Things I'm Looking Forward to for Missy Mob Interlude (Either Now or Later)
-Meeting their local Friendly Neighborhood Cryptids
-Learning if the US government has tried to make contact with them yet
-New magitech developments from Ami Amy
-What the Missy Mob has learned about the Dark Agency so far
-"So, did any of you dream about a futuristic city, with the Earth illuminated in the sky?"
If person A asks person B "does magic exist?" and person B says "yes", what information has person A learned or confirmed, and what can they do with it? (assuming that B's answer is true)
EDIT: Note that "Bigfoot exists" does not imply that "magic" (for the definition you gave) exists, nor does your definition of "magic" cause "magic exists" to imply "Bigfoot exists"
Yes, and if everyone involved were uptight anal-retentive loonies, one or both of those concerns might stop them from having a meaningful conversation in which they agree that maybe something recognizably corresponding to the term "magic" is real and worth investigating as a possibility.
More realistically, they would not be hopelessly hung up over some inability to rigorously define in terms of symbolic logic what 'magic' means. Because psychologically healthy people confronted with an interesting and useful set of unknown phenomena react with curiosity. They do not engage in a bizarre brainlocked refusal to contemplate the unknown until the merciful spirits of Merriam and Webster hand them a full lexicon of technical vocabulary with which to describe that unknown.
We can define "magic" as specifically referring only to (some) physical phenomena that exist in the fictional setting of Usagi Quest, but do not exist in reality.
My gut says "no," but if Lunaryon says "fuckit, sure," then the answer will be yes!
...
In vaguely rlated subjects, unnamed late Victorian noblewoman experimenting in secret DID create a functioning clockwork woman!
...By yanking the soul out of a servant girl and jamming her into it.
Q Division's institutional predecessors wrapped that up. Poor Elise has been working in the archives at Danson House for the past 113 years, and all things considered rather likes the job. Given her disabilities, it's a pretty good one.
But your old framework is still eminently useful and not, in any normal sense of the word, "wrong." A solution of barium salts and sulfates will still precipitate barium sulfate.
Let me put it this way: the scope of applicability and confidence levels are part of the theory. If you learn of a totally new phenomena within the territory you had labelled as "very high confidence" then your theory has taken a huge blow to it's predictive capabilities and you'd best replace it with a much less confident one right away, and standing around insisting that the old theory is still right when there's no weird stuff going on is a bad way to approach your new reality.
You're living somewhere with no discernable electric field, and the only way to generate/store any requires rare materials in combination. To detect any at all would require specialized equipment. You built your entire scientific foundation with electric fields not being taken into account at all.
And then your whole planet moves into a powerful electric field. Most old things work just as they used to, but a few of those things behave entirely differently in electric fields. Precursor artifacts turn out to not be inanimate bricks made for cultural purposes, but wireless charging devices that start turning back on.
Thats the magic situation. Most things don't really interact with magic, but enough things do that rising ambient magic will need basically everything reexamined to see what the effects are, with no prior points of comparison.
Let me put it this way: the scope of applicability and confidence levels are part of the theory. If you learn of a totally new phenomena within the territory you had labelled as "very high confidence" then your theory has taken a huge blow to it's predictive capabilities and you'd best replace it with a much less confident one right away, and standing around insisting that the old theory is still right when there's no weird stuff going on is a bad way to approach your new reality.
Yes, but the corollary of that is that one of the first laws you have to introduce in your study of the new reality is going to be something like the correspondence principle. That is, the new laws of how reality works must reduce to something functionally equivalent to the old laws for purposes of predicting the phenomena that you know the old laws predicted correctly.
Quantum mechanics means that electric current at the 'micro' level of individual electrons behaves very differently than anyone thought they did in the 19th century. But the 19th century laws governing how current, voltage, and resistance interact at the 'macro' level continue to function as an accurate model of reality, and there has to be a reason WHY they do, even if the reason will require investigation of why the cumulative combined effect of all the quantum mechanical behavior 'cashes out' into something that can be modeled with the simpler principles of classical physics.
Knowing that a wizard can generate an anomalous electric current doesn't mean that capacitors or radio waves no longer work.
