2017-02-03 - The Hole In The Sky (Christmas 2014)
| The Hole In The Sky | |
|---|---|
| Summary: It's Christmas. Santa Claus needs saving. It's go time, girls. | |
| Who: Kasagami Araki, Setsuna Higashi, Steven Universe, Akemi Kimura, Iona Hikawa, Makoto Kino, Kuniko Saito, Lera Camry, Garnet, Fuu Hououji, Hikaru Shidou, Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Saki Hyuuga GM: Utena Tenjou | |
| Where: Above Tokyo, mostly | |
| OOC - IC Date: 02-03-2017 - 12-25-2014 | |
<Pose Tracker> Utena Tenjou [Ohtori Academy (9)] has posed. <SoundTracker> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlqI_lAkIfM
Something a little bit magical happens in that witching hour between Christmas Eve and Christmas; families separated by the major winter storm are able to get in touch with each other, lonely people receive surprising gifts, and joy finds its way into the heart of Tokyo, there to dwell and thrive.
It is a very merry Christmas, the next day, though it's still too cold to go outside for more than a few minutes, and the trains aren't running yet.
Magical girls find a special present under their tree or pillow or purse -- a golden scroll, wrapped with a crimson ribbon, and inscribed with handwritten black text that packs jolly into every flourish. It appears to be an invitation -- or perhaps a cry for help.
And now it's the appointed time and place -- ten o'clock at night, late enough that most of the festivities are over, but very much still Christmas. That clock hasn't run out quite yet. Shiba Park lies at the base of Tokyo Tower, which is gloriously illuminated in red and green for the occasion.
Not that it's particularly easy to see, because -- in full-scale defiance of the goodwill and cheer suffusing the city -- the winter storm is howling harder than ever. The sky is black, but who can see it with all the blinding, bitter, razor whiteness soaring through the air?
As the magical girls arrive in force, though, that waiting sky opens up further, with a momumental KRAKOOM. Eight bolts of lightning arc plunge fiercely to the ground, where they... stick. Somehow, conditions are so cold, and so warped, that they've frozen instantly upon arrival from the heavens, skinny, forked golden pillars that stretch so high they can't even be seen, and terminate in--
--there's something at the bottom of each one. Eight massive figures, taller than a girl and wider too. Dimly beneath the ice one can make out four legs rather than two. They also have forked pillars... emenating up, not down.
Squinting very carefully, one can make out names on their beautifully jingle belled collars, like 'Prancer' and 'Comet'.
Trapped in the ice, they can't possibly play any reindeer games.
OOC: Please show up transformed, and start breaking them loose! COMBAT: Utena Tenjou transforms into Reindeer on Ice! COMBAT: Makoto Kino transforms into Sailor Jupiter! COMBAT: Hikaru Shidou transforms into Fire Knight! COMBAT: Kuniko Saito transforms into Poissonnier Kuniko! COMBAT: Setsuna Higashi transforms into Cure Passion! COMBAT: Garnet transforms into Garnet's Got Gauntlets!
<Pose Tracker> Kasagami Araki [Ohtori Academy (10)] has posed.
It's been a heck of a night for Kasagami Araki! She's helped deliver presents, had a very long cry, and ended up with half-frozen brows too! And by now, it's cold enough that even her henshin doesn't protect her from shivering!
But she stops in her room only long enough to spy that scroll, and out she goes once again into the cold. Thankfully she's drowned herself in hot tea just before! And even brought a thermos too!
But right now, there's something important to do! Gasp! Those collars! Even she can guess who these are. And despite her trouble with magical girls as of late, Kasagami knows what she must do.
Help save Christmas. Through violence! Clearly Santa knew what he was doing when including a very bad magical girl in this.
"Let's get them out, quick! FOR EVERYONE'S CHRISTMAS!" Kasagami takes a single step forward, stomps the ground, and then she executes a perfect golf swing towards Vixen's ice pillar! Obviously the King saved the Princess first.
The flutter of rose petals behind her are already frosty.
COMBAT: Kasagami Araki has used Reindeer Icicle Pinata Attack on Utena Tenjou.
<Pose Tracker> Cure Passion [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
Setsuna Higashi hasn't been able to get outside as much as she'd like, thanks to the storm, but she remembers being a part of the group that helped Christmas itself, and had a wonderful day for it. That, and for being with the Momozonos, all together in the warmth of their house, her parents and Love and even Chiffon and Tarte.
There's only one thing she'd really wanted for the holiday that she didn't get. But there was nothing for it at the time, and she couldn't dwell on it. Besides, it wouldn't make her very good company for her family.
But that was all day today, and while it was a wonderful day, it's time for the time on the letter she received today. She has to say that she likes the choice of color on that ribbon closing it.
But words are for earlier on today! Right now Cure Passion is leaping through the air, skidding across icy sidewalks like she's ice skating, and coming to a stop down in the park. Lightning comes down and...
Passion blinks, shaking her head as she tries to make sure she's seeing through the winter storm properly. Her pink hair is dusted with snow from the journey over, her uncovered fingers pink with the chill. "Deer..." Pause, and her red eyes widen in realization. "Reindeer!" She narrows her eyes, after that happy moment of realization.
It's entirely coincidence that when she somersaults into the air, she comes down fist-first around Dancer's ice to cut the animal loose. But it's a good coincidence. She's already rearing back for another after a strike that might weaken some of the ice.
COMBAT: Cure Passion has used Passion Punch! on Utena Tenjou.
<Pose Tracker> Steven Universe [Juuban Public School (5)] has posed.
Of all things to happen since relocation to Tokyo, saving Christmas was not on that list. A team of super-girls had rallied to save the night, and Steven was thankful to be on that list as well! The Sleigh was well defended from the raging storm as happiness was distributed far and wide. Lion even kept on his Christmas Helper Hat. A Christmas miracle!
For an even more wonderful present, Garnet made it home safely, despite all of the Gem Team's blustering and worry. As if things couldn't get better, they magically did, as the child found an invitation directly from Santa himself! Or what seemed like it.
A momentary thought was given to the silvery hairball bells, though they were nowhere in sight. Amethyst must have made off with them...?
With a good deal of help from Garnet and Lion, the storm is traversed to the park. "I-I-I hope everyone is i-i-indoors keeping warm!" the boy says, most of his face obscured with earmuffs and scarves. Yes, multiple scarves. He couldn't leave the house without wearing at least 2. Pearl's orders. At least the area was well decorated.
All at once, the sky rips open, and bolts of energy come crashing down. When the spectacle is over, Several animals look in trouble! "Whaaaaaat!" the boy exclains, holding his hands to his face. "Is that...?! We gotta help! Crystal Gems, Let's do it!" he says, holding a hand up as a shield appears apon the forearm.
Steven hustles up to a trapped reindeer. "Hello, mister reindeer, it is... ice to meet you! Ahahaha... hah... hm. That coulda been better. Anyway!" The boy begins to pummel some of the ice with the edge of his shield. Seems to make an okay makeshift ice pick.
COMBAT: Steven Universe has used Ice To Meet You! on Utena Tenjou.
<Pose Tracker> Akemi Kimura [Juuban Public School (8)] has posed.
Paper Heart Guardian Michiko has arrived! But her uniform is nowhere near suitable for such an annoyingly cold blizzard. her longer red hair and silver circlet would not be enough to protect her head from cold, nor would her long white ruffled... everything be very shielding. The black lines of her long frilled dress are beginning to be hidden by snow, and while her ruffly gloves and stockings help slightly to weaken the bite, they are not winter-proof or even barely winter-resistant.
"What am I even doing out here," Michiko complains to herself. "Stupid cold, stupid wind, stupid ice..." As she mumbles her complaints, she thinks back on that strange letter, and how her magical book gave the same address and time. "This better explain what's going on..."
And then she sees them. Reindeer. Frozen in ice. How is this even - no, no need to question how lightning could freeze, or how reindeer could be trapped in ice in Japan, when she is some kind of magic paper-using girl that powers up with a book that sometimes vaguely talks to her. It is time for action! She brings her star-tipped staff hard onto the ice with all her might - which isn't very much.
<Pose Tracker> Iona Hikawa [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
Cure Fortune is here.
How could she not be? She had taken the sleigh ride last night (this morning?), but found the invitation like some of the others. So here she is again, here at Shibuya.
Along for the ride is Glassan, Cure Fortune's fairy partner, and she is looking around Shibuya watching for anything amiss.
But then the vortex opens and lightning bolts strike the ground, and both the Cure and the fairy run over to them, and Cure Fortune stops short once she sees who they are. "Reindeer?"
Glassan, however, keeps the tempo going. "Cure Fortune! Go save Christmas!"
This snaps Fortune back to reality. "Right!" And so the Cure goes at Comet's ice, punching at it as many times as she can, with as much strength as the storm around them!
COMBAT: Iona Hikawa transforms into Cure Fortune! COMBAT: Cure Fortune has used Fortune Snow Flurry on Utena Tenjou. COMBAT: Akemi Kimura has used Strike on Utena Tenjou.
<Pose Tracker> Sailor Jupiter [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
Makoto Kino, after having saved her senpai Yumi from an untimely death after fainting in the snow, spent a good chunk of the evening taking care of her guest, cooking her dinner, setting her up in the bedroom and making sure the space heater's on so she can rest and recover. Makoto heads to bed early too, taking a futon over under the kotatsu so she can be nice and cozy. But then the mysterious arrival of a magic scroll wakes her up...
Now, after checking to make sure that Yumi was still asleep, Sailor Jupiter once again leaps over the skyline to Tokyo Tower. Rest and good food do wonders to recover one's stamina after getting beaten up by a monster, and she's ready to help save Christmas!
As she comes closer, she can see several other magical girls gathering (a couple of them from the same battle earlier!), and lightning cracking down as animals are frozen in ice. The wind and cold blow past her, but Sailor Jupiter barely feels them as she sails down, fist-first, towards the ice around Blitzen.
<Pose Tracker> Kuniko Saito [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.
Kuniko Saito came out to the snow fully wrapped. Her uniform as a Poissonnier is enough to keep her minimally cold, but she's thrown a jacket over it as well as pulling on a ski mask, which is colorfully in the red-white-green of the Italian tricolor rather than anything more menacing, and which leaves her eyes emotively exposed.
When she comes, she hears shouts from others. Cries of passion. Kuniko Saito reaches down into her apron, too cold perhaps to call out a reply, and then brings out the true proof of her burning heart - her love of Christmas -
A blowtorch.
YES! For what else would you use for making creme brulee? Kuniko advances towards one of the reindeer, fiddling with a spark lighter and finally producing a blue flame which manages to endure even the cold. Is she really planning to roast the reindeer...?
