Scene #2852: Not On My Watch

Owner	Pose
Molly Skyline	A school day in Tokyo, on thankfully ordinary day thus far. No weirdness. No extra-dimensional threats. No daimons possessing people. Just a pop quiz in math class and a term presentation to sit through (though Molly has been exempted from this, for obvious reasons). But now the final class is over, which means it's time to go home! Well, for most people anyway. For Molly it's time to meet up with anyone who's willing to spend time with her on extra studying 'cause come hell or high water she is starting University right when she planned and not a year late. So, while everyone else is getting ready to leave, Molly is making sure her knapsack is properly settled on her right shoulder, and then carefully picking up a stack of textbooks from her desk, cradling them carefully against herself with her right arm as she makes her way out into the bustle of the hallways, and casts her eyes about to see if Rashmi and Hinoiri have made it her way yet. The purplenette looks one way, standing up on tip-toes briefly for a little extra height; and she doesn't see her friends, so she turns around to look the other way, and finds herself right in the path of a boy and his friends whom she does. Not. Like. Because he's a jerk. In passing one finger hooks the corner of her bottom-most book, and with a casual flick catapults the whole lot out of her grasp and onto the floor; they land haphazard, a couple of them are kicked, and one is picked up and lobbed towards the nearest trashcan. "...HEY!!" Molly shouts after them, after a moment of shocked indignation, but earning only laughter from the boys. "Watch where you're going Skyline," the chief amongst them calls back without turning around, leaving the purplenette vibrating with visible hurt and fury.
Rashmi Terios	Molly absolutely needed help catching up, and both Rashmi and Hinoiri were more than happy to help out their friend. By mutual agreement, the pair had decided to find Molly's homeroom after classes got out for a big mutual study-session... Something the two redheads shared an enjoyment of, though their preferred subjects were very different. However, Rashmi's cheerful mood plummted like a stone, as she rounded the far corner just in time to see Molly get her books absolutely scattered by a gaggle of bully boys. Rashmi tilted her head just a bit, the shine of her glasses briefly blocking all view of her eyes... after which she moved to plant herself in the group's way. "Hi!" she says to their leader, in her best Customer Service Voice. "So I noticed you had a little accident! That's okat though, I'm sure if you clean up your mess and apologize, Molly-chan'll be prepared to accept your apology! She's really cool like that, y'know." One hand shoots up, finger upraised, before any of the boys can get more than a syllable off. "And before you ask, 'why should I?' I have a few answers to that. You should because it's what decent people do. You should because I'm asking nicely.* And most importantly... You should because if my friend here has to ask, she's not gonna be nice about it. Because Molly-chan's our friend, and you do not do that to anyone, let alone our friends." Never once has Rashmi raised her voice, or even dropped the semblance of 'how-may-I-help-you' one hears at any restaurant in Tokyo. But there's just... something in the way she stands, the steady look she fixes the chief bully with, that gives the impression that there is no world in which any or all of them could possibly intimidate her. "So what's it gonna be?"
Hinoiri Kirara	Hinoiri Kirara had turned the corner with Rashmi and... the moment she saw that? Oh... Oh she had stopped. Her eyes had narrowed. And the only reason she HADN'T charged in right then was because Rashmi was already off. However, as Rashmi spoke? Looming behind Rashmi was Hinoiri. Hinoiri had an entirely different reputation when it came to things like this. Her belief was 'stuff bullies in the locker and see if they bully again'. It was an effective strategy, as strategies went. Well, it worked for her, at least. She liked it. So when she saw someone do that to HER friend? Especially someone she'd messed with and still had lingering guilt over? Oh, she was definitely hoping, at least a little bit, that they'd take option B. Because she was 'not' going to ask. Besides. There was only... What, three of them? And this was why she was not exactly the best role model in many ways and still had some issues to work through...
