Due to the fact that he's been targeted by Nephrite out of henshin, despite how easily he was taken out mid-leap by a knight with a sword, Mamoru Chiba has begun spending any time out at night alone as Tuxedo Kamen-- since in theory, Tuxedo Kamen can make a quick getaway much more quickly than his civilian identity. Moreover, he's been trying to pay a lot more attention to his surroundings.
Sometimes paying attention is hard, though. Especially when the moon is a slender crescent, watching him from behind the Earth's shadow like peeking from behind a tree, and all he can think about despite everything going on is the three girls that occupy his heart.
The breeze comes in gusts tonight, tugging at his cape and running light fingers through his hair, mussing it; he leans on the wall at the top of a middling-tall building amidst shorter ones, white mask glimmering and face preoccupied. The night goes on around him, biding its time.
Meanwhile. In the sky above. Prism Keeper Orange is flying! Well. She's practicing flying. She's getting better about flying in a straight line. She's getting a little faster. She is full of confidence. She might be peeking up at the moon too. It's so pretty! Even more so when there's no large buildings in the way so high up. She's thinking about things. Nagisa.... Witches.... Cheesecake.... Shades..... Ducks..... Homu-- wait ducks!?
There's a bunch of quacking high up as Prism Keeper Orange colldies with a flock of nighttime flying ducks. "A..Ahhh!" she begins to plumpet from the sky--- her tiny fairy butterfly wings flapping for all thier might! But it's hard to catch up again when you're falling so fast. "Ah....!"
A koi appears in front of, reaches to a pack on it's back and pulls a tiny cord. A Koi shaped parachute opens up.
"YOU'RE NOT HELPING!" yells Prism Keeper Orange as she falls against the moon backdrop.
She's hit dirt before. It hurts. But she won't die because, well. /magic/. But it'll probably hurt a bit for a moment. Like it has every other time she's fallen!
From above, quacking. Quacking and yelping. And then yelling. Tuxedo Mask glances up, then stares at the glowing little orange girl and her fish-a-chute for a second before biting his lip to keep from laughing.
A half second later and he leaps to intercept the fall moments before Prism Keeper Orange eats dirt: she's moving fast enough, and he's moving fast enough sidelong, that the impact won't be much of an impact at all. Just abrupt strong arms and formalwear, a spring off the ground, and then swift winds again before a sudden, silent-footed, gentle landing on another rooftop.
The tall boy in the mask and cape lightly sets the fourth-grader down, eyes twinkling in amusement behind the white outline hiding his identity. "You all right, Koi Girl?"
Prism Keeper Orange is in fact, bracing to hit pavement, or a dumpster, or a backyard pool, or crash through a roof. Then suddenly---- Tuxedo Kamen catches her, and puts her down. She blinks blinks blinks a bit as she sort of lands unsteadily on her feet. She had her eyes closed- so she doesn't get what quite happened until she looks up at the taller magical boy. And /bluuuuuuuush/!
"Ahahaha.. s..sorry! I didn't see the ducks because I was distracted. T..thank you for catching me. I'm used to hitting the dirt by now."
She blinks. "K..koi girl? I'm not Mahou Shoujo Koi-Chan! I'm Prism Keeper Orange..!" she says.
"But I guess maybe I am also Mahou Shoujo Koi-chan if you think about it." she says, eyes looking sideway before looking back at Tuxedo Kamen.
A"Oh! Uhm. I gave you. That drawing I did. Do you like it?" she asks softly. "I saw you a few times in stuff. You're really brave. n' stuff." ending things n' stuff seems to be her way of handling the nervousness.
She head tilts. "Why were... you in a magical clinic anyways?" she asks. She blinks.
"... there isn't magical flus and stuff is there!?" she suddenly asks.
"I know who you are," Tuxedo Kamen says, smiling, and he crouches in front of Reiko, then gets on one knee, draping his arms across the one that's up in front of him. Now she's a little taller than his face, but neither of them will have to crane their necks to converse. "But Koi-chan is quicker to say than Prism Keeper Orange, or even Orange-chan, isn't it?"
He's only teasing a little bit, and there's nothing mean in his tone or his face.
"I like your picture very much. I did put it up, it has place of pride in my home. And really, I think you're braver than I am. You go out and fight evil on purpose-- all I do is try to help people like you, who can fight so much better than I can."
Her last question has him shaking his head. "You saw what happened to Tadase-kun, right? The same thing happened to me. If you see a girl calling herself 'princess' who takes out a crystal and aims it at you, or anyone like that-- there's another who's a tall boy in a kind of armor, with a flaming sword, and another boy who has control of plants-- if they start fighting you out of nowhere, or if you get a crystal aimed at you, run and get help. Don't try to fight them yourself. They want to take your magic. It'll come back, but it hurts a lot and you'll be without it for a few days."
Prism Keeper Orange blinks blinks. Tadase said something to that effect. She'd only met Tadase in the clinic. Along with the /naughty cat boy/ that infuriates her to no end. Really, anyone who harasses koi must be the WORST people. She head tilts. She blushes. "Ah...! But.. but you do your best. Right? So that's all that matters, even if you can't fight!" she says with a curt nod. "I. I only look good at fighting. I'm supposed to be Red's shield and she's supposed to be the sword? That's. Kinda how we meant it to be. But. Stuff is different when the stuff is real." she says with a series of nods.
She looks down. "Did Red tell you anything about us?" she asks. "I dunno how you even know her!" she says.
She sort of blushes. "The koi sorta give me away sometimes. Like. When I was going to the clinic I was in a hurry.... and when you saw me you knew exactly who I was because of the koi."
