2313/New Meaning to Orb-Spider

New Meaning to Orb-Spider
Date of Scene:	10 February 2025
Location:	Dorms #1
Synopsis:	A Cute Wolf visits Emi with a piece of the Neon Labyrinth.
Cast of Characters:	Ikiko Hisakata, Emi Hoshino

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Ikiko Hisakata has posed:
It's been a nice, uneventful trip back to RHA from the alley of the Neon Labyrinth, and the last of the ringing in Cute Wolf Tsukiko's ears has finally faded out -- her wolflike nature makes her more sensitive to sonic attacks, but it also helps with recovery from (relatively) minor injuries. She fishes a small note out of her pocket, then reviews it while glancing at the dorm buildings. "Let's see... this building, that floor, count the windows from the left..." she murmurs to herself, reading the directions that Mamoru had provided her with and counting off the windows with a finger.

Satisfied that she has the right window located, the wolfgirl hops over to the wide window ledge (it's definitely too narrow to be a balcony, but it's big enough for a magical girl to crouch on without worrying too much about balance), knocks on the window to announce her arrival, then opens the window and slips in.

"Hi, Emi-chan," Tsukiko says in a 'won't disturb the neighbors' voice. "Just got back from dealing with the Neon Labyrinth nightmare. Got the -- core? residue? -- remnant of it with me."

Emi Hoshino has posed:
Now, Emi is not really familiar with Ikiko, but she was told to expect someone and, well, she was absolutely *not* expecting them to be at her window.

Sitting in her bed, Emi was half-asleep. She LOOLED asleep, dprawled out, draped over the end, left arm and leg half off, long hair spread everywhere. The pale girl, however, sits bolt up right the moment that that girl slips into her room, reaching for the bat that's tipped against it between the night stand the bed itself. Those are not the kind of reflexes you get without a reason for them.

Once she realizes who it is, howeverm and tha they are not a threat and they are amongst those helping her, she let out a breath and lets the bat fall from nervelessm white knuckled fingers, something that also calls attention to the bandages on her hands.

"... you... okay. Okay." Deep breath.

"Sorry. I was ... as;eep." She carefully swings her legs off the bed, now, so she can more directly face her instead of the messy sprawl she was doing there. Her long bangs shroud her face a little but her mismatched eyes peer out from under them like she herself is some kind of yurei.

Ikiko Hisakata has posed:
"Well, rest is good for healing," Tsukiko shrug-nods towards the bandages as she closes the window behind her. "Name's Cute Wolf Tsukiko; pleased to meet you!"

She carefully fishes the handkerchief-wrapped orb out of a vest pocket, then gently unwraps it -- still taking care not to touch the orb itself. "Here's what's left of the Neon Labyrinth," the wolfgirl notes. "I, uh, assume you have a special way of making sure it stays defeated?"

Emi Hoshino has posed:
"I can see where the name comes from," remerks Emi after a moment. She was getting herself together there. A glance at her phone. It is blowing up with text messages about inconsiderate film makeres, amongst other things. She looks mildly amused for a moment there. "Please don't squish her," says Emi, by explanation as she gestures for Tsukiko to put the orb on the nearby desk.

Once she her, a very large, palm-sized spider crawls out from under her bed and stares up at the wolf with its unblinking eyes. It is multi-colored. Pretty, even, if you can get past the whole 'spider' part.

"This is KenKen. KenKen breaks down the energy and recycles it back into the Dream. KenKen, say hi."

KenKen raises herself up on her hind legs and wiggles her forelimbs at the wolf-girl.

"Hi," she squeaks before making an outright *jump* from the floor to the deks.

Ikiko Hisakata has posed:
Ikiko might not be as fond of bugs, spiders, and other creepy-crawlies as some of the boys in her class, but she does find them kind of neat. So Tsukiko doesn't freak out when KenKen makes her appearance known, although the wolfgirl does do a slight doubletake.

"Pleased to make your acquaintance, KenKen," Tsukiko smiles, gently pulling the silk handkerchief out from under the orb and folding it back up before returning it to her pocket. "I think you might be the cutest spider I've ever seen in person."

