640/Usagi's Awesome Idea

Usagi's Awesome Idea
Date of Scene:	28 November 2015
Location:	Pikarigaoka/Uminari City - Hikawa Shrine
Synopsis:	A senshi meeting is called to discuss the Dark Kingdom ramping up threats, and ways to effectively hide Mamoru better are brought up, and Usagi has an idea that might actually really really work. Introducing 'Rei's cousin', Minori Hino!
Cast of Characters:	Mamoru Chiba, Makoto Kino, Ami Mizuno, Usagi Tsukino, Rei Hino, Minako Aino

---

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
So after tumblr got possessed and the Senshi had to fight kitten youmas, Ami and Mamoru dealt with the kid who looked like he was directing the chaos. Mamoru's been scarce since then, setting up contingencies and fallbacks, telling people to stay out of his apartment and explaining why--

--and this is the first time there could be a senshi meeting, the first time everyone had time. It's the very next day. Mamoru came with Usagi this time, and he did carry her giant bags of snacks for her up the zillion shrine steps; no one was especially late; everyone's already settled in place at the low table.

"So-- the Dark Kingdom knows I'm Tuxedo Kamen," Mamoru says once everyone's also got snacks. "And I have reason to believe they're going to hit the orphanage where I do a class once every two weeks." This second half has him not meeting anyone's eyes. Still businesslike, but looking casually at his coffee or the snacks or anything but them.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Usagi is busy worrying her lip with her teeth and too busy poking a snack to eat it.

She listened, heart stopping for more than one reason at the apparent threat against the orphanage, and leaned against his shoulder.

"So. Shuffle you around and keep an eye on the kids?"

She would be like 'BUT THEY'RE KIDS!' but that didn't seem to matter when kittens were used.

Ug! People!

She hums, working over a few ideas in her head how to accomplish the first, at least.

But they're pretty crazy, and probably not the best ideas ever.

Oh well. She shrugs.

"All I got is either a sort of candy code when texting about your location, or seeing if you can use the Luna Pen. Or both."

Ami Mizuno has posed:
Ami sits quietly, cross-legged on the floor of the shrine. The blue-haired girl seems deep in thought as she nibbles on kit kats and fiddles with the little tablet in her lap.

"I don't think he can use the Disguise Pen," Ami chimes in thoughtfully. "But I think we do need some kind of Code. The fact that Mamoru figured out what I wanted during that fight the other day is nothing short of a miracle, and I don't have time to send text messages mid-fight."

Ami sighs and looks up from the tablet. "I think you're right about the orphanage, however. Given what the puppet said ... it seems likely they will attack everything you hold dear. As far as I can tell, Mamoru-kun, you have been present for nearly every major conflict with the Dark Kingdom, to date. This implies that they are seeking you, which seems to reaffirm my theory that you will be drawn to the Princess, or she to you."

Rei Hino has posed:
Rei Hino, as she often, has her room set up for a meeting. There are dumplings here, along with riceballs and tea. Rei hasn't provided any baked goods or sweets because, well... generally someone else brings either or both of those things.

Mamoru delivers dire news. Rei sits at her table, leaning against it with her elbows, fingers interlocked behind her head. "You're sure that they know? How did they find out?"

Rei looks up as Usagi talks, getting ready to yell at her--

-- Wait, no. No that's actually a good idea.

"The Luna Pen? If that works, we could hide him pretty well. We could even create a full new identity for him, even give him one of our burner phones so he can contact us."

Rei leans back, placing her hands on the table, "But if you do that, Usagi, you'll have to be careful how you interact with him. If they know who Mamoru-kun is, then they probably also know about his girlfriend."

Rei nods as Ami speaks, saying, "That's right. If they're after you, then they might use you to get to the Moon Princess..."

Makoto Kino has posed:
"So what do we do?" Makoto is worried; it's plain to see from the tightness at the corners of her mouth and the way her forehead has creased faintly between her brows, the way she's sitting up straight with her arms crossed. "It doesn't sound like we can just keep on waiting for them to make a move. I mean, I'm fine with bodyguard duty and all, but if it's that serious - we can't keep everywhere they might hit covered."

