Difference between revisions of "397/The Witch That Ate Tokyo"

From Radiant Heart MUSH

(Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2023/09/09 |Location=Mitakihara Ward |Synopsis=A foot chase across the neighborhood results when a Witch is on the run. |Cast of Characters=128,107...")
 
 
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:'''{{#var:38|Mamoru Chiba (38)}} has posed:'''<br>"Hi," says Hematite to Yellow Pearl Voice, "yeah. I'm being ''really'' nice. So, you're welcome." That's a little rude, but given what he said the last time they saw each other -- at the zoo -- and the fact that she was singing again, there's probably reason for it.<br><br>Then he holds out his hands, taking one of Sailor Moon's and leaving the other free, and he says, "Circle up if you want to teleport to one of the rooftops at school."<br><br>Villains go to school?!<br><br>"Five, four, three, two, one--"<br><br>And then whoever's joined hands when he finishes counting actually ''do'' end up on one of the rooftops at school. No Dusk Zone tomfoolery here.<br> <br>
 
:'''{{#var:38|Mamoru Chiba (38)}} has posed:'''<br>"Hi," says Hematite to Yellow Pearl Voice, "yeah. I'm being ''really'' nice. So, you're welcome." That's a little rude, but given what he said the last time they saw each other -- at the zoo -- and the fact that she was singing again, there's probably reason for it.<br><br>Then he holds out his hands, taking one of Sailor Moon's and leaving the other free, and he says, "Circle up if you want to teleport to one of the rooftops at school."<br><br>Villains go to school?!<br><br>"Five, four, three, two, one--"<br><br>And then whoever's joined hands when he finishes counting actually ''do'' end up on one of the rooftops at school. No Dusk Zone tomfoolery here.<br> <br>
 
:'''{{#var:55|Coco (55)}} has posed:'''<br>Coco nods at Sailor Moon's exclamation. "Yes, I don't think you should be trying to convince them to put themselves in the way of danger", she gestures around at the witch's damage, "out of a misguided sense to emulate your heroes. And..." she starts saying before closing her mouth.<br><br>She doesn't want to start the discussion about Kyubey all over again, so instead she chooses to address Amy's question. "And I don't know where is the Grief Seed", Coco tells Amy. She certainly missed it in the explosion of light that happened when the witch died. She looks around anyway now that is no longer an issue but she sees none of it still.<br><br>She accepts Hematite's offer, forming a circle with everyone else. "Thank you for the lift", she says despite the rude undertone he was carrying towards her. "Wait, do you know something about Gaito or a Sealing Key?" she asks before he goes away.<br> <br>
 
 
:'''{{#var:107|Amy Faust (107)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amy blinks at Sailor Moon. "They won't remember, but... didn't you want to be a hero?" Still, she doesn't protest further as she, if no one else does, uses magical girl strength to princess carry Magda to...<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A teleport circle?<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Oh damn, that was cool!"<br> <br>
 
 
:'''{{#var:43|Sailor Moon (43)}} has posed:'''<br>Sailor Moon says, "Absolutely not," Sailor Moon tells Amy bluntly, thinking about how everything in her life that's bad now is because of her stupid broach, stupid powers, and encounters with stupid villains. She doesn't have to take Hematite's hand - he never dropped hers. When the teleport is finished, and they're back at school, she sighs. <br><br>"What was all that about monsters dropping rewards, anyway? I've fought tons of dumb monsters and they never gave anything away.""<br> <br>
 
 
:'''{{#var:57|Chiyo Sakai (57)}} has posed:'''<br>At the suggestion of 'getting out of there' and the offer to teleport comes, Daifuku steps over to reach for Sailor Moon's hand giving it a squeeze. She knew her. She would trust her. It's a sentiment she hopes can be conveyed through the simple touch without having to get into words. If Sailor Moon trusted Hematite then she would too for now.<br><br>Just not enuogh to take Hematite's hand. Are you serious? Take the hand of the guy that's acting super protective of Sailor Moon? That just seemed like a dumb idea. No way was she getting in between that--She'd learned her lesson after trying to set up Darien and Usagi.<br><br>Stepping away once on the roof she clears her throat at the talk of witches. She only knew a little. Just enough to make them unpleasant. "I don't really know much about it, though I was told by some who were more informed that those 'seeds' they drop need to be 'eaten' by... That." She ends gesturing toward Kyubey.<br> <br>
 
 
:'''{{#var:107|Amy Faust (107)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Absolutely Not! "Huh, really?" Since when do monsters drop loot? Amy huhs? "But you were at the Circus Witch... oh yeah we left in a hurry that time. Well, Witches drop grief seeds -- or, they're <span class="underline fg_n bg_n ++ u">supposed</span> to -- which is how us Puella Magi get our powers back." She briefly changes the soul gem to its 'normal' form, its bright red tainted by... the player has lost track, so we'll say less than a quarter of darkness. "Since we're not... mermaid princesses, or tied to planets? Or chosen by fate, or whatever, we don't have unlimited magic." She pulls the grief seed Teresia gave her earlier from her pouch, already mostly full, and... hesitates before touching the gem. "Uhh, Magda, do you need any?"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Magdas or Amy's or a little of both, the others see the grief seed drain darkness and cleanse soul gems until it is full, and Amy just casually tosses it underhand at Kyubey.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"...Hunting Witches is something we'd do anyway though, since they're so awful." Amy adds.<br> <br>
 
 
:'''{{#var:38|Mamoru Chiba (38)}} has posed:'''<br>He still doesn't let go-- but he should, he should get away from them all, now, before he--<br><br>"I have to go, I'm sorry. I don't know anything about those, Yellow Pearl Voice," he says, distracted by all the things he's suppressing to ''still be here'', and then he leans to whisper something to Sailor Moon, lets go, and vanishes without managing to look at anyone else.<br><br>What did he whisper?<br><br>''I shouldn't hear this. Call me when you want.''<br> <br>
 
 
:'''{{#var:55|Coco (55)}} has posed:'''<br>Coco nods at Hematite's reply answering before he disappears. "I guess it was worth asking, thanks anyway." Then the figure vanishes, leaving them alone on the rooftop.<br><br>Coco takes a look at the Soul Gem as Amy starts cleasing it, finding relief in seeing it a pure red. "That was quite weird for a witch, don't you think?"<br> <br>
 
 
:'''{{#var:107|Amy Faust (107)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;People who haven't seen it before get to see the way that Kyubey functions as a wastebasket for grief seeds. Yup. That just happened. All the while he just keeps that same :3 expression. He starts licking his paw and grooming his ear afterward.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amy shrugs, the soul gem magically reshaping to be a small watch-sized thing on her wrist. "All Witches are weird. I'm not sure what would be 'normal' for one. ...I'm not sure that's a concept that applies to things from outside reality."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;This is her headcanon theory about their origin, anyway.<br> <br>
 
 
:'''{{#var:43|Sailor Moon (43)}} has posed:'''<br>Sailor Moon squeezes Hematite's hand before he goes, and her smile dims just a little. When he vanishes, her hand is still held out just slightly, missing his. She sighs, and then turns to Amy with a frown. "Okay... two things. One, I didn't realize that circus Witch... left something, but you handled it? And two - the Mysterious Knight - that was him who just left - you should be careful with what you say to him. He won't always be your ally." <br><br>This is something she's saying to everyone, her voice raised a bit, turning to look at them all, avoiding Chiyo's eyes just a bit, because - well. Chiyo might be the only one who realizes that when she says that, she's only referring to the rest of them. Hematite will always be ''her'' ally, she's sure of that, but the rest of them... <br><br>The demonstration of the grief seed's power was disconcerting, if only because - "What happens if you don't have one of those? You don't really... die, do you?" <br><br>She remembers Yelllow Pearl Voice's sharp condemnation, and as the creature devours the object, she grimaces. "Are you Kyubey?" <br><br>Definitely not as cute as Luna. Evil Luna indeed....<br> <br>
 
