View source for 1997/SoJ: The Good, The Bat, and the Ugly

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2016/10/03
|Location=Plot Room #1
|Synopsis=Shadow Witch Shiniko shows her hand again, attacking an art gallery with reputed underworld connections.
|Cast of Characters=151,85,160,171,127
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:151|Sora Hisakata| (151)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>It's been a while since people last heard from Shiniko, ever since the prison attack she's been quiet. Sure, small youma that may or may not be hers have been seen around Tokyo since, but nothing big. Until now, at least. The target, a small art room that according to some rumours belongs to the Yakuza.<br /><br />Nothing substantiated, and in all likelihood the rumours are just that, rumours. Regardless, shadows gather around as the afternoon progresses into evening, and they are thick and heavy, almost like a black fog. The people still in the art room start to appear sluggish.<br /><br />And to the magically aware it soon becomes obvious that there's a plethora of pitch black bats appearing out of nowhere, seemingly made out of shadow, perching on quality artwork, sneering at artwork that seems to be here solely to fill up the room, and their ears are made out of dark flame.<br /><br />Shiniko's signature dark flames, that drain the heat from their surroundings and leave behind frost and painfully cold air.

:'''{{#var:85|Amu Hinamori| (85)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Amu Hinamori frowned as she glanced up, a chill going down her back. She didn't like this, at all. She'd started feeling... something in the area. And it hadn't taken her long to track it down and end up near the source. <br /><br /> However, there was one thing stopping her. She'd heard rumors of this play. The Yakuza owned it! The Yakuza! What if they found out she was here? She was a magical girl! Not an anti-mobster! Her magic didn't exactly protect her from these kinds of things! "It'll be fine," Ran said firmly. "It's probably nothing like that! Besides, when you transform, no one... well, if they wanted you dead, it wouldn't be hard to find you! Easter probably knows where you live and they haven't done anything!" <br /><br /> Oh well, wasn't Ran just the most encouraging of supports? None of this did much to ease her nerves. In fact, it probably made it worse. Still, she had a job to do. "Miki, get ready. My heart, unlock!" And then, with a flurry of sparkles, Amulet Spade was on the scene! <br /><br /> She then shoved open the doors and stepped inside. At least in that outfit she probably blend in.

:'''{{#var:160|Lacrima| (160)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Lacrima wanted to get out of the house. Not to attack or drain or anything. Jiaying knew this was generally 'a good thing'. To get out and perhaps find a place to get five cakes. Because Lacrima will definitly eat five cakes. She's walking next to Jiaying.<br /><br />"Right..." she says queitly. "One of..Kukai's friends... the one who.. did the.. 'Open Heart' on me. In the past. Is. Trying to. Be my friend." she mutters. "I'm not. Really sure. about it." she says quietly.<br /><br />"Also. She seems to be super afraid of ghosts." she says.<br /><br />She then sort of twinges and looks over to a building across the street.<br /><br />"Nrg. That's...So--Shiniko's.. energy." she says quietly.<br /><br />She doesn't even wait for Jiaying to follow because she knows she will before she dashes across the street.<br /><br />She sees Amu at the doors a moment before she frowns and let's darkness cloak her, casting off normal clothes for that regal looking dress.<br /><br />She doesn't know this place's history, but she isn't afraid of mortal weapons. They just don't /work/ against her.<br /><br />"Shiniko-chan! If you're here..." she mutters. "Stop this! It's just a stupid art gallery!" she says as she looks around the main room.<br /><br />Oh god. Lots of tiny black bats. But. No Shiniko.<br /><br />She looks back to make sure Jiaying's followed her in.<br /><br />"Nrg. I have nothing to do with this." she says to Amu, reflexivly. Yeah she's used to being the scapegoat.

