1844/Death by Chocolate

Death by Chocolate
Date of Scene:	21 August 2016
Location:	Uminari City - Central Harbor
Synopsis:	The Uminari Chocolate Festival Gets a Visit by DysDark. You are not surprised Naru becomes a target.
Cast of Characters:	Haruna Kurosawa, Naru Osaka, Haruka Haruno, Makoto Kino, Fate T. Waldia

---

Haruna Kurosawa has posed:
There's the Uminari Annual Chocolate Festival! A portion of the boardwalk has been overtaken by stands and exhibits and tables of chocolate- both samples, freebies, exhibits not meant to be touched or eaten- there's corporations here to peddle product. There's local companies to peddle local wares. There's even local educational institutions here to tell about the /science/ of chocolate.

There's a wonderful chocolately smells on the ocean wind. Lots of things are being made fresh here as you watch as someone puts the finishing touches on a chocolate ferris wheel of a chocolate Roaring Bayside model!

This is a fine day for pretty much anyone that likes chocolate even a little bit of all ages and wealth statuses. From tiny freebie candy samples to large ostentatious chocolate sculptures that can be bought for thousands of dollars- there's no shortage of what to choose from.

MEANWHILE, on top of a nearby clocktower of what is a church or a goverment building sits three figures. One is dressed sort of like a punch rocker in a deep purple leather jacket and pants and spiky shoudlers and even spiker hair with weird eye tattoos- Close. Another is a man in a fancy purple coat sniffing a rose with a white top hat and similar eye tattoos- Shut. Another seems to be a small kid in a yellow and black hoodie playing a video game- Lock. The hoodie appears to has eyes on it.

"I sense something down there..." says Close.

"Well I'm not going down there." says Shut. "All that chocolate will go STRAIGHT to my hips!" he says in a snooty manner.

"Chocolate's really boring." says Lock deadpan as he plays his video game. "This is a waste of time." he iterates.

"I'll show you a waste!" says Close. He dissapears into a keyhole. Shut and Lock look at each roll. Roll thier eyes. (In Lock's case, the eyes on the hoodie roll) and they dissapear into thier own keyholes. They go back to DysDark. Close has other ideas.

He doesn't immediatly appear into the festival. Yet.

Well at least some people will get phantoseconds of enjoyment!

Naru Osaka has posed:
Totally worth coming down to the boardwalk today. Gorgeous weather, great view of the water, and /chocolate/. Seriously, a day doesn't actually get much better.

Naru shifts the bookbag that generally is pretty much always with her on her shoulder and points at some of the chocolate sculptures to Makoto. "I was talking to an artist who apparently carves her own chocolate molds just the other day. I was /so/ tempted to try it, but I'm not a sculpter at /all/." She comments to Makoto as the pair of them visit the chocolate fair. "Have you ever done any work with chocolate molds? It just looks /so/ cool."

Haruka Haruno has posed:
Haruka and Puff are browsing the chocolate festival with interest. After all, there's only so much Haruka can do to rearrange her dorm room before the new semester starts and she might have a new roommate. Puff is enjoying the chance to browse, and her hair (ears?) are up in odango, making it easy for the fairy to walk without tripping on them. The Princess of Flowers stops here and there, mostly talking with people. It seems she knows at least a little bit about chocolate, from the conversations she's having and the concern she's had about the heat melting wares down-- being the daughter of a pair of chefs has had an impact on her skillset and knowledge base in weird ways, and this is one of them. It's new to her, a festival in a big city, and she's mostly buying herself time to not be shocked at how many people have flooded this area.

The festival attitude is definitely infectious, and some of the chatter she's hearing has her own ears metaphorically perking. She beams down at Puff, who has to contain her expression of enjoyment to a tail-wag.

Makoto Kino has posed:
Of course Makoto couldn't miss this one. She set aside a little extra money, which has now been spent on a small parcel of fine chocolates to bring back for Mamoru - nothing for herself, but there's more than enough to see and learn.

"A little," she answers Naru with a smile. "I did some experimenting this spring, around Valentine's. Nothing fancy, though - I just used a simple candy mold, but I think it came out pretty well. I'd like to try again sometime, all this," a gesture encompasses the festival, "is giving me ideas."

Her attention is mostly for the conversation and the festival displays, but as the two pass in Haruka's general vicinity Mako does have to pause and blink at Puff for a moment. A dog with Usagi hair?

Fate T. Waldia has posed:
    One very tall figure and one relatively short figure are here. The taller, mostly humanoid, with orange fox ears and a fox tail that no one non-magical seems to notice, is Arf. She's wearing a grey hoodie and loose black shorts. Her hood is down, and she's got a handful of free sample chocolates. "Look, Fate-chan, I'm just saying. I don't think it's a smart idea to buy a chocolate sculpture like that. I mean, think about it. That's what... 10 weeks of food?"

