Meduka 3.1: Ms. Nezumi's Wild Ride

[13:28] <Genshuku> THE YEAR IS you know what the year is.
[13:28] * Genshuku is now known as GeMshuku
[13:28] <GeMshuku> But do you know where you're going?
[13:28] <Yuna_Mizuno> We're going back to the future!
[13:29] <GeMshuku> And your speed?
[13:29] <Midorikawa_Misao> "B-but where's the police box?"
[13:30] <GeMshuku> Hush, you'll confuse someone by speaking like that. We can't have the fourth wall breaking, the structure of the universe is at stake!
[13:31] <Yuna_Mizuno> Anyway, let's let our players actually get this show underway. This is getting silly
[13:31] <GeMshuku> Seriously though, if you don't know your speed as you're going back to the future, you'll be shamed. ...Also, that actually a question, DO you know where you're going, or are you really mostly just going in a direction?
[13:32] <Midorikawa_Misao> Of course, Midorikawa Misao, being Midorikawa Misao, does not, in fact, know where she is going!  Because right now, she's following Yuna, who is probably going south... probably.
[13:34] <GeMshuku> What kind of tank makes the healer lead? That one does. ...But does Yuna know where SHE is going?
[13:42] <Midorikawa_Misao> "H-hey, Yuna-chan?" Misao taps the other girl's shoulder.  "Wh-where are we going?"
[13:42] <GeMshuku> ...Not in particular! To the south! The untrained eye would assume they were going back home, for the south is where the residential area (for people that aren't really, really poor) are! But, it also holds various storage facilities. This was intentional, so as to avoid long hauls.
[13:43] <GeMshuku> ...Maybe a youma would hide in a spacious container? A reasonable line of thought!
[13:48] <GeMshuku> Eventually, the party makes their way to an abandoned warehouse. After all, a non-abandoned warehouse...probably wouldn't have a youma in it.
[13:48] <GeMshuku> Despite being abandoned, though, it's hardly falling apart, and the door is still closed!
[13:49] * Yuna_Mizuno "Hmm..." she ponders, "The door's closed, despite having not been used in a while... and it looks like it's stil being used for some reason..."
[13:51] <Midorikawa_Misao> "I-is it really a..." Misao hangs her head in disappointment as she tries to open the door.  "Th-this is so cliche... n-not like I mind o-or anything."
[13:53] * Yuna_Mizuno nods, "Yeah, this does seem a little cliche..." she responds, trying to find a way to open the door as well.
[13:54] <GeMshuku> Well, it's abandoned enough that no one locked the door. Not abandoned enough for all the large metal containers INSIDE the warehouse to have been moved out by god knows who, and not abandoned enough to be falling apart as would be commonly depicted, but definitely abandoned enough that no one really cared about your entry at all.
[13:56] <Midorikawa_Misao> "So um... yeah," Misao flatly remarks.  "D-do we... transform?"
[13:58] * Yuna_Mizuno thinks, "We could if we wanted to... No one's here anyway..." She did have a point. No one in the warehouse to judge them...
[14:00] <Midorikawa_Misao> "R-right!" Misao nods, and yells out her signature line.  "For the hope of Mae, I shall pierce the darkness shrouding it!"
[14:02] * Yuna_Mizuno gives Misao a bit of an odd look, "The line isn't necessary this time, we're not fighting anything..." she says, and simply poofs into her magical girl outfit non-chalantly, giving off a shower of sparkles as she did so
[14:08] <Midorikawa_Misao> Misao attempts to stifle a giggle, but fails because a helmet obstructs her hand.  She resumes being somewhat serious, and raises a silver rapier in heroic declaration, yelling, "Let's rock!"
[14:11] * Yuna_Mizuno sighs and shakes her head.
[14:12] <GeMshuku> The combination of the spacious area and the sheer emptiness of most of it all seems to make you feel...louder!
[14:12] <GeMshuku> It also seems to make the giggle coming from within the warehouse a bit louder too, but maybe it's just because it's quiet in between heroic speeches.
[14:14] <Midorikawa_Misao> "C'mon, let's mosey," The knight beckons for the white mage to follow her lead, into the factory that might possibly house a youma.  "The quicker we get this done, the better."
[14:15] * Yuna_Mizuno ([email protected]) Quit (Ping timeout: 240 seconds)
[14:21] * Yuna_Mizuno ([email protected]) has joined #Meguca
[14:21] <GeMshuku> Together, they plunge into the warehouse! The source of a small giggle in the vicinity of a very large space with a fair few amount of places to hide IN as well as behind, however, proves itself somewhat illusive.
[14:23] <GeMshuku> ...And really, there's nothing else actually here, save for what they're pretty sure they heard!
[14:25] <MidorikawaMisao> "Hrm..." Misao stretches out her arm, creating a small ember.  "We're gonna need a light."
