Scene #8519: Pretty Soldier Love Episode One

Owner	Pose
Angela	The Queen of Hatred, or the Magical Girl of Love if you prefer (she doesn't seem to mind being called either), is excited for her first day of school in a new world! The Holy Refulgence has been given an extensive warning about the Queen of Hatred once it became clear she had an interest in the Kirenai sisters. The details provided by L Corp were as follows * Abnormality will assist in eliminating other Abnormalities. * Abnormality has three known magical attacks of increasing intensity. The longer the charge of the attack, the greater the power output. * While normally helpful, Queen of Hatred will transform into its true form when significant casualties occur around her (20 percent of Agents, civilian casualty percentage may be different). Being unable to 'help others' incurs a brief period of hysteria before transformation into berserk state. Berserk state should be avoided if possible. * Queen of Hatred will also enter a brief period of hysteria before going berserk if too few deaths occur in its presence. Once in 'hysteria', Queen of Hatred is more difficult to work on. * Transformation Period is substantial enough that quick action during 'hysteria' period may limit casualties. * Notice to refer Abnormality to Magical Girl of Love in exterior packets to discourage Outsider Magical Girls from transforming and going berserk.
Angela	The Queen of Hatred is larger than life even in her non transformed state. She has long pale blue hair and golden eyes that frequently have sparkles or stars in them. She has a black and red hair ornament that she wears on the side of her head and has two long flowing twintails. She wears a bright pink corset with wings covering her shoulders and a big ribbon across her chest and a light pink and carmen colored skirt.She wears white leggings and similarly bright pink shoes. This is decidedly not in the dress code. It is also true that the Queen of Hatred... has a cartoonish idea of what constitutes transfering to another school. She arrives late and the gate entering the school is already locked, causing her to go 'ohhh nooooo' and fly over the gate and past it while skip-running the rest of the way. She makes it to the classroom she's looking for, trailing cartoony stars and heart symbols all the way. She doesn't make it there on TIME. She is actually ten minutes late due to all the troubles she had on the way over (she 'woke up' late, crashed into someone on the way over, had to sneak in past the gate, and so on). This doesn't stop her from sliding the doors to the class open and saying, "Gomen nasai! I am sorry for being late!" She then brightens upon seeing Kayoko and Meika in the classroom and waves with both hands towards them. "Senpai and Senpai! I'm so happy we get to be in the same class--! I decided to transfer here~*!" She did not dress in the school uniform as she does not have a school uniform and also, you know, didn't apply to go to school here because she is a psychokinetic construct drawn from the collective unconsciousness which means that she thinks in stories, not reality. She beams happily with an innocent and oblivious flair in her eyes. She holds a v-sign across her right eye as if trying to show the two sisters a secret salute.
Kayoko Kirenai	"Please explain to me how I'm supposed to justify any of this to the rest of the Holy Refulgence." Sister Kurokawa says to the pair of magical girls, pulled out of their beds early that morning by their Cherubs to be summoned to the private, broken-down gym behind the school. Her fingers pinch the bridge of her nose, pushing her glasses up. The small glimpses of irregularity in her outfit and demeanor are enough proof of the way she was unexpectedly awoken that morning herself. "Not only have you managed to draw some foreign monster's attention to our church--" Not 'school', not 'city', not even 'yourselves'. "But it just happens to be from the same damn company that Chevalier Vermillion keeps sneaking off to. Vermillion-- this is serious, and you've toed past the line unacceptably often lately. Vanishing through the Warpgate to God knows where, ending up grounded and incapable of even helping protecting the city, and now drawing even more trouble to us... do you know how hard