1660/Hurry and Get Dolled Up, Dollface!

Hurry and Get Dolled Up, Dollface!
Date of Scene:	13 June 2024
Location:	Juuban Ward
Synopsis:	Dolls are for sale (and on the attack!) at an open-air market in Juuban when the youmas Jumeau and Thetis team up, quickly joined by local urban legend the Back Street Slasher! Can Bow, Mamoru, Amy, Coco, and Hotaru save the day? Yes. But not without a few lingering doll shenanigans.
Cast of Characters:	Beryl, Bow, Hotaru Tomoe, Mamoru Chiba, Taro Yamada, Amanda Faust, Coco Kiumi

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Beryl has posed:
June in Tokyo is a toss up, as far as weather is concerned. On the one hand, it's warm - very warm, averaging in the mid-eighties Fahrenheit, which is often pleasant after the chills of Autumn and Winter. On the other hand, it's humid, with frequents bouts of drizzling and outright rain, and sometimes the air has an almost physical presence, which takes the heat from something potentially pleasant to a nightmare of sweat and heat exhaustion.

On a theoretical third hand, though, the days are longer and the vendors have cooling refreshing drinks, not to mention adorable hand-carved dolls.

Wait, what was that last one?

Oh, right, the dolls! They aren't usually here, but, they are today! In fact, anyone meandering the pop-up stall market this warm afternoon will find that most of the usual shops and vendors are featuring a new friend - an adorable little doll about a foot and a half in height, with equally adorable hand-stitched clothing. Most of the dolls look like miniature shopkeepers, a few like customers, but all of them are exquisitely detailed porcelain dolls of the French-style.

Anyone who asks about them is pointed to a new stall, with a sign in English reading (Doll <3 Life!), and featuring a collapsible shelf currently filled with a variety of the porcelain dolls - these feature everything from brides in dresses to knights in shiny fabric armor, and plenty of ordinary-looking people going about their every day lives.

The person manning the stall's register and chatting with customers is an androgynous young person with deep green hair in an asymmetrical bob selling the dolls, with the name Jumeau scrawled on a nametag, while sitting in the back of the stall is a serious looking young girl, no older than ten, working on new dolls - carefully painting details onto their faces and bodies, adjusting their hair, adding embroidered details to their clothes.

There's a line of about six customers waiting to purchase dolls, including several students from Radiant Heart Academy. Those who are waiting are being asked if they'd mind filling out an interest survey for new doll designs, by a pleasant-looking young woman with long blue-green hair and jade-green eyes in a pale blue mini-dress. Her hands and forearms were protected by a pair of sleek white gloves, and pinned to her chest is a nametag that reads Thalia.

"No, you don't have to leave your address, or anything like that. Your name and phone number, email address, or UsChat username will be plenty for us to contact you with."

Bow has posed:
If anyone knows Bow, they know that he is a conisseur of all things hand-made. This market is right up his alley. Strolling about with a cold drink in his hand, he is exploring and live streaming a little. "Check out these neat items. This reminds me of the markets back in Plumeria! Let's see what neat trinkets we can find today." And off he goes on the search of hand-made goodness. After all, he has a small army of miniatures based on his friends that he has made for his strategic planning and he swears he doesn't do the now kiss scene between the Tuxedo Mask and Sailor Moon ones he made.

So when he saw the pop-up booth, he was exceited! Making his way to stall, he's waiting his turn in line when the girl approached him with a survey. "Hi Thalia," he says, seeing the name tag. "I will be happy to fill out your survey!" he says warmly, a bright smile offered to ger as he waits for his paper to fill out. Or is it one of those website forms you fill out on your phone.

But he's getting a better look at the dolls. "Oh, look at them! They look so real!" he says with a little squeal of delight, his eyes bright with excitement and on the edge of sparkles. "There's so much craftmanship, and look at how they did the joints! That's super neat!" He's already figuring that he can buy one, take it apart and figure out how it was done so that he can incorporate it into his own wood work.

"And their expressions!" he peers a little closer. Yeah. That excitement he had? It shrinks a little bit, his attention on the details of the faces. "...that's just a bit creepy." he admits, a small hint of cringe in his voice.

Hotaru Tomoe has posed:
Hotaru Tomoe was the world's tiniest delinquent. She was wearing a face mask over her mouth, sunglasses and a hat... a cowboy hat. And a pair of dark pants, with a leather jacket. She was just missing the baseball bat.

Because Yochu had the bat. Yes, she had a her doll with her today. She'd heard of this really good doll maker and decided to come check it out. And Yochu was wearing a similiar mask, glasses and cowbow hat to her... and was carrying a small little bat. It would then likely occur to anyone who saw them... cosplayers. Who knew what they were cosplaying AS. But, cosplayers.

The perfect disguise, obvious and easy to see, but not the kind of thing most people would care to look too deep into.

And when she came to the shop, the totally-not-runaway happily took a form and... "I wanna get a little friend for my friend," she said happily.

... Despite the fact her doll was dressed in such a ridiculous manner, while Hotaru wasn't intimidating at all... something about this doll *was*. The way it seemed like its head would flip from leaning to the left or right, but only when nobody was looking. Or how sometimes it seemed to turn, slightly. But, surely that was just people's imagination...

Or the way, even behind the black sunglasses... it just seemed to *stare* into a person's *soul.*

She, of course, put a fake name on the card, as well as Setsuna's number...

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
When you have an array of significant others, you're always on the lookout for things to troll them with individually, as well as things to get them as absolutely normal presents they might like.

"Aw remember the two other times we were absolutely not normal about dolls, Amy-san?" Mamoru asks one of the girls he's with, secretly Puella Red! "I can't decide whether to get one for Tamaki because he might like it, or because he might hate it, or because he might take a year trying to figure out what it means that I gave it to him."

He's in a tucked-in white t-shirt with a Guitar Wolf band logo on it, one white kid glove, jeans, and expensive dress shoes, and he pushes his glasses up on his face as he peruses the dolls. He glances up at the survey-taking, assumes it's not for him, and goes back to looking for something close enough to a Mini-Jadeite to purchase.

Taro Yamada has posed:
Taro knows these dolls are haunted the second he sets foot in the market. After all, he had his own set of haunted dolls - even if his were significantly smaller, and of very different design. There was something eerie about how the dolls looked almost human but not quite. His dolls, at least, had the comfort of being firmly monsterous. And also looking really cool. What's the point of all the hand stitching and carving if the dolls just like like people? Boring, boring, boring.

His dolls are rattling around in his backpack, and no wonder. Taro hasn't let Jack run around without supervision since - well, since he decided he shouldn't keep that kitten in his dorm room after all. And he'd made Dory a brand new outfit to wear, a cute little white kimono with a Noh mask - and she hadn't had a chance to show it off at all!

Might be nice to let the two of them stretch their legs, right? Maybe play a little game with whatever villain is running this joint. It wouldn't be hard to temporarily reverse their deal, anyway, make it so they regenerated from damage without end while he'd split the damage with them if he got hit.

A shadow grows and grows and grows beside Thalia, the hooded and red-horned vampire peering over her shoulder with a fanged grin. "Hey, aren't you tired of customer service?" he asks her. "I brought some of mine," and he holds up two dolls dwarfed in his clawed hands - one in a top hat and black suit, and the other in a white kimono and mask. "If you can make them as big as yours, we can see who's best at playing oni," eg, who's best at being it in tag.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    June, in Tokyo!

    Why is it so hot? Amy really needs to consider putting together a proper summer wardrobe. She needs options, like, maybe a cami and shorts? At the moment she's in a red T-shirt and black athletic shorts. It's not like her phone and wallet have to go in the pockets, she's got her phone and cards and cash and room key in the little blue-and-white money bag she got for last year's festival.

    Anyway, she's accompanying Mamoru this afternoon because he's on the buddy system and she needs to get out more. Go see the market? Uh, sure.

    "So, was there something in particular you came here to buy?" She wonders, looking over the stalls for anything interesting.

Herf course, a detail does come to her attention. "...What's with the dolls everywhere? I've heard of Christmas in July, but Hinamatsuri in June?"

    The other two times? "I remember one time... Honestly, that was pretty freaky. But the stalls' owners are still there, it's not like someone turned them into dolls or something. Also, everyone is conscious instead of on the ground getting drained."

    As they approach the doll stall and get in line, though, she doesn't have the same interest in them, not really being a huge fan of dolls. Well, generally.

    Her attention drifts to her phone. Watching video clips of MeTubers talking to eachother. '[Hey, what did one Joel say to the other? ...Wanna hear a Joelk?]'

    Quality content, clearly.

