Scene #2467: Fabulous Final Fashion Show

Owner	Pose
Takashi Agera	In Juuban Ward, not terribly far away from Cafe BAKE Neko, a strange scene is unfolding. A distinctly wrong looking creature - a humanoid shape, with a telescopic camera where its head should be, wrapped in several hideously contrasting fabrics in terms of both style, shape, color, and how some parts seem as though they were painted or glued into reality in a disconcerting clearly supernatural way, is clearly attempting to attack a boy who is wearing a Shitennou style outfit, albeit a little bit wrong - in that the trim is gold but the gems on the cape and flap are a pale green - with glasses and long silver hair. The creature is bashing flickering rainbow-colored hands against a glimmering pale green energy shield the boy is emitting with one hand - the same color as the gems on the outfit - and occasionally taking rather loud 'photos' with the telescoping lens it has for a head. The creature seems almost zombie like in its relentless attacks against the shield, while the boy puts a little visible exertion into every hit the shield resists, however, his words are calm. "Yeah, guess you're mad about not getting your dinner? Too bad, I don't think you can get through, freaky." he says. "But by all means keep trying, the practice is helpful to me." he notes.
Zoisite	Whenever Izou decided to take the scenic route by foot instead of teleporting back into his room--which was much more often then not, and wasn't willing to share how often it was with anyone even if asked--, he would walk through Juuban Ward mostly for the smaller shops. Even poking his nose into OSA-P or Game Crown before home. Thankfully he elected to leave his cello in the Music Room back in the Academy that day since he needed to focus on studies that night. Better to not have an escape when his focus was only slightly unhelpful. Of course, he was also hoping that it would be a normal mundane day. But from the looks of things off into the distance, that was not about to be the case. Squinting green eyes at the sight unfolding, he was quick to identify the strange creature attacking another boy about his age--Kazuo?! Was that Kaz-- No. No Kazuo didn't wear gold and mint. Did he change his uniform?! His heart leapt to his throat all the same due to the similarities and it was without any ceremony that he transformed then and there. "Earth Power, MAKE UP!!" With burning cherry blossom petals trailing behind him as he ran, throwing his school bag at full force behind the creatures head in hopes that it would connect and pull away from the shitennou it was attacking. ''"Leave Kunzite alone!"'' Zoisite screamed.
Jadeite	So. No one's been out much between being sick, being homework, being depression, many such cases. Tamaki has been working on getting a therapist and on homework; it turns out that being depressed makes you... tired?? Shocking news to Tamaki, apparantly. HE's still working on the babiest of steps working on how to work with that, between getting a therapist and attempting to get out of the house more; going window shopping with the boys was part of that. Check for youma, check for fun deals, check some - LEAVE KUNZITE ALONE - Tamaki's heart flips as he remembers when Mamoru was shot with the Heart Gun, and when Izou was, and the disaster of every time the Black Moon Clan showed up - They already know all their true identities, so. "Earth Power, MAKE UP!!" And as he henshins, Jadeite draws his sword, ready to try and chop that horrible head off that creature's horrible body - it's time for that familiar to learn the fate of messing with the Shitennou!!!
Kazuo Saitou	-- did he hear -- what was that? No, really, ''what''?!? Kunzite is not as quick as Zoisite, and was further away to begin with. His change is too far away to see or hear; but as he's moving, he's sending off a message to Mamoru. (''Zoisite thinks I'm under attack? - <location ping> finding out what's up'') He drops away from the communication as he drops down to a street light and gets a better look. "-- collage youma?" he echoes aloud, baffled, and reflexively lifts a shield around Zoisite - a small one that will move with him, but extra protection if that thing's cut-and-paste version of reality makes Zoi's agility a less useful defense than usual. ... the not-quite-him seems to be taking care of himself quite well at the moment, at least.
Nephrite	That idiot was outside yelling. Masato recognised the pitch of his voice immediately, shrill and furious as it was. Clicking his tongue, he set the book he'd been perusing back into the shelf. There was too much going on, lately. Too many troubles, too many-- Sapphire eyes squinted out of the book shop's window. What the hell? What was going on out there? It took a moment to register what he was actually seeing, and the state of the thing currently banging upon a green shield. "For fuck's sake--" "Earth Power! Make up!!" He was running, then, out of the aisle and into the street, drawing his sword as he went.
Takashi Agera	Cherry Blossom Petals are not on the list of things Hiddenite expects, nor does he have the recent experience with Zoisite on either side to recognize it immediately, but things fall into place... reasonably quickly. The school bag slams into the side of the Familiar's head, cracking the lens of its camera-head, the rose petals allow Hiddenite to dismiss his shield and get distance; then the other Shitennou's sword drives into the yuouma and it 'pops' into mulicolored gems that shatter into nothingness again on contact with the ground. "I... was fine?" The boy who is not Kunzite answers, and from up close all of the features that make him Not Kunzite are more visible. The hair is silver rather than white, the eyes are green and behind rectangular glasses. He's a few years too young and his build is far closer to Zoisite's than Kunzite's, though he's ''quite'' tall, he is also quite lanky. "I saved the kid it was chasing, and I'm fine, nobody is in any danger right now - though this isn't the way I'd pick to meet you?" he says, tilting his head. Of course, this is right before suddenly parts of the world around them start to suddenly take on a strange, gem like appearance, complete with visible sparkle effects that Do Not Belong in this world. "...oh hell." is what Hiddenite gets out, right before the world around them warps and changes. For Hiddenite, Zoisite and Jadeite, and perhaps the others if close enough, or otherwise soon, it feels as though things are moving and not, as the world around them changes and they find themselves experincing what feels like rushing through a tunnel filled with lights. It's a distinct and sudden change, as buildings and streets of Juuban Ward are replaced by strange floating faceted gemstones in all sorts of colors, floating like untethered islands over a sea of sharp, jagged crystals far beneath. Above, in place of the sun, is what appears to be a giant spotlight - or rather a magazine cutout of a spotlight, pasted haphazardly into place and yet still providing light. The sky appears to have been painted, or perhaps airbushed in - both perfect and yet perfectly fake. In the distance lies what appears to seem like a stage with a long catwalk sprawled out before it, floating on a cluster of gemstones. "Shimata." Hiddenite says aloud as he looks around. "We're in a Witch's Labyrnth now... scratch my comment about us not being in any danger." Suddenly and quite out of nowhere, a life sized yet plush limosine pulls up, and the doors open all at once, disgorging a half-dozen of the strange camera-men in wild clothes who turns to look at the assembled with their camera-faces. "Yeah, this is danger." he says, and he recreates the shield, but big enough for all three of them to hide behind, should Jadeite and/or Zoisite choose to.
Jadeite	Jadeite looks between Zoisite, then the boy who is rapidly appearing to be not Kunzite at all. "You must be the Not-Ite that Tuxedo Kamen told us about. The copyright infringer," he says gravely - well, at least he doesn't appear to be misusing their appearance too much. For now. (And also given that Zoisite just mistook him for Kunzite, anything HE says to roast the man is going to be salt on whatever wounds Zoisite gives him. ) "And you should get your eyes checked," Jadeite tells Zoisite, as if he hadn't just run into the battle blindly believing Zoisite about another Shitennou in danger - Except uh. He hasn't seen anything like happens next since some of the weirder times he was stuck under Beryl's influence - no, wait, hasn't he fought witches before? He can't remember - either way, he'll be hopping behind that shield. "So. Flee or fight?" He can kill, but he can't purify. He's not fighting a battle he can't win without good reason.