it is to advocate for you still being allowed to be in that organization?" "Sister Kurokawa, I--" Kayoko, the only one of the trio looking like she's as put together as always, steps forwards and lays her hand on the plastic table, not looking at Meika. "If I may, I don't believe the Magical Girl of Love is here for Vermillion. She's been grounded and taken off of Multiversal duty until our parents let her go again, so I'm the only one who's met her." Kayoko shoots an anxious glance at the letter on the table, then back to staring at Kurokawa. "She and I fought alongside each other. Lobotomy Corporation treats their magical girls as prisoners-- I'm sure that Love will be well-behaved, and I'll make certain that her nature isn't discovered by the school, despite the lack of memory erasure." "Kayoko... it isn't that simple. The higher-ups know what she is. How are they going to trust that this doesn't happen again? And just look at these notices: 'going beserk if too few deaths occur around her'. 'Too few'! What, are you going to kill off your classmates to keep her under control if it comes to that?!" Kurokawa sighs and rubs at her eyes when Kayoko flinches and starts to explain, cutting her off. "I know you're not. Apologies for my tone, when you're my age, you won't bounce back as easily from being woken up in the middle of the night." "Do everything you can to minimize the impact of this. Not just for your classmates, or yourselves, or the city, but to convince us." LATER, DURING CLASS . . . Kayoko is on high alert, awareness projected to miles around to catch the first glimpse of the Magical Girl of Love. Understandably, this leaves her slightly unfocused for lessons, a fact that does not escape Sister Shinkyou's notice-- half of Kayoko's attention is still twice as much as most of the rest of the classroom manages, but it's still only a quarter of what Shinkyou would prefer from her. In the midst of the Catechism lecture, Kayoko suddenly sits up straight, her eyes refocusing and whipping over to Meika. That's all the warning that Meika gets before she feels a pinch of pain on her palm, and tiny words made of light quickly scrawl across and disappear again before anyone else can see. <She's here, headed our way. I'll distract her to make sure she doesn't get here until Chemistry. We'll get through the day, then talk it out with her.>
Kayoko Kirenai	For nearly two hours, the Magical Girl of Love is diverted around the city by alleyways that sponataneously end, street signs that change and twist around to mislead her, poles that she doesn't see before walking into them, all plausibly results of a lack of attention, none overtly magical. By the time she makes it to the grounds of Our Lady The Second Eve, it's already afternoon, with just one class remaining before the end of the day: Chemistry with Miss Genso, a woman who is, at the end of it all, just trying to do her best teaching. Stars and cartoony hearts radiating behind Love are erased. Kayoko would adjust her uniform, too, but her hair would be against dress code regardless, and Kayoko's control isn't quite good enough to manage that. The important part is that there's no visible trace of magic following Love as she skips through the school. Kayoko, rigid with anticipatory tension the entire time, stands up from her desk the moment that Love slams the door open, her face a pleasant mask tinged with just a drop of performative apology. "I'm sorry for the disruption, everyone, please, let me introduce my cousin. This is Love-- she's American, and she's visiting the school today to see if she'd like to transfer here next year. So please, treat her as if she isn't here, so that she can get a truthful idea of what a normal day looks like, and thank you very much for welcoming her here." "And so, knowing that the oxidation state in this equation must be equal to the inverse of-- eh?" Miss Genso pauses in the middle of her lecture, turned to write on the blackboard. She pauses for a moment to take it in, and then nods with a welcoming smile. This must be something that the church decided on and didn't inform her of because she isn't a Sister, as usual. Kayoko seems to know what's going on, and she's a good girl. "Well, Miss Love, I hope that you find the school to your satisfaction."
