Two high schools, both alike in dignity

Combine in fair Verona I., where we lay our scene

From ancient grudge break to new mutiny

Where school spirit makes civil tongues unclean. 

From forth the student bodies of these two foes

A pair of star-cross'd lovers make secret vows 

Whose misadventured romance overthrows

Do with their love aide their school's rehouse.

Name of the Storyline:  Love and Spite

Name of the Creator(s): Yamichan16 and Uranus

Storyline Status: Accepted

Advanced or Relaxed: Advanced

Plot Summary:

Quote :

Love and Spite is a 21st century alternate universe of the Silver Millennium that takes place in The Verona Institute, an American high school (but attendees can retain Japanese character names without any social strangeness). However, there is no plan of the main cast ending their lives at the end of the storyline. Additionally, there will be no transformations or powers, but affinities or skills that tie over are welcome (for example, Rei's spirituality, Makoto's strength and baking skills, Ami's intelligence, etc.).

It is a new school year and a new school building for students from Rosethorn School and Silver Academy, as both original schools have closed down and their student populations, once bitter rivals in sports, academics, and all manner of extracurricular activities, must now coexist under one state-of-the-art roof. But who will rule this new school? Will it be the beautiful affluent young ladies of Silver Academy, whose charm, honesty, talent, and good nature have won over their population since kindergarten? Or will it be the strapping young men of Rosethorn High, who had worked their way up through the public education system and found themselves on top in their second year of high school and held strong since? It the senior year for all of our main cast, so the stakes are high - who will rule this school?

Their first battle is bound to happen in the Student Council chambers, as with the merging of two schools comes the merging of two school representative groups. Who will emerge as leader the new student body of The Verona Institute? Will it be Senior class Serenity Tsukino, the Student Body President of Silver Academy, as cute as she is passionate and determined? Or Senior-class Endymion Chiba, Student Body President of Rosethorn, hardworking and dedicated? With the personal pride of each school resting on their shoulders, these leaders will need to choose between butting heads with each other and collaboration on future events, and with their respective group of friends and student body pushing them for dominance over the other, the road for student-council run events looks rocky indeed.

Will they be able to get it together in time to throw an amazing Homecoming Dance?

Can they make decisions about what to feature for a Halloween festival?

And in their spring semester, with graduation on the horizon, who will be Prom King and Queen?

One thing is for certain: with clashing personalities on either side, passions running high, and some wildcards in the mix (like Beryl, the Mean Girl previously of Rosethorn), making final decisions about anything won't be a walk in the park... especially when hormones and personal attraction make loyalty to one's old school increasingly difficult.

Details on any necessary information:

Spoiler:

Restrictions:
Canon: The Inners and Serenity, Endymion, the Generals and Beryl only.
Otaku: None

Activity Rule wrote:

Activity Rule: At least one post per four days (to start); failure to abide by the activity rule will result in player suspension. The character will either be reopened or turned to an NPC/background character.

OOC Thread: Love and Spite Revival

Player to Character List:

• Endymion Shields - Sailor Uranus (Kyra)
  
• Serenity "Bunny" White - Sailor Mercury (Aurae)
  
• Rei Sparks - Sailor Neptune (Bubbles)
  
• Mina Valentine - Sailor Saturn (Verdi)
  
• Makoto Blossom - Lyssarie
  
• Nathaniel Nephrite Stanton - Sailor Saturn (Verdi)
  
• Sigmund Zoisite Grimfrid - Ktenshi
  
• Kunzite - Cosmos-Hime
  

Endymion turned the shower off and reached through the curtain to find a towel, careful not to drip too much on the tile floor in the process. He dried off while standing in the tub, then stepped out onto the fluffy blue bathmat, wrapped the towel around his waist, and grabbed a smaller towel to quickly dry his hair. Within moments he was nearly completely dry, and used the second towel to carefully wipe clean the steamed mirror. Then he stood, his hands resting on the counter-top, and looked himself in the eye, reminding himself of everything they had worked for last year, every hardship, every battle they had won. He thought of the clubs, the faculty, the fundraisers and the sacrifices of the previous year, and of how all that had ultimately failed in its original cause. Rosethorn was closed, and this year they would not be roaming its familiar hallways with its familiar faces. Today, Rosethorn students would be populating a new school, an Institute, and he owed it to them to make this the best year he possibly could to show them their hard work last year did not go unappreciated. 