No; the torch lighter is put away in favor of a broad wide-bowled spoon - as she approaches one of the reindeer, the spoon is positioned to catch the warmed meltwater that the hot flame should produce, to guide it to flow more steadily elsewhere. She would dunk them in tepid water, if she could, but
well
Not an option right now.
<Pose Tracker> Lera Camry [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.
Lera Camry spent Christmas at home, though she got back a little late. She had to return with Fate and the others -- and that meant getting back late. But when she woke up, there were presents, and it was wonderful. It's a little more wonderful because someone else came back. Maybe she was the only person in her apartment that Christmas, against all her plans and hopes...
But she wasn't lonely.
When ten o'clock strikes, she looks out the window -- and her eyes widen. Through the blizzard, she just barely sees the black sky. She steps forward and sighs.
And a moment later, she banks through the swirling and pouring snow, down towards the eight figures. She moves with the wind as much as she can, rather than throw herself against it. Her hand is gripping a sword, not a hammer. It gleams silver and gold, and red in the gem.
<Here we go.> Soaring Sky sounds a little hesitant.
"You ready for this, buddy? You might be rusty," Lera says to him, but she can't hide the smile on her face. It's been a long time since she had the chance to fight with Sky. But, that smile is nervous.
<I am not rusty!> Sky protests. <But... I'll be fine. Don't worry.>
"Good," Lera says. "Here we go!"
She drops down straight towards one of the frozen reindeer. She lands in front of it, then swings around Sky. In a way, it's familiar. In a way, it's terribly unfamiliar. Instead of a circle, a magical triangle -- ending in three small circles, and filled with runes -- appears. Soaring Sky lights up with fire and light, before it looses into the ice encasing a reindeer and tries to melt right through it.
<Inferno Slasher!>
COMBAT: Lera Camry transforms into Barrier Jacket Perihelion! COMBAT: Lera Camry has used Inferno Slasher on Utena Tenjou. COMBAT: Kuniko Saito has used Rein Brulee?? on Utena Tenjou. COMBAT: Sailor Jupiter has used Jupiter Punch on Utena Tenjou.
<Pose Tracker> Garnet [None] has posed.
Garnet arrives at Tokyo Tower with Steven in tow. It had been a day for odd mail deliveries. A delightful homemade Christmas Cake from a quite unexpected sender. And a strange invitation to this place that seemed to emanate... the spirit of the season?
Even the suggestion of the letter's possible sender had put Mr. Universe The Younger into a trance of hope and heroics.
She couldn't leave him behind even if she'd wanted to. But she didn't want to. It was Christmas, and if it was true, Garnet couldn't let Steven, a child who had no doubt seen just about every Christmas Special there is, miss the opportunity to live out a miracle. She was quiet on the way here, making sure Steven had his scarves attached, occasionally replying to the odd joke from the boy, but otherwise, not wanting to spoil the surprise.
The storm opens, the reindeer struggle, and Garnet responds to Steven's call to action. With, well. action!
She concentrates for a brief moment on the harmonic energy that flows through all life and the cosmos, summoning her gleaming red gauntlets to her hands, and leaps towards the closest reindeer, and strikes at the ice, attempting to hit in such a way that it shatters off of the reindeer, leaving them (hopefully) unharmed...!
COMBAT: Garnet has used Icebreaker! on Utena Tenjou.
<Pose Tracker> Fuu Hououji [Infinity Institute (9)] has posed.
Fuu's greatest worry about Christmas Eve was that the length of time for which she *wasn't* in her room would be discovered by her parents or her big sister .. but somehow, one way or another, her family never seems to have realized that Fuu was 'missing' while the Wind Knight was out chasing after one thing or another. Still, that fear seems to have gone unrealized - she made it home from her adventures intact and un-frozen, possibly thanks to the magic of The Sleigh upon which she helped deliver presents and prevent a Christmas calamity.
But that was last night, eventful as it was, and the mysterious scroll has been on Fuu's mind since she found it under her pillow while waking up this morning. She's been cheery enough during the day, exchanging phone calls with assorted friends, magical and otherwise, since the weather was still a little too heavy and cold to actually pay visits in person. But with night coming on, she pardons herself after dinner ...
And once again, the Magic Knight of Wind sets out across the city, heading for Shiba Park as if she could find it blindfolded. (She very nearly *could* ... but she's not going to try in this weather.) The renewed fury of the storm is bitter enough to make her wish that she had longer boots, akin to Hikaru's or (even better) Umi's, but the power of her will isn't quite enough to reformulate her armor on the fly; she settles for maintaining a wind barrier right around herself - trying to 'blow' the harsher, colder air away before it can leach too much heat from her personally.
She arrives on the edge of Shiba Park just in time to see the octuple lightning descend - and freeze solid on the spot, as impossible as that should be. A closer look indicates that there's something alive where the lighting touched down - or at least, a shape that looks like it SHOULD be alive. The Wind Knight wastes no time in heading closer, joining her fellow magical girls in trying to break the animals free; specifically, she materializes her sword and leaps into a spin, letting out a loud if wordless yell before trying to smash through the pillar above the one whose collar reads 'Donner'.
COMBAT: Fuu Hououji has used Spinning Slash on Utena Tenjou.
<Pose Tracker> Hikaru Shidou [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
'Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the... city?
Indeed, there's trouble afoot, as evil never takes the holidays off. Then again, neither does the Magic Knight of Fire. She's always hot and roaring to burn up the bad guys when there's trouble out here! And she quickly finds her way to the park as well, and she shakes her head at this sight. "This is not good! We can't have trouble on Christmas!"
As the Wind Knight goes in with a spinning slash, the Fire Knight goes up with a similar tactic. That is, she starts moving in a dancing like style before bringing her sword down at the pillar with a collar reading, 'Cupid.'
(Hey, you gotta go in order of the song!)
COMBAT: Hikaru Shidou has used Dancing Blade on Utena Tenjou.
<Pose Tracker> Ladybug [Juuban Public School (8)] has posed. <SoundTracker> Miraculous Theme - Christmas Version https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0fGBuQyAns
It has been bitterly cold, and yet...Christmas arrived. Draped in a blanket of eternal cold and snow, perhaps, but all the same it arrived. It did not come with far-off family visiting, it did not arrive with great parties in the street...but it arrived in a million little family gatherings, a million little private gift exchanges.
Maybe it was romantic for some people. Who knows?
But at the very least, it wasn't romantic for everyone. Marinette Dupain-Cheng, for her part, slept in for the morning, having largely missed out on romantic opportunity. It helped, admittedly, that everyone slept near the bakery to stay warm in light of the storm; despite her Papa's snoring, it was warm and comfortable and smelled like fresh-baked croissants. Not to mention that she was utterly exhausted from some late-night heroism...
She slept the sleep of the righteous.
But she slept the sleep of the disappointed, as a tableau of elegantly wrapped gifts sits before her. She'd snuck back up to her room after a lovely family dinner, having wanted just a little time to herself - and while she's bundled in three sweaters to endure it, her parents seemed to understand. They'd loved their presents, of course, but...
"Am I being selfish, Tikki? I know I had no chance of actually getting a romantic evening with Adrien tonight - I mean, he hardly knows I exist, and of course he'd have been booked solid for some charity event or other, but..." Reaching past the gift to Alya, the little trinkets for half her classmates, she picks up an elegant box wrapped in paper like a starry night. "I just wanted to give him a nice present, you know? Maybe Ladybug should have done something..."
Tikki pops up from where she had been rummaging in the pile of gifts. The little Kwami looks much better than she did a day ago, dressed in a new handmade tiny red snowsuit. Little patches seem to almost steam in the cold winter air, courtesy of the little heating packs that someone snuck in - and for her part, the Kwami seems delighted as she twirls. "You did plenty, Marinette! Remember, you have to stay secret - you kind of pushed your luck with Sailor Moon, you know! But I do understand - it's sad, but some things just aren't meant to be..." The little Kwami flits over to lay a tiny hand on Marinette's shoulder, giving the girl an encouraging smile. "Really, though, Marinette - do you not think your friends will understand? With that said, I think there's something strange in this pile of presents you've prepared!"
Curious, Marinette joins the little bug-fairy-god in rummaging, finally discovering a golden scroll she could swear she didn't make. "What in the world..."
---
The appointed place, the appointed time. Tokyo Tower has so many convenient struts to maintain its structure, and there's a gentle whirr in the night as a yo-yo hooks around one of them. Ladybug, clad in red and black once more, swings wide around the tower to survey the area. No obvious maniacal laughter, no twisted Ayakashi Sister loudly proclaiming herself the best of the set, just a normal park - right up until the lightning hits. The high-flying heroine starts in surprise, hauling herself back against the tower proper to catch her breath.
"Oh, what a cold breath that was! It certainly seems stormy..." She pauses, half-expecting a pun from her usual feline fellow - but not at this time, it seems. Instead, there's just...this. Ladybug starts sliding down the support, visible to those below as she approaches.
And approach she does, whirling her yo-yo in a lazy loop. She calls out as she approaches, letting her weapon build up a little speed as she does. "It's not just us thinking this weather's chilly - even the storms seem to be freezing solid! But you're all right about this - there's been enough trouble, enough plans ruined today. So without further ado~" She whirls her tool in an intricate pattern, finishing by hurling it clear at Dasher's icy prison - with luck, it'll crack the ice cleanly to free the poor reindeer within!
COMBAT: Ladybug has used Atom Smasher on Utena Tenjou. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou narrowly braces Kasagami Araki's Reindeer Icicle Pinata Attack, taking 15 Fatigue damage! COMBAT: Utena Tenjou narrowly braces Cure Passion's Passion Punch!, taking 4 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Stagger applied to Utena Tenjou! COMBAT: Utena Tenjou fails to brace Akemi Kimura's Strike, taking 8 Fatigue damage! COMBAT: Utena Tenjou fails to brace Cure Fortune's Fortune Snow Flurry, taking 36 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! COMBAT: Utena Tenjou fails to brace Lera Camry's Inferno Slasher, taking 50 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Lera Camry is Psyched! COMBAT: Utena Tenjou fails to brace Kuniko Saito's Rein Brulee??, taking 18 Fatigue damage! COMBAT: Utena Tenjou fails to brace Garnet's Icebreaker!, taking 25 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Garnet is Psyched! COMBAT: Utena Tenjou fails to brace Steven Universe's Ice To Meet You!, taking 18 Fatigue damage! COMBAT: Utena Tenjou fails to brace Hikaru Shidou's Dancing Blade, taking 40 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Hikaru Shidou is Psyched! COMBAT: Utena Tenjou narrowly braces Fuu Hououji's Spinning Slash, taking 3 Fatigue damage! COMBAT: Utena Tenjou fails to brace Sailor Jupiter's Jupiter Punch, taking 10 Fatigue damage!
COMBAT: Utena Tenjou fails to brace Ladybug's Atom Smasher, taking 18 Fatigue damage! Utena Tenjou is unable to keep fighting!
