View source for 1574/No Platitudes for Amy Faust

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2024/05/23
|Location=Mitakihara General Hospital
|Synopsis=Amy comes to visit Mamoru and Kazuo, and Amy and Kazuo end up having a really good conversation on Sunbreakers's problems and motivations.
|Cast of Characters=38,58,107
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:38|Mamoru Chiba (38)}} has posed:'''<br>It's afternoon after school, the Thursday after the Saturday that Sunbreaker burnt Mamoru, stole his magic, and left him for dead in a subway station.<br><br>He's definitely doing way better than he was, with all the friends who have come in to heal him over the past few days, but Mamoru's right hand is still a huge bandage mitten, and his left shoulder is still copiously bandaged as well. No more burns on his face or forearm, though, just peeling over new pink skin that has the doctors and nurses stymied.<br><br>On the windowsill, the side opposite the open sliding glass where Anko the cat comes in at night and makes herself at home on Mamoru's bed, there's a teddy bear in a tuxedo with a white felt mask; around the room are a bunch of fresh green healthy potted plants.<br><br>"And they are wondering where the cat hair keeps coming from," says Mamoru, enunciating clearly, eyes closed. "I hope Luna doesn't mind that Anko's doing magical cat duty." A pause; he opens one eye. "That gets a cry-laughing emoji. And send."<br><br>Then both eyes are open, and Mamoru waves his feet around at the end of the bed. He's in a good mood! Either he's actually in one or it's the drugs, it's anybody's guess. "Thank youuuu. Also, did your mom say she was coming tonight? I'm glad my face is just peeling now--"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:58|Kazuo Saitou (58)}} has posed:'''<br>Kazuo is less seated than propped mostly sideways in a seat, as if furniture were something designed specifically for sprawling over. He thumbs patiently at a phone, murmuring Mamoru's words back to him: "... magical ... cat duty." And a tap, and the phone gets put down in his approximation of a lap, beside the ''other'' phone, which he picks up to check. Swapping out. "Sent. No clear statement yet. She threatened to come and bring you some things to help keep you occupied, but that probably depends on whether she has to stay late at work. I ''could'' try bribing a nurse to point her in the wrong direction?" There is an ever-so-faint hopeful note in that, but his mouth's twitching at the corner.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:107|Amy Faust (107)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amy didn't have her communicator on her when Usagi's call went out. She's only heard what happened through the grapevine recently.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Mamoru, who's done so much to help others, is now in the hospital. And Sunbreaker did it, despite... despite ''everything''.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Going to see friends in the hospital is what normal people do, right? And in a way, she's got nothing but time. It's not like she has some job that will fire her if she misses a deadline.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She steps into the doorway in a 'normal business' look -- red T-shirt and black slacks -- And knocks on the wall. "Hey. Uh. How're you feeling?" She approaches the bed, forcing a friendly smile over her look of worry. "Sorry I didn't bring anything. I didn't know what you'd want. I figured it's better to ask aaaand I just realized I coulda done that over the phone before coming. Oops."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She glances over at Kazuo. She's run into him a few times at school, and now knows he's connected to Mamoru in the past, and... this is the first she's talked to him since, well, that whole 'trapped in the past' deal. "Heya, Saitou-san." She gives a nod of greeting.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:38|Mamoru Chiba (38)}} has posed:'''<br>"Amy-chan!" Mamoru says, clearly startled and also pleased and also kind of embarrassed. "No, that's fine-- I'm better than I was yesterday, and better than the day before that, and I am on ''so much morphine right now'', please excuse me for filters, have a seat!"<br><br>So, not a real good mood, but at least one that'll last a while. "Oh that's right, you two met in the portal thing. I'm so glad, so selfishly glad, that I didn't go in after you all, after all. I wanted to, but it would have been really stupid of me--"<br><br>He pauses. "Maaaaybe you met before that and I'm just-- I mean we all go to the same school and I'm really sorry, assumptions, et cetera."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:58|Kazuo Saitou (58)}} has posed:'''<br>"I'm just as glad you didn't have to," Kazuo says aside to Mamoru. It sounds casual and unconcerned, and he leaves it at that. He tilts his head toward Amy in acknowledgment of her nod. "Thank you for taking the time to visit," he says to her. And then aside to Mamoru again: "We met in passing before that. Nothing much." Well, Zoisite trying to set a TV studio on fire, maybe, but that wasn't entirely his fault at the time.