>>533855
Of the older group present you are immediately met with Keiko beaming both in pride and supernatural warmth. Kairi seems unfettered as she too rises. Midori, to your notice, stares a bit at the item binding her and Jadeite. Sasha carries himself unphased, but perhaps a bit less tense than when he agreed to attempting meditation.

All that truly remains for this gathering is catching the young Sailor Senshi up on the intelligence and information you’ve assembled.

Though, you pause as you notice a slight buzz of energy about your chest. Opening the locket that is decidedly not a transformation brooch, you find that the fissures upon the once fragmented pieces of the Golden Crystal have almost sealed.

As you look up from the gemstone, perhaps not entirely ready to face what that completion would imply, you find yourself staring into your little sister’s eyes from entirely too close.

“Can I see, Mikage-nee!” she says with a certain breaking and jumping of pitch in her voice, an excited energy as she obviously makes her own assumptions putting stars in the corners of her eyes.

You step back in shock, likely exhaling in surprised noise before you regain your proper bearings and resist the urge to pull her cheeks for giving you so unexpected a fright.

“It’s not ready yet,” you scold instead while snapping the casing shut, “And besides, there are other things that need to be explained and shown,”

“True, you mentioned there will be a briefing about what your group uncovered,” Aiha interjects with an eager curiosity.

“Right,” you nod firmly as you beckon for your Knights and Sasha to join you at the front of the room, “I guess we can get things started,”

The girls already know the core details of the enemy, and that they are somehow tied to a remnant of Elysion and follow a misguided path...but you’ve uncovered so much that they don’t know…Where to start?

>The Chaos taint used when the enemies make monsters
>Attempting to clone the once Queen of Elysion to make a Chaos Vessel
>Your infiltration and the dissention in their ranks
>The face you and Koyomi have seen in visions
>The reasons they were trying so hard to kill Keiko, if she’s okay with that
>Kalunite’s musical play and his latest victim
>Your last remaining Knighthood to bequeath…
>Write in

(30 minute voting window from first vote cast, all future voting windows will be 15)

>The face you and Koyomi have seen in visions
Gut feeling

>>533901
What do we know about that now? Would be survivor whose escape pod failed and seemed to have corrupting stuff seep in, yes?

>>533859
Good morning!
>>533901
>The face you and Koyomi have seen in visions
Is a fair start. Maybe segue to the Queen as well.

>>533931
That and his appearance in fresh visions would seem to indicate his corruption-fossilized form is an important piece of the puzzle that is our opponents.

Alright, writing.

How is everyone today?

>>533948
S'alright.
Mostly lazing about when I should be cleaning or adventure prepping for tomorrow.

“A short while ago, I had a specific vision,” you begin carefully, “From the fall of Elysion and through and from someone else’s perspective. Of someone trapped in some kind of escape or suspended animation pod, and being crystallized by the Chaos of Metallia that somehow crept in,”

You try and project the image of the eyes you can remember over a basic telepathic communication to those assembled.

“I think I had this vision because that person, a young boy, is probably where the enemy is getting the raw material that they’re using to turn people into monsters. And I have confirmation on this because I’m not the only one who has seen him,”

Your younger sister steps forward from her court and Koito, turning to face them. She wears a distinctly embarrassed face as it disappears from your view.

“I have a healing ability that takes the hurt from other people,” she explains, “And puts it onto me, I used it on Mikage-nee while she was passed out after a panic attack,”

“And she started having visions of a boy with crystal eyes,” you say simply, as that is the confirmation for your own visions.

Koyomi, besides her embarrassment, turns to look away from the others. Her back still to you as her shoulders momentarily tense up and then relax.

“We don’t know what it ultimately wants...but as a vessel of Chaos, it can’t be good,” you say firmly, “To that end we recovered something from the enemy they were trying to make,”

As you organize your thoughts towards the clone of Queen Kalyke, you glance about the room. Do you talk about it or yield the floor to Tomoe-sensei who has been studying it. You’ll cover that you and Koyomi need to together purify the clone as it is starting to wake…

>You’ll recount this in its entirety
>Ask Tomoe-sensei to recount information about it
>Write in

>>534053
>>Ask Tomoe-sensei to recount information about it
She has put the time in studying it, and that gives us a moment to-

>>Write in
-quietly see if Koyomi is ok. Maybe strike up a psychic communication so as to not distract the others? The topic of her vision has had her oddly tense.

>>534053
>Ask Tomoe-sensei to recount information about it

Writing

There's gotta be an app or plugin that will just ding me hard enough to bring me out of a game when a thread updates.

>>534237
Stay tuned because update imminent, I'm trying to phrase the options of the next update vote.

“In revisiting Magician’s lair,” you harken back to your foe and difficult encounter, it gives you a pause as Kairi-chan puts a hand on your shoulder, “We found something in a hidden room. Tomoe-sensei, could you please explain what we found,”

You step a bit back as the older woman walks over to you and the room’s display console, taking a thumb drive from her jacket.

“Inside of an environmentally controlled nutrient tank, we discovered an adult human woman with no brain activity,” she places the thumb drive into the console, presses a few buttons and brings up images of the inert woman on screen, both when her arm was mostly mutated, and where it apparently is now, almost entirely human, “When initially found the body, the left forearm was entirely skeletal, and calcified black. In preparation for transportation, we found the nutrient tank was slowing tissue regeneration, as the arm became overgrown with physically corrupted flesh. Dissection of tissue samples and bone revealed-”

As Tomoe-sensei continues on about the science of the creature, noting its identification by the Shintennou as the long dead Queen of Elysion and mother of Prince Endymion thus technically making her your grandmother from your father’s past life, your eyes settle on Koyomi. Again facing you and still looking apprehensive about earlier, though at this moment making the connections in her mind between herself and the lady on the screen from the given explanation.

-Koyomi,- you say quietly over a thread of telepathic communication, -Are you alright?-

She starts in surprise, though restrains herself as she realizes what it was that just frightened her.

-Ah, Mikage-nee,- she responds back while pulling on and twisting her long pigtails, -You startled me,-

-Sorry,- you offer a quiet sigh, -Though to repeat, are you alright, you were getting a bit tense when we were talking about our visions,-

She bites her lip and glances down among her position with the others, who are attentive toward Tomoe-san’s small lecture on the nature of the impossibly crystallized bones and the tissue being resistant to corruption by the slow nature of the cloning process. Actually, of everyone Aiha looks the next least attentive behind the distracted Koyomi.

-Well...I just have this feeling I guess,- she shrugs her shoulders, -I felt like who I saw in my visions was reaching out to me, that they were scared and alone...but not alone. What if whoever they were is still trapped in there with whatever this thing we’ve been fighting?-

>>534285

Your sister. Always thinking of other people, and always thinking in kindness. Honestly you aren’t sure if you’re envious of her ability to believe that or if you are worried that this kind of feeling will prove to be a liability. Remembering how you embraced your own darkness when it tried to consume you in your dreams, comforting your shared hurt, instead lets you well with pride. Love and empathy are the core of who Sailor Moon needs to be, and Sailor New Moon shares every bit of that with both your mother and the person you wish you could still be.

The blue haired psychic girl beside your sister glances from her up to you, questioningly. Koyomi, her attention on you, didn’t notice Aiha’s scrutiny from her periphery. Now she looks up at you with unspoken questions playing across her face.

You imagine they can be summed up as wondering what your exchange was about. No doubt she feels concerned about secret conversations leaving a buzzing remnant of radio telepathy.

>Ignore this for now
>Tell her you were just checking up on Koyomi, she seemed tense
>Ask her to keep an eye on Koyomi in the coming days, you’re worried about her
>Shrug and casually express that you’ll explain later

“-so with that development I’ll be having both Koyomi and Mikage use purifying magics together this afternoon to cleanse this reproduction of Kalyke of the Chaos Taint as the most ethical course of action now that she is beginning to show signs of brain activity in line with brain development in utero,”

“Wait, what?” Koyomi sputters from among the line.