<Pose Tracker> Utena Tenjou [Ohtori Academy (9)] has posed. <SoundTracker> The Ride of the Valkyries https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AlEvy0fJto
Swords, shields, staves, yo-yos, fists, and feet come out, and make short work of the ice. Shards fly everywhere -- that is, when the water isn't simply melted by an expedient blowtorch -- and in the wake of it all, no animals were harmed in the making of this moment.
The reindeer, once freed, shake themselves out thoroughly. Frost flies from their coats, though even now icicles still dangle from their horns. They don't seem much fussed by it, though, stomping and snorting. They have a range of emotional reactions, though, being, after all, a range of people. Well, reindeer. Comet gratefully leans into Cure Fortune's weight, nuzzling her with her nose, while Vixen tosses her mane coquettishly and turns her head away from Kasagami with a 'hmph!' worthy of the fiercest Ohtori queen. Donner stamps his feet impatiently, trotting a pleased circle around the Magic Knight of Wind, while Cupid stares up at the sky, catching snow on her muzzle. Dancer and Blitzen, once freed, are truthfully more interested in entwining their necks around each other rather than paying Cure Passion and Sailor Jupiter much heed -- though they give each savior a long-lashed look on their way over to one another. Then Dasher, after licking Ladybug right across the nose, charges in to join her two partners in their reunion.
They all jingle.
It doesn't take too long for the reindeer to focus; they huff and puff at each other, brown eyes growing serious and stern, then look up at the sky, and finally bend their knees, just a little, to allow any magical girl who lacks the means or desire to fly access to what the invitation described as 'The Hole In The Sky.' There are, of course, only eight of them, and twelve magical girls; some amount of sharing will be required. Fortunately they're quite massive; they could easily seat three or four each.
There's no saddle, and the reins seem to be just for show; the idea of a bit between the teeth of these fantastic beasts is horrid. Nonetheless, there is plenty of reindeer to hang onto, and antlers, too, if utterly necessary.
Once boarded, they launch into the roaring heavens. Red and white sparkles form under their feet with every step, giving them purchase on the air, but it hardly seems necessary -- it's so full of ice and snow that the sky might as well be solid. It makes what might have been a truly magical moment, well, still magical, but perhaps a little more unpleasant than it would have been otherwise; it's bitterly cold, difficult to see, and both of those issues get worse with every jingling hoofbeat higher and higher. The wind rushes like razors and tugs like ropes, trying to tear the girls from their seats.
But there -- there! -- at the top of the sky, there's a huge, circular shape. The clouds churn around it in an immense, dark spiral. At the center, access to the heavens themselves seems to be sealed by still more ice, this pane carved with sickly green runes.
It seems that they will need to make their own hole in the sky.
COMBAT: Utena Tenjou transforms into Heart of the Storm! COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has used Roaring Winds on Ladybug. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has used Roaring Winds on Hikaru Shidou. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has used Roaring Winds on Fuu Hououji. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has used Roaring Winds on Garnet. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has used Roaring Winds on Kuniko Saito. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has used Roaring Winds on Sailor Jupiter. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has used Roaring Winds on Lera Camry. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has used Roaring Winds on Cure Fortune. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has used Roaring Winds on Akemi Kimura. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has used Roaring Winds on Steven Universe. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has used Roaring Winds on Cure Passion. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has used Roaring Winds on Kasagami Araki. COMBAT: Ladybug fails to dodge Utena Tenjou's Roaring Winds, taking 23 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! COMBAT: Cure Passion narrowly braces Utena Tenjou's Roaring Winds, taking 8 Fatigue damage! Cure Passion's Block ability activates! Cure Passion's Parry ability activates! Blind applied to Cure Passion! COMBAT: Sailor Jupiter narrowly braces Utena Tenjou's Roaring Winds, taking 10 Fatigue damage! Sailor Jupiter's Block ability activates! Sailor Jupiter's Parry ability activates! COMBAT: Garnet narrowly braces Utena Tenjou's Roaring Winds, taking 10 Fatigue damage! COMBAT: Cure Fortune narrowly dodges Utena Tenjou's Roaring Winds, taking 14 Fatigue damage! Cure Fortune's Fade ability activates! Cure Fortune's Flash ability activates! COMBAT: Fuu Hououji narrowly braces Utena Tenjou's Roaring Winds, taking 9 Fatigue damage! Fuu Hououji's Block ability activates! Fuu Hououji's Parry ability activates! Blind applied to Fuu Hououji! COMBAT: Steven Universe narrowly braces Utena Tenjou's Roaring Winds, taking 6 Fatigue damage! Steven Universe's Block ability activates! Steven Universe's Parry ability activates! Blind applied to Steven Universe! COMBAT: Kuniko Saito fails to dodge Utena Tenjou's Roaring Winds, taking 18 Fatigue damage! Blind applied to Kuniko Saito! COMBAT: Akemi Kimura perfectly counters Utena Tenjou's Roaring Winds, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Counter! COMBAT: Akemi Kimura's counterattack, Tome of Shielding, interrupts, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Utena Tenjou! COMBAT: Lera Camry perfectly dodges Utena Tenjou's Roaring Winds, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Dodge! Lera Camry's Fade ability activates! Lera Camry's Flash ability activates! COMBAT: Kasagami Araki narrowly braces Utena Tenjou's Roaring Winds, taking 6 Fatigue damage!
<Pose Tracker> Kasagami Araki [Ohtori Academy (10)] has posed.
Squint. Vixen's reactions are very familiar to Kasagami, even if in deer form! Scowling, Kasagami leans down, gets a good ball of snow packed in, and hucks it at the back of the reindeer's head!
Vindictiveness, thy name is Kasagami.
Then, she hops right on, grabbing Vixen's horns hard. Thankfully, she's enough of an equestrian to not humiliate herself. From somewhere in her coat, hse produces a rider's hat and a crop! She swats the air menacingly!
"Alright! Listen up! My name is Kasagami Araki, and you're going to be a good reindeer! Now MUSH!" Snap snap at the air! Kassie's coal count might be increasing here.
But up into the sky they go, and unfortunately, the whipping freeze has even her chilled to the bone! One hand is tight around antlers, the other holding her coat closed as she tries to not turn to a kassiesicle! But as they arrive at that frozen swirling thing in the sky?
One hand draws her blade, and offers a hard slash! A line of cutting crimson roses crashes upwards, trying to smash through their impediment!
"Don't give up! Show this storm who's stronger! For Christmas! For the best school in the world!" Belts out Kasagami almost like a war cry!
COMBAT: Kasagami Araki has used Dance in the Petals on Utena Tenjou.
<Pose Tracker> Cure Passion [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
Passion huffs and takes a breath as she sees the ice starting to shard, stepping back enough to let it finish cracking and perking up as she thinks she hears something. She decides to look after the reindeer is safe, and when Dancer is most interested in Blitzen, the red Cure smiles and giggles into her hand. She smiles brighter at the look. And then...
She looks around, and she sees what she thought she heard.
"Sky!" Passion calls with her heart briefly in her throat. "You're okay!" She stares Lera's way for a moment and smiles at her, overcome with emotion. "Lera...!" She rushes over to the other irl and runs into her, putting her arms around her and hugging her tightly. She stays there for a moment before she steps back, "You--" The reindeer look serious now, and Passion looks up to the sky, too. "...I guess it's time. I'm... gonna ride a reindeer. Fly safe, okay?" It does sound fun for Setsuna to ride one, though she might have one other option. Besides, she has something she wants to say. So Passion rushes back over to Dancer, and hops on top as gently as she's able. "I understand," she whispers to the reindeer she's riding, and looks Lera's way again. But then with anyone else choosing to ride Dancer, they're up, up, and up, and Passion doesn't even think to try the reins. She just hangs on tightly. "Aaaah!" It's freezing, and windy, and even if it's magical she still has to hang on tightly as the wind nearly blows her away, whipping her pink hair painfully. But there, at the top...
"Please get me in close," Passion asks, and once she's up she sits up to her full height and starts swinging, punch after punch after punch to try to crack right through and make a door. She hangs on with her legs as the wind whips her ruffles. She can barely see, but she can sure feel her hands after this.
COMBAT: Cure Passion has used Passion Portal on Utena Tenjou.
<Pose Tracker> Kuniko Saito [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.
Reindeer, Kuniko thinks, wonderingly. They're gorgeous.
She knows that Reindeer are real creatures, of course. She had this conversation with Nijimura after charcuterie class one day. As she turns off her blowtorch she smiles at the creature she's nearest - Donner, as it turns out. "Better?" she says.
Seems to be. With this, Kuniko hoists herself up - with some effort - onto the mighty ungulate's back, before the wind whips downwards. She hunches low as she goes so far as to try to wrap her arms around the neck of the handsome beast.
She sees -- "Ah, boy," she remarks, before pointing upwards with a yarn-gloved finger. "I guess--"
Kasagami declares the charge. "Yeah! That!" Kuniko declaims. Then she holds on. She has heard firm reports that these creatures can fly, and silently, she hopes that she has it in her to be a sky-chef -- especially without Mami Tomoe on hand to provide handy parachutes.
And how is Kuniko going to deal with that ice in the sky? Silently, she wishes she hadn't put up that blowtorch so hastily - but a firmly-brandished knife-whetting stick will make an impromptu lance. Hopefully the shock of impact won't mess up her wrist!
COMBAT: Kuniko Saito has used Chaaaarge on Utena Tenjou.
<Pose Tracker> Sailor Jupiter [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
Jupiter leaps back on the rebound upon impacting her fist against the ice around Blitzen, landing gracefully and preparing herself for any flying ice shards. And fly they do, as Blitzen beelines over to Dancer while giving her a long look. Jupiter grins back, not at all put off by the intense reindeer cuddling. They are *so* cute...
As she hops onto Blitzen's back once the reindeer stoop down, Jupiter winks at Cure Passion. "Fancy meeting you here!" she jokes, the humor basically being that they saw each other only a few hours ago at a completely different fight. ...Jokes aren't Jupiter's strong suit.
Also not Jupiter's strong suit: tolerating animal abuse. "Hey! Stop bullying that reindeer! You put that thing away!" she shouts over at Kasagami, though whether she can be heard over the storm is another tale. But then they're off into the sky, and the storm rages around Jupiter with all the bluster it can muster. She hangs on tight to her ride, fingers digging into Blitzen's fur, and manages not to get blinded by the storm even if it does its level best to knock her from her mount. Even Sailor Jupiter, with her magical protection against cold, finds herself shivering in this storm. Up again, the clouds churn, and more ice awaits them... If Jupiter doesn't act, they're going to come to a very abrupt halt. Fortunately, action is something at which this Sailor Senshi excels.