    The shorter figure is harder to identify. She's wearing a black hoodie with a white skirt, and her hood is up. Two long twintails fall out from under the hood, and once in awhile a bit of sample chocolate is carried up to it. In between chocolates, Fate responds. "It's my money. If I move to Waldia, then Earth's money won't mean anything."

    "Yeah, but that's a long way off! You gotta think about the now!" Arf points into the air with a bit of pocky as she makes her point. "It'll last longer if you don't waste it. I bet you could buy that much chocolate for a lot less than what they're asking for. Oooh, you could buy kit-kats and make your own little castle with them. How cool would that be?"

    Fate is considers the virtues and potentials of a kit-kat castle, possibly with pocky flagpoles and Reese's roofs, in relative silence. It's not a bad point.

Haruna Kurosawa has posed:
Yup, the Festival is going just fine! Chocolate is bought. People are flocking about and overall. It's going pretty good. THERE'S A SMALL POP IN THE DISTANCE!---- wait. Nope. not a youma! Somebody's chocolate melter had a small accident. People calm themselves quickly. Everything is peachy. It's even back working posthaste after some cleaning with hot water!

Yup, life is grand when it's full of chocolate. and creativeness and the fresh sea air...

Close stamps his foot nearby somewhere near Makoto and Naru. He points, dramatically at a boy looking intently at the Bayside Chocolate Model.

"Aha! You gotta be what I sensed!" he says as the boy looks at Close confusedly. "You! Show me you----"

Something sort of strikes through him like a cord as he slowly looks over to the right toward's Makoto. Then. At Naru. Then his eyes narrow at Naru a moment before he steps back. "Woah! No way, you're /definitly/ what I sensed!...."

"Ha! This will be perfect!" he says pumping his fists back in some sort of victory pose.

"You!..... SHOW ME YOUR DREAM!" he says as his eye tattoos light up. Naru'll feel a keyhole opening up upon her. Dark. and black yet shining as it shines out--- displaying a dream of /all to see!/.....

The scene is Naru being beset by a few dark creatures. Some have vauge shilloutes people might remember--- Fiore. Lacrima. Shiniko. Mou Fubuki, Maeko, Namakelder. Nightshade Seperent. While others seem to be vauge regular monsters.... then Naru's voices....

'I want to stop being a target, so my friends aren't in danger and I'm not a distraction.'

"Ha...!" laughs Close. "...well, who am I complain...."

"I'LL CLOSE AWAY THAT DREAM!"

"CLOSE THAT DREAM!" he calls out as a black bolt flies from him---which turns into a lock--- that gains tiny hands and feet, unlocking apart before Naru apparently gets locked into some sort of cage of dissapear. This is a horrible feeling-- a fell of deep, hard despair-- maybe even more, considering the nature of her dream. The lock wraps around the cage before the center lights up red....

"ZETSUBORG!"

The Zetsuborg, the monster created by this-- appears to be some sort of painter. A pallete shield. A giant paintbrush. A beret. But there's something so utterly hopeless about it. The paints are gray. The brush is frayed and awful.

Yeah people begin running and abandoning stands.

Naru Osaka has posed:
There's a startle from Naru as a chocolate tempering machine splorches and she glances over sharply in that direction. On edge much? She relaxes as clean up gets started and she grins brightly to Makoto. "This is providing all /sorts/ of ideas." She turns to follow Makoto's gaze towards Puff and there's a little blink of surprise. Er. Alright then.

Naru goes digging into her bag to come out with her sketchbook, just barely overhearing the comment about a kit-kat castle, and turning to grin and comment on /that/...

And then Close is stomping his foot and pointing at people and more importantly, pointing at HER. Naru takes a step back, blinking at him.

As he shows her deepest dreams, fears, worries to the /world/, Naru's eyes widen in horror and she tries to lunge for him before that cage locks around her.

That sound that emerges from within the cage of despair is not a happy one, choked off abruptly.

Haruka Haruno has posed:
Haruka knows that voice. The plain happiness on her face evaporates as she ducks into a rapidly-abandoned stall, something turbulent in her eyes. Puff follows, a small bounce of pink over the counter before she remembers that things have changed, that nobody will argue with a flying dog-critter. Haruka pulls out her key and perfume, always near her (mostly in case she needs to get around Tokyo by superjump, to be honest) and puts the key in the hole atop the perfume, turning it. "Pretty Cure, Princess Engage!" Haruka cries out, hopefully not loud enough to be overheard beyond the confines of the stall she's hidden herself in.

Still, that won't matter- the whole thing is full of glowing pink, yellow, and white petals in a moment, and Cure Flora erupts from the back, looking for Close first. There's force and power behind her voice as she takes a stance where she has a good view of the Zetsuborg and Close. "You, who locked this girl's dream of not being turned into a victim for the billionth time apparently, in a cold cage, do prepare yourself!" The fact that it happens often enough that someone's dream is to not have this happen chafes. Whoever she is, this girl deserves better than that. Puff is content to watch from a safe place, looking worried on the girl's behalf. There are still stray petals, radiating around Cure Flora and fluttering in a subtle breeze that seems to only impact her. Still, it's only a moment before she kicks off at the Zetsuborg with all the speed and power a relatively novice Pretty Cure can manage.

