2338/The Zone

The Zone
Date of Scene:	18 February 2025
Location:	The Shed
Synopsis:	The Zone, the Shed's target range, opens for business. And almost gets closed forever after someone (not naming names but it's a rabbit's fault) decides to see how far you can push the Shed's magic!
Cast of Characters:	281, Rashmi Terios, Amanda Faust, Hinata Muramasa, Laura La Mer, Miho Inada, Usagi Tsukino, Mamoru Chiba

---

Entrapta (281) has posed:
Entrapta is leaning against a door, which was not there earlier. In the back of the Shed. Where there should not be doors in the Shed. She looks rather smug, which if you've met her?

Probably not a good sign. OR A VERY GOOD ONE INDEED!

Woo.

"Emily, try to stay out of the way, okay? I know you don't like it inside so, you don't have to go in." She smiles at her roomba, which whines at her in an electric hum. The goes back to tidying dust bunnies. Those terrible bunnies!

(seriously they might be dangerous in here)

Yawning, Entrapta hopes that people show. She's not fully certain she posted it correctly.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
After having helped work on the principles behind the Shed -- which mostly involved brainstorming ideas, and reporting that a testing result was, in fact, an undesirable result -- there was no way at all that Rashmi would allow the Etherian to debut the results of her hard work all alone.

"Hi, Entrapta-chan~!" she says, rather a good deal more cheerfully than she has been the last few weeks, as she enters the Shed. Pausing at a desk, set up to be a makeshift memorial shrine, Rashmi rests a hand on the surface... then takes a deep breath, and continues toward the back.

"How long've you been waiting?" she asks her kohai.

Amanda Faust has posed:
A shooting range in the Shed? Amy certainly could use someplace to test attacks -- although those that use a significant amount of her magic, she'd prefer to test in combat -- and it seems like a potentially useful thing in general.

    Amy smiles as she enters, "Is that a door?! How?!" And starts to rush forward, but she is given pause by the makeshift shrine, stopping to look at it somberly for a moment before striding on over, eventually reiterating "How?" if no answer to the earlier question is given.

Hinata Muramasa has posed:
    Hinata Muramasa hasn't been to The Shed before, but through various channels, she's found out about it and decided to come check it out. The black hair, green-eyed girl peeks in, and locks eyes on the roomba first, tracking it across the floor for a few moments. She then steps inside and looks decidedly impassively uncomfortable... which is a pretty good trick for someone whose face is mostly set into an emotionally blank slate.

    She makes sure she's out of the way of the main door as others come in, blinking a bit owlishly at Amy and Rashmi, head tilting to one side. She remains silent though for the time being. She's not used to how the place is supposed to work.

Laura La Mer has posed:
Apparently, Grand Ocean had been under attack of the Witch of the Delays for a while, and now that she recovered and woke up it falls to her to find these Tropical Cures and fight back against the Witch.

Apparently the Queen knows of this Radiant Heart Academy in Tokyo, Japan, where magical warriors gather. They even have a special place known as the Shed with a special handle so they aren't bothered by normal people. Pretty smart for humans.

Ok, then, time to show her best face! And check out this Shed place.

It took her a while to find. This academy sure is big. So, open the door the other way, and... that's actually quite big. It reminds her of the Aqua Pot in a way. What happens if she opens it normally?

... Yeah, she doesn't need that.

Reopening the door the correct way, Laura makes her way inside the Shed, and starts snooping around. It seems quite normal for a magical hideout. She was expecting a lot more flair.

She looks somberly at that small shrine. There is something weird about it. Yes, the girl it is dedicated to is young, but... why does her heart tighten for a human she doesn't even know?

Keep your head on the game, Laura.

Opening the door in the back, the pinkette confidently steps inside. "Is this your magical training room?" she asks to the people present there.

Entrapta (281) has posed:
Entrapta smiles at Rashmi's appearance, with others right on her heels it seems. "All my life, I've been waiting all my life. The science is finally starting to come together for me. So many influences, we used bits from every mahou to do this. And it's just the starting point, there's so much more could be accomplished!"

But she's also blocking the door, so nobody can get in. "Oh! You probably want to see it, don't you all! I would, but then the math used to make it is just crazy so.. I dont think you can break it, but feel free to test that theory. I haven't exactly...I mean, I can't shoot things myself."

Then she steps aside, and pushes the door open.

'Enter if you dare' actually glows in the wall above the door, just for a moment. And Entrapta smiles.

"Sorry, it has a sense of humour."

Entrapta (281) has posed:
The door opens, and you step into another reality.