Zoisite	Zoisite had stepped closer to who he thought had been his beloved, always fast moving when his heart raced. But now that he had been close, everything fell into place like puzzle pieces of his own hasty stupidity of not having recognized--blood and mind too hot to calmly analyze that this was in fact, not Kunzite. But someone else. The ''"fifth"'' knight that their prince mentioned. The one Zoisite personally wanted to scrutinize and drag through dirt to make sure they were worthy enough at all. Hands balled into fists then , almost wanting to forcefully ignore the sudden changes around them. "You ''tricked'' me! You're not--" But as the feeling of being pulled in deeper was wrapping around his stomach, eyes widened. Looking to Jadeite that was already next to him, and knowing so well that where there was two, the others would follow. ''Now,'' deep in the chasm of the Labyrinth, Zoisite turn as his heart continued to beat loudly. "Kunzite! Nephrite! Don't get any closer!!" He yelled, in hopes that those two could still pull back. Then he turned back to Jadeite, the worry and frustration clear to see now as the new enemies poured in. "Do we even have a choice right now?" More than likely they did not. "It's too close to home, Jadeite." Finally, his gaze landed on the new knight. He wanted to punch that one, personally, but now wasn't the time. "At least give us your name so we will know how to address you." Before he summoned his cherry blossoms around him, now floating off the ground, readying himself to fight.
Kazuo Saitou	"Too close already," Kunzite answers Zoisite, dropping down from a floating shard of acid-to-the-eyes blue crystal. The black of his shields crawls up to meld with the edges of Hiddenite's, adding another arc of defense. Ready to reflect flashes. If only they were all as good at hovering as Zoisite. "No choice," he says to Jadeite. "We're ''inside'' the enemy." And doesn't take time for more words than that, instead turning to watch their backs. And feet. And overhead. He knows better than to absorb the energies in here - but it leaves him a little more limited on offense than he'd like. Fortunately - that doesn't go for the rest of them.
Nephrite	He almost felt it before it became tangible, the shift in momentum and energies. He'd had an inkling something unhinged might happen, having paid attention to this and that of late, and the look of that weird creature. He'd jumped back and towards the awining of a shop when Zoisite's voice reached him, but it was too little too late. The tunnelling rush, the warped glassiness of the buildings until like a mirage, everything was else-- Nephrite slowed in his run, jogging now at a slow turn to take in the bizarre nature of the trap. They were all already caught up in whatever this was going to be. Damn. As he walks over crystalline footing with a crunch under boot, standing upon a floating chunk of rock, he peers up at the spotlight. "What in the third grade art project--?" A small flash of irritation takes him to point a sword below, indicating the false-ite. There's blame there, as if the boy was merely bait. "You little bastard, what have you gotten us roped into?" Knuckles tighten upon the sword and teeth grit. A sparkling dust starts to coalesce around his blade, gathering ready. "I hate the Paparazzi--"
Takashi Agera	"Not-ite is a terrible name... and a wrong one." he says. "Hiddenite. Guardian of secrets and forbidden knowledge. Charmed, you're sure." he says with a smirk that's familiar possibly somewhere in the depths of Jadeite, Nephrite, and Zoisite's brains, though it's from this life and not their past one. "Ah, Kunzite, the man of the hour." he says to the fourth, grinning. "They were rather concerned about me, when they thought I was you." he notes. "And we're... not so much inside the enemy directly... as we are in the enemy's home." He says, neither Takashi nor any of his alter egoes being able to resist But Actually'ing people. "This is... a Labyrinth, the lair of a fallen magical girl. One who's heart turned from hope to despair, who turned all of the good they wanted to bring to the world into curses they wish to laty upon it." he adds. "Only reliable way to leave is to kill the owner, the Witch at the center of the Labyrinth, anything else is more of a gamble. Plus, they do tend to kill people and I'm generally against letting them do that." "Absolutely not my intention to have any of us in here, but here we are." he grumps. "Terrible luck for all of us, truly. I thought the little one was out roaming as they often do, but I guess the apple didn't fall too far from the tree." "If you want to stab me for no particular reason, I suppose I understand, but I must kindly request you wait to do so until after we've killed the actual murderous threat in the center of this not-so-fun-house." The Familiars, which got out of the car previously, lumber towards the group - stutter stepping, moving in space not relative to their actual motions in a disruptive way. Moving deceptively quickly towards the group. "Well, if you do feel the insaitable urge to stab something, maybe... start cutting them down? Just don't get caught in a flash. I don't know what it will ''actually do'' but I can sense the energy when one impacts my shield. It's not a photograph." Sure enough the group tends to flash-photograph at inconstant intervals and each flash makes Hiddenite's shield thrum with resisting... something.
Nephrite	Gods, this kid was awfully chatty, given the position they were in. The deja vu, as well, brought Nephrite a sincere urge to punch him in his smug little nose. Yeah, yeah. Stab him later, after they escaped the art project. Don't let the paps catch their best side. Got it. From his slightly higher vantage, Nephrite points his blade towards the group of shuttering photograhers, unleashing a burst from the concentrated light of his sword. A beam like a shooting star tears down into their number, attempting to take one or two and perhaps stagger or shock the rest into some disarray. Perhaps crack a few more lenses if possible. It was a bright light of its own, at any rate, and camera were photosensitive, right?
Jadeite	There's something familiar about Hiddenite, just enough to ping something in the back of Jadeite's head, but nothing comes up - especially now with danger overflowing, the five of them surrounded by the clicking, flashing enemies. No time for that! Or the speechifying! "Well, in general, fleeing is useful to come back with more firepower. Do these things need purification to stay dead, or can we just blast them until they drop?" He's all for blasting! Less for blasting when only purifying will work. As Nephrite cuts into one crowd, Jadeite pivots to face another, summoning a great icy flower - "SNOW THIMBLE!!" - and launching a great icy bell that slams into two familiars on impact, then shatters to slash at more of them.
Kazuo Saitou	Kunzite's mouth crooks up just a little at the corner. "And now they're still concerned about you when they know you're not," he answers Hiddenite. Just a different form of concern. With more stabbings. Who's to complain about a few stabbings here and there? "When the Witch can turn up anywhere, from anything, following a logic we don't understand - 'we're inside it' is faster." At least they all know the word Witch. At least this isn't Walpurgisnacht. Thank heavens. (What it ''is'' is the emanations of the despairing corrupted soul of a girl who, most likely, just wanted to be good enough at modeling to make her parents happy, or maybe to make enough money to wriggle free of them. Damn it.) "Just blast them," Kunzite says to Jadeite. "We can't get out reliably while the place exists. I sent out a message, but there's no guarantee that time works the same way in here, so don't wait for rescue, either." He shifts hands, concentrating the shields between the familiars and Nephrite, keeping an eye out to shout a warning if something else comes after him - attracted by the light. Or jealous over the photographers' attention. "Small chance of hypnotized humans to rescue. I'll keep an eye out."