Fate T. Waldia has posed:
    The pop leads to a sudden glance from Arf and Fate in its direction, but once they see there's nothing all that wrong they just go back to their conversation. Then the two of them hear shouting, and fall immediately silent.

    Closing dreams? Oh heck no. Fate is not pleased by the sound of that. Little wine-red eyes glance in the direction of Naru and Close, who are standing not that far away (close enough for their conversation to be overheard), just in time to see the keyhole open and what's inside of it. Arf instinctively stands between and to the side of Fate and the scene, her first thought going to the protection of her master.

    "Arf-chan, hold my candy." Fate holds up her bundle of sample chocolates, all carried in her two tiny arms. Arf blinks at her, and scoops it up. Fate takes one piece for herself, and her hoodie drops behind her as she walks past her Familiar.

    The bite-sized girl tosses a bite-sized bit of chocolate into the air, and with her hand raised the yellow icon on her glove begins to glow with a golden light. Electrical, bright, yellow mana washes over the little girl, replacing her hoodie with a long cape, black leotard, and a short pink skirt hanging off of a loose brown belt.

    Her device appears in her hands, taking the form of an axe with a very long handle. A bardiche, specifically.

    The tossed candy drops, and Fate catches it in her mouth, chewing as she frowns at Close. After swallowing, because good girls don't talk with their mouths full, she asserts, "Stop it."

    She doesn't immediately recognize Naru, but that doesn't matter. Someone is getting hurt, and Fate won't stand for it.

Makoto Kino has posed:
"Naru-chan!" It all seems to happen in scarcely a blink, with no time for Makoto to do more than look on in horror as Naru becomes a victim right next to her.

In the next instant, even as the cage is closing around her friend and the monster comes into being, Makoto's expression hardens, green eyes going as sharp as bottle glass. "As though I'd just let you--" In a swift, sharp movement she shrugs her bag off of her shoulder and shoves it under the nearest display table, before raising her transformation pen toward the sky.

"Jupiter Star Power - MAKE UP!"

Electricity erupts from the gold star cap of the pen, engulfing the tall girl in tendirls of crackling energy that whirl around her until she's only a silhouette in the midst of a spherical cage of lightning. When the blinding flare of it subsides, Makoto is nowhere to be found - in her place is Sailor Jupiter, and she is pissed.

No grand or eloquent speeches from this one. Jupiter pins Close with a narrow-eyed glare. "How dare you," she snarls, and then her attention swings toward the monster, palms pressing together in front of her to gather energy between them. "Sparkling Wide Pressure!"

The energy that hisses and shivers around her contracts into a ball of lightning blazing between her hands. Winding up with all of her strength, Jupiter hauls it back and hurls it at the Zetsuborg at fastball speed.

Haruna Kurosawa has posed:
Close giggles in glee as he hovers up by Naru's Cage of Despair as he places a hand against it. He shoots the heroes a glance. "Stop it...? How Dare I? PREPARE MYSELF!?" he says angrily and pointedly at Cure Flora at the end.

"How about, HOW DARE YOU for thinking dreams are anything but fodder for despair." he says as he crosses his arms, floaring there. "I dunno what the heck this girl's problems is, but oh man! With this one, I'm going to become I dunno.. /PRINCE OF DYSDARK/. YES!" he insists.

The Zetsuborg starts going into high gear!

Flora leads in with a punch and sends the beast back.... it raises it's pallete shield to take the brunt of the attack-- which it does, being forced back.

Jupiter's Sparkling Wide Pressure desceneds into the creature and screeches out-- 'ZETSUBORG'! Though it doesn't defeat it.

Fate issues an ultimatium. The Zetsuborg doesn't seem impressed with words. Close scratches his head at Fate. "Why would I want to stop this?" he asks. "I'm having...."

"A BLAST!" he says throwing his hand out.

"ZETSUBORG!" screams the monster as it holds out the frayed brush-- a brilliant spray of gray paint slams out into the air and ground around the heroes, the impact ending in a brilliant explosive blast each.

Naru Osaka has posed:
When caught in a cage of despair, there are not a lot of emotional options to explore.

Naru seems to be exploring the 'despair' side of the cage of despair fairly fully, in a mix of desperate beating against the inside of the cage, and attempting (and failing) to keep a grip on her own emotions that does not involve the assistance of a cage.

It's a surprisingly good attempt for a muggle.

Haruka Haruno has posed:
Cure Flora shakes her head at Close's boasting and argument. It's not worth the energy to argue with him- she can do that later, when she has him cornered. Instead, she skips backwards, pausing at the sight of Naru fighting against the cage of despair. That didn't happen last time... "Keep fighting! We'll take care of this, and get you out!" she calls to Naru, instead. She glances sharply at Puff, and the dog-fairy fortunately seems to catch her meaning.

