1939/Running Options

Running Options
Date of Scene:	07 September 2024
Location:	Game Crown Arcade
Synopsis:	After Scene 1936/Checking Pings, Usagi and Ami gather Mamoru, Kazuo, Tamaki, and Naru to share the news and gather a brain trust of options on what they can do, going forward.
Cast of Characters:	Usagi Tsukino, Mamoru Chiba, Jadeite, Naru Osaka, Ami Mizuno, Kazuo Saitou

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Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Following the discussion at Okujoo Ramen, it's late - late enough to be properly night, after most places have closed. Usagi still calls Mamoru, with only the mildest pang of regret to be interrupting his date with Tamaki. Tama-kun is just going to have to get used to his beloved date time being interrupted, all the time.

She calls Naru, after that, and then it's Luna, Usagi, and Ami waiting at Game Center Crown for Mamoru, Naru, and Tamaki to arrive. When they do, Usagi swings the door that Luna has already unlocked for them, and whispers, "Come on in - this is a secret base talk for sure."

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"Hi Luna. Hi Ami. I love our secret base," Mamoru whispers, tugging at Tamaki before letting go to slip in through the open door, graceful despite being too tall. It's not for nothing he's Tuxedo Kamen!

They had been on a lovely date! A rooftop date, even! With street food, stars, and bad ideas, and they hadn't gotten to the kissing yet but they were definitely going to, and-- then his phone, and it was Usagi, and there was business.

Tamaki would just have to get used to dates being interrupted almost every single time, indeed.

"So this is time-sensitive?" he keeps whispering, already on his way to the secret entrance, "should we hurry? Tamachan you go first. Don't scream."

Jadeite has posed:
Tamaki goes in through the door first, still pouting a little about his poor, poor date. Ruined! Neither of them had managed to get a corn dog stick into the furthest trash can...

"Any chance we can have the rest of our date in here?" he says, looking admiringly at all the machines. "We'd pay, of course. It could be a case of a mysterious reverse break in!" he says, and waves the others in. "Hi Ami, hi Luna, hello Usagi!"

Naru Osaka has posed:
So much for comfy clothes, a cup of coffee and a book. Oh no, Naru's phone went off and she sprawls across to answer it and well...

"Okay, I'll see you soon." Naru replies and then makes a face. It might be September, but it's still summertime hot in Tokyo, and Naru literally just tugs a skirt on to make it a little less 'going out in pjs' before she well.. goes out in pjs.

And her coffee in a travel mug.

Naru is the last to arrive and she slips into the unlocked door and hten looks at the pair of couples. "I swear. Luna.. you have to protect me from being a fifth wheel around here." She shakes her head a little. "Hey everyone."

Ami Mizuno has posed:
Ami Mizuno was thoroughly distracted even while waiting for the others. The glow of the Mercury Computer illuminates her face as she continues to scan for any further signals that may or may not go out. Now that she had a frequency to focus on that Obsidian may attempt to use again she was keeping the proverbial 'ear to the ground'.

Looking up as the others arrive she flashes an apologetic smile before getting serious once more. "It's a nice place but a bit unconventional," she admits to their 'secret base' in general. After all, as full as this place got during some days, it was perfect for keeping it safe. Ish.

"Very time sensitive but without a known deadline," she whispers in turn as she waits until Tamaki, Mamoru, Usagi, and then Naru and Luna have entered to close the door very. Very gently behind them. Without triggering the alarm. That might be another reason she had the Mercury Computer out currently.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"Hi Tama-kun," Usagi returns, and normally she'd be stifling a laugh at the look of disappointment on his face - been there, done that, that was for sure - but not with the answers she needs to get from Mamoru, and the information Ami-chan had uncovered about the ping. When Naru arrives, lamenting couples, she does laugh a little. "We weren't even on a date, I promise, but - inside, inside."

Luna's nearly as amused as Usagi, and on Naru's arrival, is happy to climb her, resting comfortably on her shoulder.

"Don't fret, Naru-chan. You won't be a third wheel."

Usagi leads them to their destination - the Senshi's secret base, improbably located in the arcade as it is.

It's located at one of the Sailor V game cabinets, and since Luna is preoccupied, Usagi pulls Tamaki in front, and then reaches around him to input the passcode. That don't scream warning makes sense, then, because the floor in front of the game opens up, sending Tamaki plummeting to his doom, for a minute - two - haha, no, just sliding down into the darkness.

When he lands, he's on a floating platform, with a large, futuristic computer system from the Silver Millennium itself in front of him. The platform has a number of stone pillars, almost Roman-esque, and surrounding it is the evening sky, with distant stars gleaming brightly.

"Alright, Naru-chan you next, since this is your first time," Usagi says mercilessly (but with a smile), and soon Naru, and then Ami, Usagi, and Mamoru are all down on the platform, perhaps with various screams after all, depending on how frightening they found the drop.

