#much like Usagi I think Mako brings the best in Mina

[alevolpe]

Okay but what if Mina intentionally lost to Mako.

You could say... she did it all for the noogie.

She would...

"I just let you win. As the leader is my duty to boost the team morale by raising individual self-confidence. You can thank me later girlie."

"Mhmh.. Sure thing blondie.

Now get over here."

[docholligay]

The Best Things I wrote in 2020

I really didn’t write much this year, and I wasn’t super happy with what I did write. I need to try to make it more of a priority, as even if it’s not the most popular part of my blog, it is the part that brings me the most joy and feeling of accomplishment. ANYWAY, Here’s what I thought was the best from each month, if you wanted a roundup. 

January--Wolf’s Clothing: A rewrite of the end of The Wolf Among Us, this is one of the most challenging, format-wise, things I’ve ever done. 

February--Ace High: Michiru is given a choice, to make a change

March--Let it Lie: From my rewrite of the Talismans arc, MIna discovers Haruka is holding a talisman. 

April--DEFINITELY Au of to my Canon: Rhio asked me what would happen if Pharah and Tracer had to go on without Mercy and Emily, and I obliged. 

May--NIGHTMARE: Even Fareeha Amari can be touched, sometimes, by trauma. 

June--A Life Left Behind: This is probably the best Ami fic I’ve ever written. 

July--Someone Else’s Star: Seiya had to deal with Usagi getting married, to someone else.

August--I basically wrote nothing good in August, so this snippet from Crystal Tokyo will have to do. 

September--A Birthday Cake: A fluffy Mako piece

October--Requiem for the Grand Consummation: I didn’t like much I wrote this year, but I did really like this. A new Sailor Uranus must be had, eventually.

November--And the Truth Shall Bind you Close: Rei proposes to Minako

December--An Overwatch Christmas Carol: I worked my ass off on this for MONTHS, and it ended up being longer than the original novella. I think there are some really goof things in it! 

Were there any you loved that I missed? Let me know! 

[shnuggletea]

Another WIP Wednesday! Chapter One is now LIVE on Patreon! 

Synopsis: Everyone has stories in their family. Ones of love, pain, happiness, and struggles. With these four families so close, blood has little to do with their stories since they share their lives anyway. And these stories show how Mamoru x Usagi, Ami x Zoi, Mina x Kun, Mako x Neph, and Rei x Jed fall in love despite conflict and promises not to ever fall in love with each other.

Chapter 23 of Love Lost is also live on my Patreon. Chapter 24 (the finale) will be live soon. Probably first week of December. The first chapter of this fic in there as well as many others for your consideration and access to the Kissing Booth where you can create your perfect kiss between your fave OTP. Subscribe today!!

They had rented this house every year for as long as the oldest of the horde of nieces and nephews could remember, so they knew exactly how to get to the game room at the back of the house. Soon, they were deeply engrossed in a game of Uno.

“I say we up the stakes!”

“Oh yeah?” She teased the eldest boy, Ren, “And just how do you suppose we do that?”

“Losers have to do whatever the winner says!”

The other four children groaned so Usagi compromised. “How about we just tell a secret?”

“Yeah!” They all cheered.

Usagi had little to fear, the four of them weren’t the best of players. Still young, they didn’t quite get how to ration their cards to work to their advantage. She tried not to beat them too badly, but it was hard not to!

“Uno.” She said softly but strong. 

They all groaned again, this time in defeat. She pointed to cue them, starting at the youngest and going upwards in age. Little Sora twisted her fingers in fear above her belly. “I peeked at my presents this year.”

Usagi mocked shock and disappointment at the small girl but really that was an impressive feat. “You shouldn’t do that, Sora!”

Nagomi went next. “I put on Mommy’s lipstick when she’s not around.”

Usagi only clucked her tongue at that one, moving on to Youta and his fidgeting. “I hate my Math tutor. She’s just mean!”

“I think you do like her, Youta!” Ren teased and they all giggled at the red-faced boy.

“Your turn, Asahi,” Usagi recalled.

Twisting a little finger in her hair, Asahi blushed heavily. “I don’t have a secret.”

“Come on! Everyone has a secret!!” Ren pushed.

She shook her head and Usagi gave her a break. “Ren, why don’t you go then?”

“Fine! I’m not scared!! I’m in love with….” He stopped as if he lost his courage in a breath but then suddenly found it again. “With Auntie Usagi!”

Mocking surprise, she gave the little boy a show. But Usagi had known for a while now that the kid had a crush on her. It was clear. And his mother Rei kept telling her that he had one. It would be more embarrassing for him if she knew before he confessed. So instead she gave him a big hug.

“Thank you, Ren. I love you too.”

“Are you and Ren going to get married?” Asahi asked with a sad look on her face.

Usagi had a good feeling Asahi’s secret was that she liked Ren but she would wait and let the girl tell him herself. “Well, Ren is too young.”

“Do you love someone else?” 

Busy giving Ren some comfort for refusing him, Usagi popped her attention to Youta and his question. “I do.”

“So you have a boyfriend?” Sora asked.

Nagomi reprimanded her, “Hey, she won remember!! She doesn’t have to tell a secret!” 

“It’s fine, I’ll go in Asahi’s place. I do have...a someone...”

“Go wash your hands, dinner is ready.”

They all flinched, the cool tone of his voice and startling appearance had them all fearing Mamoru as he stood in the doorway, looking pissed. She offered the kids a warm smile, helping a few to their feet from the circle they made on the floor. They still coward a little when passing by the eerie demon at the door. While it made Usagi feel annoyed. 

“This is a Christmas party. Don’t take out your issues on us.”

“My issues? You're the one talking about boyfriends with young and impressionable children.”

She made sure he saw her eyes roll as she passed him. “Yeah, my degree in education didn’t prepare me at all for talking to kids about such things.”

“You shouldn’t be talking to them at all about it since it’s not true.”

Spinning on her heel, she glared at him and he glared back. “What do you know? Huh? How dare you say it’s not true!”

“If it’s true then why didn’t you say anything about it last week?!”

Glancing around, she found them alone. Everyone else was already at the table or making their plates in the kitchen, where the two of them should be. “Like we tell one another everything at those stupid lunches!”

“I told you about Saori!”

How much of her cringe at the mention of his girlfriend he caught, she didn’t know. But she thought it best to move on quickly from it before it became an issue. “You told us you were bringing her to this only so Makoto would make enough food. It’s not like you told us to share anything.”

“Are you going to tell the family tonight?!”

He had his arms folded across his chest but she could still see him shaking a little. “Why does it matter?? And why do you care?! Shingo and Toki are my brothers, not you!!”

Even with the reminder, she was sure he would never see her as anything more than that little girl who’s pigtails he used to tie to the chair. No matter what she did, how she grew and changed, she would never be free of him unless she broke free herself.

Tagging...

@master-ray5​ @sailorsilverladybug​ @knowall7k​ @astraearose93​ @fandomartlover​ @egosolivagant​ @fawn-eyed-girl​ @neutronstarchild​ @ruddcatha​ @sapphirestarxx​ @orientaldancegirl222​

[wemblingfool]

So thanks to this post that @tiny012 made about how the old sailor moon anime always rags on Usagi, made me think.

Instead of hijacking her post, I'll just plop it here. It

It'd be super fun I think to see a version where the senshi actually work as a well oiled machine, and doesn't rag on any member for not performing well outside of their specialty.

Mina- the Veteran

Ami and Mamo- the Brains

Rei and Mako- the Fighters

Usagi- the Heart, and the Powerhouse

Each one generally has a role on the team.

Mina has been doing it the longest. She can look after herself more easily. She's the scout. Also having done it the longest, she works to train the two weakest members, Usagi and Ami to use their powers more effectively.

Mamo has the most agency, and can also look after himself. Much like Mina, he's also a good scout, but his strongest role is as a detective, coordinating most closely with Ami. He's most effective gathering intel off the battlefield.

Ami is a good detective, but doesn't have nearly as much agency as Mamo off the battlefield, and is not as good a scout on the battlefield as Mina. What she does best is put together all the bits of intel Mina and Mamo bring her, and generally figures out the enemy's plan.

Rei and Mako are the powerhouses. They're both the best fighters of the group, and generally guard Ami and Usagi.

Usa is the heart of the team. She may not be clever enough to figure out what's happening. She may not be a good one on one fighter. But she knows what's right. And she knows in her heart how to beat them, or save them. Her judgement is the best of the group, and she never gives up.

It's a team effort to get Sailor Moon to where she needs to be to do the thing she needs to do.

[sittingoverheredreaming]

Okay, now that I’m home and have gotten some sleep, I want to share my thoughts on The Super Live. It’s super spoilery, so it’s going under a cut. 

First, I want to say the Play Station theater has some really bad seating arrangements? The section we were in was flat, so it was very hard to see a lot of the stage (esp being that we were behind some tall people, and we are pretty short) I SAT ON MY FEET THE WHOLE TIME WHICH HURT BUT WAS DEFINITELY WORTH IT BECAUSE THIS SHOW IS SO VISUAL

Also I finally understand what people meant when they said it wasn’t a musical! I think it’s closer to a musical than anything else, though my wife brought up the point that a lot of it is similar to a ballet, in that a lot of things are conveyed through dance (and effects) with little talking or singing. We both agree though, that overall it felt more like a highlight reel than a full story. I’d put it as it showed a lot, but explained nothing. 

It’s definitely more a celebration of Sailor Moon using the first arc than a retelling of it. It’s not there to give you a story to dig into, it’s there to make you swoon over Tux and scream when your favorite character shows up, and it did that and it did that AMAZINGLY

Like listen, I am too gay for miracle romance most of the time but at the beginning, when Mamoru’s teasing Usagi and they accidentally touch and they freeze and then moonlight densetsu starts playing and they show a bunch of images of them from manga art? that hit me oh my god

AND THEN WHEN THEY WENT THROUGH ALL THE CHARACTERS IN THE SLIDESHOW. WE ALL JUST SCREAMED SO MUCH. EVERYONE SCREAMED FOR THEIR FAV

It was kind of funny, Ami got the shaft being first, not too many people cheered when she popped up, but then they showed Rei and Rei fans weren’t gonna NOT CHEER FOR REI, and then MAKO FANS HAVE TO REPRESENT BECAUSE IT’S MAKO AND WE LOVE HER, and then I think everyone screamed for Mina because if you do not get excited for Minako Aino you are wrong

WHEN THE ACTUALLY ACTRESSES HAD THEIR FIRST SCENE I WAS SO HAPPY

I’d worried about this cast, but they’re amazing and in character and it’s GREAT

The Best Friends song is SO CHEESY I LOVE IT

Comment from my wife: it was always easy for them to follow who spoke, even when they all just said “Hi” they all had distinct voices they could place, which is a problem they sometimes have in this stuff, especially while trying to read the subtitles

(I think the parts where the subtitles were done in comic voice bubbles were BRILLIANT, but the ones that were only on the screens to the sides(mostly the songs) were difficult to see while still watching the stage from where we sat)

WHEN THE SENSHI APPEARED FOR THE FIGHT IN THE AUDIENCE I LOST MY SHIT AND JUPITER WAS RIGHT BY US AND I CRIED

my wife has not really experienced how much I love Makoto because I don’t write about her and it was kind of hilarious before the show I got a mystery bookmark with one of my merch purchases, and when I opened it and saw I’d got Mako I teared up because I LOVE HER

AND THEN SHE CAME INTO THE FIGHT RIGHT BY OUR SEATS IT WAS AMAZING I LOVE HER SO MUCH

I love their fight song, I love all the songs where each senshi gets their little introductions, whether it’s just inners or everyone, SUPER LIVE SOUNDTRACK WHEN??