He needed to get back in office. He needed to make sure the funds they had raised were used properly and his student body was properly represented and duly rewarded for everything they had given up the year before. He kept his own gaze - he could not fail in this. He could not let them down, no matter the obstacles he faced. He owed them that. He would put everything he had towards becoming School President again, and making sure the right thing was done by them. Even if he had to concoct a way to be seen and heard around the Silver Academy's old leadership and what had to be the huge financial backing they had at their beck and call. He felt his own hesitation and pushed past it. He would do more than his best. He would give it his all, and he would retake office for them.

Mental peptalk complete, he looked away from his reflection and opened the door to return to his room and dress for the day. Ultimately he chose a casual pair of jeans and an old favorite - his dark red Rosethorn school shirt, the rose symbol emblazoned in black tee-shirt print. He hesitated a moment before slipping it on over his head, wondering if it would be in poor taste to remind others of the past when they were on the first day of their future, but quickly shook it off. He was overdramatizing everything. He threw on a black collared shirt overtop, leaving the buttons undone, and rolled up the sleeves to his elbows, ran a brush through his hair, slipped on his sneakers and called it good enough.

He had a pleasant conversation with his mother over breakfast; while she was yawning she was nonetheless determined to send him off on his first day of school with a balanced breakfast. They spoke of how cool the new school was, how exciting it was to be at the school its first year, how he and his friends and the other seniors at the school would really set the tone for the year and the school's future, and how good they could be for it. As the clock ticked towards the time he had to go, she checked twice that he had his schedule printed and his student planner with him, that he had a supply of composition notebooks, spirals, and at least one binder with loose-leaf paper, and a combination lock in case there weren't locks already built into their lockers. Endymion took all of this with a smile and a shared look with his father as he entered the room, listened for a moment, and subtly shook his head with a bit of an eye roll, which his mother answered with a soft punch on his arm without breaking eye contact with Endymion.

When it was time, he wished them a good day, packed his shoulder-bag, and waved as he left the house.

It was the first day of school, only it was an entirely different school, and Rei was not exactly happy about this. She had worked hard to achieve her status as the Vice President of the Student Council of Silver Academy, and now they were supposed to blend with a rival school under one roof? And compete for everything? She hoped nobody was hoping to take her position away from her, because she wasn’t giving it up without a fight. She didn’t work hard to achieve everything she did only to have it all robbed from her on her senior year—the most important, life defining year in high school.

No, Rei had a specific plan. A specific five year plan that she’d developed since junior high, and all of it been followed perfectly. She had gotten every single thing she had aimed for, before her school dared to close down and throw a wrench in it. It was like throwing a rock on her perfect house of cards. Kicking the bottom piece of her Jenga tower. She had painstakingly built every single piece and now the universe decided, oh no, let’s have her start from scratch again, with double the challenge!

Well, guess what? Rei loved challenges. It just made her want to prove she could overcome them. It just made her more ambitious.

So she strode purposefully—very purposefully—down the hall that bright morning, determined to be one of the first students to walk the halls of this new school. She was dressed in her original Silver Academy white blouse with a no-nonsense black pleated skirt and sensible black shoes. As she walked, she eyed her new surroundings disdainfully. (She had already eyed it thoroughly during the holidays, but she wasn’t going to waste another opportunity to give it a disapproving look again.) The Verona Institute was certainly beautiful and grander than any other school their district had ever had, but its outer appearances couldn’t fool her. There was going to be an entirely new student population, and there were going to be people challenging her position. The thought of competing for everything she had already earned the hard way all over again almost made her furious, but she had turned it into something that fueled her determination instead.

