3368/P:WTWM - The Countess Who Sang To The Stars: Chapter Two

P:WTWM - The Countess Who Sang To The Stars: Chapter Two
Date of Scene:	10 November 2015
Location:	Alberichstadt <P:WTWM>
Synopsis:	The students return to the Mirror Forest to meet with the Countess and save their classmate. Will they succeed?
Cast of Characters:	Kotone Yamakawa, Riva Banari, 513, 626, 642, 747, 852, August Kohler, 901, 908
Tinyplot:	Persona: Were the World Mine-1

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Riva Banari has posed:
Once upon a time, there was a Countess who sang to the stars. They danced in the sky, even coming down from the darkness of night to be with the Singer they loved. The Countess sang at the top of a great Tower That Cannot Be Climbed, past the Brambles That Cannot Be Cut, which grow beyond the River That Cannot Be Crossed. The travellers would not be denied, however, by the Jester's words, and left to seek out help.

"Help us," the Tin Soldier asked, "For we must meet the Countess."
"Help us," the Sword Bride asked, "For the trials are great."

And so they came, the Man in White, and the Youthful Rebel, and the Saint, and the Judging Prince, and the Red Sorceress, and the Puppet Woman, but also came the Playful Fox and the Mistress Of Multitudes. They all came to the Mirror Forest once more, within a clearing surrounded by trees that gleamed mirror-bright in the twilight. There, they met the Pig once more, who was again seeking its dinner amongst the gray roots of the Forest, for the Pig is often hungry. But the Pig looked up as the travellers arrived, and greeted them with its Pig voice, for the Pig was not afraid of the travellers, for he had experienced that they were kind and gentle, and protected the Pig from danger, even if the danger was only a Jester with a Flute. The Pig was happy to lead them on the path once more, that path that led over the River and through the Woods, past the House, to the first barrier that kept the Countess from being disturbed.

And yet, the song of the Countess continued to rise above the trees, and the Stars continues to dance.

== PERSONA: WERE THE WORLD MINE ==
== BOOK ONE: THE COUNTESS WHO SANG TO THE STARS ==
== CHAPTER TWO ==

Hoshi Amakasu (901) has posed:
     Hoshi had put an incredible amount of time trying to prepare for the time when she'd return to the Mirror Forest to start hunting for Alexis again. She'd gotten the books, gotten as much advice as she could ask for. There were still things missing... Yet when it came time to return, Hoshi strode from her home boldly, once again carrying her kendo gear in her bag as she made her way across town. A faint clinking can be heard as she walked, precious gold and silver striking each other underneath all the kendo stuff.

    She waited for the others to come to the mirror in Albrichstadt's library, though she made sure to pull on her armor again before they arrived. A few familiar faces, all of which Hoshi is glad to see, judging by the small smile on her face. "Thanks for coming. Hopefully today we can find a way to Alexis so we can get her out of that horrible place.

    Stepping through the mirror, Hoshi slipped a silver, black, and blue hairtie from under her gi. "Hey... The pig's still here. Hey, buddy--Does that mean you're going to stick around to help?" Hoshi says with a grin as she crouches down to offer her palm to the Pig's nose.

    As they marched, Hoshi fell in beside Jeanne, tossing her hairtie up and down in her hand as she carefully looks around. "General Hall said that it'd be best if we played along with the world here, and tried to come up with clever solutions to our problems instead of forcing our way through. HOpefully we can come up with something."

Kyra Hyral (626) has posed:
    With no real equivalent of 'fairy tales' in her world, Kyra spent her time via a different approach, pondering the three riddles that had been laid out before them. In this case, she had to wonder if the towers and rivers were metaphorical hazards or literal ones that had to be traversed in an alternate fashion. "I'm still having trouble with 'a river that can't be crossed'." she announces to the others as they gather around their friendly pig companion. "How else can you conquer a river without crossing it...? Hmmm. Dam it, maybe?"

    She taps a hand to her chest, "I've brought the full compliment of gear tonight so if you need something burned, frozen, zapped, blinded, sickened, paralyzed, glowing, floating, blinking, sticky, oily or otherwise messed with, I probably have a mixture for it." It doesn't /look/ like she's carrying a lot of gear though-or her guns unless she managed to conceal them well under her hoodie. The logistics of transporting the CURE-ALL by hand through this world were problematic, the grenade-launcher-resembling healing weapon not very synonymous with a low profile.

    "By the way." Kyra pulls a band out of her pocket and slips it over her head, "I'm going to try seeing if I can record things in this world. For science." She taps the headband, which turns out to be a fancy wearable camera.

Jeanne d'Arc (852) has posed:
     The Saint... had a lot of free time.

     Thus when it was time to step back in the mirror, she was there with the group, glancing over at Hoshi, giving her a nod.
     "To be honest, this is very strange for me, but it is interesting. As far as a 'river that can't be crossed'... it could be quite literal, in that the river is in the bottom of a chasm, or there's a monster hiding in the river, or something else entirely. I don't... I don't think we should be coming at things straightforward, here."

     She leans on her standard, the banner hanging there proudly.

Landon al Cid (642) has posed:
     Landon al Cid does not much like the mirror forest. It sets him ill at ease, to see so many broken reflections of himself in the cracks and byways of the landscape itself. Nevermind that forests themselves are extremely rare on Galianda in these days. The forest reminds him of the run-down, lonely parts of Ramuh, where cracked glass buildings reflect each other in damaged mirrors, trapping one's own reflection with them.

     Nevertheless, Landon made a promise. The Prince gave his word that he would help, that he would save this girl who was unjustly stolen away and imprisoned in this hellish place. No one deserves to suffer like this, least of all an innocent.

     Landon walks carefully at the front, with the Judge Blade already manifest. The glittering crystalline construct look unpleasantly at home in the forest of mirror trees, and Landon has noted this numerous times to himself with increasing discomfort each time. The truth behind these trees...

     "You could divert it," Landon observes thoughtfully as they walk, "Split it somewhere else. Or it could be a river that doesn't exist - a nonexistant river couldn't be crossed, after all."

Kotone Yamakawa has posed:
So the Puppet Woman had come back once more to seek the Countess who sang to the stars. She cpet into the strange forest and she wondered had someone else strings on them liek she always feared she actually did? It was a worry that only a puppet could really have. Yet she's come to seek the the countess to help where she can.

Kotone now took a moment to look about she was wary but she had made up her mind to not run away from here.

She pauses for a moment to think over what Kyra and Landon has to say.

"I think I get it and he's right. If this is a story so to speak we break the narrative and things will go bad."

Finna (513) has posed:
    Oftentimes, Finna has shown a playful side even in the face of great danger that by all rights should have her terrified. The unfazed bravado is often an act. While she is brave, she has learned that seeming fearless can be inspirational to her allies and unsettling to her enemies.

    GHOSTS and the RESTLESS DEAD have repeatedly broken through that bravado and revealed a creature with teeth bared and fur bristling, all but screaming 'come near me and get bitten.'

    Apparently, this fairy tale land is enough to do the same. When she strolls through the mirror she's in her fox form. Moonsilver Tattoos are on full display through the white fur in intricate tribal patterns.

    The fox doesn't stick with the group. Instead she scampers around the edges of the group that's gathering, investigating the forest while the others are gathering for any signs of danger. She is careful to not wander out of eyesight however, in case the forest is of the sort where directions can get all kinds of lost and screwy. She's heard of those and is keen on not falling prey to something that simple.

    But what she DOES do, upon approaching the group again, is to walk up to one of the 'trees', get her face up near it... and start making all kinds of silly faces in the funhouseily warped mirror surfaces.

    Mature. Really.

