View source for 562/Wanton Murder or Misdemeanor Property Destruction

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2015/11/11
|Location=Pikarigaoka - Clover Street - North
|Synopsis=The White Flower's henchwoman targets Sailor V. Kunzite targets the henchwoman and Sailor V. Sailor V targets the henchwoman, Kunzite, and ... donuts?
|Thanks=To Catastrophic Crunch, who cheerfully enabled Kunzite's player's silliness
|Cast of Characters=40, 109, 117
|Tinyplot=Fall of the White Flower
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:40|Minako Aino (40)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Minako Aino/<span style="color:#5f87ff">Sailor</span> <span style="color:#cd0000">V</span>'s original goal in going out to the streets was to 'track down leads' for the senshi before 'doing something about the problem girl'. A nebulous set of tasks for an equally nebulous goal.<br /><br />Somewhere along the way, 'track down leads' became 'stand on post office drop boxes and bask in the adoration of crowds', which is entirely legal albeit annoying to people trying to use sidewalks or shop on that particular stretch of street.<br /><br />"Are you beating criminals up?!"<br /><br />"Can I have your autograph!!?"<br /><br />"You know Halloween was last week, right?"<br /><br />V answers all these questions with a loud shout of, "YEAAAAAH!", bringing out equally enthusiastic exclamations right back.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:117|Madison Perry (117)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It's in the middle of all these exhortations of the crowd that something quite odd happens. A sudden expansion of reddish light overtakes the area.. and with it, all civilians, all non-magical people, simply vanish. The world remains the same, but only magical people remain within it- the effect being Minako suddenly finds herself standing atop a post office box shouting at nobody.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It's a Barrier, of course, the kind created by an Intelligent Device, and the instigator of said Barrier becomes clear a moment later when a voice rings out from on top of the nearby Post Office itself; "Normally I have to track you people down before I take you out. You've kinda made this too easy."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Looking up, one might see a blonde woman (though with considerably less hair than Minako) in a red and black long coat. She's carrying a pair of long knives, red gems glinting from their hilts, and she's wearing a slightly lopsided grin as she tosses one of them idly in her hand. "Sailor V, is it? Well, please.. allow me to save you from your hordes of well-wishers."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:40|Minako Aino (40)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Minako Aino/<span style="color:#5f87ff">Sailor</span> <span style="color:#cd0000">V</span> keeps talking about her last heroic adventure, her voice continuing on with a momentum borne of earnest admiration for her exploits. But the slow realization that the crowd is a lot more quiet and a lot more not there slowly causes her to get  quieter and then, eventually, become quiet all together.<br /><br />The voice from above draws her eyes up.<br /><br />"What? No, you don't need to save me from them... that's... that's not how well-wishers work," she says. She waits an awkwardly long time with her words before throwing out a gasp, equal parts theatrical and disgusted.<br /><br />"You... oh my god. You killed everybody. You monster," she says, blinking her eyes so hugely her mask shifts on her face.<br /><br />"They.. they didn't do anything to you!" she shouts, straightening up, both hands on her chest.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:117|Madison Perry (117)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Madison draws her brows together. "I didn't kill 'em! I just put up a barrier. The Flower don't like it when I start randomly killing people.. something about 'food supply'." She snorts, flipping her knife around again to hold it by the hilt.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"On the other hand, when it's people I'm /supposed/ to be killing.. well, then she seems quite pleased. So." A roguish wink of a blue eye.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Then she leaps into the air, hovering for a moment before diving down towards Sailor V, whipping one knife around in an arc to try and slash the Senshi before she has time to react!<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:40|Minako Aino (40)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Minako Aino/<span style="color:#5f87ff">Sailor</span> <span style="color:#cd0000">V</span> watches the knife-wielding girl jump up in the air, the brief hover exaggerating the parabolic arc that would land on V's head.<br /><br />She motions to jump away but hesitates for a moment, bouncing about nervously before jumping off the mail box and onto a nearby car.<br /><br />"Agh! No. Stop. It's still murder whether you stab them or you barrier them to death!" she shouts.<br /><br />"And now you're destroying government property. The hopes and dreams and bank overdraft courtesy notices of the entire city are contained in that mail box!" she says, stomping her foot (on the car) to emphasize the seriousness of her accusations.<br /><br />"I won't stand for wanton murder or misdemeanor property destruction!"