1st New Era [Video]

[kazeninaru]

Oi. This place is boring. Anybody got something to do around here?

[There’s a smirking, masculine face with angled turquoise eyes and a mop of dusty-gold hair on the network, one that could be male or female, and who could really guess which unless they already knew? Apparently Haruka’s startled fiddling at last with the video function on her little gift from the kupo-thing. She looks tense, wound up, and like she hasn't had the best of days, but she’s kept that smirk on her face, anyway, putting forth a mask of cocky bravado.]

Work to do? Building to destroy? Enemies to take out a little frustration on?

[She hefts her Space Sword in her free hand, showing the camera, so whoever sees this knows she means business and can handle herself.]

I’ll take what I can get. Call me if you’ve got anything.

[And then she flips the communicator shut, ending the feed. This'd better net her something to do, because if she doesn't find something to do, perferably something constructive she's gonna go nuts.]

Comments

[Video]

[with_elegance]

That's where everyone arrives for the most part, I think.

[She hesitates a little at the questioning.] I don't know. I've been here... a month I think. It's a strange place. But... the others are here too. Almost all of us. And now you're here too. [Thank heavens] I'm so glad.

[Though her brow furrows a little, uncertain.] Before?

Re: [Video]

[kazeninaru]

Before!

[The last thing Haruka remembers is dying, hand in hand, for lack of a Star Seed and a failed plan. Her voice is a little hoarse as she speaks; she doesn't know why her partner doesn't remember.]

We can talk about it when I see you. Not over this-- communicator thing. Where are you?

[Video]

[with_elegance]

Before we were here you mean. [A hesitant sort of pause.] This place is strange. And does strange things with... well, time.

[She nods though.] No, not over this thing. Too many listening ears. I'm on my way to you. I won't be long.

[Video => Action]

[kazeninaru]

[Haruka doesn't have any idea what to say to that. Strange things with time? So she just gives her partner a dubious look and says,]

Good. Ja.

[And she shuts the thing off, tucks it in a pocket along with her transformation wand, and starts downstairs to wait for Michiru out in front of the hotel. She's pacing by the time Michiru gets there, hands stuffed in said pockets, and one wrapped around said wand. Just in case. She's a little on edge.]

[Action]

[with_elegance]

[She's there as quickly as she can be, which is relatively quickly. With everything that's gone on lately, she's taken to spending most of her days on a self-imposed sort of patrolling. It helps her keep her mind off dwelling on worry about her friends and whether they're losing their minds.

Something in her eases considerably when she turns the corner and sees Haruka there, in the flesh. It's barely perceptible, a faint relaxing in the stiffness about her posture, the set of her shoulders.

She walks over sedately though, stopping just within arms reach.] You're really here. Are you all right?

[Action forever!]

[kazeninaru]

[For a moment, seeing that familiar wavy hair and certain way of walking coming down the street all but stops Haruka's heart, and she stops pacing. Pulling one hand from her pockets, Haruka nearly reaches over to touch her. Michiru is usually the one who initiates things like that, though, so she hesitates, but then settles her fingers tentatively on Michiru's shoulder at last.]

Yeah. A lot better now.

[She's going for light-hearted, but it doesn't quite make it there.]

I thought you were dead. We were both dead.

[Action forever!]

[with_elegance]

[Michiru smiles, ducking her head just slightly. She lifts a hand of her own to settle atop Haruka's gently before taking a step closer and moving instead to wrap her arms around the other woman in a hug.

Those words though. They just have her tightening her hold. Dead? Then... the battle with Galaxia?] We were. [It's all a confusing blur for her. All she knows is Usagi saved them.]

[kazeninaru]

[With a sigh for having at least one thing the way it's supposed to be, Haruka returns the embrace, dropping her cheek to Michiru's hair. That doesn't stop her questions, though, it just turns her voice quieter.]

Then why didn't you come back when I did? Here? If we both died together....

[with_elegance]

[Michiru actually smiles at this, and peeks up at the blonde.] Because that's not how it ended, Haruka. Aah, maybe we should ask Setsuna about the ramifications of me telling you about something still in your future.

[kazeninaru]

What?

[Haruka lifts her head to stare down at Michiru in consternarion.]

My future? What are you talking about, Michiru? Galaxia killed us-- we left the princess to those outsiders-- what else happened?

[Had Michiru not died...? That was... ridiculously unfair, if so, and she was going to be pretty pissed.]

[with_elegance]

[Michiru is still smiling, quietly. But she nods, expression sobering.] She did. We died. We failed to protect her the way we should have.

[Now her smile resurfaces, small, but there.] But the Princess saved... everyone. Somehow.

