Scene #2874: The Nightmare Nexus: The Unfinished Girl

Owner	Pose
Emi Hoshino	THEN -- Tokyo Metropolitan Kogei High School -- When the custodian had questioned her, Aoi had smiled and explained she was just working to finish up her art project. That was true, of course -- the evidence was right there on her easel with the charcoal dragon swirling around the globe in a graceful arc that bent towards Japan, like it was poised to dive directly towards Tokyo. (Where else would a dragon dive, if we're honest?) The truth, however, was that it was quieter here than at home. The distant squeak of shoes on the hallway floors, the quiet fading laughter of the adults departing into the evening, and the ever-present hum of Tokyo life were all that was left to her. Well, that and her thoughts. "Hmm," said Aoi. She frowned in thought, and brushed away a line. No, not like that. That's when something squeaked. She looked up, around. Nothing. Just the empty room in all its faded glory, the whiteboard of accumulated drawings from the day that hadn't been erased in everyone's rush to get home. She'd take care of it before she went. Back to work and then --- squeak? Again? Like a sharpie pressed too hard on the whiteboard. Her eyes settled there. She didn't remember that drawing. A girl, roughly sketched in fading black, like the pen had run out of ink with each stroke. Crooked shoulders, one eye unfinished. Lines smudged where they should have been clean. "Did.. is someone here?" she asked, after a moment. Her heart was hammering in her chest all of a sudden for some reason. She looked down. SQKRKRRRRK. Back up. Quickly. Had she moved...? Nope. Not gonna do this. Aoi got to her feet and swiftly began gathering her things, heading for the door -- but the footprints stopped her. Like someone had stepped in chalk dust or a puddle of ink, one after another leading towards the door. The way out. She stopped. Slowly, Aoi turned with dread towards the space on the whiteboard -- but her vision filled with something else entirely. The custodian heard her scream -- but then forgot. And so did everyone else. NOW -- Emi Hoshino looked like someone still struggling to find peace. The dark circles under her eyes and the fact that she called them to meet with her in the shed, where it was very dark in the corner she'd picked, are all the proof anyone needs to know that she's still struggling with welding her dreams abck together. The offers to help, from Mamoru, from Coco, from everyone have surely helped her make whatever progress might look like here, but right now... right now she's got a killer migraine. She said she needed help, though, and that's why she invited them. Said a girl was missing. Not just one girl, actually, but potentially several. Only one she knew about. Aoi Mizuno, a student at Tokyo Metropolitan Kogei High School. By now, everyone is familiar with how Emi sometimes plays Detective Emi to locate people who need her help. Aoi was one such case that she looked into. Turned out she didn't need her help, and so she'd set it aside. But now? Now something is wrong. Now, Aoi seems to have ceased to exist. Like every bit of her that was ever present is just ... gone. Her high school photo, their emails, her 2chan posts, the art show where she'd won her award for best in show a few years ago had something else in her place. Just ... gone. And no one else seemed to remember her. Not even her parents. Now that, says Emi, falls under the purview of 'shits fucked, go find out what happened to my friend'. She suspects a Nightmare for the same reason she did back then: Aoi's something else. Vividly creative and with a tough home life. The kind of girl who might generated a Nightmare all on her own if things were tough enough and she was in a bad enough spot. And right now? Everyone's in a bad spot thanks to the All Subsuming One. There's a party tonight, see, held by people who were in Aoi's social circle. Nobody remembers her. Not a one of them -- but there's a party they're holding, an Emi has gotten all of you invited.
Emi Hoshino	"I met some of them," she explains, "back when I was looking into Aoi. They remember me -- but not -her-. Fucked, right?" Sure is, Emi, sure is. Of course, the party is clear across Tokyo so you better get going.
Kureha Senkenzan	It's not obvious just by looking at her that Kureha Senkenzan is nervous. But that's just because she has a well-practiced poker face. She is incredibly nervous. It's not because she worries even now for her grandmother all the way in Kyoto. It's not because she's concerned she'll somehow be caught back in Tokyo when she's not supposed to be just yet. No, it's pretty much entirely because ''Kureha Senkenzan has never been to any kind of party like this before.'' Upper class gatherings? Sure. Grand opening galas? Oh, plenty of those. But mingling with a large group of normal people within roughly her own age range, in a non-formal social setting where everyone can be normal? Nope. Not once. Kureha has zero idea how she's going to handle this, and if anything, the actual goal of the night is giving her a distraction to focus on. "If I never knew this girl," the heiress begins, "And none of them remember... Are there any hints or clues I should be fishing for?" She fidgets a little, adjusting her skirt. She's not used to casualwear.
