2350/RPG Blunders

RPG Blunders
Date of Scene:	22 February 2025
Location:	Club Building
Synopsis:	"Hinoka Saito" meets some very special people, and what started as a joke at her expense turns into a chance to let her speak her mind.
Cast of Characters:	Veronica Perenna, Norie Okana, Amanda Faust, Usagi Tsukino
Tinyplot:	Flameborn Façade

---

Veronica Perenna has posed:
Things had been looking good for her recently. With none of the Mahous any wiser of where she had placed her hideout, she had been given free reign to corrupt with greed as much as she wanted, and her power was going from leap to leap. And yet, the fake Mars couldn't forget the crushing defeat that they had been given when her and the fake Sunbreaker were assailing the cat café.

She ws much stronger now, but she was constantly thinking back to that moment, with how much they tipped their hand too early, and now they had some knowledge of how the two of them fought. There was only way she could recover from that loss and pay them back in turn.

That's how she is now here, mere steps away from that odious school's field of goodness that ate away at her essence like disgusting termites. It's ok, she is prepared for this. To anyone who asks, she is just a normal girl named named Hinoka Saito, and even if she gets recognised, she is still protected from certain defeat as long as the anchor of her essence still persists. In and out, easy as that.

She didn't have an actual transformation, so she resorted to get a beige shirt, white trousers, a cap and white bracelets, then change in those. She isn't going to fool anybody who has seen her already, but everyone else should not be a problem. Now, with the lessons over, the club building is probably her best bet. If she fails there, she can Always try the dorms.

Opening the door to the building, the demon is met with an empty hallway, making her frown. "Hey, is anybody there?", she shouts into the hallway.

Norie Okana has posed:
Norie Okana dislikes the essence of the school nowadays. It's actively hostile to her. She hates it here. "I hate it here." she says lightly to herself as she walks in the hallways. She has with her a note labeled with the name 'Matilda Faust', and then under it 'No relation' for some strange reason, which she seems to think is some injoke.

She is waiting in front of a classroom in the club building labeled RPG Club. She isn't a regular member, but she needs a distraction hard. It's still only been recently since her father died and she needs to get it out of her head a little.

Time to pretend to be someone else. Just for a tiny bit.

When there's a call, she looks down the hall to see...

Is that the fake Mars? It's the fake Mars in a bad, bad disguise.

"...."

".....hi?" she finally says, waving a hand, deadpan expression and tone. Nothing new there.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    The door to the RPG club opens. behind it is Amy, smiling. "Hey, are you the-- Norie?!" And she's clearly looking at someone, so Amy turns to see-- Sailor Mars. Wearing civilian clothes. Which is kind of weird. Either she's transformed but disguised for some reason, or... it's the fake, who, Amy supposes, might not be able to copy the civilian identity because henshins weird.

    "Can Iiiiiiii help you?" she asks.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Usagi isn't in any clubs, a fact that she's perfectly content with because she has enough going on in life, but, because she's friends with just about everyone, at least a little, she's decided to drop by the RPG Club. Chibiusa is with Mamoru and the boys, her various girls are involved with their own clubs today, Luna is searching the internet for any sign of other attacks that perhaps could have been missed -

Aaaand because she doesn't want to ruin her mood she's not thinking about that. The point is, RPG Club is fun to drop by, even on days where she can't play because they're doing a campaign.

Today, she sees Norie there, and stops, awkward, before she sees Sailor Mars?

No.

She is definitely not revealing her civilian identity to HER.

"Hiii, are you here to play too?" she asks instead, sweet and bright, and links her arm with Sailor Not-Mars' and drags them both through the door, trying not to shove Amy in the process.

"Hiii Amy-chan, Hi Norie-chan, are we all playing today?"

Veronica Perenna has posed:
"Hi", Hinoka replies flatly, giving a look at Norie when she is addressed. Is this one of the magical girls? She seems kind of sad for it. Did she pick a bad day? She was kinda expecting somebody more friendly and welcoming from the image she had painted of this school.

