2013-10-19 - With Mysterious Friends and Foes... Is School So Important?
| With Mysterious Friends and Foes... Is School So Important? | |
|---|---|
| Summary: Madobe is caught sleeping in class... but a youma attack at a college campus reminds the girls just how important it is to stay in school! The girls also meet Mysterious Mascot Mist! | |
| Who: Sakura Akagi, Madobe Kuroi, JJH Class President, Aimi Saionji, Erika Inagawa, Hisae Misumi, Tomomi Shizuka (as Frat Youma) | |
| Where: Juuban Public School / Hisae's House / Tokyo University | |
| OOC - IC Date:10/19/2013 - 10/23/2013 / 10/5/2013 - 10/6/2013 | |
Shitamachi Low City - Juuban Public School
A short, friendly red brick wall with a cast iron gate surrounds this tidy
public school. There's little in the way of architectural whimsy to the
rectangular white buildings within. The stairwells, which create tower-like
square bulges, and the plate windows, which run almost unbroken along each
the length of each floor, are the only real distinguishing features to the
simple design.
A well-loved old school built in the sixties, Juuban has undergone several
renovations over the decades, and is probably a little overdue for another.
The vinyl flooring has been mopped by generations of students, and no longer
squeaks readily. The cork bulletin boards that publically display class
assignments and grades are pockmarked as if by tiny machine guns. The
concrete walls have been repainted the same shade of white so many times
that their blocks have taken on a thick, soft appearance, like wedding cake.
Some of the older ceiling panels have taken on the amiable sag of middle
age.
There is never a sense of decrepitude, however. Juuban Public is always
neat, functional, and lively. Any actual damage or dirt is attended to with
an anthill-like swarm of dutiful students. This is their school, and it is
as comfortable as an old shoe.
Madobe reaches up and hugs the President's arm. "Mm..." She buries her face in it. "Eheh...mmph..." She pauses suddenly. "Mmph?" She blinks twice, then suddenly jerks back and says "C-c-c-c-c"
Wait, she...she doesn't know her name! She better avoid using names at all. Why did she have to be so Class President-ish... It's not fair!
"eh...eh.heh...I wasn't talking in my sleep...was I? Eheh...heh...."
Her face is bright red. "Er I wasn't sleeping. I was meditating. Eheh...right...Eheh..." She didn't use to go to school much at all! So...improvement?
President blinks as she temporarily gets used as a teddy bear.
"Good afternoon, Kuroi-san." She says, brightly, her glasses glinting, altohugh this time, the glint is more because of amusement rather than anything else. "No, you weren't talking in your sleep." She says, kindly enough. "Did you not sleep at all last night, Kuroi-san? You know your education is very important!"
Madobe says, "Oh good...meditations...and um... all." She coughs awkwardly and avoids looking directly at the class president. "Eheh...SO um..." She's still bright red and isn't really able to articulate much since this is, like, SUPER embarrassing. "I..I slept!" Quieter. "...A couple hours..." She speaks up again. "Um... I'm not actually used to showing up so... Er. I mean... A game came out. It was addictive. ... ... It was an educational game? Eheh...heh?"
Sakura is en route to Maobe's classroom to walk out with her. She is actually a little pre-occupied, so she gets all the way to the door before noticing that Madobe has been cornered by someone she doesn't recognize. That girl sure looks kind of intimidating, though. Sakura almost decides to just dart out and catch Madobe when she's not... in trouble, but instead she stands at the door awkwardly. Then she awkward-waves.
"... okay, Kuroi-san." President says, with a small smile.
"I won't tell teacher this once, but if you're actually going to come, then you need to sleep to be prepared for the school day, okay? I understand that you want to stay up and talk to your friends - like I think that nice girl in the doorway is one of yours, isn't she? - and watch those magical girl and mechanical robot shows, but you have to prioritize!"
"Plus it's too nice to be sleeping right now."
"Hello!" She calls out to Sakura.
"Eheh...yeeah....yeah....I'll do that." Madobe promises without actually promising because she's just agreeing to get out of this awkward situation. Maybe she'll try!! And fail. But then she spots Sakura there and she jerks a bit.
"Y--yeah it's a nice day isn't it?!" She says. "Um, this is my friend Sakura-Chan." She stands herself up, gathering her things, slowly, because--well--normally this is about when the class president would introduce herself right?
And if she gets the name she cna be sure to memorize it this time so she doesn't have to have this awkward situation!
Sakura bows, a little nervously, then shuffles into the room. "Hello. Nice to meet you," she says to the girl whose name she didn't hear yet. "Everything okay?" she asks Madobe.
"It's a lovely day. I'm glad we only have half days on Saturdays, instead of a full school day!"
President looks over at Sakura, then bows neatly. "Hello, it's a pleasure to meet you, Sakura-san." She says, lacking her last name. "I was just waking her up now that class was over. Please, allow me to introduce myself. I'm the class president, ----"
Yes! Madobe thinks. She's going to introduce herself properly! Okay! Okay!! She braces herself. She is the class president... ...
...Huh? She didn't give a name. It felt like there was a space for the name but--Did she just...miss it?
"...Um, yeah, everything's okay!" She slinks towards Sakura casually. Maybe she caught the name...?
Sakura bows a couple of more times after the introduction. "Sakura Akagi," she clarifies, "And thank you."
She doesn't seem to say anything awkward about the President's name. "Waking her... up? Oh, did you stay up all night watching anime again--" she asks in a somewhat-teasing way.
"She seems to have done so, not that it's much of an issue, she'll just have to study extra for next weeks' classes." President says, her mouth twitching to the side.
"I won't tell teacher, though, I really do. Some days, you just... have to sleep in class." "N..no comment." Madobe sticks her tongue out briefly. That's close enough, right? Right. She's about to slink out before she can get lectured further when Class President says something very alarming. She blinks and turns to look back at her. "...Really?" She seems surprised. "Do you mean that?" She's not just making fun of her, is she?
"That's good," says Sakura. She of course can figure out what might have happened, but she's just going to blame anime or video games so the Class President isn't any the wiser. It's good that she's being reasonable about this, when she could get Madobe in trouble... "Madobe-chan, let's study together, we can do it this afternoon."
"I do." President says reasonably.
"Just because I'm the class President doesn't mean I don't know what it's like to do these things myself! To go out with my friends, stay up really late watching shows or movies, even when your parents don't approve - we're all normal school kids, after all." Well.
For ... definitions ... of normal.
"Hmm...Well..." Madobe says, stalling for a moment. She looks towards Sakura, and then back to the president, then back to Sakura. "Should we..." She asks of her before looking up again and adding, "W--would you like to study with us, um...President-San?"
Y..yeah. She's given up on...the name thing. Maybe she'll actually give it out now. Right? Right.
Sakura sees Madobe is having a really awkward time. She offers her a hand, hoping she'll at least... start moving to the door now. That could help.
Madobe asks if the President wants to study with them. That's fine, she thinks, but if Madobe is, like, scared of her, maybe less good. But the question is out.
Sakura stands there holding out a hand for Madobe and feeling like a dork.5R
Sakura sees Madobe is having a really awkward time. She offers her a hand, hoping she'll at least... start moving to the door now. That could help.
Madobe asks if the President wants to study with them. That's fine, she thinks, but if Madobe is, like, scared of her, maybe less good. But the question is out.
Sakura stands there holding out a hand for Madobe and feeling like a dork.
Almost as if sensing the awkwardness, President smiles, then shakes her head.
"Thank you for the offer, Kuroi-san, but no thank you; I have my paperwork to finish here for my class position, then I must get home." She says, extremely politely.
"A...alright." Madobe reaches out to take Sakura's hand which she grips a little tighter than normal. She's kinda weirded out, if relieved. "Um, sorry for keeping you." She tells Sakura, gradually recovering from this embarrassment-fest.
