View source for 2554/When The Monarchs Were Teenagers

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2025/05/10
|Location=Crystal Millennium
|Synopsis=After [[2518/No_Sleep_'Til_Shibuya]], Malakai meets with the teenaged King and Queen, the teenaged ''Sailor Venus'', and some guy named Kaito who's in the same weird little boat as he is. Why does everyone keep talking about rocks?!
|Cast of Characters=38,27,58,90,43
|Tinyplot=BMC: Dimension Future
|Tinyplot2=Black Moon Clan
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:38|Mamoru Chiba (38)}} has posed:'''<br>The last batch of the &lt;s&gt;ancient past&lt;/s&gt; living refugees, those worthy elders who spent enough time around magic in their early lives that they were afforded just enough buffer against the death miasma outside that they yet live. The bulk of them have been escorted off to the infirmary to get checked over.<br><br>Mamoru, out of henshin because it doesn't get him stared at as much, has his fluffy hair held out of his eyes by pink sparkly hairclips and his glasses; he's wearing a sage-green-and-heather-grey baseball shirt that has UNMASK like a university team logo, and (alive) in a little circle under it. Otherwise, skinny jeans and combat boots, and his shirtsleeves are rolled up.<br><br>He comes out of the infirmary and is on his way back toward the font doors, and his timing is perfect to see who's coming in ''now''.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:27|Minako Aino (27)}} has posed:'''<br>It was pride that had kept Sailor Venus from outright dumping the armload of very-tall-Kaito that she currently held in both arms princess-style. She'd offered to carry him here before she had known his identity--And really it shouldn't matter, he *had* been a great help in fighting off the droids to help this last batch of refugees arrive safely to the palace.<br><br>Having also discovered Malakai was just more embarrassing in a way because this was the *wrong Shittenou* she ought to be hitting on!<br><br>Somewhere in the back of her mind she's self-aware enough to know that her current flirting and fluster was just a distractionary tactic so that she didn't feel awful about everything going on. It was a way to keep her spirits up, and not actually important. If anything this was perhaps the best meeting she could hope for with unawakened Shittenou as they were all on the same side this time. It was a good thing!<br><br>This however leads to her to coming in with the last stragglers ensuring they got here safe first. With her arms full she couldn't readily fight, but he could, and he'd fashioned a gun of sorts that she had to admit was both practical, clever, and useful. HIS hands were free for that if needed. She strides in still hefting the man that was increadibly larger than her while remarking conversationally, like some flight attendant, "And here we are, safe and sound, at the Crystal Palace. The correct one this time! There was a fake one we had to deal with first, you know."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:58|Malakai Kuroda (58)}} has posed:'''<br>And then in Minako's wake there is Tall, but the tall is also Wrong.<br><br>He's the right height. He holds himself almost right. His hair's the right shade of white. But his hair is cut shoulder-length, and he's not wearing either a uniform or the most anonymous casual clothing possible. Okay, granted, he ''is'' wearing plain brown work clothes grimed with the city's dust... but over that is a ''lot'' of improvised harness holding a ''lot'' of what is probably improvised single-shot weaponry. (And a bag over one shoulder. Hopefully that has things other than weaponry in it.)<br><br>"Saw that," remarks the third Kunzite-clone Mamoru has seen since arriving in the future. "Well. Didn't see what you did, but saw the big trap dissolve. Nice job."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:90|Masato Sanjouin (90)}} has posed:'''<br>Kaito was not one to miss out on a joke, with all this awfulness around them. That's maybe surprising, given he was armed with guns and a fairly intimidating looking gas mask, altered with scavanged tech. Sailor Moon herself had carried his cute Grandmother to safety, after all, and he'd had the privelege of being carried by Sailor V. Escorted back to the Palace in style, but also seemingly at Minako's mild expense, given the redness of her face-- the first perk of this Nephrite business. <br><br>But maybe he was simply aware of the good a distraction could do, in hard times. <br><br>"First class travel, five stars, although I didn't get any snacks," he teased, making absolutely no move to untangle from Minako's arms, and he feigned a dramatic sigh, "I'm just so tired from all the fighting... I don't even know if I can stand..."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:38|Mamoru Chiba (38)}} has posed:'''<br>Mamoru, his hands scrubbed pink up to his elbows, stops in his tracks when he sees Kaito and Minako... and a third person, who's, yes, the third Kunzite clone Mamoru's seen since arriving in the Crystal Millennium.<br><br>All of a sudden he wonders where Kazuo is, and glances uncertainly at the redheaded Kaito flirting with Minako, then shifts his attention back to the white-haired man.