Remember Spring Swaps Snow for Leaves

"You sure, miss, this place looks abandoned," says the cab driver as he drops off Ami at an old house.

Ami glances at the house thoughtfully, then looks back to the tablet in her lap. "I'm sure," she says quietly. Pulling her oversized blue coat around herself a little closer, Ami smiles just faintly, then starts to climb out.

"You want me to wait for you?" the cabbie asks.

"No," Ami replies. "Just charge it all to the card. Thank you for the trip."

Once she's out, Ami closes the door, and the cab drives off. She studies the house another moment, then puts the Mercury Computer back inside the folds of her coat. Raising the collar, she sniffs at it a moment, then walks towards the front door.

Ami allows herself inside, and then closes her eyes. For the first time in almost three weeks, she reaches for a little pen that's kept in her pocket. "Please work," she breathes, then tosses the pen into the air.

"Mercury Power, Make Up!"

The familiar flow of phantom water and brilliance engulfs Ami, transforming her into Sailor Mercury. She looks herself over, then lets out a sigh of relief and starts down the long staircase.

There's nobody really around to greet Ami as she comes into Jadeite's haven -- yes, it's technically a palace, but much of it is outdoors. It's not quite a shrine, not quite a temple; the aesthetic is 'traditional', and the effect is calming and quiet. The sun is bright in the sky, and the patterns of leaves in the breeze make the dappled ground dance. It's not winter here unless Jadeite wants it to be.

There's a cat sunning itself on the porch, orange and white, and its ear twitches when the leaves rustle with Ami's arrival from the outside world, but it otherwise doesn't bother moving. Across the broad lawn under the gate, the door to the main building is open. When Ami gets close enough to hear, people are talking inside-- indistinct, just the sound of voices. When she gets close enough to look in the door?

Mamoru's absolutely in there! And he's sitting down. And so is Zoisite. And he's leaning on Zoisite! And he's gesturing at something on his tablet and complaining mildly about what sounds like it's probably world history.

It should perhaps be stressed here that nothing, including Mamoru, is actually on fire.

Zoisite is also not seated midair, which makes it rather easier for Mamoru to lean on him. Mostly he's sitting straight, head tilted toward the boy leaning on him, and relatively still; he has one hand hooked up over Mamoru's far shoulder, reinforcing the support. Other than that he's still wearing that uniform, he's behaving remarkably like a -- okay, like a better simulation of a human being. "Why are they even making you do that?" he returns, amused and half-disparaging agreement about whatever is on the tablet. "Who actually cares about the Byzantines? Six hundred years of being everyone else's favorite target."

Relatively still. One fingertip of his far hand, out of sight from Mamoru, is tapping silently at another. A quiet and almost-invisible outlet.

Sailor Mercury takes a slow, curious pace through Jadeite's palace. It's so peaceful, here; so calm and so very Japan. She can't help but smile at the warmth of the place, despite the weather outside.

As Ami approaches the main building, she doesn't enter; instead she sideracks to kneel down and very gently pets the cat's ears, listening for the time being. This is probably where Sailor Moon will find her: being a snoop. Such a naughty Mercury.

Healthy stuff.

That's what all Usagi's bringing.

Okay, not all. But there are fruits! Like apples and bananas! And vegetables! And yummy bread and hard cheese! And a pot to boil water in and, shhh, a french press! (And, of course, coffee! And a mug!)

She got a text from Ami, so she made sure to pick up extra dinner, as well!

And it's also possible the most annoying of Mamoru's brothers is there, so yeah yeah, she got him some dinner, too

That's a little less healthy, but take-out is a bit hit or miss when it comes to being good for someone.

She sighs and rolls her shoulders before descending the stairs.

Just in case, she's transformed into Sailor Moon. She doesn't want Zoisite to take a peek at her in her civilian clothes! It'd be like him peeking at her underthings!

How untoward Zoisite is! Peeking at her underthings!

Ug, even now he annoys her.

She enters Jadeite's grounds.

"Mamo-chan~!" Her voice carries through to where ever he is. Sometimes she wonders if she annoys the lion-dogs. "Mercury texted me, she's coming over! I got her some dinner, too just in case! And if that brat shows himself to you anytime soon again, you can bet your keister I got something for him, too! And I mean dinner, not anything beaty-uppy."

This is when she spots Mercury. "Hi! I got you some food!" She hugs her friend, even weighted down by bags as she is. "Are you feeling better?"

