3790/3 August 2019

3 August 2019
Date of Scene:	03 August 2019
Location:	In, and outside, Tokyo
Synopsis:	This time, Mamoru's birthday is slightly more of a family affair. (Strong language.)
Cast of Characters:	Mamoru Chiba, Kyouko Sakura, Jadeite, Nephrite

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Mamoru Chiba has posed:
It's early o'clock in the morning. Last year, Kunzite went with him. This year, he's asking these three, but he didn't give any warning and it's like... 4 AM. He commed Kyouko instead of texting because she might have shut the sound off on her phone, and Neil and Saburo, he actually knocked on their bedroom doors. Before the sun was up.

The offer was phrased the same in all three cases:

"It's my birthday. Do you want to meet my parents? I'm going to go pack lunch, and I'm leaving at 4:30. It's 4 now. If you don't come I won't hold it against you at all."

It's about 4:15 right this second, and Mamoru is indeed packing bentos and also sandwiches and thermoses and also some finally-ready magical rose mead.

The scent of coffee is strong.

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
    Kyouko was aware, of course, that Mamoru would be going to the graveyard today. But she wasn't expecting an invitation.

    Having received one, of course, she is here. Wearing a slightly baggy grey sweatshirt and jeans, her short hair is rumpled and her eyes are droopy, but she is here. She knows how important this is to Mamoru.

    She very, very distinctly does not say 'why do we have to go so early, they aren't going anywhere', but she might think it. And then feel bad about it.

    She doesn't help making the bentos, because she would undoubtedly both make them worse quality and steal ingredients and that also seems disrespectful. So she just leans on the wall with her hands in her pockets and dozes a little. Naru wakes her up early every morning becaues she goes jogging at like 5:30. But this is even earlier than that.

Jadeite has posed:
It's four in the morning. The sun isn't even up. His bed begs for his attention, for the reunion of their on-going romance.

But they all know what day it is, and even though the last thing he was thinking about was an invitation, he has one, and so his bed will have to grow cold without him for a while. The clothes he pulls on are too cool for the early morning chill, but appropriate to the place and occasion. He joins them in the kitchen, making a beeline for the coffee, yawning but awake.

Nephrite has posed:
Nephrite is not... made for this hour. His nocturnal lifestyle means that 4:00 comes much closer to his bedtime than his morning, and given that it was a clear Friday night last night, well. He'd hardly closed his eyes 30 minutes before that knock was heard. His brain hardly registered the words that Mamoru spoke to him, and for a moment after Mamoru walks away, he is still standing there in groggy confusion. But then the words "birthday" and "parents" float to the top of his consciousness, and suddenly he is very, very awake.

He enters the room nearly late while fumbling to do up a tie. He's not wearing black--it's not like he even owns much of that--but it is a suit in subdued blue. He might not be clean-shaven, and his hair is hastily pulled back into a messy ponytail to hide the bedhead, but dressing up is what he does for his parents, so he has no reason not to do the same for Mamoru's.

"Anything else we need to grab on our way out?"

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"I figured we'd get breakfast on the way, and more coffee. I'm driving so you can sleep in the car if you like, it's... not that close. There's some incense around somewhere, but I couldn't find it, so we'll need to pick more up if nobody knows where it is." Mamoru's dressed-- not as well as Nephrite, but not like a slouch; he's not super-hipster, just... well, as well-dressed as he ever was for high school. He's also not really subdued, just weirdly matter-of-fact, and maybe a little bit not-making-eye-contact.

His hands still on the last sandwich, and finally he looks up at them, and his eyes are a little too bright. "Thanks, you guys. I-- thanks. I'm sorry it's taken me so long." He looks away again fast, and puts the last of the food in the cooler. "Um. This goes in the trunk of the Tesla. And-- anything else you might want to bring for a picnic. We don't have to leave at 4:30, I just... if I was going by myself, then I wasn't going to wait longer than that. But you're here. And-- it's only early because it's a longish drive, and--"

Bless, he's not sure what to say or do now. Maybe he didn't think they'd come. Maybe that's why he asked at four in the morning. Or maybe he just couldn't make up his mind, and is overwhelmed by them all actually wanting to come too.

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
    Kyouko glances at Nephrite as he enters the room in a suit. She looks down at herself. "This is as formal as I get." She says, somewhat defensively, perhaps hoping nobody remembers that she has, on rare occasions, appeared in dresses and gowns.

    Then Mamoru is talking, and she glances over towards him. She doesn't interrupt his semi-rambling explanation, just listens to it. Then she pushes off the wall and walks over to him. She gives him a light punch in the arm. "Don't worry about it dude. We know this is important to you, and you're important to us. And it's your birthday. You pretty much can do whatever you want. This is what you wanna do, so we're with you." She doesn't have to glance to Nephrite and Jadeite to confirm. They're here, aren't they?

    "Anyway, I should be thanking you for the invite." She adds. "I wasn't expecting it, but I'm honored. Truthfully. I know.. how it is." He isn't the only one in the room with dead parents, after all, even if the situation surrounding said deaths were not at all similar.

Jadeite has posed:
While Kyouko does the talking, Jadeite shuffles over to Mamoru, coffee temporarily placed on the counter as he opens his arms and promptly wraps Mamoru up in a hug. "Kyouko stole all the words, but she said them right. We're," a huge yawn, "here for you, y'know? Don't worry about it."

He doesn't let up the hug for at least an entire minute, and really, closer to two. When he does, he smiles at Mamoru, as gently as he can. "We can do this however you want. Whatever makes this work out best for you, whatever you need, you've got it."

Nephrite has posed:
Neil gives Kyouko a sleepy half-smirk. "That's just part of your charm, sis. You keep doing what feels right to you and I'll do what feels right to me."

Saburo beats him to the hug because Neil's still fixing his tie, but that's alright. They've got a whole day to get all the hugs in, and anyway, Mamoru's feeling shy now and he's already got two people there saying what needs to be said, so Neil just squeezes his hand reassuringly for a second before he takes the cooler from him and sets about adding some extra Mako cookies and chocolate from a hidden stash. Makoto will certainly be providing a cake later, but that doesn't mean they can't have cookies now.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Part shy and part not wanting to cry first thing in the morning, but all gratitude. Mamoru gets armpunched and hair-ruffles roughly in answer, giving Kyouko a small grateful tinysmile which he still doesn't meet her eyes for, and then Jadeite's attached himself to Mamoru, and Mamoru hides his face in Saburo's hair. Not for the full possibly two minutes hug, but for a while of it, and he says a thing muffled that way too. "I didn't think I'd make it past seventeen. For a little while I didn't think I'd make it to seventeen. Twenty-one is... I'm so happy you're here. I'm so happy we're all here."

Neil squeezes Mamoru's hand and Mamoru squeezes back, and then he laughs a little. "If you guys manage not to tell my parents any embarrassing stories about me in front of me, I'll let you take turns driving the Tesla back."