:'''{{#var:171|Jiaying Maki| (171)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Jiaying Maki had taken a walk with Norie, all three of her ghosts trailing behind her, though not visible. She doesn't want to have to explain that unless necessary. Though she is letting them roam far and wide, which means she gets a warning about the strange mist from Meifeng about the same time that Norie says something about it. When Norie confirms that it's Shiniko's energy though, she noticeably grows angry for a moment, her illusion flickering as she stops just shy of running straight into the middle of it. She's been destroying any of the smaller ones she's seen around. <br /> <br /> She gets herself mostly under control, though she hides her face behind what looks like a scarf made of mist, something that trails behind her and fades away, blowing around and away. It's only after that she looks around for witnesses before just dropping all pretenses of hiding herself, face aside. She wants to look like she's calm and collected. Which doesn't work. "SHINIKO, GET OUT HERE!" she shouts out before running straight at the swarm of bats, two of her three ghosts looking far less human and far more like the angry dead, gleefully attacking through the crowds.

:'''{{#var:151|Sora Hisakata| (151)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>If Shiniko is here, she's not responding to Jiaying and Lacrima, which considering her past actions almost certainly means she isn't here. She may not be the most reasonable when she's out as Shiniko, but she's always been willing to talk, and at times even to negotiate.<br /><br />Jiaying's angry ghosts smack around some of the bats, which dissipate into gooy shadow liquid that kind of settles on the ground. In response, the other bats coalesce into one another, forming a much larger youma which seems to have at least three dozen bat faces, and flies in spite of any mundane sense.<br /><br />It then proceeds to do what it does best, and that's spit cold fire at Jiaying, at Lacrima, and at Amu. All of the intruders who seem undisturbed by the shadowy fog. The black flames are more than capable of freezing water upon touch.

:'''{{#var:85|Amu Hinamori| (85)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Amu Hinamori blinked and then smiled at her. "Of course you're not! You're here to stop it, right? Well, help stop it?" She was so proud of Lacrima. And it showed. "Oh, who's your-- AHHHHHHH!" Ghosts ghosts oh gosh! She jumped back, up against the wall. "G-g-g-ghost..." she squeaked. <br /><br /> "Amu! The bats!" "B-but--" "The bats! Remember you have a job!" She whimpered, but slowly nodded. She didn't have much choice, she supposed. Though she couldn't stop from still being freaked out. She ducked under the sudden fire, shrieking. Then her magical paint brush formed in her hand. "F-fine! Colorful canvas!" she yelled before swishing it. Bright rainbow colors shot out, spreading along and attempting to capture and bind the bats in place. <br /><br /> It was so neon and cutesy it probably made the others a little sick.

:'''{{#var:160|Lacrima| (160)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Lacrima frowns. "I'm only here because my friend is doing stupid stuff like this." she says. "She's going to end up like me... if she..doesn't stop it!" she huffs at Amu. "The ghosts are friendly!" she says. "Don't mind them. My friend has them under control." she says. "Ignore them."<br /><br />Amu unleashes something bright and colorful and she winces by reflex. Such attacks that look like that also tend to rend her being. This one isn't so she gets back to work as she hrmphs. <span style="color:purple">"Tormenta Oscura."</span> she calls out, waving her hand across overhead, as beams of dark energy seem to rain from an diagonal angle from the ceiling towards the bats, but away from the group.<br /><br />"I don't think Shiniko is here, Jia-chan." she says with a frown.<br /><br />"But we should still stop this. Maybe it'll have a clue..." she says. "For us."

:'''{{#var:127|Naru Osaka| (127)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>The why, exactly, of Naru arriving here and now is questionable. Possibly her 'art in danger' spidey sense tingled, or perhaps she has a habit of visiting mobster run art galleries?<br /><br />For whatever reason, there's now a Naru at the door as she digs into her satchel, drawing out her sketchbook and warily watching to be ready to duck and move and dodge as needed, even as she's getting a pencil. "What does Shiniko want with art?" Naru asks as her satchel thumps to the ground and she flips a few pages. "Sorry, overheard you guys." She adds, after a moment.

:'''{{#var:171|Jiaying Maki| (171)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Jiaying Maki really seems to be ignoring Norie when she talks about Shiniko becoming like herself, something about how she doubles her own attack, hands sheathed in green magic as she tears at the bats until they form up. WEll that and the Lisa Frank attack, which does actually daze her because she really wasn't expecting bright and neon! <br /> <br /> Staggering back, it has the added bonus of getting her to focus again, working on controlling her breathing. Her third ghost begins to conjure up what almost looks like swamp water, creating a ball of energy, aided by Jia's magic which causes the claws around her hands to fade away, the larger the sphere becomes. Rather than lobbing it though, a jet of water sprays towards the creature's attack to try and shunt it off ot the side or even possibly stymie the attack. The librarian's ghost pairs up with Meifeng to begin attacking the bat creature, unable to find blind spots to attack from due to the multiple faces, but likely not making it's life easy with the two pronged assault.

