Forum: Freeform
Type: Advanced

Plot Summary: Five years ago, colossal monsters identified as Kaiju have risen from an interdimensional rift in a crevice beneath the Pacific Ocean, resulting in a war that takes millions of lives and quickly consumes humanity's resources.

Following the first four Kaiju attacks in San Francisco, Manila, Cabo and Sydney, a conference between all leaders of the world was called. The meeting resulted in the idea of to combat the monsters, by designing a special type of weapon; massive mechs known as Jaegers, which are controlled simultaneously by two pilots whose minds are locked in a neural bridge (it was discovered during early trials that the mental strain of controlling a Jaeger alone would overwhelm a single pilot).

Only pilots that are ‘drift compatible’ will be able to operate a Jaeger together effectively. Drifting is a process that two Jaeger pilots undergo prior to synchronizing with the Jaeger itself. The process of Drifting is a type of mind-meld that requires the pilots to share memories, instinct and emotions. Drifting allows them to act as one and control the very movement of the Jaeger itself, one pilot controlling the "right hemisphere", the other the "left hemisphere". Whether two pilots are ‘drift compatible’ with one another, depends largely on their personal connection and their ability to work in sync with each other. Drift compatibility is potential that exists between two people, however, it is not predetermined by the relationship (or lack thereof) of the compatible persons.

The Pan Pacific Defense Corps was founded sometime later by the United Nations. The Defense Corps represents an international alliance of twenty-one countries across the Pacific Rim, bound together by the shared goal of containing, combating and eliminating the Kaiju with the Jaeger Program.

This year, a new group of trainee pilots (also called Rangers) are starting their training in the Tokyo Shatterdome, and must learn to work together with each other as well as finding their ‘other half’ for the drifting process if they ever hope to become a real Ranger.

Details on any necessary information: This is an AU that takes place in the Pacific Rim (2013 movie) universe. The characters are on their young adult age (20+) and have just been recruited into the pilot training program. They are ordinary humans, not senshi. This RP will explore their relationships with each other and how to create the most effective pairs in order to control the Jaegers and then eventually start fighting the Kaiju with the newly formed teams. It's mostly character study with some actions interspersed.

Source: Pacific Rim Wiki

Restrictions: Canon only, see character list for the only available characters

OOC Thread: Here

Member to Character List:
Usagi - sororitymoonprincess
Ami - JupiterThunderCrash
Rei - OPEN
Makoto - PoetofMercury
Minako - OPEN
Chibiusa - Aurae
Haruka - OPEN
Michiru - Sailor Mercury
Setsuna - OPEN
Hotaru - mercuryfan
Mamoru - Sailor Uranus

The pink-haired teenager stood outside the massive structure of the Tokyo Shatterdome, staring up at it in awe. A light rain misted her clothing and hair, but although she carried no umbrella she did not seem to notice or care about the damp. This was it. This was the moment she had been waiting for. Five long years of hard work and dedication to culminate in this: her first day as a trainee for the Pan Pacific Defense Corps. The road ahead of her was still long and fraught with peril, but Chibi Usa knew in her heart that she was destined to be a Ranger. Today was the first chance to prove herself.

Inside, the building teemed with people. Mechanics rushed to and fro from Jaeger to Jaeger, always more construction and repair to be done than there were hours in the day. Personnel filed through the corridors and hangers, each focused on his or her specific duties. She vaguely recognized some of the uniforms from her research, but there was still so much to learn. This was new territory, but she counted on it being her life and home from this point onward.

So far, she was the first trainee to arrive, or so it seemed. Chibi Usa could only wonder what the others would be like.

Ami still couldn't believe she was allowed to be here. Even as she was cleared to enter the Tokyo Shatterdome, her suitcase rolling behind her, it still felt like an odd dream. She was going to be a doctor, right? Not a pilot. She doubted she'd last five seconds behind the controls of a real Jaeger. 

