2419/Not Good News At All

Not Good News At All
Date of Scene:	07 March 2025
Location:	Administrative Office
Synopsis:	Usagi catches Setsuna on the way out of the infirmary for a conversation the day after Jinja Snaps, sharing with her the bad news: the Black Moon Clan has several of their identites. Fortunately, the ever-pratical Nurse Meiou takes this in stride, and reassures her princess of her support, all while they take a ride to try a new restaurant.
Cast of Characters:	Usagi Tsukino, Setsuna Meiou
Tinyplot:	Black Moon Clan
Tinyplot2:	BMC: Rabbit Hunt

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Usagi Tsukino has posed:
It's after school, on Friday the 7th of March, and Usagi has scoped out the hallways in the administrative building just to make sure she doesn't run into anyone else. What she's got to speak with Setsuna about is both private and magical, so the last thing she wants is to jump in the way who needs actual medical help.

But when no one shows any signs of coming or going, she makes her way to thee infirmary, backpack bouncing on her back, knocking on the wall to let Setsuna know someone's coming.

"Suna-san! Do you have sometime to talk about something - important?"

When Setsuna finally sees her, she's absolutely going to be able to tell that Usagi is a bit of a wreck, exhausted and worn, and not in her usual 'stayed up too late playing video games and then was late to class and ran around all day hurriedly finishing last-minute homework' way.

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
As Usagi arrives at the Infirmary, it will become quickly obvious that Nurse Meiou is packing up to head home for the evening. The lights are half off and she can be heard rummaging in one of the back closets.

Upon hearing Usagi call out, she will be heard to respond, "Give me just a minute and I'll be right out."

And indeed, it's about sixty seconds before the nurse steps out of the storage closet and locks it behind her, then turns to look over at Usagi.

Seeing the normally energetic blonde a bit worn down gets a surprised blink from the greenhaired nurse...who, frankly, looks like she's not at her best and brightest herself.

While she's managed to keep herself well groomed and sharply dressed...someone who knows her well will be able to spot the slight bags under her eyes.

Still, she gives herself a little shake and says, "I always have time for you, Usagi...buuut..."

She trails off a bit and waves towards the door, "...if you don't mind having said discussion elsewhere?"

Nurse Meiou then gives a slightly chagrined look on her face, "...I skipped lunch, so I was going to get something to eat on the way home."

After a beat, she smiles a bit knowing one of the simplest ways to Usagi's good graces is via her appetite, "I'd be happy to buy you dinner as well."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Tired sees tired, and nods wearily. Setsuna's own exhaustion is understandable - Usagi knows how heart-wrenching, how exhausting, it is to have someone you love in the hands of Obsidian, to know they're hurting and that you can't help them. Almost a year ago, when Thetis had finally managed to get her hands on Mamoru...

So she's not surprised by Setsuna's state, though she is incredibly sympathetic - and thus, a quick hug is provided.

"Of course, of course! It's the end of the day and all, and you definitely need to eat." She doesn't even have to whip out the puppy dog eyes to get an invite. "If you wouldn't mind, I'd never turn down food."

Not a bit of shame there.

"Besides, your car is probably the next best place to the infirmary for privacy on campus." Outside of the Shed, of course.

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Setsuna relaxes into the hug, brief though it is...and a soft sigh can be heard.

Then she's nodding in agreement and turning to lock the infirmary behind her before turning back once more to start walking out to the parking lot, waving Usagi to walk beside her, "...so...there's a place I've been meaning to try and now that I've got someone to go with, we can go there."

As the two step out into the parking lot, Setsuna's black Nissan Rogue makes that chirp-chirp sound of a car remotely unlocking, and she pauses next to the rear driver's side door to open it up and divest herself of her labcoat, revealing herself to be wearing a simple cream button down blouse and black skirt...then she climbs into the driver's seat and buckles in while waiting for Usagi to do the same.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
A hug, even a quick one, is a great relaxer. And Usagi? Yeah, she could use something to relax, with the heavy weight on her mind, the trick that she and the others had fallen right into, and which she now needs to warn Setsuna of.

"Somewhere you've wanted to check out? I can't wait to see it then!"

If Setsuna had been waiting, it's probably either novel or weird or both or fancy or something she just wanted to see someone else try - and either way, sure to be fun.

It's once they're in the car and Usagi has her seatbelt on that she drums her fingers on her thighs and asks, "Do you want me to tell you on the way, so dinner is a pick me up? Or over dinner, so the pick me up is there already?"

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
One of the benefits of an electric-drive vehicle is that transitions to motion are very smooth, and silent.

Though when the car's electrics are turned on, the radio DOES also turn on, giving a station identification.

There's the sound of a huge bell being rung, then a very Scottish-sounding voice proclaims, "...yer listen'en ta One Oh Two Point Three. REAL Dwarf FM...where we play NOTHIN' but Metal, Rock, and Stone...this ain't yer Elf Maiden's station..." The outtro is what sounds like quite a few men enthusiastically singing 'I AM A DWARF AND I'M DIGGING A HOLE...DIGGY DIGGY HOLE...'

Setsuna quickly reaches over to mute the volume on the radio, shaking her head and saying, "Like you said, my car's about as private as we're like to get unless you want to wait all the way to my house."

She waves a hand absently, "...which means this is probably as good a place as any."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
The sudden jumpstart of the radio gets a bunny hop of fright out of Usagi, who's eyes go wide - and then she laughs, at the song the men begin to sing, snickering to herself a little.

But when it goes off, and Setsuna indicates their privacy... her smile fades. "...so, the Black Moon Clan knows who... me, Mamochan, Kazuo-kun, Izou-kun, Tamachan, Amy-chan, and Veronica-chan are."

