Scene #2855: Crossing Centuries

Owner	Pose
Veronica Perenna	Rumors have started circulating across Yumegahama Ward, of cats coming to and from a specific alley somewhere in the ward always at Midnight on the clock. At first the rumor circulated without many buying into it, but then more and more people started witnessing them, and chasing after them, only to find themselves face to face with a wall. Turning back would send them through a trip of hours through corners they don't remember passing, and paths that sometimes take them upwards of two hours to get out of the alley despite them only needing 30 minutes at best to reach the wall. Even as streamers start getting into the popularity of the rumor, the end result is always the same. Sometimes they may hear loud music and people singing (screaming?) to the beat, but the cats inevitably leads them to the same wall. They have tried marking it, and each newcomer finds the marked wall, witnessing the unchanging bricks before preparing for the long trek back. Sometimes a calling card recognizable as that of the Princess of Sarek flies through the video at random blink-and-you-will-miss-them moments. Following the chain of streamers, Veronica had almost dropped the phone when she first saw it, and immediately picked it back up, messaging whoever happened to be online (most certainly Laisa, at least, if she is available). "Did you watch these streams going around lately? That wasn't me sending the calling card. I am going to get to the bottom of this case. Want to come with?" She was equally intrigued and annoyed by the anomalous appearance, and just at few minute short of midnight, she is standing at the entrance of the alley.
Laisa Samuiko	Laisa isn't much of a stream watcher, but if Veronica points her towards something then there's a certain amount of interest she's going to have in it. Even moreso if the painter thinks that something is wrong or off about it. The first time she sees the calling card she messages back with, "That's odd... and it wasn't you? Is my favorite phantom thief being impersonated? How dare they." Except... that doesn't really make sense, either. Why even bother in such a way? There's no painting involved here, is there? Though... with the way space seems to be acting 'odd' in these instances, Laisa can't really dismiss the idea that a relic might be involved. "Well of course. I'm always up for an adventure. I'll meet you there." Mou Fubuki shows up at the appointed time. Her eyes and expression are cold, as is the air surrounding her, and one might get the impression that she doesn't really care about anything. All the same, she is here, present, and with full intent to be supportive and helpful. "Hey." she greets, as she walks up to the mouth of the alley.
Catra	Alright... sure, why not? Do that hero thing where you show up for no other reason than to help someone else out, and do it without complaining about the inconvenience of it or anything like that. So, having parked her bike a ways off, Catra arrives -- on the rooftops, parkouring her way from one to the next and using her claws as much as her agility to get by. She's got her earbuds in, and is listening to something energetic and thrashy, with the volume turned way up as she appears on the scene -- not that it matters too much, since nobody on the ground can hear it -- and comes to a stop perched on the corner of a rooftop, looking down. She's not in Henshin, but she's not in her Rachel Miller disguise either. It hardly matters. When does anyone look up? Well, just in case anyone does right now, the feline waves back down to them in greeting.
Usagi Tsukino	Usagi Tsukino tends to be kept abreast on cat related news for pretty obvious reasons, and when they involve strange labyrinths that people are finding themselves lost in - Well, Usagi might have had plenty of other nightmares since, but she's certainly not forgotten that Nightmare. Not at all. Spotting Veronica's calling card had been a belated thing, and then there'd been the text message, and well - Now, Sailor Moon has arrived, in obvious henshin because she doesn't trust it. "This is reminding me a ''lot'' of a Nightmare we defeated and who Subsy brought back," she warns the others as they arrive. "I mean, it could be something else, but... Labyrinths, streamers, and getting stuck? A lot of coincidences. ...not sure why cats are involved, though." She frowns, then glances sideways at Veronica, not accusing, but curious. "Not sure why your calling card is involved, either, so maybe it ''is'' something else... either way, I've got your back."