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:107|Amy Faust (107)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Morphine? ''Days'' after? "Geeze, it's that bad? Fine, noted. Better that they're not making you suffer in pain, at least." She smiles. "I'm feeling a bit fidgety for sitting right now, but thanks."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She glances to Kazuo, and then back to Mamoru. "Yeah, we've briefly talked a few times." Back to Kazuo. "I remember one time I confused you with that guy who wears his dad's anime T-shirts all the time. I dunno ''how'' I managed that. ''Serious'' brainderp moment. I think that was in the cafeteria with Tomoe-san? Sorry about that, if I said anything weird."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She blinks, and taps her chin. "Or, no, that's not right. I confused you for whoever I talked to at the sleepover? The guy who'd read a bunch of manga. Was it the same guy? Either way. So yeah that's why I said something weird, I think."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:38|Mamoru Chiba (38)}} has posed:'''<br>Mamoru lifts his mitten-ball hand and gestures vaguely in the direction of patting Kazuo with it, but doesn't actually make contact. It probably looks ridiculous.<br><br>"It's that bad," he says ruefully to Amy, looking back from Kazuo to her again. "Friends with heals have been coming by, though, so it's definitely less bad than it was. I'm not looking forward to the intermediate stage between 'actually healed' and 'the doctors switch me to something less potent' but it's better than not regaining the use of my hand and shoulder!"<br><br>Then he glances back and forth between Amy and Kazuo, blinking. "Wait, how could you confuse Kazuo with anyone else? He's the tallest guy in school ''and'' has long white hair?"<br><br>Then he snaps his fingers (poorly) on his left hand and tilts his head, smiling. "Ahhh, unless you'd never met either. Are you thinking of Koji? I think I saw him there when I stuck my head in to drop off cans of coffee." A beat. "I dunno, I was still evil."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:58|Kazuo Saitou (58)}} has posed:'''<br>"Excuses, excuses," Kazuo says to Mamoru's was-still-evil, but between the grin and the sharply bright eyes it's absolutely clear he's not serious. "And careful waving that thing at me, I might mistake it for a volleyball and then we'd all be sorry." ... yep, definitely not serious there either.<br><br>A shrug, after. "One guy looks like another?" he suggests to Mamoru. Then to Amy, "No, seriously, it's easy to get confused if you haven't really met people. Especially if we both have K-names and hang around Mamoru. Don't worry about it."<br><br>He does not volunteer any details on 'that bad.'<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:107|Amy Faust (107)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amy nods at the comment about the intermediate stage, and then looks shocked. "It was ''that bad?!'' Sunbreaker tried to ''maim'' you?!"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amy hangs her head as her own words about Sunbreaker being different from the other villains, and having good in her, echo hollowly in her head.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Wash she... wrong? She's never been a great judge of people, has she.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Kazuo and Mamoru bringsher out of her thoughts and she lifts her head. "Y-yeah, that sounds right. Similar name, and I just, I don't know..." She holds a hand to the side of her face and hunches over slightly. "Look, I said I had a dumb moment, okay?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:38|Mamoru Chiba (38)}} has posed:'''<br>"Hey, hey," says Mamoru, concerned, "yeah, don't worry about it! I'm sorry. We all have dumb moments, believe me. I was trying to impress Usako by reading Prince of Highschool and trying to imitate princely behavior a little after we first met. Talk about dumb. Who knew I was a real prince?"<br><br>He gets this 'lol get it?' look on his face, then relents. "You're ''fine.''"<br><br>He pulls his mitten-hand back away from Kazuo and makes a brief stink-face at him. "I'll volleyball ''you'' in a minute," he says, very clearly fake-mad, then returns his attention to Amy.<br><br>"Anyway-- she's not in control of herself at all. Like, ''at all''. Before she took my empathy away I felt her inside all that, begging for anyone to stop her. But right now, she looks like Sailor Charizard in a lab coat, so be careful, don't talk to her, don't stop, just run if you see her."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:58|Kazuo Saitou (58)}} has posed:'''<br>Kazuo looks unconcerned about the possibility of going flying over a net. Granted, Minako's not in the room. An absent check of phones is done, so that it's not clear whether his frown is over Sunbreaker or just concentration.<br><br>The indelicate startled snort at the phrase 'Sailor Charizard,' however? Probably not at the phones.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:107|Amy Faust (107)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amy chuckles at the thought of pre-all-this Mamoru imitating a prince.