340/End of the world vs boyfriends.

End of the world vs boyfriends.
Date of Scene:	27 August 2023
Location:	Dorms #1
Synopsis:	Meeting day was a very very busy day. Information shared, people dropping in. Very busy.
Cast of Characters:	Usagi Tsukino, Naru Osaka, Kyouka Inai
Tinyplot:	Midnight Tokyo

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Usagi Tsukino has posed:
when the meeting was done, everyone having spoken their peace, speculated endlessly on what they knew and did not know, and otherwise threaded over the absolutely terrifying news Inai-sensei had offered them, Sailor Moon took a usb drive, and ran a circuitous route around the campus before weeping up to the roof of the dorms. A burst of light, signaling that she'd transitioned from Sailor Moon to Usagi Tsukino, made her attempt at stealth feel less than useful, but given what she just learned, Usagi wanted to take no chances.

The world. Ending! The world!

Usagi lived there, And so did everyone else, like her mama and papa and Shingo and Naru-chan, and - Well, everyone! The idea of fusing the 'Dusk Zone' (Which, she still didn't totally understand but thought she had a grasp on the concept of) and Tokyo was stupid beyond belief. Weren't bad guys supposed to want to rule the world? Are they going to do with a city full of awful monsters and dead people? Maybe she didn't want to know.

She hadn't recognized anything that had been shared, not a single piece of Inai-sensei's hard schemed for intelligence meaning a thing to her, but Usagi had always been mostly unashamed to admit she wasn't the brightest bulb in the ceiling, and was actually proud to admit one of her best strengths was delegating.

which is one reason she bursts into her dorm room (literally bursts, the door slams against the wall - if not for the fact that this was a regular occurrence in this section of the girls dorm, stealth would have truly died unmourned -), scaring Luna into puffing up her fur and possibly startling Naru.

Possibly.

She barely likes the door closed before calling out, "Naru-chan! Luna! Holy fuck!" and thrusting out her hand with the USB.

Naru Osaka has posed:
Naru and Luna HAD been having a lovely conversation. The sort that has them both leaning over the computer, talking about.. well goodness only knows what.. but whatever it was had been engrossing enough that Naru's coffee is cold (and it started hot!).

The slamming of the door is a helluva startle, not because it's unheard of rare, but mostly because they were utterly not paying attention. And then Usagi is swearing at them with a USB stick.

"I'm going to guess this isn't math homework." Naru offers as she gets up and comes over to collect the stick. "What is it? Good or bad?"

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"The bad guys are crazy, and Luna, you are telling us everything, so help me, but not tonight." If she learns anything else tonight, she might actually die.

" I told you about the meeting right? Well I went, and some of the other girls were there, and it turns out all the secrecy is because the bad guys maybe want to fuse the Dusk Zone with Tokyo!" Yes, she's yelling a bit by the end.

Luna's eyes just about bug out. Her jaw drops, her fur, still bristling, bristles more. "They want to what? Impossible!"

"Well, they're doing it. Plotting it? Trying it??? Inai-sensei says it's called the Midnight Tokyo project and it's crazy."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"I think bad guys being crazy is part of the package." Naru points out as she listens. And plugs the usb stick into the computer.

Naru considers and then mmms softly. "Possibly impossible, but probably just unpalatable to people who currently live in Tokyo and those who actually want to protect them." She clicks through, to pull up the presentation that Inai-sensei provided to the elite group.

"So that's what Midnight Tokyo project is? Turning Tokyo into the Dusk Zone?" Naru asks as she starts to skim. "Could that be limited to just Tokyo?"

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Luna growls a little, just thinking of it, then prowls closer to Naru, looking through the information with her. "You... have a point. It is unpalatable... And it may not be impossible, but it certainly..."

She trails off, shaking her head. 'The Dusk Zone is a dimension unto itself - they wouldn't need to fuse the entirety of this world with it to wreck havoc... I don't recognize this language. I'll have to see if my computer systems recognize it - if we can recognize what we're starting with, we may have a chance of understanding..."

