481/Princess, Princess

Princess, Princess
Date of Scene:	22 September 2023
Location:	Tako Cafe
Synopsis:	Usagi and Kyouka meet to share info and dish. Europe has more than one country, right?
Cast of Characters:	Usagi Tsukino, Kyouka Inai

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Usagi Tsukino has posed:
TXT Usagi to Inai: Inai-sensei, are you busy?
TXT Usagi to Inai: I don't want to come to your office, I need to be away from campus.
TXT Usagi to Inai: Can I use your card to summon you to me?

Kyouka Inai has posed:
TXT Inai to Usagi: not terribly busy
TXT Inai to Usagi: just tell me where you are.
TXT Inai to Usagi: save the card trick for emergencies.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
TXT Usagi to Inai: I'm at Tako Cafe! In Pikarigaoaka.
TXT Usagi to Inai: i figure we could get a snack and walk and talk.

Kyouka Inai has posed:
TXT Inai to Usagi: brt

    And she is. Moments later, Kyouka comes walking out from behind a nearby building. She's in casual dress, black jeans with a couple purposeful tears and a red shirt with her leather jacket over it, sunglasses as per usual perched upon her face. She's chewing bubblegum, because one shouldn't smoke when going to meet a student but she seems incapable of not constantly running her mouth in some capacity.

    Hands in her pockets, she walks towards the truck, heading towards Usagi should she spot her easily.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Usagi has picked up three takoyaki - two for her, one for her teacher, payment for travel! As soon as she sees the leaderjacket and sunglass combo, and that bright red hair, she heads her way, practically hopping over in delight. "Great! You made it. This is for you. Don't laugh at me, but Europe is like, a whole continent, with a bunch of countries, right?"

Kyouka Inai has posed:
    Kyouka quirks a brow over her sunglasses at the skip-hop approach of the blonde girl, although she can't help but grin a little bit at the presentation of food-tribute. "Aw, thanks, Usagi-chan." She says. "Generally I don't accept gifts from my students, but seeing as how this isn't school business and we're just meeting as friends, I guess I can let it slide." She tilts her glasses down enough to make a wink visible, as she takes the plastic tray containing the takoyaki.

    She pauses as Usagi asks about Europe. She's a counselor, not a geographer! She's never left Japan- hell, she's practically never left Tokyo. What does she know about Europe? Thankfully, she does a masterful job of not letting her sudden panic show on her face as she clears her throat, before saying, with false bravado. "Yes, of course. Europe is definitely a whole continent, with lots of countries." Just don't ask her to name any. Is America in Europe? No, they won their independence from Europe during the war of 1812, with Abraham Lincoln, right?

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"I figured we're not being teacher and student now, and plus, you're not really a teacher, anyway. You're a coach, you know? And coaches get food with their team!" She's pretty sure anyway, she's never been an athlete, so...

"That's what I thought! But I met this girl who said she was the Princess of Europe, and after, I thought that was kind of weird because... surely Europe has a bunch of princesses?" Right! If they had a bunch of countries, they wouldn't just have a princess for the whole country, right?

Kyouka Inai has posed:
    "I'm not a coach! Have you been talking to Himeko?" Kyouka sounds vaguely annoyed. "I'm a counselor, it's much more distinguished and learned than a coach." She's going to have to find some way to stop this 'coach' thing, before people start thinking of her as some old grey-haired sports lady! "But thank you regardless." She opens the box and takes the wooden chopsticks that the food comes with, picking up one of the takoyaki and popping it in her mouth.

    She chews as she considers. "I don't know a lot about European royalty, but I'm fairly certain they don't just have a single princess.." She says, then pauses. "Oh, that reminds me. Something weird happened last time I was talking to Himeko-chan, come to mention her, and it had to do with princesses too. This was a little while ago, but that whole Naru kidnapping thing kind of distracted me for a while, so I literally just remembered." She bites on another Takoyaki.

    "Does something about a princess, a fallen ancient kingdom, and lots of people dying mean anything to you?"

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"Himeko-chan also called you coach? No way! That means it's spreading organically, see?" She stuffs one of her own takoyaki into her mouth, chewing happily as she waits for a response. And at first?

At first she's pleased, because her instincts are definitely (probably) right and there is definitely (probably) more than one princess in Europe. But then, she continues, and Usagi is - unnerved. Because...

"Himeko-chan... she told me something like that too. And I kind of ignored it because of Naru-chan being missing, but - ah,,," she rocks a little on her feet, back and forth as she thinks - "You've helped us a bunch, so I bet I can tell you. Me and the others, the ones like me, we're looking for... our princess. The one that we're meant to protect! And, apparently, I have the worst luck ever, because I died, sensei! I died and I was a magical girl back then too, and so... so um, that might all mean something to me?"