This one might be a particular favorite, because I think it captures that they’re fighting for Usagi, their sweet flawed friend Usagi, and that’s just really sweet

also not to beat a dead horse but every time Mako says “I’ll make you numb with regret” in anything it adds three years to my lifespan it’s so great I love Makoto Kino

ALSO I WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO THIS MINA??? SHE’S DAMN GOOD

I’d love to see this cast in a more substantial show, they were so amazing in this and I fully believe they could rip my heart apart in something that was more character-focused

on a similar note why didn’t they let Beryl sing more

I love when they cast Beryl with a strong, operatic-style voice and they did that and then she barely sang

Everyone was underused, basically

Or maybe everyone was over-cast? The casting here is SO GOOD and I just want to see more of them

The part where they went to Harujuku was SO CUTE and also felt a little like they were trying to teach Americans a little about Japan/Tokyo, it made me wonder if it was always in there

Also the part where they were in what I think were kimonos (I don’t know how to spot the different types of clothing) was so amazing? They tied them in perfect sync? It felt like fan service, but not gross male-gazey fan service, like whoever wrote that moment was just like “girls want to see their favorite character in a new pretty outfit” AND THEY WERE RIGHT

MOON SWORD

but also I pay my taxes when do I get to see Mina stab Beryl

The Venus/Kunzite moment didn’t bother me too much, it’s the one SenShi pairing that I think brings something interesting to the table, though I would have loved if it happened after she ran him through

or if she just ran him through anyway

Listen I just wanna see Mina stab someone

everyone died really quickly and it didn’t emotionally hit but I feel like that was okay for this version. I don’t think they were really trying to bring the waterworks

That said though I again would love to see this Usagi do a Sorezore no Elegy moment, when she was screaming and crying I was like man if this was given the space, it would have so much power

OH BACKING UP A LITTLE, I loved the use of Otome no Policy, I wasn’t expecting it and it took me a second to recognize it. I thought it was really smart to have the senshi sing it to keep Usagi going, it was sweet and cute and played on nostalgia in a great way

I HAVE KEPT MYSELF FROM TALKING ABOUT TUX BECAUSE RIONA WAS JUST TOO MUCH

she’s so hot but also just. the way she played Mamoru was so good because she had a great balance of jerk and dork and dreamboat

THE WOMAN KNOWS HOW TO HANDLE A ROSE

Usagi and her heart eyes? same

Beryl rubbing all over tux? S A M E

during the curtain call when the cast came into the audience I embarrassed my wife by shouting RIONA as she passed

(also I told my wife I was glad we didn’t do the VIP experience because I figure they’d be mad when I threw myself at Riona. But actually it amuses them because I don’t get celebrity crushes much)

The game center scene was really cute? It’s a situation where I really bought Mamoru’s teasing as an expression of his crush, which most versions don’t do for me

please let Riona play tux again in something where she has more lines

AND TO CAP IT THE ENDING “CONCERT” PART WAS SO FUN

when they did La Soldier I ascended to a higher plan of existence. the dance was different but still reminiscent of the original. AND EVERYONE SANG ALONG. IT WAS AMAZING.

La Soldier you guys.

LA SOLDIER

Also they did Moonlight Densetsu as an encore and it was so funny because everyone was just like, WE KNOW YOU’RE COMING BACK OUT YOU HAVEN’T DONE THE SONG

BUT THEN WE ALL STILL LOST OUR SHIT WHEN THE MUSIC STARTED

I love how they split up the lines to different characters

BERYL’S LINES WERE SO FUCKING GOOD OH MY GODDDDDDDDD

and everyone came into the audience and it was great

everyone had so much love for the characters and it was so great to see

at the end of the show Usagi’s actress said a little speech in English, and struggled with it a little, and it was so cute and it made me cry and she said something about it being the last show in America and I feel so lucky to have gotten to see it

I really, really loved it

I hope they do more of these shows, I think it’s a style that’s really cool and even though I’d love more substantive musicals, this sort of thing makes sense to put on internationally, and it would be amazing to see S or Stars done in this style

I LOVE SAILOR MOON A LOT YOU GUYS

this is a show that made me feel that love. it wasn’t perfect but it was just really about loving sailor moon and playing on the history and legacy of the story, and it’s a joy

[sailoreuterpe]

Sherbet

For @sirazaroff for inspiring Many Feelings about poly soldiers of justice, jealousy, and how sharing can be really hard. <3

~*~*~

Minako was not an envious woman when it came to romance. Despite what Rei might say, Minako wasn’t really capable of begrudging anyone their happiness, as long as it was freely given by all parties involved. She was the Goddess of Love and she respected her title, and stood by it.

Now, possessiveness, on the other hand…

“Mina! Are you in there?” Usagi asked as she tugged on the other blonde’s plaid over-shirt. Minako refocused on her date, trying to will away  the hot annoyance on her face.

“Yeah, sorry! I was still trying to decide.” That Mamoru could ruin dessert, of all things, was just the icing on the shit cake.

Minako and Usagi had actually managed to find a few precious hours alone together. Everyone else was busy; Ami had a rare chance to spend a Saturday morning with her mom, and Rei and Mako were out shopping. Even Mamoru was too wrapped up in some assignment or other that he’d only smiled and told Usagi to have a great time when Minako had stopped by to pick her up. Then he’d dared to kiss Usagi, as chastely as ever, before patting her cheek.

If she hadn’t loved Usagi so much, Minako might have let it slip to the other girl’s parents how much time she was spending with her college-aged boyfriend. But Minako did love Usagi, more than her own extensive life. So, she bit her tongue and played nice with Mamoru when their shared partner forced them to occupy the same general location.

Minako hated it, though. She hated sharing Usagi with him. Even knowing intellectually that Usagi loved her equally and in her own unique way did very little to stem the waves of jealousy that came whenever the subject of Mamoru came up.

Mamoru himself didn’t help. The man was endlessly cool and polite to her, and unfailingly affectionate with everyone else. The result was that Minako looked liked the bad guy and got extra shots of hot jealousy every time he interacted with any of her girls. All that, though she was only actually dating Usagi (at the moment).

It was that knowledge, that she and Mamoru (so far) were the only ones graced with Usagi’s special “Romance Package Deluxe!” affection, that had soured her mood. It had been a great mood, too! Minako had happily been trying to decide between triple fudge ice cream or swirl soft serve when Usagi had made a very innocent suggestion.

“Mamo-chan and I love the triple! You should get that!” Usagi only meant to help, but the inclusion of Mamoru and his opinions were unwanted. Even worse, Minako felt like shit for being annoyed at all. Usagi had been clear; she loved them all, so much, and Minako had agreed to that on Usagi’s terms. But Mamoru’s constant spiritual presence still stung.

“I’m thinking something else, maybe.” Minako answered Usagi’s original idea after a minute of quelling the hurt until she could look Usagi in the eye and smile. Usagi wasn’t stupid, but she didn’t say anything when it came to Mamoru. She didn’t hide her relationship with him when she was with Minako, but she didn’t push him in her face. Usagi could be oblivious and tactless to a tee, but in matters of the heart she usually hit her mark.

Today was no different. Usagi looked thoughtful for a moment, then brightened considerably. “How about rainbow sherbet? I get that every week when Papa brings me here.”

Minako looked over at the tub of sherbet in the display. The sweet treat wasn’t a true rainbow; the colors coincided with flavors and the parlor probably didn’t want to pay for so many. But the five colors included were very beautiful, glistening and sparkling as only good sherbet did. Minako’s smile grew more genuine.

“Which is which flavor?”

“Red is raspberry. Orange is, well, orange. Green is lime, and blue is something called blue raspberry, which I think is just a ripoff to have raspberry twice.” Usagi said with a huff. “They probably just dye the sherbet different colors.”

“Yeah, probably.” Minako said with affection. Still, the idea appealed to her. “What’s the white?”

“Oh, it’s coconut! Papa says it taste like when he and Mama went to the beach on their honeymoon.” Usagi’s eyes went glassy with romantic notions of honeymoons and the food found there. Minako laughed, her bitterness gone for the moment. Usagi was as predictable as the rising sun, and just as welcome.

“I think I’ll get that one.” Minako said as she hugged Usagi closer in her arms. Usagi beamed up at her, and Minako felt a wave of true peace.

Minako was not an envious woman. She had the best love in the world already.

[keyofjetwolf]

Jet Wolf Summarizes Act 39

The manga and I kind of hate each other. This is unfortunate, but still, I’m determined to come out of this with something. Rather than spend energy on a liveblog that’s increasingly negative, I’m reading each manga act (mostly) silently, and then writing up summaries at the end. I won’t pull my punches. There’s going to be criticism and snark about the manga, either wholesale or in details. If that isn’t a thing you feel like reading, please skip this post!

On the one hand, when I started this act today, I thought I was still in the Infinity Arc, which was bound and determined to live up to its name. I was not! I am even closer to the conclusion of the manga than I realized!

On the other hand, I’m in the Pegasus arc.

Dear god help me, I’m in the Pegasus arc.

We open with the Inners, but don’t get excited, this will be the last time you’ll see them for the next hundred pages. They’re gathered together at a park to watch the eclipse. Where’s Usagi, you ask? At another park somewhere else with Mamoru and Chibi-Usa, because if they were there, we might feel for a second that Mamoru was not the center of the universe, and can’t possibly risk it. CAN’T MINGLE WITH THE HELP YOU KNOW.

That little girl I posted earlier wishes to become an actress, and Minako whirls around, Kill Bill sirens blaring. "My dream is to become an idol!” she says to her friends for what is almost certainly the tenth time that hour. However this prompts the others to say their dreams (PS: THIS IS THE DREAM ARC) and they are every bit as obvious and lacking in character development as you’ve come to expect.

“I want to be a bride!” Mako says as I cry inside. "And then maybe have a flower shop or cake shop, but mostly bride!”

“I wish to become an elegant doctor!” Ami does not care that I am crying harder. Not brilliant. Not genius. Not lifesaving. ELEGANT. AMI MIZUNO’S PREFERRED ADJECTIVE IS ELEGANT AND I AM ON PAGE TWO OF THIS ACT

As for Rei?

While you will pry International Success Life Rei Hino from me absolutely never because my grip will only become stronger in death, fair enough, but for fuck’s sake, AMI ALREADY SAID ELEGANT REI I REFUSE TO BELIEVE YOUR EGO WOULDN’T DEMAND ANOTHER DESCRIPTOR.

Meanwhile, at No Senshi Allowed Park, Mamoru doubles over with chest pains. FINALLY SOMEONE HAD THE CORRECT DREAM. Unfortunately it passes quickly, just in time for the Dead Moon Circus to arrive on their fucking giant flying stingray shark pirate ship what the fuck??

THINGS ONLY GET MORE HORRIFYING

Of course if one thing is going to be consistent for me from the anime to the manga, it’d be how much the Dead Moon Circus creeps me the fuck out. OF COURSE THAT.

The Circus disappears then, and I’ll give the manga credit where it’s due here, it doesn’t have thirty fucking installments of no one seeing the bloody ten block giant floating circus tent.

Back to Peon Park, the Senshi also saw the circus arrive, and this apparently freaked Phobos and Deimos out so badly they had to to fly to Rei on her day off and bring her a newspaper and some feathers AND A FUCKING TAROT CARD ARE YOU KIDDING ME THESE GUYS NOT ONLY FOUND REI’S TAROT DECK BUT SORTED THROUGH THE CARDS TO FIND THE EXACT ONE TO BEST COMMUNICATE THEIR MEANING MEANWHILE I CAN’T GET MINA TO BRING ME THE GODDAMN BALL WHEN SHE WANTS ME TO THROW IT

Armed with this information, Rei, my beloved, light of my life, favourite character for over twenty years, concludes

Really, Rei. Really.

The Senshi rush to Usagi, though not one of them wonders why they bother, and that’s the real tragedy in this.

At the other, better park, for characters the author actually cares about, Mamoru thinks traffic will be bad getting home and suggests they wander around the shopping district instead. Hey look, there’s a sale on! This doesn’t seem strange at all!

Nobody thinks to mention the timing of this sale or arrival of an imminent circus alongside THE FLYING SHARK PIRATE CIRCUS SHIP, so maybe I was too quick with my credit-giving a minute ago. They wander around the stalls and shops, until something catches Usagi and Chibs’ eyes.

HMM I WONDER IF THESE WILL BECOME IMPORTANT

They convince Mamoru to buy them at $100 for the pair, which breaks down, in overall kaleidoscopic entertainment value, to about $100 a minute. As Usagi and Chibs rapidly burn through that minute, the Senshi show up, relieved to find everyone okay. “Should we join them?” Ami asks. “God no,” replies Minako, dragging everyone off to do jello shots for the rest of the issue.

God knows how many hours later, it’s 5pm and everything’s still just as packed as it was this morning, making Mamoru’s whole thing about having trouble getting home particularly dense because everyone’s fucking HERE and not on the road. But everything’s about to get a thousand times stupider.

Usagi says that it’s getting late and maybe Chibi-Usa shouldn’t go home until tomorrow. I was busy trying to puzzle out what that meant, like sleep-over in the park? No, no, she means home to the future, to which Mamoru says:

IT’S A THOUSAND YEARS IN THE FUTURE MAMORU THE DAY YOU’RE ON IN 1995 IS COMPLETELY IRRELEVANT TO THE 30TH FUCKING CENTURY WHAT SENSE DOES THIS EVEN MAKE

AND THEN CHIBS JUST MUDDIES IT EVEN FURTHER

HOW DOES

WHAT DOES THAT MATTER WHAT SENSE DOES ANY OF THIS MAKE THIS IS SO NONSENSICAL AND I’M LEGIT IRRITATED ABOUT IT

And then it’s Usagi’s turn to just make shit up as she goes.