"Keep going-pafu! You're doing better than most people do with these-pafu!" She's yelling as loudly as she can, trying to encourage Naru's fight against the cage. That taken care of, Flora launches herself into the air, apparently deciding to see if the Zetsuborg can block high. She's angled where she will collide with a building, and she immediately shoves off of it with a quick flip to reverse herself, aiming for a high-momentum kick at the Zetsuborg from above.

Fate T. Waldia has posed:
    Arf steps in front of Fate the moment the word 'blast' is mentioned, because bad puns from youma tend to be also dangerous puns. An orange magical circle appears before her, just in time for paint to smash against it and explode. Arf's feet slide several feet back from the blast as her shield is rocked by the explosion, pushing towards Fate who has to make several short jumps away to avoid colliding with her familiar.

    Then Fate leaps over Arf, taking to the sky and hovering over the painter monster. She softly intones, "That was your last warning."

    She briefly peeks at Jupiter. It's been awhile since she's seen another lightning user, and the last lightning user she saw might have actually been Jupiter. It's not the kind of thing she'd remember except for the commonality.

    She twirls Bardiche in one hand, then brings it to a stop by slapping her other palm against it. The tip of the axehead aims down at the Zetsuborg.

    <Photon Lancer>

    Four golden spheres, arcing with electricity, fire from the tip of her axe, descending, surrounding, and coming at the painter Zetsuborg from all sides.

    Fate notices Cure Flora trying to encourage Naru. It seems like a good tactic, but Fate isn't good with words. Maybe it's best to let someone else handle it.

Makoto Kino has posed:
"No you don't--!" Grey paint blasts toward her, but rather than even try to dodge it, Sailor Jupiter sweeps a hand out in front of her, pink petals scattering from her fingertips from nowhere as a surge of wind kicks up from the motion. "FLOWER HURRICANE!"

What started as a handful of rose petals swiftly builds into a wall of sweet-scented wind and dizzying color, a gale-force blast that disperses the paint-blast and pushes back towards the Zetsuborg, seeking to engulf and confuse it. In the brief space of breathing room she's made for herself, Jupiter looks toward the cage and sees Naru struggling within it. "Hang in there, Naru-chan!" she calls, voice ringing over the noise of battle. "We'll have you out of there in no time!"

Haruna Kurosawa has posed:
Arguing with Close is kinda like arguing with a brick- in that you can't change a bricks opinion. Also you know, he's probably dumb as one. Regardless, he sideglances at Naru and hrmphs. "You should stop fighting. It's a worthless endeavor you know." he says matter of factly.

Then Close erks!? and then huffs. "WELL! YOU'RE A LAST WARNING!" pause. "Wait that didn't make any sense. WELL! REGARDLESS! I'M RIGHT AND YOU'RE ALL WRONG!" he insists.

Suddenly. Flowers. Flora comes in high and catches the Zetsuborg off guard--- kicking it STRAIGHT in the head and sending it flying back again- a spray of flowers coming into existence all around.

Makoto levies wind and rose petals that slam into existence against the blast of paint and the Zetsuborg which is the final slam to push it over.

Leaving it wide open for Fate's Photon Lancer to rake through it like butter.

The pallette is broke and shattered, though it still holds it, the Zetsuborg slowly works itself back to it's feet. It's weakened!

Now may be the time to finish it off!

Close doesn't think so.

"Enough of this stupidity. Just.. I dunno. Die. Or Run Away. You can do either of those, I'm easy like that." he insists.

The creature grabs it's paintbrush at the middle and begins spinning it-- a horrible paint cyclone spinning out at the heroes in some sort of perhaps powerful desperate final attack!

Naru Osaka has posed:
Naru would run if she could, but she doesn't have a whole lot of options. She has already declined the 'die' option on more than one occaision (although she might wish to renegotiate that once she remembers that sensitive personal information was announced to the world.).

The option to stop fighting as presented to her is equally declined, although the degree of desperation seems to have peaked as she struggles not to let the weight of the universe settle into her thoughts. That looming, lurking, heaviness that objectively she KNOWS are not her thoughts, but that are getting more and more insidious and hard to keep straight. "STAY OUT OF MY HEAD!"

It's not terribly effectual, but it really does help buy another few moments of battle when Naru actively snarls her displeasure at the cage.

Haruka Haruno has posed:
Flora backflips and lands, pulling out her Perfume. She glances over her shoulder, at Jupiter. "Can you do your flower attack again?" she asks. "It might go well with mine." Regardless of Jupiter's response, the Flora Dress Up Key goes in the Perfume, filling it with pink liquid. "Exchange, Mode Elegant! Pretty Cure Floral Tourbillon!" There's a spray of the perfume around her in a circle, the under-layer of her skirt extending into an elegant floor-length affair. This is followed by Flora putting her hands close to her chest, a swirling storm of pink petals appearing between her hands. She shoves it outward at the Zetsuborg, the flowers encircling it aggressively.