<br><br>Oh fucking no he's hot. Look at him he's in his 20s, look at those shoulders, look-- ''no don't''.<br><br>"Hi, welcome back," he calls as he clomps over in his combat boots. "I'm not your King but I might do in a pinch. I'm Prince Endymion, are you injured?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:27|Minako Aino (27)}} has posed:'''<br>Venus steals a glance back toward the short-haired Malakai with just a hint of something in her gaze that was warm, and soft, and sad--And it's quickly dispelled by the flirtatous remarks from the man carried in her arms. Instinctively she responds as only the Goddess of Love might, with a quick laugh as she interjects, "I *am* a snack though!" <br><br>More seriously she gives him an uncertain gaze as she asks, quietly, "Are you *really* that tired?" Maybe he was. She'd assumed he was in the first place after the fighting because she thought he was just a regular person and not an unawakened knight. Even she got tired.<br><br>Thankfully Mamoru approaches snapping her attention away with a smile of relief. "I think we're all alright, just a bit tired. Maybe you ought to look them over anyway though just to be safe."<br><br>She was really trying hard not to blurt out with 'I found more of your rocks!' since she'd learned from Chibiusa awhile ago that King Endymion of this time had called them his 'rock collection.'<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:58|Malakai Kuroda (58)}} has posed:'''<br>@emit <br>The white-haired man glances back at Mamoru, and blinks, and then blinks again, and bows. Bows ''very carefully,'' to avoid any untoward problems. "Malakai Kuroda, Your Highness. My apologies, somehow I didn't realize that Their Majesties had had a second child."<br><br>Somwhere, Kazuo undoubtedly feels the sudden and inexplicable urge to sink into the floor and pray for a swift death.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:90|Masato Sanjouin (90)}} has posed:'''<br>"I'm a real treat to examine, so I've been told--" Brown eyes pass immediately-- and perhaps with a little sparkle in them as he recognises him-- to Mamoru, and he quite forgets about anything else for a second. <br><br>"It's you, again! I thought you might still out there, in all that crazy..." For Minako's sake, her does move to hop down and stand on his own, gesturing at Mamoru broadly, "You look way better when you're scrubbed up a bit, don't you? I like the hairlips. Not as cool as the tuxedo, mind, but..." <br><br>He was talking a lot. Shit. He retracted his hands and pinned them under his arms as if to cross them casually. He leans closer to Malakai, his mouth pressed tighter so he doesn't grin. "He's a real ringer for the King, isn't he? Strong genes." He manages.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:43|Sailor Moon (43)}} has posed:'''<br>Sailor Moon had been carrying Grandma Naru, and until she arrived to the palace that was ''exactly'' what her focus had been on, even if she was also amused by Minako's ability to find and flirt with Shitennou (and get herself into trouble for it). Once they'd arrived at the palace, though? Naru had no longer been interested in being carried, and had instead badgered for her speedy scooter to be returned to her. <br><br>Sailor Moon certainly wasn't going to be the one who argued with her about it, not with her shins at risk! <br><br>So she's a little late, joining everyone else, coming in just around time to find - <br><br>"Huh? I don't think there's a second kid, someone would have told us about that, right?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:38|Mamoru Chiba (38)}} has posed:'''<br>Mamoru stares at Malakai for a moment, not parsing what he's talking about-- it's clearly running through his back buffer, he's looking for what could possibly--<br><br>Oh.<br><br>The prince ''grins'', and then Kaito is... pleased to see him! And complimenting his hairclips. Mamoru's hands go up to his head and he pats at them, but doesn't take them out. "The princess, our alternate future daughter, loaned them to me," he tells Kaito solemnly. "Sorry I was so upset out there. You were the first one of you I met and it was a shock to see your face not knowing me."<br><br>Usagi comes up behind Mamoru and he automatically takes a half-step to one side, making room without having to look for where she is. "No," he says with a bright sparkle in his own eyes, "but I'm sure if we have a second kid, we're bad enough at names that they'd be Endymion too."<br><br>He bows at Malakai in return. "We're time travelers from an alternate dimension a thousand years ago. This is my fiancee, Princess Serenity. So-- no, Malakai Kuroda, you definitely would have known if there was a second kid. The whole world would have known."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:27|Minako Aino (27)}} has posed:'''<br>When it's obvious he's going to stand, V shifts her weight to drop the arm from behind Kaito's knees when he moves to stand so that it's easier on them both. The one supporting his back remains until he's fully upright. Only then does Sailor V step to the side so that she's not hiding behind anyone. Her hand lifts to slide a bit of her hair back over her shoulder with a practiced movement that lets the length fan out and settle back into place naturally in spite of it's length.