Nerds, Geeks, and Dorks, minako

[Raen Mars]

((Just before Crystal Tokyo onset.))

Okay, she hadn't really regretted the skirt until the first breeze. Then she had been given the distinct idea that perhaps a touch longer would have been a good idea. Ah well, no way to adjust it now. The only thing she could do was hope it would keep her more covered than she felt, especially given the sheer amount of virgin boys bound to be roaming around the con. As hilarious as seeing them having accidents might be, that... was not the goal of the day. In theory, at least.

Seeing Minako parading around in a skirt too wasn't so bad, though. She could live with that part. Not that Rei was going to be caught looking. She hadn't gotten a reputation for being aloof and serious because strangers caught her staring at anyone, girlfriend included.

And then someone dressed as a giant Pikachu came ambling by, beer gut included. The fire girl shivered, leaning just slightly against the blonde beside her as she attempted to mask her disgust. "I can never have a Pikachu on my team ever again." Not that she had to begin with. Why bother when there were things like Growlithe and Charmander and other perfectly flaming things around? She shuffled apart, drawn by some noise off to the left. Okay, truth be told, this wasn't entirely her 'scene'. But it had sounded good in theory! Manga and anime and kind of nerdy things plus shopping and fashion!

Well, fashion in a sense. She'd probably never be caught in the ridiculous boots again, but hey. Had to let it be known - Hino Rei did not half-ass anything.

It was nice to get out, anyway. She'd probably spent a bit too much time lately arguing with her father, arguing with Yuuichirou, arguing with... well, everybody. Grandpa's death had left her cold, and with her father launching some ridiculous media campaign against Minako, well. Okay, yeah, getting out was probably important. "I do get to play with fire here, right?" she murmured, side-tracked yet again by what appeared to be a massive pile of brand new manga to the side.

Yes. She was definitely going to like it here. Even if there was more of her being shown than covered in spite of the 'uniform' she'd donned for the day.

[Amina Venth]

It was nice to be anonymous for once. She admitted that she didn't mind the crowds, not here. But when they could turn into screaming mobs at the drop of a hat if she was recognized? Not fun. Yes, she was a pop idol. She was also a person, dammit.

Minako wrapped a possessive arm around Rei's waist as she leaned close, giving the smallest of smiles. Nothing beyond what Riza Hawkeye would give. It was probably too easy for her to stay in character as Riza, especially with a Roy as hot as hers. Allowed the sneakier photo takers a good shot without Rei getting paranoid that they were paparazzi. These people weren't, just appreciative of good costumes. Their costumes were kick ass, if she said so herself. Roy Mustang as a girl and Riza Hawkeye, both in miniskirts? Yeah, the fanboys were going a bit drooly over them, but the girls all wanted to be them. Sounded familiar to the senshi, and it wasn't like the miniskirts were shorter than their fukus.

A light use of Usagi's Luna Pen had changed their hair and eyes to the appropriate colors, brown and a darker blonde for her, black and a more blue-tinted black than the purple-gleam her Rei normally had. Her hair was back in Riza's normal flip-bun, Rei's lightly tied back but still swinging longer than her skirt. The great thing about the Pen was it had also altered their bangs to Roy and Riza's. Since people would now think of them as just overzealous fans, no one would think to look for a pop idol and the daughter of a senator.

She pouted inwardly when Rei drew away, shaking her head at her own folly. Of course she wouldn't be able to get away with PDA just because they were in costume. It was Roy Mustang she was with, he had to be figuratively hit over the head for more than a decade before he realized Riza loved him, or that he loved her. Her Rei's natural disclination for PDA was perfect here. Her want for it wasn't like Riza, but whatever.
"Since you don't have Pikachu, I just suggest not taking a picture and sending it to Ami-chan. That would be too cruel." Up to her Rei whether to take that as a suggestion or the truth. Be fun either way, especially the faces Ami would make. The rant on health would be less fun, but good with the bad, and Ami didn't blush as much as she used to. Damn Zacharie, making sure their little innocent matured.

"Yes, Roy-chan, you can play with fire here, just no burning anyone, and watch out for the sprinklers." Minako idly brushed a hand over the gun at the small of her back, the "extra ammo clip" next to it actually holding her henshin wand. Better to have it than get caught by a random youma attack. Even if they were really rare now, she wasn't about to try to hope that a con full of Moonies and dulled weapons would be any good, especially with the youma's draining abilities.

