Early September Catch-all

[heavenlyskies]

🧙 WHO: Haruka Tenou & Open
⚔️️ WHAT: Hot Knights Quest, Cult Classic Quest, Horseback Riding
🕒 WHEN: Beginning of September
🗺️ WHERE: Various
⚠️ WARNINGS: Partial Nudity likely, Hot Knights includes strip club setting, Fantasy Violence


Hot Knights: Starting stealth but open to combat.

A pansexual strip club, it wasn’t something that Haruka had expected to see in Avalon, but then again there had been a few other things lately as well. It seemed rather ironic that the knights would be the ones that needed rescuing though and she couldn’t help but to laugh about it. Of course the big muscular men that probably expected girls to swoon over them would get caught someplace like that.

Still if there was a monster powerful enough to hold them all there against their will, it wasn’t something to just charge into. So Haruka decided it would probably be best to get a little information first, at the very lease a layout of the place. Dressed as a young knight herself she decided to work on infiltrating the club and gathering a little information.

Cult Classic
She might not be able to transform into Sailor Uranus anymore, but that wasn’t going to keep Haruka from going out and trying to find the person responsible for the attacks. If they wanted to reenact movie sequences then that meant that she couldn’t just wander around though, instead Haruka dressed for the part finding a black leather outfit along with a hooded cloak. She still had a saber on her side and donned a small mask mimicking what Tuxedo Mask would usually wear.

When inevitably someone that fit the proper description appeared, Haruka swooped down in a truly dramatic fashion, pointing at the other.

"Protected by the winds of Avalon, Guardian of the heavens, I’m the knight of storms. And it's time for your curtain call."

A Need for Speed
Cars might not have been a thing in Avalon, and racing did seem like it wasn’t discussed much either. But there was still something that Haruka sought, a need for feeling the wind rush past, to be traveling quickly and have only a split second to make a decision and avoid disaster. It seemed like the most readily available to do that was through horse back, and so Haruka spent a fair amount of time down at the stables, it was a lot different than a car or just driving. There had to be communication, you had to be in sync with one another, and there needed to be trust there. At least if you were going to be effective and do more than trot around in circles.

Often enough she could be found there with an apple or two looking for any excuse to go for a ride.

Comments

a need for speed

[reloves]

When Minako hears that Haruka is over at the stables, she can't help but be curious and nosy enough to go over there to take a look for herself.

And indeed, it's there that she finds the other standing around with that apple, apparently.. trying to lure one of the horses over? Minako ends up quietly witnessing the sight for a few moments, before she finally calls out.

(Maybe not the most useful thing to do in the middle of someone else's attempts to pacify a horse, but.. you know.)

"Haruka-saaan! What are you doing?"

[heavenlyskies]

A horse was generally much easier to work with when it was happy, so bringing something nice as a snack helped with that, especially if it wasn't a horse that you knew well. She'd just gotten to actually accept the apple when Minako called out rather loudly. Luckily it didn't seem to mind the noise for the moment, and Haruka was able to pet its neck.

"Figured I'd go for a ride. It's not like there' s chariot that I can hook up to one and make a few laps in."

At that the horse huffed and shook its head turning away while munching the last of the apple.

[reloves]

Minako lets out an understanding 'ooh' sounds - thankfully a little less loud this time - as she watches Haruka and the horse for a few moments.

Especially the way the horse turns its head away like that.

"I'm not sure if that horse likes you though, Haruka-san."

[heavenlyskies]

"I'll manage to win it over, after all everyone falls for my charm eventually."

Granted a horse was a bit different than flirting with a pretty girl, and just having a little fun and conversation. Still perhaps the bribe of a apple and an offer of a brush would be enough to at least get a foot in the door towards going for a ride.

"She just hasn't made up her mind yet."

sorry, i never got a notif for this one!

[reloves]

Oh, she's definitely not going to deny Haruka's charm. The other has got it by the boatloads. If there's anyone on this world who could win anyone over - well, at least when it comes to girls, anyway - it's Haruka.

So while perhaps she should be a little more sceptical of this idea, Minako actually seems pretty open to it as she speaks up with: ".. You can use your charm on horses too, Haruka-san?"

[heavenlyskies]

"Well it's not quite the same, but if you pay attention and listen, it's easy to tell what they want."

Reading the body language, the patterns of their breathing, positioning of the ears told you a lot. A was a good way to know if you stood a chance of going for a ride.

"Then just like with a person, you can work on developing a bond and understanding with one another."

[reloves]

"Understanding one another.."

Minako repeats the words, staring between Haruka and the horse for a moment.. Though she can't quite see it. Maybe it's since Minako never really spent much time at all around horses during her entire life - which makes it hard for her to see them that way. It's a lot easier with cats, considering her bond with Artemis back home.

