>>1232989
Kairi Osaka, your longtime friend and turned confidant. The two of you spent more than a year ignoring one another as the fallout of terrible tragedy and circumstance, now she serves beside you as your Nephrite Knight.

Koito Kino, family friend and twin brother of this generation’s Sailor Jupiter. He and his sister have always been in the periphery of your life, especially due to their friendship with your younger sister. He now serves as your Zoisite Knight.

Midori Mori, a frenemy depending on the face you wore amid more uncertain times whom became indebted to you and sought peace prior to the truthful revelation of your friendship with one another. She is now appointed as your Knight Marshal as Jadeite Knight.

Saori Umeki, a girl you rescued from a terrible fate which was beyond her choosing. Returning to her life, she skirted along the edges of your unusual world and knew enough to put herself either in danger or at risk of learning even more terrible truths. Rather than leave her to her own devices you offered her these truths and hopefully the tools and resources to keep herself safe as your spymaster. Presently she isn’t so involved in deliberations as she is dry heaving into a wastebasket having made herself uneasy introducing herself to others and leading a small presentation on some intel she had uncovered.

For someone who once wished to be a normal girl, you’ve really let the trappings of Elysion and Silver Millennium royalty and courtly manner influence the way you’ve been playing returning to action. Its structure, something you have turned to for comfort amid uncertainty.

So far the following options have been offered.

To later this evening approach your candidate for Kunzite Knight, college art student and former teen street fighting delinquent Hisako Ito, and make her the offer of Knighthood. There are a few other ideas in your head aside from those offered by your close allies.

What will you later plan to do?

>Have Midori arrange the meeting and attend in Fashion Circle mode under the auspices of checking up on her roommate and your friend Hanako Minami, and then taking her aside. This runs the risk of exposing your identities if she refuses.
>Catch her alone as Eclipse and your so far selected Knights and make your case to her.
>Arrange to meet her alone as Eclipse and your Knights, and make your case to her.
>Sneak around near her while she is alone or in some public space and have the Shadow of Kunzite himself make the offer while you remain hidden until she accepts or declines.
>Lure her out to a meeting with your own delinquent alter ego the Red Eyed Beast under the pretense of another street fight for fun.
>Write in

(30 minute window from the first vote cast for votes to be counted. Subsequent votes will have a 15 minute window from the first vote cast. Afternoon all)

Trying to think of a suitable meeting place and approach.

>>1232991
I like the idea of a write-in where we contact her as the Beast via our social media account and tell her straight-up we want to talk about serious stuff. What does everyone else think?

As of this posting, about 29 minutes or so left for the first voting window. Remember anons to mouse over the posting time.

How is everyone today.

>>1232991
>Lure her out to a meeting with your own delinquent alter ego the Red Eyed Beast under the pretense of another street fight for fun.

>>1232991
>>1233065
Feel similar actually, dunno where to. Somewhere out of the way.

>>1233069
Don't overthink the locations, those are going to be different for the context of each choice.

Writing

>>1233126
Dropped trip

“The beast will make the most sense to drawing her somewhere,” you reason calmly while considering a good where, “Whether for a fight or to talk she’ll probably come if I message her,”

Taking out your phone you open your lurk app and load your account credentials for the Beast’s minor social media presence.

“And what should we be doing while the two of you hash things out?” Midori questions while Saori finally rights herself on the outskirts of your circled discussion.

“Either watching my back or hanging in the wings to greet the newest member of the team if she says yes,” you muse while sending a concise message requesting a meeting and noting a place nearby in this part of town.

“Alright, now to hope she isn’t a wild card if she says yes,” Midori sighs to herself.

“Where were you thinking?” Kairi-chan asks while offering a small pack of tissues to Saori.

“Somewhere sure to be empty after dark, near the elementary school playground,” you confirm and snap the cover shut on your phone case, “I’m vague enough on the other details and we have about four or five hours before the meetup,”

“Well, then if we have time to kill I’m gonna head over to help my dad with the dinner rush,” Koito reasons, “Should I bring snacks with me to the meeting point?”

