified another victory over those who condemned her to be useless, but not over herself.
Until Michiru came...
"Haruka, are you alright?"
Haruka felt Michiru's hand on her own. Suddenly, she snapped back to reality.
"Huh? Oh... I'm fine."
"You spaced out."
"I did? It's nothing, just wondering about... things."
Michiru felt that she didn't have to pry any further. She had already sensed Haruka's momentary nostalgia even before she noticed her partner's distant stare. Their strong bond allowed them to understand each other even without saying how they felt. And that was no less than a blessing, mostly on Michiru's part because it permitted her to know what was going on inside her partner without having to wheedle it out of her, knowing Haruka's stubbornness when it came to personal matters.
"Oh darling," Michiru wrapper her arms around Haruka. "As your gracious teammates would always say 'CHILL'!"
Michiru was rewarded with a chuckle. "They've been flirting around you too often. I didn't know those guys were brave enough to even come near you."
"Are you jealous?" an eyebrow arched at Haruka.
"No, I just can't allow you to look at anyone else but me!"
"Why do I feel like I'm having a déjà vu?"
The two shared a smile before Haruka zeroed in on Michiru, taking the smaller woman's lips with her own.
******************
Seeing the lover's exchange of intimacies, someone somewhere quietly walked away, smiling.
******************
Saturday night, the phone rang in Haruka and Michiru's home back in the outskirts of Tokyo.
"Hai, moshi moshi?" Setsuna answered.
"Good evening, miss." The caller greeted. "Would you happen to know if a tall, dark, and extremely sensual woman by the name of Setsuna Meioh is living in that house by the sea? You know, unusually captivating green hair, smoldering garnet eyes, and killer curves?"
"Who the hell is this?" Setsuna's eyes narrowed into slits.
The caller answered darkly. "I am everywhere... I am everything... I am watching you, Setsuna!"
Setsuna's eyes were wide as saucers. "You better tell me who you are or I'll make sure that you will never see another sunrise!" she demanded menacingly, her grip tightening on the handset.
"Setsuna... what's you're favorite scary movie?"
Just as she was about to hang up and scream bloody murder, a recent memory came back to the green-haired woman, involving that one night when the four of them sat down and watched this particular movie...
"Haruka!!! You IDIOT!!! What is wrong with you?!"
"Damn! You should have heard yourself!" Haruka exclaimed, laughing her heart out on her end.
Setsuna grunted. "You are one SICK jerk! I really don't know why I put up with you! I really should have done something about you when we were still in Crystal Tokyo!"
"Aww, you wouldn't do that, Setsuna," Haruka taunted. "What would Hotaru think of you? Would you want her to think that you're a psycho-delusional-staff-wielding-time-travel-trigger-happy maniac who just sent her papa to the primordial soup of the universe?"
Setsuna eyebrows shot up. "Emotional blackmail!"
"I thought so, too." Haruka replied, grinning slyly. "Anyway, I just called to check how you guys are."
"If that's what you call it..."
'Since when did she get an attitude?!' Haruka thought to herself. "C'mon! Can't you take a little joke?"
"Whatever, Haruka." Came Setsuna's curt reply.
Haruka sighed. "Alright, I apologize."
"Good." Setsuna finally yielded.
"So, as I was asking..." Haruka continued.
"We're fine, basically. Hotaru's at Usagi's place, I dropped her off this morning because I had to go to the office for an emergency meeting with the Head Officials."
"That's nice. At least she gets to go out and enjoy herself. Can't say the same for you though, ne?"
Setsuna sighed. "God tell me about it. What about you guys? How are you doing?"
"Please, don't even get me started!" Haruka wailed into the receiver. "I'm not exactly doing what I was supposed to do."
"You mean..."
"Don't turn green on me now, Setsuna." Haruka remarked, knowing very well what Setsuna meant.
"Gomen... go on. Tell me what's wrong."
"Michiru's grandmother is here."
"Her WHAT?!"
"I said the same thing. Anyway, she's driving me nuts! She keeps asking these 'favors' from me and I end up being helplessly domesticated into her very own little chihuahua." The blonde twirled the telephone cord on one slender finger as she pouted.
"That's awful... why is she there in the first place?"
"Well," Haruka sighed. "Apparently Michiru's parents somehow managed to inform the old lady that we would be staying here for a while. She decided it would be a nice thing since she 'wanted to see her granddaughter again after such a long time,'" the blonde racer mimicked. "And she wanted to keep an eye on us, too. DUH, I think she's keeping her eye more on ME than on Michiru."
"And that's bad?"
Haruka raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "Your point is?"
"She wouldn't have acted that way if you didn't give her an initiative. Maybe you've been putting on more than you should."
"Yeah, half a roll of toilet paper to bind my breasts." The blond sighed, sinking comfortably into the chair she was sitting on.
"I beg your pardon?" Setsuna thought she didn't hear it right. 'Did she say half a roll of toilet paper?'
"You heard me right," Haruka reassured. "My dear girlfriend introduced me as a man, which of course I could see why," the blonde's free hand made a couple of gestures for added emphasis. "And now it is imperative of me to follow that particular protocol so as not to cause a major catastrophe in her poor little heart. I don't think Michiru has the type of family who takes on easily to our kind of relationship." she continued to rant.
"Geez, what have you gotten yourself into now, Haruka?"
"How the hell should I know?! All I know is that this isn't exactly how I want to spend my vacation with Michiru. Never in my life did I plan to be an old woman's personal assistant!" replied a frustrated Haruka.
Setsuna chuckled. "You bet! I don't think you would look good in a nurse's uniform."
"Some friend you are," the blonde remarked. "Anyway, I gotta go. The 'ancient one' must be looking for me already with my bowl of Puppy Chow. I might miss my rations."
Setsuna giggled. "Alright. Take care now, ne? And can you please try to stretch your patience a teensy-weensy little longer?"
"At the rate I'm going, I don't think I can promise you anything... Give Hotaru a kiss for both of us, ne?"
"Sure thing. Oyasumi!"
"'Yasumi."
And with that, they hung up.
******************
The same wise pools of hazy blue that watched Haruka in the hall earlier watched her again as she lugged herself back to their bedroom. Somewhere in the comfort of the darkness, a faint glimmer sparked in those eyes as an idea struck.
******************