772/The Meloncholy of Setsuna Meiou Episode 772

The Meloncholy of Setsuna Meiou Episode 772
Date of Scene:	16 November 2023
Location:	Plot Room 1
Synopsis:	Setsuna has a text conversation with Rashmi, then takes the younger woman on a trip to the Gates of Time...where Rashmi learns a few things about her taller friend...not the least of which she is an inverterate pack rat.
Cast of Characters:	Setsuna Meiou, Rashmi Terios

---

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
<<Text from Setsuna Meiou>> Hey, Rashmi...can Nicomachea learn new spells, or is that something you have to do for him(her?)?

Rashmi Terios has posed:
<<Text from Rashmi Terios>> Y'know I don't actually know. Chrono helped me build a couple like his, but spell programming is a lot like putting puzzle pieces together and running simulations to see if it works and how.

<<Text from Rashmi Terios>> I don't think you can just copy them across? Something to do with how differences between Device and Linker Cores, and the resonance between them, make every spell surprisingly personal.

<<Text from Rashmi Terios>> When he gets back, we're gonna be working on turning pure mana into thermal energy. That's a thing!

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
<<Text from Setsuna Meiou>>What about formulae that already exist? I was looking through some of my stuff yesterday and I've got a copy of the Clavicula Salomonis here. It's got both the Greater and Lesser Keys in it... But it's in attic Greek.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
<<Text from Rashmi Terios>> ...The whowha? Hangon.

Rashmi takes her phone out of a pocket, dooting around for a bit on the web browser looking for 'Clavica Salomonis.' The resulting seven-pointed pentagram and off-center text, she instinctively tries to read as a Mid-Childan spell circle, to predictable results.

<<Text from Rashmi Terios>> Oh wow that circle makes my head hurt. I gotta show that to Chrono though, I wonder what he'd make of it.

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
<<Text from Setsuna Meiou>>So after the whole incident with Ironbutt, I've come to the realization that I might have... Issues.

Therefore I have resolved to pause and reevaluate things whenever my instincts are screaming at me to terminate with extreme prejudice.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
<<Text from Rashmi Terios>> I would honestly be surprised if you didn't have issues, Setsuna-chan. Nobody should have to deal with what you did, and I completely understand that it's left scars.

<<Text from Rashmi Terios>> But I'm super glad that you're willing to pause and think when things feel crisis-y. Let me know if there's anything I can do to help, okay?

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
<<Text from Setsuna Meiou>>Well, right now my main impulse is to go track down the vampire that nearly murdered Hannah and render them a permanent non-threat.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
<<Text from Rashmi Terios>> ...You know, I understand that. Speaking of which... I'm sorry I panicked and called you just so you can worry. But you know better than I do why that's a bad idea.

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
<<Text from Setsuna Meiou>>I know who she is.

I know she'll try again.

She told me so.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
Something about the way the text reads, and the voice it evokes, is as much a part of why Rashmi has to pause for a full-body shiver, as the fact that Setsuna was outright told by Hannah's assailant that a follow-up is inevitable.

<< Text from Rashmi Terios >> Then we can make sure Hannah's protected, but it's not her that needs anyone's real focus. It's Hannah's uncle, because even if this... vampire? ... -_- ...is stopped, that's not going to mean much to him. I mean... this is, what, the second attempt? Third? And the first time was a chainsaw maid robot.

<< Text from Rashmi Terios >> I mean... Ideally I'd like it if we could convince her to stop. But either way... she's a pawn. She's not who needs to be concentrated on.

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
<<Text from Setsuna Meiou>>Anyhow, wanna come grab that book? I will warn, you'll lose cell service for a bit. Meet me on the top of the Sampo building.

Said building is a seven story building not too far from Setsuna's house in Pikarigaoka.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
<<Text from Rashmi Terios>> I'd be surprised if I did, honestly; it's linked to Nicomachea, I could probably be on Chrono's homeworld and still be able to text in realtime.

