1542/Plotting On Her Downfall (2)

Plotting On Her Downfall (2)
Date of Scene:	12 May 2024
Location:	School Library
Synopsis:	Sailor Moon has invited those impacted by Beryl's time portal - either directly or indirectly - to enjoy a meal of ramen and cupcakes, as well as plot on Beryl's downfall.
Cast of Characters:	Usagi Tsukino, Mamoru Chiba, Madoka Kaname, Naru Osaka, Michiru Kaiou, Makoto Kino, 174, Kyouka Inai, Adrien Agreste
Tinyplot:	Operation: Past

---

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
It's early afternoon on a warm Spring day, a perfect time and date for a gathering of all those impacted by Beryl and the portal she created. It's been a little while since then - time for everyone to recover, lick their wounds and seek comfort, to settle back to something like a normal life. Every one of those people has received an invitation from Usagi Tsukino, one way or another. The invitation?

It had been something like this:

            Were you or your loved ones victimized by Beryl's latest insane scheme? You too are entitled to compensation! Join us on the school library's rooftop for rooftop ramen as we decompress, recontextualize, and plot on the downfall of the worst woman in history.

A little silly, yes, but after how heavy everything had been... especially at the end... Usagi had thought some levity might be appreciated. She was inviting everyone, too, which meant Sunbreaker, so she'd passed along that anyone who still had their identity locked in might... want to have their henshin up. No biggie! Ramen tasted just as good, whether you were currently magic or not.

And oh boy, is there ramen. The good stuff, ordered in advance from Okujoo Ramen, in a variety of flavors of broth and toppings, from vegetables to fish cakes to meats to... well, everything else you'd want to put on ramen, plus additional soy sauce, chili sauce, sriracha, and more. It's laid out on a table, with plenty of bowls for everyone. On another, nearby table, are vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry cupcakes.

Everyone is greeted by Sailor Moon herself, in henshin for the sake of, well, recognizability more than anything, since she's pretty sure everyone invited knows her identity, and encouraged to help themselves.

Once a good number of people are gathered, she looks out at the group, and say, "Thanks for coming, everyone, and I hope you're all doing well. I know that it's been a little while since we all experienced - everything that we each saw, in that portal, but I wanted to check on everyone, and... well, I also really wanted to make sure that we had a space to talk, if we want, and to well, yeah, plot out what we know, and can do, about Beryl. I think everyone knows what a threat she is now, and there's no reason to think she'll be satisfied with this."

She thinks everyone knows that, now.

"There's only like, two things that are generally going to be off-limits: if you have questions about someone's death, besides, like, Beryl's, this is not the time, because - because we're not really here to retraumatize ourselves. And two: we're not playing the blame game, either, so please try not to phrase what you're saying as like, blaming anyone for - what they did or didn't do, in a past life. Um, thanks again, and enjoy the ramen, and yeah!"

A speech, everyone.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Mamoru got here early, so he's already eaten his fair share, but he's working on a cupcake at the moment and sitting on the low wall around the edge of the roof near Usagi. He's taken his gloves off for the effort, not wanting to have to deal with potentially getting icing on them, even though a swift re-henshin would take care of them quickly enough.

"I am open for questions despite not having been there," he says between bites, "because I remember a lot, and from what I understand, a number of you saw me or interacted at various points."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    "One thing I will say," begins Hope Witch, turning towards Tuxedo Kamen, "much to Gretchen-chan's frustration... You were very hard to sneak around. We thought that we were being super sneaky, super quiet... one time I was floating around in my Labyrinth so I wouldn't even make a footstep. I still feel like you somehow knew we were there."

    Hope takes a cupcake, because Gretchen demands snacks, and takes a bite of it. Her long black gloves are still on. Apparently she's not that concerned about keeping them clean. She is, however, very particular about how she holds the cupcake, and how she bites. Both hands, bottom only, pressed between her fingers without touching her palm.

    It may look neat or weird depending on your tastes.

Naru Osaka has posed:
Tucked into a corner with vegetarian ramen (thank you Usagi!) is Naru. She is, very much as she did there, listening and watching everyone else's stories. Of course, she is just herself, as she always is.

Naru slurps some soup, her attention moving from Sailor Moon as she gives some very reasonable guidelines and then over to Mamoru and then finally over to Hope Witch.

