Cardinal had been keeping track of the random fires that kept popping up, some of them in the parks and hunting areas. It was keeping her busy during the day and now at night too. The senshi sighed she was hoping it was a night that would be quite but it seemed that was going to be short lived.
It was her turn to be out on the hunting reserve to monitor deer hunters and campers so she had taken the chance to power up and do patrols in the woods as a senshi to surprise unsuspecting hunters who were hunting at night.
"UGH this needs to stop" She muttered as she had taken off from the ranger cabin to figure out what was going on and why there was another report of a fire down in the hollar. It sounded like this one was growing instead of just going out so she needed to make sure it wasn't a camp fire left unattended but also that no one was around to get hurt.
Fire Belly Newts (15) : Pranks are common this time of year, and what’s funnier than a little arson? A lot of things, actually, but for some reason there are frequent reports of small fires being set and abandoned all throughout the city. Most of the time, these fires burn out before causing much damage, but things are escalating and it’s only a matter of time before things start getting dangerous–especially with how dry it’s been, and all these dead, fallen leaves. But, it’s worse than just flammable debris. Sometimes, there are small patches of boiled pavement. Melted metal–guardrails, lamps, fire hydrants. Destruction is rampant, and no one knows why. But you do. You saw one of them. A foot long, black newt, with a bright-red belly that glowed brightly when it spat up real, liquid flame right in front of you. Lava pooled from its round little belly, ignited like a match to oil. It darts through alleys and storm drains, too fast to catch. At least you tried.
Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2025 12:39 pm
LP
Susanoo moved through the trees, Susanoo's eyes scannoing tghe plants.
Archery hunting season was coming as he was rather imminent if not started - he needed to verify - and sall of these fires ruined the hunt. He both wanted a good hunt but also safety. And all of these fires weren't good for the deer. He knew hunting was often looked down on but he respected sustainability, and th man just wanted to ensure a good hunt and a safe hunt, and so he was walking. He'd powered into Sailor Susanoo entirely as a sense of presence. A way to keep safe as he moved about trees like smoke, watching the area almost like a spectre.
As he moved, he sensed an aura, order aura, and smoothly changed course, walking towards it calmly. As he drew near, he intentionally stepped on branches to be heard and not startle anyone. Finally he emerged, and beamed warmly, speaking gently.
"Oh! Hello Cardinal. I take it you're looking into the fires in the area here too?" Susanoo asked in a cheery tone, motioning. "I was making sure it was safe. Archery season for deer hunting is soon, and I wanted to be sure the area for safe for hunters and the deer."
Cardinal paused when she heard the branches snap, she could feel an order aura and looked curiously in the direction. When Susanoo showed up she chuckled lightly. "Ah yeah, it's actually part of my day job."
She said with a shrug and scratching the back of her head. She looked around, "I was trying to see what was causing the fires so hopefully the hunting season wouldn't be ruined. So it sounds like we have a common goal."
The senshi of the Uktena gave a quick wink before motioning for Susanoo to follow. "So far I've ruled out any human causes of the fires that've been happening. I've been lucky to catch some of them before they cause too much damage. A few have gotten bad enough to call in reinforcements. Those areas probably won't be safe to hunt in this year."
She sighed as she walked. "Oh, I guess I should mention I'm a park ranger when I'm not a senshi." She gave another chuckle. She hadn't mentioned it previously as it really wasn't that important but now was kind of different. "The ranger service right now is getting spread pretty thin trying to cover enough ground to keep the fires from getting too bad and taking shifts in patrolling the area. I volunteered for night shifts since I'm not sure it's not a youma causing these."
"Hopefully we can catch whatever is responsible so we can keep the rest of the hunting areas safe. I'd really like not to have the hunters days ruined by some pyromaniac." She looked back to Susanoo, "So you'll help right? Because two sets of eyes are better than one."
Posted: Tue Oct 14, 2025 2:10 am
LP
Susanoo listened. He listened closely and intensely, It was a wide, friendly grin before he bowed and chuckled, not cruel. Elated.