"No problem!" Sakura sneaks out kind of dragging Madobe... and she waves at the President. "Nice to meet you!! Have a great day off!"
"Thank you, have a wonderful day, Akagi-san, Kuroi-san!" President calls out, friendly like.
==================================
(Battle Fantasia 2 - Monday, October 21, 2013)
Sakura has come this afternoon with tea, since she must come with something. She's got it in a little square bag, with a strong bottom, along with some delicately arranged boxed cookies she prepared earlier. She figures Hisae will have a tea set if people want to have it; if not, it can be considered a gift for now. She's never been invited to such a nice home, so she hopes this is the right thing to do. But of course she's also the one that called a meeting.
She looks over her shoulder again as she walks up to Hisae's house. It's felt for a week or so like something was following her. She never sees it exactly but it's making her more worried, ever since that rooftop chat with Erika.
Out in the less urban Tama Zone, there lives a trim three-story house. Inside of this trim home, lives the Musumi family.
Looking out the first floor window, Hisae waits anxiously for the rest of the Perfume girls to show up. Her father already left for the work week and her sister was staying over somewhere; and her mother and little brother had JUST left to go visit their grandparents and have dinner with them, which Hisae knew would give them a minimum of three hours.
She sends out a global text: 'okay, we're good to go!'
She opens the door. "Sakura-chan, hey~" She says, excitedly.
Erika is still in transit, since she had to take the bus. She has brought something of terrible and exotic import with her in a piece of tupperware: Taco riceballs.
They're exactly what they sound like.
"Dang," she says when she sees the house. She says it in English, for no one can hear her.
By the time she reaches the door, she's all smiles again, bowing and passing greetings as she slips inside. "I brought snacks," she explains, holding up the container with pride. "They're a little spicy, though, I hope that's OK!"
For some reason, Madobe is thinking Erika might be a little more evil than normal today.
Madobe hasn't brought much along today. She didn't think about it. She just assumed another magical girl meeting rather than something that deserved gifts. Also she spent most of her money already on something she hopes to get back to once this chat's over with. She's been going to school lately, as in mostly daily, and is starting to do better in classes again but she's still got a habit of passing out in class and really doesn't talk to much of anybody unless approached, present company excluded.
She's feeling a bit nervous today. She hasn't been to Hisae's place before. What if she secretly butchers people and turns them into youth restoring perfume? They'd be helpless!
Then again, she thinks, Hisae is the sort of person who battles largely by singing about throwing snowballs... but what if she performs a social faux pax? Or forgets to bring a gift like Sakur--
--oh.
Its okay Madobe. Aimi hasn't brought a gift with her. This isn't her first time to the Musumi household. That and no one suggested she bring snacks.
She smiles as she makes her way to Hisae's place though, knowing where to go and what to expect. She's quick to slip her shoes off once in though, followed up afterwards by hugs for everyone. "Hey all! How are things? Life been treating you well enough? Fought anything exciting lately?"
Sakura holds out the basket first, before offering a little - if not quite Aimi-level - hug. Then she steps back and bows. "Thank you for allowing us to meet here." She nods to the others as well, and of course waits until she is properly invited inside, before finding a place to sit herself. "I haven't!" she says to Aimi, and then laughs, "Other than that hamburger yesterday." She tried to make a joke, but clarifies: "...not a hamburger monster. You know, just, never mind." She pauses."Ah.. I hope it wasn't ... too pushy for me to call another study group, but I wanted to put a question to everyone and hear your thoughts."
"It's fine!" Hisae promises, accepting and giving out hugs, handshakes, or bows where appropriate. "Ah, thank you, Sakura-chan; also I regret to say it is now a bit more of the trip - my room is on the third floor." There are house slippers for all, or you can go around in socks or bare footed; Hisae is walking around in socks, it seems.
"This first floor has Mother and Father's room on it as well as my younger brother's room." Hisae explains. "Mother said that instead of a study they opted for a guest bedroom, here on the second floor by the living room and kitchen, which is my sister's room; but she's in eleventh grade and so she'll be going to college in another year or two. So I got the very top floor!" She continues up the square, winding starecase, leading out to a very short hallway and her door. "So we'll be able to hear anyone coming; or we can even go out to sit on the balcony." She says gesturing out the double doors on the opposite side.
"The balcony's bigger than my room is, plus it's fairly nice out, I think?"
She's at least gotten enough chairs for everyone, and some of those collapsible side tables. Her room, is, appropriately, done in whites and blues and dark shades of browns that complement each other.
"You get the whole top floor to yourself?!" Erika says, eyes wide. (She went for the bow - she seems subtly uptight, somehow, but maybe that's just how she rolls.)
"Oh this is AMAZ ING," she half-sings upon reaching the top, immediately going out onto the balcony to marvel out on the landscape and let the wind whip through her hair.
Aimi smiles and follows Hisae. "Well, I suggest we sit outside. It is rather nice and all," She says, Erika beating her out to it. Aimi isn't far behind though, smiling as her own hair is caught in the wind some. "Mmm... this is so wonderful..." She says.
Aimi looked back at the others, nodding. "Yeah, we totally need to do this outside. The weather is just perfect for it!"
"So, Sakrua-chan... what did you want to ask us?" Aimi said before going to take a chair to sit down in outside. "Oh! And before I forget, I managed to find him the other day!"
Sakura switches to borrowed slippers. "The balcony would be nice..." she agrees with the other girls, carrying the bag of refreshment with her so Hisae doesn't have to. She looks rather in awe of the place. But less loud about it, really, since she's taking it all in.
She blinks at Aimi. "Him? Did you mean Dark Amber?" Just... a guess, but who else would she mean? Her question is momentarily forgotten.
"Well, uh, yeah, it just worked out that way. Mama and papa tried to do everything in order, so that they had the biggest room, then my sister had the next biggest, then me, then my brother got the smallest." Hisae explains. "/I/ just lucked out with the way the house was built."
She start smoving chairs and tables outside as everyone seems to be going on there.
"Him -- oh, you mean that guy that's always frowning at us when we fight?"
Madobe is forever bad. Except Aimi at least didn't bring a gift either. So it's okay. She listens to Hisae's explanations (she elects to do a quick awkward bow at Hisae) and nods along to them but doesn't say anything, for the moment. Maybe she's thinking about what to say. And overthinking it. And over over thinking it. She frowns a bit at the mention of Dark Amber. Maybe she has bad past memories. Or just bad memories.
Aimi nods. "Yep! It was him alright. Talked with him at length actually about this and that. Mainly about him actually. He's a jerk."
"Anyway, he won't work with us for now because he wants to get rid of all bad memories, yadda yadda, something about how he did something bad in the past, but wouldn't say. Well, other than working for The Apothecary." Aimi reaches over to grab a taco riceball, munching on it some and smiling. "Say, this is quite good! What's the recepie?"
"Well basically it's like a normal rice ball," Erika explains, "but you have to use taco seasoning. It can be kind of tricky to find. You cook it with some ground beef or pork, and then you just add the lettuce, the cheese, and you wrap it up in the rice ball!"
She listens, if with a frown, over the topic of Dark Amber. She seems to have no immediate input on him.
Sakura finally sits; she's a bit fussy about doing everything in the proper way. She folds her hands, looking a little collapsed into herself for a moment. "I see. Well, that's... too bad. His help would be useful, but... I know he will have to make his own choices. Maybe we could find out what it was that he did. I don't really know--"
And at that moment, there is the sound of something small sneezing, and falling into her prepared basket of cookies.
Hisae, who hadn't yet sat, on her way to go get the Winterberry Notebook Of Things And Stuff, pauses mid-step as she hears something sneeze.
"... what was that?"
"Oh someone must be talking about..." Madobe begins. Then pauses. Then looks around. She was looking at Sakana so it wasn't...her. So-- "...Who sneezed?"
