View source for 2000/Casual Friday & Sailor Eclipse Strike! Love Gone Wild

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2024/10/13
|Location=Minato City, Tokyo
|Synopsis=Mamoru received horrible news about his apartment prospects - and now, Sailor Eclipse and Casual Friday are being buearoacy's worst nightmare. Good thing Ladybug, Rashmi, Pulp Noir, Bow, Sailor Jupiter, and Puella Amy are on the scene! And of course... ''behind'' the scene, is where Kazuo is using the power of ''lawyers'' to get the job done. Sailor Eclipse was just a liiiiittle too successful though, and now Usagi Tsukino ''really'' needs to find the one and only Miraculous Ladybug.
|Cast of Characters=156,43,38,58,41,107,154,226,82,45
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:156|Hawkmoth (156)}} has posed:'''<br>Another afternoon, another hunt for a suitable target for an akuma. Hawkmoth stood in his lair, surrounded by dancing butterflies, and felt for his targets. The Butterfly Miraculous' passive ability to sense emotion was one of it's most useful features, though he rarely made use of it outside of his true work. <br><br>Still, for the moment, he could sense every frustration, every annoyance, every burst of rage and despair that was felt by the citizens of Tokyo - from the anguish of a dropped phone to the frustration of the parent trying to console their newborn, to the infuriated disappointment of - <br><br>Oh, now ''that'' was interesting. Not only could he sense ''two'' minds united in fury and disappointment, but one of them was ''familiar'' to him. A girl who had been terrorized by her classmates, and who had used the power he granted her to go on a wild spree throughout the city. She'd been one of his more successful ventures, if only for the fact that she'd escaped from the dratted Mahou multiple times before they finally managed to subdue her. <br><br>And that meant the boy beside her was... ah, yes, her boyfriend. The one she'd kidnapped for her whirlwind adventure, hm. And ''he'' was as emotional as she was - even moreso, actually, his distraught and furious emotions revealing that this little setback had managed to drive a spike to some core emotional wound. <br><br>How useful. Ah, real estate. What a magnificent source of emotional derangement. <br><br>"Fly, my akuma. Transform them both - it would be wasteful to leave one half of such a perfect pair behind." <br><br>At his command, not one, but two of the white butterflies come to his hand, soaking in the dark power of the corrupted Butterfly Miraculous. Once sufficiently saturated, their wings and bodies a deep purple, they fly freely through the great round window at his lair.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:43|Tsuki no Mitsubachi (43)}} has posed:'''<br>Meanwhile, in a city official's office in Minato City, Tokyo, Usagi Tsukino is waving a thick letter in impotent fury. She's standing with Mamoru Chiba and Kazuo Saito, the two boys letting her take the lead for the moment. "What do you ''mean'' Mamochan can't continue the work? He's already bought the building! He's had people working on it for weeks!" <br><br>"Control yourself, Tsukino-san," said official sniffs irritably. "There's no need to make such a scene. It's exactly as I said, and I ''will'' be raising doubts as to the legality of that sale -" <br><br>"WHAT?!" <br><br>" - because as a minor, trust or not, ''wealth'' or not, Chiba-san is in no way responsible enough for building ownership." The words carry on, as though Usagi hadn't interrupted at all. "Our city of Tokyo is suffering through a housing shortfall as it is, with the millions who flood in for work and continue to flood in. Allowing a ''teenager'' to be a landlord, whoever signed off on this was clearly unwell at the time. This project will not be carrying on." <br><br>Usagi's hands balled into fists, her jaw clenched shut. She glared at the man on the other side of the desk, the fierce expression on her face contradicted by orange turtleneck with yellow flower embroidery and blue jeans she wore. <br><br>The building isn't far from Radiant Heart Academy - there are many students who head through this area on their way home, if they're local, or who shop around here. So there's every chance that those magically aware will notice the pair of glittering black-purple butterflies that are headed right for the city building. There's nothing anyone can do, though - the pair of akuma are swift and homing in on their targets. They fly right through the doors as an employee exits, fly up the stairs, and land on the copies of the infuriating letter both Usagi and Mamoru are waving. Immediately after, a frisson of energy surrounds their faces, purple butterfly wings to symbolize Hawkmoth's power. His voice speaks to them, mind to mind. <br><br>"Casual Friday! Sailor Eclipse! This low-level beauracrat is standing in the way of your dreams! Are you going to allow that? I, Hawkmoth, grant you the power to toss aside this red-tape and get right to the point. And all you have to do is get me Ladybug and Chat Noir's Miraculous. What do you say?" <br><br>She was going to regret this, later, but for now? <br><br>"I'm in."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:38|Mamoru Chiba (38)}} has posed:'''<br>"This project WILL be carrying on," Mamoru says in a low, dangerous voice. Not dangerous as in a physical threat, but dangerous as in 'you're probably going to get fired for this'-- he draws himself up regally and then says in a gradually raising voice, "I have adult OVERSIGHT!"<br><br>He should have worn one of his Obsidian suits. He should have. They make him look professional, rich, and meticulously correct. But he was too mad, they came here directly from school after painting and rollerskating and playing with interior design magazines in the new apartment for most of the day. He's in a band shirt with black paint-on jeans and a button-down over the band-shirt, and his glasses are smudged, so he takes them off, and his eyes are crystal dark blue and exuding Nope Sorry Better Than You.<br>He's just-- he's just too angry to lean on more than the face, yelling won't get him what he wants, he doesn't want to yell, oh he wants to yell--<br><br>--'not responsible enough for building ownership'. As if he weren't running several successful sub-companies under Beryl Holdings last year?? And the year before that? But that's all under a different name...<br><br>"I hope you enjoyed having a career track," he finally says, letter still in a fist at his side. "And maybe think about rent control if you want there to be enough housing-- I've certainly been thinking about it."<br><br>Letter in a shaking fist, face pale, and then a butterfly sinks into that letter and there's that frisson of energy, and Mamoru thinks about it for literally two seconds before pursing his lips and nodding once, firmly. "Sure."<br><br>He knows they're not gonna get the miraculous. He knows Usagi had a great time last time and everyone was fine afterwards. He knows he wants to pin this guy to the wall with roses and he knows he can't, otherwise-- so sure. Sure. Why ''not''.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:58|Kazuo Saitou (58)}} has posed:'''<br>Kazuo is presumably not the adult oversight. He's loitering in the background, for the most part, with the cellphone he used to take a picture of that letter idly in his hand. Usagi and Mamoru are doing the yelling; that's their job. He is doing the thinking. And drawing a breath to say something that probably translates to 'Chiba-san, threatening the officials is unhelpful' -<br><br>And then there is a butterfly.<br><br>Gray eyes close. This is not good.<br><br>He does not transform. He does not step forward. He just hits a speed-dial number on his phone.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:41|Rashmi Terios (41)}} has posed:'''<br>The sun is shining.<br> <br>Birds are singing.<br> <br>On days like today, Rashmi...<br> <br>...Has half a dozen projects in the works and oh god Sundays are closed forever no more Sunday it does not exist within the boundaries of time and space.<br> <br>But the new Purge spell is nearly ready for simulators, design proceeds apace on the Mahounet broadcast station, other concerns are on the back burner, and the weekend homework is *done.*<br> <br>To celebrate, Rashmi took a book and herself off Academy grounds. Street kabayaki and bubble tea acquired, she found a random bench by a bus stop, plonked down, and dived back into the pages of one of her favorite light-novel series.<br> <br>...And looked up, just in time to watch a butterfly flit past.<br> <br>...Wait, was it *glowing?*<br> <br>...<br> <br>.....<br> <br>.......<br> <br>.....<br> <br>...Nuts.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:107|Amy Faust (107)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amy is also not the adult oversight!<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She is kind of concerned about the traces left of her old identity vanishing ''completely'' if she does anything visible enough with it, and also, being physically present at any facade and trying to convince people she's that person sounds like an ''especially'' ridiculous hijink that no one could ever pull off. She'd absolutely read a manga with that premise though.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She has, however, found herself walking along her old route to the apartment and decided that taking a walk and reminiscing over the day she became a magical girl is fine, hey maybe Mami will be up for tea or something she lives nearby.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Decidedly less fine is the dark butterfly flying overhead.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;''Two'' dark butterflies flying overhead.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Dammit.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She gives chase, briefly ducking into an alley and transforming along the way, and tries not to think about Samurai Pizza Cats episodes that didn't air in the US.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Instead she should be focusing on ''what is it this time.'' The last two were a scorned lover and an abandoned child... is there any sort of pattern???<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:154|Marinette (154)}} has posed:'''<br>Sometimes you wonder where people are when situations happen. Sometimes you don't want to know, and honestly Marinette doesn't want anyone to ask. She's cleaning up the mess she'd made, broom in hand, and bowing to the nice lady that she'd involved in her situation, when she saw Rashmi go past.<br><br>A wave, she's fairly certain that the girl didn't even see her, but there's manners involved. Also, she's nice. <br><br>Rashmi is. <br><br>Shut up, I'm narrating here.. "Well, got to go start my homework," she says to nobody. She is not caught up, not at all.<br><br>Anyone else who might pass would also draw her attention, as she tilts her head. People gathering tends to lead to a reason for it, especially around here.<br><br>Sigh. "Oh please don't, not today."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:226|Bow (226)}} has posed:'''<br>Bow rests on the edge of a rooftop, his feet dangling over the side as the autumn sun bathes him in a comforting warmth. He takes a moment to breathe it in, the stillness contrasting with the steady rhythm of the city below. His leather-bound notebook lies open in his lap, filled with quick sketches and notes about the gear he's been rebuilding---small victories marking his progress. As he scratches down the next step, something catches his eye.<br><br>A pair of butterflies, their wings catching the light, drift lazily by, leaving behind faint trails of energy that shimmer in the air. Bow's brow furrows, curiosity piqued. He watches them dance in the breeze, momentarily forgetting his work. And he realizes that they are probably ''trouble''.<br><br>With a quiet sigh, he closes the notebook and tucks it away. Rising smoothly to his feet, he slips his earpiece in, the familiar hum of connection grounding him as he prepares to move. His gaze follows the fluttering insects, their energy trails almost whispering to him. Without hesitation, Bow pushes off the ledge and leaps to the next rooftop, his movements fluid and instinctive as he begins to follow the butterflies, rooftop to rooftop, driven by the silent pull of something unknown.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:82|Hinote Kagari (82)}} has posed:'''<br>Hinote Kagari was walking along the road thinking about things. About his family, and about this girl he met recently. He'd decided one thing.<br><br>"I'm not fighting her dad." he says to no one in particular as he speaks to himself. Tracy, the detective chara with Hinote, floating next to his head, looks at Hinote. "You need my help next time." he says.