August Kohler has posed:
August doesn't enjoy entering the Mirror Forest. But he's made it his job to stop whatever is throwing people in here, and his lack of comfort isn't going to change this. As he steps in, he's quiet, eying the forest to see what has changed since last he's arrived. It's when he sees the pig that he smiles, moving over to it. "Hey, little guy. I brought something for you." Reaching into his bag, August pulls out a cold roll from lunch, breaking it in half and offering it to the Pig. "You want some?"

After giving the Pig the bread, August Kohler rises, turning to Hoshi. "Let's hope the story's willing to play with us. It might have other plans." He then turns his attention to Landon, pondering. "Or perhaps, you go around it. That's not technically crossing it, after all."

Gudako Ordria (908) has posed:
    "Master! I really don't think we should have entered that mirror," objects a blue-robed, pink-haired young woman, with a big floofy orange tail and set of fox ears on her head.

    "No way! I'm wearing your good luck charm, Caster, who cares?" answers the smaller teenager by her side, orange hair and dead, reflectionless amber eyes contrasting with her huge smile and white and black outfit, a long-sleeved white shirt with black straps around her chest, and a black skirt with black tights and almost-knee-high white boots. "We already know it works, see?"

    She lifts a bag, filled with what looks like colorful plastic orbs, a bit smaller than a fist, and her Servant frowns in rebutal. "Walking into dangerous situations and playing with a gacha machine aren't the same thing at all, master!"

    "I should have brought Berserker, I could've shut her up by throwing one of the low-rarity balls ahead and then claimed I was just following her," Gudako continues smiling, unfazed.

    The duo runs afoul of the others before long, and perhaps, simply blends into their back row like nothing is wrong. 'I'm just a tourist,' she'd say with her big creepy grin. She'd eventually break the silence, no doubt forced to say hi. "Hello! This is a cool place. Do you guys own it? Oh! Did I just stumble into an adventuring party? Don't mind me, keep going!"

    The Japanese-savvy might pick up on the fact her Servant isn't just calling her master, but is using the term literally-- like a maid would address a prince, or a butler the house owner.

Scarlet Everille (747) has posed:
    It may seem a little silly, but Scarlet hadn't written off the possibility of the totally ordinary pig being their "spirit guide" or some such role through the forest of mirrors, after perusing some of the old tales more closely. A short online search followed by a trip to the kitchen seems to have paid off, because once again the pig is there, and this time she has handouts from the "pigs love" list of recommendations to several petting zoos in the country. She wouldn't find any popcorn or the like in her house, but fresh fruit and dry pasta isn't hard to come by. It only takes her a minute to kneel down at the sight of the little creature, offering snacks to better acclimate it to the group, and cement its loyalty. It's tactical, not because piglets are cute.

    "General Hall is likely right." She immediately responds to Hoshi, looking around at the rest of the group. "There's quite a few more of you than usual, and I don't see the water spirit. I think we may have to save the magic for when it looks immediately necessary, Kyra." She smiles approvingly at the motion to record things. She's always wearing recording software, technically, after all. "We'll figure a way around them as we come to them. These are all good ideas, but we'll have to see it first to see if any of them or viable, or whether it's the spirit or the letter of the paradox that's more important." She doesn't feed the fox. She can already tell it doesn't belong here. Plus she doesn't want it near her bag. She does spare a look to Gudako and her entourage however. The sight of a Servant is unmistakable to her eyes, but she wants to pick out whether or not the woman is the Master, instead of just a master, and whether she belongs to the correct world.

    "No, I think the more the merrier~" she beams. "We'll need to put together as many heads as possible going forward."

Riva Banari has posed:
The Pig was happy to take the present from the Tin Soldier and the Red Sorceress, for the Pig was often hungry, as Pigs are wont to be. The kindness from the Sword Bride caused the Pig to be even happier, as it made Pig noises while it ate. Perhaps it would tell them something if it could, but Pig could not speak Human, nor could Humans speak Pig. The Playful Fox decided to play among the trees, chasing itself among the mirrors. The trees did not mind, for they were patient.

The Darkness did not mind either, as it whispered to the Playful Fox, "Come, play with us under the branches. Play with us over the river, and beyond the house."

After a while, the Pig had finished its dinner, and the Pig wished to show gratitude, as it turned to lead the way down a familiar path.

The Pig led the way over a silver river, walking along a stone bridge.
They continued through the Woods, as the path narrowed and closed in.
They travelled past a stone cottage with a thatched roof, a pleasant place, but empty, for no one lived there anymore.

The Pig led them on, and Beyond the House the travellers went, seeking the River That Could Not Be Crossed.

For a long time they travelled through a twisting path, before they came to a crossroads in the forest. Four paths led ahead from the place, each of them bearing a sign.

The first sign said: "This is the the path to the Countess, do not trust the third sign."
The second sign said: "This is the path to the Countess, the third sign is telling the truth."
The third sign said: "This is not the path to the Countess. The first sign is lying."
The fourth sign said: "This is not the path to the Countess, nor is the second path."

The Pig seemed to be confused, and sat down to look to the travellers. What path would they take?

Gudako Ordria (908) has posed:
    "Cool, name's Gudako by the way," Gudako tells Scarlet.
    "And Caster is Caster~!" her Servant replies, cheerfully.

    The pig leading them to a puzzle seems to get more attention from the teen than the puzzle, though. Logic-- she has that in spades. That's not a hard puzzle, or at least, at first glance it isn't. It's more fun to watch people try to solve it and explain it, while she ponders something else entirely, dedicating no brainpower to what might be an in fact impossible puzzle.

    "Hey, how come we're following a pig instead of eating it? I could really go for some bacon right now, Caster could cook it no problem. Maybe it'll tell us the right path while it cooks."

Landon al Cid (642) has posed:
     Landon bows politely to Gudako. "Landon al Cid, Prince of Ramuh. A pleasure, Lady Gudako, Lady Caster."

     He lets Scarlet handle the "why aren't we cooking the pig" discussion, instead turning to the signs. Landon explains his logic carefully over the radio as he walks forward, pointing at each of the signs in turn to illustrate his point. Eventually, he slaps sign #4 lightly, and then starts walking down the path. He's convinced that he's right - the logic supports it, both his own and Scarlet's, and that's enough for him. And in the off chance he gets...lost...

     ...

     ...hell! Cid al Ramuh never thought about what would happen if he'd lost! His father wouldn't hesitate! Someone is in danger, dammit! Landon takes a step forward, trusting in his own faith, his courage, and his logic to carry him through.

Finna (513) has posed:
    The Fox follows the Pig and, once they've reached the Crossroads, thanks it with a happy nuzzling. But it's brief. Finna is quick to look over the signs. All four signs. and pace between them. .. then circle about... and headtilt.

    She immediately sets about scratching a lot of symbols in the dirt. It doesn't really look a lot more than... animal scratches, but she's using the dirt like a notepad apparently. Several different copies and variations if anyone's looking.

    It seems she might be checking her own logic and Landon's logic. Probably not what people would expect of the whimsical fox.

    Then something ELSE happens. Her body wiggles weirdly as she approaches the third sign. Fox eyes widen and teeth are bared briefly in a no-nonsense fashion. What follows is a wicked grin.

    What the hell is that about?

Kyra Hyral (626) has posed:
    "Well of course." Kyra nods to Scarlet, "I'm not too worried, even with this big group, I think both of us can handle it. Giant MP reserves are good for that." Scarlet gets a cheerful thumbs up from the white mage, who watches her feed the Pig. "...huh, that's a great idea...I should have brought snacks.." she remarks, watching the Pig's gleeful reactions.

