35/Back Alley Brawling

Back Alley Brawling
Date of Scene:	05 July 2023
Location:	Mitakihara Ward
Synopsis:	Riventon wants Kyouko's stuff. Mami wants Kyouko to not lose her soul gem, no real reason. Mamoru thinks the 2v1 is dishonorable, really.
Cast of Characters:	Mamoru Chiba, Takashi Agera, Kyouko Sakura, Mami Tomoe

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Kyouko Sakura has posed:
    Outside of a strip of bars and karaoke clubs, it's a fairly quiet afternoon, by Mitakihara definitions of quiet. Most of the clientele haven't trickled in yet, and outside it's just traffic and passersby. There's just barely enough noise to cover up the peculiar sounds coming from the shadows just outside one alleyway, where two vending machines loom in the half-light.

    Thump. Thump. Ker-clank, crash, thump. That's one set of noises, and it's coming from the redheaded girl in casual dress (no school uniform here) who's engaged in combat with the vending machine farther from the street and into the shadows. She's crouched down in front of the vending machine with a pointy stick in one hand and is rattling the stick around in the tray trying to get at the mechanisms within. But that's not the strangest noise to hear.

    The *strangest* noise, at least to your average civilian, is the girl's voice as she complains to what appears to be thin air. "I didn't do anything wrong. Go bother the people who were using food as weapons." Every so often she pauses in her attempted vandalism to glare at thin air next to her.

    Of course, if you can perceive magical mascots, it looks and sounds even weirder: there's a strange white floppy-eared cat thing next to her, calmly lecturing her. "But Kyouko, those food monsters didn't drop grief seeds! You're going to have to make better decisions as a Puella Magi," Kyubey says, "if you want to keep this up."

Takashi Agera has posed:
The best way to describe what Takashi Agera - as Riventon - is doing this late afternoon is 'looking for trouble'. Technically, he's looking for magic - for sources big and small, for interesting things. But magic almost always comes with trouble, so he is ready to find trouble. It's why he's actually already in henshin; that and it's easier to get around Tokyo when you can jump from building roof to building roof looking at your Device for traces of magic. He sees them slightly before he *hears* the girl. Or, hears her attacking the vending machine.

Perched on the rooftop he sees a girl reaching around inside of a vending machine with a stick - but he also sees that she's where that magical energy is coming from, and to confirm it, and she's talking to the strange white mascot. Takashi actually knows that Kyubey is special in some way, since it's been reported that it should be dead multiple times; and that people who can't see through the veil do not register it at all Of course, he's nowhere near the awareness of the true nature of the Puella Magi, but neither is his soon-to-be-quarry.

He channels energy and puts up a Barrier - shunting Kyouko, himself, and he hopes nobody else into a seperate side of the world. No need to have anyone interfereing. No need to worry about bystanders. No need to be careful.

As the world shunts out around her and turns grey (and the food in the vending machine does too), Riventon lands behind her. "So, I don't suppose I can convince you to hand over whatever you're carrying that's magic without me having to make things messy, girl?" he says.

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
"What the--!" The moment the food goes gray and inaccessible, anger spikes up in Kyouko's broken heart. She jumps to her feet just in time to hear someone hitting the ground behind her. By the time Riventon finishes his question, she's spinning around to face him.

But instead of cowering and showing fear, she twists her mouth into a sneer. "Haha, are you serious? Drop this newspaper world magic crap and get lost, or I'll kick your ass."

So some random boy is playing the tough guy? The only way Kyouko knows how to cope with that is to be tougher (and more obnoxious) in response. Kyubey looks at her unblinkingly for a long moment, then turns around and starts to slink away.

Takashi Agera has posed:
Riventon kind of side-eye watches Kyubey slink away. "Well, don't say I didn't warn you." Because Riventon has a philosophy which can best be summed up as 'holding back doesn't do anyone any good' so he visibly shrugs and then immediately thrusts his hand out at her and starts to unleash a small series of blasts - they're small because he didn't waste time to charge up, just converting mana directly into energy rather than working through a spell - of negative energy, inky tendrils that shoot through the air quickly but dissapate slowly, leaving a trail behind that bubbles up and evaporates after persisting in the air for a good second. But they're dark energy - and they carry a lot more concussive force than they look like they should. He's kind of hoping he'll help her break into that vending machine, at least in the 'newspaper world'. With her back.
    "Maybe if I say please?" he asks as the blasts ring out from his gauntlet.