Zoisite	''"Hiddenite? You could've stayed hidden."'' Zoisite muttered, pressing his back against Kunzite's, similar to how they were during their final fight against Rubeus. Eyes darting around the place, looking for any sign of where the owner of the labyrinth might be, but also catching view of Nephrite from above. Then the show light above. It felt so out of place. Perhaps they should start moving once these pile of metal and plastic heads were dealt with, gesturing towards their direction--cherry blossoms following after in haste, spreading across the mass of them before Zoisite called out-- "Sakura Conflagration!" Each petal exploding, setting anything it touched on fire. "We better move then. We won't make much progress staying here."
Takashi Agera	Witch Familiars are, individually, not a real threat to prepared magic-wielders. It's more the idea that they might catch you off guard, come at you from an unexpected direction, perhaps while you're But Actually'ing about the situation that causes Witches while you should be on guard from all directions. Like if another Familiar were to creep up from the side of your floating gemstone landmass, from your blind spot, and the camera flash was the main moment you were replying to one of them. He's about to reply to one of them, as they cut down the familiars with ice, fire, and starlight, none of them really putting up any resistance to bursting into gems and then disolving as flaming sakura and falling thimble and starlight blast through them. And in one moment Hiddenite is dressed like one of the group, and then after that flash hits him... he is not. Or rather, he still is, but over that has been added a neon green button up shirt, a rinestone covered heavy jacket, shorts, and dress shoes. Right over the top of the shitennou uniform. Even in impractical cases, like two sets of shoes. Except the added clothes also seem to be cut out of magazine like the overhead light. "What the f-" he gets out before turning to the familiar gets him tripping over himself in the new outfit, not quite eating the ground (or gem, as it is) but staggering and catching his balance. The familiar is rushing him, along with a few others clambering up from all directions, like they were ignoring gravity to do so. "Okay, worst witch ever." he says, lobbing a low-power green orb at the one that 'hit' him with one hand and trying to rip the clothes off with the other, hand glowing with that same green as he tries to just pull the clothes off. It's too late though, the four True Ites will have a chance to see him like this, and he debates actually just henshining to Riventon and calling Hiddenite a lost cause over it. "We have to get to the center of the Labyrinth." he says, instead. "Then we can kill the wtich before... anything more happens to us." To him especially.
Nephrite	An executive decision, but Nephrite takes a chance. He breaks away as the shields are holding and while the pressure is on, leaping from crystalline shard, to another and trying to bypass the shattered groups. He's a dart from one glassy platform to another, though a flash from below catches him as he crosses one gap. Papery and feeling haphazardly taped on somehow, Nephrite's brown locks and a good deal of vision are obscured by an overlarge sunhat that droops, bearing purple chiffon and geometric shapes. A stiff corset dress of matching hue cinches him in and makes his landing harder than necessarily, and glued on inflatable boots guarantee he stumbles. The roll grates him against the shards, but still, he pulls forward to roll over the edge, angling down to land on top of the plush limosine.
Zoisite	Frustration was quite the set of blind spots for Zoisite at times, his focus mostly on his own emotions then anything else. So it took him a beat to finally start ''seeing'' Hiddenite and take in the visage--despite the new horrific clothes. It was very much like deja vu, as though he knew the man from somewhere. A very important little somewhere with lights and sparkles and invitations and more. On the tip of his tongue, but everything else was much more urgent now that he knew what an attack would do to them. Put them in outfits. If any of them had really horrible luck, it would be even worse than Hiddenite's. "Center it is." Zoisite mutters, looking back to Kunzite. "No shade on you, love, but you are the slowest of us. Did you want me teleport you with me?" His hands grip onto Kunzite's cape. ''Flash.'' Gods bless the fact that he could, in fact, hover. And he wanted to die a little inside as he felt the weight of the ridiculous outfit and the smell of it. One ''hat'' on his gorgeous hair, secured with strings. No, gods above no, oh no... Slabs of steaks, sewn one onto another, made up the dress that was knee length, and the hat was also merely a cut of raw steak. He could feel the cold blood trickle between his roots and he was about to cry at how stiff his muscles went. "Fuck--" Due to this, whatever plans he had were halted for a moment, not noticing Nephrite's jump of fall onto the Limo.
Jadeite	They need to move, so Jadeite summons his ice shield with a quick "Glory of the Snow," hoisting it up just in time for a flash of light to bounce off it and smack into the gemstone wall in a thousand tiny sparkles. "Ready when you are, he says, turning to the others - " Except Hiddenite now looks like a glowstick in a Sherlock Gnome closet cosplay, Nephrite looks like an overstuffed burrito from a Dr. Seuss book, and Zoisite is giving Lady Gaga going from the fire to the frying pan. Ohhh he is DEAD the second they get out of this labrinth, because he stifles his laughter but not fast enough. (Maybe he can just say it was for Hidenite.) "Glory of the Snow," he casts again, properly, summoning more shields for when they actually can start running, and then will just. Go on over to Zoisite and Hiddenite with his sword. "The sword's going to be awkward, but it should cut," he says, and if he gets approval from either of them, he'll help them get out of their outfits.
Kazuo Saitou	His shields reflect the ''light.'' They don't reflect the ''anything else''. Which is why when Kunzite looks over his shoulder, Zoisite's hands are gripping a cape that is over a nearly conical, virtually plastic dress of checkerboard white and black, with swooping curves to the lines to add to the disorienting effect. Kunzite's sleeves are matching white and black checkerboard. In 'shiningly' fake long shaggy fur. And there is a rectangle of black plastic standing on and across his nose, with a clear plastic mask-shaped cutout for his eyes. "Yes," he says simply, presumably to the teleport, possibly also to the swearing, and turns to gather Zoisite in his arms, smearing the plastic with red awful, and pull his shields into a bubble close around them (and, if need be, Jadeite and even Hiddenite) to control their fall after Nephrite. Maybe they can ''all'' take the plush limo. Look, it can't be ''worse.''
Takashi Agera	On the bright side, Hiddenite is not the only one trapped in his outrageous outfit. It seems to infect all of the group except lucky-for-him Jadeite... So on some level it's like the world's worst bonding experience. But it's also the world's WORST bonding experience. He shoots Jadeite a look of pure hostility when he laughs, but that softens when he comes up with the sword. "I take it back, just stab me and get it over with. No, I'm not serious - please get me out of this - after you do Zoisite." he says. Zoisite clearly has it worst. And he always kinda did like Zoisite, in the way one likes a particularly onery local animal just for its pure chutzpah. "I won't tell anyone about this if you don't." Hiddenite offers generally, a peace offering, in a traumatic time. Though he's also only able to keep from laughing at everyone else by thinking about how ridiculous his own outfit is - Kunzite in the checkerboard, Nephrite in the sundress and hat... this Witch was going to get an almighty beating, if one could turn being furious into attacks... ah, but they'd all switched from the energy where that was such a benefit, hadn't they? Instead he has to make due with creating and hurling green orbs one by one at the Familiars, which start to thin out now. "You know normally, I'd assume a plush limo has a plush engine that doesn't work, but nothing else in this places makes any sense!" he says as he opens the door and throws himself into the seat before any more outfits can be enforced upon hiom. "It's no ferarri but, maybe we can get to the red carpet up there." he says, pointing to the stage in the distance. "Before more of us find ourselves wearing outfits that we can ''eat''." he says, looking back at Zoisite with sympathy. And how does he know that Nephrite drives a ferrari - saying that probably won't win him much trust.
