WC - 2145

She screwed up. How could she screw up?! Everything had been perfect; she found where the senshi lived, she found out who she was, and then!

Then! She escaped and disappeared entirely. It was absolutely devastating, really. Sailor Ferris just couldn't figure out where Elpis disappeared to. There were signs someone yhad broken in and stolen select clothing puieces, technology, and other valuables, but no indication of whom it was, and Sailor Ferris? Was furious. There was no sign of Elpis being caught by someone else and corrupted into the Negaverse, to both Ferris' delight and chagrin, and no sign Elpis had even stayed in her home anymore.

It was almost as if she fell off the face of the city, except for the fact after Ferris' checks she'd notice a chaos aura, catch glimpses of a decidedly chaos-aligned but not Negaverse aligned senshi watching with a look so baneful Ferris could swear the teen would kill her.Ferris, for her part, took it quite seriously.

Though not a serious woman by any means all the time, Ferris was capable of buckling down and giting the bullet, settling to handle matters like energy collection and combat quite seriously; knowing just how ruthless her magic was made her tasks easier and she'd abandoned the sense of avoiding it's use, excepot with Negaverse operatives. That was family; friends; loved ones, and Ferris did not want to harm those she cared for so; but this unknown was not anyone of import, but that he seemed to have it out for her, silently stalking the senshi if she was near Elpis' abandoned abode. The animosity hung heavy in the air, thick, brutal, cold; enough Ferris happened to ask what the senshi could possibly be coming from. Thankfully, someone could answer that for her; an answer she didn't quite follow, beyond a possibility that did nothing to balm her rage and frustration.

Ferris lacked much about the Dark Mirror Court, but this tiny-a** senshi was absolutely stalking her and absolutely hostile. If FGerris went near Elpis' empty place, then he'd work his way there soon enough, though Ferris doubted he was following her so much as stalking the place himself and found the corrupt somehow Distasteful. Well, Ferris found him repugnant, wearing chaos energy like a shroud that made him less appealing to most chaos agents as a target, but Ferris wasn't easily decieved. Like the bulk of order, she saw through his aura to the twink he was, a teenaged upstart unworthy of aught but a fist in his face and maybe a shallow grave somewhere -- but Ferris even admitted she was quicker to anger of late. But thjen, it was also odd he was bothering to be near Elpis' former domain, unless.

Unless.

"Unless" didn't occur to Ferris until some days to weeks after noticing the initial disappearance and asking the right questions. Ferris was near enough to watch, but far enough not to be sensed, hiding under the lip and gutter of a nearby building with binoculars and staying quite still. Elpis had lived in an open-air apartment complex, four apartments per building with two facing one way, to another, with balconies and patios, connecting to the neighboring building with a concrete "bridge" that forced them ro share stairs, ample sidewalks, and little loud mnoiise, but plenty of natural areas. It was decidedly set up away from the heart of the city, and it appeared Elpis had moved in in the past five months; the brick buildings white painted with red tile roofing and wrought iron banisters and blockades, native trees and bushes, as well as ornamental plants and grasses. It was all so fancy, the tile so hard to deal with, but Ferris did so, peering through her binoculars analytically. When movement drew her eye, it was the teenage problem, slipping onto Elpis' balcony before sliding inside, and that alone made Ferris pause, raising her head. He walked in as if someone consented, and Ferris didn't think it was possible. Chaos didn't know order civilian identities - normally, and vice-versa- normally. And that was the moment unless sank in, Ferris slowly picking apart a breadcrumb trail half-eaten by birds and realizing what made Elpis disappeart.

That insignificant little s**t had pulled off what Ferris failed at, and the corrupt senshi felt her rage build, resentment bubbling like soda to the surfgace; but Ferris didn't scream, or hit. She seethred, anger and hate and resentment forming a cocktail of pure hatred, and in that moment Ferris decided she wanted to plan. Simply using her magic wasn't good enough; Ferris wanted him to pay in blood for denying her a victory for the Negaverse, and first, she needed to think of what to do.

Ferris slipped from the roof into bushes, from bushes to grass before she darted into the night, moving; moving rapidly for the rest of the city rapidly. Once confident he'd not spy her, Ferris kicked a dumpster, and snarled with a fury; but she didn't stay put in her rage-feulled rampage. No, that risked law enforcement, or some order idiot; no, Ferris was in no mood for anyone but people she could stand.

At last the corrupt drew near to her apartment, powering down into Crystal before storming out of hiding and moving for her own little slice of Destiny City, walking in and sighing. Crystal's apartment was a haven; comfortable and calming; her large television entertained a Blu-Ray, as well as a VCR; nearby a record collection,cassette collection, and CD collection betrayed the nature of the hi-fi setup in the room; a shag rug complimented the brown plush couch, and beaded curtains serves as a barrier to her bedroom. Posters of eighties cartoons were hung on her walls, and here, at last, Crystyal could feel more than rage and frustration.

She was tired, upset, and miserable with herself. She had tried so hard and gotten so far, only to be sniped by some guttersnipe. Crystal cried in her hands several long minutes before she could rise, but her fidgeting would make sleep difficult tonight.

A fidgety mood carriued on into the following morning; Crystal having gone to bed frustrated and tired. She didn't work that day, but Ferris felt no appetite for daytime patrols. Her mood was low and she was frazzled, but... Not so upset it was crippling.

