1031/Proud As A...

Proud As A...
Date of Scene:	21 January 2024
Location:	Juuban Ward
Synopsis:	A simple plush youma is just an appetizer to the complicated and problematic situations between Obsidian and the Sen/Shi.
Cast of Characters:	Takashi Agera, Hotaru Tomoe, Mamoru Chiba, Usagi Tsukino, Ami Mizuno, Zoisite

---

Takashi Agera has posed:
    Yesterday, Takashi Agera and Hotaru Tomoe stopped by a cute little stuffed/plush animal shop - and left with a penguin and a peacock. Those two students are entirely unrelated to the tall scientist in an armored labcoat holding a poeacock plushie or the Best Lab Assistant girl next to him in a very different outfit holding a penguin plushie next to him. Totally different.

    Riventon reaches a hand out, collecting a condensed orb of Dark Energy into his upturned palm. Inky and black, it is practically the definition of a concept of Angry Sphere, the energy rolling around and occasionally trying to escape its confines. Riventon then shoves it dramatically into the peacock plushie and there's a surge of negative energy that rolls over the suburban area of the Juuban ward. Sure, it'll serve as a warning, but Riventon isn't trying to be subtle today. Or most days.

    And it's hard to be subtle when your weapon of choice on a Sunday afternoon is a 12-foot tall giant fluffy peacock monster, fanning out its plumage and sucking energy in a wide radius into the feathery eyes.

    And while the two of them are floating in the air, Riventon reaches over and ruffles Firefly's hair. "Just like old times, right? I told you we'd still be able to spend time together." He says to the girl holding the adorable penguin, while the Peacock screeches and pulls energy over a wide area.

Hotaru Tomoe has posed:
Firefly gave a small nod, hugging her penguin plushy to her chest. "Uh huh! Just like old times! This plan doesn't even 'suck'. But it's totally for the birds," she said happily.

<< Doot doot doot ding. Diplomacy check: Critical Success >>

Yes, Firefly was the best/worst influence on her device. It was hard to say.

Still, she was preening under the attention. "Who do you think will show up today? Maybe it'll be Fate's friend, she's nice. Ohhhhh. Or maybe the new vampire hunter! She's neat."

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"--so you have to be nice. Oh this isn't fair," Mamoru says to Izou, visibly starting to drag and then clutching at Zoi's sleeve. "Birds are my thing! Were. My thing. We were going to do this one together! Maybe he's doing it because he misses me..."

The prince trails off, then straightens up with a determined look. "I'm gonna do something stupid. I miss that idiot. Despite him literally living two doors down from me. And he's got Firefly here too." He slide-steps into an alley that's also a great place to hide from all those feather eyes.

"Earth Prism Power, Make Up!" he yells once he's out of sight of the street in general, and there is, in fact, a whole henshin sequence with turning around and sparkles and majestic cape shenanigans. "And I really want that bird after it's dead," he says once he flips his cape back over his shoulders.

With absolutely no more warning than before, he jumps up onto the roof of the building next to them, callously leaving his guardian to catch up to his impulsive behavior, and bounds over a couple of rooftops over until he's closer to Riventon and Firefly. "Hey!" he calls out cheerfully. "It's a plushie right? If we kill it do I get to keep it?" A beat. "I mean unless someone explodes it everywhere."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
There's something fun about shopping close to home - in knowing the quickest path between stores, in having familarity with the layouts and the usual stock, and most of all, in being sure of when you could find a good deal!

With Ami having exposed her newfound willingness to browse and shop for clothes, Usagi hadn't wasted a second in seizing on the opportunity to drag her friend out for a day of browsing boutiques, cafes, (and at her request, at least one bookstore). The two girls are walking down the street, Usagi especially loaded down with a few bags, her long white skirt flowing around her ankles. Her pale jean jacket is keeping the winter chill off, and her the collar half-hiding the collar of her green shirt.

"I guess we should start heading over to meet Mamoru and Izou," Usagi says with a sigh, peeking at the time on her phone, "Maybe we can check more stores after?"

She's not hopeful, but, maybe... if Ami's been having as much fun as she has...

The thing about Usagi is that she has absolutely no ability to sense - anything outside of the range of normal human senses. Dark energy? She doesn't notice it! Prophetic dreams? Doesn't have them!

Unless it's so obvious even the most mundane of humans can sense it, Usagi just... doesn't notice.

Luckily, energy drain has side effects, like making people obviously sluggish, weak, and tired. As people start to slow, fade, and then collapse in the street, Usagi looks up and sees -

"Ami-chan, is that a peacock? They're not... actually that big, right?"

It's a monster, sure, but like, it's based on an animal, and, this is like the three-headed, right? Except there's something worse than a giant peacock. There's - Firefly.

Those two girls, terrified, gone from life to nothingness in seconds - flash through her mind, and -

"We've got to stop them right now, before they kill someone!"

So saying, she drags the two of them to the nearest alley, grabbing her broach.

"Moon Prism Power, Make Up!"

Sailor Moon hops up to the nearest rooftop (only stumbling a little) and runs closer to the action.

Ami Mizuno has posed:
"Yes, we shouldn't be late to meet them, Usagi-chan. I hope I didn't take up too much time in the bookstore." Ami walks alongside her friend in quite a good mood. Bags are grasped in hand bearing the name of a bookstore and completely, utterly filled to bursting with books of various topics. There's ONE bag that has a clothing store name to prove she was, indeed, updating her wardrobe as she had intended. Books though? That's just an investment in her future! It's a miracle the bluenette manages to carry it all.

One book is out already cracked open to browse through the first few pages with one hand as the bags have slid down to rest in the crook of her elbow. A jaunty tan beret is on her head and she's dressed in leggings, a skirt, a turtleneck and a cute pink sweater buttoned up the front. Just warm enough to be warm but also ... how is she warm, it's freezing out.

Usagi's remark causes her to glance up over the edge of the pages at the 'peacock' to inform, "Certainly not. Plus that one appears to be stitched together," she adds noting the not-realistic proportions. Before she can properly respond Usagi has her dragged into the alley with a cry of, "My book!" That had fallen in the slush of snow on the sidewalk.

OH. Oh now it was on.

"Mercury Power Make Up!"

No sooner is Sailor Moon on the rooftops than she's joined by the Guardian of Mercury as well who was looking just a bit cross as she joins Tuxedo Mask, Sailor Moon and whoever else may be there to *point* at Riventon and Firefly. "Don't you know it's rude to interrupt a good book? And plushies should be kept inside where you can keep them clean and warm!"

Zoisite has posed:
    "I'm always nice, and how dare you imply otherwise you ruffian--" Izou is starting to respond before there is a bunch of Dark Energy and a giant peacock. It's a strange sensation, being on the receiving end of the energy drain. Thankfully, there's a way to stop that. Following his Prince's lead, the two dangling emerald earrings Izou is wearing light up with the symbol for Earth floating inside each one.