Sure they have more puzzle pieces to try to fit together, but it's inherently easier to figure out what picture you're trying to make out of those pieces the fewer pieces you're missing.
A 100 piece puzzle may be easier than a 1,000 piece puzzle; but 1,000 pieces of a 5,000 piece puzzle is much more likely to give you some elements that are sort of comprehensible than just having 100 pieces of the 5,000 piece puzzle.
My preferred order of interludes would be Missy Moon's, to Naru's, and finally MCAT.
The last few interludes were MCAT ones so I'm okay with that one coming last.
Naru has had a decent amount of screen time recently but we have not gotten the opportunity to see her interact with the yokai for a lengthy period of time as of yet or been witness to yokai reactions to her being the reincarnation of Pandora and I am so very eager to see that.
The only reason why Naru's interlude doesn't top my personal tier list is because we haven't seen hide nor hair of Missy Moon since her original introduction a full year and a half ago and I'm curious as to how she and her team are holding up.
I would find it funny if it turns out they're closer in terms of situation to canon Sailor Moon than Usagi and co.
There is a long moment of silence as two ancient entities stand there in the midst of the modern day, enjoying the sights and the sounds of the arcade.
"Do you plan to retire when all of this is said and done?" He asks, and there is another moment of silence, before Usagi finally shakes her head.
"No... I might not want to rule over anything the way that Jadeite thinks I want to... but I still want to wear the suit. To work on fixing the world."
Mamoru just chuckles, a grin on his face. "I had a feeling that you'd say that. Of, and talking about Jadeite." Mamoru says, "I spoke with him about what you had asked before. He's not only okay with the idea of Ramua taking the Courses like you asked, but he's actually spoken with Samui about it. She's talking with the elders of her clan about possibly enrolling the children of the clan in as well. Putting them in a situation to start acclimating to the modern world in a safe environment."
Usagi hums, thinking about it. "I'm not against that, but if that is going to happen, then I might need to talk with Samui about getting additional security for the building. We've hired a new enchanter to help shore up the defenses of the building, but at the same time I'd feel better if there was a little more defense against the Onogoro if there are going to be Yokai children there."
"...That's entirely fair." Mamoru says, grinning. "I'll talk with Jadeite about getting Samui to set up a meeting."
Usagi pauses.
USAGI == d10 + Int = 6 + 8 = 14
[SUCCESS]
She glances around, feeling a bit silly. Then dangerously silly. The girl looks at Mamoru. She looks around.
"Should we be-"
ENDYMION == d10 + Int = 5 + 19 = 24
[SUCCESS]
"Don't worry, nobody's hearing the sensitive bits." He smiles sadly. "You aren't the only one who learned a few tricks from Anyo, once upon a time."
Usagi's... not sure how to feel about that, taking a moment to lay a hand on the man's arm, giving him a soft smile. "I might not remember them as clearly, but I... I miss Anyo too." Taking another breath, the girl turns back to what she was talking about, or going to talk about.
"Speaking of old friends..." Usagi starts to ask, taking a moment to glance over towards the ongoing race between Makoto and Master Fives. The two players are really pushing their machines to the brink. "How is Jadeite doing these days? I haven't seen him since the raid."
Mamoru laughs at the question, shaking his head. "He's... Well, he's doing the best that he can," the deceptively ancient teen says. "He's actually just gotten a new task from the Director that's getting him out of the house pretty early every morning. Something about getting certified before the actual mission begins. Ramua wishes that he was home for longer in the mornings, but Jadeite says that he needs to have a good understanding of his new work space before he can start setting up a teleportation network. Until then... Well, he needs to get to work quite early, through fifty kilometers of Tokyo traffic." Mamoru shrugs, a wry grin on his face. "He's having to get someone from MCAT to drive him. Despite everything that I've said, and everything that his coworkers are saying, he's completely refusing to get a driver's license. Says that people who willingly drive are insane. Honestly, I think that he might be afraid of cars. Thinks that anyone who has any other option but willingly takes the controls of one of those machines has to be some kind of mad."
"Can't he take the bus or the train?"
