Scene #118: Loose Meows Sink Secrets

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Usagi Tsukino	Nineteen days ago, Luna was finally able to make progress in her mission. She'd found one of the legendary soldiers she was looking for, the guardians to her missing princess, one of the pieces of her lost home. She'd found Usagi Tsukino, Sailor Moon herself, and for a moment, she'd hoped things might finally go well. And to her credit, that hope hasn't been entirely misplaced! After all, the planet still stands, the moon still shines, and Usagi is - Well, Usagi is a bit of a disappointment, at times. Luna isn't sure how Tokyo would fare if not for the seemingly endless number of magically empowered human children running about, if the people of Earth had to actually rely on Usagi to be the one to save them. Even with Sailor Mars added to their team, a proper ally ''finally'' secured, the situation was precarious. Usagi was hardly shaping up to be leader material, Rei-san lived too far away from the hot bed of disaster that was Radiant Heart Academy, and there were far too many strange presences on the campus, that Luna could hardly begin to understand. She was certain, very certain, that the Earth had not been like this before. Unfortunately, she could hardly recall what it ''had'' been like. All of this was why it had taken her seven full days to properly consider what that human girl had told her. That ''in''human girl, Ikiko-chan in the Animal Care Club that Usagi had insisted on visiting, the one who could speak to animals. The one who was part werewolf, and the one who had said, in her broken feline speech - "A magical girl! ''That's'' what she was saying!" It's an unplanned outburst and Luna grimaces immediately upon uttering the words, realizing far too late that- "What about magical girls?" Usagi Tsukino looks up from her manga (she is most certainly not studying tonight, nope, she'd done enough of that at the study group!), blue eyes round with surprise and curiosity. "Nothing?" Luna tries, and Usagi huffs at her. "Come on! At least try to be a better liar - but next time. This time, tell me what you meant or I'll - I'll make you wear one of those cutesy outfits Mama sent!" Who can hold up under such threats? Luna sighs, folding her paws neatly beneath herself as she settles on Usagi's dorm chair and prepares to tell her everything. "I've just realized what that friend of yours was saying last week..." Not quite ten minutes later. A blur of motion rushes from the middle school dorms, heading straight for the elementary grade dorms. The blur, of course, is Usagi, dressed not in her school uniform, but a casual outfit - a pink and white checked blouse and navy blue skirt, black school shoes hastily slipped onto her feet. Luna is clinging to her shoulder as she enters the dorm, looking for the floor the grade 5 students lived in.
Ikiko Hisakata	At this hour of the day, Ikiko is back from visiting one of the packs of stray dogs, and is in fact near her dorm with a restock of snacks for herself, in case she wants a bite to eat outside of the usual meal times. As she's putting the key in the lock, she hears a commotion approaching rapidly -- numerous yelps and squawks of people swiftly getting out of the way, the occasional staff member (or dutious student Hall Monitor) loudly reminding people to Not Run In The Halls, and even perhaps a crash or two. And it's getting closer. Ikiko pauses in sheer morbid curiosity, watching the direction of the approaching chaos, the key halfway turned in the lock. One final burst of noise comes up the stairs-- --and there's Usagi. "Oh," Ikiko blinks, her hand finishing unlocking the door and turning the knob as the tension eases out of the situation. Looking at the now-open door, then over at Usagi, and then back at the door, she shrugs, then waves to the older girl. "Hi, Usagi-chan!" she calls.
Usagi Tsukino	Usagi is not actually supposed to be running around anywhere. In fact, she's barely supposed to be putting weight on her leg, what with the bone bruise from the tripping and falling after the dance, but look, how is she not supposed to run right to Ikiko's room, right now? Never mind that she doesn't know which one it is, surely there will be a sign - And there is! A sign! The sign is Ikiko-chan herself! "Ikiko-chan!" She's a little (lot) out of breath, and stopping involves a good bit of skidding and pinwheeling and going ow, ow, ow as her leg protests all the activity and the terrible stop, but she's right there, next to Ikiko, looking over the younger girl who - who doesn't look like a werewolf, or a magical girl, but - "Can we - uh, talk? In private?" There are voices coming up behind them, from annoyed students and irked dorm monitors, and Usagi sweats. "Like, right now?"
