516/Seiyou's Halloween Party

Seiyou's Halloween Party
Date of Scene:	31 October 2015
Location:	Pikarigaoka - Seiyou Public School
Synopsis:	The Guardians have worked super hard getting ready for the Seiyou Halloween Party! Phantom Ruins everything. Ikukto/Black Lynx and Ikiko/Cute Wolf Tsukiko save the day! Along with.... an Anime Princess who is most certainly not Mikoto Nakajima.
Cast of Characters:	Phantom, Tadase Hotori, Ikiko Hisakata, Ikuto Tsukiyomi, Mikoto Nakajima

---

Tadase Hotori has posed:
It's been a busy evening for Tadase Hotori - because ever since Yaya pitched the idea for this party, and Nadeshiko and Kukai were onboard, he's been somewhat conscripted into making sure all of the relevant parties get together for one big bash, to showcase the best of each club!

And, frankly, it's been a little tiring. At least he had Amu and her endless depths of energy to help. And he's got to admit, it all looks great, and everyone seems to be having a pretty good time. So Tadase relaxes. His costume? A king? Why would a king dress up as a king? That's pointless.

Tadase is wearing a (rather good) samurai costume which he made himself. And it's here that he's sitting, after having recently done a round to make sure everyone did seem to be having fun. Slumping in the chair a bit, but there's a smile on his face. He loves leading, and he loves helping people work together like this.

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
Perhaps unfortunately for Tadase, one unlucky Black Cat also goes to Seiyou Public School. Also unfortunate for Tadase is that said unlucky Black Cat has also just caught sight of him inamongst all the people here. Ikuto ambles over quietly, from behind Tadase, and makes to put his hand down flat on Tadase's head and lean lightly on it. Only with enough force to push his head down a little, though. Tadase would easily be able to push that hand off his head.

"Well, well," Ikuto comments quietly, whether Tadase pushes his hand off or not. "I'd have thought you'd dress up as a king. Maybe a Greek god. Though you don't have the bulk to be Zeus. Ideas for next year, maybe." He smirks.

For his part, Ikuto's dressed in a leather jacket with chains on it, ripped jeans, and motorcycle boots that also have chains on them. the jacket has some kind of fake motorcycle gang logo on it, though it's not a real gang. Looks like he's supposed to be some kind of biker or something. Yoru isn't in sight at the moment. Though if anyone looks around, the Guardian Cat is at a refreshment table, chowing down on pretzels.

Phantom has posed:
Yurei Fukuhara is here. He is pretending to have a fun time. The scowl on his face suggest he's really bad at pretending.

"H-hey! Perk uUh oh.</span> Yurei gets agitated enough that he leaves the Elementary Schooler's sight.

Amu crosses her arms and hrms before turning to Tadase. "Good Job! Except for the sourpuss. Can we get rid of the sourpuss?" she asks at the Samurai. Miki is somewhere screaming at all the pretty decorations in admirations. She seems to like the artisitic decorations.

Oh, then Ikuto shows up and that Pink Heart dissapears. Whoops.

"H-ey...." she suddenly says WIDE EYED.

Yurei has found himself at the edge of a stage area...

"Such.../happiness/... when there should be fear!?" an unsaid. 'humans should find all this darkness and masks and monsters scary BUT THEY DON'T!?'.

Ikiko Hisakata has posed:
A party! Ikiko has always enjoyed the costumes of Halloween, and had often dressed up as a dog, partially because of her family history and partialy because she simply likes dogs. This year, though, with having become a magical wolfgirl, her old dog costume felt a bit too close to the truth.

It was a realization that had come to her within the past week, so she kind of winged it with her costume tonight: a cat-ear headband, a feline tail (connected to a belt), and a touch of feline linework using facepaint. Not the best costume ever, but not bad for short notice!

She's at the refreshment table, getting a few snacks when she spots a familiar tiny catboy. "Hi, Yoru," she murmurs, hiding her mouth behind a cupcake before taking a bite and looking around. If the smaller of the two catboys is here, what are the chances that the larger one is present as well...?

Mikoto Nakajima has posed:
Ahh, Halloween. Time to dress up as all sorts of outlandish things and go have fun being Someone You Aren't. And Mikoto is out checking out all the -other- school's Halloween parties, having for some reason decided that Infinity's is either terminally dull, or not going to get interesting until late.

It's Infinity. Probably the latter. All those science geeks and college kids and all.

So here she is, crashing Seiyou's party (why not Verone? Well, there's this -guy-, y'see, that she really -doesn't- want to see right now....). Here she is at Seiyou, dressed up in the colorful robes and ornate hairstyle of a certain Princess of Jyurai, easily recognizable by any fan of 90's anime. Oh, wait, these kids weren't even born then. So what? Neither was she. With a cup of soda in one hand (part of the costume, the cup is a plastic replica of the old-fashioned tea cups) and a cookie in the other, she circulates through the crowd, looking around to see if she recognizes anybody.

Tadase Hotori has posed:
Tadase looks up - shoving the hand away from his head - but there's a tired, self-satisfied smile on his face. "Well, I decided to be a bit more creative than that. It's good to see that you're getting your outer self in touch with the inner deliquent inside of you, though." Tadase says.

"But unlike you, I spent my time actually doing something constructive - and nice - and look. Everyone's enjoying themselves. Even you can't bring me down in my moment of triumph!" Oh Tadase, you were doing so good until the end. Especially the part where you posed with your fist.

"So look, ally cat biker boy, why don't you grab some punch and try enjoying yourself or something." Tadase's in rare form today - likely because of the way successfully implementing something big like this makes him feel so good.

Amu walks up, and he smiles. "Do you mean Ikuto, or do you mean someone else?" he asks with a grin - but then stops sort. "But seriously, is someone just not having fun, or is someone actually out there causing trouble?" he asks - it's clear by his tone he's wondering if this is something where he needs to step in.

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
Ikuto turns the smirk at Amu as he notices her. "A witch? Not a jester? You'd make for a pretty good clown, I think." Yes, he's teasing HER now. He likes teasing Amu, she's fun to tease. Then again he's kind of a troublemaker all around, so he kinda likes teasing anybody...

Yoru hears his name called, and looks up from the pretzel bowl. "Oh hi-nya!" he greets, with his mouth full. He hasn't gone after the sweets much, from the looks of it. Though anything with cheese he's probably had to. Oh but when he sees Ikiko's costume? He drops the pretzel he'd been holding, and starts laughing! Fortunately he can fly, so this doesn't result in him falling into the bowl of pretzels! "Hahaha, Ikuto's gonna love this-nya!"

