2009/Dark alleys and dark figures

Dark alleys and dark figures
Date of Scene:	09 October 2016
Location:	Mitakihara - Downtown
Synopsis:	Amu and Tsukiko confront Shadow Witch Shiniko. Ayana's having a few problems of her own.
Cast of Characters:	Amu Hinamori, Ikiko Hisakata, Ayana, Sora Hisakata

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Amu Hinamori has posed:
Amu Hinamori leaped off the building, flinging out her heart rod. "It's over!" she yelled at the x-character. It shot at her with a ray gun, but she deflected it with her rod. "It doesn't matter if we get older! Just because we grow up doesn't mean we have to cast away the toys that made you happy! They will always be a part of you!"

The character looked stunned, staring at her. She smiled and formed a heart with her hands. "Negative heart, lock on! Open heart!" Beams of purrifying light shot out, enveloping the character and turning its egg back into a white, glimmering one.

She sighed and watched it fly off. "Whew. I forgot how hard hunting these were. I--" And then she looked down and groaned. "Now where am I?" She was outside a nice, dark, dank alley. And it kind of smelled bad and she did not like it, at all. "Ugh. Ewwwww."

Ikiko Hisakata has posed:
As the toys flung around by the X-character fade away, Cute Wolf Tsukiko hops down from the rooftops. "I'm just glad it didn't send out more of those trains," the wolfgirl remarks. "Keeping two of them out of the way was pushing the limits of what I could handle."

She gives Amulet Heart a warm smile. "Still, it's good to see you again! How was your time overseas?"

Ayana has posed:
So much energy is bound to draw attention. But it's not the purifying heart energy that drew Ayana here; it's hte darkness. She can sense it again, and it's not making her happy that she can sense it again. Ever since the Orange in the world vanished (even if it was for only a while), nothing's been the same.

Least of all not Ayana, whose own orange has vanished to be replaced by the darkness she was born with once again.

She exactly follow Ikiko here. She just sorta came on her own, separately, after promising she'd keep the window open. And open she did keep it, but then she felt drawn to the X-Egg that pulled Ikiko out after all. And so she followed after all.

While Tsukiko and Amulet Heart talk above, the kitsune huddles in the alleyway, foxlike ears twitching to and fro as she listens, and dwells on the darkness that's quickly fading now that the X-egg has been purified.

Sora Hisakata has posed:
There's more darkness here, a shadowy fog settles in to announce a presence before the cold flames erupt. Cold flames that open up a passageway into the Dusk Zone. From it comes a presence, the aura of dark energy that surrounds Shadow Witch Shiniko is palpable. Whatever she may have been before, what she is now can be aptly summarized with but one word; Evil.

"Hello~" She flips through the leather-bound tome she carries, writing down some kind of note. "I noticed you were involved in some kind of purification ritual, mind if I observe or am I too late?" Her voice warps and bends as she speaks, and even then the disinterest is showing through loud and clear. She's got some other reason for being here.

Amu Hinamori has posed:
Amulet Heart smiled to the girl and shook her head. "I wasn't really over seas so much as across continent. But... ummm, actually I did. A lot of it was fun. But I don't want to go again. I really missed being home and--"

And then that happened. She turned towards the woman and her heart rod formed in her hand. "Who are you?" she called out, getting low to the ground and ready to launch an attack if need be. Was she the cause of the x-egg? Or was it something else?

Ikiko Hisakata has posed:
Cute Wolf Tsukiko whirls around at the shadowy fog, then narrows her eyes at Shiniko's arrival. Earlier that day, Ikiko had gone to ask if her 'cousin Sora happened to know anything about the Shadow Witch, only to find out from her relatives that Sora had gone missing.

And now here Shiniko is, yet another bead in a string of possible coincidences -- nothing firm enough for proof, but certainly enough for suspicion -- a suspicion that Tsukiko won't mention immediately. Not without more proof.

"Be cautious," the wolfgirl murmurs to Amulet Heart. "That's Shadow Witch Shiniko. She has an... overzealous approach to 'justice' that's more concerned about punishment than proof."