Flora curtsies as Puff continues to shout encouragement Naru's way, her eyes locked not on the Zetsuborg, but on Close.

"Gokigen'you." The word is laced with the dignity of a princess, but its delivery seems to be very much in the vein of 'badasses do not look at explosions', and 'you're next'.

Fate T. Waldia has posed:
    Fate isn't entirely sure where the flowers came from but they are really pretty and she likes that.

    Close is telling them to run or die, but Fate doesn't agree. The monster is weakened, and possibly will fall if pushed just a little more. Tactically, victory is in their grasp. "I think you've grossly misjudged the situation." she tells Close, matter of factly.

    A whirlwind comes her way, and Arf isn't close enough to protect her this time. The wolf familiar braces herself against the wind, holding up an arm while the other arm cradles the candy... which itself quickly gets blown away. "No!" She tries to reach for a piece of it, but it escapes her grasp.

    Fate was trusting her to hold onto it! And she failed!

    "Focus on the fight!" says Fate, seeing her familiars predicament. "Put survival first. We can get more candy later!"

    Arf nods. Of course, it's the right choice, but she doesn't like letting Fate down.

    Paint and wind blast against them both, getting in Arf's clothes and hair, and all over Fate's henshin. The tiny mage and familiar both shield their eyes, but Bardiche can still see.

    <Wide Area Search>

    A tiny spark flies forward, through the cyclone, finding the relative position of the Zetsuborg. With her eyes closed, and trusting in her device, Fate moves quickly and blindly.

    <Scythe Mode>

    Fate's speed brings her behind the monster, face covered in paint and wind blown way back, while Bardiche's axe head turns sideways, emitting a long curved yellow beam. Moving quickly, Fate lands on one foot, spinning on it as she swings the large magical scythe at the creature's back, just before jumping away as her device warns her of a powerful team attack from the other two magical girls.

    <Sealing Mode>

    Bardiche transforms again, yellow magical crescent vanishing as the axe turns further. The shaft extends, and four yellow wings radiate from the middle. A lot of magic is gathering, and it's pointed at Close. It will take time for Fate to charge, but that sparkle of the Wide Area Search is well aware of Close's position, too.

Makoto Kino has posed:
Catching Flora's look her way, Sailor Jupiter pauses for a moment, blinking as though in faint surprise. "If you think so..."

It becomes clear soon enough what the Pretty Cure has in mind, but still, Flower Hurricane is the weakest possible tool in Jupiter's arsenal. It's going to need something more if they're going to end this fight fast.

Gathering herself, Jupiter leaps, springing into the air in a soaring arc to land on the somewhat higher vantage of the roof of a vendor's cart. As she straightens, Jupiter's hand falls to the belt around her waist, a fanciful chain of pink beads clasped at a glass sphere within which petals tumble and swirl - something like a belt-sized version of the little glass pendant she's taken to wearing the past few weeks.

"Thanks, Neph," she murmurs under her breath as she unclasps the belt and shakes it loose from around her hips.

This time it's not just a sweep of her hand; instead, Jupiter raises the flower belt, swinging it in the air over her head. Petals flood the air with each swing as the glass globe gains speed, not just pink this time - along with the rose petals come myriad tiny blue petals like fragments of sky, a surging tidal wave of pink and forget-me-not that merges into Cure Flora's flower storm and doubles its power.

"FLOWER HURRICANE!" Jupiter calls out once more.

Haruna Kurosawa has posed:
Close continues to gloat. And then Fate targets him. /Him/!? HOW DARE! "HEY! YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO FIGHT THE ZETSUBORG AND IGNORE ME! THAT'S HOW THESE THINGS GO!" he insists at Fate. Naru's right there still fighting but he doesn't care.

A Mortal /surely/ can't break out of a Cage of Despair. It can't possibly happen.

The Zetsuborg is beset by a combined floral attack of Flora's purifiying Tourbullion and Jupiter's Boosting Flower Hurricaune--- resulting in some sort of powerful attack that besets into the Zetsuborg encompassing it in full.

"Dreaming......" mutters the Zetsuborg as it dissaptes into nothingness.

And the Dream is released!---

...Which is still 'I wish I wasn't a target and put my friends in danger and be a distraction'. Well. A little at a time.

The cage /still/ hasn't opened though. It still has a lock. Locks need keys. Don't they? Cure Flora of course. Has one.

And Close is now throwing a fit.

"... Arguh!? The Zetsuborg! No! That was the MOST POWERFUL ONE I've created. You know what. Fine whatever. Revel in the glory of some stupid fake princess. /I'LL BE BACK!/." he says as a keyhole shaped black portal appears below him and begins to escape--- /hopefully/ before Fate can launch that awful attack at him.

