Juuban Land (Open)

[Rathuris]

Re: Juuban Land (Open)

Tempestas frowned as she observed the others a bit. Seeing the other two scouts transform back, she shrugged with a wince. "Guess there is no avoiding it." She closed her eyes a moment before shifting back to her male form. The once beautiful and curvaceous woman turning into a rather plain and unassuming nerdy man.

Turning to look at the other scouts. "I am Nicholas Arashi, and am a sophomore at a local college." Looking at the others to see their reactions to his transformation. After a few moments to listen to any other introductions, he spoke. "We can go to my home. I live alone so even if we are followed, nobody else will get hurt if we're attacked."

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Juuban Land (Open)

For the other sailor scouts, who had observed Nicolas' original transformation, there was no startled reaction, but Kousuke did give a bit of a start.

"Y-you're a guy?" he asked dumbfounded, though after a moment he realized that he was stating the obvious.

Daigoro cocked his head to the side, though as far as dog looks went, it was difficult for Nicolas to read his reaction until he spoke.

"That is odd, but not unheard of. Some souls are newly formed whereas other souls come back through reincarnation. Yours must be the latter. In a past life, you were a woman and a princess of an element Nicolas, and while such souls tend to find their way into newly formed females, it's obviously not always the case. The power that your soul possesses is a potent one, but stems from the feminine side of our world's positive energy, so when you transform, your sex does as well."

Miki bit her lip and buried her face in her hands, while Akane laughed lightly, but not maliciously.

"You make a really cute girl, Nicolas. That's a sexy soul you have.~"

Kousuke scratched his head. "You live alone, hm? Well, I suppose that is convenient. Why don't we head that way? Right, miss?"

He looked over at Enceladus, as she was the last one to introduce herself.

 

[xivvix]

Re: Juuban Land (Open)

Sailor Enceladus stared silently, enraptured, as Ronin Pure disappeared with Silucite into the folds of his cloak. Like one of the heroes she idolized in her manga and anime, everything he did was amazing to behold. Her breath caught in her throat as the threads of his cloak began to slip out of sight, and as the last bit of cloth blinked away, she gasped lightly. For a moment she stared at the empty space where he had stood, somehow not believing what she had seen, despite everything she had been through already. Daigoro's sudden apology on Ronin Pure's behalf drew a quick jump from Enceladus, though she quickly regained her composure and gave an nod to dog. "I'm sure he's had a lot of help from you," she said, smiling and giving him another pat on the head.

Though she shared Daigoro's assessment of the young boy's abilities, Enceladus still found herself impressed by his determination to aid them. His courage in the face of what they had just experienced was heartening, and she found her appraisal of him growing as she took in his defiant stance. Though she still hoped to find some way to hide him from the Negeverse, she gave him an appreciative nod at his introduction.

As the other sailor scouts reverted back to their normal forms, Enceladus found herself surprised by the difference between Chalbys and Miki, and the similarity between Volcanis and Akane. Prior to their transformation, she had paid little attention to the people in the tent that she had been expecting to protect on her own. Still, it was Tempestas reverting back to Nicholas that was the most surprising, both due to his gender, as well as his unassuming form. Daigoro's explanation, though beyond her understanding, made enough sense to forestall any questions she might have. Laughing at Akane's reaction, Enceladus had one of her own. "I suppose it's fitting she's so hot. Wouldn't want him to be the odd 'man' out."

As she said this, Encaldus relaxed her spiritual power, like a muscle, and felt herself returning to her normal form. Her body shifted, becoming slightly shorter and a little less curvy, though it was hard to tell under her loose, comfortable t-shirt and short pants. As she readjusted to her natural state, she looked around to each of the girls, as well as Daigoro and the young boy and introduced herself. "I'm Yukihime Aki, senior. It's good to meet all of you, even if it is in the middle of some secret alien invasion." With that, she turned to Nicholas, ready to proceed to wherever he lived.

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Juuban Land (Open)

Daigoro padded along side Aki as the five humans made their way out of the darkened tent and once more into the light of the world. No one outside seemed to have taken any notice of what had occurred, and eerily, when they turned to look back, the circus tent had disappeared - fading away from reality as though it had been just a dream.

