Session Start: Sat Apr 08 16:23:56 2006
<Ked> Last time, on Hunters:
<Ked> The team finished their encounter with Princess Hardhat on reasonably
peaceful terms - she rowed away in a hat, with a promise not to attack other
Ladies as long as they leave her alone.  Later, she took her own shot at the
dome of water and the Queen of the Sea, but only succeeded in making a really
big hardhat and a truly enormous splash.
<Ked> The Hunters, for their part, dispatched Lady Nike to investigate the
Princess Norcliff sensed who was not venturing into the flood zone.
<Ked> Nike set off the signal that this *was* Princess, but unfortunately the
girl had found a boat dealer and was motoring away when Nike spotted her.  The
team rushed to catch up, appropriating a pontoon boat and fueling it with Make-
Believe.
<Ked> [Thursday, April 1, 2004 - 0510 local time]
<Ked> [About a kilometer into the Tokyo flood zone.]
<Ked> [Session start]
* Lord_Darkmoon 's jaw cracks in a yawn that he bites off in annoyance.
* LadyNike pilots the ungainly boat carefully - it's clear that she doesn't
feel she knows what she's doing.
* LadyNightshade sits at the front of the boat trying to keep an eye out for
Princess.
* LadyMysteria stays alert, still looking jittery and more-than-antsy, fingers
digging into her clothes.
* LadyHeat sits and keeps watch for Princess.
* LadyMallet lies there, eyes closed and senses open.
* LadyRoyal sits aft, keeping a lookout.
<Ked> Mallet is starting to feel vaguely normal, though having experienced
this sort of thing multiple times now she can tell her bones are still
regrowing.
* LadyNightshade hasn't been talking much. She's trying to keep herself
focused on what they're doing.
<LadyHeat> Are you doing better Leena?
<Ked> The boat is just now weaving around a couple of skyscrapers.  The water
has grown strangely clearer as you move further into the flood zone, and the
cars in the street are dim but visible shadows in the pre-dawn light.
* LadyMallet chuckles. "Yeah."
<LadyMysteria> ... please, Princess. Please. Be alright.
* Lord_Darkmoon rests a hand on Mysteria's shoulder. "She is. She will be."
<Ked> A few buildings have collapsed in the flooding here, but others are
standing, and you can hear calls from a few survivors inside as you pass by.
<Lord_Darkmoon> ...we'll have to organize some rescue when we get through with
this.
* LadyRoyal hunkers down.  "Emergency services have probably been working,
too."
<LadyRoyal> Both official and unofficial ones.
<LadyMysteria> Disaster has a way of waking people up.
<LadyNike> ...I don't know... with the fallout, people may not be able to get
in here.
<Lady_MakeBelieve> I think the flooding is a bigger worry right now.
* Lord_Darkmoon nods.
<LadyNike> The wind... well, if I weren't a Lady I'd be getting out of town as
fast as I could.
<LadyRoyal> Depending on how much was knocked out, there are flood emergency
precautions and systems.  This is what emergency and risk management are
about.  If we can help here later, then fine, but right now our duties lie
elsewhere.
* LadyNightshade sighs.
* LadyMysteria goes quiet, looking ahead.
<LadyNightshade> Let's just do our job.
<Ked> Everyone can sense a some Ningyo approaching slowly from the direction
they've been heading.
<LadyNightshade> Oh great.
* LadyRoyal frowns and turns around to face the front of the boat.
<LadyRoyal> How you feeling, Kyo?
* LadyMallet doesn't open her eyes just yet. "Ningyo."
<LadyHeat> Fine.
<LadyHeat> I'm not hungry.
* LadyMysteria grits her teeth. "We're on their turf. Nike, is there anyway
you can speed up?"
<LadyRoyal> I wasn't referring to that.
<Lord_Darkmoon> Pity. You might have a meal approaching. And, their turf is
Heat's turf. I pity them if they approach.
<LadyRoyal> Indeed.
<LadyNike> You really don't want me to run into a streetlamp, Mysteria-sama.
* LadyNike does seem to increase her use of the throttle, though.
<LadyMysteria> I really don't... and Nike, you don't have to be so formal.
We're basically on equal terms here.
* LadyNike smiles faintly.  "Not hardly - you're the team leader, and I'm the
girl who flunked being Sakura's partner."
<LadyMysteria> There are always second chances, and you've been vital for so
long.
<LadyMallet> She liked you enough to give you another chance. And you've been
immensely helpful.
<Lady_MakeBelieve> Don't sell yourself short Nike.
<LadyNightshade> We wouldn't be anywhere near where we are without you.
* LadyMysteria mirrors the smile. "As far as I care, you're a part of the
team."
<LadyMallet> We're judging you, right here, right now, not Sakura.
<LadyMallet> And we think you're up to snuff.
<Lord_Darkmoon> We've all 'flunked' at one point or another, or we wouldn't be
on this team, Madam Secretary.
<Lord_Darkmoon> I think you fit right in. You're invaluable.
<LadyNike> Yeah, whatever.
* LadyNike concentrates, and cuts the corner around the next apartment
building.  It's not quite as hair-raising as her driving, but it's getting
closer.
<LadyHeat> We could never have done this without you...
* Lord_Darkmoon smirks. "That's more like the Secretary I know."
<Lady_MakeBelieve> Ganbatte!
<LadyNightshade> How far away is she now?
* Lord_Darkmoon tries to find some fish that might be in eye- (or sonar-, as
appropriate) shot of Princess.
<Ked> The boat scoots forward into a more-open space - this must have been a
park, or a plaza, or maybe even a freeway.  Ahead is - something.  The sun is
starting to light the horizon, but it's not enough to figure out what this
weird shape is.