She was going to have it all here too. And god knows Serenity needed her help. She could be too nice sometimes and Rei wasn’t sure she would be prepared to fight to keep her position, especially if what she’d heard about the other school-that-must-not-be-named’s Student Council President was true. The last thing she needed was for Serenity to take one look at him, get completely weak in the knees because of his charm, and decided to just hand him over her position.

That was why Rei was her Vice President. That was what she was there for; to keep Serenity from falling for the enemy’s trap like that.

No one was going to make a fool out of her best friend.

"Serenity!"

She turned towards the voice. She knew that speaker, didn't she? She felt a rush of longing, eyes searching the distance to see that face. The dress fluttered around her body, chiffon and silk, buoyed by the soft breeze. She could hear the call, but she didn't see anyone.

"Serenity!"

"Who's there?" she cried, her own voice more foreign than the one she heard.

"Serenity!"

She was running now, desperation rising. She felt her feet skid over the uneven ground, kicking small stones and dust aside. Her heart pounded in her chest.

"Serenity!!"

The blonde sat up with a start, mouth opened to yell, blinking in confusion as her eyes adjusted to the light and she realized where she was: at home, in her bedroom. Sunlight filtered in through the blinds; she could hear the soft sound of her favourite album playing in the background. Serenity yawned, the sense of panic fading fast as the memories of the dream dissolved, and mumbled something to herself about salted popcorn as she flopped back into the bed. Before she could roll over and slip back into dreamland, she felt the covers briskly yanked away from her body.

"Serenity! You're going to be late!" echoed another cry.

This time she opened one eye, and saw a familiar figure. "...What?" Serenity mumbled.

"It's the first day. You'll be late. Minako's outside."

The next noise Serenity made was a long, drawn-out wail as she catapulted herself from her bed and rushed to get ready. Things were supposed to be different. It was her final year of high school! She was Student Council President, for heaven's sake! Well, she was Student Council President, but as she quickly styled her hair into its signature bun-topped pigtails, she already knew she'd campaign successfully for this year. She had to! Getting people together to keep things running smoothly had turned out to be one of the few things Bunny actually excelled at. If she didn't have that to keep her occupied... what was she supposed to do with herself?

She fluttered gracefully tumbled down the stairs of the ornate house, almost forgetting her lunch. Mama had packed it, even though Serenity should have been too old for that kind of babying and despite being an extraordinarily busy woman. She bolted out the door, ready to throw herself into Minako's waiting car. She couldn't make a terrible impression on everyone by arriving last on the very first day!

The morning welcomed her in a blare of loud pop music, peppy and energetic and fun.

Which she promptly ignored, burrowing further into the blankets, though her foot tapped along to the beat. Tired she may be, but she wasn't about to let a good song go to waste.

It wasn't until a few minutes later that Mina remember that she had places to be and people to impress. Oh yeah, and she needed to pick up Bunny.

Because she, the ever so talent Mina that she was, was now the owner of a stylish orange car and could legally drive it wherever and whenever she wanted. And she would make sure to take advantage of this new freedom. She envisioned driving up alongside some dashing man, wowing him with her smile as much as her skills with the car. Beauty was in the eye of the car driver, after all.

Mina finished the last touches of her outfit, tightening her signature bow into place. Now that she was allowed to expand outside of the traditional Silver Academy uniform, Mina planned to play with her style as much as she wanted. Though she kept the blazer—she had to show solidarity with her friends, after all.

She took a second to stare into the reflection of her mirror, winking. Perfect. This was just the right amount of 'good dutiful school girl' and 'hot teenager who knows what she's got', without pushing it too much one way or the other. Enough to incite a riot in her honor, but not enough to get in trouble at this new school.

She didn't mind the idea of a whole new school. She knew some of the others weren't as happy with the decision, but she didn't particularly care one way or the other. She still had her friends, a lot of the same teachers and figures she'd grown used to would remain as well, and she was still allowed her fun. What more did a girl need, honestly?

