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 Posted: Wed Sep 10, 2025 5:32 pm
While it was not exactly uncommon to stumble on someone being menaced by a random Youma in Destiny City, the ways in which the scenario was framed certainly varied.
Many elements of this one were familiar: itty-bitty power signature, someone doing more running than fighting, something that had the vague aura of a dog but was decidedly Not a Dog. It also appeared that, in a haphazard and not very collected way, the victim of the day was bolting towards the nearest friendly signature: always advisable in these kinds of instances.
It was also not especially unusual that he was occasionally pausing to make an effort at self-defense. What was, perhaps, uncommon was that he was throwing rocks with astonishingly good aim, eliciting an occasional horrific noise from the youma pursuing him before continuing in his flight.
But the oddest thing was that he was, in the hand not occupied with rocks, clutching a cigarette which had not even gone out. This perhaps went some way to explaining why he was wheezing a bit as he went.
"Hello, I - oh," he called out, his tone of cheerful panic derailed into one of maybe just panic as he continued loping towards her as much as his lungs allowed. "I was expecting someone taller. Like maybe 10th grade height, at least?"
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Posted: Thu Sep 11, 2025 9:35 am
Saiph had only powered up reluctantly and after a great deal of coaxing from her cat. She’d wanted to work on homework and maybe take an early night since she had tests in the morning. But Cuan had insisted that she perform at least a small patrol once the homework had been dealt with. And rather than disappoint her best friend, Saiph had gone out. She’d been ready to turn back home too just as the youma had appeared, almost melting up through the dirt and concrete before it stood in front of her and bayed. The two had locked eyes for a second before the dog-like monstrosity had charged her. Instinct had kicked in and Saiph had thrown her magic at the thing, managing to make it stumble enough that she could get a decent running start. The problem now, she thought as she tried to gulp down air into her screaming lungs, was finding a way to dust the damn thing. Well, and keeping it focused on her so it couldn’t go off and hurt someone who couldn’t fight back. There was a touch of an Order aura nearby and she headed for it. It would be someone who could help! Help was a good thing! She’d expected an adult, which the knight certainly seemed to be. She had not, however, expected him to have cottoned on to her needs and start hurling rocks at the youma, giving her a few precious seconds to pause and breathe. And in that time, she sized the knight up and watched, incredulously, as he managed to hold on to a lit cigarette. Which was either the coolest or stupidest thing she’d ever seen. And then he spoke and she decided to spitefully go for the stupid ******** sake,” she gasped. “I’m not that little! I’m fourteen!” Turning on a heel so that she could face the oncoming youma, Saiph quickly dipped down and scooped up some rocks of her own, lobbing them at the not-a-dog’s face. One of her rocks struck the youma in its baleful bright orange eye and she allowed herself the tiniest of grins. “What sort of magic have you got,” she asked. “Is it anything that can slow that thing down a little?”
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Posted: Thu Sep 11, 2025 9:16 pm
"Absolutely nothing," he said, with a return of cheerfulness that was probably to be attributed to a particularly well-flung rock which resulted in a stumble that bought him enough time to pause, having to put his hands to his knees for a little bit to recover, although he again preserved the integrity of his cigarette. "And I think we'd be better if we could find a brick or something. I thought you guys with the sparkly outfits were supposed to be equipped for this kind of thing." The fact that most senshi outfits did not sparkle was not relevant. Senshi outfits had an inherently quality of sparkliness, which mattered more than the literal truth, especially to someone like Maus, for whom the literal truth meant almost nothing to begin with.
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Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2025 9:28 am
Once again, Saiph found herself mildly impressed by how the knight managed to keep his cigarette from harm. It was an impressive enough talent and one that would not have been out of place in certain types of action movies. But it was also not at all useful in this situation. And while she knew nights worked differently to senshi, the fact that he had no magic at all to call upon seemed insane. “How the hell does the Cauldron or whatever expect you to be able to defend yourself without magic,” she gasped, feeling annoyed on his behalf. Given that bit of insight, she found that she couldn’t really complain too much about her own relatively weak magic. At least she had something! “My magic isn’t the strongest. At best, I could trip that thing. Maybe throw it off balance a little. Chibi senshi don’t exactly get armed with the good stuff.” His suggestion on finding a brick had merit though. Physical weapons worked just as well as magical against a youma as long as you could avoid being gutted first… And they both had enhanced physical strength as long as they were powered up. A thought was beginning to form in her head. They didn’t have good weapons here, but she knew where they could get some that wasn’t that far away. It felt weird to feel profoundly grateful for road work. “Follow me,” she ordered, throwing her last rock and hitting the youma on its knee joint. She heard the monster yelp and actually grinned. “I can’t give you bricks, but how do concrete chunks the size of my head sound? There may even be sharp metal bits if we’re lucky. C’mon!” She knew the youma would follow. But this was one of those times when her little magics would be useful in slowing it down while also making certain it would follow them out of pure rage. She took off running, beckoning again for the knight to keep up. Then, she turned, jogging backwards as she called up her magic and threw it at the youma. “Primal Slash!” Rejam Super Sailor Scout Attack: Primal Slash Effects - Able to be summoned twice per battle and lasting up to 20 seconds each use, Saiph is once again able to call upon a faintly glowing magical energy. However, this time, the shoving force is more nebulous in shape as it moves more swiftly and can now deliver the sensation of slashing/biting wounds to an enemy. Saiph is able to target one person per attack and while still not terribly dangerous, the slashes and bites resemble wounds a little deeper than a bad papercut or puppy/kitten bites. Mildly painful and annoying, but hardly life threatening as they fade when the magic ends.
