Okay, so, akward. Usagi has no idea how to broach the subject with Jadeite. She knows it has to be subtle, it must be nonconfrontational, and she knows that he must know she in no way blames him.
"Kunzite almost killed Ami-chan this weekend."
Crap!
"Wait! It's not your fault! She's just really hurt and almost died!
Dammit!
"I mean...Mako-chan?"
Makoto is currently covering her eyes with her hand. The rest of what can be seen of her expression is pained and intensely apologetic. "...Usagi-chan..."
She takes in a long breath, lets it out, and lowers her hand to look towards Jadeite, still very apologetic. "What Usagi-chan means is, there's some things going on that we thought you should know about, and also some things you might be able to help us understand, if you don't mind talking about it." A beat; her mouth twists ruefully. "I also made some chocolate I'd like you to try, if you'd rather start with that. I need a guy's opinion on it."
Well, that's one way to open a conversation. Jadeite finds himself kind of standing around awkwardly, having just invited the girls in, surprise and dismay all over his face. One hand moves up to touch at a place on his chest, not that he ever actually felt any injury there. What he comes around to, voice quiet and sad, is, "I'm not surprised."
He nods towards the sitting area then, eyes flicking over first Usagi and then Makoto. "I can talk about it. I can try to answer questions. Are you expecting a guy's opinion on your chocolate to differ?" It doesn't quite fit in with the mood, but still, the question seems to need asking.
Usagi looks at Makoto with much Gratefulness in her eyes.
And she believes Jadeite must taste her chocolate.
Not for the same reasons Makoto thinks he should!
"Her chocolate is amazing. And yummy. I may have eaten the first three batches before this one and..."
Usagi waits a bit, while Jadeite tastes the chocolate. This is as much Makoto's worry as it is hers!
Wait a bit....
A bit longer...
"Jadeite..."
Usagi gulps.
And gulps again!
"I got you these in Paris I know what happened I don't blame you its not your fault!"
Her eyes are SQUINCHED tightly closed as she holds out the old Parisian sculpting tools. Yes, it's taken her this long!
"Mako-chan, I suck at this, why are you letting me People right now?"
"Maybe!" is Makoto's reply when Jadeite asks if she's expecting a male opinion to be significantly different. Some of the awkwardness leaves her smile, replaced by a certain self-deprecation. "I've been going back and forth with different flavorings for a couple days and I really want it to be just right. So hearing what you think would definitely help."
She settles in in the sitting room, and the chocolate comes out, lined up several apiece in pleated white paper baking cups within the tupperware container she brought it over in. The cups each have a little tag with a label hand-written on it, identifying flavors: 'plain', 'vanilla', 'orange', 'sea salt', 'cayenne'.
Usagi may possibly suspect Mako of holding out on her; these do not look the same as the goodies Makoto made for both of them to give out to their friends and which Usagi has liberally taste-tested.
"It's okay," Mako tells Usagi soothingly. "You're just keyed up. I'm sure Jadeite understands, too."
Apparently the chocolate is coming first. Jadeite takes his job as taste-tester very seriously, settling down so that he can sample each of the flavors and judge them on their own merit. He seems to like the vanilla best, but there are definitely some Subtle Hints (tm) that Makoto should try a coffee flavor. Jadeite appears to *really like* coffee flavored.
What comes next he doesn't seem to expect. Jadeite ends up blinking too many times as he reaches out to accept the sculpting tools. It takes a few moments for him to figure out what they are, before he's looking back up to Usagi, seemingly touched. "How...did you know?"
Usagi, of course, does realize she's been left out on the yummiest of chocolates! "Mako-chan!" she hisses! "If those are superly good, you gotta help me with that for Mamo-chan! Or I'll pout on you!"
And she is still avoiding Jadeite's eyes as she shrugged. "At the time they just felt...right. But it makes sense. From what little I know, you like to...sculpt. Or did. If you don't now it's okay they can just be decoration! Or if you don't like them at all they can go to some gallery nearby!
She shrugs again. "Serenity...just has flashes of really beautiful things you used to make."