There is a floor, but no floor. Your feet resonate with a limit of distance which keeps you from falling, but there doesn't appear to be anywhere to fall. And yet, there's not 'nothing', you can sense that distance downward isn't there so it wouldn't make sense to go that way.

The sides of the area are wide, wider than when Rashmi saw it last. Wide enough for the people who are here and with room to move, the space actually adjusting itself to accommodate. It seems to react to the people within its space, which is exactly what is happening!

What you see when you look to the sides is just a vague darkness. It seems to bend, and if you were to touch the sides of the room your finger, arm, or appendage would simply return back toward the center. Safely, but with a vision-blurring bend that suggests bending light but is so much more.

Both behind and ahead is a 'distance'. You can feel it as much as see it, there's space in those directions allowing for both movement and other types of actions. But the sides remain the same, some form of reality alteration that asks whatever touches it to simply go back toward the core. There may well be a way to bypass it, but there's a clear force that wants things to be here, not there.

And there's a presence. It feels anxious, and at the same time, something of a smartass. That sensation comes from the far ends of the room, if you can call it a room. If it were any more uncanny it'd hurt to look at, but this has been designed with the senses in mind. You can be here. It just wants to be shot at, is all.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"It's a door," Rashmi confirms to Amy's question with a chuckle, and Hinata is given a cheerful wave as she enters for, apparently, the first time. "Hi! C'mon in!" she says, waving Hinata across the room to the door Entrapta is standing... directly in front of.

Laura's hesitant entry, confusion, and -- oddest of all -- not calling Rashmi by her name, given the amount of contact they've had with each other, earns the Cure a puzzled look and a tilt of the head.

"I can't wait either," Rashmi says to Entrapta, eyes still on Laura. "This is honestly *so exciting* to see it get put to use! Just... I'll be right back."

Leaving her kohai to unveil her First Great Work, Rashmi slips across the Shed to Laura, smiling uncertainly. "Not really? Generally it's more of a place to hang out and coordinate, but Entrapta-chan there," she says, gesturing back toward the Etherian, "set up a shooting range based on this place's magic. Um... Laura-chan, are you okay? Do you remember my name?"

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Enter if you dare.

    Amy looks up at the sign. Looks at Entrapta. Looks at the sign. "I guess it's better than 'Abandon all hope, ye who enter here'..."

    And then she steps into a strange void for the second time. She does curiously look back at the door she came through to see if, somehow, it resembles the Gates of Time from the other side. She crouches down and prods the not-a-floor with the pads of her fingers -- and yelps, yanking her hands back at the visual effect. "What? What?! What was... wait, why don't my feet do that???"

    She looks back at Entrapta for an explanation, and then at the Presence. "Um. Hello? Who are you? I, uh. I'm a friend of Entrapta's..."

Hinata Muramasa has posed:
    Hinata nods back to Rashmi, wandering over. "Hello... Muramasa Hinata, Grade 7... you may know me as the Shadow Shogun." she ventures, bowing as she introduces herself, in both guises. "I am, uncertain what is going on right now, but it is nice to know this place exists now." she adds as she straightens, and looks at the door and its ominous message.

    She clasps something through her uniform blouse, a pendant or something else hanging from her neck.

Miho Inada has posed:
    Miho decided to come to the Shed after school today. Its been one of her more favorite training places. Today is no exception, save she also hopes to bump into a few people. The young mahou kinds surprised a few people, but she has been keeping it hidden for a bit.

    As the young woman sneaks into the Shed, she sees a large group gathered. Is something happening? For now the young woman is sneaking behind the group. The girl watches as they enter the room. She follows them in. There's a pause before she squeaks a bit. "Is this...a training room?", Miho asks.

Entrapta (281) has posed:
Entrapta says, "Working with the Drivers gave me insight into how it was possible to think outside of the laws of physics as we know them, a less rigid viewpoint. From working in here I noticed that the Shed changes sometimes, and figured there was an interactive force."

"Emi's magic gave me something I could lean into that let me touch a consciousness, and the Puella taught me how to negotiate with that kind of thing. The Chara gave me something about the intelligences in magic, which are fascinating I have to say. I used Device knowledge to approach containment, and Miraculous magic to give it shape. The Pichi musical forms let me create space, like a sonar wave."

"Pretty Cure let me sensory match, to an understanding of what humans would be able to accept. Accursed magic let me customize to form, and the Senshi magical core was the strongest to build upon so I used that as the base."

Entrapta shrugs. "Pretty simple when you get down to it really. There's a lot of small steps, but the Shed did most of the work. I don't know if it can actually talk yet, this is a bit of a test phase. Yes, it's a training room! You can shoot the targets?"