Ayana has posed:
Darkness. A darkness Ayana knows all too well. The darkness of the Dusk Zone--a place so alien and so dark that the light can never pass through. Ayana curls her lip in a faint snarl, then steps deeper into the shadows of the alleyway. The better to listen and not be seen. Carefully she draws up a small illusion around herself to ensure she isn't visible.

Then she crouches, and is surprised to find herself in an old familiar outfit: A white jacket trimmed in fur, a black sheath dress that barely reaches past her waist. Volleyball shorts and black thigh-high stockings. White leather boots tied up just shie of her knee.

Not a look she's worn in a very long time. Not a look she's proud of. Why did she reach for this?

Sora Hisakata has posed:
"I am, as she says, Shadow Witch Shiniko." Shiniko answers Amulet Heart with little concern, "Where the little canine is wrong is that I'm overzealous." She shrugs half-heartedly, resting on her hair like she is she doesn't seem to be too concerned. "I'm just doing what's necessary to rid the world of injustice, permanently." There's a smug little smile at the end, one of confidence and hubris, and eerily reminiscent of the smiles Sora has had when she felt like she had scored a victory against Ayana.

"It's too late to stop me anyway." The Shadow Witch hasn't noticed what Ayana is up to yet, seemingly too occupied doing the favourite passtime of villains of any era, catching her chickens before they hatch and gloating about it.

Amu Hinamori has posed:
Amulet Heart blinked a few times before gulping. "T-there's a real problem with injustice sometimes, I'll admit. But you really have a whole... slaughter everyone who does bad vibe going on. It's not good," she said with a shake of her head. "But if you're trying to save people, then you must be like us, right? Are you trying to learn to purify so you can better save those in need of it?" She at least tried to be friendly.

Ikiko Hisakata has posed:
Cute Wolf Tsukiko blinks at the unexpected gloat, not paying close attention to the smug smile accompanying it. That kind of gloat implies an active plot in progress -- one that undoubtedly needs to be stopped, or any scofflaw in town might wind up with a death sentence!

Problem is, how do you stop something that you don't have identified?

"Maybe she's going to try to purify the Dusk Zone," the wolfgirl remarks with a flatness approaching sarcasm. "Or she's trying to cure herself of the dark energy inside of her. Or--"

Might as well risk a feint! "--or maybe there's a missing person in the Dusk Zone that she's trying to keep alive!"

Ayana has posed:
Still deep in the darkness, Ayana reaches up to rub at her arms. Drawing on the darkness within wasn't safe. She should never have reached for this. And yet, here she is, embracing the gloom once again. What happened when the Orange went away?

Shaking her head, the Shadow Familiar clears her mind. It doesn't matter; this is what she's got right now, and she can't find the other emotions. What she can find, thoguh, is the anger, and the frustration, at evil being allowed to lurk. What she can find is the certainty that anything coming out of the Dusk Zone is bad news.

So quietly, very quietly, she begins to climb her way to the roof, listening carefully as she remains hidden behind her illusions.

Sora Hisakata has posed:
"Injustice cannot be allowed to exist." Shiniko answers Amulet Heart almost dismissively, and she forms a fan out of shadow to wave at her face with, as though to emphasize the dismissal carried in her tone. "I'm trying to better understand purification magic, it's interesting." She does sound genuinely curious about it, but she doesn't say why.

It probably ought to be obvious anyway. "As for you, no I'm not planning any of those things." Shiniko shrugs and adds half-heartedly, "And the girl you're thinking of is no more." Shiniko takes a guess who Tsukiko is talking about, assuming the worst case is she spoke pre-emptively about someone else. It won't matter in the long run.

Up on the roof, seemingly unaware of the Shadow Familiar, sits a fox made out of shadow. It looks eerily much like Ayana's fox form, like it's been modelled on Ayana instead of just any generic fox.