A little spin sent her skirt twirling around her legs and Mina decided she was ready. Grabbing her keys, she called out a goodbye to the empty house and made her way to her precious car. All smooth curves and sleek angles—a convertible, of course—Mina had picked it out to match her own greatest assets. It was good, to have a car. A personal kind of freedom. If she wanted to drive until the road ended, she could.

She grinned and got in, revving up the engine a little before veering off down the familiar streets to Bunny's home. Even as she saw Bunny ready and approaching the car, Mina pressed the horn button a couple times, unmindful of the early hour. What did she care about any sleeping neighbors when there was a Bunny to impress?

"Bunny!" she called out, smile bright. She reached over and patted at the passenger seat. "Come on in, the water's on fire!"

She waited until Bunny was securely in the seat, seatbelt in place—Mina wasn't a complete glutton for risky behavior, especially when it came to Bunny's safety—before moving them forward to their new school destination. She didn't have the most experience when it came to driving, but she had all of the enthusiasm to make sure it was a fun ride.

"What do you think? Will there be some cute boys waiting for us?" She laughed as she cut the next corner a little too sharply. "Cute girls? I wonder what these Rosethorn High students will be like."

With that, a new topic made its way to the forefront and she barreled on ahead, much like her driving. "I can't believe this is our last year, can you? Soon we'll be respectable women with jobs and a white wicker fence and everything!"

Sigmund Zoisite Grimfrid



The problem, for one Zoisite Grimfrid, wasn't that choosing an outfit was hard. Oh no, Zoi could do that in his sleep.  He could tell you whether something was Chanel or Gucci by the feel and smell of it- not..that he owned any, mind you- but he could do it!  It wasn't that he had spent painstaking hours on his nails and beauty regiment to get that perfect effortless glow.  Or that he had conditioned, moisturized, and even curled his hair a bit to give it that perfect Zoisite curls- though he will go to his grave telling everyone was completely that natural of curls, when truth be told those were controlled curls. His real curls were a hot mess and no one would ever see them if he could help it.

No, the problem that faced Zoisite and kept him up all night was the impending transfer to this new school with it's mixed student body.  His brows wrinkled as he thought about it.  All that time, all that planning, the cultivation of his status and reputation- gone.  They had done so much to try and save their believed Rosethorn High only to have this be the result. It was cruel.

Even though it embarrassed him, he had to admit, the closing of the school had hurt a lot more than he liked.  He even had hoped his baby sister would be able to take up the mantle of 'best dressed' after him.  Make a legacy out of the Grimfrid name but such dreams would not be.

"Zoi!"   Speaking of the devil, his fourteen year old sister banged on their shared jack and jill bathroom door.  "Hurry up! Mom said I had to bum a ride with you!"

At first, he was going to ignore her, but that caught his attention and he stuck his head out telling her under no certain terms were they arriving at the school together.   Which, she narrowed her eyes and held her hand out.  He heaved a sigh.  The only way to get what he wanted with her was to bribe her.

"Some times, " He said forking over a twenty from his own allowance then crossed his arms over the bathrobe, "I regret telling them I wanted a sibling."

She grinned, " Like you're not responsible for this attitude?"

He shook his head but stopped her for a moment, "Wait."  He undid her afro puff and redid it once more so it looked even cleaner.  "There.  Even if we don't show up together, can't have anyone claim that the Grimfrids' are walking disasters."

Once she was gone, he went back to finish his make up.  He figured that given the weather today and the fact they had to show out for their fellow students, he would go in style.  It was a good thing he set out some clothes last night.  He had a few choices, a late summer look, a short dress, or those tailored jeans and a tank top he'd gotten over the summer.  He really liked it and tried to figure which to wear.

Until finally, he took the tanktop- which was a pretty shade of white with the colors of the old school for the straps (which is primarily why he had wanted it) and a cute tasseled bow on the front in the center of the sweetheart neckline- and put that on, then the pencil navy skirt that had buttons on the side.  He had to measure it to make sure he wouldn't be sent home, finding the length acceptable then slipped on some short black leggings, just in case a teacher was feeling particularly stickler.  

