(Darkside - Lindsey Stirling)
Landing several buildings away when the guy stops in a park, the street lamps lit the area, and yet a darkness lingered at the edges, almost alive as it clawed eagerly at the light. Ooh, creepy. If there were anywhere bad guys would gather, I suppose… She watches closely as the figure glides through the lamplight, before standing at the edge of the glow. He's studying something, voice slightly pitched and unhinged, before leaping toward the treeline and scuffling with someone else there. There's a bit of screeching and howling, before a figure is tossed into the lamp, denting it and slumping with a groan to the ground. Before the stalker could get in the final blow, Venus throws her crescent boomerang, slicing through the air in front of the ghoul when it dodges her attack. Although no real damage was done to its body, she still cut through its shirt.
Jumping down between the two, her golden hair sashaying around her hips as she glares darkly at the malicious entity. "You just damaged city property, on top of crippling someone! That is unforgivable!" Pointing to her tiara, she cries out, "I am Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Venus! Guardian of Love and Beauty! And in the name of Venus," she moves her hands to her side before pointing with one hand at the figure cloaked in darkness, her other moving to her hip. "I will punish you with Love!" A mad cackle answers her speech as the stomach curdling voice goads,
"Oh~? So you're Sailor Venus~! My, my! What a scrumptious little thing you are~!" Ocean blue irises bleed to gold as she bares her teeth at him, hearing a voice behind her cough wetly,
"Ugh, what a creep!" Reminded of the guy who's injured, she calls back quietly, "Are you okay?" A snort answers her first before a playful deep voice jokes,
"Well, I'm not dead yet, so I've got that goin for me. And a beautiful guardian is standing between me and my would-be executioner, so honestly, I'm probably one of the luckiest bastards alive at the moment, so thanks for that." The Guardian of Love smirks lightly as she quips,
"If you have the energy to joke, you should save it for staying alive, dummy."
"Aww, and name calling me already? I'm both flattered and wounded by your words, Ojou-sama." Huffing, the half-tailed senshi keeps her stare pinned to the perp while chastising the one behind her,
"Just save your breath, flatterer." The one in front of her sniffs the air, expression curious before contorting into a hideous grin as he keens,
"Oh hoh~! What a delectable scent! I've never smelled something so enticing before! I simply must have a taste!" Minako is shocked by his speed as he crouches before her, his hands gripping her hips as his head nears her skirt. Molten irises glinting with venom, she backhands him in the face and when he releases her legs, she knees him in the jaw. Grimacing lightly, she looks down at her wrist, which now has bite marks carved through several layers thanks to the cretin who now lay some meters away. This guy is such a… Gritting her teeth, Love's ki flares brightly from her anger, frightening the man behind her if his cry of 'kuso!' is anything to go by. She knows he won't be hurt, but to the two unused to her power, it's quite an intimidating display.
However, instead of crumpling like she thought it might, the disgusting pig in front of her groans and licks its lips lasciviously, smearing the traces of her blood across his chin. "Oh… such sweet nectar, and yet not as satisfying as your, honey, would be…" she feels it's sad eyes trail from her stomach to the tops of her thighs hungrily, making her scowl furiously and shout,
"Not in your life you nasty thing!" Not wasting any more time being ogled, the astral warrior charges and shouts, "Venus," kissing her palm and winking, she grabs the energy and throws it while roaring, "Love and Beauty Shock!" Her gilded rose chains twist and writhe toward her target, skimming the beasts shoulders and side as it narrowly avoids being impaled by them. When she gets close enough, she clenches her left fist not holding her chains, and waving the hand that did, had him arcing away from the brilliant burning purity. Narrowing her merigold gaze, the incensed soldier builds energy in her right palm, and when within range, she just knew the creep would try grabbing her again.
