1849/Drive By: Candy Crush

Drive By: Candy Crush
Date of Scene:	09 August 2024
Location:	Plot Room 1
Synopsis:	Eudial was riding hot, searching for a pure heart talisman! Unfortunately, Chiyo has ended up in her sights. Fortunately, there are quite a few sparkles to step in and stop the candy girl from dropping for good!
Cast of Characters:	Hotaru Tomoe, Chiyo Sakai, Taro Yamada, Haruka Tenoh, Hinote Kagari, Molly Skyline, Veronica Perenna

---

Hotaru Tomoe has posed:
"Get off the road you crazy broad!" an angry driver yelled after Eudial cut them off, drifting into the middle of a lane before going forward!

To say Dr. Tomoe was... in a foul mood was an understatement. His daughter was still missing, the project had entirely stalled, and they seemed to be no closer to finding the talismans that would lead to the Holy Grail. And if they could find the Holy Grail they could solve ALL thier problems.

So now, Eudial was driving rapidly through the city, car skidding along wildly, as she searched for her next victim and target...

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
Chiyo Sakai pauses near the crosswalk of the intersection that was not *quite* yet overtaken by the crazy driver that was terrorizing the busy city. She pauses because it wasn't time to walk yet. That, and she takes a sip of the yellow-and-green drink in hand which looked icey cold and rather yummy. The main portion is a lemony-yellow slush but ontop is a crisp swirl of matcha green icecream. A pink straw finishes it off.

"I thought the yuzu and matcha would be a bit odd together but this is really good," Chiyo gushes to Taro. "I'm so glad I tried it. The yuzu tea slush alone is really good but... Ah, this is great on a warm day! I'll have to tell Usagi-chan to try that place out, too."

Taro Yamada has posed:
Taro squints at the reckless driver. Boy, the more traffic laws changed, the more drivers stayed the same, didn't they? He's staying well on the sidewalk for the time being. The Back Street Slasher - er, name pending, using Kuiper Belt Cape for the time being - had been hit by cars enough times in his long career that Taro didn't want to repeat that in his squishy human body.

"Adults these days," he sighs, and sips at his own drink. "I was worried the matcha would overpower the yuzu, but it sounds like they made a good balance!" He sips at his own drink, an iced coffee slush. "Chocolate and orange are equally powerful and can balance the coffee. Orange is more of a winter flavor, I know, but it just looked so good!"

Haruka Tenoh has posed:
The crazy driver roaring down the streets is not, in fact, Haruka Tenou - she's not even in her car today. She's actually just a couple of steps behind Chiyo and Taro - and wouldn't have given them any mind if not for the mention of Usagi-chan she overheard. But because of that she diverted herself to follow behind. There's probably another Usagi-chan, but well... Okay, Haruka is just a tiny bit nosy. And she's got nothing better to do. So the two of them are being subtly followed by one of the least subtle wearing-a-boy's-RHA-uniform human beings.

    She's not snooping though she just happens to be going in their direction. And sipping her own slush as well.

Hotaru Tomoe has posed:
The car drove by the three and--

And the gun flashed on, for a moment?!

The car came to a screaching HALT! Causing traffic to stop as she just stopped in the middle of TWO LANES! Then, she got out of the car, the trunk popping open. And just...

"Get out of the way, you crazy broad!" someone yelled at her, waving a fist out a window. But she ignored them. Instead, she just pulled out what looked like a... box?! She then threw it out and...

It erupted, filling the air with smoke?!

Literally, there was smoke EVERYWHERE, covering the whole street within moments. Maybe her forcing all traffic to stop so suddenly wasn't so bad...

She, however, grabbed the gun, now wearing a gas mask herself. She pulled out the gun, turning, turning... turning... THERE!

And pulled the trigger. A beam of white light shooting from it, aimed directly at Chiyo. To knock out her heart crystal!

Mere moments later, the smoke would be clearing and... what looked like... a strange... walking... truck? Youma? With a fire hose on its back? Oh dear heavens.

It was a youma fire truck!

"Hello, and welcome to the show. Are you all ready for a faaaaaaantastic day? Cause let me tell you, I have a deal for you!"

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
"Oranges are good in Summer and Fall too though," Chiyo assures Taro with a look of amusement at the mention of the Winter flavor. Sure, the shop tried to keep up with seasonal flavors but that didn't mean she held herself to the 'can only have them when in season' so far as tasting new things. "That's what I was afraid of, too, but I guess since they're both earthy flavors it works. I could do a yuzu gellee filling with a matcha mochi probably. I'll have to play around with it at the shop later."

Thoughts of candy making are foregone for a moment as her own less-alert ears catch the sound of a racing engine drawing her attention away. Lips purse tight as the plum haired girl with spiral curls and hairbuns glances that way leeeaning just a bit forward to peer around someone into the street to see what was going on.

"What's going on over th--ere?"

Just as quick as she'd leaned forward she jerks back when the car comes squealing to a stop in the middle of the street. Eyes widen, heart thumping in her throat, she takes a half-step back. Her first instinct is to find a place to hide, to change, to-- She can't. She can't anymore, and it made her heart ache just a bit knowing that, but that didn't mean she couldn't try to get others to safety when this crazy woman starts shooting-- At. At her?

The drink falls from her hand to smack wet against the ground sending it's contents splashing all over. Mouth wide open, her gaze drops down to her chest to stare glassy-eyed at the glowing crystal that bursts free.

"N-no..." Is all that manages to come out. Really she was thinking 'not again' but when you die once then get shot in the chest there's not much else to think. This heart crystal thing was new though. No blood just. A part of her now OUTSIDE of her.

Taro Yamada has posed:
The handy thing about the smoke means that no one can see him. Means that Taro can transform fast, his ragged cloak fluttering in the wind as he appears, pale blue skin and pointed ears and white kimono folded the wrong way around. Car wrecks are no joke, and neither are, uh, bombs???

But it's not bombs or cars that he needs to fear in the end but a gun. But his friend Chiyo staggering back - and he reaches forward to catch her with one strong arm, then swipes out to grab the brilliant crystal before someone else can reach it. He doesn't know what that is, but if it's floating over her, it's HERS.

He needs both hands to hold her and the crystal, but that's fine; that's not the only way he can fight.