Mamoru Chiba	"Well, ''that's'' far," Mamoru had said when Emi gave the address, and then held up his pocketwatch. "" Now there he is, in henshin instead of his halfassed scenester look, and he glances in the direction they're gonna head in. "Roofs are faster than the train. And the last time there was a nightmare thing and the train, the train was a mimic." He doesn't just ''go'', though, he waits to go with the group.
Usagi Tsukino	Usagi Tsukino has been to plenty of parties - not that anyone would be surprised by that. She's the sort of girl who knows just about everyone, either directly or through a friend of a friend, and so even though she doesn't know ''this'' girl or ''these'' people who will be at a party... She still has a good idea of how to dress nicely for a high school party, and under her henshin, that's exactly what she's done. Under her henshin, because for now, she's Sailor Moon, because ''of course'' it's across town. "Emi-chan... when does the party start? And Kureha-chan's right, how are we supposed to figure things out if no one remembers her? Is any of her stuff at home?" She glances at Mamoru, flushes a little in embarrassment remembering their not-fight, and quickly fixes her attention back on Emi.
Amy Faust	"Wait, but how come ''you'' can remember her?" Amy asks. "Is it a veil thing? Wait, the veil doesn't erase people... ''usually.''" She pulls out her phone and checks that old posts are still there. Well, that's good, but... "How many ''other'' people has it erased that you ''didn't'' know?" She rambles about a False Hydra scenario, works herself up worrying ''what if its getting people all over the city'', but at least determines that there isn't evidence that Tokyo's population used to be ''way'' larger like huge areas of unused infrastructure or the like, and calms down, reassured that things haven't gotten ''that'' bad yet. BUT ALSO she was told to dress for a party -- What do you... wear... to a party? It's not an after-work party or a birthday party, it's like, a ''party'' party, and in retrospect she should've tried to go to one at Radiant Heart before now for like, social practice. And now she's suddenly going to a party for students of a high school she ''doesn't'' even go to, but at least she won't be alone! She ''did'' eventually go back to the mall to finish the shopping trip Wicked Lady wickedly interrupted and pick up some clothes like what she spotted then, and she's wearing some now: A white cardigan over a red tank and tiered green skirt -- "Does, does this work? See, it's Christmas colors!" -- and black boots with a half-inch heel. Her hair is up in a ponytail. Seems she didn't feel like trying a goth look this time and oh wait her eyes widen, "''Oh'' in retrospect I should have asked you for advice..." she notes, to Emi. "Uhh... does this just make me look like a librarian? ...Maybe it's better with the hair down." She's frantically fiddling with her look, undoing the ponytail, redoing it but leaving forelocks, conjuring a santa hat on her head...
Emi Hoshino	"In a few hours, hence the semi-urgency," says Emi of the party. "I'm in no shape to go, but I'll be close by in case we -- you -- need KenKen. It's at the Star River Diner," They're going to a restaurant no doubt -much- to SOMEONE's delight, "they rented out the party room. If I had to guess there'll be a couple dozen students there. Some of them were Aoi's friends. I tried to press on how they remembered me given that I was hanging with Aoi when we met but that sort of ... went nowhere. A blank stare sorta thing. Like, I didn't wanna push too hard, you know? I didn't know what I'd break." Emi pinches the bridge of her nose. "That's a good question, Amy, and I don't have any answer for it. It's possible Aoi is just the first victim we know, but if I remember Aoi, then anyone magic is likely 'immune' to the immediate impact of whatever is happening." She lets out a breath to address Usagi's very good, very valid questions. "I wish I knew. I'm hoping you guys might pick up on something, some kind of trial or weirdness, hanging out with her friends. It might be a big bust, too. I couldn't look at her stuff, but her own -parents- don't remember her, so ... hard to say without looking around in their house which I couldn't do. I can give you her address, though." She'll ping their phones with it after a moment, wincing at the light from her own phone when she does so. They do have some time to get themselves ready and to ask questions of Emi, of course, before everyone is going to need to start heading clear across Tokyo the star river diner. Which is a lovely, mid-range restaraunt with a whole lot of people inside right now. Teenagers have rented the space, no doubt one of them using Dad's Credit Card for it. There's even live music. ... the live music of a band full of teenagers. It's ... it's music.
Mamoru Chiba	"I can break into her house and have a look," offers Tuxedo Mask before they go, glancing at Sailor Moon and she's blushing?? but not looking at him?? but Adora isn't here--? --and then finally they're there, after leaving Emi far behind, and Mamoru drops his henshin. He's in his black leather jacket, black button-up shirt under that, tucked into skinny black jeans, absurdly expensive dress shoes, has his thin-black-frame hipster glasses, his fluffy hair spilling forward rakishly and earring and ring and pocket watch glinting, black eyeliner subtle and perfect, red rose earplugs in place. He offers Usagi his arm with a crooked little smile. "I'll be your handsome arm candy. You can tell them I'm American and my Japanese is terrible, and I'll only speak English. No they're probably your friends-of-friends who'll recognise you..."