And the Shatterdome was full of them. Huge, powerful machines with vaguely humanoid shapes powered by the latest in science and technology surrounded her, and Ami couldn't help but stare. Even if she never actually got in one, she'd love to study one up close. Simply being a mechanic would be an honor. Yet for some reason, the Pan-Pacific Defense Corps thought she had some potential... 

As Ami walked into the designated waiting area, she spotted a younger pink haired girl that looked vaguely familiar. Was she another recruit?

"Um, are you here for the Ranger program as well?" Ami asked, and then she remembered who it was. "Wait... Chibiusa?" She was Usagi's younger sister. She recalled being in the same high school as her for a year.

Michiru entered the Shatterdome building with the full knowledge of what this step would entail.

It was the first step into what would become an everlasting battle for her and Haruka’s lives. It was a battle to save this earth too, and others, and maybe their dreams. After all, if the world was lost, she couldn’t exactly become what she’d really wanted to become anymore. No, for that, she needed peace.

As this was the step they had agreed to take together, Michiru had also arrived with Haruka, and she intended to be by her side the entire time from now on. She had expected to be found drift compatible with Haruka right away and did not have any reason to think otherwise. They were pretty much the same person already. Together, they would be unstoppable. It was the only way she was willing to do this—with Haruka. And if anyone even thought Michiru would share her deepest secrets with anyone else… well… that was just ridiculous.

She looked around at the others lingering by the entrance, the ones she assumed were fellow trainees. Michiru did a double take when she realized that their faces were familiar. These girls were below her year at school, so they didn’t really talk much, but she knew of them. And she and Haruka were pretty popular back in high school, so Michiru wasn’t even being vain when she expected these other girls to know both of them.

She was surprised to recognize one of her sister's classmates, Ami Mizuno. She knew the blue-haired girl mostly from seeing her name at the top of the exam lists at school. In fact, Chibi Usa had based most of her academic goals around Mizuno's scores. She made a study of the upperclassman's tactics and tried to put that to use for her own schooling. It was strange to be standing here now, talking to someone from that world which Chibi Usa planned to put behind her for a better one.

"Yes, everyone calls me Chibi Usa," she replied with a smile. "I recognize you. Mizuno-san, isn't it?"

She wasn't quite bold enough to jump right to use of another person's first name (unlike her sister...), especially for trainees older than her. They might be entering the program at the same time, but these were still her upperclassmen.

In a moment she caught sight of another familiar face. Chibi Usa was fairly certain that Michiru had already graduated by the time she entered high school, but she had seen the beautiful young woman in yearbook photos and on other awards and notices throughout the school. The teal-haired woman had left a legacy in her wake. It was amazing for Chibi Usa to think that someone like that would be here, for the training program. She expected that someone who looked so elegant and was regarded as so refined would consider this "too hard". Chibi Usa chided herself for being so judgmental, especially of someone she had never met.

"Isn't that Michiru Kaioh?" she asked Ami, leaning over. "Did you know her at school?"

Makoto walked through the entrance into the shatterdome and paused a moment overawed by the sea of activity. So many people; security, mechanics, scientists, pilots, trainees, all running to and fro. It looked about as tumultuous as her stomach felt right now. She was both excited and nervous. The brunette clutched the copy of the acceptance letter to her chest. She still could not believe she had been accepted to enter the trainee program. What they had seen in her, she had no idea, but she was glad to be here and determined to make it as a pilot if she could. She could feel it. This was going to be a new era in her life.

Oh Makoto knew there would be danger. She had come to terms with that. If I can just do it once, save someone's life from a kaiju attack, it will all be worth it. After the attack on her neighborhood she had done a lot of volunteer work, helping to look for survivors and move debris. But she could never do anything while the attacks were happening. She was always too late. This was her chance to change all that. But was she really good enough to be a pilot? Makoto was no genius like Ami, and she had a checkered school background. Surely there were many here more qualified. But Makoto wanted to fight, and would fight to stay here until they kicked her out of the doors forcibly.