Michiru Kaiou has posed:
    Neptune arrived just a few minutes early, so she's busy assembling her bowl of ramen as she listens to Usagi make her speech. After making the perfect bowl of broth and noodles and toppings, she made her way to a place to sit. She does not say anything, opting to sip at her broth as she listens.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Sunbreaker arrived very early into the gathering, snapping that she hadn't been here at all, and shoved a folder at Sailor Moon's chest. It hadn't been a very long time ago, but she was so in and out that not very many people had had a chance to even acknowledge her. Honestly? Fair.

Sailor Moon had leafed through the folder for a while, and she's still looking, but she already knows it's the kind of thing that needs detailed review, and she doesn't have time in this exact moment for that.

Hearing Hope Witch's question, she pops her head up with a little smile, fond. "Between the no veil and Endychan's Endy-ness, I wasn't ever surprised he caught us." She pauses. "Even without all the times I tripped right into him."

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"I can see a lot of things most people don't," says Tuxedo Kamen, holding his own cupcake halfway down. He tends, himself, to eat the icing first, and today's no different. "But if there were loud people with you, that might have done it," he says, then grins at Usagi. "Or people bumping into me. But otherwise... I don't know, we'll have to see if I can notice you in your labyr-- you know, I was also on high alert that whole year because something felt wrong."

Naru Osaka has posed:
There's a curious look at the folder that Sailor Moon acquired and Naru puts aside her raman. She's eating at least some of it! Hearty eating for the air plant that is Naru. She wipes her fingers off on a napkin before getting up and moving a little closer to Usagi.

"May I?" Naru asks of the folder, willing to give it another glance over while she listens to people talk.

At the mention of stealth, Naru pipes up. "I seemed to be able to move without people noticing me at all. I wonder if the lack of magic helped?" She offers as a potential.

Makoto Kino has posed:
"I feel like I should probably have more questions," Sailor Jupiter admits, leaving off fussing with how the cupcakes have been set out and moving to retrieve the bowl of ramen that she'd set aside to cool a bit, "but I can't really think of any."

Well. That's not entirely true, but the only questions she's inclined to ask are the ones she'd just as soon not bring up in front of a group. And they probably don't really have answers, anyway.

Finding a place to sit, she begins tucking into her ramen, listening to the others talk.

Michiru Kaiou has posed:
    "I remember so few details of what I saw, because I saw so much at once," Neptune says, finally speaking up after having lowered the broth in her bowl by a good amount. It was delicious broth. "But as horrible as it was. I left that place with hope." She looks over toward Usagi with an almost sad look in her eyes and a slight smile on her face. "Because the Silence brought not only death, but also rebirth."

Clarthas Anode (174) has posed:
    Well, that was a trip. Keaka was looking forward to seeing Beryl's big triumph, what the big deal is about destroying a world, but...

    ...It was all wrong. So so wrong. Doing it like this can't be right. She may have picked the wrong boss...

    Although, is that really a surprise? Story of Martin's life, always falling in with people who mistreated him. And you're no different, you can't even get revenge for him right.

    At least she recovered some memories of her own. On the bright side, she knows there's a better way. Unfortunately, help is probably not coming. What do I even do now?

    What to do with this neverending fuckup of a life will have to be worked out later. Right now? Beryl needs to go down.

    After dropping out of the Dusk Zone in a random place, Clarthas makes his way to Radiant Heart, and the library. He grew up in a college town -- or at least, Martin did, same memories, yadda yadda -- and had to do research before missions for the TSAB, so it's familiar enough environs. He can look like he belongs. The labcoat helps, right?

    She's not super sure she's feeling this, today, but this is the form the heroes know and it's best not to clutter things.

    He's henshined by the time he steps out of the roof access door. "Truce." he holds up his hands. "I know, I know, but she's doing it wrong. Plus, she tortured Sunbreaker..." he growls, "...and I hate people who think a position of authority gives them the right to be cruel."

    Oh hey, there's food! "...Damn, whoever's organizing you lot springs for better food than she does, too."

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"Some of us have a lot of money," Tuxedo Kamen says with a shrug at Clarthas, then licks more icing off his cupcake. "Beryl doesn't give a damn."

