Scene #2929: Duel of the Rates

Owner	Pose
Rashmi Terios	February has begun, and Valentine's Day draws near. Which means it is time for one of Rashmi's favorite traditions; combining sweets and heartfelt emotions, all in one, on an assault on the various chocolatiers of Mitakihara. Today, she texted a cluster of her friends, to see if they wanted to join her. As in nearly all things, her purpose for doing so was twofold. First, most of them have people to shop for, but second... Well why try to unearth a friend's secrets, when you can get them to do it for you? Honestly, Dark Energy General Rashmi would probably be a terrifying mastermind. By now her primary goal has been achieved; some absolute mad genius of a chocolatier actually did make hedgehog-shaped truffles, with a variety of fillings, and Rashmi will protect the 12-pack she bought with her life. Also half her list of friends has been got to, and she hopes they like her picks. "Okay," she chirps, busting out the door into the chill evening. "Do we want to grab dinner and keep going, or grab dinner and call it a night? I've still got a dozen people to hunt for, myself..."
Amy Faust	Amy did, indeed, misunderstand this as shopping for ''ingredients'' when she was invited along, but hey, seeing if fancy chocolate tastes any better and maybe learning something about it wouldn't hurt? Last year, stuff was crazy busy and she didn't get to partake, although the year before a boy with culinary talents helped some of the girls with the process and Amy at least had some chocolates poured into simple molds to give to Hannah. She's not exactly sure if she experiences romantic attraction like most others do, but she's fond of people who want to be close to her and even if she didn't have Miho she'd ''still'' want to be involved and make chocolate for friends. Honestly it's more of a partake-in-gendered-ritual thing for her because manga's warped her brain. But ''that'' is for another day, today is ''shopping'' for chocolate and trying things! Amy's gotten a few samples of good chocolates to try, and perhaps a few packs of things that caught her eye as potentially interesting to particular friends -- like maybe cute monster-shaped ones for Taro, for example -- and tried to find a good deal on the chocolate to give to most of her classmates. She pauses after stepping out into the chill air, its briskness filling her lungs. "Uhhh... Honestly, I dunno how many more kinds of chocolate I can retain information on today..." she smiles, "but, there still might be more out there that catches my eye, and it's always nice hanging with you two anyway!"
Mamoru Chiba	Mamoru's got a bag of Weird Expensive Artisan Chocolate Bars he's been picking up one by one, because he knows his audience. He's in all black-- mock turtleneck and jeans-- except for a dark red short-sleeved button-down with bright red stylized roses on it, and fancy red Fluevogs. His black hat has cat ears. He looks a little beleaguered. "How about we grab dinner and then decide if we're done or not?" He may not have been the best help to Rashmi, since he's been deliberately picking flavors that make him raise his eyebrows, for Kazuo. However, he ''does'' make eyes at some salted caramel and dark chocolate raspberry stuff, because sometimes he is a basic bitch. (Except for the creme brulee. That's slightly more snobby. It's French.) Mamoru smiles at Amy. "You too," he says, his friendly affection quiet, but she can tell he's overstimulated and his hierarchy of needs is demanding food over all. "Protein will help make the decision."
Emi Hoshino	It's an ordinary Monday in Tokyo. People come and go. The streets are full. The ambience is perhaps a little sleepier than usual. Low energy. Flatter. Perhaps this is to be expected, given the darkness that has been leeching into the leylines of the city from Kyoto, but it hasn't reached a critical point yet by any stretch of the imagination. ut that's a problem for tomorrow... ... or is it? The first indication that something is wrong in the sheer number of people on their phones who are paying attention to the three Mahou on their sojourn. Its gradual, at first, but people are now openly stopping and staring at the three. It begins with a titter. And then a snicker. Soon, there's guffaws. Outright laughter follows. They're all laughing at them. And then one of them holds their phone up and out, screen towards them, so they can see. A pixelated smiley face. "And we're back, loyal viewers," it booms, far less tinny than it should be from the confines of a cheap phone's speaker system. "Now that we've finished our recap, it's time for the re-review! Remember to jam that like and subscribe button! We're powered by our fans! Now, it's time to ..." "RATE..." "YOUR..." "HENSHIN! WELCOME BACK, RASHMI-MAMORY-AMY, WE'VE GOT SOME DEEP CUT REVIEWS FOR YOU TODAY!" More of the passerbys have stopped, holding their phones out towards the three of them -- the same face on every one of them, its voice echoing in multitudes, a smile replicated on the faces of all its fans.