:'''{{#var:151|Sora Hisakata| (151)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Amu's bright colours hit dark shadows, and they tear off some of the bats from the gestalt, keeping them in place and weak, making them spend energy on trying to escape rather than fight. They struggle though, and in the process their frozen fires grow bigger, and colder.<br /><br />Lacrima's beams of dark energy do hit the gestalt, but for whatever reason they seem to be trying to eat it, and while the creatures of dark energy do seem to realize that's a bad idea after one of them grows big off it and explodes, they're not hurt as badly as Lacrima might have expected.<br /><br />Now Naru's question does get an answer, one of the bats splits off from the group and grows into a fat little man in a suit holding a gun, which it immediately proceeds to point at Amu and uses to fire a few bullets made out of solid shadow.<br /><br />The double ghosts chip away at the edges, limiting movement of the ugly combined creature, and preventing it from going wherever it pleases. In response, two bats jump out of the gestalt, one heading straight for Lacrime, another flying around the swamp water to try to reach Jiaying, both ready to bite with their oversized fangs.

:'''{{#var:85|Amu Hinamori| (85)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Amu Hinamori shrieked and took a step back, molding herself to the wall in a 'hand up' pose, the bullets barely missing her. She stared with wide eyed worry, before running and taking cover behind a pedastal. She peeps out again before swinging her paint brush again. "Colorful canvas!" It's really the only attack she has, spreading colorful sparkle rainbows all over the place. She then takes cover again. "Try to bind them all up! If we get them all gathered together, I can try to purify them all at once!" She... didn't know if that would actually work, though.<br /><br /> She took a deep breath before she jumped forward and ran, trying to run across the room before spinning her brush one more time. "Colorful canvas!" she called out, sending another cascade of magic and sparkles towards the bats, trying to bind and lump them all together. Someone watching her might notice she was taking extra care to avoid getting too close to the ghosts.

:'''{{#var:160|Lacrima| (160)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Lacrima already knows darkness doesn't really fight darkness very well. It's one of the few things she laments, one of the things that makes her upset when she thinks about Natsumi-chan. That she can't 'help' her in her fight- because all she does is.. attract and feed these things when she attacks.<br /><br />So Lacrima changes tactics and grabs a nearby table, cloaking it in Dark Energy, only to pick it up- and throw it- into the incoming bat, using it as a blunt instrument, instead of 'energy'.<br /><br />This probably doesn't stop the bat though, but hopefully inconviences it enough for Lacrima to not get bit. She huffs.<br /><br />"Nrg.. can't really. Bind." she mutters.<br /><br />She throws another nearby table. This one actually had a sculpture on it. It also gets flung at the main gesalt.<br /><br />She blinks a bit and looks over to Naru.<br /><br />"Naru! Get out!" she huffs.<br /><br />Obviously because this is dangerous. "Shiniko's just..being Shiniko I think. Maybe she took offense to tasteful rennisance nudes?" she asks sarcastically.

:'''{{#var:127|Naru Osaka| (127)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Right." Naru hunhs softly as there is a request for something to gather up bats. She looks down at her page and then draws. Very quickly. Almost like she's been practicing at drawing fairly simple things, very quickly.<br /><br />A butterfly net, this time, taking shape on the page and in not so very long at all, actually coming up and out of and off the page. It's not huge, but the handle telescopes out at least, to give more reach. "I'm fine, Lacrima!" Naru calls out as she draws out the net and looks to gather up bats as best she can. "Well, I'll be fine enough if I remember to dodge. And there's nothing wrong with tasteful nudes. Everyone's a critic!" Her voice echos that dry right back.