SHE WON’T BE LATE IT’LL BE THE SAME FUCKING DAY BECAUSE IT’S A THOUSAND YEARS IN THE FUTURE AND THAT IS INDEPENDENT OF WHAT DAY IT IS IN THE PRESENT TIME IS NOT LINEAR FOR YOU PEOPLE AND YOU KNOW THAT BECAUSE YOU ARE HAVING A CONVERSATION WITH YOUR DAUGHTER FROM THE FUTURE

And I can’t even see why there’s all this bending over backwards trying to explain any of this away when plot coherency is something Takeuchi wrestles with on a daily basis about as much as she does character development.

SPEAKING OF

Cut to Mamoru’s apartment. Chibs is getting ready for bed.

Recognize the mirror?

JUST AS WELL BECAUSE THE MANGA COULDN’T CARE LESS IF YOU DO OR DON’T

FOUR TAGS WITH SQUIGGLY LABELS FOR MAMORU’S SHIT

THE PJS OF WHICH WILL BE MENTIONED IN-TEXT AT LEAST ONCE MORE IN THIS SCENE

FUCK ALL FOR MICHIRU

IT MANAGED TO BE EVEN WORSE THAN “MICHIRU WAS ALSO THERE” BECAUSE YOU CAN’T EVEN KNOW MICHIRU IS ALSO THERE UNLESS YOU ALREADY KNOW IT

WE DIDN’T THINK IT WAS POSSIBLE TO BE MORE DISMISSIVE OF MICHIRU BUT THE MANGA FOUND A WAY

Meanwhile Usagi is lying to Ikuko about sleeping over at Mako’s, and I’d like to think Usagi cleared that with Mako first, but that would’ve required thinking about her, and there’s just no way. The next three hundred pages are basically Mamoru and Chibi-Usa and I’d summarize what happened but I’ve punished myself enough today, and also NOTHING HAPPENED.

Over to the Dark Moon Circus, where we don’t begin with the Trio but with the Quartet.

Not that I expect anyone to have any personality. And just as well! Here’s a sample.

PALLAPALLA HATES BORING INTERCHANGEABLE DIALOGUE

Chibi-Usa has finally fallen sleep. I know what this means. I feel my mind, my soul, my very sense of self trying to shrink away, but to no avail. It comes.

AAAAHHHH

AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

For relief, please join me in imagining for a moment a Sailor Moon SuperS revival featuring, as Pegasus, BoJack Horseman.

Pegasus and Chibs fly over Tokyo and then he gives her a little bell so she can summon him whenever she wants. In return?

CHIBI-USA TSUKINO I KNOW YOU READ A LOT DO NOT TELL ME THAT YOU HAVEN’T SEEN THIS IN ENOUGH STORIES AND FAIRY TALES TO WANT TO GET THE FUCK OUT OF THIS IMMEDIATELY YOU ARE SMARTER THAN THAT YOUNG LADY THIS IS HANSEL AND GRETEL WITH WINGS

The next morning, Usagi and Mamoru wake up and realize they were both dreaming about Chibi-Usa and her new horse friend. Nothing about this alarms them anywhere near the correct degree in this humble Jet Wolf’s opinion. Mamoru has another partial heart attack but again does not die because I never get what I want. They realize Chibs left without them, and if I were Chibs, I’d do the same.

In the park (probably The Creator Loves Us And Only Us National Park), Chibs digs in her pockets for her Time Key, and I know Chibi-Usa is concerned about wanting to be an adult and all, but she has literally never been more hashtag relatable.

She pulls it out, but also pulls out the bell. GASP IT’S REAL. She thinks about Pegasus and how creepy he is and how she should never talk to him again and then she shatters the bell on the pavement. IF ONLY. She also thinks about her mother, specifically how she said “Leave and don’t come back until you’re pretty and useful.” YOU THINK I’M KIDDING I AM NOT KIDDING

Chibs’ first action as queen? ABOLISH MOTHER’S DAY

She wonders if she’s okay to go home yet, but when she uses the Time Key, it rejects the shit out of her, so guess not. Mamoru and Usagi run up and Pegasus appears again for no particular reason that I can figure out. Then there’s a tiger attack (NO REALLY) and everyone runs off, except for Mamoru, who once again is taunting me with his imminent death that never comes.

Usagi and Chibs try to transform, but can’t, because they don’t have all the Senshi around to power them up. “God, what a stupid requirement anyway, like I ever see those guys,” says Usagi, and so she just makes a new transformation happen because that is a thing she can do.

The Quartet are behind this attack, and Usagi and Chibs try to fight them, but are apparently powerless without a new toy from Bandai, so it’s marketing to the rescue! Chibs calls for Pegasus and begs him for a new weapon. He complies!

AND I FUCKING SCREAMED. While Usagi and Chibs power up on their own -- which I actually thought was a better turn from the anime for a second -- all it functionally did was change their outfits. They don’t even try to fight or attack, I presume because they know they can’t, so while they look neat, they’re powerless and helpless until they beg Pegasus for help. Until Pegasus arrives to give them power.

Power that came to them BY WAY OF MAMORU ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME RIGHT NOW

So one of my biggest sources of anger and frustration with SuperS? ACTUALLY IMPROVED ON THE MANGA.

Also the Moon Gorgeous Sex Toy is sentient and can talk so. Yeah.

Back at the Dead Moon Circus, Zircon is all “The people of the White Moon reincarnated, god I fucking hate that,” so the Quartet respond by turning their tiger, hawk, and fish into, you guessed it.

They also see Chibs and Usagi and wonder what their dreams are.

APPARENTLY THE ANSWER IS ONE OF THE WORST EPISODES OF THE WORST SEASON OF THE ANIME JESUS WEPT WHEN WILL I KNOW REST

[knightlysoulsnatcher]

HELLO... IT IS I... MMAY,I ASK FOR PERHSPS... A STUDY DATE

Mako is always equal parts apprehensive and delighted whenever Ami offers to study with her. It is an opportunity to watch the way Ami’s hands move gracefully as she types, the way her eyebrows furrow as she hunches over her paper, grey pencil smudges on her fingers. The way she smirks a little whenever she knows she got a problem right. 

Studying with Ami allows Mako to observe Ami without the danger of Ami noticing or questioning it. 

Until Ami notices that Mako’s progress is not nearly as…. elegant or… brilliant as Ami’s. Then, Mako’s stomach clenches, and she feels like an overheated laptop, body too warm, everything about her too loud–obvious. 

“Want to study together tonight?” 

Ami asks so innocently, gazing up at Mako through her lashes, smiling softly. They are walking together slightly behind Usagi, Rei, and Mina. Far enough back that Mako feels as though she has Ami’s undivided attention, but close enough that she doesn’t feel alone. She doesn’t know whether or not she would appreciate it if the others were gone for the moment. She knows Ami can only study so much with all of them. 

It always baffles Mako that Ami would want to study with her. It’s not like Mako’s commentary, when offered, is particularly helpful. “Sure,” she says, caught between I’d love to and no, please, never ask me again. 

Ami beams at her, and Mako’s eyes burn with tears. She can’t look at Ami directly, and her hands shake. She grabs the straps of her backpack and grips them tightly. 

“Where would you like to go? Coffee shop? My house? Your place?” 

Coffee shop seems too much like a date, Mako thinks, though it isn’t until she looks and sees the discomfort in Ami’s features that she realizes she said it out loud. 

“Would it be a problem if it looked like we were dating?” 

Mako’s cheeks burn, and she hates herself just a little bit. “No, not at all.” 

“Because our friendship is stronger than what other people’s perceptions of it are?” 

Mako shrugs. “That, and I really wouldn’t mind dating you.” 

Ami is quiet for a time, and Mako’’s heart beats painfully fast. Doesn’t know quite what prompted the blunt honesty, but something in Mako can’t allow herself to properly regret it. She cycles between feeling uncomfortably raw, like everyone is watching her, gazes crawling under her skin, and, deep down, a dark streak of anger at Ami for keeping silent and giving no indication of her deeper feelings. 

They continue walking, Ami in a determined fashion. Somewhere along the way, Mamoru whisked Usagi away and Rei and Mina ducked into a store together. Mako can barely remember separating from them, but she feels their absence acutely as she watches Ami gaze at the buildings before them.

Out of the blue, Ami grabs Mako’s hand and laces their fingers together. “Does that place look good to you?” Ami points at a coffee shop, but Mako barely looks at it. 

“Sure, looks fine to me.” 

“Good!” Ami grins up at Mako. “I think it would be perfect for our first date.” 

Ami continues walking forward for a second, unaware that Mako has paused and stares incredulously at Ami. “Our first date?” 

Ami steps uncomfortably close to Mako. “Yes. I like you, you like me, and I enjoy studying and spending time with you. This seems like the best place to have our first date.” 

“You like me?” 

Ami blinks at Mako. “Of course I do. I thought it was obvious.” 

“It wasn’t.” 

“Oh.” Ami looks away, worrying her bottom lip with her teeth. 

Mako clears her throat. “I would like to have a study date with you.” 

Ami nods slowly and rubs her thumb across Mako’s hand. They begin walking again, Ami’s hand comfortable in Mako’s as she stares blankly at her surroundings, mind stuck in between white noise and the shock of realizing that her feelings were accepted—and that her feelings were even spoken aloud at all. She wants to be embarrassed but can’t quite bring herself to when she sees the quiet satisfaction in Ami’s smile, the warmth in her gaze. 

Mako holds the door for Ami when they enter the shop, and she is pleased to see that it is well-lit yet cozy, the brick walls soothing and artwork tasteful. There is a mix of couches and tables, and Mako toys with the idea of studying at a couch, but she knows that she won’t want to focus on her work. 

We’ll have time to cuddle later anyways. 

Mako squeezes Ami’s hand gently and grins down at her. Ami blushes and squeezes her hand back. 

They order drinks, Ami asking for milk, and find a table large enough for their work. Mako makes to sit across from Ami, but Ami chooses to sit next to her and wordlessly reaches for her hand again once their books and drinks were on the table. 

Mako wants to protest, if only because, while Ami isn’t holding Mako’s writing hand, she is holding Ami’s. Ami merely smirks at her before beginning to work with her other hand. 

The rest of the date is largely silent between them, their hands sometimes separating if necessary, though they mostly continue holding hands. Mako’s attention is admittedly less focused on her work, though she manages to complete everything necessary for the next day, while Ami finishes her homework and begins working ahead. 

Mako, hardly feeling up to working ahead, watches Ami when she finishes, comfortably content with the ability to watch her more openly now. There is an underlying sense of anxiety, not quite fully comprehending the upcoming alterations in their relationship, and she hopes Ami doesn’t look her work over today, knowing it isn’t her best effort. 

When Ami comes to a good stopping point, they pack their things quietly and exit the shop. 

They stand just outside the entrance, enough to be out of the way, and Mako finds herself staring at her shoes. 

“Do you want me to walk you home, or…” 

Ami clears her throat. “We could do that, if you want.” 

“Or we could go back to my place and watch something?” 

Ami grins, and Mako finds herself grinning back. “That sounds good. We should probably also talk about this.” 

Mako nods and reaches for Ami’s hand again. “Let’s go.” 

[shadysadie]

Sailor Moon 90s Dub Names

So some of the name changes in the Sailor Moon DiC dub really baffle me. (Keep in mind I did not watch Sailor Moon as a kid, I was vaguely aware of it's existence, but I never watched a single episode until I was a senor in high school, so I started with the sub and have no nostalgic ties to the DiC/Cloverway dub. However I did read the Mixx version of the manga so I was exposed to the changed names there and later I heard so much about the dub I went and watched a handful of episode out of curiosity)

Lets start with the title character

Usagi – DiC name: Serena – Mixx name: Bunny

Okay Usagi is weird because she actually has two dub names, obviously Serena in the anime, but a lot of people don't seem to know in the first American printing of the manga she was actually called Bunny. Now I don't know which came out first in America the manga or the anime, and I'm too lazy to look it up, but I'm going to guess the manga did just because of this reason. Changing Usagi to Bunny actually isn't too stupid, Anime hadn't quite taken over America yet so a lot of people still got rattled by super foreign names. As I get older I do start to understand localization was the thing in the 90s. Since Bunny is literally what Usagi means I didn't find this too stupid. Plus it shows why Usagi is obsessed with rabbits.

 Serena though? I don't think Serena fits the character AT ALL! Not only does it simply sound like it doesn't fit the character, but look at the name meaning: "clear, tranquil, serene" none of those things could be used to describe Usagi. And yes, I know the same could be said for Serenity but Serenity was Usagi's PAST LIFE, not who she is now. I've gone off on what I think of keeping her Princess name the same a few times on this blog so I won't even go there in this post.

