929/Taking Responsibility

Taking Responsibility
Date of Scene:	27 January 2016
Location:	Pikarigaoka - Japanese Confectionery Komachi
Synopsis:	Bad talks about how to be better senshi
Cast of Characters:	Minako Aino, Usagi Tsukino

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Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Once again, Usagi has texted Minako, asking to meet her somewhere. This time, it's in the same place she was with Makoto and Ami just last night, which is most definitely not the Crown. And the drink in front of her is definitely not a milkshake. Yay for froofroo coffee type things! And she has a Pie of Yummy on the table in front of her.

Luna's curled up in the booth next to her, trying to coach Usagi in what she should say.

"'I realize now that I have not been utilizing you in the capacity in which you are most suited, and so I humb--'"

"Ug, Luna, I'm not going to go at this like some...doctor lawyer type person!"

Luna sighs. "Very well. Do it your way."

Usagi tilts her nose in victory.

Now all she needs to do is wait!

And hope this place doesn't suddenly get busy, because that would be an awkward conversation to have in half riddles and whispers.

Minako Aino has posed:
Minako Aino eventually arrives, looking busy and important. Her first words are tisks and finger waggings.

"Miss Tsukino! You know you are not allowed to bring pets into this establishment," she says, latching down the ties on her big bag just before any white furry ears are able to poke themselves out.

"It's an eating establishment and some cats fur all over the place. Just fur fur fur, as fur as the fur can see."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Usagi plays along, nose tilting higher in the air. And of course giggles at the pun. "Ah, but see, she's not a pet. She's my advisor."

For her part, Luna peers out at Minako, a very annoyed kitty glare on her face. "I most certainly am no one's pet and I do not shed unless I wish it!"

She, of course, ignores the few stray pieces of cat fur around her.

Usagi waves at the seat across from her. "Come on, sit sit! I got us pie! It's a sharing pie!"

Minako Aino has posed:
Minako Aino sits down for pies promptly. She's even more prompt to correct cats.

"Shhh. Advisors can also be pets. Dual roles. But you can't help shedding. It's automatic. You're not like a pork-pine, that can shoot their hair at people. It just comes out," she says, poorly elaborating on animal physiology the whole time she starts helping herself to a slice.

"What's up, you two? I don't think we invited me out and about to make fun of cats."

"But if you did? That's cool too! I even brought one, just in case that comes up!" she says, only now spilling out a sleepy Artemis on the table.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"Eeeee! Artemis!" She reaches out to grab the sleepy white cat, giving him hugs and kisses and chin scritches before setting him back down on the table. And then she serves herself up some pie as well.

But now, she realizes maybe she should have rehearsed things.

Shoot! What to say!

In a rush, she starts with the only thing planned. "I realize now that I have not been utilizing you in the capacity in which you are most suited, and so I humb--" Um... "I humbly..." She looks at Luna for some help. The cat just shrugs.

So instead, her shoulders slump. "You were right. I had you on a pedastal, and it wasn't fair to you."

That's a good start, right?

Minako Aino has posed:
Minako Aino lets Usagi play with Artemis for a while. Additionally, Artemis also lets Usagi play with Artemis for a while, politely doing nothing more than flicker his ears around and lift his head just enough that his chin doesn't bump the table on any particularly rough pettings.

"I don't follow. Pedestaling? Did I say that? I forget. Remind me!" she insists, thinking back and trying to remember what's being referenced.

"But in all honesty, I'm go great on a pedestal. Or on a clam."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"You know, in the park." Usagi sighs and leans forward. "I've been doing a lot of thinking." The black cat beside her delicately clears her throat. 'Ahem. ' Usagi rolls her eyes. "Luna's been doing a lot of talking. She helped me realize something. Or even remember something I chose to forget."

She sighs and sips her froofroo coffee. Ug, too much coffee, not enough froofroo. "It's not fair of me to hide behind your fuku. You're not supposed to be the leader this time around. I think -- I know -- I also became Sailor Moon so you wouldn't have to be."

She looks up at Minako, trying to judge whether or not the other girl is angry or hurt or something by that.

Minako Aino has posed:
Minako Aino purses her lips up and gives Luna the most frustrated of looks, followed by a lengthy session of thinking before talking with lots of extra-big bites of pie and sips of drink. To give herself more time to come up with a response.

"That's... that's... that's sorta' backwards. But... but...."

She tries to think of a way to say it without it sounding too silly, but eventually opts for just saying her thoughts straight out.

"I'm.. I'm not Sailor Moon. I'm Sailor Venus. Or even Sailor V. It's right there in my name! That's a help pneumatic device."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Oh, she was doing a horrible job of this, wasn't she?

"I know you're not, but -- there wasn't a Sailor Moon last time. There was the princess. And now I'm kinda...both? But also Usagi?" Ug, now she understood those headaches Mamo-chan used to get...