Usagi groans, throwing herself down on Naru's bed - not a chance she'll climb up to hers right now. "Sailor Pluto was there too; she said kinda the same thing as Luna. I've got to introduce you to her, Naru-chan, maybe you'll both get all code-cracking together... And yeah the bad guys are crazy, but Inai-sensei said if this happens, everyone without magic will die! And everyone with magic who's not with them might too!"

Naru Osaka has posed:
"Then I won't ask what it says." Naru notes as Luna comments about not understanding the language. The mundane in all of this had no expectations of being able to read it, but had hopes for Luna.

"I'd be glad to meet her." Naru has said that about basically everyone someone has suggested she meet. "Provided she's not going to be frustrated by all of my ignorant questions."

"Alright.. so is this a done deal?" Naru asks as she considers the map. "Like a 'we know this is happening on Tuesday' sort of deal, or what sort of time scale are we on? Or do we know?"

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"It will take time, but I'm sure we can figure it out... eventually." A deep sigh. This is going to be the subject of multiple late nights - but at least this will also give her much more time to work closely with Naru, and evaluate Setsuna's idea of... her being the princess.

"It's not a done deal, I think, maybe?" Usagi answers unhelpfully, groaning into a pillow. "We don't know. We're going to try and watch all those places, with the leylines and things? But we don't know or how this could happen..."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"Luna.. do you have a leyline map of Tokyo?" Naru asks, because somehow she has learned what leylines are. "I'd like to also confirm where shrine locations are in relation to this." She is already poking at the screen, tracing out a few theories.

"Yes, it'll be a fascinating puzzle." Naru agrees with Luna, nodding to Usagi. "Hopefully we have the time, or the good guys can buy us enough time to figure things out on the theoretical side, to untangle the how."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"There are maps of leylines on the internet, but how accurate they are leaves something to be desired," Luna says thoughtfully, "I have begun a more thorough study of the magics here, particularly with so many varieties of magic represented now..."

"But laying shrine locations overtop - an excellent idea! Ah, and we can lay that with areas of disaster and loss, as well, they tend to leave imprints that might be desired for this project..."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"I don't think I can detect leylines. Or even know what they look or feel like to actually map any of them." Naru mms softly. "And you're right, there's so many flavours of magic represented..."

Naru turns to Usagi and asks curiously. "Do you know? How many flavours of magic were represented at the meeting? Were there any major magic types not represented that we should be reaching out to in case they have magical resources that we should also be taking into account in this mapping?"

Kyouka Inai has posed:
    Usagi's phone suddenly goes off, indicating a message. It's a partial text from Kyouka that just reads: "do the" and nothing else.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"It takes a sensitive person to detect them. Usagi wouldn't be able to - perhaps only Sailor Mercury might, and that with her Mercury Computer. Neptune, perhaps..."

"There's a Sailor Neptune?! LUNA?!" Usagi demands, jolting upright. Naru's questions save Luna's life, honestly. "There were - Wako-chan and Takuto-kun, Ms. Tragar-chan, Pluto-san, and another girl, I didn't really catch her name - "

And then her phone buzzes, and Usagi jerks up, grabs the phone, stares in blank horror - then goes scrabbling for her chest pocket, until she tears out a card - "Inai-sensei, help!"

Luna stares.

Naru Osaka has posed:
"Mmm." Naru accepts the listing of planetary options as just a thing, blinking a moment as Usagi is surprised by one of her senshi's existence.

Not just Naru lives in ignorance. It's a very popular location, apparently.

The names who were at the meeting come with various nods from Naru, some with little furrows of her brow as Usagi hits unfamiliar ones, but Naru tugs her notebook over to make some notes.

And then Usagi is calling for help? Naru joins Luna in staring. "Um?..."

Kyouka Inai has posed:
    Suddenly there's a body literally falling out of thin air in the middle of the room. No fancy flashes or sound effects, though there might be something that kinda sounds like fabric tearing, but its so fast it's hard to tell.

    The body hits the floor in the middle of the dorm room. It's dressed in white and gold (although the distinctive coat is pretty dirty and shredded in places) and has red hair, and for a moment you might think the body is dead, until it groans.