Coco Kiumi has posed:
It has been a few hours since the argument over Hinoiri, time the mermaid had chosen to spend back home in the South Pacific, on the terrace that jutted out of her bedroom, watching the fish pass by above and around her, trying not to think of what had occurred earlier. By the point she had calmed enough to start considering going back to Tokyo, and so the yellow portal opens up again right into her dorm.

Once she has assumed human semblance once more she would started wandering around the streets aimlessly, looking here and there until she stumbled onto Amy and Mamoru walking together. At her greeting towards the two of them she would have blinked when asked to be part of Mamoru's anti-Beryl getaway squad. And of course, she would have never said no to such a request, especially with names like Beryl involved. It would be a tough chase, but it will be worth it.

"You mean Sailor Eclipse?" Coco tells Mamoru. "Amy and I spent a lot of time chasing after all the dolls. Luckily she and one of my attendants were there to watch over things."

Beryl has posed:
"That would be wonderful," Thalia says calmly, handing Bow a clipboard with pen and paper already attached. "If you have any ideas for new dolls that you would like to see created, please list them here. Your contact information is so that we can update you when we have new stock."

They will not have new stock - however, they will have new victims.

The market is a peaceful, casual place, and with the heat and humidity, it's no surprise that plenty of people are yawning. It's about five in the afternoon, so most people have already had a long day.

"Yes, they're very well-crafted. Kayama-chan back there is the principle designer. Regardless of her youth, she's very good at what she does."

Thalia is indicating to Bow the young girl at the back of the stall, still carefully working at her set of unfinished dolls. Her expression is blank, her eyes focused on her work.

"Yes, French dolls are known for their expressiveness. Some find that very traits disturbing."

Looking beyond Bow, she focuses on Hotaru, taking in... not the girl's expression or identity, but her dark energy signature - weak, in the girl, stronger in the doll. This definitely isn't one of the dolls Jumeau made, right?

"If you're seeing a friend for your doll, you've come to the right place. Are you looking for something female, male, career driven, casual, formal-"

And then her list of options pauses, as she goes still, staring past Hotaru to the white-shirted boy with a single glove. Of course she recognizes him. She had seen him at too many meetings, and he might recognize her, which is a problem for the matter of catching him -

And then there's a tall figure speaking to her. Of course there is. Thetis hisses through her teeth, looking up at the tall, clearly not-quite-human face, wondering why in the Dark Kingdom this fool would have thought to show his proper face around so many humans, but -

"Speak to my associate," she says pointing at Jumeau, "They'll be able to accommodate your request. I'm taking my break."

And then Thetis slips around the back of the stall.

Jumeau, close enough to have heard the conversation, waves the hulking vampire over.

"You kids who are browsing," they say, before the Slasher can join them, "Today we're having a 25% off sale on career driven dolls - any of them that look like they have a recognizable job - and a 20% sale on Slice of Life dolls; the ones in casual fashion. Please handle them with care, as Kayama-chan crafted them each by hand.

Bow has posed:
Shaking off the creepiness that crawls up his spine for a moment, like someone put ice down his shirt, Bow accepts the clipboard. "Do you have any girl knights? With a cutlass?" Oddly specific, that request. He was about to fill out the form when Incognito Hotaru approaches and he smiles down at her... "Oh, you dressed like your... doll..." he says, because Yochru seems even more creepy than the French dolls. The clipboard is offered to Hotaru. "You can go first!" he insists. Fortunately, he is distracted as he notices Mamoru, Amy and Coco and gives the royal entorauge a wave. "Hey guys!"

The arrival of the creepy guy with the cloak and fangs and all that is well... it's noticed by Bow, but he ohs brightly. "I didn't know there was cosplay here too!" he brings his forearm up to his face. "I vant to suck youv blah, blah blah!" Apparently someone's letting him watch old-fashioned horror movies again (the last time he watched a horror movie with Sayaka, she ended up having to comfort him).

And then there's the mention of a sale. And who can resist a good sale? Maybe he'll just find a bluenette doll that he can modify to look like his girlfriend.

Hotaru Tomoe has posed:
Hotaru Tomoe was going to answer the woman... but she got distracted. She looked confused, before turning around to see... Mamoru! Oh my gosh! It was her brother's brother! Oh nooooo! What was he doing here?! Quick, adopt disguise. She didn't choose the thug life, the thug life chose her, yo. And if they thought--

Wait, someone else had haunted dolls. She was a connoseur of haunted memorabilia, if there was one thing she knew, it was haunted dolls.

So she gasped, inching over and... "Are your dolls haunted?" she asked, barely able to keep the excitement out of her voice when she looked up at Ripper. He, fortunately, couldn't see the excitement behind the sunglasses. "Mine is too. She's a thug today. Thug life, yo. We totally skipped class to be here." ... No. No she did not. She held up Yochu.

Yochu just laid there. Staring. In Hotaru's arms.

*Touch the child and you would meet your end.*

Not that the doll said that. But Yochu felt it was implied.

Although, Bow's amazing imitations of the vampire made her eep. Oh no. Was he a friend of Mamoru?! Was her cover blown?!! Did he know?!!!! GASP! WAS ONE OF THEM SAILOR MOON?! Wait, no, that was Coco.

She quickly moved so her back was to him, looking to the proprieter of the business. "Which of the dolls is most likely to try and like... kidnap me in the night or try and murder me?" ...

Gosh darn emo kids coming and making it hard for evil doll makers to run a business these days. Unknown to any of them, Luminious Titan ran silentSigh.exe.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"There was also the place with the dolls that all looked like Himeko," Mamoru says, "but yeah, I'm glad you were helping with the dolls during the Sailor Eclipse thing. And sorry you got turned into a doll, Coco-san. You were a cute doll, though?" His tone is teasing, his blue eyes sparkling. There's nothing mean about the teasing, either, and everything affectionate -- such a marked difference from his attitude back when he went by Darien Shields.

Then he frowns slightly. "Actually, come to think of it..."

Bow definitely gets a wave, and then he sees the Ripper out of the corner of his eye and one corner of his mouth tightens up, pursed. The Back-Street Slasher.

It's fine, he has Amy and Coco and Bow right nearby and they won't let him get mugged for his blood, either. Besides, it's daytime. Maybe he could mug the vampire for HIS blood. Who knows.

The important thing here is that Mamoru reaches to pick up a boy doll with curly blond hair wearing a business suit with his gloved hand, and when he brings it up to hold it in both hands he startles and almost drops it. "Oh huh," he says quietly, "dark energy. Keep your voices down about it, though, we should leave and come back."

Taro Yamada has posed:
The Slasher shrugs and lets his dolls hop out of his hands and up onto his shoulders, each one taking a side of his body to watch from. Jack in the tuxedo just leans forward, perfectly still, his featureless face going from girl to girl in the store - that doll has no eyes for Mamoru or Bow.

The doll in the white mask and kimono, on the other hand, wriggles forward as she sees Amy and Mamoru and waves with one little clawed hand, hopping up and down in excitement.

"Do I look like a Dracula to you?" the Slasher huffs. "Come on! Japan has a fine cultural heritage of supernatural entities that menace humans. Go look up Kuchisake-onna and Aka-Manto, it'll be good for you."

In the name of fellow urban legends, he must educate the youth!

He crouches a little when Hotaru talks to him, letting her take a better look at his dolls. "They're haunted, yes. Look, but don't touch. They eat naughty teenagers who walk home from school alone instead of using the buddy system." This one's a little small to be skipping school, isn't she? How old is a shrimp like this, seven or eight? Kids are just getting younger these days. Dory in the kimono blows Yochu a kiss, then makes a rude gesture. *Likewise, don't you touch my kid!* is implied in her gesture.

And when she gets distracted, rather than tell her the answer (all those dolls will kill you, kiddo!) he stands up and makes a rude gesture at Mamoru for being a rude little chicken nugget to him a few nights ago! Rude boy!

Jack leans over and whispers something in the Slasher's ear.

The Slasher huffs. "They ALL look nice. Don't be rude! Would it kill you be normal when I take you out?"

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Amy glances up from her phone at Coco. "Uhh, oh, yeah. Not chasing after the dolls per se, but I kept chasing after, uh, 'Sailor Eclipse' and arriving too late, so I watched over the dolls until they turned back 'cuz like... Dude what a messed up experience for people to go through, right? I figured the least I could do was keep their minds off things and make sure nobody like, walked off with one, you know?"

    She looks between Coco and Mamoru. "Somebody had to do it and, s-since..." How can she put this. "I've... thought about situations like that, and, um, get used to them quickly, apparently? I-I figured it was what I could handle while everyone else was off chasing Eclipse."

