788/After the Ball

After the Ball
Date of Scene:	21 October 2023
Location:	Dorms #2
Synopsis:	The day after Princess Dia's Masquerade Ball, Usagi Tsukino runs straight to Makoto Kino. After all, she's Sailor Jupiter!
Cast of Characters:	Usagi Tsukino, Makoto Kino

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Usagi Tsukino has posed:
The Masquerade Ball of Princess Dia may have ended without a Silver Crystal - and some pretty painful bruises - but it had gone pretty well nonetheless, Usagi thinks happily. Sure, the Dark Kingdom had picked a fight and a fake Sailor V had shown up, but she'd danced with Mamochan, laughed with her friends, drank a glass of something very bubbly, when the fight was over, and most importantly, had found that her newest dear friend was her ally!

Her ally, even, not just an ally in general!

The trip home didn't particularly stick in Usagi's memory - that bubbly drink had been tasty, and she'd managed to drink two more before someone pulled her away from the serving tray, and then there had been a trip home with Mamochan and someone sparkly who may have been Kazuo-kun and someone else who was decidedly Naru-chan - but it was hazy and dreamlike, and always would be. The morning after, however? That was memorable, particularly with the way Usagi woken up by Luna landing feet first in her stomach, her name shouted loudly, "USAGI-CHAN, WAKE UP!"

The wind was knocked right out of her. So was the sleep. Usagi wheezed in the betrayed agony of a cat owner who had forgotten her cat was actually a demon straight from the bowels of the underworld. Her head ached.

"Luna... why..."

"You were oversleeping," Luna said without shame or regret, settling into a loaf right there on Usagi's stomach. "You need to wake up! We must speak with Makoto-chan right away!"

"That couldn't have waited until -" Memory crashed back into place, almost as shocking as Luna's waking tactic. "Oh! Oh!"

A good twenty minutes later, Makoto's dorm room door was being knock-knock-knocked on.

Makoto Kino has posed:
At this hour of morning, Makoto is up and dressed and has already hit the cafeteria for breakfast, so she's fully alert and put together as she opens the door to Usagi's knocking. "Usagi-chan! And Luna, good morning. Come in!"

In contrast to Usagi and Naru's room, Makoto's is pretty sparse - it's clear she hasn't done a lot to settle in, and there's no sign of a roommate. There's a potted plant by the window, though, and a framed picture on the desk.

"I guess we have a lot to talk about, huh," Makoto says with a wry smile. "I wish I could offer you some tea or something, but..."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"Good morning, Mako-chan! Don't worry about tea, it's so early!!" It's really, really not. It's like eleven am.

Nonetheless, now that she's been welcomed, Usagi happily makes her way through the door, as does Luna, prowling about Makoto's ankles briefly in greeting before settling herself on the desk - not too close to the framed picture, but with enough room to stretch herself out.

"We do. We do! Mako-chan, I can't believe you're Sailor Jupiter!"

It's a good thing the door was probably closed behind them. Luna sighs, looking deeply amused. She's got a communicator wrapped about her leg like a bracelet, and she shakes it off delicately.

Makoto Kino has posed:
"And you're Sailor Moon!" It was definitely a good thing the door was already closed before the exclamations started. Impulsively, Makoto catches Usagi in a hug before stepping back again. "I'm glad it's you," she says, alight with sincerity. "But - what does this all mean? What was that whole thing last night even about?"

The framed picture on the desk, if Luna pays it any attention, is of a man and a woman standing close together, smiling into the camera. From the resemblance, it's clear these must be Makoto's parents - from their youthful faces, it's equally clear that it's not a recent photo.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"I am, I am!" There is a hug returned, Usagi squeezing at Makoto with more strength than one might expect from her - soft and sweet as she is, months of self defense classes and fite club have started putting muscle on her frame. "It's um, honestly all kind of complicated, but Luna and I are here to explain! Hey, related, would you mind if she spent the night sometimes? Asking before she just does it, the way she does with Ami-chan and Rei-chan."

Luna harrumphs, turning from her study of the photo. Her ears are slightly downcast, saddened as she turns from the photo to face the two girls, but her voice gives little of it away. "You make it all sound is illicit, Usagi-chan. I simply like to make sure you girls are all well, and that you have company, every now and then."