Wait, what targets? There don't seem to be targets yet.
"

Laura La Mer has posed:
There has been a girl staring at her all this time while she was looking around? Was it really so odd? Well, yeah, if she had to admit it, she probably should have introduced herself before starting to look all over. Humans don't know about Grand Ocean, after all.

"Well, yeah, of course I am okay, thanks you for checking", Laura briefly bows her head as a sign of politeness. "I am surprised, though, you really know your stuff. Or maybe I am that famous, I guess", she flips her hair back proudly.

"Sorry to say, but I don't really know your name. Should I?", she asks, staring at Rashmi while squinting. That face, it doesn't really bring to mind anyone, no?

"Is this your handiwork then?" Laura looks at Entrapta. "It looks pretty nice, seems you have a good grasp of how magic works. What other talents do you have?" she asks with a smirk.

She ignores the feeling of that annoying presence. If it's there for training, the pinkette feels she would take it too seriously.

Entrapta (281) has posed:
"Oh, I'm untalented other than the science," Entrapta says to Laura. "We have met though, I'm assuming that you're suffering from some magical related illness. I could study it if you want me to, there are a lot of references to magical memory loss in the literature but I didn't focus on them. Yet. Only so much time in a day."

The room doesn't say anything when spoken to. It does, however, spontaneously create something. Floating out of reach. As Entrapta looks at Laura, wondering if she should look into her mouth for signs of vocal damage.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Amy listens in shocked and increasingly impressed silence as Entrapta explains how all she's learned about magic, put together, made this possible.

    Finally, she answers: "Wow." She turns to look back at the room. "Maybe magic can be understood..." That gives her hope, if they can ever remove the veil and the fade!

    As for targets... well, maybe she needs to have a weapon? She tries to conjure a gyrojet pistol and nothing happens.

    ...Oh right, she didn't actually transform yet. She does so, her henshin running speedily and without changing her position, and when the flames recede she's already holding a pistol, watching for targets.

Hinata Muramasa has posed:
    Hinata listens to the explanation, as she continues to test the not-floor with the toe of a shoe... she then reaches into her blouse and tugs out a small length of what looks like a sword blade, it's about 2 inches long, and jagged at both ends, where 'shards' were clearly meant to fit in. She closes her eyes and begins speaking in a haiku.

    "Good Habitation,
    a luminous, dark flame eats.
    Because of the sword."

    As she speaks, sakura petals begin to swirl around her, becoming an obscuring cloud for a brief moment as the haiku completes. They then disperse and disappear in sparkles, revealing the Shadow Shogun in the place Hinata once stood. She then holds one hand out to the side. A Gohei appears in her grasp as her hand closes around the haft, its streamers wafting in an unfelt breeze. Her other hand comes up as ofuda slips appear in flickers of soulfire, kanji imprinted on them reading 'Bind' or 'Explode' and similar. She opens black eyes and 'sights' down toward where the 'Presence' is.

    "Wicked Eventide,
    A flame-etched dancer beckons,
    in spite of the fire."

    She points her gohei out, and with the other hand, tosses her ofuda out. They catch fire with flickering blue flames, and fly like tiny missiles, as the room generates an Oni, the large, burly red-faced monster bellowing as it appears, only to get plastered by various affecting ofuda slips.

    MEDIOCRE! flashes up above the 'target', as it topples over and explodes in gratuitous Super Sentai-fashion.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
'Should I know you?' Rashmi blinks. "I uh... it's Rashmi? I met you when a new Chara Bearer thought she'd laid an egg? You empowered my friend as a Cure like... a week and a bit ago, and it saved our lives from the giant stuffed octopus? D...do you not remember the giant stuffed octopus?"

Concern gives way to real worry, and she looks back as Entrapta chimes in on the possibility of memory loss, eyes flicking between Laura and Entrapta. "Okay... memory loss... might explain it. But um... I guess the short form is there's a lot of us who know you and OH MY GOSH DO YOU HAVE TO KNOW PEOPLE TO EMPOWER THEM."

Terrified mental images of a sudden;y-deCure'd Hinoiri flash through her head.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Usagi had naturally seen the notice, so she's here to check it out, with Mamoru. They need something chill and relaxing, after the last few days, and what could be more relaxing than a shooting range?

What, he's got a rage room for a reason!

"This is supposed to be a shooting range! That's exciting, yeah? I mean, I don't really shoot, but maybe I could - oh! I could practice with Spiral Heart, I bet I could do some neat angles!"

