2014-11-18 - Tune In To Terror
| Title: Tune In To Terror | |
|---|---|
| Summary: DJ Dite's soothing voice is the jewel of the airwaves - but some nefarious fiend has hijacked his nightly show with energy-draining music! Fortunately, people are here to save him from- Wait. He's WHO!? | |
| Who: Sailor Moon, Sailor Jupiter, Tuxedo Mask, Prism Keeper Orange, Kuniko Saito, Ren Aizawa, Endo Naoki | |
| Where: Yamanote High City - Radio Station | |
| OOC - IC Date: 13 April 2014 - 11/18/2014 | |
<Pose Tracker> Jadeite [Infinity Institute (S)] has posed.
The streets are remarkably quiet tonight - traffic's light, the streetlamps are turned down low, and most of the pedestrian traffic is just sitting down to watch the stars. Jazzy music can be heard from many store loudspeakers; thanks to the popularity of the radio-exclusive hit single, 'The Kingdom Shall Return', more and more people are tuning in to the local stations in the hopes of hearing the next playthrough.
It's strange - for some reason, all attempts to record it have failed. Some new kind of DRM, maybe?
Or perhaps it's something more sinister. Those with mystically inclined analysis tools can tell that something's up with the song - some dread ritual written into the melody, the meter, the lyrics themselves. It's subtle, but repeated listening seems to gradually sap energy, to quench the will to take action.
Something might have gone wrong at the radio station. Fortunately, DJ Dite's evening show is open to the public - the famed radio host fond of having an audience. Even more fortunately, for once, the seats aren't all taken - even late arrivals can find room without much trouble.
Inside the radio station, the public viewing area overlooks a lavish recording booth. The handsome 'DJ Dite', fashionably attired in the latest style - or perhaps creating the next style - speaks into the microphone as the last observers make their way in. His voice is calm, endearing, almost hypnotic...
"Thank you once more to our sponsors. Good evening, Tokyo - and a very special good evening to those who are part of the studio audience tonight. We've had an enjoyable week together, taking in the new hit single, 'The Kingdom Shall Rise' - and I am so grateful the rest of you are enjoying it as much as I have. In a few minutes, I have a few letters I'd like to read out - but before that, let's all hear the song you've all been waiting for." With a grand flourish, he holds up the record - an old-school LP, of all things, and prepares to place it on the turntable. Most of the audience doesn't notice - the DJ himself doesn't notice this - but those willing to look can see a sickly green glow around the record. Can he be interrupted before the dread record is put on the air?
COMBAT: Mamoru Chiba has fully healed himself. COMBAT: Mamoru Chiba transforms into Tuxedo Mask!
<Pose Tracker> Usagi Tsukino [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE--"
"Sailor Moon."
"--a passionate revival of a classic medium beloved by our parents--"
"Sailor Moon."
"--forgive anyone who attempts to sabotage the increasing popularity of streaming internet radio--"
"SAILOR MOON."
"--the sailor-suited pretty soldier--whhhat Luna!"
Sailor Moon stands on the balcony overlooking the recording booth, balanced precariously on the railing. She is in the middle of posing with amazing fierceness. A black cat from space named Luna is perched on her shoulder, batting at her ear with a paw.
"Recording booths are soundproof," says Luna.
The blonde soldier considers this for several seconds, then lowers her head. Her bangs hide her eyes.
"Haha, ummm. I was, umm, practicing? Yes. Before we're on the air."
Luna rubs the crescent moon mark on her forehead with her paw and it is adorable. "Sailor Jupiter, please hurry and get us inside. We have to stop him from playing that record!"
COMBAT: Usagi Tsukino transforms into Sailor Moon!
<Pose Tracker> Reiko Touyama [Juuban Public School (5)] has posed.
Reiko Touyama doesn't have weird magical anayltical equipment. But she does have a magical red songbird that thinks something is up with the music Reiko listens to as she does homework late at night as she dreams about writing a letter to the music show someday. Not that she has anyone to write a letter about!
So she's come to the show, against Mom's wishes who didn't want her out tonight, but that's too bad, she went anyways and will probably catch hell later for it. She's in the audience and watching the handsome young man run his radio show and finding nothing off or anything about this all, really. What's so bad about this? Just some music.
But then he goes to reach for an old-style record and lifts it up, and it has some sort of sickly glow. What!? Doesn't he see that!? ..... doesn't anybody!? She looks around. No one nearby is reacting to it.
Wait, It's Sailor Moon! Yay! Sailor Moon will stop him from coming to harm! Her eyes go wide with wonder.
'Wait... is something wrong. Should I transform too!?' she thinks. She looks around and excuses herself to the back somewhere. She does this by crawing underneath the benches. It's weird.
She'll find a safe spot to transform. Just in case.
COMBAT: Reiko Touyama transforms into Prism Keeper Orange! COMBAT: Makoto Kino transforms into Sailor Jupiter!
<Pose Tracker> Sailor Jupiter [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
"Got it, Luna!" says a clear, confident voice from up on the balcony somewhere behind Sailor Moon. Never mind the particulars of how Luna meant for them to get into the booth - Makoto's got this.
A moment later, a streak of white and green and pink comes sailing off of the balcony, over the heads of any number of audience members. In an enormous flying leap, Sailor Jupiter hurtles down from on high, one arm extended in a palm-strike, a girl-sized meteor on a collision course with the glass of the recording booth.
She makes impact with a crash like a lightning strike, and the glass panes shatter in a fantastic cascade of a million tiny fragments.
On the bright side, the booth's soundproofing is definitely no longer an issue.
<Pose Tracker> Kuniko Saito [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.
EARLIER
"DJ Dite is amazing," says the somnolent Nijimura.
Kuniko clips him around the ear. "Are you chopping or standing here with -"
"DJ Dite is amazing," Nijimura repeats.
"What?"
"DJ Dite is amazing," Nijimura repeats.
"Who is this clown," Kuniko mutters, listening to one of Nijimura's earbud.
"Amazing," Nijimura says.
NOW
Poissonnier Kuniko kicks open an emergency exit door. "WHERE IS THIS -" She shuts up, seeing a 'broadcast in progress' light that is on.
Walking in sheepishly, her hands in her pockets, she catches sight of buns, orange, and the tallest of Senshi. She raises a hand and waves - her fingers curling as she whistles as Sailor Jupiter throws her... herself at the window, with titanic force.
Her eyes pivot towards the booth. She extends a hand to point accusingly at the DJ.
"What did you do to Nijimura?"
COMBAT: Kuniko Saito transforms into Poissonnier Kuniko!
<Pose Tracker> Tuxedo Mask [Ohtori Academy (12)] has posed.
Then, through the gaping hole in the wall provided by Sailor Jupiter, there's another streak: this one is of crackling red lightning-- it's the vivid contrail of a brilliant rose in full bloom, stem as hard and sharp as steel, beelining with incredible swiftness for the offensive record--!
It might hit the hand holding it, seeing as both are undoubtedly moving targets at the moment, but it's aimed at the vinyl disc.
"FOR THE RECORD..." booms Tuxedo Mask's voice from up where Sailor Moon was just speeching, and in lieu of sunglasses, he adjusts his mask, but there's a distinct pause for effect, "this part of the show was not intended to be performed before a live studio audience! Everyone OUT!"
<Pose Tracker> Ren Aizawa [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.
One of the aforementioned members of the studio audience happens to be Ren! She's there with a friend from school, Tomoko-chan, who is a big fan of DJ Dite. Obssessively so. Ren herself doesn't really listen to the program, but still feels a bit of excitement nevertheless. Seated near the front with a gaggle of enthusiastic fangirls, she smiles pleasantly, looking forward to an evening of smooth tunes and-
<THREAT HAS BEEN DETECTED.>
Souverain Heraut chimes in her head, causing her to jump. And it's around the same time that DJ Dite is about to play a very special record that all hell breaks loose in the form of Tokyo's magical defenders popping up -- seemingly all at the same time!
"Wha..." Ren mouths, then stands up to hurry off. To everyone it looks as though she's heeding Tuxedo Mask's evacuation order... But...
"SORTIE!"