Emi Hoshino	Sometimes, you just gotta see things with your own eyes, right? In Emi Hoshino's case, that's literally about the only thing she can do. Powerless and only slowly making progress in rebuilding her gateway into the dreamscape, she heard through the veritable grapvine about something that did sound awfully familiar and presented herself for accompaniment. Mostly because she wants a chance to lay her eyes on things. Maybe she can learn something. The still-tired looking goth is all dressed up, though, and ready to accompany them for the moment. She didn't bring her bat, at least. "Obviously, I'll keep my distance -- but I thought I'd lurk close just in case KenKen is needed." Things -do- sound -awfully- familiar, and she smells a nightmare for the same reason Usagi does.
Amy Faust	So yeah that's weird. A phenomenon that attracts streamers and involves getting lost, and at exactly a specific time... sounds familiar. But why are cats involved now? ...Are they ''magical'' cats? Or cat-spirits or something? "Man...Before I realized the Lady of the Labyrinth was back, I was hoping that maybe there's a portal to a secret cat world or something, that would be a nice whimsical adventure after everything we've dealt with lately." Amy's with the group too -- she wasn't henshined at first, but Sailor Moon is in henshin, so she transformed too. She nods to Emi, concerned for the danger she's in but also glad to have an expert on nightmares here. "So...if she's back, there's something I never figured out. If she's about trapping people in mazes... why had no one else ever seen the party, and what's the deal ''with'' the party? It's not even like it's a party of people watching us lost in a maze on monitors or anything it's just kinda... there. And we defeated her by finding the party and hitting her a bunch. Was there more here I'm missing or not remembering, or...?" she looks to Emi curiously, since the dream expert ''is'' here why not take advantage of that?
Veronica Perenna	As soon as she sees Laisa come close in henshin, Veronica follows her cue and transforms into the Princess of Sarek, then hops close to her beloved, hugging her and rubbing cheeks for a moment. "Hello, fulfiller of my heart", she comments joyously, and takes a step back once others start arriving. "One of Subsy's nightmares? Really?" Veronica can't help but frown at the news Moon is giving her. This gets from odd to odder. "I would not know what could they be wanting with me", she says, swirling her cane around pensively. "I have had no nightmares either." She waves at Emi, and raises an eyebrow at the lack of bat. "You ok going in like that?" To Red she nods. "Let's find our way in for now." Cats have yet to come, but the Princess of Sarek's swivel upwards when she notices the presence of a specific ginger cat following them from the rooftops. "Just one second, if you would", she tells the others, and leaps up to Catra with a smirk. "What are you doing here all alone? The party is down there. You would not wanna miss it, do you?", she meows at her with a wink, and leaps back down to everyone, waving at Catra to follow. When she leaps down, the first cat has started coming close, just like in the streams, but this time, it doesn't wander in and instead sits in front of the entrance to the alley, staring. The shadows in the alley flicker for a moment. Seven lights burst from the ground, and fall down in a mist. When the haze disappears a blonde catgirl in a ponytail is staying at the alley entrance, dressed just like Veronica, but her jacket is replaced by a frock-coat and a waist sash cinches the coat, decorated by pearlescent sequins. "Hello, dollies. I was waiting for you. Do you mind helping me out here?" she asks, but Veronica raises her hand, and brings it to her right shoulder with a slight bow. "Hello to you as well. It is not any day I meet an impersonator. What are you up to?", the Princess of Sarek comments rigidly, squinting her eyes. "Dollie, I am not an impersonator", the ponytailed girl replies with a laugh. "It is my Ward you are protecting. But please, let's talk further in. We have a lot ahead of us, and the Lady has to be stopped." Veronica looks at the others with an inquisitive expression, and shrugs, getting in the alley after the supposed impostor. "Let's keep our guard up and see what her deal is." She is not quite buying that, for obvious reasons and more.
