Session Start: Sat Dec 06 16:11:50 2003 Last time, on Hunters: The team got some unexpected reinforcements, in the form of Lord Chimera... who isn't quite all there. Yet. Sort of. It seems. At least he's a little slow or something. Sakura pulled everyone in a day early to meet the new guy, and to go over the details of tomorrow's mission. The team got a look at their protectees, found out that their opposition is a "team", and had a rousing discussion of the relative merits of lethal and non-lethal force. Kenji went home with Taki - for some reason Sakura couldn't keep him at her place - where they had a quiet evening and NOTHING HAPPENED. OKAY? Even though he's cute. [Wednesday, November 5, 2003. 1350 local time.] [Sakura's home/office - everyone is filing in...] [session start] * Kyouko wanders in, mumbling something about baby bears. o/~ baby beaaaars...baby BEARS~ Baby baby bay bearrs! o/~ * Taki shows up, Kenji in tow behind her. * Maya is there already, ready for work and looking somewhat tense, even though she's smiling perkily. * Kenji follows Taki in quietly. He's now wearing a matching black T-shirt and sweatpant ensemble. * Leena almost-walks in, with a half-pint of strawberry ice cream that she's eating from. "Hihi!" ^__^ Hi, everyone. * Minami shows up, satchel over her back. Hi. * Lord_Darkmoon arrives, dressed in his school uniform and with hair in his usual ponytail. He looks rested as he waves to those already present. * Kyouko takes off her headphones and stows them in her zip up blue hoodie with the TM Swimteam logo on it. * Kenji nods towards the secretary and gives a very short wave before going back to looking at nothing in particular. * Secretary presses the button, opening the door to the living area. Hello! * Leena drops her backpack full of Clothes and Stuff in a corner. * Kenji notices the new faces, but doesn't say anything as he follows the others. * Minami looks curiously at Kenji. * Lord_Darkmoon eyes Kenji curiously, but waits for Sakura to explain. * Maya waves to the Secretary, busy filing away her club goodies into her own satchel on the way in. "... so, today's the beginning." Yeah... * Taki quietly nods at the Secretary before settling in her usually spot standing in the corner in Sakura's place. * Sakura is laying back on the couch, watching some soap opera on the TV. ( And cleaning a pistol. Of course.) * Leena has on a light blue shirt, and a long(on her) blue-black fuku. * Kyouko looks at the TV. "You like Super Love Love Dentist's Office?" * Kenji looks around at various places to sit/stand but ends up just looming near Taki's corner. Some days. It was on, and I need distraction. * Taki looks at Kenji uncomfortably. ...and aren't those dentist chairs kinky? * Leena frowns. "Don't want to think about what's coming up...?" * Taki blushes at Sakura. ...I hadn't thought about that. So... who are we guarding? *tries rather hard to ignore the statement about the television show and the chairs* * Minami looks at Kenji and walks over, holding out her hand. "Sorry...who are you? I missed the last meeting..." * Kenji shakes his head, 'no'. Some Ladies..with powers. and stuff. One of them is Lady Wasabi. * Sakura sits up and hands folders to Darkmoon and Minami. Those folders DO NOT leave this office. * Minami takes the folder before she goes over, then. <.< ... Er...okay. * Lord_Darkmoon nods, and reads through them. * Maya peers at the TV. "... um. Right." * Kenji looks a little surprised and hesitates for a moment before snapping out of it. "Uh-- sorry. I'm Kenji.. I came yesterday." *holds her hand slightly*. Ah, okay. *shakes his hand quickly, then releases* Minami Terazaki. Lady Royal. * Taki quietly watches Sakura, waiting for her to get to business. * Maya walks over to Sakura and offers the usual smile. "How're you doing... all... er, business aside?" * Lord_Darkmoon puts aside the folders when he's done perusing them, and turns his attention to Kenji, finally. I guess you're with us then...belated welcome, I guess. * Minami smiles, then turns her attention to the folder. * Kenji nods. "Hi- uh.. I hope to be of some help." * Sakura raises an eyebrow at Maya. "Uh, okay? Any particular thing that shouldn't be?" Good afternoon, Kenji. I'm Lord Darkmoon. Pleasure to meet you. *nods in greeting, though he doesn't move from where he's leaning against a wall* * Kenji notices Darkmoon's gaze and tries to look at something else. Nope, just being my usual self. I... guess, anyway. God, I'm so jittery. * Minami ...s at the contents of the folder. "Oh, my." * Kyouko nods. * Secretary walks into the room, and pulls the door closed behind her, locking it. * Taki quietly shakes her head at all the girls. I turned the front lights off. H- Hello. *brings his head up to meet Darkmoon's attention* Nice to meet you too. *eyes back down.* So.. So. Well. Let's hope we're ready then. * Leena walks over to Maya, and offers the half-pint of ice cream to her. "Ice cream? It's helping the the edge off for me." I guess we're really here. * Maya seems ready to say something... then turns towards *ice cream*. "Oh, thanks!" Needless to say, she accepts it. * Leena blinkblinks a moment, before smiling again. "I hope it helps." ^__^ * Sakura nods to the secretary. Did it work out okay last night, taki? * Sakura puts a little edge on the question. * Kenji fidgets a little in place. Yeah. Nothing major happened. ...? * Maya smiles right back, and proceeds to demolish the ice cream, nodding at the same time. I mean... Well, we had dinner and talked and watched a movie... Nothing out of the ordinary... I guess. * Lord_Darkmoon eyes the ice cream. "May I have some?" You don't sound so sure, Taki. ^_^ Oh! Sure! ^^ * Leena watches Maya -eat-. "I don't think any of it will survive her...." Ooh..ice cream. * Maya hands over the remainder. There's... not much, yeah. Well I... I--uh, well it's the first time I've had a... boy at my... *blushes* ... er. ^_^; ...oh my. * Lord_Darkmoon takes a small scoop, balanced on the end of his tessen, treating it like a cone. "Thanks." ^_^ ...uh, huh. I think we should worry about the girls we're supposed to protect now and... stuff. * Taki blushes and hides in the corner. We've got plenty of time to get there, so we needn't hurry. Does anyone have any more questions? * Lord_Darkmoon refrains from commenting on Taki having a boy at her place. It's her business what she does. But he does have to repress a smirk. * Maya watches Taki give herself Time Out and giggles faintly. *raises his hand* I assume we are not all following them en masse? Umm...I guess not. *hands the folder back* At least, not yet. ^^ Read the