<br><br>"Yeah cuz calling her a bunch of outdated pet names would really help." he says dryly. He looks up ahead. Oh. It's Rashmi. Maybe she has ideas. He's about to catch up when Tracy stops Hinote and says. "Hinote I feel something very bad!" he says as he looks over to the butterflies flying past.<br><br>"Oh geeze, these things again?" he asks as he starts taking off after THOSE instead, with Tracy in tow<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:43|Tsuki no Mitsubachi (43)}} has posed:'''<br>Poor Kazuo. He might not be the adult oversight, but in most situations, he's plenty adult enough to count. <br><br>Not today though. <br><br>In an instant, darkness spreads over Usagi Tsukino, transforming her from a cheerful girl with bright (though very angry) eyes to a monochrome vision. Her long blond hair becomes an ear-length, curly bob tucked under a white sailor's cap, as her outfit becomes a much more recognizable sailor's outfit than her actual henshin. Her skin pales, taking on the odd shade of a black and white photo, and her pretty face fixes into a scowl. The black paper where the akuma now rests is folded carefully and tucked into the pocket of her pants. <br><br>The official in his chair is regretting all of his choices, now. <br><br>"What on Earth = who are you -" <br><br>"Nope," Sailor Eclipse says cheerfully, a bright, vicious smile slashing across her face. "You don't get to ask questions now! You could have asked questions before you sent that mean letter!" <br><br>The official's door opens, a secretary stepping in with papers in his hand, and Sailor Eclipse is simply gone - teleported behind him and her hand clamps onto his shoulder and poof! There's a stuffed teddy bear where there was a man. Papers fly into the air where the startled man tossed them. Her smile widens. <br><br>"I honestly forgot how much fun that is. I'm going to do it a ''lot''. Don't kill him, Fri-kun~" <br><br>Of course she's got a nickname for her boyfriend's akuma form. Of course she does. <br><br>A few moments later, the door of the unassuming city building bursts open as officials, staff, and visitors pour out in a panic. Trailing them is Sailor Eclipse, who dances out clutching a handful of stuffed animals to her chest. <br><br>"Aw, come on now everyone! You know we're going to have a ''great'' time of fun and games! No more rules! No more pushing your weight around! Just fun and games and ''GIVING MY BOYFRIEND HIS BUILDING!''" <br><br>Following after her are an assortment of shuffling toys - baby dolls and trains and transforming robot action figures and of course, plenty of stuffed animals, all moving slightly slower than the average toddler. <br><br>"GET THEM, MY PRETTIES! AND ALL THEIR PAPERWORK TOO!" And she honest to god cackles.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:38|Mamoru Chiba (38)}} has posed:'''<br>And right next to the monochrome transformation, there's another one -- Mamoru, from wearing pretty much only black and white, comes out the other side of the dark transformation wearing a bright seafoam green Hawaiian shirt with big white flowers all over it, salmon-pink knee-length board shorts, socks with sandals, the most ridiculous 80s-designer sunglasses, and a souvenir Sea World captain's hat.<br><br>He's grinning toothily now, something mean about it, and he lifts a hand toward the desk. His other hand tucks his own folded up letter into the breast pocket of his shirt, and then takes the sunglasses partly off to look over them.<br><br>"I would never, Clips-chan-- ooh that needs some workshopping--" he says as he closes the hand that's pointed toward the desk, and every piece of paper on thar desk separates and folds up in midair into a paper airplane.<br><br>They start whizzing around the room, skipping over Kazuo and embedding themselves into the walls, greeting the papers that the secretary threw in the air and making them fold too, and then about ten of them fly straight at the minor official.<br><br>They pin him to the wall. "After all, he's just some idiot, it's not like he's a youma or something~" says Casual Friday cheerfully. "Oh this is fantastic. You ''told'' me how much fun this was~~"<br><br>And he pours out of the door after Sailor Eclipse and the army of toys, conducting air traffic like a symphony, reams of sharp paper coming out of windows-- tapping against them before exploding out of them, and there are enough of them that some of the wide-wing ones can catch the falling glass before it hits the sidewalk below.<br><br>"Who CARES if we want to make a ball pit in the walk-through closet? Who ''cares'' if half the basement should definitely be used as a skating rink? I've done SO. MUCH. PAPERWORK. for the last THREE YEARS. NO MORE PAPERWORK. Not ever! For anybody!" cackles Casual Friday.<br><br>He calls back over his shoulder, "Saitou-kun~ Can you tell everyone we need Cat Noir and Ladybug to come give us their Miraculous?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:107|Amy Faust (107)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amy sees the butterflies go over a building and out of sight, and when she rounds a corner--<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Sailor Eclipse and her horde of toys are attacking shouting about giving a boyfriend to Chiba-san. ''What.''<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Hey um..." Amy stumbles to a stop as she approaches. "U... Sailor Eclipse, what is it you want this time? Can we like, fix your problem and then you'll go back, pretty-please?"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Also, the toys appear to be, albeit cutely and ineffectively, ''menacing'' the fleeing people? Amy slumps her shoulders. "''Oh no,'' don't tell me you're using ''mind control'' this time? Unless those are all people who wanted this and you're helping them get revenge on the people they're chasing, that would be kinda based."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amy is a bit scared of what might happen if she ever gets akumatized.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She's so focused on Sailor Eclipse she doesn't immediately recognize the guy dressed like a confused tourist... but when she sees them working together there's only one person he can be, and is that paperwork turning into a SWARM OF PAPER AIRPLANES.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;''"You're a PAPER MASTER now?!"'' she exclaims, staring in shock. Then she tries persuasion, "Listen, listen, how about instead of fighting us, you GOTTA try making a giant paper airplane and go flying around in it till this wears off, doesn't that sound like fun? I got to try that sort of thing a little when I was a doll, it was pretty cool..."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The nervousness in her voice of trying to deceive someone away from achieving their present goal is obvious.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:41|Rashmi Terios (41)}} has posed:'''<br>Her attention pulled away from the butterfly by a wave of a familiar hand, Rashmi beams at Marinette. "Hiii, Marinette-chan! How're y--"<br> <br>And the doors to the office building fly open, and Sailor Eclipse and Casual Friday appear on the stage.<br> <br>For a moment, Rashmi freezes, looking from Marinette to the couple, and back again, just in time to see Hinote hurrying past.<br> <br>Then she just... heaves a heavy sigh, sets down book and tea, and *launches* for the nearest alleyway, eating skewered eel at a speed that is probably neither healthy nor advisable at a run.<br> <br>The moment she breaks line of sight, there's a flash of golden light, and a call of<br> <br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span style="color:#ffff5f">&lt;&lt; *BONG!* &gt;&gt;</span> <span style="color:#ffffff">&lt;&lt;</span> <span style="color:#ffff5f">FLIER FIN</span> <span style="color:#ffffff">&gt;&gt;</span><br> <br>and out from the alley -- still scrubbing eel sauce off her cheek -- the Page Mage flits to a halt a couple dozen meters above the street, armored book hovering just above one hand.<br> <br>...Well this is a few long jumps beyond bad... "Nicomachea," she murmurs, "locate and tag friendlies. Give me a communication net the moment they all show up. If that's who it looks like, we are *gonna need* coordination."<br> <br>Rashmi has seen Usagi in action. She has *fought* evil Mamoru. Neither one alone was what one would call a trivial encounter, and if the *both* of them are splashing around in Dark puddles, even temporarily--<br> <br>--Wait, Cat Noir? Ladybug?<br> <br>...Yup, gotta contain this now. If neither of them are on the scene, they'll know where to be.<br> <br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span style="color:#ffff5f">&lt;&lt; *BONG!* &gt;&gt;</span> <span style="color:#ffffff">&lt;&lt;</span> <span style="color:#ffff5f">TIME-SPACE BARRIER</span> <span style="color:#ffffff">&gt;&gt;</span><br> <br>And just to be sure, the ball of green-black static spreads out, and out, and out, phasing away the civilians for a good city block in every direction. Those who know Barriers will know this to be a fairly big one. Those who know Devicers will know that a big Barrier means a Big Fight.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:58|Kazuo Saitou (58)}} has posed:'''<br>Awww, the airplanes are swooping over him! That's sweet. Kazuo stays in place, rather than risk getting in the way of anything sharp, and leans a shoulder against the wall, keeping an eye on the pinned official to make sure that he's not wounded by flying window-shards. "I think you're doing a good enough job of that yourself!" he calls after ... what the hell is Mamoru ''wearing.'' His eyes. Everyone else's eyes. Sigh.<br><br>And then, to the phone, he says, "Thank you for taking my call. My name is Kazuo Saitou, with Mamoru Chiba. I would like to speak to someone about a minor paperwork problem of his." Because the paperwork problem has apparently just become the minor part of the day.<br><br>And then he draws in a breath, and lets it out very slowly, and says, tone still polite, "Yes, I will hold."<br><br>And hope that the barrier he sees spreading leaves him on a side that has reception.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:82|Hinote Kagari (82)}} has posed:'''<br>Hinote Kagari looks over to Tracy and the two escape into an alleyway momentarily.<br><br>"My Own Heart: Unlock!" goes Hinote as Tracy enters his egg and the two merge to form... Pulp Noir. The first thing he does is assess the situation. How to get into the buil--oh. Oh the problem is now outside.<br><br>With an army of toys. And paper airplanes. Oh, there's two of them this time. That's going to be a problem.<br><br>He draws a hand into his coat to draw out...<br><br>A Water Pistol. Not his usual water pistol. It's a bright, neon green-slightly translucent one obviously filled with water. He draws it at Casual Friday and fires.<br><br>Squirt. Normal water. Not a firehose jet.<br><br>"That's the one warning shot." he says.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:226|Bow (226)}} has posed:'''<br>Carnival-like chaos sweeps through the streets, a mishmash of color, noise, and reckless abandon. From above, a voice calls out, cutting through the din: "This is not how you get the city commission to hear your side of the story!" Staning on the edge of the rooftop, Bow has a blunted arrow in hand. <br><br>He groans inwardly. ''Really? The proper way to do this? Someone clearly paid far too much attention during Queen Angella's endless meetings on zoning appeals.'' Bow rubs the back of his neck, exasperated at the role he's being forced into. ''Great, I'm the responsible one.''<br><br>"I mean, yeah," he shouts down with a sigh, "I'd love a ball pit in my room too! Maybe even a laser tag arena!" He calls to Casual Friday, though he can already feel the tension growing in his head, definitely a Glimmer-level headache coming on. "But this? This is not how you do it!"<br><br>He shakes his head, drawing a blunted arrow from his quiver. Friends. They're friends, he reminds himself firmly. There's no need to fight, even as Rashmi sets up a barrier to contain the worst of the chaos. Bow takes a calming breath and calls out again, his tone as reasonable as he can muster.<br><br>"You want to start with something comfy! Like a big, soft bed, the kind that could practically swallow you whole if you jump in too deep!" His voice echoes down to the rowdy group. He nocks the arrow, keeping it low, his eyes locked on the toddlin' teddy bear. <br><br>"Put back the teddy bear, and no one has to get hurt!"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:154|Marinette (154)}} has posed:'''<br>Marinette, yes? Marinette, no! She's in the barrier, and she's just a civilian! She's watched Amy go past, and Hinote, and ...I swear there's someone on the rooftop, too. She pauses, holding her broom, and mentally writes off completing her homework last-minute for another day of standing in the hall for failure.<br><br>"Yaaaay," she says softly as people start to gather, and toys burst out of the building, and it all goes sideways. "I had plans, once."