"Jack, show them where you're from!" he calls, and a tiny wooden doll in dull grey clothing and a white apron hops out of one pocket and takes to the Kuiper Belt Cape's shoulder, doffing his hat to the youma before - oh. Was he supposed to turn his hands into red knives? Is that normal? That doesn't look normal.

He scoops Chiyo and her crystal into his arms, and the message is clear- anyoen going after either of htem is going through seven feet of monster man.

Hinote Kagari has posed:
Hinote Kagari was walking along with Tracy when a car skids by them and Tracy has to grab onto his tiny fedora to keep it on. Tracy ughs. "Hey, who's drivin the jalopy!?" he says.

That's when there's a youma firetuck and Hinote Kagari tugs Tracy by his tiny coat back into an alleyway...

"My Heart: Unlock!"

Pulp Noir is here suddenly, making his way in a run towards the scene in a huff.

Did that woman in the car just SHOOT someone!?

Haruka Tenoh has posed:
    To say that Haruka Tenoh was distracted by the display of terrible, yet somehow not crashing directly into things driving was an understatement. Whoever was behind the wheel was either lucky or talented or some kind of mix.

    The smoke show doesn't help, and then there's... Okay yep that's a youma. That is absolutely a youma which means this is not a problem Haruka Tenoh can solve. So Haruka moved with the crowd of people to escape, but moved down the first alleyway she could find.

    Youma were not a problem for Haruka Tenoh, they were a problem for the woman who appeared standing on top of a traffic light because it's a thing, alright? "How dare you threaten the peace of this city and the enjoyment of a slushie on a warm day?" she yelled out, pointing a gloved hand accusingly at the youma. "Guided by a new era, acting with elegance, I am Sailor Uranus, protected by the planet of wind - hey what the hell there was already a youma!" she says, interrupting her Required Daily Justice Speech (which she hadn't given one in like weeks!) to jump down and stop near Ripper and the group of - dolls, and blood knives, and catching the girl before she hits the ground?

    She shakes her head. "Tell me you're not with the infomercial fire truck over there..." she says, drawing a sword from nowhere that appears to have a blade of glimmering light. "Otherwise I've got a lot of work to do solo today." Thankfully Pulp Noir is here and she recognizes him from Paris. "Hey, gumshoe! Good timing. Not so solo, then."

Molly Skyline has posed:
Molly is out and about, walking around with a very full, very recently purchased bubble tea in hand (pink with white and blue pearls in it, wonder what flavor that is?) And in spite of the fact that she is bruised enough that one might suppose she'd recently lost a fight with a steam-roller, she looks to be pretty pleased with life at this particular moment. So she's walking along, drink in one hand, and phone in the other while she's busy catching a Snorlax... is it any good? Ooh it's got three stars, that's a goo--

And then there's a loud *Vroom* and a car peels past her close enough that she jumps, drops her phone, and squeezes the drink cup so hard that the lid pops off and it just goes everywhere.

"What the-?! WANKER!!" the purple-haired Brit shouts after the car, lifting her right hand with two fingers extended in a 'V' shape. She sighs, looking at the taillights before shaking her head and crouching to retrieve her phone -- which isn't broken, luckily. She tosses the now empty cup in the nearest trash bin, and continues on, shaking bubbletea off her hand and looking much less pleased with life.

Except then, not so far up ahead, there come the telltale sounds of violence. Well, she knows what that means, ducking ito an alley and coming out moments later, clad in Barrier Jacket with Starcrash in staff form and held tight. Translucent purple wings carry her around the corner as she rushes towards the -- Oh good, there's another Youma, but at least it's not a warplane this time.

<< WARNING: MANA RESERVE ONLY RECOVERED TO SEVENTY PER CENT >>

"Okay, thanks Starcrash, I'll be careful," Molly answers. "Charge Stellar Pulse, twenty barrets."

<< ARMED >>

At least she'll be ready when she gets there.

Veronica Perenna has posed:
Veronica was just happening to be walking about, really. Not much to do on a tranquil Friday afternoon. Not even one of the precious Youmas had been acting up recently, and she had been doing fairly good on any other front. She deserved a break right about now. She wasn't really aware of the other girls and boy chatting amicably.

What she is aware of is the annoying feeling of someone who really ought to learn how to drive. For art's sake, maybe they could use some tips in the right direction. She could sneak in one of her cards, possibly. The brunette's pondering is interrupted by the formation of the youma and the extraction of the heart crystal.

"They really never learn", she shakes her head, before rushing into an alley and with a twirl, there she is, the Princess of Sarek. "Let's get this show started", she smiles. Though, it's a fire truck youma, isn't it? She supposes there is a certain irony in using her magic disguise as Sunbreaker.

She glows like moonlight and she changes, turning into the fiery villain. "I thought those guns had been outdated", she exclaims as she jumps out in the open. Good thing that - Chiyo-san, that is Chiyo-san, right? - Chiyo-san is already in safe hands. "Take care of her", she tells the Rippe before turning to the youma. "Fine then, you people are really getting on my nerves today", she talks in imitation of Sunbreaker. She then jumps up high, aiming at the fire truck youma with a kick.

Hotaru Tomoe has posed:
"Welcome welcome welcome! Now, I know what you're thinking, am I really a tough enough guy to hold off this tall slab of meat all on my own? The answer is no, no, no! But, I have a deal for you! For the mere price of one, count it, ONE talisman, I'll let you and your friends go! Why, I'm practically giving it away at that point? No? Well, fine then!"

Those who had been a part of the prior heart crystal assaults... might realize something else. While the more recent ones had been only partial heart crystals? This was the entirety of Chiyo's heart crystal. The earlier models...

The youma then unleashed a blast of water from its water gun, the pressure enough to dent, possibly pierce, the stone wall behind Ripper if he didn't move out of the way!

Eudial, meanwhile, was digging through the back of her car again...

"I tell you what, kids, you can just give me the heart crystal and I won't even stop you from getting slushies! Fresh off the lot, fresh off the lot!"

And then... Eudial pulled back with... some kind of weird gun... that looked almost like it was a homemade proton pack?! And turned back towards them, only to freeze. "Wait, you? What are *you* doing here?" Eudial asked. "HEY! Why are you interfering?! You owe me after I taught you how to drive!"