Meika Kirenai	'Not only have you managed to draw some foreign monster's attention to our church--' "Please don't call her that..." Barely keeping herself from falling asleep standing up, Meika realizes just a little too late that her mouth feels as if it just muttered quiet words, right after that thought crosses her mind- and, like a flinch reflex, squints her eyes shut for a moment afterwards. Did I really say that? Oh, please be wrong.. Hands ball into weak fists inside her pockets. 'Vermillion-- this is serious' No reaction, except for swaying slightly side to side where she stands. '...do you know how hard it is to advocate for you..?' The girl's eyes don't face anywhere but the floor by her slowly-kicking boots. "Yes, Sister. I- I'm sorry, Sister." Playing along will only do so much good, when Meika already knows that any 'yes' can and should provoke a 'no, how can you know what I do for you?' back. Anything else, though, any single move to defend herself, is worse- not just for her, but for Kayoko. Despite the choking guilt building up like a knot in and around her throat, Meika can barely get those words out without a yawn breaking her focus. The bags under her glaring eyes are manifest, and her self-cut hair clearly hasn't been touched by a brush in days. She stays still and quiet, as Kayoko speaks. As Kayoko comes to her defense. The guilty knot grows tighter. I'm sorry. You shouldn't bother, though. She swallows at nothing. '...But to convince us.' That's always what's on the line. No matter what Kayoko tries to argue, even correctly, that this event isn't directly Meika's fault, she's the one pushing their involvement in the multiverse, in the Paladins, to be questioned. A bad event made so much the worse when they're already looking for a reason. Meika gulps, and speaks up, timid and quiet. "I'll do my best not to let you down." 'I'. Not 'we'. It's only in question for one of them. LATER . . . The sudden pang of burning in her palm wakes Meika more than it just alerts her- exhaustion's toll catching her in the doldroms of Catechism, forcing her heavy eyelids closed- but she snaps up (noticeably, to classmates and teacher alike) to catch the message before it fades. Rubbing an eye with her opposite hand, she throws a faint head tilt Kayoko's way, even if she isn't looking- that's enough acknowledgement to let her know she got the message. Until Chemistry, then. EVEN LATER . . . Meika, frankly, had no idea what to prepare for. Courage is demure and formal, but Love's entrance is- Oh, God, please don't look my way, please don't say anything -something else, alright. It's faint, as the door slams open, but outside, somewhere, the clattering back door of a delivery truck is slammed down, that's the real racket. Meika's teeth set, in her mouth, and she slowly stands up after Kayoko, nodding quietly, her chair's legs squeaking horribly from the awkward motion. Meika lets out a snorting laugh, and speaks up. "Heya, cuz. Glad you could finally make it." It'd be a surprise if she, of all people, went and made excuses, or apologies on the newcomer's behalf, so she takes an overly casual one towards Love, complete with a lazy wave. That's only natural. That's only what they'd expect from me.
Angela	The Queen of Hatred, despite being kept busy for two hours, is still treating it like she's late by ten minutes. She is oblivious that the trouble occuring to her may have had some other purpose to it, though two hours was near the upper limit even for someone like her. She did, however, slip on a banana peel that Kayoko didn't even place there. An actual banana peel. Love skips--=not walks--skips on the way over to Meika and Kayoko. Fortunately, she skips on the ground and not into the air--also fortunately, she doesn't seem to have actually brought her magical staff with her right now so... She does seem to be AWARE of the concept of not just overtly flinging magical blasts here and there pointlessly. What's America, Love wonders, but decides to roll with it. "Yes! That's me! I hope we can all be friends and live peaceful lives~<3" The ~<3 isn't visible in this case it's just sort of an implied noise at the end of her sentence. She sits right down next to Meika and places her head in her cheeks and beams brightly at the teacher like she fully intends to be the Teacher's Pet. "Wow..." She says. "So this is what a classroom here looks like..." She then covers her mouth with both hands like she didn't mean to speak so loudly in class but kinda giggles at herself after anyway. She kicks her legs back and forth constantly this is not a girl who sits still. "It's so nice to be part of a team again, Si--Cousins...!" She ooohs faintly at a cicada that flew into the room and her eyes follow it for a moment. Then when it buzzes off, Love leans in to murmur to Kayoko softly. "When do the bad guys usually attack?"
Kayoko Kirenai	It's going well! It's going well. Really, Kayoko shouldn't have been so worried. She met Love, she talked to Love, and she knew that she was another enthusiastic, brave magical girl, who wanted to do good for everyone. All of that talk about going beserk, and being a monster, that was just the same as it was with Courage-- them not understanding. Right now, Love is okay, and Kayoko will make sure she stays that way, so that no one has anything to complain about. Kayoko's nervous stiffness relaxes at Love's introduction, and she smiles and waves Love over to the open seat near the sisters. Her hand twitches up to her neck where the strap of her camera would be if it wasn't stashed in her locker, then falls back to her side as she sits down again. Miss Genso continues the lecture, shooting occasional glances over to the bizarre arrival, which Kayoko meets with the kind of pleading-reassuring confidence of a teacher's pet asking for just one little favor. Kayoko lets out a tiny little exhalation, and leans fractionally to the side to talk to Love in a low voice, in a way that anyone would interpret as her trying to give the prospective student explanations without disrupting the lecture. As long as it's her, she has a good reason. "We'll talk about that after class, alright, Love? Pretend it's like a secret identity," It is, actually, like a secret identity, but for some reason that fact doesn't register in Kayoko's mind. "And we have to be disguised until we can talk later."
