2547/Two Fouls and a Goal

Two Fouls and a Goal
Date of Scene:	19 May 2025
Location:	Infirmary (Future Crystal Tokyo)
Synopsis:	While a crew goes to Nemesis, Makoto and a still injured Masato await news in the infirmary, feeling limited in how to help. Reflecting on their most recent battle, they discuss ways to combine their powers in fights to come (and grow even closer as a result).
Cast of Characters:	Makoto Kino, Nephrite
Tinyplot:	Black Moon Clan
Tinyplot2:	BMC: Dimension Future

---

Makoto Kino has posed:
The infirmary of the Crystal Palace has been quieter recently. The influx of refugees from the city has largely petered off, and all but the more serious cases have received treatment and since been settled elsewhere in the Palace to wait and hope.

Makoto has been a regular visitor. Just now, though, she's unusually fidgety. She's obtained one of those little crystal-housed holo-screens, and she checks it periodically to keep tabs on security feeds from around the Palace, but she's finding it more difficult than usual to sit still.

The third time she gets up from her chair to pace back and forth across the room, she catches herself, makes a face, and sits back down again. "Sorry," she says to Masato. "This can't be very restful, can it."

As she speaks, Kunzite and Zoisite and Venus and the others are probably already on Nemesis, searching for the missing prince and princesses. Much like the survivors of Crystal Tokyo, those remaining here can only wait, and hope.

Nephrite has posed:
"You're doing my pacing for me," Masato offers forgivingly. Very little has come up in terms of the survaillence, and though she shares whatever is noticed and he catches a peek now and again, it all feels too still. He's as restless as she is, waiting for news, worrying for the mission-- for those missing.

They're too action oriented to be left with this little to do.

"I know the quiet should be a good thing, but it's too--" He stalls for the word.

Makoto Kino has posed:
"Don't say it!" It's half laughter, half sigh. "I know what you mean, though. It's too much like the eye of the storm. Like we're just waiting for it to hit again."

She leaves the monitor where he can reach it and gets up again, taking his indulgence as free license to pace to the opposite wall and back. "I wish we had a way to know how things are going for the others, out there. I know they'll handle it, whatever they find - and I wouldn't have been all that much help anyway if I'd gone - just..."

Nephrite has posed:
He's almost unable to help it, reaching to pick up the device even when he knows there's nothing to see. It's an idle thing, glancing over the feed before sapphire eyes are upon her again.

"It feels like you can't help," Masato guessed, "Or protect the people we're trying to."

Makoto Kino has posed:
Glancing back towards him, Makoto smiles ruefully. "Pretty much," she agrees. "If I were there, maybe I couldn't do anything, but at least I'd know."

She breathes out another sigh and settles back down in her chair again, tucking her feet out of the way underneath it. "But I shouldn't complain so much when you're the one still stuck in bed. How are you feeling?" There's a muted concern in the way she regards him, brow slightly furrowed. "You're looking better, at least."

Nephrite has posed:
The fact that she's voicing her complaints to him, her worries, feels natural to him in a way he's unsure if he should even mention or try to explain. There's a strange relief in it, being able to carry anything, even in the most minor way. But especially for her, who quietly goes about looking after everyone.

"I'm fine," Masato shifts, pulling himself gently up more, but the attempt slackens when the pain shoots through his torso. "... Given the circumstances."

A slow exhale deflates him a little and he shakes his head. "I can't believe I got caught like that. I didn't even see it coming. My head's been a mess." The corner of his mouth ticks.

"I overthink everything, that's my real problem."

Makoto Kino has posed:
Makoto quickly shakes her head, ponytail flicking back and forth behind her. "Esmeraude moved way too fast," she says. "I was standing right there and I didn't see it coming, either. It wasn't your fault."

There's a touch of guilt there, but she squashes it down. "Overthinking or not, I don't think there's anything about that battle you should criticize yourself for. Although--" Mako hesitates, indecisive, before going on. "If there's things on your mind it would help to talk about, I don't mind listening."

Nephrite has posed:
"I know people usually give you a bit of a wider berth in a fight, so you've got room to cut loose," Masato starts, because there's so little point in trying not to say it-- they have nothing keeping them from it.

