2013-10-04 - Vanilla and Sunshine! My Best Friends Are Here!

Vanilla and Sunshine! My Best Friends Are Here!
Summary: In Episode Three of Perfume Splash! the entire gang is formed as Forever Sunshine, Winterberry, and Warm Vanilla Sugar officially join the team!
Who: Sakura Akagi, Madobe Kuroi, Erika Inagawa, Aimi Saionji , Kinzo Hiroyuki, Hisae Misumi, Raikari Shinkyou, Miyu Oyanagi
Where: Shitamachi Low City - Akihabara Electric Town
OOC Date: 10/4/2013

(Battle Fantasia 2 - Friday, October 04, 2013)

Shitamachi Low City - Akihabara Electric Town

 Brave Akihabara, holy land of nerds, Akihabara of the cartoony signs and      
 gumball-machine colors. One can buy anything in Akihabara, as long as it is   
 computer gear, electronics or anime merchandise. The main strip is the        
 glitziest, with a large percentage of the visible building faces covered in   
 electronic signs, huge posters, or garish paint jobs, and there one can       
 purchase coveted new items at (or just a hair before) their street dates.     
 The streets to either side are home to a messier brand of store, where one    
 can, with a little luck and persistence, find used goods like that rare       
 out-of-print first edition Sailor V figurine or vanity press Pretty Cure      
 doujinshi. These smaller stores compete ferociously for space, and can be     
 found crammed into alleyways and spilling out onto sidewalks as well as in    
 more standard configuration.                                                  
                                                                               
 Those whose tastes run more to programming than fandom can find the area,     
 also known as Akihabara Electric Town, quite rewarding as well. It's the      
 perfect place to shop for computer parts and other gadgets for projects both  
 personal and paranormal, with the venue ranging from a posh cutting-edge      
 robotics store on the main strip, to tiny stalls wedged into alleys that      
 sell high-grade electronics on the cheap. The latter category manage this     
 feat of thrift by selling unpackaged items taken from wholesale lots, and     
 piled up for display like supermarket apples.                                 
                                                                               
 It's relatively safe to be seen wearing unusual clothing here; it's likely    
 to be taken for cosplay, or the uniform of one of the diversely themed maid   
 cafes.     

It might be worth it to buy the perfume after all.

For special occasions.

That's what the woman said, when she talked to Aimi in the Akihabara district before.

But she didn't seem to be working at the perfume shop today. Maybe she doesn't work the Saturday shift today. There was that perfume, though, the one Aimi remembered. It really wanted her to buy it.

The streets are relatively busy this afternoon as much of the teenage population of the city is cutting loose now for shopping. A few people appear to be in cosplay in this region, but unusual outfits aren't so... unusual, in this district. A couple of laughing girls head into the karaoke lounge. A group of wealthy women head to a boutique to check out the latest in shoes. There's a clown on stilts here, attracting the attention of some children. A drunken salaryman who looks a little lost in this youth-focused district stumbles into a cafe to sober up. Outside a photobooth outside an electronics store kids are giggling with nerves over who will be first to get pictures taken. It's a nice day.

Miyu Oyanagi emerges from within one of several arcade centers scattered around Akihabara, looking rather cheerful and pleased with herself as she stops just outside the entrance and turns, "That was very fun Raikari-san! I really enjoyed those games you introduced me to. We should play again sometime!"

Raikari Shinkyou follows after Miyu, looking somewhat... split in feeling. On one hand, actually having a friend that was more than a passing aquaintence at school to hange out with was rather nice.

On the other hand, Miyu had proven to be one of the few people to actually -beat- the gamer at most of the games they had tried.

"I just better not find out you used your cyber hacker whatever abilities to win," Raikari mutters, folding her hands behind her head as she walks. There is a pause though, and then she does crook one corner of her mouth into a smile. "It was fun, though. Nice to have an actual challenge I suppose."

A young woman walks down the sidewalk, bundled up neatly into a light white jacket that covers her whole outfit, and blue shoes and white stockings. Most of her hair is tucked up and hidden under a white hair veil, except for a pair of light blue curls that frame her face. Perhaps she's playing the lolita?

Winterberry pauses on a street corner as she watches the crowd, her blue eyes sparkling. Ahh, the weekends. The one time she can properly run around in magical gear wear and not have to worry about strange looks. ... w-well, too many strange looks, that is. She then sniffs the air, thoughtfully.

It might be a nice day, but Aimi is still a bit distracted and hadn't been her usual, cheerful self. Ever since that encounter, she couldn't help but think about the perfume, the scent, and the things that had been going through her head since then. Her parents had told her not to worry about it too much, and maybe she shouldn't work so hard on projects for school, but that wasn't really it. There was more to it than just overworking. Besides, Aimi knew she wasn't working on anything that matched up with what was in her mind now.

Not that any of it was really clear. It was all so foggy and confusing. And yet so familiar and right. So Aimi had gone back to buy the perfume. While she did hope to meet the woman again, there was no luck there. It took her a bit of time to find it though, picking the bottle up. Warm Vanilla Sugar. It had a nice sound to it, and that scent... so warm, familiar, and inviting.

She heads over to buy it, and barring any issues, will walk out, not having used it just yet. "This isn't all that bad a purchase. I mean, at some point I should start wearing perfume, and there's always nice events to wear it at..."