Kyouka Inai has posed:
    Kyouka seems to consider this information, although if Usagi expected her to be shocked or appalled, she seems to be neither. Then again, she has proven in the past to be fairly good at pretending to be unruffled, even when she is in actuality slightly ruffled. "Your princess not being the Princess of Europe then, I gather." She says, with a faint hint of amusement in her voice as she chews the last of her takoyaki. "Thanks, this was yummy."

    She then folds the plastic box closed again and holds it in front of her in both hands, the chopsticks pinned to the top by her fingers. She's a bit more serious, her tone perhaps just a little melancholy, as she says, "Reincarnation is a real thing. I've been around the block long enough to know that. The fact that this isn't your first life doesn't.. well, I mean, it surprises me in that I didn't know that, but I believe you. But y'know," She looks up with a half-grin. "Maybe instead of looking at it as having bad luck for dying, you should look at it as having good luck for getting another go. I mean, everybody dies, right? Not everybody gets to try again." She pauses, then adds, "Or at least, if they do, they don't get to realize it." She rubs a hand at the back of her head. "Ehhh. I'm not good at this philosophy stuff."

    She then goes on, "Anyway, I was talking to Himeko-chan and I said something.. I think maybe I mentioned she was a ghost. Which apparently is not something you say to ghosts, live and learn. She kinda had a freak out, and amidst that she seemed to be having flashbacks. She said something about a princess, people dying, fire and blood, and an ancient kingdom falling. That's all it was really, but if those are her memories... well, I have no idea if she's any kind of princess, but it might be worth asking Luna or your other friends about, at least."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Usagi huffs - can Inai-sensei ever give a satisfyingly shocked response? Clearly she is not trying hard enough. "No, the Princess of Europe didn't recognize me as someone from her group."

Pout.

"It's not about the dying - I mean, everyone has to die some day! And reincarnation makes sense, I mean, that's just the cycle and all," as a girl raised in Japan's cultural mix of buddhism and Shintoism, she's not especially surprised by the idea, "But having been a magical girl then too? That means it's probably all tied up in my karmic cycle. I'm super, super doomed to be a magical girl, Inai-sensei."

So doomed. A magical girl then. A magical girl now. It's not even about the dying or the failing - of course a past her had to die, right, for there to be a current her. But past her died doing this, and now she's still doing this, and despite her flippant tone, it's obvious that that's unsettling to her.

"She said something to me too... she... she asked if I was the princess she was looking for. And she said she couldn't use the Silver Crystal the way she was, and I was uh, a little distracted, so I didn't think about it too much, and - she's definitely a ghost, I think? Probably? She's two now? Or maybe she was always two, it was kind of unclear... but... I think I have to talk to Luna about this. Fire and blood and dying and she said there was, a princess of light in a shrine, I think?"

There had been a lot on her mind, but now she regrets not taking notes.

Kyouka Inai has posed:
    "Some people think that the ability to sense or use magic is related to your soul.. in other words, you being you will always be magically attuned, no matter how many lives you go through." Kyouka says, pulling out her pack of bubblegum from a pocket to replace the piece she had to throw away in order to eat the takoyaki. She offers the pack to Usagi afterwards to see if she wants a piece. "I sympathize with the feeling of being unable to escape," She adds, with another lopsided grin, "But some things we just have to accept about ourselves. Magical girl you are, magical girl you shall be. You're pretty good at it, you know? I saw some of what you did at Naru-chan's rescue. I was impressed."

    "Two?" She does look startled now, or at least as if that's new information to her. "Himeko-chan? That's... weird. Kind of explains some things I had been wondering about. Still weird. But yes, she's definitely a ghost. Or a spirit, or however you want to define it. A dead person still hanging around for reasons unknown. Though," she laughs, suddenly, "If we're all reincarnated, we're all just dead people still hanging around, aren't we? But the rest of us are corporeal at least."

     "In her case I suspect the 'still hanging around' has to do with wrongful death but obviously just asking her is not going to be constructive. so.." A shrug. "Sounds like that was the same sort of thing she said to me then. I don't know if it's related to your whole deal with the princess- there's more than one princess in the world, as we have already established- but it's probably at least work looking into."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"I'm working on it," Usagi grumbles, "Because we don't have time to unpack all that, but also, if you lose your magic when you become an adult, but the magic is in your soul and your life, what if you just die when you lose your magic?"

She just wants to be a housewife!