"...Now that you mention it, maybe. It might not save any time, but I'll talk to him about it." Mamoru blinks, then lightly slaps his own forehead. "Oh, that reminds me. There should be someone from MCAT swinging by sometime soon. Apparently they've finished the whole what was it... 'Basic Ӕtheric Energy Manipulation Certificate' for the classes your classes are building up to."
Despite her trust in the ancient magics Endymion-as-Mamoru seems to know, there is a short moment where Usagi almost worries again that people might be listening in to their conversation. But a quick glance around makes it clear that the only person who could possibly be paying any attention to the two is the blonde haired young man sitting on the other side of the crowd. When the girl locks eyes with him, he lifts the soda in his hand in a salute.
Of course, the fact that he's on the other side of an entire crowd of people watching the race makes it unlikely that he can hear a thing anyway. "It's good to hear that they managed to get that pushed through so quickly... Hm. I would have thought that it would have taken longer, given how quick the Diet is to do much of anything."
The Earth prince just chuckles. "From what I understand, part of it is that MCAT has been pushing hard to get this done. Some backer of theirs, some guy named Kazanari, was interested in pushing the bill through as well. On top of that, there's a building faction in the Diet that's coming to the conclusion that eventually Japan is going to have to admit that magic is real. It sure would make them look good then, if the government already had a certification system in place when that happens, and already had teachers capable of teaching as well."
That... That kind of makes sense, even if there's a part of Usagi that isn't entirely sure that she trusts the reasons she's hearing. She knows that Endymion wouldn't lie to her without a good reason, and she knows that he's a smart cookie. Still, it's possible that whoever explained this to him was either lying to him, or that they themselves had been lied to. Because if there is one thing that Usagi has managed to pick up from her father's job in the media, it's that the Diet never does things for such clear and easy to understand reasons. There's always something more involved.
"Anyways," Mamoru continues, "I know that whoever MCAT is going to send by also wants to organize a time for some of their more magically capable people to try and 'test through' the class so that MCAT can start working on having them teach their own classes and get all of MCAT certified." There is a little part of Usagi that wants to deny that, if only because the Senshi have so much going on all the time right now, and adding on even more... That would just be a struggle to keep track of.
There's already so much going on all the time that there are times when Usagi wishes she could just grab hold of time itself and pull back. That she could choke the throttle and slow everything down so that she isn't buried under so many different things. Of course, she knows that she can't do that, because that would just put her in a situation where there is even more to do. The only way forwards to a day when she isn't completely buried under the threats to the world and the dangers to Japan and everything else that is constantly going on is to push forwards.
There is an old saying that the girl heard somewhere. To reach heaven, one must go through hell. That has to be true. Otherwise, what is the point of all the struggling that she keeps doing day in and day out?
Makoto leans forwards, pushing herself almost all the way up to her feet as she twists the wheel, barely managing to keep her car from clipping against the side of the raceway. Part of the girl is enjoying the race for everything that it is. Part of Makoto is preoccupied by her suspicions about Master Fives' secret. But more than anything else, the girl finds herself having to truly struggle.
She has to be careful. It wouldn't even take that much force, for her to clench down on the wheel in her hands until the plastic and the metal both give way beneath her grip. Normally, that wouldn't be a problem. Makoto's been having to watch her full strength for years now, and it takes a lot for her to push herself to the point where her strength is trying to get away from her...
But there's just something about Master Fives that Makoto can't bear to lose against, something that makes Makoto want to beat him. Admittedly, she has an idea. She has a theory. But for the moment she can't put words to her guess, not until the competition between the two of them comes to an end.
And if her suspicion is true... that doesn't exactly make her want to win less.
Twisting the wheel back around the other way, Makoto hisses in frustration as she realizes that she was a few moments too slow. There's a sharp crunch and a skid of angry rubber as Makoto's car bumps against the side of the road. The impact isn't enough to push the car over the rails, but even a hit like that drains away some of the girl's speed. This is the last lap; she can't afford a screw-up like this. There has to be something she can do to get that speed back!
But even as her car makes the final turn onto the last straightaway, she knows that it's too late. Her car's struggling to get back up to speed, and- And Master Fives' car comes blurring around the corner just a moment behind her own. But it's already at speed, and easily passes her. The sounds of victory start to play out of the machine next to her as Master Fives leans back. A soft grin spreads across the boy's face. A moment later, the same noises come from Makoto's own machine, but that doesn't matter. She's lost the race.