But, her friend seems to be having a bad-brain night, on top of an interesting mystery. And with her homework more or less done, there's time for a quick henshin, an open window, and (once again, forgetting to close the window and keep the heat in the room) from there a short flight halfway across the ward to the Sampo Building.

Setsuna receives a bright, cheery smile that Rashmi even mostly feels genuinely -- because missing your first-ever boyfriend gnaws at your guts, no matter who you are -- as she touches down on the roof. "Hiiii, Pluto-chan!"

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Sailor Pluto smiles and waves, "Hello there, Rashmi-chan. How are you tonight?"

For her part, she's standing there in the rather chilly evening in the normal Sailor Senshi microskirt, apparently unbothered by the weather as she leans on the Garnet Rod.

She glances off to the side for a second, then tilts her head and smirks, "That was quick."

She grins knowingly, "...wanting to get your mind off things?"

Rashmi Terios has posed:
While Rashmi's Barrier Jacket might claim more coverage, it doesn't look very much warmer than the Sailor fuku. Reason #many why Magic Is Awesome. "I mean, basically," Rashmi says, her smile dropping some. "Been doing a lot of worrying about a lot of things, Chrono just first among them. I hope you don't mind, I sent him off with a couple of movies that would probably have been on your list later on; Masters of the Universe, and Willow. ...Both of them mostly because Papi loved them as a kid, and I remember watching Willow with him when *I* was little."

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Pluto blinks, "...wait...Masters of the Universe? The Dolph Lungdren one?"

She gigglesnorts, "...it was on my list, but only in a 'so bad it's good' kind of way."

She then smiles, "...Willow, however...yeah...that was on there...but it was a bit further down...though I'm now looking forward to when we show him 'Real Genius' and see how long it takes for him to pick up that that's Mad Martigan."

She straightens up, then steps over, "...anyhow, ready for a little bit of a trip?"

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"I figured 'Don't say goodbye, say 'good journey was relevant at the time," Rashmi admits, cheeks reddening a bit.

"Anyway, yes! Trip! Where are we going?"

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Pluto just gives a knowing smirk, then shakes her head and holds out a hand to Rashmi.

Then when she takes it, Pluto strikes the ground with the Garnet Rod and activates it...and the world washes out in a flash of nonblinding white.

When it recedes...it's STILL white...but kind of a different white.

This is the white of a seemingly infinite void...that somehow has a hard surface one can stand on.

Pluto lets go of Rashmi's hand and waves in one direction, "Behold The Gates of Time."

And there, where she points, is indeed a GATE.

The all caps is deserved.

They must be at LEAST fifty feet tall and half that wide.

Though judging by all the little panels here and there that seem to have blown open and more than a bit of soot around many of those panels...they've seen better days.

After a moment, Pluto shrugs and starts walking off towards them at a bit of an angle...towards what looks like some furniture, a table or two, quite a bit of shelving and storage racks of various kinds.

About half the bookshelves are empty...but that looks like a more recent thing.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
When the Garnet Rod strikes the rooftop, Rashmi cannot help but squeak in alarm. Loud noises and blinding-white flashes tend to do that, after all.

But then the flash dies, and the white remains.

The endless

    all-encompassing

        impossibly vast

            shadowless

    white.

Visibly, Rashmi's brain takes a moment to find a corner and have a cry, before sucking it up and going back to its job; comprehending its surroundings.

...And she is proooobably going to need a good run-up to accomplish that little task.

'Behold the Gates of Time'

...The gates of time look like they need an HVAC specialist...?

So caught up is she in the relative emptiness of their surroundings, she misses Setsuna's initial departure, and has to jog to catch up. Rashmi is still in her Barrier Jacket, but... It feels like activating magic, here, might be what the TSAB would call 'contraindicated.' Thus, she jogs.

    (And the back of her brain wonders why shoes on eternity sound like high heels on concrete?)