    Bow is here too? She's surprised to see him, but smiles and waves, "Hiya Bow! What brings you here? I didn't know you were a fan of dolls." Amy glances at the dolls, and then back to him. "Planning to run a really big-scale Princesses and Powers game?"

    Her phone has advanced to another clip, of one of the same virtual metubers, a talking doll, roasting a troll that came into his chat. Amy pauses it and answers Mamoru,

    "Oh right, the... dream..." Amy looks at her hand and arm, dimly remembering the vision of robotic joints there. "That was weird." She beams at the praise, though! "Happy to help! Like I said, I figured I may as well... make use of thinking about what to do in such situations, right?" her smile gets a little awkward. Still some insecurity over her weirdnesses, even if it comes in useful in such situations.

    And then just as Mamoru's talking about dark energy, Amy sees... a doll... jumping and waving at her.

    She waves back, uncertainly. "Um, hello there?"

Coco Kiumi has posed:
The call about slice of life dolls is the one that attracts Coco's curiosity the most. Her hand stops slightly over a doll with brown hair and green eyes, before falling back and returning to Mamoru's side, continuing to look at dolls from there. It will be a quick jump to grab one if she finds something nice, and until then, she can just keep chatting with Amy and Mamoru.

"Eh, yeah, I suppose I was, thank you", Coco smiles nervously at the odd compliment. Not like anybody had taken a picture of her, so all she had was the others' opinion. And the fact she had been turned into a fake of her true form didn't really help. At least she was sparkling? "It was good nothing really bad happened that day. I imagine you were quite tense as you were being led around", Coco comments with a wince of sympathy.

"I didn't know that about Himeko, that sounds like a freaky thing to see", the mermaid adds trying to imagine it. Uh, it would have been better she hadn't. Though a distraction from her thoughts comes when the creepy figure emerges when Mamoru tenses in response, and the blonde girl too gets wary. At least, it wasn't Beryl. That's a good thing, right?

"Hello, Bow!" Coco waves and greets. "Found something you like? Or is this your next idea for a school activity?" she asks playfully when she notices the Etherian.

"Hey, Amy, that was absolutely a good thing, you being so prepared", Coco tells the redhead, reassuring the insecurity she seems to perceive.

The mermaid stops walking when she sees the Ripper's rude gesture towards Mamoru. She is about to tell him off for that when Mamoru's whisper pulls her back, and his suggestion is met with agreement. "Dark energy?", Coco whispers back with worry. "Lead the way, please."

Beryl has posed:
Jumeau considers this request for a moment, looking back at the dolls at that they have -

"We have one blue-haired knight. You may have to customize the hair length, or color - it can be chemically treated to lighten or darken, if you act with care."

The little girl in the back looks aghast at the thought of the doll being altered. "The sword isn't a cutlass, but that wouldn't be difficult to make at home, if you're interested in hobby crafts."

This is the one thing Jumeau knows all about and they are totally willing to speak on this subject!

However, then they have the other customer, asking for alterations, and they consider the two dolls... which are moving... active... open... and their left eye twitches.

"Sir, your wind up dolls are a distraction from our fine creations," they sniff disdainfully, trying to cover for their poor, near ruined operation -

Meanwhile, Thalia had stepped behind the booth to become Thetis, a blue-skinned youma with... the same hair, and similar eyes, and even similar attire, but, veil! It probably works.

As Mamoru and the others however, start to notice that something is up? She calls out to Jumeau -

"Grab that boy!"

And the disdainful lashes out with a hand, grabbing Mamoru - with a disembodied hand! His wrist is squeezed, tight, and then before their stunned eyes, he goes from boy to doll! Animated, living, doll, because he's still engaged in any struggle and speech he started out with.

"Kayama-chan, I'm going to need a rush order on some new clothes. These are so cheap and casual, nothing at all appropriate for a meeting with our queen."

The androgynous person at the stall has become a tall mannequin youma, with the same head and the same assymetrical green bob, but with limbs that float loosely in connection to one another, rather than join. The hand that dangles Mamoru is unattached but still clearly under control... and the other hand reaches out to jab at both of the Slasher's dolls, causing a black flash to race over them, before they become a foot and a half tall as well, with sharp, sharp teeth in their mouths.

Some of the dolls on the shelf are starting to turn their heads, sharp, sharp teeth in their open mouths too...

Bow has posed:
Mamoru's wave is returned by Bow, the teen's smile warm to the other boy, because they're friends. That is at least, until Ripper is ripping on him for his commentary on his cosplay. "Oh... oh! I-I'm so sorry! Which one are you supposed to be?" he asks Taro. Because he has no clue who either of them are, but he's making a note to remember to look them up, right now he only knows about the Bela Lugosi Dracula, who is admittedly the GOAT of vampire actors.

Amy's tease makes him laugh a little and serves as a great distraction from what Ripper was implying. "Oh no. I just... look around at all the handmade items!" he says brightly. "I mean, there is so much stuff that's made by machines and the like, but where I'm from... being a master crafter? That's amazing and something to be enjoyed and celebrated." he admits, "Did you draw guard duty today?" he asks teasingly, folding his hands behind his back and stepping back so that Hotaru can do her thing.

"Oh, no planned events, Coco!" he admits to the princess with amusement, a little darkness in his cheeks with the acknowledgement, "I'm sure there's plenty of events and things going on, that something like prom can probably wait at least a year." If not longer. Someone else can handle the next giant social event. Though she will notice, that he does give her a small bow, in deference to her status as a Princess, after all.

But that was when it all goes south with a mighty, 'Grab that boy!' As Mamoru is grabbed, Bow was about to come bounding to his defense when Thetis steps out, all pale blue and alien like... but that's not what gets his attention. No. It's the dolls.

The dolls that are now looking at him as Grade AAA Prime Etherian Beefcake, and Bow stares for a moment, before he recoils in horror and gives a loud shriek of horror. He saw this movie. It was Puppet Master. And now they are all coming after him!

"AIEEEEEEE!" he yelps, and his foot flies out to kick the first one that charges at him, completely forgetting that he has a device and can henshin. LIVING EVIL DOLLS ARE SCARY, YO!

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Amy nods to Bow, and smiles appreciatively at Coco's reassurance, although she doesn't appear completely at ease, but then there's a waving doll and--

    Grab that boy!

    Amy looks around for who's going to be-- "Mamoru!" And she stares in horror as he changes, "Nonononononono oh thank goodness you can still move." She reaches out to put a hand on him to pull him away from the...

    ...Mannequin youma...

    She lets go and runs. Behind, uh, Bow. Wait no that's dumb. Around the next stall over so she's out of sight of the youmas as she transforms.

    And the redhead who leaps out from behind the stall to land next to doll-Mamoru again is recognizably Puella Red, but dressed in clothes that honestly wouldn't look out of place on the dolls: A vaguely old-fashioned black dress with red trim and a sash around her waist with a bow on the back, a matching bow just below the collar in front, and a matching alice band with a little bow on it in her hair. Matching frilly wristbands and red shoes with black-and-white-striped stockings complete the dark magical girl costume.

    "I'm the protector of... um... people turned into dolls! Let him go!" And Amy reaches for the marionette-youma's arm and tries to yank it away from Mamoru, and then leaps into a flying kick with both feet to try and knock it away!

    She's trying not to explode everyone, for the moment.

Taro Yamada has posed:
"You know, if someone can ID those dolls as haunted just by touching them, an ambush was going to be blown now anyway," the Slasher tells Jumeau, practical. "I believe this is what the youth these days call a skill issue. You either have to double down on an ambush or go for surrounding the enemy, and you've done fine enough luring everyone into your trap that it doesn't seem like it mattered that I popped up."

But then the hand pokes his dolls, one, two, and they pop into their big sizes. The Slasher squees happily, clapping his hands. "There we go! Oh, this will be fun! It's usually me who has to bring home the bread!"

Jack's hand reaches out to point one by one - eenie (thetis), meenie (hotaru), miney (amy), mo (coco) - and his featureless head turns towards the mermaid. The suited doll starts to walk towards Coco calmly, smoothly, and faster than you'd expect someone in such starched clothing.

Dory in the kimono, meanwhile, spins around happily, her white skirt fluttering up and around her - and then she skips towards Amy and Bow, her wooden fingers growing sharp red claws that she flexes and wiggles. She laughs as a doll Bow kicked away goes flying past, spins to dodge another yote doll, and swipes playfully - not particularly aiming for either mahou as much as trying to get in an attack while dodging any incoming attacks.

The Slasher peeks at Thetis and the tiny Tuxedo Guy. It'd be pretty inconvenient to lose his delicious snack, especially when he just got engaged - but is it a good idea to attack this lady when she's got the whole store moving? AND just embiggened his two dolls?