In either case, he made himself look presentable, even adding the earrings his step-mother had bought him on a shopping trip to cheer him up about the school changes.  She had told him to look at it as a new opportunity to make more friends and a bigger impression.   She was right, of course, but Zoisite didn't think he needed to make more friends. He had his friends- ones that accepted him for himself.

He stared at himself for a while longer, idly wondering what they'd think of this outfit before banishing the thought, lest the make up blush became a real one because of one in particular friend.  

"Zoi, you're totally gonna be late and it's so not going to be my fault!"  Zoey yelled up at him with only a few moments later, the door slammed.

"Ok." Zoisite said to himself, with a light spritz of perfume, a messenger bag that was filled with his school things and his mini emergency kit, "Verona is just like any other place. Any other school. We're going to make sure that we stay on top this last year."

Gods, he's a senior.  It's their last year together, wasn't it?  He felt himself pale just a touch at that realization before pushing it aside and hurrying out the door, locking it behind him.  Never mind that- until that day comes, he was going to make the best of it all.   After all, Zoisite Grimfrid was nothing else if not determined.

Mina's questions and cheerful greeting immediately brought a smile to Bunny's face. She admired the sleek, beautiful convertible, managing to avoid too much of a stab of jealousy. They always talked about the kinds of cars they'd have, but right now that wasn't an option for Bunny. At least she was able to ride in style in her cousin's car. It was kind of like having a personal chauffeur, right? She leaned back, letting the wind play with her long hair, pigtails streaming behind them like comet tails.

"I... I'm going to miss it," she admitted, trying not to think too much about how much fun she'd had in high school. She'd always been close to her friends, but they'd shared so much together. She felt like they were even more bonded now than they had been as children—they were her sisters more than just her pals. How was that going to change when they were out of high school? When they no longer spent every single day together? Usagi still wasn't sure what was next for her... she should have gotten everything for university figured out last year, but with her grades and a particular terrible awful clerical error that resulted in her having to retake a mathematics requirement problem, she hadn't been able to figure out what she wanted.

She wasn't sure she'd get that figured out this year, either. But this was the first day of school at their brand new school! This was no time for worries and fears about the future. She had things to do, didn't she? Teachers to meet or reunite with and hoooooopefully a Student Council election to win! She knew that her friends would support her. She couldn't wait to see them and start planning her campaign!

"We've got to make the best of it!" she replied with a broad grin. "Say, did you hear that Ms. Luna and Mr. Artemis worked the same summer school session this year?"

She knew how Mina felt about that pair of high school staff!

Nathaniel Nephrite Stanton

Nephrite loved mornings. Getting up two hours earlier than necessary was the best. Jogging amongst the earliest of dawns when the stars still poked through the lightening sky was the best way to wake up. His parents thought him to be crazy--they were not morning people at all—but Nephrite had kept up this routine for years now. And with this last year being uprooted, he needed all the normalcy and routine he could get.

Verona. It wasn't nearly as poetic as Rosethorn, Nephrite decided. He wondered how much would truly change with the new school. He and his friends would rule the school, naturally. There was no other option for that. But what would change? Would the teachers be stricter? The homework more difficult?

At least he had several classes to look forward to this year. Especially his Earth and Space Science elective. He wasn't certain how he'd play off that one, with it being such a nerdy topic. Health and Fitness was easy to explain away, at least, considering his place on the soccer team—wait, would he still have a place on the soccer team?!

Nephrite's steady pace of steps came to stop and he sighed. Why couldn't the merge wait for one more year? Why did the officials have to decide that this was the year to do something crazy like this?

He sighed again and glanced up at the stars, finding comfort in their twinkling. They were beginning to disappear as the sun rose higher in the sky, but they still glittered.

Shaking his head, Nephrite began the trek home. A nice hot shower would do a lot to quell his frustrations.

The shower did end up making him feel better. Refreshed and ready to tackle the new school year with a fervor masked with nonchalance.