Is it... A SPY FROM THE APOTHECARY?! Instinctively, Madobe reaches for her deadly perfume bottle!! Just because the sneeze was cute doesn't mean it's not also villainous!!
Erika says, "!!!!"
Her mouth is full. She had been reaching for a cookie-- and she seems to be thinking better of this plan.
Aimi is stopped before she could go on about Dark Amber and his jerkness by the sound of something sneezing. She looks over at the basket of cookies, blinking a bit. "Hello?" She finally asks, going over to the basket.
Sakura looks into the basket, lifting the lid. A pair of big dark eyes look up and out. She resists the urge to close the lid, but there is an awkward staring moment... before it leaps out of the basket and tries to hug her face.
She nearly falls backward in the chair, reeling in a less-than-graceful way before she steadies herself. The thing clinging to her face has white and gold butterfly wings, and a tail that curls in a spiral like a chameleon's.
Fortunately the creature jumps off of her face before it entirely knocks her over, and gravitates toward Aimi instead. It hovers akwardly in front of her before trying to find a place to set down near the other refeshments. It has a dragon-like body, but it's small enough to fit in the palm of a hand, other than the wingspan. It sniffs up at her, its white body turning yellow for a moment, then orange.
Then its little mouth opens wide. "Hoooray!" it squeaks out. "Now five of you are here too!"
Aimi looks at the creature for a bit. Her first reaction is to hug it. This gets surpressed when her brain rationally tells her that its too small to hug properly. You'd crush it. She settles with smiling at it for now. "Awww... its so cute!"
She reaches out with a finger extended to lightly pat it on its back, not even seeming to realize that it spoke. "Yep! Five of us! Isn't it great? So how long has Sakura-chan been hiding you? What's your name? Where did you come from? Are there any more like you?" Madobe stares at the creature for a while.
She takes in a deep breath. If nobody stops her in about .5 seconds she's gonna scream. She's gonna do it!
Hisae claps a hand over Madobe's mouth.
"Don't you /dare/." She hisses at the younger girl. "I ... think I've heard of strange creatures like this.. little fairies or mascots..."
Erika's speech is momentarily rendered by a Chinese character best translated as 'ohh'. She goggles at the creature, its chamelonic shape, its fairy wings, its shift in color and hue.
"I... You're... Aimi, be careful, it..."
She trails off again, though she does reach over to put a rice ball in Madobe's mouth (gently, so she doesn't choke on it or anything). Just to avoid spooking the neighbors.
She ends up, of course, mooshing it on Hisae's hand.
"Mmppphhh!" Madobe says, eyes wide.
Hisae grabs another riceball, removes her hand, pops it into Madobe's mouth. While grabbing a napkin for her hand.
"Mfhh..." Madobe swallows, blinks twice, and calms down.
"I wasn't hiding it!" Sakura says, looking a little pink. At least her chair hasn't fallen over. "Were you following me?" she asks.
The little fairy-dragon is answering Aimi's question now, and not hers, so it looks up at her. "I'm Mist! Hello. I wanted to be sure that you were the Fragrance Fusion that I smelled, so I had to be..." It looks at Sakura, then walks around in a little circle before sniffing the air again. "Extra careful, right? That power hasn't been felt in thousands of years!"
It seems interested sniffing a taco ball.
"Fragrance Fusion..." Aimi says softly before it dawns on her that it was talking about the time when they totally used a LoveNuke on an evil monster's heart. "Oh yeah... that feels like it was years ago already." It was only a week or so back. "Well hello then Mist! I'm Aimi Saionji! I'm also Warm Vanilla Sugar, and its a pleasure to meet you." She says, smiling and bowing.
"So you're over a thousand years old? Wow... say, did you know any dinosaurs? What were they like?"
Erika picks up another rice ball, offering it up. It smells lovely.
"You're... Wow," she says, finally. "So I guess when we did that, thing, we did, on the monster... You could smell it."
Her brow furrows. "How could you smell that from -- Well I don't know where you live, maybe you were in the area, I don't know. Uh, hi, I'm Erika," she adds with a little half-bow without rising, still seeming consternated.
But less so. It IS a cute thing.
Hisae frowns, thoughtfulyl. "You're some kind of fairy, or creature advisor, aren't you?" She asks, calmly.
"that is so /coool/." She mumbles, mostly to herself.
"I'm not a fairy. I'm a DRAGON-fairy," says the creature, and flickers its wings a little bit. It tries to look indignant, but it's not terribly good at this, even though its dark eyes narrow to little slits for a second. "I... live with Berry-sama, but I had to come investigate you."
It looks at Aimi, and then frowns again. "I don't know about the dinosaurs. I spent a lot of time in my egg."
"...Berry-sama?" Sakura asks, quietly.
"Oh yes, she's very nice. We met in the labs where my egg hatched! But... I can't show you. Testing labs are too dangerous."
"Um... who's Berry-sama?" Aimi asks, trying to clarify. "I take it she's someone nice and friendly and totally doesn't work for The Apothecary cause you certainly don't seem like you're an evil monster thing."
Aimi sits down and holds out a taco riceball out at Mist. "You're far from an evil monster. You're a cute dragon-fairy. So don't worry, we won't hurt you."
"Mist..?" Madobe says. She looks over the creature, calmed down now, and takes in a few low breaths. Fragrance Fusion? Oh...Oh right, they did that, didn't they? "Really?" She asks. "...Wow... That's..." She reddens. Such a compliment! She shifts from side to side, trying not to look at it too directly.
Yeah actually it is pretty cool. And the fact that their fairy isn't JUST a fairy but a dragon fairy is pretty cool too. Madobe nods sagely to Mist in understanding. "It's an important distinction."
"Berry?" Hisae frowns and finally sits down, chewing on the end of her pen.
"Man, why does that sound so familiar to me?" She starts flipping through her notebook, listening.
"I don't know who this Berry person is, either," Erika says.
"Are you... like, from a science lab or something?" she asks, blankly.
The dragon-fairy nods a few times. "Yes, but thanks to Berry-sama's perfume I was able to escape." It sniffs at Hisae next. "You're a berry too, that's why! Her name is Raspberry. Maybe you were friends once before."
It curls its tail around. "I'm going to stay here with you for a while to help."
"Wait... Raspberry is related to Winterberry?" Aimi asks now. "And help would be nice. There's just so much we don't know. I mean, I'm still learning new things about what I can do!"
"Oh! And what about your question, Sakura-chan? What was it again?"
"Oh." Sakura grabs a cookie. Maybe it will help her focus. She seems wary of the little dragon creature, who in turn seems obliviously content.
"I was wondering if we should look into the Tuners more. They seem to be ... like a support group, and maybe they have an HQ that would be more useful for meetings. Tokiko seems really nice, but I don't know if anyone else knows any other Tuners, or, anything more about them other than snack nights."
"It wouldn't hurt to find out more... snack nights don't sound like some kind of huge conspiracy or something," Erika muses. She also looks at the dragon-fairy, fascinated, perhaps, by the chromatism of its skin.
"Well, their last snack night only had Toki-chan show up for the Tuners. The rest of the people were like us, just unaffiliated girls." Aimi said, putting the taco riceball down infront of Mist. "But they do sound rather nice and hospitable. They could help us out by giving us some much needed support."
"I only know Tokiko-chan." Hisae admits. "At least, as far as known affiliates know. I don't think we're related so much as 'scents of a feather stick together'." She murmurs to Aimi. "I think... if I remember right, she used to be with the Apothecary? But escaped?
Mist seems really happy to get a rice ball. It latches onto it with front claws first, then starts nibbling.
It has its mouth full when it tries to answer Hisae, so first there is an awkward swallow. "It was an accident! She didn't realize she didn't belong there. I'm worried though that they're going to come for you all very soon. If I could smell the Fragrance Fusion then they could too!"
"I'll... ask Toikiko," Sakura also says, "When I see her again, and maybe she can introduce us to the leaders if there is one."
