>>306121
Tonight it a personal matter, though you concern the involvement of some of your friends may mean you’ll need to be on supernatural guard.

Ahead of you a band is playing. The Unrepentant Damned. The front man beneath skull faced makeup is your classmate and an old flame from your youth. When you quit being a magical girl, you also quit at engaging with your friends. Withdrawing from the world until recently and using masks to hide yourself, protect yourself and those you cared for from your shame and broken conceit of self. It’s a complicated matter.

The encore they perform is their new and popular cover. Their theme as a band is to prepare and perform metal covers of happily toned pop. Tonight their encore is a repeat of C'est la Vie, a popular recent release by a young up and coming pop artist named Venus Aino. Secretly that child pop artist is one of the guardian senshi in your little sister’s court, Sailor Venus.

When they complete their extra performance, the crowd is on fire. They depart stage right with aggrieved and feigned warnings of their return to hell, all monstrously dressed or made up the part at that as pyrotechnics and smoke is unleashed.

Jubilant cheers fill the room as the MC takes the stage and thanks everyone for their attendance of the show. Meanwhile your night isn’t quite over yet. After parties and personal confessions or mysteries yet loom ahead, if only for your choice.

>Head backstage, The Unrepentant Damned’s green room
>Head backstage, scope out Malefic Black’s green room
>Go up to the Balcony to chat more with Hanako Minami, concerned
>Talk to Hisako Ito, Hanako’s roommate, privately about Hanako
>Write in

Welcome to Eclipsed Moon Quest. Voting window starts with the first vote cast. For the Opening Post of this thread that window will be 30 minutes. Subsequent updates will have windows of 15.

How is everybody today?

>>306125
>>Talk to Hisako Ito, Hanako’s roommate, privately about Hanako

>>306149
Well, enough. Trying to recover fragments of brain left over from busy work week. How are you?

>>306160
Been better. Endless rendering for work.

>>306121
Can't pick between
>>Go up to the Balcony to chat more with Hanako Minami, concerned
and
>>Talk to Hisako Ito, Hanako’s roommate, privately about Hanako

>>306125
>Write in
Send image taken earlier to dad. Apologize if the image is dark, hard to see the screen, ask if it is as Black as we think. He's smart enough to translate that. Then maybe send a 'oops missend, sorry' after he responds, just because I am paranoid.

>Go up to the Balcony to chat more with Hanako Minami, encouraging
Assuming we get confirmation, setting her on a good footing to meet Malefic Black could be ok.

>>306202
>>306159
Was thinking just a whispered telepathic warning in the Beast's voice to Hisako to keep an eye on her friend.
But, chatting with her in general about Hanako on the way up to the balcony could be fine too.

Extending vote a touch.

>>306174
On the bright side, at least it is not dealing with customers, so you have that going for you.
Customers are poopy heads.

>>306264
>But, chatting with her in general about Hanako on the way up to the balcony could be fine too.
>>306305
At least we can give you general agreement on the Talk to Hisako Ito front.

Seems like Alright combickering this momentarily.

Okay, got a personal emergency to tend to, so after the first update which I will finish I will be pausing through to resume hopefully tomorrow.

My apologies for this turn.

Sending your picture from earlier, you turn from the stage and compose a brief message by means of proper innuendo to see if your father can identify any connection between your friend Hanako and the Black Moon Clan of an averted future. Turning through the crowd, you wave out to the white maned Hisako Ito as your phone chimes with a successfully sent message.

“Hey, Hisako,” you call over the din of the crowd as the older girl’s eyes drop from the stage to yourself, “Mind if I pick your brain?”

Just last night, wearing a different face, you picked more than a this woman’s brain. While you wear your ganguro guise now, last night you wore the guise and mind of street delinquent nightmare known as the red eyed beast. The Beast threw down with the former delinquent, Hisako Ito, once known as the Winter Wolf. It was a last hurrah of decadent yankee violence, for more than just the Winter Wolf. After the climax of that bought, you brought the schismed mask of the beast back within yourself.

