317/Kitchen Nightmares

Kitchen Nightmares
Date of Scene:	27 August 2023
Location:	A Hotel Room
Synopsis:	CW: Blood, Violence, Child death. "Life is pain, Princess." -- Mamoru Chiba. A tragic vision of a potential future. There's still time to prevent this dark portent of what's to come, but what does Hematite need to do to adjust course of Himeko's and Zoisite's destinies?
Thanks to:	Thanks to the Sailor Moon cast for welcoming my OC into it, thanks to everyone who has interacted with me in any way since hitting the grid, thanks to our Shitennou who are the best, and finally thank you to Mamoru for giving me a chance to be his apprentice and little sister.
Cast of Characters:	Pyrite, Zoisite

---

Pyrite has posed:
    Himeko Soryuu is peeling potatoes. She has never done so before, but she has plenty of experience with a knife, so they're turning out pretty smooth. There's two bowls, one with peeled potatoes and one with unpeeled, on either side of the sink she stands at. She is wearing a white sweater and jeans, and has her hair braided into a side-ponytail. A pot of water is heating up on the electric stove. She bought the plug-in burner while she was out getting groceries, since a hotel room in Japan is more expensive the bigger it is, and this is a one-bedroom, one-bath, with a small area with a countertop. No stove though, thus the improvisation.

Zoisite has posed:
    It's a small space that Himeko is cooking in, in a smallish (by international standards, not Japanese standards) hotel room. There's still room enough for two. "Good evening, you spiteful specter." Zoisite's voice comes from right behind the ghostling as he teleports in. No giggle or rose petals to signify his arrival this time. Those are a courtesy he is giving someone, not a necessity.

    "You seem well." Pause. "No, actually you seem even more wretched than before, but you are grungier, more unhappy-looking, and it seems you even..." Zoisite's face comes into view as he leans around Himeko to look at her. "...Oh! That's lovely! You have a slight scar! What a tiny, puny, insignificant sacrifice for the hurt you've caused my dear friend."

Pyrite has posed:
    She didn't have forewarning or anything. Maybe. But she still doesn't break away from her current activity even when Zoisite appears and starts talking to her. Call it a recurring supernatural reflexive pattern. She started an action, so now she needs to finish it, even if it can't be finished, and even if she has to repeat it for eternity.
    She does manage to get out, "Zoisite-senpai, I was not expecting you. Do you know where Hematite-senpai went?" Peel peel peel the potat. Potat being peel peel peeled. Plonk in the bowl. Next potat.

Zoisite has posed:
    "No, no, no. Hahaha. You are not asking me questions. You are not talking. You are shutting up until I say you can speak, and you are listening. That is how this is going to go." Zoisite laughs it off as he pulls back to resume standing behind Himeko. He grabs her side-braid and pulls it behind the ghost girl's back as well.

    "You, see, it has become known to me and the others that you had murderous intentions towards our leader. We all knew that was the case, but he wouldn't listen. And now, after having it confirmed for him, he's still not listening." Zoisite hefts the braided hair in hand to test its weight, then begins the process of unbraiding it.

    "They think I came here to threaten you into obeying, but that wouldn't accomplish anything. You could just tell Hematite whatever you want, and he'll believe you, because you have some sort of control over him. And, you see, that's just not going to work for me." A knife forms in his hand. While Himeko peels potatoes, Zoisite starts peeling Himeko's head. He starts by cutting off the handful of hair he has in his hand.

Pyrite has posed:
    Okay. She can work with that. Himeko continues her meal preparation, while Zoisite messes with her hair and talks. The water is starting to reach a boil, the bubbles rising quickly to the surface. She'll need to put the peeled potatoes in there soon. But first she wants to make sure the entire bowl on her right is peeled. She needs to finish that before doing anything else. Hematite isn't here to order her to do otherwise, and she doesn't really need his orders anymore to act, but there's no pressing need to deviate from her task, so she doesn't.
    She just listens. Even when a huge chunk of her hair is cut off, she doesn't react. She just keeps peeling potatoes.

Zoisite has posed:
    "Hmm... This doesn't feel like an imitation. Your hair almost feels like it's real. How complete is this body of yours now?" he asks thoughtfully. Then, after a moment, he adds on, "You may speak now."

Pyrite has posed:
    Only three potatoes left, counting the one she just picked up. Himeko answers once she is given permission to. "Fully. The only way it could be more complete is to be alive. I have learned to use a different building material for my body, so I am phasing out Dark Energy entirely." More information than she strictly needed to give, but there you have it. Peel peel peel. Plonk. Next potat.