"All that power... my magic's always been about precision and timing, certain forces being in certain positions. But you always seem to be in this delicate dance of restraint and control, holding back until the right moment. When you want to be powerful, you have to be able to let go. It's something I always admired."

Sapphire eyes fell upon one of the machines, slightly easier to say such things if he wasn't looking directly at her. "But when the tide of things was turning, and you were out there in the mob of those things, I just wanted to be near you."

After a moment, he notes quietly, "And if it had to be one of the two of us, I'm glad that I was near you. Because you're not the one in this bed."

Makoto Kino has posed:
Surprise flashes across Makoto's face as her head lifts. For a second or two, she's caught off-guard. If she'd had any guesses as to what might have been occupying his mind, this wasn't it.

After a moment she ducks her head, smiling foolishly. "That's a foul," she says lightly. She can feel herself blushing. "You scared the crap out of me, you know?"

Fingers fiddling absently with the hem of her hoodie, she sneaks a glance at his face. "I think you're giving me a little too much credit, though... I was just reckless, jumping out there like that. Powerful or not, if it hadn't been for your sword, I couldn't have even risked taking that shot at Saphir. There would've been too much of a risk of catching Zoisite in it."

Her gaze drops again, focusing on her hands as they settle in her lap. "There's nothing delicate about it."

Nephrite has posed:
His head had been spinning with many different thoughts, sure enough, but Makoto occupied quite a few of them. Masato tried not to smirk a little when she called foul-- that he scared her. Best not to be caught look smug about that at all.

"I don't think you give yourself credit, enough." For anything, perhaps. Now, his gaze returned to her. "It was a hell of a shot, though, wasn't it? Right into the front of her."

Makoto Kino has posed:
"--it really was." A beat, and slowly Makoto smiles and looks up again. "It's a pity we didn't hit the one we were aiming for, but she definitely felt it."

Seeming to relax slightly, she straightens up in her seat. "We work pretty well together, don't we?" she muses. "Despite having different styles... Or maybe not all that different, I guess. We both call on the power of the heavens, in different ways."

Nephrite has posed:
"I really would have loved to see you strike Saphir right out of the air," Masato manages a small hint of malice to the edge of that, indulging in his particular dislike, "But sending a dragon into cardiac arrest is a fine second."

His fingers drum idly on the side of the crystal driven tablet, though he's ignoring the displays upon it. She has his attention, and Masato's handsome features are set thoughtfully.

"Between falling stars, lightning strikes, and cyclones, we could do a lot of damage together, you and I. And *direct* it. The wind even shapes the growth of sturdy trees, after all."

But that thought didn't prevent him from tilting his head to add, "There's no helping it. We're perfectly suited."

Makoto Kino has posed:
Oh, that is so unfair. That's all Makoto can think for a second, as her cheeks flush hot and her heart thumps. So completely unfair that he can just say things like that like it's perfectly natural, and she is probably turning as red as a tomato.

"...definitely a foul," she murmurs, but she can't repress her smile. "There's no helping it at all."

Just to have something to do with her hands, she picks up the holo-tablet again, but she's not even really looking at the screen. "The next time we run into Demande and Saphir, we should bring the sky down on them."

Nephrite has posed:
He enjoys the result saying such things gets, and for the moment, he does absolutely nothing to hide it. Subtle deviousness toys at him and he looks remarkably satisfied when she takes the tablet back. But his brows do life at that last part.

"Bring down the sky..." Something about that hits at the back of his mind, lighting things up like a pinball machine as it bounces around. He feigns a shiver and sucks a hiss through his teeth. "That's got a tingle to it, doesn't it?"

Now, sapphires are sparkling at her. "And the sword-bolt strike? Does that get a zesty little name too?"

Makoto Kino has posed:
The realization that he's doing it on purpose adds an edge of fond exasperation to Makoto's flustering. "You're welcome to suggest something," she replies, attempting a stern look and not really succeeding. It's hard to be really convincingly stern when you're also blushing hard enough to glow in the dark. "I'll take it into consideration for the next time I need a lightning rod."

Nephrite has posed:
Despite being stuck in a bed, Masato seems to have a renewed sense of energy, now. Her attempted exasperation only seems to fuel him, and he leans as much as he comfortably can towards her.