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:117|Madison Perry (117)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Madison slices through the post office box a moment after Sailor V jumps away! It slides in half, spilling letters all over the ground. Of course, the way Barriers, work, this damage will all revert when it gets banished.. but the knife-wielding girl doesn't bother explaining that to her target. She doesn't have that kind of time!<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Sorry, hunny," She says instead, righting herself and flipping her knife around again in her hand, crouching atop the ruined box, "But you won't be standing for anything when I'm done with you." She then leaps forward again, quick as a snake, both knives flashing in an X towards the car that Sailor V now stands upon!<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:109|Kunzite (109)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>It's the crowd that caught his attention, really. Kunzite had had a few tasks in the area, now taken care of - seeds planted, new business planned, new minion encouraged in the proper directions, now best left to grow and ripen in his absence. A casual glance out his target's apartment window showed the gathering around ... a post office drop box?<br /><br />Kunzite is not the General most up to speed on human behavior, but he's reasonably certain that the particular incident is out of the ordinary, and with no visible cause. And Queen Mirage did make that request of the Pact. Politic to take a look at the unusual, just for a moment.<br /><br />Finding his way into the Barrier is not instant. He uses effects something /like/ it, sometimes, but not identical. It's novel, really. Under other circumstances, he'd be interested in studying it, breaking down how it worked, figuring out ways to duplicate it with his own powers. At the moment, as he manifests beside the ruined box in a swirl of darkness and off-color energy, he has other priorities.<br /><br />It takes him visibly aback, just for an instant, that those other priorities ALL APPEAR TO BE BLONDE.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:40|Minako Aino (40)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Minako Aino/<span style="color:#5f87ff">Sailor</span> <span style="color:#cd0000">V</span> might be in conflict with somebody who doesn't have time to explain, but she does! "Pssht, 'not standing'. Like I haven't heard that one before," she says, kicking in the back window and sliding into the car, using the car roof as an impromptu and incredibly uncomfortable shield to fight around.<br /><br /><br />"Hey, stop destroying property!" she insists, "First the people, now the cars... you need to stop!" she says, head of golden blonde hair and eyes peeping up over the top of the vehicle to stare accusingly.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:117|Madison Perry (117)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Sailor V slides into the car as Madison flashes by, knives missing by inches! "Damn, you're a slippery one." She mutters with begrudging respect, boots thunking onto the roof of the car. "You're the one who kicked in the window!" She points out with a smirk.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Now come out of there and let me kill you!" She stabs both knives down into the roof of the car and slashes them down across its roof, using leverage to start peeling the roof of the car open like some kind of oversized tin of sardines.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She hasn't noticed Kunzite appearing a few feet away- too focused on her prey, who she assumes to be the only other person sharing this barrier-enclosed space with her.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:109|Kunzite (109)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>There's a woeful drift of abandoned letters around Kunzite's boots. It doesn't do much for his sense of dignity, but he's got good footing for the moment, so he ignores them in favor of concentrating on the car. Technically he /could/ be intervening on one side or the other right now. Queen Mirage did ask. This does look like a situation that matches hers description. On the other hand, if he just /waited/, there might be one less problem to deal with first --<br /><br />Golden hair. Accusing stare.<br /><br />When he thinks back on these few seconds later, he's going to insist to himself that the stare reminded him of Zoisite, that's all.<br /><br />"I'd always heard," he calls to Madison over the shrieking of metal, "that it's considered polite to knock before you open a door."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:40|Minako Aino (40)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"That's right. You should always knock before you leap, 'cuz you never know what you're gonna get," <span style="color:#5f87ff">Sailor</span> <span style="color:#cd0000">V</span> quotes, before blindly putting about six concentrated beams of orange light up into the air through the roof.<br /><br />Then, for good measure, she aims a few more up and at an angle to either side, blowing out two windows as she awkwardly crawls around inside of the vehicle.<br /><br />"But yeah, you should listen to the weird guy," she calls out through what's quickly becoming a reverse-sunroof. "Knock, stop fightin', and maybe we can work this out un-explosively."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:117|Madison Perry (117)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Madison starts slightly at the sound of a male voice off to the side, whirling about suddenly with her knives held up in a defensive poisture. "Who the hell are you?" She asks, in an annoyed voice..