Knowing the timing was right, as the idiot had stepped within her range, she pulled the chains back, causing them to flex downward. When he takes the bait to bend around them, she delivers a fierce uppercut that has him flying into the chains that have rounded back from her motions, screaming in agony. Flicking her wrist, Minako twirls the chains in a shrinking spiral around him as they draw back to her, lancing it's flesh like a knife through butter. When the ends snap together, the kinetic energy blasts the monster away from her and into the tree line outside the lamp's light. Leaning back into a military straight stance, her chains coiled at her feet, she glares darkly at the area the body was tossed, while the man she was protecting goggles,
"Shit lady! You are one hell of a whip wielder. Using one is hard enough, but three!" Sighing in exasperation, Love's tempest looks over her shoulder at her cheerleader, irises roiling with yellow topaz as she chides,
"Mou! You should just be quiet!" Feeling it's vulgar, beady eyes skimming her form, she timed it right again as he pounced from the trees, and right into her knee to its nose. Cringing when it screeches in anguish, she quickly spins into a roundhouse kick, sending it flying into the bushes again, and silencing the beast's noise. Fuming darkly at the area she had just tossed it, Mina states to the injured man, "He's likely going to run now, so I'll need to leave you. Will you be alright on your own?" The guy coughs wetly as he replies flippantly,
"Go ahead, Ojou-sama. I'll just… relax here for a bit." Nodding, she runs toward the tree line faster than any normal human should, leaving the man laying limply against the bent up lamp.
_ ~Kurama~ _
(Ningen no Dougu/ Human Tools - Yuki Kajiura)
"Man… that was one hell of a woman. Y'know… it's kind of cute how you're looking out for her." A smooth baritone dips into a rolling growl,
"Do not speak of what you do not know." The impudent man grins cheekily before needling,
"I know if I had a chance with a woman like her, I wouldn't let her leave my sight either." A blade is pressed tightly to the yokai's neck, Kurama's energy fluctuating in agitation as he puts his hands up. "Whoa! Easy there, I was only jesting. No need to take this so-"
"Tell me why two demons would be fighting to the death in the middle of a human city." It's clearly a demand, not a question, though the apparition didn't seem truly worried about a grass blade to its throat. Shrugging, the slumped figure answers,
"I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time, I guess. Nothing much to it. That, or…" he looks at the forest meaningfully, before adding, "I got too close to that guy's hunting grounds." Removing the blade from his throat, the crimson haired fox moves around to the front, finally getting a good look at the guy. Curling shoulder length black hair, chin length bangs, and a cocksure smirk across his sharp, human looking face; he would be quite handsome, if he weren't fraying Kurama's already unraveling nerves. Glaring darkly at the unfortunate soul, he warns,
"I don't have the patience for games at the moment, so if this turns out to be another of your 'jests,' rest assured, you will wish for a quick death." The guy waves large hands, sweat dropping heavily as he chokes,
"Roger! Uh, give me a sec, my ribs are almost knitted back together." Turning and staring off to the woods, he waits patiently for the fool to heal enough to move, using his ki to probe for more problems. Although no other living energies stand out… there's several traps laid, magic and regular. A few moments later, the strange demon sighs in relief and stands back up, brushing the blackened, raggedy cloak he wore off. Kurama motions with his head toward the forest where the man had said the hunting grounds might be, and seemingly confused, the dark haired apparition asks,
"Aren't you gonna follow them? Make sure she's alright and all?" Smirking darkly, the impish investigator remarks,
"After what she demonstrated, I sincerely doubt she'll be injured. Moreover, she's more likely to obliterate him with her energy alone." He can feel the admiration in the stranger's tone as he recalls,
"Yeah, she got pissed and flared her ki. For a minute, I thought I was a goner. Never felt that much purity at once and have it not burn like a mother-"
"She's quite precise, and only seeks to destroy those she deems a threat. She's very protective of her friends." His temporary partner blinks at him as Kurama turns, hands stuffed in his pockets, to head toward the woods the sick yokai's scent came from. He hears the others light footsteps as the man concludes,
"Like you." Pausing in his strides, the enchanted fox looks over his shoulder at the taller demon,
"Yes, and?"