"This is perfect, Mako-chan," he's reaching out as if to touch her wrist, "This is what we can do. We can plan. Your power and my precision, we could hit them with something entirely new... and devestating."

He's grinning in a slightly mean-spirited way that makes it clear, he enjoys the thought of such combined attacks and seeing what they can do.

Makoto Kino has posed:
His energy is infectious; flustered as she may be, Makoto can't help grinning back. Suddenly, he's presented her with an outlet for all that nervous energy - something to focus on, something to do that isn't just wait and fret.

She leans forward in her chair, reaching out long enough to poke him lightly in the shoulder of his undamaged arm.

"I like the sound of that," she says. "What do you have in mind?"

Nephrite has posed:
"The next we use my sword, I could infuse it with the cosmic winds before you strike it," the heady combination of starlight and lightning, from a Heavenly King and Queen-- he did not say that part outloud, for her sake, but he fancied the imagery. "Concentrate and amplify it, adding even more heat and outward force. Your electricity carrying it through, stunning and burning... We'd cook anything."

He gestured upwards vaguely, "And together, we could both add to the turning of a storm. Tornadic winds... bolts from on high. We could blow people away, trap them in high winds..."

Masato was letting himself imagine now the tempting repetoire they might yet unveil.

"If we both made that storm, I might be able to infuse my power into your lightning. Call down a barrage like falling stars, maybe split the charge of your electricity amongst them, for scattered strikes."

Makoto Kino has posed:
Makoto's green eyes widen, impressed and a little wondering, as Masato lays out his ideas. She can picture it: the sword blazing with both their power. The storm, raining down bolts of lightning and starfall. "Wow," is the first thought she manages to articulate. "I haven't really tried to control an entire storm - at least, not for longer than it takes to call down the lightning. But with both of us together... it'd be on a whole different scale."

She reflects on this for a little longer before letting out a little half-laugh. "The only drawback is, it'd be a bit difficult to practice beforehand. Something that big, we'd probably just have to wing it."

Nephrite has posed:
"We came up with what we did already, in the heat of things. It's worked out." He lifts his good shoulder gently in a shrug. "Perhaps we *should* just... wing it," Masato considers aloud, and there's a hint of a second, smaller thought beneath, "We can take our time when we get back home to really figure things out... but for now, maybe it's better if we just take the leap."

Sapphires study emeralds for a moment, and there's a faint uptick to the corner of his mouth. "Go with whatever feels right."

Makoto Kino has posed:
She's caught, just a bit, by the way his eyes hold hers. Makoto can feel herself reddening again. Still, she nods, and slowly a smile tugs at her lips.

After all, isn't that what she does most of the time anyway? Follow her heart, wherever that might take her, for good or ill. It's led her to heartache before, but it also led her to RH, Usagi, the other senshi and everything else. This time, maybe...

"Yeah," she agrees. "You're right. When you put it that way... it's worked pretty well for us so far, hasn't it?"

Nephrite has posed:
"Beautifully." His good hand lifts from between them and hovers gently at the side of her face, and just quietly, he lets his knuckles brush against blushing cheek. It may be his new favourite colour.

It's his boldness that wins out, in the end, as he leans closer to kiss her.

Makoto Kino has posed:
Makoto goes very still, a bit deer-in-the-headlights, when he reaches toward her face. She might even be holding her breath. There's all kinds of things running around in her head, thoughts running into one another: oh, and I walked right into this, didn't I? and an overriding sense of disbelief because this just does not happen to her. Guys like Masato do not look at Makoto this way, do not say things like that.

Then he leans in, and all those little inner voices all shut up at once in one little catch of her breath and time kind of stops, just a bit.

When he pulls back she's left staring at him in wonder, eyes as starry as any emerald. It takes several heartbeats for her to find where she misplaced her voice.

"...wow."

(And then she turns, if possible, a shade even pinker because Mako-chan really?)

Nephrite has posed:
He's taking it in. The moment. Drawing deep of it for what it is-- refreshingly hopeful. The way she is looking at him now almost makes being in this hospital bed worth it.

But there's better things to come, now.

"Right," he murmurs with a small smile that earned back a hint of pride, "You and I... are going to 'wow' people, Mako-chan. I guarantee it."