2148/Twice As Many Stories

Twice As Many Stories
Date of Scene:	07 December 2024
Location:	Tsukino-Osaka Dorm
Synopsis:	After the Rabbit Hunt, and after all findings and healings and helpings have taken place, Usagi and Mamoru eat dinner with Chibiusa and talk about almost anything but what happened.
Cast of Characters:	Mamoru Chiba, Usagi Tsukino, Chibiusa Tsukino

---

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
It's been a hell of a day. In fact it'd been poor Makoto's birthday, and she's been Heavily Advised to sleep the rest of it off. They'll have to get her sweets another day. The least of their problems, but the one that rankles Mamoru the most.

It's early evening after all the finding, collecting, healing, partial healing, sorting out how to avoid the cops and EMS while in henshin...

At least Chibiusa was reunited with Luna-P.

Mamoru said he'd be back with dinner in under half an hour, and he's as good as his word. It's comfort food and favorite flavors, all, and he calls in a quiet hellooo as he pushes the door open with his hip, both his hands full.

Under his arm there appears to be... ... a stuffie?

He starts to unload his many holdings, different kinds of dinner foods and requested flavors of beverage and desserts. "I reserve one piece of karaage, at least," he says before taking out the sashimi he got for Luna and Anko.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Usagi is stretched out on Naru's bed, for the sole reason of not wanting to climb up to her own when Mamoru gets back. She's exhausted to the bone between that fight and the healing and the self-purifying, and she still kind of wants to crawl into Wako's hamster ball and listen to Coco sing, but the stinging-burning-buzzing sensation is out from under her skin, at least.

They'd all made it out, fighters and civilians alike, and she's grateful for that, but also? Deeply, deeply worried.

The fact that Makoto's birthday outing was ruined is one of her big worries, what grinds her gears, but mostly, it's the knowledge that this isn't over - and that the little girl in her room is a target - that's got her heart in knots.

She's been trying to decide if she wants to bring it up, to ask Chibiusa, when she's had such a hard day, and hasn't worked up the courage to do it without Mamochan -

And then Mamochan is back, bustling in with food, and she hauls herself up into a seated position, making grabby hands for food.

"I'll save you two and that's all I can promise."

Chibiusa Tsukino has posed:
    It has been a rough day.

    Chibiusa is sitting on her bunk, looking down over Usagi's desk. She's holding Luna-P in her arms and staying inside away from any windows. The bed in this position gives her a little alcove to hide in, and she's making full use of that.

    The Black Moon Clan might not be able to reach her here right now, but how sure of that is she? How long will that last? She used to think that the palace was safe, too.

    Worse than that, people got hurt again, and it was all her fault. Chibiusa's eyes have gone towards the resting, exhausted Usagi several times, looking for a chance to take the Silver Crystal. If she could just have that gem, she could go home and resolve all of this...

    Or so she thinks. How sure is she of that, really?

    When Mamoru returns, she pokes her head out a little further. The smell of food lures her out. Her eyes go towards the stuffie for a moment, before returning to Mamoru.

    "Welcome back," she says, before starting to climb down from her bunk. At some point she got a proper ladder so that she wouldn't be stepping on Usagi's homework all the time. Luna-P hovers after her and starts to lackadaisically float around the room while Chibiusa takes a seat on the couch.

    She takes a bit of food and quietly eats it while her eyes glance at Mamoru and Usagi. She feels safer here than she did out there, but... 'safety' is a very relative statement in this situation.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Some of the food that Mamoru brought is probably familiar to Chibiusa, possibly a lot of it. That might be surprising for Chibiusa, that the same kinds of foods exist back home, but then-- wouldn't they have just made sure to keep the foods they like around?

"Two is very fair," Mamoru nods, then leans to kiss the top of Usagi's head. He takes the stuffie out from under his arm.

It's a teddy bear wearing a tuxedo and a little felt cat-eye style mask, just like Mamoru's, and Mamoru holds it out toward Chibiusa. "This is Tuxedo Kuma," he says firmly. "He kept me company when I was in the hospital without any of my power, he was a gift from a friend of ours, Rashmi. He can be a little judgmental, but... I think that means he'd get along pretty well with Luna-P."

