The delicate fragrance wafted through the air, tickling the noses of all the guests come to visit the blossoming trees.

Pale pinks blanketed the soft green, a carpet of petals to match the crowning trees.

People from all over the city had come today, but luckily there was an empty space available for one particular group to congregate at. It was the same spot they liked to visit together every year, and this year was no different.

Well, it was a little different.

It had been many months since they'd last had to deal with constant battles and end-of-the-world scenarios. Quiet nights replaced the fighting, and the senshi were enjoying the reprieve.

Just as they planned to enjoy this picnic get-together.

Quote :

Goal: Arrive at the picnic!

Need help getting started?
--Tell us how your character is feeling! Excited? Tired? Lazy?
--Did your character bring anything special to the picnic?
--Is there anything your character is looking forward to during this picnic?
--How do they view the cherry blossoms? With awe, or maybe with sadness? Tell us all about it!

 Rei Hino 

The jersey knit fabric of the blouse felt strange against her skin, so different from the polyester/cotton blend of her usual top. She was having difficulty remembering the last time she had worn casual clothing, although she knew it couldn't have been all that long ago. With everything that was going on at the Hikawa Shrine, sometimes anything outside of the grounds seemed like a blur. At least she wasn't handling it alone—Yuuichirou no longer caused extra work due to bungling through the chores. Now, she was grateful for his capable hands to assist. He was there right now, having assured her that she ought to take a break and see her friends.

Rei shifted the picnic basket in her hands, shading her eyes from the sunlight as she peered across the park. Where, exactly, had they said they were meeting? Being here, standing beneath the delicate pink trees, sent a slight chill down her spine to think that this had once been "normal". The schoolgirl who had gathered with others for cherry blossom viewing in those few years seemed like another person.

As she looked for a sign of the others, she wondered if they'd even recognize her.

Mamoru Chiba


...Why did I agree to this?!?

This mantra continued to echo through Mamoru's head as he pushed the cart up the grassy hill. Makoto's question had been innocuous: As she had been nominated by the other girls to be the primary food supplier - with good reason thanks to her culinary skill - Mamoru simply had to help her carry a few baskets to the agreed-upon picnic location. But upon arriving to her apartment this morning, the few baskets had turned into a eye-popping 25, filled with gourmet sandwiches, crepes, bento boxes, and of course, a boatload of cookies and cakes.

"A lightning bolt of inspiration!" she had called it, seemingly unaware of the irony.

Of course, the sleepless night Makoto spent making this monumental feast forced her to get some shut-eye, with the promise that she would join the festivities later in the day, and leaving Mamoru with a herculean task that he, due to his unyielding chivalry, found himself unable to turn down. Calling in a favor to Motoki, he was able to borrow the arcade's wheeled cart used for daily deliveries and moving machines around, but that had only made what was an impossible task now simply very, very difficult.

Mamoru continued to push with all of his might, stopping occasionally to wipe the sweat off of his brow. Fortunately, he knew it wouldn't be far now. For while at the moment he was in agony, as soon as he saw those shimmering odangoes, he knew it would all have been worth it.

Minako Aino 

The sun was warm against her skin and Minako grinned up at it, one hand shielding her eyes from the brightness.

Going back home had felt strange. It'd been a while since she'd snuck through the second floor window to get to her room. Mom and Dad hadn't noticed, but that was fine. The last time she'd talked to them, her mother said nothing Minako hadn't heard a thousand times before. Technically, she still "lived" there, but what good were technicalities?

That place had never felt like home, anyway.

Minako's grin grew at that thought and she let out a contented sigh.

This was what life was supposed to be like. Sure, being a super hot super hero was fun sometimes, but being able to relax and just be was something too many people took for granted.

Plus, it always helped to find someone gorgeous to keep her occupied. To think, there had been a time when she'd thought dating was only meant for other people. That dating had no place in her life.

Boy, was she glad that was over with.  

Minako approached the cherry blossom park, her thoughts focused on her friends, wondering if she would be the first to arrive. She hoped not and slowed her steps accordingly. It wasn't fashionable to arrive early, and it was too boring to be alone.  

The only reason she was alone at all was because she'd needed to get Artemis's favorite tiny fork. He'd been pestering her about it for forever, but he stopped a couple of weeks ago in resignation.

That meant this was the perfect time to return it to him. With an audience all prepared and everything.

She couldn't wait to see the surprised look on his face.