Blow drying his hair took a lot of effort. It wasn't so much that the hair thick and had a natural wave, which it did—and it looked marvelous, no matter how much his mother commented that he should cut it. The problem came in getting that exact level of looking his best while still maintaining an air of not even trying. That he'd just woken up looking gorgeous.

Luckily, he had a lot of practice. With the final touches in place, Nephrite smoothed out his Rosethorn shirt and pulled on his shoes. His car keys jingled in his pocket as he made his way downstairs.

Giving a kiss of greeting on his mother's cheek, Nephrite began to shovel breakfast into his mouth. If he didn't hurry, he'd be late, and no matter his blasé outward reputation for school, he was never late.

"You'll be good this year, yes?" his mother prompted, wagging a spatula at him. "No stunts, right? You've got a chance for a new start here, don't waste it."

Nephrite grinned at her. "Of course, mum, of course. I'll be the perfect good boy." He laughed at her expression as he downed some milk. "Listen, I've got to go. Give Dad my best, alright? See you tonight."

He grabbed an apple and his prepared lunch and, with a wave, was out the door. The sun had risen completely now and only the brightest of stars remained visible in the sky. He took that as a good sign. The strongest survived. He could be strong. He and his friends would graduate with a bang.

This Verona school wouldn't know what hit it!

He barely arrived at the street before Nephrite pulled up in his bright red convertible, his long brown hair teased by the wind in a way that most photographers could only dream about, his friend looking completely casual and cool about it. Mamoru waited for the car to come to a complete stop, then stepped aside to open the coup door and dropped his shoulder-bag down into the passenger-side well before stepping in and closing the door. He pulled out a pair of sunglasses and put them on before buckling his seat belt and turning to his friend to say good morning, but when he saw that their shirts matched he grinned, looking forward through the windshield and nonchalantly commented, "Same shirt," instead.

Mina nodded in response to Bunny's admission. She'd miss it too, she knew. After all, these were the best days of their lives! Sure, it'd been ruined a little by the change of schools, but Mina was confident they'd build up their prestige soon enough. Where else could they go where they'd have such high ranking?

She could hear the wistfulness in Bunny's voice, but Mina did not hold the same sorrow. She knew she and her friends weren't ever going to grow apart like most people did after high school. They were more than friends, closer than family in some cases. She really was related to Bunny, after all! Nothing could break them apart.

But she didn't need to tell Bunny all of that. The other girl seemed to lose that moment in lieu of finding something far more lively to talk about. Mina's eyes took on a sheen of determination as she listened to the shared information and she smacked her hand against the steering wheel--and quickly straightened it again, narrowly missing the curb.

"Aha!" she declared loudly. "That's perfect. Think of all the things conversation they could have shared, the secretive longing looks, pining over one another without knowing what to say to break the ice as they dutifully worked over the summer?" She could see it clear as sausage in her head. All they needed was a push. She'd tried gentle for far too long. With only one year to go, gentle wouldn't cut it anymore.

She glanced to Bunny, grin in place. "They need our help, Bunny. You can see it too, I know you can. You're as much a servant of love as I am!" She paused for dramatic effect. "Will you be my partner in love-making, Bunny? We'll work together to get those two stubborn old cats together, one way or another!"

Nathaniel Nephrite Stanton

Endymion looked as well put-together as always, the epitome of 'tall, dark, and handsome.' It used to rub Nephrite the wrong way, just how effortlessly Endymion could make people swoon. Most everything about Endymion used to make Nephrite angry--not jealous, never jealous.

At one point, Endymion's comment might have been the cause of an argument. Nephrite was not the type to copy styles, after all. He had his own carefully crafted style and own reputation to look out for. But now, he just chuckled. Endymion was his friend, a hard-won relationship that was no less strong for its rocky beginnings.

"Great minds, right?" Nephrite said as he started up the car and began to drive once more. "Gotta represent in these dark times. Solidarity, and all that. I wonder if any of the others will do the same."

He paused and turned a corner. "Have you heard much about the other school? The Silver Academy? I hear it's pretty snooty. Fancy. Expensive. The type who wouldn't bat an eye at buying anything they want."