Kureha Senkenzan	Kureha listens to Emi's explanation with a nod. "My, that's quite something." Inwardly, she is even more concerned. She's looking for unknown evidence about the disappearance of a person she never met from people who don't remember she even existed, and pressing too hard might cause psychological trauma, in a social situation she has no clue how to navigate. Halp. But as the kimono-clad form of Onihime is racing with the others along the rooftop, she's thinking. '...maybe I can work this in my favor? Lean into my accent, paint myself as a confused out-of-towner, and see where the conversation goes... okay. Okay, maybe this will work.' By the time they arrive, Kureha's confidence is a lot less feigned. "I shall... mm. I shall be near the counter."
Amy Faust	Oh it is at a restaurant! Not a house party like the movies. That is probably better. Amy drops out of henshin at the destination, and glances at the group of teenagers from another school. Okay Amy, it's a bunch of strangers, but... you're ready for this, right? You are ''you''. People ''like'' you, and you hope Radiant Heart isn't a ''complete'' anomaly, and all of them are probably more concerned about not seeming too weird themselves than looking for weird people to pick on-- Amy shakes her head. No, if they're worried about ''that'' it's not a good place, is it. But maybe... Maybe they just want to make friends? And she's going to be asking weird questions about a girl no one remembers, so that'll go swimmingly. At least she's not alone... She stares, open-mouthed, and Mamoru instant-makeover-ing himself to look like he's from a boy band or, at least, a cool guy from a movie. "''Wow.'' Have you ''practiced'' this or did you come up with that on the spot?"
Emi Hoshino	Now, Emi did say just introduce yourself as Emi's friends before you leave, and that you'll get in. That she swang the invitation. She didn't fill in much details about the party becasue she doesn't really have that many, if we're honest. But it does work, actually, 'Oh yeah, Emi's friends'. They know Emi -- but only because they knew her through someone they can't remember. And one gets the immediate sense that they're still struggling to remember why theyt invited her, and her friends in turn. Weird, right? There's this sort of blank stare, and it seems sort of like they're gonna object but then... "Usagi?! Usagi is that you?!" One of the girls has met Usagi before, and well, she's going to go talk to them and that smooths everything over. Usagi knows everyone. Somehow. That does give the rest of you free time to blend and start talking to people. It's a bit hard to break the ice -- really hard actually -- but you're gonna have to try if you want to try to figure out what's going on, and whether or not there are any other victims. All of them are from the same high school as Aoi is, it seems, and they're having a blast. There's free food from the diner -- lots of it -- and sodas and juices and even more food. There's board games set up and video game consoles. People are having a good time. But there's a ... little bit of tension in the air that has nothing to do with the strangers in their midst.
Kureha Senkenzan	Emi's name gets them in - and then Kureha is, more or less, on her own. She smoothes her skirt a little, then gives Mamoru, Usagi and Amy a nod in turn, before finally making a beeline to an empty seat at the counter. And, with more emphasis on her Kyoto accent than usual, puts in for a simple order of food. "A plate of karaage to start with, if you'd be so kind." Then, while she waits, she turns to glance at whoever's on either side of her, before selecting an older girl to her right. "Say, indulge the new girl if you would? A friend sent me here to get more comfortable with Tokyo, but there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of 'comfortable' here, does there...?"
Mamoru Chiba	Mamoru grins at Amy and says over his shoulder, "It's Maybelline except for what I was born with," then heads over with Usagi to the girl who called her over. He smiles through the introductions, then puts his hand at the small of Usagi's back for a second and bends to murmur something to her. Then he smiles and nods to the other girl and takes his leave. 'His leave' in this case means 'to get a soda'. While he's over there, he strikes up a conversation with a boy wearing a t-shirt for a local punk band, and he knows his stuff, and he has Opinions. He gets two other people weighing in and one who comes up because he remembers Darien from the local punk scene around Radiant Heart a couple years ago-- awks-- "--yeah haha it was a whole thing, missing heir found. Still don't remember what happened. But you know what I ''do'' remember? This one girl I used to know, but nobody else remembers her. Does the Mandela effect work on like, people existing?" he asks, animated, engaged.
Amy Faust	Amy, who's looked back at the party and started to look a little deer-in-headlights, laughs and wheezes at Mamoru's joke, grinning. She follows him in, and sees his strategy: Find someone Into Thing and use that as an in. There has ''got'' to be someone around with, like, a shirt about an anime or movie she's heard of; "You liked that series? I loved they way they used the leitmotifs in the soundtrack..." Nailing it. She's ''nailing it!''