Episode 4! Meetings! A dreadful glimpse?

[Anastasia]

[17:39] <@Kotono> ---Arc 2 go!---
[17:40] <@Kotono> Dark and lonely - one could imagine they hear the howl of a forsaken wind here. Standing amid the circle of the universe is a shadowed figure. A hooded cowl covers him, the rest of his body covered in black. "Death!" From the easternmost edge of the design another shadowy figure declares, rasping this time. "Tell us of these reports we have gotten."
[17:41] <@Kotono> A bow, the man in the center behind a cauldron that hisses green and white steam. It spreads about, starting to obscure the grand galaxy underfoot. "Most noble Sages...there are two. Pestilence has found a human that can..." There is a heavy pause here, an uncomfortable shuffle. "He was forced to retreat by a human being."
[17:43] <@Kotono> "That...pathetic fool..." Another Sage rumblesl ike a beast chained up, from the northern end. "How could a human...?"
[17:44] <@Kotono> "I do not know, sir." But again you see Death smile, concealed face hiding mirth. "However, Temptation has been most effective. I saw the results myself before she had to flee - two of the inhumans were lost in base lust."
[17:45] <@Kotono> "What of..." A third Sage asks, voice carrying like the southern gale of ruin, a fast voice that whips across any in it's path.
[17:45] <@Kotono> "Purity magic. Temptation was not affected, but I am not sure what it would do. But...I suspect the Lightbringer is closer. Such inhumans...and even a human that can resist. There is no doubt she is in Tokyo now."
[17:46] <@Kotono> Death bows once more with that report, vanishing away.
[17:46] <@Kotono> "Temptation! Come forth!" The voice of the Sages calls as one, and the pot gushes out black and pink smoke! From it Temptation appears, a bow as she stands. "Yes, honored ones?"
[17:47] <@Kotono> "You have proven...the most effective so far. Go forth...find the Light...hm?" The voices stop as there is a flicker - the every so faintest image of a man with brown hair, but with a cry from the Sages the image shatters! "Interlopers...?"
[17:48] <@Kotono> "These being are interesting." Temptation smiles, "I will gladly obey this order." With that she is gone, but chasing her is:
[17:49] <@Kotono> "Inhumans...humans....what do you think...Master?" The last Sage murmurs, and for the moment all around, a twin pair of red lights glisten.
[17:49] <@Kotono> --
[17:49] <@Kotono> Takeshi so finishes with his meeting with Serenity. After a long walk and a short dinner he has free time to do what he needs to - including using the phone.
[17:51] * @Takeshi takes the slip of paper from his pocket so recently delivered by Usagi, dialing the number for one Kotono Sarashima.
[17:53] <@Kotono> Four rings before, "Hello?" It's sure not a cute young blonde that answers the phone! Instead it's a weary, old sounding voice, none too interested to be answering the phone.
[17:54] <@Takeshi> "Uh... I beg your pardon, but is Kotono there?" Takeshi supposes this must be her dad or something - maybe an older brother? No, probably dad.
[17:56] <@Kotono> "Kotono." A single word call, the phone going silent for about ten seconds, before, "Hiya!" Oh, that's sure a girl's voice - happy and hyper, words falling over each other. "Hiya, and who is this since Dad said it's a guy it must be Asher-chan so hiya do you wanna do soemthing, huh and it'll be really cool!"
[17:57] <@Takeshi> "No, this isn't Asher," Takeshi says, blinking at the rapid delivery. "This is Takeshi Eiryo - I don't think we've met yet, but we're both... friends of Serenity?"
[18:00] <@Kotono> "Oooooooh! You're a friend of Serenity...and you're a guy, huh, so tell me you aren't a Sailor are you but maybe you're another knight or have another really cool magical sword or something interesting and worth studying or maybe you're some sort of magical creature that'll give us rides at night?!
[18:02] * @Takeshi splutters a bit. "No, no magical sword, and definitely not a magical creature," Takeshi replies, shaking his head unseen. "I was looking into a few things and I was told you were the big expert on legends and myths - is that right?"
[18:05] <@Kotono> "Oh, of course and Ic an help yo with that - are you hunting Loch Ness because I just got an incredible book about it that's really cool and did you know that I think that there could be a time portal under Loch Ness that has creatures from the past coming and going so that explains it and it was probably made by evil aliens to try to have our timestream collaspe but it didn't work!"
[18:06] <@Takeshi> "...no, it's not about Loch Ness, or at least I don't think it is," Takeshi says, sighing ever so slightly. "Is there a good time tomorrow we could get together? I'm... a bit busy with other things tonight, but if we could get together tomorrow after school sometime that'd be good."
[18:08] <@Kotono> "Oh, there's a Supernatural Club meeting tomorrow, but why don't you come with it and be an honorary member for the day, huh?" She sounds so relaxed and happy and deathly hyper, perhaps pacing around as she dictates to you?
[18:10] <@Takeshi> "I guess that'd be okay, although I doubt we want to talk about some of this stuff at a school club meeting - we can get to it afterward though. What time is the meeting?" Takeshi replies, smiling slightly as he gets accustomed to the rapid rate of delivery.
[18:11] <@Kotono> "Oh, don't worry about it because it's fine because the club is me and Rei-chan and Hot-chan and Junki-chan and sometimes Setsuna and...oh wait, yeah, we have a new member tomorrow so just come by and we'll see how it goes, so it'll be fine!" Instructions follow - T*A Academy. The all girl's school?
[18:12] * @Takeshi blinks as the location becomes evident. "Uh... are you sure it's going to be okay for me to show up at a club meeting at an all-girls school, Kotono-san?"
[18:19] <@Kotono> "Oh sure, it'll be fine and at worst you can say you're m-no wait, that won't work now, so how about you say you're Rei-chan's boyfriend at worst if someone stops you, since I bet that would work!"
[18:19] * @Takeshi sweatdrops. "I hope Rei-san doesn't MIND if I do that..."
[18:23] <@Kotono> "Oh, it'll be fine!" Kotono giggles into the phone, "So I'll see you then, okay?"
[18:25] <@Takeshi> "All right, I'll see you tomorrow afternoon then," Takeshi agrees, shaking his head in slight disbelief as he hangs up the phone. Yow - from the Loch Ness monster to masquerading as someone else's boyfriend all in the space of a single phone call... whew. Keeping her on track is going to be a challenge, he can see.

[Anastasia]

<Kotono> ---Arc 2 go!---
<Kotono> Wednesday after school comes! Kotono, Rei and Hotaru gather in the club room, awaiting! Kotono has just returned with an armful of drink cans, at least 10 in total. They get plunked down with a thump, as her mouth runs a mile a second! "Okay, so I invited another person and he's a guy but it's okay because Queen Serenity knows him so we'll just have to be coy around Michiru but I bet she'll be fun and awesome and we have a new club member it's
<Kotono> we have a new club member it's just too cool, huh, guys and what if she's useful or awesome or just a lot of fun to have?!"
<Kotono> Rei takes a loooong breath before putting on a polite smile to Kotono. "Uh huh." Sitting down and settling into her chair, "We'll see how it goes, Kotono."
<Hotaru-chan> "His name's Takeshi," Hotaru provides, settling into her chair next to Rei's, closing her eyes. Deep breaths. New people are not the Great Nightmare out to get you. "Definitely see how it goes. Just don't spill anything yourself, hm?
<Hotaru-chan> "
<Kotono> "He's kinda cute, too." This is added in as Rei tosses her hair back, grabbing a can of grape juice and having a few gulps.
<Hotaru-chan> "Long hair, eh," Hotaru remarks, taking another can, opening and sipping. "Real quiet, doesn't seem like he likes talking...other than all that, good boy."
<Kotono> "Reminds me of you a bit." Rei smirks as Kotono fiddles about wiht some stuff in her bag, excited but busy for the moment.
<Hotaru-chan> Hotaru snorts a little, barely avoiding sneezing tea. "I like talking plenty these days," Hotaru gripes, sticking her tongue out at Rei. "With friends anyway."
* Michiru knocks on the door, watching the outside world from the window on the other side for a moment before opening the door. Her eyes hidden by the glasses... and, as the strings sweep in, fluttering above the ground, Michiru glances in, the door creaking in a sudden burst of grey life. "Excuse me..."
<Kotono> "See? Maybe he's just waiting for someone special to draw him out of his shell?" Rei sticks her tongue out in return, but stop as Michiru enters. She stops and nods, a faint frown passing over her face as views the quiet aqua haired girl.
* Hotaru-chan looks up, going quiket to simply regard the new girl, the Princess fo Saturn drawing back within her protective shell for now.
<Kotono> "Heya!" Kotono waves and frowns a little bit - something about her face is...off somehow. "C'mon in and have a drink we're waiting for one more then we'll get started!"
* Takeshi knocks on the door cautiously - it took a lot of asking for directions to find the right room, but fortunately he hasn't had to make any use of his 'cover story'. "Uh... 'scuse me, is this where the Supernatural Club meeting is?"
<Michiru> "All right... thank you." Michiru looks for an empty chair, her eyes viciously hollow. As soon as she finds a vacant spot, she sits down solemnly. It was a bit awkward to be there.
<Kotono> "Hiya, it is, Takeshi!" Kotono beams even more and gestures, "C'mon and sit down, too!"
<Hotaru-chan> "Hey, Takeshi," Hotaru waves, offering a slight smile as she settles behind her walls. Ah new folks.
* Michiru blinks, in an effort to handle the absurd, glaring life that surrounds the area. The fluid motions of life present exploded and danced in a myriad of colours that intimidated the inhuman lady, and nearly reflected off her opaque eyes, despite it all. Michiru shivered a little, visibly uncomfortable. It was the sweetest pain, indeed.
* Takeshi enters with the confirmation, a light jacket slung over one arm and his bookbag over his shoulder. "Sorry if I'm late, took a while to find the room," he offers apologetically as he enters, taking the nearest free seat.
<Michiru> roll 2d6
* Hatbot --> "Michiru rolls 2d6 and gets 5." [2d6=3, 2]
<Kotono> "Have a drink and we'll get started - Junki-chan's couldn't make it and maybe Setsuna will drop in later but we'll see, okay, so we'll get started! First of all let's welcome our newest member Michiru, so why don't you tell us some cool stuff about yourself and why you like the Supernatural, huh?"
<Kotono> Kotono doesn't even stop to breath during this, instead fluidly speaking, motioning and then sitting.
* Takeshi simply sits back and observes, his eyes moving between the other girls in the room to examine each as they speak.
* Michiru rubs her temples. The sheer brightness and... what... it felt like a memory... but, no. Her head ached now, savagely screaming pain, as if she felt blood running through, an inevitably new and painful sensation. "Ugh..."
<Hotaru-chan> "That'd ruin the mystery though!" Hotaru protests in bare aqmusemenbt, shaking her head and snickering.
<Hotaru-chan> "...Something wrong, Michiru-san?" Hotaru adds after a moment, focusing on the girl more seriously.
<Kotono> Rei ever so faintly smiles, but her eyes look suspicious. "Heh, heh. Well, might as well. What's someone from the music club doing here?"
* Michiru nods to Hotaru, avoiding her focus. "Nothing... it's just a migraine. It happens sometimes."
<Kotono> "You have a migraine?" Kotono quirks her head to the side, "That really sucks, and..." For a moment Kotono looks to speak but clacks her tongue instead! Her eyes trail to Hotaru but say nothing else.
<Hotaru-chan> "Really?" Hotaru gets up, smiling and walking over. "I get those sometimes...though not usually quite the same," she murmurs, reaching out to touch Michiru's temple before expe3lling a touch of her own energy.
<Michiru> As she looks away from Hotaru, Michiru glances at Kotono (I wonder if she could see that fast glare through the glasses?), straightening out to explain. "I... can't really say why. I guess I just got curious about this club. And don't worry about me, it's nothing." Michiru now tries to avoid Hotaru's touch, uncomfortable and tense.
