Welcome to the June Writing Challenge!

What's a writing challenge, you ask? Writing challenges are when I give you prompts or specific guidelines you must adhere to in your writing or give you specific goals to reach and everyone who manages to do the task successfully is a winner. This isn't a contest, so no one will be voting or choosing winners. Everyone is a winner! Isn't that awesome?

Well, as long as you meet the goal anyways.

This month, our theme is.... *drumroll*


The newly released SMC character songs have some pretty character-heavy lyrics. There is surprisingly plenty to explore, from individual characters to Senshi/Shitennou to some Ami/Mako and Rei/Minako for those who like shipping. So why don't you take a look at them and see what kind of story they inspire you to write? The lyric translation links are below:


You may choose one song or several, or even all of them if you feel so inclined! Just write a story based on what the lyrics are saying. There is no maximum word limit, and the minimum is 300 words.

Everyone who posts a piece that meets the outlined guidelines above will win the challenge! And when you have won enough challenges, you got these awesome bumpers!


So what are you waiting for? Get writing! You have until June 30th, 2015 to post your story.

We post the stories in this thread, correct?

Yes!

Another question and hopefully the last one, does each story count as it's own challenge? For example, I do all 5 prompts, so that means I've completed five challenges. 
Or do all 5 count as only one challenge?

Ohhh! This sounds great! I'm gonna try this!

You could count it as five separate challenges. ^^

Thank you for replying! I'll get started right away!

Midnight Secret Talk-

Ami's condominium was quiet, almost too quiet for Makoto to get used to. She had felt out of place as soon as she had stepped in it a few hours ago, an overnight back and rolled up futon in her hands. It was so open and not just clean, but sterile in a way. Nothing like her tiny apartment. Ami seemed to pick up on her hesitation, and quickly led her to the much more personal areas of the apartment, like the living room and kitchen. They weren't covered in home decorations, but Makoto could get a better sense that someone lived here now with the the furniture choices and the pictures, awards, and diplomas in various cabinets. 

After eating dinner, they retired to Ami's bedroom. She had never been in it before, and it was strangely thrilling to get to see what was inside. It wasn't anything that exciting, but she was pretty impressed by Ami's desktop computer set up. The walls were painted a light blue, and the rug and bedsheets were a somilar hue. The bookshelf was packed, and the collection spilled onto the nearby desk as well. A book even sat on Ami's night stand, except this one looked much less acedemic.

"What's this?" Makoto picked it up and showed it to Ami. She blushed and quickly took it from her.

"It's ah...a romance novel. Light reading...." she said, and then mumbled something even quieter as she put it away. Was Ami embarrassed that she saw it? Maybe it was just because it was late at night, and she was getting tired, but Makoto felt a little braver than usual. Before Ami could shut the drawer she had hurredly placed the book in, Mako's hand was overlapping her's. She stopped cold. 

"When you're done, can I borrow it?" she asked. She wasn't sure Ami could get any redder and still be standing. 

"S-sure..." Makoto lifted her hand again and took a step back, and Ami visibly relaxed. Sometimes she wondered why Ami was so tense at times. They were friends, right?

"Thanks." Mako went back to setting up her futon on Ami's floor, allowing Ami to recompose herself. 

"...I had no idea you read the romance genre," she said, and Mako turned to look at her, scratching the back of her head. 

"When I have the time for books, I like them. I haven't found many I really liked though..." she admitted. Mako could never quite lose herself in them, the main characters just were similar to herself, so she got frustrated and lost interst.

"I could...lend you a few more of mine." Ami's offer surprised her, but she smiled anyway.

"I'd be willing to try anything you recommend," Mako said. Ami  continued to get ready for bed, although she appeared to be more upbeat than before. After the lights were turned out, Makoto laid down in the near darkness. 

Ami's bed was beside her, though it was off the ground on a frame. She was pulled away from looking at the photos and swimming awards by a soft voice.

"Sorry if you aren't comfortable sleeping here..." Mako shifted and sat up at that comment. "We can go back to having sleep overs at your apartment if you want."

"What do you mean?" she asked. Ami moved to sit up as well. 

"I could tell you didn't like it when you walked in, and I'm not a very good host, so..."

