792/Business Is On Fire

Business Is On Fire
Date of Scene:	20 November 2023
Location:	Yumegahama Ward
Synopsis:	Today's plan is to have Eudial draw attention while Riventon takes a heart crystal. And Eudial's still kind of upset about her car. Chaos ensues.
Cast of Characters:	Takashi Agera, Naru Osaka, Amanda Faust, Kureha Senkenzan, Rashmi Terios, Coco Kiumi, Chrono Harlaown

---

Takashi Agera has posed:
    It is a nice, crisp November morning in Tokyo's Yumegahama District. It's one of those lazy weekend days, and the beachfront resort part of the Four Wards is a lot less full of tourists and ocean-seekers than it is in the winter months, so the area is much quieter, and filled primarily with locals from the area. That doesn't mean there's not plenty of nice things to look at, do, and buy - a lot of the shops that would normally cater to tourists make pretty good food generally, and everything here's cheaper this time of year.

    A good question, though, might be 'what is that strange lady in red doing walking around with what looks like a homemade leaf blower?' since that is very much not normal for this District.

    "Are you ready, Agera?" she asks, speaking with him over comms. He answers with something, she nods... And then she locks the strange machine onto her right hand, points the nozzle straight up at the sky - and a roaring torrent of fire and Dark Energy in a column erupts from it, creating a big, hard-to-miss literal fireball in the sky that starts to then explode, raining down little flecks of dark fire, which seem to start small yet growing fires on the stone and metal they touch as well as wood and cloth.

    "Yeah, I bet that gets their damn attention." Eudial says, her teeth gritted and eyes narrowed. "Come on, little bugs, come out into the warm light."

    Riventon is nearby, too, with one of the Heartstealer rifles in his hand. Thanks to working with a very practiced marksman (well, markswoman) recently, he's reasonably sure he can make the shot he's lining up for. Just some tourist, a nobody. As long as nothing happens to put somebody else in the path when he fires it, the plan should work. Chaos, disorder, distraction, and extraction.

Naru Osaka has posed:
It's a lovely day for a walk, and the beach is a great place to do that. It's chilly though, and unlike her usual fondness for wearing skirt, she's actually out for a walk wearing jeans and a hoodie, her hood pulled up against the breeze, her cheeks bright thanks to the wind coming off the water.

It's also a lovely place to get a coffee in the midst of that walk. Naru has just gotten herself a coffee. The steam poofs lightly up from the take out cup when.. all hell breaks loose. She sighs softly, resigned to the reality of a fireball exploding. "I just wanted /one/ quiet Sunday afternoon." She mutters softly. She's not in a rush, she has no illusions about being the front .. or even second.. line. She doesn't see Riventon at all.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Yeah you bet the sparkleskirts will show up. Amy does not run directly under the fireball, though--she jumps up on to rooftops and tries to get eyes on what's going on. What's the GOAL here? It can't just be to make a ruckus... can it?

Kureha Senkenzan has posed:
    Hozan Chikafuji is a man who does not hesitate to use anything and everything at his disposal. Until this past summer, Kureha Senkenzan had more or less fallen outside of that category; her poor health had made her useless for anything but the most obscure of events or meetings. Now, however, she is in good health, and he's not hesitating to exert his authority as the Chikafuji patriarch to push her into his dealings. Much to her chagrin. Today, in particular, there's been a meeting regarding some beachfront commercial property, and the only daughter of Hozan has been sent to stand in while his lawyers did the negotiating. She had little to do but oversee, really; and now that the meeting is over, she has only to return to the limo alongside her current attendant, Yozakura.

    Needless to say, any plans - or lack thereof - are disrupted quite forcefully by the appearance and subsequent explosion of a fireball in the sky. Especially once it detonates.

    "M-My lady, that's-" Yozakura looks up into the sky with a nigh-panicked expression, and Kureha lets a deep frown settle onto her face. "I don't know if this is some manner of show, but I want none of it. Yozakura, we should return home, swiftly." The older woman nods, and begins leading the way - while Kureha falls behind just enough that when they push past another crowd of onlookers, she can use it as a chance to 'disappear' and find somewhere to transform safely.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
While Chrono is out hunting for word of his crewmembers up north, Rashmi has never stopped patrolling at least once a day, just in case. This time, quartering Yumegahama is the order of the day, and as she banks around a cell tower, the flare of a Dark Energy-empowered fireball brings her up short.

    << *BONG!* >> << ANOMALOUS CORROSIVE MANA SIGNATURE DETECTED, MASTER. >>

<< Thaaaanks, Nicomachea... Now I guess we get to play 'Is it Sunbreaker?' ...Let me know if she looks like she has any injuries I can avoid this time... >>

Sighing, she arcs over the buildings and down toward something tall and nearby, hovering just above rooftop-level, directly over the street. Conveniently placed to get a read on the situation... and also conveniently more targetable than a random passerby.

"...Are we just, like, starting random fires now?"

Coco Kiumi has posed:
Pretty hard to miss a spectacle of that kind. So naturally Coco quickly trasforms and, floating in her Live Stage, hovers up to where the fireball is burning fiercely, taking care not to come into contact with the spark of dark fires it is dispersing downward. The bird's eye view she gets as a result lets her spot Riventon with the Heartshooter gun. Really, that too!? She will have to check over there in a moment if nobody else takes care of him first.

The mermaid looks worried at the burning sphere. 'Ok, let's get on with it and hope it works', she gives herself a push. How do they find things this troublesome!?

