RPG: Trouble With a Captial A
Started by: Amethyst
5/5/00
Players: Amethyst, Nephrite, Michiru, Zoicite, Argocite, the Dark Bug, Blake, Jurei-Jurei, Kunzite, Darien, Tashande, Beryl, and Guardian

Nephrite waited in the den for Argocite to pop up. "He sure is taking his sweet time." he thought sarcasticly.

"Catch you on the flip-side, sweetness," Joey said, with a light tickle under Jakurin's chin. And snapping the lid on his foam take-out tray, he got up and hurried to a more vacant area: nearby an American auto parts shop. He ducked behind a thick post out of view, and concentrated. *I hate blind teleports,* he silently moaned. *Especially long, telepath-trace ones.* But he did the job. Soon he materialized right behind Nephrite. "Sorry, I was looking at a possible 'cruit," Joey said, as he put down his leftovers and switched into uniformed Argocite. "Lots of potential, too, in my opinion. What's the emergency?" "Amethyst?" Argocite asked, highly piqued. He took the envelope. "Well, it's a young girl named Jakurin... American descent, I believe, thinks she's some sort of comedienne, barely gets by making ends meet, always broke. Fairly low self-esteem, I'd bet. I think she needs some big brother type to show her how to make it on the mean streets of Tokyo." He chuckled sinisterly as he turned around and opened Amethyst's letter.

Npehrite nodded. "Sounds promising. We give her security, she gives us a chance to get the senshi. I like it. You should tell Beryl of your findings. Now, what does the letter say? Anything good?" he asked looking over Argocite's shoulder.

Dear Argocite,
Time for the two of us to start back working together, just like old times. After all you were the only one who convinced me that all men are not lying dogs. Just those who live on Earth. I'll help you find new recruits, no price besides I like working with you. To say the least I'm a little surprised that you are in Tokyo. If it wasn't for you things wouldn't be the way they are now. I also wouldn't be on your side more then I am with the others. If you are interested in starting our partnership again, meet me at the rooftop of Tokyo apartments. If you know where that is, if not then I guess I'll see you if our paths just happen to meet again. I know they will they always have in the past. By the way if you're interested in another recruit, I might have two of them. One of them is Osaka Naru the other is a guy I've been watching for some time now, I think he's name is Blake. Well I'll write again soon, but next time I won't give it to Nephrite.
Amethyst
Above her name was a picture of a black rose.

Nephrite continued to try and peer over Argocite's shoulder. The only thing he could see what the black rose. "Oh, so Amethyst has a boyfriend. Oh this is rich." he said with an annoying chuckle.

"Are you jealous, sir?" Argocite inquired, putting a soft edge on his tone so not to rouse his higher-up's ire. He quickly folded the letter. "Seems Ame's has a couple of victims herself to bring to our side. She'll brief me at a meeting spot she submitted. Seems to be in her uptight, kill-the-Y-chromosome mood as usual. I think I'd better speak directly to her promptly. Oh, and her majesty Beryl; I haven't met her yet since I came to Tokyo. How should I wrangle an audience with her?"

Jakurin polished off her rice happily and dropped the foam dish into a recycling bin. Turned out Ace's buddy could be half-way decent after all. Then off to the corner, she spotted Blake seated with his eclectic meal. She sauntered up, and got the aroma of smoke and alcohol. *Ano... where's he been?* "Blake!" she said aloud. "Where you been? Isn't it a bit early in the day for all that?"

"Huh?" Having been staring off into the distance, Blake was surprised by the sound of Jakurin's voice. "Oh! Hi Jaku-chan!" He smiled weakly and took anouther bite of his pizza. "It's never too early or late for anything. But.. hey. Where'd your little boyfriend go to?" Well.. he was drunk, and so really wasn't noticing what he was saying. He lit up a cigarette with a grin and took a drag. Ai ai ai...