briefing notes. * Kenji just stays quiet. Yeah, I typed up minutes from yesterday. * Leena dosen't answer Darkmoons question, leaving that to Sakura. * Lord_Darkmoon glances through the other folder, the one he missed, and nods as he reads the plan. "Oh. I see. Well, then, who am I to be partnered with?" You'll be in the lead on one of the tracking teams. ...today, I think I'll take Leena. Taki can have... Maya. Darkmoon will have Kenji, and the other two will be a floating reserve. We will rotate, of course. Ohh....okay. * Minami looks a little disappointed. * Taki eyes Maya, sizing her up. Okay... * Maya is busy... cleaning ice cream off of her mouth with a napkin. * Kenji looks over Darkmoon momentarily before studying the walls some more. * Lord_Darkmoon looks Kenji over again, a bit more appraisingly. "Alright." He walks over, having finished his ice cream (the tessen is remarkably clean...), and offers his hand to Kenji to shake. "Looks like we'll be working together." A small, friendly smile briefly crosses his face. Each team will tail one of our protectees. I'll have Positron, Darkmoon has Wasabi, and Taki will take Neko. * Kenji looks up. "Ah-- I hope I won't let you down." *shakes hand* * Sakura purses her lips. So...if Kyouko and I are the "floating reserve," where exactly are we, um, floating? I should have scheduled another powers demonstration session, but that can wait I guess. We could float stuff. * Leena looks at Minami. "..." * Maya walks over to Taki and smiles. "Well... looks like we're stuck together for a bit." ... Neko? So, um, shouldn't everyone transform before we go out? You'll be floating. Try to keep a position somewhere in between the other groups, to minimize response time to any of them. * Minami nods. * Taki looks at Maya. "Looks like." Yes, we will change here. I guess since hte girls are friends, it shouldn't be too hard. Yes, they hang out together a lot. I'll do my best... and er... I'll try not to slow you down, okay? * Sakura looks around. ...I see a lot of you have already changed. * Kenji looks a little uncomfortable. "Uh.. sorry, should I go do that now?" I was thinking that it would be good to be out there in the school uniforms, you know, just to fit in. Oh...right. * Taki always changes into street clothes right after leaving school. * Lord_Darkmoon glances down at what he's wearing. He won't have to change, apparently. I... don't like my uniform. What with all the schools letting out. But that's all right. Oh.... We can do that tomorrow. * Kyouko takes off her backpack and hoodie and heads off into a corner to transform. I've got my uniform in my bag. *blinkblink* Huh. Well... ah, oh well. Yes. Anyway, transform, please, then change. * Minami nods and looks around for a bathroom. Where's the bathroom again? It's just down the hall. * Lord_Darkmoon sticks his tessen into his uniform shirt; there must be a pocket in there for it. Thanks. * Kenji looks around. "Uh..--" He'll take his turn in the bathroom. * Taki steps over to the secretary, and whispers. "Where's the restroom?" * Minami wanders into there to do her thang. * LadyHeat grabs her backpack and heads down the hall to the bathroom. Sorry, Sakura blew her bathroom budget on that one. That's the only one in the building. ... Wow... does it have a jacuzzi? * Taki sighs. * LadyRoyal comes out of the restroom. Those of you who haven't been in the bathroom before are quite impressed by the huge tub. * Taki heads into the bathroom and locks the door behind her. * Lord_Darkmoon turns and stares at a spot on the wall, nose almost touching it, so the girls needn't worry about him peeping if they wish to change in here. * LadyRoyal looks at Sakura. "Wow, that's a huge tub you have in there." * Maya grabs her stuff and one flash of harmless pyrotechnics later... starts pulling out stuff she can wear over her gear. The benefits of a skirtless outfit, ladies and lords. * Sakura half-smiles. Pray that you don't find out why I got one like that. * Taki there is a bright flash of pink around the frame of the door as she transforms. * LadyHeat comes back in a slightly frilly green top and a pair of capris, carrying her Heat backpack. * LadyNightshade changes quickly back into her street clothes. * Leena heads to the bathroom herself, grabbing her backpack on the way. * LadyNightshade steps out of the bathroom. o/` This is the way we hide the suit, hide the suit, hide the suit... o/` * LadyHeat puts the waterbottle belt around her waist and puts the hoodie on over it. Is it too obvious? * Kenji is a little dazed as he watches the the short lightshows eminating from around the door's frame. O_o With all of the belt loops filled, yes. * Lord_Darkmoon turns back around once it becomes clear he's not going to see anything he shouldn't. * LadyHeat takes off a few waterbottles and sticks them in the backpack. * LadyNightshade goes back to her spot in the corner and disappears into it even more. * LadyMysteria is soon in really oversized shorts, a Harry Blackstone t-shirt and boots. All the extraneous stuff goes into the satchel... except for her hat. She then struggles with the eyeshield thingie. "Stupid thing..." * Kenji waits for his turn to use the bathroom since everyone else is. I've been wondering, Lady Mysteria... why does your costume have an eye shield? * LadyRoyal leans against the wall, twirling her visor absent-mindedly. I... don't know. * LadyMysteria shrugs. Heh. * LadySakura was apparently already transformed. * Leena is .. .taking a bit. There's lot of muted grunting, and not much of a lightshow visible through the doorframe. "Nnnngh. Come on! Grrrrrrr! Nnf. Dammit..." ..Huh? Leena? * LadyMysteria struggles with, then finally unclips the thing from her ears and stuffing it in the satchel. "It's a pain to take off sometimes, though. Maybe it has some use I haven't discovered yet." * LadyNightshade is wearing her light-weight black leather long coat, and dark sunglasses over a black tank top, and black jeans. * LadyRoyal tilts her head and wanders over, knocking on the door. "Leena, you all right in there?" ... Taki? That's... some outfit. Thanks. * Leena growls more, also muted by the door. * LadyHeat goes to the door too. * Lord_Darkmoon covers his mouth, though the laugh dances in his eyes. "Quite...subtle...Nightshade." Um, d'you need any help? I'm fine! * Kenji looks a bit concerned, whether for Leena's bathroom plight or Taki's American Movie getup isn't certain. Uh, okay... It is a little much, dear. Not every day, okay? ... and I think it's safe for me not to ask about Leena. * LadyRoyal walks back in, shrugging. "She says she's okay..." * LadyHeat