    "That.. was not my best showing." Stellar pushes herself up onto one arm, the other cradled against her chest, blood on her face although it doesn't appear to be from any really serious injury, just some abrasions on her brow.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Usagi notices the staring. She doesn't care, because she knows what's coming, the only one who knows what's coming - "Inai-sensei!"

It's not terrible, the damage, but she told him NOT to hurt her, to scare her instead -

"How bad is it? Did he - do you need a doctor? Naru-chan has a first aid kit!"

Naru Osaka has posed:
"Ah." Naru pushes up from the computer chair to move over to where her stash of medical things are. Antiseptic, gauze, tape, protein bars. Equipment for measuring blood oxygen and blood pressure. The important things for healing, be it physical or drain healing.

The basket might be pretty sitting on one of the shelves, fitting in with all of Naru's other irritatingly well organized things, but within is all business.

"Alright, what needs patching first?" Naru comes to crouch down next where Stellar is not actually bleeding on the carpet. A mercy for the housekeeping staff. She just automatically hands the mahou a protein bar. Sure it's vegan, but that's besides the point.

Kyouka Inai has posed:
    "It's.. alright, c'mon kids, back off a little, let a woman breathe." Kyouka's henshin disappears, leaving her in her normal clothes, which are remarkably undamaged, as that's the way henshin works, but unfortunately does not repair her injuries. They mostly seem superficial, but-

    "I think my fuckin' arm's broke," She mutters, still holding it against her chest. It doesn't look broken, it's not graphically twisted or anything, but that doesn't necessarily mean anything and she'd probably know. Other than that, most of her injuries appear to be scrapes and rapidly-forming bruises, the most obvious of which are the abrasions on her brow which must have been from her head smacking into something solid.

    "I'll live," She assures the fluttering Usagi after a moment, "But I should probably go to the hospital.." She tries to stand up, wobbles, and sinks back down to one knee. "After.. I catch my breath. Hey, thanks, Osaka-san. Sorry about this." As she takes the protein bar and eats it in like two bites.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Usagi is very reluctant to let Kyouka have her space, but especially since she can't actually help her injuries, she's reluctantly letting her do just that, making eyes at Naru of 'help!' and 'aaah!' and 'what do!'

A broken arm is not what she'd call not hurt, but, if Hematite considers a broken arm light - and a broken arm can get healed - you could break your arm falling down stairs -

"We've got juice, and I've got beef jerky too, if you need to eat more than just the protein bars," not that she doubts their power, but well, Naru is a vegetarian - "Did you ah," she doesn't want to ask if she hurt Hematite. Not in front of Luna. But it's written on her face.

Naru Osaka has posed:
"I'd aim for the chair as an intermediate step." Naru advises as she settles back a bit, close enough to be on hand, but not super close. There's no blood, Kyouka is conscious enough to be swearing about injuries.

Naru does set the medical basket aside and gets up to go retrieve a bandana to be able to offer it as a makeshift sling. "I'm going to guess that you do not heal quickly enough to just try and keep it still and dodge the x-rays and cast?"

It's almost like someone has been trying to figure out all the various ways people's powers manifest and have some clue on what some options are. Like healing more quickly.

Kyouka Inai has posed:
    "Your boyfriend is fine," Kyouka replies to Usagi's half-asked question, and if there's bitterness or a half-snarl in her voice, it's purely a product of the pain she is currently in. Even if the fight was, to put it bluntly, a show for certain eyes, it's hard to feel generous towards the guy who is responsible for big hurt in the moment when the hurt is still fresh. Especially for Kyouka, who tends to revert to 'wounded animal' mode when injured.

    She manages not to snap at Naru though, and allows herself to be guided into a chair. "A sling would be good," She sighs, cradling her arm but otherwise appearing more or less coherent. "I'll probably heal faster than a normal human but it's still going to take a visit to the hospital and a cast, I'm pretty sure."