“Just like class,” Koito and Kanari sigh in unison, before just the sister of the thunder twins shakes her head and lays an arm across her best friend’s shoulder, “Seriously you’ve been doing so much better lately, and you space out during something important?”

“Eh?” she replies before leading into a laugh, “ehaha, HAHAHA! Yeah, you got me Kanari-chan,”

“You’ll of course have a chance for respite before then,” your purple eyed teacher continues past her interruption, “I wouldn’t dream of leading you girls away from the arcade without first having a chance to have some fun and a proper meal,”

>>534287

A proper meal, you almost laugh to yourself. You owe Koyomi some ice cream, and as you glance at your phone to check the time you realize you’ll probably have a bowl of your own with…

Your eyes dart across your group before the monitor. Settling in on Sasha and then on Kairi.

A mild well of panic begins to form. You’re going to be meeting Yoshi in the Crowne Arcade’s cafe after this meeting lets out. And one of the things you still have to talk about is Kalunite! The sooner this briefing is over the sooner you can figure out what you’re going to do.

>Break in about your infiltration into the enemy and the dissention in their ranks
>Explain your discovery of Kalunite’s plot using the Unrepentant Damned
>Talk about your remaining candidates for becoming Kunzite Knight.
>The reason they were trying to kill Keiko should be suitably shocking and distracting!
>Write in

>>534287
>>Tell her you were just checking up on Koyomi, she seemed tense
>Explain your discovery of Kalunite’s plot using the Unrepentant Damned

>>534287
>>Tell her you were just checking up on Koyomi, she seemed tense
>>534288
>>Explain your discovery of Kalunite’s plot using the Unrepentant Damned
From there maybe we can touch on concern his newest target and thoughts of arranging a dream intervention.

Writing momentarily

>>534287
>>534288
>Tell her you were just checking up on Koyomi, she seemed tense
>Ask her to keep an eye on Koyomi in the coming days, you’re worried about her
>The reason they were trying to kill Keiko should be suitably shocking and distracting!

Assuaging Aiha’s concern, you tell the blue haired girl telepathically that you were just concerned about your sister’s reaction earlier and wanted to talk to her without disturbing the briefing. She accepts this with a firm nod, but says nothing else. Perhaps she’s still a bit sore about the reveal earlier, or some other kind of misgiving.

Still, there are other matters at hand.

“It isn’t just random monster attacks that the enemy is behind,” you explain, “It seems they are also stockpiling the negative emotions they need through creative and less intrusive means,”

Pulling up some information you’ve prepared, you display an image of the talent agent Kal and the Unrepentant Damned on screen.

“The shintennou identify this man as Kalunite, and that he was killed during the fall of the Silver Millennium and Elysion. He is resurrected but not alive, and allies with the ninja Hiddenite. His job seems to be the collection of negative emotions by using sorcery to infect crowds at band shows with extreme swings of anger or upset, then he collects it in a crystal,” you describe.

“We have identified that the crystals was grown recently and contains a very pure form of the otherwise diluted chaos taint the enemy has been using to turn people into monsters,” Tomoe-sensei cuts in.

“What he does at shows doesn’t seem to involve infecting people with shadows, but using bands who can draw large crowds and manipulating their equipment to play with people's emotions. His civilian identity has ties to Ellis Media,” you finish, “And his methodologies have just changed,”

“Did he infect Sa-The Damned?” Venus-chan asks seriously as she removes her bandana and runs a hand through her still fuzzily growing back in hair.

>You didn’t notice Venus catching herself
>Did Venus-chan seriously already give the Damned a nickname?
>Did...did she almost say Sakurada?!
>Write in

“No, he’s been warned against him. Though Kalunite has infected another potential idol he’s getting his hooks into. A friend of mine named Hanako Minami. If possibly I would like to stage a purification before she gets turned. Maybe a coordinated attack in her dreamscape,” you sigh, “An immediate point of concern is that Kalunite’s ties confirm that Ellis Unlimited is somehow involved with the enemy. That and materials we found in an Ellis Facility during a cooperative action a few nights back-,”


There are only really two topics left to cover. Your infiltration efforts and the matter of Kunzite Knight…

>You have a segway into the infiltration
>It’s like taking off a bandage, get the Kunzite stuff over with
>Write in

>>534395
>Did Venus-chan seriously already give the Damned a nickname?
>>You have a segway into the infiltration

>>534395
>Did...did she almost say Sakurada?!
>You have a segway into the infiltration

>>534395
>>Did...did she almost say Sakurada?!
>You have a segway into the infiltration

>>534395
>>Write in
Well, his name probably was in the official paperwork somewhere. Wonder if she knows his connection to us?

>You have a segway into the infiltration
>Write in
Segway into the general evidence and concerns we have about Ellis Unlimited, concerns about Ellis operatives on the off-world op.. and the big one, the visions that contributed to us keeping our full efforts on the down-low from the parents.

Writing momentarily, and I'm happy someone made a connection.

Wait, did Venus-chan just almost say Sakurada?! It gives you pauses as you stare down at the small girl. No, it had to be the beginnings of one of her nicknames, there is no way she could know The Damned was Yoshi. I mean, unless…

Groaning to yourself you realize that if she knows, it’s from the legal permissions he probably submitted to cover C’est la Vie. Wait, does she know your connection to him?!

Sweeping the group of girls you realize there may well be a good chance. Koyomi is a talker, a talker who would talk about you regularly talking to Yoshi again.

You’ll figure this out later, in the meantime you still have the perfect segway to the matter of your infiltration against the enemy.

“-along with what I’ve uncovered so far are incontrovertible proof that Ellis Unlimited, and for the time being the Paranormal Incident Taskforce cannot be trusted,” you nod firmly.

“With the exception of my mother, we don’t know if there is anyone left we can trust in PIT,” Kairi offers solemnly, “And she’s been informed to tread carefully,”

“Our ruse to make them think that Red Eyes and the Senshi were enemies paid off,” you offer a wry grin, “And that’s how we learned that they were using Ellis properties and resources. More than that, we have the beginnings of a beat on their operations center in Western Europe,”

Explaining the matters of your invitation, the dissension among the ranks, and the task left to pull you in deeper quickly you let the lot of them mull over the implications of your mission and what these revelations mean…

>>534636
>>534636
>>534636

Your mothers are in space, with Ellis personnel among the PIT detatchment for securing the Planet Palaces. To better position yourself in the organization you will have to make it look like you took on those still missing four shadow girls by yourself. Sasha again shares what he dug up about their sightings.

“That they were able to infect me,” you say solemnly, “And that they have agents out there now helps us understand one of Rin’s visions before all of this began...which she shared with Aiha and myself,”

“And she told us about that vision,” Venus-chan explains coolly, “And that it has been averted already,”

“Which means those jerks just being there isn’t how they do it…” Kanari grunts.

“What were they supposed to do in this...vision?” Koito questions, still acclimating to the ins and outs of...well all of this.

The younger girls all look down sadly.

“They use them against the world as weapons,” Koyomi says slowly, “Our moms, the original Sailor Guardians. We fight them,”

“We...win,” Rin says with a sigh.

Silence reigns, broken by a stern cough from Tomoe-sensei.

“Well, for any number of reasons we have derailed those plans,” she crosses her arms, “And with that in mind this briefing is all but concluded. After all of you get cleaned up and enjoy a respite, we can take what might have been a dangerous weapon off the table,”

Is it?