Drawing one arm back, lightning rod emerging from her tiara, she shouts defiance at the storm. "JUPITER THUNDERBOLT!!" she roars, gripping hold of a bolt of lightning, then *hurling* it ahead at the mass of ice to clear the way before they arrive.
COMBAT: Sailor Jupiter has used Jupiter Thunderbolt on Utena Tenjou.
<Pose Tracker> Lera Camry [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.
"Passion!" Lera calls out, as the Pretty Cure runs towards her. Lera can't return the hug with both arms; she uses her free one to hug her tightly, before she pulls back enough to look down at her with those ale-brown eyes. "Surprise, y'know?"
<It's been awhile. I hope you've kept her out of trouble!> Soaring Sky says back to her. Then, a little more awkwardly, the Device adds: <....Sorry that I worried you.>
Lera smiles brighter -- and then looks sideways, at the reindeer. She nods at her girlfriend. "You, too! Don't worry, I'll be right next to you, y'know?" She winks -- and then she's flying up, too. Wind whips her hair back and her eyes squint through it. She bites her lip, as she looks ahead at the circular shape, and she rides over them, almost like she surfs. The trail of red-orange bobs and turns.
"Sky, let's blast through it!" Lera yells, as they fly up. "Plasma lan--"
The spell she casts isn't the one she tried to. Instead of lances of liquid fire, sharp fiery fangs of light appear. Four of them rocket straight ahead of her, towards the mass of ice.
<Crescent Fangs.>
"Whuh...?"
COMBAT: Lera Camry has used Crescent Fangs on Utena Tenjou.
<Pose Tracker> Fuu Hououji [Infinity Institute (9)] has posed.
Of course there isn't that much time to organize; the Magic Knight of Wind climbs up on a reindeer's back, offering a hand to the Magic Knight of Fire if she needs some help mounting up. The lack of saddles seems ... well, if the Wind Knight were used to riding horses or anything, she might balk a little more at it than she actually is; she just hangs on as securely with her legs as she can, grips the reins for an extra anchor, and trusts that the magic of the reindeer will ensure that the magical girls won't fall off.
The winds as they ascend promise (or threaten as the case may be) to test the Wind Knight's trust, though; she hunkers down against the headwinds, trying to turn her face away, but her glasses still wind up with a layer of frost across the glass. She'll have to take them off to clean them, or something. Gods help those who are getting this kind of ice in their eyes and *don't* have any sort of protection -
Well, if she'd known flying would be involved, she could have tried to get a pair of goggles suitable to the purpose. Maybe. ... She probably wouldn't have been able to find anything, though, given the totality of conditions.
She dares to look forward and up again, and muses, "That doesn't look like we're going to be able to get through terribly easily, does it ... ?"
Her sword vanished again after the ice was smashed, but neither sword nor bow seem likely to do enough to clear the way further upwards. She settles for drawing on her magic with a shout of, "Storm-Dance of Kamaitachi!!" and unleashing a raging tempest of her own at the 'ceiling' they're coming up against. The fact that her allies are loosing attacks of their own suggests strongly that this was a useful thing to do.
... and maybe, just *maybe*, her wind magic will help disperse some of the hostility of the weather in the process. She can hope, anyway.
COMBAT: Fuu Hououji has used Storm-Dance of Kamaitachi on Utena Tenjou. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou narrowly counters Kasagami Araki's Dance in the Petals, taking 16 Fatigue damage! Utena Tenjou's Reverse ability activates! Cripple applied to Utena Tenjou! COMBAT: Utena Tenjou's counterattack, Reindeerference, fails to get through, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Kasagami Araki!
<Pose Tracker> Garnet [None] has posed.
Garnet braces against the wind, its force and terrible chill, makes even her shudder. It would've cut her to the bone, if she had any. She wipes the frost from her shades, and takes Steven by the hand, the ice and wind, as though the ice had gotten into his eyes, so she helps him on to the reindeer with the tag marked "Cupid", and secures him in front of her. Garnet waits to see who's taking which reindeer, when she sees Akemi searching, she makes a space between herself and Steven, and waves Akemi over, keeping her hand in Steven's, so he knows she's still there, while he regains his sight.
and says to her: "I am Garnet, this is Steven. There's not much time. Ride with us if you'd like."
COMBAT: Utena Tenjou narrowly braces Cure Passion's Passion Portal, taking 4 Fatigue damage! Utena Tenjou's Block ability activates! COMBAT: Utena Tenjou narrowly dodges Kuniko Saito's Chaaaarge, taking 14 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Kuniko Saito is Psyched! Utena Tenjou's Flash ability activates! COMBAT: Utena Tenjou narrowly braces Sailor Jupiter's Jupiter Thunderbolt, taking 6 Fatigue damage! Utena Tenjou's Block ability activates! COMBAT: Utena Tenjou narrowly dodges Lera Camry's Crescent Fangs, taking 5 Fatigue damage! Utena Tenjou's Flash ability activates! COMBAT: Utena Tenjou narrowly braces Fuu Hououji's Storm-Dance of Kamaitachi, taking 29 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Utena Tenjou's Block ability activates!
<Pose Tracker> Ladybug [Juuban Public School (8)] has posed.
"You're free now, little reindee- Aaackpthbl!" Abruptly interrupted by a grateful megafauna, Ladybug wipes frantically at a thoroughly licked nose. Little flecks of drool splatter and freeze on the ground as she shakes out her hand, and the girl looks up at Dasher. Really, really up. "I have been corrected. Not quite so little, are you?"
Still, in spite of her face - that will wash out, right? How would she even launder this mask? - she can't help but feel warm inside seeing the reunion. Before too long, though, the eight are snorting and looking up at the hole in the sky, Ladybug's gaze wandering up to that omen. "It looks rather dangerous...are you sure?" Dasher's gaze is unwavering, and Ladybug looks for only a moment to her fellow magical girls (and Steven). "If the rest of you are - are you serious?!"
Ladybug is staring rather flatly at Kasagami, teeth gritted in exasperation. "You know whose reindeer these are, right? Je ne veux pas rencontrer le Pere Fouettard..." With a sigh, she approaches Dasher, curtsying respectfully before mounting. "I honestly don't know her. S'il vous plait, if you're willing to go up th-"
Dasher really does seem to love cutting her off. They ride up into the sky, towards that egress - but the storm is positively roaring, howling with razors of ice and screaming with the power of a windy avalanche. Ladybug tries to hold on as best she can, in face of such inclement weather, but-
One gust hits the reindeer hard enough for even that mighty beast to buck, and off she tumbles.
It's higher up than Ladybug would even like to think - luckily, one hand managed to grab a stray strap lined with jingling bells at the last second. Her sole grip ringing as Dasher fights the storm, a wave of ice caking her side, she has to dwell a moment on just how high up they all are. The city spreads out below...why, she can almost make out her house from here.
The air is sparkling, though, and the reindeer's feet are growing steadier, so in spite of her predicament... Ladybug winces, pulling heavily on the bells to let her throw at least an arm over Dasher's back again. "When you meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky... You're doing well, you and your fellow deer!" She glances to the others nearby, smiling more than a bit at those she can recognize. (Some by reputation, admittedly - but she knows who Sailor Jupiter is, for one!)
There's wind, and ice, and utter chaos in the sky - but as she looks at that obstruction in their path, an idea comes to mind. With one hand, she carefully reels out her yo-yo, swinging it back and forth once or twice to get a sense of the wind...
And away it goes! Off of flying ice chunks, slicing through fog and clouds, that miraculous red disc flying in a strange path through the storm...but where it passes, things might clear for just a moment. And where it bounces off of a rune...
Maybe, just maybe, it will bounce off a few more. Ladybug has a habit of trying trick shots like that.
COMBAT: Ladybug has used Lindy Loop on Utena Tenjou.
<Pose Tracker> Cure Fortune [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
Cure Fortune smiles as the ice breaks and the reindeer are freed! Comet nuzzles her and she pets the reindeer in kind, rubbing his head and neck.
But then the reindeer suddenly look up. Fortune does as well, looking at the giant glowing shape in the sky. She looks down at the reindeer again, offering their services to some of the others. She nods, understanding. Fortune gives Comet one more pet, before she turns toward the storm. Her jacket-wings expand and glow, and she takes off towards the glass-like fixture in the sky.
At first, she speeds along, but she then slows down and keeps with the group. That is, until she starts to close with the swirling mass in the sky, at which point she zooms forward to try and kick it as hard as she can!
COMBAT: Cure Fortune has used Kick Away on Utena Tenjou. COMBAT: Hikaru Shidou narrowly dodges Utena Tenjou's Roaring Winds, taking 9 Fatigue damage! Blind applied to Hikaru Shidou!
<Pose Tracker> Hikaru Shidou [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
The winds are coming quite quickly, and they come quicker than even the Fire Knight can anticipate. She tries to avoid them, but it's no use. They catch her and blow her around, causing her to become dazed and out of it for a few minutes. Despite this, the Fire Knight will not be defeated so easily. She struggles to get her vision back to normal, as she attempts to focus on the weird mass in the sky.
"Ungh... stop spinning..." She babbles a little as she attempts to cast her favorite fire spell. "Fire arrow!"
COMBAT: Hikaru Shidou has used Fire Arrow on Utena Tenjou.
<Pose Tracker> Akemi Kimura [Juuban Public School (8)] has posed.
The Paper Heart Guardian raises an eyebrow in confusion. "Ride...the reindeer? THat's a... flying reindeer?" Yes, yes it was, as she found out at the others taking off. Even with her wings she couldn't fly, so this seemed like the only option. However, Garnet seems like she has gone through a lot and might know quite a bit, and Steven...well... Garnet must be good at teaching and guiding younger ones, so perhaps she could aid her after all. "I am Ak...I am Michiko. I would love your help. Thank you." She climbs on and summons the "TOME OF SHIELDING", a giant hovering book open half-way to split the wind around her.
'Michiko' is quite surprised to be flying on a reindeer. A few minutes ago, she assumed that these were for a Christmas promotion or ill-advised parade, and now she was taking into the air with them! The wall in the sky looms closer. "Okay... attack attack attack... ah right! Pages of Wind!" She points her star rod at the barrier. The gem within it glows, and soon does the whole star on the tip. Bursting forth out of nowhere are dozens of pages that look straight out of any heavy novel - if that novel were radioactive. They speed towards the barrier, trying to slice it before exploding in very tiny blasts.
COMBAT: Akemi Kimura has used Pages of Wind on Utena Tenjou. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou perfectly dodges Hikaru Shidou's Fire Arrow, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Dodge! Utena Tenjou's Flash ability activates! COMBAT: Utena Tenjou narrowly braces Cure Fortune's Kick Away, taking 5 Fatigue damage! Utena Tenjou's Block ability activates! COMBAT: Utena Tenjou narrowly dodges Ladybug's Lindy Loop, taking 5 Fatigue damage! Utena Tenjou's Flash ability activates! Stagger applied to Utena Tenjou! COMBAT: Utena Tenjou narrowly braces Akemi Kimura's Pages of Wind, taking 9 Fatigue damage! Utena Tenjou's Block ability activates!
