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Post by Chiba Mamoru on May 21, 2009 1:20:33 GMT -5
Mamoru had been disappointed when he hadn’t been able to dance with Usagi at the ball the other night. Although he had attempted to talk with her, she hadn’t been able to hold a serious conversation at that time due to the amount of alcohol she must have consumed. He doubted very much if she remembered him even trying to talk with her again. Therefore he had contented himself with watching her from a distance to make certain she made it through the night relatively safe.
Yesterday he had busied himself with moving out of the palace and into his new apartment. That had taken him all day and so he hadn’t had the time to make contact with her on that day either. It was now the second day after the ball and he knew that he had to get in touch with her in some way. He needed to let her know that he wasn’t going to give up on them and so here he was staring at the phone and trying to gather the courage he needed to actually call her.
Finally he dialed her number and listened to the phone ring as he waited semi-patiently for it to be picked up. He didn’t have to wait long before he heard the line be picked up and the voice of Kouyama Hikari on the other end.
“Kouyama-san, this is Chiba Mamoru. If it’s at all possible, I really need to speak with Usa ... um the queen please."
He had to remember that Usagi wanted him to remain formal around other people. He didn’t know if she’d mind the informality around Hikari or not and so to be safe he’d better remain at least a little formal.
“Can you see if she’ll take the call for me?”
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Post by Neo Queen Serenity on May 21, 2009 1:37:23 GMT -5
Hikari quirked an eyebrow, a bit taken aback by just who was on the other side of the connection. Chiba Mamoru? For the Queen?
Managing to swallow her shock, she merely said: "Please hold for Neo Queen Serenity," and held the line, hopping up immediately.
--
Usagi was seated around the glass table, hashing out the intricacies of a speech with senior aides. The speech writer was not in attendance, which suited Usagi just fine as she was rather unhappy with the product before her. "I don't want to bother the press secretary with this, since it won't even be televised, but I mean, am I going crazy? Doesn't the wording sound patronizing to you?"
Her aides smiles sympathetically, but were wise enough not to say anything. Usagi's mood had been volatile, and she had become quite picky the past two days-- almost nothing seemed right, but she couldn't make a decisive choice on matters, either. It was probably driving her staff to distraction, especially since she was quite vocal with her concerns. They were competent enough to know that she just needed time to voice her feelings, and kept feedback to a minimum.
Glancing up as Hikari strolled through the open double-doors, Usagi's eyebrows shot up at the expression on her face. "Yes, Hikari?"
"Chiba Mamoru is on the phone for you," she replied simply, leaving Usagi's mouth agape. Mamoru?! Why was he calling her? Even before they broke up, he wasn't that great about calling her. This was rare indeed.
"Um... I guess I should take that?" Usagi said nervously, glancing down at her hands and realizing she was fidgeting. However, she looked up soon enough to see that Hikari and her aides were smirking at each other in a knowing matter.
"Oooooh," they all seemed to croon together. Usagi sniffed and stood up, giving the group a half-hearted glare.
"It's not like that! Something's probably wrong, or he forgot that ugly green jacket in his room or something..."
Their naked curiosity gave her the courage she need to pick up the phone and press the blinking button, whirling to face them again, getting herself slightly tangled in the cord which only led to them holding their laughter in.
"Hello, Mamoru," she began, her glare intensifying as put her hand over the phone to muffle the noise and mouthed to them: "Out! Out," followed by little shooing motions with her hands. They better not talk about to anyone other than themselves! "...Is everything alright?" she asked, not bothering to disguise her perplexed state.
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Post by Chiba Mamoru on May 21, 2009 2:06:44 GMT -5
While Mamoru had been on hold waiting for Hikari to inform Usagi of his call, his insecurities had been beginning to act up. She wouldn’t answer the call, after all why should she want to? Usagi had made herself clear the other night, there was nothing more they needed to talk about. He had just started to expect Hikari to come back and tell him that Usagi had refused his call when Usagi herself answered the phone.
Delight spread through him at the sound of her voice. This would work, it had to work ... wouldn’t it?
“Good morning Usagi. Everything is alright, I just ....”
His tone held just a hint of nervousness as he added, “I needed to talk with you and it really can’t wait. It’s important and well it’s not something that I can discuss over the phone. Can .. Can we meet somewhere? Could you possibly come here, or even somewhere else if you would be more comfortable ... I could even come there if you’d rather.”
Mamoru winced slightly, aware that he was babbling just a bit because of his nervousness. Where was the cool and composed Mamoru that he normally was? Couldn’t he even get through a conversation over the phone?