Ikuto is indeed present, over there beside where Tadase and Amu are sitting, and he looks like he's kind of messing with the two of them a little, if Ikuto's smirk is any indication. He doesn't appear to be looking around, so he probably hasn't noticed Ikiko yet.

Mikoto's brightly colored outfit does get his attention, though, and he tilts his head to see her. He does smirk a little at the costume. He recognizes it, yes. But he doesn't know her, so he doesn't bother her about it.

Tadase's response does actually make him smile a bit-- an honest smile, not his perpetual smirk when he's being a jackass to someone. But it doesn't last long; he's back to that jerkish smirk pretty quickly.

He catches the 'moment of triumph' comment and chuckles. "Watch out, little king. Now would be a horrible time to pop your crown." Referring to Tadase's rather involuntary megalomania. As for enjoying himself? "I am. Don't worry about that." Smiiiiiiirk. Yup, he's teasing them. At least he's not being malicious about it.

Yet.

And to his credit he does look like he's going to wander off when Tadase and Amu start discussing more serious issues. Maybe he's not here to cause trouble. Who knows?

Ikiko Hisakata has posed:
Ikiko Hisakata giggles slightly at Yoru's reaction. "Glad to see that you enjoy it," she remarks, snagging a few pretzels before starting to head over towards Tadase and the others. When visiting, it's only polite to thank your hosts, after all!

She gives a polite nod to Ikuto when she gets closer to the group, but she doesn't give him much attention. "Thank you for this terrific party!" she smiles to Tadase. "I've been having a good time, and the snacks are great!"

Mikoto Nakajima has posed:
Mikoto seems to be enjoying herself, at least, for the moment. She's chatting with a couple of the students - Kendo club types, by the look of the Samurai and Ninja costumes - and occasionally taking a sip of soda. Every so often she takes a look around the room, to see if she recognizes anyone that actually matters to her. Her eyes pass over Ikuto, but it doesn't seem as if she recognizes him any more than he does her. That's what happens when people don't know each others' secret identities.

Eventually, she gets bored of the kendoka praising each others' skills (and unknowingly putting down her own), and has to find someone else to hang out with, or start a fight. And starting a fight would be ... terribly rude.

So it's off to circulate again, looking to see if she recognizes anyone else.

Phantom has posed:
Amu purses her lips. /cat/. "Yeah---well! You're-- a clown!" she says. This fails. She fails. She looks to Tadase and points at Yurei. "Yeah, that guy over there looks like he---" wait? "Wait where'd he go?" she seems to be scanning the room. Huh. You'd think weird grey/white haired guy would be easy to pickout....

She spots Ikiko and ughs. A /cat girl!?/ why can't Ikuto go bother her!

Amu does notice Mikoto's costume and!---can't place the animes.

Yurei has dissapeared- indeed! BUT INSTEAD with a burst of wind that expldoes over the room for the party--and on the stage area- PHANTOM, General of the Phantom Empire, appears instead in his red haired glorly. Some people probably think this is an elaborate stage show of some sort. This sinks in for a moment.

Tadase Hotori has posed:
Tadase smiles a bit less at the comment about the idea that he might jump into his megalomaniac spell. Kiseki pops up from behind Tadase and he's in a similar (much smaller) samurai costume, likely built out of the leftover materials from Tadase's own. "Better to be an involuntary King than involuntary alley cat." Kiseki retorts.

Tadase smiles - a much bigger one than before - when Ikiko thanks him. Wether it's out of politeness or genuine enjoyment. "Everyone worked together to make it come together, I just helped tie it all in." he says, trying to be as gracious as he can, as he should be.

Just as he's about to go over and meet Mikoto - after all, he doesn't know her, and that would be the polite thing - Amu answers his question. And he turns to look where she points - where the boy isn't.

And then Phantom appears. Tadase knows this isn't part of any show - because when you spend so much time around Blue it's really hard not know who Phantom is, and what he stands for! Tadase almost curses under his breath. "Not here...!"

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
Ikuto gives a polite nod in to Ikiko's as he's retreating from Tadase and Amu's 'SRS BZNS' discussion, though it's with a smirk at Amu's comeback. He doesn't respond, actually. Does he really need to point out out the fail? Probably not, and would be unecessarily rude. He just chuckles as he heads away.

That takes him over in the direction of Mikoto. "Hey." He's probably talking to Mikoto, since he's looking in her direction. "I think I've watched that." He's referring to the show her costume's from. "Didn't expect to see anybody dressed like that." Honestly trying for something of a real conversation instead of annoying her!

Though Phantom's show does catch his attention. And he frowns. Something isn't quite right about this, but he can't figure out exactly what. He looks to Yoru at the refreshments table and cants his head to indicate Yoru should come back over to him. Yoru does, offering Ikuto a pretzel. "Here ya go, Ikuto! They're really good-nya!"

"Wait. Something's not right," Ikuto replies.

Also yes, this would be a pretty big giveaway to Mikoto that he's not normal. He has a tiny catboy fairy-thing following him around, he can talk to it, it can talk back, and the normal types don't seem to be able to see it.

Ikuto's been keeping an eye on the room after that, and Tadase's reaction confirms this isn't part of the show. So he looks to Mikoto. "Run. Quick." he advises. Because he doesn't know she's a magicla girl and can totally defend herself. Then he goes back over to Tadase and Amu. "What's going on?" he asks. Not teasing this time.

Mikoto Nakajima has posed:
Mikoto nods to Ikuto. "I like some of the older shows. They're fun." And besides, there were at least three Sinons at Infinity's party, which was what she first wanted to go as. "You ever see Bubblegum Crisis?"

She looks up as 'the Phantom' makes its appearance, and hmmms softly. To those with the right senses magic is obvious, but it's still something of a public venue. "Someone's going all out," she murmurs, and her eyes flick to one side to note Ikuto's little familiar. "More than one, it seems."

Yes, something is definitely not right. "A Princess of Jyurai runs from nothing. Except possibly a planetkiller. Which this is not." She's even got the accent down, her voice kept soft and sweet. She smiles lightly and follows Ikuto over to the others.

Ikiko Hisakata has posed:
Ikiko Hisakata turns towards the commotion on stage and frowns. "That's... not good," she murmurs. Glancing towards Tadase and Amu, she notices another little character, this one hovering around Amu. Another person with magic, probably -- which makes it easier to mention certain topics.