Still the sheer presence of the shatterdome made her feel small, an unusual feeling for one so tall as herself. She steeled her nerves and continued forward, following signs to the trainee area. She knew some of her friends had enrolled, but Makoto had no way to know if she would be anywhere near them. That added a pang of loneliness to the butterflies already dancing inside her. Instant relief came in the guise of blur hair seen through the crowd. Ami! Her friend had been accepted to the program but Makoto was a bit surprised she had gone through with it. The brunette quickened her steps, running the remaining distance.

"Ami-chan!", she called out as she got closer. "I'm really glad to see you here." She greted her friend with a warm relieved smile before looking around for others. She spotted Usagi's younger sister first. "Hi, I didn't know you were enrolling too? You're Usagi's sister right?"

And then Makoto spotted cascading waves of turquoise hair and her eyes widened in surprise. "No way...that's Kaioh-san isn't it?"

"Yes, it's a pleasure to see you again," Ami said, smiling back at her. At least Ami now knew someone in the program with her, so she wasn't entirely surrounded by strangers. As if on cue, she heard a familiar voice call her name. At the sight of Makoto, she relaxed more. She could imagine her as a jaeger pilot, with her fighting spirit, physical discipline, and determination. She was the very opposite of Ami, after all. 

"I'm glad you're here too," she said. If anyone deserved a spot, it was her friend. She turned to see what Chibi Usa was looking at, and her eyes widened.

It really was Michiru Kaioh, the musical and swimming prodigy. But what was she doing at the Shatterdome? Was she also applying to be a pilot? 

"She was our upperclassman, and I knew her from the swim team, but...not that well." Ami had always been a little shy around the older student, feeling a little inferior compared to her. She and her near constant partner Haruka Tenou had this sophisticated aura around them, and it just amplified how awkward and plain she was.

Chibi Usa felt a twinge of something like jealousy combined with regret. Already she was being recognized only as "Usagi's sister". Her dreams of making a name for herself as an adept candidate for Jaeger pilot seemed to flicker slightly, weakened by that familiar feeling of being Usagi's lesser copy. Chibi Usa had worked hard to put that kind of insecurity behind her, or at least she thought that she had. Yet here it was again, turning up like a bad card.

The tall brunette obviously knew Usagi, but Chibi Usa couldn't quite place her name.

"I am Usagi's sister. Please call me Chibi Usa," she said, instead of all the things she was thinking. "And you are?"

The conversation and eyes were back on Michiru. Clearly expectations were that the violinist would show her proficiency in the Jaeger program as much as she had academically, on the stage, and in the other venues of her life.

Chibi Usa was delighted to see Usagi, but she wasn't about to start fawning over her older sister in public like a child. Instead, she took a slightly more reserved stance--although there was a clear sparkle of happiness in her expression. The two weren't about to stop their playful teasing just because they were both ranger candidates, now, were they?

"I tried to wake you up before I left, but you wouldn't budge," she replied, grinning. "I didn't want them to think I shared your tendency of rushing in at the last moment."

She couldn't admit her real reason, of course. Chibi Usa knew there was no way she could tell Usagi that she left the older girl behind purposefully, to avoid being seen together right off the start, because she wanted some independence. Sweet and clingy Usagi could never understand that. It wasn't that Chibi Usa was upset her sister had joined the program--not at all! But she didn't want to do this, like so many other things, eclipsed by Usagi's shadow.

She wasn't about to torment Usagi in public, especially not here for the Ranger program, but she couldn't just pretend to have a totally different relationship with her sister. Not only would it feel strange, she knew it wouldn't do anything but make Usagi worry.

"Okay; okay," Chibi Usa said, although she couldn't keep the teasing lilt from her voice. "You're on time today; congratulations. May this be the start of new leaf for Usagi."

Her tone wasn't mocking or unkind, but it wasn't entirely serious. It was hard for her to be serious about such a thing, particularly when a renewed effort for dedication to timeliness had been part of the blonde's continued plans for years. Chibi Usa believed that she was trying to improve that habit for the Ranger program--she'd have to, of course. They certainly weren't going to let Usagi just waltz into training whenever she woke up. Chibi Usa knew that Usagi knew this, so she wasn't going to keep harping on it. The teasing didn't need to continue on this note.

