1095/Legacy

Legacy
Date of Scene:	09 February 2024
Location:	Mitakihara Ward
Synopsis:	An unwelcome visitor makes Kyouka and Fuyuko's night out much more fraught than anyone expected.
Cast of Characters:	Kyouka Inai, Mamoru Chiba, Hannah Steiner, Fuyuko Yuuhi, Kiseru
Tinyplot:	The Game

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Kyouka Inai has posed:
    There's nothing unusual about Kyouka and Fuyuko being out together on a Thursday night. Kyouka might jokingly refer to it as their 'bi-weekly Arbiter dinner meeting', but the fact of the matter is work is the last thing either of them want to talk about and most of the time they succeed in avoiding the topic altogether. Usually via application of food and alcohol. What we have here is not two colleagues meeting to discuss the week's happenings over dinner, but rather two old friends trying desperately to cling to the illusion that there's nothing wrong between them. That they're still fifteen and on the same side and have never tried even once to kill each other.

    The problem with illusions is that they are often all too easy to see through as soon as something appears to provide an outside perspctive.

    This particular Thursday night, the two have finished their first stop at a rather good yakiniku restaurant downtown and are on their way to the second, a rather less-good but somehow more comfortable karaoke bar. Not the Crown- this one is decidedly more smoke-filled and has a liquor license. But they're not there yet, they are en route, proceeding down the sidewalk and generally appearing no different from any other friends out for a night on the town.

    Kyouka has had a beer or two, enough to loosen up but not enough to approach 'drunk'. Wearing her usual black jeans, red shirt and leather jacket (yes, and sunglasses, even approaching 9pm in the middle of the city), she is walking slightly ahead of Fuyuko, her head turned to address the other young woman. "...and so I was like 'no way is that your henshin name, that sounds like something out of a kid's TV show', and she was like, 'shut up' and I was like.."

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Mamoru's been doing some practicing. Practicing looking-- no, Looking-- for people important to him, and Usagi's busy so he's out doing it at prime date o'clock. Right now? His target is Kyouka Inai.

His hand's on the dirty asphalt of an alley, the whisper of his power a subtle thing as his awareness runs through the ground, runs through the life of the city and the radiant hearts of its residents, focused down on this one street, finally. Almost-- almost--

And there she is, he's sure of it. She'll be proud of him instead of creeped out, he's absolutely 1000% positive, so he steps out of the alley and sees ... Kyouka's back, and Fuyuko's face, and his expression goes from glee to a full wince. "Oh no awkward umm--"

Hannah Steiner has posed:
Hannah Steiner, late at night, is just trying to get proper tools to add to her collection of what might be charitably called 'Meisterdom' on this painfully low tech world. She is, just a few several buildings down from the yakiniku place, standing in the Japanese equivalent of a Lowes. And trying to not strangle the poor young man at the customer service desk.

"....You are telling me, dear merchant, that even an angle grinder not even made of mere /diamonds/ costs so? I...you....Nein! Even irridium teeth...FINE! Extort me then!" Grumbles Hannah, as she shells out much scraped out cash for a tool made of mere common /steel/!

And then she just kind of walks out, bag in hand, Lyra leading her out.

Face flushed with getting a bad deal by her standards once more, the local Steiner Royalty walks out, and then catches...well, two familiar voice on the wind.

"By the Sankt, Blessed in Her work, finally! Two reasonable people at least upon this wretched, uncultured dirtball!" Comes Hannah with open relief.

Grin. Griiiin! Lyra borks, and then bork-bork-borks for those unknown to her!

"Herr Chiba! Frau Inai! I lament the failings of the local hardware stores!" She offers warmly, more than happy to greet those she knows!

"Have you freunds upon this night?" Comes the young woman, upon Lyra's borken!

Fuyuko Yuuhi has posed:
The 'Bi-Weekly Arbiter Meeting' is proceeding exactly as usual, with the two of them having put food in their bellies (to soak up the alcohol to come) and the talk flowing.

As long as they didn't get too deep into the work talk, they were good. They were. They'd known each other too long to be entirely unable to communicate - just mostly unable to communicate.

"Of course she said shut up, what else was she going to say? It is a stupid henshin name-"

She'd had sake instead of beer, feeling classy, but she'd drunk enough to be a little more relaxed than usual, and had her usual blazer a little loose, her a little mussed from running a hand through it. She was far from drunk, but it'd been a decent evening, all things said and done.