wonders what's up. * Leena eventually comes out, after a lightshow visible thorugh the frame. She's dressed in a dark-red fuku, with a white t-shirt underneath a see-through blue lacy thing. She looks tired. What? I wear this all the time... Did something happen 'cause of Purity? ...Purity? What happened? The idea is to be inconspicuous. ...are you okay, Leena? * Leena plops down on the floor heavily. "That... was hard." *yawn* * Kenji picks up his satchel of clothing and walks passed Leena into the bathroom, closing the door behind him. * LadyMysteria raises an eyebrow. "Er... Leena, is something that matter?" I'm *yawn* fine. Really. * LadyRoyal looks quite inconspicuous. Grey T-shirt, khaki pants, white long- sleeved vest. * Kenji transforms with little much ado about lighting from the door's frame and returns to the main room a minute later wearing an identical set of Black T- shirt and sweats as before. * Secretary kneels by Mallet. Is there something I can get you? * LadyMallet nods. "More ice cream." That sounds like a good idea, there. * Secretary smiles and shakes her head. Maybe tomorrow. * LadyMysteria refrains from asking for some herself. Really, Mallet, are you okay? * LadyMallet flops all the way down. "Uh... now I am. Just ... tired." * Lord_Darkmoon taps Lady Heat on the shoulder, and whispers, "What happened with this 'Purity' that Mallet's so out of it?" * LadySakura doesn't look happy. I'll be fine. *sits up* Okay... What aren't you telling me? Personal stuff. It dosen't have anything to do with this. If it leaves you flat on your back after you transform, it does. * LadyMysteria looks on, suddenly a bit more concerned as well. "Leena, just talk to us..." * LadyMallet sighs. "Got in a fight." * LadyHeat whispers to Sakura "she got into a fight with Princess Purity. Purity hit her pretty hard." ... Don't mess with the Princesses, Leena. Fighting Princesses is...not a good idea. Why would she do such a thing? * LordChimera quirks up at the sound of Purity's name but remains quiet, again standing against the wall near Nightshade. Because she's a BITCH! And I wasn't going to let her treat my ... team like she was going to without a fight. * LadyRoyal shakes her head, resignedly. It had something to do with one of the girls at school and where we were sitting. I think... I'm not kidding. There is so much shit they can drop you into, that you don't even know about. Some of them are downright terrifying. So she "purified" you, right? * LadyMallet just nods in response. * LadyNightshade quietly absorbs all this. She starts looking a little impatient. If you can transform, you'll make a full recovery. ...just DON'T DO IT AGAIN. Why? What does this 'Purification' do? Well..she detransformed when she got hit. Oh? * LadyMallet stands up. "I'll be fine. Like I've said. Let's just go do we're going to do." She looking at the ground. and the mallet kinda melted. It was wierd. Wait, could that do what I'm thinking it could do? o_O Wow... so, it can make you stop being a magical person? It's effectively an anti-magic thing. It tries to detach whatever magic is imbuing its target. ... * LadyMallet perks up some. "A... way out?" * Lord_Darkmoon nods...an odd expression on his face. ... Not a good one, dear. If she hits you hard enough with it to fully detach the magic, you have about a 50-50 chance of dying. * LadyMysteria eyes Leena. "... please don't say that again, Leena." * Lord_Darkmoon quirks an eyebrow, but lets his face fall back into calm seriousness. If your soul gets detached... welll. * LadyNightshade almost looks interested in this. Why don't you want her to say that again, Lady Mysteria? I'm sure many have thought about it. * LadyMallet sighs. "Enough of that for now... we got somethinbg to do, don't we?" Yeah... Yes. ... because this is what we do. And someone's got to do it. I... I'm just a big believer in destiny and all that. * Lord_Darkmoon mutters something under his breath before paying attention again. "So, are we ready to be off?" * LadyMallet eyes Mysteria evilly, with her red eye in particular. * LordChimera kneels down, back to the wall, arms cross in front of him. Quietly, "purity..." I've been ready. ...Kenji? ...huh? * LadyMysteria sighs heavily. "That kind of thought feels like a cop-out to me, even when *I* think about it.... but yeah, I'm ready to go. Yeah, about as ready as I'll ever be. Kenji? Er...Lord...? * LadyMallet muuters, "Destiny has nothing to do with this." * LordChimera looks up. "Uh.. sorry.. I've met that Princess before as well.." Um, are you okay? *laughs and smiles at his own ignorance* What's your name in Lord form, anyway? * LadyMysteria looks at Leena again, then just sighs and shakes her head, digging out her wand and stuffing into one particularly big pants pocket. * LordChimera stands up. "Oh--- uh.. Sorry. Call me Lord Chimera." * Secretary gets up and unlocks the door. I wish you all a safe mission. Please come back... * LadyNightshade nods at the Secretary. "Don't worry, I'll look after them." * LadyMallet nods. "We'll all come back." Very well. Let's go find Lady Wasabi, shall we, Kenji? ...you'd probably better call me 'Rinada' while we're out there, too. Wouldn't due to call each other 'Lord'. ^_^ * LadyNightshade moves toward the door. * LordChimera stares at the door as if it were something much more than it was. You think you see tears forming in the secretary's eyes, but she turns around and exits the room. After a second, you hear the front door click. * LadyHeat looks down the street. * LordChimera nods at Darkmoon. "Rinada? Okay." * LadyHeat turns on her radio. Don't forget to grab your radios. * LadyNightshade has hers already on. * LadyMysteria feigns ignorance, even though she catches the secretary's look while tagging along behind Taki... and grabbing a radio, too. * LadyMallet blinks. "Radio? Right." She grabs the radio from her backpack, and puts it on. * LadyNightshade looks at Sakura. "We ready to go? * LordChimera looks around confused momentarily. "Ah-- I don't have a radio... ?" There's a pile on a table. * LadyRoyal takes a radio and walks out with Heat. * LordChimera looks around until he notices it and goes to pick one up. * Lord_Darkmoon takes a radio, used to them by now. * Lord_Darkmoon hands his partner one, too, showing him how to put it on. * LadySakura locks the door behind them, and leads the team to the train to Rokugo. * LordChimera is glad he didn't have to ask and silently follows the instructions. * LadyNightshade for once follows at the front of the group, flanking Sakura. The southbound train to Rokugo is mostly empty, as school hasn't let out most