Rashmi Terios	"You're right," Rashmi says, bobbing her head, though the amount of heads turning their way is beginning to get distracting. "Dinner first, then decide. I think I saw a ramen shop a couple... blocks... back okay Amy-chan do I have nougat on my face or something? What--" Her voice cuts off, as phones are held out to face the group, and the devastatingly familiar voice resounds through Mitakihara. 'Rate!' 'Your!' 'Henshin~!' "OH COME ON!" Rashmi thunders, indignation flooding her voice. "Don't you ha-- I guess not okay y'know what fine let's do this I DON'T CARE." And she slips under an awning, breaking line of sight from as many directions as possible, before pulling out a composition book and holding it up in front of her face. "Nicomachea Exia! Set! Up!!"
Amy Faust	Amy gives Mamoru an understanding nod. They need a break and food. She's dressed in the same fleece-lined cream hoodie, mottled grey-and-black skirt, and pink-and-white beanie from yesterday, this time paired with one of the tees she gave out at Magic Karaoke of a chibi tiger 'nyo'-ing into a microphone, and insulated leggings with an angular pink-and-black pattern on them (it came in a set with the grey-and-black ones!) She hadn't really been paying attention to other people. As they walk down the street and someone ''stares'', she briefly meets their gaze, and forces herself to shrug it off. Memories of another life feel increasingly like, well, another life, or that happened to someone else, but she clings to the wisdom of 'everyone is ''not'' paying attention to you they have their own lives to worry about, it just feels like that 'cuz you're a teenager'... But ''man'', it sure does feel like it. But even if it does... ''yeah, what if they are? You're a cute girl, ''two'' cute girls and one of the prettiest boys in school (according to people who are attracted to boys.) It's eye-catching! That's probably why they're looking. They're not ''judging'' you. And then she notices another person staring. And another. Are they... snickering? > And we're back, loyal viewers! "Wait, they can ''see magic?!'' But we're not in a nightmare!" Amy looks at the pixelated faces in wide-eyed alarm, and then checks that she can't breathe through her nose while pinching it. "''Pretty'' sure we're not..." she mutters. "Wait, ''recap?!'' What'd you tell them?!"
Mamoru Chiba	Mamoru instantly scrambles to put his earplugs in as Rashmi goes to henshin, bag of chocolate around his wrist, then says, "Aaa-- how'd we beat this asshole last time? I don't remember. Earth Crystal Power, Make Up!" It's a full-on glowing glittery naked outline and ribbons and bokeh lights and stars and shoujo bubbles mask-first henshin, with impressively billowing cape unfurling in shimmers as he makes dramatically appropriate gestures. When he's done he leaps up to the top of the closest streetlight, tossing his hair, his cape settling around his ankles, one hand on his hip. His other hand throws back his cape and produces a rose, which he holds delicately. "Tuxedo Mask is on the scene!" he sings out, then ostentatiously sniffs the rose. "So sweetly scented a knife, so beautiful a weapon--! It is too tragic that this rose's grace must be bent toward violence instead of loveliness followed by vitamin C, but vile bullies like YOU force my hand and the hands of my friends." Another pose way up there on the lamppost and Mamoru finishes strong, "You suck and we're gonna talk to you about it with our fists!"