Sunlight filtered in between the blinds and shone in her apartment like wisps of smoke, illuminating bland white walls covered in band and cartoon posters, from Jem to She-Ra, to even the splendor of Meatloaf, and Michael Jackson. Her closet harbored colorful clothing and shoes. Dressing and getting breakfast took little time, though unlike most mornings with an album blasting at her for motivation, todat was quiet, Crystal puttering about her apartment. In day the lime green couch cushions and orange shag rug hinted tyo some late seventies flair that the woodgrain of her hi-fi confirmed. Her apartment was delightfully colorful and nebulous and, when Crystal felt like it? Tacky.

Being the senshi of nostalgia led her into the internet to look for tidbits of the past, beyond Jem and the Holograms or Barbie and the Rockers; in her study she came to love the late seventies, early eighties aesthetics, even if they came with tacky accotremonts. She wasn't living with anybody, and she was determined her home suited her likes.

Her likes.

Maybe a little thrifting might help her mood? It couldn't hurt and it could always help, both to cheer her up and flesh out more of her abode. She especially wanted to find new ,isoc, to try propping her mood up and enjoy a sampling of the past; and so with her mind made up, Crystal grabbed her neon pink purse with selection of 80s keychains, and departed into the city.

Destiny City during the day was a completely different animal to night when Crystal prowled as Sailor Ferris. There was ample light and life, people moving about their days doing jobs and errands as they chate and spoke and yelled and screamed; the entire city bubbled with energy and bedlam so delightful Crystal was convinced if order had their way, the city would stagnate and die. Sure, she preyed on people for energy, but the sacrifice of the few was well worth the delights the city offered; she had overheard senshi once described as alien invaders, and that corrupt senshi understood Earth was not meant for them; and Crystyal supposed order had no place on Earth; but her? She was no threat and well behaved. She deserved to be out and about, because she protected Earth from other aliens. Rumor persisted that there was a way to dedicate completely to Mettalia, but Crystal just couldn't dedicate herself so -- she wasn't worthy of the offering, in her mind, and so Ferris remained simple, but fierce, loyal -- proud. And that made thrifting the perfect reward, the penultimate treat for service to the cause.

Crystal's avorite thrift shop was small, a simple one story, old brick building with a white roof and green windowed front doors, the name "Second Chances Thrifts" on a basic light-up sign over the doors that advertyised the nature of the building, but, deep inside, the store held purpose and meaning. Half of the Second Chances' profits went to war veterens, and they employed veterans, and Crystal adjusted her purse before worming her way inside. It was never terribly busy, and today was no different. The platinum blonde man manning the counter looked utterly unbothered by her presence, but Crystal was familiar with him -- a war veteran himself, whom stopped seeing deployment when his wife died giving birth to his twin boys, and even now he gave the mpost imperceptible of nods hello, a gesture Crystal reciprocated as she moved past racks upon racks of clothing made for electronics and housewares. The layout inside was lovely -- wood panel walls like a seventies den; or perhaps even sixties; the front third of the store dedicated to clothing and shoes, while the back two thirds were dedicated to housewares, books, and electronics' the checkout encircled on three sides by glass displays of jewelry and watches, as well as other expensive goods. The last side was a low swinging, wooden gate allowing staff in and out; but Crystal paid no mind to pricey baubles outside housewartes and emigrated to the music selection, beginning to flip through records with ease. And the options were as diverse as they were, well, there! Linda Roinstadt, Bette Midley, Bonnie Tyler, Barbara Streisand, Elton John, and--

Crystal paused at a new genre, picking up a Siouxsie and the Banshees album in curiousity before examining it agreeably, tilting her head in curiousity as she blinked. Crystal had never tried this genre before -- nor did sahe know who Siouxsie and the Banshees were, but at worst she could listen once and then leave it for display, because the cover art was fantastic, and as if the albums present in-store for buying were a flame, all of the negativity and anger began melting away, replaced with the excitement of something new as Crystal fetched a small basket and placed her find within. The albums kept delivering too -- a Queen record soon joined the Siuouxsie and the Banshees album before looking up and gasping in delight at the "Pioneer" logo before examining the device affixed, delighted to find a laserdisc player. Where some might be deterred, Crystal was eager, knowing full well the store tested electronics before gathering it in her hands and rushing to a seperate collection of discs. Several laserdisc films found their way into her basket next even as she delighted in the selection that day. Basket fiilled, Crystal rushed to check out in excitement, even placing five dollarts in the donation tin for those wishing to donate a little change, and once paid, she hurried out the door, bags in hand and a brilliant smile on her face. Now, now she had plans for daylight hours, and that was to take her new treasures home and set a laserdisc player up to her TV while listening to a new album. It was a little soothing, really. Despite her agitation the night before, the day offered new focus and things to do; and it let her think more clearly. The Dark Mirror Court was still chaos after all, and maybe she could take Periclase to try meeting Elpis again. She might be far less afraid, after all, and that was a start!... And no, she didn't like the little pill that beat her to Elpis, but Crystal could scheme... Later. Presently thewre was music and laserdiscs to enjoy and Crystal wasn't letting anyone ruin her evening with little niggling problems. And besides, these were treasures sje could share; all she need do was bring someone home, and it was that thought that cheered Crystal up the most as she walked towards home, just a bit brighter than before.