Chapter 185
It was a rare occurrence to find the five girls and five boys who made up the scout team as it was called all in the same place at one time when school wasn't in session, but there they were all standing around the stone veranda of Raye's temple sitting, or leaning against a structure.
"Serena, we're all here..what is this all about?" Raye asked.
"I'll tell ya," Serena said. "Given the current string of negaverse attacks I have been forced to give certain consideration to certain things."
The group all looked at her.
"I've been thinking of all the ways we could deal with this and I have come to one conclusion," Serena said.
"A conclusion? What kind of conclusion?" Amy asked.
"Have you figured this out Serena?" Lita asked.
"Yeah? Have you?" everyone, but Patterson, asked in surprise.
"Of course...everything, but what's going on.."
The group all sighed.
"Serena..." Raye said.
"Yes Raye?" Serena asked.
"THEN WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!" Raye shouted knocking Serena off her feet.
"Simply that the best way to handle all this is to take our minds off of the stress of the situation.." Serena said.
"Here it comes," Patterson muttered to Greg who was sitting nearby.
"Uh Serena...hasn't the blue team been doing all the work?" Mike asked. "To be perfectly honest I haven't been under any stress."
"You never are," Mina said.
"It's not like you've been working either Mina," Lita said.
"Neither have you," Mina said.
"That's not what I'm getting at," Lita said.
"AHEM!" Serena shouted. "What I'm saying is that it's not a matter of who's being lazy and who isn't, it's a matter of my birthday party a week from today."
The scouts all glanced at her.
"You know...June 30th," she said.
"Oh..yeah..right..." they all said.
"See...I'm not about to allow the possibility you guys would either forget to celebrate it or throw me a surprise party, because as you know I hate surprises..."
"First we've heard of it," The scouts replied.
"STOP DOING THAT!" Serena screeched.
"What?" the scouts replied.
"THAT!"
"Speaking in unison?" they all said.
"YES!"
"Sorry," They replied.
Serena grumbled.
"Anyway...I'm going to have the party, so all of you have to come, furthermore..I've constructed this list," she said pulling a paper out of her pocket.
"Serena, aren't we supposed to figure out what to get you?" Lita asked.
"No.." Serena said. "I'm taking no chances..there will be no more gifts I can't use."
She stared at the four Sailors...
"Like...a pacifier," she muttered glancing at Raye. Raye grinned nervously.
"Diet drink..." she said and glared at Mina.
"I just wanted you to be extra slim..ahem...sorry for helping.." Mina replied.
"Or hockey tickets.." she muttered glancing at Lita.
"Uh.so I couldn't go that night," Lita said.
"And furthermore...what am I going to do with one hundred pencils," Serena muttered looking at Amy.
"Well..I know you were always running out..I.." Amy said.
"You're kidding that was what they got you?" Rick asked.
"We got her other stuff too..." the four girls replied.
"Like a new alarm clock," Raye said.
"Cute.." Serena muttered.
"A gift certificate to her favorite clothing store..isn't that dress you're wearing from there?" Lita asked.
"Uh..so?" Serena asked.
"I bought you an all you can eat lunch at the pancake hut, you cost me thirty seven dollars!" Mina said.
"I was hungry!" Serena whined.
"Uh..and I bought you that book you wanted..on that princess from the Moon," Amy said.
"They used such small print, I thought there'd be at least one picture," Serena said. "Still...there were some interesting motifs, and they epiphany...amazing.."
The group all glanced at her.
"Epiphany...hah!" she said. " Anyway...here is a list...there are ten items on it, you can divide them up any way you wish..but I want them...so there...so please get them pretty please," she said and held out the list. Lita took it and glanced at it.
"Well...okay...there are some odd things here..but I think we'll manage," Lita said.
"Then I'm off," Serena said and dashed down the steps.
I have to find Darrien and hit him up for all sorts of stuff. She thought.
"So what are we supposed to get?" Mina asked.
"Uh...well...that's a good question," Lita asked.
"She couldn't have asked for things that unusual," Raye said.
"Raye..think about who we're talking about," Lita said.
"Lemme see," Raye said and took the list. She began to read.
"The red dress at the store with the bright white roses on it, not the black and red one, just the red one...at the store next to the store where I get those Green iced donuts...you know where..." Raye read off.
"How does she expect anyone to know what she means, and she's at least two sizes above what she says isn't she?" Raye asked.
"Are they all like that?" Mike asked.
