Episode 108
Recap: Mamoru and the girls are invited to this spifferific party hosted by a certain Edwards, an English man who has this European mansion where he brings young people together to socialize and build a "rosy future" and so on and so forth. Usagi freaks out about speaking English and gets drunk (SO. FUNNY.) and the girls thoroughly embarrass themselves (except for Ami-chan, bless her) so a good time is had by all. Then Eugeal and this singing Daimohn appears to collect Edwards' pure heart, and the Senshi deliver an awkward collaborative speech on fairy tale princesses and parties. Great episode. (:
Blame Ms. Roheryn-randomnumbers (aka Vallie-chan) for the repeated references of the Daimohn Octave. But we're not the only ones who think she was hilarious, right? Right??
I haven't disclaimed in a while, so here goes: I own my guitar Eilonwy, my very sarcastic pack of OCs, my computer, and the fuzzy hat which I am currently wearing. I do not own Sailor Moon. (ARE YOU SHOCKED? ARE YOU? DO YOU FEEL BETRAYED?)
This was Mamoru's kind of party.
As much as he seemed to blend in with the high-class world of academia, he didn't enjoy it all that much. Certainly, intelligent conversation could be stimulating and fascinating and engrossing and enrapturing, but the greater-than-thou attitude of intellectuals turned him off almost as much as whipped cream on pie: fluffy, without substance, eager to ruin the natural deliciousness.
He sighed inwardly. It was clear he'd been around Usagi too much if his metaphors were revolving around food.
No, it wasn't the company he craved, nor the dancing (not that he minded holding Usako a bit closer than necessary), nor the exposure to opportunities and English and hope for the future – it was simply that he had never exactly grown out of being that seven-year-old boy who, in a desperate attempt to redefine himself after losing his memories, pretended he was Spider-man almost twenty four hours a day.
And there was something decidedly kick-ass about waltzing around with Kaioh Michiru one moment and shattering a Daimohn's weapon with a steel rose the next as Tuxedo Kamen. Nothing perked Mamoru up quite as much as a fight. He supposed that was the feral, barbaric part of him rearing up and abandoning reason, and Usagi had said he got a little too into the battles (and his speeches)... but he simply couldn't help himself. His heart beat with the intoxication of a head-over-heels romantic, and to follow behind the same adrenaline-fused footprints as the pirates and knights and superheroes he had dreamed up over the course of his childhood was like living and breathing pure Glory.
So really, the fact that he felt like he was on Cloud 9 had nothing to do with the gathering whatsoever. But hell, he was loving it.
He looked down at Usako, who was leaning into his chest, almost flawlessly matching his slow footsteps (though occasionally she stumbled or stepped on his toes). Gods preserve him, she was beautiful tonight. All the girls were, really: Ami was in her element, speaking animatedly to Edwards; Rei's cheeks were blazing with passionate excitement; Makoto was lean and easy-going, chatting with a graceful nonchalance to anyone who came by; and Minako, bless her, was being passed from boy to boy around the dance floor. He chuckled into Usagi's hair as he watched the girl who called herself the "goddess of love" flirt shamelessly. Yes, the Senshi were beautiful; but his Usako, who had mostly recovered from her accidental glass of champagne... well, Usako glowed, was all, wherever she walked – bright sunshine from her hair, blue sky in her eyes, and gentle pink clouds billowing out from her skirt. She was like this ethereal breath of pure magic. His Usako. His.
"How are you holding up?" he murmured to the top of her head.
She raised her eyes up to him. "Good," she smiled. "I think. I made a complete fool of myself, didn't I?"
He snorted fondly. "It was pretty funny, actually."
"You were appalled," she objected, drawing out the word that she seemed to be proud of.
"I had to act appalled," he corrected her. "What kind of a person would I look like if my girlfriend started acting crazy in the middle of a place like this, and I just laughed?"
She pondered this for a moment. "You'd seem insensitive, and… and low class, I suppose." Her eyes narrowed. "I knew it. Chiba Mamoru, the smooth and suave and oh so smart is all just a front, isn't it?"
"We can't all throw our reputations to the wind," he countered, smirking.
Usagi growled. "Mamo-chan…"
"I wouldn't have you any other way, Usako," he said patiently. "Don't forget that."
