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The symmetry of the situation would amuse her later, when she thought about it. People inclined to approach stray dogs were probably uniquely in danger in Destiny City.

But there was no time for thinking now. Inwardly cursing whatever cosmic government felt that it was right to enlist child soldiers in massive numbers, Joy was already sprinting towards the approaching scene before she saw just how tiny and childish the boy running was. The fact that he was wearing something that looked an awful lot like cute pajamas certainly did not help, and filled with a maternal indignation, she had put herself between him and the youma almost before he had time to yell out his warning.

"Don't disappear yet!" she snapped at him. If he was a senshi of some kind he might be useful, even in this state - unlike her utter uselessness in the same situation.

She had a certain mom vibe, despite the uniform instead maybe making it seem that if she was the mother of anyone, it might be some sort of spoiled little prince in a crown and a fur cloak. She was lifting a whistle to her lips even as she said it, and although Totoro would hear nothing, the youma scrabbled to a stop, suddenly clawing desperately at its ears and stumbling, apparently in acute discomfort.

The mom vibe was in full swing. Mama bear, yes, but also do the dishes. "Be nice to have some help," she hinted impatiently, although she was already taking advantage of the pause to sprint towards the youma, whip in hand.

It wasn't immediately clear what, exactly, this little shout had done. But when Joy lashed her whip - vines erupting forth and blossoming into white flowers, a flurry of sweet perfume spilling forth as the stems wound about the youma’s ankles - the effect became clear. The dog-thing, when the whip struck him, let out a disproportionate howl of rage and pain, totally out of step with what should have been a fairly manageable blow.

“Dude, nice,” she said, a little less mom-like in this moment than before. “Did you do that?” She was already readying the whip again, the youma thrashing against its flowery restraints. This told her that it wasn't, actually, that strong - she knew, unfortunately, the frailty of her own magic, and knew that anything more formidable would have been snapping the vines - and so she felt ok pausing, hefting the whip and letting the urgency subside a little. Maybe this could be educational - for both of them. “And more importantly, can you do it again?”

Whether it worked or not, as it turned out, was irrelevant, as Joy had no intention of being subjected to any pain that might or might not get magnified, and even less inclined to put the senshi into the position to get hurt.

As the vines began to recede and to snap under even the youma's feeble efforts to free itself, Joy, backing up to get a good lead on the movement (and gesturing Totoro back with her free hand in what was, once again, a very mom-like moment), once again cracked her whip. The satisfying noise was followed by a rush of light and air, which launched itself like a bolt into the youma's chest. It might have howled because of magnified pain, as it certainly did kick up an aggressive fuss. But it was also possible it howled because - to even her own shock - Joy dusted it.

"Holy s**t," she said, apparently pleased with herself to the point of swearing in front of a child. And then she turned, stuffing the whip into her belt and holding up her hand for a high five. "That ruled."

She scrubbed a hand over her face as the reality of the situation caught back up to her, and then held it out to him for a formal handshake - treating him as if he were an adult.

"Joyeuse Garde, Squire of Earth," she said, although her voice was distracted. "I know it's an awful mouthful unless you're unfortunate enough to be French. Joy is fine."

She paused. "I did exactly the same thing," she said ruefully, "the first week after all this started for me. I got bailed out by some guy in glowing purple pants and his talking cat." No, wait. "A talking cat," she amended. "Anyway. Don't go up to strange dogs at all, but maybe especially don't go up to strange dogs in Destiny City. Why are you even out alone? Maybe don't do that either."

Oh my God, this was a child. An actual, literal child. Who probably had school and played Pokemon, or something. She clutched her hair a little as she considered it, inwardly railing against every cosmic power that had the disgusting tendency to conscript literal child soldiers-

-well, humans did that too, she realized with a pang. But it was still evil. She deflated a little.

“That's uh- that's-” how can you mom-friend a child who needs an actual mom? You can't. She deflated again.

“Yeah. We have magic. Not as good as yours, I think. Most of the time. I think some of us get a little help as we go,” she amended. “Probably be more useful if I was a real knight that could stick a sword in things. But you gotta be more careful, dude. Maybe it'd be better to get a wagon or something than use your subspace for groceries. Can I-”

She hesitated. Well, this was a dilemma. By all rights she ought to escort this boy home. But to do so would inevitably jeopardize his identity. There did not seem to be a great solution.

“How far are you from home? Maybe I can go with you most of the way,” she said desperately. “And then I'll leave, before you go back in.”

"You're already pretty good at this," she said grimly, twisting her signet ring around her finger as she considered the happy ease with which he had connected their information.

Joy, although she had always believed herself to be bad with children, was actually in general quite good with them - for the reason that she had a tendency to speak to them as if they were little adults. She made an "after you" gesture and started walking in the direction indicated.

She did, however, try to dial back her language to something a little more maternal, watching him in his pajama-like uniform padding down the street next to her. "Thanks for offering to help, I appreciate that. You know - knights, not knights like magical shi- magical stuff, but knights like armor-and-horses-and-swords knights. You know how they work? They like. Make these promises to protect people, I guess. Swear to serve them, if they need help."

Well, theoretically. Probably it would be best not to saddle him with the vagaries of post-Vulgate Gawain vice and Vulgate... well. Everything.

"Consider me swearing myself to your service, dude." Well, the language wasn't quite there, but whatever. "You ever need me for anything, give me a yell. I'll be there as quick as I can manage it. Just, you know, maybe don't go running up to fuc- to strange dogs anymore, yeah?"

She did not tell him that it would be a cold day in hell before she summoned an actual child to her own danger. She also, after a moment's hesitation, did not give him the compliment of observing that in terms of power, she was probably more like the Robin to his Batman - or would be soon, anyway. It might make him reckless.

Instead she watched him go, giving him a little wave.

“Nice to meet you. Stay out of trouble!” She called after him, knowing that of all things in the world, nothing in Destiny City could be less likely.