Naru Osaka has posed:
There are a great many ways in which Naru is not really /just/ a Mortal these days. Most of them come from the fact that she knows and remembers and has gotten downright blase about exceptional levels of weird in her life.

At least one of these ways is the fact that she is really bad at doing what bad guys expect of her. The panic and screaming and just going along with things tends to be replace with questions, curiosity and in the case of things trying to get into her head, a whole lot of loud and vociferous protesting. That protest has continued, slowly edging with frustration and marks of despair starting to seek into her determination.

It also seems to come with enough sheer bloody minded force of will to at least crack a cage of despair.

Haruka Haruno has posed:
Flora shakes her head at Close's temper tantrum. "No more fake than the Princess of the Moon," she says. Still, there are higher priorities than bantering with a coward. She turns on a heel, marching toward Naru's Cage with her Key out.

"See-pafu? You're fine, and you did more than anyone back home could do about these-pafu!" Puff cheers, floating toward the Cage as well. Both Flora and Puff freeze at the sight of the cage cracking. Puff gasps sharply, stunned. Flora isn't as paralyzed as Puff is, and runs over to check over the girl.

"Are you okay?" Flora shoves her Key in the lock and turns it, ready to catch the other girl. "I've never seen anyone do that to one of these before, and judging by the fact that you broke Puff's brain, neither has she!"

Fate T. Waldia has posed:
    Close flees through a keyhole, and the tiny magical spark starts to follow... before Fate draws it back. Wherever he went, it's probably a safe place for him, which makes it a dangerous place for Fate to chase unprepared. Unfortunately for Fate's attack, that keyhole teleport is just moments too fast for her to finish charging.

    Golden wings vanish. Bardiche becomes a scythe again, and Fate descends towards Naru, holding her weapon to her side as she drops to her feet. "I don't blame you for wanting to be strong," says Fate, with a quiet voice, "and I don't think it's anything to be embarrassed of."

    Fate sees the crack in the cage, and hears the fairy's words. "See? Stronger already." The little mage is considering how exactly to break such a thing open without hurting the occupant, especially considering that it might be as conductive as metal and she has electrical magic, when Flora's key makes it unnecessary.

    Wine-red eyes look up at Cure Flora, and Bardiche vanishes in a flare of gold magic, becoming an icon on the back of Fate's hand. "You're good. I haven't seen you before. I'm Fate Testarossa..." She gestures towards her familiar, and says, "... and this is Arf-chan."

    She doesn't introduce Jupiter, because she doesn't exactly know her by name.

Makoto Kino has posed:
There's a split second where it looks like Sailor Jupiter might try to give chase - but no, Close is already making good his escape, and even if she could follow, it would mean leaving Naru behind. With a brief flicker of a scowl, Jupiter turns away as Close vanishes from sight. A hop down from her perch and then the tall senshi is running back towards Naru.

She's not quite there yet when the cage opens thanks to Flora's key, but fortunately the Cure is there to make sure Naru doesn't hit the ground. "Are you okay?" she asks, too anxious in the moment to remember that as far as she knows, Naru's never seen her transformed and may not actually know which Sailor Makoto is.

Well, Naru's a smart girl, she can probably do the math.

A little belatedly, as Fate makes introductions, Jupiter glances up to the other two magical girls. "--thanks for helping," she says to both of them, before her focus settles more onto Cure Flora. "I'm Sailor Jupiter. What was that just now about a moon princess?" It tries to be a casual question, but she's staring intently.

Naru Osaka has posed:
"I really, really really hate things in my head, telling me how to feel." Naru gasps as she stumbles when the cage is opened, half falling into Flora, reaching a hand out to steady herself on the other girl. "Who was /that/?"

Naru's reply to Jupiter is a nod, and there's no freak out on tap about where Makoto went, so she clearly can do the math. "I'm okay. Pissed, and I can still feel the edges of the emotions the cage was trying to force on me, but its fading faster than most." She looks around at the gathered people and then Fate's words sink in and she blushes, the embarassment catching up with the seriously irritated. "Er.. Thank you all."

Haruka Haruno has posed:
"I'm Cure Flora-- and thanks. I'm still-- pretty new at this, so it means a lot." She smiles at Fate and Arf. "And this is one of the Royal Faeries of the Hope Kingdom, Puff." Puff curtsies in midair, then drops down to run to Naru.

"That was amazing-pafu!" Puff announces, tail wagging. She headbutts Naru's hand gently, often soliciting petting like the dog she looks like.

"That was Close. He's a jerk, and one of DysDark's three generals." At the question about the moon princess, Flora laughs nervously. "I met her and Prince Endymion, and-- well- I'm new at this, like I said. Princess Serenity helped me a lot with-- confidence issues, I guess." The fact that Jupiter's uniform looks like Sailor Moon's isn't lost on her, either.