Over in a crook of a side alley, an ally of justice (TITLE CARD: Erika Inagawa) is wearing her uniform still, standing at a stall and holding up an archaic model of portable television set, gesturing at it and trying not to gag on the intense levels of incense being burned by the unusually superstitious businessman. These, of course, are going /right/ up her nose-- and perhaps cloaking her own hidden vial of fragrance in the process.

"I know there's better ones, but I want to get one LIKE this one, since he's used - who? My grandf-"

Erika's eyes blank out as a lecture about respecting one's elders spools up.

Sakura Akagi happens to be in the neighborhood as well. But it's for reasons other than shopping, though running into Aimi eventually wouldn't be the worst outcome in the world. As a matter of fact Madobe kept saying she wanted to talk with her about something, but... she doesn't often catch her after school. Maybe this will be the right time.

However, as she arrives at the district with Madobe, she catches an unusual scent. Something that isn't... her perfume, or Sweet Pea's, but someone else who is here.

Two young women stumble out of the photo booth about a block from the perfume shop. They seem to have gone in there together. But once they exit, they walk directly away from one another. They look a little dazed.

Madobe is hoping to catch Tokiko's Survival Game. She's not super interested in survival but Tokiko has been something of an inspiration. Nevertheless, Madobe has been hoping to talk to Sakura about a few things. And just about when she has mustered up the COU stat (or perhaps the SEN stat) to actually bring it up--she sniffs lightly, noticing--

"Ah--I think that's what I wanted to tell you about--" Madobe says. "It was at the egg thing."

This isn't very descriptive Madobe.

"U-um, I think...." She looks around a bit but pauses. "Oh was it..." She looks around and spots Hisae. "There--"

She waves an arm over Hisae's way to try and get her attention.

Miyu just blinks at Raikari when she brings up cheating. She didn't even really think about doing that... though she does have a bit of an unfair advantage in that she seems to inately understand the programs she uses. And that includes video games.

She doesn't mention this to Raikari though.

"Anyway, now what should we do... maybe pick up something to eat..?"

Aimi doesn't notice the girls walking out of the photo booth, still lost in her thoughts. She stops near by it though, putting the perfume into her bag for now. She pulls out her sketch book though, looking around and finding a spot where she could at least be out of the way. In this case, its up against the back of said photo booth.

Aimi looks around for a bit, deciding that, for the time being, she'll just draw whoever she sees as they pass by. Or at least as best she can. She starts to sketch people, looking at Miyu and Raikari for now, trying to get a good design and commit them to memory enough that she could continue the sketching later.

• So odd...* She thinks. *When did I get some of these memories? When I was much younger? That doesn't make sense.*

Despite all odds, she has yet to notice Sakura OR Madobe. Of course, she isn't in her normal mood, so any hugs she would have given would be on the low end. As in, short and normal for most people. She does, however, feel a bit off. Like something wasn't right. Well, more so than she has been feeling lately.

"Sounds like a plan to me. Com'n, there should be a small cafe or something nearby." Raikari nudges the other girl and starts walking along the block, which just happens to pass near the perfume shop. In fact, they walk right past one of the two women that staggered out of the photo booth. Raikari doesn't stop but she does turn her head to watch the lady stumble past. "Huh. Looks like someone started the weekend partying early."

Kinzo Hiroyuki got another strange scent, that something was a-miss, so...he went hunting again. Only, this time, he forewent going as 'Dark Amber', if only because it wasn't nighttime, and because the place where that faint scent came from was busy---he'd either stick out as a sore thumb...or be mistaken as a costumed character of some sort. He eerr'ed on the side of caution that he may cause a fuss.

So Kinzo himself, is here looking around, he's following that scent, it sorta smells like the same one from that night in front of that house.

He begins walking around, looking for anything out of place.

Winterberry/Hisae notices an arm.

Then she notices the person attached to it. She scurries over carefully amongst the crowd,s before stopping next to Madobe. "What's up?" she asks, softly, her blue eyes focused as she continues smelling... /something/.

Sakura tilts her head for a moment at Madobe as Madobe tries to get the attention of a strange girl. But then again -- yes, that's where it's coming from. That cool smell. Who is that... she looks really elegant, too.

Sakura actually blushes a little bit and looks away. She's not so brave when she's not transformed. But then Hisae walks up, and she immediately bows to her. "Hello. Pleased to meet you. My name is Sakura."

Kinzo passes through the district smelling something else unusual. Is it... that girl that's sketching? Maybe. Or maybe it's the photobooth she's not too far from. Two other girls go into it - they look like they're early middle school age. They're laughing together when they walk in.

Madobe realizes she..has only met Winterberry as... Winterberry. She says, "Uh--I'm...Madobe...uh..." She turns bright red upon seeing Sakura blush because now she's figuring she messed up by approaching like this and okay it's actually kind of busy here and people in phone boohts and there's incense and and and--

"...Hi...Winter...berry...?" Her shoulders punch upward.

"How odd..." Miyu remarks as the woman stumbles past, turning slightly to watch as she staggers away, then turns back to Raikari, "Is that normal for this time of day?"

Raikari Shinkyou shrugs a little. "Normally it's later in the day before... that... but it is the start of a weekend."

Aimi hears Miyu and Raikari talking, glancing over and seeing the girls that had walked away. She... isn't so certain how normal that is, at least in the same way that Raikari is talking about, but something tells her that it isn't.

"I... don't think it is," She says, looking around a bit more now. That sense that something is just not right is still there, and she can't help but think that there is danger. She knows she should get out, but she isn't sure where to go that could be safe here just yet.