"Of course. I was looking into the same thing for hunting myself. And we're in luck."
Susanoo was willing to share fact fdor fact and motioned.
"I'm in my doctorate's for psychology. Supervised exp[erience, actually. So perhaps I can try helping get in this arsonist's head." Susanoo admitted, smiling. He approached Cardinal, just happy to help. Honestly, much more relaxed now to see a friend, and in general.
"Of course I'll help,. Cardinal. This is more than the hunters I'm worried about. It's the deer too. Not simply for hunting. But --" Susano motioned, quietly. "Don't.. Laugh but if the deer are gone it's bad for hunting. Bad for the environment. It's - bad in general. It's why I aunm for ethical huinting. Although remind me next time the poark rangers want a fundraiser. I know some gfolks who might be willing to help." Susanoo winked, then focused, looking the direction he came from.
"From the information I've gathered these fires aren't man made in the area I patrolled tonight. Any camposite firepits were properly put out. No unattended fires - I haven't seen anyone. Or they're already asleep in their tents or RVs. The tiunder is a bit dry near... I think the camposites near some hills, or so, dryer than near the river. The meadows near the rivers and the hiking trail I came in near are absolutely parched but no sign of human interferance. It's simply - dry. I'd suggest the rangers watch those as well - one spark might be a problem."
He wanted to help, and he rubbe3d his chin. "As for my hunting tactics... I didn't see any human tracks either. It looks like there's no sign of humans out there. And I didn't feel anything odd like youma."
Cardinal seemed thoughtful, "The psychology will help if it's a human..." She paused as she continued moving through the woods. "I'm not so sure it's a human though. I know it's not a youma I'd felt them by now."
"If we loose too much of the forest it's bad for everyone. It'll take years for this forest to grow back into something worth hiking, camping, and doing other activities in. No one wants to come to a barren wasteland."
There was another nod and a grin, "Thanks I'll let you know when we do something, I think next is a charity auction..."
Cardinal was keeping her eyes on everything around them, one thing out of place and it might lead them to who or what was causing the fires. "It's a shame we don't have enough equipment to put sprinklers on all the dry spots. We could use a nice rain that's a slow steady drizzle. That would keep some of this from being as bad."
Something moved in the corner of her eye, "What was that?" She snapped her head over towards the direction of the tree she'd seen the movement.
Posted: Mon Oct 20, 2025 11:56 pm
LP
"I can rustle some donations up I think. Gagarin's gruff, but... He's a good soul. I just need to point out it's good for the elderly or childrten and he's practically begging to help." Susanoo chuckled softly, smiling. "And Oumuamua's just... I mean. She might know how to talk to her family or bosses at work. I know mine will likely be happy to dsonate." Susanoo smiled, looking about.
"Non-humans and non-youma might leave tracks, still. We just nmeed to identify them." Susanoo was shifting mindset from a human target or youma target easily. It was a move to a sharper position. A hunter. But not cruel -- protecting what mattered. "We'll find--0"
And Cardinal spoke. Susanoo's head snapped like a wolf to look in the same direction, eyes boring into the spot with cold intensity, eyes sharpo and focused as his jaw set and he moved for the spot to examine it for clues silently.
Cardinal nodded as Susanoo said he thought he could rustle up some donations.
She was watching the spot before slowly closing in to inspect it. "It might be, I mean it's a type of lizard or newt I don't think I've seen around here before."
She wasn't sure how close they would be able to get to the creature to inspect it, maybe try to catch it and identify it. "It certainly wouldn't be out of the norm for some crazy fire type lizard to actually exist here. I mean it's no pokemon but might make it seem like they're real.":
As Cardinal watched it pausing when it looked like it was going to run only to see it burp -- lava? On the tree --- "Oh s**t." She muttered.
Posted: Wed Oct 29, 2025 1:48 am
LP
Susanoo was relaxed watching Cardinal at first. This? This was fine. A lizard. His mind was distracted with donation proposals, a moment.
