View source for 2327/The Meloncholy of Setsuna Meiou Episode 2327

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2025/02/16
|Location=Pikarigaoaka Ward
|Synopsis=Mamoru and Chibiusa visit Setsuna in her home - and for the first time, Chibiusa and the Pluto of this time can sit down and talk. Some particularly hard truths are shared.
|Cast of Characters=38,270,95
|Tinyplot=Black Moon Clan
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:38|Mamoru Chiba (38)}} has posed:'''<br>It's a chilly Saturday after school and Prince Endymion, holding a smol pink girl up on his hip but mostly in his arm because ''that armor dear god'', steps out of the air into the backyard of the Casa del Outers. He immediately drops his henshin, and his fluffy hair's everywhere in the breeze, and even a hoodie under a leather jacket isn't quite warm enough.<br><br>"Watch me get scolded," he whispers to Small Lady, "for knocking."<br><br>He knocks.<br><br>He waits just long enough for Setsuna to roll her eyes and get up before grinning and opening the back door, stepping inside with Chibiusa and offering to set her down. "Setsuna-san! I come bearing the smollest of pinks!"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:270|Chibiusa Tsukino (270)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It's Chibiusa. She's the smol pink girl. Being held by Mamoru right now because that's smol child privilege. She clings a little closer as Mamoru's armor gets traded out for a leather jacket.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;When she gets told that her alt-papa will get scolded, she blinks up at him. Would they really...?<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Then Mamoru knocks even though he knows it's going to make them mad. Honestly with parents like this it's little wonder that Small Lady ended up so... well... <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;... irreverent.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As she's set down, she follows Mamoru in closely. She's not ''clinging'' even though she feels a bit nervous about meeting a version of Puu she doesn't know. Well actually, this is their second meeting. The first one involved making a fool out of herself and explaining nothing.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She doesn't say anything yet. Not until she knows what kind of situation she's dealing with.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:95|Setsuna Meiou (95)}} has posed:'''<br>As she hears the knock on the back door, blinks from where she's sitting at the kitchen island, absently browsing the web on a tablet. After a moment, she quickly flips over to the home camera app to see Mamoru and Chibi-Usa standing at the back door.<br><br>A faux scowl passes her face before she heaves an exasperated sigh and gets up, but she only makes it to the doorway at the other end of the short hallway to the back door before it opens.<br><br>And, as expected, Setsuna gives Mamoru a wry look and says, "You KNOW that door was unlocked for you. You could have just come in. You're allowed. Now let that girl in before all the warm gets out of here."<br><br>She steps a bit closer and waves the two in, "Still, you came at a decent time. I was just about to fix lunch."<br><br>A small smile is given to the pink haired young woman as she's waved in, then Setsuna leads the two into the kitchen and pulls out a pair of stools for them, "What would you like to drink? I've got soda, tea, ramune, juice, and coffee."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:38|Mamoru Chiba (38)}} has posed:'''<br>Mamoru's just smiling at Setsuna, the karmic justice for his trollishness coming immediately in the form of foggy glasses. Once Chibiusa's down and he's got the door shut behind them, he takes off his glasses first and his jacket second.<br><br>"I know, I know," he laughs. "I just wanted to see scrunch-face. Thank you!" He hoists Chibiusa up onto a stool the second she looks like she's ready, and sits himself. "I'll never say no to coffee. So-- let's try this again. Chibiusa-chan, this is Setsuna Meiou. Setsuna-san, this is..."<br><br>He looks encouragingly at Chibiusa.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:270|Chibiusa Tsukino (270)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Well, Puu doesn't ''seem'' mad. Like a little but not ''actually''. Or maybe alt-Puu would be more apt? Wait... what if ''Small Lady'' is the alt-version and everyone else is normal? Isn't that all relative?<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;After slipping her little shoes off by the door she walks further in and says, "Umm... juice!" When she's helped up onto a stool she waits for the pause in Mamoru's introductions before she introduces herself as, "Princess Usagi Small Lady Serenity, but as long as I'm in... this timeline... I go by Chibiusa Tsukino."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;That's how Chibiusa decides to explain things. She's half expecting follow up questions, but a part of her wonders if others have already told alt-Puu the story yet.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:95|Setsuna Meiou (95)}} has posed:'''<br>Setsuna rolls her eyes at Mamoru's admission of being a troll, then looks over at Chibi-Usa and says commiseratingly, "...he's being a terrible role model."<br><br>As the two settle in, she walks first over to the corner of the kitchen where there is a large, horrendously-expensive-looking coffee machine sitting that looks like it can make just about any drink possible involving a coffee bean. She reaches up and grabs a mug that she sets in the machine to start brewing.<br><br>While that's happening, she steps over to the fridge, and after a quick glance back over her shoulder at Chibi-Usa, she grabs a carton, then a glass from another cabinet and steps to the island to pour the young lady a tall glass of pink lemonade.