<Pose Tracker> Steven Universe [Juuban Public School (5)] has posed.
After a good bit of effort, the ice holding the reindeer gives way to a poor animal trapped within. Who could have wanted them caged in ice?! "W-Wow, they are bigger than I thought they would be!" he comments. The animals free themselves the rest of the way, shaking off any loose bits of rime and frost. They seem to clown around for a small time, but before long, all eight of the large animals seem intent on something above, something to do with the storm.
"I-I think there's something u-up there!" Steven says through some shivering. Hopefully a hot meal will be ready at home when they get back. Well, long as it isn't Microwave Tuna Salad again.
Don't ask.
Garnet seems to have found a reliable steed in one of the reindeer, particularly Cupid. The boy turns to Lion as he sees some of the reindeer lift off the ground. "You better go find shelter, buddy. Find somewhere warm!" Steven rubs Lion's nose, which is icy cold itself, before heading over to Cupid. WIth a bit of help, the boy hops upon it's back, saving room for an extra person! "Hello! I'm Steven. Need a ride?" he asks towards Akemi. For some reason he is unusually hammy tonight. Perhaps he is hopped up on sweets from a particular person's dessert gift.
"Okay. Mush! Uh. Onward, Cupid!. Erm. Please?" Wnether or not please was the keyword, or of the reindeer's own volition, they make to the sky, and wit hthe other set of seven, close in on the strange oject at the center of the storm. Another sheet of ice, this time empowered by something... not good. The reindeer closes space, and Akemi as well as Garnet ready to attack!
Steven begins to flail his shield toward the wall, though getting close enough for him to hit it is... difficult at best. It is actually kinda funny to watch, though the boy is in high spirits to do good!
+freeattack/del: Attack number 14, hungry, deleted from Utena Tenjou's henshin form 7.
COMBAT: Steven Universe has used Shield Bash on Utena Tenjou.
<Pose Tracker> Garnet [None] has posed.
Secured and the reindeer off at last, Garnet nods to Akemi and after earnest searching, Steven utters the magic word that seems to kick Cupid to action. Garnet does her best to help Steven reach the wall, holding him secure and forward with one arm, while he flails, and, while so precariously close to the barrier, delivers a decisive punch to the wall with her other fist!
COMBAT: Garnet has used Decisive Punch on Utena Tenjou. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou fails to dodge Garnet's Decisive Punch, taking 38 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! COMBAT: Utena Tenjou fails to brace Steven Universe's Shield Bash, taking 8 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Steven Universe is Psyched!
<Pose Tracker> Saki Hyuuga [Infinity Institute (8)] has posed.
For Saki Hyuuga, a young girl whose family life is precious to her beyond any reason or rationale, well...
Obviously she's here! But a Pretty Cure knows the most important secret of big fights is the timing of your entrance!
(Work with me here.)
From a direction nobody's been paying particular attention to, Cure Bloom bolts up from below to plant her shoes on Dancer's back, called easily to the side of familiar red ruffles. "Sempai!" Cure Bloom chimes. She wiggles her fingers with her usual big grin. "Isn't this amazing!?"
But before she gets lost in gawping, the howling storm reveals itself properly. She was helping fend it off not so long ago. The sky's not even really her field, but...
She balls up a fist and looks up, eyes hardening. "...which is why we have to stop this," she says, quiet. "I'm going ahead!"
She hops off, and the speed of the reindeer starts to see her slip away - until a blaze of golden, Earthly light ignites under her feet, speeding Cure Bloom upward to slam fist-first into the ice above!
COMBAT: Saki Hyuuga transforms into Cure Bloom! COMBAT: Cure Bloom has used Fistful of Flowers on Utena Tenjou. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou narrowly braces Cure Bloom's Fistful of Flowers, taking 7 Fatigue damage! Cure Bloom is Psyched! Utena Tenjou's Block ability activates! COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has adjusted her boss levels. She is now ready to take on 13 opponents!
<Pose Tracker> Utena Tenjou [Ohtori Academy (9)] has posed. <SoundTracker> Battle On The Ice https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyDKezDLGTM
The... door?... seems all but impenetrable. Kasagami's petals (which are knocked somewhat off-course by the infuriated bucking of a deeply cheesed-off Vixen) hardly raise a scratch, and the Pretty Cure and Poissonnier who try to smack it directly are instantly acutely aware that the surface is really, really cold and eager to claim hands, feet, sticks, and anything else it touches. Frost races up Ladybug's yo-yo string, too, and starts to infect Steven's shield and Garnet's gauntlet with chilling speed.
Thunderbolts, fiery missiles, gusts of wind and pages and petals, if they leave a mark, it's awfully difficult to tell. Part of this is because of the freezing rain that starts pouring down, filling the air even more fully with icy misery than it was before.
And it's amid this chaos that, gradually, the truth becomes clear. If nothing else, all the momentum of the many attacks seems to, gradually, cause the circle to turn -- not within its own plane, but perpendicularly. It's desperately difficult to make out details given the storm, but there, snapping out in exaggerated slow motion, is a head of purest obsidian. Cheerful -- jolly? -- golden and red light leaks from that gaping maw. There's no sign of any eyes, though they may be closed, still.
There are four absolutely massive limbs, too... long and chunky, yet coming to graceful and deadly-sharp points. Fins.
As the immense black turtle in the sky slowly becomes horizontal instead of vertical, it also becomes apparent that the shell everyone was wailing on -- while dangerous to touch, admittedly -- is plenty large enough to battle on if someone wanted to.
COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has used Hungry Frost on Cure Passion. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has used Hungry Frost on Cure Fortune. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has used Hungry Frost on Kuniko Saito. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has used Hungry Frost on Ladybug. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has used Hungry Frost on Steven Universe. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has used Hungry Frost on Cure Bloom. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has used Hungry Frost on Garnet. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has used Freezing Rain on Akemi Kimura. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has used Freezing Rain on Hikaru Shidou. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has used Freezing Rain on Fuu Hououji. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has used Freezing Rain on Lera Camry. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has used Freezing Rain on Sailor Jupiter. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has used Freezing Rain on Kasagami Araki. COMBAT: Cure Fortune perfectly braces Utena Tenjou's Hungry Frost, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Brace! COMBAT: Cure Bloom narrowly braces Utena Tenjou's Hungry Frost, taking 2 Fatigue damage! Cure Bloom's Block ability activates! Trap applied to Cure Bloom! COMBAT: Ladybug narrowly counters Utena Tenjou's Hungry Frost, taking 5 Fatigue damage! Ladybug's Reverse ability activates! Ladybug's Tactician ability activates! Trap applied to Ladybug! COMBAT: Ladybug's counterattack, Around The World, interrupts, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Utena Tenjou! COMBAT: Steven Universe narrowly braces Utena Tenjou's Hungry Frost, taking 10 Fatigue damage! Steven Universe's Block ability activates! Steven Universe's Parry ability activates! Trap applied to Steven Universe! COMBAT: Lera Camry narrowly dodges Utena Tenjou's Freezing Rain, taking 22 Fatigue damage! Lera Camry's Fade ability activates! Lera Camry's Flash ability activates! Stun applied to Lera Camry! COMBAT: Cure Passion fails to dodge Utena Tenjou's Hungry Frost, taking 18 Fatigue damage! Trap applied to Cure Passion! COMBAT: Kasagami Araki narrowly dodges Utena Tenjou's Freezing Rain, taking 14 Fatigue damage! Kasagami Araki's Fade ability activates! Kasagami Araki's Flash ability activates! Stun applied to Kasagami Araki! COMBAT: Paper Heart Guardian Michiko narrowly braces Utena Tenjou's Freezing Rain, taking 8 Fatigue damage! Paper Heart Guardian Michiko's Block ability activates! Paper Heart Guardian Michiko's Parry ability activates! COMBAT: Fuu Hououji narrowly dodges Utena Tenjou's Freezing Rain, taking 12 Fatigue damage! Fuu Hououji's Fade ability activates! Fuu Hououji's Flash ability activates! Stun applied to Fuu Hououji! COMBAT: Kuniko Saito narrowly braces Utena Tenjou's Hungry Frost, taking 2 Fatigue damage! Kuniko Saito's Block ability activates! Kuniko Saito's Parry ability activates! Trap applied to Kuniko Saito! COMBAT: Hikaru Shidou narrowly braces Utena Tenjou's Freezing Rain, taking 5 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Hikaru Shidou's Block ability activates! Hikaru Shidou's Parry ability activates! Stun applied to Hikaru Shidou! COMBAT: Garnet fails to dodge Utena Tenjou's Hungry Frost, taking 19 Fatigue damage! Trap applied to Garnet!
<Pose Tracker> Cure Passion [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
"I'm surprised!" Passion said back to Lera at the time. To Sky didn't look, but Lera could see the smile in her voice. "I've done my very best!" A pause, and while Setsuna doesn't make much expression, she still says quietly, "...All that matters is that you're okay."
On Dancer's back sees another moment, and at Jupiter's joke, Passion tilts her head. "Fancy...? Why is it fancy?" ...Jokes are not really Cure Passion's strong suit, either.
In the air, travelling with Cure Bloom, Passion turns her head a little more to the side, "It's amazing!" A pause. "We--All right!" She worries for her a moment but...
But then the big circle is so hard to punch through; Cure Passion punches and punches and finds soon that it's so cold it makes her hands ache, gives her a sharp pain that makes her wonder if she's just tearing up her knuckles until the thing tries to... absorb her hands. She tries to yank away quickly, but the grip is too tight. "Aaaah--!" With a noise of pain she wrenches her hands and now arms free, but not without cost; it's so cold that it burns her, makes her cross her arms to warm them instinctively. She still feels slow, like the chill went all the way through her body, like it's sticking to her somehow. "Ugh... We have to..."
"For the reindeer," she murmurs to herself, and sits back up. It as painful, difficult, awful to strike it.
So obviously Cure Passion springs up, doing a handspring despite the pain and swinging up with both feet--Only to swing past, and land lightly with her fist outstretched, slamming upward hard before she falls right back onto the reindeer, hopefully too fast this time to get stuck.
COMBAT: Cure Passion has used Flash Feint on Utena Tenjou.
<Pose Tracker> Kasagami Araki [Ohtori Academy (10)] has posed.
Arms cross! "They're still just Reindeer! Plus, we saved them, someone should be grateful!" Calls out Kasagami to Ladybug. Someone's cruising for a bucking!
It should be noted, of course, that the cake was both delicious and sugary. Maybe even just a touch of coffee for the caffeine. Truly, Kasagami is a demon.
