1786/The Meloncholy of Setsuna Meiou Episode 1786: A meeting in the City of Lights

The Meloncholy of Setsuna Meiou Episode 1786: A meeting in the City of Lights
Date of Scene:	24 July 2024
Location:	Paris
Synopsis:	In the aftermath of Beryl's demise, Setsuna meets with Usagi in Paris.
Cast of Characters:	Usagi Tsukino, Setsuna Meiou

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Usagi Tsukino has posed:
The City of Lights, as perfectly romantic a location as one could think of, and Usagi Tsukino is perfectly happy to sit alone for a moment at a cafe, drinking a hot chocolate made to match the chocolate croissant she's been nibbling at. She's not entirely alone - Rei and Minako are across the street, browsing a small shop, sticking close without hovering - but she's close to it.

It's afternoon, and Beryl has been dead for nearly a full day, and Usagi is still feeling it settle in, that everything is fine, that everyone is alive and well, that Beryl lost -

That she and her friends won.

She takes another bite of her croissant, smiling to herself.

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Setsuna got the call a mere few hours before...unfortunately, without extensive prep time to set up a cheat or enough Senshi to brute force it, teleportation was out. So it's taken her a bit of time to get here.

Fortunately, she has her ways to find a single girl or girls somewhere in the huge city of Paris.

Tracking her to a cafe, Setsuna walks up behind the seated Usagi, somehow doing so without making any sounds audible above the normal ambiance of the city.

Thus, as the blonde takes a bite of her croissant, she'll suddenly hear a familiar voice from right behind her, "So the deed is done, my leige?"

A moment later, Setsuna eases herself into the chair across from Usagi, a mischievous look in her eye, "Fancy meeting you here."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
The people of Paris are actually rather used to all sorts of displays, outbursts, and the like. It's what you expect, when your city is famed, one of the great sights.

They still aren't expecting the yelp Usagi lets out, when she hears a voice right behind.

"<NANI?!>"

And she does choke a little on her croissant, but she also leans across the little cafe table to give Setsuna a hug, hacking as soon as she's done.

"Suna-san! I didn't think you were - I mean, we didn't really leave any other - how are you here?"

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
In response, Setsuna just gives a knowing smile to Usagi and says nothing.

Well, mainly because one of the cafe staff approaches her. She has a rapid conversation back and forth with them for a few moments...apparently in French...then she hands over a credit card and nods before sitting back as they bustle off to get an order, apparently.

Setsuna waits for a few moments until they're far enough away, then she turns back to Usagi, "Michiru let me know it was over and everyone was okay, but a lot of people got banged up and exhausted...so I hopped on my jet and headed straight here."

She waves around, "I figure if everyone wants to take a day or two to relax before heading home, I can facilitate that...and as well I imagine that at least some people are probably going to be too magically exhausted to teleport for a bit, so I can ferry everyone home, to boot."

She shakes her head, "There's no way I'm going to force anyone who helped rid the world of that...woman fly commercial back home."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
A knowing smile and no immediate answer - Usagi shakes her head with a faint smile, swallowing down some of her hot chocolate. She's somehow surprised-but-not, when Setsuna has an entire conversation with the staff, apparently in French. She'd been using Woogle Translate to make herself understood - but actually speaking the language? Cooooool!

And then the explanation, and ahhhh that makes sense - hey, wait.

"Does that mean... Charon came with you?" Even all the way over here in France, knowing that they're keeping Hotaru a secret, hiding her from Obsidian, keeps her from using her actual name, in public. "I'm... glad Michiru-san let you know. I was way too wiped to even think about telling anyone, last night..."

A private jet is so cool, and Usagi would love to ride on one, but... "That will be great! And you definitely owe me a ride next time, because I'm pretty positive we're - me and Mamochan and our girls and guys and all - are going to teleport back."

The Silver Crystal, as usual, hangs around her neck on a delicate chain. One hand goes up to it, clutching it.

"We've got enough to get home, at least, but giving everyone a ride will really help."

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Setsuna goes to say something, then pauses as the waitstaff brings over a plate with some more croissants, bagels, and profiteroles as well as a cup of what appears to be cappuchino.

Setsuna thanks them in French, then takes a sip of her drink to get a dose of blessed caffeine.

Thus fortified, she nods and goes on, "She did. She's with Haruka and Michiru right now. Fortunately, being a dab hand at costuming means that disguises are easy enough."

At Usagi's declining of taking the plane back, Setsuna blinks, then sighs, "If you want. There's not much hurry right now."