Of course, that was when the children started showing up. Fuyuko takes one look at Darien Shields AKA Mamoru Chiba, company desertee, and Mysterious Girl complete with borking dog, and looks at Kyouka.

"I blame you for this entirely." Was this fair? Yes, these are Kyouka's students. Is she acknowledging the two children? ...fine, why not. "Awkward is one word for it, Chiba-san. Is Kyouka frequently the cure for local hardware store woes?"

Kiseru has posed:
    Something sweeter than the standard fare smoked by Kyouka starts to permeate the air, winding past Hannah and Lyra, towards the two Arbiters, and then past them, like a needle pulling thread... Or a snake winding its way along a forest floor. When the scent of dark chocolate has more presence than that of tobacco, that's about the time that the owner of the sweet smoke makes her appearance, appearing like a ghost out of an area slightly darker than the surroundings, but not nearly dark enough to have obscured a grown woman from sight.

    The Kiseru Lady is a pale-skinned woman with purple eyes and short black hair held in a bun with a pair of ornate chopsticks. This evening she has decided to wrap herself head to toe in a black and gold kimono with the spidery white lines of trees in winter lightly visible against the black background. Black leggings and high-heeled boots adorn her legs.

    Aside from bare shoulders, hands, and meticulously done-up face, no other skin is visible. But she doesn't need to show skin to make an impression. And she doesn't need to make herself visible to the mundanes no matter what she's wearing. Thus, the sweet scent of smoke going unnoticed by those not-sensitive to magic, except in that it dulls their senses and awareness towards the unusual and paranormal even further. Insult upon inability, so to speak.

    Namesake kiseru in hand, a rosewood piece with lacquered black coating, and a circle of red rimming the spout where whatever strange chocolate-scented substance is burning, the Kiseru Lady advances towards Kyouka, Fuyuko, Mamoru, Hannah, and Lyra... And right past them. She seems a bit distracted.

    Maybe it's the silver-filligreed pendant hanging from a chain in her free hand, that she is watching carefully as she walks. It is unmoving, not even swaying with her own motion a tiny bit, like it is frozen in time.

    She is also trailing a thin line of Dark Energy behind her as she goes. Barely noticeable, let alone useful. But it's there nonetheless.

Kyouka Inai has posed:
    "It's the stupidest," Kyouka says, shades of old mean-girl Stellar in her tone, which makes it both unfortunate and very fortunate that Mamoru chooses that moment to step out and make himself known. Unfortunate because she's really more mature than that now an its a bad look to be talking about someone's stupid henshin name- fortunate because he interrupts before she can say anything to make herself look even worse. (The nice thing about hanging out with Fuyuko is she can hardly make herself look any worse than the other girl already knows her to be, so there's no need to censor.)

    She whirls about at his sudden awkward appearance, her brows shooting up in- not alarm exactly, more just like the expression you get when you see Santa Claus at your 4th of July BBQ. 'what the heck are you doing here?'

    She doesn't even get a chance to say anything before Hannah (and Lyra) are also approaching from out of the shop they just happen to be passing. At which point Fuyuko, perhaps rightly, blames her for this. "Mamoru, what are you doing here?" She finally manages to actually say rather than just emote, and while its not exactly reproachful it does have a little hint of exasperation because you know, awkward and unexpected. She then adds, "Ms. Steiner, you know that I have very little jurisdication over the workings of the local hardware stores."

    She then turns to Fuyuko looking all like 'what do you want from me its a public sidewalk and I know people' but all she says out loud is, "Look, we'll just be nice and say hello and then we'll keep going okay, it doesn't need to be awkward," This delivered in a furious whisper that she maybe thinks is subtle but is perfectly audible to everyone around even people not directly involved.

    The Kiseru Lady walks by, and Kyouka gives her A Look. "That one's not my fault."

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"Ah-- hardware?" Mamoru's stuck on Fuyuko for a moment, because there's a difference between seeing a PICTURE of an awkward 13-year-old magical girl nerd version of the HR Lady who you cri-- anyway there's a difference between that and actually seeing her in the wild out talking shit with your mutual frien-- abort retry fail.