    Her attention snaps to the clearly new person, Gudako, who clearly was /not/ in the group the first time they entered and she clearly does not recognize, which immediately makes Kyra a little suspicious. It doesn't take her long to figure out what Caster is: "Oh, so you're a Master, hm, had a feeling you weren't from this world." Kyra points out casually. "We're trying to save a singer, don't mess this up for us!"

    Some time later after they've passed through the woods and over a river (?!) they come upon a puzzle with signs. She reads them over, working through the logic silently, listening to the others as they chat about it amongst themselves. "I still feel like there are two correct paths..." she mutters, then sees Landon off down the fourth. She chases after him.

Hoshi Amakasu (901) has posed:
    What exactly WOULD happen if they broke the narrative, anyway? Hoshi had to wonder. What would be the punishment for attempting to go about things their own way? Would the wolf...? QUickly, Hoshi shakes her head and lets that thought slip out of her mind. They'd chosen to act out their parts in whatever drama was emerging from this. Now it was time to act.

    As soon as Hoshi caught sight of Gudako dimly in the forest, Hoshi gripped her hairtie and allowed it to transform, her katana now resting in her hand, ready to draw. She doesn't... but the deep frown on Hoshi's face indicates how uncomfortable she is about the presence of Master and Servant. "Don't fall behind... If it's no trouble, I'll be keeping an eye on you.

    Coming to the signs, Hoshi tried vainly for a few moments before allowing the wiser heads of Landon, FInna, and Scarlet to take lead. "So much circular logic," she grumbles under her breath. "I hope we're right. I don't really want to get lost in this place." Slowly then, Hoshi jogged over towards Landon. Before they went too far, of course, she paused to draw her sword and slip the sheathe into her belt. "If anything bad happens, call it out on the radio. We'll come to you as fast as we can."

Jeanne d'Arc (852) has posed:
Jeanne settles her standard in the ground and leans against it, folding her hands together. Her lips move soundlessly, so she can't be heard, but anyone good at lip reading basically gets the gist that she's asking the saints that guided her and her Lord God for help. It takes a few minutes.

She opens her eyes and grumbles.

"It's the fourth."

The Servant stalks down the fourth pathway.

August Kohler has posed:
August plays around in his mind. It looks like the first, but then he rereads the third clue. He's wrong, and it stings. He's not entirely sure which path to go on after this, as Scarlet and Landon begin debating it.

And then the Saint uses her divine abilities to tell them what it is. As a Catholic, August feels like that's the best way to risk this, and follows after Jeanne as soon as she heads down the fourth. Down the fourth for him as well, it seems.

Kotone Yamakawa has posed:
The puppet Woman followed way but she had to trust in the pig, what else can she do? She listens carefully as the fox speaks and replies.

"Play you say beyond the river and the house?"

This got her attention and she keeps moing as they pass a river then LAndon brings up a way they might go. She pauses for a moment a she thinks about the river and the signs. The talk goes on and she doesn't have a head for puzzels like that.

Kotone listens as everyone brings up their minds about which way to go this is a heck of lot of hard thinking to do about it it seemss they narrowed it down to one of two signs. In the end it comes down to trusting in Landon and Jeanne D'Arc.

Scarlet Everille (747) has posed:
    "Don't be silly. Following and eating are mutually exclusive pursuits. If we eat the pig, we have nothing to follow, and if we have nothing to follow, we won't know where to go. Besides, preparing and cooking the pig would take longer than finishing up here and leaving to go and get bacon ready made elsewhere." It's perfectly logical sense, worded in the most politely inoffensive tone as possible.

    She immediately regrets using logic chains as soon as the signs show up, like some kind of karmic retribution. The radio immediately explodes into logic puzzle discussion, but the first thing on Scarlet's mind is something else. "I see an issue." she says. "None of the signs make the explicit distinction about which fact the other signs are lying about, and each sign claims 2 things." Unfortunately, any kind of puzzle becomes impossible to work out with further context, and so she is forced to participate in the puzzling herself, under the assumption all points of a sign are lying or correct.

    From there it simply comes down to the fourth. The fourth cannot be telling the truth, because it eliminates itself and the second. If the second path is correct about the third sign telling the truth, it eliminates the third and the first as well since the first is lying about itself, thus the second has to be lying about the third telling the truth, creating a recursion. The fourth then can only be lying, meaning itself and the second are both viable paths, which is not contradicted by any other sign, as the third being true means it is not the path and neither is the first.

    She still hates these though. She would rather split up under that kind of uncertainty. "You might be right." she says to Kyra at the end, "but if the fourth is viable anyways, it'd be best to stick together." She actually has zero faith in any kind of saintly flash of inspiration, but she's not going to argue so long as it checks out with her own logic, marching along the path as well.

Riva Banari has posed:
As the travellers discussed the riddle, the Pig was surprised to hear that the Mistress of Multitudes was hungry. She did not desire bread, no, but a nice fat Pig! The Pig looked up, afraid, and begin to run away, only changing its path as The Saint decided to take the fourth route. Meanwhile, the Playful Fox decided to play with the Third Sign, hoping that the Sign might perhaps laugh and tell it a secret. However, try as the Sign might, it was only a Sign and not even the Playful Fox could make it laugh.

The travellers then proceeded forward without crossing the River That Cannot Be Crossed, for it was not a River of Water, but a River of Lies, and one can only cross with the Truth.

It was not long before the path opened, and the Travellers were faced with the Brambles That Cannot Be Cut. They curled over and through the path, a field as wide and far as the eye could see, the Tower That Cannot Be Climbed peeking over the distance, lit with the brightness of fallen stars. They could hear the voice of the Countess, the song that the was singing louder on the air, but how could they pass such a wall? The Pig could not imagine how to pass it either, so the Pig decided it was best to stay with the Tin Soldier for now.

August Kohler has posed:
As the group passes forward, the brambles block their path. However, they are not quite what August was expecting. Too normal, too mundane. There's one way to get rid of a wall of thorns. As the Pig takes cover near him, August summoned his spoon to his hand, twirling it. "Persona." With a burst of blue light, the burned soldier with the gun leg appears above him, staring their obstacle down.

And then, with a wave of August's hand, the Tin Soldier flies forward, shooting fire from its gun at the brambles, aiming at all directions of them. "Burn! We're so close, do you think something like this is going to stop us?!" The boy grins as his Persona sets everything on fire, not realizing the problem with it until quiite too late.

Jeanne d'Arc (852) has posed:
Sure, August is a friend.

However, when All The Fire is unleashed, Jeanne turns tail and heads back down the path.

Finna (513) has posed:
    Not even an apology from the sign? Finna momentarily considers making good on her threat... but in the end she just growl-geks at it, and turns to follow the saint.

    But not before kicking some dirt over her markings.

    And August sets EVERYTHING ON FIRE.

    "Are you CRAZY?! You're going to choke everyone on smoke!!"

Landon al Cid (642) has posed:
     Landon reacts almost instantaneously to August's decision to set everything on fire. Three cards snap into his hands, blazing to life. The mirror trees flare with a beautiful blue as Landon throws the cards upwards.

     A crystalline dome falls around them, comprised of pure Law, as Landon sinks MP into the Law Cards. He strains to cover the entire party.

Kotone Yamakawa has posed:
:is thankful it seemed they were right ion the way they had to go. She looks at the brambles and then hears the song. She could just pass through them there would only be cosmetic damage to her and not actual injury but that plan goes good bye as August goes to set them on fire. She also cringes at Jeanne's reaction to fire for understandable reasons. SHe moves to get between her and the fire.

"Woah wait..."

Too late the burnation has begun. Then comes Landon's magic which she's quite thankful for.

