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Jewel Maidens - Chapter 2 - Sister-in-law

Having grown up with Nasu, Mikoto has been friends with her for as long as she can remember, she never really thought much about Kaito, she got on fine with him but she never saw anything else until the night she nearly lost her life.
Growing up in the company of two of the most decorated street racers on the highways, Nasu's parents were a target for control of the entire metro line.
Nasu and Mikoto were part of a junior metro team in their late teens when they came under attack from rival teams, but it would all come to a climax. Mikoto was dating Shu at the time, Nasu was caught up in a rival clash on the metro when she found about a plot to destroy the base, Mikoto was on her way there with Shu, but the bomb malfunctioned, as it did, Shu revealed that he was an enemy and tried to shoot Mikoto only for Kaito to take the bullet, an enraged Nasu tried to kill Shu only for an assassin to steal the kill, known infamously as Death's Right Hand, she calmed Nasu enough to treat Kaito to save him, feeling guilty for letting Kaito get injured, Mikoto took responsibility in nursing him back to health, the two would fall in love after the team disbanded following the Black Horse incident on the Highways and would marry three months later.
The building of the Haruna shrine gave Mikoto a new purpose as she awakened her gem the amethyst.
Racer to receptionist would seem like a down grade, but she admits herself that she's terrible with cars preferring bikes especially Vespas.
One thing is still unclear from that day, who is Death's Right Hand?
She wears black leather with a large red leather jacket, she has a scar across her face, an eye patch over her left eye and her right hand is mechanical, she wields a well worn out warhammer as a weapon with a hidden blade in the hilt along with an icy aura that follows her about, but one thing that did freak out Mikoto was that she had the same purple ribbon as her right down to the kanji that spelt Mikoto's name.
"Mikoto, you day dreaming?" Nasu asked.
"Thinking about that day, who is Death's Right Hand?" Mikoto asked.
Nasu remembering the event also remembered what the assassin said to her.
"Don't make the same mistake again!" Was what she said to her as she slain Shu.
Nasu found it too traumatic to continue the team and disbanded, especially after the Black Horse incident which saw her car totalled by Kara Shindo.
"Mom never hired any assassin during the war for the Metro line, Kara as usual won't talk and I can't pay Misao's fee" Nasu said.
"Only thing I know from the casinos is that she will answer to the name Hayabusa and that she knows Blazing Rose" Kaito name dropping the name of the Metro line's last resort who annihilated the Black Horse leader Maria Rossi and prevented her from taking the Metro.
There is talk of a Metro line tournament with Blazing Rose in line to race for the final time against the winner but with Nasu's car still not ready, it looks like the racing path may be a dead end.

Jewel Maidens - Chapter 1 - The Girl With No Jewel

The hidden city of Bayside located in a lost region between Canada and America has a long history of gemstones, the land itself seeing a long line of explorers and vagabonds enter the sacred land starting from the Greeks and the Vikings, the golden era of piracy and explorers, the witch trials even the Underground Railroad all found it's way to Bayside ending in the most recent hundred years of World War II refugees, ex soldiers, well to do business men and actors of the old Hollywood era; the one era creating the most everlasting effects were the witches, an old tale surrounding Duke Montfort's metamorphosis into a beast by a jealous witch created the first generation of Gem Queens and all female inhabitants of Bayside regardless of whether they were born in Bayside or not, were blessed with gemstone.
23 year old Nasu Hijiri from Sendai Japan was a woman still awaiting her gemstone, the rest of the family had received their gemstones, even her best friend and sister-in-law Mikoto awakened with an Amethyst gemstone when her brown eyes changed to purple on her wedding day, Nasu's life was far from normal although many would argue that her upbringing was full of opportunities.
As a pre-teen, she excelled at figure skating and rhythmic gymnastics, she was an exceptional athlete in high school, is one of the most formidable racers on the highways and can out game the best online.
But the reality was cruel; her rival was picked over her for the Olympic gymnastics team, she suffered injury at the figure skating nationals, she failed to qualify for the summer Olympics and was overlooked for numerous team sports, her car was wrecked against yakuza boss Kara Shindo and she was kicked off her gaming team after a heavy defeat to Blood Raven, all she had left was her receptionist job at Haruna Inn, she worked with Mikoto, two school friends in Sylvia and Emily along with a fresh out of school bell hop named Sissi; the Inn was named after the late Haruna Yamato, a dear friend to the Hijiri family, her daughter also named Haruna, is a master stewardess, a title given to Bayside's most respected tour guides, Haruna even suggested that Nasu take the exam but she only took the receptionist job as a last resort and that no one would hire a BWI girl with no awakened gemstone in anything more high profile, BWI being the Bayside Women's Institute which allows it's members to find employment in any desired field, since gemstone awakenings can also change your appearance, it wouldn't feel right to pick something that becomes more difficult if Nasu's body changed too dramatically, an example she saw with her friend Emily who grew well over 6ft tall when her Turquoise gem awakened.
There are options in the BWI that could make things easier, Nasu could expand her involvement in BWI's Ballroom program, a legal requirement asked of all BWI members is learning Ballroom dancing and participating in at least one of the monthly competitions, partnered with Hanyu, Nasu is higher ranked than most but cannot afford the step up to competition dress which isn't paid for by the BWI and a receptionist paycheck wouldn't cover a simple ball gown let alone a custom design.
If her gem awakened, it might open doors but for now Nasu is gem less and lost in a loop, the receptionist job is all she has which feels devastating considering how many things she had a part in before.
Also out of the question is a forced awakening, the incident of historian Jessica Richards ended in her gaining incredible proportions but her body belonged to the witches, a fate that also happened to Amy Virgo when she was desperate for a way out of retail.
"Cheer up Nasu, I'm sure it'll awaken someday" Mikoto said
"I'm just tired of the boasting from my cousins Asuka and Mitsue about their Emerald and Topaz awakenings" Nasu trying not to think about her more unruly family members.
Asuka is a high flying lawyer while Mitsue is a translator for the government office, both are high ranking in the BWI even if Mitsue is a flamboyant Gyaru girl, even Asuka's sister Shoko who awakened a Ruby gem is a concert violinist, Nasu's own younger sister Hime who is applying to become an official Snow White probably won't be long before her gem awakens.
"If you're done moping about your gem issues we need to open up Mt Haruna" Kaito arrived to scold Nasu.
Kaito is Nasu's older brother and Mikoto's husband, the gems have a different effect on men, boosting one trait rather than a complete transformation, for Kaito it was natural presence, he can command a room easily, the younger crowd would call it aura farming.
Mikoto shared a loving kiss and hug with her husband as the inn opened.
"Welcome to Haruna Inn"