"I just think it's pretty cool you have such a powerful ally." Scoffing at the disregard of her personage, he corrects,
"Her power is nothing without her kindness, as you previously felt."
"Which brings me to my next point, are you sure we can leave her on her own?" Quite irritated with the rambling demon, he turns to spurn the man directly when he notices the concern etched into the others features, gazing in the direction Venus pursued her target. "I mean, yeah, she's hella strong, but that guy, he was a piece of work." Now anxious himself, he demands quickly,
"What do you mean?"
"That guy wasn't expecting her to drop in, but that doesn't mean he doesn't have traps laying around here. Like the one I must have tripped to let him know I was nearby." Clenching his hand in his pocket, the thief turned businessman concedes,
"There's a chance she may be heading toward something of that sort, however…" staring into the woods where the apparition was leading him, Kurama advises, "Do not underestimate her. She is much more than just a soldier. If there is one thing you should learn about ningens, their conviction and faith carry far greater weight than any individual's raw power alone." Things are blessedly quiet for a few moments, until...
"Y'know, I think you want to be more than friends with-"
"Finish that statement, and your ribs won't be your only concern." Waving his hands in surrender down at the incensed fox's back, he yips,
"Yessir!"
(I Talk to the Rain Live Version 2019 - Yuki Kajiura)
Weaving their way through the trees methodically, Kurama followed his senses and led them carefully around the traps, rousing a prying, "You're pretty good at this, you maneuver around traps before?" Keeping himself from sighing in irritation, the redhead returns,
"I should think it's obvious." The man sighs himself before stating bluntly,
"You really don't like me do you?"
"I don't like unknown variables. You and the other one are such things." And you act like someone familiar, but that's not always a good thing. The dark haired man nods before agreeing,
"That's understandable. So I'm guessing you aren't a surprise kind of guy then?" Huffing, Kurama confirms,
"No, I'm not." They reach a clearing, and lying in various states of decay are the bodies of several humans, mostly female as both stare with narrowed eyes,
"Yeah, this is definitely not the kind of surprise anyone wants." Frown etching itself further onto his mouth as he reveals,
"Most certainly, considering this is evidence of the first case of a demon murdering humans in the past four years."
_ ~Minako~ _
(Nowhere - Yuki Kajiura)
The determined warrior feels every nerve in her body like advanced machinery, no slip or space between parts as she pushes her senses as far as they can go. Although her body burns steadily from her muscles working, it's that pleasant, high kind of burn you get from pushing your body to its limits. Legs cycling lithely, her molten eyes stay glued to the shadow hopping from tree top to tree top, mind working furiously as she tries to figure out his game plan. He's probably leading me to a trap, the freak. Time to turn the tables. Gritting her teeth, she takes aim and shouts, "Venus, Crescent Beam!" Her aim and time perfect, she nicks it's leg and causes the thing to falter, missing the branch they intended to land on.
Rushing toward the falling figure, Venus shouts, "Venus, Love and Beauty Shock!" Kissing her palm and flicking her wrist, first downward then back up, causing a ripple in the three chains to arc toward the body. The form twists, barely dodging the ends, but thankfully, she was prepared. Taking her crescent compact, she shouts, "Venus Crescent Boomerang!" Just as she'd planned, it slashed open the slippery cretin's shoulder. Its scream of pain echoes in the forest, disturbing the night fauna into the dark sky. Standing tall before the bent over creature, she growls,
"End of the line buddy, now fess up. Why were you following the redhead?" The fierce defender hears a few swears beneath its breath before the beast snears,
"It's… a... secret~!" Baring her teeth in anger, she snarls,
"Then I'll ring it out of you!" Grabbing the chain from her waist, she nearly has it wrapped around the sicko's neck, but another set of eyes focus on her back, causing her to shift her weight to her left leg. Dodging to that side, burning canary tourmaline irises pierce the scumbag behind her as she throws the crescent boomerang, the attack sudden as they had thought they caught her off guard. Minako's determined gaze is dispassionate as the smell of flesh burning finally fills her nose, the literal backstabber throwing something at her feet, light and sound addling her senses. Arms crossing in front of her face to protect from attacks and the light as she tries to use any other perception to keep an eye on her opponents.
