1461/B'ware the Quacken

B'ware the Quacken
Date of Scene:	26 April 2024
Location:	The Golden Kingdom
Synopsis:	Makoto falls through the time portal onto the deck of a ship in the midst of a battle with a monster that leads to an unexpected reunion with Nephrite of the Silver Millenia Age. The two escape to dry land only for another portal to draw Makoto away to find her allies.
Cast of Characters:	Nephrite, Makoto Kino

---

Nephrite has posed:
The blindingly bright lights of the portal stab into the eyes with almost physical intensity as the sensation of falling, falling, falling continues beyond the point that one would actually managed to impact with the ground. That stomach wrenching sensation seems to draw out until it stops. Suddenly, abruptly, and yet oddly without the pain from an expected impending crash with solid ground. Instead the ground is simply solidly beneath the feet again. Up is up, down is down, and darkness the likes of which couldn't be found anywhere in Tokyo stretches around.

Sound suddenly rushes in again along with the other senses. Creaking wood. Splashing water. Cries of men filled with aggitation, excitement, and fear along with an alien sound of something screeching.

In the sky the only lights can be seen: Stars. More stars than one could imagine to see, stars that spun out in sworls, burned bright and solid, and over there the glow of a half-moon casting it's pale light on the world as the eyes once again begin to adjust to the lack of artificial light.

She was on a ship in the middle of the dark ocean at night. Sailors run to and fro tending to things as large waves crash against the side roughly making it impossible to remain completely dry for more than a few minutes.

Makoto Kino has posed:
Salt spray in the face is a pretty good reality check, at least.

Makoto blinks and sputters a little, grabbing instinctively for the nearest support as the world lurches underfoot. Her fingers close on the weathered wood of a railing; aware of people moving about with haste nearby, she pulls herself against it in some kind of effort to be out of the way. It takes another few seconds for her eyes to stop stinging enough for clear vision.

A ship. She's on... a ship? There's a blank, bewildered look on Makoto's face as she takes in the sight of her surroundings. "Where...?"

That she's quickly getting drenched barely registers, under the circumstances. She tips her face into the sea wind, but all it tells her is what she already knew: this is definitely not anywhere near Tokyo Bay.

Nephrite has posed:
None of the sailors seem to notice Makoto. Or to be more accurate, though they avoid her when it seems they might risk rushing across her spot at the railing. They otherwise pay no attention to her at all. It's as if she were invisible.

Their attire is a mix of uniform and simply older clothes as if some had rolled out of bed before getting fully dressed. Not quite an army, but not quite civilians either. Sailors all.

From the starboard side of the ship comes another wave spraying foam so that the deck becomes dangerously slippery. In the darkness of the waves rises a difficult to see figure as large tendrils rise to *thunk* heavily into the side.

Even with the grasp that Makoto has on the railing it becomes difficult to hold on because the ship starts to list dangerously to the side. The solidity of wood underfoot turns from 'this way down' to 'this way sideways'.

No doubt Jupiter could continue to grip onto the rail given her strength but the pull of gravity and the slipper deck make it very, very difficult. Just as it seems her fingers might slip loose there's a sudden strong arm around her shoulders.

Drenched to the point his curls cling to his shoulders stands Nephrite gazing down at her with a stern expression. His free hand thrusts a thick rope at her. "Here." His voice rasps out seeking to be heard above the din. "Wrap it around your wrist. Do *not* let go. And when I say 'pull'," he adds cryptically, "I need you to with all your strength."

At least around this point the ship seems to be caught frozen atop the crest of a wave. The stillness is breif. The sailors prepare for it to rock the other way in a similar fashion of grabbing ropes, lines, and some lining up with the same line intending to pull as well to swing sails around the other direction.

Makoto Kino has posed:
Makoto has just about enough time to peer into the darkness, trying to make sense of the indistinct shape that seems to loom out of the waves. Then the ship rolls dangerously underneath her, and all she has attention for is the sudden fight against gravity. "Ohshi--!"

She is not wearing the right shoes for this, and her feet slip on the wet decking, scrabbling briefly for purchase while her full weight hangs from her deathgrip on the railing. Then that arm around her shoulders, anchoring, steady. She looks up, and her eyes widen with startled recognition.