Especially since 'everywhere' is very likely to potentially include any or all of them, starting with Usagi. Rei's observations on those lines have Mako grimacing.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"If they're surveilling enough to know that I go there once every two weeks, then I have to assume they know my schedule, and will probably hit it while I'm there, since we know I am a direct target. So at least we'd be going in knowing it's a trap," says Mamoru, pale and quiet. He's holding his coffee in both hands and just looking at it. "I was figuring on getting a forged doctor's note saying I have mono, and staying out of school until they get dealt with. Akemi-san suggested getting a separate apartment under the offshore bank account the two of us have set up under a fake ID to pay Dr. Shelby's expenses."

Then his head jerks up and he stares at Usagi, wide-eyed. "I-- but--"

Minako steamrolls right over that with an extremely wide grin. "Usagi-chan, that is a FANTASTIC idea. We can definitely try it!"

Mamoru falls silent, actually desperate enough to consider this while other options for things are discussed.

"I'm terrible at coming up with codes, but I'm good at following them," he eventually admits. "And I'm sure they know, Rei-chan, but I have absolutely no idea how they found out. Kyouko knows my identity, but she didn't seem to while she was Apatite." He glances at Makoto. "I'm pretty sure they're actively mad at me. Because the one possessing the kid the other night-- he said I shouldn't have touched them. The others. The ones who I've been trying to convince, bit by bit, that they're on the wrong side. Which... well, it worked with Kyouko. And Jadeite thought it worked on Nephrite; they don't know where Nephrite is. And-- it might be a sign it started to work on Jadeite, too. If they feel as drawn to me as I do to them, it's probably scaring the hell out of the ones I haven't spoken to."

Mamoru chews on his lip. "If we try this disguise pen thing-- yeah. Maybe-- maybe if I'm Rei-chan's cousin or something, visiting from out of town. Then I'd have every reason to be around you all. And--" He glances at Usagi. "We'd have to fake it better than we were trying to take not dating. But... it's pointless figuring that out if it doesn't work. So..."

As if he's going to get his hand bitten off, he gingerly holds it out to Usagi. "Um, how do I work it."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Usagi is not worried for herself. (Well, a little, but it's more in a sense she's aware on a logical sense that she's a potential target.)

Wait. They're actually considering the Luna Pen?

Well! She has some decent ideas, after all!

For the code, it's more like...where you'd be. Or something. What I was thinking was..." Here, she blushes, because it's silly! "Candy. Which is sweet. Like Mamo-chan is sweet."

She clears her throat.

"Like if I'm gonna do a quick clothes run at your place, I'd text people...I'm out buying sour gummy worms?"

Well, that's just silly when she says it out loud!

More blushing!

"ANYway. The Luna Pen." She clears her throat. "Hold it up, say "Luna Pen, turn me into...a school girl. (I was a boy for five minutes! I wanted to see if I could!) Or, you know, an American Surfer Guy!"

Rei Hino has posed:
Rei smirks, at the thought of being Mamoru's 'cousin'. "My cousin, huh? Sure I could see that. I'm not sure what I'd tell grandpa, though."

Rei sweatdrops at the comment Usagi makes about him turning into a schoolgirl. "A schoolgirl, huh? Would he still be going to Infinity? ... How is he going to handle the school stuff, anyways? Or maybe going to school would be a bad idea... Ugh."

Rei starts rubbing her forehead. "Sorry, I'm overthinking it. We'll figure it out, I'm sure."

The miko watches the Luna Pen warily. She said it was a good idea, and it's probably the best they have right now, but she wonders how long it will last.

"Your offshore account... I assume that can't be traced back to you?"

Makoto Kino has posed:
"You know I'm never going to be able to keep up with a code unless it's really super basic," Makoto warns, making a dubious face that quickly turns into something more like embarrassment when Usagi starts comparing Mamoru to candy. It's cute, but at the same time it's like hearing someone talk about how your brother kisses.

This whle conversation is making her uncomfortable, in ways she can't put her fingers on. She'd already heard that Nephrite's apparently gone AWOL, but the reminder of it makes her uneasy all over again. Makoto fidgets where she's sitting as though her legs might be going numb, falling silent and watching closely as Mamoru handles the Luna Pen.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Just as gingerly, Mamoru takes the pen, blushing fiercely and maintaining dignity otherwise when Usagi says a candy code because he's sweet. "I... don't know about that code, it does sound complicated," he says, nodding to Makoto. "But yeah we can figure that out in a bit."