Well. He has time. He takes a seat on one of the tables near Thetis and kicks back to enjoy the show, grabbing a stack of doll clothes and starting to sort through them on his lap.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"What-- HEY--!!" is all Mamoru manages to get out as he's grabbed so hard, and it's impossibly stupidly impossible for it to be so hard to run away from a disembodied hand, he should be able to bash it off or something, anything, and there's absolutely no time at all between him saying 'HEY!' and struggling and him being small and dangling from the hand of a youma. And then. "THETIS are you literally just INSULTING my CLOTHES??" he yells, aghast. "You're the cheap one! Cheap insults, cheap shoes, cheap youma!"

At least dangling like this from one arm doesn't actually hurt when you're a foot-and-a-half-tall doll. "Gods, let GO, Jumeau, you do NOT get paid enough for what's about to happen to you." He definitely twists around and tries to get his weight to be enough to swing him up and kick, or to haul himself up high enough to bite that disembodied hand.

And besides. BESIDES. Beryl doesn't know, and Thetis doesn't know, not for sure, that he's Tuxedo Kamen.

They do know he's Endymion.

"Thanks, Red!" he yells, and closes his creepy glass eyes behind his perfectly replicated glasses, and transforms right there into a prince doll, caped and armored and possessed of a sword. A sword he immediately draws and tries to use to stab at the hand holding him up, even as Amy flying-kicks the arm.

Hotaru Tomoe has posed:
Hotaru Tomoe gasped, her eyes going wide. "I'd never touch a haunted doll without asking, that'd be rude! Unless it was trying to eat me." Yochu, meanwhile, didn't move. Even after the gesture. Rude as it was.

Then Mamrou was grabbed and she gasped! Her eyes going wide as saucers behind the glasses. "O-oh my gosh. This place really IS haunted by murder dolls! That's so cool! Oh. Wait. I should... run now."

She let out a little eep, before running away!

Just in time for two of the dolls to jump at her. She shrieked, pulling back and--

And a moment later, they were gone. Yochu's glasses were gone, though. And her head was rocked to the other direction. And her mask was only on one ear, danging down. Hollow. Black. Empty eyes. Staring. Free for the moment, Hotaru fled the scene!

A few moments later, there was the sound of a stall creaking. SAILOR CHARON WAS HERE!

"Halt, evil doer! First, kidnapping is wrong! Second, using evil, cursed dolls to hurt people is ALSO wrong! Third, most important of all!"

"Pluto is still a planet in all ways that matter! I am Sailor Charon, apprentice of Sailor Pluto and her number one guardian!" She spun her energy glaive, before leaping forward. "And you will NOT harm that doll TODAY!" As she spun the glaive and--

Tried to bonk Jumeau on the head with the blunt end. "BAD! NO KIDNAPPING BOYS! STOP BEING BAD!"

... They could almost *feel* a strange, silent sigh...

Beryl has posed:
The doll that goes after Bow is kicked back, and because it is porcelain, it does break into about a dozen pieces. Unfortunately, the other dolls don't like that, and launch themselves at him, going for the abs.

If they manage to bite him, it will be like getting chomped with an especially large staple remover - it will definitely tear the skin, but not cause any grievous injury.

And hey, they don't seem to be trying to eat him, so that's a plus?

"They can only be identified by one who has the ability to sense dark energy," Jumeau says spitefully, "But I suppose a fool like you who goes around in the open as a monster would know nothing of subtlety to begin with."

They are not taking advice from the guy who didn't even bother with stealth!

Meanwhile, the hand gripping the Mamoru is quite strong, and the rest of the body is -

Oh, that kick actually hurt a bit, and Jumeau huffs and then snarls as a sword stabs their hand and they are forced to release Mamoru - and their forearm launches at Red, razor sharp, but definitely able to be smacked aside.

"You are wearing a band T-Shirt, Chiba," Thetis says, and she gestures, and the humidity in the air becomes a rush of water that swooshes forward to encircle -

"Prince Endymion," she corrects herself, as a bubble of water forms around him. He can definitely slash THAT though, its just water. "And Jumeau is paid exactly as much as they should be for this work."

WHich is zero, but, fortunately, like most youma, Jumeau doesn't actually understand the concept of being paid.

That said? When Sailor Charon tries to bonk Jumeau?

They still understand that they are not being paid enough for this. Their head floats away from the bonking stick, and they look distinctly unimpressed. "What is a Pluto? If it is not a type of doll, it is irrelevant. Planets are irrelevant."

Bow has posed:
One down. So many to go.

As the first doll shatters, there's many more leaping at him, and Bow makes some type of weird hand motion. In fact, it was him grabbing for a bow that was not on his back because he's not in henshin. And then they go for the abs. Those beautiful chocolate abs. Abs that Queen Glimmer declared an official treasure of Etheria and to be protected as the official abs of Brightmoon.*

And finally, as he's getting chewed on, Bow remembers that he can get his armor. Grabbing the phone out of his pocket, he presses the activation code, before calling out...

"For the Harmony of Brightmoon! Armor unlock!"

As the armor snaps into place around him, Bow uses his arm to sweep back the dolls as he feels the bow in his hands and snaps it open as he pulls back the drawstring. So they're made of glass, he assumes. Porcelain is like glass. And he huhs. He has an arrow for that!

<Sonic arrow!>

Drawing back and firing the arrow, it lets out a loud, ear-piercing screech as it's fired into the horde of dolls, hopefully shattering some of them. In the meantime, ow, all the bites to his abdomen.

(* This probably didn't happen.)

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Wet porcelain doll. :( Smol Endymion slashes the water, feeling a little stupid as he does, but it gets him to the point at which he can again be aghast. "You're not even paying them in energy? Also it's a vintage t-shirt, you have no idea how much it cost--"

One hand, the hand holding the sword, is marred even in perfect porcelain by unsightly burn scars. As the prince doll takes a half-step back, he pulls out a rose with his left hand that's... too big for him to actually manuever.

He grimaces, letting the rose drop and putting up his hand instead-- and then he actually cusses, letting his hand drop, because literally his attack name has tuxedo in it. IT HAS TUXEDO IN IT.

And then the sonic arrow goes off and he drops his little sword and holds his arms around his head. "OW, F---"

Hotaru Tomoe has posed:
Sailor Charon gasped. "W-what?! How can you not know what Pluto is? It is the little planet that could! It is adorable and has a heart on it, because it loves--" And then SONIC! ARROW!

Oh. Ohhhhh that was loud. That really, really hurt. She reached up to cover her hands, giving a shriek.

Ow.

However, after a moment, she shook her head and then... "Well, then it's time for me to teach you a lesson! I am sorry if you can't hear me, my ears are still ringing too!" She then lunged forward and--

Spun on her feet, leaping towards the hand holding Mamoru and SLASHED!

She tried to hit the hand! But even that was a distraction... Because she took the opportunity to *punt* the water ball as hard as she could, to try and send it flying down the street.

He was magic, it'd be fiiiiiine. "Someone go long!" she called out.

Taro Yamada has posed:
"Oh, boo, I do just fine. People forget I exist after about ten minutes and I don't show up on camera," the Slasher retorts. "Besides, I'm an urban legend. I don't DO subtle." He picks up a little frilly dress, holds it up to the light, then stuffs it in his cloak. "Did you make all this yourself? Your talents are being wasted, you could make loads selling this on the internet."

He watches with bright interest as Amy dodges out and back, transforming, and as Tuxedo Guy demonstrates he has a third form - wow, this guy did everything, didn't he?? - and then that kid who knew Draculas turned into a cool armored robot guy?? Hey, no fair! How come everyone got to have cool robot powers??

The sonic arrow shrieks by. The Slasher slaps his hands over his ears far too late, his face twisting with pain - And as the dolls attacking Bow shatter, one stands alone - a wooden doll with white hair amid the shards. She too has her hands over her ears, and part of her white Noh masks cracks, revealing a huge, bulging glass eye with a blood red pupil. She shrieks in annoyance and stomps her feet, then charges Bow - aiming not at him but at his bow, to try and snap the string.

Jack, meanwhile, is a shadow in the army of dolls. It seems he's lost track of Coco in all the fighting. His featureless head twists around again, looking between Hotaru and Amy and Thetis; his little finger shoots up to start counting between them. Eenie, meenie, miney....

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Amy's eyes aren't even on Dory. Recovering from her kick does give her and Jumeau an opportunity to slash her, "OW!" Her flailing arm may knock the small doll back a bit, though.

    Amy gets back to her feet, her dress torn and bloody where she was slashed and cut. She conjures a tiny little pistol-sized rocket launcher and fires a kinetic penetrator point blank at Juneau's arm (and Dory if she gets close again), hoping it's porcelain and will shatter too.