"It does kind of match up with what Dark Amber said though, that their activity has been increasing lately. Sooner or later they're bound to come after us directly." Aimi says, watching Mist for now. "Hope my parents will be okay though. Wouldn't want them to get dragged into this because of me..."
"That does sound like a plan though, Sakura-chan. We should establish contacts and try to prove ourselves of use!"
The cute adorbale critter... Is here to help. That is good, right?
Madobe likes Sailor V too, though she doesn't share this because Tokiko said she didn't really care for her. Is her guy friend Yoshirou also with the Tuners? She never actually asked about that, but it seems reasonable enough. She tilts her head a bit and says, "Well... that's about what I heard. There's something that involves bounties and getting paid to get the monsters, but that sounds optional? I wouldn't mind it but, well, about that I'd do whatever the group wanted. Even so, I mean, it's the only group I even know about that's like that! Not exactly gluttonous with options."
"Who exactly do you mean by 'they'," Erika asks the faery-dragon, warily.
"When you say they, like, are there a lot of... them?" Erika asks, offering another rice ball as a bribe for this info. The tuners' business seems pretty decided, or so she estimates, anyway.
That might be nice, Sakura thinks, but something about it feels wrong. She doesn't think that she's supposed to be in this for fame or money. And "... who provides the money for a monster bounty?"
Mist looks up and snorts, then shuts its eyes for a moment in thought. It opens them again at Erika. "Yes." It reaches out for the rice ball. But does elaborate a little, because it wants the treat. "Not all of them can use the perfumes though. They have interns."
Hisae snorts.
She continues writing though, flipping back and forth in her notebook with a semi-slight frown crossing her face. "Sounds about right for th' Apothecary."
Hisae's not the only one with a book now, as Aimi has gotten her sketchbook, sketching Mist out now in it. "If you say so, Hi-chan. I don't remember much about them, other than they were evil and taking memories from people."
"It should bother me more that I don't remember as much as I should, shouldn't it?" She asks, looking up from her drawing. "I mean, I know it was so long ago, but... am I just over thinking this?"
Madobe thinks about that before admitting, "I dunno."
She thinks about it again. "That's probably a good question! Maybe there's some kind of benefactor." MAGICAL MONEYBAGS MARY.
Erika seems to have to take a moment to digest the concept of evil fragrance memory-thief interns. She eats the last rice ball, but it's OK; she brought them, after all.
After that, she says, "Well... in like, in theory, you aren't supposed to remember anything from your past lives. So we're already kind of messing with the way it's supposed to go."
"That's why I will stick around. I can help you remember too," says Mist.
Then it begins gnawing on the rice ball that Erika offered.
"Well, okay. We're happy to have the help," says Sakura, squinting a little as she smiles. "But stay hidden when we're in school, okay?"
"I can change colors so that's no problem. You won't..." Gulp. "See me."
"I don't go to the same school they all go too, Mist." Hisae notes, after a second.
Then she keeps writing away.
"Ooo... a chameleon dragon-fairy. Such a talented cutie," Aimi said with a smile.
"Ohhhh." Mist rolls onto its back and grabs the remainder of the riceball with all four limbs. "That's okay. We'll take turns then. Can I sleep on your balcony tonight though? I don't think I can fly much after all this food!"
Hisae giggles. "Yup, just try not to talk so much; I don't want to explain this to my parents or my siblings... do any of you?" She asks, in general.
"I dunno if my parents would even notice," Erika muses. "Not if you came in through the window and everything. They're kind of oblivious. So I can take next, I guess. Do you need like, a hot lamp or something?"
"Not if Mist talked. If he was quiet, I could convince them that he was a plushie," Aimi said. So cute, Madobe thinks.
She reaches out and--tries to pat Mist on the head carefully.
Mist is petted. It sneezes, a little taco spice coming out.
It looks at Madobe. Then at Erika... lowering its head slightly. "Well a blanket would be niiiice, okay?"
"I'm sure we can find a blanket," says Sakura.
Hisae promptly scrambles into her room for approximately ten minutes. She comes back out with a small box with a blanket folded up into it. "We'll put it under the awning so you don't get rained on, and the box is so it's got more support." She says, grinning. "Uh, Erika-san, where do you want to meet up tomorrow, then?"
"Uhhh... let's see, it'll be Monday, so... You know that Dark Burger franchise," Erika says, "the one with the hot guy who works at the counter?"
"Hot like Dark Amber-hot, dark-moody hot, or hot the other, athletic, pretty boy way?" Hisae asks for clarification.
Erika considers this. "Mostly 3, a little 2? I think he wears eyeliner, but like just a little bit. Just a touch! Anyway I could meet you there after school."
"Okay, yeah, I know which one you're talking about. I'll see you then, I might be late due to clubs." Hisae adds on after a second. "You know me, I have to do /everything/."
Sakura has never been there before.
Does Hisae really think Dark Amber is hot?
So many things she hasn't noticed. She seems embarassed. "I hope it's fun," she says.
Mist is already curling up in the box.
"Well, in the mean time, I'll... see if I can contact Tokiko too, okay?" says Sakura.
Her phone buzzes when Erika sends a little message. She looks at it.
"Wait... Dark Amber hot? Hi-chan! That's totally... ugh... he's a total jerk you know, right?" Aimi said, giving Hisae a bit of a disapproving look.
"That's cool, I can just eat it there," Erika says. To Sakura, she says, "Oh, sure-- Hey, if we do that lunch swap, did you like the taco rice? I could teach you how to make it sometime if you want."
"What?" Hisae blinks at Aimi as her phone goes off. "I, uh, not like that, I was just using him as a reference!" She goes >_< and opens up her cellphone, at which point she takes a seat, hard, her face paling.
Aimi just shakes her head. "I thought I raised you better than that Hi-chan," she says, unable to keep from giggling now.
Madobe jerks her hand back at the sneeze. Still adorable. Apparently it's sneezy. A Sneezy Mist.
But she isn't so--DID HISAE SAY DARK AMBER WAS HOT? LOOK EVEN IF HE IS THAT'S NOT. Okay, calm down, MAdobe thinks.
"Uh." She says. "Actually, nevermind."
Hisae sighs. "Okay.. well... Mist is sleeping, so ... is that everything, then? Akagi-san?" She taps a quick message out to Aimi.
Sakura stands up. "Yes, I think so. Thanks for letting us use your balcony! I'll leave the tea leaves here for you."
Aimi stands up herself, stretching a bit before she checks her phone, making a quick reply herself. "Thanks a lot Hi-chan! It was really nice to sit out here with all of you and just relax and chat now," she said, smiling.
=============================================
(Battle Fantasia 2 - Wednesday, October 23, 2013)
ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF TOKYO UNIVERSITY
An otherwise peaceful Monday afternoon has been shattered by a fraternity rush gone horribly wrong! Dozens of college students seeking free beer at a covert kegger have fainted, leaving a trail of bodies in and around a fraternity house on the far side of the district! Desperate cries for help on Instagram and Tumblr have gone unheeded!!
A sinister figure is moving slowly through the campus, heading toward a nearby cricket practice. It is a hulking blue figure with a Kegerator on his back and a frat paddle on his hip. The creature waves the nozzle of the keg at passing co-eds, pumping the spigot on top! Instead of spraying the co-eds with delicious Natural Light, the pumping siphons off the energy of the co-eds, sending them tumbling to the ground.
"Yes! YES!" the fratboy youma bellows. "IT'S NOT A PARTY UNTIL SOMEBODY PASSES OUT! WA HA HA HA!"
Can our heroines put a stop to these feta-laden shenanigans?!
PERFUME SPLASH!
EPISODE 1: ORANGE CREAMSICLE
THAT'S NOT FRAT! BEWARE THE FRATBRO!
COMBAT: Tomomi Shizuka transforms into Youma Form Fratbro Youma!