<br><br>"You'll manage, it's alright," says a little bug that's floating by her head. It kisses her cheek, and then pokes at her.<br><br>And Marinette nods, her stance firming up. And she steps back, and shouts her words. "Tiki, SPOTS ON!"<br><br>She flashes, poses, and Arrives. But properly, her yo-yo dipping and rising from her hand, as Ladybug walks toward the fray. She's not yelling stuff though. Not really sure why everyone does that when they enter a fight. Not yet, anyway.<br><br>French. She'll catch up eventually.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:107|Amy Faust (107)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;...And a few seconds later, what Casual Friday just ''actually shouted'' works its way through Amy's brain, and her mouth runs faster before she can think: "...Did you say no more paperwork? ''Ever?''"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:45|Sailor Jupiter (45)}} has posed:'''<br>It was a completely normal afternoon, which should probably have been the first warning if Makoto had stopped to think about it. She'd been occupied doing a little shopping, however, and it's only as she steps out onto the sidewalk that the first brush of wind against her face, like a whisper in her ear, gives her the skin-prickling sense of ''something wrong''.<br><br>She doesn't second-guess it. Tucking her bag under her arm, she lengthens her stride, hurrying for the nearest spot where she can duck temporarily out of sight.<br><br>"<span style="color:#0AA105">Jupiter Power - Make Up!</span>"<br><br>Shortly after, as the mob of toys and their paper plane air support begin to flood the street, they're met with a rush of wind and petals. The Flower Hurricane tightens into a fast-moving spiral, seeking to corral the airplanes and the lighter-weight of the toys as Sailor Jupiter descends from the air.<br><br>"Not this again," she groans the moment she spots Sailor Eclipse. "Please stay focused. Those are my friends, and I'd like them back in their right minds!"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:43|Tsuki no Mitsubachi (43)}} has posed:'''<br>"Definitely gotta workshop that," Sailor Eclipse laughs, nose wrinkling at Clips-chan. "It makes me sound like that cute little paperclip guy who would always pop up on Windows." <br><br>And then, as they're outside, there are friends on the scene, and Sailor Eclipse claps excitedly, her bright, vicious smile still on her face. <br><br>"Aw, friends! This is so much fun! Are you all here to play with us?" And then she nods along to what Amy is saying, as if she's actually going to - "That was a ''great'' talk us down speech, but no, these guys ''suck''! You don't even know the half of it, Bow-kun, so the teddy bear can't be let go! This little teddy bear helped deliver those letters!!!" <br><br>The teddy bear does look a little ashamed. And frazzled. <br><br>The glow of the barrier spreads, taking away the panicked people, but leaving the many, many toys. They aren't magic-less, after all, given that she's imbued them with just a touch of power. <br><br>"Who knows if it's mind control? They're doing my bidding, but that could just be because they're my precious, pretty little toys. You never know, right?" <br><br>Wait, why is her voice so close - oh dear, she's right behind Amy. Oh dear. Her hands are right on her shoulders, and there's a little flash of light, and Puella Amy is now... Transforming Rocket Girl Red! A toy with little rocket engines in the feet, a little jetpack on the back, and the ability to transform from cute girl to cute robotgirl at the push of a button! <br><br>"Oh, ''neat'', I always loved these kinds of toys," Sailor Eclipse cheers. "See, isn't this fun?" <br><br>And then she glances up at Bow, mouth a squiggly line as she tries not to laugh. <br><br>"I already told Mamochan we need a ''big'' bed," she promises. "But you should keep talking. I like hearing these ideas... and hey, what's your favorite kind of toy?" <br><br>The small army of toys is moving for the mahou, while this happens, a toy train running in circles around Hinote's feet, and a small swarm of stuffed animals grabbing at Sailor Jupiter's shoelaces.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:38|Mamoru Chiba (38)}} has posed:'''<br>"Find me a giant piece of paper and I'll make a giant paper airplane~" Casual Friday singsongs to Amy, then flashes her a double thumbs-up at her question, even as Rashmi is putting up a barrier and getting rid of the civilians. "Oh thanks Page Mage! Now just get us Ladybug and Chat Noir and--"<br><br>And he gets squirted with a watergun. He blinks down at his spritzed chest in surprise and grabs a paper airplane out of the air, flying it right at the water pistol like a plastic-seeking missile. "Let's take care of that before you blast me into a building!" the too-tall boy laughs. "I'd probably be fine -- I saw what kind of hits Sailor Eclipse took last time! But..."<br><br>But Bow is talking about the bed they should get, and Casual Friday shakes his head. "Not that soft, or you can't jump on it! I've ''never'' been able to jump on a bed before! And yeah, Red -- no more paperwork, period! Help me keep this power, call Chat Noir in! I see Ladybug's on the scene~"<br><br>Sometimes Mamoru talks a lot. This isn't the same kind of talking a lot. This is reckless abandon.<br><br>And also Flower Hurricane. "Hey!" Casual Friday shouts, lifting off into the air himself, taking to the sky like Page Mage, and he fights the hurricane with the paper airplanes he's controlling. "Jupiter, stop! Don't you want me to get my cat cafe and apartment and housing for friends who want to move in and ''no more paperwork ever'' and a ball pit in a walk-through closet?"<br><br>He leaves Page Mage alone for now, but sends a squadron of paper airplanes -- only losing a few of those to the petals -- hurtling towards Ladybug. "Your Miraculous, please!" he calls out.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:226|Bow (226)}} has posed:'''<br>"Workshop? Yeah, definitely needs some... refining," Bow calls back with a half-smirk, though there's tension in his posture as he watches the toys swarm around. "And hey, you're not totally off base - 'Clippy' did have some charm. But I don't think that's what we're aiming for here, right?"<br><br>He's trying to stay calm, to keep that casual air, but Eclipse's gleeful chaos is starting to grate on him. When she steps behind Amy, Rocket Girl Red and touches her, Bow's eyes narrow. His voice hardens, though he tries to keep the peace. "Seriously, transforming her into a toy? That's crossing the line. We're here to talk, not add to your toy collection. And using the crane machine gimmick??"<br><br>He glances at the toy train circling Hinote's feet and the stuffed animals tugging on Sailor Jupiter's shoelaces, suppressing a groan. "As for my favorite toy..." Bow lets his eyes trail over the scene. He forces a lightness to his voice, hoping it can cut through the rising tension. "I'm more of an action figure guy, to be honest. You know, the ones with cool accessories and the ability to actually move, unlike this whole 'being controlled' thing you've got going on."<br><br>He takes a steadying breath, shifting his weight as he keeps his arrow nocked but not drawn. "But back to the point---how about we slow down the toy parade here? You've made your statement. Let's dial it back a notch before things get messier. And that big bed you want? We can probably arrange something without needing to involve half the toy aisle."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:41|Rashmi Terios (41)}} has posed:'''<br>A holographic screen blips into view above Nicomachea's pages, pinging again and again and again as more allies show up for the ruckus. Good. More is more is better.<br> <br>"Ma-- ...*Casual Friday,* -- seriously? -- what's gonna happen when you're done rampaging against the *concept of paperwork?!* Like, *I get it,* I really do, but how is *any of this* gonna end in you not being booted out of whatever place you take?"<br> <br>But, oh, they are just not gonna listen, and already Amy is transformed -- again -- and Ladybug is being assaulted, and Bow is menaced, and Tracy is surrounded...<br> <br>A Whole Entire Thing is developing, and it's past time to get onto mitigation.<br> <br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span style="color:#ffff5f">&lt;&lt; *BONG!* &gt;&gt;</span> <span style="color:#ffffff">&lt;&lt;</span> <span style="color:#ffff5f">PENTA ACCEL -- BOOST UP</span> <span style="color:#ffffff">&gt;&gt;</span><br> <br>Five wispy balls of foxfire resolve around Rashmi, and streak out toward their targets. With all the chaos and havoc coming their way, the speed to get out of the line of fire seems the greatest need. Ladybug, Tracy, Bow, Jupiter, and Red, all five of them experience a surge of energy as Rashmi's magic sinks in; the need to *move,* and *run,* because speed is *fun,* no matter how dire the day can be.<br> <br>And now Rashmi starts *moving,* rather than being a sitting target counting on the opponents' dismissal to keep her safe. Barrets are conjured and sent out, streaking toward the front of the wave of airplanes targeting Ladybug.<br> <br>If that girl was named *specifically,* then it's probably gonna be on her to be the one to end the threat.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:82|Hinote Kagari (82)}} has posed:'''<br>A toy train circles his feet and he frowns as he has a paper airplane launched at the toy water pistol, causing him to drop the gun which clatters to the ground with plastic tings. He frowns as he draws the brim of his fedora down and looks down at the train. "I guess we're doing this the hard way." he says.<br><br>"Paperwork serves an important purpose, chief, you can't just destroy it all because you got denied something. Do you always act this way when someone tells you 'no'?" he asks as he reaches back into his coat and produces a tommy gun this time.<br><br>He draws it out and starts filling the air with magical blasts of laser light from the tip of the gun as he leaps into the air, away from the train, as he tries to destroy some amount of paper airplanes, to help the others handle the two easier.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:107|Amy Faust (107)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Clips-chan sounds like an anime version of Clippy with a little red bow on it, yeah.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Well... even if ''they'' deserve it, that doesn't mean you have to take over the whole city... How is this--"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The rest of her words die in her throat. ''Why are Usagi's words so loud in her head?!''<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;haha-im-in-danger.jpg<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Oh Usagi's not in her head she's just ''right behind her''. Amy tenses up and freezes at the touch, mental defenses screaming that she should RUN drowning out--<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It's Transforming Rocket Girl Red! She transforms from magical girl to robot and doesn't afraid of anything, least of all identity and self-doubt! Why would a toy worry about those?! With jet-assisted flight and spring-loaded rocket launcher action! Order yours today, all the kids will want one this Christmas!<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She's small again. And it feels ''weird'' when the transforming action flips up her robot head and then spins around again and flips her human head back up -- a few retracting panels in select spots around her body to make skin-colored plastic uncover other-colored plastic add to the effect.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Eclipse loves these kind of toys! Isn't this fun? "Uhhh, I mean..." Toymy is a little dazed. Some stray pieces of paper glide past her. "They're ALL giant!" she squeaks back at Casual Friday. "But also couldn't you like, stick 'em together?"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She blinks, looking at articulated hands as she opens and closes them and turns them over. And then the rest of the way over, hands spinning 360 degrees. That feels weird. She looks up. Tests... flight?<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And she easily hovers at head height, her 'thrusters' animated by stop-motion translucent plastic 'flames' leaving a trail of stop-motion cottonballs, which is a ''little bit'' like seeing Witch Barrier shenanigans in reality. She turns to look between Eclipse and Friday, "I know it sounds great, but how is it gonna ''work''? Won't letting Hawk Moth win be ''bad''?"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Her head is spinning at the ramifications of all of this, wondering what really happens if they do lose, does this just spread and take over the city, where does it stop...