Having found a nice hidden spot to transform in a dazzle of lights Ren returns, barrier jacket formed and scepter in hand. She's shiny!
<Pose Tracker> Endo Naoki [Juuban Public School (11)] has posed.
Endo can't keep track of how many times he's head this song. The perils of being a convenience story employee, with no right to change the station. Not that he did when nobody was around. Seriously it was a good song. At least, he thought, until the magical artifact he carries informed him that it was not the best for his health.
Which brought him here, along with Ren. He's just another face in the crowd, hands tucked into pockets, a pair of sunglasses perched on his nose. The most clever disguise. He would have got the one with the mustache, if not convinced otherwise.
When the DJ raises the record he pauses, glances at his partner, and then up. Up, up at Sailor Moon. Then, rather abruptly, down to the floor as he reflexively crouches down when a Jupiter-shaped bullet passes over the crowd, wincing visibly when the glass shatters.
"Do you think-" Oh. Ren's already transformed.
"Well, okay." He does too. He doesn't even try to hide it, a flare of purple light flashing around the boy before he's clad in armor. "Hey! You, up the-oh excuse me. Sorry. Exit orderly. Please move, I need to get through--"
COMBAT: Ren Aizawa transforms into Barrier Jacket! COMBAT: Endo Naoki has fully healed himself. COMBAT: Endo Naoki transforms into Barrier Jacket!
<Pose Tracker> Jadeite [Infinity Institute (S)] has posed.
The DJ's hand stays for just a moment - even though the booth itself is soundproof, a flash of blond hair catches his eye. He's a professional - disturbances in the audience are something to brush off because the show must go on. And yet - and yet, the appearance of Sailor Moon has him pausing for just a moment.
It's a long enough moment. Like a lightning bolt, Jupiter strikes - smashing apart the expensive soundproof glass in a raucous cacophony. The rose is even faster - neatly spearing the hole in the middle of the disk, and nailing it to the wall. Kuniko's fury brings a brief look of confusion; Tuxedo Mask's pun, a wince.
But he's a professional. The show is the priority, after all - he leans into the microphone, voice trembling. "To everyone out there - there's been a disturbance, and the Sailor Senshi have just arrived. We'll cut to commercial while this...while whatever's happening gets resolved." Even though he's trembling, he manages to hold it together long enough to hit the switch, cutting the microphones and cueing up a peppy advertising jingle.
The man then braces his hands against the table before him, standing slowly. His normally-sultry tone is rather ruined by the trembling - fear at a youma attack striking at his work place? "...I suppose I should be honoured. That disturbing music disc, played day after day - bringing the Senshi and their hangers-on, all here to help deal with the problem. To my studio, in person! But, now that I see you all here..."
He brings one hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose, and the shaking stops. Sharply, he brings his hand down - shadows washing out of the way in its wake, parting to reveal a more military uniform, a more familiar face. Eyes blazing with fury, Jadeite looks up at the assembled heroes. "...I find myself too furious for words. Nothing is adequate - save, perhaps repeating what I told you at Blackest Ink."
Green light shines in his hands, and he brings them together with a thunderous clap - a wave wafting through the area. In its wake, he moves swiftly forward, swinging a fist apiece at the midsections of Kuniko and Makoto. "That was the last victory you wretches will ever wrest from -me-."
COMBAT: Jadeite transforms into Jadeite! COMBAT: Jadeite has fully healed himself. He is now ready to take on 7 opponents! COMBAT: Jadeite has used The Devil You Know on Endo Naoki. COMBAT: Jadeite has used The Devil You Know on Ren Aizawa. COMBAT: Jadeite has used The Devil You Know on Tuxedo Mask. COMBAT: Kuniko Saito has fully healed herself. COMBAT: Jadeite has used The Devil You Know on Prism Keeper Orange. COMBAT: Jadeite has used Grand Melee on Sailor Jupiter. COMBAT: Jadeite has used The Devil You Know on Sailor Moon. COMBAT: Jadeite has used Grand Melee on Kuniko Saito. COMBAT: Jadeite has finished attacking. COMBAT: Prism Keeper Orange narrowly braces Jadeite's The Devil You Know, taking 4 Fatigue damage! Prism Keeper Orange's Block ability activates! Prism Keeper Orange's Parry ability activates! Tangle applied to Prism Keeper Orange! COMBAT: Kuniko Saito narrowly counters Jadeite's Grand Melee, taking 17 Fatigue damage! Jadeite is Psyched! Kuniko Saito's Reverse ability activates! COMBAT: Kuniko Saito's counterattack, Boning Knife, fails to get through, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Jadeite! COMBAT: Ren Aizawa narrowly braces Jadeite's The Devil You Know, taking 2 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Ren Aizawa's Block ability activates! Ren Aizawa's Parry ability activates! COMBAT: Endo Naoki narrowly braces Jadeite's The Devil You Know, taking 5 Fatigue damage! Tangle and Trap applied to Endo Naoki! COMBAT: Sailor Moon narrowly braces Jadeite's The Devil You Know, taking 4 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Sailor Moon's Parry ability activates! Tangle and Trap applied to Sailor Moon! COMBAT: Sailor Jupiter narrowly braces Jadeite's Grand Melee, taking 9 Fatigue damage! Sailor Jupiter's Block ability activates! Sailor Jupiter's Parry ability activates! COMBAT: Tuxedo Mask fails to dodge Jadeite's The Devil You Know, taking 10 Fatigue damage! Tangle and Trap applied to Tuxedo Mask!
<Pose Tracker> Sailor Moon [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
Sailor Moon looks sharply up to catch the sight of Jupiter's thunderfall. Her gloved hands go quickly to her cheeks, her eyes sparkling. "That's amazing!"
FWIP goes the rose, clack goes the record against the wall. Sailor Moon's eyes widen. "That is also amazing," she whispers. Luna scoffs so hard she falls off her shoulder, except cats can't fall so she lands neatly on the railing.
"Sailor Moon, pay attention. I sense the enemy!" she pleads.
Sailor Moon is busy waving at all the other magical girls. She glances back to Luna, expression uncomprehending. "Hm?"
Luna arches her back and hisses. Usagi wobbles on the railing, suddenly full of concern and empty of grace. She manages to stay balanced, kinda. "Luna-chan, are you--"
The pretty soldier follows Luna's gaze to the floor. If she was a cat, she'd be arching her back too--well, no, she'd probably be running away. She feels a deep, unreasoning, instinctual urge to do so. Her fists clench tight. Her face pales.
Jadeite.
Sailor Moon raises her arms to shield herself from the wave of dark sorcery. She grits her teeth, summoning up her memories to give her resolve. His attacks recently, his fellow uniformed men and their specific, personal cruelties, all the youma of the Dark Kingdom--she won't run. Not from him.
"Jadeite!"
The lunar warrior leaps from the balcony, falling with a rain of silvery stars, her moon wand spinning into her hand. She lands easily and traces a crescent in the air, then gestures accusingly.
"I don't care about victory!" she shouts, her voice breaking with emotion. Her thoughts don't make sense, but she has to get them out. "I only care about stopping you!"
COMBAT: Sailor Moon has used In The Name Of The Moon on Jadeite. COMBAT: Sailor Moon has finished attacking.
<Pose Tracker> Kuniko Saito [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.
Kuniko scoffs. "Hangers-on? They're the ones with ME, you shortbread-headed jacka--"
Oh he's coming right towards her.
Kuniko moves herself to face his onrushing form, but whether it's the hellish green light he releases in his rage or some other factor, Kuniko gambles that her knife would stick Jadeite right in his hand - possibly putting a gruesome, but effective, capstone on his magical abilities.
She gambles, and she loses. A fist hits her right in the breadbasket, and she is sent flying backwards with a 'whuff!!' of sheerest pain and dismay, smashing into an acoustically tiled wall hard enough to leave a Kuniko-shaped dent.
Sliding down, she breathes out. She slides to the ground, head tilted upwards, looking perhaps for a miracle. And while there are miracles in the air, the miracles that come from her hands are of an unusual nature.
Kuniko's mind thinks back... to last year's history of science course...
And then her head turns down towards Jadeite. "So you think you know radio?"