:'''{{#var:171|Jiaying Maki| (171)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Jiaying Maki looks around quickly as her two ghosts begin to take wider and wilder swings at the conglomerate. Both of them seem to be enjoying themselves too, guessing by the almost sinister grin on both of their features. One gets the feeling Jia's got a sore spot about all of this. Stepping forward, she comes in low, then turns it into a palm strike, trying to catch the creature on the chin, right between those fangs. Success, failure or worse, she ducks and darts to the side, jumping from a table up to the curtains to drag the curtain rod down, ignoring that it's bent and probably not as strong as she could hope as she hop-steps back and uses it like a staff. For now. <br /> <br /> She calls out to Amu's suggestion first, "Not my thing, unless you think we can drown it!" She swings the 'staff' a few times, trying to keep the bat-thing away. "Lacrima, drag her out if you have to" Referring to Naru, also the fact that Norie can't do too much against the bats.

:'''{{#var:151|Sora Hisakata| (151)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Lacrima's throwing of furniture and art is so going to get billed to UMBRA if the owner of the place ever figures out that UMBRA exists and that one of their people is responsible for it. Which basically means it's never going to happen, it does force the gestalt to move a certain way to keep dodging things.<br /><br />And Jiaying's ghosts further corral it in, while the foxgirl's fist takes out the incoming one, which collapses into a shadowy goop, likely including some that stays on her fist. This part of the goop ignites into frozen fire soon after the collapse, leaving only little time to get it off.<br /><br />Amu's rainbow colours further put the gestalt in place, and what extras were roaming free get caught in Naru's net. It's vulnerable like this, a combined effort will doubtlessly take it out from here.<br /><br />Too bad it seems inclined not to go down easy. The goop on the ground from other fallen bats starts to suck in the oppressive atmosphere that predated them, and then suddenly the temperature drops as these cold fires start flinging shadowy embers towards the girls, they're cold enough that they're coated in a thin layer of liquid nitrogen.

:'''{{#var:85|Amu Hinamori| (85)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Amu Hinamori shrieked and took cover once again, barely avoiding being flash frozen. Probably for the best because she is not super durable. She shudders, holding her brush for a few moments before it disappeared. She then leaps to the side and skids along the ground for a moment. She stares at the gestalt they'd managed to coral. "Okay! Negative heart, lock on!" She formed a heart with her hands and aimed it at the creature. "Open heart!" She called out. <br /><br /> Beams of magical pink hearts lanced out, flowing towards the great creature as purifying light tried to envelop and, if lucky, cleanse the creature of its darkness. If that's what it was.

:'''{{#var:160|Lacrima| (160)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Lacrima is about ready to do as Jiaying says, making to try to dart toward's Naru when...<br /><br />She tugs a net.<br /><br />Out of a sketchbook.<br /><br />...what?<br /><br />She blinks a moment. Before she sudden hearts 'negative heart, lock on' and her eyes shoot open wide and she covers her face and hunkers.<br /><br />Even being close to that thing is uncomfortable... she can feel it tease at the furthest edges of her form-- trying to tug it outwards. Luckily, she's far enough way that all she feels is that unpleasent tingle and slight discomfort- this is not the unending pain of feeling her very being torn apart.<br /><br />"N--nrg---" she mutters, not doing much else as the shadowy embers impact her, causing her to wince and 'nrg' harder--- not much she can do, through that bright attack at the moment.

:'''{{#var:127|Naru Osaka| (127)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Rather than Lacrima trying to pull Naru out of the way of things, it's Naru trying to ensure that she's between Lacrima and the positive energy bomb that's going on. It's not going to hurt /her/ after all.<br /><br />Naru tries to use her net to keep the stragglers from getting out of the ray of bubbly pink hearts, even if the not-henshined one is starting to shiver as the room gets bloody damn cold and she ducks and weaves, dodging the embers coming her way. A couple pings hit her, little zots of wincing uncomfortable, but few enough not to overwhelm. Ideally.

:'''{{#var:171|Jiaying Maki| (171)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Jiaying Maki quickly flicks her hands, trying to get the worst of the cold off. Taking the fallen curtain she rubs most of it away before it causes too much pain. Though this seems to actually greatly anger her, "I. Am. Tired. Of. Frostbite." Is all she says as she withdraws her ghosts, not entirely sure how they'd react to the heart beams and tingly good energy, which while it doesn't bother her, does make her shake her hands a few times. <br /> <br /> The ghosts are sealed away, leaving her magic to herself, which she uses to empower the 'staff' she's wielding. Between the net and the magic penning them in, she decides now is a good time to take her frustration out and begins to swing into the gathered mass, each blow enhanced by her magic. It almost looks like a pinata. An evil one.