He studies the Luna Pen, holding it like he's holding a hot potato, and chews on his lip a little more. He glances up at Rei. "Mono. I'm not going to school. And any visiting cousin wouldn't actually be enrolled in school here, so... maybe you can get your grandfather in on it, sort of, like I'm a friend you're hiding. I guess I can deal with him hitting on me. And yeah, the account can't be traced to me. It traces back to nothing."

Suddenly he looks determined. "Okay, here goes."

Mamoru holds the pen up, not even flinching because he's determined!!, and calls out, "Luna Pen-- turn me into a schoolgirl!"

It's something like a disco shadow-play; there are stars and lights, and Mamoru's in silhouette, and it honestly looks like a straight-up light-show henshin sequence, right in Rei's bedroom in front of all the girls. At the point at which his obviously tall male figure is no longer tall or male, possibly even more surprising, a brand burns on her forehead: a gold circle, crossed, flaring bright.

And then there's a black-haired girl in an Infinity fuku sitting at the table, pretty and blue-eyed and looking completely disoriented.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Usagi shrugs. "Well, that was just one code idea."

She clears her throat.

Then she looks at the others. "Well, you know. Technically Mamo-chan is seeing two girls. We could have a selectively open relationship." She nods.

And then she watches Mamo-chan change, and her eyes grow starry. And hearts. "You are so pretty."

More heart eyes. Bubbles, glitter, stars, all of it douses the table. "Yes. It doesn't matter if Mamo-chan is a boy or girl, I still want to give you kisses."

Rei Hino has posed:
Rei flips her hand as she says, "Oh, don't worry about grandpa. He knows that friends are off limits, and if he doesn't then he's going to learn."

Rei smiles in kindof a scary way when she says that.

Though the point about school does make things easier. Rei was overthinking it. The miko, assured about both that and the account, doesn't have much else to say. Whatever she decides to tell grandpa will have to be thought about later. At the very least, it'll have to be a story that Mamoru agrees to play along with.

Rei doesn't closely watch the light show, at first going for a dumpling. It's the flash of gold in the corner of her eye that draws her attention, and the burning brand in the middle of his (her?) forehead.

She has seen that before. It sends a chill down her spine.

She decides not to comment on it right away, instead trying to talk about something else."Huh... you... you really could pass as my cousin." No one would be surprised that the cute miko has a cute friend, at least that's what Rei things.

Yeah Rei's cute and she knows it.

Then Rei leans back and says, "That symbol... um... You guys remember that reading I did on Mamoru-kun a while back? The symbol that was on his forehead a moment ago... that was in that vision."

Rei's worry is probably pretty obvious to anyone who knows her, which would be anyone in the room.

Makoto Kino has posed:
Well. That is incredibly weird.

Makoto doesn't have a chance to be boggled for very long, however, because in the next moment she's sighing at Usagi with a very wry smile. "...Usagi-chan..." The imaginary sweatdrop is almost visible floating beside her head. "I know it's difficult, but the point is to keep the Dark Kingdom from recognizing Mamoru-san. If you do that, they're going to figure it out, you know?"

Rei's words bring Mako's attention fully towards her, and her faint and affectionate exasperation shades quickly into a more serious expression. She definitely remembers that reading - after all, she was there for it. "Well," she says, "it's not like we didn't already figure that he and Mamoru-san were the same person..." Still, Mako looks concerned as she glances toward the now-disguised Mamoru.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Usagi is Not Helping. Mamoru puts her hands over her face and just sort of bends down over the table, making herself even smaller.

Minako is not helping either, since she is elbowing Usagi and then whisperwhispering in her ear.

All the stars and hearts and bubbles and glitter flooding the table rain down and Mamoru wishes no one was looking at her. There is a lot of just sort of hiding.

Then she peeks through her fingers at Rei. "There was a symbol on my forehead?" she asks in a small voice.

Shit, even her voice is cute. "Oh no. You also can't be calling me Mamoru. We need a different name. Something really common." Yes good business will make this easier to not think too hard about. "And what was the symbol? I mean. Also, what, it was on me in the vision? Or...?"