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
There's just enough time for Kyouko's eyes to go wide before the blasts start. Fortunately, her instincts are good, and she dives to the side just in time to avoid the worst of it. The edge of the blast radius hits her shoulder and she winces in pain.

Well, now she doesn't have to hold back either. In theory, if she were more of the thinking type, she might consider it, to avoid blowing her cover--but her bruised shoulder commands her attention, and she was in a bad mood to start with. She glares at Riventon and thrusts out her hand, the ring on one finger suddenly gleaming crimson.

She kicks up off the ground effortlessly as the scarlet light glints and glimmers its way rapidly up her body. For an instant, it's an almost unsettling effect, the shape of a teenage girl cut out of the air and only shining red light showing through. Then the shimmering red glow shatters piece by piece till it reveals Kyouko once more in midair, now dressed to the nines in her usual magical girl outfit, holding a familiar giant spear.

When her feet hit the ground an instant later, she's aiming that spear directly at Riventon's throat. "I don't care about please and thank you!"

Takashi Agera has posed:
Riventon, like so many villains, doesn't actually react during the transformation - he isn't transfixed, but he is processing the fact that she's henshin'ing, and WHO it is into. His eyes follow her, but when she's on the ground, they fix on her spear first. The one at his throat. There's a moment when this legitimately concerns him, but a mental comment from his device reminds him he's in henshin, and therefore she's unlike to cut his throat in one try.
    "Well, that much is obvious." he says, replying to her disregard for his quite fake civility. "Oh hey, I remember you. You're the girl in red who was there with the Witch. You took the little trinket with you, didn't you. The needle, the orb." He doesn't know what a grief seed is - he just knows it was power and he wanted it. "Perhaps that's the beacon that drew me here." He'd seen her fight a little bit. The spear was primary, he guessed, with the wall that attacked his hand secondary. So he wanted distance. He didn't have distance, now. "If you hand it over I won't hurt you." he said. He guessed, though, that she was the kind of girl that was going to take that as absolutely the provocation it was, and was already ready to make a leap backwards; where the minor youma he had generated behind him - really, a malevolent shard of dark energy, an attack endowed with merely a brief moment of hostile sentience - a shadowy form with red eyes and teeth, lashed out from where he was with razor claws. Whether she cut it, dodged it, or was hit by it, it'd melt away like the tendrils from his attacks did, soon thereafter - he wasn't focusing on keeping it around. He didn't have the ability to hold onto it for very long.

The attack itself wasn't important, though, but the distance and time it hopefully bought him. Dark purple magical circles appeared surrounding his feet on his new location further down the alleyway. Now he was channeling energy, preparing. The next blasts were going to be much larger then the opening salvo was, as evidenced by the rapidly growing sphere of inky black liquid dark energy coalescing in his outstretched hand.

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
The lack of reaction from Riventon is actually kind of annoying to Kyouko. What's the use of bluster and intimidation if it gets no reaction? Her eyes narrow a little. His words, though, just make her incredulous. This guy doesn't even know what the grief seed is, and he's attacking her over it?

Sure enough, his ultimatum gets only a quick bark of laughter and a sudden lunge forward. Fortunately, her fighting instincts are ready for the dodge. The monster lying in wait is a bit of a twist, and she wobbles in surprise for a split-second before her instincts take over and she swings to the side and thrusts her lance forward to stab into the youma just as it dissolves.

By the time she lands with her immediate enemy dispatched, though, it's too late to stop Riventon from getting the distance he was aiming for. "Aw, hell," she mutters to herself--and for once, she draws on her thin threads of patience to prepare a defense. Wait for it, wait for it, her better instincts urge her; taunt him, see how much power you can get him to use on this attack!

"What are you, some kind of cowardly wizard? You're too stupid to be any kind of magic-user! You don't even know what you're tracking!" She sneers. "I already used that thing up and threw it away!"