<Michiru> roll 2d6
* Hatbot --> "Michiru rolls 2d6 and gets 6." [2d6=2, 4]
<Hotaru-chan> Hotaru's smile twists a little but she retreats. "The club's so small, everyone tends to worry about everyone, in one way or another," she offers, shrugging. "What good's the club if it isn't really a club?"
<Kotono> "Exactly," Rei's smile is slightly thin, "Even if it's Kotono."
<Kotono> "Well, if you have migraines maybe we can do something about them, huh, and besides those must really suck to have!" Another series of rattled off words by Kotono, the blonde just getting started.
<Kotono> As you talk there is another knock on the door.
* Hotaru-chan glances up, expecting green hair most likely, but perhaps brown.
* Michiru remains silence, simply unable to even respond. While she doesn't quite feel like she'll explode in a crystal swanscream, her forehead was swarmed by a tightened feeling, a violent surge attacking her. The bright life... it was... difficult... Michiru squirmed a bit, almost as if she felt her breath.
* Takeshi turns to look at the door, with a last glance at Michiru.
<Kotono> Michiru looks faint and pained, her unmoving chest and face still save for a grimace slowly cracking onto her expression.
<Kotono> Slowly a girl with glasses enters. Setsuna bows quietly, looking around with a distant, mysterious smile. "New members?" she murmurs, face obscured by massive, heavy glasses.
* Takeshi pauses mid-turn, his gaze now fixed on Michiru. A slight frown comes over his face, not bothering to hide the scrutiny at this point.
<Hotaru-chan> "Takeshi," Hotaru gestures, "Is a friend of a serene friend," she hints, smiling. "The other is Michiru, Kotono's recruiting at work. "This is Setsuna," she introduces the green haired girl.
<Kotono> Anotehr bow as she goes to stand against the side wall - she's grown up as well, a beauty only marred by her face being lost into thick glasses. A shame, perhaps, a likely gorgeous woman underneath those. "Pleased."
* Michiru tries to look up and greet Setsuna, but to no avail. It felt like the room just got more suffocating, daunting in its bright splendor. All she manages is a weak wave.
<Kotono> "So right, let's get started, huh?!" Kotono clears her throat, getting a book out. "We can start with the old favorite of aliens today, huh, and creatures from other worlds"!
* Takeshi looks over to Hotaru, still looking very solemn. As he meets her gaze, his head flicks slightly towards the door, then he rises. "Excuse me just a moment, I need to use the facilities," he says, bowing slightly before he leaves.
* Hotaru-chan blinks a little. "Sorry, I didn't eat lunch...I'm going to go get a snack," Hotaru adds a minute later, smiling and disappearing out the door.
* Takeshi is waiting a few feet down the hallway, out of earshot of anyone in the room. He turns to Hotaru as she comes out, a frown on his face. "Did you notice anything... odd about Michiru?"
<Hotaru-chan> "Not besides being unhealthier than I was three years ago, but I've been keeping my walls up and didn't throw my senses at her," Hotaru answers, raising an eyebrow. "Want me to check her?"
<Takeshi> "She's not breathing," Takeshi says quietly. "I watched her for nearly a full minute, and I never saw her chest rise once."
<Michiru> 2d6
* Hatbot --> "Michiru rolls 2d6 and gets 5." [2d6=2, 3]
<Hotaru-chan> "...Okay, just one second," Hotaru answers, throwing her mind through the door as her mental barriers come down, past those familiar life forces of green and red, reaching for the unknown girl on the weave.
<Kotono> OOC - Soul check +1
<Hotaru-chan> roll 2d6+1
* Hatbot --> "Hotaru-chan rolls 2d6+1 and gets 5." [2d6=1, 3]
* Michiru rubs her forehead, unable to hide a wince. She squints her eyes - the colours loomed over her, penetrated through her skin... it hurts...
<Michiru> The forehead pulsed, throbbed, as if a heart lived within that area.
* Michiru couldn't... it was... too... the... her forehead throbbed, she felt like her head was about to crack open, overwhelmed, nauseous. Inside, her hollow soul let out a vicious holler, but she couldn't be heard anywhere...
<Hotaru-chan> "...She has a rather strange energy signature, like...half of something and half of something else," Hotaru frowns, shaking her head. "No black, and a bare, bare hint of supernatural sensation. She's stealthier than Misuki, or just buried," Hotaru provides, shrugging. "It's something, and odd, could be coincidence, I don't like believing in coincidence where my senses are concerned."
<Takeshi> "Go get your snack then," Takeshi replies, having still been close enough to have heard Hotaru's excuse before he moved off. "If nothing else we know there's something unnatural about her, so let's just keep an eye on her for now. Best not to give her any reason to think something's wrong, though."
<Hotaru-chan> "Not breathing..." Hotaru frowns, glowering almost as she nods and heads off to purchase something and return.
<Kotono> So Takeshi returns. Michiru looks like crap - Kotono is standing and waiting, Rei keeping an eye on the new member. Setsuna is just hanging back for now. "You're sure you're alright," Rei repeats.
* Takeshi takes a position just next to the door for now, making a show of stretching as he comes back in. "Man, been stuck in a chair all afternoon. Sorry to duck out like that, Kotono-san - kind of rushed straight over here after I got out of class."
<Kotono> "Oh, it's okay -w here's Hot-chan, since I'm really worried about Michiru, she looks really bad!"
<Kotono> Kotono says, slowly coming around, "Michiru, do you need to go the nurses office or something, huh, since I'm worried you're gonna pass out!"
<Michiru> "I... I..." Michiru, at that point, couldn't even muster gibberish. It was quite clear that she wasn't fine, but she just didn't have the heart to say it outright - as much as it was obvious. "I... jus... ou..." As she tried to muster a comprehensible phrase, Michiru pointed faintly to the door, and struggled to get up, moving towards the outside with difficulty.
* Hotaru-chan returns an almost....determined look on her face. She'd seen THAT before. "Michiru, sit down, please," she offers, kindly, but rather...firmly.
<Hotaru-chan> *returns,
* Takeshi catches Michiru's arm as she reaches him, ostensibly to support her. "Do you need help, Michiru-san?"
<Kotono> Michiru's body is sluggish but it does move, unbreathing form trying to get to the door?
<Kotono> "..yeah, you sure?" Rei stands up as well, coming to Michiru's side.
* Michiru looks at Hotaru and Takeshi. His grip... it felt painful, unbearably warm. Yet, she meekly accepts Hotaru's plea. She didn't have the will nor the strength to stand up. "I... o... kay."
* Hotaru-chan smiles, coming straight at Michiru. "Just sit down, everything'll be fine," she assures, gathering all the white energy she can get her hands on from the environment, mingling it into her hand as she reaches for Michiru's forehead.
* Takeshi holds the girl steady as Hotaru approaches, helping to support her - whatever's wrong with her, she's in bad shape at the moment.
* Michiru tries to move her head, any reaction... but she is far too weak to react properly. She would struggle with a swift breeze, let alone... what was happening?
<Kotono> OOC - Mind check +2, Michiru, and a Soul check +2, Hotaru.
<Hotaru-chan> roll 2d6+2 burning 30 ep
* Hatbot --> "Hotaru-chan rolls 2d6+2 burning 30 ep and gets 11." [2d6=3, 6]
<Michiru> roll 2d6+2
* Hatbot --> "Michiru rolls 2d6+2 and gets 10." [2d6=2, 6]
<Kotono> As Hotaru tries to heal Michiru, the light does little visible! But as it does a feeling comes over the room, cloaking and choking! OOC - Soul checks all but Michiru.
* Hotaru-chan takes a sharp breath, raising her walls in a storm of blazing violet to armor her mind.
<Hotaru-chan> roll 2d6
* Hatbot --> "Hotaru-chan rolls 2d6 and gets 8." [2d6=6, 2]
<Kotono> roll 2d6 miko!
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 2d6 miko! and gets 7." [2d6=1, 6]
<Kotono> roll 2d6 Sarashima!
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 2d6 Sarashima! and gets 7." [2d6=3, 4]
<Takeshi> roll 2d6
* Hatbot --> "Takeshi rolls 2d6 and gets 6." [2d6=2, 4]
<Kotono> All resist the feeling of hopeless despair but Setsuna, who falls to her knees with a broken face. "I can't..." she whimpers, lying on the floor listlessly, her very will to function seeming to eb away!
* Michiru screams in agony at last, letting go of all the pain bottled up. Her mind races in a myriad of darkened stillness, tilted by an odd aqua green, placid depth, looking for her...
* Michiru listens, agonizing. "De... Despair... what is happening to me?" She says it out loud, not knowing whether she hears the voice from, the lines between reality and delusion shattered to a fine dust.
* Takeshi scowls at that, grunting a bit as he takes Michiru's full weight. "That doesn't sound too good," he mutters under his breath.
<Hotaru-chan> "..." Hotaru just growls, throwing her own more beneficial energies into Michiru through her hand. They probably won't do much, spiritual healing is definitely Usagi's forte, but it's probably better than that grey lock over her soul.
<Kotono> "Damn it!" Rei mutters darkly, looking about as she balls up her fists!
<Kotono> roll 2d6+4
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 2d6+4 and gets 9." [2d6=3, 2]
<Kotono> "Wh-what's going on?"
<Kotono> Kotono's head whips around as she tries to grab Michiru's arm, shivering. "Something really bad is happening, huh, so let's do something and is it Michiru?"
* Michiru gasps as she looks for him. She didn't quite understand, but her legs just began moving, towards him. It felt suddenly light, possible, and her movements were once again unhindered. "Despair... I..."
<Takeshi> "Yeah," Takeshi says quietly. "She wasn't breathing a few minutes ago."
<Kotono> Michiru tries to stagger to the door! (Clarifying for the others.)
<Hotaru-chan> "Keep her here!" Hotaru commands sharply, not the strongest of them by far.
<Hotaru-chan> "And someone get Usagi!"
<Kotono> At this, word are heard. Words of hopelessness and ruination, whispered to carry on a foulw ind. "My Stagnation...come to me." His voice is a syllabant whisper of crying loss, echoing about in the room! OOC - Soul check +1, all.
<Takeshi> "Already on it," Takeshi says, moving to intercept the girl as the voice echoes in the room. "What the hell..."
<Takeshi> roll 2d6+1 burning 20 EP
* Hatbot --> "Takeshi rolls 2d6+1 burning 20 EP and gets 6." [2d6=1, 4]
<Hotaru-chan> roll 2d6+1
* Hatbot --> "Hotaru-chan rolls 2d6+1 and gets 7." [2d6=4, 2]
<Kotono> roll 2d6+1 miko
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 2d6+1 miko and gets 11." [2d6=4, 6]
<Kotono> roll 2d6+1 Sarashima
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 2d6+1 Sarashima and gets 9." [2d6=2, 6]
<Kotono> Rei and Kotono freeze! Both of them are washed over by despair, faces shattering. "...Momma..." Kotnoo whimpers in a tiny voice, falling to her knees as open tears trickle down her face! Rei just shakes her head, starting to wetten up as she goes still. The tohers only feel a crushing despair against them, but they resist!
<Kotono> As this happens, int he doorway he stands. Despair's white suit is impeccable as his hand is extended, sunglasses hiding his eyes. "Stagnation. Come to me. These inhumans that live as humans are distracting you from your purpose and salvation."
<Hotaru-chan> Hotaru's hand doesn't wait, dipping into her pocket and grabbing her henshin pen. "Saturn Crystal Power, Make Up."
* Takeshi feels the touch of Despair, his face becoming stony as he moves to restrain Michiru. "Get the hell out of here, you bastard."
<Michiru> "... no... wait..." Michiru looks at Despair with a desperate glance. At that point, she didn't know anymore where to go. Her mind nearly shattered for good, her lines became blurry, difficult. "I..."
<Kotono> OOC - Initiative.
<Kotono> roll 1d6 Despair
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d6 Despair and gets 6." [1d6=6]
<Takeshi> roll 1d6+10
* Hatbot --> "Takeshi rolls 1d6+10 and gets 11." [1d6=1]
* Sailor_Saturn just raises her glaive at the man, questioning time is over.
