Awakening the Shadow Moon

[Shuu]

[ Latere Veritasdamas ~ I heard a rumor... ]

On the surface, things were calm at university. People went about their lives, going to classes, chatting with friends in the hallways, making mad dashes to the cafetiera to get much-needed grub between lessons. Although it looked normal on the surface, in truth the campus was abuzz with whispering rumors of recent events.

To the casual eye, Latere was sitting calmly at a bench in one of the court-yards, enjoying some coffee and seemingly looking at her notes. But anyone who knew her - the real her - knew that it wasn't the case. in truth, while her eyes were on her note book, her ears were listening to the rumors.

As if her senses didn't tell her enough; everyone was whispering about strange "accidents" around Tokyo for the past few weeks, and woman (and some men!) in odd costumes traipsing about. Latere knew full well about these rumors, and that they were fact, but occasionally rumors bore delicious fruit what few Shades she had met could tell her.

But that wasn't the only reason why she was here.

Another psychology student had caught her eye. Latere had spent the last several weeks discovering her schedule, and knew that Ojan Mikiru would be crossing by this path shortly.

It was time to set things in motion...

[Lin]

[Mikiru ~ Observe, Avoid, Ignore]

Oblivious, the girl was heading right towards Latere - chatting with another classmate, bunny shaped backpack hanging off of one elbow and arms filled with textbooks, anime-patterned notebooks, and matching pencil boards. But it seemed even she wasn't immune to the rumors, commenting in passing;

"Maybe they're just cosplayers? I heard they go all kinds of weird places for photo shoots. Oohh, it could be for a premiere of some new magical girl anime!" She giggled, but for a moment her mirth didn't reflect in the mismatched eyes. "Oh, my next class is this way. Bye, Maa-rin!"

Mikiru turned to head in the direction she'd indicated, smile wilting once she'd turned away from her companion and teeth worrying the inside of her bottom lip. Weird incidents, costumed people... It was all a little oddly timed with her own nightmares, wasn't it? Besides, it was hardly a good promotional gimmick to disrupt daily life to the point where people were running from your promotion, like she'd heard had happened around these strange occurrences.

The girl shook herself, ebon-tipped curls rattled from their position and settling over her shoulders, clinging to her jacket and skirt in awkward places for a moment before she brushed them back into place. "Oh, come on, Miki-chin, you're over thinking things," the girl scolded herself, finally lifting her head to resume her trot past the woman perched on the bench.

[Shuu]

[ Latere Veritasdamas ~ Ah, there we go... ]

Even though her eyes were "focused" on her notes, Latere spotted her target coming down the path out of the corners of her eyes. Silently, she waited while the other girl parted ways with her friend, walking down the path alone. Latere took a small sip of her coffee, finding a small grin coming to her calm features when she over-heard Mikiru talk to herself.

Good, it appeared as if this wouldn't take as much persuasion as she initially thought.

Waiting for the other girl to walk past her, Latere calmly closed her book and slipped it into her bag, slinging it over her shoulder. Silently, she walked after Mikiru, just far enough away not to seem like a creeper, but close enough to over-hear anything the other girl might say.

[Lin]

[Mikiru ~ Well, that's unusual]

She seemed to have finished talking to herself, instead heading towards the building her class was held in with her head up, waving to familiar faces as they passed. She seemed completely unaware of her follower, though finally she paused a few paces from the door to turn and smile at the taller woman.

"Hello! Are we classmates? You seem to have followed me all the way here, but I don't think that we've met," the pale haired girl offered, mismatched eyes studying her curiously. "Is there something you needed?"

There was something almost familiar about her. Mikiru paused again, and then moved forward without preamble, stretching up onto the toes of her sneakers to try and get a better look at the stranger's features. "You're a little familiar... Maybe I've seen you around campus and forgotten?"

[Shuu]

((OOC: Huuurg, sorry for the delay! I've been sick ; ))

[ Latere Veritasdamas ~ Ah, naivete... ]

Latere was pleasantly surprised when her target turned around and addressed her. She had kept a safe enough distance away where it didn't appear she was stalking Mikiru, so the fact that the other girl noticed her presence was a good sign. Of course, Latere didn't betray her inner thoughts, pleasantly smiling at the other girl.

"Ah, forgive me if I seemed intrusive," Latere gave a small, polite bow at her waist. "I couldn't help but to notice you're also a psychology student, though I do not believe we've had similar classes yet. I am always curious upon meeting my fellows, so I merely wished to introduce myself."