"Probably just lessons in what not to do, except I guess the art doesn't all suck," Mamoru answers Zoisite with a sigh. "It's weird though, looking at them is an illustration of what time and distance will do to any idea. I mean how do you get Byzantium out of Rome? How do you get Haitian creole out of Latin? How do you get mythology? So there's at least an interesting aspect on a sociocultural level, but it's not like the class is covering anything like that--"

And then he hears Usagi yelling. And he abruptly puts the tablet down and throws his arms around Zoisite. "Don't." And he ducks his head away enough that he's not yelling in Zoisite's ear when he calls back, "RUDE. He's right here, you know!"

The tapping fingertip stills instantly at the sound of Moon's voice. There's that other shoe dropping.

The fact that Mamoru was leaning on Zoisite also slows down any thoughts of making a sudden escape long enough to let that quick capture happen. The lighter-haired boy's eyebrows arch markedly. Then he leans his head over a little further, enough to let him murmur into Mamoru's ear in mock-flirtation, "I really don't think your girlfriend is going to approve."

Mercury looks up towards Moon and actually has the good grace to blush at being caught dropping eaves. "Hi," she says quietly, returning the hug and taking some of the bags off Sailor Moon's arms; sharing the load without asking or offering.

"I'm doing ... better," Ami tells Usagi gently of her own condition. But that's all she says, because now that she's caught, Mercury is more interested in Mamoru. She helps Sailor Moon carry the food inside, then smiles at Mamoru. "Hello, Mamoru-no-kimi," she greets him with a sly grin on her face.

A suspicious arch of her eyebrows! "Mmm-hmmm."

Should girls who were half dead not too long ago carry bags?

A question to ask for next time, because they'd been getting heavy! "Thanks."

She follows Mercury in and huffs. "Well, I've called him worse. And I'm sure he has, too! Though usually in text. Hi, Zoisite, this is for you." She plops a bag of food down.

Could it be she's grown as a person, not being jealous at Zoisite practically licking her boyfriend's ear?

"Mamo-chan, this bag isn't food but hopefully you like it."

AH HAH! Distraction all around! She pulls off a glove and leans over Mamoru, placing a quick hand to Zoisite's forhead before testing it against her own. A quick pulse check, and making sure his eye's aren't saying 'I am secretly hiding billions of booboos,' and she's done.

She gives a satisfied nod before pulling back.

(The answer to the previous question is no, of course. But she's trying!)

"I also got some stuff that will keep for a few days. Your chocolate supply good?"

Before he can answer, she kisses him! A sweet smooch!

There's rather a lot of !!! going on across Mamoru's face in quick succession. Mercury's here too! And she looks-- 'won't forgive you for what you did to Mercury'-- that's processed in the blink of an eye. Zoisite whispering mock-flirtation in his ear gets the beginnings of a stinkface, but then Usagi's Making an Entrance and fussing at Zoisite and asking a lot of questions and saying a lot of things, and-- is Ami doing that to tease him or to get in good with Zoisite or--

His arms tighten slightly around the bright-haired boy while Usagi does her touching and checking, and he looks a little overwhelmed briefly, but his arms loosen as Usagi gives him a kiss.

Still, he sounds a little floaty when he says, "Hi, Mercury-chan. Kunzite left some details for you, they're on my tablet. Chocolate's good, I haven't been gorging myself or anything-- what's not-food?"

Zoisite is straightening again as Moon walks in, so there's not too much for Moon to avoid being jealous at. The wary glance he gives Moon's hands is ... pretty much nullified by the number of bags she and Mercury are carrying, which makes it very, very clear that that wand of hers is not presently in play. And the moment he's sure of that, those cat-green eyes are refocusing on Mercury. Mamoru processes the girl's appearance in the blink of an eye. Zoisite barely blinks: not a direct stare, but a silent, careful evaluation, checking half a dozen visible signs in --

-- the time it takes for Moon to be leaning over Mamoru and getting in the way. He glances sidewise at the other boy, and copes with the sudden prodding without any threats of violence, voiced or implied. (Forehead: hot and dry, comparatively, which wouldn't be a surprise to Mercury but might be to Usagi. Pulse check: agitated, for some reason. Eyes: suppressed temptation to lash out evident, but the human reactions are in charge, the wounded-animal ones kept at bay. There's no sign of the injuries Venus gave him the last time he was here. Given his proximity to Mamoru, that's ... probably not a surprise.)