Nephrite	A car is a car, ''is a car'', and if those freaks could drive it, so could Nephrite. That was his logic, stabbing sword into the top of plush door to cut and pry it open and swing down inside. A colourful array of cursing and a struggle with the hat-- that took up too much damned room-- saw him trying to orient himself. The steering wheel squeaked when he took hold of it. He wasn't about to rely on the limosine itself, though. A whisper of wind braced him, and the "Comforting Zephyr" would be his attempt to push and propel the gaudy vehicle, just in case. He struggled to peer back over his shoulder, Hiddenite first to barrel in. He frowns, drowning in hat and trying to fold it upwards like origami. "I'm fresh out of a Dreamscape and corporate salarymen with giant printers. You've got to roll with the weird." He attempted to slam the plush horn.
Jadeite	Jadeite swiftly peels Zoisite out of the meat gown, trying and failing to keep his face from crinkling as the lukewarm meat smears red and brown on his gloves. Kunzite is next, removing the world's most dangerous checkerboard for drunks with a few swipes of his sword - and then once he's done with them, he's breaking Hiddenite out of the Sherlock Gnome outfit - "I am so sorry, all of you,"and that's not goign to save his ass from Zoisite but he can make an attempt - -and then he's reinforcing Kunzite's shields with his own as they all pile into the limo - Well, mostly, as a flash hits him as he lowers his shield climbing in, and he flops on the floor of the limbo in a black leather corset with a fur ruff, seperated sleeves with fur lining, four inch heels, and a gown made entirely of layers up on layers of belts.
Zoisite	Green eyes, misty in tears he was trying to hold back, looked over to Jadeite with a mixture of gratitude but also promising a good smack behind the head once they were safe and sound and showered--mainly himself. He could still feel the ick of moist and wet crawling on his scalp and it was driving him up the wall. At least there was some comfort in Kunzite's arms, not minding the checkered outfit or the one underneath as they all piled into the car, peeling off whatever was cursed upon them. Eyes met Hiddenite's for a moment, a glimmer of thankfulness and shared mutual understanding that they all looked, for an instance, fucking ridiculous. Then he turned his face to press it against Kunzite's shoulder. "The moment we find the witch, I'm going to strangle her...I want her ''dead."'' Muttered, grit in his voice, a hint of panicked horror slowly morphing into fury, boiling quickly through his veins. "Jadeite, are you able to cute yourself out of that? If not, give me your sword."
Kazuo Saitou	Kunzite does not pet Zoisite's hair. Because there is ''no way not to make that worse.'' He keeps Zoisite enfolded right up until there is a sword involved. Only then does he brush fake-fur off his sleeves, where it's half glued by tacky ick. These things are all excellent cover for watching for the limousine trying to drown them in velvety fuzz, or something. Never before has he wished he knew more about modeling. It might tell him about the threats.
Jadeite	Jadeite, faceplanted on the floor of the limo, tries to push himself up. One leg slips through the nest of belts, then gets tangled trying to pull it back in, and one of the seperated sleeves becomes tangled in the belts as he tries to undo it, so his wrist is now stuck entangled with his ankle - "Please do, Zoisite, before I become the world's biggest ball of twine," he says ruefully, and hands him the sword.
Takashi Agera	Nephrite's horn does well to warn the others that the car is occupied and somehow functional, even though it comes out a bit messy for a horn. A little downcast. The lights on the Limo turn on, on their own. It roars to life with a sort of distinctly jalopy-like sound rather than performance car - but Nephrite's magic bears it aloft much more effectively than it would have been able to move on its own and also, allows them to skirt over other gem 'islands' full of familiars. As they ride down the road, the five of them packed into the car - well, at least it's a limo, giving them plenty of room with Nephrite up front and the rest behind. Everything is plush, like the car was a functional and very large version of what is still a small child's stuffed toy. And Hiddenite's hand slowly runs down his own face. "Well. This isn't how I wanted to make my presence known to you all directly." he says, sighing. "In fact, as first meetings go this may have been worse than I ever could have imagined, but I guess that's what magic is capable of." He says. Then again, maybe it's not so bad. Trauma bonding. Soldiers in the trenches do that, right? Eventually, though, the limosine stops - less because Nephrite consciously does so and more because it's arriving at its destination and the rules of Labyrinths and magic are weird. So the plush car pulls up to a strange stage that is a combination of red carpet entrance to a movie theatre and catwalk that opens to a large curtain. "Guess we're here. Let's... get some catharsis." he suggests, stepping out carefully - he's already GOT his barrier up, but the familiars crowding the stages aren't focusing on Hiddenite, nor on any of the others that get in the limo or stay in it. Instead all of their eyes are on the stage. It's hard to expect what a witch will look like, even when you've seen their labyrinth and familiars, and this one isn't an exception to that rule. As the thing that comes out of the curtain as it opens, and does so to and endless hail of photoflashes and camera noises... is certainly a strange thing. It appears to be several stories tall, and the part s a glimmering, jewel-like equine creature, but the head is replaced with a tailor's measuring tape dispenser. On its back - not riding it, but coming out of the middle of it - is the upper torso doll-like figure, wearing heaps of clothes and wielding a polo mallet that appears to be made of solid gold. As they look upon it, a series of runes burn into their eyes for a moment, like the afterimage of looking upon a light source that's too bright and it sears itself onto your vision for seconds - none of them can translate these runes, and yet the know this is the Witch's name, even if they can't determine what that name is or how this information is imparted to them. "Well. That's. Yep. A Witch." Hiddenite says, super-helpfully.
Zoisite	It was a blessing to feel the weight of a real sword in his hand, feeling the blade slice through leather and fabrics with effortless ease--and careful not to nick Jadeite in the process before returning the sword to its owner. And with the limo finally stopped, he followed out along with Kunzite, not letting go the man's arm, much less permitting them to have any distance between them. But, he had noted that Nephrite was also transformed while driving the car, so he leans into Jadeite's ear to mention it. "Go take him out of his corset. He also needs to move quickly." Zoi was aware that the Star Seer had his own sword, but two were always better than one. Hopefully in time, he'd remember to summon his rapier. Looking back to the large witch, gasping quietly when its name was imprinted onto his eyes--committing some energy into memorizing the runes as well. At least the form was one that Zoisite has some ideas on hos to fight. "Ankles. If we tear those down, Labyrinth logic willing, it would fall with ease." Nods towards her. "Then I can choke her."
Kazuo Saitou	Labyrinth logic willing. Kunzite inclines his head toward Zoisite. He doesn't offer advice. Mostly because he's irrationally concerned about the Witch ''using'' what he suggests. Besides, if the equine portion shatters into a windstorm of razor shards when it falls, Zoisite's close enough for him to shield them both with his cape. He's had enough today with the rare hat. He doesn't need any slivers drawing lines across his face, too. (How Zoisite is planning on choking something that size is best not contemplated. Especially by someone who's already nearly swallowed a sakura petal.) He exhales, and lifts his hands, and dismisses his too-stationary shields in favor of one - a bubble blossoms around the equine's not-head-the-size-of-a-garage, locking the 'tape' in place in advance. Or at least slowing it down. At least if it slows down, it might bend and fall instead of lashing straight out at enormous speed. There are possibilities. ... unfortunately many of them include mallets.