Once caught up with her friend, Rashmi stares at the furniture arrayed... theoretically as if it were decorating a room, but without the intrinsic room-ness. The effect really is quite destabilizing.

"...Um... is... this where you were living before, Setsuna-chan...?"

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
It's truly amazing what one can get accustomed to when one has no choice.

For example, the way that Sailor Pluto regards the furniture in her little area.

The last person to visit here besides Setsuna was Usagi.

And Usagi, bless her, may have a heart and compassion enough to hug the world...but a sharp cookie she is not.

Rashmi, on the other hand...

Thus, she might notice that Setsuna, apparently without even realizing she does it, veers slightly in her path...and actually seems to go slightly out of her way so that she can approach the furniture inside from a very specific point. She stops next to the table, then looks back at the shorter woman, "Yes. This is where I spent most of the last fourteen thousand, one hundred fourteen years, one hundred eighty one days, seven hours, fifteen minutes, and twenty seven seconds."

She then turns a little and walks at a right angle to the way she was before...and walks into the area with the bookshelves from another very specific spot.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
Rashmi's heart breaks rather a bit, at hearing confirmation of her guess. This is *no place* to spend fourteen thousand *seconds,* let alone years.

It's the first veering that catches Rashmi's eye, and when Setsuna stops to turn directly 90 degrees... ah.

So, she does her best to retrace Setsuna's steps... and might or might not be successful, given the centimeters Setsuna has on her making judging step distance wonky.

"Where did you *sleep,* though? *Did* you?"

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
If Rashmi misses the mark of where Setsuna walked, its not enough for the other woman to seemingly notice. She leads her down past quite a few bookshelves that look to have been cleaned out rather recently, "Hrm? Sleep? Oh, of course I did. I've got a bedroom off thataway."

She waves an arm off in one direction...and given that there aren't any walls, it's not too hard to notice a large bed off a bit away, hidden from earlier view by several of the bookshelves. It looks...actually, it looks some wierd combination between a bed, a couch, and a living room set, all in black velvet with white sheets.

After a short bit of walking past several rows of conspicuously empty bookshelves, there's suddenly shelves with lots of books on them...but these books look...old.

Not old as in worn, per se. In point of fact, most of them look quite new...but old in that they lack that uniform regularity one gets from machine-printed books these days. Most of these look like they might have been written by hand.

As you go, you can hear Setsuna mumbling to herself, "...The Meaning of Relativity...oh, there's Al's hairbrush...I was wondering where that had gotten off to...Origin of the Species...Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica...no, rather older than that...The Prince...no...The Canturbury Tales...older...The Republic...almost there...AHA! The Clavica Salomonis de Secretis."

She reaches up and pulls down a large tome...that indeed looks quite old.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
The 'bedroom' gets a worried -- not to say horrified -- look, as Rashmi tries to imagine eternity on that furniture... then remembers Setsuna's tales of the Gate being down for maintenance, and thus this is likely simply the most recent of millennia of acquisitions. Still...

"This is not going to do," she murmurs to herself, resolved to start looking up ways to make *some* kind of home in the middle of all thi--

            ==> BOOKS <==

All time for talk is over. The time for reverence of *truly classical* reading material is now.

"...Wait... Are you messing with me now, Setsu-chan? Do you... *seriously* have a copy of Plato's Republic?!"

And when Setsuna chooses a book, she stares at it with wide, unbelieving eyes.

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Sailor Pluto blinks and looks back at Rashmi when she asks the question, "...why WOULDN'T I?"

After handing the large book of Solomon to Rashmi, she reaches back a bit and grabs a scroll that looks...well...new. Or at least new-ish. Something that may have seen some moderate use, at least.

She holds it up and glances at something written in Greek, "...yeah, this is a copy right here."