But certainly for those four other souls, it was not a dream, and the discovery of their powers and of the awful hidden truths continued to weigh on them.

"Just so you're aware, the only people who can hear me are you five," Daigoro commented, his head swiveling from side to side, looking like a well-trained but still curious dog. "Everyone else will just think I'm a normal dog. I'm what's known as a companion. Technically, I am bonded to Ronin Pure. I act as an adviser, mentor and familiar, and generally try to keep him out of too much trouble. You four might have companions as well, but it seems they haven't awakened yet. As your powers grow, you might find that your soul energy will call them to you, but not every princess is known to have had a companion."

"So just what is this business with princesses?" Akane wondered aloud. "You're speaking as though this sort of thing has gone on for a long time. Has the world always been under attack from this Negaverse?"

"Not just this world. Many worlds. Our universe of light is mirrored by the Negaverse. Every star is a physical representation of a burning hope for life and all its wonders, but those stars are separated by a daunting expanse of void, an absence of life and emotion. That dark matter is the physical representation of the Negaverse. It is ever present and it attacks all worlds with life, seeking to feed on it and eventually crushing it under its own oppressive need for sustenance."

"Sounds morbid."

"B-but what is this stuff about physical representation? These terms don't make much sense. The sun is just a burning ball of gas, isn't it?"

"That's true, in one sense, but in another sense, no."

"Great. This isn't confusing at all," Kousuke said.

"Everything you see has a dual nature. A rock, a tree, the ocean, the moon, and the stars. There's what you're used to seeing, the scientific reality that keeps your universe making sense and explainable for those who don't have the connection to the other side of things, which is the spiritual side. For example: is a rock hard and heavy because its mass is dense? Or is it that way because its attitude is stubborn and it simply refuses to give in? Is gravity a natural force? Or is it just the charisma of the ground convincing objects to come back to it?"

Akane snorted, "That's pretty trippy."

"You are having a conversation with a talking dog," Daigoro reminded her. "The world is far more complex than you realize. Sometimes two completely incompatible explanations can both be true. Your powers allow you to affect parts of reality based upon this second system of understanding the universe. Your soul energy speaks to the elements that you are tied to, and can convince it to do what you say. Lighting, ice, heat, or metals... you can create these things, using their inherent power as a weapon against the powers of darkness."

"A handy ability," Kousuke nodded.

"Even though you don't have a natural connection, the mark on your soul will let you start to perceive this world in a similar manner Kousuke. If you're not careful, you might start to seem very odd to your fellow humans. Having conversations with trees and the like... it's one of the reasons Ronin Pure suggested you be allowed to forget."

"I'll be sure to limit my conversations to humans," Kousuke said. "And perhaps the occasional dog."

"Naturally," Daigoro wagged his tail, before continuing on. "Anyway. To get back to the earlier question. Yes, this has been going on for quite some time. Each world has its defenders, souls chosen by the light to protect our reality from the depredations of the Negaverse. On Earth, we have been relatively lucky. Only border skirmishes and the sort between ourselves and the Negaverse. If you've ever wondered where these tales of monsters find their origins, now you might understand. There have been things that go bump in the night, and we've had real heroes and heroines working to keep things under control. Now we have you four."

"No pressure," Akane remarked.

"Indeed. And what's a bit concerning is that recently, the Negaverse has become extremely aggressive. For beings like myself, which have the ability to travel between worlds, there have been some disturbing signs. A few worlds have had all travel and communication cut. We're not sure what is going on, but we fear that the Negaverse is conducting invasions. Some dark power is isolating solar systems, one by one. And after today, I'm worried that Earth may be the next target. If that's so, we need to make sure that the Negaverse doesn't get a foothold onto our planet."

 

[Rathuris]

Re: Juuban Land (Open)

Nicholas shook his head at their comments about his female form. "Though I wish wasn't so big in the chest department. They are a pain on the back, especially during a fight." Shrugging as she looked at the other scouts. "Besides, I prefer this form to being every teenage boy's skantily clad wet dream." He led the other out of the tent and started off towards the exit.