“Couldn’t hurt,” Kairi thinks aloud, “I’m gonna swing by Estra’s new place to check up on him,”

“And I’m going to sit in on the rest of this boxing lesson to laugh at Keiko being terrible at it,” Midori smirks to herself, garnering a weird look from the rest of you, “What, it’ll be cute to watch her actually struggle with not being great at something,”

“Stop being cute,” Saori scolds, “I’m gonna...if we’re just all talking about what we’re gonna do, continue researching everything with a celebrity’s talking cat,”

And that leaves you to whatever devices you wish to pursue.

>Go with Kairi to check up on your alien classmate, since he’s been feeling unwell
>Stay and observe Sasha’s training with the young Senshi.
>See how Saori is dealing with stuff while she works on, as she claims, research.
>With Kanari locked down in training, maybe the Jupiter Cafe could use an extra hand?
>Head home to decompress for a bit
>Write in

>>1233374
>See how Saori is dealing with stuff while she works on, as she claims, research.

>>1233374
>Go with Kairi to check up on your alien classmate, since he’s been feeling unwell

>>1233374
>>See how Saori is dealing with stuff while she works on, as she claims, research.
We did kinda throw her in the water, and she swam pretty well.. initial floundering and subsequent lunch revisitation.
Also, fill her in on our own spy work and interest in tracking down that group of rogue shadow girls.

>>1233387
*initial floundering and subsequent lunch revisitation aside.

Writing.

Momentarily.

“Alright then, I’ll see everyone tonight,” you confirm before turning toward Kairi-chan, “Let me know how Estra is doing, and say hi to his little brother and sister for me,”

“No problem,” your best friend offers, “What are you going to be up to?”

“Sharing some of my earlier findings and going over what intel we have on other standing missions with Saori here,” you gesture to the slouching girl as she perks up at the mention of her name.

“I see, so you have a specific assignment you want me to test my skillful skilledness on?” she practically slides back over toward the two of you as the others say their goodbyes and head out.

“Alright, I’ll see everyone later tonight,” Kairi-chan offers before turning back toward Saori, “And Umeki-san, support group after classes tomorrow,”

“Roger that,” she snickers, “Oh man I cannot wait for Nomura-san’s share after-”

Your spymaster glances over to you, glances away, purses her lips, and nods to herself after she sidles behind Kairi while turning her attention back to you with certain care.

“-after what a terrible experience she likely had and certainly not anything that happened earlier today in front of most of the school,” her tone shifts to certain care and even wording.

“Yes, I get it, I made a scene earlier,” you grouse a bit and head toward the console where Artemis and Diana still sit.

“I’m going to have to deal with that tomorrow,” Kairi sighs before bidding her farewell as well.

As you and Saori approach the console, you see Artemis tapping at a cell phone set down on the console. Diana watches whatever it is her father is doing before glancing up at the two of you approaching and leaping up into your arms and then from your shoulder onto your head.

“How do you use that without thumbs?” Saori questions of the white furred moon cat.

“Trade secret,” he notes as he tilts the phone, kicks it off the console into the air and backflips around it, leaving it vanished with a sharp popping sound, “I’ve got to run to meet up with Saturn and Pluto about our mystery Senshi,”

“Alright Artemis,” Saori says, having gotten completely used to magical talking cats, “And here I thought I’d be able to get more cool inside news on Minako Aino,”

“Sorry, as much as I love embarrassing her, there’s work to be done,” he then cranes his neck back to the kitten on your head, “Diana-chan, keep an eye on these two for me. Okay?”

You feel Diana lift one paw from her mild grip on your head.

“Can do, daddy!” she resolves in earnest enthusiasm.

Soon enough, it’s just the three of you before the console. Saori explains in very clinical fashion how she has been compiling information about the other known competitors and coaches in the Aiba Tournament as well as pulling up publicly available and publicly unavailable building and utilities planning documents.

>>1233618

“For now part of my plan is continue to haunt the area around the big shell and watch out for Amazonite again, figure out if she’s using any alias to involve herself in the event,” she shrugs, “So, what else do we have going on?”

You catch her up on the matter of Doctor Borealis’s potential betrayal of the Elysion loyalist within the enemy faction, the possible connections with Ellis Unlimited and Dr. Chau, and the standing investigation of rumors around a nearby park and the four awol shadow women and the associated matter of your infiltration as the Beast.