Hoshi Amakasu (901) has posed:
    Apparently chosen, Hoshi set out with the group along the fourth sign's path, idly tapping her sword against her thigh as they went. They found no sign of anything wrong along their path, giving Hoshi's mood a little bit of lightness as they went along. "Go figure, it was more simple and more complicated than we figured it'd be. I wonder what the Brambles that Can't Be Cut will be like..."

    And then they found it. Hoshi had to blink at the mundanity of it. "They look like... normal brambles. Hey, why aren't they glass like the rest of the forest?" So what was the secret? For a second, she thinks back to earlier today, when they said they could burn through it... And August goes forward to set fire to the world. "Please don't light yourself on fire again, will you-- whoa holy crap!"

    Things got real. Jeanne fled from the fire, and everyone was freaking out--there's not much that Hoshi can do to prevent the spread of the fire. She'd have to resort to cutting.

Gudako Ordria (908) has posed:
    Gudako, perhaps to Hoshi's dismay, does not ever exhibit signs of fear, or discouragement. Her expression is a perpetual empty-eyed smile, sometimes a wide grin. Sadly she won't be eating bacon now, but maybe another time.

    She and Caster follow along without trouble, perhaps pausing to look up past the brambles at the tower. This place really is pretty! Caster, at least, is a transparent person, and her amazement and glittery eyes at the scenery don't lie. Gudako, well...

    Her face is still pretty locked. 8D

    And somehow the reflection of August's flames in her eyes probably just make her happy staring creepier. Fire, it's so nostalgic! Ah, should she have Caster contribute? Nah, that's a waste.

    "Master! You're drooling again!" the fox Servant says (a slight exaggeration, it's more a statement of her expression than fact).
    "Aaah? But it's so beautiful when it burns."

Kyra Hyral (626) has posed:
    "I wonder what happens if we pick the wrong path though. Lost forever in the mirror forest?" Kyra guesses, "There were no dire warnings about failure so..." she shrugs, sticking close to Landon in case the Darkness decided to get aggressive.

    As August decides that the best solution to brambles is burning, Kyra nods, eager to jump in. But before she starts unloading her explosives, she puts a hand to her chest, murmuring a few words, "Barfire." she commands, putting the spell on herself.

    The magic does not obey. Scarlet will see the familiar 'solar flare' of the white mage's aura and...

    "Augghhh!" she yelps as her body immediately twists and shrinks down, leaving a white-furred pig in Kyra's place. A grunt of dismay follows.

August Kohler has posed:
As people start panicking, August dispells his Persona, right before the barrier goes up. No more fire creation, but the fire can still spread, and does not cease to exist.

Scarlet Everille (747) has posed:
    It isn't until Scarlet reaches the brambles that she realizes they have already passed the river, and the metaphorical implications of it. "...cheeky little..." she whispers under her breath, remembering the masked piper's riddle. At the very least he was telling the truth, even if he was taking them for a ride in the process. Fortunately, it seems the brambles are quite literally brambles. Being unable to be cut seems like little issue in that instance. There are plenty of ways around brambles without cutting through them.

    August suggests burning them over the radio, but Scarlet strongly advises against it, instead upturning her hand and laser projecting a tiny circle into her palm for convenience, summoning something rank D and binding it to very general orders. A strange thing that appears bird-like for an instant, before the eye fails to locate any head on either end of its symmetrical body, and which set of wings is pointing what way, unaided by its vestigial, stilted legs that bend both ways. It's creepy and strange, and unsettling to look at, but not nearly as unnerving as the stronger familiars she keeps on a long term basis.

    She commands the freaky little creature to fly up over the brambles and towards the tower in the distance, not really intending to let it get all the way there, and simply wanting to see if the obvious act of going over them is an option. It's barely gone 100 meters before August does exactly what she told him not to. "What are you doing?!" she gasps. "Turn that thing off right now! Haven't you learned anything?! What happens every single time you do this?" Her tone is suddenly firm and authoritative, and actually almost threatening. It carries far too well over the roar of the fire as well, and somehow manages to bring to mind all the times August has felt himself burned alive.

    She doesn't quite have the time to try and intimidate August properly though, as she feels Kyra's magic flare up into that uncontrolled spasm it sometimes does. She ducks down to pick the pig up off the ground before dashing under the forming barrier dome, stuffing her hand into her bag and slipping her finger into the compartment where she keeps her countermagic, sighing in untargeted irritation. "Now of all times..."

Riva Banari has posed:
The Brambles That Cannot Be Cut were black, thorned, angular things that seemed to wish nothing more than to sink into flesh and draw blood. They were terrible things that no blade could cleave, no shears sever, for they were far too tough. However, the Tin Soldier decided to use another way to remove the Brambles from their path, by lighting a fire within them. The Red Sorceress, however, did not like this plan at all, as they wished to fly over, and called a magic bird to try to fly over.

But as the flames caught, the Red Sorceress found that the Brambles were not so simple, as they lashed up and around the bird, rending it to pieces as they hungered... Only to shrink back as the flames roared. The Tin Soldier stoked the flame, and the Brambles fell back, causing the Pig to squeal in fear and run away from the frightening sight. Was he to be cooked after all? However, the Judging Prince made a wall of crystal and light as the Brambles burned, protecting them from the flames and lashing of the Brambles!

The fires seemed to last for a long time, as the Brambles were very tough, but in the end, they were burned out of the way, and the path to the Tower That Could Not Be Climbed was opened.

The Pig, no longer afraid of being eaten, stepped forward and noticed another pig there who was not the Pig! The Pig walked forward and snuffled at the Pig Who Was The Youthful Rebel in greeting. But the Pig did not speak, for the Pig was not a Pig, but the Youthful Rebel.

Riva Banari has posed:
And so the travellers came to the Tower That Could Not Be Climbed. It was a tower a hundred stories tall, crafted of marble and granite, and beautiful in its single spire. However, there were no windows or doors to be seen on the Tower. High above, the Countess could be heard singing. How would the travellers go to meet the Countess now?

Finna (513) has posed:
    With things the way they are, Finna decides to just wait out the fire. She does this by traipsing after Jeanne. The fuzzy critter's well aware of Jeanne's discomfort - she'd have to be BLIND to not see it. Why this is, she isn't sure. But the fox decides to spend the time by playing with Jeanne! Brushing against her when least expected. Once hopping on her shoulder and licking her nose! Just things to distract her.

Hoshi Amakasu (901) has posed:
     ... Come to find out, her reasoning had been correct the first time. Burn the bastards away. Sadly it makes Jeanne flee backwards, but with Landon's assistance they manage to have a shelter that covers them from the bramble's burning wrath. She didn't mind sitting around while those smarter than her came up with solutions, but she was a tad worried... When the fire finally burned away and the path was clear, Hoshi jogged back down the path towards Jeanne. "C'mon. Nothing to worry about now. We're almost at the end." She got to watch the tail end of Finna's antics, and the kendo girl can't help but grin slightly. That was actually kind of cute.

    It might have taken them a little bit of time to catch back up with the rest of the gang, but Hoshi lets out an awed breath as she craned her neck back to try to see the top... no point. "It's so tall..." She can't really approve of the idea of the girl dropping down here, though. Landon gets a dark frown. "No way! That's so dangerous. Besides, who's going to catch her, you? You've got enough girls hanging over you..." She shakes her head. "We should get up there. There's something strange about all of this, and I don't think the Forest would let us have her without a fight."

Scarlet Everille (747) has posed:
    Well, the brambles attacking something that flies wasn't exactly unexpected, which is why Scarlet had done the smart thing and sent something disposable first. She doesn't feel anything as the pigeon sized freak of nature is torn to oily black pieces. It's less than an animal, after all, and it gives her back the little bit of magic she had invested. Kyra is the bigger concern for the moment, but she's seen the wild magic happen once or twice, and so she thinks she has some idea of where to start.