Nicholas listened intently while the dog explained somethings to them. "So if the Negaverse is a mirror of our universe, does that mean, we each have an evil counterpart or evil twin out there somewhere?" Frowning a moment in thought as the dog explained somethings that were even more complicated then the concept of multiple universes. Once out of the park, Nicholas would lead them down a road. "We are still a few minutes away from my home." Letting them converse more before they arrived at their destination.

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Juuban Land (Open)

"Eww." Miki winced at the wet dream comment. "Yours aren't that outrageous. I-I mean, we're all fine when we're transformed, but we're n-not... you know... sex bombs or anything."

"Speak for yourself," Akane said, tossing her red hair from side to side in a proud manner. "Kicking butt and fighting with heels on as though they were trainers? I certainly feel sexy. Right Kousuke-san?"

"Uh..." Kousuke's eyes fell and he loosened his collar with his finger.

"Oh? Cat got your tongue?" Akane teased.

"D-don't do that!" Miki said waving her hands. "I don't want to have to think about what I look like in my skirt when I'm fighting evil stuff!"

Daigoro snuffled around the street, leading himself a bit by the nose for a while as Akane got her kicks out of teasing the worrisome Miki and the shy Kousuke. Eventually though Nicholas asked his next question and the dog companion happily sidled over to pad next to the college student.

"Possibly, but not necessarily. I've not heard of anyone encountering their evil twins before, but that doesn't mean that the Negaverse isn't capable of it. As you've already seen, they have powers that can confuse and distort perceptions. It wouldn't be hard for one of their magicians to make themselves look like you."

The group turned down a few streets, working their way towards Nicholas' residence.

"The Negaverse has different tactics that it likes to take... we think that there's a philosophical disagreement somewhere among the higher ranks. Some want to conquer us, some want to infiltrate us, others just want to have a reliable food source. Whatever it is that they want, we can't allow them to succeed, because it would mean allowing harm to many innocents."

 

[xivvix]

Re: Juuban Land (Open)

Aki couldn't help but laugh at the banter between her new found companions. "It's okay, Miki, you look great in a skirt. In fact, I think you might be more of a wet dream than Nick!" She said, giggling. Still, she couldn't help but marvel at the truth of Akane's observation. She had been wearing high heeled boots and a ponytail that easily touched her ankles, but had never felt more in control of her body and confident in her movements as during that fight. Even her breasts and butt had been larger than their normal size and they hadn't bothered her. "Maybe Nick just needs some more practice before her can be a proper sex bomb like us?" she asked with a smirk, looking out the corner of her eye at him. "What do you say, Nikki? Maybe you transform and we take you dancing, just to get you used to that cute outfit?" She finished her sarcastic question with a wink, just to let them all know she was joking.

Daigoro had much more important things to discuss, however, and Aki fell silent during his revelations about the hidden reality around them. It was incredible, to say the least, and Aki couldn't help but share Akane's flippant attitude about some of the more surreal suggestions he made. Still, what Daigoro had to say about souls, the Negaverse's intentions, and the heroines that stood against them filled her with nothing but excitement. It was just the kind of plot she loved in her manga. And here she was, one of the chosen few! She almost squealed in delight at the thought. She managed to keep her elation under control for the time being, though. As the team captain, as she was already thinking of herself, she had to take all of this a bit more seriously. "So the Negaverse is trying to attack us, along with other worlds," she began carefully, "and the four of us are the only ones that can stop them?" 'Awesome', she thought, just barely managing to keep it to herself. "So how exactly do we do that?" she asked, "It can't be that we just hold them off forever, right? Is there some kind of special item we need to find to defeat them? Or a king or queen to fight so the rest of the Negaverse knows not to mess with us?"

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Juuban Land (Open)

"Your eagerness to commit to the fight is impressive, Aki," Daigoro said with a rolling hesitation. "But some of the enemies that you might face will be very powerful indeed. And you've only just begun to discover your powers. If I were you, I wouldn't be rushing off to try and take the fight to the Negaverse."