<LadyMysteria> ... need to get closer.
* LadyMysteria cranes her neck forward to try and figure out what the shape
is.
<LadyRoyal> ...Haruko.   D'you know how to make night-vision goggles?
* Lord_Darkmoon gives up, after realizing there really aren't any living
animals in here. No natural ones, anyway.
<Norcliff> Princess dead ahead!
<LadyHeat> Maybe she can make some kind of magic boat now.
<Lord_Darkmoon> Good. Let's go meet up with her.
* LadyMallet flexes an arm.
* LadyMysteria white-knuckles the edge of the boat. "So long as she's safe."
* LadyNightshade scans ahead for where Princess is.
<Lady_MakeBelieve> I can make regular goggles, but I don't think that’s what
you want.
<Lady_MakeBelieve> Would a flood lamp help?
<LadyRoyal> ...hm.  Depends on if we want to draw attention yet or not.
* LadyNike holds course.
<Lady_MakeBelieve> I imagine they probably already know we're here, but that
may just be me.
<LadyMallet> They're already after Princess.
<LadyMallet> Light it up.
<LadyMysteria> I wouldn't be surprised if they knew we were here, and were
just letting us go unmolested to see what we had planned.
<LadyRoyal> Mm.
<Lord_Darkmoon> Heat, you don't happen to be able to sense them well enough to
give one a good baking right now, do you?
<LadyHeat> I have to see them.
<LadyMallet> We're probably the only big MG group around going towards them.
<Norcliff> ... and we are sans Ningyo.
<LadyRoyal> ...
<LadyHeat> Where'd they go?
<LadyMysteria> ... they left?
<LadyMallet>  Wonder why.
<Ked> The team still senses the oncoming Ningyo - Norcliff must be picking up
on something else.
<Norcliff> The ones stalking the other Princess are gone.
<LadyNightshade> Dead?
<Norcliff> Slight flash of magic beforehand, but nothing I would expect to get
rid of them all at once.
<LadyRoyal> That's...strange.
<LadyNightshade> Huh.
<LadyMallet> One less thing to worry about.
<Ked> The... shape draws closer, and something clangs against the left
pontoon, sending the boat into a slow-motion spin.
<LadyMallet> Downgraded from a worry to a curiosity.
* LadyRoyal holds on.  "What the..."
<LadyRoyal> Light, please!
* LadyHeat prepares to boil.
<LadyMysteria> We either hit something underwater, or we're in a bit of
trouble.
* LadyNightshade stands, ready to fight... whatever.
* Lady_MakeBelieve dreams up a flood lamp.
* LadyNike counter-steers, bringing the boat under control, then reduces
speed.
<Ked> The lamp snaps on, lighting the water ahead.  The night is so vast that
even the huge lamp she's holding barely seems to make a dent, but you can see
that the shape ahead is a huge mass of twisted metal girders and forms.
<LadyRoyal> ...shit.
<LadyHeat> Tokyo Tower?
<Lady_MakeBelieve> What's left of it.
<LadyMysteria> Enough water can wreck almost anything.
<Ked> The spire angling off to the left into the new sea is too familiar to
anyone who has lived in Tokyo - this *is* the Tokyo Tower, almost eight
kilometers from where it should be.
* LadyMysteria just looks at the spire, and the expression on her face is one
of sudden, terrible sadness. She nonetheless bites back whatever she wanted to
say or do, and looks ahead. "Princess."
* LadyMallet laughs softly.
<LadyMallet> This really is the final battle.
* LadyMallet opens her eyes and stands up cautiously.
<LadyMysteria> Or something close to it.
<LadyNightshade> Yeah. Princess. *keeps looking*
<Lady_MakeBelieve> That doesn't look fun to climb.
* LadyNike steers around the pile of steel, keeping her speed down to avoid
more collisions with underwater wreckage.
* LadyHeat keeps looking out.
<Ked> There's a girlish shout from somewhere behind the structure.
<LadyHeat> Princess?!
<LadyMallet> Elly?
<Princess> Is someone there?  There's Ningyo coming!
<LadyMallet> Ell, is that you?
<LadyHeat> We're coming!
<Lady_MakeBelieve> Are you safe where you are??
<LadyMysteria> Princess! Hold on!
* LadyNike gets around what must have been the legs of the tower, and the
light picks out a familiar girl sitting on a girder with an upside-down boat
stuck further into the wreckage behind her.
* LadyMallet stares for a moment at the boat and tower.
* Princess is pointing eastward, towards the dome.  "Ningyo!!!"
* Lord_Darkmoon smiles. "We know. Are you alright?"
<LadyNightshade> We should uh.. let's get her and get the hell out of here.
* LadyMallet lets out a breath. "We got here first though!"
<LadyMysteria> You're our priority, Princess. Come on, we don't quite need to
stay here.... far too dangerous.
<Ked> The Ningyo *are* getting awfully close now, you think - they feel like
they're right on top of you.
* LadyHeat looks around for ningyo to fry.
<Princess> I got scraped up a little, but don't worry about that.
<LadyRoyal> Good...
* LadyMallet flexes her legs a bit, then crouches and un-crouches a couple of
times.
<LadyHeat> Leena, don't push it.
<Lord_Darkmoon> We're going to get you down, so we can move. The Ningyo will
have to show themselves to interfere. I hope.
<Lady_MakeBelieve> Dragon Lord, can you bring her back?
<Lord_Darkmoon> Heat, just how much water can you boil at once?
<LadyHeat> I'm not sure.
* DragonLord heads off towards Princess
<Ked> The Ningyo *do* feel close, so close you aren't sure what direction
they're in any more.
<LadyRoyal> Looks like you might get a chance to find out soon...