:'''{{#var:151|Sora Hisakata| (151)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>And open heart tears through the shadowy gestalt entity, tearing them apart and not even leaving any goo behind, what's almost outside of the beam gets beaten back into it by Jiaying's staff, and after all is said and done, the darkness brought by Shiniko's familiars fades away entirely.<br /><br />Allowing the customers and staff of the place to slowly regain their senses as they try to figure out what's going on. They're going to blame a gas leak in the end.

:'''{{#var:85|Amu Hinamori| (85)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Amu Hinamori looked around at the destruction. She cringed and then she turned back into herself. "Okay." "Leave it to me!" Su said before stepping forward. "My heart, unlock!" And then, in a flash of light she was... <br /><br /> So Green. So very, very green. She looked... possibly more girly than her rainbow sparkle attack. As hard as that was to believe. "Okay! Just leave this to me! Hup hup!" And then lifted up a great wisk, before pausing. "Errrr. Lacrima, please step outside for a second? This might hurt you!" Once the vampire was safely outside, she waved her wisk. "Remake, honey!" <br /><br /> Golden purifying honey would flow out, enveloping the area. When it was all done, everything would be back to normal. All the broken furniture would be unbroken, the art would be repaired, things would probably be standing up again. The people wouldn't be healed of any wounds though, but at least the property damage should be fixed. She then did a little pose. "Nice and tidy!" Then blinked. Urked. And quickly ran out of the room, her face red. <br /><br /> She didn't want to be there when everyone came to. At least the mafia probably wouldn't have reason to kill her now. It was her second most awesome attack. right after the clothing transformation of miki's. Made cleaning her room a breeze, at least.

:'''{{#var:160|Lacrima| (160)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Lacrima nrgs, and watches as Naru.... gets in front of her? Ugh. "What are you doing. That's stupid. You could be hurt." she mutters. Because Lacrima just doesn't understand getting in front of someone like that. Not anymore.<br /><br />She blinks and seems to be a little ragged from all that- as she nrgs. "Stupid.. positive energy..." she mutters. "Nothing but poison..." she mutters.<br /><br />She frowns a lot. Yeah she's cranky.<br /><br />She looks to Jiaying.<br /><br />"Are you okay, Jia-chan?" she asks.<br /><br />She points. "That's the one I was talking about before the attack." she says pointing at Amu.

:'''{{#var:127|Naru Osaka| (127)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Woah." Naru watches all that so much green and all that just poof. Fixed. "Well. /That's/ handy." She comments and then blinks as Amu makes a break for it, blushing. "Uh.." She just pauses a moment before turning her attention to Lacrima and Jiaying.<br /><br />"Positive energy isn't going to hurt me any more than dark energy is going to hurt you." Naru points out to Lacrima. "Besides, in front of you is easier to get the bats all into one spot." She rubs at her arm, a couple spots of keen cold catching her attention, even if absently.

:'''{{#var:171|Jiaying Maki| (171)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Jiaying Maki looks down at the pile of former youma and overhead swings the staff into it a few more times before flinging it into the pile and shaking her hand. That's going to hurt a lot later. She takes her pack in her unhurt hand and hurries out of the shop now, her illusion fading away, then reforming so that she looks normal as she leaves, catching just the tail end of the green heal beam. "Was that Platinum or the other one?" She asks no one in particular, clearly trying to distract herself. <br /> <br /> Looking to Naru, she points at her and says, "What are you doing? You could have been hurt!" says the one that was hurt, but she feels like she's more... used to it. Maybe she should keep practicing. Norie's question gets a shrug, "Sure." is the only verbal answer. Looking back over her shoulder after, she asks, "The one you were talking about huh. Do you want another friend?" Figuring she can run interference if needed.