She absently eats one of the puff pastries, then hrms, "Oh! I just remembered...apparently the school is going to take steps to up their security, so they're shipping in some artefacts. The Headmistress has asked Kyouka-san and I to round up some groups to guard them while they transport them. If you or any of the other girls would like to help, I'd be glad to have you."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
The waitstaff bring over plenty of baked goods, delightful morsels that Usagi eyes with great want, but she bites into her own croissant instead of immediately asking.

"That's good. Those two could probably use something else to focus on right now," maybe, if they're taking being dead badly, but she's not entirely sure. They'd all had time to - reconvene, to hug each other and be glad they were all alive, but - it still happened. It was probably still... scary.

"Between Mamochan and Makochan, I don't think a plane is the best idea right now," Usagi explains, seeing the blink, and genuinely feeling bad, but also - glad that she's the one who will get to deliver this answer.

And then? Something totally different.

"Wow, they could do that?" There's a little incredulity in her voice, because wait, could they always do that, up security?! But... "I'd love to help. And I'm sure the girls would too, and probably the boys too. Do you know when it's coming? I'll make sure to do some reaching out..."

Kyouka-sensei, when exactly did you find out about this...

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Setsuna absently waves at the assemblage of baked goods, indicating they're there to be eaten as she takes another sip of her cappuchino.

She blinks at Usagi's comment about Haruka and Michiru, "Something else to focus on? Why? Did something happen with them? I was told everyone was more or less okay."

Like a bit of underselling the situation from someone.

As Usagi explains about Makoto and Mamoru, Setsuna actually pouts for a moment before sighing and shaking her head, "Awww...and I wanted to pamper everyone."

She sighs, "Some other time, I suppose."

She absently taps her lips, "Maybe we can do a weekend trip to Hawaii sometime."

The older woman reaches out and grabs another profiterole and eats it before shrugging, "That was more or less my reaction. Apparently there's some level of friction between the Headmistress and the organizations behind the school. For some INSANE reason they thought that security through obscurity combined with having every mahou in Tokyo would be enough to fend off any kind of attacker."

She shakes her head, "We're going to put in some better defenses. I think there was something like effectively consecrating the grounds so that Dark Energy is less effective there. Probably a couple of other things...so, yeah, if you can see who'd be willing to help and send them my way."

She waves absently at Usagi, "You've got a much better network of connections than I do."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Setsuna's purchased snacks are not rifled through, no, but Usagi does carefully example them before selecting some - half of a toasted bagel, carefully slathered with honey and butter, as well as an almond croissant, sweet and heavy with marzipan and slivered almonds.

Were the topic of conversation about literally anything else, she'd be dancing in her seat.

"They ah, didn't tell you?" Nervous voice, she's a terrible liar, but she stuffs half the bagel in her mouth and chews, and chews, and chews, and chews, and eventually, says,

"We had some losses. But... there was a miracle. And now everyone is okay, you know, physically, but, it was... it was a lot. So. A distraction!"

That's not even a lie! Setsuna might totally buy it and not notice how evasive that all was. Go, Usagi, go!

"I think it'd be nice to have like, a garden party, or something, when we're home, and a little later. Mamochan... he needs to decompress. And we've got finals - ugh we've got finals, saving the world didn't stop that..."

Unfair...

"A trip to Hawaii would be really cool! Or maybe just Hokkaido, in case it's too risky to leave Tokyo..."

She'd like to think things would be better, but there's still Obsidian. Kyouka-sensei has already gone home, back to their territory, but, the rest of them being gone is still a risk.

"I'll definitely send some people your way! That's... that's going to be a good thing, making Dark Energy less effective... and they could have done this the whole time, what kind of losers..." Oh, she will be grumbling about this.

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Setsuna rolls her eyes, "Oh, don't get me STARTED. I had basically the same reaction when I found out. Apparently the Headmistress was trying to get things beefed up, but others were against it."

She shakes her head, "In any event, we're going to work on it. Plus, I think we need to take some level of matters into our own hands. Maybe get some ideas from Chrono. I'm sure TSAB has some sort of manual on how to magically fortify a base."

As Usagi starts dodging the questions about how everyone was, Setsuna scowls a little and gives her a very flat look.

After a few moments, however, she finally sighs and puts a hand over her eyes, "...so how many of them died?"

She gives Usagi a commiserating look, "I understand it was a whole situation and a rather intense conflict...but if they don't at least let me know later when we're back and settled, I'd like to be able to properly chastise them."

She then hrms and taps her chin, "Well...if we wait until winter, Hawaii is only about a five or six hour trip. Hokkaido IS closer...it's only about an hour or so..."

She shrugs, "It's basically a question of whether you want to go to the beach or if you want to go to a winter resort and hot springs."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"Against it." She's eating her bagel again, to keep all the words she'd like to say in, because she's not letting the peace of Beryl being dead be chased off this easy, but man,,,

"At least the Headmistress is on our side. Maybe Luna will have some ideas? I mean, she does still have tech from our kingdom she can use, maybe there's something there..."