Her lips draw back in her fierce grin. "Then let's go on a tour -- through the history of pioneers of radio!!"
EARLIER: A paper is seen: history of the pioneres of radio, by k. saito (C+ - See me after class, Saito)
NOW: Straightening up, Kuniko says, "Let's start with something savory - and German! It's not my bag, but I can do it, and it's what Heinrich Rudolf Hertz would've wanted!!"
A dish is spun forwards towards Jadeite, with a couple smaller pieces moving out for incidental delight. The dish: a thin sliced piece of maguro, seasoned with salt and pepper and breaded before a light pan fry and a dollop of a creamy mushroom sauce!
If Jadeite doesn't care to dine on this trick, the Lafayette Exemption guarantees that the resulting explosion...
Hertz.
<Pose Tracker> Prism Keeper Orange [Juuban Public School (5)] has posed.
Prism Keeper Orange watches as JD Dite turns into Jadeite!? Nooo it can't be! (and perhaps it isn't! RI is weird!), but Prism Keeper Orange knows this jerk, he's the one who drained all those kids after that whole deal at that shrine! He did it while they were fighting a bigger threat!
"HEY YOU JERK!---"
Then the dark wave washes over all her and she feels all weird. Okay that was unpleasent.
Let's help her friends here not experience that unpleasentness as bad next time! She raises her wand high and---
Sailor Jupiter, Endo Naoki and Kuniko get protective swirling orange koi shields. Koi's protect people, you know. It's a magical fact.
Well. Maybe not! But right now it's true!
COMBAT: Kuniko Saito has used Tuna Jaegerschnitzel Tapas on Jadeite. COMBAT: Kuniko Saito has finished attacking. COMBAT: Prism Keeper Orange has used Radiant Orange Shield on Sailor Jupiter. COMBAT: Prism Keeper Orange has used Radiant Orange Shield on Kuniko Saito. COMBAT: Prism Keeper Orange has used Radiant Orange Shield on Endo Naoki. COMBAT: Prism Keeper Orange has finished attacking. COMBAT: Sailor Jupiter accepts Prism Keeper Orange's Radiant Orange Shield, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Withstand applied to Sailor Jupiter! COMBAT: Kuniko Saito accepts Prism Keeper Orange's Radiant Orange Shield, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Withstand applied to Kuniko Saito!
<Pose Tracker> Ren Aizawa [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.
Ren has never met Jadeite. But from the way he's dressed he /must/ be affiliated with that jerk who was slapping Dark Seals on people. What's his name again? She... can't recall it right now! But she's sure it's something nefarious and nasty sounding!
Either way, Jadeite is not happy about being interrupted. The wave he unleashes has her gasping and hastily hoisting up her device. It chimes again like before.
<PROTECTION.>
Golden light springs forth from the scepter, providing a shield for the magical girl in question. It cushions most of the incoming blow, though Ren is still pushed back into the wall behind her. Not enough to leave a dent or anything like that, mind you. For once.
Once the assault ends Ren rushes forward again, eyes immediately going to Endo. He seems ok more or less! She looks at everyone else too for good measure, eyes stopping for a moment longer on Sailor Moon. Oh! She remembers the sailor-suited guardian from the arcade! And... that's Sailor Jupiter, right? Ren recalls her too, along with Kuniko! Wow! So many familiar faces!
Cough. Alright. Not the time to get distracted. Although the way Sailor Moon gracefully sails into the air and lands trimphantly has her feeling pretty envious right about now. Cough again. Down to business for real now! She holds her device up, and it glimmers.
<REGAL CRASHER.>
And that's when a beam of energy explodes outward, heading for the jerk general.
COMBAT: Ren Aizawa has used Regal Crasher on Jadeite. COMBAT: Ren Aizawa has finished attacking.
<Pose Tracker> Sailor Jupiter [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
DJ Dite. Jay Dite. Jadeite. A quick-witted magical warrior might, at some point, have stopped to wonder about the similarity for a moment - if only to dimiss it thanks to the pervasive magical fog of recognition inhibition.
Sailor Jupiter is utterly floored.
She was beginning to extend an encouraging hand towards the blond DJ, ready to help get him out of harm's way as soon as he brought his broadcast to a stop, but at his sudden transformation Jupiter recoils, eyes wide with shock. She only just manages to shift her stance enough to catch some of the force of the swings at her; her breath chuffs out through her teeth at the impact.
"Think again, Jadeite," Jupiter snaps back fiercely. "We'll beat you down as many times as it takes!" Her words are punctuated by a sudden lunge of motion, a surge of deep-rooted strength that starts all the way down at the floor in the way that she braces her stance, rushing up from her hips through her spine and into her shoulder in one great burst. As the Prism Keeper's orange koi settle protectively around her, Sailor Jupiter's fist blazes with electricity, driving directly towards Jadeite's face.
COMBAT: Sailor Jupiter has used Lightning Fist on Jadeite. COMBAT: Sailor Jupiter has finished attacking. COMBAT: Jadeite narrowly dodges Sailor Moon's In The Name Of The Moon, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Sailor Moon is Psyched! Jadeite's Fade ability activates! Jadeite's Flash ability activates! Cripple, Diversion, and Trap applied to Jadeite! COMBAT: Jadeite narrowly braces Kuniko Saito's Tuna Jaegerschnitzel Tapas, taking 8 Fatigue damage! Stagger applied to Jadeite! COMBAT: Jadeite fails to dodge Ren Aizawa's Regal Crasher, taking 32 Fatigue damage! COMBAT: Jadeite fails to dodge Sailor Jupiter's Lightning Fist, taking 27 Fatigue damage! Sailor Jupiter is Psyched!
<Pose Tracker> Endo Naoki [Juuban Public School (11)] has posed.
"Watch out. Move!" Endo clears the crowd of fleeing bodies just in time to be met with the wash of green light spreading from the hands of the now unmasked Jadeite. The boy grits his teeth, wobbling and flailing around, nearly falling flat on his face. Thankfully, he has a giant sword to lean on before he does that.
One that criticizes his posture: "REMAIN UPRIGHT."
The orange light that swirls around him seems to encourage the boy enough to do so. "Actually, I...don't really know them." He confesses awkwardly.
"But--"
Purple runes form around his feet for just a second, and then he leaps. Why he didn't just do that to get out of the crowd, who knows. It's a jerky flight arc, but effective enough to send him sailing overheard, the sword in hand thrust forward and appearing to literally drag him along for the ride as it makes a bee-line for Jadite.
"I'm Endooooo!"
COMBAT: Endo Naoki accepts Prism Keeper Orange's Radiant Orange Shield, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Withstand applied to Endo Naoki! COMBAT: Endo Naoki has used Hi, I'm Endo on Jadeite. COMBAT: Endo Naoki has finished attacking. COMBAT: Jadeite narrowly dodges Endo Naoki's Hi, I'm Endo, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Jadeite's Fade ability activates! Jadeite's Flash ability activates!
<Pose Tracker> Tuxedo Mask [Ohtori Academy (12)] has posed.
The bolt of energy hits Tuxedo Mask as he's turning back to the action from a sidelong, twinkling-eyed glance at Sailor Moon for the compliment, and he falls off the balcony-- but off-the-cuff acrobatics can probably cover the fact that he's trying to catch his breath and his fingers are a little numb. So: he flings an arm out as he's tumbling to catch the edge, throwing his weight and swinging upward with the redirected momentum; a half-second later and he's crouched on the ledge again. Hell, maybe it even looked like a dodge.
He hopes it looked like a dodge.
Luckily for him, this means he doesn't miss Sailor Moon's graceful descent--
After a half-second, he wrests his gaze back toward the rest of the developing mess and gives it a critical once-over. "Well done, Poissionier! Better than just Marconi to go with his cheese~"
And then he straightens up again and leaps down to the ground floor, calling out, "Sailor Moon! Sailor Jupiter! Let's take him off the air for good!" Did he just--
Yeah he did. That was a wink. A conspiratorial wink, but a wink nonetheless.