OOC:

Mamoru Chiba


Opening his eyes from struggling against the cart, Mamoru looked to his left to see a familiar azure-haired young girl smiling at him. "Oh...hello Ami-chan..." he said with a tense smile, his body ravaged from the three kilometers that he had already been pushing. It was then that he took into account her offer of assistance, and despite every brain cell and muscle fiber in his body urging him to accept, the masculine bravado deeply embedded in his heart just wouldn't allow it, but, at the very least, would compromise.

"No, that's alright..." He said, wincing in his discomfort. "I appreciate the offer. But if you like, you can take a couple of baskets off the top and carry them for me!"

Tsukino Usagi

Usagi spotted a girl with long black hair and perfect posture holding a picnic basket over one arm. The girl finally turned her face towards Usagi and the blonde started jumping up and down wildly on the large picnic blanket. She smiled and called out, "Reiiiiii! Over here!"

There was still a distant future lurking ahead of them - probably a few years away - but that didn't stop Usagi from thoroughly enjoying this day and the beauty that it offered. Mamoru had reminded her to go early to the park if she wanted them all to get the same spot as they had in some years past. She eagerly agreed, not wanting to let them down.

It also helped that her Mom had barged into her room early that morning, looking for a laundry basket.

Nestled in a corner between the park fence and a concrete slope, under a large cherry tree was where they had been viscously attacked by a Cardian. It was also the place where they had first enjoyed a Hanami together. The year after that they tried to pick a different spot, but it just didn't feel right. Maybe it was simply nostalgic or that they just wanted to protect the tree the Cardian had possessed from any further dishonor. Either way, Usagi was pleased that she managed to claim the spot for them, despite the throngs of people who had already arrived at the park.

 Rei Hino 

She would have recognized that voice anywhere.

Rei turned towards the sound the way flowers turn towards the sun. The time apart seemed to melt away. She remembered that picnic so many years ago, at that same spot where Usagi now beckoned, under the same falling petals of the cherry blossoms. A spring breeze whooshed past her, fluttering the young woman's long dark hair and scattering delicate flowers. Maybe, at least for a little bit, she could take a break from her worries about managing the shrine and her poor grandfather's declining health, and revisit the happiness she had known with her friends.

She nodded in acknowledgement—there was no way she was going to wave and scream across the increasing crowds in the park—and walked over. It would be a relief to set down the picnic basket. She hadn't expected to haul the heavy thing on her own, but someone else who had insisted on packing certain items left the basket behind for Rei. When she reached the blanket, she slipped off her shoes.

"Hello, Usagi," she said, her greeting sounding somewhat colder than she had intended. Evidently it had been too long since she had seen the others.

Mamoru Chiba

Pushing the cart through the crowds starting to form in the park, Mamoru and Ami finally spotted the tree that they had been meeting at for picnics for so many years. A few feet away, Mamoru recognized a familiar figure walking towards it: Rei Hino, the kind-hearted, yet often aloof and abrasive shrine maiden who held the role of Sailor Mars. He smirked, and then glanced a little to the right.

It was then that he saw her.

Clad in one of her favorite outfits for spring, a blue jean jacket and collared green shirt atop a beautiful shin-length pale pink skirt, which matched perfectly with the falling cherry blossoms as they circled around her carried by the slight breeze. Her golden hair, of course, was tied into two perfect pigtails topped off by spherical buns, with a small pink ribbon tied into each. And resting on her finger, glimmering in the sun, was the engagement ring he had given her just before his ill-fated voyage to the United States - rose gold with a heart-shaped pink diamond at the center that seemed to twinkle as much as her blue eyes often did. It had cost Mamoru an entire six months of his relatively meager waiter's salary, not to mention having to sell his motorcycle to make up the difference.

But for moments like this, when his eyes gazed upon Usagi Tsukino, it was worth every yen.

The sight of his beloved gave Mamoru a second wind, as he pushed the cart with renewed vigor, careful to not allow any of the precariously-stacked picnic baskets to fall, but unfortunately leaving poor Ami behind. Luckily, Usagi hadn't noticed him yet, which was a good thing - he always preferred to make a surprise entrance. Parking the cart next to the sakura tree, he noticed her eyes finally turn their attention to him, and his often stoic demeanor, exhausted from the journey, couldn't help but crack a small smile.

"Hello Usako..."

Naru Osaka

"Reiiiiii! Over here!"

Naru shook her head, approaching the sound of Usagi's voice. "Ya can always heah her fa' miles," she muttered to herself. Her bright and bouncy friend never knew when she was being unladylike, but that was part of her charm.