"I've fought him before," she murmurs, trying to keep her voice down so only Tadase, Amu, and the returning Ikuto can hear. "He has a thing against Precures, and he's not above taking hostages in the process."

Her hand is tensed, waiting within easy reach of her locket. If Phantom is here, trouble will certainly be unleashed soon.

Phantom has posed:
Amu looks up. Hey what!? There's some windy jerk in a white trenchcoat-- and this feels weird and powerful. "Tadase there's a jerk up there." she asides.

"No--not Ikuto the other jerk."

"No----that one on the stage." she whispers. "I'm going to go take care of this- I mean he just messed up our party decorations!" she exclaims! Amu has heard of Phantom but has never seen him. SO----

"MY HEART UNLOCK!: AMULET HEART!" she calls out- there's a pink transformation with Ran going into her egg and a merge---and there is a baton now!

She flies forward. "Hey! Red Hair jerk! What are you trying to do!? DO YOU WANT TROUBLE CUZ YOU GOT IT!" she calls out forcefully and energentically. The Baton comes down on a point on him. "SO WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT YOU DO YOU WANT!?"

Phantom is standing there listening to this. These are not Pretty Cure. But he is not screaming for them to come. No. Something has /offended/ him tonight. This isn't about Precure Hunting. This is about... /putting the FEAR/ in these people. "I am Pretty Cure Hunter Phantom." Well. That last like a second.

"I Hunt Pretty Cure." he raises his hands at Amu who blinks. "---oh---oh nooooo." she says as bells and whistles finally go through her head. A brilliant beam of RED ENERGY shoots from Phantom's hand as it collides with Amu and shoots straight into the far wall. He doesn't feed the beam so it continues. It's an assertion of domiance.

Oh. That's right. There's a terrified announcer behind him who was about to announce a bobbing for apples event.

This terror pleases Phantom but it isn't enough. "LET THE FUTURE REFLECTED IN THE MIRROR BECOME TERRIBLE....." he calls out raising his hand skyward- the announcer gets sucked into the Mirror of Despair---red stripes lock the mirror down--

"Come on out- Terribad!" he calls out!

The Terribad unleashes itself from the Mirror in a brillant flash of white light- as is Phantom's color. "TERRIBAD!" it calls out. It has a giant pumpkin head- and also, looks a little like the headless horseman of sorts.

"Yes. Good." Phantom says.

Amu sort of stirs and gets up. "Somebody get the number of that truck?" she murmurs as she spins a little forward on her feet. @,@.

Tadase Hotori has posed:
Everything happens all at once. Phantom's there. Amu leaps into action. This is a reasonably bad idea - as is shown by the giant red blast of light. Tadase's slow - he's tired from everything he's been doing, working so hard - for everything Phantom is trying to destroy. He wants to stand up and fight Phantom right now, but he can't... not yet. Because first he has to take care of Amu. He rushes over to her, tips over a table, and leans her up against it - the table's blocking her visually from the Terribad and it's master. That was a big blast, and she... well, those spinny eyes are not indicative of stability.

And Tadase is upset now. First, this jerk has the audacity to show up and start trouble during the dance - but now, he's blasted Amu? Yeah, there's a crown above his head (it's on top of the Samurai helmet) and there's a scepter in his hand. It is an interesting visual combination. And Tadase's hand might even be shaking with rage. "Why? WHY ARE YOU HERE?" he asks, and it's taking everything he has not to charge Phantom too, after what happened to Amu. Then he turns to Ikuto. "This guy's real bad news. Worse than Easter." he says, plainly.

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
Ikuto looks at the girl dressed up as a princess and scowls. She's going to get hurt! But then, he's not supposed to care, is he? So the scowl quickly disappears. He shrugs. "Do what you like." And a little tease for Tadase, because he just can't resist, even at a time like this. "The knight-king in shining armor will protect a fair lady."

Though Ikiko confirms his suspicions when the mentions she's fought the man on the stage before. But it's Yoru who speaks up. "Grrr-- interrupted a good party, too. Ikuto! Let's kick his butt-nya!" FLAAAAAAAAAIL! Yoru's mad!

And then suddenly Amu's transforming, and getting blasted. Cat ears and tail suddenly appear on Ikuto. He's too slow to stop the beam, but he figures Tadase's going to tend to Amu. So he moves to cover the other boy's path to make sure nothing hits Tadase on the way. He nods at Tadase's warning, and looks at Phantom.

He shuts his eyes, emits a huff of laughter. His cat features disappear. "How terrible are you if all you can do is bully kids?" A look at Yoru. A raised brow, a question. The Guardian Character nods firmly in response. He's ready.

"Ore no kokoro... UNLOCK!"

Yeah, nothing good comes after that. Unless you like transformations. Because then suddenly Ikuto's body glows, Yoru disappears into his egg and merges with Ikuto. The ears and tail reappear, growing into place slower than before, and the glow resolves itself into the outfit that anyone who's seen him transform would know. It's a short cropped top with a loose neckline and tails in the back, pants with a long strap tied between the knees, and sturdy boots-- all black. A sharp, silvery claw appears on his right wrist. And a large silver cross appears on his shirt.

CHARA NARI: BLACK LYNX

Ikiko Hisakata has posed:
As the chaos starts to unfold, Ikiko dives under a table. The blasting and other transformations might be a distraction, but she still prefers to hide from non-magical eyes while she transforms.

"Lycan Locket!" she calls out mid-tumble while under the table. There's a silvery glow, and then Cute Wolf Tsukiko emerges from underneath the table and rolls to her feet. Her Halloween costume even adapted itself to her magical form: the tail-belt is now a simple belt of the same material as the faux-tail, and the cat-ears on the headband have changed to deelie-boppers. Her face makeup underwent a more subtle change: it's still linework, but now canine in nature instead of feline.

The wolfgirl darts over near the other magical folk, ready to move to help protect others from possible attacks. She's not too worried about Black Lynx; he can take care of himself, and she knows it. Tadase and Amu... well, when you're protecting someone in danger, sometimes you need someone to protect you while you're doing that.

Mikoto Nakajima has posed:
Mikoto pauses, torn. Yeah, she's not willing to run away. But is she really willing to give up her secret to people she barely knows? Then again, some of them are doing the same, changing right in front of her. Or maybe there's a third way. It's not as if she -needs- to transform to work magic.

She just gives up a lot of her defense, going without a Barrier Jacket.