<LadyMysteria> Just get here... we look to have a fight on our hands.
<Lord_Darkmoon> Think you can boil a ring out around us?
<LadyHeat> I can only do what I can see.
<Ked> The Dragon gets to the little Princess... and two Ningyo rise straight
out of the floodwaters, one on either side of the pontoon boat.
<LadyHeat> and it won't stay hot for a terribly long time when I stop boiling.
<LadyRoyal> Shit!
* LadyRoyal flings a card reflexively.
<Ked> The card wings out into the night, not close to anyone.
<Ked> The new sea, so tranquil a moment ago, begins to gyrate and surge, all
of which is felt directly by the pontoon boat's passengers.
<Ked> Lady Heat goes tumbling off the front, though she may not care.  Lady
Royal takes a really wrong step and is hurled directly at the Ningyo to
starboard.
<LadyMallet> Min- Kyo-chan!
<LadyMysteria> ... damn it!
<Ked> The Ningyo hovers and lets the magical girl bounce off, but her
attention is accordingly focused on the unfortunate Lady without sea legs.
* LadyHeat is lucky to be a damn good swimmer.
* Lord_Darkmoon glares at the Ningyo. "Destroy them."
<Ked> Lady Nightshade draws her pistol and fires off a couple rounds at the
Ningyo.  The bullets just bruise her.
* LadyNightshade grumbles at the lack of solid ground around then.
* LadyMallet stands up fully, and extended an open hand to the sky, jumping up
to catch the Mallet as it appears above her and gripping it tightly.
<LadyMallet> I love being a magical girl!
* Lady_MakeBelieve pulls a rope and life preserver and tosses it to Royal
* DragonLord has made it to Princess, and offers her a ride back to the
Hunters
<LadyMallet> Haruko, can you make a pile of cannonballs?
<Lady_MakeBelieve> Little busy right now
<LadyMallet> No rush.
<Lady_MakeBelieve> You know, saving Royal?
* LadyMysteria doesn't even think, even as she rocks and sways from the water
churning. Instead, she twirls her wand into position, twists back, and draws a
bead on the ningyo, right between the eyes. "Third time's a charm. Mystery
Star Gun, LAUNCH!" A momentary burst lights the battlefield...
<Ked> The beam burns past the starboard Ningyo's shoulder.  The fish-girl's
eyes go wide, and she turns away from Royal to face the boat again.
<LadyMysteria> ... che.
<Ked> Lady Heat focuses on the same Ningyo, and suddenly the water dripping
from her is flash-boiled.  She screams and seems to stagger backwards through
the air.
<Ked> The Ningyo to your left takes that moment to unleash a massive blast of
water right at the boat.  "TIDAL SUUUUUUUURGE!"
* Lord_Darkmoon turns towards her and grimly braces, holding up his sword as
if it could cut the blast in half. (It can't)
* Lady_MakeBelieve sees it coming and tries to dive off the boat towards
Royal.
* LadyMallet turns and holds the Mallet in front of her as if it could soak
the impact. (It can.)
* LadyMysteria seems to not recover quite fast enough to do anything about the
incoming water jet, and discovers how much high-pressure H2O hurts.
* LadyNightshade deftly leaps up into the air as the water comes towards the
boat, trying to land herself back on what's left of the boat as best she can.
<Ked> The boat and its passengers are slammed away from the Ningyo.  That
idiot girl with the huge Mallet manages to deflect it a little... but Mysteria
is swept away, cracking her head on the railing as she goes over the side.
Darkmoon and Make-Believe try to shelter behind Mallet, but they still get
smacked hard.
<Lord_Darkmoon> Mysteria!
* LadyMysteria manages a squeak before everything goes white, pitching into
the drink.
* Lady_MakeBelieve shouts something, but it can't be heard over the rushing
water
<Ked> And then the second Ningyo recovers itself well enough to return fire as
well.  "RIP TIIIIIIDE!"
<Ked> Kyouko is spun in sudden unnatural currents, that seem to try to pull
her in too many directions at once.
<Ked> Her l33t swimming skillz are up to the challenge though, and she
recovers her attitude in the water as the currents subside.
* LadyNike tumbled off the back of the boat, and is trying to draw her pistol
while swimming.
<Lord_Darkmoon> Mallet, try to knock any further tidal surges out of the air.
A Pancake Strike might do it. I hope.
<LadyMallet> Gotcha.
<Lord_Darkmoon> I'll get the boat going after I get Mysteria. *opens his sword
- suddenly the Tessen - and jumps in after Mysteria, using it to help him
swim*
* Lord_Darkmoon pulls Mysteria back up above the water, and holds her there as
he begins struggling back to the boat.
* LadyMysteria looks mostly dazed; her eyes are open, but for the moment
nobody's home; the angry knot on her temple probably is the culprit.
* LadyRoyal sputters and strikes out for the life preserver, making a grab at
it.  She tosses a concerned look at the rest of the party, and glares at the
ningyo.
* LadyNike shoots at the starboard Ningyo too - and hits nothing.
* LadyNightshade leaps out at the ningyo that keeps attack the boat, hitting
it with a spinning kick and then a series of fast and furious punches before
bouncing back off the Ningyo and barely making it back onto the edge of the
boat. "Ha!"
<Ked> The boat is rocking, still, but not so bad as before.  The railing has
broken off, as have the cheap metal seats, leaving a metal platform covered
with Astroturf which barely allows Taki enough purchase to scramble back on.
* LadyMallet moves up near Nightshade, the Mallet held offensively- like she's
just waiting for something to get in range.
* LadyRoyal holds on to the life preserver with one hand and lets out a flurry
at the ningyo above her with the other.
<Ked> She's not used to doing this from in the water, and the flurry goes off
into the sky like a poker-themed firework.