COMBAT: Tomomi Shizuka has fully healed herself.
"No doubt about it--" Sakura is already running in the direction of the trouble, but Mist is trying to prod her to move a little faster. Apparently the Dragon-fairy has a stronger sense of where Apothecary minions might be than she even does.
But something is odd about this one. She didn't think... that she could smell it, from this distance. And so she's called the team to action, to converge on the source of trouble.
She drops behind a tree as she sees the... what the heck is that? It's talking! It looks different... like it used to be a person!
Hopefully whoever it is can be cured... but she can't figure that out as herself. She'll have to transform.
Sakura pulls her little vial of perfume out from behind the bow in her uniform.
"Henshin! Cherry Blossom! Splash!"
The flower-shaped cap flies off the vial, spinning away. Her hand grips around the perfume bottle, and she sprays it toward herself as her body begins to glow in white and gold. First she sprays downward, in a diagonal stroke from shoulder to hip; the spray becomes the collar of a dress. Then she sprays across her waist, which creates an obi sash in brilliant gold. The sash ties itself around her back, in a perfect bow. A short skirt appears under the sash, silk and decorated with cherry blossoms. The dress sprouts sleeves, long and elegant. Then shoes appear on her feet: sandals, with long socks underneath that ride up her legs and stop below the knee.
She spritzes the perfume toward her hair, and her hair changes from dark to light pink. Teardrop earrings appear on her ears, and, finally, the cap of the perfume reappears, spinning into place, returning now as a flower clip that holds her hairstyle.
"Japanese Cherry Blossom on-scene -- let's go Perfumes!"
COMBAT: Sakura Akagi transforms into Japanese Cherry Blossom! COMBAT: Aimi Saionji transforms into Warm Vanilla Sugar!
Warm Vanilla Sugar is already on the way, having taken the time before hand to henshin so she wouldn't have to worry about it on scene. Its easier to henshin when you know where all the hiding spots are. That and the player/animator is too stressed out to properly animate the transformation.
Fortunately, when henshined, the Perfumes have the same general super abilities that all magical girls have. That is vastly improved athletics. Thusly, it doesn't take her too terribly long to get there. It helps the museum is still in the same zone as her home.
"Warm Vanilla Sugar has arrived!" She says happily, now taking the time to actually see what's going on at the museum. Something just feels off and not right about it, more so than the previous Dark Scent youma that they had battled. What could it be?
"Cherry! What's going on? This... this is a dark scent now, right? The Apothecary's at work here. It just feels like it..." Vanilla says before stoppinig herself to take a deep breath to calm down now. Focus. She needs to focus.
"Henshin! Winterberry! Splasssh!"
Hisae shows up briefly afterwards, patting the last of her hair out of her face with a slight frown. She /really/ needs a bigger hairband.
She immediately ascends to the highest point, frowning slightly.
Then she sniffs.
Oh no, not fratboy youmas, that's the scariest youma of all. Madobe doesn't know much about frat people, like, in actuality? What she knows is that media has informed her that they're her natural enemy. She's kind of scared here! She has come along with Akagi--it's easy to meet up with her--and hides behind a mailbox to transform.
Nobody will look at an old mailbox like this, she thinks, who even uses normal mail anymore?
"Henshin!" She shouts despite being somehow obscured and hidden. "Sweet Pea! Splash!"
A swirl of pink flower petals (and sweet pea scent) ripples around her as she changes forms to Sweet Pea!
"Right!" She nods to Cherry Blossom!
...but kind of stalls a bit. It's a fratboy ._.
COMBAT: Tomomi Shizuka has fully healed herself. She is now ready to take on 4 opponents!
The fratboy continues his rampaging. He marches around with his suspicious Kegerator. There are needless gears and gauges on the side of the device indicating a product of the Apothecary. But who would give such a dangerous device to a youma?!
The fratboy youma swivels to face the approaching Perfume Splashes! His eyes go briefly wide before returning to his usual glazed look.
"Now here are some girls who must know how to party! Wa ha ha ha!"
The youma brings up the nozzle of the Kegerator and aims it at the girls, waving it around wildly! Most of the stale beer goes flying at Madobe, threatening her beautiful scent!
COMBAT: Tomomi Shizuka has used Stale Beer on Madobe Kuroi.
COMBAT: Tomomi Shizuka has used Wild Beer Spray on Hisae Musumi.
COMBAT: Tomomi Shizuka has used Wild Beer Spray on Sakura Akagi.
COMBAT: Tomomi Shizuka has used Wild Beer Spray on Aimi Saionji.
COMBAT: Tomomi Shizuka has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Sakura Akagi narrowly dodges Tomomi Shizuka's Wild Beer Spray, taking 13 Fatigue damage!
COMBAT: Aimi Saionji narrowly dodges Tomomi Shizuka's Wild Beer Spray, taking 7 Fatigue damage! Aimi Saionji's Flash ability activates!
COMBAT: Hisae Musumi narrowly dodges Tomomi Shizuka's Wild Beer Spray, taking 3 Fatigue damage! Hisae Musumi is unable to keep fighting! Hisae Musumi's Flash ability activates!
COMBAT: Madobe Kuroi narrowly counters Tomomi Shizuka's Stale Beer, taking 5 Fatigue damage!
COMBAT: Madobe Kuroi's counterattack, Flower Shot, partially gets through, doing 8 Fatigue damage to Tomomi Shizuka! Diversion and Stun applied to Tomomi Shizuka!
COMBAT: Hisae Musumi has fully healed herself.
Vanilla acks as beer gets sprayed around, doing her best to dodge out of the way of it, though some of it still manages to splatter and ruin her outfit. "HEY! We're totally underage and its inappropriate to give minors beer! Plus, you got it on my uniform! Do you know how hard it is to get this thing cleaned?" The fact that she was attacked with it is beyond the point here. The fact that she had been "offered" beer, and that it stained her magical girl uniform was the point. She doesn't think about how she doesn't quite need to maintain her outfit's upkeep.
Vanilla taps into her powers now, getting a magical sugary coating around her hand now. She's about to do something really stupid. Or silly. Or possibly all of the above. "You know what is so much better than beer? Sugar. Here. Maybe your sweet tooth could use some!"
Thus, Warm Vanilla Sugar charges at the fratyouma, attempting to punch it right in the face with her sugary punch of sugar. This is by no means something that she is just thinking of doing now. Its just something she's doing.
COMBAT: Aimi Saionji has used Sugary Punch on Tomomi Shizuka.
COMBAT: Aimi Saionji has finished attacking.
Winterberry squints. Incoming beer attack.
She immediately turns around and bolts for the nearest overhang, which allows her to just take a few light sprinkles. She frowns. She wears /white/. This is TERRIBLE.
"Hrmph." She spreads her hands open wide, focusing on the Youma. "I mean, it's kind of obvious as to what it is, but--"
"Winterberry Analyze!"
Eeek, gross... beer is splattered all over Cherry Blossom's dress, in spite of her attempt to dodge.
Mist goes and hides up in a tree - it's a helpful creature, but not very suitable for battle.
Cherry Blossom tries to figure out the situation. Well, she may as well start with the basics, and hope whoever this is... they don't... die from cherry blossoms and other perfume attacks until they can have the evil removed somehow. She seems to remember... if she can restore his memory, maybe he'll come back to normal.
She puts her hands in front of her, palms together, and shuts her eyes. Wind picks up the sleeves of her outfit, blowing away some of the beer too. "Cherry Blossom Breeze!" A wind of blossoms fly out from her, whipping around in a vortex of pink light.
COMBAT: Sakura Akagi has used Cherry Blossom Breeze on Tomomi Shizuka.
COMBAT: Sakura Akagi has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Hisae Musumi performs an analysis on Tomomi Shizuka!
COMBAT: Hisae Musumi has finished attacking.