... And so, another mystery solved. Meanwhile, the youma did NOT expect a Sunbreaker kicked and... Lifted up its arms, barely, in time. And it was like kicking a WALL! Ow. BUT! The youma did skid back a bit. It was a tough thing, wasn't it? Tougher than a lot of youma. "Now, I'm afraid after THAT, I can only promise you you'll be coming in two colors! Black and blue!" the youma snapped, before a big, bulky arm attempted to smack 'Sunbreaker' away!

Taro Yamada has posed:
"Excuse me, I have some class!" the Ripper protests at Sailor Uranus's question. "Obsideon only hires lithe young women between the ages of 15-28 who are fine with dressing like they're in a host club! Do I look like like that? They don't let uggos into Obsideon! Matter of fact, I'm on your side, straight from the Kuiper Belt!"

Don't get it twisted! He's a good guy now! An antihero, even! Darkness, vengeance, the night, and so forth!

And he's also rolling out of the way before that stone-breaking blast of water hits him. No thanks!! Especially with Chiyo in his arms!

Though. If she wants the crystal - the talisman?He guesses?

"As your kohai, I'm asking you to trust me, ok? I'm gonna put this thing in the safest place I can think of." he asks Sailor Uranus as he rolls back to his feet, letting Chiyo fall limp against his side as he holds the sparkling crystal up.

And then pops it in his mouth. Swallows.

Steal THAT.

Molly Skyline has posed:
Molly just flie straight in. Artillery Mage close-combat moves, go. She rushes up behind Eudial and tries to just shoulder-check her from behind (which might hurt her more than him anyway). Wether she pulls it off or not, she lands, rolls, and comes up in a crouch right by Chiyo, making it looks just like she meant to do that.

She did. Mean to do that. Honest.

"I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about," she states as she stands back up, and dusts herself off a little. "But I know a youma when I see one, and I know a baddie when I see one, and that is a youma and you are both a terrible driver, and a baddie." She pauses. "And you owe me a raspberry bubble tea with coconut and blueberry pearls!"

As she speaks, she manouvers herself around, letting her wings pick her up a couple feet off the ground so she can back away and get some distance from the youma, before she levels her staff at it and holds on tight.

"Fire!"

A stream of shimmering barrets fly from her staff, none of them homing in but all of them aimed to pepper the youma and the area around it.

And then, just in case, a translucent globe, briefly visibly, snaps into place around her. Never hurts to be shielded.

Haruka Tenoh has posed:
    Sailor Uranus is... well, jaw-dropped to see Sunbreaker show up. She watched Hinoiri Kirara get her henshin beaten out of her, for one thing. This actually disorients and distrats her for a moment before she has to get out of the way of the same water blast that Ripper does.

    "Alright, we got edgelord bloodblades and freakin' Sunbreaker... here... both against the firetruck... Kagari-san to provide support..." she mumbles under her breath.

    She sees Eudial going for the trunk and what she can only assume is a weapon, and given that 'Sunbreaker' just kicked the fire truck, she sees Eudial as the bigger threat and - is increasingly sure of this as Molly's entrance is made. For now, anyone shooting the youma is on her team. She can worry about the teams after this once the youma is no longer spouting used-car-salesman noises at her and she's not worried about whatever Eudial is trying to pull.

    So while Eudial's distracted yelling at Sunbreaker, Sailor Uranus makes another one of those giant leaps with the gleaming sword in her hand. She'll cut Eudial, or Eudial's tech-gun-thing, either's good. Hopefully. Failing that she'll at least prevent the Witch from getting in on the others as they try to evict the firetruck. And it also means she doesn't witness Taro eating the Heart Crystal, which is... probably good for her sanity.

    "Hey, didn't you hear what happened to Beryl? This isn't the winning team you're on." she yells at Eudial as she tries to close in with her.

Hinote Kagari has posed:
Oh Hey, it's Molly and she's unloading hell on the youma, good. Sailor Uranus is here, she gets a little tip of his fedora in turn. "Heya." he says.

"Hey!" Pulp Noir says at Eudial. "Drop the weapon and throw your hands for the sky." he says. "I'm...." well, he can't take her in, so to say, there's no magical jail.

"WELL I'll shoot you and it'll hurt if you don't put it down." he says.

Also wait what's Sunbreaker doing here, didn't she drop that act? That makes him frown secretly.

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
Chiyo Sakai does ... absolutely nothing. Taro grabs her holding her close. Her arm falls down limply to her side. If not for the fact that she was still breathing, eyes open, one would easily assume she were dead. She wasn't but she was certainly Not Doing Good. She doesn't even protest when the Slasher noms on the crystal that Eudial is after.

Veronica Perenna has posed:
"Hrgg", Veronica grits her teeth as she is thrown back by the youma's retaliation, thrown back and barely able to catch a street lamp to avoid crashing against a wall. She is glad it wasn't completely useless, but she didn't expect it would have been so tough, she thinks, jumping back slightly. No doing kicks at it again without further protection, that hurt too. She can feel the aches all over.

"That is in the past. Have you seen how you drive? I would have looked ridiculous if I didn't try to improve on my own", Veronica retorts to Eudial as she recovers from being swung back. That probably hadn't been her best choice.

Yeah, no, she is going improv, after all luck helps the daring, doesn't it? "You know, though, that is not the only thing I have been working on. I am Sunbreaker, and the power of the moon is now mine", she says, a beam of moonlight forming from her hand and rushing towards the youma.

Hotaru Tomoe has posed:
"..."

"..."

Both Eudial and the youma did that, staring at Ripper. Did... did he just... Well, no matter. FINE! Then she supposed she'd just--

BAM! She gets hit from behind, yelping and face planting into the trunk, giving a loud grrrrrrr and pushing back off. "GAH! DESTROY THEM!"

"Whatever you say, boss!"

And now someone was yelling at her to get down. HA! As if words could stop her! She pulled out her... weird... proton pack/vacuum again! Only to stop and whip towards Sunbreaker. "How dare--"

The distraction is enough. Uranus manages to get in and she cuts THROUGH the hose and main barrel of the device. "... Ummmm..."

She looked at Uranus. Back down at her device. Then in a single motion she whipped it off and CHUCKED it into Uranus as hard as she could.

A moment later, they'd hear the sound of the car driving off, wildly.

And then the device EXPLODES! Erupting the area in fire and leaving a crater in the ground from the explosion.

The youma, meanwhile... watched its ride abandoning it. Rude.