>You want to talk about your candidates for Kunzite Knight
>No, you’re done. Everything is fine. Time to get cleaned up.
>You want to pull Venus aside for a few questions…
>You want to pull Sasha aside to talk
>You want to pull someone aside to get their counsel on the icecream miscalculation
>>Kairi
>>Midori
>>Keiko
>>Tomoe-sensei
>Write in

>>534639
>>You want to pull Venus aside for a few questions…
She's a smart kid. Given her insight into his song, I'd bet she already made their connection to us. Also, asking her about the impending icecream issue could be amusing.

>>534664
Also (Part 2 - The Legend of Curly's Gold), do we want to begin broaching the subject of telling Yoshi more with the girls?
Or do we maintain silence on that front?

>>534639
>You want to pull Venus aside for a few questions…
I don't know, do we figure that the whole Kunzite thing shouldn't be done by commitee, since the other knights weren't?

>>534639
>>534694
Concur on that. We'll drag feet and wrestle with it like we've been. I have more concern about icecream. Were we just planning on trying to have a regular date thing?

Writing

As everyone starts going to grab their work out bags Tomoe-sensei begins describing how this secret base and the one used by your team have private showers among other facilities that can be accessed from behind the wardrobes or lockers, you veer over toward Venus-chan with a mission on your mind.

Well, less mission and more a set of queries. You need to confirm what she knows about Yoshi and the Damned. She is so darn insightful she probably has everything worked out in her head, not that it’s something she seems to care much about, and that is information you need to know. In that you need to know what she knows about what you’re doing because through all of this you have been a healthy volume of paranoid.

Some might even dare to laugh at it, but that sharply honed sense has seen you this far.

“Say, Venus-chan,” you ask as she begins pulling her change of clothes and a towel out of her bag and hanging them at her wardrobe, “Do you have a minute?”

“Sure, PB-chan!” the small child chirps after a look of serious concern darts across her eyes.


Grabbing your bag as you lead her back over toward the console while your friends head through a door to the other room opened by Tomoe-sensei and the other girls figure out how to open their wardrobes, though not without Kanari pushing Koito toward the door so she can check out how his locker is different from her vanity setup. Once there you watch the others and wait a moment for them to disappear within the corridors behind their wardrobe vanities before turning her and trying to find your questions.

To your surprise she beats you, though leaping to a different subject.

“Scar tissue and lesions have completely vanished,” she explains in a hushed and serious voice as she leans in, “and the tumor is gone...for now. This was a congenital issue and not from environment or exposure to anything so it might return...and I’m going to stay on top of it and be responsible about this,”

“Venus-chan, I was-” you begin to explain that you weren’t going to ask after her test results, this was something else and she shouldn’t feel obligated to just tell you about this. However it’s lost and interrupted by the younger girl’s sudden surge.

“So...just thank you!” the small girl charges the last few inches between you and hugs you tightly as her composure breaks, “These...these are going to be years I didn’t think I would get. So thank you PB-chan,”

At a loss, you just hug the girl back. She’s crying into your shoulder as you kneel down to better take the hug. Your mind drifting back to that worrying moment from your dream some days ago. Assuaging the fear of the sterile and steady beep of sounds within an imagined hospital room.

>>534812


“Well, I’m glad I’ll get to know you better in that time, Venus-chan,” you say as she gives one great squeeze to the hug and then disengages while wiping her eyes with her forearm...though she gives you a scrutinizing look over.

“That isn’t what you wanted to talk about,” she questions, “Was it,”

“No, but I’m very glad to hear you’re doing well, and even if it was in a panic I don’t regret what I did to help you,” you say softly as she sniffles a few more times.

“Gosh,” she mumbles, “Look at me making a complete mess of myself,”

She huffs and shrugs her shoulders.

“Okay, what’s up, PB-chan!” and like that is again wearing an idol’s smile and energy.

“I wanted to ask about what you almost called the Damned,” you say, still on your knees to be at more even height with the smallest of the new Sailor Senshi, “Was that a nickname?”

She hums to herself a moment, rocking on the heels of her feet as she glances back over to the rest of the presently empty room. Satisfied that the two of you are alone, her eyes slide back to you and narrow with a decidedly uncharacteristic glint of mischief. Especially considering her outburst just moments ago.

“Fufufu,” her quiet faux laugh is telling.

>Venus-chan, what do you know? (Pleadingly)
>Venus-chan, why are you trying to scare me? (Defiant and unafraid)
>Venus-chan, what do you think you know? (Sternly)
>Say nothing, you feel like you’ve walked into a trap.
>Write in

>>534815
>Venus-chan, what do you know?

>>534815
>>Write in
She wishes to tease like a sister? Beep the nose.

>>534815
>Say nothing, you feel like you’ve walked into a trap.

File: nose-beeeeep_o_151725.jpg (106 KB, 920x624)

106 KB JPG

>>534883
I first I thought to pinch, but I cannot pinch her nose even in funs.
However, I find the thought of going BEEEEEEEEEEEEEP amusing.

I'm assuming that last thing of BEEPing is also a vote for Beep. If so, writing.

>>534925
I wish, just me (ID: hCuTQtNY) commenting on my thought process.

Ah, forgot to check post IDs.

Thank you for the quick response. Extending voting period for a bit then.

Which option will win.

>>534877
>>534938
If need a breaker, I could beep. Not as funny as pleading with tiny scout but maybe cuter.

Broken and writing. Final update of the night because I'm stepping out for dinner and a movie.

Her smug faux laughter continues quietly, it’s baiting you to some kind of query or embarrassment. A manipulative game of emotions and information played commonly between friends and sisters. You’ve known Venus since she very small, you babysat for her when she was even smaller.

So, you’ve got this. She will not be met with silence or frantic questioning. Over your initial shock of her composure, you reach forward with one hand with slow, deliberate, and methodical speed.

“Fufufufufufufuf-eh?” she questions and ceases laughing.

Her eyes shoot wide, and her mouth instead of being curled in laughter opens and quivers in worry. What is coming? What madness do you bring to her? What has she wrought by trying to bait you.

Your fingers close save for one. Time draws out as your extended hand closes in on her face. Regret and worry reflect back at you from within her eyes along with the image of your extended finger. They snap shut just before your find your mark.

“Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep” you press her nose firmly, holding for a few counts before withdrawing.

She froze at this. Froze and then tumbled back, overly dramatically grasping at her nose and rolling back and forth on the floor.

“My one weakness!” she mock cries, “as expected of PB-chan!”

Reminded of obstinate instances from her early childhood, you laugh yourself. Memories of her forceful declarations that bedtime was outlawed and that ice cream was good for breakfast play in your memory. Defiance only curbed by your patented babysitter nose boopery.

Sitting up with a sudden start and clarity, Venus-chan folds her arms.

“Very well, having bested me I’ll tell you what I know...but first,” she rises fully to her feet and runs toward her vanity to rummage through a draw.

It seems she keeps a number of hats, wigs, and costume pieces in the place since getting it. Returning to the console with a deerstalker cap and a fake pipe, she regards you coolly.

“Why all of this?” you question as you rise back to your own full height.

“Elementary my dear PB,” she fake puffs from the fake pipe, fakely, “I will walk you through my evidence and deductions like a good detective,”

“Were you stalking the Damned?” you question her, curiously.

“No, I was not stalking Yoshi Sakurada,” she explains with a smile, “I just happened to be in a prime position to gather evidence and it was fairly easy to make the connections,”

“Go on, then, detective,”

>>535171
\“The first clue was of course the paperwork,” she says as she stuffs empty air into the end of her pipe with one hand, “His real name and the real names of his bandmates came first to my attention. I had heard that name before, but where? Oh yes, the boy besides Sasha who visited you more than once at the hospital. At the time my curiosity was piqued, but I didn’t feel I needed to do any real digging and instead decided to passively track his band’s social media presence and mentions over the previous few days. I was a bit curious, in retrospect, that you had wanted to stay for the show after our business was concluded,”

She begins pacing in front of you.