Coco starts singing, trying to stifle the dark energy and encapsulate the menacing fire entirely into a Live Stage.

Takashi Agera has posed:
    The girl Riventon's tracking goes into a little shop, presumably, you know, getting away from the giant fireball Eudial makes in the sky. He wonders how the magically unaware folks are going to have their minds explain away an apocalyptic display of literal firepower. But he's pretty sure it'll serve the purpose of drawing all of the attention to her. Still, he needs another target. The arrival of the expected magical welcoming committee has Riventon's eyes over that way, when he spies a person in a hoodie walking away with a coffee. He isn't even sure if they're a male or female, but he is sure that they're not in henshin. Not a combatant, just a target, then. Riventon looks down the sights - they actually HAVE sights now, too - and takes a shot. And to his credit, it's a very good shot - he had been learning. The black orb of energy is perfectly on target to slam right into the back of the person in a hoodie.

    "Oh I was just hoping to see some familiar faces!" Eudial says to Rashmi. "This is the Fire Buster Super Edition! And do you know what I used to make it? A lot of genius, a lot of Dark Magic... AND THE PARTS OF MY CAR YOU DESTROYED. So that it can take vengeance on you car-murderers too! What's the price of a classic, pristine car, the price of my pride and joy! I had to WALK here ya'know." she says, before she turns and opens up the Fire Buster Super - not on Rashmi. But on the building Rashmi is perched on.

    The fireball up above was expanding and now isn't, thanks to being enveloped in Coco's stage, where it burns through the oxygen and dies off - leaving a core of still-on-fire Dark Energy within the stage, because Dark Energy is just magical nonsense and not a chemical reaction like fire, it needs no oxygen or fuel. It just burns.

    She sees Coco, but she's pretty sure Yellow Voice and Rashmi aren't the only participants, and she saw Riventon's shot out of the corner of her eye - so what she's actually preparing to do is sweep that fire-lighting hose spray towards anybody who comes towards the target but Riventon. "You destroyed my car! You and your hero friends! And now this city and anyone I see are going to pay the deductable!" she shrieks, shrilly. There's genuine anger, but she is also trying to be the center of attention and threat even in the face of one of Those Shots going off from a nearby rooftop.

Naru Osaka has posed:
The price that Naru pays for not wearing a skirt today, really. Or not being in the henshin that she doesn't have, or as always, being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

It is an excellent shot. Right smack dab between her shoulder blades and knocks her forward, making her stumble. Her first focus is holding her coffee up so she doesn't spill it, although she stumbles again as the gravity of it hits her, and her legs go a little jelly like, sending her to her knees.

A crystal emerges, not as spiky, or as light.. there's no floating, but there's no mistaking what she's been shot with. Again.

"Dammit! Not again." Naru didn't even get that much out last time, nor was she still conscious by this point. She's fighting that particular desire, managing to mostly stay upright ish on her knees, but she's wooobly. She hasnt' even spilled her coffee. Yet.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"The way you were driving I was *saving live*--oop." The moment the Super Fire Buster is pointed her way, Rashmi's instincts take over--

    << *BONG!* >> << TIME-SPACE BARRIER >>

--and shunts the battle, combatants, and fireball half a dimension over, to avoid any *extremely* unfortunate collateral damage from happening... But forgets to actually take flight until half a heartbeat before the fireball impacts on the empty building, causing her to be thrown into the air, tumbling head-over-heels for a good bit before she regains her senses and can right herself.

Look, her instincts aren't always great.

Curling up in midair, she reorients on the source of the flames, and darts forward, as another spell is locked and loaded.

<< *BONG!* >> << SOLAR BARRAGE >>

Also more an attention-getting attack than one keyed for actual damage, a rapid-fire stream of Barrets rakes across the rooftop in Eudial's vicinity. "I've got three thousand yen in my purse, will *that* cover it? It looked half ready to fall apart the moment you wrapped around a tree anyway!"

As the shot rings out, Nicomachea once again pings Rashmi.

<< *BONG!* >> << ALERT. MASTER. ALERT. LINKER CORE EXTRACTION DISCHARGE PROXIMATE. >>

"Oh no..."

Kureha Senkenzan has posed:
    "I don't care how much property you have lost to someone else's behavior," an emperious girl's voice speaks, in unflinchingly polite, upper-class language. "If you levy your vengeance on anyone other than the persons responsible, then you have far overstepped any justifiable mandate of revenge."

    Standing upon a nearby beachside cafe is a horned girl in a fire-patterned kimono, hands clasped together in a formal and polite young woman's posture entirely at odds with the steel in her eyes. "I'm afraid I shall have to teach you a forceful lesson in proportionate retribution and the scope of vengeance. If you're willing to yield, I'm content to leave it at a warning, but..." A faint shrug, a glance at Rashmi. "I know how this sort of thing tends to happen. And I gather you're a repeat offender."

    She has entirely missed the attack on Naru.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Ranting! That seems to assuage Amy's suspicions that this might've been some sort of distraction. "SERIOUSLY? All this over a CAR?" She slumps. "Well, okay, cars are pretty expensive, BUT STILL! All the more reason you shouldn't have taken it out on villain stuff. Besides, you have dark magic and, and fireball devices! Is getting a car REALLY that far beyond you?"

    She summons and levels her rocket launcher. "We all know how this goes. We fight, you get hurt, you villain teleport away. How about we skip all that pain and suffering for you, and you go do something productive with your time and energy instead? Like figuring out how to get a car with dark magic."