But as the freezing rain beats down, Kasagami finally has to yield somewhat to the elements. She has a wild ride too! After a hard glare to her less-than-loyal steed, the young mahou flicks off her coat in one hand, using it like some kind of shield against the oncoming freeze! Even so, the battering cold does hit some of her face. Her teeth are already chattering!
Kasagami leans over, wipes away frost, and grins to Vixen. "Thanks for the ride, Vixy! We should have tea some time!" With a wink, as that giant turtle turns upright in the sky, Kasagami puts one foot on an antlet, and then leaps off into the air.
Chances are, Kasagami has not gained a friend tonight.
As she lands, Kasagami doesn't hesitate! Clearly this giant turtle is the cause of everything! And so, her first instinct is to test just how hard that shell really is! Taking up her blade in both hands, she quite simply uses all of her strength to try to stab straight down past shell and into whatever magical evil soft squishy center she bets is inside!
COMBAT: Kasagami Araki has used Turtle Stab on Utena Tenjou. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou narrowly dodges Cure Passion's Flash Feint, taking 9 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Cure Passion is Psyched! Utena Tenjou's Flash ability activates! COMBAT: Utena Tenjou narrowly braces Kasagami Araki's Turtle Stab, taking 4 Fatigue damage! Utena Tenjou's Block ability activates!
<Pose Tracker> Garnet [None] has posed.
Garnet's punch connects with a solid smash! A lot more solid than she was expecting... much more than even this kind of barrier should be...
Luckily or unlikely, she had more than enough time to wait for the reveal of the black turtle-like monster, as its frost magic had firmly stuck her gauntlet to its side! As soon as she felt it made contact it was too late, and the dreadful cold tore upwards painfully into her body. "Agh!"
She wants to recoil, but her other arm full of heroic child, she does her best to resist the motion, and concentrates to arc electricity through her stuck gauntlet, trying to create enough heat and motion to loosen it and pull free!
<Pose Tracker> Lera Camry [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.
<Something I remembered.> Sky's answer to Lera's question is a little belated. Lera looks down at her sword-device, floating in midair, with widened eyes. She stares at it for a moment, before she nods slowly.
But, that magic...
She recognizes it. She can't say for sure -- and she can't stop to think too hard about that in midair, as the thing -- a great turtle -- is turning. She gets a look at the head, even as the freezing rain pelts her and sends shivers up and down her spine. Her Barrier Jacket can't keep her dry.
Lera watches Setsuna drop down. She glances back at Jupiter -- and then at Cure Bloom. "Senpai?" she repeats to herself with a blink -- and sees Setsuna dive in, with some impressive (if dangerous) acrobatics. Lera decides to follow, swinging Sky back over her shoulder. A red-orange magical triangle appears before her, spinning.
<Regenschauer!>
Fiery light dances up Soaring Sky's blade. Lera swings it back -- striking down at the shell, before she zips by, then comes in again, and again. She becomes a brilliant, fast blur of blows, and each leaves a streak of energy in its wake.
COMBAT: Lera Camry has used Regenschauer on Utena Tenjou. COMBAT: Garnet has used Geofeedback! on Utena Tenjou. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou narrowly dodges Garnet's Geofeedback!, taking 15 Fatigue damage! Utena Tenjou's Flash ability activates! COMBAT: Utena Tenjou narrowly braces Lera Camry's Regenschauer, taking 24 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Utena Tenjou's Block ability activates!
<Pose Tracker> Fuu Hououji [Infinity Institute (9)] has posed.
So there actually IS a hole in the sky ... and the hole is full of turtle. Fuu's first thought, somewhat predictably (depending on who you are, perhaps), is a certain turtle kaiju - but no, THAT giant turtle would ... probably not be trying to freeze them to death. Except -
Okay, the golden light just doesn't fit. And she's no longer sure how much good arrows or elemental wind attack spells are going to do. Best to focus on what she CAN do to aid her allies, and look for better indications of how she can assist the fight ... if the fight is the important part of what they're doing. This feels like a 'puzzle' situation to her at the moment.
Of course, being able to see clearly what's going on would probably help too.
"Winds of Healing!!" the green-clad Magic Knight calls out, enfolding herself and her red-clad ally in a balmy, warming, restorative breeze. Garnet is close enough for the Wind Knight to enfold her in the spell as well, and easy enough to see despite the winds lashing at all of them with various forms of wintry precipitation.
COMBAT: Fuu Hououji has used Winds of Healing on Fuu Hououji. COMBAT: Fuu Hououji has used Winds of Healing on Hikaru Shidou. COMBAT: Fuu Hououji has used Winds of Healing on Garnet. COMBAT: Fuu Hououji accepts Fuu Hououji's Winds of Healing, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Cleanse! All of Fuu Hououji's debuffs are cleared! COMBAT: Garnet accepts Fuu Hououji's Winds of Healing, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Cleanse! All of Garnet's debuffs are cleared!
<Pose Tracker> Cure Fortune [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
Cure Fortune hits the disc, and even through her gloves she can feel the cold. She doesn't break off, though, not even when the rain falls upon her. It's cold, too, as much as the disc is. But she shivers to try and maintain her warmth, and when the disc reveals its actual form, Fortune just lands on the shell for a moment.
It's still really cold.
She actually starts to hop up and down, left foot then right foot, as she tries to keep herself from being really cold. She looks down to her mirror, and gets an idea.
"No, not yet." She grits through her teeth, as she tries to just punch the shell again, as hard as she can.
COMBAT: Cure Fortune has used Fortunate Punch on Utena Tenjou. COMBAT: Hikaru Shidou accepts Fuu Hououji's Winds of Healing, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Cleanse! All of Hikaru Shidou's debuffs are cleared! COMBAT: Utena Tenjou fails to dodge Cure Fortune's Fortunate Punch, taking 23 Fatigue damage!
<Pose Tracker> Paper Heart Guardian Michiko [Juuban Public School (8)] has posed.
Michiko's attack did almost nothing, and now she is being pelted with searing cold rain. She lost concentration on the Tome of Shielding so it had faded, and she doesn't have the time to bring it back. Instead, she summons dozens of sheets very similar to those she attacked with, but instead formed an umbrella-like barrier to protect her. Unfortunately, she wasn't quite quick enough even so, taking a bit of damage from the icy burn of the rain.
She stares at her attacker, her target, and grows wide-eyed. "Wh-what...what IS that," she asks with a panic in her voice. "That..." her scared face shifts into a more calm, more blank face. "What..is...that...hm... best to try to find out, or at least how to deal with it." She places a hand on her Circlet's gem, her other hand still firmly clasped to the reindeer. Unfortunately, that means she has to let go of her rod which begins to fall - then vanish as the circlet gem glows, along with her green eyes. "Circlet of Wisdom."
COMBAT: Paper Heart Guardian Michiko has used Circlet of Wisdom on Utena Tenjou. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou fails to dodge Paper Heart Guardian Michiko's Circlet of Wisdom, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Analysis performed by Paper Heart Guardian Michiko!
<Pose Tracker> Hikaru Shidou [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
If there's one thing the Fire Knight can count on, it's her ally coming to her aid when she needs it. The Wind Knight's magic helps the Fire Knight get back into the game, especially after another hard hit occurred against her just now. She finds herself returning to her senses in spite of the pain and grips her sword tightly. "We will win! We will triumph!"
The Fire Knight then rushes at her target and, this time, tries nothing fancy at all. Instead, it's just an attempt to strike with her trusty sword. Sometimes, the simplest of things are the best of things!
COMBAT: Hikaru Shidou has used Sword Slash on Utena Tenjou. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou perfectly dodges Hikaru Shidou's Sword Slash, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Dodge! Utena Tenjou's Flash ability activates!
<Pose Tracker> Ladybug [Juuban Public School (8)] has posed.
As her yo-yo whips back towards her, Ladybug starts in alarm as she sees the creeping frost running over it. "Careful - that's not just cold, it's some kind of ice that's spread- yaaa!" For lack of any better ideas, she pulls hard on the string to send her rimed-over yo-yo into a wild spin. Normally, she might use a trick like this to block something that was coming towards her; right now, she's just trying to shake off that creeping frost before it reaches her hand.
Even being this close to it puts a chill in her bones - she's already feeling sluggish, barely holding onto the brave reindeer - but it works. With a crack that sounds like a tree splitting in the dead of winter, the ice shears off to plummet to the world below. Where it lands, no one knows - maybe some expensive parked car? Oh, to dream.
The disc of Ladybug's weapon lands back in the palm of her hand, and she shakes it as if to throw off the chill. She's about to comment aloud, suggest trying...something, anything else...when the turning of the circle gets her attention. It's not some mass of ice, it's... "A turtle?! What in the world is a turtle doing in the - ah, careful!" Dasher's lunge to the left, to avoid the freezing rain, comes as a shock - but it brings her a little closer to the others in the air. Clinging to the side of a reindeer with as much dignity as she can muster, she offers a brief wave to most of the others.
And a furrowed brow at Kasagami. "We'll see what kind of gifts you get this year, then..." To the rest, though, that awkward wave. "Ladybug, here. I'm...really hoping that this isn't one of my usual opponents, whoever's behind this has gone too far. Something's off, though..." She glances back at the turtle, noticing its maw's cheerful glow...
Ideas flash through her mind, little details putting together, and she has something that looks like at least the edges of a puzzle. "I think this little turtle might have eaten something it wasn't supposed to! Either way, it's worth taking a look - merci beaucoup, Dasher!" It's not that there's no time for hesitation - it's just that there's far more important things at stake. Ladybug leaps, briefly left suspended in the open air, looking at that monstrous shelled creature. A bit of red in the stormy night - and then she hurls her yo-yo out in a straightforward trajectory at one of the fins. Or rather, just past - to hook on it, and allow her to swing towards the sky-flying beast's underside.
It's risky, but since when are her plans not? Swinging around to fly up from beneath, suddenly kicking at either belly or neck....well, that ought to catch it by some kind of surprise, right? "Time to show us just what you've been eating, not-so-little tortoise!"
COMBAT: Ladybug has used Breakaway on Utena Tenjou. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou narrowly braces Ladybug's Breakaway, taking 8 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Utena Tenjou's Block ability activates!
<Pose Tracker> Kuniko Saito [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.
"Oh, Jupiter! It's me!" Kuniko calls to Jupiter. The Italy-flag sky mask may be concealing her, but she waggles her fingers vigorously. That was before she ended up shattering her good sharpening stick to flinders and nearly freezing her hand off against that lens -
No - Shell?
"You've got to be kidding me," Kuniko says aloud, even as ice-cold rain pours onto her. Her jacket is water-resistant, at least, but it freezes nonetheless; she clings closer to Donner, feeling that chill sink in deeper and more steadily to her core. That giant HEAD -
Kuniko straightens up. "Jupiter! Cure Fortune, everyone! Something's in its mouth! I'm gonna get it to open it!"