<br><br>Then she allows her own henshin to drop leaving her in far more casual clothes than before. A denim jumper, a pink shirt, slip on sneakers that were for comfort and not fashion (though they did have orange laces! Got to have some fashion involved.)<br><br>Though she was young it may now become obvious she was quite a bit younger than it may have at first seemed.<br><br>"Chibiusa--The princess, I mean, she came to the past to get us to help here," she explains breifly with a flash of an amused grin. "Although apparently it's an alternate timeline? I'm not the scientific one of course, I'm just repeating what I've heard." <br><br>For a moment she pauses as she considers a thought. Head tilting to the side the two men are given a curious glance. "You know, I was wondering, do any of the other Senshi have children?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:58|Malakai Kuroda (58)}} has posed:'''<br>"Clearly," Malakai agrees to Kaitou about Endy's genes, before he receives explanations. Alternate time line Prince Endymion. So that *really is* a young Senshi.<br><br>This is obviously impossible. The Senshi were spontaneously generated at what they saw as their ideal ages and never changed. Ever. Also they are clearly older than the actual universe. Also older than the Neo-Queen and the King, because the Neo-Queen and the King are said to not ''always'' have been in charge, but the Senshi have Always Been There.<br><br>While Malakai is wrestling with this, Venus asks another question, and Malakai blinks. Opens mouth. Closes mouth. Says more thoughtfully, "You know, I've never heard. But I've had my head mostly in books, not in the social rounds."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:90|Masato Sanjouin (90)}} has posed:'''<br>"I wouldn't know either," Kaito shrugs at Minako with a grimace, "I only recently returned to Crystal Tokyo, with all this going on. I really only came back to make sure Baa-chan and her friends were safe." <br><br>His hair is a stark reminder of the fact he's descended by Naru Osaka, but it is Nephrite's smile when he gives it. "I never settled down, either... so no kids on my end. But you know," he nodded at Mamoru now, "I'll admit, I had the same thought. But then, you couldn't king's son. You don't have pink hair." <br><br>He laughed easily, thumbs in his pockets. "Anyway, it's fine. Whichever timeline you came from, it's still wonderful to meet a version of Tuxedo Kamen."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:43|Sailor Moon (43)}} has posed:'''<br>"The real question is what we'd name the third child," Usagi agrees solemnly, before her face cracks into a bright grin and she leans up against him, taking in Kaito and Malakai's looks once more. "You too really ''do'' look just like our Nephrite and Kunzite. You'd think we'd be used to it after one round of reincarnation, but nope, it's still weird." <br><br>Her tone promises it's good weird, not bad weird, at least, and she's going to say more, when Minako raises the question, and Malakai and Kaito make it clear they have no clue. Usagi pouts, and then - "That makes sense. I bet if they do, it's as civilians, not Senshi; it's not like anyone knows their names here." <br><br>If they had, the Black Moon Clan would have figured them out a lot sooner. She sighs, wistful. "I hope so, though! It'd be pretty lonely being the ''only'' Mama in the friend group."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:38|Mamoru Chiba (38)}} has posed:'''<br>"It would be pretty lonely being the only child in the castle," Mamoru says quietly, slipping an arm around the back of Usagi's waist. "We probably shouldn't ask Small Lady if the Senshi had kids."<br><br>His arm touching her arm, and it's a mix of bubbling lovey happy-you're-here and also ''get a load of how hot future Kunzite gets'' what in the WORLD--<br><br>Then Mamoru starts to lift a hand toward Kaito, and stops, looking rueful. "I shouldn't touch you if His Majesty can't. Don't worry, we'll figure this out with you all. In the meantime, you two have been doing incredibly well-- look, Usa, he's carrying a vest of IEDs and ''he'' made guns out of ''droid arms''--"<br><br>And then his gaze settles on Malakai again, ocean-blue eyes bright and clear and ''bedrock certain''. "You look like the men who set up the trap in front of the doors, by the way. But with shorter hair and less sociopathy."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:27|Minako Aino (27)}} has posed:'''<br>Minako Aino listens to the two citzens of this timeline with a slow nod of apparent understanding. Neither knew which does make her more concerned. If they did have children, and the Senshi were stuck protecting the castle, who was checking on the kids? Even if the thought of HER having a future child didn't seem to feel quite right. "Ah, that's okay, I thought I'd ask at least. If they do I'm sure they'd be worried about them as well, after all."<br><br>It's Usagi's remark that causes her eyes to widen with realization at what she'd done. A concerned glance is shot toward her friend. "Should I not have changed, then? I haven't given my name yet but I didn't think about if they kept their identities secret." Lifting a hand to her chin she rubs it in a moment of quiet consideration. A slight nod is given as she makes a decision.