<br><br>Just as she returns the carton to the fridge, the coffee machine dings, and she turns around retrieves the mug and a saucer that goes with it before returning to place it in front of Mamoru.<br><br>And apparently, it's EXPLICITLY for Mamoru...because said coffee mug is not only black as is the saucer...but when they're together, it's very clear that they were designed to go together and look like a top hat when so arranged.<br><br>A few creamer cups are placed nearby as well as a sugar dispenser and a spoon.<br><br>At the introduction, she blinks, gives Chibi-Usa a bit of a narrow-eyed look for a moment before nodding, "So you're from the future AND another timeline." She gives a brief nod as if that explained something for her, "...and you apparently know my alternate there."<br><br>She trails off a little, then tilts her head, "...is she still stuck eternally at the Gates?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:38|Mamoru Chiba (38)}} has posed:'''<br>Grinning, grinninggggg, how Mamoru loves trolling! Then he lifts a hand and dings the side of hs head, and half-turns to dig in his jacket pocket where it's hanging out on another stool. And then he takes out a little navy blue box tied with gold ribbon and gives Setsuna a wry smile. He slides the box across the counter. It's definitely from Nounamu Sweets. It's probably wagashi. "I figured twelve pieces is three for everyone who lives here, right? Or more for whoever likes it most."<br><br>He is ''delighted'' over the top hat mug, and immediately gets out his phone to take a picture of it and send it to Usagi and the boys. Today, apparently, is a lots-of-sugar one-creamer day. "If she is, I'm sure we'll find a way to get her unstuck," he says to Chibiusa reassuringly.<br><br>He glances up at Setsuna again. "There's something relevant I wanted to tell you, so expect a text at three in the morning. Don't wake up for it though."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:270|Chibiusa Tsukino (270)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Small Lady watches Puu put the pieces together, and then glances over to Mamoru when he promises to get her 'unstuck'. "I'm sure she'd be happy if you did, but..." her attention goes back to Setsuna and she answers, "... you're right. The other you is still standing by the door, guarding it forever. I'm not actually sure when she started, but I get the feeling it's been a really long time."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She fishes under her collar to get out her necklace, which holds both the future's Silver Crystal and also the Time Key. She grasps the key, which looks different than this world's version, and holds it up. "I broke one of her taboos by going through the gate, but I had to. Things in my time got really bad and I didn't have anywhere else to run."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Chibiusa takes a sip of the pink lemonade with her free hand, then glances at the top hat mug. The delight on her face is not hard to read, especially with the way she smiles brightly at the sight of it.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:95|Setsuna Meiou (95)}} has posed:'''<br>Setsuna looks at the offered candies...gets a contemplative expression, then takes the box and stuffs it behind some various things in one of the cabinets, "...yeah, gonna wanna hide these until we're all here or else one or more of the others will suffer a crisis of willpower." There's a brief pause, then she loftily inones, "*I*, of course, am above such minor weaknesses."<br><br>As Mamoru goes on to mention a 3AM text, Setsuna snorts, "No guarantees. I made my text notification noise rather hard to ignore for a REASON."<br><br>As Chibi-Usa comments about other!Pluto, the taller woman sighs, "...unless things there were VASTLY different than here...she's been there for several thousand years, at least."<br><br>She shakes her head sadly, "Been there, done that, don't even have a t-shirt. Would not reccomend."<br><br>As the younger woman goes on, Setsuna steps over to the fridge and grabs a ramune bottle.<br><br>After she pops the marble down, she takes an absent sip, then says to the pink haired girl, "Don't worry TOO much about that. For one, if hers were like mine, most of the Taboos are worded as directives for HER..."<br><br>She then uses the neck of her bottle to gesture at the Silver Crystal, "...and you having that means that you're more or less exempt, since it was by it's power those Taboos were laid."<br><br>She pauses for a moment, then shrugs and goes on, "...plus, there's a little give in them...so while she might be UPSET, I don't think you'll be in TOO much trouble."<br><br>She shrugs, "...well, as long as she and I are similar enough."<br><br>She tilts her head, "Did you know her well?"<br><br>As she waits for a response, she hrms, then asks, "I'm going to make burgers for lunch. Did either of you want some...or something else?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:38|Mamoru Chiba (38)}} has posed:'''<br>"Rip. I'll try writing it down," laughs Mamoru. "Or just avoid hitting send until morning. Tips and tricks." He gingerly sips his coffee, not interrupting Chibiusa... but also not actually able to avoid kissing her on the head. He tries valiantly, but,,, *chu*<br><br>And it's a good thing, too, because he's in contact with her when Setsuna says the bit about Chibiusa having the Ginzuishou, and can tell whether or not it ruins her day.<br><br>"Burgers sound lovely, thank you!" he says automatically, straightening up, hand lightly on Chibiusa's back-- and then he says softly, "When we figure out how to get you home and fix all this, I'm sure she'll just have been very, very worried about you."