"She want's two shares in the Gainax Corporation?" Amy asked in surprise looking at the list.
"How are we supposed to buy two shares for her?" Raye asked.
"Uh...you know girls..since you're the ones that like shopping..maybe we should just leave it to you.." Mike said.
"No..." the girls replied.
"This'll just take some work that's all," Mina said. "Besides, if we manage to pull it off, well it will be something to talk about..."
"I guess we should divide it up.." Lita said.
"The ...uh..Gainax stocks should be no problem.." Patterson stammered.
"Why?" Raye asked.
"I own seven hundred...I'll sign two over to her.." Patterson said.
"Well that solves one problem.." Mina said.
"But how much are they?" Lita asked.
"Well..they currently are at a net worth of seventy dollars American each..but...if she wants them their hers," Patterson said. "I uh..should keep working on the..uh..problem."
"It's awfully nice of you D.V. but I think we should tell Serena that's too much," Lita said.
"No..no..it's fine," Patterson said and hurried off.
"Well...that's something huh?" Rick asked. "Jeez...if that guy was more assertive, he'd be a chick magnet."
"Enough of that," Raye said. "We've got nine other gifts to take care of."
Meanwhile at Tokyo University, Darrien was sitting in a commissary chewing on a sandwich and starring at his tea cup which he was currently stirring.
"Mind if I join you?" came a voice. Darrien looked up to see Furuhata Sagara looking at him with her dark blue eyes. Darrien paused for a second.
"Oh..of course..." he said. "So how are things over in nuclear engineering?"
"Busy..but I can see you know what I mean," Sagara said sitting down and sweeping a small portion of her blue hair away from her eyes.
"You could tell I was busy?" Darrien asked.
"Sure..just the way you sat there stirring your tea...trying to give yourself an excuse for spending a few more seconds then needed because your mind is so fixated on using time to it's fullest," Sagara said. "Am I right?"
Darrien found himself nodding.
"You sure can tell a lot about someone from how they stir tea ey?" he asked.
Sagara grinned.
"Well..I have my innate talents," she said. "Too bad about the space rocket huh? Freak accident I heard."
"Nothing of the sort..I was there.." Darrien said. "It was the negaverse."
"Oh..the negaverse...right...I have trouble believing in that."
"What? Haven't you lived in Tokyo for the past few years?" Darrien asked.
"Well..of course..and there has been some strange stuff, but I have no reason to believe that it can't all be of human origin?"
"Really?" Darrien asked curious as to what her rationale would be.
"Most of the time, people like you and me in the public at large don't see this negaverse in action, the only time it really happened was when the flower things attacked, but with the advances in Genetic research that have been made...it could have just been a government project gone terribly wrong."
"Perhaps you're forgetting the massive ship hanging overhead," Darrien said.
"Most likely an illusion," Sagara said.
"You're kidding," Darrien said.
"No Darrien, I'm not. You expect me to believe given the exposure I have to science that all these events that have been caused by this negaverse has no scientific explanation. I don't know what your sources are, but the government has been so hush hush on all these things, and the appearances of these Navy Scouts whatever they are.."
"Sailor Scouts."
"Yeah..whatever...I have to believe all of this is just science, a science that I can't explain the details of, but a science none the less."
She's logical at least. Darrien thought.
"You buy into this?" she asked.
"Well..I have been a little more involved, I've seen some of this stuff up close.."
"Fair enough," Sagara said. "We can disagree about that, but it shouldn't consume us...I was actually curious as to how you're research is coming?"
"Oh..it's going great..I'm making progress," Darrien said.
"That's good. I always knew you'd be useful."
"Useful?"
"I mean at what you did..there's a lot of people out there...they just don't cut it, you however...you're different."
"Oh? I suppose you have a scientific explanation for that too."
"Nope..this is beyond science.." Sagara said. "This is about desire, commitment, love."
"Love?"
"Love for life, love for one's job..that is what defines you."
"I see."
"Yep, it's as simple or complex as that depending on your point of view."
"I guess it makes sense."
"Yeah..well..it should..you know what I think you'd like though.." Sagara asked.
"What?" Darrien asked.
"A first hand look at what could be the beginning of a new era."
"I'm always up for beginnings," Darrien said. "Rebirths as well. But what is it you're talking about."
"Fusion Darrien," Sagara said with a grin. "We're almost there."
"You think so?" Darrien asked.
"Yes...no guarantees of course, but we're close, you should see what we're doing, since you have to think that sooner or later, you're going to be shooting people into space in fusion space ships. Interested."