"The moon? What do I have to do to get you in a--" The youma was knocked back by the moon, skidding back and leaving gouges in the ground, only to be sent onto its back by Molly's barret flurry! "VERY WELL! IT IS TIME! FLASH FLOOD!!"

Two more water blasters appeared on its arms! And it began to spin on the ground! Incredibly fast and powerful bursts of water shooting from all three, attempting to cut into Sunbreaker, Pulp Noir, Molly AND Ripper. Shattering windows and tearing through cement as it went.

The frightening thing, perhaps, was that the youma seemed to actually be tanking the hits rather well... Though it at least didn't seem to have Eudial anymore.

Haruka Tenoh has posed:
    "Oof." Uranus says, as the peices of device impact her in the stomach. She could feel something in the wind as she looked down at it. Or maybe that was just survival instinct. Because she hurled it away and it blew up, and it was still close enough that some of the flames licked at her outfit and singed parts of her normally pristine white Senshi Suit charred black. "Well. At least she's gone?" Sailor Uranus says to nobody.

    Then slowly the traffic jam of brain cells that is Uranus' mind catches up to the current situation and... Sunset is here. Sunset said she has the power of the moon. Sunset's blasted a literal moonbeam at the youma.

    "Oh hell no!" Sailor Uranus shouts, and charges. She's not headed for the youma, though. She's headed right for Sunset of Sarek. She grabs the girl by the collar of her henshin outfit and carries her with some serious momentum - it's enough to keep her out of the blast of water guns, but also probably incredibly startling to be yoinked so forcefully by the tall dishwater blonde.

    "What the hell do you mean, power of the moon. Hinoiri-baka I swear if you've touched Sailor Moon there won't be any reason for you to be on the run anymore because I'll solve you MYSELF." she says, practically shaking the other girl. "I thought you didn't even have any POWERS."

Molly Skyline has posed:
Molly takes a moment to rub her shoulder, given that she was already bruised before she decided to ram Eudial from behind, but everyone makes choices and she doesn't regret hers. "How about you just-- Okay, run away I guess, that's fine." Also, she sees Ripper eat... a crystal... but she doesn't quite know the significance of that, other than that it somehow relates to Chiyo being in trouble. She lets her wings carry her a few feet higher up, which... basically puts her in the perfect position to be blasted by a high-powered water cutter apparently. She throws her arm up to protect herself as it tears into her shield; which drops, and then her barrier jacket is taking it, losing a few armor plates and getting thoroughly soaked in the process. Molly is blasted backwards, until she slams into a concrete wall and drops down to her knees on the ground, mercifully behind a piece of rubble and protected for the moment.

But. But wait. This is a Youma that's using *water*, you say? This. This is her moment.

"Starcrash, charge Eclipse Beam," she growls, as she shakes her head, pushing wet hair out of her face, and stands.

<< ARMED >>

Molly half-crouches and takes off again, getting some altitude so she can have a clear line of sight on the Youma. "How about this?! ...Fire!"

She aims Starcrash, and fires a freezing cold beam, aiming for the Youma's water cannons and trying to walk the beam from one to the next and to the last one, if she can pull it off. Well, maybe, it *is* moving a lot. But freezing water into ice seems like it'd be a neat trick here.

Taro Yamada has posed:
Welp! There's no defeating that weird lady in the car since she THREW A BOMB and DROVE OFF, like a SWAGLESS COWARD, so it's time to take out this car creature so he can put Chiyo's crystal back safely! Which - will be easier if neither of them get crushed to death by water pressure!

So he leaps up onto the building behind them, a blade growing from his foot and into the stone, giving him leverage to jump up, up, up, until he's clambered one handed to the top of a nearby building.

He sets Chiyo down gently on the flat rooftop, using his cloak as a pillow for her head, then turns to the ongoing situation. Uranus and - oh no, is that Sunbreaker? - fighting, and that girl with the cool guns is working on ranged attacks, which means... ok. Yeah.

The nice thing about being a seven foot monster guy is what he lacks in formal magical ranged attacks, he makes up in being able to pick up a 30 pound piece of rubble and throw it at the youma, trying to bait it into jumping into the range of Molly's guns.

Jack the doll, meanwhile, is too small to be caught in the intense water blasts, being all of six inches tall. As the mahou argue around him, Jack walks inevitably towards the youma.

But it's fine to ignore him, right? What harm will a six inch tall doll do to a powerful youma?

Veronica Perenna has posed:
Ah, yes, her powers are in fact much more effective, even if punches and kicks did in fact do suitably well the last time she last time she had used this disguise. "Get me in? Yeah, not really feeling like it. Maybe you all should review your code of conduct or whatever?", Veronica dismisses Eudial.

She is about to defend herself from the water spray when an angry Uranus runs towards her. "What are you doing!?", she exclaims, taken by surprise. "Can't you see I am helping you?" And then Uranus states the problem.

... Darn it, she was so stupid. Of course that would have attracted attention. "Moon is fine, I promise! I didn't do anything to her. I got this on my own. I can explain, but not right now!", she says, trying to calm down the soldier of Uranus.

Hotaru Tomoe has posed:
The youma kept spinning around wildly, attempting to destroy all the was around it! Sending bits of concrete and glass into the air, and--

And then a chunk of cement smacked him, making him pause for a moment, the spinning slowing--

ICE! Suddenly a freezing beam of light washed over the youma, locking it in a big dome of ice. It was, for the moment... entirely frozen.

They'd beaten it, they--

And then the ice began to crack... and break... and...

Well, they had an opening, they'd best use it while they could!

Taro Yamada has posed:
Jack the doll clambers up the frozen youma, tiny red spikes on his hands and feet letting him climb as effectively as the Ripper made it up the building.

He walks across the wide plane of the fire truck's hood, tracing the line between metal and flesh contemplatively. His featureless face quirks to the side.

When he raises his arm, a long red blade stretches out - at least six times the side of the doll himself. His head tilts up, as if to leer down at the youma, and he swings his arm.

The entire front of the fire truck is cut off, collapsing on the street, with Jack falling down with it as the youma's unprotected front is exposed.

"Outta the way, Jack! The girls got this!" the Ripper shouts, and the doll takes cover inside the broken fire truck.

Haruka Tenoh has posed:
    Uranus gives Sunbreaker a glare. "You damn well better, Hinoiri." she says and lets go of Sunbreaker. Then she looks around at the rest of the battlefield. Nobody is down (except Chiyo but she got shot by a magic gun and so Uranus assumes that the situation is... normal, for being shot with a magic rifle) - and there's still a youma.