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:270|Chibiusa Tsukino (270)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Chibiusa looks down at her Silver Crystal, or rather her biological mother's. On her authority? When Mamoru kisses her, he can feel the question on her mind. Does that mean Neo Queen Serenity did this, or the original Queen Serenity? If Puu was there for thousands of years, then it couldn't have possibly been her mother, so...<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In short her day isn't so much ''ruined'' as much as it is she's been caught ruminating.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She lets the two items of power, the crystal and the key, glisten in her hands for a moment before putting them back in their hiding place.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;When told that she might not be in too much trouble, or that Puu might just be worried about her, she nods quietly and sips a little more of her juice. It's... reassuring to know that she might not have to go back to an angry Time guardian. There's no reason not to believe this alt-Puu either, since as far as personalities go the people of this timeline seem very similar to her own.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;At the question of whether or not she knew the other Pluto well... Chibiusa hesitates for a moment before answering.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"She was my first real friend. My only friend, really. Sure there was my parents, and my mother's guardians, but Puu-chan was different. She understood."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She leans against her alt-papa for a moment and then says, "''She's'' in a lot more danger than I am. Or maybe not. Petz didn't mention her, so the Black Moon Clan might not know she exists."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;After sitting still for a few moments, her legs start to kick a little slowly. "I'd love a burger, too! That sounds great."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:95|Setsuna Meiou (95)}} has posed:'''<br>Setsuna reaches up to the overhanging pots, pans, and the like and pulls down a large, flat slab of metal with two handles which she sets down across the front two elements on her range. A few button presses has those two elements turned on, then she steps over to the fridge and retrieves some supplies.<br><br>When Mamoru indicates they'll join in lunch, she grabs a bit more, then steps back over to the griddle.<br><br>A hand is held over the slab of metal for a few moments before she nods and quickly puts on a temporary plastic glove before reaching over to grab five balls of ground beef that she tosses on the hot metal. The glove is stripped off inverted, then tossed in the trash.<br><br>As the shorter woman ruminates openly, Setsuna nods along, listening as she uses a large round piece of metal with a handle to squeeze the patties down to be fairly thin.<br><br>Then Chibi-Usa comments about her alternate self, and Setsuna blinks and turns to look at the pinkette in a bit of obvious surprise. After a moment, she shakes her head and turns back to the burgers that she then starts flipping. Her alternate was the first friend this young girl had? While STILL stuck at the Gates? Okay...yeah...there's obviously a LOT of context missing there...but that's most likely for later.<br><br>The nickname 'Puu', however, gets a mild visible twitch from Setsuna before she snorts and shakes her head, "...well, obviously she likes you a LOT if she lets you call her THAT."<br><br>After a few more moments, the taller woman asks, "What did you want on your burgers for fixings? Cheese? Lettuce? Tomatoes? Pickles? Onions? Mustard? Mayo? Ketsup?"<br><br>As she gets the required ingredients, Setsuna looks back over her shoulder, "I'd doubt it. If she's stuck at the Gates and they're obviously still functional, beating her there is HIGHLY unlikely. Even if they managed it somehow, they'd not come out of it unscathed...so it's likely they found some OTHER way to cross the dimensional barrier."<br><br>She shrugs, "...which, frankly, probably wasn't as hard as it sounds. Apparently this dimension is a bit of a space-time sump...it's FAR easier to get into than out of."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:38|Mamoru Chiba (38)}} has posed:'''<br>Mamoru very obviously likes getting leaned on; he's pleased as punch about it. "Puu, huh?" he repeats with a sloooooow grin after Setsuna repeats it herself. He will obviously remember this.<br><br>At the end, though, he snappoints. "''That'' was not it but was at least tangential," he says to Setsuna, "I was thinking you might be able to help figure out how to connect your gates to her gates since there's a key from her gates--" he starts, but then his pocket buzzes and plays out the 'you died' chords from Hades, and he takes it out, and he picks up the call to make it stop ringing, but he says, "I'm-- cheese and lettuce please? And a little mayo! Thank you! But it's Kazuo, I'll be just outside, okay?"<br><br>And he slips out the door with his jacket, but leaves his glasses on the counter in front of his seat.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:270|Chibiusa Tsukino (270)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Small Lady listens to the sounds of Setsuna making food in the kitchen and smiles slightly as she eagerly awaits food. She wonders what this Pluto's cooking is like.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"She does!" says Chibiusa, "I mean she's never told me ''not'' to call her that. She's always very nice to me."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;On the topic of ingredients, she has to think it over. "Oh... um..." Then she says all too cheerfully, raising one hand and leaning forward. "I like tomatoes, onions, cheese and ketchup! No mayo or pickles, please."