He takes a breath, then smiles again, a little more gently now. "I'd like you to have him." Then, wry and-- some uncertainty, awkwardly self-aware, "Or even just let him keep you company, too. I mean, if you'd like to."

Chibiusa Tsukino has posed:
    Food doesn't really change that much in 1000 years, especially when you start throwing immortals into the mix. Chibiusa looks at the meals that are normal for this era and thinks they're a little dated but... she's been here long enough to get used to it. It still tastes good and, frankly, isn't that far away from what she'd get back home. The shape and arrangement may be different, but the basic material is the same.

    Mamoru presents Chibiusa with a stuffie and... for once, it really does feel like she's back at home. Having dinner with mom and dad, while dad gives her a new toy. Yet this one is special. It's something that was gifted to him, and it has a story behind it. Rashmi... wasn't that one of the people who was here when she arrived?

    She reaches out to take Tuxedo Kuma, holds it in both hands, feels the felt of the mask beneath her thumb. "You're giving him to me?" she asks. She considers what will happen when she has to go back home... would it really be fair to take such a thing with her, knowing that Mamoru might never see it again?

    Well, that's something to worry about later. She holds the teddy bear in her arms for a moment while Luna-P settles down next to her. "Thank you. I'll take care of him. Does he have a favorite thing he likes to do? Games he likes to play?"

    She keeps eating bits of food here and there, but now she's doing most of the food grabbing exclusively with her right hand, while her left arm stays around the plushie. She's not going to get Tuxedo Kuma dirty this quickly!

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
The gifting of Tuxedo Kuma is greeted with a smile, Usagi's spirits lifting slightly the wholesome scene.

"Aw, Tuxedo Kuma's going to come live with us for a bit? That's nice! Chibiusa-chan, if you want, you can have him and Plushxedo Mask have little tea times together," the offer is made while she gestures up with her chopsticks, towards her own bed - up there, in the mess, is her own Tuxedo Mask plush, a treasured gift from a friend. Chibiusa might be a little too mature for that kind of game, but then again, maybe not.

"He's much nicer than Plush Kale Smoothie-san, who mostly just reminds us to eat plenty of vegetables." There's a moment of quiet, a moment of hesitation, and then she just decides to say it -

"Chibiusa-chan, do you know who those people were, and why they were after you?"

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
A silly tension goes out of his shoulders when Chibiusa accepts the gift, and Mamoru smiles brighter, pushing his glasses up. "His favorite thing he likes to do is people-watch, so sometimes I have him sitting in a window looking out. He's so soft, he kept Usako company in that hospital room, too."

Then he laughs as he pulls over one of the desk chairs and folds himself into it, making a plate of a little of this, a little of that. He's surprised Anko hasn't beelined for the sashimi, but then, she's probably busy stalking the jungle.

"As far as games go, he doesn't play many, but he does know some clapping rhymes from first grade, and I can teach you those later if you like."

And then Usagi talks about Plush Kale Smoothie-san, and Mamoru is very glad he hasn't taken a bite yet, because it makes him laugh, and then there's a moment of quiet that Mamoru uses to take a bite of his karaage while it;s still crispiest, which means that his mouth is full when Usagi asks her question.

His gaze slides over to the pink-haired little girl, but he recommences chewing.

Chibiusa Tsukino has posed:
    Chibiusa would probably feel more like playing games if people weren't trying to murder her, but that's not the world that she gets to live in. Instead she's getting asked a pretty reasonable question from a person who has every right to be concerned, and yet she's freezing up. How can she even answer something like that? She holds Tuxedo Kuma a bit more tightly, and stops picking up food.

    "No. I don't know who they were." Actually a pretty honest answer, since they just kinda showed up one day and ended the world. "They're bad and they hurt people, so what's there to know?"

    Not a very good answer, and Chibs knows this. She knows that Usagi wont be satisfied with just that. Yet she doesn't really trust her to make the right choices, and she doesn't know what will happen if she gives away too much, and she's afraid of messing everything up again even more, and she thought she had all the time in the world but now...