"Hey guys," called Naru as she walked up to the group. Her yellow and green dress swished happily against her knees as she approached. She couldn't help but notice a sweaty, tired looking Mamoru and his over-laden cart. "Whatcha got there Mamoru? Sure looks heavy."

Tsukino Usagi

"Hello, Usagi" said Rei.

Usagi hadn't taken her eyes off the priestess since she called out to her, admiring the girl's beauty and grace after not seeing her for several weeks. She finally noticed that her friend was wearing something she didn't recognize. A new style she was trying out, maybe?

"You've been busy, huh?" she said softly, grinning anew and reaching out to clasp Rei's hands firmly in hers.

Just as the words left her mouth, a large shadow caught the corner of her eye. She looked up and...

"Hello, Usako..."

Her blue eyes instantly drew in his haggard appearance and expression of relief and love and it sent her pulse racing madly. Letting go of Rei's hands, she bounded over and wrapped him in the tightest hug she could muster. "Mamoooo!!" She buried her face in his warm chest and breathed in.

Bliss.

A moment later, Naru and Ami had joined the group. "Yaaay! You made it!" The pigtailed girl exclaimed. She skipped over and smooshed herself between them, hooking her arms through both of theirs playfully.

One of the best gifts of the past few months had been Usagi's renewed friendship with Naru. Things had been slightly strained for a long time between them. Finally being able to spend long nights talking on the phone and going shopping or walking had been exactly what they needed to fit themselves together again. She was incredibly grateful.

The blonde girl finally turned her attention to the tower of baskets. "Wait! Where did all those come from, Mamo?? It can't be just from Mako..." she trailed off as she began to imagine the delicious goodies hidden inside.

Michiru walked into the park as if lifted by a breeze and carried along the waves, not slowly yet not hurried either. She knew she was not late - though late was always somewhat fashionable if you were to make an entrance, not that she particularly cared about that or anything - and she was not early either. From the distance she could hear the noises of the girls that she loved, though she would never admit it out loud lest it give them the unthinkable notion of starting to be more touchy-feely with her.

Her turquoise dress blew in the gentle breeze, a thin sheer blue scarf that was more for decoration than protecting from the wind encircled her neck and tied into a neat ribbon. Her teal wavy hair obscured her sight momentarily as the wind picked up, and she pushed them away from her face as she peered into the distance. For once, she did not arrive in style in Haruka's car, much as she wished to be traveling with her family. Their schedule had simply not synced today, and she had had to deal with an emergency regarding an upcoming world tour concert that required her to travel on her own before coming here.

She watched the scenes unfolding before her momentarily, letting it warm her heart; her princess' laughter, always the thing that kept her going and brought a positive outlook to her usually pessimistic view of the world, and her guardians and prince, always so loyal and steadfast. For a moment she felt daunted by the prospect of approaching them and their... excited, happy bubble alone - she always had Haruka with her to deal with them; Haruka was always there to charm and tease and laugh with them, sparing her the necessity of polite small talk and figuring out how to avoid awkwardness. Still, she was a grown woman who had fought countless evil. She could deal with a bunch of excited, loud, extroverted teenag— young adults.

So Michiru strolled forward, into view of the group, wondering if they were all old enough to drink some alcohol now, because that was the only thing she had brought with her. “Good afternoon, everyone,” she greeted them politely.

Mamoru Chiba

Mamoru's exhaustion seemed to fade away as Usagi wrapped her arms around him, nuzzling her brow into his ribcage. Despite being much smaller in stature than he was, Usagi's love was absolutely radiant, and always seemed to make Mamoru's heart melt a little bit. Placing his hands on her hips, he bowed his head to deliver a soft, gentle kiss to her forehead, something he had done countless times before, but the very fact that he was able to was just exceptional.

Usagi pulled away and frolicked off to Ami, who had finally caught up, and Naru, who was just arriving. In the weeks and months since the defeat of Shadow Galactica, and when he wasn't dealing with wedding planning or finishing his doctorate - being dead for six months unfortunately wasn't a good enough excuse for missing his semester abroad - he had turned to meditation and reflection on his relationship. Would Usagi and I still be together, even if we weren't fated lovers from a time long forgotten? he often thought. Logically, there was no true way to determine this, being that their courtship had been far from typical, and their relationship was quite antagonistic when they first met. But Usagi had grown so much since then, turning from an annoying, ditzy, self-absorbed airhead into the strong, capable, beautiful young girl he saw before him - and somehow turning her bad qualities into endearing traits. Mamoru had grown too, he thought, whereas once he pushed away the outside world, refusing to face his destiny, he now received it favorably, accepting his role as protector of both this planet and the woman he adored. For it was in moments like these when he couldn't help but think that yes! Of COURSE he and Usagi would still be in love! Because to be honest, he literally couldn't imagine loving anyone else.