Somewhere in there, he wraps one hand over one of Mamoru's. The current flaw in his uniform is that he's not wearing gloves: skin to skin contact.

The other hand, somewhat restrained by Mamoru's arm, pushes the tablet a few inches in Mercury's direction. World history can wait.

No, he's not trying to get a word in edgewise. When Usagi's in that mode, what's the point?

Sailor Mercury watches the interplay between Zoisite and Mamoru curiously. Oh yes, she notices being observed in such a calculated manner. But she ignores it, too, and instead focuses on Mamoru. Her smile grows as he slowly loses cope--and grows further still when the combination of Usagi and Zoisite helps to calm him down.

"I'll have a look," Mercury says quietly as she reaches for the tablet. "Mars told me Kunzite broke Beryl's hold on him again. I'm glad of it," she explains, "but I'm also afraid he made a few enemies by attacking me. I'm still determined to save him," she tells Mamoru honestly. "All of them," here she turns her gaze on Zoisite, staring at him for a meaningful moment before she looks down to the tablet.

Usagi notices the look in Zoisite's eye and sticks out her tongue as she sits down on the opposite side of Mamoru. The only thing she does that could be seen as trying to dislodge the two boys is steal one of Mamoru's arms. (This isn't to dislodge, really. She just likes touching him, okay?)

Whirlwind over, she's content to just let the others talk, not so secretly hoping for a nerdfest (and getting a little bit of one mingled with strategy.)

While they talk, she rummages through one of the bags and pulls out the kettle and the french press. "So you don't have to have cold coffee." That is, of course, whispered in between Ami Talking and such.

Hmmm, saving them all is still in her plans, too. Though maybe saying out loud, specifically how they have two and a half out of four, isn't the best idea.

"Does it say how to help her get better from it?"

It's not an accusatory tone at all. It's an honest question, because she wants to know!

And yes, Ami, Usagi knows you downplayed how you are.

Because Usagi.

Speaking of.

She holds her hand out to Mercury, imploring her to come sit by her.

The hand closed over his does, indeed, have a remarkably good effect on Mamoru: he's not just calmer after it, but a little sharper and more fluid as well. He stops restraining Zoisite, then, and just stays close, keeping that contact as long as Zoisite can stay in one place.

When Usagi takes his arm, he kisses the side of her head and keeps half his attention on Mercury and Zoisite's conversation, the other half on what she's unpacking. He looks pleased! Coffee is for winners. "Awesome," he tells her, smile crinkling the corners of his eyes.

Something Mercury says catches his attention, and he chews on his lower lip a little for a second. "He did, but he had to go back out for a few reasons, all of which were sound. He went back out knowing he'd lose control of himself again. So any way you can think of to save him-- please, please, let me know. It's going to be harder now. If I could just ride out the escalation with him like I did with Nephrite, if that were-- it's just, him being literally made of the stuff means that I couldn't replace his energy fast enough as the dark stuff got burned out. And if he's fighting it, which he would be because he doesn't have control anymore--"

That meaningful moment of stare from Mercury is perfectly timed; Zoisite's reaction to 'still determined to save him' would go completely unnoticed otherwise. It's the barest flicker of eyes widening, of pupils reacting: surprise. The smallest twitch of eyebrows: bewilderment. A tiny shift of stress, from prepared for an unwinnable fight, to watching that fight drop away already won.

It is, in short, the look of someone who has just been caught offguard by a glimpse of a world that cannot possibly work that way, and yet apparently does.

"It says everything we know about it," Zoisite answers Moon a moment later, and from the easy bright flow of his voice, there's clearly nothing wrong, never was, there was no discontinuity, Mercury did not just do something that makes no rational sense to him. "Whether it will help? That depends. How she's been treating it already could make a real difference." His eyes flicker over Mercury again. "Probably for the better."

... and then he's letting Mamoru go through his run-on sentence, and his hand tightens a little on the other boy's.

Sooner or later he'll pick up on there being food in the vicinity, but for right now, he's a little focused.

A quick scan tells Mercury everything she didn't already know. But Sailor Mercury is nothing if not thorough, and she takes her time reading through everything, very carefully. Seeing how it was written tells her almost as much as what was written--just about an entirely different subject.