Molly Skyline	When Molly got a text from Rashmi to join her and there were chocolates mentioned, she wanted to come instantly. However, she was in the middle of a preliminary assessment to do with getting a prosthetic arm -- and even with Setsuna's offer for help in getting the best arm she can, she still has to go through the provess, which put her in the curious position of sitting through an appointment she's been waiting for for a long time and doesn't want to rush, combined with wanting to go meet her friend right away. The result of this being that the second she had her freedom she was on her way in henshin, not bothering with ''WAITING FOR A BUS'' when she could just fly there at a speed much closer to the speed of sound than the bus can accomplish. (OKay well maybe not ''that'' much closer, but closer.) So it is that the one-armed Star Devil arrives on scene with her backpack slung on her shoulder beneath her Flier Fin wings and Starcrash clutched in hand; the metal in her greaves squeals on the pavement as she lands and skids to a halt in a shower of sparks. "Starcrash warned me there were enemy targets from about a mile out," she explains breathlessly. "What've we got? Sorry I'm late!"
Emi Hoshino	"That's right! We're back in action! Chat, let your comments roll in! First, we have --" And then -Molly- arrives out of seeming nowhere, so far as its concerned, and everyone holds their phones up and cameras in her direction, capturing her from every angle in the crowd. "Whoa! Hold on, hold on. We have a late entry! Hey! Who's your tailor? It's not that guy, that's for sure," a digital finger on the phone screens is angled towards Mamoru, "He has an actual sense of style -- too bad clothes don't actually make the man." DING! A single star appears over Molly's head. "BAM! ONE STAR FOR FASHION! Let's see what else we've got!" he civilians phones turn towards Mamoru, Molly, and Amy each, scanning them, taking them in, and bracing for the attacks that come next.
Rashmi Terios	As the flash of golden light dies, Rashmi doesn't look any less annoyed in her Barrier Jacket. Though when Molly screeches onto the scene, the redheaded Devicer does let out a long sigh of relief. << So if this is like last time, >> she says into the mental comms net as it spools up, << we beat it with sincerity. Star Devil-chan, I'd like to introduce you to the Nightmare's physical manifestation of cyberbullying. The last time it found me, it was when we thought you were dead, and used that against me. So it can go to hell-- >> << BONG! >> << TIME-SPACE BARRIER >> A bubble of yellow-black staticky energy forms over Nicomachea's pages, then blasts outward... only to meet the glitchy pixel-faces of RateYourHenshin's mob, and be forced, with no small amount of struggle, back until it surrounds Rashmi only, at which point the spell collapses. << ...Well crap. So uh... Collateral damage is a problem too I guess, uh... >> Rashmi Terios Has A Concern.
Amy Faust	Mamoru just transforming in the open knocks Amy out of her 'wait what did it TELL THEM' worry for a second, and she lifts her hands to chest-level in front of her and swipes her right hand over her left. (The ring is currently not visible under her gloves, white pleather over microfiber and the one item in her outfit that ''was'' conjured just so they could fit ''perfectly.'' Also, her chocolate purchases are safely tucked away in her messenger bag!) Instead of the usual ending to her henshin where she lands on her feet, she's dropped on her butt instead, in the 'cute' outfit with the frilly-cuffed white shirt and tights under a sleeveless red-pink dress with matching bow, beret, and mary-janes and darker long vest, her hair tied low in twintails and wand with a big red bow and pink heart on the end in-hand. Can you be so off-balance you fall out of your henshin wrong? Maybe! Though shocked for almost a second she does a hands-free stand up by crossing her legs, standing, and uncrossing them, and points the wand at the nearest screen. "Hey! Don't make fun of my friends!" "Ooh. Bold words from the girl facing us in cosplay! If they didn't want to hear hard truths they shoulda dressed better and ''been'' better." While Amy ''had'' sometimes chosen this outfit to try and look more like a 'typical' magical girl fighting with hope and friendship rather than high explosives and anti-tank weaponry, RMH calls her attention to that she's sometimes ended up subconsciously changing when anxious. Hmm. "H-hey. It looks good on me! It's cute!" "And that's what the heroine is doing with her magic, folks! Normal schmuck gets magic and should be saving the world, and she's playing dress-up with it instead!" Amy's fists clench. "That's not what I said! I can't-- my life isn't fighting monsters like ''you'' every hour of every day!" "You heard her! There could be a Witch eating people in the next city over ''right now'', and she's out shopping with her friends!" "That's not... that's not..." Fudge, Amy's never been good at socially arguing on her feet...