And it isn't too hard to add a little hologram to the basic defense spell, following the Princess Ayeka theme. Throw up a basic Round Shield, edged by those cute little wooden floaty things from the anime. It's not very powerful, but it's enough to give her a chance to dodge, at least. "As I said," she says, staying in character. "A Princess runs from no mere monster."

Phantom has posed:
Phantom's big ol' red beams of energy aren't very pleasent for LOTS of reasons. Amu is okay. Tadases help on getting her stablized physically and behind something is needed however. "--W--watch out Tadase- that jerk hits really hard." she barely says. It may be a moment before she can rejoin in this battle.

Phantom has chosen to jump to the shoulder of his Terribad for a moment. "Ah...little Prince." he says. This doesn't really matter because he's already changed. Phantom does like goading. "You seemed to be having so much.../fun/..." he says. He says fun like it was a giant bug that he had to pick up off some fancy cake.

He looks to Ikuto. "Kids. Yes. Kids who save people from horrible monsters and often defeat powerful creatures. Sure I am such a bully." he says. "I mean. I could most certainly steal the dreams of people....." he says trailing off at Ikuto. Was that supposed to be a snark at him? Or did he mean something else? It's unknown

Phantom jumps onto the head of the Terribad. "TERRIBAD!" it yells out. It picks up the head and THROWS IT DOWN into the main big area of the auditorium. Phantom is riding it-of course, before it explodes in some sort of magical burst that threatens to mess up everyone, Phantom attempts to come down on Tadase with his right bracered fist. No sword. Yet.

Ikiko appears. Amulet Heart tries to get back on her feet. "Okay! I got my second wind! Let's get back in the game!" she insists.

Then she falls forward. Ikiko may wanna catch her.

Mikoto calls herself a princess and flings up a shield. Phantom seems unimpressed.

Everyone's gonna have to deal with the big expldoing pumpkin head as another one appears on the Terribad's head. It calls out "TERRIBAD AGAIN!" then stomps down into the actual floor from the stage. The room shakes!

Tadase Hotori has posed:
It's not the incoming attack that gets Tadase's goat. It's not the insults Phantom throws. It's actually the way Amulet Heart seems so shaken by the attack. It's the way she's suddenly lacking in that energy she always has. She's too tough to stop fighting, but it's obvious Phantom's attack has taken a toll.

It's also obvious that as the pumpkin head comes down it's going to wreck a lot of hard work. A lot of the hard work of his friends, his classsmates, the people he's worked with so hard.

"HOLY CROWN!" That familiar burst of golden-silver energy erupts from his scepter. It does its job of protecting Amu (and perhaps also Ikuto) - but it also leaves him open to the driving bracered fist from Phantom, which he barely catches by interposing his scepter again - and even still he pushes Tadase back. It's obvious to everyone there he's overmatched.

"People worked so hard for this - you don't have any right to wreck it just because you don't like fun!" he shouts, and there's a ferocious, righteous anger behind his words. He tries to swing at Phantom with his other hand. Nothing bold this time, though. Just an angry young boy lashing out at the person trying to ruin his hard work. "Don't let this jerk win!" he shouts to everyone else. "Try to handle the overgrown halloween decoration!"

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
Ikuto sighs at Mikoto's continued remaining in-character. A shrug. "Your choice," he decides. "Careful you don't leave your kingdom needing an heir. I don't think your little sister's going to have time, what with being one of the three universal forces." Yes, he's teasing.

He soon stops, though, when Phantom starts goading /him/. He seems to get angry there, just for a moment. Before he lets it go. "Hmph. Not everybody here can defend themselves." He's just ignoring the 'stealing dreams' comment entirely, going back to the denial of being a bully. Of course then he has to try and dodge that exploding pumpkin head!

Worse, 'Little miss Princess' over there, shield or not, probably isn't going to get out of the way in time. Not in that dress, he figures. Despite the very nonchalant attitude he'd taken with her insistence in not leaving the area, Ikuto leaps to try to pick her up (hilariously, he's going for bridal style) and leap back, out of the area of explosion.

Success or fail, he's careful to keep an eye on Tadase, though. And at Tadase's insistence to focus on the Terribad, Ikuto nods. He'll deal with the Terribad when he's sure the girl who insists on being a princess for real isn't in danger.

Mikoto Nakajima has posed:
Mikoto is ignored by the Phantom. That's okay. She's not exactly trying to get its attention, just to stay in character.

Mikoto is not ignored by Ikuto. Or whatever he's calling himself. She's -fairly- sure her shield would take the explosion, but getting out of range is probably the better idea anyway.

Fortunately, he's quick. And gentle. She appreciates that. And she spreads the shield to cover the pair of them. Hopefully, between the distance and the shield, they'll both be spared any damage.

"Thank you, sir Knight," she offers to her rescuer, and hopefully is set down on her feet when they land. "Do you have problems like this often?"

Ikiko Hisakata has posed:
Cute Wolf Tsukiko darts over to catch Amulet Heart as she staggers, then crouches with her to make sure the two of them are shielded from the blast by Tadase's Holy Crown. "Stay safe," the wolfgirl says to Amu, guiding her back to a sitting position. With all of the shaking, it's safer for an off-balance magical girl than trying to stand.

With one concern addressed for the moment, Tsukiko vaults over the fallen table, then dashes towards the Terribad. She leaps forward, springing off of its side with a mighty two-footed kick and launching to catch some of the falling decorations. As she lands, she carefully places the decorations onto a table, then starts charging back into the fray.

Phantom has posed:
Phantom is in a fist fight with Tadase for a moment as he uses his Holy Crown to stop the blast from getting through to Amu and Ikiko. Ikuto drives himself up to rescuse a princess(?), So if Princes are protecting Werewolves and Naught Catboys are rescuing Princesses then this must be a hilarous fractured fairy tale.

Phantom is sticking to using his bracer. "You seem....intent to...." he says. "Protect that girl. The one who thought that it was a good idea to point a weapon at me. Does she give you hope, Prince?" he asks.

Amu is sat down, but she gets up. "Wooooo Tadase!" she calls out. "Punch him in the butttttt!" she cheers out! Tadase might feel that surge of drive and hope!---and Where'd the pom-poms come from anyways!?.

Amu is trying to give Tadase hope and this is unacceptable. Phantom jumps back and raises his bracer- it glows a deep hard red as four deep waves of energy fly out towards amu and grab her limbs---sending her backward- but also anchoring her heavily down in the air in orbs of red at her wrists and ankles. "Wha!? HEY! LEMME GO!" Amu calls out in panic. This isn't really good.