places and businesses are, well, busy. The ride passes silently, with none of you really wanting to think too hard about what could be coming up. The train comes to a stop on the riverfront - Rokugo is tucked into a bend of the River Tama, and the southernmost point in the Tokyo Prefecture. An airliner buzzes overhead, on final approach to Haneda, just a couple of klicks east of here. It's a coll November afternoon, but the sun is out, and for a relatively industrial area, the suburb looks nice. Okay... Before we split up, I just want to emphasize one more thing. * Lord_Darkmoon turns to attend upon her words, saying nothing. * LadyNightshade looks at Sakura, listening patiently. Okay. * LadyMysteria looks up from her boots and fixes on Sakura. Hm? * LadyMallet listens. * LordChimera watches and listens. We're putting you out here, and telling you to use lethal force... * LadyRoyal listens. But remember the Queen's order. Don't let the girls know what we're up to? Be absolutely sure of your targets. If you pop some innocent bystander, she will not be pleased, and after I'm finished with you, She will have some harsh words as well. Of course. So...wait to see guns? Wait to make sure they're attacking! * LadyMysteria nods, slowly. "Alright..." * LadyNightshade nods at Sakura. As good as it would be to preempt, our mandate is for absolute caution. * LordChimera nods slowly, rubbing one arm. Is that understood? * LadyRoyal nods... 'Our charges can take a shot or two, but there's no bringing back an innocent normal.' Gotcha. Yes, ma'am. * LadyMallet says, softly, "I will obey." Perfectly. Yeah. Very well. We'll split up here, but our protectees are all at their school, so we'll proabaly see each other there. Stay in radio contact. * LadyMallet reaches into her backpack, and gets a baseball cap out. "Guess it's time for this." ...good hunting. Yes, ma'am. * LadyRoyal nods again. * LadyMysteria nods again, then swallows heavily before turning to face Taki. "So, then... go-time, huh?" ^^; We Well, let's get going, shall we, Kenji? *** Secretary is now known as NPC2 ... will not fail... *stands next to darkmoon* * LadyMallet sticks the tiara from her transformed state into the baseball cap, and slips it on. * LadyNightshade nods at Mystery. (ia) * LadyRoyal looks over at Heat. "So..." Leena, you ready? Yeah. Lead the way, then. I'll try to keep out of sight. * LadyNightshade looks at Chimera. "You going to be okay?" Come on, then. * LadyMallet nods, and waits for Sakura to take the lead, so she can follow. *To Nightshade* I'll do my best..." Let's wait for the other to go then. Good. * LadyNightshade heads out with Mysteria. * Lord_Darkmoon heads off, hopefully with Chimera in tow. * LadyRoyal nods. * LordChimera follows close behind Darkmoon without looking back. * LadyNightshade looks over her shoulder to Mysteria. "Try not to get lost." * LadyMysteria tags along like a good little magical girl. * LadyNightshade turns back and almost as an afterthought says, "Please." * LadySakura paces away into the crown. She has on a thick brown leather jacket, and slacks, for a rich-casual look. The teams wind their way through the streets, and in ten minutes or so they're all looking at the front gate of the high school in question. I've been here before I think. For a swim meet. There's a little bit until the school actually lets out, so everyone attempts to just casually wait around, with varying degrees of success. * LadySakura finds a bench at a bus stop, and pulls out some reading material. * LadyHeat goes into a CD store, while keeping an eye out the front window. * LadyNightshade despite her outfit, seems to blend into the crowd perfectly. * LadyRoyal follows Heat, staying near the front window to look out. * Lord_Darkmoon speaks of some idle inanities, such as local sports teams. Doesn't seem to know a whole lot about them, but it's a good way to appear casual. * Lord_Darkmoon is speaking to Kenji about these inanities, by the way. * LadyMallet sits against the side of the bench, leaning against it, head tilted down. * LordChimera does a lot of nodding and looking around as Darkmoon does his thing. Welcome to the hard part of the job - all the waiting. * LadyHeat quickly flips through a rack of used CDs. "what kind of music do you like?" * Lord_Darkmoon carefully avoids acknowledging the presence of the others of this team, should he notice them. He seems edgy, but forcing it down. Need... ice cream. Fortunately, you don't have to wait very long for the school to let out. * LadyNightshade takes up a seat at a nearby outdoor cafe. * LadyMallet perks up once school lets out, and starts scanning the crowd for people with glasses. * LadyHeat hears the school bell ring and heads out of the shop. * LadyMysteria suitably gets herslef lost not too terribly far away from Taki, busy fliping a coin along her knuckles. Those of you outdoors can hear a bell ring inside the school grounds, and within seconds, the gats burst open as students are in their usual rush to get the hell out of there. Uhh...I don't really get the chance to listen to a lot of--oh! * LadyRoyal heads out too, wandering slowly. *whispers* okay, let's keep our eyes open... That's.. a lot of people- * LadyMysteria remains where she is, although she's keeping an eye out for Neko. * LadyNightshade quietly scans the crowd, while trying not to look like she's doing so. * LadyHeat tries to keep an eye on the team so they can trail them. ...and not too far behind the lead wave are three familiar-looking girls. They're all a little more grown than in the briefing pictures, but easily recognizable. * LadyRoyal waits for everyone else to find their marks. * LadyNightshade quietly slips out of her seat and appears next to Mysteria. "Let's go." * LadyMallet speaks just enough to be heard in the radio, "That's all of them together." Neko is little, and cute, Positron is average, and has a moderate acne issue, and Wasabi is quite perky and athletic. * LadyMysteria nods once and waits for Nighty to make the first move. Yeah...I see them. Yup. Teams that hang out together are easy. Okay... there she is... let's get lost in the crowd and trail at a distance, shall we? * LadyNightshade slips back into the crowd and follows the team of girls. * LordChimera nods curtly without a word. * LadyHeat hangs back for the others to get on their marks' tails. We'll try to keep ahead of them. Come on, Leena. * LadyMallet stands up, and nods. * LadyMysteria sticks a slight bit away from and behind Taki, not wanting to cramp her style. * LadySakura folds her magazine, and walks briskly up the street in the direction the girls are