"Maybe? I'm not so sure." Aimi finally says as well, looking over to the entrance of the photo booth now.

After a moment, the stumbling young woman near Raikari seems to straighten up. She blinks at the sun. Looks at her watch. And then continues walking off somewhere.

"...Winterberry... ?" Sakura says, aloud, but she stops at it for some reason. Something seems to be the matter here. There's another unusual scent in the air.

The two girls that entered the photobooth together get a picture taken. There's a little bit of a flash from under the curtain. And something that looks kind of... like smoke. But the mist disintegrates in the air.

The two girls then walk out together, but walk seperate ways. It's a little odd. They WERE talking to each other a moment ago, but now they appear to be strangers to one another, each showing no concern for the other at all.

"Hello, Madobe-san." Winterberry says pleasantly.

Then she looks back at the photo booth, her blue eyes wide and thoughtful for a long few moments. She politely bows back to Sakura. "A pleasure to meet you, Sakura-san." She watches the girls leave the booth, seperated. Then she states softly, master of the obvious, "Something isn't right here." Kinzo Hiroyuki notices a few familar faces from school as he passes by the both---he's pretty sure he's close to that scent now. He's practically right by the small gathering next to the booth!

He is completely unaware of the other's identities, so, he kind of just blatantly ask to the gathering going on near Sakura.

"Uh...you guys happen to see anything weird goin on?" he asks, scratching the back of his head. That's kinda an odd question to ask.

Then the two girls who went in come out and walk seperate ways. He makes a weird mental note of this but doesn't find it particular odd, maybe they just both had to rush home after a picture?

"That's not right," Aimi says with no hesitation in her voice now. She knows friendships, if anything else, and even if they were in a hurry to head home, they would have said good-bye no matter what.

She goes up to the entrance of the photo booth, looking in to see what, if anything, was wrong or off about this thing. Something had to be going on here. Someone was messing with something sacred, and no matter how scared she might be feeling, she just couldn't find it in herself to ignore what was going on. "Okay... is there anyone in here now?"

No, the booth appears to be empty now.

It smells odd in there, though. Sort of.... musty. It's not terrible. But not pleasant either.

An exchange seems to have been managed, or at least, a deal. Erika Inagawa leaves the little side street, minus one TV and some money, but with a slip for a repair order. She smiles, tucking it into a small purse and looking up just in time to see -

Two people leaving a photo booth and diverging in two different directions, suddenly. She blinks twice, before rubbing the bridge of her nose - the clinging smell of incense still overwhelming just about everything else. Seeing Aimi move inwards, though, she glances away, towards a nearby display of some darn Gundam model or other.

It is brief. As she sidles nearer, she asks, "Is it like... a prank or something?" of Aimi. "Like it shows you a scary video?"

Madobe is too busy freaking out at how surreal this personally feels to her. "Huh?" She asks. "Something's weird?" She looks towards Kinzo. "Oh--hello uh...computer club guy, right?"

She shoves her hands in her pockets and glances to the photobooth. ... She misses the smoke, but--that is pretty weird isn't it?

Wait a sec--is that Aimi over there? ... Maybe she better not say hello lest she get dragged off to a hug/clothing expedition.

Plus she seems busy with that other girl. "Um, anyway--" Now that Kinzo is here, she doesn't feel it appropriate to go into SECRET IDENTITY Talk.

"What do you mean?" she asks of Kinzo.

"I... I don't know..." Aimi says, pulling back some, and not realizing that there was yet another person here. "I didn't hear any screaming earlier, so it can't have been that scary, if at all..." Aimi stepped into the photo booth then herself, not liking the smell she was getting. Photo booths don't normally smell like this now, do they?

Okay, the first two splitting off was just odd. When another pair go in as they pass, only to come out and go seperate ways when they come out, that's a bit weird. "Hmmm." Raikari reachs into a pocket to pull out her Virtualizer, which looks like a portable handheld game device. But even those have cameras in it, which is what it would like she's using as she flips it open and aims it towards the photo booth. "ALICRN," she murmurs softly as the AI's unicorn styled visage appears on the screen, "Scan that booth for anything odd."

Sakura did smell something unusual. But that was before Kinzo approached and broke her concentration. "Ah! No, not particularly."

Not yet, anyway.

The inside of the photo booth contains a soft seat, a large lens, and a little screen. The lens seems to be where a photo is taken - it has a metal conical shield around it, but the central lens portion appears to be a blue glass. The picture on the screen shows the two girls who were just inside the booth. They're smiling together and quite close. Then a second picture shows them looking... a bit sleepy. A third shows them looking dazed. Then there's one entirely black picture that was taken wrong somehow.

Raikari scans the booth with her device. She gets a photograph of the outside of the booth. The image on her screen is a bit different from what the booth appears to be in reality. She can get a look at the internals of the booth... and there's something folded inside the wall. Something with... legs, and fur.

A robotic arm inside the booth has one clamp-like hand on it. It reaches toward Aimi's bag, trying to move slowly, then suddenly snatching at it. It's a little clumsy, and simply tips the shopping bag over, spilling its contents out.

The blue lens blinks.

...blinks?

"What's going on?" Aimi exclaims now, the perfume in the bag spilling out while she herself jumps out of the photo booth as well. The pictures, the robotic arm, and the blue lens blinking... okay, this is not a normal photo booth. "What is this thing?" She adds as well, most likely causing quite a bit of disturbance to those around her.