She is about to open her mouth when she is interrupted by a redhead with a long inflection to her Is. "Yes, I..."

But she is not allowed another word, for she gets exactly the kind of girl she was expecting, and the experience is so much more than she imagined, sucked into a joyous (as far as it seems to her) whirlwind right into the club room for the rpg club.

"Who summoned a tornado?" she stands there dazed, blinking at Usagi, trying to make sense of what just happened.

In response to her comment, there is a laugh further into the classroom, by a green-haired girl holding a few papers. "Oh, sorry!", she covers her mouth in embarassment. "I kinda thought that was a rp joke. Sorry!" she bows intensely.

"Are you members of the rpg club? I was hoping someone would play an adventure I made with me. Oh, I am Sayuri Nakamura!" she introduces herself. "Can I get your names?"

"Uh, Hinoka Saito", the confused infiltrator replies. "This may be a misunderstanding. I don't really know how to play", she replies looking at Usagi. "And I may things to look into, not here..." Was she busted already? Or is her luck just bad?

Norie Okana has posed:
Norie Okana is the opposite of a magical girl. She walks into the room after Amy answers. "Oh. Amy-chan." she says. "Is this your day? I sometimes show up and see who's playing and maybe moonlight as my warlock..." she says as she eyes Hinoka and Usagi. Usagi is Usagi and she expects nothing less based on what she knows of Usagi.

Which is about as much as anyone else. She sighs as she looks over to Amy. "Is there a game today or just discussion?" she asks.

She looks to Hinoka and finally answers. "Hello, Saito-san. I'm Norie Okana. This is the RPG club, you're fine here." she says flatly.

If Sailor Not-Mars wanted to try to burn the Club Buildings down she's welcome to try to burn a wasp hive down.

That'd go over well.

She looks to the green hair'ed girl and gives her usual unenthusiastic wave. She's known for this.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    If Usagi's not asking why Sailor Mars is henshined at school, it must be the fake. Whoooo is being dragged in here presumably so they can keep an eye on her.

    Hopefully she won't try anything, there are the wards after all...

    Amy has set herself up at a seat at the table, pencils and an eraser and a dice bag and some sheets of paper, and also a laptop. It's not the one from 2009, thanks to Setsuna she could afford a new one!

    Usagi asks if they can all play. "I... think there's still room? There's--"

    And Nakamura introduces herself. Amy came in earlier to show the prospective member around the room.

    As Not-Mars tries to leave, Amy interrupts to answer her earlier comment with a smile, "Oh that's alright, everyone learns sometime! Nakamura-san said her adventure should be newbie-friendly, this isn't some char-op test or tournament module! Do come on in, take a seat!" She smiles and closes the door behind them, standing there waiting until the others are seated.

    "A warlock?" She asks Norie. "I didn't know you played these games!"

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"You did," Usagi says, cheerfully, and she's not even lying, though she is faking the cheer. By coming here and masquerading as one of her girls, Fake Mars has earned her attention. "I don't always play, but it's great with newbies, that's what I learned from everyone. Hi, Sayuri-chan! We're all here to play and have a good time, so don't worry about it. You're new, right?"

And if there's a little edge of teeth in her smile, it's not like anyone's going to call her on it.

"Do you have pre-builds, because I didn't bring any sheets this time."

Veronica Perenna has posed:
A bout of irritation starts mounting in the fake Mars, and she is tempted to reply that no, she is not fine here, and that she has better things to do than spend time with the lot of them, but she bites her tongue. Starting a quarrel here would probably attract too much attention, attention she can't afford right now, and even worse if it's the kind of people she is trying to snoop about.

"Well, I guess a very quick game won't hurt", she reluctantly concedes after Amy closes the door behind her. That girl is insistent, and annoying. The sooner she can get this over with the better. How hard could it possibly be? "A what char?", Hinoka squints her eyes, wondering what kind of arcanism the redhead is using now.