She's floundering again! So she reaches over and grabs Minako's hand, the one free of fork, almost begging with her eyes that Minako read her mind, even if it's impossible. "Look, there's a reason I had -- okay sort of still have but in a different way -- I had you on a pedestal. You're amazing at what you do. But even though it doesn't look it, I've been seeing and two times in a row is too much, so I need to take that responsibility from you, I want to take it, and it's not only for you, so don't think I'm doing this for a reason I'm not, it's also for me, and I just--"

Luna's claws dig in her thigh, and Usagi winces. Oh yeah, she's rambling. "I...may want to do this, but I also don't think I can without your help."

Minako Aino has posed:
Minako Aino just makes simple shushes at Usagi and maybe at Luna too.

"You don't need to be a 'leader'. I mean... everybody *should* be a leader. But that's not really what anybody is asking of you. It isn't leadership that people are lacking right now," she admits.

"Everybody is... I dunno. Broken. Not serious. It's not a lack of leadership, it's more a lack of direction," she explains.

"Either way, 'being a leader' is not anything to get worked up about. We don't need 'more leadership'. You should aim higher than that," she suggests, patting fingers while also cracking her own knuckles when Usagi isn't looking.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"It's not just...taking charge of things for me. It's...Minako, you've said it more than once. I'm -- " here, she whispers. "Your princess."

"This time around, I can do so much more than...whatever it was I did back then that made you guys...like me enough to risk your lives."

She sighs, and looks a little off to the side. "It's not everyone else that's been broken. It's been me. I don't do well...without him?" Silly stupid idea, she waves her hand. "Anyway, that doesn't matter. What does, is I need to...if I'm the leader, I have a motivation for doing more than just being a lump on a bed some where. And if I'm the leader, you don't have to take on so much responsibility. Even if it's not anything more than an official title." She leans forward, and her eyes are glittering. "And I do aim higher than leader. I am your princess, even if I don't know what that means yet, but I can also try for the guidance thing and hug people when they get stressed, and that includes you."

Minako Aino has posed:
Minako Aino settles back and crosses her arms. "Leadership isn't a promotion. You don't just decide to be a leader. The problem isn't a lack of leadership. People aren't not working 'cuz we don't have enough people suggesting work. Nobody was captured by the Dark Kingdom because we need more leaders. The problem isn't the leadership," she stresses, carefully.

Then she's tired and not wanting to talk much.

"I probably still have to shout at a bunch of people. If you really want to help, you can help me get everybody serious. Real serious."

"Not just senshi. Maybe help me out with Virtue, the organization we never should have joined in the first place."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Usagi sighs. "I know it's not a promotion, Minako-chan. Technically, for me, it's a demotion. I'd be going from..." She flounders a bit, waving her hand. "President of the United States to a five star general."

And then her eyes turn serious. "I know what the problem has been, Minako. It's been me. If you need me to, I will make this a...royal declaration or whatever, because I will be leader. But I need to know, even if it seems to you I'm usurping your position, that you'd be my second. And I will listen to your guidance, to your advice. And I just--"

At this point, Luna jumps on the table, and stares imperiously at Minako. "You were not meant to be leader this time around. This is your time to step down. To allow yourself to have this little bit of freedom. This is not just from your Princess, Minako. This is the wish of your Queen."

Usagi blinks at Luna. What, really? "You never told me that."

Luna tilts her own nose up. "It wasn't yours to know."

Then Usagi blinks at Minako. "What's wrong with Virtue?"

Minako Aino has posed:
Minako Aino carelessly shrugs her shoulders and gets listless. "Sure. Fine. Whatever. I don't wanna lead anybody anymore anyway," she says.

"Anyway, nothing is 'wrong' with Virtue, per se. They were more a means to an end for me to better find everybody. They're not 'bad', but it's distracting all my people... or, excuse me, all your people... from their missions. It makes me feel like I'm being fought in both directions."

"There's also the delicate issue of too much fraternizing with the enemy, but it's rough times and people are getting desperate and I'm hesitant to try and fix that now. I have too much on my plate."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Usagi realizes she probably seriously hurt Minako's feelings. "No, I need you. Please don't think I don't. I really, truly need you because I don't know what I'm doing. I need your guidance, Minako, please, I--" Her eyes water, because all your people and she bites it back. "Minako, you're my people. Mars, Jupiter, Mercury? They're you're people and my people. This isn't...I will make you happy. I will make you proud to call me princess or leader or whatever. And not by forcing you to accept me, but by showing you."

She leans back, still a bit distraught. "And its not that we're...working with the enemy. We're working with people who work for the enemy because we all have a common goal." Her eyes look up at Minako again. "And after Walpurgisnacht, we are getting him out of there. We have a plan for it. I have a plan for it."

She leans forward. "We're not...being distracted by them, Minako. We're building connections, alliances. We're making friends, though not all of us have to consider them that. For me, that's important. And not because as a concequence of this we get more allies in the future. But that is what's happening. We're making connections beyond ourselves. They need help? We help if we can. If we need help? They come if they can. It's not only them that benefits from us being in Virtue."

Minako Aino has posed:
Minako Aino reaches hands up to her head, frustrated. "No! I mean, yes! Friends are nice. But Virtue is not a social club. It's a real responsibility. We don't focus on our main friends, though. We all work with the wrong people and get distracted. Nobody believes me when I say reasonable cautions."