 
:'''{{#var:57|Chiyo Sakai (57)}} has posed:'''<br>The explanation of how the Greif Seed works was far more in-depth than what Daifuku had been told before. Seeing it at work was unexpected, too, and she purses her lips a bit feeling uneasy over the situation for some reason. She couldn't quite put her finger on it.<br><br>Hematite leaves then, and her expression shifts back to neutrality as much as she can. Though it was hard--In this guise she didn't feel the need to be proper, or mannered, or anything else the constraints of society had burdened her with in her civilian life. This was just her. Raw and unfiltered. Unrestrained. <br><br>Which is perhaps why she listens very. Very intently to what Sailor Moon says about the 'Mysterious Knight' she hadn't heard of before. Her head inclines a single time.<br><br>"I'll be certain to watch what I say around him."<br><br>Then she looks over all of them. "Is everyone all right, by the way?"<br> <br>
 
 
:'''{{#var:107|Amy Faust (107)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amy blinks, and says dryly to Usagi, "Oh, sure, *that* wasn't important to say earlier, but *I'm* the irresponsible one." She's not actually mad though.<br><br>&gt; You don't really... die, do you?<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amy stiffens for the briefest moment before relaxing again, and sighing. She puts one hand on her hip. "Apparently, yes. Although, you've seen Witches. What do you think would happen shortly after if I ran out of magic while fighting one? So it's a rather academic description. ...I mean distinction. Ugh, words."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Kyubey turns those red eyes toward Usagi. The cheerful little boy's voice responds, "That's me! Girls make contracts with me in order to become magical girls, and have their wishes granted! ...You can't make a contract with me, though. You're already a magical girl."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;He circles around Magda, padding from one shoulder to the other like a cat looking for a comfortable spot.<br> <br>
 
 
:'''{{#var:55|Coco (55)}} has posed:'''<br>Coco nods as Usagi starts explaining the situation with the Mysterious Knight. "I see, I see, so when are you going to drag your beloved to our side?" she comments in a sagely manner. The way he cared for her, the way they looked at each other... It all made sense now.<br><br>She approaches Sailor Moon and start whispering conspiratorially close to her. "You know, I am pretty sure I could work out something for you. Sure, I have never had to deal with people on different sides of a conflict, but I am willing not to let that stop me. He is already aiming for the Moon." She winks at the other girl.<br><br>Coco goes back smiling to Guardian Daifuku. "Yep, all good here."<br> <br>
 
 
:'''{{#var:43|Sailor Moon (43)}} has posed:'''<br>"It might have hurt his feelings," Usagi says, only a little sheepishly. It's not that she likes Darien more than the rest of her friends - she doesn't! Really! Well, not more than Chiyo-chan, anyway! But she wasn't going to risk his feelings for it, not when anything was actually wrong... She's staying in her henshin, because she feels better that way, particularly whent hat not-so-cute creature looks at her. He talks like a little kid - she doesn't like it, at all. <br><br>"Well, that sounds like a bad deal. You have to have those prizes from the Witch, but they don't always drop loot, but if you don't get the loot you'll die... it sounds like a bad gacha game." <br><br>She has played her share of them! She knows a scam when she hears about one from a biased third party! <br><br>"And home it's just girls? What about boys, and like, people who aren't boys or girls?" <br><br>This might have turned into a debate, if not for - <br><br>"MY WHAT?!" <br><br>Her eyes are huge. Her jaw is dropped. As Coco whispers conspirationally, she shrieks in embarassment and starts waving her hands around. "It's not like that!! It's not like that at all!!!!"<br> <br>
 
 
:'''{{#var:107|Amy Faust (107)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;:3 "Humans are not all the same. Those who don't want to fight as a magical girl should not make a contract with me."<br><br>&gt; How come it's just magical GIRLS, Kyubey?<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amy holds a finger to her chin thoughtfully, and opens her mouth, and then USAGI IS SHOUTNG.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amy slumps. "Ugh, *teenagers*." But, she considers how she's felt, dealing with matters of the heart. Swept up by Hannah. Wanting to see her again. Hannah's disappearance ripping her heart -- which, it seems, really has become a girl's -- out right before the Circus Witch and HEY WAIT A MINUTE HANNAH IS TRAGAR-CHAN SHE WAS THERE THE WHOLE TIME WHY DID SHE DO THAT?!<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And yeah. And yeah. Feel that feeling and know others go through it too.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amy takes a deep breath and lets it out as she stands up straight. "It's okay. You don't have to hide or be ashamed of... whatever your relationship with him is. Even if it's just friends! Boys and girls can be friends. We're all just people and want a lot of the same things. Including friendship."<br> <br>
 
 
:'''{{#var:55|Coco (55)}} has posed:'''<br>"Hey, Sailor Moon, calm down, you can be real with me", Coco smiles at her. "The sooner you are honest with your feelings, the sooner you can start working on grasping your happiness." She brings out a white variant of the Morning Moon Music Box. From where? Who knows, don't question it. "Here, take this music box. It's not magic, but hopefully it will help you come to terms with your feelings. If you change your mind, just let it play in the middle of campus and I will be over in a second, alright?"<br> <br>
 
 
:'''{{#var:57|Chiyo Sakai (57)}} has posed:'''<br>"She already has a boyf--" No. No stop right there. Daifuku pauses abruptly deciding not to go there. There were too many oddities right now and besides that Usagi was already screeching about it being wrong. She wasn't supposed to know Sailor Moon's secret identity! Or at least not let anyone else know she knew.<br><br>Her hand raises to cover her mouth with a fist as she clears her throat awkwardly. "I've seen magical boys too. Are there also Sailor boys?" Is that what they'd be called? Sailors or Seamen? She tries to focus on that instead of the 'boyfriend' thing in general right now. It might be safer.<br><br>"Those device users seem to have a fair amount of boys among them."<br> <br>
 
 
:'''{{#var:43|Sailor Moon (43)}} has posed:'''<br>"There is nothing to talk about! I don't need a music box! I have no feelings that need to be resolved!!!" She waves her arms around, a whirlwind of activity of just no no no absolutely not - CHIYO-CHAN THE BETRAYAL - <br><br>"There are only girls in the Senshi so far - the Sailor Senshi - but that's not the same, because Senshi aren't chosen, they're born." This is not a big secret, as far as she's concerned, and it's a great distraction topic, so - <br><br>"What was that about why there had to be girls only for making contracts, Mr. Kyubey?"<br> <br>
 
 
:'''{{#var:107|Amy Faust (107)}} has posed:'''<br>Sailor boys! Sailors? Seamen?<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"We're not calling teenage boys that." Amanda protests dryly.<br><br>&gt;HEY KYUBEY WHY CAN ONLY SHOUJO BECOME MAHOU SHOUJO?!<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;When the camera pans back over there's just a dotted Kyubey-shaped outline that blinks a few times for emphasis to the viewers. Maybe he decided to be elsewhere during all the yelling.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amy raises her hand. "Uhhhm. We musta misunderstood, or he misspoke, because I'm a-- err, I'm (ore) a boy." She winces as she says it.<br> <br>
 