"Saito-san, right?", Nakamura attracts her attention, looking more at ease now that Amy has chimed in. "I have some characters made already, so I can give you one to play as", she smiles, and pushes a sheet of paper in her direction.

A summary of her character reads as such:

A famous stage performer once, they now travel the world as a bard, hoping to rekindle their fame. While they can sing and play instruments beautifully, they lack rhythm in combat and often trip over their own feet.

What kind of sheet has she been given? This looks completely dumb. "So, this is the character I am supposed to play as?", she looks at the rest of them, trying to hide the disdain. "Yes, I think that will be good, shouldn't be too hard to get used to", Sayuri smiles friendly.

"Of course, I have some for everyone, and I have a game set up already", Sayuri places the sheets down where the others can reach for them, replying to Norie as well. "Feel free to take them from here as you like, and once everyone is ready, I can start leading us on our adventure", she grins.

Hinoka's eyebrow twitches slightly when she is blamed for the tornado. Is this her idea of a joke? Well, she has decided this blonde girl is going to regret that, once Hinoka has humiliated her at this game. "Yes, I am, thank you for having me", she speaks with false friendliness.

Veronica Perenna has posed:
Psion

An event is responsible for the awakening of their mental powers, granting them formidable psychic abilities with little practice. Their grasp on reality is sometimes shaky, leading to outbursts of uncontrollable psychic energy.

Wizard

A traveling merchant who stumbled upon an ancient tome of transmutation magic during a business trip. They are adept at bartering and convincing others to buy their wares, but their combat skills are more akin to clumsy jabs with a dagger than any refined technique.

Paladin

A paladin driven by a deep, personal loss. They took up their sword and shield in the name of vengeance rather than justice. Consumed by anger and a thirst for retribution, their faith is often tested by their inability to forgive those who've wronged them.

Rogue

A nobleborn scholar that turned to the shadows, using their keen intellect and silver tongue to manipulate others for personal gain. They're skilled with blades and traps, but they are prone to overthinking situations and missing the simpler answers.

Druid

In the past a druid of little worth, a fateful encounter with a spirit of the forest changed their life. Now, they are deeply in tune with the natural world and can commune with its spirits, though they still struggle with understanding the more arcane requests of their vocation. They are more at peace with animals than people.

Barbarian

A wandering philosopher who embraces the rage of battle to contemplate the nature of existence. They hold strong power and brutal finesse, but often speak seemingly paradoxical sentences.

Sorcerer

Born into wealth and high society, they discovered their magical powers at an early age and used them to enhance their luxurious lifestyle. They are more accustomed to charm and social manipulation than direct combat.

Artificer

A quirky inventor obsessed with creating fantastical gadgets. They are brilliant with machines and magic, but their health leaves much to be desired.

Cleric

Once a bandit who had no faith in the gods, they underwent a mysterious religious awakening and now serve as a cleric. They preach and provide help to those in need, but their past crimes occasionally come back to haunt them, and their temper is quick.

Fighter

A historian who devoted their life to studying ancient battle tactics, they decided to test their theories firsthand on the battlefield. While they are skilled with strategy and weaponry, they tend to overanalyze situations and sometimes freeze up in moments of true danger.

Warlock

A former noble whose thirst for power led them to make a pact with a mysterious patron. They are charming and persuasive, able to talk their way out of nearly any situation, but their reliance on their otherworldly patron has surrounds them with a sense of dread and unease deep down.

Monk

A mercenary that converted to a monastery, with unparalleled martial discipline. Their focus on physical prowess leaves them to struggle with spiritual growth.

Ranger

A former scout who lost everything in a tragic ambush, they now track the wilderness in search of answers. Their bond with the land is deep, but they are slow to trust others and prone to bouts of melancholy.

Norie Okana has posed:
Norie Okana picks the Warlock, having already been playing one. She looks to the GM and nods. "This one. I'm familiar already." she says. Yes she is.