She leans up to hiss in Makoto's ear. "I am so keyed up!"
Makoto watches Jadeite's reactions very closely as he taste-tests - oddly so, maybe. It might almost seem like there's something in particular she's looking for. Whatever it is, it doesn't seem like she sees it, but his opinions and his generally favorable response bring a pleased smile to her face all the same. "Thanks," she says, flashing a quick sidelong grin towards Usagi's whispered demand. "I'll make sure to try coffee the next time." She's already looking thoughtful, considering options.
With this out of the way, she settles back to watch Jadeite and Usagi talk about the gift of the sculpting tools and Jadeite's artwork, not feeling the need to interrupt... at least, not until Usagi admits to being keyed-up. "Then have some chocolate and relax," she murmurs back.
She follows the suggestion by picking up one of the plain chocolates and putting it directly into Usagi's mouth.
"They are *very* good." Jadeite assures Usagi, as if he's passing some kind of secret to her that Makoto isn't supposed to hear. Given that he says it at conversational volume, that's probably not *really* meant to be a secret. He turns his attention back to the sculpting tools with a fond, soft smile, something watery in the edges of his eyes. "...I do like the sculpt. I haven't had much time to do it lately. But I do like it. It's very ... soothing."
His eyebrows collapse a little after that, some of the easy-going good-cheer falling apart. "I suppose we should talk about what happened with Ami-chan and Kunzite?"
A quiet sigh leaves Makoto at that, and she nods reluctantly. Since Usagi's mouth is full, it falls to her to pick up the explanation, and she starts with reassurance: "Ami-chan will be okay. She's just going to need a while to recover. More importantly..."
She hesitates, catching her lower lip momentarily between her teeth as she thinks about how to proceed. "...Zoisite probably knows you're alive," she says at last, eyes grave as she looks at Jadeite. "He at least suspects. He texted Usagi-chan and told her to ask you something." What the question is, she doesn't say yet. "Do you think... maybe he knew about your illusion? Beforehand?"
Jadeite's expression furrows further, somehow. He glances to Usagi, and then straightens just a little bit, trying to take the topic seriously. "What did he say? Specifically. And what did you say back to him?"
Then he's looking back to Makoto, head shaking. "Maybe. Zoisite is smart. *Very* smart. He keeps things close to his chest. He was always ... the most manipulative of us, I think. It might be he knew the moment I made the illusion. Maybe he figured it out afterwards. Maybe he's using the text as a test, to see if he can fool you into giving information away. Why are you texting with him anyway?"
There is...a very euphoric bunny chewing on some chocolate. Her eyes are dazed and her expression is pretty much one of pure bliss.
Even still, she scrolls through her Sailor Moon phone, opening the messages from someone known as 'Blossom' on her phone.
"He made me curse like a drunken sailor. And just randomly started texting! I'd only texted Endymion!" A giggle! "And apparently, Jae-kun would know lots of what's possibly going on there right now."
She manages to muscle her eyeballs through the haze of yay to regard Jadeite. "Is Mamo-chan all puppety?"
Makoto makes a bit of a stinkface at Jadeite's description of Zoisite. "I was afraid of that," she complains, nodding slowly. "Basically there's no way to tell what he's thinking, huh?"
She settles back a little, giving Jadeite a chance to read through the texts. "He said to ask you to guess what's going on in the Dark Kingdom, after Walpurgis," she sums up quietly. "Any ideas? Aside from... well, we can already guess that something happened to Kunzite."
With solemnity, Jadeite takes the phone and reads carefully through the texts. "He talks like he already knew I was alive." He decides almost immediately, mouth pressed into a thin line. "Which means I screwed up. I don't know if he knew he was stabbing an illusion, but he must have known it once he'd stabbed it. I can't afford to believe he knew he wasn't killing me. He's unpredictable. That's the point of him."