Before she can get her thoughts straight enough to say anything, he's shoving the rope at her. She grabs for it and coils it several times rapidly around her forearm to secure a proper grip, nodding briskly at the instructions. "Got it," she says, still a little breathless from the combination of surprise and adrenaline. Pull on cue - she can do that well enough.

Nephrite has posed:
Nephrite gives a single firm nod in approval of her response. For the breifest of moments the corners of his lips seem to curl into a ghosting of a smile in spite of the seriousness of the situation. It only lasts a heartbeat before his attention is pulled away again.

HIs head raises to call out to the men, "The Quacken is coming around again! Heave!" Somehow the throaty rasp of his voice cuts over the cacophony, yet he drops his voice to not yell in her ear. "Pull."

The solidity of his arm is removed from around her. His own grasp on the railing is released trusting now that she was secure. He slides across the deck only to fizzle out of view as he teleports leaving a dancing smatter of starlight where he had been moments before. Instead he reappears at the bow closer toward the creature that was attacking.

The 'screech' that echoes out now seems more like a 'WAKKK!' Tentacles rise again, but so too does a large figure covered in both feather, slimy scale, and beak. That had been no lisp when he warned of the Quacken.

Makoto Kino has posed:
"The what?" says Makoto, but there's no answer before the pressure of his arm against her shoulders vanishes and so does he. Nothing to do but let it go - maybe she misheard him. This is all confusing anyway, and she's got a job to do.

No time for hesitation. Bracing herself the best she can, Makoto sets her teeth and hauls against the rope, throwing all of her considerable strength against it. If something in this fails, it might be the rope or whatever's on the other end of it. It won't be Makoto Kino.

She's still pulling when the thing rises into plain view, in all its briny, slimy, absurd and horrible glory. The Quacken.

"...what," says Makoto, very flatly.

Nephrite has posed:
There's really not a lot of time to process the majesty that is The Quacken as those hauling on ropes have done their task properly. The riggings on the three masts of the ship are pulled by all involved to swing the sails to the side. They unfurl catching the wind to turn the ship broadside to the Quacken and the rope that Makoto pulls swings the sail arm out to *crack*( against it's beaked face.

The hit sends the Quacken reeling back with tentacles raising to flail in aggitation as it seeks to strike out and evade at the same time. The ship moves quickly bringing it just out of reach of the tentacles that descend to splash into the ocean where it had been scant moments before.

It's enough distance for Nephrite to lash out at the beast. His power builds and the stars in the sky seem to begin drawing together in a maelstrom within sky.

"Constellation Convergence!"

The whirlpool of constellations rain down on the Quacken in shards of light. Striking out from their age old home in the heavens, lending their power to lance through the creature again. And again. And again.

It's over quickly. What's left of the Quacken falls apart from being riddled with so many holes. The waves pull the remnants down into the depths where no prying eyes would find them once more.

The waves settle now, the rock of the ship slowing. A general cheer raises up from the weary sailors in relief at living to sail another day.

A weary Nephrite looks over his men only long enough to ensure their safety. They knew what they were doing. It was now time to stalk with long strides toward the unexpected stowaway on the ship.

Makoto Kino has posed:
If only every battle played out so well-choreographed. With most of her effort occupied by holding her end, Makoto can only watch with growing admiration: the way the sails fill and the ship turns, the well-aimed swing of the yardarm into the monster's face. The way the heavens open.

"Wow," she breathes, watching the blasted remains be swallowed by the ocean.

Of course, with the threat now past, all the many, many questions about what's going on quickly resurface. Makoto remains where she is, one hand gripping the railing and the other still tangled in the rope, and watches Nephrite's approach. When he's within easy speaking distance, she waves the arm that has the rope wound around it in vague illustration. "Is it safe to say I can let go of this now?"

Nephrite has posed:
"If you feel steady on your feet." The rasp to Nephrite's voice is obvious now that there was no need to keep screaming but it does cause him to stop. Awkwardly he clears his throat, a rough not-quite-cough, and he swallows a single time. Then tries again in a smoother yet still-deep voice.

"Lady Jupiter." He extends his arm slightly in offering in case she needs to steady herself still, all the while his gaze lingers on her. So similar yet different. Younger? Perhaps she merely looked younger due to being drenched from the spray.