She looks to Amy. "Sometimes. It's fun to pretend to be someone else for a bit, ya know?" she says deadpan.

Usagi seems to be close to this Hinoka person so Norie just lets it be but then says. "Oh the bard looks like it could be interesting. Just stay back and support the party and you'll be fine." and maybe I won't smack you with a fireball to see how you like it, she thinks.

"So what are you chosing?" she asks Amy and Usagi, since Hinoka's has had hers thrust upon her.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Amy fails to stifle a small wheeze when Fake Mars says a 'quick' game won't hurt. Someone hasn't played a tabletop RPG before.

    Amy moves away from the door to glance over the pregens.

    She nods to Norie; now's not the time to comment that she's still kinda new at being herself but this is fun too.

    "Y'know... as much as I favor arcane casters, maybe I should try something different. I will be..."

    Something catches her eye, and she snatches up one of the sheets, glances at the name/bio/etc lines for a moment. Then holds the sheet up above her head.

    "Aidaea, Changeling Druid!"

    She takes her seat at the table and frantically scribbles in the new name and an adjustment to the background. "Kidnapped... and experimented on... by an evil wizard school... she... escaped into the forest, where an encounter with a spirit changed her life. Now she's more in tune with the natural world, and with spirits and animals, than with people."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Ah yes, a quick game. She's expecting to be here at least three hours, haha. "Yeah, a quick game never hurt anyone. That's why you came, right? I mean, it would be weird to come to RPG Club without wanting to play, right?"

Reading over the character descriptions, Usagi can't help but think wow, these are all pretty serious, huh... can she really fake like this? Well, she'll pick...!

"Oh, cleric! They sound kind of interesting, and I like the beyblade Shadowheart from Baldur's Gate, so even if we don't get to that level... I like being a character who could, you know?"

They probably don't because the attack is called Spirit Guardians, not beyblade, but who cares, right.

"Uh... so you wanted to change the backstory Amy? Well, Hinoka-chan, you know you could probably inspiration if you sing and dance!"

Veronica Perenna has posed:
"Well then, welcome everybody, to Kygorna, a world that has known peace up until a few months ago", Sayuri announces chipperly, sitting straight in her chair.

"Everyone here led a tranquil life despite concerns over available land, up until the goddess of the Soil, Niara, invaded the domain of Lyaris, deity of the Air, by creating islands in the sky for people to live on", she shows a detailed artwork of sky islands drawn with pencils.

"Ever since them, there have been increasingly strong winds making life harsh, and people never stop talking about the wrath of Lyaris", Sayuri looks between the group, hoping for a positive reception.

"Your group meets in the dark caves of Arlantos, the refuge of a priest of Lyaris who has escaped here to save his life from his fellow villagers. He is said to hold extensive knowledge on Lyaris, and to have personally talked with the deity face-to-face."

"I'd rather just whack the danger in the face with a liute", Hinoka replies to Norie and Usagi, and turns to Sayuri. "Right, so we are in these looking for a coward, that's enough information. We should just get it over with. I start looking around the cavern. What do I find?"

"Are you sure you don't..." Sayuri tries speaking up. "What do I find?", Hinoka insists. "Well, you step into a slime, and the creature starts sucking you in, keeping you still with a big hug. Maybe asks your companions for help."

At Hinoka's scowl, Sayuri raises her hands. "Sorry, I was going to tell you about the slimes, but you didn't let me finish", she tries placating the girl.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Amy blinks. "The wind is harsh? Am I able to ask the wind spirits what's going on? Or is that more her domain in this setting?" She nods towards Usagi when she says 'her', indicating the cleric's player. "Oh, uh, sorry, continue."

    She scribbles a note on the back of the sheet as a name is mentioned twice:

    Lyaris - ?

    "How do you whack the wind?" She asks Hinoka.

    Who promptly steps into a slime! "[Oh, god.]" Amy blurts out, holding her hands to her head. She looks at the GM for a moment, trying to read her face.