(I Talk to the Rain 2019 recording - Yuki Kajiura)
Much to her dismay, when the disorienting light fades, the two monsters are long gone, forcing her to clench her fists and teeth in frustration as she tries to find any more of them. Turning her body to and fro, she finds no trace of them left as she hisses, "Damn, I can't believe I lost them!" The wind combs strongly through her buttercup locks, the sliver of moonlight glinting starkly off the silky strands like the burning rage in her eyes. Letting the Whip of Love dissipate into glittering sparks, Venus glares heatedly into nothingness as she promises darkly, "I will do everything in my power to keep him safe. You can count on it!" Focusing on her power within, she teleports from the spot in the forest to a few buildings away from Game Center Crown.
Ensuring there was no one else around, she teleports inside and stands before the Sailor V Game, nodding to the character who winks back. The floor slides open to allow her access to the steps as she heads down into their Lunar Command Center. Walking up to the console, the Soldier of Love directs the system, "I need the recording of my fight a few moments ago, and any other disturbances this evening. Energy fluctuations, temperature differentials, and any other material I could use to triangulate those figures' positions." Standing before the Lunar supercomputer, she hears a voice confirm,
(Here Slow Cover - Junna)
"Yes, Sailor Venus. It will be done... Why don't you get some rest and come back tomorrow evening? You have work tomorrow." Sunflower flecked ocean waves narrow as Venus snips,
"How can I possibly worry about sleep and work when there's a monsters like them on the loose?" The room's quiet before the system responds,
"You are already at your limit Sailor Venus. Your vitals are haywire and the adrenaline rush will wear off soon. You need rest, your human body requires it. You will be no good to us too exhausted to stand, let alone fight." Minako wanted to fight, her soul called for it, but she knew the boss was correct. She could already feel the weariness down to her bones, despite her training, yet she still wasn't quite convinced.
"...If anything happens, you will alert me, whether I'm awake or at work, right?" Another pregnant pause before it assures,
"Yes, Sailor Venus." Nodding, she turns and begins to walk up the steps before stopping and calling out,
"Goodnight boss."
"Goodnight, Lady Venus." Releasing her transformation before she comes out of the arcade, she jumps when a white feline falls to his feet before her.
"Where have you been Mina! I've been looking everywhere for you!" Blinking azure gems lightly, the half-tailed idol quips,
"Finding trouble. My mission was successful by the way." The heckled cat yowls,
"You find enough trouble as is! You don't need to be in anymore!" Holding a finger to her chin, she becomes serious as she informs him,
"I came across some real creeps today. One even bit me." Revealing the deep bite marks on her wrist, she hears the small advisor gasp,
"Oh Mina… if only the machine was functional..." Shrugging, she brushes her thigh length hair off her shoulder as she begins the trek to her humble apartment.