"Yes. Well. Hi Yuuhi-san. Hi Steiner-san. Sorry, Inai-sensei, I was looking for you but I should have warned you first." Like a civilized human, with a text. "I'll just-- let's not bother them they're being adults with... sidewalks and alcohol probably?"

It's actually a tremendous relief when some swanning lady swans past trailing dark energy because she's such a non-sequitur that Mamoru can squint after her and then turn it on Kyouka. "Are you sure."

Hannah Steiner has posed:
Hannah, for all her Royal studies, is still a teenager. She's by no means immune to potential sources of gossip. In fact, matters of Court only /encourage/ her to go full laser-sighted on potential sources of gossip, by they freund or feind. And this unknown voice of one Fuyuko Yuuhi is currently in neither camp, and so? Her cane taps a little harder. This new voice knows Mamoru, it seems!

But her gait and social tempo is interrupted by a Lady of the Kiseru wandering past on a mission! It's not even the Dark Energy that does it. That, her Device will catch up on later, but it's her sensitive nose that is met with the sweet, yet cloying scent of something outlawed on her home planet for generations.

And at the same time, celebrated on another planet that has been both ally and enemy in equal terms, the galactic form of 'frenemy' writ large to her House.

She's suddenly coughing, bending over a bit as the figure walks past. And just as she's lost in the crowd?

Hannah makes a few hand gestures, cane gripped hard, towards Kiseru's long gone back.

She's doing the Belkan equivalent of flipping her the bird.

"Public. Health. You Sanktless little heathen!" She manages to call out with a scowl!

Kyouka gets a S H R U G automatically, and doing so ends with a little duck from the mere weight of her prize.

"True enough. Und yet I question both of our choices of...abodes. Though I suppose such things are nein a choice when it comes down to the reiben, honored Beraterin." Comes Hannah, exasperated.

Hannah outright snorts!

"By the contrary, dear Herr Chiba...I find adults in their cups to be ones more open. ...At least at home, anyway." She chuckles, and her and her guard Razorhund's attention is upon them both!

Fuyuko Yuuhi has posed:
"I'll give the blame for that one to the universe at large," Fuyuko agrees, watching the Kiseru Lady stalk past distractedly. The bare shoulders and black and gold catch her attention - partly from a place of admiring beauty, but also partly from a place of - "Do you think she gets cold?"

Bold words from a woman in nothing thicker than a blouse and blazer, but then again, she had the power of alcohol to keep her warm, and another again, given that it was the Kiseru Lady you could really assume nothing.

In response to Kyouka's 'what do you expect from me, I know people', she shrugs daintily, as if to say, 'exactly, that's the problem, stop knowing people, why are they comfortable approaching you on the street?'

Except, the Kiseru Lady's chosen scent has clearly had an effect on one of those children. Fuyuko isn't going to help, of course, what does she look like, a goody-two shes? But she does keep an eye on Steiner as she coughs, and she does stifle a laugh as the girl brazenly calls insults to the Kiseru Lady.

"You may want to avoid making enemies unnecessarily," she advises. As Chiba is addressing her, so she inclines her head. He was looking for Kyouka? "I see you've retained your sense of observation. We are indeed enjoying sidewalks and alcohol - were you in need of something?"

Kyouka Inai has posed:
    Surprisingly Kyouka's response is somewhat similar to Fuyuko's, which is to say upon hearing Mamoru was looking for her, she immediately goes to "Why, what's wrong?" with genuine concern, because why would he be looking for her unless there some was kind of danger or horrible crisis, that's the only reason people look for her.

     She's somewhat distracted from this by Hannah starting to have a coughing fit, mentally making a note not to ever smoke around her, even in otherwise-appropriate smoking venues. "She's right," she adds, on the heels of Fuyuko's warning regarding the Kiseru lady, glancing over her shoulder, "Probably better not to antagonize that one, she-"

    She is interrupted from finishing her thought by the sound of yet another new voice, emanating from an alleyway (possibly the same one that Mamoru had emerged from). It is a female voice, though somewhat deep and with a hint of roughness that give it a distinctly languid quality. "Oh my," the voice says, sounding like a disappointed parent finding her children stealing from the cookie jar, "I had heard that you two were something of a disaster, but even I didn't expect anything quite so.. provincial."