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
    Kyouko just smiles a little bit as the other guys reassure in their own way. She retreats back to the wall, leaning again, and shrugs slightly at Mamoru's words. "I didn't think I was going to make it to fifteen, and not apparently there's a good chance I'll live to be a thousand or something, so I figure I owe you a few early mornings, if that's what it takes." She says, snorting with well-meaning amusement.

    At the promise of driving the Tesla, she grins a little bit. "Well shit. Now I know you love us."

Jadeite has posed:
That probably goes for all of them. There have been so many years where Saburo is just amazed to have managed another one. Sitting back and realizing how long it's been, that Mamoru's twenty-one now, with no signs of slowing down any time soon...

Let's just say there'd almost another hug, but he manages to control himself.

"I guesssss I'll keep all the embarrassing stories inside. It is your birthday, and all."

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
The restaurant they finally make it to-- which isn't so much a restaurant as a tiny breakfast bar on the way southwest out of the city-- is only just open, around six in the morning. Mamoru's had quiet piano music on XM the whole time so far.

The thing is, they know where his folks have their memorial. They know it's not hours away. This is Mamoru tentatively letting them in on the rest of his birthday.

The breakfast bar itself is partway up a hill on the coast with a great view of the ocean, large hills to either side of it, little fishing town and marina below. It's a little bit touristy but doesn't entirely pander to that crowd; Mamoru gets rice and miso and grilled fish when they know he usually eats greasy fried things. He does still get coffee though.

"Breakfast where I grew up," he explains after ordering, busy watching himself fold and unfold his napkin. "After I got our place I made whatever I wanted. But this is good too. We had it a lot at home, too. I just-- since you're here it's okay. Somebody pick something to talk about?"

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
    Kyouko made it out to the car, but that's about all she can handle, and within a few minutes of being on the road is dozing with her head on Nephrite's shoulder. The quiet piano music doesn't help.

    But if anything other than imminent danger can bring her alert, it is no doubt food. No sooner has the car pulled up to the breakfast place than she is sitting up, looking remarkably alert, as if she hadn't just been sleeping for the entire drive here.

    Kyouko orders omurice. She looks out the window at the ocean. "You know what?" She says, as Mamoru says to pick something to talk about, "This is a nice view. Couldn't see the ocean from Kazamino, where I grew up." You can from Tokyo, of course, if you get high enough, so it's not like the sight of the ocean is particularly novel at this point in her life.

    She looks back to Mamoru, and gives a small, lopsided smile. "I kind of envy you, for having a past you want to revisit, even as sad as it might make you. All I want to do is leave mine behind."

Jadeite has posed:
Jadeite yawns and yawns, but he stays awake, fiddling with clay and sculpting little figures - dogs and cats, little street signs that they pass, cartoonish designs that come to mind.

He stays quiet on the drive, the music, the dawn, and the somberness of the occasion dampening even his talkativeness, but the spell breaks in the breakfast bar.

He orders oyakadon, planning to spike it with hot sauce once he receives, adding a dessert pancake to the order. The sugar is necessary, okay?

"I locked mine up in a cabinet," he puts in, agreeing with Kyouko about leaving pasts behind, "But this place is nice. They let me have a pancake, that was nice. You want some of it?"

Nephrite has posed:
Kyouko's pillow was perfectly adequate. Hardly moved at all. Unfortunate about the faint snoring it produced, but even pillows require naps sometimes. They likely made for quite a cute sight in the back seat, slumbering peacefully like napping toddlers. He has to fix his hair again when movement from Kyouko wakes him.

"Jellybeans," Neil grunts in agreement at Saburo. He's ordered a western-style breakfast with eggs and bacon, because morning demands comfort food, even though in typical Japanese fashion it is served with a salad on the side. "I actually haven't been outside the city much. This village feels kind of like the one I grew up in. All those little boats down there."

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"Awesome view. I was thrilled the first time I saw it," Mamoru tells Kyouko with a small smile. "It looked like you could fly over it just by thinking about it." Then he lifts his eyebrows at Kyouko and tilts his head a little, listening. He looks faintly abashed for a moment. "I am lucky," he agrees quietly. "I grew up calling them Auntie and Uncle, and I remember that-- and them-- now, and I'm lucky that what I wanted to remember for so long turned out to be a happy early childhood. But for so long I obsessed, I invented them as parents and spoke to them as Mom and Dad... but now I call them my parents but also address them the way I did when I was small. Because I remember... but I'm still angry, so I want to call them Mom and Dad because they were that to me, even if they called me prince, or highness, that doesn't matter. Nobody else showed up then and nobody else has stepped forward since."

He ducks his head, looking rueful, and then coffee arrives, so he can busy himself with that. "I want some of your pancake. This place is nice. I haven't come to this particular restaurant before. The one we went to isn't around anymore."

When Neil speaks up, Mamoru props his chin in his hand and looks out the window to see. "Having briefly seen it, it does look a little similar-- no, yeah, 'feels' is a better word, you're right. You put that there and it's right." His gaze lifts a little, looking over toward the coastal highway. He sounds preoccupied. "Sometimes I think I'd like to live in a place with a lot more trees and a lot fewer buildings and cars, but the commute would be awful."

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
    Kyouko observes Mamoru looking abashed and feels momentarily bad herself. "I wasn't sayin' you should feel bad for having a past you want to remember. Not tryin' to be the 'cool emo kid' being like 'screw the past and parents an stuff'. Just saying I wish I had something from my past I valued enough to revisit once a year. I guess that makes it even more special for you to share yours with me, even if only once in a while." She smiles.

    She then adds, "One thing I have definitely learned is that there's more to family than who you are related to. If you think of them as your parents, then they are. That's really all that matters." Another faint shrug, before she starts chomping omurice.

    She glances out the window as the view is brought up again, and snorts at Mamoru's comment about living in the country. "The country is ok to visit, but I wouldn't wanna live there. All that open space." She shudders. "It's creepy." Then she adds, "You could always learn to teleport without puking. Then the commute wouldn't matter as much."

Jadeite has posed:
"Sounds like they're mom and dad to me," Jadeite concurs, dumping no fewer than five sugars into his mug of coffee. "You can call them what you want, of course, whatever works, but, if they're Mom and Dad in your heart, and you feel that way about them, I don't think they'd have really objected, you know?"

He is the last person, to really give advice on the idea or topic of parents, but years of romcoms have shown him that good parental figures usually love being called mom and dad, so he's with Kyouko on this one.

The view out of the window is beautiful, like the others have remarked, but he's too much of a city boy to think he'd want to be out there for long. It's the kind of place he'd want to visit, maybe take photos of, but not live in. "Yeah, no thanks on all the open space and endless ocean. Who knows what's down there? But learning to teleport would fix the commute issue... honestly, we'd make another fortune if we could make a teleport machine safe for the general public."