"Were you so eager for the next seedlings I promised that you had to rush to see me? You could have been--" In danger? Her? He falters only to correct himself as he looks rather stricken at a realization. "Do you even know how to swim?" He had no idea if her planet had water on it or not.

Makoto Kino has posed:
The shift in the quality of his voice when he clears the salt hoarseness from it has her blinking, a split-second reaction. Oh. Oh, that was... okay.

In the wake of that instant, as the name 'Jupiter' leaves his lips, something presses behind her eyes. Something ancient, long-dormant, unknown and familiar all at once. An involuntary smile curves her lips, breaking into a quiet laugh at his question. "That, Lord Nephrite, is almost hurtful." Her tone is light as she lets go of the railing to rest her hand on his offered arm - more, it seems, out of something like courtesy than any need for balance. "I may not be Mercury, but a poor representative of my world I would be if I couldn't swim at all."

As she speaks, she deftly unwinds the rope from around her arm, though she keeps hold of the end of it rather than let it swing loose around the deck. Glancing down at herself, she frowns faintly; her other hand leaves his arm to pluck momentarily at her wet clothes like she doesn't recognize them.

When she looks back up again, whatever it was has receded, and she's Makoto again - still smiling, but more quizzically, brows drawn slightly together. "To be honest," she admits, "I have no idea how I got here. Everything's pretty confused."

Nephrite has posed:
When her hand touches against his arm for balance or not, he reaches over with his free hand to gently slide his fingers against hers to raise her hand up to his lips. A breif kiss his placed to the back of her knuckles while he gazes upon her with a look of mild mischeif. Once again her hand is laid back on his arm to just gently rest his overtop so the warmth of his larger hand can seep into her own.

"Be that as it may, the ocean is a far cry from the gentle pools of water I've seen when we visit the Moon Kingdom. I had to ask."

The difference in her attire is noticed again when she herelf seems to become aware of it. The lingering smile remains though an eyebrow lofts slightly at the confusion she admits to.

"Clearly it's Prince Endymion's fault, somehow," comes a light quip against his long time friend. "It generally is. Is your Princess about? That would certainly explain his involvement in whatever has gone awry."

With all teasing aside he stops again to regard her. Thoughtful, uncertain. Without a doubt it was her. Yet there were enough differences that he feels ill at ease. "We should get to dry land. Are you alright with teleporting?"

Makoto Kino has posed:
It stops her, that courtly gesture touched with mischief. The brush of his lips over her knuckles while his gaze holds hers. Rosy color rises in her cheeks, heating her face, and Makoto's thoughts just. Stop.

That other self fills the vacancy, so fluidly it's as if there's no change at all. It's Princess Jupiter who smiles back at him as he straightens, Jupiter who inhabits her tall frame with all the grace and confidence of born royalty. "The Moon is a walled garden," she replies with an airy tip of her head. "Tame and safe. Haven't I told you before that your wild green Earth is more like the world I came from?"

He asks after her Princess, and Jupiter glances around her with a sudden dismay at the thought of Serenity being anywhere near any of this-- "Perish the thought," she murmurs. Unless the Moon Princess is hidden away below decks, however, there's certainly no sign of her. "No, I don't believe this is Serenity's doing... and I admit, I can't fathom how it might be your Prince's either. Although you would know better than I in that case."

A sailor grabs the rope she was holding onto without breaking stride on his way across the deck, leaving Jupiter free to push her wet hair back from her eyes and peer along the horizon. "Teleportation seems the simplest solution," she agrees with a little sigh. "Short of staying here and waiting out the voyage." She's not keen to try flying when she has no idea where she is, or how far from land she might be.

Nephrite has posed:
"If I may, then?" A step to the side is taken to swivel on the ball of his foot moving in front of her. His sheer height and the width of his shoulders blocks her view of many things other than the night time sky with it's excess of stars.

The question that he had posed is made obvious when his free arm raises to hover at her side just waiting for permission before wrapping around her back to help hold her steady. The reasoning comes as he explains, "I'm told this can be disorienting at first. Focusing on something helps." All there was to focus on was him. A fact that is not lost on him, clearly, given his smugly satisfied smile.

