Valdis nodded as Granny reacted in a way she expected, her gaze shifted to the man whom she learned use to be the youma that she attempted to feed cookies to. When she first found this out it was hard to express how she felt about him surviving. She had accepted the fact there might not be a way for him to come back to the way he was, and that meant she too would not find her way back once she stepped into the Youma’s world. But then again…he was a human tainted with chaos…not born with it. She turned her attention back to Peter, a lopsided smirk arising from the response to her nick name for him. A laugh escaped from her lips when he went on to describe he was not batty but dragony….now that was a mental image she could chuckle at.

”I still think Moonie Loonie fits.”

However a look of surprise crossed Valdis face when Sophia of all people walked up and smacked someone in the head as a greeting. However her surprise quickly turned to a nasty glare when Peter almost hurt her. However she held her tongue as the older one explained…He hadn’t hurt Sophia so there was no reason to intervene so she turned her attention back to Sophia, her gaze softening.

”Sophia…I hate to inform you I think I’m a bad influence on you….most people say hello before giving a good natured head phwap.”

Really the annoyed to happy insta switch was slightly creepy on Sophia…normal for Val but odd on Sophia….Maybe she really was having a bad influence on the perky teen. As expected Valdis did turn and fallow Rei into the administration office. Personally she was curious to Peter’s intentions, plus it was amusing watching someone make Granny blush. Granny was more than mature enough to handle anything Peter threw her way, so Val could sit back and enjoy the awkward show. When they entered Val took her seat on the edge of the desk, a long seated habit she had from entering her father’s office. Her legs were crossed as she leant her weight against one arm that was propped up on the desk. Her attention was on Peter when he spoke. She hid no surprise when it was money that Peter offered to the shrine no less….for not being at a fight he hadn’t even been around to experience…Once more Peters actions earned more points for her…she was beginning to expect he was horrible at first impressions much like her…. When the ofuda was mention Val chuckled.

”Careful she likes to aim for smack dab in the middle of your forehead…or worse on the back of your head in your hair.”

She braced herself for what was likely going to be a slap from the ofuda; it was the relationship that she and granny had. She said something to annoy her, she got slapped with an ofuda. It was obvious Val had gotten smacked with the priestess’s ofuda on a regular occasion.

Sophia looks down at the nearly connected strike. That was certainly too close. “Alright. Sorry about sneaking up on you and smacking you.” She makes a mental note to never try that one again.

Following the group of them into the administrative office, she can’t help but look at some of the pictures on the wall. She thinks she sees a younger Rei in a few of them. “Wow. I am glad to see all of these pictures stayed safe from everything that happened.” It would have been a shame if all these memories were lost after all.

Her eyes go wide at the amount of money that Peter puts on the table. “That’s a lot. Have any major renovations planned, Hino-sama? You could redo quite a bit with that.”

The come-on line has Sophia staring at Peter for a bit. Why was he acting like a lady-killer all of a sudden? She takes a look at his emotions, and realizes. Oh. He was messing with the both of them. Why was he doing this? She didn’t understand guys at all.

“Offering them to another when I never had an issue with your fangs on my neck,” she says, getting close enough to Peter to the point where they almost touching. Her eyes don’t move away from his with a seductive, half-lidded expression. Her right hand makes contact with his left before working its way upward to hold his face. “Didn’t you say you wanted to make me gasp? Provoke me? It is so cruel to play with hearts like you do,” she says. Her arms drop and her sensual expression fades to that of annoyance. Crossing her arms, she asks, “Isn’t it just infuriating for someone to do?”

Perhaps Val would be in awe of her for taking a page of out her book. She pulls away, looking downward, “So… Hino-sama, I wanted to ask you about something, but I guess I can do so later. Is there anything that you would like me to help with you? I guess I should probably go back to gardening soon.” Looking over to Val, “And yes, you are a bad influence on me. But I would have smacked him anyways.”