It was just that everything rode on his ability to show Usagi that he cared, that he was willing to fight for her. He had never courted anyone before, especially not Usagi and this was so very important that he couldn’t seem to remain unfazed and composed as he usually was.
Keep calm Mamoru ... you can do this. You can’t fail here ..
What if she denied him this visit? Then what would he do ... he’d just have to deal with whatever came down that road later. There was no sense in borrowing worries. Usagi hadn’t even had the chance to answer yet, he needed to be patient.
“If you’re too busy, I understand. I know you’ve got a lot to deal with ...”
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Post by Neo Queen Serenity on May 21, 2009 2:40:29 GMT -5
Confusion spread through her like wildfire. Everything about this phone call was very out of the ordinary, and she wasn't sure how to react.
Letting out an audible sigh of relief as he said everything was fine, nonetheless, he continued to befuddle her. If everything was alright, why did he need to speak to her so urgently, and it couldn't be done over the phone? He sounded nervous, that must mean something had gone awry. Was it with the Shitennou? Was someone else on the verge of awakening? As if he'd tell her that... he wasn't in the habit of sharing things. Or maybe one of them had shown signs of being evil? That was probably just as far-fetched as him actually volunteering information.
Then again, Mamoru calling her by itself had seemed far-fetched, until he actually did it.
Managing to finally untangle herself from the phone cord, she sank down into her chair and just listened in utter perplexity as he went on.
"Um... You want me to come to your apartment?" she said hesitantly, clearly ill-at-ease with the idea. It would be extremely difficult to avoid the press if she did, and Usagi frankly had no idea what the public with make of it. Stories about her leaving the Palace to go be alone with Mamoru in his private dwelling would not leave the right kind of impression-- though neither would summoning him to the Palace, as he suggested it. But where else would they meet?
Yes, something MUST be wrong, he hadn't even thought things out before calling her, she thought, misreading his nervousness for tension.
"I mean, um... sure, we can talk. I'll always make time for you, if it's important. I'm never too busy for that," Usagi mumbled, wondering how to handle this. Frankly, if he hadn't been so insistent she wasn't sure she'd agree to this... The tension between the two of them had been intense at the New Year's party, and she had enough emotional turmoil to last her several lifetimes, all within the past 48 hours.
"I just don't know where or when would be best," Usagi went on, trying to wrack her brain. "uh... I mean, if it's absolutely urgent, you could come, if you needed to, I guess." She kept imagining some tense meeting between them, and wondered if she could survive another such encounter-- the senshi and Hotaru had been enough. She would have a heart attack if something was seriously wrong.
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Post by Chiba Mamoru on May 21, 2009 23:11:25 GMT -5
Idiot ...
Mamoru groaned inwardly, picking up her unease at his first suggestion. He really should have thought this out a bit more before calling Usagi. He should have realized that coming here would have been a bad idea. That would only serve to subject Usagi to rumors she just didn’t need. Had he learned nothing from his recent experiences with the press.
“Forgive me, that suggestion wasn’t very thought out. I know you can’t come here, that would only give the press more ideas. Coming there wouldn’t really be a good idea either would it, let me think ...”
Mamoru would really rather not visit the palace if he could help it. He wanted to talk with Usagi when she was outside her normal environment. If he were to go to the palace something might cause her to remember the night that the secret of the Shitennou had come out. That wouldn’t work at all and so he had to come up with another location. Somewhere that would not really keep her off center but put her in the frame of mind that she might just listen to him.
A romantic setting, that’s what he needed. It was what he had the other night and lost because he had waited too long. He would just have to come up with a new and better one, but what ...
“How about dinner Usagi, at a nice public restaurant. That’s innocent enough isn’t it? The press are bound to get ideas even if we do nothing, but at least that’s a public place. I really need to speak with you, it is important ...”
Please Usa ...
He could make the reservations and make sure it was a romantic setting. If only she’d agree ...
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Post by Neo Queen Serenity on May 23, 2009 2:34:20 GMT -5
Usagi's alarm was growing the more the conversation went on. Mamoru seemed desperate to talk, so much so that he was obviously not within his right mind-- he had not planned ahead, he didn't have things nailed to exactly the right detail, as was his typical style.
She stayed silent as he rambled on about the suggestion not being well thought out, letting him think, especially since she didn't know what to say. Usagi found herself glancing at the clock, utterly confused about this entire conversation.