"Ami, it not your fault. I just..." Makoto hesitated. "It just reminded me of being alone. And I guess that made me nervous in a way. The foyer was the worst part, really."

"You were nervous?" Makoto looked away, despite it being too dark to see her expression no matter where she was facing.

"Not that nervous. Not like...being in an airport." Just thinking about it made her heart beat slightly faster. Ami was silent for a minute.

"You know, when we first met, I thought you weren't afraid of anything." Mako wasn't sure whether to be sad that she hadn't lived up to Ami's image of her or annoyed that she had made that assumption in the first place.

"Well...I am." She honestly wasn't that brave at times either. Ami slipped out from under her sheets and sat down on the floor next to her, leaning against her arm. Unlike the cold feel of Ami's hand earlier, her skin was warm now, and she calmed down somewhat. 

"I never said I still believed that. You just aren't the type to admit it. You are very stubborn, Mako," Ami teased.

"I guess that's true..." Mako pulled the covers of her futon over both of them, and Ami moved closer to her as they laid down. 

"Do you feel alone now?" Makoto thought about it.

"Not anymore."

"Neither do I..." Ami responded, already drifting off. Makoto shifted positions to give her more space, no longer feeling restless.

"Good Night, Ami..."

Hang on, if I completed last month's monthly writing challenge for the cherry blossom festival, does that mean I already get a bumper? Or does that not count because it was an event?

I think that one wasn't run by the guild, so it wouldn't count for this bumper. It was for the festival, and it had its own bumper.

Yeah, that one isn't related to this.

Btw, JTC, awesome story! Somehow I expected it to be a bit more shippy xD but then again Mako/Ami is always subtle. It's sweet though

Well, here's my entry. It's based around Crystal Ami's image song, but the story's about live-action Ami. I REALLY hope I kept the characters in character, as I haven't written about actual canon characters in years. Umm...enjoy! I couldn't replicate the dialogue from the episodes themselves, as that'd take too long, so I made some up on the spot.

****

A Touch of Rain

Mizuno Ami liked the rain. The cloudy days when the sun would be blocked out, the tiny water droplets falling onto the world as if God was crying in Heaven. In a way, the rain was her friend. The only friend she had. Next to AIno Minako’s songs, books, and schoolwork, of course. The pitter patter of rain drops against her bedroom window always made her relax and calmed her anxieties.

For her long life, Ami didn’t know friendship. In school, she focused solely on her books and studies. She had a dream she wanted to fulfill. To be a doctor just like her mother. To help those who are sick and find cures for terminal illnesses. She always thought that if she could fulfill her dream, she could be happy.

Talking to people wasn’t her strong point. Nobody ever really bothered to talk to her or approach her about anything, so she never knew what to say when they did, and even when she tried, they would give up and walk away with angry sighs. With every step she took in school, she could feel her classmates’ eyes on her. She would see their pointing fingers, their muffled, maligned gossip, the false rumors about her being a snob who thinks she’s better than everyone else. Her response was usually to ignore them, keep walking, or pour herself into her books.


So it was natural for her to prefer going to the roof during lunch hour instead of sitting with her classmates. After all, who would want the company of the school’s brainiac who couldn’t make conversation for the life of her? The roof was peaceful. She could admire the blue sky, the blazing sun, and the fluffy white clouds, and read her books in the mean time.


Although she liked the rain, there was a big, black storm cloud raining buckets on her heart. Would she spend her entire life lonely like this? She had given up on making any friends long ago. Perhaps her destiny would be to find happiness through fulfilling her dream. And yet...a faint sunbeam appeared one day, breaking the first barrier in that storm cloud.

One her way home from school, something fell on her head and bounced on the bridge. She looked down to find a small, purplish blue cat plush with large, green eyes like a shoujo anime character. It had a yellow, upside down crescent moon on its forehead, along with a matching collar with the same symbol dangling from it. Her lips curled up as she found herself picking it up, examining it with her glasses obscured eyes.

“A kitty plush?” She murmured. “I wonder who it’s owner is? It’s pretty cute, though.”