<Sailor_Saturn> roll 1d6+9
* Hatbot --> "Sailor_Saturn rolls 1d6+9 and gets 11." [1d6=2]
<Kotono> OOC - Despair then the two good guys.
<Kotono> His head is bowed, looking at nothing but the floor. "Come. Come. Come." Despair chants in a rythym, as more raw emotion flows off him! OOC - Soul checks+2, Hotaru and Takeshi.
<Takeshi> roll 2d6+2 burning 10 EP
* Hatbot --> "Takeshi rolls 2d6+2 burning 10 EP and gets 7." [2d6=3, 2]
<Sailor_Saturn> roll 2d6+1 burning 10 ep
* Hatbot --> "Sailor_Saturn rolls 2d6+1 burning 10 ep and gets 6." [2d6=2, 3]
<Sailor_Saturn> roll 2d6+2 burning 10 ep
* Hatbot --> "Sailor_Saturn rolls 2d6+2 burning 10 ep and gets 11." [2d6=4, 5]
<Kotono> Despite a growing feeling of emptiness Takeshi and Hotaru stand tall against the roiling, boiling hopelessness that Despair issues forth!
* Takeshi pulls Michiru back behind him, shifting into the uniform and guise of the ancient general of Earth as he does so. "Come on, I faced worse than that when I was six," he sneers, clenching his fists as he faces Despair.
<Sailor_Saturn> Hotaru doesn't hesitate, the power at her fingertips already and streaming into the glaive, surges of black and violet wrapping around the polearm and focusing around its blade, hovering barbs of flickering energy. "Saturn Ruin Eruption!" she calls, unleashing the blazing surge of power.
<Sailor_Saturn> roll 2d6
<Reikobot> Sailor_Saturn rolled : 2d6 --> [ 2d6=3 ]{3}
<Kotono> OOC - He's not doing DCV. However, make a Soul check at +2
<Sailor_Saturn> roll 2d6+2 burning 10 ep
<Reikobot> Sailor_Saturn rolled : 2d6+2 burning 10 ep --> [ 2d6=9 ]{11}
<Kotono> The surge of negative, destructive power slams into Despair! For a moment Hotaru feels the blackest pit open in her soul, but she rebounds and instead pushes on! Her attack hits home, tearing his white suit and making him flicker! Hotaru and Takeshi get a glimpse of something -horrific-, an image of mouths where they should not be an an inhuman body! "Guh! ...inhumans..." Despair hisses! OOC - React/initiative.
<Sailor_Saturn> roll 1d6+9
<Reikobot> Sailor_Saturn rolled : 1d6+9 --> [ 1d6=4 ]{13}
<Kotono> roll 1d6
<Reikobot> Kotono rolled : 1d6 --> [ 1d6=1 ]{1}
* General_Nephrite simply narrows his eyes, having seen far more horrific things in his own memories than he'd care to recount - this is just another to add to the pile.
<General_Nephrite> roll 1d6+10
<Reikobot> General_Nephrite rolled : 1d6+10 --> [ 1d6=6 ]{16}
<Kotono> Neph>Saturn>Despair go!
* General_Nephrite stays wary, keeping his eyes on Despair as he waits to see what the inhuman's next move will be.
<Sailor_Saturn> Saturn glares with a darkening fury of violet about her as she doesn't stop the flow of energy, those flickering black and violet barbs pulling back to strike again, viciously tearing and biting at the monster before her. "You're just a damned NIGHTMARE!"
<Sailor_Saturn> roll 2d6
<Reikobot> Sailor_Saturn rolled : 2d6 --> [ 2d6=2 ]{2}
<Sailor_Saturn> roll 1d6
<Reikobot> Sailor_Saturn rolled : 1d6 --> [ 1d6=4 ]{4}
<Kotono> OOC - No DCV, Soul check +2.
<Sailor_Saturn> roll 2d6+2 burning 10 ep
<Reikobot> Sailor_Saturn rolled : 2d6+2 burning 10 ep --> [ 2d6=5 ]{7}
<Kotono> There is nary a scream as Despair is consumed in black! In this outline of carnage you see his body vanish to this storm! In it's place is a demon - a horrid one with mouths in it's stomach, liquid black and horrid! It's face is ridged and with four abyssal eyes, but it is only seen a moment! Torn apart in Saturn's energy, it nary exists before it glows bright and fades into nothingness! A second later there is a great BURST of power, despair
<Kotono>  A second later there is a great BURST of power, despair flooding over everything then vanishing like a bad dream.
<Sailor_Saturn> "I. HATE. Nightmares," Hotaru snarls, shoulders sagging from all the effort, but standing resolute, ablaze in her own cloak of terrors and destruction.
<Kotono> IN this aftermath is silence for all - a moemnt of complete peace.
* General_Nephrite stands firm against the onslaught unleashed by Despair's demise, a tightening of his features the only sign of the sense of hopelessness that passed through the room.
* Michiru looks down, holding her disbelief and sadness tightly, as if they were solid entities. Despair... if she only could...
<Michiru> ... Nep... nep... what...> Outside the door is shattered - the hallway's pristine walls crumbling from the black energy released by Hotaru! Inside Kotono is crying, holding herself, but slowly looking up. Rei is in much the same state, but already going stony faced as she recovers. Setsuna is just down, utterly overwhelmed.
<Sailor_Saturn> "Just...keep a hold on her," Hotaru hisses softly, going to check first Setsuna for signs of life, then to help Rei, and finally to tackle Kotono and what might be the hardest part of this in her exhausted state.
* General_Nephrite glances between the others in the room grimly, making sure that everyone present is okay. "You guys doing all right?" he says quietly.
> Setsuna is just lost, crying softly to herself. She doesn't respond to a basic prompting. Rei doesn't need any, she's already getting up and wiping her eyes. "I'm fine," she snaps to Takeshi. "W-what the hell was that?"
* Sailor_Saturn takes a deep breath. Yeah, Rei-chan's Rei-chan. A somewhat lost look in her eyes, Hotaru shakes her head, meekly going to the blonde. "His name was Despair, he was overwhelming us all with it," Hotaru answers quietly. "Just like a Nightmare..."
* General_Nephrite glances at Michiru to make sure she's not going anywhere before going over to check on Setsuna. "You all right?" he asks more quietly, kneeling down next to the girl.
* Michiru just glances around lifelessly, barely moving her head in a catatonic stupor. Nigh unconscious, kneeled, she responds with awkward silence.
> "H-Hot-chan.." Kotono only looks up with tears running down her face, trying to compose herself. "M-momma...just...you got it?"
<Sailor_Saturn> Hotaru smiles weakly. "It's dead, like the las t nightmare that came after me, us," Hotaru snorts, wiping at the tears with one white gloved hand. "C'mon, it'll be fine," she assures, slipping down farther to help Kotono up.
* Michiru suddenly opens her eyes wide, the black sunglasses falling from her face, as she looks up to Takeshi, in an entranced, lunge-like shift. "I... I'm... Stag...nation...? Ahhhh... Nep... Neptune... me... AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!"
> "I'll be okay...really," Kotono manages a wobbling smile as Michiru screams, shattering the mood.
* General_Nephrite looks back quickly as Michiru screams. "What the hell...?" He scowls, moving away from Setsuna to intercept Michiru.
<Sailor_Saturn> "...Neptune...?" Hotaru scowls like Rei, moving over to Michiru, touching her and extending her senses it. "That would explain a LOT, but..."
> OOC - Soul check +1, 'taru.
<Sailor_Saturn> roll 2d6+1
<Reikobot> Sailor_Saturn rolled : 2d6+1 --> [ 2d6=2 ]{3}
<Michiru> ...
> "Neptune?" Rei slowly approaches as well, cautiously looking at her. "Wait, does that...?"
<Michiru> 2d6+2
<Michiru> roll 2d6+2
<Reikobot> Michiru rolled : 2d6+2 --> [ 2d6=8 ]{10}
<Sailor_Saturn> "Finally acting like one, aren't you?" Hotaru murmurs to Michiru, taking a deep breath and reaching in, pricking and prodding at the gray with her own powers, probing and even trying to direct blows against it, trying to help out the teal energies.
* General_Nephrite simply watches impassively, shaking his head. "What the hell is going on here?" he mutters to no one in particular.
> OOC - Soul check +5, Hotaru.
<Sailor_Saturn> roll 2d6+5 burning 20 ep
<Reikobot> Sailor_Saturn rolled : 2d6+5 burning 20 ep --> [ 2d6=9 ]{14}
* Michiru spits a vicious cough, as if she was spilling blood from her mouth, her mind in immense pain, swirls of gray and aqua green tearing through flesh and rending soul in a cruel vortex. She widens her hollow eyes, screaming further. "No... I'm... not... I am Stagnation! I cannot be... I... am... not... Neptune... gggggnnng..."
> "Don't know...is she Sailor Neptune?" Kotono rubs her arms as she approaches, her transformation pen out! "Wait...if she is does that mean Despair was or the tohers are other Sailros too, huh?!"
<Sailor_Saturn> "No, Kotono," Hotaru snaps, breaking away concentrtation. "There'd be too many, seeing as we've seen three, we know Venus is away from us, and Neptune is here. Despair bore more resemblence to the Beast Lord than anything."
> "Not right now!" Rei hisses quickly, "We need to get her under control and to Usagi or Serenity!"
> You note that you're starting to hear noises coming down the hall - even some calls of, "Hey, pull the fire alarm, I think something weird happened in that supernatural club again!"
* Sailor_Saturn takes a few breaths. "...Shit. Kotono take Rei, I'll take Setsuna, Takeshi take Michiru, converge back at Serenity's," Hotaru orders, focusing inwards, drawing more energy back to herself.
<Sailor_Saturn> roll 2d6
<Reikobot> Sailor_Saturn rolled : 2d6 --> [ 2d6=8 ]{8}
* Michiru agonizes, a scream echoing into her ears as if it tugged the heartstrings, sharp, insistent - she was nearly cracking in the most literal sense, a brutal tsunami about to rise in a supernova. "Uuuuugh... Stagna... Mi...chi... Neptu... who... WHO AM I?"
<General_Nephrite> "I'll do my best, but it'll take me a while, especially trying to haul her on my bike," Takeshi says with a grimace, hauling the girl up in his arms.
<Sailor_Saturn> "...Okay, nevermind, Kotchan, take Rei and Michiru," Hotaru shakes her head, not asking further questions on that point.
<Sailor_Saturn> Hotaru heads over to Setsuna, dumping the reamining unopened soda cans in her satchel. "Officially, we never met today, personal emergencies," she adds after a moment, drawing more. She needs more energy to do all of this!
<Sailor_Saturn> roll 2d6
<Reikobot> Sailor_Saturn rolled : 2d6 --> [ 2d6=8 ]{8}
> Hotaru feels a tugging as she pulls out her energy, summoning what she can to go for broke! "Let's just get to Serenity's!" Rei agrees with Hotaru on that, going to get Michiru and hold onto her tight! "Let's go, Kotono!"
* Sailor_Saturn flourishes her energy with a wave of her hand, aiming to simply annihilate the three already opened cans of juice.
> OOC - Soul check.
<Sailor_Saturn> roll 2d6
<Reikobot> Sailor_Saturn rolled : 2d6 --> [ 2d6=5 ]{5}
> The cans are obliterated with Saturn's power, only needing a bit more of her precious spiritual energy!
<Sailor_Saturn> That done, Hotaru takes her now heavier satchel, crouching next to Setsuna and waiting for the others to disappear. "Setsu..." she sighs, shaking her head and brushing the other girl's arm. She so didn't need to be caught in this.
> roll 2d6
* General_Nephrite frowns a bit as Hotaru destroys the evidence of their meeting. "My bike's still outside, but it should probably be okay - it looks like someone abandoned it anyway."
<Reikobot> Anastasia rolled : 2d6 --> [ 2d6=9 ]{9}
> With a blink Rei, Kotono and Michiru vanish, off to another place altogether!
* General_Nephrite follows shortly thereafter, aiming for the entry to Serenity's home.