As she waves it around, the fait smell of soot is spread in the air, "Yeah, I've picked a few things up here and there over the years."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"Okay look," Rashmi says, taking the book as though it might blow away in the first strong wind -- which is, itself, making a *lot* of assumptions in this place -- she holds it to her chest, in a protective hug. "It's one thing to *joke* about things like that as long as you've been around, but, like..." She flails internally, looking for the right words to map out the complicated emotions going on under her red head.

"Books are *really, really real,* and... you just... pulled *recorded history* off your shelf and handed it to me, and if we *actually went time traveling right now* I'm not sure my brain would break any further."

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Sailor Pluto just blinks a few times at Rashmi, "Okay...for one, I couldn't actually take you time travelling. Even when the gates worked, it was agains the Rules. Since they're broken right now, if you were to try to cross the threshold...well, since they're not stable, I think the proper term for what would happen is 'spaghettification'."

She then sets the scroll down, "And for third, this isn't actually a copy he wrote. The man didn't do that kind of thing. He had a bunch of guys who did that for him, and even then, this isn't one they wrote."

She gets a momentary look on her face as she rummages through her memory, "...if I remember right, I snagged that copy in Egypt a few centuries after his time."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"Setsu-chan," Rashmi says gently. "I've *seen* old books before. I know what *happens* when a book is *four hundred* years old. If you can even *touch* them, you need specialized instruments to *turn the pages.* The point is, I just... I'm..."

Rashmi shakes her head a moment. "I'm just... having trouble convincing myself that what I *know* is what's lying here, not my eyes and ears, y'know? You're waving that scroll around like you were reading it next to a campfire last week, but if it had spent its years in *working* time it would be three splinters and a scrap. It's just two things that are true colliding; Super old books are super fragile, and Setsu-chan is telling the truth."

Looking down at the book she has been, if gently, squeezing, she suppresses a moment of horror. "*So* amazingly weird..."

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
The tall senshi bliks, looks back at the scroll, sniffs, "OH! No, I didn't read that near a fire. I SAVED it from a fire."

In Egypt.

Where they had an early copy of Plato.

Then Rashmi explains a bit more, "AH! Well, yes...many of the things that make books and scrolls and whatnot wear out quickly aren't applicable here. No weather, no changes in temperature, no wind. The light doesn't degrade things like sunlight does. Basically perfect conditions to store stuff in."

To her, this is just the way things are, here. She's had LOTS of time to get used to it, after all.

She nods off towards a different area with what look like weapon racks, "I mean, I have Durandal over there. Also the Sword of Mars."

She pauses and taps her chin, "...I wonder if Sailor Mars might want that...I mean, it's not REALLY hers...but thats what it got CALLED."

She shrugs, "I'll ask her next time I see her."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
It's admittedly difficult to concentrate on the weapon racks, or the bedroom, or even the bookcases. The sheer endless featureless white *nothing* keeps singing its seductive song, daring Rashmi to try to find out where the horizon is. Where the *ground* is, or how it's any different from the sky. Shifting a bit, so that the bookcases block out as much of the view beyond as possible, Rashmi rubs at her eyes.

"So basically you kind of... rescued stuff from history? Do you have a plan for any of that stuff, or is it all really just nonmagical mementos? Because uh... There's at least one Pretty Cure whose *entire thing* is embodying an historical figure of legend. ...Y'know, in case that ever becomes relevant..."

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Sailor Pluto just nods, "No special plan. Mostly I just rescued stuff when I knew it would go missing."

She then tilts her head, "Which historical figure? I don't have stuff from everyone...mostly just stuff I could sneak away before it got lost here and there."

She then starts walking back towards the empty shelves again.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"...Well I guess more like legend," Rashmi allows. "Sun Wukong? I'm just curious because, I mean... It's been a long, long time, and even if magic was super rare *before* now, that's still a lot, a *lot* of time for even rare stuff to happen. ...I kinda can't help but wonder if there's magic in your collection..."