At the mention of the brutish and blue mad scientist brute, she shrinks into herself. She has first hand experience with the man, both before and after his transformation.

>Ask more about what she remembers of her time with big blue
>Ask how she’s dealing with all of this, she seemed shaken up after presenting
>See how she’s doing with her modeling for Akiyama-san
>What was that dating sim with the birds? Maybe a normal topic will help calm her
>Write in

&

What do you want Saori to focus on in her upcoming investigations?

>Try and keep tabs on the Big Egg Complex and locate Amazonite
>Focus on what she can find about who Borealis was before he was blue
>Set her toward investigating the four shadows you’re tracking for an infiltration matters
>Write in

>>1233622
>>Ask more about what she remembers of her time with big blue
Given the work he was did for them as a human, that doesn't leave much hope of there being a decent bone in his body. At least with the Elysians we have some idea of their mindsets, Blue is dangerously wildcard-y. Instead of good wildcard-y like us.

Complement on her first presentation too, she made it through it.

&
>Try and keep tabs on the Big Egg Complex and locate Amazonite
Keeping track of what info turns up for the shadows, and seeing what turns up on Borealis work is important too, but disrupting whatever is going on with the tournament needs active attention.

Writing momentarily.

“Are you okay, as far as Borealis goes?” you question your rail thin peer, to her visible discomfort.

“Well…” she shrugs and sighs, “It’s all hazy, but I remember him before and after the tower…”

“Anything you can remember about him?” you press, “Like, unless it’s uncomfortable to think about,”

She pauses and shakes her head. Curling a bit more into herself she leans against the waist high control console.

“It’s fine...and,” she huffs, “He was human, and everything he did was his choice before I was ordered to turn him into one of us. I stood by for experiments I can’t remember...or he had me swirling to be changed subjects in scary or just antagonizing illusions before it was time,”

You nod, slowly, as she cradles her own arms while looking down and away.

“That’s the kind of guy he was when he was human,” she mutters, “A bad guy...and him willing to turn on the Elysion loyalist, he’s working the angles for his own gain,”

She meets your eyes seriously, with a tiredness behind them that exceeds her normally visible bags and darkened skin.

“Never trust him, and be careful because he’s smart,” she says with a degree of fear and reverence.

You nod and put a hand on one of her frail looking shoulders. Aware from what seen of her will to pursue the unknown and join up with you that she is far stronger than she lets herself appear.

“I won’t, Saori,” you assure her, which seems to help calm her along with your contact, “And you did really well on your presentation,”

She beams under praise, blushing a bit.

“Hey, it’ll be easier once I get to know everyone. Though Venus freaking Aino, I’m glad Artemis braced me for that,” she laughs, “So, let’s get cracking on some research. Especially now that I have more than one thing to work on,”

“Well, Borealis and the shadow girls can stay on the back burner for now, if you find something relevant still report it,” you and look up at the console with renewed purpose, “but I want you to keep on things and after Amazonite and what her plans are,”

Amazonite is on the screen, from when you and Nephrite Knight fought her outside of Keiko’s. It’s when she’s glancing back over at the Jewel Thief, Hiddenite.

“Focus on the Big Egg Complex and see if you can figure out what Amazonite is really up to in all of this,” you look at the screen and remember what a powerhouse she was before, uncertain of what to expect of her now that she has been enhanced.

“Will do...just...are you okay?” she says while working at the console to start sorting through what data or information she has which has drawn her eye or instincts.

>>1234311

“Hmm?”

“Well, I mean Osaka-san filled me in on the more nitty gritty of things as far as what happened to you,” she asks carefully before turning abruptly blunt and keeping her eyes to the screen, “Back then...so, are you okay with what you had to do to Kalunite?”

A beat passes.

“Everyone else was worried about saying anything, because of your panic attacks,”


>I don’t want to talk about it
>I was angry, and he was already dead
>I’m really not, but it needed to be done
>I was doing okay, but now I’m annoyed
>Write in

&

>Later that night...
>Spend more time talking to Saori, about what?
>You wanted to chat with Sasha after the training session.
>You wanted to chat with one of the Senshi after the training session, who and what?
>You wanted to chat with Midori after the training session, about what?
>Write in

>>1234319
>I’m really not, but it needed to be done
&
>You wanted to chat with one of the Senshi after the training session, who and what?