A loud slurp of hot chocolate, to avoid the Look that Setsuna is giving her. And another one. And another one. And -

"...it was bad," she admits, breaking finally. "Chiyo-chan and Bow-kun and Jadeite and Rashmi-chan and Chrono-kun and Jolly-chan and Shokupan and - and Haruka-kun and Michiru-san." The litany of names are presented with quiet sorrow. They're back now. They're fine. They're okay. But the loss was real and so is the grief, even if they are back.

"No one was careless. They were all brave, and true, and they - they did it to help save each other and us, every time."

So don't chastise them too much...

"I think both are nice, but a winter resort could be fun! We could try skiing. On the other hand, hoping everything is still okay by winter might be a pipe dream..."

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Setsuna goes quiet for a moment at the litany of names...and after a few moments, she closes her eyes and takes a few deep, calming breaths.

It's subtle...and a detail that might not normally get noticed...but in this time, in this place...one might catch the very faint tremble to Setsuna's hands as she learns how close she came to losing four of the people she cares the most for in all the world.

Truly, a bullet dodged.

Finally she blows out a big breath, then shakes her head, "All past now."

She then looks over at Usagi, "We'll be okay. It's only another two months or so. We'll mark out a weekend and I'll rent us out a place so we can all go and spend the weekend. If we leave right after class on Friday, we can have Friday evening, all day Saturday, and Sunday morning and afternoon there and still get back with plenty of time to spare Sunday evening."

She waves a hand absently, "...and yeah, ask Luna if she's got anything...I can check the stuff I've got around the Gates. There are some things there that I've picked up over the years that we might can use, too."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
It's subtle. But Usagi notices. One thing she's good with, is noticing the subtle things about the people she loves. It's quiet, but she extends a hand, covering Setsuna's, for a brief moment.

She'd asked everyone not to say anything to anyone, but it's her secret, and Setsuna isn't everyone, so -

"...It was the Silver Crystal. After everything, after what she did..." She closes her eyes, thinking back. "It wasn't right. It wasn't enough. It was... I don't think I can do it again, at least, not for a long time, but.. it worked."

She doesn't want credit - that's not her reason for saying anything. But secrets have had a real habit of biting them in the butt, so...

"We will be okay. We're going to make it through. And nothing they throw at us, will ever be like Beryl again. We made it through. And - yeah! That would be amazing. We'll have a weekend and we'll spend it together and have an amazing time." That's the kind of thing they deserve to be thinking about now, now.

"It will be good. The school is the closest thing we have to a base, and it should be a place for us. Even if people in Obsidian are, you know, going to the school... they should know they're on, like, holy ground. Safe place, for everyone. Not a hunting ground."

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Setsuna visibly relaxes when Usagi touches her hand, then nods, "It doesn't surprise me. That's the kind of thing that the Queen could do in the right circumstances, but only rarely...so it's never the kind of thing to expect."

She then shakes her head, "Anyway...yeah. See if any of the girls and any other allies want to help and send them my way."

She then smiles, "And we'll sit down in a week or two and plan a vacation. We could use the time."

She hrms, "...maybe also look at doing some kind of get-together after finals. We could do a cook out. Hamburgers and hotdogs out at the beach or something."

Nodding to herself, she then waves a finger at one of the waitstaff, exchanges a few words, then they come back shortly with a bag that Setsuna uses to put the spare pastries in, "In any event, is there any shopping you wanted to do around here? I figure as long as we're here, we should look to maybe getting something..."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"I asked everyone to keep it a secret, because the last thing we need is rumors about it, right?" She doesn't want people to think she can save everyone, that she can resurrect the dead, when she -

She did it once. But she doesn't know how, and she does not want to try and train to do it. Some people would argue she should, she's sure, but those people...

"I'll make sure to do just that! If you've got any ideas of when this is all going down, make sure to let me know, okay?"

That way she can tell everyone. She'll have to pass the word along, but also make sure everyone knows it's important for this to be a bit of a secret...

"A cookout sounds nice. Grilled fish, and crab, and burgers..." Yes, that sounded nice. Sandwiches, and cut fruit, and splashing around in the sea...

"Sure! Minako-chan and Rei-chan are across the street, pretending they're totally not watching over me - want me to call them around? It'd be really neat to get some new summer clothes!"

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Setsuna nods along both with what is said and what is UN-said about the Crystal and it's powers.

As for the rest, she shrugs, "They haven't given me a specific date, but probably next week from the way it was sounding...so we've got some time yet."

Finishing off her drink, she stands and nods, "Let's go join them then and engage is some retail therapy shall we? What better place to look for new fashions than Paris, after all?"