Zoisite unlocked the door to Kunzite/Kitsune's apartment, bouncing inside cheerfully. "Kunzite! I'm home!" he called out. Tossing his jacket onto the chair, he sniffed. Pizza... the ice king knew the way to his heart. Licking his lips, he considered. Go in quest of his favourite food or go in search of Kunzite. Checking his watch, he frowned softly. Ever since Nephrite had gotten those damnable tapes, he's kept him on a tight leash. If he just up and vanished for a large block of time, the star king would get suspicious, something he couldn't allow to happen. Discarding the idea of food, he glanced about the apartment, not realizing that he had nearly caught Kunzite when he'd thrown open the door. "Kunzite-sama?"

Nephrite shook his head. "Nope, not jealous at all. Just interested that the man hater is so interested in you. My question is..why?" he said with a smile.

"Can you keep a secret, my liege?" Argocite asked. "Well, so can I. By your leave." And he teleported to the Tokyo Apartments rooftops to see Amethyst.

Jakurin shook her head. *He's not as think as he drunks he is,* she mused sadly. "Joey? He's someone I met at a movie theatre a couple of hours before that big meltdown. Maybe you read about it in the paper. He treated me to breakfast a few minutes ago." And she wondered how soon Blake would finish his, so she could get him out of there and somewhere where he could dry out.

He grinned up at her and shruged. "I don't usually read the paper. Nothing good ever happens around here. 'Sept for the Senshi..." That last one was muttered, kinda slurred. He really didn't know why he thought about them. They barely were around, and when they were, it was quick. Super heros for a city full of mortal turmoil. Perfect. "So, what do you want to go to?" He dumped his tray into the trashcan next to him, thought for a moment and then threw the tray away too. "Why don't we go for a walk through Juuban Park? It might be nice to see nature.." He shifted momentarily, then snuffed out his cigarette.

Amethyst arrived at the Tokyo Apartment rooftops seconds after Argocite and smiled. "Hello Argo I guess it's time for us to cause trouble for the senshi again, isn't it my friend. As for the recruits there was one not in my letter that I thought it would be best to talk about face to face. Besides you never call, you never write, I was beginning to think that you forgot all about me. And you know what I do to men that forget me don't you," Amethyst said.

Kunzite pushed the door shut, and rubbing his nose, bolted it shut and made a quick motion to seal shut the shielding on his place. Then crossing the distance between them, he wrapped his arms around the smaller general. "So what do you want first," he whispered, his breath stirring strands of honey and crimson hair strands. "Food or me?"

"You first," came the hurried reply as Zoisite buried himself within Kunzite's arms. "Nephrite might realize that I've up and disappeared on him again and so something worse than... last time." That was a subject he wasn't going to breach with Kunzite, something he didn't and wouldn't talk about. Nuzzling against Kunzite's shoulder, even he was afraid to see what the other would have planned this time if he found out about the disobeyance of orders. Eyeing Kunzite's face, he grinned sheepishly as a blush overtook his pale face. "Sorry about throwing open the door."

"Don't worry," Kunzite replied with a smile. "It was my own stupid fault for standing so close to the doorway." He kissed Zoisite lightly on the nose before bending over and sweeping him up into his arms. "And since you insist on me first," he said, carrying Zoisite to the bedroom. "Then there's no reason why we shouldn't get started." Settling him on top of the bed, he started kissing him, fingers tugging at his clothing. ~What Nephrite did to both of us is wrong. I will not suffer that again, nor will I allow you to be punished as well.~

Argocite nearly said something, but stopped short. "I'm sorry, who are you again? Have we met?" Then he laughed, showing he was just kidding, took her hand and graced his cheek with it. "It's been too long, Amethyst. I've had to make sure things on the Haven were locked down, and get my first set of 'cruits all in a line. Beryl's fury isn't on my top ten list either." He lightly kissed her backhand. "So, I'm here. Who's the new sucker you got in mind?"