    A form is visible sitting at the mouth of the alleyway; not a human form. Its vaguely canid, lupine perhaps, the size of a large cat or small dog- smaller than Lyra, certainly. Although details are in shadow, there's the impression of white and black fur and a slender tail curling in the air in a way more suggestive of a feline, though the body shape is clearly more dog-like.

    Kyouka had turned towards this new voice, an angry retort on her tongue that dies instantly upon seeing the form sitting there. Perhaps concerningly, she's gone white as a sheet, her grey eyes wide behind her sunglasses as she stares. "A-aurora?" The question a whisper of disbelief past parted lips, though she knows this can't be true. Aurora is dead. And besides, his voice was distinctly male. But the appearance of this figure catches her so off guard she's clearly not thinking straight.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"Noooo, I mean, they should be wild and free to be dumbasses in private," Mamoru stage-whispers to Hannah, finally getting his legs under him, "let's let them be--"

He holds his hands up and smiles at Fuyuko, then !! shakes his head at Kyouka, expression going quite earnest. "Nothing that won't wait. Enjoy your sidewalks and alcohol."

Then he is absolutely stepping around Lyra to try and steer Hannah away from the twenty-three-year-olds 'in their cups' as it were--

--until there's someone insulting Kyouka and Yuuhi-san, and he immediately stops being awkward and starts being mildly outraged on their behalf. He steps closer in order to be tall at the extremely short talking animal person. Lady. Alien. Collectible card game monster. Fluffy rude thing. "I beg your pardon?"

Hannah Steiner has posed:
Hannah tilts her head the other way, and then shakes her head openly! Lyra, helpfuly, does a big ol' bork! As if giving weight to her previous words!

Once her lungs are free of that sweet, ill-conceived smoke? Hannah glares towards the sound of one Fuyuko's voice!

"Und one so /prole/ as to supp such herbs into one's lungs as her, should consider the reverse und consider equal potential animosity!!!" Comes Hannah with a toss of her blonde hair, finally free of that sweet smoke!

Oh blessed Mamo-kun! He stage whispers and makes total sense! All while Hannah is all but salivating at potential /Adult Gossip/ to use in what her mind plays as the local Royal Court that is their local Academy!

And he cuts her and Lyra off! She's just about to complain and elbow her way forth??? When she hesitates, considers, and then suddenly laughs!

"/Acht/! I /hear/!!! ...By the Sankt, I think I require ramen, shall we, dear Herr Chi.."

Before she can end her blunt 'let the gals be gals' excuse, her ears perk up.

The sudden voice interrupts the young Royal, and though she might not see, her loyal Razorhund suddenly snarls at the voice of Aurora! Claws, usually hidden by magic, just grind into the earth, and those taunting words hardly need her Device to make her spin towards that sound!

Teeth clack. Her heart thuds in her chest.

A ghost from Kyouka's past. Or, as her mind searches, more likely some unsightly abomination trying to mess with said Kyous.

Fuyuko Yuuhi has posed:
"Well, far be it for me to prevent you from making poor choices," Fuyuko says dryly, "Go on, pick a fight with the Kiseru Lady, you'll have fun."

She might even, with how fighty and quick to aggress the girl is. Fuyuko might haver said more, but there was Chiba, clearly making an excuse to leave them to their drinking.

Wild and free to be dumbasses in private. Fuyuko rolls her eyes, wondering if this child had any idea what Kyouka and Fuyuko got up to when they were 'wild and free'. She might have said something, even, but for -

For that languid, disappointed voice, which sparks old memories, long untouched - parents ever disappointed in her very existence, a standard held above her head that could never be met, and she stiffens, gone cold and implacable in an instant, sparing no more attention for the children. When she looks to the alley, the look on her face could kill -

And when she sees the form sitting there cast in shadow, it falls away to something vaguely resembling regret, horror. Kyouka is the one who breathes the name. Fuyuko is the one who steps forward, hands curled into fists.

"Why are you here?"

The emphasis on you, for there was never supposed to be another of their long-dead mascot, mentor, and companion's kind on their planet. Here because - of all places, why come here?

Surely if she knew enough of them to seek the pair out, she would know enough to avoid Fuyuko.

Kyouka Inai has posed:
    The greetings received are varied in both tone and content, but none seem to perturb the creature. Even as Mamoru looms tall-ly at it and Fuyuko steps forward radiating 'time to die' energy, the thing steps forward into more direct light. It is certainly not an Earth animal, which should have been apparent from the fact that its talking but is even more apparent upon close examination. It was described as vaguely lupine, and that's true, but no wolf ever had such a pointed snout or such large ears, or that slender cat-like tail. Not to mention white eyes which showed keen, razor-like intelligence.