Amarissa heard about the event to help rebuild the shrine and of course she decided to go and provide whatever help she could manage. She felt partially responsible for what had happened, as it were, so come Saturday morning she was up bright and early. She showed up at the shrine surprised at all the people that were already there. Ama had dressed casually for the occasion, expecting to get a little dirty. She wore an old Blue Moon logo shirt that had been her dad's with blue jean shorts, light blue leg warmers and tennis shoes. She had pulled her long silver hair back in a french braid, leaving only her bags to brush the tops of her sunglasses.

Before she got started with planting, because really that was all she was good for, the moon senshi decided to go check in on the shrine's Priestess. Though they weren't very close at all, she was still concerned about the older woman. After being directed to the main office by a random worker, she found it just in time to see Sophia's antics toward Peter. Reaching up, she pulled her sunglasses down to peer over the tops with a carefully arched eyebrow "ah, excuse me, I hope this isn't a bad time but I wanted to check in on Lady Hino since the recent attack. Valdis, it's nice to see you," she greeted them.

Rei's composure was maintained as she listened to most of the banter, though she obviously disapproved when both Sophia slapped him and then he countered with hostility in his eyes even if he only halted the attack. The comment about fighting 'three senshi and a knight' made her quirk her brow slightly.

"I do not condone violence on temple grounds. This is a place for spiritual enlightenment, cleansing, and repentance." Rei says warningly to all around. When Valdis had mentioned the warning about the Ofuda, Rei waves her hand dismissively. While she offered no comment, she was going to less quick to snap them at Valdis in the future: the spiritual strength that she had to bear now was drastically stronger than she had now due to her lack of need to restrain the demon anymore.


But then the subject of the money came up, and Rei was stunned at the number declared within the case. With a moment's thought she sighs once.

"I'm afraid I cannot accept this most generous offering. Hikawa Shrine is a non-profit organization and to be perfect honest I wouldn't have an idea of how to spend that much cash without selling out the purpose of the shrine. If this were modernized with fully new materials and whatever else comes to mind then people might feel compelled to spend more money in the offerings than they can spare for spiritual guidance. It would betray the Hino tradition. I'm certain there are numerous worthy charities that can make use of such a generous gift." Rei says calmly. "Or perhaps the large volume of cash is at least in part a desire to atone for your own demons of the past. I can't say that I understand your aura and I get the feeling your life has been complicated but it is my duty to provide aid to any and all who seeks it regardless of donation." she says calmly, her expression soft and yet firm to her beliefs. The donation was a generous offering but the Priestess had to hold firm to her beliefs and philosophy.

The comment about baring his fangs got a twitch and a faint blush from the Priestess.

"I do not consider you an enemy, but I would respectfully ask that you keep the peace while you are here. I find that the times have much more gray than they used to be. The traditional definitions of good and evil are less than obvious, regardless of the aura that a person has."

This was a truth that the battle recently brought her to realize. Once there was the safe knowledge that those of a dark aura were indisputably evil. But then Valdis had this inborn chaos energy and defended the shrine with her life. This man was bringing an incalculable amount of money for nothing obvious in return, though his carnal interests seemed to be evident in his eyes.

Sophia's lecherous display made her twitch and frankly shocked Rei. She had given Sophia much more credit than to have done that sort of thing, but when she admitted it was Valdis' influence, she sighed deeply. But then Amarissa came in to provide a needed distraction. She wasn't outright aware of what her involvement was, but she could guess. The fact that she called it an attack when it was publicly a fire gave it away.

"I am quite fine I'm not entirely certain what you mean by attack. It was a fire." she says calmly. If Amarissa was intelligent she would understand that it was publicly necessary to call it a fire: to say a monster attacked and got repelled by magical guardians would just cause trouble for all involved.

"Cruel... Let me remind you that I am not a creature of light, Sophia. Or do you beg me to lose control... Is that what arouses -you-..." He spoke softly, but audibly, clearly. "You know what I am... Saw into my heart, and know it was to my beloved Celeste... That you were compared..." He smiled then, and felt his fangs aching as he bore them. There was a crackle of malachite lightning next to him. It did no damage, but it was laced with dark emotions, the taint heavily running through him. "Perhaps that is it... You want to see what happens when I lose control... That would be so perfect would it not... Cover for the Senshi of Love..." His eyes were half glazed over. He was not listening to the rest of them. To him, they might as well not exist. He noticed them on the periphery, paid them a half measure of his attention for every five Sophia brought on herself.