"I still say we should go ahead and enter the costume contest, it would be fun. Please?" She could see her love was ready to dive into the Dealer's Den and the manga being sold there, but she hoped to hold her back at least for a few more minutes. Or at least until the small group of teenage girls over to the side stopped whispering and actually came up to take pictures like they probably wanted. Their Ed Elric wasn't that bad, really. Their Winry was great, and wow, they even had a clearly female Al. Nice work, what with his/her armour.

outfit

[Raen Mars]

Ohh hey, there was an idea. She could take a picture and send it to Ami.

She was pretty sure that was meant to be a suggestion, momentarily donning a wicked grin as she held out her hand, fingers wiggling. "Give me your phone." A beat, and then there it was. She fumbled with it for a moment, the least technologically-inclined of the group, before finding the camera and snapping a quick photo or two of their favourite new friend. "Send that to Ami-chan." Because she had barely gotten the hang of text messaging before she'd gotten rid of her cellphone, and picture messaging was beyond her.

Rei handed back the cell then, mischief managed as best as she could. There was still manga to be bought, other costumes to admire (though the only one she was really interested in was already beside her, so there went that plan), stuff to... okay, really, it was just the buying things that she was excited for now.

That and avoiding the group of girls staring at them like nobody's business.

One thing going to a Catholic, all-girls' school could teach someone like herself was that being stared at was usually not good. She froze a bit, staring back in some weird moment of trying to assert that she was the head bitch in charge there, before one of them lit up, grabbed her two friends and started to come over. Some mutters about Roy and Riza, and she was looking at her girlfriend maybe too enthusiastically, blushing wild. "Yes, whatever you want to do, let's just get out of h - "

"Um, h-hi!" Shit. Now would have been the perfect time to set someone on fire, but she'd been told not to. She'd have grumbled, if her face wasn't lighting up the same colour as her fuku. Social situations, she really needed to get an awful lot better at them. "You guys have really, really great costumes!"

'Help.' It came out as the only thing she could send to Minako, staring her girl down with wide, black eyes as she pointedly avoided looking at the group approaching them in the vain hopes that they weren't talking to them. 'Whatever you want, Mina. Costume contest, shopping, just please make Ed stop staring at me.'

[Amina Venth]

An entirely un-Riza like smirk took over her face as Minako slid her hand into her "extra ammo clip", pulling out her phone from where it jostled for space with her henshin wand. It was the work of a moment to hand to to her love, keeping her giggles inside. Okay, so it was childish for them to do this to their dear Ami. It was just too fun, especially with her not wanting to go with them today. She was supposed to be their Ed, and let them bully Zach into being their Winry. Her loss that she couldn't be here to just burn her eyes in person and then pretend the man never existed. Her sweet Jac-kun would be replaced in her mind with that man. Hah, what she got for being such a Pikachu fan. Not that Pikachu wasn't cute, all in all. She liked Pikachu herself, but retribution had to be given to Ami somehow.

She had to laugh at the expression of panic that crossed her love's face when the girls started approaching. These little ones were nothing, it wasn't even like they recognized them at all. It would be easy, just take a couple pictures and be on their way. No sweat. Well, beyond the starry-eyed look that Ed was giving her woman. No touchie. Minako growled low in her throat at the thought of this chit putting hands on her Rei, then calmed herself. No need to get so worked up over it.
"Working on it, love, calm down. She's only staring because she likes you." Minako plastered on a small grin - the only size Riza Hawkeye would give - and looked down at the shorter Ed.
"Thanks, do you want pictures with us?" At an excited, wordless nod, the senshi of love set into motion.

It was easy enough to set them up into a poses for photos, carefully orchestrating so the group shot was first, then the pair of them alone. A couple group shots (one a staged 'fight' with Ed flipping out, one of Rei gloating over a dejected Ed), then Minako by herself, one just relaxed, one with her 'gun' out, a few of Rei by herself (she made sure to get the girls' names so that she could get a copy of their one with Rei having actually lit her fingertip aflame), then a few of the pair of them posed. She enjoyed wrapping herself around her lover and couldn't resist yanking her head down for at least one kiss (and would be sure to get copies of that one too).