Tadase has heard stories. This is the end of a Pretty Cure. This is how Phantom does it. Is he sending... Amu away? Can Tadase deal with this?

"I've always wondered....perhaps..." he says to Tadase. "If I can become the Mahou Shoujo Hunter..." he says. "You see...Queen Mirage has been unhappy overall. More so than usual and-- well. If I can make her h-----" he stops there. "If I can make her content...." he says seething.

His hands move in a strange kata in front of him--- it seems to thum in a weird way....

He suddenly throws his arms out to either side of him...

"ETERNAL GAUGE!"

It's called out, bolts of red lighting fly towards Amu, aiming on that one central point Amu's eyes on wide. This looks painful. She really doesn't know the half of this.

What is Tadase going to do?

Ikiko dashes towards the Terribad. It's still there...

"TERRRIBAD!" it calls out as it tries to smoosh her- after being kicked off of.

Tadase Hotori has posed:
Tadase can feel that power from Amu - is it just hope, is it just her cheering him on, or is it something more? Something deeper, a special kind of hope that gives heroes the strength to fight? He rapidly becomes more confident, that with her backing, he can stop the jerk in the white trenchcoat!

But then, he sees something. It's something he's been told about before - something Blue feared for any cure, something he's been on the watch for. But seeing it now, it's more horrible than it sounds. And seeing it attacking Amu isn't something he was prepared for on any level.

Tadase sees it, and Tadase has to do something. Holy Crown is too risky - it won't interpose right. There's only one thing that can keep Amu safe for sure.

Tadase moves quickly and he's there, and he's pushing Amu out of the attack with phenomenal force - he'll take it, but she won't. That's what it means to be a King. To be noble. To take on burdens other people can't. Wether that's leading people to a great end, or something like this. Protecting a flower, or working with classmates.

As Eternal Gauge closes in on him, ready to trap him in a mirror, he looks out. At the work he's done. At his unconscious classmates, the people he's grown up with. At Amu, who he's willing to protect.

That's when the Humpty Lock begins to glow a bright, nearly eye searing white. Tadase does too - and Kiseki, who's been quiet up until now, floats up.

"We're not going to let Phantom have his way. Not here, not in our world - you're King here, Tadase!" And there's a moment of strange quiet - Kiseki returns to his egg, Tadase reaches out for him, and words come to Tadase's mouth - not words he's thinking of, but unconsciouslly.

    "MY HEART: UNLOCK!"

There's a brilliant flash of light again, and when it comes clear, not only has Eternal Gauge not succeeded in trapping Amu or Tadase, but it's not Tadase there. Well, it is - but not in any conventional sense. He's wearing a white outfit with a /lot/ of frills, and his scepter looks a lot more ornate. That's to say nothing of his crown.

    "Character Transformation: Platinum Royale!" he calls out - and shortly after that, he levels his scepter at Phantom. "White Decoration!" A blast of energy, bright golden, but with a ferocity to rival Phantom's own beam from earlier, erupts out of his scepter and at the agent of the Phantom Empire!

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
Ikuto does indeed put Mikoto down on her feet after landing from his explosion-guided leap. He kind of skids when he lands, in fact, and has to wait to put Mikoto on her feet 'till he makes sure his own stance is stable enough for a shift of weight. Her question gets a raised brow. "More often than you'd want to consider," he replies. He doesn't mention that just as often as not he's on the side of the villain. No sense in doing that now.

He can see that Tadase has a big problem over there. But so does Ikiko. And he knows that protecting is more Tadase's niche than his own. He's more suited to hurting things. So he turns that hurting on the Terribad. He gets clear of Mikoto, draws back his right arm, and swings toward the Terribad. He's way out of melee range, but that's not going to stop him. Waves of silver energy launch from his claw as he swings it, the cutting waves aimed at the Terribad's legs.

But he's still keeping an eye on Tadase and Amu. That's why he's kept his distance, in fact-- because he wants to make sure things aren't about to go pear-shaped over there. If he's in melee range of the Terribad, a distraction might cost him dearly.

And he sees the thing he was hoping NOT to see. Ikuto doesn't know what the Eternal Gauge is, but given Amu was trapped first, he can't think it's anything good. He does not see Tadase leaping in front with Holy Crown, which would might have done something to dampen the blast a little. He sees Tadase just shove Amu out of the way and prepare to take the blast full-force. His eyes widen.

"NO!"

He tries to run towards Tadase and Amu, knowing he's not going to make it in time, but trying anyway. What would he do when he couldn't save either one of them? He isn't thinking about that. He should, but he isn't. He's just pushing for every bit of speed he can get, but knowing it won't be enough.

Then suddenly... light. Amu's Lock, Tadase, and Kiseki start glowing. Ikuto skids to a stop, possibly against his better judgement. The light forces him to close his eyes. And when he opens them... Tadase's changed. A smile pulls at the corner of his mouth. "...He did it," Ikuto says quietly.

Ikiko Hisakata has posed:
Cute Wolf Tsukiko dives sideways, turning what would have been a solid hit from the Terribad into a glancing strike, sending her tumbling. The wolfgirl rolls to her feet, sizing up the opponent and the rest of the fight. There's not much she can do to help Amu, but Tadase is there--

--and suddenly there's a bright glow, and Platinum Royale is countering Phantom's attack. Tsukiko reacts quickly, dashing at the Terribad again, this time with darting zigzags. Force the youma to commit to a move, then change her direction with a burst of speed, weaving around its legs in an effort to confuse it and possibly get it off-balance.

Mikoto Nakajima has posed:
Mikoto isn't too clear on heroes and villains, but the one launching an assault in the middle of a party full of civilian schoolkids is certainly villain enough for her. So she pats Ikuto's shoulder and nods. "Oh, I understand," she assures him.

She's focusing on the creature, for now, and shielding Ikuto and herself from any potential attack from it. "You hit it, I'll cover you," she offers to him. And then he gets distracted.

She doesn't -know- these people. Doesn't know who's important to whom, who's willing to die for each other. All she sees is Ikuto running off after someone else after attacking the monster. So it -has- to be more important. She's just turning to see what it is when -

LIGHT!

Ohhhhh, that wasn't pretty. She has to pause for a moment, blinking away spots from her eyes. Right. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why we wear Barrier Jackets.

Phantom has posed:
Phantom is the bogeyman for Pretty Cure. He comes for you. He takes you away. You're never seen again. He just tried this with Amu.