Zoisite has posed:
    Zoisite shakes his gloved hand to discard any remaining strands of ghost hair. So gross, honestly. It's not even washed. At the news of how Himeko's new body is constructed, however, the Third of the Four pauses. "It's not made of Dark Energy? So what is your soul inhabiting then?"

Pyrite has posed:
    Himeko says honestly and thoughtfully. "I do not know. I believe it to be made of the same substance that you use to create rose petals, knives, and other things. The others use it too. It responds to my will much more reactively than Dark Energy, and doesn't have a negative effect on my emotional state. It is the ideal substitute, because there is as much complexity or simplicity as I desire. I even finally have a functional sense of taste, smell, and touch again." Her stomach growls. "And digestive system." she adds on without hesitation.

Zoisite has posed:
    Oh. Oh that is too good. He doubts any Heavens are smiling upon him, but someone down below has arranged a lovely coincidence for Zoisite on this day. "Psychoplasm, is the term we use for it. So, your entire body is made of psychoplasm, and you can feel and do everything a living body can?" He traces the tip of his knife down the back of Himeko's neck, just barely gently enough not to do any damage.

    "It's a terribly useful material. I can see why you'd favor it over Dark Energy. It's as stable as you will it to be. Maintaining concentration is usually the primary issue that most psychoplasm users have to deal with in their training. We learn how to make sustaining a construct second nature, just going on in the background without taking up extra energy. That way we aren't splitting our focus in battle. Eventually it just becomes a built-in, automatic behavior, like breathing."

    The knife tip leaves Himeko's neck.

Pyrite has posed:
    Plonk. Last potat. Pick up. Peel peel peel. The water is boiling now. After this one, it'll be put into the pot. Himeko feels the pointed tip moving down the back of her neck, drawing a shiver through her body at the itchy sensation it produces. She hasn't felt something like that in so long that... Actually, has she ever felt that? Was she ever alive to begin with? What if she was always a ghost?
    She has that connection with Hematite because part of his soul is merged with her own. What if she was formed just to give it a place to hide, much like this body she has built is a place for her to reside? That would mean that once she returns all of Mamoru's soul to him, her purpose will be done, right?
    A sobering realization. She knows now, what her role is supposed to be. Of course Mamoru would say he needed her. She still has something that belongs to him.
    When she's done here, she'll go back to her Shrine and let out her other half. It's beyond time. And... She owes herself an apology as well as forgiveness.
    Plonk. All potatoes are now peeled.
    "That sounds difficult." she answers idly as she picks up the bowl of peeled potatoes and lifts it to dump them into the pot of boiling water.

Zoisite has posed:
    "Not so much." Zoisite responds cheerfully. "I mastered it long ago." Then he plants one hand on top of Himeko's head, and locks her psychoplasm form so that it can't change appearance, reform, or regenerate. Then he rams his knife into the ghost girl's back, up under the ribcage like a professional, and into the vital organs, over and over again.

Pyrite has posed:
    The bowl slips from her hands at the first impact, only some of the few potatoes going into the pot, but the bowl catching it and tipping over. Boiling water pours down from the counter onto Himeko as her hands grab hold of the counter edge in an attempt to avoid being thrown around by the viciousness of the repeated stabs.
    Oh. Oh, this... She remembers this. Something like it anyway. Where did she feels this sensation before? Internal organs are shredded and punctured, and the back of her white sweater turns an increasingly darker shade of red as more and more blood starts spilling out.
    "Zoisite-senpai, you shouldn't--" she tries to get out but she coughs up blood. Oh. Look at that. She has blood now. That's exciting. She wasn't sure about that aspect, because of all the cells she had to make, but it looks like she managed it.

Zoisite has posed:
    "Shut up." he hisses acidly as he casually sweeps Himeko's legs out from under her and steps away to avoid any boiling water spillage. He has a forceshield, but still, no reason to tempt fate. He levitates over the broken and intact potatoes on the floor to not leave a shoeprint in them or something stupid and amateurish like that.

    "So, can you feel pain in this form?" he asks as he lets his knife disappear, discorporating it.

Pyrite has posed:
    The girl with the chopped-off black hair and red eyes falls to the ground when her legs are swept out from under her. She smashes plenty of potatoes on her own from doing so. She tries to speak again but more dark-red blood erupts from between her lips in fitful coughs.
    Eventually, she just shakes her head. She didn't manage to simulate pain receptors, it seems. Something to work on in the future if she doesn't get a living body any time soon.
    She tries to push herself up off the floor while still leaking fluid from her body, so dark red that it looks black when it isn't catching the light from the dim overhead bulbs in the ceiling.