With, she was fairly certain, her love's head still buzzing (hers was too, nicely, from that kiss), she laced their fingers together and pulled her into the Dealer's Den. The siren call of manga would wake her up, that much Minako was certain of. Almost a shame, she loved her lover's dazed expression.

[Raen Mars]

She played along as best as she could. Rei was certainly no fan of cameras, public displays of affection, or... well, strangers, truth be told. She knew it was a bad environment for two of those things, and that being with Minako and dressed the way that they were was going to cause some trouble avoiding the only one left.

So picture time kind of went the way it was doomed to go. She started out extra super special awkward (the kind she used to be around her own father, when she was young enough that she still so desperately wanted his love and had no idea how to ask for it), and... honestly stayed that way for most of it. But her girlfriend was hardly the only person good at masks, and after the first few pictures, it became easier to pretend. It wasn't playing so much as it was just appearing stoic, casual, or getting to play with her fire. Not much, lest she burn someone, but enough to brighten her mood a little.

And then she was assaulted. Mind you, at least it was her actual girlfriend kissing her and not the Ed Elric who had supposedly been staring just because she liked her or whatever, but - oh hell. Public places. Kissing in public places. She felt it starting long before she could even control it, the blush spreading across her cheeks like wildfire as Rei took a stumbling step back, swallowing whatever lump had made its presence known in her throat.

Time did that thing where it kind of melted away after that. It wasn't so much that kissing Minako was any new thing, really. It wasn't, not even a little. And the "in public" thing wasn't even all that new either. It was just... like this pretty much every time. And she couldn't even really explain it better than that, because every poetic or articulate mental faculty she possessed seemed to commit suicide whenever their lips met, for at least a solid fifteen minutes. She had managed to stutter out a thank you once, though that had probably been worse than saying nothing at all.

Wait, she heard manga. Crisp, new, limited edition manga.

Amethyst eyes cleared a bit, the fog in her head dissipating as she spared a glance around them in surprise. Had she really wandered in there during that? Wow. Well, at least her body had its priorities figured out. That, or she'd been led by - oh. That made more sense. It was less impressive, certainly, but it definitely made more sense. "Uh... c-costume contest? You wanted? But... this is for shopping?" And apparently, her brain had yet to remind her mouth how to make works. Great. Hopefully that would come back before she said anything else. "Hngh, Bleach!" Or not.

[Amina Venth]

It was so damn cute.

Minako grinned to herself as her love just stood there in a daze. Yes, she was Venus and all, but she didn't think she was that good. Nice to know she was wrong. That and the dopey expression gave some perfect after-kiss photos, not to mention cemented the 'no touchie' between her Rei and anyone else. Hers. No touch.

She would admit her taste in manga ran much closer to CLAMP and other shojo than anything else, but she would be perfectly happy to pick up the new volumes of Tsubasa, and she thought she'd spotted an art-book. Oh, they had a Mokona plush, that was adorable! They'd be able to find presents for everyone here, that much was for certain. Usagi read Fruits Basket, and that was most certainly a Momiji-chan as Rabbit plush backpack over there, which was just perfect. A bunny for their moon bunny. Everyone else, well, they had the entire Dealer's Den and then the Artist's Alley to look through. Probably better luck in the Alley for near everyone else, the hand-made items done by the crafters there would be more appealing to the non-Usagi crowd, the Venusian senshi thought. (Also she would have better luck finding her "bug the boys" gifts - naughty-pinup style pieces of Sailormercury, Sailorsaturn, Sailorjupiter, Sailorneptune and Sailormoon. Just to see them squirm before she gave them nicer gifts.)

"Yes, love, they have Bleach. Go on and take a look, I'll be right over here. Keep an eye out for things for everyone else and don't forget this is only the first stop, ne?"


backpack

[Raen Mars]

She was really, really going to need to get a handle on this sometime in the near future. It wasn't right, being with someone for so long (on her second life, at that) and not being able to survive a harmless kiss.

It made her worry, sometimes. More when they were alone and she was less concerned about people seeing them. It was somehow worse when they were alone, because it wasn't just that she would blush or stammer. It was knowing that this was something that could consume her entirely, and make her think about nothing else. The world could become all things Aino Minako at the drop of a hat, and things like protecting their Princess or real world issues would just melt away. Rei wasn't sure how that made her feel, in all honesty. Fire was not meant to be tamed.