    Beat.

    "...Wait, that might be bad, actually..."

Coco Kiumi has posed:
Thanks to her vantage point up in the sky, Coco is able to spot Riventon firing his shot towards his victim. They really can't be at this again! How longer do they have to keep playing this back and forth before they actually understand it's as pointless as can be?!

Switching to singing Beautiful Wish, she encloses the victim with the hoodie and her Heart Crystal in a Live Stage, her purifying melody reinforcing it against unwanted entry or exit.

Takashi Agera has posed:
    Riventon hops down a set of rooftops to get to the girl who is... not... unconscious? He's curious on a few levels now, and as he's reaching out for it, one of Yellow Pearl Voice's stages suddenly surges into being, surrounding both the girl and the crystal. Since he can't reach for the crystal, he looks up and...

    "Shimata." comes the familiar boy's voice. And it's not because of the Live Stage (or not exclusively), but because of who's in there. And also, because of all the attacks being aimed at Eudial. Foolish woman wasn't supposed to be out there alone!

    <<DISTANT GUARD.>> Riventon's device calls after summing up the situation, using some of Riventon's energy to encase Eduial in a hemispheric shield. The attack did get Riventon's attention - and his Device's - as he spent more energy on setting up a defense than Rashmi spent on creating the attack.

    "Yeah, yeah. Save me the sermon, your opinions won't matter much when you're ashes on the wind." Eudial says to Kureha from behind the shield. Riventon looks around, since Eudial doesn't have the case. He spies the metal lockbox and launches the purplish ribbon from his Device, the energy-cable wrapping around the otherwise nondescript metal box with the Black Star on it and pulling it to him. "Odds are getting a bit closer even, we should see if we can fix that. Appear before us, Diamon!" Riventon yells. He opens the box, a spray of pink smoke erupts - and after a few moments out of the smoke SOME sort of fusion of a beaten up white vehicle and a woman with wheels on her shoulders and feet comes tearing out, headed straight for Amy at alarming speed with a gleaming metal spike on her fist. "Way ahead of you there, I didn't say I used ALL of the remaining parts on Fire Buster Super!" Eudial adds.

    She turns her weapon on Rashmi proper this time, squeezing the handle on it and sending a torrent of flame at Rashmi directly this time.

Naru Osaka has posed:
The consciousness thing is a mixed bag, really. Naru is really not having the best time of it right at the moment, and she slumps back on her haunches as she surrounded by the Live Stage.

"Riventon?" Naru asks, her voice sort of slurred and wavery. "What are you doing here?" Because she's not wholly put two and two together.. at least not without coming up with only three.

There's a few long moments where Naru is just looking at her coffee cup. She's as uncertain about it as she is about why Riventon might be there. It hasn't quite yet occured to her that perhaps, just maybe, she should be picking up that crystal that is sitting just behind her on the Live Stage. Right there. So. Close.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    "Oh, shit." Amy fires and dives for cov-- oops she ran out of roof. Firing a point-blank explosion spins her and slams her into the back side of the building, even henshined hitting her head stuns her for thesplit second it takes to fall to the ground, leaving her to groan and stand up, looking expectantly for Car Girl to come chasing after her.

Kureha Senkenzan has posed:
    One of the horned girl's eyebrows arches slightly. "I thought as much, but I felt I should at least do you the courtesy of offering, first. No one can say you didn't have your chance."

    And in the next heartbeat, she's off the roof of the little cafe and running, skidding to a stop beside a lamppost. One hand snaps out and yanks it up with a wrenching of metal - pulling it up as if it weren't bolted down and hundreds of kilograms of metal besides. She hefts it as if it were a spear, but as she's preparing to throw the makeshift projectile, it suddenly begins to glow. Radiating out from her hand, first a dull red, then a vibrant orange, flames dancing along its surface as she heats it up. "But I must apologize - it takes more flame than you have to reduce me to ash! HAAAA!"

    The uprooted streetlight hurtles like a javelin, trailing flickers of fire as it sails towards Eudial with inhuman force and blazing heat. It's aimed not so much at the center of mass... but, rather, at the arm aiming a weapon towards Rashmi.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
    << *BONG!* >> << SOLAR SHIELD >>

Thrusting her hands in front of her as the fire stream roars toward her face, Rashmi feels a moment of panic. After all, the last time she faced Darkness-tainted fire, she came out *decidedly* worse off.

When it impacts the shield, the fire Parts in all directions, creating a flower of flame in the desaturated sky... But Dark Energy *is* corrosive, and before long the Shield begins to pit and crack, even as she summons up the energy for one spell, then another.

    << TELEPATHY >>

A moment later, Rashmi's voice rings into the heads of all her allies within the Barrier. << Yellow Pearl Voice! Is the shooting victim okay? Onihime! Red! Take the other one out first, I can hold this off...! ...I think... >>

And the Shield continues to crackle dangerously, spiderweb fractures crawling across its surface as the sick heat from the Super Flame Buster begins to bleed in. But that's when Rashmi's next spell completes its sequence.

    << *BONG!* >> << SOLAR SWORD >>

Three swords made of golden light resolve into view in a wide radius around Rashmi, then streak forward, following the path of fire down to its source.

These modified Barrets are specifically formulated as shield-breakers, and if they're not aimed at Eudial directly... they *are* targeting the defenses Takashi helpfully erected.