:'''{{#var:85|Amu Hinamori| (85)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Amu Hinamori stepped outside with the others, letting the poof end. Well, they all have magic and, unlike some magical girls, her forms don't HIDE her identity. Besides, they all knew Lacrima, so they had to be good. She waved a hand and smiled to them. "Hello! I am Hinamori Amu, nice to meet you. I'm a friend of Lacrima-chan's," she said. Pretty presumtive. She smiles none the less. <br /><br /> "So, errr... this was made by a friend of yours, Lacrima-chan?" she asked, eying the woman. Was she wearing the friendship bracelet? She rubbed the one on her left hand subconsciously, hoping the other girl had kept hers. A sign of their burgeoning friendship that would help the poor woman break through her despair. Gave nervous grins to the others. Well,they looked close to her age, but she didn't recognize them. She hoped they didn't go to her school, otherwise she'd feel bad for not remembering them. "So ummmm... you're friends of her too, then?" She gave a nervous smile. Hoping this wouldn't end with her throat torn out. What if they were ALL like Lacrima? She could only deal with so much tsundere!

:'''{{#var:160|Lacrima| (160)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Lacrima is not wearing the friendship braclet. She /does/ have it in her pocket. Amu can't see this. Having it in her pocket, alone is a big deal in a way. She didn't... trash it. Or hide it away with the picture of her family.<br /><br />"Um." she says. "This is. Jia-chan. The one I mentioned who could control ghosts and has some friends." she says quietly.<br /><br />She motions to Naru. "That's... Naru-chan. She's... um. She wasn't magical like. A few weeks ago I guess? but she did that thing. So." she shrugs.<br /><br />She frowns. "This was the work of.. Shadow Witch Shiniko. Or. Just Shiniko. She's.. a friend. Who. Is doing bad things. Bad things I think that will just have her ending up like me. Unable to... be anything else. But this. Dark. Thing." she mutters. "I guess some people think differently..." she says quietly.<br /><br />"Just...I didn't. Have a choice. When I became this. She does and--just..." she sort of winces.<br /><br />"Not..very good. At explaining. Things. Sorry." she says.<br /><br />Conern isn't a thing that comes naturally to her. She has to force it, or just spluts out randomly.<br /><br />"Um." she looks to Jiaying. "No, I mean. She won't hurt me. I don't think. She wants to help. Like you are. But...I dunno." she says to Jia quietly.

:'''{{#var:127|Naru Osaka| (127)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"And you /were/ hurt." Naru points out to Jiaying. "I'm not quite /that/ fragile. I've met Shiniko before, you know." She declines to detail out just exactly how that went before, but that's a minor technically.<br /><br />Naru collects up her satchel, sliding her sketchbook back into it, her pencil not far behind before she looks over to Amu and there's a little nod. "We met earlier, Amu." Naru points out as Lacrima introduces her again.<br /><br />"Yeah. It's new, Lacrima." Naru confirms with a sheepish little shrug. "It's... been a process." She takes a slow breath and then gestures. "Is Shiniko actually still talking to anyone?"

:'''{{#var:171|Jiaying Maki| (171)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Jiaying Maki glares at Naru and says flatly, "And what would have happened if you had gotten badly hurt? I'd go home, mope and try not to get yelled at by my father. You would mobilize a load of caped guys deciding to retaliate." She scowls and says, "Frostbite isn't the same as being her snack. Again either." She works her hands a few times and begins to fish around in her bag, pulling free a wrap bandage, beginning to gingerly wrap her hand after. <br /> <br /> She grimaces, which turns into a faint smile as she says to Amu, "We met earlier, briefly. I am a friend of hers, yes." She works her now wrapped hands a few times, trying to make sure it's not too tight or rubbing funny. <br /> <br /> Finally, back to Norie, "I don't control them unless it's necessary, most of them are more... working with me. Even the librarian has been less uh-" she tries to think of the right word, then shrugs. "I let them do enough they don't fight me." That works.