<Sailor_Saturn> Hotaru does no such courtesies, taking herself and Setsuna directly into the clear space of the living room.
> As Nephrite finds the outside way quiet for now, Hotaru appears with the others inside! This is a problem, though! With a final scream Michiru falls over, passing out from the extreme exertation! She just collapses over, utterly spent!
<Sailor_Saturn> "Wondered when that was coming," Hotaru snorts softly, shaking her head. "Serenity?!" she calls, somewhat loudly.
> No answer - the hosue is quiet right now.
> "Damn!" Rei swears softly, coming over and grabbing Michiru as she falls, hauling her to the couch.
> Kotono just goes to sit, still shaken and taking deep breaths. "Okay, at least we got her and got that bad guy, but is she gonna be okay?"
* General_Nephrite heads over to join the others in the living room, letting the form of Nephrite go as he does so. "Everyone get here okay?" he asks as he enters, nodding as he sees that this is the case.
<Sailor_Saturn> "She must be at work..." Hotaru murmurs, shaking her head. "Given Serenity and Usagi working on her? Hopefully," Hotaru nods, taking Setsuna and setting her into a chair, pulling another over close to it as she dismisses Saturn. "Just keep an eye on her," she adds, more softly, trying to get some reaction from the poor former Pluto.
> Setsuna is out pretty good - she looks distressed. Perhaps she fainted?
* Takeshi looks around the room, at a bit of a loss for what to do. Seeing nothing better presenting itself as an option, he takes a seat in a nearby armchair, following Hotaru's last suggestion and keeping an eye on Michiru.
* Hotaru-chan blows at her bangs, settling back. Calm down, you can't do everything at once. "Just...bleh, sorry," she murmurs, taking a deep breath and looking at Rei and Kotono again, almost studying for an instant.
> Rei is standing over the pained, unconcious Michiru for now. Kotono is just sitting quietly, half shaken still. "So soemone get Serenity or Usagi already," Rei snaps.
> roll 2d6+2
> roll 2d6+2
<Reikobot> Anastasia rolled : 2d6+2 --> [ 2d6=5 ]{7}
<Reikobot> Anastasia rolled : 2d6+2 --> [ 2d6=9 ]{11}
<Takeshi> "Best I could do is tell you where they are," Takeshi says quietly, frowning slightly. "Otherwise I would."
> "Hold on," Rei goes to her bag and scowls, taking out her communicator. "I'll get Usagi, at least."
<Hotaru-chan> "...You get angry when you're upset," Hotaru murmurs softly, blinkign at Rei. Explains a lot, and fits, well, maybe it's glaringly obvious. Hotaru opens her communicator though, flicking the button for Moon. "Serenity's probably out of the house," she murmurs, casting a careful feeling of her senses outwards though, to check the area for her monarch's blazing whit aura.
<Hotaru-chan> *white
> OOC - Soul check, 'taruism.
<Hotaru-chan> roll 2d6
> Usagi's afternoon sojourn at home and in her room is interrupted by the steady beep of a communicator...
<Usagi> "Gah!" Usagi starts, just being in the middle of changing out of her school uniform. Grabbing the communicator, she answers, "Hello?" giving whomever is on the other end a nice view of her bra-strap, but fortunately nothing else. Unlike some others, she can keep the thing pointed at her face.
<Hotaru-chan> Hotaru waves, looking rather worn, mildly upset, and a storm of other undefineable emotions. "Usagi-chan? Neptune, Serenity's living room, need you, now."
<Usagi> "What?" Usagi asks blankly, before just shaking her head - the important thing is that she's needed. She can get details later. "I'll be right over," she nods, turning off the communicator.
<Usagi> A second later, Usagi appears by the living room door, dressed in her school uniform albeit sans neckscarf after she hurriedly tossed her blouse back on. "What's going on?" she asks, looking around to try and take in the current situation.
* Takeshi glances over at Usagi as she enters, his attention quickly going back to Michiru. "Damned if I know," he mutters quietly.
<Kotono> Kotono is off to the side, wiping at her eyes still. Takeshi is over Michiru, as is Rei. Setsuna is down and unconcious on teh couch, as is the other girl. Her aqua green hair is striking, but Usagi notes s he isn't breathing.
* Hotaru-chan points at the teal haired girl laid out on the couch, shaking her head. "Think we found Sailor Neptune, she just happens to have something wrong with her. There's something like a magic lock or corruption intermixed in her aura, and...well, purification's your thing. Tell you about the rest after our currently pressing problem."
<Usagi> "Uh... right..." Usagi nods a bit dazedly, walking over to the currently laid out girl and blinking a bit as she recalls her mother's description of the 'girl' she met the other day... "And Setsuna?" she asks, noting the other green-haired girl.
<Takeshi> "Despair showed up at the meeting, was a bit rough on some of us," Takeshi explains. "I think he tried to throw all of us into despair,. literally - Hotaru and I were the only ones who resisted it."
<Hotaru-chan> "You might want to take a look, she got hit pretty hard by despair...nothing physically wrong and not corrupted as far as I know, just hit badly," Hotaru shakes her head, closing her eyes.
<Kotono> "Yeah," Rei turns quickly away from Usagi, muttering. "Just fix her!"
<Usagi> "Okay, um... Neptune first," Usagi nods, kneeling down and putting her hand on the teal haired girl's forehead before snapping the limb back in shock. "She's dead!" the blonde blurts out, finally noticing her state.
<Hotaru-chan> "No, that's just a part of it," Hotaru answers, shrugging. "It's how Takeshi noticed something was majorly wrong besides the migraines she was complaining about."
<Takeshi> "I know she's not breathing, but she's not dead, just unconscious," Takeshi explains. "I don't know why, though. You can see her eyes aren't right, either." He carefully pulls down one eyelid to show Usagi. "See?"
<Kotono> "Just fix her, Usagi-chan," Kotono murmurs, downcast and sniffling. "IT was really weird, okay?"
<Kotono> Usagi sees a black, empty eye, nothing more than a peek into abyssal nothingness.
<Kotono> "Yeah, so fix her already!" Rei growls, turning to Usagi. "Chop-chop!"
<Usagi> "Ahh... if you're sure..." Usagi looks a bit dubious, at least able to ignore Rei's distracting presence right now. Nodding to Takeshi to close her eye again, the blonde settles her palm over Michiru's forehead, closing her eyes and feeling for her aura like she did with Eleni so long ago...
<Kotono> OOC - Soul check +!
<Kotono> +1
* Hotaru-chan sighs a little, just rubbing at her forehead. "Have to take it that hard, Rei?" she asks, glancing over at the miko.
* Takeshi lets the eyelid go, placing his hands on Michiru's shoulders. He's not quite sure what Usagi's going to do, but if Michiru starts thrashing around, best to keep her secure.
<Usagi> roll 2d6+1
<Reikobot> Usagi rolled : 2d6+1 --> [ 2d6=12 ]{13}
<Usagi> roll 2d6
* Rei-chan --> "Usagi rolls 2d6 and gets 12."
<Kotono> Usagi's vision is cloaked in gray! To her eyes ribbons of gray lance out, a defensive warding! Between this and being lured in, the rabbit is defenseless! Michiru sits bolt upright and SCREAMS, as Usagi does the same! Her body and soul are washed in a spray of gray, damaging! OOC - 40 EP damage, 20 HP damage and Usagi is critically stunned and confused.
* Usagi falls over backwards with a cry, dazed and hurt by the backlash!
<Michiru> roll 2d6+2
* Rei-chan --> "Michiru rolls 2d6+2 and gets 10."
<Kotono> The force even makes Takeshi back off a bit, holding her down in reflex but the raw energy of the reaction is enough to surprise him!
<Kotono> "Usagi!" Kotono looks upright in a swift single motion, "What happened?!"
<Takeshi> "Bloody hell," Takeshi says, looking over at Usagi worriedly even as Michiru bucks beneath his weight. "What the hell just happened? Is she all right?"
<Hotaru-chan> "...What the fuck?" Hotaru curses, reaching out with her own senses to the two girls, brushing across them to check their status.
<Kotono> OOC - Soul check +1, Hotaru.
<Hotaru-chan> roll 2d6+1
* Rei-chan --> "Hotaru-chan rolls 2d6+1 and gets 10."
* Michiru trembles, muttering an incomprehensible drivel. Her mind is shattering in pieces, a pain unbearable. "I... Sta... ru... tuuuun... aaaaa..."
<Hotaru-chan> "...Shiiiiit. Takeshi, see if you can locate Serenity, we may need her," Hotaru winces, reaching out on the off chance to offer her own energies, fighting back at the gray with her own influences of violet-white.
<Takeshi> "All right," Takeshi replies, looking over to Rei. "Take over for me here, don't know if she'll start struggling again and best if she doesn't." Standing to let Rei take his place, he changes back into Nephrite.
* Usagi stands up weakly, whimpering a bit. "Oh, so did not expect that right at the start," she grimaces, taking a few cleansing breaths. "Okay, try again." Taking a moment to re-centre herself, the blonde calms down, seeming to radiate peace and serenity as she finds her inner focus...
<Usagi> roll 2d6 for aura of serenity
* Rei-chan --> "Usagi rolls 2d6 for aura of serenity and gets 5."
<Kotono> Rei grimly nods and comes over, casting a concerned look to Usagi before getting Michiru's shoulder sdown. "Shh," she tries murmuring to the breaking young woman,d esperate.
<Kotono> A feeling of peace spreads over the room. Even MIchiru feels it dimly - a faint light that soothes with what little effect it can have, a small flicker of rest in this torrential hell.
* General_Nephrite pauses, seeing Usagi making another attempt. "You sure? I can probably find Serenity without too much trouble," he says, waiting to begin until he gets confirmation.
<Usagi> roll 2d6 for purity of purpose
* Rei-chan --> "Usagi rolls 2d6 for purity of purpose and gets 9."
<Hotaru-chan> "She's focusing now, just go ahead and locate her," Hotaru offers Takeshi, taking deep breaths.
<Kotono> Kotono looks up, the last of her tears fading. "Okay," Kotono murmurs, "Let me know if Ican do anything, okay?
<Usagi> "I'm sure," the blonde nods, expression determined. "Just didn't expect such a reaction right at the start - that normally comes later." As 'normal' as her limited experience of doing this once before goes, anyway... Kneeling down next to Michiru once more, she reaches out for her forehead, this time more guardedly as she tries to get a feel for the other girl's aura, ready to resist any defensive effects it may generate.
<Kotono> Roll 2d6+2
* Rei-chan --> "Kotono rolls 2d6+2 and gets 6."
<Kotono> OOC - Soul check +1, Usa.
* General_Nephrite moves over next to Usagi as she begins, nodding to the blonde. "All right, then." He may not be able to help her in what she's doing, but he can at least cushion her if she gets thrown back like that again.
<Usagi> roll 2d6-2
* Rei-chan --> "Usagi rolls 2d6-2 and gets 6."
<Usagi> "Okay, I think I see what's going on, here..." Usagi murmurs, more calm and focused, now. Gently, illumination begins to wash off her arm, barely discernable in the already well lit room as she bathes Michiru in her own aura, instinctively seeking to bolster the green rather than attacking the grey directly.
<Kotono> OOC - Soul check +4, Usa.
<Usagi> roll 2d6+1 burning 10 EP
* Rei-chan --> "Usagi rolls 2d6+1 burning 10 EP and gets 13."
<Kotono> The flash of gray is visible to all! Usagi is sent flying, body shimmering with gray energy all over! OOC - Soul check +1, Usa.
<Usagi> roll 2d6-2
* Hatbot --> "Usagi rolls 2d6-2 and gets 3." [2d6=4, 1]
<Kotono> Usagi is only stunned( 3 damage), the gray around her fading! Michiru, however...OOC - Mind check +2 AGAIN. OI.
<Michiru> 2d6+2
* Hatbot --> "Michiru rolls 2d6+2 and gets 9." [2d6=6, 1]
* General_Nephrite moves quickly to intercept Usagi as she's knocked away yet again, grunting a bit as he catches her. "Damn, what in God's name is doing that?"