Molly Skyline	Time was, Molly had stood up to these particular bullies in a very similar manner, on behalf of other students. But that was another time, and a lot has changed since then. Now, with her books scattered about the hall, Molly whirls on her heels to face away -- so she can stalk purposefully to where one of her books came to rest. Not so the bullies can't see her tears. As she stoops to pick up the first book, she's lost in her own cauldron of thoughts and emotions, bubbling about in her brain, and doesn't hear what Rashmi or Hinoiri have to say to the bully. And with only one hand to work with, she can't do anything about the tears; they just roll down her cheeks uncontested. The chief among the bullies, standing in the middle, regards Rashmi and then Hinoiri with an air of smug arrogance, looking at the space above Rashmi's glasses as he weighs his choices; possibly decided if a fight is worth the inevitable detention. Further down the hall, a teacher steps out of one of the classrooms, and perhaps that's what decides it. The chief looks at one of this henchmen, gives him a meaningful locking of eyes, and then inclines his chin towards Molly, all without saying a word. The henchman in question looks suitably outraged, before he mutters, "Fine..." and goes to help Molly, pikcing up a couple of books off the floor while she's working on her second, and coming over to slap them on top of her already existing pile. The chief bully turns his gaze back to Hinoiri and Rashmi, eyes shifting from one to the other with an eyebrow raised.
Rashmi Terios	Rashmi does not have an air of smug arrogance, as she matches the chief bully's raised eyebrow. But something in her eyes grows flinty. "Now, I'm sure you can do better than that," she says in the patient tones of a Disappointed Big Sister. "But if you're too spoiled to clean up a mess you made, well... I guess it's just too much to ask for you to apologize." Without breaking eye contact, she pushes her glasses up her nose, causing the light to block out her eyes again. "So I won't ask. Tell her you're sorry." A beat. "Because you are sorry. In every sense of the word." Eashmi Terios, the happiest bookworm, drawing aggro? Someone done goofed."
Hinoiri Kirara	"Oh, he's about to be," Hinoiri Kirara, the angro-iest unicorn, said as she took a step forward. That was part of her biggest issue. The girl had just... Where she came from, she had never been one to back down. Even when it had been things like dragons, or other things. If it was something she couldn't fight, she'd do it anyway. Even if it nearly got her killed. Because she had to. Even now, when it was not a good idea, she still did it. Because she was not the kind of person who took anything lying down. And even in fights that she was outnumbered, outgunned, she went in because she lived by one creed. She then stopped, and looked down at Rashmi. "... Wait, I can't yet, can I?" she asked. Fortunately... That creed had since changed from 'I gotta be number one' to 'We do it together', which was why she, recently, hadn't died when she HAD come dangerously close to biting off more than she could chew. Repeatedly. But those instincts were still there and it was so hard to not just grab and shove and to pull back and instead cross her arms, tapping her feet and looking annoyed. Mildly grumbling.
Molly Skyline	Molly still doesn't turn around, even though by now she's clued in that her friends are sticking up for her. The henchman detailed with helping her digs her final book out of the trash, slaps the cover a couple of times, and deposits it on top of the stack. He glances over his shoulder at where his buddies are facing off against Rashmi and Hinoiri, then looks back to Molly and mutters "...sorry." Molly nods her head, chin bobbing up and down twice without her turning around, as the wingman falls back into step with his lead. "What's going on here?" The voice of authority speaks, as the Teacher has arrived, and the three boys turn their gazes upwards. "Skyline dropped her books," explains the henchman as the leader's lips quirk upwards in a smile, "I was helping her pick them up." "Miss Skyline? Is that what happened?" inquires a plainly unconvinced teacher. "Yeah," answers a sullen Molly. "That's what happened." "Very well then. Everyone disperse then, please," instructs a still plainly unconvinced teacher, leaving the boys to filter off providing they are unopposed, at least one of them still looking extremely smug.
Rashmi Terios	While it was inevitable that a teacher would get involved, Rashmi never, ever takes her eyes off the chief bully. Not until the Voice of Authority tells everyone to disperse. At which point she steps aside to let the gang pass, placing a warning hand on Hinoiri's shoulder. Her eyes follow the gang, just to make sure they don't try one last thing, then she moves forward to pick up the stack of books. "Hey, Molly-chan," she says. "Sorry we're late." Then, she turns a high-wattage smile on the teacher. "Thank you very much, sensei. We've got her from here, don't worry." Honestly, teachers are some of Rashmi's favorite people, and she tries to make sure they know it.