    Well, there's still an ice cube with a youma inside it. A big firetruck. What is it with Obsidian and Combat Cars that she shows up to, anyways? Then she wonders if a firetruck is smaller than the truck that got turned into a youma last time.

    And then there's a nice, big, exposed half a firetruck front that's just begging to be blasted.

    Haruka throws her hand into the air and collects pulsating orange energy into a prismatic orb, which she then slams down into the ground - an orange sphere of tornadic energy that rips its way through the ground on the way to its now very exposed target. "WORLD SHAKING!" she calls.

Molly Skyline has posed:
"Hey it worked! That actually worked!" If Molly were standing on the ground, she'd be jumping for joy; as it is, she just hoists Starcrash up over her head like she's one of those Sand People from Star Wars, shaking her staff up and down in victory.

Oh, but the ice is cracking, which means that this needs to be finished up. At least lots of people are also moving in to do basically exactly that, but Molly's never been one to leave well enough alone. Everyone fights until the last monster's last hit point, that's just how it is! "Starcrash, charge Stellar Solar Beam," she instructs.

<< ARMED >>

Molly waits until Ripper's doll and Sailor Uranus are clear. "Fire!" she shouts, and lets loose with a furious blast of superheated magic, into the Youma's exposed internals.

Veronica Perenna has posed:
Veronica reaches for the hat she doesn't currently have, trying to adjust it while she calms herself down from being gripped by Uranus. "Well, then, there may have been some obstacles, but the hour of the grand finale has come and this is where you pay for helping steal a heart!"

And the Ripper-octopus guy cuts the front of the youma open, really making it vulnerable even beyond what the ice had done. It's really now or never. A small shine of light, and an illusionary moon appears below the youma after Veronica taps the ground once with her foot.

"Just for you, Moonlight Masquerade!", she smiles and winks, an silhouette of her hat, imperceptible as it is now, emerging upwards with a rumble, trying to make the youma vanish.

Hotaru Tomoe has posed:
The youma's eyes go wide as it is cut open, sorta, its plating falling away... and exposing its vulnerable side to the attacks! The world shaking hit it, moments before Molly's blast strike, the combined assault breaking away chunks of metal and ice--

And when all is said and done? The hat lifts up, pulling off a final hat trick. When it pulls away...

All that remains is a weird egg, which shatters and releases some kind of... ghost... thing? And a small toy fire truck. The kind you might expect a child to have. Huh. Interesting.

They'd done it, it seems.

Taro Yamada has posed:
While everyone is busy watching the youma explode in a series of increasingly sicknasty elaborate attacks, the Ripper takes a moment to - well - get the heart crystal out of the very safe place he put it. (His stomach.) He watches the dust fall as he wipes off the crystal on his kimono, then crouches next to Chiyo and tries setting the crystal on her chest.

Poke, poke. Come on.

"Hey, any of you know how to get a crystal back in a girl?" he calls down from the roof. "I don't want to move her before we fix her!"

Jack, meanwhile, politely steps back into the open, and stomps on the broken eggshell before picking up the toy truck and carrying it over his head, a trophy half his size.

Molly Skyline has posed:
Molly watches the Youma breath its last watery breath, with a certain degree of satisfaction. Her wings lower her gently to the ground, and vanish as her feet touch down. The purplenette looks down at her barrier jacket, and touche the spots where it is once again, rather badly damaged. Ahh well, at least she isn't adding to her bruises today.

"Uhm, I honestly don't know what just happened," she confesses, as she approaches Chiyo's side, resting Starcrash on her shoulder. "I don't think... I've ever seen that happen to someone before. What did she do? She who just sped off in a car, I mean."

Haruka Tenoh has posed:
    "Yep, smaller than the Superduty." Uranus says, a line that probably has no context to anyone else.

    "I dunno, but I'm glad to hear you're trying to put it back." Uranus calls. "It got shot out, maybe try pushing it back in?" she offers. Magic is strange. "That's the best I got."

    Uranus bounds up to the downed Chiyo, then turns to Molly. "I have no idea, I've never seen her before, but I think I've heard about it. Absolutely someone from Obsidian though. They're the youma-and-bad-things company, after all." she notes. And then she looks down.

    "Oh no, candy shop girl! I know her!" she says, and now it's all more personal, a bit. "Good thing for her she drove away, but I'll remember this." Then she pauses, eyes blinking. "Speaking of remembering, what the hell Sunset!" she adds, calling from her perch.

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
Chiyo Sakai is rather comfortably lain out thanks to Ripper. Her head is supported on the pillow he made of his cloak, and she's just laying there. While she occasionally blinks out of necessity and muscle memory she's just otherwise laying there, breathing shallow and looking rather pale with unfocused eyes.

The light of the crystal that he reproduces shines brightly as it's lain on her chest. But then? Not much really.

And she is easily recognized. Who else has plum drill curls and double-buns around here? Seriously if there is anyone they're stealing her look and need a talking to.

Veronica Perenna has posed:
The princess of Sarek spares the truck toy a brief look before she heads for the guy that had the heart, and he... takes it out of his stomach? "You ate it? That seemed rather hazardous, friend", she tells Ripper. At least the heart seemed fine. "Though, it did work, and now we can give it back to Chiyo-san", the girl with hair of moonlight adds, waiting for the Ripper to do the honours.

"I am actually not Sunbreaker, sorry for the shock. At least I know I am not off my game", the Princess of Sarek grins apologetically to Uranus whispering to her only. She is pretty sure she can trust an ally of Moon, but for anyone else, she isn't sure, and she'd rather to keep this away from Obsidian

"I just happened to have moonlight powers of my own, and I think the tactical advantage of being disguised as the enemy speak for themselves.", she says, looking very pleased with that part.

Taro Yamada has posed:
"I TOLD you I'm on your side!" the Ripper snaps at Uranus. "I'm Kuiper Belt Cape! This is discrimination against magical beings that aren't cute teenage girls!"

He's clearly being helpful this time! It's fine!

@emit And with that, he takes her advice and gently presses the crystal down with one finger, trying to guide it - wherever it needs to go.

Chiyo needs her light! She can't just become comatose! What's he going to do without his friend, huh??