Regardless of how much of an attack she gets out of Riventon, though, the defense will be the same: the instant he releases the salvo, up from the ground springs a magical wall of interlaced scarlet spears. Kyouko's gambling a little on this one--it's gonna hurt when that shielding wall takes the blow. But the ensuing chaos should give her a chance to get the drop on this guy and eliminate the advantage of distance once more--or so she plans.

Takashi Agera has posed:
Truth be told, watching a girl turn neon red and rip into a whole new form was actually pretty offputting. The fact that he was able to hide it well is one thing, but the fact that he shifted from the attack to getting space immediately is a clue as to how much he did not like having a metal spear the size of his head pointed at his neck.

This is a fight now, though. She didn't back down, and while he could just slink off like a bully that was stood up to - an option he considered - deep down the one thing they have in common is pride. Kyouko is a veteran Puella, and Riventon has some experience fighting his way into something like the lowest rung of a leadership position. For a moment he debates having his device call to Hotaru, but after her episode in the labrynth, he decides she's not ready. It's the two of them now.

"Well, that just means I'll take whatever it is you do have that's pulsing magic." Riventon responds.

She's just... letting him prepare? That's foolish. Or smart. He can say one thing - her stance when she moved was practiced. She had seen combat, she was skilled. He'd also seen her with the familiars and the witch. He didn't underestimate her. Not anymore than he did anyone else that wasn't him.
    <SCHATTENSCHLAG!> the device calls out as the blade of dark energy, like a moving brush stroke of thick ink that soars through the air. It's decently strong, but it's not his all. He figures she's GOT to be doing something more than just planning to tank it with her face - otherwise she'd be trying to close the distance now.

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
Sure enough, up goes the brilliant red wall of interlocked lances. The blade of Dark Energy crashes against its eldritch luminosity with a resounding CLANG of altogether too much magical energy in one small alleyway in the afternoon, and in an instant, wincing a little at the feedback from the attack, Kyouko assesses.

This annoying boy didn't seem particularly fazed when he launched the attack--so she probably hasn't succeeded in getting him to unleash a really significant amount of energy. But that *was* a pretty decent blow. So this guy's not totally useless, and if she can't end the fight fast she might wind up using a frustrating amount of energy.

And what's that about her having something with magic on it? What could that even be? Oh, wait. It's her Soul Gem, currently fastened to her collar on her chest as a brooch. "Well, you can't have *that*," she retorts. "I'll give you something else for free, though." And she strides up to the wall of spears, leaving it still standing for now, although dialing back the amount of energy she's put in it, and with the free hand not holding her spear, she reaches into something vaguely pocket-like on her dress as if rummaging for something. There's a glint of magic in her hand when she pulls it back out.

It's *not* the thing that initially drew his attention--the magical signature is much smaller. But she's holding it out to a narrow opening in the shielding wall in her closed fist.

Takashi Agera has posed:
Riventon doesn't trust her. But he's also greedy, and if he can walk out of this without burning too much of his own energy but getting something out of the deal, well, that's a good thing. It's not so good as to be worth taking a stupid risk for. And walking up to the girl with the spear the size of your head to take something when she had every bit the amount of pride just a moment ago? It seemed dumb.

Well, if she was going to trick him, he could trick her. If she wasn't going to trick him, he'd take the thing and leave.
    "Smart choice. See? That wasn't so hard. Smarter than you look, at least..." he said, knowing that if he was going to trick a trickster he'd need to not change his attitude. He walked swiftly across the distance, but those magic circles stayed around him, casting an eerie purple glow as he moved. The symbols which roatate around him stop just as he reaches out to take the object. It's the hint, the one hint he hasn't yet worked out of the defensive spell. A hint that he's displaced, and that the thing reaching out is no longer him. But he hopes she misses it and attacks, if that was her plan.

A hope that she attacks the thing that looks like him but is in fact a construct of a sticky, dark energy tar-like substance that will grip the moment it's touched. Get her weapon stuck in it and blast her, grab the shiny around her neck, and bolt is basically his grand plan. He'd like something more, but sometimes there was an elegance in simplicity.