 Now, in fairness, this one I actually was given an explanation for at a con, at a panel with John Stocker (one of the men who originally helped write the dub script) I asked why they didn't just use the name “Bunny” and he said it had to do with syllables, the mouth movement for “U-sa-gi” matched the mouth movement for “Ser-ren-na” better than “Bun-ny” But since everyone but Rei and Chibiusa use honorifics, I'm calling bullshit on this excuse. (Victoria was also in the running for a dub name, which fits Usagi even less than Serena, but at least the syllable excuse would work for that one.)

Mamoru Chiba– DiC and Mixx name: Darien Shields

 I have to admit, I find it hilarious that they do try to capture the name meaning here. Mamoru literally means “Protect”, and so I laugh that they just literally make his last name “Shields”. To be honest, while I find it a kind of boring name, I don't think it contrasts him too terribly much because I kind of find Mamoru to be a boring character. (sorry Mamo) Like I could totally see him as a Darien, that's fine, it's the 90s, whatever. But again, like with Princess Serena, do we really need to make his past life's name “Prince Darien” Seriously? Along with it being lazy. Darien does not sound royal to me, particularly not fantasy/mythology status royal. And Endymion is a great name with a great story behind it! Like why did we have to cut out that mythological tie? In Greek Mythology an astronomer (or shepherd depending on variations) name Endymion fell in love with the goddess of the moon and was cursed by Zeus, that's a great detail that totally gets erased.

Chibiusa (Usagi Small Lady Serenity) – DiC and Mixx name: Rini (No official princess name to my knowledge)

 This one totally disproves the syllables excuse because there's no way in hell anyone thought “Chi-Bi-Us-Sa” was the same mouth movement as “Ri-ni” But I suppose this one makes sense since Chibiusa is a nickname for Usagi, Rini is a nickname for Serena. I suppose the name fits her well enough, though I do think in the Black Moon Arc the enemy kept referring to her as “Small Lady” instead of “Rabbit”. Like, okay, whatever, her name isn't Usagi, Rabbit wouldn't make sense. But then at one point the enemies try to trick her by appearing as Neo-Queen Serenity and she calls her Small Lady, and Chibs is all like “My mommy would NEVER call me Small Lady, you're not really her” like, no bitch, that's your name! It's not a title, Usagi was just that corny when she named you. DiC DON'T CUT USAGI'S CORNINESS!

Ami Mizuno – DiC and Mixx name: Amy Anderson – Cloverway: Amy Mizuno

Okay Ami, Rei, Mina, and Michiru I can't criticize too much because they're just the American translation of the Japanese names so I don't really mind, they're spelled different, but so what? But Ami baffles me because she's the only one of the girls with a different last name. Like, why? Seriously, why? Even Usagi's last name stays the same and that's arguably much more Japanese sounding than Mizuno. I mean, don't get me wrong, Anderson's my last name, it's a good last name, but why is she the only one with an American last name? But what makes it even better is Cloverway then changes it back to Mizuno and no one ever mentions it again.

Just for fun I'm also going to point out that “Blue” was in the running for a dub name for her and I think that's the funniest shit ever. “What should we name this character?” “IDK, what's her color scheme?” “Blue.” “Good enough!” I'd actually like to thank the dubbers for sticking with Amy.

Rei Hino – DiC and Mixx name: Raye Hino

Can't say much about Rei. It's spelled weird, I would have gone with Rae, but whatever. Dana was apparently in the running for her, again, glad they decided against changing it.

Makoto Kino – DiC and Mixx name: Lita Kino

I actually think Lita fits Makoto pretty well. Almost just as well as Mako-chan. Sara was also in the running which I also don't think would have been a too terribly bad choice, Lita's less generic though.

Minako Aino – DiC and Mixx name: Mina Aino

Again, same name, just a different variation of it. Artemis even calls her Mina as a nickname in the original so whateves. Carrie was in the running for her which would have been a fucking awful fit, so I'm glad they stayed with Mina.

Haruka – Cloverway name: Amara – Mixx name: Haruka but also sometime Alex

WARNING: Raging hate boner rant coming up!!!!

This is the name that actually got me to write this whole thing!

Out of all the name changes Haruka's pisses me off the most. It's SUCH a bad fit. I don't hate the name Amara itself, I actually think it's kind of pretty, but it does NOT go with this character! You give the most gender androgynous character one of the most feminine names? It doesn't fit. It sounds weird, it doesn't mesh with her personality, it seems weird every time they call her that!

And what's most baffling to me, THEY STILL PLAY THE 'IS SHE A GUY?' GAME! When Usagi and Minako meet her, they still pad after her thinking she's a guy. Haruka is a name that while typically more common for women, is gender neutral. Amara is definitely not. How can you not hear the name “Amara” and not instantly think, “Oh, shit, that's a chick”

Now the Mixx Manga did something weird, because they introduced the character as Alex Haruka, but only for the panel she was introduced in, then she was Haruka exclusively until one panel in the Dream Arc when she's called Alex again, but that's it. So...great proof reading there guys. Honestly Alex should have been her name in the Cloverway dub. Sure it doesn't fit her as well as Haruka does, but it fits a hell of a lot more than Amara. And more importantly it's one of the most gender neutral names ever.

Also her first draft name was Corinn, can't decide if that's better or worse than Amara. Seriourly dub, why didn't you take Alex? Or another gender neutral name? Riley? Sam? Ash? Jess? Skyler? (BTW I totally just googled “gender neutral American names” to give these examples and had to laugh cuz Skyler would have been the best, corniest pun ever)

Michiru – Cloverway name: Michelle

 Again this one I have no qualms with because I've seen plenty of animes where the name Michiru and Michelle are used interchangeably depending on the dubber and the VA's accent. Again, same name different language.

Nerissa was supposed to be her dub name, which is fucking stupid, I'm glad they stayed with Michelle.

Setsuna – Cloverway name: Trista

Okay, so this is actually the reason I know all the names that were in the running, because I actually had to look up Setsuna's dub name, not cuz I hadn't seen any episodes of the dub with Setsuna in them, but cuz the name Trista to me is really forgettable. I don't know why, it's just a super forgettable name, Setsuna, more than any of the others, even more than Haruka really, I can't see having any name other than Setsuna (other than Plu of course) though that brings me to a little side tangent. Because Chibiusa doesn't call her “Plu” in the dub, she calls her “Luna P” which, no, I'm sorry, no, just no! Luna P is Chibi's toy, not Pluto, Luna P doesn't even remotely make sense as a nickname for Pluto. Yes she does talk with Pluto using Luna P (which I think is called “the Luna Sphere” in the dub) but that doesn't mean we get to degrade a badass character such as Pluto down to the status of a stuffed floating cat's head. Bad dubbers! Bad!

Also, her almost name was Celia, which again, no, sorry. Setsuna is Setsuna.

Hotaru – Cloverway name: Hotaru – Mixx name: Hotaru, but also Jenny just a couple of times.

Last but not least, my favorite character, Hotaru. Now obviously I can't get mad here because they didn't change her name, but I am really confused as to why. Seriously I still can't figure out why they changed ever other name that sounded too Japanese but this one character. Unlike Rei or Mina, this isn't even one that can be an American name too. Hotaru definitely sounds Japanese. Why does just this one character get to keep her super Japanese sounding name? Absolutely no idea. Like Haruka the Mixx seemed to have wanted to rename her but decided against it and not been very good at telling everyone they decided against it because the name “Jenny” pops up a few times in the Manga, but only after Haruka, Michiru, and Setsuna adopt her so take that as you will. I'm glad they didn't rename her, but if they would have chose to I don't think Jenny would have been a god awful choice

[docholligay]

Hiding How Sick/Hurt I Am From The Group, Mina

“Everybody get your shit together!” Mina yelled and rolled her eyes. “For like, five seconds!” 

The group looked at her, some to argue, some to whimper, but as Mina stood there, steadying herself on a large ochre rock, looking at all of them with that keen eye that half her and half Venus, peeking like a devil through the window, they all stood silent. 

“Listen, I know this is new to all of us,” she looked around at the strange, scarred earth they found themselves upon, “really new. But the work’s the same, guys,--” 

“I’m not a guy!” Rei piped up “I mean, none of us are guys! Why are we letting men dominate group--” 

MIna put her hand to her temple and closed her eyes, sitting down on a nearby rock. “Oh for fuck’s sake, you know what, Mars, when YOU’RE leader, you can call everyone whatever the fuck you want.” 

Rei crossed her arms. “It’s not about that, it about the way that men are considered the baseline for--” 

“Mars,” Michiru tipped her head, “Perhaps this is not quite the time that one might choose to debate the merits of colloquial speech, and the gender, class, whatever sort of thing you might imagine, implications of such. Being as we are in an interdimensional hellhole and all.”

Rei opened her mouth, and then shut it as Usagi latched onto her arm, and simply allowed herself to glower out a silent argument. 

“Thank you.” Mina said, shaking her head. “Anyway, this is the same shit we’ve always done,” she indicated a hand toward Rei, “LADIES. All we have to do is use all the stuff I’ve taught you before. We’ll make a move on the castle, and have it captured by dawn.” 

Mina slowly rose to her feet, her hand still on the rock. “Jupiter. You and Moon are going in through the front. I essentially expect you to be captured. You’re a distraction. I want you to punch, stab, and electrocute some dudes.” 

“All right!” Mako’s fist pumped the air. 

Rei sputtered. “You can’t let her get captured, she’s the princess!” 

“Yeah,” Mina chuckled, “what sort of idiot would send their princess to the front line? No one I know. Good thing they have no clue which one of us is the princess.” she jutted her chin at Hotaru. “Surprise, you’re the princess today.”

“Goddamnit,” the tiny teenager scowled, “Why me again?” 

“Because,” Mina walked slowly over to her, grinning and casually placing a hand on her shoulder, “You look tiny and defenseless. Which is why,” she turned around quickly, and dramatically tossed herself against Haruka, “My biggest strongest solider is going with her. You two are going to run through the forest,” She pushed herself out of Haruka’s arm, “protecting the princess. Move fast, remember there are venomous fucking lizards in this place, Uranus.” 

Haruka thought for a moment. “Will it kill me?” 

MIna sighed. “For me to find that out, I’d have to let it bite you. Please don’t. At least until later when there’s a way out of this place.” 

“And me?” 

Rei arched an eyebrow, looking at Mina. She saw a wave on the edge of her vision, something that almost called to mind the Sight, like it was trying to tell her something, but she was too far away, and the words got garbled on the wind. 

“You,” Mina nodded, “Are going to try from the cave below, by the sea. I don’t think they guard it well, they expect the sea to be a fucking guard. Tide is out all the time, dumbasses.” 

Rei nodded, but kept staring at her. “So I’m going with Neptune.” 

MIna turned away from her. “ What did I say about tide? No, you’re going with Pluto. You don’t need Neptune. Neptune and I are sneaking in through the back. And don’t,” her voice was quiet, but serious, “Argue with me, Mars. Not even a little bit.” 

“Fine.” Rei crossed her arms, but stood waiting, quietly, for once. 

MIna looked off to the castle, a storm gathering over the top of it. If these weren’t happening in front of her, she would have called this an overblown fantasy anime, but her life did so often seem like that, she supposed. Maybe it was. Maybe it was easier to think of everything that was happening to her as necessary character arc. Whose growth would she be ensuring, by her...well, she stopped the thought there, at least for now. 

“And!” The wind kicked up, and whirled her hair around her, “I put you in pairs, so the mission will be completed. If one of you falls, the other one moves on. Got it? I am deadass here, people. We have to get out of this. Even if it means one of us is lost. There’s more at stake here than any one of us.” 

The girls who understood nodded, and affirmed their assent, and the ones who did not stood silently, but knew they follow the leader. They always had, except for maybe Usagi. And she was due to get captured in the first few minutes. Mina was smart. She had done that for a reason. She would never say to leave someone behind, unless she had a reason. 

The girls began to dissipate, breaking off in their small groups, Rei and Pluto already jumping down the small cliffsides nimbly on their way to the save by the sea. It was only Haruka who stood back a moment, looking out at the castle next to Mina. 

Why don’t you want me to go with you?” There was a note of hurt in it, as if she had failed, and was being put into time out for something she didn’t understand. “Why do I have to stay in the woods?” 

“Bud, you know I love you. You’re fast, and you can keep ahead of them, and honestly,” she rubbed at Haruka’s shoulder, “I can’t trust you to leave her behind, if she falls. Or the other way around.” 

Haruka scrunched her face in protest, stopped a moment, and sighed. “Yeah.” 

Mina tossed back her hair and smiled brightly. “I’ll bring her back, Uranus. You just gotta promise me you’ll stay out of trouble in the woods, and keep Hotaru out of trouble. They’re swampy, and dangerous. And, as I said, venomous fucking lizards.” 

Haruka nodded, and walked over to Hotaru. “Princess?” 

Hotaru rolled her eyes. “Okay, subject, let’s make it happen.” 