Nephrite has posed:
"They can be both," Neil agrees. Mamoru knows Neil's own aunt. Knows how "aunt" and "mom" can be interchangeable. "Or either. It's okay if the words change over time."

He snickers at Kyouko and Saburo's discomfort. "Wimps. They've even got wifi here. Granted, no Korma Chameleon just around the corner." He surveys the view below. "Better option, more trips out this way. We could make a weekend of it. Find old places you used to know."

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
The food has arrived, yes, and Neil's arrives a moment after the others, since they didn't have the components already ready already and had to cook it for him fresh-- but when it gets there, with another apology from the waiter, it's a steaming and heaped plate of fried wonderful, including bacon. Mamoru's good and doesn't try to steal any, but he does look pointedly at Jadeite's pancake, wanting a piece of it since it was offered.

"Oh you didn't make me feel bad," he reassures Kyouko. "I'm just picking a scab because there's still a mystery. Kazuo," he says to all three of them, "has the extant elements of the mystery, and it's just... something we haven't got around to yet. Usagi's dad gave him a lot of it, since he was the journalist covering it." He stirs his miso with the big fat spoon for a moment, waiting for it to cool off, then starts rolling some of his rice in a sheet of nori. "We'll get to the graveyard around noon, have our picnic-- there's already gardening equipment in the trunk, and one of the bentos is for them... it's actually in Minato Ward, it--"

He cough-laughs a little, looking away from them and back at his breakfast. "We're going to the site first. I go every year anyway, I just... I don't know, maybe you guys can pick something up, fifteen years later, that everyone else has been missing. Probably not, but there's always a chance, right? There had to be magic because... because I remember the storm, but the weather reports from the time don't show it at all. And the police report said the road was dry as a bone."

He mumbles, "Sorry I didn't actually tell you about that part before I dragged you out of bed." A second later, clearer, "It'll take us a while to get back to the city because there'll be traffic."

A beat. "I can do it without puking if I take gravol. That doesn't do anything for the wildly unpleasant dissociation, freefall, or sensory deprivation." There's a BIG SCOWL like 'I defy you'. "Maybe one of you jokers can come up with something to make sure I can stay connected to the whole Earth while I'm in a space between dimensions or whatever. Then I'd be more willing to do it."

Mamoru dips his nori-and-rice roll a tiny bit into the soy sauce, then holds it for a second, not looking at anything at all. It's sort of an answer to Neil, even though Mamoru's thinking about the memories he rode out with the Canadian-- including the one of Aunt Sandra calling him her son. "I called them Mom and Dad for twelve years before I remembered. But they were the ones who told me to call them oji-san and oba-san. They-- I felt it from them, always. They loved me dearly but reserved a special place for the people who placed me in their care. And I have no idea what happened to those people. I'm angry but that's not fair either, because what if they died too? I don't know if they deserve the reverence that my parents had for them." He shrugs. "At any rate, whatever I call them this year, I get to give them the update after the angst-fest that was last year. I didn't bring any flowers because I can damn well make them myself again."

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
    Kyouko nods in solidarity with Jadeite on the topic of the ocean being scary, then gives Nephrite a look before listening to Mamoru speak while he fiddles with his food. She's consuming her own with her usual gusto, solemn occasions doing nothing to dim her appetite, but she's listening.

Swallowing, she says, "I'm not very good at.. y'know. Investigating. More of an in-the-moment gal. But I'll give it a shot. Can't hurt to try." A faint shrug. She doesn't mind the side-trip. And she didn't have any other plans for today anyway.

As for teleporting: "Have you tried keeping a handful of soil in your pocket?" That might sound like a joke, but it's actually not. It's just what popped into her head when he said 'stay connected to the Earth' while teleporting.

As for parents, she says, "If you loved and respected them.. the ones who cared for you, and they revered your real parents, don't you think that probably says something about those parents? I mean, I guess you can't be sure, but seems like a good enough reason to give them the benefit of the doubt, anyway. That said, there's no reason you can't choose who you call 'mom and dad'. If you thought of them that way, then that's good enough, y'know?"

Jadeite has posed:
Half of the sacrificial pancake is sliced away and put on to a separate plate, before being pushed over to Mamoru. The other half is cut into teeny tiny chunks as he listens to everyone's thoughts.

"I was going to say you should try a succulent," he shrugs, "It's a living plant and it's got dirt, and the little office ones could probably fit in a pocket. But I dunno if one plant counts as the entire Earth. You might need some water in their for the ocean."

His face is a perfect picture of the thinking emoji as he considers it, before he goes to actually eating.

A mystery. No, the mystery, the one that's been dogging Mamoru's steps for years. Could they find clues that haven't been spotted by any of the eyes hanging over this case in all this time?

Well, why not? It wouldn't hurt. And unlike the police, they didn't have dozens of other mysteries and crimes to solve.

"Could someone have falsified the police reports?" He ponders, popping a chunk of chicken into his mouth.

Nephrite has posed:
The bacon is received with so much noisy praise from Neil that the apologetic waiter is forced to make an embarrassed retreat. Many a five star review will be appearing on the internet on this day. He quietly places one (1) slice of bacon on Mamoru's plate before rushing to consume the rest before anybody else considers that an invitation to swipe more.

"A pocket succulent," he says blandly. "You could stick it in your lapel like a boutonniere. But would any succulent or dirt work, or would it need to have active power in it, like your roses? Could you pour some power into it ahead of time and keep it around for backup like a portable battery?" Is he saying all of this in hopes of convincing Mamoru to carry a small plant around in his pocket? Maybe. But it's not entirely a joke. There is power in symbolism, after all. He wouldn't be an astrologer if he did not believe that.

He listens thoughtfully to Mamoru's explanation. "Or," he follows up Saburo's suggestion, "we're looking at someone who controls the weather. A sudden storm out of nowhere to cover up whatever they were doing?"

Breakfast and summer morning sunshine makes it easy to keep this conversation light. These are grim topics, but they're three brothers and a sister and there are pancakes on the table. Even so, Neil glances back at the highway they took up this hill, and he has to say it. "Is... this the road it happened on?"

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"... yeah. You guys. Yeah. It's good enough. And -- it's a little like people who find out they were adopted by an unsuspecting couple after being stolen as a baby, or..." Mamoru starts, acquiescing, and then trails off, realizing how weird his analogy is. He finally actually laughs and drinks some of his coffee, then begins eating for real.

After he's listened a bit and gone through chomping some food, Mamoru looks thoughtful. "I haven't tried using Usagi's jar of dirt from the Xenian fiasco, which did actually sort of work, and I'm not sure if it worked because she Escalated it, or... well, it's something to try. Dirt. Or a succulent and dirt. Or hell, a rock and a rose. Teleport talismans." He slides over the pancake half in gratitude, and actually shiny-eyes at Neph for the bacon slice, and then almost chokes. "Neil. Neil. Are you proposing I put celery on my lapel for its regenerative properties?"