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Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2025 7:24 pm
"See, with the name," he said, not without a certain wheezy quality although he was certainly keeping pace with her, "I expected some ripping and tearing. But this is also good." And it was, as it at least enabled both of them to get closer to something that resembled an actual weapon, at which point the knight almost immediately perked up. "Oh," he said. "Rebar. My favorite."
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Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2025 10:31 am
"Take it up with whatever controls chibi magic," she gasped as she skid to an inglorious stop and nearly faceplanted into a small pile of concrete rubble. She only managed to keep upright by windmilling her arms for a moment and somehow getting her balance back. Even with that, she visibly brightened at the absolute mess in front of them. Sure, there was rebar and that was nice, but she found herself gravitating to an old, very solid baseball bat that someone had left behind. Pulling it from the rubble, she swung experimentally and grinned. Battered as ********, but it was solid. A quick glance up showed her that the youma had arrived and seemed to act a little more cautiously now. Well, good. Maybe her magic was good for something after all! Clearing her throat and jerking her head towards the beast, she let the knight know that they had company now. Then, she stuck her tongue out at the youma and made an extremely rude gesture in its direction.
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Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2025 3:29 pm
The knight apparently had no need for rude gestures, having launched himself at it directly with a chunk of jackhamered rebar in hand. He ran with a bounding, deerlike sort of gait that was extremely undignified. It must be said that a lack of magic was probably less relevant when someone clearly had practice swinging a weapon like that. He did it not just with habit but with relish, apparently enjoying himself. He even beckoned her over as he shifted his grip while the youma howled its indignation, as if inviting her to join a board game that was going on. "We're about to be the weirdest reincarnation of that scene from Office Space," he said cheerfully as he went. "Imagine it's a moody printer."
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Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2025 1:01 pm
"I understand that reference!" Saiph actually laughed as she hefted her bat and cautiously approached the youma. Yes, the rebar had hurt it, but youma were a weird mix of tough and weak. And, as if to prove her point, the beast growled and tried to lunge for her, jaws snapping. That got a startled yelp and a swing of her bat, managing to connect quite hard with the youma's jaw. Saiph saw some teeth go flying and she winced. She didn't like hurting anything, but if she didn't, they risked the youma getting free and hurting someone else. "Yeah, I think it's best to look at this like its a moody printer," she agreed. "Otherwise, I may throw up and no one wants that."
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Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2025 4:49 pm
"You gotta build up that iron stomach," he said. This was probably coming from a place of experience, as he was assailing the youma with easy detachment, almost alternating blows with her as if they were engaged in a friendly game of some sort. "It'll get easier when you're old enough to drink." He stepped back, and although the cigarette had unfortunately succumbed at last to the situation at some point during their flight, he procured another, making a "help yourself" gesture as he tossed the rebar aside to find a lighter in his subspace as well. "Feel free to finish it off," he said generously.
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Posted: Mon Sep 15, 2025 9:31 am
Making a face, Saiph thought that she’d be a lot happier if she didn’t build up an iron stomach. She didn’t want to end up immune to feeling things. For instance, right now? She felt a jolt of alarm at the knight’s insistence that things would be easier once she could drink. She paused for half a moment, eyebrows knotted with worry as she wondered if she should ask if he was okay and if she needed to call someone for him. The moment passed when he tossed his rebar away in order to light up a new cigarette. Now she felt annoyed and worried. Glancing down at the youma, she thought it looked less doggy now and a lot more monster-y. It didn’t bleed, at least, not as she recognized the term. There was no gore. Parts of it were literally crumbling as it snarled and tried to push itself up on shattered limbs, long teeth still snapping for her. Bringing her bat up, she considered the youma for a long moment. Then, swinging with everything she had, she brought the bat down on the youma’s head. The monster let out a yelp, but she didn’t stop. The yelp didn’t sound pained. More startled. Maybe in whatever passed for its brain, it had thought itself invincible. By the fourth strike, it sounded less like her bat was connecting with anything solid. Now, it sounded more like she was hitting damp, tightly packed sand. Pausing in her battery, she watched as the youma shuddered and started crumbling at an advanced rate. It had started at the tail end, working its way up as the youma literally turned into dust before her eyes. The baleful face went last and Saiph couldn’t say she was sorry to see it disappear. Using the bat as a poking stick of sorts, she spread the piles of dust around until the ground was coated in a thin layer of slightly glittering motes. “That,” she declared, “was ******** weird.”