Michiru and Mina stood side by side, watching, until Haruka and Hotaru disappeared over a hill. MIna let go, just for a moment, as they slipped out of sight, Michiru nimbly grabbing her behind the arms and helping her to the ground. Mina was shaking, and turned on her side to throw up a small pile of green and rust brown onto the ground. 

“Yes, I rather thought that might be the case.” MIchiru was knelt beside her. 

She did not look at Mina with pity, or fear, but a simple recognition of the issue at hand.It was in this moment Mina realized that although she could honestly be said to dislike Michiru, on a daily basis, they were times she quite loved her, and always respected her. 

She wiped at her mouth with her glove. “You must have Seen it.” 

“Someone is certainly far more impressed with their acting skills than is warranted.” Michiru looked at her plainly. “You sent Haruka far enough away she will not see it if you should die in the attempt. I have never seen you use so much support for anything in my life. You fell into Haruka’s arms, and played the entire thing off. You front-loaded the idea that we are meant to be left behind in the event of our death, that the group would not blame me for doing so. How could they, when you were so zealous about the issue? 

She cleared her throat. “You paired with me, although you do not care for me, because you imagine I will bear your passing the best.” Michiru smiled. “Venomous fucking lizard, was it?” 

Mina chuckled. “I should have used you more. As a leader. You’re clever.” She sighed. “It’s eating me alive, I can feel it. I don’t know how far I can go. I don’t think Usagi can help it. I--there was so much more I wanted to do, but--I’m going to fight like the devil, and see how quick he is to come and take me. I’ll burn the whole castle down with my last. Fucking. Breath.” 

She felt her body twist inside, even as she said it, and heard the tick-tick-tick of the clock in her head as it wound toward the long, great midnight. 

Mina leaned back on her elbows. “Lived my whole life on the edge and one wrong step in a miserable swamp at the end of the universe is gonna be what does it. ” 

“Time and chance happen to us all.” Michiru rose to her feet, and extended a hand,. “Commander Venus. To arms.” 

MIna took her hand and struggled to her feet. “I hope I go brave.” 

“The story I tell of your heroism, and your death, will make a legend of you. I think you’ll find I can be quite persuasive when the mood strikes me.” She brushed a bit of dirt off Mina’s back, “For Haruka’s sake, of course, if we find something that might save you, I’d prefer that entirely..” 

Mina went to unsheath her sword, and decided she would save her strength for when it had to be raised for the last time. 

She grinned.

“Let’s go, squidward.”

[docholligay]

Ace High

@amberlilly asked for “Michiru being given a choice in some situation to change something in the past. What does she do?” 2100 words and I hope you like it, Lilly!

You cannot draw the card. That is a known rule. 

The cards are drawn for you, dealt in a pile, and the hands that are played come only down to luck, as some would say. Some would say it comes to skill, to a certain inclination of what the dealer might play, a knowledge of the rest of the table, but it had been the observation of one Michiru Kaioh that those players were often the ones who had royal flush in their blood before they ever sat. 

No, there is no way that the rules allow for the drawing of the cards, no way for your fortune to be arranged and rearranged and though you may always throw something away, that in no way guarantees that anything better will fly to your hand from the cruel dealings of eternity’s gam master. 

But there is, of course, cheating. 

Michiru Kaioh considered herself a keen observer of humanity, in the way she had studied all arts, and so she was no often at a loss, or taken by surprise, when someone offered her something. It was easy to spell out a lie, when you were Michiru. Generally. 

Her eyes flashed back to Mina and she hated herself for the crime immediately. Why should she presume that if Michiru did not know whether the demon told true, Mina would know any better? 

In any case, it did not matter. Mina’s face held neither confirmation or denial of the statement itself, but a simple, straightforward: No. 

Of course it would be that way, and Michiru was foolish for thinking otherwise. None of the rest seemed even vaguely interested in the offer. 

“This card,” the voice was deep and garbled at the edges, cruel and cold as the first snowmelted rivers of spring, “will give you one change. Anything. A different family. A won war. A saved life.” 

“It’s a trick,” Mako grumbled, “You can’t do that.” 

“Oh but I can,” there was laughter now, like a roaring rapid, full of static, “and the only cat’s-paw is life itself. No more harm could come to you than would in this life.” 

It was telling the truth. It had no need to lie, for it was just as likely it could kill us all with its own power. It cared not for the fate of the earth, it cared not for power, it only wanted that crystal, for some reason it had certainly told them but Michiru had pointedly ignored. 

They all wanted it eventually, and it was in everyone’s best interests for Michiru not to be brought to decide if it was any better or worse than the Moon Kingdom having it. 

And it wasn’t even asking them to bring the crystal to it. Only to lend it their power, to let it move with the stormy sea of Neptune and let them take over for just a moment, just long enough to take the crystal for themselves. 

One change. What would she even do, with that sort of power? How could she see into the past, and know what would move into the future? It was impossibility to ask of her, and maybe this was why it was easier for Mako to pretend that the power was a lie. Maybe she didn’t know what her life would look like, if not like this, if her parents hadn’t died, if the world had left her with literally anyone but Usagi. 

It was never easier for Michiru to lie, at least to herself. The monster spoke true, and the power was real, and Usagi might die in the bargain, but then again, Michiru wasn’t sure that would involve the earth as much as everyone claimed. This was, and had always been, for the good of the moon, and so far as Michiru was concerned it could stay a dead rock. 

Would she dream for herself? Who would Michiru Kaioh even be, if she had not be raised with a steel to her back from her toddling days, if she had not been raised with a sense of decorum and noblesse oblige? What if she had tumbled down a hillside in a park, thrown her arms around the neck of her dog, and laughed loud? What if she had never been a prodigy, but merely a child? Who might Michiru Kaioh have been? 

As with the most of us, Michiru found this hypothetical person she might have been to be a nearly impossible thing to consider, and so, chose not to. It was not her general inclination to think too deeply about that anyhow. Michiru had survived her childhood, and if the person she wa now was not exactly ideal, she was functional, and she had divorced herself so entirely from the idea of being a loved object to many that the idea seemed strange. 

She looked to her left, Haruka narrowing her eyes and ready to pounce. She had never considered the offer. Michiru could see it in her eyes. She might, if she thought it out, but it would be some self-sacrificing thing where she would wish that it had never come to this planet, which would backfire on her entirely in a way she would not be able to see. Or her offer would simply be rejected, this was not some sort of fairy story where one can undo Rumpelstiltskin with a clever word. 

Michiru might have been a broken thing,  but she was rather one of those repaired art pieces, covered by so much restoration and knowledge that only the most closely trained eye could see the patches, could see the spots where the brushstrokes changed. But Haruka was rather a junkyard dog, who had been set to fight, and her wounds set across her in easily-seen patterns, every chunk taken out of her marked with the shining pink of a tight scar. 

Who might she have been, if she had been more loved? If her grandmother hadn’t died, or better, if she were born to a family who all deeply longed for her, where there was always food on the table and warm, clean clothes? What if her boisterousness and eagerness to please had been harnessed instead of being hurt? What if she had been driven into sports young, and told she was talented and good, and hugged, and wanted? 

Michiru saw what she thought that girl might have been like, sometimes, in the dark. When Haruka reached for her hand, and held it softly, when she whispered words of love, when she snuggled gently against Michiru, and relaxed under her gentle caress. Haruka might have been so many lovely and soft things, so easily, if she could have been safe. She might be so happy, if her parents had taught her to love herself, to see the good in herself, to accept tenderness instead of mocking her for it. 

She nearly extended her hand, then, knowing what she would ask it to do, what she would ask it to give. 

But what of Michiru? It was a selfish thought, though that in itself did not surprise Michiru, for she was often selfish.  What would become of Michiru, if Haruka had always known she had worth and value? If she felt no compulsion to throw herself in front of things, die for something? What if she felt she was already good, and did not need to hurt herself in the service of something greater? What if Michiru’s touch hadn’t been the first gentle one she had in years? 

Michiru knew what would happen. Michiru was a strange thing, and no normal person would be saddled with her if they could find another. That Haruka, whose life was kind, would have a sweet girlfriend already, and nuzzle with her in some cafe, drinking with two straws in the same glass, and Haruka would laugh, and they would kiss. It would not be with a creature like her, that Haruka would know an easy life, full of warmth. 

There was a simple truth, the ugliest Michiru’s heart could hold:

If Haruka’s life hadn’t been cruel, if she hadn’t been a senshi, they never would have met. They never would have fallen in love. 

She could stand, and pretend to be brave and resolute. Perhaps they would win the day anyhow, it had happened enough times. She could pretend that she could think of nothing worth giving over her power for, no thing she loved more than to serve the moon and her princess. She could be a good soldier, and no one would ever have to see the poisoned rose in her heart. 

Or she could be kind, instead of selfish. She could turn traitor, for Haruka’s sake, and give her up into the world that would treat her with kindness, that would love her and make it easy for her to love. She could lose everything but know that Haruka was safe. That for one day in her life, she had made a choice for Haruka instead of herself. 

She had loved Haruka for her own sake. She had died in the cathedral so she did not have to bear Haruka’s loss. She was a selfish thing, and she knew it, but here was one chance to be something better. To serve the princess she loved the most. 

“I will take that bargain.” She did not look at Haruka when she said it. However much Haruka hated her now, however much Haruka was trying to make it in a clever plan, Michiru did not want to see. Haruka would forget her in a moment’s time anyhow. 

The other senshi yelled behind her, and their voices became one clamor, and Michiru did not care to pick out each instrument in the symphony, content in knowing that she understood the general theme. She was a traitor, for she was in love, and her beloved deserved this. 

Michiru loved her. She would be kind, for her. 

A mirror slipped out of her hand, and into it slipped a card, the queen of hearts, and she stared and stared and stared. 

And stood on a street in the middle of Tokyo. Her district, filled with fashionable shops and sweet cafes, people hurrying around her, some staring into the windows and chattering over the finest goods. Michiru looked in the window of the Cartier. She was dressed in the same sort of neat navy dress she often wore, handmade Italian leather on her feet. A transformation ring on her finger. Everything was very much as she left it, and Michiru wondered for a moment if it hadn’t been all some sort of hallucination brought on by poor eating habits. 

Then she saw her. She was taller even than she had been in the timeline where they loved, doubtless due to better nutrition as a child. Her hair was the same soft mob of blonde, cut neatly with her hair falling just to the edge of her eyebrows. She smiled brightly, and waved to a little girl in pink, bending down to properly greet her. Haruka seemed to radiate comfort and joy, tall and butch and happy enough with alll of it. Michiru wanted to go to her, to kiss her and tell her they had done it and Haruka would not ever have to hold that hurt and sadness in her eyes. 

Then she was her. A cute little thing with her hair piled in a neat bun at the top of her head, sunglasses perched next to it. She laughed, and her face crinkled up, teeth showing garishly, as she hooked her arm around Haruka’s. Her clothing was bright and her hair was dark and she was utterly artless and terribly charming. They must have come down here for lunch, and Michru’s heart broke just a little bit, something she could not have dreamed, as Haruka put an arm around her and kissed the top of her head. 

The girl noticed Michiru staring and cocked her head to the side. She glared deeply, her arm protectively around Haruk, and pulled her the other way, kissing her, making sure Michiru could see her do it. 

Of course, Michiru laughed to herself, she thinks me some sort of gawking homophobe. She looked back in the mirror, surprised to see a tear rolling down her face. 

Cheating was the only way to win the game. And cheaters never prosper. 

Michiru had not known both could be true.

[docholligay]

A Little Love Story, Part Three: Queens, Lovers, and Fools

Hello! This is the penultimate part of the story commissioned by @keyofjetwolf, a subversion of the “love breaks the spell trope” making it all platonic, as she much loves. this is 2,000 words! The rest of the series is here. 

It had never occurred to Haruka that there could be a basement to a cave, but if such a thing were possible, this would have been it. It was dark, and dank, and she halfway imagined to find a passage covered in cobwebs, only to realize that for that to have been true, something would have to be able to live down here. 

The only things that could live down here, had maybe never been alive at all, not in a way Haruka understood. 

She had transformed, and walked through the long corridors of stone and stalactite, her only companions a long, deep drip and the unearthly glow from the walls now and again that signaled the unreality of this place, the way it only mimicked the rules of earth, but lived far off, by laws Haruka could not know. 

Haruka had transformed because she hadn’t been sure what to expect, and Mina had taught her to be ready when walking into a probable trap. It had not come to mind, as she stormed out of the senshi meeting, that she was walking into a probable trap, but as she descended further into the belly of this would-be earth, she could hear Mina’s voice in the back of her head, that annoyance twinged with love that rang out every time Haruka did something foolish. 