Meika Kirenai	Meika's heart pounds in her ears when Kayoko points for Love to take that vacant seat, and her breath catches in her throat- "Don't-" -too late, she's already planted. Meika sighs, and leans forwards over her own desk. Her forehead hits the cool laminated wood with a thunk, a relief from the ambient mugginess and afternoon heat bearing in through the classroom windows. She's still listening to the lecture, but paying attention is another story- that's being held for Love and Kayoko's whispering. It's quiet enough to not be overheard by anyone else, but not her. Her hands fidget with her jacket cuffs, pulling them further down over her palms, and tapping awkwardly against parts of her desk, before whispering herself, to Kayoko only- not Love. {"Did she not even give you any warning? Aren't you supposed to be Love's new best buddy, if she came out to help you on one of your trips?"} A bitter edge seeps in, and Meika turns to hide her face in the crook of an elbow, eyes out the bright window at the puffy clouds outside. It stays in her voice as she whispers more to Love and her sister both. {"Secret identities. Like a little game, yeah. Just like a game."} Her words can't disrupt anything, unheard as they are by everyone else but them. It's a little solace. But she can't bring herself to face either of the other magical girls, and still say what she did. A silenced sigh escapes her lips, felt, but covered and unheard. Why am I even here? She's got it covered, doesn't she? If Sister Kurokawa wants to be sure it'll go smooth, I should just have stayed at home, or somewhere else. I can't mess anything up from there.
Angela	Love doesn't seem to be able to hear what Meika is putting down. She keeps on kicking her legs about with hyperactive energy. She definitely presumes that Meika is just SHY but the vacant seat really was the only option--even if she knew, what was the alternative? Try to be WITH THE TEAM by sitting even farther away? Then how was she going to ask Kayoko when the bad guys were attacking? She can't! (She probably would've shouted it). "Okay," She murmurs. "A secret identity for a secret identity...You can count on me, Sisters..." She gives Meika a thumbsup as well, indicating that she knows what's up. "I got it," She says. "For now I just have to pay attention in class..." She braces herself, plants her feet on the ground, peers right at the teacher and her work intently and... Ten seconds later Love has passed out in her chair and is now drooling on the head of the desk.
Kayoko Kirenai	Meika's comment doesn't get a verbal response, of course. For as much forgiveness people are willing to extend to Kayoko when interpreting her whispers to Love, all of it vanishes if she leans over to whisper to Meika. Kayoko's shoulders tense up, visibly to Meika sitting behind her, though her expression facing attentively to the blackboard doesn't waver. Motes of humid, dusty light filtering through the thick windows compress and harden to briefly jab Meika in the leg like the eraser end of a pencil. Kayoko runs a hand down her hair to gather her ponytail together, as if there were any stray hairs in the first place, flicking it haughtily over her shoulder. "Don't mind her, Love." Kayoko looks at Love out of the corner of her eyes to see how she's responding to Meika, and... oh. Well, there's one technique that Kayoko's practiced a lot, though she hasn't bothered to use it in a while. With the smallest adjustments possible, to not need to rebuild the intricacies of Love's face in the illusion, Kayoko erases the drool, opens Love's eyes, and shifts her posture just enough to make her seem like she's relaxing her head while looking to the front of the class. Once class ends, Kayoko diverts for just a moment to swing by Miss Genso's desk and apologize for the disruption again. A little deference goes a long way. As long as it's just a little, over and over and over and over and over again. Turning back to the other two, Kayoko makes eye contact with Love-- but not Meika, though she assumes she will anyways-- and makes a motion to follow her. Leading them to that spot of bare dirt between the gym and chain-link fence, but not inside it, Cobalt turns around with a little bounce on the ball of her foot. "Okay! Love, would you want to help me out on patrol tonight? Meika is still stuck at home, so I've been doing them alone, but I could tell you all about the Temptations and show you around then."