He spreads his hands, then. "There were definitely cover-up things going on. The story got buried and Usagi's dad had threats against not only his life, but the lives of his family, if he pursued it. Whether it was magical or something else is open. Whether there was magic involved in the crash itself is also open, but I'm positive it wasn't an accident." A beat. "Mako and her parents could also have been targets. That's open, too."

Then he looks at the road, too. "Yeah. Further along the coast, but yeah. There's a scenic view pull-over down the hill from it."

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
    Kyouko is starting to feel slightly chagrinned that she hasn't shared any food with Mamoru at this point, but she's eating omurice which is kind of hard to share, and it's also pretty much gone at this point.

    She listens to the theorizing about the accident, a slight frown that creases her forehead appearing on her face. "If you remember a storm, but nobody else does, that definitely suggests magic of some kind. Heck, it could even have been a Witch Labyrinth or something, if it was like.. separated from the rest of the world like that. Although I've never heard of a Labyrinth swallowing a moving car full of people, so I guess probably not."

    She scowls slightly at the mention of the fact that Makoto might also have been a victim of the same force or phenomenon. Outside of the guys and Naru, Mako-chan has become her closest friend. "Could it have been Beryl?" She suggests after a moment. "I mean, obviously it would have had to be someone who was aware of your and/or Mako-chan's history if they were to target you like that. If it was her, then the problem's already been taken care of. But I guess knowing that would still be nice even if that were the case."

    She toys with her fork, glancing out the window at the view as Mamoru confirms the accident was on this road. "..I hope I die someplace this pretty." She says, half to herself, then pauses, flushing. "Sorry, that was a weird thing to say."

Jadeite has posed:
Mamoru's half of the pancake is all he's getting, because after just a few bites of egg and chicken for the illusion of responsibility, the sweet, sweet, good stuff is being devoured.

He's going to need it to make it through this conversation, because it's only going to worse places, from Labyrinths to the idea that Mako-chan could be involved, to Beryl. Why did it always circle back around to her? But as much as he hated to say it, "Beryl wasn't exactly incompetent. I mean, evil and terrifying and all around off her nut, but she knew what she wanted. If she could have gotten her hands on Mamoru as a kid, or on Mako-chan... I don't think the Japanese social services system would have been enough to stop her."

She'd found all of them, one by one, and they had spread across the globe. If she'd really gotten so close to Mamoru that she could kill his guardians and screw up his memory, he doesn't think she'd have let him slip away. Still, it's not a bad idea. "But, it's not like we know for sure she's the only left over from those days so, it's definitely something worth looking into."

He pauses, glancing over at Kyouko as what she said registers, and decides to lighten the mood a little more, "Not that weird. I hope I die somewhere badass, so everyone thinks I was like, a badass in life."

Nephrite has posed:
Neil grins across the table at Mamoru. "I mean, you are training to be a doctor, aren't you? Wait, hold on, I think I've got..." he finds a leaf of lettuce that hasn't touched the dressing on his plate yet, and holds it up to Mamoru's shirt. "Yeah, I think that would look about right."

Back to serious topics. The mention of Makoto's parents has Neil's eyes darkening. He keeps his eyes studiously on the nearly-demolished remains of his breakfast. Labyrinths. Beryl. Suddenly the eggs don't look so appetizing after all. "Or," he chimes in, "she wasn't at full power at that point, failed to do the job and then lost you. But I agree, probably not her. Too many ways she would have used that knowledge sooner if she had it."

He snorts at Saburo. "What, like in a volcano? Riding on the back of a shark off a 100-meter waterfall? Something like that?"

He looks at Mamoru again. "Want to go see it? Or would you rather not?"

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"...a witch labyrinth would be... really horrifying actually, since because of the cover-up, it implies that people other than Hannah White were experimenting on Witches a while ago, and they have something against us. But, nobody in the car was depressed or sad. It was my birthday, we were going to... someplace on the coast, maybe a resort or something, it was mostly a surprise? And then I was supposed to meet Kazuo that evening for the first time," says Mamoru, between chomping bacon and rice and fish and nori and miso, having a little more pancake, and then passing the last quarter back to Jadeite.

He blinks at the three of them for the Beryl suggestion, but his face clears at the arguments against it, and he shakes his head, agreeing. "I don't think she stole you guys that long after she woke Metalia, and you weren't little like you were when the crash happened. Plus, yeah, if she knew who or what I was, she wouldn't have tried to kill me, she'd've killed them and taken me. And if Mako and her parents were targeted too, then it really... it couldn't have been her. It had to be someone who knew and who was trying to take us out as we were discovered. And... I think... given the house... that I was being hidden. I'd been in town before, I wasn't a shut-in, but never that far and never for so long."

Then what Kyouko said processes, and he laughs. "Dying of old age somewhere beautiful, after a long and generally happy life, seems like a great goal. It's not weird." He lightly kicks Jadeite under the table, then snorts at Neil. "Honestly, I want to know what he's taking so I can avoid it, if he lives in a reality where he's not badass af."

Neil's last question stops Mamoru short, and he blinks. "It's... why we came out this way. I come out here every year to see it. To try and figure it out. I don't know why Dad was going so fast, I don't know why the brakes suddenly failed and the police report didn't say, I don't know why it was storming but it wasn't, and I want to know."

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
    Kyouko only suggested Beryl because that's the only enemy from the shared past that she knows about. The counter-arguments are sound, and she lifts her shoulders in a little shrug. "Okay, but like.. if it was someone or some force that knew about both you and Mako-chan and was trying to take you out, it has to be because they knew about who you would grow up to be. I don't know as much about that whole ancient past thing as you guys do, so I dunno if I can really suggest any other possible culprits that fit the bill."

"I guess theoretically, it doesn't have to be someone from the past, just someone who knew about it. But that only widens the net, not narrows it." She scrapes her fork across the empty plate in absent patterns.

She eyes Jadeite and Nephrite at their suggestions for badass ways to go out, and just shakes her head, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. "I didn't say 'of old age'. Either way, a nice view would be appreciated. Shark or no shark."

She's not good at solving mysteries. But she's happy to be here anyway. To pay respects and, as always, to watch the backs of the smarter people.

Jadeite has posed:
The other quarter of the pancake is graciously accepted back into the fold, which is to say, it's mixed in with the rest on his plate as he focuses more on the conversation and less on food. His appetite has waned some, anyway.

"Yeah, someone had to be trying to take you out. It can't be a coincidence that you were supposed to meet Kazuo the night someone wiped out your family and nearly killed you. I mean, they might have figured that your healing would keep you from dying, but that seems like leaving too much to chance. I can't believe she would have risked it, not with you, but, yeah, I can't remember anyone else from the old days who'd want you dead. Did - I mean, were you reported as dead or anything? Was it public that you survived, in a news clip or anything?"

Another frown, as a thought occurs, "Actually, did anything happen to Kazuo and his dad that night? And you said Kenji-san was threatened - did he say if any of it seemed....specific? If Mako-chan's parents were involved, and they knew Kenji-san was involved, what would keep them from guessing about Usagi-chan?"

