[FFML] [fanfic][Sailormoon] Moonshadow, chapter 9 (first draft)

[H. Torrance Griffin]

--- On Tue, 11/25/08, The Eternal Lost Lurker <lurkerdrome at sbcglobal.net> wrote:

> From: The Eternal Lost Lurker <lurkerdrome at sbcglobal.net>
> Subject: [FFML] [fanfic][Sailormoon] Moonshadow, chapter 9 (first draft)
> To: "FFML" <ffml at chez-vrolet.net>
> Date: Tuesday, November 25, 2008, 12:13 PM
> Someone PLEASE help me come up with a better title for this
> chapter. My 
> exhaustive memory for song lyrics and movie quotes
> isn't producing anything 
> particularly fitting here... X_X

<<HTG: Nothing off the top of my head....>>

> 
> C&C welcome, as always.
> 
> 
> 
> Ami stared in mute horror at the morning newspaper, jaw
> slack in disbelief, 
> face tinged slightly green.
> 
> An enormous, grainy photo of herself--or rather,
> Mercury--and Serenity was 
> splashed prominently across the page. There was also a
> smaller photo of 
> Jupiter, and a blurry, black and white still capture from
> the previous 
> evening's news topped a sidebar.
> 
> The headline at the top of the front page proclaimed, in
> bold blue text:
> 
> "Real Life Superheroes?! 'Sailor Senshi'
> Sighted At Tokyo School!"

<<HTG: Yup.  Busted.

Please note for the future that the arcane equivalent of a full-face-mask and voice changer can only go so far (Ami seems to have an easy time of it, but Makoto's night job can make for complications)>>


> *'Sailor Moon'?! What the hell is WRONG with these
> people? Oh god, Ami-san's 
> gonna be really pissed. And Kino-san, I wonder what
> she'll think...*
> 
> =-------------=
> 
> Makoto clicked off the television with a snicker.
> "*Sailor* Jupiter..." She 
> shook her head. "Cute. Real cute."

<<HTG: Hey, she knows what to be stressed over and what to dismiss as small stuff by now.>>

> =-------------=
> 
> 
> The panther hesitated, then nodded. "Serenity...has
> demanded an audience."
> 
> A slim white eyebrow raised. "I thought I already told
> her and Mercury it 
> isn't the time yet--"
> 
> "No, Master," Luna interrupted. "Serenity
> DEMANDS an audience. She spoke to 
> Jupiter yesterday, and learned about her temporary loss of
> power." The 
> panther looked up, locking her crimson gaze on the
> silver-grey eyes of her 
> master. "The Princess is...angry."
> 
> "Well, I can't imagine she'd be thrilled
> knowing someone can turn her Senshi 
> on and off like a light switch, but..."
> 
> "And it was *Serenity*," Luna interrupted.
> "Not Usagi. Not the schoolgirl. 
> The princess. I don't even think she realised she was
> doing it, but she 
> issued a Royal Decree."
> 
> The white-haired man seemed taken aback by this. He said
> nothing for a long 
> moment, sipping his coffee and staring into space. Then, he
> sighed, dabbing 
> his mouth with a silk napkin. "Well then," he
> said, pushing his chair back 
> and standing, "If that's the case, then that
> changes everything. I suppose 
> I'd best take care of today's business
> swiftly." He smiled. "After all, it 
> would be terribly remiss of me to keep Her Highness
> waiting."

<<HTG: Neither anything he planned on, nor something he is willing to blow off.

Loyalty?  Fear?  Guilt?  Geas?  Some combination therof?  Something I missed?  You are free to tease about the angle and we are free to tear out our hair over it, but it becomes clear he was not wholly dishonest over the 'Real Senshi could Paste Me' line he was feeding Mina.>>

> =-------------=
> 
> She was as dangerous as she was sexy.
> 
> Her little friends--if they were indeed connected to
> her--weren't too shabby 
> either.

<<HTG: He is going to start drooling over Moon I take it?  Or does his fiancee take third or forth place.>>

> Perhaps...
> 
> It would be risky, to be certain, but it almost certainly
> guaranteed a 
> second meeting with Sailor V, and maybe the other Sailor
> Senshi.
> 
> Surely, for a dashing, handsome thief, at least one of them
> would put out.