As Setsuna starts to walk on, Rashmi looks nervously down at the book in her arms, and starts jogging to catch up.

If Setsuna doesn't have a lending library that would make museums die of *spite,* surely she'll let Rashmi know before they leave?

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
"The Monkey King?" A pause, "Nah, I don't think I have any of his things. As I recall, he'd have been the type to be really possessive of his stuff, anyhow."

She walks back into the first room and stops by the table, "...I might have a few things that are actual magic. Probably more things that might have BECOME magic. Things that were ACTUALLY magic when they were around generally have people or things that keep track of them, however."

She looks over, "Right now, I can't think of anything particularly important...unless you can think of something..."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"...D'you happen to have a favorite color?" Rashmi blurts out as the all-consuming White Void begins to dominate the landscape. "Because I'm about ready to find a way to get ahold of a bunch of pavilions and about a zillion meters of muslin and make a *place* out of your furniture clumps. ...Uh. But otherwise... ......Can I really borrow this?"

Ah, Rashmi, *never* assuming a thing is hers if it might be impolite. She tries, you know.

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Sailor Pluto blinks a few times and looks around as if she can't quite comprehend what Rashmi is talking about...but then she shrugs, "Eh, I've always been partial to dark red."

So saying, she reaches up and taps the large orb inside the heart ring on the Garnet Rod.

Which, looking at it, appears to be a flawless garnet the size of her fist.

She then smiles and nods a little, "Don't worry about it. It isn't going to just fall apart after leaving here. Take care of it like I know you would any other book and it'll be fine."

She shrugs, "I don't know if that system of magic even works anymore...but I figure you and maybe Naru-chan probably will have the best luck finding out if it does...and IF it does, it's supposed to be REALLY good at binding dark things...which I imagine could be rather useful."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
At this, Rashmi blinks. Of *course,* Naru! That makes perfect sense a--

    'anymore'

"...Wait was this an actual magic system, Setsu-chan? Oh wow that makes sense of *course* he'd be considered a kook by history i--" And once again she trails off, loosing a slow sigh as her learned and experiential knowledges just start shouting and throwing things at each other. "...I bet you tell the *best* stories, Setsu-chan. Maybe you could tell me about the world that was when this book was written, sometime?"

Dark red, like the *tremendous precious gem* in her staff. Noted.

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Sailor Pluto smiles and nods, "Of course, Rashmi-chan. Anytime."

She glances about, "...though perhaps not here. Here at the Gate's, we're only tangentally connected to the rest of Spacetime. The rest of it is more than a few units zornward from here."

Yes, she refers to it like it's an actual, physical direction.

No, there's no explaination of which direction that IS or how to point at it.

She unconsciously orients on that particular point on the nonexistant boundary between the area with furniture and the area without, then walks through and changes direction to walk towards a point not too far away where there's a large...well, platform is being a bit too generous. It looks like a large plate of some kind has been placed on the 'ground'.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"...Zornward...?" That is the voice of a tired brain asked to comprehend yet one more incomprehensible thing.

Sighing, Rashmi picks up her pace, hurriedly following at Setsuna's heels and trying not to make sense of the incarnate nonsense all around her.

It's more work than it sounds.

As they arrive at the plate, Rashmi edges up next to it, dropping into a squat to examine it. She doesn't expect to return here very often, but any detail may be important. Even if it's a discarded dinner plate.

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
In this case, it's a large plate of what looks to be iron, polished and smoothed and about an inch or so thick.

Sailor Pluto steps up onto said plate and strikes it with the butt of the Garnet Rod...and a large circle springs into being on the plate.

Inside the thick edges of the circle is a bunch of script in a language that only a handful understand these days...it's the common script of the Silver Millenium.

Still, even though most of it is unreadable to most...there are a few symbols that a modern person might recognize.

Especially one read into or really interested in magic.

For one, there's the crossed circle that's often used to represent Terra. A bit away from that is the combined capital PL of Pluto.