<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Just before she has to curse and dive to the side as orange beams spray up out of the car several times, a few of them singing her bootheels as she hits the pavement and rolls, coming back to a crouched position. "Dammit, seems like you guys always got backup right around the corner. It's making working in this city a real pain." She straightens slowly, again flipping her knife around in her hand, gripping it with the blade held backwards towards herself as she regards Kunzite.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Unfortunately, politeness isn't one of my strong suits. And neither us un-explosions." She grins, and then darts forward, towards Kunzite this time- Sailor V still inside the half-opened car and (hopefully) unable to intervene in the time it takes her to cross the distance.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:109|Kunzite (109)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"/Backup/?" Kunzite repeats, after stepping away from the ruined box and thus away from being scorched by one of those stray attacks ... and he has the time to make it sound mildly annoyed; apparently 'backup' is worse than 'the weird guy.' And also worse than orange lasers. Which if nothing else puts some support under Sailor V's estimation.<br /><br />He doesn't have the time to elaborate, because there's a woman coming after him with a knife that cuts through cars. Instead, it's his turn to leap -- not straight up, but back and further to the side. Buying himself enough time to flick his cape upward and into the path of his assailant's face. More an annoyance than an attack, true, but his goal for the moment is more to buy time --<br /><br />"I am Kunzite, of the Obsidian Pact. This city is of interest to /us/, and we find poaching ... irritating. If you want to play with our toys, human, you /ask/ first."<br /><br />Okay, buy time and not get stabbed. The latter is entirely dependent on whether he's gauged her reflexes right.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:40|Minako Aino (40)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>There's a flash of recognition from <span style="color:#5f87ff">Sailor</span> <span style="color:#cd0000">V</span> now as she finally realizes just who Kunzite is. Any claims of insight would be disingenuous, as these realizations only come after a full introduction is made (and employer is included, too, in case V confuses Kunzite with some strange family down town with a penchant for gemstone names).<br /><br />"What!? Nobody can call me a toy except flirtatiously!" she shouts, although the true extent of her voice's disapproval is probably muffled in her vehicle. <br /><br />She aims her fingers through the front of the car's window at Madison and lets fly with a few more flashy and less harmful beams, trading power for quantity.<br /><br />Of particular note is that the first shots are more careful and accurate to avoid friendly fire. But at some point, she realizes poor accuracy wouldn't lead to "friendly" fire, so she starts pumping out even MORE beams, like a golden-colored kaleidoscope or spotlights at a midnight car show.<br /><br />Crawling around in cars to go out a window doesn't help in accuracy.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:117|Madison Perry (117)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Madison's reflexes might be a bit more speedy than even Kunzite imagined- she is /very/ good at what she does, and what she does basically amounts to stabbing people. That said, he's able to slip back enough to avoid her knives.. but his cape doesn't, and as he flicks it up and into her face, Madison slashes right through it, cleaving a diagonal cut into the fabric as the man himself just barely escapes.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Yeah, and I'm Madison Perry of the 'who gives a-'" She starts to say before orange beams come flying at her again from behind. She leaps into the air, becoming a red streak for a few moments as she tries to avoid them, getting singed a few times but managing to avoid taking any direct hits by juking and weaving in the air. "Always gotta make this more complicated!" She snarls, whipping her knives into a cross in front of her. "Heartrazor!"<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&lt;Yes Mistress?&gt; the Device responds. "Fry that car!" The blonde commands. &lt;As you wish, Mistress.&gt;<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A point of red light forms on the gem in the hilt of the knife.. the extends into a blinding red laser that fires down to the car in a flash, attempting to slag both it and its occupant.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:109|Kunzite (109)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>That slash to Kunzite's cape is doubly inconvenient: one that it happened, the other because his reflex reaction to the Sailor V Golden Attack Laser Car Wreck Disco Ball is to catch at the edge of his cape and pull it across himself, using it as a focus to deflect the energy. This /would have/ worked fine about ten seconds earlier. And it /does/ work fine on the two beams the cape intersects. The third sizzles through the gap that the tear created, and across the outside of his thigh.<br /><br />He claps a hand down to the burn with an incoherent snarl, and exerts himself enough to summon a sphere of shadows around himself. The darkness swallows the next laser that flies past Madison at him, leaving him untouched; and, an instant later, the golden-orange beam is flickering the /other/ direction, past Madison at Sailor V and the car. Just in case dodging Madison's wasn't enough in the first place.