Erika sees a blinking Eye.

She stares for a full second, before letting out a squeak and turning to run back down that same alleyway she'd emerged from, as fast as her shoes can take her. As she passes that archaic repair shop, the owner complains, "You just LEFT--"

Erika zooms past him, past a corner ramen shop, and into a shut down 100-yen store's side, where there's a fire escape. As she hops onto the metal stairway, she reaches into that purse, and--

-- the camera cuts away elsewhere!

-I am pretty certain that is not standard equipment for that sort of device- ALICRN texts across the screen as it highlights the 'legs and fur' folded inside the booth's wall for Raikari.

"No kidding," the redhead murmurs back. Guess taking it easy for the afternoon is going to have to wait a bit as she turns and darts into the nearest gap between two buildings.

At least she has gotten a grasp on the whole 'don't transform in plain sight' deal.

Winterberry seems to be a bit distracted as her gaze snaps back to Aimi when she starts making a, well, disturbance. Then her eyes flip back down to the ground, where the perfume is spilling. She takes a deep breath, and a deep sniff, then smiles gently. "Your perfume." She calls out.

"It's spilling, you want to pick it up." Urgently, too, not that she adds that thought to her sentence. She casts a quick look over her shoulder at Madobe. You paged Aimi Saionji with 'you might see that mysterious reciept too' From afar, Aimi Saionji (Vanilla) nods. There's a smash cut to Madobe's face being shocked as Aimi's prefume bottle is pointed out. That means...that means!!

Well actually it might just mean she chose to buy perfume, lots of people do! She squints briefl at RAikari. Who is she talking to? Or murmuring to--and...oop there she goes.

Weird people come here, Madobe thinks obliviously. "Is everything okay, Aimi?" She asks, it's starting to feel like a crowd so she shifts uncomfortably.

The booth makes a strange creaking sound, from the inside-out. That robotic arm on the inside makes another grab for the perfume, but it's rolled away and it's not long enough now.

There's a little more steam coming from a vent near the floor. Then the photobooth starts to sort of... roll, on its side.

Two white, fuzzy legs roll out from the back of it, as if something that was using the booth as a cover is partially tossing it off now. It looks like the part of the booth that contains a camera was actually hollow underneath. And... something is coming out!

The crowds around look wary - a few watching as if this is clearly some weird stunt, but many dispersing.

Sakura reaches over and tugs on Madobe's sleeve. "...Let's find a spot quickly..."

She bows apologetically to Hisae. "...Be right back!"

"The photo booth... it tried to grab my bag and blinked!" Aimi replies. To Madobe, this might be on the slightly stranger side of things Aimi has said.

"My perfume?" She follows up with, not quite getting it at first, but the urging stirs something inside of her. She quickly goes for and grabs the bottle, to keep it from spilling out any more. This isn't the only thing she gets though, her attention being diverted by the reciept as well, or at least what was on it. She grabs it as well, standing back up and looking now at the photo booth as it starts its change into some kind of monsterous being.

She just stands there for a bit before the surprised look on her face changes to one more of annoyance now. "HEY! That wasn't very nice now you know! Attacking girls like that. Really now. You've got some rather poor manners!" Kinzo Hiroyuki is watching things suddenly descend into /Chaosss/.

"Huh..." he says as he begins to back away from the both, he frowns a bit. "Hey...get to safety, you!" he yells at Aimi, who he doesn't really know at all.

He begins to run off in the strange opposite direction everyone else is to find that little transformation corner that should hopefully exist somewhere around here! Madobe glances to Sakura, nods to her, bows quickly to Hisae, and then says, "HeyAimiWe'reGonnaGoOverHereNowAndDoSomethingTotallyUnrelatedToWhat'sGoingOnHereNowWithThePhotoBoothToDoTotallyNonSuspiciousThingsAhAHahAhaHahaHahaha!"

She bows again and dashes after Sakura!

Erika keeps running up a stairwell not shown in this scene to save on an animation budget.

Fortunately the last part of her transformation gives her an airward leap, so Sentry Kagami actually seems to drop in from above instead of coming back out the alley Raikari ran into. It also makes her arrival on the scene a bit more dramatic, landing in a crouch on the pavement, one hand bracing herself as the other points at the booth upending itself. "Stay away from that thing, there's some sort of creature inside of it!"

She snaps her arm back to the side, a flash of energy spiking out of her grasp to form her polearm proper. "You normal people should clear out and leave this to the professionals."

COMBAT: Raikari Shinkyou transforms into Sentry Kagami!

"Wait, what?" Aimi says, looking over where Madobe was. She didn't quite catch that.

There is a dotted outline of Madobe where she was literally /half a second ago/. That was fast!

Winterberry flashes Sakura a look, before a moment of understanding crosses her face. "Go!"

Then she reaches up to her hat and pulls it off, causing a cascade of blue hair to tumble down to her knees. She then ditches the coat as well, revealing her white and light blue dress combo with snowflakes scattered all over it. "Normal." She pauses. "Heh."

She then flexes her hands and turns to look at the photo booth. Her fingers come up to form a square, before drawing it apart forming a snowflake screen in front of her. "Winterberry! Analyze!" what in the world is going on here and why does everyone smell so good.

The creature starts to roll onto its feet -- flipping two more fuzzy legs out, before tossing aside a few of the panels that seemed to hold the photobooth together!