Sailor Pluto taps near that one, and the symbols for Neptune and Uranus both appear slightly apart from Pluto and immediately next to each other.

Another tap near those and then there's some obvious adjustment as the Senshi of Time obviously is working out some sort of calculation.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
Rashmi leaps backward as the magical circle resolves into being, eyes flicking back and forth as she tries to take in the details, while Setsuna works. Unfortunately, she's still trying to read it like a Mid-Childan circle... Which in this case could easily be likened to reading code and thinking of it like a circuitry diagram.

Oh, she has questions. She has *so many questions,* but the only one she could possibly ask is a bit busy. So for now, the best she can do is try to remember *everything she's seeing* -- and perhaps ask Nicomachea to keep this day on record, if it turns out his perceptual log even functions here -- and try to work it out later. This... *this* is something she dearly wishes Naru were here to see.

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
It's fortunate, then, that as Rashmi stands up, she can hear Sailor Pluto murmuring to herself as she does whatever, "...my bedroom is there...theirs is...there...offset by ten meters south, five meters east...up by fifteen centimeters...there...should do."

She nods, the beckons to Rashmi, "There we go. Now, normally it takes at least three or four Senshi working together to pull off this kind of teleport, and they typically need a bit more experience than the girls have just yet...but this is my Place of Power, I have the Key, and I've got pretty extensive preparations laid down, so from here, at least, I can pull this off solo. Step on up and we'll head back."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
The last time Rashmi teleported anywhere, she was more than a little distracted by the fact that she had to play 'copilot' to a Chrono touched by Darkness and scared for his friend. Trying to channel *exact* pressures of mana while your Device was voicing calculations in the back of your head gives one very little opportunity to *take in* the actual *experience* of going from one place to another without physically moving from the spot.

This should be remarkably educational.

And without a moment's hesitation, Rashmi hops up onto the plate, eyes wide. "...Do I need to do anything but stand still...?"

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Sailor Pluto shakes her head, "Not in this instance. If I was using you as an anchor for the teleport, yes...but you don't have a proper symbol quite yet. Let me know if you ever develop one and I can probably use it."

She notes Rashmi's interest, "As it is, I'm targeting resonances significant to myself..."

She points at the Terra symbol, "...we're going to Earth..."

Then the Pluto symbol and the Neptune and Uranus ones, "...the place that has the most connection to me there is where I sleep, since it's the one place I consistently spend lots of time in...that's where my room is in relation to Neptune and Uranus' room...that's the offset to our exit point."

She glances around, "I once used this to teleport Usagi and myself right into her bedroom in the dorms...though it's easier with other Senshi, given all the sympatheitc connections we share."

After one last look, she nods, then puts a hand firmly on Rashmi's shoulder and strikes the plate with the Garnet Rod...and the world dissolves into white once more.

There's a tug and a sensation of motion in a direction impossible to point to...and then the world resolves back into existence...right in Setsuna's backyard, "...and here we are."

There's a burst of cosmic nonsense and the impression of ribbons around Sailor Pluto...and then Setsuna is standing there.

As normal for when she's not at work, she's wearing one of those comically oversized tshirts she wears as one piece dresses.

This one is black and has writing in LCARS script that reads: 'IF YOU CAN READ THIS, MY CLOAKING SYSTEM IS OFFLINE'

Rashmi Terios has posed:
'Yet.' '*Yet.*'

Rashmi gives Setsuna a suspicious look at this, and her mouth is halfway open to give voice to the first question that leaps to mind--

*flash*

And she dissolves into coughing and sputtering as they land in Setsuna's backyard, and a firefly's path takes it directly into a mouth that didn't exist a second ago. "Whpfpfthbpthphptpbtpbtpthaaaaugh. Pth pthpthpth."

Sometimes, it's as if the land itself tries to keep Rashmi from being *too* curious.

"...Zornward. Pthaaaugh. I think I get it now..."