Which is of course when her own Shield shatters, and for the second time in her life Rashmi is swept away by Dark fire.

<< ...I don't got this... >>

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
<< Look to my coming at first firelight on the seventh day. At noon, look to the the east. >>

Those words in Rashmi's head likely didn't make much sense, until a moment later. Something came flying in through her barrier...

            <<Subzero Boundary!>>

As the dark fire enveloped Rashmi... Ice suddenly spread out from her, coursing outwards, over the flame. A hand gripped her, a staff held over her. The ice, meanwhile, just kept surging out, first pulling around her, then traveling along the flames like a hungry, freezing hound from hell, traveling up the flames as if the chemical reaction was, somehow, solid matter. And heading towards the dangerous weapon!

"By the authority of the TSAB, stand down or face *immediate* consequences for your *dangerous* and *willful* disregard for the citizens of this city!" Chrono's voice called out. The arm around Rashmi... was... maybe a *lot* tighter than it needed to be. And, for the first time since she'd ever met him, she could likely hear... actual *anger* in his words.

Coco Kiumi has posed:
With the dark energy fire in the sky being contained and Naru down there only having the Live Stage barrier between her and Riventon, now that she has finished summoning Hamster Balls everywhere (unless Eudial wants one too, free of charge!), Coco flies down next to the scientist, looking at him with a very tired-of-this-thing expression, despite the fact the Live Stage she is currently in isn't under any sort of barrier, unlike the other two.

"We aren't letting you get to the Heart Crystal no matter when or where, so why don't you take the day off and go for a walk? Even that has to be more productive than this," she remarks once she has finished reaching a close enough level to the ground.

"On the matter of repetition, though, I have got an encore for you. I can't expect you to have heard much up there. Beautiful Wish: Pichi Pichi Voice, Live Start!" The Mermaid Princess sings of a dream she had while floating above the blue waves within the sea's cradle, an overflow of sadness from a loveless heart.

But from the fragments of a beautiful wish of the sea, feelings of wanting to be born embracing light blend into the sunset. The purifying melody that fights against the darkness is like a balm against fatigue, proclaiming loudly no tiredness or melancholy exist here, only refreshment and joy.

A name is sweetly spoken out, reassuring of a wish that has been known. Some day, the source of all fights and sadness will all vanish. That day will come, with a singular love... in the blue sea...

Takashi Agera has posed:
    Riventon sighs. "My job." he says, looking at her through the Stage. "I'm gonna need that crystal in there." He says, balling up a fist. <<BARRIER BREAK.>> Calls out Axion as Riventon uses the standard Mid-Childan response to a defensive wall. Which is a surprisingly Belkan response to a barrier. In that he gatheres magic into his fist that's specifically designed to disrupt barrier spells and punches the hell out of the Live Stage. Whether it'll work as well on a Live Stage as it would a Round or Tri Shield cast by a Device, is up for debate.

    Amy's pursuer simply -drives up the wall- as easily as though it's flat ground, and is absolutely chasing her. "VROOM VROOM." it even adds, helpfully. It is maybe the silliest thing to hear something trying to murder you say that anybody has heard... this morning.

    The torrent of fire threatens to eradicate Rashmi as Eudial intended, but there's a problem with that. The problem is twofold. One, a flaming streetlight is heading for her hand, which she has to move in order to not break it - she shifts and the lightpole goes past her, but not without cutting and burning through her eclectic outfit and cutting a mark in her flesh - out of which, before the fire cauterizes it, purple liquid leaks out briefly rather than red.

    Eudial curses and grips her hand. The second part of Eudial's problem is that there's now a wave of ice washing over the terrain, stuffing her fire and the little fires that have erupted on this subdimension. And even this would be more tolerable if not for the fact that Rashmi had already shattered the shield Riventon offered her.

    Eudial snarls, and points the nozzle at first Kureha, and then Rashmi and Chrono. "You know how they say, when all you've got is a hammer, everything looks like a nail? Well, all I've got is the Fire Buster Super and a lot of sorrow over MY CAR and you all look like kindling." she says, and clicks the handlebar on the nozzle. A large surge of fire and dark energy begins to collect at the tip of the weapon - black and orange and red and white, angry evil fire. "I'll burn everyone in this little fake town of yours, and then I'll burn the real one too!" she shrieks. And then... the ball suddenly vanishes. She tries to squeeze the handle

    Click. Click. Click. No fire.

    "What the hell is going on?" Riventon calls.

    "...I'm out of fuel." Eudial admits, scratching the back of her head.

    "You're kidding me." Riventon says.

    "Well, it used up a lot to do all the attention getting stuff. That was your idea! It's your fault!" she yells. "But it's okay, you'll be fine, right? Just like you were fine after Viluy left. Grab the crystal, see you back at the lab!" she says, before she duskports right out.

    "Did she really just..." Riventon begins, and sighs.

    In the distance, the sound of screeching tires can be heard by those the car-youuma is not currently chasing. (well, and by Amy as well, but that's less surprising.)

Naru Osaka has posed:
"Your job?" Naru asks of Riventon, because of course this is exactly the moment for a chat. If that chat was with a really drunk friend. "Are you working late? You probably work too much." She babbles at Riventon before she tries to offer him her coffee. She hasn't really fully and completely processed that there's a barrier between her and him, or possibly she cant' currently see the barrier.

There is a hazard to not actually having one's soul at the moment. Or at least not enough of it to count for much.