    "...Slasher? Is that you?" She stares. "Why aren't you helping?"

    Amy switches weapons to a gyrojet pistol and shoots at Jumeau's head, wondering if that's the key to defeating this youma-- oh wait Mamoru apparenty knows him. "Hey, uh, Endymion! How do we take down the one with the pull-apart body, do you know?"

Coco Kiumi has posed:
Coco was prepared to stand behind Mamoru and watch over his back as he rushes away but before any of them can actually start walking away, a dreary flashback occurs and Mamoru who gets turned into a doll before their very eyes, replaying a flashback to the school festival.

But Coco freezes when she notices the eerie synchronised movements of the dolls and their long sharp teeth "Seriously, do you all at Obsidian have something with cursing dolls?" the mermaid frowns as she goes by the summary Mamoru had made earlier. So much for being a bodyguard, but at least she can try to get him back!

Except that then, the freaky vampire guy that rudely gestured at Mamoru points at her next, and starts chasing her! "Oh, seriously, sod off!", the blonde girl exclaims, speeding off to try and lose him. Something that thankfully does happen, or at least there are a few precious instants when she is not seeing him anymore. Maybe that's the sign she actually lost him!

Hoping this is her chance, Coco calls onto the power of her pearl, and the shell locket opens as she brings her hands around it in a curved x to channel the melodious magic of the seven seas. "Yellow Pearl Voice!" she declares, the pearl in her shell locket responding to her will and starting to shine with a yellow light.

A kaleidoscope of colours covers Coco's clothes as those change into her yellow gloves and boots with flowy extensions, as well as a yellow blouse with a yellow skirt, while her pearl expands into her shiny new E-Pitch headset, its blue shape settling comfily onto her head, the jewel nestled safely onto the right earphone. "Come on out then!", the mermaid exclaims, "the concert is ready to start, and I hope you like pop music!"

"Legend of Mermaid: Pichi Pichi Voice, Live Start!". With the familiar cry, her purifying voice starts singing of joy and wonder, singing of a nostalgic melody, with stars that like pearls start releasing a wondrous light, a miracle filled adventure like the kind mother wishes for everyone in her heart.

Whether or not Jack likes pop music is kind of irrelevant, as the song laced with purifying energy isn't going to be pleasing to beings of darkness, though the actual experience depends on the effect said song can actually have on those that hear it. At the same time, those of light might find themselves with additional vigour and hope.

And there is in fact hope for her dollified charge, when at Coco's behest a Live Stage appears around the doll Endymion, catching him and gently stopping his advance him and his bubble gently floating in the white light, bringing him closer to Coco as their respective Live Stages merge together. "Sorry, we will get you to normal soon. But you look cute", she smiles.

Beryl has posed:
The Official Abs of Brightmoon are now marred by a set of teeth marks from being bitten. It's probably the fantasy of many a civilian swept off their feet by Bow's bravery and charm and sheer handsomeness.

However, the cost of this bite is that they are in close range when SONIC ARROW goes off, and several of the dolls shatter.

The little girl in the back of the booth cries out.

"No! No, you're breaking them!"

She's looked up, her expression horrified. Several of the dolls look back at her, and then form a little line around her, like bodyguards.

Meanwhile, Thetis is actually considering what Mamoru said, "Vintage, you say? That's a good sign, that means you've not turned into some typical child..." She tries to move the water ball to her, but then it's slashed - both by Endymion and then by Sailor Charon, disrupting the water, and it splits, the momentum from Sailor Charon likely sending the doll tumbling right into a LiveStage. He might be wet, but he's freeeeeee! His rose flows away in the water, able to be grabbed by someone.

Meanwhile, Jumeau scoffs at the Slasher. "That's just taking advantage of the Veil. That's not true power at all, just a feature of the world. Are you sure you're a - one moment -" they duck their head around, and then reconnect to themselves, gritting their teeth as the Sonic Arrow booooms, and then Yellow Pearl Voice's purifying song begins to ring out, agitating her, grating on her ears as much as the sonic boom had.

Then Amy destroys her forearm, and Jumeau snarls - a pale light flashes and they have a new forearm, and more importantly, hands, which fly out. One goes for Amy's throat. The other goes for Coco, though it may end up futilely beating against her livestage.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"I'm always cute," Endymion-the-doll tells Coco, grinning. "But thank you. Also, thanks for the save! I don't want to know how breakable I actually am right now."

He calls out from inside the Live Stage, "YEAH Red! Aim for Jumeau's left leg! There's a weakness in their left leg! ...switching legs will not help. Do NOT look at me like that, Jumeau, if it's you or me it's always going to be me--"

That sounds almost like a Hematite thing to say, doesn't it?

"--and I am NOT being dragged back to Beryl. Also, Slasher mugs exhausted high-schoolers for blood and energy, why should he help?"

Doll Endymion starts wringing out his cape, which drips inside the Live Stage. "This is actually really funny, I almost wish it would stick around for a little so I could jumpscare Kazuo."

Bow has posed:
As the sonic arrow wreaks havoc on... well... everyone. "Sorry, sorry!" he calls out to Dollymion and the others, but then realize. "Not that sorry!" That to the bad guys, because as that's going on, while he's shattering the dolls nearest to him - it seems that he has drawn the aggro of Dory. He has to use his bow as defense against her slashes. There's a loud twang as the bow string is cut, and for a moment, Bow's eyes are wide as he uses the end of the bow to knock Dory back for a moment.

What to do, what to do?? His brain's in a bit of a panic mode. As he drifts back, the doll stalking after her, probably sensing an easy victory, Bow comes across the rose that Mamoru dropped at the beginning of the battle. Stooping down to snag it, there's a small voice of encouragement in his head.

And it is with that blind faith that he believes in Mamoru's magic to work with his - he grabs the rose by the blossom.

Miming pulling it back, small filaments form, and a new, magical bowstring replaces the mundane one that was there as the magic within him reacts to the rose and his own desires. "...oh my gosh." he says, eyes suddenly wide and sparkling as he realizes what's happening. But he can't get too deep into it because... there's a doll still stalking him.

Drawing the rose back like he would an arrow, he aims it at Dory.

<Rose Arrow! @->--->

And the rose is launched at Dory, aimed to slam into the woode doll and perhaps take her down and out as it flies at it. Or at least knock it away from him!

Taro Yamada has posed:
The bad news for Jack was that. He had no darkness powers to strengthen him, to make him faster, to let him attack from a distance or defend him from lasers. The good news for Jack was that being a being of neither light nor darkness, just Power. Yellow Pearl Voice's attack knocks him down and leaves his wooden limbs in disarray; his hat falls down next to him.

And then Jack sits up. He puts his arms back in his sockets. He puts on his hat. He stands. He starts walking towards Coco again, a red blade forming in his hand, his featureless face focused on the singing girl.

"Oh, please, it's not MY power, but using and understanding the world is just as much a facet of power as having it!" the Slasher retorts as his ears stop ringing. "I'm a small fry compared to such distinguished figures such as you and your bosslady, but I've been a small fry for a long, looong time."

He flashes Amy a little V sign. "Sitting this one out! I'm evil, I choose when to attack and when to sit back! It does piss me off when people try and slap the sandwhich outta my hand, but right now the fight for the sandwich," and he gestuers at the Endymion-Thetis-Charon battle, "is a little too hot for me." And it is also a fantastic time to be committing Theft of Doll Items! Theft is great. Even if he doesn't manage to drain anyone here, he's profiting in so much loot.

Dory, meanwhile, laughs in victory as the bow is snapped - the bad noise has been defeated! Victory!! Glory! And then the horrible loud human FIXES the bow and aims it at her and TWAAAANG!!! Dory's a sturdy doll, especially embiggened to a foot and a half tall, but a magic rose arrow at point blank range is enough to blast even the strongest creature. She's thrown back until she hits a kiosk,knocking it over. She screams in frustration as she struggles to stand, tangled in the kiosk's table cloth even as she cuts it apart with her claws.

The Slasher flinches as if struck. He immediately bolts from his table perch to head to the kiosk and dig the smaller doll out.

Hotaru Tomoe has posed:
Sailor Charon let out a loud whoop as Yellow Voice caught the doll! Yes, gotta love the stages! Though...

Her singing? The purifying magic? That... that was making her feel a little uncomfortable. She lifted a hand to her chest and took a small, deep breath. Was she going to have a reaction? Was it going to go bad?

No. Her glaive began to hum louder and then she let out a soft sigh of relief as it all went silent.

She now had earmuffs. They were, in fact, like two little plutos. They even had a heart on them.