"You've much to learn, grasshopper," Akane nudged Aki with her elbow.

"You guys! We should be taking this seriously! Remember those poor people who were taken!" Miki crossed her arms and looked to be slightly upset.

"Hey... there was nothing you could have done. It happened so fast," Kousuke put a hand on Miki's shoulder, trying to comfort her.

"I-I know. It's just, here we are being told we're superheroes. But we were completely helpless against that creature from the Negaverse. If it hadn't been for Ronin Pure..." Miki visibly shuddered.

"That creature was something big, something primordial," Daigoro murmured. "Probably something from deep within the Negaverse. Fortunately for us, something like that can't easily get into our world, and if it did so, it wouldn't be here for very long."

"Why do you say that?" Kousuke asked.

"The more attuned with the Negaverse something is, the more trapped it is within it. For the most powerful denizens of the Negaverse to escape into our world, they would need immediate access to massive amounts of continuous energy. We'd be talking hundreds and hundreds of people to feed on. The minor powers of the Negaverse will try to infiltrate our world with the intent of capturing or collecting enough soul energy to bring in stronger and stronger foes. That's why our best bet is to locate breaches into our world and defeat them before they can harvest any significant amounts of soul energy."

"Sounds like you want us to be some sort of border patrol," Akane quipped. "What about what Aki said? Is there a queen bee that we could take out to make this problem go away?"

Daigoro shook his head. "Even if I knew the identity of such a being, which I don't, the chances of them showing themselves this early would be almost nil. They leaders of this assault will stay safe in their shadows until the groundwork has been laid. If you can foil their plans well enough, you might force them into coming out into the open before they're ready. That would be the best way forward."

"So there's nothing we can do except wait?" Akane asked.

"Well. There are artifacts of light, like Ronin Pure's cloak, that you might find or even construct to aid you in battle, but I don't know what those might be. You would have to meet your own companions to find out more. I'm afraid I don't really know all that there is to know about your Senshi abilities."

By this time, the group had reached Nicholas' street, and were soon at his front door.

 

[Rathuris]

Re: Juuban Land (Open)

Nicholas frowned at the dogs words of what they were to do. "Guess all we can do is train and plan while we wait." He lead them to a two story rundown sort of apartment. "This building is full of student residents. There will likely be no one else here, either they are off having fun to try and relieve stress from school, or off studying for the next test." He lead the up to the second floor and proceeded to the last apartment. After he unlocked the door he gestured for them to enter his apartment.

The main room was small with a table sitting in the center and a cushion on each side. To one side of the room was a small kitchen set. Opposite of the small kitchen was a small book stand with a tiny tv on top. The floor was covered in tatami mats and the walls where a simple green to match the floor. The room was barely big enough for the five humans to sit down comfortably. At the back of the room was a closed sliding door likely leading to Nich's bedroom.

After entering, Nich quickly put the dozen or so textbooks and school binders on the shelf. He pulled out a few more cushoins for the others to sit on from a cupboard. "Have a seat. Would you guys like water or tea?" Opening the fridge to get himself a beer.

 

[xivvix]

Re: Juuban Land (Open)

Aki chuckled softly at Akane's joke while nodding along to Daigoro. Of course he was right. That fight took a lot out of them and if it weren't for Ronin Pure, they might not have made it out. Miki brought a quick pause to Aki's silly attitude though.

"Y-you're right, Miki," Aki responded meekly, eyes cast down. "We were pretty rough in there. We couldn't do anything when it got really bad. He really did save us..." Aki paused as Kousuke attempted to mollify the girl, before adding, "I guess we've got a lot of work to do before we can really consider ourselves super-heroines." Thankfully, Daigoro's informative lectures proved enough of a distraction for all of them to remove their minds from their earlier shortcomings.