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And then things get serious. "She took your ''empathy?'' Oh you mean a magic power. Wait, she took your ''magic?!''"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Beat.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"...Sailor ''Charizard?''"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:38|Mamoru Chiba (38)}} has posed:'''<br>There's a flicker of a smile at Amy's reaction to 'Sailor Charizard', but... "Yeah. She took all my magic. All of it. I can't heal myself. I'm very... cut off, right now. I can't even sense the planet, or tell where people are."<br><br>Silence for a second, and then a little distantly, "Usa is putting together an army. I think Rashmi put a post in the Shed."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:58|Kazuo Saitou (58)}} has posed:'''<br>"That's why the 'don't even try to talk' instructions, if you see her," Kazuo says quietly to Amy. "I don't think any of us want to find out what would happen if she tried doing that to you. So. Army. At least a small one."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:107|Amy Faust (107)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Her eyes go wide at Mamoru. All... that. The second chance, after 14,000 years, gone like that? "I'm so sorry." She puts her hand on his.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And then Kazuo makes her realize another possibility, and she steps back, goosebumps on her arms. Could she be turned into a Witch, just like that?<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She just nods.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:58|Kazuo Saitou (58)}} has posed:'''<br>When Amy moves to put her hand on Mamoru's, Kazuo shifts abruptly - phones into left hand, stacked, reaching out with the right to hold it flat above Mamoru's, below Amy's. "Burns," he says. "Even the one that's not hurt, the arm is, and contact will stress them. Sorry."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:38|Mamoru Chiba (38)}} has posed:'''<br>"Th--" Mamoru starts to say, and then Kazuo goes into instant bodyguard mode with a swiftness that's truly dizzying. His hand's untouched underneath Kazuo's, the skin on that arm pink and peeling until it gets to his bicep, his shoulder, where it's cocooned in bandages.<br><br>"Thanks, Amy-chan," he says softly. "Burns, and also-- what Kazuo's also not saying, because he's trying to protect me this way, too-- I can't feel anyone, or anything. By touch. Not like I'm using psychic shields to keep things separate. But like there's nothing there. Usako's wearing gloves to touch me just so it's not-- so--"<br><br>Upsetting. "Not so bad. I appreciate it very much, though."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:107|Amy Faust (107)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amy cocks her head to one side and blinks. He can't feel? He's numb?<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Oh.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;''Oh.''<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;What would it be like to be a Newtype, all your life, and then lose that power? Like going blind or deaf or something. She nods. "I'm sorry. I didn't think about that. Good catch, Saitou-san."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She looks to Kazuo and then back to Mamoru. It isn't hard to guess the question on her mind:<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;''Will it come back?''<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It might not. It might be they don't know. Either way, bringing it up more might be... painful for Mamoru, so she won't. All she could offer is empty platitudes, whether outright lies -- 'I'm sure it'll come back!' -- or words true, obvious, and also which she will hopefully never feel the weight of herself: 'You'll learn to live without it, eventually.'<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;".............I'm... sorry." She finally says, awkwardly.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"H-how long... do the doctors think, until you're discharged?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:38|Mamoru Chiba (38)}} has posed:'''<br>And still the impulse, unheeded, is to turn his hand over and take Kazuo's-- but Mamoru's hand doesn't even twitch.<br><br>"It's not a problem," Mamoru says to Amy, small smile still there.<br><br>It's not hard to guess that question, even without any psychic powers -- and then her slow, eventual, awkward apology, and Mamoru wishes Usagi were here to hug Amy tight.<br><br>"They don't know, estimates keep revising because I keep doing better than they expected." Then he smiles bigger, more crookedly. "People keep coming in and using healing on me. It's nice."<br><br>Then he lifts his head and resettles it, but it's while he's saying, "The real answer is, as soon as you all get together and stop Sunbreaker, and Sailor Moon makes her give my powers back, and I can heal myself out of here."<br><br>If stopping Sunbreaker makes them come back. If Sunbreaker can be stopped.