Then she saw Bow wield a rose as an arrow and her eyes went wide! "Oh my gosh, that's so cool!" she shrieked, dashing over to him before... "Shoot my glaive! Can we shoot my glaive at it? Please? Combo attack! It'll be awesome! Oh, nod or shake your head!" she yelled. Because, you know. She couldn't hear anything. Holding the glaive out.

Bow would get the impression, oddly, that this glaive was suddenly feeling VERY indignant about ALL OF THIS!

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Amy actually looks astonished and disappointed at Ripper admitting he's evil and sitting it out. But... they fought together!

    The dollcrafter(?) in the back is upset that her dolls are getting destroyed? "Then don't send them into combat! What did you think was gonna happen?! You don't see me whining that my body is getting hurt!"

    ...Oh great the mannequin youma can just regenerate?! "No fair!" But, Mamoru knows a weak point! "Thanks End--"

    There's a hand on her throat. "Idiot." She levels her pistol at Juneau's leg. "That won't--"

    Oh.

    Puella Magi may be immune to [Choking] status, but

    Not necessarily to [Doll].

    And then it's her turn to dangling from a too-big hand around her neck. Whatever magic changes her costume reacts with the doll magic to dress her like a proper magical girl doll:

    A white shirt with frilly sleeves and matching bloomers under a reddish-pinkish sleeveless dress with a skirted vest overtop and matching shoes, a bow at the shirt's collar, and a beret on her head with a heart decoration on the right side. There's even a wand with a heart on the end! (This is only a costume prop and serves no function.) Also there's a blonde doll-wig, tied into twintails just above the shoulders.

    Oh no.

    Okay, hold on. You're a doll, but a reasonably resilient one based on Mamoru's fighting. It's not permanent. Also choking you is a joke of an attack, like Puella Magi, dolls are immune to choking but even moreso. And Juneau knows that, making this just an intimidation tactic...

    Amy looks at the human-size mannequin, now easily over three or four times her size.

    ...Yeah, it kind of works. Wait, how did you feel that shot of adrenaline when you don't have biology? No, stop analyzing that, focus now!

    "Lemme go! Puh, pick on someone your own size!" Magical Doll Amy kicks her feet uselessly, hits Juneau's arm with her little hands, and tries uselessly to bite but can't get her mouth into position.

    Then she remembers she still has her weapons, and grins with those pointy teeth.

    The wand is replaced by the miniature launcher she had earlier, which she uses to try and shatter Juneau's arm again! Although if that works she just kind of falls to the ground, a bit too discombobulated to react with her usual alacrity.

Coco Kiumi has posed:
The arm doesn't quite clash fruitlessly against the Live Stage, it pops through and then manages to punch the mermaid on the arm, the sphere of white light popping and barely managing to make a grab for Mamoru before she tumbles to the ground, rolling to minimise the impact of her momentum, and more importantly holdings Mamoru close in her arms so he doesn't even get scratched in the fall.

Ignoring the bruise on the upper arm the punch, Coco smiles down at Mamoru, before calling on her music again, the Live Stage surrounding the both of them, letting the mermaid let the doll Endymion go as she can now leave him to float inside the sphere once again.

"Splash Dream: Pichi Pichi Voice, Live Start!" The mermaid princess begins singing a celebration of the continuous melody that roars in the sea, full of overwhelming feelings that spur her to close her eyes tightly... The enchanted notes talk of wondrous messages drawn with stardust: she is going to engrave them in her heart.

Her purifying melody spreads again, leaving a little present to the arm that punched her, seeking to trap it in another Live Stage as she sings of a splash dream, in which prayers are like an arrow shooting through the transparent love that surrounds the 7 seas, the splash dream lying inside of her motivating her to devote everything to the love she wants to protect.

A worried look is given to Sailor Charon when Coco realises she is being made uncomfortable by her song, despite being a Sailor. Is that like what happened to Chrono? Does she need help extracting it? Fortunately or not, she has earmuffs with her, so now they can worry about it later.

Bow has posed:
After the rose is off, Bow is still shocked that he has a magical bowstring. That is so awesome! But there's a more pressing matter. Endyimon is calling out the weak spot, and Charon runs over, jumping up and down and offering her glaive to him. "Uh... is it cool with this idea?" he starts to ask? But who is to deny the cuteness tsunami that is Charon, as he looks down at her. "... nevermind. Let's do this!" he says with excitement, taking Luminous Titan from the Senshi, and he hefts it for a moment to get a feel for it.

Then he loads it up in the bow, drawing it back as far as he can. He fired a rose. He's fired a lot of arrows. he feels the weight of the glaive, where it's balanced. And then figures out a firing solution. He draws in a breath and when Charon's hand touches his to steady the bow, he calls out.

"Super Luminous Glaive Express Delivery SHOT!"

The glaive leaps from Bow's weapon, whistling through the air and leaving a trail of magic as it streaks towards the weakspot that Endyimon pointed out on Jumeau's left leg!

Beryl has posed:
Jumeau is gleeful as Coco is punched - and significantly more annoyed as their hand is captured. It wasn't broken, so they can't just remake it, and though they try to break through...

Yeah, that hand is trapped.

As the dollmaker is mildly berated, the youma snorts. "What, Kayama-chan? She's not the one sending them out. She's just making them for me, like a very good little girl. All she notices is her dolls."

The little dollmaker who could certainly seems focused on the dolls, slowly tugging closer to the dolls that are guarding her, beginning to fix their hair and neaten their clothes, as if a fight weren't even happening.

They sneer, as their power works, and Puella Red the Doll is revealed to the world in an outfit that's quite well made, actually.

"You're a particularly good model, I have to say - OW!" This because the other hand had been holding Puella Red... and now isn't, because the weapon that launched at them hurt and they release her promptly.

Of course, falling to the ground as a porcelain doll is actually very dangerous....... oh never mind, it seems she's rather durable, unlike the regular dolls.

Meanwhile, Thetis is sweeping forward, aiming to grab at the doll Endymion, when the Glaive Shot races forward and pieces the youma's left leg. They shriek -

And burst. The cursed dolls collapse neatly to the floor, not even breaking. The living dolls... do not return to being people.

Thetis scowls furiously, because now the odds are very bad, and she does not actually want to die.

"Let's work something out here."

Hotaru Tomoe has posed:
Sailor Charon gasped. She couldn't hear it, but she could SEE it... and Luminous Titan was recording this, of course.

Because if she *EVER* tried to have that done to him again he would NEVER LET HER TRANSFORM again. Because NO! He was NOT AN ARROW! She got ONE!

And she was practically *sparkling* as she ran off, after her glaive, which was now embedded in a wall. With a grunt and kick off the wall, she took it back, almost falling over and having to quickly turn to face Thetis. And...

"... Wait. Were all the dolls people? Oh dear. I'll need to get those two back from Yochu later. That... will not be pleasant."

She then looked to Thetis. "WHAT IS PLUTO?" she asked, in a threatening, menacing voice!

... As menacingly as she could, at least, considering... Charon.

Taro Yamada has posed:
The Slasher pulls Dory out of the wreckage, and the giant doll crawls onto his back as he stalks over to the fight - or what remains of it.

Jack stops. The prey is in the bubble. The prey is behind the shield. The prey cannot be obtained. New prey. New prey. Eenie, meenie, miney, Kayama. The doll in the suit approaches the girl, a knife growing from his hand - until the Slasher grabs HIM by the scruff of the neck and hefts him under his arm. "Ok, ok, show's over. We're letting the goody two shoes win this one. You're getting a little rowdy."

He grabs Amy too, as she falls from the recoil, and sets her gently on the ground before he crouches in front of Kayama. "Hey, kiddo. Look what I got." Dory hops off his back and pulls out! A notebook and paper! So fancy! Such a fancy kimono doll! "Bet you haven't seen any of your dolls write before, huh? Wanna check that out?"

Bow has posed:
Bow did not expect that to work. He didn't expect it to work /at all/. But it did. Because henshin magic is weird and makes Etherian magic look tame in comparison sometimes. As Charon goes running after the glavie, he calls after it. "Sorry!" He'll uh... buy it some metal polish or something later in apology. Because it's probably not exactly happy with him.

"Turn everyone back to normal!" Bow demands, fingers on the bowstring. "Or my next arrow will be the purifying type! And you don't want to feel that!"

He's bluffing. And bluffing hard. He doesn't have a purification arrow.* But he's hoping that the bluff will be enough to convince Thetis to return everyone to normal. It's worth a shot.

(* Yet.)

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Magical Doll Amy is caught by... the Backstreet Slasher? And set on the ground by Kayama. She blinks. And looks down at her hands. Doll joints. She taps her thumb and forefinger together. Tink. Hard porcelain(?), no give like skin. Wait how is she breathing her eyes widen and she holds her hands to her chest. No movement, but weirder is the experience of not breathing. It would be extremely freaky if she hadn't had the experience before as a Puella Magi; as it is it's still pretty freaky.