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
Smoosh. The glowing crystal takes that nudge and just kind of. Pops back in? Not that there's a hole, but it wasn't exactly purely physical as much as a magically extracted bit of her heart... soul? Whatever it is, the crystal glows bright a moment then POP. Ripper is left with his finger right against her ribcage instead.

Chiyo sucks in a quick breath blinking rapidly as she suddenly lurches upward attempting to sit. With all the grace and elegance of a true lady she blurts out, "FUCKING SHIT STICK THAT HURT!"

A hand lifts to clap over her face a moment to scrub at her eyes with a groan. "I hate not having magic," she utters only for her hand to drop away letting her eyes take in the sight of Sailor Uranus, ... Sunbreaker? And Molly. Looking mildly alarmed she glances over toward Ripper, then back around, wincing again. "Aaah I should not have said that."

Haruka Tenoh has posed:
    Uranus looks back at Ripper and gives him a look with one of her hands on her hips. "Look, I have a couple very good friends that are magical boys. At issue is the whole blood blades and creepy dolls thing." she notes. "You may not be a bad guy but you're certainly wearing their aesthetic."

    "As are you, Not-Sunbreaker." she says with a sigh. "Really, I get disguising yourself as the enemy but maybe pick a different one? That one's given us all enough trauma I didn't need to think she came back."

    The lets out a sigh of relief as Chiyo returns to normalcy, and then a chickle when the profanity is launched. As for the rest? "I didn't hear you say anything at all." Sailor Uranus adds. Whether she means the profanity or the magical bits? Both, really.

    "...Should we do the introducing ourselves thing? I'm Sailor Uranus." she offers, looking around. "And I suppose this is ... Kuiper Belt Cape?"

Molly Skyline has posed:
"I heard nothing," Molly grins at Chiyo, and switches Starcrash to her other hand so she can throw up a salute. "So, uhm." She looks up in... Sunbreaker's direction. So she uses moon powers now? That's a big switch from being a tiny pony kidnapped by the worst Youma ever. But... well she did forgive her, and she meant it.

Oh, we're doing introductions? The Purplenette grins, and offers a very British courtsy, which... mostly works, in a damaged barrier jacket. "I'm Molly Skyline, artillery mage," she says by way of identification. "Pleased to meet you all." She nods towards Chiyo, "And I'm glad you're alright." She pauses, biting her bottom lip; if she's without magic, she might not be alright, really.

But she did say she didn't hear that part, so she won't comment.

Taro Yamada has posed:
"Yeah, we're gonna find that lady later and put her in the dirt so she stops that shit," the Ripper reassures Chiyo, putting an arm around her back and holding another out for her to grab so she can sit upright and not unbalance. "And if anyone snitches... well, I don't think Uranus is a snitch and Molly has a robot suit which means we can trust her." And then he makes the I'm-watching-you gesture at 'Sunbreaker.' "And YOU had better not do some stupid shit, Sunnygirl, or we're gonna have words."

Is he still mad that Sunbreaker sent his mentor to the hospital with third degree burns? Yes!

He chuffs at Urarnus. "Listen. I just got recruited to do good by Sailor Moon last week, I can't exactly change how my powers work that fast. I've always been a scary freak and it's not changing."

With that, Jack clambers into his lap with his toy firetruck in hand, prying open a tiny coffin hanging from the Ripper's belt and hopping in.

Veronica Perenna has posed:
"Well, at least you aren't lacking strength", "Sunbreaker" tells Chiyo once she regains consciousness. "Though, you might be filling rather fatigued", she adds, taking out protein bars to offer to the purple-haired girl. People may or may not recognise those as the same protein bars Naru has been distributing to various mahous. Veronica brings them always with herself due to her curse.

"This disguise was appropriate with a fire truck, rather ironic. But ok, I will keep myself away from it. I can also disguise myself as Oresky and Phantom from Queen Mirage's empire", she adds in the same low tone to Sailor Uranus. "Any preference?"

"I am Sunbreaker", she 'introduces' herself, even if the fiery girl's notoriety precedes her. "But don't expect me to go around like this too often. I cannot do it a lot", she quickly makes up an excuse if she adopts a different disguise from now on. "Me doing stupid things? I don't really think so. You can rest assured, Asteroid boy", she nods at Taro.

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
Chiyo Sakai reaches up to take hold of Ripper's hand when it's offered. She did need the help to steady herself after waking from whatever unpleasant, power draining situation that was. Her gaze lingers a moment longer on 'Sunbreaker' though looking both confused and annoyed all at once. How the hell was Hinoiri Sunbreaker again? Why? HOW?

A slight shake of her head comes as the introductions start to be handed around. "Chiyo Sakai," she offers up. A long pause follows before she adds somberly, "I used to be Culinary Guardian Daifuku." One of the number of magical sorts that had died in Paris. "Cape is with me. He really is working on your side now."

And then 'Sunbreaker' hands her a protein bar which she stares at again with eyes narrowing suspiciously. "... Thank you. You're acting very..." Different. Suspicious. NICE. The thought is shaken off for now as she uses Taro's help to get to her feet again.

"I'll survive, or I'll go visit someone who can help me feel better. I know a few."

Haruka Tenoh has posed:
    "Hey, it takes all kinds." she says, shrugging at Cape Boy. Well, the Different Than Usual Cape Boy. "I didn't throw hands at you because your creepy was pointed in the right way, but you can't fault a girl for being suspicious when you look like a slasher movie." she notes.

    She turns to reply to Sarek in low whisper back. "I honestly don't care which, just like. Not the girl who tried to turn off the whole sun!" she says sharply. "You need a signal for us too or you're gonna get punched or worse." she notes. "You should really tell the others here."

    But she leaves that to the diguised girl. She's not going to blow identities. Even sub-identities. "Oh, Chiyo. I thought I recognized the hair. So you 'were' talking about the Us... actually nevermind don't worry about it glad you're okay." She says quickly. After all, she overheard the conversation as Haruka, not as Uranus. "Wait, you had powers and lost them too?" She pauses. She thought Sunbreaker was a special case. "That's... kinda worrying if I can be honest!"

Molly Skyline has posed:
Molly is trying really hard to not hear the things related to what Chiyo said and shouldn't have earlier, but it's not like she can just... stop hearing entirely. So she overhears about the Culinary Guardian Daifuku having lost her powers, and her heart just sinks. She tries not to show it, but she isn't entirely good at hiding her feelings, so... her heart just sinks, visibly.