Now there is a broken bit of booth on the ground, and a curtain, and a creature that looks.... almost half-cybernetic, though it's in a weirdly old-fashioned sort of way. The very big lens eye it was using to take pictures is right next to a smaller, beady looking black one on a head that's half fur-covered, like some kind of yeti, and half metal-covered as if it were wearing some weird, steampunk cybernetics. The cybernetic bit extends down its right side, where there's two clamp-like robot arms, one above the other. Its left side has a different arm, with a big, sharp-looking claw. Above that is some sort of reservior, half-filled with a light green liquid. Vents stapled around what might be a stomach area are spraying out a mouldy odor.

Winterberry checks it out. It's a Dark Scent alright. But it seems to have been modified to do a particular job here today... taking memories and storing them!

Sakura runs off with Madobe to get her henshin perfume out. It's go time! There's a flash around her and a bit of glitter as she transforms and gets ready to help - but hopes Aimi will be okay in the mean time...

COMBAT: Sakura Akagi transforms into Japanese Cherry Blossom!

Madobe Kuroi transforms with Sakura, there is no original footage, they just show bits and pieces of each transformation from their normal sequence. But that doesn't mean you get to skip yours, Aimi and/or Erika!

COMBAT: Madobe Kuroi transforms into Sweet Pea!

The rest of the crowds that were looking around do take Kagami's advice, and continue scattering. Maybe this isn't some kind of stage show, but now, it seems a little too weird to find out!

Friends running off to do... something, Magical Girls showing up, Photo Booths with poor manners. Aimi's actually starting to wonder what is going on with the world. Everything here happening so quickly, and coupled with what she had been dealing with recently...

Aimi shakes her head a bit, her head starting to hurt just a bit as something strains to make itself known in her memories. She stumbles back some, looking down and then at the receipt and perfume in her hand. There was writing on the back of the receipt, something that most normal receipts don't have. Well, especially given what is written. "When in danger..."

She looks back up at the beast, backing away now some more. "Okay, just remain calm and think. What would sensei have said for you to do here?" At this point she gets conflicting messages from her memories. Run is the common thing between them. They just differ on which direction she should run in.

As it is, she just backs up some more, letting the magical girls come in and distract while the normal people have... well... they've just vanished. Isn't that something? (Stupid animation budget...)

Kinzo Hiroyuki has a completely different transformation, due to ONCE EVIL TIES----but his transformation doesn't get featured in this episode due to the low priority clause of transformation footage.

What you get instead is the 'tip' 'tap' 'tip' is something walljumping in an alley up to the top of the building and looking down.

Like last time, he watches for a bit, because something else is going on here besides the big steampunk-cybrog Dark Scent. He hrmmmmms.

COMBAT: Kinzo Hiroyuki transforms into Dark Amber!

(OOC An early battle transformation music suggestion: [1])

Raikari Shinkyou raises a brow behind her visor as the monster finally sheds it costume, only to reveal itself as partially mechanical.

-It's cybernetic, but it's not a Viral Soldier- ALICRN flashes across her HUD.

"It's obviously something dark and sinister and doing things to innocent people, that's enough for me." Kagami pushes off from her crouch, virtual wings spreading as she darts towards the cyber-yeti. "I hope your camera is still working." She leaps and whips her polerarm up over head and spins it as she does so, to bring the blunt end of the staff down towards the monster's head. "So I can get a Kodak moment of kicking your butt!"

As she continues up the staircase, Erika adroitly spritzes her perfume -- not on herself - but ahead of herself. Her forward motion means she runs through it, her eyes closing as her arms snap up, clothing curling upwards, hair swirling into a different pattern as it glows with tangerine-gold light:

SOON:

There is a waft of something tangerine scented from behind where Dark Amber is perched.

Standing atop an AC vent is a blonde girl in vest and slacks, striking a remarkably insouciant pose. One hand is on her hip and the other is extended outwards, as Forever Sunshine snaps her fingers, twice, and points a single pearly-sheened fingernail at him.

"Hey. Hey!! Did you come up here to consider the chaos your camera caper has caused!? The fragrance of your foul - um - /scheme/ wafts warily from your - "

She gives up at this point.

"It is a Dark Scent." Winterberry says. "It has a unique..."

Pause. "Property of what it is doing here. It is modifying memories, which is why friends are leaving as strangers, and lovers, simply acquantices." She gives a low sigh. "If we take care of it, then it should restore those memories taken." She explains briskly. She looks at Aimi.

"Do you remember yet...?" She asks, giving her a gentle smile.

Dark Amber has it's arms crossed as it watches.

"That thing isn't mine." he says. He doesn't turn around, it's dramtically appropiate to keep his back turned at the moment, maybe.

That scent is familar. At least, enough to a degree, that he talks in a more familar tone. "I said to be more vigilant." he insists.

He doesn't lift a finger.

"Remember...?" Aimi asks, looking at Winterberry now. "I... I think..."

She looks at the recipt once more, finishing reading it off. "I..." Aimi looks up at Kagami, not recognizing her, and feels a bit unsure now. She knows she has to make a decision, and its very important. Actually, she doesn't have any choice in the matter. There's really only one thing she can do.

Aimi runs and hides.

She leans back against a wall, catching her breath before holding up the perfume. "Okay... if what this reciept says is true... if I'm not just hallucinating... If I'm not already dead... well Maddy-chan would kill me if I died. Sakura-chan too. I mean, even after I told them to be careful and not die. What was Maddy-chan going on about though..." And thus, Aimi's mind was throughly sidetracked.