She's bubbling and cheerful as she walks in with Mamoru, and stops in surprise as she sees the new door, and the space beyond it.

"Huh? We can add rooms?!" Only belated do the words memory loss sink in, and then - "Wait, who lost their memory? Why is their yelling?!"

Entrapta (281) has posed:
Waving to Usagi upon arrival, Entrapta says to nobody in particular, "The shed has a presence, so it's really just a matter of knowing what you want and how to ask for it." She shrugs, but she looks up as Hinata does an ATTACK!

"Ooh, DATA!" She jumps up from Laura and Rashmi to hold her hands at her chest and bounce, heels lifting, excitement and joy!

"It generated a target! I knew it would! So amazing when things actually work right. I'm so happy right now." No really? Tell us how you really feel, Entrapta.

Then she turns and says, "I love science. I totally expected this to all explode."

Laura La Mer has posed:
No talents other than science, uh... Well, that's not really an obstacle! If this girl is one of those with sunshine in her heart, she can get her to unlock the Tropical Pact, and if not, a researcher on the team always works.

"Rude, though? Maybe you are mistaking me for someone else. I don't know you, and you shouldn't really tell people they are ill out of nowhere", Laura shakes her head at Entrapta.

"Anyway, nevermind that", she dismisses it with her hand. "I think someone like you would do great on my team, and there may be a chance I may be able to get you your own magic powers", Laura nods pleased.

"I can't say I know any of that", Laura looks at Rashmi. She was starting to get really weirded out here. "I am just here on a mission from Grand Ocean's Mermaid Queen to fight back about the Witch of Delays. If you know me, you should know them too, right?"

Laura takes a step back when Rashmi starts yelling. "Why are you so anxious now? If you have somebody who could get powers, we can meet up. There is no need to shout", she scoffs. "It would be hard for me to resonate with someone without knowing them, I hope you understand." Why are all these people so knowledgeable?

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Amy doesn't yet notice the conversation happening with Laura. As this is for practice, her henshin included acoustic earmuffs and wraparound safety glasses. The Zone reaches out to Amy. But she has no standard enemy, no kindabad or the like -- every Familiar is as different as every Witch.

    So what else can it default to, but one of Amy's own?

    Everyone else just sees the silhouette of a man with a knife appear, which honestly as these things go doesn't seem at all out of place for a target for one doing some kind of training course. Only Hinoiri and Amy know it's anything more than that, after all.

    Amy growls in annoyance and double-taps it center of mass, and it reacts as if shot, clutching the 'wound' and collapsing before it just sort of pops into nothingness.

    Words appear over the target: [Okay, okay...] And something more youma-like appears.

    As she shoots the targets, they're different each time -- youma and Familiars she's seen, as well as fictional youma, sentai baddies, actual targets of both the human-silhouette and bullseye varieties, most reacting like a paper target, popping out of existence, or exploding like a sentai baddy when shot. Also, as with others, the text starts getting... weird. [MEDIOCRE!] [PFFT! YOU CAN DO BETTER THAN THAT!] [OH WOW MAYBE YOU CAN'T] [EH, I'VE SEEN WORSE]

    "Why is it weird like this?! Is magic just like this?" Amy wonders.

Miho Inada has posed:
    Miho nods her head. She takes a deep breath, and henshins into Yukihime. Yukihime smiles a little bit as she calls out two of of her wolves as she settles into a dance. The target for Yukihime? There's a dark giggle/laugh. Yukihime freezes a moment.

    The target? Its...the minons to a certain witch. Yukihime's first experience as a mahou against a major threat. Her eyes go wide as she panicks a bit. Yukihime backs away, as the target moves closer. The Walpy minion continues its giggle. Yukihime can't seem to focus as her wolves seem to be a bit fuzzy.

    Yukihime tries to send the wolves after the target, but they fizz out. The beads return to her wrist. Yukihime bites her lip. The target keeps walking towards her...

Entrapta (281) has posed:
"I've been called rude before. It's one of those words that doesn't really make sense to me. But if it helps, I apologize. But yes, we've met and that...is...fascimazing..."

Entrapta is not paying a lot of attention to what she's saying. Because her tools are being used, and, I mean. Come on. SCIENCE!

"IT'S LEARNING!" she says, biting her arm to keep from shrieking it. "It can talk! It couldn't talk a minute ago! The more interaction it has, the more it grows! And it's a ...."

Entrapta pauses, looking at Rashmi. "What's the word I need right now? When I say something that's directed and condescending to others when they're trying to accomplish a goal?"