Eventually, he offers the phone back to Usagi, shoulders bowing just faintly like he's somehow taken on more weight. "It looks like She put them on lockdown. It makes sense. She has been obsessed with the Prince since the moment we found him. She wants him, She wants to own him and possess him in a way she never cared to do for us. She is powerful and powerfully jealous and to have all of Her Generals apparently break ranks, work with the Enemy, and to have him kiss Moon while supposedly under Her thrall--it wouldn't have gone over well. I know She summoned the others back the moment the fight was over. I didn't hear Her, but I should have. That won't have been popular either. Maybe Zoisite was trying to give me an out. I can't be sure. But..."
He glances back to Usagi, seemingly almost *guilty*. "Most likely. Her first action would probably have been to yell. Secondly, put them through another round of brainwashing. At least the Prince. Probably all of them. Absolutely Kunzite, if he tried to kill Mercury when he'd been trying to give us an advantage before. I knew this would happen eventually. We have to assume none of them are on our side any longer."
Usagi chews her lip while Jadeite talks, looking very much Not Happy with what he says.
She knew she'd been doing a terrible job of 'helping' Mamoru. And then to have this happen? It's very easy to see where the blame lies for this!
She catches Jadeite's look of near guilt and her eyes widen.
When he's done, she clutches the sleeve of his shirt. "I'm...glad you didn't hear her."
She sighs and wonders What Else. "I don't think Zoisite was taken. Maybe not even Nephrite." A quick look to Makoto. "But we do need to be careful."
And then her eyes flash. "And that crazy lady has nothing on me when it comes to jealousy and greedy. I want him mine, but I want him happy. That means all of you, being all adoring on him, so I can see him happy. And I want that more than I want him mine. And I want that more than that...that..." The next few words are heavily censored! "--wants him as however it is she wants him. And as far as I'm concerned, we have a teeny bit of a victory with you in that regard! And I get an awesome Netflix RomCom Buddy! So Hah, Harpy, we're one step ahead of you!"
Makoto has fallen silent, listening carefully to what Jadeite has to say with an expression of slowly-growing worry. The worried look only becomes more pronounced at Usagi's outburst, but Mako doesn't quite seem to know what to say, so she just sighs softly and places a hand on her friend's shoulder.
"I haven't heard from Nephrite since Walpurgis," she admits quietly. "I was planning to - well," she amends, catching herself a little, "anyway, I might be able to find out something. It's going to be tricky, though, if she's watching all of them as closely as Zoisite seems to think she is."
The phone that Jadeite is still holding twitches slightly in his hand, and chirps the arrival of a new text message. It's not from any of Usagi's contacts; just a number.
TXT: Blossom at your window. (Not literally, I have no idea where you are.) In this case, the window is fifteen minutes.
Jadeite opens his mouth like he's going to respond to what Usagi has said, sympathy on his face. That's about when the phone buzzes in his hand, and his attention diverts to it entirely on reflex.
His eyes widen, and something about his pale complexion goes more pale.
Without saying a word, he shoves the phone at Usagi, unwilling to keep holding on to it. The moment it's in her possesion, he gets up and apparently starts to scower the apartment, overturning every little thing in a somewhat-frantic search.
She furrows her eyebrows at Jadeite's sudden switch. One minute, he's her Jadeite, the next, he's a Jadeite she hasn't quite met yet!
She look down at her phone and her eyes widen a bit.
TXT Blossom01: I'm glad you texted now. A day ago I would have been pissed. But then I remembered. Thank you for trying to warn me. And I'm sorry for the last time. Was half asleep.
She watches Jadeite for a moment, quizzical, wondering what he's up to.
"Jade-kun? What are you looking for?" She gets up, just in case he needs another pair of hands. From the time she was sitting to standing, she had Zoi's new number as Blossom01 and his ringtone set. Millenials, hoorah!
Jadeite's reaction to the text coming through leaves Makoto looking rather lost at first; she gives him a concerned look, brows drawing together, and then leans to take a look at Usagi's phone while she's tapping out the answering text.
Ah. That explains it.
She gets to her feet at about the same time that Usagi does, watching Jadeite's search with a vague sense of impotence. "Do you need any help...?"