Nephrite	Though initially he simply leaned his elbow on the window, peering out the the monstrosity before them-- again, something surprisingly equine seemed to await him at the end of these bizarre dream-liike shenanigans-- Nephrite's forced to look away and blink. The symbols that haunt his gaze have a taste, synesthetic in nature, and for a moment he swear he tastes cigarette ashes and an overbearingly strong perfume. But it is nothingness to him just as well. He opened the door to struggled out of the limousine, awaiting some aid as he took his blade to the stuck on boots, ripping and tearing paper free. He seemed to be muttering something about polo players, and the sorts of parents who would inflict the sport upon their children. The sort of people who had holiday home in Chantilly. "Of course, the Parisian Fashion week for Haute Couture always starts in Spring--" He sounded vehemently unimpressed. "Zoisite's not wrong. It's a dangerous thing, for a model to take a roll in high heels... Horses breaking legs, too. He may have a point." Of course, there was also setting the doll on fire. That'd probably piss it off.
Jadeite	Once Zoisite helps him get peeled out of his dress, - "Thanks, Zoisite, and I'll get on it," - and they're out of the car, he detours from the fight to quickly help cut Nephrite out of his body-hugging gown. Once that's done and he's blinked the spots out of his eyes from the eye-searing Witch Name, the plastic-and-popcorn-and perfume scent of a cheap theater - "Ankles it is," he agrees, and slams his hands against the floor. "Glory of the Snow!!" Half a dozen thin shields form on the floor between them and the stage, and Jadeite sends them all zipping towards the Witch - with any luck, she'll step on one or more of them and fall.
Takashi Agera	Compared to the indignity of having the Parisian Fashion Week's greatest (or least great) hits forced upon him over his current clothes, the giant mallet weilding witch mostly just threatened pain or death, and that was a literal 'day at the office' for the person behind Hiddenite, so as long as the Familiars were focused on the fashion show, as it were, Hiddenite feared a lot less. Offensively, he didn't bring much to the table now, and defensively, both Jadeite and Kunzite had better shields. Being a Temporary Sparkle was Frustrating. "Ankles, sounds good." He says, and resorts to just generating the green orbs of energy in his hands and hurling them - one of the few things he could do besides shields without the tell-tale signs of using a Stortage Device, and the midchildan circles would give him away to at least one if not more of the people here. Sure enough, the tape-measure head turns to regard the gathered boys and attempts to launch out of the end - but Kunzite's shield not only catches it, but causes it to recoil and snap back, whacking it in well... where the horse's head should be. This throws it off balance, a tactic which is even further enhanced by Jadeit's ice shields, which do cause it to scamper and slide and collapse. This works overall great except the doll also shatters its way off the back of the horse part, leaving a great gashed crystal back, and it flies at Jadeite with a deceptively large amount of force behind it - Hiddenite makes the ''attempt'' to get in the way of that with his own shield, but the Witch drives through it, sending him back and slamming into a gemstone wall, and whirling around to continue on her way to do the same to Jadeite, with soulless doll eyes. Meanwhile the horse-part is slowly being set upright by a mass of paparazi familiars - the ankles don't seem to be broken, at least not yet, but there's a moment where the bottom half of the witch is being gingerly returned to an upright position while the detached doll is heading for Jadeite.
Nephrite	The crystalline horse seems to break some as the doll flies loose, and the righting ritual catches Nephrite's interest. Fragility. There's a mean spiritedness to the rise of his gloved hand to the side, as if he intends to hurl something, and the swipe of his arm gathering up a gust. Like the sweep of a great fan, it gathers full into a gale, sheering fast into cyclonic whirl aimed at the struggling familiars and their idol. "Careful now! She's delicate!" He intends to see the body dropped and smashed, one way or another.
Jadeite	The good news: Hiddenite is keeping up with their attacks for now, the shield keeps the tape measure head from attacking, and that and an ice shield sends the bejeweled beast crashing to the ground. The bad news? That's sent the doll careening towards Jadeite, and he's hoping that she's flinging itself at him because of physics and not pure spite- except she slams Hiddenite into a wall and keeps gunning for him - "GLORY OF THE SNOW!!" he casts, and ice flower after ice flower lines up in the air between him and the witch - if nothing else, if he can't stop her, she can slow her down enough to soften the blow - "Focus on the horse! I'll keep her busy!"
Zoisite	No shields. All of it went to slowing down the equine. The doll rushing and slamming Hiddenite and only being hit by ice from Jadeite's quick thinking. Nephrite on the other had had a particularly similar idea to his own by attacking the familiars. Except the Star Seer saved Zoisite time and energy by casting a tornado. All it needed now was a kiss of fire to make it ''hell.'' On that thought, he turns to Kunzite and plants a kiss on cheek before teleporting away and into the air, closer to the tornadic winds. His flurry of blossoms spinning around him before kissing the palm of his hand and blowing it towards the winds. The cherry blossoms followed, igniting into his and Nephrite's combo. "Rose of Ashes" Flames were to take over turning the tornado into a spiraling depiction of wildfire as Zoisite pulls back, flying closer to his group again.
Kazuo Saitou	Focus on the horse. Well. Nephrite and Zoisite have ''that'' handled. Kunzite is not smiling ''only'' because of the lingering sense of the kiss on his cheek - seeing the tornado and its hellish winds is contributing its own delight and pride. But they can't afford any of them being downed right now. He turns, and lifts hands, and brings them together. The lashing-out of cool pink light is unimpressive next to the chaos that the other two have unleashed. ... it's just that the doll is moving in a straight line. Which means he can aim for the closer of those dead, soulless eyes. And with the focus on looks, on cameras, on photographs, on performance? Eyes might be important here.
Takashi Agera	There's something to be said for the destructive power of the Shitennou, even without Dark Energy to back them up. Or maybe it had something to do with some enforced costume changes they had to endure. Or at least, that may have had something to do it. Who knows. But the mixture of awareness and planned malice from Nephrite and Zoisite means that the familiars trying to lift the crystaline horse back into poisition are scattered by wind and fire, many destroyed, the rest trying to hold the heavy creature until it becomes too much and it falls again, crashing onto the remaining familiars and squashing them into gemstone sparkles before several large cracks erupt across its body. How much of the power is in the horse part and how much is in the doll is up for debate, as after bashing through Hiddenite's shield and getting stalled by one of Jadeite ice flowers after another; it does crash through them, spiraling through with the golden mallet and unfeeling doll eyes, but seems to slow down after each impact. Slowing down enough for Kunzite's blast to hit it too and it makes an unearthly noise - which is an impressive scream especially for something with an unmoving, painted mouth. While it does get the mallet swing off on Jadeite in the end, it's not supernaturally strong at all - it's rather more something her can resist with his henshin. And then it finishes the swing, toppling forward and down and rolling until it comes to a staggered stop. Hiddenite rises from where he was thrown and groans trying to roll his shoulder a bit. The horse is squirming and the doll part is trying to rise on its hands. "Let's put it out of its misery and also ours..." he says, still trying to generate yet another one of his green orbs, but it flickers and fizzles. Storage Device is running low. Great. He needs to retain what he has in case of... post-Witch Emergencies. Named *-ite.