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:40|Minako Aino (40)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Minako Aino/<span style="color:#5f87ff">Sailor</span> <span style="color:#cd0000">V</span> shouts something complainy when she realizes her fortress is being burned down, but she gets uncharacteristically quiet for now, crawling out the back window (already broken earlier) and peering with a sort of sad finality at the car melting.<br /><br />"Be careful!" she shouts, uncertain if she should offer a temporary team-up right now or not. Maybe it's time to observe! Either way, she runs behind another car and decides to let things play out for a bit, as she's feeling slightly 'lasered out' and needs a breather.<br /><br />She also doesn't have anything clever to say.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:117|Madison Perry (117)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Well, the car gets melted, but the lack of burning flesh scent indicates that the occupant escaped before being hit by Madison's beam.. or the beam of the guy behind her, what the heck?<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She spins in mid-air to glare at Kunzite again, as Sailor V seems to be tired of trying to pincushion her with orange light for the moment. "Look pal, I appreciate the help but we ain't recruitin'. So how about you step the hell off? There'll be plenty of time for me to gut you once I'm done with her."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She point with her knife, straight at Kunzite, the tip gleaming in the afternoon sunlight. "I don't know nothing about no Obsidian Pact, but you can take this warning back to whoever you work for- stay the hell out of our way, or we'll take you down just like everyone else." And then she turns and dives down towards Sailor V's last-sighted location, trying to sniff the girl out.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:109|Kunzite (109)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Be careful?<br /><br />What?<br /><br />No time to worry about it now; Kunzite's growing ire refocuses itself on Madison, as he matches her glare. "Take us down? You people can't even manage your own minions." (Says he, conveniently ignoring certain people who may or may not have been named Danburite.) He gestures with his free hand, and a wind full of shadows sweeps up the top half of the post box, sends it flying at Madison's back. One side's just a blunt object. The other is all tumbling edges of metal as sharp as the cut of Madison's knives could make it. He's not expecting it to /hit/ the woman; she's too fast for that. But if she dodges it, the racket it makes when it strikes pavement might help flush Sailor V out of hiding.<br /><br />Of course, if Madison slices it into /more/ pieces instead, it'll help make the area a little more of a minefield for the girl in hiding. Even better!<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:40|Minako Aino (40)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Minako Aino/<span style="color:#5f87ff">Sailor</span> <span style="color:#cd0000">V</span> doesn't contribute much to the fight now. She's just listening to chatter about Obsidian Packs and minion management. "I don't have a dog or a ring with either of you if you all just go home," she says, apparently climbing underneath a van towards the back end while things are exploding outside.<br /><br />"Why do you even want to kill all the people around here? Or me? I'm really great! The only war we should be fighting this close to Thanksgiving is the war on Christmas," she shouts, figuring her hiding place is pretty obvious by now.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:117|Madison Perry (117)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Madison whirls in the air at Kunzite's words, blue eyes narrowing on him. "What do you mean 'can't control our minions'? Unless you know somethin' I don't, there ain't no problems with the Flowers' minions. Ain't my lookout anyway.. I'm not the minion-commandin' type. I prefer to handle things more.. personally."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Of course, just as she's finishing delivering this statement, a shadowy wind is tossing half a post box at her. She snarls, and hearing Sailor V calling out from under a van off to one side, she holds up her knife. &lt;Protection!&gt; the Device declares, a round red shield exploding into existence, and with a flick of her wrist, Madison deflects the post box with the shield straight down towards the van- though it's not enough to actually do more than just bounce off, hopefully the noise and impact will drive the girl back out into the open.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Kunzite attacked her though, and as far as Madison is concerned, that's a declaration of war. After deflecting the box, she zips off to one side, leaving a red trail in the air, before circling around to try and close with him again, obviously preferring to fight at close quarters. "If you insist though, I can always start with you!"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:109|Kunzite (109)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Ahh, that's what you're missing. Some of your cohorts have been irking some of mine." Kunzite's mouth twitches at the corner; it's almost conversational in tone, for a brief moment. "Tell them to keep to their own puppets, in future. Otherwise, they make enemies you can't handle."