She drops that line of thought and goes back to talking about enemies: "Common goals mean nothing. Murderers! They eat, drink, socialize, and play games just like me. Doesn't mean I should hang out with them, common goals or not. We are the 'good guys'! We can't just drop our morals because things are hard. It's not right. It's not fair."

She grips the table and tries to explain in nice and simple terms.

"I... it's just so immoral. There were dozens of times I coulda' done somethin' sneaky. Immoral. Wrong. Wrong. Nobody would have known. Robbed people. Worked with bad folks to get rich or famous. Not been hurt. Not lost... friends. Had an easy time."

She has a fun little confession, too. "Healing people is nice. But with a little work, you know you can drain them, too? It's do'able. And maybe with practice, I could be even better than the Dark Kingdom. That would sure make my job easier. Less broken bones and bruises, right? The ends justify the means."

"But every time 'things get hard', the good guys think they can break their vows 'just this once', but once becomes twice and then all the time really, really fast."

"So, yeah, if you want to be a good leader instead of a princess and inspiration and person we're supposed to protect and enable, fine. Go out and convince everybody to stop abandoning their ideals just 'cuz 'it is important this time'. Or 'the enemy has something I want'."

"We just... too quickly forgive some really bad, bad folks out there 'cuz one of our 'friends' is working with them. People who hurt me. People who hurt my friends. People who literally physically really really actually tried to torture me. Ugh."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Usagi sighs, because Luna is Not a Help. She puts the kitty in the catbag, so to speak, and suddenly it's just Minako and Usagi. "What do you want, Minako? Without Luna? With knowing I want to help. What do you need, to feel you're doing your all?"

Minako Aino has posed:
Minako Aino gives the barest little shrug of her shoulders (and a shake of catbag. She pauses in her answer, not because she's deep in thought on Usagi-questions but because she wonders if she could put BOTH cats in the bag and then shake it all around. She does not do this.)

"Just, you know. Work on stuff. Maybe practice sometime. Nothin' much to do until I talk to the others. Maybe figure out what to do next," she lists.

"I've already been doing my all. I don't need help to do that - I need everybody working together, I guess? A little less grumpiness in everybody."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Usagi sighs. "Minako..." She thinks for a moment. "I can't do battlefield...things. What if...you did? And I know things wouldn't be amazing, but...?"

She looks up at Minako, wondering, hoping, something that she means gets through.

Minako Aino has posed:
Minako Aino reaches out and pets Usagi on the knuckles. They eventually turn to tickles. "Don't worry about that. I'll help there. I'm a great battlefield thinger, but when I'm done with you, you'll be battlefielding things so.. so good!"

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"Minako, I..." Usagi pauses, now, halfway over the table. "I'm ot saying...a complete change in rank. Or something. I mean..." And now, she's grasping Minakos hands, afraid she'll be left alone. "You know tactics. Mercury knows logistics. Jupiter knows...combat as Mars knows what may or may not be. Will you...guide me?"

Minako Aino has posed:
Minako Aino claims that she will guide.

"I can. I have. And I will. Don't worry about me. I'm gonna be fine, I'll do it all. Even the unfun stuff. Trust me!" she promises.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Usagi looks at Minako, tilts her head, and the expression she has is probably unexpected. "Minako. I always worry about you. You're my girl. Even if you weren't Venus, you'd...I'd still love you. So of course I'd worry."

Minako Aino has posed:
Minako Aino clucks her tongue like she does to Artemis, like she's trying to provoke a cat pounce.

"Shhh. Don't. Just do your job."

"I mean, I know that's hard and you probably will worry. But don't. I'll be fine. Only the good die young!!"

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
She looks down, studying the pie tin. "Then...I hope you're bad. The worst, even. Because I don't want my Minako to die, ever."

She looks up at Minako, a bit lost, perhaps. "What is my job? If not to look after all of you?"

Minako Aino has posed:
Minako Aino groans a bit. "I'm not bad. I mean, I'm the good cool bad. Like 1970s bikers or whatever. But... no, I'm not gonna die. That's not what that expression means!" she insists.

"Anyway, jobs are hard. We need you to stay calm, relaxed, and unworried! For Phantom Legendary Silver Moon Crystal stuff, 'cuz when it comes to crystaling people, I have a buncha' hunches that you'll be great at it."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
A faint curl of the lips, and she's ready to listen to whatever. "Hunches, huh? What kind?"

She wants to hear about those happily ever after ones. She wants those ones that tells her the creepy post-military barracks dreams were just weird flashes of NeverBeens.

Minako Aino has posed:
Minako Aino makes vague little gesture with her hands, then uses Usagi's hands too.

"Normal hunches. Smarty hunches. Totally correct ones. You can trust me. Just try it," she suggests.

"If you don't like it, you can always pass it around, right? Maybe let Ami-san have a go. Maybe these things skip a generation and you can let your brother Shingles have a go," she says, not quite understanding how 'skipping generations' work.

"But really. I got the feeling you can probably probably definitely do it best!"

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Usagi arches an Eyebrow. "Shingo? Really?"

No matter how much she loves her brother...

She sighs, again. "Minako helps me be th ebest, I know it..."