    His body becomes a prism of shifting colors in the Never between one moment and another. His clothing, a casual outfit of jeans, boots, and a white button-up shirt, looking like a swashbuckler prepared to swash some buckles, turns to light that condenses into rose petals. The petals circling Izou spiral around and around until they layer over his body, transforming into a uniform much like that he wore as a Dark General. But this one is white instead of dark grey, with the same light-green trim. Also, there's no upsurge of Dark Energy from him as his transformation reaches its conclusion, his green eyes gleaming with the knowledge and poise of a liftime lived a long, long time ago.

    That non-moment ends, and the next instance Zoisite stands there, as he was back then, during that time when first he lived.

    He follows after Tuxedo Mask, coming to a stop as he observes the threat, the flying figures in the sky, and the two Sailor Senshi.

    "I have walked the dark path, and it has dominated my destiny. But now, the scales have fallen from my eyes, and I can see clearly what was previously obscured." he calls out towards Riventon as he stands side-long to the villains, arms crossed, a mildly haughty expression on his face, but no sign of the dark cruelty that and deviousness that was once plainly on display. "The Truth that I only danced with at a distance before, a suggestion and a silhouette. I say now what I have said before, but now with conviction." He whips up his left hand to point at the over-sized poultry as his right hand goes to his hip. "Birds are not real!"

Takashi Agera has posed:
    Zoisite appears, and states that birds aren't real. "Technically birds both are and aren't real - since birds are technically dinosaurs - or at least their descendants - you can argue they're not real as a singular thing... but as the concept of what humans have decided constitues a bird, they clearly are. In any case, this bird is stuffed so it's not real anyways." Riventon responds, always happy to interject a little bit of scientific quasi-pedantry into any discussion.

    The peacock is clearly, or was clearly at one point, a stuffed animal. The button eyes and the plush fuzzy exterior testify to that. The fact that it is moving, making quite real sounding peacock sounds, is a strike in the opposite direction.

    "Whatever you're reading, sparkle skirt, it's probably not something of any consequence to anyone important. Romance novels or some tripe. Your type never spends your energy on anything of value, like knowledge or learning." Riventon says, the bespectacled, combat-lab-coated villian basically characterizing the Senshi of Wisdom in the most opposite way possible, unintentionally at that.

    Then Sailor Formalwear pipes in and Riventon looks at him. "Why do you want it, anyways." he asks. "You don't even know me." Strike two on the knowing correct information front.

    "Anyways, if you're super desperate to have your eitaphs read 'crushed by fluffy peacock monster due to sticking my nose in where it doesn't belong' then I can't really stop you can I." Riventon notes. The peacock's fuzzy feet claw at the dirt like a bull getting ready to charge - and Riventon gestures towards them and the big fluffy monstrosity is -off-, moving fast, squaking, beak open, plush somehow gleaming with sharp edges as it bursts forward with a surprising speed, its bulk trying to slam into some of the arrived heroes and a snapping beak on an outstretched neck for some of the others.

Hotaru Tomoe has posed:
Firefly gasped and couldn't help it. Her eyes lit up. "Is... is that a rule? If we beat it, do we get to keep it? Ohhhhh. Maybe... maybe it wouldn't be so bad if I was to be on their side somewhat..." she mumbled. "Joking. Joking!" she said quickly, before he could get too annoyed by her comments.

However... then... there was Sailor Moon. Firefly stared down at her and... she looked...

Afraid. Firefly moved, instinctively, just behind Riventon. Hugging her plushy a little closer. "And... and birds are totally real! If they weren't, how would KFC exist? Even if it was a conspiracy from Big Bird, big Bird couldn't exist UNLESS birds were real to begin with! Checkmate!"

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
It doesn't take long for Sailor Moon and Sailor Mercury to reach the scene, and who do they see but -

"Tuxedo Kamen! And - Zoisite? I guess?" Her voice trails off, for a moment, as she stares at the boy standing beside Tuxedo Kamen. It's her first time seeing him in his slightly altered uniform, and it's strange, to have him on their side, but... then her eyes stray to Firefly, hiding ever so slightly besides Riventon, and she would say something about that, if not for -

"Oh, so you're a sexist, too? Don't you know sexism is the - the archaic philosophy of a deadbeat loser?! You think because Mercury-chan wears a skirt, she doesn't study and learn?! And, and, how dare you say that romance is tripe?! Maybe if you picked up a romance novel you wouldn't be such a sexist jerk!"

Sailor Moon, calling you out live from the rooftop! She points at Riventon with scorn, her lips face darkened by a scowl.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"Zoi, birds are real--" Tuxedo Kamen says with a sharp abbreviated sigh through his teeth, and then he blinks at Riventon.

Blink.

"Oh right!" he says, magically able to snap gloved fingers because they're magic henshin gloves, then points at Riventon. "I'm not supposed to know you! We're total strangers!" he adds with a giant stage wink.

He holds his hands up at Sailor Moon. "They're not going to kill anyone. But I'm glad you got the justice speech covered," the tall boy says, blowing a kiss. Then he takes off his hat and takes a running leap off the edge of the building toward the peacock-- and he does this gymnastic move involving leapfrogging over the peacock's head whilst pushing his hat down over that head, and tryyyying to land on its back.

Ami Mizuno has posed:
Sailor Mercury finds herself partially distracted as her gaze flits over toward Tuxedo Kamen and Zoisite. It was her first time seeing Zoisite not only on their side, but up close. Plus... Birds not being real!? The distraction almost makes her miss the insult that Riventon sends her way. Almost.

"What?" Romance novels!? Okay she'd read ONE romance manga recently but that was hardly---!

Mercury draws herself up to her full height which may not be much, but that doesn't deter her! One arm snaps forward to POINT at Riventon while the other draws back as if preparing to punch. "How *dare* you even suggest--! For your information I was re-reading copy of 'On The Origin of Time'! Because I am the pretty Guardian of Love and Intelligence, Sailor Mercury!"

There's nothing more she can say because the Peacock is on the charge. Springing into the air to leap away, she brings her hands up crossing over her chest with a cry of, "Douse yourself in water, and repent! Sabao Spray!"

Bubbles. Water bubbles spring forth and pop creating a hazy mist to hopefully help hinder the progress of the youma, Riventon and Firefly. One could hope.

Zoisite has posed:
    As the fake fowl charges, Zoisite charges in turn. A long sword of the finest enchanted steel that the Golden Kingdom could forge appears in his hand as he thrusts the blade towards the peacock's belly, trying to stick himself onto it, essentially, to avoid being run over. "If this was a stuffed toy, then that means it's flammable, right?" Zoisite calls out. With just a little bit of a smirk.

    Just a little bit.

    Hopefully the Shabon Spray kept his counter-maneuver hidden from Riventon, Firefly, and the Peacock until it was too late to prevent.

Takashi Agera has posed:
    "What? Sexism? No, the dudeskirts here are probably equally as likely to read pointless tripe." He says, genuinely offended that he'd be accused of that. After all, so many of the most dangerous people he knows are girls - Fate, Mami, Whatever's Lurking Inside Firefly. "You're the one who should feel bad for assuming only girls can be sparkleskirts." he adds, crossing his arms.