going. * LadyRoyal heads out, remaining somewhere between Darkmoon and Nightshade's teams. * LadyMallet almost-walks along, trying to keep an eye on both Sakura and Positron. * LadyHeat sticks between Darkmoon and Sakura's teams. * LordChimera begins studying the surrounding buildings for anything remotely suspicious. * Lord_Darkmoon keeps an eye on the target, to make sure they don't lose her; it's a good way to split the team's attention. ^_^ The trio cavort merrily northward, chatting about boys and looking in storefronts as they go. They get closer to the city center, and the stores begin to get more exclusive. Anyone see anything? Not really... Er, no... Just them... Just... them, really. * LadyRoyal looks around for suspicious characters. * LadyHeat looks around for anything suspicious like giant flamethrowers We're waiting for a Ningyo attack, I thought. The streets are filling as workers get out and schoolchildren head home. * LadyMallet starts glancing around to see if anyone is carrying any guns or anything, though. That's just when they 'usually' attack, I thought. You see a large bunch of construction workers on the opposite sidewalk. * LadyHeat looks at the construction workers for anything odd. * LadyMysteria alternates her view from Neko to the occasional person around her. Sometimes they'll try to provoke an appearance on their own. Not too common, but it happens, especially when a Lady has a reputation for fighting crime. These girls don't. See that group of construction workers across the street? Yeah... What about them? What about them? Well, there's a large group of them. ... and we're fighting a team... ...point... Ahead is a goup of guys in dark suits. If you're looking close, you see tatoos peeking out from their cuffs and collars. They aren't doing anything, just standing at a corner. and construction workers and pretty common...so it would work as a disguise.. * LadyRoyal looks back and tries to see if they're looking at us, or the girls. Oooh, Yakuza. ...I hope it's not them. I don't think ... that construction workers would come in small groups. ...nervous work, this. * LadyMysteria eyes the yakuza. "I see, I see. And I hope it's not them, either." I hope we're not attacked by a group of killer ice cream vendors or something. You I'll keep an eye on our suited friends, though I'm more concerned with not losing our girls. The bad guys'll make it obvious when we need to concern ourselves. Probably won't matter until the girls do their spinning tricks. ... why? Then we could beat them and get free ice cream. * LadyNightshade is momentarily distracted by the Yakuza. But they could use killer ice cream freezing guns or something. * Lord_Darkmoon pictures the fight, what with poisoned ice cream infecting the eager MGs, and sweatdrops. A pack of third graders rush out of a toy store, unwrapping little foil packages. "Look, I got a Lady Wasabi!" "Aw, lucky!" * LordChimera tries not to focus on the Yakuza so much as on other things. * LadyMysteria remains her usual cheerful-albeit-somewhat-nervous self, pulling her eyes away from the thugmen. The girls giggle, and move on another half-block before stopping in front of a restaraunt. Hard to keep an eye on this many people... Be glad they - what's this? Huh? D'you see something? * LadyNightshade looks around carefully. Eh? They're stopping at a restaraunt. * LadyMysteria scans about too, midly alerted by Sakura's comment. Wasabi turns to look at her friends and waves, smiling half-regretfully. She heads into the restaraunt, which seems to be a very upscale sushi joint. Uh... Mmm. You think she got a job? how are you going to keep track of her there? It looks pretty expensive.. Rin, Kenji, do you have money? That would be my guess. Sakura, have you got some cash Kenji and I can borrow? We probably should have an early snack. You could always watch from outside. Uh-- no... I could-- look at a menu? And put someone at the back entrance. What about the other two, then? That's our part... The other two are moving on, at a somewhat slower clip. * LadyNightshade continues following her mark. And if they split up too... * LordChimera waits for Darkmoon to make a decision as to how we're going to do this. * LadyHeat keeps walking. * LadyMysteria looks for a bit, then tags along behind Taki, going back to knuckle-coin-flipping. Wish that was Yoko. I'm hungry. * LadyRoyal looks around, shrugs, and keeps walking as well... Pfft. Okay, I'll come back and give you some cash. Probably easier to eat there.. The rest ou * LadyMallet keeps almost-walking along, keeping up with Sakura and Positron. * LadySakura stops for a minute at a newsstand, allowing the girls to pass before she heads back. Going back...? I'll stay with them. The rest of us...what? At the next corner, Main street, the girls wait on a crossing light and are slowly surrounded by a bunch of businessmen, many carrying briefcases. * LadyHeat stops for a moment and pulls a waterbottle out of her backpack. * LadyHeat unscrews the cap, fumbling a bit, and takes a drink. Hey... Taki. Um... dammit, I can't see them... * LadyMallet dosen't wait for Sakura, and (tries to) keep pace with Positron. That looks like it might be bad... * Lord_Darkmoon walks along, meeting up with Sakura at a convenient location to accept the money. He thanks her and pretends she's an older sister or something. * LadyNightshade finds her way into the crowd of men, standing near the girls. * LordChimera says nothing as continues following just behind Darkmoon. Don't worry about money. We have adequate funding, just get a receipt. * LadyRoyal tries to figure out what to do. Oh, great. Crowd. * LadyMysteria stays back, as usual, just in case. Thanks, Sakura. ^_^ Let's go eat, Kenji! *heads into the restaurant* * LadyNightshade is hardly noticeable amoungst the crowd. Uh-- great? I'm.. starving... yeah. The light changes, and you can see the girls crossing the street with everyone else. Turn at the corner when you catch up, Sakura. * LadyNightshade tails the girls as closely as she can. Okay... * LadyHeat notes the area. * LadyMysteria , well, crosses as well. Still coin-flipping, still staying alert. * Lord_Darkmoon tries to get a seat waited on by Ruri, but won't make a big deal about it, as he doesn't want to arouse suspicion. Whispers to Kenji, "We'd better have something to discuss for a very long time, so we're just annoying in that we're there for most of her shift..." * LadyMallet continues following. So far, nothing. A good thing, I suppose... Had any false alarms? Remember..we're surrounded by a river ningyo could attack at any time... ... you're going to be