Another step toward being whole since you were long ago broken.

“Yeah, sure,” she nods a struggles a touch to remember something through the exhaustion and visible physical taxation of her time in the mosh pit, “it was Mika, right?”

“Mikage,” you correct, “Or Miki is fine. I was wondering if Hanako’s been okay,”

Together you slowly work your way through the still stage facing crowd toward the back stairwell for the upstairs bar balcony where you left Hanako earlier.

She shrugs a bit and rolls a sore shoulder.

“Pfft, she’s always weird,” she laughs dryly, “though her getup tonight was a surprise for sure,”

“Yeah, she mentioned something about an audition?” you question as the two of you hit the stairs.

“Mhmm,” she hums as you rise through the flight, “That and how hung up she’s been over that guy in white,”

“From Malefic Black?”

“Yeah, said he reminded her about something from her dreams,” the white haired girl shudders.

“Dreams?” you press.

“Well, more like nightmares,” she coughs as you reach the top and find the subject of your conversation knocking back shots and visibly excited.

Eclipsed Moon Quest Episode 132
Thread Pause

>>306715
Hope everything is alright, or turns out so.

>>307140
Swimmingly so far.

>>308542
Hope that is not sarcasm and things are going well.

>>306776
We should consider taking the team on a dream field trip later. Maybe not go straight in, but kind of a dream training session, get team familar with it.

>>309098
When you say 'team,' you're including Koyomi's court, right?

I agree though, let's make sure everyone has some basic competency with this. And if they ask, the fact that it serves as an excuse for a sleepover is purely incidental. We're not trying to make up for a wasted year and a half. Really.

>>309185
Did somebody say Sleepover?

>>309098
Things actually went well and the emergency turned into something better than expected and now I'm home gonna get some sleep and get back to writing in the morning.

>>309185
Was thinking more ours, in prep to poke at some dreams. Was going to suggest just getting ourself, Keiko, and Midori since they've experienced dream stuff before. Then I thought, hey maybe we should introduce the others to it, and taking the Knights to visit Dream Elysium seems like a good thing.

A big sleepover could be interesting too. Though there are some lingering secret identities with our Knights and Sasha only knows Koyomi for certain.
If we were to try bringing Sasha in, I wonder if we would get him, Boris, and his sister as well, or just Tuxedo Bear.

>>309208
Excellent. Things worked out well.

>>309544
Hrm. There was supposed to be a Glad in front of things.

>>306776
When the time comes to head for the afterparty, I think we shouldn't go in. Let's telepathically call The Damned to meet us outside. Could use explaining the Black Moon clan as a jumping point to explaining a bit about us.

>>309544
We already told Koyomi were Eclipse, so the rest of her team will find out soon. Why shouldn't we have them join us?

awake.

>>309771
The rest of the Knights haven't been revealed and Sasha only really knows Koyomi. Should at least ask before we break any more masquerades.

>>309778
Good point.

>>309776
Good luck folks. Work calls, I'll catchup later.

Eclipsed Moon Quest Episode 132
Thread Resume

“Well, more like nightmares,” she coughs as you reach the top and find the subject of your conversation knocking back a short row shots and visibly excited.

Or perhaps, nervous?


Hanako Minami stands a short ways ahead of you, through the crowd upon the balcony. Her dress in green as taut as it was earlier, and the intentionally run mascara a touch smeared beneath her eyes; her darker shade of lipstick joins it as she manages her last shot and unceremoniously, perhaps more than a touch buzzed, wipes a missed trickle of whatever liquor she was near to quaffing from her cheek.

“Their songs remind her of her dreams?” songs based on that band’s own dreams of the Crystal Tokyo and Nemesis.

Well, looks like you’ll only have to wait on your father’s response for final confirmation.

“Pretty much...uh,” the woman who you’ve only really seen as intense and terrifying before seems a bit embarrassed and punctuates her coming admission with a wink, “Just don’t tell her I said anything, okay Miks?”