"Wait there's a crystal?" Naru starts trying to look around her. "Everyone's looking for a crystal. Do I have the crystal?"

In the history of searches right around one's self, this is possibly the least efficient one, but Naru is making an effort to pat around, not quite putting her hand upon her own heart crystal as Riventon tries to break the barrier around her.

Kureha Senkenzan has posed:
    When the telepathy spell links the two of their minds, bringing Rashmi's voice to Onihime, the youkai musume frowns a little. << I may have extended you a modicum of trust, but your judgement is questionable. It would be better if I faced- RASHMI! >>

    Before Kureha's alarm can turn into real panic, a shield of ice envelops first Rashmi, then the stream of fire enveloping her. At this, even the blazing oni is given pause, eyes wide. << ...perhaps the two of you can manage together. I will assist with the car. >> Onihime turns, preparing to run to assist Amy - only to pause as a flaming weapon is pointed at her and powered up. She drops into a wary stance, prepared to batter her way out of an attack of darkness-empored flames... but it never comes. The attack fizzles.

    She gives Eudial a flat stare, and then tilts her head ever so slightly. The body language is obvious. 'Really?'

    But once again, she gives no more before turning to make her move, a swift charge towards the building up which the vehicle is driving. In a display that's quickly becoming familiar to Rashmi, Amy, and Yellow Pearl Voice alike, the ground craters under Onihime as she exerts her strength; launching herself like a projectile, straight towards the vehicular youma like a projectile made out of fire, physical strength, and grump.

    Somewhere in there, though, she manages another brief message to Rashmi. << Embracing each other so is unseemly, in public. But I'll overlook it this once. >>

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Someone is shouting about a heart crystal? Is that what thi--

    VROOM VROOM

    Her eyes widen at the car-youma just driving right over/around the building. Pointing the launcher at the youma and shooting requires no thought; she then holds it in front of her horizontally and braces for impact which uh

    is probably not the smartest plan to block a car driving at you, even if it might work on other attacks.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
Visions of more hospital stays and flimsy lies to her parents flash in front of Rashmi's head. Why is it *always* fire?

' << Look to my coming at first firelight on the seventh day... >>'

Joy *surges* in Rashmi's heart at those words, because there is only one mage goofy enough to quote Gandalf at her in the middle of a fight.

"CHRONO!!!"

And then his arms are around her and his mastery of ice is protecting her, and for the moment there is nothing but relief and gratitude and--

<< You are *so hot* when you rescue me while quoting Gandalf, >> she answers, in *Chrono's mind alone thank you.*

For more public consumption, she clears her mental throat. << So uh, for everyone who hasn't met him yet, this is *my boyfriend.* >> With her free arm wrapped around Chrono's shoulders, there's a silly little smile on her face as she announces the last one. The only metaphor that may apply, one that she'll never tell him, is that her voice is exactly like the cat that got into the milk. << And Onihime, you can't have him he's mine. >> Backsass to the smol strong?!

But then the car youma tears off after Amy, And now that she's got her wits mostly about her she rests her cheek against's Chrono's. "So; Riventon after Heart Crystal in a shield, monster after Hannah's girlfriend. Wanna punch the jerk for me and save the crystal?"

<< *BONG!* >> << SOLAR STINGER >>

Two Barrets fade into view, then streak off after the car. Tuned for endurance as they are, when locked onto a target they make *very* effective fire-and-forget options.

At least they're not flying at Riventon's head, this time?

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown had been preparing for the next assault. He had been readying himself for a lot. But uhhh...

... She was out of fuel. He blinked a few times. Well. Ummm... Okay then. "Are you okay?" he asked, looking to Rashmi, his arm... still around her, thank you very much. She was soft and almsot got hurt and he'd be DAMNED if he was going to let her go. And yes his cheeks were a little red because he didn't even know WHY he'd done it. But he *had to* the moment he realized it was her. Because that moment was a good moment in the movie.

And he left out the fact he actually thought it was Aragorn, not Gandalf, who'd done the quote. He'd only seen the movie once, okay?!

"I'll go punch the jerk," he said, slooowly pulling his hand away from her. He really didn't want to. He reallllllly desperately didn't want to. But he had a jooooob to do.

He then turned his gaze to Riventon, floating down towards him. "Riventon-san! Do we really need to go this route again? I think you are quite heavily outnumbered at the moment and, more importantly, our numbers don't run away and leave each other to fend for ourselves. You truly are wasted on such people. And, to quote another mage..."

            <<Subzero Tomb!>>

A wall of ice erupted out from his rod, heading towards... The stage?! Intending to try and reinforce/stop the grab should the stage buckle beneath the assault. "You! Shall not! Pass!"

... It had been SEVEN! DAYS! OKAY?!

Coco Kiumi has posed:
Riventon's attack successfully breaks the Live Stage surrounding Naru, the opposing energy sending him back combined with the weakening Coco's song has on dark energy.

The mermaid watches him get pushed back as she keeps singing her restorative song. Things aren't so dire now, so she takes a good look at Naru, recalling to push info back to Rashmi about it.

<<Naru looks alright, if a bit out of it? She is stumbling around with her coffee? I don't know if she is trying to get to the crystal, but she is patting around the ground.>>

She takes a break to digest the events, and then shouts mentally. <<You got a boyfriend!? Congratulations, Rashmi!>> she exclaims joyfully. Having gotten that out of her system, she adds. <<Also, your boyfriend is a heartwarwing dork :P>>

She would like to inform Naru of what exactly is going on, but she actually can't busy singing as she is, so she just stays close to her in the hope her song can help her a bit. Even if she doesn't know how her balm effects would act on someone without a Heart Crystal.