Jaku felt an economy-sized sweatdrop trickle down the back of her head. Blake was in bad enough shape as was. He didn't need to be in public humiliating himself like this. That was her job. "What say we get some espressos or coffee before we take off?" she said. "I need to get tanked up-- er, awake and alert." And she took him by the crook of his elbow, looking for a espresso shop for Blake. One that handed out the triple strength stuff. In 55-gallon drums.

Amethyst reached into the pocket of her uniform and pulled out an piece of paper. "This is the address of Osaka Naru, I'll let you know what I know about her then you can check her yourself," Amethyst said. "She's having problems, something like her best friend disappearing; although she does act outgoing, there is something wrong with her something that she wouldn't tell me when I talked to her. All I know is that she's looking for some attention and something more then what she has now. So how are things on the Haven, you really must take me there again sometime soon. By the way you are the only one that I care about you do know that."

Argocite smiled as he stroked Ametyst's hair. "I am honored to have your devotion," he cooed. "About Osaka Naru: I believe I can befriend her, but I tend to specialize in geeks and outcasts. She's not quite in that category... though I think I can arrange something to help out." After twirling a lock around his finger, he asked, "So, how well are you set up for a human cover identity?"

Jakurin spotted a coffee kiosk out in the courtyard. She instinctively reached for her pocket, then remembered: she was dead broke. As usual. *Baka!* she thought. *Ah've always relied on the kindness of strangers.* Then her Suth'un accent switched to the Bronx: "Boy, lady, are you in the wrong place!" she muttered aloud. So she scanned for the nearest pickpocket mark, preferably a more affluent jerk that deserved it.

The Dark Bug flew about the city at nap-of-the-earth level, looking about the neighborhood. When he kept mulling over who junked up his project as Melvin, he got angrier and angrier until he had to vent. Then he involuntarily turned into his airborne alias. Just as well, he needed to get out, fly, and release some steam. He marveled how he wasn't as nervous about heights as he used to be. And how the people milling on the sidewalk looked like... well, ants. Only not as disciplined or principed. He cruised on, unaware if anyone down below was looking up.

Zoisite's expression remained thoughtful, even as Kunzite tugged his shirt off of him. Around the sakura's slender throat remained the black choker with the matching ebony crystal at the heart of it. Within the gem seemed to swirl a multitude of galaxies, the stars flashing depending on how the light struck it. Running his hands across Kunzite's chest, he paused as a shadow passed over the window... a rather big shadow. Already on his back, Zoisite tilted his head back, blinking in surprise as he glanced up to Kunzite. "You're not going to believe this... but a *really* big bug is out there."

Kunzite paused, and turned to look out the window. "Great, not the giant youma bug," he muttered darkly. He didn't feel like running after underlings to make sure that they don't get themselves killed. "I hope it goes somewhere else before it attracts senshi and Nephrite."

Amethyst smiled and laughed again. "You will always have my devotion Argo, you know that.The only one's who don't know are the other generals. They don't even deserve to know," Ame said. "As for my human cover yes I have one. In fact I almost lost my temper when "the oh I can speak with stars" wanted me to go into modeling. I wouldn't mind doing it but the way he smiled at me as he said it, almost made me turn him into dust. It's almost like he wants me or something like that. If he wants someone that bad then I could manage some weak human to be his play thing, but not me. I'm yours and he better remember that. Or I could torture both him and Zoicite and put the two of them together."

Watching Jakurin with a grin, Blake silently slid back into a seat, watching her. Ah yes, so he was drunk. And yes, so he was a little buzzed. So what?! It was a beautiful day, and he wanted to go for a walk in the park. "C'mon Jaku-chan... It'll be fun. Just the two of us will get away from all this... The park'll look nice this time of year. C'mon!" And with that he was gone, all that was left was a trail of dust... and his horrific laughter.