"Eh… but you're so mean…" She wrinkled her nose in a hilarious grimace.
"So does being Sailor Moon make alcohol travel really quickly through your system, or what?"
Her eyebrows shot up. "Huh?"
Mamoru snickered. "Well, you went from being completely intoxicated one minute to battling that Daimohn the next to being more or less coherent right now. It was all kind of abrupt."
Pensively, she gnawed on her lip. "Yeah, I guess so." She shrugged. "Well, I'm fine now, I think."
He adopted a thoughtful expression. "It makes me wonder which one of us used to win at drinking games."
Her jaw dropped. "Mamo-chan…?"
"What, you don't think we used to play drinking games? As Serenity and Endymion?" His grin expanded as her look of shock only intensified. "Who knows, maybe all lunar inhabitants had the same reaction to alcohol that you do. So I would slowly get wasted while you would be completely dead one second and then fine the next. It makes me wonder who would win."
"Mamo-chan," Usagi muttered. "You're so weird."
"You're not curious?" He feigned complete astonishment.
"You'd better watch what you say," was her grave reply. "I might wander over to your friends and tell them how much of a pervert you are when they're not around."
"And I might remind them how this isn't the first time you've been drunk," he returned cheerfully.
She flushed bright red. "That was an accident too!"
"You seem to have a lot of accidents, then."
"TWO, you baka!"
"Alright, just don't become an alcoholic."
She stomped – intentionally, this time – on his foot. "Why are you always so mean?"
He just smiled in response. "I have a way to make it up to you, though."
Suspicious, she glowered at him. "What's that?"
"It's a theory I've got." He leaned down close to her ear. "I think that Daimohn we just fought was Octave's cousin."
She burst into peals of laughter against him, and he slowly cascaded into equivalent chuckles. "Oc-ta-ve," she choked.
"People are staring," he whispered through chortles.
"Guess you'll have to give up on your reputation," she said, still giggling madly.
"Having fun, eh, odango atama?"
Usagi's head whirled over her shoulder. "Haruka-san! Michiru-san!"
The two handsome girls glided closer to Mamoru and Usagi with the greatest of ease. Mamoru noticed Makoto and Rei eyeing the pair and muttering.
"I'd watch out," he told them. "I think you have assassins on your tail."
They turned and spotted the younger Senshi, who quickly averted their eyes. "Oh dear," said Michiru, her soft aqua eyes sparkling with gentle humor. "I've had to contend for Haruka all night. It seems it will never end."
"I would dance with your friends in a heartbeat, odango," said Haruka, "but Michiru here is just too jealous to let me go."
Michiru smiled wanly. "And you weren't at all, when I danced with Mamoru-san?"
Haruka pursed her lips. "Maybe I will dance with Mako-chan, after all."
"That sounds fine," said Michiru lightly. "I'll go speak with those tall boys over there while you dance." She glided off, leaving Haruka to grind her teeth together as the song ended.
"Michiru is hard to win against," she sighed to Mamoru and Usagi. "She's crafty."
"But at least she's musically talented," Mamoru said. "She could sing operatically one day, perhaps."
Usagi stepped on his foot again as another fit of giggles burst out of her mouth. "Mamo-chan, stop!" she hissed.
Haruka raised one eyebrow but didn't inquire after the joke. "I guess I'll go dance with Makoto, then," she said, watching Michiru join in a conversation with a circle of young men.
"Make sure Mako-chan doesn't fall for you again," Usagi said quietly, and Mamoru laughed loudly.
Haruka grinned as she made to leave. "You know, Mamoru-san, for someone who seems so composed from afar…"
"He's absolutely crazy?" Usagi interrupted. "I've noticed that, too. But don't worry," she said, smiling widely, "I wouldn't have him any other way."
Short 'n cheesy, huh? Eh, I figured you'll forgive me. ;) It's my second post today, remember? Of course, that doesn't make up for a six-day gap, but... we'll just keep that to ourselves, shall we?
Hehehe. This is what happens when SB (am I allowed to abbreviate my own name?) gets into Mamoru's head too much. Large blocks of text. Too little dialogue. In my opinion, that is; I'm a dialogue freak.
Anyhoo... thanks for reaaading! (: (OC-TAAAAAA-VE!!)