"I wouldn't say no to a second pair of eyes." Jadeite tells Makoto seriously, before he's glancing back to Usagi. "I don't know what I'm looking for, but if I find it I hope I'll know. It's just an enormously suspicious coicidence, don't you think? We were just talking about him and suddenly Zoisite is texting you telling you he has a window."
TXT: Catching more flowers with honey. I can live with that.
TXT: He's starting to get a little better. For about ten minutes a day or two ago he figured out I wasn't a hallucination.
Usagi watches Makoto and Jadeite both before the realization dawns on her. "I'd like to say its coincidence, but. By all means."
Not that her words hold much power, but far be it from her to deny someone's paranoia. Goodness knows she's had her fair share lately!
TXT Blossom01: Oh no, it just wouldn't have been fair to you. The Mermaid's in bad shape, silver wolf bites hard. But I AM sorry I was cranky at you.
She watches around the room a bit more before the second text comes through, and then her hand goes to her mouth before she texts back.
TXT Blossom01: Thank you for that. If I got him out first, would you be mad? Well, more mad than you usually are, Mr. Thorns ;)
"Well," Makoto says, "if he's spying on us right now, it seems like we'd probably find out pretty fast whether he's really trying to work with us or not..." This is not actually a reassuring thought in any way. With a glance toward Usagi, she joins Jadeite in his search of the room... with even less idea of what she's looking for, perhaps, but at least she's being pretty methodical about it.
There hasn't been that much time to accumulate things in the apartment; it doesn't take a surprising amount of time to search.
There are no youma hiding under chairs. There are no darkly ominous crystals affixed in any strange places. There are no odd bits of electronics. There is not even a delicate little General hovering outside any of the windows and mocking those within.
There are more text messages, steadily paced.
TXT: 1) Ooh, that's good, I am impressed. 2) Wait, what? When did that happen?
And, after the delay and the second message
TXT: What will you do to him if you get him?
Eventually, it becomes clear to Makoto that while Zoisite may or may not be spying on them somehow, if he is, it's by no method that she's going to find like this. She checks as thoroughly as she can, but when none of her or Jadeite's searching uncovers anything suspicious, Mako eventually wanders over to stand at Usagi's elbow, reading over her shoulder.
Usagi sighs and just watches.
Then she looks down at the texts.
TXT Blossom01: 1) Thanks? Golly! 2) K...the White Wolf attacked her. She's...hurt but...I can't tell you more. But obviously, if she were dead, I'd rain hell down on your ears, so rest assured. (Also, I have Worried Eyes with me. Is this a coincidence, or are you spying? Devinces are being sought after.)
Usagi tilts her phone so Makoto could read the texts.
Then her brows furrow in confusion as she replies.
TXT Blossom01: What do you mean by that? (We're talking of E right?) I'd let him rest, I'd give him hugs, I'd...just be there for him.
Then she chews her lip before she texts back.
TXT Blossom01: Would that not...be good enough?
Jadeite clearly doesn't like the answer that this *is* a coincidence, but he isn't and was never the team spy. Eventually he tries to let go of the paranoia and simply attend to the conversation between Usagi and Zoisite, or maybe more correctly to watch Usagi's apparently emotional responses as the conversation continues.
"Is it a good idea to tell him that we think he's spying on us?" Makoto wonders aloud, glancing from Usagi and her phone to Jadeite and then back to the phone. Too late, either way; the text is already sent, so Mako falls quiet again.
TXT: No of course I am not spying on you. I am innocent of all but malice. Also, really, did it ever occur to you that 'secret' is a word useful for more than diary entries?
(... Not that Usagi's done all that well with her diaries, either.)
TXT: If you've already panicked him anyway, tell Worry I am never covering for him again. My bones still hurt, and that's not even counting the frostbite.
TXT: Let him rest and give him hugs, how sweet. Not trying to rip half his mind out of his head and then convince him you were doing him a favor? You people tried that with ME, if I recall.
At Makoto's words, Jadeite startles, and frowns, moving around to peek over Usagi's other shoulder. He scowls, murmuring, "I see Zoisite is under the mistaken impresison that that part of his mind is actually *his*."