COMBAT: Tuxedo Mask has used Tuxedo Night on Kuniko Saito. COMBAT: Tuxedo Mask has used Tuxedo Night on Sailor Moon. COMBAT: Tuxedo Mask has used Tuxedo Night on Sailor Jupiter. COMBAT: Tuxedo Mask has finished attacking. COMBAT: Kuniko Saito accepts Tuxedo Mask's Tuxedo Night, taking 0 Fatigue damage! COMBAT: Sailor Jupiter accepts Tuxedo Mask's Tuxedo Night, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! COMBAT: Sailor Moon accepts Tuxedo Mask's Tuxedo Night, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Sailor Moon is Cheered!
<Pose Tracker> Jadeite [Infinity Institute (S)] has posed.
There's a hissing cat Jadeite hadn't seen - after breaking off from his initial assault, he takes a moment to think Why does she look familiar?...ah. That would be it. His eyes flick from Luna to lock eyes with Sailor Moon, and he smiles cruelly. "How convenient. I don't care about this little scheme so much as seeing your broken body - shall we compromise? You die, and I'll stop draining energy." Casually, he hurls a shining green blast at the cat and senshi.
The next challenger is a culinary one - a german dish. He spares the dish only a passing glance, and sneers. "My results stand for themselves - and really, -German- fare? Save that fried debris for Zoisite." He tosses it over one shoulder - and is caught off guard by the ensuing explosion. It's an opening Ren and Jupiter capitalize on - while he's stunned by the explosive cuisine, they hammer him with a potent blast and an equally potent fist. The combination sends him skidding back, chairs scattering in his wake.
When the dust clears, though...he's striding forward, unperturbed. Endo's wild introduction and Prism Keeper Orange's furious accusation are granted an equal amount of concern; sidestepping the charge, he sweeps an arm to one side. A wave of force follows this action, resounding with his words to them. "Yes, yes. Go play in the corner, children - I have actual concerns to deal with."
He turns back to those who attacked him, giving them the brunt of his ire. A pair of blasts fly out at Ren and Kuniko - rippling, green, destructive. Jupiter, for having struck his noble self, gets a more personal touch - he focuses his ire in the form of a sustained beam. Something to cause some pain.
Tuxedo Mask's encouragement, on the other hand...as he prepares the sustained assault, he locks eyes with the man, and smirks.
COMBAT: Jadeite has used Sublime Arrogance on Endo Naoki. COMBAT: Jadeite has used Sublime Arrogance on Prism Keeper Orange. COMBAT: Jadeite has used Blasted Senshi on Sailor Moon. COMBAT: Jadeite has used Blasted Senshi on Ren Aizawa. COMBAT: Jadeite has used Blasted Senshi on Kuniko Saito. COMBAT: Jadeite has used Plan A on Sailor Jupiter. COMBAT: Jadeite has used Can't Live With Him on Jadeite. COMBAT: Jadeite has finished attacking. COMBAT: Jadeite accepts Jadeite's Can't Live With Him, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Cleanse! All of Jadeite's debuffs are cleared! COMBAT: Sailor Moon narrowly braces Jadeite's Blasted Senshi, taking 4 Fatigue damage! Jadeite is Psyched! Sailor Moon's Parry ability activates! COMBAT: Prism Keeper Orange narrowly counters Jadeite's Sublime Arrogance, taking 5 Fatigue damage! Prism Keeper Orange is Quipped! Stun applied to Prism Keeper Orange! COMBAT: Prism Keeper Orange's counterattack, Orangella Obfuscation, interrupts, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Jadeite! COMBAT: Ren Aizawa narrowly counters Jadeite's Blasted Senshi, taking 7 Fatigue damage! Ren Aizawa's Reverse ability activates! COMBAT: Ren Aizawa's counterattack, Quartz Guard, interrupts, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Jadeite! COMBAT: Sailor Jupiter narrowly dodges Jadeite's Plan A, taking 5 Mana damage! Jadeite drains 4 mana from Sailor Jupiter! COMBAT: Endo Naoki narrowly braces Jadeite's Sublime Arrogance, taking 12 Fatigue damage! Endo Naoki is Quipped! Stun applied to Endo Naoki! COMBAT: Kuniko Saito fails to dodge Jadeite's Blasted Senshi, taking 28 Fatigue damage!
<Pose Tracker> Prism Keeper Orange [Juuban Public School (5)] has posed.
Prism Keeper Orange is just dismissed! As a Child! This kind of hurts a bit, as she huffs! "Yeah---well! Well! You're a gigantic energy draining jerk, still!" is all she can managed as she throws up a shield in front of her but all for a moment, but it's sort of lacklusteredly done.
She materalizes her chroma crystal, which shifts into a wand, as she raises it high and attempts to send a quick burst of sparkling, orange color energy into Jadeite's form. She's trying to get her mind back in the game as she grimaces.
"I used to....like listening to your show! People trusted you with thier letters are everything!" she calls out.
"I'm not listening to you anymore! I'll listen... to that other guy! The one with the Jazz show!" she says. "I bet he'll get all your listeners now!" she says determinedly.
COMBAT: Prism Keeper Orange has used Orange Burst on Jadeite. COMBAT: Prism Keeper Orange has finished attacking. COMBAT: Jadeite fails to dodge Prism Keeper Orange's Orange Burst, taking 20 Fatigue damage!
<Pose Tracker> Sailor Moon [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
Sailor Moon keeps staring intently at Jadeite. Her heart beats hard in her ears. Is this a final showdown? They're fighting him personally. How can they win when it'll surely be harder than last time?
In the corner of her vision, Tuxedo Mask winks at her.
Sailor Moon abruptly covers her mouth with her hand to stop from entering a coughing fit as she struggles between holding her breath and having her breath stolen away.
But then--Jadeite flings dark destruction toward--Luna?! Usagi makes a choked noise of horror. Unable to shout Luna's name, she unthinkingly throws herself onto her tiny mentor, faster than even Luna can react. The cat yowls but tucks herself tight. The blast goes whizzing overhead, debris from the resulting explosion raining down on the two.
"Usagi-chan," murmurs Luna, hesitant as she tries to peek out from under an arm and take stock of the situation. "Are you--?"
"Get to safety," says Usagi, her voice dull.
Luna glances up, eyes gleaming in surprise. "Usagi-chan?"
"Get to safety."
Sailor Moon picks herself up. Luna watches for a moment, struck by something that only cats can know, and then dashes off. The pretty soldier turns her gaze to Jadeite, wand in hand.
"Jadeite!" she shouts, weaving a sparkling trail through the air. "Don't--SHOOT--"
The pretty soldier thrusts her wand forward, turning the room brilliant white with a dazzling celestial moonbeam.
"CATS!"
COMBAT: Sailor Moon has used NEVER FORGIVE on Jadeite. COMBAT: Sailor Moon has finished attacking. COMBAT: Jadeite narrowly counters Sailor Moon's NEVER FORGIVE, taking 8 Fatigue damage! COMBAT: Jadeite's counterattack, Blasted Senshi, partially gets through, doing 25 Fatigue damage to Sailor Moon!
<Pose Tracker> Ren Aizawa [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.
Jadeite takes a pounding, and part of Ren wants to cheer and go high-five Jupiter for their successful one-two punch. Would that be too much? Maybe she could go over and do it after the fight? Yeah. That'll work. Definitely.
Endo's little charge at Jadeite whilst proclaiming his name aloud earns a confused blink from the magical girl, though. Oh, Endo. Again, she has to stop herself from rushing in after him. Fighting alongside signficant others is proving to be a totally new experience for her. "He can handle himself..." She says under her breath, unsure of how he'd react to her hovering over him the entire time. It's definitely a topic to be discussed at a later date...
<INCOMING.> Souverain Heraut says in warning, drawing her eyes up at the blast coming her way. Ren doesn't falter, tightening her grip on the scepter and gritting her teeth. The device reacts by throwing up a shimmering white light that takes on the form of an actual shield, complete with a stylized Fleur-de-lis in the center. Jadeite's attack hits it with a resounding "CLANG" that echoes throughout the air, causing the surrounding area to resonate with the impact. It holds steady for a few moments, soaking up most of the hit. Then, when it can be maintained no longer, it shatters, causing Ren to fall to one knee with a yelp. She's panting heavily, looking mildly exhausted from the effort. That could have definitely turned out worse! The mage climbs to her feet and takes a moment to resettle herself. Which allows her to watch Sailor Moon fire off a dazzling beam of light in retaliation at Jadeite. Oooo. Pretty. Taking that as a chance to strike again she leaps into the air, revealing to those not in the know that she can in fact fly. In the midst of this she holds up her scepter, which undergoes a sudden transformation into a bedazzled rapier, and once she's close enough to Jadeite, she brings it down upon the hopefully distracted general.