Meika Kirenai	Tired as she is, Meika herself keeps herself from dozing off, but not from her mind and focus wandering to overhear the comments and whispers of their classmates. Love falling asleep triggers hushed giggles and jabs on the obvious family resemblance, which hurt in a more familiar way than Kayoko's sudden prick in her leg. Meika winces- not just a surprised flinch, as it presses against a tender spot still healing up. It's not like Kayoko could know that, if it didn't come from a battle injury. It's enough to shut her up. That's what you want, isn't it? Her gaze stays out towards the idyllic near-tropical clouds, until the sound of the school's bell. As Kayoko heads to talk with Miss Genso, Meika has already stood up, grabbed her bag, and made her way to lean against the hallway wall near the other side of the classroom doorway. She knows they'll be meeting after, but there's no point in her wasting anyone else's time by lingering in that classroom. She yawns, as her back presses against walling and her hands jam themselves into her coat pockets, a moment more to rest until Kayoko and Love exit, and she falls in step behind them. In the outside heat, Meika rolls the shoulders of her jacket tighter to her, discomfort prompting her to just try hiding more. She goes to lean up against the chainlink fence, a little bit from the other two, but far from out of earshot. "The Temptations are big stupid monsters, and we stop them or they kill people. What more needs saying?" Her tone is irritated, in the disingenuous comment. She knows just how more there is to say, but- right now, right here, unable to even do things like go out on patrol to help her city, it's hard not to see Kayoko's offer to the Magical Girl of Love as anything more than begging for a better replacement. They're still on school grounds, but Meika pulls out a cigarette from her bag's pouches, lighting it. Maybe they'll suspend me so I don't have to put up with this anymore.
Angela	The Queen of Hatred jerks awake stiffly after Kayoko makes her look like she's awake to the teacher (sorry for the family resemblence, Meika). She was either too unconcious to notice the whispers or she just doesn't care. She seems a little...cresfallen, strangely enough, despite living the peaceful life she wished for. The Queen of Hatred acts like she hadn't fallen asleep in class at all, bowing to Ms. Genso and thanking her for the lesson before continuing on her way after Kayoko, swinging her arms back and forth and humming all the while. It's not really normal that she doesn't seem particularly affected by the heat, perhaps it is a magical power? Despite passing out, her energy remains irrationally exuberant. Though she stops walking once Kayoko does, she continues wiggling and fidgeting in place and looking at awe at even this weird little place like it was a whole 'nother world. ''Meika is still stuck at home'' "Oh no..." The Queen of Hatred can think of no better horror than being left behind by one's fellow magical girls. To be forced to wait. "I'd like to help out, but is there really no way Meika can come along? There's really no greater calling..." She hangs her head, a bit morose--feeling a strong pang of resonant sympathy for the other magical girl-- --her eyes widen. A magical girl...is smoking?! Is that legal?? The Queen of Hatred's mind reels. Maybe she's having a rough time of it. How to get Meika in on the fight? She could pretend to be her while she stays out? No that won't do, then she won't get to beat up any bad guys. hrhrmhrmhrmhrmhrm.... "Tricky... I wonder if Dark Nihil is behind this." She brightens. "But I'll learn what I can and be on the watch out! I bet Despair will show up any day now so we have to be ready!" She does not explain this.