    "Are slimes animals in this world? Can I talk to-- No, that was reaching, sorry. Hey, just to keep this straight, what were the names of the Air and Earth goddesses again?" With that answered, she adjusts her notes:

Lyaris - Air - Priest
Niara - Earth "Soil"

    'So,' she mutters, 'The locals are mad at the priest of air, even though soil invaded air...' She looks to the GM, "How do the primal spirits and animals feel about all this, anyway? Like are the animals cool with things or are the birds mad they keep flying into islands-- right! Slime. Monster first."

    Beat.

    "I don't think turning into an animal helps here... uh... do I know produce flame...? ...........yes!" She looks to the GM. "I cast produce-- wait, shouldn't we be in initiative?" She glances at the sheet. "On my turn I cast produce flame at the slime."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"Aw, did you walk right into a slime?" Usagi gives such a sad-faced pout at Fake Mars, as the poor GM activates the trap. "You shouldn't be so impatient! Besides, I don't think he's a coward, the whole village is mad at him."

Amy seems to think it's odd they'd be mad at the wind, but - "The Soil god invaded for them," she reminds her, "There's islands in the sky now, so people probably live there. Is this island in the sky?"

And then she considers, and then says, "I'm a Cleric, but I was a bandit before, so even though I like, found god, I think my character would be a little teasing so... if you ask nice, I'll save you from the slime~"

Shouldn't have attacked her fiancé's place, or turned her friend into a cat! Now you suffer!

Veronica Perenna has posed:
Sayuri looks over her notes when Amy asks if she can talk to the wind spirits. "Probably not? You can asks animals what they think about it, if you want to call for some, you can do it." They would have to come in from outside, she thinks.

While Amy is discussing the finer details of the campaigns, Hinoka keeps looking back at the door. This is precious time she is losing here without causing more greed, and she is getting any info for it!

"Can't I just say I do?" the fake Mars stares at Amy. "This is magic, no? Maybe I am just making my liute really hot and that burns the air." It's not too far fetched for her character to know fire too, no? She shouldn't have accepted this character so readily, she grumbles.

"Can you save me then? I will play you a song with... It says here I have a zither?" she looks down at her sheet. "Try a bit more to get into your character, Saito-san, I know you can do it", Sayuri steps in to encourage the newbie.

"Oh, dumb slime..." , Hinoka shakes her head. "You pull me deep,
I think this is just a... creep?
Save me now, friend, from this vile mess,
Before I'm lost in this grotesque caress!"

Her disbelieving expression is met with clapping from Sayuri, who then starts checking the consequences of Amy's attack. "In the meantime, the Druid starts boiling the slime alive, and your character gets small splatters of it into the face. Looks like this is going to be a mess soon."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Making Fake Mars sing - she has a decent voice, but he lyrics are amazingly terrible, causes Usagi to burst out laughing, before she looks at her character sheet and says, "Can I cast Ward Off Evil? Will that work? Or can I just grab her and pull?"

Hmm...

"Oh! I know Create Water! I cast that to clean off Hinoka-chan's ace."

With a giant drop of water that will fall from the air and spatter everyone.

Hahaha.

"You're an amazing singer, Hinoka-chan~ Do you sing anywhere? That practically warmed me right up, a fire in my soul~"

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Amy nods to Usagi.

    If she wants to call for some? "No I mean... like, I probably would have asked them before the adventure?"

    She also nods a little at Hinoka's rhyme.

    "I'm boiling it? Hmm... If we had a wizard, they could undo the mess with prestidigitation... Is there any cleaner way to take care of this? Is there any animal that eats slimes...?"

    She takes on a sing-songy tone. "This isn't the first I've seen of slimes -- mages experiment on them all the time. But as for this specific one... I don't know. Make haste 'till the battle's won!"