So she’d touched her ring, and whispered the words she’d yelled so many times. Haruka had always enjoyed the surge of power that came through her when she transformed, the way she could feel herself grow stronger and broader, the touch of her sword in her hand. But not today, and maybe that was why she’d whispered. Today she didn’t want to fight, because today Sailor Uranus might be less useful than Haruka Tenoh, which was not a thing she could often say, and not a thing she might have ever said at all, but for the love of her people, one of which she was chasing down a dark cave with no layout she was aware of, without any backup, after someone who wanted her dead. 

Rei might have had a point. 

Though, Haruka was pleased to know that if she died here, at least she wouldn’t have to hear Rei say it. What was her plan, precisely? Haruka was no tactician. She relied on Mina and Michiru and even Ami to help point her. She was a blunt object, she knew that. She wasn’t smart, she knew that, too. She was probably going to die here, just like Rei said. 

But she had to try. If no one else was willing to try and save MIna from herself, she had to try. Mina would do the same for her, Haruka was sure, even if Haruka would tell her not to. Mina could talk a tough game about tactics and falling behind and sacrifices, but she was also the girl who had more than once given a lecture while tenderly patting a cloth over some deep cut in Haruka’s side. She was also the girl who’d yanked Haruka back from the brink more than once. 

Haruka knew that Mina loved her, and Haruka couldn’t say that of many people. She could barely say it even when she knew it was true, without wanting to whip around and ask them why. 

Even in the darkness, the shadow of guilt came over Haruka. Mina had felt unappreciated. She did so much for the team, but she never got to be the star of it, even to the other senshi. Everyone had just sort of taken it on faith that Mina would always be there, leading and guiding, and Haruka had been just as ignorant as the rest of them. She could have done better by Mina.

 She should have told her how nice it was to have someone look out for her. People hadn’t done that, most of Haruka’s life. She should have told her that she admired Mina’s skill on the battlefield, her smarts. Haruka didn’t have anything like that. She should have told her how funny and clever she was, how Haruka was always amazed at even the quips that were aimed her own way. 

Haruka should have said a lot of things, she thought, and because she hadn’t said them, Mina was in trouble, and it was Haruka’s job to fix it. Had to be her. Even if she was no match for Mina. 

Maybe, she thought darkly, if she kills me, it’ll at least bring her back. Maybe if I die, she’ll remember. The thought gave her some comfort, that even in her failure she could succeed, somehow. It would be worth it to die, if Mina could be saved. 

The comfort of that thought was somewhat decimated by the fact that Michiru would, without question or hesitation, kill Mina, spell broken or no, if Haruka was killed in the attempt. Even Rei wouldn’t be able to stop her. 

She barely dodged the blade 

Haruka hadn’t been able to hear well out of that left ear since she was about fifteen years old, and she did her best to cover this, the particularly astute noting that she had a tendency to cock her head, and that Michiru often sat to her right, but mostly quite getting away with the illusion. But Mina knew, of course, and had known long before Haruka had awkwardly told her the story, sitting across from her in that dive of a dumpling shop they both loved. 

And Mina, as she was now, would only ever approach from that side. The weak side. 

The immediate danger of fighting someone who knew every facet of your entire being had not occurred to Haruka, as she had stormed out of the Senshi meeting. It had not blipped on her radar, as she had crept down into this crypt and kingdom. When she had transformed, it had only been with the nebulous idea of an enemy. 

However, it came into very sharp focus as Mina’s sword rung out in the night air, the high whistle of it as it blew past Haruka’s jawline singing out everything that had changed between them. Whispering that if she’d been one second slower, she’d already be gone. 

She jumped back. 

“Mina, it’s me!” It seemed a weak sort of defense, and lacked all the feeling she had hoped to put in it, but it was the only thing her mouth would give her. 

Mina did not seem to hear her, swinging again in a fluid movement, Haruka narrowly blocking it with her own blade. It almost felt like those moments they would spar, Mina always on the attack, Haruka so rarely getting one in, and Haruka felt the twist in her heart at the memory. This was missing most of it: There was no laughter in Mina’s voice, no goading for Haruka to do and be better, no grins exchanged between them when Haruka successfully fended her off. 

But the feel of Mina’s sword on hers was enough, and it hurt all the same. 

Haruka wanted to believe that she was a creature of deep nuance, but wanting to believe things about herself did not make them true. Michiru was better at that--in Michiru’s world, there was room for many truths, for life to contradict itself--but Haruka was a creature of sunshine and shadow. Mina was her friend. Mina loved her. It had taken her a long time to know these things, and now that she knew them, no simple spell cast by some dumb bitch from space was going to change that, in Haruka’s mind. 

She yelled through the sense of loss and dread, ripping it from her heart. “You really don’t want to do this, Mina!” Another barely-missed blow, “You’ll hate yourself forever!” 

Mina laughed. “Oh, Uranus.” She stepped back a moment and shook her head. “You really do believe your experience of life is universal, don’t you? Such an idiot. Not everyone has to hem, and haw, and quake, over the things they need to do.” 

Haruka looked at her with a little smirk. “You’re always complaining about how I run into things, Mina.” 

Mina gave an almost playful tip of her blade. “You’re so eager to sacrifice yourself for something. Foolish enough to die without being brave enough to kill. Ready to blame yourself for everything.” She laughed. “I won’t think about it past the moment I see your eyes fix and gloss over.” 

“I know that’s not true. We’re friends. You don’t want to kill me.” Haruka was not sure who she was trying to convince more, as she looked into the hungry eyes of Minako, saw the half-starved tiger that had been lying in wait for years. 

“Oh but I do,” she smiled, “if I kill you, which I will in just a minute here, then I will kill Neptune, and the entire house of cards will fall from there. Easy. Elegant. I will be Queen of Earth in the fall of a curtain.” 

“Uh, you need to be more worried about Michiru, I think.” Haruka scoffed. “Not to doubt you, kiddo, but--” 

Whatever her thought was after that, it was never to be completed, as Mina swung in quickly, slamming a foot into the side of Haruka’s knee as she slashed across her back. Haruka fell to her knees, howling, the dank water of the cave floor splashing up into her face, a red line, like a ribbon, going down her back. 

In the darkness, Michiru tightened her grip on her dagger. She had made Haruka a promise, that she would let her do this. She would let her try. But she had made no promise that she would make even a mild attempt to spare Mina’s life, if Haruka were unsuccessful. The other girls were nestled behind her, watching, waiting for Rei’s signal, Usagi’s head buried into Mako’s back as she gamely tried to suppress her weeping. 

MIna’s voice echoed off the walls. “I should have known you would be so stupid as to come here alone, to the lion’s den.” 

Haruka nursed her shoulder and weakly reached for her sword. “I came alone because I’m your friend. Like I said.” she dragged her sword toward her, the metallic ring of it a sad final song. “C’mon Mina, you know me.” 

Mina rolled her eyes. “Of course I do, you pathetic thing.” 

Haruka winced, and even Mina could not have told you if it was from the pain of her injury or the pain of the statement. 

“I know you so well, that your death was assured before you walked in the door.” She circled Haruka like a hawk about to dive, “That’s unfair, isn’t it? Not giving you chance to defeat me? Well. I’ll give you a chance. Because we’re friends.” 

She said it as though it was a knife, dragged through Haruka’s flesh. Mina stopped when she got around to Haruka’s face again, and let her sword drop her side, her shoulders relaxed. She smiled down at Haruka as she towered over her, a deep, cold wind from the caves fluttering the air around her, sweeping up her hair. 

“Raise your sword. I’m not in position. You’re supposed to be fast. Please, take it. Your best shot at me, Uranus.” 

“Ruka,” she tightened her grip on her sword, “You call me Ruka, sometimes.” 

Mina grinned and her eyes flashed with her pride and rage and delight. “Well then, old friend. Why don’t you show me what you’re made of?” 

Haruka looked up at her, clutching her sword to her chest, eyes swimming in despair and confusion. Rei took Usagi under her arm and turned her face into her shoulder, giving a whispered advisement to the others. 

“Anyone not wanting to see Haruka’s brutal murder should look away now.” 

Michiru watched. Michiru waited. The heat of the waiting dagger wore a hole in her palm as it begged for escape. 

Mina nodded leaning lightly on her sword, leg popped onto her toes, opening her arm to Haruka, her voice bubbling with mirth. 

“Uranus. Come at me.”

[docholligay]

A Little Love Story, Part One: Narrative Inconvenience

For her commission, Jetty is having me rewrite an old, old story I wrote here on the blog, that I’ve always wanted to rewrite because I thought i could do a better job of it. It’s lovely BroTP shit! And the original story was quite well liked so I hope this is too. This first part is 2,200 words, which is longer than the entire original story. Please enjoy, and remember that I love all comments, no matter how small! 

There are old magics, in this world. Power that bends and moves in the world without our being any the wiser, ones that whisper through the trees in the dark and dance on the backs of butterflies in the light. They do not always have name, or even definition, only able to be defined by the edges of what they are not, a fog or a shadow of strength.

“She let her guard down.” It was what Pluto said, and it was not incorrect, though it was not true, either, “and the enemy entranced her. A old magic.”

“She fell for it.” Rei burned with the heat a white ember as she sat around the table, arms crossed, barely looking up from the table.

“We might all, if given what we desired most.” Michiru looked out the window, gazing into an unimportant street, a note of sympathy filling her voice that was more frightening than any of Rei’s anger could have hoped to be.

Pluto nodded. “It does know each of our hearts, if I remember. If it touches you. That is its gift.”

“She turned on us.” Rei looked around at the other Senshi, mouth in a hard line. “Mina turned on us.”

“Oh, she fucking did not,” a small bead of spit burst from Haruka’s mouth and onto the table and she hammered her hand down on the chair arm, “She’s brainwashed, Rei, that’s not--it’s not her fault.”

Rei stood up, hands on the table as she leaned toward Haruka. “It doesn’t matter whose fault it is, what we have to do is the same!”

Haruka stood up to meet her, and Rei seemed utterly unimpressed by the fact that Haruka towered over her, back straight as Haruka whirled around the edge of the table, finger raised into Rei’s face.

“You’re so fucking eager to kill anyone to prove you’re,” She gave a dramatic bend and waved her hands in the air, “The best senshi of all time. We get it, you love Usagi best.” She snorted. “Fuck you, Rei, you don’t even--”

“I forgot that we only gleefully kill someone when they’re eight.” She stepped into Haruka’s face, nose to nose, “Or at least, people like you--”

“No! Stop!!” Usagi pushed herself between them, tears falling down her face, as they had been this whole time, a quiet fall of rain in between hills of sobbing. “I can fix this!”

“You can’t!” Usagi cowered to Rei’s yelling, and her voice softened, “You can’t. You’ve tried. We’ve tried. Three times, Usagi, and three times Mina’s tried to kill you.” Rei tenderly touched Usagi’s back where a raw, red line from Mina’s blade still raised. “She almost did.”

“It is a very strong magic.” Pluto said, by way of apology. “And their sense of us is keen.”

Ami nodded, looking between Rei and Usagi. “Mina would have been chosen specifically, being our commander, the strategic fighter, and she has always been a little…” She looked at Usagi’s face, and stopped herself.

“‘Better to reign in hell than serve in heaven’ one might say.” Michiru finished Ami’s thought, in a rare bit of synchronicity between them, “More so than many of us.”

“She’s selfish.” Rei crossed her arms and glanced out the window, staring at whatever nothing Michiru's eyes had moved to. “She just wants it for herself.”

“It is an old magic,” Pluto said again, smoothing over the anger and hurt dolloped like frosting across the room, “but there are some older still.”

“Love.” Usagi looked up at Pluto. “Love can break the spell, I’ve read that so many times! And I tried, but--”

As Usagi explained to Pluto a solution she already knew, Michiru moved quietly to Rei’s side, standing close to her, both eyes hitting that same odd mark in the world that no one else could see, holding her hand without ever touching her, in that strange way Rei had come to appreciate.

“Even now?” Michiru murmured, the soft wash of her voice lapping over the hot coals of Rei’s betrayal, the steam of it pricking at Rei’s eyes.

Michiru had a way of accusing Rei of everything, while saying nothing at all, in that strange way Rei had come to despise.

She said nothing, and Michiru did not press, and they both took it as a quiet assent. Yes, even now. Even if my love might save her, it would need to be carved out of me. I do not know if I have the strength to give her my heart where I might give her my bow. Yes, even now, she could not say what she might feel. If even she were sure.

“We have to find a prince, maybe!” Usagi brightened at her own suggestion, “I wonder if Mamoru could--”

“Usagi.” Pluto touched her shoulder and smiled sadly. “You have loved her so well.”

Usagi’s lip wobbled, and they all sat and stood and stared silently, knowing that it wasn’t enough. That Usagi could love all she wanted, she could believe and hope and cast a thousand attacks of healing, and it would not be enough for the sense of power and of strength that now lived in Mina’s mind. That had bent her toward a Venus allowed to be queen.