A beat.

"One of them, Calaveras, started a fight at Hikawa Shrine, to lure Rei-chan out, and her boss, Rubeus, was like, lying in wait. He watched us transform, and then they found our names - they called my name, after Calaveras was dead."

Her voice trembles a little, at the end, but there's so much to be upset over, is that a surprise? "Also, they might be doing some kind of zombie thing, because a third one showed up and did what he called a medical exam, but I've never seen a medical examiner magic a corpse into standing up and walking for him."

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Setsuna blinks and scowls at the revelation that identities are revealed, "...well, that's decidedly less than good news."

Fingers are drummed on the steering wheel while the vehicle glides through traffic...but after a few moments, she goes on, "...small silver lining I suppose is that from what I understand, these Clan people not only aren't associated with Obsidian, but are against them almost as much as us...so little chance they'll spread THAT information..."

After a moment, she sighs, "...which DOES leave the problem of what to do..."

The older woman glances over at her passenger, "...I imagine that you've already had at least some ideas?"

The comment about zombies DOES get a blink, then a scowl again, "...well, using Dark magic to reanimate corpses DOES rather lean into the kind of thing it's good at...so I can't say as I'm really surprised if that's what happened..."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"Not good news at all," she agrees, and her hands fist on her thighs, as she thinks and thinks, and when Setsuna mentions Obsidian, she nods grimly. "They uh - they attacked Obsidian too. One of their scientists, I think was the target, but they - they killed one of their mahoujin. Coco-chan's friend but also enemy, Sara."

It had been a grim thing, learning that, being aware that the Black Moon Clan had succeeded in killing again, and though its to their benefit, now, that their enemies won't all work together - she can't... exactly be happy about that, now can she?

"...So far, we were talking about sending my family, and Minako-chan's, off on a cruise for a few weeks, because he could buy tickets, and Veronica-chan said she'd pitch in too. Veronica-chan's family is across the ocean, and Kazuo-kun's mom lives in Mamochan's building, and Amy-chan doesn't have any family, and Tamachan's uh, apparently he has relatives here? But it hasn't, um, been talked about what to do for them."

A beat.

"...and then, when our families are out of the way... we're going to have to take care of them."

Her voice trembles as she says it, even though they've killed three of them so far, all of them together (she doesn't realize, about the fourth).

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Setsuna glances over at Usagi...then reaches over to lay a hand on the other young woman's, giving it a light squeeze as she goes back to paying attention MOSTLY to the road.

She's not the speed demon her housemate is...Setsuna drives basically and sedately.

The older woman heaves a sigh, then shakes her head a little, "...that sounds like as good a plan as any...and I doubt they'll go searching all over the ocean to find your families..."

There's a brief pause, "...and if you want, I'll be more than happy to finance this expedition, as well."

Setsuna takes her hand back so she can turn a corner, "...also Haruka and I will be more than willing to help when we go on the offensive."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Setsuna is a reasonable driver, one who takes turns at a ready angle and doesn't try to bypass the other drivers, it's just... calm, and normal. Her hand is squeezed tight.

"Yeah. I mean - their targets are me and Chibiusa, maybe, but, you know... they really hate me, for - for what the me of their future is like, or what they think she's like."

And she still doesn't know what to think of that, or to do about it. The her who became a queen and banished people and got rid of the death penalty and brought it back...

"...I really wouldn't be able to turn you down," she admits, "I'm really - they came after Junichi-kun, just because he's someone good in the future, I don't - when I think about what they could do to my mama and papa, or Shingo - I sat on my roof for most of the night. Just... watching."

Which is why she's exhausted, today.

"Thank you. I know - when it comes to it, I know I can rely on you guys."

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Setsuna finally pulls into a parking spot and turns the car off.

Then she leans over to give a somewhat awkward hug before kissing the top of Usagi's head, "I'll always be here for you, Usagi. All of us will be."

She gives that a moment to sink in, then asks, "...is there anything else particularly secretive that we can't pass off in conversation you needed to bring up?"

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
They pull in - and another hug is shared, and there's even a forehead kiss that has Usagi blushing a little, with that much affection, and she squeezes Setsuna tight.

"Same here, you know? If you need help, I'm always ready to give it, Suna-san."

And then she leans back, and laughs a little.

"No, I think that's all of it. Want to get in there and eat? What kind of place is this - I didn't even ask!"

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Setsuna then steps out of the car and leads Usagi across the street to the resuraunt she wanted to try.

Apparently, it's on the fourth floor of one of the many packed buildings in Tokyo...at least that's what one is able to gather since she takes the elevator to the fourth floor.

There, she steps up to the door of a place whose sign (in English with Japanese below it in smaller letters) bills itself as the 'Soul Food House'.

She waves Usagi in where they're led into a corner window table in a small, cozy resturaunt, "I'd heard about this place opening and I wanted to give it a try. They do authentic United States Southern cooking. Things like Blackened Catfish, Chicken and Waffles, Gumbo, Shrimp and Grits, Fried Okra, and Jambalaya."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Lead into the restaurant, Usagi looks around curiously, but isn't expecting much until after the elevator - she knows how it goes, after all. Unassuming building outside, amazing restaurant inside and up a few floors is a quintessential Tokyo dining experience, after all!

And when they step out? She's surprised, but only a little, to find a shop with it's title primarily in English, a cozy looking place with delicious (and unfamiliar) smells.

"Oooh, I don't think I've ever head any of that," she giggles. "You'll have to tell me what's best, because it all sounds really good! Is the catfish blackened because it's burnt, that doesn't sound right..."

Setsuna is going to get to introduce her to a whole new world of food.