"Wait! Where did all those come from, Mamo?? It can't be just from Mako..."

Mamoru snapped out of his contemplation as he noticed Usagi eyeing the large pallet of picnic baskets, looking ready to dive in and devour the entire banquet herself. "Actually, it was." he smiled awkwardly as a droplet of sweat appeared on his temple. "She said she got a little bit carried away..." Tilting his head slightly, he gestured in the general direction of Makoto's apartment. "She said she was up all night making this, so she needed to get some rest. But she promised she'll join us later!" he said with a slight twinge of pain as his mind went back to the unexpected athletic trial he had just experienced.

Shifting his vision slightly, he moved his attention to the other girls who had joined the picnic space. "Hello Rei!". He addressed her kindly, not knowing exactly what mood she was in. "You're looking very nice today!" She was not wearing her traditional maiden's garb, Mamoru thought, so perhaps it was best to compliment her on what was a rare occurrence these days.

He also saw Naru Osaka, a friendly girl who had been Usagi's best friend since kindergarten. They had recently rekindled their relationship seemingly as preparation for Usagi's impending marriage, which Mamoru was very pleased about. After all, she was not only extremely sweet, but her thick Kansai accent never failed to slightly amuse him. "Hello Naru!" he addressed her, again, giving a brief smile.

His gaze diverted again, this time to the teal-haired girl in a turquoise dress greeting the others. It was Michiru Kaioh - Sailor Neptune. While she was often detached, preferring to spend time with her partner Haruka, she was still a good-natured companion. "Hello Michiru", he spoke, nodding in her direction slightly.

Minako Aino

She heard the voices before she actually saw her friends. Senses honed from countless battles helped her to zero in and her steps quickened in excitement.

Being fashionably late could wait.  

Minako grinned when she saw them, all gathered together around a familiar space. Kind of like old times.

Uncaring of any ongoing conversation, Minako bounded towards the center of the group, smile as bright as the sun. "Hellooo~!" Her sing song voice was a tad obnoxious - which meant it was perfect - and she waved at everyone in turn.

"I'm here so the party can now officially start!" Minako plopped herself unceremoniously on the ground in the spot that Usagi had recently vacated.

If she happened to bump into Rei in the process, it was completely accidental.

"So, what's up, sugar plums?"

Naru Osaka

Naru was jostled as Usagi hooked her an arm into hers and then bounded away to see the treats Mamoru had brought. She had felt a small pang of jealousy when Usagi buried her face into Mamoru's chest. Stupid Umino, she thought, He'd neva let me do that. Not in public anyways. She knew he was studying hard for exams, but couldn't he have spared just this one day for the cherry blossoms?

"Hello Naru!" Mamoru's greeting snapped her from her reverie, and she blushed. What am I thinkin'? I shouldn't be jealous a Usagi and Mamoru. Things hadn't been perfect in their relationship, not by a long shot, but she owed it to Usagi to give their rekindled friendship her best effort. She shook her head to clear it of the nagging, jealous thoughts.

Fortunately, Minako's melodic voice interrupted Naru's awkward reaction. "Suga plums?" she replied, "Isn't that a little too Christmas-y fa cherry blossom viewin'?"

 Rei Hino 

"Busy", huh? She managed to suppress a sigh. That almost seemed like an understatement, even though she would hate to admit it. It was hard to keep track of everything that needed her attention, honestly. At least she took pride in hard work—a softy like Usagi would have been squished under so many obligations. The priestess was very grateful that, in this brief time of peace, the blonde did not need to shoulder so many burdens.

She politely returned Michiru's greeting and Mamoru's compliment, experiencing a burst of second-hand happiness at Usagi's jubilation. It seemed like a particularly long time since she had seen the soldier of the sea, and having her here at this somewhat-historic location felt particularly celebratory. There had always been barriers between the two groups. It was past time to retire some of those.

Another blonde loudly made her entrance, and Rei sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose at how over-the-top her beribboned colleague acted.

And then she had the audacity to make such a casual remark!

"Well, one of us had to carry the picnic basket you over-packed," Rei replied, tossing her hair over her shoulder. She decided she wasn't going to address the tasteless "sugar plum" nickname. She couldn't help feeling her skin crawl to hear it.