 
:'''{{#var:55|Coco (55)}} has posed:'''<br>"Like I said, it's alright, but I won't press it further for now. Just sleep on it, alright?" Coco gives Usagi a comforting smile, making the music box disappear into the same illogical nowhere it came from. Instead she produces a piece of paper and a pen to give Usagi her number. "Here, you can have this if you need me." Usagi knows Coco's true identity.<br><br>"Oh, you are born into the role too. That's the same thing for the mermaid princesses. Where are you born from?" she asks curiously. "In our case, we are born from these pearls", she adds, showing Usagi the pearl currently on her E-Pitch microphone.<br><br>When Amy announces her origin for everyone to hear, Coco just tells her with a hint of melancholy. "I hope you are confident this is the road you want to travel on, Amy."<br> <br>
 
 
:'''{{#var:107|Amy Faust (107)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amy perhaps misunderstands Coco's meaning. "<span style="color:#ffd7ff">I'm--</span> err, <span style="color:#d7ffff">I'm</span> fighting alongside them and risking my life. It's... There's no need to keep secrets." Still, she looks away awkwardly, occasionally glancing at Usagi and Daifuku for their reactions.<br> <br>
 
 
:'''{{#var:57|Chiyo Sakai (57)}} has posed:'''<br>Guardian Daifuku bites her lower look looking toward Sailor Moon in a guilty fashion. Oops! She got cut off at least, and maybe Yellow Pearl didn't hear her over it. Let's hope. She'd still have to apologize properly to Usagi later about that little slip.<br><br>Grasping onto the topic of origins again she considers. "I guess I was chosen? But not like with a contract. I found--" The thought dies off as she looks over toward Amy blinking a bit.<br><br>"Really?" A bit confused she regards Amy further before she decides to give a shrug. "You, ah, you wear the outfit well."<br> <br>
 
 
:'''{{#var:107|Amy Faust (107)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Oh no that's worse. That's somehow <span class="underline fg_n bg_n ++ u">worse</span>. That's exactly why she winced as the words 'otoko no ko' (boy) left her mouth. Amy physically cringes. She holds out her hands in a 'stop, this is a misunderstanding!' gesture while stepping back. "No, I mean, a boy, not a 'boy'... ugh, language! A man. I mean I *was* a man. I mean..." She looks away, awkward and ashamed. "I'm a magical girl now. And. The physical transformation is permanent. Maybe I shouldn't have said anything, but I thought I was clearing up..." she shakes her head. "Ugh, I don't know..."<br> <br>
 
 
:'''{{#var:43|Sailor Moon (43)}} has posed:'''<br>Usagi holds up a hand, asking for silent and - confused. She looks at Amy. She looks at Kyu- oh he's gone. What a ''coward''. And then she frowns a little more and... "I don't get it," she declares after a moment. "You're Amy, right? If you transformed into a girl and you picked a girl name and you wear girl clothes, I think you're just a girl?"<br> <br>
 
 
:'''{{#var:107|Amy Faust (107)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amy is shamefully awaiting judgement for being weird, and gets... something else instead. She blinks at Usagi, stunned. "Wh...what?"<br> <br>
 
 
:'''{{#var:57|Chiyo Sakai (57)}} has posed:'''<br>Guardian Daifuku has to smile a bit at Sailor Moon's own remark. It was better said than she could have. Frankly she was still trying to connect the string from one point to another in the mental map in her head to figure out what Amy had described. It wasn't working.<br><br>"We can call you something else if you want, but if you want to be called Amy then that's who you are."<br> <br>
 
 
:'''{{#var:55|Coco (55)}} has posed:'''<br>Coco just nods silently at the other two's reactions, offering Amy a smile.<br> <br>
 
 
:'''{{#var:43|Sailor Moon (43)}} has posed:'''<br>"If you have a girl's name and a girl's outfit and a girl's magic apparently," she rolls her eyes a little because that thing sounds dumb, still, "Then you're a girl." <br><br>Pause. <br><br>"I mean, if you ''want'' to be, at least."<br> <br>
 
 
:'''{{#var:57|Chiyo Sakai (57)}} has posed:'''<br>Guardian Daifuku shifts her weight away from the group to glance off in the direction of the city again. "I'm sorry, I really can't stay to chat much longer. I have other things I need to see to before the day is through." An apologetic smile is offered to the trio, and she focuses breifly on Amy.<br><br>"Thank you for sharing that with us. It must have been hard. You're very brave."<br><br>Yellow Pearl earns a nod as well, "Take care." And Sailor Moon... Well, she gets a smile. "Things will get better."<br><br>That's all she can offer without getting into more detail than ought to be spoken of at the moment. Turning away she jumps off the building to sprint away. No teleporting or flying here sadly.<br> <br>
 
 
:'''{{#var:107|Amy Faust (107)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amy winces at the thought of her friends and allies calling her something else. But still... "But..." She looks between the three of them. "I can't just... you can't just... be a girl... I don't... *get* to... I mean... I guess I *get* to, kinda, but it's lying to you all... and I hate lying..."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;If she wants to? Amy shifts unsteadily and drops to her knees. "I... of course I want to... these past couple months have been the best thing that's ever happened to me! But... it can't really be... that..."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Well, turn this around, Mallory, imagine it from the other side. Suppose you're hanging out with friends and this guy joins the group, you get to know eachother, he's cool, and then one day, he explains that he used to be a woman but he's actually pretty happy to be a guy and would rather be treated as a guy if they'd accept him. But he, y'know, err, 'she', she insists, doesn't want to lie, or intrude in men's spaces or whatever, but just feels really great to be accepted as a guy and honestly he knows it's weird but he feels like a really *special* girl getting to be one of the guys and have this experience. What would Mallory say to him? Like no offense but how are you a girl? What makes you a girl, hypothetical dude? You were born as one? Wait this example is literally just a trans guy. Who, Mallory has thought-experimented to understand, is someone who is basically in the same situation as if he was turned into a girl, except uh, THAT HAPPENED and... the hypothetical guy would rather be a guy just like he's turned out to prefer being a girl and OH NO.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;OH *NO*.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="bold_fg_x bg_n ++ hx">oh no</span><br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Returning from his reverie, he looks up at the others. "<span style="color:#d7ffff">I'M</span> <span style="color:#ffffff">A</span> <span style="color:#ffd7ff">GIRL?!</span>"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She corrects the pronoun, repeating more softly, "I'm a girl."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I... I... I was a girl the WHOLE TIME?!"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amy drops to her hands and knees, staring at the ground in a whirlwind of shock, relief, and confusion.<br> <br>
 
 
:'''{{#var:55|Coco (55)}} has posed:'''<br>Coco kneels down and looks at Amy straight in the eyes. "Don't you feel better now that you have realised?" she smiles. "Congratulations, Amy", she says, giving the redhead a hug.<br> <br>
 
 
:'''{{#var:43|Sailor Moon (43)}} has posed:'''<br>Sailor Moon - Usagi - does not really understand the scale of revalation that's occurring. This all seems pretty obvious too her. Her brother Shingo would have hated dressing up as a girl and getting called a girl's name all this time and she probably wouldn't like it too much bif people called her a boy all the time, so - <br><br>"Yeah? I know? Um. There, there?" <br><br>She walks up and pats Amy on the shoulder.<br> <br>
 
 
:'''{{#var:107|Amy Faust (107)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amy lifts her head to look into Coco's eyes. "You knew? How?" And then she's wrapped up in a hug and she closes her eyes and hugs Coco back tightly. At the shoulderpat, she adds, "Thanks... I guess? It's... I'm, this is pretty confusing, um... wh-what do I do now?"<br> <br>
 