“Well what are we supposed to do?” Mako split the silence, fists balled, looking from Usagi to Rei to Pluto, as if a leader might emerge. “Capture her? We’ll bring her in?”

Ami touched Mako’s arms. “We won’t have much luck. She’s so skilled...she knows us all so well. She taught us how to fight. She knows how to get around us.”

“I’m next in line for command.” Rei walked to the front of the table and jutted her chin out as she looked around the room, shoulders back. “We have to rush her, and we have to take her out, Before she picks us off one by one. Which she can,” She looked over the edge of the raised slash that came up to Usagi’s bare shoulder, “And she will.”

“No.” Haruka stood at the other end of the table, her jaw set “‘Kill Mina’ is not the solution here.”

“This is what I’m talking about!” Rei popped and spit, a firework just blossoming, “Nobody says you have to do it yourself, Haruka! Remember your bullshit about having to do things to save the world!? Well, now’s the time to pay up for all that talk.”

Haruka slammed a fist down on the table, and Usagi winced painfully. “Are you ever gonna fucking let that--”

“Don’t ask me,” Rei crossed her arms and tossed her hair, “Why don’t you ask Hotaru? Ask her why it was okay to kill her but not someone who’s actively trying to kill Usagi. Where was your emotional crisis then?”

“Rei.” It was a rebuke, as quiet as it was, a small steel rapier at the edge of Michiru’s tongue. “Enough.”

“I--” Haruka looked down at the table, and then over to Hotaru, fist still balled tightly. “I didn’t know you.”

Hotaru said nothing, simply shrugged and placed a hand on her cheek, leaning onto the table disinterestedly. “Whatever.”

Haruka swallowed and nodded to no one. “Well.” she tapped the table and stepped back. “I’m going after her. Usagi had her shot, and I get mine. No one has to come with,” she pushed her hair back and shook her head, “In fact? You know what? Don’t.”

Rei snorted. “She’ll kill you. I give you five minutes.”

“No she won’t. I don’t think. Maybe.”

Haruka was certain in her uncertainty, and Rei remembered the taste of Mina’s chapstick in her mouth, the way her hair had looked splayed against the dark of Rei’s as they had laid together on the tatami mat Mina had pulled outside, under the stars, the grass-sweetness of it mixing with the soft peach of Mina’s scent, as she made up stories about the constellations she saw in her own mind, not caring what others had seen in the stars.

She shut her eyes a moment and let the Sight show her what she wanted to See, that Haruka would be run through in an instant by Mina’s sword, and the Sight complied, the Sight believed, the Sight thought the odds were good.

And so, “Michiru, control your wife.” was all she said, glaring as she said it.  

MIchiru had her own Sight. It worked in concert with Rei’s but never in perfect parallel. It saw further, it saw more possibility, but all of them were just a touch blurrier than Rei’s, all of them required more context and a deftness of thought. Rei was not incorrect, if it came to hand to hand combat. Mina’s skill bested Haruka’s in all weathers, and unless remarkable luck was on Haruka’s side, she would die at Mina’s hand.

And this caused Michiru a sharp pain, one that seemed to come from the inside and wormed out of her chest, leaving her heart open and bare and exposed.

But Michiru could see possibilities that Rei sometimes could not, and on this day, as she looked into the wine that she swirled around and around her glass, another possibility appeared to her in the moving bubbles. That Haruka would listen to good counsel, that Haruka would not try to save Mina, that Haruka’s life would be spared and Mina defeated.

Rei was not wrong in this, either. They were likely to win the day, if they acted at once. Mina had been wise to name her as successor.

Michiru Saw this, and she Saw Haruka, carrying Mina’s body home. She saw the two of them laughing on Michiru’s balcony, sipping back beers. Michiru Saw Haruka struggling to say anything about Mina at her funeral, crumpling the cards in her hands. She saw Haruka grinning as she planned a trip with Mina, trying not to be too excited that she had a friend who simply liked her without wanting anything. Who liked her as the tough and tender butch disaster she was. She Saw the thousand small ways that Haruka would blame herself, for not trying hard enough, for trying too hard, for not saying this, for saying that.

And she Saw Haruka’s slow decline, a whirlpool from which she could not recover, years of struggling and fighting and clawing against herself only to lose in the end. Years of pain and drink and exhaustion, in a battle Haruka could not win.

This was too cruel for Michiru. Perhaps a younger version of herself might have believed she could be all Haruka needed, that Haruka’s tenderness and tendency toward self-hatred could be pruned easily enough, that she could make Haruka into the stone wall she needed to be. But the Michiru who had loved her knew better. That what made Haruka her brilliant, beautiful, beloved girl was also her downfall. That the girl Haruka was today could not survive it, and it was only the slow bleed of a gut shot.

The girl Michiru was today loved her too much to allow it.

But even she was surprised when she opened her mouth as she walked toward Haruka. “Is this something you feel you must do?”

Haruka nodded. “I have to try. She’d do the same thing for me.”

Michiru’s mind moved to the idea of whether or not that were true, but in the end, she supposed, it only mattered that it was true to Haruka, and waved off the thought.

She held Haruka’s hands in hers, and looked up at her. “Please be careful. I love you so.” She kissed Haruka softly. “And Mina is not herself.”

“What do you think you’re going to do?” Rei shrieked in disbelief, hands on her hips, “Kiss her and break the spell, Prince Charming?”

“I don’t know, okay?” She squeezed Michiru’s hands and then softly let them drop. “If she kills me then, I guess, go ahead and do whatever. She twisted at her henshin ring, considering it a moment.  “I’m going.” She leaned in and kissed Michiru, cupping her cheek. “I love you. I’m coming back, okay?”

Michiru smiled. “One way or the other, I believe that’s so.”

She left the house, grabbing her sweater and shutting the door behind her, all the girls sitting in the silence for a moment.

“You sent her to her death.” Rei said, more as a question than an accusation.

“A less cruel one, perhaps.” Michiru barely whispered as she wandered back to her glass of wine and her window.

Usagi stood up. “We can’t let them hurt each other! Rei!”

“Usagi,” Rei drew her into her arms. “There’s no ‘let’ here, I--Haruka sent herself on a suici--well she wanted to do it, you saw, and Mina’s. Not herself.”

Usagi’s lip wobbled again, another hill of sobbing on the horizon. “What if she...hurts Haruka?”

“If she kills Haruka, hell itself will not be able to hide her from me, and so there is that consolation.” Michiru punctuated the thought with a deep drink of wine.

Usagi let out a small sob as she buried herself in Rei’s shoulder. Ami squeezed Mako’s hand, glancing up at her in a reassurance she did not feel. Pluto laid a hand on Hotaru’s head, who shrugged again, unsure of how she felt, or how she was meant to feel. But Michiru simply went out the window and stared at a sea she could not see, the rush of the waves roaring in her ears.

And Haruka clutched her ring tightly as she walked, believing in old, old magics, hoping they believed in her.

[docholligay]

I'd love to hear your commentary on "Shatter"!

Shatter

Shatter was a commission I did for @rhiorhino based on : Where are the senshi now and how are they coping with being broken? ANd I laughed when I got it, but I knew it would probably be MaS, and I knew that it would be a really good opportunity to do stuff in the very beginning of MaS, which I hadn’t really played around with as much, i’d only done it in Pop. 

I knew from the beginning I wanted to close with Usagi, and so I sort of worked my way back from there. 

Mako was hard for me because I don’t write her very much, but I knew I wanted to bring gardening and flower imagery into it, something she’d always loved, and make it mocking, make it something that has been taken away from her, if only for the moment (Mako grows up to get married and have a bakery and twins and a huge garden she’ll be fine) and I was always really pleased with the way that worked in this

What would she even yell at them for, if she could, if her voice could carry as the scent of rose and honeysuckle? For daring to grow, and daring to bloom, and daring to be something she loved that was still alive, out of all the things she had loved, that had been the one blooming and smiling and

But flowers grow from death and decay, don’t they? That has always been true, you know that, Mako. You are a rose of perfect beauty, grown in the rich fertilizer of your loss.

I’ve thought about that a lot, how it’s the decay of other things that makes flowers grow, and how that’s applied to so much of Mako’s life, and so I was really delighted to have a chance to use that imagery. 

For Mina, I really wanted to focus on the guilt of the situation–Mina really struggles in this AU with the fallout longest of all, emotionally, and it’s a solid decade before she manages to work her way through the pain of it, and I wanted to really work with that sense of things. That, as leader, she should have been hurt. She should have suffered. She’s taken so much pride in her skill before, but now it all seems so hollow. 

One thing i OFTEN like to dig into is the idea that having been chosen to be a Senshi is not necessarily the most positive thing on earth, and I really am proud when I can go there in small symbolic ways like this:

She snorted to herself and crossed her arms across her chest, the gold band hitting against the inside of her arm and pinching tight.

I love those tiny moments, I think they tend to serve things the best. 

With Rei I got to play a lot with Seeing and seeing, and how right now she can really do neither. She’s still bandaged, and her powers are gone (I always have her and Michiru both keep tiny tiny slivers of them: Rei knows when the phone is about to ring, for example) and it was kind of a gift to Jetty to have Rei blinded in battle and continue to fight that thing like a complete badass. I think I like this spot the least, though. 

Usagi’s I really liked. I don’t ALWAYS research my fics, but for this part I went down a really bizarre hole about Japanese vending machines. I don;t know, I’m a complete weirdo, and so then I used it for the idea that it was something Usagi would memorize, and sort of assign to each of her Senshi, and I think that actually worked really well as something Usagi would know and pay attention to. 

It was my plan for a long long long time in MaS to have Michiru essentially decline to speak with Usagi for a pretty lengthy period of time. To hand in a very formal resignation, and it’s really only after Rei and Mina marry that Michiru even thinks about being a bit kinder to her, about being generous with her, but by that point Haruka is happy and they have their first daughter and so she feels far more charitable. But in the beginning, she’s just furious in her Michiru way. And she rejects Usagi, over and over. 

What I liked about playing with Usagi is this idea that she’s no longer the princess and so she no longer rules, she no longer has full reign over her power, and her healing is gone, she’s only Usagi now, and how does that work with a girl who’s used to getting her way in these matters? 

So much of Usagi’s life goes awry when it all ends: I actually have her marry Mamoru shortly after this because she wants SOMETHING good to happen, and they’re destined and they love each other, right? But Usagi suffers, and then she learns and I promise she ends up just as happy as everyone else. 

Thank you so much for sending this! 

[docholligay]

Another one for @keyofjetwolf‘s birthday fic day. I SOFTBALLED THE FIRST ONE TO MYSELF, and now we did something hard--all Usagi feelings.It DEF has the shade of me, and Michiru DEF features, but I tried very hard. 1,003 words. MY GOAL IS TO GET AT LEAST ONE MORE OUT TONIGHT

The princess has a duty, and the princess has a reason, and the princess has a price.

Usagi Tsukino remembered Michiru saying those words long ago, in a half-daze, after a battle. Or maybe it wasn’t long ago at all, it just felt that way now, it just felt legendary, it felt like a story in a book, already. Maybe everything else had just happened so fast, that it felt it must be stretched out, couldn’t possibly have been the work of a few brief years.

But that couldn’t be right, for nothing felt fast, now. Every second was another moment added to her agony, every minute of life her soul dragged broken over broken glass.

She was hope incarnate. She had never believed that anything ended, ever, not really. Not when any of the villains had threatened to take anyone she loved. Not even when it seemed to have worked. She had tried, and she had believed, and it had been ENOUGH.

And then Haruka had stayed dead.

She hadn’t faded, and no talisman had come from her, and there was no great final speech. She had simply bled and struggled and died, and that had been the end of it. Just a girl, her white tshirt peeking out from under her lavender shirt that she’d bought just a day earlier, the protests that it was flattering on blondes still echoing through the air, a stark red against it.

Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown, Usagi thought Michiru had said, drunk off wine that cost more than Mako’s monthly stipend and on a tear, her eyes focused and direct into Usagi’s.

But she had never thought that, never imagined this day where she called that they be given back only to be answered by the unkind quiet of the endless nothing, not even an echo to comfort her.

This was worse than the quiet. This was the laughter of a world that would never return anyone to her,that would take and take, and when we come victorious to the steps of Crystal Tokyo, who will stand behind you, Queen Serenity? Who will be left?

One less, now. It is always one. The senshi picked off like bottles of beer on the wall, but never had it come so close, never yet had it reached that inner circle  of the dartboard she called her friends.

But now.

Usagi let out a sob, as if all the sobs before it had meaning, as if they had affected any change at all, as if she would cry high enough to the heavens, and it would all be reversed.

She was ashamed to know, that the prices before had been painful, but prices she had been willing to pay.

The price was now too high. The price was Rei.