He glances at Jupiter when she sits down near him, then genially leans a little to bump into her shoulder. From there, he frowns a little at Naru, thoughtful. "Maybe you were just more quiet. I don't know how it worked, I just know why past-me might have seen sneaky people-- but I could sense all kinds of magical energy at the time, so that could be the case if past-me saw others but not you. I have no idea."

He looks to Neptune blankly. "Silence? Aren't we worried about taking Beryl down, instead of rebirth? I don't want to die and be reborn again. I don't want to die again, so..."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Naru approaches, and Usagi offers the folder to her willingly, "Our mysterious stranger brought it; she spent a lot of her time following Beryl around and - talking to my mother, apparently."

There's a grief there, a sorrow - Sailor Moon had only encountered Queen Serenity the once, in all her travels, and it was at the very end.

Then there's that bizarre enemy showing up, and she just - blinks at him, as she avoids Neptune's sad gaze, her words, to instead ask him, "Don't you work for an evil megacorporation? Isn't abusing authority and being cruel like, the name of the game with that lot?"

Makoto Kino has posed:
Sailor Jupiter returns Tuxedo Kamen's shoulder-bump, in an amiable fashion, and offers Clarthas a lopsided smile. "Also, I mean, some of it was stress-baking."

She noms down a mouthful of noodles, unhurried, savoring the tastes and textures, and then nods as she swallows. "After all that, if we have to get reincarnated again," she agrees in a rather heavier tone, "I'm gonna call that a lose."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Hope Witch looks at Neptune curiously when she mentions the Silence, because it sounds important, but after a moment she assumes the Outer Senshi means like... the end of the era, or something like that. "I mean, if anything, it's good that we were able to come back from it. If something like that doesn't count as an extinction event then I don't know what does."

    Madoka doesn't really comment on death and rebirth. She knows what'll happen if she dies. "Losing isn't going to work for me, either. What happened last time could be considered a double knock out, but it's rare for things to be so even."

    To Clarthas, she says, "If they're gonna make you work so hard the least they could do is feed you."

Michiru Kaiou has posed:
    Neptune offers Clarthas a glance and a couple of blinks as he arrives. She doesn't know him, but he seems out of place, and the other's reactions only confirm it. Turning her attention back to Tuxedo Kamen and the others, she nods. "Oh, indeed," she says, and offers no more explanation. Instead, she lifts some noodles up out of her bowl. Yum!

Kyouka Inai has posed:
    Stellar appears on the rooftop out of thin air, a faint crack of displaced air accompanying her arrival, mid-stride, walking from the place she appeared towards where Tuxedo Kamen sits with his ramen. She nods in greeting to Jupiter and gives Sailor Moon a glance and a smile.

    "You told me not to do anything stupid again without plenty of backup, so here I am." She says by way of greeting. "I am ready to do something stupid with plenty of backup."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"Should we be worried that you are aiming to do something stupid with plenty of bakcup like.. right away?" Naru asks of Stellar with a quirk of her eye brow.

There was a quick flip through of the folder, but like Sailor Moon, it needs another time and place to read through properly. She tucks it into her satchel for the time being, knowing that it'll be safe there before she gets up to go retrieve herself a cupcake.

Adrien Agreste has posed:
Another figure lands nimbly on the rooftop with nary a sound. A figure all in black with only a shock of blonde hair, and green cat eyes behind the lenses of his mask to givea hint of color. That and the gold jingle-ball at his neck. Don't knock the costume, it's classic.

Cat Noir lifts a clawed glove to finger waggle in greeting at all and sundry with a too-cheery, "Sorry I'm late. Got distracted by--Oh, hey, cupcakes!"

Speaking of distracted. He side-steps over to the area with the treats grinning brightly as he plucks one up delicately. His attention shifts around right until he spots Naru and then another side-step has him velcroing to her side. "And hello to you too, cupcake," he greets while offering the already acquired cupcake to her grinning ear to ear.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"I don't want to grow up in the 3050s or something," Sailor Moon agrees with Makoto and Mamoru, grabbing one of Makoto's cupcakes - strawberry, pink frosted - and biting into it. "Can you imagine? All the music will probably be beep boops instead of bops. But... it's good that we got out. Kamen-kun and Mercury-chan did a great job, figuring out a way to connect our two spots so we could all teleport out of there, when the end came."

No need to mention the collapsing dome, or the death by vacuum that would have awaited them.

Stellar's arrival is greeted with a warm smile, and Sailor Moon actually bounces over to the older woman, dragging her over to the food.