Minako Aino

Minako grinned at Naru's question. It wasn't often she saw the red-haired girl around. Truthfully, she didn't know Naru very well, but she always liked her energy. "Christmas should be celebrated year round, don't you think? Any holiday with presents is a-okay in my book."

Then, she turned her attention onto the fireball next to her. She took in the other girl's expression, and Minako's grin turned mischievous.

"Aww, Rei, don't be like that. These things happen. Busy bees have busy knees," she faltered for a second, a tiny frown on her lips, before dismissing it away with a wave, "or something like that."

Her expression softened to being only a little pleased with herself, rather than overtly smug. She nudged Rei with her shoulder, far more gentle than her previous tone indicated.  "I'll carry it next time. Deal?"

 Rei Hino 

She raised an eyebrow at Minako's subdued response, and returned a soft smile of her own.

"I don't believe that for one second," she said, but the tone of her voice clearly indicated that if there might have been anything to forgive, it was completely forgiven.

Tsukino Usagi

Usagi snuck away quietly from Naru and Ami's side, using her so-called twin's rukous as cover to further investigate Makoto's picnic mountain.

'Yum!! Plum cake!! Ah, and she used the lace wraps I got her, too! They really are pretty with cake,' she thought to herself. She closed up the top and took a moment to appreciate how heavy the load must have been to push all the way from Makoto's apartment. She beamed proudly at her husband-to-be and made a playful bicep-flexing motion at him.

It was strange and wonderful that Usagi was finally able to start thinking about her future together with Mamoru and the day they would all share to begin it in earnest. The beautiful cherry trees around them now, with their delicate pink blooms fluttering gently, made that day feel closer than ever...

She noticed Ami moving to sit on the outstretched blanket, basket in hand and took that as a cue to start unloading the treat tower. She heard Ami's question about Haruka as she lifted a basket off the top, but didn't wait to hear the answer.

"Ahhhh I'm so happy almost everybody's made it, though!" she sing-songed. It was tough these days to get everyone together at the same time without resorting to using her communicator under false pretenses... Which had worked! Sort of. They all showed up, likety-split but the ruse backfired fabulously on the still somewhat naïve blonde. She was begging forgiveness for weeks after that.

"Minako, come help me with this!"

Mamoru Chiba  

Mamoru couldn't help but laugh when Minako burst into the group as her usual obnoxious-yet-endearing self. She was Usagi's twin in many ways, but perhaps most often in how much sheer energy and spirit they both had. It was really downright intoxicating, and even sometimes energized his often-morose self.

That said, he couldn't help but notice as she and Rei seemed to give each other a lot of attention, but in the end, thought little of it. They had always been friends, and today was everyone's day to kick back, relax, and celebrate.

Still feeling a little overheated, Mamoru removed his signature green blazer, but not before removing a small white notebook from the pocket. With Usagi here and their impending nuptials being one of the biggest things on her mind lately, chances were pretty good it would be necessary later. It was truly incrediblehow she was able to plan the ceremony and reception with such earnest know,edge and detail, when she had difficulty completing the most basic of school essays without his assistance.

Taking a glance over, he noticed Usagi, as predicted, had already burst into Makoto's treasure trove of treats, starting with her favorite course - dessert. As she flexed her bicep at him in approval of his feat of strength, he almost started to feel his cheeks start to blush as he began to laugh. Usagi's natural ability to do the exact action necessary to make someone happy, once again, was undefeated. As trite as it was, Mamoru sometimes felt there was no way he was worthy of her, but often shook those feelings aside. They had been through so much together - countless battles against God-like evils with powers beyond imagination, and yet, here they stood, the world still in one piece, still together, and now with seemingly nothing in their way.

...Though Mamoru still knocked his fist against the trunk of the Sakura tree, just to make sure.


"Minako, come help me with this!"


Usagi had begun to remove some of picnic baskets, so Mamoru felt it best to help as well. Noting a large pink blanket on the ground covered with the shapes of rabbits and crescent moons - didn't exactly need Ami's help to determine who that belonged to - he brought two baskets over and sat down, placing the notebook next to him, and just took in the scene as the cherry blossoms danced in the air. He could almost see Usagi and him together on the ballroom floor, waltzing away in their first dance as husband and wife, her in a billowing white gown as she likely steps on his toes one too many times, but Mamoru was just too enraptured to care. It seemed odd for him to dream about this at all, much less have an actually good dream, for once, but Mamoru had finally decided perhaps, now, finally, the trials were finally over.