"Don't work yourself up like that, my darkling," Argocite said, kneading and massaging where her neck met her shoulders. "They don't deserve your contempt. Besides, Zoicite probably goes for the pain thing, anyway." He glanced down at a billboard showing a swimsuit girl reclined on a car's hood. "Actually, Neph's got a very good angle with the model thing. All those women yearning, craving to look like someone they'd never ever could meet on the street." He nuzzled into her ear. "The exercising, dieting, starving themselves, then breaking down, gorging on treats, saying they deserve it... and then feeling guilty and horrible over their indulgences, and starting the cycle all over again. All that frustration, gluttony, vanity, anger... energy, energy, energy! A virtual perpetual motion machine here!" Then he heard a low buzzing from far off. Looking up on the horizon, he saw a familiar sight: the Dark Bug. "From one extreme to the other," he griped. "What's he doing here?"

Nephrite looked at the place Argocite just stood. "Yes, i can keep a secret. But that is for another day. For now, my work is done." he muttered to the empty room. He teleported back to the Estates and poured a glass of wine. Yes, his work was done for now. He met the new recruit, just like he was asked. Now he could care less what happened.

Amethyst looked in the same direction that Argo was looking in and saw a large flying bug in the horizon. "Is that another one of your students Argo," Ame said smiling. "If not I could always blast it out of the sky." *If it's not Nephlite or the other generals ruining our fun, it's the senshi. But this is the first time I've seen a huge flying bug ruin my time with Argocite.* "Besides it ruining my chance to be alone with you without the senshi or the generals interfering," Ame said frowning. Amethyst then moved her arm behind Argo's back and smiled. "But if you think I should go into the modeling business I will... but only because you want me to. Besides they will give the Dark Kingdom excellent energy."

The Dark Bug hovered overhead. Argocite appeared a little irritated. "No, no, my gem, don't blast him," he cooed. "Not yet." To the insect, he glared icily. "Your timing could be better, buddy boy." "Argocite?" the Bug piped. "Who's the girl?" "Someone who's not your worry. Right now, anyway. Move on." "But I--" Argosite scowled sharply. "You're not needed! Now BUZZ OFF!" Hanging his head, the Dark Bug zipped away down the street. "Oh, sure," he muttered to himself. "Everybody dump on the insect. Just because he's got six limbs and wings, and multiple eye lenses..." And he took off in Jakurin and Blake's general direction. Argocite turned back to Amethyst. "Sorry for the interruption. As I said, Neph's got a good idea, but I think it could be carried further. I was thinking of more media coverage, TV, magazines, radio, film, letting the masses yearn what they can't have." He pulled her a little closer. "What's your personal preference?"

Jakurin chased Blake, grateful that his drunken state left him more or less staggering, or she'd've never kept up. "Blake! Baka! Stop before you run in front of a bus!" She felt her embarrassment quickly mix with frustration and anger. Not a very good emotional cocktail. And right in the middle of her bitter figurative drink was a fly. A big, messy, disgusting fly. Or something like it. Coming in at Blake's 12 o'clock high in plain view swooped the Dark Bug. Jaku winced. "Oh, merciful Kami! Not him again!"

Blake, reeaaaally not paying attention to Jakurin's words stopped deep in his tracks as the fabled Dark Bug flew his way. Giggling madly Blake spun and faced Jaku'-chan. "Look! Look! There's a really big bug on the lense! Somebody squash it!" Drunken laughter exploded within him, and that.. practible sensible part of Blake wondered how drunk he REALLY was...

"That thing is going to attract the attention of all those blasted senshi," Kunzite growled angrily, getting to his feet and opening a window. At this angle, he could see the bug on its path towards the more crowded downtown area. "If I wasn't certain that Beryl will kill me, I would blast it down now and save them the trouble!"

Zoisite sighed. Nothing like getting fully charged up for a good session with Kunzite and having a bug ruin it all. He briefly considered just laying there, trying to seduce the ice king back between the sheets before Nephrite realized that he was gone. Watching his lover's backside as he stared out the window, Zoisite saw his chances of tricking Kunzite back into bed were dwindling. Once the whole duty and commitment thing had ahold of him, the leader of the kings rarely gave in to anything. Rising from the bed, he slid his arms about Kunzite's waist, his nails sliding over the hard expanse of his lover's stomache. "Well, are we going to go kill it or not? Should we even help or try to drag it out of sight?"