    It is certainly a creature like Aurora, the long-dead former mascot of the Lux Tenebrae, though once seen clearly it is also certainly not Aurora. Even aside from the fact that this creature's voice is female (and it is, you know, not dead) there are other distinctions that would stand out at least to Kyouka and Fuyuko. Aurora had a starburst pattern on his forehead- this one has something like a crown. And Aurora had white feet, while this one has white stripes on its hindquarters, almost zebra-like.

    "I am afraid not." That sighing, disappointed voice again, directed at Kyouka when she whispers the name of the deceased. "Regrettably, he remains dead. My name is Corona. I would say it is a pleasure to meet you, but I take it as a point of pride not to lie unnecessarily."

    Her snout doesn't move when she talks, but the voice sounds audible, rather than some kind of telepathy. Her head swivels to regard Fuyuko, without apparent fear or anger. "I did know, Aurora, however. We were colleagues. I must say, I'm surprised to find you so casually fraternizing with his murderer." Still addressing Kyouka, while looking at Fuyuko. "They told me humans were barbaric, but surely there are limits even amongst your people."

    For her part, Kyouka is just staring like she has seen a ghost, even when it becomes apparent she has not. She's deathly pale and faintly trembling, but she still shoots her hand out to grab Fuyuko's wrist. "Fuyuko, no," She says, although what exactly the denial is supposed to accomplish is unclear. On the heels of that, she adds, "Mamoru, get back, please." Because the creature is dangerous? Or because Fuyuko might be about to level half the block? Hannah is momentarily forgotten about because she is not in direct line of sight.

Hannah Steiner has posed:
Hannah smiles, that kind that's often unique to the young, and-or possessed by the kind of person that pays little heed to her own self preservation! Unfortunately, in this case, it's both.

"By Her Grace, is it not the domain of the young to make poor choices, honored Dame? Sankt Kaiser guide me, the Great House of Steiner's offspring shan't dishonor themselves by cleaving to mere /convention/!" Another snort, mostly north of a growl, and full of the self-absorbed nature of a /teenager/ of any world! She grips her Device.

Her expression absolutely dies as /Fuyuko/ steps forward. Her voice makes the situation a little more understandable. Whatever this thing is, before them all? It's against Kyouka. She can interrogate the relationship between Fuyu and Kou later. She grips the lead of Lyra tightly, and taps her way towards the sound of it.

As Corona steps foward, and offers her accusations of murder? And Mamoru is asked to get back?

Hannah whispers a curse, and then simply taps forward, and when she's /directly/ between the creature, Fuyu, and Kyouka? She might be lost, but she grips her magic in her back pocket and then just raises both hands with a plaintive smile!

"Now, now! Tossing around such accusations in a backwater is rather rude, is it not? Shall we at least establish a proper /parlay/, before this goes much further, Frau Corona, was it not?" She offers to the mascot, even as Lyra remains near her side just in case!

"Context, if you would, honored Guest?" She tries again almost weakly.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Mamoru... takes a step back immediately when Kyouka tells him to, then glances back at her uncertainly, moving away more fully even if he's still annoyed. Given the way Fuyuko looks, he decides he doesn't want to actually be anywhere near her if she goes off, yeah, good call. He ends up abreast of Hannah, watching, fallen silent.

For creative values of silent.

"Such a thick face she has, to be so rude and yet call them barbaric," he asides to Hannah, quite clearly. "I wonder if she's friends with Kyubey. It seems likely."

But then Hannah's GOING IN, and Mamoru takes off his glasses to rub at the bridge of his nose. "Would you mind *not* calling my planet a backwater, Steiner-san?"

Fuyuko Yuuhi has posed:
It's not Aurora.

Fuyuko had known that, believed that, because for all that the world was full of many strange and unnatural things, she had yet to see the dead return to life. It had been by her hand that Aurora met his end, rendered from life to nothing so much as a limp collection of meat and bone, and she would never forget the sound of his breath slowly, halting, the feel of his body cooling in her grasp as she took what she sought from him.

This Corona, with her striped haunches and crown-like mark, was not their long dead mascot-mentor-companion. No, was someone very different, and unwanted.