    She places the white pig down on the ground, instructing her to stay and gently shooing the pig who is actually a pig out of the vicinity, scratching remarkably precise lines into the dirt and uncapping a silver vial, filling the ruts with gleaming liquid and then scattering powdered crystal into it, carried along by the trickle. Four separate points are set with things that look suspiciously like teeth, and the somewhat primitive but reliable old Celtic spell for dealing with people transformed by fairy curses is set up. The whole process takes a little less than 10 minutes. On the chance that it fails, she won't be wasting further effort, simply picking pig-Kyra up and dragging her along. Otherwise the white mage will be walking under her own power, because otherwise would be improper.

    The radio is abuzz again at the tower. Scarlet shakes her head. "The act of gaining altitude by flying is still called "climbing", so we can rule that out quite safely. I'm with the idea of her jumping. I can set something up to catch her if we can find the aperture from which she needs to descend. We can hear her singing, so there's either an open roof, or at least a window for her voice to carry out of, but we'll be out of luck with that approach if it's barred up. Bringing the tower down is another approach, but extremely dangerous. If we can bring a locked window or door to us, I can transmute it open safely, but I can only do it at close range." She pauses. "Or, we could find something else to climb that isn't a tower, in case that counts."

Jeanne d'Arc (852) has posed:
Jeanne is very calmed by Finna's antics. They even bring a smile to her face. Finally, when Hoshi comes back, Jeanne abruptly goes slightly red, embarassed by her resulting run away and hide reaction, before she nods.

"Thank you." She says, quietly, to both of the ladies, before pushing forward to regroup. There's no more fire, so she's fine. August will be getting a talk later.

Landon al Cid (642) has posed:
     Landon is, understandably, just a tiny bit offended by Hoshi's assertion. A dark look passes over his face, but it vanishes moments later.

     "Lady Everille is correct. Flying is still 'climbing', there is an open roof...it makes the most sense. I suppose if we had a ladder available that tall, that would do as well, but that is *extremely long*, and I don't think any of us could make that 'climb'...nevermind get back down again safely."

Gudako Ordria (908) has posed:
    Eventually, and unfortunately, the flames die down. Gudako strides forward with the group once more, and Caster follows, having had to mute her master from saying maybe they should eat Kyra instead. Certainly Caster's morals aren't that far away from her master's, but unlike Gudako, the foxy Servant can see there's a time and place to say some things. And this isn't it!

    For lack of having a filter, Caster acts like it.
    Sometimes.

    As they settle at the base of the tower, the magus looks up, pondering out loud. "Now I REALLY wish I'd brought Berserker instead. She could have torn this tower down no problem." Nevermind the safety of those inside, right?

    Caster frowns and grumbles. "There's nothing she can do I can't do, master!"
    Gudako glances sideways at her. "Can you punch this?"
    "N... no."
    "See, you're useless right now."
    "I am not useless!"

    Caster reaches into her sleeve, and she pulls a paper talisman out. She hurls it towards the tower! The magical curse charged in it will attempt to turn the marble of the tower into molten slag, turning solid to liquid. Not all of it, obviously, just an area around the talisman large enough to make a door.

August Kohler has posed:
Hmm...a tower that cannot be climbed. August has no solutions for this, as the Tin Soldier is not focused on manueverability. The others will need to supply the tools for this puzzle. As Caster puts her curse on the tower, however, August slowly approaches. "Hey! What are you doing?"

Kyra Hyral (626) has posed:
    Kyra dangles under Scarlet's arm, not at all bothered by being picked up. A normal pig would no doubt wiggle and squeal but Kyra does not. She does, however, snuffle at Scarlet's bag curiously, perhaps sensing the magic within. After the brambles are cleared with fire, Kyra oinks in...happiness? before she is set down on the ground.

    The companion pig, curious that it was, receives a counter snuffle from the transformed white mage before it is shooed away by Scarlet.

    Kyra sits her butt down on the ground, watching as the magus sketches a spellcircle into the ground around her. She stays still, apparently having retained her mental facilities during this transportation, easily comprehending the words and recognizing what Scarlet's going to reverse the spell.

    The ritual works, fortunately! After a shimmer of silver light, Kyra is left sitting in the middle of the circle on her butt, legs out in front of her. "...hooo. That was awkward. Sorry." She quickly picks herself up, "Thank you, Scarlet. I'm glad you were here to dispel that."

    "Hey I like to reiterate the thought of making her jump. She's up there, right? Maybe if we shout to her that her fans want her to come down to sing, she'll jump out for us."

Finna (513) has posed:
    Finna answers Jeanne with a happy little whine that's clearly a 'you're welcome.' For this trip the Steward seems short on words and big on looking around. Speak less, listen more, is the name of the game.

    Probably not expected from the previously reckless youth. What happened?

    Well, she does speak eventually. She hops onto Hoshi's shoulder and asks, "So now that we've come this far... WHAT are we going to do when we reach this woman exactly?"

    ... That really wasn't made clear to her, after all. But she came to help regardless.

Kotone Yamakawa has posed:
Kotone Yamakawa looks to the tower she sees it can't be climbed and she wonders if she could leap up there. She listens to the talk abut the tower and how to get in she seems lost in thought but she does soeak up at this point.

"I could try to jump but I'm not sure how far it would get. Gudako does get a look. After all she and her companions are a total unknown to her after all.

Riva Banari has posed:
The travellers discussed many ways to find a way to meet the Countess.

One proposed a great ladder, but none could be found.
Another claimed that they should call to the Countess to have her come to them, but their cries were not answered.
Another proposed to plant magical beans that would allow them to ascend the great tower, but none could be found.

Finally, the Mistress of Multitudes bade one of her servants to make a door, and the servant created a door in the Tower That Could Not Be Climbed, allowing them entrance! The Pig, knowing that soon the travellers will see all that the Pig has to show them, sits down and watches. This was not the business of Pigs, but of Not-Pigs.

The travellers looked inside the tower, and within was a great gilded cage. Upon entering the cage, the travellers were whisked upwards until they reached the top of the tower, where the sun dipped below the horizon and the great roof kissed the night sky. The floor was of black and white checkered marble, and the stars danced around the tower. Sitting upon the floor was a black-haired girl who sang to the sky, her voice tired and sad. The girl, who was Alexis Eberhardt, looked up in surprise as the others arrived, as the girl did not know many of the travellers. But she did not stop singing, as a voice called out.

"Welcome to the Tower That Cannot Be Climbed. Have you, too, come to offer your voice in praise to the Queen?"

The voice which spoke was like the girl's, but unlike as well. There, on the opposite side of the tower, sat the Countess.

And the Countess was also the girl, and yet was not the girl. The Countess was dressed in a great, rich dress, and wearing a mask which hid part of her face. But the Countess, who was the Girl and yet not the Girl, smiled. "You are welcome to stay, travellers, and sing the glories of the Queen to the stars."

Landon al Cid (642) has posed:
     "We've come for the girl," Landon replies firmly, "This need not end with trouble. Release her. Her imprisonment here is false, and you've no cause to keep her locked up."

August Kohler has posed:
As the Countess speaks to August, he grimaces. She's a monster. That mask is as sign of something, and she's not going to just let them leave with Alexis. The spoon appears in his hand again, as he turns to the actual Alexis. "Alexis. We're taking you home. Everything's all right now."

And then, he speaks to the Countess. He only turns partially towards her. "I don't know who this Queen is. And it doesn't matter right this second. We're leaving with Alexis. You're welcome to try and stop us. I have a feeling you would anyways."

