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Post by Iyashii Hiroki on Apr 18, 2009 22:43:27 GMT -5
After speaking with Mamoru, Hiroki had retreated back to the bar. Nathaniel wasn’t around…the pussy must have run off somewhere with his ‘virgin’ drinks. He ordered another gin and tonic and turned back around to keep an eye on Mamoru as he brought the glass to his lips. He grinned as he noticed the odango-headed blonde practically stomping her way over to him. ’This should be interesting…’
He watched the exchange between the pair when he was suddenly overtaken by a strange feeling of what could be best described as anxiety. His heart began to pound for some unknown reason, his head started to swim. Something was about to happen. Narrowing his eyes, he glanced around the room looking for something, anything that would give him this sense of foreboding. He decided he needed to be with Endymion, and he needed to be there NOW.
It was then that the ground began to shake, causing him to turn and grab the bar for support. That was not an earthquake. His lips formed into another sly grin. He knew exactly what had just occurred. He set the glass on the bar and made his way through the startled crowd to follow his prince who was now on the move. The group came to a halt at the door to the garden, giving him time to catch up as they spoke with a small dark-haired girl.
He came to rest beside his prince, placing a hand upon the man’s shoulder and grinned. “I told you he missed me.”
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Post by Chiba Mamoru on Apr 18, 2009 23:33:48 GMT -5
Mamoru listened quietly as Hotaru gave her report, glad to know that there didn’t appear to be any civilians hurt. He didn’t give too much thought to the broken fountain simply because he figured the water would be shut off and there really wasn’t anything he could do about it at the moment. It was far better to let someone that knew what they were doing in regards to getting the water shut off then to interfere.
He blinked in surprise at the deference and formality that Hotaru was showing him, but then she probably wasn’t entirely aware of everything that was going on. Still he was glad to have a confirmation that it was indeed Nephrite that had awoken and that he seemed to be ok. He was just nodding a thanks to Hotaru when Rei walked up, causing him to stiffen warily.
Mamoru wasn’t entirely certain how to act around her. He was still rather angry at Rei, even though inwardly he did know that she hadn’t done anything that she wasn’t suppose to have done. She had only told Usagi something that she felt her queen needed to know, but knowing all of that still didn’t make it any easier to not be angry at her. It wasn’t her fault that any of this had happened and she certainly hadn’t made him strike out at Usagi like he had, but she was also the one that had brought the matter to Usagi’s attention thus starting the entire situation ... at least in his mind.
He was saved from having to react to her presence however when Hiroki walked up behind him. Mamoru instantly relaxed and turned to grin at his friend, expression once again far lighter then it had been moments before. “I’m sure he has missed you Hiroki, who wouldn’t have ...”
Mamoru turned to follow the others out to the garden, eager to assure himself that Nephrite was indeed ok.
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Tomoe Hotaru
Pure Heart
Senshi of Silence
Bright Little Firefly
Posts: 57
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Post by Tomoe Hotaru on Apr 19, 2009 17:50:42 GMT -5
Hotaru couldn’t help but smile, pleased that Usagi was proud of her- she owed so much to her Queen, her very existence. Not only that, but Usagi allowed her to actually live- not like the half existence of dreams she had during the Silver Millennium. No other ruler would have ever done such a thing. Hotaru was well aware of how blessed she was to serve a Queen like Usagi, and she was determined to serve her well to prove that it had not been a mistake.
“I understand, Usagi-chan.” She said softly, nodding. It only made sense that she would want to check for herself- if it had been her, she would have felt the same. Her heart clenched, warmth flooding her at the other woman’s words, realizing that she was being included. Even now, it was still hard for her to know that she had at last found people with whom she belonged.
A grin twitched her lips as she glanced at Lucan, glad he approved of her. She hadn’t been around the security man much, but was satisfied that he found her competent. “I’m glad to hear it. I hope Ami-chan kept the water in hand." Though she shivered in the knife-edge of icy air she shook her head, declining the offer of the jacket. “Thank you, but please, give it to Usagi-chan, she needs it more.”
She fell into step behind them as the group made their way out into the gardens, shooting a curious glance at the man who had appeared behind Mamoru- was he another of the Prince’s guardians? And why were he and Usagi behaving so. . . so distantly? An uneasy feeling twisted deep inside her stomach. Chibi Usa-chan . . . Why did her friend suddenly feel even farther out of reach than before?
Her lips pursed, her eyes darkening slightly as her mind drifted, hardly aware of where her feet were taking her. She didn’t know what was going on, but she was certain that this was what her feelings had been warning her of.
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Aino Minako
Senshi/Shitennou
Senshi of Love and Beauty
Your Favorite Idol!