Laisa Samuiko	The corner of Mou Fubuki's mouth twitches into a smile as Veronica comes close, and she leans against her slightly for a moment while they are near. A light but very obvious show of affection. "You tell me the sweetest things, my love." Of course, they do not have a lot of time to exchange sweet nothings right now. The mahoujin are getting down to business and Mou Fubuki is doing more listening than talking. They've seen something like this before? It might be Nightmare related? Suspicious. Concerning. She let's out a slow breath, and her frosty aura makes it a visible cloud. Mou walks up to the familiar cat, the one from the streams. Lights appear and burst, and Mou takes a step back as she expects an attack. When the impersonator appears, Mou Fubuki blinks. She glances between Veronica and the Other and she's not quite sure what to think. She knows that Sarek has something of a history, but... no that would be impossible. "Whatever happens," she promises, "I've got your back." Glancing to the other mahoujin, Mou adds, "All the same. Call out if something happens, alright?" Then the snow angel goes ahead, following the Not-Veronica deeper into the alley. She fully expects to get lost after this, but in her mind that was always part of the deal.
Catra	Catra doesn't immediately reply when Veronica arrives up on the rooftop and asks what she's doing up there, other than to shove her hands in her pockets nad looks generally stand-offish and antisocial. Which, honestly, shouldn't come as a huge surprise, she's a cat afterall. Nevertheless, when Veronica jumps back down, she thumbs her phone to shut off the music and stuffs the earbuds in a pocket, then follows suit and jumps down off the buiding. On the way down yellow flames envelop her and when she lands in a crouch and the flames die down she's dressed in a charcoal black tuxedo with firey orange highlights; as she straightens she adjusts her cufflinks, and once again thrusts her hands in her pockets. "Alright. Guard up, check. Follow the suspicious person, check." She glances down, "And keep an eye on the untrustworthy cat," she adds. Hypocritical much? With all that said, the feline glances about at everyone else present, and shrugs her shoulders. "Hey everyone," she greets. And that, it seems, is that.
Usagi Tsukino	"Definitely a Nightmare," Sailor Moon confirms, "She had a Neon Labyrinth, last time, and had a party in the middle... we had to use a ''lot'' of light to get through," she remembers the exhaustion of firing off her attacks so many times - But she still startles when the false Princess of Sarek appears, staring between the two girls in surprise. "Okay, I know why ''these'' two have cat ears, but are you just an extra literal copycat, or -" Maybe you shouldn't ask people why they have cat ears, but she's doing that, okay? There's no choice but to follow - well, there is, but it's the only realistic choice, so she does, frowning. "Yeah, Catra, we're following Suscat and Suscatgirl for now."
Amy Faust	Oh hey, there's a cat! Amy approaches, to either pet the cat or attempt to go through the wall, but suddenly there's lights and... a catgirl copying Veronica's outfit appears. And calls them dollies, which makes Red take a half-step back into a more wary stance. Amy looks at her friends, but... well, maybe this is a trap, but if it is... they're on guard and together, right? She nods to Veronica and follows, glancing around for anything jumping out at them.
Emi Hoshino	"The heck am I supposed to know?" asks Emi of Amy. "Nightmares aren't logical, Amy. Put that out of your head. They're collections of energy rooted in random thoughts and ideas that start somewhere and become something else and more. And who even knows if 'the Lady' you're expecting to face today really is the same as 'the Lady' we fought back then. We don't know how this resurrection even works, if its really what it seems to be, or anything else for that matter. And, frankly, a sufficient application of violence is enough to cut through most problems anyway." Emi rubs her face. "Most people never got to the end, anyway, I'd wager, so how would they see a party that nobody actually got to? That's probably just 'her thing'. Gotta make you work to get there so that you're an easier mark when you finally 'get in', and an exclusive party is a -secret- and stuff." She shrug her shoulders. "It's all a stab in the dark anyway. Exhausting you before then was probably the real schtick, it's just that you know she probably wasn't expecting a bunch of magical people. Now they are." She wets her lips, takes a moment, covers one eye with her hand, and then concurs with Usagi. "Yep."