there for that long? She might recignize you afterwards. So.. um. Disguises or something before or after? Just eat a long meal. The sun will be down in about ninety minutes, and Ningyo usually don't strike after dark. Especially if she's going to be serving you... Well, Darkmoon does have that instant-disguise thing... The girls slowly emerge from the crowd, and end up in a park. They're at a park now. Yeah, I'm about caught up. * LadyNightshade casually stalks them through the park. * LordChimera walks into the restaurant with Darkmoon and takes in as much about the scenery as he can. I see it. Nightshade, just give me a sign to know where you are or something. About fifteen meters away from the girls, a couple of middle-aged men in rumpled suits are discussing somthing with a park attendant. * LadyMysteria works her way into the park, probably a far bit behind Taki at this point. * LadyHeat strolls through the park, nonchalantly. * LadyMallet heads into the park. * LadyRoyal goes into the park, keeping her eyes open. The two men in the park appear to be armed. Keep an eye on them. ...I see 'em. Right. 'kay Where? Oh, there they are. * LadyRoyal draws out a deck of cards and starts shuffling them nonchalantly. * LadyHeat takes another sip from her waterbottle. What do they have, Taki? * LadyMysteria does just that. Coin over knuckle, coin over knuckle, coin over knuckle. Pistols. The girls find a spot, and pull out books. It looks like Neko is helping Positron with some homework. They've both stopped... * LadyRoyal leans against a tree a dozen or so meters away, keeping an eye on the men. * LadyHeat sits on a bench and leans back, while watching the men. * LadyMysteria finds a nice place to sit and... starts doing simple, stupid magic tricks. All while still being within visual range. * LadyMallet looks around for a handy nearby tree that she can lean against, and keep an eye on both the charges and the guys with guns from. * LadyNightshade slinks towards the men to examine them more closely. The two men finish their conversation. They don't look happy, and they stroll away in the direction of your protectees. Eyes forward... Just a coincidence...? Hope so... * LadyMallet watches, tensing. There is no such thing as coincidence. * LadyNightshade studies them intently. Well...if it is, at least there's only two of them. * LadySakura has come up beside Mallet, and the girl can feel Sakura tensing up. Watch the nearby buildings for a possible sniper. * LadyRoyal looks around for anyone else. The men stop in front of the two girls. They say something, then reach into their coats... * LadyRoyal tenses up, drawing a single card and flipping it between her fingers. Wait for it... * LadySakura unzips her jacket. * LadyHeat grips the waterbottle, and bit spilling on her hoodie. * LadyMallet stands up sharply... "Not close enough..." * LadyMysteria unsnaps her pocket and reaches in. Coin over knuckle... * LadyNightshade quietly walks by the men. * LadyHeat heads towards the men ...and pull out little wallet-things. With badges. The girls answer a few questions, and point in the general direction Taki is in. * LadyRoyal heads in an arc towards the area, looking like she's not paying attention. ....Oops. ... huh? Taki, scat. Cops. Taki, vanish. No, don't. Now might be a good idea for the invislbe thing. Huh. Armed cops. You don't see that every day. * LadyNightshade continues walking past the men as if she wasn't even paying attention to them. If you run or suddenly disappear, it'll look even more suspicious. I suspected they were cops of some sort. The men nod, and shrug, and walk out of the park. Obviously they didn't find what they were looking for here. * LadyNightshade tries to pick up their conversation as she passes. ... or not. Gah, my heart. Sakura... they're not transformed. If it was them, and they had tried something then... * LadyRoyal loosens up a little. "Well..." * LadyRoyal looks around for anyone else. * LadyHeat takes another drunk on the water, breathing a sigh of relief. Taki hears something about someone having seen a gun here earlier today. But the cops don't think it really happened, and so the coversation shifts to some Princess Majestic Tiara doujin... Yeah, that woulda been just a little too spooky. * LadyRoyal looks up at the trees. The cops mentioned something about a report of a gun at the park. * LadyHeat looks around for any other people. You think someone was setting something up? Well. That's comforting, isn't it. Huh. Okay... they seem to be staying here for a while. The reserve team, you head a little ways back towards the restaraunt. Leena and I will get a little more distance ourselves. * LadyMallet relaxes, with a long, deep breath. * LadyRoyal nods. "Right." * LadyRoyal wanders back in the restaurant's general direction, then. Alrighty. * LadyNightshade disappears into the tree nearest the girls. * LadyMysteria returns to her stupid magic tricks. I will stay with them as close as I can. Jusat be patient, guys. This may take a while. * LadyMallet stands up, and stretches. * LadyHeat heads back towards the resturant. And we're going to be transformed all this time...? Get used to it. [back with Chimera and Darkmoon...] This place is swank. Rich wood-and-leather furniture, well-thought-out lighting, traditional costumes... A woman in a kimono bows. "Can I help you?" * LordChimera feels a little out of place in his T-shirt and sweats. Quietly, "I- uh.. hope there's no dresscode.." * LordChimera stays quiet to let Darkmoon handle the situation. Not during the afternoon. After 7 PM we enforce one. * Lord_Darkmoon looks around quickly, just to see if he can spot where Ruri is working before replying. * LordChimera looks a bit surprised. "Oh- uh... thanks.." *shrug* We get more business that way. You don't see Ruri yet. We'd like a table for two, please. She's apparently in the kitchen or something. Very well. * Woman leads you to a corner table, out of the way. There are a few other highscoolers here, in varying states of dress, but mostly it's businessmen in for a late lunch, or a drink. * LordChimera follows Darkmoon and the woman to the table. Thank you, miss. *smiles a bit as he takes a seat* After a few seconds, you see your target emerge from the kitchen area. Ruri has changed out of her school uniform into a slightly feminized version of what the main sushi chef is wearing. *Quietly* There she is... She's a cook? * Lord_Darkmoon keeps a covert eye on her, while ostensibly studying the menu. "Makes sense if you think about it..." The head chef nods briskly to her, then points her at a cutting board. She grins, and begins