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
Steady, steady...Kyouko continues smirking, keeps her proud pose, keeps her hand thrust out. But she's watching Riventon as he approaches. There's no way this guy isn't going to try to attack her the second *she* attacks. He may be cocky, just like her, but he clearly knows at least *some* tactics.

The pause in the rotating symbols catches her eye. Instinctively, she knows it means something, though she isn't sure exactly what. Does it signal a vulnerability, a coming attack, a feint...? She doesn't have enough information to tell or enough time to dwell on it. So she gambles and acts.

At the last moment, right as what appears to be Riventon reaches out, she opens her hand. A tiny sentai action figure in blue sits in her palm, flashing brightly and making little swooshy beepy noises. She drops it in the same instant as she drops the lattice-wall of lances--and a few things happen at once.

She *does* lunge forward to attack the illusory Riventon--but that's not the only attack she unleashes. Lances stab up from the ground all around in front of her, making the actual Riventon's location no longer a spot of safety. Not that that helps Kyouko, who is in the process of yanking her spear back out of the tarry monster when Riventon's hand closes around the brooch on her chest and yanks it away.

When she lands, still tangling with the Dark Energy tendrils and glaring, she immediately lunges forward to try to get it back with no commentary other than an indignant, wordless snarl. She has no idea what'll happen if Riventon gets away with her Soul Gem, but there's no way it'll be good. Besides, the main point is, it'd be *super* embarrassing for her fighting pride.

Takashi Agera has posed:
Well, it works. Mostly. The lances work too, though. In fact, the hand that reaches out to grab her Soul Gem is in fact, dripping blood and the person who is doing the reaching is doing some cursing.

Still, Riventon is willing to accept some pain - actually, a lot of pain, as he just barely got clear of the spears enough to not be entirely shsikebabed - to get ahold of a magic brooch. If it gives him information, strength, if it gets him closer - the fact that his Barrier Coat looks a bit like swiss cheese with ketchup on it will be worth it, in his mind.

There's a few more curses as he pulls the brooch away from her and his spare hand shoots another one of those dark energy tendrils at her stomach - and that blast is not for the sake of any value, he's just mad at her and in pain and lashes out. It's just angry vengance for the pain. He debates doing it some more, but the human takes control of the monster.

But he's in pain and he can't exactly just teleport away after that last blast. It burned a little bit of energy he's probably going to wish he had.
    "To hell with you, girl. If there's a next time I won't be so nice." he says, gripping the brooch and deciding to actually beat feet before the girl gets her spear out of the dark energy tar and gets him back for the cheap shot. So he starts to run along back out of the alleyway as the barrier flickers away and it's back to the real world - he can't keep it up, keep his focus, and get ready to jump through the dusk zone at the same time, not with so much of his body crying out in pain. He's going to have to hit the infirmary as soon as he gets back...

Mami Tomoe has posed:
Kyubey couldn't let someone steal a soul gem. That's a big deal.

Mami Tomoe was alerted that Kyouko was in danger, and against the fact she'd be risking herself for someone who apparently hates her, she charged her way to the barrier in Mitakihara, right as it faded.

Riventon and Kyouko's first sign that something is happening is the flood of musket fire blaring straight at Riventon. They're not all impacting - it's suppressive - but it's enough to allow a single bullet to turn into a ribbon and tear the Soul Gem out of his hands, flicking it to-

Mami Tomoe, who leaps off a rooftop and swings down on a different ribbon, lands in front of Kyouko defensively.

"Hey, are you really out here robbing people of precious belongings? Didn't anyone teach you manners?"

Riventon. The same guy as before. And he's targeting Kyouko. Mami frowns, as she summons another musket to hand. She doesn't fire it...

But she points it straight at him, almost daring the already injured youth to come in and fight, two versus one.

Takashi Agera has posed:
Even through thhe searing pain of being punctured, of having the deafening sound and smoke of a dozen muskets echoing around his ears... there's one thing that's accurate, and that is that Takashi Agera - or, at least when he's in henshin and functioning off the back of Dark Energy - is a prideful jerk.
    "I said please." he snarled, more angry than he actually wanted to sound. Okay, being stabbed a lot hurt. "Anyways, you're the one sticking your hair drills in where they're not wanted. This was a private party."