"I wonder if the trainers will be here soon," Chibi Usa said, looking around and failing to see any Shatterdome employees that seemed interested in the group of young women. She wanted to get started. This was what she had been waiting for so long for!

As the new recruits talked amongst themselves, discovering that they knew each other to some extent, a woman with long wavy dark hair that was the color of the night sky approached. She had two buns atop her head—actually two on each side, upon closer inspection—and her eyes were blue. She brought a clipboard with her and was dressed in a simple business attire.

“Good morning, trainees,” she greeted the group, silencing any conversation that might still be going on. “Welcome to the Tokyo Shatterdome. My name is Luna, and I will be your main trainer during your stay along with my partner Artemis. Each and every one of you have been chosen for a reason, and we look forward to welcoming you into our Ranger program. For now, we need to begin by running a few tests to judge your physical and mental abilities, as well as which other trainees you would be drift compatible with. Shall we go?”

She led the group through orientation, showing them where they would eat and sleep, and once everyone was settled, the tests began. Several physical tests were followed by a round of sparring matches where each trainee was asked to face off with another. All throughout the sessions, Luna made endless notes on her clipboard, and when everyone felt like they could not possibly exert any more energy that day, she finally announced that the physical portion of today’s tests were done.

She then brought them into a state-of-the-art lab. Its interior was all white and it was lined with enough chairs to seat all of them. Upon each chair was a strange round-looking contraption with a lot of wires and probes. A man with long white hair who looked to be on his twenties stood up from the giant computer at the back of the room.

“This is Artemis, and he will be in charge of performing your brain waves test today. This is another test that will decide which trainee each of you will be most compatible with to pilot a Jaeger. Now, if everyone could take a seat, we can begin momentarily.”

Artemis smiled at the group reassuringly. “Don’t worry, this doesn’t hurt at all. This is a simulation of a drift, but without all the mind-melding thing, so you don’t have to be concerned about sharing your most private thoughts with anyone either for the time being. We just want to see how your brain waves work and which ones are more similar, thus more likely to match up in a drift.”

He fiddled with the machines as he continued explaining. “There is a reason we do this at the end of the day when you’ve all exhausted your physical energy. The brain is generally most alert first thing in the morning, but what we actually need here is your mind being open. So everyone try to relax. Feel free to daydream, even. Don’t stress your brain. We won’t even give you a penalty for falling asleep,” he added with a laugh. Soon a soothing music began to play in the room, adding to the lull and serene atmosphere.

Being told to relax was exactly the kind of thing that made Chibi Usa feel slightly more tense. Thank goodness she felt physically exhausted, otherwise it would have been an even bigger hurdle. She sat in one of the chairs, trying to focus on the music. Trying to take deep breaths. Trying not to panic.

It was hard to keep the thoughts from whirling through her mind. To be a Ranger was the brightest dream that Chibi Usa had. It was her one goal, the thing that had pushed her forward and given her room to grow up and mature. Everything she did today was with the goal of impressing Luna and Artemis, hopefully exceeding the results they expected from her. She pushed herself to the limit during the physical tests. She did not waste one ounce of energy during the sparring. She could still feel the sweat and warmth from all that exertion, and she didn't regret one minute of it. Now, it would all come down to drift compatibility.

What if she wasn't drift compatible with someone here? What if she conflicted with all the other trainees and they sent her home? That was the terrifying thought in the forefront of Chibi Usa's mind. She couldn't keep thinking about it. That was absolutely the opposite of relaxing.

Take deep breaths, she told herself. You can do this. You have to do this.

After they were finally greeted by one of the trainers at the Shatterdome, Luna showed them around the compound. Ami hadn't really thought about how long she'd be staying here, having meals and sleeping with the other recruits. Would her mother miss her while she was gone? Well, they hadn't seen each other much anyway, but it was the principle of the matter. It'd be hard adjusting to living in the Shatterdome...