There had been a less extreme version of it when they were younger and going to separate schools, spending afternoons together when everybody else was too busy for the pair of them. Or maybe they had just seen what they hadn't been willing to. Didn't really matter anymore, that. But at least then she'd been able to retain her composure. She wasn't some begging, weak pile of a woman trying to find a new way to worship her girlfriend. And she certainly hadn't been less focused for it.

She tuned back in long enough to catch some permission or instruction, her pride taking the blow as it tended to nowadays. So much for the mighty Hino Rei, aloof and mysterious. She believed the Americanised term was (to hear Nikolas tell it) that she was 'whipped'. The brunette sighed, her manga-induced enthusiasm momentarily dampened. Some thought or another always seemed to bring her crashing back to Earth, after the high. Insecure or otherwise.

It was breaking character, she knew that, and it was against her nature, but she managed to brush her lips against Minako's cheek briefly, offering a tiny, barely-there grin as she pulled back. "I'll find you when I'm done, then." It probably seemed like a sweet gesture to any passerby. Rei liked to think of it as taking back a little bit of control.

Which was probably not the healthiest thing she could have been doing in a relationship, but what the hell? It wasn't like Mina wasn't just as competitive as she was.

She made her way back towards the issues of Bleach, idly picking out a couple she had missed in her collecting. All of the media attention had made it hard to go out, let alone do anything she enjoyed. Her mind was preoccupied with thoughts of how she was going to need to fight off another accusation from her father, or how she was going to have to sacrifice another part of her private life the next day just in order to keep the rest of it to herself. Reporters were vicious.

She had missed being anonymous. It had been years since nobody had known her name - ten, at least. It was before the other senshi had come into her life, because even then, she was the Hino Rei. Sometime before puberty had made her into what she was, and before girls had suddenly wanted to be her friend at school. Not being bothered for a solid five minutes? That was bliss. Being able to wear a miniskirt whilst achieving that level of solitude, even in a crowd? Heaven.

The fire girl finished her business with the issues of Bleach as best as she could, nodding her silent thanks to the man selling to her before wandering back towards her girlfriend, soothed. "Did you find anything?" Nevermind that she had hardly looked, caught up in her own thoughts. Time always flew faster when she was in her own head than it did when she was fully present.

[Amina Venth]

It was all she could do not to snort at the proprietary tone her girlfriend gave to the words after kissing her on the cheek. Oh, so that was how it was going to be, was it? Good luck, sweetheart, it was on. She'd just meant her words nicely, jokingly. Now it was a war. Hmmph.

Minako kept to a careful circuit around the stall her girlfriend was in, slipping the quickly bought artbook into her messenger bag (easier to carry and take off for when people wanted pictures). There wasn't much around the stall that she really wanted to get, beyond the backpack for Usagi, and buying that took just a minute. She'd fill the small pouch with additional gifts, she figured, hair bows or makeup or something. She already knew that there were certain things she wanted to get for each of the other girls - Ami was getting a ton of earrings (she had three holes, so she could have fun with them), Makoto always liked new bows for her hair - she was sure she could find little things for all the others. Have to wait for the Artist's Alley, but that was a small price to pay for hand-made items.

The boys, well, getting them non-sexy pictures would be a bit harder than getting them the sexy pictures. Even she found it a bit awkward when she saw badly done near- or fully-nude drawings of her friends. Well done drawings, ah, she would admit there were probably more of her Mars secreted in the little hideyholes of her apartment than were politically correct or mentally healthy. Enjoyable, but not mentally healthy. There were a few of Hotaru that she didn't precisely want to admit to even more than she didn't want to admit to the ones of Rei.

It made her rather picky about the artists she went to for the images, which was good considering they were going to their significant others, this time. Have to find something else to get them too, something more serious, or at least more able to be shown in public. What the hell, though? Unless... they did have keys, all of them, and her sisters would get a hoot out of knowing their mates were carrying around something so girlie but so of, well, them. Yeah, that'd work.

She grinned as a Bleach-carrying Roy came up to her.
"Just the backpack for Usagi-chan. Do you want to look around here more, or go to the Artist's Alley?" No mention of the pictures, maybe she'd mention the key chains. Definitely she'd mention the earrings and bows, and whatever to get for the rest of the girls. "We need to - or I want to - get stuff for everyone, but don't think I'll find them here."