 
:'''{{#var:55|Coco (55)}} has posed:'''<br>"The joy you had at being yourself couldn't be faked or mistaken, Amy" Coco replies, making some space for Usagi to pat Amy on the shoulder. "Besides enjoying yourself now you don't have that baggage anymore? Nothing you haven't already been doing. Oh, but if there is anything you feel you have been denying yourself, we can go do that."<br> <br>
 
 
:'''{{#var:43|Sailor Moon (43)}} has posed:'''<br>"I mean, you acted like a girl and had a girl's name, so I kinda just figured," Usagi says, with far less wisdom and grace and a lot more bafflement. "I didn't know it was a surprise? Or that you were.... conflicted about it?"<br> <br>
 
 
:'''{{#var:107|Amy Faust (107)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Now hold on a second, there are clearly a *lot* of guys who would rather be girls, as he's -- she's constantly reminded of how her life is like those stories... but she can puzzle that out later.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;To Coco, she answers, "I can't think of anything... but I guess there will probably be stuff..."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;To Usagi, she answers, "W-well, you haven't been told you're a guy for thirty-six years... And had the body of one... I thought trans people all *knew*!" beat. She lifts one slim, dainty hand and looks at it, smiling wide. "Holy shit, I really lucked out, getting magic." She starts to imagine having this realization in some timeline where she did *not* and her brain just rejects and refuses, she has enough troubles.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"So I just... damn, I get... this life, instead? I was... I mean I figured I had to, since it kinda came with the magical girl package, a-and I was just, doing what I had to do to help fight evil, but..." she trails off, not really sure where she was going with that.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Wait, I acted like a girl?" A smile comes to her face again as she looks up at Usagi, "I mean, I, I wasn't really trying to do anything in particular except not get caught..."<br> <br>
 
 
:'''{{#var:43|Sailor Moon (43)}} has posed:'''<br>"I don't really ''get'' it," Usagi says simply, because she is, at the end of the day, but a fourteen year old girl. "I mean! You were a girl. Are a girl. I've only known you as a girl." A pause. "I mean, maybe there's someone who could explain it, but I think if you were a boy, you wouldn't have just been okay to go along with having to be a girl now? You could have just kept your boy name and dressed like a boy and enrolled as a boy. But you didn't, so, I guess all trans people ''don't'' always know?" <br><br>She's apparently accidentally helped with a revelation but! She really doesn't get it. Maybe if she had spent her whole life being someone different, but, she hasn't so... <br><br>"So we can still call you Amy, right?"<br> <br>
 
 
:'''{{#var:107|Amy Faust (107)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amy considers this. SOME of the stories do go that way. It is physically possible that she could have, despite the name on the invitation (WAIT, DID THEY KNOW?!), told everyone to call her Mallory and dressed like a guy... hell, with this body type, aside from being a really SHORT guy, she coulda passed! ...For a prepubescent boy, maybe. But puberty could just be hitting 'him' late, it would work for awhile! There are androgynous-looking boys. He could just say he hasn't had his growth spurt yet! (Wait, *is* she going to grow taller? She kind of doesn't want to. Is it okay to want to not get taller? Guys are supposed to want to be tall--but SHE'S NOT A GUY.)<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amy smiles. Wait, what was she thinking about again? Oh right. "I... could've... done that, but... it just seemed like... it'd be calling more attention to myself. Plus this way maybe I get to experience some girl stuff-- You're *sure* guys aren't curious about that? Not even a little? Like, scientifically? Who *wouldn't* wanna know, right?"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Y-yeah of course you can call me Amy. I *picked* it, after all, in case I ever needed a girl's name for some reason."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"...Okay now that that came out of my mouth I hear it, but do people really not do that? Not at all?"<br> <br>
 
 
:'''{{#var:55|Coco (55)}} has posed:'''<br>"Oh, I have been given that explanation", yells Coco suddenly as Usagi reacts with confusion. "Well, this is actually the marine version I know, but same difference, right?" she comments with an awkward smile. "Now, underwater we have divided in seven kinds of merfolk. But there is also the pure white light of the group, so to speak, because that's what this colour group amounts to." She takes a breath. Explaining it all could help out Amy, but she isn't going to achieve superhuman speed just with that.<br><br>"Anyway, this group matures and refines their sense of self as they grow, and their bodies change accordingly, as well as getting a colour allegiance to one of the seven kingdoms. Now you humans can't change bodies on your own, but besides that the principle is the same."<br> <br>
 
 
:'''{{#var:43|Sailor Moon (43)}} has posed:'''<br>"Well, I'm just ''one'' girl, not even a boy, so I can't say that every boy doesn't feel like that, because that would be kind of rude, but, even if there are boys who want to try out being girls and then realize they're still a boy, or they know they're a boy but still want to see what it's like, if ''you're'' happy to be a girl, you're probably just a girl?" <br><br>Like, why does it matter if anyone else would feel differently? <br><br>"Amy-chan, if you want to be a girl, I think it's because you're a girl. And even if some other you out there in the universe maybe wouldn't want to be, the person you are right now is so why stress?"<br> <br>
 
 
:'''{{#var:107|Amy Faust (107)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amy blinks at Usagi. "Huh? No I meant, like haven't you ever thought about being a guy, or a name, or... people really don't think about this, huh..."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Coco discusses the white merfolk. "So it's like... they get to figure out who they are and then be it, is what you're saying? Which of the seven kinds they are, kinda like getting to decide between being a guy and a girl? Or to... realize which one you were all along and change your body to fit, rather?"<br> <br>
 
 
:'''{{#var:43|Sailor Moon (43)}} has posed:'''<br>"I haven't, not really. I mean, I was a boy once, with my disguise pen, because I was curious, but I never really like, wanted to be a boy. But! We're just a few people. Not like, every people, you know? So don't assume it off of me, and... I guess, that would be pretty cool, Yellow Pearl, to figure it all out, and then look a way. But, I'm pretty lucky, because I pretty much like the way I look?" <br><br>Hmmmm. Yeah, she thinks she's fine with the way she looks. And the way she is. The magical girl part is pretty... bad, right now, but, that was apparently not a choice, so..<br> <br>
 
 
:'''{{#var:55|Coco (55)}} has posed:'''<br>Coco nods assertively. "You got the gist of it right: the system of 7 is a separate deal from who you are and how that's expressed in your body, but otherwise once you are ready to have your realisation, your body changes accordingly, and as an aside you also get connected to whichever of the 7 you feel an affiliation towards, but just as an aside."<br><br>"I guess it would be pretty cool", Coco muses about Moon's sentence, before turning back to Amy. "Guess one day I will have you visit all seven kingdoms so you can have the whole white merfolk experience", she jokes with a little chuckle.<br> <br>
 
 
:'''{{#var:107|Amy Faust (107)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amy smiles at Coco, she's touched. "A generous gift, I promise I'll try my best to appreciate it even if I don't understand a lot of merfolk stuff."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Usagi admitting that first part gets an interested stare. "So what was it like? Setting aside whatever a 'disguise pen' is, what was being a guy like for you? Like c'mon, it's not every day I get to talk to someone who's had an experience like that!"<br> <br>
 
