Comeuppance and Desperation (Black Moon Clan)
| Comeuppance and Desperation (Black Moon Clan) | |
|---|---|
| Date of Cutscene: | 06 March 2025 |
| Location: | Black Moon Clan's Ship |
| Synopsis: | Rubeus has been... less than successful in his endeavors, recently. At a thoroughly unpleasant meeting, Demande makes it clear that he expects results, while Saphir enjoys his rival's discomfort. |
| Cast of Characters: | 280 |
| Tinyplot: | Black Moon Clan |
"- and that is the method by which Esmeraude and her lieutenants will return to our command in Crystal Tokyo," Saphir concluded, clicking his fingers. The droid operating the computer system obligingly tapped the next slide button, transitioning the presentation to a slide featuring a model of Nemesis in rotation over the words, Any Questions?
Humor had to be captured in the little things, after all. What was the purpose of victory, if one couldn't take pleasure in it?
And this was most certainly a victory - the victory of wit over whimpers, of brain over brawn. Rubeus had thrown the duelist's glove, hurled down the challenge, and Saphir had risen to the occasion, while their illustrious battlefield commander languished in the fallow field of failure.
"Would you like to step up and share your successes with us, Rubeus?" The words were practically purred, Saphir's face set in stone but his eyes alight with malicious satisfaction.
The question was a trap, after all. Esmeraude had already completed her presentation of successes, touting their massively inflated wallets, pantries, and wardrobes as the result of her crime spree through the rest of Japan.
Admittedly, none of them were quite sure what to do with the paper money, given that none of them had ever so much as purchased a scrap of clothing in their lives prior to their arrival in this primitive time, but it was still a success, and it till came along with a chart that trended positively, and satisfaction amidst their clan - Demande certainly wasn't complaining about the new cape he'd received, lined with well-treated furs to insulate and provide warmth. Saphir wasn't complaining either - the gold and jewelry would be useful as component pieces for further improvements to his projects.
( Wiseman never offered public complaints, and one of the few things they could all agree on was that they would not share the content of his private complaints. )
Even Rubeus hadn't been able to complain, not with the way he enjoyed the bottles of cologne he'd received. Saphir was quite certain the gift was meant to be an insult, but it was ever in Esmeraude's nature to turn a failure into a win, and claim she meant for the result all along.
But now, that was to be his downfall - after all, everyone knew that his most meaningful successes were:
"So, for my successes," Rubeus began two minutes later, standing at the front of the room in front of his presentation slides, "Of the targets we've gone after, both buildings were severely damaged, and Junichi Nomura is still in the hospital -"
"Was he not meant to be dead?" Saphir asked mildly. "And Tomioka, for that matter?'
Rubeus glared death, clenching useless fists. The rules of their management meeting if he stepped away, his presentation would be declared over, and they all knew he hadn't yet reported enough to turn a successful review.
"Questions are supposed to be held for the end," Rubeus grit out instead. "Please respect the rules of engagement."
The, you insufferable bastard, was unsaid but heard nonetheless. Saphir took pride in it.
"While the initial goal was indeed to kill each target, in Nomura's survival, we obtained proof of what the Serenity's ilk have long declared impossible: even Sailor Moon can succumb to Dark Energy. Flip to the next slide and play the clip."
The Droid operating the computer did not huff or otherwise express its growing disdain. It only obeyed, with a distinctive 'customer service' aura that Saphir was privately quite pleased to have successfully captured.
On the next slide, was a video of shaky camera footage, depicting Koan's final moments - and even Saphir had to admit to finding the sight of the Legendary Sailor Moon in the throws of hatred somewhat invigorating. A glance at his brother showed that to those so inclined, the sight was more than just somewhat invigorating. There was a light in Demande's eyes, vindictive and wanting, and in him Saphir could see the same fervor that has ordered the deployment of an obelisk of the Malefic Black Crystal be deployed to poison the Earth.
It was the cruel light of his brother's love.
"Those eyes," Demande murmured, as the video showed the girl who would be Serenity's descent into brutality, the rise and fall of her symbol of office as it bludgeoned Koan's skull repeatedly. Her fellows were fighting too - the one who called herself Sailor Chalpoyrite, the ice-summoning figure currently listed only as Butler 1 in the Sisters' notes, and a mysteriously duplicating girl with pink hair to match her pink dress - but they collectively commanded a mere moment of attention compared to the show that was Serenity's brief fall.
"What a woman," he thought he heard his brother whisper, and rolled his eyes. Honestly. Could his brother not forego that silly crush for even a moment?
"As you can see, brutality evokes brutality, and hatred creates hatred." Rubeus commanded for the slide to change, and Berthier's death at the hands of another group of plucky young not-Senshi was photographed, before it transitioned to an image of Petz, striking down an enemy as she was struck down in turn. "Our enemies grow stronger when they rely on their hatred, just as we have always known. In fact, some of them wield the Dark Power as we do, and consider themselves gifted with it."
Well, that was true. It was pleasing to see their philosophy validated. It hardly counted as success though.
"And it was only through wasting the resources at your disposal that you could validate what we already knew to be true?"
For this interruption, there was no reminder that questions were to be reserved for the end. For all Rubeus' boorish behavior, his blunt object sensibilities, he respected their prince too much for casual disrespect.
The struggle was clear on Rubeus' face - the desire to be truthful and earnest, as he always was with Demande, and the conflicting desire to save his own skin and gloss over his failings.
"With the gift of hindsight, I see the ways I should have handled matters differently. Delegating two of my lieutenants at a time, to give them more support, prioritizing infection with Dark Energy over outright provocation - I have learned from my errors, my prince!"
And there it was, the uncomfortable satisfaction of witnessing a peer's desperation in a public setting.
"And yet the tangible results of your efforts are few and far between. The Senshi are not dead. This time is not irreparably damaged. The Rabbit remains out of our hands."
"What would you have me do? I will fulfill your every demand. In all this, I've gained knowledge. I will find the Rabbit! I will break the Senshi! I will -"
"Get me Sailor Moon's... identity."
There was a pause, lengthy, and then Rubeus bowed his head. "You'll know exactly who she is, before Esmeraude even sends her first transmission back."
Demande smiled, thin and insincere. Saphir did not shiver, because that look wasn't aimed at him, and was satisfied to see that Rubeus did.
"I'm holding you to that."