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Then her papa gets a phone call and she's left alone with Sailor Pluto, which is a bit less scary than it might have been a few minutes ago. After she watches Mamoru leave, she turns her attention back to Pluto and holds her cup in both hands. "So... I'm not the only one then. I mean I met a few others who weren't from this world, but I didn't realize that this place was special somehow."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She looks down at the pink lemonade and contemplates out loud, "There was a time space storm and I got lost. The key was supposed to take me back to my own past, but after realizing what the enemy is doing I'm kinda glad they actually can't cause a paradox by messing stuff up here."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:95|Setsuna Meiou (95)}} has posed:'''<br>Setsuna gives Mamoru a bit of a LOOK at his mention of her nickname, then turns around and shakes her head. Yeah. She's going to be hearing a LOT more of that soon. Might as well get used to it now.<br><br>A bun is prepped with a small amount of mayo and some lettuce for Mamoru, another with tomatoes, onions, and ketchup for Chibi-Usa, and a final one with the works for herself.<br><br>Cheese is placed on all the patties and she uses a lid to cover them all for a few moments so that the cheese will start to melt a little.<br><br>As the younger woman comments on this place being 'special', she turns around and snorts, "Oh yeah. Apparently this instance of spacetime is unique in a LOT of different ways. One of our travelers is a friend of mine named Chrono, and I think it took him at LEAST six months to get the phrase 'that's impossible' out of his vocabulary."<br><br>She turns back around and pulls the three burgers off the griddle, a double smashburger for herself and Mamoru and a single for Chibi.<br><br>A moment of asembly, and she's setting the two plates for her guests down before reaching back and grabbing her own before sitting down across from where the other two are at, "...yeah, a real bad spacetime storm would do it..."<br><br>She takes a bite of her burger as she works through the math in her head, "...I can see it. If you were making a transition and get hit with a bad eddy...yeah...getting kicked to a nearby parallel IS something that could happen."<br><br>She shrugs, then smiles at Chibi-Usa, "So. Have you seen seven impossible things yet?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:270|Chibiusa Tsukino (270)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The smells and sounds of cooked food are getting Chibiusa a bit excited. Sure, she had burgers with Catra the other day, but those were ''fast food''. This is ''homemade burgers''. It's special, delicious, and not as unhealthy. Her tiny hands fidget with her cup as she glances in the direction Mamoru went. She's a little curious about the phone call, but if it's something she needs to worry about then she'll likely be informed. Probably.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The story about Chrono gets her curiosity for a bit, especially considering his reactions. When asked if ''she's'' seen anything impossible, she taps her chin.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I mean, honestly? I wasn't sure what to expect from this era. I never saw it. In fact, that's one of the things that's different about this world. I was supposed to be in the mid 90s, not the mid 2020s. In my world, my parents would be a lot older, and... well the Bad Times would've started by now."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As the small child recounts her experiences and impressions of this world, she lists out the things that are actually different. "I think the one of the biggest changes I noticed is the extra 30 years of mundane technology. We didn't ever have smartphones. The other big change is that, where I'm from? There are only Sailor Senshi and dark energy users. My momma and papa, the Inners, you. I heard rumors about Uranus and Neptune but I think I never met them. No Puella Magi, no Device Mages, no Etherians, nothing other than us and the baddies. I didn't even know that papa had his own cadre until I came here."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Another sip of lemonade, then she says, "If I'd have to list impossible things, it would be all of that stuff."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:95|Setsuna Meiou (95)}} has posed:'''<br>Setsuna frowns a little, then sighs and looks a bit sad, "...it sounds like your world developed to be more like the Silver Millenium than this one will hopefully be."<br><br>A bite is taken of her burger and eaten before she goes on, "...Uranus, Neptune, and I are the Outer Senshi. In the Silver Millenium, they were tasked with protecting the solar system from external threats...but that meant they spent so much time away from the Moon that most of the people thought of us as legends or myths. One of the things that has made me happiest since I moved here has been that Uranus and Neptune have both moved in here in this house with me...and we don't separate ourselves from the others like we did back then."<br><br>Another bite is taken and chewed before she swallows and goes on, "...which I think is for the best. We can finally help everyone..."<br><br>And here she looks a tiny bit meloncholy, "...and in this world, the Outer Senshi get to have lives."<br><br>There's a pause, then she shakes her head, "...but you don't need to worry about that."<br><br>She nods towards the door Mamoru went out, "I don't know if I can connect my Gate to her Gate." She shrugs, "I might can...it's not a thing I think has ever been tried...and I'll probably need to make some alterations since many of the primary systems are down...but worst case, I'm pretty sure I can send a signal that other me will be able to lock onto...so we should eventually be able to send you home."