Jakurin dove behind a dumpster for some changing cover away from the public's eyes. "Jurei Illusional Power, Make-up!" After a flashy twirl and transformation, Sailor Jurei-Jurei stood ready with Lance in hand. Dashing out, she looked up to the Dark Bug, he looked down at her, and both simultaneously said the same thing: "You again!" The Dark Bug dove down, grabbed the jester Senshi with four arms, and sprang up to a higher level.

Argocite looked over the cityscape and saw the commotion in the next ward. "Crud! Always something getting in the way!" But then a flash of inspiration sparkled in his eye. "Bitter-sweetie?" he asked Amethyst. "Do you think you can do me a small favor? Say, corral my bug boy away from the public before someone else puts the hurt on him? That's MY job." He smirked deviously. "And if Silly Girl gives you any guff... well, I always wanted to see you in action."

Tashande cruised along the city street, coaxing his battered motorcycle along. He listened carefully for the grinding and sputtering, trying to establish a sort of zen with his machine. It was a little like feng shui, diagnosing it's ails by getting in touch with the flow of chi through its chrome veins... And then the characteristic scream of an innocent bystander. His head snapped up. This was something half of him had been dreading and half of him had been waiting for. The bug. He smiled for a moment and hopped off his bike, ready for battle, until he saw it attacking Jurei-Jurei. This was better than he had hoped for. He was counting on seeing her again. She was cute when she wasn't in senshi mode.

Kunzite tensed as Zoisite slipped his arms around him, his emotions easy enough to read by his body language. One of his hand drifted down to lay ontop of Zoisite's hand, still its restless wanderings. "Drag it out of sight and give it AND its creator a lecture. They are not suppose to attract the senshi attention like-" he waved his free hand at the form dipping into a crowd. "-that! Not unless we can be sure of killing the senshi while we're at it." Turning around, he dipped his head to give Zoisite a kiss. "I'm sorry to spoil this afternoon," he whispered.

The Dark Bug continued to ascend more and more floors with Jurei-Jurei in his grip. "You owe me for that cheap shot in the theater, sister," he snipped. Jurei-Jurei arched an eyebrow under her mask. "Oh, come on, I thought that movie was a gas!" And she twirled her Lance around in multiple circles, and stopped it. It had turned into an old-style bike-pump can sprayer. "Quick, Henry, the Flit!" she piped. And she pumped bug spray repeatedly into the insect's mush. Coughing and wheezing repeatedly, the Dark Bug let go to gasp for air. Plummetting, Jurei-Jurei then saw she should've tried that stunt thirteen stories ago....

Amethyst raised her hand and a black metal whip appeared in her hands. "Okay I guess I can do that but don't blame me if your bug boy gets hurt in the progress," Amethyst said. " Oh and I have a question for you before I do this favor for you Argo." Amethyst then created an image of Joey Whitehurst with Jakurin. " You wouldn't happen to know who the two of them are would you," Amethyst asked?

Argocite peered hard at the vision. "Hmmm... I believe that's one girl I've met previously. Poor thing's got no cash, no self-worth, no decent sense of humor. I think she'd make a wonderful youma." He rustled his hand through Ames' hair. "Can't hold a candle to you, of course." He scratched his. "Who IS the handsome goob she's with, anyway?" He looked back at the mayhem in the streets. "I think we'd better table the discussion for now. Things're getting ugly. And I'd better accompany you to make sure you don't scuff up my boy... unnecessesarily."