"So... before we share what we found - Mamochan, Tama-kun, do either of you remember woman with orange-y red hair and glasses, and red eyes, who wasn't Beryl, who worked at Obsidian? Maybe with whatever department put out the Heartstealer Rifles? Absolutely terrible driver?"

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Mamoru doesn't scream at all -- Luna already trolled him on that one, thankfully with not a lot of witnesses. He's dusting himself off when Usagi asks her question, and he frowns a little. "Yeah. Eudial's the only redhead who's a known terrible driver in that division-- Tomoe LifeSciences. My brother used to work for them, and he used to keep an eye on Firefly."

Jadeite has posed:
Tamaki does NOT shriek. He falls down VERY dignified, thank you! So elegant! Like a cat!

"I'm afraid I don't remember her," Tamaki says with a dignified sigh. "Different department. I remember thinking, I ought to let someone else deal with Firefly, I have enough fish to fry - but I can't remember why I was so concerned about that."

Naru Osaka has posed:
Naru reaches up to scritch Luna as the kitty settles on her shoulder. "You've got my back, thanks Luna."

There's a bit of a skeptical look at the 'plummet to one's doom' method of entry, but Naru is game. Tamaki is probably fine. Right? Right.

It's not a scream. Naru is quite insistant on that. A bit of a startled squeak, but certainly not a scream. She does reach up to ensure that Luna doesn't fall, and probably ends up with claws in her shoulder on the way

"Well.. this is quite the thing, isn't it?" Naru comments, looking around. "Terrible driver? I remember her, from the first rifle attack. I mean, I don't /know/ her, but I remember who you're talking about."

Ami Mizuno has posed:
Ami Mizuno found the slide down just a little difficult, but only because she was wearing a skirt. Pressing both hands in front of her to hold the fabric down she too comes down the unexpected chute without much of a sound as she lands on her feet. Dusting off the skirt she steps toward the display of computers in the center of the area with the confidence of someone who was well familiar with the area, and perhaps may even consider it a bit of 'her' place.

It was computers. Of course this was her domain in some small manner.

"Tomoe Life Sciences?" A concerned gaze is shared with Usagi at that particular name and she nods slightly. "Would you prefer if I begin, Usagi-chan? I know this is a difficult subject for you still."

Ami sinks into the little chair there swiveling around to face everyone. "Or perhaps you should start with what happened as I wasn't there, and I can fill in once we get to the point of... issue."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"It's the most efficient way down," Luna says, in response to those skeptical looks, smiling warmly.

And then they have a quick and easy answer - Eudial is with Tomoe LifeScience. Well, that's just another nail in the coffin of this being about Hotaru, isn't it?

"I was afraid you would say that," Usagi grimaces. "So, earlier today, me and Amy-chan and Molly-chan, and Snow Angel Mou Fubuki-chan were at a fight at a concert - I think Molly-chan and Amy-chan were actually just at the concert - where, Eudial was there, with one of Hinoiri-chan's old Eclipse Zone towers, and she opened this weird portal where a weird monster spat out a princess youma, and - after we beat the youma and before the tower was destroyed, it sent out a ping."

"Molly-chan's device captured the data, so we met up with Rashmi-chan and Ami-chan, so they could investigate what it was for, and well..."

Baton passed to Ami.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"Yeah, sorry," Mamoru says, bumping lightly into Usagi's shoulder by way of apology after 'afraid you would say that'. He listens, and the corner of his mouth twitches at Snow Angel Mou Fubuki-chan, and his frown deepens when he hears that Eudial has one of the Eclipse Zone towers.

A ping.

Mamoru's practically scowling by the time the baton's passed to Ami, but at the same time, his phone buzzes. He takes it out and looks at the screen, then says, "Hold that thought? Kazuo needs a lift. Be right back."

That's a shrug into Prince henshin because why not be ostentatious, and Endymion blinks out--

--it's maybe ten? seconds later? Ten awkward seconds-- that the prince returns with Kazuo in tow, and releases his henshin back into t-shirt and jeans.

Kazuo Saitou has posed:
Whatever Kazuo was up to, he is still, in fact, in normal-for-him clothes - white shirt, black slacks. There is a hint of lingering crankiness around the corners of his eyes, but not so much that he tries to migrate toward Naru's travel mug. She, Usagi, and Ami all get a brief collective nod of the head. (Tamaki doesn't, but that's only because he presumes Tamaki is getting Mamoru back, and additional distraction on top of the meeting is probably undesirable.) He does what he normally does in this situation: orients where everyone else is, toward Ami, and stays quiet and listens.