Raising her hand, she held it out for Mikiru. "I am Latere Vertiasdamas. I am most pleased to make your acquaintance."

[Lin]

((OOC: It's okay. <3 Sickness sucks, are you feeling better?))

[Mikiru ~ Sounds a little familiar...]

It wasn't like she could explain the strange feeling of familiarity to the taller woman, or that it wasn't that she was being 'intrusive' really but that somehow the skin between her shoulder blades had felt prickly the entire time she was behind her; like an animal's fur raising in warning. That would make her seem crazy, paranoid, delusional.

So instead, her shoulders rolled into a shrug, her teeth flashing in a friendly grin. "Not at all! I guess I was just more aware of my classmate's faces than I realized," she offered with a chortle, dropping back down onto the flats of her feet and then rocking back and out of Latere's personal space. "There's no harm in looking for people studying the same major, after all. It's nice to have people of similar interests and classes in case you need a study group, right?" She teased, winking and falling silent as the hand was extended, the name offered.

Latere Veritasdamas. Said with no fluid accent to roll the letters together, stretch the word so it fit mouths used to rearranging the letters differently. For the briefest of seconds, it was like her mind clouded, rewinding through the dreams that had plagued her of late, filled with names of unfamiliar languages, spoken by mouths that were used to them, had spoken them over and over again--

Mikiru blinked, snapping herself back to the present with a nervous laugh, her lips stretching into a smile. "Wow, how impressive! I never really expected to run into someone with such an interesting name on campus," she admitted, shifting her belongings for a moment before finally extending her hand, the palm wrapped in the sleeve of her jacket and fingers crooked a bit hesitantly.

"I'm Ojan, Mikiru. Please, call me Miki!" She finally offered, pushing her arm forward to clap their hands together, small fingers curling around Latere's hand to shake it firmly, assuring herself that she was being ridiculous.

[Shuu]

[ Latere Veritasdamas ~ Sees the faltering ]

Latere studied Mikiru intensely, though her gaze never shifted to anything beyond being merely friendly. That slight pause, the hesitation in the other girl's speech; something was going on in her head that she couldn't express nor understand. Latere had a feeling her companion didn't know about her true self, but hints and visions of her past were beginning to bleed through into the present. Good, that meant she wouldn't have to work as hard to coax Luna out.

However, she noticed the pleasant and cheerful disposition Mikiru possessed, and inwardly scoffed at it. If she wasn't so certain that this bubbly girl was Sailor Luna, Latere would have left her flat on her back.

She would have to break the other girl. Break her, and remold her into the image she needed for her objectives.

Smiling, Latere shook Mikiru's hand softly. "Of course, Miki-san." Releasing her hand, Latere tilted her head to the side, waiting to see what the other girl would do next.

[Lin]

[Mikiru ~ Exit stage anywhere]

There was a moment when neither of them said anything, studying one another -- Miki's grin still in place, though it came just short of missing the mismatched eyes. But, finally, the snowy lashes came to a close. "Ahhh, well! It's been very nice meeting you, Late-rin~!"

The name was cut short and butchered almost purposely, avoiding letting the real thing fall from her lips like something terrible would happen. Even the first two syllables felt like she had dropped stones into the pool of her mind, stirring up dark ripples along the surface. Why was she behaving this way..?

Had she maybe seen a movie with the name in it, read it somewhere even? It was definitely no way to treat a foreigner who was probably lonely, looking for friends among the populace of a strange university. Even so, she could feel her skin crawl beneath the bright pink fabric of her jacket.

"But," she continued, adjusting the stack of textbooks in her arms pointedly, "I reaaaalllly need to get to class! Maybe we can talk later about that study group," she finished, lightly, sticking out her tongue in a brief, playful gesture before she turned to open the classroom door and scuttle into the lecture hall.

[Shuu]

[ Latere Vertiasdamas ~ Meeting on "accident" again ]

Latere gave a small nod of her head at Mikiru, acknowledging that the other girl had to get to class. But, she inwardly cringed at the butchering of her name; she'd need to have to set the record straight once things got...*ahem* "underway."

"Very well. I shall see you later, then." With another small incline of her head, Latere turned on her heel and went back down the path. Already, she knew when the pair would "met" again, having memorized the usual routines of Mikiru over the past few weeks.

A few hours later, after the classes the other girl took, Latere showed up on campus again and appeared to be waiting for Mikiru again, and just happened to be in a spot where the younger girl would likely walk past. All, of course, by "coincidence."