“Oh! That’s mine, actually!” A cheerful, high pitched voice exclaimed. Ami turned around to find a girl her own age running over to her, taking the doll back with a radiant smile. “You’re pretty funny. You talked to it so formally!”

“Well...I didn’t know it...and who it belonged to.”

“I’m Tsukino Usagi!”

“Mizuno Ami.”

Something about this girl seemed warm to Ami. She didn’t know what. She was certainly persistent, and tagged along with her without a second thought. But then she remembered. She needed to go to cram school. She found herself stopping right in front of a store, with an Aino Minako CD sitting on display.


“You’re a Minako fan, too?!” She squealed before jumping up once. “Awesome!! Oh! Here!” She rummaged through her bag and pulled out a CD, handing it to Ami. “If you want, you can listen to this!”

Ami’s eyes widened with surprise. She couldn’t believe it. Another Aino Minako fan? Oh, how she had dreamed to befriend someone else who liked her! But she was too taciturn to express her love for the up and coming idol. She wanted to thank her profusely, but the words were stuck in her throat, and they wouldn’t come out.

“Umm...want to have lunch together next time?” Usagi asked.

Ami just nodded and left. Her heart grew just a little bit warm. Someone was genuinely interested in her! She was nice to her, even! When was the last time that had happened? Perhaps...was this her first friend?

But then again...the storm cloud came back. What if she wasn’t actually interested in her? Perhaps she only wants to be friends so Usagi can use her for homework and passing tests? On impulse, she found herself bringing along a box of treats. But she couldn’t bring herself to sit with Usagi and their friends. She had other friends chatting alongside her, and to disrupt their clique with a new member--whom her friends were convinced was a snob...Ami couldn’t do that. Off to the roof once again.

---

What was this? She became a Sailor Soldier? Sailor Mercury? But Usagi tried to save her from falling, and from the youma. Nobody had ever done that before. Her heart was screaming, “I want to be a soldier! I want to fight alongside my friend!!” Once she fell, the words just came naturally. “Mercury Power, Make...Up!!”


It wasn’t even hard to defeat the enemy. All she did was use Mercury Aqua Mist, and the youma dissipated. This was so strange. She had assumed magical girls and monsters were the products of fiction, nothing more. It was rather...fulfilling. She had a friend she could be with and protect. Perhaps...she could find happiness in something--or someone--else after all. Gradually, rays of sunshine pushed the storm clouds away.


Something else nagged at her mind, however: could SHE herself be a friend, too? As far as friendship went, Ami didn’t know the first thing about it or how to interact with people her own age. She found a book on friendship and decided to follow its tips. She couldn’t believe it when she called Usagi by her first name.

“Yeeek! You called me by my first name!! That’s soooo cool!!” Usagi leaped on her and jumped up and down like an excited little kid. Was it really that big a deal? No matter. Usagi was happy, and Ami was on her way to being a friend.


“Hey! Naru-chan and I are having a party at my house! Do you want to come?”


A party? Ami looked down at her shoes. Wasn’t cram school coming up later? But then again, friends did invite each other to their houses for fun. Perhaps a few hours wouldn’t hurt. “Okay. I’d love to go.”

She had expected to enjoy it, like how she enjoyed spending time with Usagi. But something about going to her house didn’t sit right with her. She liked watching Usagi and Naru sing C’est La Vie, but… “Hey! Ami-chan! Sing with us!”

Sing karaoke? Ami wasn’t sure if she could do it. But friends had fun, so she gave in and sang some notes. Her voice was shaky, and some of the lyrics were off, but nobody seemed to mind. Not even Usagi. However, when they were putting on makeup, Ami put some on herself and wanted to see if she got it right. As soon as she made eye contact with them, their eyes slammed wide open.


It was understandable, really. Ami had caked on too much makeup. The intense amount of blush on her cheeks made her look like she got sunburned, and the eye shadow seemed to overshadow her eyes in general. Usagi and Naru couldn’t help but burst into laughter. Ami let out a chuckle herself, but the storm cloud in her heart returned in full force, and a downpour rained on her spirits. Were they laughing at her out of malice? Or was it just out of good fun?


“I’m...going to go wash up…” She washed off the makeup, but the storm cloud didn’t go away. Somehow...this was tiring. More so than studying. Before she could do anything else, everything went black.