[14:26] <GeMshuku> There aren't any windows, so the most light you'd be getting is that from outside...or created through other purposes, which at least lights their surroundings well enough!
[14:28] * Yuna_Mizuno is now known as Lily_White
[14:28] * Lily_White is now known as Yuna_Mizuno
[14:29] <GeMshuku> Just how hard are they willing to look in a (moderately) spooky warehouse for a giggle? ...Do they want to find it at all?
[14:33] * Yuna_Mizuno looks over at Misao's flame, "Seeing everything bathed in what's basically candlelight is actually making things kind of spooky," she says, shivering slightly. "Lemme help out with that..." she holds out her staff and focuses for a moment. A smal ball of light appears at the end of it, lighting up their immediate surroundings quite nicely. As an added bonus, it didn't have the spook factor of a flickerin
[14:38] <GeMshuku> The two lights combine their brightness into a reliable light source! Together, they can very clearly see that...there's a lot of boxes, but none of these boxes and other containers (huh, you can likely hide in these in a pinch) are particularly large. Like, not large enough to hold something as big as the harpy they slew by any stretch of the imagination.
[14:39] <MidorikawaMisao> "Now that we know where we're going..." Misao charges into the unknown parts.  "I, the Scarlet Flame, shall be the light of Mae!"
[14:41] * Yuna_Mizuno covers her face with her palm. "Save the one-liners for a battle..."
[14:41] <GeMshuku> With a light source, the combing of the area can begin in earnest! It doubly so helps that most of Misao's statements prompt a resurface of the giggling, though every time makes it grow a bit fainter...
[14:50] <GeMshuku> ...but eventually, at some point, Yuna starts clearly hearing the sound of movement! She can't hear footsteps, but she CAN hear the occasional rustling, perhaps even the creaking of some of the metal containers, all coming from a place she can track it!
[14:51] * Yuna_Mizuno pauses mid-step and turns her head in the direction of where the noises are coming from. "I hear something more than the giggling..." she says, hearing some rustling and creaking coming from within the warehouse
[14:53] <Midorikawa_Misao> "Where?" Misao pauses her investigation, now speaking in a more hushed voice.  "Show me."
[14:54] * Yuna_Mizuno points her staff in the direction she heard the sounds coming from, "Over in that direction..."
[14:56] <GeMshuku> The sound does in fact move. In directions! Ones that aren't towards them...rather, ones that are most certainly away.
[14:57] <Midorikawa_Misao> A nod encased in metal is all the indication Misao gives, before sprinting off into that direction, in pursuit of whatever is making all that noise!
[15:01] * Yuna_Mizuno looks at Misao as she follows her, "Somehow I don't think running in a suit of armor will help us find the source of the sound
[15:01] * Yuna_Mizuno 's footsteps were mostly the clicking of her boots against the concrete floor
[15:03] <GeMshuku> Completely expectedly, the voice moves in a direction opposite to them! While the suit of armor does little to stop her own flexibility and speed (maaaaaaaagic), it also moves about as fast as they do. ...Though, this IS an enclosed space...but there's enough space in between this sound and yourselves for it to keep distance in between you even if it has to turn for a while...
[15:05] <GeMshuku> Whatever this is, you're definitely chasing it. And it's definitely running away. ...And it's good at that.
[15:05] <GeMshuku> You haven't even seen it yet, but at least you can infer from the runaround that it's not that bad at not being caught so easily!
[15:05] <Midorikawa_Misao> "How're they gonna know that justice is incoming, then?" Misao's helmet ceases to exist for the time being, and the knight slowly begins to float in the air.  "I'll listen to you, though.  B-but we need to catch up to this!"
[15:09] <GeMshuku> "Have you tried anticipating my movements and splitting up to corner me?" A young female voice seems to respond to Misao, and it isn't Yuna's! ...Yuna would quickly recognize this as the voice of the thing that they are chasing.
[15:09] <GeMshuku> "Just a thought!"
[15:10] * Yuna_Mizuno blinks, "Is... is it telling us how to catch it?" she says, nearly running into a container as a result of the voice distracting her.
[15:11] <Midorikawa_Misao> "Whuh?" The Flame's heroic cool melted, like it should have a long time ago.  "N-no, w-we can't split up.  Wh-what if we..."
[15:12] <GeMshuku> "Well, then I'd question the wisdom in pursuing an unknown, assumed threat."
[15:12] <GeMshuku> "I mean, there's only two of you. That's not much."
[15:14] <Midorikawa_Misao> "H-hey, the heroes always come out on top!" The Flame counters.
[15:16] <GeMshuku> "But only after a lot of suffering, and sometimes death of supporting characters!"
[15:17] <GeMshuku> "Like the other one, beside you. You seem kinda main characterish, she doesn't."