A smartass. The room is a smartass.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Following Usagi through the initial Shed door is, yes, Mamoru -- and Mamoru, hearing the yelling from back at the Shed door, pauses to put his earplugs in. Then he comes in the rest of the way, half-grinning as he goes back to enjoying watching Usagi enthuse-- and then full-grinning at Entrapta's infectious enthusiasm kicks the rest of him into gear.

"Earth Prism Power, Make Up! I didn't know we could make rooms either!" Mamoru says, taking out his pocketwatch and henshining mid-sentence. Tuxedo Mask's cape unfurls behind him midstep, the mask ghosts itself into being in front of his face, he steps past Laura and Rashmi and everyone, and-- he glances at Entrapta, a rose in hand already. "Let's see if I break the Shed or a target," he says warmly.

Then the rose is in flight like a streak of lightning, red trail in its wake, flying straight at the not-wall.

TOK! It embeds itself in a very hastily-erected youma that looks like a box of cornflakes with ballerina legs, and the youma disintegrates dramatically, spiderwebbing out from where the rose hit it.

"A smartass," he says as a big thumbs-down emoji lights up over his head like a question mark over the head of a quest NPC.

He hears the talk abuot its Presence, and takes his glove off and puts a hand to the not-wall he was aiming at before. He keeps walking until his hand stops-- but the room expands? So it can tell he wants a wall, somehow.

"Hello, room," he whispers, shutting his eyes, and then he starts to slow-grin. "Oh! Hello." He leaves his hand there and calls back to Entrapta, "The room is enjoying themself!"

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"Jerk," Rashmi mutters in answer. Because while yes the word may *be* 'smartass,' Goro Terios' only daughter keeps the swearing in reserve for *real* emergencies. And right now is not an *emergency,* so much as a concern. And with Laura reacting... poorly, Rashmi is beginning to feel like it is not the time to press the matter. "Ah... I'm sorry, Laura-sama," Rashmi says, bobbing her head in a formal bow. "Just... you *had* resonated with someone, and you *did* give them powers... But we can talk about that another time."

Like, *after* Hinoiri has the news broken to her, and the unicorn's own inevitable panic attack is behind her.

"Excuse me," she says with another bow, then turns to witness the shooting range being used, and providing Entrapta with all sorts of *actively collected* data, not simply observed! "...Yeah, you did *good,* Entrapta-chan," Rashmi says to her kohai...

But her face falls, as Miho begins to have trouble with her target... The target that is not *just* a Witch minion, but *the* Witch's minion.

She doesn't even really think about it.

After two steps toward Miho, her own henshin activates.

After two more, Nicomachea chimes.

And after two more, she's planted herself in front of Miho, as a half-dozen Barrets blinks into existence, and dart out toward the target.

"Don't forget, Yukihime-chan," she says quietly, encouragingly. "It's never all on *just* you to stop it."

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Amy sees one of the Walpurgisnacht familiars and looks over at it in surprise. (Her own target becomes a silhouette of a boy with a smartphone, who holds it up as if recording Yukihime)

    Seeing the wolves fizzle makes Amy turn to look at Yukihime (finger off trigger, gun aimed at floor) and reach up to briefly pull her left earmuff away from her ear. "Hey, Yukihime? Are you o--"

    Her own target suddenly copying Yukihime's form makes her turn her attention back to it. She glances between them for a second, and then shoots the fake which pops out of existence. "No! No! None of that!" Amy chastises the room like a misbehaving pet; Her next target appears as an animalistic humanoid, which turns to stare with interest at Yukihime, as if perhaps it's a youma that feeds on fear or something. "What'd I just say?!" She shoots it several times until it falls over and explodes like a sentai enemy.

    Well, the Zone has certainly goaded her into continuing to shoot it instead of being distracted by Yukihime...

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Well that explains who has talking about memory loss. Usagi stares in utmost surprise and concern at Laura, who's acting like she's never met any of them, and like they've never heard of her mission, and -

"Well," she says, slowly, "You've kind of been here at our school for months, Laura-chan? I mean, you and Kururun. You even recruited our friend Hinoiri-chan, as one of your Pretty Cures? And Sharon-chan, too, after we helped her leave behind the kingdom she lost? Do you... not remember any of us?"

She waves at Mamoru, who's excitedly run ahead, and absently transforms in a swift flash of light from Usagi to Sailor Moon, before continuing to look upon Laura with concern.

"I won't bother you if you really don't want to talk, but... we do know you."

Entrapta (281) has posed:
Did she use yeast in that? It did come out slowly The room, or the Zone? says over Rashmi's target. Apparently she didn't move as fast as it expected her to move, or it's just being a jerk. Or, a tease? If Mamoru is correct, the room -likes- us using it, and wants to play.