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:58|Kazuo Saitou (58)}} has posed:'''<br>Kazuo rests his hand on the sheets on the edge of the bed for a moment, position calculated not to tug at burns, and then takes it back altogether. "How many of them have you recruited for your MSF chapter?" he asks Mamoru, half-teasing, but only half. He tilts his head to Amy, then, studying her awkwardness carefully for a moment. Evaluating it, but palpably not judging; only thoughtful.<br><br>Hopefully 'not judging' is more common in her life these days than it used to be, but Kazuo has no way to guess.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:107|Amy Faust (107)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Some small part of her brain thinks, ''It's not ''that'' bad, not being able to tell how people feel, welcome to autism!'' And she tells that part of her brain to ''shut up''. ''If ''I'd'' gotten that power and then lost it, before meeting my friends here... I'd be bawling my eyes out. ...Oh, shit. He's probably keeping a brave face on in front of others. Well, that's for him to talk about with closer friends.''<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;His words, the news he's being healed, pulls her out of her thoughts. Amy smiles back. "I know, I meant as an upper bound."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And then: "She can give them ''back?!'' Oh thank ''goodness. Phew!''" Amy sighs in relief, holding a hand to her chest and relaxing her stance.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"...What's MSF?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:38|Mamoru Chiba (38)}} has posed:'''<br>"None yet, though I did ask Cure Suzhen if I could send people her way," Mamoru tells Kazuo, taking a breath, then half-laughing a little chuff of air.<br><br>Mamoru regards Amy for a moment with his eyebrows up. "If it works that way. It probably does. Rashmi did scans and she said it's like my power regeneration is being redirected. Which... I mean..." He lifts his uninjured arm with its mitten-club and waves it vaguely again. "Okay? Good, that means it can be redirected ''back'' somehow, but-- they're going to have to ''make'' her."<br><br>He laughs and it doesn't sound great. "Sorry. Here you are relieved and my first instinct is to make you feel as scared as I do again. That's so rude of me. You're being a good friend, thank you."<br><br>Hand lifting again, Mamoru... does not scrub at his face, he just lowers it again uselessly. "It's Medecins Sans Frontieres, an international medical organization that's purely neutral, they'll treat anybody on any side, basically. Given I've personally healed Sunbreaker herself..."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:58|Kazuo Saitou (58)}} has posed:'''<br>"There's nothing wrong with a little productive fear," Kazuo says, stretching in his slightly distressing seat. "It's how we keep an eye on risk levels, and make accurate judgments about what risk we're taking for what reward." ... he probably shouldn't sound quite so amused by the idea, but very few people have claimed he's a role model, and the technical term for the rest might be 'deluded.' "Besides, failing making her redirect, there's figuring out how to disassemble the shunt. But that's trickier. Making her is better for everyone involved, including her; this doesn't sound like it's any good for her psyche at all, on ''any'' level."<br><br>Apparently he is on Team Kick Sunbreaker In The Face For Her Own Well-Being. This probably shouldn't come up often enough to get a formal team, but ... it's Sunbreaker. She comes close to invoking it weekly.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:107|Amy Faust (107)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;''Mahou... Shoujo... Fantasy? ...Foundation?''<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"She can scan that? So, there's a connection she can be traced through... and maybe affected through..." Amy strokes her chin in thought. And then if anything, she looks surprised at the apology.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ahhh, Medicines Sans Frontiers. That makes sense. Amy nods. "Yeah. Everyone needs help."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"...And you don't need to be sorry, you're... You're telling the truth, because..."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; She thinks of how to word this. "Because... you don't want me to be hurt when I find out what I was told doesn't match reality. ''You're'' a good friend. Thank you. I much prefer honesty and forthrightness. That's why I told you what your power does to people, even though it was awkward and embarassing to admit. Your not knowing might have led to someone getting hurt."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I know ignoring that and letting people get hurt is a social norm, but I really don't understand it. So I'm glad." She smiles.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And then takes a breath and turna to Kazuo, one hand balled against her hips. "What even ''happened'' to her? She seemed really happy to have friends here, now she's... hurting people like ''this''?" She waves a hand at Mamoru. "It doesn't make sense! Even for her plan of apotheosis, she had a good thing goin' with the Eclipse Zones, all she has to do is wait and collect power and she figured out how to do it with minimal disruption to peoples' lives, even if it's still kinda hurting them a little. Now she's doing ''this?! Why?!"