"Chiyo-San," she murmurs, shifting Starcrash to rest across her shoulders behind her neck, "If there's anything I can do to help you, please let me know, okay? I... think you've got my cellphone number, after you helped me with..." she glances over her shoulder, then back to Chiyo, "With that time when Sunbreaker fake death-cursed me?"

The purplenette can't entirely disguise her horror. The notion of someone having their magic taken from them feels beyond awful. Still. She manages to tilt her head towards Ripper, and flashes a grin at him. "But I am glad you're on our side. Opening up that truck was fantastic."

Veronica Perenna has posed:
Chiyo had been Daifuku? But she had lost her powers then? That's puzzling. And a tiny bit discorcerting. It's a good thing that she has kept her awareness of magic, but it's very worrying nonetheless. She wants to keep her identity a secret, but she also wants to make sure that whatever did this to her didn't do anything else. Then there is the prodding from Uranus to tell them. She certainly wouldn't suggest her something that undermines the efficacy of her power, no?

"Well, then", she says out loud. "So, with Sailor Uranus vouching for everyone, I want to ask you to not let this reach Obsidian, please. It's really important", the Princess of Sarek says with urgency. Then she returns to her normal henshin self. "My actual identity is that of the Princess of Sarek, a Phantom Thief out to solve any wrongdoing, no matter how big or small", she says, bowing towards the group, her hat held in her distended hand.

"Sorry for the secrecy, but there is hardly any point to magic disguises if Obsidian gets to know of them. You may have seen the Oresky video on Clock App. That was me too", she grins before clearing her throat. "Anyway, are you ok, Chiyo-san? Is there anything else we should be worried about beside the loss of your powers?"

Taro Yamada has posed:
"I appreciate you not dropping ten tons of rocks on me for looking weird," Cape Boy says to Uranus primly, then sighs. "I can't believe I'm about to say this, but think of me as like Godzilla. I'm trying to live up to the Senshi gold standard. "

He does not like the franchise! He does not care for the lizard! The first movie scared his mom silly when he was nine and he is still holding a grudge! But if you wanted a scary thing fighting worse things, Godzilla is the golden standard!

He keeps Chiyo sitting steady, ready to help her stand when she indicates she's ready. He's getting Mamoru and hand delivering him to Chiyo to make sure she's in top shape. "Chiyo-san helped recruit me, so I try and hop around if she needs me."

And to Molly, he grins, pointy-teethed and friendly. "Thanks! Your missiles were really cool!! I was trying to get that monster to dodge my rock and get hit - I thought it'd just be exploded, but the ice technique was even better! Perfect opening for opening the tin can!"

When Victoria drops her disguise - woah!! Hey!! Disguises?? So cool! "Obsidian's hearing nothing from me," and he zips his lips and throws away the key. "Looks like you're in the same boat as me, accidentally looking like a bad guy with the good guys." Hmm. "Can you only copy Obsidian people or can you turn into anybody? Does it extend to their powers?" That. Might be useful for both of them -

Oh, Chiyo! "Should we go find one of those magic healer guys? I have no idea if that caused physical damage, but it sounds like your energy got all gunked up."

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
"It's because I died. I was killed. When I was ressurected, I was too far away from... The source, I guess." It's the easiest explanation that she can give without saying she was in the Precure Graveyard that Phantom had been in charge of. Her eyes remain downturned a moment, at least until Molly speaks up offering her sympathy.

"It's okay. I probably do though yes," she agrees with a solemn nod. As reassuring a smile as she can is tossed toward Uranus. "It's not something that regularily happens, really. Just a very bad circumstance in my case."

When 'Sunbreaker' changes and admits to the disguise she lets out a soft 'ah' of apparent understanding. "I'd thought that didn't seem right. Sunbreaker and I fought often, and knew each others identities long before the end of things." Another smile, head shaking. "No, no I'm fine. There's nothing to be done. Thank you though. I'm just..." Pausing she takes a moment to actually consider how she feels. "Feel like I just had a very bad cold and am coming out of it now? Like. Tired and achey and gross but kind of better." Looking to Ripper she shakes her head a bit at the question. "No it's fine. I'm not falling over or anything. I'll just rest more."

Haruka Tenoh has posed:
    Uranus blinks. "Huh. I died and the source of my power is like..." she points upwards. "...not even on this planet, if the name wasn't a hint. But I guess we all have magic that works differently. Different rules. At least as much as they follow any rules." she adds.

    "Hey, I don't just dunk on anybody, they have to earn it." she says to Ripper. "Alright, monster that fights other monsters, I can dig it. I have a friend who'd probably love your asthetic though." A friend slash kind of little sister kind of daughter kind of teammate.

    "Yeah I'm pretty sure having that chucked out of you cannot feel good, even if it gets put back in." she nods at Chiyo. "Bed rest at the minimum. I guess you'll have an escort home?" she adds, looking to the Blood Blades But Nice Guy.

Molly Skyline has posed:
Molly opens her mouth to say something, then immediately shuts it again.

...People... died? And got resurected? She had absolutely no idea that could happen. Well, the dieing part she knew about, that's not exactly news to anyone older than three, especially when you're an orphan and grew up in care of the state surrounded by people who pretty much universally don't have living parnts, but the coming back from it part is pretty new.

She just shakes her head, and manages to smile at Ripper again. "I do basically one thing. I'm a one trick pony at the moment. ...But it's always been a good trick so far." She looks back to Veronica, and gives her a nod, and probably would have been a whole lot more surprised if she wasn't in the middle of processing something else. "Yeah, don't worry, I will absolutely not spill your beans. Your secrets are safe."

A moment later, Molly shifts out of her barrier jacket; Starcrash returns to being an earring, which she returns to its spot on her right earlobe. "I uhh... need to go find myself a new bubble tea," she mumbles. "That jerk made me spill my first one."

Veronica Perenna has posed:
"I guess so, but it has some tactical advantages", the Phantom Thief smiles Taro before explaining. "Essentially anybody, although some things elude this type of magic, and I don't really know the cause", she shrugs at that. Magic was weird sometimes. "I wish I could copy powers, it would make keeping up the disguises so much easier. That was what the stunt with moonlight earlier was about, to plausibly use my own powers against the youma. I didn't think it through completely", the Princess of Sarek nods at Uranus.

