Minako's Japan, Senshi Headquarters, Under the Crowne Arcade [Tokyo, Saturday Afternoon]
"NO!" Venus slammed her fist down on the console so hard the lights blinked, and she jabbed a gloved finger at the monitors while she glared at the feline traitors. "Look at her. LOOK. AT. HER. She is not ready for this. She isn't. She's a child. You can't do this to her."
The 'her' in question was visible on all the monitors in the place, all showing different views, different days. Live and recorded footage, and Minako's heart hurt. A blonde girl with twisty pigtails, maybe fourteen or fifteen, playing the Sailor V game somewhere above them right now. Her friend was laughing as she yelled at the machine, punching buttons as fast as she could. "She's a child," she repeated. "I can handle this by myself."
//Japanese, Minako,// Artemis snapped. //You can't stand out anymore. You have to be just like her. No English. No math skills. Nothing special. You are her double and her bodyguard and you have to be so like her that even we can't tell the difference. You weren't ready to be a Guardian either, when I woke you, but the Queen and I made you be ready.//
//Artemis, stop.// Luna, whom Minako had only meet two weeks ago when she came back from Fandom, and found the black cat living in the control room, didn't need to raise her voice. She never did. //Venus. She may not be ready now, but the Dark Kingdom will not wait until she's awakened on her own. You were only gone three months here, while you were at that school, but three months and yoma activity has skyrocketed. They are looking for her. They are looking for the Silver Imperium Crystal. We awaken her as Sailor Moon, or they will kill her and this solar system will be enslaved forever.//
//This is a STUPID PLAN.// No, Minako wasn't done yelling, even if Artemis was going to make her switch languages. //We should be hiding her, not putting her on the front lines. She's safer as a civilian. Send her to Fandom, or England, if you're so worried, but you are not going to force her into this fight!//
//The safest place for her is where they will never look for her, and that's as a Sailor Guardian. The princess was never a solider. They will not be looking for her in your ranks. For all they know, Sailor Moon is a nobody, some Moon Priestess who has been reborn as a Guardian specifically to find the crystal and awaken the princess. She is safest if she's a Guardian and you do your job and act as a decoy!// Artemis retorted, ignoring Luna for once. //It was against my better judgement, but you got your chance to play at being normal and go to high school with other children and pretend to be a girl and a superhero and have your friends and your crushes and your exams. But recess is done, and you have to save the world. Defend your princess. Do your duty, Venus.//
//Enough, Artemis.// Luna padded over, winding her way between Minako's ankles before hopping up on the computer to look her in the eyes. //Minako-chan. Why are you fighting with us on this? Who are you trying to protect? Her? Or yourself?//
//Her.// Minako's voice was soft and she squeezed her eyes shut so that she wouldn't cry, leaning forward to rest her forehead against the monitor displaying the live feed from directly above them as she fought back the flickering memories that always threatened to overwhelm her at times like this and leave Minako behind forever, leaving only Venus. //Always her.//
She took a moment before straightening up, the hurt vanishing like it had never been there in the first place. She strode towards the door, her heels clicking against the smooth floor as she retrieved her mask from where it was hanging on the wall. //Fine. Artemis, begin the operation. Block Luna's memories and put her into position, do what you two want to do, but I am not going to stay here to watch you do it. Give me the report later. Much later.//
//Minako-chan, where are you going?// Luna asked, worried. //Stop, please.//
//I'm going to do my duty, remember?// No, it wasn't bitterness, but it was close, and Minako slipped the mask over her eyes, leaving only the crescent moon on her forehead showing above the grim line of her mouth. //I'm going to go be showy all over town, stop some crime, pose for some pictures and sign some autographs, bait some yoma into picking a fight, and take great personal satisfaction in beating the crap out of them since it's not like I can talk about this in therapy.//
Artemis winced. //Minako, I...//
//Stop, okay? Just stop. I love being a Guardian, I do. I was born for this.// The mirrored lenses of the mask obscured Minako's eyes from Artemis, and he suddenly wished he could take it all back. //But I hate you for doing this to her. She's happy the way she is, she has hopes and dreams and friends, and I can't stand here and watch you take that away from her. Just... don't talk to me for a bit. I need some air.//
The feline guardians sat in silence as Venus stepped through the portal, waiting until even their senses couldn't pick up her footsteps anymore. //We could try it her way,// Artemis said finally. //She's good, Luna, she's very good. She might be able to do this on her own. We might not have to wake the others.//
"No, Artemis." The voice came from the speakers all around them, and both cats sat up at attention at the sound. "She doesn't know it, but Minako needs Serenity just as much as Serenity needs Minako. I agree that time has run out, but we must love and honor Minako for trying to protect Serenity's innocence for even the tiniest bit longer." The lights on the console blinked in time with the words, as if the computer itself was speaking. "The training games she conceived for Serenity are acceptable. Artemis, upload them into the Sailor V game, then take a look at the dossiers Minako has assembled on the girls she thinks may be sleeping Guardians. Her instincts are good, and I want you to put surveillance protocols in place. Luna..." the voice hesitated before continuing. "It's time."