<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;No paperwork, though...<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Ladybug, look out!" Oh, she's already got them, but... "Anti-air launcher, ready!" And she hefts a realistically detailed but tiny rocket launcher, shooting little missiles one after another -- which do include, visibly, the part that sticks back into the spring loader, even as they curve around in the air and trail cotton puffs on their way to shoot down the paper airplanes!<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:154|Marinette (154)}} has posed:'''<br>Not a word yet, Ladybug stands there, an obvious target. She's yo-yo'ing, and waiting. She looks at Mamoru as she's given orders, and finally she speaks.<br><br>"Afraid Hawkmoth will have to be disappointed again," she offers. She waits, as the airplanes fly at her, sharp and pointed as his commands.<br><br>Then, foxfire. And her yo-yo string seems to move like lightning.<br><br>She's gone, the airplanes hitting the concrete and buildings where she was just standing. She actually moved through them, between them, like they were standing still.<br><br>Gotta admit, that's awesome.<br><br> A moment later, she appears above them all, on a power line, holding one of the planes. She glances at Rashmi, eyebrows raising. "I could get to like this," she offers, her yo-yo moving constantly.<br><br>Down, up. Down, up, the circle whirls on it's string, keeping her safe. And giving her time to look around and survey the scene. What can we do...hrm.<br><br>Then she's on counterattack, her line whipping out toward Sailor Eclipse, to try and wrap her up in its string! As she dives forward, her agility only enhanced by the buff spells in play.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:45|Sailor Jupiter (45)}} has posed:'''<br>Sailor Jupiter frowns at the tugging at her feet, glancing down at the toys that have latched onto the laces of her ankle boots... but after all, they're still only toys. Unless any of those plushies is stuffed with lead, they're not really going to impede her all that much. Especially not once the Page Mage's magic envelops her and puts her wind into overdrive. With a handful of toys dangling wildly from her feet like the tail of a demented kite, she keeps her focus on Usagi and Mamoru.<br><br>Or, well. Sailor Eclipse and Casual Friday. (Really?)<br><br>"Putting aside the ball pit in the walk-in closet," she calls back to Friday, "I don't think any of this is going to get you any of those things!"<br><br>As Ladybug makes her bid to entangle Sailor Eclipse, Jupiter dives for Casual Friday in a flying bullrush, aiming to bowl him off his feet. And sit on him, perhaps. She hasn't thought that far ahead.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:43|Tsuki no Mitsubachi (43)}} has posed:'''<br>"Casual Friday," Sailor Eclipse echoes as Rashmi repeats the name in disbelief. Unlike everyone's favorite Page Mage, she says it in a dreamy voice, looking at her akumatized boyfriend with all her usual lovey-dovey affection. "Isn't he just the best? A real the bees knees guy, if you know what I mean." <br><br>It's only when people make it out like this is something spoiled and petty that she gets annoyed, huffing - "He already ''bought'' the building, ''and'' did the demo parts, ''and'' started the construction, and ''now'' they're going wah wah too young to be a landowner, wah wah the city needs more space, wah wah who CARES? The red tape was satisfied! So now, the red tape gets to be a red jump rope! Why have officials when we can have Operation?" <br><br>A snap of her fingers, and another toy floats into the air - an Operation gameboard, with the operation patient replaced by the image of a middle-manager who worked in that building. <br><br>"My toybox always has room for more toys!" She calls out to Bow, just as Ladybug catches her with her yo-yo, the red weapon winding tight. She yelps rather than laughs as her limbs snap together and she teeters a little with the entanglement. <br><br>"Wow, you're really good with this thing, Ladybug! You know, if you gave us your Miraculous, we could try out neat toy tricks too! Have you tried Walk the Dog, or Around the World?" <br><br>Is she even trying to persuade her to give up her Miraculous? Well, yes, she is, but, not that hard, honestly. <br><br>"Eh, I dunno, he doesn't seem that bad. Sure, he wants to steal the Miraculous, but like, isn't that soooo much better than wanting to marry a teenager or destroy the world or trap mermaids in fishbowls? Maybe you should hear him out!" <br><br>And as she's saying this, Bow calls out an attack name - she just catches it on the wind - and she's gone, the yo-yo chord gone limp, because right, in this form she can 'teleport'. <br><br>And she's got a hand on Bow, her power spreading through his form, transforming him too. <br><br>Whoops~!!<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:226|Bow (226)}} has posed:'''<br>As Rashmi's spell takes affect on Bow calls out, "Padded Arrow!" The blunted arrow in his hand becomes softer as he attempts to fire at Sailor Eclipse. He doesn't want to hurt her, just maybe knock her off her feet, like **paffing** her with a launched stuffy! But as he does do, there's a sudden hard pulse through the fiber of his being, and his vision blurs as he Sailor Eclipse launches her spell. <br><br>Feeling the sudden surge of energy ripple through him, Bow freezes as Sailor Eclipse's spell wraps around his body like a wave of warmth. His muscles tense as a strange sensation pulses through him, not pain exactly, but an overwhelming pressure, as if reality itself is shifting around him. His fingers twitch, but before he can reach for an arrow, his hands begin to shrink, softening, turning plush.<br><br>"What the-?!" he manages to gasp, but his voice sounds small, muffled, almost squeaky. He tries to move, but his legs are stubbier than they were a second ago, and his entire form feels... fluffy, as if he just had the buffet meal at KFC. His chest puffs out, and he glances down to see the bright orange fuzz spreading over his body, a large heart stitched onto his front. His bow, now comically small and plastic, appears in his paw.. yes, paw... while a red arrow with a heart-shaped tip dangles uselessly in the other.<br><br>His vision shifts lower as his body condenses to just under half his height, his feet, now short, plush stubs no longer reaching the ground. Bow blinks, trying to move, but every motion is sluggish and heavy, as if his limbs are filled with stuffing. His once-athletic frame has been replaced with the soft, rountound figure of an adorable, teddy bear of orange, white, yellow and red.<br><br>He tries to speak, to protest, but what comes out is a high-pitched squeak. "That's not cool!" His mind is racing, but his movements are limited to a wobble as he adjusts to the new body. Even as his wings flicker and he tries to toddle run at the faster speed that Rashmi boosted him with. And then he falls off the edge of the roof he was on, tumbling towards the ground. Unless caught, when he hits the ground, he gives a noticable *SQUEAK* from within.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:38|Mamoru Chiba (38)}} has posed:'''<br>"The big bed is already bought! It's not quite the size of an Olympic swimming pool! You can still special order sheets for it you don't have to have them tailored especially--" Casual Friday insists from midair, hanging his adventure 80s futuristic designer shades off his shark-tooth necklace.<br><br>He wheels around in the air to glare at Rashmi. "Every day is Casual Friday if you tear down bureaucracy and corporate culture and memos and addendums! And you're giving the others just a ''little too much help'', right now, so I'm gonna need you to ''stop that'' and ''stay put'' for a second--"<br><br>One arm flings out and a trail of paper airplanes whips over and crowds Rashmi toward a building, then pins through her Barrier Jacket like someone throwing a bunch of knives in a cartoon.<br><br>"And you," he yells towards Pulp Noir, "are way too shooty! We're not even shooting!" Arguable, but as scores of paper airplanes get lasered out of the sky, Casual Friday gets annoyed, and another array of airplanes whizzes towards the other boy to pin ''him'' to the government office building as well. They do make holes, but it's magical henshin fabric, it'll be fine. And they ''are'' just paper, so it won't hold either of them for very long--<br><br>--and then he ''coos'' at Amy's cotton-puff contrail. "Sailor Eclipse! Toy Red is ''adorable'' look at her!" And then Bow is a carebear with a bow and arrow, and Casual Friday zooms over to pick him up and HUG HIM.<br><br>And while he's hugging bear-Bow, he calls out to everyone else as his airplanes deplete in number, "This is NOT a paper-free city! But don't fall down the pit of eco-fascism, friends! After all," and he flies over to put an elbow through the building across the street, and MORE paper airplanes start soaring out of that one, "without cutting down trees to make more paperwork, how could I possibly have this much fun undoing it? Come on, Ladybug, even if that flirtatious Cat doesn't show up, one Miraculous is at least better than none! HEY! DON'T TIE UP MY GIRLFRIEND!!!"<br><br>This last as he gets bull-rushed by Jupiter and bear-Bow goes flying-- the two, Jupiter and Friday, do indeed tear up a divot in the asphalt, and Friday's shirt almost comes off! Ooh la la! The hat is still, incredibly, on his head. "Hi!" he says cheerily to Jupiter, who is in fact sitting on him. "Can you check on Kazuo and make sure he's okay?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:107|Amy Faust (107)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As Amy flits around like a foot-tall gunpla mecha musume, part of her can't help wondering.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The world -- the ''rest'' of the world, outside of all the magic craziness her life has been centered on lately -- seems so impossible to fix. The changes that would have to be made are drastic. And there's no real evidence that significant changes can be made to the current world order...<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But what if they didn't ''have'' to? Magic can alter the world. It would be... strange, yes, but... the world Usagi and Mamoru would make, even lost in playfulness, doesn't have room for hatred deciding people's lives, nor the banality of priveleged paper-pushers who will never have to suffer the results of their policies.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Wouldn't that be a kind of paradise? Like--<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Toy Red is ''adorable'' just look at her! Amy startles and blushes, unable to stop herself from smiling (actual little stickers appear on her cheeks) as she does a little twirl to show off but then oh shit, Bow!<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amy flies over at speed but is too late, Eclipse has teleported away. She drops down to Bear Bow's head-height, herself still far smaller than him in their respective toy forms. "Uh, hey there Bow, you okay? Don't panic... Uh... it's not ''that'' bad..." But he's angrily running and it's coming out as adorable squeaks and he just ''tripped'' and oh my god she can't help smiling. She's been good! She really has! Can't she have just a ''little'' being amused, as a treat?<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Oh wait shit he's probably terrified of falling. She cups her hands to her mouth and shouts '''"Don't worry, you're a plushie!"''' and that's probably not at all reassuring and also it takes longer to say than it will actually take him to hit the ground or be caught. With another adorable squeak.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;...A world like this every day would be a very strange Paradise indeed.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And with that thought Amy's head clears a bit. Vague visions of a world full of toys having fun are replaced with the remembered sight of the world under construction inside a barrier, and she looks down at the street below from where she's hovering by the building Bow just fell off of.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She flies over to Usagi, though trying to look like she's not attacking, not trying to aim the launcher at her. "I almost wish it'd really work, too." She says sadly. "With this power it seems like you ''must'' be able to make something better, even if it's weird." She flits around like a fairy, intoning, "No more pencils, no more books, no more teachers' dirty looks. No more paperwork, no more hatred, in toys' world man's problems dare not tread."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; She flies over to a few feet in front of Usagi's head. "Sailor Eclipse's Amazing Digital Circus sounds fun and all, but we've ''been'' down this road ''before.''"