Posts: 246
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Post by Aino Minako on Apr 19, 2009 18:50:09 GMT -5
Minako raised an eyebrow as the strange man joined them, but she said nothing. She could assume, fairly well, that he was one of the Shittenou from the way he so casually joined Mamoru. How many of them were here tonight? Nephrite, Kunzite, and this one too? She found herself inching closer to Usagi. Even though Lucan had the firepower to protect the queen, some enemies couldn't be defeated with guns. She had an overwhelming urge to ensure Usagi was safe, especially when Rei joined the group out of nowhere.
The damage to the garden was massive, but hardly caught Minako's attention at all. There, standing in the middle next to Makoto was Nephrite. Not some guy with the soul of Nephrite prancing around looking like an everyday ordinary civilian, but Nephrite. The uniform left no doubt in her mind about his identity. But could they trust him? Which Nephrite was he? Minako was sure they were about to find out, but above all else, the five of them had to keep him away from Usagi until they knew the true.
"Makoto!" she called out, her tone laced with the hidden question: Is everything alright?
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Post by Neo Queen Serenity on Apr 19, 2009 19:47:22 GMT -5
Usagi nodded again when Lucan mentioned that the water was off. Another problem solved. Good.
It was then that Rei stomped through. Usagi watched her go with something akin to awe, she could never understand the effort it must take for Rei to froth herself up into such a fury. There was such force in her movements, and she winced at the language she heard coming from the Priestess, though Usagi agree with the words-- in sentiment.
But, she wasn't the only one to join then. Usagi stiffened, feeling some of the color leave her face as the sight of Jadeite. Who else could it be? He seemed civilian enough, but knowing what to look for...
God, that swagger, it was still the same, wasn't it? Those eyes, and that grin... How many times had his hands been outstretched to kill her and the senshi? Enough times to keep her nightmares fresh every night, even ten years after his 'demise...' She didn't want him here, for her own peace of mind, but he was Mamoru's shitennou, and if she was going to allow Mamoru to come she might as well allow Jadeite. Usagi gave a small nod to Lucan by way of permission.
She tore her eyes from Jadeite, especially as Hotaru and Lucan seemed to be talking about a jacket... with the open doors raising goosebumps all over, she didn't hesitate to take it, since Minako and Hotaru didn't seem to want to avail themselves of cover.
Inhaling deeply, Usagi stepped outside, her eyes slowly taking in the damage to the garden, the costs of repairs quickly adding up... I just balanced the damn budget, too! At least Makoto did look alright, even though it gave her heart pause to see her standing near Nephrite... That was unmistakably Nephrite...
Picking up her skirt, she stumbled down through the mud, figuring she'd clean up afterward, wanting to get closer to Makoto. "Mako-chan!" her call carried the same question as Minako's-- she didn't want to set anyone off by asking of she was alright; Mamoru and the others might take it to mean she was expected Makoto to be harmed by Nephrite. And speaking of him...
She couldn't ignore him. What the hell did she say. "Nephrite... Welcome back?" Usagi greeted, just hoping she wasn't about to be blasted into nothingness. You better be right about this, Mamoru...
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Post by Nathaniel Bernhardt on Apr 19, 2009 20:18:28 GMT -5
'All the time in the world to worry about those other things...' Nephrite inhaled deeply, trying to contain his wavering emotions. He plucked up her hand, bestowing a kiss upon it, managing to chuckle just long enough at the mention of the wailing sirens.
"I am sure you are correct..." And she was. The first sound he really heard was the cursing screech of that harridan... Though he wasn't sure what she meant by 'again.' He found himself trying not to laugh at that too, even as Nathaniel her temper had both amused and frustrated him. And there, was his liege... He dropped Maeve-- no, Makoto's hand, and advanced several paces, blinking in surprise as the Queen traipsed right through the mud without a care, and... welcomed him back?
"Uh... thank you..." he remarked with a deep, if short bow, quickly righting himself and making his way to Endymion with single-minded purpose. He didn't even take time to noticed Super Cop, instead kneeling before his liege, forehead parallel with the ground.
"Your highness, Endymion... At last." His found his voice cracking on the final word, cracking as his stone must have. Raising his head, he took in Jadeite, recalling now who Hiroki, that stranger who had so brazenly insulted his hair... was truly Jadeite.
"You bastard!" he found himself exclaiming with great affection, rising to clap a great, bearish arm about Jadeite's shoulders, in more of a chest slam than an actual embrace. "You knew, didn't you?!"