"...so a buncha koi started appearing in my wake and chasing after me. I didn't make that happen. It just sorta did. They seem to behave themselves when it matters thou. But other times. It's sorta silly." she says meekly.
"That's right, I do my best," the teenager says, small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "You should probably work on keeping the koi from showing up when you aren't transformed, even if they only seem to do it when it turns out to be safe," he says mildly, "because it's important not to let the bad guys know who you are, or they could come after you in school or on the street when you're with your family or friends, or they could come after your family and friends."
Then he shifts a little so he can prop up the side of his head on one hand, elbow balanced on his knee. He's like a folded-up scarecrow, a little. Folded-up formalwear scarecrow with a pretty-boy face. "I met Red-chan when she first transformed. She'd only had her crystal for a few days, I think? And she got caught in a Witch's Labyrinth on her way home. I kept her from getting stomped until she woke up and turned into Prism Keeper Red. Then I had to take her home afterwards because she got very hurt in that fight. She has me on speed-dial in case she needs help, but I haven't heard from her in a while -- I bet it's because you're able to help her, now!"
Prism Keeper Orange blushes! "She kept my crystal away from me because she felt bad about it. Like.. Like she said it was all her fault! But it's my fault, too! I drew everything!--- the costumes.. the bad guys... the mascots... I felt really bad when she said she was fault, because it just meant I was too!" she says. "But then she was relived because she got to take a break from this magic stuff while I picked up the slack!" she says.
She huffs. "I. I try to. But they seem tied to my emotional state. When I get really excited...it's like I have a fireworks show behind me of exploding koi. Non-magical people don't see em. But magical people can. And you're right. It is dangerous." she says meekly. "At least. That cat jerk knew who I was! But he tought it was. like. One of those small tinier versions of themselves at first? I think Tadase-san called them Guardian Characters..." she says. "But that would be infering I wanna be a koi when I grow up..." she doesn't actually confirm or deny that accusation.
She blushes. "A friend of mine can talk to dogs, because she's a werewolf. So I thought maybe I could talk to koi."
She pauses.
"I can't talk to koi." she says with a blush.
She huffs a bit though as the fight is talked about in length. "I know about that! That jerk in the black mask who tried to steal the pink haired girl hit Red very hard!" she says. "I shot color energy at him until he had to run away!" she huffs. "I think Red was confused. We have. Two enemies. That go by the name 'Mr. Black' and 'Miss White'." she says. "But. Those weren't them. Just. Two other different Black and Whites." she says.
"..and Shades aren't as scary as witches." she says meekly.
"Well, who doesn't want koi when they grow up?" teases Tuxedo Mask -- yes, this is the pun in action -- and then he straightens up a little, no longer propping his head on his hand. "Thank you again for helping the pink-haired girl, by the way. She's a really sweet person-- she doesn't have any magic, but she always wants to help. Sometimes it gets her in trouble."
Finally, he picks himself up and flourishes a hand theatrically in the air, producing-- a business card! The only thing printed on it is a mobile number, no name or anything. He presents it to Reiko. "Here's how to get in touch with me if *you* need anything: I'm best at being backup and getting people out of danger, so if you have someone stronger to call you should call them, but I'll do in a pinch. Also, remember, just because there are monsters out there scarier than the ones your magic is made to fight doesn't mean that your monsters aren't scary. Always do your best, and don't ever dismiss a danger."
Prism Keeper Orange blushes. "I know she's important to the pretty girl with the guns. Um. Akemi-san!" she says. "But that's all I really know. And she thanked me for helping her, too!" she beams. "But she seems so sad." she says lightly, tapping two fingers together in front of her. She peers at the card and takes it. She stares at it for a moment and pulls out her cellphone--- which most certainly has a koi themed case around it, and starts entering the number. She summons a koi. Shoves the card into it's mouth. Then the koi dissapears.
She beams. "I know." she says. She head tilts, and looks down. "I talked with that Doctor in the weird magical place. She's really nice. Even if she seemed a little silly, too..." she says. "...and it doesn't really take a ten year old to know most of us can't pay a place like that..." she says meekly.
"I hope she does okay." she says. She looks back up, and smiles.
"I'll do my best to not need to call you!" she says. "But.. I. It's really nice of you. um..." she pauses.
"I can't really write my phone number on a koi and give it to you. Do you have your phone on you? I can give you my number too!" she says.
"Because maybe you might need help!" she says eagerly.
"Sure," laughs Tuxedo Kamen, and he pulls out a small black flip-phone that simply begs for someone to paint a white mask or a bowtie or something on it. He'll input the number when Reiko gives it to him.
"Don't worry about that doctor, though. She'll never charge too much for anyone to afford, and there are some people who help her out with her bills, so she won't run out of money."
Prism Keeper Orange gives Tuxedo Kamen her number. "Okay. There!" she beams. "Um..." she looks over to her side.
There's just suddenly a koi there pointing to his fin- which has an adorable tiny wristwatch on.
"OH!... nonono! I've been out too long... I was flying towards home when I fell and I completely forgot. Grandpa is going to ask where I was when I get home so late." she says. She huffs she begins to jet off into the sky. But not before stopping and turning around. "It..it was really nice speaking to you Tuxedo Kamen!" she says with a blush. "I hope you have a nice night!" she says until she turns back around and flies off in a hurry.
She'll probably land in a trash can and a pond before she actually makes it home.
"You too, Koi-chan!" teases Tuxedo Kamen affectionately, waving at the little flying girl. "Good luck!"
And because it was his good luck to meet someone tiny and nice and adorable instead of someone trying to drain his energy, the boy decides that unless the one named Sailor Moon needs him tonight, he's tempted fate enough: bedtime for mysterious masked rescuers. He vanishes into the night.