Welcome to Gaia! ::

The night was young, but Christa was always punctual. Ares had given her a strict timeframe and directions to the fountain near Crystal Academy. Melinda Reese, Christa's cousin, attended the academy, and Christa had visited her a handful of times, so the grounds were somewhat familiar. Everything looked different at night, so Christa arrived with fifteen minutes to spare in order to search out the fountain. The cold air was very still, and no cars were moving, keeping sound from getting dulled. The trickling of water was unmistakable, and Christa simply henshined in the trees nearby and walked up to it. It looked deserted, but the moon hung high in the sky like it was watching. Kallichore gazed up at it, setting the notepad she'd brought with her down on the rim of the fountain. She sat down next to it, pondering what sort of decision she'd made in joining up with this organization.

No matter what anyone said, Kallichore was doing what she believed to be right. In her heart of hearts, she fully believed the Blood Moon Court was the only organization capable of bringing a decisive blow against the Negaverse, regardless of whether or not Serenity was a real figure. They didn't rely on mythical beings who may or may not exist in this time. She wanted to make a difference, and doing so while rallied under one banner simply spoke to her. She always had a great many questions, but she hoped Ares wouldn't mind this time.

She crossed her legs neatly, folding her hands into her lap. Kallichore didn't know what to expect, and she spent most of the day thinking about the pros and the cons behind joining up, finally deciding that since there wasn't much information to give out to non-members, she'd simply have to join to find out.

Her benefactor had shone herself early, which was something Kallichore had appreciated, and she hoped her own punctuality was appreciated in kind. Standing to greet Ares, plucked up her notepad. Ares should have been expecting this. She smiled when Ares told her that she was glad the newbie senshi came. In the grand scheme of things, Kallichore wasn't sure how well a normal senshi could assist someone like an eternal, but if Ares was interested in her, that had to mean something.

Taking out the notepad and its accompanying pen, Kallichore began her own explanation. "You had stated there was much to be discussed, and if there are rules and regulations to your court, I'd like to write them down so I don't forget." She showed the notepad to Ares, and on it there was a small list of questions, the answers to which were likely available only to Blood Moon members. "I'm just being consistent."

A small nod accompanied a smile from the newbie senshi. Her fuku was painfully plain in comparison to Ares', but Kallichore admired that in a leader. A normal senshi leading a group would seem far less... impressive. Eternal rank generally meant prowess, knowledge and power, something Kallichore expected in someone she chose to follow. Ares fit the bill.

"So... how do we go about this?"

Somehow, it didn't surprise her to hear that there would be a challenge of some kind. Much thought was put into what might happen should she decide to visit the fountain that night. Kallichore thought herself as prepared as possible. Since becoming awakened, the amount of physical activity she undertook shot through the roof. Her legs and arms were tightened and her stamina had increased. She was rather proud of the lean muscle she'd put on, but would it be enough to prove to the leader of the Blood Moon Court that she was up to the task?

Time to find out.

The senshi turned to place her notepad and pen on the fountain's edge where they were originally, and stood to face Ares again. "I believe I am ready for the challenge." Her voice did not waver, though a look of apprehension could be seen in her eyes. The last thing Kallichore wanted to do would be to fail in front of the person who had saved her not long ago.

"...what?"

Little did she realize that the youma was her challenge, not a duel with another senshi like she had previously thought. The youma was very quick on its feet, betraying how cumbersome it looked. Three glassy eyes darted in directions independent from one another and as soon as the initial target ran from view, it shifted its attention to the senshi in red. Kallichore stood at the edge of the fountain's lip, staring at the youma and trying desperately to maintain her cool. She had to defeat this thing in front of the two Blood Moon officers before being judged. It all made sense.