Nephrite	"Pop a seam, did you?" Nephrite's sword is drawn forth again, and as its unsheathed, he cuts a small gust through the fluttering flames as they dissipate. He tears the remainder of the sunhat away, jumping forth again in a series of agile hops-- from stage, to haunch, and atop the crystalline body. Sapphire eyes take short stock of the cracks, swinging the sword around to aim the point downwards. "A brand new collection, and it's already falling apart--" Into the biggest fissure, he would drive his blade down at force.
Jadeite	Jadeite's pumping more and more juice into his ice shields as the witch bursts through one by one, trying not to consider what would happen if he didn't slow her enough - but after Kunzite's magic slams into her eyes, after the shields, the malet just sends him staggering back a few steps. It'll bruise, he thinks, but that'll heal in no time, especially with Mamoru. The doll collapses. Jadeite looks to Hiddenite, to his magic fizzling away when he tries to cast, and nods. "We'll finish this. You conserve your energy for now." With that, he summons another ice bellflower and drops it onto the twitching doll.
Kazuo Saitou	Step one: ice shields. Step two: Ice bellflower. Step three: Kunzite lifts his hands again, and reaches for what his shield ''on the horse thing'' casually absorbed in stray energies from Nephrite and Zoisite's firestorm. "Petal of Ashes!" -- it's not the most ominous name. But like the light before, the fire is ''concentrated.'' Striking at the coldest point on the doll. Because to go along with the golden mallet, surely it must be or at least resemble porcelain. Step four: if he guessed right, a live demonstration of thermal shock.
Zoisite	Deep breath in. Slow exhale. Watching the horse half tumble and crack, now swiftly meeting its end by Nephrite's sword, and below the doll half being mangled by Jadeite's and Kunzite's attacks, there was very little for Zoisite to do besides observe and take in the information. Runes remembered, themes and hellish nightmare fashion. The roots of his hair still itched with a desperate need to be washed. Soon. He will leave as soon as this fight was over. Yet, Hiddenite caught the corner of his eye, having noticed the lack of attacks and wondering if the new knight needed any assistance. Again, it strangely ached for him to not be able to offer any healing at the absence of their prince, but he found himself more willing to share what energies he did have. So he was next to Hiddenite in a split second, offering an olive branch of his own. "Will you need energy? You can take some of mine just in case."
Takashi Agera	The heavy physical shock from the sword, does a fantastic job of doing the job that the fall and attacks didn't do. Namely, shattering the crystaline lower equine half of the witch into a series of multicolored crystaline sparkles that blow around in all directions, but particularly past Nephrite, briefly surrounding him in multicolored but non-damaging sparks. The bellflower falls, and at the same time, Kunzite's attack is heading its way. There's a strange feeling of absolute despair tinged by a strange moment of peace before the doll's body fracturees under the thermal shock, also explosively... Hiddenite is being told to conserve energy, and even to draw energy from Zoisite, and for a brief moment he considers doing that; but then he raises his hand and waves it off. "I appreciate it, but I'll be fine." In truth it was just the energy in the smaller battery he was low on, as it were, rather than his full energy. The pain in his back from being thrown across the 'room' into the crystal was all his though. But also... he wasn't sure if he could see any of them taking on help from any of the others without some rueful resistance. "I need to... vastly... improve, though. You're all much more capable fighters than me." he tactically admitted, even though at this point it was an obvious fact. The world started to shudder and fade out, and soon the surreal aspects of the world were replaced with the much more grounded and real Tokyo. A black sphere with a needle tip at the bottom slowly started to float down in front of all of them, and Hiddenite instinctively moved to reach for it.
Zoisite	The compliment did not escape Zoisite, making him almost smile a bit before the shudder swept over him and every began to have more weight to it. Gravity and reality and finally the familiar smell of Juuban Ward's streets--mixed with the iron of cow's blood. ''Urgh...'' Followed by his hand smacking Hiddenite's as he noticed the black sphere. "Don't touch that! You've got us into trouble enough already!" He glared, but it carried no real heat this time. Instead it was a more ''protective'' reaction than any.
Kazuo Saitou	"We practice on each other," Kunzite says dryly to Hiddenite, but there's a hint of a smile there as well. "Nephrite, what shape are you in?" Jadeite took a hit, but he's still moving. Nephrite was ''standing on the thing'' when it went to pieces. ... and the black sphere is enclosed, gently, inside another black sphere. Kunzite isn't entirely certain it's safe for people who aren't Puella Magi to touch. But that doesn't keep them from taking it into temporary custody.
Jadeite	"You're not too shabby, all things considered. If you insist on dressing like us, you'll need to get more in practice," Jadeite says benevolently as the world warps around them. "Train, practice teamwork, talk to each other. That kind of thing." hint hint. He's just gonna. Get out his phone. Go to the Shittenou Group Chat. Jadeite txt: Witch attack. We're all in one piece but Zoisite got soaked in blood; you may want to get the tarps and stain removers ready. Jadeite TXT: Your friend Hiddenite says hello : )
Nephrite	"I look like I lost a fight with a cheese grater and I'm pissed off," he called back to Kunzite, and the dazzling spectacle faded where Nephrite stood. His sword tip rested on the street as he pointed, somewhat accusingly, towards Hiddenite. "You. You're ranking a seven point nine on my stab-o-meter." He did look irate, but even so, the others would know this was mostly toothless. Mostly.
Takashi Agera	Hiddenite drew back his hand for a moment and looked more offended than anything at Zoisite. He recovered pretty quickly. "Yeah, it's dangerous, that's why it's my responsibility. Dangerous magical stuff is kind of my job." He says, and then pauses. "Or was. Is. Both." Kunzite's taking custody of the Grief Seed and Hiddenite's not really in much shape to fight about it though - not to fight all of them in combat for sure, but even arguing seems a bit much right now. He looks to Nephrite. "So based on what I remember about you, that's like .5 lower than the average resident of Tokyo. Things are looking up then." "I didn't insist on dressing like you, you know. Kind of happened when I started transforming. From my perspective, yuou're all dressing like me..." Okay, of all of the things he'd said today that was the most outright of the lies. He taps the side of the head. "I think the uniform is older than all of us. Like the older us. You guys have memories from then too, right? Like... oh no if you don't I sound even crazier, don't I."
Zoisite	Zoisite eyes looked Hiddenite from face to toes and back up again with a very visible incredulous look on his face. "What do you mean ''we're'' the ones dressed as you? Whatever memories we do have, you're not included in them. At all. So by all means, you sound crazy and a liar. You're lucky I don't set your trouser's on fire right now." That was the other part of the olive branch. Hiddenite had permitted him to be cut free from that steak dress nightmare, so he was going to pay back in kind by not being aggressive. Well, at least physically aggressive. "Anyway, I'm sure Master Kunzite will take better care of it than you. I--oh..." He blushed and covered his mouth then, that little faux pas slipping from his lips like it was nothing. He turned to Kunzite then. "I'm sorry, Kunzite, that was cringe of me..."