“Miki,” you correct on the proper pronunciation of your nickname.

“Miki, Ito-san!” your topic of conversation sees your approach.

You’d come up here to have a concerned talk with the woman, but you think perhaps a delicate touch should be used. Likely she’s eager to head backstage. The after parties loom.

>Bluntly ask about her dreams
>Ask if she’s ready to head backstage
>Get some drinks with Hanako, loosen up
>Talk about something else for a bit
>Write in

>>309940
I'm thinking that we should have Eclipse explain everything to her. Not right this second of course, but soon.

>>309940
>>Ask if she’s ready to head backstage

writing

>>309940
>>309956
Though we should try to avoid being seen by Malefic Black.

“Ready to head backstage?” you ask the older woman playfully.

She pauses, to look down at her sloppily arranged row of shot glasses and takes a steadying breath. After a moment of reflection she smiles; nodding firmly.

“Oh yeah, completely,” she twirls her pass around her finger.

“Yeah, well the two of you have fun,” Hisako Ito yawns as she sidles into the space at the bar that Hanako abandons, “I’ll meet you guys outside on the way to the afterparty,”

“Not coming with?”

“No pass,” she shrugs and waves down the young barkeep, “besides, gotta rehydrate,”

Leaving behind the Winter Wolf, you and the your apparently nightmare plagued flower head down and again through the crowd toward the stage. Passes out you enter the backstage area as the MC drones on thanking everyone for attending tonight. Through the door and past the stacked equipment you head a floor below, where the green and dressing room hallways are well lit.

It occurs to you that you should avoid running into Malefic Black’s frontman, Byakuya Hoseki, given your last interaction under another face.

>Break off to the Unrepentent Damned’s green room
>Follow Hanako to Malefic Black’s green room
>Stop Hanako in the hall to talk, about what?
>Write in

>>310214
>Break off to the Unrepentent Damned’s green room

>>310214
>>Break off to the Unrepentent Damned’s green room

Writing

>>310214
He tried to hit on us under this face too before Lil' Di came to the rescue.
She is bestest guardian.

You pause before the familiar doorway where you left friends earlier. While Hanako is walking into a den of potential upset, there is risk to you encountering Byakuya Hoseki again...perhaps doubly so in Hanako’s presence. If she’s infatuated with him it wouldn’t do for him to ignore her for you.

“And this is where I break off,” you sigh, if Hanako has a thing for this guy it wouldn’t do for you to also be there for their first meeting.

“Oh, but I thought you were…” she says hesitantly.

“Hey, we both have reasons for having backstage passes,” you offer, “Now I’ll wish you luck if you do the same for me,”

“Oh, you think you’ll need luck?” she teases.

“Maybe,” you hum to yourself and walk to face the door, “Maybe not...either way Teal and I will catch you at the hotel, Flowers,”

“Oh, Teal is here again too?” she wonders with a snicker, “I can’t wait to talk to her,”

She begins toward Malefic Black’s green room, bemused though still a touch anxious if the way she adjusts her dress mid stride is any indication. Stopping, she glances back to you.

“Good luck,” she clarifies and you return in kind.

Entering the door ahead of you, you find a room in full swing of excitement and celebration. Well, as much as could be without being heard through the door. Three of the band are in good cheer, as is one’s guest. The Devil and Witch laugh in the corner of the tighter room, bottles raised high. Ogre and Teal occupy the couch in the midst of smiling conversation, turning at your entry.

Across the room, ever maintaining character beneath skull white face makeup and long white wig, is Yoshi Sakurada. The Damned of the band.

>Go talk to Yoshi, what about?
>Go talk to Daigo and Nui. What about?
>Go talk to the Devil & Witch. What about?
>Write in

>>310527
>>Go talk to Yoshi, what about?

Lean up against the wall next tom him, wish him good luck in some edgy fashion his persona will appreciate.

(Try not to make it awkward, fail)

Writing

>>310656
We've got some social ability when we aren't breaking down, it might not be awkward at all.