<Hotaru-chan> "That gray...lock, whatever it is," Hotaru shakes her head, reaching out again to check both girls.
<Kotono> OOC - Soul check +1, 'taur creature.
<Hotaru-chan> roll 2d6+1
* Hatbot --> "Hotaru-chan rolls 2d6+1 and gets 10." [2d6=5, 4]
* Usagi winces, shaking her head. "Urgh... this is way worse than a youma," she mutters. "That idea didn't work, so I guess I'll have to be more direct after all..." So sighing, the blonde returns to Michiru, ready to try again...
<General_Nephrite> "You sure you don't want me to find Serenity?" Takeshi asks. "It'll only take a minute."
* Michiru squirms in pain, as if two arms in opposite directions tried to tear her in half. The muttering becomes impossibly jumbled, and it's barely possible to distinguish a person within that gibbering mess of a soul. "Grnmblguuuu..."
<Hotaru-chan> "Find her!" Hotaru snaps at Takeshi, eyes wider and wider. "Either way, find her NOW."
<Kotono> Rei winces and comes to Usagi's side, a hand on her. "C'mon," Rei says with an odd gentleness. "This is for Sailor Neptune! Stop screwing up and do it right!"
<Usagi> "I wouldn't mind the help, but I'm not going to stop trying," Usagi replies quietly, her own light starting to flare and become defined even in the well lit living room as she takes more direct action, briefly nodding to Rei before she focuses on the aqua-tressed girl. Placing her hand on her forehead, Usagi wills her aura forth, this time explicitly targetting the grey, hoping she can stand against it openly rather than ignoring it and getting b
<Usagi>  getting blindsided again.
<General_Nephrite> "You got it," Takeshi replies, stepping back with a glance at Usagi. Closing his eyes, he intones in a level voice. "I call upon the power of the stars..." As he speaks, a swirling starscape appears above his hands, held level in front of him. "Libra, the Scales of Justice! Show me the wise and just Queen Serenity!"
<Kotono> OOC - Soul check +2, Usagi. PM, Takeshi.
<Usagi> roll 2d6-1
* Hatbot --> "Usagi rolls 2d6-1 and gets 8." [2d6=3, 6]
* General_Nephrite speaks with an apparent effort, his eyes still closed as the stars swirl before him. "She's on a bus, headed this way. Probably won't be more than a few minutes before she gets here," he murmurs.
<Kotono> roll 2d6
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 2d6 and gets 9." [2d6=5, 4]
<Kotono> Usagi's aura of white is projected forth! Michiru screams again as the gray is opposed, making her head begin to glow! Atop her forehead the symbol of Neptune flickers, sending another wave of agony with in her! For a moment...just a moment...did her lungs stir?
<Usagi> "That's it..." Usagi murmurs, crescent moon flaring to life on her own forehead as she's bolstered by her first real success. "Come on, Neptune," she encourages, her own vibrant white aura continuing to wash over the pale grey, trying to wither it away into nothingness.
* General_Nephrite snaps out of his vision as Michiru screams, his fragile concentration broken. "Guh..." he gasps, not used to coming out the near-trance state quite so abruptly. He shakes his head slightly, somewhat disoriented, then looks over at the faintly glowing blonde. "How's it going this time?" he asks no one in particular.
* Hotaru-chan gets up, beginning to head off. "I'll be in the kitchen, yell if something I'm good at comes up," she offers, retreating to do something useful with her time.
* Michiru screeches in agony like the sharp wail of a banshee scratching through the room. The despair... the overwhelming struggle... her mind, at that moment, was but a puddle of clay, nearly formless on its own, mingled by the tugging of her inner strings. However... a... pulse... she suddenly felt a... her lungs... they... hurt some...
* Michiru tries to gasp, her body barely moving as if reaching for something. She suddenly could feel the waves of aqua green rushing through... it... she tried to move her arm, as if extending her palm to a point... "Nep... tune..."
* General_Nephrite raises an eyebrow as Hotaru departs, moving over to stand behind Usagi again in silent support. There's not a lot else he can do, after all...
<Kotono> OOC - Mind check, Michiru.
<Michiru> roll 2d6
* Hatbot --> "Michiru rolls 2d6 and gets 7." [2d6=1, 6]
<Usagi> Usagi's free hand takes the other girl's hand as it moves, trying to encourage her. "Come on, help me, Neptune - fight it!" she encourages, unrelenting in her own battle against the corrupting aura that permeates the senshi of the sea.
<Kotono> Michiru struggles! USagi can see thegray relenting, as Michiru's mind struggles! She can see it - a symbol in her mind becoming clearer, pulsing - in time with enew beat of her heart. Thump...thump...thump...she feels that if sh ekeeps reaching..
* Michiru feels a solemn stream rush through a center, faintly, so very faintly... the inner strings of her mental world tugged a bit further, trying to bring up a melody that would seem long lost... and maybe, just maybe, it was. An oceanic dance seemed to rehearse its beginning from the inside, but it was all so difficult... the music was still painful.
<Kotono> Light - stretching forward, Michiru can see...color. So close, so close! Color, another breath and another heartbeat! Her forehead burns like the stars are embedded into her crown, a deeper and deeper stirring!
<Kotono> roll 2d6+2
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 2d6+2 and gets 12." [2d6=6, 4]
<Kotono> Pressed from inside and out, Michiru's world shifts! Her eyes open wide, as one blessed thing follows another! She breathes! She feels! She sees - glorious color spilling back into everything! The symbol of Neptune burns like a ward on her forehead, the gray around her shattering into fragments, visible to Usagi's vision!
<Usagi> "We did it!" Usagi exults, seeing the girl before her live again, in glorious living colour! Work done, she sags exhaustedly against Rei and Takeshi, aura dimming but the crescent moon on her forehead still shining brightly.
* General_Nephrite smiles slightly, placing a hand gently on Usagi's shoulder as he detransforms yet again, the nervous tension in the air easing. "Nice work, even if I don't exactly understand what you did," he says. "She's breathing now, though, and that HAS to be an improvement."
<Kotono> "Got her?" Rei sighs in relief as she looks down at Michiru. She lingers next to Usagi, putting a hand on the rabbit's shoulder as well. "Good work."
* Michiru flows, the vision of clarity overwhelming the senses, drowning in a delicate, wordless scent and a myriad dances! She could once again see in her dreams the quiet sylphids, the shining undines, and... most importantly, the strings. The quartet of strings swept in with full force, and once again, there was a melody. Michiru's forehead shines, as her hypnotic inner dance cleanses the darkness within. If she knew... if she only knew.
<Usagi> "I was doing it wrong at the start, but once I figured out the right way..." Usagi shrugs slightly, a wide smile on her face - her focus on the moment at least preventing any improper and distracting thoughts about Rei. "God, I need a break... can't believe I've still got work, tonight..." she complains, thoroughly wiped after her efforts.
* Hotaru-chan returns, leaning against the doorway with a slight smile. Are her hands...dusty. "Go sleep, Squad T*A can keep a watch on their own," she offers, snickering. "Besides, Serenity will kill us if we don't get you down and resting before she gets back."
<Takeshi> "Might want to call in, then," Takeshi says, shaking his head. "You look pretty wiped out - I know I wouldn't be in much shape to work tonight after fighting Despair."
<Kotono> "I'll go get you some water," Rei murmurs in an unusually chartiable mood now, but stops at Hotaru instead. She eys Hotaru's hands but doesn't say anything and instead stops.
<Kotono> Kotono just nods, still being quiet and removed; thoughtful as she watches.
<Michiru> As the light subsides, Michiru slowly awakens to the world. As her eyes open, she slowly realizes that the world is, once again, alive. The lifeless tint that shrouded her vision no longer remains... just the world, as she used to know, vivid... if a bit autumn-like. It was like waking up from a terrible nightmare. "... ah..."
<Hotaru-chan> Flour, rather than dust on closer inspection. "Since Takeshi likes handling you...take her to Serenity's room?" Hotaru asks, winking at blonde and boy.
<Usagi> "Wait," Usagi waves her hands at the people that want to get rid of her, focusing on the awakening girl before her. "Ah... Neptune?" she hazards, never having got her real name. "How do you feel?" she asks, smiling nicely.
<Takeshi> "Uh...." Takeshi sweatdrops, removing his hand delicately from Usagi's shoulder. "Sorry about that, Usagi-san," he murmurs, his voice dropping away as the blonde turns to the recovering Michiru.
<Kotono> Rei just settles for turning away and back to Michiru, waiting on that instead.
* Michiru looks at the blonde bunny as she rubs her forehead, an expression of vagueness, almost sad. "I... feel like all the nerves in my mind snapped back and forth for years in a war and returned alive, somehow... I guess..." She says it a bit slowly, in a grave tone of weakness. Apparently, she didn't quite realize where she was.
<Hotaru-chan> "Just relax and rest, Michiru, there's going a lot ahead of you..." Hotaru offers, blowing at her bangs.
<Kotono> "Yeah," Rei's agreement is as muted as her mood, "How the hell did you end up like that, though?"
<Usagi> "Well, it sure felt like a war to me," Usagi agrees, briefly turning to give Takeshi a shrug and a smile before she returns her attention to Neptune. "I'm Usagi, by the way - I don't know how much you know about all this, but, uh... nice to meet you!"
* Takeshi glances over at Rei briefly as he hears her question, turning back to Michiru to hear her answer.
* Michiru blinks, still notably confused. Despite knowing what was at stake in there, she still could barely collect her thoughts together for a truly coherent statement, or a behaviour. Thus, Michiru is taken aback by Usagi's greeting, able only to respond with a tired, sincere smile, then turning to the haughty princess. "It's... a fairly long story."
<Hotaru-chan> "Get some rest, we'll have time later to talk about it," Hotaru offers, nodding. "After Serenity gets home, and people feel more human."
* Usagi nods in agreement, slowly getting up. "Lots of long stories to go around, I think," she agrees. "Back in a sec - I think I will call in from work, after all."
<Hotaru-chan> "This is where I'm glad if I ever have to do that, Yohko knows why," Hotaru murmurs, shaking her head and glancing over at Setsuna to check her conscious state.
<Kotono> Setsuna is still out cold. Overwhelmed indeed as a normal human being?
<Kotono> "Heh..." Rei glance sat Usagi, a faint blush playing over her face before she turns back to Michiru. "...oh yeah. Did I see you a few weeks ago? You were standing in the hallway!"
<Michiru> "I suppose..." As Michiru meekly nodded to Hotaru, she suddenly thought of her father. He probably expected her to be at home by then. Also, she realized it was the first time she thought of him for a while, which was surprising and somewhat bittersweet to her. Her eyes glinted in slight melancholy at the thought. "..."
* Michiru listens to Rei, and nods to her, a bit subdued. "Yes."
* Takeshi settles down on the nearest piece of furniture - a loveseat - seeing as the couch is currently occupied by both Michiru and Setsuna, simply settling back to listen to Michiru for the moment.
* Hotaru-chan just shakes her head, taking a deep breath. "Just rest, and don't try anything stupid," she snickers, smiling. "Lots to talk about in the future."
* Usagi returns just in time to hear Hotaru's statement, a slight blush and glance at Rei before she schools her expression and looks at Michiru. "Yeah... although resting works, now," she agrees tiredly.
<Kotono> "Yeah," Rei decides after a moment, glancing at Usagi at the same time and going red like a cherry! "Just go ahead and nap and we'll sort htis out after."
<Takeshi> "That goes for you too, you know," Takeshi retorts to Usagi.
* Michiru blinks and nods, in a tired expression that tried its best to retain dignity. "I suppose. We... have a lot to explain to each other. And I have my own ghosts to subdue for now. I guess we could talk more about it in the next club meeting..."
<Hotaru-chan> "Try this evening, Michiru," Hotaru answers, a little steel creeping into her voice.