Mamoru Chiba	"Star Devil, hey, welcome to cyberbullying hell," Tuxedo Mask calls from his lamp post. << What happens if we leave? We can pick our battleground if the nightmare follows us. >> He jumps down because-- maybe this isn't a physical fight. "I'm a man ''today'', and in fact, most of the time. And the clothes do have something to do with it, but I don't think gender is what you were aiming for with that bomb of an insult," he says strangely mildly. << Like, how sincere? I mean, just because you've seen exactly what'll make me lose my tiny mind doesn't mean I want to admit it out loud in an afterschool special. I know what my problems are, and I did not budget for vulnerability today. Amy-chan, it's bad faith arguing with you. This is when you log off the internet. It just won't let us log off. >> He's still holding the rose, the rose that breaks magic, the rose that opens doors in dreams, and he walks toward one of the civilians with the screens pointed at them, closer, closer, and if the civilian doesn't back away he taps their screen with the stem of his rose, like it's got a spell around it or something. Worth a shot, right?
Molly Skyline	Molly takes a moment to take it all in and connect with Rashmi's psychic coms line, and lets out a loud, verbal Aaaaaaaaaaugh. And she's just about to respond when she getes rated with... one... star. One? One. "Oh, seriously? One star? As if you buncha gormless pillocks would know the meaning of 'fashion' if someone loaded a bunch of gold bricks into a Prada pillow case and smacked you straight in the gob with it!" Molly punctuates her return fire by cradling her staff against her shoulder to free up her hand, and throws up two fingers in a 'V' shape -- which if you're British, unless you're Winston Churchill is basically the middle finger. << ...Oh. >> Molly drops her hand back to her side and blushes behind her battle visor. << So responding with a like outburst is the wrong way. Got it. >> She pauses, sucking in her breath. << Also, like, I'm.. sorry you had to deal with that... then. I know that wasn't a good time for like... anything. I'm here now and I'm not going to let them talk smack about you even if I have to blow up this neighborhood... which... I shouldn't do since your time/space barrier fizzled. Awkward. >>
Emi Hoshino	"How dare you try to cut off our loyal fans," counters Rate Your Henshin as Rashmi tries to summon the barrier. "You're going to cause... "VIRAL OUTRAGE," chants the crowd in unison and indeed, it is this viral outrage that spreads like wildfire amongst them. So outrageous. Comments from the crowd can be heard, both whispered and over the speakers of their phones and appearing in little chat bubbles around their heads. "...censoring us..." "...streisand effect..." "Main character syndrome..." % Chastising Rashmi for trying to shunt them away! Amy's withering under fire causes those smiles to get even bigger and a single star appearws over -her- head next. "Re-review completed! No growth whatsoever!" Mamoru's approach is stared at it -- it's not sure what he's trying to do, and certainly, that magic breaking rose will break the spell over that person. Their phone goes back to normal... "Feisty, fesity, feisty! We like this one! She'll be entertaining! Shame you were DEAD the last time we met you, but that's okay! There's plenty of time for us to get know you better than you know yourself! Initial assessment completed! Chat, what do we think?" The single stars that appear over Rashmi, Amy, and Molly all shimmer slightly, and all of them can both feel and hear the comments -pouring in-, cutting into them verbally, preying on their insecurities, mocking them for their lack of growth and evolution. So BORING! So dull! % But something -else- happens on the phone screen that Mamoru freed. It went from Rate Your Henshin's digital face to their phone lock screen, to ... Rate your Henshin again? But it looks different. A little more fragmented, angrier, sparking. And then it spreads to several other phones nearby and then turn towards the others in the crowd, holding their phones up. "...excuse me?! What fresh hell is this?! Here I am, laying dormant after a long night to find that my streaming style has been hijacked by an imposter?! Well, EXCUSE ME, buddy, but I'm filing a strike against your stream!" ... oh no. There's TWO of them?!