<br><br>Then she smiles a smile that looks a bit predatory, "...and in the meantime...well...we've got LOTS of allies your foes aren't prepared for...so while you're here, if they're dumb enough to poke their heads up...we can see about thinning them out for you a bit."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:270|Chibiusa Tsukino (270)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Like the Silver Millennium... that sounds about right. They ''do'' call her home era the Crystal Millennium after all. "Well, if the bad times don't happen, then my momma never rises to power. Maybe she'd actually prefer that. Hard for me to see her as a simple housewife, but... if it makes her happy."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She does have to wonder though... which version of Usagi ends up happier? The one who has a simple and happy life with Mamoru and Chibiusa... or the one who becomes de facto Queen of the World?<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;With a soft smile, she looks at this world's Pluto and says, "Well... I'm glad you're not lonely here." There's a little bit of an emotional sting as she says that, and she gets quiet for a moment. She eats a few tiny bites of her burger in order to hide the fact that she doesn't want to talk for a few seconds.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As the topic moves to the connection of gates, Small Lady welcomes the distraction and listens. "I mean... I don't know. The other you didn't say anything about that. We didn't really talk about time mechanics. We ''did'' spend some time talking about time travel movies, but some of them I'm not allowed to see yet." After a pause, she adds, "I ''do'' have one of her time keys, so that might help you when the time comes... but..."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She closes her red eyes for a moment and frowns. "... actually I don't think I want to go back yet. Right now the enemy is stretched thin and it's showing. Two of them, Koan and Berthier, are gone already. Like ''for real'' gone in the way that people don't like to talk about in front of me."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She taps the middle of her forehead and says, "You know how sometimes we have a crescent moon on our forehead? Well the bad guys have the same thing, but theirs is upside down and black. They call themselves the Black Moon Clan. If you see one, be careful, they're really mean. Like Witches except they know what they're doing."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She fidgets for a moment and says, "Well... or so I heard. No one wants to show me a Witch."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Then she takes another bite of her burger. Munch munch munch.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:95|Setsuna Meiou (95)}} has posed:'''<br>Setsuna nods along, "I don't doubt it. Reality tends to get a little...thin in a Witchs' labryrith, from what I understand. The laws of nature in one can be...rather different."<br><br>She norts, then nods, "That's basically what I was implying, though. I'll see what I need to do, but I won't be in any hurry to DO it. Your enemy is attacking where we are strong, after all. We'll be more than happy enough to make them pay for it."<br><br>She then nods, "...in the meantime, you get to see new things and make new friends...and eventually when you go home, we'll send you through with some new tech for the 'future' to ooh and ahhh over and for us to be all smug about."<br><br>She gives a little wink, then takes a pull from her Ramune, "Yeah...being able to live with the rest of you...to be able to get to know so many people personally and make new friends...I'm actually very glad things here worked out the way that they did...even if it DID take the the Gates getting damaged for it to happen."<br><br>After a few more moments, she gives a soft smile to Chibi-Usa, "...so while you're in our spacetime, feel free to come here any time you wish. My home is open to you always. I'm sure Haruka and Hotaru would be happy to hang out with you...and eventually Michiru as well..."<br><br>She shakes her head, "...apparently the tour she's on is taking a lot longer to get through it's bookings than was anticipated."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:270|Chibiusa Tsukino (270)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Chibiusa isn't sure what 'thin reality' looks like. Some kind of dream state? Maybe she'll actually see the inside of one someday. Or not, if those most protective of her get their wish. As long as she has to get escorted around in order to avoid being grabbed, the chances of her showing up someplace she shouldn't are pretty small.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The rest of what Setsuna says makes sense to her. Yeah, make the enemy pay. More than that, make them ''lose'', so that the mahoujin can go back to the future with the numbers advantage reversed.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As for future tech, Small Lady gives Setsuna an awkward look. "I-I mean... I think my momma would be surprised to see a version of her who knows how to work a computer, though maybe less so when she realizes that Usa-chan plays video games. Though..." her feet fidget with each other for a moment. "... Well, I think in some ways we're a bit more advanced in the 30th century than here. We don't really have smartphones ''specifically'', but we have other future tech. Like holograms and visors that let us communicate with people long distance."