(Or is that one cheating, considering he can actually speak in a way humans can understand..)

"You really are talented, you know..? I'm not sure if I could ever make a horse like me. People, sure, I can do that! But horses seem like such a different ballpark!"

Cult Classic

[peninhand]

Monika had been trying very hard to work on a persona fitting her newfound powers. Kinda like Drake's Darkwing Duck persona that he pulled out whenever he was fighting. Or like one of those magical girls you always saw on TV. But it was pretty embarrassing... So whenever she trained or fooled around, Monika did it at night.

Right now, she hadn't come up with a proper attire for herself yet, so she wore whatever caped costume she'd managed to find, left over from that fair a couple months back. That was like a weird Zorro knock-off, a far cry from what she hoped to eventually have. She had a pretty massive sword with her too, the one Soundwave had given her.

"Wha—"

Following Haruka's theatrical entrance, Monika stared at her with wide eyes. Guardian of the Heavens? Curtain Call? Wait, she'd read about that... There was an idiot going around disguised and beating people up at night. Was that this person? Oh gosh. What should she do?

"What the heck?" She (tentatively) raised the massive sword, and tried to sound as threatening as she could possibly be. "Um... In the name of Love and Literature, go away, villain!"

[heavenlyskies]

The board most likely should have been a bit more descriptive with the appearance of the individual to avoid moments of confusion. But Haruka didn't begrudge it, figuring that it was just some guy not wanting to admit that a woman got the best of him. Still for someone that had been brazen it seemed like she caught them off guard.

"Villain? You're the one attack innocent people. Lower your sword, unless you want a real fight and not some cheesy choregraphed dance."

Holding the blade straight up, Haruka took a fencing position, ready to move if needed.

[peninhand]

"I haven't attacked anyone!"

Odds were that she wanted the sword lowered so she could attack her without any risks... What a horrible woman! But at the same time, Monika was really not good with a sword. Maybe a show of good faith would help? Thus, Monika did lower her sword and with her free hand picked her phone.

"Send it home!"

With this vocal command, the phone flashed a light, digitizing the sword and sending it to Monika's computer back in her hotel room. Now all that she had left in hand was her phone. She looked at the other woman— Monika looked even less threatening now that the sword was gone, but she was in fact far more dangerous with that phone of hers.

"I'm warning you, if you attack me I won't hold back!" That didn't really sound like a heroine or magical girl line, did it? She should fluff it up some more. "And um, I'll unleash the full, er, power of Love and Literature on you!"

[heavenlyskies]

In a way Haruka hadn't expected it to work quite that way, for them to surrender so easily. Then again with how nervous the girl sounded, she was beginning to wonder if perhaps there had been a small mistake made at the moment. The display of vanishing the sword was rather impressive and something that Haruka would like to learn about a little more, since it looked like it had something to do with the phone.

"We can talk, but if it turns out you're my enemy and using those powers to hurt the innocent then in the name of Avalon I will stop you."

For the moment Haruka lowered the sword, she'd been enough fights and battles to where even without it she would be able to hold her own. Besides she still had her new magic and Olette was still in the wings waiting as well.

"Are you the one that's been causing all of the disturbances lately?"

[peninhand]

That was Monika's life story. The very picture of confidence, until she was taken by surprise. Then it all vanished immediately. Still, as the young woman finally deigned asked her to if she was guilty, Monika put herself back together and shook her head.

"Of course not! I mean, I guess that getup could make you think that... But so could yours, you know?"

She wasn't exactly looking all that innocent with her mask and all. In fact, Monika still considered it very possible she was just trying to get her to lower her guard so she could strike at her. Joke on her if so, because her phone was a far more formidable weapon than her sword when it came to fighting with technomancy.

"I just prefer to train in the dark. It's too embarrassing to be caught wearing weird costumes like that in the open."

[heavenlyskies]

"Except if I were the one doing it, I wouldn't have broken character when you hesitated. And would have spouted some line about avenging my loved one or something."

What they were doing now wouldn't have been a decent rendition of any kind of movie scene, and while Haruka wasn't an actor attending a school filled with gifted performers of all types meant learning a few extra skills.

"Training in the dark by yourself would make you seem like a pretty obvious target. But why wear a costume to train?"

need for speed!

[starshower]

[The incident in the Land of Rot had set a sort of guilt in the pit of Tifa's stomach—after the farmlands were destroyed in the battle against the undead, she couldn't sit still. She would return often to help restore what she could, building the fences she had a part in burning down and replanting the crops that were upended from the dirt, but it never did do anything to help ease that guilt.

So, she's taken it upon herself to visit the other farms around the city, including the stables, to offer help if needed. She's tired and overworked, but even bringing some extra food for the animals helps to keep her mind off of things, so here she is at the stables with a basket of apples. They're nothing special—just ones she picked up from the store, but the horses like them...!