Takashi Agera has posed:
    Riventon's trying to focus through the upwelling of positive energy Yellow Voice is creating. Note to self, Dark Energy singers or something to offset that. Maybe he can make Hotaru-chan or Fate-chan learn to sing? Or, wait, doesn't easter do the idol thing? Either way, it's giving him a headache, and also making him think of Mami for some reason which is further distracting him. Maybe it's cause the girl is yellow.

    He strikes the barrier, and likely due to that song, he gets through but also is sent back a fair distance, sliding on his heels and only just remaining standing. By the time he's ready to make a grab for the crystal, Chrono's ice has walled it off again.

    Bracing yourself against a literal car is possibly not the safest move, except when you have the power of friendship waiting to help. Amy and Rashmi both firing at it have the car more focused on dodging than anything else, which it is reasonably agile at doing - until it zigs when it should have zagged because there's a grumpy flaming ONI diving on it. Oni and Youma both go spiraling out, and the youma at least collides with a brick wall. Staggering around a little bit, she mumbles something about 'hope you have good insurance' as she tries to sort herself out.

    "Yada yada authority, yada yada TSAB, yada yada from a crying heart love can't be born AND NOW IT'S STUCK IN MY HEAD I HATE YOU." Riventon says.

    IS THAT A LORD OF THE RINGS QUOTE?" he shouts. Mostly to the sky. "You know what, though? I've got a quote for you, TSAB hobbit. 'You have no authority here, and your orders mean nothing.'"

    "And also, screw you all I got back with one just last weekend which proves you can't win every time. And each time we get one back, we're closer to our goal. You know what they call the side that fights all the battles on the defensive and loses whatever isn't a stalemate? They call them the loser. This isn't a fantasy novel, this will one day be history, and history will have a much better opinion of me than you do - as I will be writing that history myself."

    But given that he just heard what sounded suspiciously like a car collision if the car was a ditz and had been slammed into by an oni - which is not a sound one would expect to be able to place, mind you - and his own ally just left, and MORE magical people JUST KEEP SHOWING UP, he can see the writing on the wall today, and for once, decides descretion is the better part of valor. "See if you can turn any of them into roadkill, Daimon!" he calls. Assuming, you know, she gets a chance to try again. Which he doesn't expect she will. Riventon duskports out, mumbling something vaguely under his breath about 'the stupid tears of the world'.

Naru Osaka has posed:
It's a perfectly lovely song! It's not giving Naru a headache at all. It might be clearing her head just a little, but she's still not exactly doing /well/ in the functioning without a soul department. Or at least wihtout most of it.

Naru's hand settles on the crystal behind her and her entire expression brightens, like the sun dawning in the sky. She lifts the dark crystal that was sitting really just behind her and holds it up. "I found a crystal!"

And then her expression crumples. "But it's not silver." Because clearly only the silver crystal matters right now. "Oh. It's not a very good crystal."

Naru is clearly working on some sort of instinct as she tucks the crystal close to her chest. Ostensibly to keep it safe, it might still be useful, but it just... vanishes. Back into her.

The next blink is one with a lot more coherence, even if she's still kinda wooobly. "What the actual /hell/." She looks over to where Riventon was.. and sees the ice and starts looking around, now that she .. kinda.. has some wits about her.

Kureha Senkenzan has posed:
    Kureha's response is instant. << Not interested. >> She's not great at this friendly banter thing, but she's trying. That counts for something, right...?

    Oh look. That's a wall.

    Any further banter Onihime might have had to give is cut off by the fact that she and her opponent both have slammed into a wall. The vehicular villain seems to be stunned by the impact, but all it takes is a second or two to collect herself, and the kimono-clad ogre princess rises up from the pile of brick rubble as if it wasn't there. Brush brush. Brush. "My insurance could most likely buy out your insurance."

    And then she lunges forward, full-speed. Granted, for a magical girl, that's not much, but compared to a normal human, it's a swift and low tackle... wait... wait no that's not a tackle. She's killing her momentum as she slides in. She's aiming for a clinch around the daimon's waist.

    If she can get hold of the youma, its owner might need to reregister the vehicle. Because it's going to suplex city.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    People are shouting about Lord of the Rings. What. Amy doesn't have time to think about it. And she doesn't *need* to think, as the daimon's crashing and stunning itself, and over two decades of videogame instinct scream PUNISH. USE YOUR DESPERATION MOVE NOW. KYOKUGENRYUU OUGI, ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA!

    She doesn't do that, but she DOES point her rocket launcher at it and fire repeatedly until something changes.

    ...Such as Onihime charging in and grabbing it.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
<< ...Wait that's *Naru-chan* in there?! >> Rashmi sends to all her allies. There's a moment of fiddling, more a *feeling* of static than actual static noise, as Rashmi tries to add Naru into the telepathic net. << Naru-chan, are you okay? Did you find your Heart Crystal? >> Rashmi, 100% going with that because something deep in her heart wants to have a lie-down at what 'did you find your soul' might imply, even for the version-two rifles.