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She points an articulated plastic hand, demandingly. "You ''saw'' Gretchen try. You saw Gretchen try her very best for all of us, to make a better world with Dark Energy. You said ''she'' couldn't do it, even with the potential of a goddess! How are you different?!"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amy's question is punctuated by the launcher teleporting from her shoulder to her outstretched hand, where it fires a foam dart with a little suction cup, right at Eclipse's forehead.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:58|Kazuo Saitou (58)}} has posed:'''<br>Back in the office, which currently means *completely audible from outside* because there's no actual barrier between inside air and outside air right now, Kazuo puts the brightly cheerful quasi-eight-bit hold music on speaker in order to regard the screen and tap at it. The impoliteness only irritates the pinned official more; the airplanes presumably had enough magic to trap him in with them.<br><br>It does not help that Kazuo looks over at him, and says with impeccable politeness, "Please pardon me, sir, but it would be most effective if I were able to present the entire situation at once. Would you perhaps be able to confirm whether you and everyone working under you are familiar with the meaning of the word 'trustee'?"<br><br>(If this is an attempt to make the paper airplanes spontaneously combust, alas, it fails, but the incoherent yell of frustration and anger is probably audible outside, too.)<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:154|Marinette (154)}} has posed:'''<br>Dangit, so close. I totally had her, for ...nevermind, that was stupid. Stupid, stupid, you knew she could teleport. Ladybug turns, still trying to figure out what the 'trick' is to this, when she sees...<br><br>"Oh merde."<br><br>Bow. Is. ADORABLE!<br><br>"Please tell me that I can take a picture?" she asks Bow, as she slows down next to him and Amy and hunches down nearby.<br><br>Amy flies away, but Ladybug stays. While she's there, she glances around. And then she says, "Did you see where the butterfly went? We have to find it.'<br><br>Her eyes look around, still trying to spot where the real target is. "If we can find it and destroy it. It'll be something small, maybe in a pocket. Or something they're wearing that stands out?"<br><br>She's looking over the pair of Akuma-victims, and they are the victims here. Searching.<br><br>"Anyone?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:41|Rashmi Terios (41)}} has posed:'''<br>"...Are you *real?*" Rashmi cannot help but ask Casual Friday, her amazement -- confusion? Disbelief? Amusiolief? -- bringing her up short just long enough for the attack to be in the air and halfway toward her face before it registers. "Waaaaaa!"<br> <br>Flying back, and back, and back, Rashmi slams against the wall of the office building a moment before her Barrier Jacket is pierced in a dozen places.<br> <br>All pinning her to the wall.<br> <br>Struggling for a moment, she is indeed trapped for as long as it takes to remember that she doesn't need to worry about silly things like somatic spell components.<br> <br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span style="color:#ffff5f">&lt;&lt; *BONG!* &gt;&gt;</span> <span style="color:#ffffff">&lt;&lt;</span> <span style="color:#ffff5f">SOLAR FLASH</span> <span style="color:#ffffff">&gt;&gt;</span><br> <br>It's not *quite* a teleport, this spell, but it does seem to convert herself to nothing but magic energy that flickers forward faster than the eye can follow... for about ten meters. But it's enough to free her, and as adorable as Amy and Bow are, Rashmi is already *so very over all of this.*<br> <br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span style="color:#ffff5f">&lt;&lt; *BONG!* &gt;&gt;</span> <span style="color:#ffffff">&lt;&lt;</span> <span style="color:#ffff5f">SOLAR BARRAGE -- GLACE SHIFT</span> <span style="color:#ffffff">&gt;&gt;</span><br> <br>It's difficult to tell, which of the toys are transformed people and which are not, so... Let's just stick everyone to a surface with ice!<br> <br>Rashmi is is Full Business Mode, walking her icy fire up one side of the street and down the other, targeting flights of paper airplanes... Basically just doing everything she can to blunt the effectiveness of her akumatized friends, to allow the others a moment to rally.<br> <br>And with every shot, the canister on her back gets just a little bit brighter...<br> <br>In the back of Red, Jupiter, and Ladybug's minds, Rashmi's voice clears its throat. &lt;&lt; So uh... you said we need to look for the butterfly? Also just think what you want to say, it's always better to not let the opponent know what you're planning. &gt;&gt;<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:45|Sailor Jupiter (45)}} has posed:'''<br>Sailor Jupiter stares down at Casual Friday, looking rather nonplussed by his cheerful request. "Seriously? You know you and Usagi-chan are the ones ''causing'' all this, right?"<br><br>She glances up for a moment, looking around just enough to realize where Kazuo ''is''. And yes, he's fine, but--<br><br>Huffing out an exasperated sigh, she reaches out, carefully picks up Bear Bow and looks at him for a moment. "Sorry about this," she tells him - <br><br>--before bopping Casual Friday in the face with Bow.<br><br>Placing Bow carefully on Friday's chest, she picks herself up. &lt;&lt; I have an idea about that, &gt;&gt; she answers Rashmi, &lt;&lt; but I need a second. &gt;&gt;<br><br>Without another word, she strides off into the building, still towing plushies by her shoelaces. <br><br>"Hey, Saitou-kun," she calls. "Did you see where the butterflies went?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:43|Tsuki no Mitsubachi (43)}} has posed:'''<br>There's a speech happening to her! That's new - usually she's the one giving the speeches. How nifty! <br><br>Sailor Eclipse plays the part of good audience, nodding and humming and making the most thoughtful little noises all the while, before, finally, she's got a suction cup foam dart stuck on her head, which she sighs about before plucking off. "Amy-chan, you're adorable. I know you are because I made you even cuter than usual! But you should know, Gretchan was trying to make a NEW world! A new, totally cool paradise that just wasn't gonna work. But I don't want a new world. I want to have fun! And I want to turn all the red tape into game tickets! All the bureaucrats into bearocrats! That's not changing the world, that's changing people."<br><br>And the foam dart - already a toy - becomes a foam ''bat'' in her hands. <br><br>"And speaking of changing people - I think you'd look a little better in an east-erly direction! Batter, up!" <br><br>Swing batter, batter, SWING! <br><br>So that's Amy-chan taken care of, Bow-kun taken care of, Pulp Noir pinned to the wall, Rashmi-chan pinned to the wall, Jupiter-chan - pinning Frichan to the floor, now that was a little suspicious... <br><br>There's a subtle sense of DANGER RISING DANGER RISING RUN in the air that's not actually subtle at ''all'' while Sailor Eclipse looks to where Mamoru is pinned, before she breathes in, smiles, and hums a little tune to herself. London Bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down, London Bridge is falling down - <br><br>My. <br><br>Fair. <br><br>Lady. <br><br>By the time she reaches the end of the little tune, Rashmi has broken herself free and started barreting toy to the ground with ice, leaving them caught and unable to help... not that they were doing much to help, anyway, but still. Sailor Eclipse decides to remember how much Jupiter loves her, and Mamochan, both platonically, and also how much she loved living, and focus on ''that'' particular threat instead, and Ladybug, instead. <br><br>"Rashmi-chan, Rashmi-chan, are you helping Ladybug instead of me? That's not very nice!" <br><br>She teleports, appearing at Rashmi's side - only Rashmi is in the air, so that leaves her comically falling down for a moment, a piece of black-purple paper flying out of her pocket before she snatches it with a little cough and tucks it back in there, teleporting before she hits the ground. Right then. Flying is not in her skillset! Instead, she tries to launch herself at Ladybug, and particularly, at her earrings. <br><br>"Ladybuuuuuuug-chaaaaan! Just give up your earrings! So we can make sure all the bad naughty paperwork never comes back!"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:226|Bow (226)}} has posed:'''<br>For a moment, Bear-Bow lies sprawled out in the grass, his plush, fuzzy body still adjusting to the daze. His thoughts are scrambled, and before he can fully register what just happened, his tiny, squeaky protest---"squeak!"---echoes through the air. Unfortunately, that squeak is enough to attract the attention of a curious small dog, its collar jingling as it bounds over.<br><br>Bow blinks his button eyes as the dog sniffs him, confusion flooding his mind. ''No, no, not like this---'' Before he can move, the dog grabs him in its jaws and starts shaking him wildly! His soft, plush form flails back and forth, arms and legs flopping as he's violently tossed around.<br><br>"Squeak-u, squeak-u, squeak-u!" Bow squeaks helplessly with each shake, the world spinning around him. His little heart-shaped nose gets twisted sideways, and his button eyes blink rapidly, trying to make sense of the chaos. Just then, Amy arrives, her presence sending the startled dog yelping and growling as it takes off, stealing Bow's arrow in its retreat.<br><br>Bow manages to right himself, wobbling back to his stubby legs as best as his stuffed form allows. "I... this is temporary, right?!" he squeaks out in disbelief, his little plush body barely holding it together, his heart-shaped nose still askew. Just as he begins to regain his bearings, he's suddenly grabbed, snatched up into the air by Casual Friday!<br><br>Snagged up in a warm embrace, Bow's tiny plush paws and feet flail helplessly against Casual Friday's chest. "This isn't hugging time!" he squeaks indignantly, trying to push back with his stuffed paws. "You need to get back to normal!" Paff, paff, paff! His protests are in vain as his plush form bounces against Casual Friday, and before Bow can react, he's chucked into the air when Sailor Jupiter crashes into the scene.<br><br>Bow tumbles through the air, his plush body twisting and flipping wildly. as he crashes back to Earth with another squeak! <br><br>As Jupiter picks him up, he suddenly blushes. This isn't so bad is it... ''Oh Brightmoon,'' he realizes as she swings him back and she's using Bow to boop Casual Friday! *SQUEAKU*<br><br>"You better take responsibility for this," he squeaks at Jupiter, glaring up at her, his button eyes crossing slightly in frustration. His lips, sewn into a permanent little pout, only add to his comically serious expression.<br><br>When Jupiter carefully places him on Friday's chest, Bow adjusts himself, his little plush paws pressing into the fabric of Friday's shirt. "I'm really starting to reconsider my definition of teamwork," he mutters under his breath, watching as Jupiter stands up and nonchalantly walks off, plushies still hanging from her shoelaces.<br><br>But BEFORE CASUAL FRIDAY CAN REACT, Bow draws his tiny bow, his button eyes narrowing in focus. "Ice Arrow!" he squeaks out in a voice far too chipper for the situation. An arrow forms in his paw---but instead of a sleek, icy projectile, it's an arrow with a single ice cube perched awkwardly at the tip.<br><br>Bow sighs but doesn't let it stop him. "Oh well," he mutters and then fires the arrow with all the precision his tiny plush arms can muster. The arrow sails through the air, aiming squarely between Casual Friday's eyes! "I don't see a butterfly!" he squeaks.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:38|Mamoru Chiba (38)}} has posed:'''<br>Casual Friday points, from his hole in the ground, at Amy-- but then gets whapped in the face by Jupiter with Bow. A Bow to the face. With a sound like getting hit by a squeaky hammer.<br><br>While Bow is aiming, Friday points at Amy with his other hand, scowling indignantly. "She's also different because she's not Gretchen! You can't tell Gretchen and the most wonderful, sparkly, kind, beautiful girl in the world apart?? Sailor Eclipse is the best ever! Even when her hair is short! She's--"<br><br>The world will never know what else Casual Friday intended to say about Sailor Eclipse, because that's about when he's interrupted by Bow taking his shot. "Ow!" he says, clapping his hands over his face and wailing, "Brain freeze--!! !! !!" and then he drops his hands and takes a roll of red masking tape out of his pocket, gestures four big paper airplanes down, and swiftly tapes the likely-struggling Bow-bear in a sort of glider harness connected to the planes.<br><br>"Get your phone out and vlog ''this'', Bow!" he cries out as the planes take off vtol like a drone.