Events of late had been rather illuminating for Kiringul, and despite still powering up to do a quick round to keep up with the habit of connecting with his magic and his wonder, he began to wonder if he ought to contribute to the state of things. There was very clearly something happening in the backdrop of Destiny City, a secret conflict that put everyone in danger whether they knew it or not.
As for him? He had a daughter to tend to, and loved ones…of course it was important to protect them, but did that mean being part of the solution or ignoring it for the sake of lessening his chances of encountering anything or anyone potentially life-threatening?
The page wandered about the park where he usually did his patrols, clearly distracted. He was lost enough in his own thoughts that he didn’t notice anyone nearby or anyone approaching. Which probably defeated the purpose of patrolling, but.
Well. There he was, trying to do his part. At least for now.
nyamomaskk
Posted: Tue Jul 18, 2023 6:52 pm
Tsukuyomi generally, as a rule of thumb, didn’t bother with trying to drain senshi or knights, preferring the abundance of hapless civilians instead. It was much easier, and inherently far less messy, given the lack of magic being tossed about. That wasn’t to say she wouldn’t drain a person of a certain magical persuasion at all, of course- if she was feeling particularly spiteful, or if they were easy pickings, she’d be more than content to steal their energy instead- she just had her preferences, was all. There was also the advantage of the element of stealth, as an unpowered individual would never be able to sense her coming, even moreso if they happened to have been under the influence.
Speaking of easy pickings...
A page was wandering around, seemingly distracted, but also more importantly, very alone. As to what was causing the distraction, Tsuyu didn't know, but she also didn't really care, because this worked to her advantage. Pages were a mixed bag- they didn't have magic, but that didn't always mean they were defenseless, as the Dark Mirror knew from experience. With any luck, this was a new page, who didn't know their right from their left, who had no one that they would be calling upon for backup. If she played her cards right, she'd be able to drain him of his energy before anyone came to his aid...
... But first, like a cat would toy with its prey, Tsuyu would wear him out first, to make it easier.
"Selemat malam, bestie!" she greeted, in her usual manner of calling strangers 'bestie', "Alone by yourself on this fine night? Awfully bold move."
The unfamiliar voice pulled him from his own thoughts, and as soon as that happened he noticed the energy signature. It was unfamiliar, but then again, being so new, basically all energy signatures were. Her tone, though, didn’t exactly give him warm and happy vibes, so the page decided to proceed with a bit of caution.
“Could say the same about you.” He did his best to keep a neutral expression, though he wasn’t too fond of being called “bestie” by some stranger. It was easy to keep off of his face, but hard to keep out of his voice.
If he had to guess, this person likely had a distinct advantage over him if this encounter took a turn for the worse: magic. He had enough to power up and to go to his wonder, sure, but he had nothing he could actually use in a fight. So if it came to that, he was more than screwed, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t put up an air of bravado.
“So who’re you supposed to be?”
nyamomaskk
Posted: Wed Jul 19, 2023 12:40 pm
“I’m flattered, but I’m doing just fine by myself, bestie!” Tsuyu quipped, though it was hard to discern how genuine she was being. More than likely, she wasn’t really all that flattered, of course.
“Name’s Tsukuyomi; I’d ask if you ‘got it memorized’, but I doubt you’ll remember much by the time we’re done.”
She’d leave him to guess what she was the senshi of, or what faction she belonged to, if he hadn’t figured out that much already. It was a lesson to be learned, that perhaps he would remember for future encounters. Served him right for being out on his lonesome as a newbie page, really! Really, the White Moon needed to do better.
“Don’t worry, this will all be over soon enough- as long as you cooperate, that is,” The Dark Mirror said, and then, “Jigoku-zoshi.”