"I'm... the powers are good. I helped Naru-chan, with them, and a bunch of other people. I'm trying. And - thanks. Because I wouldn't be any good at it, without your help, and Fite Club."

Takoyaki is stuffed into her mouth to shut her up, cheeks flushed.

"Definitely two. Itty-bitty Himeko-chan I met on campus, and bigger Himeko-chan that's almost as tall as me and there's two of them now, and they were there - to help, with Naru-chan - and they... hmm..."

Could she actually be her princess? Could she? Could a princess be dead?

Well, anyway could be dead...

"I guess. I really need to look into it..."

Kyouka Inai has posed:
    Kyouka actually gives a little bit of a laugh. It's not mean, just a little disbelieving. "Usagi-chan, you would absolutely be good at it without me, or Fite Club. I think you're a natural leader- when there's a crisis, you do what you need to, and people recognize that and they look to you to show them. That would be true with or without me in the picture."

    "But," She says, with a more gentle though still quirked smile, "Thank you. For thanking me. It's nice to hear that what I'm trying to do makes a difference. 'Cause even if I think you would be good at the whole magical girl thing either way, if I can help you realize your potential sooner, more completely.. that means a lot to me. That's what I'm here for."

    She backtracks a little bit to add "You don't die when you lose your magic. There's something.. weird about this reality where you lose the ability to touch the magical part of your soul when you become an adult, or something. Like it gets cut off. Not actually cut off- blocked off. You can't use it or sense it anymore. But it's still there. And you definitely don't die. I know several former magical girls myself who have retired due to the Fade and they are very much still alive."

    She muses on two Himeko-chans. "I don't know what to make of it. I need to talk to her again in person. Himeko-chan, I mean. If I find out anything else, I'll let you know."

    She then adds, "Has anything else interesting come across your radar recently? You mentioned other's like yourself.. I'm not sure I've met any others. Oh, aside from Setsuna-san, I suppose." She hasn't been directly told there's a link, but 'Sailor Moon' and 'Sailor Pluto' makes it fairly obvious.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Usagi shakes her head. With a mouth full of takoyaki, she has a moment to think about what she wants to say. A natural leader? Her??? It was bad enough when Rei-chan complimented her! For Inai-sensei to do it too... "I'm just saying the truth. I don't know if I'd be good at it, without you, and all the people I met cause of you."

Hannah-chan and Hanzo-kun, all the practices, and sure, there has been a lot of bad, but! It's good! It's okay!

"It's not that I think everyone would die, I just - Neptune said - we failed, before. At stopping it! An apocalypse. The apocalypse. That's how we died. So I don't... know how it works. When something like that happens."

Not that she's been dwelling on it! Nope! She's never dwelled on anything! Ever! She hasn't unpacked all that! A bit! And Inai-sensei has thrown her a bone, so she packs it all back down again, trying to lighten the mood for a moment.

"...did I not mention all of them?" Whoops! An awkward smile crosses her face, and then - she grimaces a little, instead. "There's a whole solar system of us. Mercury and Mars and Venus and Pluto and Neptune, so far."

Kyouka Inai has posed:
    Kyouka smiles, and there is genuine warmth in it as she reaches over and puts a hand on Usagi's shoulder, giving it a squeeze. "I really appreciate you saying that. Truly. But don't sell yourself short, either. All I'm doing is giving a little advice. The hard work's on you, I'm sorry to say."

    She withdraws her hand, and... shrugs. "Apocalypses happen. Potential apocalypses, I guess I should say, since if we failed at them often we wouldn't be here. There were one or two when I was doing the job, y'know. City's still here, so.."

    On the subject of Senshi and planets, she makes an 'mmmm' sound. "And you. No Earth though, huh? I hope you've invited them all to Fite Club." She grins. "I haven't met any other than you and Pluto."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Usagi smiles a little and makes no promises, glancing to her side. "Advice, support, back up if we need it... it's not nothing, you know? It's nice, being able to turn to somebody who knows what's going on, and who gets it. It's like... having a mentor, and all that."

Luna was great, as an advisor, but she was a cat. And Setsuna was experienced, but she was so experienced. Ages older than Usagi, and it felt like she didn't always get it.

Inai-sensei isn't that much older than her though, even if a decade might as well be a century the way grown ups acted. She was in the same city Usagi was, fighting the same kind of odds - worse ones, even! Just a handful of allies for the whole city! For her to think usagi is doing good means something.

"No Earth," she agrees, and feels a pang in her chest she doesn't understand. "I have though! Mars-chan doesn't go to our school and Mercury-chan focuses a lot on her studies, but I might get Venus to come..."