Mercury, about how she's doing.

>>1234319
>>I’m really not, but it needed to be done
Had hoped he could be turned or purified, he was reasonable in his guise of Kal, but he came in too strong to pull punches against..

&

>You wanted to chat with one of the Senshi after the training session, who and what?
How about Mercury and Mars? Aiha, the Beast's online friend, and Rin, who seems to have been in on our secrets even before we were. Both have played a big role in things for us, but not much time spent with lately.

>>1234319
I’ll back >>1234477

Writing momentarily, grabbing a snack.

Sorry for the ridiculous delay.

You weigh her words and your own feelings from just last night. Understanding why the others wouldn’t have pressed it, even normally direct and take no prisoners Midori. Saori, she just doesn’t care about such niceties. Or at least she doesn’t know how to deal in them like everyone else.

“I’m really not,” you offer and keep your hands on the console when you’d rather wring the length of your pigtails, “but it needed to be done, he wasn’t pulling any punches and I couldn’t have afforded to either,”

You choke on it a bit, but keep steady.

Saori Umeki nods. And you offer a wordless thanks as the two of you get to work arranging your intel and plotting out some steps of her investigations. After a time you excuse yourself to check on the now wrapping up training session. Though you are surprised to see Midori sitting and unwrapping some cloth from her hands.

She doesn’t look particularly pleased, and her cheek is a little bruised.

“Venus punches like a freight train,” the blonde girl says dryly.

“No spectators,” Sasha comments idly as Midori trudges toward you assume her vanity locker for a shower in the other room as the other girls do the same in this room.

You can’t help but smile as the only one who seems to have any visible energy left is Venus-chan as she bounds over and away. Sasha pauses, helmet in hand like he wants to say something. After a moment of conflict he carries on, as he ever does and strides up the stairs.

“I’ve got to take care of Borris, then I have lab hours tonight,” he announces to the dwindling population of the room before marching his way up the stairs.

Waiting for a few minutes and gathering your things you step topside and catch Aiha Mizuno and Rin Kumada as they leave, predictably, together.

Your sister and Venus-chan electing to rather play video games and acquire additional ice cream in the arcade whilst Kanari Kino made a break for her bike to help out with the end run of the dinner rush back at the Jupiter Cafe.

“Hey girls,” you step up behind the two younger girls, whom you last spent significant time around during a rather eventful day long ghost hunting adventure.

The two turn around, Aiha still in her school blues and Rin again in her skirted alteration of a traditional Miko’s robes.

“Mikage, hey,” the blue haired psychic offers with a sleight unexpected jump, “Um, thanks for rallying us today,”

>>1235368

“Yeah,” Rin offers with an expected and neutral expression, “Your friend was interesting to listen to,”

There is something curious about their mood this afternoon.

“Can we talk?” the dark haired girl questions as the sun hangs late into the afternoon.

“Well, yes,” you sigh as Diana finally disengages herself from your hair and onto your shoulder, “That’s why I came to catch up with you,”

“Yes, exactly,” Aiha comes up quickly, “How is your spymaster doing, she seemed in a bad way,”

The two share an odd look and then spare a shared glance back toward the arcade, you turn to see what they look upon and see Venus-chan cheering on Koyomi as an obscene desert is delivered.

You can feel the buzz of telepathy between them. It had been your intentions to check up on the girls and see how they were doing.

“So, you should open with a cigarette,” Rin offers quickly from nowhere.

“Open what with a cigarette,” you question hesitantly.

“She means your meeting with Hisako Ito,” Aiha says plainly, “about your offer,”

“Ah, precognitive advice,” a useful thing to have, but something seems off.