And then a snort, as he plays into the teasing and sticks his tongue out at being kicked, "I mean, I'm really cool, but if you stacked us all up together, unless I get to die like....hm, maybe riding the shark into a volcano - no wait, that's dumb - anyway, unless I go out super cool, no one's ever going to look at me, and look at Neil, and look at Kazuo, and be like, oh yeah, that blonde guy was the badass here. I've got to protect my post-mortem rep!"

Mysteries, he's pretty okay with, but trying to break up tension - yeah, he's a master class for that.

Nephrite has posed:
Neil gives Kyouko a crooked smile. "It's not necessarily a bad thing that you're not part of all the ancient history stuff. Having an outside perspective keeps us away from tunnel vision. It's worth asking those questions."

He chuckles at Saburo. "Your first mistake was in believing that Kazuo can die. We mere mortals cannot be compared to him because he'll just like, return to being a marble statue or whatever it is he was before he decided to walk among us." The fact that baby pictures allegedly exist remains an ignored detail in Neil's theory. Obviously fake, like the moon landing.

He nods at Mamoru's confusion, raising his eyebrow at "every year." "I wasn't sure if you only planned to come this far, or if you wanted to look at the site itself. See, if it were me, I wouldn't have come here ever. Everyone's got their boundaries and I just want to be clear about where yours are so we're not making this harder on you than it needs to be. This was probably a really private trip for you, so thanks for trusting us to come along this time."

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
    "Plants," Kyouko interjects. "He was plants, remember?"

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Mamoru's hands go over his face. "He went to hospital with a crippling seizure at the same time as the accident. He'd had a smaller one when I was born, and minor ones whenever I was in trouble. Like he was trying to teleport to where I was but couldn't. And now he's made of plants and Kyouko do you want the rest of my breakfast or do you insist on dying young and in battle again?"

His hands drop and he glares at the three of them. "You all already died to save me, so cut it out. Unless you want to be made of plants too. We need to all stop dying. If you have to almost die make sure I'm right there so I can fix you. For fuck's sake."

Finally, the prince slouches in his seat, staring out the window again. "Kazuo has more of the details in his memory than I do. It's just-- another thing we need to look into. It can, in general, obviously wait, since we have more pressing matters. But since I've come here every year since I was fourteen, on this day, I thought maybe you could look this time so we don't have to go another day if it ends up being something we investigate this year."

He exhales. "I was reported alive as the miraculously surviving heir to the Chibas' fortune. That's not the name I grew up with, so maybe that's how I got lost track of, if they were tracking. Maybe they thought they made a mistake. Maybe they figured that since I was in the orphanage system, I couldn't do anything. I have no idea. I just don't know. Write down your questions and we'll dump them all on Kazuo."

Then he gets up. "I have to use the restroom. Finish up, because I want to get back on the road. Maybe half an hour at the site, or something like that, and then we're going back to the city. Traffic, remember."

He's halfway to the bathroom when he pauses and glances back, chagrined. "Sorry. I don't mean to be short. Sorry." And then he vanishes into the back corner where the doors are.

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
    "Yes I want the rest of your breakfast," Kyouko says, drawing it over towards herself even as Mamoru is getting up, "And no, I don't insist on dying in battle, I just always sort of assumed that's what would happen. I'm perfectly okay with not dying." She takes a bite.

    She frowns slightly at the information about Kazuo, but doesn't add any more question herself. Instead, as Mamoru vanishes into the restroom, she glances at the other two. "Wait, aren't we going to have a picnic at the graveyard, too? I was kinda looking forward to that."

    Then, a moment later, "And no, not just because of the food." Sounding slightly defensive, even though nobody had said anything yet.

Jadeite has posed:
"I don't think anyone's planning to die any time soon -" Jadeite says, but trails off, as Mamoru heads away from the table and towards the bathroom. He winces a little, at this sign that this conversation is running less than smoothly, but honestly? How much better could it be going, when discussing the murder mystery at the heart of years worth of pain and confusion?

If he thinks about it like that, it's only reasonable that Mamoru had to walk away for a second, and at least this way it happened here, instead of on the road. There's space enough for them to spread out a bit here, and process. And there's so much to process, that it takes a moment to pick out the most important things.

"It would probably be pretty weird and unsettling if I sculpted bodies for us to take over so we didn't have to be shoved into plants, huh?"

He's just saying, he could do it, if they needed it.

He could definitely do that. He's less confidence about solving the mystery.

"What we've got so far is a lot of questions, and not enough people to answer them."

Questions about Kazuo's past too, about how Mamoru ended up becoming a Chiba, and especially about what purpose, if any, lies behind it all. He shakes his head, waving Mamoru off. "This is a hard day. Don't worry about it so much."

And once he's disappeared around the corners, he leans back in his chair, looking to Kyouko and Nephrite. "I think the graveyard is closer to the city, so we have to go back to get there, when we're done here. I don't think anyone was thinking that. I feel the same way about getting to meet them, I think? It's different, but in a good way."

They just have to pull their thinking caps on together about this first. And, he does have a few worries, but, mostly? Determined to be optimistic.

"I think the fact that it was so long ago will make this pretty difficult, but, between all of us, and Kazuo's infinite splendor, I think we can at least try and put together the clues..."

Nephrite has posed:
"It wasn't really on the agenda," Neil says of them dying. "There aren't any active volcanoes nearby."

He tries not to wince at all the stuff about Kazuo. Clearly, his joke about Kazuo's immortality backfired by instead just reminding Mamoru of the exact opposite. He shoots Mamoru an apologetic glance as he leaves.

Neil leans forward on his elbows to keep his voice lowered. "Don't worry, there'll be Mako cookies in the picnic. That's guaranteed to make everyone feel a little better. I think it's okay to look forward to the food a little bit. It's kind of a ritual, it's got a purpose."

He considers Saburo's words as he takes the final few gulps of his coffee. "Kazuo's splendor is truly infinite, but don't discount what we've got here. Hunting witches takes its own kind of investigating, which Kyouko's got loads of experience with. You've got tech wizardry and an artistic eye on your side. I've got a few thousand celestial bodies that might be able to give some kind of vague direction if I ask them the right way. Seeing the site might help us come up with ideas. Maybe not right away, but more of us working on it increases our chances." He glances over at the corner where Mamoru disappeared. "Also it probably helps, just knowing there's more of us around him now. He doesn't have to keep coming out here alone."

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
    "The fact that my body is basically just a puppet that my soul operates like a fleshy gundam is something I am entirely used to." Kyouko tells Jadeite. "It doesn't seem weird to me at all, but then again, I'm me. I dunno how anyone else would react to it." A brief shrug. "Though, if I thought upgrading was as simple as taking out my Soul Stone and jamming it into another vessel, I'm not sure how I'd feel about that. Fleshy puppet or not, it's still my body, y'know?"