The knowledge of that turned and twisted in her gut, Rei’s death, Usagi’s life, and the knowing that all the prices she had paid before that were nothing compared to the bitter pain of the dissipation of smoke, leaving only the quiet and clear and terrible air.

Rei, every streetlamp shuddered into the night, their light against the darkness as her flame had consumed the dark in Usagi’s life. Maybe she had always ever been cheerful only because of Rei’s nearness. Was that the secret all along? Usagi could not remember a time before Rei, not in the real way,where you remember things so well you feel them,where everything seems true.

Solitude sometimes is best society, Michiru had said, but not written, as she sat alone in a snow-covered garden, her breath curling in the air like Rei’s smoke used to.

Usagi had never understood that: How could it be best to be alone, ever?

Now she knew. You learned things, the older you got, the further you went down the road, and now, sitting alone in her room, it did not feel good (Could anything, ever again?) but it felt right.

She had rejected Mako and Ami’s calls, had Mina sent away by her parents when she came, the Queen, oh the queen can have anyone sent away she desires, she had ignored Mamoru’s gifts. She simply wanted to be alone, and she wanted to think.

That thinking might be the enemy had never occurred to her.

And so she thought on Rei, on her body lying in the dirt, on the words she last told Usagi, laded with love and with the sharp snap Rei always had, the one more comforting to Usagi than any hug, the sarcastic tone that made her believe everything was okay. But she hadn’t been okay, she had lied, it had been like Haruka, like Hotaru, the blood and the struggle and lying so still and so quiet and no force in the universe to bring her back.

The wail Usagi gave was angry and pained and guilty. What use was the silver crystal if it could bring Rei back? What use was it if it could not have protected her in the first place? What use was love, the basis of her inner senshi’s powers, if it could do nothing but hurt?

She gave into it. She let the love fall away from her, she let the light of hope dim and die, she let herself feel all the pain of losing that thing so precious to her. SHe didn’t care about Crystal Tokyo. She didn’t care about the world. She didn’t care about the people that might live or die, or whether they might find peace or war. She didn’t care about duty, or reason...but oh, the price.

Someday, you will be the one to pay, Michiru had said, before she sailed off into the enemy, another invoice laid at Usagi’s feet, the price of a ticket to Crystal Tokyo.

She had cried and hollered and sobbed about losing, and how the cost was too much.

But it was a lie. She didn’t know losing, then. She didn’t know about cost.

She knew it now.

[docholligay]

Below

Hey there! This is a commissioned fic from my Patreon! Thanks to @yamadara87 for sponsoring this, and me. It means so much to me, that you believe in me. I really hope you like this. 2200 words. 

Mina often imagined herself the heroine of some great story, where the symbolism and meaning of it all danced around her, where her every thought was narrated by someone who had perhaps won some sort of acting award, one of those steady and brilliant sounding voices giving word to her most thoughtful imaginings.

 But also, she reflected, as the heroine of the great tale told upon our page, Mina reflected that a certain narrative convenience would always be at play in bringing peril to her doorstep.

 And it was this narrative convenience, and personal inconvenience, that led her to be trapped in a cave, in the dark, just a little drop of sunlight illuminating the shadows of her small team, with no idea where the others were, and only Rei, Michiru, and Haruka beside her. She had noticed the author of her legendary life seemed to be very fond of these characters, as she consistently found herself forced to work with them, despite Rei’s intractability, Michiru’s impossibility, and Haruka’s idio--Mina erased the word from the passage. Haruka tried hard.

 In fact, she was currently wailing on the rocks that blocked the entrance with her sword, trying to get them out of there. Whatever tiny gram of patience Haruka possessed was rapidly dissipating as the stones, shockingly, refused to move from their positions.

 Haruka threw down her sword and threw up her hand. “WOOORL--”

 Mina ran across the room with the grace and swiftness of a deer, she would think to tell the author later, and tackled Haruka to the ground. “Are you fucking stupid?!” (dialogue gave her somewhat less of an opportunity to self-edit, she noted.) “Are you trying to have it cave in?? On top of us??”

Haruka did not move from her position under Mina’s elbow, as if acknowledging she belonged there, but her mouth could not help but protest. “I was just gonna clear the rocks away from--”

 “The top of the cave?! Onto the much better place of your fucking brain??”

 “....no.” She placed her hands underneath her chin, and pouted.

 “I love you, but you gotta develop some critical thinking skills, bud.” She slapped her on the butt and rose to her feet, dusting off. “Squidward, Fireball, you got any ideas other than drowning us or setting us on fire?”

 Of all the things she could be admired for, she liked her wit the best.

 Michiru rolled her eyes and walked by MIna without acknowledging her, collecting her wife from the floor of the cave. But, Mina would have the reader note, without arguing that she had been wrong in her correction of Haruka.

 Rei mumbled to herself, and a tiny sliver of flame hovered above her palm. Mina would never confess this to anyone but the biographer of her fascinating life, but she had a great admiration for Rei’s control of her element. Haruka could either cause an earthquake or do nothing at all, Mako was the same. Michiru might have been able to develop a true command of her element, if she gave anything to her duty other than the shrugging admission of requirement. Hotaru was encouraged to use hers as little as possible, what with the potential murder of the world. Pluto was something else entirely.

 Rei was unique, Mina considered, in that her element spoke to her and she spoke back to it, and she commanded it as surely as Mina commanded her own element, which was, of course, people.

 The flame lit the walls of the cave, illuminating the long, dark pathway deeper inside the mountain. Though Mina had no desire to enter the Mines of Moria (make sure to include a footnote for the less well read, she thought to herself) her other options seemed to be allowing Haruka to continue to fruitlessly hack away at the giant pile of rocks at the door, or sitting there until help came, which might never come.

 Aside from all that, she was getting bored.

 “Well,” she put her hands on her hips, “let’s go, I guess.”

 “Oh,” Michiru said, in that voice that had become, to Mina, very much like a screeching violin string, “I’ve so glad you have a rich familiarity with the layout of this cave, how terribly fortunate for us.”

 “You know what, Neptune, if you’ve got a better idea besides sitting here, I’m ready to hear it.”

 Michiru did not acknowledge that she had no parry to Mina’s hit, simply gave a noncommittal wave of her hand and a shrug.

 Though it was true that Mina did not have any more desire to go into the deep than anyone else, it was also true that she felt it part of her duties to put on the brave face that the other girls required to carry on with their own. She considered herself rather skilled at such, and noted that the mask the very chipper wear could be as concealing as any Michiru one might come across, and thought herself quite poetic for having had the thought.

 She nodded to Rei. “You, up front with me. Uranus, bring up the rear.”

 She considered, briefly, making some joke about that, but she was now, as ever, the consummate professional, and so, she stopped herself, and simply peered into the dark.

 The walls of the cave were coated with black soot, which fluttered away from the wall like elegant powder when it was touched, covering  them in the foundation of the underworld.

It was, Mina considered, one of those things writers generally called omens. Or symbols. Leitmotifs. She fell asleep a lot in English class.

 She did not have to consider this situation, or what it might mean, for very long, as the answer was presented to her in one furious roar and an explosion of flame that narrowly missed them all. Mina could smell the burn of the tips of her hair.

 “Split!” Her immediate strategy took over, and it was easier to hit one group than two. If they could could flank it, they might be able to figure out how to defeat it. If they could figure out what it was they were flanking.

 She recognized it, from the battlefield, earlier. They must have wounded it somehow, and it had gone to ground, and now it was here, thirty feet tall, at least, created of the deepest core of the earth, the hot red of the magma seeping through the black soot of its skin, like a system of roads in the darkness. It held a whip of curled fire that roared through the air like a comic and cracked against the walls, shooting off sparks and embers like fireworks popping in the night.

 It would have almost been poetic, if it hadn’t been actively trying to kill them.

 “Well, at least we know he’s not going after Usagi.” Rei looked over at Mina as they tucked behind the rock.

 The fire whip hit the edge of the rock, showering sparks over the two of them.

 Mina grinned. “And they say you aren’t an optimist.”

 Mina had often considered, it should be known, that wide swath of elements that encompassed their powers was not a bug, but a feature. It allowed for someone with her level of strategy to angle out of nearly any situation, if she could just come up with the combination.

 Her soldiers did not often have the same consideration, regrettably, and so Rei stood up and fired her circle of flame.

 “Mars, he is MADE. OF. FIRE.” She yanked Rei down behind the rocks as a giant beam of flame burned the edge of the cave wall behind her.

 Rei opened her mouth to argue, for a moment, Mina assumed, to debate that her fire was somehow stronger than any other fire, and that she could win if Mina just stayed out of it. But in a rare moment of consideration, Rei simply closed her mouth again and pouted.

 “Where the hell is Neptune?” Mina looked around the very edge of the rocks. “Awkward, when you NEED Neptune, but desperate times.”

 She heard Haruka yell in the distance, which, she thought future generations might know, is the closest thing that anyone had ever devised to a cat bell for Michiru. How far off? The acoustics of the cave made it difficult to tell, but they were getting closer.

 Michiru was not a particularly stupid woman, as much as it personally pained Mina to admit it (and it should be known that she found it incredibly personally painful) and so she could not imagine how or why Michiru had not already fired off a classic Deep Submerge.

 She popped her head up, to where Michiru and Haruka tried to fight the dangerous thing that was threatening to overcome them, and all became clear. The creature, whatever it was or had been, had Haruka up against the wall of the cave, and Michiru would have submerged her, too.

 Haruka was not known for her swimming.

 And, Mina knew, if the choice came between all them burning endlessly in an underground cave for a thousand years, or Michiru having to risk potentially drowning Haruka, she had better grab a match.

 Michiru criticized Usagi for being unable to sacrifice, but then, again, Michiru had never claimed not to be a hypocrite.

 Mina jumped up from behind the rock, swinging her chain wide, Rei hot on her heels, narrowly in out of the chain’s reach. Mina hoped that people would realize, in the face of her imminent failure, that she was well aware this thing was going to melt her chain. It was inevitable, and she knew the laws of physics. Was this physics? Physics.

 But distraction was what she was aiming for, just narrow enough that Haruka could escape, and maybe they could all live, if Michiru was quick on the draw.

 “Neptune!” She called from behind, readying her throw, “Get ready!”

 She tossed the chain out, securing it around the creature’s arm, the fire of the whip winging back and nearly hitting Rei, who deftly jumped to the right, still scowling at the thing which dared intrude upon her personal space. MIna planted her feet and yanked, channeling every bit of her power into the chain, even as it melted against the molten flesh of the creature.

 It took one step back, and that was enough.

 Haruka dashed and slid under it, coming to rest just behind it at Mina’s feet.

 “Nep--”

 “Deep submerge!” She let loose before Mina could finish her name, and there was a glow in her eye which any other person might reasonably mistake for the red of the creature, reflected. But Mina knew better. It was anger, burning hot, that her love had been used against her, that her weakness had been exposed, and now this creature was going to pay.

 She thought to add a footnote, later, that the inscrutable Michiru was occasionally very easy to understand.

 The damage was swift and immediate, the creature overwhelmed by the sheer force and cold of Michiru’s attack, the salt slipping into its cracks and exploding against the heat of it, its skin black with freeze of her dark water.

 Mina looked behind her, just for a moment, and saw the tiny pinprick of light, at the end of a deep tunnel on the other end, and risked. Who knew what else could be down here?

 “Uranus! Hit it!” She pulled Rei toward the tunnel, “We’re gonna have to move.” Knowing better than to try and pull Michiru along, she simply mentioned to her, as she passed, “you might want to get ready to run.”

 Haruka called down the force into the earth, and the entire cave trembled, shrieks of whatever other monsters might lie beneath echoing through the space. Mina pushed Rei toward the tunnel, and ignored whatever words she spit back. Rei was useless here, mostly, and she knew that whatever grumbling she was doing was mostly resistance to that terrible fact which had not dared consult her before coming into being.  

 MIchiru and Haruka raced toward the tunnel, narrowly missing the rocks falling from the ceiling. MIna turned and burst toward the light, hoping she had judged right, thinking she must have, that she had imagined a million endings to her own story and none of them were as undignified as this.

 She was right, on both counts, in that they escaped into the summer sun as the walls came crashing down, and also in that they were deposited by the force of it onto the grass, in a manner no one could rightfully call dignified.

 Michiru recovered immediately, smoothing her hair and adjusting her skirt. She touched Haruka’s arm, who was sprawled out on the grass, face down.

 “Haruka? Are you quite all right?”

 Haruka popped up. “I TOLD you my powers would work!”

 Mina rolled her eyes, noting that Rei had released her transformation, and so it must be safe to do so. She slipped hers off, grateful that the quip meant that everyone was more or less okay.

 “Okay bud, next time I’ll just let you kill us all.”

 On the horizon, she saw the other girls, collected, and seemingly safe.

 Another victory in the books.