    Chibiusa is still frozen up, quietly hugging the teddy bear. She's not eating right now.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
It's not a satisfying answer. It's not one that Usagi wants to accept at all, given that she's said only the obvious -

But Chibiusa is small and frightened, is hugging what's only her second toy in the whole world, and arrived from the ceiling with nothing but the clothes on her back and a magic toy she almost lost today.

So though it's clear in her eyes that Usagi wants to ask more questions - she doesn't.

"...you've been a real mystery to us, this whole time, Chibiusa. I wish you had told us you were scared because of bad people, but that's okay. We're going to protect you from them, no matter what."

And with that decided, she starts chomping on karaage, piece after piece devoured in just a few quick bites each. Food isn't more important than Chibiusa and her secrets, but it is more important than interrogating her.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
She said they were here like she'd seen them before, like they were following her, and they were obviously specifically going after her--...and she expected the Senshi of Time and Relative Dimension in Space to know her. And she said she'd always eat Mako-chan's cooking. And her name was Usagi Tsukino but she wasn't a counterpart. And she wanted to know if counterparts could love each other...

'I needed to go someplace no one could follow me.'

Mamoru swallows his own bite of karaage and pushes his hair out of his glasses with the back of his wrist, then says, "You know Charon," instead. "Isn't she sweet? She's one of the people who would help us."

'--if such a person existed--'

And then there are all the other Senshi, and my Shitennou, and all our friends, like Rashmi-chan and Star Devil-- the one who had the Device that kept yelling things out-- and so many other magical kids at least 25-- we'll have so much help, they'll be sorry they ever came here."

'I don't mind cats. Especially cats who talk.'

And then he leeeeans over to reach and snag Chibiusa's foot to give it an affectionate little shake. "For as long as you're here, you can think of us as family, okay? Not to replace your real family, but... you're already being Usako's cousin, right?"

'Die, like the rest of your--'

Chibiusa Tsukino has posed:
    "If you gave me the Silver Crystal you wouldn't have to worry about any of them," she says matter of factly, then takes another bit of food with one hand. "I'll make them all go away. They wont hurt any more of your friends. I wont even need yours after they're all gone."

    Chibiusa's willingness to do justifiable murder might be one of the clearest indications of whose child this is. That might not be obvious now, with so much being unknown about her, but one day in retrospect...

    She's not a very good liar, though. She's not good at keeping secrets. Especially not with two parents and several close family friends who have either psychic intuition or emotional intelligence. Or both. There's a lot of little breadcrumbs she's left behind, and in part she's slightly screwed by the fact that her situation isn't even that unusual here. In fact it was one of the first things they assumed about her.

    At the mention of Charon, Chibiusa looks up, then glances off to the side. "Pluto's apprentice. I didn't even know she had one. She's nice, and Luna-P likes her, but... honestly, I don't know any magic other than what the Senshi use."

    Mamoru shakes her foot and, Godoka help her, she feels like she's at home again. Her heart breaks a little bit, because she knows this isn't the same world, but... maybe on some level they really are the same people as her parents back home. The same nature...

    "I am your family, obviously. I'm Usagi's cousin!" she says with a slightly smug 'I know you know I'm lying' smirk.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"Of course we'd still have to worry about them," Usagi disagrees, though her words are a little muffled by a bite of karaage. She finishes with a swig of fruity punch and levels a steady gaze on Chibiusa. "Because even if I did give you my Silver Crystal - and I totally can't, by the way - you would still have enemies after you. We would still be worried, about you."

Chibiusa's willingness to both consider murder and her determination to handle things on her own are both being considered, but mostly, Usagi is concerned with her. Her well-being and safety are especially paramount now that Usagi has seen the kind of people who are after her.

This lost little girl is alone, after all, with no parents to help her, utterly unwilling to even speak of her parents. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that something is desperately wrong there.

"Charon-chan is pretty new. She only started being Pluto-san's apprentice this year. If you wanted, we could introduce you to all kinds of Mahou; between me, Mamochan, and Naruchan, we know just about everyone.... maybe you could about more than just Senshi."