Gudako Ordria (908) has posed:
    And in they go!

    Caster gets a headpat from Gudako, and makes a happy purr-like noise. Approval and praise, success! Not having to climb stairs is a pretty welcome thing, too, and so the magus happily rides the elevator up with her Servant and everyone else.

    Not knowing what this world is about, she can't help but take the Countess at face value, suspecting no foul play or odd twist. Instead, she just asks the obvious question.

    "Say, how do you get in and out of here anyway?"

Hoshi Amakasu (901) has posed:
    ... Really? There was an elevator? Hoshi can't help the wry grin that came to her face as they boarded the gilded cage, and it rose to take them to the end of the line. "I really need to work on my riddle skills, I guess. Next time I can't rely on you guys to pick up the slack because I don't get something." She's seriously thankful that she doesn't have to do all of this by herself, like she'd been worried about.

    When they reach the top, Hoshi exits the lift with her sword readied.. though she relaxes a bit, seeing as there's no dangers currently. Her eyes sweep the tower and widen at the beautiful vista that it revealed--but upon spotting Alexis, Hoshi dashes over to the girl's side, kneeling down next to her as she tugged out the locket from under her gi. She knew what that creature on the opposite side was. "You're just like the thing that tried to hurt me when I first came here, wearing someone else's face. What do you want--and why are you doing this?"

Finna (513) has posed:
    Up the elevator and to the top floor. Finna was expecting there to be... ONE person up here. Not two. Where... where really, are they? And why are there twins? No, maybe more than twins.. she cants her head rather puzzledly at the Countess and the singing girl.

    She senses that things are about to get dangerous, given a glance at August. The whole scenario's eerie to her. Who are they rescuing, of the two? Is there a difference between them?

    "Rakshaaaaaa." She grumbles to herself, practically swearing. It reeks of their kind of weirdness even if it is not Raksha.

Jeanne d'Arc (852) has posed:
There's a distinct slam of the metal end of Jeanne's standard getting pushed into the ground. The Servant looks quite displeased.

"What is this madness?"

There's a shift of her weight, one gloved hand falling down towards the hilt of her blade. Pacifism, forever pacifism, but there is a limit to that, and that limit has been hit.

Scarlet Everille (747) has posed:
    Alexis not actually answering them when they called wasn't something that Scarlet had expected. She had been ready to set up a whole catch mechanism and everything. If Alexis' singing could be heard far and wide, she sincerely doubts that the girl couldn't hear them yelling from much less of a distance, and so the fact that she's either being controlled or coerced into ignoring them strikes her as a distinct possibility. The revelation of the convenient elevator of all things, caused by blowing a hole in the wall of what had appeared to be a solid structure, is even more unexpected in its convenience and narrative simplicity, compared to the river. She already doesn't trust it as she steps aboard, and her mistrust only intensifies once she is greeted at the top.

    Hoshi and Amakasu have both had experience with masked beings wearing their faces. She instantly recalls a certain conversation in memory. One about how most children are thrown into the death game without a guide, and how a Persona is "a mask you wear to protect you from hardships". She takes two steps forward and stops, planting her heels, but making no further aggressive gesture. "May I inquire as to your name? Not Alexis'. Yours. You wouldn't happen to know anything about copper, would you?"

Kyra Hyral (626) has posed:
    "Plus I'm pretty sure we don't sing." She can confidently say this about a number of people here, including herself. Maybe the mysterious and suspicious Master can sing. "Who is this Queen you talk of though?" Kyra questions, scratching the back of her head.

Riva Banari has posed:
The Girl who was Alexis looked up as the Tin Soldier told her she could go home. She could not speak, nor could she stand, only nodding her head to the Soldier as she continued to sing.

Some of the travellers had questions for the Countess. The Mistress of Multitudes was answered first. "I can come and go from the tower as I wish," said the Countess. "But I have no desire to do so, not until the stars have fallen from the sky." The Sword Bride spoke next, and the Countess gestured. "My face is my face," said the Countess, "And all I wish to do is to sing to the glory of the Queen. As the stars fall from the sky, so does my love for the Queen grow, until that is all that remains. When I am done, I will offer the stars untio her as a gift." She laughed at the thought. Next came the Red Sorceress. "I? I am Countess Alexis, servant of the Queen." She performed a deep curtsey, introducing herself formally to the travellers. "Copper is for charity, or so says the Jester. He is always one who gives what he gets." Finally, the Youthful Rebel spoke, and the Countess chuckled. "The Queen is the ruler of this land, child. All comes from Her, and to Her all praise and love shall be given."

Despite this, the Tin Soldier and the Judging Prince and the Playful Fox called out, defying the Countess, and the Countess raised a hand. "Enough of this foolishness. The girl cannot leave, her place is now here for all time." At that, the Countess smiled.

And so too, did the Darkness smile.

<<<============================ - THE STAR - ============================>>>

--- MANIFESTATION OF REFLECTION ---

--- THE COUNTESS WHO SANG TO THE STARS ---
--- THE VOICE THAT IS RAISED IN PRAISE TO THE QUEEN ---

--- PREPARE FOR BATTLE ---

<<<============================== - XVII - ==============================>>>

With a melodic cry, the Countess sang out, and the stars danced, sweeping across the roof of the tower to try to burn them with starfire.

Landon al Cid (642) has posed:
     That was unexpected.

     The Countess unleashes her power without mercy. Starfire rains down on them, and, in an instant, Landon brings his power to bear again. The crystalline formations of purified Law leap to bear to soak starlight and starfire as best he could.

     It's not great. Landon's simply not *powerful* enough to soak all of it by himself. Flames spill around the crystalline shields, lapping and licking at the party. While he might've blocked the majority...

     He can't stop it all.

     "Go!" Landon shouts, gritting his teeth, "I'll cover you from these attacks! Break her before she gets a chance to do it again!"

Kotone Yamakawa has posed:
Kotone Yamakawa is lost in a fairy tail that might get someone kill and this form she looks to the Queen and Alexis. Okay she's beside her self? Is this something else? In the end there's a bloody Elevator well it was true the tower that could not be climbed. Ot maed perfect sense and she's aware now how bad at riddles she is. She hears the mention of Rakshaa form finna? Wait as in Fae? Oh dear. She does not voice on this at all but it seems that things were fated to become a battle. The Puppet Woman hated those who would put the strings she feared upon others as much as herself.

"If you wish to keep her here then I will be forced to cut the strings you have placed upon her!"

Kotone speeds into action at a rate that isn't normal for an regular human at last on some worlds. Landon goes to do his best to cover them.

"Got it Landon!"

She opens fire on the Queen sending bursts of bullets at her.

Gudako Ordria (908) has posed:
    Things get HEATED UP.
    Poor Jeanne.

    "Caster!" Gudako says, nonplussed. The foxy Servant's hands produce a set of paper talismans from her long blue sleeves again, and with a cheerful nod she throws them towards her master. They form a barrier against the flames, for both the Caster and the master, at the expense of mana and a few burns regardless.

    "She's kind of a jerk, break her jaw so she can't praise her Queen anymore~," Gudako orders, and Caster complies with a large smile. She produces a large mirror, framed in ornate gold and blue metal, with eight circles around it and two large points, up and down. A little bit over two feet wide and tall, the mirror orbits the Caster.

    Until the Caster closes the distance with the, and swinging her arm, cues the mirror to swing like a melee weapon for the Countess' jaw. It actually has a very surprising amount of punch, for a mirror being used like a freefloating melee weapon.