 Luna lead them through a series of physical tests, most of which pushed Ami to her very limits. She might have enjoyed swimming, but she was far from an athlete, and she definitely wasn't a fighter. That sparring match had been grueling, and she had been forced to use more strategy than raw power to keep up. Ami honestly had no idea hwy she had even tried so hard, considering she didn't even want to be a Jaeger Pilot. But there was just something about tests that drove her to do her best.

The last test of the day was run by Artemis, and it was the one that Ami found herself dreading the most. Physical tests she could control to a degree, but there was nothing Ami could do if her brainwaves weren't compatible. She sat in one of the unoccupied chairs and waited, resigning herself to whatever fate she had. If she was going to be cut, it'd be here. She focused on the music instead, zoning out like Artemis had suggested. Ami allowed her eyes to fall shut and mentally reviewed biology terms. If she just didn't think about the scan at all, it couldn't stress her out.

Earlier today, Hotaru had walked at a moderate pace across the pavement toward the Tokyo Shatterdome, so as to not overtax her weak body.  Hotaru had known very little about the Ranger program to train & find more Jaeger pilots before a recruiter had contacted her to recruit her for it.  She had been a student at a university at the time, in the middle of training (she had hoped) to become a doctor.  But after she had done some research into the program and found out a lot about the program, she had decided to apply for it, delaying her school training to become a doctor if she was accepted.


Hotaru was pleasantly surprised when she received the acceptance letter from this Ranger program.  Even earlier today, when she was directly on her way to the Tokyo Shatterdome for her first day in this program, she still didn’t know why they felt she would be a good candidate to co-pilot a Jaeger.  She was just happy and eager for the chance to prove she could do it.


Finally, Hotaru had reached the entrance of the large building.  After entering it, the first thing that had struck Hotaru was the size of the Jaegers that were being worked on inside.  Sure, she had expected them to be quite a bit larger than she was, because she was relatively short overall.  But she was surprised by how much they dwarfed everyone in the large building - even the tallest, most burly men who were working on the colossal mecha.


After a little bit of informal socializing time, a woman who introduced herself as Luna led Hotaru and the other trainees through an orientation, introducing them to the program and the places they would be frequenting in this new life.  Though when Luna said they were about to test their physical abilities, Hotaru feared that point might be the beginning of the end of her path in the Ranger program.  She feared that once they really found out how weak her body was and how little physical ability she truly had, they would cut their losses by cutting her from the training program.  Hotaru did try her hardest through all the sparring matches, though, just in case she was wrong about her physical abilities being insufficient for them.  But this fear showed on her face all the way through the sparring matches, especially in between the matches as the sheer number of them started to overwhelm her and wear her out.


Even when Luna announced that today’s physical tests were finally done, and Hotaru, along with the other trainees, were led to a state-of-the-art lab, the purplish-black-haired young woman could only partially relax.  This was because, even though she was confident in the program’s ability to match up trainees with the one they were most compatible with for piloting a Jaeger, she felt sure that once Luna met with her co-workers and/or supervisors to discuss the results of those physical tests (which would most likely happen within the next 24-48 hours), the axe could come down on her any time soon after that.  So Hotaru was only able to relax during this brain waves test after hearing the last part of what Artemis said - about them wanting the mind open, un-stressed, and relaxed during this test - and also after they had started to play the soothing music in the background of this lab room; and even then, she could only do so intermittently - in between the times Hotaru tensed up because she thought she heard some hint that Luna-tachi had made their unkind decision on her.

Makoto rather enjoyed the sparring. It wasn't the type of fighting where you really wanted to hurt someone, but more like practice and reminded her of the summer she spent away studying at a dojo in the mountains. Her mind fell into the rhythm of anticipating blows and looking for openings. Believe it or not, this activity actually helped her relax a little. It allowed her to forget for a minute about everything and just move.

She worried a bit about how Ami was faring and did try to find her out of the corner of her eye when she could. When it was time for the brainwave tests she felt the start of the butterflies in her stomach again. If it was a test of intelligence Makoto was not sure where she would fall. But she did her best to relax and in doing so, her mind wandered to imagining who her co-pilot might be.