"Damn," she whispers quietly to herself when she's done. Closing the tablet, Mercury offers the device back to Zoisite, then takes a deep breath. "Sorry. Kunzite," she says, coming back to the more pressing issue. "I have an idea, but it's ... a last-ditch idea, and if it fails, then we won't get another try at it. So I'm still looking for a better option--a more immediate option. But you have a right to know."

And so she explains, "According to the Eternit MAIN, Kunzite was born to the region that is current-day Africa. This is reinforced by the physical entrance to his palace, and by what he himself represents. So I have been going back through the research I conducted when we first believed you had been killed."

Ami pulls her tablet out of nowhere, then offers it to Mamoru. On it is a picture of Osiris. "The god Osiris was said to be resurrected annually. The people did this by constructing an Osiris Bed--a clay coffin formed in the shape of Osiris, filled with soil and sown with seed. The germinating seed symbolizes Osiris rising from the dead. There's a great deal more symbolism involved, which I will explain to you in full if it comes to it, but the long and short is, I think we should make a Kunzite Bed. The clay for his coffin, and the soil we place in it, should be selected by you, Mamoru, as appropriate to your station as the guardian of Earth. You will know when you've found the right clay, and the right soil."

"THen," Mercury continues, "when he dies, I have good reason to believe he will revert to a gem of the same name. That gem contains his soul, for lack of a better term. The gem should be planted in the soil, along with your own roses. Then, all of it should be placed within his temple. There, you will have to nurture it with your own energy, as well as with the water necessary to grow the roses themself. And if I'm right, and we are very lucky, then you will have Kunzite once again."

There is a pause, but it's not quite long enough for an interjection unless someone really presses it, before Mercury explains, "The plan sucks for a great many reasons. But it's the only one I've got any reasonable confidence in, at this point."

At his 'awesome' and resulting smile, Usagi beams at Mamoru. A happy hum and a happy girl, and she happily snuggles his shoulder.

She listens to Zoisite and nods thoughtfully. "Okay. Thank you for that." Even if nothing new turns up, she's glad for the effort put into it!

Then she listens to Ami and peers over Mamoru's shoulder. And hums in thought. And ponders. And shoves away mental images of goa'uld and Stargates.

"Would talking to KunziteGem help?" She ponders some more! Hmmmm. She's good at talking endlessly, but other than that tends to have a black thumb.

She hums some more. She doesn't fully understand the plan, but that's not exactly new territory. "Is the Osiris Bed kind of like that thing they have in Stargate?" She looks up at Mamoru. "The one that Jackson got addicted to for a bit?"

Hey, as weird as that sounds, it would help her understand a bit better.

Mamoru's hand shifts in Zoisite's during this; he's not looking at Zoisite, but he can feel the surprise, the bewilderment. By the time Mamoru's explanation of Kunzite's state of mind comes around, his fingers are laced through the bright strawberry-blond general's, and that tightening is indicative of strength shared both ways. Because-- well. Because Kunzite.

Then he's listening to Ami's explanation, noting things down, sifting through them for clarifications and elaborations and coming to conclusions himself. Both Usagi and Zoisite will be able to feel him click over into mode with a certain amount of relief: emotional responses to things tend to murder his articulation.

"It was probably based on something that the belief-system of the time and region had carried over from before the fall," he says, gently pulling Usagi's arm with him as he reaches to take the tablet from Ami, then sets it in his lap to scroll through as he responds to first Usagi, and then the rest of what Ami said as it continues to percolate. "I don't know Stargate, unfortunately. It sounds like a solo resurrection spell, basically, that takes some time to perform," he tells his girlfriend.

There's actually a fair amount of overlap with his own geological studies, and some overlap with his enthusiasm for cultural anthropology and mythology, in what Ami's presented. But there is, of course, also a lot that he hasn't seen before. "Jadeite's the one who created the youma that looked like me. Out of clay. I'm sure he'd be happy to construct it, if it comes to this. Considering what else I know about the roses, and what I've been able to figure out about my own power-- and what these places feel like in and of themselves-- this plan might not suck as much as you think it does. Especially since I'm friends with a LOT of people who keep their souls in gems..."

He glances up at Ami, and his face is, amazingly, serious and not at all skeptical. "Obviously if we can prevent his dying in the first place, I would prefer that-- and I do have confidence in the Maboroshi no Ginzuishou, but with it comes the potential of him being reborn again instead of transformed, and I don't want to have to wait nine months, go find and steal an infant, and then raise my oldest guardian until he's capable of telling me to go fly a kite. So this plan doesn't suck as much as you might think."

