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SPACE WHALES
Michiru's exhibition opened three days ago. "The Night Sky Reflected in the Ocean Waves", she called it. Oil on canvas, the pieces varying in size, but with the same theme running through them. A misty, sparkling indigo-blue, coming to life in dozens of shapes and forms.
Today, she was asked to make an appearance before a group of grade school students on a tour. She gladly agreed, of course. She's happy to discuss her work with anyone who's interested, and she's always gotten along well with children.
Michiru takes great pride in her work; her mother always said it was worthy of museums. Perhaps it's for that reason that she's never ventured beyond hidden little galleries like this one. It's incredibly pleasant, though; the gallery owner was thrilled to meet with her, and gave her a warm, hearty welcome. "It's an honor to be holding your exhibit here," he had said, and Michiru had bowed her head and responded "No, it's all mine".
It's no Louvre, to be sure, but she likes it just the way it is. Simple, comfortable. The glamor, she keeps to her night life.
"Kids," she hears the teacher call out as she approaches, hoping to quiet the large, chattering group with limited success. It's only once Michiru is standing in front of them, smiling warmly, that the children fall into silence. "This is Miss Kaioh Michiru, the artist behind the exhibition we're seeing today. Why don't we give her a nice, friendly hello?"
"Hello!" the children's voices resound in unison, those at the circle's edges drawing closer.
"Hello," she answers back, humbly tucking a lock of hair behind her ear before offering the teacher a small, polite bow. "Thank you for coming today, everyone. I can only hope you enjoy the exhibition. Before we start, why don't I tell you a bit about myself?"
The response is far more positive than the question would normally call for, but Michiru's used to it. "Yeah!" "Yes, please!"
She laughs a little, fondly. "Well, then..."
Today, she was asked to make an appearance before a group of grade school students on a tour. She gladly agreed, of course. She's happy to discuss her work with anyone who's interested, and she's always gotten along well with children.
Michiru takes great pride in her work; her mother always said it was worthy of museums. Perhaps it's for that reason that she's never ventured beyond hidden little galleries like this one. It's incredibly pleasant, though; the gallery owner was thrilled to meet with her, and gave her a warm, hearty welcome. "It's an honor to be holding your exhibit here," he had said, and Michiru had bowed her head and responded "No, it's all mine".
It's no Louvre, to be sure, but she likes it just the way it is. Simple, comfortable. The glamor, she keeps to her night life.
"Kids," she hears the teacher call out as she approaches, hoping to quiet the large, chattering group with limited success. It's only once Michiru is standing in front of them, smiling warmly, that the children fall into silence. "This is Miss Kaioh Michiru, the artist behind the exhibition we're seeing today. Why don't we give her a nice, friendly hello?"
"Hello!" the children's voices resound in unison, those at the circle's edges drawing closer.
"Hello," she answers back, humbly tucking a lock of hair behind her ear before offering the teacher a small, polite bow. "Thank you for coming today, everyone. I can only hope you enjoy the exhibition. Before we start, why don't I tell you a bit about myself?"
The response is far more positive than the question would normally call for, but Michiru's used to it. "Yeah!" "Yes, please!"
She laughs a little, fondly. "Well, then..."
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Well, either way, pointing it out a second time would be redundant. Michiru simply smiles to herself, pleased, as she tucks herself into the seat beside Haruka and fastens her seatbelt.
There's a lot more she'd like to say to Haruka, of course. But they'll have ample time for that later -- for now, it only seems right to focus on their little company before she'll be dropped off.
"Do you draw, Chibiusa-chan?" she asks, tilting her head over the edge of her seat.
Chibiusa instantly perks up -- the pride she emanates is practically tangible. "Yeah, I do! A ton! Art's my favorite class in school, too! I got an A+ from my teacher on my last project!"
"I see! That's wonderful. Perhaps you'll get your own gallery show, someday."
"Hehhh, you think so, you think so?" She swings her legs and forth, clearly soaking in the praise. Michiru is more than happy to oblige -- she's only being honest, after all.
"I do. Looking beyond what's simply there is a crucial trait for an artist -- if you pursue that, you'll be able to express your own world through your art. I'd like to see the world you paint, Chibiusa-chan."
Chibiusa answers with a thoughtful little hum, nodding her head as she considers this. Then she concludes: "So it's not childish, huh?"
"I don't believe so." Michiru's smile slants by an inch as she taps a finger to her cheek. "Perhaps take Haruka-neesan's artistic judgement with a grain of salt, hmm?"
"She's a racer after all, right!"
"Mm-hmm!"
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The engine roars to life. "Here we go."
Haruka can't pop a wheelie in a car, but she can peel out slightly showily - but not too much. Nothing that would make her seem like an irresponsible driver with a child in the car. This is fine. They have their art, and Haruka has hers. Hers has wheels, and gears, and an engine. Hers rumbles in the seat and fills her palms until they're tingling against the steering wheel. Hers roars to life and she melts into it, as if becoming one with the car. This is her canvas. This is her peace.
So that's why the other woman paints, thinks Haruka as they merge onto a busy street as smoothly as if it'd been deserted. Or, at least, it's a pretty good guess.
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Michiru lets herself watch for just half a moment longer.
"Oh yeah!" Chibiusa pipes up from the backseat. "So how'd you two meet?"
She wordlessly looks to her, then back to Haruka. Oh, there are any number of ways she could answer that one -- but she's teased the woman quite enough for the next few minutes at least. Perhaps she'd like to do the honors of answering, this time?