Which means that the competition is now tied. One victory for Makoto, and one for Fives. That means that the winner of the next game takes it all, and Makoto has to be at the top of her game if she's going to snatch victory from Master Fives' claws. But how? What could Makoto possibly choose that wouldn't end up giving Fives something of an advantage? The only person who really has a chance of standing on the same level of Fives would be Usagi herself, and the princess already chose one game...
So perhaps Makoto just needs to think like her princess. Just needs to decide using that same wild way of thinking that makes her princess so amazing. The problem is that Makoto isn't sure that she knows how to think like her princess.
...But then Makoto thinks about it, and glances over to Master Fives. If her theory is right... Then perhaps the solution isn't in thinking the way that Usagi would, but instead in thinking in a way that Usagi would never, ever think of. Something Fives would never expect.
Master Fives leans back, pressing his hands on the small on his back as he stretches. "That's one for one. The next point is touchdown." Makoto's eyes narrow in renewed suspicion.
She decides to go ahead with her idea. A terrible idea. A wonderful idea. The best and the worst of ideas. An idea that, if she's correct, is almost cruel, but nearly sure to be effective. There are a lot of things that could go wrong, especially if she's wrong and has underestimated Fives, but...
"Well, you've chosen, and BUNI3 has chosen, so now it's my turn," the girl says.
There is a particular game, one that Makoto has only ever seen here at this arcade. That might simply have to do with the fact that the only times that she really goes to arcades is with Usagi, but...
Well, Makoto has a bit of a feeling that 'Master Fives' might not be the best when it comes to a certain type of game. Involving, not so much reflexes and insight, but careful planning and big picture thinking. Thinking less like a martial artist, and more like someone preparing a complicated meal. "Follow me. I know exactly what we're playing," Makoto says confidently.
She leads the rest of the group through the arcade, even managing to pick up a few more watchers as players notice Master Fives bantering cheerfully with her. At least, he's cheerful up to the moment that Makoto comes to a stop in front of a particular arcade cabinet.
An arcade cabinet that has never had Master Fives's name topping the leaderboard. Nor Usagi's, for that matter.
Master Fives smiles easily at Makoto, and speaks casually. "Oh, I see. You're trying to beat me by taking advantage of my weaknesses, are you?"
"Hey, all's fair in love and war." Makoto argues, grinning back toothily at her opponent. "I've got to do anything in my power to protect my princess from a fearsome, marauding ronin, after all."
Master Fives grins back... and wiggles his eyebrows. "Love, huh? So who, exactly, are you talking about? Me?"
"Ohhhhh!" There comes a cry of amusement from the crowd watching the two challengers.
Makoto... doesn't know what to say to that. Even if her theory's true. No, scratch that. Especially if her theory's true.
But even so she can feel that stupid blush rising to her cheeks as she very carefully does not look at anyone. She tries very hard not to even think about anyone.
She isn't thinking about some cocky grinning idiot arcade gamer who is very specifically not admittedly quite handsome and interestingly competitive.
Or about golden braids that spill down a thin but strong back, gentle commands, and limitless compassion.
Or about soft blue hair, clasped hands, a smile so shy and so wondrous, and a wit that spans the heavens.
Or any of the many people who keep flitting in and out of her life who keep reminding her of one particular person.
And she most definitely doesn't stop for even a moment to think about her Senpai.
So it takes a long moment to get control of herself, before Makoto growls, stepping to stand in front of the Puyo Puyo arcade cabinet, and pulls out a handful of quarters. "It doesn't matter. I'm not going to let you win."
Stepping up next to her, Master Fives gives a single uncertain glance towards the bubble-bursting puzzle battle game, before taking a breath and meeting Makoto's grin head on, with cheer in his expression. "We'll see about that, won't we? But don't end up regretting it when I pull victory from the law of deceit. I've learned a few tricks, since the last time I played this."
"I'm almost certain that is not what that saying is."
"It's what it wishes it was," Master Fives fires back.
Usagi watches as the match between the two starts. Both players focus carefully on their own half of the screen at the start, not even really thinking about their opponent. Then, Usagi feels the softest and slightest of chills running down her spine. She blinks before glancing around.