"I hadn't intended to break it, you know. It'll probably heal in a few days, anyway, so quit worrying." She hears the light pads of kitty paws on the cement behind her preceding the sound of his posh voice,
"Mina! I can't stop worrying about you!" Oh Artemis… Looking over her shoulder at the pale lunar cat, she smiles warmly before replying,
"Thanks Artie. That's sweet, but I'll be fine. I just need a little rest now is all." Minako can feel slit spring green irises stay on her back as she turns back forward, the feeling of love and worry weighing them between her shoulders. Lapis lazuli gaze at the line of moon left in the sky, doll eyes glowing as they seek answers for the events of the day. Finding herself mesmerized by the last bits of light, she simply allows her body to guide her back home, energy slowly bleeding from her body as her guardian follows her silently. When they reach the apartment door, she hears Artemis ask quietly,
"Who was the man you dragged with you?" Ah, there it is. Beaming at the memory of the beautiful and mysterious Shuichi, she recalls,
"He's someone I keep running into. For the past three days we've somehow, some way, keep finding each other. It's like… a strange dream I don't want to wake up from." Going inside, she shuts the door behind her advisor, exhaustion sinking in as she hears her partners voice pitch while he scolds,
"Mina… it sounds almost like-"
"You know I can't, Artemis. I..." Honey bangs shade her face from view, unlatching her bra, she slips it and her shorts, leggings, and underwear down her legs, stepping out of them as she whispers tiredly,
"Is it wrong to want to make friends? To protect an innocent from harm? To..." Pulling her t-shirt over her head, she walks toward her pile of laundry in a basket, blond hair falling loose when she unties the ribbon, swaying like a halo around her hips. "It's such a unique way to see things. You have an incredibly outward way of thinking, Mina-san." Raising her head to stare at the hanging moon once more, she ends with a melancholy, "...want someone new to notice me, for me?" She knows if she weren't so fatigued, she might have even cried. Not a chance. Aino, Minako doesn't cry. Grabbing some mismatched pajamas and slipping them on messily, the Guardian of Love hears a soft sigh and a sad lilt,
"Mina…" Climbing tiredly into bed, she grabs some peroxide and bandages from a bag by her futon, dumping a generous portion of the liquid on her wound. The sizzling sound and slight pain not really registering as she wraps the bandages loosely and ties them off.
"Goodnight, Artie." Feeling a small weight by her hip, she hears a quiet,
"Goodnight, Mina." Finally allowing her body to relax, ocean blues slowly close and allow the awaiting nightmares to take her.
_ ~Next Day~ _
(Sanctuary Mree cover - Utada Hikaru)
(Kawaii Takurami - Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon)
Minako knew she would wake up tired, it was about 2:30 when she finally got home, but she felt like her body was ready to give out. I guess that's what happens when you get about 30 minute naps between nightmares on top of waking up five hours later for a year straight. Even as she stood under the warm shower water, she looked at her hands as they shook beneath the droplets. Gritting her teeth, she clenches her fist before loosening it and running her fingers through her hair. Focusing intensely, the shakes disappear before a hovering feline can notice. Breathing in deep, she exhales slowly through slightly parted lips, squeezing the conditioner out of her golden tresses.
Putting on a sheer cyan jacket, pink scarf tied cutely behind her neck, monochrome tie dye sleeveless tank with a giant daisy in the center and the text 'kiss me I love you' at the bottom, paired with a doily chiffon skirt, she picks up her purse from the corner of the room. Slipping on some black ankle boots over her socks, she feels eternally grateful for the wonderful invention of pocket dimensions, otherwise I'd lose all my stuff when I transform! Azure gems glance toward the floor length mirror sitting before her front door, trailing her form critically before coming across her strained features under layers of makeup. Flinching at the sign of weakness, she huffs at herself, pulling her lower eyelid down at herself and sticking her tongue out. Giggling lightly, she feels her spirits lift greatly from the silly face, even if she did look cute with braids done into her half-tail.
Turning to look over her shoulder, she waves her bandaged hand at Artemis as she hollers, "I'm going! I'll be back later tonight!" The concerned look on his face nearly gives her pause as he responds quietly,
"Be careful Mina." Beaming benignly, the talented actress winks and blows a kiss, running out the door while shouting,
"I will!" Glad that today she was focusing on modeling, and although oftentimes grueling to stay in one position, today she'd take it over recording a routine at the moment. Hopping onto the bus at the stop, she nearly doesn't make it before the doors close, sighing in relief when none of her clothes are caught. Blinking innocently at the peeved driver, Minako grins and waves her injured hand at him, making the man sweat drop at the terribly loose wrapping. Sitting in a seat toward the front, she watches out the window and wonders if Shuichi found his way home. He's a smart guy, he'll be alright, and I also... She remembers blowing that kiss to him, a little energy that'd zap any baddies that tried to hurt him. Glancing down at the already unravelling edges of the dressing, she huffs in exasperation as she lifts the sad and limp bindings up to her face before humming,
"I'll have to re-wrap them when I get to the studio." Blond lashes flutter when she feels someone watching her closely, tilting her head toward the glass to look at the reflection, she notices a gorgeous woman staring at her. Or more like… my sad bandages. Snorting to herself, the weary star leans back and relaxes a bit against the seat, staring mindlessly at the clouds until the vehicle stops. Lapis irises flicker as she focuses back on her surroundings, realizing she somehow zoned out for three stops and is at the one she needs. Hopping up with energy she really didn't have, she darts out of the seat and through the doors, skipping toward the studio as she notices the stare still locked on to her back.