Makoto Kino has posed:
"Hm?" Makoto's brows lift for a moment in vague surprise, and then she smiles again. "Oh, sure! You don't even have to ask, really, it's just me right now. Although they did tell me that this room assignment is temporary, because of how I transferred in during the term. If I move rooms or get a roommate I'll make sure to tell you! But either way, Luna, you're welcome any time."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"Excellent," Luna says with satisfaction, and Usagi nods with much the same. "If you receive a roommate, I'll be sure to maintain my normal cat fiction."

Usagi has a few doubts about the strength of that fiction, but shakes her head. Unimportant! "So! Sailor Jupiter! That was pretty fun and amazing and super unexpected, don't you think?" Pause. "Maybe not that unexpected."

Makoto Kino has posed:
Makoto laughs a little, ruefully. "Maybe not. When I think back on it, I almost feel like I should have expected it somehow. But still."

Moving farther into the room, she gestures around her for Usagi to pick whatever seat she likes - not that there are as many comfy options as compared to her and Naru's room. For her own part, she waits for Usagi to settle before perching on the side of her bed. "It was definitely amazing. Exciting. Not so sure about fun, yet, but I'm glad I was there to lend a hand."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Usagi takes the desk chair nearest Luna and the desk, and settles herself, looking at Makoto with just - a smile, honestly, because she's still, despite everything, well and truly pleased. "I mean, maybe it wasn't fun after everything kicked off, but the dance was fun. I liked that part a lot."

Getting dragged down a hall and thrown off a balcony had not been fun, but - being rescued had been... something. It had definitely been something. That masked boy, and Kazuo-kun - well! Irrelevant, to this!

"You were! And... and you might be more often." She clears her throat, trying to look serious. "Makoto-chan, you're Sailor Jupiter. That means that you're like me - not just a magical girl, but a Senshi! And we're, like, reincarnated warriors on a mission, but - you don't have to do it, if you don't want to. You can't give the power away, or anything, but, I don't want you to feel like just because you did it once, means you have to keep doing it."

Luna is looking decidedly displeased, but is letting Usagi speak.

Makoto Kino has posed:
Makoto's green eyes widen at Usagi's words, her eyebrows lifting. She doesn't interrupt, but there's no delay at all in her reply, not a shred of hesitation. "Are you kidding?"

Bracing her hands on the edge of the mattress to either side of her legs, she leans earnestly forward. "I might not have any idea what that was all about last night, but whoever was behind it, they were clearly up to no good. They didn't even show up to fight themselves, did they? They used poor Princess Dia instead. It's despicable." She punctuates the declaration with a firm shake of her head. "Even if I weren't Sailor Jupiter, I'd want to fight back against that."

There's a momentary pause there, just a beat, before she smiles a little. "Besides, I want to help you, too. It's... it's kind of a relief to know there's a reason I was born with this strength, you know?"

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"I wasn't but I was really hoping you would say what you said," Usagi says all in one breath, and it really is taking her everything not just launch forward and hug Makoto sooo tightly.

Luna is breathing out in relief, having hated the thought of saying well actually we do need you to do this -

"They didn't! They didn't even show up to do any of it themselves; they usually don't. It's always some monster they send in, or maybe they show up after to taunt you," Jadeite, she means Fire Eyes, she means that fright for her life - "I just didn't want you to feel forced, you know?"

Usagi cannot related to the idea of being relieved for this - not even a little bit - but she smiles a little anyway, because Makoto's relief makes her happy, and because - "If there's one thing I can be sure of, it's we were born to do exactly this. Luna never lets me forget."

"Quite right," Luna sniffs, "Makoto, the strength you have is the strength needed for the Soldier who fights for Love and Courage. It's the strength of a guardian."

Makoto Kino has posed:
Makoto's smile warms. "Hey," she says, very gently almost teasing. "You didn't force me to follow you last night, did you? Nobody's forcing me to do anything now. So put that out of your mind."

She sits back, tipping her head back to turn a contemplative look toward the ceiling. "Love and Courage, huh...? Yeah. I'll take that."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"I told her that she was being silly," Luna is quick to agree, "But she worries too much."