Oh.
Kōsetsu, the yuki-onna that Motoki hired, is making her way through the lanes of the arcade. The first thing Usagi notices is the way that the girl's shoulders are hunched. Kōsetsu sends furtive glances around the room, like she's unsure of what everything around her is, or why all of it is. The second thing Usagi notices makes her smile a bit. The spirit's face has been lightly dusted with a faint purple blush, and every time that the girl's eyes glance away from some of the machines, they snap first to Mamoru, then slide back around to the rest of the room. Usagi can't help but grin.
"Ahh... Excuse me?" Kōsetsu's asks in a soft voice as she finally comes up to Mamoru's side. For a moment the girl starts to reach out, as if she's going to tug on his sleeve, only to pull back at the last moment. "Mister Mamoru?" She continues. "I was... I was hoping you might be able to help me?"
Help? Usagi raises an eyebrow, watching quietly to see what happens next. Mamoru chuckles, before nodding and giving Usagi a smile of his own before turning his attention to the young spirit. "Sure, what can I do to help?"
"I've been working here for a couple of days now..." The spirit begins, "And I don't understand all of these strange machines, or what the people here are doing."
Usagi's hand twitches. Just a little thing, but before she has a chance to even think about what that might mean, she's already in motion. "Oh, you want to know about the Arcade?" Usagi asks, grinning. "I know that Mamoru does come by a lot, but he mostly spends time hanging out with Motoki. If you want to know more about the Arcade, and the point of it all, I'll be glad to help too."
The way that Usagi seems to have just appeared out of nowhere takes Kōsetsu by surprise. The yuki-onna starts back with a quiet "Eep!"
She seems almost... afraid of Usagi. Which is the last thing that Usagi wants for any spirit. Well, any spirit that doesn't mean harm for others. If Usagi really had her way, then none of the spirits of the world would be forced into a position where they needed to harm others to protect or care for themselves. But those are thoughts of the future, and in the here and now, there is a spirit that seems afraid of Usagi Tsukino. Not Sailor Moon, but ordinary girl Usagi.
Then again, some of the ordinary people watching the battle between Fives and Makoto have backed off as well, sparing unsure glances at Kōsetsu. Yokai are something so old that they seem entirely new to the modern world, and some of the people here don't seem sure of how to handle them. They're nervous about the yokai at the arcade, just as the yokai is nervous about being at the arcade. There has to be something that Usagi can do to help the girl feel more comfortable around all these people, though. After all, she seemed so much more confident over in the cafe than she does here. That's a start!
Kōsetsu glances between Mamoru and Usagi. Mamoru just raises an eyebrow and smiles softly. "I kind of agree." Mamoru admits. "I don't know nearly as much about all of this as Usagi here does." Kōsetsu's face falls a little, and that just won't stand.
"You're no slouch either, Mama-chan~" Usagi says cheerfully, pulling out the silliest nickname that she can think of on the spot. "I know that you're a lot smarter when it comes to the puzzle games than I am. So why don't you start the explanation?" Honestly, Usagi's never seen the boy play any of the arcade games before, but there is a particular screen name on some of the machines. ENDYM, and it is hard to read that as being anything other than 'Endymion.'
Mamoru laughs, and Usagi can see Kōsetsu's mood improve as he does. "Fine, fine. I'll explain what I know, but only after you explain the point of it all."
Usagi pouts, but just like the competition that Makoto and Fives are taking place in, it's all in good fun. And there are so many things worth talking about when it comes to the point of all of this! Usagi finds herself very naturally smiling, pointing, gesturing. Gaming, high scores, clever maneuvers, it all brings emotional fulfillment and allows tests of skill. And at the same time, the point of it all is to have fun, the point is to relax and stop thinking about all the struggles and the pains of your life and do something that exists, that simply and only exists, to be fun, in plenty of company.
It takes a few minutes for the real meaning of that to settle into Kōsetsu's head, and Usagi gets it. At least a little. From what Usagi understands about where the Icewind clan were forced to live, they very much wouldn't have had access to things like this. Or to much of any kind of entertainment that didn't involve all keeping to themselves together. But right now, Usagi is going to do everything in her power to help the girl to come to understand, and maybe even love, the place where she now works.