Jadeite has posed:
"It's about Firefly, who apparantly is involved with Tomoe LifeScience," Tamaki murmurs to Kazuo. "And about a youma in one of the old Towers, who sent a ping when it was destroyed... Which, presumably, had something to do with Firefly or Tomoe?"

Naru Osaka has posed:
"Oh sure.. Kazuo doesn't have to go down the slippy slide!" Naru laments with a shake of her head and a laugh that she doesn't quite let loose. Teasing, clearly. She offers Kazuo her travel mug, should he wish to share her black coffee within. It wouldn't be the first time, it's unlikely that it would be the last time either.

"Okay so Amy.. other Amy, not our Ami.. I dont think I know Molly." Naru muses a moemnt. "And.. that's a mouthful.. right. Snow Angel Mou Fubuki.. portal and youma sound pretty typical for a Tuesday, you know." Her attention settles on Ami.. our Ami.. for the rest of it.

Ami Mizuno has posed:
It's one of the first, few times that Ami had gotten to watch Mamoru henshin much less straight to Prince Endymion. Though Usagi had passed the proverbial baton to her to continue with the difficult parts, she finds herself staring openly at where he once was. A quiet sigh breaks from her lips and she murmers, "Teleportation is such a handy skill."

Well at least your girlfriend isn't oggling your boyfriend, Usagi and Tamaki! And Kazuo but of course he arrives after the look has left her.

Now that everyone has arrived she half-turns to the console behind her to queue up the data that had been already uploaded to the SilMil system via the Mercury Computer. It shows an energy frequency in wave form on one side. And on the other is another, very similar waveform. Points of similarity highlight and a percentage rate is brought indicating a very high match: 87 Percent.

"This is the 'ping' that was sent out through the portal that was opened during the fight Usagi-chan and others were at," she begins only to frown. "And the other one is the dark energy signature that I recorded when 'Firefly' broke her glaive and attacked myself and Usagi. Given what Mamoru-kun just told us about Eudial working for Tomoe Life Sciences, this just further confirms what we already suspected. They're looking for 'Firefly' -- Or the thing that she becomes."

Looking back among the group she flashes an apologetic smile at Naru. "Yes, the American Amy and not me." Along with that she gestures once more to the computer. "It seems the signal was sent out early, before it reached full power, so it's highly likely they'll try again. Possibly soon."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"Everything up until the ping really was a normal day," Usagi laments, which is a shame because goodness what have their days become, huh? But she's nodding as Ami shares the evidence, explains the data, and nods sharply, "They're looking for Firefly, the thing inside Firefly, other things like that thing, or - maybe all of the above."

She leans against one of the pillars of the secret base, grimacing.

"They're for sure going to try again, because no one in Obsidian ever quits without getting beaten down first," apologetic glance to Tamaki, not Mamoru, because he was going to quit before they beat him up, it doesn't count!! "Rashmi-chan ran off to tell Setsuna as soon as we confirmed how close of a match it is to Firefly's energy, but the thing is - I don't know how we stop a ping like this, anyone have any ideas?"

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Leaning on the back of the console, now, with his elbows where they won't accidentally push any buttons or levers, Mamoru's more or less settled into being unsettled. "Do you think," he asks, "that they're not so much trying to find her as activate the monster? Or I guess, find her by activating the monster. She's unstable, even with her Device, and even if Pluto thinks the lack of stress has cured her..."

Mamoru shakes his head. "It's not much of a 'how to stop' -- if they're trying to find her, then all I can think of is keeping tabs on her and moving her around any time an eclipse zone tower shows up. But that's just more reactive hiding. Obviously destroying the tower worked at stopping it, but... I don't know, maybe jam the signal with garbage? Or mimic it and have it show up false positives everywhere?"

Kazuo Saitou has posed:
Kazuo pays close attention to Tamaki's murmur; now Tamaki gets that nod, acknowledgment of the information and agreement with the likelihood of the speculation. Naru, on the other hand, gets a grin this time, and a little flip of his hand: her coffee will not be challenged tonight. If it survived the slippy slide, it is clearly destined for Osaka consumption. "Molly's the other one Sunbreaker put in the hospital, I think," he supplies to Naru's lack of familiarity. Sorry, Mamoru.

Ami's display captures his attention promptly, and he regards the waveforms as if reading more into them than the labels. "That could be unpleasant," he agrees to Mamoru's suggestion of activating the monster. "Maybe even easier to track, for them." Go in the direction of the greatest murder! Try not to die.

(If it's a method of conveying possession by something similar, that could be even more unpleasant, but he keeps that particular speculation alllll to himself.)

Usagi gets a little so-so gesture of his hand, in answer to her question. "Or some equivalent of noise cancellation?" he adds after Mamoru's suggestion. "Though we'd need to figure out how to produce something on a similar wavelength, for that, and that could create a new problem all of its own." He glances to Naru. Random ideas welcome! Muffin shields might not work, but sometimes her brain produces immense swords for nonphysical problems, too.