Weird… is she some sort of enemy? Making sure to memorize the feeling, Minako makes it to her workplace just in the nick of time. Leering at the racket, the receptionist hisses, "Aino! Quiet down! There's no need for you to crash through everything!" Rolling sea blue waves, the bright fashionista chirps,
"But how else will you know I made it on time? Watch, if I come in quietly one day, you'll think somethings wrong!" Groaning, the older yet still pretty woman behind the counter slaps it with a fan before nagging,
"Just get in there! They've been waiting for the past ten minutes now!"
"Hai~!" With that, her extraordinarily agonizing day began with, of course, being scolded by Ochira-san, her choreographer for her injury. Giving a lame excuse, they work quickly on set to hide the wound after they bandage it properly. Struggling greatly with her fatigue, she tries not to let it show as they work through sets and poses, some going well, others not so much. By the end of the day, her breathing was getting heavier, earning her remarks from Tachi-san, her manager.
"You're not doing so well today, Aino-san. You haven't been sleeping again, have you?" Waving him off lightly, Minako huffs,
"I'm fine, they're just nightmares." Blinking, the grey eyed, cropped brown haired man glances up from around his square glasses,
"Some say dreams are our mind's representation of the subconscious, so struggles in dreams, or in this case, nightmares, are hurdles you won't face in the waking world. So instead, they interrupt your night's rest." Sighing irritably, the sporty media darling grouses,
"Thanks doc, I'll keep that in mind."
"I don't think anyone would want to be your doctor, Aino-san." Minako hisses in annoyance,
"Hey! Are you saying I'm too messed-up for help!" Adjusting his glasses smartly, the young manager retorts,
"If the shoe fits, Aino-san. But not to worry, all of us have problems. Yours just happens to bowl everyone else over with you."
"Mou! Thats-" A commanding and smooth feminine voice cuts in quickly,
"Alright you two, enough of that. Shacho, we need a new schedule written up since Miss Aino can't perform the rest of the week. Aino, no more getting too close to wild animals, they will bite." Pouting at the person who everyone affectionately called 'Tiger Mom,' the offended diva whines,
"I didn't corner it! It cornered me!" Ochira-san sends a pointed look at Minako before reminding,
"Whatever the case, we'll need to adjust for this now." A girly yet slightly mellow tone chides,
"Geez, you guys sound so concerned for senpai! It's alright Aino-san! We can work this out! That's what makes us professionals, right everyone?" A young girl with short brown pigtails at the top of her head smiles in reassurance at the starry eyed performer,
"Thanks Tomi-chan!" A teasing lilt sounds from a few feet away, drawling,
"So that's what you kids call it these days, bit by an animal, hmm?" Everyone pauses, before swinging to look at the cameraman grinning cheekily. Minako asks suspiciously,
"What do you mean?"
