Welcome to Gaia! ::

After the whole episode with being turned into a normal human, then restored, then figuring out how to channel the human form in a usable and less traumatizing way, Carmen had taken some time to cool off. She had put herself through the mental wringer over the loss of her proper Mauvian form and magic powers, thinking that she had inflicted a literal curse upon herself, so even when the snafu was revealed to be temporary, she still felt exhausted from it all.

After having slept for what felt like weeks, she finally decided to plod around town a bit. She thought she'd heard a whisper about a new comic and game shop (a "nerd hub," she'd heard it referred to as) opening up, and so she'd trotted in that direction to see if she could peek at any of the graphic novels in the shop. When she got there, though, she got more than she asked for.

There was a new senshi somewhere in the shop. She could feel it, and it made her so excited she nearly wagged her tail like a dog.

She waited till that one person exited the shop. Once he did, he'd probably see a brown ball of fur speeding towards him...

The young man who'd exited the shop would get to see Carmen practically skid to a near halt, and then practically do a racing drift to swing back around and pounce on one of his shoes. The closer she got to him, the more certain she was that yes, this was the one! Finally, a new senshi! A new senshi after a chunk of time of feeling nothing at all!

She was going a little ham trying to get his attention, what with the pouncing and the prowling and the loud meowing, but she couldn't contain herself. She was positively jubilant. She wanted this to go well so, so badly.

Shameless? Yeah, okay. She was begging for attention. Fine. She'd accept that point. Honestly, though, she was losing her patience. She needed to get this guy out of the public eye quickly, so she could do her thing. So, she took a risk. In a careful whisper, she uttered: "Don't worry about getting me home. Come with me. There's something you need to see."

Well, that would probably throw him straight into the pool of powered weirdness, but there really was no way to gently nudge someone into the magical world when you were a talking cat and the key to power.

Carmen heaved an internal sigh of relief. The shock reaction hadn't been so drastic, and indeed, this guy had accepted the call after a moment. This was going well. "Follow me," she whispered, then sprinted away from Ryan towards an alley. After confirming that the place was empty and reasonably free of obstacles, she peeked out and beckoned to Ryan with a wave of her paw. He'd have to take her "word" for it that the place was safe, but maybe he would.

Carmen gave a cat smile once Ryan arrived. Perfect, almost too perfect. "Not quite, and no kidnapping," she said with proper volume this time. "But you may undergo a small transformation and receive power if you listen carefully."

Sitting up in proper cat fashion, Carmen launched into the opening monologue. "I'm sure that you've noticed that life in Destiny City isn't exactly normal. People go missing, strange entities prowl the streets, costumed heroes and villains are the topic of rumor. By talking to me, you have the option of learning the truth about Destiny City and becoming a part of its true story. All you need to do is..."

Picking through her vague yet magically present mental Rolodex of potential senshi, Carmen happened upon one that seemed to match this person's wavelength. She raised a paw, and a pen-like object poofed into existence, which she promptly slapped her paw on to keep from rolling away. "Take this henshin pen, and say: 'Monoceros Power, Make-Up!'" She then released the pen so that Ryan could use it.

"I've heard the rumors," Carmen remarked regarding the charity ball. "I wasn't able to attend myself, but some whispers have come my way."

When Ryan powered up into Monoceros, the transformation heralding the beginning of his senshi journey, Carmen tried not to make an excited squealy noise. Another one! Another new senshi joining the ranks of Order! He had a long way to go, but she wasn't going to just leave him without answers. "Welcome to the world of senshi, Sailor Monoceros," Carmen said. "You have joined the ranks of Destiny City's powered population and are now privy to the truth. You are now equipped with the power to fight back against the darkness threatening the city, and to learn more about yourself as well."

"There's a lot to cover, but first..." Carmen hummed in thought, and a boxy thing popped into existence next to her. She examined the conjured object, a phone, with mild disdain. "Tch. You'd think we'd make it so that we just pop the upgraded version out on the first go. Hang on a sec." She gave the the phone a hard smack, and it spun and spun until she put her paw on it to stop it. "Here we go. Much better. Anyway, this is a senshi phone. This will allow you to contact other senshi you meet. You can also contact me with it, and I encourage you to do so if you have further questions when we're done."

She slid the phone over to Monoceros and gave him a moment to process the details.

"What an interesting turn of phrase. How many summers old are you then, if I may ask?" Carmen gave a little chuckle at the literary-feeling flair. However, her mirth dissipated at Monoceros's next question, her face growing serious. "Yes, superpowered jerks indeed. Your primary enemy is an organization called the Negaverse. They possess the ability to remove souls from a person's chest, or to twist them beyond recognition. That endlessly malicious power renders them thoroughly dangerous and should be proof alone that they are the enemy. Watch your back when fighting and never let them come too close."

Carmen paused for a moment before adding on another faction. "You also have the Dark Mirror Court and their senshi. They are... ambiguous. I admit to having less experience with them, but I know enough to know that they have Chaos in them and that they are not to be trusted."

One more beat. "Be careful out there. You may take time to process, but remember that this power will help you and others in times of need."

Carmen gave a polite giggle. "I have nothing against a little flourish every now and then." She nodded in response to the rest of Monoceros's speech. "You are welcome. You now have the power to take true action against a real evil. I think, even from just this meeting, I can expect great things from you." She stood up and padded a few cat paces away. "Please feel free to contact me through your senshi phone if you have further questions. You'll find me in your contacts. For now... farewell, and welcome to your new life."