<br /><br />And then the postbox crashes into the van, and /conversation/ isn't really something Kunzite has time for. Still cloaked in his shadows, one hand pressed to his injured leg, he puts the other hand out. The sword that shimmers into being gives him the advantage of reach --<br /><br />Given that it's not a magical sword, that isn't much of an advantage against those knives. Twice over so if he's lost mobility. Which may be why he takes a guard position, and lets Madison come to him -- lets her be the one to get nearly inside his range before he moves for a cut, not at her chest, but at her arm. As if he were more concerned about the knives she's carrying than about the woman carrying them.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:40|Minako Aino (40)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>That's the way to get <span style="color:#5f87ff">Sailor</span> <span style="color:#cd0000">V</span> back out into the open - shake the cover she's hiding behind to get her attention, then run far away and turn your back. 'Yeah. You can keep to your own puppies,' she thinks.<br /><br />It feels so cheap. If there were a crowd around, she definitely wouldn't do it this way.<br /><br />Out she rolls, curling up onto her knees after slipping out from the damaged van, taking aim at the jacketed girl. Like a little-finger gun, she raises up her thumb and lines up her eye, her thumb, and the girl's butt. <br /><br />Then, she turns about 90 degrees and sends this <span style="color:#ffff00">weird <span style="color:#ff8700">curved</span> beam</span> off to one side that arcs back especially for Madison, followed by another one on a shorter, flatter trajectory for Kunzite. <br /><br />"Hey, Obsidian Pocky, do that bouncy thing you did earlier with your caaaaaaaaaape," she urges Kunzite. Particular keen-eared participants would hear her spitting little 'pshcrttz' gun-shot sounds.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:117|Madison Perry (117)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Madison snorts as she dives in towards Kunzite. "I ain't the boss of my 'cohorts', buddy, so maybe you go talk to one of them if you got complaints!" She snarls, slashing at the man as he summons a sword into being. It does indeed have the advantage of reach over her knives, but she's used to fighting like this, and she's able to duck under his guard as he attempts to slash her arm, "I'd say you're the one who needs to watch what sort of enemies you make-"<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She's about to drive a knife straight towards his chest when that curved beam arcs around, coming from a direction she completely did not anticipate due to the way it curves. It strikes her in the side, throwing her away from Kunzite with a minor explosion of force that sends her cartwheeling in the air. "Nngh!"<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Straightening herself, she presses a hand to her side. "I can't tell what the hell side you're on!" She spits, but it's hard to tell who she's talking to. "You know what? I've had it with this. You want to talk, try talking to the Flower herself, I ain't her secretary." This is towards Kunzite. To Sailor V, she adds, "And you, I'll find another time.. without your /boyfriend/ around to complicate matters." And then suddenly she's taking off into the sky in a red streak.. and a moment later, the strange barrier vanishes, returning the milling civilians to sight and sound.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:109|Kunzite (109)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Kunzite is nothing if not obliging. - okay, Kunzite is a lot of things very few of which are obliging. But as he's bringing up his free hand to intercept some of Madison's knife's force, maybe figuring that the shadows around him will blunt the attack in the bargain, or maybe figuring that an arm wound is better than a chest wound -- well. Catching at the /undamaged/ side of the fabric and dragging it up as well is a matter of a twitch of fingers.<br /><br />He still staggers under the impact. But he can almost hold his ground. Long enough to hear Madison's parting comment. If /he/ shot laser beams, Madison's departure would be a lot more interesting. Instead, he says pleasantly upward, "I'm going to kill her later."<br /><br />The next instant, they're back in the world; the mailbox is intact; the car is intact. And he's standing on the street in a confused crowd, emanating shadows and with a bare sword in his hand.<br /><br />There is suddenly a lot of screaming and fleeing.<br /><br />He ignores it in favor of levelling the blade at Sailor V. It must be a social gesture, since he doesn't go out of his way to level it /through/ any of the civilians. "And you," he adds, in that same pleasant tone. "But when I end you, it'll be with my own strength, and with power won fairly. Not stolen. Unlike /her/ people's."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:40|Minako Aino (40)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Minako Aino/<span style="color:#5f87ff">Sailor</span> <span style="color:#cd0000">V</span> has this unfortunate, almost tremulous expression on her face, her eyes downcast just a little bit.<br /><br />She had both expected for her attack to not be enough to scare off the other girl, nor Kunzite to not reflect her shot, nor for him to be so heavily off-balanced by it. Sometimes, she doesn't know her own strength!<br /><br />Still, it seems it worked out well enough. In reply to sword gestures and promises of future kills, she peeks to Kunzite's eyes. "You're after my friends? And me?" she says, although it almost isn't phrased as a question.