Sailor Scout Attack: Jigoku-zōshi
A spectral fiery chariot appears, in an attempt to carry its selected target away to hell for punishment. Anyone who comes into contact with this chariot feels a burning sensation as if being burnt by hellfire, though no actual physical damage is done. The burning lasts for twenty seconds, and the chariot can be summoned up to three times.
its_ p a o
picture Morishita watching on from a safe distance, hoping kiringul can fend for himself so she doesn’t have to get involved lmao
He was about to comment when she said something about things being quick and cooperating. He really had no idea what she was talking about, and before he could ask some fiery hell-chariot was suddenly coming at him. The instinct to dodge was strong, so he did his best. It barely grazed his arm, but the agony was immediate.
Kiringul fell to the ground and curled over, biting down the desire to scream as he felt as though he was being barbecued alive.
He wasn’t really succeeding. There was screaming, maybe a little cursing. Maybe a little wondering if this was it for him.
nyamomask
Not sure how hot the hellfire is, so assuming hothothot. Lemme know if not, though. I can adjust. o/
Morishita please. lol
Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2023 9:44 pm
Morishita honestly didn't care much about certain factions going around draining people's energy, even though she should have, because 1) it wasn't any of her business and 2) at least they weren't pulling starseeds? Or something like that. It was something better left to other people who cared about that sort of thing, because there were plenty of senshi and knights running around Destiny City to where she had her work cut out for her, which.
Mostly just meant she was free to lounge about and slack off all day? Or, at least, that was what Lani always told Rune, every time the little cat tried to nag her about doing senshi stuff.
Tonight, she was doing that thing where she went around pretending to do her duty, though the reality was just that Rune was livestreaming again, which meant Lani got kicked out of the house. She'd been intending on just lounging around and doing absolutely nothing unless a youma, like, was right on top of her or something, but then something caught her attention.
There were two auras off in the distance, of a low-level page and a dark mirror senshi. Scooting a little closer (but still keeping a safe distance away), she realized she recognized that dark mirror- it was Tsukuyomi, the one she'd had a couple run-ins with previously and had an odd sort of one-sided rivalry with, in the sense that she liked to taunt the DMS every time they crossed paths. She didn't know what it was about Tsuyu that led her her to constantly bullying her, other than that she reminded her of one of her cousins, maybe, but it was refreshing to be a bully to someone other than a fluffy white talking cat??
Still, Morishita didn't really want to get involved unless she really had to, and thus she watched at first, hoping this page wasn't some loser who wasn't able to fend for himself. Unfortunately, it soon was looking like that was the case, as he folded easily with just one cast of magic. Dang, was she really going to have to get involved, just to save some newb?
Well, at least in swooping in to 'save' him, she'd earn some respect she didn't actually deserve.
"Claws of the Mountain Cat!" she called out her magic, directing it towards Tsuyu.
Sailor Scout Attack: Claws of the Mountain Cat
Morishita makes a slashing motion with her 'paws' (no actual paws involved!); at the same time, a magical spirit Yamamayaa lunges forward, striking any target within 10 feet with its claws. This does not do any real physical damage, instead only causing the sensation of pain, as if they were actually scratched by the Yaamamayaa's claws. This lasts for thirty seconds, after which the effects will dissipate at player discretion, and can be used up to three times.
--
The page went down with just one hit, which was kind of pathetic, really, and also a little boring, but it did make her work cut out for her. It meant there would be no drawn out battle that risked leading to the page having any friends of his show up, which was always something Tsukuyomi wanted to avoid, as a basic-level Dark Mirror. That wasn't to say that she'd avoid them outright, because sometimes it was inevitable, but...
The Dark Mirror was about to get out her mirrorshard, in order to summon her wraith, so she could drain the page's energy and be on her way, but then she was suddenly hit with the all too familiar by now sensation of being clawed by a phantom wild cat. Instantly, she knew who it was, and, disinterested in sticking around further, scowled at Kiringul. "Well, bestie, looks like I'll have to cut this party short. Selamat tinggal and all that. Buh-bye."
And with that she was off.
--
Well, that was a bummer- Morishita had been looking forward to coming up with new and creative ways to insult Tsukuyomi, but then she took off just like that. Now left with the page crumbled on the ground, the teen poked him with a foot, in the absence of having a stick to poke him with. "Yo. You're not dead yet, right? Because that's going to make things a lot harder for me."