[Raen Mars]

So she'd been a bit cheeky earlier - it happened. She liked being in charge, and losing even the slightest bit of control to anyone, let alone Minako? Wasn't going to happen. Especially not at an anime convention, where she was surrounded by manga and all manner of other things. It was like when certain monsters had the gall to use fire when fighting her. In the end, she was never the one who wound up burnt.

"Well, I think I'm done here," she stated, taking another quick glance around to make sure, not really taking anything in. She rarely did, Queen of Eyes Unseeing. "So the Artist's Alley it is, I suppose." Vaguely disinterested in order to make up for her stammering earlier. Thoroughly over kissing in public and being on cloud nine, thanks to her little trot around on her own.

"What are you thinking, for the others?" She could have found out, but wandering through the minds of others was not necessarily something she tended to make a habit of. Especially not when she was so terribly unsubtle at it. Her prowess with fire had always been further advanced than her psychic ability. The irony was that the latter had formed earlier, that she'd had longer to hone it. But it was harder to embrace that she was meant to be all-seeing and, if she would care to be, all-knowing. She liked surprise, from time to time. No matter how much she ranted about tradition and sensibility and stability, she liked things to change just so every now and again. Preferably without her knowing about it.

Nevermind the part where her entry into the minds of others was now just barely short of being like hitting them upside the head with a truck. She grimaced a bit, thinking of practicing with poor Michiru-san not all that long ago. A headache, numbed by time and time alone, bloomed at the base of her skull as a sort of reminder. Much like how she warned others not to play with fire, she likely should not have been trifling with that sort of thing. Fire was warm, feeling, embrace. The world of minds outside of her own was... well, some combination of things she'd rather not touch.

Especially not with this many horny boys roaming around. "We may need to get Ami-chan some Pikachu earrings or something of the like to make up for that text earlier."

[Amina Venth]

Their back and forth "trading" (though she'd never call it that to Rei) of leadership in their relationship thrilled Minako. Too often in other relationships the man, when she was with them, had expected to take over entirely, to baby and coddle the blonde. When she had been with women it was a tossup, as she never really went for even soft butches, preferring fellow ladies (many would call them lipsticks, but as she wasn't pretending to be lesbian for a time, as the phrase was used in England, she said ladies). Hadn't even been conscious on her part, she just knew from the first she remembered everything that if she was going to be with a woman there had to be at least some resemblance to her Rei, or she wouldn't be able to even pretend affection. Her realization of this fact was later, when the pair were stopped by her old "ladies" on the street. The men had just been whoever she could tolerate for any amount of time, though good oral did help matters. Not like any of them had lasted anyway.

"Alright, then to the Alley we go," Minako grinned, lacing their hands together as they walked. She missed the feel of skin on skin with Rei's gloves, but at least they were holding hands.
"Yeah, I was thinking of earrings for Ami-chan anyway, six pairs or something, so she can play with how she wears them, that sort of thing. Pikachu for sure, and some overly sweet-loli, you know, the type she would never in a lifetime buy for herself, but she loves anyway." She turned to deliver a saucy wink at the small pack of boys watching their ascent on the clear stairs. Wouldn't see anything on her Rei-chan, that was what plain black boyshorts were for. On herself they'd see something alright, but she figured they'd get a laugh out of "Property of Mustang, Roy" printed on her panties. At the very least they wouldn't see what they shouldn't see.
"Mako-chan we can probably get hairbows for, I don't want to get her other jewelry just because, well, you know." The whole "parents gave her earrings then died in plane crash" and "had to wear Niko's ring on a chain around her neck when cooking" pre-empted most jewelry, but ridiculous hairbows would go over fairly well. "Maybe something else for her hair too, but nothing too over the top. Usa-chan we can just go crazy on hairbows and pretty much anything little and cute and rabbit or moon related. You know she'd get a kick out of any Tuxedo Mask merch we can find." Their Princess, bless her, was fairly easy to read and easy to please, but she was always so happy about everything she got as a gift that the need to try to find something 'perfect' was just an unsaid part of the task. The outers were still eluding her slightly, just in terms of good gifts. "Any ideas for Ruka-chan, Michi-chan or Suna-chan?" If Minako thought about it more, she knew she could come up with something the older girls would like, but she wanted to make sure her love felt included, and well, she was out of ideas herself, concerning them. Hotaru was another matter entirely, it was more a matter of what not to get the insane-amount-of-fandom loving girl. The same could be said for Usagi, in truth, but they had Momiji-as-a-backpack for their moon-bunny. Not that she and Rei and Ami were any better on the anime front. Something Black Butler or Soul Eater or another of Hotaru's favorites would work well, or even just something more classic loli. Hotaru was going to be the easiest of the outers to find a gift for, that much was for certain.