Veronica Perenna	"I have a very sweet source of inspiration", the Princess of Sarek replies to Mou Fubuki with a bright smile, still keeping an eye on the impostor. Well, she does know what her predecessor looks like, and it's a match, roughly, even if they have about 20 years of difference between them. "So what are you here for?", Veronica asks, keeping close to the impostor. "And if you are really here, why are you 14? She faded at 40, not whatever you are." "Don't be so tense, you risk ruining your pretty face, dollie", the first magical girl comments. "But you are right. It must be all so sudden. Let me tell you: it has been a long time. You kept me waiting." She keeps leading them forward, taking turns and turns in the everlong alley. "I will stick close to you", Veronica whispers to Mou Fubuki. "I don't really feel good about her. That's not how I imagined her, you know? I thought she would be someone more... charming, I think?" The other Sarek bounces at Catra's side now. "Well, you are all so tense, but I feel you really must just trust me. I needed someone to fight back against the Lady, but I cannot keep her at bay much longer. That's where you come in", she remarks picking up a cat and giving it to Sailor Moon. "My dollie, I had cat ears long before my successor came along. If anything you should be asking her. But nevermind, have a cat. It should be refreshing for your mood. You don't want her people, right?", the ponytailed girl says, basically pushing the one she is carrying in her arms. "We have a smart cookie here", she looks at Emi. "She did try multiple times, but I always managed to lead her victims the wrong way ever since I got here. And I don't know how that is possible. Let us just go with the flow", she adds at the frowning Veronica.
Laisa Samuiko	"Nobody here is more inspiring than you, my dear," teases Mou Fubuki, though in that same cold tone. The snow angel wonders if it would be off-putting to someone who wasn't used to it, or to someone who wasn't aware of her curse. Mou Fubuki listens to the exchange between her girlfriend and the one taking the appearance of her predecessor. How Interesting. So this person ''does'' at least ''look like'' someone Veronica should know. Yet the ages and time don't add up. "Could she be a figment of the dream?" she whispers to Veronica. If her kitten is suspicious then it's probably a very good reason. "Though, if she was from ''your'' dream, she probably would be a better reflection of your expectations." After a pause, she takes a glance at Veronica and considers her ancestry. "Out of curiosity... did the person you know... speak Japanese?" Mou keeps looking at the suspicious person, but occasionally her eyes dart back and forth, looking at the features of the walls in the alleyway. If there was a dream trap, would she recognize it? ... if there is no trap, does that mean that this girl is on the level?
Usagi Tsukino	Sailor Moon is absolutely not trusting this sweet talking faker, but given that she's been handed a cat... well the first thing she does is cradle it like a baby, then she gently encourages it to ride on her shoulder, keeping one arm up to support the risk of cat leaping. The idea that the cat could be a trap simply does not occur to her. This is why she always fell for Dark Kingdom plots, honestly. "Right... well.. why don't you tell us about like, fading way back then, while we follow you? That's a compromise, right?" She's following along, with the Moon Scepter in one hand, ready to fire of Moon Princess Halation as needed - stronger, ''and'' with just as much light to cast off.
Catra	"I'm not tense." Catra's ear flicks at the suggestion. Tenser? Her? Phagh. She's walked into battle against everyone and everything from She-Ra to literally a dragon, who scary could a strange lady in a back alley actually b? Tense, the nerve to call her tense. It's not like her tail is poofed up or her ears are rotating on swivels. "So what do you actually need ''us'' to do?" the feline inquires. As she walks she thrusts her hands in her pockets, which probably makes her look as unready for combat as is possible -- except that she's not unready, she's like a coiled up spring ready to explode, just like the cat on Usagi's shoulder. It's just how cats are. Murder on a moment's notice. "Actually I'd like someone to, y'know, catch me up a bit," she adds. "Who is this 'Lady' and why specifically do we need to go kick her butt all the way into orbit?"