Zoisite's attention flickers back and forth between the tablet and Mercury as she discusses her plan. Focused; concentrating; thoughtful. The first thing that he says isn't actually pertinent, though. It's in answer to Usagi asking if talking to the gem would help.

He widens his eyes and tilts his head, leaning to look at her past Mamoru. His tone is breathy innocence. "I think the point is to make him not want to be dead."

-- this promptly gets him shoved by Mamoru. Zoisite sways, scrabbles back up, and glances fast Moon's direction. He's grinning, but there's something just a little brittle about it around the edges.

Once any further vengeance for that line is complete, he focuses back in on business. "With the energy contribution - does that mean that the time it takes in absolute terms is important? Or is the duration of the process based on the lifecycle of the roses?" If they use Mamoru's roses, is Kunzite going to come back with crimson hair instead of white? -- Zoisite doesn't ask that part.

"Either way," Zoisite adds, "you already have Kunzite's buy-in. Given that according to what he told me the week before Walpurgisnacht, his fallback plans were one, 'hope Mercury thinks of something,' two, 'and then a miracle occurs,' and three, 'tell Nephrite he's in charge.' And I categorically refuse to be the one to implement number three; that is not the way I personally want to die."

Sailor Mercury sways just a little on her feet, and puts out a hand towards a chair. She steadies herself on it a moment, then moves to sit down. To Mamoru, she nods, "I know," she says. "I know it doesn't suck completely. I am confident in the plan," she tells him.

"But if at all possible, I'd rather save him without forcing him to go through the pain of death. I came close to that two weeks ago; I wouldn't wish what I went through on anyone."

She shrugs, then holds out a hand for her tablet again. "So I'm going to keep looking. But if I don't find anything, we'll try this. And then we'll have to hope I was right."

To Zoisite, Mercury offers a studios expression for a moment, then admits, "I don't know at what point his body would be ready. Could be a week or two. Could take months. I don't understand the processes involved quite well enough, which is very frustrating."

Usagi leans over, every so slowly, so she could grace Zoisite with the look she has many a youma before she cleansed them. "Nice to know where I rank with you on a list of hated women, you snake-tongued ass."

She sits back, pondering the many ways to make Zoisite's like miserable. Maybe she could put some sort of bad oil in his shampoo. Or makeup. Whatever.

She works her jaw. The talk of the crystal is brought up. "Would the crystal necessarily have to reincarnate him? Seems to me that's what Moon Mama wanted for everyone, not just one individual."

She'd say more, but her sudden desire to strangle Zoisite is just too high.

"Dork, I didn't push you that hard," says Mamoru indignantly at Zoisite, but... also making sure contact's reestablished, and that he's still hanging on to Usagi as well, after Mercury gets her tablet back. And then he blinks at Usagi and absently shifts her hold on his arm so that his other hand's holding hers. He notes, "I'm really proud of you! When I used to tease you like that, you'd insult me back and then cry-- but believe me, crying's still an effective measure. Don't be afraid to use it."

He glances between Mercury and Zoisite then, and lifts his eyebrows. "If they're my roses, they're not seeds. I pull them from-- wherever they come from-- already grown. And they don't wilt. I mean they disappear if I weaponize them, but I've never seen one dry out unless someone did it deliberately. So I think maybe roses from Zoi's palace might work better-- they look and smell the same, but they're not-- they actually grow. I mean, if they need to be my roses, we can probably find a way to make it work, but I don't..."

He falls silent, frowning. "Or maybe that's what you meant. Since they're not born and they don't die."

Usagi may or may not have been prepared for quite the reaction that look gets -- Zoisite braces as if he were expecting her to drop that purification on him again. Or her tiara. Or just lean past Mamoru and backhand him across the room. Mamoru's contact is a little hard to reestablish, since ZOisite tugs his hand free to run it through his stray curls, pulling them further back from his face.

His own focus he pulls back to the conversation, mirroring Usagi, letting the moment go past. "Lots of roses aren't from seeds," he says. "Cuttings aren't usually the ideal way to grow them, they're not as disease-resistant, but it's possible. If it were a longer-term plan, we could try grafting one onto the other, but --" He pulls himself back from any possible speculation death spiral, and lets his attention flicker back to Mercury. "Did you get enough time to analyze the roses when you were there, for a comparison? You can always go back. While I'm out, if you're worried. I'll change the locks back for you."