Crossing the room, perhaps eagerly, you lean up against the wall alongside the Damned. He grants you a passing glance and nod, but remains otherwise unmoving from his presented persona or position. His dedication to maintaining character is admirable and impressive, though not as far as you took it in the past.

To the point of true schism.

“So,” you start trying to play things cool, because for some reason right now you think you need to play this cool, “That was pretty brutal out there tonight, and well, good luck sinking back down into hell,”

“Glad,” he gruffs, “Though you wished me luck earlier,”

Luck?! You meant to saw good show. No, calm down. You are not going to trip up right now. Not by a longshot.

“Luck for what comes next,” you correct yourself, “Like, I know everything's going great for you and your band right now, but every bit helps. Right?”

“I guess,” he says with a slip of his own voice, though not as confident as you expected him, and then quiets his voice, “Especially considering what you said about Kal,”

>Suggest you go talk privately
>Change the subject, to what?
>Go talk to someone else, who
>Flirt. How?
>Write in

>>311128
Ask him if he'd like to talk about it privately

>>311257
>>311128
Yeah, let's slip away. Have a Shitennou keep an eye on Flowers if possible.

Writing

“Can we go talk,” you ask whilst mimicking his crossed arm posture, letting your own voice slip away from Miki’s sunshine, “privately?”

He nods too quickly, like he was waiting for you to ask that. You don’t blame him for being anxious or eager, after everything he’s seen. Well, maybe not eager. Worried maybe? About what though…

“We’ll meet you guys out back in a bit,” he says again adopting the tone of his character, “If not, at the hotel,”

As you also head toward the door, the rest of the ambient conversation of the small room dies. Eyes are on the two of you and you walk with a nonchalance and confidence out into the hall.

“Is the dressing room alright?” he asks once the door to the green room is closed in his own voice.

You glance down the hall and have a worried pang about letting Hanako Minami go off alone. Realizing the size of the building, you mentally summon Kunzite and ask him to do you the favor of keeping an eye on your friend.

The ghostly shade of one of your father’s Knight’s nods his head and to your sight melds into the floor as a near invisible shadow and slides down the hall. For the sake of privacy and safety you instruct the other soul still bound to you, Zoisite, to watch the door Yoshi stands beside. Awaiting your answer.

“The dressing room is fine,” you admit with a smile as he opens the door.

Perhaps in your own eagerness to be less exposed you are the first one into the smaller room.

“So,” he asks hesitantly and thinks ahead toward what may be spoken, “What did you want to talk about?”

There is concern across his face as he wonders what this is going to be about. Is it about the two of you? The kiss in the dark? What happened to you? How you can do the things he has seen you do? Delayed promises of truth...or at least as truthful as you can be.

What did you want to talk to him about in private?

>about what the enemy has done to you, who they are
>about who you were…
>about the kiss. What do you have to say?
>about the conflict in your heart. Which?
>You want to take action. What action?
>about something else/write in

>>311617
>about what the enemy has done to you, who they are

>>311617
>>about what the enemy has done to you, who they are

>>311617
>>about something else/write in
About Malefic Black and Black Moon, segueing into your heritage in regards to the Earth and
>about what the enemy has done to you, who they are
Skims around the Sailor Moon stuff until we can talk to Koyomi & co about if ok to risking him figuring out who they are.

Writing momentarily.

“I wanted to answer some of your standing questions,” you explain as you take a seat at the makeup vanity, obviously hesitant as you sort out what you’re going to tell him about.

“Take your time,” he nods firmly as the door clicks behind him.

You fidget and run a hand through one of your pigtails. It settles into your mind what you are willing to divulge just yet. Before you tell him the full truth of things, of you, you need to make sure others are okay with it. At the end of the day, your time as Sailor Moon isn’t just your secret.

“Well...what happened to Mio happened to me,” you preface with the girl from your school who was turned into a giant and insane spider monster, “Like, not the same way. In my dreams...but because of that I had the chance to fight it. The chance to recognize my own fears about myself,”

Its tough admitting this much.