* Lady_MakeBelieve shakes off the effects of tidal wave, and hauls Royal back
in towards the boat.
* DragonLord starts to fly down towards what’s left of the boat, but decides
Princess is safer in the air, and starts climbing, intending to return once
the fight dies down
<Princess> WHEEEEEEEE!?
<Ked> Lady Heat turns around in the water and sees the Ningyo that Taki just
hammered lining up for another blast at the boat.  Her eyes narrow, and
suddenly the fishgirl is sizzling.
<Ked> The Ningyo wobbles out of the column of steam, her tail thrashing at the
water below her.  She glares at the boat one last time, then her eyes roll up
in her head and she splashes down.
<Ked> The starboard Ningyo sees this, and screams.  "Nerya!  NOOO!"  Another
two-meter wide blast of water stabs at the boat and its occupants.
* LadyMallet whirls around as the first Ningyo falls, focusing on defending
from the -other- one- she runs forward to meet the incoming water blast with
the Mallet...
<Ked> And times it wrong, meeting the blast with her face, instead.  Mallet
can feel her limbs being pulverized once more as she tumbles into the water.
<Lord_Darkmoon> You'll join your sister for that, sharkbait.
* LadyNightshade jumps again before the water crashing into the boat but this
time she isn't able to judge her landing properly and crashes into the drink.
Now she is a very angry, very wet ninja.
* Lord_Darkmoon swims to the side of the boat, and struggles to lift Mysteria
onto it. He pulls himself up after, and makes ready to shield her from another
tidal blast. "You okay, Mallet?"
* LadyMysteria kinda rolls into the boat, eyes still swimming a tad.
<Ked> Mallet is pretty much underwater, and can't answer.
<Lady_MakeBelieve> Guys, I don't think I can take another one of those.
* LadyNightshade swims back towards the boat, trying to get into a position to
where she can attack again.
<Lord_Darkmoon> Get behind me and help Mysteria, then. I'll cover both of you.
* LadyRoyal hefts herself up on the life preserver.  "Help Maya and Mallet,
I'll be fine!"
* LadyNike continues to shoot without scoring any palpable hits.
* Lady_MakeBelieve shakes Mysty awake, trying to get her back in the fight.
* LadyRoyal tries to get a better hold on the preserver and shoots another
flurry at the remaining ningyo.
<Ked> The Ningyo is lit up good momentarily before the percussive blasts pound
it into a bloody, lifeless pulp.
* Lord_Darkmoon nods. "Good work. Make Believe, can your dragon lord see any
further Ningyo nearby?"
* LadyRoyal takes a couple seconds to breathe in relief, then strikes out in
the general direction of Leena.
* LadyNightshade looks to make sure both Ningyo are down before diving in to
save Leena.
<LadyHeat> Guys. Don't look.
* Lord_Darkmoon peers into the water, trying to spot Mallet. If she doesn't
come into view, he'll jump in where he thinks he saw her fall.
<Lord_Darkmoon> Don't look at what?
<Lady_MakeBelieve> Norcliff doesn't sense any heading this way
<LadyHeat> I'm hungry.
* Lady_MakeBelieve backs away from heat
* LadyHeat swims over to the recently dead ningyo and tries to subtly have
some breakfast.
<Lady_MakeBelieve> Someone needs to save her.
* LadyNightshade grabs Leena and pulls her back towards the boat.
* LadyMysteria finally comes to with a start, lifts the wand... and quickly
realizes what's happened. "... shit."
* LadyRoyal joins the Taki-Leena Swimming/Floating Brigade and offers the life
preserver to hoist Leena onto.
* LadyNightshade drags Leena back on board and makes sure everyone else is on.
<LadyNightshade> Let's get Princess down here and get the hell out of here.
* LadyHeat eats while everyone else is busy getting Leena.
<Ked> Leena's arms are just plain limp.  Her legs are less so, though they're
not making any coordinated movements yet.
* LadyRoyal climbs on board, then calls out.  "Heat?  You done yet?"
* LadyNightshade looks over at Heat. "Oh ew! Goddamn it, is she doing that
again?"
* Lord_Darkmoon flicks his Tessen over Mysteria, drying out her clothes,
before heading over to look at Leena. "Is she okay?"
<LadyMallet> nrr.
* Lord_Darkmoon checks on Heat. "No, she's not."
* LadyNike swims back to the boat and comes up the ladder.  "That was too
exciting."
<LadyHeat> I'm fine! I'm just hungry.
<LadyMysteria> ... I can do without excitement right now.
<LadyNightshade> Much too exciting.
* LadyHeat growls, and is glad she's in the water so there isn't too much
mess.
<LadyNightshade> Haruko make the dragon thing come down so we can leave.
* Princess asks the Dragon really politely to let her down.
<LadyRoyal> Well, fighting does take up a lot of energy, and we have been up
for quite a while.
* LadyRoyal scans the sky for Dragon Lord and Princess.
* DragonLord notices the fight seems to have ended, and swoops down near the
raft
* LadyHeat finishes and swims back over to everyone else.
* Princess hops off into the water, and swims to the mangled pontoon boat.
<Lord_Darkmoon> I know you're fine, Heat. I was asking about Mallet. ...who is
in rough shape. Mallet-chan, when you wake up, we're having a chat about self-
preservation instinct.
* LadyNightshade takes Princess from the dragon non-too-gently and sets her on
the boat. "Okay let's go."
* LadyRoyal offers Heat a hand up.
<LadyMallet> Nrrrrr.
<LadyMysteria> Me and her could compare notes.
<Princess> Oh my gosh! Are you all okay?
* LadyMysteria says this dryly. "We're fine, so long as you are."