    The mist covers the battlefield which prevents anyone from seeing anyone's facial expression. "If there's a guardian of intelligence, she'd absolutely not be standing against me - since that's a tremendously stupid act. You must be confused, or fake, or both." he notes.

    The bird wanders through the fog, occasionally smacking into a building. It would make more noise doing this, but... it's plush, not solid bird. It is, however, highly upset by this turn of events. It makes its annoyance known with very high pitch calls.

    "Also the KFC point is a good one. You can't tell me you don't eat KFC on Christmas." Riventon didn't. But, was he seriously arguing about the birds not being real thing, or just playing into a long running joke? The world may never know.

    The plushie peacock's pernicious provider can't see much of anything - much less prepare for Zoisite's attack. The blade sinks deep into the stuffed creature. It can't appropriately reply, though, as it is busy being further blinded by Kamen's hat. And ridden by Kamen. So now there's two Earth Court members attached to it, and it's blind and in fog, and it just starts flapping its wings and banging into stuff further. It's kind of a squaking, angry, chaotic mess. "You know, it's really rude to obscure the results of my experiment from me, though. It's not a double blind trial."

Hotaru Tomoe has posed:
Firefly blinked a few times... and... "Origin... of time? Is that one of the wheel of time books? I... don't think I've read that one. Is it good?" Firefly asked Mercury, calling out after her and... and suddenly mist. They couldn't see. Ohhh dear. "Ummmm... Riventon-senpai... uhhh..."

"So... someone told me that it wasn't... actually... Sailor Moon who murdered Cyprine, did... is that true? Like... it was her messup?" she asked. Staring out over the mist.

The mists of protection. Mists that would make it very easy for a murderous, vengeance filled, spiked toothy(in her mind's eye) Sailor Moon to lunge out from the mists, and then try to DUSTIFY THEM! "Like... Sailor... Moon isn't... really the murderous... of Senshi... is she?" Her? Scared? HA! More likely than you'd think! WAIT! NO! LESS LIKELY! SHE MEANT LESS LIKELY!

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"If it's not sexism, then why didn't you call us sparkleshirts, huh? You have to call those two dudeskirts because you know anyone who hears sparkleskirts is going to think of a girl! We all wear some kind of shirt, but only the girls wear skirts - so far."

That might change, but it hasn't yet.

Mist covers the field, but Sailor Moon can see through it - the benefit of the debuff being against the enemy, not the ally. The Moon Stick drops into her hand, gloved fingers tightening around it. The last time she'd seen Riventon, he stole Takuto's heart crystal, and the last time she saw Firefly - well. The last time she saw Firefly, she saw death for the first time in this lifetime. The youma is running around below her, Tuxedo Kamen on it's back and Zoisite clinging to it's front somehow, and she has an attack that should probably be pretty effective - against it and it's creator.

"No wonder your apprentice killed those girls - she gets the attitude from you."

It's probably not nice to throw shots at a little kid, but counterpoint: it wasn't nice for a little kid to kill two people in front of her, now was it?

With that parting shot made, Sailor Moon turns her back on Riventon and leaps down into the mists, her Moon Stick held tight. When she lands, she carves a circle of light into the air, calling out the name of that most effective attack against dark energy creations.

"Moon Healing Escalation!"

Silver beams of light blast towards the youma - it passes right through Tuxedo Kamen and Zoisite, since they don't have any taint of Dark Energy.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"Zoisite! Don't cut it up too bad, I'm serious about wanting to keep it. FOR REASONS," Tuxedo Kamen calls from out of the fog, detaching his cape and leaning forward to wrap it around the peacock's neck once, knotting it. He produces a cane from absolutely nowhere, and -- swaying a little as he hangs on with his knees and the thing keeps blundering around -- sticks the cane through the cape. Then he starts casually twisting it. "Sentimental reasons! It can hang out with the emu that Kunzite made for me."

If it doesn't work as a garrote, it'll work as a way to hang on that isn't hugging the thing's neck and praying. He calls out, "Sailor Moon! N--oh yikes--"

He prepares to take a messy tumble to the pavement if he can't get his feet under him in time.

Ami Mizuno has posed:
That... That... Oh, Sailor Mercury was livid. There were more important things going on right now though than to argue with such a petty individual. Landing lightly on a rooftop from her jump she rushes to the side of the building to watch the progress of Tuxedo Kamen and Zoisite with the youma itself. Somehow she felt ice wouldn't really help in this instance overly much.

Absently she responds to the word from Firefly, "It's the last lecture of Stephen Hawking in regards to Quantum Physics." A pause comes, and she remarks, "The Wheel of Time is a good series though. If you like that you should also try the Discworld series. It make some very valid socio-economical points in a humorous way, especially with the City Watch chapters." What? Someone was asking for book recommendations! She's still focused on the fight!

Zoisite has posed:
    "Absolutely," Zoisite says as he nods agreeably and keeps careful hold over his sword-based climbing point. "I won't cut it up too badly." Then he raises a hand and begins amassing a sphere of flame hovering over his palm. He also chimes in with the other conversation by yelling, "Yeah, Rincewind! You should read Discworld! Get your head stuck in your Luggage while you're at it!"

    From your former co-worker, with love.

Takashi Agera has posed:
    Riventon scoffs into the fog. "Well, you can use whatever excuse you like. You're going to brand me with all of the other evil sounding things, though I admit that's the first time anyone's accused me of being sexist so maybe I shouldn't be surprised."

    Riventon turns to Firefly. "That's why she's down there and we're up here. I won't let anything happen to you, though." he says. Maybe not as quietly as he thinks - maybe the Senshi and Shitennou are closer than it appears through the fog, and can hear his genuinely concerned for her voice. "I don't know what happened to Cyrpine, though. Ive heard a lot of rumors." hes says. And all the rumors point to SOMEONE who otherwise doesn't seem the killing stuff type. "Maybe she really did just draw more power than she could handle." he admits.

    "You're one to talk about attitude, dustmaker." Riventon adds to Sailor Moon, a little louder. "After I went out of my way to make sure the Osaka girl got back safe and sound, to make sure those rifles weren't lethal - and there you go making things all serious again with poor Cyprine." He's as willing to blame her (and crow about his accomplishments) as anything else.

    Riventon's not actually just talking crap without doing anything though. He's analyzing, trying to work around the fog. It's magical fog which is far more annoying to pierce than if someone just threw a fire extinguisher at him or something, though.

    The youma, on the other hand? Well, after the expereince with the catgirl and Kunzite, this youma is a little bit less beefier (or, perhaps, fluffier) and doesn't have as much to be a direct threat. It's more about a message, sending something out. With Moon here, Hematite will probably hear about the bird youma. The one he'd picked out with Firefly rather than Mamoru.

    So the creature slams into the walls and fails to dislodge Kamen and Zoisite one last time, before Moon Healing Escalation comes forward and cuts through the fog - and the poisonous energy animating the toy. Riventon reflexively pulls Firefly and himself further back - shielding her with his ungauntleted hand and ready to put up a more literal shield if need be. But the attack is focused on the monster, at least.