    She glances up to Usagi, and there's pain in her grey eyes which currently resemble nothing so much as muddy volcanic ash, the pure grey dragged through the dirt. "Hematite.. had to make it look good. I honestly still don't know if it was enough. This," a gesture towards her injured arm, "is not serious enough to be considered a fitting punishment. But I am a slippery vixen, so hopefully 'she got away' will be a good enough answer."

    "Until they send somebody else, anyway."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"Boyfriend?" Luna demands, as Usagi's cheeks burn red. "Usagi, you - are you still fraternizing with Hematite?!"

"Luna, that makes it sound gross, and he's not my - he's - don't worry about it! He warned me about - I told him not to hurt you," Usagi says, and bites her lip. She'd told him to scare Kyouka silly, not hurt her. And her teacher's arm - sure there's no bones sticking out, no pouring blood (and thank heaven, she'd have passed out cold seeing that, she's sure of it) - is definitely broken. It's not the worst he could have done, probably, but -

"His friends... would have done worse. But that doesn't mean it's not bad. I'm - I'm sorry, Inai-sensei."

Had she done enough to stop him? And then - the thought of someone else coming after Inai-sensei - "You - but they already sent him! Why would they - wouldn't - wouldn't that be wasteful?" Usagi's blue eyes are wide with worry, her hands clenched to fists to keep her hands from shaking - worry has chased away the red that splattered her cheeks.

Luna, reluctantly shifting her attention to the records, is not amused.

Naru Osaka has posed:
"Is it worth trying to offer over the counter pain meds?" Naru asks as she leans in to very gently help get that busted arm cradled up into the makeshift sling. "Or are you just going to metabolize them so fast they might as well be tic tacs?"

Naru is absolutely listening to the comments about the fight, but she's letting Usagi ask those questions, and get that information. Technically outside her purview, and not something she's fully familiar with what exactly is going on there, but gathering up the bits of information to hold onto for now.

"So if you turn up here again, is there anything in particular you'd request I add to my stash of bandages and medical stuff?" Naru asks, although later might be a better time, Kyouka seems coherent enough to make requests .

She is also leaving all of the 'boyfriend' controversy between Usagi and Luna to be hashed out between a girl and her cat later.

Kyouka Inai has posed:
    "Yes, and you warned me, Usagi." Kyouka says, as she lets Naru put the makeshift sling around her arm, wincing but otherwise remaining stoic through the process. "You don't need to apologize. A.. little advice for Sailor Moon- you can't stop all the evil in the world. You do what you can. This isn't your responsibility. Not tonight."

    To Naru, she adds, "Ibuprofen would help, thanks. But I'm hoping this won't be a regular thing." A faint roll of her eyes as if to say, 'heaven forbid'. "These are extenuating circumstances. Your dorm room does not need to be my escape hatch. It puts you in danger, too."

    Back to Usagi. "They wanted him to stop me. To scare me off. He did enough to avoid them accusing him of not trying. But I'm not going to stop. And that means eventually they're going to try again. Probably with a different approach, since this one will have proved ineffective." She winces again as she shifts. Still somewhat effective.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"He warned me," Usagi says softly, not wanting to take all the credit. As upset as she is, and oh, she's upset, she reminds herself that Hematite - that Darien - is surely even more so. He really hadn't wanted to have to do this. As Inai-sensei offers her advice, she mumbles, "It's my responsibility to try and stop as much of it as I can."

She doesn't really want to take on responsibility for the whole world, and especially not for stopping all the evil in it. That sounded scary. But stopping evil where she could see it? And feeling bad when she couldn't? Well, that sounded like a pair of things she was going to have to be set with.

" They can't really think you're going to stop, can they? And if you don't... Inai-sensei, what you told us tonight is scary, and - do you really think they'll try to..."

Kill you, is what she means, and can't bring herself to say.

Naru Osaka has posed:
"If you know of things that would help you, that I haven't thought of, they might well help Usagi, or myself or anyone else in the dorms that needs patching up on short notice." Naru points out as she goes to get the ibuprofen and a glass of water.

"Also, for the record, I'm fine with our dorm room being an escape hatch, we're already in things up to our eyebrows around here. There's no sense you not having anywhere to escape to, or at least more options so that you aren't always escaping to the same place."