"Awaken my daughter."
[OOC: Establishy. So ends Codename: Sailor V and begins Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon. NFB, but texts/phone calls/etc while Minako is out being a superhero are totally OK.]
The 'her' in question was visible on all the monitors in the place, all showing different views, different days. Live and recorded footage, and Minako's heart hurt. A blonde girl with twisty pigtails, maybe fourteen or fifteen, playing the Sailor V game somewhere above them right now. Her friend was laughing as she yelled at the machine, punching buttons as fast as she could. "She's a child," she repeated. "I can handle this by myself."
//Japanese, Minako,// Artemis snapped. //You can't stand out anymore. You have to be just like her. No English. No math skills. Nothing special. You are her double and her bodyguard and you have to be so like her that even we can't tell the difference. You weren't ready to be a Guardian either, when I woke you, but the Queen and I made you be ready.//
//Artemis, stop.// Luna, whom Minako had only meet two weeks ago when she came back from Fandom, and found the black cat living in the control room, didn't need to raise her voice. She never did. //Venus. She may not be ready now, but the Dark Kingdom will not wait until she's awakened on her own. You were only gone three months here, while you were at that school, but three months and yoma activity has skyrocketed. They are looking for her. They are looking for the Silver Imperium Crystal. We awaken her as Sailor Moon, or they will kill her and this solar system will be enslaved forever.//
//This is a STUPID PLAN.// No, Minako wasn't done yelling, even if Artemis was going to make her switch languages. //We should be hiding her, not putting her on the front lines. She's safer as a civilian. Send her to Fandom, or England, if you're so worried, but you are not going to force her into this fight!//
//The safest place for her is where they will never look for her, and that's as a Sailor Guardian. The princess was never a solider. They will not be looking for her in your ranks. For all they know, Sailor Moon is a nobody, some Moon Priestess who has been reborn as a Guardian specifically to find the crystal and awaken the princess. She is safest if she's a Guardian and you do your job and act as a decoy!// Artemis retorted, ignoring Luna for once. //It was against my better judgement, but you got your chance to play at being normal and go to high school with other children and pretend to be a girl and a superhero and have your friends and your crushes and your exams. But recess is done, and you have to save the world. Defend your princess. Do your duty, Venus.//
//Enough, Artemis.// Luna padded over, winding her way between Minako's ankles before hopping up on the computer to look her in the eyes. //Minako-chan. Why are you fighting with us on this? Who are you trying to protect? Her? Or yourself?//
//Her.// Minako's voice was soft and she squeezed her eyes shut so that she wouldn't cry, leaning forward to rest her forehead against the monitor displaying the live feed from directly above them as she fought back the flickering memories that always threatened to overwhelm her at times like this and leave Minako behind forever, leaving only Venus. //Always her.//
She took a moment before straightening up, the hurt vanishing like it had never been there in the first place. She strode towards the door, her heels clicking against the smooth floor as she retrieved her mask from where it was hanging on the wall. //Fine. Artemis, begin the operation. Block Luna's memories and put her into position, do what you two want to do, but I am not going to stay here to watch you do it. Give me the report later. Much later.//
//Minako-chan, where are you going?// Luna asked, worried. //Stop, please.//
//I'm going to do my duty, remember?// No, it wasn't bitterness, but it was close, and Minako slipped the mask over her eyes, leaving only the crescent moon on her forehead showing above the grim line of her mouth. //I'm going to go be showy all over town, stop some crime, pose for some pictures and sign some autographs, bait some yoma into picking a fight, and take great personal satisfaction in beating the crap out of them since it's not like I can talk about this in therapy.//
Artemis winced. //Minako, I...//
//Stop, okay? Just stop. I love being a Guardian, I do. I was born for this.// The mirrored lenses of the mask obscured Minako's eyes from Artemis, and he suddenly wished he could take it all back. //But I hate you for doing this to her. She's happy the way she is, she has hopes and dreams and friends, and I can't stand here and watch you take that away from her. Just... don't talk to me for a bit. I need some air.//
The feline guardians sat in silence as Venus stepped through the portal, waiting until even their senses couldn't pick up her footsteps anymore. //We could try it her way,// Artemis said finally. //She's good, Luna, she's very good. She might be able to do this on her own. We might not have to wake the others.//
"No, Artemis." The voice came from the speakers all around them, and both cats sat up at attention at the sound. "She doesn't know it, but Minako needs Serenity just as much as Serenity needs Minako. I agree that time has run out, but we must love and honor Minako for trying to protect Serenity's innocence for even the tiniest bit longer." The lights on the console blinked in time with the words, as if the computer itself was speaking. "The training games she conceived for Serenity are acceptable. Artemis, upload them into the Sailor V game, then take a look at the dossiers Minako has assembled on the girls she thinks may be sleeping Guardians. Her instincts are good, and I want you to put surveillance protocols in place. Luna..." the voice hesitated before continuing. "It's time."
"Awaken my daughter."
[OOC: Establishy. So ends Codename: Sailor V and begins Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon. NFB, but texts/phone calls/etc while Minako is out being a superhero are totally OK.]