Still hand in hand they meandered down the hall towards the doorway to the Artist's Alley.
"Keychains for the boys, of their lady's sigil, cause some of the keychains are so girlie that it would be hilarious. You know Zach-kun and Mamo-kun would use them, Jo-kun and Niko-kun would too if they're just looked at right by Hota-chan and Mako-chan. That and maybe we surprise them with a bit more... revealing art. Also a not-so-revealing one for Jo-kun, cause he's never gotten to see her." Minako laid gentle stress on the last word, knowing her love would get her meaning. Drystan had never seen Mirrikha while either were alive, and wouldn't see her now when Hotaru henshined since he knew her through the glamour. "Unless you can think of anything better for them? I mean, Mamo-kun and Zach-kun are into some anime, but Jo-kun and Niko-kun aren't as much into any." She took a minute to toss a glance back at the crowd holding cameras, wanting their pictures. If she knew her Rei, there would be an annoyed look back, and then with a quick camera flash, they'd be able to keep going, the fans appeased with canon-appropriate attitudes, for even 'together', Minako figured that neither Riza or Roy would be keen on getting caught being at all cutesy and coupley. At least she normally could get Rei to hold her hand.

[Raen Mars]

She'd allow the hand-holding, she supposed. It could have been worse. It could have been another one of those time-stopping kisses, and her following like a helplessly lost puppy after her girlfriend for the next however many minutes. Instead, she wound up turning herself around with a frown and a quirked eyebrow to glare at some boys down the stairs from them, only half-listening to the blonde by her side as she heard them giggling for all they were worth.

Rei contemplated this for a moment, swinging the same, disapproving look she had shot them to Minako and, after a moment of thinking on it, frowned a bit further. "That's just naughty." She'd have to do something about it later, but this really wasn't the time. She was probably supposed to be agreeing to getting Ami something loli for 'shits and giggles', or bobbing along with the idea of getting Mako-chan some hair bows. Instead, she was looking through the other woman's hair and almost woefully noting the lack of bow there today, unwittingly squeezing her hand for a moment before she could even collect herself.

So much for all of her composure. And she was supposed to be the graceful one of their lot (so she liked to think). She was being asked something, regardless. She should start paying attention. Any second... now. "Hm? I can't say I really know those lot well enough to say," she confessed, thinking of the three eldest outers with a bit of a frown. She'd found herself paired with Michiru for more sparring matches than she'd have cared to admit, their psychic prowess leaving them a complementary pair when you considered the opposite natures of their base powers.

But that certainly didn't mean that she was having regular tea with Setsuna or Haruka, both of whom were a bit too loud for her tastes still. She could be and often was cordial... but that tended to be the extent of their interactions. "I'm sure if we could find any art supplies of actual quality, Michiru-san would appreciate that." The brunette rarely made it a secret about whom she felt closer to. Out of the three offered to her, she would take Michiru any day of the week. "And if not that, then perhaps something decently tasteful that she might like to keep around her sun room regardless."

She scoffed at the idea of trying to find Johannes and Nikolas anything outside of the more... creative ideas her Mina had, shrugging. "If Nikolas-san wants to sit back and declare things like 'anime is for weirdos', I'd be just as keen to not get him anything. If we can find anything to humiliate him with, I'd appreciate it."

Click!

Hold on a second. She whipped her head back, black-for-the-day eyes narrowing as she glared at the moron who'd had the audacity to snag her picture without asking her. A few more followed suit, apparently pleased that she was actually facing them now. She groaned, rolling her eyes and fighting back the red that always seemed to come to her face in situations like these. "I'm hiding in the apartment for days after we get home."