"Pardon the intrusion," Aki said politely as Nicholas ushered them into his apartment. Her tone changed quickly to slightly jokey as she quipped, "Keeping it cozy, eh Nick? Or were you just looking to get a bunch of pretty girls in a tight spot?" The apartment was small, smaller than her family's house, though she didn't want to insult him. She chuckled, then sat down easily in the offered cushion. "Water would be nice, thanks," Aki said graciously while grinning up at Nick.

After everyone had entered and made themselves as comfortable as possible, Aki turned to Daigoro, ready to ask a few more questions. "So you mentioned companions? Does that mean we all get talking doggies to help us out?" she asked, smiling sweetly at the dog creature. She also considered something else he had mentioned. "You said you don't now about our 'Senshi' abilities, but I take it you know about Ronin Pure. So... who is he? And where are you from? You two must have been around for some time to know so much about what's going on." She thought for a second, then added, "You said you can travel between worlds. Can other Senshi travel too, to help us? Can you travel to the Negaverse too? Maybe we could find the people from the tent..."

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Juuban Land (Open)

Miki asked for tea about the same time as Kousuke did as well. Seeing an opportunity to lend a hand, the other boy moved to the kitchen counter top and looked around for some spare mugs to put the tea in while Nicholas put some water on to boil.

"I'll have a beer," Akane said as she lounged herself out on the couch, pushing her feet up against Daigoro's furry body and tickling the dog with her toes. Daigoro seemed to enjoy this.

"I don't think he'd be happy if I disclosed his identity to you. But I'll make certain that he knows you're interested." Daigoro shifted his position so that he was lying down and curled around Akane's feet.

"As for where I come from, specifically, it is a place called Axiom - a pocket dimension that exists adjacent to Earth. Like most such places, it is centered upon a wellspring of positive energy. It is a realm based on fundamental truth - lies don't exist there. It is to that place that I believe Ronin Pure has taken the sorceress. I can travel freely to there, and I gifted Ronin Pure with his cloak of light, a most sacred relic of Axiom, which among other things, allows him to travel there as well. To all of us there would require the cloak, or a more universal item of world-traveling. There are traveling stones housed on every world of light. If you were to collect those items, you would be able to travel freely from realm to realm as well."

"Even to the Negaverse?" Miki asked.

"Ahh... no... sadly not. A dimensional barrier exists between our universe and the Negaverse. In addition to a traveling stone or similar item, you would need to expend a great deal of energy to breach the barrier. It is a testament to the sorceress' abilities that she could do so with such swiftness - though who's to say that she didn't have some help in the matter. We must hope that Ronin Pure's efforts to get her to speak are successful, so that he could illuminate us."

 

[Rathuris]

Re: Juuban Land (Open)

Nicholas grinned back at Aki as he handed her a bottle of water. "Just keeping it cozy, though it is quite lucky to bring three pretty girls home." Turning back around he set some water to boiling in a kettle. Handing Kousuke a couple tea bags while he waited. Turning to Akane with a shake of his head. "Nice try missy, but your still a minor. Water or tea?" Pulling out a glass of water or a cup for tea depending on her anwser. He pulled out a few a roll of bandages and a couple odd pads. He sat down at the table to listen to the dog while the water boiled.

He pulled off his shirt and and set it down next to himself. Cracking each of the pads, he gently placed them onto his now purple and red ribs. Wincing slightly as he began to wrap each pad against the massive bruise. Speaking while he saw to his own injures. "So there are chances that there are relics of power out there in the world? How would we even begin to look for them, and how are we to know if they are even meant for good?"

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Juuban Land (Open)

"Oh, well if you're going to be little miss nun about that sorta thing then nevermind, but it is sorta rude to be drinking it in front of us then. Don't you know anything about having guests over?" Akane said with challenge in her voice. "Besides, it's not as if I haven't had alcohol before, and I'm not a minor, I'm 18, there's a difference. In most reasonable countries, I can have a drink."

"I don't even like the taste of it," Miki said from her spot on the floor beneath Daigoro.

"Oh, but you've tried it?" Akane responded.

"When I was very young. Like ten. My grandfather gave me and my cousin a sip. It tasted way too bitter."

"That's a taste bud thing. Most people end up liking it. I don't see what the big deal is about drinking age anyway."