“The shared photo of you as the Beast and subsequent rumors surrounding possible connections between you and The Damned were interesting to say the least, especially the state of the bloodied broken mirror in the dressing room and the report form the poster about the Damned’s face,” she explains, “This left me curious, you obviously went back to talk to him and something happened...I was worried that perhaps I had misplaced my faith in him and his music...instead I thought back to his story,”

The story he told her, or the story in the one song she pressed him about?

“Things took a turn when we intervened during the case of the spider legion,” she continues, “The guitar that boy played was familiar, I had seen it before. More than that the build and mannerisms of his friend Daigo Endo were unmistakable and I recognized him immediately without his makeup. After things had cooled down from the fight, I asked Koyomi a few things, and learned that the boy was indeed Yoshi Sakurada and that you and he had some unfinished history,”

Her eyes are closed as she paces and gesticulates with with the pipe.

“Obviously the story you heard him describe in the dressing room perturbed you,” she reasons, “At least it perturbed you as the Beast. And anyone as obstinate and as unreactive as him would surely only anger you further if you became aggressive with him. I surmized you figured out who he was either around the time of the spider incident or at his next concert. Your fight with a thought to be retired delinquent made viral rounds online, but then the next night, something curious found its way online,”

She takes her phone out of the sleeve pocket on her exercise clothes, and fiddles with it before showing you the screen. It's one of the photos taken by fans just last night, posted on lurk.

The Damned and a very familiar Ganguro Girl walking down the street together with Taiyaki.

>>535181

“As I said, I’ve been following his social media presence and mentions,” her face breaks wide open in a smile as she looks up at you, “All I needed to confirm my suspicions and blow this case wide open was to let you do it for me, by slipping and using the first syllable of either his given or family name to bait you into action,”

She again puffs the fake pipe, fakely.

“And my plan worked masterfully,” she says proudly before she chucks the fake pipe over her shoulder and bounces on the balls of her feet in anxious excited energy, “So are you two dating! Have you made up! Are you healing the wounds done to both of your hearts by misunderstanding and tragedy!”

You stare at her for a good few seconds, stifling a grumble, before reaching out again with one hand.

“Beeeeeeeeeeep,”

Eclipsed Moon Quest 136
Pause

Resumes Labor Day morning.

File: XD_Face.png (17 KB, 320x320)

17 KB PNG

>>535195
Even better than hoped. Haha!

Enjoy your date night, Artemis.

>>535232
Not a date night, actually. I just inhaled some fast food tacos and am heading to my local movie theater for a fathom event broadcast of Acquisitions Incorporated from Pax West.

It starts in 20.

The young woman I am dating non exclusively isn't feeling well, and I would not have invited her because watching other people play D&D probably isn't her speed.

Tonight I fly solo.

>>535298
Boop

>>535298
Misunderstood, sorry, but have a nice time whatever the endeavor!

>>534812
>“Scar tissue and lesions have completely vanished,” she explains in a hushed and serious voice as she leans in, “and the tumor is gone...for now. This was a congenital issue and not from environment or exposure to anything so it might return...and I’m going to stay on top of it and be responsible about this,”
>“Venus-chan, I was-” you begin to explain that you weren’t going to ask after her test results, this was something else and she shouldn’t feel obligated to just tell you about this. However it’s lost and interrupted by the younger girl’s sudden surge.
>“So...just thank you!” the small girl charges the last few inches between you and hugs you tightly as her composure breaks, “These...these are going to be years I didn’t think I would get. So thank you PB-chan,”
>At a loss, you just hug the girl back. She’s crying into your shoulder as you kneel down to better take the hug. Your mind drifting back to that worrying moment from your dream some days ago. Assuaging the fear of the sterile and steady beep of sounds within an imagined hospital room.

Wow, of all the threads to miss, when'd this happen?

>>536301
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/40174770/#p40180478

Thread 81

>>536331
Oh right, I kind of remember that. Weird, for some reason that thread isn't in desuarchive. What about the dream?

>>536301
>>536331
And then the dream sequence is in thread 87

http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/40718085/#p40746091

>>536376
>She is reading in the chair, you can’t read the title but you see the two of you on the cover. She waits in a chair beside a bed, Kairi doesn’t pay you much mind as you stand there. You feel different, tired and older. Hair short and body clad in unfamiliar clothes, a suite? Someone you don’t recognize sits in a bed, soft beeps fill the room as something runs around her neck and down her nose. She’s tall, willowy, and young.

>“I won’t let you keep doing it, you know,” she says weakly but with conviction.

There is a head in her lap, with long golden hair. >She brushes it slowly. You think it's her hair, but it isn’t on the head on her shoulders.

>“I shouldn’t benefit alone while others still suffer,” she is sad, “So, while I’m thankful for these years I shouldn’t have had...I don’t want you to give me more,”

>~But you shouldn’t-~

>“This was more than enough!” she shouts and Kairi looks up from her book, first to her and then to you.

Ah shit. Well looks like we either need to make a permanent solution before that happens, find a way to extend that magic to other people, or just let her go I guess.

>>536409
Everyone goes eventually. That's what reincarnation is for. You need change, or you wind up with another Crystal Tokyo.

Of course that's a rather dispassionate way of looking at it. It's rather different when you're watching someone you care for go and believe you could stop it.

>>536409
>Well looks like we either need to make a permanent solution before that happens, find a way to extend that magic to other people
I think this here is one of the reasons they went magic item crafting next opportunity.

Blearily awake, gotta do a few things before I sit down to get back to writing word bits and stacks of sentence things as I language with proficiency.

File: NOONEDIESheader.jpg (498 KB, 1200x908)

498 KB JPG

>>536737
Indeed.

>>536737
While aspects of Crystal Tokyo can be worrisome, they're effectively a crystal life raft of refugees that washed ashore of a time long after the universe as they knew it, and the rest of humanity had been murdered.
Hum. Feel like I could draw some parallels to the Old Earth survivors, though Neo-Queen went more 'purge all the darkness' whereas Hiddenite's team embraced it despite the tainted well their drawing from.

I rambled off my target a bit and lost my original train of thought.
The gist of it was along the lines that: If we can save someone, we should. I'll take most definitions of saving as well, the main stop point for me is mind control. Shield from injury, heal damage, redeem the fallen, free the controlled, cure the illness, protect the smiles.
A potentially rough road, but a rewarding one, I hope.

>>536783
If we can't save someone, but could do it with more work and effort, we should put in that effort.
Crafting path opens up more options for helping others protect and be protected, and in some cases items can be made to do things spells alone may not.

>>536842
Morning Art- Oh crap it's morning I have to get to that cleaning and planning I put off yesterday.

Alright, awake and fooded and getting ready to resume. Sorry for the delay.

>>536737
I guess my thinking is that while Venus's thinking -sounds- noble, it's actually like a starving person throwing away food because there's not enough for everyone.

She's making the mistake of thinking there's such a thing as "should" in this world. It might seem "unfair" that she can get healed while others might not, but it's not any less unfair that she got cancer in the first place, or that she bears the mantle of Sailor Venus and all the responsibilities that come with it. Dying because that's what everyone else would do with her condition doesn't really seem as good as helping us make a world where no one has to be put in her position.

>>537143
You attribute too much of that dream sequence to Venus. Remember, most of that was Mikage's projections and fears.

>>537146
WIth all Mikage's powers, I figured that she can legitimately see the future under the right conditions.

>>537172
Probably can, but even the best of us imagines stuff sometimes.

Having a hard time getting my brain started today, it would seem. Still trying to get things started.