<LadyNightshade> Do we look okay?
* Lord_Darkmoon looks to Princess. "C'mere, Highness." There's a bit of big-
brotherly teasing in his tone.
<LadyMysteria> Let's go.
<Lady_MakeBelieve> Now that we have you we are.
<LadyRoyal> Are *you* okay?  What happened?  Why did you run off like that?
* Princess tacklehugs Darkmoon, but turns back to the others as she does so.
<Princess> Yes, we need to keep going.  To the Queen of the Sea.
<LadyRoyal> ...
<LadyMysteria> ... WHY?
<LadyNightshade> No. We're leaving.
<Princess> ...we have to.  I NEED to.
* LadyMysteria looks absolutely stunned. "The last orders we got from the
Queen was to protect you, and the last thing that would entail is handing you
over to the enemy."
<Lady_MakeBelieve> We should listen to her. She'll know what has to be done.
<LadyHeat> Our first priority is protect you. We can't let you die that way.
<LadyMysteria> ... but...
* LadyMysteria looks torn. Very torn.
<Princess> Something bad is going to happen if I don't get there.
* Lord_Darkmoon is hugged, and toppled to a seat. He quickly uses the Tessen
to dry out Princess and his own garb, while she's handy.
<LadyRoyal> What do you think you'll accomplish, that way?
<LadyMysteria> ... what kind of bad?
<LadyNightshade> Something bad is going to happen if we do go there.
<Lord_Darkmoon> We'll protect her, as we take her there, then.
<Princess> I don't know what - I just don't know!  But... my dreams... if I
don't go there, it'll be worse than we can imagine!
<Lady_MakeBelieve> We can't run away afraid, we have to do what must be done.
* LadyMysteria bites her lip so hard she draws blood. Finally, she turns to
Nike. "Drive."
* LadyNightshade goes to check on the boat's motor to make sure it still runs.
* LadyRoyal looks around the wasted horizon. "...considering what's already
happened was beyond imagine.."
<LadyNike> Drive where?
* LadyHeat plays with the Mallet.
<LadyNightshade> Away!
<Lord_Darkmoon> Elly-chan, do me a favor? Tell me your title, please. *said
softly, almost only loud enough for Princess to hear*
<LadyMysteria> Princess, I will see to it that you survive, even if I have to
die in the process. And I think Princess knows the way to go, Nike.
* Princess points to the faintly glowing blue dome to the east.  "There!"
* LadyMallet laments about the lack of internal structure.
<LadyNightshade> We are not going to that thing!
<Princess> ...what?  I'm Princess.
* Princess grimaces.  "Just... Princess."
<LadyRoyal> ...honestly?  Considering the state of affairs right now, we
aren't losing too much going there that we wouldn't lose by running away.
<LadyNightshade> We'd be losing our lives.
<LadyNightshade> And her life.
<LadyNightshade> And we're supposed to protect it.
<LadyMallet> We're in no shape to go there now.
<LadyRoyal> Our lives are already in danger right now anyway.  That's all I'm
saying.
* Princess eyes Mallet.  "Wow, you got smashed, Leena."
<Lady_MakeBelieve> And who's to say the Ningyo won't be undefeatable if we
don't strike now?
<LadyMysteria> Nike, go.
<LadyNightshade> Maybe you guys didn't fully appreciate the situation because
you didn't witness it first hand but Hardhat hit that thing with a big ass
hardhat and it just bounced off. What the fuck are we going to do to that?
* Lord_Darkmoon nods. "If we could communicate with the others, I'd advocate
going back. But we can't do anything more than the others are already doing."
<Lady_MakeBelieve> Maybe Hardhat wasn't supposed to be victorious.
<Lady_MakeBelieve> And Princess is.
* LadyMysteria then looks at the others. "... if she's anything, ANYTHING like
the Queen was, we might do well to heed her dreams. We're on the ropes
anyway... anything will help."
<LadyNightshade> They've already won. We aren't going to do a damn thing to
them now.
<LadyNike> You're in charge, Lady Mysteria.
* LadyMysteria reaches out to SLAP the hell out of Taki.
<LadyMysteria> DON'T YOU DARE SAY THAT!
* LadyRoyal lurches forward and holds Maya back.
* LadyNike gets the boat moving - slowly again, with the damage - to the east.
<Lord_Darkmoon> Elly is the Queen's cousin. Her title is simply "Princess".
We've seen what it takes to turn a Lady into a Princess.
* LadyNightshade growls at Maya, grabbing her back. "Say what?! It's the
fucking truth!"
<Lord_Darkmoon> I pray Elly is as wise as she is young. We go where she
wishes.
* LadyMysteria is held back, but her sudden fury is evident. "I refuse---
REFUSE to accept defeat!"
<LadyNightshade> We're barely alive right now!
<Lady_MakeBelieve> I used to think my name was just a title too.  But I had to
learn that was wrong.
<Lady_MakeBelieve> We can't sell Princess short.
<LadyNightshade> Then you're just being stupid.
<Lord_Darkmoon> LADIES! STOP THAT!
<Princess> I... I'm not wise.
* LadyRoyal does her best to pry the two apart.  'SIT DOWN AND SHUT UP!"
<LadyMallet> ...
* Lord_Darkmoon snaps that at Taki and Maya.
<LadyMysteria> If we lose, it will be because we FOUGHT, not because we
cowered.
<Lady_MakeBelieve> If we run away we have already lost!
<LadyNightshade> Fighting a fight we can't possibly win is just idiocy.
<Princess> I just... feel what I have to do.
* Princess sniffles.
<LadyMallet> Don't run away. Just rest for an hour. Recharge, recover, then
... do whatever.