Hinoiri Kirara	Hinoiri Kirara narrowed her eyes on the boys... oh, this was so not over. She'd be having words with them later. When Molly and Rashmi weren't around. But, for now, she was quiet, giving a small nod. She wasn't going to get involved and cause a kerfluffle over this for Molly. But, as it were? She smiled to the teacher... But she was watching the boys... And memorizing them... And there was likely no doubt. There'd be an encounter, later. Hinoiri had a reputation for a reason. And it was a bit scary... Luckily, she hadn't like... Slowly, however, her eyes would wander to Molly. "Hey, ready to study?" she asked, her gaze softening. "We've got hours to catch up on, right?"
Molly Skyline	At first, Molly doesn't turn around. She waits, until she hears the sound of three sets of footsteps properly receding. Only ''that'' does she turn to face her friends; eyes red, cheeks glistening, and not a thing she can do about it. The purplenette bobs her head, and manages to smile, though it takes a couple of tries. "Y-yeah, yeah I'm ready," she replies. "Thank you both for coming, and... and ''thatnks''. I really appreciate it, I just... I didn't want to get either of you in trouble and I didn't want them to see me crying," she explains. "I just... I wanted them to leave. I Don't know how I'm supposed to stand up to them like, like... like ''this''." Fight an extradimensional horror and its minions? Sure, we'll find a way. Stand up to mundane bullies in a school hallway? Totally out of reach. Molly wriggles her nose to adjust her spectacles without using her hand, and bobs her head once again. "So uhm, where to?"
Rashmi Terios	As Molly turns around, oh, utter fury suffuses Rashmi's entire being, for a moment. Thoughts run through her head, of how she can find a way to make those three live in utter torment. Perhaps Tracy would be willing to make gumshoes out of them, by covering their shoes with gum... Shaking her head, she shifts the stack of books to one hand, giving her friend a one-armed hug. "Sometimes it's okay to get in trouble, for the right reasons," she says. "And this? This is the kind of trouble Papi would have bought me ice cream over, if I was younger." Both girls know the truth of this; they've met the scruffy, drawling Osakan that is Goro Terios, and have a distinct impression that he'd had a few bare-knuckle disagreements in his own school days. "But right now, how 'bout we go to the Shed? I got drinks and snacks yesterday, so no need to detour."
Hinoiri Kirara	Hinoiri Kirara eyed Molly and... then glanced to Rashmi. And oh, good. "So, right. We're in agreement, right? Next time they try something like that, I can make them eat the book, out of the trash?" Hinoiri asked. "Wouldn't be the first time. I mean, it'd be the first time here and last time it was a griffon but I'm pretty sure the theory is the same..." Hinoiri said rather curtly. "It's three on one, most people wouldn't have been able to stand up to them," she admitted after a moment. She would have, sure... but she likely might have gotten her butt kicked, normally. Mayyyyybe if she was pissed enough she could pull it off. The secret was that, honestly? A lot of the time she just made people regret picking a fight with her. It wasn't that she won, it was that it just wasn't worth it. Even if she lost, it was she could at least win enough to make it not worth it. "... Admittedly, Sora likely would scold me for it, buuuuuut... I'm at least at the point now where her scoldings don't upset me that much," she said sheepishly. "Shed sounds great."
Molly Skyline	"Yeah," Molly replies, managing another smile, and bobs her head. "Yeah, the Shed sounds great, and... Hinoiri-chan, I'd rather keep my book but if youwant to make them take its place ''in'' the garbage can, I feel like that would be more than fitting." No, she hasn't spent time in the last sixty seconds thinking about this. "But I mean it, thank you for sticking up for me. It's great to know I can get help with everything from Duxk Zone abominations to high school jerks." The purplenette alternates between angling her head to wipe her cheeks on her shoulders, and lifting her left arm to wipe her face with what is now the end of her bicep. "But yeah, let's head to the shed," she murmurs, falling into step for the relatively short walk.