"Very," Darrien said with a grin.
"I thought you would be," Sagara said. "We'll go after lunch."
"Sure," Darrien said. "I've got a little time."
"Glad to hear it," Sagara said.
"You think this one is it?" Mina asked as she and Lita stared at a rack of dresses.
"Hmm....no..." Lita said. "I just don't think it is.."
"I don't know..it kinda could be.."
"I think we should keep looking," Lita said.
"Way to go Serena..she writes a paragraph of description and we still have no idea."
"It's not like we're entirely in the dark."
"And what if someone already bought the thing?"
"Well that would be annoying," Lita said.
"It would be more than annoying," Mina said. "That's the kind of stuff that leads to violence."
"From you?" Lita asked in surprise.
"I'm incredibly violent at times," Mina said. "I'm a lethal weapon."
"Mina..calm down," Lita said.
"I am calm."
"You're clenching your fists," Lita said.
"That's merely so I can calmly punch something," Mina replied.
"Oh.." Lita said.
"It's possible," Mina said.
Lita sighed.
Raye meanwhile was leaning against a light pole when Rick emerged from a comic store.
"Any luck?" Raye asked.
"Nope," Rick said. "Apparently this comic, Yu-Yu-Inu-Hatshi-Yasho-Yu-Yu-Yasha is one of the most popular titles in the city, it's not going to be easy to find."
"Great, just great," Raye said. "I just get subscriptions, I try to avoid having to go into these comic places, they're creepy."
"Well some of them are more then others...but it's kind of an art form in itself, a la the renascence."
"Oh?" Raye asked. "What do you mean?"
"Well...sure comic shops are filled with all sort of comic books for both the guy and the girl, and it's usually run by an overweight bald man with a candy bar in one hand and a soda in another, but that's not the point, see these are trail blazers in entertainment."
"What trail are they blazing?"
"Wrong term, they're keeping the trail you know..obvious, so the wilderness doesn't swallow it up."
"Oh...that works I guess," Raye said hoping he would get of the subject.
"Doesn't it though?" Rick asked.
"If you were making a bit of sense it would," Raye said.
"Never mind..let's just check the next store."
"Right..right, I mean that comic's gotta be somewhere right?"
"In a city this big sure, of course in a city this big...."
"She's so getting another pacifier.." Raye said.
"You actually gave her one."
"Oh yeah.." Raye said. "And I got a gift too..the look on her face."
"I can just guess," Rick said.
"Mike, what are we doing down here?" Steve muttered looking around the shabby surroundings of one of the low rent districts.
"Well...I've found it can be very useful in tracking down weird things," Mike said.
"You'd think Serena wouldn't expect us to go to all this trouble, we are only indirect friends," Steve said.
"Good point, still this is kinda exciting," Mike said "I don't mind wild goose chases."
"I do." Steve said.
"And what would you be doing if we weren't doing this?"
"No idea, but I'm sure I could find something."
"What a poor soul you are," Mike said.
"Like you're any better off," Steve said.
"Well..I've got myself to talk to...and believe me the conversations I've had."
"You're insane, you know that right?"
"Ah..here we are," Mike said appearing at the front of a wooden building covered with cloth. He knocked on the side of the wood. A small man popped out of the opening.
"Ah...I see.." the man said and popped back inside.
"Uh..." Steve began.
"Wait for it," Mike said.
The small man popped back out the door.
"You can come in now.." he said.
Steve glanced at Mike who grinned.
"What was that all about?" Steve asked.
Mike shrugged.
Amy meanwhile was moving through the book store. I haven't been doing as much reading lately, it's too bad, I really should get back into it. She thought to herself. I really have no idea where to look for this book Serena wants. I looked at the picture books first, but it wasn't there. She couldn't want a novel could she? After her response to the last one I gave her I wouldn't think so, still...I wonder.
"Could this be it?" She asked herself pulling a book from the shelf and glancing at it.
"It look likes a romance novel," Amy said and glanced inside. "Eh..." she said and dropped it.
"No..that uh..can't be it..." she said to herself and slid it back into
place. And even if it was....ugh...I can't believe Serena would want that level
of detail...though..no..it couldn't be. The search continues I guess.
"This one?" Lita asked holding up another dress.
"Nope," Mina said.
"Why not?"
"Doesn't look Serena-ish."
"Oh...meaning?"
"It's hard to explain," Mina said.
"We could just ask her for further instructions," Lita said.