Emi Hoshino has posed:
"I like her better than some of the others already," replies KenKen to Emi as the neon orb rests on the desk. She moves towards it and crawls above it and immediateely begins spinning webs over it, like a spider cocooning a fly. Wrap wrap wrap wrap. And then it does, in fact, pull it between its forelegs further and *BITE* it. Yes, the spider is eating that energy. That's one way to break things down.

"Don't mind her," says Emi, "But I appreciate that you think she's cute. Not everyone likes spiders like I do."

Ikiko Hisakata has posed:
"They're a bit of an acquired taste, but it's good that your magical partner has a form that you like," Tsukiko nods, idly watching KenKen drink up the webbed orb. "You can probably guess what my favorite animal is, although I don't have an actual mascot or anything like that." The stray dogs around Tokyo that she feeds don't exactly count, after all.

After a moment, the wolfgirl glances over at Emi. "Got any word back on the other incidents on your list?" she inquires.

Emi Hoshino has posed:
In a sense, wouldn't she be THEIR mascot? A figure that appears and makes the magic happen? The magic of spontaneously arriving food.

Emi observes KenKen enjoying her 'snack' befor e glancing back towards Tsukiko. She puts her hand on the back of her head. "Not yet. Hoping nothing comes of any of them. I know people who don't even know me are taking a risk of getting mixed up in something like this and I gotta say I don't love it."

Ikiko Hisakata has posed:
Tsukiko steps over and pats Emi's shoulders. "It's kinda the hazards of magical girl life," the younger girl points out. "Sometimes you find yourself in the middle of something just because you happened to be there when it happened, and someone needed to stand up to it. At least in these cases, it's volunteers going in with at least some knowledge of what they're getting themselves into, and with friends and allies alongside them."

The wolfgirl smiles, thinking of her own friends in the magical community, and especially the crew she faced the Neon Labyrinth with. "Never underestimate the power of friendship and teamwork," she adds. "People working together towards a common goal will be more effective than the same number of people working separately."

Emi Hoshino has posed:
"So I;'m told," remarks Emi, offloading her weight to her left hand. It seems to make her feel better. She's still hurting pretty good and it's going to be a while before she isn't. "I just hope it isn't anything anyone can't handle. Hopefully, I'll heal up faster than I think and I'll be back to work soon enough." She snaps her fingers, glaning down at KenKen. The orb seems to have been broken down by her, yes, some multi-colored particles flaking away into the air around her.

Ikiko Hisakata has posed:
Tsukiko carefully reaches over and gently strokes KenKen with a finger. "Speaking of healing up, that reminds me of a message I need to deliver," she comments to Emi. "Well, technically two messages..."

The wolfgirl stands up straight and faces Emi. "The first message is from Sailor Moon," Tsukiko states. "She hopes you get well soon."

Emi Hoshino has posed:
"... I bet," remarks Emi, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"...and the second?" she asks.

Ikiko Hisakata has posed:
"Tuxedo Kamen said that you're annoying," Tsukiko replied, doing her dangedest to keep a deadpan face while watching Emi -- but even if the corners of her mouth weren't stubbornly quirking upward, the slight wag of her tail would still be a dead giveaway.

Emi Hoshino has posed:
Emi Hoshino starts to look a little hurt and angry out the gate. She can't help that. The flash of temper in her eyes is hard to ignore, but then she quicklt schools herself into seeming insouciance.

"Whatever," she mutters, even as her eyes catch wind of the tail-wag. "... I'm going to text him that he's a jerk later. KenKen, no. Don't even think aboiut it."

KenKen slumps onto her belly, disappointed. She wanted to jump on the wolf girl's tail.

Ikiko Hisakata has posed:
Tsukiko grins, then yawns. "I should probably get back to my room and get some sleep," she admits. "Well, it was nice meeting you, Emi-chan, KenKen-chan."

Before the wolfgirl turns to go, she leans over to KenKen and gently pats the spider. "Perhaps another time," Tsukiko whispers with a wink~ and a wag of the tail before opening the window and climbing out, then closing the window before leaping away.