Jadeite	"Please. You don't have to lie to us. We already know you're a faker," Jadeite says as he sheathes his sword. "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and it seems like you haven't ruined our reputation too much...." And then his head snaps to Zoisite to boggle. "Really? In front of the copyright infringer?"
Kazuo Saitou	"If you're saying you were in charge of forbidden knowledge back then," Kunzite says to Hiddenite, without as much edge as the others might have, "you're also saying that you screwed up ''particularly'' badly in your specialty area. So it isn't, alas, an argument for handing over to you something that we shouldn't have in our hands either. I'll see who we can find to take care of it." Or let it take care of them. Some of both. And then there's an amused touch to his eyes, and he tilts his head and gives Zoisite an affectionate look. "It's all right. It's been a rough few minutes. We should go and get all of you taken care of." A beat, and he glances toward Hiddenite. "Do you need a hand with anything?" There is at least one of them who is uninjured and only ''somewhat'' smeared with blood, after all. They can manage.
Nephrite	Jadeite mght have sheathed his sword, but Nephrite does not, even as he stalks over towards the others. "I think I'm starting to recall just how much you annoy me--" It takes a great deal of restraint not to reach for the false-ite's collar and haul him to attention, though he's not entirely sure whethere that's muscle memory or Masato. Either way, he narrowly avoids it, peering at the boy imperiously instead.
Takashi Agera	Hiddenite looked at Zoisite with a bit of affront that was at least somewhat equal to what the Shitennou could himself muster. "Well of course you don't remember me, I was ''good at my job''." he says, before stifling a laugh at Zoi's expense. It's not so much because Zoi called Kunzite that, but because of Zoi's own reaction outing how he ''felt'' about saying it. "An entire world of people, entire kingdom(s) plural, and you expect to know everyone who worked in every capacity of note... how?" he asks, tilting his head. "It's not like knowing all of those things was your job. But in order for all of that stuff to work out, there had to be other people who had other jobs that were still important, even if they were beneath the notice of the Four Heavenly Kings." "Especially Four Heavenly Kings who were also busy in their own time, being responsible for safeguarding the Prince who kept getting visitors he wasn't supposed to have. And well, we won't talk about your work on things near the end, it'd be gauche." "But... do you suppose the Prime Minister ''actually'' knows the name of the director of the National Archives of Japan off the top of his head, without looking it up?" he says. And then to Kunzite, there's only a moment before an feigned but extraordinarily INTENSE indignation wells up visibly. "Let's not talk about people standing here who screwed up ''particularly badly'' in their past lives ''fields of expertise''. If I hadn't done ''my job'' as well as I did, things could have been worse. I'm not sure we can say the same about the other individuals standing here." The person behind Hiddenite knows he's playing with fire here, but can he really ingratiate himself to the four men here without doing so? Is this the right specific way to go about it? Maybe.
Zoisite	Kunzite's comforting words were enough to soothe Zoisite's embarrassment, even with Hiddenite laughing in the background. Ignore it for something much better, yes. He could get on the tips of his toes and kiss the taller Shitennou again, but that annoying voice in the background kept going until it was actually addressing Kunzite and-- Yes. It was a rough couple of minutes. He was covered in blood, his brothers in arms were injured in some form or fashion, and this golden clad clown still hasn't taken the hint. Zoisite turns on his heels and his gaze ''held'' fire this time. "SHUT THE FUCK UP."
Jadeite	"That's funny," Jadeite says, a dreamy smile on his face as he steps forward. "Because you're wearing OUR uniform. The one that only the prince's personal guard wear. Now, I may not remember the entirety of the people I knew before, but I would remember if it was FIVE Heavenly Kings running around. And I certainly know that if you were one of us, Beryl would have picked you up away from your family, scooped your little brains out and dumped you into the field. "You have some very interesting opinions and knowledge. About our prince and princess," and Jadeite catches himself, "our friends. And if you really were from then, you'd be less upset about us not keeping an eye on our prince then when the real problem was that we wanted to protect him so much, we'd do things like this." And that's when he backhands Hiddenite.
Nephrite	If there was one thing that Nephrite was aware of, both in nature and in service, it was his history of manipulation. Carefully threaded lies and social engineeering, reading people and recognising motives. Spotting threats. Gathering information. Offering confidence and advice. Listening to the smithereens of conversations, and bringing together the patched network of those around him like a map of stars. Who orbits who, which clusters bear which people. He knows what his own duties were. What this man describes simply didn't fit into that. When the backhand was down, the sword would follow, pointed at once in a casual but very real threat towards upper chest and throat. "That's a nine point eight, on the stab-o-meter."
Kazuo Saitou	There's a little tilt of Kunzite's head, a little lingering smile. He doesn't interfere with Nephrite's sword-pointing. He doesn't say a word about Jadeite's backhand. He lays a hand lightly on Zoisite's shoulder, but that's connection, not restraining him. "I think you're thinking of Director Kurata, honestly," he says to Hiddenite, and his voice is the sort of conversational tone that people use to gently advise other people that they have not even gotten their premises correct enough to qualify as 'wrong' yet. "And you should really talk with Endy before saying anything else. Gentlemen. Shall we go?"
Takashi Agera	Hiddenite takes the backhanded slap he was sure was coming from someone, though he might have expected Zoisite, so there's some surprise there. He slows down, and looks down at the sword... "Do you have ''permission'' to stab me?" he asks. Which he is very aware sounds like the words of someone who is about to be stabbed. But Riventon figures at this point he's not going to leave without either backing down or being stabbed... and he has been stabbed and set on fire and shocked and purified, and he knows he'll survive, and he's... strangely annoyed, and indignant, on behalf of his made-up identity... and strangest of all... actually enjoying this. On some level - he missed these guys, and this is his chance to get under their skin, like they used to. Though it was never as severe as this. Maybe, though, it's making up for lost time. So he doesn't pass it up. "You know it wasn't a literal question about the director of anything." he says carefully to Kunzite, wary of confirming or denying the presence of any Director Kurata now or then. "My job title wasn't one you put on a business card or anything." he notes. His eyes move past the sword, and below, to the uniform, pulling at it a bit overdramatically, as though inspecting it. "Yeah I gotta say the uniform is a little bit new. I got it when I henshin'd in this life. I guess maybe someone left a vacancy, possibly due to derelection of duty from planetary immolation. Oooh, do you think my trim is gold because I didn't fall in behind the creepy stalker and then follow her on a tour of bad decisions that brought down an entire interplanatary empire in addition to the afforementioned planetary immolation?" "I mean, consdering the first thing I really did that you know about was save our Prince when you weren't there, it does seem like there might be a slight coverage gap. Oh, maybe the trim is gold because I didn't fall in line with her A SECOND TIME and instead prevented her from getting the kind of power that she sought so she had to resort to inefficent human energy gathering, giving time for everyone to resist her? Oh, I wonder who she got to help her in that endeavor, though..." he says, staring them all down. "Go ahead. Stab me. Light me on fire. Punch me. I'll just be bleeding, on fire, bruised, and still right. And Endymion might be dissapointed. But not in ''me''."