<Usagi> Seeing Rei's blush only makes Usagi's worse as she speculates on the miko's thoughts. Taking a distraction, "It's best not to hold off on this stuff," Usagi agrees with Hotaru, going to collapse in a vacant armchair and tucking her legs under her. "But really need to rest first..." she adds, bone weariness taking over.
* Michiru shivers a bit, her composture suddenly crumbling to a nearly childlike face. She blushes a bit, and tries to retort in spite of that. "But... I... I..."
* Michiru sighs. "Fine. Tonight it is."
<Hotaru-chan> "No buts, we don't let these things sit in the midst of a war," Hotaru offers, smiling amidst it herself. "Anyone have cookie prefferences besides chocolate chip?" she adds, nearly at random.
* Takeshi sighs a bit. "Just rest for now, Michiru-san," Takeshi says gently. "We can sort things out more once we sit down to talk."
<Kotono> "Which means you're staying here," Rei adds on tiredly as well, before just shaking her head at Hotaru, still red faced and glancing at Usaig.
<Usagi> "Chocolate chip's fine," Usagi murmurs, eyes drooping downwards as she settles her head on the armrest of the chair, tiredness at least proving one distraction from Rei that she can't ignore.
* Michiru nods reluctantly. "I understand. Is... there somewhere I can lie down around here?"
<Hotaru-chan> "The couch you're currently laying on?" Hotaru snickers, shaking ehr head. "Otherwise...well, we could go find the blankets."
* Michiru grumbles, then snickers faintly. "I'm fine like this."
* Takeshi glances at the others in the room as Usagi and Michiru settle in for some rest, having been too focused on other things to do so earlier.
<Kotono> Kotono is sitting by herself and distracted, looking at a perfectly uninteresting bit of the wall. Rei's sneaking glances at Usagi and shaking her hea dback and forth.
* Hotaru-chan ducks back into the kitchen, back to her distraction.
* Takeshi leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees as he turns to Kotono. "Are you all right, Kotono-san?" he asks quietly.

[Jo'ou Ranbu]

This log directly follows the events in the last post, right after Michiru was purified.

> ---Arc 2 go!---
> So Hotaru returns to the kitchen! A place of quiet for now - Usagi and Michiru sleep in exhaution, and Kotono is still away and keeping to herself for the moment. This leaves Hotaru alone, alone and alone - until Rei returns, getting a tall glass of juice from the fridge quietly as Hotaru works.
<Hotaru> Cookies, to be honest, are not something that takes much thought for Hotaru. They're more an exercise to keep herself awake against the tide of exhaustion, as she works slowly to mix and form them, practiced movements from years of work. She doesn't pay Rei immediate mind. THe miko's cranky, and she's always angry whenever she feels bad in any way...and well, it still hurt, even understanding it.
> "Why exactly are you making cookies," Rei picks up the slack herself, leaning against the white fridge and sipping her juice. "I don't recall a Saturn Cookie Power in retaliation to finding a new, possessed Sailor."
<Hotaru> "Usagi-chan had the whole thing under control," Hotaru answers softly, eeys on the cookies, hands working, a glance afforded to Rei. "I couldn't really do more in my state, but I wanted to do SOMETHING, so..." she just shrugs.
> "Yeah, Usagi had it under..." Rei mutters, turning dark red at that and going to her juice for a long gulp of relief! "Anyway!  Novel approach - hope cookies help shore up after magical healing? Just..." Rei waves her hand up and down, wobbling it.
> "That one's a bit odd, even for standards. Though..." Rei does pause as her stomach lightly rumbles. "Point."
<Hotaru> Hotaru shakes head, eyeing the blush a moment. "I've run myself into exhaustion often enough to know, Rei-chan," she murmurs, shrugging. "It's keeping me awake, too, have to keep busy, or I'll collapse."
> "Just go collapse. It's the style for the day. Even if Mako-chan isn't here to ..." That stosp Rei up short, a furious shake of her head as if trying to clear demons out of it. "...just...nevermind!"
<Hotaru> Hotaru raises an eyebrow at Rei, curiously eyeing the miko. "I'd ask what the hell, but you'd probably start chewing me out for that," she replies softly, voice still carrying some mildly bitter hints. "I need to stay awake until Serenity gets here, maybe after."
> "...Chewi..." Rei begins before shivering yet again, quailing like a poor bird caught in midflight! "Oh, don't even SAY THAT!" Quickly shaking her head again and giving Hotaru a very vicious little stare, "Like you're any more innocent on that? You go on hugg-...er..." Rei takes a breath, fire in her eyes burning out almost instantly. "...nevermind. Just...not your fault," Rei mutters, finishing her juice in one long gulp.
<Hotaru> Hotaru's eyebrow jumps a ways, eyeing Rei most directly. "That fills in a blank or two," she snorts, shaking her head and turning back to the cookies. "It's hardly that, idiot. If I wanted that, I'd be more nervous about it," she murmurs, focusing on the cookies, or trying to.
> "Idiot?!" Rei twitches again, breathing quicker - "I'm...just..." More deep breaths, "Yaeh, just nevermind. Not your fault. Just..." Lowering her voice, "Say...Hotaru. Can you keep a secret since I think I need to tell someone this or I'm going to go insane. It's either you or Kotono, and Kotono...well...NO."
<Hotaru> "I keep a lot of secrets," Hotaru agrees softly, turning to Rei and leaning against the counter, composed and a little curious.
> "....fine." Rei bites her lip and lets her hands go slack, pondering. "If yout ell anyone I kill you. Got it?"
<Hotaru> "Got it," Hotaru smiles just a bit, hugging herself and waiting. "If you want, I'll give you something worse back," she adds, blushing slightly.
> "..yeah, sure. If you can do worse than this...Oh Kami." Rei slumps against the fridge, sighing. "I kind...no, I outright kissed Usagi, grinded against her, and we said we loved each other. But it was totally because Temptation made us feel funny! We're not gay! Really! No way! Just...just..."
> "..yeah, sure. If you can do worse than this...Oh Kami." Rei slumps against the fridge, sighing. "I kind...no, I outright kissed Usagi, grinded against her, and we said we loved each other. But it was totally because Temptation made us feel funny! We're not gay! Really! No way! Just...just..."
<Hotaru> "..." Hotaru stares a long moment, a sharp eyebrow now raised at Rei, violet eyes outright staring. "You...wow," Hotaru murmurs, blinking several times as she collects her thoughts. Rei and... "Well, I mean...if it was Temptation, yeah..." she murmurs agreeably.  "And well, you're both pretty..." Hotaru shrugs, smile twisting. "The worse part? I'm probably in envy of both of you," she adds, cheeks lighting up. "Maybe."
> "...too much information..." Rei mutters back even quicker. "Look, I don't know, just...don't tell anyone." Reishakes her head, "It's just normal magical effects and nothin gelse, right?"
<Hotaru> "Yes? I can't honestly offer a better assurance other than 'kiss me and find out', and that'd be crossing the line," Hotaru snorts, rolling her eyes. "Hell, I'M not even sure," she gripes. "I'm perfectly fine hugging someone and there being nothing there, or if I think about it, there can be."
> "...right." Rei sighs once more. Giving Hotaru a half dirty and a half exasperated glare, "I'm not kissing you. I'm straight, damn it! Not gay! Really not gay!"
<Hotaru> "Take a joke, Rei," Hotaru glares back, sharp and icy to match her friend's heat. "If I wanted to kiss you, I'd have asked it. Or done it by now."
> "Good!" Fervently nodding to that, "See? I'm going to go talk to Usagi after this and put the stupid thing to rest! She's got to be straight as well, so no harm done?"
<Hotaru> Hotaru just waves her hand, turning back to the cookies. "I'm just the sounding board, y'know?" she murmurs again, deep breaths. "Whatever you decide's up to you."
> "Right." Nodding with a ferventness born of panic, Rei starts to speak - or not. From the back door enters Queen Serenity, pausing and going into a smile as she sees two of them. "Cookies?" she asks quite innocently. "Did Janna get home early and let you in?"
<Hotaru> "Neptune's asleep in the living room, had a rather serious problem with her being in enemy hands, one Nightmare is dead, one Neptune is cured, half your senshi are exhausted, another half experiencing sanity problems," Hotaru informs Serenity brightly! "Everything's pretty much fine otherwise."
a> "What Hotaru said without the cynicism," Rei merely nods, a short bow to Serenity.
> "..Neptune?" Serenity's face becomes serious! She goes into the living room without another word, hastily proceeding on!
* Hotaru sticks the cookies in the oven, setting it and heading after the queen.
> On heading out you find a few things. No sign of Kotono, Usagi and Michiru are still asleep, and Takeshi is just sitting and resting. With nary a pause Serenity goes to Michiru, kneeling before her and stroking her cheek.
* Hotaru waits by the door, out of the way and just watching. Here, she might need a guard.
<Takeshi> "Ah... welcome home, Serenity," Takeshi says, sitting up a bit as the queen enters. "Sorry to have dropped in like this."
> "It's fine." Serenity focuses entirely on Michiru, stroking her cheek as she smiles. "Yes...yes, this is her. There isn't any doubt about it."
<Hotaru> Hotaru nods a bit, smiling sadly. "When you start saying your planet's name in the midst of spiritual agony..." she murmurs, staring at the girl on the couch. "Her aura fit, regardless."
* Takeshi settles back in his seat a bit, still looking over at Michiru and Serenity.
> "Mmmm. Poor child." Standing tall after this, she looks to both Takeshi and Hotaru. "Tell me all that happened."
* Takeshi blows out a small breath, then begins, sitting a bit straighter as he does so. "I headed over to T*A for the Supernatural Club meeting today - I'd wanted to talk to Kotono about some of the information we've gotten so far, and she asked me to come. Michiru," he nods to the girl on the couch, "was there when I arrived."
<Takeshi> "Apparently she was a new arrival to the group, and shortly after I arrived she started complaining of a headache. Hotaru tried to take a look at her, but she shied away from it. About that time the other girl on the couch there - Setsuna, I think? - showed up, and just about that point I noticed that Michiru wasn't actually breathing. I watched her a bit more as Setsuna came in,
<Takeshi> and she didn't take a breath at all over the course of about a minute."
> "Setsuna...?" Queen Serenity looks the former Pluto over silently, face betraying little as she nods. "Go on."
<Takeshi> "I made an excuse to talk to Hotaru out in the hallway and let her know what I'd seen, and we went back in to deal with the situation. Michiru was apparently getting worse as far as her headache went, and Hotaru tried to intervene - and then Despair showed up."
> A silent nod from the Queen. "Go on," she insists again, waiting for more details.
<Takeshi> "He hit everyone in the room with what seemed like a wave of literal despair - Hotaru and I were the only ones who managed to hold up against it, but I could feel it all the same. We both transformed, and I kept Michiru away from him while Hotaru took front and center on fighting him."
<Hotaru> "And...well, the glaive is the glaive," Hotaru smiles weakly, shrugging. "We managed to stand up to it, and I tore him to pieces...underneath? Four eyes under ridges, pitch black, covered in mouths...he reminded me of the Beast Lord," she offers, shaking her head. "We moved here when the destruction that the Ruin Eruption caused was noticed...and, well, Usagi had some trouble with Neptune's...issues."
* Takeshi nods to that. "She got knocked away hard twice, but the last time she seemed to break through... whatever it was, and Michiru started breathing again, and her eyes went back to normal."
> "Mmmmm. I see. But I see that it is sovled?" Serenity inquires on this point in particular. "When she awakens..."
<Hotaru> "It was, she was speaking normal, and her aura seemed normal when it was over," Hotaru agrees, smiling just a touch.
<Usagi> Hearing all the chatter, Usagi stirs - she was only half asleep, anyway. "Mmm...?" the blonde blinks groggily, rubbing her eyes and propping herself up on the armrest as she looks around.
* Michiru feels a faint texture over her cheeks, and her eyes slowly open back to reality. As she recovers consciousness, her body responds warmly, still getting used to the flow of life once again. Her eyes open slowly, as she yawns, stretching her arms.