<br><br>"I'm Minako." No surname. No she wasn't going to give everything away but she could at least give a fairly common first name! "I'll save the rest just to be safe."<br><br>This 'time travel' thing was getting to be difficult! As Mamoru compliments Malakai she has to nod in agreement. "The short hair looks amazing even if it is a bit odd seeing you without long hair. And the red hair suits you really well, Kaito! As awful as this whole situation is I'm so glad there's still pretty boys to look at."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:58|Malakai Kuroda (58)}} has posed:'''<br>Just like their what? Malakai frowns a little, but it's confusion rather than disapproval or intimidation. Which is good, because even in a cute denim jumper, that is apparently an ''actual Sailor Venus'' and he does not want to find out what happens if she thinks he's trying to intimidate someone. At least the 'vest of IEDs' comment sounds like he's not currently in trouble. "I hate to ask, but figure what out?"<br><br>In loop? Not him.<br><br>And then he is looped into something else that does not involve genealogy ''or'' reincarnation, and he ... blinks. Again. His eyelid muscles may go on strike if he keeps giving them this much of a workout. "Well," he says to the news about the fake-palace trap. "That's awkward. Does it help if I say that if I have any siblings, I don't know about them?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:90|Masato Sanjouin (90)}} has posed:'''<br>He preens mildly for the compliment of his hair, but his attention shifts now to Malakai as well. Even Kaito has to admit, looking at Malakai's confused features and blank blinks, he's a cute-seeming kind of guy-- even strapped up in boom-boom as he is. He does see how lost he looks, though, and feels for him. His own levity dims. <br><br>"Oh? Shoot. All this talk about family, and we don't know anything about your situation. Sorry. That's insensitive of us." He nods, a little more seriously now. After all, he had mentioned his parents in a way that suggested they weren't close.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:43|Sailor Moon (43)}} has posed:'''<br>"I mean, at this point the worst people around already know a lot of us," Usagi says to Minako, quiet. "The Black Moon Clan figured out half of us, so..." <br><br>At this point, it's not ''that'' bad if they share their names. Surely their future selves will find a way to cope! <br><br>...She does give her a Look for the flirting, but not an overt one - that would be far too embarrassing in public. <br><br>"No one was going to blame you," Usagi promises Malakai, looking at his blinking with amusement. "It's not ''your'' fault some people who look like you were jerks. Fake jerks." <br><br>Sometimes strange things happen, at the end of the world. Frankly, all she can feel is relieved, that they've found the ''real'' Kunzite now. <br><br>"Endy-kun already told you that I'm Princess Serenity, but has anyone told you both about why we're comparing you to our friends with the rock names?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:38|Mamoru Chiba (38)}} has posed:'''<br>There's a second's silence as Mamoru just ''looks'' at Minako for the 'pretty boys to look at' comment, and then... he doesn't say anything either. He just closes his eyes and when he opens them again he's looking at Malakai. "Figure what out? How to undo this mess that's happened to the empire you live in. The ''awesome'' empire you live in, good job. How to kick the people that did it into orbit. How to wake up your Queen and King and secure your future. The usual."<br><br>Then, just as Usagi is being wise, he's dumb: he BLINKS at Kaito and blurts, all of a sudden, "Wait are you my ''fan''??? You have a King who's been Tuxedo Kamen for a millennium!"<br><br>Oh no Usagi said something that he should have been paying attention to. Mamoru pauses, and his eyes ''widen''. "Oh shit no we didn't say! Right uhh-- you look exactly like Kunzite because you're pretty much 99.99999998% certain to actually be his reincarnation. We found your Zoisite already, and your Nephrite clearly--" he flaps a hand at Kaito "--and now we're just missing your Jadeite. There's a rock with your past life memories and your magic powers in it, but some of the memories are really bad so it's def up to you whether you sign on or not. I mean, as one of the King's men."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:27|Minako Aino (27)}} has posed:'''<br>Minako Aino allows herself a smile as she watches Kaito preen a bit, but she quickly looks away. She had done quite enough flirting for awhile. If Makoto came out and caught her flirting she might be in quite a bit of trouble! Even if this wasn't the Nephrite she was currently figuring things out with.<br><br>This allows her to catch the look from Usagi to which she merely spreads her hands in a helpless shrug. Her arms cross over her chest casually after as if to say she would behave a bit.<br><br>"I hadn't explained things. I thought you might want to, or King Endymion himself. Although I think Kaito was already told." <br><br>To Malakai she nods slightly as well. "The Boule Brothers were the ones we fought, and other than one being way more tan than the other, they were so close to how the person we know looks we thought they might have been his reincarnation. Until now."