Before she could react any further, the shrieking youma made a grab for her. It was a good seven or eight feet tall, with slender limbs and a roughly humanoid shape, but it made screeching noises like a bat. Kallichore managed to back up before being hit with the first swipe, but the second was much faster. Elongated fingers wrapped around her neck and hoisted the senshi in the air, trying to choke her. Kallichore couldn't get her hands between it and her neck in time, and she felt the wind being crushed out of her. Swinging her legs around wildly, trying desperately to suck in another lungful of breath, she aimed her next kick into the youma's elbow. A dull crunch indicated she had hit the target and the youma's elbow snapped upwards, effectively releasing the senshi from its grip. The monster yowled at her. Kallichore landed in an uncomfortable squatting position and she scrambled up onto the lip of the fountain, hoping to gain some advantage on the thing.

What is the weakness? Where can I get in a good shot? It's so fast. Worry played across her face openly as she tried to plan her strategy. She had to defeat this thing... Would the water from the fountain do the trick? Backing up, Kallichore made her way to the other end of the fountain, placing the water and the structure itself between her and the youma.

I am using my brain... I've got to figure out this thing's weakness...

She knew the other two senshi were watching, but she could not hesitate. Kallichore had to pretend no one else was there to assist her. She had to kill this thing on her own. Once Ares had shoved the youma closer to the newbie senshi, she knew things would have to end quickly. The youma had some speed on her - she wasn't used to running full-tilt just yet, and it had incredible strength besides. The running water of the fountain gave Kallichore and idea, though, and she dropped from the rim surrounding the water, ducking down and running low. One gloved hand scooped up some of the dry dust on the ground. The youma lunged forward and snagged the senshi by the collar, lifting her in the air again by the shoulder.

This was her opportunity.

While her shoulder throbbed with crushing pain, Kallichore saw all three of the youma's eyes were fixated on her. Now was her chance! Tossing the dust in the youma's eyes, it let out a defiant shriek and began to claw at itself, trying to rid its eyes of the irritant. It quickly dropped Kallichore and the senshi backed up, giving her some distance to find out whether or not her plan was effective. Holding her shoulder, the senshi watched as the youma stumbled around. Without a brain to really direct it, its first instinct was to claw at its own face causing blood to stream down its chin and neck.

Now she was preparing her attack. Would it allow her to win? She had no idea - sometimes it was effective on youma and sometimes it wasn't. However, she'd never fought a humanoid youma before. Would her attack affect it differently? This was the best time to find out.

Tonight was not just about Kallichore. It was just as much a test for Albali as it was for her. Ares was a woman who believed in efficiency. When Albali clapped at Kallichore's move, the Senshi of Smoke turned to face her. The expression was unreadable. "Keep it on the run. Force the youma to conform to the standards of battle that you set. A battle is just an elaborate trap. You must lure your opponent into the exact position that you want them in and then pull the trigger -- no hesitating," she said, walking a wide circle around the fountain.

The youma stumbled blindly. Ares' voice caught its attention, and it made a dive for her. She leaped into the air, planting a boot squarely on the thing's face and using it to catapult herself even higher. Her torch fell to the ground as her arms flew forward, gripping the lip of the fountain. She swung upward and used her arm strength to cartwheel up into the highest tier. Water hit her at the ankle, but she ignored it, squatting low.

"Keep it off of me," she said. "Pretend I'm a civilian."

Ares was crouched in the top tier of the fountain. She moved to the edge and hopped back down to the ground, landing with a wet squelch. One hand reached up to fuss with the wings at her waist, preening them like a duck fresh from the water. Kallichore had ended the monster, and she had done it with minimal grevious error. This alone was something worth commending.

But those words would not come from Ares.

Gray eyes fell to Albali. She wanted to be a part of the Inner Sanctum? Well, this was a part of it. Recruitment was paramount to the survival of the Blood Moon Court. Even after everything that happened with Operation Rota, they were still able to attract people to their cause. This was cause for joy inside of Ares, even if she didn't show it on her face.

Instead, she folded both arms in front of her chest, turned to Albali and said, "So, Albali. Please tell Sailor Kallichore how she did." Then she slipped back into her observational role.