Tadase gets in the way though---and the Eternal Gauge seems to be absorbed---or just...vanishes at the point Tadase reaches his point of self-aculization and he and Kiseki become one. Phantom has to stop. Phantom has to pause-and for a moment there's a look of general 'shock' on his face because the Eternal Guage isn't something you /stop/. You can get in the way. Sure. Phantom's had that happen before. But you don't stop it.

Amu's binds fade as she smiles away and unhenshins and hit ground. She's gonna be out now- she was too close to---whatever awesome that was. She'll be excited at Tadase later. Right now it's naptime.

Ikuto cuts into the terribad, silver claws rending it- Ikiko is weaving around and it's being thrown off balance. The Terribad is your typical youma. It trips fall---it's top spills open and giant pumpkin seeds spill outeverything--and also explode into smaller magical bursts! Whoops! This thing needs finished soon! But it's getting there----if all the heroes can band together- they might be able to finish it.

As for Phantom. He's drawn his sword- and he's screaming and yelling and aiming to slam into Tadase who has offended him enough that he looks a little angry. This is not a common thing Phantom is seen as. Tadase has done something and it's amazing.

Blasts ping off Mikoto's shields of course. Her PSA is TSAB approved. Always wear your barrier jacket.

Tadase Hotori has posed:
Tadase - Platinum Royale - doesn't have a sword. Tadase has a very fancy looking scepter, though, and it'll do in a pinch. on some level he's still on autopilot, and his ations are automatic. Which means that when he parries Phantom's attack - and this time, isn't pushed back - there's a bit of wide eyed wonder in his eyes. Of course, any Noble King would be an expert swordfighter - or scepter-fighter - but more than that, it's the strength that flows through him - the strength of becoming one with Kiseki, who's right there with him - and that's what gives him the temporary strength to match Phantom's sword with his scepter, and even try to push him back a bit for ground.

"Whatever you're trying to do here, I won't stand for it!" Clang.

"Whoever you're trying to hurt, I'll protect!" Clang.

"Until you realize the error of your ways!"Clang! And there's a bright light again, and Tadase's trying to focus energy through his scepter right next to Phantom, trying to drive him off - or at least clear space - and keep him away from the three fighting his giant pumpkin.

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
Once he's assured himself that Tadase and Amu are safe (well, reasonably so in Amu's case), Ikuto can turn his attention back to the Terribad. Well, what actually gets his attention is when he gets pushed over by a magical explosion. He rolls back, to a crouch, his right arm held up so it won't damage the floor.

Another look to Tadase, who seems to be doing all right now, and he smirks. Part of him realizes he's going to end up on the other end of that someday. That day will come when it comes. For now...

He looks up at the fallen-over Terribad again. And then looks to Mikoto. "If you've got long-range abilities, use them. Otherwise, stay safe." And then he lunges towards the fallen creature, trying to slice at it with his claw. A lot of times. This thing needs to go.

Ikiko Hisakata has posed:
With her speed steadily increasing, it's not too hard for Tsukiko to get clear of the spill of explosive seeds. The wolfgirl circles around, maintaining her momentum, then dashes back in once the bursts die down. Kicking and striking as she speeds by the Terribad, she does what she can to keep its feet knocked out from under it.

And as she does this, her speed keeps creeping upward, and a silvery aura starts to surround her, pooling and flowing around her like a mystical liquid. She is nearly a blur, but not quite yet...

Mikoto Nakajima has posed:
Mikoto rubs at her eyes, washing away the last of the spots. Fortunately a force-barrier doesn't require much in the way of targeting. You just have to cover a large enough area and keep feeding it power.

"I'm okay," she assures Ikuto. She really is.

Ordinarily she'd get up close and personal with a sword. But then, ordinarily she'd have a Barrier Jacket up. Long-distance spells would be kind of obvious, however, though she could probably get around that. Carnwennan was built for a commando, after all.

But not tonight. She's not trying to show off, and there are effective combatants in place already. So she focuses on defending them as much as she can with the barrier fields, staying out of direct combat, watching everything.

Phantom has posed:
Phantom is off having this ridicolous 'swordfight' with Tadase. That might be a Scepter-but it's a sword. Right now, it's a sword- and Phantom's Demon Blade isn't cutting through it. This is abbohrent. He should be able to cut through. The Eternal Gauge should had never been stopped. Someone important should had been taken away /forever/ and that didn't /happen/.

Phantom disengages. Once again. This is not a /thing/ Phantom does. He'll run away after commanding a Terribad-if it's purpose has been served- but. He doesn't leave a fight willingly. He doesn't look happy. This is a good thing.

Of course, Now Phantom is going to speak. "....I see that Queen Mirage will never get her wish if you and others like you continue to exist in it." it's a statement. Phantom never talks about himself. Never about himself. It's always for Queen Mirage. None of the other Generals spout rehteoric like this. So what does that mean? Well. Phantom bursts away into a gust of wind. He's gone. He's left his Terribad to suffer the combined assault of Ikuto and Ikiko (try saying those two names three times fast!) as claws and bursts of feet slam into it repeatedly.

There's a brilliant flash of light...! And the Terribad is defeated. Though brute force---but defeated. All this means is you don't hear 'Relaxing' all it means is a pumpkin headed monster flashes away---and the announcer student from earlier blinks as the mirror fades from around him. "Huh?" he says.

Tadase Hotori has posed:
Tadase watches Phatnom dash out - then he turns on the terrib- Nope, team Paws, Claws, and Fans has taken the Terribad pretty much apart. Which means... the announcer is let free. And suddenly, Tadase is free too, in a way - Amu's unconscious, but okay. The event is... not perfect, but it should be salvagable thanks to the combined efforts of the heroes.

He turns to thank everyone - Mikoto, Ikiko, and even Ikuto - but before he can, suddenly and sharply - yet still with a smile to his face - he hits the ground on his knees, and goes from King back to Halloween Samurai, with his Chara Transformation ending abruptly. It turns out, going toe to toe with one of the Phantom Empire's biggest threats on your first henshin can take a lot out of a boy!

"Thank you... all of you... and you too, Kiseki." he says, quickly trying to push himself towards a chair. "There's no way... I could've done that... alone." He'd thank Amu, but she's probably still taking that enforced nap, too.

Phantom has posed:
Amu Hinamori is on the ground and asleep with a big dumb smile on her face. Who the heck knows whatever she's dreaming about.