<br><br>Then he picks himself up out of the hole in the ground and brushes himself off. His butterfly-paper isn't visible yet, but Ladybug still seems to be operating under the hope that there might only be one--<br><br>He's on his feet just in time for his socks-with-sandals to get frozen to the pavement, and he looks down with a surprised pikachu face. He swipes an airplane out of the air and crouches, using it to unfreeze his footwear by way of chipping the ice away, like he's using one of Tuxedo Mask's roses to stab.<br><br>In the meantime he waves a hand around. "Give them more problems, air support~"<br><br>The problem is, he really is running out of airplanes, even with the other building's window open. When he glances up and notices this, he scowls. "You want MORE paperwork? Is THAT what you're telling me?" he yells, kicking his feet up off the ground and flying for the other building. More airplanes. He breaks more windows. More and more airplanes.<br><br>The air buzzes with them, and they start circling like a menacing flock of birds in an old movie. If they circle. If they don't, then imagine about 1000 seagulls want one paper bowl of fries.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:58|Kazuo Saitou (58)}} has posed:'''<br>"Into the copies of the letter they got," Kazuo calls back to Sailor Jupiter promptly, coming out from the office himself and making his way to meet her by the door. "Check their pockets. I'm trying a --"<br><br>There is suddenly no ice cream truck music.<br><br>"-- my apologies," Kazuo says, and flips the phone back off speaker and up to his ear as someone starts talking on the other end. "Yes. Thank you very much for your time. This is Kazuo Saitou; I apologize that Chiba-kun is unavailable, but there seems to have been a minor incident. I've just uploaded a copy of the letter he received to the file repository. The official whose office it came from should reasonably have understood the situation he describes does not apply. You might perhaps wish to determine if it is possible that some form or application might have been accidentally misrouted? This building must process so many," currently scattered down the block and embedded into walls, speaking of misrouting, "it seems as if mishaps might now and then occur... What? Ah. Yes. I apologize again, there are a few people somewhat upset outside."<br><br>Also inside, but that's really just the official he just walked out on.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:154|Marinette (154)}} has posed:'''<br>&lt;&lt; This is ...this is incredible! &gt;&gt; Ladybug's voice in their heads is surprised, but also surprisingly confident.<br><br>There's...there's a lot going on. Her head goes left, right, and she can not keep up! &lt;&lt; Bow! &gt;&gt;<br><br>&lt;&lt; (sounds of thinking fast) &gt;&gt;<br><br>Then, Usagi/Eclipse is coming at her, and anyone looking can FEEL Ladybug's thoughts solidify. &lt;&lt; I've got this. Watch for it, then follow my lead! Go TEAM! &gt;&gt;<br><br>"Come and get it," she says aloud. And then she plants her feet, arms wide, and welcomes Sailor Eclipse's assault. Her hands flash, matching attack for attack. She's so fast! She ducks, she moves inside, she grapples hard! Dust sprays up from both of their feet, and the two reach for ...something!<br><br>And then, they're apart, pushed back from each other. Ladybug is on one knee, fists clenched and eyes lowered.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:45|Sailor Jupiter (45)}} has posed:'''<br>--Kazuo is fine. Kazuo is on the phone. Kazuo is possibly on the verge of murdering someone with sheer politeness.<br><br>Sailor Jupiter gives him a quick salute, pivots on her heel, and nearly trips over a stubbornly clinging plushie.<br><br>&lt;&lt; They're in the letters, &gt;&gt; her mental voice reports briskly through Nicomachea's comms link. She's already on her way back out, a few long strides carrying her through the front entrance and into the air on another rush of flower-scented wind.<br><br>Taking in the degree to which things have fallen apart in the short time her eyes were off the fight, she blinks. "Wow, this went to shit." Is that Teddy-Bow strapped to a paper glider? Oh boy...<br><br>Leaving Ladybug, the Page Mage, and Action Amy to manage themselves for the moment, Jupiter launches herself after the glider before poor Bow can disappear over the horizon.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:41|Rashmi Terios (41)}} has posed:'''<br>More airplanes. More airplanes. *Yet more airplanes.*<br> <br>And Bow is a pop fly, and Ladybug seems to have come off the worse for their encounter.<br> <br>&lt;&lt; (New sounds of fast thinking occur) &gt;&gt;<br> <br>&lt;&lt; Ladybug, Jupiter, Red... how're you doing? Also, two questions; if the akuma is just paper -- ...okay *now* the paperwork thing finally makes sense, that's so dumb -- ...does it need to be *purified,* or can we just break it? Also, can you three lock them down? &gt;&gt;<br> <br>Swallowing the fear that rises at the sight of so many paper dolls blotting out the magically-desaturated sun, they shall fight in the shade... Rashmi takes a deep breath, straightens her spine, and turns to face Mamo.<br> <br>"Do we *want* more paperwork?! Are you really so far up your own-- um. *Obsession.* That you think *that's* what this is about?!"<br> <br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span style="color:#ffff5f">&lt;&lt; *BONG!* &gt;&gt;</span> <span style="color:#ffffff">&lt;&lt;</span> <span style="color:#ffff5f">SOLAR BARRET -- BLAZE SHIFT</span> <span style="color:#ffffff">&gt;&gt;</span><br> <br>Eight golden Barrets resolve around her, and burst into golden flames, orbiting around her like electrons as she stares down the villainous avatar of bureaucratic anarchy. "You're *wrecking the city* you dummy, *KNOCK IT OFF!*"<br> <br>And the light shining behind Rashmi grows just a little bit brighter, and a very very tiny *ping!* sounds.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:107|Amy Faust (107)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(Amy absolutely lets Marinette get a picture of her with Bow before flying off to speechify Usagi!)<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And Speechify she does, and Sailor Eclipse is listening, and then calling her ''<span style="color:#ffd7ff">adorable</span>'' and ''<span style="color:#ffd7ff">cuter than usual</span>'' and the blush stickers are back, and then she blinks as the reply goes off in an unexpected direction.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She's not changing the world, she's changing people? "But that's kind of the problem, isn't it? Like, you ''can't'' change them to be good people, although I guess you ''can'' change them into toys with soft edges so that can't bully--"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And then her eyes widen and she just looks adorably ''shocked'' as Sailor Eclipse shows her that RULES ARE MADE TO BE BROKEN!<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Anyone looking over at where Bow fell, that moment, sees things look weirdly high-framerate as an unmoving toy Red looks like she's been thrown from out of view and hit the wall with a plastic THACK sound that and clatter to the ground, sending the dog running, and then the moment passes as Amy sits up, little anime schoolgirls with bats running around her head instead of cartoon birds. Dazed, she says, "The girls should give Ren more respect, a bat is a fearsome weapon..."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Then she shakes it off and looks back at Bow with a 'I'm sorry you had to hear this way' expression and answers, "It is if we ''win''..." and then Bow is picked up to have his own adventure in being manhandled and the sight before Amy continues to be so ''patently ridiculous'' she can only stare as Sailor Jupiter hits Casual Friday, who ended up in a hole somehow while Amy was talking to Eclipse, and the ridiculousness ''continues'' as there's an ice cube arrow and Friday bearhandles Bow and ''sends Bow flying with paper VTOLs'', and it suddenly hits home how Sailor Eclipse and Casual Friday are ''toying'' with them, treating Amy and Bow and the transformed civilians as if they're just...<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She knew, of course. She'd considered it, planned to shock Eclipse out of it last time by making her think about how horrible such a world could be, but it's one thing to imagine, even to ''watch'' as she babysat the toys last year and worried over them, and another thing to ''experience''.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Far worse than when she was a doll months ago, small and weak in a world not sized for her: Now she and Bow are ''toys'' and ''playthings'', and as nice as having her cuteness appreciated several seconds ago was, the dread of being a powerless ''thing'' fills her.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;...But before she can despair for long, Marinette's call for cooperation rings through Amy's head, reminding her that no, she can still act.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And as hope soars and Amy floats into the air again, she remembers that Sailor Eclipse and Casual Friday are ''comprimised'' and not thinking clearly, and that is a disadvantage.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And as she looks up at Casual Friday's paper airforce filling the sky, she remembers that she is a Puella Magi, and she has not even ''begun'' to fight.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Transforming Rocket Girl Red changes to robot mode, and then ''magically'' transforms in a tiny pillar of felt fire, covered in enhancement armor parts and missile racks, and fires salvo after salvo of dozens of little plastic rockets trailing cottonballs and seeking paper planes and exploding into little clouds of hard, paper-tearing confetti, which falls slowly back down to the battlefield like rectangular, rainbow snow.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:43|Tsuki no Mitsubachi (43)}} has posed:'''<br>There's a scuffle, two girls reaching not for each other's bodies but each other's magical objects, and though Ladybug has her feet planted and her body ready for the impact, there's still a dustcloud rising as they claw and grapple and fight. <br><br>When they split apart, Ladybug has that black-purple paper in her hands, the key to undoing Sailor Eclipse - <br><br>But Sailor Eclipse has a pair of red-and-black dotted earrings in her hand, and she's looking at them in genuine shock, her eyes turned down, as the earrings flash and she notices a strange red and black creature appearing beside her clenched hand. Mascot sized. The new little thing is mascot sized. <br><br>"I got it?" Sailor Eclipse whispers aloud. "Wait, I actually ''got'' it? Holy shit."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:156|Hawkmoth (156)}} has posed:'''<br>"She actually got it," Hawkmoth says in disbelief, voice tight, eyes wide. "She actually - Sailor Eclipse! Seize that paper now, or they'll turn you back! They'll defeat you both, and your lover will lose his home, again, lose his hopes, again, and where will you be? Where will these heroes who worry so much about paperwork be ''then''?" <br><br>He has to control himself, keep his tone convincing and concerned, and he wants to urge her to look up, to see the girl's FACE, but he needs to control something much more important. If she loses the akuma, it won't matter that Ladybug has lost her Miraculous. <br><br>The most important thing is to retrieve the item. <br><br>"Hurry!" <br><br>He is, in fact, opening the round window, and starting to depart from Obsidian Tower ''himself''.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:43|Tsuki no Mitsubachi (43)}} has posed:'''<br>"Oh this is so much more responsibility than I wanted," Sailor Eclipse whines, looking at the earrings in her clenched fist, and then, considers, for a moment, the places that she can tuck away such dangerous items. She doesn't have a purse. Pockets are clearly not secure enough. There's always the bra, but - <br><br>Oh wait, these are earrings! And so, quickly, Sailor Eclipse clips the Ladybug Miraculous earrings onto her ears. <br><br>"Frichan!! We got it! We got the Miraculous! Half of our goal! We can probably just leave these jerrrrrks, as soon as I find my dumb letter! ...Come on little bug, gimme that dumb letter back...?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:38|Mamoru Chiba (38)}} has posed:'''<br>Good, Jupiter is going after Bow, which means Kazuo is fine, and Casual Friday can turn all his attention to Rashmi, because Eclipse has Ladybug, Noir is still pinned to the wall, and Red is... being a gunpla. To be perfectly frank, it is absolutely Rashmi that has his attention right now, because she is being ANNOYING.