Her head then tilts down. Fast motion is needed.
Pork is chopped and gently seasoned. Boiled. Mashed, mixed with some kuzu starch and formed into fat loose spheres. Wrapped in layers of cabbage. Steamed again, while something else is prepared... And the delectable high protein treat is plated, firmly and emphatically, upon a split head of... Iceberg lettuce.
"COME ON! We're both in the delivery business! Get me near to that head, Donner--" Kuniko is almost thrown by the swift response, but neither she nor the impromptu TURTLE TAMING HIGH PROTEIN GREEN TREAT CABBAGE ROLL service platter quite spill out.
The sheer force of Terroir in the cabbage rolls mean that they steam, defiant of the chill for at least a few moments, as Kuniko sends them streaking across the mighty chelonian's nose.
COMBAT: Kuniko Saito has used Turtle Taming High Protein Green Treat Cabbage Roll on Utena Tenjou. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou narrowly braces Kuniko Saito's Turtle Taming High Protein Green Treat Cabbage Roll, taking 12 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Utena Tenjou's Block ability activates! COMBAT: Sailor Jupiter fails to counter Utena Tenjou's Freezing Rain, taking 29 Fatigue damage! Stun applied to Sailor Jupiter! COMBAT: Sailor Jupiter's counterattack, Rainzapping, fails to get through, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Utena Tenjou!
<Pose Tracker> Steven Universe [Juuban Public School (5)] has posed.
With extra reach (thanks to Garnet!) Steven wails on the wall of ice as hard as he can! ...but sadly only a few ice chips come off, and is almost entirely unscathed. It actually feels like something else, interestingly enough! "I'm not making any prog-- ahh!"
A casing of crost had begun to form on Steven's shield, but had thought it no mind. Even when it mostly encased the front, the shield is not physically connected to him. But alarm struck when the growing frost somehow jumped to him. The bite of sudden, sheer cold causes him to retract. The boy is forced to will away the shield, and quickly shake off the growing frost. "S-S-So cold! Be careful, everyone!" he calls out.
It takes some effort, but Steven calls another shield to his arm, though it seems to have winded him some. He breathes into his scarf, or one of them, rather, to keep from inhaling sub-freezing air.
After catching his breath, he looks up to see the group not fighting a wall of ice, but some kind of... sky turtle?! "Badguuuuuy!" he yells, pointing at it. "You! Mean turtle thing! You need to stop doing the storm thing!"
He doesn't even know if it can hear him over the weather whirling about. "But we will find a way to stop you!"
COMBAT: Steven Universe has used AND STEVEN! on Utena Tenjou. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou narrowly counters Steven Universe's AND STEVEN!, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Steven Universe is Psyched! Utena Tenjou's Reverse ability activates! COMBAT: Utena Tenjou's counterattack, LOUD TURTLE VOICE, partially gets through, doing 14 Fatigue damage to Steven Universe!
<Pose Tracker> Sailor Jupiter [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
Jupiter recognizes Ladybug, too, of course--she's not *entirely* convinced she *isn't* secretly Michiru Kaioh, though she's less sure of that now than she was before--but the storm being as fierce as it is, she can barely make her out in the crowd. Case in point, she's completely missed Kuniko up until now, when Kuniko draws her attention by shouting her way. She brightens and waves back. "Kuniko! Didn't see you there! Hard to see anything in this rain--"
Which seems like something that needs doing about! Unfortunately, her attempts to channel the lightning still crackling around her tiara rod to zorch raindrops out of the air don't quite work out the way she'd hoped; instead, she gets drenched in freezing rain. Don't mind her chattering teeth. Jupiter's not looking too pleased by this development. At least Blitzen seems to be hanging in there okay, and she pats the reindeer's head. "Y-you d-doin' all r-r-right?" she asks, just in case.
But as Kuniko zeroes in to try to get the turtle to open its mouth, she shouts, "R-right!" Got to follow up with an attack of her own... It's hard to think with all this chill turning her brain to slush, so--why not warm things up with the flowers of spring? That's where Jupiter's logic takes her as she twirls an arm over her head, being unable to twirl full-body upon the back of a reindeer. "FLOWER... HURRICANE!!" she shouts, sending a barrage of flower petals forward towards the turtle's shell. Even if they don't necessarily do a lot of damage, they might end up sticking that shell and making it safer for the others to attack by buffering against the cold. It sure ought to help buffer *Jupiter* against this cold--she hopes!
<Pose Tracker> Cure Bloom [Infinity Institute (8)] has posed.
Cure Bloom slams home and REALLY QUICKLY REGRETS IT, ACTUALLY. "Cold! Cold! Ahh! Why don't these have leggings!?" she whines, as the blasting, biting wind cuts at her. She starts to fall, because she works sort of like an airplane, honestly, and lashes out with a hand to catch the back of Dancer's saddle, forcing herself back up into a straddle as she tries to rub her hands along her arms to warm up. Her fingertips sting with a weird, burning cold she's not familiar with, the energy bolt she forced into the frozen sky having proved little protection against the cold. But then...It's...turning?
"Did...did Santa get eaten by a flying snow turtle!?" Cure Bloom demands of the sky. She sets herself, hopping back up to her feet. "Can't...stay back," she tells herself, as warm light rushes up her legs. "Sempai!" she adds, calling out to alert Cure Passion of her coming - and then blasting upward, swinging down toward the megaturtle with an outstretched foot full of Pretty Cure power!
MAYBE THIS ONE WILL FREEZE LESS
COMBAT: Cure Bloom has used Bloom Strikes on Utena Tenjou. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou narrowly dodges Cure Bloom's Bloom Strikes, taking 4 Fatigue damage! Utena Tenjou's Flash ability activates!
<Pose Tracker> Utena Tenjou [Ohtori Academy (9)] has posed. <SoundTracker> Danse Macabre https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyknBTm_YyM
So, to recap, at the heart of the worst winter storm in living memory is a football field-length black turtle, with sickly green runes snaking around its fins and across its back. It's definitely controlling the weather, but its gaping maw and massive, sharp fins are also a going concern, as is the fact that its shell is so cold that it freezes most anything on impact.
It's the winds that push Passion's kick, Bloom's punch and Hikaru's sword aside, and somehow seem to absorb Garnet's lightning, dispersing it relatively harmlessly -- though it does free her gauntlet. Fortune feels the air fighting her, too, but she punches straight through it, and, finally, makes a fist-sized dent in the shell. The dent remains very solid, though... no hopeful cracking further down the icy surface. Kasagami and Lera's stabs and slashes raise similarly teeny marks, and the snow in the air sticks, freezing it back over almost instantly. It's hard to tell whether this is genuine regeneration or just a sort of chilly band-aid. If the shell is made of ice, is there a meaningful difference?
Not everyone takes the direct approach, though. Michiko concentrates on the turtle, and can see with great clarity that it's a lot tougher than it is fast, and, perhaps more importantly, that it is, in some way, corruptive or corrupted -- though given that it's a giant floating turtle rather than a normal theoretically innocent human, it's hard to tell which. Either way, a presence of purest evil suffuses its form, painful to observe directly, tear-stinging, heart-gripping.
That's a pretty succinct description of its voice, too. Steven yells, and the turtle yells back. Pure sonic hell emerges from... somewhere, since its maw doesn't actually bother to open. Magic, oy.
<< I CANNOT. >>
This is a bone-rattling experience, right under the ears, stabbing the temples and the base of the spine. It's like those two words were laced with so much pain that it had be shared.
But others are determined to make that mouth move, and teamwork and ingenuity win the day; Ladybug kicks at the neck, getting its attention such that it's facing just the right way to maximize the sight and smell of Kuniko's splendid turtle treat. Whatever this beast is, it is apparently enough real turtle to find that cabbage irresistable... though it briefly tries to avoid it, it emits a pained (and painful) sound upon the whiff of Jupiter's flowers further perfuming the air, the sound of someone's diet being ruined, before stretching that neck out further and OMMMMMM its maw is opening to crunch munch munch--
--but it's still open in the moment, and radiating more of those golden, red and white sparkles. Now seems like a good time to remark that at full extension, that opening is at least three Ladybugs (or two Garnets) tall.
However, it's also worth remarking that there's a city of almost forty million people below, and this turtle is throwing out storm faster than ever. There is plenty to do outside, trying to stop all that snow, ice and misery from making it to the ground. Considering how beleagured Tokyo is already, it is probably life-and-death for someone, or many someones, down there.
COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has used LOUD TURTLE VOICE on Cure Bloom. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has used LOUD TURTLE VOICE on Sailor Jupiter. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has used LOUD TURTLE VOICE on Kuniko Saito. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has used LOUD TURTLE VOICE on Ladybug. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has used LOUD TURTLE VOICE on Hikaru Shidou. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has used LOUD TURTLE VOICE on Paper Heart Guardian Michiko. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has used LOUD TURTLE VOICE on Cure Fortune. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has used LOUD TURTLE VOICE on Fuu Hououji. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has used LOUD TURTLE VOICE on Lera Camry. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has used LOUD TURTLE VOICE on Garnet. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has used LOUD TURTLE VOICE on Kasagami Araki. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has used LOUD TURTLE VOICE on Cure Passion. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou has used Tinnitus on Steven Universe. COMBAT: Ladybug narrowly braces Utena Tenjou's LOUD TURTLE VOICE, taking 13 Fatigue damage! Ladybug's Block ability activates! Ladybug's Parry ability activates! COMBAT: Cure Passion narrowly braces Utena Tenjou's LOUD TURTLE VOICE, taking 6 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Cure Passion's Block ability activates! Cure Passion's Parry ability activates! COMBAT: Paper Heart Guardian Michiko perfectly braces Utena Tenjou's LOUD TURTLE VOICE, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Critical Brace! Paper Heart Guardian Michiko's Block ability activates! Paper Heart Guardian Michiko's Parry ability activates! Honoka Yukishiro walks over from Yamanote High City.
COMBAT: Kuniko Saito fails to dodge Utena Tenjou's LOUD TURTLE VOICE, taking 34 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! COMBAT: Cure Fortune fails to dodge Utena Tenjou's LOUD TURTLE VOICE, taking 39 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! COMBAT: Honoka Yukishiro transforms into Belly of the Beast! COMBAT: Garnet perfectly dodges Utena Tenjou's LOUD TURTLE VOICE, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Critical Dodge! Garnet's Fade ability activates! Garnet's Flash ability activates! COMBAT: Kasagami Araki narrowly braces Utena Tenjou's LOUD TURTLE VOICE, taking 5 Fatigue damage! COMBAT: Cure Bloom narrowly dodges Utena Tenjou's LOUD TURTLE VOICE, taking 23 Fatigue damage! COMBAT: Fuu Hououji fails to dodge Utena Tenjou's LOUD TURTLE VOICE, taking 36 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! COMBAT: Hikaru Shidou fails to brace Utena Tenjou's LOUD TURTLE VOICE, taking 25 Fatigue damage!