The instant 'not interested' gets an equally mental giggle from the Mage. << More for me then! >> As she swoops in after Daimon... Only to see it eat close to a dozen rockets, and then Onihime comes in for the finisher. << ....Okay wow you *definitely* don't need help, ouch... >>

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown couldn't help but smile when he watched Riventon's misery. So, he'd actually managed to get one? However, that assumed that one side of the fight was always just reacting only. But they were working on this.... more importantly, one side was expending a lot more resources with every fight than the other. In a battle of attrition, the defenders had the advantage.

He didn't say that, though, because he wasn't going to give Riventon advice he likely wouldn't listen to or, worse, might ACTUALLY listen to. "And yes, it was a quote. I saw the movie recently," he said.

Well.... the others probably had the car under control. He was going to go relax... maybe go and... make sure Naru wasn't too cold. Welp. Magic ice. It'd only take a second to break. The ice having formed a barrier between them and because going around it wouldn't have been cool enough... Okay, so he was being petty and Riventon DIDN'T go through it so he did, nyeh. At which point he held out his hand to her, from on high. "Hello again, Dispatcher. I do hope your week has been a good one, aside from this slight detour in the standard going ones," he said. "Are you chilly?" You know. Cause he made it cold.

<< I've got her, she's safe. I think she may be... slightly out of it, though. Possibly a little cold. But I think that's wearing off. >>

Coco Kiumi has posed:
Riventon does a speech that boils down to them only delaying the inevitable at which Coco just shrugs. "If you want to talk history, go ask the Panthalassa of the past how they are doing on their world domination. I don't suggest you to waste your time though, they may be a bit hard to reach."

"How are you feeling, Naru?" Coco asks, still relieved even before she gets an answer when she sees the other girl seems to be back to being herself. She offers a hand to help her up in case that is needed, and an extra round of song in case she needs extra help.

After that, she is about to go help with the daimon, but... Ouch. Onicure... I mean, Onihime doesn't mess around. The youma would probably feel that till next week if it had a next week to get to.

When Chrono approaches, Coco waves at him with a smile. "So, you are Rashmi's boyfriend, right? Thanks for the assistance with the wall back there. What is that TSAB thing Riventon was going on about?"

Takashi Agera has posed:
Rockets stream in, as if the Oni needed any more help collecting herself faster than the car-youma does - but she gets it either way, and the car youma gets some more damage on her 'butt-kicked-o-meter to boot. "Not likely bec-" the youma begins in response to the threat about buying out the insurance. Not that it gets to finish this because suddenly it's being grabbed from behind by a mahou shoujo, hands locked around her waste, the ground is leaving - and oh look, there's more ground. Incoming quickly. To her 'roof'.

    The sound of a weird mix of flesh and metal crumpling together and the highly discomforted sound the youma makes probably tell anybody who can't see about how that went. If Onihime doesn't release her hold, she's going to end up cinched around a pile of station wagon parts, out of which a strange ovaloid egg pops free, hits the ground, and cracks, with some sort of clearly malicious spirit being released. Giving up the ghost rather literally, as it were.

Naru Osaka has posed:
<< I'm good! >> Naru sends back through the telepathic bond. Good is a bit of a relative term, she's not in a rush to run anywhere, or even stand up for a few moments yet. There's a lot of ice, and a lot of left over woobly.

Instead, Naru takes a drink of her coffee. For once, she didnt' even spill it. It's a miracle, really. It's even cooled off to a good temperature, thanks to the ice.

"Hey you're back!" Naru reaches her free hand up to Chrono. "I'm glad I wore a warm hoodie, that's for sure." She doesn't comment on her week, that's too much thinking. She nods to Yellow Pearl. "I think I'm alright, thanks."

Kureha Senkenzan has posed:
    With near-perfect timing, Onihime lets go; the cratering impact of the slam creates just enough space between her and her opponent that she can roll and then leap free. She turns on her geta-clad feet the instant she lands... but the Daimon comes apart, in multiple literal definitions of the phrase. Slowly, she relaxes her combat stance, drawing herself up to her usual, graceful standing posture. There's a brief look to Naru, but Chrono seems to have her covered; and while Kureha recognizes the girl, she still doesn't know her well enough to feel as if she should approach.

    So instead, the youkai musume gives her hair a casual flip, and then turns around to check on Amy.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
<< Then it's a complete win! >> Rashmi cheers over the telepathic web, throwing her hands in the air as she flitters down to Chrono's side. << Red, Onihime, how're you doing? I think I felt that suplex from the *air,* yikes. >>

Grinning like... well, a lovestruck fool, she nudges the newly-returned TSAB agent. "*Nice* work! See? You're so cool!"

Cool. Because ice. Ahahahaha.

"But seriously Naru-chan *are you all right.* There've been kind of a raft of side effects from those stupid things."

Amanda Faust has posed:
                                 K.O.                                

The youma dropped car parts and an egg.

    "Well, that's not a grief seed. I didn't know *other* monsters dropped things too... do we need to find the right type of magical girl that can toss this into their mascot?"

    She looks up at Onihime. "Hey, thanks. Um... What was your name again?" She holds out a hand to shake, or fistbump, "I'm... Shoot, does *anyone* know how to come up with a good magical girl name? I can't just be 'Red'."

    If no one else picks up the egg, she will, to ask around for who's supposed to collect these.

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown glanced to Coco and nodded. "Indeed, I am the boyfriend of Rashmi," he said, with a hint of pride to his tone. "As for the TSAB, the Time Space Administrative Bureau, I'm an Enforcer, Chrono Harlaown." And, of course, he flashed his holographic display badge. "We are an interstellar, interdimensional organization focused on protecting the multiverse from threats to, well. All of reality."

