Sew, a needle pulling thread...

[waterfell]

Mizuno Ami is sitting cross-legged on her bed, working on a sewing project. She seems experienced as she deftly nudges the needle through the cloth. But the real surprise is that a closer look at her project reveals it to be a likeness of Tuxedo Kamen. And it's not a voodoo doll. Music is playing again, this time "Route Venus". Ami's popular

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[transcat]

Artemis has a hard enough trouble sleeping as is. Too many things weighing on his mind, Luna not giving him enough attention, Minako not giving him enough attention, constantly checking the news to make sure Makoto hasn't gone on another bloody rampage...

The stress builds up on a cat, you know?

And now Minako's wailing along to some bad pop song? This won't do. He stumbles into Ami's chambers, blinking blurrily around, then coughs to catch her attention. "Minako! I'm trying to sleep! Can you turn that racket..."

...Wait. That wasn't Minako. That was... Someone he didn't know. After a quick look down to make sure that Ami hadn't finally carried through on her threats to have him clipped, he licks his hair down, then moves to sit near Dark Ami's knee with an imperious "Mow."

[waterfell]

What? Mercury frowns as she glances down at the white cat with the far-too-distinctive crescent marking on his front. She smirks.

"This is interesting," she says. "Did you find your way here alone, Artemis?" She's very interested, in fact, and even turns the music down to be able to hear his answer.

After all, Artemis without Venus would be a rare sight for her; not precisely unheard-of, but strange enough to merit the question. And it's definitely smarter to feel out the situation before kicking him like she was tempted to at first. Consider it reflexes.

The fact she doesn't seem to at all be surprised by a talking cat is probably telling.

[transcat]

...Was this one of his fans from the nexus? This place is pretty obviously not home. Quick, switch to cute mode!

He smiles suddenly, or as best as a ~space cat~ can, and nods. "What, you think I can't wander around by myself?" He reaches up to place two paws on her chair. "I'm a cat, I'll have you know."

[waterfell]

She's amused, very amused. Which is probably all that's keeping him from rougher treatment. She's in a calm mood, but this is the mentor and adviser of the one sailor senshi who still stands in the way of the Dark Kingdom.

"Not at all!" she assures him lightly. "You're capable enough. I just wanted to know whether to get tea ready for other company."

[transcat]

"Tea would be just fine, thank you." He smiles at her, resting his chin on his paws. He honestly has no clue who she is, fortunately. "I don't think I'm being followed."

He'd know if he were being followed. He'd lose them damned quick.

[waterfell]

"I thought you stayed closer to Venus than that," Mercury mentions as if it doesn't matter very much. She ignores the 'request' for tea. She's not some sailor senshi mascot's servant. Or even hostess when he's here uninvited.

So that leaves the question of what to do with him. She can already guess he's not the Artemis she knows; that one is very used to her identity and this appearance and would certainly not be treating her so calmly. So this is another world's Artemis who's wandered here completely by accident.

He's really nothing to do with her at all.

If he's going to be here, though, she might be able to get a little relevant information. Ami sets the sewing aside on a small table while she debates what questions to ask.

[transcat]

He struggles for a moment, the crawls up unto her lap, positioning himself for maximum scritch zones. "She's a big girl, Venus can take care of herself." Beat. "Provided she isn't shopping."

[waterfell]

Well. She certainly hopes so. A private, inner smirk.

Everything's been fine until now, but the mangy cat putting himself in her lap is something Ami sees no reason to put up with. She slides her arm across to sweep him off of her and onto the floor, firmly bordering on roughly. Words aren't really necessary.

[transcat]

He gets the message easily enough, choosing to jump onto another part of the bed instead of the floor. He curls up there as if that'd always been the plan.

[waterfell]

"Good boy," Ami says a bit smugly.

[transcat]

"I'm not a dog." He mutters, laying his head on his paws. "I'm a space cat."

[waterfell]

"You're a 'space cat' coming here uninvited," Ami points out. "Want to explain yourself? It's already clear you're not the Artemis I know."

[transcat]

He sniffs disdainfully. "You're the one keeping me up with recordings of Minako singing. Did she cut a karaoke CD or something for you?"

[waterfell]

"It's from her latest album." You'd think he'd be picking up the hints and signs by now. Maybe he is. "You're in a nexus that connects a lot of worlds of the sailor senshi. She's a singing idol in most of them." Apparently not in his.

[transcat]

Oh, he suspected, but he didn't want to make any assumptions until she verified it for him. Artemis is frighteningly good at that kind of thing.

"...Oh Lord." He hids his eyes behind a leg. "...I can never tell her of this. she'd try to use that to get free concert tickets with Usagi in one of those universes."

[waterfell]

She can't deny that conclusion. She's seen Usagi - Usagis, even - absolutely shrieking over meeting the real live Aino Minako or scoring concert tickets or whatever else. And she's met more than one Minako frighteningly like Usagi. (So strange, that.) Ami snickers quietly.

"Imagine when Tsukino-san first found out Aino Minako was Sailorvenus," she points out dryly.