She couldn't say she was really like the others. Usagi was too happy and bubbly, beautiful in her own way but probably not compatible with her. Ami was more studious than physical. Makoto was the odd one out of the group, at least she thought so. Maybe Minako? She could only hope she would be teamed with a friend and not a stranger. That thought terrified her. At least her friends knew most of her secrets anyway, even about her parents.

Michiru had gotten through that day’s training as gracefully as possible. She wasn’t exactly a fan of the sparring bit, or any of the physically demanding activities, but since she was a swimmer, she had considerable strength and stamina to keep up with the others. She had been amused at how in sync her fight against Haruka had been, almost like they were destined to fight together. She could see it now as she settled in her seat in the all-white examination room, how she and Haruka would pilot their Jaeger together perfectly. They already knew each other’s thoughts very well, they were already perfectly in sync like one mind. Surely they would be paired up together in no time. They shouldn’t have even bothered testing them with all these examinations. The prospect of pairing up with someone else never even entered Michiru’s mind. For her, it was simply impossible.

The test didn’t last long, and it was actually quite a nice, relaxing time. Half an hour later, the trainees were excused.

“You may now have the rest of the night to do anything you wish,” Luna told them. Michiru could almost hear a collective sigh of relief as she glanced at the others. “Tomorrow morning we will let you know our decisions regarding which pairs will be tested to pilot a Jaeger together for the first time.”

This announcement was met with more nervous anticipation. So soon? She supposed there was no point dilly-dallying—not when the world hung in the balance.

There hadn’t exactly been any time to talk between all the tests, and she took this opportunity where nothing else was going on to finally assess all the candidates one by one.

She was rather surprised to see Usagi there—the girl always seemed like the cheerful, carefree type who wouldn’t be interested in a career path like this. But even more surprising was her younger sister, who seemed like she couldn’t possibly pass the legal age for this recruitment. Michiru didn’t mention it, though, for fear that she was wrong. The girl in the blue hair—Ami—seemed more suitable behind a computer, not piloting a giant robot. How many of them would actually get to be Rangers, and would anyone be cut?

She waited to see what the others would do with this sudden free time. Should they all go to dinner together? Sometimes Michiru felt she ought to be more social, but she was so used to having just Haruka and being pretty happy about it, so she was never very proactive in situations where she might have the opportunity to gain more friends.

Not knowing the results of their tests until tomorrow tormented Chibi Usa. She knew it was reasonable—there was probably a lot of data to analyze or discussions for the administration to have about the candidates. That didn't really make her feel any better. She had spent so many months dedicating herself to a future as a Ranger. If it was all over now... She didn't even know what she was going to do with herself. She couldn't think about that now.

When they were let free from the program and told to entertain themselves, she only hoped that it would be enough to keep her distracted.

"Maybe we could do something together?" Chibi Usa asked the others. "Any thoughts?"

Being left alone with only her own worries for the evening might not be something the pink-haired girl could survive.

When she had come out of the lab testing room, Hotaru then had pretty much nothing else to do, so her mind was listening for any sign that Luna had come back and was about to tell her she was being cut from the Ranger program for not being up to standards physically.  Her mind was constantly worrying about this when she overheard Chibi-Usa suggest doing something together.  After it finally sank in, Hotaru then had something else to think about, which was a welcome change of pace.

After concentrating on the pink-haired girl's suggestion for a little bit, Hotaru realized that doing something with the rest of these trainees would be better for her than being alone and worrying all the time.  And she had a great suggestion (or at least she thought so) based on how she was feeling now and what time of day it was.  Hotaru responded to Chibi-Usa timidly (in case others would not like her idea) "That sounds good to me.  I know I'm hungry after all those sparring matches, so maybe we could go to dinner together at some restaurant nearby?"