Nephrite	The tip of the sword meets skin now, as the boy stands defiantly. It is a surprisingly gentle, steady pressure. Just beneath clavicle, on the left, digging in. It is a challenge in a way-- Nephrite has no intention to stop, but it is a torturous opportunity for Hiddenite to take a step back. Even to lean away. Whatever comes, it is a point of watching him concede, or stand his ground. There is value in measuring conviction this way. There was something inkling in the back of his mind, the more this man said. It wasn't caught up in emotion or defensiveness, however. It was intrigue. Not for what was claimed of the distant past, because Nephrite had already dismissed this. It was the question of the present. "Small dogs yap the most."
Zoisite	There was something to be said about stitches being reopen when the wound wasn't fully healed. And perhaps it would never, as Zoisite was constantly fiddling with it, pulling it open and tearing it wider and wider--because his own memories were incomplete. Not enough to even remember how he died, which still haunts him. It would haunt him until the very end. Which is why it burned him from within. But to burn was also a privilege to maintain the forest anew. This one however could rot, for all he cared. "You're not worth the air you breathe. What makes you think I would waste my fire on worthless kindle?" Zoisite turns to Kunzite, one hand giving his lover's a gentle squeeze as he looked up. "I'm going home. I need to shower. Get scum off my skin and mind. I'll see you when you get home." He takes a few steps. Glancing back on to watch Nephrite however. There was ''some'' satisfaction in seeing the Star Seer take up the mantle this time. Whatever choice that one made, he'd back up. For now, he permitted himself to leave with the cherry blossoms that took him.
Jadeite	Jadeite does not. Respond. He takes a step back, eyes not moving from the faker, even as he spews a lot of shit. And the thing is? He might take this from someone else. He had truly fucked up back then, they all had, and their world had paid for it. But hearing this guy rant and rave about it when it is increasingly obvious he wasn't there? When this stranger is trying to stick his fingers in emotional wounds to get a reaction? With knowledge he should not have? "Wow, you were so effective at stopping Beryl. That's why you've showed up almost a year after she died," Jadeite deadpans. "With a sick new costume rewarded unto you by - I don't know? God? Good Karma? The president? Did Queen Serenity fly down on her delicate wings and reward you with the gift of being the world's most special little man? Is today your saint day?" Also. Ineffecient human energy gathering? That phrase bothers him. That's not the way that he heard the sparkles talking about Beryl's plans. that's more likely something from the fog of the time he's lost, when he was still in...
Takashi Agera	Pain was temporary. Pain was almost a constant, when Riventon was in the field more. This henshin was new, weaker, but beneath it Riventon was still a little more than normal. And a lot more crazy. The only way to find out what being stabbed is like is basically to be stabbed. And more when you can use it to portray a sort of strength - even if it's a lunatic strength - that you can't with your current energy. Once more, Hiddenite looks down at the sword. "Really? We don't have time for this... Do I have to do everything myself?" he asks before instead of taking a step back, he takes a step ''forward''. Yeah. Experimental data gathered: being stabbed hurts. A lot. More in this form. Enough it's too hard to not have it on his face. As Riventon he can mask it. As Hiddenite, he is clearly in pain. Visibly. All he can do is try and channel that energy, now, that pain, that frustration. And... not into Dark Energy, which is also hard - but he manages. He looks to the remaining Shitennou as he talks."How ''dare'' you question my ability to do things you have no awareness of, to keep you safe from threats you don't understand, when you're the same ones that ruined it. I was trying to build something with you..." he grits his teeth and hisses for a moment. "Build a rapport, even after all I remember, and yet you came after me for what, not stopping YOU?!" he says, and the pain is enough to help the tears come from his eyes. "You call me a fraud and doubt me, but without me there wouldn't have been ''time'' for you to come around. I've been helping you... helping him... saving the world... every step... just... ''hidden''..." And somewhere in Riventon's mess of a brain it's true enough too - he did, after all, spend some effort sabotaging Beryl on his own. Hell, he ate the portal she opened. And everything he does, to Riventon, does eventually lead tgo that goal of saving the world. At least to Riventon. "Follow your teammate home, I'll just keep working on my own like I always have. You all was right about ''one'' thing about me - I should have ''stayed'' hidden. Can I just leave without the sword going in my back physically as well?"
Nephrite	Sapphire eyes widen a fraction, but the sword doesn't budge. Hiddenite makes his full display, emotional words and agonies, even tears. And at this, Nephrite may not be moved... but he is impressed. More than that, he cannot keep the smirk from his face, or the slightly fascinated glint out of his eye. It is familiar. This... is so familiar. He can almost taste the shadow of a name on his tongue. If he could hear the stars whispering their secrets still, he would surely hear it, but alas, he is bereft of their voices. This nostalgia he can't place feels palpable. "Now, whoever said... we weren't building a rapport?" Indeed, Nephrite gave a scoff that almost shaped laughter, and he pulled the blade back. "Go get yourself patched up, you idiot. We've had our fun today."
Jadeite	Liar. Liar. Liar. Also, and Tamaki knows this makes him a hypocrite, this guy probably needs therapy. "I wasn't aware we were under a time limit. And I came after you specifically for saying that we were failures for not stopping Serenity and Endymion from getting together. Murder is bad, obviously, I expect to be insulted for that, but no one from our time would insult us for not stopping a little teenage affection. Seriously? "Endymion trusts us and has worked hard to show we can trust him in turn. We try not to keep secrets because those festered last time, and you are continuing to lie blatantly to our faces. Endymion asks us to not throw ourselves into unnecessary danger because he cares about us and you just walked into a sword. Endymion trusts us to at least try not to hurt each other, and asked us to be good to you - that was Zoisite on his best behavior before you started shit, believe it or not - and you repaid it by bringing up the worst things we ever did and rubbing it in our faces. "Why should we trust you? For all that you're claiming to be one of us, you're certainly not behaving like one of Endymion's trusted allies would. Saying you have to work alone, that you can solve everything yourself, that no one appreciates you - that was the things I was saying when I was killing the world." But Nephrite and Kunzite are pulling out - literlaly in Nephrite's case - so Jadite will too. "You were doing decent until you decided to be a dickhead. Go find someone to heal you, moron, stab wounds hurt and we were all trying really hard not to stab you."
Takashi Agera	"I have ''never'' claimed to be one of ''you''." he says, looking down at the wound. "This outfit will be back without the mark the next time I transform, it doesn't mean I patched it, and just because it appeared on my body when memories flooded my brain, doesn't mean I fucking PICKED it." Thugh he totally picked it. "There are Four Heavenly Kings, if I was a part of you it'd be five." he says. Okay maybe he's not thinking as clever as he would like to, sword in body is ouch hurts. "You made that choice on your own, because of a uniform I had no part in choosing, to call me a fraud and fake." he notes. "I've never used your word to describe me." "Nor will I. I might have aspired to it once." he says, coldly. He turns away and and takes a leap up to a rooftop where he grabs his wound. Okay. Also data: superjumping with a sword wound hurts. He'll have to switch henshins once he's sure he's not being followed or scryed on. Luckily his time working for Beryl got him very used to doing that. Stupid crystal ball TV thing.
Nephrite	There's a hand on Jadeite's shoulder and a slight pull to encourage him along, as Nephrite sees the last of Hiddenite. After a click of his tongue, he's walking away, flicking blood from his blade.