Kiringul quite loudly cursed his luck, assuming that this one was here to join in on the fun that was sicking their magic on him, while still rolling unceremoniously on the ground. In the time it took for the burning sensation to fade and completely go away, though, the senshi that attacked him had bailed, and the other senshi that jumped in the middle of his losing battle was poking him with her foot.
He swatted it away, then groaned as he got up.
“Not dead. Debating what the hell I’m doing, though.”
He turned to the senshi, ready to continue venting his frustration when it was suddenly calmed by his confusion. And then he pointed at her. “Your energy signature feels different from that other one. What’re you supposed to be?”
A bit rude, maybe, not to start with introductions. Hopefully she would give him a pass considering he did just get hit by some crazy burn-sensation-inducing magic.
nyamomask
Posted: Thu Aug 03, 2023 11:56 pm
Of all the people Morishita had to rescue, it was some loser who didn't know what the difference in senshi factions were. Arguably yes, she'd had trouble at first as when she awakened as a chibi senshi, because she tuned out the words of the fluffy Mauvian that always tried to give her instructions, but Morishita would both never admit to it. Speaking of cats, of all the time her cat had to be busy livestreaming, leaving her unable to relegate the task of infodumping upon- teaching other people wasn't exactly something the teen was interested in.
So, how to condense all of this down into some basic cliff notes tl;dr?
"Uh. Okay, so like. Blah blah blah, there's a war and stuff- you know that right? Anyway, she's one of the bad ones."
Well, maybe the Dark Mirror was somewhere in between, depending on the senshi, but 'they're the bad guys' was easier than breaking down the various nuances of just how evil or not evil an individual was.
"And I'm Morishita." The one that just saved your sorry butt, she wanted to add.
The senshi’s attempt to teach him about the war left a lot to be desired, but Kiringul set that small irritation aside considering she did save him from what he could only imagine would have become an ever more unpleasant experience if she hadn’t stepped in. It was hard to keep out of his face, but he tried.
“I had an idea but not really any specifics,” was his reply, but he waved his hand dismissively. “I’ll figure it out the more I get involved, I’m sure. So she’s a ‘bad’ one.” He gave a nod and thought back to the way Tsukuyomi’s energy signature felt, then Morishita’s, and committed the differences to memory.
“Kiringul, thanks for the save. If it wasn’t already painfully obvious, I’m new.” Ish. It was more like he was only now starting to dive into all of this, but she didn’t need to know that.
nyamomask
No, no he doesn't. emotion_facepalm
Posted: Thu Aug 10, 2023 9:43 pm
"I kinda figured as much," Morishita said, and it was hard to tell as to how sympathetic (or not) she was to his plight, "Damn, they just let you guys run around loose with no guidance, huh?"
Sucks to... suck, but that was also something she refrained from saying out loud, and instead let out a low whistle. The teen pondered things for a moment- she wasn't a generous person, and teaching wasn't something she felt like doing, because that required effort and energy, things she was allergic to. At the same time, this was a good opportunity to pass him off onto two of the most annoying people in her life, and while he probably would end up running into someone more willing to show him the ropes before he ran into said people, well.
As long as it looked like she was trying to be of some help, right?
"So like, if you're new, I'm going out on a limb and assuming you don't have your ring yet, but I know two people I can set you up with- or one person and one cat."
Another pause.
"They'll be more than happy to talk your ear off about anything you want to know."
Or chat about idols and idol music. Maybe try to recruit him to their group, even.
She didn’t seem too sympathetic to his not knowing, but that was alright. He was grateful enough that she stepped in to help him out at all; expecting more beyond that seemed like it’d be asking too much of a complete stranger. It’d be nice, of course, but frankly not everyone was that nice.
He certainly wasn’t.