His next suggestion left her even more disconcerted. If it was so urgent, wouldn't he want to speak to her as soon as possible not wait until dinnertime-- and if it was urgent, she didn't understand why he would want other people potentially listening in, though he was correct that whatever they did needed to be visible somehow-- being alone together was not a wise decision at this point.
And then there was the pleading. Hadn't she already said yes? Sheesh! This wasn't like him at all! He was always so cold and imperious. Yes, something must be very, very wrong, that he would care enough about her answer to sound so invested in this whole conversation, and beg her not once, but twice, for just her time.
Bemused, Usagi replied: "I already said yes, didn't I? You don't need to beg, Mamoru, I haven't changed my mind or anything. Which restaurant, and what time?" she inquired, though she wondered if he had thought that far in advance, either. He could just pick a place, the way he was talking it seemed like it didn't matter where they met as long as she agreed to it.
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Post by Chiba Mamoru on May 23, 2009 3:29:40 GMT -5
Mamoru glared at the phone momentarily at the suggestion that he was begging, but then he supposed he kind of was. The important thing was that she had agreed. “Yes, I suppose you had already said yes and I don’t suppose you would change your mind once you’d already agreed. I know that ...”
He struggled to regain his normal composure at least a little bit. He was sounding as nervous as a schoolboy about to go on his first date. He really didn’t want that.
However, when she asked him what restaurant and what time, the only thing Mamoru could do was to repeat her question back at her. “What restaurant?” He didn’t know what restaurant. He hadn’t had any time to think of where yet. Why on earth had he not planned this out before calling her? This would have gone so much better had he done so.
Mamoru suddenly remembered a restaurant that one of his co-workers had been talking about once. If he recalled correctly the guy had been saying that he had taken his wife there for their anniversary. They had given it high reviews and he knew that it was a high class place. If it was ideal for an anniversary then it would probably also work for what he had in mind.
Forcing himself to calm down, Mamoru said, “How about Tamakyu then? We could meet at say ...” He glanced over at his clock trying to pick the best time. He needed to have time to make the reservations and think about what he wanted to say exactly. There was also the fact that Lucan probably wouldn’t want Usagi to just go somewhere without checking it out first and so he might need time to do that as well. Finally he continued with, “six o’clock tonight. Would that work for you?”
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Post by Neo Queen Serenity on May 23, 2009 4:37:02 GMT -5
Usagi withheld a sigh, leaning forward in her chair to rest her head in her hand, as Mamoru rambled on. He was so... chatty today. Just kept going on about nothing at all. He was usually choosy when it came to words, to listen to this...
Well, she found the most awkward/bizarre conversation of the year, and the year was only two days old! Just as she had suspected, he echoed her words. He wanted her to choose a restaurant?! Geez! Was it so difficult for him to come up with something-- where did he want to get this conversation over with? With his urgency and unpreparedness, she was certain she'd end up at the McDonald's in Shibuya or something, when he pulled out the Tamakyu out of his hat-- or thin air. She had watched illusionists produce rabbits or get out of handcuffs with less wide-eyed awe than she now had upon listening to him drop that restaurant name.
The Tamakyu?! She had to pull the phone away from her ear to stare at it, not sure if she heard correctly. That was what he came up with? Was he running a fever, or something? Mamoru had never taken her anywhere like that-- actually, it was more likely to be a place where he and Chibi-Usa would go... She remembered the one time when they were all trying to figure out who Chibi-Usa's boyfriend was, and Mamoru took her out on a 'date'... Usagi had been sitting with the senshi a few tables away, fuming with jealousy because she had never been to such a nice place for any reason.
"Uh... Are there two Tamakyu's?" Usagi finally managed to ask, after a long pause. "Because, I only know of one, and..." She didn't dare finish that sentence, not wanting him to get the wrong idea. It would sound snotty to say: 'that's expensive, do you really want to spend that much money just to have dinner just so that you can talk to me about something really important?' After all, he just wanted to talk, not take her out. The fact that it was one of Tokyo's most exclusive restaurants might not have occurred to him, she didn't imagine that he kept abreast of that sort of thing.
At the mention of the time, Usagi scrambled up, grabbing the base of the phone and tugging it along with her to the door. Luckily the cord to the phone jack was long enough, though it was a balancing act to handle it all. She had an incredibly advanced computer system and network that could take database queries through words, recognize her voice and be trained to understand physical gestures... But technology hadn't advanced far enough so that she could have a secure phone that would be both wireless and encrypted, but other equipment couldn't pick up on it? Microwaves, even while encrypted, could be eavesdropped on and parsed by someone else, hence the cords. But she could easily trip over cords!