<Pose Tracker> Kasagami Araki [Ohtori Academy (10)] has posed.
Passion gets a glance as she lands, and...is freezing solid! Well, Kasagami might be a jerkish member of the student council,but she's still a gentlewoman! And so, there's a black coat flicked clear of ice, and then settles around Passion's shoulders!
"Can't save Christmas if you're an icicle." A smile, a wink, and...is there a rose in Passion's hair now? Definitely. Ohtori red, this one.
As for Ladybug? Kasagami closes her eyes, and tilts her head up just enough for her nose to perk up. Sorry Ladybug, it seems this mahou is currently unrepentent! Maybe she'll get a solid piece of coal this year.
Oh god Loud Turtle Voice! Kasagami instantly falls down at that massive voice, both hands plugging her ears quickly! She even shoves her scarf up around her poor ears! And so, now nicely deafened, we have one very, very angry Kassie-chan!
Somewhere in the midst of barely muffled Ear Splitting Pain, Kasagami spies that open mouth. And then, with a sucking breath to gather her courage, she stands up a strikes a pose! Her nodachi held out with one hand, she points the tip at that gaping turtle maw!
"Fine, you're strong! But you can't stop the joy of Christmas from arriving at Ohtori! I won't allow it! And since you refuse to stop this horrible freeze..."
She takes a massive leap, does a single flip in the air, and then crashes down into that maw with a single, hard-booted axe-kick to thing's obsidian head for good measure! Her boot might not crack it, but hopefully the torrent of roses that tries to halt that snow-storm-breath for a moment will help! Or at least give it one horrible case of allergies!
COMBAT: Steven Universe fails to brace Utena Tenjou's Tinnitus, taking 8 Fatigue damage! COMBAT: Kasagami Araki has used Thorns of the Bloody Rose on Honoka Yukishiro. COMBAT: Honoka Yukishiro perfectly braces Kasagami Araki's Thorns of the Bloody Rose, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Critical Brace!
<Pose Tracker> Cure Fortune [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
Cure Fortune stands back up from the punch. As she continues standing and doing the hop-hop-it's-cold dance on the shell, the turtle speaks, the cacophony piercing through everything that Cure Fortune is. It rattles her bones, she can feel it rattle her bracer and mirror.
Wait! The mirror!
Fortune suddenly grabs it and opens it. "Time to change!" She slips two cards into the mirror. "Pine Arabian!" A burst of purple light later, Fortune now wears her Arabian dress. On the bright side, she's wearing longer pants and has a lot more hair, so she's a lot warmer than before. That's good!
It helps, though not as much as she'd like against the cold.
She still dances anyway with a little bit of a shiver. As she twirls and twirls, sand is starting to get all around the area, as she tries to warm up the area and try to slow it down somehow. Or possibly just annoy it.
Perhaps none of that will work out, but there's one thing that's clear as day: there's a lot of sand on the turtle right now, and it is spreading around.
COMBAT: Cure Fortune transforms into Pine Arabian! COMBAT: Cure Fortune has used Sand: Coarse, Rough, Gets Everywhere on Utena Tenjou.
<Pose Tracker> Kuniko Saito [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.
Well, it's opened its mouth. Even as it speaks.
IT CANNOT - Kuniko's teeth rattle - the pain of such shouting is buffered only by the fact that she's heard similar volumes in the past. Rarely, yes, but a certain rabbit can get a certain volume and the effect is near enough that she does not think her ears are bleeding... not much, anyway...
Either way there is still that light within. "Come on, we can't stop here," she mutters to Donner even as she gives Jupiter a sideways look, a momentary thumbs up, and a pointing forward of the finger. And then she reaches her hand into somewhere else --
Her approach through the gaping maw of the turtle is accompanied by a release of a handful of dolma! Which, while perhaps not as lusciously warm as a meaty treat wrapped in steamed green cabbage, are no doubt of appeal to a massive reptile.
Maybe it'll even like the lemon juice!
COMBAT: Kuniko Saito has used Yalanci Dolma on Honoka Yukishiro. COMBAT: Utena Tenjou narrowly dodges Cure Fortune's Sand: Coarse, Rough, Gets Everywhere, taking 14 Fatigue damage! Utena Tenjou's Flash ability activates! Exhausted applied to Utena Tenjou! COMBAT: Honoka Yukishiro narrowly braces Kuniko Saito's Yalanci Dolma, taking 3 Fatigue damage! Stun applied to Honoka Yukishiro!
<Pose Tracker> Steven Universe [Juuban Public School (5)] has posed.
Steven makes a bold claim to make the turtle stop. It backfires horribly. Surprising to the boy, it actually responds, and in the most painful voice manageable. THe kind of voice that immediately gives Steven a headache, causing him to clasp his mitts over his earmuffed ears-- yes, it is bad enough to go right through the earmuffs.
Though covering his ears, Steven does get to look into the creature's mouth. Why is it so colorful inside if it is bad? "Something is in its mouth! I think we needa go in! Cupid, please take us close!" Steven gets closer with the reindeer's help, he jumps into the maw, where others have already begun to gather. "Stay safe, Cupid!" he calls back, as he readies himself to begin attacking the mouth.
"Okay everyone! This thing may be big as a school, but we got what he doesn't! And that is Christmas spirit! Who is with me?!"
His words, despite suffering from intermittent teeth chattering, still fill those who hear it with inspiration.
COMBAT: Steven Universe has used Strong In The Real Way! on Garnet. COMBAT: Steven Universe has used Strong In The Real Way! on Fuu Hououji. COMBAT: Steven Universe has used Strong In The Real Way! on Kasagami Araki. COMBAT: Kasagami Araki accepts Steven Universe's Strong In The Real Way!, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Kasagami Araki is Cheered! COMBAT: Fuu Hououji accepts Steven Universe's Strong In The Real Way!, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Fuu Hououji is Cheered! COMBAT: Lera Camry fails to dodge Utena Tenjou's LOUD TURTLE VOICE, taking 27 Fatigue damage! COMBAT: Garnet accepts Steven Universe's Strong In The Real Way!, taking 0 Fatigue damage!
<Pose Tracker> Ladybug [Juuban Public School (8)] has posed.
A flying kick finds its mark - which, it seems, is just enough to get this giant turtle's attention. Ladybug stares at the size of that mouth, wondering if she's next on the menu - when salvation comes smelling delicious. Momentum carries her back around, finally alighting at the edge of the shell - at which point she kicks off, flips once, and gets slightly more secure footing. The chef gets a quick salute from the masked heroine in red, and-
-and everything ever seems to thrum at once with the pained voice of the behemoth. It rumbles in her ears, her bones, her very soul, and it's all she can do to keep from tumbling into oblivion.
The turtle's maw is open, and even from her perch Ladybug can see a glimpse of the light shining within. At the same time, she can feel the storm whipping around her, growing more and more dire with every passing moment. Indecision wars for a moment - to enter the belly of the beast, or to fight the weather itself? Ears still ringing, she muses aloud - maybe someone else will hear, maybe not. "You can't...what is keeping you from letting this be a happy day, little turtle?..."
She needs inspiration - so it's time to throw the dice and see if luck will carry the day. Twirling once, standing on one foot on an icy turtle high in the skies above Tokyo, Ladybug flings her yo-yo straight up to invoke its power. "Lucky Charm!" Crimson light shines in the air, like a flurry of lucky ladybugs to offset the snow and ice -
And in Ladybug's outstretched hands, a double armful red-and-black patterned sleigh bells lands.
Ladybug nearly buckles from the weight, staggering a couple of steps before regaining her balance. Stopping to stare for a moment, she hefts once, twice, making a cheerful little jangle-jangle. "What in the world am I supposed to do with this..." The storm is worsening, though; for the time being, she slings them over her shoulders as if to wear them like twin bandoliers. Sort of like a Christmas Rambo.
She's no closer to making a decision when there's a sudden surge of warmth, accompanied by sand covering the turtle's back. It's just that slightest hint of the desert, of summer, and it's the first real hope she can imagine of getting through this horrible chill...and then, she has an idea. Tentative, at first, but...
There's plenty of people going into the belly of the beast to try to find what's up; out here, the stakes are raising higher and higher. Ladybug gives them a salute as they go forth with courage, and calls out. "Good luck, all of you - we'll do what we can to hold off the storm out here!" It's a difficult decision, but...it feels right. In the end, that's what she has to trust, right?
Cure Fortune - or rather, Pine Arabian - might see a red-clad girl run past, down the turtle's shell. "Keep that up if you can - we need all the warmth we can get!" Reaching the tail, she looks right before she leaps - and, bells jangling, lands astride the circling, riderless Dasher.
"All right - it's worst near this thing, but we have to try to keep the storm...contained, as best we can! Just fly towards the bigger ice chunks, I'll do what I can!" She unslings her yo-yo, letting it sway idly for a moment - and then as girl and reindeer reach the nearest nexus of icy doom, she tries to -lasso- it with a toy that's more magic than weapon. Maybe it won't do much, maybe it will - bit by bit, piece by piece, trying to corral the worst of the storm back towards the turtle and the warmth.
As the bells she carries jingle and jangle, she thinks wildly. Can she come up with a real plan, or is she just trying to stall for time?
COMBAT: Ladybug has used Double Or Nothing on Utena Tenjou.
<Pose Tracker> Fuu Hououji [Infinity Institute (9)] has posed.
The Wind Knight considers the situation some more, even as she gets almost completely deafened by the turtle's roar; sure enough, the shell seems all but completely impenetrable. MAYBE there's a way to break it, but not quickly and not with the amount of power most of them can feasibly call upon ...
So if the turtle needs to be fought, or if there's something *inside* the turtle which needs to be fought (and that does seem somewhat more likely), then they'll have to go inside.
"I'm with you, Steven-san!" the Wind Knight calls out; she may have some trouble picking out the young boy's words, but his determination is evident and his spirit is just as clear. She guides her reindeer mount towards the turtle's head, taking a moment to judge distances and angles -
And her leap catches the wind at JUST the right angle, letting her 'dive' into the turtle's open mouth, past its teeth, and down its throat. Yep, it's downright colorful in here, and *bright* to boot. She'll need to thank Kuniko for luring the turtle's mouth open ...
Her only real question now is: where are the sparkles coming from?
She's tempted to start throwing magic around, but she holds off, trying to get a better sense of the situation BEFORE she begins casting magic, or swinging her sword, or what have you.
COMBAT: Fuu Hououji has used Let Me Take A Look on Honoka Yukishiro.
OOC: Regrettably the rest of this log is currently missing. If anyone has the rest, please fill it in!