<br><br>He's on a level with her, the both of them flying meaning that they're eye to eye instead of him being too tall. And he grits his teeth. "Of course it's about paperwork. The kind of paperwork that means you can't have anything after all. The kind of paperwork that's some unhappy loser spreading misery around. The kind of paperwork that means you'll ''never be truly free'' because oh this is eighteen, oh this is twenty five, oh, you can't do this because you're too young, too old, you have bad blood, you have no living blood relations at all--"<br><br>And she's bringing fire to bear. Casual Friday floats back a few feet, eyes locked on the golden flames, an unthinking fear clouding his judgement even further than the akuma. He lifts his hands and the paper airplanes circle faster, buzzing with speed and fury, each nose a dart. "What did I say about not burning things at me?" his voice comes, quiet and dangerous.<br><br>And then Sailor Eclipse calls back that she got the Miraculous, and he blinks. "No shit? Uhh-- yeah--"<br><br>That's enough time for him not to notice when some of that fire hits some of Amy's confetti from an exploded airplane and that sets off...<br><br>Oh that's a firestorm explosion in the air of paper and confetti and more paper and post-it notes and holepunch snow and paper shredder spaghetti, and it blows Rashmi and Casual Friday apart VERY DRAMATICALLY. Into the buildings opposite each other! CRASH!!! There are, in fact, Page Mage and Casual Friday shaped holes in the external walls of those buildings, now! And lots of ash and burning paper falling to the ground.<br><br>From inside his building, Casual Friday's voice floats out all wobbly and winded, "You're the dummy, this isn't the city, it's your barrier."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:154|Marinette (154)}} has posed:'''<br>YESSSSS. BAD GUYS WIN!!!! YAAAY!!!!<br><br>Hang on, that's ...that can't be right.<br><br>The red-clad dot-girl is kneeling, holding the paper. She doesn't see what happens. Her head is down, and something is wrong.<br><br>She's...shimmering?<br><br>Without the earrings, she's shimmering all over, waves of light passing over her form. Then a flash, brightness covering dark, and the kneeling form is wearing a school uniform. Blue hair.<br><br>Civilian.<br><br>&lt;&lt; Paper, in his...pocket, &gt;&gt; her mental voice says, before Rashmi's anti-civilian barrier grabs her. She manages a half-throw, the paper floating toward Her Team.<br><br>And she's torn from the area, with a not-allowed barrier between her and her Miraculous.<br><br>And with a whimper, she's gone. The paper is floating in the air, closer to us than to them.<br><br>Ladybug, however, is gone.<br><br>NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:154|Marinette (154)}} has posed:'''<br>The little bug, floating near Eclipse, looks at her. It...she? It? Looks concerned. And intelligent.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:226|Bow (226)}} has posed:'''<br>Bow's button eyes widen as the paper glider catches the wind, lifting him higher and higher into the air. His plush form is strapped tight, unable to move much more than a wiggle here and there as the cityscape stretches out below him. "I am not flight capable!" he squeaks, his voice a hint of panic.<br><br>The glider jerks and sways, and Bow lets out an indignant squeak as he flails his little plush arms. "Hey! This is ''not'' how I pictured flying!" His tiny bow, still clutched in his stuffed paw, is utterly useless against the wind that's pulling him further and further away. He tries to twist his head around, but the glider's flimsy construction gives him little leverage.<br><br>As he sees Sailor Jupiter launching herself after him, a wave of relief hits. "Jupiter!" His eyes cross slightly as he frowns again. "He doesn't like my vlogging." is said with a hint of sadness. <br><br>The glider dips again, wobbling dangerously, and Bow squeaks out, "Seriously, this was not in the hero training manual!" His little heart-shaped nose crinkles as he braces for the moment Jupiter will snag him out of the sky.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:41|Rashmi Terios (41)}} has posed:'''<br>The great thing about Barrier Jackets is, they can take a *lot* of punishment. They have to, with as much damage as an average Devicer is able to casually do to an urban center.<br> <br>The downside of a Barrier Jacket is, they can only take as much punishment as the Devicer has the energy to mitigate, and even then there are upper limits.<br> <br>Tremendous paper explosions, and being punted through a building, *definitely* voids any warranty that may come with one.<br> <br>But Rashmi is still enough in the fight to crawl out of the hole. Her skirts and jacket have been blasted away almost entirely, her glasses are cracked, and even her bodysuit is showing holes through which her skin looks worryingly sooty. But the wings at her ankles still hold steady, and as she struggles to catch her breath, she looks down... to see Sailor Eclipse alone, and with Ladybug's earring.<br> <br>And the paper that caused this whole mess, fluttering to the ground.<br> <br>Her mental voice is *very* strained and worn out, but audible all the same. &lt;&lt; GUYS! THE LETTER! &gt;&gt;<br> <br>Her head turns to Casual Friday. "You're right... I'm sorry... about... the fire," she says, pushing off the edge of the hole, and back into the air, holding out a hand toward Casual Friday. "How 'bout this; Verbal Command: Accumulator Purge."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:45|Sailor Jupiter (45)}} has posed:'''<br>YOINK. Sailor Jupiter intercepts the runaway glider in midair, turning the catch into a dizzying barrel roll. There's a moment where she, and the glider and Teddy Bow and all, go tumbling into almost a free-fall, before the wind that's carrying her reverses its direction and she rights herself headed back the way she came.<br><br>Hopefully plushies don't get motion sick.<br><br>"He's being kind of a jerk right now," she tells Bow consolingly, tugging at the masking tape while she flies. Focused as she was on Bow Retrieval, she's only semi aware of the present situation - Page Mage and Casual Friday seem to have blasted each other off the field, Ladybug is nowhere to be seen, and--<br><br>Her eyes catch on the single black paper, dancing in the air, just beginning to drift down from Ladybug's last-ditch toss.<br><br>"Sorry about this," she tells Bear-Bow again. "We've gotta get that latter--!"<br><br>Her arm is already cocking back; the last of the masking tape rips free, and with a surge of effort she hurls Bow on a fastball course aimed right for that fluttering page.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:107|Amy Faust (107)}} has posed:'''<br>ELSEWHERE<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Clarthas is walking back to Obsidian Tower after a late lunch run. It may be so that The World Is Wrong, but this takoyaki, it's pretty alright. He wonders if somewhere at the Bleak Academy is a student of the College of War and Nightmare, for whom this takoyaki would be the ''one good thing'' in this blighted Creation, the thing they would come here to seek out and take and make their own before burning the rest of it all down. He looks up, up at the sky, thinking of the starry void beyond and--<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;...is that one of the bosses climbing out of a window?<br><br>HERE<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;THE SKY EXPLODES IN FIRE and Amy looks shocked, hands cutely over her mouth. "I DIDN'T DO ''THAT!''"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Chiba-san and Rashmi will be alright, ''right?'' Probably.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And then she hears Ladybug's telekinetic call, and looks that way, shouts back &lt;&lt; ''I GOT IT!'' &gt;&gt; and the missile racks go away as she suddenly has a clearly-too-big-for-her plastic sci-fi gun all very detailed and greebled, and the KA-CHUNG of a spring is drowned out by a shot ringing out, a BANG they can feel the vibration of in the air, and a cloud of plastic flechettes that shouldn't be able to ''go'' that fast tear the paper to shreds!<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:226|Bow (226)}} has posed:'''<br>Jupiter tugs at the masking tape, and Bow lets out a grumpy little squeak as she talks about the situation. "He's being a jerk! I'm the one who's been strapped to a glider like some kind of plush sacrifice!" His tiny lips form a pout, but his complaints are drowned out as he realizes she's barely focused on him, her eyes darting towards a single black piece of paper drifting in the air.<br><br>"Oh no, no, no, no! ''Wait!''" Bow squeaks, panic setting in as Jupiter rips off the last of the tape with an apology that sounds far too casual for what's about to happen. Before he can protest, her arm cocks back, and she hurls him through the air like a fastball.<br><br>Bow's plush body shoots through the sky, a squeaky "Yaaaaaaahh!" trailing behind him as he spins, arms flailing. His button eyes lock onto the fluttering page. "This is not how I imagined helping!" he squeaks, but his focus narrows as he sails closer and closer. ''Alright, Bow, you've got this. You're a hero. You're a-''<br><br>Squeak! His plush body collides with the page midair, wrapping around it as he clings desperately with his little bear arms.<br><br>He's stuck to it like a plush missile, spinning as the wind tries to pull them both in every direction. "Okay, got it!" he squeaks triumphantly, though his victory is short-lived as he realizes he's still careening through the air at an alarming rate. "Uh, Jupiter? Now what?!"<br><br>That's when he sees Amy fires. Twisting his body around, he uses the paper as a parachute for just a moment, slowing himself before he twists, releasing two corners, and makes sure it it's a nice BIG target for the flechetes to rip through. As they do so, the paper rips and shreds and his mighty plush paws do the last hard pull and... <br><br>*RIIIIIIP*<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:58|Kazuo Saitou (58)}} has posed:'''<br>Kazuo, still waiting on the phone, peers out the door just in time to see things start to be on fire.<br><br>The door slams shut.<br>"Thank you very much," he says to the phone. "And please forgive my untoward intrusion."<br><br>Phone returns to pocket, and he eyes the door warily...<br><br>... just in time for someone to come in ''through the wall.''<br><br>"Well, that's timing," Kazuo says down to Casual Friday. Another pause, as he glances toward the hole in the wall, and Page Mage hovering. Then back to the painfully loud shirt, whose owner he leans down to reach out a hand to. "I sent a copy of the letter to your lawyers. They confirm they ''sent'' that form in, and are checking to see whether it got lost, or whether someone in the office copied your name in where they should've copied the trust's."<br><br>That hand is not a hand up. That hand reaches deftly for Friday's breast pocket, and a moment later Kazuo, dropping down to one knee, has a piece of black paper held up high over his head for Rashmi.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:41|Rashmi Terios (41)}} has posed:'''<br>"Verbal command: Accumulator Purge."<br> <br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span style="color:#ffff5f">&lt;&lt; *BONG!* &gt;&gt;</span> <span style="color:#ffffff">&lt;&lt;</span> <span style="color:#ffff5f">COMMAND INPUT EXECUTE. PURGE CHANNELS GREEN. ALTERNATE GRIMOIRE LOADED. AWAITING COMMAND.</span> <span style="color:#ffffff">&gt;&gt;</span><br> <br>A large magical seal spreads into existence vertically in front of Rashmi, tilted to lie perpendicular to her palm. "Friday-kun... I *really don't want to have to throw this at you again, please..."<br> <br>At which point Kazuo just... rocks up, takes the paper, and holds it up. With a sigh of relief, Rashmi twitches her position to one side, orienting on the black paper itself, rather than just Friday's general Friday-ness. "Kazuo-kun I am getting you *so many thank you snacks.*" Clearing her throat, she draws in a deep breath.<br> <br>"Solar Buster."<br> <br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span style="color:#ffff5f">&lt;&lt; *BONG!* &gt;&gt;</span> <span style="color:#ffffff">&lt;&lt;</span> <span style="color:#ffff5f">SOLAR BUSTER</span> <span style="color:#ffffff">&gt;&gt;</span><br> <br>The canister on her back winks out, as all of the energy it contained is shunted into the spell construct Nicomachea has loaded. A sphere of intensely bright golden energy forms at the center of the circle, barely-coherent and quivering as if *needing* to fly apart.... then stills, collapses to a point, and out lances a coruscating beam of white-gold energy...<br> <br>That sweeps across the paper at just the right angle to snip the paper in half.<br> <br>The explosions that occur disintegrate the top half, and much of the back of the office building, and are kind of excessive for the purpose really.