Just managing to get to the door without killing herself, she flung it open and snapped her fingers at one of the aides to get her attention. It wasn't the most polite way of signalling, but she was on the phone, after all. Usagi was flustered enough that she didn't think that it would be easier to use the intercom function on the phone to get someone to come into the office, rather than picking up the whole unit herself and wandering through the door. Later, she was sure to get some ribbing about her behavior, but at the moment, she was too focused on the call to realize how absurd she was acting, herself.
"Six is fine," Usagi said, trying to communicate with the aide in gestures. "I'll clear my schedule." The aide nodded, scribbling on a legal pad that was always nearby-- no aide worth their salt would be hovering about the Queen without pen and paper. She had no idea what she had going on at six, only that there was always something going on, and that she needed to tell someone else so they could figure out her schedule. Unless the world was ending, she could make time for Mamoru and this crazy idea of actually going out to dinner. Whatever he had to say, it must be damn important, for him to be this odd. She was even wondering if it was truly Mamoru or someone who was impersonating him! No, that was outrageous, she would know his voice anywhere, but still!
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Post by Chiba Mamoru on May 23, 2009 14:52:34 GMT -5
There wasn’t two was there? No, he was fairly certain that there was only one Tamakyu’s. “That’s the one Usagi ...” He tensed a little at her unfinished sentence and added a little hesitantly, “Unless you’d prefer another place?” Mamoru didn’t want to take her somewhere that she wouldn’t like. Although he’d never been there he was aware that the place was an exclusive restaurant and so he figured she’d enjoy it but he had to make sure. This had to be a perfect evening after all. He knew that this one evening wouldn’t fix the gulf between them now, but it would be a first step in a long line of steps to come.
He’d have to make that reservation just as soon as he hung up the phone. Mamoru certainly didn’t want to call and find the place full for tonight, that wouldn’t work at all. The moment she confirmed the time Mamoru continued, “Then I’ll meet you there at six and we can eat dinner and talk a bit. I’ll look forward to it ...”
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Post by Neo Queen Serenity on May 23, 2009 15:42:50 GMT -5
"Oh! No, no, no, no-- that's fine!! I just wanted to be sure," Usagi replied. If she hadn't still been holding the phone, she would have waved her hands frantically. She wanted to be sure Mamoru knew what he was getting into...
"Yeah... see you at six, then." Usagi echoed. Talk a bit? He had been begging her to speak with him, saying it was urgent. Now he wanted to eat and 'talk a bit'? What the hell?
"Um... so. 'Bye," Usagi said, guessing that their phone call was finished now. She eased the phone back into the cradle, staring at it for a good long while as her aides and Hikari gathered about. They all seemed to wear the same smirk as she looked up, eyes slightly glazed over.
"Did I... Did I just get asked out on a date?"
The notion struck her as odd, it wasn't what she had expected, especially since he made whatever it was sound so urgent, but then he wanted to take her to the most exclusive restaurant in town and 'talk a bit...'
"Men are weird, and Mamoru is the weirdest of them all." Usagi murmured, and then focused her attention on the aide. "So, if you could please clear my schedule for two hours before six, and then the rest of the night, I'd appreciate it. Sorry I was snapping my fingers at you, I know that's rude..."
"That's quite fine your majesty. Is the intercom function broken?" The aide asked kindly, but Usagi had a sneaking suspicion she knew the answer was no. Nonetheless, a slight blush settled over her features.
"Uh... I just... Um. No. It's fine. Make sure you just put that I'm going out on the schedule, since so many people have access to it. Don't talk to anyone else about this, because if it gets out, I'll know who leaked it," Usagi told them, retreating back into her office. She'd have to let the senshi know she was stepping out, and then there was security.
This should be interesting...
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Post by Chiba Mamoru on May 23, 2009 16:11:37 GMT -5
“Good-bye Usagi, until tonight ...”
Mamoru hung up the phone, satisfied with the way things were going so far. He quickly looked up the number to Tamakyu’s and made his reservations. When he hung up the phone once more, an accomplished smile graced his lips briefly. Things were going well so far, now all he had to do was make certain nothing went wrong tonight. He knew it wasn’t going to be easy, but as Khalid had said nothing worth having was ever easy. He would put in the effort to make this work because Usagi was definitely worth it.
Now he just needed to plan out what he was going to say to her ...
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