August Kohler has posed:
"Why don't you show us your true face, monster? You shouldn't die wearing a disguise." Something inside of August clicks. He's angry. He's fired up. And the adrenaline is rushing through him. Despite the imminence of attack, he just grins, as he tosses the spoon into the air. It ripples with blue energy, as he stares the Countess directly in the face.

"You're a fake, holding down the real Alexis! You want us to sing? We'll sing with our hearts, and it will be the last song you'll ever here! Come to me...PERSONA!"

As the spoon spins in midair, one may see inside it briefly. August looks up at it, but he does not see his own reflection. Instead he sees that of his Persona, his own mask, the Tin Soldier inside him. The spoon explodes into sparkling blue energy, as above him, the Tin Soldier manifests. A soldier in dress uniform covered in burns, including one prominently as a heart on its chest, the Persona has a gun for a leg, a rifle of indeterminate make. As the Tin Soldier manifests, August looks back at the Countess, and sends his hand pointing forward at her. With it, the Tin Soldier flies forward, gun pointing straight at her, as August begins running to the side, moving with his Persona.

Suddenly, fire pours from the gun, a gout aimed straight at the Countess. Instead of a maintained stream, however, after the first burst it stops, the Tin Soldier instead beginning to fire actual piercing rounds. "You will never be Alexis! You are but a twisted reflection, and you will be purified by flame and steel alike! Any last prayers?"

Kyra Hyral (626) has posed:
    "That's pretty vague still." Kyra points out to the Countess. "Where can this queen be found?" She quickly tries to ask this question, knowing full well that the rest of the party seem eager to fight it. Not that Kyra isn't eager to take on this doppelganger-her fighting style isn't as direct, leaning more towards support of those actually fighting. She's in a pretty similar boat with Scarlet, in fact.

    A hand reaches up and unzips the front of her hoodie-yep, turns out that Kyra did not come unarmed. She does indeed have her guns waiting under her hoodie out of sight. Of the three handgun-sized firearms brought on her person today, she goes for the needlegun, though she doesn't load it quite yet. From her left hand, she seems to pull a flask of luminious white forth from a device on the back of said hand. "I had a feeling we'd be dealing with some deadly music tonight. So I packed some extra strength STFU." Grinning, Kyra hurls the flask at the Countess.

    Contained within is liquid magic-dampener, the closest Kyra's mixtures she has that can come to the 'Silence' effect dreaded by the powerful mages of the world.

Jeanne d'Arc (852) has posed:
     Jeanne inhales as there's more fire. Two can play that game, however, and she wields her sword with all the easyness that she did back during the war, before she became a Servant. If anything, she's more comfortable now with it than she was then, before she steps up, the silver blade flashing red for a long moment before she sweeps it around in a quick motion, the tip of it going for the mask.

Why? Well... why not?

Also no Noble PHantasm yet because ha ha Ha. Let's not go there.

Scarlet Everille (747) has posed:
    Scarlet's estimate is proven correct. The "Countess" is being coy with her name, but her role is unmistakable. She has some rough idea of how combat capable these things are, and adjusts her expectations upward knowing that this one is on home turf, and not under the limitations of a restrained, human order.

    As is sensible, her first reaction isn't to charge into battle. Instead, she focuses on bolstering Landon's efforts, slamming down the triple-layered mass ward she had only just finished redrawing after burning one up a little over a week ago. To most, it isn't even visible, save for where the air thrums, crackles and sparks where the stars slip through the Judge's barrier, or where the odd flaming strike vanishes into nothing, but the sight is the same to Kyra, and the shimmering haze, the tessellating patterns, and the orbiting blots of boiling, inky shadow are on full display to Gudako and her Caster, making no real effort to stay hidden.

    "Kyra, Kotone, back with me! August, Hoshi, Jeanne, up front, wide line! Gudako... don't get in the way." This will make things easier for her to lay out supporting magic, rather than a strict order of tactical strategy. She'll go through the front-line combatants first, then back to Kyra, Kotone and Landon, then only the strange Master if absolutely forced to.

Hoshi Amakasu (901) has posed:
    "Bullshit," Hoshi says grimly, getting up from her knee next to Alexis with her sword ready. "Who made her come here? Was it that Queen of yours? I swear, I'll get the truth out of you no matter what it takes!" The answers weren't very satisfactory for any of them, were they? At least they had Alexis, and Hoshi stands up in front of the singing girl with her sword readied, a dark scowl on her face.

    Things got fast again. Suddenly the Countess was waving her hand, the stars above her roiling and spinning, coming for them! Their assault is blunted by Landon and his giant shield, but it was clear that they'd need to finish this quickly. "Consider her broken! Let's go!"

     This was what she was good at. As August summoned his Persona, Hoshi lets out a small cheer and nudgs his back when she comes to his side. "We've come to reclaim the truth from this place of lies and mirrors, and you can't do anything to stop us! Rosamond, to me!"

    She clicks her locket open, exposing the mirror that was inside. Blue light explodes from within, gleaming brightly out from Hoshi's chest. Rosamond forms in front of her from blue mist, a tall woman clad in a simple, mud-stained wedding dress, her face and eyes covered by the hood of her brilliant green cloak that had been embroidered with a golden ring and a severed finger wrapped up in pea shoots. A dainty pale hand holds her giant, bloodied broadsword.

    Persona and User dash forward quickly, Rosamond lifting her free hand as the ring on her cloak began to shimmer. A small field of Light magic forms at the Countess' feet and detonates with weaponized Light, as Hoshi goes to take the position indicated by Scarlet. "C'mon, everyone! We can't lose if we fight together!"

Finna (513) has posed:
    Oh. THIS turned ugly quickly. The little fox YELPS. Music should not be calling down stars and starfire, but that is exactly what happens. The barrage catches her ALMOSt entirely by surprise. She ducks, dodges, and weaves, body contorting unnaturally to avoid getting pelted with streams of flame and burning light. It's not entirely successful though!

    Her white fur's soon set ablaze. And so, amidst the budding boss fight...

    Finna rolls and yelps and scampers... then rises, only lightly smoldery, no longer covered in fur.

    Now she is a lizard-fox, covered in scales. Scales, thankfully, are less flammable than fur. But the transformation doesn't stop there.

    The fox GROWS. Up, up, to seven feet tall. Filling out, turning bipedal... muscular, yet sleek with no trace of the humble, clever omnivore. This is a Deadly Beast. A pure expression of primal, savage, fury.

    ... And it's still covered in lizard scales instead of fur.

    "Okay. You wanna play that way?!"

    Others summon out their personas. Finna, on the other hand, BECOMES a terror.

Riva Banari has posed:
The dancing stars were called to burn the travellers, but the Judging Prince and the Red Sorceress stopped the flame with light and crystal once more. The rest of the travellers were saved from being consumed in the fire, and were able to fight back against the Countess. The Playful Fox stopped being so playful, but the Countess was not afraid, even through the Playful Fox had become the Angry Beast. She had everything she could ask for, and there was nothing to fear. The Puppet Woman and the Tin Soldier, however, fired with guns at the Countess, and their bullets struck her, wounding her. "This is not acceptable!" She cried, even as the Sword Bride called for her own light to strike, as the Servant of the Mistress of Multitudes struck, attacking the Countess with a mirror! The strike knocked the Countess back, sending her to the ground as the Saint struck at her mask with her blade, cleaving it away.

There, under the mask, was the face of Alexis as well, but the eyes gleamed with a bright golden color from deep within shadowy recesses. She smiled and leaped to her feet. "Such rude people should simply bow down and beg for mercy. But music has been known to soothe the savage beast." She claimed...