Behind that wall of iced glass, Sophia was currently the object of his obsession. "Three decades... Three decades of suppressing my desires... Holding back my wants." He growled softly, almost seductively. "Valdis... You are of Wallachian stock by that accent... Would you be so kind as to inform Sophia what the dual meaning of the word Dragon is...?" His eyes had taken on an unholy light. He kept that same look, of wanton desire on his face. "Mmm... It would be too easy. Solar Plexus blow to Sailor Moon, she can neither balance nor invoke her transformation phrase... One kick, the Priestess is pinned to the wall by her desk. By then I am already transforming into Serpentarius... The Youma would be an easy take down, Solar Plexus, kidney, abdominal kick to send her through the wall. And then you would have no one to help you, Venus."

He straightened, cracking his neck. "...Mmm... That would be a most enjoyable end..." His sickeningly strong obsession was focused on her. Another crackle of malachite lightning next to him, followed by a second. "I want to sink them into someone... It burns and gnaws at me. This burning need in my veins..." He chuckled malignantly. "My own poison... Satyriasis... But you would cry denial, and every one in this room would fight me... And no matter how much you deserve it, just like them, I would get blamed."

Echoes of his anger towards his own timelines Senshi. "Vous me croyez cruel, très égoïste, mais l'amour est toujours égoïste; le plus ardent, plus égoïste. Comment je suis jalouse, vous ne pouvez pas savoir. Vous devez venir avec moi, m'aimer, à la mort; ou bien me haïr, et toujours venir avec moi, et me haïr par la mort et après. Il n'ya pas de mot comme de l'indifférence dans ma nature apathique." And echoes of how much he had wanted his beloved Celeste.

And then he shook his head. "But you are still a little Wyrmling, not even past your second decade... Better women have sought my heart and been rebuffed when I was at my weakest... And those women knew well not to stoke my fires unless they were prepared to tame them." A deep, sad sigh. "And yet I still have hope for you, despite your reckless stupidity." He slipped backwards leaning on the wall. "I will not take back my gift, Rei. Do with it as you will. If you believe it is a way for me to win your affections, and it would allow you to make use of it, do so, or whatever other excuse it requires. I do not brook rejection well. As this little one seems to consistently forget, as she does so, and mocks me in the doing."

Fear was beginning to be a harder emotion to illicit in Sophia. She watched friends get injured and even die. There was nothing more fearful than that. Everything else, well, she could keep a calm head about. She did feel bad about upsetting him though. Apologetically, she says, “Alright. I am sorry that I did that. It was rude of me. And I didn’t give enough thought about to how you feel or what you are going through. Forgive me.” She feels like she is dancing around eggshells for the moment. As graceful as she might be, it is still dizzying with a slight rush of adrenaline. “I don’t mean to start a fight. Nor do I want to see you hurt. I am capable of taking responsibility for my own misdeeds, and want to make amends for them.”

Time to think out what to do next. Step one. Apologize. Check. Step two. Locate food. Step three. Pacify with more food. Step four. Probably apologize again. Maybe refute the nature of love when other party is less angry. Raising her hands up and approaching again, concern seeps into her voice as she asks, “Are you ok? Or rather will you be ok? Listen, I’ll buy you food somewhere or something.”

"There is a refreshment table outside. Let me show you to it." She grabs his arm, and heads for the exit. Kind of a gamble at this point, but whatever, he needed to chill out now. "And we can get better food after that since they just have the usual chips, pretzels, cookies, whatever. Have you had breakfast? What do you like for breakfast?"

Amarissa bowed to the Priestess upon acknowledgment. "Yes, of course, Lady Hino. I wasn't sure if the rumors flying around were true or not is all. It was a very tragic fire, I see though," she replies, realizing her slip and mentally facepalming herself. Her eyes widen then at the Peter's reaction. This guy was nuts and seemed kinda dangerous. She winced at that and just shook her head at Sophia's attempts. Clearly, the Venus senshi had set something off and now this bipolar man was running his mouth and blowing their cover.