Amu Hinamori has posed:
Amulet Heart nodded slowly, eying the woman and then looking to her comrade. She looks between the two of them. "I uhhh... I really feel like I'm missing a lot here. Should I be scared? Is she going to try to kill us? I just... really am not sure what to feel in this situation." She kinda moves behind Ikuko. After all, she seemed to know who this person was.

Ikiko Hisakata has posed:
"I doubt that she'll try to kill us," Tsukiko remarks back to Amulet Heart, still keeping her eyes on Shiniko. "Well, at least not immediately. Just if we get in her way, or if we're ever in a position where we might be breaking rules." So much for reassurance!

The wolfgirl takes a deep breath, then stares at the Shadow Witch. "I doubt that your plan is as unstoppable as it seems," Tsukiko declares, putting forth a front of confidence. "Why, you have no allies, while there are countless magical folk who can stop you! How can you possibly put your plan into action?"

Ayana has posed:
When she reaches the roof, the kitsune comes to a very sudden, very confused stop. Her ears twitch forward, and sapphire eyes focus directly on the fox that looks so much like herself. A blink, a tilt of her head, then she leans forward and sniffs--just barely. Dark energy? The illusion fades as Ayana climbs up and snatches the fox into her arms, enthralled by its existence.

This isn't going to go well.

Sora Hisakata has posed:
"I'm not here to kill anyone today." Shiniko reassures Amulet Heart, with an added statement that seems to emphasize it's not because she thinks it's a bad idea, "If that's what I wanted I wouldn't have bothered to show up on my own. My familiars can take care of that." She shrugs and leans back into her own hair, using it like a comfortable seat.

"What makes you think I have no allies, wolf?" Sora asks Tsukiko with that same smug smirk, "Just because I don't have you on a leash doesn't mean I'm alone." She giggles then, a child-like sound warped by the same things that warp her voice, "And besides, I have more power than you can even imagine. Half of Tokyo is constantly feeding me their spare energy." Now that's an excaggaration.

The little fox familiar goes 'Kon' as it's picked up like that, and this makes Shiniko aware of the presence up there. "Hello Ayana. Have you come to help me bring an end to injustice?"

Amu Hinamori has posed:
Amulet Heart nodded and, after a moment, her heart rod disappeared. She really wished she had any idea what was going on. She knew so many people, all of them had so many things going on. She could only barely keep any of it straight. "I... see. If there's no conflict... perhaps I should leave? My parents are already going to be pretty mad for me being out this late."

Ikiko Hisakata has posed:
Cute Wolf Tsukiko nods to Amulet Heart. "We'll talk later -- I need to discuss a few things with some people to compare notes first," she remarks, still warily eying Shiniko.

The wolfgirl glances up towards the roof. Ayana, here? Not expected... but not as unexpected as the outfit! Tsukiko doesn't say anything, trying to not inadvertently reveal her identity to Shiniko.

Ayana has posed:
The kitsune's ears perk up as her name is called. Ayana. That's her name. Or at least it's the one he gave her. The one Ikiko kept. "Kon-kon," she whispers to the little fox, petting it gently as she turns to regard Shiniko.

The conversation catches back up with her. Ayana turns to sit on the edge of the roof, legs dangling off, with the fox familiar cradled close. "You should go," she agrees with Amulet Heart. "There won't be a fight tonight." She hopes.

Sora Hisakata has posed:
"There won't be." Shiniko agrees, and then a shadowy pentagram appears beneath her, and the shadowy flames that rise up seem to consume her. When they die down, Shiniko is gone. The fox familiar reaches out to nuzzle Ayana's cheek, contentedly adding another happy 'Kon.' It's obviously one of Shiniko's, but it seems mostly harmless... at least for the time being.

Amu Hinamori has posed:
Amulet Heart nods and then turns and jumps off, leaving them behind. She was sooooo going to end up getting in trouble. Not grounded. Oh no, she was too cool be grounded(which... really said a lot about her parents), but she was still going to probably be in trouble being out so late. They'd probably make those sad eyes at her. Or worse, her dad would lock himself in the bathroom and cry about how his little girl was growing up. Either way, it would be awkward and uncomfortable for EVERYONE involved.