Amy Faust	Amy blinks at Emi, caught off-guard by the tone, but nods. A secret party... "I... I guess..." Red blinks at Sarek. "Wait, who? How'd she fade at ''40''??" She looks back to the 'imposter.' "You... who are... how?" Amy sighs. "You're not gonna answer any questions, are you. Will you after we beat the Lady again....? Or will you just disappear and we have no idea what's going on...?" She sighs. "Of ''course'' we're tense. We met someone unknown on our way to fight a monster, that's working for a terrible monster we don't even know how to beat yet. It would be weirder if we ''weren't'' tense." She nods at Sailor Moon's sugggestion of comprimise. "Hey, yeah! How about that? How'd you make it to 40? ...And did you know any Puella Magi...?"
Emi Hoshino	For her part, Emi is uncomfortable. She's here, exposed, tense. Then again, it's not like literally everyone doesn't know her identity. Still. She lets KenKen out and the spider skitters up her arm out from under her billowing sleeve and then settles on her shoulder, a point of vibrant, prismatic color on her otherwise black shape. "Probably no idea what's going on. We have no idea what's going on," she mumbles, glancing towards Usagi. She's sticking close. "I should have brought my bat..."
Veronica Perenna	The noises of the party start getting closer, and lights and chatter "That is hard to say. The portrait we have doesn't show her so young, you know? And I don't have enough of her to really say she can't be like ''this''". She extends her arm towards the other Sarek. But she confuses Veronica so much, the braided phantom thief can't make up her mind. "But if this were my dream, I don't think she would be like this, you are right, my snowsweet", she replies with a quiet voice. Her supposed predecessor is going forward without a care, and she is not really sure how to take the fragments of answers they have been given. "The fading back then? I don't like thinking of it, or that I should be gone, and yet I am here", the ponytailed blonde replies. "That's miracle and magical enough, wouldn't you think? I getting everything and anything I can, and that's all that matters here, don't you agree?" The Princess of Sarek shrugs at Red's question. "That's what we know from the Magic Exhibit", she starts saying, but their guide interrupts. "Over here!", she says, and gets into a side path again. On the other side, a door opens by a fissure and somebody impossibly tall lingers on the other side. As soon as everyone is inside, a wall rises behind them, and the cat on Sailor Moon's shoulder grows spines, and its eyes glow green, mere seconds before an acidic mist comes out of its mouth.
Emi Hoshino	Immediately, the music starts. It's almost achingly familiar and haunting, a melody that defies description. One feels compelled, almost, to 'get down'. Perhaps even 'boogie'. All around, there is a sense of warmth and comfort that's constrasted sharply by the sharp rise of walls and sharper spines. "I've MISSED you all so much! Who wants a drink?" The voice is coming from every angle at once, it feels, followed by a worryingly intense case of vertigo. Movement seems to leaving after-images in front of your eyes, too. Emi, not prepared for this, slumps back, bunches over, and hurls on her shoes. The overwhelming vertigo got to her pretty much immediately.
Laisa Samuiko	Things aren't adding up, and Mou Fubuki really doesn't like the fact that this girl is triggering alarm bells in Veronica's mind. Mostly because if anyone here would know that something doesn't add up, it would be her beloved who'd know that best of all. Yet on the outside, Mou remains as chill as ever. Though the narrowness of her eyes might betray her misgivings. One thing is very clear to her: either some kind of time shenanigans are happening, or this is a dream copy. They walk through a wall. They see an impossibly tall person, the cat on Sailor Moon's shoulder seems to transform into a monster, and then there's the imposter who led them here. "Okay. No. I'll not toler--" Oh wow. Things feel very wrong. The voice from everywhere is weird, but the vertigo and after images make everything like twenty times worse. Mou holds her head with one hand, as the opposite hand reaches up to aim at the imposter. The temperature around her drops as icicles form around her and launch at the fake pretending to be Veronica's predecessor. "I take it that this is the Lady that you were warning me about?" she asks to the group as a whole.