Fate T. Waldia has posed:
    Fate hears Flora's introduction, (and Jupiter's) and bows politely to both of them and Naru. "It's nice to meet you, Cure Flora, Puff." Royal Faeries of the Hope Kingdom? Sounds impressive! Fate sure does meet a lot of royalty in this line of work.

    "You're still new? I couldn't tell," says Fate, which itself might be a more subtle compliment. "Three Generals of DsyDark? So there are two more of them? Are they both..." She tries to find the words. "... like him?"

    Fate might not know much about Princess Serenity, but she's met an Endymion before. When he was evil. (Yet he still seemed pretty nice to her despite that). "I've heard about the Moon Princess. She sounds really nice."

    Arf is in the background, scurrying around and trying to find chocolate to replace what was lost.

Makoto Kino has posed:
As quickly as it appeared, that sharp, intent look clears from Sailor Jupiter's face, becoming one of understanding. "Oh," she says, "I see." And smiles, a little bit ruefully, with a tip of her head to Fate in confirmation of that 'really nice.' "Yeah, those two are... good at that kind of thing. Nice to meet you, Cure Flora and Puff-san. Sounds like you have some history with that guy."

With any princess-related concerns she had now dismissed, Jupiter turns back to Naru, and the smile vanishes as her expression turns apologetic. "I'm so sorry, Naru-chan. This happened even though I was standing right next to you."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"Close.." Naru repeats as she pets Puff's head at the headbutting. It's not so dissimilar to the occaisional demands of a certain feline who may visit periodically. "Jerk is not the first word I came up with, but it suffices. Are the other two generals similar sorts of jerks?" She asks in echo of Fate's questions, because somehow, it seems like she might need to know this info. Just in case.

"Endymion and Serenity are both pretty awesome." Naru agrees and then adds, as she gets a bit of her wits back around her. "I'm Naru, by the by, to those I haven't met before." Which certainly includes Arf and Puff, as well as Flora and Fate.

Naru looks rueful to Jupiter. "You've nothing to apologize for, that sort of thing.. well.. I have no clue how to fight against /those/ ones. It's not like I can outrun it, or even learning to fight isn't going to help much. I'm glad you.. all of you.. were here though. I really didnt want to stay in there any longer than I did."

Haruka Haruno has posed:
Flora drops her transformation, shaking her head. "I haven't met either of those two yet, just Close. I know they exist because of Puff and her brother Aroma," Haruka intones. She gives Naru a look, though. "Puff hasn't seen anyone able to fight being in a cage of despair after they get put in it," she says, her tone heavy with implication. "What you did was literally more than anyone from a kingdom that is completely the opposite of DysDark has been able to do, because their whole freakin' kingdom got locked away in those things!" Naru clearly does not understand the weight and importance of putting even a tiny crack in that cage.

Puff nods solemnly. "I bet if we asked Miss Siamour or Prince Kanata, they would be surprised and impressed too-pafu!" Puff agrees, running her head under Naru's hand more.

Fate T. Waldia has posed:
    It... really isn't every day that Fate is actually thanked for saving someone. Upon hearing it, she gets a bit shy. She has met Naru before, but Naru was a bit out of sorts then, and Fate doesn't remember a formal introduction.

    Arf overhears and offers a big wave. "Hi, Naru-san!"

    Fate telepathically tells Arf that she doesn't have to do that, and Arf telepathically says that she knows but she doesn't want to let Fate down, and then there's a bit of back and forth about how coming out of the fight unharmed was more important and that she really shouldn't sweat the small things.

    Externally, all it really looks like is a long, meaningful look between Arf and Fate, before Fate breaks eye contact to turn back to Flora, Puff, Jupiter, and Naru.

    "It really was neat. That wasn't a weak cage. I bet you could've broken it if you kept going."

Makoto Kino has posed:
"Still," Jupiter begins, but then she visibly squelches herself and subsides. What's happened has happened; arguing about whether or not she should have been able to do more won't change anything. Still, she looks a bit dissatisfied, and she can't quite join the others in admiring how much Naru managed to fight against the daspair cage.

"...I'm just glad you're all right," she says earnestly.

Naru Osaka has posed:
Naru blinks a moment as she listens to Flora and ers softly. "I.. apparently have gotten more practice at keeping things out of my head than I thought." She hunhs softly, musing on the unusualness of it.

"I think it would have been a near thing." She admits at Fate's assertion. "It was starting to win, and once the doubts creep in, its really hard to fight back. I learned /that/ the hard way." She pauses and closes her eyes a moment before opening again and pointing at Fate directly. "You were the one who dragged me out of the alley! I never got to say thank you for that." She turns, just a little, to glance in the direction of the alley in question before turning back to Fate. "Sorry I didn't recognize you immediately, I was pretty out of it last time."

Naru reaches a hand out to touch Jupiter's arm, or offer that touch. "It's all good."