 
:'''{{#var:43|Sailor Moon (43)}} has posed:'''<br>"It's just what it sounds like - a magic pen that makes disguises," Usagi explains, like this is obvious and should be Known. Being magical really changes your perception on what's normal... "But I was handsome! Very handsome, that was nice to know. And... that's about it? I mean! I was a little taller, but that was just the disguise, I think; you saw me use the pen before - when I was being a police officer!" <br><br>Back when they fought the circus Witch. Of course, to Amy, Usagi had just looked like herself... "It has different levels of disguises, but it's still just a disguise. I still was me, I just looked different."<br> <br>
 
 
:'''{{#var:107|Amy Faust (107)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;'I was handsome and tall, what about it?' Amy stares. There's really no sign of interest or curiousity there. There isn't even the sign of an embarassed teenager awkwardly hiding the stereotypical reaction, because Usagi just. Doesn't. Care? About it.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Wild.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Riiight. I remember wondering why you were dressed as a police officer and why people were taking you seriously, but... magic.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amy stands up. "Well. This has been a day. Um... thanks. And uh. I guess after all this I may... need some help learning how to be a girl?" She looks away awkwardly. "Can I um... count on my... this probably isn't the right way to say it, but... fellow girls?" She looks back between the others, "for help with that?"<br> <br>
 
 
:'''{{#var:55|Coco (55)}} has posed:'''<br>"We have already been doing that, haven't we?" Coco smiles, hopefully reassuringly. "But sure, you can come for anything you may need." She expects Usagi will say the same, so Amy will probably be superprepared by the end of it.<br> <br>
 
 
:'''{{#var:43|Sailor Moon (43)}} has posed:'''<br>"Yeah, of course! But, I don't know if you'll like, need lessons or anything, you're doing pretty good so far. But if you want to go shopping or something, or like, hmm.... maybe your first Girl's Day? Don't be afraid to ask for help!" <br><br>She can only be what she is, which is a bunny who simply does not think too deeply about very many things, not without outside intervention. But hanging out and helping out? She's got that!<br> <br>
 
 
:'''{{#var:107|Amy Faust (107)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She's <span style="color:#ffd7ff">doing pretty good</span> so far?! Amy's smile lights up even brighter than seen so far and she eagerly nods at the offers, hugging both of them. "Thank you so much!"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;So, they're on the roof of...<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amy looks around. "OH, your b-- your friend teleported us back to Radiant Heart! Handy. Um." She transforms back to civilian mode, the student uniform but with slacks. "I guess we'll see eachother around?"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Once she starts to walk off, she circles back, "Ope! Nope! Wait a second. First girl question, how do you all stand sitting in skirts? How is your butt and thighs on the chair *not* uncomfortable?"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She demonstrates by magicing on the skirt -- she can do school uniforms apparently -- and sitting, and then immediately regretting that she did that on the roof of the school. "Is this. Is this the girl version of toughing stuff out because it shouldn't bother you because you're a man?"<br> <br>
 
 
:'''{{#var:43|Sailor Moon (43)}} has posed:'''<br>"Yeah, Mysterious Knight is pretty cool like that, you know? We'll see each other around!" She waves, ready to hop off the roof and head off, when Amy doubles back, and -<br><br>Usagi just - ''laughs''. What else can she do, when the vibe of the conversation changes so suddenly? She just drops back onto the roof and laughs, because this day has been so weird and she's needed it to be weird, and different, and - <br><br>"Okay, so, first of all, the skirt should be a little longer in the back! And second, you have to make sure you pull it down hbefore you sit, otherwise it might just hop up. And - it ''shouldn't'' be uncomfortable, but also, you kind of get used to it? I like shorter skirts, so sometimes I just bring a jacket in case the chair was in the sun and I'll die if I touch it."<br> <br>
 
 
:'''{{#var:107|Amy Faust (107)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amy is good-natured about the laughing. It IS kind of such a topic change but *this one's been bothering her for months come on.* She watches Usagi explain. Standing up and then sitting down careful to sweep the skirt under her with her hands after watching Usagi do it. "Ohhhhh. So that's why sometimes jackets or long tops with short shorts. It's not just to make guys wonder if you're wearing shorts or not." And now she's sitting comfortably in a skirt like a normal girl and it's just such a mundane thing that she laughs and lies back on the roof. "Thanks!"<br> <br>
 
 
}}
 
}}

Latest revision as of 02:56, 24 February 2024

The Witch That Ate Tokyo
Date of Scene: 09 September 2023
Location: Mitakihara Ward
Synopsis: A foot chase across the neighborhood results when a Witch is on the run.
Cast of Characters: Magda Faust, Amanda Faust, Chiyo Sakai, Coco Kiumi, Usagi Tsukino, Mamoru Chiba


Magda Faust has posed:
    A Witch has been confronted by a Puella Magi within her Labyrinth, and wounded with a very particular type of weapon. Now, the Barrier the Labyrinth is inside of, and the Witch, are fleeing through the streets of Tokyo. The Witch herself is maddened as she self-destructs in slow motion, so is lashing out and trying to feed on anyone who gets within range. It's a strange sight. To someone who can't see Witches or Barriers it looks like windows are just shattering for no reason, street lights are being bent at a 90 degree angle like something just rammed into them, and cars are being flattened under the impact of something very heavy, making the windows, tires, and doors rupture outwards.
    It's like an invisible monster is trampling everything in its path! Because it is!
    A magical girl in a nurse-inspired outfit with green multi-braids is chasing after the unseen monster, doing her best to keep up. Even with the added strenght, speed, and endurance of her henshin, Magda Faust is not an athlete, and she is having a very difficult time keeping the mobile Barrier in sight. She's breathing hard as she sprints and jumps and yells out apologies to the owners of the cars and things.
    This is why she shouldn't go after Witches solo, huh?

Amanda Faust has posed:
    There's a distortion above the skyline! Amy stares. *What*.

    Oh right she can check if it's a Witch. Focus on her soul gem... yup!

    A few minutes later, Amy's ready, standing in its path, waiting to enter the barrier so she can... do something? Hopefully?

    Her plan right now is to get inside and then try shouting 'AND THEN THEY STOPPED THE WITCH' and shooting it.

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
Chiyo Sakai had intended a day out to cheer herself up. A little shopping, maybe a little checking around to make sure everything was all right. She wasn't intending to see buildings start to explode with the expanse of a very difficult to see-but completely real-barrier of some sort. She's just beyond it's reach as it starts to pass by and she watches tense a moment before her better instincts take over.

The few bags of clothes she'd bought are abandoned in favor of digging out her phone to pull free the Bao charm there. It's thrown toward the ground as she calls out, "Bonito!" In an instant the charm transforms into a white and orange tabby cat carrying a pair of overly large chopsticks in it's mouth. Bonito whips his head back toward Chiyo to throw them at her so she can snatch them from the air. "Ready!" The spirit-cat calls out in a deep voice.

"Mystic Saibashi, Let's cook!"

The transform happens quickly. A burst of flame roils up around her, obscuring her, and then Culinary Guardian Daifuku leaps out bearing her mallet slung over her shoulder to begin chasing after this destructive power. Whatever it may be.

Coco Kiumi has posed:
Coco was walking through the streets when things start getting wrecked everywhere. She barely gets out of the way of a falling brick when she notices the disaster that's occurring. 'What...?' she is confused: why would a demon create such wanton destruction? Either way, she has no choice but go after it.

"Yellow Pearl Voice!" she declares, the pearl in her shell locket responding to her will and starting to shine with a yellow light. A keidoscope of colours covers Coco's clothes as those change into her yellow gloves and boots with flowy extensions, as well as a yellow blouse with a yellow skirt, while her pearl expands into her trusty E-Pitch microphone, its blue shape settling comfily into her hand, the jewel nestled safely in the head's center.