"Oh, y'know, young love and all that!" The girls squeak in embarrassment, Tachi-san sighs painfully while 'Tiger Mom' growls ferociously,
"What~! Aino! Is that true?" Gaping at the complete betrayal of expectations, the overly dramatic athlete nearly screeches,
"N-no way! What is wrong with you, Darehara-san!" The stubble covered man laughs uproariously while everyone else chitters in excitement and worry. Huffing angrily, Minako pouts while groaning, "Mou! This is way too deep to be an out-of-control secret boyfriend! I'm out of here guys!" A chorus of chatter echoes at her from behind, but she's beyond worrying about what any of them will think now. As if I can have anybody! Getting on the bus to get back, she doesn't feel that particular set of eyes on her anymore, giving her a bit of relief. Plopping onto the seat, sunny lashes close for only a moment, and once again, the stops pass her by without her notice. Popping up straight, she looks around frantically, unsure of which stop she's at until the person behind her pipes up,
"We're at Sendaizaka." Not looking at them, the vibrating blond whips out of her seat as she calls,
"Thank you!" Dashing off the bus before it moves again, she nearly bounces on her way home, desperate to just flop down in bed and nap for a bit. If only I could sleep for more than half an hour at a time. Pushing her key in the outside door, she feels her small boost of panicked energy begin to wane, leaving her stomach dropping heavily as every step feels cumbersome. Why am I so tired? Is my wound infected? Deciding to check on the bindings when she finds her room, Minako stumbles into the elevator and leans against the back, trying to gain her equilibrium back. A ding brings her back into consciousness, sending a jolt down her spine as she fumbles through the hall, heading toward her door. Almost there! Gritting her teeth, she finds the door, and after missing the lock a few times, pushes the door open and falls inside.
Feeling a paw on her face, honey lashes flutter as azure meets frightened flower bud green. "Mina! What's wrong? What's happening to you Mina?" Heaving a breath out, she pushes herself onto shaking arms, kicking the door closed as she mumbles,
"It might be infected…" Before the lunar feline can say anymore, the senshi's blood runs cold as a deranged voice intones,
"Oh? So you are a human! And a weak one at the moment!" Glaring heatedly, Love's avatar growls,
"No thanks to you! What did you do to me?"
"Nothing much, just left a present for you in the wound. Now that I've found you again, we can become one sweety!" Grabbing the crystal from her shirt, she shouts,
"Venus Crystal Power, Make-up!" Her transformation takes him by surprise as he doesn't move, nor look away, instead staring greedily at the ribbons and stars enveloping her clothless form. When her attire reappears, Venus points a finger angrily at him as she cries, "I won't let your darkness plague us anymore! In the name of Venus, accept Love's punishment!" The creature looks giddy, grin nearly splitting it's hidden face as it crows,
"Ah, that wonderful scent! I must have it! Give it to me!" Dodging his attack, she watches in horror as he takes a wall down, exposing the neighbors to the frightful show. Feeling her heart lurch, she screams at them,
"Get out! Get everyone out now!" The family runs frantically, holding one another as they fly out the door, shouting to the others around them. Sweat drops from her temple as she struggles to maneuver around the thing's frantic attacks, each one more desperate than the last. And with each miss, more and more walls crumble until only the corners of the room remain. He wrecked my apartment! Feeling herself slow more and more, the weakened senshi pushes her body harder and harder to keep up, ending up moving around it feverishly until a blow finally lands to her stomach. Smacking into one of the few remaining corners, the other supports follow suit as the thing cackles, screeching,
"Soon, soon! You'll be mine soon!" Closing one gilded iris, Minako tries to sit up on her knees, pushing against the floor with all her might. A crack resounds in her ears as she tries to look up quickly, only for everything to go dark. Awakening to the sounds of chaos all around her, she grits her teeth and pushes herself to sit up, realizing that she managed to land in a corner, preventing her from being crushed by the collapsing building. Artemis! Looking around frantically, she coughs dryly before differentiating the cacophony of sounds around her.