    Once he's sure Firefly and himself aren't going to eat any residual healing, he can address Zoisite. "I know you're crushed by not having me around, but don't act like you don't remember my name, Zoe. Riv-en-ton. Not Rin-ce-wind." he adds. Is it possible the shut-in scientist lacks the relevant info to retort? Yes. Yes it is. But he could also just be ignoring it, because he is a jerk.

    As the toy shrinks down to normal size, the fire... well, it's not evil magic fire. So the toy is now smaller, the fire is now the same size, and... well, it's not unsavable, but you might want to put it out soon to avoid having a roast peacock toy.

Takashi Agera has posed:
    Riventon scoffs into the fog. "Well, you can use whatever excuse you like. You're going to brand me with all of the other evil sounding things, though I admit that's the first time anyone's accused me of being sexist so maybe I shouldn't be surprised."

    Riventon turns to Firefly. "That's why she's down there and we're up here. I won't let anything happen to you, though." he says. Maybe not as quietly as he thinks - maybe the Senshi and Shitennou are closer than it appears through the fog, and can hear his genuinely concerned for her voice. "I don't know what happened to Cyrpine, though. Ive heard a lot of rumors." hes says. And all the rumors point to SOMEONE who otherwise doesn't seem the killing stuff type. "Maybe she really did just draw more power than she could handle." he admits.

    "You're one to talk about attitude, dustmaker." Riventon adds to Sailor Moon, a little louder. "After I went out of my way to make sure the Osaka girl got back safe and sound, to make sure those rifles weren't lethal - and there you go making things all serious again with poor Cyprine." He's as willing to blame her (and crow about his accomplishments) as anything else.

    Riventon's not actually just talking crap without doing anything though. He's analyzing, trying to work around the fog. It's magical fog which is far more annoying to pierce than if someone just threw a fire extinguisher at him or something, though.

    The youma, on the other hand? Well, after the expereince with the catgirl and Kunzite, this youma is a little bit less beefier (or, perhaps, fluffier) and doesn't have as much to be a direct threat. It's more about a message, sending something out. With Moon here, Hematite will probably hear about the bird youma. The one he'd picked out with Firefly rather than Mamoru.

    So the creature slams into the walls and fails to dislodge Kamen and Zoisite one last time, before Moon Healing Escalation comes forward and cuts through the fog - and the poisonous energy animating the toy. Riventon reflexively pulls Firefly and himself further back - shielding her with his ungauntleted hand and ready to put up a more literal shield if need be. But the attack is focused on the monster, at least.

    Once he's sure Firefly and himself aren't going to eat any residual healing, he can address Zoisite. "I know you're crushed by not having me around, but don't act like you don't remember my name, Zoe. Riv-en-ton. Not Rin-ce-wind." he adds. Is it possible the shut-in scientist lacks the relevant info to retort? Yes. Yes it is. But he could also just be ignoring it, because he is a jerk.

    As the toy shrinks down to normal size, Riventon's deciding how much trouble he wants to start now that the primary trouble is slowing down.

Hotaru Tomoe has posed:
Firefly let out a soft, startled gasp when Sailor Moon did the unthinkable.

"HOW DARE YOU!" Firefly yelled down at Sailor Moon. "La Crima has never killed ANYONE! She's super sweet and kind and loves donuts! She's not killed anyone and even if she could she probably wouldn't! Just because she's a little grim sometimes doesn't mean she's a stone colded hearted broken killer!" She was so furious she just murdered that sentence like she did Cyprine and co.

She then glanced towards Mercury (or, at least, Mercury's voice). "Diskworld? I wasn't a big gan of it. They kept bullying the poor wizard man and I just couldn't get into it. I'm a much bigger fan of horror stuff usually, though."

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"Zoi!! That--" Mamoru starts to protest at the fire and the gleam in Zoisite's eyes, even as he's falling down, "--uhf."

Tuxedo Kamen scrambles for the stuffie peacock and collects it in his arms, grabbing the cape and immediately draping it over the toy bird and clutching the whole mess like it's precious. He stands up and collects his cane, vanishing it, then picks up his hat and jams the bird into it before vanishing the hat, too.

As the arguments and various yellings continue, he reattaches his cape with a grand mustering of dignity, then dusts off his hands. He looks unaccountably smug. Now he can participate! And he calls upward, "You're obviously reading the wrong ones! Read The Wee Free Men, you'll really like the heroine of that subset of the books."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"The only other evil things you've been branded with are things you actually did! Like steal people's energy, and their heart crystals. Being sexist is the most pathetically normal thing you've ever done! Figures, you're just some boring guy!"

It would figure. Mamoru could call Riventon a brother, but he was still just a total jerk.

But her attack did what it was supposed to do - the monster shrinks down to a little plushie, and Sailor Moon starts to rush forward to catch him, but he manages to catch himself. Yes, she is feeling bad about not thinking about where he was going to land, whoops...

With the monster dead, there's nothing else to do but argue and she's scowling up at Riventon, except then - Firefly says - what? Sailor Moon is baffled. Sailor Moon is offended.

"I was talking about you?! You're the one who killed those two sisters! And got me blamed for it! You're right that La Crima never killed anyone! You did!"

This might be why she's shooting wounded glares at Tuxedo Kamen and Sailor Mercury for continuing to talk about books at a time like this. There's a lot of distance between Sailor Moon and Firefly at the moment, and Sailor Moon isn't entirely sure what to do - except for the fact that she is. She just isn't totally sure it's a good idea, but when has that ever stopped her? There's a lamp post, and Sailor Moon jumps up to stand on it, closer to them. Her Moon Stick is gone, back in her subspace. Her hands are clear. Her voice is tightly controlled, trying to pull back. "Firefly. Why do you have a device just to control your Dark Energy? What did Obsidian do to you?"

Ami Mizuno has posed:
"Oh well that's a valid point, but there's many in the series and not all are around the same characters," Sailor Mercury calls out only to pause as she watches the purificaton and smallification of the plushie. Tuxedo Kamen lands safely, and so too does Zoisite it seems causing her to let out a breath of relief.

Tuxedo Kamen's call earns a thoughtful nod. "Tiny Gods is good too. And Mort." Was the wizard in that one? Darn.

By now the mists have begun to dissapate. Even though she could hold it for awhile it wasn't something that was a forever out there thing, and right now shifting energy to something else was likely wiser.

Leaping from the building she moves to land near Zoisite, and Tuxedo Kamen. "Is everyone all right?" The look that Sailor Moon shoots her causes her to duck her head apologetically, and she clears her throat. "Sailor Moon would never kill anyone!" A pause. "Unless there's absolutely no other choice what so ever." Another pause. "And even then probably not!" She's trying to be supportive, but realistic!

Zoisite has posed:
    "You know, I would have gone out with you more if you'd asked me to." Zoisite calls back to Riventon. "But no, I don't eat KFC. Mamoru does though. He split it with the bakeneko--" The youngest of the Guardian Knights pauses as something occurs to him. The reminder of the bakeneko and the mention by Firefly of liking horror...