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:43|Tsuki no Mitsubachi (43)}} has posed:'''<br>The paper is torn to shreds under a force of dedicated teamwork, and from the shredded remains, a black-purple butterfly flies free, diving to avoid launched-fighter-pilot Cupid Bow or jet-propelled Robo Amy. <br><br>With the butterfly's freedom, comes Sailor Eclipse's downfall - her transformation falls away in a rush of energy, leaving usagi Tsukino - colorfully dressed, wide eyed, Usagi Tsukino - standing with her friends... two of whom are still toys and one of whom is not a toy but is flying right for her. <br><br>"Wah, wait, hold on a minute - what are you?" <br><br>This is for the unusual creature floating next to her, insect-like and clearly intelligent, and tentatively, she holds up her hands, offering a landing space if the little creature would like to do so. <br><br>"Are you with... Ladybug?" wait. Ladybug. Where did - "Wah, oh no, did I ''kill her'', what the heck?!?" <br><br>At this point, the building over to the side, with a hole broken in where Casual Friday crashed through, lights up as a golden beam of energy bursts out the back of the building. Usagi freezes, staring at in horror, and then goes running towards the building, not even noticing the purple butterfly that's desperately trying to catch up to her. <br><br>Mamoru's purple butterfly is uh. It's better referenced as The Dust Pile Formerly Known As Akuma, now. No need to purify that one. It's just gone. <br><br>The toys are still toys. The paper airplanes are still paper airplanes. And the Barrier is still up. <br><br>"MAMOCHAN!" <br><br>Aaaand Usagi baseball-slide-crashes right into Mamoru as she bursts through hole in the building to make sure he's okay.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:156|Hawkmoth (156)}} has posed:'''<br>Hawkmoth is climbing down the building, at fairly rapid speed too, when the connection to the two villains breaks. <br><br>"No!" <br><br>One Butterfly is still in tact, and he calls furiously - <br><br>"Catch her! Catch Usagi Tsukino, before she loses that Miraculous!"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:38|Mamoru Chiba (38)}} has posed:'''<br>Casual Friday has literally no idea what-all is going on outside of his little bubble of crashed-through office building and Rashmi and Kazuo, now, other than apparently Sailor Eclipse got the Miraculous which is going to be a problem--<br><br>--but he's got his hands full right here.<br><br>He's sort of flinching back, waiting to get a faceful of Solar Buster because Rashmi's hand is not extended in help-up but in friendship beam mode, and then Kazuo shows up and Casual Friday looks at him upside down, and his eyes widen and ''shine''.<br><br>Oh how they shine, clearing of the glittering petty vengefulness that was all the akuma could awaken from his fury, and then Kazuo's taking the paper out of his pocket and he's hugging Kazuo's leg.<br><br>"Yay!" he says, and then Rashmi blows out the back of the other side of the building.<br><br>Less than five seconds later he's got Usagi crashing into him from the other side, and he oofs, back in his band shirt and jeans and white button-down, and he keeps hold of Kazuo with one arm and hugs Usagi with the other. He says with absurd amounts of bright relief, "Kazuo fixed it. He fixed the paperwork!" And then he calls over to Rashmi, "Kazuo fixed the paperwork I get to have a home!"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:154|Marinette (154)}} has posed:'''<br>The little bug, the...ladybug? Flies up to Usagi's ear. To all purposes, it seems like it's just ...no, that is NOT normal behaviour. It's clearly whispering.<br><br>'I know this is sudden, but I need you to do something, Usagi. I'm Tikki, and you've got to be Ladybug. Just for a moment. Okay? Can you use a yo-yo?'<br><br>Then, instructions. Rapidly whispered, while it's all happening around them. SO MUCH INSTRUCTIONS!<br><br>Wait. TALKING BUG?<br><br>Um. Also? Outside the barrier, in the normal world, a bluenette kneels. Her eyes are tearful, and her ears, bare.<br><br>"Tikki?" Marinette asks, looking around.<br><br>Standing, the French girl calls out, as the rest have their magical life. Their adventures, their friends. She calls out one last time, praying.<br><br>"Anybody?"<br><br>A moment later, she turns and walks off. Normal. Stupid, and clumsy. Get my homework done after all.<br><br>She's so silly. This is not remotely over. :)<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:226|Bow (226)}} has posed:'''<br>Good news. Usagi is free! <br>Better news. Bow is no longer cursed to be a toy. <br>Bad news. Bow was still in the air when he changed back. <br><br>Slamming into the ground with an ooph of breath being knocked out of him, the Etherian slides to a halt in the grass and groans. <br><br>As that happens, the dog that had roughed him up earlier returns. He sniffs at Bow a couple of times and then starts licking his face. "Uuuuuugh." he grunts, pushing the dog away so he can move to a sitting position. "I'm going to feel all of this in the morning."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:107|Amy Faust (107)}} has posed:'''<br>MEANWHILE<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Clarthas pauses mid-bite, takoyaki on a stick held up to his mouth, as he squints. Yeah that is definitely one of the bosses. Climbing down the side of the building.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Clarthas resumes chewing his takoyaki and is inwardly very glad that ''he'' learned how to fly.<br><br>HERE<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;YES, THEY GOT IT! "GO TEAM TOY!" Toy Amy flies over to high-five Bear Bow, Sailor Eclipse is Usagi again, thank GODS--<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Half of a building falls over behind Amy. She looks back, and points, "I DIDN'T DO THAT EITHER!"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And then Usagi and Chiba-san are shouting and the toy version of their friend flies over to them, "Congratulations!"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She hefts up an oversized launcher over their heads, and it ejects a cloud of confetti into the air with a POP! sound, because toy logic!<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:45|Sailor Jupiter (45)}} has posed:'''<br>The teamwork could hardly have been better-coordinated if they'd planned it in advance. Sailor Jupiter takes maybe half a second to breathe out a sigh of relief as Usagi, back to herself, books it into the building in search of Mamoru.<br><br>Then she spots the butterfly.<br><br>There is ''probably'' a better way to manage this. Maybe. But after All Of That, Jupiter sure isn't waiting to find out. The only warning anyone gets is a rumble out of the suddenly-darkening sky overhead, never mind the barrier, and the bellow: "SUPREME THUNDER!"<br><br>''Kra-THOOM!''<br><br>Lightning stabs down from above in a torrent of light and sound, centered on that desperately fluttering little purple-black butterfly.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:58|Kazuo Saitou (58)}} has posed:'''<br>Kazuo didn't need that knee. Fortunately there is a Mamoru there, so that will be dealt with later. "All I did was call your lawyers," he says mildly. "''They'' fixed the paperwork." And he glances upward warily. Who exactly is going to fix the ceilings? Hopefully there's enough support that missing the ''back of the building'' won't be a problem for long enough for them to resol--<br><br>-- something is whispering to Usagi.<br><br>Kazuo glances over at Page Mage to see if that makes any sense to ''her.''<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:41|Rashmi Terios (41)}} has posed:'''<br>"...Oh good," the exhausted, blasted-to-heck, and wearily victorious Rashmi says as Mamo shouts the news, her wings flickering as she ambles down to the ground. "Let me know when you're all moved in, and I'll bring the housewarming gifts! But uh... We really should be anywhere else. Not just because I'm not sure how long this building is gonna stay up, but... we *really* don't want to be in the middle of a crowd when I take the Barrier down."<br> <br>Then a tiny bug is... whispering to Usagi? Rashmi blinks, lifts her glasses, blinks again, then meets Kazuo's glance and simply shrugs. "Miraculous stuff, I guess?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:156|Hawkmoth (156)}} has posed:'''<br>The poor little butterfly is vaporized out of existence. Somewhere in Mitakihara (on the twenty-seventh floor of Obsidian Tower's fire escape), Hawkmoth shouts in impotent fury. <br><br>"CURSE YOU, SAILOR JUPITER!" <br><br>Eh, surely that won't be a problem later.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:43|Tsuki no Mitsubachi (43)}} has posed:'''<br>Here's the thing: Usagi's priorities are always her people, first. And Mamoru is the one who was most upset, and who was upset in the same very specific way that she was, so, naturally, she's paying more attention to him. But he's beaming and saying that Kazuo fixed it, and she's delighted and throws her arms around him tight and squeezes and kisses his cheek with a delighted smile. <br><br>"Yay! Kazuo-kun, you're a hero!" <br><br>Kazuo says he called the lawyers. <br><br>"Kazuo-kun, you ''have the magic of controlling lawyers''! You're a ''hero!!!" <br><br>To a girl with half a family of lawyers, judges, and politicians, this is even more heroic than just being a magical warrior. <br><br>Aaaand then she notices that the little being is actually talking to her! Whispering in her ear. She's got to be Ladybug?! But?! Um?! No, she has to give this back to Real Ladybug - oh it's just for a moment? Well? Okay... <br><br>Okay... <br><br>And so she gets away from the others, waving awkwardly, "So, um, I was a little ''too'' good at being evil and now I've got to fix this, so - Tikki! Spots on!" <br><br>There's a Transformation Sequence. <br><br>First, the domino mask appears on Usagi's face, and then her hair darkens until it's pitch black, looping into double buns, each marked with a red ribbon. A little headband on her head, with black antenna. Then, her clothes transform, a black body suit, under a capelet and skirt, both red with black spots. Gloves on her hands, with red fingers to match the red on her skirt and capelet. <br><br>She strikes a very familiar pose, and then blinks at the yo-yo in her hands. <br><br>"Tsuki no Mitsubachi at your service! I'm not very good at this, but, let me fix things up!" <br><br>"Miraculous Ladybug?!" <br><br>And she spins the yo-yo, sweeping up the dust of what remains of the two butterflies as the poor yo-yo swings wildly around the room, before it glows, bright and she launches it upwards. A white light echoes, and thousands of ladybugs spill out of the area, sweeping across the 'screen' as it were. When they recede, the Barrier is down, and the damage that was done - what little of it there was in the real world - is gone, all the people who had been toys or been pinned to walls now back at their desks and going about their lives as though they hadn't been messed with at all. They're blinking about in confusion. <br><br>Tsuki no Mitsubachi is too, honestly. <br><br>"Does... anyone know who Ladybug really is? I do ''not'' want two, super important magical artifacts... ahahaha..."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:107|Amy Faust (107)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amy remembers to switch out of robot-mode and flits over to Bow. "Maybe you won't!" She holds a hand to her chin, "Can plush and stuffing even ''get'' sore in a way that translates to flesh when we change back? Magic brings up so many questions. But pay attention to the experience I want to get your thoughts on what it was like later!"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And she flits back over to Usagi like a hyperactive fairy, as if all of Amy's energy has been compressed down into this smaller size and intensified. "And thank you for thinking of me in your own way even when you were evil. I appreciate the thought of trying to make me cuter." She smiles and waves as Usagi runs off in a hurry for some reason, her mind on other things than why would Usagi need to run away ''here, now.''<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;''First,'' she turns back to Bow and shouts, "It lasted for an hour at most last time!"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And speaking of however much time this lasts for, ''second'', she flies up to Rashmi with the look of a hopeful child about to ask if she can have a turn with the cool toy or on the cool ride, "Can I have a flight spell? Combined with this I am gonna fly ''so'' fast until this wears--"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And then everyone is changed back and Amy is abruptly hovering a couple of feet in the air and falls. Thankful again for her costume's kneepads and chestplate. "--off."<br> <br>
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