The Countess's song changed in tone, and the stars fell away to dance elsewhere as she began to sing a song to cloud their minds, weaving a spell to enchant them. However, The Youthful Rebel was ready for that and threw a magical potion at the Countess! With a crash, the potion struck and stole her voice, breaking the spell. In desperation, the Countess lashed out and clawed with her hands, striking directly at the Youthful Rebel, as she wished to reclaim her voice. Her nails were long and cruel, and it seemed that she would tear the Youthful Rebel apart if she were allowed to do so!

August Kohler has posed:
The Tin Soldier is pretty tanky, and it seems the Countess is going to try and melee Kyra. That's not very acceptable, so August sends the Tin Soldier flying at her. The Tin Soldier moves to grapple the Countess, as its body sets alight, causing August to fall to his knees, clutching his head. Despite this, he never stops grinning. "Aim everything you got on us! She's going to lose far more than her voice!" After all, it wouldn't be a normal day if August didn't set himself on fire.

Jeanne d'Arc (852) has posed:
Thankfully Jeanne has no need to pull out both of her Noble Phantasms in one go. However, the fact that Kyra is getting torn at does mean she's going hard ball, and her voice takes on a certain intonation. "O lord my God, I entrust my body to you..." There's power behind that, pure faith, and when she raises her blade, it is this time embedded not with the glow of the fire, but of her matyrship, and her death.

Totally hypocritical, right, August?

When she swings, it's for major damage, but everything that the Countess takes is halved and thrown right back at Jeanne, flames shimmering around the Saber.

Gudako Ordria (908) has posed:
    Ah, how sad, she's going berserk.

    Gudako vaguely gestures in the air, and Caster falls back to her side, the mirror still rotating around her like a shiny moon.

    "Are we done, master~?"
    "They have it handled! Let's just watch. Her eyes are really pretty," Gudako answers-- if her own eyes were just a bit brighter, they'd match the Countess'. Come to think of it, her own Caster's eye color isn't that far either. "Ah, but this place is kind of weird, isn't it? I'm glad it wasn't a waste of time! Maybe we should keep coming back."
    Caster shrugs. "She kind of feels like you."
    Gudako would grin, but she's already grinning. Has been this entire time. It's possible the expression REALLY can't come off. "I know! It's too bad they wouldn't let us capture her to find stuff out, huh?"

    Her attention is taken off the Countess by Jeanne, and the magus' eyes lock onto the usage of a Noble Phantasm with a quiet and admiring 'oooooh'. Caster huffs in jealousy, but whether it's because Jeanne has Gudako's attention or because she can't do a fire blast that big is up for debate.

Hoshi Amakasu (901) has posed:
    It didn't even seem like she'd suffered that much damage at first. Hoshi grits her teeth and prepares to charge into the fray--but everyone's attacks caused her to be sent back, and her mask removed. Those eerie eyes set into Alexis' face made her stomach curl. "She isn't yours. She will be free!" Her bravado lasts until she starts to feel the effect of the music on her psyche; trying to calm her and make her stop. "Oh... Crap..."

    Just then, she heard the bottle crash against the Countess, and the music was suddenly gone, the Shadow left gaping and silent. Now was the time for the last charge, while Kohler protected Kyra!

    Hoshi charges in as Kohler grapples against her, her sword flashing in to strike at her side despite the flames. "Rosamond! You're me, and I'm you! So strike!" Rosamond appears again, her cloak flapping wildly as she came to stand beside her summoner. Taking up her huge sword, Rosamond lifts it above her head, the blade reversed... and plunges it down at the Countess' body, before fading and disappearing again.

Kyra Hyral (626) has posed:
    "Of course!" Kyra calls out, angling her way so she can back into being next to Scarlet. She knew that if fighting started, Scarlet would have to come with alternate means to help-which Kyra assumed would take the form of support spells. She assumes that it would be more defensive for her, that she'd be safe, but it isn't the case entirely. Landon must scramble to put himself between her and the lunging, claw-baring Countess, which he does out of instinct for the Judge. "Healer aggro!!" she calls out while the Tin Soldier wrestles with the Countess, claws just barely out of reach of the white mage.

    Kyra uses her magic-which works pefectly fine now-to drop Protection spells on Landon and those nearby in case the angry Countess were to break free.

Finna (513) has posed:
    Going straight to Warform isn't necessarily the most elegant way to deal with trouble. In particularly, Finna's more acute hearing works against her. The Countess' song, what few wisps of it come, leave her reeling for a few moments, holding her head and growling, panting... but it doesn't laste.

    She can see what happened though! "Kyra!"

    With a BLITZ of motion the Angry Beast crosses the distance, her own silver claws whipping about to clash with the nails and drive them back. But the beast doesn't stay in place. Only long enough to execute one powerful claw swipe of her own... and then FLIPPING away to avoid Jeanne's wrath! "Whoah... beware the nice ones, huh?!"

Kotone Yamakawa has posed:
Powers from over a half dozen worlds are let rip in this fight. The puppet woman sure can move as Kotone is dancing about and she manages to get a few hits in and wounds her. however ther's going to be a price to pay for getting that hit later in all likelyhood. Kotone sees the Queen is unmked, there's no mistaking it she's got Alexis face as well.

"I'll not bow...not to you!"

She laquncehs into another run for them.

She flips into the air trying to get over the countiess as the song is about to start but Kyra's able to prevent it before she can really get into it.

She fires off another burts ot two ad she calls out.

"No this is going to end and Alexis will be leaving here!"

Scarlet Everille (747) has posed:
    Scarlet chains the spells off one after the other. Physical performance boosters for reflexes and strength, entirely focused on offense, out to the two swordswomen, and the fox now that she's decided to do something, with a flame-reduction aura going to August in preparatory anticipation, and then Jeanne as a second layer as she does much the same. She's barely had time to fall back to Kyra as the Countess comes after her, and drops the ward halfway, only a single layer of sizzling, translucent electricity resisting the force of her hands for a few moments. It's mostly to slow her down before she breaches into the domed triple ward, but enough for the others to pile on from behind. Scarlet herself doesn't leap in the way of Kyra. That's what the armour wearing Landon is for.

    Instead, a now-familiar Familiar materializes over the white mage's head, screeching as its non-euclidean phase crystal form unfolds into a blossoming flower, and dumps all of its power into one strike. Normally a type of guard for pinpoint interception, the amped-up circuit functions as a proper laser, hitting the countess with a blinding lance of light in an a colour that doesn't normally exist, ruthlessly aiming for the face. Now that it's been revealed as a shadow, she doesn't care much for the level of violence inflicted on it.

Riva Banari has posed:
But it was already too late for the Countess. More bullets from the Puppet Woman struck her, and she looked up only to driven to the ground by a mighty blade strike from the Sword Bride. The Angry Beast struck then and sent the Countess flying across the tower roof. The Red Sorceress and the Youthful Rebel used their magics to help their friends, while the Red Sorceress called up a mighty blast of light which struck the face of the Countess. Wounded from all sides, the Countess reeled, covering her face...

But the Tin Soldier would not relent. He grappled the Countess and called up a great flame that consumed both himself and the Countess, sactificing himself in order to deal a lethal blow while preventing her from tearing apart the Yourful Rebel. Also, the Saint struck then, calling upon her faith to pierce the Countess with her blade, striking the Countess to the grounf one more.

It was at this point that the Countess could stand no more, and the Darkness that was the Countess began to leave.

As the Darkness flowed outwards and the Countess began to vanish, she found her voice again. "All I ever wanted... Was for her to appreciate me." A moment later, the Countess was gone, and the Song was over. The travellers were heroes, striking down the evil Countess to free Alexis from her captivity.

Alexis, freed from the curse of the Countess, lie there on the floor, asleep after her arduous situation. The travellers were able to bring her home safely.

And that as the tale of the Countess Who Sang To The Stars.