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Posted: Mon Sep 15, 2025 10:13 pm
"By the standards of normal not-weird things, sure," said Maus, taking a drag with relish. "Pretty normal for a Youma, I think. Anyway, I didn't wanna intervene. Seemed like you had it. Good work. Thank you. You're welcome. All that jazz." He paused, eyeing the spot where the Youma had been. "Did I get your name already? Forgive an old man's failing memory."
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Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2025 8:54 am
Looking up from the leftover flecks and motes of youma, Saiph gave the knight a slow, appraising look. Watched as he took a drag and thought about how he’d been wheezing when they’d run from the beast. She was fairly convinced that him bowing out had more to do with being horrifically out of shape than it did her competence levels. But if he wanted to tell himself that it was because she’d had things firmly under control, well. More power to him. She’d let him hold on to his alleged pretty little lies. Besides, it wasn’t worth arguing over. Instead, she shrugged as non-chalantly as she could manage and concentrated for a moment, opening her little pocket of subspace and shoving the bat inside. It was a good bat. It would have been a shame to toss such a handy weapon away. Once that was done, she turned her attention back to the knight and tipped her head slightly to the side. “Just remember you’re the one calling yourself old,” she said. “Not me. And I’m pretty sure that there wasn’t actually time for anything as civilized as introductions. I guess there is now though, so… Okay.” Wiping her hands against her shorts to remove what little was left of the youma dust, Saiph stuck her hand out, “Sailor Chibi Saiph, Senshi of the Primordial. Pleased to meetcha.”
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Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2025 7:18 pm
He juggled his cigarette back into his lips to stick out a hand towards her, amiably, and give hers a shake quite as equals. "Maus," he said. "I'm sure you'll be good enough to spare me the jokes, I've heard them all already." And he still was very faintly wheezy, but he didn't seem to be incapacitated. Maybe he was just really, really lazy. Or maybe he'd thought she needed the practice more than him. There were a hundred reasons, really, but certainly one of them may have been that he was carrying around lungs that were about 50% tar by volume. "I'd lecture you about running around alone, but I'd be a hypocrite. I did a lot of that at your age too. Anyway, looks like you can take care of yourself," he added cheerfully.
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Posted: Fri Sep 19, 2025 7:56 am
Even as her hand was shaken, Saiph was busy thinking hard. She didn’t know a lot about knights, but she knew that their names came from places. So when told the knight’s name, she didn’t immediately consider jokes at his expense. “Wait, wait, wait,” she muttered. “There’s an actual place called Maus?” Followed quickly by a sharp look and headtilt. “Why would I want to make jokes about you or your name? That'd just be rude given you helped me lure the youma here. Do people actually make fun of you that regularly?” If that was the case, Saiph felt just a little irritated. Then, she felt concerned as she heard the wheezy quality to his words and breathing. Really, it was a day for feeling many, many things all in rapid succession. Settling on concern seemed the better option. “Are you sure you’re okay?” she demanded, choosing to ignore, for the moment, the little jab about running around alone. “You’re not going to like, have a heart attack in front of me or anything are you? And I’m fourteen! Fourteen is a perfectly normal age to run around alone!” Snorting softly in a confused mingling of amusement and annoyance, the chibi senshi glanced around quickly before seeing a small pile of rubble and giving the knight, Maus, a gentle shove in that direction. “I’m not so sure the same could be said of you as far as taking care of yourself,” she replied drily. “Just sit down for a minute until you don’t sound like you’re about to die on me. Please. It’d make me feel a whole lot better.” Fussing over Maus let her own emotions calm down. While she was certainly thrilled to have an adult praise her, she still wasn’t sure how she felt about that same adult having essentially dipped out of a fight with a monster to leave her alone in handling it. What if she hadn’t been able to take care of herself? Would he have stepped back in to help? She very badly wanted to ask, but couldn’t think of a way to do so that wouldn’t sound shrill or naggy. So she funnelled all of her confusion into trying to make sure that Maus wasn’t about to keel over. “Just rest for a second. Maybe try not smoking until you stop sounding like a leaky balloon,” she suggested gently.
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Posted: Fri Sep 19, 2025 3:55 pm
He was entertained by this child mother-henning him and therefore obediently sat down, although in truth he felt fine, and was feeling the effects of not getting much exercise in for the last couple of years more than he was feeling the cigarettes, and wasn't feeling much of either.
He might have been vaguely offended, had he known that she thought he would have left her hung out to dry, but he might also have found it funny, depending on how she phrased it. As he did not know this, however, he saw no need to defend himself, which possibly made his air of cheerful laziness more offensive, especially in someone who was called a Knight.
"Don't start smoking," he advised. "Don't vape, either. They tell you it's better for you but it's all bullshit and you don't even look cool vaping like you look cool smoking."
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