<Lord_Darkmoon> Then do it. We will aid you. *smiles kindly* Don't cry.
* LadyMysteria takes a deep breath. "Taki, that may be so. But I'm not running
from this. I can't. I was chosen to fight the ningyo, as was you."
<LadyNightshade> So they take Tokyo. We can go live somewhere else.
<LadyRoyal> Taki, you're thinking like a coward again.  Stop it.
* LadyMallet sighs. Still on her back. Still. Not moving.
<Lord_Darkmoon> Lady Secretary, how long will it take to navigate to the
bubble of water in the center, here?
* Norcliff jumps over to comfort Princess
<LadyNightshade> Fuck you, I'm not a coward!
<LadyRoyal> Oh yeah?
<LadyMysteria> Then face your destiny!
<Princess> ...I don't think they'll...
<Norcliff> Hey, it'll be ok.
<LadyNike> Ugh.  At least an hour.
<LadyRoyal> So we run away from Tokyo and go somewhere else, what happens if
something happens to us then?  Run away some more?
<LadyMallet> Destiny shmestiny.
<LadyNike> This thing got mangled good and it's hard to keep it going straight
at more than a few knots.
<LadyRoyal> Your strategic planning leaves a lot to be desired.
<LadyMallet> If we're going to do this, don't cop out and call it that.
<LadyNightshade> What destiny? I'm not anybody, none of us are. That's why we
were put on this team!
<LadyNightshade> Do what?
<LadyNightshade> What the fuck are we going to do?
<LadyRoyal> And you're just going to accept that?
<LadyHeat> We have to at least try to fight.
* LadyMysteria takes another breath. She seems a bit less furious. "Something.
Anything."
<LadyNightshade> What is the brilliant strategy here?
<Lady_MakeBelieve> We follow Princess
<LadyNightshade> Do we wave at them? Say, 'wow that's a nice bubble you have
here. Go away, please?'\
<Princess> I don't know what I can do.  But I do know that I have to go, or it
will be a complete disaster.
<LadyMysteria> ... Princess. We follow her. Maybe, maybe, MAYBE she has an
answer, something to work with. If not, so be it.
<LadyRoyal> Well gee.
<Lady_MakeBelieve> She'll know what to do.
<LadyMallet> Whatever we do it's not gonna be a fight.
<LadyHeat> Well, if I try hard enough I might be able to get us in.
<Lady_MakeBelieve> I didn't know what I was supposed to do with the Dragon
King until I got there.
<Lady_MakeBelieve> But then I knew.
<LadyHeat> It's still water.
<Lady_MakeBelieve> Princess will know as well.
<LadyMallet> There's... gotta be something.
<LadyNightshade> This is so fuckin stupid.
<LadyMysteria> It kinda is.
<LadyMysteria> What do you suggest we do, Nightshade?
<Princess> ...I... well, it reminds me of what 'coz said happened back in
2000.
* LadyMysteria looks to Princess, catching her comment. "Hm?"
<LadyNightshade> Leave. Regroup. Find other Ladies or Princesses or something.
We aren't going to do anything to *that*! *points at the bubble*
* LadyMallet closes her eyes, and takes a deep breath. "Don't think with your
fists, Taki. Right now we're magical girls. Magical girls are not about
fighting, they're about peace and defending, not hopeless battles in
apocalyptic settings."
<LadyRoyal> Maybe not by traditional means, but isn't that what we've been
doing since we got put on this team?
<Lady_MakeBelieve> There are more things that just force Taki.
<LadyNightshade> You watch too many stupid cartoons.
<Lady_MakeBelieve> You need to learn that.
<Princess> She was Princess Earth, then, and the Ningyo made a big push... and
she knew that she had to go face them down personally.
<LadyMysteria> We should.
<LadyHeat> Most magical girl manga end in some kind of apocalyptic fight.
<Lady_MakeBelieve> Ultimately won by the heart.
<LadyNightshade> This isn't a manga! This is real life!
<Princess> And she did - even though there were other Princesses who offered
to go, even though she could have sent twenty Ladies, she went.  And it...
worked out.
* LadyMysteria looks at Nightshade. "But we're following Princess first, as
much as I don't want to. So you either grumble and enjoy the ride, or go
swimming. I won't drop an order because I respect you too much to force a
decision."
<LadyMallet> Are you so sure?
* LadyRoyal snorts.  "Never was much for mahou shoujo stuff.  More into
military history."
<LadyNightshade> In real life you die and there's no coming back from that no
matter what your intentions were you're still dead!
<Lady_MakeBelieve> If you want to run away, do it.  But let us get going.
<Lady_MakeBelieve> The Dragon Lord was dead. But he came back.  It always
works out.
* Lord_Darkmoon looks towards Nike. "Start us moving towards it," he says
softly.
<Princess> It was the last time she ever fought, and she wouldn't tell us what
happened.  But... she won.  That's what I'm holding to now.
<LadyMallet> This is manga overlaid onto reality. How the whole magical girl
thing works. As much the themes and power as what we're about and how we have
to trust in it and embrace it.
<LadyNightshade> Yeah that's great accept I have the Queen's stupid order
telling me to protect her.
<LadyRoyal> If you want to live with fear instead of die with at least some
semblance of honor, that's your choice to make.
* LadyMysteria smiles at Nightshade, shrugs, then looks ahead. "Nike, keep
going."
<LadyNightshade> God, fuck you guys.
* LadyNike gestures at the motor, which is suddenly starting to sputter.  "I
think we need new fuel."
* LadyNightshade sits down angrily.
<Lord_Darkmoon> Make Believe, if you would?
<Lady_MakeBelieve> Certainly.
* Lady_MakeBelieve walks over and takes care of it
* LadyRoyal pinches the bridge of her nose for a second, then shakes her head
and moves off to sit next to Maya.