She has stars in her eyes, for a moment, thinking of THE Sailor V at Fite Club -

And then she goes back, skipping to the topic she'd wanted to bury, but has suddenly realized might have a solution. Or, not a solution but... a stopgap. "Neptune-san and Mars-chan are psychic, kind of. They see... things. And they've both told me the worlds going to end in like... so many ways. If I tell you about them, can you try and dig, like you did with, you know, that other thing?"

For all the rest that she's willing to mention, the Midnight Tokyo project is something she almost never addresses by name, not unless they're locked up in a secure place. Inai-sensei had gotten her arm broken for that one.

Kyouka Inai has posed:
    Kyouka gives a genuine laugh, a hand coming up to push some hair back from her forehead in a self-conscious gesture. "Kid, if I come off as knowing what's going on even half the time, I must be a great actor. But still.. thanks. You're heaping it on kind of thick today, y'know that? But I still appreciate hearing it."

    She nods her head upon hearing that Usagi has indeed invited the other senshi to Fite Club. "I mean, I can't force anybody to do anything.. and I wouldn't want to. Someone being there who doesn't want to be there isn't going to be very constructive or helpful. But I feel like the more people I know, the more connections I have, the more I can help. Even beyond whatever actual fight training I can give."

    She frowns slightly at the sudden talk of psychic visions of the end of the world, and heaves a faint sight. "Usagi-chan... please don't panic when I say this, but. The world is pretty much always 'going to end'. There's always something. Half the time it turns out to be nothing. The other half, we have to stop it, and we do. You know how I know we stop it? World's still here." She gives a bit of a smile. "I'm not saying it's not important. I'm just saying there's no need to panic. Not at this point, anyway. Please tell me about them. I have some information on pending.. situations from other sources as well. It's possible there's some overlap, which would be useful to know."

    She's still toying with the empty takoyaki container. She seems to be calm, but that also seems like it might be an uneasy fidget.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"Well... maybe I wanted to butter you up a bit. I mean! It's all true! I really am glad and I really do feel like you're the one selling yourself short, but also, I am so glad you want thsoe details, because my dearest wish in the whole wide world is to dump aaaaaall of these apocalyptic clues on you so you can figure them out while we work on the other one you already Scooby Doo'd?"

She clasps her hands together, like she's praying to the one and only Saint Inai-senei.

"I'm trying hard not to panic, but I'm bad at school and that's just school. This is planning against the end of the world. Someone besides us should know!"

Someone like her brave, amazing, definitely not busy enough teacher.

"Mars-chan said there was a shadow with eyes and teeth, and a world where everyone was frozen as a wave of darkness fell over everything, and one where there was - a black moon. Like the one the lightning guy I broke my first tiara on had. And Neptune-san, she just said it was coming, and that it was big, and that it was wrong, and I think... I haven't known her long. But I think she likes to keep things to herself."

Kyouka Inai has posed:
    Kyouka lifts a hand and rubs at her eyes. "You know," She says, more just to the universe in general rather than specifically to Usagi, "I'm supposed to be the blunt instrument. I'm the one you point at a problem and say 'go' and I make it disappear. This whole being the one who figures stuff out? This is sooo not my bag." She then places the takoyaki container down so she can slap her cheeks with both hands. "Whew. Alright. I can handle this."

    She then looks back at Usagi, and grins. "I can't promise I'll figure anything out. But I'll try. If nothing else, I have connections, and that's worth something when you're trying to identify a threat."

    She listens to the descriptions, and quirks her lips thoughtfully. "None of those mean anything to me in particular. But I've heard from others that we're approaching a crisis.. something big is going to happen. I don't know if it's one of those things, or all of them, or something entirely different. But it's not like I wasn't expecting something to come along. Don't worry.. I'll see what I can find out."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Usagi giggles a little, some of the tension already leaving her shoulders. "Better you than me, Inai-sensei. At least you finished high school already!"

That makes you the most equipped person here, see? Flawless logic.

"I figure, if nothing else, at least I asked someone else to look into it, instead of forgetting it like I forgot the mathbook Naru-chan found for me behind the closet."

She would! It's too many things to be worrying about, all the time, especially when she still has homework still.

Kyouka Inai has posed:
    Kyouka rolls her eyes, if affectionately. "Yes. You have done your due diligence. Just make sure you keep showing up to self-defense class... if we're going to have multiple apocalypses, I need your bad-guy-punching skills in top form."

    She straightens up, stretching her arms over her head. "Thanks for the takoyaki, Usagi, and the vote of confidence. I'll do my best not to let you down." She smiles, gives an imaginary tip of her hat, then begins to walk away. "See you at school."