It's not the smartest thing to snark at someone who is pointing a musket at you - even if it's a pretty musket - but self-preservation often takes a back seat when pain mixes with dark energy. Despite what would be a wise move, he's already pulling together dark energy in both hands now, like he expects to fight both of them in his obviously haggard state. Pride, anger, pain, all of those are fueling him far more than fear - in fact the energy is gathering faster than it was when he was haughtily fighting Kyouko.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"Two versus one," scolds a new voice -- the voice happens before the visuals, but the visuals are fading in dramatically, "is really unfair. How about you rethink that?"

The figure that's just stepped through nothing and brought himself into the air of the alley between Riventon's sorry ass and Mami Tomoe's gun? A tall teenaged boy with a senpai-is-disappointed look, long hair, grey and black uniform of some kind, swishy black silk cape, boots-- and he's holding up one white-gloved hand. Dark energy is gathering in it.

"Riventon, do you need a lift or you want me to meet you back home?"

That sounds... totally conversational. This kid doesn't really seem concerned at all, except for the swiss-cheese scientist behind him.

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
Unfortunately for the delicate ears of a proper Puella like Mami (and a good boy like this mysterious figure who's rescuing Riventon?), Kyouko swiftly joins in the cursing as she realizes that her opponent is getting away with her Soul Gem. She's not thinking about what might *happen* to her if the focus of her powers gets stolen, although she's vaguely aware that it'd probably be a hassle (and has absolutely no idea just how right she is). She's just mad that this guy had the sheer audacity to swipe her stuff. She's supposed to be the unruly thief here! Finally ripping herself free of the Dark Energy monster, she hurtles after Riventon, preparing to throw her spear, bitterly knowing she's too late.

And that's when it gets worse. That's when *Mami* shows up.

Kyouko freezes in place with a mortified stare of horror on her face for a long few seconds, watching her once-adored senpai step in to rescue her. She wants to melt like the Dark Energy youma. She wants to disappear into the ground. This can't be happening. She's *never* going to live this down in her entire LIFE.

Which is why when this new kid shows up, she doesn't hesitate long enough to think. She just sees a new target to attack to distract herself. So, rather than try to estimate the strength of the presumed mook she's going after before attacking, she just sends her lance flying at him, snapping into segments as it goes, to try to ensnare him by the legs and yank him to the ground.

Mami Tomoe has posed:
"Kyouko, wait!" Mami shouts out as someone new arrives, and Kyouko immediately goes to attack them. She's too busy playing defensive (which will probably be what makes sure everyone lives mostly fine), but it's still annoying.

She could be having tea parties home alone, after all.

Takashi Agera has posed:
Oh, Kyouko's coming for Hematite. That's nice. Riventon is actually reasonably confident they could take them two on two. Actually, he's pretty sure Hematite could take them both on now that he's worn on Kyouko a bit - not that he'd ever tell him that. And then there's another shot of pain that runs through him. Oh, maybe not. Or maybe not without personal losses. To the most important person, him.
    "Well, if you're gonna just jump in again to another fight..." Riventon says through the pain. "... I guess we'd better go because if you think they were insufferable about you getting flame broiled over Fate, they could complain to me 'directly' if you get shot because of me."
    "Tch, you're not even gonna leave till I do. Fine." Riventon converts the energy he was charging up to blast into other ways, causing it to dissapate between his fingers, and then takes a few pained steps back - looking like he's just stepping out of reality and into nothing, taking the Dusk Zone highway back to somewhere with pain killers and caffiene.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
The newcomer doesn't flinch -- Kyouko reacts without thinking, and This Guy does too, but it's not to blast dark energy at anyone. Instead, his other hand comes up in a flash of bright-gloved speed and sleight-of-hands something; his hand's in the 'just threw a dart' position a fraction of a second later and black lightning meets Kyouko's lance in midair.