Usagi just huffs a little, her cheeks pink. "I mean, maybe. But I won't worry about it anymore, Mako-chan. I really am glad you're one of us, now! I can't wait to introduce you to everyone - Rei-chan is Sailor Mars, but she doesn't go to our school, and Ami-chan is Sailor Mercury, she's the genius girl!, and Minako-chan is the amazing one and only Sailor V!"

Makoto Kino has posed:
Makoto makes an impressed noise; "I didn't realize there were so many of us." She tips her head to the side, expression turning somewhat thoughtful as she considers the names. Sailor Mars. Sailor Mercury. "Was it... Mars, who was with you last night?" she wonders hesitantly.

A moment later, the curiosity on her face turns into pure consternation. "That wasn't really Sailor V, though, was it? Please tell me I didn't hit Sailor V in the face."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"That was definitely not Sailor V," Usagi is quick to confirm, waving her arms. "It wasn't! She's cool and super graceful and nice and that faker was a huge jerk! I don't know who it was, but you did not hit Sailor V in the face!"

Do not fear, do not fret, do not -

Luna interrupts. "Minako wasn't at the ball; you don't have to fret, Makoto. You did indeed meet Sailor Mars. She and Naru-chan were attending with Usagi in case of trouble or success."

Makoto Kino has posed:
The breath goes out of Makoto in a sigh of relief. "Okay, good. I mean, I didn't think it was really her after she clocked you like that, but... there wasn't really time to think about it right then, you know?"

With this reassurance, she brightens anew. "I'm looking forward to meeting her and the others properly when we get the chance!"

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"I understand! I would have felt awful too if I thought there was a chance I did that... But no, you did great! That was an amazing punch!"

She can still feel the phantom ache of her breath going right out of her, and hopes that fake Sailor V's face still hurts.

"Everyone is really wonderful, and they're going to be really excited! We've been looking for you as much as our princess."

Makoto Kino has posed:
"...for me?"

The thought seems to give Makoto pause. There's a moment where she bites her lower lip, seeming uncertain... before she shakes her head, and focuses on something else that Usagi said. "Our princess." It's not really a question. She can't quite recall if Usagi or Luna mentioned it before now, but - it feels right. "So that's our mission?"

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"For you," Usagi says firmly, and Luna echoes the sentiment. "You're Makoto Kino and you're Sailor Jupiter, and I was getting worried we wouldn't find you."

Worried that there would be someone missing, alone where the rest of them weren't, because even if all of this was scary and she didn't want Makoto forced into it, it was also a part of them.

"That's right," Luna says, "To find the princess and the Phantom Silver Crystal, an object of extraordinary power. The enemy you faced at the ball, they too sought the crystal."

Makoto Kino has posed:
She manages a smile at Usagi's insistence, though it still seems like Makoto doesn't quite know what to say. It's warming to hear it, all the same.

What Luna confirms about last night has her thinking again. "That's right, Princess Dia was supposed to have some great treasure. They thought it might be this Silver Crystal? Or that Princess Dia might be the princess we're looking for?"

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"I'm really sure it was the Silver Crystal, but we thought there was maybe a chance Princess Dia was our princess, so we came in looking for both! But instead we found neither."

She all but physically deflates at that, slumping into her seat.

"You know, I don't even know what the treasure ended up being?"

"A diamond carved to look like her head," Luna reports, and she flops down on her side as she says it, the words depressing her.

Makoto Kino has posed:
"Seriously?" No, Makoto hadn't heard about that part yet either. "...sounds kind of gaudy."

After another moment of consideration, she pulls a face. "So in the end, they caused all that trouble for no reason at all. Now I'm even more ticked off with them. A lot of people were just trying to have a nice evening!"

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"They are the jewel kingdom of the world... or at least Europe," Luna thinks it's gaudy too.

Usagi makes a face. "At least we got to have fun before things got weird... but yeah, in the end, all that trouble and for what? No jewel, no princess, they didn't even give me lasting bruises."

Makoto Kino has posed:
"Well," Makoto offers with a lopsided half-grin, "at least you got a new teammate out of it?"

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"Which is great!" Usagi cheers a little, then giggles, her voice taking on a sly, pleased tone. "We all had a good time - and I kissed Mamochan." Heart eyes.

Makoto Kino has posed:
"You did?! Usagi-chan!" Makoto's voice might have gone up a full octave in pitch. She's definitely gone starry-eyed. Luna will be getting no further sense out of either of them any time soon, most likely.