Ikiko Hisakata	"Uh, yeah, sure," Ikiko agrees with a slight sweatdrop, glancing towards the approaching hubbub. She opens the door just far enough to yoink Usagi into the room, then swiftly closes the door, keeping the knob turned to avoid making a telltale ''latch!'' noise, then ''slooowly'' unturning the knob after the bulk of the noise has passed by. Letting out a breath that she didn't know she had been holding, Ikiko turns towards her two visitors. "Don't worry about the extra furniture," she reassures them. "My would-be roomie decided at the last minute to commute from home instead, and the school decided to leave it set up as a two-person dorm in case of a suitable new arrival." So this ''is'' a private location, with no worries about visitors! "Anyway, what did you want to talk about?" Ikiko inquires as she starts to put her snacks on the relevant shelves.
Usagi Tsukino	With a little "Eep!" Usagi is yoinked into the dorm room, a totally private location with just the three of them - Ikiko, Usagi, and Luna. And a secret, held between the three of them, totally unknown to one. She swallows. Suddenly, running over here wasn't such a bright idea. And yet - "You ah - you talked to Luna, last week. When I came to the Animal Care Club with Chiyo-chan? Do you, uh, remember that?" Let's start off slowly.
Ikiko Hisakata	"It was... definitely an interesting experience," Ikiko agreed, slightly ruefully. A nice, mostly relaxed conversation with Luna, plus the entire... ''thing'' with Rude Bonito, the Cat-Who-Likely-Isn't. But no need to bring up the unusualness of Bonito, and Usagi probably wouldn't understand how Luna has a slight accent, right? Anyway. "So, did something happen afterward?"
Usagi Tsukino	And there it is. And here, it is, the moment of truth, the moment all this disruption was for. Usagi puts her hands together, fingertips pressed to her lips as she sucks a breath in through her teeth and just - goes for it. "Are you... a magical girl?" A beat. "And also kind of a werewolf? A little bit? Luna was a little unclear on that one."
Ikiko Hisakata	There's a sudden '''pause''' at that first question. ''What?! How? Why,'' goes through Ikiko's head in quick succession. She slowly turns, pondering how to best answer that... And then the second question hits. And if there had been anything in Ikiko's hand at that moment, it would have '''definitely''' been dropped. The paralytic pause is stunned into a brief retreat with that last sentence. "L-Lu-na--?" Ikiko slightly stammers, turning her head towards Usagi's feline companion with eyes full of bewilderment. Usagi didn't seem to be able to understand Feline the other day, so how did...?
Usagi Tsukino	Usagi winces, because all of that's definitely a sign that it's true, and - it's not that she minds! Ikiko being a magical girl is great, it means they ''are'' allies, just like she thought, right? But it being true means she has to come clean about some things of her own, doesn't it, and oh, was this what Luna was trying to argue about - "Usagi can't speak feline," Luna says, a little sour. She leaps off Usagi's shoulder to land on the empty desk chair that would have belonged to Ikiko's roommate. "However, I can speak Japanese quite well. I didn't think there was a need to mention it to you, but Usagi insisted..." "I couldn't just know a secret like that and ''not'' talk to Ikiko-chan," Usagi grumbles, then sheepishly looks at Ikiko again, "Ah, don't mind Luna. She didn't want me to tell you ''my'' secret."
Ikiko Hisakata	Oh, that explains it; Luna can spea-- . ''..'' '''...''' Ikiko's eyes go wide as the realization -- and its implications -- sink in. Luna can converse with humans, Usagi seems used to this enough that this is probably a ''regular occurrance,'' which means that Luna apparently told Usagi about Ikiko's secrets... "''...oh,''" Ikiko finally squeaked softly, gently collapsing into her own chair. She didn't have a headache, but her brain felt like it had just been through a lively earthquake... at the epicenter. Time to put her thoughts back in order... ...waitaminute. Ikiko runs the last few sentences of the conversation through her mind again. "''Your'' secret?" she blinks, rotating her pointer fingers around each other as she sifts through a fresh batch of realizations and implications, her eyes slowly widening again. Cat of unusual capability, plus girl who is used to said cat, plus that girl mentioning ''their'' secret in about the same tone she discussed ''my'' secret, equals... ''...waaaiiiit A MINUTE--!''