"I think it defeats the purpose of us buying her the gift if we don't have to search through every DRESS IN THE STINKING STORE!" Mina shouted.
"You two look like you could use some help," came a voice. The two turned. Standing there in a dark purple suit was a man with his hair trailing down to his shoulders in a long broad ponytail.
"Who are you and what is your home address?" Mina asked quickly.
"Mina.." Lita said.
"I am...the Seventh of Rose of Destiny, Tom," the man said.
Lita and Mina glanced at each other.
"Are you stoned?" The two girls asked.
Tom laughed.
"A response I have received before, but I couldn't help you girls seemed to be having some trouble..perhaps I may be of assistance," Tom said.
"I don't know how," Lita said.
"Well..we've got nothing to lose," Mina said. "We're shopping for our friends birthday and she told us what she wanted, but we can't really figure it out."
"I see..." Tom said and his eyes narrowed. "I require all the information you can give me on this item..."
"Uh okay..." the two girls said.
"Found it!" Raye shouted.
"You did..." Rick said poking his head around a stack of comics.
"Yep..."
"About time," Rick said.
"But you know there's something about this..." Raye said.
"What?"
"Hmm...I want this," Raye said.
"What?" Rick asked.
"Well just look, they're finally going to resolve the cliff hanger from two years ago."
"I have no idea what you mean."
"Azuma and Miaka's romance...we're going to finally see if everything comes toghether...this is the issue."
"It took them two years to resolve this?"
"Well..so to speak...I stopped collecting the comic last year because it got boring, but this..yes..I must have it!" Raye said.
"Raye..Serena...asked for it..we went to twelve stores and now...you're just going to buy it."
"Well she'll be over at my house inevitably, she can look at it."
"Somehow I don't think that's the point," Rick said.
"It's not your problem, you weren't here...got me?" Raye asked.
"Uh...what?" Rick asked.
Raye's eyes narrowed.
"I guess I wasn't here," Rick said.
"No you weren't," Raye said.
"I give you the future," Sagara said showing off some equipment sitting in a large room.
"This is it huh?" Darrien asked.
"Don't rely on looks. This is important stuff. Fusion will soon be the reality we dreamed it would be."
"Okay..okay....I believe you," Darrien said. "You must be glad to be part of this."
"Well..sure..I...uh...love my work..but....it doesn't leave me time for much else. Still..I wouldn't give it up."
"I know how that feels, but I have other things to draw me away..I've struck a balance."
"Oh...well you're lucky I guess," Sagara said.
"These are highly detailed equations," Darrien said studying a board.
"I developed the top one," Sagara said.
"Really? Impressive," Darrien said.
"Yeah...say Darrien are busy tonight?" Sagara asked.
"Well I've gotta hang around finish some research, I'll be here late, why?" Darrien asked.
"Well..I was just thinking...I've got to work late...stuff to do, but maybe before we both got into it, you might want to catch some dinner? You know to talk. I find your research very interesting."
"Oh...uh...well..." Darrien said slightly sweating. This isn't a date...is it? Not if I don't want it to be..hmm...
'Well..uh...sure....I'd like to..I uh...do have to call Serena though."
"Serena? Oh..right your girlfriend."
"You know Serena?"
"Darrien..the entire campus knows about your fling with that young girl...I don't understand it, but..hey...to each his own right?"
"Uh..right.."
"Go ahead call her, then we can go."
"Sure," Darrien said and hurried off.
Mike and Steve meanwhile were dashing out of the wooden hut as smoke flew out of it followed by birds.
"Dang it! I knew this was a bad idea!" Steve shouted.
"It's never happened like that before," Mike said.
And at the clothing store.
"Hmm...this must be it!" Tom shouted holding a loft a dress. Mina and Lita stared at it.
"You know I think you're right there," Mina said.
"I agree," Lita said. "That's amazing."
"Isn't it?" Tom said. "Here you go girls...I am off!"
Tom spun and raced out the door.
"Jeez..where's Darrien," Serena muttered sitting outside his door. "I hope my
friends have figured my list out. I tried to make it as clear as possible."
CHAPTER 181
CHAPTER 182 CHAPTER
183 CHAPTER
184
CHAPTER 185 CHAPTER 186 CHAPTER 187 CHAPTER 188
CHAPTER 189 CHAPTER 190 CHAPTER 191 CHAPTER 192
CHAPTER 193 CHAPTER 194 CHAPTER 195 CHAPTER 196