Kayoko Kirenai	"You know there's more than that, don't be so sullen about it." Kayoko barely bothers to direct a glare at Meika, whining as she is. Her tone does soften, though her gaze still doesn't bother moving over to her. "Come on. You'll be back out patrolling soon. Just wait it out, and don't make it any worse." Speaking of which.... When Meika lights her cigarette, a hammerblow swing of amorphous blue hardlight crushes it into the ground. "And that is making it worse. Don't do that around Love." Love's cartoonishly exaggerated emotions light Kayoko up somewhat, cracking through the frigid neutrality that she expresses otherwise. She crosses her arms and lets her shoulders sink down, looking at Love perking back up. It's not Nihil, Love. It's just our parents, because we have to be both magical girls and students. She'll be able to join us eventually." 'Us' hits particularly hard, even to Kayoko, and she's silent for a moment, lips pressed together. "Meika's done a lot of work with your sister Courage. So I look forwards to being able to fight along with you tonight, Love." Kayoko looks back towards the dorm building, then at Love again. Where is she going to sleep...? "You should tell me more about Nihil, too. Is... Despair something from them?" That could actually be a huge problem, the source of which is made present again in Kayoko's mind as Spot stirs beneath her pressed white shirt. "And it'll be coming... here?"
Meika Kirenai	"I'd be there if there's a fight. It's- it's fine, Love. Don't worry yourself. Kayoko's better at it keeping track of danger than I am, anyways." Her tone is low and as she drags at her cigarette, her eyes just fix on the dry, exposed dirt. Not once in the class period, nor out in the schoolyard by the gym has Meika looked either of the other girls in the eye, yet as Love's eyes widen, Meika reacts and shifts her arms in front of her chest. Don't look at me like that. "Yeah. It's not like I don't wish I could tag along. It's- It's not up to me, okay? That's it. It'd cause more problems than it'd be worth for me to try anything right now. You know how it is." 'Just wait it out, and don't make it any worse.' The ever-present guilty knot squeezes more. Of course I'm going to try things. People need help. But it's not like I can say I'm going to anyway. And It's not fair that I wish I could. She puts the cigarette to her lips, and holds off from exhaling long after she's returned to her standoffish posture. 'And that is making it worse.' She should expect it, really, that Kayoko wouldn't tolerate the cigarette here, in front of someone to be on their best behaviour around. Her hand stays as it was, fingers outstretched as if the cigarette hadn't been crushed into a smoldering smear on the ground. 'She'll be able to join us eventually.' "Yeah. Sure. Eventually." It takes a moment, for Meika to remember that, actually, these 'Dark Nihil' (Her world's term for Temptations..?) are not supposed to be something she's heard of, even if she heard a few things thrown around on the radio band access she isn't supposed to have. "Nobody's behind it. I'm in trouble, it's my fault. And nobody's despairing about it, because it's how things ought to be." She doesn't register that as a name of something or someone, without any reason to, just a strange way of saying 'feeling bad'. And she definitely wouldn't acknowledge anything close to that type of feeling, in general, but especially not around her. "I don't want your worry. So don't give me it. I'm fine. I'm always ready. I can handle it, like always."
Angela	The Queen of Hatred frowns thoughtfully. "Well... I understand. Sometimes Magical Girls must wrestle with their feelings. It's perfectly normal." She beams at Meika. "I get the feeling we got off on the wrong foot, but I'll do my best to earn your respect, senpai! I'm glad you're tough! Dark Nihil won't know what hit 'em!" She is informed that it's just... PARENTS that are behind all this. The Queen of Hatred seems confused by the term but then remembers... She has a parent too "Oh I get it. It's like being put in a cell when I mess up. I mess up too, sometimes." But Kayoko ultimately asks the pertinent question. Is Despair from Dark Nihil? "Oh no," The Magical Girl says. "The opposite, if anything! The Knight of Despair is ''my'' Sister." She beams. "Sometimes my senpais transform and try to kill people and when that happens I have to stop them from killing people, because they wouldn't want that. They're actually really kind but when there was nothing left to..." She holds the V-sign over her right eye, interrupting herslef. "Well you don't need to worry, I'll help with Temptations AND I'll make sure my sister doesn't hurt anybody! We just need to help her calm down before she hurts anybody." She beams. "Isn't it great that we get to protect this beautiful world together?" And with that she'll just hum along and help with the patrol, leaving a bit of an ominous warning of what is to come as a gift.