    The turkey has shrunk down so Zoisite has stepped back and now holds his sword loosely in his left hand, since his right is occupied with a seething fireball. He calls up to Firefly, "Why don't you come down from there, and I'll tell you more about Silver Millennium? Do you remember that chat we had, back in Obsidian Tower? We have Pyrite with us. She's a ghost again. She's yoru friend, isn't she? Your honorary little sister? Your kouhai? I'm sure she'd love to talk horror with you. It's her entire thing."

    The pony-tailed blonde tilts his head. "That's what you really want, isn't it? To belong. To be with others? You said you wanted to be decisive. I know how to be decisive. And I know you can be too. You were there back then too, weren't you? In Silver Millennium? Join us. We'll find out who you were together. Decide for yourself your own future."

    Then Zoisite aims carefully, half-hoping for a repeat performance of the breakdown that Firefly had last time, and half-hoping she just actually switches sides. As the fog is clearing, he has an opportunity to attack Riventon. Especially if Firefly goes berserk again. But that might ruin any future chances of recruiting her. And him. It's not like Zoisite doesn't want Riventon to give up Obsidian too. He doesn't fire his attack though.

Hotaru Tomoe has posed:
Firefly made a nod to Tuxedo Kamen. "Oh? Wee Free Men? I'll... I'll..." And then there was that accusation. That...

"Riventon-senpai isn't boring OR sexist or ANY OF THOSE THINGS! He... He..."

"Killed? I... I never killed anyone! I've never killed ANYONE!" Firefly yells, shrieking. And... and that brought memories back. Of people hurt. Animals... ended. Implications. Threats. "I-I never mean to hurt anyone. I never... I never... OBSIDIAN DIDN'T DO ANYTHING TO ME!" she screamed, tears forming in her eyes. Why were they accusing her of such things? Why were--

And then there was more concern. More questions. This time from Zoisite. Silver... Millenium? The chat...

And memories flooded. She whimpered, pulling back. "I... I don't want to... I don't want to hurt anyone. That's why Riventon-senpai made me this... this glaive. So I wouldn't accidentally..."

Finally, she screamed. "I NEVER MEANT TO HURT ANYBODY! STOP BEING A BULLY!"

And then, suddenly... she just *dove* at Sailor Moon. Her glaive raised high, the penguin stuffy left floating in the air behind where she was... And the blade lifted high. And she brought it DOWN at her!

"DO YOU WANT TO KNOW WHY I NEED A DEVICE?! BECAUSE I'M DYING!" she screamed, cutting at Sailor Moon with anger and fury, the blade vibrating with magical energy as she cut again and again. At least it couldn't kill... even if it could hurt. "BECAUSE I'M DYING AND I'M ALREADY HALF DEAD AND IT'S STOPPING ME FROM GETTING WORSE! BECAUSE IF I DON'T HAVE IT PEOPLE GET HURT AND I GET HURT AND RIVENTON-SENPAI IS WONDERFUL AND HE'S HELPING ME AND EVERYONE ELSE AND I THOUGHT YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE NICE AND YOU'RE NOT NICE YOU'RE MEAN AND NASTY AND I HATE YOU I HATE YOU I HATE YOU!" she screamed, a flurry of glaive and rage, not seeing anything but the Sailor Senshi as she angrily struck, again and again, trying to hurt her like her words hurt.

Takashi Agera has posed:
    Riventon winces, visibly, as the fog clears and Firefly replies to the accusations herself. Not that he minds her standing up for herself, it's just... The poor kid.

    "You don't know what you're dealing with right now, but I guess that's pretty par for the course for all of you, isn't it." Riventon adds. The accusations are upsetting him. Ask Riventon and he's allowing them to upset him, so that he has the strength to throw down. But that may be less than the truth. "Zoisite, you can put your little candle away. We both know you're nowhere near as strong as you used to be. And I'm much stronger. Hell, I even have your boss' old office." He says, looking over at the other boy. Does that make him combatively stronger? Probably not. But he is stronger than the last time him and Zoi directly interacted.

    Riventon's clearly debating throwing down further - but Still, he's not entirely ready for Firefly to go from verbally attacking to physically attacking - that's out of character for her. That's escalation.

    That's Firefly using that frankly spooky skill with the glaive - a skill she had never truly developed since he'd known her - to go into combat. A circular Magic Circle twirls into being around Riventon. It's the same thing he uses to charge an attack. But he's not charging an attack now - he's readying a long-range teleport. Firefly can't be taken through the Dusk Zone, after all, and soon the girl may need to be pulled back.

    "Leave the thinking to the professionals." he adds. "Look where it's getting you. You're lucky I made her a weapon that can't kill. Once again it's my genius saving you, and you'll profess I'm the villain."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
And Sailor Moon stares Firefly down, as she stammers, as she denies that Riventon is a villain, as she says that he's nice because he's helping her -

And there is a part of her that feels sick and awful at the fact that Firefly is dying and hurt and yet - the glaive comes down.

The glaive comes down and the first strike hurts, but the others - the others are parried with the Moon Stick, and Sailor Moon looks at her, feels sorry for her, hurts for her -

And asks.

"Does that mean you get to hurt other people? Does dying make it okay for you to help them steal people's Pure Hearts, to drain them of their energy, to make them hurt like you hurt? Is it suddenly okay to hurt people, because you're hurting?"

It's not an argumentative voice, it's - calm. It's - steady. It's an act, fully holding back her fear and her frustration, in favor of taking what this girl has to offer, and trying to push back.

She doesn't hate Firefly. She just wants her to see that this is all...

Bullshit.

"I try to be nice to as many people as I can - but I'm not going to stand by while you hurt people! I'm not going to say Riventon treats women with respect when he told Mercury what she was reading wasn't important! And I'm not going to say you're not a killer when you are. I watched those girls die! I tried to pull that girl away and you turned her to dust in my hand."

Her eyes burn with intensity as the attacks rain down on her Moon Stick, the Silver Crystal pulsing with light where it rests in the well of the crescent moon. Her voice drops into a quiet tone meant just for the two of them. "You say you need this because you're dying?! How do you know Dark Energy isn't making you worse? You're more like Hemachan than him, aren't you, Saturn."

Ami Mizuno has posed:
Sailor Mercury takes a half-step back as it seems that this was beginning to get a bit more tense in spite of the youma being defeated. The glance to Tuxedo Kamen proves he's fine. Zoisite however has the flames out still, and seems to know this little girl that was with Riventon. A feeling of unease settles in her stomach as she's unaware of the situation that they were all speaking of.

What she did notice is the way it was causing Firefly so much turmoil. "Guys I don't think this is..." She begins only to bite her tongue. She didn't know what was going on precisely. There was just a feeling of uncertaint, worry, and perhaps an inkling of fear.

And then the girl launches herself at Sailor Moon to pound away with the glaive.

In other circumstances Mercury may have come up with a plan to react. If there were more time, more space, if she wasn't feeling this sense of impending doom. There wasn't time though.