[15:17] <GeMshuku> You still can't see her, but you get the feeling she's throughly amused.
[15:17] * Yuna_Mizuno sighs, "Stop buying into her..." she says, "You can tell she's enjoying this..."
[15:18] <GeMshuku> "Being a supporting character is alright. They're usually better developed than the main anyway."
[15:19] <Midorikawa_Misao> "Grrr..." Misao is definitely not happy.  "Let's flank, Yuna-chan!  I'll take left, you take right.  We'll crush this youma!"
[15:20] * Yuna_Mizuno nods, "Gotcha!" she says, and branches off from Misao, hoping to corner the source of the noise
[15:22] <GeMshuku> The two split up, and THEN pursue! With the two working in unison, the source of the voice finds it hard to make the next turn!
[15:23] <GeMshuku> Damned if it doesn't try though, for it manages to get all the way to the deepest corner of the warehouse...
[15:23] <GeMshuku> ...where they eventually find...
[15:23] <GeMshuku> ...nothing.
[15:23] <GeMshuku> Huh.
[15:24] <Yuna_Mizuno> ...
[15:24] * Yuna_Mizuno "I swear there was a voice here..." she says, putting her hand to her chin, "I'm not going crazy, right? There was definitely a voice coming from here"
[15:24] <GeMshuku> A sound of stillness rings, as the two meet up.
[15:25] <GeMshuku> That is to say, no sound. That's what stillness sounds like.
[15:25] <Midorikawa_Misao> "H-huh!?" Misao's helmet seems to have reappeared when the two split up.  "N-no... Yuna-chan, stay alert!"
[15:28] <GeMshuku> Silence.
[15:28] <GeMshuku> The tension is palpable! You could cut it, but that'd make you a jerk.
[15:28] * Yuna_Mizuno looks around, turning her back to the wall.
[15:30] * Yuna_Mizuno "Any idea where it might have gone?"
[15:34] <GeMshuku> At least, this time, the voice does not respond.
[15:34] <GeMshuku> Wherever it is.
[15:36] <Midorikawa_Misao> "A-all this effort, f-for nothing...?" Misao reverts, and begins to tear up.  "H-how will onee-san think of this..."
[15:36] * Yuna_Mizuno shakes her head, "No... there has to be a way to find it..."
[15:42] * Yuna_Mizuno closes her eyes and holds her staff out in front of her. A pale green light starts to glow at the tip, replacing the white light that was trhere before.
[15:43] <Midorikawa_Misao> "Huh?" Misao dries her tears, and simply watches in amazement.  "Wh-whoa... Yuna-chan..."
[15:51] <GeMshuku> The scanning light reveals...huh, is that a shape? ...A humanoid shape. There's a humanoid shape hiding! ...In plain sight! The humanoid shape...seems to recognize what this is. "Not bad!" And the shape, given form by the green light, is given an appearance! A...person in a decidedly frilly black dress, with long hair just as dark as the dress itself, and with skin so white you could almost mistake them for being a ghost, though she's certainly not transparent...anymore! The only thing with color would be her eyes, which stand out, being violet! "I mean, you'd never have cornered me unless I'd told you how, but you pulled this part off, so you could be worse at this!" You can feel equal measures of being smug and impressed.
[15:52] <GeMshuku> "You have no idea how hard it is to take into account light when trying to go invisible, but it seems that didn't stop you!"
[15:52] <GeMshuku> "Thankfully, you didn't blow up the corner. That'd have gone bad."
[15:53] <GeMshuku> "Here I thought I'd spend my break lounging around, but fun came to me~"
[15:54] <Midorikawa_Misao> "Aah!  U-um..." Misao takes in a deep breath, skips the one-liner, and transforms back into her knight form, nocking an arrow directed at the magical girl.  "Why would you distract us?  We share a common goal, right?"
[15:54] * Yuna_Mizuno honestly can't tell if this other magical girl is a rival or just really bored.
[15:57] <GeMshuku> "Cause it's my day off, and I found two rookies patrolling for youma. So I figure I'd teach them some tricks while letting them know that if they were so relentless in their pursuit of a youma, that it might very well ensnare them instead."
[15:58] <GeMshuku> "Some are wild beasts, but some are clever beasts. You'd do well to remember that!"
[15:59] <Midorikawa_Misao> "Oh.  U-um... th-thank you!" Out of gratefulness, the knight embraces the veteran magical girl.  In her armor.  "H-how can we repay you?"
[16:00] * Yuna_Mizuno chuckles, "You seemed to be enjoying yourself, at least," she takes a step back as Misao goes to give the other magical girl a hug. "Calm down, there..." she says wondering why she would just go and hug a stranger like that.