"If you didn't want to meet us you could have stayed away. There's plenty of city for you to hide in." Fuyuko's hands would have trembled, had they not been clenched so hard her fingers were digging crescents into her skin. Later, she would realize she had drawn blood.

The accusation should have been a slap of cold water, but it isn't. Fuyuko has never forgotten what she is, what she chose to become. It's Kyouka's hand on her wrist, warm and solid, the request, that ignites her temper, though the stubborn child who steps up to defend her teacher defuses at the initial flare.

"No need for parlay," she says, voice hard, lip curled back. "She's right to make her accusations. Did you come to needle us about the past? You're seven years too late to have your opinion on the subject matter."

And she twists her wrist, seeking to break Kyouka's hold - though it's unclear if her purpose is to make her record two for two on the murder of mascots, or something else.

"Is there anything besides the unchanging past you wanted to bring up?"

Kyouka Inai has posed:
    Kyouka actually winces when she senses Fuyuko's temper igniting. She can feel it, because she's been in this position before, and every time it leads to some kind of calamity. So, although the move is surely foolhardy for a number of reasons, when Hannah interposes herself between the two Arbiters and Corona and it causes Fuyuko to reign herself in, however temporarily, she heaves a quick sigh of relief. "Ms. Steiner, please, I'd ask you to step back also. Please." The repeated please has a hint of pleading to it. "This is.. not.." She trails off. Not what? Not your business? Not your fault? She doesn't know how to finish that sentence because she, much like Fuyuko, doesn't know what this actually is.

    Fuyuko pulls her wrist free, and Kyouka doesn't try to stop her. To say the danger is past would be untrue, but at the very least it's temporarily waylaid.

    Corona for her part merely tilts her head to the side so she can look past Hannah, who is clearly not the focus of her attention. Though she does have a response for Mamoru, stating with an audible sense of superiority, "The Incubators are admirably dedicated to their work, but at the end of the day, how can creatures without emotion possibly be in harmony? I might as well claim to be friends with an insect. I would get similar returns on investment."

    She then returns to the topic at hand. "I cannot, in fact, stay away." She says. "I am Aurora's replacement. Or did you really think that killing him would end the Lux Tenebrae? The Great Work must continue, and as such, I have been dispatched. It's a rather long trip, you know. Seven years may seem like a long time to fleeting creatures such as yourselves, but to me it really seems like just yesterday that I got the news that my dear friend had been killed by his own wayward charge. I suppose he was always rather lax with you both. It shows."

    She tilts her head, one ear flicking. "Regardless, failures or not, you two are still Lux Tenebrae, even if you now serve a different master. It would be remiss of me not to introduce myself, though fear not, I have no intention of trying to force you back onto the proper path. It is far too late for that. Instead, I shall seek out some new pupils. But we can learn so much by studying the mistakes of our predecessors, don't you think?"

Hannah Steiner has posed:
"Acht, no doubt, a pair of...what is the word? Peas und a pod in merchantile debasement!" Comes the young Steiner warmly to Mamoru, in equal a back-alley whisper!

A vague pause. Smile. Smiiile.

"NEIN!" Comes Hannah, clearly stuck in her very, /very/ Belkan opinions about Earth!

Fuyuko deftly denies her attempts at vague diplomacy. Really, she knows deep in her mind that should signal either a massive insult, or perhaps pure relief at a steady course being charted, in the way of nations, that one can cling to and thus make decisions.

Her head /throbs/, but even as she leans on her cane and undoes that welcoming embrace so easily offered to Corona?

The murderesse openly agrees. Talk about a complication suddenly raised to the fore. But she quickly reminds herself that her concern is Kyouka. She owes her far, far too much, after all.

Teeth grit. She's being almost /begged/ by Kyou's standards. Hannah is torn.

And so, she makes her way over, and finally just lands both herself and Lyra to Kyouka's free side, and just a few steps forward.

"....I am at your request, frau Inai." Comes Hannah oddly quietly, and she focuses herself right for Corona, and yet Kyouka besides. Lyra only helps, and by the way she's leaning on Blauer Greif? It's clear she'd jump into Henshin in a moment's notice.

Hands are white knuckled, but she presents herself as a bodyguard for her dear ally now that things are slightly less cloudly.

'Lux Tenebrae'.