When she awoke, the first thing she saw was Usagi. “Sorry for ruining the party.”


“It’s fine, but…” Usagi showed her the book about how to make friends. “Don’t force yourself like this.”

“But weren’t you happy? That I called you Usagi?”

“It only doesn’t make me happy if it’s out of a lie. Friends don’t lie to each other.”

Ami buried her face in the covers. She had a good point. Ami didn’t truly want to be with them, but felt she had to because she didn’t think friends rejected each other. Thankfully, a battle with a youma helped them reconcile, and Usagi didn’t mind if Ami was in her old habits. Friends were considerate of each other, after all. Gradually, the storm cloud left some room for sunshine.

---

Day after day, Ami’s bond with Usagi, Rei, and Makoto grew like a spring flower underneath sunshine. She never dreamed that this day would come. That she would enjoy doing things with them like shopping, studying, karaoke, fighting monsters. She thought she could only find happiness in her studies. Perhaps God smiled on her and thought she could use a different kind of happiness. Sunshine had warmed her heart completely, with only a touch of rain appearing every now and again.

That bond would be put to the test when Usagi was put under Kunzite’s spell, about to be turned into a youma against her will.

A frigid cold Usagi lay dormant in Ami’s bed, unmoving. Her skin was cold like ice, her cheerful smile frozen in a cold frown. Ami rubbed the comforter all over, hoping to warm her up somewhat. She couldn’t let Usagi become a youma! Her bedroom was dark, and it would have been pitch black if not for the light of the heaters she had set up.


Riiiiiing

A guest? Who could it be at this hour? Ami walked downstairs and opened the door. It was Naru, Usagi’s best friend. “Hey! Sorry for coming so late, but Usagi-chan’s mom told me what happened. She’s here, right?”


Ami froze. If Naru saw Usagi’s current state...she didn’t know what she’d do. “Why do you ask?”

“She was supposed to give back a CD I lent her. I need it for tomorrow.”


Oh. So that was it. She could do that easily. “I’ll be back,” Ami got the CD and gave it back quickly, hoping that was it. But Naru donned a suspicious look on her face.

“Why didn’t Usagi come to the door? She could have given it to me herself.”

Oh no. This wasn’t good. Naru stepped forward and tried to push her way into Ami’s apartment. “Usagi? You’re here, right?!”


No! No! She couldn’t let her see Usagi in her current condition. If she found out, she would be heartbroken. Ami knew she had to spare Naru the pain, even if it meant being harsh. Finally, she pushed Naru out the door and closed it behind her. “Hey! What’s with you?!”

“Usagi...she’s sleeping right now. Look, I don’t care if you think I’m lying....I don’t even care if…” She struggled to form the words in her mouth. It hurt to lie to Naru like this, even though she kept telling herself it was for her own good. “...you think I’m being malicious. But please…”


It worked, as Naru simply left without another word. Thank goodness. Naru didn’t have to deal with the pain of seeing Usagi in such a bad state. If Usagi really did turn into a youma, she wasn’t sure what she or Naru would do. The pain would be just unbearable. For a moment, Ami’s fears were realized when Usagi disappeared in a tornado of black flower petals.


“Usagi! No!”

She had to act fast. She ran through the darkness, her high heeled boots pressing against the concrete sidewalks. “Mercury Power, Make Up!” She became Sailor Mercury in a flash. ‘I WILL protect Usagi!’ She told herself.


She had to. Usagi was one of the first people who was genuinely interested in being her friend and didn’t amuse herself with false rumors. She treated her like a human being. Adrenaline rushed through Ami’s veins with the strength of Sailor Mars’ flames.


It took her a while, but she somehow managed to track down the insidious Kunzite. Usagi laid on a bier, dressed in a filmy, transparent white dress, dormant and unmoving. The mark on her chest glowed an eerie purple. This was her chance to defeat him!

The fight with Kunzite was an arduous one. Despite trying to hold him off with punches and kicks, he was quick to overpower her, and he would have won, had she not made a blue sword out of water droplets. “Usagi...give Usagi back!!” She roared. She didn’t think her voice could go this high, or that she could be this angry. Anger was never an emotion she ever had to deal with. Perhaps this was what it meant to protect a friend?