Veronica Perenna has posed:
Hinoka watches hopelessly as Usagi takes her time thinking of the various options. Hello, can she not hurry? Her character is drowning in boiling slime here! "Just grab and pull, before it's too late, I don't want to be covered in explosive slime."

But that comes too late."All of those options work, but feeling its imminent demise, the smiles has curled all around the bard in a ball, and bides its farewell to its new friend for the brief time they met, bursting out and leaving her dirty with slime", Sayuri starts describing with a serious expression.

"I had enough of that", the fake Mars shakes her head, imagining the scene with disgust. "Well, I mean... Oh, poor slime, thy fate sucketh?" she tries to keep going. "I am going to toss this bard into the first pool", Hinoka warns with a sigh.

A complete washing service is given to Hinoka's character, and the dark haired girl is left to imagine the fact that not only is her slime dirty. It's like all that is making things worse for her.

"Is it normal for an adventure to be so unlucky?" she stares perplexed. "I guess the bard owes you some thanks", she nods reluctantly to Usagi.

"Then song attracts song, and the druid's efforts have given the bard a bunch of new friends, Who have claimed you as their nap place, and they take a break with you. Isn't that awesome?" Sayuri nods eagerly. "Well, maybe, but I don't want them on me", Hinoka concedes reluctantly.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    "F-friend?" Amy echoes. "Wait... I guess the slime never actually damaged her... oh no. Are they... peaceful?" She looks to the GM. "Did they just want hugs?"

    Amy turns back to the table in general. "Aidaea, being a changeling, has uh I guess until now appeared as a dark-haired, fair-skinned woman but now turns into a bird person with colorful plumage-- wait, plain plumage, before talking to our new bird friends to ask what they think about this whole air and earth fighting business. And if they've heard anything useful."

    Amy looks to the GM again. "What was it you were gonna tell us about the slimes before she stepped in one, anyway?"

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"I mean, it touched her when she didn't want to be touched, so... we did the right thing! I mean, we saved Hinoka-chan, which is what friends and teammates do~"

She is NOT going to get existential about killing a slime!

And then Amy turns into a bird person, to get information, and she stretches her arms up and looks down at her character sheet some more...

"Is there like a Mars god? Because that would be cool, there's always like a Moon and Sun god, you know?"

And she says grins at Hinoka.

"My cleric would say it's no problem, and be sorry that Create Water didn't help more. After all, you're a friend and an ally."

Veronica Perenna has posed:
"Well, seems like it", Sayuri nods to Amy. "But it's ok! You know how it is with slimes. There are plenty more for her to make friends with on the way to the priest, and they can hug their bard friend some more", she announces out of nowhere, to Hinoka's groan. What was the point of all this then? She thought she was getting free!

Hinoka crosses her arms. "If there is a Mars god, they are annoyed at being called up so suddenly, and reminisce when things were simpler", she shrugs. "But of course, they really believe that's true?" she replies, looking at Usagi suspiciously. Is this her trying to give a message? Has she found someone all along?

"The birds reply to you that they have been hearing of the air deity falling victim to an illness after the soil god invaded, and they have heard from hummingbirds that the air deity has been moving less these day", she nods gravely.

She is about to explain more when her phone rings and the green-haired girl looks at It with a furrowed brow. "Sorry, my mum had gotten into a bit of a mess, I really need to go right now, I hope this was fun for you", Sayuri gathers her papers in a hurry and waving before disappearing out of the door.

"Well, I guess that's it for our little game. We can go now right?" Away from all of this, from them, from this school, she has had enough.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Is there a Mars god? "I mean... Mars, like, literally? Roman god of war? Most settings in these games probably have some kind of war god... Usually they're not set in our solar system or even our universe, though, so there wouldn't be a Mars to be a god of... unless it's like, some really old-timey setting referencing John Carter or something... I dunno if they have gods on that mars, I never read it and I got bored of the movie like halfway through..."

    And then they get... plot! "So the wind is sick... Maybe that's the real reason for the storms. Maybe--"

    The phone rings. "Oh... dang, really? Right now? Um..."