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:90|Masato Sanjouin (90)}} has posed:'''<br>Kaito looks mildly stricken by Mamoru's blurted epiphany, and rubs sheepishly at the back of his neck. An almost apologetic grin confesses, "Well, naturally, but... I grew up on the 'real' stories! The secret ones Baa-chan told me. I'm not saying the King isn't a great man--" <br><br>He waves his hand as if that thought weren't relevant, "But you're in the prime of it! The classic, the-- I'm going to stop talking about that now." He clears his throat and adjusts his belt. <br><br>But this talk of reincarnation is on the table again, and there's a whole lot said about it that, once again, he's not totally sure he understands. What he *does* get is what the job seems to be, whenever they're not apparently evil. He smiles patiently at Malakai, and leans in to whisper again, in some solidarity. <br><br>"Just nod, man. We'll figure it out."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:58|Malakai Kuroda (58)}} has posed:'''<br>Reincarnation. From their time. When the Monarchs were ... teenagers. The thought is strangely dizzying, but that might also be just the aftereffects of being a little too close to too many explosions, it's hard to tell.<br><br>"My actual family was fine," he says to Kaito instead. "Till, well, you know, anyway. So your concern is appreciated but it's all right, honestly." The confusion is apparently because of ''friends with rock names.'' Well, he supposes they also have friends with planet names, it makes sense --<br><br>Wait.<br><br>"King's men?" He glances aside at Kaito to see if this makes any sense to him either... oh. The nod is deep, and exaggeratedly solemn.<br><br>Boule Brothers. He's going to guess that that has some meaning that is not related to bivalued logic or dead mathematicians. "That's doubly creepy," he says to Minako. "Guess I had the right idea keeping my distance; if anybody thought I was reinforcements instead of a friendly, that would've been a lot of trouble."<br><br>... but they ''did'' have some time to recover relatively free of droid attacks. And there ''were'' a couple of distant booms. Possibly he didn't keep too much distance.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:43|Sailor Moon (43)}} has posed:'''<br>"You're the king's men," Usagi says, bright and earnest. "Endy-kun might have explained that in among the weirdest ways possible, but - the king's been hoping you all would come back for a long time. It figures that it's when the kingdom is having it's worst hours that you come back to help." <br><br>All the king's men, coming back together, nursing the sick, fighting for the wounded, of ''course'' they're all coming back when Mamoru needs them most, when Endymion needs them most. <br><br>"No one would have attacked you! Even if there ''were'' a few creeps that looked like you, the only reason they got attacked was for blocking off the way to the palace. But... you might want to talk to the king, about all of that, instead of us. We could take you to him. He's kind of a ghost." <br><br>Maybe they're both bad at explaining things.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:38|Mamoru Chiba (38)}} has posed:'''<br>There's a little sigh from the Prince, and he looks up, and around, and he fixes on a spot on an empty balcony above and behind them a little, to one side. He looks. Then he looks back at Minako, Usagi, the two men in front of them. "Sorry," he says with a little smile. "The King knows, but if he's anything like me, he's probably being really shy about it."<br><br>He leeeeans on Usagi a little bit, physically teasing her while he continues to interact verbally with the others. "Probably go get cleaned up, get something to eat, a change of clothes, umm--"<br><br>He flips his hand over, producing his top hat, and holds it out to Malakai. "You can put your IEDs in there and throw it in the air, and it'll come to me, and I'll find a guard to do whatever guards do with IEDs. And-- it's good to meet you. He's so sad, and things really suck for him, and I think you just being here will help make him less sad. And that's the important part, in my eyes."<br><br>Finally, he disentangles from Usagi to bow to the two future unawakened Shitennou, then stands up, eyes bright. "At any rate, Minako-san, if you want to show them to where they can get cleaned up and put their things, you get to flirt some more and I get to go see if my fiancee wants to make out."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:27|Minako Aino (27)}} has posed:'''<br>"Of course she wants to. Get out of here already you two!" Mina flaps her hands at them in a shooing motion while giving Usagi a quick wink because she knows. "Just remember to get some rest, too!"<br><br>Looking over her shoulder at the other two she flashes a grin. "Come on then, let's get you set up with somewhere to rest and clean up. Trust me a shower will feel *amazing* after being out there so long." At least she doesn't offer to join them or anything awful like that. She's being all business at the moment and hastening them away so that the lovebirds can have some alone time.<br> <br>
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