Usagi Tsukino	There's understanding hitting. Usagi holds still, as does Luna, both of them letting Ikiko take it all in. Usagi holds herself with the nervous bouncing energy of someone who's realized they've committed thesmelves to something that's they're almost definitely sure will end very well, and Luna - well, Luna is thinking to herself that all of this is the opposite of what she was hoping for when it came to guiding Sailor Moon. And then, like, like the rise of the moon, Usagi sees understanding hit again. She giggles a little nervous, lifting a hand to rub at the back of her head. "Ahaha..ha... You can guess why I was a little excited?" She drops herself into the other chair, Luna maintaining balance on the chair's back through it's small rocking, and rubs at her leg, the injury aching from her earlier exertions. "I think we're the same, Ikiko-chan!" Luna coughs pointedly and Usagi rolls her eyes. "Okay, ''almost'' the same."
Ikiko Hisakata	"A fellow magical girl," Ikiko states matter-of-factly, her eyebrows raised in a slight disbelief that she was saying this while not in henshin. "Yeah... I can see why you'd be excited... and yeah, I could see where discussing this could easily get awkward in normal situations." That last was said with a nod to Luna; knowing ''when'' to share a secret of this magnitude would often involve erring on the side of caution. But still, the fact of the matter remained: the odango-and-twintail-haired Usagi is a magical girl, and the moon-marked black cat Luna is her companion and... advisor? Close enough... ...hold on. Odango and twintail hair, and a black cat companion with a crescent moon on her forehead? Why does that sound famili-- "The two-headed bear youma!" Ikiko gasps, slapping her forehead in realization.
Usagi Tsukino	Usagi nods like a bobblehead, quick and excited, twintails bouncing behind her like snapping exercise ropes. "Exactly!" Sure, she knows Rei-chan - she'd been there when Rei-chan awoke as Sailor Mars, the two of them versus that awful Nototoro, but that was different. Ikiko-chan is a friend she's made here, at this bizarre school where life went pear-shaped, and she's just like her. Kind of! Sort of! With werewolfism! "It would have been preferable not to discuss the matter at all," Luna sighs. "But I should have known that Usagi would want to run and speak with you right away." Usagi shrugs because yeah, Luna should have. She's not ashamed of it! But then, Ikiko is making a face like she's putting something together, and - "The two headed bear youma?" Clueless, for a minute, but then - "Oh! You were there? You -" a palm slaps against her forehead. "You're Cute Wolf Tsukiko!"
Ikiko Hisakata	"And you're Sailor Moon!" Ikiko nods with a grin. Well, that's ''that'' mystery solved! Even if it ''was'' a bit of an unexpected shock (or six). "At least she's talking with a friend, instead of a stranger," the younger girl shrugs apologetically to Luna. "And look on the bright side: this means we can help each other out as needed!" Ikiko sits back in her chair, much more relaxed than she had been for the past several minutes. "I would've mentioned a bit more details about my curse of lycanthropy the other day, but, uh... as you noticed, I don't have the syntax needed to clearly communicate ratios," she giggles.
Usagi Tsukino	"That's me!" Usagi is beaming now, pleased to realize that she and Ikiko are proper allies after all - they've been on the scene for the same monster fight! This is ''great''. "Don't mind Luna. She thinks I should be trying to work with the other Sailor Senshi and focus on our 'mission'." She sticks her tongue out, making a face. Luna hurrumphs, swatting Usagi on the shoulder. "While yes, I do think that you should do that, I'm not ''displeased'' that Ikiko-san is your... ally. But it can't be denied that we surely have different missions, even if the destruction of these youma is our common goal." Behind Luna, Usagi rolls her eyes a little. Every time they meet someone else, Luna gets so proper and mature, but Usagi has seen the truth! She knows her 'mentor' cat is just as petty and immature as anyone else when she wants to be. But instead of sniping, she looks to Ikiko, some concern crossing her features. "Is your curse... dangerous? Luna said that you said you were okay, but people don't usually call something that's okay a curse..."