As the onslaught of attacks start up she just *moves* to throw herself in front of Sailor Moon with arms flung open to try and protect her from further blows. Nevermind Sailor Moon was doing just fine parrying the attacks till now. She was her going to guard her from any further attacks with her arms flung open wide showing SHE was unarmed.

"Stop it--Please!" She pleads the girl with her eyes squeezed shut tight.

The whisper she hears from Sailor Moon to 'Saturn' causes her eyes to fling open with surprise staring at the short, angry girl. To offer a sad smile. "If you're hurting we can help too. Let us help you." And her gaze lifts past toward Riventon. "You as well. It's clear you know everyone here. Why not join your friends?"

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
It's a breath--

--a hair's breadth--

--where Tuxedo Kamen's hand's come back and he almost pulls a rose out of nowhere, as one does, but he doesn't do it, he doesn't pull it and he doesn't throw it, because Sailor Moon's parrying and holding her own and Mamoru doesn't know what would happen if the Device Hotaru's using were damaged. He doesn't know. He doesn't want to find out. He starts forward but stops, because Sailor Moon doesn't need him to interrupt, not like this, not with a rose or words or his hands, not now.

Instead, Riventon's talking, and abruptly he's big mad at his brother-- it's the same old nonsense as ever, but no one ever said Chiba Mamoru wasn't great at displacing anger onto convenient targets, and he can't be mad at Firefly, and Riventon's taunting Zoisite now, and Mamoru's hand lands on Zoisite's back and he wills golden energy through his hand to his guardian. It's a feeling that's warm and welcoming, that pure relief of home after a long time away, the sun on a golden field of grain, the glow from a hearth in the dead of winter; it's a feeling that's steady like bedrock and vast like tectonic plates-- and it's all an open channel of power to Zoisite.

There's usually peace with it. Right now it's just, "Mercury, he doesn't WANT to!" he yells, and that's... weirdly raw. "Why should he, when he has all the space and budget he could possibly want to do his research? Why should he, when he has a whole squad of apprentices who would do anything for him? Why should he, when he got a promotion and he likes having bosses he wants to surpass? Knowing people doesn't mean he likes them--"

Zoisite has posed:
    Zoisite, never one to keep his mouth shut when he has something to say, calls out to Firefly, "Hey, it's okay. If you die you can just be a ghost with Pyrite. Then you can be brought back to life when she is. That's a thing she can do now." He holds his left arm across his body, to point his sword at Sailor Moon. "I think, anyway. But hey, being a ghost's not so bad, I hear!"

    Then Riventon is challenging him. He looks towards Mercury, as if to verify whether or not she is going to do a magi-sci analysis and provide a solution. Why he would think she can do that, he has no idea. But he puts that aside for now. Then he looks up at Riventon. "I didn't charge up this attack to threaten you, or to attack you, Riventon." Zoisite calls out calmly, and honestly. As Tuxedo Mask places a hand upon him, charging golden light and the power of the Earth into Zoisite's body, the Third of the Four allows it to flow into the fireball above his palm. It blazes far brighter. It doesn't grow in size, because Zoisite is staying compact, condensing it all into a single point.

    With regret, Zoisite says, "I made it in the hope I wouldn't have to use it."

    Then he launches the comet-shaped fireball at Riventon, trying to keep him away from Firefly and to prevent his escape. They can heal him up good afterwards if he gets hit anyway, it's fine. They have both Tuxedo Kamen and Sailor Moon here. There's no way they can't turn both of these villains to heroes if they can keep them here. Right?

Hotaru Tomoe has posed:
Firefly was only getting angrier, yelling and... "NO! IT DOESN'T! I DON'T WANT TO HURT ANYONE BUT I DON'T HAVE A CHOICE!" she screamed. "YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING BETTER, BUT YOU HURT TOO! But it's just like... like Riventon says, isn't it? It's okay when YOU hurt people, when you hurt US! But when we do it, we're the bad guys, aren't we? I know I'm the bad guy! I know I'm bad! But I just... I... I just want to do something good before I'm gone. You don't know what it's like. You don't know ANYTHING Sailor Moon!" Firefly yelled.

And then... Mercury! The blade stopped. The electrical blade humming, just above Mercury's eyes. The glaive didn't fall. She wasn't...

"... I'm dying," Firefly said. "Nothing... you do can change that. I've been dying for years. Nobody can save me. Riventon-senpai can't even save me no matter how much he tries! I know it doesn't make things any better! I know it doesn't excuse what I'm doing! But I... I *know* the good will outdo the bad... I know..." And her hands shook.

"... Because Riventon-senpai is already trying to get the dark energy out of me because it's *killing* me... But you're so... so focused on how bad you see him as... as how much of a... a monster you see *us* as... you just... you just say we're the bad ones. That everything we do has to be bad.... but you know what? Riventon-senpai was my first friend! When nobody else would listen to me, when nobody else would care, he did! He listened! He helped me! When nobody else would... would even look at me he was my friend and... and we saved Yochu and... and he stopped me before I hurt anyone else and he... and he..." Tears were welling up in her eyes and she let out a soft, gurgling cry.

She stumbled back, clutching the glaive with one hand and clutching her chest with the other. "R-Riventon-senpai... I... I need... it..." Then her eyes went wide. when she was so close to that edge.... she saw the attack. The pwoer... launched at Riventon. And she felt that fear.

< ALERT! Dark energy suppression failing! Alert! All personnel, evacua-- >

And then... she *crushed* the glaive in one hand. Squeezing the handle and, with a shower of sparks... It fell. Her hair began to grow and she looked up at Moon and Mercury.

"Oops~" she said.

But she didn't de-henshin. No. But those eyes. Sailor Moon would remember those eyes. That cruel, merciless smile. The one that had turned on her. Except, last time? The glaive had been able to suppress it. Now? It was laying. Crushed on the ground.

Then her hair lanced out. In a moment, it reached out to grab Mercury and Moon around the throats and, should it be successful... Would then *slam* them into each other that, were they human and not henshined? It certainly would have killed them.

Then it'd do it a second time. A third time.

Takashi Agera has posed:
    "Respect?! Oh please. You're running around with Zoisite, who is kind of like if they distilled disrespecting other people into a liquid and used it to create something nearlyy-sentient." he notes. "And respect is something you can earn, but certainly not by getting in my way - not by screaming about Discworld and trying to rile up a sick girl!" he adds. Well, clearly succeeding at it.

    "Yeah, I don't want to give up the power that makes me who I am and go off and *die*, go FUCKING FIGURE." Riventon retorts. God, this asshole sounds like Mamoru now. That's obnoxious. "You always think it's just a light switch you can turn off, like without the Dark Energy we can just live boring normal lives. One: We would die. Two: I would rather die than be one of the faceless masses who will never make any impact on the world. Three: You better hope I win because the alternatives are a hell of a lot worse." he says, emphasizing Hell very intently.

    "I'm not just like you, though. She's not just like you. My team isn't just like you. We deal with things you can't comprehend. So I don't care whether you're reading Hawking or Adams or even Meyer. You kids need to get out of my sandbox. Because you don't - you can't - understand what's really going on. All you can do is get in the way." He says, raising his hand and a triangular runic shield springs into existence - and he uses it to prevent from being burned to a crisp or otherwise taken out of comission by the combined attack.

