2573/Planning Off Course

Planning Off Course
Date of Scene:	30 May 2025
Location:	Game Crown Arcade
Synopsis:	Minako has called Ami to meet up at the arcade to discuss wedding plans! Everything else gets discussed first in true easily-sidetracked manner.
Cast of Characters:	Minako Aino, Ami Mizuno

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Minako Aino has posed:
The last couple of weeks had been very stressful for Minako and this week was proving to be no better for her after the 'loss' of Mamoru to New Moon and Wicked Lady (though at least she had been warned he was planning it.)

Today she was just Mina, not Mina-as-Usagi, while sitting at the ever popular Sailor V arcade machine. Her top score was wiped out by Ami long ago but that didn't mean she couldn't try to get back up there while she waited for her friend and fellow senshi to arrive.

After all they had a lot to talk about. More than she could text coherently which is why she'd asked to meet.

Dressed casually (and cutely! Motoki DOES work here after all), she wears an orange tank dress with a short ruffled sleeve shirt beneath. Of course she had her hairbow though it now had an orange jeweled pin in the middle after Izou had gifted it to her.

Ami Mizuno has posed:
It wasn't particularly long before Ami blew into the arcade. Dressed in simple tones of olive, with short unbuttoned blouse over plain darker-hued sundress, she made her way quickly across the space to her friend. A disinct scholarly bag, clipped at the front and housing various digital and analogue aids, was held in both hands by her waist.

She came to a stop behind, leaning a little to one side to watch the on-screen action. While she didn't want to distract Minako from her game, per se, Ami was also Ami.

"Hello! I'm here!"

Minako Aino has posed:
*Bweep-Bweep-Bwwoooom*

Mina's hands fall away from the controls when the little pixelated Sailor V dies. "That's always a bit weird to see," she admits aloud only to brush the thought aside entirely.

Turning toward Ami a quick smile easily falls over her, and without any further preamble she leans in to give her a hug if allowed. "Amiiii I need your help! Not at the game at something more important but anyway so much has happened you wouldn't believe!"

Of course she would but allow her a moment to be melodramatic at least! Standing up straight again her attention shifts away seeking out a good spot to chat. Maybe the cafe. "Should we get some snacks while we talk?" It's a hopeful question. "The wedding is coming up and there's so much to do plus our bride is still missing and now so is the groom."

Ami Mizuno has posed:
"I'll bet it is." Ami responded to the strangeness of watching her friend fall in the pretend world of the game.

And then came the hug. Which, of course, was met with acceptance, even if Ami herself managed to look a little bewildered for Minako's exuberance. She understood, though. It had been a little while since they'd last seen one another, and this was just another piece of the puzzle reminding her that this was home.

The immediate affection drew a warm little smile to her features.

"Mamoru-kun?" Ami hummed curiously. "Yes, we should definitely get some snacks. We could be at this all a little while, Masato-kun has done his best to catch me up."

Minako Aino has posed:
Minako Aino may have been the one giving the hug, but she really needed it herself. Even as touchy feely as she usually was the trip to the future, and currente events, had her very stressed. The hug plus the thought of snacks cheers her a bit though. "Right let's get milkshakes and fries. Comfort food!"

Surprise registers in her gaze which flits back to Ami quickly. "Wait, he has? That's great! Less for me to explain kind of. I met with Mamoru-kun a few days ago though before he told me he was going to join New Moon and Wicked Lady. He made it clear there was no talking him out of it."

Ami Mizuno has posed:
"I saw them both not long after I got back, at the cat cafe. I also got the chance to meet New Moon." Ami laughed a little at her own expense. "She has pretty scary eyes."

Settling into motion, Ami made her way along with Minako. There was food to be had and these sorts of conspiracies were best explored without an empty stomach. Milkshakes and fries were certainly a welcome combination.

"I didn't realise Mamoru-kun had disappeared as well, but I suppose that makes sense of some of Masato-kun's recent email. They're playing at some games, those two."

Minako Aino has posed:
"I only met her the one time," Minako admits with a pause as she recalls the situation. "Unfortunately it was while I was body doubling as Usagi-chan so that people wouldn't notice her disapearance. She caught on right away that I wasn't who I looked like, but she doesn't know it was me, either." Something she was okay with not mentioning.

Her shoulders droop with a heavy sigh. "Mamoru-kun knew though! He put me into the wierdest position asking for permission to kiss New Moon. I don't now who she is, but really! I told him I'd be posing as Usagi-chan and it was *so weird* like what do I say to that?"

Ami Mizuno has posed:
Ami bit at her lip, really quite uncertain how she would have handled the same situation. Then again, she'd never quite found herself having to pretend to be Usagi. It was something she was remarkably thankful for as Ami was sure to fail at doing an Usagi. They were wildly different in almost every way.

Minako was a much better choice for that.