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:38|Mamoru Chiba (38)}} has posed:'''<br>"Rashmi made me think what if a magic faraday cage," Mamoru tells Kazuo, "as far as disassembling the shunt goes. If that's what you mean."<br><br>He lifts his head and resettles it again, closing his eyes and ''breathing'', breathing; he listens to Amy, and he gives her a ghost of a smile and opens his eyes again when she says he's a good friend. "I'll keep that in mind," he says, "no platitudes for Amy Faust."<br><br>Then he watches as she goes on to ask Kazuo what the hell, and he takes the opportunity to tune out a little bit, work on breathing, work on having enough energy to keep visiting, work on forcibly dissociating because the pain keeps reminding him he can't hold Kazuo's hand and he just wants to hold Kazuo's hand, wants to reach over and--<br><br>He puts a smile on again, this time it's apologetic. "Feel free to keep talking but I'm checking out. I'm sorry I can't concentrate anymore."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:58|Kazuo Saitou (58)}} has posed:'''<br>Kazuo actually sits up straight - starts rearranging his limbs even before Mamoru admits he's checking out. His hand goes over to rest on the sheets again, not on Mamoru directly, but a little indirect pressure on safe areas.<br><br>"Why are you assuming that she did this on purpose?" he asks.<br><br>That's left just a moment for her to process; the moment her expression starts changing, if it does, he continues. "Dark energy has psychological effects on the people who use it. Frequently, those effects mess with that risk-reward calculation. Maybe the user decides they can stand a ''little'' more risk. Maybe they decide they can try something ''just a little'' outside their usual area of study. Maybe they can be a ''little'' distracted. And then a little more. And then a little more than that.<br><br>"Sooner or later, they make ''mistakes.'' They push too hard. Maybe they burn out parts of themselves, and turn into someone worse - but Mamoru says that's not the case for Sunbreaker, or at least not yet. Maybe they try something they ''thought'' would work, but it doesn't do the thing they thought it would; it does something else instead. Maybe they take in just a little too much, and get caught in an unexpected snowball effect. Maybe all kinds of things, and frequently three or four of them at once."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:107|Amy Faust (107)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;'No platitudes for Amy Faust' actually did make a wide smile creep onto her face! He got it! Someone understood!<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;When he says he's checking out, she glances back at him, and nods, "That's fine. You've... you managed to be this coherent despite everything, that must've been tough. Rest." She starts to move a hand to touch him, then remembers and pulls her hand back before Kazuo even has to stop her.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;''Will he even remember what he said later? Well, now's not the time to give him any additional stress.''<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Back to the subject of Sunbreaker. "Uhh... you think she got whammied? Err... Mind controlled, or turned Actually Evil? But how? Or by who?"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Dark energy corrupts. Amy nods. "Ah yes, I see. It's like the thought experiment about the pills that let you do something great, but change your ethics by 1% each time. I didn't think that would actually map to anything in the real world..."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Hmm." Amy taps her chin. "I don't suppose it's as simple as purifying her of the dark energy?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:38|Mamoru Chiba (38)}} has posed:'''<br>Checking out -- and then, to the sound of Kazuo's voice -- drifting away. He's not asleep, but Mamoru's looking out the window, eyes unfocused behind his glasses, half-lidded. Some people are comforted by the television being on, and some people are comforted by animated in-person conversation going on right nearby.<br><br>Maybe it's because it's not a fight he can participate in, but it's good to hear explanations and ideas, even if he's not really processing them right now.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:58|Kazuo Saitou (58)}} has posed:'''<br>Kazuo turns the phone-holding hand over, on the subject of the whammy. "Maybe mind controlled. That would explain the struggle. But struggling against her worse nature is another potential. Some people ... are determined to do something a particular way, no matter what the cost is. Sometimes they realize too late that it wasn't worth what they paid; that they should've let go of their pride, or their anger, or whatever else was driving them. Sometimes they realize it while it's still happening, but don't know how to pull out; they hate themselves for what they're doing, but they're still doing it. I don't have direct access to Sunbreaker, so I can't guess whether any of those are the case, but there are a hundred possibilities that match what Mamoru reports.