"Lizard?" Susanoo spuinm, eyes widening in horror. He had a flashback to his granfdather's barbeque recentkly when the fires were begiunning and Susanoo's face went ashen remembering his cousin chasing it and he moved, not trusting the burping lizard at the first glimpose. No.
He gave a mirthless chuckle, eyes on the beast, and drew a bead from thin air, glintiung in the dim light before he threw iut in front of Sailor Cardinal without preamble more.
A tengu appeared from nowhere before her, the small figure defensive as the tengu watched the newt with sharpo, tracking eyes, Susanoo moving beside Cardinal with a surprisingly defensive air.
"I've seen one of these before... It must be the root cause. It almost set my grandsire's house on fire. My cousin was injured chasing it. I'm not - taking chances.,"
He knew Cardinal could fight. But he worried.
He cared. She was... Hopefully his friend, and that was a lot to Susanoo, his eyes glaring down balefully on the lizard. Waiting.
Sailor Scout Attack: Kotengu's Protection Sailor Susanoo triggers his magic by chuckling and removing a bead from thin air, tossing it in front of one ally up to five feet away. The bead explodes into a small tengu, half small bird half man, standing between the target and one enemy at all times for thirty seconds before disappearing. If left alone, the tengu does nothing, but if the enemy targeted attacks the ally, the small tengu will lunge, passing through the enemy and causing the sensasion of being attacked by small pebbles. This feeling stings at worst but does no damage and offers a deterreant -- Susanoo cab also summon this tengu to protect himself. Susanoo can only summon a small tengu three times a day before he's out of uses.
Cardinal was caught off guard by the sudden appearance of a Tengu. Her eyes moved over to Susanoo and there was a soft chuckle.
"Ah, thanks. But I mean it's a lizard or newt that -- spits lava?"
The fact one almost caught someone's house on fire was alarming but interesting. "I think . . . I have something to catch it with...." She was trying to think, the best idea she had was a smelting pot but that was too far.
There was a frown as she pulled out a small glass container. Realistically the lava fiend could burn it's way through it. "Perhaps I can catch it and study it. Since it's not a youma or a naturalish creature. No tellings where it came from."
There was a pause, "Other options -- I guess -- include dumping water on it and seeing if it puts it out or dusts it. Even though it's not a youma doesn't mean it won't dust..."
Posted: Wed Nov 05, 2025 2:03 am
LP
"Water could work... Especially if one of us tracks it while the other fetches water." Susanoo agreed. He was on high alert, tracking the newt-lizard-bbeast with hggis eyes. His gaze tracked the beast, and he just...
Susanoo didn't trust this. And now it threatened the foreest. His hiuntiong ground. His friend's work == for after all, the creature might attack the ranger station next. Susanoo was having none of it. Not for Cardinal or the other rangers.
.....And his shoulders were baxk. His expression dire.
"Maybe we can herd it." Susanoo suggested. "If we migrate for the river or similar we might drown it." It was... Something. They didn't know how much water it might take to... To put the little beast out.
Cardinal summoned a jug of water from her subspace, "Well guess it's a good thing I keep a few essentials in my subspace."
There was a chuckle, it was carried on top of a basic first aid kit and some other random bits and bobs. She also pulled out a small insect trap. "I don't think this'll hold it well. . . I wish it was fortified for .... these sort of critters but it's a normal insect trap."
She also pulled out a small slim jim stick and hummed. "Excuse me tengu." She said as she hoped to move to try and coax the critter into the insect trap. "Ideally we just shuffle it into this and figure out what to do with it from there."
There was a pause, "I'd hate to drown it. Maybe if we could contain the creature." She dropped some of the slim jim into the insect cage while offering the creature a small bite of it. "Here buddy you hungry?"
What did Lava spitting newts eat though??
Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2025 12:04 am
LP
Susanoo held perfectly still. He listened, alert as he frowned, arms crossing slowly.
"I'd say we can donate it to the university for study." Susanoo proposed. He watched, perfectly still. He was still on guard, even watching the tenfu a moment, and then he watched the beast again. Susanoo shifted his weight, eyes narrowed at the creature. He blinked a moment though as subspace finally dawned on him, brows raising in surprise.