Even with Sailor Mars and Jupiter backing her up, Kunzite still managed to overpower them all. For a brief but agonizing moment, their fears had come true. Usagi’s finger nails had grown into golden claws, her eyes peeled open, and the smirk on her face wasn’t the kind, cheerful smile she had always flashed. Instead, it spread out wider than a normal smile should, and she had a look on her face resembling that of a crazed killer out for blood.


“Usagi...no…” She couldn’t protect her after all. She tried so hard to protect the first friend she ever made, but it was all in vain. The storm cloud returned in full force, causing a downpour strong enough to flood her heart with nothing but despair. Now she was going to lose Usagi and be powerless to change her back to normal.

If only she was...stronger…


“Be quiet!! You’re all so noisy!!”

What was that? That was...Usagi’s voice? A flash of light lit up the cave, and Usagi reawakened...but as Usagi, not the youma! The mark on her chest disappeared. The storm clouds were pushed away, making way for a bright sunshine. Usagi came back! Together with her friends, they held off Kunzite and returned home.


Ami couldn’t believe it. She was so close to losing her friend. With the revelation that she and the others saved her just by making her hear the voices of their feelings...that was enough to make her smile the whole day. Now, she could spend her happy days with her friends for another day, maybe even more. She hoped these wonderful days would go on like this forever.


The storm cloud vanished completely, leaving warm sunshine, heralding only a touch of rain. Friendship was sunshine, with the occasional rain. Ami couldn’t imagine her life without her friends anymore. She was a new Ami now, and she loved every minute of it.

I think this was definitely in character! I love how you took the challenge up to the next level by applying it to PGSM Ami. In their hearts, the characters are still the same, so I'm not surprised it still fits wonderfully. These are definitely the highlights of Usagi and Ami's friendship and you've portrayed it really well. Thank you for participating, and grab a bumper!

Awww! Thanks! I'm glad I did something right!

A Touch of Rain-Ami Mizuno

The older woman paced around the clear marble tiling. She was doing multiple things at once, talking on her cellphone, checking her nails, looking at her reflection in the antique mirror that hung above the fireplace and adjusting various locks of her hair. Occasionally, an “Mmm-hmm.” Or a “ Yes, I understand.” Would escape her lips, but it was obviously a one-sided conversation.

Such a conversation that excluded her teenage daughter sitting at the end of the kitchen table. It didn’t bother the girl much-this often happened during meals. Her mother was successful-so it was only natural that she’d get multiple phone calls-most were of urgent situations or updates on patients, others were simply of praise-but she couldn’t quite figure out this one. Dr. Mizuno, getting all dolled up in the middle of a phone call? This was quite out of the norm.

The taste her mother’s freshly cooked meal tasted like sand in her mouth. It wasn’t that her mother was a horrible cook-it was in fact the opposite. It was just the curiosity-or perhaps irritation-at this arising situation that took her appetite away. Somewhere, Deep down, she wished her mother would just hang up the phone one day and then they could enjoy their meal like a family.

“Alright then, I’ll see you in about forty five minutes.” With a sharp “clack”, Saeko Mizuno flipped her phone shut. The sudden noise echoed in the lavishly decorated dining room, and her daughter, Ami, jumped a bit in her seat. Without turning around, Saeko began to talk:

“That was the head of the hospital. Apparently the heart transplant on that famed athlete went over so well, they wanted to throw a party in my honor! I only wish they had informed me sooner, I would have had time to buy a new outfit.”

Ami blinked. But the conversation seemed so professional! How was that an invitation to a party? The cream sauce-covered chicken slid down her throat as easily as a brick of lead as her mother continued-excited and not willing to wait for her daughters input.

“I do hope they’re not presenting any award. I’m severely underdressed for that.” She hurriedly walked out of the room, and returned with several pairs of earrings. She held each up to her ears and looked at them in the mirror, trying to decide which expensive piece would go best.