"Uh huh," she says with a smile, "Sure, I'll take that read of my advice, because it sounds cooler that way. I'm with Naru, that maybe you shouldn't be down to do something stupid right away... on the other hand, better to do it before we're stuck on finals with the job, right?"

Clarthas Anode (174) has posed:
    Clarthas blinks at Tuxedo Mask, looking him over. Of course, he can't recognize him from Hematite's pictures in records. "Again?" he quirks an eyebrow.

    Sailor Moon addresses him and he just sighs and rolls his eyes. Like he didn't hear THAT all the time while working for certain enemies of the TSAB. "Heroes never believe this, but some people accrue power because they believe they can make things better. They'll disappoint you in the end, though. Everyone will disappoint you, in the end. Whoever's pulling your strings is no better, they just have better PR. They'll slip up one day, and tell you they're hurting someone for the greater good, and you'll either go along with it... Or end up like me."

    He tries a cupcake. "Making damn good cupcakes in the meantime, though. Wait, what do you mean reincarnated ag--

    He starts to ask, but he remembers seeing the other Jupiter, on echoes of the Moon. "...Oh. Damn, this world is a weird one."

    Oh hey, it's a hero that doesn't look like a teenager! He turns to Stellar and smiles. "There's a good heroic attitude! That's how you stay alive and keep messing up everyone else's plans no matter how stupid you are. Um." He coughs.

    "So. How's this going to work? What do you need from us, to help Beryl out of the picture? Gods, I hate this clandestine backstabbing shit, but if we could beat her with numbers alone, 'something stupid with lots of backup' would have won already."

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"How do you even dance to a beep boop?" Tuxedo Mask asks Sailor Moon mock-seriously, shaking his head. "I mean, I guess we would figure it out, but it seems an awful lot of effort." Then he gets actually serious, which is funny because it involves a small smile instead of a serious-face, and he says, "We did our best and it worked."

He agrees with Hope Witch, "No losing for any one of us--" and then Stellar is there, and he grins lopsidedly at her. "Excellent. Your backup isn't ready to roll yet, though, so-- Naru-chan, can you show Stellar the file? Hi, Cat." He decides against mentioning Naru's other boyfriend right now. Nobody gave him any trouble, so he will return the karmic favor.

Clarthas says 'again' and then gets into it with 'heroes never believe' and Mamoru rolls his eyes. "Plenty of heroes know that plenty of villains are deluded, don't worry," the masked prince says with a short sigh. "And I don't know, do you want to leave the door to the Dark Kingdom open for us? That would be helpful." He licks the last of the icing off his cupcake, and starts eating the cake itself.

Makoto Kino has posed:
"Plus we'd have to go through junior high again," Jupiter tells Sailor Moon solemnly. "No thanks."

Stellar gets an answering nod, and Cat Noir gets a friendly little salute with her chopsticks, before she sets them aside and picks up her bowl instead to sip at the broth. When she sets it down again she's looking to Stellar. "Do I want to know what the stupid thing is?" she asks. "Or is that a conversation for later?"

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"I think we'd have to do the robot, but like, way more advanced," is the equally serious reply given to Mamoru, before she shakes her head with a smile.

Then, Clarthas speaks, dismissive, and there's a moment where she thinks of Serenity and diplomacy and good will and help - and then she goes, fuck it, actually.

"I don't have any strings being pulled," Usagi tells Clarthas faux-brightly, "Because one of the evil bitches hired by Obsidian murdered my whole civilization, along with everyone else's. Maybe you remember seeing some of that? I do this because it's my power and I want to use it for stopping people like that. Maybe you should consider if you use your power to help anyone, or if Obsidian can help you accrue power to help anyone, or if maybe, just maybe, hiring creepy ladies who hit on teenagers and murder on a planet-wide scale is enough to be a sign that maybe your bosses like being an evil ass authority. Just something to think about~ Little Teenage Hero Things~"

And then she stalks off, because the goal here is not to dig into the guy who seems to think Obsidian put Beryl in a position of power by accident, instead of it being a damning indictment of their priorities.

"Cat! How are you? It feels like it's been forever, have you been fe-lying around?" She's trying so hard to pun, please. Laugh.