She is a bit taken aback to see someone else here. Granted, Tifa has only started coming around to the stables, perhaps once or twice before today, but it's not an unwelcome surprise in the least.

Wandering up to the other woman with the basket cradled in her arms, she calls out first to warn her of her presence.]

I've got some more here if she's still hungry.

[heavenlyskies]

[Haruka was still a new face for most, she hadn't really gotten out much in her first month after the tournament and the chaos that had happened there. She didn't even make it to the final round of the Melee Madness before having to bow out and check on something else.

Hearing someone else, Haruka looked over from the horse that she'd been buddying up to in hopes of getting a ride.]

One or two more shouldn't hurt, we're going to work it off anyways. Hopefully.

[starshower]

[With a hand, she sifts through the apples lining the top of the basket and picks out the one with the shiniest, reddest skin to offer to Haruka.]

She looks like she's in pretty good shape, but I don't know a whole lot about horses to begin with.

[She's never been around one in person before coming here, and wouldn't know the first thing to look for, but they are beautiful creatures—nice to watch on a day like today.]

People mostly use chocobos to get around the way they use horses here...

[heavenlyskies]

Most people use cars and motorcycles to get around where I'm from. Unless they're riding the bus or train. But there are a few people that still have horses, though usually it's more a show of wealth than anything.

[Then again so was having your own private helicopter. Haruka didn't recognize what a chocobo was, but figured it might have been one of the other strange creatures that she had seen around.]

Did you come out to go for a ride?

[starshower]

Me? [Tifa's laugh is quiet, if not a bit shy under her breath.] No. I've never been on horseback before.

[Let alone chocobo-back! She's not an experienced rider by any means, no matter what animal it is, but...]

I wouldn't mind giving it a go someday... It looks fun...

[She'd be lying if she said she hadn't thought about it before—what it must feel like to have the wind rushing through her hair while the horse gallops around the fields, or what it would be like to climb up to some of those higher hills to get a good view on the city on horseback...]

[heavenlyskies]

Why not make it today? You're already here, and we could find one that would be suitable for you.

[It wouldn't have been a full speed ride, but just the basics of getting on and getting a feel for the rhythm and and moving along with the horse.]

I was planning on going for a ride today myself.

need for speed

[schmisse]

[ It was a long time ago when she'd learned how to ride; lessons were taught to each member of the Schnee family as horses are a symbol of wealth and status. It's something Weiss never really applied growing up, though, and while she walks around the stables, it's not because of her desire to ride. She does, however, love animals, and comes here as a means of helping the people who manage the horses. A basket of apples in hand, and a brush in her pocket, she's more than ready to bond with these equestrians.

And say hi to the other people in the process. Namely, the stranger who just so happens to be by the horses as she's on her way to feed them. ]

You know, they're going to get impatient if you just stand there.

[ They wouldn't, but if Weiss were a horse? She sure would. ]

[heavenlyskies]

[Haruka was the one that was starting ot get impatient though, trying to figure out which one might actually let her get on and that would have a pretty strong pair of legs. Also a single apple was hardly enticing when there was an entire basket to be found elsewhere.]

Yeah, but apparently picking a horse isn't quite as easy as a helicopter or car. Of course they're not as fast either, but I'll make due.

[Haruka finally decided to split the apple in half and offer it to a horse with a golden mane that was nearby.]

[schmisse]

I always thought picking a car was difficult.

[ Not that she had much experience with that to begin with, but her father was rather picky with automobiles! It took a lot of time to settle on what sort of material to use for the seats, how the wheels should look, and all that! ]

What makes you say that?

[heavenlyskies]

If you know what you're looking for and want out of it. The performance you're looking for, ability to handle corners, speed, horsepower, all of it narrows it down to where it's pretty easy before you even get into small details like the design and color.

[But then again it was likely the same way with this, if you knew enough and knew what to look for it wouldn't seem as difficult or uncertain. Though with an animal attitude and connection did play a big part in everything else.]

A horse doesn't exactly come with a performance check or analytics.

[schmisse]

Oh. Now, I get it.

[ Not in full, but the explanation given to her does make a lot of sense! ]

It always just seemed that the most expensive car would be the best one. [ Though perhaps she only thinks this because of her own upbringing. ] I've never driven anything before.

[heavenlyskies]

It's true that the good ones are never cheap, but that's what patrons are for. Price alone doesn't dictate quality. There are plenty of expensive cars you'd never catch me behind the wheel of, sometimes they just want to charge you for the name rather than the performance.

[But as she had mentioned, it was a bit trickier with a horse. While the breed was a good indicator, the personality and temperament of the horse could make all the difference as well.]