"Legend of Mermaid: Pichi Pichi Voice, Live Start!" With the power of the Live Stage surrounding her, she starts hovering after the demon, follow the path of destruction all the while she sings her love for the seven seas in order to weaken its strength.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Naru's been missing two days, three night, but they have every reason to think she's alive, and that has taken a huge weight off of Usagi's shoulders, off her mind. Searching aimlessly through Tokyo had sounded good - catching up with Darien, getting what few extra details he had, had sounded better. Alone together, not relaxed, but existing in the same state of anxiety and can't do nothing about it worry keeping her more quiet and subdued than usual.

And then. And then.

"Can't we have a SINGLE DAY?"

It's an enraged shriek as she jumps up, and grabs her broach. A henshin later, and she's not bothering with words, or even throwing her tiara - no, there's a hand to her forehead, fingers tracing the jewel, and - "Moon Twilight Flash!"

A beam of light flies to crash against the distortion in the air.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
There's no way-- no WAY-- that this is going to-- "Oh, fuck that, says Darien Shields to Usagi Tsukino, and immediately henshins as this thing starts invisibly rolling up the street.

Hematite pulls up his hands and charges (oh that's not a laser oh no) a big double fistful of dark energy, then LOOSES it immediately at the approaching Thing. "HOW DARE YOU!" he yells. "HOW DARE YOU!!"

It's a mood. He's in a mood.

The mood doesn't improve with Yellow Pearl Voice's song, but it's low enough level interference with the wasps buzzing under his skin that he can more or less ignore it.

Magda Faust has posed:
    The Barrier is not stopping for Amanda to get inside of it.
    It changes direction, and the imprint of hundreds of shoes leaves a trail up the side of an apartment building, crashing through windows, crushing fire escapes, and eventually disappearing over the edge of the roof.
    Chiyo soon finds herself running parallel to a green-haired magical girl who is running in the very stereotypically girly manner and calling out stuff like, "Wait...! Don't go over there...! Face me instead...!" at the Witch's continuously retreating barrier. She's also running with her eyes closed, because that's helpful. Look, she's really not used to foot-chases, okay.
    Yellow Pearl Voice floating overhead gives her an excellent vantage point to see where the head of the trail of destruction is heading. It leaps down the other side of the building and crashes down to street level. Finally, in a more inhabited area, people jump away, flinch, stare in shock, and fail to comprehend what's happening. The sidewalk is cracked, windows just broke, someone's car got stepped on... And there's no sign of what did it.
    Except to those with Veil Sight.
    A beam of light strikes the distortion as it begins to charge towards the civilian onlookers who don't even realize they're in danger. THe distortion clears for a moment, like clouds parting, revealing a storm of shoes. A swirling mass of hundreds or thousands of different kinds of shoes, all orbitting and swirling and clattering together.
    A shriek echoes through the neighborhood, as a huge pair of luminous black-purple eyes shine through at the center when Hematite's blast also slams into it. The Witch hides herself again and leaps straight up, flying high above, and tilting and whirling through the sky before slamming down on a park fountain, smashing it and sending water spraying everywhere.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Amy makes a 'SERIOUSLY?!' gesture at the invisibly-retreating barrier going around her.

    Well. Hoping to influence the barrier from inside was a longshot. She thinks about it, but... she's got nothing. So she tries Telepathy, hoping someone is there. <<"Hey, Kyubey? This Witch--">> She checks with her soul gem that what she's tracking has moved corresponding with the distortion. <<"Yeah, this Witch isn't letting us inside its barrier to fight it. How do we stop it?">>

    While waiting for a reply, she finally starts running after it, to better act on any forthcoming advice.

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
Guardian Daifuku becomes dimly aware of the girl running parallel to her, as well as the dark energy that had been thrown at the invisible barrier. It sent a prickle of unpleasant shiver through her causing the hairs on the back of her neck to raise. That sinking, awful feeling in her stomach had more to do with the footprints and shoes making their way along causing destruction in their path though.

Dashing with great leaping jumps she keeps up through sheer determination and strength of her body alone until it goes *up* and back down toward that fountain again. Now was her chance to strike!

Leaping upward she swings the overly large mochi hammer above her head to bring down in a decidedly sharp blow to the barrier or ... or whatever it actually *was*. "MOCHI POUND!"

With the full weight of both her body, mometum, and her strength behind it the mallet slams down with sparks of flame flickering around it. A first for her--Usually she had to concentrate for the flames to erupt later.

She was on edge. She was angry. Honestly, a bit of a fight wouldn't be bad around now with everything going on lately.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"Oh no you don't!!" yells Hematite, then says, "Lemme give you a ride!" to Sailor Moon -- that's about all the warning she gets before he scoops her up, Dark General that he is, and flies them up and closer toward the invisible monster. It's easier to "see" from the air, and so is the flying singer girl, and "Great hit!!!" he yells in Guardian Daifuku's direction.

He sees the fountain explode upwards and immediately teleports them closer, so there's Sailor Moon and -- and Hematite -- appearing in midair above the monster. "Quick hit it again!" he tells her, holding on tight.

Coco Kiumi has posed:
Coco notices Amy and Magda following after the demon from her vantage position. 'Is this a witch? What's doing here? I thought witches were supposed to hide and attract their victims', she things in the midst of her songs.

There really isn't any time to get an answer to this question, so all she can do is keep following and singing: that's everything in her power to weaken and damage the dark energy of the witch, even if she isn't really sure it is going to penetrate inside the labyrinth.

'Does it even have a labyrinth right now?' she wonders, confused by this witch's methods. 'She clearly has a barrier, otherwise those attacks would have probably damaged those weird shoe things.'

She isn't sure why this witch is so weird, but at least she has trustworthy allies. And Hematite, for some reason. Why an ally of darkness is aiding them, she doesn't know, but she isn't going to say no to any help.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
To say the answer to having a single simple day is a resounding no is an understatement. The monster doesn't even blink at their attacks, or maybe it does and that's why it shrieked, but Sailor Moon doesn't care because it's still running, still wrecking havoc. Hematite scoops her up, and Sailor Moon doesn't struggle or blink or protest, no, she puts a hand on his shoulder to better her aim and swings her head around and the good thing about her new beam is she just has to angle her head, it seems - but before she can blast, they're teleporting, and the rush and displacement of air is disconcerting but Hematite will keep them safe. Hematite won't let her fall.

"You've got it. Moon Twilight Flash!"

Another beam of light that cuts through the sky to crash against the barrier - or maybe even the Witch.

It's not as power at noon as it might be at night, but the Moon is still the Moon, and it still reflects the sun with a vengeance.

The other magical girls may as not even be there - at least, not until Daifuku crashes her mallet down, and Sailor Moon abruptly recognizes that the distant music is familiar - "At least we're not dealing with this thing alone?"