Ikiko Hisakata has posed:
Cute Wolf Tsukiko watches the shadowflames until they completely fade away, then leaps up to the rooftop. "Didn't expect to see you here, beloved," she murmurs to Ayana, giving the kitsune a kiss on the cheek. "Felt lonely?"

Ayana has posed:
Ayana winces as Tsukiko appears, t hen glances down at the familiar. "She knows my name," Ayana points out as she studies the little fox. "And now she knows who you are, too." The kitsune looks up at Tsukiko with a disappointed expression.

Ayana swallows hard, then sighs and leans her forehead on Tsukiko's shoulder. "This isn't me," she says. "This isn't me, but it's me all over again. The orange is gone," she points out. "It came back for you, but not for me."

Ikiko Hisakata has posed:
"The orange was technically added when you were freed," Tsukiko points out, leaning her head against Ayana and giving the little familiar a gentle skritch under the chin. "So, you're actually freer than you've been before -- nothing leaning on you to act a certain way or not."

The wolfgirl nuzzles the kitsune. "So, how do you want to act?" Tsukiko asks. "If everything else was equal... what would you like to do with yourself?"

Ayana has posed:
Ayana tilts her head a little, ears flattening with trust and quietude. "I'm a fox," she says quietly. "trying to be a girl." A hand comes up to pet the little creature in her hands. "Created by darkness, bound to evil, freed by love, empowered by a God. But to do what? I don't know what the Inari-kami wants me to do. And if I mess up ... is this," she holds the fox up just a little, "what I'm going to be again?"

Ikiko Hisakata has posed:
Cute Wolf Tsukiko thinks back on when they went to petition Inari-kami to let Ayana be more than just a fox again. "Dance in the starlight," the wolfgirl smiles. "Stand for joy, love, and happiness, and oppose those who seek to do evil... whether it's those corrupt by their nature or corrupted by their extremism."

She cuddles her girlfriend. "You were created by darkness, but your soul and heart are bright and warm," Tsukiko smiles. "Follow that, and everything will work out."

Ayana has posed:
Ayana's ears droop even further, as she leans into Tsukiko's embrace. Is that really all there is to it? Follow her heart? Ayana looks down at the little familiar in her arms, then sighs and releases it back onto the roof. "Yeah," she quietly replies, "maybe." Then she raises her eyes again to kiss Ikiko on the cheek, just gently. "At least I know I want to be with you."

Ikiko Hisakata has posed:
Cute Wolf Tsukiko smiles warmly, then turns and kisses Ayana on the lips. "Thank you, beloved," she murmurs, resting her forehead against the kitsune's.

She sits there like that, then a flicker of movement catches her attention. That familiar looks extremely similar to Ayana's fox form. Like it's been modeled...

...as if Shiniko had seen Ayana in that form often.

The wolfgirl frowns. "I need to contact some people," she whispers to Ayana. "Some need to know about something... and the other one, I need to ask some questions. But not here." That last is said with a head-gesture towards the familiar.

Ayana has posed:
The kitsune curls up around herself, and banishes that disguise back into the darkness from which it came. She's left instead wearing her pajamas: silk pants and a silk top, the waistband rolled down so her tail fits over top. "Okay," she murmurs quietly. "I'm gonna ... go home," she says softly.

Ikiko Hisakata has posed:
"Let's go together," Tsukiko suggests. "I'll have to question the one in person, and the others can likewise wait until morning."

She stands up and helps Ayana to her feet, giving the kitsune a hug and a kiss. "Besides, we can get some jerky on the way home," the foxgirl adds. "I think you could use some extra cheering up."

Ayana has posed:
Ayana's ears perk up at the mention of jerky. "But I'm not dressed," she mumbles in protest, but only briefly. Then she smiles. "You gotta get it for me, okay?" she asks, tail wagging, as she makes her way towards the edge of the roof again.