Rashmi Terios	"That is," Rashmi says, "what friends are for! C'mon." And she takes it upon herself to lead the way to the Shed, keeping up a stream of chatter along the way. Most of it, probing for where Molly needs the most help, and the rest just amusing anecdotes from the last couple days. After all, one can't keep a bad mood while they're busy laughing! Once in the Shed, she carefully sets Molly's books down on one of the tables by the wall, then starts to shove four of the desk chairs together. Books are transferred to the new big table, then snacks, and finally the preferred hot drink of each of the girls, fresh out of Nicomachea's inventory.
Hinoiri Kirara	Hinoiri Kirara sighed and... "I can make no promises. If it comes to that, I will buy you a new book," Hinoiri promised. "And vow it will die a noble, worthy death. But I will do what I can." She tried, at least. "You always can, though. And trust me, there are more than a few of us who can. Seriously, where do idiots like that even come from? I swear..." she grumbled, shaking her head. Once they were in the shed, she was sitting and... Oh yeah. She was going over things and... poor Molly. It was clear sometimes why Hinoiri was the student of Sora. As she would go over formulas and concepts and things for them to memorize... But her notes, at least, were exceptional. Because the girl did seem to understand what she studied.
Molly Skyline	Molly is at least no longer crying by the time they make it to the shed. She plops down into the seat, grateful both for Rashmi taking her books and for the work of arranging the room and setting up snacks being done for her -- even if she hates having a reduced capacity to help for the time being. And as luck would have it there's a hot chocolate in front of her, and she takes a moment to sip from it and let both flavor and warmth suffuse her being, eyes closed, with a soft sigh of relief. Ohh, that helps. "Alright," she sighs, letting some of the tension of the last ten minutes recede from her shoulders, "Alright. So, Setsuna-chan set me up with a dorm room I can use, and although my Moms want me home at night as much as possible they understand if I stay here on occasion if I'm studying. They don't ''like'' it but they know I don't want to get held back. So, I've... got as long as you two do, honestly." The purplenette sighs, and looks off to the side, "But, y'know, like I said to Rashmi-chan the other day... at least when the Fade hits I'll forget about Seriss, I'll be stuck remembering those three."
Rashmi Terios	"...That's actually good to hear," Rashmi says, setting her pencil down and rubbing her eyes. "Because um... You're gonna want to stay over for a couple-few days, pretty soon. Emi-chan's neck of the woods is causing huge problems in Kyoto, and... it's on its way here. Maybe it's not quite a goop monster from outer space, but like... Definitely Walpurgisnacht-scale. And according to Emi-chan, the school's likely to be the only place where peaceful sleep can happen til we kick its butt out of... well, everything." Drawing in a deep breath, she lets it out. "Speaking of the Fade, though? There was this museum exhibit, this summer. And whoa dang you would not believe the things we saw there, and what it might mean for magic, like, history."
Hinoiri Kirara	Hinoiri Kirara nodded along, however, she came to a screeching halt when she was told that of, well... non-homework stuff. She blinked and then glanced towards Rashmi, before nodding. "Yup. I'm actually working on getting a spell for the first problem. Well. To help us protect ourselves for the first problem, in the school. That'll hopefully be ready soon. It'll need everyone to help enforce it once it's ready to go, though." "... And yeah, the history in the museum... I have got to check that place out again. I've only been there like, once, maybe twice I think? I just haven't had the time. There's just so much to do..." Hinoiri mumbled.
Molly Skyline	"Wait, wait, hold on," Molly protests with a sputter, interjecting even though it was a normal flow of fonversation up until that point in any case. "I didn't get to see anything in the museum, I haven't been there yet -- haven't had time since being rescued and Seriss never gave a damn about the place." Molly's eyes rest on Rashmi first, "OKay so, tell me about the things you saw there, and what it means for magic history," she glances back in Hinoiri's direction, "And like.. Okay big spell, but to do what?"