    She nods at the assertion that the picnic is still a go. "Alright, good." She doesn't say as much, but she would have been upset if they had asked enough insensitive questions to put Mamoru off of that part of the visit, unlikely as that might seem. Then she grins. "Ooh, Mako cookies."

    On the topic of investigation, she shrugs a little. "Well, I'm good at getting info out of people, and I'm good at tracking, but I'm honestly not sure how useful either of those skills are going to be in this situation. 15 years is a long time- dunno if there'll be much left in the way of evidence at the scene, and I can't get info out of anyone until we know who has the info. But, like I said, I'll give it a shot."

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Mamoru finally comes back, looking perfectly composed, glasses on and faint smile at one corner of his mouth. "Sorry, really, though. I didn't drag you all out here to be shitty at you. All the things you've been coming up with are great, I just-- I can't track them all, I have too much on my mind right now, and I got a little overwhelmed. Like when I decide to have a party then hide in the bathroom. You all ready to hit the road? Or anyone else need the facilities first? I have to go pay anyway."

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
    Kyouko shakes her head towards Mamoru as he returns. "Nah man, it's cool. We know how.." She pauses, searching for a word that conveys the correct intent, "significant this day is for you. I think we can forgive some emotion when talkin' about difficult topics."

    She stands up, the plate Mamoru left for her having been scraped clean while he was away. "I'll run to the bathroom real quick, then I'm good. " She scurries past to do just that, leaving the guys to handle the bill. It's all the same money anyway, really.

Jadeite has posed:
"Fair point," Saburo nods, looking over at Neil as he stirks the last of his food around in a sticky meddly and pushes it aside in favor of the coffee. "Between the three of us acting as new eyes, and the two who were already involved, we'll crack the code eventually."

They have too, after all, because Mamoru is trusting them on this. He casts an involuntary glance Kyouko's way, as the man himself rejoins them - he's not the only one counting on them. They've got two mysteries to resolve, one for the past and one for the future. Honestly, at this rate they might as well market themselves as sleuths.

"It's alright. No one expects you to be one hundred percent on today of all days." His smile is a touch gentle, a touch understanding. As much as they've made effort to celebrate Mamoru's birthday over the years, they've also all known that he'd vanish half the day too, that it wasn't a day of pure excitement, joy.

A thermos of coffee on the road plus one now, means, actually, the facilities do sound like a good idea. "I'll be right back. I can pay on my way, sit, relax a second." And then he's headed for the counter, happy to pay for the meal before dashing to the restroom. It really is all the same money, but Mamoru's been organizing everything all morning. He can at least give him the illusion that all of this planning isn't on him.

Nephrite has posed:
Neil was already reaching for his wallet when Saburo volunteered to get the bill first. He tucks it back into his pocket as he stands. He rounds the table slowly, giving the other two time to clear out, before moving next to Mamoru and throwing an arm around his shoulders. "There it is. You've hit your apology quota for the day. Now you're not allowed to say it again until midnight. Those are the rules."

He thanks the waitstaff again profusely as they move outside (he's in the restaurant business; he always makes a point of treating the people who make food appear like the gods they are), not letting up on his half-hug of Mamoru unless his prince actually pulls away. "Every one of us is here for you, and no other reason. That means whatever you need, we're ready for. If that includes stepping away because of overwhelm, do that. We can wait. If you want us to cut it out with talking about certain things, we can do that too."

The brunette jabs Mamoru in the side with his free hand. "You're allowed to want things. Especially today. You don't need to bribe us with chances to drive the Tesla, although don't think you're backing out of that one now that you've said it."

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
They are entirely a company of scooby doo sleuths.

Unfair, but they sure give off that impression sometimes. "Thanks, you guys," Mamoru says quietly, ducking his head a little, and then he can't actually sit and relax a second, because Neil's got him in a sidelong iron gr-- hug, but he leans into it and that's as good as sitting down. Except that he's also being steered outside, and he half laughs when he finds himself suddenly out there. But then he grabs the hand that jabs him in the ribs and he says, half under his breath, "That means you gotta ride shotgun when Kyouko drives, buddy."

He actually waits until they're all outside-- and he hasn't pulled away from Neil yet-- to take out his keys and throw them as high in the air as he can. "Catch them and have first go behind the wheel!" he calls out as they're falling.

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
    Kyouko returns from the restroom just as the rest are heading outside. She's tagging along at the back of the group, grinning a bit at Nephrite's iron-hug on Mamoru.. and, thankfully, not quite close enough to hear that little bit about her driving, even with her excellent senses.

    She blinks as Mamoru throws the keys up into the air, tracking them with her eyes and, just for a moment, having a vision of a passing seagull swooping down and catching them, or them going right into a pond, or something. Thankfully though that seems unlikely.

    She springs up and forward, reaching her hand out, more just because it's what you do- try to catch the keys! than because she really wants to drive right this second. As long as she gets her turn before the end, she'll be happy, and Jadeite is closer to the point of origin, so he might have the advantage here..

Jadeite has posed:
Saburo wanders back to the group after a quick conversation at the register, trying and failing to find out how they made their pancakes so fluffy and buttery and light, all at once. Alas. The secret will remain their own!

He's grinning to see Neil capture Mamoru in a hug, but all smiles drop in a squawk of shock as the keys go up, up, up -

He hops up after them, but a few seconds after Kyouko, so unless Neil used that height advantage, she's probably the victor.

Either way, he shrugs, "More time to finish the mini gang. I'll get my chance later."

Nephrite has posed:
"Ouch," Neil mutters at the threat of sitting shotgun, low enough that hopefully nobody can catch on to what he's responding to. "You'll heal me if I need it, right?"

Neil makes a half-hearted grab for the keys without relinquishing his mega-hug (Saburo and Kyouko got their turn earlier, after all). As much allure as the Tesla holds, his own red Ferrari remains his baby. It's only right that someone more excited gets the first turn.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Seems like no one's THAT excited, and one corner of Mamoru's mouth turns up as Kyouko snags the keys basically reflexively. "Sure," he says to Neil, and opens the passenger side back door, sliding in. He leans forward before buckling up, holding out his phone, which is open to google maps. "Just hit start," he tells Neil, who he is making take shotgun, and then he slouches down in the back seat of the car.

As soon as Jadeite's settled in the seat next to him, before Kyouko even starts the car, Mamoru starts to reach out to hold the blond's hand before remembering he was sculpting, and he grips the edge of the seat instead, looking out the window.

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
    It's not that Kyouko isn't excited to drive the car, it' s just that it's still early and she was trying not to steal the initiative from anybody else, so it's nearly with surprise that she finds herself with the keys in her hand. She blinks, looking at them.. then gives a bit of a lopsided grin. "Well, we'll get there faster now." With a playful wink towards Mamoru.