"N.n.n.n.no I'm not here to party!!" Sweet Pea says. "Stay away! I'm underage for drinking!" Though actually Madobe actually is kind of interested because she was told she shouldn't but then she also smoked a cigarette once because her parents told her not to and it was HORRIBLE so she's not exactly keen on trying evil youma beer either! Even if it wasn't evil youma beer!
"Wha--!!" Sweet Pea cries out as the youma focuses on spraying at her. Panicked, she fires several shots from her SWEET PEA SHOOTER--and some punch through the beer blast--shooting the evil fratboy...with FLOWER POWER!
She still gets blasted back by the stale beer and flops onto her back, wailing. "My parents are going to kill me!!" In her distress she hasn't realized henshining back might get rid of the smell! But then she realizes--
"Flower power... Fratboys can't like that. I heard hippies and fratboys were natural enemies." Mostly thanks to online games.
"More flowers...! I..I'm not afraid ok??" She asks, sounding a bit afraid. She throws herself to one side and fires off with both sweet pea shooters!
COMBAT: Madobe Kuroi has used Sweet Pea Strike on Tomomi Shizuka.
COMBAT: Madobe Kuroi has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Tomomi Shizuka narrowly dodges Sakura Akagi's Cherry Blossom Breeze, taking 16 Fatigue damage! Diversion and Tangle applied to Tomomi Shizuka!
COMBAT: Tomomi Shizuka perfectly dodges Madobe Kuroi's Sweet Pea Strike, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Dodge!
COMBAT: Tomomi Shizuka perfectly counters Aimi Saionji's Sugary Punch, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Counter! Tomomi Shizuka's Reverse ability activates! Tomomi Shizuka's Tactician ability activates!
COMBAT: Tomomi Shizuka's counterattack, That's Not Frat, fails to get through, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Aimi Saionji!
"Grass on the field, play ball!" the Fratboy Youma yells. This is translated as 'My mom does all of my laundry, what's yours doing?' in North America. (Then again, in North America, he's spraying root beer.)
Sweet Pea shoots the fratboy, making him howl in complaint. "Ewige Blumenkraft nooooo!" he declares, in a sudden burst of savant-level German. It will not return. He tries to flee the bullets and the blossoms, but only manages to get out of the way of the bullets because he slips on some stale beer and falls on his face. The petals rush against him, while the bullets are turned by the heavy iron of the Kegerator.
Vanilla charges the fratboy while he's down. The fratboy narrowly gets up to swing his paddle at her, catching her fist in a WEAPON CLASH. He stares back at her with his weird, glassy eyes.
"You smell good," he says. "I think we should go out!!"
The Fratboy Youma springs back, breaking the WEAPON CLASH. "I'll just have to discipline you until you learn how to behave toward a man of my stature! My dad owns a dealership!"
The Fratboy races back toward Vanilla, swinging his paddle in for her rear end! Quickly, girls! While he's distracted!
COMBAT: Tomomi Shizuka has used Fetish Fuel on Aimi Saionji.
COMBAT: Tomomi Shizuka has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Hisae Musumi transforms into Winterberry!
COMBAT: Aimi Saionji narrowly counters Tomomi Shizuka's Fetish Fuel, taking 9 Fatigue damage! Tomomi Shizuka is Psyched! Aimi Saionji's Reverse ability activates! Aimi Saionji's Tactician ability activates!
COMBAT: Aimi Saionji's counterattack, Counterburst, partially gets through, doing 8 Fatigue damage to Tomomi Shizuka!
Hisae Musumi says, "Watch out! It's strong, it's gonna dish out a lot of damage, so be careful! It's probably gonna be strong against physical damage as well, your best bet is to use your magical powers and try to force it to dodge instead of, well, you know, physically taking a punch to the head!"
Winterberry brazenly yells out, her blue eyes flashing. Yes, it is not a good idea to do this, because she's likely to get targeted that way, but she doesn't care.
"Hey, YOUMA! TAKE A LOOK AT THIS!"
She then summons and casts a series of snowballs right into its' ... face?"
What is he-- what?
"Vanilla! Ahh... get out of there!" Cherry Blossom decides she might need to distract the Frat Boy further, so she joins the fray by running into melee. She grabs for his arm, but... her strength is not really legendary. So she grabs a chopstick out of her hair. It lights up with golden light as she stabs it into the Youma-- hopefully, it's enough to distract him and force him to let her go, although then she might have the same problem Vanilla does. Well, she'll cross that when she comes to it!
COMBAT: Sakura Akagi has used Cherry Wood Chopstick on Tomomi Shizuka.
COMBAT: Sakura Akagi has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Hisae Musumi has used Snowball Fight!! on Tomomi Shizuka.
COMBAT: Hisae Musumi has finished attacking.
Vanilla can't help it! All of her really good magical ranged attacks are still locked away somewhere in her head! All she's got is her magically enhanced judo!
She does have one thing going for her, though, and that's she's been getting her counterburst magic down more, letting out a yelp of surprise as the youma tries to spank her rear with its paddle! She spins around quickly, trying to fire off the burst of magic, and while it works somewhat, she still ends up flying back and landing on her rear with a bit of pain. "Owww... oooohhh... that wasn't nice! If you want to be treated like a gentleman, then you shouldn't act that way," She says, picking herself up. Vanilla's going to feel that one in the morning for sure.
"Don't worry now all, we can do this! We just have to do like we did before, and band together and use our magic and powers as one. Well, maybe not on that same level, as he doesn't seem to be as tough, but you know what I mean! We can't let him do as he will! Together, we will succeed! We must succeed!" She says, smiling and cheering on her friends while she stays back and out of the way for now. She needs to take some time to formulate a better plan of attack.
COMBAT: Aimi Saionji has used Warm Encouraging Love on Sakura Akagi.
COMBAT: Aimi Saionji has used Warm Encouraging Love on Hisae Musumi.
COMBAT: Aimi Saionji has used Warm Encouraging Love on Madobe Kuroi.
COMBAT: Aimi Saionji has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Sakura Akagi accepts Aimi Saionji's Warm Encouraging Love, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Sakura Akagi is Cheered!
COMBAT: Hisae Musumi accepts Aimi Saionji's Warm Encouraging Love, taking 0 Fatigue damage!
COMBAT: Madobe Kuroi accepts Aimi Saionji's Warm Encouraging Love, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Madobe Kuroi is Cheered!
"Watch out! It's strong, it's gonna dish out a lot of damage, so be careful! It's probably gonna be strong against physical damage as well, your best bet is to use your magical powers and try to force it to dodge instead of, well, you know, physically taking a punch to the head!"
Winterberry brazenly yells out, her blue eyes flashing. Yes, it is not a good idea to do this, because she's likely to get targeted that way, but she doesn't care.
"Hey, YOUMA! TAKE A LOOK AT THIS!"
She then summons and casts a series of snowballs right into its' ... face?
What? Grass on the field play ball?
In America: OMG THAT'S SO PHALLOCENTRIC And okay yeah my mom is doing my laundry too shutup okay? Also sometimes I don't go down to the table to eat and just bring it up so I don't have to stop playing video games and don't you judge me, Fratboy! Just because we have laundry in common does not mean we're friends!
Sweet Pea scowls. She doesn't actually know what the Fratboy Youma said, but it's German and it made her mad!
"I..I'm not sure about this..."
Vanilla Sugar cheers her on but it has no effect until the Fratboy smacks at her with the paddle!
"H-hey ! Leave her alone! I'll have you know that Japan is a mostly public transport country!"
She fires more flowers! In America that was translated: Oh no! Cars!
COMBAT: Madobe Kuroi has used Sweet Pea Shooters on Tomomi Shizuka.
COMBAT: Madobe Kuroi has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Tomomi Shizuka narrowly braces Sakura Akagi's Cherry Wood Chopstick, taking 2 Fatigue damage! Sakura Akagi is Psyched! Cripple applied to Tomomi Shizuka!