COMBAT: Ren Aizawa has used My Sword Goes Slash on Jadeite. COMBAT: Ren Aizawa has finished attacking. COMBAT: Jadeite narrowly counters Ren Aizawa's My Sword Goes Slash, taking 8 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Ren Aizawa is Psyched! COMBAT: Jadeite's counterattack, Grand Melee, fails to get through, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Ren Aizawa!
<Pose Tracker> Kuniko Saito [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.
Orange koi swirl around Kuniko. She also glances up at Tuxedo Mask as he mentions a name - and says, "Yes! That's who it was!"
PREVIOUSLY ON THE PAPER: Many versions of how Macaroni was innovative and stuff. All are circled in red ink.
A burst of green light hits Kuniko with withering force, though the koi swim over and do that cute fishy-kiss thing, easing the pain on her left arm. Her face is contorted with sheerest agony for a long moment, before she forces herself to breathe out.
"Yeah? Just because that greasy ba-- bad word," Kuniko says, spotting the Prism Keeper in the area, "uses frying for evil doesn't mean it's wicked. But fine, you wanna complain? You want something a little more low fat, so your big evil backside doesn't balloon up? Doesn't keep you out of your dumb jumpsuit!? Fine!"
She slams an invisible countertop. "We can do that."
Something sizzles soon, as Kuniko stirs several things together madly. Then some chopping, some slicing - and a sliding forwards. A glass salad dish, this time, clear instead of her usual cream-beige plateware. It flies towards Jadeite, enticingly.
"Marconi... not MACARONI, Marconi... his instrument was pivotal to saving seven hundred lives when the Titanic sunk. If it wasn't for radio, those people would have frozen like popsicles in the ocean. Now, you're using the power that saved them for evil... and I'll defeat you with the taste of the land that built the Titanic!!"
With a tarragon/mustard vinegarette over mixed vegetables and topped with browned slivers of that sheep cheese Kuniko's so into, it's a pub staple -- one that would be recognized in any Irish pub!
COMBAT: Kuniko Saito has used Irish Pub Salad with Halloumi Cheese on Jadeite. COMBAT: Kuniko Saito has finished attacking.
<Pose Tracker> Tuxedo Mask [Ohtori Academy (12)] has posed.
He throws all this chaos out at everyone else-- Jadeite-- and Jadeite just smirks at Tuxedo Mask.
Blue eyes blink behind the mask, and Mamoru's analysis processor fans whir to life: does he know? Has Zoisite told? Did he notice, because of the books on legendary gems? At least it's not Nephrite-- if Nephrite found out...
This is all in the split second it takes for him to glance and focus on that smirk, and blink. The next split second's the beginning of a crooked, knowing grin at Jadeite, and amidst the sounds of battle and the wild washes of bright color and light, the tall masked teenager takes his hat off and sweeps a brief bow. As he straightens, he's no longer grinning. His expression is flat. In the same motion as straightening up, he frisbees the top hat toward Jadeite's face.
"See if you can try that attitude for your so-called Queen," Tuxedo Mask says, clipped and businesslike, conversational in volume in the afterthunder of the wild attacks, "when you fail."
COMBAT: Tuxedo Mask has used Señor del Antifaz on Jadeite. COMBAT: Tuxedo Mask has finished attacking. COMBAT: Jadeite perfectly dodges Kuniko Saito's Irish Pub Salad with Halloumi Cheese, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Dodge! Jadeite's Fade ability activates! Jadeite's Flash ability activates!
<Pose Tracker> Sailor Jupiter [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
"Sailor Moon--!"
Even as Sailor Jupiter is calling out in alarm, the other Senshi has already taken action to protect their feline mentor - and a good thing, too, because Sailor Jupiter quickly has her own very immediate problem to deal with. Hastily she ducks out of the path of that sustained beam of evil green energy, not quite fast enough to keep it from clipping her side, drawing a hiss of pain and leaving a scorched mark along the white fabric of her uniform. For a moment Jupiter curls her arm around herself, hand pressed against her side as she circles around, searching for an opening.
Sailor Moon returns fire, Ren follows up with that flying strike - Jupiter surges into motion again, picking up the rhythm that worked so well a moment ago. A heartbeat after the sword comes down, while Jadeite's attention is caught up in his counterattack, the Senshi of Thunder lunges at him from behind, body low like a battering ram.
He doesn't like his noble self getting smacked around? He's going to hate this.
COMBAT: Sailor Jupiter has used Supreme Suplex on Jadeite. COMBAT: Sailor Jupiter has finished attacking.
<Pose Tracker> Endo Naoki [Juuban Public School (11)] has posed.
Endo is doing more flying than he really expected to do. The knight lets out a cry of alarm as he sails past Jadeite, and the blast of force only sends him farther. Away, to the stars!
Wait, just to the wall.
The shield of koi he's been so kindly gifted with does wonders to prevent him from becoming a pancake caricature of himself, but it still hurts even with a protective, swishy ball of fish. Enough that Endo has to spend a second shaking his head and trying to see straight again before he picks his magical device off the ground again.
This time he moves more smoothly. The Device in his hands bleeds ugly purple light as he rushes forward again. He follows in the wake of Ren's rapier and Jupiter's crazy lighting fists (that he never ever wants to get in the way of), coming at the general from a third angle. This time the sword strikes are more precise, two sweeping arcs, high and low, the awkwardly large artifact suddenly leaping gracefully through the air.
COMBAT: Endo Naoki has used Radial Velocity on Jadeite. COMBAT: Endo Naoki has finished attacking. COMBAT: Jadeite narrowly braces Tuxedo Mask's Señor del Antifaz, taking 6 Fatigue damage! Tuxedo Mask is Psyched! Diversion applied to Jadeite! COMBAT: Jadeite narrowly dodges Sailor Jupiter's Supreme Suplex, taking 8 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Jadeite's Fade ability activates! Jadeite's Flash ability activates! COMBAT: Jadeite fails to counter Endo Naoki's Radial Velocity, taking 51 Fatigue damage! COMBAT: Jadeite's counterattack, Grand Melee, fails to get through, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Endo Naoki!
<Pose Tracker> Jadeite [Infinity Institute (S)] has posed.
He'd dismissed the youngest combatant - and so the actual attack comes as a complete surprise. The orange light singes, sears, invokes a grunt of pain. In the end, though, his response is a cruel sneer. "Ah, a loyal listener - or not so loyal, it seems. Yes, do listen to Jazzy James. I'm sure he has no ties to the Dark Kingdom whatsoever."
Still, the attack serves as a reminder - these are, after all, foes to take seriously. Sailor Moon, for instance - gathering a terrible fury for the sake of the feline advisor. There's no mockery in his face, only ferocious determination as a green beam intercepts the brilliant white one in a shining cataclysm. "Very well, I'll focus on dealing with-"
One hand flashes up to catch the descending blade. His gloves darken with blood, for all that they conceal the injury - but Jadeite turns to regard Ren. "-you." His free hand lashes out repeatedly to punish her for the assault.
He's forced to relent when the salad arrives; having learned his lesson, he regards it, and its announcement, with more caution. What are the rules of this magic?...with a trace bit of magic, he produces a fork to spear one piece of the lettuce. "How fitting a story. Sadly for you...I do not care for iceberg lettuce." With a smirk, he discards the now-disarmed dish.