Mako looks up from the phone and over Usagi's head. "It's not really surprising, is it?" she murmurs back. "If they could tell it wasn't really them, it'd be easier to snap them out of it."
Her mouth tightens as she looks back down at the phone again, but with a visible effort to restrain herself, she doesn't say anything else. Yet.
A roll of her eyes!
TXT Blossom01: I didn't tell! I was caught mid Conspiracy Theory! And hey! Its not my fault people read diaries! I started it to a dead guy!
"Seriously, Jadeite. Your friend is so wierd."
TXT Blossom01: Hey, its YOUR fault for texting when he's around. Worry and I have enjoyed many bouts of ice cream. So don't try to put this off like you don't like him!
And then! UG!!!!
She rolls her eyes at Makoto. "Seriously, if he wasn't part of the plan, I'd be sooooo tempted to throttle him."
She looks at Jadeite. "If he makes me curse like a drunken...well...sailor again, I apologize to your ears."
TXT Blossom01: If you hadn't been such a stubborn ass, you'd be here getting hair brushings and I'd totally be painting your nails right now. But no. You're a stubborn ass! The things worthwhile comes with just a wee bit of pain, you know! And at least I won't be forcing him to do god knows what! He's far more important to me than your scrawny ass, anyway!"
A breath. A calming of her composure.
TXT Blossom01: I'd protect him with my life, you know. He's more important that whatever it is I am. For whatever that's worth, you brat.
"It's not surprising at all." Jadeite agrees with Makoto, but there's an edge of sadness to his tone, like he'd hoped, maybe, it wouldn't be true. It's not news, not even a little bit. He's quiet for a long time before he notes to Usagi, somewhat more sad still, "He's not my friend. He's my brother. More importantly, right now you can't trust he's your friend, either, or he might end up doing to you what Kunzite did to Mercury. Or worse."
And the first text is almost an echo of what Jadeite is saying -- almost an echo, except that it arrives while he's still saying it.
TXT: If you come to get him while I'm watching him, I'll kill all of you. I told you before, I'm not dying for any of you people. If you come to get him while he's out on a murder spree or a mass kidnapping or whatever it is they're using him to do this time, fine. Don't tell me what you're planning. If I don't know, I don't have to fake being surprised.
TXT: And don't even start, deathray girl. I'm following instructions that a dead man gave two months ago, and it's not that long ago that I had to watch the one who passed them on to me sell off his brain because he thought it might help you. You keep trying to lecture me about pain and I might just decide the whole plan is out of date.
TXT: But that last you said is good enough. Out of time, she'll be done gloating over the Wolf's latest prize any time now. Killing this number in sixty seconds.
Usagi glances at Jadeite. "I'm...half tempted to make you short a brother. Not really, but she never went to finishing school"
TXT Blossom01:I'm sorry, come at who, Mr. Senile?
Her eyes glint. For serious. Because this Zoisite is a grade A douche.
TXT Blossom01:I'm sorry, Deathray? And I'll have you know I'm following those same damn instructions. I'm trying to get all of you out but you know what? It's not like you're making it any easier, you whiny slip of snot! When the FUCK did I start lecturing you on pain? You wanna go? Fine! Sandpaper and barbed wire on my fucking soul, you narcissistic piece of kangaroo poo! And I don't NEEEEEED you to tell me that's nothing compared to whatever the hell you guys are going through! I don't NEEEED you to tell me whatever I'm feeling is all whatever nothing compared to blah blah blah! I already know! So go jump off a bridge you self important asshole!
TXT Blossom01: Oh okay, be sure to text me like you did before if you want to get a hold of me again.
Usagi shakes her head at Jadeite. "He makes me want to put soap in my OWN mouth. And I'm pretty sure he takes half of what I say as sheer flights of fancy and the other half as complete stupid girl being dumb. So, we're safe either way."
"I don't think Zoisite takes anything as flights of fancy. I think if any of us was likely to assume you were more than a vapid little girl, it was him." Jadeite's voice is low and almost hard, the closest that Usagi has heard him come to saying unkind, downright *mean* things since he's been escalated. "You must be careful with him. Much more careful than you seem like you're being. He's not like me. None of them are like me. There's a reason that Her influence kept wearing off of me faster than it did on them."