<br><br>"The problem with purifying someone of the dark energy is that it isn't simple ''in itself.'' She absorbed Mamoru's powers. She might be able to absorb a purifier's - what ''that'' would do is anyone's guess, and not one I'm keen on experimenting with personally. She might be too strong for the purification to work - able to bring more dark energy to bear than can be countered. That's one of the reasons that purification tends to happen after a fight's run for a bit; wear down the available resources and the user's ability to channel them. Her ''willpower'' might be too strong for purification to work well, too. When you're dealing with a person - taking out the corrupting energy only sometimes does the trick. And with the stolen powers ... if she keeps those, and is still running down the path she's on, then removing the dark energy proper could still leave her with quite a few tricks. I presume the tricks are plural, because ... Sailor Charizard. I don't remember her having scales before.<br><br>"None of that's reason not to ''try.'' But we're going to have to figure out how to make everything count most. Do you happen to know what she was after? What she was collecting power ''for''?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:107|Amy Faust (107)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amy's eyes widen Kazuo's thoughtful explanation of people going down paths of regret. "And you're a 12th-grader? Geeze, that was wiser and better-said than I've ever heard..."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She listens, brow furrowing. Muttering under her breath, 'She has scales now?'<br><br>&gt; Do you happen to know what she was after? What she was collecting power ''for''?<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amy looks surprised to hear... "You don't know? ...I guess maybe you didn't fight her much. It ''did'' take a lot of asking before she finally told me, come to think of it."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Did... did trying to talk to Sunbreaker all those times actually make something happen that wouldn't have otherwise? Was there a point to trying to get through to her after all?<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Apotheosis." Amy states, flatly, matter-of-factly. "She's going to ascend into some much more powerful form, so that she can return home -- and, presumably, have a fighting chance against whatever or whoever was powerful enough to banish her in the first place."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Her eyes widen. "Oh fuck. She ''did'' it?! If she's so much more powerful now... but then why hasn't she ''left'' yet???"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:38|Mamoru Chiba (38)}} has posed:'''<br>Mamoru's voice comes very airily back; he probably started paying attention when Amy said 'oh fuck' because you know, who doesn't.<br><br>"Gacha pulls."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:58|Kazuo Saitou (58)}} has posed:'''<br>Kazuo shrugs his non-Mamoru-side shoulder, expression turning rueful for a moment. "It's easier to put into the right words when you've made that kind of bad decision yourself." As distinct from easier to talk about it. Amy saw his echo fighting beside Beryl on the Moon, though. So it's not as if that's necessarily news to her. "And we had to pull some friends back from it last year. They're doing all right now."<br><br>Her surprise brings a tilt of his head, an alert look. "Three possibilities come to mind," he says. "No guarantee any of them are ''right,'' but. One. She's more powerful, but not powerful enough to cross over. Two. She's more powerful, but has gotten addicted to ''becoming'' more powerful. And three --" His eyes gleam for a moment silver-bright. "Gacha pulls. She's more powerful, but she's not sure she's powerful ''enough.'' So why not go collecting more while they're right here?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:107|Amy Faust (107)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amy sucks air through her teeth as Kazuo admitting he'd made such mistakes himself calls up exactly that mental image. Too late she realizes it would've been more tactful not to react. She nods at the comment about pulling friends back to it.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She listens thoughtfully to the enumeration of possibilities, glancing back to Mamoru briefly at the interjection.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But... "Yeah. Yeah," she nods, "You're right, that makes sense. She's smart, or at least, a certain kind of smart. The kind of smart that knows if you get every +1 you can, your odds of success will be higher. She's only got one chance at this event; she's gotta get max level, max limit break, and gather every 5-star ability she can equip before she faces it."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She can't help smiling a little bit at running with the metaphor.