"Awkward and a bit dangerous, maybe. What would have happened if you'd said no?" She grimaced a little and shook her head. "What did you end up saying?"

Minako Aino has posed:
Minako Aino stops abruptly but only because they've arrived at the cafe. Her head tips back to study the menu board while her arms cross lightly over her chest. Some part of her was still upset over that whole situation which to her had screamed 'danger' if she answered incorrectly.

"You know they've got some kind of arrangement about other people. I decided to just go the middle road and said 'I'd prefer you not do it in front of me' and then added that he owed me double kisses later."

A wry grin is flashed towards Ami. "It seemed the safest response given the situation." Not quite a no, not quite a yes. "Koji-kun showed up and dragged me off after that until I escaped him. He thought I was really Usagi and wanted to talk about streaming CoD."

Ami Mizuno has posed:
Likewise, Ami was looking up at the menu. But, it was more for show than anything else. Fries and a chocolate milkshake were already tickling away in the back of her head, safe options that were also guaranteed to be great.

"So much has happened and I'm having a hard time believing." Ami admitted now in agreement with Minako's initial statement, wrinkling her nose a little. "I feel a little guilty for having been away, honestly, and now its a little bit of a whirlwind trying to catch up."

A small sigh escaped her and she nodded. "Yes. Definitely the chocolate. With cream."

Minako Aino has posed:
"We've all had to do what we need to do. Sometimes it's just not always in the same place," Minako states trying to be wise and solemn. She had been away last year for awhile herself so she completely understood where Ami was coming from. "I'm so glad you're back, though! Chocolate sounds amazing. With double chocolate and whipped cream and sprinkles and candy bits!" Apparently hers was going to be far more of a sugar bomb.

"You know. In the future we ran into the reincarnated Shittenou. One of them was Naru-chan's grandson!" Her voice lowers to a mock whisper as she explains, "It was *Nephrite* and he had red hair and I didn't know it was him because he had a mask and I flirted with him! Do *not* tell our Nephrite okay?"

Ami Mizuno has posed:
"I wouldn't dream of it." Ami giggled. "But, I can't promise that I won't look at him a little bit differently for knowing."

Naru's grandson. In the future. Minako flirted with him. Of course she did. Ami didn't really look quite disappointed, but there was a brief flutter of concerned exasperation that drooped itself over the blue-haired girl.

"You can be quite the menace when you get going, can't you?" There was affection in her voice, Ami wouldn't have had Minako any other way in honesty.

And, of course, there was the future bit. It set her a little wistful. "What was it like?"

Minako Aino has posed:
"I was under a lot of stress! And then there was this cute guy fighting with us and I didn't realize!" Mina's playful defensive response tapers off rather quickly though. "Kaito-kun was actually a really nice guy. Totally different from Masato in personality. He hadn't woken up yet though." It had been a brief time there but she would miss the friends she'd made. At least she knew they would likely be very safe at the moment since the Black Moon Clan was in the current time with them again.

"It was... It was bad. I mean, what happened was bad," she corrects. "Even under all of that though you could tell that it was *amazing* before the attacks. You're Dr. Mizuno there, you know, Ami-chan." Warmth fills her eyes, perhaps even pride, at announcing this part. "We always knew you'd make your dream come true though."

"Of course it's not our future timeline. It was still interesting to see."

Ami Mizuno has posed:
Doctor Mizuno. That certainly had a ring to it, one that brought a faint blush to her cheeks. Unfortunately, there seemed to be something more pressing toying at her thoughts.

"Masato-kun is nice enough." Ami found herself defending him from absolutely nothing at all, and then proceeded to struggle through the rest of the sentence. "He's very good at being a guy and he said he's going to marry Makoto-san. That makes him one of us now, right?"

Ah, there it was. That little slip from the cat cafe, where Masato had been bantering to throw New Moon off-balance. Clearly, it had roughly the same affect on Am, though probably for a different reason.

"I just think it sounds cute." Ami's voice had shrunk away into something particularly tiny on the tail end there.

After all. What was better than a romance novel than seeing one in real time?

Minako Aino has posed:
Minako Aino stares with wide eyes at Ami defending Masato of all people. Of course out of the Shittenou he was perhaps one of the ones that hadn't been quite as bad as the others when they had to deal with him as a dark general. It was just a surprise to hear!

Ah but she was perhaps sounding a bit bad about how she was describing him!

With a quiet chuckle her head shakes, and she reaches up to rub at the back of her neck in a gesture both she and Usagi were apt to do. "He's not bad, no. We just had a rough start when we were first getting to know each other. He thought that since Kazuo-san had turned me down that I was trying to seduce Izou and him as revenge, and we all *know* that Mako-chan has a thing for--

"WAIT!"