Where did she learn about Senshi magic? About Pluto? Maybe she'll slip up? It's like playing Ace Attorney, desperate to avoid the trick questions for the witness.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"Not even the Silver Crystal could make them just disappear, all at once," says Mamoru, and he's thinking of Paris, resurrected, and he's thinking of that city in Chibiusa's memory, razed. He sounds apologetic. But then his mouth curls up in a smile at Chibiusa's smirk. "Usagi's cousin. Sure," he agrees indulgently.

She knows he knows he's lying, and he doesn't mind.

"Even if you decide to keep your secrets and keep trying to get the Silver Crystal, you can still run to us, or here to the school. I know what it's like to be little and scared and lonely."

Then he finishes off his first piece of karaage and picks up his second while Usagi's still talking, and Mamoru grins behind a hand with food in his mouth, then chews and swallows fast so he can add, "We really do know just about everyone, all together. And there are so many kinds of magic-- but there's only one Dark Energy, and we know how to deal with it."

An exaggeration, possibly, but in theory all they need to do is get Sailor Moon to purify the world, and--

Chibiusa Tsukino has posed:
    Of course a single Silver Crystal isn't going to fix anything. Chibiusa knows that. That's why she needs to have two of them. Getting two magic gems will solve it. That's how it works, right?

    Granted it'd be more convincing if she could actually use the one she already has. Since these two aren't likely to change their minds, she wordlessly scowls while chewing on a piece of karaage.

    Somehow the thought of Usagi and Mamoru knowing everyone in town doesn't surprise her as much as it maybe should. She's seen them interacting with enough diplomats to realize that they weren't using Charisma as a dump stat. Yet it's still weird to think that not only are there all kinds of mahou who aren't senshi running around, but many of them are friendly. A bit different than in her world, where you have the senshi and the darkness and that's it.

    "You couldn't get rid of me if you wanted to," threatens Chibiusa. Again, without clarifying anything. She doesn't know whether or not a DNA test would reveal anything strange about her, but at the very least she could argue that she is technically family and therefore legally their problem. Granted, if the DNA of Usagi and Mamoru matches exactly the DNA of their counterparts... well, that's a nuclear option that Chibiusa doesn't want to use.

    But she could.

    "Anyways, I basically have to stay here now that those idiots have shown up. I think I've said before that they'd be really stupid to follow me here, and here they are."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"No one was even planning on getting rid of you," Usagi points out with exasperation, stuffing her face with some rice spiced with furikake now. "I mean, when we thought we could dump you with your parents, sure, but you've made it pretty clear that's not an option, so of course you're living with us."

She huffs a little.

"Besides, you'd probably just brainwash my Mama and Papa and Shingo-kun so you could live with them, the way you did the RA, if we tried.

Oh yes, she is aware the RA was brainwashed! She's sure of it, because there's no way that woman would have moved a five year-old in with a pair of fifteen year olds otherwise. She's not even sure if it's legal for five year-olds to live in dorms. That seems kind of young.

"We'll figure it all out eventually. If you actually 'are in my family, you have to know none of us are any good at secrets. The longest secret I ever kept was Hemachan, and that lasted like what, four months before Rei-chan and Minako-chan found out?"

(Hemachan might just happen to be another thing Chibiusa is unfamiliar with, the story of Mamoru's time on the side of evil being one not too often mentioned in the present day.)

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Two Silver Crystals is way better than one. If one is good, more is better. That is definitely how it works.

Mamoru watches Chibiusa scowl as she eats her food, and he ducks his head and smiles at his plate as he starts to eat his own. She's so cute when she's mad. And how vibrant and alive and opinionated, and how very unlike...

The tall folded-up boy interjects, "I'm glad you're staying. I mean, you didn't move into my already shared bedroom, so I have less of a say, but I'm very glad you're staying." He nods to what Usagi says--

('I think I've said before...') ('I don't know who they were.')

--and laughs at Usagi huffing. And honestly, Chibiusa could be a member of Usagi's family. She's so familiar, somehow, he thinks to himself. There's already a connection. He also thinks maybe they should give Chibiusa her own communicator, to call for help when she inevitably wanders off on her own.