    "Uh." She speaks. How does that work? Doll-Amy looks up at Kayama. "What can you tell me about these dolls? What do I need to know if I'm one?"

    Also, Jack and Dory are here? She regards them uncertainly. "Are you uh... were you people too? I mean uh, humans?"

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"What kind of a deal, Thetis?" Endymion asks dubiously from inside Coco's bubble, crossing his tiny porcelain-handed arms.

He lets his hands drop then lifts one again, letting it start to glow, to charge, without actually calling out even part of an attack. He's still behind a shield. "What kind of deal do you think we would possibly go for?"

Amy's a doll too now -- he feels bad about that, bad for her, since the dream and the painting and the stuffies messed her up so much -- and Jumeau's toast and Bow and Charon did a rocking combo for it, and Coco's keeping him safe, and he sighs. "You have to know you're not going back with me."

Beryl has posed:
"What? No, they're the product of that little kid Jumeau kidnapped for this job," Thetis says in response to the question of if all those dolls were people. "If they were people, we would have just trapped them for energy, the way we did all the people at those stalls. Their energy is useful."

Wait, did she just admit all those stall-dolls are in fact people? Whoops! She doesn't care.

As Bow draws an arrow at her, she casts a skeptical glance at the arrow, but, she really doesn't want to tank a purifying shot, and -

"Isn't Pluto a Senshi?" Blank Stare at Sailor Charon, before she shakes her head, looking darkly at Dolldymion.

"This is the company you're trusting your safety to?" Come on now.

"If all you're willing to trade is my life, I might as well just leave, and let you manage life as dolls for the rest of time."

She's bluffing. This is only going to last a couple of days, at most, based on the passion and energy they'd farmed from Mika Kayama. But they don't know that.

Meanwhile, Mika looks up, not at the slasher, but at Dory, with dull blue eyes. One hand reaches out, but doesn't take the doll - just gestures to indicate she'd like to see.

"Can I see? You made her, right?" Amy's questions distract the little girl, and she cocks her head at her. "What do you mean? I didn't make you."

And Thetis flaps a hand at Endymion.

"The answer to a single question and in return I'll answer to of yours. Simple. Are you Tuxedo Mask?"

Taro Yamada has posed:
Dory bows daintily, then writes with one finger in the journal in - well, whatever fluid it is, it's red! YOU CAN TOUCH ME IF YOU WANT. JUST NOT THE MASK. She shows the message to Mika before handing the Slasher her journal, then rolling up her sleeve to show off. It's all hand carved wood and ball joints, the imperfections of the wood made more obvious by the embiggification process. Fingers, thumb, elbow - all move smoothly.

"None of us were people," the Slasher tells Amy dispassionately. "And none of us got turned into dolls by other people."

Which - ok, the Slasher had been born a human. And once, very long ago, Jack had been a human, and he'd turned HIMSELF into a doll. But neither of them had been PEOPLE. They were both monsters in human skin. Very different kinds of monsters, admittedly! But, you know, a monster is a monster.

The Slasher looks to Amy. "Hey. She's not really responding to human lookin people. Any chance you can ask her to call her parents or something?" A short, embarassed pause. "Obviously I can't bully a fan of mine." SEE? EVIL. EVIL EVIL EVIL. PROUD AND EVIL.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"...no, I'm Prince Endymion," says Prince Endymion, looking as patient as a French porcelain doll can possibly look, which is pretty patient actually. "I was Hematite, I believe we've met."

He reaches up to pinch the bridge of his nose, letting the charging attack dissipate. "Anyway," he sighs, crossing his arms again, "how do we change everyone back? That's question one." He pauses. "I'm saving question two."

Hotaru Tomoe has posed:
Sailor Charon blinked a little bit, considering that answer. Finally, she shrugged. "Close enough. Also, a planet. All of the senshi are planets." Pause. "Except me, I guess. I'm a moon." Pause. "Also... sailor Moon. But every OTHER senshi is a planet. It... it makes sense, I swear."

Her earmuffs were gone, too. She inched back over to the others, coughing a bit. "So... ummmm... we can interogate now? I don't mind. I just want to make sure I know the plan."

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Amy attempts to quirk an eyebrow at the Slasher's response. And question. "What, now you care? I thought you were evil." She interjects during the pause, and rolls her eyes -- possibly with a disconcerting rattling sound -- and looks to Kayama again. "Hey uh. If you're not with Obsidian, could you call your parents? It's not exactly safe here..."

    And then she hears Thetis admit and demand worrying things. She stomps towards the woman, "You trapped them as inanimate objects?! See, this is exactly the shit I'm worried about every time someone gets akumatized, you don't need to do it even more! Let them go right... now..." As she gets close to Thetis though she becomes more aware of the size difference and is at least slightly cowed? She backs up out of kicking range, at least.

    And being a doll makes it somewhat easier to hide her unease at the question asked of Endymion. But she has to change the subject and not let him answer! "What's it matter? You think you've beaten us? You put me in an immortal, ageless body! I'll hound you forever! I don't need to eat, do I even need to sleep? No fade!" She shouts. "You, you think I can't manage this? Why do you think I'm the one trying to take care of everyone else when it happens! I... can manage just fine!"

    Despite the kernel of truth, there's a substantial amount of uncertainty and bluster in there! Fortunately, it's a bit harder to read her emotions in this form!

    ...Also Endymion just lied just fine. Well okay then?

Beryl has posed:
The little girl cocks her head at the doll and asks, "What's Obsidian? Did they make you. Can I see your joints? You look almost like one of my dolls."

Except, then, the doll walks away, and she looks a little sad about that, until she reads Dory's message, and sees that she can touch her as long as she doesn't mess with the mask. She very gently touches Dory, examining her joints and motions. "You're really cool! You're a scary doll, instead of a friendly doll, but I can tell you're still a friend-doll."

Meanwhile, Amy is stomping up to Thetis, and it's very clear that she's thinking of just outright kicking her, especially as she starts going on about being immortal and ageless and no fade and -

"You're also weak and easily breakable like this, unlike humans that have healing powers. But if you're so good at managing, you'll be happy to do it."

Thetis scowls, but recognizes she didn't say no lies, so she still doesn't know if he's lying. Damn, that's annoying. Well, there was a rose, but didn't Endymion have roses? This is a problem for her Queen to solve, because clearly she does not have the ability to do it herself.

"You have to wait it out," she says with an annoyed huff. "The mundane humans will be normal in an hour. You lot, at most a few days, your own magic makes it easier to sustain the transformation."

What is a planet? What is a Moon, besides Sailor Moon? How can Sailor Charon be a Moon? Well, at least she can offer the knowledge that there is another Senshi among the rest. Sailor Charon, who is apprentice to Sailor Pluto. This knowledge - surely it, and the energy stolen, would satisfy her queen.

If not? She's finding a way to blame this on Riventon. Backstabbing! The company sport of Obsidian.

"What's your second question already?"

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"Do you still have a crush on Jadeite?"

Who knew French dolls could be possessed of true shiteating grins? Endymion is awful. He is simply awful.

"Just saying because I think you should know he's gay."

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Amy... considers the time it will take to round up all the civilians before they'd turn back to normal on their own, especially like this... ugh... Is... is she allowed to be selfish? They won't remember...

    She still feels kind of bad at the thought of leaving them to their fate, even for an hour. "Are they-- this isn't his question, so I can't make you answer -- are they conscious? The civilians?"

    Whatever the answer, she turns back to Kayama. "Uhhh... I was turned into a doll by magic. That's why I asked you if there's anything I should know about my body. Uh, I guess I can show you?" She takes a few steps towards her, and pulls up her sleeve.

Taro Yamada has posed:
Dory lets Mika keep on touching her, then carefully takes her journal back. OBSIDION IS WHERE BLUE LADY WORKS. THEY LIKE CAUSING A RUCKUS. The Slasher leans down and whispers into Dory's ear, who then adds - DO YOUR DOLLS MOVE ALL THE TIME? OR JUST TODAY? DO YOU WANT TO SEE MY NECK JOINTS?

(Taro had been lucky enough to get some incredible powers, and unlucky enough to get them when he was young and couldn't control them. It's - just - listen! It'd be bad if this kid accidentally animated a doll to go eat her parents or something! And then HE'D be blamed! And then Sailor Moon would laser him! This is a totally normal impulse!! )

Beryl has posed:
Thetis snarls. It's impressive because she doesn't have a mouth. There's something decidedly struck about it, that lets Endymion know he has indeed hurt her, and she's pissed about it.