'Great Work'.

Teeth start to grind audibly as Hannah wants to ask Kyouka and her compatriot several questions, but reads the situation good enough to not openly interfere. She reaches back, and grasps for her Father's relative calm in Belkan Court matters.

"The past can be as much one's noose or one's balm." Mutters Hannah with a snort under her breath.

She and Lyra both are leveling gazes all but molten towards Corona.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Mamoru puts his glasses back on and shoves his hands in his pockets, one of them invisibly closing on his pocketwatch, holding it tightly.

"Did Aurora deserve murdering?" he asks the two older magical girls almost cheerfully. "Because if so, good on you--"

Then Hannah, and Hannah is... "I will FIGHT YOU, Steiner," he hisses, "my planet is NOT a backwater, YOUR planet is a--"

Oh things are serious on this, now, still, again; Mamoru just shuts up, his hand white-knuckled in his pocket.

Fuyuko Yuuhi has posed:
In another circumstances, Fuyuko might have a mocking little remark about Kyouka's teacherly manner, trying now to get her students out of the way when throwing them into danger was their primary objective, the principle purpose that kept them themselves.

Under the current circumstances, Steiner's place between Fuyuko and Corona may be the only thing keeping the arrogant creature alive -

Maybe not.

The word replacement rings in her ears. The great work must continue.

In her mind's eye she sees the glitter of gems as they fell from Aurora's body, the gleam of golden light, the wisp of seething darkness. She feels a ghost of sensation, the crackle of power, as she brought to bear the power of thirteen gems together all at once, a dozen smoking, crackling gems orbiting her head. The power of thirteen generations, twelve of whom would never come to pass, harnessd for her own ends, marshalling of resources be damned.

The transformation is instinctual, an expression of true self - one moment, there stands Fuyuko Yuuhi, a young business woman, tie loosened and black blazer unbottoned over a violet blouse, and in the next, there is Lacuna, white star-shaped earrings glinting in the darkness of her hair, knee-length cap-sleeved black dress seeming to swallow the nearby light. Her leggings, purple and white striped, are the only source of color on her body, and her clenched fists are hidden in the almost-liquid pools of darkness that swirl around her fists.

Temper may be too mild a word for the feeling that burns in the pit of her soul, old rage, old hate, the lick of madness that was once an inferno.

"Have you learned much from the failure of your predecessor?" She asks, "I suppose not, if it may as well have been yesterday. If you stick around, I will share with you the last lesson he taught me."

Her vicious smile bares teeth. In the swirl of darkness about her hands are flickers of dying light.

"How to kill an immortal being. There will be no more Lux Tenebrae on this planet, Corona. You great work here ends with us."

And she strides forward, eyes intent, her threat a promise she means to fulfill in this very moment, if necessary.

Kyouka Inai has posed:
    The second, the very second that Fuyuko henshins, Kyouka does as well. Its almost instinctive, a reaction occurring simultaneously with the inciting incident. In white and gold, she's suddenly between Lacuna and Corona, though she didn't move there- she's just there. Golden light crackles around her forearms, though she doesn't raise them, and the grey eyes she fixes upon the face of her partner, her oldest friend, gleam with a faint unnatural light that is both golden and strangely orange-tinted.

    "Fuyuko." Though she had been uncertain, off-guard for this entire interaction, her voice now is solid. Ash-quiet and steel-hard. "Stop." It's a request and a command together, though Fuyuko has never been beholden to her in any such way that would make a command appropriate. But Kyouka is keenly aware of the people around them. Not just Mamoru and Hannah, who are definitely on her mind, but the other people too. People walk by on the sidewalk constantly, the Veil rendering the scene playing out in front of them into some kind of cosplayer drama. Unaware of the danger. Kyouka is aware.

    It's the Same Old Fight. Don't hurt the people. The people don't matter. All people matter. Back and forth, endless and without resolution. But they aren't kids anymore, and though shackles bind their power, all chains can be broken with enough force applied. Thunder rumbles somewhere far off in the distance.

    It's a tableau which stands unbroken for at least several seconds. "I don't want to fight you." This in a quiet tone, but it's not pleading, not whining. It's just fact. She doesn't want to.

    But she will.

    The point, however, may be moot. Because in the few moments this little drama has taken to unfold, Corona is gone. The alleyway behind Kyouka is now empty.

