Scene #2587: Shiny things

Owner	Pose
Nephrite	There were things to be done, many things. The Wedding loomed over everything. But Masato Sanjouin was a wealthy and fashionable young man, and Minako Aino was an easily distracted and fashionable young woman, and they were easily diverted to a large spending spree. Mostly off of Masato's card, but that was neither here nor there. Sapphire eyes perused a glass display case, holding a few bags already from high end stores. Twinking gems, all sparkling at him temptingly. Winking at him. Diamond stud earrings that whispered 'purchase me'. Rubies, too, set in gold. Oh. He could have those. "Mina-chan, which do you think would look better on me?"
Sailor Venus	Minako Aino had to admit that even though she considered herself on top of the fashion world (as much as a girl living off an average allowance was), Masato by far outshone her in that department with all his designer clothes, and accessories. Of course she jumped at the chance to go shopping! She hadn't really expected it to go beyond 'window shopping' but who was she to complain if he was offering? Loaded down with a few bags of items she was going to use and abuse the heck out of until they were threadbare and/or out of fashion. There's no rule in her house about 'only wear an item once!' The fact he lingers in front of Osa-P Jewelers doesn't seem at all out of the ordinary either. Everyone stopped to look at Naru's family shop on occasion. Even she's drawn in by the allure of sparkling stones with a wistful sigh at some gold earrings. A hand lifts to pinch at her ear feeling the little 'pearl' stud there that probably wasn't any more real than the jewel in her hairbow that Izou had gifted her. It was pretty though. The question catches her partially off guard. "The rubies would go really nicely with your darker hair," she suggests looking over them thoughtfully. "But you could probably pull off anything with the outfits you usually wear."
Nephrite	"True," Masato muses, as if it were simply an observed fact rather than conceit. "I always do favours golds and reds, but diamonds are timeless... A little pricey for the cut, though." He hums, as if he were simply mulling over a choice of food, from a menu. A glance upwards does take in the fact that this is Osa-P Jewelers, and there is some hesitance in him. He's been keeping a healthy distance from Naru for some time, now, letting them naturally grow apart. Letting life untangle their mess. Separate ways, though he had missed that friendship and still thought of her, from time to time. But that distance was good, and he had made more friends, and reconciled things with Makoto, while Naru went on with her life too. Better that way. "Do you think Mako-chan would want a bracelet, if I bought it here?" He wonders aloud, as if it might be awkward somehow. He has no idea how Makoto would even react to a gift like that. "What do you want?"
Sailor Venus	That was a valid enough question given the proprietorship of the shop they were in front of. Mina tips her head back considering a moment. Only a moment. It didn't take long for her to respond simply, "I think Naru-chan is a friend of all of ours, and we've all seen how head over heels she is for that model she's dating. I hear they're even in some kind of trio with another mahou guy, so it's not like Naru isn't good and taken at this point. Besides," she adds with a shrug. "Mako-chan would like anything you get her. Osa-P Jewelers does have some of the prettiest items." "A bracelet or a necklace. I think she's attached to the earrings she has currently. Rose themed or flower themed might be nice for her." Then the question turns to her. "... I don't know. I don't own any real jewelry besides that ring that Ace gave me when I was younger." He seemed indecisive though! Mina steps up to loop her arm through his elbow to steer him into the store. "Come on, it's not like you're going to run into her here! She's probably off with her guys."
Nephrite	"I'm glad Naru-chan found her happiness after I left," he noted quietly, and genuinely meant it-- he still thought it was the right choice to remove himself from her equation, in the end. But the earrings... Of course, he'd noted the significance of those floral earrings before. He still didn't know exactly what they meant to Makoto, but if they had been a gift from her parents or some sort of heirloom, he wouldn't have been at all surprised. A bracelet seemed acceptable, without being too extravagant or expensive... (but perhaps he wasn't a good judge of such things). Yes. A floral bracelet to match. He doesn't resist her at all when she steers them inside, and this is truly what Minako is good for here-- she enables him beautifully. "Right... and we're supporting her family business, as friends." He agrees with a small chuckle. "Just for that, we're going to find you something too. You can't go about with no real jewelry, at least let me get you something worth its weight."
Sailor Venus	Minako Aino nods emphatically when it seems that Masato is catching on to the idea here. Of course it was a good idea to help support a friend's business! Plus she was right: This wasn't about a potential past relationship that had fizzled out. It was about the current one that was fizzing in! "So how are things going between you two, by the way? I'd ask Mako-chan but she's so busy right now with the wedding preparations. ... Yeah she could use a treat like this," she decides with a solemn nod. "I'll look at a few things though! I always wanted to try on some of the items here!" And now she was going to! Without any youma showing up (hopefully) or evil ex-not boyfriends breezing by the window drawing her attention away. Right on over to the bracelets is where she heads already glancing over the array of offerings there. While he may be looking for floral her gaze has already shifted to the gold bangels with little designs stamped into them. Versatile for every occasion! "Ooh these are pretty! Though maybe I should look at something else if you're getting Mako-chan a bracelet."