Mina suddenly reaches out to grasp Ami by the shoulders as she leans in closer. "Did you say he *said he'd marry her!?* Oh my god! What did Mako-chan say? Do we know? Does SHE know!?"

Ami Mizuno has posed:
Minako took her shoulders, and Ami wobbled back and forth a little. She didn't seem to mind it too much, at least.

"Well, I haven't seen Makoto-san yet, so I wouldn't know how she responded." Ami admitted a little sheepishly. "But, he was talking to Mamoru-kun and I think his it just spilled out. New Moon wasn't too thrilled, though she did say she'd think about allowing it."

There were probably clues in there and while Ami was usually much better at catching those sorts of things, it was a case of blind spots. Or, perhaps more accurately, overthinking something said off-handedly.

"You were trying to seduce Izou-kun?" Ami asked, selectively dancing away from the rest of the sentence.

Minako Aino has posed:
Minako Aino releases poor Ami once the explanation comes. It was just the sheer surprise of the moment that had her getting a bit over-excited with such news. "She'd die of embarassment. He's not been hit by lightning yet so he probably hasn't suggested it... Plus I didn't think they were that far along when I spoke to her last about it!" By 'speak to her' she meant 'tease her' of course. That's sometimes how she got information!

Ami's distractionary question earns a blush from her this time. "Of course not! I know I flirt a lot but I don't do things like that! I was over at his place to work on styling my hair with him, and Masato just got the wrong idea because of some texts that Izou sent."

Her eyes roll upward with a sigh of exasperation. "He was just using emojis instead of actually texting. Masato thought Izou was on a date with Kazuo. When he saw me there instead, he thought I was getting revenge or something. Totally wasn't."

Minako actually grows quiet a long moment. Her eyes dip down to the floor, then up again to Ami. "I was serious about Kazuo-san when I told him how I felt. But he turned me down, and is with Izou and Mamoru, and I have more pride than to chase after someone that doesn't want me."

Ami Mizuno has posed:
That made perfect sense to Ami.

"Izou-kun does look like the sort who knows a great deal about hair care." She nodded knowingly. "I would definitely trust his advice."

Ami didn't hesitate to settle a hand on Minako's shoulder when the blonde had drawn quieter. It might not have been a full hug, but it was more than enough contact to let the other girl know that she was here. As lots as some of her friends could be, they were still her friends. She didn't like to see them downcast.

"I'm sure you'll find the right guy, Minako-chan." Ami smiled. "Eventually. Until then, though, we've got milkshakes to have and weddings to ambush."

Minako Aino has posed:
That was typically how Mina got over any boys she was crushing on. A bit of sweets to soothe the pain before focusing on more important matters. Right now there were definitely more important matters to focus on even if she had gotten sidetracked.

"Yes, that's why I called you actually. We need to figure out how to keep the Black Moon Clan from crashing the wedding, but also need to figure out how to let New Moon and Wicked Lady be there so they can bring Usagi-chan. Apparently they're 'protecting' her which makes sense in a way." Did it? "An evil way. Since Wicked Lady is corrupted right now the logic is kind of that way I guess."

Ami Mizuno has posed:
Ami scooped up her thickshake and basket of fries, and then nodded off toward a table. At the very least, as they got into potentially more sensitive parts of their chatter, they could be seated away from other people. She started off in that direction.

"As far as I'm aware, that's what Mamoru-kun is focused on right now. Making sure New Moon and Wicked Lady make it to the wedding." Ami glanced toward the ceiling and tilted her head a little, as though the angle might jostle thoughts into sensible places. "Masato-kun has made sure that there'll be at least two cakes and a throne for Wicked Lady, too, and since we're setting this whole thing up."

Ami shrugged. "That's at least a few opportunities to sneak a few surprises in to make sure that once they're there, they stay there."

And that, as near as she could tell, was her job. Figuring out how to keep them in place.

Minako Aino has posed:
Minako Aino plucks up her own shake once it arrives to quickly follow after Ami. It barely makes it two steps before she's already slurping on the straw trying to get the frozen concoction through it with a noisy slurp. The side of the table opposite Ami is taken so she can lean her elbows against it while enjoying her shake, and conversing.

"Right good point. Traps. We need to purify them if we can and this would be the perfect chance. It'll have to be after they're married though because no way is either one of them going to let us not let that happen."

Her hand shifts to lean her cheek into with a weary sigh. "So a way to trap them or at least delay their departure. Maybe ... We could block teleports? I think they teleport. Most dark energy users seem to." What an odd trait for them all to share. An oddly annoying one.

Ami Mizuno has posed:
Ami nodded slowly as Minako spoke, her eyes still cast off toward the ceiling. Then, gently, they descended toward the blonde.

"Do you think we could hide Makoto-san in one of the cakes?" Ami asked. "She could pop out with a big net and just grab hold of one of them? She's pretty strong."