Rashmi Terios	<< No, like... When you're trying to help the Sailor Senshi, encouragement and affirmation? He finds it cringe. >> The chastisement falls on deaf ears, at first; yes she was trying to censor the Nightmare's reach, because it hurts people and if you don't have magic you don't deserve even getting hit with splashback when monsters start hurting people. But the comments dig... deeper. 'You had one job.' 'Good work! Now you and half your friends are useless!' 'Aren't you supposed to be the 'make everyone better' girl? Lolwut' 'They're all going to die because you aren't good enough.' It's that last one that gets her, causes her to shrink in on herself and need a few good, long deep breaths. "...Maybe," she says, voice cracking... Then she swallows, tries again. "Maybe! But we could die anytime, you're not special for being able to take us out! That's not the point! The point is there will never be enough of you to beat us, no matter who has the last shot! Doesn't matter if you win or lose today, there's no world where you win for long!" << That. That is how we beat them. By really believing they don't know what they're talking about. >> And then oh god THERE IS ANOTHER ONE, what? Hiroyuki Sanada's voice whispers in the back of Rashmi's brain, just for a moment.
Mamoru Chiba	It can't come after his gender. It can't come after his sense of style, that's impeccable. Even Casual Friday. Totally unassailable. But as Tuxedo Kamen's reaching for the phone he tapped with the rose, to steal it with its new/old RYH glitching out on it, the younger shinier less angry RYH-- << Shit we need to name them. Thing 1 is glitchy, Thing 2 is the one that first showed up tonight. >> --Thing 2 crows, "Oh, oh, no he thinks money makes the man. He thinks money makes a place for him, but he knows that the moment anyone finds out he's an ''orphan'' the place he's buying in society vanishes!" Mamoru sighs, though the skin at the back of his neck is crawling now. His skin is crawling. It's on the right track somehow. Maybe Subsy-- "Old news!" he shakes his head firmly. "And besides, I'm getting married and taking her name. I'll be a fortress of respectability." Thing 2's voice comes from another phone near Mamoru, "He's ''admitting'' he's a phony! He found someone who's willing to enable his delusion, you think it's his pretty face or his money--" Mamoru rips his glove off and grabs for one of the Thing 2 phones, hoping that touching it works like touching an enemy, and floods that magicked phone with the sensation with ''healing and happiness'' from his ''wedding''.