    But the power, the energy behind the attack is firce, he can feel the heat through the shield, through his gauntlet. He has to grit his teeth and channel a lot of energy into reinforcing the shield. Cracks appear in the runic shield before being sealed with Dark Energy, like a vile version of Kintsugi. The comet of golden-fire smashes against it and eventually the shield breaks - but in that moment, most of the energy of the attack was soaked too. So Riventon is, for a brief moment, enveloped in fire, and when it ends, he's clearly in a mix of pain and anger. But he stands. (or floats)

    "Tell me, Zoisite." He says, a smirk appearing on his face. "Would that attack have failed to remove you from the battlefield when you were on the winning team?" he asks. "Or am I just that much better a conduit for Metallia's power than you ever were?" he asks, despite not actually having taken on that power yet. Truth is maleable... "So tell me, which is it - are you just weak now, or were you always weak?" he asks, as often acting like something that you had to put a lot of effort into was dismissed casually.

    But Mamoru may be able to call him on it, knowing him so well. Good thing he's not here, only this Tuxedo fellow.

    All of his bluster and bravado takes a backseat, rather quickly, to what's going on with Firefly. It's so clearly written on his face, the concern, the fear, and there's no effort to hide it. "Are you trying to kill us all?" Riventon asks, and it's not clear who he's asking. Zoisite? Sailor Moon and Mercury? Whatever Hotaru's becoming?

    Riventon has that teleport prepped, and races over to the longer-haired, taller-growing girl. Axion calls the spell out in its German voice. <<Zwangstransportzauber!>> it calls as magical energy envelops Riventon and the strange woman - but it doesn't take effect immediately. Because not-Hotaru is resisting it, and so there's going to be a delay before the two of them are forcibly jaunted to a location over the Pacific Ocean, far away from other people.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"Oh, screw you, you're really badly hurt, and now that I can do something about it, literally everyone including you would yell at me for doing something about it--" that Tuxedo guy bites out, his hand sliding up to Zoisite's shoulder and squeezing for a second, just affection for its own sake in the background of being angry at Riventon.

He's already letting his hand drop and pointedly looking Away from Riventon and his monologue when Hotaru starts scream-yelling again and trying to almost kill Ami, and then she stops and that's worse and--

"Oh," says Tuxedo Kamen when the device starts yelling, then gets... crushed, in one hand, and falls, and oh, oh no, oh no, so THAT'S what happens, and--

"Oh NO you don't!" yells Mamoru, and it's in the same breath and the same movement that the first rose flies true, a magic-breaking magical dart through the air, the afterimage a crackling red thing in its wake, aimed for that prehensile hair on one side of Mistress 9; it's in that same second that another flies for her other side, the tall teenager moving as fast as reflex, as fast as training, as fast as a trick archer on home ground with a clear day and no wind--

He starts running then, but he can't catch both of them, and they're high up and already hurt. "Zoisite!" he calls, just in case his guardian is doing something else. "I need a hand!"

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"When have any of us ever fought you without you attacking innocent people first?" Sailor Moon asks, calm in the face of that rage. "When have you ever been living your life, going about your day, when someone stole your energy or kidnapped your loved ones or sent you to the hospital? When we fight you, you started it. Today, you started it, just like always. You think you're the only one with problems?!"

The false calm is splintering. Her anger is rising, remembering Naru in danger, her brother in danger, her classmates in danger -

And now Mercury, in danger -

"Mercury-chan!" Her hands go to Mercury, trying to pull her away now that the blows have stopped, but Firefly is wheezing, her eyes full of tears, and then her device - breaks.

Riventon is saying something. Something about his team and their sad, terrible lives, and how they'll die if they can't treat people like disposable garbage - Usagi might remember more of the speech, later, but it's equally likely she won't, not with what comes - next.

Not with that smile, that cruel, awful smile. Not with the hair that grew long and moved like something living, something that could control itself.

Not with her hands flying to her throat, as she was grabbed, as the full weight of her body was grasped by that hair, her air squeezed out, and she can only wheeze out, "Bullshit."

Her throat burns. Her eyes sting. Her lungs are struggling desperately to expand, to draw in air and then she and Ami collide with each other with such force that she loses herself, for a second, pain flaring up her body and she sees such malice -

And then there's freefall, as a rose cuts through the air and embeds itself in that prehensile hair and she falls and she is not Sailor Moon.

She is light, silver and soft and glowing from her skin and her hair, longer, not so long as Mistress 9's, but so long nonetheless, and the folds of her dress flow and she falls with the slow and delicate grace of one who might not be fully beholden to gravity.

She falls and she looks up with eyes full of compassion, and in her outstretched hands is the Silver Crystal.

"Moon Healing Escalation."

She doesn't need to draw the circle of light. She doesn't need the Moon Stick. A wave of light flows out from the Silver Crystal, soothing as moonlight, cool as a fresh sip of water, fortifying as the warmth of a fire, stirring as the first blush of love, pure as the petals of new flowers.

In an instant, Mistress 9 is bathed in it, the light of Silver Crystal.

Ami Mizuno has posed:
"I know, I heard, but that doesn't mean we can't make life better for you while you're here if we can't outright help--" Mercury was trying, she really, really was. There was so much going on though. When Zoisite and Tuxedo Kamen mix powers to throw the flaming attack toward Riventon her gaze darts to the side with a look of anxiousness flitting through her.

She needed more information on the situation. On how to handle things, or what to do, or what *could* be done-- Her hand lifts to tap the side of her tiara and her visor slips out covering her eyes.

Just in time to be fed a series of readouts as the Glaive shatters, and the power in Firefly shifts into something entirely new.

The hair that lashes out catches her around her throat stealing anything else she may attempt to say as her hands go up instinctively to try and wedge between the hair and her skin so she can *breathe* properly. It doesn't work, and instead she's slammed bodily together with Sailor Moon with a whimper of pain as her last breath rushes out. Her head spins, dizzy with loss of breath and the stars she sees speckling the corners of her vision have nothing to do with astronomy. Her fingers continue to claw, and she kicks, until her fighting grows increasingly weak and lifeless.

The visor was still scanning data the entire time. Even as the rose cuts through the hair ensnaring her and Sailor Moon, she tips over backwards falling down bonelessly while Princess Serenity unleases the warm healing light of her powers.

Zoisite has posed:
    Zoisite, sounding exasperated at the transformation (of personality/hair, if not form) by Firefly, and Riventon trying to forcibly evacuate himself and his protege, and Sailor Moon and Sailor Mercury getting bashed around, and Tuxedo Mask struggling to catch them both, says, "Why is it always something?"