    Truth be told, while Kyouko may be a bit of a.. wild driver, and certainly one who enjoys the thrill of speed, the skill with which she handles her own body extends to vehicles as well. She's a good driver. Even if passengers may wish she obeyed the traffic laws a bit more.

    She doesn't even drift around any of the curvy seaside corners. Well, maybe one.

Jadeite has posed:
"Please don't make him regret this before I get a chance to drive."

It's the only comment he makes about it though, because he does definitely know that Kyouko's a good driver, but, the need for speed...

The sculpting tools don't even get picked up - Mamoru's hand is chased after instead, and quickly grabbed. He's sure they'll survive but...

Well, he'll feel safer hanging onto someone instead of breaking his poor sculptures to bits squeezing too hard.

They drift around a curvy seaside corner, coming waaaaay to close to the rail for his comfort, and he thinks maybe he should have tried harder to get the keys.

Nephrite has posed:
There are. Some regrets.

Oh sure, Kyouko is a good driver. She is also a fast driver. Maybe the winding seaside highway was a less than ideal portion of the journey to let her take the wheel. And, maybe he should have put up more of a fight about sitting shotgun. Neil is not quite at the "bracing his hands on the dashboard" level yet, but his foot keeps drifting to a phantom brake pedal that does not exist on this side of the car.

He tries to distract himself by focusing on their route and warning Kyouko of upcoming things to watch for. Of course, winding though it may be, the highway only goes one way, so he has limited use. Eventually he switches to random trivia about their location. "Hey, there's a spa on that cape out there. Maybe Mako will want a road trip sometime. Do you think they have jellyfish at that aquarium? Why is there a drive-in diner? If Japanese people actually tried diner food, they'd probably realize what a mistake it is."

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Mamoru gives Kyouko a faint little smile that's tight around his eyes as she's getting in-- but she's been reading him long enough to know it's not her.

When Jadeite's hand chases his, Mamoru squeezes it as hard as he'd been squeezing the seat a half second earlier. There's a glance in Saburo's direction but Mamoru's face is unreadable now: all the emotional load he's clamping down right now is dread, mixed with the desperate grasping at the presences in the car, all of whom can teleport, and the two others of them that aren't right here but aren't far and can also teleport--

--and dread and anxiety because he's afraid he might have a panic attack and this was a shitty idea and he should have warned Kyouko he might panic because what if she goes over the rail because he distracts her by panicking, and oh, oh. He recognises that turn, this promontory, that faded roadsign, this tourist trap. Neil is talking. He's crushing Jadeite's hand. Maybe Jadeite should henshin, Mamoru doesn't think he can let go.

Trying to respond to Neil's random, he croaks out, "Maybe it--Kyouko please stop the car I need shotgun I can't do it."

There are clouds massing on the horizon, but there's no taste of magic in the air.

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
    It might not have been her prior to the car ride, but clearly it is her after it- or at least, her driving. In truth she probably should have thought about it and realized that.. enthusiastic driving on this road would not be wise. But it's not like she was driving recklessly on purpose or anything- she literally doesn't know any other way to do it. Its just second nature to her. In car, go fast.

    To her credit, she doesn't hesitate or protest when Mamoru asks her to stop. There's a convinient pulloff, one of those ones to admire the view, and she pulls into it neat as can be. Not even close to the rail. She has the good sense to look mildly chagrinned. "Sorry.. I should have tried to drive slower." She says, concern on her face as she twists in the seat to peer back. "You want to drive? Or Neph?" She asks, glancing to the seat beside her. "I had my turn, I don't mind."

    An eye is cast towards the clouds. Noting. But.. no magic in the air. It's probably nothing to worry about.

Jadeite has posed:
"There are probably so many jellyfish," Jadeite says seriously, sounding only the slightest bit strained. It's not even because his hand is being crushed, because he's crushing back. It is entirely because he is grandpa, completely diagnosed with a doctor's note and everything, and he is regretting multiple life choices.

Well, really just the one that involved not driving down this twisty road himself.

Neil's commentary is how he knows what's passing them by, because he is watching only Kyouko's side profile, looking at her face and reminding himself that she wouldn't look nearly so confident if they were about to Tokyo drift their way right over the side of the road.

Kyouko is a good driver -

Oh thank the earth and sun they're stopped - (earth and sun, is that anime or old memories?) - wait, no, they're out because Mamoru is freaking out -

"You want to get out and walk a little maybe? Stick your hands in some dirt?"

It's a genuine suggestion. This is why they need pocket succulents.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"You're fine--!" gasps Mamoru to Kyouko's worry, and as soon as the car's stopped, he immediately has the door open and one foot-- still shod-- on the asphalt while he tries to calm down enough to pry his own hand off poor Jadeite's and get his seatbelt off.

He's white as a sheet and his breathing's too fast; he waves an unsteady hand at Kyouko like 'can't even process questions', shaking his head and then resting it against Neil's seat back, eyes closed. The smell of the sea isn't helping either, but feeling the three of them right there will fix that if he can talk himself down.

More words percolate in; there's a mashed-up "yes good--" to Jadeite's suggestion, and he practically pours out of the car, toeing his shoes off once he's out. And then he's crossed the road so he's not by the edge and he's where there's scrubby grass and a dirt shoulder and rock face, and he puts his back against it and slides down, digging his hands and feet in the dirt and hiding his face in his knees.

It doesn't look like he's doing anything, he's just... not moving. Pocket succulents would be a lot more convenient. He's also going to be cursing himself six ways to sunday after this.

Nephrite has posed:
Neil gives Kyouko a reassuring smile. "How about I get us past this hump and then you and Saburo can split the time left? We can pull over at the cafe to swap on the way back. Still a long drive back home with the traffic, and getting around the city alone will take a while. Plus there's the drive from the graveyard back home."

Leave it to Saburo to hit on an easy physical solution. Hands in dirt isn't so different from playing with clay. He watches Mamoru cross the street, letting him get the distance he needs but watching for oncoming traffic. It would be the absolute worst if Mamoru chose this day, of all days, to let himself get run over. Luckily, there is no need for any of them to go diving into the middle of the road for a teleport-rescue.

He unbuckles his seatbelt. "Also my fault for not insisting he sit up front. Thought sitting next to someone would make it easier." Clearly, today is not a day for assumptions. This is why he insisted on asking obvious questions. Neil jogs across the street with a break in the traffic and, in his nice blue suit, plops down in the dirt and gravel beside Mamoru. He strokes his back, leaving his hand resting on the nape of Mamoru's neck where skin is exposed, trying to radiate feelings of steadiness, of tranquility. "Keep breathing. Breathing's good."

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
    Kyouko hops out of the car a moment later, looking decidedly guilty, despite the fact that everyone including Mamoru is trying to tell her it wasn't her fault. I mean, it might not have been wholly her fault, but it's definitely partly her fault.

    As Mamoru crosses the road to sit in the dirt, and Nephrite joins him, she lingers by the car, fretting visibly but clearly not wanting to hover lest that somehow make it seem like she is dismissing the fact that everyone said it was fine and thereby being an even bigger insensitive jerk.