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Then she places her burger down and raises her hands in the air. "We also got these ''really big'' crystal structure buildings. That's why it's called Crystal Tokyo. We're a post scarcity society, we were developing cities on other planets, and we don't have any crime." After a sad pause she says, "Well... ''mostly''."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She munches a bit more of the burger, getting a real big mouthful of it, chewing it all and swallowing before making another comment. "Though we also had an apocalypse that cut back the population by a whole lot, and the Black Moon Clan want a second one. The Veil didn't really survive the Bad Times."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ah, tradeoffs.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I did meet Hotaru. She seems really sweet, but her situation is pretty sad. I guess I don't have much room to talk, but I can't help but wish her life was a bit better."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:95|Setsuna Meiou (95)}} has posed:'''<br>Setsuna finishes her burger, then snorts, "Yeah...we're a thousand years behind...and most of those techs are ones we're not far from being able to actually produce."<br><br>She then blinks, "...ah. Yeah, that'd do it. Losing a huge chunk of the population WILL tend to stagnate development."<br><br>A sigh, "...I imagine it probably took a good bit of that time just to get back to 'normal'..."<br><br>She then gives Chibi-Usa a bit of a contemplative look, "...so I gotta ask...how old are you REALLY? Because you're definitely not as young as you look."<br><br>The mention of Hotaru, however, gets her expression to soften quite a lot, "...as it is, it's incredibly better than it was a year ago. We're doing everything we can to give her a proper life, despite the problems she's been burdened with..."<br><br>She trails off, then says, "...and when you go back...maybe we can find a way for you guys to be able to wake her up safely...so that that version of her can have a life, too."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:270|Chibiusa Tsukino (270)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Chibiusa listens to Setsuna compare modern era tech to 30th century, and is kinda surprised that she's not quite as impressed as Small Lady was expecting. Then again she thinks about it for a bit and realizes. "Yeah... huge setbacks. A lot of stuff had to be ''reinvented''. A lot of it was made better but that took time. Not just tech, but food production and supply lines. Plus, we didn't really have all the magitech you do in this timeline. Sometimes I wonder how this world would handle the Bad Times, but if I'm being honest I hope you never have to find out."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;When asked about her ''real'' age, Chibiusa stops in mid bite, then continues chewing for a moment as she thinks about how to answer. After gulping she says, "I kinda lost track after 900 years. I'm like 920 or 930 or something. Aging slowed down a lot by the time my mom and the senshi fixed everything."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Another sip of lemonade. "Granted, even with that I'm a special case. Most people get to their 20s and just stop. I'm the only one stuck at 5." Even though she says it like that, her tone of voice makes it clear she's not too broken up about being an eternal child.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Then she frowns and looks at Setsuna, a bit of curiosity and concern in her eyes. "Wake her up safely? What do you mean? Wait, is Sailor Charon actually real? Even though she's a device user?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:95|Setsuna Meiou (95)}} has posed:'''<br>Setsuna blinks, then gives Chibi-Usa a long, HARD look, one FAR more serious and searching than she's ever leveled at the pinkette before.<br><br>Finally, she sighs and rubs her face for a moment, "Okay. Confidence time. Usagi, Mamoru, and a few others know this...but very few others. We're keeping it close to the vest for important reasons."<br><br>She sighs, "...and I REALLY REALLY hope you'll keep this to yourself...but Hotaru is a Senshi."<br><br>She frowns, "...from your timeline, she'd be the LAST Senshi, and there's a good reason why you'd never heard of her."<br><br>After a moment, she gives a little smile, "...and no, she's not ACTUALLY Sailor Charon. That's just something she came up with before she knew and that she did so that she could help us out."<br><br>The older woman trails off for a moment, her smile a bit happier as she thinks of the purple haired girl.<br><br>Finally, she shakes her head, "If you've been counting, you'll probably have noticed that almost all the other notable celestial bodies in the system have Senshi attatched to them except Saturn."<br><br>She heaves a sigh, "...that's because there IS a Sailor Saturn...but the reason you've never met her is because your Grandmother set it up so that she is kept in a state of eternal sleep...mainly because Sailor Saturn has the capacity to be a Cosmic Level Weapon of Mass Destruction."<br><br>She scowls a bit, "...I SPECULATE that the whole 'kept forever asleep' thing was a temporary measure that would have been fixed when possible...but there's no way of knowing because the whole Beryl thing happened and we ended up with a case of sovreign existence failure. But to give you an idea? The force that snuffed out all life in the solar system to wipe out all the youma and other things Beryl called up to destroy the Silver Millenium? That was Saturn's doing. That's what she's capable of."<br><br>She trails off for a moment, "...before we managed to put paid to Beryl in the here-and-now, she managed to trap us in a pocket dimension that replayed the events of the fall like an interactive hologram over and over and over again." A big, shuddering sigh is heaved, "...in it, I got to see Saturn. A young girl...utterly defeated and despondant...only ever awake for minutes at a time...praying to anything that would listen that what she was doing would be worth it..."