Jadeite has posed:
"If the two of them are similar - do we need to prepare for more attacks that are trying to bait her into the open?" Tamaki asks, face going serious as he nods back to Kazuo. "Her, or them - do we think we have any way to get information on Firefly from Riventon or other Obsidian defectees?" A pause. "Besides me," he says sheepishly.

"We had wards we could use back in the Golden Kingdom, but I don't know if they'd be effective against these pings," he says, considering how to block them. "There's other traditional ways to block magic that we could look into. I'd second false positives, to confuse them and try and lure them into a trap. If it's a magical frequency - music isn't my specialty, but I could see if I can mimic the ping and make false positives when they activate it, overwehelm them with false leads."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"Mmm." As Kazuo declines coffee, Naru takes a sip from it, settling with Luna to consider everything that's being shared.

"So stopping them from using the dark towers to ping is non functional. We couldn't manage that when the boys were doing energy stuff, and we had better when and where guesses. It's just far too easy for pings to get sent out semi randomly and we do not have the manpower for that." Naru considers and nods to various suggestions. "So either shielding her, jamming the signal so it doesn't ping off her, making it ping off of everything and its dog, or changing her energy such that it doesnt' ping anymore, which is functionally the same as shielding her, I suppose. More invasive, and we dont' actually know if she's going to be alright with that, or if it's even possible." Naru mmms softly. "I think it's possible, but likely not in a timely sort of manner."

Ami Mizuno has posed:
Ami Mizuno nods stiffly at the varied suggestions. "I think, by sending this signal, they were trying to trigger the destructive force inside her and use the ensuing chaos to find her." Her nose scrunches as the other possibilities are also considered. "I sincerely hope that there aren't more 'sleeper' types like her around. It's already very dangerous."

"I can see about trying to come up with something to jam the signal. That would be the most proactive option since we could set up our own areas to broadcast it or use current areas..." The thoughts trail off with that look of 'she's thinking' which comes over her at times. Though she keeps an ear on the conversation she turns to the computer to begin typing. It would certainly take time to do such a thing.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"I like mimicking the signal and jamming the signal," Usagi nods, looking at her friends, "I guess this whole thing will be a real project for you, huh Ami-chan? But if anyone can figure out how to mimic a signal, it's you."

The power of belief will hopefully be felt, from her gaze to Ami's heart.

Only after this optimism is shared does she address the less optimistic idea: "It's possible, that they want to activate her. I mean - they might even be able to find her more easily, if they activate the thing inside of her, because it's got it's own energy signature..."

It's not a matter of stopping it. Naru and Mamoru are right on that - they don't have any way of actually stopping it.

"I hope there aren't any others too but... that's what else I'm afraid of. Because if they arent looking for Firefly, then they've gotta be looking for something like her, right?"

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"While it's faintly possible they might not be looking for her with the ping," starts Mamoru, and then he sighs and rests his head on one hand. "Eudial works for Tomoe, Riventon said months ago that they were high-key looking for Firefly, this ping is very close to a match to the signal from the monster inside Firefly."

Then, "Takashi-kun who worked for Tomoe and looked out for Firefly is the one who brought her to Inai-sensei under cover of darkness. Riventon's the one who made her a Device. And-- he honestly did it to help her. He genuinely likes her... sorry," Mamoru chuffs out a sound like a laugh, and he straightens up and leaves his hands on the back of the console, looking at what Ami's doing upside down and sideways for a second.

"I started with just listing out what we knew and ended up talking up my brothers." He shakes his head. "They're looking for Firefly. I'd bet the incipient cat cafe on it."

Kazuo Saitou has posed:
"Granted, if they're trying to activate her, then mimicking the signal might not be an ideal plan." Kazuo notes that almost as an aside. Ami's on it. If that will be a problem, she's going to catch it; it's just noting it so that Usagi isn't surprised if that happens. "Hopefully we can find a pattern that isn't likely to cause a problem."

... Riventon did what. He glances at Mamoru sidelong, and that side of his mouth crooks up, just a little. Okay. Good investment.

He nods to Naru at the end. "Eventually, that thing will have to be dealt with. I hope Setsuna's making some kind of progress figuring out how. But at least that should change her signature, when the time comes." Eventually, changing her energy needs to happen. Somehow.

Jadeite has posed:
Kazuo makes a good point; he nods, considering that as part of his scheming. Just in case.

"So, then... Reconnecting with Riventon and beefing up the protections for the Outers would likely be useful as well. Every time someone breaks Operations Security, God kills a kitten, and we'll need all the cats we can get."

...wait. is that bad to say in front of Luna??