Ikiko Hisakata has posed:
Cute Wolf Tsukiko slows down to a walk, then heads over to help Tadase to a chair, transforming back into Ikiko along the way -- hey, most of the non-magical types probably aren't paying attention, and the magical folk mostly know who she is, anyway. "That went a lot better that I thought it would," she remarks. "Take a rest; you deserve it after taking him on."

She looks at Ikuto and Mikoto. "How about if we help clean things up, so that the party can continue?" she suggests, already heading towards a toppled table. Whether or not the others help, she's going to do what she can!

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
Ikuto leaps back as the Terribad flashes away. He's not sure initially if it's an attack or not, so he jumps back to Mikoto's side to play meat shield if necessary. Thankfully the thing disappears instead. And so does Phantom. Ikuto's definitely going to remember that guy. He might even be able to use his less-than-good channels to get some extra manpower on that guy. He'd have to be careful though.

Once everything goes back to normal, he looks at Mikoto. "Thanks." And then to Ikiko. "You too." Suddenly Tadase's down, and Ikiko's helping him to that chair. Ikuto lets his own Character Transformation go, and heads over to the chair himself. He smirks. "You did good, little king." Yes, he's still teasing Tadase. But it's a gentler tease, because he means the words he says.

He's keenly aware of something. THIS is how it ought to be. He should be encouraging Tadase when he does good. Not antagonizing him. But life doesn't seem to agree. It's a little out of his hands. But hey. While it lasts....

He heads over to where Amu-- who seems all right, if sleepy, given his initial impression of checking her over-- is lying. Then looks at Ikiko and Mikoto again. "Are you both all right?" he asks.

Ikiko's words get a nod. "Let me find somewhere to put her so she can recover." He'll make to pick Amu up then, to take her to the nurse's office, or somewhere similar.

Mikoto Nakajima has posed:
Mikoto smiles slightly, letting the force-barriers fade as the enemies disappear. "Sometimes you just have to step up and do what's right," she says, taking a moment to make sure Tadase and Amu seem to be alright.

A nice clean fight was just what she needed to clear her head after the unwanted attention at Infinity... it's too bad she couldn't cut loose here, but this wasn't her fight. She doesn't know the participants. But maybe she can change that.

"I'm not hurt," she offers Ikuto. "Are you and your friends well?"

Tadase Hotori has posed:
Tadase wants to say something to Ikuto, but talking is hard right now. Words are hard. The chair, however, is not hard. The chair right now? that's super comfortable!

Kiseki, though, is fine and talkative. "Probably could've happened sooner if you hadn't stolen Tadase's key, you know. But... thanks. And Yoru too." he says. That's about as honestly thankful as Kiseki is going to get to Ikuto, a thanks mixed with an old grudge. He's gonna fly alongside Ikuto to make sure Amu (and Ran! and Miki!) get to the nurses office okay to rest.

Tadase, meanwhile, gets some of his strength back, and stumbles out of the chair. Even in his exhausted state, everyone else worked so hard, he can work a little harder. So he gets up and tries to help Ikiko. "Thank you, too. I don't know why he attacked, but I'm glad we had so many on hand." he adds to the wolf-girl (who is once again a cat-girl.). He'd thank Mikoto, too, but it seems she's gone with Ikuto to the nurse's office.

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
The excuse Ikuto gives the nurse when he brings Amu in? "I think she had too many sweets and not enough actual food. And with all the running around all day, setting up..." He is really good at making excuses. Probably better than he needs to be.

Once he's on the way back to the area where the party was going on, he answers Mikoto's question. He nods. "Seems like it. Thanks for your help." He's not above thanking people he's indebted to-- he might need them later. Particularly if they're not attached to the conflict with himself and Seiyou's Guardians.

Yoru, on the other hand, has stayed behind and heard Kiseki. Yoru puts his hands on his hips and gives a smug smile. "Yeah, well. Tadase wasn't doing anything with it-nya. And Ikuto needed it for something else. It's his father's anyway, so..."

"Yoru!" A firm stating of the Guardian Character's name, to make him be quiet. "You talk too much," he says, gently flicking Yoru's nose, drawing a 'NYA!' that's more of surprise than pain.

Mikoto Nakajima has posed:
Mikoto doesn't need medical attention, fortunately. So she circulates while Ikuto gets Amu to the nurse, collecting a small plate of sweets for herself. She's munching on another cookie when he returns.

"You're welcome," she answers. "It's always a pleasure to meet a fellow soldier." She offers him a cookie, just to be friendly.

"Do they really come right into the schools so often?" And then Yoru gets up to Shenanigans. Devices can get stubborn on occasion, but they're rarely quite this independant. It's a new thing for her, so she shuts up and watches.

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
Yoru seems to have decided not to say anythuing else. The Guardian Character merely, sticks his tongue out at Kiseki, pulling down his eyelid, and moves off with Ikuto. Coincidentally this means he moves towards Mikoto for her to ask her question.

In response to it, he shakes his head. "It's rare unless they have a plan. Usually involving the kids inside. Pep rallies to steal their energy, that sort of thing. This seemed random." He doesn't feel like he shouldn't tell her, because well... normal people would have gone unconscious, and wouldn't have been able to even use shields. So the girl has something to her that's magical.

As he explains, Ikuto gets himself a plate too. Notably there's few sweets on it. He seems to gravitate towards the saltier foods and dairy. Much like Yoru, had done earlier in the evening.

Mikoto Nakajima has posed:
"Well, that does seem to be typical of the sort of things we've been getting lately around here." She finds a convenient seat in a quiet corner, beckoning Ikuto to follow her.

"Unless it was specifically targeting someone here," she muses. "That line about... hunting Precures. I assume that's some sort of specific group or type?" Belkans. Always got to know who the potential rivals are. She smiles a bit more warmly, now, nibbling on a chocolate-covered strawberry.

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
Ikuto follows Mikoto to that corner, leaving Yoru to his own devices with the snacks. Nobody can see the Guardian Character anyway, unless they're magical too. When he gets to that corner, he offers an affirmative grunt to Mikoto's observation. "Looks that way. Specific groups of monsters, specific groups of people to face them. Becomes everybody's problem. On both sides."

Mikoto Nakajima has posed:
It's a scenario she's seen before. Or -someone- has seen before. It's hard to tell, sometimes. Ancient history that feels like living memory. "Factions. Each with their own agenda. Cooperating for mutual benefit, betraying each other when it feels convenient and useful." She shrugs.