> While Serenity smiles at everyone, she focuses o Michiru in particular. Her hand is outstretched, feeling her cheeks. "Welcome back...Sailor Neptune."
* Michiru lights up to the sight of the sun itself, as she glances Queen Serenity. Michiru blushes and a sharp, warm thrill runs down her spine. The girl nearly loses her breath, trying to get upright and proper in front of such a divine figure. "Ah... you... who... are you?"
* Takeshi simply watches, leaning forward on his knees for the moment. He's finally got a decent idea of what was happening, but as with most of the day there's not a lot he can do to help at the moment.
* Usagi holds back a yawn as she shifts into a more upright posture, watching Serenity and Michiru interact.
> Rei comes up a bit, hanging back in the kitchen and watching from afar.
> "I am Queen Serenity, the ruler of the past Moon Kingdom. I welcome you back to us, Sailor Neptune." She speaks with only kindness, stroking Michiru's cheek a few more times.
* Hotaru holds her impulse to offer information, letting Serenity handle the new girl.
* Michiru blushes more as the Queen speaks, overwhelmed by the warm, gentle aura of Serenity. However, she felt a bit of relief, as the joy was no longer painful... she looks down, taken aback a bit. "Welcome... back?"
> "It is a very long tale. Of who you were before and who you still are, of the past and of the present. I had begun to despair at ever finding you, Venus or Uranus." Serenity closes her eyes, "I shall return momentarily."
> With that she is simply gone, vanished like the air - or like Despair did to Michiru's eyes.
* Usagi blinks at that. "Where'd she go?" the blonde asks unnecessarily.
<Takeshi> "Got me," Takeshi replies.
<Hotaru> "Not a clue," Hotaru agrees, her smile twisting a bit.
> "Who knows..." Rei murmurs, looking at Usagi poinetly as she enters.
* Usagi catches the gaze, her own eyes turning to meet Rei's. Her cheeks turn pink, but... it's almost like a challenge, the way Rei's looking at her, so she can't be the first to back down!
> Rei takes a step forward meaningfully, not breaking her expression away from Usagi's eyes!
* Michiru relaxes a bit, positioning herself a bit more comfortably. It was almost as if Serenity alone made breathing heavier. Her sheer divinity was a bit... intimidating. A warm so appealing it was almost frightening for a moment.
* Usagi twitches slightly, but refuses to avert her gaze, the two continuing their silent battle of wills!
* Hotaru glances from Rei to Usagi and back, raising her eyebrows before pointedly looking away, though keeping the pair in her peripheral vision.
> Rei steps forward again, past Takeshi's chair and closer to Usagi! Her hands are on her hips, silently staring the rabbit down!
* Takeshi looks over at the raven-haired girl and the blonde, wondering what in the heck is going on there.
* Usagi bunches up her fingers slightly on the chair's armrest, staring right back into Rei's eyes! Unfortunately her mind is right now treating her to an action replay of the moment Temptation's evil magic kicked in and she decided it would be the best thing in the world to kiss said girl, but such is life for a sexually confused rabbit.
> Another step foward! Rei is right in front of Usagi, not taking her hands off her hips as she lightly smirks, tossing her hair defiantly. "Hey...Usagi-chan." This is said at last, heavy and weighted.
<Usagi> "Ah... hey, yourself... Rei-chan?" the blonde returns, her own voice far more unsure. "Um... been busy, lately?" she tries lamely, hoping this sounds like natural conversation for their audience.
> "Yeah...yeah..." Rei nods back surely, even if her voice wavers the tiniest bit as well. "Haven't been up to much lately, have you?"
<Usagi> "Oh... y'know..." Usagi shrugs, face a bit pale as she tears her gaze away from Rei. "But maybe we should, ah... catch up, later?" she suggests, breathing a little shallowly. "Got to... y'know," she gestures vaguely at Michiru. "Other things, right now."
> "Yeah." Rei licks her lips, turning reddish as she look sat the awakened Michiru. "So...yeah. Later. How about we go upstairs or something later?...or check that! How about like...oh, just on the walk home?"
* Takeshi simply shakes his head. Something screwy's going on here, but damned if he's got any idea what.
> MEanwhile Serenity quietly reappears on the side of the room, holding Luna in her arms. "...hm?" She stops and looks to the two upright and barbing Sailor girls, curious.
<Usagi> "Maybe?" Usagi gives Rei a brief nod before tearing her gaze away. "Luna!" she promptly bounces out of her seat. "Are you going to give Michiru-san her transformation pen so she can become Sailor Neptune?!" Yay for subject changes!
> "Oh, Neptune!" Luna the very notably talking cat leaps out of Serenity's arms, stalking up  to sit before Michiru. "It is you! That's exactly what I'm going to do, Usagi-chan."
> Rei just scoots back, coloring and hiding back into the kitchen again, her mood broken.
<Usagi> "I bet you'll look really cute in your uniform, Michiru-san!" Usagi beams, before her face turns crimson and she claps a hand over her mouth. "Ah! I didn't... ah... um... yeah... the uniforms are nice..." she temporises lamely.
* Michiru looks at the cat with a face of vague disbelief, almost as if her senses of normality chided an untimely alert. "Uh... she's... a talking cat."
<Usagi> "Aren't they?" Usagi looks desperately to Hotaru as the sole remaining senshi for some support on her senshi uniform approval.
<Hotaru> "They tend to be a little bitter in one way or another, but yeah, talking cats," Hotaru nods. "Be wary of the white one, he's snippy. And...yeah, the uniforms are pretty cute for the most part. Cuter than the uniform I wear to work."
<Michiru> Aware of the horrible timing and bad sense of disbelief suspension, however... she guessed everybody had their own walls regarding reality. Evil monsters? Sure. Saviors of Light? Of course! But talking cats? That's a bit of a stretch. "... huh."
* Usagi sighs in relief at the agreement (even if it does come from the most openly gay senshi), shuffling backwards a bit and hoping to be ignored.
* Michiru eyes the hopping bunny with a condescending glance, the senshi of waters herself feeling the solemnity of the moment a bit... um... trailed off.
> "I'm technically a royal advisor, but Luna is fine." Luna lightly giggles, as she does an agile backflip! Landing on the floor appears a pen of aqua blue and green, the symbol of Neptune engraved atop it.
* Michiru looks at the pen, carefully examining its craft. "It's a lovely souvenir, indeed."
<Usagi> "You hold it and say 'Neptune Power, Make Up' to transform," Usagi informs her helpfully.
* Michiru nods. "I see." She examines the pen a bit more carefully, a bit lost in thought.
> "Yes. Stand up and call, Neptune Power, Make UP." Serenity adds in, "Sailor Neptune will be reborn again."
* Michiru raises her eyebrow. "... oh. You meant, NOW?" Michiru hesitated a bit for a moment, but stood up. "Yes." With that, her eyes lit up, the hand holding the pen raised high up, and Michiru focused. "Neptune Power, Make UP!"
* Takeshi simply watches the proceedings quietly, a hand on his chin as he takes in the transformation.
> Water cloaks Michiru!  Her body is washed over by vibrantly moving water, a moment of estascy! Sailor Neptune spins and twirls, coming to life again!
* Michiru opens her eyes, the fine sensation of a streaming river flowing through her body, almost as if shined in energy. As the ritual completes, Michiru blinks, before paying attention to anything else. "Is it over?"
> Her body is now cloaked in her uniform - the fukuo of white with aqua ribbons, short boots and a beautiful tiara. She feels awakened, stronger, more VITAL.
<Usagi> "Well, now you're transformed," Usagi smiles. "And the uniform does look great on you!" she adds, before blushing again. Why can't she give honest compliments to other girls, now? "You should be able to jump really high and do magic now, but I dunno if you could already do anything like that when your aura was all funny and you weren't breathing - what was up with that, anyway?"
> "Finally," Rei mutters, looking on. "Hey, Neptune, welcome aboard," she calls.
* Michiru nods meekly. "Thank you." However... no, not for now. She would have to explain herself soon, anyway.
<Takeshi> "How are you feeling now, anyway?" Takeshi asks.
<Michiru> "... vivid. I'd say almost frighteningly so.", she responds with a soft voice.
<Hotaru> "Life as a senshi in the midst of war can be...intense," Hotaru agrees softly, smiling. "But we're all here, we're all supporting each other."
> "We will be. Sailor Neptune, I welcome you." Serenity comest o her, lightly hugging. "But you must have many questions now. Come, let us go talk."
* Michiru blushes slightly once again, and follows silently.
> Leading Michiru on, "I will go to my room. The rest of you are welcome to come if you wish, or to go rest. It has been a trying day on you, so if you need to recover or leave do not feel bound to stay."
> Turning back as she speaks, Serenity smiles to each once more as she leads on the new Sailor
* Michiru accompanies, hearing her own footsteps in a stern rythm. Her strings still resonated heavily under the consideration of past events, and her own doubts stirred even now...
<Usagi> "Hmm... probably best not to give you too much all at once," Usagi admits. Heck, at this rate she might even be able to go to work, after all. "Hey, think Setsuna's going to wake up anytime soon?" she then asks, glancing at the other green-haired girl present.
> Setsuna is still out.  She shows no signs of stirring as of yet.
<Takeshi> "Might as well wait wait for Kotono - never did get a chance to talk to her," Takeshi replies with a slight sigh.
> "Speaking of..." Rei coughs and clears her throat, "Hey, Usagi!"
* Usagi twitches. "Yes, Rei...-chan?" she asks, ever so slowly turning around.
> Rei smiles with her own nervous eye tic! "Let's go...hm?" she says, starting to go for the archway out.
<Usagi> "If you insist..." Usagi sighs weakly, following after Rei. "Talk to you all at the meeting, tomorrow!" she waves to the others still here before following the miko with ill grace.
> So Rei and Usagi head out! Out into the sun and fall leaves around them. Once they leave the yard(And pass by a strange Makoto shaped imprint in the dirt...) "So..." Rei says, hands behind her head and eyes shut.
<Usagi> As she passes the door, Usagi briefly takes a moment to magic up some shoes, making use of the disguise pen in order to save her still depleted energy. "So..." she likewise echoes. "I'd ask if you were having much luck forgetting all about it, but that scene back there tells me we're in the same boat," she notes resignedly.
> "...yep." Rei whimpers, shoulder sagging. "Why did you have so damn appealing?"
<Usagi> "Why did you have to be such a good kisser?" the blonde whines in reply. "If you'd been bad at it then I could have easily forgotten all about it. But..." she gestures vaguely, turning to face the raven-haired beauty with a despairing look. "I'm straight and I don't want to think about a girl that way!"
> Rei flashes and turns in an instant, facing Usagi dead on! "So am I! I dont' care if you felt good and tasted good! I like guys!" A note of tettering desperateness in her voice, weak. "Right?...Right." Rei takes a long, luxiourous breath, blowing it out slowly. "...right?"
<Usagi> "Right!" Usagi echoes, equally desperate as her hands seem to naturally find Rei's shoulders, the blonde herself not even sure if it's a gesture of support or... something she doesn't want to explore. "We're both completely straight - we just got confused, that's all! We weren't in control of ourselves - just because the memories are good, it's still not who we r-really are!" she insists, voice quivering slightly.
> Somehow Rei's hands are on Usagi's shoulders in revenge or compensation or just competition! Her face is heavy and blushing, lips dried. "Ye..yeah. Exactly! Just because we made out doesn't mean..." Rei stumbles with this, face not that far away from Usagi's at all. "Right...right...right!"
<Usagi> "Th-that's why... why we n-need to forget about it!" Usagi sputters out, yet somehow being inexorably drawn closer to Rei. If nothing else, she truly understands Usagi's turmoil, and that only makes her even more perversely appealing. "I-it's too t-tempting!" she concludes, the pair paused just at the entrance of Serenity's garden, secluded and isolated beneath the reddening leaves above, just off the actual street.
> "..it's...it's..." Rei stutters out, her vocal cords locking up! "Oh...Kami, iti s tempting! It's tempting to make out and kiss with a girl!" Shivering all over, REi looks up at Usagi, face completely open. "I...I...?!"