"I'm getting feedback. Oh, this is curious," Entrapta says as she looks at her...wrist? Oh she's got a watch on, or something that looks vaguely watch-related. "Ha! Nice!"

Are we going to get an explanation, Entrapta? It seems not, because she just smiles as she looks into her little gizmo that she probably built out of a toaster oven.

...you have to remove the safety features, of course.

Miho Inada has posed:
    Yukihime falls on her butt, blushing horribly. "Th-the only target that I have trouble with. I was by myself, and running around the city to help out...", she tells. The woman looks down at her beads. "I-I still have nightmares of that night.", the mahou admits. "And I'm down to 8 wolves...", she mutters.

    Yukihime gets up, a bit shaken. "I-I guess it was trying to get me to hit it with my best.", she says as the Walpy Minion falls over and explodes. The score, "Meh..."

    "A-and I know. Just everyone else can fight them, but they still scare me into freezing up.", Yukihime tells. Part of the reason why she wants to hunt witches with Amy. She takes a deep breath. "I guess I should try again...I mean, I do have 8 wolves left..."

Laura La Mer has posed:
Where has this girl been that she doesn't understand rudeness? Nevermind that, she is showing a lot of passion, and it's the kind of girl that would be a good fit on her team.

"You really should be proud of what you've done", Laura smiles at Entrapta's excitement. "It shows a good understanding of magic, and how it can tailor itself to its attackers? That's a solid work." She doesn't really like the presence, but she gets how that might help trying.

Laura raises an eyebrow when Rashmi suddenly distances herself from her. She doesn't mind the change of honourific, and she could do with the show of respect, but she kinda feels she just lost instead. Why is that?

And she resonated with someone? What is going on here? Multiple people at that, according to that other blonde girl that has suddenly approached them. There is a mixed look of frustration and confusion on her face.

She can't honestly believe they are messing with her, they seem too sincere for that, but what they are saying is the truth doesn't make sense either. A long stare is given to Rashmi and Usagi, and as much as she focuses, no name really surfaces, but, she doesn't know, something about them makes her feel sad.

"No, I don't remember any of that. I don't know a Hinoiri, a Sharon, or a Chanteur", she sighs. But, the last two names give her a melodic feeling. "You at least believe you are telling you are telling the truth, so I won't fault you for that. You can keep talking if you want, but it's all weird, you know that?"

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"I do too," Rashmi says quietly, answering Miho's confession of nightmares. Sure, those memories may have been pushed aside in favor of more recent events, but Walpurgisnacht was a *hell of a lot,* and it was an apocalypse that *landed on their home.* That doesn't go away easily.

"But that's not what I meant; I meant that no matter what, no matter how afraid you are... you've got backup. We *always* fight together, because that's how we're all at our strongest, y'know? Just... remember that. It's not something to be ashamed of, to call for help. Because help's waiting to be called on."

Patting Miho's shoulder, she lets the show princess do her work with an encouraging smile, as she moves back to Laura.

"Sorry," she says as she gets within earshot of quiet conversation. "Yukihime-chan needed some support. So... I *am* sorry for upsetting you, Laura-sama, and I really *can* understand how it might feel to have all these people saying they know all these things, when you don't and they're about you. So... I'm Rashmi, this is Usagi-chan, and we've both been your friends for awhile. I guess more names wouldn't help anything so... what's the last thing you remember before coming above the water?"

Then her eyes dart back to the shooting range, an eyebrow rises, and she sends Usagi a mental text message, as the thought is not at all germane to the conversation.

<< ...I wonder if the range can make multiple targets for you to ricochet your Tiara off of? >>

Entrapta (281) has posed:
Entrapta looks up from her science, small letters no capitals, then at Laura. "Well, it's partly your magic," she says in response. "See these readings? It's a recursive field that's creating targets using the magic of the person involved, which is why it can stand up to the attack being guided toward it. I learned that from you, actually. Reflective actions are part of a water event, though I only guided it. I'm reading what happens when multiple people are involved, this is actually amazing I had no idea it could do that."

She does tend to run on in sentences, but it all makes sense in her head. She also kind of loses track of whom she's speaking to halfway through her spiel, focusing on what she's doing more than who she's doing it with.

"I could use this technology to guide an attack, or reflect it with itself, if I could just figure out how it's happening now. This is a challenge, I'm going to have to collect more data first. Multiple bodies involved increases the complexity on a one to six ratio, there's a probability of gathering errors. Hrm."