Usagi Tsukino	"THIS is why we need to kick the Lady's butt, Catra!" The suscat on Usagi's shoulder has completed its totally explicable betrayal and its only the fact that her henshin comes complete with a chestplate that covers her shoulders that prevents her from being skewered through as spikes erupt along the suscat's surface - some of them erupt towards her face, and Sailor Moon cries out and jerks her head, resulting in a few thin scratches rather than spike to cheek impalement. The acid mists make her cough, skin starting to burn and yanks at the animal with gloved hands, grateful that henshin gloves are stronger than ''ordinary'' ones. "Ow! Ow ow ow ow get OFF you jERK!" The cat is hurled away just as the Lady speaks up and vertigo strikes in accordance with the desire to get down and boogie with it, Sailor Moon spinning about to try and launch her attack and surrendering to the urge to shake what her mama gave her while she swings the Moon Scepter about. "Moon Princess Halation!" A beam of silver light blares out, surrounded by a spiraling shower of pink bolts of energy, shrapnel in the shame of star and crescent energy constructs firing out at Suscat and Imposter Sarek - even if they miss, they'll score the walls of the place. Sailor Moon slaps a free hand to her face, feels the blood and grimaces - then catches sight of Emi slumped over beside a pool of vomit and runs over to her, passing her the Moon Scepter. "Here," she says sternly, "If anything gets close to you and it's not us, swing this like you would your bat! It will do a lot more to help!" For her own sake, she pulls the Spiral Heart Moon Rod, ready to fill this maze with hearts if it brings the Lady down once more.
Catra	Vertigo? Catra's a ''cat'', she doesn't get vertigooOOOOooOOOH GOOD GRIEF THAT'S AWFUL "What the--- what..?! Catra drops to a knee and claps her hands over her head. This is exactly the sort of problem she has with this planet -- too much noise coming from too many places. Or in this case, all the places all at once. Her ears flatten against her skull under her hands and she grits her teeth, squeezing her eyes shut for a moment. As she growls and her muscles grow taught, her claws reflexively dig into her own scalp and draw ltitle points of blood. "GRRRRR ''STOP IT!!'' she snarls, bouncing back to her feet with both eyes ablaze, as she hurls brilliant yellow fire around her in all directions. (Well, not at her allies. But most other directions.) "STOP STOP ''STOP''!" she growls, tail lashing as she focues fire blasts at the imposter as well for good measure. And then, as she pants to catch her breath, she rests her hands on her knees and looks sideways at the little cat that turned spikey, which Sailor Moon has just hurled away from her. "Traitor," she hisses at it.
Amy Faust	Amy has just been following and having this conversation, keeping an eye out for any monters creeping out from behind corners or the like, but she hasn't been memorizing the path taken at all... although that never helps in a dream, anyway... Someone impossibly tall. "Uhh, should we really--" Red starts to ask of the imposter, but she doesn't want to get lost or seperated from her guide so follows after a brief hesitation... And then the trap is sprung. She's heard this song before, hasn't she? Where? It is a bop... Warmth and comfort, but there's an edge... She always wondered what people saw in parties like this. And she thought that if she ever got a body like this she'd try and find out, at least once, but she ended up too young... So close, perhaps, to snaring her completely, but as with Bliss-chan's fake happiness, there are things that are ''wrong''. Who said that? Amy wobbles on her feet, and then the after-images start and she shuts her eyes. "Is this what being drunk is like?" It does remind her of the sort of effect she might see in a movie to indicate the POV of someone drunk or drugged. Something sprays her suit and it kind of burns. She has to move out of the spray, but the only way she feels like she can go without falling over is down, so she drops to her knees, one hand braced on the ground. ...''Are'' we drugged, she thinks? Senses are comprimised but nothing feels out of whack, and she doesn't feel tired or sleepy. Which is good, her stories don't exactly have helpful advice save to avoid this situation in the first place. But there's a nagging feeling she's forgetting something... No time. What sprayed her? Turn that way, open eyes briefly-- "GAH! What the hell is that!?" Amy conjures a weapon but daren't fire with her vision like this. So she conjures a cosplay sword and gauntlets and swings wildly at the spiky THING to try and buy a moment to think of something better! "What kind of party ''IS'' this?! If you want it to be enticing, you're messing it up! Just like Bliss-chan!"