COMBAT: Tomomi Shizuka perfectly dodges Hisae Musumi's Snowball Fight!!, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Dodge!
COMBAT: Tomomi Shizuka narrowly counters Madobe Kuroi's Sweet Pea Shooters, taking 9 Fatigue damage! Tomomi Shizuka's Reverse ability activates! Tomomi Shizuka's Tactician ability activates! Tangle and Trap applied to Tomomi Shizuka!
COMBAT: Tomomi Shizuka's counterattack, That's Not Frat, partially gets through, doing 10 Fatigue damage to Madobe Kuroi!
The American translation of this show often makes no sense at all. It barely makes sense in Japanese.
The fratboy laughs heartily at Vanilla's anguish. His amusement at his own stupidity leaves him open for a large-scale counterattack. Cherry Blossom shanks him in the back with the chopsticks, but only manages to get tangled up in his shirt for a moment. The blow does make him stagger, seeming to set the table for Winterberry.
The fratboy obediently looks over at Winterberry when she asks him to, and is rewarded by a sudden flurry of snowballs. He seems to blur to get out of the way of the sudden surge of snow, which at least puts him out of immediate striking range of Vanilla. That's good.
The fratboy youma reappears in front of Winterberry! That's bad! "You know what your problem is?" he says at her, narrowing his eyes disapprovingly. "You're frigid. No guy likes a lady whose heart is cold... a lady who never closes her eyes when we kiss..."
A song number starts kicking up. "And there's no tenderness like before in your fingertips," he says, starting to sway back and forth. "You're trying hard not to show it, baby, but, baby, baby I know it."
"YOU'VE LOST! THAT LOVIN' FEELING!" the youma yells, starting to emanate weird magical radiation. "WHOOOA THAT LOVIN' FEELING --"
The song number is interrupted when Sweet Pea starts firing bullets directly into the youma's back. "Aarrrghh! Why do you hate art?! That was going to lead into a great step routine, you hag!"
The youma produces /a second beer nozzle/ from behind his back, spraying beer in great arcs all around him. "Fall to the power of lager! KYA HA HA HA!"
COMBAT: Tomomi Shizuka has used Non-Inclusive Dialogue on Hisae Musumi.
COMBAT: Tomomi Shizuka has used Beer Geyser on Sakura Akagi.
COMBAT: Tomomi Shizuka has used Beer Geyser on Madobe Kuroi.
COMBAT: Tomomi Shizuka has used Beer Geyser on Aimi Saionji.
COMBAT: Tomomi Shizuka has finished attacking. COMBAT: Aimi Saionji fails to brace Tomomi Shizuka's Beer Geyser, taking 17 Fatigue damage!
COMBAT: Sakura Akagi narrowly counters Tomomi Shizuka's Beer Geyser, taking 15 Fatigue damage!
COMBAT: Sakura Akagi's counterattack, Blossom Mist, partially gets through, doing 3 Fatigue damage to Tomomi Shizuka!
COMBAT: Hisae Musumi fails to dodge Tomomi Shizuka's Non-Inclusive Dialogue, taking 18 Fatigue damage!
Japanese Cherry Blossom lets out a scream! Beer drenches her again. She tries to counter it with a little puff from her perfume bottle....
...but it's not very effective.
She'll try a different tactic, perhaps. "Are you really singing to us? Are you singing to someone special, that you remember...?"
She stands still and keeps her perfume ready, for defensive purposes... "Maybe you can try to remember your true self... deep down somewhere, and break out of this curse!"
She's half-braced for more beer, but she has to try.
COMBAT: Sakura Akagi has used For Sweet Memories on Tomomi Shizuka.
COMBAT: Sakura Akagi has finished attacking.
"Wait... what?" Vanilla asks, getting all confused by that the youma was doing. And then more beer! Vanilla isn't able to react in time due to the previous confusion, getting soaked rather throughly with the beer. Oh no! What will she do now?!
She picks herself up, drippinig with beer and starting to sniffle a bit. Her outfit is ruined. Not in any way that would cause issues, thanks to the power of magic (and the show not being that kind of show), but its still enough. "Why... why you... you..." She says, trying to keep from crying.
"BAKA!" She ends up yelling, hurling a decently powerful blast of vanilla scented magic once more at the youma now. Should it connect... well it might make Vanilla feel better overall about things. She really needs the pick-me up at this point. Its really going to take a lot to get that stench off of her outfit now. She's not happy at all about any of this now. No one told her there would be days like this.
COMBAT: Aimi Saionji has used Annoyed Vanilla Scented Blast on Tomomi Shizuka.
COMBAT: Aimi Saionji has finished attacking.
"Uh, hello.."
"My name /is/ Winterberry.."
Ack, ack, painful magic radiation. Winterberry attempts to get out of the radius, growling faintly as she squirms in her dress, her blue eyes flashing. "You baka! I don't like you! I LIKE SOMEONE ELSE!"
"Uh, hello.."
"My name /is/ Winterberry.."
Ack, ack, painful magic radiation. Winterberry attempts to get out of the radius, growling faintly as she squirms in her dress, her blue eyes flashing. "You baka! I don't like you! I LIKE SOMEONE ELSE!"
She lifts up her hands then claps them together in a swift move, sending out a thick, icy burst of winter and ice and pain right back at the Youma.
COMBAT: Hisae Musumi has used Icy Blast on Tomomi Shizuka.
COMBAT: Hisae Musumi has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Madobe Kuroi narrowly braces Tomomi Shizuka's Beer Geyser, taking 3 Fatigue damage!
Aw man, not a geyser of beer. This just keeps getting worse. "H...hag???" Is Madobe's immediate response. The beer spray slams into Sweet Pea. It doesn't send her flying, or even seem to hurt her that much, but it does ruin her day and leave her drenched in cheap beer.
She takes deep breaths. Stay calm. Stay calm. Everybody's getting drenched in beer it's not just you. Japanese Cherry Blossom is trying to reason with him. Don't yell at him. Just take all those bad feelings and bury it deep inside where it can fester later into a mental illness.
"R-right... listen to Cherry Blossom!" She says.
COMBAT: Madobe Kuroi has used Go Hero Protaganist on Sakura Akagi.
COMBAT: Madobe Kuroi has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Tomomi Shizuka fails to brace Sakura Akagi's For Sweet Memories, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Tomomi Shizuka is Quipped!
COMBAT: Tomomi Shizuka perfectly counters Aimi Saionji's Annoyed Vanilla Scented Blast, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Counter! Tomomi Shizuka's Reverse ability activates! Tomomi Shizuka's Tactician ability activates!
COMBAT: Tomomi Shizuka's counterattack, That's Not Frat, fails to get through, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Aimi Saionji!
COMBAT: Sakura Akagi accepts Madobe Kuroi's Go Hero Protaganist, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Sakura Akagi is Cheered!
COMBAT: Tomomi Shizuka fails to dodge Hisae Musumi's Icy Blast, taking 22 Fatigue damage! Diversion and Stagger applied to Tomomi Shizuka!
The youma seems confused by Cherry Blossom's question. It hesitates, putting a hand to its head. It tries to shake something off... but it doesn't work.
A powerful vanilla blast races toward the youma! The fratboy brings up his paddle, blocking the shot with another mighty WEAPON CLASH. Bracing against the blast doesn't serve the youma well, as the ice blast follows up and whallops it in the chest. It stumbles back, seeming dazed.
"I won't... I'll take all of your energy! All of it! And then I'll feel good! YEAH!"
The fratboy charges at Winterberry, trying to swat her repeatedly in the rear end. "You need to like me! I'm cool! I HAVE AN AWESOME MOTORCYCLE AND YOU SHOULD RESPECT THAT."
COMBAT: Tomomi Shizuka has used Self Esteem Swatting on Hisae Musumi.