<LadyHeat> Aren't you a ninja? Isn't honor your thing?
<LadyNightshade> What the hell does this have to do with honor?
* Lord_Darkmoon bites back a laugh at that, and manages only to smile.
<Lady_MakeBelieve> Just leave her.  She never wants to listen to anyone other
than herself.
<LadyRoyal> OI.  Leave it, everyone.  Mysteria says we go, so we go.
* LadyHeat mutters. "We're all going to die anyway. We should still put up a
fight."
* Princess mutters.  "I have to do what she did.  I have to face up to it."
<LadyNightshade> A ninja doesn't charge head first into an oncoming army.
<Lady_MakeBelieve> We're with you as long as you'll have us Princess
<Lord_Darkmoon> You are being unfair, Haruko. Especially considering your own
history. Taki always comes through for us.
<LadyRoyal> No matter what happens once we get there, we need to get some
energy back.
<LadyMallet> Who says we're charging in headfirst?
<Princess> Good, I was hoping I wouldn't have to try to Order you.
<Lord_Darkmoon> We have time; it will take time to get there.
* Princess shudders.
* LadyMysteria looks to Princess, then sighs heavily.
<LadyRoyal> So right now, everyone should shut up and enjoy the ride.  We can
rip each other to shreds *after* this.
<LadyNightshade> Oh I forgot we were being sneaky here on our boat where they
can see us coming from a mile away.
<LadyMysteria> I like Royal's idea.
<Lady_MakeBelieve> Feel free to swim.
<LadyMallet> I'll make you a bet.
<LadyNightshade> Feel free to shut the fuck up.
<Lady_MakeBelieve> People who don't take their own advice are called
hypocrites.
<LadyRoyal> TAKI.  HARUKO.
<LadyMysteria> No more arguing.
* LadyNike starts the motor back up, and we're moving again.
* LadyMallet mutters.
* LadyMysteria puts the force of an Order behind that, even with her vocal
tone being flat.
<LadyNightshade> Yes _master_.
<LadyHeat> Can we go get ice cream when this is over?
<Lady_MakeBelieve> Do you want an ice cream right now?
<LadyMysteria> ... ice cream sounds so good right now.
* Lady_MakeBelieve holds one out
* Lord_Darkmoon smiles down at Princess. "If you prove a good ruler, you will
have my loyalty. I think you will, Elly-chan. Ordering is...abused. I hated
your cousin for it." He looks up at the bickering Ladies. "However, it is -so-
tempting to do it, sometimes," he continues, obviously sardonic.
* LadyRoyal shakes her head at Taki and turns away to watch over the horizon.
<Lady_MakeBelieve> Or you Mysteria?
* Princess snickers at Lady Vending Machine, then looks quizzically at
Darkmoon's comments.
* LadyHeat is going to miss going to concerts.
<LadyMysteria> Please.
<Lady_MakeBelieve> What flavor?
<LadyMysteria> Cherry.
* Lord_Darkmoon passes the Tessen to MakeBelieve. "Here, dry yourself out,
then pass it on."
* Princess sighs, and makes a place to sit where she can lean on Darkmoon.
* Lady_MakeBelieve hands Mysteria a cherry cone and leans over to whisper
something in her ear as she does so
<LadyHeat> Can I get mint?
* LadyMallet *eyes* Elly and Darkmoon.
<Lady_MakeBelieve> Thanks but I don't need it Darkmoon.
* LadyNike *eyes* Elly and Darkmoon.
* Lady_MakeBelieve focuses like she's creating something for a second, and all
of the water shimmers out of her fuku.
* LadyMysteria takes it and nurses the ice cream like it's saving her sanity.
* LadyRoyal *eyes* the horizon.
* Lord_Darkmoon shakes his head, looking at the dome of water. Quietly, he
muses, "Rin's going to rip Father up one side and down the other, when he
returns." He looks up at Make Believe, "Oh, well, then just pass it on. May as
well be dry when we get there."
* Lady_MakeBelieve hands it to Maya
* Lady_MakeBelieve offers Heat a Mint cone as well.
* LadyHeat takes it and eats some.
<LadyMysteria> ... when this is over with, I want to go on vacation. Somewhere
out of the country.
<LadyMysteria> Maybe Australia.
<Lady_MakeBelieve> America! or Maybe Germany, though I don't speak the
language.
<LadyNike> Sakura already is.  Funny how that worked out.
<LadyMallet> Gonna see if I can get famous in the States.
<Ked> Dawn is beginning to light up the eastern sky, though the sun still has
not peeked over the horizon.
* LadyRoyal snorts.
<LadyMallet> I'm gonna make the name of Leena Leena known all around the
world!
<LadyRoyal> I'm going to sleep.
<Lord_Darkmoon> Isn't it already, Mallet-chan? *winks*
* LadyRoyal pauses.  "For three years, minimum."
<Ked> The dome of water continues to glow bluishly, casting its weird light on
the giant hardhat floating in its shadow.
* LadyNightshade isn't even paying attention anymore. She just stares at her
feet angrily.
* Lady_MakeBelieve good-naturedly tosses a pillow at Royal.
<LadyMallet> Not all around the world yet.
<Lady_MakeBelieve> You've got about 30 minutes
<LadyMallet> I want sitcoms with my name on them in at least 5 different
countries.
<LadyHeat> I'm not dust yet! See Haruko! I'm not a real vampire!
<LadyNike> Probably more than that.
<Lady_MakeBelieve> You're still sick.
<Princess> ...vampire?
* LadyRoyal catches it.  "No, but thanks.  If I go to sleep now there's no way
I'll be alert if I only get half an hour."