preparing orders. * LordChimera picks up his own menu. "At least she's up here..." *subvocalizing, so only the radio can pick it up* good, she's going to be in view. The Lords listen to the byplay outdoors, as various possible threats present themselves... * LordChimera eyes slightly widen when he see's this establishment's prices. * LadyRoyal should be pretty close to the restaurant by now. Eventually, things calm down, and Sakura calls to them. You guys see anything? Yeah, what's going on in there? *subvocally* not really, Ruri seems to be a chef here. We can see her from our seat, though. Not yet- ... uh-- is it really okay for us to eat here? .. Why wouldn't it be? Yeah... Don't worry, Kenji, we've got plenty. er-- okay.. I'm sorry. You -better- enjoy it. I plan to. ^_^ You may have to enjoy it every day, if she works there regularly. ...definitely dress nicer tomorrow, though. ... bah, now I'm envious. Uh-- yes'm. I want on his team tomorrow,then. If you're still hurting, Mallet, you will be. * LordChimera proceeds to plan to spend what to him seems like copious amounts of yen on food. * Lord_Darkmoon takes note of what the major dress theme is for future reference. "I shall make this sacrifice for the good of our job." * LordChimera looks at Darkmoon in awe. Right. Have fun, eat slow. Something wrong? *wondering why he's being looked at with awe* * LordChimera stops. "Oh- uh.. sorry, just- that line about sacrificing.. seemed -- I'll have the anago." * Woman comes back to take their orders. * LordChimera glances around to try and get back to work and then places an order for what amounts to a nice meal. * Lord_Darkmoon also orders a nice meal. A bit on the pricey side, since he can get away with it. And an appetizer, to prolong their excuse to eat here. Everyone settles in for the long haul. Eventually the girls in the park move on as night falls and it gets chillier. They get on a bus and end up at their homes... and nothing happens. Nothing at all. ... well. That was a blast. ...Whee. Indeed. Ruri works a short shift - about two hours - before heading home herself. * LordChimera burps. "uh-- I'm sorry." And as the sun finally sets, Sakura calls it off for the night. That's it, guys. Mmm... * Lord_Darkmoon makes sure to get a receipt, and leaves an 20% tip. "We're checking out now." To Kenji, chuckling, "You're excused." Get used to it - this happens a lot. Yay, fun. * LadyMysteria gets her stuff together and stretches. She's been sitting for a *while*. * LadySakura managed to finish her magazine. Yay GunWorld. * LordChimera looks normal for him: uncomfortable-- and exits with Darmoon. * LadyRoyal gets ready to head on home. * LadyNightshade slips out of the tree outside Aiko's house and heads down the street. Are we meeting up again, or just heading home? So-- we just go home? I need to grab my other bag from Sakura's. You can go home... oh, wait, except Darkmoon. I have something for you. Yeah... back home, I guess. I have my satchel. Yes, ma'am. Where should we meet? Kenji, stay with Darkmoon, I'll meet up with you two. At the train station - I have a pet you are supposed to take with you. Ah- thanks-- I was just about to ask.. ^^; Heh. Great. ^_^ Come on, Kenji, let's go. *heads for the station* * LadyHeat wonders at this info. ... *to herself* A pet? ...pet? It's a kitten, isn't it? ^_^ * LordChimera is a bit startled by Darkmoon's sudden uplift in mood and follows after him at a slightly hurried pace. No, it's a goldfish. ... a pet. Do I want to know? * LadyNightshade silently moves toward the train station. When she leaves the residential area, she takes to the rooftops. * LadyRoyal changes, detransforms, and goes home. * LadyHeat heads first to Sakura's to get her other bag, then detransforms and heads home. * LadyMysteria walks towards the train station, yawning into her hand. "Man, that was thankfully uneventuful." Same time tomorrow? I do believe so, Leena. Yes. If you want to meet at the train station here, that's fine. And wear your school uniforms. Okay. But... Okay. I'm going to head home now... I'm tired. * LordChimera nods. "I be here..." We didn't get shot. ...you want me dressed more formally, correct, Sakura? * Kyouko breathes a sigh of relief, If that's what you need for that restaraunt, yes. I can get my partner dressed appropriately, too, if needs be. *nods* * LadyMysteria makes her way to the station, having changed and de-transformed somewhere in the middle. I look at it this way... lazy days don't hurt. * LadyNightshade drops down into a nearby alley, detransforms and heads to the train station. * LordChimera waits for Nightshade at the station, still transformed. Not at all. Too bad all assignments can't be this...enjoyable. Can't get too careless, though. * Lord_Darkmoon waits for Sakura at the station. * Taki shows up at the trainstation. * Lord_Darkmoon waves, seeming a bit more relaxed than usual. "Hi, Taki." * To Taki * Hi-- ... * Taki looks nervously at both the guys. "Hi." * LadyMallet hasn't detransformed yet, when she arrives at the station. * Maya notes the roundabout nervousness, and chuckles to herself. * Lord_Darkmoon waves at Maya as she arrives, too. And anyone else who shows up that he knows. Well, that he knows and can tollerate. * LordChimera only nods to the others as they arrive. He occasionally fidgets in place, waiting to go home. Did... Did he do okay? *to Darkmoon* * Maya waves back, all smiles. "Good to see you, too!" He was fine. Made me do all the talking though...that was stressful. I don't talk so much, usually. ^^; * LordChimera bows his head. "I'm sorry, next time I'll do better." *fidgets in place some more* Yeah, tell me about it... * LadyMallet leans against something heavily. "Tired..." Not your fault, you're just shy. It's okay. *smiles reassuringly at Chimera* Don't worry about it, Kenji. * LadySakura trails into the station, a shopping bag under one arm. * LordChimera furrows his brow slightly at 'shy' but says nothing. * Lord_Darkmoon slaps him tentatively on the back, as if he's trying to emulate more expressive people. Hey, everyone. Hey, Sakura. ^_^ Hi. * LordChimera nods at Sakura as well. * LadyMallet lifts her heads slightly to acknowledge Sakura's presence. Did you get that receipt, Rinada? * Lord_Darkmoon hands Sakura said receipt, utterly unashamed at the high total on it. Aiya. * LordChimera looks down at the ground, only now noticing how cold the night seems to be becoming. Does she make good food? ^^; So then... um... right. What's the ratio of boring days to trouble days, anyway? Definitely. :9 * Taki quietly watches the conversation. Oh, it's proably about