[16:01] <GeMshuku> Squish! "H-hey, easy on the hugs, even if you've got magic to burn!"
[16:02] * Yuna_Mizuno "Plus you're still in your armor," she remarks. Armor-bound hugs were probably never a good thing for anyone
[16:02] <Midorikawa_Misao> "Magic to burn...?" Misao, being Misao, is very confused at this statement.  "Wh-what do you mean by that?"
[16:04] <GeMshuku> "In the aftermath of magic use, things happen. Furious outbursts, adorable outbursts, and just weird stuff in general. ...And sometimes, more. ...And sometimes, even more."
[16:05] <Yuna_Mizuno> ...
[16:05] <Yuna_Mizuno> [ If Yuina were a robot, you'd be able to hear the gears in her head turning as she thinks back to immediately after the fight against the harpy. ]
[16:05] <GeMshuku> "Best to let it out when you can, since...uh, don't let it build up. Or you might sport my monochrome look."
[16:06] * Yuna_Mizuno thinks for a moment, then turns to Misao, "That would explain the violent outbursts we had a while ago..." she said, the sudden fight making much more sense.
[16:07] <GeMshuku> "...You're all definitely new at this, aren't you---ooooh! You're the ones getting special attention from Fate! ...Well, one of them. Maybe the one that gets slightly less. But still, that explains that!" She glows at her own relevation!
[16:07] <GeMshuku> Not literally, mind you. Figuratively.
[16:08] <Midorikawa_Misao> "Y-yeah..." Misao nuzzles her head into the monochrome girl's shoulder, afraid of what might happen if a battle went for too long.  "W-wait, s-special attention!?"
[16:09] * Yuna_Mizuno 's ears perk up. She was curious as to what this newcomer meant by special attention. She looks intently at her
[16:10] <GeMshuku> The monochrome seems to understand, and pats Misao's head. "Yeah, while he recruits a fair amount every so often, he actually called in Galaxia for both of you guys. And I've never seen the talks last as long as they do with you guys, since Fate likes to address a lot of people normally instead of focusing on one group, new or not."
[16:14] <GeMshuku> "Probably because you're all the start of a lot more people accepting the offer to become a magical girl...and I still wonder why that is, but eh."
[16:15] <Midorikawa_Misao> "I see..." Misao doesn't exactly understand all this, but she knows her manners.  The knight reverts, and introduces herself.  "I-I'm Midorikawa Misao... I think."
[16:17] * Yuna_Mizuno 's form didn't look at threatening as a big suit of armor, so she stayed as was. "and I'm Mizuno Yuna..." she turned to look at Misao and silently mouthed the words 'I think?' to her
[16:19] <Midorikawa_Misao> "W-well..." The Flame let goes of the monochrome magical girl, and explains.  "I-I don't know much of my past..."
[16:20] <GeMshuku> "Nezumi! ...Just Nezumi. I--think I might have a strange way to go about things, considering I actually willingly left my life behind after becoming a magical girl, while you're probably trying to find it."
[16:25] <GeMshuku> ...Ah, whoever has the phone got a text notification!
[16:26] * Yuna_Mizuno pulls her phone out and opens up the messages, "Seems we got a message from the other two..." she says.
[16:27] <Midorikawa_Misao> "A-are onee-san and Akiko-sama alright!?" Misao exclaims.  "A-are they fighting a youma?"
[16:27] <GeMshuku> "Splitting up is a good idea, but both sides gotta know what they're doing. Otherwise, half just dies! Or causes a calamity of their own. Or both."
[16:31] * Yuna_Mizuno looks at the text, "It's not much, but it seems they need help," she says, showing it to Misao.
[16:32] <Midorikawa_Misao> "Th-then what are we waiting for!?" Misao begins to run out.
[16:36] <GeMshuku> Nezumi speaks up! "If you're all as hopeless as each other, then I'll join you! Otherwise, I'll join you anyway. Hopefully they didn't find a bored magical girl too~"
[16:39] <GeMshuku> "...But only for this. Once someone stops fussing over their bat wings, I'll be back where I was!"
[17:36] * Yuna_Mizuno nods, "Thank you for the help..." she replies. Temporary as she was, allies were always a good thing...
[17:38] <Midorikawa_Misao> Of course, Misao cannot protest, because she's outside, and they're inside!
[17:39] * Yuna_Mizuno ran off to follow Misao, presumable with Nezumi right behind her
[17:41] <GeMshuku> NEXT TIME ON MEDUKA: The devil rides in on lightning! In a manner of speaking. And his lyrics are very frightening! In a manner of speaking.
[17:43] <Yuna_Mizuno> That was a terrible queen reference, if that was one
[17:44] * Genericfan__ ([email protected]) has joined #Meguca
[17:45] <GeMshuku> Oh, there's something terrible, alright.

(hint: it's me)