Defeat Script - License Mastery? Goku's Newest Trial

Guess I can't expect a request these days so lets look at Dragonballz Episode 125 - License Mastery? Goku's Newest Trial.

Wip

Defeat Script - The Winners in Summer Colors

I really didn't want to see the day I would put a Dirty Pair episode on defeat script but since were on a theme of fan service not being art, this is the best example of this in Dirty Pair Flash Episode 14 - The Winners in Summer Colors.

Kei and Yuri are about to win a Volleyball tournament when it cuts back to them talking to Chief Poporo about a mission to capture a corrupt president of a major organization who only shows up during major sports events, they are sent to a training satellite where they are confronted by Coach Gazelle, a Russian (at least in the dub) drill sergeant nasty; after failing to return a ball from an overpowered machine, Kei and Yuri are put through the intense training from hell while Gazelle explains the mission, each training method getting worse and worse until Yuri breaks down in tears, while Kei doesn't cry she still quits herself, before they leave, Gazelle drops some emotional blackmail by explaining how many trouble consultants died getting to this point in capturing the President, training begins again in a more traditional training montage, the training ends with Kei and Yuri blowing up Gazelle with exploding Volleyballs, back to the game and Kei and Yuri pull off the win, before the ceremony begins, the two are put into the stupidest looking bikinis ever, I get the logic but I'm pretty sure most bikinis forfill the same role, the President arrives who is a mix of Happousai and the Dungeon Master from the 80s Dungeons and Dragons cartoon, the President is easily captured and during the debrief, Poporo confirms that the so called sacrifices were mere office incidents, leading Kei and Yuri to brutally beatdown Gazelle in the hospital.
Two takeaways from this episode.
1. You can put Kei and Yuri in as many different swimwear as possible and they all look very nice but the whole point of fan service is that it either has to seamlessly blend into the story or the characters enjoy the scenario they are in, they are not worked so hard that they breakdown in tears, there is nothing sexy about viewing that.
2. This is probably the lowest point in the entire Dirty Pair franchise and considering some of the crazy episodes I've seen it's kinda depressing that the worst episode was intended for fan service.

Next time on Victory Script
Dragonballz

Victory Script - Aim to be a Princess? Usagi's Weird Training

I've been wanting to cover this episode for a long time, it's episode 37 of Sailor Moon - Aim to be a Princess? Usagi's Weird Training.

Usagi wakes up late for school again forgetting her homework in the process, at the school gate, Usagi and Naru witness three girls arrive by limousine, these girls are attending the princess seminar run by a prominent aristocrat; Usagi daydreams of dancing with Tuxedo Mask as princess Serenity which lands being kicked out of class prompting her to decide to behave more like a Princess.
Queen Beryl insists that Endymion assist Kunzite but the two men aren't keen on the idea.
At the game center, Luna discusses Usagi with her intel which is revealed to be Artemis all along.
Usagi after an unsuccessful spying on the seminar ends up joining when Countess Rose asks her to throw a Frisbee which Usagi is good at, the idea being that the real Sailor Moon is a great discus thrower with her constant use of the tiara attack, which Kunzite hopes will be a good trap.
The rest of the senshi join Usagi in her training as Usagi has failed pretty much everything except the discus.
Rei and Minako are equally impatient with ballroom dancing as they fail just as hard as Usagi while Ami and Makoto dance elegantly and pass the test.
Leaving Usagi, Rei and Minako behind, Makoto and Ami are turned to wax by the countess revealed to be Youma Shakoukai, the battle seems to go in Youma's favour until a bickering Kunzite and Endymion distracts Youma enough to be taken down.
The episode ends with Usagi declaring that she'll be a princess in her own way.
Three take aways from this episode
1. As a nod to Sailor Venus being the Senshi leader, it makes sense that Artemis was providing the intel for Luna.
2. The plan to take out Usagi was quite ingenious and having an equally difficult monster to take out in Youma Shakoukai could've been the end if not for the villains bickering.
3. This is the best showcase of the personalities of the other senshi especially in their own former lives as princesses, Makoto especially as she's arguably the most qualified to be an actual princess, in fact episode 39 we find out Makoto's talent as a figure skater.

Next time on Victory Script
Dirty Pair Flash