“Instead of getting consumed by it and turning into one of their monsters under control,” you hug your shoulders as Yoshi crosses the room and carefully sits on the other stool at the makeup vanity beside you, “I was empowered and changed...using that as a spring board I’ve kind of pulled myself back up from being Princess No,”

He nods, tentatively reaching a hand out and laying it on your shoulder and near but not quite so near to your own hand.

“And you’ve been fighting them,” he presses emphasis on his vague designation of the enemy and how little he knows of that, though you can also see the gears in his mind turning on other points of the information he has acquired, “with the power they wanted to control in you, makes sense. Though you’ve been the Red Eyed Beast for longer than this change?”

“Guilty,” you chuckle, “I was just good enough to inspire all the rumors I can now make good on,”

Yoshi nods, the presence of his hand on your shoulder a slight balm to your nervousness.

“And what about them,” he asks, “What about the enemy, what about what you said Kal was,”

“That’s a bit more complicated,” you sigh, “A long long and long time ago there was life throughout the solar system. A kingdom whose seat of power was on the moon above earth. There were people on earth who weren’t as advanced as the other worlds and viewed for a time those above as Gods. At one point the Prince of Earth and the Princess of the Moon fell in secret and star crossed love; and a sorceress from Earth who had eyes for the Prince became consumed with jealousy and obsession,”

It is night, and you always have had a flare for the dramatic. Pulling effortlessly on your ability to use magic to manipulate shadows, you turn the room into a shadow play of dancing celestial and humanoid silhouettes.

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>>312118
“Evil from beyond the stars found her, gave her a piece of power and hid within the sun as she grew in might and influence. Corrupting and controlling the peoples of the Earth who were all of one Kingdom, Elysion, she lead a revolt. Backed by the controlled populace of Earth and a terribly empowered cosmic horror she assaulted the Moon. Killed the object of her obsession and his beloved, and spread war and chaos upon the entire system. The Queen gave her life vanquishing the evil and setting into motion the purification of the system to cleanse that Evil’s controlling taint,”

He doesn’t ask how you know, but he watches the walls. His fingers tensing through the top of your blouse.

Blessedly you eschew the matter of reincarnation.

“However...even as everything was reset...there were survivors upon the earth,” you explain, “Some who had been touched by evil or had hoarded its power, and they were resentful of those they had once viewed as Gods. Resentful of the Sorceress who brought them to ruin. Clinging to their chance they survived. And perhaps slept for countless eons until humanity again existed,”

Your own hands find instead your knees as you steady yourself.

“Seeking dominion again for the forgotten Elysion,” you say sadly, “For the assumed benefit of mankind they have resurrected their fallen soldiers through fell means and seek to raise their Kingdom upon the renewed Earth,”

Beside you he is silent and quiet.

“That is what Kal is,” you explain, “Kalunite. One of the ancient dead returned to life as a thing,”

“And why was he using my music to manipulate my audience,” Yoshi wonders more to himself and aloud than as a question for you, though you oblige him.

“That evil, that taint they use to make people into monsters or raise the dead,” you specify, “It’s powered by negative emotions. He was harvesting it for distillation,”

His grip goes rigid and his posture tightens.

“And you’ve been fighting them,” he declares in a certain sense of wonder, “And you’ve found all this out...but you’re fighting them and the Sailor Senshi?”

It’s complicated, it’s all so complicated and you aren’t sure where or how to assuage the concern bleeding through his makeup. Concern for you, and all of this, because of course he believes you.

Eclipsed Moon Quest Episode 132
End

Incoming interlude...Smoke in the Alley

>>312124
Why is Yoshi the best?

>>312151
Equal parts caring and stoic, I think.

>>312124
>Smoke in the Alley
Fire in the Eyes?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUwEIt9ez7M

Interlude: Smoke in the Alley

Leaning against brick wall, clothes cool and wet with sweat in the night air, you gently inhale through the filter of your cigarette. The stimulating and relaxing cocktail of useful, useless, and poisonous materials rests a moment in your lungs before you unleash it back into the world as a broad smoke ring for your own amusement.