Kyouka Inai has posed:
    Stellar is nabbed by Sailor Moon and dragged over to the food, which is not something she particularly protests. She gives Clarthas a look which plainly says 'who are you' without actually saying it, but is distracted before she can actually ask by Naru, Moon, and Tux all just assuming she's ready to be an idiot right this very second.

    She frowns. "He who hesitates is lost. Or something. But no, don't worry... I was not under the impression that this was a gather-up-and-roll out mission. I was just reiterating my dedication to the cause. I owe that bitch pain, and while most of ya'll have prior claim," a general motion towards the Senshi present, "that doesn't mean I don't want to be viscerally involved in separating that woman from her viscera."

    She then adds, in a lighter tone, "Though sometimes the best plan is a stupid plan. They tend not to see those ones coming ahead of time."

    She looks interestedly to Naru at the mention of a file.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Hope Witch intones, "In the grim dark future of 3050, there is only dubstep." She munches a bit of ramen, and then after swallowing she adds, "Just don't say that in front of Lydian. She'll take that as a challenge."

    A few more people arrive and both Stellar and Cat Noir get a chopstick wave. Stellar's viscera comment gets an 'eheh' from Madoka before she says, "Yeah... that's about how I feel too. She has this coming."

Michiru Kaiou has posed:
    Neptune slurps the last of the noodles out of her bowl and makes a satisfied look as she eats them. It's hard to go wrong with good ramen, and this was definitely that. Stellar's comment about prior claim gets a smirk. "Many hands make light work," she says. Then, lifting her bowl to her lips, she drinks the last of her broth. Delicious.

Naru Osaka has posed:
"Hey there, Cheeky Kitty." Naru offers the black figured cat-boy a smile and leans in to take a bite from the offered cupcake. She finishes chewing at least before she settles a kiss upon his cheek.

Naru can't help but snicker softly at Stellar's cunning strategies. "I mean.. unexpected does have some advantages, and it wouldnt be the first time that we've gone with the theory of 'it's a dumb idea, but it just might work'"

Adrien Agreste has posed:
"Clearly, that would be the robo-- Yes exactly." Cat was coming in with the joke but apparently he and Sailor Moon were of similar mind on that, which he agrees with giving a thumbs up.

Aaand for just a moment his ears lay back watching her tear into Carthas over Beryl with a low whistle. He rarely saw her dishing it out like that. But then Naru takes a bite of the cupcake he holds, and he gets the prize of a cheek kiss. His gaze softens significantly as he slips his arm around her to give a little hug. "Hey there, Naru-deer."

Then Sailor Moon drops the pun bomb.

It was awful. Simply awful. OF COURSE Cat Noir tips his head back with a warm and easy laugh as if it were the funniest thing in the world, and he does so without seeming as if he's just faking it.

"Good to see you too, Moon! I've just been CAT-ching up on current events." Grinning broadly he adds, more seriously, "Good to hear everyone got back. I'll avoid saying 'okay' because none of that sounded the least bit 'okay'. You know you've all got my help if you need it." His head tips to bump his forehead to Naru's head gently adding quieter, "And you as well, whenever you need me."

Clarthas Anode (174) has posed:
    Clarthas blinks at Tuxedo Mask, again. "That's an actual place you can go? I thought it was just a title. Lots of heroes and villains like dramatic titles."

    They tend not to see stupid plans coming ahead of time. "Yeah, that's true..." Clarthas sighs in frustration.

    And then Sailor Moon gives him a speech. He winces a bit at the reminder of her murdered civiization. But...

    "Wait, you really have no organization? There's no one like the Bureau getting in the way and making sure you all stay in line and don't get any real power unless they approve it first?" He shakes his head. "No way. They've just... told you they're something else. Made you believe they're more benevolent. In all of existence, everyone who wants to make a difference eventually ends up with a boot on their neck, or being that boot for someone else who says otherwise, you're next. And that's so wrong..."

    Clarthas clenches a fist. Tell them you signed up to end the world and they'll just attack you now. He takes a breath.

    "...Anyway, what matters right now is stopping this woman before she turns everyone on this planet into... whatever the hell those were."

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"Only dubstep," Tuxedo Kamen repeats after Hope Witch, eyes wide behind his mask. "Super advanced doing the robot, then." He finishes his cupcake, then overhand throws the wrapper into the little bin on the other side of the table with alarming accuracy.