At that, he lovingly patted at the dashboard of his precious car. He'd work hard and long to save up and afford this baby, and the idea that someone else could just easily throw down the same cash with none of the effort almost threatened to cheat him of his hardwork.

If Mina hadn't been currently engaged in the act of driving the car, Bunny would have reached across and grabbed her cousin's hands, head nodding firmly with determination. If there was anyone prepared to assist the beribboned girl in this sacred task, it was Bunny. She didn't quite have Mina's passion for romance, but she enjoyed being a part of anything fun—and trying to get Mr. Artemis and Ms. Luna together definitely qualified!

"Of course!" she affirmed. "I'll do whatever I can to help with your masterful plan!"

She knew she needed to stay focused on the campaign she'd surely have ahead of her, if she was going to reclaim her title as Student Council President, but that didn't mean she had to completely ignore everything else, right? (Serenity could almost hear the "tsk tsk" from a certain studious member of their group, who might have reminded that if Bunny had to focus on anything it ought to be her scholastic progress, but the pigtailed girl did what she could to shake that thought from her mind. She'd have plenty to worry about in only a few hours, as teachers handed out textbooks and gave the first assignments to a class of groaning senior students. When that happened, she'd need all the assistance from a blue-haired girl genius as she could get!)

Sigmund Zoisite Grimfrid

Zoisite tapped his foot impatiently, his emerald eyes narrowed as he saw Nephrite's car approaching his home. One of the only two reliable drivers of their little group. He was skittish behind the wheel and gods knows how Endymion or Jadeite drove- he suspected badly for Jadeite at least-, therefore it was only reasonable for Kunzite or Nephrite to be the official drivers. Even if he felt like gripping his seat belt every time Nephrite made turns.

He shuddered, his eyes closed briefly when they approached. Gods preserve him, he'll need it for the ride.

"About time you showed up!" Zoisite huffed, climbing into the back when they stopped. He puts his seat belt on and smoothed his skirt. "Swear, almost had me considering taking the bus with Zoey. Which would totally kill our grand entrance into Verona."

He folded his arms over his chest and looked out the window for a moment in silence, "So, we're really going to there?"

He still had mixed feelings about it all. Shifting his messenger bag on the floor for a bit, Zoisite wished they had picked up Kunzite first. If only it'd be more reassuring. He banished some thoughts and glanced over at Nephrite. Despite their very different natures, they could get along quite well enough. Even if he had one considered him an ill-tempered guy, too brash to be allowed into their group, he had softened on it a lot. Now, playful insults were just that. Nothing harmful.

"Love of gods, Neph, when was the last time you put conditioner in your hair?" He leaned over, " You got split ends everywhere!"

Makoto wasn't nervous about her first day at Verona - this wasn't her first time going to a new school, after all. She treated this day as any other day, with her normal routine accompanied by a peaceful walk to school. She knew Mina would be more than happy to take her to school in the mornings, but Makoto preferred walking. It gave her time to think, prepare for her day, and just appreciate the divine beauty of the world around her. 

Relaxed and excited to start the year off with her friends, Makoto strolled down the sidewalk, arms behind her head and school bag dangling from her fingertips. The sounds of nature and the smell of flowers made every muscle in her body relax, and she smiled to herself. For some reason, she had a good feeling about this year. With her friends by her side, not even the hooligans from Rosethorn could bother her. 

As that thought crossed her mind, a hideously obnoxious red convertible zoomed past her, ruffling her skirt and hair as it went. There was no way on earth that the vehicle was going the speed limit, Makoto thought. Agitated at the interruption to her otherwise peaceful morning, Makoto flipped the car off as it continued down the street. "Stupid teenagers," she grumbled. 

Several minutes later, Makoto arrived at the new, state-of-the-art Verona Institute. It was just as magnificent as she had imagined, with several floors and a flawless, modern design. She knew Rei would probably already be here, so she waited on a bench in the front courtyard for the arrival of the rest of her friends.