    Still feeling the warmth on his shoulder where Mamoru's hand laid a moment ago, he continues to talk while moving to help. "Riventon, I know the Dark Energy does a number on your capacity for making good decisions and also threat/risk analysis, so I'm not going to try to convince you with logic. Instead, I'm going to explain something: Firefly right now? The things she's saying and doing? She has accepted the lessons and ideology I tried to instill in her during a talk we had once, when I was drowning in Dark Energy too. I thought she wouldn't remember, and she and I didn't get to have another conversation, so I assumed you were deliberately keeping her away." He leaps up into the air, trying to catch Mercury in his arms, and gracefully descent, almost like he's floating to the ground instead of falling, despite not being able to fly anymore.

    "She may have been intensely verbally defending you, but even with all you've done for her, it was me, not you, who made a greater impression upon her. You, with all your intelligence and plans and resources and creations and claims of sacrifice for the sake of everyone, still lost out to me as a mentor and a role model." He turns to look up at Riventon, trying to ignore the power of Mistress 9 that rasps against his face like sandpaper and the warring power that he remembers scouring his soul clean and returning the feeling to dessicated psychic nerves.

    "I only had to talk to her once to do it too. It doesn't matter what accomplishments you achieve, or whether you save her, or whether you save yourself. Me, with my far lower intellect than yours, beat you at one of the few things you actually care about. And that's going to eat at you from now on, like a needle in your brain. A reminder that Zoisite of all people subverted your student." Then Zoisite smiles his broad, v-shaped, devilish smile. "And I wasn't even trying to."

    Truth or not, hopefully it will bug Riventon regardless.

Hotaru Tomoe has posed:
Mistress 9 just smiled. That cold, merciless, vicious, uncaring smile. Smash. Sma--

However, before she could continue to crush them, something struck her hair. Worse, it made her drop the pair of them. While it didn't so much hurt, it did disrupt her hair enough...

And made her turn her gaze away from them, to Tuxedo Kamen. The smile now a frown...

But then her eyes locked onto the boy and the smile returned. And she was preparing to unleash a fresh, new hell on him--

Then pain. She SCREAMED when the purification washed over her. It hurt. Oh, it BURNED! She screamed and she turned to the princess. And as powerful as she hadbeen a moment ago? Mercury's device would likely be giving alarms, now, if it did so. Because it just spiked, hard, and that destructive force was directed at Serenity. She lunged at her, hair lancing out towards her with all the violence and vicious fury of a demon!

Takashi Agera has posed:
    "You can't understand even if you want to. You lack the grounding." Riventon retorts to Mercury. "Trust me, it'd be nice to be able to actually explain it to you. Of course the last time I did, she ended up with an Obsidian Badge." he notes.

    Sailor Moon switches henshins, and Riventon can feel thee power behind it, and there's a dual desire - to steal it, and to get way the hell away from it. With Firefly going... to whatever state she's going on, the 'get the heck out of Dodge' feeling wins, but only barely.

    And Riventon is going to remember Zoisite's words. He has some priorities, right now, like not letting Hotaru/Firefly/WhateverTheFreshHeckThisIs destroy a city block or two. But just because he's trying to do the right thing (or, what passes for it, in his dark-energy addled mind that's also still trying to not be utterly vile) doesn't mean he's not hearing Zoisite's words. He doesn't know if he believes them, but does that matter? No, what matters most of all is simply that Zoisite is saying them, Zoisite is saying thsoe words like he means them, smiling that smile, and Riventon wants to do more than wipe the smile off his facee - he wants to wipe away Zoisite's capability to smile at all.

    It's so disruptive, it gnaws on his focus, his ability to pick that destination - the distance of the impending teleport. Does Zoisite know how hard the words he spoke hit? Maybe not directly, but the glare Riventon shoots at him probably conveys a lot of it.

    The contact from the Moon Healing Escalation is fleeting, positioned as he is behind the much taller Firefly. But even though it at best grazes Riventon himself? The parts of him that energy touches turn white, like a pure color - and the flake away from his body like ash. This breaks his gritting stoic silence and as he finally gets the teleport to work against all of the internal and external interference, there's also an anguished cry of pain as some of the teenage boy's body floats away on the wind like powder without him before he gets himself and MaybeStillFirefly to wherrever he's trying to yank them away to.

Ami Mizuno has posed:
Sailor Mercury gasps in a much needed breath. She hadn't completely passed out but was near it. So near that it takes a few more greedy gulps of air till her eyes flutter open. Her vision is blurry still, unfocused on the readouts that dance before her eyes. Slowly as her gaze slips more into focus she can see Zoisite who had caught her giving a verbal lashing to Riventon.

Her ears still rang enough she couldn't make everything out. It's just his devilish smile and the tone of voice which makes her vaguely aware that he's taunting Riventon even now.

With another breath she lifts her head trying to straighten properly back to her feet. A little slurred murmer comes out that likely only Zoisite can hear.

"H'lo petty boy."

Flicking her tongue out over her lips to wet them she forces herself to focus back on the matter at hand. Which was this fight that was going completely off the rails if her readout was any indication. Enough so that the warning lights that flash over her visor earn a small cry of alarm.

The attempt to stand now becomes a struggle as she cries out, "Serenity get *away from her!* Her energy is increasing drastically-!"

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Tuxedo Mask -- who didn't need to catch Serenity but who nonetheless ran and caught up anyway -- actually flinches when he sees some of Takashi literally flake off, and he half-reaches pointlessly, but then Mistress 9 is coming for them.

Fast, fast, fast. Not fast like Geode Girl Loyalty, not fast like Sailor Uranus, but fast like Tuxedo Kamen, motion in the nick of perfect timing. He neatly and wordlessly scoops up Princess Serenity and all her voluminous skirts, turns on his heel to give Mistress 9 the back of his cape, and uses the momentum to drop them into a lunge of their own -- away from her, up and away, and oh he's holding tight and he's still expecting to get it in the back, cape or not--

--but Riventon finally succeeds in what he was trying to do.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
'Firefly' lunges. Mercury cries out. Riventon flakes away. Serenity clenches her eyes and clasps her hands tight around the Silver Crystal, protecting it -

And Tuxedo Kamen is there, his arms and cape wrapped around her, and she wraps her arms around him, hands clasped behind his back, her face tucked to his chest -

And they're safe.

Riventon succeeds, and the two masterminds behind a simple youma attack gone horribly wrong vanish.

Against Tuxedo Kamen's chest, Princess Serenity says tiredly, "I told you it was Firefly who did it."

Zoisite has posed:
    Zoisite is strong, so it's not a lack of strength that has him dropping his smirk after Riventon and Firefly disappear, nor Mercury's shout of warning preceding such. He looks down at Mercury in his arms, and the wave of nostalgia and the assault of memories from another life are dizzying, but that's not why he's struggling. And her muttered comment on his appearance, mild as it was, definitelly isn't what has him weak in the knees. He looks over at Tuxedo Mask and Serenity. "When one of you is available, can you please tend to La Blue Girl's injuries over here? I'm about to fall down. Holy shit, was I that scary when I had Dark Energy? And whatever happened to Firefly physically HURT to be near. Just, oh my Gods."

    Not actually speaking to Mercury? Why, no that's not a sign of procrastination and avoidance at all, why do you ask. Zoisite is well known for dealing with his problems. Really, it's his whole thing.