I GOT A LICENSE OVERSEAS
"Let's see...." she says once it becomes clear no help (or hindrance) will be coming from the front passenger seat. "A friend...introduced us."
By inviting her. To Michiru's usual workplace. After a fashion.
It's still technically true, all right?
:) :)
"Ooh, that's nice!" Chibiusa plants her face between her palms, seeming to have no problem picturing this. Luckily for Haruka, it looks like she got off easy enough.
my link in my hmd to that screenshot expired, i'll have to redo it
"We're still getting to know each other," she amends, but Chibiusa doesn't seem to mind (or heed) this caveat. "That's what tonight is for!" she realizes, and then looks up at Michiru with a big smile. "Michiru-oneesan, you're going on a date!"
Michiru has been promoted, Haruka notices. It is better to notice that than any of the rest.
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Or were they supposed to be covering this up, too?
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"You better make sure she takes you to a good place," Chibiusa is lecturing Michiru. "Mamo-chan ALWAYS takes me ANYWHERE I want to go, and he ALWAYS pays. This is what a gentleman is supposed to do." And she nods, mouth scrunched up in what Haruka supposes she takes to be a wide, all-knowing expression.
Everybody's got opinions tonight. It's like they don't trust Haruka to live her own life.
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After all, considering the manners she'd displayed to date, it's quite the curious statement.
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Haruka blinks at the street - maybe she needs to clean her windshield? No, it's spotless - and focuses on the road, even as Michiru's attention turns back to her. Michiru. She has to keep thinking of this woman as "Michiru." No thoughts about the other name. With the kid. In the car.
"It's just coffee." Really, they're making a big deal out of such a small thing. She's just going to get coffee with someone. She can't afford to think of this in any other terms around Chibiusa.
But yes, she'll pay. It's unclear whether that can show on slightly pink cheeks, but she was planning on paying for the coffee. She doesn't think of this as a gentleman thing, though, so much as just the natural order of things. Haruka Tenoh races cars, holds open doors, and pays for coffee.
Perhaps that very nonchalance makes her a true gentleman?
"D'you have everything?" she asks Chibiusa - they are, after all, almost there. This is another thing Haruka Tenoh does. When she's responsible for something (or someone), she fulfills that responsibility.
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It's only a few minutes later when they've pulled up into her house, and she hops out of the car, bidding farewell to the front car window. "It was good meeting you, Michiru-oneesan! Thanks for today, Haruka-oneesan! Be sure to treat her properly on your date, okay? Bye-bye!"
She waves back at them the whole way to the front door, and then she's gone. Michiru's still smiling.
"Shall we, then?"
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She exhales, relaxing back into the seat, aware again of who she's got in the front seat. But getting too uptight at this point would be stupid. There's a few good coffee places around here, so: "Any requests?"
If not she'll pick. Haruka is a bit of an expert when it comes to places to get tiny fancy hot drinks. It's....well, if it's not a habit, it's still a preferred pastime.
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Haruka has never spent this much time wondering what goes on in another person's head before (it's none of her business, after all). "Calming is good," she concurs as a result: drat, that was kind of a dumb thing to say. Ah well. It's said now.
She probably ought to follow it up with something else, though. If only to keep the looming threat of an awkward silence at bay. What had she thought she'd do when she had this woman in her car, again...? She can't remember.
"D'you go out often?" she asks - it's odd to think of them crossing paths in the same basic neighborhoods, really, without realizing it. Odd both as individuals and, well...she hadn't really been thinking about anybody at Michiru's workplace in terms of what they did when they were off duty. She has a feeling that makes her the small person.
Drat.
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Either way, Michiru's endeared.
"For coffee with handsome women?" She crosses her legs at the ankles, folding her hands together over one knee. "Not as often as you might think."
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She turns onto the correct street and starts looking for a parking spot. The weather's nice. If they have to walk, that isn't so bad.
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That much is true. But she's being presumptuous, isn't she. She is presuming all over the place. Is that wrong? Is she totally mistaken about Michiru's day job (night job? The hours must be strange). But it's...well...it is....what it is. "I....don't really have a job, per se."
Not with set hours. She races cars. And bikes. And anything else with a motor that can be raced. But maybe that explains why she doesn't know about jobs in general...?
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The lack of job, from how she mentions it, doesn't sound like a temporary situation she particularly wishes to amend.
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One leg pushes open her car door but she doesn't get out just yet. The security brought from knowing exactly what one was going to do with one's day - exactly where one fits in a grander scheme - might be reassuring. Perhaps that's the appeal.
But that's absurd. Haruka, too, knows exactly where she belongs. She's Tenoh Haruka, top junior racer in Japan. Atop her world already. She doesn't need anything more than that.
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She prods, but gently. "Is it fun?"
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Or not having a steady job? They're the same thing, really. Her next laugh is drawn out, still thoughtful, but fond. "There's nothing like it. Just you and the machine, and a sense of speed...the scent of the wind as it blows across the circuit....That'd be worth anything."
Which does imply there's bits that aren't so great, but Haruka isn't focused on those. She closes her car door. "If you go fast enough, it feels like you aren't even moving at all."
And that's the best feeling. Your own world. Everything in motion, and yet, everything still.
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What a curious thing to say, from someone who loves it. Is remaining rooted in place really a feeling one could call fulfilling? She can't quite imagine how.
But saying it aloud would be more cruel than teasing, and so Michiru refrains.
"It's nice," she offers instead as she shuts the car door behind her. "Having something you're so passionate about."