He watches Sailor Moon tear into Clarthas, and it clearly takes his breath away; his eyebrows are actually visible -- just -- over his mask. He watches her go over to where Naru and Chat Noir are, and he adds to Clarthas, "There is literally no organization. We text each other. Nobody tells us what to do. You're going to have to get over that, and also yourself."

He squints and leans forward a little. "Are you up for eating energy fields larger than your head? Because there's also this demon that Beryl gets her power from--"

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Cat Noir, pun master extraordinare, laughs at her joke, and Sailor Moon's smile comes back to her face, warmer and more genuine, for achieving something as simple as making her good friend laugh. The offer of his support only makes her smile more fond. Naru had really picked up a good one, in this situationship of hers. "Thanks, seriously. I think everyone's starting to - put themselves back together. Good food helps! Jupiter-chan made the cupcakes, and the ramen's from Okujoo, so everything's tasty."

It's so, so important to have good food.

She can hear Clarthas exclaiming in a bit of surprise - does he really think they have an organization?

Seriously?

Maybe because they all work for a megacorporation, they think everyone else has big bosses. She pauses, then leans in to Naru and Cat Noir.

"Hey, maybe we shouldn't tell him about that like, TSAB thing has a guy in town?"

Chrono was exactly no one's boss, but he sure did have a badge, and that sure sounded like what this guy was talking about...

Kyouka Inai has posed:
    "The thing about stupid plans," Stellar says, to no one in particular, "Is that when the enemy doesn't believe they can work, they don't seriously defend against them. And that's when you get 'em." She nods her head seriously. "It's worked for me plenty of times." She pauses a moment, then adds, "Not so much that last time, but you know. On average."

    She then proceeds to eat a cupcake, making it vanish with alacrity, before giving an approving smile to Jupiter. "Bake cupcakes like these often enough and I think you and I could be friends."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"I think the phrase isn't that Stellar isn't rushing with a stupid plan, it's that she isn't rushing /yet/." Naru points out and then nods to Stellar. "We can look at papers later, kay?" She notes with a gesture at her satchel.

Naru rolls her eyes with fond amusement at Chat Noir and Usagi having a pun off.. becuase of course they are. Even only briefly. She gives him a gentle nudge with her hip into his. "Always."

Clarthas Anode (174) has posed:
    "Eating energy fields? Please. You know, a friend of mine tried that once, to stop someone claiming to be the incarnation of some god of tricksters from taking it -- He was a shell of his old self after, but everyone just saw him as a fool instead of recognizing his sacrifice." Clarthas clenches a fist and glances sidewise at Stellar. "Sometimes, the stupid heroic plans pay a terrible price. Never for the people who actually deserve it, though."

    He shakes his head. "What would I want the power to turn people into zombies or torture them in ice for? That shit's gotta go."

    He looks back to Stellar, curiously. "And yet, you're not rushing ahead with the stupid plan against Beryl. What makes this time different?"

Adrien Agreste has posed:
Cat Noir perks a bit while glancing over to the green clad sailor scout to offer a hearty grin. "She did? I'm terrible at cooking, this is really something." Of course he hadn't taken a bite of the cupcake yet. That had been Naru's doing and he was left with a not-even-half-eaten one. Knowing her appetite that just meant the rest was his to indulge in.

Sailor Moon's leaning in has him leaning forward a bit, too, so that he can catch what she says. It wouldn't be hard either way with his hearing improved by his henshin. It's just habit. "Thaaaat may be a wise choice. I thought I had issues with autohrity."

Standing up straight again he takes a bite of the cupcake ending up with a bit of pink frosting on his nose totally unintentionally. Really. Nothing to see but a black cat with a pink nose here. "Mm, thanks Jupiter-chan! This is great!" He calls out over toward the senshi with his usual silly but-sincere grin. The nudge to his hip from Naru draws his attention back and he offers another bite of the cupcake they were apparently sharing.

Makoto Kino has posed:
Sailor Jupiter flashes Stellar a pleased smile. "I do a lot of baking," she notes, as though there weren't some kind of heavy discussion of heroism and strategy going on more or less around her head. "Especially when stuff like all this--" a vague wave of her hand, as though to indicate... probably the events that led to this gathering, rather than the gathering itself. "--keeps happening."