<br><br>She trails off, looking down, "...I met that young woman for five minutes..."<br><br>And then she looks up at Chibi-Usa, "...and I NEVER want to meet her again."<br><br>She rubs her face for a moment, then shakes her head and goes on in a far less grim tone, "...which is why Haruka, Michiru, and I have worked very hard to give Hotaru an actual LIFE and to let her LIVE it."<br><br>She trails off, then shakes her head, "...sorry for getting all serious on you. And as I imagine you probably already know, keep her actual name a secret...there are people looking for her just as there are ones looking for you...and her falling into their hands would be as catastrophic as you falling into the hands of those Clan people."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:270|Chibiusa Tsukino (270)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Chibiusa asked. Setsuna answered. Chibiusa almost wishes she didn't.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The very serious tone and expression is something that the young princess immediately respects. Even if it isn't ''her'' timeline's Puu, it's still Puu, and if she's taking something serious then it must be ''very'' serious indeed.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;When she's first told that Hotaru is an actual real Senshi, she lights up for a few brief moments, but then as Setsuna goes on that joy fades. Sailor Charon isn't real, but ''Hotaru'' is... Sailor Saturn? That's a good thing, right? So why all the...<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;From the moment she hears that Hotaru, sweet little innocent woobie Hotaru, is a woobie of mass destruction she sets down her burger and doesn't touch it for a good while. Not only that, but she ended the Silver Millennium. That's... that's not right. Beryl did that, right? It was all Beryl's...<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Chibiusa's eyes go wide as she looks down at her burger. She's... shaking a little actually. She covers her eyes to hide the tears. It doesn't work. The sobs, also, give away her declining mood pretty quickly.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I can't even... I can't even put on a brave face at a time like this."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She wipes her eyes, and blinks them a few times. Her hands grasp her knees and she's still shaking a little bit. It's a lie, right? It has to be. It's just a silly joke and at any moment Puu's going to say she was just kidding and Chibiusa's going to be mad at her and...<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Shoot. She's not doing that, is she? She's not joking. This is real.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"... that's not fair. It's not fair for her."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She already knew that Hotaru was being hunted, and had to be kept secret, but she didn't know it was like that. "I... I wont tell. I wont tell a soul. But I'm just a kid. I'm not a warrior like you. I'm not good at hiding my feelings, or being strong. Even if she doesn't know the truth? I'll know that she's one of us."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She picks up her burger again, and bites it a little more angrily. Chews it roughly. "I wont tell, and if I ever do get powers? I'll protect her, too. From anyone."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:95|Setsuna Meiou (95)}} has posed:'''<br>When Chibi-Usa begins to wipe her eyes, Setsuna is up like a shot and around the kitchen island to give the young woman a hug if she'll let her.<br><br>Either way, she'll stay there until the pinkette composes herself, then she goes back around to sit down again, "...oh, Beryl DID end things, and your Grandmother sealed her away at the cost of her life...but by the time she managed that...everyone was dead and only the monsters remained. What she did was actually a good thing, because it set things up for all the souls to be reborn eventually...which is why your mother and the rest of the senshi are around in the here and now..."<br><br>Setsuna frowns a little and taps her lip, "...except they're 1000 years in the future...so maybe it's more accurate to say 'there and then'?"<br><br>She looks off into space, pondering that for a moment, then shrugs and looks back, "...It's not fair for her...but we're making it better...and you can actually do perhaps the best thing possible for her."<br><br>She then smiles, "...you can be her FRIEND. She's had very few of those."<br><br>The greenhaired woman sighs, then waves a hand, "...as for the other? Well, the Saturn part of her still sleeps...but the PERSON, that wonderful bright little girl..."<br><br>She trails off for a moment, then nods, "...well, she's being allowed to live the life her previous incarnation couldn't."<br><br>Setsuna trails off for a moment, then gives herself a little shake as if to reset, "...in any event, you're more than welcome to come over anytime you want, especially if you need a place to lie low for a few hours...or if you're hungry...or if you just want to hang out."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:270|Chibiusa Tsukino (270)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Chibiusa will gladly accept a hug from Puu, even if it's not ''her'' Puu. She sobs against her for a moment before calming down. Eventually she pulls away and wipes her eyes again. She's not crying, but her eyes are still red.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Of course I'll be her friend. I think she's a nice person..." Chibiusa tries to laugh, but it comes of hollow. "Look at me. It's not like I haven't seen the end of the world before..."