COMBAT: Tomomi Shizuka has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Hisae Musumi narrowly dodges Tomomi Shizuka's Self Esteem Swatting, taking 13 Fatigue damage! Tomomi Shizuka is Psyched! Hisae Musumi's Fade ability activates! Hisae Musumi's Flash ability activates!
Well, Vanilla's slightly cheered up some. She's still kinda irked.
And then Winterberry says the magic words.
"Wait... someone you like?" She says, looking over at Winterberry. "Is it... who is it Winter-senpai?! Oh! Is he cute? I bet he's cute! Oh, I bet you two would look so wonderful together! Okay, its settled then. We're going to go out later and pick you out some cute outfits to wear and get him to notice you and take you out on a date!"
Okay, Warm Vanilla Sugar is back to being chipper and happy now, even through the power of beer and evil. She turns back to the fratyouma now as well, nodding. "And you know, I bet you could find someone too! You just need to feel better about yourself, remember all the good you can do when you're not drunk, and how much your family and friends love and care for you. I'm sure you are a wonderful person deep inside, you just have to remember and realize it!" Yep. Winterberry's outburst got Vanilla speechifying about love again.
COMBAT: Aimi Saionji has used Loving Words of Power on Tomomi Shizuka.
COMBAT: Aimi Saionji has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Tomomi Shizuka narrowly counters Aimi Saionji's Loving Words of Power, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Tomomi Shizuka's Reverse ability activates! Tomomi Shizuka's Tactician ability activates! Cripple, Stun, and Trap applied to Tomomi Shizuka!
COMBAT: Tomomi Shizuka's counterattack, That's Not Frat, fails to get through, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Aimi Saionji!
Winterberry is /so/ sorry, world.
She got Vanilla going again.
"N-no, Vanilla, it's FINE-" critical distraction! Hisae takes a few more magical hints, flinching away and giving an angry hiss, her blue eyes flashing as she attempts to get out of the range of the Youma. Dumb youmas.
She lifts her hands up into the air, then calls down a storm of not-painful but certainly-blinding proportions for anyone dumb enough to get stuck in it. She's hoping the Youma is dumb. "Life isn't all about immediate self gratification and making yourself feel good!" Sweet Pea cries, pointing towards the youma. "Sometimes you have to date the guy you don't really like because that unlocks various CG scenes and other characters you do want to try out in another playthrough! Sometimes you need to do something you don't like for 100 percent completion! Sakura! I'm going to try and open up a... ... ... opening!"
Yeah she had an awkward moment there. Spinning her sweet pea shooters around, she swings them together and cries out, "SWEET PEA! SHOTGUN SOJOURN!"
A large pink blast erupts from the two pistols, leaving a flowery field where it passes through and a lovely scent that even BEER will have difficulty making smell kind of oogy!
COMBAT: Hisae Musumi has used Winter's Scorn on Tomomi Shizuka.
COMBAT: Hisae Musumi has finished attacking.
COMBAT: FINISHER! Madobe Kuroi has used Sweet Pea Shotgun Sojourn on Tomomi Shizuka.
COMBAT: Madobe Kuroi has finished attacking.
Cherry Blossom sighs, as the youma shakes off her attempt to reach him. She's trying, but it will take something more... "I see. So you've had your essence removed, and your memories with it. But I can ... help you to remember," she says.
Her friends unleash on him, and finally Sweet Pea uses her powerful attack, opening up a space for her to feed in. "Thanks! I'll take it from here!"
She boldens up, pointing a finger at the youma. "Parties are fine, but you have to have balance in your life! Remember all the other reasons that school is important! Studies, scholarship, friends and even love!"
Japanese Cherry Blossom shuts her eyes, and places her hands together, palms flat. Pink light begins to build at her feet... then becomes white. From behind her, a great orb of energy starts to rise. It begins red, like the rising sun of Japan's flag, the ball of light perfectly circular. But as it crests to above her head, forming an aura like a halo, it starts to turn orange, and, then, one more shift into a shimmering gold. The sweet smell of springtime filters through the air. There's a golden light on a faraway water, reflected in her eyes.
"Whoever believed in you in your past! Remember them... and we'll be the ones to believe in you now! Now... banish the darkness and restore his memories!"
"Cherry Blossom--"
She raises her hands. The golden light transforms, from a halo, into a wave, golden glitter flying up above her! The petals at her feet fly up to join it, transforming as they join the light...
"GOLDEN"
"SUNSET!"
A shower of golden light and sweet petals form, streaking toward the transformed student!
COMBAT: FINISHER! Sakura Akagi has used Cherry Blossom Golden Sunset on Tomomi Shizuka.
COMBAT: Sakura Akagi has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Tomomi Shizuka accepts Hisae Musumi's Winter's Scorn, taking 16 Fatigue damage! Blind applied to Tomomi Shizuka!
COMBAT: Tomomi Shizuka accepts Madobe Kuroi's Finisher, Sweet Pea Shotgun Sojourn, taking 74 Fatigue damage!
COMBAT: Tomomi Shizuka accepts Sakura Akagi's Finisher, Cherry Blossom Golden Sunset, taking 83 Fatigue damage! Tomomi Shizuka is unable to keep fighting!
The youma looks like he's just about ready to bring some real harshness, but is distracted by the talk of girls liking boys. Something about it disorients him, slowing him down.
The girls call out to him to remember. He staggers beneath it, leaning heavily on his sinister paddle. "No, I...." he says, as Vanilla speaks to him about love and kindness. "I'm... I'm frat! I'm frat..."
The blinding light consumes the youma. He crosses an arm across his face. The warm light of JUSTICE races toward him in a mighty torrent from both Sweet Pea and Cherry Blossom. "I'M FRAT!!" he yells, as the tide of purifying light overtakes him. "ARRGHH!!"
The sun sets on the Fratboy Youma. The keg of stolen energy explodes in a dramatic geyser of what becomes radiant, fragrant perfume. Streams of energy race away from the ruptured keg, racing back to the people the youma had assaulted. Slowly, people start to come around, returned to health and vitality.
The frat boy -- just a frat boy now -- lies face down on the ground, breathing but unconscious. He's a cute young man in tattered clothes -- bleached blonde hair, fair skin, a well-muscled back.
There is an cultivated orange dahlia flower resting on his back.
Vanilla rushes over to Winterberry, smiling still. "So whens a good day for you?" She asks. Vanilla is already getting a good idea of whom it is that Winterberry likes.
Cherry Blossom walks forward... leaning over, and looking at the boy's body. Wow, it's good that they saved him. He might be... kinda cute. Wait, what's--
She picks up the flower and looks at it. She actually sniffs at it, experimentally.
She seems to remember something. But that something is... bad.
"It's a Dahila flower."
"... "Dahlia?" Winterberry asks, conviently using this revelation to ignore Aimi because /no/.
Winterberry thinks that Vanilla will forget about this. That she'll be safe after tonight.
Maybe.
"A Dahlia flower? That's... different. And they used an actual person this time... am I going to have to interrogate Dark Amber again about this?" Vanilla asked, not concerned that Winterberry ignored her. "A Dahlia..." Sweet Pea says slowly, relieved the frat boy is okay. She learned a lesson today. Just because someone is a frat boy doesn't mean they deserved to be victimized (that much). And thanks to that lesson, the presence of a dahlia fills her with great costernation.
"Oh dear..."
The dahlia starts to fade as Sakura picks it up. The petals start falling off, being caught in the wind. Moments later, the flower collapses, dissolving into glittery dust.
In the distance, a woman looks down at the scene from the top of a building. She clicks her tongue disapprovingly, turning with a flourish of her ermine cape. She flips a tiny crystal phial in her hand as she walks into the shadows.
WHO IS THAT MYSTERIOUS WOMAN? WHAT DOES SHE INTEND FOR OUR HEROINES?! TUNE IN NEXT TIME...