>It’s probably just these two being awkward and weird keep conversation casual, about what?
>Point out that something seems weird about them tonight, just point it out, and don’t pry
>Something is up, you need to pry and suss it out of them
>Maybe take charge of the topic, ask if they’re okay after seeing Keiko and Koyomi as disembodied souls
>Ask after how they’re getting on after their confessions and the advice they got from Tomoe-sensei
>Write in

>>1235374
>>Something is up, you need to pry and suss it out of them

>>1235374
>Something is up, you need to pry and suss it out of them

Alright. I will need a persuasion test.

dice+1d20+10 best of 3, 1s and 20s wild

Rolled 19 + 10 (1d20 + 10)

>>1235483

Rolled 15 + 10 (1d20 + 10)

>>1235483

Last roll. Melee? Bueller?

Rolled 13 + 10 (1d20 + 10)

>>1235483

Writing

“If I didn’t know better,” you take a disappointed tone, “I would say there is something important that the two of you are holding back,”

Aiha goes rigid, and looks immediately guilty of something. Rin however.

“What would make you say that?” the priestess in training and guardian senshi of Mars questions.

“Guys, its me. What’s got you two so rattled?”

There is a quiet beat between them.


“It’s about Koyomi,” Rin says quietly, “rather something Koyomi wanted to talk with you about,”

“We spoke to her about it and she said she was going,” Aiha begins as she snatches at Rin’s hand either to find strength or still her tongue, you aren’t sure which, “going to talk to you about it later tonight because she didn’t want to worry you while you were just...you,”

“Well, the you she remembered you being,” Rin corrects, “Together, taking charge, and starting to seem really happy even after what happened the other day,”

“What’s wrong?” you question with a decided worry.

“Kanari, Venus-chan, and Sugimoto-san don’t know,” Aiha corrects as she takes to a bus stop adjacent bench near the arcade, with a decided sadness and worry, “Only we saw it,”

Rin confided in you, prior to your spectacular ghost adventure to track down a wayward spirit whom just today you sat across from this afternoon in the Crowne, that among her priestly and precognitive abilities she also passively could perceive the recently or restless dead as spirits.

Conversely, Aiha confided her own psychic powers afforded her the ability to see things that weren’t always there.

They watched Koyomi and Keiko dead in the water. No doubt Rin saw them disembodied and drifting...but what did both of them see together?

“Koyomi wasn’t alone,” Rin says , “And she was surprised when we told her but then said you could help her

“Wasn’t alone?” you say confused.

“She means her spirit,” Aiha pouts as Rin sits alongside her, “I couldn’t see Koyomi or Keiko, but I saw the other thing that Rin saw,”

“And she knows,” you reason slowly to which the girls nod and murmur about telling her about it in quiet telepathy when everyone was first in the cafe; as you glance back in to see your sister scaling a cold mountain as her efforts are cheered on by young Venus-chan in her hardly passable public disguise, “What was it?”

There is a lump in your throat. As you watch the girl you wanted to spare hardship do the things she normally would through the window, you can’t help but worry this is tied to whatever happened some nights before.

Your sister took something from you. Took a burden from you into herself. For everyone that’s been worried about you having a panic attack since everything happened last night...you’ve been more surefooted than you can even ever remember being. Not even the slightest tremor of clawing anxiety.

>>1235737

“There was a darkness wreathed through her,” Rin explains, “Taking form and following her spirit just out of step with her, made of black and purple,”

“And when I saw it, I could hear it,” Aiha admits, “Calling her, but knowing she couldn’t hear it, to come to it,”

“She thinks its the Vessel of Chaos,” Rin continues still holding Aiha’s hand, “And she asked us to let her handle it, and that as soon as things died down tonight she was going to tackle it with you for double the Princess Power,”

You nod, slowly. Turning to look back into the arcade only to see no sign of your sister and Venus. Well, not immediately. You can see the top of Venus-chan’s hat caught on one of the sill of one of the arcade machine adjacent windows. Taking a step toward the window to shift your perspective, you see the rest of Venus’s hat and the tops of her and your sister’s head.