"Ah, I wasn't aware," Ami says to Mamoru, thoughtfully. Then she peers at Zoisite. "No, I didn't. For some reason while I was there I was worried about being stabbed in the back. I can't imagine why."

She smiles at her, then says, "I'll go and take a look at them. I'll want Mars to go with me," she notes to Mamoru and Zoisite both. "This is as much about mysticism as it is science, and her insights will be useful."

Usagi gives a look of 'I don't want to be amused right now, you jerk, but I am!' to Mamoru. "Well, next time he does, I'll let loose with the waterworks." She looks back at Zoisite. "Hear that, buddy? I'll cry on you."

Her eyebrows are curiously arched at Zoisite's reaction to her. Really, why were people so afraid of her? Quizzical eyebrows shot at Mamoru!

Her focus is back on Mercury!

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

She leans over to Zoisite. "If you're worried about the food, I'll do a taste test for you." She points at the bag in front of him.

Mamoru doesn't force the reestablishment -- especially since he's getting in bits and pieces that Zoisite would like a clear route to the exit -- but he holds his hand unobtrusively where it was. He grins at Usagi, then tells Zoisite very solemnly, "One time she got revenge on me by putting cream and sugar in my coffee. She's threatened hairdye in shampoo bottles before. I'd watch your back. Mostly your shower."

There's a blink at Zoisite. "You literally locked her out of your palace? Hah!" He should not look this amused. He does. But then he shakes his head. "The one part I'm still concerned about is timeframe. I want to talk to Nephrite about it-- he should be able to determine the best time to start and how long it'll take. Of the lot of us, he's the most mystical, and the most invested in symbolism."

Yes, Zoisite, he said 'us'.

"I locked all of them out, actually," Zoisite admits to Mamoru. "But mostly her, because she was the only one I was worried about figuring out some way to pretend to be me to it. I'll put it back."

The threat from Usagi to cry on him prompts a feigned gasp, and that recently-freed hand is pressed over his heart. "Don't do that," he pleads to her. "I'd never hear the end of it. Ever." A pause. "Do try the hairdye trick on Kunzite, later? I want to see if you have any more luck than I did at getting it to work."

Ami rolls her eyes at Zoisite, then smiles at Moon. "If you want to come I won't mind it at all," she says. "But mostly it's going to be boring science and analysis." She pushes up from the seat, then looks to Zoisite again. "I think," she says to him, "You will go with me this time. So that you can see that I won't damage your precious palace or turn it against you, and so that I can keep my eye on you while I'm examining the place. Sound like a deal?" she asks him with a smile.

Her eyes widen at Mamoru and her cheeks turn red. How did he know what she was planning?! She should have bought tinfoil when she got the french press!

"N-not hair dye, his is too pretty a color..." Her voice isn't teasing, it's serious! "I was thinking something that would make it a bit oily for a awhile..."

Then she gives Zoisite's words some serious consideration! "Bah, you'll be fine. Everyone makes me cry. Just so long as it's not over anything important." She hums. "Kunzite...would need a distraction. I'd suggest a blackout so he wouldn't notice the color difference, but that would only work if his sense of smell isn't working. Barring that, Kool-aid packs. Has a weet scent, but so do most shampoos worth their grain of salt. Black cherry would be my vote. Best used near the end of the bottle for maximized concentration."

She tilts her head at Ami. "I could always explore, if that's okay. Zoisite's place is very pretty. I also want to give Mr. Raven a hug. Such a pretty birdie."

Mamoru just laughs, and puts that part of the discussion to bed by opening up the food. And starting to eat Zoisite's.

That freed hand is used again, this time to wave a vague concession to Mercury. "It depends on when you go," Zoisite answers her, apparently seriously. Apparently. "I have this shopping expedition to take care of, it'll be at least a couple of days --"

He pauses. Blinks. Focuses on Mercury harder for a moment. Whatever it is, it's prompting that same note of bewilderment from before; he shakes his head, after, and takes refuge in looking back at Moon. "I have terrible news for you," he tells her sadly. "I'm pretty sure he can see in the dark."

Then he's distracted by grabbing for his endangered food with an indignant yelp.