>>537411
Alright, I'm not running today, the tanks empty and I'm too drowned by inability to think cogently. Sorry guys. Gonna try to do a bit more on Tuesday in slow boil mode.

>>537561
Don't beat yourself up about it, it happens to everyone.

>>538118
What he said.

Eclipsed Moon Quest Episode 136
Thread Resume


“Beeeeeeeeeep,” you say as you again boop the small girl on the nose, prompting her to pout, and then sighing a bit yourself, “still trying to figure that out, Venus-chan,”

She pokes at the edge of her nose over the pout and sighs herself.

“Did you want to talk about it?” she asks with her more mature demeanor.

“A little bit, yeah,” you glance over to the vanities.

“Well, go ahead,” she hops up to sit on the console and absentmindedly kicks her legs, “I’m all ears, and I kind of bet there’s some drama pending,”

Leaning against the console, you nod your head.

“Nailed it,” you grump, “I did start seeing Yoshi again, not like officially and there’s been a lot not said, I’m seeing him for ice cream in a bit at the arcade,”

“Mhmm,” she nods, still wearing the deerstalker cap, measuring the circumstances, “And Sasha is right here. I heard about how they were at the hospital,”

“I don’t want drama, and I like Sasha,” you could easily like him, between common interests and common attraction, “And the timing of everything, EVERYTHING, is just…”

“Complicated?” the small girl asks, still letting her legs swing back and forth where they hang.

Complicated, to say nothing about Kairi. You need to sit down with Kairi-chan at some point, just to talk. Should you talk to Sasha? What are you going to do. To the flipside of that concern; what will Yoshi think of you coming from the Karaoke rooms with, among other people you’re expected to be in the company of, Sasha? What will Kairi think that you’re seeing Yoshi on Sunday afternoon for ice cream!

“Yeah, complicated,”

Why can’t the mundane aspects of your life be as simple as the magica- Wait? No, both are equally insane in different directions and you take that thought right back.

>Ask Venus what she would do with the situation
>Intercept and talk to Sasha before you head up, and figure out what you want to do
>Maybe you can wait out Sasha’s presence in the arcade out and then see Yoshi?
>Make it seem like you left and sneak over to your date with Yoshi, hiding until Sasha leaves
>Just go have ice cream with Yoshi, and deal with anything as it happens
>Write in

>>539390
>>Just go have ice cream with Yoshi, and deal with anything as it happens
Some times you just have to do it PB

Slow boil today because I am doing Weekday things. So this voting window for the opening vote is open until the hour mark.

Writing, over lunch.

“You know what,” you resolve, “Let it be complicated,”

“Eh?” questions the younger girl on the console.

“Thanks for listening, Venus-chan,” you offer the small girl a smile as you head to the door supposedly opening into you team’s half of the secret base, “I’m overthinking this,”

Leaving the small, albeit now confused, crew cut child behind you find yourself faced with the older and measured violet eyes of your teacher. Hotarus Tomoe appears as though she was reaching for the door, and is slightly surprised it was opened.

“Excuse me,” she nods and steps back out of your way.

“Oh, thank you Tomoe-sensei,” you pop into the room and she in turn passes.

“I’m heading up to the lab now to prepare things,” she explains, “I’ll be waiting for you and Koyomi; so while there is no hard limit, please don’t lose track of time,”

“We won’t,” you concede and head over to your locker, and it’s secret private compartments there in.

It doesn’t take long before you pack you work out clothes in your otherwise empty duffle bag and look with some degree of pride at the cute outfit you’ve assembled yourself. Though you pause, Diana was asleep in your bag when you left home. With that in mind you left it open during training and meditation, so you’re sure the kitten is fine.

Actually, given the management of the Crown Arcade, you would not be the faintest bit surprised if there were all kinds of secrets here that only Mau could uncover.

Letting it slide, you leave the privacy of the shower adjacent changing room and return through the door at the back of your locker to your secret base and lounge.

Kairi, Koito, and Sasha are talking to one another. Seemingly catching your new Zoisite Knight up on a few details. Oddly, it would appear Midori is nowhere to be seen. Asking after it that, Kairi explains that she and Keiko went up into the cafe for a little time together.

“Keiko apparently wanted to treat Midori to some ice cream,” Koito adds after.

“We were just waiting for you before we head up,” Kairi continues and pats Koito on the shoulder, “while catching this guy caught up on a few things, and we’ll be on hand in case things take a bad turn with the purification,”

“I’m done with magic for today,” Sasha waves a hand with a sigh, “After a few games I’m going to put in some practice time with Boris,”

“Gearing up for your tournament?” you ask.

“Yeah, it's almost here,” he nods and grins broadly, “Though I’ll make time for any more training, operations, or whatever. And you’ve all got an open invitation to come,”

The adjoining door swings open, and your little sister sprints into the room.

“Mikage-nee! Ice Cream!” she cheers, toward her reward for being a trooper for the morning run.

“Even Two Scoops,” he sighs, eliciting a glare from your baby sister and a confused look from Koito.

>>539639

“Even me what?” she asks the shorter boxer accusingly.

“Even you’re invited to the Aiba Tournament,” he finishes.

“The what?”

As Sasha explains about the Aiba international youth boxing tournament, and Koito steps around to Koyomi’s side, you count out some coins from your wallet to cover the cost of a pretty decent sundae. Not the monster mountain of sweets your sister earlier demanded, but not something piddling either. Amid this, Kanari pops her head into the room and asks after what the holdup is.

Your sister is surprised as you hand her the money, thinking you were going to buy it for her. Acting offended you say why would I do that right now, when she could enjoy her treat with Koito. This prompts both of them to blush as the lot of you join the others and make your way out of the comfortable and magical secret base of operations.

The younger Senshi also declare that they’ll tag along for the purification as a security measure. Games become discussed readily, though you say you’ll grab a few rounds of something or other a bit later. You break off from the group after excusing yourself as you enter the arcade proper and head immediately toward the cafe.

You spy a sparse collection of people in that section of the arcade. Midori Mori and Keiko Sugimoto of course sitting in a booth together and laughing about something, a private conversation and moment upon which you won’t intrude. A few errant people whom you do not know or recognize, as is the say of things in public spaces. And lastly you notice Yoshi Sakurada sitting alone and scrutinizing a small cafe menu.

He’s dressed nicely. His usual choice in weekend slacks, a fitted button down, and a light jacket hangs off the hook alongside the booth. It’s a perfect contrast of normality, you think as he adjusts his glasses, to what he looked like when you saw him just last night.

As you cross the cafe, you notice one of the other seated patrons keeping some degree of attention to your laughing friends, Yoshi, and then yourself as you enter her line of sight. Noticeably looks away after recognizing you and returns to being interested in her being refilled coffee. At a glance you notice luxurious long black hair pulled over her shoulder, impeccable porcelain makeup accentuated with shadow and blush, and some particularly trendy clothes…

>Sit down next to Yoshi in the booth
>Sit down across from Yoshi in the booth
>Write in

&

>Apologize if you’ve kept him waiting, politely
>Ask if he has been waiting long, casually
>See if you can give him a small fright first
>Ask him what looks good to him, flirtily
>Write in

&

>Ignore the girl who was watching you, for now
>Scrutinize that girl, there’s something familiar, as you go about your business
>Go up to this girl and threateningly find out why she’s spying on your friends
>Go up to this girl in a friendly fashion to see what’s going on
>Write in

30 minute voting window from first vote cast.

>>539651
still up.

>>539641
>Across from Yoshi
>Apologize politely
>Scrutinize the girl

Maybe we should have the Shitennou we still have check the girl out?

Writing.

After this update there will be a long voting window as I take a long drive to another location.