And as the gleam in Kōsetsu's eyes begins to grow stronger, after the girl starts to really get an idea of what these games might mean, Usagi closes her eyes. Focusing once more, she pulls her coin purse out of the pocket that she made with her magic.
Even if she didn't plan on helping the girl learn about the games, it'd be more than worth it just to see the way that the spirit's eyes go wide when Usagi uses magic. Kōsetsu must not have realized that Usagi had magic. That's fine. Even better than fine. Pulling a reasonable number of yen out, Usagi hands them over to the girl. "Go." Usagi says with a smile. "Have some fun. Try out some different games."
"Thank you, Miss Usagi." Kōsetsu says softly, rushing forward to give the girl a quick and cool hug, before turning back and blushing while she bows in front of Mamoru.
"That was a nice thing you did." Mamoru says, watching the girl move over towards one of the other machines, watching the trailer gameplay for a moment, before carefully putting a coin in.
Usagi just shrugs, grinning softly. "I just did what anyone else should do."
"But not what everyone would do."
"Not yet, at least," Usagi admits softly.
Mamoru quietly moves towards Kōsetsu, and Usagi turns back to the ongoing challenge. While she was talking to the yuki-onna, Usagi'd only been able to keep half an eye on the stacks of Puyo Puyo bubbles....
Hm.
She's played this game a few times, of course, at least enough to get frustrated with it last year. In hindsight, her natural interest in the storyline, such as it was, makes Usagi feel a little strange. The story of a teenage girl using her magic against a motley of different enemies in her quest to defeat the Dark Prince feels a little bit on-the-nose. But the gameplay got difficult for her. Though now that she thinks about it, thinks calmly and clearly, and watches Makoto and Master Fives play... the girl's pretty sure she knows what she was doing wrong back then.
The puzzle game is loosely like the classic Tetris, except that pieces are combinations of colored bubbles. The immediate object of the game is to match four colored bubbles in a row or blob, scoring points. But a combo of bubble matches, one after another, can drop unmatchable black bubbles onto one's opponent, making their gameplay difficult.
And as Usagi watches Makoto and Master Fives play, she realizes that they're both building up to do just that. She can't quite follow all the details of how it would play out from where she stands, but it's clear that each player is building a chain of unfinished trios of colored bubbles in place, ready to be triggered when the right piece falls.
Makoto is building up a complicated one that Usagi is absolutely sure will do something she'd have to stare at it carefully to predict. Master Fives, meanwhile, seems to be dumping some pieces in a kind of disorganized rubble pile, while building a smaller, less ambitious combo.
And then the final blue-and-orange piece arrives for Master Fives, while Makoto's intricate tower is nearing what has to be its final form.
There's a flash, as four orange bubbles disappear. another. Another. The combo rolls on, devouring Master Fives' little stack of bubbles. Usagi can see Makoto stiffen, realizing what's about to happen. Suddenly, Usagi is put in mind of words she remembers from when Rei was handling the calls to coordinate the plans for their trip to England. Something Rei said Minako said the Spellblades liked to say:
"A good plan, carried out violently and immediately, is better than a perfect plan carried out some time next week."
A groan rises from some of the crowd as an mass of black bubbles falls onto Makoto's arrangements. It doesn't reach all the way to the top of the screen. She can still move pieces around, and she keeps trying, fingers dancing on the controls fast enough that Usagi knows her friend is having the same trouble she did earlier with pretending to be merely human.
But it's over. She is already defeated.
Master Fives racks up one set of four after another, moving nearly as fast as Makoto does, unambitious but sufficient. Because sooner or later, as the game speeds up...
It takes minutes. Longer than any veteran of Tetris and similar games would expect. Perhaps longer than anyone in the audience, even Usagi, thought possible.
But at last, Makoto finally runs out of room. The screen locks up with a ringing set of chimes and a merry tune, changing to show a display of scores.
Makoto takes a long, slow breath, lets it out, and stretches. She puts into words what the arcade machines have already put into numbers and flashing symbols.