"We were really bad at keeping that secret," Mamoru objects mildly. "We stretched the Veil to a fare-thee-well. But as far as people actually knowing for sure we were dating, yeah I guess it took a while. Neither of us told." A beat. "Actually I think I told Hannah."

Chibiusa Tsukino has posed:
    It seems like every villain and their mother has at some point tried to stop Usamamo from happening, or at least it seems that way to Chibiusa. As the child of that very union, it's difficult not to take that a little bit personal. Like, gosh, what does the universe have against her?!

    Chibiusa does squint and frown at the idea of Usagi and Mamoru dumping her at her parents. She is biting her tongue so hard while glaring at her future alternate-mom. She crosses her arms and looks away from Usagi. Luna-P makes a beep sound that resembles laughter. "Yeah well... It's not my fault you got kicked out. Maybe if you had better grades we'd be over there instead!"

    No denial on the brainwashing.

    "Does that mean you know you can't hide the Silver Crystal from me? May as well not bother, right?"

    She gives Mamoru a sideways glance, then starts to open up again. "Well, in as far as my opinion matters, you two should try to make it last. Even if Usagi's grades don't improve."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"Wh- HOW DID YOU KNOW THEY KICKED ME OUT?"

Oh, Usagi-chan, you didn't have to confirm that to the little one. But she's gone from concerned and quiet to sputtering and waving her arms, so maybe Chibiusa prefers that sort of loud atmosphere to a more quiet and contemplative one.

"I will have you know that it's great that I came to live in the dorms, because it means since you decided to move-in with me, you're safer! With the Crystal Heart up, Dark Energy is super weak here, and I even saw it work on those guys - the lightning and water attacks they tried to send after you just fizzled out into sparks and bubbles.

"So really, you should be happy Mama made me come live in the dorms, since you shoving your way into me and Naru-chan's room means you're about as safe as anyone can be."

She crosses her arms and sticks her tongue out at Luna-P's beeping laughter.

"I'll have you know my grades are way better. I have a C minus average this semester!" And for her, that really is better. What a world. What a girl. "...thank you, though. Mamochan and I are going to make it last. We're already engaged, and we've figured out when we want to get married, and everything."

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Mamoru grins again and tucks himself further into his chair, settling in to eat while Usagi flusters and squawks at Chibiusa. He's almost done with his yaki onigiri, and he finishes it up around when Usagi's thanking Chibiusa.

"We're a package deal. If you want, you can see the video of when I broke Usako's record by proposing to her on livestream," Mamoru says cheerfully. "And we're tentatively getting married in five years-- or maybe two, depending-- on June 30th."

He steals a piece of Usagi's food off her plate.

Chibiusa Tsukino has posed:
    It probably will not negatively affect Chibiusa's existence if these two don't make it work, but... a part of her feels reassured that this world will one day likely have a Small Lady of its own. If such a romance can work regardless of universe, maybe some things really are fated.

    The rest of it is... hm. Interesting. Often children get tired of hearing the wonderful story of how their parents met and fell and love, because they've heard it over and over again, but this is a bit different. These are entirely new stories.

    Wait... does having two pairs of parents mean she gets twice as many stories?! Maybe there's an angle she can work here, with like... multiple birthdays and multiple Christmases and...

    Speaking of birthdays, June 30th comes up and, well, of course he'd propose to her on that day. She's mid-bite into a steamed bun when she hears it. It actually takes her a moment to respond because the cats back home would have a heart attack if she spoke with her mouth full. Once she swallows, "June 30th. So like... on your birthday?"

    Poor Chibs has no idea that it's actually not Usagi's birthday here. She's also not going to mention that it's her birthday, too. At least not yet.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Luckily for Chibiusa? Usagi has no idea that in another universe, June 30th is her birthday. Instead, she's just assuming -

"Ahaha, no, though Mamochan really does seem like the sweet sort who would want a our wedding on my birthday, doesn't he? But nope! My birthday's on March 31st! But in June, between my birthday and Mamochan's, we're only a year apart, you know? So in two years on June 30th, I'll be seventeen and he'll still be eighteen."

And they'll be adult enough that it won't feel like trying to outrun a clock, when they tie the knot on the Moon in a wedding that only those who truly know them will be able to attend.