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;No, actually it is. She's seen a cataclysm covering one planet that people survived, not a sudden destruction that wiped out all life in the universe. Puts a new spin on Hotaru's talk about death and rebirth from the other day. Now Chibiusa knows a little better what she meant.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I don't actually think I can come over that often. Maybe when the Clanners are stopped, or if I get powers... but right now it's not safe for me to wander around on my own. Not even on campus anymore."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She looks down at her burger, eats the last bite of it, and quietly chews as she tries to process this new reality. The future princess always did wonder why there wasn't a Sailor Saturn. Now she knows.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Her eyes are all puffy, and she's obviously been crying. She looks like a mess.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:38|Mamoru Chiba (38)}} has posed:'''<br>Of course that's when Mamoru steps back in the door, shoulders hunched against the cold, shivering, and he steps back out of his shoes while he sticks his phone in his pocket.<br><br>"I really should just have teleported home for a minute to talk to him, it would have been warmer, but somehow that felt more rude...?" he starts, pulling his jacket tighter and then pausing to look at the two of them.<br><br>And then ''look'' at the two of them, and Chibiusa's face, and he immediately comes over to hold his arms out to the little girl. "What happened?" he asks, concerned, looking up at Setsuna again. His glasses are next to his cooling burger, and he glances at it with regret because it doesn't deserve that. "Small Lady, do you want to go home?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:95|Setsuna Meiou (95)}} has posed:'''<br>Setsuna sighs, "...I asked her to be Hotaru's friend and let her know why Hotaru REALLY needs one...which involved having to explain a few things."<br><br>She looks at Mamoru's burger...then sighs, "...give me a minute."<br><br>She steps into her pantry for a moment, the comes back with a large square of butcher's paper which she uses to expertly wrap the burger up in before sealing it with a little piece of tape. She then puts it in a small brown bag, "...there you go. For the road."<br><br>Setsuna then looks over at Chibi-Usa, "...I'm sorry about being so serious...but you did ask about Hotaru..." After trailing off, she hangs her head a little, "...and I apologize if what I told you was a bit frightening...but knowing the way Fate and Destiny work, it's going to come out here sooner or later...and getting surprised by it all would be even worse."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:270|Chibiusa Tsukino (270)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Oh, of course Mamoru comes back right then, and Chibiusa is very obviously crying. Then again, he could probably tell why she was upset with just a touch, so hiding her feelings from him was never really going to be a thing. She actually hesitates before accepting the hug, because the moment there's contact between them he would know everything she was feeling right now, but she does eventually take it.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;What happened? How does she answer that? She got told a scary and sad thing that she knows has to be true. Does she want to go home? Difficult to answer. It's not that she feels ''unsafe'' here, but maybe this is a good time to end the visit. The thought of Hotaru being both tragic and terrifying is on the forefront of her mind and feelings, and she's still in the process of connecting thoughts to other thoughts.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I don't want to end on a bad note," she says, "but I'm not in the mood to have fun right now. You didn't tell me anything that wasn't going to be important later. Thank you for the burger... and for taking care of her."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Even if she doesn't really have the maturity to realize let alone say it, Small Lady does kinda need time to process her feelings about all of this.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:38|Mamoru Chiba (38)}} has posed:'''<br>"...I'll definitely text you later," Mamoru says after a second of staring at Setsuna. It's not accusing, it's more bewildered and aggravated. It's definitely ''she's *5* what were you *thinking*?'' but it's not ''mad'' at Setsuna per se.<br><br>And then Chibiusa's ''hesitating'' to touch him and that's when he bristles a little, protectively, that this poor baby would be afraid to let ''him'' see what got lodged in her head--<br><br>--but that only makes Mamoru hug Chibiusa more tightly when she ''does'' accept the hug. And of course he sees what's in her head, and he's a little mad now, but not at Chibiusa. Probably not even really at Pluto. "Thank you ''so'' much for lunch-- and takeaway lunch! And I'm sorry I wasn't more a part of the visit. We're working on additional security measures for the apartment building after the attack on the cat cafe."<br><br>There are some things that can only be said that seriously in very specific circumstances, and luckily for Mamoru, this is one of those circumstances for that particular sentence.<br><br>He looks for stuff they were carrying, then finds and puts on his glasses, and then he hoists Chibiusa and kisses her head again, and he henshins in a swift crackle of princely self-lighting charcoal. "Ja ne!" Burger and daughter in hand, Prince Endymion and his sweeping cape step through the air into vanishing.<br> <br>
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