Even if it may be a bit distracting, you’re going to keep an eye on this mystery woman. She could be an enemy agent, a gossipmonger from school who you don’t know, or even a fan who managed to suss out Yoshi’s identity as The Damned. Sliding into the booth across from Yoshi, you smile and chirp your greeting.

“Sorry if I kept you waiting, Yoshi,” you offer plainly as he notices your arrival and places the menu down.

“Oh, no need to apologize,” he says, returning your smile, “I’ve only just arrived,”

There is something familiar about her, and that unsettles you. Summoning Kunzite’s shadow, you request he keeps tabs on that person, and to not respond to you directly in close proximity to Yoshi. Also, you suggest he move around Yoshi’s line of sight for this matter.

“Okay then,” you deftly pick up the menu to begin looking through it for a confection to suite your current mood.

A parfait, you think.

Glancing back over to the far booth, you catch a glimpse of the mystery woman quickly and unceremoniously drinking her coffee. More than that you catch more than a few people casting eyes your way. Koyomi for certain as she passes with toward the counter with Koito. Kanari, Rin, and Aiha watch for a second, talking among themselves a moment before turning their attention upon the arcade at large. Venus seems to have already busied herself in that regard, at a game that also gives her a clear line of sight into the cafe.

Kairi and Sasha watch you for a second, Sasha you surmize a bit surprised by your meeting up with Yoshi. Kairi, aware enough of things, seems to grab for his attention. After some exchange the two disappear into the rest of the arcade.

Well, you’ll have to deal with that later.

“Did you stay out much later after I left?” you ask as you tilt the menu forward to stop hiding behind it.

He hums to himself.

“Not much later, I just caught up with my bandmates, swapped out of my costume, and went home,” he beckons for the cafe’s waitress, making her rounds, indicating at least he’s ready to order.

The woman across the way seems a bit self conscious since you caught her looking at her. In fact her posture is starting to curl in on itself. As the waitress arrives for your orders, Yoshi’s being a small root beer float that the Crowne has for some limited time Americana menu items, you realize why she looks so familiar.

>>540153
Saori! That woman is Saori Umeki! You know she’s been dragged into Akiyama-san’s fashion and modeling shenanigans, but this is wholly unexpected.

Momentarily gawking, because of pure unadulterated surprise, you order your parfait. It’s a modest order, because you have already had some of the snacks Koito and Kanari brought to the meeting.

“Are you alright?” he asks after your slightly distracted state.

“Yeah, just, I’m fine,” you say quickly and refocus your attentions.

>Ask after how things are with his mother.
>Talk about school, since it presumably resumes tomorrow
>Be flirty, how are you flirty
>Confide in him some of the stresses you’re under, indistinctly
>Confide in him some of the stresses you’re under, specifically, which ones?
>Point out disbelief that the girl across the way is Umeki-san
>Excuse yourself a moment, because you didn’t recognize Umeki-san and you want to compliment her new look.
>write in

>>540157
So... what are we aiming for here, do we even know?

>>540367
Also, I imagine we don't wan't Umeki to feel insecure about her new look, but I'm not sure if going up and complimenting her is the best way to bolster her confidence.

Home, and voting timer has not started yet it would seem.

Gonna have some dinner and set up my laptop.

>>540157
I'm thinking we go with options 1, 2, 4, and 6,but I'm not sure about the order. Anyone else have thoughts?

>>540157
>Point out disbelief that the girl across the way is Umeki-san

And the counter is up!

>>540157
>Confide in him some of the stresses you’re under, indistinctly
Family matter and OMG Umeki

>>540786
The OMG could be taken as pointing her out to his with a positive tone.

Alright, let's count things up.

- Point out Umeki in disbelief

-Confide indistinctly, Family & Umeki Disbelief

-Ask about mother, School talk, Confide indistinctly, Disbelief at Umeki.

That's varied, but a common theme across all 3 votes is Umeki. A slightly less common theme is indistinct confiding regarding some family issues.

I hope those two things are okay, getting to writing.

>>540872
Shit, I got distracted. I'm really not sure pointing Umeki out is a good idea. If she wants to look like that, we should support her.

>>540941
I thought pointing her out was more quietly expressing shock at her makeover?

>>540941
I was thinking in a supportive manner. Maybe start rumors of her hanging out with Keiko and a famous clothing designer, ah ha ha.

“I’m just having some stress lately,” you admit with a sigh as he nods in agreement and pauses as a look of guilt at lack of tact crosses his features briefly, you imagine he’s jumping to the supernatural aspects of your life, “not necessarily what you’re thinking about, though,”

“Oh, I didn’t mean to be presumptuous,” he says.

“It’s fine,” you sigh, as you cross your steeple your arms at the elbows and lean forward to rest your chin on clasped hands, “There have been some issues with my family,”

“Oh, is everything alright?” he questions plainly and in concern.

“Just, my big sister and my mom may as well be a million miles away right now,” you sigh, “And I’m worried about them, and trying to look after my little sister at the same time while everything is going on. And it’s just crazy,”

He sits for a moment and mulls his words over in his mind.

“These have been trying times,” he sighs, in reference to repeat monster attacks and other goings on, “I know I relied heavily on my mother for stability when things were happening back in junior high,”

“Well, let’s face it. Times are similar and I was just mending things with them,” you huff and lift your head from your intertwined hands and lay them flat on the table.

“And I’m sure they’ll be there on the other side of this for you,” he lays his hand on your clasped hands in an offer of comfort.

>Accept it there
>Engulf it into the clasp
>Pull hands back
>Write in

“Well, they are good at making spectacular returns,” you muse, “So I’ll have faith in them. Say, Yoshi?”

“Yes,”

“Have you seen the girl in the booth over there,” you gesture subtly to the far booth with a decided smile.

He blushes slightly. Either embarrassed or uncomfortable, with the topic.

“Well, in passing,” you says quite simply, likely not expecting to be asked about other women while on a...date?

Well, you were kissing him last night and then asked him out to ice cream. Kind of?

“Would you believe me if I said it were Umeki-san?” you question quietly as the usually unflappable boy gains a look of obvious disbelief and steals a glance to the side, “I thought so too. Couldn’t believe it,”

“How?” he mutters and returns his attentions to you and offers a few quick and quiet conjectures, “Well, that is a startling transformation...is there magic involved in this? Has she been turned into a monster again? I remember her boasting about that before,”

“Nope,” you sigh, “She got discovered as a model by a fashion prodigy from Zodiac Academy, and that girl has been getting put through modeling and fashion boot camp,”

“Well, she seems to be taking to it well,” he admits, as surprised as you were.

You offer the girl a brief wave, and call to her at a normal and not otherwise attention calling volume.

>>541176

“Excellent look today, Umeki-san,” you say to her genuinely, and she responds in predictable shock as she picks up her coffee and dashes into the arcade, “And there she goes…”

As Saori retreats, the waitress returns and sets out your parfait and Yoshi’s float. You both thank her, though she seems terse and tense in her conduct. When you are left to each other and your ice cream. After she leaves, Yoshi is hesitant to start his.

“Something on your mind?” you offer, a fair turn of the usual circumstances.

“I’m thinking about talking to my bandmates about shifting from Kal to another manager,” he says quietly at first and then at a more conversational tone, “and coming clean to my mom,”

>What brought this on? Wait, probably me, right?
>You shouldn’t make it seem like anything is out of the ordinary
>Can you do that through the company without going through him directly?
>If you’re looking for advice on this, I’ve already told you everything I’m going to
>Write in

&

>You think that’s better than her finding out?
>I wouldn’t, you’re pretty good at this masquerade
>You should, your mom is cool and she might be supportive
>Can I watch this happen?
>Write in

>>541176
Hm, it seems like it's more a gesture of physical support than romance, so it's fine to accept it I think.

>>541183
As for this, the obvious concern is to make sure Kalunite doesn't get tipped off, and I can't really see Mikage advocating living secret lives.