Zoisite has posed:
    "No? Well, that's unfortunate." Zoisite tilts back his head and sighs. "I've been wanting to do that for months. You have no idea how much I've hated you. Or maybe you do. You've always been unplEASANTLY--" He kicks Himeko in the ribs to roll her over onto her back. "--perceptive like that!"

    Then he moves to float above her, and land with one boot on either side of her. "I'd strangle you, too, if I thought it would do anything. How disgusting that even now you can't grant me the satisfaction of killing you properly."

Pyrite has posed:
    An 'oof' of escaping air, and more blood, escapes Himeko as she is hurled off her hands and knees, and rolls across the floor until she stops on her back. She still weighs so little, even now. It wouldn't have taken anywhere near that much force for the same result. Are her ribs broken? That's less familiar. But that stabbing, that was at least tickling a memory, or a shard of one.
    Why can't she remember where she experienced such a unique sensation before this now...?
    Hands reach up to try to push Zoisite away. She can't teleport, she can't shapeshift, and Hematite's orders forbay her from hurting or killing any of the Shitennou. She's basically completely at Zoisite's mercy, as she looks up at him with her bright red eyes, blood-smeared face, messy hair, and stained clothes.
    Maybe she should reach out to Hematite to see if he knows anything about this, or can help her in any way?
    ...No. She can sense that he's busy with something. He needs space. She'd just be getting in the way if she interrupted him now.
    She can handle this. She can do it on her own. She isn't a child anymore. And she absolutely refuses to be a burden--!
    Himeko starts to push herself up into a sitting position despite her injuries.

Zoisite has posed:
    Zoisite looks down on Himeko while she struggles. All the fun has gone out of this now. He doesn't feel anything towards her anymore. This isn't the monster he was expecting to battle, this is just... Some defective little soul who is nothing without the Shitennou's leader to leech off of. He reaches down to grab the front of Himeko's once-white sweater and haul her up. Is he helping her now?

    That depends on your definition of 'help'.

    "Good bye, little lich." he says calmly before putting his free hand on her head again. He doesn't unlock her psychoplasm form. Instead he begins to unravel it. "Stay in Hell this time."

    Discorporate.

Pyrite has posed:
    Dangling from the adult's grip in the air, lacking the strength or permission to fight back or defend herself, Himeko just stares back at Zoisite, noticing the empty, almost sad expression. Ah, she should turn off the burner. It might start a fire otherwise. And she needs to clean up the potatoes, and see if any can be salvaged. Another pot of water will need to be boiled... It might be necessary for another grocery shopping expedition if there's not enough taters left for dinner.
    I wonder what would happen if I disappeared right now? Would my other half be free to emerge? If not, I hope somebody finds a way to let her out. I've been a terrible sister to not even be capable of looking after my own soul.
    That sensation of being stabbed still keeps picking at her memories. Why did it feel so familiar? Why can't she remember when she--
    Himeko Soryuu's body is turned to nothing.
    Himeko Soryuu ceases to exist along with it.

Zoisite has posed:
    An anti-climactic end to an over-all unimpressive conflict. He got what he wanted out of it, mostly, but he was expecting... Hm... 'More'. Zoisite looks around at the chaos, verifies he hasn't left any traces of himself in the vicinity, and then leaves an envelope stained with the scent of cigarette smoke lying on the bed. The envelope isn't sealed, and the writing on the outside is in Kyouka Inai's handwriting. Zoisite has spent enough time in the Arbiter's office studying correspondence, to mimic her writing by now.

    They really had no idea how long he'd been waiting for this.

    He does turn off the burner before he leaves. Otherwise, there's no point in leaving the letter if it's just going to get burnt to ashes.

    One more check. No footprints, no fingerprints, no scraps of clothing, none of his blood, none of his own hair, no magic specific to him. The Dark Energy shouldn't be distinguishable from Himeko's. All of her clothes are lying there on the floor in order, like she vanished right out of them. Which she did.

    A third final check, just to be absolutely sure he wasn't forgetting or missing anything. He would have done another, but he doesn't know when Hematite will appear, or if his boss is already on the way. So, with no other recourse, Zoisite gives a mocking salute to the outfit laid out on the ground, and teleports away.