RL with Minako

[oceanicbutterfly]

Karen sat on the edge of her bed, waiting for Minako to arrive.

It was going to be the first time they'd really had a chance to talk since the virus ended. Karen wasn't even entirely certain Minako remembered what had gone on during the virus. Karen herself certainly did. She'd learned some things over the course of the virus, and some of them were things they needed to discuss.

Comments

[lovelovegoddess.livejournal.com]

Karen's short of e-mail the night before ("Need to talk, come by tomorrow after school if you can, love you") worried Minako so much that she paid even less attention during class and worldhopped within minutes of the final bell. A short conversation with Sakamoto by the front door deterred her from her goal of reaching Karen as soon as possible, but it wasn't long before she hesitantly pushed open the bedroom door. "Karen?" she called out while stepping inside.

[oceanicbutterfly]

"Minako. Come in, take a seat." She motioned to the spot next to her.

"How much do you remember about the virus?"

[lovelovegoddess.livejournal.com]

"Virus?" Now that she mentioned it, the past few days had been a blur. She sat in the offered space, scratching at her cheek in thought. "I don't think I remember anything." Her voice took on the unmistakable Senshi business tone unconsciously. "Why? Did something happen?"

[oceanicbutterfly]

"Yes." Karen took a deep breath. "You were replaced by your future self."

[lovelovegoddess.livejournal.com]

"...m-me?" Minako blinked in surprise and confusion. "But how? And how far into the future?"

[oceanicbutterfly]

Karen looked away. "Much longer than a normal person would ever life."

[lovelovegoddess.livejournal.com]

"Then I was in Crystal Tokyo. And you had to be...." Her voice trailed off into the unspoken obvious conclusion. Dead.

[oceanicbutterfly]

"Yes." Karen sighed. "You're going to outlive me, and by a long time. I knew that, but I had never really thought about it before."

[lovelovegoddess.livejournal.com]

The reality of the situation was sobering. She'd known about Crystal Tokyo, Chibiusa's real age, what was going to happen. However, this was the first time it had been laid out in such concrete terms. Karen would die. And she would live. That was that. Minako drew her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs. "Did I say anything about it?"

[oceanicbutterfly]

Karen put her arm around Minako's shoulders. "You said it wouldn't happen for a long time."

[lovelovegoddess.livejournal.com]

Minako leaned into Karen's embrace. "How long?"

[oceanicbutterfly]

"You didn't say, and I didn't make you. It might not even have been accurate. It could be that the future can change." Karen took another deep breath, then exhaled.

"I'm so sorry."

[lovelovegoddess.livejournal.com]

Duty over love...of course. It would always win. "...it hurts, but I'm glad you told me."

[oceanicbutterfly]

"...I've also decided something else." Karen looked right at Minako. "When I'm... gone, I want you to find someone else."

[lovelovegoddess.livejournal.com]

As reasonable a request as that was, Minako blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "No!"

[oceanicbutterfly]

Well, this... was not entirely unexpected. Karen put her hands on Minako's shoulders. "Minako, I'm serious."