Cat Noir's thanks is enough added attention that she ducks her head a little, still smiling. "You're welcome." She is not going to mention the frosting on his nose. That's Naru's privilege.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"Mhm," Sailor Moon nods, glancing back at Clarthas, "I figure, he can you know... not focus on that part. I mean, it's true that we're all broke freelancers, compared to them."

She sighs, wistful, "Sunbreaker showed me her paycheck once, to rub it in. There were a lot of numbers."

Not that she's trade in her principles, but like, if there was a way to just trade in some of her dignity, maybe? Still. It's what it is. "Everyone should want to be friends with Jupiter-chan. You know what you can never have enough of? Cupcakes."

Kyouka Inai has posed:
    "This time I made a promise not to do it without backup." Stellar tells Clarthas, with a mild shrug. "And so here I am." She then grins to Jupiter. "I've heard of far worse stress release valves. As Moon says, you can never have too many cupcakes."

    Naru gets a solemn nod. "Yes, we can look at papers... later." Some other time. Probably.

Clarthas Anode (174) has posed:
    Clarthas gives Stellar a respectful nod at that. "Keeping promises instead of deciding you know better for their own good is probably a good sign you're not going Dark."

Kyouka Inai has posed:
    "I'm contractually obligated not to go Dark." Stellar informs Clarthas, matter-of-factly. "That role's already taken."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Hope Witch quietly eats her and listens to the conversation, deciding not to mention the fact that her mom is pretty rich actually.

    Not that her allowance could match Sunbreaker's paycheck...

Clarthas Anode (174) has posed:
    Clarthas looks a bit confused at that. He decides it's an in-joke he's not privy to.

    Although, after a few moments, he has a realization. "Wait, obligated to who? I thought you didn't have bosses."

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"She's an adult, adults have bosses," Tuxedo Kamen calls, having started on another one of Jupiter's cupcakes. "Don't think about it too hard, you might get caught in some kind of causality loop or something."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"We don't have bosses. I got my power from my pet cat," Usagi says unhelpfully, "Amd Kamen-kun gets his power from roses and stealing my heart. And Hope-chan gets her power from eggs."

She's being so unhelpful on purpose.

Kyouka Inai has posed:
    "You don't need to have organization to have bosses." Stellar says, with a long-suffering sigh. "Everybody answers to somebody. Even if only themselves."

Makoto Kino has posed:
"I also got my power from her pet cat," Sailor Jupiter offers helpfully. "Could someone pass me a cupcake?" She could get one herself, but she's sitting down.

Adrien Agreste has posed:
"You don't say? I got my power from a cat, too!" Cat Noir declares with a hand lifting to tap his ears. "I black cat at least. So you know, the very *best* cats."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    "We may not always have bosses," says Hope Witch, "but we do have obligations." What obligations does the egg keeper have? Good question. Not one that she answers right now.

    "Or you know... some of us have contracts."

    She's currently leaning near where the food is, so she puts her chopsticks into her ramen bowl and hands Jupiter a cupcake.

Naru Osaka has posed:
"I don't have power at all!" Naru offers into this mix of things, taking a bite form Chat Noir's cupcake. She might even steal enough of his over the evening to almost have had one of her own.

Clarthas Anode (174) has posed:
    At Tuxedo Kamen's warning, Clarthas lets out an exasperated "Oh gods, I don't need to get snagged up in time magic shit."

    Not one but THREE of them get their powers from their pet cats. "...Damn, this planet is weird."

    "Okay, so what are we actually doing? And what's this 'Dark Kingdom' thing?"

%

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"That's what people say all the time," Usagi says, helpfully, for real, this time. "But... the Dark Kingdom is what Beryl's in charge of. It's what she wants to make again. All those people? They weren't things - they were just, people, driven mad by a demon that spiked all their anger and aggression and willingness to ruin people. And what we're going to do... is kill her."

Easier said than done.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"Roses, stealing her heart, and reducing the use of waste plastics," Tuxedo Kamen says, and almost gets Jupiter a cupcake, but Hope Witch beats him to it, so he starts working on his. Icing first. Liiick. He nods to Sailor Moon when she says part of what it is, and that they're going to kill Beryl.

"Yeah. It's also an actual physical place where Beryl keeps her stuff and does her hair," he says. "Except for office decorations. Those get changed out regularly, or thrown out the window when the teenager she was hitting on escapes her clutches. She's still looking for Hematite and that guy is sixteen."