But just in case - he thought - hopefully she wears flats.

She nodded at Mamoru's acknowledgment, then her attention was completely captured by the entrance of a second loud blonde - clearly it was working as intended - as Minako barged into the group. She could see why Haruka had a soft spot for her; they both were so similar in a lot of ways. Always commanding the attention of the room.

Her eyes observed everyone, noting things of interest - the fact that Naru was there, a civilian that she had never seen around Usagi except in a few very rare occasions, the fact that Rei and Minako were decidedly not flirting, and then Ami's question broke her casual observation.

“She said she was coming, but only the wind knows when she'll show up,” she shrugged good-naturedly, smiling at the thought of Haruka getting held up by adoring fans, a thing that happened more and more often lately now that she was able to go back to her regular famous racer activities.

She was both relieved and surprised not to get an armful of blonde odango when she made her entrance, though to be fair, there were cakes, and those always took priority for their princess.

“I brought wine if anyone is interested,” she offered, letting the top of the bottle poke out of the small basket she carried. “And champagne,” she added, though it was personally not to her taste. But she figured some of them might prefer it to the sometimes sour taste of the wine.

Michiru lifted her head to the breeze and the blue sky, feeling strangely out of place there, as the only outer soldier within this inner circle of friends. Some days she still felt as if she weren't truly welcomed, after all the awful things she had done or had had to do, though deep down she knew it wasn't true.

She just wished Haruka was here.

There is a subtle shift in the wind, feeling cooler against exposed skin. Subtle enough that most wouldn't notice, but the more perceptive would find it a tad odd.

But changes in weather aren't anything out of the ordinary, so for most it's easy to brush it aside to simply mother nature doing what she does best.

Minako Aino

Minako's eyes lingered on Rei's softened expression a second longer than she'd meant to. She chalked it up to calculated crisps and turned away after that, her own smile still in place.

Luckily, the bubbly warm sweetness of Usagi's excitement drew people in like flies, and Minako was pretty certain no one would have noticed her slip up.

Or at least, that's what she planned to use in her defense later on.

As an extra advantage, Usagi called out for her help and who was Minako to deny such a request?

"Coming~!" Minako replied flinging her arm into the air as though hailing a cab. Heightened agility and years of practice made it easy to get up and reach Usagi's side in just a few seconds.

It was nice to rush over to her princess's side with nothing more to worry about than which cake she'd start eating first.

Minako was momentarily distracted by Michiru's offer of wine and champagne. She glanced over, eying up the alcohol. She didn't have a discerning palate - any alcohol was good in her eyes - but she expected only the best from Michiru. She'd definitely have a taste later. Already a plan of drunken fun was forming.

Minako turned her attention back to her awaiting princess. She grasped Usagi's hands within her own, over-the-top determination in her eyes. "Usagi-chan, it is our sacred duty to find the tastiest cake!" she proclaimed. "Do you accept this mission?"

Tsukino Usagi

Usagi's eyes widened and began to shine in sync with the other blonde's.

"I accept!" she exclaimed, barely able to hold in her excitement. "We owe it to Mako, after all!"

Mamoru Chiba

Mamoru chuckled lightly as the dynamic duo of Usagi and Minako pounced into the basket of desserts like Luna and Artemis often did when faced with a fresh fish dinner. He guessed Usagi would be giving him a reprieve from wedding planning today, which was fine by him. After all, it was basically him writing what she wanted into the notebook that sat next to him. Mamoru hadn't really thought of or even needed to put much input into things. Heck, he even had planned to use a certain old tuxedo.

It was just then that he felt something...strange. The wind seemed to become a bit cooler, maybe only 1-2 degrees, but just enough for him to notice. Usually, changes like this were common in the often chaotic weather of Spring, but Mamoru couldn't quite shake the feeling of this one. That said, Mamoru always was known for being a worrywort. It's probably nothing... he thought to himself. And maybe it would be for the best for everyone if he just put it out of his mind.

It was then he noticed Michiru, standing sullen and perhaps the only other one there without a smile on her face. Having just heard her proclamation of libations, maybe Mamoru just needed something to truly take his mind off of everything else.

"Michiru! You can sit next to me if you like!" he shouted, patting the location on the blanket recently vacated by Usagi. "If you brought glasses, let's have a toast! A toast to peace...and to friendship!" he spoke with an almost over the top voice. Because if Usagi was going to become ruler of the planet, he better get in at least a little bit of time acting like a king.