<Lord_Darkmoon> I wonder if the fangs will persist when you detransform,
Haruko. We never did figure out why Rin glowed.
<LadyMallet> More alive than someone else.
* LadyRoyal hands over the pillow to one of the recovering people.
<Lady_MakeBelieve> She got bitten by a vampire, and now she craves Ningyo
flesh.
<LadyHeat> I have an unholy lust for ningyo flesh thanks to Haruko's
imagination.
<Princess> ...
* LadyMallet would use the pillow, but her arms aren't working enough yet.
<Lady_MakeBelieve> Nothing to do with my imagination.
* Princess blinks.
<LadyMysteria> Don't think about it too hard, Princess.
* LadyHeat glares.
* LadyRoyal pushes the pillow under Mallet's head, then.
<Princess> I won't.
<Lord_Darkmoon> Nothing wrong with that, Heat. You've seen Feral have at them.
I personally think they'd be better fried and with tartar sauce. *joking*
<Lady_MakeBelieve> Why wouldn't they? I don't have anything more to do with
the Vampires than I did with the Pixies.
<LadyMysteria> ... nnnnnn.
<LadyMallet> Wish you woulda saved some for me.
<LadyMallet> I'm hungry.
<Lady_MakeBelieve> Why would they I mean.
* LadyMysteria looks at the cone, and suddenly wings it over the side. "Not
hungry anymore."
* LadyNightshade blinks her eyes and sighs.
* Lady_MakeBelieve offers Mallet some sushi.
* LadyMallet cranes up her head some, looking somewhat embarrassed. "I'll live
until I can take it."
<Lady_MakeBelieve> Hey Mysty... about what I told you?
<LadyMysteria> Hm?
* LadyMysteria is fixed on the bubble, looking suddenly drained.
* Princess sighs.  "This is unbelievable.  Even if we drive them off, can
Tokyo ever come back to life?"
<LadyMallet> Humans will always rebuild.
<LadyMysteria> All it takes is time.
<Lord_Darkmoon> It will be rebuilt. We'll see to it.
<LadyHeat> If we survive, we can be there to help.
<Lady_MakeBelieve> Any decisions on it?
<Lord_Darkmoon> No if, Heat. We'll be here.
<Princess> Tokyo Disney... it's underwater now, I guess.  And the Imperial
Palace, and the Diet, and probably the Ginza...
<Lady_MakeBelieve> Darkmoon is right.
<LadyMysteria> Make-Believe... as cruel as this might sound, she'll have to
wait until we're done here. She's a Princess, she can handle herself, or at
least flee.
<Princess> Hmm?
<Norcliff> There's another Princess still out there.
<LadyMallet> Hardhat?
<LadyRoyal> ...Squeej, maybe?
* LadyRoyal frowns.  "Still no clue what happened to her..."
<Norcliff> No, not hardhat
<Norcliff> Someone else, also crossing the flood zone.
<LadyRoyal> Which direction?  How far away?
<LadyHeat> Who else could it be?
<LadyHeat> Sakura?
<LadyNike> How could Sakura get back?
<LadyRoyal> She's not even in the country.  Gotta be Squeej.
<Norcliff> Southeast, and going towards the dome also.
* Lord_Darkmoon unconsciously shifts his position slightly, and starts
absently finger-combing Elly's hair out. He must be somehow using the Tessen,
as it's going well. "Sakura's on the other side of the world."
<Norcliff> Closer than we are.
* LadyMallet *eyes* Elly and Darkmoon.
<LadyRoyal> Or...don't know enough about who else may have survived.
* Princess doesn't notice Leena eying her.
* LadyMysteria is too focused on whatever thoughts are going on in her head to
notice Darkmoon.
<LadyNike> ...do you want to chase her down?
<Lady_MakeBelieve> What does your intuition tell you?
<LadyRoyal> How much more time would intercept take us?
<LadyRoyal> As opposed to just going there directly?
* Lord_Darkmoon notices Mallet *eyeing* him, and looks quizzically at her.
<LadyNightshade> Be careful, she might actually be helpful.
<LadyNike> Uh.  Hard to say, but probably just an extra ten or fifteen
minutes.
<LadyMysteria> ... only that much? Well...
* LadyRoyal glances over at Maya, eyebrow raised.
* LadyMysteria purses her lips. "... detour. One more gun won't hurt."
* Princess shudders.  "I know I talk big, but any help..."
<LadyNightshade> Yippy.
* LadyRoyal nods curtly.  "Makes sense."
<LadyNightshade> </dry sarcasm>
<Princess> Thank you, Maya.
* LadyRoyal mutters under her breath.  "Really hope it's Squeej."
<LadyHeat> Between Squeegee and Me we could get in much more easily.
<LadyNike> ...can't be Squeegee.
<LadyHeat> Why not?
<LadyNike> But... who else has a power that would let her cross open water
like this?
<Lady_MakeBelieve> She could also have a boat.
<LadyNike> Squeegee said that she was running out of power after only... hmm.
Maybe.
<LadyRoyal> ...mm.
<Princess> Auntie Mayuki?  She'd be perfect.  But how do you know she
wasn't... you know...
<LadyMallet> We don't know where she went, so we can't say for certain she
went to the Palace.
<LadyMysteria> We don't, which is the killer. With the cell towers out...
* Lord_Darkmoon has started absently braiding Elly's hair, in the meantime. A
pair of French braids are forming on top of her head, sneaking back to combine
into a single tail.
* LadyMysteria sighs. "Really, we should've invested in two-ways."
<LadyRoyal> The timing of it...who knows.
* Princess makes a wish.  A couple of wishes, actually.
<Ked> [end session]
Session Close: Sat Apr 08 21:15:16 2006