"Our other choice is when I'm twenty and Mamochan is twenty-one... because I don't think we'll be able to wait that much longer, you know?" She doesn't want the conversation to linger or get stuck on the thought of the Fade, so she steamrolls over it. "The sooner we get married, the sooner I can be Mamochan's housewife!"

Her greatest ambition...!

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
'On your birthday'--

Mamoru adds this to his pile of Weird Things Chibiusa Says.

"The anniversary of when we met is when I proposed, which was a week beforehand, I guess that would make more sense as a romantic wedding date," he teenaged prince says thoughtfully after picking up his ginger beer. "But I really liked June 30th. In 2026 it's a Tuesday, in 2029 it's a Saturday, and 2029 was the first one we set..."

He takes the top off and carefully swirls it in the bottle to kick up the settled ginger particles, then takes a swig and lets it burn in his mouth before swallowing. "I still think we should do both weddings. If you haven't gone home yet, Chibiusa-chan, you should be in it! Either. Both."

He does NOT address 'housewife', he just laughs quietly.

Chibiusa Tsukino has posed:
    That actually does get a reaction from Chibiusa. "What do you mean it's not your birthday?!" Her mouth is agape as she stares at Usagi with wide-eyed horror. She stands on top of the couch, holding Tuxedo Kuma in one arm while aiming an accusatory finger at Usa Major with the other. "You're lying! I bet I can find your school records and prove it!"

    Luna-P's eyes, for once in its life, change. They turn into something that looks like a pair of smartphone screens. They scroll through a list of Radiant Heart's school records before settling on Usagi Tsukino's name. Unfortunately for Chibiusa's worldview, Usagi's birthday is exactly as she said. She is dumbstruck.

    Chibiusa, defeated, sits back down on the couch. They were supposed to have the same birthday. That's not fair.

    "Well, June 30th is my birthday," she says with a pout. She doesn't communicate why it matters to her what day Usagi's birthday is. "I don't know if I'll be around for the first one, and I'm pretty sure I wont see the second, but if I'm around... sure. I'd like to see that."

    A chance to see her parents' wedding... even an alternate version of it, would be interesting at least. She'd have her own memories, rather than just seeing some old videos and photos.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
If there's a reaction Usagi wasn't expecting, from a simple biological fact, it's that one, but Chibiusa looks dumbstruck and horrified all at once, and Usagi stares at her with wide-eyed surprise.

"But? I'm not lying?! Why would I lie about my birthday?!" Hey, hey, Chibiusa-chan, why does it matter so much -

But before she can ask, Luna-P is bringing up all kinds of documents, that look like -

"Hey, your little toy should not be able to get into those!" Those are private records! ...but at least they prove she's not lying. And yet? Chibiusa looks sad about that fact, and -

"Oh, aw, did you want us to have the same birthday?" That's cute! Scooching from the bed, she reaches over to Chibiusa and gives her a quick hug, escaping before retaliation can occur! "I'm sorry to disappoint you, Chibiusa-chan. How about, instead, we do something to celebrate just you, when June rolls around? And when the wedding comes, if you're still with us, you can even be our flower girl."

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Blinking in surprise, Mamoru leans back a little, eyebrows up. That is quite a reaction from Chibiusa-- and such a strange one--! And Luna-P being able to get into the school's records is... it should probably be more concerning than it is, but after having been Darien and not having a problem being Mamoru thereafter, Mamoru's of the opinion that the school records are as bullshit as Obsidian's.

And then the reason comes out and Mamoru's expression softens. He nods to what Usagi says, and adds, "And it's two and five years away, it's not like the date's set in stone. We can do it on the 23rd, when we met! Or some other day. It doesn't have to be your birthday, you should be able to celebrate that without it also being a wedding anniversary."

Finally, Mamoru stands up, tossing his paper plate and disposable hashi, and leans to ruffle Chibiusa's hair-- and then Usagi's, with a grin. This time, in his touch, there's just warm affection. "Usa, maybe you can check with Luna over whether we can get Chibiusa-chan a communicator so she can call for help. Right now, I need to go home and get an essay done after all that. Pray for me."