>>541176
>>Write in
Just place one on top of his, not as dramatic as full clasping, but more than accepting.

>>541183
>>What brought this on? Wait, probably me, right?
>>Write in
Part of me hopes he can be freed of dark influence. Seems like he's actually good at booking gigs.

>>Can I watch this happen?
Have that picture of The Damned and Miki together to short circuit her.

>>541176
>Accept it there
>>541183
>What brought this on? Wait, probably me, right?
>You shouldn’t make it seem like anything is out of the ordinary
>You think that’s better than her finding out?
Maybe the watching too.

>>541252
Missed most of the votes, but I like the results, been fun read.

>>541176
>>Engulf it into the clasp
>What brought this on? Wait, probably me, right?
>You should, your mom is cool and she might be supportive

All these dudes not wanting to romance.

baka familia

>>541176
>>Accept it there
>>541183
>What brought this on? Wait, probably me, right?
>You shouldn’t make it seem like anything is out of the ordinary

>Can I watch this happen?

Counting up.

All right, we have.

Accept. What brought this on? Can I watch this happen?

Writing. Sorry, had some family stuff come up briefly. Last update of the night, and since there seems to be nothing ahead of me tomorrow I will try to keep us going during the day.

>>541428
That you Artemis?

>>541529
Yes, I dropped my trip. That's why I like these in thread IDs on QST, I'm always dropping trip.

You look down at his hands on your own. It is comforting, and you think it is meant to be. Smiling at its presence there, you do not pull your hands away or draw his into the grasp of your own. Leaving things as they are set. Though the topic he brings up after that mote of comforting and your dazzling distraction by way of Umeki-san is anything but.

“What brought this on?” you sigh in worry, already knowing where this is coming from, “The part about Kal. Wait, probably me, right?”

He nods slowly.

“The things you’ve said, the warning, I worry that since I’m the only one who has any warning to tread carefully that I should get them away from him,” he glances out the window and into the street, “If I can help it, I don’t want them to get hurt,”

You understand that sentiment, perfectly. It’s the same you had when you warned him against Kalunite. The same when you decided you wanted to keep him a bit further away from the dangerous part of your life, but still keep him in your life.

“That’s why I told you,” you sigh yourself, remember how you’ve also found yourself dead against him becoming one of your knights despite his affinity, “Because I don’t want you to get hurt. I didn’t want you around all those monsters at school either,”

“I don’t think either of us wanted to be around all of that,” he cracks a smile and drinks from his float, “Have you managed to entirely get the taste out of your mouth,”

Looking up from your parfait, you glare daggers at him before cracking a smile of your own.

“So, when you do tell your mother,” you offer as a foregone conclusion, “Can I watch?”

“I said I was thinking about it,” he pauses in his drink and sets it back onto the table.

“If you’re talking about thinking about it,” you gesture emphatically and perhaps dramatically, “where your mom and honesty are concerned, then it’s already too late,”

Swirling the layered parfait with your spoon, you clink the glass in time with a syllabic melody.

“Far too late,” and smile all your way to a spoon overflowing with yogurt, ice cream, and jam.

File: Parfait.png (312 KB, 947x1400)

312 KB PNG

>>541588

“I wanted your opinion and experience,” you throws a hand up in defeat, “Though, yes. If you would like to be there IF I decide to tell her then you will have ample warning,”

A sinister smile spreads across your face, the both teasingly playful and reminiscent of something a bit more sinister.

“Delightful,” you enjoy more of your parfait, “And you really should tell her. Sooner rather than later,”

“Now I’m frightened,” he says rather quickly as a paw whips up from the edge of his side of the table and drags his napkin below the edge.

He doesn’t notice, you do notice. Something rises up quietly next to him, not that he notices.

Purple gray fur and crescent moon on her forehead, your magical alien talking space cat peels into a smile at finding you.

And somewhere behind you, there is the distinct and sharp sound of glass being dropped, followed by a bellow of pure and utter annoyance and frustration that chills your spine to the bone.

Eclipsed Moon Quest episode 136
Pause again

Interlude vote
>Staccato on Shooters
>Button SMASHING
>Demi-Goddess of Love
>Model Behavior
>Hoppity Heart
>Sunlit Verdance
>Cold Comfort

>>541593
>>Button SMASHING

>>541593
>Hoppity Heart

>>541593
>Demi-Goddess of Love

>>541593
>Sunlit Verdance
Keiko was mentioned as beaming both in pride and supernatural warmth, so let’s find out what happened there.

>>541593
I was gonna say Cold Comfort, but it looks like we're spreading the vote too much and the Cabal hasn't bribed me today. Hrm.

Well, >>542274, consider your breaking vote as I get to work on the part I know I can start to write first.

“Did it just get colder in here?” Yoshi questions from across the booth, a slight shiver to his shoulders.

Beside him, the fur of the kitten he hasn’t noticed yet is standing on end in shock. You decidedly felt it too, at the sound of glass breaking somewhere in the back of the cafe beyond the counter. Your group aren’t the only ones taking notice of the disturbance, a few other cafe patrons look toward the counter as well.

The shiver down your spine has faded, though the room is a bit cooler. Turning to look in the direction of the counter, everything seems normal. Peaking out from the kitchen is the familiar waitress, though noticeably less tense than before.

“Everything’s fine,” she says, “Just slipped and dropped a glass,”

Craning your vision back you also catch sight of one of the nearby booths, they aren’t particularly high backed, where your little sister sits with Koito. Three empty Sundae bowls sit in front of her, along with a stain of chocolate on either edge of her lips. Well, what did she used to say when she was a little kid? Ice Cream is justice? Something like that.

Still, it did get uncomfortably cold in here.

“I think it did,” you say in absentminded response to Yoshi’s question.

“Oh, here,” he says without a second thought as he rises from the booth, and you notice your wayward kitten must have ducked back underneath the table.

Grabbing his coat off of the booth’s hook, he stands and offers it across your shoulders.

>Accept it, politely
>Politely decline
>Yeeeees
>No protocol
>Write in

&


>Be suspicious of this temperature change
>Get back to conversation.
>>Teasingly “Frightened? Of me?”
>>Somberly “So, do you want to talk about what we are right now?”
>>Hopefully “So, do you want to talk about what we are right now?”
>Write in

>>542555
what does no protocol mean?

>>542555
>Politely decline
>Ask the girls about the temperature. If none of them know what's up with it, have them check it out, with Kunzites help.

>>542610
Our whole Princess No thing.

>>542610
An impolite and terse singular No.

>>542555
>Politely decline

>Be suspicious of this temperature change

>>542627
I figure that in case someone gonna throw around ice attacks, he needs it more than us. Still it's a nice gesture that I would have accepted did it not look like shit may get real.

writing.

“Oh. Thank you, Yoshi,” you say back with a smile, before glancing back toward the counter, “but I don’t think I’ll be needing it,”

“I something wrong?” he asks in concern as he returns to his seat across from you.

“It may be nothing...but I’d rather be safe than sorry,” you gesture about.

Your suspicion of the sudden and sustained chill isn’t unreasonable, all things considered. Reaching out to the others, you notice the buzz of communicative telepathy already at the edge of your senses. It seems Aiha had a similar idea, though when you chime in you are a bit surprised she hadn’t already included you. In the time it took you to decline Yoshi’s jacket the blue haired telepath was already organizing a few actions. Kairi-chan was already sprinting outside to watch the back door. Kanari, Venus, Aiha, and Rin were ducking behind the curtained entrance to the Karaoke hallway in case they needed to transform. A contact attempt was made with Yeon, the Arcade and Cafe employee in the know about your group beneath the owner, and Sasha was heading toward the counter to scout things out.