Haruka Haruno has posed:
Haruka smiles. "That force of will is a good thing! I hear that us Cures are weaker when we don't believe in our dreams, and I bet it's the same thing with you and not letting despair eat you from the... outside in, I guess." She brushes invisible dirt off of her skirt, nodding. "It seems like everyone knows Endymion and Serenity!" That's said with a laugh; they're such nice people, and so welcoming, that Haruka isn't surprised. "Um, if you see anyone with keys like mine, can you let me know? Or-- if Close or someone like him shows up? I can give you my phone number!"

Fate T. Waldia has posed:
    Fate nods, and then shakes her head. "That was me! And it's okay. Really I should apologize. You got targeted because that lady was after us. I'm sorry..." She scuffs a foot, glancing away. "But... I'm glad you're okay!"

    Fate perks up at Cure Flora at the mention of phone numbers. "Oh! Um. Sure. I'll use my Virtue phone." She reaches into a pocket in her skirt and pulls out a black phone with a yellow lightning bolt emblazoned on it. "I'll call you if I see something like that. It wouldn't be good to let people like that do whatever they want."

Makoto Kino has posed:
Jupiter clearly doesn't share Naru's opinions on 'all good,' but she does her best to smile in response to the touch to her arm, before looking back towards Flora. "Well," she admits, "you're not wrong. There's not a lot of people those two aren't friends with, somehow."

Her eyebrows lift attentively when Flora asks about keys and Close. "Sure," she says, with a little nod - and abruptly something occurs to her and her eyes widen in sudden dismay. "--oh, damn it!"

Turning hastily away, Sailor Jupiter scrambles toward the table under which Makoto stashed her bag before the fight. "--if the chocolates I got for Mamoru-niisan got crushed I swear to God I'll hunt down that spiky little bastard and wring him out like a wet disrag--"

Naru Osaka has posed:
"I was just debating that with Princess Rune earlier." Naru shakes her head at Fate's speculation on that. "Based on how she used me, I think I was just a convenient source of energy. It's a whole different thing when someone is actually targetting you, as opposed to it being random, and all the indications on my end of things spoke to a random attack and she was just using an excuse to make it seem justified." Naru leaves off just how miserable her encounter with Nightshade Serpant was. Fate saw it. She knows.

"Everyone knows Endy and Serenity." Naru confirms with a smile, nodding to Jupiter's assessment of it as well. "I'd be glad of your number, and I'll let you know." She watches Jupiter go looking for chocolates. "They'll still be tasty, even if they got broken." She tries to reassure Jupiter, coming a bit closer to see the state of the chocolates. "We can blame Close for any breakage. Send him a bill."

Haruka Haruno has posed:
Haruka nods, digging in her purse for the pieces of scratch paper she had made with her name and phone number on them. Since becoming a magical girl, she's given out her number a lot. To the point where she's started writing slips of paper with her name and phone number on them to give out to other people. "And from what I've seen of him, he seems like the type of person to appreciate the thought." She giggles at the idea of sending him the bill for the chocolates.

"We should make him clean up the damage he's left in places too-pafu. I could teach him to be a maid!"

Puff's pronouncement has Haruka staring blankly for a moment, then erupting in gales of laughter at the resulting mental image of Close in a frilly French Maid getup. She will never take him seriously again.

Fate T. Waldia has posed:
    Fate considers what Naru said. Well, maybe that's true. "Her justification was pretty weak, I'll admit."

    Then she blinks. "Send him a bill? How? Do you know his address?" It doesn't occur to her that Naru might be joking. Then again, she might not be.

    "Oh!" Fate takes one of the slips of paper, and then sends a text to the listed number. Then she fiddles with the phone a bit more. "I'm saving your number as Cure Flora."

    Bardiche pings. Fate keeps a lot of numbers on her device, too.

Makoto Kino has posed:
Fortunately for everyone and the continued integrity of Close's spine, it looks like tossing it under the table kept Mako's bag largely untrampled. The little box of gourmet chocolates has been a bit jostled amidst the other contents of the bag, but it's undamaged. Jupiter breathes a sigh of relief as she inspects it, and grins wryly at the other girls as she straightens. "Yeah, but these were expensive!"

Back on her feet, she dusts herself off before reaching to accept one of the slips from Flora. Holding it in one hand, she digs up her Virtue phone with the other, to program the number in and text her contact information to it. "There we go. I sent my number to yours, so you can call me if you need help with anything. I'll keep an eye out ofr that guy or any keys."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"Dont know his address, but knowing my luck, he'll turn back up, and I'll be ready with a bill." Naru grins to Fate and then ahs as Jupiter confirms that the chocolates have survived. "Excellent!"

Naru takes the slip of paper from Flora and looks at it before tucking it into her pocket. She's the notable exception in not pulling out a Virtue phone to key in the number right here, right now. "Thank you."

Naru takes a deep breath. "I think, after that excitment, I'm going to head home for a while. Thank you again, all of you, for pulling my bacon out of the fire. I appreciate it."