The sakura's shoulders lifted in a half hearted shrug. "I suppose it's fate, Kunzite-sama." Shaking his head depressedly, Zoisite's clothing shifted back to his gun metal grey uniform. Without bothering to wait for the ice king, he teleported out to a good vantage point of the entire battle. A disgusted expression crossed his face at the sight of the oversized Dark Bug. That one never failed to make his skin crawl. "Now how to fix this all..." he murmured to himself.

"You're right about that Argo, business first then pleasure," Ame said teleporting and ended up right behind Zoisite. "Well if it isn't the other foolish one. Did you come to mess with the bug, if you did then you better make other plans. Because Argo and I are the only ones who get to hurt bug boy," Amethyst said. Amethyst then cracked her whip against the ground. "Oh and just in case you forgot me I'm Amethyst destroyer of men."

Tashande swung his bike around, the back wheel leaving an arc of black on on the road as he drove forward. He started forward, then leapt off and vanished in a cloud of smoke. Steam poured from the cracks of his armor as he landed and rolled, coming to a stop on one knee. *Good enough so far, Superman* He looked up at the falling girl and wondering for a moment if she would create some kind of pillow or something, but decided not to risk it. The concrete beneath his feet turned soft, into a bubbling swamp of gooey tar. She would hit him, hopefully, and the molten road would absorb the impact. Hopefully. Tashande winced and waited.

Sailor Jurei-Jurei thought quickly on her feet, figuratively, released the spray can into a free-fall toss, and let it turn into a very big metal spring. She caught it and turned about so it faced the ground... where Tashande blocked the way. Sproing! Tashande dipped from the impact, pushing down into the tar. Jurei-Jurei sprang back into the air, and she flipped so she landed onto the rooftop of a smaller building. "Well, better a dorky recovery than coolly busting your back," she mumbled to herself. She looked down to the street, and saw the Dark Bug drifting down to the street like a leaf, coughing and wheezing all the way. He drifted away from the public and Tashande. "Gotta get away, and find fresh air," he rasped.

Argocite sharply saluted Zoisite. "We'll handle this, sir. By your leave." He left him and zeroed in on the Dark Bug. "Well, at least he's not a complete moron. Found him, Ames!" he commented.

Tashande pushed himself up, thankful she had broken her own fall. Bits of sticky black crud clung to his armor, gumming up the joints. A hissing cloud of steam rushed over him and the black plate was gone, replaced by the man underneath. He sighed and looked around, spotting his bike resting on the ground with a line of angry motorists lined up behind it.

The Dark Bug inhaled, exhaled, coughed, rasped, and tried to rise higher where the fresh air was. But he was too weak. Veering away to a lonely courtyard behind a cheap apartment building, he thunked down out of view behind some hedges. And he morphed back into Melvin.

A drop of tempeture and flakes of frost herald Kunzite's appearance on the scene. Taking in the confusion with a shake of his head, he folded his arms across his chest and said in a mild reproaching tones, "General Amethyst, Argocite, please keep your pets in line or we will remove them."

Perched on the edge of the bilding, Zoisite growled to himself, sweeping the dirt off of his shoulder. He knew there was a reason he hated women... he just hadn't been sure of it until now. Scowling still, he leaped down, landing lightly at Kunzite's side. Trying to look as regal and imposing as the ice king, he crossed his arms. He knew things had been going downhill when Beryl-hime started recruiting from the lower ranks.

Amethyst looked coldly at Kunzite. "He's Argo's pet not mine, I had nothing to do with bug boy. And what are you going to do if we don't huh Kunzite, destroy us," Amethyst said. "After all we all know that you couldn't destroy anything if your life depended on it." She then focused on Argocite. ~ Let's say we ditch these guys and go on with our conversation, Argo.~

A flash of amber light signaled Nephrite's appearence to the little party. "Did I hear someone say something about destorying?" he questioned. "Remember Amethyst, we three can take care of the senshi ourselves, we don't really need you or Argocite here and we woud be more than happy to get rid of any... trouble makers." he said cracking his knuckles to make his point well known. Back to Part I On to Part III