"Oh, I don't know," Kousuke turned around from the boiling pot of water. "I would imagine being drunk and having the ability to blast things with magical powers would be a bad combination."

Akane snorted, "Yeah, or shooting lightning. It's not like him being just over the legal limit makes him more or less dangerous with lightning than me with heat." She followed this remark up by sticking her tongue out at Kousuke, who shrugged.

Akane chose not to ask for water or tea, and would let the conversation drop. But she seemed to be the sort who enjoyed a good argument and didn't hesitate to stand her ground on such things. Her associated element of heat seemed apropos.

Daigoro seemed to have no opinion on the childish antics over human drinking laws and would only respond to Nicholas' question about relics.

"To my knowledge there are five travel stones residing on Earth. One of them happens to be relatively close by, but you'd still need my help to get there - and it might be a journey best left until you're all feeling recovered from your ordeal today." He nodded his head towards Nicholas' wounds.

"As for other sorts of relics, there might be some items meant to be discovered by you alone, given your destinies as the four princesses of your respective elements, but only your developing skills and attunement to the light will reveal them to you."

Spoiler

Speaking of which, I'll award each of you a Character Point for completing the introductory battle and good roleplaying thus far. You can spend it immediately or save it up for something bigger, just let me know what you're working towards and I'll try to incorporate it into the game.

For instance, if you really want to discover a meaningful item of power, you can spend points on the right attribute.

 

[xivvix]

Re: Juuban Land (Open)

Aki nodded to Nick as he handed her the water, then stared in surprise at all the talk about alcohol. She had never even tried it before, so to see the man drinking a beer while the others discussed it so easily left the young woman shrinking slightly into her cushion. She silently sipped the water, trying to keep a low profile until Daigoro spoke.

"Wha-what? Interested?" Aki asked, nearly spitting out her water at the dog's offer to mention her interest to Ronin Pure. "I-I wasn't... I mean... no, I was just curious," she said, quickly bringing the bottle of water to her lips again. Her silhouette continued to shrink in on itself as the dog continued as though he hadn't said anything embarrassing, and she did her best to listen.

Aki's attention was tested when Nicholas began peeling off his shirt. Aki wasn't a prude by any means, but a man stripping down right in front of her was rather eye-catching. She coughed for a second into her bottle as she looked at the man. "N-Nick what are yo-" she started, only to hiss in empathy when she noticed his wounds. She had managed to escape the fight mostly unharmed, but even having witnessed Tempestas' injuries, she still wasn't prepared for the reality of them. "Do you need a hand?" she asked, half-rising from her cushion, ready to help if the man wanted it, though obviously a little unnerved by the display.

As Daigoro spoke, Aki turned to look at the magical animal out of the side of her vision. Despite all the useful information the creature was imparting on them, the eager Aki couldn't help but be a little disappointed that the final epic battle between good and evil for the fate of the universe would probably have to wait until another night. "I guess we should take some time to rest up," she said, looking pointedly at Nick's bruised ribs. "Is there a way for us to know when some of those Negaverse monsters show up, Daigoro? Those people from earlier probably weren't the first ones that magician grabbed before we showed up. It'd be nice to stop anyone else from having to go through that." After a moments pause, she added thoughtfully, "I wonder what the odds are that we all showed up to check that guy out on the same night?"

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Juuban Land (Open)

"Those ARE long odds," Daigoro nodded. "I really don't know how to explain it. Maybe the sorceress can enlighten us. As for knowing when and where a Negaverse incursion will take place... so long as you have your transformation items with you, you should begin to develop a feeling for when a breach has been made. As long as you are keeping a clear head and not getting distracted or emotionally confused, a guardian can sense the spiritual ripple effect that breaching the barrier causes. Like throwing a stone into a pond, there will be a noticeable surface effect. A smaller stone - in this case, a lesser minion of the Negaverse - will cause a smaller ripple that will dissipate faster, so there's still the possibility that you'll have to use some old-fashioned detective work to uncover troubles. Consider yourselves deputized defenders of Earth, like it or not."