    Amy stands up and holds out her hand, but the green-haired girl has already rushed out. She looks at Usagi.

    Beat.

    Amy looks between them. "Well... If you want to, you know, get your fill of games like you came here to play, I could run something..."

    She goes over to a shelf and pulls out a battlemap of some dungeon, unfolding it over the table. She pats her hand on the table. "Could run you through this. Or maybe you'd prefer something science fiction...?"

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Usagi smirks a little, at the thought of Fake Mars having to deal with even more of this, of the slimes coming after her.

And then Hinoka is challenging her, and she smiles and says, "Well, I just think the planets are neat, but I bet if there was a Mars god, they'd care about justice and chastising those who hurt innocent people. That seems like a cool god, you know."

Innocent. Smile.

And then - "Oh, sorry Sayuri-chan, I hope we see you again!" She's gone, and there's Amy, offering to run a game, and Usagi says, "No, I think it'd be better to ask why the girl who crashed my fiane's building is at our school now. Are you going to trash something else? I don't know what weird stuff you were throwing around to cause all that damage, but you know, it wasn't cool. Those cosplayers had to chase you off!"

Veronica Perenna has posed:
Growing suspicion in Hinoka, the more Usagi speak, that this was all a ploy, and she has been had, all that time wasted, while they were secretly laughing at her, making sure her situation was as bad as possible, and she didn't manage it very well.

"No, thank you, I can't afford to stay here any longer", Hinoka replies to Amy grumpily. She didn't have that bad a time, she supposes, but if she got tricked, and it was all for their amusement, that really grinds her gears.

Whether she is right or it was all a completely unfortunate coincidence, she has had enough of this game and of feeling worse thanks to that aura of positivity the school has. She needs a break.

She considers the door, and then she does a double take at what Usagi has just said, and her chair screeches loudly behind her when the blonde girl drops all pretenses and confirms Hinoka's suspicion, a glare showing up on the black-haired girl's face.

"Well played then. I guess you really have enjoyed your little victory, and wanted more. I have not come here to trash anything, but a bit of information on you would have been sweet", she declares. "But the reason for my existence will be complete soon, and there is nothing you can do to avoid it."

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Amy stalks around the table. "Yes, thank goodness for those cosplayers."

    As she circles around to the door, Usagi between her and 'Hinoka', she grins as menacingly as she can manage and her clothes change to the same costume she fought in.

    She leans her back against the door. "Do tell, what is that reason? And where is it?"

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"I would have liked having fun with you, if you were here for something good," Usagi says, standing up with her hands planted on the table, her own table screeching when she jumps up. "But at least you know better than to try trashing this place!"

She glares.

"If you need help, you should ask. If you just want to mess things up for people, you're gonna get stomped - so cut it out before you can't take back what you've done."

Amy transforms - has she been transformed this whole time, or can she just change her clothes outside of henshin? - and Usagi pretends to be surprised, because she's faking that she's not in the know.

"Yeah! Tell us what you're up to, before cosplayers like her get you."

Veronica Perenna has posed:
Usagi's offer makes Hinoka freeze. What is going on with her? Help? Help? This girl is offering her help? "Act like you aren't one of those 'cosplayers' all you want. Maybe one of the snow girls, or maybe one of the various Sailors, or even the fiery girl in black, though that doesn't fit you at all. It's clear who she is, at least", she points at Amy almost accusingly.

"But if you really want to help, you will just turn the thief over or let me do my job until we have enough energy to break the Ward. That is my purpose", her eyes glow slightly at the declaration. They can forget getting to know where she is hiding.

"I was made from your friend's disguise of Sailor Mars. As long as I am here, she will never be saved. You are so funny, offering help, Usagi-san", she sneers.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"Break the Ward as in the city, or some kind of magic ward?" That's question one, as Usagi crosses her arms, and sticks her tongue out. "Even if I was - which I'm not admitting that I am - you'll never find out. So you should just accept my, totally normal, offer to see if you can be helped, without doing whatever you did to my like, theoretical friend."