"We can do that?" Susanoo breathed. "I.... Nobody told me we can."
Gagarin wouldn't know. Oumuamua certainly hadn't known. They were bonding and he knew she would. Not even Dubhe. He exhaled slowly in surprise. A pocket dimension. To store things. He could think of some useful things. Maybe not his hunting things -- not ideal -- but something useful. Maybe some of his smaller hunyinhg items like.... He shook hius head. He'd plan later.
"Hiopoe this works." He wasn't so sure about keeping it alive... But killing it might be a threat. With lava that dangerous.... Susanoo watched it twitch. And he waiyed.
Cardinal paused thinking, "I don't know the university has room for this. I've heard of a space collector he might want it or the vangaurdians." He said thinking about who might have use for the creature.
It did seem to want the slim jim as it's tongue shot out and she let it eat the piece she'd had in her hand. "See bud there's more in here."
Honestly if she could just get it somewhere more suitable she'd be happy there was a pause when she heard Susanno sounding astonished, "Oh yeah little space pocket of holding, it's probably ... back pack sized if I had to guess... it starts rejecting things that are too large and it's not infinite holding because it won't take items when it's full."
She managed to coax the critter into the carrier with a smile and slid the lid closed after adding a small metal cup of water. "So I think ... we got 'em." As long as it didn't spit lava and burn the plastic before she could properly relocate it. "I'll make a few calls and see if I can find someone to take him somewhere safe." She smiled, "But at least now he can't burn down the woods."
Posted: Mon Nov 17, 2025 12:56 am
LP
"Van.... Guardians....?" Susanoo blinked slowly, visibly out of his depth as moment. He hadn't powered much until late, unless guarding his cousin, and Dubhe hadn't powered for... A while. Another blink, slow, Susanoo visibly bewildered, like a startled cat.
"Space... Collector? There's... Aliens?" Another blink. "Duibhe's mentioned seeing a few but.... I thought my copusin was pulling my leg. Then again... She's also been cranky missing some... Merchant at the Star festival the past few years." Susanoo sighed, expression mildly lonmmg-suffering. "I keep telling her he's just a vendor too."
Susannoo was shaking his head though. He really wished Dubhe had better taste in people she liked but so far her preferences in long-term company was "Kind" or "Friendly" and she already felt heartbroken and. Why was Dubhe so complicated? "My cousin... Can be so hard for me to understand."
It was admitted grudgingly but not coldly. He adored his family... Mostly.... But he didn't always understand, pinching the bridge of his nose. He was getting distracted from his goals, however. He needed to focus properly and fiunally Susanoo shook his head.
"Well, the pocket dimension sounds useful. Maybe I'll pack my Hunting Emergency Kit. Bandages mostly. Some First Aid supplies." Susanoo shrugged. "I guess not the bright neon vest for visibility though."
Susanoo bent slightly, curiously peering at the newt now he saw it up c.lose.
"Well... It's possible the... KLava... Is a hunting mechanism... I mean.... Maybe it's a carnavore. So feeding it isn't hatrd if it is. Might keep it calm. Calmer than buirning the forwst or fences, at least." Susanoo admitted. Feeding it might keep iot from spitting up more lava, keeping it contained, and Susanoo straightened.
"Think it'll remain contained in there? It's... Like a toiny dragon. Or a salamander really..." Susanoo examined it again, analytically Curiously.
Cardinal stopped and nodded, "Yeah Vanguardian and the Space collector are aliens. There's also deep space senshi I've met who aren't from here."
There was a nod when he said the pocket dimension sounded useful, "Yeah it has come in handy a few times."
She answered.
There was a pause as he mentioned the Lava might be a hunting mechanism, "If that's the case hopefully it'll chill until I get 'em somewhere." She nodded softly, "Alright I'm going to split off to try and get this thing somewhere it belongs. I'll see you later Susanoo thank you for your help~!"