> "..it's...it's..." Rei stutters out, her vocal cords locking up! "Oh...Kami, iti s tempting! It's tempting to make out and kiss with a girl!" Shivering all over, REi looks up at Usagi, face completely open. "I...I...?!"
<Usagi> "Oh God!" Usagi abruptly hugs Rei, settling her chin on the other girl's shoulder as a concession to her own strong need just barely diverted from those full and skilled lips. "We h-have to both b-be strong, R-rei-chan! Otherwise..." she can't quite bring herself to finish, whispering weakly into the other girl's ear as they cling onto one another.
> "Otherwise..." Rei likewise clings,s hivering, "We'll start k issing again and then touching and then getting naked and...we'll be gayer than Hotaru! That just can't b eright!" This comes out in a messy blurt, Rei quivering like a broken sail in the wind. A tight squeeze to Usagi, a certain softness felt as Rei does that. Oooh, soft, large and nice! "Y..Y-you aren't gonna kiss me or something now, are you?"
<Usagi> "I want to..." the blonde admits brokenly. "I can't stop thinking about it... even when I..." she chokes up briefly. "Oh, Rei!" she sniffles, her own perky attributes pressing right back against the miko's!
> "I...ack!" Rei turns redder, looking down at the meeting of salient chests! "...uh..." she mutters, pointedly looking down.
<Usagi> "Ahh!" Usagi takes the hint, letting go and scooting back from Rei, settling for hugging her arms around herself when they're a few steps apart. "It's not fair... why couldn't she have done this to M-Makoto and Hotaru? Then everyone w-would be happy..."
> "Yeah...just..." Rei takes a very long breath, before turning around. "Later! Much later!" Taking what will she has Rei bolts, flying away at a sprint!
* Usagi takes a half step forward, a brief but strongly felt urge to pursue the other girl, yet somehow one she manages to repress. So tempting! Sighing, the blonde starts walking home - she has enough time she could probably fit a quick dinner in and then get to work. She'll see Rei tomorrow, anyway... the thought brings a torrid mix of anticipation and revulsion in her.
=======================

The following events happen in tandem with the events in the above log in this same post until Michiru wakes up.

---Arc 2 go!---
> In a sleep of dreamlessness Michiru stirs. A dream of fragmented gray trying to blot out wonderful colors, her mind adrift. It comes rapidfire, disturbing the scope of peace and replacing it with a kaledioscope of disrupted awareness and unrestful respite.
* Michiru cradles back and forth, shivering in her sleep. The colours zoomed in and out, flanks of bright being zipped silently by the colorless line, cold to the human touch. Her body seemed to drift in space, devoid of oxygen for a moment - and a faint feeling of nausea lurked by, her closed eyes conveying a well-shut tension.
> Broken waves and weaves of light. Shattered dreamscapes, forever altered. The duel of the unmoving, unliving areas of power and the vibrant counter light that repels it. To her impression the gray deadness is slowly losing, slowly passing away, but...
* Michiru was suddenly lucid within that dreamscape. She shook her head, a bit dismayed, but trying to find balance within herself. The colorless tint... even now, she could feel its pain. However, when living within the dense landscapes of her true life, there was... she couldn't quite pinpoint it, but she deduced that ever present sadness wasn't extraneous to her. It was gut-wrenching, however, not unnatural. Not quite.
> In this her emotions stir - her father. When was the last time she thought about him. His face appears in her dreams, cloaked in gray and fading into a blob. Her club mates - doing much the same, a feeling of disdain in Michiru's soul. Everything just tries to fade into that blob...
* Michiru watches the all-devouring vortex, her feelings split. Slipping under an imagery of terse distinctions, watching the very silence encompass all around her, Michiru ponders without actual thought, only vague sensations that translate to a blink, or a sad glance. The things she loved, they would eventually fade... and she didn't know what it meant to her.
<Michiru> There was so little to understand, so much at stake at a glance. And... even towards the things that hurt her, she had an ambivalent relationship. Being an inhuman... what it meant to her, exactly? She collected the fragments of everything she learned and suffered, and couldn't quite let go of anything. The feeling of loss was unfocused, misdirected... she didn't know the distinction between what she loved and what she needed to live.
> Throughout all this a symbol pulses - the sign of Neptune, growing brighter in her vision as her mind works. It slowly soothes away the gray, refilling her world with color once more. It penetrates the long winded visions of thought, instead showing and refilling Michiru with one thing - a sense of...duty?
* Michiru nods to the symbol, as it fills Michiru with solemnity. It was a daunting, beautiful view. Among the vortex, faintly covering over the shroud of flat-out despair, the ethereal waterwaves spun and motioned, as if, not erasing everything she saw and suffered, but holding those fragments together in unity, they answered a part of the conundrum in their own way. The symbol, she gathered, wouldn't be satisfied by simplicity... like her.
> In this image Michiru stirs again - awakenness seems to come not from that, but from a touch to the cheek. A touch that bring her mind to reality again...

[Halbarad]

After Usagi and Rei have left together and Serenity's taken Michiru for a heart-to-heart, Takeshi waits for Kotono.

[22:04] <@Kotono> ---Arc 2 go!---
[22:05] <@Kotono> Takeshi heads to the bathroom. The downstair bathroom is off in a corner, a  plain white door with wave decorations hanging. It's shut quite securely.
[22:06] * +Takeshi raps softly on the door - it's been some time since Kotono disappeared, and Serenity's already come and gone, as have Usagi and Rei. "Kotono? Are you still in there?" he asks quietly.
[22:10] <@Kotono> "Aaah!" A soft little yelp, a splashing sound of water following. "I'm okay! I just went to take a bath since I needed to relax and clean up and kinda got distracted!"
[22:11] * +Takeshi blushes a bit. "Sorry, then - didn't mean to interrupt you," Takeshi responds. "I'll be waiting out in the living room whenever you're finished - I think Serenity's going to be busy for a while, though."
[22:13] <@Kotono> "Okay." Kotono calls back, "Eeeew, I'm all pruned up now, you know, so I'll be just a couple!"
[22:15] <+Takeshi> "Take your time, I'm not in any hurry," Takeshi says, chuckling a bit as he heads back to the living room to wait.
[22:16] <@Kotono> Indeed, a good 15 minutes pass until Kotono comes out. Her hair is damp, Kotono brings a brush out and starts on it as you sit in the now quiet living room. "I'm better now, so what's up?" Kotono smiles sunnily, working through her hair and smoothing it out.
[22:18] <+Takeshi> "If you're feeling better, I did still want to talk to you about those myths and legends I originally called you about yesterday," Takeshi replies, back in his position on the loveseat. "It's kind of a long shot, but if there's any kind of legend relating to what we've already found out about these 'inhumans' it might at least give us a general idea of what's going on."
[22:22] <@Kotono> "Ooooh. Nothing offhand but we can check my stuff for it." Kotono's nod is perky and to the point as she brushes, looking down at her ashy blonde hair. IT's a bit darker dampened, hanging heavy. "I mean, we did find something on the Beast Lord when we researched so maybe there's something hidden away somewhere, huh?"
[22:24] * +Takeshi nods. "Like I said, it's kind of a long shot - there are only a couple of important points I can really say make this stand out, and I've got a few mental images from spying last night, but a long shot's better than no shot at all." His mouth twists into a half-frown. "Just wish we had more to go on."
[22:26] <@Kotono> "Right!" Kotono nods again, "Get a sheet of paper and write down all the terms you know and then read it off to me and pass it to me so I know what to look for, and I can have Hot-chan and Rei-chan and even ...well, no, Ami-chan's still in Germany but we'll do okay anyway so c'mon!"
[22:28] * +Takeshi pulls his notebook out of his pack. "Easy enough, just give me a minute to copy this," he says, taking out a pencil as well as he tears out a sheet and begins to copy out his notes. "Just let me know if you need any help looking into it - there's not a lot else I can do right now besides try to get as much information as I can."
[22:29] <@Kotono> "Well, I'll have you help me read some soon, and oh yeah, I can get Asher to help me since he works at a bookstore and he's really cool and cute and he'll be awesome to ahve over to help and I'll make us some tea and...oh yeah!" Kotono blinks out of that, a happy little smile dawning on her face. "Anyway, read away, huh?"
[22:32] <+Takeshi> "The two things I know for a fact are that they've mentioned both 'the Lightbringer' and 'the Sages'. They're looking for the Lightbringer - I get the feeling that's a person, but it could be an object - and the Sages are apparently the ones calling the shots," the young man explains as he writes. "Temptation mentioned them when she was trying to recruit me.
[22:32] <+Takeshi> "
[22:38] <@Kotono> "Right...oh, Sages! You hear about them a lot like the Wise Men and the like, so that'll be interesting to research, huh?" Kotono ponders it all over, speeding up her brushing in time with her words! "So that's a cool idea right there, and I dunno about the Lightbringer but it sounds interesting and really cool and if we find it I wonder if Usagi or Balder or Serenity or someone really bright could use it to beat them up instead, huh, or i
[22:40] <@Kotono>  use it to beat them up instead, huh, or if it's a person if they'd help us instead?"
[22:42] * +Takeshi doesn't bat an eyelash, not even looking up as he continues to write. "We can hope so," he replies absently. "The Sages by themselves isn't much to go on - there's just too many possibilities for different sets of people that could be called Sages - like you said, you hear about them a lot. But most of the rest of this are some impressions of what I saw last night - I don't know how well it'll relate to anything (more)
[22:43] <+Takeshi> you'd find in a legend, but I'll throw it in anyway on the off chance that it rings a bell. Most of it was pretty surreal - like a circle that looked like it had everything - literally everything in the galaxy - inside it, but was small enough to walk around. Or a big smoking cauldron of some sort."
[22:51] <@Kotono> "Oooh, like a pentagram or some sort of astral circle? Did you see the zodiac in it or osmething, since that would mean that but if you saw the entire galaxy it's more interesting like it's a giga zodiac sign or something!" Pausing as she finishes with her hair and puts her brush aside, "Okay,I can work on all that. Like a witches caldron with really cool and cute young witches around it, huh?"
[22:54] <+Takeshi> "No, standing by itself - just smoke coming out of it. I didn't see what was inside actually MAKING the smoke, though." He sighs a bit. "And it wasn't like a magic circle, just more of a marked-off area from what I saw. Temptation was there, and it looked like inside was just this vast starscape - the best way I can describe it was that the inside seemed way, WAY bigger than the outside."
[22:56] <@Kotono> "Mmmm. Okay! I'll work on that, I know that 'bigger on the outside or inside than the otherw ay' is a theme I've seen before!" Kotono smiles now, talking a mile a minute as she stands, "I'll walk home and start working on it now, okay, sinc ethis is really interesting and I bet I can find something good out about it if I hit the books and maybe we'll find a clue, huh?"
[22:58] * +Takeshi chuckles as Kotono builds up a head of steam. "Sounds good to me. I just wish I could take a look in tonight - with Despair dead I'll bet they're buzzing like mad, and I might be able to pick up something useful. Too wiped out to try it tonight though - and I still have to get back over to T*A to get my bike, anyway."
[23:07] <@Kotono> "Then good luck and I'll see you then since I wanna get going now and this'll just be too cool and I think we'll be okay and maybe I'll ...oh yeah, MIchiru and I can see her at school or at club soon and wouldn't it be awesome if she joins now and I wish you were a girl so you could go to T*A and join too, and if Mako-chan went there!"
[23:08] <+Takeshi> "Er... I think I'll pass on that, but I appreciate the sentiment," Takeshi says, sweatdropping. "I'll see you later then, Kotono-san. Let me know if there's anything you need from me on that, okay?"
[23:12] <@Kotono> "Right!" With that Kotono bounds off, at a sprint as she gets going! Off and away,t o whatever waits Kotono past here. A scary thought?
[23:13] * +Takeshi whistles softly as the blonde disappears at a simply amazing rate, letting himself out of the house after her to go take care of his business for the evening. "I wonder how often she actually STOPS...." he muses, striking out for T*A.