A hat whizzes past his head; perfectly styled coiffure deforms as a handful of hairs tumble free. Tuxedo Mask...now has his attention. And his anger. "...so-called Queen? Well. I suppose you've been left to run your mouth for far too long-"
Whatever else he had to say about the Dark Kingdom is cut shot when there's a surge of motion. He turns to one side as Jupiter's strength closes in - getting clipped in the side, but responding to the threat has paid off. With that, all the threats have been dealt with-
-and blood flies as Endo's sword strikes, utterly ignored by Jadeite, find their mark. He staggers back several steps in astonishment, looking down at the wound. Slowly, however, shock turns to fury. The debris in the area, the discarded furniture, the light fixtures overhead - all of them start rattling, as if stirred up by some ominous wind. "You - you wish to mock the successes I present to Queen Beryl? No need to worry on my behalf - I'm certain she'll be satisfied with your corpses!"
There's a loud whump - all the air moving at once. A wave of telekinetic force lashes out, smashing apart the entire room in its wake, turning broken glass and furniture into a shredding storm. Ren, Endo, and Jupiter receive the worst of it - having closed in to point blank range - but Jadeite has no opinion of leaving anyone out today.
COMBAT: FINISHER! Jadeite has used Astonishing Telekinesis on Ren Aizawa. COMBAT: FINISHER! Jadeite has used Astonishing Telekinesis on Endo Naoki. COMBAT: FINISHER! Jadeite has used Astonishing Telekinesis on Sailor Jupiter. COMBAT: Jadeite has used Blasted Senshi on Sailor Moon. COMBAT: Jadeite has used Blasted Senshi on Prism Keeper Orange. COMBAT: Jadeite has used Blasted Senshi on Tuxedo Mask. COMBAT: Jadeite has used Blasted Senshi on Kuniko Saito. COMBAT: Jadeite has used Can't Live With Him on Jadeite. COMBAT: Jadeite has finished attacking. COMBAT: Jadeite accepts Jadeite's Can't Live With Him, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Cleanse! All of Jadeite's debuffs are cleared! COMBAT: Prism Keeper Orange narrowly braces Jadeite's Blasted Senshi, taking 8 Fatigue damage! Jadeite is Psyched! Prism Keeper Orange's Block ability activates! Prism Keeper Orange's Parry ability activates! COMBAT: Sailor Moon narrowly dodges Jadeite's Blasted Senshi, taking 6 Fatigue damage! Sailor Moon's Flash ability activates! COMBAT: Sailor Jupiter narrowly braces Jadeite's Finisher, Astonishing Telekinesis, taking 62 Fatigue damage! Sailor Jupiter's Block ability activates! Sailor Jupiter's Parry ability activates! COMBAT: Ren Aizawa narrowly braces Jadeite's Finisher, Astonishing Telekinesis, taking 69 Fatigue damage! Ren Aizawa's Block ability activates! Ren Aizawa's Parry ability activates! COMBAT: Kuniko Saito narrowly braces Jadeite's Blasted Senshi, taking 15 Fatigue damage! Kuniko Saito's Block ability activates! Kuniko Saito's Parry ability activates! COMBAT: Tuxedo Mask fails to counter Jadeite's Blasted Senshi, taking 33 Fatigue damage! COMBAT: Tuxedo Mask's counterattack, Tuxedo Kamen's Showy Nonsense, fails to get through, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Jadeite! COMBAT: Endo Naoki fails to brace Jadeite's Finisher, Astonishing Telekinesis, taking 116 Fatigue damage! Endo Naoki is unable to keep fighting!
Miwa Kanako has disconnected.
<Pose Tracker> Tuxedo Mask [Ohtori Academy (12)] has posed.
Tuxedo Mask's cold anger is met with the same fierce attack as everyone else's raging fury, and the youth whirls his usually-trusty cape around to reflect some of the damage back toward Jadeite, but his motion was a half-second off-- the shot gets through and knocks Mamoru back with a scorching punch of dark energy, kinetic and electric and wrong.
He hurtles through the air, then wrenches to throw his center of balance mid-flight and manage, desperately, to both keep some semblance of balance and to remember how to breathe. Staggering slightly, he comes to a full and complete stop a couple of paces behind Sailor Moon.
"He's a teacher, too," he half-gasps, forcing himself to pretend he's all right long enough to get it out under his breath to her. This means leaning in a little, hand on her shoulder. "School him, Sailor Moon."
COMBAT: Tuxedo Mask has used Now Show Them Your Power! on Sailor Moon. COMBAT: Tuxedo Mask has finished attacking. COMBAT: Sailor Moon accepts Tuxedo Mask's Now Show Them Your Power!, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Empower and Surge applied to Sailor Moon!
<Pose Tracker> Endo Naoki [Juuban Public School (11)] has posed.
To succeed in life you have to push on through your problems. Endo's pretty sure about that. Which is why, when the world becomes a hailstorm of glass, wood, and other objects that are unpleasant against his skin, he does just that. The barrier of magic that protects him does its best to hold together, flashing and sparking as debris grinds against it, tiny koi breaking apart and scattering to the wind.
<KNIGHT. YOU SHOULD RETREAT.>
"I've got it." He totally doesn't have it.
It's a miracle he manages to get out that much, and he only gets a few steps before he can't stand anymore. Shards of glass tear away the barrier, and then the armor, puncturing metal and ripping billowy fabric to shreds. Skin, too. It's probably a small mercy when a bigger chunk, something speaker-shaped, smashes him into the ground. Down and out.
<Pose Tracker> Sailor Jupiter [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
The telekinetic blast hits like a truck. No amount of bracing herself can keep Sailor Jupiter from reeling back - her boots skid along the floor, fragments of glass and debris ripping into her uniform and across her skin, before she staggers and catches herself against what's left of a wall.
As she gasps for breath, she lifts a hand to her face, swiping away a trickle of blood with the back of her glove. Her eyes are bright and hard with fury.
One ally down, and Ren looks as rough as Makoto feels - if there ever was a time in this fight for holding anything back, it's long past now. "I've heard that kind of trash talk before," Sailor Jupiter tells Jadeite, her low voice all but vibrating with scornful anger. A thin tendril of electricity crackles along the metal band of her tiara as she straightens to face the Dark General, crossing her arms before her in a preparatory motion. "Ask your comrade how it went for him--"
--the electric charge builds in the air, a dry prickle against the skin. The radio equipment in the wrecked booth sparks, lights flashing wildly before the whole thing dies. "My guardian, Jupiter--" her voice rises as she speaks, a slow and steady crescendo of gathering power, "--let the storm rage - let the lightning strike--"
Electricity crawls in bright spidery threads across the exposed metal within the booth, drawn inward to Jupiter's hands, surrounding her in a halo of searing energy that she releases at Jadeite all at once in a single massive blast. "--SUPREME THUNDER!"
COMBAT: FINISHER! Sailor Jupiter has used Supreme Thunder on Jadeite. COMBAT: Sailor Jupiter has finished attacking. COMBAT: Jadeite narrowly dodges Sailor Jupiter's Finisher, Supreme Thunder, taking 59 Fatigue damage! Jadeite's Fade ability activates! Jadeite's Flash ability activates!
<Pose Tracker> Ren Aizawa [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.
Having her sword caught is new. Very new. Ren gasps, going still for a split second out of pure shock. Then she's assaulted by Jadeite's jabs, her body shaking from the quick hits. Though thankfully she doesn't just float there taking them like a punching bag. Flipping in midair over him she wrenches the rapier free from his grasp, eyeing the bloodied gloved hand with which he'd grabbed it with. His battle prowess was incredible. Did he even flinch when the blade had cut his hand? Jeez, talk about freaky!
Endo's attack hits home soon after -- and staggeringly so! Ren smiles. That's her boyfriend! He's really cool! She doesn't say this aloud, saving the cheering for her head, thankfully.
...Though what happens next is definitely /not/ as cool. Ren stills, a feeling of unease washing over her. In the next instant there's an overwhelming force sweeping her, Jupiter, and Endo up like ragdolls. Ren yelps as she's tossed about violently, getting pelted by debris like one would in the middle of a raging tornado, barrier jacket being torn and shred all over. And then she's dropped onto the ground. Or rather smashed /into/ the ground.
"Uhnnn..." A groan escapes her open mouth as she lays there on her back, staring up at the ceiling with blurred vision. She's alive! Jadeite won't be pleased. With as much leftover strength as she can muster Ren staggers up to her feet, clutching her side where a piece of glass clipped her. But all of her important bits are still intact.