There's a horrendous CRACK--

--whatever happens to pieces of lance when the magic gets broken out of them is undoubtedly happening, accompanied by a black rose falling to the asphalt. While this is going on, Hemstite's still talking with Riventon, apparently not even paying attention to the angry redhead. "I'm paying attention this time," he lies aggrievedly. "And of course I'm not going to leave first! You-- good."

Then the black-haired teenager purses his lips and looks directly at Kyouko, hand still up and holding a gathering of dark energy pointed at Mami. "I suppose I should actually have said 'ceasefire' out loud, but I thought it was understood."

Then he grins, bright and conspiratorial as he starts to fade back into nothing. "Nice try, though. Clever. Underhanded. If you need a job, let me know. My name's Hematite."

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
"I'm not waiting for YOU! You *idiot*!" Kyouko yells after Mami, her face red with shame and anger, and for half a second it looks like a very real possibility that she might just have a very emotional temper tantrum at her formerly adored senpai right here on the spot, with her outfit totally messed up from its lack of Soul Gem.

That's the only consequence of her Soul Gem being torn away, right? It just messes up her outfit. It's a little weird that before Mami snatched it back from Riventon, Kyouko felt a moment of weakness and dizziness...but that was probably just the adrenaline. Soul Gems are just useful little magical pieces of jewelry. Nothing special. No reason they're called "Soul Gems" or anything. Just sounds fancy.

She stumbles in surprise at the terrible noise of Hematite's lightning shattering her spear. Her eyes go wide and she stares at the other teenager in mute rage. Sure, she can summon up another spear if she wants to invest the magical energy--but after seeing that, she...kind of *doesn't*. It would just be a waste, and even she's smart enough to realize that.

So she settles for just verbal sass. "A job? You think I'm gonna work a *job*? Jobs are for losers. Cowardly losers who DISAPPEAR WHEN THEY LOSE! LIKE LOSERS!"

She's still yelling furiously when Hematite has fully faded. Only when he's totally gone does she exhale in a huff, then take a deep breath and start forward again. She pauses to pick up the black rose and stare at it for a long moment. She's...investigating for clues. That's it. She's not trying to find an excuse not to look at Mami and talk to her to get her Soul Gem back.

Mami Tomoe has posed:
Mami sighs in relief as the two disappear, even as the rose puncturing the spear causes her to suck in a breath. When Kyouko yells at her and then looks away, however, Mami...

makes...a...mistake...? With kindness? She moves over to Kyouko to hand her the Soul Gem. "Kyouko. You need to take better care of yourself. You could've gotten really hurt if his friend had decided to stick around. Okay?"

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
Kyouko's still staring at the rose when Mami approaches. The gears in her head are turning. They're slowly coming to a conclusion that she really doesn't like. Right before her brain can piece together the horrifying truth, though...

Mami speaks. Kyouko's head jerks up, and she snatches up the Soul Gem with her free hand.

In an instant, her transformed state shatters and disappears, and she's just a grumpy little casually-clad delinquent clutching an oddly elaborate metal egg accented with crimson glass. But she's already about to launch into a terrible tirade likely to hurt as much as any spear. "What the hell are you talking about? You're so stupid! I can't believe you came to res--to help *me*! That's why you're the worst possible magical girl! You're crazy about helping people." The words roll out of her like little popcorn grumbles of thunder, fast and unpleasant. "You're so embarrassing! Get lost! And take this...stupid...rose--wait a sec." She looks back down at the rose, and the final piece of the puzzle falls into place.

"This ROSE broke my spear?!"

Mami Tomoe has posed:
Mami frowns as she's yelled at, but not because of the yelling. Is this how far Kyouko's fallen? Mami just nods, and then looks down at the rose. "Are you...sure?"

If Kyouko tells her to take it again, she'll take it, otherwise she's gone, detransforming and heading out the alleyway. Mami doesn't regret helping her - but she wishes they were on much better terms, because she doesn't know how to help her old friend.

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
For a second, Kyouko hesitates. There's a glint of some difficult-to-decipher emotion in her eyes as she looks at Mami. It's not a happy glint, though, that's for sure.

Then she shoves the rose at Mami again. "Yeah. Take it. It's a *reminder*. That the most surprising things can still get you hurt. Remember that!" And she turns on her heel and dashes away.