Ami was so focused on recalling all the bones in the body to forget her worries that the test was completely over before she realized it. It was finished that quickly? She relaxed and got out of her seat, removing the helmet. The process of scanning her brainwaves hadn't been difficult at all. The thought of getting her results the very next day was a little scarier, but there was nothing she could do now anyway.

After being released for the night, Amie debated just going back to her room. She wasn't feeling very great about her chances, and what was the point of hanging out with the other trainees when she was sure to be sent back home? Hotaru's suggestion to get food didn't sound too bad though...

"That sounds like a good plan," she said.

Chibi Usa could have cheered to hear suggestions from some of the others. She didn't know what to really expect of everyone here; even her sister's friends, as much as she knew of them, she didn't know particularly well.

"That's a great idea!" Chibi Usa replied to the dark-haired girl's question. She hadn't really expected a reply from someone who seemed so timid, so this seemed like a really good sign.

"I'm definitely hungry! Here, one moment!"

One of the shatterdome employees was just walking by, and the pink-haired teenager quickly intercepted his course and prodded him for information about nearby restaurants. She wasn't sure that most of the trainees would be familiar with this area—she certainly wasn't—but this was the central location for a bunch of people. They had to eat somewhere. It only took a few minutes before she was able to skip back to the group, now equipped with a few suggestions that supposedly offered delicious food at reasonable costs within an easy walking distance of their location.

OOC:

The girls discussed dinner options, and beside Michiru, Haruka had shifted into her charming mode. “Dinner sounds great! I may even treat you all if you’re lucky,” she winked at the younger girls. “I never really got to hang out with you guys when we were at school, so I think this is a nice opportunity to get to know all of you. Besides, one of you might end up being my partner. Better start that mind meld thing sooner rather than later, eh?”

Michiru bristled at this last sentence. Did Haruka seriously think she was going to be paired up with anyone other than her? Would they dare to do that?

Surely not. Surely the tests would make it obvious how compatible she and Haruka were.

Haruka gave her a private wink that said she was just joking, and Michiru swallowed her pout.

“You’re coming, right, Michiru?” her girlfriend asked, and Michiru sighed.

“Of course,” she said coolly. “Wherever you go, I go too.”

As Chibiusa mentioned several restaurant names, Haruka’s eyes brightened. “Oh, I know that last one! It is really good. We all must go there. Come, girls. And tell me all about yourselves on the way, I want to know everything. Surely pretty girls like you should all have gotten nice jobs instead of risking your lives like this.”

Michiru resisted the urge to facepalm as she followed the group.

Sometimes Haruka made it so hard to love her.

The commentary from the blonde accompanying Michiru, obviously the famed Haruka, made Chibi Usa simultaneously blush and cringe. She felt strange having that kind of flattery and teasing applied to herself, especially as part of a group, although she couldn't deny that somehow the tall woman managed to pull it off without being too cheesy. The red eyes studied her, wondering how that kind of charisma was cultured.

She bristled at the last remark, but bit her tongue. Nice jobs instead of risking their lives? Someone had to fight against these monsters. Chibi Usa couldn't just sit around and pretend the world hadn't changed when they now lived in fear of destruction and death from strange unnatural forces. There was a sense of joking in Haruka's tone, but the words made it a joke in poor taste to the pink-haired recruit. Still, she didn't want to start arguing so soon with people she didn't even know. She'd save the arguing for her sister.

There was just something about Haruka that always made Ami shy, and the effect was still there even outside of high school. Not sure how to handle the barely hidden flirting, she ended up looking at her feet to partially hide her reddening face. But Haruka's comment did make her wonder what it would be like if she were paired up with the older woman. 

Would they even be compatible? She couldn't say that she knew Haruka well, but they clearly had different hobbies, interests, and skills. Wouldn't that make their mindsets too far apart? Ami had researched the concept of drifting before, and knew it was a hard to predict process. The human mind and conscience was still being explored, and what made two people drift compatible was not an exact science.

"W-well, the Defense Program is such a large part of Japan now, that there are important jobs even outside of the Jaeger division," Ami replied to Haruka, steering the conversation to a slightly lighter subject.