"It's an old game. Gets older every time. Did you see that -thing-, last night? The flower?"

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
"Mhm." That's Ikuto's appraisal of her words. As for the flower? He nods. "Wasn't at the main concentration, though. I was working late and a few monsters tried to attack me. But I saw it."

Ha, 'working late'. Ikuto's skill for straight-facedly lying rears its ugly head again. He has a pretty good poker face, though.

Mikoto Nakajima has posed:
"Yes... I was fairly close to the center when it appeared," she lies, just as straight-faced. Well, she was when the denouement happened, and that counts, doesn't it? "Fortunately I was able to shield myself until things went quiet again."

She takes another nibble of strawberry and leans back in her seat. "This thing worries me, though... sure, they went quiet once, but it's still there. They haven't gone away, they're just ... waiting for something." And if heroes can ally, why not villains, too?

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
"They're probably waiting for everyone's guard to be down," Ikuto guesses. Though he's also quick to add, "I don't know what's going on. I wasn't there to find out." That much is true. He just knows it's not good. He shrugs, though. "Whatever it is, just do your best. It's all you can really do. Do what you can. The rest will either sort itself out or it won't."

Mikoto Nakajima has posed:
Mikoto nods. "Which means that we -can't- let our guard down. These things are predators... there were -hundreds- of those things. Whoever's behind this... they're strong. Too strong for any small band." She reaches a hand into the folds of her costume, producing a business card - with nothing on it but a phone number. "We should keep in touch," she says, sliding it across the table to you.

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
Ikuto nods. "But that's always the case," he replies, to the mention of never letting one's guard down. "So it's really no different, is it?" There's a bit of an ironic smirk there on his face. However, he takes the business card, looking at the number on it. And he nods to the mention of keeping in touch. He's supposed to be calling himself a hero here. Though if Mikoto talks to Tadase at some point, she'll realize he isn't.

But, that aside, it's a good thing he has a 'business' phone /and/ a personal phone. He's actually /less/ worried about her finding out his identity than he is about her finding out he works with Easter. "Do you have your phone with you?" he asks. "I don't keep business cards."

Mikoto Nakajima has posed:
A flick of her hand, and there it is, kept up her sleeve, perhaps? They're certainly expansive enough. "Always," she agrees, "Just call it and I'll save the number." Making contacts is always a slightly nerve-wracking affair, you never know just /where/ their real loyalties lie... sometimes you're right. And sometimes your'e not.

"Maybe we can even find a way to convince some of the ... opposition groups... that they've more interest in not letting this group win, than they have in ... other things, hmm?" Villain. Hero. Those are just labels. She's a soldier. The white flower people are on the other side. That's what matters.

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
Ikuto nods, and as he's instructed to, calls the number on the card. His number shows up without any issues, since it's just a personal phone number. Nothing funny about this one.

However, Ikuto does agree. "Maybe so. If you know any of those 'other groups', spread the word around." Notably he doesn't mention whether /he/ has connections to those sorts of people.

Mikoto Nakajima has posed:
Mikoto nods, tapping the phone's screen to note the contact. "I'd hope anyone who had the chance would." She tucks the phone away again, disappearing it back into her sleeve.

"Have to say, this was more fun than I would have had at Infinity's party."

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
"Shouldn't be a problem," Ikuto confirms. It all depends on what their goal really is. And that could be a way to ferret out the others, too. But that's neither here nor there currently. At the mention of more fun, Ikuto smirks. "Infinity's would have been safer. Risk/reward, though."

Mikoto Nakajima has posed:
"Bah. Safety is overrated." And besides, she wasn't even hurt. "I'm glad to properly meet someone and not have to hide what I can do, though." Except that she's still hiding, well, ninety-nine percent of it. "Secret identities sound cool in the comic books, but they're incredibly annoying in real life."

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
Ikuto huffs a chuckle. But at the mention of the secret identity he nods. "That's why I don't bother," he agrees. "Most of the time people pass out, disappear, or otherwise don't see what happened anyway. I don't envy the ones who have to."

Mikoto Nakajima has posed:
"Convenient, that. Same thing happened at the kickboxing tournament last week. Everyone got knocked out as soon as the monsters showed up." It really does seem awfully convenient. Maybe suspiciously so.

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
"That happens a lot too," Ikuto replies, with a nod. "Pretty common. Look." He cants his head to the refreshment table, where Yoru passes right under a student's hand to grab something else to eat. It's pretty clear as he dodges around hands that nobody can see the Guardian Character. Looking back to Mikoto, he adds, "I'm just glad it means I don't have to explain how I do what I do. Or why I have to."

Mikoto Nakajima has posed:
"Point to you," Mikoto agrees. "They -do- seem rather useful that way." She reaches for her plate to try another cookie. "Mine are ... a bit more obvious, I'm afraid. Harder to mask." Especially when casting anything serious requires a giant holographic rune-circle at your feet. Sure it looks impressive. But it's also a dead giveaway.

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
Ikuto nods. "Though as you saw, anybody who's looking at us can see us change." Mikoto probably would have seen Kiseki, as well as Ran and Miki, so she'd probably know what 'us' he's talking about. So seems like he just needs to make sure the bad guy doesn't find out where he lives. But he doesn't seem too concerned about that, either...

Mikoto Nakajima has posed:
It's true, she did see several of them. Ikiko at least had the good sense to hide under a table, so she's still safe, but, well. That's what happens when you don't care about hiding it. "Yes, indeed. It works much the same way for me. I do have a few basic glamours I can disguise myself with, but it's considerably more difficult to do so while trying to remain subtle."

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
Ikuto emits one of his trademark affirmative grunts at that. "Again, risk/reward," he notes. "Need to balance using your power with the risk of doing so." Also helps when your focus is pretty narrow. Ikuto's focus is being a feline. And clawing things, and moving fast. Pretty simple.

Mikoto Nakajima has posed:
"You had enough firepower to handle it." They got very lucky, but they did. "So I gave you all some extra defense. That, I can manage without going all flashy." She sips her soda and sets her plate aside. "It's been a pleasure meeting you, though."

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
Ikuto shrugs. "I do what I can. there's going to come a time when it won't be enough." There have been, in fact. Lots of times, in the past. Every time he tried to steal a heart's egg and it got beaten out of him. He's used to it. But there might come a time when things get worse than just 'lose an X-Egg'.

When Mikoto offers the sentiment, he nods. "Likewise," he replies. "And it may only have been shielding, but it helped. I'm glad you were here."