Then, she sees it. Endo utterly defeated and unmoving on the ground. The blood in her veins feels like it's turned to ice as she focuses in on his still form. Immediately her mind flashes to Lera, who suffered a similar fate at the hands of an enemy. And now Endo is...
"JADEITE!" The girl roars, eyes turning on the person responsible for this turn of events. Ren doesn't experience such a raw emotion as hatred often. But when she does...
She tosses her rapier into the air, where it spins... and spins... and spins, until it transforms back into her scepter. It eventually stops it's rotations and just floats there in midair, glittering brightly. In the next moment Ren takes to the air, coming to a stop just behind the device to grab it with both hands. Immediately above her a multitude of twinkling lights appear -- though upon closer look they resemble precious jewels encased in golden light, all swirling and supercharged with energy. "NOW HERAUT!" She cries, suddenly descending directly to the ground. The hilt of the scepter is slammed into the floor when she lands, and the device chimes out in a voice that echoes throughout.
<GEMLIGHT FUSILLADE.>
The encased gems shoot forward, swirling around one another effortlessly as they head directly for Jadeite, where they proceed to explode brilliantly. It's like a fireworks show! Except it's supposed to hurt.
COMBAT: FINISHER! Ren Aizawa has used Gemlight Fusillade on Jadeite. COMBAT: Ren Aizawa has finished attacking. COMBAT: Jadeite narrowly braces Ren Aizawa's Finisher, Gemlight Fusillade, taking 47 Fatigue damage!
<Pose Tracker> Kuniko Saito [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.
A telekinetic burst! THE WORST KIND!
Smashed into, Kuniko staggers. Her teeth grit, the orange koi leaving her, overwhelmed perhaps by Jadeite's power and disrespect for the flavor of her salads.
Staring downwards, she thinks to herself, as she feels her ingredients around her, that perhaps...
Perhaps she shouldn't try to impress this man. Perhaps this man will simply slap her salads aside, insult her insalata, expel her entrees and disdain her desserts.
She remembers the koi...
And Kuniko works quick and efficient, throwing a handful of something into something else, slicing thin slivers of something. She draws out a tangerine, a persimmon, and a piece of pickled ginger, tosses them, mixes in a sauce -
"Oi! Prism Keeper!" she calls.
"Try this."
The bowl travels towards the brave young girl.
It looks like tekkadon at a glance. That isn't wrong.
But there's no rice. Instead it's couscous, made with infused lamb broth, rich in the subtle flavors of a place far away - ones mixed and calculated to be strong, clear, enticing, but not too complex or bitter. The slices of tuna are like red jewels atop the steamy couscous, though they're accompanied by slices, equally thin, of salmon - and as Prism Keeper Orange watches, she can see that these razor-thin slices are cooking to perfect, rich doneness in the gentle heat of the couscous.
But the sauce...
The sauce is sweet and citrus and salt. A slice of mandarin orange has been placed on the side of the bowl, perfect for a single bite of pure sweetness once the dish is done. A bit of rice vinegar for a sour note.
"Tell me... how you like it, Prism Keeper Orange!"
COMBAT: Kuniko Saito has used Tekkadon au Couscous on Prism Keeper Orange. COMBAT: Kuniko Saito has finished attacking. COMBAT: Prism Keeper Orange accepts Kuniko Saito's Tekkadon au Couscous, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Empower applied to Prism Keeper Orange! Cleanse! All of Prism Keeper Orange's debuffs are cleared!
<Pose Tracker> Sailor Moon [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
Sailor Moon really focuses. Really, really focuses. This attack isn't her all, but she is putting her all into it. And then--Jadeite calls her bet.
He calls it well. His magic challenges hers with skill and strength far beyond what she is capable of. Her passion, her desire, it means so much. Is it possible that Jadeite feels just as intensely?
His beam bursts through. Sailor Moon shrieks and is thrown backward, against the wall, bouncing hard and falling limp in a pile. Her wand clatters on the ground inches from her hand. She is briefly unconscious.
Briefly. Her eyes flutter open. She doesn't want to stand up. It hurts--it hurts and it hurts less when she doesn't move. The air whumps with the chaos of continuing battle. Usagi is too far away, carried by the blast, to be in true danger. She weathers the storm, curling up mentally as well as physically.
But--
Is it strange that she can feel it? Or maybe--she isn't really--maybe she only thinks she can feel everyone else hurting, too. Sailor Moon grits her teeth, reaches, and curls her fingers around her wand. She stands. She stumbles and makes a pained noise, but she stands. Her tired eyes sweep the room. All the others. If something doesn't happen, they're not going to make it.
Jupiter makes the first move. It is her as her most primal--on the vanguard, running into the wind, seeing a coming storm and reaching out to wrestle it down. Her example calls to Usagi's heart. Behind her, Tuxedo Mask lands and recuperates.
"Right," she replies, too shaken to even attempt a pun. It feels good to have him behind her. She imagines herself protecting him. It fuels her. Her raspy voice finds the familiar incantation.
"Moon--"
The pretty soldier raises her wand and spins, wobbly at first, but increasingly taken by an otherworldly grace. The pain in her movements melts away, a strength that is perhaps not her own entering her body. A light grows around her, a kaleidoscope of hues.
"--Healing--!!"
She traces the sigil of the moon in the air, moving with the delicacy of a ballerina and the precision of a scholar. The sign she draws becomes real, a glowing circle of lunar silver just waiting to be unleashed. Usagi pauses, psyching herself up for the breathless giving of herself that must come next.
"--ESCALATION!"
Sailor Moon's heart rushes forward to Jadeite and, with it, her wish to stop him.
COMBAT: FINISHER! Sailor Moon has used Moon Healing Escalation on Jadeite. COMBAT: Sailor Moon has finished attacking. COMBAT: Jadeite narrowly dodges Sailor Moon's Finisher, Moon Healing Escalation, taking 51 Fatigue damage! Jadeite's Fade ability activates! Jadeite's Flash ability activates!
<Pose Tracker> Prism Keeper Orange [Juuban Public School (5)] has posed.
Prism Keeper Orange is blown back by a force! In fact, she's blow straight into the wall, despite her raising an orange field and is actually making an indent in the back wall. She falls down with an ooff to her front as she crawls up to her feet. She steadies herself as she frowns and opens her eyes wide. "Nrg...hey you can't-----" she is SO telling people not to listen to this jerk when she gets back to school!
She grips her wand what should she do!?
Suddenly, through the air, food arrives in a lovely, (magical!?) bowl as she looks into the bowl it looks delicious and she feels compelled to eat it. Which she does. "Wow! It's...really good! she says....
And then she beams. "And Flavorful!" she says.
And now she feels a little bit more empowered. Raises her wand, and holding it with two hands as she points it at Jadeite, and fires a brilliant, orange beam of color energy that rushes through the air!
COMBAT: Prism Keeper Orange has used Orange Beam Rush! on Jadeite. COMBAT: Prism Keeper Orange has finished attacking. COMBAT: Jadeite narrowly braces Prism Keeper Orange's Orange Beam Rush!, taking 10 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Exhausted applied to Jadeite!
<Pose Tracker> Jadeite [Infinity Institute (S)] has posed.
Outside, radio listeners frown and check their sets - adjusting 'dials' to figure out why the signal just died entirely. Some wonder what might have gone wrong - and then that frequency screams with blaring static, and most of the radios tuned in are turned off immediately. Enough listening for tonight, perhaps.
Inside, Jadeite lets out a breath after that exertion, holding one hand to his new injury. There's far too much movement for him to be satisfied with this, though - more blood. More victories for Beryl. At least that reckless swordsman is down - and he no longer has to worry about a repeat of Endo's surprise attack.
Jupiter, unfortunately, is still standing. Radio equipment screams over the airwaves its protest at the gathering power, and Jadeite tenses. At the last moment, he moves - lunging to one side to avoid being caught dead on. Lightning rips and tears at his side, and he bites back a pained cry - the Senshi's fury isn't something he can entirely ignore, for all that he would prefer to show a front of invincibility. It's slowed him down for a moment - and he's forced to throw up his arms to protect his head against the barrage of explosions from Ren's passionate hatred.