"Yay..." Akane said mirthlessly, waving a finger around in the air. "I always hoped I could go to war."

"Well... I suppose I do have one thing I could give you." Daigoro got up onto all fours, looked to his immediate left, and then said. "Be right back!"

He leaped through the air, disappearing as if going behind some invisible wall. An awkward stretch of time passed, before he returned roughly twenty seconds later. He had in his mouth four pins, in the shape of one of the shurikans that Ronin Pure had used as projectiles. At the center of each pin was a small white orb.

"I'd suggest not over-using these, but if you're ever in dire trouble, pressing in the orb will alert myself or Ronin Pure to your location. I can't guarantee that we'll always be able to get there instantly, even with our world traveling powers, but we'll do our best."

 

[Rathuris]

Re: Juuban Land (Open)

Nicholas gave Aki a grateful smile and nodded. "Help would be much appreciated. It is hard to grab the wrap behind my back." Handing Aki the wrap and the pads, which turned out to be heat inducing to ease muscle or sore back pain. He gently held her hands to show her how to do one wrap, before turning back to the dog. He looked a little unsure at his words and watching the dog dissappear. Turning to Aki to try and help ease the tension somewhat. "So do you usually use helping a guy tend to an injury as an excuse to touch him?" Grinning as he teased Aki.

Once the dog returned he accepted the pin. "I don't think we will find anything as powerful as that tentacle thing, we should be alright otherwise." Giving the woman a smile showing he had faith in them.

 

[xivvix]

Re: Juuban Land (Open)

The heating pad and wrap were fairly simple to use, though Aki still listened to Nicholas' explanation silently. Despite the serious nature of the man's wounds, the girl still found herself reacting awkwardly to his hands gently taking hers. Aki stared down nervously as her hands were guided in the pads use, silently receiving his instructions. When he turned away to listen to the magical dog, she wordlessly began to apply the bandages, her fingers gingerly spreading the wrap out across his back.

Though she felt awkward placing the heat pads, Aki paid attention to Daigoro as well. From the sounds of it, the four sailor scouts were going to need to pay careful attention if they wanted to catch the Negaverse monsters before they could hurt people. If that was even possible. She chuckled once at Akane's nonchalant response to Daigoro's metaphor. "Oh come on, Akane," Aki called out jokingly, "It's not everyday you get deputized, and I think you'd look good in a cowgirl outfit."

The magical creature's sudden disappearance surprised Aki, though not as much as Nicholas' quick joke. Blushing at his teasing suggestion, the girl withdrew her hands, holding them out as she stuttered, "T-that's not what I... I wasn't trying to..." After a brief pause, her shocked expression switched to one of sarcastic amusement. "Well, if you're feeling good enough to joke around already," she said with a smirk while she softly poked at one of the smaller bruises, "those injuries must not have been all THAT bad." She chuckled as she moved away, though she turned to give a quick smile to the man.

Upon Daigoro's return, Aki stepped forward and took the pin, inspecting it curiously. "So, it's like an panic button?" she asked, turning the object over and around, "Some kinda 'get out of jail free' card?" The idea of being able to call Ronin Pure to come help her was enticing to the young girl, and she held the pin close to her chest. "Thanks, Daigoro. It'll be tough, but I think if we all work together, this whole Negaverse Invasion thing will be over before we know it."

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Juuban Land (Open)

Akane went a little rosy at the cowgirl comment, and pursed her lips in contemplation before offering her reply.

"You know, I could easily arrange to make a cowgirl outfit. My mother is in the fashion business so don't tempt me. Or you'll find yourself in a skimpy American Indian outfit right beside me at the next cosplay convention."

This got Miki's attention, her head whipping up and her fists rising to her lips as she physically attempted to contain her joy burst.

"Oh, do you like cosplay?! I love it! I'm just dying to go to the next Comiket in August! Only a month away!" She stopped suddenly, realizing the eyes of the room focusing on her and in this vulnerable moment understanding that perhaps just because someone mentioned cosplay, it didn't mean that they were active participants in the concept.