Ikiko Hisakata	Ikiko thinks for a moment on how to phrase things. "It's more accurate to say that it was ''initially'' considered a not-quite-thwarted curse, and at this point is more of just 'a thing that is', but '''most''' lycanthropy is indeed a curse," she explains. "In my case, between how outnumbered the wolf soul is, and how long it's been in my family... well, there's a bunch of family lore and history behind it, but I'll try to sum it up." Ikiko gathers her thoughts for a moment, then leans forward. "My great-grandfather Yuuki fought a werewolf that was threatening his town when he was in his late teens. In his planning, he knew that he'd need a way to fight off the animal soul injections of the werewolf's attacks, and that the normal way -- having a diamond-hard soul -- wasn't an option for him, and those that ''did'' have such a soul were too old to physically fight the beast. "But he also knew that a bundle of ten to twenty sticks is ''much'' harder to break than a single stick, so he asked the local wise woman -- who was the grandmother of his girlfriend -- for a way to magnify his soul like that." Ikiko fingers the locket around her neck. "She gave him a locket -- ''this'' locket, as a matter of fact -- and with it worn he was able to defeat the werewolf, and even though he was scratched, the lycanthropy didn't take effect, even after the next full moon rolled around. "Or at least, it didn't ''seem'' to. Great-grandpa Yuuki had removed the locket once he returned from the fight, and he wasn't wearing it at the time of the next full moon. But later, he put the locket on again, and he discovered that there ''was'' a wolf soul in with his -- but outnumbered by his multiplied human soul, and ''scaled down'' when the locket was removed." Ikiko spread her hands in a 'there you have it' gesture. "So, my soul is one part human, and somewhere around one-twentieth to one-tenth part wolf. And after so many generations... well, I'm pretty sure the wolf is ''domesticated'' by now."
Usagi Tsukino	Usagi listens to the story with awe and interest. She can't imagine having so much history and knowledge about her powers - Luna barely told her anything, teasing out information bit by bit, and well, to be fair, Usagi hadn't asked too many questions, outside of just not wanting to be a part of it, but - "Your great-grandpa fought a werewolf... that's so ''cool''." Usagi, you and Ikiko fought a two-headed bear! "And your family have been magical girls - and grandpas - ever since?" Is that how it's all worked? "The wolf in your soul is like... a puppy, now?"
Ikiko Hisakata	"Weeell, not exactly," Ikiko noted wryly with a 'so-so' rock of her hand. "My family ''did'' become notable Curse Hunters thanks to great-grandpa Yuuki, but the ''locket'' was considered cursed, and so great-grandpa kept it hidden among his stuff. And, to be honest, most things that ''are'' actually cursed involve ''very'' minor curses, like a shoe that somehow always gets a pebble in it, even if you empty it out and don't wear it for a week. As far as I know, Yuuki was the only one who did anything magical, and it was just the fight with the werewolf." The description of the wolf soul draws a giggle from Ikiko. "'Puppy' in the sense of a cute dog," she admits. "Like, it doesn't feel like it's a ''baby'' soul? But it's more of a husky instead of an actual ''wolf,'' so that's why I say it's 'domesticated'."
Usagi Tsukino	"But you knew about it, right? You grew up hearing about all of this?" That sounds - nice. Weird, sure, of course, but - better than stumbling into it on nothing but a tricksy cat's say-so! "Luna didn't tell me anything about it before she gave me my broach." "I gave you an entire speech and you thought you were dreaming," Luna points out, irked. "But this is a fascinating legacy, Ikiko-san. Werewolves and creatures that pass along curses... usually that sort of behavior ought to be rife with dark energy. But that isn't the case for you." "Of course it's not, what kind of enemy would call themselves a Cute Wolf?" Usagi sighs a little wistfully. "It's all super cool, Ikiko-chan. Can you like... talk to the wolf? Or is it more like a part of you, like, a hand?"