When the dust clears from that barrage, it's clear that the Heavenly King is still standing. He raises his head, about to speak another cruelty - cutting his first word short to hold one hand against the beam of orange. Once again, he prepares to speak - but Sailor Moon's wand is raised high, and on instinct alone he leaps back, seeking some purchase to escape the purifying light.
He's partially successful - enough that it's the fringes of the blast more than the heart of Sailor Moon's wish that catches him. Even this much of the light is agonizing - darkness unable to stand the presence of light. When the light fates, Jadeite stands, uniform tattered and slashed and burnt. Jupiter's determination, Moon's heartfelt wish, Keeper Orange's enthusiasm, Ren's raw fury - all of it has taken its toll. Endo's duty done, the fallen warrior is worth a wary glance - and Tuxedo Mask and Kuniko, standing in the wings, pose threats of their own.
He could continue this fight. Could take down one or two more in the process, perhaps. But...too high a potential cost, for too little gain.
"...this is not where we will end this. I underestimated one of you - though I doubt that will be a concern again." He pointedly looks to the fallen Endo, before turning to smirk at Ren. He makes a point of looking at each of the opponents arrayed against him - all those who interfered in his radio scheme. "No more of these little 'surprises' - stumbling across my other actions. The next time we meet, Sailor Moon - no. The next time any of us meet, it will be for battle alone."
He gathers power in one hand, and blasts open a wall to make an exit; cold night air howls, scattering fallen papers around the room. "It seems you've taken DJ Dite off the air. Do have fun explaining why to my myriad fans." Once more, Jadeite smirks - and then in a flash of shadow, is gone from sight.
The exit blasted in the wall, utterly unused, howls with an ominous wind.
<Pose Tracker> Prism Keeper Orange [Juuban Public School (5)] has posed.
Prism Keeper Orange someday, perhaps in a year or two, dreamed of submitting her own letter to be read on the air by DJ J-Dite.
But he is a jerk. A Dark Kingdom Jerk, and this is the part that hurts most of all, as she hrmphs and watches him cut and run! "Yeah Well---you're a jerk who deserves it! We're going to tell everyone you're a big jerk! A two..timing.... jerk!" she seethes. It's the best she can come up with.
She comes down to her feet from her flutter and huffs and looks kind of sad, as she looks around..
"Is... is he going to be alright?" she asks about Endo, "Is everyone alright?" she asks a little quietly best she can. She doesn't seem as worse for wear as a lot of the others seem to be.
"Is there...anything I can do to help...?" she asks quietly.
<Pose Tracker> Sailor Moon [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
Sailor Moon lowers her wand. She is unsteady on her feet, but wills herself taller. Her gaze doesn't leave Jadeite. His words mark her dreams yet to be. He exits in violence. Is that the only way he knows how to live?
In the silence that follows, Sailor Moon walks slowly over to the record booth. Broken glass crunches under her boots. Crunch, crunch, crunch. Right up to the record on the microphone. Luna carefully picks her way over and hops up onto the blonde guardian's shoulder. They both look at it for a moment.
Then, Sailor Moon leans forward.
"Um. It's always really fun to watch--or listen to--someone really cute from afar! But never let your distant crush become an unhealthy obsession! Find someone cute who is actually near you and tell them they're really cute! Don't forget to chew some gum or use a breath freshener beforehand just in case they think you're cute too! Sailor Moon says!"
She leans back. Luna continues staring at the microphone for a moment, and then hops down to hit the button to stop the broadcast. The cat looks up at Usagi.
Usagi holds her carefully neutral look for a few seconds before breaking, her cheeks flushing red. "It's good advice okay?!"
<Pose Tracker> Ren Aizawa [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.
The evil magical jerk takes his leave then, throughly outclassed by his opponents. Yeah. That's right. Ren chooses to believe that, fighting the urge to collapse on the ground in exhaustion.
Instead, she hurries over to Endo, falling to her knees by her side to rest a hand on his chest. He's still breathing, though that doesn't make her feel any less concerned. Prism Keeper Orange's words gain her attention, causing Ren to turn to the young girl.
"You've done a lot already..." She starts, feeling truly thankful towards the magical girl for providing Endo and the others with a helpful buffer. Even if it didn't quite withstand Jadeite's ultimate assault. "He could use some healing..." She feels guilty that she herself cannot provide him with that, cheeks tinting red.
<Pose Tracker> Kuniko Saito [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.
Kuniko is sitting heavily after the battle's aftermath. She looks up at Sailor Moon's wise words, nodding once.
She smiles at Prism Keeper Orange. "Yeah," she says. "You're super brave, Orange."
Her head leans back against the wall. "Ugh... Nijimura better not've been drinking or something, I swear. I can't believe that guy busted up my salad..."
<Pose Tracker> Sailor Moon [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
Sailor Moon gives everyone a thumbs up from behind the soundboard. Her cheeks are still red. Luna is trying to pry the record off the wall and it looks a little silly.
<Pose Tracker> Tuxedo Mask [Ohtori Academy (12)] has posed.
Tuxedo Mask thuds back against the wall, just breathing for a second, then scrambling to find his phone in his subspace poc-- his cape, his cape-- so he can snapchat Jadeite's smarmy exit all over the tumblrs, but this attempt fares about as well as any other that would prove something impossible, and Jadeite is gone before he even finds it.
On the other hand, people are picking themselves up and dusting themselves off, and someone's looking after that sword kid, and...
...and Usagi is getting up in the radio booth, and oh god. And the 'on air' sign's flickered back into uncertain light. And Mamoru can't decide whether to be charmed or vaguely horrified.
He sidesteps into the shadows and makes his escape.
<Pose Tracker> Sailor Jupiter [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
It takes some time for the combat fury to subside. In the wake of Jadeite's sudden exist, Sailor Jupiter just... stands there for a moment, breathing hard from the effort that she poured into her lightning - adrenaline still racing along her nerves, heart hammering in her chest.
She comes down from it gradually.
By the time Sailor Moon's broadcast has finished, Sailor Jupiter has calmed down enough to laugh a little, nodding encouragement and approval to her teammate. "...it is good advice, Luna," she comments with a quickl little grin.
Then she looks toward Ren and Endo, picking her way a few steps in their direction. "We probably shouldn't stick around here too long," she says, "but I can help move him somewhere safe if we need to."
<Pose Tracker> Prism Keeper Orange [Juuban Public School (5)] has posed.
Prism Keeper Orange ums. "I can't....heal." she admits. "My koi can't do that. Maybe...um..." she looks over at Kuniko. "Don't you have some sort of...healing....drink...maybe? Can you do that?" she says with wide eyes and a smile.
Her jerk senses are tingling, Tuxedo Kamen must have dissapeared like one when no one was looking.
<Pose Tracker> Sailor Moon [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
Jupiter's acceptance seems to cheer Sailor Moon up. She leans forward over the soundboard. "Did someone say healing?"
Luna finally bats the record off the wall and goes tumbling out of view with it.
<Pose Tracker> Jadeite [Infinity Institute (S)] has posed.
Little attention is being paid to the main doors, and even less to the upper-story hole in the wall. Those who came to either challenge or rescue the DJ - who found themselves in a battle against Jadeite - are able to leave undisturbed by one exit or another.
The recording studio is, in the end, a write-off; telekinetic storm or no, Jadeite's parting shot was to one of the load-bearing walls, and extensive repairs are needed for the station. It's certain, now - DJ Dite is off the air for the foreseeable future. At least his fans will have Sailor Moon's broadcast to comfort and advise them.
In the here and now, however...there's a rooftop not far from the radio station, atop which stands an injured general. He'll need time to recover, but right now... Right now, people are leaving the station. Some transformed, perhaps. Some innocent, likely. And surely, even though he can't spot them, the rest of those who dared to interfere with him yet again.
"They'll pay. All of them will pay. No more diversions - no one walks away next time." He delivers one last bitter glare to the crowd - surely, someone in there deserves it - and teleports back to the Dark Kingdom to recover.
Next time.
