Just so everyone knows, I’m still here. I’d still love to RP! 

I put up a response for the Senshi thread. I’m not sure who’s next. If any of the Outers want to make an entrance, they are more than welcome, but for now, I’m going to say that V-babe picks up and we keep it moving. Does this work?

spallapalla:

iamsailorjupiterr:

bishoujosenshi-reihino:

iamsailorv:

What a horrible morning. Minako didn’t even bother getting out of bed till midday. She was out like a light as soon as her body hit the mattress once coming home from yesterday’s tragedy. The bruises were starting to show as well, looks as if it’ll be a long sleeve with tights and a skirt kind of day. Eventually, she shuffled out of bed, Artemis concerned for her and the others as ever, which was kind of him, however the blonde honestly didn’t want to hear what he had to say. In fact, she just wanted this all to be done with and to get moving on finding out how to revive Ami. They’d saved Usagi time and time again after her impending death, the Shitennou were back, so surely, surely they would find a way to save Ami. The question was, if she came back, once she came back, how would she take everything…according to the others, Nephrite brought out a darker side in her. One that caused terror and showed no mercy. Ami wasn’t like that. At all. It pained the Venusian to have to imagine that. 

Her day was dull and long and in time, the sun began to sink lower onto the horizon. It was time. She had gotten in contact with most if not all the senshi, give or take Rini and Setsuna. She understood that dealing with time and space was more difficult than she could even begin to comprehend. So, she marched off, wand handy just in case, though she highly doubted there would be any sort of ambush today, and made her way to Rei’s temple, up those long, steep stairs, the clacking of her heel against the concrete filling the silence that had surrounded her up till now, with a tiny breath of air released she was at the top, staring upon the building and cobblestone around her. She decided to not make things awkward from the start and give a friendly- “Hey! I’m here! Rei?”

Rei had hardly slept the previous night. She kept waking up suddenly for no reason. She hadn’t been dreaming that she could recall. Her day began sluggishly, sore from fighting and tired from her lack of sleep. Still, she went about her chores and helping people that came to the shrine occasionally, trying to keep her mind free from the same questions that had plagued her from the night before, and trying to shake the feeling she kept getting. Was it nervousness at seeing her friends again? I saw them last night, but it was only Usagi and Minako. Where were the others? Will they show up today? Makoto? Ami? Haruka? She had not seen any of the others in such a long while, she supposed it was partly her own fault for not trying to contact any of them. She had seen Makoto for a short while not too long ago, but the meeting had been brief. 

It was getting closer to sundown and Rei walked over to Yuuichirou where he was finishing up his sweeping. “The girls are coming over for a meeting. Promise me you won’t listen in this time.” He smiled and nodded. Rei squeezed his hand and went inside to change out of her shrine garb before the girls came over. I don’t want him to know how bad the fight was last night. She could still feel her muscles aching as she went back outside. I’m so out of shape, I need to work out more or something… Rei looked up as she heard a familiar voice drift throughout the shrine and quickly went to meet it at the steps. “Minako! Over here! Where are the others?” She let out a small sigh of relief at seeing her friend was well enough to make it. She looks as tired as I am. 

Waking up feeling sore all over had not been how she had imagined greeting the day, and judging by the looks of her hand grasping her communicator, Makoto had quickly deduced that she’d fallen asleep shortly after a message from one of her fellow senshi. She’d had a rather good night’s sleep, considering her return from a country whose time zone was a considerable amount of hours behind the normal schedule of Japan. There was no doubt she’d be feeling it as her day went on, the constant nagging of jet-lag refusing to go away just because she had things to do and people to see.

Makoto had spent the better part of her day mulling over the upcoming meeting with her friends, the ones she had left behind a month prior with the excuse of studying for exams and the promise of a speedy return. Exams turned out to be an impromptu trip to France, forsaking her duties, if only for a little while. Just the thought of her hiatus left her with an ill taste in her mouth, worried at how the others would react to her just showing up to a meeting after being away for so long. Even if her presence was requested, she felt unwelcome. Perhaps like she didn’t really have the right to meet with them at the temple; that she’d be committing some sort of sin showing her face there. Even if all the thoughts were a little extreme.

To keep her mind occupied until it was time to leave, Makoto had set to work in the kitchen making each of the girls’ favorite treats, being sure to make a significant amount for both Usagi and Minako. By the time she had everything wrapped neatly and her flat back to its tidy state, it was time to make her way to the shrine.

The walk to the shrine was pleasant enough, the cold air around her giving her time to try and gather her thoughts before being reunited with her friends…none of whom had bothered to communicate with her during her absence, probably due to the fact she had left both her communicator and henshin wand back home in Japan. It was the only proper way to go about a hiatus, to disconnect yourself from everything that you knew.

The sight of the shrine steps looming before her, the feeling of dread returned to the pit of Makoto’s stomach – tenfold. She had the right mind to turn around and leave, but she couldn’t. Her body going into autopilot, her feet began the journey up the stairs; each step growing steeper than the last, surely a product of her dread. Having reached the top, she looked around for any sign of her friends. “Minako? Rei? Ami-chan?” She walked around, the sound of chatter close by; she had found them. “Hey guys, I come bearing gifts…” Her voice trailed off, only seeing the two of them – Minako and Rei. “Minako’s here before Ami? That’s a little backwards. She will be here, yes?” She looked at the both of them, each seeming a little off; looking…tired? “Oh, I brought food…as always.” She handed the bag full of handmade goodies over to Minako. “Your favorites are all in there…I-I’m sorry I haven’t been around much.”