“Guess so,” he confirmed the idea of being let loose without any kind of direction. He’d been lucky enough to awaken with a friend who also happened to be a knight just nearby. Had he been alone he had a feeling things could have turned out a whole lot worse. Simply recalling that blazing hot summer afternoon of misery was enough to sour his mood, so he shoved it out of his mind as best he could and tried not to let his irritation at the intrusion of the memory show on his face while he listened.
“Nope, no ring yet,” he confirmed again. And then she went on and mentioned something about a person and a cat. He kind of zoned out for a second when she said that, his brain mostly focusing on the idea of a cat contributing to any conversation. Thankfully he was able to refocus, though, and when she finished he sort of just nodded.
“I’ll take whatever help I can get, honestly. So who are these two you’re talking about?”
nyamomask
Posted: Sun Aug 13, 2023 2:42 am
Morishita didn't immediately reply, instead producing a small notepad and pencil from subspace, doodling what could only be called crude sketches of the aforementioned persons before offering the paper to Kiringul. Art wasn't something she would ever claim to be good at, but she figured that it conveyed their likenesses well enough.
"Their names are Rune- that's the cat- and Aogashima," Morishita explained, in simple enough terms, "Rune's one of those Guardian Cats that go around awakening senshi."
And being a pain in the rear end.
"Aogashima's one of you knight folk, except she's..." the teen paused, pondering how to phrase this politely (as politely as Morishita could manage, that was), "A higher level? From what you are."
She didn't really know how to explain how the whole rank thing worked to a newbie page, and frankly, did she really even care? After all, that was something Aogashima or Rune could ramble on about.
He took the offered paper and looked it over as she explained what all was on it. “Rune, a Guardian Cat,” he repeated, observing the likeness of a cat and wondering how close it was to the real thing before moving on to the person and wondering the same. “And Aogashima, also a knight.” It was easy enough to remember, though whether he’d recognize the real versions based on these sketches, he couldn’t say.
“Thanks,” he eventually replied once she was finished explaining. He had a good enough idea about the ranking system (he guessed, anyway), so he didn’t mind that she didn’t go into any more detail than that. Ultimately it didn’t matter so much to him, provided the higher-ranked person wasn’t out to hurt him. Given they were on the same side, he didn’t imagine that to be the case.
“Last question, I swear. How do I find them?”
nyamomask
Posted: Mon Aug 14, 2023 5:27 pm
“Easy- Aogashima’s the one in Cosmos colors who goes out to the parks at night, to perform her idol songs like some kind of weirdo, and Rune’s her best friend who’s also into idols, so they’re like, practically joined at the hip when they’re out together,” Morishita answered with a shrug, no longer caring to filter her words in a more polite manner. Personally, she never hung around to catch any of these guerrilla ‘concerts’, but Morishita knew all about the little ‘show’ that the duo held for Almadel a month or so back… because it had been all either of the girls could talk about for a week, blowing up the senshi’s notifs in the group chat, not to mention gushing about it in person.
“… Also, technically Rune lives in my house, so I guess I can put in a word for you to her.”
Ah, another Cosmos knight. That made for easy-enough spotting; he already had an idea of what to look for in the uniform. Kiringul listened to Morishita as she expanded on where these two could be located. There was a part of him suspended in disbelief that two powered individuals would bond over idols, for one thing, but they also went out busking, performing songs out in public for all to see and hear.
More power to them, quite frankly, because he could never handle the idea of being on stage, front and center like that.
But also, why?
He neither commented nor let it show (too much) on his face.
“They sound…interesting? At least they’ll be hard to miss. If you could at least mention that there’s a newbie Cosmos page looking for ‘em, that’ll probably be alright.” How many favors had she already done for him tonight? If he didn’t feel so desperately disadvantaged as a page he probably wouldn’t have asked for any help in the first place.
But he was, so. Oh, well.
“Alright, well. You’re probably sick of all the questions so why don’t we call it here? I’ll head home and try not to die on the way. You can…” he felt his dad-senses tingling but ignored them. Who was he to tell anyone what to do, particularly someone who had saved his life?
“Do whatever you had originally planned before you saved my sorry a**. That sound good?”