Okay, not for that long before she shakes her head and refocuses. "No. I've got to do this! That thing is ruining friendships, lovers... everything... I can't let it get away with this!"

She takes a deep breath and sprays the perfume. "Henshin! Vanilla! Splash!"

MEANWHILE

Sweet Pea has finally finished transforming. She's glad that her transformation sequence only takes like two minutes, any longer and people might get impatient! She jogs back to the scene and says, "Back on the scene! Sweet Pea reporting for duty!" She twirls her pink pistols along her fingers for a moment, accidentally shooting a nearby building and causing flowers to sprout out of it. "--Oops! Er. I mean. /Now/ I'm on the scene, reporting for duty!"

She points her pistols at--the creature.

She gives it her first good look over.

"...W...wow that's actually kind of scary... Eheh...hehh....hh...hhh.... But we will protect this world's memories!"

Even if people aren't ruled by them!

The monster, itself, seems undeterred by the sheer amount of Magical Girl - and Guy - force that's around it. It lets out a roar...

Well, it lets out a pre-emptive roar, makes a choking noise, spits out a reel of photopaper...

Then makes a proper roar after all.

It reaches out with its claws toward the closest of the girls - which happens to be Kagami right now. Probably a mistake, since she might not be its primary target, but it gives Aimi time to figure out her henshin, too!

Japanese Cherry Blossom arrives on the scene, leaping up to the top of a building, to look down. But... what's this? Was Aimi the other mysterious scent? She doesn't recognize Sunshine, either.

Well... so be it. They'll figure it all out in a bit.

"Perfume Warriors! Let's take on this Dark Scent together!"

"What??" Forever Sunshine says to the back of Dark Amber's head.

Then, hopping off the AC, she strides forwards, frowning as she says, "Someone's behind this - strange cyborg camera booth thingies don't just happen naturally. If you're not behind it, then tell me who is, or-"

Her nose twitches, slightly.

"Something about all of this smells awfully famili-- wait, there's more?!" She leans forwards, over the edge of the building, almost toppling over it as she sweeps her arms back for counterbalance.

Kinzo Hiroyuki asks. "You mean you don't know?....or have you not recalled?" he asks.

He frowns, a lot of these warriors seem clueless---then again, they didn't have the experiences he did, he supposed it 'makes sense'.

"I do not smell their usual backup, tonight, I would go down and help them." is all he says to the other on the rood with him.

He merely keeps watch on the edge.

Whud! Sentry Kagami's dramatic strike is cut short as she's smacked aside by one of the creature's arms. She kind of bounces off the pavement once but rolls after the hit to get back onto her feet.

"Dark Scent? Whatever you want to call it. Disruption is disruption. I may not be a perfume whatever" thank goodness for that, it sounds girly as heck, "but that doesn't mean I won't help you fight this thing."

She steps back in as she flips her halberd like weapon over and swings it, aiming to catch one of the monster's legs in the backwards hook of the head and throw it off it's balance.

One eyebrow goes up.

A few minutes later, the second one joins her.

She leans over and peers back at Aimi. Or rather, Warm Vanilla Sugar. "Sugar." Winterberry calls out. "Welcome to the Perfume Warriors; may you find hope here." She then lifts her hand, a white, snowball like gem of magical energy whirling in it.

Aimi wasn't sure what to expect here, especially once the magic began to work its... magic. The stock transformation is inserted here for her, Aimi spinning around amongst all the sparkles and rainbow lights, primarly white and golden in colors. With ease that comes with practice (and lazy animators), Aimi goes through it all, her outfit forming along her body, the scent of vanilla floating in the air the entire time. Once all was said and done, Aimi, now Warm Vanilla Sugar, strikes a pose, complete in white and gold colored frilly dress, perfume in a small safe bag at her side.

"Whoa! It actually worked! I don't think anyone will believe me though. I mean, I'm pretty sure Maddy-chan already thinks I'm strange in some way, and telling her that I'm a magical warrior would be more than just a little much to swallow. Even if it is true. I wonder what Sakura-chan would think though?" Someone might want to give Vanilla the Magical Girl Handbook before she just up and tells everyone.

"For now, though..." She says, before turning to rush back out after the beast. "HEY YOU JERK! YOU WANT ME, THEN COME AND GET ME!" She gets herself into a judo stance now, ready and waiting to see what it might throw at her. As long as its something of it she can grab. She's not sure how to handle ranged things just yet.

COMBAT: Aimi Saionji transforms into Warm Vanilla Sugar!

"W...woah there's a lot of perfume warriors here..." Sweet Pea is appropriately stunned! That's a lot of smells around here! But it's not just perfume warriors, in fact! There's Sentry Kagami over there! Though actually, with all the perfumeyness about, she's not quite sure that lady isn't ONE of them.

"H-hey I don't know who you are..." She tells her. "But thanks for the help! Maybe we can figure things out together after!"

She draws her two pistols and fires quick shots at the Dark Scent--her gaze trailing to Vanilla Sugar first.

That familiar feeling--could it be?!

"Hahaha she sure would find it hard to swallow, whomever that is! Ha ha ha ha..haha!" Sweet Pea manages.

"Arroo?" The Monster looks over at Vanilla as she henshins like the rest. It seems it wasn't able to get her perfume, and stop her in time...