"Mina! Mina! Please, answer me!" Artie! Pushing herself out of the corner she was holed into, she drags herself up to her feet, groaning,
"I'm here Artie! I'm over-"
"Please, help me!" Realizing someone else was trapped nearby, the wavering senshi chokes on dust before calling out,
"I'm almost to you, hold on!" Expanding her senses, she feels several more energies nearby, and several more pinned below. Oh, no! I have to get them out of here! In a flash, a man with white hair and a crescent moon on his forehead lifts the rubble from the woman in front of her, pushing it aside and kneeling down to assess her injuries. Venus is about to approach when she hears the echo of a cackle from behind her, forcing her to turn and catch a blade with her crescent boomerang. Artemis' posh voice grows frantic as he screeches,
"Mina-"
"Go Artie! Help the other people here! I'll hold him off!" She's shocked by its strength as it tosses her into a plane of flooring, her body bouncing bonelessly as she shouts in pain. Feeling a body crawl on top of hers, the furious soldier glares with glinting yellow topaz at it, finally getting a good look at it's face. It would pass as a human if it weren't for it's eyes completely blacked out, and the three crests of flesh running vertically down from it's hairline. He had a masculine jaw, but when he opened his mouth, another was hidden inside and snapped at her face as it keens,
"Oh, you're so pretty! So good I could gobble you up!" Cringing in disquiet and pain, Minako seethes angrily,
"Get off of me!" Drawing her right elbow to her left shoulder before bringing it into its temple ruthlessly, knocking it to the side, allowing her to shove it off and leap away. Quickly scanning the area around her, she doesn't feel any other energies on the premises, including Artemis, feeling immensely grateful for that. Focusing back on the monster in front of her, she glares at the creature that stumbles to its feet, cackling in a cliche'd way as it charges. Jumping easily over it, she hadn't expected it to predict her so well, and was entirely unprepared for it to toss rubble and dust at her. Covering her face with her arms, the worn out fighter doesn't see it come for her, nor with her senses addled does she feel it near.
Within moments, she's pinned beneath something solid and heavy, suffocating slowly as pain radiates throughout her entire body. I have to get out of here! Please, take me someplace safe! Using every ounce of ki she can muster, the particles around her energize and within moments, the weight is lifted from her, leaving her rag dolled on cool tile. Choking on a breath, her transformation dissipates as her street clothes wrap around her once more. Ugh… where the hell am I? Knowing she couldn't rest just yet, Minako pushes herself up tiredly on her elbows, not able to see a thing in the darkness. Where's the light? Dragging herself to a wall, she lifts herself onto shaking knees, hand wandering the wall until, luckily, it hits the lightswitch.
With illumination, her 'safe haven' is a bathroom, quite ordinary and was previously clean, but was covered in red. The heck? Did I teleport myself into a murder scene? Sleepy eyes wander around and find the trail following, scarily, her. It's now that she registers a throbbing pain in her waist and looking down, realizes she's bleeding. Dammit, not on my clothes! Putting a hand to it, the fatigued celestial grabs the towel she saw moments ago and presses it to the wound. Picking her clothes off gradually, a struggle to be sure, she finally finds herself unclothed and, low and behold, she hears a door open. Great, now somebody's going to get a peep show. Preparing herself for someone to find her, she's quite startled to meet wide emerald irises, scarlet forelocks drifting lightly with his movements, and wild waist length layered locks looking more heavenly by the moment. My safe haven...
Author Notes
I think the senshi's energy sensing abilities come from knowing an energy. When the baddies first attack, their energy is new and not anything they'd faced before. But human energy is something that remains mostly the same between normal people.
I want to write a bit more about the talent agency Mina works for. Honestly, I don't know much about the idol industry, so I did a bit of research, watched a few youtube videos from some ex-idols in the business (It's some messed up stuff, lemme tell yah) here's some links if you wanna see the dark side of kpop, watch?v=SE9MsjQAZpA, watch?v=SE9MsjQAZpA, watch?v=K4htvWc2r1o, watch?v=p9Mfg2FjUHk. So, after getting a bit angry about all the real world stuff, I turned to Show by Rock for inspiration. Plus PGSM has her as an actual idol, but she's a solo artist, and it only skimmed the surface of the idol world, so I wanted to expand it a bit.
I was sad to see Boss not used again in Sailor Moon. It's such a mysterious figure, but I figure it has to be someone with knowledge of the senshi's training, knowledge of the senshi themselves, only interacts with Sailor Venus and Artemis, and must be someone between Queen Serenity and Sailor Venus in military position.