Usagi turns and gives Jadeite a serious Death Glare. "You think I'm vapid? A little girl?"
Quiet fuming!
"Don't you think I know what I'm doing? If he is a spy, one of the will come for us. Preferably him, but possibly someone else. Kunzite? Great! I get to beat the ever living crap out of him! Zoisite? Great! Same thing, but maybe I can at least bring him back from the Dorkside of the force! Same with Nephrite! Either way, someone will be coming for me, and I will sure as hell be ready!"
Usagi stands! "I am GOING to the kitchen to get away from you, but if you WANT some cocoa you better let me know now and I will make you some and bring it to you even if your comment made me sad!"
There's one last text before it finally (finally) goes quiet.
TXT: That's better. You were being so polite, I was a little worried someone stole your phone. <3
"Usagi-chan." Makoto's voice is quiet, but firm. "That's not what Jadeite said. He's just asking you to be careful."
She lets out a breath heavy enough that she almost seems to lose an inch of height. Suddenly Mako looks very tired. "Whatever else Zoisite is?" she says. "He's a troll, and you're letting him wind you up."
Jadeite's wounded look lingers as Usagi starts to storm away, mouth turning down into a frown. He doesn't pursue the issue, as much as he might want to. Let Makoto soothe the sting, she's probably better at it than Jadeite is, given that Makoto was never on the wrong side. "No, I do not want any cocoa, thank you."
Usagi takes one last look at her phone from the kitchen before she shrieks and throws it across the room! All the way to the other side! Where it goes 'ouch, I'm not under warranty, watch me die'!
Usagi comes out and points at Jadeite while speaking not calmly to Makoto. "He said 'us!'" To Jadeite. "You said us! Would coffee be okay? Or soda or water or Juice?!" To Makoto. "And what do you want to drink!"
Makoto's hand rubs briefly over her eyes. "I know you're mad," she says evenly. "But taking it out on us isn't fair, Usagi-chan. All he said was that Zoisite would be the least of anyone to think of you that way. That doesn't mean that Jadeite or anybody else does. So... have your cocoa and calm down. Unless you want me to make it. I'll have some, too."
"I used to." Jadeite admits, quite suddenly, while Makoto is still trying to soothe those ruffled feathers. "Imagine...having something in your head that's whispering lies to you all of the time. It makes it hard to see the truth. After a while you stop looking, stop realizing that what you're seeing *isn't* truth. It hated you a lot, that voice. All of you, but *you*, specifically, most of all. So. Yes. I used to think you were a vapid little girl who had no idea what she was doing, playing with things she couldn't understand. I was wrong. My point was, of all of the four of us, Zoisite is the one most likely not to believe that, even *with* that voice in his head, because Zoisite works on...a lot of levels. And I think he assumes everyone else does, too, just to make sure he's at least one layer deeper. Zoisite is like quicksilver. He's what he wants to be when he wants to be it. He is *never* going to assume that anyone else isn't *also* like that, because then he risks not coming out on top, and that's not acceptable to him."
Usagi wants to keep being angry. Because if she's not...!
Who is she kidding.
There's an almost audible ZOOM and suddenly there's bunny limbs around Jadeite like an octopus and she's sniffling.
"I'm sorry." Sniffle! "I know you don't think that. And I know that voice was mean. And I know I wasn't fair." Sniffle, sniffle! "And I won't strangle Zoisite, even if I really, really, really want to." Sniffle! "I'm just tired, and that's not an excuse, even if all I wanna do is sleep for a billion years, I wasn't nice!"
There's not a keening noise between her next thing!
"Can I have MakoChocolate?"
She's not crying, HUSH YOUR FACE!
...There we are. Some of the tension that had coiled between Makoto's shoulder blades relaxes and she lets out a relieved breath. "Sure you can," she answers Usagi, her smile tired but genuine.
Moving to pick up the container with the remaining chocolate in it, she brings it over to offer to both Usagi and Jadeite. "There's enough to share."