Kagami strikes into the creature and swings at one of its legs. It has four of them, all sort of bunched up, so while this slows it down it doesn't entirely fall over, either. It wobbles a bit at least, and now it's limping. When it does so, Sweet Pea's two shots sink into its side.

Then, with a bit of a hobble, it starts charging for Aimi. It has three arms, so, on the way to attack her with its larger one, it also snaps at Sweet Pea, and Sunshine, with the two on the other side - which telescope out longer to reach at them! In the process, though, it's ignoring Hisae's charging snowball, leaving itself open.

"!!!" Sunshine leaps upwards as the arm swings upwards, towards her. She sees it stretching out impossibly, and she pulls her legs up, stepping forwards and landing with both feet, firmly, on -

Its wrist.

"This was a terrible idea!!" she says as she starts running DOWN that arm, extending her own to balance it. "Gahhhhh oh my god where did all you guys come frommmm I don't know who you aaaare--"

As she reaches a shoulder joint, she aims a kick at the side of the thing's head before leaping up and past it. She does manage to pull this off with a whiff of sandalwood nostalgia left in her wake, though her landing involves a roll and a kippup rather than perfect en pointe.

"WINTERBERRY-"

"One Two Three Four I Declare A Snowball War!"

Then Winterberry throws the snowball. It has become large and a painful ball of energy. Such is the way of the Winterberry Perfume - it's strong and powerful and hits you like a brick at first, but then is lovely and fresh. -Haven't you fought centaurs in your games often enough to know that doesn't work as well versus quadropeds?- "Hey, it looked more topheavy, it was worth a shot."

And now it's charging after the other girls getting together... to beat it's mutant butt by the looks of it. More the merrier. "Reflective Sentry Kagami, at your service. Sorry, cut the introduction part short because it was already causing trouble." She swings her polearm in an arc, launching a burst of energy off the blade at the camera yeti's backside while it is so conveniently facing away from her.

Vanilla nods at Hisae a bit belatedly, and then deciding that this thing is... just a bit bigger than she can really grab and NOT be grabbed back. So instead she just jumps and dives to the side rolling along the ground and standing back up, looking around at everyone for a bit. She can't take this thing on alone, and she knows it. For that matter, she's not sure what all she can do. Unlike Sweet Pea, Vanilla didn't come with any weapons.

But that's okay. She knows exactly how this will go regardless.

"We can do it. It doesn't matter what this beast is, or who made it or why. They can't stop us as long as we're together." Aimi says, her warm words and love radiating out to everyone present, encouraging and empowering them all to further and greater things.

Kinzo Hiroyuki leaps into the air as the beast comes down on the rooftop with some sort of extending claw, he leaps onto an adjacent rooftop. His eyes narrow a little at it.

He's not making an attack on this thing. He thinks he'll only step in if things get dicey for now.

For now he's content to let the warriors do thier things. It's important they get this stuff on thier own after all. He has his own things he'd prefer to be doing.

Woah, Vanilla's hug power has only increased in her henshined identity! Now she can hug entire rooms without evne lifting her arms!

Sweet Pea calms down. Somewhat. She sort of still has the monster to contend with which, notably, snaps at her and smacks her back solidly, whacking her in the face. She stumbles back and drops one of her pistols and she drops down to try and pick it up.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence!" She tells Vanilla, grinning cheerfully. "We'll talk more later, Kagami! It's fine!"

She keeps crouched, shooting pink blasts that burst into flowers upon impacting with the creature. She looks up--noticing Sunshine.

She...she's hitting it. With her feet!

That's so awesome!

A kick strikes the Dark Scent in the head -- a good strike, since its weird telescoping lens eye is a bit vulnerable. It rattles a good deal, sounding like a bell when Sunshine's foot marks true. Kagami's energy then strikes it from behind, causing it to yelp! Then a very large snowball BOFFS into the creature, causing it to tumble over itself. It rolls back into the bits of crushed photo booth that it was hiding in.

Japanese Cherry Blossom leaps down from the rooftop and toward the ground. She spins around, her sleeves billowing - not an entirely useless gesture, as it builds up a swirl of pink light around her.

She smiles at Kagami, and nods to her with a very quick bow. While she may not be the same as they are her help is appreciated all the same.

Vanilla's words come at a good time. With all of them together... even if some of them have just met, they can be a team and make it work.

The pink light intensifies around Cherry Blossom. "Let's finish it! On my signal!"

Flowers burst, as Sweet Pea's shots hit the creature. They lodge into its scent vent... and jam it; it stops giving off so much strange aroma now.

"Nice shooting! Now! Let's Go!"

Confused, Forever Sunshine looks at these other warriors. She wants to object, to cry out, but habit makes her take a breath and center herself.

And in that single breath, the combined and harmonious fragrances, laying as they do over the unpleasant scent of the creature much as a forest's unique and enchanting scent derives from the combination of decay and moisture. Forever Sunshine raises one hand, touching her nose as she says, "I know these scents. My memories--"

Her eyes widen, but the blurring chorus of images that flash into her mind are not things she can reflect upon right now. The creature is off balance, and it is necessary to move fast, without getting tripped up on her own mind. She steps towards it, her hands drawing back into fists as she crouches into a more tense stance, her right hand coming around in a finger-curling pass.