Nephrite	He leans to consider the bangles, peering at the intricate designs. Simple, though elegant. Despite her still hanging onto his arm, he seems at ease-- but perhaps that's just Masato, being a little too used to having girls on his arm. He doesn't consider that he may be continuing to contribute to the polycule confusions, of late, should anyone pass by. Or worse. He waves his hand. "Jewelry is something that speaks to you, Mina-chan. You have to listen for the little voices that say, 'pick me'. As if it were made for you, and only you." He spends a moment, looking over things, before he smirks a little. "You're right, though, she does deserve something as lovely as she is... maybe something that matches her eyes, or a tennis bracelet with little leaves." He clicks his tongue. "Things are going well. I think so. I don't want to spook her off, obviously."
Sailor Venus	Minako Aino releases her grasp on Masato's arm so she can lean forward over the jewelry cases drawing her hand to touch at her lips lightly. It's a thoughtful posture she takes on when she's not really thinking about how she's acting or posturing or anything. It's just pure and simply her, looking, and thinking. "Calls to me, huh? But they're all so shiny!" Of course her gaze does slide over many only to pause here and there giving small 'hmms' and 'no' with the occasional 'nice but not me' mixed in. She was still listening. Just distracted by the literal shiny objects! "Leaves or emeralds would work with her. She does like red too but green is just... Her. I think she'd want something with more personality than a tennis bracelet though," she reasons as she starts to examine a few more, and gestures to one. "What about this for her?" The bracelet in question is a bejeweled flower with it's golden step the actual bracelet, and when it wrap saround it has a single green jewel 'leaf' to finish off the design.
Nephrite	'They're all so shiny!'-- Masato chuckles. When she points out a bracelet, it's not exactly what he expected, but at once he thinks that it certainly does suit Mako-chan. It's quite a reasonable price for what it is, he thinks (and again, he's not a good judge). It's not too serious a thing, not too much. Just casual enough to go with anything, and it does go with her earrings well enough. "Oh," his brows rise, and for a moment, he's very grateful for Minako, "That one... something like that would do." He may have second-guessed it as too youthful, but Minako seemed not to think so.
Sailor Venus	Minako Aino stands up again with hands planting on her hips wearing a satisfied expression at the sight of it. "I think she'll like it," she declares, even as her gaze shifts to ANOTHER shiny thing. Instantly her hand snaps out to point to a nearby necklace with another flower motif to add, "And that, too! It's nice and feminine, she'd love it. You could always split it up and give it to her later. Maybe one now, one closer to the wedding to go with her outfit." The prattle about what Makoto might like is paused here. For a moment Minako looks serious as her attention shifts to Masato. "I know I'm considered the hopeless romantic of the group, but Makoto-chan, it's her. It really is. She had a Senpai in her prior school that she fell for but he ended up with another girl. She's tall, and strong, and fights for her friends and is amazing-! But not all guys like that sort of thing. She had rumors about being a bully because of it, and it's hard for her to find cute things in her size. But she really, really wants cute and feminine things."
Nephrite	Secretly, it is Masato, too. He is a man prone to flights of fancy and to great emotional swings, and sentimental things, and to the intricate dances of people's hearts. He, who knows he will likely need to hide tears, once Usagi is safe and the Wedding unfolds as it is meant to. He, who dreams of one day marrying for love, unlike his parents, and having a real family that feels and talks to and enjoys one another. He'll buy the necklace too. Of course he will. He needs no convincing. "I understand that about her... I have for a while. I gave her a bonsai that's very important to me, to look after. The flowers on it, pink Azaeleas, represent how I see her." Flowers, too, are a language. Still, he smirks a little, tilting his head. "I like that she's tall. I don't have to crane my neck or bend down to kiss her."
Sailor Venus	"Well of course it works for you, you're insanely tall to begin with!" Minako points out with a solemn nod of understanding. At least he seemed to get her, that was good. She really was trying to help her friend out here! Which one of them, it was hard to say, perhaps both. It only takes another moment of thought for her head to snap back toward him with eyes wide. Leaning in closer, raising up on her tiptoes, she asks. "How do you know you don't need to lean down to kiss her? Did you kiss her?" the little upending higher pitch in her voice might be catching the attention of some of the assistants in the shop that were hovering nearby. It's about this time Mina catches a glint of another piece in the shop in the corner of her eye. Her gaze flits there. Then back. Then back again. Then... it's hard to look away but she HAD TO KNOW.