<<HTG: Mina's more interested in Timothy unless I am mistaken, Makoto's probably burned out on a fundamental level and likely to be cynical about motives, Ami... just no (even without factoring in the rape).  Looks like Usagi may be interested in her betrothed if anyone is.>>

> Mamoru covered his uncharacteristic grin with his napkin.
> 
> *Tomorrow night...the phantom thief goes primetime.*

<<HTG: And with any luck knows when to run>>

> =-------------=
> 
> The raven-haired girl looked up, glanced around, and her
> brow lowered 
> slightly. "There was some sort of nonsense in the
> newspapers this morning 
> about a group of girls in strange outfits fighting a
> monster." She frowned. 
> "There was that odd story on the news last night, too,
> about the robbery..."
> 
> Mina blinked. "Robbery?"
> 
> "Apparently, it was on several stations through the
> night. I didn't see it 
> myself." Rei frowned. "From what I understand,
> some girl in a strange 
> costume apparently foiled two men attempting to rob a
> jewelry store."
> 
> "Really? Wow." *So I WAS on the news last
> night...*

<<HTG: I am certain there is an english language paper that will run more of the story within the week... indeed at least some websites would have an outline within a day.  Outside the loop for more than 24 hours would be pushing it>>

> 
> Rei seemed indifferent. "In any case, several
> newspapers and even more 
> television news programs have been running stories about
> last night, and 
> about an incident they claim occurred yesterday at another
> school in Juuban. 
> It sounds completely ridiculous, and I can't understand
> why the real news 
> media is wasting their time on this foolishness."

<<HTG: ....

Rei's going to hate life, isn't she?>>

> Rei nodded. "Yes. The news media has dubbed the girl
> from last night 'Sailor 
> V'." She enunciated the name very carefully, in
> her flawless, unaccented 
> English.
> 
> Mina smiled sickly. "Is that so? How...strange."
> 
> "Yes, isn't it?"

<<HTG: I repeat.  Busted.

And if Rei is a mystic, she may have more of a clue than she lets on.>>

> =-------------=
> 
> The redhead giggled. "Yeah, I know." She
> straightened up, digging her 
> handkerchief out of her pocket. "So, are you excited
> about tomorrow night?"
> 
> The tea-haired girl grimaced. "Mou, Naru-chan...you
> KNOW how I feel about 
> the jerk fiance..."

<<HTG: Oh that... what are the odds that someone at the party will put things together if Mamoru and/or Usagi vanish just before Sailor Moon and/or Tux-boy appear?>>

> "Yeah, I know, but..." Naru started washing her
> hands. "It's still a big 
> fancy party, and the Yamagoto Tower is really beautiful. I
> think you'll have 
> a really good time, even if you don't like the guy
> you're going with."

<<HTG: There too?  The term ThirtyXanatosPileup comes to mind.>>

> =-------------=
> 
> 
> Rei looked down at her bento. "Um...well, the thing
> is, I..." She paused. "I 
> realise that I've been rather...evasive."
> 
> "Evasive? How so?" Mina asked, feigning surprise.

<<HTG: That is what we would like to know.>>

> Rei stared at her for a moment, then smiled--a rare,
> earnest smile.

<<HTG: Poor thing....>>

> =-------------=
> 
> King had diffused an awkward moment for the foreign girl
> when several of her 
> classmates had cornered her, gibbering anxiously. She had
> seemed most 
> grateful, as well as terribly flustered.
> 
> Poor thing. She was cute, but she got worked up so
> easily...

<<HTG: Yet another clue for the curious to chew on....>>

> 
> =-------------=
> *Usagi...* Naru mused as she walked listlessly to the train
> station. *I 
> hope...you're not getting yourself into something you
> can't handle...*

<<HTG: If only it were just hanging out with hookers....>>

> 
> =-------------=
> 
> Timothy snorted. "Speaking of 'Sailor M',
> I'm afraid I can't do anything 
> tonight. I..." He paused, a pained expression on his
> face. "I'm going to 
> meet Princess Serenity."
> 
> Mina's eyes widened. "Really? Tonight? I'll go
> with--"
> 
> "No, love," Timothy said, shaking his head and
> placing a hand on her 
> shoulder. "Not a good idea."
> 
> The blond blinked. "But why not?"
> 
> Timothy sighed. "The Princess is...somewhat upset with
> me."

<<HTG: Sowing discord where a distraction for Serenity would be useful... bad precident (as if he needed more>>

> 
> "She is? How come? I mean, how can she be, if
> she's never even met you?"
> 
> "It's kind of a long story."
> 
> Mina glanced down at her watch. "I have time."
> 
> The white-haired man chuckled wearily. "Well, Her
> Highness lost control of 
> one of her Senshi the other day. Jupiter decided to go on a
> rampage. Beat 
> the snot out of several blokes."
> 
> The blond's eyes widened. "No way."
> 
> "I'm afraid so. My subordinate, Luna, informed me
> about it, and said that 
> for whatever reason, Serenity decided not to try to find
> and stop Jupiter 
> before she did any real harm." Timothy sighed heavily.
> "So I took care of it 
> myself."
> 
> "Took care of--?"
> 
> "I disabled Jupiter, temporarily. I sent her home and
> told her to cool off. 
> She didn't take it well. And yesterday, she complained
> to the Princess."
> 
> "And the Princess got mad."
> 
> "That's about the size of it. So I'm going to
> meet with her and try to sort 
> this mess out." He smiled gently, tiredly. "You
> can see why I'd rather go 
> alone. I don't want her getting a bad first impression
> of *you* just because 
> she's angry with *me*."