It was all she could manage to say, once faced with her closest friends.

Pallas dragged herself across the city, ignoring whatever looks she may get.  Which, from her experience thus far, probably wouldn’t be many; no one seemed to notice the odd activities, or now the bruises, the young girl seemed to regularly partake in.  She was able to cross the city beat up or in the dead of night alone and no one would question it.  It made her feel particularly alone.

She hadn’t even cared enough to try and cover her bruises and cuts.  Her arms and legs were revealed in the small blue dress and colors nice blacks and blues and the cut under her eye that now showed a nice purple color around it wasn’t going to be hidden no matter what she tried.  She knew she’d taken a beating; she’d known the night before as she ran around in her torn fuku.  She knew this morning when she saw them.  However, she didn’t feel them.  She didn’t feel the pain and she didn’t feel sore.  Then again, she wasn’t sure she felt much of anything at the moment.

She’d returned the night before after Pluto refused to let her through.  Pluto had told her to return to the past and attend the meeting, even being so kind as to tell Pallas where and when the meeting would be.  She didn’t sleep.  When Zoisite emerged from his room and opened her door to peek in at her, she closed her eyes and feigned sleep, unsure whether or not he believed her.  Soon after he left and she remained in that ball until it was close enough for her to head to the Shrine.

Lucky for her, the shrine existed in the future.  How Lady Mars had managed to protect it through the destruction of Tokyo and creation of Crystal Tokyo, Pallas never figured out.  She’d been there more than once with Mars, mostly when Mars was training the girls to use her powers of foresight.  Mars wasn’t the main Shrine Maiden anymore, opting instead to do her rituals in the Palace Shrine, but she still returned her shrine frequently.

So Pallas found it with ease and sighed when she saw the long line of steps leading to the top.  She begrudgingly dragged herself up step by step.  She took longer than she should have, would have, if she thought she could move that fast.

She heard voices immediately upon hitting the top stair.  Minako, Rei, and Makoto must have just arrived because she heard her greeting and questions.  Asking where Ami was, why she was late.  Pallas signed continued foward quietly, making her presence known when she was close enough, “Lady Rei, you’ve much too many stairs even in this time period.”

She glanced between Makoto and Rei.  Though she’d met Makoto, it’d been under the pretense of being Ami’s cousin.  And she hadn’t yet met Rei in this time period, so without a bow or any form of grace, something that her mother and father would disapprove of, she introduced herself, “Sailor Pallas of the Crystal Tokyo, protector of Small Lady.”

Usagi had woke up late as usual, but today was not like any other day. She still felt eerily cold, and the feeling of discontent was still plaguing her - even after a night in Mamo-chan’s arms. Never one to let herself be bothered with that kind of stuff, Usagi dressed in a loose fitting white knit sweater, one that had a thick collar. It was needed, because her injury, although healed, had now bruised into a distinctive violet stain across her whole shoulder. It even snaked up the left side of her neck, and Usagi frowned at the sight. Even doing her odangos was difficult, because raising her left arm made her chest go numb with pain.

She managed to get out the door just before she was supposed to be there. Being late was practically her signature, and Usagi would normally be running down the streets to get to the shrine. Yet today, she couldn’t move that fast even if she wanted to. Despite the injury, something was different. She was more tired than she normally was, and that meant something was wrong. Maybe it’s because I haven’t fought like that in so long, she thought, biting her lip. Usagi shook her head briskly, and pushed forward, refusing to believe that this was anything worth worrying about.

Climbing the stairs to the shrine was easier than walking flat, mostly because she only used her legs. But there were a lot of stairs and she was paled with exertion when she finally reached the top. It was only the voices of her friends that brightened her face with an opened-mouth smile, and Usagi moved with an excitement in her heavy steps. She approached without hesitation, raising her right arm in greeting.

“Hey!” She called out strongly, a genuine happiness on her face. “Sorry I’m late, everyone!” As she entered, her eyes met with Minako’s. The other blonde looked tired, but Usagi assumed that was from the battle. It was confirmed as she found Rei, who looked just as tired. Her eyes welled up with relief at the sight of them, though, alive and unhurt. “Minako-chan, Rei-chan. I’m glad you’re both all right. I was… I was really worried last night. It all happened so fast. I’m sorry I didn’t fight better.”

Usagi’s eyes brightened at the sight of Makoto, who she hadn’t seen if so long, and Usagi offered her a broad smile and a slight giggle. “Mako-chan! You’re here! I’m glad to see you!” She immediately sighted the bag of treats being handed to Minako out of instinct, and her mouth watered. “Ahh… what did you bring??” Usagi stepped for the bag, but the sight of the little girl with blue hair stopped her. Her face went blank with surprise for a moment, but then she smiled warmly. It was almost a mother’s smile.

“PallaPalla,” she said softly. “I’m glad you’re here, too.” Usagi immediately began to look around. Behind the girls, off in the distance, trying to glance inside. She blinked with confusion. “So, if you’re here, that must mean Ami’s here, too, right? I’m sure she didn’t let you come here without her, and there’s no way I would ever make it here before Ami!” Usagi let out a burst of laughter, but it died out quickly as her chest seized with pain that she didn’t want to show in front of her friends. She hid it behind a nervous smile.

Moon is going to go ahead and make her entrance at the meeting. If anyone else wants to join in, just feel free to let us know, but I think for now, let’s just keep this thing moving so Mercury can rejoin us again!

So am I going next in the meeting thread? Or are we waiting on Neptune and Uranus to go first?