The teleport is quick. Again she findds herself plunged into darkness that is broken up only by the stars that are so familiar to him. Zoisite's teleportation created a sworl of sakura blossoms. Nephrite's? A veritable explosion of dazzling shooting stars.

The light returns in a way that causes even Nephrite to flinch with a little grunt of displeasure as it causes him to squint. The place they were was inland, near the sea, but far more well lit inside the mansion that he returns to. They're in what looks to be a greeting hall near the front door. Though it's all relatively ornate there's a small layer of dust as if the place had sat unused for awhile until very recently.

Makoto Kino has posed:
Permission is granted with a little tilt of her head. There's a certain amusement in the lift of Jupiter's eyebrow and the way she smiles up at him, a look that suggests she is not much concerned about how disorienting teleportation may or may not turn out to be, but she accepts the support with no protest and the warning with good grace. "So noted," she replies, letting her hand rest light as a whisper against his mid-back, "thank you."

And then it's all stars - disorienting, yes, but exhilarating too. In the brief space of the teleport, maybe he'll get the chance to feel her breath catch and the pressure of that hand against his back increase slightly.

Then they've arrived, and Makoto blinks hard at the sudden change of light that dazzles against her eyes. Her first indrawn breath catches a mote of dust stirred up by their arrival; her free hand flies to cover her nose and mouth and she sneezes.

"...beg pardon," she says, wide-eyed, still muffled behind her hand. "Where is this?"

Nephrite has posed:
Nephrite glances around quickly to ensure there was no one else around when they arrived. There were likely others in the building, just not in this area. For the moment he forgets that he's standing lightly holding Makoto though at her question his attention once again returns to her.

"Ah. This is Prince Endymion's townhouse. One of them," he adds with a dour tone to his voice. Eyes roll upward to stare at the ornate chandelier overhead which sparkled with gold and gems that may nor may not be false. There's the slightest tone of exasperation with the rest of his explanation, as if this were a topic that had come up often and been ignored.

"He uses places like these when he wants to 'blend in' and appear to not be royalty. It's one of his 'hideouts.'"

There was nothing here that could even remotely be considered 'average'.

Makoto Kino has posed:
"'Blend in,'" repeats Makoto, in a blank tone that rather agrees with the hint of exasperation in Nephrite's. She takes a few seconds for a longer look around, craning her head this way and that as she takes in the lavish decor, the glittering chandelier.

The hand she used to stifle that sneeze wipes absently against her skirt. "I'm sure that works... perfectly?" The corner of her mouth twitches, and then she bites her lip with the effort of holding back the laughter that glitters in her eyes.

Nephrite has posed:
"Rarely." Amusement fills his voice. Even though it was clear this wouldn't work for 'blending in' he was sure Endymion had some reason for it. He wasn't that out of touch. That didn't mean he couldn't tease his friend over such choices.

The sneezing seems to finally remind him of their position. A single step back is taken, sharp and curt, to restore that hands-width of space between them that could be considered proper. Without thinking twice he reaches into his breast pocket to withdraw a handkercheif that is offered to her.

Except it's as soaked as they both were from the ship.

"Ah. The other rooms are kept cleaner no doubt. There's clothes in many. We should dry off lest we catch a cold. After, perhaps you can tell me what brought you to me today."

Makoto Kino has posed:
The offer of the soaking wet handkerchief is what does Mako in; she brings her hand back to her mouth again, this time to cover the laughter that bubbles up out of her. "Thank you," she says through the giggles, tickled and sincere in equal measure. "I think... getting dried off sounds like a very good idea."

How she's going to handle the rest - she's really not processing that yet. Dry first. Try to make sense of what's happening to her right now after. "Which way should I...?"

Nephrite has posed:
Nephrite clears his throat when the laughter comes. Though he often looked stoic he actually appeared a bit flustered over this particular slip up. Of course they were both soaked. They'd just teleported off the ship. Likely there was a bit of a puddle on the floor as well making this further embarassing.

Yet, a soft deep chuckle comes from him in turn watching her expression of amusement. Maybe it wasn't so bad.

"If you go down the hall, the doors on the left are filled with womens clothes. The right have mens, if you've a preference in Earth garb at least."