Nephrite	The note on him being insanely tall made him smirk wider, and his eyes twinkled a little bit for the mischief. He could count the seconds before it caught up to Minako, until she rounded on him like a shark scenting blood in the water. He pocketed his hand in his slacks, and looked terrifically smug as he shrugged the arm holding the bags. But the answer was written all over him, really. "I might have..." He swivels on his heel then to turn and walk towards the glint that was catching her eye. "Well, go on. Follow the whispering. What's got your eye?"
Sailor Venus	"You can't just drop a plum like that and then give me a 'maybe'!" Minako protests with her arms flapping down to her sides, then back up to her hips again, as she continues to leeean and he's walking away. Going from leaning forward on her toes to chasing after him with quick steps to catch up she's rather grateful they're in a store and not somewhere he can just outpace her by length of legs alone. He could! Not that it would stop her. "And now you're changing the subject." A weary sigh comes even as she continues a step past him to practically press her nose to the glass staring at a yellow octagonal gemstone necklace with a rather classic cut. Whether she wanted to protest it or not, it was calling to her. "THIS. It's so pretty and the way it catches the light-!" Mina's already clasping her hands together with a wistful sigh of adoration for such a pretty necklace. It was super simple compared to what she'd suggested for Makoto, but that just meant it could go with more things. "That is just so perfect!"
Nephrite	Her protesting made him laugh a little wickedly, but it was short lived. Minako had settled on something, and just as with the set for Makoto, this piece was well suited. He could see her breath fogging the glass. "That looks like a citrine, maybe... the stone of prosperity. Those are supposed to bring people success, you know." He mused, inspecting it through the glass. It was warm and bright, like Mina-chan. A sunny little pendant to ward of negativity, and inspire. He smiled a little. "You've got good taste when it comes to finer things, Mina-chan. We'll get that, too."
Sailor Venus	"Really?" He had offered. Of course he offered. Buying clothes was one thing though, buying jewelry an entirely different one. There's still a bit of incredulity to the thought that he could just decide to get such things like this without batting an eye. It was like Mamoru, only less about buying copious amounts of food and sweets in this case. With a delighted little squeal she spins around to give Masato a quick, firm hug while gushing, "Thank you! This is so perfect it'll go great with--Oh I can think of three outfits already and also--Ah the wedding of course too maybe--" Somewhere in there she actually releases him to turn around again gazing lovingly at the pendant. "Don't think this lets you off the hook about your relationship with Mako-chan, I haven't forgotten!" Of course not! But right now she could be distracted and was willing to be so. "Oh we should probably offer to help her with the baking. I'm not great but I can stir things up really well!" In more ways than one.
Nephrite	He managed to pat her head in the hug somewhere, still laden with bags as he is-- her joy is endearing, though. Somewhere in his heart, he hopes that a good man will come into her life and spoil her, and sweep her off her feet. Until then, he supposes he's quite happy to act as an older brother might dote upon a cute sister, and whenever that man does appear, he'll be critical of them. He'll be keeping close eyes on them. Smiling sinister smiles at them from the corner of a room. It's the least he can do, really, in return. "I can crack eggs. I'm sure there's a lot of eggs in wedding and birthday cakes." He hums, and turns to look for an assistant to flag down-- quietly hoping not to interact with Naru's mother, if possible. "I can't believe Mamoru suggested store bought... That's the truest sign of how much stress he's under, really."
Sailor Venus	Store bought. Mina's nose just crinkles. "I mean maybe a really nice store but that's something the rest of us would consider. Not Mako-chan! That's how she shows her love by feeding you! And she's really really good at it too." Well, feeding or beating people up, but they all kind of did the last part so did it really count? An amused grin is sent toward Masato. "And if I happen to disapear for awhile when the cake is baking, just remember to listen for the timer. Don't get too distracted!" No sense in making THREE c... four cakes? How many were they doing now?
Nephrite	"Two-- we're doing two cakes," Masato sighs, unwilling to allow anymore workload to fall upon poor Makoto's shoulders, "And maybe some illusions. And that's just going to have to do... I have to guard them from getting smashed in the battle, after all." Well, it was a noble job. He turned to see Naru's mother approaching them, and his mouth ticked into a slightly forced smile. A pleasant enough greeting-- ''Is your new boyfriend spoiling you?'' -- Oh no. Well, maybe they should stop by a print shop and get that pamphlets for that relationship flowchart sorted out, soon.