She's not paying attention now, you may all have lost her.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
So Laura doesn't remember any of them. It's - sad, and Usagi can understand why she's weirded out, but... deep breaths, and she pulls on a smile, still a little worried, but less obviously concerned.

"Right. I'm Usagi, also known as Sailor Moon, and we're both friends of yours... but since you don't remember us, I'm happy to get to know you again. We really don't want to overwhelm you, though... today we're here because our friend Entrapta - purple hair, long pigtails, doing all the science - built this amazing shooting range, that we're all here to try. Do you want to come watch, or try it out?"

<<That would be awesome,>> is the mental text back to Rashmi, Sailor Moon's lips quirking in a little smile.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    The Room summons up another magical girl silhouette, although this one doesn't have the starfield-or-whatever visible through it like Walpurgisnacht's. Amy throws the pistol at it and unsummons it, and now that she's unarmed, her target goes away too. She pulls off the earmuffs and turns back toward Yukihime as the new-ish magical girl tells her story. She runs over to hug her. "That was a rough night for all of us. And... that's why practice is good, right? If it... if there's something like this you have trouble with, better we find out here than in a fight.

    Aaand people are talking to Laura who is saying she DOESN'T REMEMBER CHANTEUR or anything and she tries to catch up from context clues.

    Amy looks at the mermaid sadly as she approaches, taking off her safety glasses (they and the earmuffs vanish into pink sparkles.) "I'm Amanda Faust. Amy for short. Magical Rocket Girl Red, when I'm like this."

    Usagi mentions the idea of trying out the range. "We can see if I can lend weapons to anyone who wants to try them, but... can you still become Cure La Mer?"

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Tuxedo Mask slides in behind Sailor Moon. "Does Kururun remember us?" he asks everyone, and then leans down and says more quietly, more to Usagi than anyone else, "Wanna combo?" and then he looks back up and says, "Oh right, and I'm Mamoru, or Tuxedo Kamen."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"What, me, combo with you?" Usagi brings a hand to her mouth, playing at being shocked. "Why, have I ever... not wanted to combo with you?"

She giggles, and steps away from Laura, offering a small nod. "Come on! Entrapta-chan said she thought this place would blow up - let's see if we can make it!"

Wait, Usagi, that's a terrible idea!

But she's already put her gloved hand in his, and the Spiral Heart Moon Rod is in her other hand as she walks with him into the targetting room.

Entrapta (281) has posed:
Twinkles. Twinkles of stars appear, in the darkness. Oh no, Entrapta, what are you doing now?

"That's interesting," the person in question says, as she looks up from her controls/not controls. "I had no idea it could do that."

The entire wall of that end becomes lit with targets, shining crystals. Like a night sky. Almost an unlimited supply of ...a wide target selection. Twinkling, with a red Thumbs Up appearing in the center. Then switching to a smiley-face, winking at those watching.

The room really does seem to be enjoying this. And it's willing to make things happen to facilitate the process.

"Huh. I'm going to get so much data from this," Entrapta says, smiling at Rashmi.

Laura La Mer has posed:
Again with that "sama". This human is showing her due respect to Grand Ocean's Queen candidate, but she isn't liking that. At all. "Please, no need to be so formal. I am here as Grand Ocean's representative, but that's not really needed, ok?" she tells Rashmi.

"I... see, nice to meet you, Rashmi-san and Usagi-san", Laura bow to the other two girls, saying their names slowly, like a... Well, she doesn't know what it is, but it's there. Is it really what they have been saying?

"Call me how you prefer, ok?" No, she can't straight up ask the redhead to go back to how she addressed her previously. She still doesn't feel like she knows her. That wouldn't be right.

"The last thing I remember... That would be the Mermaid Queen waking me up, why?" Laura tilts her head. "She has been curing me from loss of motivation power for months." She then turns to Usagi specifically. "I don't mind joining in, but it seems like you need your own powers for that."

And then there is another redhead coming up, and this girl is not only offering weapons, but also asking if she can still become a Pretty Cure? "I don't know who told you that, but that's not right. Mermaids can't become Pretty Cures. The Tropical Pacts only work with humans."

"Water magic, from me? Do you mean the Aqua Pot?" Laura inquires from Entrapta. That's really the only magic from her, but she is not really sure she would classify that as 'water'. "I would think it would be more useful to make this large space we are in."