Apparently she hadn’t included any of you already in the cafe because...

-Well, because you’re all, you know,- she explains with mild embarrassment.

Koyomi and Koito might as well be on a small date. Keiko and Midori are decidedly on one. And as for you.

-We’re all what, Aiha-chan?- you question over the telepathic link, -Keiko, Koyomi, and I are magically heavy hitters. You shouldn’t leave us out because we’re being some kind of social,-

-Tactful,- the short boxer, Sasha, thinks as he makes his way through the cafe to sit at the counter, -Feels colder in here,-

Did he, oh. He was talking about the literal temperature.

-I’ll bring the others in and make them aware,- Aiha sighs and you notice the sudden weight of more minds linking in conversation.

“Was that Sasha-san,” Yoshi asks curiously, though with an inflected tension.

“Yes, he hangs out in this part of town,” you shrug.

-I’ll have Kunzite scout it out deeper,- you say and direct your shadowed advisor to scope out the kitchen, though his brief transit gives the only two others who can see him pause so you offer some calming words to the one whom you’re sitting with, “Don’t worry, I’m just being paranoid.”

“Well, given the track record, better safe than sorry,” Yoshi lets out a breath and nods, reaching under the table and pulling something you hadn’t noticed from under before.

A black case, shaped to curve and neck.

“A guitar?” you question.

“Acoustic,” he confirms, is he going to try to use the power he awoke when you purified his equipment of malevolent influences last week?

“Yoshi, if something does happen I just want you to take cover or get out,” you say with an edge of worry.

>>542746

-I’ll be ready with illusions to cover our own transformations,- Midori responds over the connection, -Though my sword is at the ready,-

-Back alley is clear and door is covered,- Kairi says evoking the military tone of her mother.

Then you hear back from Kunzite.

-The waitress is coming back with several orders, she was cleaning up a broken glass, but I haven’t seen any sign of the young man yet,- the white haired spectre reports across the psychic connection.

Sasha and Yoshi both heard him, you relay it to the others.

-Oh! Yay, My sundae!- Koyomi thinks in reflex and claps her hands together happily, you can feel Koito’s expectant smile at her nature.

-How many have you had?- you question her, sternly.

As the waitress steps back behind the counter and then into the cafe proper, someone else enters as well. It’s Saori. She makes a beeline for Sasha at the counter, her feigned grace forgotten. The waitress stops in front of Sasha.

“I’ll be back for your order shortly,” she says with far more cheer than she had earlier.

-A couple,- your sister replies plainly, and happily, unmoved by your big sisterly frame of mind.

“Hey, shorty,” Saori asks him.

“Excuse you?” he responds, apparently already a bit annoyed by something.

“Ahah! You are the guy!” she declares in mild triumph.

-The chill is coming from the waitress, but who the hell is this girl?- Sasha scoffs mentally.

The waitress moves about the cafe, dropping off numerous drink orders and confections. A trail of cold follows her wake.

“So, we didn’t get a chance to talk at the concert,” Saori is in Sasha’s admittedly small area of personal space, “but I have some questions for you about the Red Eyed Beast,”

-Well, this is a mildly hilarious problem,- Keiko mentally sighs, -She’s a classmate of ours who has been digging around the edge of things,-

>>542749

>Y/N Activate Disguise field

>You have time for 2 other turns, do you cast any other spells or buffs, don a guise, or move.

The waitress stops at the booth behind you. Where Koito and Koyomi sit. The last item on the tray held aloft with one hand is an ice cream sundae. So far she’s acting fairly normal...

“And here you go, number four,” she says sweetly, serenely, though you can feel a sudden palpable and menacing aura as her face tightens in your little sister’s proximity.

“Oh, eh, thank you,” Koyomi responds with a demurred politeness, amid clearly noticing the air of menace, but then pauses as she notices something, “Um, did you happen to run out of sprinkles?”

-I’ve found Yeon!- Kunzite’s voice races.

“Oh, let me take care of that,” she smiles.

-Unconscious, pinned beneath a pile of whipped cream,- this gives sudden confused reaction to Sasha and Yoshi.

Especially Yoshi, you imagine, given how little of the rest of the conversation he has been privy too.

The woman’s form begins to warp and shift, revealing whatever creature of negative emotion she has been forced into becoming. Covering illusions are already in place for all of you, Koyomi and Koito had already been ducking out under the table.

>Attack, tackle her now
>Koyomi is out of immediate harm’s way, see what this monster does?
>Cast a spell
>Use a power
>write in

Aw his coat offer was sweet. Should yeeees'd it.

>>542750
>Y
Cast shield
Ask Yoshi not to worry and apologize for more worries
Slip to a better vantage
Protect bystanders as needed as Eclipse, scouts are inbound

Taking a drive.

I got caugh up in some things, thread ended to be resumed next thread with the result of the last vote.

>>542393
Sorry on the delay, had to run out to work and then work was all the things.

>>541593
I imagine cold comfort ties in with today's opponent, probably informative. Sunlit verdance being sun and green, which is probably sweet. Hoppity heart for lil' sis, likely cute. Model behavior featuring Ukemism. Venus being the local demi-goddess of love and probably all of the adorable. I'm not sure who is smashing and shooting though.

I could go for some adorable overload.
>Demi-Goddess of Love
I hope the kitten is somehow part of it too. Adorabeetus.

Alright.

Next thread after the intro will have Interlude: Demi-Goddess of Love.

Then we'll serve up the action with all the toppings. This coming weekend may be a bit tough, as I have a big crafting day on Sunday and Monday for an upcoming annual event for a LARP I attend, so stay tuned.

Eclipsed Moon Quest Episode 136 is officially
End

Next time on Eclipsed Moon Quest.

Bloodberry Sundae.

>>543514
Sundae, Bloodberry Sundae~

Thanks for the thread!

Wow, stuff takes forever to fall off /qst/, doesn't it?

Glad to see some recap here, as I've been out a while and it was nice to hear what's been going on. Almost makes me wanna read up the archives, but 60+ missed episodes is kind of daunting.

>>561004
On the upside, by this point we have closed a number of hanging plot points. Mikage has largely reconnected with herself, her family, and her friends.
We have formally revealed ourselves to the new scouts and shared what we know. Which cuts out a large chunk of secrecy we've been maintaining.
In the love front, Yoshi has managed to become the main figure. Which mainly makes the relationship web more defined, but not any simpler.
While there are mysteries remaining about them, we have largely identified the opposition as connected to Elysium, the ancient Earth Kingdom of our father's past life and that they make use of Chaos tainted Darkness fueled by stolen emotions and shadows. They seem to have deep tied with Ellis Unlimited, a high-tech and philanthropic company that has funding and research connections into PIT, the governmental taskforce working with the scouts. Which raises concerns with the mom scouts off-world with these people working to restore the ancient palaces to allow them to tap into the planetary starseeds as they did in ancient times. (The attack on Sailor Pluto at the Gates of Time raising fears that they need to up their game).
Cast-wise Art will likey recap who a person is when they turn up, he's been goid at fleshing out everyone we've interacted with so the secondary cast is rather large. Main thing to remember is the Saori Umeki is best girl.

>>561485
Thinking about it, this arcade meet-up is like episodes following mid-season breaks following big events.
Recap and run down on what things are like now because a past events have lead to a new beginning, after a fashion.
I might even go so far as to say that this is probably a great place for new players and readers to pick up from if they aren't into binge reading.

>>561004
Might move faster now, I hear the the test phase is over.

>>561485
Hey, sounds like fun. I just have to find the time to start reading up again.

And I have to read up again if I'm gonna jump back in. For all that I tend to forget important details, it'll drive me nuts if I don't get caught up on the archives first.

Maybe if I use it to reward myself for progressing my own (unrelated) writing project...