"Well. You win, 'Master Fives.' "
"Indeed, indeed, indeed!" Master Fives springs out of his seat, rubbing his hands with truly boyish glee. His blue eyes seem to flash faintly- it must be a trick of the light. A self-deprecating grin spreads across his face. "So, love and war, huh? I'm a ronin, huh? Then this must be how Lancelot, strongest of knights, felt after a tournament, asking for the favor of lovely queen Guenevere..."
And Master Fives doesn't seem so very different from when Usagi remembers him bundled up in a giant hoodie with a baseball cap sticking out, the first time, from when she was eleven. Not that different, even if he's changed and grown. So Usagi huffs at the ridiculous language, almost exactly like she would have done them.
"I am not a queen!"
"Like she said, then. A princess."
Usagi pauses. There are so many, many reasons she can't admit that that Master Fives has got her dead to rights there.
That trick of the light must be back in Master Fives' eyes. Even brighter. He's still smiling at Usagi.
"So I suppose that means I win the prize. How about a kiss from the fair princess, for the victorious knight?"
And Usagi freezes for a moment. She- She. That suggestion sounds terrible, but not nearly bad enough! She- She? The girl's entire mind is stuttering and sputtering.
Master Fives winks and taps his cheek. Oh thank goodness, he doesn't mean on the lips. She was... mostly sure... he didn't?
But silence still stretches between them.
And is interrupted.
"You're serious?"
Makoto crosses her arms and scowls faintly. It's actually pretty alarming. Would be, even if someone didn't know that she's secretly Sailor Jupiter and can probably fly around being bulletproof and tying steel beams into knots with her bare hands like Superman.
What is extraordinary is that Master Fives seems to be completely unintimidated. It honestly impresses Usagi a little, even if she's not sure how she feels about it altogether.
And then something clicks in Usagi's mind. As though Master Fives was a book she'd been holding upside down, and now he's right-side up. Everything starts to make sense.
The boy is nervous too. He isn't sure if he should have started this. If this entire challenge isn't a step too far. If asking for a kiss isn't eight steps too far. But something in him doesn't seem to know how to stop, and isn't sure it wants to. Not even Makoto's second-scariest scowl is slowing him down. He may have to be a little crazy in order to be like that, even though, again, he can't possibly know everything Makoto- or Usagi- is capable of.
Usagi doesn't understand everything that's making Master Fives go through with this.
But one thing comes through clearly enough. If nothing else, right there and then, she knows it isn't because he's seriously, or even jokingly, started thinking of Usagi as a prize. Even if they've both changed, even if she wasn't there to watch him change and even if he can't possibly know what Usagi's become since the days when they were little. Littler.
That ever so familiar lilt in Master Fives' smile? That is still the same respect for her, for his old Crown Arcade rival.
Even if it is mixed with something... Do boys get that same uncertain shiver around girls that Usagi herself gets around beautiful or handsome people? That feeling where she isn't sure what she wants, and she doesn't know what to say or what to do. Like she's on the edge of a great ocean abyss, afraid to dip her toes even, even as she looks down into a mysterious depth full of things that she can barely start to guess the names of.
Because Usagi's pretty sure the look in his eyes comes from exactly that feeling.
And in that moment of realization, she decides to do it.
"...Fine."
The girl steps close to her old rival. She's avoiding his eyes. Come to think of it, he's avoiding hers. She closes her eyes, takes a deep breath, leans forward, and...
mwah
The watching crowd goes wild.
And in that brief contact, Usagi realizes that Master Fives has a magic of his own. Not active, not in use, but something very real, now that she's kiss-close. Something that would feel like sun-warmed metal, warm enough to bask on but not warm enough to burn. Something that would look like dazzling glints reflecting from the armor of an approaching army, come to rescue a besieged castle. Something of iron and sunlight. Something combative, but clean. Something that plucks and rustles against the surface of Usagi's own inner light in an oddly familiar way.
It takes a moment for her to remember to pull away, feeling ridiculous at the giddiness of the moment and giddy at the ridiculousness of the moment.
She opens her eyes.
And contrary to his usual goofy, boastful, bravado-filled ways... Master Fives' smile is downright shy. Confused, even. The boy unable to look her in the eyes.
She takes a step back, and a deep breath. She looks around.