    "I probably.. y'know, probably shouldn't drive anymore." She says to Nephrite, looking a little pale herself, perhaps due to sympathetic anxiety. "I had my turn. It's uh.. probably wiser to let someone else do the rest."

    She silently wonders if Naru secretly thinks she's a crazy driver too and is just too stubborn to admit it.

Jadeite has posed:
"I'm pretty positive he would have freaked out no matter who was driving," Jadeite points out. He's staying by the car as well, letting Neil take point and shaking his hand out a little. "Any other day he'd have probably told you to try drifting."

A pause.

"Well, maybe not in his car, but any other time, any other car." But otherwise, he doesn't think Kyouko'd have to worry.

It's just. It's not one of those good days, not yet.

"I'll drive next, and then you and Neil can kick the back of my seat while I stay five under the speed limit."

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
The clouds continue to roll in, but they're picking up speed, which means if there's going to be a storm it'll at least be over quickly. Summer squall and all that. And this one-- this one will leave the road wet. A tiny breeze blows in off the ocean, and then the air is still.

Mamoru's silent next to Neil, head still down, face in his knees, but he leans in toward him a little bit, visible from across the road. What Neil's getting from the prince, however, is an ... expanse. It's filtered, it's very filtered, but he's obviously focusing on the thing he showed Neil once that's always going on in the background: he's focusing on his land sense, sending his consciousness away to let his body calm down before his sympathetic nervous system completely shorts out.

He's 'looking at' a rabbit den right now, with a pile of delightful babies in it, halfway up the big hill behind them. When he focuses on the touch at the back of his neck, Mamoru can give Neil nothing but a sort of apologetic and tired gratitude. With the focus comes more focus, of course, and he gradually draws his senses back in, filtering back to his usual levels of noise. "I really... shouldn't have tried that," he murmurs, finally, as he tips over and leans against Neil properly. "Sitting in the back. Stupid of me. I -- I really don't care who drives, just, I need to sit in the front. And I can't drive when I'm this twitchy."

Then drops of rain, here and there, start darkening the road.

Mamoru sighs through his teeth and starts unfolding himself to get up. "Are you fucking kidding me?" he demands of the sky.

Nephrite has posed:
Neil never really knows how to deal with the way that Mamoru experiences the world. He's not really sure how Mamoru can focus on anything with that kind of background static running all the time. But rabbit den, that's certainly not something a person gets to experience every day.

He nods along to Mamoru's words. "Of course, buddy. Whatever you need. One of us can keep holding your hand, if that helps."

Then the dreaded raindrops. Hardly enough to impact the safety of the road, but given Mamoru's description of the incident, well. Not a great addition to the day. "Okay, so, maybe we find another cafe or something to pull into and wait this out. Alternatively, we give up driving at all and we teleport to the site. I know you don't love that experience, but at least teleporting is over with quick."

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
    "Someone would still need to bring the car, we can't just leave it here." Kyouko points out, at the suggestion of teleporting.

    She gives a small smile to Jadeite, but it's clear that she still feels responsible for this (because she is, at least partially). The sky gets a scowl, as the weather starts to dogpile onto the already difficult situation.

    There's a brief red flash, and Apatite is standing there in henshin a moment later. Only so she can raise her hand, and cause a barrier of red-and-black lace to spring into existence overhead, big enough to cover them and the car. "At least we don't have to get wet." She mumbles.

Jadeite has posed:
The sky is frowned at, less annoyance and more general disappointment in a world seemingly making an effort to ruin Mamoru's already not-great day.

"We could try and teleport the car," Saburo suggests doubtfully. He's imagining what will happen if they get it wrong and skin Mamoru's car. Hm. Maybe not that plan.

"Or I could try and put an illusion over it, make everyone think this is a very large bush that they shouldn't bother? But pulling in somewhere works too, maybe a shop, or something, if no one wants to be tempted into more snacks and coffee."

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Mamoru's hugging his arms as he first shoulder-bumps Neil in gratitude, then starts across the road-- looking both ways this time-- and then hurries it up as the fat drops of rain get more frequent, then start getting annoyingly insistent. He makes it under Apatite's canopy just in time; the skies open up.

He just stares for a while, shivering a little. "I like rain," he says quietly, reminding himself. "I like rain on the ocean, too."

After taking a breath, the prince jams his hands in his pockets and turns to look at the others, or half-turns, or turns a little, depending on who's got a hand on him and who's moved closer and where. "It's just a summer squall. It'll be over soon. We can wait right here, or we can dig umbrellas out of the trunk, lock the car, stick a paper in the top of the window like it's disabled and we're hiking for... um... batteries..." he falters a little, but he's making a face as he does, so he's-- sticking his hands in the dirt worked. He's as okay as he's going to be.

"And I take some dramamine right now, and we teleport there. I know exactly where it is, so I'll bring us. And no, I don't like teleporting, but it's not gonna make me panic again. Especially not if we all go together. With umbrellas in our teeth like tango roses." He takes a breath, then forcibly shoves his stress aside to focus on this gorgeous practical problem. "Which do you guys prefer?"

Nephrite has posed:
Neil dutifully follows Mamoru back across the street, staying close to him, reaching up to return his hand to where it was when they are no longer moving. He looks gratefully up at the canopy. "I do appreciate not having to spend the rest of this car ride in a soaking wet suit." Also, his hair would wilt and frizz under this rain.

He considers Mamoru's options. "Both sound doable to me. Why don't we start with the waiting for it to pass idea and have the teleport plan as a backup? You need to give the dramamine time to kick in anyway, right?"

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
    Apatite waits by the car. It doesn't take much concentration for her to maintain the magical canopy above their heads, and it serves well enough to keep them and the car mostly dry, although whenever a particularly violent gust of wind blows in from the sea and the rain slants sideways they still get spattered. But its a light spattering as opposed to a complete soaking.

    Still looking mildly guilty over the whole situation, she says, "I'm with Neph. If this is a squall and it's gonna be quick, we can wait a minute or two. If it ends up.. not stopping, then we can take more drastic action. But yeah, maybe take the dramamine anyway so if we decide to use it, it'll have kicked in."

    She then glances to Jadeite, vaguely amused. "A car-sized bush growing in a parking space might actually draw more attention than it deflects, y'know.."

Jadeite has posed:
"But what about a row of bushes - no, never mind, that's still a bad plan." He has no choice but to acknowledge that Apatite is truly and fully correct. But maybe he could make the whole parking spot disappear....no, there were signs.

"I think waiting it out and taking the dramamine really is best. Worst case scenario, we 'port back and someone's kindly given our car a tow." Okay, there are worse-worse options, but like, why bring those up? They're going to be fine.

"Will we still have the umbrella pointing up while they're in our teeth? Or are we going for some up, some to the side, for total wind coverage?"