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amy folds her arms and closes her eyes in thought. "So if I'm Sunbreaker... the most powerful things I know of are... ''shit'', I ''have'' defeated her a bunch of times. I might be in danger. I forget who else has regularly, though..."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She opens her eyes. "But the most powerful person we know of is ''Beryl'', right? Wouldn't it make sense to get some of her power? If she believes she's strong enough..." Amy snaps her finger. "Ooh, and that Phantom Cure Hunter guy! I dunno how he's so strong, but he ''is''."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amy taps her chin. "...D'you think we should try to call some of the bad guys and work something out? Although, I wouldn't exactly wanna have to hang around Phantom... although, maybe it'd be an opportunity to teach him to be better..."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amy takes a breath, taps her elbow, and resumes thinking. "Madoka-san's pretty strong too. Two very strong power sets ''and'' bonus ones that might be situationally useful? Seems like a pretty high-value steal for the price of one. Sayaka-san's ability to call forth a uh, ''familiar'', too. Sailor Moon, if Hinoiri thinks she can figure out how to unleash the power she did last year on command. Pluto's immortality if she knows about it and thinks she can beat someone who's been around that long. ''Gotta'' have immortality if you're ascending to godhood, right? Although that might be a reason ''not'' to target any Puella Magi, considering the price attached to ours..."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amy taps her elbow some more and furrows her brow. "Shit, she's ''really'' smart, and comes from a world where magic is real. She may have already figured out someone is messing with time. ''That'd'' be a god-tier power to go after, if she can figure out who it is, or who ''they'' are." Amy opens her eyes. "Plus that's just covering your bases. Gotta make sure no one can undo your victory, right?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:58|Kazuo Saitou (58)}} has posed:'''<br>"I think we should absolutely not call some of the bad guys and work something out," Kazuo replies, matter-of-fact. "I don't know this Phantom, but if he's a Cure Hunter, then he'd presumably use the opportunity of the fight to pursue his ''primary'' goals, not ours. To take out some of his targets while they're preoccupied. And Beryl... forgive my bluntness. Beryl would not ''care'' about Sunbreaker having power. Unless it was so that ''Beryl'' could steal it. Let's not take that chance."<br><br>He considers Amy's thoughts about other possible targets more carefully, nodding slightly - frowning for a moment at the 'price attached to ours' comment, but not interrupting, and not asking.<br><br>"Here's a thought about her target selection. Can we tell who she's already gone after - besides Mamoru, who she didn't target directly, but took as a target of opportunity when he tried to defend another of her targets? ''Is'' she choosing them strategically, or is her mind in too much disarray and internal conflict to do more than swipe at what appears in her vicinity, or is she using some other set of priorities?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:107|Amy Faust (107)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amy nods at the assessment. And blinks at pointing out what she accidentally implied. "Oh yeah no ''not'' Beryl. Maybe some of the others would be concerned about Hinoiri going after their powers, though."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amy blinks. "She didn't take his to deny us healing? Who did he stop her from going after, then? I haven't heard of her attacking anyone else yet... But I'd better check with nurse Meiou if anyone's gotten magical fire injuries lately..." She pulls out her phone to fire off a text.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:58|Kazuo Saitou (58)}} has posed:'''<br>"I don't know her name; I don't know if she goes to the school. We brought her here at the same time we brought Mamoru, but without her information, it was harder to follow when she was admitted. She wasn't nearly as badly hurt, at least. So if she ''does'' go to the school, she might be back, and the nurse might have heard." Kazuo puts the two phones down somewhat haphazardly in his lap, and runs a hand through a length of his hair. "In the mean time ... asking the nurse really is a good plan. I hope she doesn't report anything useful, if only because it'll mean nobody else got hit, but ... that's the best ''chance'' for something useful."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:107|Amy Faust (107)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amy's phone buzzes with a reply. "Whoever it was didn't go to Nurse Meiou. She says Mitakihara has the best burn ward in the city, so anyone who makes it to emergency services will probably get brought here." She looks around. "I guess with people visiting Mamoru-san, that might make it a little easier to notice anyone else coming in..."<br> <br>
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