[kazeninaru]

[Which had been what they'd counted on as their backup plan. Not necessarily on her saving everyone, since dead was dead as far as Haruka is concerned, but on her defeating Galaxia all on her own. But still...]

They told me that "darkness" had taken over the world. I thought... that meant we'd failed.

[Which is still hard to say, even if it... might not be true? She doesn't know what's true, anymore.]

[with_elegance]

[The backup plan had worked out better than they expected. Michiru nods though, brow furrowing in thought. She's considered her own being here a failure as well, if their world is lost to darkness, no matter what its source. Worst though was the thought that Haruka was lost, alone in that darkness. It was tearing at Michiru.]

Mm. I'm not sure what it means. I don't know where this darkness came from, but it isn't Galaxia. That much I'm certain of. ...I'm not so certain of what it is. But we still have to figure it out. And stop it. And we will.

[kazeninaru]

So there is something we can do? Something to fight?

[Even the thought that they hadn't had a chance to fight this is enough to make Haruka angry. Every threat in the past, there's been warnings. A chance to do something. This time, there was nothing? And Haruka has somehow missed out on even the resolution of the last threat, too.]

[with_elegance]

Creatures called heartless. And there have to be others controlling the darkness as well. [She's heard a name or two tossed around.]

And if people can emerge from the darkness that has to mean the worlds inside are reachable somehow too.

[A little pause and she adds, just a bit quieter.] And you're here now, Haruka.

[kazeninaru]

[That pulls Haruka's thoughts back from potential battle, and getting back into the fray, and she smiles down at Michiru, expression softening.]

Yes. I'm here. Finally, right? Since I left you waiting for so long.

[She tightens her arms around Michiru to make the point. Once was bad enough-- and she doesn't want to think about leaving poor Michiru alone for a whole month.]

[with_elegance]

Finally. [Michiru repeats with a smile, adding, her tone rather gently teasing.]

You're usually so quick. I might have started to worry a bit.

[It's an understatement, really. She'd been trying to learn to swallow the idea of being without the other woman. Her fingers curl just slightly into the fabric of Haruka's shirt for a moment, indulging in the proximity.]

[kazeninaru]

You? Worry about me? Come on, now. You know me better than that.

[Haruka nuzzles briefly into the wavy hair, then turns a little so she can walk with her arm around Michiru's shoulder. They can talk about battle soon. First, she wants to reassure herself Michiru's not going anywhere, and get the lay of the land.]

Why don't you show me around? Since I'm new here.

[with_elegance]

[A bit of a laugh, little more than a quiet exhaled sound and she ducks her head just a bit.] What was I thinking?

[But she's quick to fall into step with the blonde.] Probably a good idea. We can start it at least. There are multiple worlds reachable from here, but I can show you through Traverse Town. I've been staying somewhere else though, with the others.

[kazeninaru]

Others?

[Haruka twists to look down at her as they walk, keeping her arm around her shoulders, her expression surprised again. And a little bit apprehensive.]

What others? How many of us-- are here?

[with_elegance]

[Michiru glances over to Haruka as well.] Most of us. Hotaru, Usagi, Minako, Rei, Ami, Makoto, and Setsuna too. [She's wrong about the last, actually. Setsuna's recently gone, but Michiru has yet to make this discovery.]

[kazeninaru]

[At that list-- that long list-- Haruka looks a bit stunned. Again. Michiru keeps figuratively knocking her feet out from under here, today.]

Usagi's here? They're all here? Where is everyone?

[And are they going to have to hang around with all of them...?]

[with_elegance]

[A little nod at that.] They are. It can't be a coincidence.

[Well, they should stick close enough to keep an eye on the younger girls, shouldn't they? But Michiru rather thinks that they should get their own place at a minimum. Though maybe Hotaru would want to stay with them again, a bit like those days where they'd lived together, like a family.]

[kazeninaru]

[Haruka isn't really usually all that... sentimental about the other senshi. But this is their princess, who she and Michiru left behind, and who supposedly fixed the world.... So she swallows and asks,]

Can I see her? Sometime? You know, Usagi.

[She does tighten her arm around Michiru, though, just so her partner doesn't go thinking she'd rather see the princess.]

[with_elegance]

[Michiru understands the request, really. After all, knowing that Haruka's last memories before arriving here were of... that terrible time. Well. She smiles, and nods slowly.]

Of course. She'll want to see you too. I get the feeling, based on things she's half said, that the moment she was last in before being here wasn't the most pleasant either.

[The arm around her though, well, that's pleasant reassurance and has he smile softening.] We're all right, all of us, for the time being. And we have the chance to fight to reclaim our home.