Rashmi Terios	"Okay so like... The exhibit was a collection of representations of magic in art throughout the ages, right?" Rashmi begins, taking a fortifying swig of cocoa with peppermint crumble and chocolate pudding. "Sounded interesting, worth looking into for fun... Until you looked closely. And saw a sculpture of Alexander the Great, and his Chara. Or the Faberge Egg with a seriously Witch-looking clockwork monster inside. Or the three different paintings of Jeanne d'Arc, each looking like a different kind of magic. Or the Venetian urn with the lady wearing a tiara that looks like a Device. Or or or... you get it, but here's the thing; some of them were adults, like, the really old ones." Pausing to suck in a deep breath, she snags a bag of Bugles and rips it open. "So you see why that's weird enough to be super* interesting."
Hinoiri Kirara	"The spell will, hopefully, expand the crystal heart's effect so it protects the school's dreams as well, not just the physical area," Hinoiri said. "It'll need everyone to kind of bring their own defenses, as it were, but I am working with some help from back home to get us something that will allow us to do that. With Emi's ability to bring us into the dream world and Tuxedo Mask seeming to have a similiar ability, it shouldn't be too hard to get the groundwork down. It'll at least give us a good place to defend the school from." "As for thje museum... well..." She pointed to Rashmi. "That. And then there's a bunch of stuff with the fade we're working on. We've been studying a memory pot thing, and Yellow Pearl Voice may have a lead on that as well. So a lot has been going on."
Molly Skyline	Molly sits back, and takes it all in. "...Man I did not realize just ''how much'' stuff I missed out on," she admits, and sighs softly, "I wish I'd been, y'know, helping you guys with this stuff this whole time instead of watching a super-villain fight you from behind my own eyeballs and..." She trails off, and sighs again, "I know I complain about that a lot, like, every second sentence even, it's just still really fresh and... stuff. Y'know." Molly shakes her head, "Anyway, I spent a lot of time in Radiant Heart's dreamscape, so I feel pretty comfortable there. So if there's anything I can do to help with that spell, I'll absolutely do it." The purplenette unzips her backpack, and reaches down for a book, then sits up again, "Wait a minute. Adult Mahou? I thought that was impossible...?"
Rashmi Terios	"Yyyyyup," Rashmi says, nodding. "We all did; that's what makes it so amazing. And tells us that the Fade isn't part of the Veil, which actually answers a question I've had since Beryl. Which means it came later, so it's probably something we can stop." Looking to Hinoiri, Rashmi bobs her head in agreement with Molly. "I may not have the experience in the dreamscape, but, you know what Nicomachea can do. Just let me know how we can help, Hinoiri-chan."
Hinoiri Kirara	Hinoiri Kirara gave a small nod. "Yeah. The pot alone will hopefully help us figure out what we can about this fade. And the fact that Yellow Pearl Voice apparently has something similiar... well, that'll definitely be useful to get things on the right path," she said. "For now, I just need to get that spell. After that? Just... well, figure out your best defensive magic, I guess. Or envision what you'd imagine as your most... defensive. Because that's what it'll be, more or less. Everyone will more or less be building their own attachment to this giant dream fortress. It's not really that complex, honestly, it's just not the kind of thing one person can do. It requires multiple people to work on it to function at all."
Molly Skyline	"I've always been better at evasion than actual defense," Molly admits, "But, I mean, now that I have Starcrash's ''defense module'', maybe I can be a little better at it. And since Rashmi-chan rebuilt Starcrash, I think there's a lot that I've got to learn and figure out how to use... which I mean, the idea that I might ''not'' get launched through every concrete wall in sight next time I'm in a battle feels pretty nice." The purplenette puts her hand on the table, and looks... a bit expectant of something, for a moment, before glancing down to her left side. Oh, right. Can't clasp hands right now. That doesn't work at the moment. Her expression takes a definite downturn, just for a moment, before she looks up again. "So, uhh, I'll be ready to help with the big spell when it's good to go. So like... what ''is'' a memory pot? And what happens if we do manage to stop the Fade, do like... old Mahou get their memories back? Does..." She fumbles for words, "Does it... Okay so like. I guess I was thinking the ''one'' good thing about the Fade is that I'd forget about being Seriss' host for a year, and... There's no way around that, is there? I'm just going to have to get used to remembering it, I can't ask you ''not'' to stop the Fade."