Not admitting anything! But also do answer that question!

"Why does you being made from someone's disguise mean they're never able to be saved, huh?"

Amanda Faust has posed:
    "'Thief'?" Mysterious Ren Cosplayer repeats. "The only thief I see here is you, stealing her form." She looks to Usagi. "Princess of Sarek's whole thing is fighting the minions of this demon sealed inside a painting. Its MO is sending out minions who... mess with stuff I guess... or spread greed to feed on it... to try and gather the power to break the ward holding their master inside the painting."

    She looks back to Hinoka. "So you're saying there is no artifact, you are one half of the artifact?" She taps her chin. "Do you really have no choice but to serve that demon? What's so great about working for him anyway? Like, if you can take a normal form... could you do something else with your life?"

Veronica Perenna has posed:
Hinoka's hand pinches her forehead at the question about the ward. "The painting by Basil Hallward the Princess of Sarek has been protecting all this while, the HallWard, as she so '"cleverly" calls it. The one from which the demons of greed are trying to break out. I thought that much was obvious."

Why are they even so interested in getting to know how they are tied together? You can't break them apart. "Because the curse that turned her into a cat is the same thing that made me and that other Sunbreaker. Undo it, and all of it goes crashing down."

"Don't take that as an offense, that girl proudly wears that label. Phantom Thief, as she calls herself. Stealing to rectify the wrongs of the world is her motto." Hinoka shakes her head with a smile.

"If I told you there is no artifact, would you really believe that what your friend told you is wrong? But I have no reason to lie about that, there absolutely is an artifact. Purifying it will take away the whole curse, me, Sunbreaker and her cat form included. Talk about a normal form is pointless." Of course, no need to tell them there are two more relics aside from that one.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"So you can't live, while she's living normally," Usagi says, slowly, and then - "I can't accept that. If you wanted to live a life of your own, without hurting anyone, without her having to be trapped as a cat... would you want that?"

She's looking Fake Sailor Mars, Hinoka, in the eye.

"Do you want to be Hinoka-chan, and live your life, instead of just Fake Sailor Mars, part of the Demons of Greed?"

It's a straight forward question - but she's not trying to restrain Hinoka, so she could choose to walk away.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Amy doesn't have further comment, watching and waiting for 'Saito'-san's answer.

Veronica Perenna has posed:
Hinoka looks down at her hand, and there is a small spark of a flame, but it goes away as quickly as it came, her hand now resting against her arm once more. Would she want to live as a completely separate person? Living is something she enjoys, even if it came with being an enemy, and with dark energy, but then what?

Why yes, of course she would take it. She loathes the second Sunbreaker, she loathes that it comes down to two paths, but she doesn't really care about that other girl either. This is all her fault in the first place. Had she been more careful, Hinoka wouldn't be in this situation.

"Thank you for the pastime. It was fun in its own way", she turns towards the door. "Amy-san, your identity is safe with me. Let's have a good fight when we meet again." With that, she walks out of the club room.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Usagi waits for Hinoka to leave, and for the sound of her footsteps to no longer reach her ears - but once she's gone, she drops back into her seat, looking up at the ceiling.

The faintest edge of a smile touches her lips.

"She wants to live," she tells the ceiling, and Amy. "Maybe Fake Sunbreaker will too. We just might be able to fix this without anyone dying."

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Your identity is safe with me. Let's have a good fight. Amy's eyebrows go up. "Damn." She steps aside. "I can respect that." She nods. "Fair and square it is then. You better hold to it... unless you decide to stand down, of course."

    She pokes her head out of the room to watch 'Hinoka' leave the building, then closes the door and turns to Usagi.

    Eyebrows go up again, and she smiles. "Really now? That... would be nice."

    And she goes to put the map away and pack up her things.

    "...So, I didn't know you played tabletop RPGs..."