“Well, that’s how things go sometimes, I suppose.” Saeko continued, nodding in approval at her reflection and putting the other sets aside. She chose a ruby-red dangle-obviously to go with the color of her nails and lipstick. “When life gives you a party in your honor, you can’t just walk away from it.”
Ami nodded, her head feeling mechanical when doing so. “I agree.” The words that came out of her sounded not her own. Saeko failed to notice the obvious discomfort in her daughter and continued to talk, not once looking her in the eye. She put on her shoes and was digging through one purse to put its contents into another.

Ami just stared at her plate.

“By the way-I heard you got another 100 percent on your mock exam.” Her mother chuckled. “I’m not surprised in the slightest. It’s to be expected, after all. You’re my daughter.”

Ami flinched. Why did such appraisal hurt her so? Her mother stood up, fully dressed and ready for her “appointment.”

“I know the doctors would love for you to come, but I know you’re busy with your studies. You’re always so studious! I’d be lying when I say that they’re not eager to see how well you perform in the medical field once you graduate high school.” Saeko walked briskly past Ami, still seated at the kitchen table and gave her a light peck on the forehead.

“There’s no telling when I’ll be back. Be sure to lock the door, I have my key. I love you, Ami.” With a dignified flap of her dress coat, she was out the door.
And Ami was alone.

With a heavy sigh, she looked at the table in front of her. Her mother hadn’t even had time to touch her food. Surly it was all cold now. Ami pushed herself from the table and began to clear the mostly untouched meal up. She carefully placed each section in the appropriately-sized container, and opened the fridge. Dozens of containers containing meals of suppertimes past lined the shelves neatly-most of them only having one bite out of them. She carefully made room, then shut the door.

At this moment, she heard her cellphone ring. She looked at the caller ID. It was of Usagi. Ami picked it up, wondering why she was calling at this hour.

“Hello?”

“Ami-chan! Congrats!” A giddy voice leapt into her ears.

“For what?”

“It’s all over the tv! You’re mom’s about to get an award! Woooow, she really is amazing!”

“Yes, she is.” Ami felt her voice crack. Why was she upset? This was all a part of being her daughter. She should be glad for her mother. Any feeling other than that would be selfish of her.
There was a pause on the other line, and then. “You’re not there?”

“No. I have too much studying to do.”

Another pause. Ami could hear Usagi having a conversation with others in the room, but due to the rain, the reception on her cell was poorer than usual, so she couldn’t make out the conversation. Just as suddenly as the conversation came to a halt, it picked up again.

“I just asked Mama if it were okay for you to come over to dinner.”

Ami gasped; there was no way to hide her surprise. “W-why would you-?”

“Well, it’s no fun eating alone. Besides, you sounded sad, Ami-chan. Papa and Shingo agreed to it. Since it’s raining, Papa even suggested picking you up?” There was a small giggle. “You get to ride with me in papas car! Wait till you see how roomy it is! It’s not like his last one. It was sooo tiny I could hardly fit in it.”

A small faint voice could barely be heard in the distance. “That’s because you eat too much! Dad had 
to compensate!”

“Shingo! Why you-! I’ll deal with you when I get back.” Ami could hear the ruffling of something-probably coats, and a males voice. “papa said we’ll be over in 10 minutes or so, is that okay?”

Ami felt a smile, warm and genuine, spread across her face. “…Yes. 10 minutes will be fine.” They said their goodbyes and hug up.

Ami went to the front door and got on her coat and boots, she was about to reach for her umbrella when she stopped. She would be driven there, there would be no need for it. Hardly able to contain herself, she stepped into the elevator and it took her to the lobby, where the sound of rain greeted her. It was coming down in sheets, and she couldn’t help but laugh at the idea of how Usagi would get out of the car, despite the rain, and meet her in the lobby, drenched like a drowned rat. She couldn’t let her princess do that for her.

She saw a single pair of headlights approach the entryway. Bracing herself, she stepped out into the rain.

So many Ami stories! Feeling the love~

I personally don't view Ami's mother as almost self-absorbed - I honestly think her intentions are noble and she's just one of those women who works too hard - but this was an interesting spin on Ami's loneliness, and of course, everyone's headcanon is different. The bit with Usagi in the end is really sweet and it's a nice contrast to see Ami stepping into the rain to receive the warmth of a friend. Nice job and thank you for posting! Grab a bumper