A tall guy comes up next, and he seems to know Kururun. "Hey, Kururun, do you know these people?" Laura asks, taking the Aqua Pot out of her hair and pointing it towards the group. The seal pops out of it partially, and takes a good look at them, before shaking her head. "Kuru Kuru Run Kururun", she replies with a fin on her cheek. "She says she doesn't", Laura translates.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"Maybe it's time travel," Tuxedo Kamen calls back as he and Sailor Moon walk back onto the range. But then they're in there, and he grins. "Let's see-- let's see what Moon Spiral Heart Smoking Crater looks like, huh?"

He gets down on one knee next to Sailor Moon, holding his hand up with hers, and his other down on the floor next to him, fingertips splayed. Both of his hands start glowing gold, then white-gold, as he aims for--

Ahh. It is absolutely something that looks like the Nightmare the two of them had saved Emi from, the self-castigating Author.

--the actually kind of terrifying monster that's slammed up in their spaces, and his hand tightens on Usagi's really quick.
"Moon Spiral Heart Smoking Crater!"

Rashmi Terios has posed:
THe look that crawls across Laura's face as Rashmi addresses the Queen's rep with proper respect... makes sense. Bobbing her head in apology again, Rashmi sighs. "Laura-chan, then... again, sorry..." Kururun's lack of memory as well causes Rashmi to blink... Then frown in thought. "Okay, so... Sometime soon, Laura-chan? I want to talk to you. More importantly I want to *show* you things, because... well, my Device pretty habitually records my senses, for tactical review, and can play back the visual and audio. But that's probably better for one-on-one, and this... really isn't that. But if it's you *and* Kururun... huh."

Mamoru and Usagi *both* step up to the firing range, though, and the range responds with all the lights in the sky being targets.

"...Okay but first Laura-chan you *want* to see this. *I* want to see this. Because if nothing else, this is gonna be the quality of the allies you'll have to back up you and your Cures."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"Oh, yes! It's going to be great - and you know, if that can't break this room, Entrapta-chan's really made it just about indestructible."

In the range for the first time, Usagi walks through the space that almost isn't, that doesn't have defined walls or floors or ceilings but is still a space, a presence, both place and person, in a sense, and she grins, impressed all over again by Entrapta's genius, what she could do, the space she could make, and for them.

And herself, of course. She's got to be getting crazy data from all this.

Why not give her more, right? As a thank you, for giving them a new place to push their limits.

She doesn't drop to her knee, as he does - it would be a good bit hard to get the spiraling part of it down like that, you know? Besides, when he's on his knees, she's finally, just barely - taller than him. By an inch or so, and she leans down and kisses his forehead she's so in love and so embarrassing ahahaha -

The Spiral Heart Moon Rod is thrust out, and Sailor Moon steps away and takes his hand, and as his fingertips glow, Sailor Moon moves as far as their joined arms will allow, and then spins, into his arms, like a dancer, leaning against him as she calls -

"Moon Spiral Heart Smoking Crater!"

Hearts appear all around them, spinning around them, but they aren't just pink - they're pink and white and gold and even a dusky charcoal-grey, some as small as her fist, others as large as her head, until there's the great heart - taller than her, taller than him, wider than their joined arms spread, and a dazzling display - a bright pink heart shot through with white-gold streaks, like a piece of kintsugi, a broken heart pieced together, made stronger for the experience -

And then it flies for the target, for the Nightmare, the self-castigating Author that influenced the world, and the lights in the room shine, twinkling stars, and endless array of targets, shining crystals -

And the pink heart shot-through with white-gold flies at speed for the Nightmare - and then explodes , shattering light with physical effect, shrapnel that pierces through -

but it's not just the heart that explodes, because the ground under the monster craters, splintering apart, as the Earth beneath splinters up, earth cracking through to destroy the monster -

And amazingly?

When it's all over, the 'ground' is whole and intact. The monster target - and most of the star-crystal targets - are gone.

Entrapta (281) has posed:
And that is when the room ejects them all out the door, in a wave of bodies sent higgledy-piggledy every which way. Everyone in the Zone is grabbed, some force or other doing so, and tossed out the door without so much as a yes or no, may I or please or thank you.

Oh, the attack worked. It also started the system into flashing, the world bending around them, and Entrapta's response before it all went sideways was, "Oh this is interesting." Which you can now include as things that she'd say if the world was ending around them all and she thought it was 'neat'.

The room, no the Shed, decides that for the safety of those inside they will now be removed. The door slams closed behind them, and a 'closed for maintenance' flashes on the door itself.

"Well! That might still need some work," Entrapta says, upside-down and with one leg hanging from a rope in the ceiling. She turns slowly, hanging there, until she's facing the wrong way to see anyone. "Fun though. I think I saw a few ways to improve the system."

She's also stuck. "Someone get me down?"