<br /><br />"I guess we can't let you win any more power," she supposes, raising up her hands in an attack stance, trying to ignore the sudden rush of humanity all around her (and the strangely non-ruined car and post office box that are standing in perfect condition, as opposed to scattered all in pieces around her).<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:109|Kunzite (109)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>(And isn't there something wrong with that, somewhere? Not her own strength, that part's obviously reasonable; but didn't that flash of recognition suggest that /he/ should be stronger than that, too?)<br /><br />Kunzite makes a brief amused sound, not enough to qualify as a laugh. And if she needed any better reason for that attack stance, she gets it. "You have friends?" he asks easily. "That's new. Aren't they dead yet?"<br /><br />Even with his shadow-armor, after that comment, taking cover /might/ just be a good idea. But he's only standing there.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:40|Minako Aino (40)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Minako Aino/<span style="color:#5f87ff">Sailor</span> <span style="color:#cd0000">V</span> doesn't even know what to say to that. A blank, confused look momentarily overtakes her expression. She presumes it was something mean as opposed to a legitimate question.<br /><br />"Yeah. Lots of friends. More than you. And they're all alive. They're gonna live forever," she notes, turning her hand to reveal her compact and angling it at roughly the same angle as the sword blade.<br /><br />She decides she's playing for keeps. Giving the disoriented crowd an impromptu show! "Crescent Beam!!"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:109|Kunzite (109)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"You must be doing better," Kunzite comments, cementing the something-mean theory. "Or maybe they're just more competent --"<br /><br />He really shouldn't be talking that much. It gives her time to do things like /that/.<br /><br />it takes something, to try to block /light/. But the sword comes up in time, in line to intercept. The problem is, it's still /not a magical sword/. And when it intercepts the beam, it manages to shatter and melt /at the same time/. Droplets of glowing metal rain down to spatter on the pavement.<br /><br />It's enough that his shadows can absorb much of the rest, though even within the sphere of protective darkness he still winces, lifts a hand to shield his eyes, hisses in pain. That's what he gets for putting up his defenses in a hurry, though, and when he laughs a moment later, there's a note of real pleasure in it, and something bizarrely like pride. "No. No, that /was/ good. Well done."<br /><br />Of course, after that, one glance to be certain where she is and he's throwing /that/ attack back at her, too. But only partial-strength. Only what he could soak up, instead of being scorched by.<br /><br />It's a good thing that people in his vicinity were already running the other way.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:40|Minako Aino (40)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Minako Aino/<span style="color:#5f87ff">Sailor</span> <span style="color:#cd0000">V</span> has another blank expression. She gets that it is supposed to be mean comments but she can't quite put together what Kunzite is hinting at. She assumes it isn't nice, though, but doesn't know which way. Maybe it's a backhanded compliment?<br /><br />Her expressions turns into a little self-satisfied smirk. It was intended as a killing blow, but she's happy to see swords melt and another beam burn into her target. She doesn't expect any more weird bouncy-reflecty magics, what with him not using or gripping his cape like before. <br /><br />She's not even in a good position. She tucks up her arms over her face and her eyes. She knows her mask doesn't even function as sunglasses, let alone for lasers. <br /><br />A sound that's between a little breaths and a yelp. Sizzly forearms and the unfortunate bit of burning hair. She's not a fan of any of it. Still, she follows up with another beam (a baby beam, this time, more of a nightlight than a moonbeam), followed by dropping back and running near the wall of stores, to cut down any return fire and the possibility of civilian casualties.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:109|Kunzite (109)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>He should be going after her. Queen Beryl wants the Senshi dead, and Sailor V is still a Sailor, even if she doesn't have a planet after her name. (That Kunzite knows of. Yet.) Besides, he hadn't meant to give away that he had that ability so soon; he'd been intending to keep it entirely concealed as long as possible. If she escapes, she might warn the rest of them.<br /><br />He should be going after her, but he stands there instead, bracing to soak up the Crescent Nightlight, watching her run.<br /><br />He tells himself it's because of the wound he took earlier; chasing her would aggravate it, would give her the advantage. He tells himself he's already got two other plans for dealing with her. He tells himself a lot of things, and doesn't look too hard at which ones are true. And just watches.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:40|Minako Aino (40)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Minako Aino/<span style="color:#5f87ff">Sailor</span> <span style="color:#cd0000">V</span> really probably definitely should retreat, but the opportunity to take out a general is too good to pass up.