Rashmi Terios	"Figuring out my best defenses? That, I can definitely do," Rashmi says with a determined nod, then grins at her fellow redhead. "And honestly, Hinoiri-chan? What you're talking about tells me you really understood the assignment when you came to our side; the more the stronger." Looking to Molly, Rashmi purses her lips. "...We have no idea what will happen if we stop it," Rashmi says, spreading her hands. "But there's too much at stake for too many people, not to try. As for the jar... It was apparently used to store memories, as a magical teaching tool. But, whatever memories that were in are gone, now. It was one of the pieces from the Museum, but Riventon stole it, then it ended up in our hands to study."
Hinoiri Kirara	Hinoiri Kirara gave a nod and.... "Yup. That and it's the nature of the spell. It really is just a like... It's the foundation. Everyone else will have to build off it, it won't do the job itself. It was really the best we could find. And even then, it's going to be building off the crystal heart." "As for the jar? Well, what Rashmi said. We don't know what will happen... As for the memories... sorry. We could... see about removing them in another way? Maybe the jars could help with that. Cure La Mer's people... seem to have a way to do it, as well," Hinoiri seemed less happy about that, admittedly. "And they could possibly remove it. But the fade is not the way to do it."
Molly Skyline	Molly closes her eyes, and sits back in her seat, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly as she processes everything she's been told, along with some thoughts. "I, uhm, I don't know," she mumbles at last. "I don't know what I should do, I mean. If we're going to remember, and we're not going to fade into being ordinary people in a few years, then I mean... No matter what, I still lost my arm, and sure my Moms are trying to get access to the ''best'' prosthetic I could possibly have but I still lost an arm, and I don't think I actually want to look down to my left all the time and think 'hunh, how'd that happen?' I think that might be worse than knowing." Molly shifts in her seat, obviously fidgeting as she works out some other idea. "And you know what, the thing I remember about that year was how hard all of my friends fought and struggled and persevered not just to stop Seriss, but to save ''me''. And that means a lot to me, and... and I want to keep it."
Rashmi Terios	"I understand," Rashmi says quietly. "And it's entirely up to you, what you decide to do. And you know... you know that whatever you choose, I'll have your back. But, yeah... I think you deserve to remember how hard people fought for you." Having said her piece, Rashmi looks down at her textbooks. "So... how far behind are you on Japanese History?"
Hinoiri Kirara	Hinoiri Kirara gave a small nod. "And... I mean... even if you did get hit with the fate, you'd likely remember something that happened. An accident or something to make you lose it?" Hinoiri offered, trying to be helpful. How helpful it was was up to interpretation, of course. But she was trying. She did, however, cringe. "Admittedly... Japanese history is one of those subjects I'm really not the best one to tutor her in. Math, language, a lot of things? Yeah, I'm good... your world's history? Noooot... so much." ... What? She couldn't memorize EVERYTHING...
Molly Skyline	"I'll find a way to deal with it," Molly says, quietly. "I just... it's hard. And I'm struggling and... sometimes I have bad days about it." She shakes her head, and the question about Japanese History almost washes over her unnoticed. But not quite. "Err... Japanese History. Right." She returns her hand to the knapsack at her feet, and this time actually ''does'' pull out a heavy textbook, clearly meant to be wielded with two hands that she slaps down on the table. "So, uhh, Japanese History. I am so behind it's unreal. Like, I'm at the caveman stage of history. That far behind." An exageration? Not really; and as will become apparent during the evening, it's not the only subject she's so far behind on, but hey; that's what two of the best study-buddies in the whole school are here to help with, right?