Fuck, this is boring.

Rather, its teasing.

Glancing to your side, you look through the chainlink fence that closes off the section of the alleyway people still inside the venue used to smoke. Last night you had the best fight you’ve had in a damn long while there. More importantly you also got your ass beat and handed to you.

“Nah, delivered back to me wrapped in a bowed ribbon,” you joke to yourself in the solitary quiet of the between building ide street as your eyes return to the back and loading doors of the performance hall.

You’ve given up on that kind of excitement, that last bought will have to slake your thirst for a long while. Better yet, you can channel the frustration that is sure to build over time back into your art. Hell, that’ll probably keep you churning out series and installation pieces for years at a time. Taking another wistful puff you slump your shoulders and pitch forward to right yourself from the wall.

You’ll be twenty soon. Coming of age ceremonies and handing over your now mostly retired girl gang sign over to the local PD. Put away childish things and accept adult responsibilities.

Well, you’re paying for school. That is totally already an adult responsibility.

So is looking after yourself and your roommate.

The fuck do you need a number to tell you you’re an adult? And to stop having fun on top of that?

You thought getting beat would quell the fire in you. Make you ready to pass the torch on to these young girls and move on with your life.

It hasn’t.

You want to meet that girl again. Fight her again, maybe share a drink with her again.

Doesn’t matter right now, she wasn’t at the show.

The door opens, and some people you recognize and people you don’t spill into the alley. Talking amongst themselve and heading out toward the back street. The other two guys from Malefic Black and four women. You don’t see Hanako or the guy she’s pining for among them so you ignore them for now…

Wait. If they’re all out here are Hanako and that guy in white all alone?

You are Hisako Ito, and you’re a good friend and roommate. Dashing for the door slow to close in their wake, you slip into the building and toss your cigarette aside.

>>312286

The green rooms are labeled easily enough in the empty but well lit hallway. Standing astride a shadow on the floor you stop in front of the Malefic Black green room door. You hear voices inside, but they’re calm. Hell you hear your lush of a roommate give off a happy laugh.

Calming yourself, you decide to not barge in and wait in the hallway.

Fuck...now you can’t even get away with smoking while you wait…

Wait.

Wait a second.

Your eyes glance up at the flourescent lights above, and then up and down the length of the hallway.

Why is there a shadow extending from the bottom of the door? Nothing like that through the rest of the hallway, and the lighting is all directly overhead.

Figuring it is the wisest thing to do, you don’t react. Wearing your best poker face you lean against the wall and wait for Hanako and that guy in white to leave that room.

Your. Best. Poker face.

End Interlude

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Thanks for the thread.

>>312294
Heh

>>312302
No, thank you art

>>312305
but its not a thread without you guys.

>>312294
Another challenger has appeared!

>>312302
Thanks for the run!

>>312318
What's thread without a needle to thread the way?

>>312294
Damn Kunzite gets some of the fiercest competition for partnership.

>>313220
Imagining her interactions with other knight candidates is amusing.
Particularly Saori.

I found a thing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ih-uRkS8gHQ

>>315469
Nice!

>>315469
Found a thing one while bouncing around related videos afterward, picks up after 12sec.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSxcrUi4CdY

>>315932
Excellent find anon.

Knight of Tuxedo is still a favorite.

File: My favorite.gif (829 KB, 200x178)

829 KB GIF

>>321679
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bP2kxwUOIVs

>>314117
I'd be worried about Koito crushing on Hisako.

>>328611
Curious, why do you think that?

>>328779
Young lad working closely with an attractive active older lass that likes to mix it up.

>>329610
To be fair, once hormones reach him, he's likely to turn inside out noticing the people around him in general.

>>332605
He seems levelheaded, probably end up being more stoic about such things.
For some reason he seems like he could go berserk on an enemy if motivated though.