:'''{{#var:85|Amu Hinamori| (85)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Amu Hinamori cringed and nodded. "What? No! No no! Don't worry, it's fine. I understand. You're doing a great job explaining!" she said. Then Ran flew down by Lacrima. "Rah rah! You can do it! Rah rah! Explaining great!" Oh joy, she now has a mini cheerleader. Who was giving her adorable big wet red eyes.<br /><br /> "Oh! Right, sorry. Eh heh." She kind of made a point of keeping one of the other girls between her and Jiayang. Then the librarain wasmentioned and oh wow she definitely made sure that the vampire was between the two of them. The color had drained from her face a little bit. <br /><br /> "The... murdered... librarian?" she asked nervously. "N-not that I... worry about that kind of stuff." Oh gosh the occult terrified her why why whyyyyy did Lacrima have to be friends with some kind of spirit controller? Internally she screamed. Externally she tried to keep up her cool and spicy persona.

:'''{{#var:160|Lacrima| (160)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Lacrima blinks once slowly at Ran and frowns. She doesn't say anything though.<br /><br />"Why are. You so scared of ghosts? They're not different than. Me or. Jiaying. or my Werewolf friend." she says. "Jiaying says the one that cause problems just tend to be angry or attention seeking..."<br /><br />"Right?" she asks at Jiaying. She squints. "Or...am I wrong?" she asks.<br /><br />She looks at Naru. "How long. Do those things last?" she asks, motioning to the sketchbook.

:'''{{#var:127|Naru Osaka| (127)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Naru is quiet as she looks at Jiaying after that comment, her face settling to something neutral. "I see. Yes. Frostbite is different, and I don't actually see Shiniko here to run afoul of anyone, caped or otherwise. Just her minions." She turns away, hefting her satchel up on her shoulder. "I should go. Take care, Amu. Lacrima, we'll try and catch up soon, okay? They last.. uh." Naru considers her net. "Depends on the thing. I've one that's still around weeks later, and one that didn't last out the afternoon. This one was just a rough sketch, it won't last long. We'll talk more later, okay?"<br /><br />Naru turns to walk away, digging out her cellphone as she does, perfectly capable of walking and typing on her phone. That comes automatic with the 'teenage girl' package.

:'''{{#var:171|Jiaying Maki| (171)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Jiaying Maki shakes her head and says, "Don't act like they wouldn't decide to do something bad to her- something I'd rather avoid. She's still not all the way gone." She then shakes her head and looks really confused at Amu's reaction. Running her fingers through her hair, she asks, "Why? They don't do anything too bad at least anymore. Meifeng just channel surfs at home and.. well they have hobbies." <br /> <br /> Finally she looks to Norie "Close enough, there's a few others occasionally, but those are also really rare. We spent how long looking, right?"

:'''{{#var:85|Amu Hinamori| (85)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Amu Hinamori cringed, going rock still. She then laughed. "W-what? Me, scared of ghosts? Don't be silly! I'm not scared of ghosts! Nope, not me, not one little bit, uh uh!" Miki just rolled her eyes. "It couldn't be more obvious if it was written on your face."<br /><br /> She irked again. "B-besides. You're a lot different than ghosts. I can touch you, for one. And you're... err... not haunting me. Probably. You don't haunt people, right?" She glanced as the other girl left, giving her a wave but she was already gone. She then smiled at Jiaying. "So... errrr... who wants... victory desert?" she offered a bit nervously. <br /><br /> She was trying so, so hard but she really had no idea what to do with the vampire. What kinds of things did vampires even like? Blood brownies? Blood shakes? Should they go by the ER? Did she even drink blood, or just energy? Should she like, drink something sweet and then hold out her arm? The girl had drank her cocoa, but that didn't mean much. "And ummm... how are you feeling? Do you hurt any?" she asked nervously.<br /><br /> "And your... friend. So she's not bad, just... confused? errr... how can I help her?"

:'''{{#var:160|Lacrima| (160)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Lacrima nods matter of factly after Jiaying. "I'm fine. I didn't expend much energy in that fight." she says softly. She sighs. "Dessert, sounds...okay. It's where. Me and Jiaying. Were headed."<br /><br />"For cakes." she says softly<br /><br />"Before I sensed.. that." she says.

:'''{{#var:85|Amu Hinamori| (85)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Amu Hinamori nodded and lifted a hand into the air! "R-right then! to ummm... cakes!" She said with a big ol' grin. Well, at least cakes were friendly! Mostly. Probably.
}}