Molly Skyline	"Yeah?! Well how many people do ''you'' know who came back from the dead? That's pretty damn cool, right? Hunh? Any of YOU ever do anything so cool as dieing and it doesn't stick? That's right you didn't." Molly shrinks back when the return rejoinder is a load of vitriol, aimed at her and her friends. That, and then there's a second one. So there's two now? These nightmares are just awful. And then there's everything that getes said about Rashmi to boot. About how she let her friends die, and is bad at her job, and-- "Oh sod off," she snaps, slamming the business end of Starcrash into the pavement and leaving the staff standing there, all... jammed into a fresh hole in the public thoroughfare and everything, so she can go give Rashmi a one-armed hug. "I didn't die because Rashmi-chan let me, she fought to save me. I died because I ''chose too'', because saving my friends was worth it, and I lost my arm saving my friends, and I'll ''always'' make that choice because my friends are worth it. And they're cool in ways you'll never understand with your silly ratings. Go back to looking at cheap crap on Amazon. Mamoru-chan is one of the coolest guys I know. And nobody blows stuff up like Amy-chan does." 'Devil-wannabe thinks she's cool 'cause she died this one time' 'If she was ''actually'' cool she'd have like, 'won' the fight. Who remembers a loser?' 'Sounds like she made a good distraction at least. 2/10 for effort I guess' 'Wonder how long before she loses the other arm? She could get a job pretending to be the Black Knight' Molly's face turns red, and she basically just... burries herself against Rashmi's shoulder. << Do they ''have'' to pick on me about my arm? >>
Amy Faust	> Main character syndrome... "''Hey!''" Amy points at the screens. "''HE'S''-- uhh... it's? What are your pronouns? ''THEY'RE'' the one calling me a disappointment of a main character, ''I'' never claimed it!" > One star. No growth. "That's... that's not right!" "You're out buying ingredients to make chocolate because manga told you that's what girls do." She's not sure what to say to that. Her friends have words. << You BUDGET for vulnerability?! >> Amy thinks back, surprised. Amy looks up hopefully at Molly, and then ''alarmed'' at Rashmi as the barrier ''fails''. << Choose our battleground? There's no ''place'' where I'm strong. There's only being around the right ''people''. >> Like people who can see a fight rigged against her and tell her not to play! She nods to Tuxedo Mask... And also to Molly, grinning at the praise of being a good exploder. "Sigh. You steal my style and you're not even ''doing'' it right." Glitchy rolls its pixellated eyes at the other faces. "''Zero'' progress means ''zero'' stars." "Oh come on! I've helped save the world at least twice, and who knows how many other--" AMY NO DON'T ENGAGE Glitchy continues, "Buying ingredients so you can have a chocolate-making scene because ''that's what genderswap girls do''. You're not even Japanese! You don't care about the ''culture'' of Valentine's and White Day here... you're a ''tourist'' checking off sightseeing stops. New body, new feelings, girls taking you clothes shopping, dealing with monthlies, wondering if you have feelings for a boy now, eating sweets in a cafe, ryokan trip where you're very aware you're ''one'' thing and not the ''other'' now." Thing 2 interrupts, "It's kind of funny you're ''so bad'' at knowing what to do as a tourist in Japan after ''years'', because you're doing ''great'' at ''this'' itinerary!" "But..." Amy starts to mutter, "Hey, excuse me," Glitchy replies, "''I'' was doing ''MY'' bit here." "I'm not a 'tourist'!" Amy shouts, fist tightening around the wand. "I ''am'' a girl!" She levels the wand at the nearest phone and then realizes with wide-eyed hesitation that ''an innocent person is holding it.'' "YEAH AND ''THAT'S WHAT MAKES IT SO PATHETIC!''" replies Glitchy, on a roll. "If you were a ''guy'' how could we blame you for treating this like rides at a theme park on what would in that case be a very-messed up vacation." Thing 2 interjects, "Metaphor's getting a bit away from you there." "$Hut uP!" replies Glitchy in a distorted voice, before the pixellated faces turn from their counterparts to focus on Amy again. "You're not on vacation, you're... <distorted noise>!" It looks back to Thing 2. "You made me lose my train of thought!" Thing 2 takes this opportunity to push on, just as Amy is daring to stop looking at the ground afraid of what anyone will say, "You thought we'd stoop to transphobia like some two-bit hack? ''Nonono'', it's so sad ''because'' you're a girl treating this like a whistlestop tour after ''years. '''One. Star.'''''" ("What the <distorted noise> is a whistlestop tour" comments Glitchy, also "Zero Stars" to which Thing 2 replies "shut up") Glitchy piles on when Thing 2 has stopped talking, "...And that's just it, a proper Magical Girl story is supposed to also metaphorically represent your growth and maturation as a person, which it can't since you haven't, and that is why we RATE YOUR HENSHIN at ''ZERO STARS.''" The face briefly has an icon of a hand dropping a micrephone. "Okay, ''that'' was good." Admits Thing 2. "Thanks, faker." "I meant it was a good imitation of ''me'', because YOU'RE the fake."