"Might I join you two, Sophia? Breakfast sounds like a great idea, though of course I'll pay for my own. Certainly it will help us keep our strength for the long ahead trying to fix the shrine's grounds. It'll be nice to chat with Peter as well, now that he's feeling better.," she offered, not really wanting to leave the poor girl alone with Peter. The worry in her voice layered deep under her usual calm, only barely discernible.

Rei leans back and sighs deeply at the shenanigans that Peter had pulled with Sophia. She had to balk her desire to throw an ofuda at her head for starting it, but restrained herself for the short term. She would be confused as Peter goes on in a rant of some sort in another language and just as quickly he would bounce out of the room like a caffeinated rabbit.

Then the other girls depart from the room, leaving the Priestess alone. She sighs in the quiet, not certain what she should be doing with the money that Peter had dropped off.

“Shadows over my eyes...” He was speaking without thinking, she was close enough he could talk softly to her. “Sun aggravated the taint.” He was leaning on her, needing the support. Not to much weight on her, she was small, but he needed to devote energy internally. “Eating at control. Eating at defenses... Blues has activated counter measures... But Rau is...” He stopped. “Would not make sense...”

He shifted, immediately going on the defensive, putting himself between Sophia and Amarissa. His fangs were barely hidden. His body was reacting, tearing itself apart. She's a threat, Dragon. She'll stab you in the back, just like last time!

Shut up! You are not part of my mind!

And how do you know I'm not part of you, Inquisitor?

You are not part of my mind. You are the taint. I can hear it.

Peter barely held back his growl, his entire body seeming to bristle, the motion imperceptible to Amarissa, but more than noticeable to Sophia. “Oh, do not be ridiculous. Anytime I am dining with my... Comrades.” there was a moment as he grasped for a word he could justify internally as meaning 'Person who I have not killed because they are friends with someone I am fond of.' “I pay.” He smirked at that, an external mask. “I make more than both of you put together annually in a month. I forbid you to pay.” And a hollow grasp to regain some power over this situation.

Sophia holds his hand with a more forceful grip as she hastens her movements to the refreshment table. She’s not running, but is certainly moving too fast to be walking either. “We can go wherever you want for food. Someplace dark. But let’s get some snacks for the road first.”

At the refreshment table, Sophia watches him for a bit before responding in French, “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.” She sighs because this was something outside of his understanding. “However, I get this is a bit like describing colors to the blind or music to the deaf... There are no words or phrases to describe it accurately.” Combined with the fact that she seemed to upset him greatly, she feels depressed that he might never feel that way towards anything or anybody ever again if she was giving him the benefit of the doubt about his affection toward Celeste. She could only hope purification would help at this point.

She grabs a cookie off the table before continuing in French, "I love you and everyone else unconditionally. There is nothing you or anyone else could do or say to make that stop. And it is impossible for me to hate you. I don’t expect the same in return. I’ve seen you certainly don’t feel the same in return anyways, and I doubt that will change come tomorrow or the day after and so on. Perhaps, we are incapable of feeling the emotions that we wish the other to feel. It doesn’t matter. And you may piss me or confuse me sometimes, but those are all temporary, fleeting emotions, which are really a lot less powerful nor as important. I would give up my own chances of happiness for yours if that choice presented itself. In the end, I will always care about you and the same with everyone else. I should have taken that into better account earlier. I forgot about what lurked in your soul for awhile, which I still promise to do something about, but not right now while emotions are high. I was annoyed because I thought you were attempting to mess with me and careless because I didn’t consider the effects of my own actions, and I shouldn’t have let my own agitation get the better of me. Forgive me.” She takes a bite out of the sugary treat that she taken for herself. She didn’t even want a cookie. It was just kind of there. Now, she was stuck with it.

“Now that I have been incredibly honest, and almost feel embarrassed, I want you to feel better or see that you are happy if I can. Let’s see if I can’t unruin a perfectly good day then. So where are we going to eat?” she asks, speaking in Japanese this time. She attempts to smile, but still feels bummed, tinging her expression with sadness.