<br /><br />Also, there are still civilians in the area running about and fleeing. She can't retreat until everybody else is gone.<br /><br />To protect them. Also, so nobody sees her retreating.<br /><br />So she gives another long-distance crescent beam, labeit aimed at Kunzite's feet and concrete under him to prevent anybody down the street catching a laser, one hand on the window of the glass display of a doughnut shop to support her.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:109|Kunzite (109)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>On the one hand: Kunzite has those defenses up, still. The shadows keep /him/ safe.<br /><br />On the other hand: the defenses do not keep the /concrete/ safe, and he does not presently have anything running that gives him the ability to fly.<br /><br />Attacking him is one thing. Sending him sprawling without the faintest /shred/ of dignity in a fresh crater is entirely another. He pushes himself up, tosses his head to get all that pale hair out of the way, focuses in Minako's direction, and flickers out of existence in a burst of shadows and oddly colored energy --<br /><br />-- and there is a second burst not ten feet from her, and a disheveled Kunzite covered in dirt and pulverized concrete is stalking toward her, the remaining shard of his broken sword in hand. And all that amusement and pleasure and pride is replaced by a murderous look.<br /><br />Also, he's limping.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:40|Minako Aino (40)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Minako Aino/<span style="color:#5f87ff">Sailor</span> <span style="color:#cd0000">V</span> doesn't panic, but she does 'fret', keeping her cool but realizing this isn't an ideal situation for her. She isn't too prideful not to blow open the second set of windows and throw herself over some doughnut displays into the shop.<br /><br />It's not all panic and franticness though. She counts to five and throws another beamy attack, entirely blindly and without its original luster, out through the remaining set of windows in Kunzite's general direction (leaving the shop with an entirely optional glass door and a new 'outdoor fresh' theme).<br /><br />She's apparently forgotten about her earlier exhortations to not damage property.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:109|Kunzite (109)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>That was misdemanor property destruction! This is felony. TOTALLY DIFFERENT!<br /><br />Broken glass and displays are more of a barrier to someone who presently has trouble making the muscles in one thigh work right, though, and Kunzite hesitates for a moment, considering options. That was ... not the best choice. One might think that after her shooting through the car within the Barrier, he'd expect that blind shot, and maybe he does; he's fast enough to throw himself to the ground to avoid it.<br /><br />Which means that he is now decorated with dirt, pulverized concrete, splinters of broken glass, and his own blood. Which would undoubtedly delight the person who asked Sailor V, back at the beginning of all of this, whether she was beating criminals up; it does not delight /him/.<br /><br />There is a split second in which his temper is doing the thinking, and he seriously considers blowing all the energy he has at once and trying to drag the entire building, or maybe the entire block, into some particularly unpleasant hell-dimension pocket ...<br /><br />Not a good investment. He swears an incoherent oath, and once again pushes himself up enough to glare her way. "You were enough trouble in Paris," he mutters, before taking the option to retreat himself. This time, the energy flowing through the shadow-burst he vanishes in is bright enough to cast hot and angry shadows of its own.<br /><br />''Two days later, near here: there is a young girl gazing woefully at the damaged donut shop who'd been in the crowd around Sailor V on the mail dropbox; /then/ she'd been gazing worshipfully. And a tall man with pale hair and a pleasant expression comes up beside her, and leans down a little to talk to her. "I think I saw you the other day. Do you like Sailor V?", he asks.''<br /><br />''The girl nods, of course.''<br /><br />''The man regards her with gray eyes, intense enough to be hypnotic, and asks, "Do you /really/ like her? If you could, would you want her all to yourself, forever?"''<br /><br />''The girl looks embarrassed - adults paying attention to things you're a fan of is always embarrassing. But she admits, "Yes."''<br /><br />''Kunzite smiles at the girl, warm and affectionate and welcoming. "What if I told you you could get that?"''<br /><br />''And the girl brightens, and neither she nor anyone else notices the dark energy move from him and coil within her, and settle, and start to change her, a little at a time.''<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:40|Minako Aino (40)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>There's another five second count. She assumes he escaped, but she doubles-down on her strategy.<br /><br />An explosion of light, wood shrapnel, and doughnuts follows, albeit unfortunately too late to really make a mark.<br /><br />Bostom creme and jelly have a surprisingly wide blast radius, although they don't actually do any damage. It does insinuate a much bigger mess than it really is, however. <br /><br />A doughnut-blasted senshi escapes into the evening!<br> <br>
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