Rather than voice any of the incredibly inappropriate to the rating thoughts she has about this, she DuskPorts out of there without answering Amy's question.

Meanwhile, Kayama tells Amy and Dory, "I make dolls, but I didn't make you. But if you're a porcelain doll, you should be very careful and try not to crack yourself, or damage your joints, because they're hard to fix." Looking over the message written by Dory, she shakes her head!

"This is the first time! They never came to life before I met Jumeau-san. They picked me up from school yesterday."

She frowns, a little life in her eyes for a moment, as she considers Dory, Amy, and then her other dolls. "I didn't make them to have teeth like this... I want them to go back to normal... oh, oh yes, I want to see your neck joints! I don't use wood very often, because you have to cut the pieces so careful, but you're really well-made..."

She is not a magical child - she is, however, very good at her craft, and very interested in learning more. They probably won't get anything more out of her.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"Aaaand now I feel bad for hurting her feelings even though she was literally going to drag me to Beryl and change my clothes," sighs Endollmion, dropping his henshin and going back to being a style icon, tugging the kid glove on more tightly and adjusting his glasses. "RIP. Whatever, I'm going home. No more haunted dolls. No more shopping. No more Thetis."

He starts to leave, then pauses. "Uh. Can somebody carry me please?"

Taro Yamada has posed:
Ok, no nascent magic. That's a good thing. But she got nabbed from school yesterday. That's a bad thing! Jack wiggles, and the Slasher elbows his head so he does not! say! a dang word! as Dory writes some more. I THINK WE CAN FIX THE DOLL TEETH. HAVE YOU TALKED TO YOUR PARENTS TODAY? IF NOT, MISS AMY CAN HELP YOU CALL THEM IF YOU WANT.

And with that, she turnsn around and kneels in front of Mika, parting her hair and loosening her kimono a little so the girl can see her carefully crafted wooden joints.

"I managed to pick up a henchman over the weekend - wait, why am I telling you this? You were there," the Slasher tells Amy. "I can get him to text someone to lie to the cops if none of you can manage it."

And he sniffs delicately, putting a hand to his chest. "If anyone asks, I'll tell them I saw Tuxedo Kamen and Prince Enderman fighting in a Waffle House parking lot. You're way too fun to let some weird lady killsteal."

Hotaru Tomoe has posed:
Sailor Charon blinked a few times, cringing when she saw Thetis get so angry. Then... "Wait. Can youma have crushes? I didn't think they could like... do that." That... raised a few more questions that, sadly, she couldn't ask Riventon now.

Of course, she'd then bow. "Always remember, Pluto is a planet in every way that matters!" She then saluted with her glaive... despite.... already bowing.

Before running off!

Of course, Hotaru would return later, with Yochu. To get a doll anyway... or try and find one that was suitable. But that would be a story for another time. A different time...

Amanda Faust has posed:
    "Uhh, I guess..." Amy tugs at the collar of her outfit to let the dollmaker see her neck. She reads Dory's sign. "What? I can't use a phone like this... Oh wait yes I can, I was prepared for this!" She shouts triumphantly!

    And then remembers that the stylus is in her backpack. In her dorm room.

    She slumps. "...Nevermind, I left the stylus in my room. Wait, but YOU have skin! You can use a phone! Do you have a phone? Other...otherwise I guess we take you to a cop? Well, I don't, it'd be best if adults didn't see me, you understand?"

    And then... her eyes widen, although it doesn't really show, as she hears Mamdoru and imagines walking all the way back to the dorm at this size. "Uhh..." She looks to him with a doll's attempt at a what are we going to do?! expression.

Coco Kiumi has posed:
"I guess at least we don't have to worry about ways to keep both of you entertained", Coco exclaims as she looks at both Endollymion and Amydoll.

"So, uhm, the only thing I have to go by here is that arm", Coco points to the thing still trapped in the Live Stage. "Even if I doubt it's going to help any."

Looking down at Amy and Mamoru, she picks up the latter and asks the former "What do you want to do now?"

Beryl has posed:
"I haven't talked to my Mama and Papa today," Mika Kayama tells the doll, "I don't have a phone, cause too much screentime is bad for you."

Never mind that being an adept and award-winning dollmaker has actually gotten her kidnapped. She's happily distracted examining Dory's joints and seams.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    "Hey," Amy jabs a thumb against her chest, "I started playing videogames when I was 4 and look how I turned out!" Beat. "Okay bad example but that probably has nothing to do with ending up turned into a doll."

> What do you want to do now?
    "Uhhh... I dunno? I mean, objective one after a problematic transformation is contacting friends to let them know, and possibly proving my identity, but you were here for it, so... I honestly never really thought this far??" Amy taps her chin. Tink tink.

Taro Yamada has posed:
Hm. Ok. Forget it! He needs an adultier adult than he is and he's not gonna get one hanging around here! Also, he's pretty sure he can get Amy back to the dorms faster than Miss Banana, Miss Grape, and Mr. Freshly Engaged. So!

WE'RE GOING TO GO FIND YOUR MAMA AND PAPA. MY FRIEND WILL HELP. OK? Dory writes, as Jack finally poofs back to a proper size and gets shoved into an enormous pocket.

"Nah, I got you covered. Got a henchman," the Ripper tells Amy. He eyes her - he's gonna be carrying the kid, but carrying the kid AND Amy's gonna be tricky -

Aw, he'll figure it out!

Coco Kiumi has posed:
"I could bring you back", Coco offers Amy. "I am already carrying Mamoru, and I have a comfy Live Stage for you to float inside, as small or as big as you would like", she offers her friend.

The suspicious gaze she regards Ripper with isn't anything less than blatant. She is clearly unnerved here with two friends who are more fragile than usual. The only reason she hasn't Live-Staged both and bolted is he isn't doing anything in particular.

Putting away the minion he had chased Coco with also helped.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Amy ummmms, and looks down at herself, thinking about whether she'd be any trouble to carry. "Jeeze I'm tiny..." She costume-switches to a blue jacket over a simpler black dress. This isn't actualy de-henshining, but it's a little less eye-catching for the benefit of anyone transporting her.

    She looks between them. On the one hand... safe friends. On the other...

    She sighs. "Someone's gotta make sure he's not just taking the kid to feed on her. I'll use magic if he tries anything and contact you as soon as I find a way to use my phone. If he turns out to be... at all trustworthy, maybe I can learn from the other dolls? They might. Like. Know stuff about being dolls that'll help me an' Mamoru? I guess?! Gods, this is my life now. That's a sentence I said. 'I might need to learn from the other dolls.'..." She continues rambling something along those lines for a bit.

Taro Yamada has posed:
"Hey, don't talk about me like I'm not here!!" Hey!! "Do not get me mixed up with that Miss Blue Gatorade, the fiery show pony or that freak-o witch Beryl. I am not nibbling on a child, I have standards." Do you see this! The box he is making with his fingers! The standards!

"Cmon, let's get out of here before Baja Blast shows up with reinforcements." He will just. SCOOP the child up princess style, having gotten permission via Dory, then yoinks Amy and Dory to hang out in Mika's lap. "Let's go!"

Slasher OUT.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    "Oh. 'Cuz she's not someone's boyfriend?" THAT JUST KINDA SLIPPED OUT LOOK AMY'S STRESSED OKAY.

Taro Yamada has posed:
"You're really giving me second thoughts about taking a bite out of someone's fiance, lady." HE BITES *ONE* BOYFRIEND???

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Amy covers her mouth. "I'm sorry it just kinda slipped out. Um. Maybe it's harder to not say whatever pops into my head as a doll?" Yeah even her reduced emotiveness isn't making that convincing. "Let's just go." And now she's in kid lap as they're carried. God it's weird that this like... ten year old? Twelve? Fourteen? Size has lost all meaning. That this kid is so much bigger than her. She looks 'up'. "Hi." She'll keep the kid occupied with conversation.

Coco Kiumi has posed:
She isn't really keen on him taking a kid with them either, but honestly, there is very little she knows about either of them. She is about to try and convince Amy that they can do everything themselves without relying on him, when he just picks up Amy and rushes off.

"Hey, leave her!", Coco exclaims as Ripper's only warning, much smaller Live Stages appear en masse to conserve energy for more strikes and not devastate the landscape, each of them roughly aimed in his general direction due to haste. But be it between hurry being a poor aid, be it between them being dodged, none of them find their mark, and she watches, panting from the magical exertion, the abductor disappear.

She begins to furiously send messages to any single contact she has available explaining what has happened in the clearest way she can manage at the moment, before relunctantly gathering up all the doll people in one last Live Stage and beginning her walk back to the dorms, hoping that Amy will be fine.