Ikiko Hisakata	"To be fair, the first time I henshined, ''I'' thought I was dreaming, as well," Ikiko confides with a giggle. "Didn't realize what was going on until I got back home, startled myself when I saw my reflection, and tripped on my bed. ''That'' made me realize that, no, I '''wasn't''' dreaming!" She ponders the two questions -- the implied one from Luna, and the clear one from Usagi -- before raising her eyebrows in a minor realization. "I think the dark energy might be more due to inner anger from overcrowding," she muses. "Like, trying to seat one too many people on a ''bus'' is less upsetting than trying to fit one too many people on a ''bicycle''. I know that the reason ''why'' lycanthropy gets transmitted is because there's two souls trying to fit in a body that only has enough space for ''one'', so they get overpressured and cause the injuries they inflict to inject some of the animal soul to take root. Since I only have a ''small'' bit of overcrowding -- less than 10%, tops -- there's not the major overpressure, so there's no noticeable inner anger from that." Ikiko giggles a bit as she realizes the answer to Usagi's question. "More like ears and a tail, now that I think of it," she admits. "Like, I can tell that it's there, and that ''where'' it is is due to ''what'' it is, but it '''is''' still a part of me?" ...did she just see a small flicker on the mirror, out of the corner of her eye?
Usagi Tsukino	"See, Luna? It was totally fair to think it was all a dream!" But that's the only outburst for a moment, the pair content to listen; the series of answers satisfies both Usagi and Luna - innocent curiosity and suspicion assuaged. The two settle back, the one trying to imagine the sensation, the other considering how this might impact their future. "You can ask me questions too," Usagi says after a moment, "I don't know nearly as much about all this as you do. It hasn't even been a whole month yet!" Which, when she thinks about it, is enough to stress her out - not just because of all the fighting, but because of all the fighting that hasn't happened. Those first two weeks had been full of monsters; this week, not so much. She doesn't regret the lack of monsters, not at all, but it does make her nervous, the not knowing.
Ikiko Hisakata	"Most of what I know is family lore, and not that much in the actual Magical Girl department," Ikiko admits. "I mean, my first henshin was the night of last month's full moon, and most of that month was spent getting used to the fact that the Lycan Locket wasn't as cursed as the family thought it was. At this point, we ''might'' be equally inexperienced...?" A question ''does'' come to mind, albeit not for Usagi. "What ''is'' your mission, anyway?" Ikiko asks Luna. "That is, if you're okay with discussing it?"
Usagi Tsukino	"So you haven't been doing this that much longer than me!" Usagi feels a rush of mingled relief and regret - relief, that she isn't the only one new at this, and regret, that well - she isn't the only one new at this. It would have been nice to have someone experienced, even if that someone was cute Ikiko-chan, years younger than her. "I guess we're figuring this all out together, huh?" Luna's ears prick and she glances to the side, obviously uncomfortable. "Our mission," she starts, "Is to find the other Sailor Senshi, and stop our great enemy. That Usagi was able to be awoken is a sign that our enemy has awakened also. If they go unchecked, they could destroy this world."
Ikiko Hisakata	Ikiko gives an encouraging grin to Usagi in agreement, then looks at Luna with a somber and contemplative expression. To be honest, the younger girl was still looking for a purpose, something more focused than just 'help keep the city safe'. A potential threat to the world, and allies of a friend needed to help avert that? That's ''definitely'' something she could put her focus towards! And, perhaps, eventually prove to great-grandfather Yuuki, and the rest of her family, that the Lycan Locket ''can'' still be used for good. "Count me in," she declares. "I may not be a Sailor Senshi, but I '''will''' assist you two to the best of my ability."
Usagi Tsukino	"You will?" Usagi and Luna chorus, Usagi thrilled and Luna genuinely surprised. There's an excited cheer as Usagi bounches up and scoops Ikiko into a hug. "Of course you will! Ahh, Ikiko-chan, that's so great!" She is going to be crowing about this for a while, and Luna is prepared to eat that crow - because perhaps, some of these other magical girls can be allies after all. "I ran into a bunch of people like us, my first two weeks, and you saw some of them! They were all so cool! I'm hoping, if we keep looking, we'll be able to make plenty of allies, and then none of us will have to fight scary monsters alone. This is going to be great!"