Hannah Steiner has posed:
For a brief, brief moment? Hannah is drawn back to her homeworld. A voice calls her out, clearly, on her words.

She shakes away the nostalgia, in place of Usagi's beloved offering to fight her over his world's honor.

A better person would have /regretted/ her choice of words meant to tease, but then again. Most of it was honest. And a Great House royal isn't one to back down, even if she's a rank fool!

That cane of her's swipes a Duelist's salute before Mamoru's proclaimation!

"Und you shall have your Duel, Herr Chiba, at your time und place of choosing! Sankt preserve us both until She deigns us clash!" Comes Hannah with utter formality.

Hannah pauses, considers the wealth of Tharkadian responses before her?

And simply lets the Japanese Anemone flower she'd plucked for Takumi let flit out with a /crunch/.

Like a good foreign Royal, she proceeds to explain nothing to the Earth Prince with that gesture!

But whatever stife is brewing between the Countess-Palatine of Tharkad and the Prince of Earth, Hannah's attention is burning towards that of one Lacuna, one who talks of a predecessor and also removing an immortal. Again, the Lux Tenebrae even as she henshins!

And then, Corona is gone.

Hannah's hands go limp, and she near drops her Device. All her bluster dies, and sightless eyes turn towards Kyouka.

Frak.

"...Kyouka?" No honorifics. She just sounds /worried/.

She slowly leans on BG, up to her feet.

"Home, first. Und then I ask an explaination for all of us I think." Comes Hannah, perhaps more softly than she ever has utter any words, as she taps towards her.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Awkward. MUCH more awkward than before. Mamoru takes another step back, now, and just watches Fuyuko approach the mascot, not moving to try and stop her. That's all on Kyouka, who does just that--

--he's got a duel date with Hannah and apparently flowers??--

--and Hannah's walking forward now.

They're occupied with each other, they all are. Nobody will notice in this moment if he slips away, and he does.

He'll text Kyouka later.

Fuyuko Yuuhi has posed:
Stellar is between Lacuna and Corona in an instant as natural as the flicker of light, as the shift of shadow. That solid voice, those glowing eyes. It's like being thrown back in time - Lacuna's eyes are pits of darkness, the mask of her implacability shattered. There is hatred there, in her eyes, the tipping scales, the old flash of madness.

It's the original fight and every iteration that followed.

Spare the people. Damn the people. Save the people. Kill the people.

But it isn't the past and the paths they trod as willful children are lost to them.

There is no going back. There is only what comes after, what comes next.

The shadows of the alley are darker than they ought to be, the shadows cast by every one of them looming, empty voids, the cold winter air biting. The chatter of children, chiding and challenging and living. So many of them, these children - two, today, but there are so many more in the world than there ever were in Fuyuko and Kyouka's day. Had the world been different, as it is for these children, would they even be the people they are today?

A pointless thought. Stellar stands against her, implacable, unmoving in her self-righteousness.

"You never do," Lacuna responds, and it's not an accusation, not an agreement. The words are like gravel on her tongue. Blood vanishes into the darknbess of her own power, seeping from the cuts her opened by her own fingernails. "This isn't over. So long as she is here this will not be over."

And then she, like Corona, is simply gone.

Kyouka Inai has posed:
    'This isn't over'. Fuyuko says it in the context of Corona. But it was true before that. They play at friendship- maybe more than play, since since when has being friends required a total lack of conflict?- but the Fight doesn't just stop. Nobody wins. There's no winning. So it can't be over.

    But that doesn't mean it can't be ignored. Shoved to the side. Pushed under the carpet and left until Another Day. And that's all fine and well until Another Day becomes today. And its made starkly apparent that it was never over, can never be over. And your friend, perfectly capable of murder, stands before you and leaves you no choice but to answer violence in kind.

    Thankfully, in the end, it appears that Another Day won't be today. Because Corona has buggered off. Run away might be too generous, as there was no sense of fear from the beast. But that does not mean that she can't tell when it is wise to beat a tactical retreat. A moment later, Lacuna joins her. Mamoru has already slipped away. Only Stellar, still tense, and Hannah remain on the sidewalk.

    A long, regretful sigh escapes Stellar as she relaxes her stance just enough. She glances to Hannah, and simply says, "Later. I'll explain later." And then she too, is gone.

    But it certainly is not over.