"Endymion has a habit of buying anything he thinks Princess Serenity would look good in." Which would likely not fit Makoto really, so he hastens to add with a glance away as if admitting to some awful crime, "There are also some items which might fit you and the other senshi." In their colors, too. Which meant that someone had to be picking clothes out for Princess Serenity's loyal guards.

Makoto Kino has posed:
She steps away maybe a little too quickly, flustered herself now and turning pink in the face again. "--got it," Makoto breathes. "I'll go have a look, I'm sure there's something that will work..."

All that poise and confidence that kicked in out of nowhere back on the ship sure has deserted her now. She scoots along backwards a few more steps, almost bows, but then catches herself. "Thank you," she says. "I'll meet you back here once--" Mako, please stop talking. More hurriedly now, she turns away and heads down the hall he indicated, to duck in through the first left-hand door she finds. Once it's closed behind her she covers her face with both hands and exhales a silent scream of sheer embarrassment.

On the bright side, once she's done freaking out, there are dry clothes. Nothing made for Serenity has a prayer of fitting Makoto, but enough rummaging around in the seemingly endless wardrobes eventually turns up some perfectly suitable garments in a shade of green which someone had to have picked out with her in mind. Earth Kingdom style, with intricate embroidery and a matching shawl she drapes around her shoulders. She's trying not to think too hard about how much the dress resembles the gown she pulled out of her own imagination using the fashion pen for the Princess Prom.

Nothing much to be done for her hair, but she squeezes as much of the wet out of it as she can with a towel and re-secures her ponytail before - more composed now - she ventures back out into the entry hall of the townhouse.

Nephrite has posed:
While she changes so too does he. At the very least it was far quicker and easier for him to find a change of clothes. It allows Nephrite to grab a few towels as well which he holds draped over one arm while standing vigil outside her door patiently until she emerges.

"Jupiter. I forgot to give you a way to dry your hair--" He begins while standing there dressed in breeches and a lace-front shirt of his own. Clean, dry, but with hair in damp coils where the curls brush over his shoulders causing him to appear not unlike some artists rendition of a pirate on the cover of a five-dollar romance novel.

He had intended to say more as he offers out the fluffy towel. Those intentions die instantly at the sight of her in the dress leaving him simply gazing at her with intense brown eyes. It takes a few moments for his manners to kick his brain into gear enough to offer a proper compliment.

"Lady Jupiter, you look--" The gears grind to a halt even as the words rumbling out from him do. He needs to finish that remark. He HAS to finish that remark.

"Cassiopeia would envy you."

Abruptly he looks away with a fist raising to cover a quick cough. "There's a fire in the kitchens that ought to warm you. If you'd care to join me."

Even as he explains this a light not far off begins to grow like daylight at the end of the hall. Warm, luminous hues of peach and orange struck through with white. He seems not to notice as the portal appears with his incessant tug trying to tempt and pull at the visitor to this ghostly replay of a time long ago.

Makoto Kino has posed:
Just like that, all the effort Makoto had put into regaining her composure goes right now the window. Ffft. Gone. Half the thoughts in her head short-circuit instantly just at the sight of him, straight off the cover of a Regency paperback romance and looking like he's wandered in off the moors or something.

Her mouth goes dry and her face heats; it's pure polite autopilot that has her moving to accept the towel he offers, the natural reflex to take things one is handed. And then even that fails her, because he's looking at her like that - Nephrite, who'd barely seemed to even recognize that Sailor Jupiter existed as far as Makoto could tell, most of the time - and he says that, and Makoto ducks her head to throw the towel over her hair before she combusts on the spot.

"Thank you," she says, very faintly, peeking up at him from under the fluffy fabric that half-hides her face. "I'd like that..."

Even as she says it, her eyes slip past him, toward the gathering glow of the portal. Oh. For a moment Makoto hesitates, torn. It's an answer, of sorts - at the very least it's an exit - but does she really want to go? Now?

Thinking about Usagi, she lets out a sighing breath. "Unfortunately, I think that," her towel-shrouded head tips toward the portal's light, "means the others need me. I... I'm glad I got to see you like this, though." She bites her lip, but the words have already been spoken. "Thank you, for the dry clothes. And everything else." Her voice all but dies away on those last three words.