"Well, of course!" Akane said, putting Miki out of her misery. "A lot of my mother's business comes from fulfilling orders for that event! We have a booth at all the big conventions."

"Oh wow!" Miki said, her eyes shining with happiness.

Kousuke brought the tea and water over to Aki and Miki. Then turned back to get his own. It was about this time that Daigoro interrupted this side conversation with his reappearance, and subsequent handing out of pins.

"I'm sure if you all work together, our world will be safe. If nothing should happen in the meantime, I will check up on you next weekend. Now, I should go and see if I can catch up with Ronin Purre. See you!"

With that, Daigoro leaped, twisted sideways, and disappeared once more into a miniature dimensional vortex, leaving the new group alone together.

Spoiler

In your response to this, could you list where your characters will be going in the next week of game time? This will allow me to plan individual scenes for you. If you want to make plans for some of your characters to interact with other NPCs, or you want to make an excuse for the two of you to be together, then that's fine, but I figure that I will make a new thread that's dedicated to this storyline.

It's important that in 'character downtime' you fill me in on what your characters do, as well as give me some insight into their own thoughts about their powers and how it affects their lifestyle. If you have anything you want your characters to definitely achieve in the short term, feel free to PM me.

 

[xivvix]

Re: Juuban Land (Open)

Akane's half-threatening, half playful response drew Aki's eyebrows up in surprise, as did Miki's reaction. Though she had never done any cosplay, Aki had always found it wonderful to see people who enjoyed some of her favorite activities so much as to imitate the characters with such dedication. "Hah, that's awesome!" she replied to the news about Akane and her mother. "I've always wanted to go to one of those conventions, but they are just so crowded..." Aki trailed off at the end, making a slight motion with her hand to wave the idea off, not wanting to delve deeper into her dislike of large groups.

Just before Daigoro disappeared, Aki managed to blurt out, "Thanks, Daigoro! And tell Ronin Pure thanks for me, too!" She had meant to say 'us,' but didn't notice it in her rush. After the magical creature's departure, the room suddenly felt awkward, as though they were all strangers once again. "Sooo..." Aki started, looking around with a nervous grin. After a second, she had a sudden burst of inspiration. "Oh! We should exchange numbers," the young woman said, pulling out a black and white checker-patterned cellphone. "Y'know, in case anything crazy happens."

After they finished taking each other's information, Aki stared for a moment at Kousuke. "Kousuke-chan," she said softly, approaching him with a concerned expression on her face, "I know you want to help us, and I-we appreciate any help you can give us, but maybe you should try to do what Ronin Pure said." She bit her lip and looked away for a second, knowing the boy would disagree. "Just try to forget, if you can. And if something happens, call one of us." Aki didn't really expect her words to work, but she felt like she had to try. "Just try to be safe." She added, before turning away and stepping towards the door.

It was getting late, and with the magical business seemingly finished, Aki was ready to head home and get to bed. Still, she waited to see if anyone else had anything else to say. Despite being the friendly sort, Aki wasn't the type to suggest activities with people she just met. If any of her new teammates had something in mind, though, she might be interested.

Spoiler

Aki is a student, so she will be spending time at school. She spends her free time at the Crown arcade, as well as a local manga/anime shop visiting with the regulars. She practices playing guitar after school on some days, and goes grocery shopping regularly. At night Aki will be transforming into Sailor Enceladus and enjoying her new abilities, excited to be a new superheroine.

 

[Rathuris]

Re: Juuban Land (Open)

Nicholas tried to ignore the talk of cosplaying, especially considering he had just done a little bit himself not a hour ago. Now that his wound was seen to, he slipped his shirt back on with a wince.

Nicholas shook his head as he watched the dog disappear again. His mind thinking that such a skill would be quite useful to have himself. Looking about, at the crowded room. Looking to Aki and nodded at her. "Sure. Here is my number." He pulled out a simple black cellphone and shared his number with the others. "Though I wont be reachable during weekdays until after five o'clock. As I will be in class for most of the day." He looked at the other three scouts curiously. Wondering if they had any questions for him.