Makoto has a strange grin on her face. She starts to speak. "Now how did it go... 'The domino mask is a thing of the past, and the face revealed is beautiful!' But I guess that wasn't the only mask you had, huh, Fives?"
Master Fives turns to her, blinking in confusion. "I'm sorry, what?"
Makoto's folded her arms again. "I've figured it out, Lancelot. You've been dropping hints for a week and a half now, haven't you?"
Wait. What is she talking about? And why does Master Fives have a guilty expression on his face?
Makoto's frown deepens. "I don't know how you're doing it without borrowing something of hers, but do you want to tell her, or shall I?"
There is a single moment of silence as Master Fives stands there, frozen in place with his eyes wide. It seems that there were a lot of things that the boy had been expecting from Makoto, but not this. Usagi isn't entirely sure what is going on here, but... But...
"I have no idea what you're talking about." Master Fives says, and his voice cracks for a moment. Just a moment where the voice coming from the boy's lips is familiar. Like it was a year and more ago. But that isn't the only way it's familiar; there's something else...
Master Fives spins on a heel, as if to flee. He takes a step in that direction, head whipping back and forth in small arcs. Another step. One more. Unfortunately for the young man, the contest between him and Makoto has gathered up a bit of a crowd, and it isn't easy to push your way through that many people. Not without completely bowling them over, at least. The boy shakes his head a little, and stops before he bounces off a wall of video game enthusiasts. He turns back to Usagi and Makoto, his face composed.
Master Fives has been Usagi's rival for years and years now, but it sounds like Makoto has discovered some secret that even Usagi doesn't know about him. Which... granted, she doesn't know much about Master Fives, really. He's never said much about himself- always been the mysterious champion. There is a part of her that's a little annoyed by the boy's secrecy... and by the thought that Makoto pierced it when she couldn't. But at the same time... At the same time, she's so curious to know what it is that Makoto's figured out.
Putting a hand on Master Fives' shoulder, Makoto carefully, but firmly guides the young man through the crowds and off towards the cafe. Which is virtually empty, probably on account of everyone rushing over to watch her and Fives play. "Hey, Motoki?" Makoto calls out. "Fives and Usagi and I need to have a bit of a private discussion. We need one of the booths- that one, there." She points to one in the corner. "Can you keep anyone from coming in?"
Motoki smiles. "Hey, I can't say 'no' to two reigning champions and a brilliant newcomer, can I? I'll make sure people give you some privacy."
Despite the way that Master Fives had nearly bolted into the crowd earlier, now the boy is quiet, clasping his hands strangely, not even bothering to try and escape Makoto's grasp.
As the three enter into the little private booth and close the door, Makoto drops down onto one of the seats, leveling a look at Master Fives. "So... I thought that you were too busy to come with us to the Arcade today," Makoto says.
Finally, after a moment of standing there, shifting from foot to foot, Master Fives sighs, and speaks one word. "...Right."
And he digs into his pocket and fishes out two... objects. They look like hockey pucks with complicated copper tracery on the top and sides. He puts them down on the table, then presses one with his finger. It begins to glow. Then he repeats it with the other.
Usagi blinks. "What are those?"
"This one's a notice-me-not, and this one's for scrying." Wait. Scrying as in magic?
Makoto's eyes narrow. "Where'd you get them from?"
"...Miss Mary."
"Mary?"
"I'll explain later."
Then Master Fives' shoulders droop, and with a huff the boy's form seems to... unravel with layers of light and glimmering sparkling mirror-bright metal splintering as the boy's skin and clothes shatters and flake and change, the glimmering shreds fading away like a dream.
And standing there, underneath all the light, is Minako.
So during that entire racing game contest where he knew himself to be up against between one and three Senshi,* he came in... dead last, every time.
Huh.
___________________________
*(he definitely recognized Usagi and Endymion, I infer by extension recognized Makoto, and I don't know for sure but I doubt he'd have recognized 'Master Fives' as a disguised Minako)
Yep, disappeared a little over a year ago. A couple of days before the last appearance of Sailor V in Japan. And he first returned to the arcade last week
However the other arcade goers misread it, and by the time people realized the petite 'boy' in a Hoodie and Cap was MSTR5, the name was already urban legend in the arcade.