three-to-one, on average. * Taki kind of looks at Sakura like she wants to ask something. Like I said, sometimes it goes a week or two. ...Taki? Umm... Did I do okay? * Maya gives Leena another concerned look. "... you look terrible, Leena. Get lots of rest, really." I'm not... used to being in charge. Don't sweat it. * LordChimera nods at Leena in agreement to Maya's words before going back to staring at the floor infront of him. Ask your partner how you did. Hey... Taki. I guess I'm not gonna be stopping by tonight. Sorry. But you didn't scream at her, and I didn't hear her screaming at you. So... * Taki looks at Mallet. "Oh... uh. Okay." *nervous* Leena, I suggest you get some green tea and lots of rest, tonight. *looks a bit concerned* * Maya smiles up at Taki. "You did a great job. I'm the one who was lagging..." Oh, Taki, was that enough money? Someone go with me? I don't trust myself to stay awake the entire way. * Taki blushes. "Um... yeah. We still need to go shopping for clothes though..." Just keep track of what you spend on. He was kinda tired so he napped while I bought some things for the house. *in response to Leena's request* I can...if Sakura can wait for me, or if this won't take long... ... Uh, I mean for him you know. In the house. She's not too far from my place. We'll be on the same train back, so we can walk her home. * Taki looks nervous. Alright. * LadyMallet nods slowly. Anything else, kids? * Maya just looks at Leena again, then gives her a pat on the shoulder. "Hang in there." * LordChimera rubs his hands on his thighs, waiting. ...do you think, since it's your ...state... that's affected, if you detransformed maybe you'd feel better? That might work. Oh... I'm still transformed? *blink, blink* I thought I... oh. *laughs quietly* You're _really_ out of it. * LadySakura spots the correct train. Here's the ride. I'll see the rest of you here tomorrow. At the train station? Yeah. You can get here, right? * LordChimera nods shortly. Yeah, no problem. And yeah, you are. You must be tired. Rest. * LadySakura grabs one of Leena's shoulders, and marches her onto the train. Seeya. * Maya finishes the patpat, then waits quietly for the train. Coin over knuckle... Bye. * Taki waves briefly. * Taki sits on the train bench and sighs. You sure I did okay, Maya? ... I'm positive, Taki. I felt like I was getting ahead of you too much... * LordChimera gives a short wave to them as they board the train, then returns to the others. * Maya shrugs. "I can't hide as well as you can. You do what suits you best, and I'l try to follow suit. Don't stress too much." ^^ Okay. ... Thanks. * Taki boards the next train that stops, making sure Kenji gets on with her. Bye. *waves at Maya* * Maya waves back. "Take care." * LordChimera follows Taki onto the train before turning and waving goodbye. * LordChimera finds a seat. "..." So I suppose you're already too full for dinner? *teasing slightly* * Maya waves a bit more, then just waits for her train. That coin's still going, even when she steps inside and takes the not-so-long ride home... *Looking up* Ah! Uh... yeah.. sorry. Ah well... * Minami gets on her train and goes home. * LadySakura escorts Leena home, chewing her out one more time on the way. * Minami waves goodbye to everyone still there as the doors close. * Lord_Darkmoon scribbles something on a piece of paper and hands it to Leena before she goes inside. "Chicken soup recipe. Helps when you're tired." * LadyMallet crashes as soon as she gets home. ...then she and Darkmoon return to Sakura's place. Strangely, the lights are on there, and Darkmoon realizes that the secretary is back in the living quarters. * Taki makes Kenji go clothes shopping. * LadySakura doesn't even untransform when she gets home. No rush, apparently. * Lord_Darkmoon notes it, but doesn't react, as he follows her in. Oh, hi, Sakura. Hi, Rinada. Hello, again. I take it nothing happened? Nothing made the news, anyway. * Secretary is dressed rather casually, and looks more like her real age. Nothing. Uneventful, other than a nice meal. :9 Yeah, Rin here got lucky. His mark is a chef. * Lord_Darkmoon takes off the radio and returns it, while he's here. Keep the radio - you'll need it tomorrow, unless you stop here first. * Lord_Darkmoon nods, and puts it back on, then. "It'll become part of my transform, this way." Well, when I change clothes, at lest. *least Right. If you're going to be going back there, I should get you a credit card. Fine with me. ...If we weren't worried about the girls' safety, it would be an incredibly pleasent place to while away an afternoon. Still need to keep receipts. You'll can use it on missions, even for some personal shopping if you need cover, just don't go overboard. * LadySakura goes back into her office for a minute, then emerges with a glass bowl. * Lord_Darkmoon smirks and nods. "Of course not." It's Lady Granite's. No, it doesn't talk. Yes, she's out of town for a week or so. * Lord_Darkmoon tries anyway. "Hello, little guy. What's your name?" * The fish wiggles in a friendly fashion back at Darkmoon. *curious* Do you have an aquarium? Several, actually. First fish I've taken care of, but not the first aquatic critter. * LadySakura sits down and idly starts to disassemble her pistol. I've got a turtle right now... ...yeah... * Secretary has the TV on, but she's watching Darkmoon, instead. Rin... There's a full moon coming, right? I mean, there always is, but... There is. I can feel it. Within the next couple of days. * Lord_Darkmoon tears his eyes away from the fish, and gets a serious expression on his face. ...I'd hate to lose your help on this mission, but if you need to be away for a day or two... *looks relieved* It would probably be for the best...untransformed, I'd be pretty useless to this mission. Certainly in a protective role. Yes. I'm sorry. I'll give you a call when I can't make it, and when I can make it again. *nod* That is acceptable. But, you've been kind to me. If there's anything I can do for either of you ladies *nods at Sakura and the Secretary*, please ask, and I'll try. * Secretary smiles widely right back. Of course. If there is nothing else... *smiles as his gaze rests on his new friend in the bowl, and picks up the bowl veeery carefully* Any idea when Lady Granite will want him back? *sigh* Too bad you're... right. I'll see you tomorrow. I think she's going to be back on the fifteent. Will that be any problem? Not at all. See you tomorrow, then. *smiles and heads out, whistling a tune* Seeya! * LadySakura tosses a cushion at the secretary as Darkmoon leaves. [end session] Session Close: Sat Dec 06 19:39:16 2003