<<HTG: And piling the manure high on top of it (nice trick to use the exact truth save for a tiny detail that makes all the difference).>>

> =-------------=
> 
> Usagi had lingered at the Tower for several minutes after
> Naru had left, 
> hoping to have a word with her two fellow Senshi. Ami,
> however, was already 
> long since gone, and Makoto had blurted out a hasty
> apology, saying that she 
> had an urgent errand to run. She seemed rather unhappy
> about whatever it was 
> she needed to do, so Usagi didn't press or offer to
> follow.

<<HTG: Like I said, the two night jobs are a logicitcal complication... and hiding the first one will magnify it.>>

> Usagi stood for a long moment, staring at his retreating
> back. Then, 
> scowling darkly, she boarded the newly-arrived train for
> home.
> 
> *As if I didn't have enough problems...*

<<HTG: It occurs to me that she will be more likely to recognise him than he her.  Pardom me whilst I prepare the popcorn.>>

> =-------------=
> 
> The headmaster was a bit of an enigma. His short hair was
> the wispy 
> silver-white of drifting summer clouds, and yet his face
> was smooth, 
> youthful, and unlined. He nodded, hands clasped behind his
> back, gazing 
> through the open door into the hallway beyond, where
> students were chatting 
> as they left for the weekend, or drifted off to club
> meetings.
> 
> King followed his gaze, and smiled. "There are
> certainly some very 
> interesting students here."
> 
> The headmaster smiled, tilting his head to appraise the
> teaching assistant. 
> The harsh glare of the flourescent lights reflected
> brilliantly off the 
> lenses of his round-rimmed spectacles.
> 
> "Sou da."

<<HTG: I take it we are to expect more from this angle?>>

> 
> =-------------=
> Mina's mother seemed about to make a scolding remark
> about her daughter's 
> ignorance, but held her tongue. "Hmm...which temple
> did you say she lives 
> at? Was it Hikawa?"
> 
> "Yeah, that's the one. You know it?"
> 
> With a broad smile, Mina's mother nodded. "I
> believe I know *exactly* who 
> your new friend is..."

<<HTG: Uh-oh.>>

> =-------------=
> 
> Rei kept her face down as she fed wood into the fire
> heating her 
> grandfather's bath.
> 
> "So, you are bringing your gaijin friend here tomorrow
> to study."
> 
> "Hai, Jijiue."
> 
> "Mmm." The old priest paused. "I trust she
> will behave respectfully while on 
> our sacred grounds?"
> 
> "She is not ill-mannered, Jijiue.
> Just...energetic."
> 
> "Mmm." Another long pause. "Did you dispose
> of that...*obscenity*, as I 
> asked?"
> 
> "...hai, Jijiue."
> 
> "Mmm." Yet another long pause. "I trust
> there will be no further such 
> obscenities."
> 
> "Hai, Jijiue."
> 
> "Because you know that I will not be as forgiving the
> next time."
> 
> "...hai, Jijiue."

<<HTG: Is the problem confessional... or deeper?>>

> 
> =-------------=
> 
> Usagi sat at her dresser, brushing out her hair before bed.
> The night was 
> warm and muggy; on evenings like this, her sleep attire
> tended towards an 
> oversized T-shirt and panties. Her mother often expressed
> dismay at this; 
> she was oddly wary of the dangers of perverts spying on the
> house.
> 
> Usagi always dismissed her concerns with a laugh. After
> all, her room was on 
> the upstairs floor, and she kept her curtains drawn, and
> who'd want to spy 
> on *her*, anyway?
> 
> "Your Highness."
> 
> Usagi jerked upright, brush clattering to the floor, and
> spun around.
> 
> A man was standing in her bedroom.
> 
> The man bowed, smiling winsomely. His silver-grey eyes
> sparkled with charm. 
> "I apologise for startling you, but your...missive did
> sound rather urgent. 
> Allow me to introduce myself.
> 
> "My name is Artemis."

<<HTG: Using surprise to throw her off balance and gain the high ground psychologically.  Not sure if it will work, and come to think of it I am not sure he had other options>>

HTG