>You understand the position Aiha and Rin found themselves in and won’t begrudge them
>You’re worried that they’re more shaken that they had to see that rather than what they saw
>You’re upset they kept this quiet, even if they went to Koyomi about this first, from the rest of the group
>Does Rin foresee Koyomi’s request being a wise course of action?
>Write in

&

>Tap the window to spook the two would be spies before you head out
>Ignore the would be spies, you do need to get going for your meeting
>Head back into the Crowne
>Stay here a bit, there's more to talk about
>Write in

>>1235741
>>You understand the position Aiha and Rin found themselves in and won’t begrudge them
>Tap the window to spook the two would be spies before you head out

>>1235741
>You understand the position Aiha and Rin found themselves in and won’t begrudge them
>Tap the window to spook the two would be spies before you head out

Writing.

You look away from the window back to Aiha and Rin, and you feel a twinge of upset and worry at the situation but understand the intent behind action or in this case silence. Not begrudging them for the situation they found themselves in, outside of their depth and trying to honor Koyomi’s request, all you can really do is sigh.

“Well that’s all there is too it,” you shake your head and scritch Diana behind the ears, “No idea why you two are so nervous when Koyomi literally wanted to talk to me alone later,”

Here you take a teasing tone and smile at the two of them. Its painfully obvious why they’re nervous. They saw friends die, even if you undid that part of the horror, and know just how tense things are especially on the matter of secrets.

“Sorry about keeping it quiet,” Rin offers, with a measured calm.

“No big, guys, seriously relax,” you offer with a sigh and approach the window.

Making a show of it for the two watching on this side of the glass, you tap it low and hard causing Venus-chan and Koyomi to leap into view. Their eyes bug wide with surprise that you are right there and your baby sister immediately begins acting woefully nonchalant.

Venus-chan, seemingly unaware or uninterested in any actual purpose for this stealth, laughs at and eventually with your sister.

‘Later,’ you mouth through the glass which catches Koyomi’s eye, ‘talk,’

She nods, mutely and quietly from the other side of the glass.

Though the sun is setting, and you have places you need to be and people you need to meet up with before hand for your upcoming meeting with Hisako Ito.

Eclipsed Moon Quest Episode 146
Pause

>>1235939
Night Art, thanks for running

>>1235939
Thanks art.

>>1235939
Thanks for the run!

Now to form a plan of attack on that shadowy hanger-on. Probably should bring on Hotaru to consult, particularly since I think one of her warded lab rooms would be a good place for the operation.
Thinking,get together and focused, begin casting restoration on Koyomi, maybe with Koyomi in lap to keep her close and in case it starts a struggle. If struggling while restoring, suggest we begin a bite-drain to eith syphon some off or offer it an escape for the restoration out of Koyomi. If it comes to that, have Koyomi then hit us with a purification while we hold ourself together and/or cast restoration on ourself.
While Tomoe scans/monitors, probably should invite Rin/Aiha to assist with monitoring as well.
Also should invite others to be on hand in case one or both of us need to be contained.

Actually, thinking about timing, might talk to her a bit before we leave for to talk to Ito, and ask Koyomi to meet us at the lab afterward.

There's a hell of a first assignment for our new Guard, "If I happen to lose it, try to hold me still while they hit me with magic." Moreso than Sasha, she probably has the best shot at CQCing us.

>>1236914
There goes Sasha's androgynous perk again.

Looking like the thread resume will be Tuesday or Wednesday evening.

May drop a few interludes tonight..

Will not be dropping an interlude tonight.

My life is having minor metaphorical explosions, no thread resume today.

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>big event involving Sasha soon
>Sasha training Scouts in boxing
Then I spend almost an hour unsuccessfully trying to find an interlude of a possible future that had Sasha supervising an unhappy knight sparring with Boris. I was going to link to it and follow it with
>SOON.
>The prophesy shall be fulfilled.
Just imagine I succeeded.

Also:
>Stuff with Sasha.
>April approaches
>Image?

>>1246026
Tuxedo Bear Quest Redux: You are Mamoru Chiba, amnesiac university student, and 1000 pound Bear.

>>1247417
not gonna lie, this would make my day.

>>1247630
Then I'll see if I can put something together on the first. Conversely.

My name is Tsukino Usagi (月野うさぎ). I'm 14 years old, and in second year of junior high. My birthday is June 30th, and my birthstone is a pearl. My sign is Cancer, my blood type is O, and I'm an asiatic black bear. My character is a little more careless than other people, and a little bit of a cry baby.

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They think they are bears.