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Post by Kino Makoto on Apr 19, 2009 20:45:24 GMT -5
Makoto blushed lightly as he kissed her hand and chuckled along with him. When the doors to the garden swung open, she finally managed to tear her eyes away from Nephrite. Rei was the first to exit the building, and true to her nature, she was fuming. Minako and Usagi were on her heels, both calling out to her. She frowned internally as Nephrite released her hand, but straightened up and moved in step just behind him. However, as he continued on to Mamoru, she stayed with her Queen and sister Senshi. She moved a stray wet hair from her face and smiled. “Everything’s alright. I’m fine. We’re fine.” Taking in her surroundings, she finally got a good look at just how much damage had been done. She lightly grimaced as she looked back at Usagi. “The garden, however… Sorry about that.”
From the corner of her eye she watched as Nephrite bowed before Mamoru and then offered a greeting to who she assumed was Jadeite. A light smile played upon her lips. Despite all the unanswered questions, this all just felt so right.
The excitement slowly beginning to wear off, she began to shiver lightly. Though the water flow had been stopped relatively quickly, she’d still managed to get soaked. She wrapped her arms around herself, wishing that she hadn’t dropped Nathaniel’s jacket. “Do you think we could get back inside now? It’s a bit…chilly out here.” From the corner of her eye, she noticed ice beginning to form near where the water from the fountain had pooled.
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Post by Mizuno Ami on Apr 19, 2009 21:12:04 GMT -5
Ami had decided the best way to control the water once she'd pooled it away to get it under control was to make it into ice. It was cold enough that it should not melt for a while. She formed the ice far enough away from the pipes that it would not cause any further problems.
While she was forming the ice, it was easy enough to shape it into an ice statue. It took her a moment to figure out what she should make it into, but then she grinned slightly and began to work, shaping the ice into something that would be appropriate for the night and the celebration.
The ice first formed into a block when she then shaped to say say "2 N.E." followed by a rather large ball over that, and then she began to carefully cover it with another level which she then shaped into the continents and islands of earth. Finally, she created a replica of the New Earth flag using depth to create the shapes.
When she finished, she realized that the water had been turned off and that the rest of the Senshi, Mamoru, Lucan, and a man who had to be Jadeite had come outside. She moved to join the others and looked at Makoto, "Since I doubt you want to change, let me take care of that..." gesturing to her wet clothing and hair. She then began pulling the water off of her sister, using it to create some "fireworks" above the sculpture.
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Post by Hino Rei on Apr 19, 2009 21:23:38 GMT -5
The sight of Jadeite, especially so close, really didn't help Rei's mood. Instead of pay any attention to him, not that he seemed to care anyway, she went to make sure that Makoto was ok. Rather than call out, as the others were inclined to do, Rei gave the woman a look over and was kept from commenting on the water by Ami's quick moves.
Makoto seemed to be ok and Rei sighed at the damage done to the gardens. "I do wish they could return a little more peacefully," She muttered to herself. At least it wasn't anywhere near her shine this time...
Glancing towards Usagi, Rei assured herself that the Queen was ok. Though none of the shittenou had made a move to hurt her, that didn't mean they wouldn't. It could only be a matter of time, of getting the senshi to let their guard down... She couldn't help but cast a quick look at Hiroki, telling herself it was to make certain that he was unarmed. Not that a weapon had ever been his method of attack. "Nice work, Ami," Rei offered the ice-senshi a small smile, "That looks really nice."
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Post by Iyashii Hiroki on Apr 19, 2009 21:51:25 GMT -5
Hiroki ignored the glances and outright stares from the rest of the group and followed Mamoru into the garden. He crossed his arms over his chest and smiled rather smugly to himself. Seeing his brother standing in the center of the now destroyed garden somehow brought a feeling of relief upon him. He wasn’t sure if it was relief that he was no longer the sole guard over their Prince, or if he was relieved that Nephrite had been the next to awaken rather than Zoi or Kunz.
He stood at Mamoru’s side as Nephrite quickly moved towards them, and then knelt before their Prince. At least he managed to get that part over with quickly. It was only seconds later that Nephrite was back on his feet and pulling Hiroki into a bro-hug, which he returned with just as much ferocity. “Of course I knew, man!” As he pulled away from Neph, he reached up and tugged at the ends of his hair. “This fluff is unmistakable.”
Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of the Martian priestess staring over at him. Before she could look away, his lips curled into a devilish grin and he gave her a little wink. Oh, he knew it would piss her off… but that just made the game more fun.