The pills and water are offered such that Kyouka can choose her own dosage.

Kyouka Inai has posed:
    Kyouka sends a sharp glance at Usagi, because what she just said was surprisingly insightful. It's not that she doesn't think Usagi capable of insight- just that she's surprised to hear it from the girl so early in her career. "Yes. You're right. It is your responsibility to stop as much of it as you can."

    "The trick is recognizing what you can, and what you can't. And not beating yourself up over what is out of your control. I signed up for this," A nod down at herself, indicating her injuries, "when I decided to stick my nose into this business. You don't need to feel bad for failing to stop my consequences."

    "Besides," her tone softens. "you warned me, and you helped me escape. You've done your part. Thank you." She sounds sincere, in that.

    And then she laughs. A little, almost self-satisfied chuckle. "They'll try, sure. They won't be the first. Doubt they'll be the last. Don't fret over it, though. I'm still here, ain't I?"

    Kyouka takes a few of the pills from Naru, pops them in her mouth and takes a swig of water to help them down. "I'm not saying I'll never use it again," she says, of the escape-hatch, "But if I have to use it often enough that you need special supplies to patch me up then I'm really not doing a very good job." A wan grin. "In general, though? Same stuff that helps ordinary people helps magical people too. They tend to need less of it, or for less time. But the actual needs aren't any different."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Usagi notices the sharp glance - but she's not sure what she did to earn it. Was she wrong? Clearly not, because Inai-sensei agrees with her, only -

Quite right. Your Inai-sensei is clearly experienced, Usagi. You did what you could, and you succeeded this time. Even if there was a boyfriend involved -"

"He's not my boyfriend," Usagi groans. "And - you don't get to team up with Inai-sensei, Luna, and - Inai-sensei - I guess I could only stop this if I could stop you, and I definitely can't so... Naru-chan is right. Don't be afraid to use our dorm to crash! Or just, us holding onto your card. Naru-chan's really good at keeping emergency supplies on her, and I... am not, but I'll try to hold off anyone!"

Oh she does not like the idea of taking on power that would scare off Inai-sensei, that sounded fatal, oh god -

"You're welcome. Maybe you can put in a good word for my teachers come fall." It's a joke, mostly! "You'd just better keep being here. What are we going to do if you get run out?"

Naru Osaka has posed:
"So what's the next steps? Beyond the immediate of calling you a cab to get to the hospital to get x-rayed?" Naru takes the water glass to be put away. "Or is that a question better asked in a few days when you are not in pain and likely thinking more clearly."

Naru is already putting things away, mostly trying to stay out of being right in the middle of the conversation between Kyouka and Usagi. There's layers of meaning there, and more guidance than generally comes out of Inai-sensei's official office.

Kyouka Inai has posed:
    Kyouka eases herself to her feet with a little bit of a groan. The improvised sling does seem to help, and she's steadier on her feet than she was a moment ago.

    "Don't worry, I don't plan on going anywhere. Voluntarily or otherwise." She smiles again, a bit more vigor in it. "Please don't put yourself in danger. Either of you." A glance at Naru as well. "But yeah, keep those cards on hand. You never know when I might need the help.. or you might. Don't forget they're actually supposed to be for you to call me."

    "I don't need a cab, I can get there." She assures Naru. "But thanks. And next steps? I outlined next steps at the meeting.. Usagi can give you the down-low. That's not being dismissive, it's just," A wince as she shifts. "Kinda want to get this taken care of."

    She heads for the door. "Take care, girls. And thanks again." A glance back at Usagi. "I owe you. And I owe Darien. Don't be too hard on him."

    And she's gone.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Usagi flops right back down as soon as Inai-sensei is gone, tipping her head back to stare up at the ceiling of her dorm. "Do you think I'll be a whirlwind like that when I'm grown up?"

Because that just seemed exhausting. She tucks the card back into a pocket and siiiiighs. "Where were we again?"

Luna leaps from the desk to land on Usagi's stomach with a soft thud. "Boyfriend. Explain, Usagi!"

"Isn't the end of the world more important?!"