Magda Faust has posed:
    Kyubey is running along at Magda's side, whether he was there before or not. He just fades in, unnoticed until then. <<Its movements need to be restricted first.>>
    Magda replies with a, "Heh?" of wheezing confusion as she cracks open an eye un time to see Guardian Daifuku running next to her. "Anoo...!" she starts but the other magical girl vaults over buildings in pursuit of the Witch. The green gem on Magda's house shines as she comes to a stop and turns to run through an alleyway between buildings, calling out, "Seriously...!?" Telepathically, she sends out, <<Amanda-san! Can you see where it went?>>
    The mochi hammer smashes down on the barrier before the Witch can start moving again, crushing the fountain's remains even further, and making water spray outwards forcefully in every direction but up, due to the huge unseen mass sitting on the water main.
    The Barrier ripples to expose the mass of swirling shoes again, and as Yellow Pearl Voice's song comes closer again, a burst of footwwear lashes out at her, trying to keep the Live Stage at a distance.
    It swings around more streams of shoes, boots, sandals, and everything else around itself, gaining momentum until it can pinwheel itself forcefully away from its attackers, sweeping up park benches, trees, fences, and even some ducks (NOT THE DUCKS!!) who were slow to flee. No humans yet, but there's plenty of them out enjoying this fine afternoon, and not enough of them are running away from the sight of a miniature hurricane sending every goddamn thing in its range flying.
    The Moon Twiligh Flash slams into it again as it comes within ten meters of the picnickers, making the already-slower-to-restore-itself Barrier flare and go full-visible again. Those huge eyes at the center peer up at Sailor Moon as she is carried, and families and couples escape.
    It jumps again, pinwheeling its shoe-tendrils to ward off pursuers getting too close, and landing near a--
    An Elementary School. A playground and its equipment are bent down immediately under the weight of it. Those big purple-black eyes are still fixed on the pursuers, long black eyelashes fluttering as they blink.

Amanda Faust has posed:
> Can you see where it went?
    There's a wet crash as the fountain is smashed. <<"Follow the sounds of destruction? And restrict it *how*? I don't even know by which rules a Labyrinth interacts with reality!">>

    Still, she starts trying to get ahead of it, rocket-jumping to propel herself through the air.

    <<"Well, if not by force... it doesn't *want* to face us, so... girls, surround it!">> Oh right not everyone is in telepathy. "SURROUND IT! IT'S AT THE PLAYGROUND!" Amy screams as she's propelled through the air.

    And lands in front of the school, hefting her rocket launcher and trying to look like a Determined Hero, ready to move in once the Witch is surrounded. (Or, failing that, to stay between it and the school since it's so hell-bent on avoiding her.)

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
Guardian Daifuku had heard Magda's cry but she was already mid leap at the time. There was no chance to respond to it. The hammer slam hits home easily enough, and she sees and hears Sailor Moon's own attack. It was impossible to miss that blaze of moonlight/sunlight in the moment.

She almost covers her eyes to block the light. Almost. The urge is resisted stubbornly by tightening her grip on her hammer to keep from pulling her hands away. That light wouldn't harm her. Quickly glancing over toward Sailor Moon she sees the familiar Senshi being carried by--Oh, him. She'd run into him once before, and he had called out encouragement to her at that time, too. There's little time to wonder who he is though. Not when it approaches the school.

"Oh *FUDGE!*" The words are nearly bellowed out, quite the difference from her non-transformed self who spoke so quietly. "We have to stop it--!"

Hit it again he'd said. She saw those shoes lash out toward the sound of music as well, and recognized Yellow Pearl vaguely. The green haired Magda she wasn't familiar with to know what she could do. Still... She knew what she could do.

"It gets solider when hit and slows down, I'll try to stall it if you have any big attacks!" She suggest just as she bounds after it again. The hammer spins in her grasp with a deep breath.

This was an attack she'd been practicing but not tried yet. It was time to try it.

There's no call out--She just begins to hammer. One after another, the hammer spun back around so that it was a blur of rapid-fire assault as her teeth grind together in concentration. SLam-SLAM-Slam-SLAM!

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"This makes it simpler! No time to evac! Just hit it a lot!!" Hematite absolutely bellows, his head turned away from Sailor Moon-- and then he flicker-teleports them both to the ground near where it's stopped, and he puts the Pretty Soldier down in a careful hurry. "Gotta hit it harder--" he says and he literally launches himself into it, charged-up fists first.

He's acting like they're all just permanent allies, honestly.

Oh that's not... that's not fists. Oh. That's charged up spikes?? In his fists?? No it's ROSES. Like he thinks he's gonna pop it like a balloon. But the roses break magic...

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
The barrier recedes and footwear swirls and Sailor Moon is never going to understand Witch's, not even a little, because first there was a circus and now there's shoes and -

"School!" It's a single word shriek, gasped out, because the Witch is touching down again, and the school building is obviously geared towards younger kids - a playground is being wrecked before their eyes, it's not like Hematite can miss it, but still, panic clenches her stomach and crushes her lungs.

A school, a school for kids, a Witch, they made people hurt themselves and this one was just running around and hurting people, and -

"No, don't surround it!!" It's been running every time they - "It's running when we attack, if we surround it, it might stay here! Give it a place to go!"

And the second Hematite gives them the chance to land, she's attacking, not with her Twilight Flash - too risky at a school, what if it's deflected, what if it goes through the barrier and out the other side? But with her new tiara. "Moon Tiara Actiooooooon!"

Cosmic energy flies in disc form, followed by - oh these are actually her fists, unlike Hematite's roses. As her Tiara cracks against the barrier and rebounds, Sailor Moon just starts decking it, fists pounding against the Witch's barrier.

Coco Kiumi has posed:
Coco barely dodges the shoes being sent her way. Really barely. Meanwhile, the witch has decided to land right above a fountain, its malicious eyes staring back at them while water sprays anywhere.

'At least, everyone is inside', she thinks. 'Now we just have to keep the witch away from the building.'

Which is where Amy's proposal is a good thing, so Coco positions herself in a location the others haven't taken. Her song keeps spreading around her, the magical song of the seven seas continuing to work to corrode the witch's darkness.

The roses Hematite bring out unjam her memory, recalling having seen them with the whole disaster of the Black Jades. So this is in actuality the second time he is helping? Weird, but she is going to have some thanks for him later, especially with how he just aided Sailor Moon.

Magda Faust has posed:
    <<I injected it with positive energy... But the Witch broke away before I could empty the syringe completely! It's weakened for sure, but it might not be defeated before it hurts people--OH NO NOT THE DUCKS!!>> Magda comes out on the other street in time to see the shoestorm start sweeping wildly at its surroundings to drive back attackers and catch some poor ducks in the process.
    The Witch's flight towards the school building is halted when Amy lands in front of it. The way it bends and distorts to stop itself and all of its momentum is remarkable. She is REALLY not into facing more Puella Magi.
    Which is a mistake. Because while just existing is enough of a deterrent for the Witch, the sudden pounding of rapid-fire hammering crushing it down into the dirt and grass, sending out waves of dust, and Hematite stabbing it with rose-covered fists that stab and dispel the protection of the Barrier all at once, and the continuous weakening and pain from YPV's singing, and then the Witch is exposed. Those huge eyes being joined by a void full of them at the core. Infinite eyes watching and blinking innocently, prettily, at her attackers, while screams of pain come from the shoe storm that is tearing itself apart from attacks and the poison within.
    Then Sailor Moon throws her tiara, and it sails into that abyss of despair.
    The Positive Energy that was already injected interacts with the cosmic forces that Sailor Moon wields.
    Golden light explodes outwards, tearing the Witch and her Barrier apart entirely, and making the surroundings turn all manner of colors like someone has just spilled buckets of paint over reality, blocking even those witnessing it from view by their own eyes, because perspective just shifted so they are the observer of their own selves.
    The scream is ear-bleedingly high-pitched, and sounds like a girl being murdered.
    But it disappears too, eventually. The ducks who were captured even manage to fly free, mostly unharmed.
    Children are crowding by the windows of their classroom to see what's going on, while their teachers urge them away, and keep anyone from leaving the building.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Amy conttributes a couple of rocket shots to the attacks, testing its defenses, but there is no need for her to refine her attacks. Ding dong, the Witch is dead! <<"Well, damn. You weakening it certainly made it a lot easier to finish off... once we cornered it.">>