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Post by Chiba Mamoru on Apr 19, 2009 23:25:38 GMT -5
Mamoru tried hard to ignore how everyone was reacting the moment Hiroki showed up, though he couldn’t help stiffening warily. He knew they were on edge because they still viewed the Shitennou as possible enemies, he couldn’t blame them for being nervous. He tried hard not to let it get to him, to understand where they were coming from. They were just trying to adjust to Hiroki’s presence, he could give them that much consideration couldn’t he? However, he couldn’t help being somewhat annoyed as he saw Usagi stiffen and pale, and Minako inched closer to Usagi, and even Lucan repositioned himself. Couldn’t they at least believe that he wouldn’t put Usagi in danger like that? He knew that he had handled that meeting rather badly, had even kept that stupid secret, but couldn’t they at least trust his judgement a little bit.
His annoyance faded away into relief once they actually arrived out in the gardens and he could see for himself that Nephrite was indeed awake and ok. It also somewhat eased his mind to see that Usagi was at least trying to be welcoming. He flashed her a smile of gratitude before turning his attention fully on Nephrite. He quickly waved him to his feet when the other man bowed and muttered, “Please, like I’ve been telling Hiroki ... it’s Mamoru now. It’s great to have you back again, took you long enough though.”
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Tomoe Hotaru
Pure Heart
Senshi of Silence
Bright Little Firefly
Posts: 57
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Post by Tomoe Hotaru on Apr 21, 2009 21:53:34 GMT -5
"Beautiful, Ami-chan," Hotaru murmured, eyeing the ice art appreciatively, taking in every line and curve, every tiny detail in the frozen water. Leave it to the ice senshi to turn a potential disaster into something of breathtaking beauty. Michiru-mama would appreciate it, she was certain. Perhaps she would have to go get her camera so that her mother would be able to see it.
Her eyes flickered to the group, a small smile twitching her lips at the sight of Usagi stumbling through the mud and Makoto dripping wet. At least some things never changed.
She hadn't realized until now that she stood between Mamoru and Usagi, and the tension between them was so stifling one didn't need to have Rei's ability to sense waves to know something was wrong. Dark amythest eyes slid from her sister senshi to the future king and his shitennou, pondering this dilemma. It would require more explanation that she had thus been given.
Inwardly she cursed her distance from the others, vowing it would not happen again. If she had not burried herself away in her safe chambers and books, she might not be so in the dark. In any case, she was determined that this mess be fixed as quickly as possible.
In an attempt to break the silence, she spoke, her voice soft and light. "Considering the temperature, I don't think we should linger here. I'm sure it will be noticed if the Queen and her court are gone too long."
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Aino Minako
Senshi/Shitennou
Senshi of Love and Beauty
Your Favorite Idol!
Posts: 246
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Post by Aino Minako on Apr 21, 2009 23:17:21 GMT -5
Minako nodded her agreement at all of Hotaru's words. "The ice sculpture does look breath-taking, Ami-chan," she said with a smile, "But Hotaru is right. Usagi's presence, or lack there of, will be noticed by the guests, if it hasn't already." She kept a wary eye on Nephrite, but he seemed interested enough in Mamoru. Minako had been too busy to pay much attention to the former king, even though she was still interested in hearing his side of all this mess. However, Usagi had asked her wait, and Minako respected her queen's wishes. She focused her attention back to the group, "I agree we should be heading back in."
With that, she turned and began to walk back towards the ballroom. Besides the temperature issue and the missing queen issue, Minako had felt uncomfortable since Rei had joined them. The two had not spoken a word since their fight, with the exception of the group conversation the senshi had while getting ready for the party, and her presence left Minako on edge.
Minako's eyes shifted over to the senshi of fire as she made her way back toward the ballroom, taking in a quick glance of the priestess. They had fought many times in the past, but never to the degree they had in the shrine. Minako had managed to block out most of her feelings about the incident by avoiding Rei, and she hoped that by the time she reached the ballroom, the distractions of the party would serve to push the memories of the fight to the recesses of her mind once again.
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Post by Neo Queen Serenity on Apr 22, 2009 15:38:17 GMT -5
Nephrite seemed nonplussed by her greeting, but Usagi didn't care, as long as she wasn't attacked. He even bowed. Well. Things seemed alright on the surface. Once more she found herself mentally cringing at being in the dark about all this, fanning the small kindling flame of anger beneath. Mamoru even smiled at her! Oh, he was perfectly willing to be nice when she was doing what he wanted... She was sure they would have had a perfectly happy existence if only she had never pressed him on the issue, always accepted what he said about the Shitennou at face value, always followed his lead... Then again, until this, questioning wasn't something that she really did, with Mamoru. She had trusted him, and thus didn't need to-- perhaps she should have paid more attention. But nothing was going to be solved by getting angry at every little (possibly) innocent gesture of his-- she gave him a tremulous, neutral smile in return, turning her attention back to Makoto and letting out a silent sigh of relief as her sister informed them all that she was fine.