He pauses to eat some more icing, then looks at Clarthas again. "It's like-- a pocket dimension. There are multiple ways to get to it, but usually her employees either used the door in her offices or teleported. Usually teleported. It's not the Dusk Zone. The walls move."

Clarthas Anode (174) has posed:
    What Beryl's in charge of? "...'where'?" Clarthas asks, suspiciously.

    Memories trickle back. It's important to list the properties of a part of reality you wish to damage or destroy, somehow. That sounds right. Otherwise how do you know what you're destroying? Some forgotten bit of training starts a mental list"

    THE DARK KINGDOM
    * Is what Beryl's in charge of
    * Is what Beryl wants to make again
    * Is a physical place where Beryl keeps her stuff and does her hair
    * Is a pocket dimension reachable from the door in her office
    * Can be teleported to by her employees.

    ...One of those feels overly specific. He's not sure he's doing this right.

    "Not the Dusk Zone... but is it in the Dusk Zone? Or... near it?"

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"I never actually figured that out," says Mamoru cheerfully. "I don't think it's in or near the Dusk Zone though. If it were, it would be easier to get to in some ways, and harder in others. But it is physically linked to at least one location on Earth."

Clarthas Anode (174) has posed:
    Not part of the Dusk Zone. A pocket dimension connected to at least one place on Earth. "Yeah, that's--" He starts to comment, but the memory unravels in his metaphorical fingers. This is your brain on Dark Energy! He frowns. "Linked how? A specific kind of door, in a specific kind of place? Or... something like that..." It feels like there's something important he's not quite putting together.

    Oh wait, remember to add that one:

    * Not part of the Dusk Zone

    "...Does that mean if we sucked it into the Dusk Zone somehow, it would stop existing?" He taps his chin.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"I have no idea, I get kind of sick outside this dimension. I get the reality bends." Mamoru stands up, then, and stuffs the rest of his cupcake, icing and cake and all, directly in his mouth. It's. A lot of cupcake. Jupiter's seen him do this with her baking before, it's criminal. But it also means he doesn't have to answer any more weird questions.

He moves to start putting away food.

Clarthas Anode (174) has posed:
    Clarthas waves dismissively. "That's because the Dusk Zone is full of Dark Energy and it's messing everything up. Why we've got to learn how to control it. Yes, I know, dangerous, leave alone, now's not the time for that discussion."

    He takes another cupcake.

    "If you get some further piece of information or wish to communicate, you can reach me with this:" He reaches into his pocket and holds out what looks like a flipphone with a clear round crystal incorporated in its design.

Clarthas Anode (174) has posed:
    Oh right there's an item card for this! *Ahem*:

                                   [COM-UNIT]                                  
                    (Tech Origin: Martin Wreuse and Eureka)                    

   A little 2"x1.5"x.5" grey plastic box with a foldout monochrome LCD screen. Does everything a smartphone does except have a touch screen and app store. Or make calls on Earth's cell phone network. Or access Earth's internet or communications at all, actually. It would interact with the TSAB's comm network or something, but instead this one is only able to text and call Sarida instead! Its usefulness is inversely proportionate to its hyperspecialization.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Mamoru sighs around his cupcake, holds up a finger, chews, swallows, gets a can of soda, opens it, chews and swallows some more, drinks some of the soda to wash it down, then sighs better and says, "I'm not carrying a potential tracking device, sorry. You can text like the rest of us."

He takes his hat out of thin air and pulls an actual flip phone out of it, disappears the hat again, puts it on the contacts screen, and holds the phone out to Clarthas. "Put in your name and number like an Earth human, please."

Clarthas Anode (174) has posed:
    Clarthas scoffs. "I stopped putting remote controls in things because then nobody trusts you after you turn their gun off when they try to shoot someone you don't want dead. But, you have a point." He re-pockets it. "What if Beryl takes my ph-- Nevermind. I thought of a workaround. Wait a few days before texting me, just in case." He enters some number and hands it back.

    "...Thanks. I'm glad you're reasonable enough to work together against a bigger problem." He steps back, and... grabs another cupcake before stepping back through the-- Oh. It locks once you step through, doesn't it.

    Good thing he can duskport. *POOF*

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"Well," Sailor Moon says, when the stranger is gone, "At least we know Sunbreaker isn't the oddest person in Obsidian now."