    Amy dismisses her weapon and approaches, looking for the grief seed, although she thinks Magda has first dibs on it (though she'll accept an offer to top off.) "Thank you, everyone. No one could have done this alone." Coco is offered a hug, and she smiles with recognition at those she knows... and casts curious looks at Hematite and Guardian Daifuku. "So, who are you? I'm uh... well, I'm one of those who made a deal with Kyubey." She rubs her chin with a finger. "I *really* need a hero name, huh..."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Sailor Moon isn't sure what to expect. Her Tiara, thrown into the depths of the Witch's insides, well, hopefully it would come back (this is the first time she's thrown it and if she loses anOTHER TIARA -) and she could try again if needed,

It's not needed. Eyes stare out at them, more than she can count, huge ones and small ones and human looking ones and weird looking ones and eyes and eyes and -

Light spills. Warm and radiant, spilling out to paint even the school with color -

The Witch screams. Sailor Moon shuts her eyes against the explosion, turns and grabs at Hematite, half hiding her face against him as the scream echoes.

"Is it... dead?" she asks into the dead silence that follows.

It doesn't follow for long - Red - Amy - speaks, and Sailor Moon lifts her face and grabs at his hand. "He's with me."

Just in case anyone's seen him at his other job...

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
When the barrier falls away, a stray shoe is flung out to be pumelled into oblivion by the rapid-swings of Daifuku's mallet. Then the scream and spill of colors, colors that didn't seem *real*, momentarily blind her causing her swings to cease. They weren't impacting anything anymore as it had just... poppped. The positive energy and light from within causing it to burst.

Grasping the large hammer in both hands it comes down one last time to plant on the ground. Just to stand there while Daifuku leans against it panting for breath heavily while looking around at the ducks flying safely to freedom. Some of them. The school was safe though.

"We... We did it. I think."

A deep breath is drawn in to help cool her burning lungs before she tries to speak again. Standing up straight she glances toward Amy with a nod. "I'm Culinary Guardian Daifuku."

Sailor Moon's insistance that Hematite is with her draws her attention back to the pair regarding them a moment with a hint of a smile. "So he is."

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Hematite falls and skids on the ground in the explosion of light, kicking up a hell of a rut and divot. Suddenly he's looking at himself from outside, and he's painted in a rainbow of colors, and his eyes are wide--

--and then there's a cape around Usagi as he watches himself gather her in and help her close her ears to it--

--and it's finally over. And there are kids looking at them through the windows. "Yeah it's definitely dead, and we gotta go," he says, catching his breath and staggering to his feet, then using his taken hand to help Sailor Moon up. His dark grey uniform's got dirt and grass stains on it, and his gloves are definitely no longer white, and he brushes himself off a little bit.

"And yeah I'm with her," he exhales. "There's kids looking at us."

Coco Kiumi has posed:
The light remains of the witch splatter around like paint when the combined attacks seem to do the trick and pierce the barrier. Coco looks around, blinking from the overexposure to light, expecting the witch to be around somewhere for a final vengeance. But things are fine?

Yep, they are indeed fine!, she realises, going back down and hugging Amy back with joy once she realises this is actually over, and the kids are all fine. The ducks are all in good condition too, a bit alarmed and struck by fear, maybe, but otherwise fine. And she saw no victims while the witch kept damaging things earlier. A good situation all around.

She turns towards everyone else and does her presentation. "Hello everyone, I am Yellow Pearl Voice, thanks a lot for your assistance", she says, looking at everyone with a smile.

She approaches Hematite then. "Thank you too. This is the second time you have helped us, and I think it's very nice you are actually willing to cooperate", she says, even if she is unsure of what Hematite's final goal is going to be. Maybe he will turn on them, but she is willing to treat him by how he acted.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Amy gives Usagi a brief look. Like obviously she's hiding something or MYSTERY GUY would introduce himself or, like her, admit to not having a name yet. But it's probably nothing major just some weird teenage drama or something.

    There are kids looking at us! Amy turns around and waves and smiles. "The monster is defeated! Maybe one day you, too, can grow up to be magical girls and boys! And now we move on to fight more evil just as soon as we find a thing!" She turns back around, "We *gotta* find the grief seed before we go. Where is it??"

Magda Faust has posed:
    Eventually, Magda comes running up, gasping for breath, tired, and comes to a stop by Amy, before allowing herself to bend forward and plant her hands on her knees. "Haa... Haaa... Good... Job... Minna-san."
    Kyubey looks on from near the site where the Witch was slain, the little white furry thing with his glistening red eyes saying, "Amanda Faust, there does not appear to be a Grief Seed this time."
    Well.
    Shoet then.
    Magda lets out an exhausted, "Eeeeeehhhh...!?"

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
Guardian Daifuku gives a curt nod of agreement when it's pointed out that the children were watching them. Children tended to remember things more, didn't they? She'd vaguely recalled hearing something like that though at the moment she wasn't completely sure. Either way it was best to get moving.

Then Amy's waving and calling out to them.

Her eyes go wide, a look of surprise there. "Don't make yourself more noticable!" She blurts out, aghast, at the potential issues that may arise from that. She shoots a look around to the others, mouth opening and then closing again with a quick shake of her head.

"If what you're looking for isn't here then we should get out of the open, and *away* from here before any authorities arrive to come up with an explanation for this." Someone would show up, magic Veil or not. It just might be called an Earthquake or something for all the damage it had done.

Amanda Faust has posed:
                            YOU DEFEATED THE WITCH!                            
                                                                                
                                    YOU GOT:                                    
                                 0x Grief Seed!                                

    "Wait, what?" Amy looks at Kyubey. "Can that *happen*? I mean, obviously it did, but has this ever happened *before*?"

    This seems more critical than moving away. Like, she can just... rocket jump if the police show up and they'll forget.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"Don't tell them they can grow up to be magical girls and boys!" Sailor Moon snaps, looking horrified. "Come on. We should really get out of here, just grab your fox... thing...

She squints at the creature. Vice President, Luna, and Bonito are way cuter, but it's... alright, she guesses, but - "He can tell us what's going on after we're away from all these kids. Just because people can't see us usually doesn't mean we should risk it."

Hematite is probably not supposed to be helping out. They shouldn't risk a bunch of little kids noticing or remembering anything at all. She turns around, looking for a way out - "Come on, pick a roof and let's get out of here."

Magda Faust has posed:
    Kyubey swishes his tail as he moves from staring back at Sailor Moon unblinkingly to addressing Amy and Magda. "It is possible. It is more common for there to be no reward, but that does not appear to be the case in this city." He runs over and leaps up onto Magda's shoulder as she finally manages to straighten up enough to limp her way over. "I... Could use some help... Getting out of here... Yes." she manages, still struggling to get her breath back in working order.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"Hi," says Hematite to Yellow Pearl Voice, "yeah. I'm being really nice. So, you're welcome." That's a little rude, but given what he said the last time they saw each other -- at the zoo -- and the fact that she was singing again, there's probably reason for it.

Then he holds out his hands, taking one of Sailor Moon's and leaving the other free, and he says, "Circle up if you want to teleport to one of the rooftops at school."

Villains go to school?!

"Five, four, three, two, one--"

And then whoever's joined hands when he finishes counting actually do end up on one of the rooftops at school. No Dusk Zone tomfoolery here.