Hurriedly, she tugs down her skirt, then pauses, and shifts so she's sitting like a girl instead of a guy.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Minako really isn't healping, because now Usagi is about twelve different shades of red.

"Um..."She pulls a pen and an old receipt from her purse and does her best to (crudely) draw the symbol. "Like this, I think."

And Mamo-chan's not helping because even her voice is cute and and and...gah!

Properly chastised, because everyone's right she can't go around smooching her girlfriend, she sighs and sulks.

"There's always 'Minori.'" Grumble grumble.

And finally, she eats snacks. Just so she doesn't have to be distracted by CUTENESS!

Rei Hino has posed:
"Yeah but..." says Rei to Makoto. "It..."

As she tries to recall the vision, it comes back to her, and she relapses into it. Almost as if it was there to remind her.

She recounts the image as it happens.

"Burning stars disintigrate into nothing. Twisted metal torn and scattered atop rocks at the bottom of the cliff. The water rises. The moon weeps."

"The burning brand, a cross within a circle, hanging in the sky. It breaks into four pieces as waves wash away the fires and sink the continents. A small bleeding hand pushing the metal away from the rocks."

Rei stops as the vision passes... disturbed once again. She grabs a napkin to draw the symbol, only to see that Usagi has already done it.

The miko shakes her head. "I don't know what that means... but right now I think it's really important. I don't get visions like that unless something really terrible either has happened or is going to happen."

Rei is no longer eating, instead just poking at her food. "Mamoru-kun... whatever you do next, you need to be very careful. All of us, too. Whatever is happening... it's not going to affect just us. There's no telling what the Dark Kingdom wants. A lot of people could get hurt if we fail."

She's being somberly silent for the moment. She wonders, for a moment, if it would be better if her predictions weren't right so often.

Makoto Kino has posed:
Makoto sits, distractedly rubbing the back of her neck as her eyes flick from not-Mamoru to Usagi to Rei. She actually hasn't eaten any of the snacks at all, and while that's not as unusual as - say - Usagi not eating, it is out of the ordinary.

"Four pieces..." she murmurs, brows drawing together for a moment as she thinks over Rei's recounting of her vision. "I wonder..."

Thinking to herself. She doesn't pursue the thought, though. The symbolism of Rei's visions is something that's hard for her to wrap her head around; Mako works best in straight and uncomplicated lines.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Mamoru leans to squint, then takes out her glasses and puts them on. "That's the alchemical symbol for Earth," she says blankly, reaching up to tug at the back of her hair as she sits up, then getting her hand tangled because her hair is not short. Fretfully, she uses both hands to disentangle it. "Minori is fine. Minori Hino, I guess."

Then she looks wide-eyed at Rei as she begins to recount the vision in a reverie, and proceeds to look really uncomfortable.

"That was a reading on me?" she asks, confirming, once it's done. "Um-- I don't think the twisted metal on the cliff has anything to do with the rest. It's something that happened eleven years ago. But..." she trails off, hunching down into herself a little at the table. There's a glance at Makoto, but whatever Mako's thinking, she's shelving, so Mamoru just keeps it to ask her about later.

"Yeah," she says finally, face a little grey. "I'm-- not doing anything without running it by all of you. I'll just... I'll be--" She stands up carefully, smoothing the skirt down, not looking anyone in the eye. "I'll be in the hall or something. Not far. I have to..."

Go cope out of sight for a few minutes.

She doesn't finish the sentence, just walks carefully around the girls and then silently out the door of Rei's room.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Usagi sighs even more. Things are just too...

"Whelp!" She claps her hands on her thighs. "I'm glad things are working out! I forgot I promised Mama I'd help with dinner, so text me if you get anything new!"

Of course, she didn't. Her family knows better!

Still, there's a sense of...whatever. So, leaving is what she's going to do!

She doesn't get far.

Her heart breaks!

She looks around, grabs Minori's hand, and walks her to another room. One that's not being used at this exact moment. Because no matter what gender, Mamoru doesn't like showing people when she's crying!

But, Usagi is Usagi, and gives her girlfriend comforting hugs.

"Forgot to warn you about the hormones. They can kick your teeth in." She's not making an excuse for her tears, merely pointing out a possibility of why cry now.