"Betraying the heartfelt memories of these helpless people awakens my memories - memories of justice!! A creature like you doesn't have a place here in a crowded district, where people come to remember the old and recreate the new!" The pass concludes with a tensing in the air, the scent of sandalwood hanging around her as she draws her hand back. It is now glowing pink as if she were holding a powerful light bulb - though the hue is a deeper, more purple sort than Cherry Blossom's.

"So get lost!! Pink - Peony, uh - "

The name gets lost as Sunshine performs a classical one-inch punch at the side of the creature's leg. This would probably completely wreck a 2x4 board. A fraction of a second after contact, the light in her fist erupts out, like lightning in pink and gold, to try and engulf the creature's body. The smell, of course, is lovely.

Kagami smirks a bit at the other girls. Especially when one of them whips out a quick pep talk. "Then let me set this up." She flares her digital wings and launchs herself into the air over the fight. As she rises up the trace lines decorating her horn begin to glow as several magic rings form circling around it, save they have symbols of code adorning them in place of mystic runes. Similar ruinic circuit lines flare to life along her wings.

The unicorn girl crosses her arms in front of herself, visor illuminating to the point that her eyes are no longer visible behind it.

"HARD RESET!"

Kagami thrusts her arms out as the magic code energy building around her erupts, channeling through her horn and sending a sheering beam of purifying energy hurtling down towards the monster, that due to its nature of being both magic and technical probably has a good chance of scrambling some of those cybernetics in the monster!

Winterberry smiles, lifting her hands up into the air.

She lifts her hands delicately up into the air, shifting them around - once again, she forms a square, however, she draws them apart much, much further now, forming a shimmering aura of snow and ice above her head. She then strikes a pose, narrowing her eyes as she concentrates. "I'm Sweet Pea and that's Japanese Cherry Blossom!" Sweet Pea points her gun at Hisae. "/That's/ Winterberry." Sweet Pea points her gun at Vanilla Sugar. "That's Warm Vanilla Sugar!" She points her other gun at Kagami. "And /that's/ Reflective Sentry Kagami!" Surprisingly she doesn't accidentally shoot an ally in the face or head.

She takes in a deep breath. "We're all from the perfume kingd--"

Let's go!

"Later!" Sweet Pea says, hefting up her fallen pistol alongside the one she spared. She guides both forward.

"SWEET PEA SHOTGUN SOJOURN!" She yells, a large pink blast erupting from both her pistols, leaving a trail of flowers as it erupts forward.

"I'm the pinkiest!"

Japanese Cherry Blossom laughs just a little at that comment, but Sweet Pea seems to have it well in hand.

"And happy to meet you all to, but--"

She spins around again, and, this time, blossoms bloom in the wake of her sleeves as the power begins to build in front of her. A spiral of pink and white flowers appears, streaking like a tornado and carrying light and glitter in their wake. "Cherry Blossom--"

"Elimination!"

"Winterberry.. FINALE!"

Snowballs everywhere. She may have a rather straightforward finale, but they all know where you are, Dark Scent, and they want to hug your face.

Warm Vanilla Sugar isn't wasting any more time. Well, maybe just a bit more.

"You ruined friendships. Spoiled the pure love between lovers. Tainted the memories of those just looking to enjoy themselves and have a good time. Not to mention you were just rude and totally tried to kill us. That's just not nice."

Vanilla took a deep breath as she gathered her energies together, relying on what memories of her own she could recall right now to assist with making sure she was doing this right. A golden ball of magical energy began to form, smelling faintly of vanilla.

"Vanilla... Purifying..." Warm Vanilla Sugar thusly launches the ball of energy and vanilla scents straight at the photo booth monster. "CRASH!"

Kinzo Hiroyuki has been watching all this from his rooftop.

He nods approvingly. Maybe these warriors can handle things coming their way.

Of course, these are all small fries. That's the one thing Amber knows about this.

A bunch of crazy finishers hit the monster all at once. Sunshine attacks another leg, and there's a bit of a crack as she strikes it with her finishing move. Kagami attacks the creature's technology... to great effect. The lens eye kind of explodes, leaking out a little bit of light, and its two robotic arms flip out wildly. The creature tries to look to see what's happening there... when pistol borne sweet peas and a flurry of cherry blossoms all strike it, weakening its resolve further.

At last it's buried under vanilla-scented energy.... and a snowball flurry, which crashes into the creature all with abandon. With these final strikes, the creature disappears in puffs of white smoke....

The casing on its back drops down to the ground, and shatters, leaking out a green liquid that immediately evaporates. Across the street, friends blink... as they wondered why they forgot why they came to the photo booth.

Then they look down... and see photographs of friends. Friendship prevails.

"Friendship wins again!" Warm Vanilla Sugar says, smiling and nodding.

She then looks around at the others. "Now is everyone going to stay put and tell me what's going on, or am I just going to have to initiate a big group hug?"

The virtual wings fold to her back again as Kagami returns to the pavement, takes a step back from Vanilla. "Don't look at me, I don't have a clue about these Dark Scents or whatever, I just showed up because a monster was making a ruckus."

Cherry Blossom, for one, is up for the group hug.

If Kagami wants to sneak away, she can, otherwise, she may be caught in it too!

Forever Sunshine considers the matter, shrugs, and converges with her arms spread--!!

Vanilla won't stop Kagami if she wants to leave. Mostly because she has at least some idea of who the other Perfume Girls are, and not of Kagami. Though she might hound Kagami into friendship next time. She's good at doing that.

For now, group hug!