He then took Naru's hand and pulled her to her feet.

"I crash landed on your planet a few... months back now and am currently working to keep the people here safe while I can. And I am also dating... Dating..." He trailed off.

<< ... Rashmi, did that woman just suplex a car? Youma? She is on our side, right? >>

... Oh my gosh. That absolute *smile* that formed on his lips when she said he was *cool*. He even stood up a little smidge taller and just... wow. He was a bit smitten himself. Not... so smitten that he didn't notice one of them go to *grab the egg.* "CAREFUL!" he yelled towards her, reaching towards her for a moment. "You don't know what that is, it might infect whoever..." Pause. "Oh, nevermind, huh. Not a... lot... of magical impact on it. Go wild." Annnnnd then his hand may have, sneakily... brushed against Rashmi's back when he pulled it back.

HE MISSED HER OKAY?! But worrrrrk!

Coco Kiumi has posed:
<<That was awesome, Onihime!>> Coco communicates through the telepatic link once Rashmi reminds her that's an option she is currently providing when she hears the redhead's voice in her head. <<How is everyone?>> she likewise asks.

Naru seems to be alright, at least it doesn't look like she is suffering any long term effects from it, she has even gone back to drinking her coffee like nothing happened. Which is quite cool. Coffee and demeanor both.

Though it's good to see that Rashmi shares her worries over it, just in case she is deciding to act above it for some reason. Even if it doesn't seem like she is. Naru should knows these things are not to be messed with, right.

<<It doesn't look like a Grief Seed to me. Want me to take care of it? In case it starts doing adverse things, I have purification on hand. Nevermind the fact it's cracked>> Or on voice, as it were. Besides, Cho also has purifying moves. Between the two of them, it would be fine.

An interstellar organisation of space people? "Well, good to have you here", Coco mentions to him. Should she actually give him an official greeting? Maybe. Certainly minus the mermaid stuff in case he still counts as a human. "I say welcome to Earth, as the Princess of the South Pacific."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"I'm not a youma.. and I think I would be by now, so I vote with alright." Naru comments to Rashmi as Chrono helps her to her feet. "But I am going to let you guys do the clean up, cause yeah.. the post shooting hangover is a /thing/."

Because of course, Naru has done this before. Hopefully twice is enough. Ideally.

Kureha Senkenzan has posed:
    "Onihime," the magical girl replies to Amy. "A Youkai Musume, descendant of the oni of Mt. Ooe." She responds to the held-out hand with little more than a slightly-arched eyebrow, but she does add, "It's good that you're unhurt. And... I can only advise that you devise a name soon. I have been told that you'll have one picked for you, if you don't." 'Threatened' is more like it. And somehow, she didn't trust Cure Wukong's naming sense.

    At last, however, she turns to glance at Yellow Pearl Voice; it's only a brief look, but... is it Coco's imagination, or did her expression soften just a little? Nah, couldn't be. Look, see, there's that usual, graceful-but-haughty hairflip. "Rashmi, if there is nothing else, I should be going. My attendant today is the... difficult one. She'll be frustrating enough to deal with as it is."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"Just it's good to see you again, Onihime," Rashmi says with a grin. "And come back to the restaurant soon!"

<< Yes she's on our side, Chrono, >> she answers the boy. << And she's still learning how to deal with people, it's okay. She's got a good heart. >>

Rashmi glances down at the touch on her back, lips twisting in a wry smile. << Missed me as much as I missed you, huh? Thanks for riding to my rescue, by the way. Ice cream and smooches when we're done here. >>

Pausing a beat, she blinks at Coco, mouthing 'princess of the South Pacific' in curious echo, as if unaware that was really a thing. But one can almost see her mental shrug as she decides to just go with it, because magic has done weirder in the last couple months alone.

"She's right by the way, Red. Best Sailor Moon could come up for me was 'Page Mage,' so... yeah it's really worth not being me and able to come up with something yourself."

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown blinked a few times and then smiled to Coco. "Ah, princess of the ocean. I... see." He just glanced to Rashmi. then glanced back to Yellow Voice. "If... you don't mind, I can be contacted at XXX-XXXX, or through Osaka-san or.... well. At Radiant Heart. I would like to speak with you later, if that's okay?" It wasn't a good cover, considering he gave all his info away all the time.

"However, as I have just returned from a long away mission, I uhhh... really must depart to unpack and... everything." He then blinked and said, before he could help himself.

"Ahhhh, my little page mage."

... Aaaaaand then went scarlet. "Err, I mean, ahem. I should... go. And shower and... unpack."

He turned to leave... but sent Rashmi a message. << Meet up in an hour? Anywhere your heart desires. >>

Coco Kiumi has posed:
"See you, Onihime!", Coco waves at her. "I hope everything goes well with your attendant."

Chrono gives the mermaid his number then and she gives him an unsure glance in reply. Is he actually aware of those things? How? "Sure, all three apply to me too. My number is XXX-XXXXXXX. I will look forward to meeting with you."

Coco just stares back and nods when Rashmi directs that unspoken question at her. Not like she can do anything more. Unlike Chrono here, she is positive Rashmi is 100% human.

Well, she could ask those in the know to intercede for her, but the only one here looks rather tired. And she too could use a rest. Keeping back that ball of dark fire in the sky took a lot out of her. She picks up that weird cracked egg on her way out.