Usagi grimaced and glanced about the garden, heaving a long sigh. "Yeah... not your fault, Mako-chan." It wasn't like Nephrite could really control it, either, but he would have to cover at least some of the costs of repair. The debt would be too large, however, she'd have to cover most of it... Forms and paperwork began multiplying in her mind... They'd have to Code 999 it. Give him some slack for showing up and not being evil-- they'd have to account for it under miscellaneous. There was no accounting code on the books for Debt Forgiveness For Not Being Evil-- at least not yet. Fiscal amnesty, she supposed...
"Lucan?" she hollered back over her shoulder. "Clear whatever you're doing tomorrow at zero nine hundred hours, you'll have to join me with Internal Revenue and Palace Accounting, and Palace Utilities. We might want to call a contractor to start on getting this fixed-- but I'll let Hikari determine that." Makoto would probably need to sign off on an incident form, but Usagi wasn't going to worry about that too much tonight. She smiled sympathetically at her sister, taking off the jacket that had been loaned to her and putting it around Makoto's shoulders as her friend began to shiver. "Of course! You must be freezing..."
She grinned at Ami as Sailormercury began pulling water off of Makoto. "That is so amazing. You always have hidden talents, Ami-chan, when will we ever see the end to your genius?" she teased affectionately. "I wish we could move that statue into the ballroom or the hallway or somewhere that it'll be fully appreciated, I don't want any more guests out here in this mess, we'll need the mess preserved until tomorrow when they can photograph it and we can figure out just how much this is going to cost. Lucan!" she called again. "We'll need a patrol of the grounds to make sure no guests meander out here."
Once again looking back to Makoto, she nodded at everyone's suggestions. "Even without being wet, I'm freezing out here myself." She was beginning to shiver, and her feet felt numb from walking in the ankle-deep, frigid mud. And they were right, if they were all missing people would begin to notice and wonder if it was just an earthquake, even though she had excused herself to 'assess the damage.' "C'mon... I think... we're done here." She let herself look at Mamoru and his two Shitennou, feeling as if the situation had been rather anticlimactic. She wasn't that much knowledgeable than she was before, one more was awakened, and they were back at square one. It could have been worse-- but for some reason she had been expecting a revelation a bit more-- dramatic.
Usagi's glance slide from Mamoru to the ruined gardens. That's not dramatic enough for you, Usagi? Shrugging it off, she stumbled up from the crater, sliding in the mud, making sucking noises with each step.
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Post by Nathaniel Bernhardt on Apr 22, 2009 21:00:14 GMT -5
The euphoria only seemed to increase at the sight of Jadeite and his acknowledgment of knowing. It was only fitting to be human again, and have someone to share it with. He managed to laugh at the fluff comment, playfully pushing the other man away. "I should have recognized you instantly when I saw just how short you are! Though you've gained quite a few new insults in this civilian life-- Sasquatch?" he teased. "We'll have to keep a running tally. I can't have you getting too creative on me, might upset the balance."
He nodded at Mamoru's correction. "Mamoru. Yes. Chiba Mamoru." As Nathaniel, he had held a slightly grudge against the Consort for being left with Super Cop and the others that wanted to interrogate him, but Endymion could always be a prick when it came to Serenity. At least he knew that his liege had been kept safe while he was gone, though he felt another bubble of guilt rise up-- they should have been here sooner, it did take them too long.
"I came as fast as I could," he did manage to reply honestly, and it was true. Nathaniel had never stopped searching, pushing against that barrier, demanding answers of everyone around him. Some unconscious part of him knew that he needed to face what was behind it, to merge with that hidden self. There was a reason, and that reason was duty, manifested before in the guise of Chiba Mamoru.
The senshi's welcome, however, was not as warm as his lovely Makoto's, even with the Queen's tentative welcome. Perhaps it was just because of the ruined gardens, but he sensed it was more than that... How many of them retained their memories? Remembered them in the happier days of the past? He couldn't say, but wondered if it would present problems. They had split off into two groups now, the Prince and his guard, and the Queen and hers. His smile transformed into a smirk for a moment-- well, the Queen of the Earth and her senshi had to face the fact that Prince Endymion and the Shitennou, the four heavenly Kings, were here. He stopped his mind from wandering, nodding in agreement at the multitude of suggestions that they move. His prince needed to get out of the cold, too. "We should go inside, and I should speak with you," Nephrite told him, just barely managing not to tack 'my liege' on at the end.
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