"I guess I picked a bad day to turn into Sunbreaker, but good job or picking up the signs", Veronica replies to Chiyo. "Though, the important part is I can keep fooling Obsidian, so everyone on our side can know as long as I can keep working like I had today. Thank you for keeping my secret, everyone. I will use either Oresky or Phantom from now on, and find a workable sign." Turning to Uranus she adds, "Page Mage had suggested it too. I cannot really dally on the matter."

"I wonder what kind of Uranus fairy offered you magic", comes out of the moonlight accursed's mouth at the matter of Uranus' powers, completely jumping on the wrong assumption. "Do they look more like an alien? Or like an Earth fairy?"

Haruka Tenoh has posed:
    Sailor Uranus blinks again. "No, no fairy. I'm guarded by the essence of the actual planet. It's... a whole thing." she says, and reaches up to put a hand on the back of her neck and rub it. "I don't really understand it all, either, but. That's how it is. Celestial objects have power, I have that power, and now I can do wild things. It makes as much sense as most people I've met, really." she adds.

    "Hinoiri-san - Sunbreaker - is... well, she doesn't have any powers and she's trying to do good, which also means she's trying to avoid notice by Obsidian though, and doesn't have any powers so it might be dangerous to her for get known like this." Uranus offers. She's also trying to do good, even though there were a lot of times she wanted to punch Sunbreaker.

    She stretches in place. "Ah, I should get moving, I promised someone I'd spend the evening with them." By which she means take Hotaru driving. Out of the city where driving doesn't mean waiting in traffic. "Good to ah, meet you all."

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
"I'll definitely rest," Chiyo agrees while absently patting one of Ripper's hands to let him know she's okay. Really. She was. Even before she was a magical girl she was strong, but she just looked as if her eyes were starting to droop a bit by now from one too many late nights.

"I'm going to go now though before I get more tired. It's not far," she assures as she starts to step away leaving the others to 'talk shop' if they wanted.

At least until the Princess of Sarek mentions copying some of the others.

The plum haired girl's head jerks around to stare at her with eyes with a sharp look. "No! Not Phantom!" The outburst might be a little unexpected-- Maybe more than a little. So she looks away again with a shake of her head. "The Oresky's, or ... Or Riventon even. Just not Phantom."

Without any explaination she heads off quickly. "Good night."

Taro Yamada has posed:
So the Senshi all have magic powers from the planets? That explained why there was so much fuss about the microplanet Pluto. It was hard being a celestial being.

But people are heading out and - ah, he'll catch up to Chiyo in a moment, he's sure she'll text him if she needs something. He can catch up fast in this form.

But first: "Would you like to copy me?" he asks Victoria. "I'm a good guy now, but I look pretty scary - and most of my attacks are close range, which means people wouldn't expect your long range hat attack. I can climb around really fast, if you're hiding that you're using magic to get from place to place. Would that be useful?"

Veronica Perenna has posed:
"It was a pleasure meeting you too, valiant protegee of Uranus", Veronica says rather formally when the Sailor Senshi leaves them.

At the same time, Chiyo's outburst does catches Veronica by surprise. "Not Phantom?", she repeats, not understanding the prohibition. But before she can get any clarification, Chiyo disappears away from there. Oh, well.

"I really appreciate your offer", the Princess of Sarek turns to Kuiper Belt Cape, but I am being really cautious with using my magic when disguised. It would be weird if all sorts of different people started using beams of moonlight", Veronica points out. Though, there is no problem showing him she can in fact do it. And maybe it could come in handy with bailing him out of things.

"You know, just because I have been using it in a way that does not really help the real person, doesn't mean I have to do that all the time. I can also look like you when it would help you out", she points out. But anyway, that's enough talking, and she gets onto the next part, disguising herself as a copy of the Ripper. "Here I am!", she announces.

Taro Yamada has posed:
...oh. Hm. How much can he say about Phantom? He definitely doesn't have the whole story, but... "Keep this under your hat, but Phantom helped fight some of the bad guys in Paris despite being a bad guy. There's a decent chance Obsidian would try and snuff him out if they thought he was helping the goodies too much, so fighting in disguise as him would potentially put him at more risk."

He doesn't know all the drama, the highs and lows of Phantom being depowered yet, but he does know that showing up as him would be dangerous - because he had tried to save Chiyo.

He claps as she looks like him. it's - uncanny? He looks strange - but then again, he knows that his reflection shows up warped when he's transformed. It's rare for himto see 'himself' like this. "Nicely done!" he says. "I figure it might help to be me if you're in a tight spot, and I appreciate getting a hand if I need to play double duty. Can I give you my henchman's number? That's the fastest way to get in touch with me."

Veronica Perenna has posed:
"That's a start", Veronica frowns when she is informed about what Phantom has been doing. "Are you aware of what kind of person he is? He has been trapping innocent magical warriors like butterflies on display, seeking them out even. He is heartless, and if he wants to have people be nice to him, he can begin by freeing everyone he has trapped", Veronica stays on her position. She can't just forget something like that, all those people deprived of their future.

"I will do my best to help you out with it", she changes the subject, smiling at the Ripper. "Your henchman's number is good in that regard." She gives him her own too, and once the trading is done, she excuses her and walk away. "So, see you around then", she says after hearing out anything more he might have to say, bowing her head.

Taro Yamada has posed:
"I haven't. I'm new to this whole business," he says as he adds his num - ahem, his HENCHMAN' number, because he's definitely not Taro no sirree. "Sounds like he's been up to some nasty stuff, though. I figure, if nothing else, you don't want to get caught in whatever mess is going on there." Thumbs up. "Your disguises are pretty neat. Have a good night!"

And she's out, and he's out, parkouring his way over buidings to catch up to Chiyo. He'll henshin back when he arrives at her side, and they can get different, better slushies, and they can avoid the topic of the Phantom.

(...is it bad he's a little smug at how every other redeemed villain is doing worse at it than him? He's getting an A in becoming a good guy, which is normal to desire and possible to obtain. He's tactful enough to not SAY it, but he can think it!)

"Find the car lady and send her to hell, figure out what to do with Phantom, try and collaborate with more Mahou... it's a start at a to do list," he says to himself.

"We are from hell," Jack says from his pocket.

"You're gonna scare the girls if you talk like that. Don't be weird," Taro says. "Come on. We'll set up that firetruck as a trophy when we get home, ok? In honor of our cool victory!"